Chemical Amelioration Research Articles

Агроэкономическая эффективность технологий освоения закустаренных залежных земель

The idle lands of the Non-Chernozem zone of Russia are quickly overgrown with tree and shrubby vegetation (TSV). Their active development under modern conditions needs a comprehensive justification of the available technological options for removal and processing of TSV. To evaluate their agro-economic efficiency, a comprehensive study was carried out at Sofia LLC in the Tosnensky District of the Leningrad Region. Its methodological basis was model-field and production experiments, laid out in weakly and medium-cultivated sod-podzolic gleyey soils of heavy loamy granulometric composition. They studied the agroeconomic efficiency of application of traditional ameliorants (milled raw dolomite and poultry manure supplemented with potassium fertilizer) and TSV processing products (wood chips, wood chaff, biochar and ash). The study determined the negative impact of products of TSV processing embedded in the soil on crops; the lack of a direct correlation between agroecological and economic efficiency of development technologies; an irreplaceable positive role of a complex of chemical ameliorants. The level of profitability of its use varied in experiments from 7–15 % for cultures and varieties undemanding of fertility to 48–56 % for demanding ones. On its basis, radical improvement of the soil properties was ensured, which made it possible to increase the productivity of the crop rotation link against the background of the embedded wood chips from 13.3 to 19 tons of forage units (FU) per hectare, of wood chaff – from 10.5 to 19.2 t FU/ha, biochar – from 16.1 to 21.4 t FU/ha, ash – from 15.6 to 21.2 t FU/ha while improving product quality.
 The profitability parameters of technologies for the development of the shrubby idle land based on the data on the cost of yield increase (21–52 %) are 8.8–9.1 times lower than for the additionally produced and sold dairy products (191–459 %). Due to our production and direct sale of high-quality dairy products, the average annual net income from the development of 1 hectare of lightly and heavily shrubby idle land increases from 21 to 205.7 thousand roubles and from 9.7 to 80.5 thousand roubles respectively. With the re-processing of TSV to Eurowood, these indicators increase by 159.2 thousand roubles/ha per year.
 Due to the relatively high cost of biochar production, the «biochar + complex of ameliorants» option, the best in terms of agronomic and environmental efficiency, is significantly (1.7 times) inferior to agronomically less efficient technologies in short-term studies in terms of profitability (132 % versus 230 %). Less efficient technologies include embedding of crushed TSV in the soil with modern milling machines. The full payback period of biochar technology when calculating income for feed is 3.1 years, for milk and dairy products – 1.3 years.

Changes in the nitrogen status of grey forest coarse dusty light loam soil under different systems of fertilisation and chemical amelioration

This paper presents the results of research in a stationary experiment, launched in 1992 on grey forest coarse-dusty light loamy soil, aimed at studying the influence of long-term chemical amelioration and various fertilisation systems (mineral, organic, organic-mineral) on the nitrogen regime. Nitrogen is extremely important in agriculture, as all growth processes, photosynthesis, metabolism, and yield volume and quality eventually depend on this element. In Ukraine, the share of soils of woodland composition in total soil cover exceeds 33%, while the share of agricultural land is 25%. Since the humus content and its total reserves are an integral measure of soil formation and a key characteristic that determines the overall habitat of the soil, the article analyses changes in humus content as a response to the above factors. It has been found that the gross nitrogen content reflects the humus content, fully depends on and varies with the humus content of the latter. There is a high correlation between these indicators for all variants of the experiment (r = 0.991). The data obtained indicate that only with the use of green manure and by-products of the predecessor and moderate doses of mineral fertilisers in combination with liming, there is a moderate increase in total nitrogen as compared to the initial level. The rise amounted to 0.36 – 0.45 t/ha and in this case, it is possible to observe its extended reproduction. Only after mineralisation does the nitrogen of organic compounds become available to plants. The easily hydrolysed form of nitrogen is a fairly reliable indicator of whether the plants are supplied with this element. According to the classification, the soil under study, with a mobile compound content of 81.2 – 103 mg/kg, falls into the group of soils with a very low degree of nutrient supply, but the degree of hydrolysis of organic matter in it is high (9.6 – 10.2%). With the combined use of green manure, non-commodity crop products, and one-dose mineral fertilisers along with lime, this form of nitrogen increased by 27.5% compared to the control. Under the above fertiliser complex, there was an increase of 16.5 mg/kg in the amount of N-N03-+N-NH4+ compared to the control, plus 7.4 mg/kg of soil nitrification capacity

