scholarly journals Site-Effects Dominate the Plant Availability of Nutrients under Salix Species during the First Cutting Cycle

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 1226
Author(s):  
Piotr Koczorski ◽  
Bliss Furtado ◽  
Katarzyna Hrynkiewicz ◽  
Michelle Breezmann ◽  
Martin Weih ◽  
...  

Fast-growing willows (Salix spp.) provide alternative sources of renewable energy generation, but need an adequate nutrient availability in the soil for high biomass production. In general, species mixtures can be more nutrient-efficient than pure cultures, but this is scarcely known for Salix spp. Therefore, this study evaluates the nutrient availability and P mobilization under two willow species, Salixdasyclados var. ‘Loden’ and S. schwerinii × viminalis var. ‘Tora’, grown as pure and mixed cultures at non-fertilized former arable sites in Germany (Stagnic Cambisol) and Sweden (Vertic Cambisol). The plant availability of potassium (K), magnesium (Mg) and phosphorus (P) and soil phosphatase activities in the topsoil were measured in spring of the year of planting (initial) and under 4 years-old stocks (one year after the first 3-year cutting cycle). The initial plant availability of the nutrients significantly differed between the sites and the two sampling dates at both sites. The plant availability of K and Mg was optimal to high at both sites and sampling dates, but rather low for P (after 4 years ≤5 mg P 100 g−1 soil). The plant-available P and K content in soil significantly decreased within the 4 years of willow growth at both sites. The acid and alkaline phosphatase activity in the soil of the German site (Rostock) was significantly lower after 4 years of willow growth, but differed not significantly between the two sampling dates at the Swedish site (Uppsala). Higher activity of acid phosphatase compared to alkaline phosphatase was recorded in the soils at both test sites based on the site-specific soil pH (<7). The slight decrease of plant availability of P after 4 years of Salix growth in pure culture differed not significantly between the different species. Mixed growth did not decrease the plant availability of P within this period, although no significant difference in the biomass production of pure and mixed growth was observed. This was valid at both sites, and therefore, seems independent of the site-specific differences in soil and climate conditions. The general validity of the assumptions should be tested also for other species mixtures and soil conditions in the future before site-adapted growth designs can be recommended in biomass production of Salix.

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 348
Author(s):  
Thuy Thu Doan ◽  
Phimmasone Sisouvanh ◽  
Thanyakan Sengkhrua ◽  
Supranee Sritumboon ◽  
Cornelia Rumpel ◽  
...  

Organic amendments may improve the quality of acidic tropical agricultural soils with low organic carbon contents under conventional management (mineral fertilization and irrigation) in Southeast Asia. We investigated the effect of biochar, compost and their combination on maize growth and yield, soil physical, biological and chemical properties at harvesting time at four sites in three countries: Thailand, Vietnam and Laos. Treatments consisted of 10 t·ha−1 cow manure compost and 7 t·ha−1 of Bamboo biochar and their combination. Maize biomass production and cop yields were recorded for two seasons. Elemental content, pH and nutrient availability of soils were analyzed after the first growing season. We also characterized macrofauna abundance and water infiltration. Few changes were noted for maize biomass production and maize cop yield. Soil chemical parameters showed contrasting, site-specific results. Compost and biochar amendments increased soil organic carbon, pH, total K and N, P and K availability especially for sandy soils in Thailand. The combination of both amendments could reduce nutrient availability as compared to compost only treatments. Physical and biological parameters showed no treatment response. We conclude that the addition of compost, biochar and their mixture to tropical soils have site-specific short-term effects on chemical soil parameters. Their short-term effect on plants is thus mainly related to nutrient input. The site-dependent results despite similar crops, fertilization and irrigation practices suggest that inherent soil parameters and optimization of organic amendment application to specific pedoclimatic conditions need future attention.


