A simple method to estimate harvest index in grain crops

Several methods have been proposed to simulate yield in crop simulation models. In this work, we present a simple method to estimate harvest index (HI) of grain crops based on fractional post-anthesis phase growth (f_G = fraction of biomass accumulation that occurred in the post-anthesis phase). We propose that HI increases in a linear or curvilinear fashion in response to f_G. The linear model has two parameters, the intercept (HI_o) and the slope (s). The curvilinear model was assumed to be monotonic: HI = HI_x − (HI_x − HI_o) · exp(−k·f_G); where HI_x is the asymptote, HI_o is the intercept and k is a constant modulating the rate of HI increase. The models were tested for barley (Pullman, WA and Uruguay), wheat (Pullman, WA) and sorghum (Australia). A positive relationship between HI and f_G was in general evident. For barley, the linear model appropriately represented the response of HI to f_G, with both HI_o and s in the vicinity of 0.3. For wheat HI_o and s were 0.34 and 0.21, respectively, but the curvilinear model yielded a slightly better fitting than the linear model. For sorghum, both linear and linear-plateau models fitted data reasonably well. It is shown that the models work well in crops source-limited or source-sink co-limited during grain filling, but in sink-limited conditions the magnitude of the limitation needs to be characterized to compute HI. A major advantage of this method is that the parameters of the linear or curvilinear model are readily calibrated from yield data and biomass measurements at anthesis and harvest.     

镁在大豆营养中的作用

经特殊工艺处理,将蛇纹石矿制成不同品位镁肥,对大豆连续３年的盆栽与小区试验结果表明,镁可增加大豆对其它营养成分的吸收,提高大豆的光合速率,增加植株干物质的积累,改善大豆品质,提高大豆产量。     

Sedimentation-induced eutrophication in large river floodplains – An obstacle to restoration?

Conservation and restoration of floodplain ecosystems and their specific functions often suffer from a deficient knowledge on basic processes and dynamics such as sedimentation and related nutrient inputs. In this study, we present the results of a joint analysis of site conditions and vegetation of alluvial meadows along a gradient of increasing distance to the main channel of the river Rhine. In particular we scrutinized whether the flooding frequency mediated by the ground elevation or the distance to the river channel determines the degree of eutrophication by river water and sediments.We found a remarkably strong transversal gradient in the functional floodplain. Extremely high concentrations of CAL-soluble phosphorous (more than 150 mg kg⁻¹) were measured in close proximity to the main channel. These sites were characterized by low vascular plant species richness and a significantly higher proportion of species with high nutrient demands. At a distance of 300 m from the main channel P concentrations in the soil dropped to a quarter of this figure, whereas the average species richness per plot strongly increased. Contrary to our expectations, the influence of the flooding duration was of minor importance for the nutrient status. We can specify that strong eutrophication effects induced by sediment deposits are confined to the close proximity to the main channel within a distance of 200–300 m. At more distant sites, target vegetation of flood meadows was obviously not affected by recent nutrient input in the course of flooding. Concerns by conservationists that the restoration of active floodplains by the removal of dykes will generally lead to unwanted eutrophication by river water and sediments require revision and thorough specification.     

Effects of carbon additions on iron reduction and phosphorus availability in a humid tropical forest soil

In the highly weathered soils of humid tropical forests, iron (Fe) plays a key role in ecosystem biogeochemical cycling through its interactions with carbon (C) and phosphorus (P). We used a laboratory study to explore the role of C quantity and quality in Fe reduction and associated P mobilization in tropical forest soils. Soils were incubated under an ambient atmosphere headspace (room air) with multiple levels of leaf litter leachate or acetate additions. Net Fe reduction occurred in all the treatments and at every time point. The more complex mixture of organic compounds in leaf litter leachate stimulated Fe reduction as much acetate, an easily fermentable C source. At the end of the experiment, Fe reduction was generally greater with higher C additions than in the low C additions and controls. The microbial biomass P had increased significantly suggesting rapid microbial uptake of P liberated from Fe. This occurred without increases in the available (NaHCO₃) P pool. The immobilization of P by microbes during the incubation provides a P conservation mechanism in these soils with fluctuating redox potential, and may ultimately stimulate more C cycling in these highly productive ecosystems. Iron cycling appears to be an important source of P for the biota and can contribute significantly to C oxidation in upland tropical forest soils.     

