Techno-Economic Feasibility of In Situ Vegetable Residue Return in the Chinese Solar Greenhouse

The tremendous scale of protected vegetable cultivation incidentally produces considerable vegetable residue, which refers to the remaining parts of plants after the final harvest. The low use rate of vegetable residue results in nutrient waste and environmental pressure in China. In this study, we put forward vegetable residue directly returned to the soil and investigated its feasibility. Residue return was steadily conducted 5 times in a Chinese solar greenhouse with the cucumber–tomato rotation pattern. Results showed that residue return increased the soil alkali-hydrolysed nitrogen and available potassium contents by 4.97–26.22% and 9.31–21.92%, respectively, along with slightly reduced soil pH and bulk density by 1.00–5.39% and 6.72–11.81%, respectively. Gemmatimonadetes, Firmicutes, Acidobacteria, Basidiomycota, and Mortierellomycota were the major phyla with noticeable changes when residue return was conducted 5 times. Fruit yield began to obtain remarkable increase by 5.81–9.26 t·ha−1 after residue return was conducted 3 times, bringing about additional profits of 5382.0–8519.2 USD·ha−1. Residue return could cut down the disposal expense of vegetable residues by 480.89 USD·ha−1. Moreover, residue return could supplement nutrients to soil, potentially contributing to reducing chemical fertilizer inputs. In conclusion, in situ vegetable residue return could be considered to be a feasible and sustainable use technique for vegetable residues in the Chinese solar greenhouse.

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A new hypothesis for the origin of Amazonian Dark Earths

Nature Communications ◽

10.1038/s41467-020-20184-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Lucas C. R. Silva ◽

Rodrigo Studart Corrêa ◽

Jamie L. Wright ◽

Barbara Bomfim ◽

Lauren Hendricks ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Indigenous Peoples ◽

Sustainable Use ◽

Mineral Elements ◽

High Fertility ◽

Natural Processes ◽

Plant Cultivation ◽

In Situ Deposition ◽

Amazonian Dark Earths ◽

Landscape Formation

AbstractAmazonian Dark Earths (ADEs) are unusually fertile soils characterised by elevated concentrations of microscopic charcoal particles, which confer their distinctive colouration. Frequent occurrences of pre-Columbian artefacts at ADE sites led to their ubiquitous classification as Anthrosols (soils of anthropic origin). However, it remains unclear how indigenous peoples created areas of high fertility in one of the most nutrient-impoverished environments on Earth. Here, we report new data from a well-studied ADE site in the Brazilian Amazon, which compel us to reconsider its anthropic origin. The amounts of phosphorus and calcium—two of the least abundant macronutrients in the region—are orders of magnitude higher in ADE profiles than in the surrounding soil. The elevated levels of phosphorus and calcium, which are often interpreted as evidence of human activity at other sites, correlate spatially with trace elements that indicate exogenous mineral sources rather than in situ deposition. Stable isotope ratios of neodymium, strontium, and radiocarbon activity of microcharcoal particles also indicate exogenous inputs from alluvial deposition of carbon and mineral elements to ADE profiles, beginning several thousands of years before the earliest evidence of soil management for plant cultivation in the region. Our data suggest that indigenous peoples harnessed natural processes of landscape formation, which led to the unique properties of ADEs, but were not responsible for their genesis. If corroborated elsewhere, this hypothesis would transform our understanding of human influence in Amazonia, opening new frontiers for the sustainable use of tropical landscapes going forward.

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Sustainable use of wildlife in western New South Wales: Possibilities and problems.

The Rangeland Journal ◽

10.1071/rj0000088 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

pp. 88 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

DB Croft

Keyword(s):

