Development of on-line measurement system of bulk density based on on-line measured draught, depth and soil moisture content

On-line measurement of soil compaction is needed for site specific tillage management. The soil bulk density (ρ) indicating soil compaction was measured on-line by means of a developed compaction sensor system that comprised several sensors for on-line measurement of the draught (D) of a soil cutting tool (subsoiler), the soil cutting depth (d) and the soil moisture content (w). The subsoiler D was measured with a single shear beam load cell, whereas d was measured with a wheel gauge that consisted of a swinging arm metal wheel and a linear variable differential transducer (LVDT). The soil w was measured with a near infrared fibre-type spectrophotometer sensor. These on-line three measured parameters were used to calculate ρ, by utilising a hybrid numerical–statistical mathematical model developed in a previous study. Punctual kriging was performed using the variogram estimation and spatial prediction with error (VESPER) 1.6 software to develop the field maps of ρ, soil w, subsoiler d and D, based on 10 m × 10 m grid. To verify the on-line measured ρ map, this map was compared with the map measured by the conventional core sampling method.

The spherical semivariogram models, providing the best fit for all properties was used for kriging of different maps. Maps developed showed that no clear correlation could be detected between different parameters measured and subsoiler D. However, the D value was smaller at shallow penetration d, whereas large D coincided with large ρ values at few positions in the field. Maps of ρ measured with the core sampling and on-line methods were similar, with correlation coefficient (r) and the standard error values of 0.75 and 0.054 Mg m⁻³, respectively. On-line measured ρ exhibited larger errors at very dry zones. The normal distribution of the ρ error between the two different measurement methods showed that about 72% of the errors were less than 0.05 Mg m⁻³ in absolute values. However, the overall mean error of on-line measured ρ was of a small value of 2.3%, which ensures the method accuracy for on-line measurement of ρ. Measurement under very dry conditions should be minimised, because it can lead to a relatively large error, and hence, compacted zones at dry zones cannot be detected correctly.     

Effect of cultivation and within-field differences in soil conditions on feral Helianthus annuus growth in ridge-tillage maize

Differences in weed population dynamics with respect to within-field heterogeneity are not well documented despite increasing interest in site-specific management of agro-ecosystems. The focus of this study was to determine if mechanical weed management (cultivation) and/or soil factors help to explain observed within-field distributions of feral common sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.). The ridges and furrows created by the ridge–tillage system adds additional microsites to existing spatial heterogeneity for soil characteristics such as soil organic carbon (SOC) concentration. Experimental areas were selected on the basis of naturally high or low SOC concentration. Cultivation resulted in 100% mortality of H. annuus seedlings growing in the middle of furrows. Cultivation of pre-emergence herbicide treated and no-herbicide ridges resulted in small but statistically significant ( = 0.05) reductions in seedling survival. No differences were detected in H. annuus canopy height, stem diameter, stem length, or vegetative biomass between high and low SOC environments. Neither total reproductive biomass (P = 0.49) nor the biomass of flowers near physiological maturity (an estimate of fecundity; P = 0.59) were affected by SOC environment. Late season H. annuus lodging was observed to reduce reproductive biomass. Juvenile plants that survived mechanical weed control efforts grew and produced reproductive biomass similarly across SOC environments. The lack of difference in vegetative and reproductive characteristics between high and low SOC environments suggests that SOC (or the edaphic conditions associated with greater or lesser SOC level) was not critical in contributing to the observed distribution of H. annuus from juvenile to flowering stages of growth within well-fertilized, irrigated agricultural habitats.     

Efficiency and energy use in puddling of lowland rice grown on Vertisols in Central India