Phosphorus limitation in a Ferralsol: Impact on microbial activity and cell internal P pools

Soil microorganisms are key regulators of the biogeochemical phosphorus (P) cycle. Microbial P limitation in highly weathered tropical soils has been reported, but whether it affects the cellular P content of indigenous soil microorganisms and its biochemical composition is unknown. We investigated the effect of microbial P limitation by measuring respiration, microbial growth, community composition and P content of microbial cells in a Ferralsol with low amounts of available P as affected by amendments with C substrates with ample nitrogen (CN) with and without extra phosphate (P). Microbial biomass and community composition were quantified by phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analyses. Cellular P content and P pools (PLFA, DNA and RNA per cell) were determined after extraction of microbial cells from soil by density gradient centrifugation. The apparent microbial growth rate during exponential increase in respiration rates in response to CNP addition was 0.072 h⁻¹, compared to 0.017 h⁻¹ for the CN amendment (no extra P added). This suggests that the microbial growth after a combined C and N addition was retarded by P limitation in the native soil (without added P). The net increase in microbial biomass, however, reached similar levels for both the CN and CNP treatment (measured at the point in time when respiration rates peaked). This outcome was unexpected since maximum respiration rates were about three times higher in the CNP compared to the CN treatment. Total P in extracted cells ranged from 2.1 to 8.9 fg P cell⁻¹ (microscopic counts), with a tendency for lower values for treatments without C amendments. Only 10-25% of the measured total P in extracted cells was accounted for by the measured RNA, DNA and PLFA. This low percentage could partly be due to underestimation of the RNA pool (degradation during extraction). PLFA analyses showed that substrate induced growth, regardless of P addition, led to a change in microbial community composition and was dominated by fungi. The extraction of microbial cells from soil by density gradient centrifugation, however, discriminates against fungi. Accordingly, the extracted cells were not fully representative for the entire soil microbiota regarding the community composition and metabolic state. Nevertheless, for the first time microbial cell P content and P pools are reported for microorganisms that actually grew in soil and not in chemostat or batch cultures.     

Kinetics of bacterial death by heated dolomite powder slurry

The kinetics of the bactericidal action of dolomite powders heated at 600-1000 °C against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were investigated. Dolomite powder heated to at least 700 °C exhibited bactericidal action, and the process of bacterial death in the heated dolomite powder slurries followed first-order reaction kinetics. The value of the death rate constant (k) increased with dolomite powder concentration, and the dilution coefficient (n), which indicates the dependence of k on the reagent concentration, was measured. The n values of the powder heated at 700 °C and at temperatures >900 °C were almost identical to those of MgO and CaO, respectively. This suggests that the first emergence of bactericidal action at 700 °C corresponds to generation of MgO while that at temperatures >900 °C is due to generation of CaO. The slurry temperature significantly affects the bactericidal action. The slope of the Arrhenius plot of k for E. coli and S. aureus grown at 37 °C exhibited a discontinuous point at approximately 22 °C, where a change in the value of activation energy for bacterial death occurred. This temperature corresponds to that of the phase transition of cell membrane lipids.     

Comparison of factors limiting bacterial growth in different soils

Lack of carbon has been assumed to be the most common limiting factor for bacterial growth in soil, although there are reports of limitation by other nutrients, e.g. nitrogen and phosphorus. We have studied which nutrient(s) limited instantaneous growth rates of bacteria in 28 Swedish soils using the thymidine or leucine incorporation technique to measure increased growth rate after adding different combinations of organic carbon (glucose), nitrogen and phosphorus. The soils ranged in pH between 3.1 and 8.9, in organic matter content between 1% and 91% and in soil C/N ratio between 10 and 28. We also tested the effect of adding different amounts of carbon on the bacterial change in growth rate for two soils with different organic matter content. We found that bacterial growth in most of the 28 soils was limited by a lack of carbon, indicated by an increased bacterial growth rate 48 h after adding glucose. In some soils, adding carbon together with nitrogen increased the bacterial growth rates even further. In three soils no effects were seen upon adding nutrients separately, but adding carbon and nitrogen together increased bacterial growth rates. Nitrogen addition tended to decrease bacterial growth rates, while phosphorus addition had little effect in most soils. No correlations were found between the soil C/N ratio, ammonium or nitrate content in soil and bacterial growth limitation, indicating that even soils with a C/N ratio of 28 could be carbon limited. Although the interpretation of the effects of a single limiting nutrient was in most cases straightforward, an interaction between the amount of carbon added and the organic matter content of the soil confounded the interpretation of the extent of a second limiting nutrient.     

