Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: M. Puschenreiter Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria Author-Name: O. Horak Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Environmental Research, ARC Seibersdorf Research GmbH, Austria Author-Name: W. Friesl Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Environmental Research, ARC Seibersdorf Research GmbH, Austria Author-Name: W. Hartl Author-Workplace-Name: Ludwig Boltzmann Insitute for Organic Agriculture and Applied Ecology, Vienna, Title: Low-cost agricultural measures to reduce heavy metal transfer into the food chain - a review Abstract: Heavy metal contamination affects large areas of Europe and worldwide. Hot spots of pollution are located close to industrial sites, around large cities and in the vicinity of mining and smelting plants. Agriculture in these areas faces major problems due to heavy metal transfer into crops and subsequently into the food chain. This paper gives an overview on simple but effective countermeasures to reduce the transfer of heavy metals to edible parts of crops. Since crop species and varieties largely differ in their heavy metal uptake, choosing plants with low transfer factors (e.g., legumes, cereals) may reduce metal concentration in edible parts significantly. Cultivating crops with higher heavy metal uptake capacity, e.g., spinach or lettuce should be avoided. The application of soil amendments is another very effective measure to reduce the concentration of heavy metals in crops. Both organic (e.g., farmyard manure) and inorganic amendments (e.g., lime, zeolites, and iron oxides) were found to decrease the metal accumulation. Further effective methods to reduce metal transfer into food chain include crop rotation and cultivation of industrial or bio-energy crops. It is concluded that the methods presented here comprise several tools, which are easy to apply, and are effective to allow safe agriculture on moderately contaminated soils. Keywords: heavy metals, soil contamination, agricultural soils, low metal uptake crops, soil amendments Journal: Plant, Soil and Environment Pages: 1-11 Volume: 51 Issue: 1 Year: 2005 DOI: 10.17221/3549-PSE File-URL: http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/3549-PSE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/pse-200501-0001.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:51:y:2005:i:1:id:3549-PSE Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: R. Vácha Author-Workplace-Name: Research Institute for Soil and Water Conservation, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: V. Horváthová Author-Workplace-Name: Research Institute for Soil and Water Conservation, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: M. Vysloužilová Author-Workplace-Name: Research Institute for Soil and Water Conservation, Prague, Czech Republic Title: The application of sludge on agriculturally used soils and the problemof persistent organic pollutants Abstract: A set of 45 samples of the sludge from wastewater factories in the area of the Czech Republic was completed. The selection of wastewater factories reflected the extent of observed area as well as the occurrence of the industrial wastewater. The contents of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) were determined in the samples. Moreover, the contents of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofuranes (PCDD/F) were detected in 16 samples. The set of analytical data summarises the level of sewage sludge contamination by POPs within Czech wastewater factories. The results were compared with the directive of Czech Ministry of Environment, No. 382/2001 Sb. and with the proposed limit values of the EU directive, No. 86/278. Among all the determined substances only the value of the sum of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) content exceeded the threshold value given by the proposed EU directive. Keywords: sludge, persistent organic pollutants, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofuranes Journal: Plant, Soil and Environment Pages: 12-18 Volume: 51 Issue: 1 Year: 2005 DOI: 10.17221/3550-PSE File-URL: http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/3550-PSE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/pse-200501-0002.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:51:y:2005:i:1:id:3550-PSE Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: P. Tlustoš Author-Workplace-Name: Czech University of Agriculture in Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: P. Cígler Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Chemical Technology, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: M. Hrubý Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: S. Kužel Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Agriculture, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Czech Republic Author-Name: J. Száková Author-Workplace-Name: Czech University of Agriculture in Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: J. Balík Author-Workplace-Name: Czech University of Agriculture in Prague, Czech Republic Title: The role of titanium in biomass production and its influence on essential elements' contents in field growing crops Abstract: The role of titanium (Ti) in plant metabolism is not so far fully clear. Many positive beneficial effects as well as a few adverse effects of Ti application are described in literature. The objective of our study was to investigate the effects of Ti foliar applications alone or in combination with Mg on the yield and accumulation of essential cations in consumable portions of frequently grown agricultural crops (potatoes, winter wheat and spring barley) grown under reduced and optimum nitrogen availability in field conditions. Nitrogen side dress fertilization significantly affected the investigated parameters, especially yield and N content. The effect of foliar Ti applications was substantially influenced by the nutrient N status of the individual plants. The plant response to Ti applications was almost negligible under N deficiency. At N treated plots the responses were much clearer but not many significant differences were found confirming high soil buffering capacity and many counteracting effects under field conditions. Keywords: titanium, potatoes, winter wheat, summer barley, yield, content of nutrients, foliar application Journal: Plant, Soil and Environment Pages: 19-25 Volume: 51 Issue: 1 Year: 2005 DOI: 10.17221/3551-PSE File-URL: http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/3551-PSE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/pse-200501-0003.