Calcareous Sandy Soil Research Articles

Distribution and fractionation of cadmium, copper, lead, nickel, and zinc in a calcareous sandy soil receiving municipal solid waste

This study was conducted to evaluate the degree of mobility and fractionation of cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), and zinc (Zn) after the addition of municipal solid sewage sludge (MSS) in a sandy calcareous soil. Treatments were (1) soil application of MSS, (2) soil application of enriched municipal solid waste compost (EMSS), and (3) control soil. The MSS application represented a dose of 200Mg dry weight per hectare. Soil columns were incubated at room temperature for 15days and irrigated daily with deionized water to make a total of 505mm. At the end of leaching experiments, soil samples from each column were divided into 14 layers, each being 1cm down to 10 and 2.5cm below that and analyzed for diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA)-extractable Cd, Cu, Pb, Ni, and Zn. The fractionation of the heavy metals in the top five layers of the surface soil samples was investigated by the sequential extraction method. All soil layers of the columns receiving MSS and EMSS had significantly higher concentrations of DTPA-extractable heavy metals than control soil. The maximum concentration of heavy metals in treated soil was in the surface layer and declined significantly with depth. Sequential extraction results showed that in the treated soil, a major proportion of Cd, Pb, and Ni was associated with organic matter (OM) and exchangeable (EXCH) fractions, and a major proportion of Cu and Zn was associated with residual (RES) and OM fractions. Based on relative percent, Pb, Cd, and Ni in the EXCH fraction was higher than Cu and Zn in soil leached with MSS and EMSS, suggesting that application of this MSS to a sandy calcareous soil, at the loading rate used here, may pose a risk in terms of groundwater contamination with Pb, Cd, and Ni.

Resilience of microorganisms and aggregation of a sandy calcareous soil to amendment with organic and synthetic fertilizer

Marginal coastal soils are dependent on appropriate land management to prevent soil erosion, as a result of low soil stability combined with exposure to strong winds. An example of such an area is the machair, a fixed dune system utilized for agriculture in the northwest of Scotland, UK. The separate and combined effects of synthetic NPK fertilizer and a traditional soil conditioner (kelp, a seaweed) on soil structure formation, stabilization and biological parameters were studied on a cropped field on the machair. Soil physical properties examined included water retention at 10 kPa matric suction, water stable aggregates (WSA) >1 mm, aggregate stability, and biological properties including ester-linked fatty acid (ELFA) analysis and β-glucosidase activity for microbial biomass and activity, respectively. Significant treatment effects were few and inconsistent between sampling times, but included kelp and/or NPK fertilizer reducing aggregation, water retention, microbial biomass and activity relative to the unamended control treatment. Furthermore, seasonal variation, which could be attributed to changes in soil water content, was stronger than variation in response to fertilizer treatments. Principal components analysis of the ELFA data showed that ploughing promoted fungal biomass relative to bacteria, and confirmed both the absence of consistent synthetic and organic fertilizer effects and the sensitivity of microbial biomass to season. Overall, the study demonstrated the resilience of a calcareous sandy soil to amendment with fertilizer.

EFFECTS OF SOME SOIL CONDITIONERS ON YIELD AND UPTAKE OF SOME MACRO- MICRONUTRIENTS BY MAIZE SUCCEEDED BY WHEAT PLANTS GROWN ON TWO NEWLY RECLAIMED SOILS IN EGYPT

A field experiment was conducted on a calcareous clay loamy and non calcareous sandy soils at Atfeh region, Giza Governorate to evaluate the effect of different organic materials, i.e., vinasse, (A1), farmyard manure FYM, (A2) town refuse compost (A3) and farm refuse compost (A4) applied at two rates of 5 and 10 ton fed.-1 just before maize planting on its shoots, grain and biological yields as well as uptake values of N, P, K, Fe, Cu, Mn and Zn by its shoot and grains.Wheat was grown in the same plots without any further application of the aforementioned organic materials to study their residual effect on straw, grain and biological yields as well as, uptake values of the abovementioned nutrients by straw and grain of wheat plant. Results showed that application of the used organic manures to both the studied soils increased values of the shoot, grain and biological yield s of maize compared to the control treatment. Also, values of N, P, K, Fe, Cu, Mn and Zn uptake by shoot and grain of maize plant increased as compared to the corresponding ones the control treatment. Also, increases in the uptake values. More pronounced at the higher rate of the applied organic materials. The highest values of the above mentioned parameters were achieved awing to vinasse (A1) application to the investigated soils. Similarly, values of shoots, grain and biological yields and total uptake of N, P, K, Fe, Cu, Mn and Zn by straw and grain of wheat plant achieved higher values than the corresponding ones of the control treatment due to the residual effect of the previously applied soil conditioners (organic material). The results also showed that the increases were more pronounced due to the higher rate of these conditioners. The highest values of straw, grains and biological yields of wheat grown on both calcareous clay loamy and non calcareous sandy soils were recorded for treatments previously FYM. The findings imply that the highest values of N and P-uptake by wheat plant were obtained due to residual effect of FYM in both the calcareous clay loamy and non calcareous sandy soils. However, the highest values of K-uptake by wheat plant were obtained due to application of vinasse in both the calcareous clay loamy and non calcareous sandy soils. On the other hand, the residual effect of farm refuse compost and FYM recorded the highest values of Fe, Cu, Mn and Zn uptake by straw of wheat plants grown on both the studied soils. Contrary to that the residual effect of FYM and farm refuse compost recorded the highest values of Fe, Cu, Mn and Zn uptake by grain of wheat plant grown on both the studied soils, respectively.

