Effect of Gibberellic Acid Spray and Basal Nitrogen and Phosphorus on Productivity and Fatty Acid Composition of Rapeseed-Mustard

Two field experiments were conducted during] 994-95 to study the effect of spray of 10⁻⁵ M GA3 at 40 days after sowing on mustard ( Brassica juncea (L.) Czern & Coss.) cv. Varuna grown with basally applied 0, 40, 80 and 120 kg N ha⁻¹ (Expt. 1) and 0,15, 30 and 45 kg P ha⁻¹ (Expt. 2) on pod number per plant, seeds per pod, 1000 seed weight, seed yield, biological yield, harvest index and fatty acid composition of oil. No significant difference between water and GA3 spray was found when basally applied nitrogen was 0 or 40 kg N ha⁻¹. N₈₀ proved to be the best for yield characteristics. In another experiment on phosphorus, GA₃ and 30 kg P ha⁻¹ individually enhanced the yield, but interaction of GA₃ and P remained non-significant. The fatty acid composition of oil in both experiments was significantly affected only by nitrogen and phosphorus treatments for oleic acid and erucic acid. It was found that return in the form of yield was more for every kg applied fertilizer under GA, spray treatment. The response was more for N fertilizer in comparison to P. GA₃ at a low level of fertilization significantly increased the return from fertilization.     

Nitrate leaching losses under Miscanthus grass planted on a silty clay loam soil

Abstract. Nitrate leaching under newly planted Miscanthus grass was measured for three years. The crop received either no fertilizer-N or an annual spring application of 60 kg or 120 kg N ha^-1. During three winters soil water was collected from porous cup probes installed 90 cm deep. Nitrate leaching was calculated from the mean drain flow recorded in two drain gauges multiplied by the mean nitrate-N concentration in the soil water solutions collected. In the first year soil water nitrate concentrations were high on all treatments and N losses were 154, 187 and 228 kg ha^-1 respectively on the unfertilized treatment and those that received 60 or 120 kg N ha^-1. Leaching losses in the second and third years were, in turn, 8, 24 and 87 kg ha^-1 and 3, 11 and 30 kg ha^-1 for the unfertilized treatment and for the 60 and 120 kg N ha^-1 treatments respectively. Leaching losses were closer to those recorded under extensively managed grassland than arable land. The large losses in the first year were probably due to the previous agricultural management at the site and excessive inputs of N on the fertilized plots. In the second and third year, lower drainage volumes may also have influenced losses. The results show that Miscanthus , once established, can lead to low levels of nitrate leaching and improved groundwater quality compared with growing arable crops.     

Nitrogen and calcium nutrition of Petunia × hybrida ‘Coral Sea’

The effects of N and Ca nutrition on plant growth and shoot elemental content of Petunia × hybrida Hort. Vilm. - Andr. ‘Coral Sea’ were evaluated. Nitrogen and Ca were applied separately or in combination in three experiments: (1) N at 0, 100, 200 or 400 mg l^?1; (2) Ca at 0, 75, 150 or 300 mg l^?1; (3) N at 0 or 100 mg l^?1 and Ca at 0 or 150 mg l^?1 combined factorially. Shoot and root dry weights, branch length and flower number were highest when plants received 100 mg l^?1 N. Plants treated with 150 mg l^?1 Ca had the highest shoot and root dry weights. Branch length was maximal at 300 mg l^?1 Ca.Nitrogen and Ca interacted to increase shoot dry weights, branch number and length, leaf area and flower number. Increasing N concentrations increased N and decreased P, Mn and Zn shoot contents. Calcium content of shoots increased while N, P and Mg decreased in response to increasing applications of Ca to petunia plants. Minimal N and Ca tissue concentrations for optimal P. × hybrida growth were 3.3 and 0.67%, respectively.     

Effects of vertical distribution of soil inorganic nitrogen on root growth and subsequent nitrogen uptake by field vegetable crops

Information is needed about root growth and N uptake of crops under different soil conditions to increase nitrogen use efficiency in horticultural production. The purpose of this study was to investigate if differences in vertical distribution of soil nitrogen (N_inorg) affected root growth and N uptake of a variety of horticultural crops. Two field experiments were performed each over 2 years with shallow or deep placement of soil N_inorg obtained by management of cover crops. Vegetable crops of leek, potato, Chinese cabbage, beetroot, summer squash and white cabbage reached root depths of 0.5, 0.7, 1.3, 1.9, 1.9 and more than 2.4 m, respectively, at harvest, and showed rates of root depth penetration from 0.2 to 1.5 mm day^?1 °C^?1. Shallow placement of soil N_inorg resulted in greater N uptake in the shallow‐rooted leek and potato. Deep placement of soil N_inorg resulted in greater rates of root depth penetration in the deep‐rooted Chinese cabbage, summer squash and white cabbage, which increased their depth by 0.2–0.4 m. The root frequency was decreased in shallow soil layers (white cabbage) and increased in deep soil layers (Chinese cabbage, summer squash and white cabbage). The influence of vertical distribution of soil N_inorg on root distribution and capacity for depletion of soil N_inorg was much less than the effect of inherent differences between species. Thus, knowledge about differences in root growth between species should be used when designing crop rotations with high N use efficiency.     

