Effects of long-term partial substitution of inorganic fertilizer with pig manure and/or straw on nitrogen fractions and microbiological properties in greenhouse vegetable soils

Partial substitution of inorganic fertilizers with organic amendments is an important agricultural management practice.An 11-year field experiment(22 cropping periods)was carried out to analyze the impacts of different partial substitution treatments on crop yields and the transformation of nitrogen fractions in greenhouse vegetable soil.Four treatments with equal N,P_(2)O_(5),and K_(2)O inputs were selected,including complete inorganic fertilizer N(CN),50%inorganic fertilizer N plus 50%pig manure N(CPN),50%inorganic fertilizer N plus 25%pig manure N and 25%corn straw N(CPSN),and 50%inorganic fertilizer N plus 50%corn straw N(CSN).Organic substitution treatments tended to increase crop yields since the 6th cropping period compared to the CN treatment.From the 8th to the 22nd cropping periods,the highest yields were observed in the CPSN treatment where yields were 7.5-11.1%greater than in CN treatment.After 11-year fertilization,compared to CN,organic substitution treatments significantly increased the concentrations of NO_(3)^(-)-N,NH_(4)^(+)-N,acid hydrolysis ammonium-N(AHAN),amino acid-N(AAN),amino sugar-N(ASN),and acid hydrolysis unknown-N(AHUN)in soil by 45.0-69.4,32.8-58.1,49.3-66.6,62.0-69.5,34.5-100.3,and 109.2-172.9%,respectively.Redundancy analysis indicated that soil C/N and OC concentration significantly affected the distribution of N fractions.The highest concentrations of NO_(3)^(-)-N,AHAN,AAN,AHUN were found in the CPSN treatment.Organic substitution treatments increased the activities ofβ-glucosidase,β-cellobiosidase,N-acetyl-glucosamidase,L-aminopeptidase,and phosphatase in the soil.Organic substitution treatments reduced vector length and increased vector angle,indicating alleviation of constraints of C and N on soil microorganisms.Organic substitution treatments increased the total concentrations of phospholipid fatty acids(PLFAs)in the soil by 109.9-205.3%,and increased the relative abundance of G^(+)bacteria and fungi taxa,but decreased the relative abundance of G-bacteria,total bacteria,and actinomycetes.Overall,long-term organic substitution management increased soil OC concentration,C/N,and the microbial population,the latter in turn positively influenced soil enzyme activity.Enhanced microorganism numbers and enzyme activity enhanced soil N sequestration by transforming inorganic N to acid hydrolysis-N(AHN),and enhanced soil N supply capacity by activating non-acid hydrolysis-N(NAHN)to AHN,thus improving vegetable yield.Application of inorganic fertilizer,manure,and straw was a more effective fertilization model for achieving sustainable greenhouse vegetable production than application of inorganic fertilizer alone.

MULTIFRACTAL ANALYSIS OF CONVERGENCE EXPONENTS FOR PRODUCTS OF CONSECUTIVE PARTIAL QUOTIENTS IN CONTINUED FRACTIONS

For each real number x∈(0,1),let[a_(1)(x),a_(2)(x),…,a_n(x),…]denote its continued fraction expansion.We study the convergence exponent defined byτ(x)=inf{s≥0:∞∑n=1(a_(n)(x)a_(n+1)(x))^(-s)<∞},which reflects the growth rate of the product of two consecutive partial quotients.As a main result,the Hausdorff dimensions of the level sets ofτ(x)are determined.

Key Physical Factors Affecting Spatial-temporal Variation of Labile Organic Carbon Fractions by Biochar Driven in Mollisols Region of Northeast China

