Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: J. Kobza Author-Workplace-Name: Soil Science and Conservation Research Institute Bratislava, Regional Workplace Banská Bystrica, Slovakia Title: Soil and plant pollution by potentially toxic elements in Slovakia Abstract: The Problem of soil and plant pollution by heavy metals in Slovakia is evaluated in this study. The measured data on the main risk elements have been obtained from a soil-monitoring grid in Slovakia, which consists of 318 agricultural sites. Analytical procedures of Cd, Pb, Cr, Ni, Zn, Cu (extracted by 2 mol/l HNO3 and by 0.05 mol/l EDTA) as well as the total content of the described elements including Hg have been used for soil samples. Also the plants collected at the same sampling sites were analysed for their Cd, Pb, Cr and Hg contents. On the basis of the obtained results it may be concluded that significant pollution was determined only on 0.4% of the total soil cover in Slovakia. The significant correlation was determined between the soil available heavy metal content (extracted by 0.05 mol/l EDTA) and plant content. Potentially toxic elements were accumulated in the plant biomass only on heavily polluted soils Keywords: heavy metal, soil, plant, environment, monitoring Journal: Plant, Soil and Environment Pages: 243-248 Volume: 51 Issue: 6 Year: 2005 DOI: 10.17221/3581-PSE File-URL: http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/3581-PSE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/pse-200506-0001.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:51:y:2005:i:6:id:3581-PSE Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: F. Kumhála Author-Workplace-Name: Czech University of Agriculture in Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Z. Kvíz Author-Workplace-Name: Czech University of Agriculture in Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: J. Mašek Author-Workplace-Name: Czech University of Agriculture in Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: P. Procházka Author-Workplace-Name: Czech University of Agriculture in Prague, Czech Republic Title: The measurement of plant residues distribution quality after harvest by conventional and axial combine harvesters Abstract: This paper concerns the evaluation of the husk and straw distribution quality measurement on different commonly used combine harvesters. The plant residues can significantly influence the next plant germination and growth, especially when they are unevenly placed on the field surface. The experiments were realised during the harvesting season in years 2001, 2002 and 2003. All machines were evaluated under normal operational conditions by winter wheat and oil rape harvest. For plant residues distribution quality evaluation the Christiansen's coefficient was calculated. The most important outcome from the measurement is that the distribution pattern of husk and straw depends on instantaneous material feed rate through the harvester. The higher material feed rate the worse regularity of husk and straw distribution. Axial combine harvesters break up straw more intensively then tangential combine harvesters. Straw crushers on tangential combine harvesters are therefore more loaded and need more attention from the crushing and distribution quality point of view. On the contrary, on axial combine harvesters most material goes on cleaning sieves and more attention should be paid to this small particles distribution. Keywords: combine harvesters, straw crushing, plant remains, distribution quality Journal: Plant, Soil and Environment Pages: 249-254 Volume: 51 Issue: 6 Year: 2005 DOI: 10.17221/3582-PSE File-URL: http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/3582-PSE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/pse-200506-0002.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:51:y:2005:i:6:id:3582-PSE Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: B. Stipešević Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Agriculture, University of J.J. Strossmayer, Osijek, Croatia Author-Name: E.J. Kladivko Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Agronomy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA Title: Effects of winter wheat cover crop desiccation times on soil moisture, temperature and early maize growth Abstract: Two tillage systems for maize (Zea mays) after soybean (Glycine max), no-till (NT) and conventional till (CT), which consisted of double disking in the spring, were included in the experiment on two sites in Indiana, USA. Each tillage plot had three winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cover crop levels: no cover crop (N), early desiccation (E), 3-4 weeks prior to planting the maize, and regular desiccation (R), within the maize planting week. Due to the mulching effect, both E and R for both tillage systems increased soil moisture, except in the case of spring drought, when E proved dominant. Soil temperature for both tillage systems