Greater humification of belowground than aboveground biomass carbon into particulate soil organic matter in no-till corn and soybean crops

Quantifying the amount of carbon (C) incorporated from decomposing residues into soil organic carbon (C_S) requires knowing the rate of C stabilization (humification rate) into different soil organic matter pools. However, the differential humification rates of C derived from belowground and aboveground biomass into C_S pools has been poorly quantified. We estimated the contribution of aboveground and belowground biomass to the formation of C_S in four agricultural treatments by measuring changes in δ¹³C natural abundance in particulate organic matter (C_POM) associated with manipulations of C₃ and C₄ biomass. The treatments were (1) continuous corn cropping (C₄ plant), (2) continuous soybean cropping (C₃), and two stubble exchange treatments (3 and 4) where the aboveground biomass left after the grain harvest was exchanged between corn and soybean plots, allowing the separation of aboveground and belowground C inputs to C_S based on the different δ¹³C signatures. After two growing seasons, C_POM was primarily derived from belowground C inputs, even though they represented only ∼10% of the total plant C inputs as residues. Belowground biomass contributed from 60% to almost 80% of the total new C present in the C_POM in the top 10 cm of soil. The humification rate of belowground C inputs into C_POM was 24% and 10%, while that of aboveground C inputs was only 0.5% and 1.0% for soybean and corn, respectively. Our results indicate that roots can play a disproportionately important role in the C_POM budget in soils. Keywords Particulate organic matter; root carbon inputs; carbon isotopes; humification rate; corn; soybean.     

平谷桃园养分投入对土壤养分的影响

以平谷区101个桃园为研究对象,调查了施肥现状及其对土壤养分的影响。【结论】所调查的桃园施用的有机肥以鸡粪、羊粪、猪粪、牛粪为主,化肥投入以复合肥或氮磷钾配合施用居多;2016年比2006年总N、总P2O5和总K2O投入量高出1.6倍、1.6倍和1.8倍。由于桃园多年的过量养分投入,2016年调查结果与2006年调查结果和1981年二次土壤普查结果比较,土壤有机质、全氮、碱解氮、有效磷和速效钾含量均有大幅度提高;调查结果还显示,随着氮肥的施入土壤中平均碱解氮含量变化趋势不明显,随着磷肥的施入土壤中平均有效磷含量成显著的上升趋势,随着钾肥投入量的增加土壤中速效钾含量呈现先上升后下降的趋势。调查结果还显示平谷土壤氮素盈余量为444.6 kg N/ hm2,作物氮素吸收量/施氮量占比仅为45%;平谷土壤磷素盈余量为516.6 kg N/ hm2,作物磷素吸收量/施磷量占比仅为22%;由此可见,桃园氮养分和磷养分盈余造成了果园土壤氮和磷环境风险加大。因此,桃园要进行合理的养分管理以保证产量和品质的形成,以及桃园的可持续发展。     

An analysis of a silvopastoral system for the marginal land in the Southeast United States

Almost 20 million acres of non-forest cropland in the South can be classified as marginal. Demand projections for forest products call for a 40 percent increase by year 2030. Recent regenerated tree acres lag behind harvested acres. Multiple land use practices combining trees and grazing adjust cash flows forward mitigating negative flow period associated with conventional forest production. Profit opportunities for private, non-industrial landowners can be increased by ranking inputs in order of changes to net present value(NPV). A sensitivity analysis of an agroforestry scenario, including trees, beef cattle, and pasture, allows producers to concentrate management efforts where returns are greatest. Model results show greatest returns to NPV was realized from improvement to Chip-N-Saw income. The least increase in NPV came when the cost of control burns was changed.     