Biochar is widely used to improve soil physical properties and carbon sequestration. However, few studies focuse on the impact of maize stalk biochar on labile organic carbon(LOC) pool and the relationship between physical properties and LOC fractions. A field positioning experiment was performed in Mollisols region of Northeast China to evaluate the influence of maize stalk biochar on the spatial distribution and temporal changes of physical properties and LOC fractions. Maize stalk biochar treatments included C1(1.5 kg·hm^(-2)), C2(3 kg·hm^(-2)), C3(15 kg·hm^(-2)), C4(30 kg·hm^(-2)), and CK(0). The results showed that maize stalk biochar increased soil water contents(SWC) and soil porosity(SP), but reduced bulk density(BD). Maize stalk biochar reduced dissolved organic carbon(DOC) contents in the 0-20 cm soil layer, ranging from 0.25 g·kg^(-1) to 0.31 g·kg^(-1) in harvest period, while increased in the 20-40 cm soil layer. In addition, the application of biochar had a significant impact on the spatial distribution and temporal change of SWC, BD, SP, DOC, hot-water extractable carbon(HWC), acid hydrolyzed organic carbon(AHC Ⅰ, Ⅱ), and readily oxidized organic carbon(ROC). High amounts of maize stalk biochar up-regulated the contents of soil organic carbon SOC, HWC, AHC Ⅰ, AHC Ⅱ, and ROC. In addition, SWC and SP were the key physical factors to affect LOC fractions. In conclusions, maize stalk biochar could improve physical properties, and then influence LOC fractions, and maize stalk biochar could be used as an organic amendment for restoring degraded soils governed by their rates of addition.

Comparative pyrolysis kinetics of heavy oil and its SARA fractions using distributed activation energy model

The pyrolysis behaviors of Qingdao vacuum residue(QD-VR)and its SARA(saturates,aromatics,reins,and asphaltenes)fractions were evaluated by thermo-gravimetric with mass spectrometer(TG-MS).The pyrolysis kinetics were determined by Friedman,one-parallel and four-parallel distributed activation energy model(DAEM),respectively.The results indicated that the pyrolysis behavior of QD-VR was similar to that of aromatics.For saturates,the release of H_(2),CH_(4),CO,and CO_(2) occurred in 80-400℃,while the temperature range for QD-VR and other fractions is 200-800℃.The average activation energy(Ea)via Friedman method was 179.72 kJ/mol and increased with the conversion ratio.One-parallel Gaussian DAEM was more suitable to describe the pyrolysis process of the single SARA fractions,while four-parallel Gaussian DAEM was more suitable to describe the pyrolysis process of heavy oil.Furthermore,comparing the weighted E_(a) from one-parallel(227.64 kJ/mol)and four-parallel Gaussian DAEM(204.63 kJ/mol),the results suggested that during pyrolysis process of heavy oil,there was an interaction between the SARA fractions,which could reduce the E_(a) of heavy oil pyrolysis.Specifically,during heavy oil pyrolysis,resins and asphaltenes could increase the E_(a) of saturates and aromatics,while saturates and aromatics could decrease the E_(a) of resins and asphaltenes.

Pectin fractions extracted sequentially from Cerasus humilis:Their compositions,structures,functional properties and antioxidant activities

Three pectin fractions(water-soluble fraction(WSF),chelator-soluble fraction(CSF),and sodium carbonatesoluble fraction(NSF))were obtained from Chinese dwarf cherry(Cerasus humilis)fruits.All of them were branched low methoxylated pectins with an amorphous or partially nanocrystalline nature and eight neutral monosaccharides(arabinose and galactose were most abundant).WSF,CSF and NSF had a degree of methylation(DM)of 35.82%,14.85%and 7.13%,uronic acid(UA)content of 76.02%,83.71%and 69.01%,and total protein content of 2.4%,2.1%and 8.8%,respectively.Their molecular weights were 340.31,330.16 and 141.31 kg/mol,respectively(analyzed by gel permeation chromatography(GPC)).WSF,CSF and NSF exhibited good rheological,thermal,emulsifying,emulsion-stabilizing,water-adsorbing,oil-binding,cholesterol-binding and antioxidant properties.NSF had the highest emulsifying,emulsion stabilizing,water-/oil-/cholesterol-binding and antioxidant capacities,followed by CSF.NSF had the highest viscosity(406.77 m Pa·s),flowability,and resistance to heat-induced changes/damage,which may be related to its lowest polydispersity index,DM and UA content and highest protein content.The three pectin fractions with desirable characteristics can be used as food additives/ingredients and dietary supplements.