Soil Research ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dieter Geesing ◽  
Martin Bachmaier ◽  
Urs Schmidhalter

Soil water research requires methods to perform accurate measurements. A capacitance probe gauge has characteristics that seem to make it an attractive replacement for neutron scatter gauges to measure soil water content, but there is evidence that capacitance systems should be calibrated for individual soils. Laboratory calibrations and many field calibration methods are costly and time-consuming, and controlled conditions and disturbed soil samples do not always reflect field conditions, and thus, they are inadequate for practical use. The objectives of the present study were (i) to test a simple field calibration method for a recently developed capacitive sensor even under highly variable soil texture conditions, and (ii) to validate this approach under various soil moisture conditions. Soil samples were taken 0.5 m from the access tube of the sensor and a whole field calibration and several site-specific calibrations were developed using 10–142 observations per site under different soil water regimes. A regression of soil water content estimated by sensor reading on water content obtained by core sampling showed no significant difference in the slope and intercept of the 1:1 line when the field calibration was applied. However, the precision of the calibration was only considerably increased if the estimations were based on site-specific calibrations developed on at least 35 observations per site. The precision and accuracy of the calibration equations were not affected when data were obtained only under wet or dry soil conditions. The method presented in this paper is a speedy and cheap way to calibrate capacitance probe sensors.


Plant Methods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Musse ◽  
G. Hajjar ◽  
N. Ali ◽  
B. Billiot ◽  
G. Joly ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Drought is a major consequence of global heating that has negative impacts on agriculture. Potato is a drought-sensitive crop; tuber growth and dry matter content may both be impacted. Moreover, water deficit can induce physiological disorders such as glassy tubers and internal rust spots. The response of potato plants to drought is complex and can be affected by cultivar type, climatic and soil conditions, and the point at which water stress occurs during growth. The characterization of adaptive responses in plants presents a major phenotyping challenge. There is therefore a demand for the development of non-invasive analytical techniques to improve phenotyping. Results This project aimed to take advantage of innovative approaches in MRI, phenotyping and molecular biology to evaluate the effects of water stress on potato plants during growth. Plants were cultivated in pots under different water conditions. A control group of plants were cultivated under optimal water uptake conditions. Other groups were cultivated under mild and severe water deficiency conditions (40 and 20% of field capacity, respectively) applied at different tuber growth phases (initiation, filling). Water stress was evaluated by monitoring soil water potential. Two fully-equipped imaging cabinets were set up to characterize plant morphology using high definition color cameras (top and side views) and to measure plant stress using RGB cameras. The response of potato plants to water stress depended on the intensity and duration of the stress. Three-dimensional morphological images of the underground organs of potato plants in pots were recorded using a 1.5 T MRI scanner. A significant difference in growth kinetics was observed at the early growth stages between the control and stressed plants. Quantitative PCR analysis was carried out at molecular level on the expression patterns of selected drought-responsive genes. Variations in stress levels were seen to modulate ABA and drought-responsive ABA-dependent and ABA-independent genes. Conclusions This methodology, when applied to the phenotyping of potato under water deficit conditions, provides a quantitative analysis of leaves and tubers properties at microstructural and molecular levels. The approaches thus developed could therefore be effective in the multi-scale characterization of plant response to water stress, from organ development to gene expression.


Author(s):  
Roberto Paolucci ◽  
Mauro Aimar ◽  
Andrea Ciancimino ◽  
Marco Dotti ◽  
Sebastiano Foti ◽  
...  