showed N > E > R order. Young maize plants tended to grow taller and have greater shoot biomass in NT than in CT. Both E and R improved early maize growth. In the case of drought, the E proved significantly better for maize on both tillage treatments, due to the better soil water conservation, therefore the winter wheat cover crop should be desiccated early in given climate conditions. Keywords: cover crop, maize, no-till, disking, soil moisture, soil temperature, growth, biomass, root, drought Journal: Plant, Soil and Environment Pages: 255-261 Volume: 51 Issue: 6 Year: 2005 DOI: 10.17221/3583-PSE File-URL: http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/3583-PSE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/pse-200506-0003.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:51:y:2005:i:6:id:3583-PSE Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: N. Voća Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Croatia Author-Name: T. Krička Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Croatia Author-Name: T. Ćosić Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Croatia Author-Name: V. Rupić Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Croatia Author-Name: Ž. Jukić Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Croatia Author-Name: S. Kalambura Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Croatia Title: Digested residue as a fertilizer after the mesophilic process of anaerobic digestion Abstract: The aim of this paper is to determine the difference in quality of the digested residue after the process of anaerobic digestion by using different input raw materials. The research was conducted in the Republic of Austria on four facilities for biogas production. The raw materials used for biogas production were chicken manure, pig manure, Sudan grass and organic household waste. The research included chemical analysis and bacteriological tests of the samples taken. It was found that the digested residue in all of the samples, all of which are mildly alkaline, contains a low level of dry matter, 70% of which is organic matter. Biogenic elements were present in moderate concentration; the values of heavy metals were within approved limits. This analysis leads to the conclusion that the digested residues of all input materials can be used in agricultural production, especially so in plant production and grassland cultivation. Mesophilic and thermophilic microorganisms were found in the digested residue samples, but there were no cryophilic microorganisms and no pathogenic bacteria. Keywords: anaerobic digestion, input raw material, digested residue, chemical analyses, bacteriological tests Journal: Plant, Soil and Environment Pages: 262-266 Volume: 51 Issue: 6 Year: 2005 DOI: 10.17221/3584-PSE File-URL: http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/3584-PSE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/pse-200506-0004.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:51:y:2005:i:6:id:3584-PSE Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: W. Opitz Von Boberfeld Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, University of Giessen, Germany Author-Name: E. Beckmann Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, University of Giessen, Germany Author-Name: H. Laser Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, University of Giessen, Germany Title: Nitrogen transfers from Vicia sativa L. and Trifolium resupinatum L. to the companion grass and the following crop Abstract: The course of N-NO3- concentrations in soil, N transfer from the catch crops Vicia sativa L. and Trifolium resupinatum L. to the companion grass Lolium multiflorum ssp. gaudinii (Parl.) Schinz et Keller, and the preceding crop effect on Lolium multiflorum ssp. italicum (A. Br.) Volkart were studied in a field experiment. Catch crops were sown in pure stands and grass/legume swards (= two species in alternating rows) at two sowing dates and harvested at different dates from August to November. Vicia sativa was more effective concerning N2 fixation than Trifolium resupinatum, this was also evident from above ground N yield and N-NO3- amount of the soil. The factor sowing date had the greatest influence on N yield. N transfer to the companion grass was generally low. Early sown legumes in pure stands and in mixture temporarily caused slightly increased N-NO3- amounts in soil compared with unfertilized grass in winter and following spring, whereas late sown legumes apparently had no effect on N-NO3- amounts. Both legumes had a considerable preceding crop effect in the mixture and in the pure stand for both sowing dates. Keywords: legume catch crops, N2 fixation, N transfer, preceding crop effect, soil N-NO3- Journal: Plant, Soil and Environment Pages: 267-275 Volume: 51 Issue: 6 Year: 2005 DOI: 10.17221/3585-PSE File-URL: http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/3585-PSE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/pse-200506-0005.