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Sample records for preplant soil fumigation

  1. Methods evaluated to minimize emissions from preplant soil fumigation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suduan Gao

    2008-05-01

    Full Text Available Many commodities depend on preplant soil fumigation for pest control to achieve healthy crops and profitable yields. Under California regulations, minimizing emissions is essential to maintain the practical use of soil fumigants, and more stringent regulations are likely in the future. The phase-out of methyl bromide as a broad-spectrum soil fumigant has created formidable challenges. Most alternatives registered today are regulated as volatile organic compounds because of their toxicity and mobile nature. We review research on methods for minimizing emissions from soil fumigation, including the effectiveness of their emission reductions, impacts on pest control and cost. Low-permeability plastic mulches are highly effective but are generally affordable only in high-value cash crops such as strawberry. Crops with low profit margins such as stone-fruit orchards may require lower-cost methods such as water treatment or target-area fumigation.

  2. Effect of pre-plant soil fumigants on Agrobacterium tumefaciens, pythiaceous species, and subsequent soil recolonization by A. tumefaciens

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paradox (Juglans hindsii x J. regia), the dominant rootstock used in the California walnut industry, is susceptible to crown gall, caused by Agrobacterium tumefaciens. In practice, soil fumigation has been a common preplant management strategy for crown gall, but even an industry standard, methyl b...

  3. Totally impermeable film (TIF reduces emissions in perennial crop fumigation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suduan Gao

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Many perennial nursery fields and replanted orchards and vineyards in California are treated with preplant soil fumigants to control soilborne pests. In annual crops, such as strawberry, covering fumigated fields with totally impermeable film (TIF has shown promise in controlling emissions and improving fumigant distribution in soil. The objective of this research was to optimize the use of TIF for perennial crops via three field trials. TIF reduced peak emission flux and cumulative emissions by > 90% relative to polyethylene tarp during a 2-week covering period. After the TIF was cut, emissions were greatly reduced compared to when tarps were cut after 6 days. TIF maintained higher fumigant concentrations under tarp and in the soil than polyethylene film. The results indicate that TIF can increase fumigation efficiency for perennial crop growers.

  4. Fumigant distribution in forest nursery soils

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dong Wang; Stephen W. Fraedrich; Jennifer Juzwik; Kurt Spokas; Yi Zhang; William C. Koskinen

    2006-01-01

    Adequate concentration, exposure time and distribution uniformity of activated fumigant gases are prerequisites for successful soil fumigation. Field experiments were conducted to evaluate gas phase distributions of methyl isothiocyanate (MITC) and chloropicrin (CP) in two forest-tree nurseries. Concentrations of MITC and CP in soil air were measured from replicated...

  5. Introduction to Soil Fumigant Management Plans

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soil fumigant pesticide labels require users to prepare a site-specific fumigation management plan (FMP) before the application begins. EPA has developed templates that outline the elements required by the labels.

  6. Effects of Fumigant Alternatives to Methyl Bromide on Pest Control in Open Field Nursery Production of Perennial Fruit and Nut Plants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Producers of deciduous fruit and nut trees and vines rely on preplant fumigation to meet regulatory requirements designed to ensure nematode free planting stock. In the past, preplant treatments with methyl bromide or high rates of 1,3-dichloropropene were the preferred treatments. However, the ph...

  7. Soil Fumigant Labels - Methyl Bromide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Search soil fumigant pesticide labels by EPA registration number, product name, or company, and follow the link to The Pesticide Product Label System (PPLS) for details. Updated labels include new safety requirements for buffer zones and related measures.

