scholarly journals Investigating the Influence of Biochar Amendment on the Physicochemical Properties of Podzolic Soil

Agriculture ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 471
Author(s):  
Ratnajit Saha ◽  
Lakshman Galagedara ◽  
Raymond Thomas ◽  
Muhammad Nadeem ◽  
Kelly Hawboldt
Keyword(s):  
Physicochemical Properties ◽  
Podzolic Soil ◽  
Water Drop ◽  
Morphological Structure ◽  
Field Capacity ◽  
Total Carbon ◽  
Soil Water Retention ◽  
Podzolic Soils ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Biochar Amendment

Research into biochar, as an amendment to soil, has increased over the last decade. However, there is still much to understand regarding the effects of biochar type and rates on the physicochemical properties of different soil types. This study aimed to investigate the effects of biochar application on the physicochemical properties of podzolic soils. Soil samples were collected from the research site in Pasadena, Newfoundland, Canada. Experimental treatments consisted of three types of soils (topsoil, E-horizon soil and mixed soil (topsoil 2: E-horizon soil 1)), two biochar types (granular and powder) and four biochar application rates (0%, 0.5%, 1% and 2% on a weight basis). Ten physicochemical parameters (bulk density (BD), porosity, field capacity (FC), plant available water (PAW), water repellency (WR), electrical conductivity (EC), pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC), total carbon (TC), and nitrogen (N)) were investigated through a total of 72 experimental units. Biochar morphological structure and pore size distribution were examined using a scanning electron microscope, whereas specific surface area was assessed by the Brunauer−Emmett−Teller method. The result indicated that the E-horizon soil was highly acidic compared to control (topsoil) and mixed soils. A significant difference was observed between the control and 2% biochar amendment in all three soil mixtures tested in this experiment. Biochar amendments significantly reduced the soil BD (E-horizon: 1.40–1.25 > mixed soil: 1.34–1.21 > topsoil: 1.31–1.18 g cm−3), increased the CEC (mixed soil: 2.83–3.61 > topsoil: 2.61–2.70 > E-horizon: 1.40–1.25 cmol kg−1) and total C (topsoil: 2.40–2.41 > mixed soil: 1.74–1.75 > E-horizon: 0.43–0.44%). Water drop penetration tests showed increased WR with increasing biochar doses from 0 to 2% (topsoil: 2.33–4.00 > mixed soil: 2.33–3.33 > E-horizon: 4.00–4.67 s), and all the biochar–soil combinations were classified as slightly-repellent. We found significant effects of biochar application on soil water retention. Porosity increased by 2.8%, FC by 10%, and PAW by 12.9% when the soil was treated with powdered biochar. Additionally, we examined the temporal effect of biochar (0 to 2% doses) on pH and EC and observed an increase in pH (4.3–5.5) and EC (0.0–0.20 dS/m) every day from day 1–day 7. Collectively the study findings suggest 2% powder biochar application rate is the best combination to improve the physicochemical properties of the tested mixed podzolic soil. Granular and powdered biochar was found to be hydrophobic and hydrophilic, respectively. These findings could be helpful to better understand the use of biochar for improving the physicochemical properties of podzolic soils when used for agricultural practices in boreal ecosystems.

DETERMINING AMMONIUM OXALATE-EXTRACTABLE Si IN SOILS

1986 ◽  
Vol 66 (4) ◽  
pp. 751-755 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. WANG ◽  
P. A. SCHUPPLI
Keyword(s):  
Atomic Absorption ◽  
Key Words ◽  
Podzolic Soil ◽  
Ammonium Oxalate ◽  
Podzolic Soils ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Key Words Oxalate

Determination of oxalate-extractable Si and Al is useful in assessing the degree of accumulation of allophane-like materials in Podzolic soils. Three procedures were tested for determining Si: manual spectrophotometry, automated spectrophotometry and atomic absorption. For concentrations of oxalate-extractable Si above 0.5 g kg−1, there was no significant difference among results by the three procedures. For lower concentrations of Si, results by atomic absorption were higher than those by the spectrophotometric procedures. Determination by Si by autoanalyzer is the preferred procedure as it is convenient, sensitive and reliable. Key words: Oxalate Si, Podzolic soil, autoanalyzer

The impact of fibropapillomatosis on clinical characteristics, blood gas, plasma biochemistry, and hematological profiles in juvenile green turtles ( Chelonia mydas)