ВПЛИВ УДОБРЕННЯ ТА ВАПНУВАННЯ НА ПРОДУКТИВНІСТЬ КУКУРУДЗИ НА ЗЕРНО В КОРОТКОРОТАЦІЙНІЙ СІВОЗМІНІ НА ДЕРНОВО-ПІДЗОЛИСТОМУ ГРУНТІ

The results of the influence of doses and forms of limestone ameliorants and fertilization on the maize productivity in the Western Polissia were shown. The ameliorants application on the background of mineral fertilizers increased the indicators of the yield structure and plant survival. The highest results were obtained with the use of 1.5 dose dolomite meal by the hydrolytic acidity of: plants density before harvesting 62.4 ths. pcs/ha, plants height of 229 cm, the weight of an ear was 223 g, the grain yield from an ear was 79.7 %. The limestone ameliorants and fertilizers application also had a positive effect on the yield and pro-tein content in maize grain. According to the obtained data, it was found that the protein content in the grain increased by 1.82–2.89 % in variants with melioration on the background of N120P90K120 compared to the control, and amounted to 9.4–10.5 %. The maximum 10.5 % of the protein content was obtained by the using a 1,0 dose of dolomite meal on the background of mineral fertilization with the addition of sulfur S40 and foliar dressing of the Nutrivant Plus Cereals micronutrient fertilizer (2 kg/ha). The highest yield of 9.04 t/ha was formed by the combined use of 1.5 dose of dolomite meal by the hydrolytic acidity and the recommended rate of mineral fertilizers (N120P90K120). The increase of maize yield compared to control (without fertilizers) was 4.99 t/ha, compared to the background (N120P90K120) – 3.98 t/ha. The grain yield of maize increased by 10.3 % due to the application of sulfur fertilizer (S40) and two-time foliar fertilization with Nutrivant Plus Cereals micronutrient fertilizer (2 kg/ha). The analysis of economic efficiency showed that the cultivation of grain maize was unprofitable at the N120P90K120 application without soil liming; while when using chemical ameliorants, in particular different doses of dolomite meal, on a similar background fertilizer the maize cultivation was profitable (in the range of 6174–16024 UAH/ha) Keywords: chemical ameliorants, doses, fertilizers, yield, maize.

Regulation of technological loading on soils: a concept for solving the problem

Аnnotation Purpose. Justify the possibility and feasibility of using the technological standard (Tn) to regulate the technological load on soils to eliminate the conditions of their degradation using the energy assessment of the action of agricultural machinery systems and agronomic measures in terms of the structural-aggregate and humus state, as well as biological activity. Methods. General scientific (field, morphological-genetic, comparative-analytical, agroanalytical, laboratory) and special (determination of the content of elementary soil particles (ESP) and microaggregation by the microscopic method according to Bulygin S. Yu.). Results. Under the conditions of stationary experiments of the Right-Bank Forest-Steppe of Ukraine, it was revealed that more than 60 years of use of alkaline chernozem soil in a 10-field crop rotation with a field of clover with a traditional tillage system using moldboard plowing against the background of different fertilization options did not significantly worsen any of the parameters of agrophysical and humus state, biological activity, quantitative and species composition of the microbiological pool. More than 40 years of use of dark gray podzolized soil at a full rate of fertilization, applying lime to neutralize hydrolytic acidity and growing green manures after cereal early ripening crops, leaving the non-marketable part of the crop on the field under the conditions of a traditional processing system with moldboard plowing in a 7-field crop rotation , also with a field of clover, did not worsen the main parameters of its fertility. A conceptual mathematical model has been developed for the processing soil conservation agriculture systems based on the studies. Conclusions 1. Agrophysical parameters of soil have different information content and different sensibility. Each hierarchical level of the soil body system is characterized by a certain set of indicators, including agrophysical ones. It has been established that a scientifically grounded crop rotation against the background of moderate doses of mineral fertilizers, necessary chemical ameliorants with the abandonment of the non-commercial part of the crop and the use of green manure after early grain crops guaranteed to hold the agro physical condition of soils from deterioration. 2. The guarantor of a quasi-stable humus state is the stability of the agrophysical framework of the soil system and the harmony of the microbiological pool, the quantitative and species composition of which determines the balance of the synthesis and mineralization of humus and other organic substances. 3. Changing the effective influence of the living soil phase is determined by its agrophysical state, which leads to a change in the humus state – the first iteration passed. Next – the next and next chain of the spiral of the “life” of the soil (thesis-antithesis synthesis by Hegel), until the bottom or the top of the dynamic equilibrium is achieved, which is determined by the level of agriculture culture. 4. The direction (vector and trend) of the soil formation is determined by the energy ratio of the energy of the Sun in the form of a fresh vegetable residue (the second factor of the genesis of soils according to Dokuchaev) to anthropogenic energy, which is consumed in the implementation of crop technologies, which determines the value of the technological regulation (Tn). 5. The energy assessment of technologies for growing crops under the conditions of long-term stationary experiments made it possible to determine technological standards (Tn): for meadow-chernozem soil – 8.6, for dark gray podzolized soil – 7.2. Keywords: technological standard of energy load, elementary soil particles (ESP), coefficient of microaggregation, humus state, microbiological activity, energy assessment of plant technologies.

Influence of fertilization and chemical recruitment systems on the structure of the garmental complex of gray forest soil

One of the most common soils in Ukraine is soilsof forest origin. These soils are a valuable agriculturalfund, the rational use of which is impossible withouta detailed study of their pedogenesis, physicochemical and other properties in general. These soils were formed under the conditions of the washing water regime and are marked by the acid reaction of the soil solution. The latter contributes to the leaching of bases from the humus-eluvial horizon, which changes the ionic balance in the soil solution and reduces the degree of saturation of the soil absorption complex, which is a set of mineral, organic and organo-mineral components of solid soil capable of iona. The absorptive capacity of soils is one of the most important functions, as it is directly involved in the processes of soil formation and the formation of their fertility. Studies conducted in a long-term field experiment established in 1992 on gray forest soil to determine agrogenic factors, namely — long-term use of various fertilizer systems (mineral green manure and plant by-products and organo-mineral system) and liming, showed changes in the structure of exchange cations the soil-absorbing complex (GVK) and physicochemical properties of the studied soil under conditions ofits intensive use as «arable land» in order to increaseits effective fertility. For a more objective assessment of the above factors for changes in the absorption complex of the soil, the obtained results were compared not only with absolute control, but also tied to the initial state, i.e. the soil of the virgin area located near the experimental field. Against the background of research, it was found that fertilizer systems have different effects on the content of exchange bases in GVK and their ratio, the amount of exchange cations, the absorption capacity of cations and the degree of soil saturation with bases. Liming of acid soils for a long time reduces acidity and improves the complex of properties that affect thelevel of fertility. The application of ameliorant givesa noticeable (on sod-podzolic soil) or significant (onchernozem) increase in yield. The use of mineral fertilizers on calcareous soils has a much greater effect. The positive influence of chemical ameliorants on physicochemical properties of gray forest soil is noted. The content of calcium and magnesium exchange in the soil absorption complex increases, the ratio between them improves, and the absorption content increases.

Wood biomass fly ash ameliorates acidic, low-nutrient hydromorphic soil & reduces metal accumulation in maize

