Variations in Soil Physical Properties in a Cleared Forestland Continuously Cultivated for Seven Years in Eastern Nsukka,Nigeria

In this study, soil physical properties were evaluated in the top 40 cm of cleared forestland that had been subjected to continuous cultivation for 7 years to ascertain selected crop or crop combinations that influenced the soil physical properties the most. There was no significant effect of crop treatment on particle‐size distributions over 6 years of cultivation. In year 7, clay values were significantly (p = 0.05) greater in plots grown with solely cassava (SC) and solely maize (SM) than in the plots grown with solely pigeon pea (SP). The soil depth effects over the 7 years were significant on the clay content. The mean values of bulk density, pore‐size distribution, and hydraulic conductivity obtained from each plot fluctuated over the years. The bulk density values in 1998 ranged from 1.29 to 1.43 g cm³, but from 1999 to 2004, the range was from 1.12 to 1.40 g cm³. Thus, bulk density generally decreased when compared with their respective values in 1998. The greatest decrease of ≈ 22% was in 2000. More than 70% of the macroporosity values were significantly less than their respective values in 1998. The greatest decease of 72% was obtained from SM plots in 2001. All the microporosity were significantly more than the 1998 values. All the increases were >100% of the original values. These increases were reflected in the variations of total and saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) values. However, in 2004, Ks values decreased in the plots grown to C + P, SP, and SM. Generally, the C + M + P mixture appeared to be the most consistent in improving micro‐ and total porosities and Ks among the crop treatments.     

Population densities of clover rhizobia in Texas pastures and response to liming

Summary Clovers are widely used forage legumes on acidic soils in Texas and need inoculation with appropriate rhizobia when first introduced. Acidic soils are not conducive to survival of clover rhizobia. A survey of pastures was undertaken to determine the number of rhizobia present. The effect of liming acidic soils on the survival of clover rhizobia was also evaluated in the laboratory. The number of clover rhizobia was more than 100 cells g^-1 soil in 70% of the pastures surveyed but populations within pastures varied by more than two orders of magnitude. The number of years of clover production beyond 1 year did not affect the rhizobial population density. The soil pH of twelve samples was below 5.0 and six samples had populations of rhizobial lower than 100 g^-1 soil. Eleven out of sixteen samples from fields that had grown clover and had pH values above 6.0 had populations exceeding 1000 g^-1 soil and only three samples had populations lower than 100 g^-1 soil. Incubating indigenous or inoculated rhizobia in well-mixed soils having pH values of 5.1 or below resulted in populations declining to below 10 g^-1 soil in 6 weeks. Mixing of soils with pH values of up to 5.4 induced reduction of rhizobial numbers, possibly by destroying microsites. Liming of soils to increase pH values above 5.5 improved survival of native or inoculated rhizobia in most cases.     

半干旱地区不同年代冬小麦品种根系生长和水分利用效率对种植密度的响应

优良的品种与科学合理的种植密度是提高小麦产量的基础。试验以3个不同年代在黄土高原半干旱地区大面积推广的冬小麦品种为试验材料,设置了3个种植密度（100万株/hm²、250万株/hm²、350万株/hm²）,通过田间小区实验研究了种植密度对其根系生长,产量及其水分利用效率的影响。结果表明:不同年代冬小麦品种的根系生长,水分利用效率及其产量对种植密度的响应不同。1960s品种（丰产3号）的根系生长、产量及水分利用效率随种植密度的增加而降低;1980s品种（小偃6号）在中密度时根系生长,产量及水分利用效率最大,低密度次之,高密度最小;现代品种（长旱58）根系生长,产量及水分利用效率随种植密度的增加而提高。在本实验条件下,现代品种较前品种的最高水分利用效率和最高产量均显著增加,而相应的根重密度和根长密度却显著降低。这表明在黄土高原半干旱地区小麦品种更替过程中,小麦的根系生长可能存在对其产量和水分利用效率不利的冗余,只不过这种根系生长的冗余随品种的更替而降低,并因此提高了其水分利用效率和产量。     

Effect of plant density on selection for seed yield in two population types of Phaseolus vulgaris L.

Summary Pedigree selection for seed yield, using early generation yield tests, was practiced from the F₂ to F₇ in two populations of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in three plant densities: 66, 133, and 266 thousand plants ha^-1 at CIAT-Palmira, Colombia. The six highest yielding lines selected from each plant-density, along with 13 parents, were evaluated in a 7×7 lattice design with three replications at the three densities utilized for selection, and at 399,000 plants ha^-1 in 1988 and 1989.Based on the mean performance of selected lines and the mean of the parents, selection for seed yield was effective in all densities in both populations. However, none of the lines selected from the population within the race Mesoamerica (TC 4673) significantly outyielded their best parent under any plant density. The highest yielding lines selected from the interracial population (TR 4635) outyielded their best parent irrespective of the plant-density used for selection. The highest yielding line originated from the highest density used for selection. Low density was neither good for selection nor for evaluation and identification of high-yielding cultivars of common bean. There was no significant difference between the mean yield of lines selected at the intermediate and high population densities. The effects of plant density, year, and their interactions were significant for seed yield.     