2020 ◽  
Vol 96 (4) ◽  
pp. 723-734
Author(s):  
Tsung-Hsien Li ◽  
Chao-Chin Chang
Keyword(s):  
White Blood Cells ◽  
Extracellular Fluid ◽  
Chelonia Mydas ◽  
Sea Turtle ◽  
Total Carbon ◽  
Blood Gas ◽  
Green Turtles ◽  
Cell Counts ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Impact

Fibropapillomatosis (FP) is a tumor- forming disease that afflicts all marine turtles and is the most common in green turtles (Chelonia mydas). In this study, the morphometric characteristics, blood gas, biochemistry, and hematological profiles of 28 (6 FP-positive and 22 FP-negative) green turtles from the coast of Taiwan were investigated. The results indicated that body weight ( P < 0.001) and curved carapace length (CCL; P < 0.001) in green turtles with FP were significantly higher than in turtles without FP. Furthermore, green turtles with FP had a significantly lower value of hemoglobin (HB; P = 0.010) and packed cell volume (PCV; P = 0.005) than turtles without FP. Blood cell counts of white blood cells (WBC; P = 0.008) and lymphocytes ( P = 0.022) were observed with significant difference; green turtles with FP had lower counts than turtles without FP. In addition, turtles with FP had significantly higher pH ( P = 0.036), base excess in extracellular fluid (BEecf; P = 0.012), bicarbonate (HCO3– ; P = 0.008), and total carbon dioxide (TCO2 ; P = 0.025) values than turtles without FP. The findings of this study provide valuable clinical parameters for the medical care of the species in sea turtle rehabilitation centers and help us to understand the physiological response of green turtles to different tumor-forming conditions.

Biological and chemical features of Poltava Meat breed pigs bacon depending on genotype

2021 ◽  
pp. 74-80
Author(s):  
N. Garskaya ◽  
L. Peretyatko
Keyword(s):  
Subcutaneous Tissue ◽  
Morphological Structure ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Fatty Degeneration ◽  
Fat Cells ◽  
Breeding Lines ◽  
Meat Content ◽  
Group I ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Selection For

The research goal is to carry out comprehensive studies to define the biological and chemical characteristics of the young Poltava Meat Breed boars’ bacon for further work with existing genotypes and creating new ones.Materials and methods. The research was carried out on bacon samples taken from Poltava Meat Breed boars of different genotypes during the «control slaughter» at the age of reaching the live weight of 100 kg. Purebred Poltava Meat Breed boars were divided into two groups according to the principle of paired analogs: the group I (control) contained animals of «clean» breeding lines (16 heads), and the group II (experimental) contained animals with 12,5% of the Finnish Landrace blood (14 heads). The thickness of the bacon, its morphological structure and its chemical features were studied. All the results obtained were then processed by statistical methods.Results. It was found that Poltava Meat Breed boars, regardless of the genotype, had bacon thickness values below the Poltava Meat Breed target standard after reaching the live weight of 100 kg, with very low variability of the indicator (1,05–1,69%). However, there was no significant difference between the groups. During the morphological study of the samples, qualitative differences in the bacon of animals from different groups were noted. In the first group, the subcutaneous tissue (bacon) is subject to more pronounced destructive changes due to the intensified process of fatty degeneration. The fat cells of animals with Finnish Landrace blood were slightly smaller, but no significant difference between the area of fat cells in boars of different genotypes was found. The variability of morphological parameters in both groups was average (23,91% and 16,23%). The infusion of Finnish Landrace blood to the Poltava Meat Breed boars led to a change in the chemical composition of bacon, such as: an increase in the amount of moisture by 8,58% (p≤0,01), protein by 3,62% (p≤0,01), a decrease in the amount of fat by 9,25% (p≤0,01), to a decrease in the saponification number by 8,36% (p≤0,01) and the iodine number by 10,48% (p≤0,01).Conclusion. The bacon of Poltava Meat Breed boars is characterized by biological and chemical features due to both species and genotype. The established features of the bacon of Poltava Meat Breed boars indicate a significant decrease in its quality in the case of Finnish Landrace blood infusion. Intensive selection for meat content of Poltava Meat Breed pigs leads to a significant decrease in the thickness of the bacon and excessive selection pressure.

scholarly journals Effects of Ultraviolet Radiation on Recycled and Virgin HDPE Corrugated Pipes Used in Road Drainage Systems

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khanh Q. Nguyen ◽  
Patrice Cousin ◽  
Khaled Mohamed ◽  
Mathieu Robert ◽  
Adel El-Safty ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Uv Radiation ◽  
Uv Light ◽  
Morphological Structure ◽  
Tensile Tests ◽  
Repair Process ◽  
Thermomechanical Properties ◽  
Uv Exposure ◽  
Scanning Calorimetry ◽  
Drainage Systems ◽  
Significant Difference