Biomass-fuelled facilities generate alkaline and mineral-/nutrient-enriched co-product (ash) that has to be appropriately managed, and preferably reused. The assumption that wood biomass fly ash (BFA) could be used in chemical amelioration of soil acidity and fertility was tested by: i) physicochemical characterisation of BFA and ii) bioassay with maize grown in acidic (pHKCl 4.68) hydromorphic soil amended with BFA (0–10% w/w). Scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction revealed non-homogeneous (ir)regular spherical/porous agglomerated particle morphology and distinctive distribution of Si-/Ca-/K-based minerals, while secondary ion mass spectrometry, for the first time, confirmed their isotopic (six Ca, three Si/Mg and two K isotopes) diversity. BFA addition strongly shifted soil pHKCl (up to 9.1), raised salinity (by > 8.2-fold) and the content of most phytonutrients (up to 5.4-fold); however, BFA amendments at >1.25% restricted the maize root and shoot growth, likely due to alkaline stress as indicated by necrotic/chlorotic symptoms at >5.0% rate. The BFA amendments increased total concentration of metals in soil (without exceeding the levels recognised as contamination); however, phytoextraction of Cd, Zn, Mn, Cu and Mo was significantly supressed (Cd by almost 12-fold), confirming that BFA improved soil-plant metal immobilisation, shifting rhizosphere biogeochemistry towards chemisorption/precipitation reactions. Even though results revealed a strong liming and P–K–Ca–Mg–Zn–Mn–Cu enrichment potential of BFA, to avoid possible negative environmental implications (saline/alkaline stress, metal contamination, adverse effects on soil microbiome), quantitative and qualitative ex ante evaluation of the BFA/soil matrix combinations is essential before application to ameliorate suboptimal (acidic, low-nutrient) or metal-contaminated soils.

Combined fertilizers versus dolomitic limestone: A comparative study from a forest habitat with Norway spruce

Abstract The research paper with character of case study deals with the influence of amelioration on soil as well as the Norway spruce nutrition and growth, with the focus on dolomitic limestone and combined fertilizer applications. The study was performed in the 7-year-old forest stand (Nízký Jeseník Mountains, Czech Republic, 100% Norway spruce, podzol, mor humus form, slightly undulated slope, 770 m a.s.l.). The soil properties (soil reaction, nutrient status, C/N ratio and cation exchange capacity), the plant nutrition, the plant biomass production and the health status were measured. Neither the expected significant increase in pH due to liming in the root zone nor the increase in calcium and magnesium in the soil was confirmed. In the dolomitic limestone treatment, the highest hydrolytic acidity reaching 260 mmol+/kg, the worst development of assimilatory organs, the growth and health status of individuals were ascertained one year after the usage. The application of combined fertilizers resulted in the highest response in the needle biomass production (0.35 g/100 needles compared to less than 0.30 g/100 needles in the dolomitic limestone treatment), in the potassium and phosphorus nutrition status (suboptimal 4–4.5% of potassium in dolomitic limestone and the control treatment compared to optimal 5.5–7.5% in the combined fertilizers treatments) and simultaneously to the optimization of the health status. Specifically, in forest stands, the effect of dolomitic limestone is rather overestimated and furthermore, chemical amelioration requires the detailed knowledge of the forest site.

Acid properties of gray forest soils depending on fertilization systems and long-term consequences of chemical amelioration

Acid properties of gray forest soils depending on fertilization systems and long-term consequences of chemical amelioration

Формування поживного режиму кислих ґрунтів за біологізації систем удобрення буряків цукрових в умовах Лісостепу України

Goal. To determine regularities of influence of technologies of chemical amelioration at biological cultivation of sugar beet on nutrient status of gray forest sub-acid soil and typical leached sub-acid chernozem in the conditions of Right-Bank and Central Forest-Steppe of Ukraine. Methods. Physical-chemical and agrochemical analysis of soil and plants were carried out, as well as phenological observations over the growth and development of plants. Results. The most effective dose influencing the content of major nutrients of grey forest sub-acid soil was 1,5 CaCO3 by hydrolytic acid (9 t/ha in physical weight). Thus the maximum content of alkaline hydrolyzed nitrogen was 207.3 mg/kg of soil, of mobile phosphorus — 357.7, of exchange potassium — 198.4 mg/kg of soil. That was greater by 110.8, 184.6, and 41.1 mg/kg of soil, respectively, than in the control variant. The most efficient dose as to its influence on the content of major nutrients in the leached sub-acid chernozem was 1.5 CaCO3 by hydrolytic acid (7.5 t/ha in physical weight). Content of alkaline hydrolyzed nitrogen increased to 140.5 mg/kg of soil, of mobile phosphorus — to 172.4, of exchange potassium — to 106.4 mg/kg of soil, and compared with the control variant was by 28.4, 15.1, and 38.9 mg/kg of soil more. Conclusions. The application of defecating on acidic grey forest soil and typical leached sub-acid chernozem at biological cultivation of sugar beet facilitates mobility and the content of major nutrients in the studied soils.