  8. Agricultural soil fumigation as a source of atmospheric methyl bromide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yagi, K; Williams, J; Wang, N Y; Cicerone, R J

    1993-09-15

    Methyl bromide (MeBr) is used increasingly as a biocidal fumigant, primarily in agricultural soils prior to planting of crops. This usage carries potential for stratospheric ozone reduction due to Br atom catalysis, depending on how much MeBr escapes from fumigated soils to the atmosphere and on details of atmospheric chemical reactions. We present direct field measurements of MeBr escape; 87% of the applied MeBr was emitted within 7 days after a commercial fumigation. Covering the field with plastic sheets retarded MeBr escape somewhat but first-day losses were still 40%; thicker sections of sheets were relatively more effective than thin sections. We also measured gaseous MeBr concentrations versus depth in the soil column; these profiles display diffusion-like evolution. In soil, MeBr is partitioned among gas, liquid, and adsorbed solid phases. Calculated soil inventories agreed only roughly with applied amounts, probably due to nonequilibrium partitioning (during the first 30 min) and to uncertainties in partitioning coefficients. Fumigated fields may release less MeBr if they are covered by more gas-tight plastic films, if injection techniques are improved and injection is deeper, and if soil moistures, organic amounts, and densities are greater than in the soil studied here.

  9. Simulating emissions of 1,3-dichloropropene after soil fumigation under field conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yates, S R; Ashworth, D J

    2018-04-15

    Soil fumigation is an important agricultural practice used to produce many vegetable and fruit crops. However, fumigating soil can lead to atmospheric emissions which can increase risks to human and environmental health. A complete understanding of the transport, fate, and emissions of fumigants as impacted by soil and environmental processes is needed to mitigate atmospheric emissions. Five large-scale field experiments were conducted to measure emission rates for 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D), a soil fumigant commonly used in California. Numerical simulations of these experiments were conducted in predictive mode (i.e., no calibration) to determine if simulation could be used as a substitute for field experimentation to obtain information needed by regulators. The results show that the magnitude of the volatilization rate and the total emissions could be adequately predicted for these experiments, with the exception of a scenario where the field was periodically irrigated after fumigation. In addition, the timing of the daily peak 1,3-D emissions was not accurately predicted for these experiments due to the peak emission rates occurring during the night or early-morning hours. This study revealed that more comprehensive mathematical models (or adjustments to existing models) are needed to fully describe emissions of soil fumigants from field soils under typical agronomic conditions. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  10. Soil resilience and yield performance in a vineyard established after intense pre-planting earthworks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Costantini, Edoardo; Valboa, Giuseppe; Gagnarli, Elena; Mocali, Stefano; Fabiani, Arturo; Priori, Simone; Simoni, Sauro; Storchi, Paolo; Perria, Rita; Vignozzi, Nadia; Agnelli, Alessandro

    2017-04-01

    Conventional earthworks undertaken before vine plantation may severely compromise soil functions and vine production, as a consequence of a decline of soil fertility caused by loss of organic matter and biological activity, along with changes in chemical and physical features of the topsoil due to the upset of the soil profile. This research was aimed at assessing the effects of conventional pre-planting earthworks on soil fertility and vine yield performance under organic farming. To this purpose, grape yield and quality along with soil chemical, physical and biological properties, were monitored over seven years in a young vineyard established in 2010 after soil leveling and deep ploughing, and in parallel in an older vineyard planted in 2000 after similar earthworks under the same soil and environment conditions. The vineyards (Vitis vinifera L., cv. Sangiovese) were located in the Chianti Classico district (Tuscany, Italy) on a stony calcareous soil classified as Cambic Skeletic Calcisol (loamic, aric) (WRB, 2014). Fertilization was based on annual applications of compost and shredded plant residues. According to the ordinary farming system, the older vineyard was kept free from grass covering during the first four years of growth by periodic tillage, in order to prevent nutritional competition, while in the following years it was managed by natural grass covering on alternate inter-rows. In the younger vineyard, grass covering needed to be postponed because of a delay in the vine development and grape yield induced by poor soil fertility. The results showed significant differences between the two vineyard, with the younger exhibiting lower total organic carbon (0.4 - 0.6 % vs 0.6 - 1.1 %), lower total nitrogen (0.07 - 0.11 % vs 0.10 - 0.15 %) and higher carbonate contents (32 - 38 % vs 21 -30 % total CaCO3), with no clear trend of recovery over time. Pre-planting earthworks also affected the structure and diversity of microbial and microarthropod communities

  11. Evaluation of soil solarisation and bio-fumigation for the ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Soil-borne plant pathogens cause heavy losses to all major crops, leading to reductions in both yield and quality. Soil solarisation and bio-fumigation offer disease management options that are safe and reduce the use of pesticides for soil-borne plant pathogens. Mustard plant releases antimicrobial hydrolysis products, ...

