What happens to earthworm casts in the soil? A field study of carbon and nitrogen dynamics in Neotropical savannahs

In the Oxisols of the eastern plains of Colombia, the large native anecic earthworm Martiodrilus sp. is an abundant ecosystem engineer producing long-lasting casts and burrows. Casts deposited in the soil by this species have been estimated at several tonnes per hectare per year. The physical and chemical processes occurring in these casts have never been studied. In this study, we compared the dynamics of water content (WC), total C (C_tot), and available N (N_avail) contents, and the distribution in size of aggregates in ageing below-ground casts of this species and in the bulk soil. In a native herbaceous savannah and a sown grass/legume pasture (Brachiaria humidicola, Arachis pintoi, Desmodium ovalifolium and Stylosanthes capitata), fresh surface casts were experimentally injected into artificial burrows of 1 cm Ø and 10 cm depth and sampled at different dates during a total period of 120 days. The injection procedure used resulted in a 34% decrease in WC of the casts from the sown pasture and reduced the mean mass diameter (MMD) of the aggregates of casts from the savannah by 19%. Other properties were not significantly affected by the procedure.For injected casts in both grasslands, MMD and C_tot were stable during cast ageing while WC and N_avail were initially at levels several times higher than the bulk soil and decreased to similar bulk soil values with ageing. The C_tot was twice and one third higher in casts compared with the bulk soil in the pasture and the savannah, respectively. Overall means for cast MMD (8.3 and 7.4 mm) were twice as high as those in the bulk soil (3.8 mm) in the savannah and the pasture, respectively. However, MMD was not significantly different between the casts and the bulk soil in two occasions in the pasture. Available nitrogen (N_avail) in injected casts was initially greater than bulk soil levels, reaching maximum levels just after injection (116 and 93 mg kg⁻¹) and remained significantly greater during 1-2 weeks, in the savannah and the pasture, respectively. In conclusion, the tonnes of casts deposited in the soil profile by Martiodrilus sp. each year are likely to contribute greatly to plant nutrition and to the regulation of the soil structure. For each anecic earthworm species, the ecological impact of its below-ground casts is likely to be as important as its surface casts.     

The Humus Content and Soil Biological Properties as a Function of Organic and Mineral Fertilization

There is a growing recognition for the need to develop sensitive indicators of soil quality that reflect the effects of land management on soil and assist land users in promoting sustainability of agro-ecosystems. Three soil enzymes (dehydrogenase, phosphatase and invertase) microbial biomass as biological variables and soil organic matter content (SOM) were investigated relative to fertilization and soil fertility (estimated by crop yield) at a long-term fertilization trial (Keszthely, Hungary). 0-34.7-69.4-104.1t farmyard manure (FYM) ha m 1 5 yr m 1 and the corresponding amount of mineral fertilizers (NPK) were applied in two different crop rotation systems. There were four straw and/or stalk incorporating treatments in the second crop rotation 'B'. Enzyme activities, microbial biomass and the amount of SOM were generally higher in the fertilized soils than in the unfertilized soils. The type of amendments (mineral, FYM or mixed) had significant effects only on the amount of SOM. The correlations among the biological variables and the crop yield were generally low (r < 0.250. The differences in field management resulted only in the invertase activity.     

Synergy Between Fertilizer and Irrigation Water for Higher Resource Use Efficiency in Field Crops

Field experiments conducted under different levels of irrigation and fertilizers reveal that water and fertilizers increased each others' efficiency in several field crops. However, the over dose of fertilizers in the absence of adequate watering or nutrients deficiency under frequent watering had adverse effects on crop productivity. These effects were mediated through plant water status and related physiological processes. Thus, a proper combination of irrigation water and fertilizers is required for attaining high water and fertilizers use efficiency in field crops.     

Influence of moisture regime on inhibition of nitrification by DCD

A laboratory study at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi showed that DCD was an efficient nitrification inhibitor under field capacity moisture (???30 kPa) but not so under submerged soil conditions. Nitrification inhibition by DCD was 79.6% after 1 week of incubation and decreased to 59.3% after 3 weeks of incubation under field capacity moisture, while it was only 19.3% after 1 week of incubation and 10.6% and 18.4% after 2 and 3 weeks of incubation under submergence, respectively. DCD can play an important role in reducing N losses from agricultural fields.     

不同尺寸蒸渗仪测定作物蒸散的田间试验研究

称重式蒸渗仪测定作物蒸散量（ET）是公认的一种标准测定方法。大型称重式蒸渗仪因单点独立安装而无法进行不同处理的重复试验,小型蒸渗仪则可解决该问题,但目前对于小尺寸蒸渗仪的适用性尚无统一结论。本文利用1m2（SL）、2m2（ML）和4m2（LL）3种不同面积的蒸渗仪在冬小麦（2012年11月21日播种,2013年6月20日收获）和水稻（2013年6月22日移栽,2013年10月28日收获）整个生长季进行连续蒸散量观测,筛选无有效降水日的数据进行对比分析。结果表明：（1）在冬小麦和水稻生长季内,SL（小）蒸渗仪所测蒸散量日内变化均表现出较大的变化幅度,ML（中）蒸渗仪所测蒸散量日内变化趋势均与LL（大）蒸渗仪所测一致,日内变化比较平稳;（2）ML蒸渗仪所测日蒸散量与LL所测结果的相关性最好（P<0.01）;（3）SL蒸渗仪所测水稻日平均蒸散量和蒸散总量与LL接近,所以可将SL蒸渗仪替代LL测定水稻日平均蒸散量和蒸散总量;ML所测冬小麦和水稻的日平均蒸散量及蒸散总量均比LL明显偏小,蒸散总量偏小主要由于拔节后较大的日蒸散量偏差导致。     

