Effects of Ammonium Chloride Fertilizer and its Application Stage on Cadmium Concentrations in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Grain

Abstract

Chloride (Cl) in saline soil increases the cadmium (Cd) concentration in crops. Here, we conducted a field experiment to investigate changes in Cd concentrations in wheat grain after the application of the Cl-containing fertilizer ammonium chloride (NH₄Cl), with the aim of reducing its potential health risk. Effects of the application stage of NH₄Cl fertilizer and leaching treatment (i.e., heavy rainfall) were also investigated in field and pot experiments. Both field and pot experiments showed that the Cd concentration of wheat grain was higher with NH₄Cl fertilizer than with ammonium sulfate or urea fertilizers. Grain Cd concentration in wheat fertilized with NH₄Cl at the tillering–jointing and flowering stages in the field experiment was 0.223 mg kg^–1, which was about 1.5 times higher than that fertilized with urea. This finding is important because, in Japan, compound fertilizers containing NH₄Cl are commonly used in fields for wheat cultivation. NH₄Cl fertilizer application at the tillering–jointing and flowering stages had nearly equal effects on the Cd concentration in wheat grain. Basal dressing with NH₄Cl fertilizer increased Cd concentrations in wheat grain to a greater extent than topdressing (at thetillering–jointing and flowering stage applications) in a pot experiment that was protected from rain. Leaching treatment (assuming two lots of 100 mm rainfall) negated the effect of NH₄Cl fertilizer application on Cd concentration in wheat grain. We recommend the use of ammonium sulfate or urea preferentially as the nitrogen fertilizer because heavy rainfall rarely occurs during this period in Japan.     

Irrigation and tillage management effects on solute movement

In developing management practices to reduce chemical leaching below the root zone, tillage and irrigation management are important considerations. Two studies were performed to evaluate the movement of bromide in tilled and non-tilled soils under sprinkler versus flood irrigation. In each study, bromide was applied either with an irrigation or presprayed to the soil surface followed by periodic soil sampling to monitor the bromide movement. Tillage was observed to reduce the mean depth of chemical penetration under both irrigation treatments and reduce the spatial variation of bromide concentration under flood irrigation. For example, after 30 days of periodic flood irrigation, 25% of the applied bromide remained in the upper 0.2 m of a tilled soil while in the companion non-tilled soil virtually no bromide remained above this depth. The most rapid bromide movement was observed in non-tilled, flood irrigated soil, particularly when the solute was added with the irrigation. We speculate that the tillage effect of reduced leaching results from the alteration of pore continuity and creation of diffusional sinks and not increased evaporative water loss in the tilled soil. The Root Zone Water Quality Model was calibrated using site-specific hydraulic property measurements and used to predict the solute movement. The model predictions were fairly accurate for the sprinkler irrigated soil but less satisfactory for the flood irrigation studies. In comparing the effect on chemical leaching of the treatments imposed, we found that tillage and the timing of the chemical application had greater impact on reducing leaching than did the method of irrigation.     

Soil sodicity as a result of periodical drought

Soil sodicity development is a process that depends nonlinearly on both salt concentration and composition of soil water. In particular in hot climates, soil water composition is subject to temporal variation due to dry–wet cycles. To investigate the effect of such cycles on soil salinity and sodicity, a simple root zone model is developed that accounts for annual salt accumulation and leaching periods. Cation exchange is simplified to considering only Ca/Na exchange, using the Gapon exchange equation. The resulting salt and Ca/Na-balances are solved for a series of dry/wet cycles with a standard numerical approach. Due to the nonlinearities in the Gapon equation, the fluctuations of soil salinity that may be induced, e.g. by fluctuating soil water content, affect sodicity development. Even for the case that salinity is in a periodic steady state, where salt concentrations do not increase on the long term, sodicity may still grow as a function of time from year to year. For the longer term, sodicity, as quantified by Exchangeable Sodium Percentage (ESP), approaches a maximum value that depends on drought and inflowing water quality, but not on soil cation exchange capacity. Analytical approaches for the salinity and sodicity developing under such fluctuating regimes appear to be in good agreement with numerical approximations and are very useful for checking numerical results and anticipating changes in practical situations.     

