Organic farming fosters agroecosystem functioning in Argentinian temperate soils: Evidence from litter decomposition and soil fauna

Benefits of organic farming on soil fauna have been widely observed and this has led to consider organic farming as a potential approach to reduce the environmental impact of conventional agriculture. However, there is still little evidence from field conditions about direct benefits of organic agriculture on soil ecosystem functioning. Hence, the aims of this study were to compare the effect of organic farming versus conventional farming on litter decomposition and to study how this process is affected by soil meso- and macrofauna abundances. Systems studied were: (1) organic farming with conventional tillage (ORG), (2) conventional farming with conventional tillage (CT), (3) conventional farming under no-tillage (NT), and (4) natural grassland as control system (GR). Decomposition was determined under field conditions by measuring weight loss in litterbags. Soil meso- and macrofauna contribution on decomposition was evaluated both by different mesh sizes and by assessing their abundances in the soil. Litter decomposition was always significantly higher after 9 and 12 months in ORG than in CT and NT (from 2 to 5 times in average), regardless decomposer community composition and litter type. Besides, mesofauna, macrofauna and earthworm abundances were significantly higher in ORG than in NT and CT (from 1.6 to 3.8, 1.7 to 2.3 and 16 to 25 times in average, respectively for each group). These results are especially relevant firstly because the positive effect of ORG in a key soil process has been proved under field conditions, being the first direct evidence that organic farming enhances the decomposition process. And secondly because the extensive organic system analyzed here did not include several practices which have been recognized as particularly positive for soil biota (e.g. manure use, low tillage intensity and high crop diversity). So, this research suggests that even when those practices are not applied, the non-use of agrochemicals is enough to produce positive changes in soil fauna and so in decomposition dynamics. Therefore, the adoption of organic system in an extensive way can also be suggested to farmers in order to improve ecosystem functioning and consequently to achieve better soil conditions for crop production.     

不同规格穴盘育苗对茄苗及其栽培效益的影响

为完善茄子穴盘育苗技术,对比研究了不同规格穴盘育苗的茄苗素质及栽培效益。结果表明:32孔规格穴盘育苗比50孔茄苗素质明显提升;移栽单栋钢架大棚后,32孔穴盘育苗的茄子早熟性比50孔穴盘育苗平均提前5 d,总产量增加15.3%;667 m~2投入成本32孔穴盘育苗比50孔穴盘育苗增加75.3%(35.6元),而收益增加了2 427.9元。因此建议大棚茄子种植采用32孔规格穴盘进行育苗。     

河北省2018年第三季度马铃薯价格走势分析

依据对马铃薯价格的实时监控，以2018年河北省第三季度马铃薯价格为主要研究对象，阐明了2018年河北省马铃薯价格横向水平及纵向变化趋势，并对影响价格的因素进行了数据分析。结果显示：在河北、山东、甘肃3大产区及全国，2018年第三季度河北省马铃薯价格处于最低水平，明显低于全国平均水平，但年同比增幅最大。分析表明：马铃薯库存、气候的变化以及马铃薯收获期是影响第三季度河北省马铃薯价格的主要因素。最后，根据分析结果，提出调整种植结构、适时出售的建议。     

Comparison of phenolic profiles and antioxidant activities in skins and pulps of eleven grape cultivars(Vitis vinifera L.)

Eleven grape cultivars were analysed to explore the variety differences of fresh grape phenolic profiles. The results showed that free phenolics were predominant in grape skins and pulps, and showed the higher antioxidant activities than bound. In 11 cultivars, Muscat Kyoho extracts had the highest total phenolic content in skins(10.525 mg GAE g~(–1) FW) and pulps(1.134 mg GAE g~(–1) FW), and exhibited the highest DPPH radical scavening capacity(EC_(50)=11.7 μg mL~(–1)) and oxygen radical absorbance capacity(ORAC) value(190.57 μmol TE g~(–1) FW) of free phenolic in skin. In addition, the most abundant phenolics in grape skins were found to be flavonoids such as kaempferol in Kyoho skin(541.2 μg g~(–1) FW), rutin, catechin and epicatechin in Muscat Kyoho skin(262.3, 86.3 and 70.0 μg g~(–1) FW, respectively). Furthermore, the principal component analysis showed a strong difference of phenolic profiles with the cultivars, existing forms and distributions. Pearson correlation coefficient analysis showed a significant linear correlation between total phenolic content and antioxidant activity(P0.05). Therefore, both skins and pulps were rich sources of bioactive phenolic compounds, and Muscat Kyoho was the ideal source among all samples.     

有机化学平台课程的构建与思考

通过合理把握有机化学课程知识体系和教学层次,将知识体系模块化,内容层次多元化,同时把课程设计与各个专业培养目标有机融合,建设有机化学平台课程并进一步完善评价制度,从而实现平台课程服务人才培养的目标.     

