红薯叶中微量元素含量的测定

用高压罐硝化法,以正交试验原理处理样品,利用ICP—AES法测定红薯叶与红薯中Mn、Zn、Fe、Mg、Ca、Sr、Se、K、Cu、Ge、P、S共12种微量元素的含量。方法回收率在95．33％-102．75％之间,相对标准偏差小于1．85％。ICP—AEs法具有灵敏度高、简单,快捷等优点,且多元素同时测定,更适合红薯叶勺红薯中金属与非金属元素的分析测定。试验证明,红薯叶与红薯一样富含Mn、Zn、Fe、Mg、Ca、Sr、Se、K、Cu、Ge、P、S等微量元素,说明红薯叶是一种既营养又绿色的蔬菜。     

张家界不同产地杜仲叶/皮中矿质元素含量的测定及比较

采用火焰原子吸收分光光度法测定了张家界不同产地杜仲叶及皮中Fe、zn、Cu、Mn、Mg、K、Ca等7种矿质元素的含量,结果表明杜仲叶及皮中各种矿质元素含量丰富,各元素含量的高低趋势在杜仲叶中大致为：Mg〉K〉Ca〉Zn〉Fe〉Mn≥Cu,在杜仲皮中大致为：Mg〉Ca〉K〉Fe〉Zn〉Mn≥Cu。K—S检验可以看出杜仲叶及皮中各矿质元素含量均服从正态分布,LSD检验可以得出张家界不同产地杜仲叶中Fe、Mn、Mg及杜仲皮中Fe、Mn、K元素的含量存在差异性显著。这一结果可以为不同产地杜仲叶／皮的药理活性及其品质的差异提供一定的理论依据。     

Relationship between soil physical and chemical characteristics and ear-leaf concentration of P,K, Mg,Zn, Fe,Cu, Mn and relative yield of maize in soils derived from sedimentary rocks of South-Western Nigeria

In a four-season field experiment conducted in 18 locations covering two different ecological zones of the sedimentary forest soils of South-Western Nigeria, relationships were established by simple correlation between the ear-leaf content of P, K, Mg, Zn, Fe, Cu, Mn, relative yield of maize (RY), soil physical characteristics and soil nutrient status. Soil pH was strongly related to the relative yield, soil clay, available P, exchangeable Ca, K, Zn, and Mn in soils, P and Cu concentration in the ear-leaf.Organic matter did not appear to play a very significant role in nutrient supply or relate to nutrient element concentration in the ear-leaf and relative yield in soils that are relatively low in soil organic matter.Nitrogen was not determined. Phosphorus among all the elements determined seemed to have a high significant effect on Ca, K, Zn, Mn and RY. However, the effect on RY was negative. Manganese in both soil and ear-leaf had the highest negative significant relationship with yield in the zone.The multiple regression analysis indicated a relationship meaning that the soil physical and chemical properties and ear-leaf content of the elements P, K, Mg, Zn, Fe, Cu, Mn are important to maize cultivation in this zone. Hence consideration of a combination of soils and plant factors are essential before meaningful fertilizer recommendation can be made for maize in the zone under study.     

Effect of different sources of iron and sulphur on leaf chlorosis,nutrient uptake and yield of groundnut

The pot experiment conducted in calcareous soil of Saurashtra, India showed that application of lime (20% CaCO₃) and excess water (irrigation at –0.3 bar) to the soil enhanced chlorosis in groundnut leaves caused by induced deficiencies of iron, sulphur and zinc, which was recovered by applying agricultural grade chemicals containing iron, sulphur and zinc. This chlorosis caused 29.8 and 19.1% reduction in pod yield of groundnut due to lime and excess water, respectively in the untreated control pot and 17.1 and 9.6%, respectively in the pot treated with different chemicals.Application of iron sulphate, zinc sulphate, iron pyrite, gypsum, phospho-gypsum, elemental sulphur, wettable sulphur and Fe-EDTA decreased chlorosis and increased chlorophyll and carotenoid contents of leaves, uptake of Fe, S and Zn and pod yield of groundnut significantly. The foliar spray of 0.5% aqueous solution of iron sulphate, zinc sulphate and Fe-EDTA at 20, 35, 50 and 65 days after emergence (DAE) was more effective than their soil applications. The Fe-EDTA corrected only iron chlorosis, and gypsum, phosphogypsum and elemental sulphur only sulphur chlorosis. However, iron sulphate and iron pyrite corrected iron and sulphur and zinc sulphate corrected zinc and sulphur chlorosis. Among the soil amendments, application of iron sulphate and iron pyrite showed better responses to groundnut and showed higher Fe and S uptake than other treatments. The responses of gypsum, phosphogypsum and elemental sulphur were at par. The correlation study showed that pod yield of groundnut was negatively correlated with chlorosis and positively correlated with the chlorophyll and carotenoid contents in groundnut leaves.     

