scholarly journals Do earthworms (D. veneta) influence plant-available water in technogenic soil-like substrate from bricks and compost?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanne Ulrich ◽  
Moreen Willaredt ◽  
Thomas Nehls ◽  
Loes van Schaik
Keyword(s):  
Image Analysis ◽  
Hydraulic Properties ◽  
Water Retention ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Water Retention Capacity ◽  
Microcosm Experiment ◽  
Retention Capacity ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Plant Available Water ◽  
Earthworm Activity

Abstract Purpose Topsoil and peat are often taken from intact rural ecosystems to supply the urban demand for fertile soils and soil-like substrates. One way of reducing this exploitation is to recycle suitable urban wastes to produce Technosols and technogenic soil-like substrates. In this study, we investigate the role earthworms can play in impacting the hydraulic properties of such a soil-like substrate. Materials and methods In a 4-month microcosm experiment, the influence of the earthworm species D. veneta on the hydraulic properties of brick-compost mixture was examined. Of the ten boxes filled with ca. 11 dm3 of ground bricks (0.7 cm3 cm−3) and green waste compost (0.3 cm3 cm−3), five contained earthworms (W-boxes) and the remaining five were used as controls (C-boxes). The substrate was periodically irrigated and the weight of the boxes and of the drained water was monitored. At the same time, images were taken from the front of the boxes to quantify the activity of the earthworms by image analysis and soil aggregation was studied with micrographs. Before and after the experiment, water retention curves were determined from disturbed samples of the substrate using the simplified evaporation method. Results and discussion After 6 weeks, differences between the C- and the W-boxes were evident. Micrographs showed brick-compost aggregates only for the substrates processed by earthworms. The earthworm activity leads to reduced evaporation and an increased water content in the respective microcosms. The effect persists even after disturbing the substrate. The proportion of plant-available soil water is about 0.02 cm3 cm−3 higher for the substrate processed by earthworms (0.250 ± 0.009 cm3 cm−3) compared with the control (0.230 ± 0.008 cm3 cm−3). Conclusions This study shows that earthworms are capable of ingesting and processing crushed bricks together with compost. The earthworms produced aggregates which persisted after disturbance and had a positive influence on the water retention capacity of such a soil-like substrate constructed from waste.

Development of plant-available water in soil-like substrate derived from urban wastes and processed by earthworm Dendrobaena veneta

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moreen Willaredt ◽  
Susanne Ulrich ◽  
Thomas Nehls ◽  
Loes van Scheik
Keyword(s):  
Image Analysis ◽  
Hydraulic Properties ◽  
Water Retention ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Water Retention Capacity ◽  
Microcosm Experiment ◽  
Retention Capacity ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Plant Available Water ◽  
Earthworm Activity

<p>Topsoil and peat are often taken from intact rural ecosystems to supply the urban demand for fertile soils and soil-like substrates. One way of reducing this exploitation is to recycle suitable urban wastes to produce Technosols and technogenic soil-like sub­strates. In this study we investigate the role earthworms can play in improving the hydraulic properties of such a soil-like substrate.</p><p>In a four-month microcosm experiment, the influence of the earthworm species D.veneta on the hy­draulic properties of brick-compost mixture was examined. Of the ten boxes filled with ca. 11 dm³ of ground bricks (0.7 cm³ cm-3) and green waste compost (0.3 cm³ cm-3), five contained earthworms (W-boxes) and the re­maining five were used as controls (C-boxes). The substrate was periodically irrigated and the weight of the boxes and of the drained water was monitored. At the same time, images were taken from the front of the boxes to quantify the activity of the earthworms by image analysis. Before and after the experiment, water retention curves were determined from disturbed samples of the substrate using the simplified evaporation method.</p><p>After six weeks, differences between the C- and the W-boxes were evident. Micrographs showed brick-compost aggregates only for the substrates processed by earthworms. The earthworm activity leads to reduced evaporation and an increased water content in the respec­tive microcosms. The effect persists even after disturbing the substrate. The propor­tion of plant-available soil water is about 0.02 cm³ cm-3 higher for the substrate processed by earthworms (0.250 ±0.009 cm³ cm-3) compared to the control (0.230 ±0.008 cm³ cm-3).</p><p>This study shows that earthworms are capable of ingesting and processing crushed bricks together with compost. The earthworms produced aggregates which persisted after disturbance and had a positive influence on the water retention capacity of such a soil-like substrate constructed from waste.</p>

