Treatment A4 Research Articles

Effect of Castor Transplanting and Different Organic Manures on Nutrient Content, Uptake and Soil Fertility Status after Harvest of Castor (Ricinus communis L.) under North Gujarat Agro Climatic Conditions

An attempt was made to investigate the effect of castor transplanting and different organic manures on content, uptake and soil fertility status after harvest of castor (Ricinus communis L.) under North Gujarat agro climatic conditions. The field experiment comprised of four levels of age of seedling (A1: Two weeks old seedling, A2: Three weeks old seedling, A3: Four weeks old seedling and A4: Normal sowing) and four levels of source of manures (S1: No compost, S2: Vermicompost, S3: FYM and S4: Castor shell compost) laid out in randomized block design with factorial concept with three replication. Castor variety GCH 8 was used as a test crop. The result indicated that Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and sulphur content in castor seed did not differed significantly due to different age of seedling and different source of manures. But uptake of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and sulphur were significantly higher under treatment A4 (Normal sowing) and S4 (Castor shell compost). The available nitrogen, phosphorus, potash and sulphur in soil were unaffected due to age of seedling and source of manures. However, organic carbon was found significantly higher (0.204%) with treatment S4 (Castor shell compost). Interaction effect of age of seedling and source of manures exhibited significant effect on content of sulphur and uptake of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium as well as sulphur.

EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF CINNAMON ZEYLANICUM 0IL EXTRACT IN INHIBITION OF BACTERIA IN LABORATORY BISCUIT

This study was aimed to investigate effect of cinnamon zeylnicum oil extract in inhibition of bacteria in laboratory biscuit.revealed chemical research on cinnamon oil extract has the presence of alkaloids, glycosides, saponins, resins, coumarins, terpenes, flavonoids, and stimulants. Using GC-MS and FT-IR analysis, it was found that the hot water extract contains terpenes, glycosides, resins, saponins, and phenols, indicating the effectiveness of these beneficial components in cinnamon oil extract. Biscuits were manufactured in the laboratory and fortified with different concentrations (0.125%, 0.25%, 0.50%, and 0.75%) of C. Zeylanicum oil extract and stored for 10 days at room temperature. The results showed that 0.125% and 0.25% showed no inhibitory activity against bacterial counts, while those of 0.50% and 0.75% inhibited bacterial counts until the eighth day of storage. Regarding the sensory evaluation of the laboratory-manufactured biscuits fortified with cinnamon oil extract, treatment A5 (control) received the highest score of 6 for the texture property. In contrast, treatment A4 (0.75%) received the lowest score of 4.80. In the same property, for the smoothness attribute, treatment A2 (0.25%) received the highest score of 5.70, while treatment A4 (0.75%) received the lowest score of 4.10.

Effect of Soil Amendments and Nutrient Management on Growth and Growth Attributes of Tannia (Xanthosoma sagittifolium (L.) Schott) in the South-Central Laterites (AEU 9) of Kerala, India

The study was conducted to assess the effect of soil amendments and nutrient management on growth and growth attributes of tannia during the period from Feb-Dec 2021 in a farmer’s field (AEU 9) at Kollam district. The experiment was laid out in RCBD with 13 treatments (4 x 3 + 1) and three replications. The treatments included soil amendments [a1: Dolomite (80 g plant-1), a2: Phosphogypsum (50 g plant-1), a3: Compost (1kg plant-1) + dolomite, and a4 : Compost (1kg plant-1) + phosphogypsum ] and nutrient management [n1: RDN + borax (10 kg ha-1) at 4 MAP + solubor (0.1%) at 5, 6 and 7 MAP, n2: RDN + ZnSO4 (20 kg ha-1) at 4 MAP + ZnSO4 (1%) at 5, 6 and 7 MAP and n3: RDN + borax (10 kg ha-1) + ZnSO4 (20 kg ha-1) at 4 MAP + solubor (0.1%) + ZnSO4 (1%) at 5,6 and 7 MAP] and control (KAU POP). The soil was sandy loam in texture, strongly acidic in reaction (surface soil-5.45 and sub soil-5.05). Cormel pieces (100 g) of local variety planted with a spacing of 90 x 90 cm. The plant height and number of leaves per plant increased up to 6 MAP, and after that it declined in all the treatments up to harvest. The treatment a4 and n3 resulted in the tallest plants (114.37 cm and 100.06 cm) with more number of leaves per plant (8.34 and 7.20) at 6 MAP. The treatment combination a4n3 recorded higher dry matter production (4.92 t ha-1) which was on par with a4n2, a3n3, and a4n1 and found superior to KAU POP. Subsoil acidity is the most chemical impediment in tuber development. Therefore, improving acidic soil with the right amendments and nutrients was essential for tannia’s growth and development.

