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Agronomy ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 141
Author(s):  
Kęstutis Romaneckas ◽  
Jovita Balandaitė ◽  
Aušra Sinkevičienė ◽  
Rasa Kimbirauskienė ◽  
Algirdas Jasinskas ◽  
...  

Growing as much crop biomass as possible in the shortest possible time is the target for most bio-energy producers. However, according to the requirements of the Green Deal, the consumption of fertilizers and crop protection products will have to be significantly reduced between 2023 and 2027. In order to meet all the necessary conditions for the production of biomass, a stationary field experiment was carried out at the Experimental Station of Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania, in 2020–2021. Multi-cultivations of maize, hemp and faba bean were investigated. The aim of this study was to ascertain the impact of multi-cropping intensity on soil structural composition, stability, penetration resistance and gas concentration–respiration. As expected, multi-cropping stabilized the gas concentration and emission from the soil and decreased the proportion of micro-structures in the top soil layers. However, the stability of the soil decreased in all the experimental plots. Gas concentration and respiration mainly depended on soil structural composition, temperature and moisture content. The results of the experiment suggest performing investigations at a long-term scale because the intensive variation of meteorological conditions had a higher impact on the soil properties than the multi-cropping systems.


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 989-1000
Author(s):  
Tridib Kumar Sahoo

The study was conducted on two type of stands one was coppice sal (Shorea robusta Gaertn. F.) stand (CSS) managed by Forest Protection Committee (FPC) along with the State Forest Department and other was coppice eucalyptus (Eucalyptus tereticornis Sm.) stand (CES) solely managed by the State Forest Department. These two stands are in the Bhagabatichak forest area under Midnapore East Forest Division, West Bengal, India. In this study Importance Value Index (IVI), biomass, species diversity index (H/), concentration of dominance(Cd), species richness index(d), beta diversity(βd), index of similarity (IS), nutrient composition and soil pH of the two stands were measured. The study reveals that the highest numbers of species were available during monsoon period in both the stands; these were 71 and 43 respectively in CSS and CES. The result also shows that the highest IVI was occupied by sal in CSS and eucalyptus in CES in all the seasons. Other major species were Clerodendrum viscosum Vent, Lantana camara L., Combretum roxburghii Spreng. Highest diversity index (H/) was in CSS during monsoon (1.983) and minimum in CES during pre-monsoon (1.274). So, the species richness index (d) was higher in CSS during monsoon (28.259) and lower in CES during pre-monsoon (12.112).Cd shows the opposite trend, it was higher in CES during pre-monsoon (0.125) and lower in CSS during monsoon (0.042). β diversity reflects the rate of species change, which was highest in CSS during post-monsoon (1.300). The similarity index (IS) between the two stands was 64.91%. The total annual above ground biomass (agb) were 87008.043 kg ha-1 yr-1 in CSS and 86309.837 kg ha-1 yr-1 in CES. Among them major contributors were sal (82357.946 kg ha-1 yr-1) in CSS and eucalyptus (84246.358 kg ha-1 yr-1) in CES. In both the stands higher amount of nutrients were available in Combretum roxburghii. In CSS available NPK were 1.272%, 0.527% and 1.867% respectively in Combretum roxburghii. In CES the values were 0.864%, 0.513% and 1.724% respectively for the same species. Soil pH of CSS were 5.53 in top soil and 5.79 in subsoil, in CES soil pH were 4.88 and 5.02 in top soil and subsoil respectively. It was observed that sal stand was better than eucalyptus stand with respect to ecology and biodiversity.


Agro-Science ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 117-120
Author(s):  
A.I. Sodimu ◽  
R.K. Olaifa ◽  
G.O. Baba ◽  
O.M. Dahunsi ◽  
F.M. Rasheed ◽  
...  