scholarly journals Material Characteristics, Hydraulic Properties, and Water Travel Time through the Heterogeneous Vadose Zone of a Cenozoic Limestone Aquifer (Beauce, France)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arnaud Isch ◽  
Carlos Aldana ◽  
Yves Coquet ◽  
Mohamed Azaroual
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Water Flow ◽  
Vadose Zone ◽  
Hydraulic Properties ◽  
Water Retention ◽  
Water Retention Capacity ◽  
Retention Capacity ◽  
Limestone Aquifer ◽  
Limestone Rock ◽  
Hydrus 1D

<p>Water retention and hydraulic conductivity are the most important properties governing water flow and solute transport in unsaturated porous media. However, transport processes in the vadose zone (VZ) are still not completely understood, in spite of their importance for the preservation and management of aquifers, especially in the geographic zones under intensive agriculture. This study has been carried out as part of the construction of the O-ZNS platform (Observatory of transfers in the vadose zone). This platform aims to integrate observations over a wide range of spatial and temporal scales thanks to a large access well (depth–20 m & diameter–4m) surrounded by several boreholes in order to combine broad characterization and focused monitoring techniques.</p><p>Three cored boreholes have been drilled in Spring 2017. Structural and mineralogical analyses were carried out for four types of materials sampled throughout the entire VZ profile (20 m depth) including soft sediments (soil, marl and sand) and fractured limestone rock. Hydraulic properties (q(h) and K(h)) were measured on representative core samples by means of a triaxial system used by applying the multistep outflow method. Simulations were then made using HYDRUS-1D to simulate water flow and bromide (conservative tracer) transport over 50 years using meteorological and water table level data.</p><p>The results brought valuable information about factors contributing to the heterogeneity of hydraulic properties within the VZ. For the applied matric heads (from 0 to -1000 cm), the water content and hydraulic conductivity of (i) the soft materials (9 samples) ranged from 0.173 to 0.485 cm<sup>3</sup>/cm<sup>3</sup> and from 1.26.10<sup>-5</sup> to 2.41 cm/d, respectively ; (ii) the hard materials (5 samples) ranged from 0.063 to 0.340 cm<sup>3</sup>/cm<sup>3</sup> and from 8.54.10<sup>-5</sup> to 1.82 cm/d, respectively. The shape of the water retention and hydraulic conductivity curves obtained for the soft sediments is strongly related to the physical properties of the material but also to the proportion and the nature of clay minerals. The soil material displayed the largest average water retention capacity due to the presence of smectite and kaolinite, indicating weathering and matrix transformation. The water retention capacity of the marl and sand materials was lower due to higher content in palygorskyte and calcite. The limestone rock materials displayed an important heterogeneity in their hydraulic properties. Mineralogical analysis helped understanding water flow pathways within the limestone aquifer. The non-altered matrix, that seemed impermeable at first sight, presented few thin microfractures where water probably accumulates. The altered matrix showed microfractures where water has circulated and calcite has been replaced by phyllosilicates, thus increasing the water retention capacity. Natura macrofractures observed at dm-scale showed the presence of iron oxides which highlighted an exposure to high water flow. Simulations made using HYDRUS-1D allowed a first estimation of water and solutes travel time through this highly heterogeneous vadose zone. The results highlighted transfer time of between 25 to 35 years for the bromide to reach water table. The differences observed between the three cored boreholes were mainly due to the heterogeneity of the marl materials located between 1 and 7 m deep.</p>

scholarly journals Hydraulic conductivity and water retention in leptosols-regosols and saprolite derived from sandstone, Brazil

2011 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 1253-1262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabrício de Araújo Pedron ◽  
Jessé Rodrigo Fink ◽  
Miriam Fernanda Rodrigues ◽  
Antonio Carlos de Azevedo
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Water Retention ◽  
Water Infiltration ◽  
Environmental Damage ◽  
Water Retention Capacity ◽  
Rio Grande Do Sul ◽  
Aquifer Contamination ◽  
Retention Capacity ◽  
Effective Depth ◽  
Plant Available Water