Abstract High-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe is one of the materials of interest for use in road drainage systems. The combination of ultraviolet (UV) light, temperature, and moisture can produce weak spots and lead to pipe degradation during the storage, installation, and repair process. The objective of this study was to evaluate changes in the chemical, morphological structure, and thermomechanical properties of recycled and virgin pipes under UV exposure. Laboratory accelerated aging tests were conducted by exposing pipes to UV for 3600 hours with an irradiance of 0.89 W/(m2 nm) at a wavelength of 340 nm. A cycle of 12 hours—comprised of 8 hours of UV radiation at 60°C and 4 hours of no UV radiation at 50°C corresponding to no water condensation—was performed to condition the specimens. HDPE specimens were taken out after 3600 hours and analyzed with FTIR (Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy), SEM (scanning electron microscopy), DSC (differential scanning calorimetry), oxidative-induction time (OIT) measurements, and tensile tests. The results show that the recycled pipes maintained good properties and were not significantly affected by UV radiation, similarly to the virgin pipes. Statistical analysis using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) shows that there was no significant difference between tensile strength, elastic modulus, and hardness measurements before and after UV exposure. There were only a few small changes in the surface of the pipes. The addition of carbon black, antioxidants, and UV stabilizers prevented further aging of the pipes during UV exposure.

Feldspathic sandstone addition and its impact on hydraulic properties of sandy soil

2018 ◽  
Vol 98 (3) ◽  
pp. 399-406 ◽  
Author(s):  
Junchao Jia ◽  
Pingping Zhang ◽  
Xiaofeng Yang ◽  
Xingchang Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Sandy Soil ◽  
Hydraulic Properties ◽  
Field Capacity ◽  
Water Retention Curve ◽  
Hydraulic Parameters ◽  
Wetting Front ◽  
Land Restoration ◽  
Soil Water Retention Curve ◽  
Soil Water Retention ◽  
Feldspathic Sandstone

Feldspathic sandstone could be used as an effective conditioner to improve the physical quality of sandy soil, and increase the crop yield there. To determine the effects of feldspathic sandstone content on soil hydraulic properties in a sandy soil, the present study added 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, and 100% (no sandy soil) of feldspathic sandstone to sandy soil. Changes in hydraulic parameters were investigated and the results showed addition of feldspathic sandstone increased saturated water content by 37%–61% and field capacity by 29%–44%, and decreased saturated hydraulic conductivity from 10.19 to 0.58 cm h−1 of the sandy soil. Further data analysis demonstrated that with increasing content of feldspathic sandstone, the parameter n of soil water retention curve in Van Genuchten model dropped from 1.807 to 1.333. The same decreasing trend is detected in parameter a of infiltration rate (3.841–0.703) in Kostiakov formula (i = at−b) and parameter a1 of wetting front (6.901–1.174) in the empirical equation (X = a1tb1). In terms of hydraulic parameters, 40% feldspathic sandstone and 60% sandy soil, optimally matching indices of loess soil, were the best mixing ratio for sandy land restoration.

scholarly journals Effect of dietary glutamine, glucose and/or sodium butyrate on piglet growth, intestinal environment, subsequent fattener performance, and meat quality 

2014 ◽  
Vol 59 (No. 10) ◽  
pp. 460-470 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Hanczakowska ◽  
B. Niwińska ◽  
E.R. Grela ◽  
K. Węglarzy ◽  
K. Okoń
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Meat Quality ◽  
Sodium Butyrate ◽  
Volatile Fatty Acids ◽  
Morphological Structure ◽  
Standard Mixture ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
After Effect ◽  
Positive Effect ◽  
Intestinal Weight

