Effect of Aquasorb and Organic Compost Amendments on Soil Water Retention and Evaporation with Different Evaporation Potentials and Soil Textures

Abstract

Aquasorb PR3005A, a hydrophilic polymer (a salt copolymer polyacrylamide), and garden waste compost were added to a loamy sand and a loam soil in pots to assess their impact upon soil physical properties at two different evaporation potentials. Compost was mulched and incorporated, the Aquasorb was incorporated, and their effect on temperature and amelioration of soil water content and evaporation was investigated. Mulching with compost reduced evaporation and increased soil temperature. Maize (Zea mays var. single cross 704) was sown in the same pots later, and growth indicator factors (plant height, fresh and dry weight, root weight, and leaf area) were compared. It was concluded that compost mulch application is beneficial to soil water retention whereas compost incorporation did not show these benefits. Compost mulch advances seedling emergence and enhances early growth through hydrologic soil amelioration. High rates of Aquasorb were also beneficial in advancing the emergence and early growth of maize seeded in loamy sand. The hydration capacity of Aquasorb is reduced as the electrolyte concentration and electrical conductivity are increased. Increased electrolyte concentration in soil solution, through drying, may result in gel dehydration and water release at potentials greater than field capacity, which may be lost to drainage. Furthermore, it is concluded that pot experiments with amendments fail to simulate field conditions.     

Temporal variation in mineral nitrogen in soil as influenced by incorporation of legume or cereal residues under submergence or well drained conditions

A laboratory study was conducted at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi on a sandy clay loam soil of pH 7.9 and organic C content of 0.34% to study the effect of incorporating Sesbania or Vigna legume residues or wheat straw at 15 and 30t ha^?1 on temporal variation in ammoniacal and nitrate‐N in soil under submergence and well drained conditions. Under submergence most mineral N was present as ammoniacal‐N, while under well drained conditions it was present as Nitrate‐N. The content of ammoniacal N in soil was the highest after 30 days of incubation and declined thereafter under submergence. On the other hand under well drained conditions the mineral‐N (mostly nitrate) content in soil at 30 DAI was very little and showed increases only later, reaching the highest level at 90 DAI. Application of wheat straw specially at 301 ha^?1 level resulted in immobilization of native soil‐N. These results show that rice which is grown under submergence can be transplanted soon after incorporation of legume residues, but for wheat or other crops which are grown under well drained condition a time interval of 30 days or more needs to be provided before sowing the crop.     

大田土壤耕作层覆膜防渗灌溉栽培水稻研究

为了推广应用一种新的覆膜栽培水稻方法——覆膜防渗灌溉,对比分析了土壤耕作层覆膜防渗灌溉与常规灌溉条件下水稻的耗水量、水稻生长分蘖状况、水稻产量及土壤中氮磷钾营养元素的变化情况。结果表明,防渗灌溉能明显减少灌溉用水量,较常规灌溉节水9.54%。防渗灌溉可减少土壤中的肥力损失,能有效阻隔土壤中速效钾的淋溶损失。防渗灌溉与常规灌溉的耗水系数分别为711和786 kg/kg,灌耗比分别为0.5和0.6。防渗灌溉降低灌溉水在总耗水量中的比重,减少渗漏损失提高水分利用率。     