种植北五味子和土壤中微量元素的测定

研究了土壤和种植北五味子果实中微量元素的含量差异。采用梅花形布点法采样,用ICP-MS测定土壤和果实中的微量元素含量。试验地土壤中含有丰富的微量元素,其含量大小依次为:CaKMgFeMnZnCu,所测北五味子果实中微量元素含量大小依次为:KMgCaFeMnZnCu。所测北五味子对土壤中微量元素的吸收具有选择性,北五味子中K含量明显高于土壤,Cu、Cr、Fe含量明显低于土壤,说明五味子对K有富积作用,对Cu、Cr、Fe无富积作用。     

Boron uptake and toxicity in wheat in relation to zinc supply

Zinc deficiency may enhance B absorption and transport to such an extent that B may possibly accumulate to toxic levels in plant tops. Therefore, a screen house experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of B levels (0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5 and 10 mg B kg^–1 soil) as influenced by Zn levels (0, 10 and 20 mg Zn kg^–1 soil) on DM yield of wheat tops and tissue concentration and uptake of B, Zn, Cu, Mn, Fe, Ca, Mg, K and P. Application of B decreased the dry matter yield of wheat significantly at all levels of Zn. Conversely, increasing levels of Zn increased the wheat yield significantly. The application of B increased the tissue concentration and uptake of B by wheat plants more in the absence than in the presence of Zn application. Consequently, concentration of B in wheat plants decreased with increasing levels of Zn application to the soil. This decrease in tissue B concentration was not only due to increased growth of wheat plants. Zinc application appears to have created a protective mechanism in the root cell environment against excessive uptake of B, as evidenced by the reduction of B uptake in Zn treated plants. The uptake of Mn, Mg and P decreased while the uptake of Cu, Fe, and K by wheat plants increased with Zn application. Whereas, the uptake of all nutrients (Cu, Fe, Mn, Ca, Mg, K and P) decreased significantly with the application of B. However, this depressive effect of B on nutrient uptake was less marked in the presence of applied Zn.     

Iron chlorosis in olive in relation to soil properties

Chlorosis due to iron (Fe) deficiency is becoming severe in olive (Olea europaea L.) trees growing on some highly calcareous soils in southern Spain. We investigated the relationships between the incidence of Fe chlorosis in three olive varieties (`Hojiblanco', `Manzanillo' and `Picual') and soil properties. Leaf chlorophyll content, estimated by the mean value of three SPAD measurements during the growing season, was poorly correlated with soil carbonate content and reactivity. In contrast, it was significantly correlated with the clay content and with the amounts of Fe extracted with oxalate (Fe_ox), citrate/ascorbate (Fe_ca), and diethylendiaminepentaacetid acid (Fe_DTPA). This suggests that the content and reactivity of poorly crystalline Fe compounds play an important role in Fe nutrition. The three olive varieties did not differ significantly in their susceptibility to Fe chlorosis. Soil test critical levels separating chlorotic and non-chlorotic trees were 300 g clay kg^–1 soil and 0.35 g Fe_ox kg^–1 soil.     