Influence of urea fertilizer on early growth and development of Pterocarpus erinaceous seedlings were investigated. Two hundred (200) uniformly growing seedlings were transplanted into polythene pots filled with top soil. Four urea fertilizer rates (0.035; 0.065; 0.095; 0.0125 g) and control were applied to the seedlings in the pots 20 × 25 × 25 cm, filled with 800 g of top soil collected from forest plantation. Assessment on the metrical character of the seedlings was done fortnightly. The fertilization of the selected seedlings with urea fertilizer was done round the seedlings in the nursery pots using ring method. The experiment was laid out in a completely randomized design. The data were subjected to analysis of variance, and means were separated using Duncan’s multiple range test at p < 0.05. The results show that fertilizer rates had significant (p < 0.05) effect on the growth and development of seedlings of P. erinaceous. Seedlings treated with 0.095 g of urea produced the highest mean values of 12.00 ± 0.66 cm; 0.33 ± 0.01 mm; 190 cm2 and 12.65 ± 0.67 for stem height, collar diameter, leaf area (LA) and number of leaves respectively. Seedlings fed with 0.125 g had the lowest values of 11.19 ± 0.61cm for height, 0.32± 0.01 mm for collar diameter 11.54 ± 0.70 for number of leaves and 124 cm2 for the LA. Urea fertilizers had significant effect on the early growth of the seedlings, therefore fertilization at 0.095 g per pot is recommended for raising P. erinaceous seedlings.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael G. Francki ◽  
Grantley S. Stainer ◽  
Esther Walker ◽  
Gregory J. Rebetzke ◽  
Katia T. Stefanova ◽  
...  

The challenge in establishing an early-sown wheat crop in southern Australia is the need for consistently high seedling emergence when sowing deep in subsoil moisture (&gt;10 cm) or into dry top-soil (4 cm). However, the latter is strongly reliant on a minimum soil water availability to ensure successful seedling emergence. This study aimed to: (1) evaluate 233 Australian and selected international wheat genotypes for consistently high seedling emergence under limited soil water availability when sown in 4 cm of top-soil in field and glasshouse (GH) studies; (2) ascertain genetic loci associated with phenotypic variation using a genome-wide association study (GWAS); and (3) compare across loci for traits controlling coleoptile characteristics, germination, dormancy, and pre-harvest sprouting. Despite significant (P &lt; 0.001) environment and genotype-by-environment interactions within and between field and GH experiments, eight genotypes that included five cultivars, two landraces, and one inbred line had consistently high seedling emergence (mean value &gt; 85%) across nine environments. Moreover, 21 environment-specific quantitative trait loci (QTL) were detected in GWAS analysis on chromosomes 1B, 1D, 2B, 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B, 5B, 5D, and 7D, indicating complex genetic inheritance controlling seedling emergence. We aligned QTL for known traits and individual genes onto the reference genome of wheat and identified 16 QTL for seedling emergence in linkage disequilibrium with coleoptile length, width, and cross-sectional area, pre-harvest sprouting and dormancy, germination, seed longevity, and anthocyanin development. Therefore, it appears that seedling emergence is controlled by multifaceted networks of interrelated genes and traits regulated by different environmental cues.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 9-18
Author(s):  
Mutia Erdayana ◽  
Syukri ◽  
Iswahyudi

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui respon pertumbuhan bibit kakao (Theobroma cacao, L) pada tanah marginal yang diberikan mikoriza, serta interaksi kedua perlakuan tersebut. Penelitian ini menggunakan Rancang Acak Kelompok (RAK) pola fakorial yang terdiri dari 2 faktor, yaitu: faktor jenis tanah marginal dengan notasi (T) yang terdiri dari 4 taraf yaitu: T1       = Tanah top soil (kontrol), T2= Tanah bekas tambang , T3= Tanah yang ditumbuhi tanaman alang-alang, T4= Tanah bekas terbakar. Faktor dosis mikoriza dengan notasi (M) yang terdiri dari 4 taraf yaitu : M0=  0 g/polybag (kontrol), M1=  5 g/polybag, M2= 10 g/polybag, M3= 15 g/polybag. Parameter yang diamati antara lain: tinggi bibit, diameter pangkal batang, jumlah daun, panjang daun, bobot brangkasan basah bibit dan bobot basah akar.Hasilpenelitian menunjukkan bibit kakao akibat perlakuan jenis tanah marginal menunjukkan respon yang sangat nyata terhadap tinggi bibit umur (50 dan 65 HST), jumlah daun umur 65 HST, panjang daun umur (50 dan 65 HST), bobot brangkasan basah bibit, bobot basah akar, respon nyata terhadap tinggi bibit umur (20 dan 35 HST), jumlah daun umur (35 dan 50 HST) dan panjang daun umur 35 HST. Pertumbuhan bibit kakao akibat perlakuan dosis mikoriza menunjukkan respon yang sangat nyata terhadap tinggi bibit umur (35, 50 dan 65 HST), jumlah daun umur (35 dan 65 HST), panjang daun umur (35, 50 dan 65 HST), bobot brangkasan basah bibit, bobot basah akar, respon nyata terhadap jumlah daun umur 50 HST. Interaksi antara jenis tanah marginal dan dosis mikoriza memberikan respon yang nyata terhadap parameter jumlah daun bibit kakao umur 35 HST. Kombinasi perlakuan terbaik yaitu jenis tanah marginal tanah top soil dan dosis mikoriza 15 g/polybag (T1M3) yang dilakukan secara bersamaan.


