Effects of different irrigation methods on micro-environments and root distribution in winter wheat fields

The irrigation method used in winter wheat fields affects micro-environment factors, such as relative humidity（RH） within canopy, soil temperature, topsoil bulk density, soil matric potential, and soil nutrients, and these changes may affect plant root growth.An experiment was carried out to explore the effects of irrigation method on micro-environments and root distribution in a winter wheat field in the 2007–2008 and 2008–2009 growing seasons.The results showed that border irrigation（BI）, sprinkler irrigation（SI）, and surface drip irrigation（SDI） had no significant effects on soil temperature.Topsoil bulk density, RH within the canopy, soil available N distribution, and soil matric potential were significantly affected by the three treatments.The change in soil matric potential was the key reason for the altered root profile distribution patterns.Additionally, more fine roots were produced in the BI treatment when soil water content was low and topsoil bulk density was high.Root growth was most stimulated in the top soil layers and inhibited in the deep layers in the SDI treatment, followed by SI and BI, which was due to the different water application frequencies.As a result, the root profile distribution differed, depending on the irrigation method used.The root distribution pattern changes could be described by the power level variation in the exponential function.A good knowledge of root distribution patterns is important when attempting to model water and nutrient movements and when studying soil-plant interactions.

Efficacy of Solution Form of Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid on Removing Smear Layer of Root Canal at Different Exposure Time In Vitro

Summary： This study was aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of solution form of 17% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid （EDTA） on removing smear layer of root canals at different exposure time periods and to provide scientific basis for EDTA as a choice of root canal irrigation in clinical practice. Twenty-five single-rooted teeth were randomly divided into 5 groups： control group （group A） was given 2.5% NaOC1, and 4 experimental groups were given 2.5% NaOC1 and 17% EDTA, including groups B, C, D and E with exposure time of 1, 3, 5 and 7 min, respectively. After preparation of the root canals, the teeth were split along their longitudinal axis, and the root sections were examined under scanning elec- tron microscope for evaluation of smear layer removal and erosion on the surface of the root canal walls. The specimens in group B showed presence of smear layer on the walls of the root canal with no statistical difference from that in group A （P〉0.05）. In groups C and D, partial removal of smear layer was obtained, and there was no significant difference between the two groups （P〉0.05）, but there was significant difference in removal of smear layer between group C and group B （P〈0.05）. Root canal walls in group E specimens showed almost complete removal of smear layer, and the removal of smear layer was significantly different from that in group D （P〈0.01）. There was no significant change in the structure of the surface of root canal for each sample. It was concluded that combined irrigation with 17% EDTA and 2.5% NaOC1 could remove the smear layer with no significant alteration in dentinal structure when the chelating agent was applied for 7 min. At 3 and 5 min of application, partial removal of smear layer was observed and at 1 min negligible removal of smear layer was achieved.

Water and nitrogen input optimization for jujube trees under surge root irrigation based on weighted grey correlation model

In order to obtain the optimal input of water and nitrogen(W&N)suitable for the jujube trees in Northern Shaanxi,12 treatments had been set in the demonstration base of micro-irrigation jujube tree of Mizhi County in 2014-2015 through field experiment of jujube trees under surge root irrigation(SRI),in which three soil moisture levels(high moisture level W1:60%-85%θ,middle moisture level W2:50%-75%θ,low moisture level W3:40%-65%θ)and four nitrogen input levels(high nitrogen F75:0.75 kg/plant,middle nitrogen F50:0.50 kg/plant,low nitrogen F25:0.25 kg/plant,no nitrogen F0:0.00 kg/plant)were set.Through analyzing the effects of different W&N inputs on the yield,net income(NI)and W&N utilization efficiency(WUE and NUE)of jujube trees and establishing a weighted grey correlation model,the optimization of W&N input for jujube trees could be achieved under SRI.Results showed that different W&N inputs had significant influences on yield,NI,WUE and NUE.Along with the increase of soil moisture content,the yield and NUE increased,while WUE decreased gradually,and the NI had the tendency to increase first and then decrease.Along with the increase of nitrogen input,the yield,NI and WUE had the tendency to increase first and then decrease while the NUE decreased significantly,and the yield,NI,WUE and NUE could not reach the maximum at the same time.Through the study on the grey correlation model of jujube tree’s comprehensive benefit based on the yield,NI,WUE and NUE,results showed the comprehensive benefit of jujube trees was significantly different when W&N input was different,and the gray correlation degree of W2F25 treatment was the highest in two years,which means that the soil moisture content of 50%-75%θand nitrogen input of 0.25 kg/plant was the optimal W&N input for jujube trees under SRI in Northern Shaanxi area.