Effect of Phosphorus and Irrigation Levels on Yield,Water Productivity,Phosphorus Use Efficiency and Income of Lowland Rice in Northwest Pakistan

With decreasing availability of water for agriculture and increasing demand for rice production, an optimum use of irrigation water and phosphorus may guarantee sustainable rice production. Field experiments were conducted in 2003 and 2004 to investigate the effect of phosphorus and irrigation levels on yield, water productivity （WP）, phosphorus use efficiency （PUE） and income of low land rice. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design with split plot arrangements replicated four times. Main plot consisted of five phosphorus levels, viz. 0 （P0）, 50 （P50）, 100 （P100）, 150 （P15o）, and 200 （P200） kg/hm2, while subplots contained of irrigation times, i.e. 8 （I8）, 10 （I10）, 12 （I12）, and 14 （I14） irrigation levels, each with a water depth of 7.5 cm. Mean values revealed that P150 in combination with I10 produced the highest paddy yield （9.8 t/hm2） and net benefit （1 231.8 US$/hm2） among all the treatments. Phosphorus enhanced WP when applied in appropriate combination with irrigation level. The highest mean WP [13.3 kg/（hm2-mm）] could be achieved at Plso with 18 and decreased with increase in irrigation level, while the highest mean PUE （20.1 kg/kg） could be achieved at P100 with I10 and diminished with higher P levels. The overall results indicate that P150 along with I10 was the best combination for sustainable rice cultivation in silty clay soil.

The relation between serum phosphorus levels and long-term mortality in Chinese patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction

Background Elevated serum phosphorus levels may be associated with adverse outcomes in cardiovascular disease. This study aimed to investigate the relation between serum phosphorus levels and risk of all-cause mortality in Chinese patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) who had preserved renal function at baseline. Methods We enrolled patients with STEMI who had preserved renal function at baseline in Xuanwu Hospital from January 2011 to December 2016. Those patients were divided into four groups based on serum phosphorus levels. All-cause mortality rates were compared between groups. Mean duration of follow up was 54.6 months. We used Cox proportional-hazards models to examine the relation between serum phosphorus levels and all-cause mortality after adjustment for potential confounders. Results 1989 patients were involved and 211 patients (10.6%) died during follow-up. Based on serum phosphorus levels, patients were categorized into the following groups:< 2.50 mg/dL (n = 89), 2.51–3.50 mg/dL (n = 1066), 3.51–4.50 mg/dL (n = 672) and > 4.50 mg/dL (n = 162), respectively. The lowest mortality occurred in patients with serum phosphorus levels between 2.51–3.50 mg/dL, with a multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio of 1.19 (95% CI: 0.64–1.54), 1.37 (95% CI: 1.22–1.74), and 1.46 (95% CI: 1.35–1.83) in patients with serum phosphorus levels of < 2.50 mg/dL, 3.51–4.50 mg/dL and > 4.50 mg/dL, respectively. Conclusions Elevated serum phosphorus levels were associated with all-cause mortality in Chinese patients with STEMI who had preserved renal function at baseline.

Phosphorus budget of redeye mullet (Liza haematocheila T. & S.) under graded feeding levels

Experiment on phosphorus budget of redeye mullet (Liza haematocheila T. & S.) was con- ducted at water temperature 21℃ and salinity 33. The results showed that the growth phosphorus (phosphorus that allocated into growth, GP) increased from –30.84% to 15.83% by feeding on graded amount of diets (starvation, 1%, 2%, 3%, 4% body weight and satiation). The GP linearly increased with feeding levels (FL) as GP (mg) =–0.785 + 0.604 FL, and at satiation the relationship between GP and body weight (BW) was GP (mg) = 1.5991 BW 0.768 5. In the budget, IP (intake phosphorus) = GP + FP (faecal phosphorus) + EP (excretion phosphorus). FP showed an irregular tendency with different feeding levels, and EP decreased with increasing feeding levels but rebound at satiation. The P budget at satiation was 100IP = 15.84 GP + 64.62 FP + 19.55 EP.

Dry Matter Partitioning and Harvest Index Differ in Rice Genotypes with Variable Rates of Phosphorus and Zinc Nutrition

Phosphorus （P） and zinc （Zn） deficiencies are the major problems that decrease crop productivity under rice-wheat cropping system. Field experiments were conducted to investigate impacts of P （0, 40, 80 and 120 kg/hm^2） and Zn levels （0, 5, 10 and 15 kg/hm^2） on dry matter （DM） accumulation and partitioning, and harvest index of three rice genotypes ＇fine （Bamati-385） vs. coarse （F-Malakand and Pukhraj）＇ at various growth stages （tiliering, heading and physiological maturity）. The experiments were conducted at farmers＇ field at Batkhela in Northwestern Pakistan for two years in summer 2011 and 2012. The two year pooled data reveled that there were no differences in percent of DM partitioning into leaves and culms with application of different P and Zn levels, and genotypes at tillering. The highest P level （120 kg/hm^2） partitioned more DM into panicles than leaves and culms at heading and physiological maturity stages. The highest Zn level （15 kg/hm^2） accumulated more DM and partitioned more DM into panicles than leaves and culms at heading and physiological maturity stages. The hybrid rice （Pukhraj） produced and partitioned more DM into panicles than F-Malakand and Bamati-385 at heading and physiological maturity stages. Higher DM accumulation and greater amounts of partitioning into panicles at heading and physiological maturity stages was noticed with increase in P and Zn levels, and the increase was significantly higher in the coarse rice genotypes than fine. We concluded that the growing hybrid rice with application of 120 kg/hm^2 P ＋ 15 kg/hm^2 Zn not only increases total DM accumulation and partitioned greater amounts into the reproductive plant parts （panicles） but also results in higher harvest index.

