Effects of incubation times and moisture regimes on pH values and exchangeable cations in acid sulfate soils as influenced by application rates of basic slag

Severe acidifications in acid sulfate soils (ASSs) have occurred worldwide due to sulfuric acidity, which requires sustainable measures for their reclamation. Accordingly, an incubation study was conducted with the topsoil of two different ASSs (Cheringa and Badarkhali) to evaluate the effects of basic slag (BS; size <1 mm, pH 9.6, Ca 20.8%, Mg 9.8%, etc.), on reduction of acidity and changes in exchangeable cations. It is noted that BS is a byproduct of steel industry in Bangladesh and can be collected almost free of charge. These soils received BS at the rate of 0 (T₀), 11 (T₁), 22 (T₂) and 33 (T₃) t ha⁻¹ under various moisture regimes (saturated condition M₁,_, i.e., 100% moisture content, wetting–drying cycles of 100 and 50% moisture M_2, and moisture at field condition M₃, i.e., 50%). The impacts of these treatments on some selected parameters in these soils were studied within 180 days of incubation. The application of BS was found to increase the pH of soils from 3.6 to 5.1 for Cheringa, 3.9 to 5.2 for Badarkhali soils at the end of incubation. These increments were more striking with the highest doses of BS under saturated moisture conditions in both of the soils. The ECe of the soils was not much influenced by the application of BS regardless of time. The treatments exerted significant (P ≤ 0.05) effects on exchangeable cations in different periods of incubation. The striking changes were recorded for the rate of increments of Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺, which were about 2–3 times higher for Ca and more than 2 times higher for Mg²⁺ compared with the control after 180 days of incubation. These results suggest that the application of BS not only increased the Ca²⁺ to the higher amount than that of the increment of Mg²⁺ in the soils, but also improved one of the important criteria of Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ ratio in the soils.     

孵化过程的模糊神经网络控制系统设计及应用

针对家禽孵化过程的复杂动态特点,设计了家禽孵化模糊神经网络控制系统,试验结果表明,该系统能够较好地实现孵化主要参数的稳定。     

中国林蛙人工池塘孵化与越冬技术研究

［目的］研究中国林蛙人工池塘孵化与越冬技术。［方法］2005~2007年,在牡丹江自然保护区内挖人工池塘12个,分别设置不同水温进行林蛙孵化试验,计算孵化率和变态率;设置3个越冬池进行越冬试验,计算林蛙存活率。［结果］孵化池水温在10~12℃、12~14℃时的孵化率可达到97%以上,且明显高于其他温度下的孵化率;胚胎在8~20℃温度范围内均能正常发育,变态率达91%左右;越冬池放养密度为40只/m2左右,林蛙的越冬存活率可达95%。［结论］人工池塘孵化的最适温度是10~14℃,水深保持在2m左右;林蛙越冬的放养密度建议控制在40只/m2左右,并每月换水1次,水温控制在5℃左右。     

Relating the biological stability of soil organic matter to energy availability in deep tropical soil profiles

Tropical subsoils contain large reservoirs of carbon (C), most of which is stored in soil organic matter (SOM). Subsoil OM is thought to be particularly stable against microbial decomposition due to various mechanisms and its position in the soil profile, potentially representing a long-term C sink. However, few experiments have explicitly investigated SOM stability and microbial activity across several orders of magnitude of soil C concentrations as a function of soil depth. The objective of this study was to evaluate the biological stability of SOM in the upper 1.4 m of tropical forest soil profiles. We did so by measuring CO₂ evolution during a 90-day laboratory incubation experiment on a sample set that was previously characterized for C and nutrient concentrations and microbial biomass. We concurrently measured the energy content of SOM using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) as an index of the energy available for microbial metabolism, with the hypothesis that the biological stability of SOM would be inversely related to the energy contained within it. Cumulative CO₂ evolution, mean respiration rates, and the energy density of SOM (energy released during combustion normalized to soil C) all declined with soil depth (P < 0.01). Biological indices of C stability were well correlated with measures of SOM energy. There was no change in the mean respiration rate as a function of depth when normalized to soil C, and a trend toward increased respiration per-unit microbial biomass (P = 0.07). While reduced microbial respiration in subsoils suggests an increase in the biological stability of SOM, we suggest this is driven principally by concurrent declines in energy availability as measured by DSC and the size of the microbial biomass pool. On a per-unit biomass basis, subsoil OM may be as prone to decomposition and destabilization as surface SOM.     

10种热带牧草根际高效解磷细菌的筛选及其培养条件

从热研2号柱花草等10种不同牧草中筛选出9株无机解磷细菌及6株有机磷细菌,并利用平板溶磷圈法、钼锑抗比色法对分离得到的细菌进行测定,最后得到解磷效果最好的解磷细菌株,牧草根际解无机磷细菌解磷能力最高达216.57 mg/L.选定2株具有代表性的解无机磷细菌GI2-6(Bacillus spp.)和GI9-4-3(Serratia spp.),通过单因子试验对其解磷特性和培养条件进行研究,结果表明:当解磷细菌GI2-6以蔗糖为碳源、KNO_3为氮源、pH为7.5、温度为30℃,解磷细菌GI9-4-3以葡萄糖为碳源、KNO_3为氮源、pH为7.0、温度为30℃时,两者的菌体量最大,解磷效果最好.     