Impact of irrigation water quality, irrigation systems, irrigation rates and soil amendments on tomato production in sandy calcareous soil

Low quality water for irrigation can impose a major environmental constraint to crop productivity. Effects of water quality, irrigation system, irrigation rates, and type of amendment on the yield and quality of tomato plants were investigated during the 2 growing seasons of 2005/2006 and 2006/2007. Two water quality treatments (fresh water with electrical conductivity (EC) of 0.86 dS m^{-1}, and saline water with EC of 3.6 dS m^{-1}), 2 drip irrigation systems (surface and subsurface), 3 irrigation rates (2, 4, and 6 L h^{-1}) and 3 amendment types (clay deposit, and organic matter and without amendment) were applied. The results revealed that the water quality significantly affected both the yield and water use efficiency (WUE). The decreases in yields due to using low quality water were 39.2% and 17.6% for the first and second season, respectively. At a high irrigation rate (6 L h^{-1}), tomato yields were higher and decreased significantly at a low irrigation rate (2 L h^{-1}) in both seasons. When fresh water was used, the amendment type affected both the yield and WUE in both seasons. Clay deposit increased the yield by 11.7% and 15% in the control treatments in the first and second season, respectively. Low quality of irrigation water significantly increased fruit pH, and significantly decreased the other 3 traits (average fruit weight, total soluble solid, and fruit thickness). The influence of salinity was more obvious on average fruit weight than the other 2 traits. Application of clay deposits on sandy soils modifies the distribution of soil water content in the root zone area where water could be retained by clay deposits applied in the subsurface layer. Using saline water increased the salt accumulation in the surface to about 15 dS m^{-1} compared with 5 dS m^{-1} for fresh water treatments. The clay deposit amendments for subsurface sandy soils using good irrigation water show quite valuable effects in storing irrigation water and then enhance the root growth and the yield.

Phosphatase activity on calcareous sandy and pseudomyceliar chernozem soils well supplied with phosphorus

N-trágyázási tartamkísérlet kontrollparcellájának foszfatázaktivitását vizsgáltuk két talajtípuson: karbonátos homoktalajon (Őrbottyán) és mészlepedékes csernozjom talajon (Nagyhörcsök). A talajmintákat egy, 1985-ben indított N-trágyázási tartamkísérlet kontrollparcelláinak (0 kg N·ha -1 és évente 100 kg P 2 O 5 ·ha -1 ) 0–20 cm-es rétegéből vettük. Jelen közleményünkben a novemberi és májusi minták eredményeit tárgyaljuk. A kísérletben választ kerestünk a savas és lúgos foszfomonoeszteráz aktivitás alakulására, a talajtípus, a mintavételi időpont, illetve a repce rizoszféra hatására. A tartamkísérlet P-műtrágyázásának következményeként mindkét talaj jó foszforellátottságú volt. A homoktalaj AL-oldható foszfortartalma – a talaj kisebb PO 4 -ion megkötő képessége miatt – minden esetben meghaladta a csernozjom talajét. A gyökérzet pH-értéket csökkentő, és AL-oldható foszfortartalmat növelő hatása csupán a csernozjom talajon volt kimutatható. Ezen a talajon a rizoszféra foszfát-tartalma mintegy másfélszeresére emelkedett a növénymentes talajhoz viszonyítva. A foszfatázaktivitás a talajok jelentős különbségét mutatta, a csernozjom talaj enzimaktivitása mintegy háromszorosa volt a homoktalajénak. A foszfatázaktivitás átlagos értéke az őrbottyáni homoktalajon a savas foszfatáznál 23,6; a lúgosnál 90,7 μg pNP·g -1 ·óra -1 volt, míg Nagyhörcsökön a csernozjom talajban az értékek 64,2 és 278,7 μg pNP·g -1 ·óra -1 voltak. Mindkét talajra jellemző volt a lúgos foszfatáz aktivitás dominanciája a savassal szemben. A csernozjom talaj enzimaktivitása mind a savas, mind a lúgos foszfatázok esetében ősszel nagyobb (savasnál 2,9-szeres, lúgosnál 3,2-szeres), tavasszal némileg kisebb fölényt mutatott a homoktalajhoz viszonyítva (savasnál 2,6-szeres, lúgosnál 3-szoros). A szezonális változás mindkét talajon megmutatkozott. A rizoszféra pozitív hatása a foszfatázaktivitásban csupán a májusi mintavételkor jelentkezett, mégpedig mindkét talajon a megemelkedett savas foszfatáz aktivitásban. Az őszi és tavaszi foszfatázaktivitás alakításában a talaj AL-oldható foszfáttartalma és nedvességtartalma egyaránt fontos szerepet játszhat, azonban a rizoszféra változásaiban előbbieken túl a növény szerepe tűnik meghatározónak.