Effects of biodegradable mulch on soil quality

Biodegradable plastic films are desirable alternatives to traditional black polyethylene plastic for use as mulches in agroecosystems. Efforts are ongoing to engineer biodegradable plastic mulches that could be incorporated into the soil at the end of the crop season, and decomposed by microorganisms, ultimately to CO₂, H₂O, and biomass. Whether changes in soil quality occur during or following biodegradation is unknown. An 18-month study evaluated the effects on soil quality following burial of four potentially biodegradable mulches and a no mulch control in high tunnel and open field tomato production systems across three geographically distinct locations (Knoxville, TN; Lubbock, TX; Mount Vernon, WA). The mulch treatments included: two starch-based mulches (BioAgri^® Ag-Film and BioTelo Agri); one experimental 100% polylactic acid mulch (Spunbond-PLA-10); one cellulose-based mulch (WeedGuardPlus; positive control); and a negative control (no mulch). The soil management assessment framework (SMAF) was used to calculate a soil quality index (SQI) according to five dynamic soil properties: microbial biomass carbon, β-glucosidase, electrical conductivity, total organic carbon (TOC), and pH. Within the 18-month evaluation period, the effects of the biodegradable mulches on the SQI were minor, and dependent upon production system and time of incubation at all locations. In general, the SQI was higher in the high tunnel systems for some of the mulch treatments at Knoxville and Lubbock but the opposite was true at Mount Vernon. By the final sampling at 18 months, the SQI was lowest for WeedGuardPlus at Lubbock and Mount Vernon but at Knoxville, the WeedGuardPlus SQI was not significantly different from the no mulch control. Of the five SMAF indicators evaluated, soil microbial biomass and β-glucosidase activity were the most responsive to mulch and production systems, supporting the use of these variables as soil quality indicators for short-term changes due to this agricultural management practice.     

我国草莓斑驳病毒研究鉴定

 作者采集6省13市病样73株。经鉴定带SMoV的67株,占样本的91.78%。采取指示植物小叶嫁接法及蚜虫分离和传播病毒试验,并辅以病毒提纯,人工摩擦接种草本植物,病毒粒子电镜及超薄切片观察等手段加以确证。在辽宁省田间获得一种草莓中瘤钉毛蚜(Chaetosiphon sp.)以及棉蚜和桃蚜均传播本病毒,传播率依次为70%,40%及33%(最高率),系半持久性传播。病毒提纯制荆最大吸收值在260nm处,最小吸收值在240nm处。A260/280=1.21。电镜观测病毒粒子为球形,直径28~30nm,病叶超薄切片观察,在细胞质里有晶状球形颗粒,直径约25nm,排列整齐。以分离物(M-3)提纯制剂为抗原所制备的抗血清与有关病样呈阳性反应。试验证实了国内SMoV的发生和分布。     

Contribution of a straw bedding to digestible nutrient intake of pigs fed diets based on either native or pregelatinized potato starch

In a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement, 16 groups of 12 pigs were assigned to one of two housing systems (straw bedding, S vs. Barren, B) and to one of two starch types (native, N vs. pregelatinized potato starch, P, each included at 35%) to study effects on apparent faecal digestible nutrient intakes. Intake of straw from bedding material was estimated, using several markers, and results are discussed. Straw intake of the S-pigs was estimated between 143 and 234 g DM/d for P-pigs and between 96 and 156 g DM/d for N-pigs, depending on the method used. Nutrient digestibility was reduced in N-pigs when compared with P-pigs. Intake of digestible dry matter, energy, starch and ADF was increased in S-pigs, but the intake of digestible protein was reduced. Despite greatly reduced nutrient digestibility in S-pigs, additional digestible nutrient intake due to housing on a straw bedding can be considerable.     

Effects of plastic mulches on root zone temperature and on the manifestation of tomato spotted wilt symptoms and yield of tomato

