Responses of Phaseolus calcaltus to lime and biochar application in an acid soil

Introduction Rice bean (Phaseolus calcaltus), as an annual summer legume, is always subjected to acid soils in tropical to subtropical regions, limiting its growth and nodulation. However, little is known about its responses to lime and biochar addition, the two in improving soil fertility in acid soils. Materials and Methods In the current study, a pot experiment was conducted using rice bean on a sandy yellow soil (Orthic Acrisol) with a pH of 5.5. The experiment included three lime rates (0, 0.75 and 1.5 g kg−1) and three biochar rates (0, 5 and 10 g kg−1). The biochar was produced from aboveground parts of Solanum tuberosum using a home-made device with temperature of pyrolysis about 500 °C. Results and Discussion The results indicated that both lime and biochar could reduce soil exchange Al concentration, increase soil pH and the contents of soil microbial biomass carbon and microbial biomass nitrogen, and enhance urease and dehydrogenase activities, benefiting P. calcaltus growth and nodulation in acid soils. Lime application did decrease the concentrations of soil available phosphorus (AP) and alkali dispelled nitrogen (AN), whereas biochar application increased the concentrations of soil AP, AN and available potassium (AK). However, sole biochar application could not achieve as much yield increase as lime application did. High lime rate (1.5 g lime kg−1) incorporated with low biochar rate (5 g biochar kg−1) could obtain higher shoot biomass, nutrient uptake, and nodule number when compared with high lime rate and high biochar rate. Conclusion Lime incorporated with biochar application could achieve optimum improvement for P. calcaltus growing in acid soils when compared with sole lime or biochar addition.

Download Full-text

Effects of Field-Grown Transgenic Cry1Ah1 Poplar on the Rhizosphere Microbiome

10.21203/rs.3.rs-78068/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Hui Wei ◽

Ali Movahedi ◽

Zhou Peijun ◽

Chen Xu ◽

Weibo Sun ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Microbial Biomass ◽

Microbial Biomass Carbon ◽

Available Phosphorus ◽

Metagenomic Sequencing ◽

Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽

Hyphantria Cunea ◽

Microbial Biomass Nitrogen ◽

Bt Toxin ◽

Rhizosphere Microbiome ◽

Soil Available Phosphorus

Abstract Background: Poplar (Populus) is a genus of globally important plantation trees used widely in industrial and agricultural production. However, poplar is easily damaged by Micromelalopha troglodyta and Hyphantria cunea, resulting in a decline in poplar quality. Due to their strong insect resistance, Bt toxin-encoded Cry genes have been widely adopted in poplar breeding; however, potential adverse effects of Cry1Ah1-modified poplars on the ecological environment have raised concerns. Results: In this study, we comprehensively analyzed the structural and functional composition of the rhizosphere microbiome in field-grown transgenic Bt poplar. Conclusions: Our analysis of soil chemistry patterns revealed that soil alkaline nitrogen, soil available phosphorus, and microbial biomass nitrogen and phosphorus levels were improved, whereas microbial biomass carbon declined in Cry1Ah1-modified poplar rhizosphere samples. We applied metagenomic sequencing of Non-Transgenic (NT) and Cry1Ah1-modified poplar rhizosphere samples collected from a natural field; the predominant taxa included Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Actinobacteria. We also identified microbial functional traits involved in membrane transport, amino acid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, and replication and repair in NT and Cry1Ah1-modified poplars. Together, these results demonstrate that the NT and Cry1Ah1-modified poplar rhizosphere microbiomes had similar diversity and structure. These differences in relative abundance were observed in a few genera but did not affect the primary genera or soil.

Download Full-text

Microbial Activity in Soils of Vegetation-Growing Concrete Slopes

Advanced Materials Research ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.599.124 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 599 ◽

pp. 124-127

Author(s):

Cheng Hu Zhang ◽

Ting Ting Song ◽

Ju Liu ◽

Hui Juan Xia ◽

Jian Zhu Wang

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Soil Organic Matter ◽

Microbial Biomass ◽

Negative Correlation ◽

Microbial Biomass Carbon ◽

Significant Negative Correlation ◽

Concrete Technology ◽

Microbial Biomass Nitrogen ◽

Natural Restoration ◽

Microbial Quotient

Natural restoration slope and vegetation-growing concrete slope were selected as plots. Soil water content (SWC), pH, and soil organic matter, total nitrogen content (TN), total organic carbon (TOC), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN), basal respiration, microbial quotient and metabolic quotient (qCO2) were analyzed. The main results show that: Soil organic matter, TN and MBC of 0-10 cm soil in the natural restoration slope are significantly lower than that in the vegetation-growing concrete slopes at 0.05 level. Both MBC and MBN show a highly significant positive correlation with soil organic matter and TN. Microbial quotient shows a highly significant negative correlation with TOC and MBN, and shows a significant negative correlation with MBC. The qCO2 shows a highly significant negative correlation with pH, and a significant negative correlation with MBC. The vegetation-growing concrete technology can improve the soil ecosystem in the impaired slope.

Download Full-text

Effects of Wildfire and Harvest Disturbances on Forest Soil Bacterial Communities

Applied and Environmental Microbiology ◽

10.1128/aem.01355-07 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 74 (1) ◽

pp. 216-224 ◽

Cited By ~ 89

Author(s):

Nancy R. Smith ◽

Barbara E. Kishchuk ◽

William W. Mohn

Keyword(s):

Microbial Biomass ◽

Microbial Communities ◽

Community Composition ◽

Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis ◽

Microbial Biomass Carbon ◽

Bacterial Community Composition ◽

Soil Microbial Communities ◽

Rrna Gene ◽

Microbial Biomass Nitrogen ◽

Soil Microbial

ABSTRACT Wildfires and harvesting are important disturbances to forest ecosystems, but their effects on soil microbial communities are not well characterized and have not previously been compared directly. This study was conducted at sites with similar soil, climatic, and other properties in a spruce-dominated boreal forest near Chisholm, Alberta, Canada. Soil microbial communities were assessed following four treatments: control, harvest, burn, and burn plus timber salvage (burn-salvage). Burn treatments were at sites affected by a large wildfire in May 2001, and the communities were sampled 1 year after the fire. Microbial biomass carbon decreased 18%, 74%, and 53% in the harvest, burn, and burn-salvage treatments, respectively. Microbial biomass nitrogen decreased 25% in the harvest treatment, but increased in the burn treatments, probably because of microbial assimilation of the increased amounts of available NH4 + and NO3 − due to burning. Bacterial community composition was analyzed by nonparametric ordination of molecular fingerprint data of 119 samples from both ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (RISA) and rRNA gene denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. On the basis of multiresponse permutation procedures, community composition was significantly different among all treatments, with the greatest differences between the two burned treatments versus the two unburned treatments. The sequencing of DNA bands from RISA fingerprints revealed distinct distributions of bacterial divisions among the treatments. Gamma- and Alphaproteobacteria were highly characteristic of the unburned treatments, while Betaproteobacteria and members of Bacillus were highly characteristic of the burned treatments. Wildfire had distinct and more pronounced effects on the soil microbial community than did harvesting.

Download Full-text

Alteration of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus stoichiometry and their related enzymes as affected by increased soil coarseness

10.5194/bg-2016-483 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

Ruzhen Wang ◽

Linyou Lü ◽

Courtney A. Creamer ◽

Heyong Liu ◽

Xue Feng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Microbial Biomass ◽

Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Organic Carbon ◽

Total Nitrogen ◽

Enzyme Activities ◽

Microbial Biomass Carbon ◽

Soil Parameters ◽

Available Phosphorus ◽

Carbon And Nitrogen ◽

Acid Phosphomonoesterase

Abstract. Soil coarseness decreases ecosystem productivity, ecosystem carbon and nitrogen stocks, and soil nutrient contents in sandy grasslands. To gain insight into changes in soil carbon and nitrogen pools, microbial biomass, and enzyme activities in response to soil coarseness, a field experiment of sand addition was conducted to coarsen soil with different intensities: 0 % sand addition, 10 %, 30 %, 50 %, and 70 %. Soil organic carbon and total nitrogen decreased with the intensification of soil coarseness across three depths (0–10 cm, 10–20 cm, and 20–40 cm) by up to 43.9 % and 53.7 %, respectively. At 0–10 cm, soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and nitrogen (MBN) declined with soil coarseness by up to 44.1 % and 51.9 %, respectively, while microbial biomass phosphorus (MBP) increased by as much as 73.9 %. Soil coarseness significantly decreased the activities of β-glucosidase, N-acetyl-glucosaminidase, and acid phosphomonoesterase by 20.2 %–57.5 %, 24.5 %–53.0 %, and 22.2 %–88.7 %, respectively. Soil coarseness enhanced microbial C and N limitation relative to P, indicated by the ratios of β-glucosidase and N-acetyl-glucosaminidase to acid phosphomonoesterase (and MBC:MBP and MBN:MBP ratios). As compared to laboratory measurement, values of soil parameters from theoretical sand dilution was significantly lower for soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, dissolved organic carbon, total dissolved nitrogen, available phosphorus, MBC, MBN, and MBP. Phosphorus immobilization in microbial biomass might aggravate plant P limitation in nutrient-poor grassland ecosystems as affected by soil coarseness. We conclude that microbial C:N:P and enzyme activities might be good indicators for nutrient limitation of microorganisms and plants.

Download Full-text

Pesticides effect on soil microbial ecology and enzyme activity- An overview

Journal of Applied and Natural Science ◽

10.31018/jans.v8i2.929 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 1126-1132 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Sanjay Arora ◽

Divya Sahni

Keyword(s):

Microbial Biomass ◽

Soil Microbial Biomass ◽

Soil Microbes ◽

Microbial Biomass Carbon ◽

Soil Microbial Communities ◽

Field Application ◽

Microbial Biomass C ◽

Microbial Biomass Nitrogen ◽

Soil Microbial ◽

Chemical Pesticides

In modern agriculture, chemical pesticides are frequently used in agricultural fields to increase crop production. Besides combating insect pests, these insecticides also affect the activity and population of beneficial soil microbial communities. Chemical pesticides upset the activities of soil microbes and thus may affect the nutritional quality of soils. This results in serious ecological consequences. Soil microbes had different response to different pesticides. Soil microbial biomass that plays an important role in the soil ecosystem where they have crucial role in nutrient cycling. It has been reported that field application of glyphosate increased microbial biomass carbon by 17% and microbial biomass nitrogen by 76% in nine soils at 14 days after treatment. The soil microbial biomass C increased significantly upto 30 days in chlorpyrifos as well as cartap hydrochloride treated soil, but thereafter decreased progressively with time. Soil nematodes, earthworms and protozoa are affected by field application rates of the fungicide fenpropimorph and other herbicides. Thus, there is need to assess the effect of indiscriminate use of pesticides on soil microorganisms, affecting microbial activity and soil fertility.

Download Full-text

Biochar and Compost-Based Integrated Nutrient Management: Potential for Carbon and Microbial Enrichment in Degraded Acidic and Charland Soils

Frontiers in Environmental Science ◽

10.3389/fenvs.2021.798729 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Author(s):

M. M. Rahman ◽

Md. Rafiqul Islam ◽

Shihab Uddin ◽

Mohammad Mahmudur Rahman ◽

Ahmed Gaber ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Microbial Biomass ◽

Soil Quality ◽

Nutrient Management ◽

Microbial Biomass Carbon ◽

Organic Fertilizer ◽

Acidic Soil ◽

Management Approach ◽

Natural Soil ◽

Fertility Level ◽

Microbial Biomass Nitrogen

Soil acidification and charland formation through alluvial sand deposition are emerging threats to food security in Bangladesh in that they endanger crop production in about 35% of its territory. The integrated plant nutrient system (IPNS) is a globally accepted nutrient management approach designed to revive the damaged soils’ fertility level. Total organic carbon (TOC) in soil is a composite index of soil quality that has consequences for agricultural productivity and natural soil ecosystems. This study assesses the impacts of using biochar, compost, poultry litter, and vermicompost-based IPNS approaches on labile and TOC pools, TOC stocks, lability and management indices, and microbial populations under different cropping patterns after 2 years in acidic and charland soils. The application of IPNS treatments increased microbial biomass carbon (MBC) by 9.1–50.0% in acidic soil and 8.8–41.2% in charland soil compared to the untreated soil, with the largest increase in poultry manure biochar (PMB). Microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN) rose from 20 to 180% in charland soil compared to the control, although no effect was observed in acidic soil. Basal respiration (BR) rose by 43–429% in acidic soil and 16–189% in charland soil compared to the control, exhibiting the highest value in PMB. IPNS treatments significantly improved SOC and POC but did not affect POXc and bulk density in both soils. The PMB and organic fertilizer (OF, compost)-based IPNS wielded the greatest influence on the lability index of MBC in acidic soils and the management index of MBC in both soils. This is despite the fact that IPNS did not affect the lability and management indices of active carbon (AC). IPNS treatments increased the stocks of SOC and MBC in both the soils and POC stock in acidic soil. IPNS treatments significantly boosted the bacterial and fungal populations in both soils, despite having no effect on phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria (PSB). Thus, PMB and OF (compost)-based IPNS may be a better nutrient management practice in degraded acidic and charland soils. This is especially the case in terms of soil quality improvement, soil carbon sequestration, and microbial enrichment.