Pengaruh Konsentrasi MDM (Mechanically Deboned Meat) Terhadap Karakteristik Sensori dan Kimia Bakso

Meatballs are generally made from beef or chicken, which are relatively expensive so it is necessary to substitute or substitute cheaper ingredients. An alternative that can be used is MDM (Mechanically deboned meat). The experimental design used was a completely randomized design (CRD) with one factor, namely MDM concentration of 40%, 50%, 60% and 70%. Sensory and hedonic quality tests were carried out using a line scale which was then analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Duncan's advanced test with a 95% confidence interval. The selected products are then subjected to chemical analysis including testing for water, ash, protein and fat content. The product chosen is meatballs that are white and grey, have a non-fishy aroma, are meaty and chewy like meatballs. Treatment A4 (70% MDM : 30% Tapioca) was the most preferred treatment by panelists in terms of color, aroma, texture, taste and overall appearance. The selected MDM meatballs based on sensory and hedonic quality tests were A4 (70% MDM : 30% Tapioca) with chemical test results namely water content 66.38%, ash 1.39%, protein 7.54% and fat content 1.56% and HPP of IDR 432/item.

Utilization of Maggot Meal for Eel Fish Feed (Angguila bicolor bicolor)

The increase in aquaculture production must be accompanied by effective and efficient feed, thus requiring innovation to obtain the appropriate feed ingredients. This research aims to determine the effect of maggot meal and commercial eel feed on the growth, protein digestibility, and production cost of eel (Anguilla bicolor bicolor) aquaculture. Eels were reared in 15 aquariums measuring 60 × 40 × 40 cm, equipped with water filters, with five treatments and three replications. The treatments consisted of maggot meal + eel feed in the following proportions: A1 (0% + 100%), A2 (25% + 75%), A3 (50% + 50%), A4 (75% + 25%), and A5 (100% + 0%). The feed was given twice a day, morning and afternoon, according to the requirements. Data on growth rate and feed efficiency were collected every two weeks, while protein digestibility and production cost were calculated at the end of the 60-day study period. Treatment A2 showed a daily growth rate of 1.218±0.409%, which approached the growth rate of the commercial feed treatment (A1). Treatment A5 had a growth rate of 0.309±0.218% per day, while treatment A1 had a growth rate of 1.440±0.364%. The best feed conversion ratio (FCR) in each phase was obtained in treatment A1, with a value of 1.862±0.086. The highest FCR was found in treatment A5, with a value of 6.455±1.158 in each phase. The best feed efficiency was observed in treatment A2 at 82.79%, while the lowest digestibility was in treatment A4 at 34.88%. The digestibility of feed in treatment A2 was the highest at 58.42%. According to the research findings, the production cost per kilogram of eel was more cost-effective and required less time in treatment A2, with a feed cost of Rp 105,000/kg. The utilization of a combination of maggot meal and commercial feed shows potential as a feed that can be used to enhance growth rate.

Pengaruh formulasi tepung terigu dan tepung beras terhadap karakteristik organoleptik pepaya crispy (Carica papaya L.)

One of the food processing innovations that can be done from young papaya fruit is made into crispy papaya which is made by adding ingredients such as flour and spices which are intended to improve the texture and taste of crsipy papaya. formula is needed to produce crispy papaya products that are crispy and delicious. The aim of this study to determine the effect of a mixture of wheat flour and rice flour on the organoleptic characteristics of crispy papaya. In this crispy papaya research using the one-factor Completely Randomized Design (CRD) method, namely the mixture of wheat flour and rice flour whose treatment consists of A1 (60% Wheat Flour: 40% Rice Flour), A2 (65% Wheat Flour: 35% Rice Flour), A3 (70% Wheat Flour: 30% Rice Flour), A4 (75% Wheat Flour: Rice Flour 25% and A5 (Wheat Flour 80%: Rice Flour 20%). The data obtained were then analyzed using analysis of variance at the 5% level and if significantly different data were obtained, further tests would be carried out using Honest Real Differences (5%). After conducting the research, it can be seen that the mixture of wheat flour and rice flour in crispy papaya has no significant effect on organoleptic characters in all parameters of the hedonic and scoring test methods. For the organoleptic quality parameters of crispy papaya, the highest treatment was produced in the hedonic test for color parameter A2 treatment (like), texture parameter A3 treatment (like) and taste parameter A1 treatment (like). The scoring test resulted in the highest value of color in treatment A2 (yellow), texture in treatment A3 (crispy) and taste in treatment A4 (no papaya flavor).