Secondary Development of Unused Land

Abstract—Unused lands in northwest Russia are quickly overgrown by wood and shrub vegetation (WSV). Their effective development for forage is associated with the search for optimal safe solutions both for processing of this vegetation and for restoring fertility of sod-podzolic soils. The goal of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of new technological options for fertility restoration of sod-podzolic soils on developed bushed fallow lands using the products from processing of above-ground biomass of trees and shrubs and cheap local ameliorants. The object of the study was the bushed fallow land developed for fodder crop rotation. A sharp decrease in the yield of annual grasses (up to five times) against the background of introducing the wood and shrub vegetation processing products into soil was established. Meanwhile, the content of raw protein and ash substances in the green mass of herbs decreased by 8–13%. The use of a complex of chemical ameliorants allowed not only to level these inevitable costs of cultural reclamation but also to bring the yield of green grass in the best options of the experiment to 37–44 t/ha. According to the experiment, the average yield from the ameliorant complex was 79% in direct action and 27% in the aftereffect. The best performance is achieved with the use of ameliorants with biochar, which reduced the CO2 release into the atmosphere by five times.

Efficiency of chemical ameliorants for reclamation of bore mud and solonetzic soils of Siberia and Ural

The problem of solonetzic soils fertility is still one of the most important in the country. The areas of Siberia and Ural make up about 10 million hectares. To improve chemical properties of solonetz, chemical method of amelioration is applied. It’s possible to use this method on the bore muds. Number of mud storage pits only in Khanty-Mansisk is about three thousand. On Yamal the situation is the same. As ameliorants-coagulants in the conditions of Siberia and Ural their natural reserves, wastes of mining and chemical industry can be used. The method of tubes was used for the comparative analysis of the studied ameliorants. Equal soil and bore mud samples with increasing doses of coagulants allow to assess maximal filterability of solonetz, bore mud and reveal their optimal dose. The studies have shown that choice of ameliorant-coagulant is mostly determined by the chemism of soil and bore mud salinization, and also content of exchangeable sodium in soil adsorption complex. As promising ameliorants-coagulants we should consider the wastes of chemical industry – phosphogypsum, and as raw material of mining industry – gypsum, carnallite, calcium chloride.

Effect of different dolomitic limestone dosages on soil respiration in a mid-altitudinal Norway spruce stand

Abstract: The study focuses on the effect of chemical amelioration of dolomitic limestone (doses of 0, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9 and 26 t ha-1) on soil respiration in a Norway spruce monoculture in mid-altitudinal elevation during one-year period after application. Firstly, the soil respiration was measured in situ as monthly CO2 efflux from the soil surface horizon in the period May to October 2016. Secondly, basal respiration, microbial biomass carbon and metabolic quotient of the organic H and organo-mineral A horizons were assessed under laboratory conditions within one year after the treatment. Soil CO2 efflux increased by 3 to 31% and by 29 to 98% for the ameliorant of 2 and 26 t ha-1, respectively, compared to the unlimed control treatment. The CO2 efflux was significantly driven by external conditions such as soil moisture and temperature, especially in the last seasonal months. Basal respiration of the H horizon increased up to a dose of 9 t ha-1 but decreased at 26 t ha-1. In the A horizon, microbial activity increased in all the limed variants compared to the non-limed variant. A similar trend was observed in microbial carbon and the metabolic quotient of the soil. Our results prove that the ameliorant doses commonly used in the forestry sector (3-4 t ha-1) substantially increase the soil microbial activity during (soil CO2 efflux) and after (laboratory data) the first year after application. This results in the accelerated mineralization of soil organic material and subsequent loss from the forest ecosystem.