Nitrifier dominance of Arctic soil nitrous oxide emissions arises due to fungal competition with denitrifiers for nitrate

Arctic soils emit nitrous oxide, which is a potent greenhouse gas and also represents an important loss of nitrogen to oligotrophic Arctic ecosystems. However, little is known about the temperature sensitivity of nitrous oxide release in Arctic soils or the organisms mainly responsible for it. We investigated controls on nitrous oxide emissions in an Arctic soil across a typical temperature range (between 4 and 13 °C) on Truelove Lowland, Devon Island, Canada (75°40′N 84°35′W) at two different moisture contents. When fertilized with ammonia or nitrate, nitrous oxide emissions and temperature dependence of nitrous oxide emissions were insensitive to soil moisture content but linked to nitrification rates. Stable isotope analysis revealed that nitrous oxide was predominantly released by nitrifiers. However, nitrous oxide emissions were not linked to nitrifier prevalence with an insignificant (P < 0.219) increase in amoA genes and a (P < 0.01) decrease in archaeal nitrifiers. In contrast, denitrifier nosZ prevalence was 10,000 times greater than that of nitrifiers and was related to nitrous oxide emission potential when soils were fertilized with nitrate. Manipulating water-filled pore space should have changed the pattern of N₂O emissions. We used selective inhibitors to further explore why denitrification did not occur under field conditions when we manipulated water-filled pore space or when we used ¹⁵N analysis. When fungi were inhibited in the soil, nitrous oxide emissions from denitrifiers increased with no change in nitrous oxide released by nitrifiers. When fungi were active in the soil, there was little available nitrate but when fungi were inhibited, available soil nitrate increased over the incubation period. The dominance of nitrifiers in nitrous oxide emissions from Arctic soils under field conditions is linked to the competition for nitrate between fungi and denitrifiers.     

密度与施肥对高山反季节花椰菜产量影响研究

本试验研究了四种种植密度及四种施肥水平对花椰菜产量的影响,得出高山反季节花椰菜高产的适宜种植密度和施肥水平。结果表明：四种不同的种植密度之间存在显著差异,理想的种植密度为667m2植2400株;四种不同的施肥水平之间也存在显著差异,理想的施肥水平为667m2施78kg;理想的组合是667m2植2400株,施肥78kg。     

卵黄和低密度脂蛋白对冷冻保存绵羊精子胆固醇、磷脂含量的影响

为了探索绵羊冷冻精液受精率低的原因,在稀释液中用低密度脂蛋白代替卵黄冷冻绵羊精液,研究LDL对冷冻中精子脂类含量的影响。结果表明,以卵黄稀释液冷冻精液,精子胆固醇含量从鲜精的234．54nmol／10^9降低到163．76nmol／10^9精子,胆固醇与磷脂的比值（c／p）从0．54下降到0．36;以9g／100mL LDL代替卵黄,冷冻后胆固醇含量为243．73nmol／10^9精子,c／p值保持在0．50。研究得出在卵黄稀释液中冷冻绵羊精液,精子胆固醇流失,c／p值下降;以LDL代替卵黄,可有效保护精子胆固醇,避免流失,维持了精子c／p值。     

山西省土壤热扩散率和液态水通量密度研究

为研究山西省土壤热性质的时空分布,对各地区土壤热性质进行比较并讨论不同深度土壤层热性质的差异。利用山西省11个地市气象观测站2009年5—10月的浅层土壤温度资料,采用Gao方法研究山西省土壤热扩散率和液态水通量密度。结果表明：（1）山西省的土壤热扩散率k=0.01×10^-6~5.09×10^-6m2/s和液态水通量密度W=-13.28×10^-6~26.92×10^-6m/s。（2）山西省土壤热扩散率和液态水通量密度在垂直方向上不同性。（3）在0.025m层,大同市的k值和W值都是最小的,而晋城市的k值和W值都是最大的。液态水通量密度的最大值都出现在0.025m层。     

西瓜新品种‘黄晶’高产栽培技术研究

为提高西瓜新品种‘黄晶’的品质和产量,加速新品种的推广应用,研究了与之配套的栽培技术。结果表明：该品种的最佳育苗方式为营养钵育苗,最佳栽培方式为白色地膜覆盖+单蔓整枝,种植密度以株距25 cm、11000~13200株/hm²为最佳,基肥施用量以硫酸钾型复合肥（狮马牌）975~ 1200 kg/hm² +有机肥30 t/hm²混施为宜。该品种在春播设施栽培条件下及推广应用中,采用单蔓整枝、白地膜覆盖、合理的种植密度及施肥量可以达到高产、优质的目的。     

基于LiDAR的亚热带次生林林窗对幼树更新影响分析

以湖南亚热带次生林为研究对象,利用多时相机载激光雷达(Light detection and ranging,Li DAR)和野外调查数据对林窗及幼树进行监测,分析比较林窗对幼树密度分布和树高生长变化的影响。结果表明,林窗大小和位置对幼树密度分布都有显著影响,喜光树种幼树主要集中在小林窗的中心区或大林窗的过渡区,在大林窗中密度最大(647株/hm2),耐荫树种幼树主要集中在林窗的边缘区,在中等林窗中密度最大(941株/hm~2)。林窗大小对幼树树高生长有显著影响,喜光树种和耐荫树种幼树分别在大林窗和中等林窗中树高生长量最大(69.3 cm/a、57.7 cm/a),喜光树种幼树在中心区的树高生长量明显大于其他位置,耐荫树种幼树的树高生长量在位置上的差异不显著。线性混合模型分析显示林窗大小是促进幼树树高生长的最主要因素,幼树树高生长变化在不同林窗中呈聚集性。从幼树密度树高生长情况来看,50~150 m~2林窗较适合促进亚热带次生林的群落演替。