Characteristic infused water of butterfly pea (Clitoria ternatea Linn) with the addition of traditional spice andaliman (Zanthoxylum acanthopodium DC) based on sustainable local resources

Infused water is a drink that contains bioactive components. In this study, the manufacture of infused water from herbs, namely butterfly pea and the addition of andaliman which is a traditional spice typical of North Sumatra. The determine of this study was to determine the effect of adding andaliman and the storage time of butterfly pea infused water. This study was made with the addition of andaliman (A1 = 0%, A2 = 5%, A3 = 10%, and A4 = 15%) of the weight of water, then stored for a long time of storage (P1 = 0 days, P2 = 2 days, P3 = 4 days, P4 = 6 days, and P5 = 8 days) at refrigerator temperature. The results obtained were the addition of andaliman highly significantly different (P<0.01) on colour index, total sugar, and total flavonoids. Meanwhile, there was highly significantly different P(<0.01) in the total sugar and total flavonoids, but no significantly different (P>0.05) in colour index on the effect of storage time. The results show that the colour index of this infused water is blue-purple (302.1794-300.2495 °Hue). The highest total sugar was in treatment A4 (0.2437%) and the highest total flavonoid was in treatment A4 (2.0728%).

Preparation and Evaluation of Healthy Biscuits Using Germinated Wheat Flour and Germinated Pumpkin Seed Flour

The current study aimed to manufacture healthy biscuits by replacing local wheat flour (Bhouhouth class 22) Wheat flour 80% extraction rates (soft) with germinated wheat flour and germinated pumpkin seeds flour in the following proportions (5% germinated wheat flour and 5% germinated pumpkin flour) treatment A2 and (10% germinated wheat flour and 10 % germinated pumpkin flour) treatment A3, (15% germinated wheat flour and 15% germinated pumpkin flour) treatment A4 and (20% germinated wheat flour and 20% germinated pumpkin flour) treatment 5A respectively, in addition to the control treatment A1 (non- germinated wheat flour). The results of the chemical analysis showed an increase in the percentages of moisture, protein, Fat, ash and fiber in the different biscuit treatments compared to the control treatment and a decrease in the percentage of carbohydrates. The results showed an increase in the values of zinc, iron, phosphor, potassium, magnesium, sodium and calcium for the manufactured biscuits. The results also showed an increase in Fatty acids palmtic, stearic, oleic and linolenic to (18.57, 16.26, 58.3,72.78) mg/100gm for A4treatment, as for amino acids, no values of aspartic acid were observed in the control treatment, which amounted to 3.1, 4.1 and 5.1 for each of the treatments A2,A3,A4 respectively. Also, the values of vitamin C in all biscuit treatments increased to (3.6, 5.2, 6.7) mg/100g, respectively, after it was 2.4 mg/100g in the control treatment, and the sensory evaluation showed that the treatment of A2, A3, and A4 was significantly (p&lt;0.05) superior to A1 treatment (control); as for A5treatment, it got the lowest scores in the sensory evaluation due to the appearance of bitterness in the taste due to the polyphenols that became apparent when the replacement percentages increased, so it was excluded. As for the diffusion rate of biscuits, it increased with the increase in the replacement rates to reach the highest percentage for A5 treatment, which amounted to 7.4 compared to the control treatment 6.5, and through these results, it can be said that the biscuits produced are healthy biscuits due to their high content of the required nutrients.

KUALITAS FISIK PAKAN PELLET BERBAHAN AMPAS SAGU DENGAN PENAMBAHAN INDIGOFERA MENGGUNAKAN LEVEL TEPUNG TAPIOKA YANG BERBEDA

This study aims to determine the physical quality of water content, specific gravit, stack angle, pile density, pile compaction density, and collision resistance pellet product with sago pulp utilization and indigofera leaves. This research used CRD Factorial. Factor A consist of 5 treatments A4 = 40% Sago Pulp (SP) + 60% Indigofera Leaves (IL), A3 = 30% SP + 70% IL, A2 = 20% (SP) + 80% (IL), A1 = 10% (SP) + 90%, (IL), A0 = 100% (IL) and Factor B consisting of 2 treatments B1 = 5% Tapioca Flour B2 = 10% Tapioca Flour with 3 replications each. The results showed that the interaction between sago pulp feed ingredients with the addition of indigofera leaves used adhesive material at different levels. It was concluded that the combination of sago and indigofera dregs (40% SP + 60% IL) levels can improve the quality of pellets in terms of density, pile angle, and pellet stack density

