Direct Estimation of Nitrogen Gases Emitted from Flooded Soils During Denitrification of Applied Nitrogen

Denitrification losses measured by direct method (measuring the evolution of (N2+N2O)-15N) were compared with the apparent denitrification losses (calculated from the difference between the total N loss and ammonia loss), for fertilizers applied to flooded soils. The direct measured denitrification losses from potassium nitrate were 23.0%, 40.0%, and 63.1-79.7% of applied N in rice field, and in incubations of 7 cm deep layer of soil and 2 cm deep layer of soil, respectively; while the corresponding apparent denitrification losses were 96.0%, 98.4%, and 97.7-97.9%, respectively. In field experiments with urea, the direct measured denitrification losses ranged from 0.1-1.8%, which were much less than the apparent denitrification losses (41.3-45.7%). Such discrepancies were primarily due to the entrapment of the gaseous products of denitrification in the soil as revealed by the facts: (1) stirring the floodwater and the surface soil markedly increased the fluxes of (N2+N2O)-15N from urea or potassium nitrate applied to the flooded rice field, and (2) reducing the pressure in the headspace of the incubation bottle with the 7 cm soil layer during gas sampling decreased the discrepancy between the direct measured and apparent denitrifecation losses from 58.4% to 21.2%. The advantage of reducing the pressure in the headspace is that there is minimal disturbance of the soil. Further testing of this technique in rice field is needed to determine its effectiveness in releasing the entrapped gaseous products of denitrification so that denitrification losses can be quantified directly.

THE INFLUENCE OF FERTILIZERS, NaHCO_3,SOIL TYPE ON CHEMISTRY OF FLOODED SOILS AND RICE PLANT GROWTH

This research was conducted to study the influence of NaHCO3and fertilizer treatments on flooded soils tothe chemistry of soil and rice plant growth.The experiment was done in a greenhouse using a split-split plot design ofthree factors: two types of soil,three doses of fertilizers and three levels of NaHCO3with three replications.The firstfactor was two kind of soils Fluvaquent and Calciquert,the factor was without nutrient(blank),macro nutrients,andcompletely nutrients(second macro and micro nutrients),and the third factor was 0 mg/kg,200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kgof NaHCO3or equivalent with 0 mg,1 200 mg and 2 400 mg NaHCO3per pot.Each experimental unit used a pot of 10L capacity and filled with soil mud equivalent with 6 kg of dried soil.After each of treatment combination mixed into themud soil,two plants of IR-32 variety were grown,and flooded at5 cm high accordingly with growth period.Parametersobserved were the growth of tillers,electrical conductivity(E.C.) and pH.The experiment results showed that the treatment of NaHCO3increased the soluble salt content(E.C.) and soilacidity(pH) during flooding on Calciquerts and Fluvaquents.The content of soluble salt decreased to 2.0 mmhos/cm,while pHon Calciquert decreased towards the neutral pH.Anyhowthe pHon Fluvaquents increased approach to neutral.The treatments of NaHCO3inhibited the tiller growth,either macro fertilizer and completely fertilizer increased thetillers,but did not improve the negative effect of alkalinity due to of NaHCOtreatment.

Short-Term Influence of Herbicide Quinclorac on Enzyme Activities in Flooded Paddy Soils

The influence of quinclorac (3,7-dichloroquinoline-8-carboxylic acid) on enzyme activities in flooded paddy soils was assessed under laboratory conditions. The enzymes differed markedly in their response to quinclorac. Quinclorac inhibited proteinase, hydrogen peroxidase, phosphorylase, and urease activities.The higher the concentration of quinclorac applied, the more significant the inhibition to these observed activities with a longer time required to recover to the level of the control. However, soils supplemented with quinclorac were nonpersistent for proteinase, phosphorylase and urease as opposed to soils without quinclorac. Dehydrogenase activity was also sensitive to quinclorac. Three soil samples with concentrations of quinclorac higher than 1 μg g-1 soil declined to less than 20% of that in the control. However, the highest dehydrogenase activity (up to 3.28-fold) was detected in soils with 2 μg g-1 soil quinclorac on the 25th day after treatment. Quinclorac had a relatively mild effect on saccharase activity at the concentrations used in this experiment and a stimulatory one on soil respiration when added to soil at normal field concentrations.Nonetheless it was inhibited at higher concentrations in paddy soils. Quinclorac is still relatively safe to the soil ecosystem when applied at a normal concentration (0.67 μg g-1 dried soil) but may have some effects on soil enzymes at higher concentrations.

