Bioremediation of agricultural and forestry soils with symbiotic microorganisms

Soil Research ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 1301 ◽  
Author(s):  
DA Jasper
Keyword(s):  
Phosphorus Deficiency ◽  
Plant Production ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Defined Benefit ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Reliable Source ◽  
Complex Technology ◽  
Legume Production ◽  
Micro Organisms ◽  
Inoculation Technology

Symbiotic micro-organisms are important in alleviating the limitations of nitrogen and phosphorus deficiency on plant growth in Australian soils. Maximization of the contribution of these micro-organisms can give important benefits for plant production. In some cases, optimization of the infectivity of the target organisms will be achieved most effectively through changing soil management stratregies. In soils where the infective organisms are absent, or where the indigenous isolates are not effective, inoculation with selected isolates may be appropriate. Adoption of inoculation technology depends on a well defined benefit and a reliable source of high quality inoculum at a cost which is appropriate for the overall cost structure and returns of the industry. Further, inoculation should not require additional complex technology or machinery and should fit easily into existing processes of production. Inoculation with rhizobia in legume production meets these criteria and consequently is widely used. By contrast, inoculation with VA or ectomycorrhizal fungi still only occurs on a small scale, in part due to practical difficulties of inoculum production but also due to the limited number of situations where the benefits of inoculation can be clearly demonstrated.

Advanced Treatment of Domestic Wastewater Using Sequencing Batch Reactor Activated Sludge Process

1993 ◽  
Vol 28 (10) ◽  
pp. 267-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Imura ◽  
E. Suzuki ◽  
T. Kitao ◽  
S. Iwai
Keyword(s):  
Activated Sludge ◽  
Sequencing Batch Reactor ◽  
Batch Reactor ◽  
Domestic Wastewater ◽  
Experimental Period ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Experimental Plant ◽  
Activated Sludge Process ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Experimental Apparatus

In order to apply a sequencing batch reactor activated sludge process to small scale treatment facilities, various experiments were conducted by manufacturing an experimental apparatus made of a factory-produced FRP cylinder transverse tank (Ø 2,500mm). Results of the verification test conducted for one year by leading the wastewater discharged from apartment houses into the experimental apparatus were as follows. Excellent performance was achieved without any addition of carbon source, irrespective of the organic compound concentration and the temperature of raw wastewater. Organic substances, nitrogen and phosphorus were removed simultaneously. Due to the automated operation format, stable performance was obtained with only periodic maintenance. Though water depth of the experimental plant was shallow, effective sedimentation of activated sludge was continued during the experimental period. Regarding the aerobic and anaerobic process, nitrification and denitrification occurred smoothly.

Plant factories - closed plant production systems.

2021 ◽  
pp. 229-245
Author(s):  
Lynette Morgan
Keyword(s):  
Production Systems ◽  
Environmental Control ◽  
Plant Production ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Cultivation System ◽  
Crop Cultivation ◽  
Multilevel Systems ◽  
Crop Nutrition ◽  
Plant Factory ◽  
Growing Environment

Abstract This chapter focuses on plant factories, which is an indoor, enclosed, crop cultivation system where the growing environment is precisely controlled to maximize production. Topics covered are the history and background of plant factories,advantages of plant factories, criticisms of plant factories, costs and returns of plant factories, domestic and other small-scale plant factories, crops produced including pharmaceuticals, vertical or multilevel systems, including moveable systems, crop nutrition in plant factories, plant factory environments, lighting, environmental control and plant quality in plant factories, and automation and robotization.

Acclimation of unicellular cyanobacteria to macronutrient deficiency: emergence of a complex network of cellular responses

Microbiology ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 151 (8) ◽  
pp. 2503-2514 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rakefet Schwarz ◽  
Karl Forchhammer
Keyword(s):  
Nutrient Limitation ◽  
Complex Network ◽  
Nitrogen Limitation ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Photosynthetic Apparatus ◽  
Cellular Responses ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Starvation Condition ◽  
Phosphorus Deprivation ◽  
Micro Organisms

Cyanobacteria are equipped with numerous mechanisms that allow them to survive under conditions of nutrient starvation, some of which are unique to these organisms. This review surveys the molecular mechanisms underlying acclimation responses to nitrogen and phosphorus deprivation, with an emphasis on non-diazotrophic freshwater cyanobacteria. As documented for other micro-organisms, nutrient limitation of cyanobacteria elicits both general and specific responses. The general responses occur under any starvation condition and are the result of the stresses imposed by arrested anabolism. In contrast, the specific responses are acclimation processes that occur as a result of limitation for a particular nutrient; they lead to modification of metabolic and physiological routes to compensate for the restriction. First, the general acclimation processes are discussed, with an emphasis on modifications of the photosynthetic apparatus. The molecular mechanisms underlying specific responses to phosphorus and nitrogen-limitation are then outlined, and finally the cross-talk between pathways modulating specific and general responses is described.

scholarly journals A NOVEL PROCESS FOR NUTRIENTS REMOVAL AND PHOSPHORUS RECOVERY FROM DOMESTIC WASTEWATER BY COMBINING BNR WITH INDUCED CRYSTALLIZATION