传统稻鱼系统生产力提升对稻田水体环境的影响

如何在提升传统农业系统生产力的同时又不破坏其内涵、还对环境不产生负面影响,是一个受到研究者持续性关注的挑战性课题。本研究以具有1 200年历史的全球重要农业文化遗产稻鱼系统为例,研究稻鱼系统鱼的放养密度对生产力和环境的影响,探讨能够显著提升稻鱼系统生产力且又不破坏其传统性(产品优质、环境友好)的途径。研究表明,传统稻鱼系统(RF)(田鱼目标产量375 kg.hm 2)与水稻单作系统(RM)水体的化学需氧量(COD)、总氮(TN)、总磷(TP)及铵态氮(NH4+-N)含量均没有显著性差异。随着田鱼养殖密度提高(鱼产量由750 kg.hm 2提高到3 000 kg.hm 2)和饲料投入的相应增加,稻鱼系统的生产力和经济产出大幅度提高(稻鱼系统的净经济收入增加25.2%~101.4%),但稻鱼系统(RF)水体的COD值及TN、TP和NH4+-N含量均呈现增加的趋势,尤其是当鱼目标产量增至3 000 kg.hm 2时,水体TP含量和COD值显著提高,面源污染风险增加。分析还表明,鱼放养目标产量为2 250 kg.hm 2时,稻鱼系统经济效益最佳,此时净经济收入比传统稻鱼系统增加55.9%,并且不会对水体环境质量产生负面影响。     

美国转基因作物田间试验频次分析

本研究通过对美国转基因作物田间试验频次分析揭示转基因作物研发的概貌和规律.采用EXCEL数据透视表与数据透视图软件,对美国转基因作物田间试验数据库和世界经济合作组织转基因作物田间试验数据库近20年数据进行统计分析.结果表明,至2008年9月止,美国转基因作物田间试验累计达13782次,涉及158种作物,10大类性状和98家公司或研究机构.1987-2008年间,审批的田间试验次数先呈直线上升,其后稳定在每年1000次左右.试验物种以玉米、大豆、棉花为主,分别占45.8%、9.7%和6.4%.涉及的主要性状有抗除草剂、抗虫和品质性状.62.7%的转基因作物田间试验由孟山都和国际先锋等五家私人公司完成.分析认为,只有经济价值高、安全性好、技术成熟、消费者容易接受的转基因作物才拥有更广阔的发展前景.建议我国加强非粮食作物转基因技术的研究.     

水稻秸秆用量对淹水培养土壤表层溶液理化性质的影响

采用模拟培养的方法,研究水稻秸秆用量对淹水培养土壤表层溶液理化性质的影响。试验根据秸秆还田量设0g·盆-1、100g·盆-1、200g·盆-1和300g·盆-14个处理,每盆装土15kg,施尿素2.8g以调节系统碳氮比,分别测定培养液的电导率、pH、全氮、全磷、全钾等指标。研究结果表明,各处理表层溶液电导率在培养初期呈上升趋势,第36d达到最大值,分别为960μs·cm-1、1150μs·cm-1、1467μs·cm-1和1620μs·cm-1,随后略有降低,到培养结束时分别为683μs·cm-1、910μs·cm-1、1083μs·cm-1和1277μs·cm-1。pH值在培养的前3d呈缓慢下降趋势,与秸秆用量呈负相关;从第4d开始pH迅速升高,16d后达到相对稳定状态,到培养结束时变化不大。施加的尿素导致各处理培养液中全氮在20d内保持较高浓度,随后全氮浓度迅速下降,到第76d,下降趋势减缓;施加秸秆对全氮浓度影响较小,施加秸秆能够提高全磷含量。秸秆中钾释放迅速,培养1d后,溶液全钾含量达到较高浓度,分别为6.87mg·L-1、36.10mg·L-1、60.27mg·L-1、114.23mg·L-1,在整个培养期全钾浓度变化不大。淹水培养条件下施加秸秆能够增加培养液中电导率、全磷及全钾浓度,与秸秆用量呈正比,但对pH、全氮影响较小。从养分流失角度考虑,控制田面养分流失主要时期为水稻秸秆还田后30d内。     

Effectiveness of new agri-environment schemes in providing foraging resources for bumblebees in intensively farmed landscapes

Intensive farming has contributed to the serious declines in abundance and geographic range suffered by several bumblebee species in Europe and North America. Recent UK agri-environmental policy aims to conserve and restore bumblebee populations by providing foraging habitats on arable field margins. We examined the effectiveness of strategies to achieve this, including sowing seed mixtures of (1) tussocky grass species, (2) wildflowers and (3) pollen- and nectar-rich plants. These were compared to conventionally managed cereal crops. Sampling was undertaken in 32 10 × 10 km squares throughout England, each containing a sample of the different field margin types. Bumblebee abundance in July and August was significantly higher on pollen and nectar margins (86 ± 14 bees per 100 m) compared with wildflower margins (43 ± 14), mature grass margins (6 ± 14) and recently sown grass margins (8 ± 4). Bees were virtually absent from the cereal crop (0.2 ± 0.1). Bumblebee species richness was significantly higher on margins sown with either wildflowers or the pollen and nectar mix. There was evidence that richness of the bumblebee assemblage at the 10 × 10 km square scale was positively correlated with land use heterogeneity, the proportion of grassland, and the abundance and richness of dicotyledon flowers. The abundance of long-tongued bees per margin was explained by the number of pollen and nectar agreements per 10 × 10 km square, together with flower abundance. Future research is required to determine the quantity and location of foraging habitat required to sustain bumblebee populations at the landscape scale.