AbstractIn this paper the site categorization criteria and the corresponding site amplification factors proposed in the 2021 draft of Part 1 of Eurocode 8 (2021-draft, CEN/TC250/SC8 Working Draft N1017) are first introduced and compared with the current version of Eurocode 8, as well as with site amplification factors from recent empirical ground motion prediction equations. Afterwards, these values are checked by two approaches. First, a wide dataset of strong motion records is built, where recording stations are classified according to 2021-draft, and the spectral amplifications are empirically estimated computing the site-to-site residuals from regional and global ground motion models for reference rock conditions. Second, a comprehensive parametric numerical study of one-dimensional (1D) site amplification is carried out, based on randomly generated shear-wave velocity profiles, classified according to the new criteria. A reasonably good agreement is found by both approaches. The most relevant discrepancies occur for the shallow soft soil conditions (soil category E) that, owing to the complex interaction of shear wave velocity, soil deposit thickness and frequency range of the excitation, show the largest scatter both in terms of records and of 1D numerical simulations. Furthermore, 1D numerical simulations for soft soil conditions tend to provide lower site amplification factors than 2021-draft, as well as lower than the corresponding site-to-site residuals from records, because of higher impact of non-linear (NL) site effects in the simulations. A site-specific study on NL effects at three KiK-net stations with a significantly large amount of high-intensity recorded ground motions gives support to the 2021-draft NL reduction factors, although the very limited number of recording stations allowing such analysis prevents deriving more general implications. In the presence of such controversial arguments, it is reasonable that a standard should adopt a prudent solution, with a limited reduction of the site amplification factors to account for NL soil response, while leaving the possibility to carry out site-specific estimations of such factors when sufficient information is available to model the ground strain dependency of local soil properties.


2015 ◽  
Vol 153 (8) ◽  
pp. 1353-1364 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Y. ZHENG ◽  
J. CHEN ◽  
Z. W. SONG ◽  
A. X. DENG ◽  
L. N. JIANG ◽  
...  

SUMMARYTen leading varieties of winter wheat released during 1950–2009 in North China were tested in a free-air temperature increase (FATI) facility. The FATI facility mimicked the local air temperature pattern well, with an increase of 1·1 °C in the daily mean temperature. For all the tested varieties, warming caused a significant reduction in the total length of wheat growth period by 5 days and especially in the pre-anthesis period, where it was reduced by 9 days. However, warming increased wheat biomass production and grain yield by 8·4 and 11·4%, respectively, on an average of all the tested varieties. There was no significant difference in the warming-led reduction in the entire growth period among the tested varieties. Interestingly, the warming-led increments in biomass production and grain yield increased along with the variety release year. Significantly higher warming-led increases in post-anthesis biomass production and 1000-grain weight were found in the new varieties compared to the old ones. Meanwhile, a significant improvement in plant productivity was noted due to wheat breeding during the past six decades, while no significant difference in the length of entire growth period was found among the varieties released in different eras. The results demonstrate that historical wheat breeding might have enhanced winter wheat productivity and adaptability through exploiting the positive effects rather than mitigating the negative impacts of warming on wheat growth in North China.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zach S Grover ◽  
Rachel L Cook ◽  
Marcela Zapata ◽  
J Byron Urrego ◽  
Timothy J Albaugh ◽  
...  

Abstract Calcium (Ca) is a critical plant nutrient typically applied at the time of planting in intensive Eucalyptus plantations in South America. At two sites in Colombia, we examined (1) calcium source by comparing growth after application of 100 kg ha−1 elemental Ca as lime or as pelletized highly reactive calcium fertilizer (HRCF) compared to a no application control, and (2) Ca rate by applying 0, 100, 200, and 400 kg ha−1 elemental Ca as HRCF with the addition of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, and boron (NPKSB). We assessed height, diameter, and volume after 12 and 24 months. There were no growth differences from Ca source at the 100 kg ha−1 rate. We found increased volume after 24 months at the “Popayan” site with 200 and 400 kg ha−1 Ca HRCF+NPKSB treatments (112 and 113 m3 ha−1, respectively) compared to control (92 m3 ha−1), a 22% increase. In contrast, volume did not differ after 24 months at the “Darien” site, ranging from 114 m3 ha−1 in the 0 kg ha−1 Ca HRCF+NPKSB treatment to 98 m3 ha−1 in the control. Differences in response are likely due to soil characteristics, such as organic matter, emphasizing the importance of identifying site-specific nutrient deficiencies. Study Implications: Operational applications may be over- or under-applying calcium carbonate in Eucalyptus plantations in South America. In the first two years of a seven-year rotation located in volcanic soils in Colombia, we found that one site with more organic matter at a greater depth did not need Ca additions, whereas the other site required greater than current operational applications to optimize productivity. Ca application rate trials across a gradient of soil conditions could establish critical values and improve recommendations of appropriate Ca application rates and emphasize the importance of understanding site-specific soil conditions to produce effective fertilization regimes.


