The first true millipede—1306 legs long

The name “millipede” translates to a thousand feet (from mille “thousand” and pes “foot”). However, no millipede has ever been described with more than 750 legs. We discovered a new record-setting species of millipede with 1,306 legs, Eumillipes persephone, from Western Australia. This diminutive animal (0.95 mm wide, 95.7 mm long) has 330 segments, a cone-shaped head with enormous antennae, and a beak for feeding. A distant relative of the previous record holder, Illacme plenipes from California, it belongs to a different order, the Polyzoniida. Discovered 60 m below ground in a drill hole created for mineral exploration, E. persephone possesses troglomorphic features; it lacks eyes and pigmentation, and it has a greatly elongated body—features that stand in stark contrast to its closest surface-dwelling relatives in Australia and all other members of its order. Using phylogenomics, we found that super-elongation (> 180 segments) evolved repeatedly in the millipede class Diplopoda. The striking morphological similarity between E. persephone and I. plenipes is a result of convergent evolution, probably for locomotion in similar soil habitats. Discovered in the resource-rich Goldfields-Esperance region and threatened by encroaching surface mining, documentation of this species and conservation of its habitat are of critical importance.

Ecological-Geobotanical Evaluation of Potential of Soil-Vegetation Cover of Pastures in Shirvan (Azerbaijan)

Data on a new method of ecological-geobotanical evaluation of the soil and vegetation cover of Shirvan in Azerbaijan, developed for the first time on the basis of data on soil evaluation, their ecological assessment and the state of natural plant population characteristic of this territory have been shown in the paper. The soil-vegetation cover of Shirvan was grouped according to the ecological-geobotanical evaluative indicators and 4 groups were identified based on the data of the ecological-geobotanical evaluation. Management is carried out in 3 directions: with application in cultivation, with application in animal husbandry and improvement of social policy and agriculture. Thus, the method of ecological-geobotanical evaluation developed for the first time can be applied to territories with similar soil and vegetation cover throughout Azerbaijan.

Carbon-dependent growth, community structure, and methane oxidation performance of a soil-derived methanotrophic mixed culture

Soil-borne methane-oxidizing microorganisms act as a terrestrial methane (CH4) sink and are potentially useful in decreasing global CH4 emissions. Understanding the ecophysiology of methanotrophs is crucial for a thorough description of global carbon cycling. Here, we report the in situ balance of soils from abandoned landfills, meadows and wetlands, their capacities to produce and oxidize CH4 at laboratory-scale and the isolation of a soil-borne methanotrophic-heterotrophic mixed culture that was used for carbon (C1 and C2) feeding experiments. We showed that even with similar soil properties, the in situ CH4 balance depends on land-use. Different soils had different potentials to adapt to increased CH4 availability, leading to the highest CH4 oxidation capacities for landfill and wetland soils. The most efficient mixed culture isolated from thelandfill was dominated by the methanotrophs Methylobacter sp. and Methylosinus sp., which were accompanied by Variovorax sp. and Pseudomonas sp. and remained active in oxidizing CH4 when supplied with additional C-sources. The rations between type I and type II methanotrophs and between methanotrophic and heterotrophic bacteria changed when C-sources were altered. A significant effect of the application of the mixed culture on the CH4 oxidation of soils was established but the extent varied depending on soil type.

The Effects of Mixed Hardwood Biochar, Mycorrhizae, and Fertigation on Container Tomato and Pepper Plant Growth

Biochar (BC) has the potential as a peat moss alternative for container plant growth. Three experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of mixed hardwood BC, compost types, mycorrhizae, and fertigation on container-grown tomato and pepper growth. In experiment 1 (Exp1), BC at 50%, 70%, and 90% (vol.) were mixed with 5% vermicompost (VC) with the rest being a commercial peat moss-based substrate (CS) and fertigated at 200 or 300 mg L−1 N. In experiment 2 (Exp2), 80% BC was mixed with chicken manure compost (CM; 5% or 10%) and CS and fertigated at 100 or 200 mg L−1 N. In experiment 3 (Exp3), 90% BC was blended with CS and fertigated at 200 or 300 mg L−1 N. Mixes in all the three experiments were added with or without mycorrhizae. Results showed that, compared with CS, in Exp1 tomato and pepper plants grown in BC-VC mixes had similar soil-plant analyses development (SPAD), growth index (GI), and total dry weight (TDW); in Exp2 and Exp3, plants in BC mixes (80% or 90%) had lower GI and TDW. In conclusion, BC (≤70%) amended with VC mixes could be used for container tomato and pepper production without negatively affecting plant growth, while BC (80%, 90%) mixes could have some negative impacts on plant growth.

The L-moment based regional approach to curve numbers for Slovak and Polish Carpathian catchments

The main objective of the paper was to propose and evaluate the performance of a regional approach to estimate CN values and to test the impact of different initial abstraction ratios. The curve number (CN) was analyzed for five Slovak and five Polish catchments situated in the Carpathian Mountains. The L-moment based method of Hosking and Wallis and the ANOVA test were combined to delineate the area in two homogenous regions of catchments with similar CN values. The optimization condition enabled the choice of the initial abstraction ratio, which provided the smallest discrepancy between the tabulated and estimated CNs and the antecedent runoff conditions. The homogeneity in the CN within the regions of four Slovak and four Polish catchments was revealed. Finally, the regional CN was proposed to be at the 50% quantile of the regional theoretical distribution function estimated from all the CNs in the region.The approach is applied in a group of Slovak and Polish catchments with physiographic conditions representative for the Carpathian region. The main benefit of introducing a common regional CN is the opportunity to apply this procedure in catchments of similar soil-physiographic characteristics and to verify the existing tabulated CN. The paper could give rise to an alternative way of estimating the CN values in forested catchments and catchments with a lack of data or without observations.

