FEM analysis of subsoil reaction on heavy wheel loads with emphasis on soil preconsolidation stress and cohesion

Heavy sugarbeet harvesters may compact subsoil. But it is very difficult to study this by field experiments that resemble agricultural practice. Therefore, an analysis was made by a finite element method (FEM) for a relevant calcaric fluvial soil profile, the mechanical properties of which were largely known. Measuring data of this Lobith loam soil includes preconsolidation stress, compression index and swelling index, all as a function of depth. Using these three types of soil parameters calculations have been done for tyre sizes, inflation pressures and wheel loads that occur with heaviest sugarbeet harvesters available on the European market in 1999. Because no values on soil cohesion were available, the calculations were done for several cohesion levels. The results include the detection of regions with Mohr–Coulomb plasticity and regions with cap plasticity (compaction hardening). For the soil studied—a typical soil strength profile for arable land with ploughpan in the Netherlands in the autumn of 1977—all studied combinations of wheel load and inflation pressure did not induce compaction in and below the ploughpan. The size of the region with Mohr–Coulomb plasticity decreased with increasing cohesion. It appeared from a sensitivity analysis that, although soil modelling may use a great number of soil parameters, the most important parameters seem to be: preconsolidation stress and cohesion. There is an urgent need for data of these parameters that are measured on a great range of subsoils and subsoil conditions.     

Changes in some physical properties of a clay soil in Central Italy following the passage of rubber tracked and wheeled tractors of medium power

The aim of this study was to evaluate the compacting effect of rubber tracked tractors in comparison to that of the traditional wheeled tractors. Macroporosity, pore shape and size distribution, bulk density, penetration resistance and saturated hydraulic conductivity were analysed in a clay soil (Vertic Cambisol) near Rome (Italy) following one and four passes on the same track of rubber tracked and wheeled tractors of medium power. The soil structure attributes were evaluated by characterising porosity by means of image analysis of soil thin sections prepared from undisturbed samples. Macroporosity decreased in the 0–10 cm layer of compacted soil, particularly after four tractor passes, due to a large reduction in the proportion of elongated pores and in their vertical continuity. The rubber tracked tractor had a more pronounced compaction effect in the surface layer (0–10 cm) than the wheeled tractor both after one and four passes; the latter treatment producing the lowest soil porosity. The same trend was observed for hydraulic conductivity, which showed a highly significant correlation with elongated pores. In the 10–20 cm layer the porosity was significantly decreased following traffic, apart from in the soil under one pass of the rubber tracked tractor. Again in this layer, the lowest values of porosity were found in soil after four passes of the rubber tracked tractor. Single and multiple passes made by the two tractors induced different effects regarding soil penetration resistance and bulk density. Increment ratio of penetration resistance after tractor passes with respect to the control was: 12.5 and 49.9% with the wheeled and 34.4 and 39.8% with the tracked after one and four passes, respectively. Increment ratio of dry bulk density values after tractor passes with respect to the control was 7.9 and 11.7% with the wheeled and 7.5 and 8.3% with the tracked after one and four passes, respectively. The tractor passes transformed the initial subangular blocky structure into a massive structure with sometimes a platy structure in the upper few centimetres. The results indicated that soil compaction following traffic with the rubber tracked tractor was generally the more pronounced. However the compacting effect of this tractor after one pass seemed to be limited to the surface layer only.     

Soil properties and the macrofauna community in abandoned irrigated rice fields of northeastern Argentina

This study compared soil physical, chemical, and biological characteristics between natural grassland and recently abandoned rice fields in order to identify those variables that might explain the observed increase of Camponotus punctulatus anthills in abandoned rice paddy fields from Northern Argentina. Mainly due to a reduction of macropores and mesopores, overall porosity decreased by around 6% and bulk density was about 7% greater, in the 0- to 10- and 10- to 20-cm layers of the abandoned rice fields. Carbon and nitrogen content from organic matter increased (29% and 41% respectively for the 0- to 20-cm horizon) during cultivation but decreased (38% and 24%) 2 years after the last rice harvest. Forty percent of natural grassland-organic matter and 30% of abandoned rice-organic matter mineralized in less than 2 years. There was a different community structure between the abandoned rice fields and the undisturbed natural grassland and only a 20.6% (i.e. only 19 species from a total of 92) overlap in species composition. The abundance of macrofauna was greater in abandoned rice fields (2,208 individuals m^–2) in comparison to natural grasslands (288 ind m^–2) due to higher densities of small earthworms and Camponotus punctulatus ants; however, the Shannon index showed lower values in comparison to natural grasslands. Earthworms and C. punctulatus in the abandoned rice fields showed a change in their ¹³C signature indicating a switch in diet from natural grassland organic matter (C4) to organic matter from rice (C3). Our results indicate that the effects of rice cultivation practices did not seem to produce any physical or trophic limitations to recolonization by the macrofauna. It seems that changes in overall soil conditions have favored a change in the construction behavior of C. punctulatus which, in combination with population increases, could explain the explosion in number of anthills.     

土壤有机硫矿化动力学特征及影响因素

利用开放培养系统，分别在20℃和30℃，好气和淹水条件下研究了四种土壤（黑土、褐土、黄棕壤和红壤）有机硫矿化特征。结果表明，30℃条件下土壤有机硫累积矿化量显著高于20℃下的矿化量（P＜0．01）。20℃和30℃好气条件下累积矿化量分别为17．53－24．35mg kg^-1和34．20－54．33mg kg^-1，分别占有机硫总量的2．5％－6．5％和5．－14．5％，20℃和30℃淹水条件下累积矿化量分别为18．14－21．15mg kg^-1和26．86－30．63mg kg^-1，分别占有机硫总量的2．6％－5．6％和4．0％－7．7％。好气和淹水下30℃与20℃的有机硫累积矿化量之比分别为1．85－2．23和1．28－1．71。用一级动力学方程和双倒数方程计算土壤有机硫矿化势（S0）表明，20℃好气培养时S0分别为17．82－24．88mg kg^-1和17．83－27．7mg kg^-1，S0分别为17．50－21．49mg kg^-1和19．19－22．50mg kg^-1,30℃淹水条件下S0分别为28．26－35．87mg kg^-1和26．59－34．25mg kg^-1。土壤有机硫矿化速率常数（K）和矿化量达50％矿化势（S0）所需的时间（K1）受不同土壤和培养温度的影响，都可用一级动力学方程和双倒数方程来评价。碳键硫对有机硫矿化的贡献较大，尤其在淹水条件下更明显。     

GIS支持的土壤适宜性评价专家系统的实现

采用地理信息系统为平台，建立了一个由数据库、知识库、推理机和人机界面所构成的专家系统．系统调用有关知识，通过推理模拟专家的评价过程．解决了传统的土壤适宜性评价方法所存在的计算复杂、定位困难等问题．试验性运用证明该系统稳定可靠．     

潮土区不同质地土壤的养分动态变化研究

对华北平原大兴县 1 982— 2 0 0 0年两个时段大量土壤样本的分析结果表明 ,土壤养分含量与土壤质地表现出明显的一致性 ,体现了土壤质地越重 ,养分含量越高的特点 ;土壤质地对土壤养分含量的影响 ,1 982年的大于 2 0 0 0年的 ;但 2 0年来 ,由于土地利用集约度的增强 ,质地对土壤养分水平的影响渐趋减弱 ,不同质地土壤的养分水平渐趋一致     

土壤含盐量与土壤电导率及水分含量关系的试验研究

应用不同盐分含量土壤，进行了土壤电导率与土壤含盐量关系的试验研究，获得了不同含盐量土壤的电导率随水分含量变化的规律，并且建立了土壤含盐量与土壤电导率及水分含量的关系．本文所用方法简便可行，试验结果具有较高精度．本研究为较精确测定土壤含盐量及快　速进行较大规模盐渍土壤调查提供了一种较佳方法．     

近代黄河三角洲东营农业综合试验区的滨海盐渍土及其改良利用的研究 Ⅲ.稻草还田的培肥改土效应

近代黄河三角洲滨海氯化物盐渍土在开发种稻的条件下，鉴于其土壤肥力瘠薄及盐分危害，实施稻草还田，能够明显地改善土壤的养分及其它不良的理化性状，增产效果显著．     

控释氮肥对水稻的增产效应及提高肥料利用率的研究

田间试验在日本山形县鹤冈市进行 ,探讨了树脂包膜类控释氮肥基施与尿素、硫铵分次施肥对单季稻的增产效应 ;应用15N示踪法研究了不同施肥处理水稻的吸氮模式及肥料利用率。结果表明 ,移栽稻以尿素与控释氮肥 (LPS-100)按 1∶1混合基施产量最高 ,分别比尿素和硫铵分次施肥增产23.6%和9.2% ;直播稻以LP-100基施产量最高 ,分别增产 9.2%和4.0% ;控释肥基施 ,水稻自移栽 (或直播 )至幼穗分化期吸氮量明显高于尿素或硫铵分次施肥。15N示踪研究表明 ,最高分蘖前水稻从尿素和硫铵基肥中吸收的氮素只占基肥氮总吸收量的 33%～ 45% ,水稻从基肥中吸收氮素可延续至抽穗期 ,而从LP-100中吸氮可持续至收获期。15N示踪法测得的氮素总回收率 ,以尿素处理最高 ,硫铵和LP-100接近 ;差减法测得的氮素总回收率以LP-100为最高 ,尿素 /LPS-100、尿素、硫铵三者接近 ;基肥的氮素回收率以LP-100硫铵 尿素。尿素 /LPS-100和LP-100一次基施 ,氮素生理效率和农学效率明显高于尿素和硫铵 ,是高产的主要原因     

Changes in penetration resistance of Ultisols from southern China as affected by shearing

Shear stresses and soil properties modified due to stress play an important role during formation of seals in a series of rainfall events and during tillage. The objectives of the study were to evaluate the effects of the penetrometer geometry on the penetration resistance as affected by shearing under different initial soil conditions and to use the information on soil strength to elucidate shearing process. Nine homogenous air-dried soils (<2 mm) were sprayed and stored so as to obtain equilibrium soil water contents. The moist soils were sheared by horizontal displacement of layers of soil particles/aggregates in between hands in one direction. The soil cores were prepared with comparable bulk density before the measurement of maximum penetration resistance (P_max) with a small flat tip and a cone tip penetrometers. At a wide range from 0.05 to 6.2 MPa, P_max was linearly correlated between the small flat tip and the cone tip penetrometers. The conversion ratio was higher under the saturation condition irrespective of the shearing effect. The penetrometer with the small flat tip was more sensitive for the weak soils. Shearing generally increased P_max in most cases, but it decreased P_max for some sandy soils under both saturated and unsaturated conditions and for a clayey soil under the saturated condition. The soil consisting of swelling clay exerted a decrease in P_max. Rearrangement and/or sliding of particles/aggregates and increase in soil suction during shearing were attributed to the increase in P_max. Increase in porosity due to the aggregation during shearing was ascribed to the decrease in P_max. In addition, it was shown that agricultural cultivation resulted in a reduction in soil strength.