Transplanting of rice seedling in puddled soil is one of the most widely used cultivation practices. The present research is aimed at determining what specific implements are needed to obtain optimal puddle bed for transplantating. Puddling experiments were carried out by the use of pair of bullocks with traditional country plough (T₁), pair of bullocks with lug wheel puddler (T₂), power tiller with rotary puddler (T₃), tractor with cage wheel and 9-tine cultivator (T₄) and tractor with cage wheel and rotavator (T₅). One summer ploughing was done at friable moisture condition (18.6% db) and then tilled soil was flooded to saturation (24 h) for preparation of puddled bed. Weeding efficiency, puddling depth, percentage increase in bulk density, puddling index, percolation rate and grain yield of paddy were studied for the above treatments. Puddling performance by different implements in comparison to the traditional animal drawn country plough (T₁) shows that there is a definite reduction in time requirement for field preparation. Increase in weeding efficiency, bulk density, grain yield and puddling index were also observed. The highest values of weeding efficiency and puddling index were found 98.6% and 79.3, respectively, for rotavator (T₅). The total time requirement for preparation of puddle field for treatment T₄ (tractor with cultivator) was found to be the lowest (9.4 h ha⁻¹) with 67% weeding efficiency and 62.7 puddling index as compared to all other alternatives tested. Energy requirement for preparation of puddle field was found highest (2390 MJ ha⁻¹) for rotavator (T₅) followed by T₃, T₄, T₁, and T₂ treatments.     

Spatial variation of soil organic carbon concentrations and stable isotopic composition in 1-ha plots of forest and pasture in Costa Rica: implications for the natural abundance technique

The goal of this study was to examine spatial variation of soil organic C and its stable isotopic composition (δ¹³C) in 1-ha plots of mature rain forest and a cattle pasture dominated by C4 grasses in Costa Rica. Soil samples were taken from 80 mapped locations per plot and analyzed for organic C and δ¹³C. The range of values for soil C concentrations was similar between forest and pasture, although the mean values were higher in the forest. δ¹³C was narrowly constrained in the forest (from −27.96 to −26.09‰) but varied from −15.09 to −28.59‰ in the pasture. Variograms revealed spatial autocorrelation of soil C and δ¹³C in the pasture and organic C concentration in the forest soil. The large range and spatial variability of δ¹³C in the pasture site may be due to varying contributions of C3 and C4 vegetation to the soil C pool, which may limit the usefulness of the natural abundance technique as a precise tracer of soil C dynamics in this pasture.     

笼养肉仔鸡生产性能及其胴体品质影响因素的研究

该本文采用三因素三水平正交试验设计，就笼底材料、饲养密度、不同性别组群下3～6周龄AA肉仔鸡的生产性能及其胴体品质进行研究。结果表明：竹竿和塑料笼底下肉仔鸡的胴体品质以及笼养密度11 ～14只／m²下的生产性能较高，以塑料笼底、低密度和公鸡单饲组的肉仔鸡总增重最高，达1.82kg。笼底材料对增重、饲料转化率、屠宰率、腹脂率以及胸肌纤维直径没有影响，但铁丝笼底会导致胸囊肿发病率升高。高饲养密度下能显著降低肉鸡增重和饲料转化率，但肉仔鸡的屠宰率有所增加；而低饲养密度有利于胸肌纤维直径的增加。单饲母鸡的腹脂率显著高于单饲公鸡和公母混群饲养鸡的腹脂率。     

Organic carbon stocks and soil erodibility in Canary Islands Andosols

Soil organic carbon (SOC) plays a key role in the structural stability of soils and in their resistance against erosion. However, and as far as andic soils are concerned, these mechanisms and processes, as well as the influence of the different types of SOC on aggregate stability, are not fully understood. The targets of this paper are: (i) to determine the content and forms of SOC in Andosols under evergreen forest vegetation [laurel (Laurus) and heather (Erica) forest] and (ii) to find out the role of soil organic matter (SOM) in the aggregate stability and in the resistance of Andosols to water erosion. Soil samples have been collected in 80 sites in a 40 km² area under udic soil moisture regime. In them, fulvic and humic acids, Walkley–Black SOC, pyrophosphate-extractable SOC, Fe and Al, potassium sulphate extractable SOC, dissolved SOC, acid oxalate-extractable Fe, Al and Si, USLE K-factor and aggregate stability have been determined. The Andosols over volcanic ash are Aluandic Andosols (non-allophanic Andosols), whereas over basaltic lava flows are Silandic Andosols (allophanic Andosols). The surface (0–30 cm) samples analyzed contain 9.5–30 kg C m^− 2 being significantly higher in allophanic Andosols (p < 0.5). Organic carbon adsorbed onto the mineral fraction (extractable pyrophosphate, C_p) accounts for 35–55% of the total SOC. All samples show a high stability to slaking and raindrop impact, being the first one highly correlated (r = 0.6) with pyrophosphate extractable C (C_p), Fe (Fe_p), and Al (Al_p) in allophanic Andosols, unlike non-allophanic ones. The stability to raindrop impact correlates with pyrophosphate extractable C (C_p) and Fe (Fe_p) in both types of soils (r = 0.3–0.6, p < 0.05). These findings suggest that the high stability to both slaking and water-drop impact is due to the occurrence of allophane–Fe–OC complexes, rather than to the total OC, and the active Fe and Al forms, generated by the weathering of volcanic materials, constitute an essential constituent responsible for C sequestration and resistance to degradation in these soils.     