Influences of Quinclorac on Culturable Microorganisms and Soil Respiration in Flooded Paddy Soil

Objective To investigate the potential effects of herbicide quinclorac (3,7-dichloro-8-quinoline-carboxylic) on the culturable microorganisms in flooded paddy soil. Methods Total soil aerobic bacteria, actinomycetes and fungi were counted by a 10-fold serial dilution plate technique. Numbers of anaerobic fermentative bacteria (AFB), denitrifying bacteria (DNB) and hydrogen-producing acetogenic bacteria (HPAB) were numerated by three-tube anaerobic most-probable-number (MPN) methods with anaerobic liquid enrichment media. The number of methanogenic bacteria (MB) and nitrogen-fixing bacteria (NFB) was determined by the rolling tube method in triplicate. Soil respiration was monitored by a 102G-type gas chromatography with a stainless steel column filled with GDX-104 and a thermal conductivity detector. Results Quinclorac concentration was an important factor affecting the populations of various culturable microorganisms. There were some significant differences in the aerobic heterotrophic bacteria. AFB and DNB between soils were supplemented with quinclorac and non-quinclorac at the early stage of incubation, but none of them was persistent. The number of fungi and DNB was increased in soil samples treated by lower than 1.33μg·g-1 dried soil, while the CFU of fungi and HPAB was inhibited in soil samples treated by higher than 1.33μg·g-1 dried soil. The population of actinomycete declined in negative proportion to the concentrations of quinclorac applied after 4 days. However, application of quinclorac greatly stimulated the growth of AFB and NFB. MB was more sensitive to quinclorac than the others, and the three soil samples with concentrations higher than 1 μg·g-1 dried soil declined significantly to less than 40% of that in the control, but the number of samples with lower concentrations of quinclorac was nearly equal to that in the control at the end of experiments. Conclusion Quinclorac is safe to the soil microorganisms when applied at normal concentrations (0.67μg·g-1).

Bamboo biochar greater enhanced Cd/Zn accumulation in Salix psammophila under non-flooded soil compared with flooded

As a metal immobilizer,biochar can be used to remediate contaminated soil.Biochar’s effect on the phytoremediation process in flooded conditions under a scenario of increasing flooding frequency as global climate change is not well understood.This study investigated bamboo biochar(BBC)effects on growth and metal accumulation of Salix in multi-metal contaminated soil under non-flooded versus flooded conditions.Salix cuttings were cultivated in pots with severely contaminated soil by Cd and Zn,for 120 days,with four treatments including non-flooded treatment,flooded treatment,non-flooded with 3%BBC application(BBC/soil,w/w),and flooded with 3%BBC addition.BBC,flooding,and BBC×flooding significantly decreased the bioavailability of metals in soils(P<0.05).The BBC addition markedly stimulated Cd concentration in leaves under non-flooded(94.20%)and flooded conditions(32.73%)but showed little effect on roots.The BBC significantly boosted Cd and Zn transport from roots to aboveground parts by 68.85%and 102.27%compared with no BBC amendment under non-flooded treatment,while showing insignificant changes under flooded treatment.Although the plant biomass was little affected,BBC significantly increased Cd and Zn accumulation in the whole plant by 52.53%and 28.52%under non-flooded while showing an insignificant impact under flooded conditions.Taken together,BBC enhanced the phytoremediation efficiency of Salix to Cd and Zn in severely polluted non-flooded soil,while flooding offset this effect.The results indicated the effects of BBC varied under different soil moisture,which should be considered in the biochar-assisted phytoremediation to variable and complex environments.

Using modified Soil Conservation Service curve number method to simulate the role of forest in flood control in the upper reach of the Tingjiang River in China

To improve flood control efficiency and increase urban resilience to flooding,the impacts of forest type change on flood control in the upper reach of the Tingjiang River(URTR) were evaluated by a modified model based on the Soil Conservation Service curve number(SCS-CN) method. Parameters of the model were selected and determined according to the comprehensive analysis of model evaluation indexes. The first simulation of forest reconstruction scenario,namely a coniferous forest covering 59.35km^2 is replaced by a broad-leaved forest showed no significant impact on the flood reduction in the URTR. The second simulation was added with 61.75km^2 bamboo forest replaced by broad-leaved forest,the reduction of flood peak discharge and flood volume could be improved significantly. Specifically,flood peak discharge of 10-year return period event was reduced to 7-year event,and the reduction rate of small flood was 21%-28%. Moreover,the flood volume was reduced by 9%-14% and 18%-35% for moderate floods and small floods,respectively. The resultssuggest that the bamboo forest reconstruction is an effective control solution for small to moderate flood in the URTR,the effect of forest conversion on flood volume is increasingly reduced as the rainfall amount increases to more extreme magnitude. Using a hydrological model with scenarios analysis is an effective simulation approach in investigating the relationship between forest type change and flood control. This method would provide reliable support for flood control and disaster mitigation in mountainous cities.

Flooding impact on the distribution of microbial tetraether lipids in paddy rice soil in China

Isoprenoid and branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers （GDGTs） lipids were studied in flooded and non-flooded paddy soil in Wuhan, central China, to examine the response of the GDGTs distribution to the soil flooding. Samples were collected before and after the soil flooding in four specific months. Both core （CL） and intact polar （IPL） GDGTs were quantified. Increase in the abundance of archaeol and caldarchaeol may be indicative of the occurrence of methanogens in the flooded soil. A negative correlation was observed between the ratio of IPL branched GDGT-IIa to GDGT-Ia and the soil pH. The rise of the soil pH in the acid soil is known to be controlled by the redox conditions resulting from flooding. Thus, the branched GDGTs distribution may be controlled by the water content in the paddy soil. In addition, we suggest that the anoxic conditions resulting from flooding may also control the abundance of branched GDGTs relative to crenarchaeol, which in turn results in the increase of branched and isoprenoidal tetraethers （BIT） values, the index for the terrestrial input to the marine sediments.