2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 819-830 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aurelie M. Poncet ◽  
John P. Fulton ◽  
Timothy P. McDonald ◽  
Thorsten Knappenberger ◽  
Joey N. Shaw ◽  
...  

Abstract. Optimization of planter performance such as uniform seeding depth is required to maximize crop yield potential. Typically, seeding depth is manually adjusted prior to planting by selecting a row-unit depth and a row-unit downforce to ensure proper seed-soil contact. Once set, row-unit depth and downforce are usually not adjusted again for a field although soil conditions may vary. Optimization of planter performance requires automated adjustments of planter settings to varying soil conditions, but development of precision technologies with such capabilities requires a better understanding of soil-planter interactions. The objective of this study was to evaluate seeding depth response to varying soil conditions between and within fields and to discuss implications for development and implementation of active planting technologies. A 6-row John Deere MaxEmerge Plus planter equipped with heavy-duty downforce springs was used to plant corn ( L.) in central Alabama during the 2014 and 2015 growing seasons. Three depths (4.4, 7.0, and 9.5 cm) and three downforces (corresponding to an additional row-unit weight of 0.0, 1.1, and 1.8 kN) were selected to represent common practices. Depth and downforce were not readjusted between fields and growing seasons. Seeding depth was measured after emergence. Corn seeding depth significantly varied with heterogeneous soil conditions between and within fields and the planter failed to achieve uniform seeding depth across a field. Differences in corn seeding depth between fields and growing seasons were as high as 2.1 cm for a given depth and downforce combination. Corn seeding depth significantly co-varied with field elevation but not with volumetric soil water content. Seeding depth varied with elevation at a rate ranging from -0.1 cm/m to -0.6 cm/m. Seeding depth co-variation to field elevation account for some but not all site-specific seeding depth variability identified within each field trial. These findings provide a better understanding of site-specific seeding depth variability and issues to address for the development of site-specific planting technologies to control seeding depth accuracy and improve uniformity. Keywords: Depth control, Downforce, Planter, Precision agriculture, Seeding depth, Uniformity.


1993 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 266-273 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. L. C. Chapple ◽  
J. B. Matthews ◽  
G. H. G. Thorpe ◽  
H. D. Glenwright ◽  
J. M. Smith ◽  
...  

2008 ◽  
Vol 16 (NA) ◽  
pp. 157-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
David P. Kreutzweiser ◽  
Paul W. Hazlett ◽  
John M. Gunn

Logging disturbances in boreal forest watersheds can alter biogeochemical processes in soils by changing forest composition, plant uptake rates, soil conditions, moisture and temperature regimes, soil microbial activity, and water fluxes. In general, these changes have often led to short-term increases in soil nutrient availability followed by increased mobility and losses by leaching to receiving waters. Among the studies we reviewed, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) exports usually increased after logging, and nitrogen (N) mineralization and nitrification often increased with resulting increased N availability and exports to receiving waters. Similar processes and responses occurred for phosphorus (P), but to a lesser extent than for N. In most cases, base cations were released and exported to receiving waters after logging. Several studies demonstrated that stem-only or partial-harvest logging reduced the impacts on nutrient release and exports in comparison to whole-tree clear-cutting. Despite these logging-induced increases in soil nutrient availability and movement to receiving waters, most studies reported little or no change in soil chemical properties. However, responses to logging were highly variable and often site specific. The likelihood, extent and magnitude of logging impacts on soil nutrient cycling and exports in boreal forest watersheds will be dependent on soil types, stand and site conditions, hydrological connectivity, post-logging weather patterns, and type and timing of harvest activities. Additionally, logging impacts can interact with, and be confounded by, atmospheric pollutant deposition and climate change. Further watershed-level empirical studies and modeling efforts are required to elucidate these interactions, to improve predictive capabilities, and to advance forest management guidelines for sustaining forest soil productivity and limiting nutrient exports.


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