2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 274-283 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haiming ZOU ◽  
Xiwu LU ◽  
Ting LI
Keyword(s):  
Domestic Wastewater ◽  
Recovery Process ◽  
Phosphorus Recovery ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Nutrients Removal ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Effluent Quality ◽  
Mineral Phosphorus ◽  
Removal Efficiencies ◽  
Induced Crystallization

An excessive discharge of phosphorus from wastewater to water bodies may potentially contribute to eutrophication. On the other hand, mineral phosphorus resources will be depleted in the near future, because of difficulty to automatically recycle from water to land, unlike nitrogen. A new process for nutrients removal coupled with phosphorus recovery was proposed in this study by combining biological nutrients removal (BNR) with induced crystallization (IC), BNR-IC for short later, differently from conventional phosphorus recovery process. Our results showed that the BNR-IC system can maintain not only high and stable carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus removal efficiencies, all presenting above 90%, but also good phosphorus recovery performance from synthetic domestic wastewater, displaying about 70.2% of phosphorus recovery rate. When the COD, TN, NH4–N and P concentrations of 250 mg L−1, 42 mg L−1, 40 mg L−1, and 10 mg L−1, respectively were given in the influent, a stable removal efficiencies of 92.5% COD, 78.6% TN, 85.9% NH4–N and 95.2% P were obtained for the BNR-IC process and correspondingly the COD, TN, NH4–N and P concentrations of 18.75 mg L−1, 8.99 mg L−1, 5.64 mg L−1, 0.42 mg L−1 were monitored in the effluent, meeting the Chinese National Class I (grade A) Sewage Discharge Standard. Analyses of SEM and EDS, moreover, also demonstrated that the surface of seed crystal (calcite used here) was completely covered by hydroxyl calcium phosphate (HAP) produced during the induced crystallization process to recover phosphorus. Although our study involved only a small-scale trial, the proposed BNR-IC process here may be a promising technology, and can potentially aid in improvement of the effluent quality from WWTP and in recycle of mineral phosphorus resources when applied to practice.

A Micro-Scale Swimmer Propelled by Traveling Surface Waves

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Izhak Bucher ◽  
Eyal Setter
Keyword(s):  
Travelling Wave ◽  
Superior Performance ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Micro Scale ◽  
Viscous Forces ◽  
Macro Scale ◽  
Robotic Devices ◽  
Compact Design ◽  
Micro Organisms ◽  
Efficient Power

Micro-scale slender swimmers are frequently encountered in nature and recently in micro-robotic applications. The swimming mechanism examined in this article is based on small transverse axi-symmetrical travelling wave deformations of a cylindrical long shell. In very small scale, inertia forces become negligible and viscous forces dominate most propulsion mechanisms being used by micro-organisms and robotic devices. The present paper proposes a compact design principle that provides efficient power to propel and maneuver a micro-scale device. Shown in this paper is a numerical analysis which couples the MEMS structure to the surrounding fluid. Analytical results compare the proposed mechanism to commonly found tail (flagella) driven devices, and a parametric comparison is shown suggesting it has superior performance. Numerical studies are preformed to verify the analytical model. Finally, a macro-scale demonstrator swimming in an environment with similar Reynolds numbers to the ones found in small scale is shown and its behavior in the laboratory is compared to the theory.

scholarly journals Are Optical Tools Suitable to Manage Phosphate and Potassium Fertigation in Tomato Crops?

HortScience ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 1006A-1006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paolo Sambo ◽  
Giorgio Gianquinto ◽  
Valente Forte
Keyword(s):  
Phosphorus Deficiency ◽  
Green Light ◽  
Fertilizer Application ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Tomato Crop ◽  
Simple Index ◽  
First Results ◽  
Crop Cycle ◽  
Phosphorus And Potassium ◽  
N Management

Several experiments on multispectral radiometer showed its suitability in driving nitrogen fertigation in tomato crop. Nir-Green light ratio describes crop nitrogen status well, highlighting element deficiency or excess, which is a great help to farmers in choosing timing and intensity of fertilizer application. The scientific literature reports several studies about nitrogen management only, but not phosphorus and potassium. Because of the advantage obtained with N, it would be desirable to also adapt it to phosphorus and potassium management. For this purpose, a preliminary trial was carried out on the omato cultivar Brigade grown in pots in a greenhouse. Four nutrient solution were supplied. Three were lacking in N, P, or K—the last had all elements needed for a balanced growth. Radiometer readings were taken once a week during the crop cycle, around noon. First results were encouraging. After some data elaboration, it appeared evident that, in some cases, it was possible to set the fertigation treatments apart by only having a look at the single wavelengths measured by the instrument. Through the Nir/green index, used in N management, phosphorus deficiency was identified as well. Potassium trend line was completely different from those of nitrogen and phosphorus, and very similar to that of the control. The utilization of the radiometer in handling potassium fertigation in tomato appeared somewhat difficult. Its application might be desirable, instead, for phosphorus fertigation in addition to nitrogen. The 560 and 710 nm wavelengths might be the especially more useful for this purpose, although a simple index or a combination of some simple indices able to identify phosphorous deficiency/excess and to screen them from those induced by nitrogen are needed.

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