Effect of mineral fertilization on poppy ( Papaver somniferum L.) grown on calcareous sandy soil

Duna–Tisza közi karbonátos homoktalajon, az MTA TAKI Őrbottyáni Kísérleti Telepén beállított NPK-műtrágyázási tartamkísérlet 28. évében, 1998-ban vizsgáltuk a műtrágyázás hatását a mák fejlődésére, termésére és elemfelvételére, valamint a talaj AL-oldható PK-tartalmának változására. A termőhely talaja a főbb tápelemekben (N, P, K) gyengén ellátott, a szántott réteg 1% körüli CaCO3-ot és 1% humuszt tartalmaz. Az altalaj erősen meszes, az agyagos rész 5–10%. A talajvíz 8–10 m mélyen található, a terület aszályérzékeny. A műtrágyákat pétisó, szuperfoszfát és kálisó formájában alkalmaztuk. A N-adagot megosztva, felét ősszel, a másik felét tavasszal fejtrágyaként, a PK-műtrágyát ősszel, szántás előtt szórtuk ki. A levonható főbb tanulságok: – A kontrollon mért 0,22 t/ha magtermést az NP-trágyázás átlagosan megkétszerezte, míg a kiegészítő K-trágyázással közel 3-szorosára emelkedett. Hasonló módon és arányban nőtt a tok és a szalma tömege az NPK-trágyázással. A mák igényelte a talaj AL-oldható P2O5- és K2O-tartalmának 150–200 mg/kg értékre való növelését a szántott rétegben. – Az NP-szinteken megemelkedett a szárban és részben a tokban a N-, S-, P- és Sr-, valamint visszaesett a Zn-tartalom. A K-trágyázással nőtt a K- és mérséklődött a Sr-koncentráció. Az NP-trágyázás serkentette a N, P, Sr, Zn és Cu elemek beépülését a magban, gátolta viszont a Zn és B felvételét. A K–Sr antagonizmus helyett K–Sr szinergizmus volt ugyanitt megfigyelhető. – A mag N, P, Mn, Zn és Cu, a tok K, S, B és Na, a szár Ca és Sr elemekben volt a leggazdagabb. A kis termés elemfelvétele is kicsi maradt. Az ún. fajlagos elemtartalma 73 kg N, 23 kg P (53 kg P2O5), 92 kg K (110 kg K2O), 92 kg Ca (129 kg CaO), 15 kg Mg (25 kg MgO) mennyiséget tett ki a kísérlet átlagában. – A szaktanácsadásban, a tervezett termés elemszükségletének számításakor továbbra is mérvadónak tekintjük az általunk korábban közölt 100–40–120 = N–P2O5–K2O kg/t mag + melléktermésre javasolt fajlagos irányszámokat.

FERTILIZATION MANAGEMENT TO REDUCING NITRATE ACCUMULATION IN SOME LETTUCE VARIETIES (Lactuca sativa L.) GROWN IN SANDY CALCAREOUS SOILS

The present investigation was conducted during the two seasons of 2005/2006 and 2006/2007 at the Desert experimental Farm of Assiut Agric. Res. Station to study the effect of five levels of N-fertilizer (0, 30, 60, 90 and 120 kg N/fed.) and three levels of composted waste farm (Control (zero), Compost (3 ton/fed.) and bio-compost (3 ton /fed. compost with Biogen). Tow varieties were used in this investigation (Latoga and Balady). These varieties were grown in sandy calcareous soil under drip irrigation system. The interaction between the two fertilizer sources was studied. The results indicated that there were significant differences among the five levels of N fertilizer in all studied characters. Increased for both mineral and organic fertilizer were obtained of both lettuce varieties on yield and its components. Meanwhile, application of composted waste farm at a rate of 3 ton/fed in combination with Biogen reduced the application of mineral N to 50% and reduced nitrate concentration in leaves of both lettuce varieties. Compost and bio-compost as organic and bio fertilizers play an important role in maintaining soil fertility with releasing nutrients in the soil. The most increase in soil N and P content was observed with compost and bio-compost application. The increase percentage in P content over the control was 10.12 and 38.38 in 2006 and 25.58 and 19.08 % in 2007, respectively.