Nodule Formation and Development in Soybeans(Glycine max L.) in Response to Phosphorus Supply in Solution Culture

Phosphorus (P) is necessary for growth and nitrogen fixation, and thus its deficiency is a major factor limiting legume production in most agricultural soils. The effect of phosphorus supply on nodule development and its role in soybeans (Glycine max L.) was studied in a nutrient solution. Plants were inoculated with Bradyrhizobium japonicum and grown for 35 days in a glasshouse at a day and night temperature of 25℃and 15℃, respectively. Although increasing P supply increased the concentrations of P and N in the shoots and roots, the external P supply did not significantly affect the P concentration in the nodules, and the N fixed per unit nodule biomass decreased with increasing P supply. The nitrogen content in the shoots correlated well with the P content (r = 0.92**). At an inoculation level of 102 cells mL-1, the P supply did not affect the number of nodules; however, at inoculation levels of 103.5 and 105 cells mL-1, increasing P supply increased both the number and size of nodules. Irrespective of the inoculation level, increasing P supply increased the nodule biomass relative to the biomass of the host plant. It is suggested that the P deficiency specifically inhibited the nodule development and thereby the total N2 fixation.

Growth and Haematological Responses of Growing Broiler Chickens （3-6 weeks） to Phosphorus and Phytase Supplementation in Low Nutrient Diet

The experiment was conducted to evaluate the low phosphorus diets supplemented with different sources of phytase in low metabolizable energy （ME） and crude protein （CP） diets in broilers. Four levels of non-phytate phosphorus （NPP） （0.33%, 0.36%, 0.39% and 0.42% of the diet） were employed in six dietary treatments in such a way that the least level of NPP （0.33%） was supplemented with two phytase enzymes namely 6-phytase （Natuphos-5,000） and 3-phytase （Sunphase） along with low nutrient composition viz. 2750 kcal ME/kg and CP 18% in growing phase （21 d-42 d）. A total of 1,400 birds were exposed to six treatments in three replicates except for the phytase supplemented diets which were replicated four times each. Non-significant results are obtained from all performance parameters （body weight gain, feed intake and feed gain） and serum minerals （calcium and phosphorus） between 21 days to 42 days. Non-significant results are seen among all treatments; even supplementation of both types of enzymes did not affect the overall results. The results of the present study demonstrate 0.33% P level without phytase are sufficient in low ME and CP diets.

Critical Soil Phosphorus Values for Yield Reduction in Intensive Agricultural Systems

Phosphorus(P)is an essential element for agricultural production.Over-fertilization during decades caused an accumulation of P in soils leading to eutrophication in regions characterized by intensive agriculture.These environmental concerns together with the non-renewability of P resources have led to a more sustainable P use.Knowledge about the P need of crops is essential for a sustainable agriculture thereby minimizing P losses to the environment without lowering the yield substantially.Therefore,in this study,critical soil P values for yield reduction(PCrit)were determined based on fertilizer trials conducted between 1970 and 1988 and more recent fertilizer trials(2016-2017).At rotational level a common PCrit value of 109 mg P/kg dry soil(in an ammonium lactate and acetate extract)was determined.Crop specific PCrit values were also determined for seven crops(potato,winter wheat,barley,rye,maize,sugar beet and temporary grassland).These critical values ranged from 59 mg P/kg dry soil to 164 mg P/kg dry soil with winter wheat the least and maize the most sensitive towards P deficiency.The diversity in PCrit values among crops can mainly be explained by the root intensity but also rooting depth,exudation of organic acids and phosphatases may influence the PCrit value.The soil pH also influenced the P availability significantly.Soils with a favorable pH had a significantly higher availability(i.e.,lower PCrit value)for all crops compared to soils with a suboptimal pH.Critical soil P values might help to set up new or to evaluate current soil P in target zones used for P fertilizer recommendations.