Trace metal contents of acidic,basic and neutral components of a cyclohexanol extract of Kosova Basin lignite

A sample of Kosova Basin lignite was extracted with cyclohexanol. The yield of extract was 19.98 wt%. The extract was fractionated into acidic, basic and neutral components and benzene- and petroleum ether-insoluble fractions. After ashing with HClO₄ and HNO₃, eleven elements (K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Pb, Zn, Cu, Mn, Cr, Cd and Ni) were analysed by atomic absorption spectroscopy and seven elements (Al, Ba, Sr, Be, B, Ga and V) by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy. A majority of the elements (Fe, B, Al, Zn, Pb, Cu, Ca, Mg, Sr, Ga and V) were found concentrated in the acidic and phenol fractions, while K, Ni, Ga and Cu predominated in the amine fraction. The metals thus analysed were associated with heteroatoms.     

Concentration of trace elements in arable soil after long-term application of organic and inorganic fertilizers

The Ruzyně Fertilizer Experiment (RFE, the Czech Republic) was established on a permanent arable field (illimerized Luvisol) in 1955. The effects of long-term application of several organic fertilizers (dung water, farmyard manure, poultry litter) and mineral N, P and K fertilizers on plant-available (extracted by CaCl₂), easily mobilizable (extracted by EDTA), potentially mobilizable (extracted by HNO₃) and total concentrations of trace elements were investigated in 2008. Concentrations of all analyzed trace elements in the applied fertilizers did not exceed the limits permitted by Czech national legislation. Concentrations of As, Cd and Cr were highest in single superphosphate, those of Cu, Mn and Ni were highest in poultry litter and those of Pb and Zn were highest in dung water. Poultry litter had the second highest concentration of As and Zn. Poultry litter supplied the soils with considerable amounts of Cu, Mn and Zn and increased their concentrations in the soil. There was also a significant increase in plant availability of Mn, Ni and Zn and a decrease in soil pH. Although all fertilizers were applied for five decades, total concentrations of As, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn in soil remained far below Czech legislation limits. For Cu and Zn this was probably due to the relatively low mean annual application rates of poultry litter. Total Cd concentrations in soil exceeded the legislative limit even in the control (without any fertilizer inputs) and the effect of treatment was not significant. This indicates that fertilizers were not the main source of Cd in the experimental area. Therefore, common cropping practices do not induce soil contamination by trace elements even if they have been applied for more than 50 years.     

Influence of continuous fertilization to a maize-wheat system on the changes in soil fertility

The effect of continuous application of rates of N (40, 80 and 120 kg N ha^–1), P (0, 17.5, and 35 kg P ha^–1) and K (0 and 33.2 kg K ha^–1) to a maize-wheat annual sequence on the changes in soil fertility after harvest of maize and wheat in their 11th cycle are reported. The organic carbon (O.C.), available nutrients and micronutrients tended to decline with cropping. Application of N or P significantly increased O.C. status of the soil both after harvest of maize and wheat. Potassium addition also increased the O.C. status but significant differences were observed only after wheat harvest (22nd crop). The available N status of the soil increased significantly with N application whereas a declining trend occurred with P dressings. Potassium application did not affect the soil available N content. The maximum decline in available P status was observed under N₁₂₀ P₀ K_33.2 treatment whereas a significant increase occurred in P treated plots. The available K status continued to decline in plots receiving increasing rates of N and NP fertilizers. The soil available K status was maintained to its initial content in plots receiving fertilizer K with increasing rates of N with or without P. Continuous application of increasing levels of N (averaged over PK) depleted the soil of DTPA-extractable Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu content. The addition of P also resulted in a decline in the status of Mn and Cu whereas the Fe and Mn content of the soil was increased. The available micronutrients content was least affected by K additions. The contents of organic carbon, available N and K in differentially fertilized plots were higher after harvest of 22 crops (wheat) than 21 crops (maize) while the reverse occurred in respect of available P and micronutrients.     

Influence of treated sewage sludge applications on temporal variations of plant nutrients and heavy metals in a Typic Xerofluvent soil

The objective of this study is to determine influence of Treated Sewage Sludge (TSS) rates as organic matter and nutrient resource on temporal variations of some macronutrients and micronutrients and heavy metals concentrations in a Typic Xerofluvent soil. The experiment was conducted in Menemen Plain, in the Western Anatolia Region of Turkey in 2003–2005. Moist TSS was added to the soil at the rates of 0, 30, 60 and 90 Mg ha⁻¹ on May 1, 2003. Peanut (Arachis hypogaea) was planted as the first crop. On the other hand, mixture of green barley (Hordeum vulgare) and common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) was planted as the second crop. During the experiment, soil samples were taken five times. Increasing TSS applications to this soil resulted in significantly increased concentrations of total N, Cu, Pb and Ni, and available P, K, Ca, Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn concentrations in soil. However, concentrations of available Mg and Na, total Fe, Zn, Mn, Cd, Co and Cr in soil did not significantly change. Micronutrients and heavy metals concentrations in soil were found under threshold values in all sampling periods in this study. Available nutrient concentrations in the soil decreased particularly in the last sampling periods because of plant uptake of nutrients from the applied TSS. It is recommended that 90 Mg ha⁻¹ moist TSS can be added once in a 2-year period for improving nutrient concentrations in Typic Xerofluvent soil.     

Effects of gypsum on growth and mineral content of Brussels sprouts,and soil properties of Orthic Podzols

Studies of crop response to Ca fertilizers are generally few as well as information concerning the Ca nutrition of Brussels sprouts (Brassica oleracea var.gemmifera). Six field studies were conducted, over three years, to determine yield response of Brussels sprouts to soil applied gypsum (CaSO₄.2H₂O), lime (calcite), and elemental S on sandy loam to loamy sand Orthic Podzols in Prince Edward Island. Relative yield of marketable (0–32mm) Brussels sprouts were related to soil ammonium acetate extractable Ca (r = 0.71). The highest yields (11 to 13 t ha^–1) were associated with an extractable Ca of above 400µg g^–1 soil, while a Ca level below 400µg reduced yield by 20%. Highest marketable yields were associated with a Ca level in the leaf tissue (in upper mature leaves at sprout formation) of above 2.2% (w/w) (r = 0.55), this in turn was associated (r = 0.87) with an extractable soil Ca above 400µg g^–1 soil. Calcite and elemental S did not influence yield or mineral content. Gypsum, as expected increased leaf S content, but leaf tissue S levels were not related to marketable yield. Slight decreases in soil pH due to increasing gypsum rate (0.5–4.3 t ha^–1) were associated with changing accumulations of B, Mn, Fe, Ca, and Zn in the leaf tissue. Gypsum had little effect on soil porosity and structure indices, but changing pH (in both gypsum and lime treatments) significantly influenced soil microbial biomass.     

新疆不同产地沙枣叶微量元素测定及主成分分析

为了测定新疆不同产地沙枣叶中Li、Na、Mg、K、Al、Ca、Fe、Cr、Mn、Cu、Zn、As、Se、Sr、Ag、Cd、Hg和Pb 18种微量元素的含量,利用微波消解法对沙枣叶样品进行前处理,采用ICP-MS测定沙枣叶中18种微量元素的含量,运用主成分分析法并结合SPSS软件对测定结果进行综合分析.结果显示,检测到新疆不同产地沙枣叶中Na、Mg、K、Ca、Fe、Mn、Zn、Sr、Se的含量相对较高,未检测到重金属元素Hg、Ag,这18种元素的加标回收率为95.8％ ～ 102.3％,相对标准偏差＜3.3％.最终主成分分析选出9个主因子,得出沙枣叶的特征元素为Mg、Al、Fe、Cu、Cd、K、Se.喀什地区沙枣叶品质总体高于其他7个产区.本方法能够准确、可靠地测定沙枣叶中微量元素的含量,具有较高的灵敏度,可用于沙枣叶中微量元素的测定,为沙枣叶的深度开发利用以及产区考核提供了参考依据.     

Needs for controlled-availability micronutrient fertilizers

Use of micronutrients for agronomic and horticultural crops has increased markedly in recent years. Increased use is related to higher nutrient demands from more intensive cropping practices and also from farming marginal lands. Most of the fertilizers used to correct micronutrient deficiencies are water- soluble inorganic sources or soluble organic products such as synthetic chelates or natural organic complexes. These fertilizers may react with soil to decrease their availability to plants. The rates of such chemical reactions may differ considerably with each micronutrient fertilizer and soil environment.Recommended micronutrient rates have been based on results of numerous experiments, and these rates vary with crop, soil, and other factors. The usual application rates (on an elemental basis) range from 1 to 10 kg ha^–1 for Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn; < 1 kg ha^–1 for B; and < 100 g ha^–1 for Mo.Because the metallic micronutrients (Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn) generally are sorbed strongly by soil clays, they do not move significantly in soil. Hence, they are not leached readily from the zone of application to lower soil depths or into groundwaters. Mobility of these micronutrient cations is higher in sandy soils, especially with high leaching conditions. Therefore, their movement out of the root zone is possible under some situations. Significant residual effects of soluble Cu and Zn sources greatly reduce the need for controlled-availability Cu and Zn products. Controlled-availability Fe and Mn fertilizers have not been effective because the rapid oxidation of Fe and Mn and reactions with soil reduce their availability upon release.Because soluble B fertilizers form boric acid molecules in soil, they are mobile and subject to leaching conditions. While mobility of B is less than that of NO ₃ ^- -N in soil, field results have demonstrated loss of applied B from the root zone in sandy soils. Slightly soluble B fertilizers, such as colemanite and ulexite, and fritted B products (powdered glass-like materials whose solubility is controlled by particle size) have been used in sandy soils for some crops.Molybdenum requirements are much lower than those of the other micronutrients. Deficiencies generally are corrected by liming the soil or by seed or foliar applications, so there is little need for controlled-availability Mo fertilizers.Little research has been conducted on controlled availability micronutrient fertilizers. While fritted products are considered in this category, they are difficult to handle and only may be of value in supplying B under specific conditions. Coating soluble granular micronutrient fertilizers also has been attempted, but there are few reported results of their relative effectiveness in comparison with conventional fertilizers and application methods. New micronutrient products may be needed for specific conditions such as greenhouse-culture or container-grown crops, but plant needs also may be met by multiple applications of soluble sources.     

Uptake and allocation of plant nutrients and Cd in maize,sunflower and tobacco growing on contaminated soil and the effect of soil conditioners under field conditions

Contaminated land may in many cases still be used for agriculture, provided that crops are chosen appropriately, as the accumulation of contaminants varies greatly among cultivars and also plant parts. We aimed to determine whether maize (Zea mays), sunflower (Helianthus annuus) and tobacco (Nicotiana tabaccum) grown on a heavy-metal contaminated soil containing copper (540 mg Cu kg⁻¹), zinc (680 mg Zn kg⁻¹) and cadmium (1.4 mg Cd kg⁻¹) could be used to gradually remediate the soil, while producing valuable biomass. The soil was treated with either a normal fertiliser regime (control), elemental sulphur (S), or the biodegradable chelant NTA (nitrilotriacetic acid), to test how soil acidification or chelating organic compounds would affect the uptake and allocation of selected elements (Ca, Cd, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, P, S and Zn). The highest concentrations of Cd, Cu and Zn occurred in the leaves and/or roots, while seeds and grains contained much lower concentrations of these elements. All these concentrations, however, were still in the ranges considered normal for the respective plant parts grown on uncontaminated soil. While sunflower and maize could be safely used as food and feed, tobacco would better be used for bioenergy than for cigarette production because of its relatively high foliar Cd concentration. The two treatments (S and NTA) had only slight effects on the uptake and allocation of plant nutrients and Cd. Thus, there was little benefit of these treatments for phytoextraction purposes at this site.     