Cadmium and Chromium Fractions on Different Soils as Affected by Communal Sewage Sludge Loads

A pot experiment was set up in 1999 for examining the effect of sewage sludge loads on soils and plants. Four soils were used. Soils can be classified as the following: Őrbottyán, calcareous sandy soil; Nagyhörcsök, calcareous silty soil; Gyöngyös, acidic silty soil; and Nyírlugos, acidic sandy soil. Applied sewage sludge loads were 0, 2.5, 5, 10, and 20 g sludge DM/kg air‐dry soil. From the soil samples, total recoverable [cc. nitric acid (HNO3) + hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) digestion], extractable [0.5 M ammonium acetate + 0.02 M ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)–extractable], and the mobile [1 M ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3)–extractable] elemental concentrations were measured. There was an increase in all of three fractions after sewage sludge application for both cadmium (Cd) and chromium (Cr); the extent of changes was varied. To quantify the Cd and Cr response to sewage sludge loads, sewage sludge loads vs. elemental concentration functions were plotted, and the slope of these functions means sensitivity of soils in the given fraction. After examining the sensitivity of four soils in the three fractions for elements investigated, it can be stated that the most sensitive fraction was the total recoverable fraction. The ammonium acetate + EDTA–extractable fraction has the second greatest sensitivity, whereas NH4NO3 extraction was a good indicator for treatments only on sandy soils. However, the strongest correlation was found between mobile Cd and Cr and the plant element uptake. So there is an obvious contradiction: the fraction that is less sensitive to sewage sludge treatments has the strongest correlation with plant uptake.

The impact of different fertilization methods on some microbiological soil characteristics

In our experiment, we studied the impact of an organic fertilizer, Bactofil® A10 (half- and full dosage applied in field practice) and an artificial fertilizer of Ca(NO3)2 content in different dosages (20-40 mg kg-1) – in addition to control treatments – on two different soils (calcareous chernozem, humus sandy soil) in 2005-2006, the experiment was complemented with treatments applying 250% dosage (100 mg kg-1 N, Bactofil® A10 2.5 times the field dosage) and a compost from urban sewage (25 g kg-1 compost) was also tested on these two soil types. In theexperiment, several soil microbial parameters were studied. The experiment was set up at the Department of Agrochemistry and Soil Science using 1-kg pots.Our laboratory experiments were performed at the soil microbiology laboratory of UD CAS Department of Agrochemistry and Soil Science, the total number of bacteria, microscopic fungi, nitrifying and aerob cellulose-decomposing bacteria were determined together with the CO2-production of soil, N content of the biomass and urease enzyme activity.Statistical analysis of the data was done using the program SPSS 13.0, means of the measurements, deviation and significance values were calculated. In 2005-2006, the effect of the different dosages of Bactofil® A10, and the Ca(NO3)2 fertilizer on the examined microbial parameters of calcareous chernozem and humus sandy soils can be summarized as follows:• Concerning the total number of bacteria, both treatments were effective on calcareous chernozem soil, the higher (significant) increment in bacteria number was observed in the artificial fertilizer treatments, while in the humus sandy soil Bactofil treatments had a beneficial effect. The number of microscopic fungi also increased in both treatments, higher numbers were observed in the average of two years in the Bactofil treatments.• The number of nitrifying bacteria was 2.5 times higher in both high-dosage treatments on calcareous chernozem soil, while on humus sandy soil a slight (not significant) increment was observed only int he high-dosage Bactofil treatment. The amount of aerob cellulose-decomposing bacteria significantly increased on calcareous chernozem soil in both the highdosage artificial fertilizer and the small-dosage Bactofil treatment, however, on humus sandy soil no significant increase was observed in either treatment.• The CO2-production increased in both soil types, although it was not significant in either treatment. A higher (though not significant) soil respiration was observed in the Bactofil treatments in both soil types.• The microbial biomass N values were significantly higher in the high-dosage Bactofil treatments, however, the high-dosage artificial fertilizer treatment also increased these values significantly on calcareous chernozem soil.• On calcareous chernozem soil, urease activity was significantly increased and reduced by high-dosage artificial fertilizer treatments and Bactofil treatments, respectively. On humus sandy soil, urease activity was also reduced except for the high-dosage artificial fertilizer treatment. In 2007, the pot experiment with 250% dosages was complemented with the application of compost rich in organic matter, the results of these treatments are sumnmarized as follows:• In the case of the total number of bacteria, all three treatments resulted in a significant increase on calcareous chernozem soil with the highest values in the Bactofil treatment. The Bactofil treatment was the most effective on the humus sandy soil, but the artificial fertilizer treatment alsoresulted in a significant increment. In the case of the total number of fungi, Bactofil treatments resulted in the highest values on both soils, but the compost treatment also increased the number of fungi in calcareous chernozem significantly. • The number of nitrifying bacteria was increased most (significantly) by the Bactofil and compost treatments on both soil types. The amount of cellulose-decomposing bacteria was significantly increased by he compost treatment on calcareous chernozem soil, while its effect was not significant on humus sandy soil. The number of these bacteria was increased significantly by the Bactofil treatment on humus sandy soil.• On calcareous chernozem soil, all three treatments significantly increased CO2-production, while the compost treatments had the resulted in the largest increment in soil respiration on both soil types.• The soil biomass N content was significantly increased in both soils by the compost treatment, while in the case of the humus sandy soil, the Bactofil treatment also resulted in a significant increment.• Urease enzyme activity was significantly increased by the artificial fertilizer treatment on both soils. In calcareous chernozem soil, the Bactofil treatment resulted in a slight (not significant) reduction in enzyme activity. In humus sandy soil, the Bactoful treatment also resulted in a slight reduction, while the compost treatment increased (though not significantly) the urease activity.Based on our results, it can be stated that all three treatments were effective with respect to the studied soil microbial parameters. For both the calcareous chernozem and the humus sandy soil, the organic fertilizer Bactofil and the compost with high organic matter content had a stronger effect on some soil microbial parameters than the artificial fertilizer.