  12. Effect of Soil Fumigation on Degradation of Pendimethalin and Oxyfluorfen in Laboratory and Ginger Field Studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Bin; Li, Jun; Fang, Wensheng; Liu, Pengfei; Guo, Meixia; Yan, Dongdong; Wang, Qiuxia; Cao, Aocheng

    2016-11-23

    Herbicides are usually applied to agricultural fields following soil fumigation to provide effective weed control in high-value cash crops. However, phytotoxicity has been observed in ginger seedlings following the application of herbicides in fumigated fields. This study tested a mixture of herbicides (pendimethalin and oxyfluorfen) and several fumigant treatments in laboratory and field studies to determine their effect on the growth of ginger. The results showed that soil fumigation significantly (P oxyfluorfen was extended by an average of about 1.19 times in the field and 1.32 times in the laboratory. Moreover, the extended period of herbicide degradation in the fumigant and nonfumigant treatments significantly reduced ginger plant height, leaf number, stem diameter, and the chlorophyll content. The study concluded that applying a dose below the recommended rate of these herbicides in chloropicrin (CP) or CP + 1,3-dichloropropene fumigated ginger fields is appropriate, as application of the recommended herbicide dose in fumigated soil may be phytotoxic to ginger.

  13. Laboratory Measured Emission Losses of Methyl Isothiocyanate at Pacific Northwest Soil Surface Fumigation Temperatures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Zhou; Hebert, Vincent R; Miller, Glenn C

    2017-02-01

    Temperature is a major environmental factor influencing land surface volatilization at the time of agricultural field fumigation. Cooler fumigation soil temperatures relevant to Pacific Northwest (PNW) application practices with metam sodium/potassium should result in appreciably reduced methyl isothiocyanate (MITC) emission rates, thus minimizing off target movement and bystander inhalation exposure. Herein, a series of laboratory controlled flow-through soil column assessments were performed evaluating MITC emissions over the range of cooler temperatures (2-13°C). Assessments were also conducted at the maximum allowed label application temperature of 32°C. All assessments were conducted at registration label-specified field moisture capacity, and no more than 50% cumulative MITC loss was observed over the 2-day post-fumigation timeframe. Three-fold reductions in MITC peak fluxes at cooler PNW application temperatures were observed compared to the label maximum temperature. This study supports current EPA metam sodium/potassium label language that indicates surface fumigations during warmer soil conditions should be discouraged.

  14. Emission and soil distribution of fumigants in forest tree nurseries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dong Wang; Jennifer Juzwik; Stephen Fraedrich

    2005-01-01

    Production of tree seedlings in the majority of forest nurseries in the USA has relied on soil fumigation with methyl bromide (MeBr) to control soil-borne plant pathogens, weeds, parasitic nematodes and insects. Since the announcement of the scheduled MeBr phase-out, a number of nurseries throughout the United States have participated in research programs on MeBr...

  15. Soil [N] modulates soil C cycling in CO2-fumigated tree stands

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dieleman, W. I. J.; Luyssaert, S.; Rey, A.

    2010-01-01

    Under elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations, soil carbon (C) inputs are typically enhanced, suggesting larger soil C sequestration potential. However, soil C losses also increase and progressive nitrogen (N) limitation to plant growth may reduce the CO2 effect on soil C inputs with time. We...... compiled a data set from 131 manipulation experiments, and used meta-analysis to test the hypotheses that: (1) elevated atmospheric CO2 stimulates soil C inputs more than C losses, resulting in increasing soil C stocks; and (2) that these responses are modulated by N. Our results confirm that elevated CO2...... induces a C allocation shift towards below-ground biomass compartments. However, the increased soil C inputs were offset by increased heterotrophic respiration (Rh), such that soil C content was not affected by elevated CO2. Soil N concentration strongly interacted with CO2 fumigation: the effect...