Assessment of Provisioning Ecosystem Services of Irrigated Salt-Affected Soils in Ukraine

Irrigated, withdrawn from irrigation, and nonirrigated areas with southern chernozems (Calcic Chernozems) and dark chestnut soils (Haplic Kastanozems) of different degrees of natural and irrigation-induced salinity and solonetzicity were examined within the Ingulets irrigation system in Kherson and Nikolaev oblasts with the aim to assess provisioning ecosystem services of salt-affected soils in Ukraine. The suggested system is based on the results of the eco-agromeliorative assessment of land for pilot areas and takes into account susceptibility of the ecosystem services of salt-affected and solonetzic soils to different kinds of reclamation. In most cases, the soils of nonirrigated areas were characterized by the satisfactory eco-agromeliorative status, and the soils irrigated by sprinkling and withdrawn from irrigation had the good or satisfactory status depending on the depth and salinity of the groundwater. The soils subjected to drip irrigation were in the unfavorable state because of noncompliance with recommended irrigation technologies. Irrigation with slightly saline water caused changes in the structure of soil microbial cenoses and disturbance of the optimal ratios between different groups of microorganisms. In these soils and in the soils withdrawn from irrigation because of the development of secondary salinization and alkalization, the numbers of major trophic groups of microorganisms (eutrophic and oligotrophic bacteria and actinomycetes) and the total soil enzymatic activity decreased. The assessment of susceptibility of the ecosystem services of salt-affected soils to reclamation impacts (chemical amelioration and deep meliorative plowing) demonstrated certain positive changes in the efficiency of soil ecosystem services, such as the productive capacity, the habitat of species, the storage pool for carbon, and the nitrogen fixation capacity. An expert ten-grade scale to assess the productive ecosystem services of salt-affected soils in Ukraine has been developed. It is based on eight characteristics. According to this scale, the areas with the good state of the soils are virtually absent in the examined territory; the satisfactory state has been assigned to 14 surveyed areas; and the unsatisfactory state, to one area with a shallow depth of saline groundwater. This approach provides for a more efficient use of the provisioning functions of salt-affected soils owing to differentiation of reclamation impacts on them and their adaptation to the functioning of biological systems.

Influence of Chemical Amelioration of Solonetzic Soils on the Presence of Heavy Metals and Radionuclides in Soil Profile

Influence of Chemical Amelioration of Solonetzic Soils on the Presence of Heavy Metals and Radionuclides in Soil Profile

Effect of Chemical Amelioration on the Physicochemical Properties of Chernozem Soils in Irrigated Fruit Nurseries

This paper presents the results of a study on the effects of long-term use of drip irrigation with mineralized or, in other words, saline waters on the physicochemical properties of black chernozem soils in a fruit nursery. Irrigation induced local accumulation of water-soluble salts in the main wetted zone, alkalinization of the soil, and saturation of the soil-absorbing complex with Na+ and Mg2+ cations and Ca2+ depletion. The introduction of phosphogypsum in a dose of 2 t/ha for chemical reclamation reduced high alkalinity of the soil and increased the content of exchangeable calcium in the soil-absorbing complex. The application of phosphogypsum seems to be an effective method to restore the fertility of chernozem soils under conditions of long-term use of drip irrigation with mineralized waters.

The effect of slow-release fertilizers on the soil environment of spread windrows in the Krušné Hory Mts.

The current revitalization of forest ecosystems in the Krušné Hory Mts. is carried out through: (i) spreading line windrows, (ii) chemical amelioration. The aim of this research consisted in: (i) assessing basic pedochemical characteristics of spread windrows, (ii) testing the effect of slow-release fertilizers from the Silvamix<sup>®</sup> series and dolomitic limestone on the root ball zone soil five years after application. The results of this study suggest that spread windrows are a suitable environment for forest species: with the only risk being extremely low P concentrations. Our results further show an increase in the amount of soil macrobioelements in the case of Silvamix<sup>®</sup> R and Silvamix<sup>®</sup> Forte, namely P over 125 and 85%; Mg<sup>2+</sup> over 84 and 108%; base saturation (BS) over 44 and 40.7%, respectively, compared with a control. Having applied dolomitic limestone, an increase of BS (by 88%), Mg<sup>2+</sup> (by 250%) and Ca<sup>2+</sup> (by 37%) was observed; there was a reduction in the level of mobile Al<sup>3+</sup> (by 25%) compared with the control. Stromfolixyl<sup>®</sup> application did not affect the chemistry of the soil environment.

