The long-term effects of tillage practice and phosphorus fertilization on the distribution and morphology of corn root

2016 ◽  
Vol 412 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 97-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haixiao Li ◽  
Alain Mollier ◽  
Noura Ziadi ◽  
Yichao Shi ◽  
Leon-Étienne Parent ◽  
...  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marijn Bauters ◽  
Travis W. Drake ◽  
Sasha Wagner ◽  
Simon Baumgartner ◽  
Isaac A. Makelele ◽  
...  

AbstractCentral African tropical forests face increasing anthropogenic pressures, particularly in the form of deforestation and land-use conversion to agriculture. The long-term effects of this transformation of pristine forests to fallow-based agroecosystems and secondary forests on biogeochemical cycles that drive forest functioning are poorly understood. Here, we show that biomass burning on the African continent results in high phosphorus (P) deposition on an equatorial forest via fire-derived atmospheric emissions. Furthermore, we show that deposition loads increase with forest regrowth age, likely due to increasing canopy complexity, ranging from 0.4 kg P ha−1 yr−1 on agricultural fields to 3.1 kg P ha−1 yr−1 on old secondary forests. In forest systems, canopy wash-off of dry P deposition increases with rainfall amount, highlighting how tropical forest canopies act as dynamic reservoirs for enhanced addition of this essential plant nutrient. Overall, the observed P deposition load at the study site is substantial and demonstrates the importance of canopy trapping as a pathway for nutrient input into forest ecosystems.


2019 ◽  
Vol 70 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. D. Armstrong ◽  
R. Perris ◽  
M. Munn ◽  
K. Dunsford ◽  
F. Robertson ◽  
...  

Fundamental changes in farming systems occurred throughout the medium-rainfall zone of southern Australia during the late 1990s. Pulse and canola crops replaced pastures and long-fallowing, and minimal-tillage practices were increasingly adopted. An experiment was established in 1998 to examine long-term effects of these changes on crop productivity and soil fertility. Nine rotation–tillage treatments based on 3- and 6-year cycles were compared by using wheat (Triticum aestivum) as a bioassay crop over 2001–17. Seasonal conditions during the study ranged from the Millennium Drought to the top rainfall decile. Averaged across the 17 seasons, wheat yields were significantly lower in rotations based on continuous wheat (1.73t/ha) or 3 years of perennial lucerne (Medicago sativa) (1.93t/ha) and highest after traditional long-fallow (2.92t/ha) or vetch (Vicia sativa) green manure (2.57t/ha). Wheat yields following a pulse (2.23t/ha) or canola (Brassica napus) (2.21t/ha) were intermediate. Whereas rotation effects varied with seasonal rainfall, there was a long-term trend for relative yields in continuous wheat rotations to decline and those following a green manure or fallow to differ increasingly from other treatments. Compared across the same rotation (canola–wheat–pulse), average wheat yields under no-tillage (2.09t/ha) were significant lower (P<0.05) than under reduced (2.22t/ha) and conventional (2.29t/ha) tillage. By contrast, grain protein concentration increased with increasing proportion and type of legumes (green manure and pasture>pulse) in the rotation via their effect on soil mineral nitrogen (N). Lowest protein was recorded in continuous wheat and highest where at least one-third of the rotation contained a non-pulse legume, i.e. vetch green manure, lucerne or annual medic (Medicago truncatula). Soil-borne cereal fungal pathogens and nematodes generally had little effect on grain yields. Soil organic carbon (SOC) and total N stocks declined in all treatments over time, except in the lucerne and green manure treatments, where total N was maintained. Greatest declines in SOC and total N occurred in the fallow treatment. Results from the first 20 years of experimentation suggest that differences in grain yield (and protein) of wheat were most likely the result of treatment (rotation and tillage practice) effects on soil nitrate and water (growing-season rainfall and fallow storage) rather than disease. We found no evidence that current farming systems based on use of pulses, canola and reduced tillage are less able to maintain intervening cereal yields than traditional systems. On the contrary, practices such as long-fallowing are expected to have increasing negative influence on productivity in the longer term via decreased soil C and N fertility.


Author(s):  
T. M. Seed ◽  
M. H. Sanderson ◽  
D. L. Gutzeit ◽  
T. E. Fritz ◽  
D. V. Tolle ◽  
...  

The developing mammalian fetus is thought to be highly sensitive to ionizing radiation. However, dose, dose-rate relationships are not well established, especially the long term effects of protracted, low-dose exposure. A previous report (1) has indicated that bred beagle bitches exposed to daily doses of 5 to 35 R 60Co gamma rays throughout gestation can produce viable, seemingly normal offspring. Puppies irradiated in utero are distinguishable from controls only by their smaller size, dental abnormalities, and, in adulthood, by their inability to bear young.We report here our preliminary microscopic evaluation of ovarian pathology in young pups continuously irradiated throughout gestation at daily (22 h/day) dose rates of either 0.4, 1.0, 2.5, or 5.0 R/day of gamma rays from an attenuated 60Co source. Pups from non-irradiated bitches served as controls. Experimental animals were evaluated clinically and hematologically (control + 5.0 R/day pups) at regular intervals.


Author(s):  
D.E. Loudy ◽  
J. Sprinkle-Cavallo ◽  
J.T. Yarrington ◽  
F.Y. Thompson ◽  
J.P. Gibson

Previous short term toxicological studies of one to two weeks duration have demonstrated that MDL 19,660 (5-(4-chlorophenyl)-2,4-dihydro-2,4-dimethyl-3Hl, 2,4-triazole-3-thione), an antidepressant drug, causes a dose-related thrombocytopenia in dogs. Platelet counts started to decline after two days of dosing with 30 mg/kg/day and continued to decrease to their lowest levels by 5-7 days. The loss in platelets was primarily of the small discoid subpopulation. In vitro studies have also indicated that MDL 19,660: does not spontaneously aggregate canine platelets and has moderate antiaggregating properties by inhibiting ADP-induced aggregation. The objectives of the present investigation of MDL 19,660 were to evaluate ultrastructurally long term effects on platelet internal architecture and changes in subpopulations of platelets and megakaryocytes.Nine male and nine female beagle dogs were divided equally into three groups and were administered orally 0, 15, or 30 mg/kg/day of MDL 19,660 for three months. Compared to a control platelet range of 353,000- 452,000/μl, a doserelated thrombocytopenia reached a maximum severity of an average of 135,000/μl for the 15 mg/kg/day dogs after two weeks and 81,000/μl for the 30 mg/kg/day dogs after one week.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document