施氮量和花后控水对小麦水分生产效率及产量的影响

在防雨池栽条件下,采用施纯氮10kg/667m2、15kg/667m2、20kg/667m2(分别用N1、N2、N3表示)和40%~50%、60%~70%、80%~90%(分别用W1、W2、W3表示)3种土壤含水量进行处理,研究了氮肥和花后土壤含水量对小麦水分生产效率和产量的影响。结果表明:在同一施氮量条件下,表现为花后土壤含水量过高(80%~90%)或过低(40%~50%)导致穗粒数减少,千粒重降低,最终使产量降低。水分生产效率,则随着土壤含水量的增加而降低。在同一土壤含水量下,表现为增加施氮量有利于提高穗粒数,但过多(20kg/667m2)或过少(10kg/667m2)施氮均不利于穗粒数和千粒重的提高,而导致减产。而对于水分生产效率,表现为增加施氮量提高水分生产效率,而施氮量过高(20kg/667m2)造成小麦贪青晚熟,导致水分生产效率下降。因此,小麦生产中可以通过施用氮肥和控制花后土壤水分含量技术,调控小麦水分生产效率和产量,实现高产高效。     

灌溉量和氮肥增效剂对夏玉米产量及水肥利用的影响

为探究水分和氮肥增效剂对夏玉米生长及水肥利用的综合影响，通过设置40 mm（W1）和60 mm（W2）两个灌水水平下不施氮肥（N0）、施用氮肥（U）、氮肥+硝化抑制剂（U+DCD）、氮肥+脲酶抑制剂（U+NBPT）、氮肥+双效抑制剂（U+N+D）5种氮肥施用措施，开展夏玉米田间试验。结果表明：相较于施用氮肥处理，氮肥配施增效剂可以显著提高夏玉米产量、成熟期地上生物量、净收益、水分利用效率和氮肥偏生产力，增幅分别为5.92%~13.82%、5.85%~18.07%、11.12%~24.30%、12.35%~41.83%和5.93%~13.80%，其中氮肥配施双效抑制剂效果较优；氮肥配施脲酶抑制剂和双效抑制剂可以降低夏玉米农田土壤氨挥发累积量和成熟期土壤硝态氮残留量，前者效果最优。相比于W1，W2水平下氮肥配施双效抑制剂处理玉米产量、成熟期地上生物量、净收益、水分利用效率和氮肥偏生产力分别提高10.54%、15.51%、19.40%、20.31%和27.36%；氮肥配施脲酶抑制剂处理农田土壤氨挥发累积量和硝态氮残留量分别降低11.33%和48.46%。综合考虑夏玉米施肥灌水方案的经济效益、环境效益、水肥利用效率和玉米植株生长，构建模糊综合评价体系，得到最优处理为灌水量60 mm下氮肥配施双效抑制剂。     

新疆棉田灰漠土氨氧化微生物群落对灌溉水盐度和施氮量的响应

采用灌溉水盐度和施氮量两因素试验,其中灌溉水盐度设置2个水平：0.35 dS·m^-1（淡水,FW）和8.04 dS·m^-1（咸水,SW）,施氮量设2个水平：0（不施氮,N0）和360 kg·hm^-2（施氮,N360）,以咸水滴灌的棉田土壤为材料,测定了土壤理化性质和生物学指标,结果显示：（1）咸水滴灌显著增加土壤EC_1∶5和NH⁺₄-N含量,分别增加了457.74%和73.02%,但显著降低土壤NO^-₃-N含量,降低了35.88%;施氮显著增加土壤EC_1∶5、NO^-₃-N和NH⁺₄-N含量,分别增加了32.09%、668.33%和39.88%。（2）咸水滴灌显著降低了土壤潜在硝化势,较淡水处理降低了28.97%;施氮显著增加了土壤潜在硝化势,较不施氮处理增加了317.27%。（3）咸水滴灌显著降低氨氧化细菌(AOB)和全程氨氧化细菌A分支（amoA-clade-A）和B分支（amoA-clade-B）的基因拷贝数,分别降低了81.27%、73.49%和62.51%,但显著增加氨氧化古菌(AOA)的基因拷贝数,增加了487.94%;氮肥施用均显著增加了氨氧化微生物的基因拷贝数,分别增加了511.20%(AOA)、958.13%(AOB)、72.66%(amoA-clade-A)和31.18%(amoA-clade-B)。（4）氨氧化微生物优势菌属为假单胞菌属、嗜甲基菌属、亚硝化螺菌属、慢生根瘤菌属、链霉菌属、硝化螺菌属、寡养单胞菌属、食甲基菌属、螯台球菌属、囊胞杆菌属、亚硝基单胞菌属、红假单胞菌属、芽孢杆菌属和拉姆利式杆菌。（5）咸水滴灌降低了AOA的多样性和丰富度及amoA-clade-A的多样性,但增加了AOB和amoA-clade-B的多样性和丰富度及amoA-clade-A的丰富度;氮肥施用显著降低了AOA和AOB的丰富度及amoA-clade-A的丰富度和多样性,但增加了amoA-clade-B的丰富度和多样性。综上,盐分是影响氨氧化微生物群落结构的主要驱动因子,氨氧化古菌是土壤氨氧化作用的优势物种,而氨氧化细菌和全程氨氧化细菌A分支是咸水滴灌棉田氨氧化作用的主导微生物种群。     