  16. Synthesis of Pisolithus Ectomycorrhizae on Pecan Seedlings in Fumigated Soil

    Science.gov (United States)

    Donald H. Marx

    1979-01-01

    Curtis variety of pecan (Carya illinoensis) seedlings were grown for 8 months in fumigated soil infested at sowing with mycelial inoculum of Pisolithus tinctorius. Pisolithus ectomycorrhizae were formed on all inoculated seedlings and significantly improved their growth over control seedlings. Inoculated and control seedlings also formed ectomycorrhizae with naturally...

  17. Quantification of Fusarium oxysporum in fumigated soils by a newly developed real-time PCR assay to assess the efficacy of fumigants for Fusarium wilt disease in strawberry plants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yuan; Mao, Liangang; Yan, Dongdong; Ma, Taotao; Shen, Jin; Guo, Meixia; Wang, Qiuxia; Ouyang, Canbin; Cao, Aocheng

    2014-11-01

    Two soil fumigants, chloropicrin (CP) and dimethyl disulfide (DMDS), were used to control Fusarium wilt disease (FWD) which caused large economic losses in strawberries. The fumigants were evaluated alone and in combination in a laboratory study and in strawberry greenhouses. Laboratory tests found that combinations of CP and DMDS indicated a positive synergistic activity on Fusarium oxysporum. A newly developed quantitative assay for F. oxysporum involving real-time PCR was used successfully to evaluate F. oxysporum control by the fumigants; it provided similar results to the selective medium but was less time-consuming and less labor intensive. Greenhouse trials revealed that the combination of CP and DMDS successfully suppressed the incidence of FWD and sharply reduced the population density of F. oxysporum, which significantly increased fruit branch number and maintained a good strawberry yield, higher than methyl bromide (MB) treatment. All of the treatments provided significantly better results than the non-treated control. This study confirms that the newly developed real-time PCR quantitative assay for F. oxysporum was suitable for the control efficacy evaluation of soil fumigants and that the novel fumigant combination of CP and DMDS offers a promising effective alternative to MB for the control of F. oxysporum in strawberry greenhouses. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

  18. Herbicidal Activity of Coumarin When Applied as a Pre-plant Incorporated into Soil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amir-Hossein NAZEMI

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Due to having a short half-life and novel site of action, the herbicidal potential of natural compounds are lionized. Coumarin is a secondary metabolite from Lavandula sp., family Lamiacae. The impact of eight concentrations of coumarin (0, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200 and 6400 ppm were separately used as a pre-plant incorporated into soil on six plant species under greenhouse conditions. Generally, coumarin had phytotoxic effect against all plant species. The phytotoxic effect was concentration-dependent. The high concentrations could inhibit the emergence of seedlings (probably by stopping germination of seeds. Based on ED50 parameter, the ranking of plant species for tolerance to coumarin was S. halepense > Z. mays > C. album > A. retroflexus > E. cruss-gali > P. oleracea. Based on selectivity index, coumarin at a concentration of 365.69 ppm can control P. oleracea without damaging Z. mays, whereas any concentration it cannot control other weeds without damaging Z. mays.

  19. Weed and Pathogen Control with Reduced Methyl Bromide Rates in Open Field Nurseries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Producers of nursery stock in California rely on preplant soil fumigation to meet requirements for nematode free planting stock. Certified clean stock is essential for successful establishment and future productivity of new orchards and vineyards and is a requirement for intra- and interstate as ...

  20. Soil Fumigant Labels - Chloropicrin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Search by EPA registration number, product name, or company name, and follow the link to the Pesticide Product Label System (PPLS) for details on each fumigant. Updated labels include new safety requirements for buffer zones and related measures.

  1. Incidence of Agrobacterium tumefaciens biovar 1 in and on ‘Paradox’ (Juglans hindsii x Juglans regia) walnut seed collected from commercial nurseries

    Science.gov (United States)

    The walnut rootstock Paradox (Juglans hindsii (Jeps) Rehder x J. regia L.) is susceptible to Agrobacterium tumefaciens (7) which often results in a high incidence of crown gall in nursery or walnut production orchards. Though A. tumefaciens is susceptible to the commonly used preplant soil fumigant...