The Rengen Grassland Experiment: soil contamination by trace elements after 65 years of Ca,N, P and K fertiliser application

The Rengen Grassland Experiment (RGE) was established in the Eifel Mts. (Germany) on a low productive Nardetum in 1941. Since then, the following fertiliser treatments have been applied along with a two cut system: unfertilised control, Ca, CaN, CaNP, CaNP–KCl and CaNP–K₂SO₄ with basic slag (syn. Thomas phosphate) as the only P fertiliser. The effect of long-term fertilisation on plant-available (extracted with 0.01 mol l⁻¹ CaCl₂), easily-mobilisable (extracted with 0.05 mol l⁻¹ EDTA), potentially-mobilisable (extracted with 2 mol l⁻¹ HNO₃) and total concentrations of trace elements (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) in the top 0–10 and 10–20 cm of soil were investigated in 2006. According to redundancy analysis (RDA), the effect of treatment on the concentrations of risk elements was significant and explained 82.3 and 90.6% of the variability in the data in the 0–10 and 10–20 cm soil layers, respectively. Basic slag supplied the soil with considerable amounts of As, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn. Following 65 years of fertiliser application the concentrations of risk elements in the soil profile had increased substantially, especially with basic slag. However, threshold limits for total trace element concentration in soil permitted by Czech national legislation were exceeded only in the case of As. The increase in plant-available As concentrations was most critical as it increased the potential uptake of As by plants in plots fertilised with P. Although P treatments received more than 300 g of Cr ha⁻¹ annually, no effect on plant-available Cr soil content was detected. This contrasted with the accumulation of total Cr in the 0–10 and 10–20 cm soil layers. Furthermore, plant availability of Cd, Fe, Mn and Zn was affected by soil pH and generally decreased with the application of quick lime. Plant availability of these elements was not correlated with amounts supplied by fertilisers.     

Geochemical implications of trace elements and sulfur in the saturate, aromatic and resin fractions of crude oil from the Mara and Mara Oeste fields, Venezuela

Ten trace elements (Cr, Zn, Fe, Mn, Cu, Co, Ni, Mo, V and Sr) and sulfur were determined in the saturate, aromatic and resin fractions of 15 crude oils from Mara (DM) and Mara Oeste (DMO) fields of the Maracaibo Basin, Venezuela. The oils studied are classified as unaltered or altered by biodegradation. In the altered oil, the depletion of n-alkanes, the absence of isoprenoids and the presence of steranes and hopanes unaltered by biodegradation are indicative of moderate biodegradation. The elements Zn, Fe, Mn, Cu, Ni, and Sr were detected in the saturated hydrocarbon fraction; Cr and V were detected in the aromatic fraction in addition to the above elements; whereas the elements detected for the resin fraction were Cr, Zn, Fe, Cu, Ni, Mo, V, and Sr. Co was not detected in any fractions of the oils analyzed. Sulfur was found in all fractions of the oils studied. It was proposed that Fe, Zn, Sr, and Mn could have entered the oil during migration or Fe, Zn and Mn as pollutants during oil extraction. Cr and Cu may be of biological origin and Mo could be incorporated into the reservoir through bacteria. Only S, V, and Ni in the resin fractions can be used as indicators of the origin and correlation of Mara and Mara Oeste oils. Based on the results obtained in this work, it can be established that the V/(V+Ni) ratio in the resin fraction can be used as a correlation parameter, for these oils.     

Investigation on the use of macro- and micro-nutrients to improve maize yield in South Western Nigeria

Investigation into the use of macro- and micro-nutrients to increase maize yield was conducted in both the glasshouse and in the field. The glasshouse studies involved ten soil series commonly cultivated to maize in South Western Nigeria, while the field studies were conducted on one soil at Ibadan.Dry matter yield increased above the control with a single application of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, Zn and Mn, suggesting that most of the soils in the South Western Nigeria require additions of each of these elements for increased maize production. The size of the response to each element varied from series to series. Soils which were high in organic matter (over 3%) required the lowest N dressings for optimum dry matter yield of maize.In the field studies, a fertilizer combination which included N, P, K, Mg and the micro nutrients Fe, Cu and Zn gave a higher relative yield than the single application of N, P, K, and a combination of NP, NK, Pk or NPK.In the South West Zone of Nigeria, there is no soil testing programme and fertilizers applied by farmers and researchers have not increased yields as expected. Average maize yield on farmers' field is less than 1000 kgha^–1 while on research stations it is 2500 kgha^–1. When compared with 7000 kgha^–1 in U.S.A., these yields are still very low.Different recommendations for the major plant nutrients have been made by many workers in the South West zone based on fertilizer trials [1, 5, 8, 13, 16].None of the recommendations have included the micronutrients and secondary nutrients and the objective of this project was to supply relevant information on this important aspect.     