控释氮肥施用策略对稻茬小麦产量和氮肥吸收利用的影响

为探究控释氮肥施用策略对稻茬小麦产量和氮肥吸收利用的影响,在大田条件下,以小麦品种扬麦16和扬麦20为材料,设置不施氮（T1）、常规速效氮肥分次施用（T2,对照）、常规控释氮肥一次性基施（T3）、速效氮肥减量分次施用（T4）、控释氮肥减量一次性基施（T5）、控释+速效氮肥一次性基施（T6）、控释+速效氮肥配合分次施用（T7）共7种氮肥处理,比较分析了不同处理下稻茬小麦产量、叶面积指数（LAI）、叶绿素相对值（SPAD值）、干物质积累量、氮素积累量、根系吸收面积和根系氧化力等性状的差异。结果表明,两个品种的产量均表现为T6>T7>T3>T5>T2>T4>T1。与T2处理相比,两个品种的平均产量在T3、T6和T7处理下分别增加17.9%、30.3%和25.1%,平均氮肥农学效率（AE）分别增加40.0%、84.8%和72.4%,平均氮肥偏生产力（PFP）分别增加22.2%、52.3%和45.6%。与单一施用速效氮肥（T2、T4）或控释氮肥（T3、T5）处理相比,在控释氮肥与速效氮肥配施（T6、T7）处理下两个品种的地上部农艺性状（干物质积累量、LAI和SPAD值）显著改善,氮素积累量、根干重、根冠比、根系氧化力、根系总吸收表面积和活跃吸收表面积均显著增加。因此,控释氮肥配施速效氮肥策略可以同步促进稻茬小麦地上部与地下部生长,最终实现高产与氮肥高效吸收利用。     

Fertilizer technology based on optimized nitrogen release from urea-loaded natural superabsorbent carriers

There is a pressing need for advanced fertilizer application technologies that enhance crop yields, maintain soil health and reduce the environmental impact from agriculture. Here, we report on the optimization of nitrogen release profiles of urea-loaded polysaccharide (starch) superabsorbent carriers, employing analytical techniques including UV–VIS, FTIR, EDX, SEM and GC-FID for structural and phospholipid fatty acids PLFA analyses. We fitted existing kinetic models to the uptake and release profiles, providing a link between nitrogen release kinetics and carrier structural variables. The inclusion of zeolite microparticles in the starch-based carriers accelerated the rate of nitrogen release and increasing the maximum amount released. Field tests of the technology on maize crops demonstrated improved plant parameters and enhanced the soil microbial population. These findings highlight the promise of urea-loaded natural superabsorbent carriers as a sustainable alternative to core-shell CRF fertilizers and urease inhibitors.     

Studies of the Rhizosphere of Strawberry Plants at the Research Institute of Pomology and Floriculture in Skierniewice,Poland

Abstract

Rhizosphere studies are particularly important because of the recently introduced fertigation systems in strawberry cultivation, both in the field and under cover. Because of the need for developing fruit production in a balanced environment, rhizosphere studies help in determining precise doses of mineral fertilizers necessary for proper growth and production of economically important strawberry cultivars with specific requirements. The present experiment was carried out using rhizoboxes and determined pH changes in the rhizosphere of strawberries depending on the dose and form of nitrogen applied. The method enables visualization of pH changes in the rhizosphere and the soil as they become visible due to color changes under the influence of root exudates. To achieve this, the exposed plant roots and the entire soil mass penetrated by the roots in the rhizobox were covered with a thin (0.5 cm) agar filter containing 1% agar and 1% pH indicator (bromocresol purple). The color of the agar filter covering the roots indicates pH levels in various zones of the root system and depends on the applied forms of nitrogen. The highest pH values in the rhizosphere were measured in the root tips, lower in the middle root zone, and the lowest at the root bases. Plants supplied with N-NH4+ had the lowest rhizosphere pH, which was associated with an intensive release of H+ ions to the rhizosphere and acidification in the root zone.