Arid Zone ◽

Sustainable Use ◽

Ex Situ ◽

Animal Products ◽

Wildlife Tourism ◽

South Wales ◽

Wild Progenitors ◽

Ecologically Sustainable ◽

New Evidence

Sustainable use of wildlife has become equated with exploitation of animal products (meat, skin or feathers) and/or removal of wild progenitors into the pet trade. This consumption of the wildlife is therefore largely ex situ and so removes nutrients and energy from the rangelands. Demand for lethal or a removal action is often driven by the severity of the perceived conflict between the wildlife and other enterprises, especially agriculture, rather than for the resulting products. Such uses also raise community concerns about humane treatment of animals and a valuing of the natural heritage. Wildlife-based tourism, as part of the valuable and growing nature-based or ecotourism industry in Australia, is an in situ use that may be a more ecologically sustainable and economically twble option for use of rangeland wildlife. This paper examines these possibilities and their problems with a focus on the commercial kangaroo industry and the use of arid-zone mammals, birds and reptiles for pets. It provides new evidence that wildlife-tourism based on free-living kangaroos in the rangelands is both feasible and in demand. This industry should be given advocacy in the on-going debate on the management and future of the rangelands. Key words: kangaroos, wildlife management, wildlife tourism, game harvesting

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A New Calibration Free pH-Probe for In Situ Measurements of Soil pH

Electroanalysis ◽

10.1002/elan.200403059 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 16 (24) ◽

pp. 2058-2064 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Heike Kahlert ◽

Tim Steinhardt ◽

J�rgen Behnert ◽

Fritz Scholz

Keyword(s):

Soil Ph ◽

In Situ Measurements ◽

Ph Probe ◽

Calibration Free

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Mapping soil pH and bulk density at multiple soil depths in Denmark

GlobalSoilMap ◽

10.1201/b16500-31 ◽

2014 ◽

pp. 155-160 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

K Adhikari ◽

R Kheir ◽

M Greve ◽

B Malone ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bulk Density ◽

Soil Ph

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Sustainable Use of Fig Species Provides Nutrition and Medicine for Ethnic Minority Communities in the Southern Shan State of Myanmar

10.21203/rs.3.rs-30301/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Aye Mya Mon ◽

Yinxian Shi ◽

Pyae Phyo Hein ◽

Thaung Naing Oo ◽

Cory W. Whitney ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ethnic Groups ◽

Conservation Status ◽

Sustainable Use ◽

Ex Situ ◽

Conservation Practices ◽

Use Value ◽

Ethnobotanical Knowledge ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Tropical Regions

Abstract Background: Fig trees are ecological keystone species in many tropical regions and play important roles in the spirituality, nutrition and health for many rural communities. Although the tropical forests in Myanmar contain many fig species, little ethnobotanical knowledge on their uses has been recorded.Information about the uses and conservation related actions of figswould be helpful in development ofstrategic policy for sustainable use and biodiversity conservation of the country. We showcase the rich ethnobotanical knowledge as well as the variety of collection and conservation practices related to figs among five ethnic groups in Southern Shan State. Methods: We performed both key informant and semi-structured interviews with 114 informants from five ethnic groups. Their uses for figs were categorized according to local practices and recipes. Informants were asked about trends in conservation status over the past 10 years and any conservation related customs and practices. Data were analyzed quantitatively by use report (UR) and use value (UV). Results: Informants reported the uses of eight fig species (Ficusauricularta，F.concinna, F. geniculata，F. hispida, F. racemosa, F. religiosa，F. semicordata, and F. virens).F. geniculata and F. virens were most useful (UR = 228) and were used by all five ethnic groups, corresponding to a high use value (UV = 2). Treatments for 16 diseases were reported from seven species. Household consumption, economic, and sacred uses were accompanied by sustainable practices of harvest and protection. Traditional taboos, in situ and ex situ conservation were practiced especially for highly demanded species (F. geniculata and F. virens), and the sacred fig F. religiosa.Conclusion: Findings suggest that figs are useful for nutrition (all informants) and medicine (13.16% of the informants) in the study area. Traditional taboos, in situ and ex situ conservation practices help to maintain sustainable utilization of locally important figs. This is an early contribution to the traditional knowledge of edible figs. Although similar uses have been reported in neighboring countries for seven of the fig species, the ethnobotanical use of F. concinna is novel.

