Pecan agroforestry systems improve soil quality by stimulating enzyme activity

Background Forest and plantation intercropping are efficient agroforestry systems that optimize land use and promote agroforestry around the world. However, diverse agroforestry systems on the same upper-plantation differently affect the physical and chemical properties of the soil. Methods The treatments for this study included a single cultivation (CK) pecan control and three agroforestry systems (pecan + Paeonia suffruticosa + Hemerocallis citrina, pecan + Paeonia suffruticosa, and pecan + Paeonia lactiflora). Soil samples were categorized according to the sampling depth (0–20 cm, 20–40 cm, 40–60 cm). Results The results demonstrated that the bulk density (BD) of soil under the pecan agroforestry system (PPH and PPL) was reduced by 16.13% and 7.10%, respectively, and the soil moisture content (MC) and total soil porosity (TPO) increased. Improvements in the physical properties of the soil under the PPS agroforestry system were not obvious when compared with the pecan monoculture. The soil total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN), available potassium (AK), and total carbon (TC) increased significantly, while the soil urease (S-UE), alkaline phosphatase (S-AKP), and 1,4-β-N-acetylglucosamines (S-NAG) enzyme activity also increased significantly, following agroforestry. Overall, the pecan agroforestry system significantly improved the physical properties of the pecan plantation soil, enriched the soil nutrients, and increased the activity of soil enzymes related to TC, TN, and TP cycles.

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Chemical and Physical Properties of Some Hazelnut Varieties Grown in Portugal

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy11081476 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (8) ◽

pp. 1476

Author(s):

Ana Cristina Ferrão ◽

Raquel P. F. Guiné ◽

Elsa Ramalhosa ◽

Arminda Lopes ◽

Cláudia Rodrigues ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Discriminant Analysis ◽

Physical Properties ◽

Water Activity ◽

Induction Time ◽

Oxidation Stability ◽

Chemical Properties ◽

Physical And Chemical Properties ◽

Nutritional Characteristics ◽

Physical And Chemical ◽

And Chemical Properties

Hazelnuts are one of the most appreciated nuts worldwide due to their unique organoleptic and nutritional characteristics. The present work intended to analyse several physical and chemical properties of different hazelnut varieties grown in Portugal, namely Tonda de Giffoni, Grada de Viseu, Segorbe, Longa de Espanha, Butler, Gunslebert, and Negreta. In general, the results revealed statistically significant differences between the varieties under study. The Gunslebert had more elongated hazelnuts and with heavier shelled fruits, while the kernels of the Grada de Viseu revealed to be heavier. Grada de Viseu was harder in the shell, Gunslebert had a harder core, and Segorbe was more resistant to fracture. Fat was the more representative component for all varieties and in some cases the values of moisture and water activity were over the recommended amount (≥0.62). Tonda de Giffoni was the variety with the highest induction time, indicating the highest oxidation stability. Moreover, discriminant analysis revealed that the variables more important to distinguish the varieties were protein (λ = 0.007) and water activity (λ = 0.010). The results of this study help to better understand the differences between some hazelnut varieties that are cultivated in Portugal, which gives important hints for all players in the hazelnut sector.

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Effect of Mosses on physical and chemical properties of soil in temperate forests of Garhwal Himalayas

Journal of Tropical Ecology ◽

10.1017/s0266467421000249 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Anshu Siwach ◽

Siddhartha Kaushal ◽

Ratul Baishya

Keyword(s):

Physical Properties ◽

Chemical Properties ◽

Nutrient Status ◽

High Rate ◽

Physical And Chemical Properties ◽

Garhwal Himalayas ◽

Forest Sites ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Physical And Chemical ◽

And Chemical Properties

Abstract Mosses are one of the most important and dominant plant communities, especially in the temperate biome, and play a significant role in ecosystem function and dynamics. They influence the water, energy and element cycle due to their unique ecology and physiology. The present study was undertaken in three different temperate forest sites in the Garhwal Himalayas, viz., Triyuginarayan (Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary (KWLS)), Chakrata, and Kanasar forest range. The study was focused on understanding the influence of mosses on soil physical properties and nutrient availability. Different physico-chemical properties were analysed under two different substrata, that is, with and without moss cover in two different seasons, viz., monsoon and winter. We observed mosses to influence and alter the physical properties and nutrient status of soil in both seasons. All soil physical and chemical properties, except magnesium, showed significant difference within the substrates, among all the sites and across the two seasons. Besides the soil characteristics underneath the moss vegetation, the study also highlights the diversity of mosses found in the area. Mosses appear to create high nutrient microsites via a high rate of organic matter accumulation and retain nutrients for longer periods thus, maintaining ecosystem stability.