Effect of irrigation water quality on soil properties and infrared spectroscopic signatures

Aim of study: To study the effect of irrigation with medium-to-low-quality water on an olive farm that seems to be causing salinity and/or sodicity problems in soils, and the ability of infrared spectroscopy to detect this problem.Area of study: The study was conducted in an olive (Olea europaea L.) grove located in Guarromán (Jaen, Spain), on the boundary of the Sierra Morena Mountains and the Guadalquivir Depression.Material and methods: The olive farm is cultivated over two soil typologies, a calcareous area (carbonated) dominated by Regosols and a siliceous area with Leptosols. Typical soil physical and chemical parameters were determined, as well as near and mid infrared spectra were collected for analysis.Main results: Soil physical properties were affected by irrigation, with low infiltration rates and symptoms of structural degradation. Chemical properties were also altered, showing high pH, low amounts of organic carbon and N, and high sodium concentrations. These effects were stronger in the samples directly affected by the irrigation bulb, with the siliceous soils more affected than carbonated, probably due to the positive effect of the higher amounts of calcium in the latter. Using infrared spectroscopy, it was possible to discriminate the samples of this farm affected by sodicity from similar soil samples in Jaen province not affected.Research highlights: the use of medium-to-low quality irrigation water affected soil physical and chemical properties. Infrared spectroscopy could be useful for quick assessment of soil quality and soil degradation from salinity and sodicity.

Utilization of Expanded Polystyrene for Embankments Founded on Compressible Soils in the Pk8+650 and Pk10+500 Points of the Tangier-Tangier Med Port Highway's Third Section

This research introduces EPS substitution of embankment soil to the Moroccan context, and the highly compressible soils of the Tangier-Tangier Med port highway’s third section. Compressible soils are a major hindrance when it comes to construction of medium to high embankments, proving to be the source of major instability and inefficient exploitation of Morocco’s transport networks, especially when taking into consideration the lack of options for stabilizing such structures. this study will focus on computing safety factors related to landslide rupture for several expanded polystyrene substitution heights for two different embankments in each point of the aforementioned highway section, and compare said factors to the classical solution of soil treatment by ballasted columns that is mostly adopted in Morocco for similar soil constraints. Results yielded proved very promising for future uses of the newly introduced approach in the country’s problematic soils and promises closer deadlines as well as fewer maintenance and reinforcement efforts

Olives and olive oil production in the Alto Ricaurte climate region in Boyaca, Colombia

The olive tree has expanded to several countries because of its easy adaptation to difficult edapho-climatic zones and high culinary and medicinal interest given the physicochemical composition of its fruit, including Argentina, Chile, Peru and Mexico, which have similar soil and climate conditions to the Mediterranean, where the phenological stages correspond to clearly distinct climatic seasons. However, in the Alto Ricaurte region in Boyaca, Colombia, olives do not set because of the tropical climate conditions. Because of these characteristics, the behavior of some trees, sown 4 to 30 years ago in this region, were evaluated. The temperature and precipitation were measured, and 20 branches were selected per tree, which were monitored from appearance until development; the polar and equatorial diameter of the fruits were measured until reaching maturation. A fruit and oil analysis was carried out with olives harvested in two maturation states in 2017. The temperature had a positive correlation with the phenological stages in a range of 11 to 29°C, which directly influenced the development of inflorescences and their performance. In the same year, there were two or more blooms with different intervals, where the same branch had inflorescences, flowers, freshly filled fruits and other mature fruits. As for the characteristics of the fruit and the oil, it was evident that the content of fatty acids was within the parameters required by the International Olive Council.

Untraditional Methods of Growing Cucumbers on Open Areas

The aim of the study is to compare the parameters of the crop yields, phenological development and commercial production of cucumbers under conventional and trellis method in open areas of the Tashkent region of Uzbekistan. The technology of growing cucumbers by the trellis method in open ground for vegetables is an innovative way on small farms and in the country’s gardens. Unlike the conventional method, under the trellis method the number of seedlings increases, the air exchange between plants is improved, the soil moisture content is also improved, the quality of fruits increases and the diseases in the soil decrease. In samples of Uzbekistan 740, Navruz, Sevinch, Samar F1 and Orzu F1, high merchantability in was obtained. Compared to the traditional planting method, the trellis method allowed to enhance crop yields by 4.3, 5.0, 6.6 t/ha for the Uzbekistan-740, Nаvruz and Sevinch varieties and increased yields by 6.5 and 6, 8 t/ha for Samar F1 and Orzu F1 hybrids, respectively. In addition, marketable products of Uzbekistan-740, Navruz and Sevinch varieties were 24.6, 32.4 and 38.8 t/ha, for Samar F1 and Orzu F1 hybrids - 39.7 and 42.8 t/ha, respectively. The research results proved the feasibility of growing cucumbers using trellis technology in open ground for similar soil and climatic conditions of Uzbekistan..