Effects of benzoic and cinnamic acids on growth,mineral composition,and chlorophyll content of soybean

Organic acids are major water-soluble allelochemicals found in soil infested with quackgrass and are involved in several processes that are important in plant growth and development. This study was carried out to gain more information on the effects of benzoic acid (BEN) andtrans-cinnamic acid (CIN) on growth, mineral composition, and chlorophyll content of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr. cv. Maple Bell] grown in nutrient solution. The two allelochemicals reduced root and shoot dry biomass of soybean. Treated plants had fewer lateral roots and tended to grow more horizontally compared to the untreated plants. Lateral roots were stunted and less flexible. The amounts of P, K, Mg, Mn, Cl^–, and SO ₄ ^2– were lower, and Zn and Fe contents were higher in roots of plants grown with BEN or CIN as compared to untreated plants. Shoots of plants grown with the allelochemical showed greater accumulation of Ca, Mg, and Zn, whereas P and Fe contents were reduced. The BEN and CIN also caused reductions in leaf chlorophyll content. The BEN and CIN may be responsible for negative allelopathic effects of quackgrass on soybean by inhibiting root growth, by altering ion uptake and transport, and by reducing chlorophyll content.Contribution 493 of the Soils and Crop Research Center.     

Soil and crop management technologies for enhancing rice production under micronutrient constraints

Micronutrient deficiency is considered as one of the major causes of the declining productivity trends observed in ricegrowing countries. The submergence created for rice cultivation influences electrochemical and biochemical reactions, and alters pH, pCO2 and the concentration of certain ions. This environment increases the availability of Fe and Mn with concomitant decrease in Zn and Cu. It is well known that Zn deficiency is predominant in lowland ecosystems. Sodic and upland soils and calcareous coarse-textured soils with low organic matter content suffer from Fe deficiency, besides Zn and Cu deficiencies. Rice cultivars do not experience deficiency of B and Mo. The acid soils and the lowlying, poorly drained alluvial and colluvial soils are prone to Fe toxicity. Experiments in different agroecological zones all over India showed that Zn doses to correct Zn deficiency varied from 2.5 to 22 kg ha-1; 5.3 kg Zn ha-1 proved optimum and economical, with a maximum rice yield increase of 4.8 t ha-1. In the lowland ecosystem, amending the soil with the required amount of Zn before transplanting was effective and easy to adopt, compared with repeated foliar sprays of 0.5% ZnSO4 or use of Zn-enriched seedlings through seed soaking in 2–4% ZnSO4 solution, fertilizing the nursery with Zn, or seedling root dipping in 2% ZnO slurry. Hepta as well as monohydrated ZnSO4 were better than other sources of Zn (ZnO, ZnCl2 and Zn frits). The Zn-blended diammonium phosphate (Zn-DAP), superphosphate, and nitrophosphates also proved effective. The Zn-enriched organic manures (farmyard manure, green leaf manure, and coir pith compost) were found advantageous for the direct and residual crops. Zinc fertilization with an optimal dose of 25 kg ZnSO4 ha-1 once a year yielded high economic return. A differential response of rice up to a maximum increase in yield of 4.8 t ha-1 was observed with the foliar spray (1–2% FeSO4 solution) or soil incorporation of Fe (50 kg FeSO4 ha-1) with bulky organic manure (12.5 t ha-1). The application of 12.5 kg CuSO4 ha-1 ameliorated Cu deficiency and significantly enhanced rice production. Management strategies such as liming and additional multinutrient supply (P. K, Mg, Zn, Cu, and B), besides improving drainage, enhanced the rice productivity of soils prone to Fe toxicity by correcting the multinutrient deficiency syndrome.