Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: S.K. Biswas Author-Workplace-Name: Irrigation and Water Management Division, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Gazipur, Bangladesh Author-Name: A.R. Akanda Author-Workplace-Name: Irrigation and Water Management Division, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Gazipur, Bangladesh Author-Name: M.S. Rahman Author-Workplace-Name: Irrigation and Water Management Division, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Gazipur, Bangladesh Author-Name: M.A. Hossain Author-Workplace-Name: Irrigation and Water Management Division, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Gazipur, Bangladesh Title: Effect of drip irrigation and mulching on yield, water-use efficiency and economics of tomato Abstract: This study investigated the combined effects of drip irrigation and mulches on yield, water-use efficiency and economic return of tomato. The treatments of the study comprised different combinations of three drip irrigation levels (100, 75 and 50% of crop water requirement, ETc) and two mulches (black polyethylene sheet and paddy straw). The yield and yield-contributing characters in the mulched treatments for all levels of irrigation were significantly higher compared to those in the unmulched treatments. The yield of tomato increased with the increasing amount of irrigation water in unmulched treatment. The trend was reversed when drip irrigation was coupled with mulches. The highest yield for each mulch (81.12 t/ha for polyethylene and 79.49 t/ha for straw) was obtained when 50% of water requirement was applied. With 100% water application, polyethylene-mulched treatment produced lower yield than the straw-mulched treatment. The highest water use efficiency of 592 kg/ha/mm was obtained with 50% water application under polyethylene mulch. The highest net return (US$ 7098/ha), incremental net return (US$ 1556/ha), and incremental benefit-cost ratio (7.03) were found for 50% water application with straw mulch. The study thus reveals that drip irrigation with mulch has an explicit role in increasing the land and water productivity of tomato. Keywords: fertigation, crop water requirement, fruit, hydrothermal regimes of soils, benefit-cost ratio Journal: Plant, Soil and Environment Pages: 97-102 Volume: 61 Issue: 3 Year: 2015 DOI: 10.17221/804/2014-PSE File-URL: http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/804/2014-PSE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/pse-201503-0001.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:61:y:2015:i:3:id:804-2014-PSE Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: S.T. Forczek Author-Workplace-Name: Isotope Laboratory, Institute of Experimental Botany, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: F. Laturnus Author-Workplace-Name: Helmholtz Zentrum München GmbH Neuherberg, Research Unit Microbe-Plant Interactions, WG Plant Endophyte Physiology, Munich, Germany Author-Name: J. Doležalová Author-Workplace-Name: Isotope Laboratory, Institute of Experimental Botany, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Physical and Macromolecular Chemistry, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: J. Holík Author-Workplace-Name: Isotope Laboratory, Institute of Experimental Botany, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Z. Wimmer Author-Workplace-Name: Isotope Laboratory, Institute of Experimental Botany, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Chemistry of Natural Compounds, Institute of Chemical Technology, Prague, Czech Republic Title: Emission of climate relevant volatile organochlorines by plants occurring in temperate forests Abstract: Chlorine, one of the most abundant elements in nature, undergoes a complex biogeochemical cycle in the environment, involved in the formation of volatile organochlorines (VOCls), which in turn can contribute to environmental problems, contaminate natural ecosystems, and are of public health concern. Several industrial and natural sources of VOCls have already been identified; however, data - particularly on the natural sources - are still scarce. The aim of this study was to investigate the diversity of emission of VOCls from soil and several undergrowth plants collected in temperate spruce forest ecosystem and the effect of salting on the VOCl emission of plants. Undergrowth plants were found to emit chloroform (CHCl3) in the range of 2.2-201 pmol/day/g dry weight (DW), tetrachloromethane (CCl4) 0-23.5 pmol/day/g DW, and tetrachloroethene (C2Cl4) 0-13.5 pmol/day/g DW; the average emission rates were about 10 times higher than that of soil (2.9-47.2; 0-5.8; 0-3.6 pmol/day/g DW of CHCl3; CCl4; C2Cl4 emission, respectively). Addition of sodium chloride solution in most cases caused an increase in the emission of CHCl3 and caused a species specific - effect on the emissions of CCl4 and C2Cl4. The results suggest that the emission of VOCls from spruce forest contribute to the atmospheric input of reactive chlorine; however, on a global scale it is only a minor net source. Keywords: volatile chlorinated hydrocarbons, biodegradation, Sphagnum moss, ozone-depleting substances, headspace cryofocusing method, boreal forests Journal: Plant, Soil and Environment Pages: 103-108 Volume: 61 Issue: 3 Year: 2015 DOI: 10.17221/900/2014-PSE File-URL: http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/900/2014-PSE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/pse-201503-0002.