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:51:y:2005:i:1:id:3551-PSE Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: G. Mühlbachová Author-Workplace-Name: Research Institute of Crop Production, Prague-Ruzyně, Czech Republic Author-Name: T. Šimon Author-Workplace-Name: Research Institute of Crop Production, Prague-Ruzyně, Czech Republic Author-Name: M. Pechová Author-Workplace-Name: Research Institute of Crop Production, Prague-Ruzyně, Czech Republic Title: The availability of Cd, Pb and Zn and their relationships with soil pH and microbial biomass in soils amended by natural clinoptilolite Abstract: The relationships among soil microbial biomass, pH and available of heavy metal fractions were evaluated in longterm contaminated soils during an incubation experiment with the amendment of zeolite (natural clinoptilolite) and the subsequent addition of glucose. The values of pH after the addition of glucose decreased during the first day of incubation approximately at about one unit and corresponded with the maximum increase of microbial biomass. The available heavy metal contents extracted by H2O, 1 mol/l NH4NO3 and 0.005 mol/l DTPA increased during the first two days of incubation. Only a few significant relationships were found between the available metal contents and pH or microbial biomass. This fact could be ascribed to the different dynamics of the microbial biomass, pH and metal availability after glucose addition, when the highest metal contents during the incubation were usually reached one day later in respect to the greatest changes of pH and microbial activity. In comparison to soils without zeolite addition, the variants with natural clinoptilolite showed lower heavy metal contents in all used extractants with the exception of Cd which in H2O extracts tended to increase. Keywords: incubation experiment, heavy metal contaminated soil, glucose and zeolite amendment, Cd, Pb, Zn availability, pH, microbial biomass Journal: Plant, Soil and Environment Pages: 26-33 Volume: 51 Issue: 1 Year: 2005 DOI: 10.17221/3552-PSE File-URL: http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/3552-PSE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/pse-200501-0004.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:51:y:2005:i:1:id:3552-PSE Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: K. Gondek Author-Workplace-Name: H. Kołłątaj Agricultural University of Cracow, Poland Author-Name: B. Filipek-Mazur Author-Workplace-Name: H. Kołłątaj Agricultural University of Cracow, Poland Title: The effects of mineral treatment and the amendments by organic and organomineral fertilisers on the crop yield, plant nutrient status and soil properties Abstract: The studies were carried out as a pot experiment comprised of mineral treatments with farmyard manure, slurry and liquid organomineral fertiliser (Damishum) and finally the unfertilised control. Mineral fertilisation and liquid organomineral fertiliser better affected the crop yield in comparison with organic treatments in the first year of the experiment, whereas in the subsequent two years with a consecutive affect of organic fertilisers. According to the expectations the biggest nitrogen concentrations were found in crops receiving mineral treatment and organomineral fertiliser. Phosphorus content depended on crop species and applied fertiliser. Potassium and magnesium contents immediately after treatment were the highest in the objects receiving organic treatment (farmyard manure and slurry). In the subsequent years no visible tendency in both element contents was noticed. Among the cultivated crops rape revealed the biggest amounts of cadmium in the above ground parts. Lead concentrations in the above ground parts of the cultivated crop did not reveal any diversification among the objects. Copper accumulated mainly in the crop root systems, except rape, whereas zinc concentration depended on the plant species and applied fertilisation. The treatment caused a decrease in the soil pH and an increase in hydrolytic acidity value. Mineral and organomineral fertilisation caused a pronounced decline in organic carbon content in the soil, whereas farmyard manure raised it. Similar dependencies were found for the total nitrogen concentrations. The applied treatment increased the contents of mobile forms of cadmium, lead and zinc but had no significant effect on changes of mobile copper form contents. Keywords: fertilisation, plant, yield, chemical composition, macroelements, heavy metals Journal: Plant, Soil and Environment Pages: 34-45 Volume: 51 Issue: 1 Year: 2005 DOI: 10.17221/3553-PSE File-URL: http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/3553-PSE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/pse-200501-0005.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:51:y:2005:i:1:id:3553-PSE Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: L. Kolář Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Agriculture, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Czech Republic Author-Name: S. Kužel Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Agriculture, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Czech Republic Author-Name: A. Hanušová Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Agriculture, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Czech Republic Author-Name: J. Gergel Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Agriculture, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Czech Republic Author-Name: R. Ledvina Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Agriculture, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Czech Republic Author-Name: M. Šindelářová Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Agriculture, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Czech Republic Author-Name: Š. Silovská Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Agriculture, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Czech Republic Author-Name: P. Štindl Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Agriculture, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Czech Republic Title: The use of Spectroquant Merck BOD photometric test to evaluate the stabilityof organic matters in soil Abstract: We proposed a new method to determine the rate constant of biochemical oxidation of soil organic matters that makes it possible to evaluate their stability by Spectroquant Merck BOD photometric tests; if smaller samplings are used and individual determinations are performed, it can replace the method of BOD vacuum measuring by an Oxi Top Control Merck system. The time and labour consumption of this vacuum method is sometimes criticised, but it has demonstrable work advantages for a large series of samples and so it is still recommended. The two methods are identical as for the correctness and coincidence of results and they do not differ by either lower or higher results and therefore we recommend the new method with photometric tests for smaller series of samples. For the high time and labour consumption we must warn against the use of traditional BOD dilution method with volumetric determination of oxygen for the determination of rate constants. Keywords: soils, organic matters, analysis, lability of organic matters, photometric method, comparison of methods Journal: Plant, Soil and Environment Pages: 46-50 Volume: 51 Issue: 1 Year: 2005 DOI: 10.17221/3554-PSE File-URL: http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/3554-PSE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/pse-200501-0006.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:51:y:2005:i:1:id:3554-PSE