Multi-Omics Reveal the Efficient Phosphate-Solubilizing Mechanism of Bacteria on Rocky Soil

Phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) can alleviate available phosphorus (AP)-deficiency without causing environmental pollution like chemical phosphate fertilizers. However, the research and application of PSB on the barren rocky soil is very rare. We screened six PSB from sweetpotato rhizosphere rocky soil. Among them, Ochrobactrum haematophilum FP12 showed the highest P-solubilizing ability of 1,085.00 mg/L at 7 days, which was higher than that of the most reported PSB. The assembled genome of PSB FP12 was 4.92 Mb with P-solubilizing and plant growth-promoting genes. In an AP-deficient environment, according to transcriptome and metabolomics analysis, PSB FP12 upregulated genes involved in gluconic acid synthesis and the tricarboxylic acid cycle, and increased the concentration of gluconic acid and malic acid, which would result in the enhanced P-solubilizing ability. Moreover, a series of experiments in the laboratory and field confirmed the efficient role of the screened PSB on significantly increasing AP in the barren rocky soil and promoting sweetpotato yield. So, in this study, we screened highly efficient PSB, especially suitable for the barren rocky soil, and explored the P-solubilizing mechanism. The research will reduce the demand for chemical phosphate fertilizers and promote the environment-friendly agricultural development.

Effect of Earthing Enhancing Compound (EEC) on Improving Tower Footing Resistance of a 500 kV Tower in a Rocky Area

This paper presents a comparative analysis of different earthing designs’ performances, with particular interest on the use of earthing enhancing compound (EEC) for a selected earthing design of 500 kV transmission towers in a rocky soil, using the SESCAD tool of the Current distribution, electromagnetic field grounding and soil structure analysis (CDEGS) software. The simulation included the interpretation of soil profile and comparison between designs A, B and C, which are currently used for the 500 kV tower footing resistance (TFR) improvement. Results showed each design had reduced the TFR by 66%, 54.7% and 63.2% for the towers T42, T48 and T50, respectively. In some cases, further improvement of TFR is required, especially in the rocky area where the soil resistivity (SR) value is of more than 500 Ω⋅m. In this case, EEC was used in Design C, encasing both the vertical and horizontal electrodes, and it reduced the TFR further by 16% to 20%. The characteristics of the soil and earthing arrangement design play an important role in achieving a low TFR value, which is directly proportional to the backflashover occurrence and thus to the transmission line performance.

Influence of Heterogeneous Karst Microhabitats on the Root Foraging Ability of Chinese Windmill Palm (Trachycarpus fortunei) Seedlings

Chinese windmill palms (Trachycarpus fortunei) are widely planted in karst bedrock outcrop areas in southwest China because of their high economic and ecological values. The aims of this study were to investigate the foraging ability of Chinese windmill palm seedlings planted in six different types of karst microhabitat and to identify the main environmental factors that influence root foraging ability. We planted three-year-old Chinese windmill palm seedlings in six typical karst microhabitats (i.e., rocky trough, rocky surface, rocky gully, rocky soil surface, rocky pit, and soil surface microhabitats). One year after transplanting, the seedlings were excavated to determine the morphological parameters values of new roots and the nutrient concentrations of new roots and leaves. The root foraging ability of Chinese windmill palm seedlings, defined as new root length and new root surface area, was significantly greater in the rocky trough, rocky soil surface, and soil surface microhabitats than in the rocky gully, rocky surface, and rocky pit microhabitats (p < 0.05). Redundancy analysis revealed that the main positive factor affecting the rooting ability of Chinese windmill palm seedlings was soil thickness. Chinese windmill palm seedlings improved their root absorption efficiency by increasing their root length and root surface area under soil nutrient deficiency conditions. The organic carbon, total nitrogen, and available potassium in soil positively influenced the concentration of N and K in roots. Total potassium in soil negatively influenced the biomass of new annual leaves and concentrations of N, P and K in new annual roots and leaves. Chinese windmill palm seedlings can be grown in the different karst microhabitats, especially in the rocky trough, rocky soil surface, and soil surface microhabitats, and, therefore, it is suitable for use in the regeneration of karst forests.

Food in the Biblical Era

The principal foods of the ancient Israelites during the thousand years from 1200 BCE to the second century BCE were like those of other Mediterranean peoples. Grains, wine, and olive oil were the three primary staples (the Mediterranean triad), and these were augmented by dairy products, fruits and nuts, and meat. It was difficult to produce food in the rocky soil and dry climate of ancient Israel, and a central belief in the Hebrew Bible is that the supply of food is contingent upon Israel’s obedience to God’s laws. In the Hebrew Bible, food is a subject of divine law. Religious and cultural factors marked some foods and food mixtures as taboo and inappropriate for a “holy nation.” Specific permitted foods were imbued with symbolic importance. These symbolic foods and ancient practices provide the template for later Jewish ways of consuming food, using food in worship, and addressing ethical ideals.