Response of Green Gram(Vigna Radiata(L.))Wilczek to Inter Row Spacing and Phosphorus under Semi-arid Conditions of Eritrea

Green gram(Vigna radiata(L.)wilczek,)commonly known as moong or mung bean or golden gram was introduced to Eritrea as a pulse crop by Ministry of Agriculture at its National Agricultural Research Institute(NARI)in collaboration with Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa(ASARECA)in 2012.But its agronomic practices for semi-arid conditions of Eritrea are not yet standardised.Therefore,to find the optimum inter row spacing and phosphorus dose for its higher productivity,a field experiment was conducted at the experimental farm of Hamelmalo Agricultural College,Keren,Eritrea during summer 2015 and 2016.The experiment was conducted in randomised complete block design(RCBD)with 12 treatment combinations of two factors consisting of four inter row spacing(Broadcast,18 cm,30 cm,and 45 cm)and three phosphorus levels(0,20 and 40 kg P2O5 ha^(-1))each replicated thrice.The results of the study revealed that sowing of K-26 bold seeded variety either by broadcast method or at 18 cm inter row spacing at10 cm plant to plant spacing fertilized with 40 kg P2O5 ha-1 through DAP fertilizer drilled at the time of sowing proved significantly superior to increase growth,yield attributes and seed yield of green gram.

Laser-ablated violet phosphorus/graphene heterojunction as ultrasensitive ppb-level room-temperature NO sensor

Two dimensional(2D)materials are promising gas sensing materials,but the most of them need to be heated to show promising sensing performance.Sensing structures with high sensing performance at room-temperature are urgent.Here,another 2D material,violet phosphorus(VP)nanoflake is investigated as gas sensing material.The VP nanoflakes have been effectively ablated to have layers of 1–5 layers by laser ablation in glycol.The VP nanoflakes are combined with graphene to form VP/G heterostructuresbased NO sensor.An ultra-high gauge factor of 3×10^(7)for ppb-level sensing and high resistance response of 59.21%with ultra-short recovery time of 6s for ppm-level sensing have been obtained.The sensing mechanism is also analysed by density functional theory(DFT)calculations.The adsorption energy of VP/G is calculated to be-0.788 e V,resulting in electrons migration from P to N to form a P-N bond in the gap between VP and graphene sheet.This work provides a facile approach to ablate VP for mass production.The as-produced structures have also provided potential gas sensors with ultrasensitive performance as ppb-level room-temperature sensors.

The Effect of Dietary Nutrient Density on Growth Performance, Physiological Parameters, and Small Intestinal Type IIb Sodium Phosphate Co-transporter Expression in Broilers

A 3 × 4 factorial experiment was con- ducted to determine the effect of dietary nutrient den- sity on growth performance, physiological parame- ters, and small intestinal epithelial phosphate trans- porter expression in broiler chicks fed different dietary nutrient density （DND） and non-phytate phosphorus （NPP） levels. Dietary energy densities used had ME values of 2,850, 2,950, and 3,050 kcal/kg of diet and the NPP levels were 0.35%, 0.40%, 0.45%, and 0.50% within each ME value. Crude protein and essential amino acids levels were maintained propor- tionally to dietary ME levels. Each of the twelve diets was fed to five pens of seven male broiler chicks from 1 to 21 days of age. Broiler growth performance, ser- um physiological parameters, 1-hydroxylase activity in the kidney, type-IIb sodium phosphate co-trans- porter （NaPi-IIb）, and vitamin D receptor （VDR） expression levels in the duodenal mucosa were deter- mined. Our results showed that an increase in dietary nutrient density increased body weight and improved feed conversion. Additionally, serum parathyroid hormone concentration, 1-a-hydroxylase activity in the kidney, NaPi-IIb mRNA expression and VDR protein expression in the duodenal mucosa increased as DND increased. Feed intake and body weight in- creased as NPP levels increased. Serum parathyroid hormone, VDR and NaPi-IIb gene expression also in- creased as the level of NPP in the diet increased at the medium range level. The results of this study suggest that high DND can increase small intestinal type IIb sodium dependent phosphate co-transporter mRNA expression by up-regulating parathyroid hormone and activation of 1-ot-hydroxylase activity which might be in consistent with high growth rate of broilers. Small intestinal NaPi-IIb mRNA expression increases linear- ly only within the range of dietary NPP dosage levels close to the requirement recommended in the broilers feeding standards.

Study of Variation in Phosphocalcic Metabolism during Pregnancy and Postpartum in the Holstein Cow of Constantine Region

Pregnancy, parturition, and lactation represent physiological changes of organism, which activates adaptation mechanismsdedicated to maintain homeostasis during peripartum period. Despite of the appropriate input of calcium and phosphorus, thehomeostasis of phosphocalcic metabolism is sometimes faulty, in particular among animals with high production potential. The aim ofthis study is to define usual values of calcium and phosphorus during pregnancy and postpartum period. This paraclinic tool will serveto a good interpretation when used by veterinarians. A second goal is to study the influence of physiological stage on phosphocalcicmetabolism in milch cow. The hereby study was conducted on 17 Prim＇ Holsteins cow breed from 3 to 5 years old, clinically healthy,multiparous and derived from two dairy farms located in the wilaya of Constantine. Blood samples were taken from the jugular veinusing dry tubes at different physiological stages （early gestation, mid gestation, late gestation, pre-partum, one day after parturition, andone month postpartum）. All of the samples correctly identified were transported to a specialized laboratory where specific kits wereused. Blood calcium and phosphorus levels have significantly varied depending on physiological stage （p 〈 0.01）. They showed a highpre-partum variation, with a rate of 94.71 mg/mL and 61.99 mg/mL, respectively. These results can be used as means of follow-upreproduction for a better management of dairy fanning.