Deadwood affects the soil organic matter fractions and enzyme activity of soils in altitude gradient of temperate forests

The main objective of our study has been to determine the role of deadwood in the shaping of the amount of soil organic matter fractions in mountain forest soils.For this purpose,a climosequence approach comprising north(N)and south(S)exposure along the altitudinal gradient(600,800,1000 and 1200 m a.s.l.)was set up.By comparing the properties of decomposing deadwood and those of the soils located directly beneath the decaying wood we drew conclusions about the role of deadwood in the shaping of soil organic matter fractions and soil carbon storage in different climate conditions.The basic properties,enzymatic activity and fractions of soil organic matter(SOM)were determined in deadwood and affected directly by the components released from decaying wood.Heavily decomposed deadwood impacts soil organic matter stabilization more strongly than the less decayed deadwood and the light fraction of SOM is more sensitive to deadwood effects than the heavy fraction regardless of the location in the altitude gradient.Increase in SOM mineral-associated fraction C content is more pronounced in soils under the influence of deadwood located in lower locations of warmer exposure.Nutrients released from decaying wood stimulate the enzymatic activity of soils that are within the range of deadwood influence.

Effects of phosphorus fertilizer application rate on transformation processes of phosphorus fractions in the purple alluvial soil of a riparian zone

Effects of phosphorus(P)fertilizer application rate on soil transformation processes of P fraction are still unclear in the riparian zone.Purple alluvial soils in the riparian zone of the Three Gorges Reservoir were collected to conduct a 21-day incubation executed by two hydrological environments(drying and flooding)and ten application rates of P fertilizer.Transformation percentages of P fertilizer(TPPF)were calculated as content differences of soil P fractions between fertilizer addition and none fertilizer addition divided by soil total P increases caused by fertilizer addition.TPPF to inorganic P extracted by sodium hydroxide(NaOH-Pi)and hydrochloric acid(HCl-Pi)increase by 20.91%(9.71%)and 24.26%(40.72%)under the drying(flooding)environment.Instead,TPPF to the other fractions decrease.Phosphorus fertilizer input mainly has indirect positive and negative effects on organic P via precipitated P under the drying and flooding environments and finally has indirect positive effects on labile P(p<0.001).Percentage changes of water-soluble inorganic P(H2O-Pi)and HCl-Pi under the flooding environment are higher than that under the drying environment,and percentage changes of organic P extracted by sodium hydrogen carbonate(Na HCO3-Po)and NaOH-Pi show an opposite trend(p<0.01).?(differences in soil P fraction content between flooding and drying incubations)H2O-Pi is negatively correlated with?NaHCO3-Po,and?NaHCO3-Po is positively correlated with?NaOH-Pi(p<0.001).In conclusion,P fertilizer is transformed more into precipitated P than into other P fractions with an application rate increase.Phosphorus fertilizer input mainly increases organic P via precipitated P under the drying environment and decreases organic P via precipitated P under the flooding environment,and organic P is further transformed into labile P.With P fertilizer input,P release caused by flooding is derived from NaHCO3-Po release triggered by NaOH-Pi release.The results can be helpful for the understanding of P fertilizer migration processes from the riparian zone soil to the Three Gorges Reservoir under rain leaching and flooding.

Determination of Atomic Fractions of Isotopes Carbon-13 and Nitrogen-15 Directly in Glicine, L-Leucine, Isoleucine and Alanine

Using compounds modified by the isotopes carbon-13 and nitrogen-15 helps conduct research in various fields of science, such as medicine, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, metabolism, agriculture, and others. In the case of the availability of reliable, express, and cheap methods, the area of their use will gradually expand. A determination of the atomic fraction of the isotopes carbon-13 and nitrogen-15 directly in glycine, leucine, isoleucine, and alanine is proposed;the modification concerns all centers or one or more identical carbon and nitrogen centers separately, as well as both isotopes at the same time. There are defined mass lines of the mass spectrum of each amino acid, through which the isotopic content of carbon and nitrogen is calculated. The processes that must be taken into account for the determination of the isotopic content are also established. Isotopic analysis of these compounds until now was carried out by transforming them into carbon oxide, dioxide, and molecular nitrogen, and determination of their content in individual centers was impossible.