Fine scale variability in soil extracellular enzyme activity is insensitive to rain events and temperature in a mesic system

While soil extracellular enzyme assays (EEAs) are frequently used to infer soil microbial function, the data typically reflect a small number of sampling points across a season, and it is unclear to what extent soil EEA may vary on the time scale of days to weeks. Rain events, in particular, may cause rapid shifts in EEA, and fine scale temporal data are needed to properly assess the generality of EEA data collected at coarser time scales. We examined soil EEA 2-3 times per week in the field from June to November in the context of natural rain events and temperature fluctuations, and explored how long-term water addition altered EEA responses. We also tested the short-term effects of water addition on the distribution of EEA in intact soil mesocoms and leachate. There was little temporal variation in EEA for the hydrolases phosphatase, N-acetyl-glucosaminidase and β-glucosidase, despite the occurrence of multiple large rain events and large soil temperature fluctuations. Phenol oxidase activity correlated significantly with seasonal trends in temperature and soil moisture, but was highly variable at short time scales, and the latter did not correlate significantly with short-term changes in soil microclimate. EEA generally increased in response to long-term water addition, and in soil mesocosms water addition did not significantly redistribute EEA among the upper and lower soil layers, and leachate EEA was three orders of magnitude lower than soil EEA. Overall, our results reveal relatively minor short-term variation in EEA for hydrolase enzymes, and no discernable response to temperature fluctuations or precipitation over the short term. However, high short-term variation in phenol oxidase activity suggests that it may be difficult to infer temporal trends in EEA for this enzyme from a limited number of sampling points.     

土壤磷素流失的途径、环境影响及对策

土壤长期过量的P肥(包括化肥和有机肥)投入导致土壤P素水平的提高,从而加大了土壤P素流失的风险。大部分水体富营养化的限制因素是P,土壤P的流失是重要的非点源污染。本文对国内外有关土壤P管理的研究做一综述,内容包括土壤P对水体富营养化的贡献、土壤P的流失途径及影响因素、系列水体P和土壤P指数、土壤P流失控制对策(土地利用管理、立法、政策的改变)等。     

Concurrent measurements of net mineralization, nitrification, denitrification and leaching from field incubated soil cores

An improved method is described for incubating intact soil cores in the field, which permits concurrent measurement of net mineralization, nitrification, denitrification and leaching. Cores were enclosed in PVC tubes with minimal disturbance to the physical state or to the natural cycles of wetting/drying, soil temperature and aeration during an incubation lasting 4–5 days. An example of the application of the method is given in which soils with contrasting drainage characteristics were compared. Over a 64-day experimental period, 58% of the mineralized nitrogen (N) in a freely drained soil was nitrified and 36% of the nitrate-N (NO₃ ^–-N) was denitrified. In a poorly drained soil, 72% of the mineralized N was nitrified and 63% of the NO₃ ^–-N was denitrified. In both soil types, 18% of the remaining NO₃ ^–-N was leached. Rates of nitrification were significantly correlated with net mineralization (r ²=0.41 and 0.52) and also closely correlated with denitrification (r ²=0.67 and 0.68) in the freely and poorly drained soils, respectively. Independent measurements of these processes, using alternative techniques (for the same period), compared favourably with measurements obtained with the improved incubation method. Adoption of this method has a number of advantages with respect to field net N mineralization, and also allows interpretation of the impact this may have on other N transformation processes. Received: 18 June 1997     

EFFECT OF WATER MANAGEMENT AND POLYOLEFIN-COATED UREA ON GROWTH AND NITROGEN UPTAKE OF INDICA RICE

ABSTRACT

Poor water management and high nitrogen (N) losses are the key problems faced by rice farmers under rainfed inland valley systems. There is a need to evaluate different N fertilizers so as to identify one that could withstand these problems. The performance of polyolefin-coated urea (POCU) was therefore compared with conventional urea in a pot experiment with indica rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. IR36), using two water management systems: 1) Submerged condition referred to as good water management (GWM), and 2) excessive irrigation (over 4000 mm in 120 days) referred to as poor water management (PWM). The study was carried out during 1997 and 1998 cropping seasons under glasshouse conditions. For PWM in 1997, the pots were subjected to leaching only whereas in 1998, they were subjected to both surface runoff and leaching. For both cropping seasons, POCU-treated plants under PWM had a significantly higher grain yield (377.5 and 343.0 g m^?2) than urea-treated plants (316.5 and 260.5 g m^?2). In addition, POCU-treated plants had a significantly higher number of grains per panicle than urea-treated plants. In 1998, both the partial factor productivity of applied N and the agronomic nitrogen-use efficiency of POCU-treated plants under GWM and PWM were significantly higher than those of urea-treated plants. It can be inferred that (using sandy soils and under PWM), POCU could perform significantly better than conventional urea. This finding is important, considering the usually high nitrogen losses in rice-growing inland valley swamps.     