Serendipity in the wrestle between Trichoderma and Metarhizium

The fungal species Trichoderma is frequently found in soil antagonizing plant-pathogenic fungi as well as parasitizing plant-pathogenic nematodes. Metarhizium species are insect-pathogenic fungi that are used throughout the world to control agricultural insect pests. Here, we determine whether the antagonism (A) of Trichoderma atroviride to Metarhizium robertsii during growth and spore formation can impact the stress biology of M. robertsii conidia. Cultures of M. robertsii were either produced without exposure to T. atroviride (control) or in the presence of T. atroviride. M. robertsii was grown in dual culture with T. atroviride on potato dextrose agar (PDA) using the following treatments: 1) Trichoderma inoculated at the same time with Metarhizium (A0); 2) Trichoderma inoculated two days after the inoculation of Metarhizium (A2); 3) Trichoderma inoculated four days after Metarhizium (A4); 4) Trichoderma inoculated 6 d after Metarhizium (A6); 5) M. robertsii grown alone on PDA medium (control); and 6) M. robertsii grown alone on minimal medium (Czapek–Dox medium without sucrose) (MM). Germination of M. robertsii conidia from all six treatments was then assessed under osmotic, oxidative, UV-B, and thermal stress. M. robertsii conidia produced on MM were the most tolerant to all stress conditions. For all stress conditions, conidia from treatments A0 and A2 were not viable. For osmotic stress, conidia produced in treatment A4 were the most tolerant, followed by conidia from treatment A6, which were both more tolerant than the control. For oxidative stress, conidia produced in both A4 and A6 treatments were similarly tolerant and more tolerant than conidia produced in the control. For thermal stress, conidia produced in treatments A4, A6, and control (PDA) were similarly heat-tolerant. For UV-B stress, conidia produced in treatments A4 and A6 were equally tolerant and more tolerant than conidia produced in the control. The germination speed of conidia produced in all treatments, A0, A2, A4, and A6 was also tested. Conidia produced on MM germinated faster than the other treatments. Conidia produced in the A4 treatment were the second fastest, followed by conidia produced in treatment A6. Both A4 and A6 conidia germinated faster than conidia produced in the control treatment. Conidia produced in the treatments A0 and A2 did not germinate in 24 h. In summary, moderate levels of biotic stress from a fungal competitor or low-nutrient conditions can enhance the stress tolerance of M. robertsii conidia.

Effect of ajwainseeds on pan bread quality

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of ajwain seeds (TrachyspermumammiL.) and its essential oil on pan bread quality. Ajwain seeds yielded 2.8% essential oil. Thymol (35.80%) followed by r-cymene (34.76%) and g-terpinene (19.20%) were identified as major constituents of the essential oil. Powder of ajwain was used at 2, 4 and 6% of wheat flour (w/w), while ajwain oil incorporated at 200ml/4g sunflower. Only replacement level at 6% was unacceptable by consumer panelists. No significant differences were observed in specific volume and hardness in all tested samples either contained different ajwain powder levels or ajwain essential oil compared with control. The only observed differences (p<.05) was in specific volume of treatment A4 which containing 4% ajwain powder. Specific volume of pan bread was ranged between 4.11cm3/g for control bread without any additionC0to 3.89 cm3/g for A4 treatment. Whereas, hardness values ranged between 7.50 and 7.73N. for samples C0 and A4, respectively. Crumb color was significantly affected (p<.05), by increasing replacement level, L* values were decreased while, b* and a* values increased.These means the darkness gradually increased, and yellowness decreased.Ajwain seeds power at 2% and 4% exhibited good antimicrobial activity until the seventh day of storage, as also observed for positive control. While, shelf life of pan bread without any addition C0 was not excessed three days, and five days for AE sample which contain ajwain essential oil.

PENGARUH PUPUK HAYATI TERHADAP PERTUMBUHAN TANAMAN, DAN POPULASI BAKTERI PELARUT KALIUM PADA TANAMAN TEBU (Saccharum officinarum L.)