Phosphorus fractions and its release in the sediments of Haihe River,China

The amounts and forms of phosphorus （P） in surface sediments of Haihe River, Tianjin, North China, were examined using a sequential chemical extraction procedure. Five fractions of sedimentary P, including loosely sorbed P （NH4Cl-P）, redox-sensitive P （BD-P）, metal oxide bound P （NaOH-P）, calcium bound P （HCI-P）, and residual P （Res-P） （organic and refractory P）, were separately quantified. The results indicated that the contents of different P fractions in the sediments varied greatly. The total P （TP） contents ranged from 968 to 2017 mg/kg. Phosphorus contents in NH4Cl-P, BD-P, NaOH-P, and HCl-P ranged from 6.7 to 26.6 mg/kg, 54.5 to 90.2 mg/kg, 185.2 to 382.5 mg/kg, and 252.3 to 425.5 mg/kg, respectively, which represented 1.2%-3.2%, 7.7%-13%, 33.3%-48.9%, and 36.2%-54.2% of the sedimentary inorganic P, respectively. For all the sediment samples, the rank order of P-fractions was Res-P 〉 HCl-P 〉 NaOH-P 〉 BD-P 〉 NH4Cl-P. The highly positive relationship between the amounts of P released from the sediments and those in the NH4Cl-P and BD-P fractions, indicated that NH4Cl-P and BD-P were the main fractions that can release P easily.

Effects of long-term straw return on soil organic carbon fractions and enzyme activities in a double-cropped rice paddy in South China

Long-term straw return is an important carbon source for improving soil organic carbon(SOC) stocks in croplands, and straw removal through burning is also a common practice in open fields in South China. However, the specific effects of long-term rice straw management on SOC fractions, the related enzyme activities and their relationships, and whether these effects differ between crop growing seasons remain unknown. Three treatments with equal nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium nutrient inputs, including straw/ash and chemical nutrients, were established to compare the effects of straw removal(CK), straw return(SR), and straw burned return(SBR). Compared to CK, long-term SR tended to improve the yield of early season rice(P=0.057), and significantly increased total organic carbon(TOC) and microbial biomass carbon(MBC) in double-cropped rice paddies. While SBR had no effect on TOC, it decreased light fraction organic carbon(LFOC) in early rice and easily oxidizable organic carbon(EOC) in late rice, significantly increased dissolved organic carbon(DOC), and significantly decreased soil p H. These results showed that MBC was the most sensitive indicator for assessing changes of SOC in the double-cropped rice system due to long-term straw return. In addition, the different effects on SOC fraction sizes between SR and SBR were attributed to the divergent trends in most of the soil enzyme activities in the early and late rice that mainly altered DOC, while DOC was positively affected by β-xylosidase in both early and late rice. We concluded that straw return was superior to straw burned return for improving SOC fractions, but the negative effects on soil enzyme activities in late rice require further research.

Corn straw return can increase labile soil organic carbon fractions and improve water-stable aggregates in Haplic Cambisol

Corn straw return to the field is a vital agronomic practice for increasing soil organic carbon(SOC)and its labile fractions,as well as soil aggregates and organic carbon(OC)associated with water-stable aggregates(WSA).Moreover,the labile SOC fractions play an important role in OC turnover and sequestration.The aims of this study were to determine how different corn straw returning modes affect the contents of labile SOC fractions and OC associated with WSA.Corn straw was returned in the following depths:(1)on undisturbed soil surface(NTS),(2)in the 0–10 cm soil depth(MTS),(3)in the 0–20 cm soil depth(CTS),and(4)no corn straw applied(CK).After five years(2014–2018),soil was sampled in the 0–20 and 20–40 cm depths to measure the water-extractable organic C(WEOC),permanganate oxidizable C(KMnO4-C),light fraction organic C(LFOC),and WSA fractions.The results showed that compared with CK,corn straw amended soils(NTS,MTS and CTS)increased SOC content by 11.55%–16.58%,WEOC by 41.38%–51.42%,KMnO4-C and LFOC by 29.84%–34.09%and 56.68%–65.36%in the 0–40 cm soil depth.The LFOC and KMnO4-C were proved to be the most sensitive fractions to different corn straw returning modes.Compared with CK,soils amended with corn straw increased mean weight diameter by 24.24%–40.48%in the 0–20 cm soil depth.The NTS and MTS preserved more than 60.00%of OC in macro-aggregates compared with CK.No significant difference was found in corn yield across all corn straw returning modes throughout the study period,indicating that adoption of NTS and MTS would increase SOC content and improve soil structure,and would not decline crop production.