Spatial heterogeneity in the relocation of added C within the structure of an upland grassland soil

A pulse of ¹³CO₂ was added to the above ground vegetation in an upland grassland to determine the effects of faunal diversity on the flux of carbon to the surface horizons of the soil. Faunal diversity was manipulated by liming and biocide treatments for three years prior to the pulse addition. The relocation of ¹³C within roots and rhizosphere soil was determined by analysis of samples of bulk soil and of specific features identified on soil thin sections on four dates after the addition of the ¹³CO₂ pulse. Analysis of bulk soils showed only a small enrichment in ¹³C and no significant effects of the treatments. Analysis by isotope ratio mass spectrometry of the products of in situ laser combustion of root material and aggregates formed from faunal excrement showed that the distribution of the newly photosynthesised ¹³C is very localised, with large spatial variability in soil and root δ¹³C at scales of less than 1 mm. δ¹³C values ranged from the natural abundance level of around −28‰ to −4.9‰ in roots and to −8.4‰ in aggregates. The small pulse and large spatial variability masked any effects of the liming and biocide treatments in these soils. However, the variability in the relocation of newly photosynthesised carbon may help to explain the large spatial variability found in bacterial numbers at the sub-mm scale within soils and emphasises the importance of the accessibility of substrates to decomposers in undisturbed structured soils.     

徐州市城区绿地土壤碳储量格局及养分特征

土壤碳储量及其分布格局,对于探讨城区绿地植被与土壤的关系,促进生态化城市建设和保证城市可持续发展意义重大。将城市宏观大尺度和土壤样地小尺度数据加以整合,对徐州市城区绿地土壤碳储量和格局及土壤养分特征进行了分析。结果表明:（1）城区绿地土壤pH值普遍呈碱性或弱碱性（pH值7.8～8.3）,土壤有机质含量平均水平较低;（2）在相同土壤深度下,年代越久的城区绿地土壤碱性越弱,其与土壤有机碳含量之间存在明显负相关;（3）土壤碳密度和碳储量在0—60 cm土层等间隔的含量随着土壤深度的增加呈现出梯度递减的趋势变化;（4）土壤有机碳的含量随着土壤深度的增加也呈现出逐渐递减的趋势变化。     

鸡蛋贮藏过程中品质变化的动力学模型

为研究鸡蛋贮藏过程中品质变化与贮藏期的相关性,采用动力学研究方法建立鸡蛋贮藏的预测模型。结果表明鸡蛋质量和蛋黄系数随着贮藏时间的延长而降低,气室高度随贮藏时间的延长而增加。一级化学反应动力学模型和Arrhenius方程对鸡蛋质量、蛋黄系数和气室高度变化具有较高的拟合精度。动力学反应速率常数表明贮藏温度越高,鸡蛋品质下降越明显。由预测模型所获得贮藏期预测值与实际值相对误差在10%以内,该模型可预测鸡蛋质量、蛋黄系数和气室高度在5～35℃范围内的变化情况和鸡蛋的贮藏期,为鸡蛋的贮藏和销售提供参考。     

减压处理对新疆白杏果实软化和细胞壁代谢的影响

为了探讨减压贮藏对新疆白杏的保鲜效果,以新疆白杏果实为试料,研究了0℃贮藏条件下减压处理对白杏果实成熟软化和细胞壁代谢的影响。结果表明:减压处理不仅抑制了白杏果实呼吸作用和乙烯释放量的上升,还抑制了果实多聚半乳糖醛酸酶(PG)、果胶甲酯酶(PE)和纤维素酶活性的增加,从而延缓了原果胶和纤维素的降解以及水溶性果胶含量的增加,较好地保持了果实的硬度,延缓果实的软化进程,延长贮藏期。其中,50kPa压力处理效果较好。研究结果为减压贮藏对新疆白杏果实贮藏作用机理的研究提供了依据。