Calculation of hydraulic conductivities of horizons in some major soils in Wisconsin

Hydraulic conductivity between saturation and a tension of 100 cm water was calculated with moisture-retention data for nine soil horizons and compared with results from in situ measurements with the crust test. Agreement was good for sandy, apedal soil horizons with simple packing voids but only if matching factors were used. Results were unreliable in clayey, pedal soil horizons in which a few relatively large planar and tubular pores determine K in the measured tension range, whereas the greatest fraction of total porosity is composed of fine pores inside peds that hardly contribute to flow. Varying the number of pore classes (n) and the water-filled porosity at saturation made no significant difference in the calculations for the apedal soils, but drastically changed the shape of the calculated curves for the pedal soils. Matching factors based on K_sat measurement had to be used for all studied soil horizons, indicating that Marshall's pore-interaction model never predicted K_sat accurately.     

THE EFFECT OF PESTICIDES ON THE YIELD AND BOTANICAL COMPOSITION OF A NEWLY-SOWN RYEGRASS LEY AND OF AN OLD MIXED PASTURE

Newly-sown S24 perennial ryegrass at Hurley and old established ryegrass-dominant mixed pasture at Rothamsted were treated with several pesticides, singly and in combination, over the period 1969–73. Yields were either unaffected or increased by up to 30% in any one year, depending on the treatment, the newly-sown sward giving the more consistent response from year to year.     

Isolation and characterization of Thiobacillus from alkali soils

Alkali soils are poor in sulphur-oxidizing bacteria. By appropriate enrichment, two bacterial strains resembling Thiobacillus thiooxidans and T. novellus have been isolated from an alkali soil. The strain of T. novellus possesses characteristics which make it suitable in reclamation of alkali soils by sulphur amendment.     

LOSSES IN THE CONSERVATION OF HEAVILY-WILTED HERBAGE SEALED IN POLYTHENE FILM IN LINED TRENCH SILOS

A conservation experiment is described in which the losses in ensiling heavily-wilted herbage, of approximately 50% dry matter, in lined trench silos, with and without a polyethylene film seal, are compared. The composition and digestibility of the silages produced in the sealed silos were comparable with those of the original herbage. The content of organic acids in the sealed silos was low, suggesting that fermentation was suppressed by the partially gas-tight seal. In the unsealed silos there was considerable spoilage, 70% of the material being inedible. In the 2 sealed silos losses of dry matter were 8·2 and 5·2% and losses of SE 11·5 and 7·8%, respectively. The losses recorded are compared with those usually encountered in lined trench silos.