Biofertilizer applications are needed to improve soil quality such as soil productivity and increasing the efficiency of the fertilization. Availability of nutrients in the soil is affected by microbes found in the soil. Soil microbes reproduce themselves and active in supplying nutrients to plants by releasing nutrients that are bound to be available to plants. The aim of this research was to observe and analyze the effect of biofertilizer on sugarcane growth and its effect on the population of potassium solubilizing bacteria. Results showed that The application of basic fertilizer combined with biofertilizer has a significant effect on the growth of sugarcane both in plant height and diameter of the stem. In the parameters of plant height, the best treatment was A5 which was a combination of anorganic fertilizer + 200% biofertilizer same as the other plant growth parameter which was stem diameter. Then on the production parameters, fresh plant weight and root weight, best treatment was A5. As for the parameters of potassium solubilizing bacteria, the best treatment that increased population was treatment A4 which was basic fertilizer combined with 150% biofertilizers. In total soil bacteria, the various application doses of biofertilizers did not have a significant effect. However, there was an increase of 0,49% in treatment A5 (basic fertilizer+200% biological fertilizer) compared to control (A1). The application of biofertilizer also did not have a significant effect on the parameters of organic matter and soil water content

Growth Variation of Ebony (Diospyros Pilosanthera Blanco.) for 2 Years Old in Arboretum of Manado Forestry Research Institute

One commercial tropical species in North Sulawesiis ebony (Diospyrospilosanthera Blanco). This species is called Boniok by local people in Bolaang Mongondow. This species has wide distribution in Southeast Asiain cluding Indo-China, Burma, Thailand, PeninsularMalaysia, Sumatra, Java, Borneo(Sarawak, Brunei, Sabah, West, Central and East Kalimantan), Philippines, Celebes, the Moluccas and New Guinea. This species isone of commercial timber that has been exploited since long timeago and not equal to their natural regeneration, thus, causing their population decrease and are rarely found in the forest in North Sulawesi Province and Gorontalo Province. Nowadays, information about the number of their population in North Sulawesi Province and Gorontalo Province are not available. One of efforts to save this species is by doing exitu conservation. This studyaims to determine the growth of exitu conservation plant of ebony(D. pilosanthera) at 2 years old in Arboretum of Manado Forestry Research Institute. This study was done by randomized block design using 5 replications. Each replication consisted of 10 individuals and the number of samples used were 50 individuals. Spacing used is 3mx 3m. Treatment applied was dosage of fertilizes using Nitrogen, Phosphate and Kalium (NPK). Replication of treatments consists of 5 group i.e group 1(A0) was using 100gr/plant, group 2(A1) 200 gr/plant, group 3(A2) 300gr/plant, group 4 (A3) 400gr/plant and groups 5(A4) 500gr/plant. The results showed that their life percentage rate in 2years were 98.00%. The life percentage of ebony(D. pilosanthera) was high and indicates that these plants canada ptand grow wellout of their naturalhabit at. The results showed that statistical analysis at 95% interval confidence indicates that there is no significant difference between the treat mentsused in this research and the growth of its height and diameter. Otherwise, there is no significant difference betwen treatments, but they have difference growth permormance, while the best growth of height was shown by treatment A1 (200 gr/plant) with the average of 3.350 m and the lowest was shown by treatment A0(100gr/plant) with average height of 2.913m.The best diameter growth was shown by treatment A4(500gr/plant) with average 3.840 cm and the lowest was shown by treatment A0(100gr/plant) with average 2.933cm. These results indicate that increasing fertilizer dosage had no effect on height growth of young plants of ebony(D. pilosanthera) at 2 years old in Arboretum of Manado Forestry Research Institute, but had effects ondiameter growth, although not significant between group of treatments.

Transformation of a Degraded Pinus massoniana Plantation into a Mixed-Species Irregular Forest: Impacts on Stand Structure and Growth in Southern China

We transformed a Pinus massoniana plantation, the most important conifer plantation in southern China, with four different transformation treatments, in which Pinus massoniana was thinned to a density of 70%, and then differing richness and compositions of enrichment plantings were added. In order to examine the effects of the transformation, we compared species composition, stand structure and growth pattern in transformed stands with those in control stands. The results suggested that in the transformed stands species composition was diverse with trees both from the enrichment plantings and from natural recruitment. The size structure was changed such that the diameter at breast height (DBH) distribution tended to shift from a nearly normal distribution to an irregular multi-modal distribution. Substantial new ingrowth was found in the small DBH classes. The residual trees in the transformed stands were significantly larger than in the control treatment. However, for all trees, the control stands had the largest mean size, even though the residual tree growth was significantly smaller in the control stands. Finally, transformation treatment A4, which had the smallest overall mortality rate and simultaneously the mortality rate of each tree species was smaller than the corresponding value in other transformation treatments, was identified as the optimal transformation.