Effects of land-use types on the vertical distribution of fractions of oxidizable organic carbon on the Loess Plateau, China

The oxidizability of soil organic carbon （SOC） influences soil quality and carbon sequestration. Four fractions of oxidizable organic carbon （very labile （C1）, labile （C2）, less labile （C3） and non-labile （C4）） reflect the status and composition of SOC and have implications for the change and retention of SOC. Studies of the fractions of oxidizable organic carbon （OC） have been limited to shallow soil depths and agroecosystems. How these fractions respond at deep soil depths and in other types of land-use is not clear. In this study, we evaluated the vertical distributions of the fractions of oxidizable organic carbon to a soil depth of 5.0 m in 10 land-use types in the Zhifanggou Watershed on the Loess Plateau, China. Along the soil profile, C1 contents were highly variable in the natural grassland and shrubland I （Caragana microphylla）, C2 and C4 contents were highly variable in the natural grassland and two terraced croplands, respectively, and C3 contents varied little. Among the land-use types, natural grassland had the highest C1 and C2 contents in the 0-0.4 m layers, followed by shrubland I in the 0-0.1 m layer. Natural grassland had the highest C4 contents in the 1.0-4.5 m layers. Natural grassland and shrubland I thus contributed to improve the oxidizability of SOC in shallow soil, and the deep soil of natural grassland has a large potential to sequester SOC on the Loess Plateau.

Effects of long-term fertilization on oxidizable organic carbon fractions on the Loess Plateau,China

The effects of long-term fertilization on pools of soil organic carbon （SOC） have been well studied, but limited information is available on the oxidizable organic carbon （OOC） fractions, especially for the Loess Plateau in China. We evaluated the effects of a 15-year fertilization on the OOC fractions （F1, F2, F3 and F4） in the 0-20 and 20-40 cm soil layers in flat farmland under nine treatments （N （nitrogen, urea）, P （phosphorus, monocalcium phosphate）, M （organic fertilizer, composted sheep manure）, N＋P （NP）, M＋N （MN）, M＋P （MP）, M＋N＋P （MNP）, CK （control, no fertilizer） and bare land （BL, no crops or fertilizer））. SOC content increased more markedly in the treatment containing manure than in those with inorganic fertilizers alone. F1, F2, F4 and F3 accounted for 47%, 27%, 18% and 8% of total organic carbon, respectively. F1 was a more sensitive index than the other C fractions in the sensitivity index （SI） analysis. F1 and F2 were highly correlated with total nitrogen （TN） and available nitrogen （AN）, F3 was negatively correlated with pH and F4 was correlated with TN. A cluster analysis showed that the treatments containing manure formed one group, and the other treatments formed another group, which indicated the different effects of fertilization on soil properties. Long-term fertilization with inorganic fertilizer increased the F4 fraction while manure fertilizer not only increased labile fractions （F1） in a short time, but also increased passive fraction （F4） over a longer term. The mixed fertilizer mainly affected F3 fraction. The study demonstrated that manure fertilizer was recommended to use in the farmland on the Loess Plateau for the long-term sustainability of agriculture.

Influence of Lanthanum on Phosphorus Uptake and Its Chemical Fractions in Rice Crop (Oryza Sativa)

The effects of lanthanum on rice growth, phosphorus uptake and phosphorus chemical fractions in rice were studied with split root solution culture. Results show that low concentration of La (0.05～1.5 mg·L -1 ) significantly increases rice yield while high La concentration (9～30 mg·L -1 ) markedly decreases rice yield. When La concentration is 0.05～0.75 mg·L -1 , La increases stem and root dry weight, but the difference is not statistically significant. La significantly increases EDTA P and inorganic P content in the stem and root. More than 80% of the increase of phosphors content in roots attributing to increase of EDTA P and inorganic P. Low La concentration (0.05～0.75 mg·L -1 ) increases nucleic P content in root, but high La concentration (30 mg·L -1 ) decreases nucleic P and ester P content in root. The residue P content increases in the root and stem. Also the relationship between the chemical fractions of phosphorus and its uptake by rice was discussed.

Effect of long-term fertilization on phosphorus fractions in different soil layers and their quantitative relationships with soil properties

Investigating the dynamics and distribution of soil phosphorus(P) fractions can provide a basis for enhancing P utilization by crops. Four treatments from a 29-year long-term experiment in black soil with maize cropping were involved in this study: no fertilizer(CK), inorganic nitrogen and potassium(NK), inorganic nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium(NPK), and NPK plus manure(NPKM). We analyzed soil P fractions in different soil layers using a modified Hedley sequential method. The long-term NPKM treatment significantly increased total P by 0.6–1.6 times in the different soil layers. The Olsen-P concentration far exceeded the environmental threshold for soil Olsen-P(50.6 mg kg) in the NPKM treatment in the 0–60 cm soil profile. Moreover, the concentrations and proportion of labile and partially labile inorganic P(Pi) fractions(i.e., Na HCO-extracted Pi, Na OH-extracted Pi, and dilute HClextracted Pi) to the sum of all P fractions(Pt) in the 0–60 cm soil profile were higher in the NPKM treatment than in the NPK treatment, indicating that manure could promote the transformation of non-labile into more labile forms of P in soil, possibly by manure reducing P fixation by soil particles. Soil organic matter, Mehlich-3 extractable iron(Fe), and organic-bound aluminum were increased by fertilization, and were the main factors influencing the differences in the P fractions in the 0–20 cm soil layer. Soil mineral components, i.e., free Fe oxide and Ca CO, were the main factors influencing the P fractions in the subsoil. The soil P transformation process varied with soil layer and fertilization. Application of manure fertilizer can increase the labile(Olsen) P concentrations of the various soil layers, and thus should reduce the mineral P fertilizer requirement for crop growth and reduce potential environmental damage.

ARBITRARILY LONG ARITHMETIC PROGRESSIONS FOR CONTINUED FRACTIONS OF LAURENT SERIES

A famous theorem of Szemer＇edi asserts that any subset of integers with posi- tive upper density contains arbitrarily arithmetic progressions. Let Fq be a finite field with q elements and Fq（（X^-1）） be the power field of formal series with coefficients lying in Fq. In this paper, we concern with the analogous Szemeredi problem for continued fractions of Laurent series： we will show that the set of points x ∈ Fq（（X-1）） of whose sequence of degrees of partial quotients is strictly increasing and contain arbitrarily long arithmetic progressions is of Hausdorff dimension 1/2.

Dynamics of soil inorganic phosphorus fractions at aggregate scales in a chronosequence of Chinese fir plantations

Successive cultivation of Chinese fir(Cunninghamia lanceolata) would markedly affect the distribution and accumulation of soil inorganic phosphorus(Pi).However,how different chronosequence phases of Chinese fir plantations exerting influences on the quality and quantity of soil Pi fractions in aggregate-scale remain poorly understood. This study researched the dynamic changes of aggregate-related Pi fractions encompassing occluded-P(O-P), aluminum-bound P(Al-P), iron-bound P(Fe-P), and calcium-bound P(Ca-P) in topsoil(0-20 cm) from different stand aged(9-, 17-, and 26-yr) Chinese fir plantations and one nearby abandoned land(CK) in Rongshui County,Guangxi, China. In this study, soil aggregates were classified into micro-aggregates(< 0.25 mm), small macro-aggregates(1-0.25 mm), medium macroaggregates(2-1 mm), and large macro-aggregates(> 2 mm) by one wet-sieving process. As the primary aggregate fractions correlated with better soil aggregate stability, the large macro-aggregates took the highest proportion in all aggregate sizes regardless of various stand ages of Chinese fir plantations. Besides, the 17-yr plantations of Chinese fir displayed the highest stability of aggregates structure. Compared with CK, all four soil Pi fractions from three different stand ages of Chinese fir plantations generally showed increasing trends.Irrespective of chronosequence phases, Al-P was mainly carried by small macro-aggregates. O-P showed the opposite tendency to Al-P, which had the lowest content in small macro-aggregates. Fe-P and Ca-P showed an even distribution in all aggregates.The contribution rates and stocks of each Pi fraction exhibited close relevance to the content of soil aggregates. As revealed from the results, planting of Chinese fir before 17-yr was beneficial to prompt the formation of large macro-aggregates and the level of soil P. But after 17-yr, successive monoculture planting of Chinese fir would reduce the stability of soil aggregates and render the losses of soil P. The dynamics of soil total phosphorous(TP) and Pi fractions contents were highly related to the stand ages of Chinese fir plantations, but less related to the distribution of soil aggregate sizes. As the major carriers for soil P stocks, the large macro-aggregates played a vital role in the cycles and reserves of soil P.