Оцінювання екологічного стану ґрунтів земель сільськогосподарського призначення

The purpose. Toassess ecological state of soil sof agricultural purpose of Forest-steppe on anexample of Vinnitsa area and to of fermeas ures on optimization oftheir agroecological conditions. Methods. Techniq ueisused of assessmen to flands of agricultural purpose on the scale of assessment of ecological state of agrolands capes on the ratiooflands. Results. Ecological state is assessed of agrolands capes of the region whichis characterized by range of values from crisis to catastrophicthatis the consequence of excessive economic development and ecological misbalance of lands. Conclusions. Forimprovemen to fecological situation it is of feredtodecreas eploughing of territory for 25%, to implement scientificall yprovedcroprotations, anti-erosionmeas ures of soilcultivation, resources-saving technologies of chemical amelioration, top ass to biological agriculture.

Plants in Remediating Salinity-Affected Agricultural Landscapes

Soil salinity is a widespread problem throughout the world. Salinization makes productive land unproductive. This problem can be addressed by non-plant based, environment-friendly ( e.g., leaching of salts, chemical amelioration of soils, structural engineering modifications) and plant-based remediation ( e.g., phytoremediation). Non-plant based remediation provides rapid outcomes. However, they have several inherent problems, viz., they are energy and cost intensive, need to be site specific, and are usually unsuitable in managing vast landscapes. In contrast, plant-based remediation, viz., phytoremediation, is a slower process, but is economical and environment-friendly . Phytoremediation is applied in areas that not only suffer salinity, but also in areas that include heavy-metal leachates such as mine areas and in landscapes that suffer sodicity. Further to improving soils by bringing them to near -natural conditions, phytoremediation, a worthwhile environment-friendly effort, provides many additional benefits such as improving nutrient availability in the restored soil. Keeping these in view , this article attempts to provide a comprehensive overview of salinity and its ef fect on plants, salinity-tolerance mechanisms in selected plants,various plant-based salinity remediation and management practices, such as phytoextraction, phytostabilization, phytotransformation, phytovolatilization, and rhizodegradation, and their contextual relevance. This overview while comprehensively summarizing the scientific bases in the historical and current developments in managing salinity-afflicted landscapes, should equip interested people in recruiting environmentally friendly management of salt-affected agricultural landscapes especially in developing nations.

In vivo heat inactivation of serum can distinguish false positive cross matches in renal transplants.

Renal transplants have traditionally been performed despite positive cross match if results are presumptively due to IgM antibodies. False positives have been distinguishable from true positives by dithiothreitol or dithioerythritol treatment to inactivate IgM antibodies. Heat inactivation, which renders the antibodies inactive, is an alternative to chemical amelioration. We retrospectively evaluated clinical outcomes of patients who had positive cross matches presumed to be falsely positive as determined by treatment with heat inactivation compared to controls with negative cross matches over a six-year period. A total of 414 transplanted patients had available cross match data: 355 with a negative cross match and 59 with a positive cross match rendered negative after heat inactivation. Serum creatinine was reviewed at 6, 12 and 24 months posttransplant. Graft function was considered stable at 12 and 24 months post-transplant if the change in creatinine compared to the 6-month value was >0.5 mg/dL. Repeated and nonrepeated measures analysis showed equivalence in the change in sCr from 6 to 12 (p = 0.525) and from 6 to 24 months (p = 0.752). Kaplan-Meier curves to evaluate graft survival demonstrated no significant difference in function over 24 months. Curves were censored for patient death, treated as death with functioning (p = 0.48) and nonfunctioning (p = 0.64) grafts. We have demonstrated comparable long-term function and survival for living donor renal transplants using heat inactivation to detect false positive cross matches. This simple and cost-effective method can be used to safely evaluate histocompatibility for living donor renal transplant recipients.

Efficiency of leaching of saline soils with the use of different chemical ameliorants in the Kura-Araks lowland

Investigation data on the use of chemical substances (ameliorants) for enhancing salt leaching from clay soils are given. The experiments were set in the Shirvansk Steppe, in the Republic of Azerbaijan. For soil leaching, a combination of iron sulfate and 1% solution of sulfuric and 0.5% solution of hydrochloric waste acids was used. It has been revealed that the chemical substances applied to the soil resulted in neutralization of toxic salts in soil and in formation of new salts, which differed in toxicity and solubility. The amount of the used water and the duration of the procedure also became smaller.