Contrasting development of soil microbial community structure under no-tilled perennial and tilled cropping during early pedogenesis of a Mollisol

A range of agricultural practices influence soil microbial communities, such as tillage and organic C inputs, however such effects are largely unknown at the initial stage of soil formation. Using an eight-year field experiment established on exposed parent material (PM) of a Mollisol, our objectives were to: (1) to determine the effects of field management and soil depth on soil microbial community structure; (2) to elucidate shifts in microbial community structure in relation to PM, compared to an arable Mollisol (MO) without organic amendment; and (3) to identify the controlling factors of such changes in microbial community structure. The treatments included two no-tilled soils supporting perennial crops, and four tilled soils under the same cropping system, with or without chemical fertilization and crop residue amendment. Principal component (PC) analysis of phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) profiles demonstrated that microbial community structures were affected by tillage and/or organic and inorganic inputs via PC1 and by land use and/or soil depth via PC2. All the field treatments were separated by PM into two groups via PC1, the tilled and the no-tilled soils, with the tilled soils more developed towards MO. The tilled soils were separated with respect to MO via PC1 associated with the differences in mineral fertilization and the quality of organic amendments, with the soils without organic amendment being more similar to MO. The separations via PC1 were principally driven by bacteria and associated with soil pH and soil C, N and P. The separations via PC2 were driven by fungi, actinomycetes and Gram (−) bacteria, and associated with soil bulk density. The separations via both PC1 and PC2 were associated with soil aggregate stability and exchangeable K, indicating the effects of weathering and soil aggregation. The results suggest that in spite of the importance of mineral fertilization and organic amendments, tillage and land-use type play a significant role in determining the nature of the development of associated soil microbial community structures at the initial stages of soil formation.     

探讨有机烟叶的生产和管理

概述了国内外有机烟叶的发展状况,并从品种筛选、基地选择、施肥、除草、病虫害防治、打顶、抹杈、调制、收购、包装、贮存和不适用烟叶处理方面探讨了有机烟叶的生产技术体系,从生产管理和质量管理2个方面探讨了有机烟叶的生产管理,并对有机烟叶的发展进行了展望。     

Soil aggregation: Influence on microbial biomass and implications for biological processes

Our 1988 paper, describing the effects of cultivation on microbial biomass and activity in different aggregate size classes, brought together the ‘aggregate hierarchy theory’ and the ‘microbial biomass concept’. This enabled us to identify the relationships between microbial and microhabitat (aggregate) properties and organic matter distribution and explain some of their responses to disturbance. By combining biochemical and direct microscopy based quantification of microbial abundance with enzyme activities and process measurements, this study provided evidence for the role of microbial biomass (especially fungi) in macroaggregate dynamics and carbon and nutrient flush following cultivation. In the last ten years environmental genomic techniques have provided much new knowledge on bacterial composition in aggregate size fractions yet detailed information about other microbial groups (e.g. fungi, archaea and protozoa) is lacking.We now know that soil aggregates are dynamic entities – constantly changing with regard to their biological, chemical and physical properties and, in particular, their influences on plant nutrition and health. As a consequence, elucidation of the many mechanisms regulating soil C and nutrient dynamics demands a better understanding of the role of specific members of microbial communities and their metabolic capabilities as well as their location within the soil matrix (e.g. aggregates, pore spaces) and their reciprocal relationship with plant roots. In addition, the impacts of environment and soil type needs to be quantified at the microscale using, wherever possible, non-destructive ‘in situ’ techniques to predict and quantify the impacts of anthropogenic activities on soil microbial diversity and ecosystem level functions.     

山东地区无公害牛蒡标准化生产技术规程

为发挥山东省牛蒡种植面积大、栽培历史久的天然优势,巩固其全省重要出口创汇蔬菜的独特地位,对牛蒡的产地环境、种子处理、播种时间和方法、田间肥水管理、排灌沟渠安排、病虫草害防治、采收分级、生产记录等制定出规范与要求,标准化生产的牛蒡每667 m2产量在1 500 kg以上,收购价格保持在2.6~3.8元/kg,为指导蔬菜生产,确保农产品质量安全,增加产品出口和农民收入提供了技术和制度上的保障。     

Organic input quality is more important than its quantity: C turnover coefficients in different cropping systems

Annual C input to soil is a major factor affecting soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics. However different types of C-sources can have different behaviour, in relation to their chemical characteristics and how they interact with soil. Root-derived C, in particular, should be more efficient than other organic materials as a result of the physicochemical and biological characteristics of the surrounding environment, leading to a reduction in the C decomposition rate.To test this hypothesis, we considered a long-term experiment underway in Northern Italy since 1962, comparing permanent meadow and 6 different crop rotations over a wide range of nutrient inputs, in both organic and inorganic forms. C inputs from amendments were measured and those from crops were calculated using allometric functions and crop and residues yields. The time evolution of SOC was studied through a single-pool, first-order kinetic model, allowing the estimation of humification coefficients for residues, roots, farmyard manure and cattle slurries.The highest value of the humification coefficient was estimated for farmyard manure, which confirmed its high efficiency in stabilising SOC content. Root C presented a humification coefficient 1.9 times higher than above-ground plant materials while slurries were intermediate, with a humification coefficient roughly half that of farmyard manure and even lower that of roots.The quality of C input thus seems of fundamental importance for evaluating the sustainability of different cropping systems in terms of SOC dynamics.