我国三个典型流域人类活动净氮输入量估算及其影响因素

目的 人类活动氮素过量投入是引起面源污染的重要原因之一。阐明人类活动净氮输入量的时空分布特征及其影响因素,为解决面源氮素污染问题提供数据支持。方法 利用人类活动净氮输入量（net anthropogenic nitrogen input,NANI）模型,通过统计年鉴和文献综述获得NANI相关数据和参数,对农业化的香溪河流域、城镇化的太湖流域和全面推进农业绿色发展模式的洱海流域的净氮输入量进行评估。结果 从NANI强度上看,3个典型流域NANI平均值按照大小排序为：太湖流域（13 241 kg·km^-2·a^-1）、香溪河流域（2 183 kg·km^-2·a^-1）、洱海流域（1 582 kg·km^-2·a^-1）。从来源上看,氮肥施入（Nfer）和食品/饲料氮（Nim）是NANI最大来源,占比58%—97%,对NANI贡献从大到小排序为：氮肥施入、食品/饲料氮输入、氮沉降输入、作物固氮输入。从时间尺度看,2019年同2010年相比,香溪河流域NANI中食品/饲料氮输入比例下降23个百分点,氮沉降比例上升34个百分点;洱海流域NANI中氮肥施入比例下降86个百分点;太湖流域NANI中食品/饲料氮输入比例上升31个百分点,作物固氮量和氮沉降输入比例下降14个百分点和12个百分点。从影响因素上看,3个典型流域NANI与城镇人口密度均呈现显著相关性（P<0.05）,且随城镇人口密度的增加NANI随之升高;耕地面积占比与NANI的拟合上,香溪河流域有显著影响（P<0.05）,但洱海流域和太湖流域均无显著影响（P>0.05）。结论 香溪河流域中昭君镇、峡口镇和黄粮镇,洱海流域中下关镇、上关镇和凤仪镇,太湖流域中张家港市、嘉兴市秀城区、杭州市拱墅区和上海市南汇区是NANI的关键源区;以农业为主的香溪河流域化肥施入是NANI的主要来源;城镇化程度较高的太湖流域食品/饲料氮和肥料氮投入是NANI主要来源;农业绿色发展措施可显著减少人类活动净氮输入量。因此,在关键源区大力推广农业绿色发展措施,同时有效降低饲料和肥料的投入量,有利于控制农业面源污染。     

河流污染物输送对巢湖水质影响研究

研究采用零维模型,以Ⅲ类水为控制目标,对巢湖CODMn、TP、NH3-N的水环境容量进行了估算,同时研究了入湖支流污染物输送对巢湖水质的影响。结果表明,Ⅲ类水质目标下巢湖CODMn、TP、NH3-N的水环境容量分别为6.21×104、0.04×104、0.85×104t·a-1。CODMn年均背景储量为3.17×104t·a-1,占巢湖水环境容量的51%,而TP与NH3-N年均背景储量均大于其水环境容量。因此,在Ⅲ类目标水质下,巢湖仅允许有CODMn的排放,且年均允许排放量为3.04×104t·a-1。入湖支流每年向巢湖输送CODMn4.56×104t、TP 0.25×104t、NH3-N 5.15×104t,其中CODMn年均输送总量小于其水环境容量,但大于允许排放量。因此,入湖支流污染物的输送会加剧巢湖水质恶化,削减支流污染物排放成为控制巢湖水质恶化的关键途径。     

Durum wheat varieties in N‐deficient environments and organic farming: a comparison of yield,quality and stability performances

Stability and reliability of yield and quality for 15 durum wheat genotypes (old and modern) were evaluated in a 5‐year experiment (southern Italy) in organic farming. Genotypes were grown at two N levels (0 and 80 kg/ha), with the aim of evaluating ‘genotype × environment’ (GE) interactions and their role on genotype selection in N‐limited environments. Several approaches to stability were used, within the frame of mixed models and additive main effects and multiplicative interaction analysis, and their validity in stressful conditions and organic farming was discussed. Especially for protein and gluten content, results indicate high environmental variability and the presence of crossover ‘N × environment’ interactions, which supports the need for specific breeding programmes in N‐deficient environments. The average response was strongly affected by N availability (on average, yield was 2.95 and 3.42 t/ha, protein content was 11.6% and 12.85%, gluten content was 8.55% and 9.92%, respectively, at 0 and 80 kg N/ha), and few genotypes gave high yield and quality at both fertilization levels. Only ‘Gargano’ and ‘Fortore’ showed a good inter‐year stability at both N levels. The old cultivars gave minimal responsiveness to increased N input, but gave good results in limiting conditions, indicating that they may play a role in organic farming.     

Spatial distribution of soil heavy metal concentrations as indicator of pollution sources at Mount Križna (Great Fatra,central Slovakia)