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Pepper root rot resistance and pepper yield are enhanced through biological agent G15 soil amelioration

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.11768 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

pp. e11768

Author(s):

Xuejiang Zhang ◽

Dazhao Yu ◽

Hua Wang

Keyword(s):

Root Rot ◽

Pathogenic Fungus ◽

Chemical Properties ◽

Ammonia Nitrogen ◽

Biological Agent ◽

Total Carbon ◽

And Control ◽

Physical And Chemical ◽

Total Potassium ◽

And Chemical Properties

Pepper root rot is a serious soil-borne disease that hinders pepper production, and efforts are being made to identify biological agents that can prevent and control pepper root rot. Our group recently discovered and produced a biological agent, named G15, which reduces the diversity and richness of fungi and bacteria when applied to pepper fields. In the soil of the G15-treatment condition, the pathogenic fungus Fusarium was inhibited, while the richness of beneficial bacteria Rhodanobacter was increased. Also, the ammonia nitrogen level was decreased in the G15-treatment soil, and the pH, total carbon, and total potassium levels were increased. Compared to the control condition, pepper yield was increased in the treatment group (by 16,680 kg acre−1). We found that G15 could alter the microbial community structure of the pepper rhizosphere. These changes alter the physical and chemical properties of the soil and, ultimately, improve resistance to pepper root rot and increase pepper yield.

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Study of Relative Metallic Character of Noble Metals Cu, Ag and Au at Normal Temperatures

Materials Science Forum ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/msf.1019.174 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 1019 ◽

pp. 174-178

Author(s):

Ramesh Kumar ◽

Priti Kumari ◽

Kumar Saurav ◽

Purushottam Poddar ◽

Vijay Kumar Verma

Keyword(s):

Physical Properties ◽

Noble Metals ◽

Chemical Properties ◽

Physical And Chemical Properties ◽

Metallic Character ◽

Physical And Chemical ◽

And Chemical Properties

The relative metallic character of noble metals, Cu, Ag & Au has been suggested by their physical and chemical properties. Their position in the metallic series is in the neighborhood of that of Li, Mg and Zn. These Metals are inferior of Li, Mg, Zn, Fe, Co and Ni in metallic character. Li, Mg, Zn, Fe, Co and Ni are inferior to Na, K, Rb, Cs, Ca, Ba and Sr. The noble metals have simple metallic character in physical properties at normal temperatures.

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Effects of pyrolysis parameters on the yield and properties of biochar from pelletized sunflower husk

E3S Web of Conferences ◽

10.1051/e3sconf/20184400197 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 44 ◽

pp. 00197 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Katarzyna Wystalska ◽

Krystyna Malińska ◽

Renata Włodarczyk ◽

Olga Chajczyk

Keyword(s):

Food Processing ◽

Chemical Properties ◽

Total Carbon ◽

Physical And Chemical Properties ◽

Wide Range ◽

Agricultural Applications ◽

Agriculture And Food ◽

Pyrolysis Of Biomass ◽

Physical And Chemical ◽

And Chemical Properties

Pyrolysis of biomass residues from agriculture and food processing industry allows production of biochars with diverse physical and chemical properties for a wide range of applications in agriculture and environmental protection. Biochars produced from pelletized sunflower husks through slow pyrolysis in the range of temperatures (480–580°C) showed total carbon of 70.53%–81.96%, total nitrogen of 1.2%, alkaline pH (9.37–10.32), low surface area (0.93–2.91 m2 g-1) and porosity of 13.23–15.43%. Higher pyrolysis temperatures resulted in lower biochar yields. With the increase in temperature the content of organic matter, nitrogen, Ca and Mg decreased whereas the increase in temperature resulted in higher contents of total carbon and phosphorus. Produced biochars showed potential for agricultural applications.

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Variability in the Physical and Chemical Properties of Retail Potting Media

HortTechnology ◽

10.21273/horttech.15.4.0752 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 15 (4) ◽

pp. 752-757 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Amanda Wiberg ◽

Richard Koenig ◽

Teresa Cerny-Koenig

Keyword(s):

Salt Lake ◽

C:N Ratio ◽

Salt Lake City ◽

Chemical Properties ◽

Total Carbon ◽

Physical And Chemical Properties ◽

Potting Media ◽

Lake City ◽

Physical And Chemical ◽

And Chemical Properties

Popular press articles report that consumers often experience inconsistent results with retail potting media; however, few reports in the popular or scientific literature have quantified the variability in media properties. The purpose of this study was to assess the variability in physical and chemical properties among different brands of retail potting media and within certain brands. Twenty-four different packages of branded media, and multiple packages of five brands, were acquired from nine regional and national retail chain stores located in the Salt Lake City, Utah, area. Samples were analyzed for five physical and nine chemical properties. The coefficients of variation (cvs) among brands for initial gravimetric water content, bulk density, porosity, water retention, and air space were 85%, 74%, 21%, 59%, and 44%, respectively. The cvs among brands for saturated media (SM) pH, SM extract electrical conductivity (EC), nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), total carbon (C), total nitrogen (N), and C:N ratio were 18%, 81%, 132%, 153%, 96%, 78%, 71%, 36%, 45%, and 49%, respectively. Only one of the 24 brands met all published standards for chemical properties of premium media. Thirteen of the brands did not meet standards for NO3-N; 12 did not meet standards for pH; and six did not meet standards for EC. There was more variation in physical and chemical properties among brands than within a brand of media. Label information describing media composition was not consistent with certain physical and chemical properties. No recommendations can be made which would allow consumers to select media that meets published standards. These results indicate better awareness of and/or adherence to standards is needed by the retail media industry to improve product quality and consistency.

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Effects of Continuous Cropping of Dictyophora on Soil Physical and Chemical Properties, Microbial Biomass and Enzyme Activity

Journal of Innovation and Social Science Research ◽

10.53469/jissr.2021.08(07).39 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (7) ◽

pp. 214-220

Author(s):

Long Tong ◽

◽

Hongyan Li ◽

Xiaoming Liu ◽

Bin Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Enzyme Activity ◽

Ph Value ◽

Chemical Properties ◽

Available Phosphorus ◽

Continuous Cropping ◽

Physical And Chemical Properties ◽

Factors Affecting ◽

The One ◽

Physical And Chemical ◽

And Chemical Properties

The continuous obstacle of Dictyophora indusiata has become the one of the main factors affecting the healthy development of D. indusiata industry. In order to study the effects of continuous cropping of D. indusiata on the soil environment, four treatments were used in this study: no planted (CK), planted for 1 years (1Y), continuous cropping for 2 years (2Y) and continuous cropping for 3 years (3Y), to determined of the yield of D. indusiata, soil physical and chemical properties, microbial content and enzyme activity. The results showed that the yield and soil pH value decreased with the increase of continuous cropping years, and the contents of organic matter, total nitrogen, total phosphorus and total potassium, C/N and C/P also increased with the increase of continuous cropping years. Soil availability decreased with the increase of continuous cropping years, the content of alkaline nitrogen, available phosphorus and available potassium decreased by 12.25%, 28.91% and 24.86% at 3Y compared with 1Y, respectively. The biomass of bacteria, actinomycetes and fungi and the total amount of microorganism in soil increased at 1Y compared with CK, but with the increase of continuous cropping years, the biomass of bacteria and actinomycetes and the total amount of microorganism decreased significantly, while the biomass of fungi increased significantly; the continuous cropping of D. indusiata also decreased the value of bacteria/fungi in soil. The enzyme activities of the soil were higher than those of the unplanted plots, however, the activities of urease, catalase, peroxidase, sucrase, phosphatase and protease decreased with the increase of continuous cropping years. In a word, with the increase of continuous cropping, the acidity of rhizosphere soil increased, the availability of soil nutrients and the activity of soil enzymes decreased, the biomass of soil microorganisms, bacteria and actinomycetes decreased. However, the increase of fungal biomass led to the decline of soil texture.

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Corrigenda - The effects of minimum cultivation after three years on some physical and chemical properties of a red-brown earth at Forbes, NSW.

Soil Research ◽

10.1071/sr9910263c ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 29 (2) ◽

pp. 263 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

PP Cavanagh ◽

AJ Koppi ◽

AB Mcbratney

Keyword(s):

Organic Carbon ◽

Physical Properties ◽

Bulk Density ◽

Total Nitrogen ◽

Chemical Properties ◽

Water Infiltration ◽

Electrolytic Conductivity ◽

Physical And Chemical Properties ◽

Physical And Chemical ◽

And Chemical Properties

Reducing cultivation may improve many soil physical and chemical properties of a red-brown earth. A trial was set up in 1986 on a red-brown earth near Forbes, N.S.W., comparing direct-drilling and conventional-cultivation crop establishment techniques. The surface soil (0-100 mm) was sampled at the end of the third year and assessed for macropore structure, infiltration characteristics, bulk density, pH, electrolytic conductivity, organic carbon and total nitrogen content. Cultivation degraded some desirable soil physical properties as indicated by data obtained from image analysis and infiltration. Bulk density did not mirror differences in macroporosity. Organic carbon, total nitrogen and electrolytic conductivity levels were higher in direct-drilled soil in comparison to conventionally tilled soil. It ib concluded that the improvement of soil chemical and physical properties afforded by a reduction in tillage would lead to an increase in soil water infiltration rate and storage.

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The effects of minimum cultivation after three years on some physical and chemical properties of a red-brown earth at Forbes, NSW.

Soil Research ◽

10.1071/sr9910263 ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 29 (2) ◽

pp. 263

Author(s):

PP Cavanagh ◽

AJ Koppi ◽

AB Mcbratney

Keyword(s):

Organic Carbon ◽

Physical Properties ◽

Bulk Density ◽

Total Nitrogen ◽

Chemical Properties ◽

Water Infiltration ◽

Electrolytic Conductivity ◽

Physical And Chemical Properties ◽

Physical And Chemical ◽

And Chemical Properties

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Study of the Chemical and Physical Properties of the Fiber-Matrix Interface of Biocomposite Material Based on a Copolymer Matrix Polylactic Acid (PLA)

Recent Innovations in Chemical Engineering (Formerly Recent Patents on Chemical Engineering) ◽

10.2174/2405520412666190123153957 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 70-78

Author(s):

Mokhtaria Ould Kada ◽

Allel Mokaddem ◽

Bendouma Doumi ◽

Mohamed Berber ◽

Lahouari Temimi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Properties ◽

Polylactic Acid ◽

Probabilistic Approach ◽

Chemical Properties ◽

Physical And Chemical Properties ◽

Matrix Interface ◽

Fiber Matrix Interface ◽

Fiber Matrix ◽

Physical And Chemical ◽

And Chemical Properties

Background: In this paper, we have studied the improvement of the physical and chemical properties of the fiber-matrix interface of a Biocomposite based on the copolymer polylactic acid (PLA). Methodology: We have developed an analytical model using a genetic approach to locate the interface damage under the effect of mechanical stress, temperature and humidity. Our simulation is based on Weibull's probabilistic approach and the law of water diffusion in polymer matrix, the diffusion is generated by Fick's law. Results: Our results show that the interface of Biocomposite (Starch-PLA) is the most resistant to the different constraints applied and that the physical and chemical properties of this material are much more improved compared to other materials studied by the same genetic model. Conclusion: Our calculations coincide perfectly with the conclusions of Antoine et al. who determined that natural fibers improve the physical properties of composite materials.

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