PENGARUH PENGGUNAAN AIR KELAPA (Cocos nucifera) TERHADAP PERTUMBUHAN TANAMAN SAWI (Brassica juncea L.)

Background: The research purpose is to know the influences use of coconut water on the growth of mustard plants. The materials used on this research are: Green Mustard Seed, Coconut Water, Water and Soil. Research carried out for 2 months, from 15 September 2010 till 15 November 2010.&#x0D; Method: The research using Design Randomly Complette, that consist of 5 treatments with each treatments: A0 = control without coconut water, A1 = volume of coconut water is 100 ml, A2 = volume of coconut water is 150 ml, A3 = volume of coconut water is 200 ml, and A4 = volume of coconut water is 250 ml. Each treatments repeated 3 times. Data were analyzed using Analysis of Variance and followed by the Smallest Real Test at level α 0,5% and α 0,1%.&#x0D; Result: The result of the researchshowed that, the use of coconut water give a real impact on the growth of mustard plants on it’s height and number of leaves, that obtained on treatments A4 = volume of coconut water is 250 ml.&#x0D; Conclusion: The volume of coconut water that most influence on the growth of mustard (Brassica juncea L.), on plant height and number of leaves, contained in a volume of 250 ml, followed by volume of 200 ml, 150 ml and a further volume of 100 ml, and Control (A0).

Compost and P amendments for stimulating microorganisms and maize growth in a saline soil from Pakistan in comparison with a nonsaline soil from Germany

AbstractA 92 d greenhouse pot experiment with maize (Zea mays L.) was carried out with a strongly saline soil from Pakistan (P‐s) in comparison with a nonsaline soil from Germany (G‐s) similar in pH and texture. The aim was to evaluate salinity effects on the decomposition of compost and effects of compost and P amendments on (1) plant growth and (2) microbial‐biomass formation. The yield of maize shoot‐C and root‐C increased in both soils in the order nonamended control &lt; +triple superphosphate (TSP) (A1) &lt; +compost (A2) &lt; +(compost + TSP) (A3) &lt; +TSP‐enriched compost (A4). In comparison with the control, the highest yield in treatment A4 was nearly doubled on the G‐s, but was increased more than 8‐fold on the saline P‐s. Averaging the three compost treatments, 32% of the compost added was decomposed in the German soil and 36% in the Pakistani soil on the basis of the compost recovered as particulate organic matter. These data were roughly in agreement with the CO2‐evolution data. This indicates that the decomposition of compost was not affected by salinity. Compost‐derived CO2 was mainly evolved until day 32, the root‐derived CO2 from day 74 until the end of the experiment. The addition of compost resulted in higher contents of microbial biomass C and biomass P, but also in that of NaHCO3‐extractable P. These three properties were significantly interrelated (r = 0.64–0.85), but on a lower level of significance than the relationships between shoot‐C, root‐C, and NaHCO3‐extractable P (r = 0.90–0.93). Applying compost enriched with TSP (incubation of compost and TSP for 24 h) provided considerably more P to plants and microorganisms than the separate addition of these two components. The results suggest that the role of the microbial biomass as a sink and source for available P deserves further attention.

Beet vinasse applied to wheat under dryland conditions affects soil properties and yield

The effect of six doses of beet vinasse (0, 3, 6, 10, 20 and 40 t ha −1, respectively) on wheat ( Triticum aestivum cv. Cajeme) yield in dryland conditions (Guadalquivir Valley, Andalusia, Spain) for 3 years on a Typic Xerofluvent was studied. The results showed that at low doses, beet vinasse is of agricultural interest due mainly to its organic matter concentration. The application of this byproduct to the soil increased soil microbial biomass and mineralization of its organic matter increased NO 3 −–N concentrations in soil. This caused an increase in grain yield in the three seasons. When the vinasse was applied with high doses, NO 3 −–N concentrations in soil, soil microbial biomass, soil structure, bulk density, electric conductivity, nutrient uptake, crop yield and grain quality were negatively affected. We assume that the high amounts of monovalent cations, particularly Na +, and of fulvic acids, which had been transported into the soil by the vinasse, destabilized the soil structure. This may have led to anaerobic soil conditions being presumably responsible for restricted N mineralization or even for denitrification. This explains the lower N supply to the crops reflected by the low N concentrations in the leaves of treatments A4 and A5.