Leptosols and Regosols are soils with a series of restrictions for use, mainly related to the effective depth, which have been poorly studied in Brazil. These soils, when derived from sedimentary rocks should be treated with particular care to avoid environmental damage such as aquifer contamination. The purpose of this study was to verify the behavior of hydraulic conductivity and water retention capacity in profiles of Leptosols and Regosols derived from sandstone of the Caturrita formation in Rio Grande do Sul state. The morphology, particle size distribution, porosity, soil density (Ds), saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks), basic water infiltration in the field (BI) and water retention were determined in soil and saprolite samples of six soil profiles. High Ds, low macroporosity and high microporosity were observed in the profiles, resulting in a low Ks and BI, even under conditions of sandy texture and a highly fractured saprolite layer. The variation coefficients of data of Ks and BI were high among the studied profiles and between replications of a same profile. Water retention of the studied soils was higher in Cr layers than in the A horizons and the volume of plant-available water greater and variable among A horizons and Cr layers.

scholarly journals Chemical Composition and Functional Properties of Dietary Fibre Concentrates from Winemaking By-Products: Skins, Stems and Lees

Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1510
Author(s):  
María Ángeles Rivas ◽  
Rocío Casquete ◽  
María de Guía Córdoba ◽  
Santiago Ruíz-Moyano ◽  
María José Benito ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Composition ◽  
Functional Properties ◽  
Dietary Fibre ◽  
Water Retention ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Water Retention Capacity ◽  
Retention Capacity ◽  
Oil Retention ◽  
High Antioxidant Activity ◽  
By Products

The objective of this study was to evaluate, from a technological and nutritional point of view, the chemical composition and functional properties of the industrial winemaking by-products, namely skins, stems and lees. The chemical and physical characteristics, as well as the functional properties (fat and water retention and swelling capacity, antioxidant capacity, and their prebiotic effect), of the dietary fibre of these by-products were studied. The results showed that the skins, stems, and lees are rich in fibre, with the stem fibre containing the highest amounts of non-extractable polyphenols attached to polysaccharides with high antioxidant activity and prebiotic effect. Lee fibre had the highest water retention capacity and oil retention capacity. The results reveal that winemaking by-products could be used as a source of dietary fibre with functional characteristics for food applications.

Host preferences of low-trunk vascular epiphytes in a cloud forest of Veracruz, Mexico

2005 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 651-660 ◽  
Author(s):  
Klaus Mehltreter ◽  
Alejandro Flores-Palacios ◽  
José G. García-Franco
Keyword(s):  
Water Retention ◽  
Cloud Forest ◽  
Water Retention Capacity ◽  
Retention Capacity ◽  
Host Preferences ◽  
Host Group ◽  
Vascular Epiphytes ◽  
Lower Trunk ◽  
Tree Ferns ◽  
Epiphyte Species

The diversity, abundance and frequency of vascular epiphytes on the lower trunk were compared between two host groups of a Mexican cloud forest: angiosperm trees (n = 72) and tree ferns (n = 28). The bark of the five most frequent host trees and the root mantle of the two tree ferns were analysed for their thickness, water content, water retention capacity and pH. A total of 55 epiphyte species and 910 individuals were found on the 27 host species. On hosts with a dbh range of 5–10 cm, epiphytes were significantly more diverse (4.3±0.9 species per host) and more abundant (12.5±2.2 individuals per host) on tree ferns than on angiosperm trees (1.9±0.2 species per host and 3.9±0.6 individuals per host). However, these differences were not significant for the dbh class of 10–20 cm, because epiphyte numbers increased on angiosperm trees with larger host size, but not in tree ferns. Most epiphyte species had no preference for any host group, but four species were significantly more frequent on tree ferns and two species on angiosperm trees. The higher epiphyte diversity and abundance on tree fern trunks of the smallest dbh class is attributed to their presumably greater age and to two stem characteristics, which differed significantly between host groups, the thicker root mantle and higher water retention capacity of tree ferns. These bark characteristics may favour germination and establishment of epiphytes.