The effect of feed supplementing with glutamine, glucose and/or sodium butyrate was estimated on 156 piglets. The after-effect of supplements on fattener performance, carcass traits, and meat quality was examined. Piglets were allocated to 5 groups and fed standard feed mixture alone (control &ndash; C) or supplemented with 10 g of l-glutamine, or 10 g of glucose, or 3 g of sodium butyrate per kg of diet or all of these compounds (groups GT, GC, SB, and GT+GC+SB, respectively). Six piglets from each group were slaughtered at 63 days of age, their intestines were prepared and their parts measured. Digesta from ileum and caecum was taken for analysis. Its acidity and volatile fatty acids content were evaluated. Morphological structure of duodenal and ileal epithelium was estimated. After 84 days of age 20 animals from each group were fed the standard mixture. After 100 days of fattening 8 pigs from each group were slaughtered, pH of meat was measured, and samples of the longissimus muscle were taken for analysis. Body weight gains of piglets fed diets supplemented with SB or all supplements were higher than those of controls. All supplements given together increased total intestinal weight and length. Epithelial villi in jejunum were the highest in piglets receiving all supplements. Their height in the duodenum ranged from 296 to 347 &micro;m and in the jejunum they were higher: 336 &ndash; 424&nbsp;&mu;m. After 100 days of fattening body weight of all experimental animals was higher than that of control. There was no significant difference in carcass and meat quality. Sodium butyrate added to the diet improved piglet performance probably due to changes in intestine development and in intestinal epithelium structure. This positive effect was enhanced to some extent by the addition of glutamine or glucose.

scholarly journals Differential Activity of Antioxidant Enzymes and Physiological Changes in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Under Drought Stress

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 266-276
Author(s):  
Kamal MIRI-HESAR ◽  
Ali DADKHODAIE ◽  
Saideh DOROSTKAR ◽  
Bahram HEIDARI
Keyword(s):  
Water Stress ◽  
Drought Stress ◽  
Field Capacity ◽  
Triticum Aestivum L ◽  
Plant Production ◽  
Breeding Programs ◽  
Drought Tolerant ◽  
Severe Water Stress ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Relative Water

Drought stress is one of the most significant environmental factors restricting plant production all over the world. In arid and semi-arid regions where drought often causes serious problems, wheat is usually grown as a major crop and faces water stress. In order to study drought tolerance of wheat, an experiment with 34 genotypes including 11 local and commercial cultivars, 17 landraces, and six genotypes from International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) was conducted at the experimental station, School of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Iran in 2010-2011 growing season. Three different irrigation regimes (100%, 75% and 50% Field Capacity) were applied and physiological and biochemical traits were measured for which a significant difference was observed in genotypes. Under severe water stress, proline content and enzymes’ activities increased while the relative water content (RWC) and chlorophyll index decreased significantly in all genotypes. Of these indices, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and RWC were able to distinguish tolerant genotypes from sensitives. Moreover, yield index (YI) was useful in detecting tolerant genotypes. The drought susceptibility index (DSI) varied from 0.40 to 1.71 in genotypes. These results indicated that drought-tolerant genotypes could be selected based on high YI, RWC and SOD and low DSI. On the whole, the genotypes 31 (30ESWYT200), 29 (30ESWYT173) and 25 (Akbari) were identified to be tolerant and could be further used in downstream breeding programs for the improvement of wheat tolerance under water limited conditions.

scholarly journals Effects of Incorporating Biochar into the Soil Using Power Tiller and Ox-Plough

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 93
Author(s):  
Masauso Ndhlovu ◽  
Nicholas Kiggundu ◽  
Joshua Wanyama ◽  
Noble Banadda
Keyword(s):  
Water Retention ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Growth And Yield ◽  
Soil Water Retention ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Application Rates ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Main Plot ◽  
Power Tiller ◽  
Plot Design

Existing knowledge about biochar is derived from trials where biochar incorporation into the soil is done by hands, a practice too tedious to scale-up to commercial levels. To enhance scalability, biochar incorporation needs to be integrated into conventional mechanised tillage systems. This study aimed at assessing the effects of incorporating biochar by power tiller and ox-plough on soil water retention, maize growth and yield. A 2 x 3 factorial experiment was conducted in a split-plot design with biochar incorporating method as a main plot factor and biochar level as subplot factor, on ferralsols of central Uganda. Incorporation methods were by power tiller and ox-plough with hand mixing in planting basins as a control, while levels of biochar were 0 and 10 t ha-1 application rates. Data was analysed using two-way ANOVAs in Minitab for significant differences among incorporation methods. Results showed that incorporating biochar by power tiller significantly increased water retention effect of biochar by 27.5% (p < 0.05), while no significant effect was observed (p ≥ 0.05) when incorporated by ox-plough, compared to hand mixing. No significant difference on growth and yield was observed (p ≥ 0.05) as a result of incorporating biochar by power tiller and ox-plough instead of hands in planting basins. These findings suggest that biochar incorporation can be scaled-up, to commercial levels, through the use of power tiller and ox-plough, without negative effects on biochar performance. It is recommended that promotion of biochar technology encompasses the use of power tillers and ox-ploughs to enhance scalability. 

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