Geochronology of a surface core in the northern basin of Lake Qinghai: Evidence from ^(210)Pb and ^(137)Cs radionuclides

The radioactivities of 210Pb and 137Cs have been measured to estimate the dates of the sediments of a surface core （QH0407-C-2） in the northern basin of Lake Qinghai. The sedimentation rate derived from 210Pb radioactivity correlates well with that inferred from （137）Cs radioactivity. The dates calculated from depth sedimentation rate （cm/a） are similar to those derived from mass accumulation rate （g·cm-2·a-1） between 0-5 cm, but are significantly different below 5 cm, which has been ascribed to the compaction of surface sediments during early diagenesis. The dates derived from mass accumulation rate are consistent with those calculated from the AMS 14C dating model. The precipitation-controlled indices based on the chronology data derived from mass accumulation rate are similar in trends to the precipitation reconstructed from tree rings in adjacent region, which further verifies the reliability of the geochronology data.

Effects of Seaweed Bio-organic Fertilizer on Growth and Yield of Winter Wheat

[Objective] This study aimed to investigate the effects of seaweed bio-or- ganic fertilizer on yield and quality of winter wheat. [Method] Seaweed bio-organic fertilizer was applied to leaves of winter wheat according to the dose of 45 kg/hm^2 from jointing stage to maturing stage, and plant height, dry matter accumulation, flag leaf photosynthetic characteristics and grain yield of winter wheat were investigated. [Result] Foliar spraying of seaweed bio-organic fertilizer showed little effect on plant height of winter wheat, thickened stems, promoted dry matter accumulation, in- creased flag leaf photosynthetic rate by 3.16%, and increased yield of winter wheat by 6.85%. [Conclusion] Foliar spraying of seaweed bio-organic fertilizer promoted the intelligent growth, thickened the stems, improved the lodging resistance, significantly increased the panicle weight per plant, and increased the bulk density of winter wheat, as well as improving the physical quality of wheat grain. In addition, foliar spraying of seaweed bio-organic fertilizer promoted the synthesis of chlorophyll and mitigated the decomposition of chlorophyll in winter wheat. Under the background of fertilizer-pesticide double reduction, the test results and data of this study can be promoted in the wheat-growing areas of Shandong Province and even whole China.

Relationships Between Yield, Quality and Nitrogen Uptake and Utilization of Organically Grown Rice Varieties

Due to the relatively late start of organic rice(Oryza sativa L.) research in China,there is a still lack of systematic research on rice varieties,organic fertilizer management practices,and especially the mechanisms of nitrogen(N) uptake and utilization.Three rice varieties,Nanjing 5055,Nanjing 9108,and Nanjing 46,were grown under organic farming(OF) at three organic fertilizer levels(103.2,160.8,and 218.4 kg N ha^(-1)) and conventional farming(CF) with regular chemical fertilizers.Rice grain yields,yield components,and quality,dry matter accumulation,and plant N were measured at different growth stages during the 2012 and 2013 growing seasons.Compared with CF,OF had a significantly reduced yield.Nanjing 9108 showed significant reductions in number of panicles per unit area and percentage of filled grains,and had the lowest yield.The effects of fertilizer type and application rate on dry matter accumulation during the main growth periods were significant for all varieties.The N content and uptake in organically grown rice were lower compared with those of rice under CF.The N recovery efficiency and N agronomic efficiency were significantly lower,whereas N physiological efficiency and N partial factor productivity were greater under OF than under CF.Under OF,the processing quality showed a slight but insignificant decline,protein content and gel consistency increased,and amylose content decreased compared with those under CF.Correlation analysis showed that under OF,grain yield was significantly correlated with N uptake.The medium organic fertilizer level(160.8 kg N ha^(-1)) was found to be the optimum fertilizer treatment,and Nanjing 46 appeared to be the best variety for organic rice cultivation.To increase rice grain yields and reduce the potential risk of non-point source pollution in organic agriculture,further research is needed to improve the N use efficiency in organic rice cultivation.