Tomato spotted wilt (TSW) disease is a serious constraint to tomato production in various regions of the world. The effect of TSW on tomato yield is largely influenced by time of infection. Early infection usually results in severe stunting of the seedling and even death of the plant. Plastic film mulches affect both the incidence of TSW, and plant growth and yield of tomato. The objective of the present study was to determine the effect of root zone temperature (RZT) as affected by plastic film mulch on the manifestation of symptoms of TSW, and growth and yield of tomato plants either artificially inoculated with tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) or under natural TSW infection. In artificially inoculated plants as well as in plants under natural TSW infection, vegetative top fresh weight (FW) and fruit FW both increased with the length of time after transplanting that the plants remained free from TSW symptoms. The root zone temperature was highest under black mulch (seasonal mean = 27.5 °C), followed by gray (27.0 °C), silver (25.8 °C), and white (24.8 °C) mulches. The plants grown on black mulch showed the earliest appearance of TSW symptoms, and had significantly reduced vegetative growth and fruit yields compared to plants on the other mulches. In conclusion, utilization of plastic mulches that created conditions of high RZT stress resulted in reduced plant growth and yield and predisposed the plants to earlier expression of TSW symptoms compared to plants grown at RZTs more favorable to tomato plant growth (optimal RZT = 26.1 °C [Díaz-Pérez, J.C., Batal, K.D., Granberry, D., Bertrand, D., Giddings, D., Pappu, H., 2003. Vegetative top growth and yield of tomato grown on plastic film mulches as affected by the appearance of symptoms of Tomato spotted wilt virus. HortScience 38, 395–399]). Since these plant responses to TSW under heat stress occurred in artificially inoculated plants as well as in plants under natural TSW infection, high RZTs probably affected the plants directly, independently of any possible effects on the thrips vectors.     

覆膜和钾肥对马铃薯铁素吸收分配的影响

通过田间试验研究了覆膜和钾肥对马铃薯不同生育时期体内铁的浓度、吸收累积量及其分布的影响.结果表明:马铃薯全株、叶、茎、块茎中铁的浓度从苗期到成熟期呈波浪式变化;铁的累积量在整个生育时期呈现先增大后减小的变化规律,均在块茎膨大期达到峰值;而铁素在马铃薯体内的分布情况表现为:前4个时期在各个器官中分布的顺序为叶＞茎＞块茎,到成熟期表现为茎＞叶＞块茎.覆膜对叶中铁的分布有减小的作用,即它能增大茎和块茎中铁的分布,随着生育时期的向前推进,块茎中铁的分布明显增大,它对块茎中铁的累积也有一定的增大效果;钾肥在成熟期之前的一段时间内能在一定程度增大铁在块茎中的分布,但是此二因素对马铃薯体内铁的影响作用均未达到一定的显著水平.     

Hydraulic conductivity and porosity under conventional and no-tillage and the effect of three species of cover crop in northern France

We studied soil hydraulic conductivity (K) and porosity in five combinations of soil tillage and cover crop management systems. Treatments were winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grown on a conventionally tilled soil (CT), on a no‐till soil (NT), and on an NT with three different cover crops: red fescue (Festuca rubra L.; Fr), bird's‐foot‐trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.; Lc) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.; Ms). Measurements were made on a loamy soil in Grignon, France, in November 2004, May 2005 and October 2005. K and mean size of hydraulically active pores were measured in situ at three water potentials (?0.6, ?0.2 and ?0.05 kPa) at the soil surface and at 10 cm depth. In November 2004 and May 2005, pore space was described using 2D image analysis of pores on undisturbed soil samples in the 0–10 cm layer and in the 10–20 cm layer. The major differences were caused by soil tillage that created two heterogeneous soil layers and increased K in the 0–10 cm layer relative to NT. The effects of cover crop on K and porosity were not affected by the root type: there were no major differences between the grass cover crop (fibrous‐root type) and the leguminous ones (tap‐root type). However, we recorded larger functional pores and more tubules in the no‐till treatments with a cover crop, compared with the no‐till treatment without cover crop; this was probably the result of root activity. Although these changes generally did not result in larger values of K, they participated in the maintenance of soil structure and K over time.     

景德镇种植免耕稻草全程覆盖马铃薯的气象条件分析

通过对景德镇市与广西玉林市的气候条件比较，发现在免耕稻草全程覆盖马铃薯种植期间，景德镇市的气温条件没有玉林市好，但日照和降水条件较玉林市优越。根据马铃薯种植的气象条件要求和景德镇市气候条件，确定景德镇市免耕稻草全程覆盖马铃薯种植时期宜在9月上旬至12月上旬。