Long-Term Additions of Organic Amendments in a Loire Valley Vineyard on a Calcareous Sandy Soil. II. Effects on Root System, Growth, Grape Yield, and Foliar Nutrient Status of a Cabernet franc Vine

A long-term field experiment (28 years) was begun in 1976 in a Chinon vineyard, in the Loire Valley, France. Different types and application rates of organic amendments were compared in six treatments: crushed pruned vine-wood at 2 t/ha every year, cattle manure at two rates, corresponding to 10 and 20 t/ha every year, spent mushroom compost at two rates, corresponding to 7 and 14 t/ha, and a control without any addition of organic matter. Treatments were evaluated for their effects on root system, pruning weight, grape yield and its components, and on the leaf nutrient status of the vines. Significant effects were recorded only 14 years after the beginning of the experiment. With high application rates of organic amendments, such as 20 t/ha/yr of cattle manure, the vine root system was reduced in size, compared with the control, but the single rate of the pruned vine-wood (2 t/ha/yr) stimulated vine rooting. High rates of organic amendments decreased pruning weight and yield because of a possible water supply reduction or an eventual depressive effect of a higher salinity of soil, but more probably a toxic effect of high nitrogen levels. This undesirable influence did not appear in plots fertilized with the lower rates of organic manures of 10 t/ha/yr. Results showed a trend toward a favorable influence of crushed pruned wood treatment on vine behavior. Application of high annual organic amendments that provide the greatest soil nitrogen supply was an unprofitable exercise since it provided no further benefits in terms of vine durability, vine growth, and vine productivity. In contrast, moderate rates, applied particularly as pruned vine-wood, seemed well adapted to a sustainable viticulture.

Long-Term Additions of Organic Amendments in a Loire Valley Vineyard on a Calcareous Sandy Soil. III. Effects on Fruit Composition and Chemical and Sensory Characteristics of Cabernet franc Wine

A long-term experiment (28 years) conducted in a vineyard in the Chinon region (Loire Valley, France) compared a control (no addition of organic matter) and three types of organic amendments: dry crushed pruned vine-wood (VPW), cattle manure (CM), and spent mushroom compost (SMC). Each year, VPW was applied at the rate of 2 t/ha (VPW2), CM and SMC were added at two rates (medium and high) of 10 t/ha (CM10) and 20 t/ha (CM20) for cattle manure, and 8 t/ha (SMC8) and 16 t/ha (SMC16) for spent mushroom compost. Treatments were studied for their effects on berry and wine composition (soluble solids, titratable acidity, pH, anthocyanins, total polyphenol index, and minerals) and on the sensory characteristics of wine. High rates of organic amendments, particularly CM20, delayed berry maturation. Total soluble solids, anthocyanin, and tannin content in the juice were lowered, whereas pH, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium were significantly increased, compared with the control. Many of these effects were also found in the wine. As a consequence, the wine corresponding to the high rate of cattle manure had the lowest color intensity and aromatic persistency, with the highest herbaceous and animal odors, compared with other treatments. Heavy nitrogen supply to vines as a result of high rates of organic amendments could be the most important factor to explain these effects. If the goal of winegrowers is to produce top-quality grapes for top-quality wines, the application of high rates of organic amendments should be avoided and vine nitrogen nutrition should be managed with a flexible and adaptive approach in relation to environmental conditions.

Long-term Additions of Organic Amendments in a Loire Valley Vineyard. I. Effects on Properties of a Calcareous Sandy Soil

A long-term experiment (28 years) was conducted to study the effects of various organic amendments on physical, chemical, and biological properties of a sandy vineyard soil. Annual applications of either crushed pruned vine-wood (2 t/ha fresh wt), cattle manure (10 and 20 t/ha fresh wt), or spent mushroom compost (8 and 16 t/ha fresh wt) were compared to an unamended treatment. In plots unamended for 28 years, total organic C (TOC) showed a slow and limited decrease (19%). For the highest rates of exogenous organic amendments, the increase in TOC reached a saturation value after 20 years and carbon (C) sequestered after 28 years reached 30 Mg/ha. Final predicted TOC obtained by simulation with the AMG model was lower than measured TOC for all treatments. Soil microbial biomass C was very low in unamended plots 24 years after the beginning of the experiment. Fair (and comparable) levels of microbial biomass were observed for moderate amounts (2 t/ ha/yr) of crushed pruned vine-wood and for single rates of cattle manure and spent mushroom compost, while these levels were high for double doses of organic amendments. As a consequence of TOC increase in topsoil, soil water-holding capacity was improved and bulk density was reduced. Soil P and K concentrations were also increased by exogenous organic amendments. For high rates of organic inputs, mineralized N largely exceeded the vine requirements, with an important risk of N leaching. Preservation or improvement of soil organic matter content and soil properties is possible without harmful side effects through the use of an organic material low in nutrients such as crushed pruned vine-wood.