Hay strewing, brush harvesting of seed and soil disturbance as tools for the enhancement of botanical diversity in grasslands

Since the middle of the last century agricultural intensification within Europe has led to a drastic decline in the extent of botanically diverse grasslands. Whilst measures to enhance the diversity of agriculturally-improved grasslands are in place, success has often been limited. One of the primary factors limiting success is the paucity of sources of propagules of desirable species in the surrounding landscape. The restoration of two contrasting grassland types (lowland hay meadow and chalk grassland) was examined using a replicated block experiment to assess the effectiveness of two methods of seed application (hay strewing and brush harvesting) and two methods of pre-treatment disturbance (power harrowing and turf stripping). The resulting changes in botanical composition were monitored for 4 years. Seed addition by both methods resulted in significant temporal trends in plant species composition and increases in plant species richness, which were further enhanced by disturbance. Power harrowing increased the effectiveness of the seed addition treatments at the lowland hay meadow site. At the chalk grassland site a more severe disturbance created by turf stripping was used and shown to be preferable. Whilst both hay strewing and brush harvesting increased plant species richness, hay strewing was more effective at creating a sward similar to that of the donor site. Soil disturbance and seed application rate at the recipient site and timing of the hay cut at the donor site are all factors to be considered prior to the commencement of restoration management.     

支持向量机在土壤镁含量高光谱估算中的应用

研究利用土壤样本实验反射光谱,分析了土壤镁(Mg)含量与土壤反射光谱的关系,比较了主成分回归分析(PCR)、偏最小二乘回归分析(PLSR)和支持向量机回归分析(SVMR)等方法,以及土壤反射光谱及其变换光谱与土壤Mg含量之间的估算模型,为土壤Mg含量高光谱估算提供依据。结果表明:PCR、PLSR、SVMR 3种建模方法在Mg含量的估算中,SVMR的估算精度相对较高,估算精度平均达到80.96%,分别比PCR和PLSR提高了6.16%、4.20%;对于不同的数学变换处理方法,一阶微分变换相对较好,估算精度平均为80.76%,分别比反射率、倒数对数变换提高了4.95%、4.61%。因此,运用土壤反射光谱一阶微分变换的SVMR进行建模,可以相对较好地估算全Mg含量,精度达84.04%。     

Yield response of soybeans to P and K fertilization as correlated with soil extractable and tissue nutritional levels

Abstract

Bragg soybeans [Glycine max. (L. ) Merill] were grown under field conditions near Sanford, Florida on a tile‐drained Immokalee fine sand (sandy, siliceous, hyperthermic Arenic Haplaquod). The objectives were: 1) to assess the K and P fertilizer requirements of soybeans grown in central Florida 2) to correlate soil and tissue nutritional levels with extractable soil nutrients and 3) to assess the influence of K application time on yield.

Experimental treatments were four K rates (0, 50, 100, and 200 kg K/ha), three P rates (0, 25, and 50 kg P/ha), and two sidedress K rates (0 and 50 kg K/ha) at early bloom. Treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design and replicated four times.

Yield increased with each increase in applied K. Statistical maximum yield was obtained on plots which contained 103 ppm double‐acid extractable K during the pod‐filling stage of growth. Tissue K at early bloom exceeded 2.85% at maximum statistical yield. Potassium applied broadcast at early bloom did not significantly influence yield.

This soil contained approximately 390 ppm double‐acid extractable P prior to P application. No significant yield response to applied P was observed, indicating that the original extractable P content of the soil was adequate for the yield level obtained.

The quadratic regression of the ratio equivalents of double‐acid extractable K:Ca + Mg on the same ratio for the plant tissue is highly significant. This expression was a good predictor of tissue accumulation of these nutrients in that the coefficient for determination was 0.68.