Enhancing germinability of Schinus molle L. seed lot from Ethiopia with specific gravity and IDS techniques

The IDS (Incubation, Drying and Separation) method was tested on Schinus molle L. seeds collected from Ethiopia in an attempt to sort non-viable from viable seeds. Seeds were incubated for 24 h followed by one, three, four, five, six, nine and twelve hours of drying and then separated in water. All IDS treatments gave 80.5–93.5% germination in the sunken fraction compared with 61% for untreated seeds. The mean germination time of sunken seeds reduced from 11.2 (control) to 8.9–9.2 days (IDS-treated). Specific gravity separation in water of untreated seeds was also tested, and the germination capacity of sunken fraction was 83.5% with a mean germination time of 9.3 days. IDS method can, therefore, be used to enhance both percentage and rate of germination of a seed lot of Schinus molle, which is desirable to produce uniform and vigorous seedlings in the nursery or out in the field.     

A hot-spot approach applied to nitrification in tropical acid soils

Several authors have reported that nitrification in acid soils may be restricted to microsites having a more favorable pH. The aim of this study was to propose a conceptual model of the functioning of nitrification in hot-spots, and to test it with the experimental data obtained in laboratory conditions using twelve tropical unamended and -amended soils with a wide range of pH (from 4.2 to 6.9). Nitrification was also measured in two selected soils where the pH was adjusted from 3.5 to 6.2. The model characterizes the relationship between the nitrification rates in unamended and -amended soils as a function of pH. It is based upon the assumption that nitrification of the coming from N mineralization occurs in the hot-spot (RN_h), and the nitrification of the added occurs in the hot-spot and also in its adjacent surrounding region (RN_s). The experimental design was chosen to be able to estimate both nitrification rates. Soil acidity limited nitrification more in -amended soils than in unamended ones. From our approach, this is due to less favorable conditions for nitrification in the region surrounding the hot-spot. The effect of self-induced acidity on nitrification was not noticeable neither in unamended nor in -amended treatments. The model described well three observations made in the experiments: (i) the minimum pH for nitrification to occur was lower for RN_h (pH<4.2) than for RN_s (pH<4.7), (ii) the RN_h/RN_s ratio increased with the decrease of pH (from 1.5 at pH 6 to 8.5 at pH 4), and (iii) for a given pH, the RN_h/RN_s ratio increased with the decrease of the initial pH of the soil. Among the soil parameters determined in this study (i.e. exchangeable Al, EDTA-extractable Cu and Zn, total C and N), only pH was related to nitrification. However, for a given pH, nitrification varied 3-fold among soils, depending upon their initial pH. This suggests that soil pH as determined on bulk soil is not suitable to predict nitrification in each individual soil, because it is not representative of the acidity level within the hot-spot.     

不同催青处理的二化性家蚕体内过氧化氢代谢

研究了25℃明催青和15℃暗催青对二化性家蚕品种丰一体内的H2O2代谢影响。在催青期,前一种处理的蚕卵体内H2O2代谢水平在中后期呈U型变化,过氧化氢酶(CAT)活性在后期迅速上升;后一种处理的蚕卵体内H2O2代谢水平在第16天出现峰值,CAT活性在后期缓慢上升。在幼虫期,两种催青处理的H2O2代谢基本相似,均是H2O2代谢水平随龄期增加而逐步下降,CAT活性在1~4龄逐步下降,而在5龄期有所回升。在蛹期,前一种处理的H2O2代谢水平分别在第2天和第9天出现峰值,CAT活性分别在第3天和第6天出现峰值;后一种处理的H2O2代谢水平在第4天出现峰值,CAT活性在第5天出现峰值。上述结果表明,不同催青条件显著改变了家蚕催青期和蛹期的H2O2代谢,滞育诱导阶段的家蚕H2O2代谢可能与滞育激素(DH)的表达密切相关。     

松褐天牛产卵繁殖研究

通过对松褐天牛在健康木和伐倒木刻槽、产卵及卵成活率的研究发现:松褐天牛虽然在健康木上能刻槽,但刻槽数较少,且几乎不产卵,偶有产卵也不能正常孵化成活;在伐倒木上则刻槽较多,产卵量大,且成活率高。接种在伐倒木上的松褐天牛卵孵化率高,幼虫生长发育正常,而接种在健康木上的松褐天牛卵孵化率低,幼虫生长发育情况较差。     

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) brucellosis eradication program in the United States

Efforts to eradicate brucellosis caused by Brucella abortus in the United States began in 1934 as part of an economic recovery program to reduce the cattle population because of the Great Depression and concurrent severe drought conditions. A number of states saw this as an opportunity to reduce the level of brucellosis, which was the most significant livestock disease problem in the US at the time. In 1934 and 1935, the reactor rate in adult cattle tested was 11.5%. In 1954, the magnitude of the brucellosis problem in the United States in terms of economics to the cattle industry and human health prompted Congress to appropriate funds for a comprehensive national effort to eradicate brucellosis. The brucellosis eradication program was designed as a cooperative effort between the federal government, the states, and livestock producers. As the science and technology of brucellosis has developed over the years through research and experience, the eradication program has been modified many times.

As of 31 December 2000, there were no affected cattle herds in the United States. This was the first time in the history of the brucellosis program that the United States had no known brucellosis affected herds. However, brucellosis has a variable, sometimes quite lengthy incubation period, so it is expected that additional affected herds will be disclosed. It is likely that additional affected herds will be disclosed before brucellosis is finally eradicated from cattle. Animal health officials remain prepared to aggressively pursue any newly disclosed affected herds to eliminate the disease as quickly as possible.

The State-Federal Brucellosis Eradication Program has made tremendous progress since its inception. In an eradication program, it is critically important to recognize that, despite all the tools that are available to eliminate the disease, an effective surveillance system is the critical first step that must be in place in order to be successful. It is imperative, not only to be able to find the disease and eliminate it, but to find it before it spreads to susceptible herds. When brucellosis can be identified, contained, and eliminated before spread occurs, eradication can be achieved.