The objective of this study was to test the suitability of a simple approach to identify the direction from where airborne heavy metals reach the study area as indication of their sources. We examined the distribution of heavy metals in soil profiles and along differently exposed transects. Samples were taken from 10 soils derived from the same parent material along N-, S-, and SE-exposed transects at 0—10, 10—20, and 20—40 cm depth and analyzed for total Al, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn concentrations. The heavy metal concentrations at 0—10 cm were larger than background concentrations in German arable soils except for Cr (Cd: 0.6—1.8 mg kg^—1; Cr: 39—67; Cu: 40—77; Ni: 87—156; Pb: 48—94; Zn: 71—129; Fe: 26—34 g kg^—1; Mn: 1.1—2.4). Decreasing Cd, Cu, Mn, and Pb concentrations with increasing soil depth pointed at atmospheric inputs. Aluminum and Ni concentrations increased with soil depth. Those of Fe, Cr, and Zn did not change with depth indicating that inputs at most equalled leaching losses. The Pb accumulation in the surface layer (i.e. the ratio between the Pb concentrations at 0—10 to those at 20—40 cm depth) was most pronounced at N-exposed sites; Pb obviously reached Mount Križna mainly by long-range transport from N where several industrial agglomerations are located. Substantial Cd, Cu, and Mn accumulations at the S- and SE-exposed sites indicated local sources such as mining near to the study area which probably are also the reason for slight Cr and Zn accumulations in the SE-exposed soils. Based on a principal component analysis of the total concentrations in the topsoils four metal groups may be distinguished: 1. Cr, Ni, Zn; 2. Mn, Cd; 3. Pb (positive loading), Cu (negative loading); 4. Al, Fe, indicating common sources and distribution patterns. The results demonstrate that the spatial distribution of soil heavy metal concentrations can be used as indication of the location of pollution sources.     

宁夏盐池县生态退耕前后农资投入时空变化分析

为了深入探讨生态退耕前后宁夏盐池县的生态与环境状况,定量分析其农资投入的时空变化特点是现阶段的必要手段,笔者主要利用GIS软件,计算研究区退耕前后的2000-2008年耕地面积和农资投入量的分布重心及其变化。结果表明：随着耕地数量的波动下降,化肥和农膜投入的总量呈波动上升趋势,而农药投入呈波动下降趋势,但耕地面积与农资投入量波动的方向相反;耕地分布重心的偏移方向大致与农资投入量分布重心的移动方向相反。生态退耕幅度最大的2003年,劣质耕地被大量退耕,但优质耕地面临农资投入增高所带来的面源污染问题。2003年后,西北-东南过渡区不仅耕地面积增加,且单位面积农资投入量维持较高。可见,现阶段研究区仍然面临耕地增加所带来的生态退化问题和农资投入较高所潜伏的面源污染问题。     

Farmers’ perspectives on factors limiting tomato production and yields in Kabete,Kiambu County,Kenya

A survey was carried out in Kabete, Central Kenya to establish the limitations and constraints experienced by farmers growing tomatoes. A structured questionnaire was prepared and tested in the field before the actual survey was carried out. Fifty farmers were interviewed and the data analysed established that most farmers lacked enough land, irrigation water, credit and technological knowledge to enable them to optimize tomato production, especially during dry spells when they could fetch premium prices. The average farm size ranged from 0.13 to 1.5 ha and ownership was on a freehold basis. Most households (43%) consisted of five people. A major constraint facing farmers was soil moisture, cited by 50% of farmers interviewed. Nematode infestation and low fertility came second at 25% each. About 60% of the farmers used diammonium phosphates (DAP) for planting and 20% top dressed with calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN). In conclusion, there is a need to provide farmers with reliable irrigation water at affordable prices and credit facilities to enable them to afford inputs such as quality seeds and fertilizers. This will allow them to produce in the dry seasons to take advantage of premium market prices.     

Characteristics of Surface Nitrogen and Phosphorus Balances in the Seven Regions of Hungary from 1989 to 2005

As a result of Hungary's membership in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), surface nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) balances on a country level are calculated and reported to the OECD annually. The Research Institute for Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry (RISSAC) of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences is responsible for the calculations. Surface nutrient NP balances of each of the seven Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS) 2 regions of Hungary were calculated for the period of 1989 (the starting year of political and economic transitions in the country) to 2005. For the environmental risk assessment of NP balances, it is also essential to take the soil NP status of the investigated area into consideration. Correlations between NP balances and soil NP status should be investigated on EU, country, or regional levels. The relevant agricultural databases of the Central Statistical Office of Hungary (CSOH) were used to ensure the accurate estimations of coefficients. Significant differences were found among the regions both in the input and output sides of the NP balances and, as a consequence, in the regional NP balances. Utilization of the agricultural area also differs among the regions, as a consequence of their geographical location, terrain features, soil and climate conditions, and different traditions. In general, the annual N balances of the studied period in the Hungarian regions were positive, whereas P balances were negative. Surface gross nutrient NP balances of each of the seven Hungarian regions decreased in the studied period, but characteristic differences between Hungarian regions still remained.