Longterm influence of liquid sewage sludge on the organic carbon and nitrogen content of a furrow-irrigated desert soil

Summary In this study we evaluated the impact of five annual liquid sewage-sludge applications on the organic C and N content of a furrow-irrigated desert soil. Mineralization rates showed that sludge organic matter is mineralized rapidly (65% per year). Resistant residual sludge organic matter accumulation resulted in a theoretical increase in total soil organic C of 0.013% for the single sludge rate or 0.038% for three annual applications. These small additions were not detected in sludged soils at any depth to 270 cm. Similarly, increases in total soil N were not detected at any depth. However, soluble forms of organic C and N did increase in sludged soils relative to the non-sludged soils. In addition, soluble C:N ratios decreased significantly in the sludged soils. Soluble C and N also increased with depth due to leaching. This study therefore shows that applications of liquid sludge onto desert soils could affect the status of underground aquifers with respect to nitrate pollution.     

Study on the Acute Toxicity of Rare Earth Yttrium to Earthworms under the Stress of Leaching Agent Ammonium Sulfate

[目的]考察浸矿剂硫酸铵（NH4）2SO4胁迫下稀土离子钇的毒性研究。[方法]选择蚯蚓作为土壤生态环境污染指示生物,采用滤纸接触法研究硫酸铵胁迫下稀土钇（ Y）对蚯蚓的急性毒性效应。[结果]①稀土钇单一染毒,蚯蚓的48 h 半致死率浓度为 LC50=213.41 mg/L、24 h半致死率浓度为 LC50=322.63 mg/L。②硫酸铵单一染毒下,蚯蚓的48 h半致死率浓度为 LC50=13.89 g/L、24 h半致死率浓度为LC50=15.05 g/L。③低浓度10 g/L的硫酸铵与稀土钇复合染毒,蚯蚓的48 h半致死率浓度LC50=198.65 g/L、24 h 半致死率浓度 LC50=399.85 g/L;中浓度14 g/L的硫酸铵与稀土钇复合染毒,蚯蚓的48 h半致死率浓度 LC50=167.3 mg/L、24 h半致死率浓度 LC50=256.73 mg/L;高浓度20 g/L的硫酸铵与稀土钇复合染毒,蚯蚓的48 h半致死率浓度 LC50=31.03 mg/L、24 h的LC50=127.65 mg/L。[结论]低浓度的硫酸铵降低稀土钇对蚯蚓的毒性,产生一定的拮抗作用。中浓度的硫酸铵增加稀土钇对蚯蚓的毒性,产生较明显的协同作用。高浓度硫酸铵显著增加了稀土钇对蚯蚓的毒性。稀土钇染毒下蚯蚓死体更易断裂,而活体对针刺反应相对不灵敏。     

紫色土坡耕地氮素淋失通量的实测与模拟

氮淋失是氮素循环研究中最重要的环节之一,获得准确的氮淋失通量是当今农田氮循环研究中必不可少而又较为困难的工作之一。紫色土土层薄,土壤氮素难以蓄存,加之降水丰富,下伏透水性较弱的母岩,淋溶水达到母岩后难以垂直下渗而沿土壤岩石界面出流、汇流形成壤中流,紫色土氮素淋失主要表现为氮素随壤中流迁移流失。DNDC模型是基于过程的一种土壤碳氮循环模型,常用于农田温室气体排放模拟,但其应用于氮素淋溶的验证与测试不足。本文利用大型坡地排水采集器(lysimeter),测定紫色土坡耕地淋溶水量(壤中流流量)和氮素淋失通量,并利用观测数据对DNDC模型进行验证。结果表明,紫色土坡耕地小麦玉米季累积淋溶水通量为323.6 mm,径流系数33.3%,氮素淋失量为36.93 kg.hm 2,占全年氮素施用量的13.2%。壤中流流量与氮素淋失量实测值和模拟值的Pearson相关系数分别为0.944(P<0.05)和0.972(P<0.05),Theil不等系数分别为0.07和0.1,降雨量、土壤孔隙率和施氮水平是氮流失模拟的高敏感性参数。DNDC模型应用于紫色土坡耕地氮素淋失通量的模拟具有较高的可靠性,同时DNDC基于过程模型的优势可以描述持续降雨条件下的氮淋失过程,未来可通过进一步的验证,测试DNDC模型应用于氮淋失过程及区域氮淋失评估的可行性。