Uptake regions of inorganic nitrogen in roots of carob seedlings

Abstract Seven agricultural watersheds in southwestern Quebec and southeastern Ontario, ranging in area from 2,000 to 20,000 hectares, were monitored systematically during 1973–75 for soluble inorganic nitrogen, total soluble phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, potassium, sulfate-sulfur, chemical oxidation demand, discharge, suspended sediment concentration, sediment Kjeldahl nitrogen, Bray extractable phosphorus, and ammonium acetate extractable calcium, magnesium and potassium. For 1974–75, annual Kg/ha, loss rates were calculated for the soluble and sediment associated nutrients. Losses varied with nutrient and watershed, with volume of runoff being an important control of nutrient loss variation. Significant amounts of SO4−S in precipitation were suggested by an average watershed soluble N:P:S loss ratio of 10:1:92. Sediment nutrient losses were especially important for N and P, comprising over 40% of their total loss. The importance of spring snow-melt runoff was demonstrated by the high proportion of all nutrients lost at this time. Correlations of nutrient loss, land use and soils suggested that certain land uses resulted in increased stream nutrient losses while increased watershed area of soils with a high surface runoff potential was particularly conducive to increased soluble nutrient and sediment losses.

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LED Lighting and High-Density Planting Enhance the Cost-Efficiency of Halimione portulacoides Extraction Units for Integrated Aquaculture

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app11114995 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (11) ◽

pp. 4995

Author(s):

Marco Custódio ◽

Paulo Cartaxana ◽

Sebastián Villasante ◽

Ricardo Calado ◽

Ana Isabel Lillebø

Keyword(s):

Plant Density ◽

Inorganic Nitrogen ◽

High Density ◽

Planting Density ◽

Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽

Integrated Aquaculture ◽

Halimione Portulacoides ◽

White Leds ◽

Artificial Lighting ◽

Aquaculture Effluents

Halophytes are salt-tolerant plants that can be used to extract dissolved inorganic nutrients from saline aquaculture effluents under a production framework commonly known as Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA). Halimione portulacoides (L.) Aellen (common name: sea purslane) is an edible saltmarsh halophyte traditionally consumed by humans living near coastal wetlands and is considered a promising extractive species for IMTA. To better understand its potential for IMTA applications, the present study investigates how artificial lighting and plant density affect its productivity and capacity to extract nitrogen and phosphorous in hydroponic conditions that mimic aquaculture effluents. Plant growth was unaffected by the type of artificial lighting employed—white fluorescent lights vs. blue-white LEDs—but LED systems were more energy-efficient, with a 17% reduction in light energy costs. Considering planting density, high-density units of 220 plants m−2 produced more biomass per unit of area (54.0–56.6 g m−2 day−1) than did low-density units (110 plants m−2; 34.4–37.1 g m−2 day−1) and extracted more dissolved inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus. Overall, H. portulacoides can be easily cultivated hydroponically using nutrient-rich saline effluents, where LEDs can be employed as an alternative to fluorescent lighting and high-density planting can promote higher yields and extraction efficiencies.

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