Changes and availability of P fractions following 65 years of P application to a calcareous soil in a Mediterranean climate

The fate and availability of P derived from granular fertilisers in an alkaline Calcarosol soil were examined in a 65-year field trial in a semi-arid environment (annual rainfall 325 mm). Sequential P fractionation was conducted in the soils collected from the trial plots receiving 0–12 kg P ha−1crop−1, and the rhizosphere soil after growing wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Yitpi) and chickpea (Cicer arietinum L. cv. Genesis 836) for one or two 60-day cycles in the glasshouse. Increasing long-term P application rate over 65 years significantly increased all inorganic P (Pi) fractions except HCl–Pi. By contrast, P application did not affect or tended to decrease organic P (Po) fractions. Increasing P application also increased Olsen-P and resin-P but decreased the P buffer capacity and sorption maxima. Residual P, Pi and Po fractions accounted for an average of 32, 16 and 52% of total P, respectively. All soil P fractions including residual P in the rhizosphere soil declined following 60-day growth of either wheat or chickpea. The decreases were greater in soils with a history of high P application than low P. An exception was water-extractable Po, which increased following plant growth. Changes in various P fractions in the rhizosphere followed the same pattern for both plant species. Biomass production and P uptake of the plants grown in the glasshouse correlated positively with the residual P and inorganic fractions (except HCl–Pi) but negatively with Po in the H2O-, NaOH- and H2SO4-fractions of the original soils. The results suggest that the long-term application of fertiliser P to the calcareous sandy soil built up residual P and non-labile Pi fractions, but these P fractions are potentially available to crops.

Precipitation and fertilization level impacts on winter rye (Secale cerealeL.) yield

The effect of rainfall on crop fertilization factors, such as macronutrients and yield, were studied during a long-term field experiment on a calcareous sandy soil with low humus content in North Hungary at the Orbottyan Experimental Station of Research Institute for Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences from 1961 to 2004. At the time of the set-up of the experiment, in 1959, the soil’s ploughed layer had the following characteristics: pH(H2O): 7.5–7.8, pH(KCl): 6.9–7.1, humus content: 0.6–1.0%, clay content: 5%, CaCO3 content: 3–7%, AL soluble P2O5 and K2O content: 40–60 and 50–100 mg·kg−1. The experiment included ten treatments in five replications, giving a total of 50 plots (35 m2 each) arranged in a Latin square design. From the 1st to the 25th year the fertilization rates were 0, 50 and 100 N kg · ha−1 · year−1; 0 and 54 kg P2O5 ha−1 · year−1; 0 and 80 kg K2O ha−1 · year−1 and their combinations. From the 26th year on these rates were 0 and 120 kg N ha−1 · year−1; 0, 60 and 120 kg P2O5 ha−1 · year−1 and 0, 60 and 120 kg K2O ha−1 · year−1 and their combinations. The major findings can be summarised as follows. At average rainfall years on the control plots without any mineral fertilization the rye yield in monoculture stabilised at a level of around 0.8 t · ha−1 (Table 3). The yield doubled (1.8–1.9 t · ha−1) in the N, NP and NK treatments while the full NPK doses gave the maximum yield of 2.1 t · ha−1 significantly (mean: 1.7 t · ha−1). Without mineral fertilization on the control plots in droughty and dry years yields of 0.7 t · ha−1 and 0.8 t · ha−1 were harvested. This was a 13% yield reduction in droughty years as compared with an average year. Yield depressions of 33, 16, 21 and 20% were caused by drought (dry and droughty years) in the N, NP, NK and NPK treatments. In wet year the yield was 0.9 t · ha−1 in the control plots, representing a yield grown of 12.5% compared with average years (0.8 t · ha−1). In the case of N, NP, NK nutrition the increase in the harvested main yield was 43.1% while NPK treatments led to yield increment of 36.9% only. In the very wet years the rye yield declined even more than in case of drought. The unfertilised plots yielded 25% less than in the average years. In the case of unfavourable nutrition (N, NP, NK) the decrease in the main grain yield was 32.8% and in the case of NKP plots the negative effects was 26.2%. Rye in monoculture has approx. 29.4% less tolerance of very wet years than to dry. This yield depression is in line of Marton et al. (2007) statement whereas the over-wet conditions could be resulted oxygen deficiency in the crop’s root zone. Depending on the nutrient supplies, significant quadratic correlations were observed between the rainfall quantity and the yield (Control: R=0.7489***, N: R=0.8974***, NP: R=0.8020***, NK: R=0.7370***, NPK: R=0.9047***, mean R2=0.8180; 66.9%) during the vegetation period. The increase in grain yield per mm rainfall ranged from 3.0 to 6.4 kg·ha−1 in the case of optimum rainfall supplies, while the quantity of rainfall during the vegetation period required for the production of 1 kg air-dry yield ranged from 1529 to 3360 litres in the case of maximum yield. Based on the meteorological database for the 44 years of the long-term experiment (1961–2004) the frequency of years in which the rainfall was optimum for various levels of nutrient supply was as follows: control: 2%, N: 7%, NP: 7%, NK: 9%, NPK: 7%, giving an average of 6% over the treatments. This suggests that the occurrence of optimum rainfall supplies and the possibility of achieving optimum yields in the rye production will decline in the future. Under two different arable site plant ecological conditions (rainfall quantity, NPK fertilization) the yield average of rye in monoculture on calcareous sandy soil (Őrbottyan) was 86% less than that achieved in a biculture (rye and potato) on acidic sandy soil (Nyirlugos).