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:51:y:2005:i:6:id:3585-PSE Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: T. Šimon Author-Workplace-Name: Research Institute of Crop Production, Prague-Ruzyně, Czech Republic Title: Aliphatic compounds, organic C and N and microbial biomass and its activity in long-term field experiment Abstract: The content of aliphatic compounds, hydrophobicity index, organic C and N content and the microbial biomass and respiration activity were analysed in soil samples originating from different plots of a long-term field experiment (variants: nil, NPK - mineral fertilization: 64.6-100 kg/ha/year, FYM - farmyard manure and FYM + NPK) from three blocks (III, IV and B) with different crop rotation. Samples were taken from 0-200 mm layer in 2002 and 2003 (spring and autumn). The plots without any fertilization had the significantly lowest aliphatic compound content compared to variants fertilized by FYM or FYM + NPK in all the evaluated blocks in both years. The variants fertilized only by mineral NPK without any organic fertilization had the slightly increased aliphatic compound content but they did not exceed significantly the control variants in most cases. The aliphatic compound contents correlated significantly with the organic C contents in 2002 and 2003, as well. The values of the hydrophobicity index showed a similar trend like the data mentioned above. Organic manure increased the soil organic nitrogen content, similarly to the carbon content. In variants fertilized by FYM and FYM + NPK the higher microbial biomass content was found comparing to unfertilized variants. Correlations between aliphatic compound content and biomass differed in spring (2002: r = 0.065, 2003: r = 0.068) and autumn (2002: r = 0.407, 2003: r = 0.529). Organically fertilized variants had increased basal respiration, in autumn 2002 the basal respiration was higher in variants fertilized by mineral NPK, too. The highest specific respiration was recorded in the unfertilised plot in block B (autumn 2002 and 2003), where low microbial biomass exhibited high activity. Increased specific respiration was found also in plots fertilized by FYM and FYM + NPK (block III and IV, autumn samplings). Positive significant correlations between microbial biomass content and basal respiration were found in 2002 (spring: r = 0.716) and 2003 (spring: r = 0.765, autumn: r = 0.671). Keywords: long-term field experiment, aliphatic compounds, organic carbon, organic nitrogen, microbial biomass, respiration activity Journal: Plant, Soil and Environment Pages: 276-282 Volume: 51 Issue: 6 Year: 2005 DOI: 10.17221/3586-PSE File-URL: http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/3586-PSE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/pse-200506-0006.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:51:y:2005:i:6:id:3586-PSE Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: S. Ercisli Author-Workplace-Name: Agricultural Faculty, Ataturk University in Erzurum, Turkey Author-Name: A. Esitken Author-Workplace-Name: Agricultural Faculty, Ataturk University in Erzurum, Turkey Author-Name: C. Turkkal Author-Workplace-Name: Agricultural Faculty, Ataturk University in Erzurum, Turkey Author-Name: E. Orhan Author-Workplace-Name: Agricultural Faculty, Ataturk University in Erzurum, Turkey Title: The allelopathic effects of juglone and walnut leaf extracts on yield, growth, chemical and PNE compositions of strawberry cv. Fern Abstract: Allelopathic effects of juglone and walnut leaf extracts from Persian walnut (Juglans regia L.) on yield, growth, chemical and plant nutrient element composition of the day-neutral strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa L.) cultivar Fern were investigated as part of an effort to identify tolerant species to plant adjacent to walnut. Strawberry plants were treated with juglone (5-hydroxy-1.4 naphthoquinone, 1mM) and walnut leaf extracts (undiluted, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8 diluted). Vegetative and reproductive plant growth was inhibited strongly by the treatment of both juglone and undiluted walnut leaf extracts. Fruit yield per plant, the number of fruit per plant, average fruit weight, crowns per plant, number of leaves, leaf area, fresh root weight, total soluble solid (TSS), vitamin C and acidity were reduced by juglone treatment compared to the control. All nutrient elements analyzed in the leaves generally were lower than the control for all treatments except 1/8 diluted. Keywords: allelopathy, Fragaria × ananassa L., Juglans regia, juglone, strawberry, walnut leaf extract Journal: Plant, Soil and Environment Pages: 283-287 Volume: 51 Issue: 6 Year: 2005 DOI: 10.17221/3587-PSE File-URL: http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/3587-PSE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/pse-200506-0007.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:51:y:2005:i:6:id:3587-PSE