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Factors Influencing the Natural Forest Regeneration at Khadimnagar National Park, Bangladesh

Borneo Journal of Resource Science and Technology ◽

10.33736/bjrst.3437.2021 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 73-83

Author(s):

MAHEDI HASAN LIMON ◽

SAIDA HOSSAIN ARA ◽

MOHAMMAD GOLAM KIBRIA

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Bulk Density ◽

Total Variation ◽

Soil Ph ◽

Tree Species ◽

Natural Regeneration ◽

National Park ◽

Canopy Openness ◽

Site Factors ◽

Tree Species Richness

Natural regeneration is an indicator of a healthy forest, hence, understanding the influence of site factors on natural regeneration is a significant concern for ecologists. This work aimed to assess the impact of site factors on natural tree regeneration at Khadimnagar National Park (KNP). Biotic factors (tree density, tree species richness, and basal area), physical factors (elevation, canopy openness), and soil properties (bulk density, moisture content, soil pH, organic matter, sand, silt, and clay) data were investigated from 71 sample plots to examine their effects on natural regeneration density and richness in KNP. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis was done to predict both regeneration density and regeneration richness. The results showed that soil pH (p<0.001), canopy openness (p<0.001), tree species richness (p<0.01), and bulk density (p<0.01) had a significant effect on regeneration density, explaining 42% of the total variation. Regeneration richness was driven by four factors: tree species richness (p<0.01), soil pH (p<0.001), elevation (p<0.01), and canopy openness (p<0.01) with a model that explained 60% of the total variation. This study observed that soil pH, tree species richness, and canopy openness are the main controlling factors that influenced both the density and richness of regenerating species in KNP. Therefore, these findings have implications for natural resource management, especially in selecting suitable silvicultural systems in a tropical forest under protected area management where enhanced tree cover and conservation of biodiversity are needed.

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Assessment of fertility status of soils under land use types in Egbema Area, Imo State, Nigeria

Journal of Agriculture and Food Sciences ◽

10.4314/jafs.v17i2.1 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (2) ◽

pp. 1-13

Author(s):

C. Chikere-Njoku

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Bulk Density ◽

Soil Ph ◽

Oil Palm ◽

Fallow Land ◽

Cultivated Land ◽

Fertility Status ◽

Oil Palm Plantation ◽

Land Use Types ◽

Land Use System

The study was conducted to investigate fertility status under four different land use types (oil palm plantation, pineapple orchard, cassava cultivated land and fallow land use system) in Umuekem, Ohaji/Egbema of Imo State, Nigeria. Composite samples were collected from various depths (10-15cm, 15-30cm, 30-45cm) across these land use patterns and analyzed in the laboratory using the standard procedure. Data generated were subjected to statistical analysis. Results obtained showed significant differences (p ≥ 0.05) in silt-clay ratio, bulk density, total porosity, water holding capacity, soil pH, organic carbon, available phosphorus, TN and ECEC across the four land use types studied. The soils were predominantly loamy sand surface and sandy clay loam in the subsoil exception of pineapple orchard with sandy loam topsoil over sandy clay loam subsoil. The silt clay ratio (SCR) showed ranges of 0.10-0.30, 0.10-0.36, 0.07 – 0.30, and 0.06- 0.20 in land use types of oil palm plantation, pineapple orchard, cassava cultivated land and fallow land respectively. The bulk density ranged of (1.61 – 1.77 g/cm3) for oil palm, (1.34 – 1.58 g/cm3) for pineapple (1.42 – 1.49 g/cm3) cassava and (1.45 – 1.48 g/cm3) in forest land use system. The soils of the four land use types were generally acidic. The mean values of soil pH (H20) were oil palm plantation (5.11), pineapple orchard (5.03), cassava cultivated land (5.35) and fallow land (5.40). The soil pH recorded low variation in all the land use types. The organic carbon and total nitrogen recorded high variation (>52.57% < 85.67%, >79.19 < 95.77) in all the different land use types. Calcium-magnesium ratio (Ca: Mg) recorded high variation (37.36%) in forest land use system, low variation (18.77%) in pineapple orchard and moderate in cassava (27.51%) and oil palm plantation (28.23). The low Ca: Mg ratio inhibits uptake and causes Ca deficiency thereby resulting in low fertility status of the soil. C: P recorded high variation (≥ 53.77% ≤ 77.73%) in all the studied land use types. O.C correlated positively and highly significant with available phosphorus, ECEC and T.N. The findings also indicated that bulk density correlated positively with ECEC and percentage base saturation. It is recommended that land use approach should be adopted for effective and sustainable management of the soil fertility. Keywords: Fertility status, Soils, Land use types

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Global soil-climate-biome diagram: linking surface soil properties to climate and biota

10.5194/bg-2018-449 ◽

2019 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Xia Zhao ◽

Yuanhe Yang ◽

Haihua Shen ◽

Xiaoqing Geng ◽

Jingyun Fang

Keyword(s):

Soil Properties ◽

Bulk Density ◽

Soil Ph ◽

Surface Soil ◽

Global Scale ◽

Mean Annual Precipitation ◽

Global Soil ◽

Soc Density ◽

Surface Soil Properties ◽

Soil Climate

Abstract. Surface soils interact strongly with both climate and biota and provide fundamental ecosystem services that maintain food, climate, and human security. However, the quantitative linkages between soil properties, climate, and biota at the global scale remain unclear. By compiling a comprehensive global soil database, we mapped eight major soil properties (bulk density; clay, silt, and sand fractions; soil pH; soil organic carbon [SOC] density; soil total nitrogen [STN] density; and soil C : N mass ratios) in the surface (0–30 cm) soil layer based on machine learning algorithms, and demonstrated the quantitative linkages between surface soil properties, climate, and biota at the global scale (i.e., global soil-climate-biome diagram). On the diagram, bulk density increased significantly with higher mean annual temperature (MAT) and lower mean annual precipitation (MAP); soil clay fraction increased significantly with higher MAT and MAP; Soil pH decreased with higher MAP and lower MAT, and the critical MAP for the transition from alkaline to acidic soil decreased with decreasing MAT; SOC density and STN density both were jointly affected by MAT and MAP, showing an increase at lower MAT and a saturation tendency towards higher MAP. Surface soil physical and chemical properties also showed remarkable variations across biomes. The soil-climate-biome diagram suggests the co-evolution of the soil, climate, and biota under global environmental change.

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In Situ Monitoring of Soil Bulk Density with a Thermo-TDR Sensor

Soil Science Society of America Journal ◽

10.2136/sssaj2013.07.0278 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 78 (2) ◽

pp. 400-407 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Xiaona Liu ◽

Sen Lu ◽

Robert Horton ◽

Tusheng Ren

Keyword(s):

Bulk Density ◽

Soil Bulk Density ◽

In Situ Monitoring

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Spatial analyses of occurrence data of crop wild relatives (CWR) taxa as tools for selection of sites for conservation of priority CWR in Zambia

Plant Genetic Resources ◽

10.1017/s1479262118000497 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 17 (2) ◽

pp. 103-114 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Dickson Ng'uni ◽

Graybill Munkombwe ◽

Godfrey Mwila ◽

Hannes Gaisberger ◽

Joana Magos Brehm ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Crop Improvement ◽

Sustainable Use ◽

Crop Wild Relatives ◽

Wild Relatives ◽

Ex Situ ◽

Relative Distribution ◽

Spatial Analyses ◽

Threat Status ◽

Occurrence Data

AbstractCrop wild relatives (CWR) are valuable gene pools for crop improvement and offer unique potential and opportunity for enhancing food security and adaptation to climate change. However, current actions towards conservation of plant genetic resources in Zambia do not adequately cover CWR occurring in the country. The article describes the process leading to the development of a national strategic action plan (NSAP) for the conservation and sustainable use of priority CWR in Zambia. Based on 59 prioritized crops, a partial checklist of 459 CWR taxa was generated from the national flora checklist of 6305 taxa. The generated CWR taxa were prioritized based on the socio-economic value of the related crop, their utilization potential in crop improvement, relative distribution and threat status to produce 30 prioritized CWR taxa. Occurrence data were compiled for all CWR inventory taxa and used in spatial analyses to establish species distribution, species richness, gaps in in situ conservation and genebank collections, and to identify priority sites for in situ conservation and ex situ collecting. Consistent with the national developmental agenda, along with the contribution of national stakeholders, spatial analyses of occurrence data of priority CWR taxa are valuable input for the development of the NSAP for the conservation and sustainable use of the priority CWR.

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