Effect of boiling on nutritional, antioxidant and physicochemical properties of edible plants (Malva parviflora and Myrtillocactus geometrizans)

2021 ◽  
pp. 510
Author(s):  
Sandoval-Gallegos Eli Mireya ◽  
Arias-Rico José ◽  
Cruz-Cansino Nelly del Socorro ◽  
Ramírez-Ojeda Deyanira ◽  
Zafra-Rojas Quinatzin Yadira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phenolic Compounds ◽  
Physicochemical Properties ◽  
Antioxidant Capacity ◽  
Water Retention ◽  
Nutritional Composition ◽  
Total Phenolic ◽  
Water Retention Capacity ◽  
Total Phenolic Compounds ◽  
Retention Capacity ◽  
Malva Parviflora

The aim of the present research was to determine the effect of boiling on nutritional composition, total phenolic compounds, antioxidant capacity, physicochemical and morphological characteristics of two edible plants Malva parviflora (mallow leaf) and Myrtillocactus geometrizans (garambullo flower). The plants had an important nutritional composition as carbohydrates (48-70 %), dietary fiber (36-42 %) and protein (13 %), as well as total phenolic compounds (468-750 mg GAE/100 g db) with a high antioxidant capacity. However, boiling originated the decrease of soluble compounds, carbohydrates, total phenolic compounds, antioxidant capacity and physicochemical properties. Plants changed to dark colors and physicochemical properties were affected, except to water retention capacity, oil retention capacity and viscosity, which had the same values in mallow leaves (raw and boiled), but increased water retention capacity in garambullo flowers, it may be by changes in the morphology observed. Therefore, is to suggest the raw consumption or with minimal cooking of these plants to avoid changes caused by thermal treatment.

Effect of Storage Time on the Physicochemical and Sensory Properties of Man-tou (Chinese Steamed Bread)

2007 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kun Sha ◽  
Ping Qian ◽  
Li-Jun Wang ◽  
Zhan-hui Lu ◽  
Li-Te Li
Keyword(s):  
Water Retention ◽  
Storage Time ◽  
Soluble Starch ◽  
Prolonged Storage ◽  
Water Retention Capacity ◽  
Study Quality ◽  
Total Water ◽  
Retention Capacity ◽  
Steamed Bread

In this study, quality of Man-tou, the Chinese traditional steamed bread during storage was studied. Values for water retention capacity, total water solubles, soluble starch, and soluble amylose and amylopectin of Man-tou decreased with storage time. Results showed that hardness, chewiness and gumminess of Man-tou increased, while, springiness cohesiveness and resilience decreased along with prolonged storage time (p<0.05). Sensory evaluation results showed that all sensory rating of Man-tou, including softness, stickiness, cohesiveness, elasticity, taste and total score, dropped drastically within 24 h of storage time (p<0.05). Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) was used to determine crystalline structure of amylopectin in Man-tou, and the value for enthalpy of crystallization was found increased with storage time. Amylopectin crystallization was significantly associated to Man-tou firming (p<0.01).

scholarly journals Cowpea bean production under water stress using hydrogels

2017 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marília Barcelos Souza Lopes ◽  
Taynar Coelho de Oliveira Tavares ◽  
Danilo Alves Veloso ◽  
Niléia Cristina da Silva ◽  
Rodrigo Ribeiro Fidelis
Keyword(s):  
Water Stress ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Water Retention ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Population Increase ◽  
Water Retention Capacity ◽  
Yield Losses ◽  
Retention Capacity ◽  
Randomized Block Design

ABSTRACT The population increase and the need of intensifying food production, coupled with the scarcity of water resources, have led to the search of alternatives that reduce consumption and optimize the water use during cultivation. In this context, hydrogels become a strategy in agricultural management, due to their water retention capacity in the soil and availability to plants. This study aimed at evaluating the efficiency of hydrogels on the development and production of cowpea bean ('Sempre-verde' cultivar) under water stress, in a greenhouse. The experiment was performed in a randomized block design, with five replications, in a 4 x 5 factorial scheme, consisting of four types of hydrogel (Hydroplan-EB HyA, with granulometry of 1-3 mm; Hydroplan-EB HyB, with granulometry of 0.5-1 mm; Hydroplan-EB HyC, with granulometry < 0.5 mm; Polim-Agri, with granulometry of 1-0.5 mm) and five concentrations (0 g pot-1; 1.5 g pot-1; 3 g pot-1; 4.5 g pot-1; 6 g pot-1). The following traits were evaluated: number of pods per plant, number of grains per pod and grain yield. The highest concentration (6 g pot-1) resulted in a higher number of pods and yield for all the hydrogels, especially for HyC and Polim-Agro, which presented 7.4 pods plant-1 and 7.0 pods plant-1, with yield of 15.43 g plant-1 and 16.68 g plant-1, respectively. The use of hydrogel shows to be efficient for reducing yield losses under water stress.

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