Effect of Sodium Chloride-induced Salinity on Phyto-availability and Speciation of Cd in Soil Solution

A greenhouse experiment with two levels of Cd (0.5 and 10 mg Cd kg−1, in the form of CdCl2), and five salinity levels of irrigation water (0, 8.6, 17.1, 34.2 and 68.4 mM NaCl) in triplicate was conducted to determine the effect of NaCl-induced salinity on the solubility and availability of Cd in clay loam and sandy calcareous soils. Corn seeds (Zea mays L.) were sown in pots. Forty-five days after planting, the shoots were harvested, and their Cd concentration was determined. The post-harvest electrical conductivity (ECe), pH, and concentrations of cations and anions were determined in soil saturation paste extracts. Increasing irrigation water salinity resulted in significant increases in the total soluble Cd concentration in both studied soils. A positive correlation was found between the total soluble Cd and the chloride concentration in the soil solution.Solution speciation, calculated with MINEQL+ (a chemical equilibrium modeling system), predicted that Cd was present mainly as free Cd2+ ions followed by CdCl+ and $$ {\text{CdSO}}^{0}_{4} $$ in the soils irrigated with deionized water. However, Cd species in the soil solution were significantly altered by increasing chloride concentration, with Cd–chloro complexes becoming the dominant Cd species in the soil solution. Increasing the salinity level resulted in significant decreases in the shoot dry matter and increases in the shoot Cd concentration. Shoot Cd concentration was positively correlated with both the total Cd and Cd–chloro complexes in the soil solution.

Relationships between Soil Organic Status and Microbial Community Density and Genetic Structure in Two Agricultural Soils Submitted to Various Types of Organic Management

The effects of soil organic management on indigenous microorganisms were studied by comparing mulching straw (S), conifer compost (CC), and conifer bark (CB) as well as grass landing with grass (G), clover (Cl), and fescue (F) in a silty-clay soil (Mâcon), and by incorporating vine shoot (VS) and single and double doses of farmyard manure (FM) and mushroom manure (MM) in a calcareous sandy soil (Chinon). Soil physicochemical and microbial characteristics were assessed at each site at two depths by sampling at 0-5 and 5-20 cm for the Mâcon site and 0-10 and 10-20 cm for the Chinon site. Changes in the quantity of soil organic matter (SOM), through an increase in C(org) and N(org) contents, and in its quality, through modifications in the C/N and humic acid/fulvic acid ratios, were essentially recorded at the surface layer of treated plots with differential magnitudes according to the inputs and soil type. Quantitative modifications in microbial communities were assessed by means of C-biomass measurements and resulted in an increase in microbial densities fitted with the increase of C(org) and N(org) contents. However, the deduced C incorporation in microbial biomass was negatively correlated with the C/N ratio, demonstrating a strong influence of the type of organic management on the rate of microbial processes. Qualitative modifications in microbial communities were evaluated by the characterization of the genetic structure of bacterial and fungal communities from DNA directly extracted from the soil, using bacterial and fungal automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis. Organic amendments led to changes in the bacterial and fungal communities of both sites. However, the magnitude and the specificity of these changes were different between sites, organic amendments, and microorganisms targeted, revealing that the impact of organic management is dependent on the soil and organic input types as well as on the particular ecology of microorganisms. A co-inertia analysis was performed to specify the role of the quantity and quality of SOM on the modifications of the genetic structure. A significant costructure was only observed for Mâcon plots at 0-5 cm between the bacterial genetic structure and the SOM characteristics, demonstrating the influence of the relative amount of the different humic substances (humic and fulvic acids) on microbial composition.

Redistribution of zinc, cadmium, and lead among soil fractions in a sandy calcareous soil due to application of poultry litter

This study was conducted to evaluate, using soil columns, the mobilization and redistribution of heavy metals (Zn, Cd, and Pb) among different soil fractions by soluble organic ligands within poultry litter. Uncontaminated soil was amended with Zn, Cd, and Pb to achieve concentration levels of 400, 8, and 200 mg kg(-1) soil, respectively. Columns repacked with this amended soil were leached with distilled water, 0.01 M EDTA, 0.01 M CaCl2, or poultry litter extract (PLE) solutions. After leaching, the soil samples in the columns were sequentially extracted for exchangeable (EXC), carbonate (CARB) organic matter (OM), Mn oxide (MNO), Fe oxide (FEO), and residual (RES) fractions. Considerable mobilization of Zn, Cd, and Pb occurred in soil during EDTA leaching. Leaching with PLE and CaCl2 solutions significantly decreased Zn and Cd concentrations in the EXC, CARB, and OM fractions. These solutions significantly decreased Pb concentration in the EXC fraction, while PLE solubilized more Pb from EXC fraction than CaCl2. Thus, the applied poultry litter may change Zn, Cd, and Pb fractions in metal-amended soil and possibly enhance metal mobility.