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:61:y:2015:i:3:id:900-2014-PSE Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: T. Davidová Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Irrigation, Drainage and Landscape Engineering, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: T. Dostál Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Irrigation, Drainage and Landscape Engineering, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: V. David Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Irrigation, Drainage and Landscape Engineering, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: P. Strauss Author-Workplace-Name: Institute for Land and Water Management Research, Federal Agency for Water Title: Determining the protective effect of agricultural crops on the soil erosion process using a field rainfall simulator Abstract: In this paper the data measured by application of the MDS NZ2 field rainfall simulator have been used to demonstrate the effect of vegetation cover on surface runoff generation and soil loss. The results of 15 experiments for two crops (oats and wheat) are presented. Canopy cover and the leaf area index are used to describe the vegetation development. Measured soil loss decreased with growing vegetation significantly from the maximum values 74.7 g/min for oats (38.4 g/min for wheat) to 0.4 g/min (1.5 g/min respectively) from the experimental plot of 16 m2. Thus, this work clearly demonstrates the positive effect of canopy development on soil loss. However, the effect of the developing cover on the surface runoff generation was not significant. Keywords: water erosion, soil detachment, soil loss ration, vegetative cover, LAI Journal: Plant, Soil and Environment Pages: 109-115 Volume: 61 Issue: 3 Year: 2015 DOI: 10.17221/903/2014-PSE File-URL: http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/903/2014-PSE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/pse-201503-0003.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:61:y:2015:i:3:id:903-2014-PSE Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: J.J. Wang Author-Workplace-Name: College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, P.R. China Author-Name: C.X. Hu Author-Workplace-Name: College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, P.R. China Author-Name: J. Bai Author-Workplace-Name: College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, P.R. China Author-Name: C.M. Gong Author-Workplace-Name: College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, P.R. China Title: Carbon sequestration of mature black locust stands on the Loess Plateau, China Abstract: In Northwestern China, the carbon fixing capacity of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) has been questioned because of its slow growth following the return of unproductive farmland to forest. To explore the effects of stand age on the carbon sequestration potential of R. pseudoacacia in a semi-arid, ecologically fragile area, parameters related to carbon fixation were investigated in plots of three stand ages (5, 10, and 25 years). Each plot was divided into four subsystems: R. pseudoacacia, understory vegetation, litter, and soil, and the carbon stored capacity of each subsystem was estimated. The organic carbon density of R. pseudoacacia, understory vegetation, and litter ranged from 3.4-16.8% and increased gradually with increasing stand age. Soil organic carbon increased with increasing stand age and accounted for 83.2-96.6% of the total carbon stored. Soil CaCO3 content also increased with increasing soil depth and stand age. Because total plant and soil carbon storage increased with increasing age of R. pseudoacacia stands, the 25-year-old R. pseudoacacia community had the highest carbon fixation capacity, which was substantial even in this arid region. Keywords: atmospheric CO2, afforested, biomass, plant organic carbon Journal: Plant, Soil and Environment Pages: 116-121 Volume: 61 Issue: 3 Year: 2015 DOI: 10.17221/931/2014-PSE File-URL: http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/931/2014-PSE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/pse-201503-0004.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:61:y:2015:i:3:id:931-2014-PSE Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: H. Ram Author-Workplace-Name: Punjab Agricultural University Ludhiana, Punjab, India Author-Name: S.S. Malik Author-Workplace-Name: Punjab Agricultural University Ludhiana, Punjab, India Author-Name: S.S. Dhaliwal Author-Workplace-Name: Punjab Agricultural University Ludhiana, Punjab, India Author-Name: B. Kumar Author-Workplace-Name: Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana, Punjab, India Author-Name: Y. Singh Author-Workplace-Name: Punjab Agricultural University Ludhiana, Punjab, India Title: Growth and productivity of wheat affected by phosphorus-solubilizing fungi and phosphorus levels Abstract: Phosphorus (P) availability limits crop growth in most of cultivable soils in north-west India. The beneficial rhizosphere microorganisms such as phosphate-solubilising fungi (PSF) were found to increase P availability in soil and improve crop yields. In view of this, field experiments were conducted during 2009-2011 to evaluate the effect of seed inoculation with PSF (Penicillium bilaii) at different rates of fertilizer P on P content in leaves and grain yield of irrigated wheat in India. The soil was low in Olsen P at the Bathinda site and medium at the Ludhiana site. In no-P treatment, PSF significantly increased grain yield by 12.6% over non-inoculated control. The effect of PSF on grain yield was generally more pronounced in a soil with low Olsen-P compared to medium Olsen-P level. Inoculation of PSF along with 50% P fertilizer increased wheat yield equivalent to 100% P with no PSF. Spike density was significantly higher in PSF + 50% P than all the other treatments. There is need to study a long-term effect of Penicillium bilaii on P-fertilizer saving in wheat on soils varying in P availability, pH and P fixation capacity for different wheat-based cropping systems. Keywords: plant nutrition, solubilization, cereal production, macronutrient, biofertilizer, Triticum aestivum L Journal: Plant, Soil and Environment Pages: 122-126 Volume: 61 Issue: 3 Year: 2015 DOI: 10.17221/982/2014-PSE File-URL: http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/982/2014-PSE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/pse-201503-0005.