2021 ◽  
Vol 66 (6) ◽  
pp. 10-17
Author(s):  
V. Klochkov ◽  
L. Kuznetsova ◽  
N. Eremina ◽  
D. Kabanov ◽  
A Maksimov ◽  
...  

Purpose: Analysis of the current regulatory and methodological framework on control of doses from intake of 14C for the personnel and the public living in the control area of the nuclear power plant (NPP). Identifying the most informative methods of controlling radiation impact of 14C on a human being. Material and methods: Research literature on radiation impact of naturally occurring 14C; 14C entering the environment as a result of nuclear weapon tests; and 14C entering workplaces and the control area of NPP has been reviewed. Dose coefficients and other radiation characteristics of 14C provided in IAEA, ICRP and UNSCEAR publications have been summarized. Results: According to UNSCEAR, annual radiation burden caused by global 14C is the highest one (about 80 %) among radiation burdens associated with four critical naturally occurring cosmogenic radionuclides: 3H (0.01 µSv/year), 7Be (3.0 µSv/year), 14C (12 µSv/year) and 24Na (0.2µSv/year). The main way of 14C intake is the alimentary one when this isotope enters the human body with food. Dose from this kind of intake of global 14C can reach 40 µSv. The annual dose caused by aerogenic (inhalation) way of intake of global 14C does not exceed 1 µSv. The most informative methods of dose assessment for the personnel of NPP and the public living in the control area involve measurement of content of 14C in top soil, vegetation and food products. Conclusions: Significant amount of 14C enters the environment within the control area during operation of NPP, which causes the public radiation dose exceeding the dose from global 14C. The most informative objects characterizing content of technogenic 14C in the control area of NPP are top soil (humus) and vegetation. The liquid scintillation spectrometry involves sample preparation by burning of samples in oxygen with capturing of generated carbon dioxide and its transfer into organic solvent. This is the most technologically viable method for mass control of 14C content in samples of top soil and vegetation.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 705-715
Author(s):  
Kimberley C. Carter ◽  
Léa Fieschi-Méric ◽  
Francesca Servini ◽  
Mark Wilkinson ◽  
David J. Gower ◽  
...  

Maintaining Gymnophiona in captivity provides opportunities to study the behaviour and life-history of this poorly known Order, and to investigate and provide species-appropriate welfare guidelines, which are currently lacking. This study focuses on the terrestrial caecilian Herpele squalostoma to investigate its sensitivity to disturbances associated with routine husbandry needed for monitoring and maintaining adequate wellbeing in captivity. Fossorial caecilians gradually pollute their environment in captivity with waste products, and substrate must be replaced at intervals; doing so disturbs the animals directly and via destruction of burrow networks. As inappetence is frequently associated with stress in amphibians, the percentage consumption of offered food types, river shrimp (Palaemon varians) and brown crickets (Gryllus assimilis), was measured as an indicator of putative stress following three routine substrate changes up to 297 days post-substrate change. Mean daily variation in substrate temperatures were also recorded in order to account for environmental influences on food consumption, along with nitrogenous waste in tank substrate prior to a substrate change and fresh top soil in order to understand the trade-off between dealing with waste accumulation and disturbing animals. We found a significant negative effect of substrate disturbance on food intake, but no significant effect of prey type. Variations in daily soil temperatures did not have a significant effect on food intake, but mean substrate temperature did. Additionally, substrate nitrogenous waste testing indicated little difference between fresh and tank substrate. In conclusion, this study provides a basis from which to develop further welfare assessment for this and other rarely kept and rarely observed terrestrial caecilian species.