Download Full-text

Changes in soil quality after converting <i>Pinus</i> to <i>Eucalyptus</i> plantations in southern China

Solid Earth ◽

10.5194/se-6-115-2015 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 115-123 ◽

Cited By ~ 42

Author(s):

K. Zhang ◽

H. Zheng ◽

F. L. Chen ◽

Z. Y. Ouyang ◽

Y. Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Microbial Biomass ◽

Soil Quality ◽

Quality Index ◽

Microbial Biomass Carbon ◽

Southern China ◽

Soil Quality Index ◽

Microbial Biomass Nitrogen ◽

The Third ◽

Eucalyptus Plantations ◽

Time Substitution

Abstract. Vegetation plays a key role in maintaining soil quality, but long-term changes in soil quality due to plant species change and successive planting are rarely reported. Using the space-for-time substitution method, adjacent plantations of Pinus and first, second, third and fourth generations of Eucalyptus in Guangxi, China were used to study changes in soil quality caused by converting Pinus to Eucalyptus and successive Eucalyptus planting. Soil chemical and biological properties were measured and a soil quality index was calculated using principal component analysis. Soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, alkaline hydrolytic nitrogen, microbial biomass carbon, microbial biomass nitrogen, cellobiosidase, phenol oxidase, peroxidase and acid phosphatase activities were significantly lower in the first and second generations of Eucalyptus plantations compared with Pinus plantation, but they were significantly higher in the third and fourth generations than in the first and second generations and significantly lower than in Pinus plantation. Soil total and available potassium were significantly lower in Eucalyptus plantations (1.8–2.5 g kg−1 and 26–66 mg kg−1) compared to the Pinus plantation (14.3 g kg−1 and 92 mg kg−1), but total phosphorus was significantly higher in Eucalyptus plantations (0.9–1.1 g kg−1) compared to the Pinus plantation (0.4 g kg−1). As an integrated indicator, soil quality index was highest in the Pinus plantation (0.92) and lowest in the first and second generations of Eucalyptus plantations (0.24 and 0.13). Soil quality index in the third and fourth generations (0.36 and 0.38) was between that in Pinus plantation and in first and second generations of Eucalyptus plantations. Changing tree species, reclamation and fertilization may have contributed to the change observed in soil quality during conversion of Pinus to Eucalyptus and successive Eucalyptus planting. Litter retention, keeping understorey coverage, and reducing soil disturbance during logging and subsequent establishment of the next rotation should be considered to help improving soil quality.

Download Full-text

Changes in soil carbon and nitrogen under long-term cotton plantations in China

The Journal of Agricultural Science ◽

10.1017/s0021859611000049 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 149 (4) ◽

pp. 497-505 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

W. KAIYONG ◽

F. HUA ◽

T. RANAB ◽

M. A. HANJRAC ◽

D. BO ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Microbial Biomass ◽

Soil Microbial Biomass ◽

Microbial Biomass Carbon ◽

Soil Layer ◽

Control Site ◽

Available Nitrogen ◽

Microbial Biomass Nitrogen ◽

Effective Measure ◽

Soil Microbial ◽

Time Substitution

SUMMARYCotton is the dominant crop in the northern Xinjiang oasis of China; it accounts for 0·78 of the total planting area and represents a major contribution to economic development. The objective of the present study is to determine how cotton plantation age affected chemical and microbiological properties of the soil. The time substitution method was used on plantation farmlands, reclaimed from uncultivated land 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 years ago. A total of 250 soil samples, at depths of 0–200, 200–400, 400–600, 600–800 and 800–1000 mm, were collected from cotton fields in 10 farms of each age category. There were significant differences in soil organic carbon (SOC), total soil nitrogen (TSN), soil available nitrogen (SAN), soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC) and soil microbial biomass nitrogen (SMBN). There were also differences in the activities of cellulase, invertase and urease between soil layers and plantation ages, and these were most evident in the 200–400 mm layer. The cumulative rates of SOC and SMBC in the 0–1000 mm soil layer at the 5-, 10-, 15- and 20-year sites were 0·89, 0·99, 1·01 and 0·92 mg/kg/yr and 16, 16, 16 and 15 mg/kg/yr, respectively, compared to that at the control site (0 year). The cumulative amounts of SOC and SMBC increased gradually and then decreased, reaching a maximum at plantation ages of 13·1 years and 11·1 years, respectively. This suggests that incorporation of post-harvest cotton residues could be used as an effective measure to improve SOC in farmland of Xinjiang Oasis, and may be recommended for adoption in cotton growing in semi-arid oasis agriculture.

