Empower Innovations in Routine Soil Testing

Conventional soil tests are commonly used to assess single soil characteristics. Thus, many different tests are needed for a full soil fertility/soil quality assessment, which is laborious and expensive. New broad-spectrum soil tests offer the potential to assess many soil characteristics quickly, but often face challenges with calibration, validation, and acceptance in practice. Here, we describe the results of a 20 year research program aimed at overcoming the aforementioned challenges. A three-step approach was applied: (1) selecting and establishing two contrasting rapid broad-spectrum soil tests, (2) relating the results of these new tests to the results of conventional soil tests for a wide variety of soils, and (3) validating the results of the new soil tests through field trials and communicating the results. We selected Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) and multi-nutrient 0.01 M CaCl2 extraction (1:10 soil to solution ratio; w/v) as broad-spectrum techniques. NIRS was extensively calibrated and validated for the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of soil. The CaCl2 extraction technique was extensively calibrated and validated for ‘plant available’ nutrients, often in combination with the results of NIRS. The results indicate that the accuracy of NIRS determinations is high for SOM, clay, SOC, ECEC, Ca-CEC, N-total, sand, and inorganic-C (R2 ≥ 0.95) and good for pH, Mg-CEC, and S-total (R2 ≥ 0.90). The combination of the CaCl2 extraction technique and NIRS gave results that related well (R2 > 0.80) to the results of conventional soil tests for P, K, Mg, Na, Mn, Cu, Co, and pH. In conclusion, the three-step approach has revolutionized soil testing in The Netherlands. These two broad-spectrum soil tests have improved soil testing; have contributed to increased insights into the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of soil; and have thereby led to more sustainable soil management and cropping systems.

Impact of citrus species on the biological characteristics and life table parameters of Eutetranychus orientalis (Klein) (Acari: Tetranychidae)

Biological characteristics and life table parameters of Eutetranychus orientalis (Klein) were revealed on four different citrus species: grapefruit (Citrus paradisi Macf. cv. Star Ruby), lemon (C. limon (L.) Burm. f. cv. Meyer), mandarin (C. reticulata Blanco cv. Okitsu) and orange (C. sinensis L. cv. Washington Navel) under laboratory conditions. Results show that oviposition period, fecundity, and life table parameters varied significantly depending on the host plant species. Furthermore, host plant species had little effect on immature development, except for the teleiochrysalis and total developmental period, which was significantly shorter on lemon (13.77 days for females, 12.67 days for males). Total mean numbers of eggs laid by E. orientalis was 15.92 on mandarin and 29.78 on lemon. In addition, intrinsic rate of increase (rm), net reproductive rate (R0), finite rate of increase (λ) and doubling time (DT) are 0.12 day–1, 10.41 ♀/♀, 1.13 day–1 and 5.59 days for lemon, 0.17 day–1, 22.36 ♀/♀, 1.19 day–1 and 4.04 days for grapefruit, respectively. However, shortest and longest mean generation times (To) were obtained at 18.26 days on orange and 19.37 days on grapefruit. Our results demonstrate that intergeneric differences of Citrus should be considered when determining E. orientalis population abundance and dynamics in field conditions.

Ecotoxicological assessment of Zn, Cu and Ni based NPs contamination in Arenosols

Nanoparticles are increasingly used in many industrial fields because of their special properties. In this context, several questions arise related to possible negative consequences associated with nanoparticle (NPs) entrance into the ecosystem. The adsorption of NPs by soil can adversely influence its biological properties. In the present article, the influence of Cu, Zn, and Ni NPs on the biological characteristics of Arenosol is considered. Research aimed to study the effect of Cu, Zn, Ni NPs on the biological characteristics of sandy loam chernozem. Copper, Zn, and Ni NPs were added to the soil in concentrations of 100, 1,000, and 10,000 mg kg^-1. The effect of NPs on the biological properties of Arenosol was evaluated after 10-day incubation. The biological indices of the ecological condition of the soil, including the germination of radish, the length of the roots, the bacteria population, <em>Azotobacter</em> sp. count, the catalase activity, and dehydrogenases were studied. As a result of this study, it was revealed that the degree of indices changes depending on the concentration of Cu, Zn, and Ni NPs in the Arenosols. Microbiological characteristics (bacteria population, and <em>Azotobacter</em> sp. count) and phytotoxic feature (length of roots and radish germination) properties were most sensitive to contamination compared to the enzyme activity of Arenosol. Based on the soil integral index of a biological state, the strongest inhibitory effect on biological parameters of Arenosols relative to the control was exerted by Cu NPs (lower than control by 48-72%), while the greatest stability in Arenosol was found for Ni NPs (lower than control by 30-55%). The studied biological parameters allow characterizing the severity of nanoparticle exposure on Arenosols. Early diagnostics of the severity of soil contamination by NPs can be successfully used to quickly assess their impact on the soil condition and prevent possible adverse consequences.

THE NAMES FOR SNIPE BIRD (GALLINAGO GALLINAGO) IN UDMURT DIALECTS

The article discusses the Udmurt dialect names of the snipe bird (Gallinago gallinago), which is from the snipe family of the Charadriiformes order. The main sources are field dialect materials of the Laboratory of Linguistic Mapping and Historical Lexicology of Udmurt State University, collected within the project “Dialectological Atlas of the Udmurt language”. In this paper methods of linguo-geographical description, structural-semantic and etymological analysis of words are used. Udmurt names for snipe appeared during the period of independent development of the language. In the Udmurt dialects, the most frequently recorded word is n'urtaka , formed from the n'urvyltaka form due to contraction. We believe that it is the most ancient name for the snipe. The main motivation used in the snipe nomination is a sound similar to the bleating of a ram, which is emitted by a displaying male snipe. Most of the lexical variants have a two-component structure formed from original and borrowed nouns. The first component is an attributive noune. It indicates the habitat / nesting place of the bird ( n'ur ‘marshy’, muvyr ‘terrestrial’), characterizes its nocturnal lifestyle ( uy ‘nocturnal’), expresses belonging to the wild nature ( lud , kyr ‘wild’) and the class Birds ( in' ‘heavenly’). The second component is the name of domestic animals ( taka ‘ram’, ketchtaka ‘goat’, kaza ‘she-goat’). Typological similarity of the snipe nomination processes is observed in some related and unrelated languages. Such coincidence of motivation and semantic structures of words is due to the biological characteristics of this bird.