Viking ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 85 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Søren Diinhoff

In the summer months of 2013, the University Museum of Bergen conducted an archeological excavation of a large prehistoric settlement area at Etnesjøen in Etne parish, Western Norway. By use of mechanized top soil stripping numerous buildings, inhumation burials, cooking pits and kilns were uncovered. The site dates from the Late Bronze Age to Early Medieval Period. The focus of the article is the discovery of a Pre-Roman Iron Age village, formed of up to six farms chronologically spanning up to five generations of continuous occupation. At the time of the excavation, this was only the second pre-historic village of its kind found in Norway, indicating a significant and important discovery. 


Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 1716
Author(s):  
Sergio Esteban Lozano-Baez ◽  
Yamileth Domínguez-Haydar ◽  
Bob W. Zwartendijk ◽  
Miguel Cooper ◽  
Conrado Tobón ◽  
...  

Governments are increasingly committing to significant ecological restoration. However, the impacts of forest restoration on local hydrological services are surprisingly poorly understood. Particularly, limited information is available about the impacts of tree planting on soil infiltration processes and runoff pathways. Thus, we investigated the saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) and preferential flow pathways in three land-cover types: (i) Active Restoration, (ii) Degraded Land, and (iii) Reference Forest, with contrasting differences in soil profile and land use history in the municipality of La Jagua de Ibirico, César department, Colombia. We conducted soil sampling, using the Beerkan method to determine Ks values. We also measured vegetation attributes (i.e., canopy cover, vegetation height, diameter at breast height, and total number of trees) and carried out three dye tracer experiments for each study site. The blue dye experiments revealed that near surface matrix infiltration was dominant for Degraded Land, while at the Active Restoration and Reference Forest, this only occurred at local surface depressions. The general infiltration pattern at the three land uses is indicated as being macropore flow with mixed interaction with the matrix and highly affected by the presence of rock fragments. The deeper infiltration patterns occur by preferential flow due to the presence of roots and rock fragments. The mean Ks for the Active Restoration (240 mm h−1) was much higher than the Ks at Degraded Land (40 mm h−1) but still considerably lower than the Reference Forest (324 mm h−1). These results indicate that top soil infiltration capacity and soil physical parameters not only directly regulate the amount of infiltration but also infiltration patterns and runoff processes, leading to lower infiltration and increased excess overland flow for Degraded Land than for other land uses.


2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (8) ◽  
pp. 1547-1550
Author(s):  
O.A. Majekodunmi ◽  
I.O. Abiola ◽  
A.M. Aderemi ◽  
J.O. Adedipe ◽  
O.G. Ogunwale ◽  
...  

This study investigated the effect of sowing media on the seed germination and subsequent seedling growth of Senna fistula L. Treatments were T1 (Top soil), T2 (River sand), T3 (Grinded coconut husk) and T4 (weathered sawdust), replicated two times for seed germination. The treatments were arranged in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) and the data generated was subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) at 5% level of significance, while mean separation where appropriate was done using Least Significant Difference (LSD). The different sowing media used had positive effect on the seed emergence, the seeds planted in river sand had the highest emergence percentage of 70%. The different sowing media used did not have any significant effect on the vegetative growth parameters, statistically, they had same effect on the parameters measured. Nonetheless, seedlings from river sand produced highest number of leave (20.4), seedlings from topsoil produced highest plant height and largest leaf area of l0.62 cm and 37.l4 cm2 respectively. The seedlings from weathered sawdust produced the highest stem diameter of 0.79 mm, while seedlings from grinded coconut husk had lowest values for all the growth parameters measured. Therefore, it is recommended that river sand or weathered sawdust can be used to propagate Senna fistula seeds.


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