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:61:y:2015:i:3:id:982-2014-PSE Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: G. Song Author-Workplace-Name: State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, P.R. China Author-Name: R. Chen Author-Workplace-Name: State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Joint Open Laboratory of Soil and the Environment, Hong Kong Baptist University and Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, P.R. China Author-Name: W. Xiang Author-Workplace-Name: State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, P.R. China Author-Name: F. Yang Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark Author-Name: S. Zheng Author-Workplace-Name: State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, P.R. China Author-Name: J. Zhang Author-Workplace-Name: State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, P.R. China Author-Name: J. Zhang Author-Workplace-Name: State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Joint Open Laboratory of Soil and the Environment, Hong Kong Baptist University and Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, P.R. China Author-Name: X. Lin Author-Workplace-Name: State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Joint Open Laboratory of Soil and the Environment, Hong Kong Baptist University and Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, P.R. China Title: Contrasting effects of long-term fertilization on the community of saprotrophic fungi and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in a sandy loam soil Abstract: The changes of saprotrophic fungi (SF) and symbiotic arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in response to different fertilizers were investigated in a period of 21 years. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis profiles showed fungal community structure significantly changed after long-term fertilization. Long-term organic and mineral fertilization significantly increased the SF diversity, whereas mineral fertilization decreased the AMF diversity. SF quantity significantly increased in response to organic fertilizers, whereas the AMF propagules were down-regulated by nutrient-rich fertilization but induced by N, P or K-deficiency. Redundancy analysis showed that long-term fertilization differentially affected diversity and quantity of SF and AMF. Nutrient-rich organic fertilizers, resulting in higher contents of soil organic C (SOC), total N and mineral N, total and available P, regulated the quantity and diversity of SF positively and quantity of AMF negatively, respectively. The diversity of AMF was slightly down-regulated by SOC, total and mineral N and total P as well as the nutrient-rich mineral treatments, in contrast to the positive effects by available K and P. These results indicate that soil nutritional status and fertilizer types significantly affect SF and AMF. Our study of soil fungal community in response to the long-term fertilization can provide new strategies for agronomic practice. Keywords: fungal rRNA gene, Shannon-Wiener diversity, fungal quantity, microbial communities, quantitative-PCR Journal: Plant, Soil and Environment Pages: 127-136 Volume: 61 Issue: 3 Year: 2015 DOI: 10.17221/999/2014-PSE File-URL: http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/999/2014-PSE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/pse-201503-0006.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:61:y:2015:i:3:id:999-2014-PSE Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: B. Grygierzec Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Grassland Management, Institute of Plant Production, University of Agriculture, Krakow, Poland Author-Name: L. Luty Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Mathematical Statistics, University of Agriculture, Krakow, Poland Author-Name: K. Musiał Author-Workplace-Name: Malopolska Association for Agricultural Extension in Krakow, Krakow, Poland Title: The efficiency of nitrogen and sulphur fertilization on yields and value of N:S ratio for Lolium × boucheanum Abstract: This paper deals with the efficiency of nitrogen (N) and sulphur (S) fertilization on yields and value of N:S ratio for hybrid ryegrass cultivated in monoculture and in a mix with white clover. The research was carried out from 2011-2013 near Krakow in southern Poland. Plants were evaluated in the context of diversified fertilization with nitrogen at rates of 50 and 100 kg N/ha as well as two sulphur-based fertilizers: Arista siarka and Pro-siarka, used at rates of 5, 10, 15 kg S/ha. Independent research findings have shown a clear synergism between nitrogen and sulphur, namely fertilization with sulphur in the form of Arysta siarka and Pro-siarka fertilizers that increased the yields of total aboveground biomass of the plants, from all cuts and decreased the values of the N:S ratio. The highest average dry matter yield was determined after the use of 50 kg N/ha and 15 kg S/ha in the form of Pro-siarka fertilizer, compared to fertilization with 50 kg N/ha, amounting to 0.52-2.08 t/ha for hybrid ryegrass and 0.15-2.40 t/ha for hybrid ryegrass with white clover, respectively. The highest average narrowing of the N:S ratio was calculated in plants fertilized with 100 kg N/ha and 15 kg S/ha in the form of Pro-siarka fertilizer. Keywords: crop production, nutrient, Trifolium repens, sulphur deficiency, grassland management Journal: Plant, Soil and Environment Pages: 137-143 Volume: 61 Issue: 3 Year: 2015 DOI: 10.17221/1005/2014-PSE File-URL: http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/1005/2014-PSE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/pse-201503-0007.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:61:y:2015:i:3:id:1005-2014-PSE