Effect of Clay Deposits on Physicochemical and Intermittent Evaporation Characteristics of Torripsamment

Clay minerals are the key component controlling water storage and movement in irrigated arid soils. This research aims to evaluate the effect of different rates of deposits varied in the clay minerals on physicochemical properties and intermittent evaporation of Torripsamment. Four clay deposits, bentonite, zeolite (clinoptilolite) and treated sewage sludge (TSS) samples were selected and mixed with sandy calcareous soils (five concentrations) followed by saturation with water for 5 wetting and drying cycles. Moisture losses in each cycle were monitored daily; after the 5th cycle penetration resistance and physicochemical properties were measured. Results indicated that increasing application rates alter most of the studied soil properties including cation exchange cpapacity (CEC), electrical conductivity (EC), clay%, silt%, and exchangeable Ca, Mg and Na. The extent of changes in sandy soil properties was variable depending on the deposits type and application rates. Increasing zeolite rates dramatically increase CEC and exchangeable Ca of the treated sandy soil while the corresponding increase of clay contents as a result of zeolite applications was relatively low. Increasing TSS application increased dramatically EC values (dS/m) and exchangeable K compared with all other deposits. TSS showed the lowest average pH, 7.92, whereas the highest pH value, 8.58, was found in Torripsamment-treated bentonite. Bentonite applications significantly increased exchangeable Na in treated sandy soils, followed by Sharqiah and Khulays deposits. Penetration resistance (PR) values of the untreated soil increased significantly with increasing application rate particularly in smectite-rich deposits. Data revealed that 10% application rate of smectite-rich deposits reflected on some physicochemical characteristics of Torripsamment. Application rates of 5% and 10% had the lowest and the highest evaporation (E), respectively. Smectite-rich deposits caused extensive cracking on the surface and consequently increased evaporation. The order of E during the first cycle was zeolite > TSS > Khulays > SharqiahDhurma > Rawdate > bentonite. The best fitting relation between E and t1/2 (E = Ct1/2) in the 1st wetting and drying cycle showed the lowest value of evaporation constant (C) at 5% and 1% application rates for bentonite and zeolite, respectively. The differences in C values between the studied deposits are related to CaCO3, clay contents and the dominant clay minerals.

The Effect of Increasing Nitrogen and Zinc Doses on the Iron, Copper and Manganese Contents of Maize Plant in Calcareous and Zinc Deficient Soils

This research was carried out in order to determine the effects of increasing nitrogen and zinc fertilizers on the iron, copper and manganese content of maize plant in calcareous and zinc deficient soils. For this purpose sandy calcareous and clay calcareous soils were used in this research. The experiment was done under greenhouse conditions with three replications and maize was grown. Three different doses of N (N 0 : 0; N 1 : 50 and N 2 : 100 kg N ha -1 ) were applied to each pot as NH 4 NO 3 . Four different doses of Zn (Zn 0 ; 0; Zn 1 : 5; Zn 2 : 10 and Zn 3 : 20 mg kg -1 ) were applied to each pot as ZnSO 4 .7H 2 O. According to the results, dry matter amount of maize plant increased with increasing of N and Zn doses. Iron, Cu and Mn contents of maize plant decreased with increasing of N and Zn application doses. Increasing of dry matter amount and decreasing of Fe, Cu and Mn contents of maize plant appeared to be significant at the level of 1%, statistically.

The effect of N, P, K fertilisation and bacterial inoculation on the oxidation of elemental sulphur in Danube alluvial soil

Sulphur is a basic nutrient both for humans and animal organisms. It is a basic nutrient that directly or indirectly plays an important role in numerous vital functions. In the past period sulphur input to agricultural lands was reduced. Therefore a reasonable sulphur fertilisation will have an increasing importance and might be the part of everyday fertilisation procedures. Research is also being done regarding the use of elemental sulphur for fertilisation purposes, since the biological activity of soils can be increased by this without additional microbial inoculation. (Kalocsai et al. 2000). Altia and Dosuky (1996) in their experiments carried out on calcareous sandy soil proved, that the yield and nutrient element content of winter wheat increased due to the application of organic manure, nitrogen and sulphur fertilisation and inoculation with Thiobacillus sp. Szentpdteri et al.(2005) emphaised the importance of these factors also. The favourable effect of Thiobacillus inoculation and elemental sulphur fertilisation was proved in experiments with maize Kabesh et al. (1989), and soybean Saber et al. (1989) respectively. Similar experiences were gathered in pot experiments with vegetables Shinde et al. (1996). Beyond plant nutrition aspects sulphur application might play a role in the amelioration and improvement of alkalic and sodic soils (Groudeva et al. 1984, Slaton et al. 1998a, 1998b) and can also are an important tool of phytoremediation (Tichy et al. 1997, Maini et al. 2000). These facts will have an impact on Hungarian agriculture as well; therefore the research activity regarding sulphur should be increased in the future. (Kalocsai et al. 2000).