Effects of different levels of compost application on amounts and distribution of organic nitrogen forms in soil particle size fractions subjected mainly to double cropping

Effects of different levels of compost application on the amounts and percentage distribution of organic N forms in whole soils and particle size fractions were investigated. Soil samples were collected from three plots: (a) F, only chemical fertilizers;(b) F+LC, chemical fertilizers plus low level of compost;(c) F+HC, chemical fertilizers plus high level of compost. Each soil sample was divided into five fractions: coarse sand-sized aggregate (CSA), medium sand-sized aggregate (MSA), fine sand-sized aggregate (FSA), silt-sized aggregate (SIA) and clay-sized aggregate (CLA) fractions. The sand fractions were subdivided into decayed plants (DP) and mineral particles (MP). The amounts of total N and different organic N forms in the whole soils as well as size fractions generally increased with increasing the amount of compost. In the whole soils, percentage distribution of non-hydrolysable-N and amino sugar-N increased by compost application while the distribution values of the hydrolysable ammonium- N and unidentified-N decreased. The application did not affect the distribution degree of amino acid-N. In the size fractions, the distribution values of most organic N forms increased in the CSA-DP, MSA-DP and FSA-DP fractions by compost application. In the CLA fractions, the amounts and percentage distribution of organic N forms were the highest, although the application caused decreases in their distribution values. These findings indicate that the CLA fraction merit close attention as an important reservoir of various organic N.

Antitrypanosomal potentials of the extract and fractions of Abrus precatorius seeds

Objective:To evaluate the in vivo trypanocidal activity of the methanol extract and fractions of Abrus precatorius seeds in mice.Methods:Parasiteamia was induced unto mice by intraperitoneal injection of 1.25×105 Trypanosoma in normal saline.Five days when a high level of parasiteamia was established treatment commenced until ten days.The mice were treated with 10,20 and 40 mg/kg bt.of the extract and 5 and 10 mg/kg bt.of the fraction（F2）,respectively for 5 days.Diminazene acelurate at the dose of 3.5 mg/kg bt.for two days was used as the reference drug.The level of parasitaemia and packed cell volume（PCV） of the animals estimated. Results:At doses of 10,20 and 40 mg/kg the crude extract showed a sharp reduction in the level of parasitaemia in mice compared with the untreated group.The mice treated with F,at doses of 5 and 10 mg/kg showed a sharp reduction in the level of parasitamia to zero in day 9,and a gradual recovery from the 12th day of treatment.This effect is comparable to that of the mice treated with 7 mg/kg of standard drug diminazene aceturate.The PCV of the treated showed a gradual decrease with time,but not as much as the untreated group.Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of glycosides,alkaloids,carbohydrates,tannins and proteins in the Abrus precatorius powder while F2 was rich in alkaloids.Conclusions:This study shows that both the extract and the fractions of Abrus precatorius seeds exhibited a promising trypanocidal property.Alkaloids may be responsible for the observed activity.

Soil phosphorus fractions and their availability over natural succession from clear-cut of a mixed broadleaved and Korean pine forest in northeast China

To assess phosphorus(P)status of forest soil under naturally restored vegetation,P fractions in the 10-cm soil layer were quantified at different successional stages on the clear-cut site of mixed broadleaved and Korean pine forest.Four communities of shrub,softwood broad-leaved forest,softwood and hardwood broad-leaved forest,and hardwood broad-leaved forest represented different successional stages.A soil sample from a primary broad-leaved and Korean pine stand was the control.A sequential P fractionation scheme extracted empirically defined pools of P and path analysis used to partition the direct and indirect contribution of soil P fractions to available P.The results show that available P increased significantly with long-term succession,while both sodium bicarbonate-extractable P(NaHCO_(3)-P)and sodium hydroxide-extractable P(NaOHP)fractions were reduced in early successional stages and increased in late stages.Compared to the primary forest,concentrations of P fractions in the four stages significantly decreased except for HCl-P,indicating that soil P supplements over the long-term did not return to primary forest levels.The results of related analysis also showed that NaHCO_(3)-P_(i)levels were significantly related to available phosphorus.According to the path analysis coefficient,NaHCO_(3)-P_(i)exhibited the highest effect on available P among eight P fractions;the indirect effects of other P fractions via NaHCO_(3)-P_(i)were larger than those with other P fractions.Overall,this study suggests that soil P bioavailability gradually improved during natural vegetation restoration on clear-cut sites mainly through the increase of NaHCO_(3)-P,where phosphorous is immediately available,and subsequently available phosphorus Na OH-P.