Download Full-text

Biochar Promotes Nitrogen Transformation and Tomato Yield by Regulating Nitrogen-Related Microorganisms in Tomato Cultivation Soil

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy11020381 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 381

Author(s):

Lili Guo ◽

Huiwen Yu ◽

Wenquan Niu ◽

Mourad Kharbach

Keyword(s):

Microbial Biomass ◽

Microbial Biomass Carbon ◽

N Uptake ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Application Rate ◽

Significant Loss ◽

Inorganic N ◽

Microbial Biomass Nitrogen ◽

N Transformation ◽

Tomato Yield

Nitrogen (N) transformation in soil directly determines the effectiveness of N for plant growth. Biochar has received evermore attention because of its significant ability to improve soil. However, the effects of biochar on N-related microorganisms (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) in tomato cultivation soil, N transformation, utilisation of water and N fertiliser, and tomato yield remain unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate the responses of N-related microorganisms to biochar and N fertilisation in soil, along with the implications of biochar for altering N transformation, N uptake by tomatoes, and utilisation of water and N fertiliser. A two-year greenhouse experiment containing six biochar levels under drip irrigation (0, 10, 30, 50, 70, and 90 t ha−1) and two N fertiliser application rates (190 and 250 kg ha−1) was conducted in the northwest of China. The results showed that adding biochar significantly promoted urease activity, microbial biomass carbon (MBC), microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN), and the number of amoA-type nitrifiers in the soil. The MBC:N ratio and the number of nirS-type denitrifiers were significantly inhibited when the added amount of biochar was greater than or equal to 30 t ha−1. Moreover, biochar can increase the water content in the soil and can reduce the N lost to leaching. The inorganic N (NO3− and NH4+) in the soil could be better maintained in the rootzone and better absorbed by tomato plants when adding 30, 50, and 70 t ha−1 of biochar. The amount of N fertiliser could be reduced by 24% without a significant loss of tomato yield when the amount of biochar added was over 30 t ha−1. It was indicated that the yield of tomatoes and the net profits were quadratically related to the application rate of biochar. In the test area, 53 t ha−1 of biochar with 190 kg ha−1 of N and 44.6 t ha−1 of biochar with 190 kg ha−1 of N were calculated to be the best amounts from the perspectives of tomato yield and net profit, respectively. Thus, biochar promotes N transformation by regulating N-related microorganisms; hence, it increases the inorganic N in the roots of the plants, reduces N lost to leaching, and significantly promotes the N absorption of tomatoes. The results in this research are of great significance for the development of management strategies for tomato maintenance, environmental protection, and resource conservation.

Download Full-text

The Effect on Soil Microbial Biomass and Soil Nutrient of Interplanted in Chestnut Forest

Advanced Materials Research ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.726-731.474 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 726-731 ◽

pp. 474-478

Author(s):

Zhi Chen Yang ◽

Hong Li ◽

Lian Di Zhou ◽

Jin Shun Bai

Keyword(s):

Microbial Biomass ◽

Soil Microbial Biomass ◽

Microbial Biomass Carbon ◽

Soil Nutrient ◽

Ammonium Nitrogen ◽

Available Phosphorus ◽

Biomass Carbon ◽

Turnover Rates ◽

Soil Microbial ◽

Natural Grass

By analyzing the different crop interplanting test in chestnut forests, the results show that soil nitrate nitrogen, ammonium nitrogen and available phosphorus fell in October when intercropped plants, this may be related to the growth of chestnut trees absorb nutrients and microorganisms in the soil. The results of this study show that interplanting different plants had an impact on soil microbial biomass carbon and microbial biomass phosphorus. Microbial biomass carbon turnover rate in the order: ryegrass> clean tillage> natural grass> Alfalfa> flat Agropyron> soybean; turnover rates of soil microbial biomass phosphorus in the order: clean tillage> Alfalfa> ryegrass natural grass> soy> flat crested wheatgrass.

Download Full-text