  2. Atmospheric emissions of methyl isothiocyanate and chloropicrin following soil fumigation and surface containment treatment in bare-root forest nurseries

    Science.gov (United States)

    D. Wang; J. Juzwik; S.W. Fraedrich; K. Spokas; Y. Zhang; W.C. Koskinen

    2005-01-01

    Methylisothiocyanate (MITC) and chloropicrin (CP) are alternatives to methyl bromide for soil fumigation. However, surface transport of MITC emission has been cited as the cause for seedling damage in adjacent fields at several bare-root forest-tree nurseries. Field experiments were conducted at nurseries to measure air emissions of MITC and CP after fumigation....

  3. Fumigant dosages below maximum label rate control some soilborne pathogens

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shachaf Triky-Dotan

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available The activity of commercial soil fumigants on some key soilborne pathogens was assessed in sandy loam soil under controlled conditions. Seven soil fumigants that are registered in California or are being or have been considered for registration were used in this study: dimethyl disulfide (DMDS mixed with chloropicrin (Pic (79% DMDS and 21% Pic, Tri-Con (50% methyl bromide and 50% Pic, Midas Gold (33% methyl iodide [MI] and 67% Pic, Midas Bronze (50% MI and 50% Pic, Midas (MI, active ingredient [a.i.] 97.8%, Pic (a.i. 99% trichloronitromethane and Pic-Clor 60 (57% Pic and 37% 1,3-dichloropropene [1–3,D]. Dose-response models were calculated for pathogen mortality after 24 hours of exposure to fumigants. Overall, the tested fumigants achieved good efficacy with dosages below the maximum label rate against the tested pathogens. In this study, Pythium ultimum and citrus nematode were sensitive to all the fumigants and Verticillium dahliae was resistant. For most fumigants, California regulations restrict application rates to less than the maximum (federal label rate, meaning that it is possible that the fumigants may not control major plant pathogens. This research provides information on the effectiveness of these alternatives at these lower application rates. The results from this study will help growers optimize application rates for registered fumigants (such as Pic and 1,3-D and will help accelerate the adoption of new fumigants (such as DMDS if they are registered in California.

  4. Legacy effects of continuous chloropicrin-fumigation for 3-years on soil microbial community composition and metabolic activity

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zhang, Shuting; Liu, Xiaojiao; Jiang, Qipeng; Shen, Guihua; Ding, Wei

    2017-01-01

    Chloropicrin is widely used to control ginger wilt in China, which have an enormous impact on soil microbial diversity. However, little is known on the possible legacy effects on soil microbial community composition with continuous fumigation over different years. In this report, we used high

  5. Effects of soil type, moisture content, redox potential and methyl bromide fumigation on Kd values of radio-selenium in soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ashworth, D.J.; Moore, J.; Shaw, G.

    2008-01-01

    Understanding the processes that determine the solid-liquid partitioning (K d value) of Se is of fundamental importance in assessing the risk associated with the disposal of radio-selenium-containing waste. Using a mini-column (rather than batch) approach, K d values for 75 Se were determined over time in relation to soil moisture content (field capacity or saturated), redox potential and methyl bromide fumigation (used to disrupt the soil microbial population) in three contrasting soil types: clay loam, organic and sandy loam. The K d values were generally in the range 50-500 L kg -1 , with mean soil K d increasing with increasing organic matter content. Saturation with water lowered the measured redox potentials in the soils. However, only in the sandy loam soil did redox potential become negative, and this led to an increase in 75 Se K d value in this soil. Comparison of the data with the Eh-pH stability diagram for Se suggested that such strong reduction may have been consistent with the formation of the insoluble Se species, selenide. These findings, coupled with the fact that methyl bromide fumigation had no discernible effect on 75 Se K d value in the sandy loam soil, suggest that geochemical, rather than microbial, processes controlled 75 Se partitioning. The inter-relations between soil moisture content, redox potential and Se speciation should be considered in the modelling and assessment of radioactive Se fate and transport in the environment

  6. Catalytic degradation of the soil fumigant 1,3-dichloropropene in aqueous biochar slurry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Qin, Jiaolong [School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240 (China); Cheng, Yuxiao; Sun, Mingxing [Shanghai Entry–Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, Shanghai 200135 (China); Yan, