Investigations of the maintenance system of the Konik Polski horse and its effects on fecal microbiota activity during the winter and summer seasons

Gastrointestinal microbiota play a key role in the nutrients digestion and hence maintaining animal health and welfare. The diet offered to the animals in captivity may differ considerably from that on natural pastures. In a stabled maintenance system, horses have a limited choice of habitat and feed. Time spend for feeding is relevant for equine welfare because the reduction of the time devoted for foraging may be responsible for inducing gastric inflammation and ulceration. Therefore, in the present study, it was hypothesized that fecal bacterial fermentative processes differ between free-roaming and stabled Konik Polski Horses (KPHs) with respect to microbial enzymatic activity, and thus the fecal concentration of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), which can be further utilized for assessing the feeding behavior and welfare in free-roaming versus stabled horses. The SCFA concentration and profile, as well as the extracellular and intracellular activities of selected bacterial enzymes, were characterized in horse feces collected during the winter and summer feeding seasons. The results showed higher enzymatic activity and SCFA production in the feces excreted by free-roaming versus stabled horses, especially during summer. An increase in pasture plant diversity may be beneficial for the gastrointestinal microbiota and hence for maintaining health and welfare.     

Influence of four soil maintenance practices on Collembola communities in a Mediterranean vineyard

We studied the influence of four soil maintenance practices on Collembola communities in the soil of a Mediterranean vineyard: (a) postemergence herbicide with glyphosate; (b) postemergence and pre-emergence herbicides with glyphosate, terbuthylazine, diuron and oryzalin; (c) natural flora and (d) tillage to a depth of 10–15 cm. Total Collembola abundance, species diversity and species richness significantly varied between the four practices. Notably, the practice using postemergence and pre-emergence herbicides had significantly lower values. Identification of Collembola at species level allowed an interspecies comparison and revealed significant differences for the most common species between the four practices, with each practice being characterized by a different set of species. None of the species were found to be significantly more abundant in the plots treated with postemergence and pre-emergence herbicides.     

抗旱、耐盐碱、矮秆陆地棉数量性状的遗传相关及主成份分析

对从国内外引进的抗旱、耐盐碱、矮杆棉花资源材料 ,经抗旱、耐盐碱、矮杆性鉴定和比较 ,选取了其中表现较好的 1 9份材料 ,进行了遗传相关和主成份分析 ,结果表明 :在 5 0 mmol· L- 1Na Cland1 0 0 mmol· L- 1Na Cl胁迫下的出苗率间呈正相关 ,抗盐性与产量间呈负相关 ;第一棉铃高度与纤维品质性状呈正相关。抗旱、耐盐碱、矮杆棉花材料的前 6个因子贡献率达 86.5 % ,其分别为第一棉铃高度因子、果枝数因子、单株结铃数因子、矮杆因子、单铃重因子等     

Flowering phenology of a herbaceous species (Poa annua) is regulated by soil Collembola

The role of soil organisms as possible driver of flowering has never been investigated. We hypothesized that Collembola (microarthropods) will change plant allocation to reproductive modes by changing soil nutrient availability. Individual seedlings of Poa annua were planted in microcosms, in the presence or absence of Collembola. Collembola affected biotic (fungal biomass) and abiotic ($\text{N}-{{\text{NO}}_3}^{-}$, P₂O₅) soil properties and some morphological (number of leaves, root biomass) and chemical (C:N, K, Mg, N) traits of P. annua. As a result, flowering of P. annua was promoted by the presence of Collembola. This provides experimental evidence that soil microarthropods can affect the reproduction strategy and phenology of a plant.     

Soil aggregate formation and stability induced by starch and cellulose

Soil aggregate (SA) can be formed and stabilized when soil organic matter (SOM) is decomposed in the soil. However, the relationships between the SA dynamics and SOM with different decomposition rates have not been clarified. Therefore, this study examined the effects of the addition of polysaccharides to soil on SA formation and stability. A Japanese tropical soil was incubated for 99 d at 30 °C in a dark environment following the addition of 0.5% (w/w) starch or cellulose. The decomposition rates of the amendments, and SA formation and stability were evaluated by measuring soil respiration rates, and distribution fractions of soil aggregate sizes and mean weight diameter (MWD) of SA, respectively. The cumulative soil respirations with all treatments rapidly increased until Day 12 of the incubation. The initial slope of the cumulative soil respiration in the soil with starch was significantly higher than that in the soil with cellulose. In either soil with starch or cellulose, the fractions of macro-aggregates (>1000 μm in diameter) significantly increased, respectively, compared with control soil. However, the fractions of meso-aggregates (250–1000 μm) and nano-aggregate (<20 μm) in the soil with starch significantly decreased, while those fractions in the soil with cellulose fluctuated until Day 6. The MWDs reached the maximum on Day 6, indicating the SA formation in the soils with starch or cellulose. The increasing rate of the SA formation in the starch-amended soil was greatly higher than that in the cellulose-amended soil. After Day 6, the MWDs in the soils with either polysaccharide decreased with similar trends with no significant differences between treatments, indicating similar stability of the SA in both treatments. This study showed that the different decomposability of the organic amendments might influence the SA formation differently, but not the SA stability.     

Long‐Term Tillage and Cropping System Effects on Chemical and Biochemical Characteristics of Soil Organic Matter in a Mediterranean Semiarid Environment

Several studies have reported how tillage and cropping systems affect quantity, quality, and distribution of soil organic matter (SOM) along the profile. However, the effect of soil management on the chemical structure of SOM and on its hydrophobic and hydrophilic components has been little investigated. In this work, the long‐term (19 years) effects of two cropping systems (wheat monoculture and wheat/faba bean rotation) and three tillage managements (conventional, reduced, and no tillage) on some chemical characteristics of SOM and their relationships with labile carbon (C) pools were evaluated. Soil samples were taken from the topsoil (0–15 cm) of a Chromic Haploxerert (central Sicily, Italy). After 19 years of different tillage and cropping systems management, total organic C significantly differed among treatments with the labile organic C pools showing the greater amount in no till and in wheat/faba bean plots. Hydrophobic and hydrophilic components of SOM, determined by diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy, were mainly affected by cropping system, whereas aromatic components of SOM by tillage. Soil organic matter components and characteristics showed significant correlations with the soil biochemical parameters, confirming the expected synergism between chemical and biochemical properties. This study demonstrated that (i) no tillage and crop rotation improve the chemical and biochemical properties of SOM of Vertisols under semiarid environment; and (ii) tillage management and cropping systems have affected, after 19 years, more the chemical and biochemical properties of SOM than its quantity. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

塔克拉玛干沙漠腹地人工绿地土壤及其影响因子分析研究

塔克拉玛干沙漠腹地绿地建设长期使用４．０ｇ／Ｌ以上的高矿　化度地下水及生活污水灌溉，对土壤的理化、生化性质产生了重大影响．通过６年的定位试验　观测，数据表明原沙漠腹地风沙土０～２ｍ内可溶性离子总量下降，２ｍ以下增加；土壤粘粒、　有机质含量增加；土壤容重降低；土壤紧实度除表层以外，各层土壤由紧变松；土壤肥力显　著增强；土壤微生物的数量大幅增加，生物活性趋强．     

不同土层深度土壤性质对黄土地区果树黄化的影响

对黄土地区黄化和非黄化的果园不同深度土壤性状进行分析,结果表明:在对黄化有显著影响的因素中,不同土壤性状对黄化的影响的主要深度不同,但大多数土壤性状在两类果园土壤间都在40～60cm差异显著性达到0.01水平。果园土壤施肥量增大,导致氮磷钾等养分与铁比例失调是近年来黄土地区果树黄化加重的重要原因。     

9种牧草对青海同德牧区土壤特性的影响

通过对青海省高寒牧区常见的9种多年生牧草单播2年后耕层0~15cm土壤理化(pH、容重(BD)、有机碳(SOC)、全氮(TN)、无机碳(C)及微生物学性质(微生物生物量碳(Cmic)、氮(Nmic)和群落代谢功能)等指标的测定分析,结果表明,研究区域只有在种植披碱草2年后土壤有机碳含量有所增加,说明与其他草种相比,种植披碱草利于有机质的积累;试验在每年施肥1次的情况下,土壤氮含量仍然偏低,说明此区氮素被过度利用,处于缺乏水平,因此每年增施氮肥数量、频率以及时间上应加强管理。通过对不同牧草种植区土壤各因子的聚类分析,发现贫花鹅观草、无芒雀麦、紫野麦草和扁穗冰草之间相似度较高,表明其对土壤养分及微生物群落功能的影响较为接近,故在大面积种植的时候可根据牧草地上生物量/质量的高低进行选择性播种。从土壤质量方向考虑,种植杂花苜蓿、红豆草和西北羊茅不利于土地的改良。     

香葱连作障碍的成因及其修复试验

选取不同连作年限(0、2、4、6、10、15 a)的葱田土壤,测定土壤的养分、微量元素和重金属含量,发现不同连作年限土壤中的铁、硼、镁等微量元素含量丰富,但是连作葱田土壤的容重、有机质含量和铵态氮含量有不同程度降低,硝态氮含量显著提高。用5种土壤改良剂对连作年限为15 a的葱田进行土壤淋施处理,试验结果表明,奥普尔冲施肥使土壤中的硝态氮含量降低11.57%,铵态氮含量提高50.27%,香葱产量提高2.66%,是最佳的土壤改良剂。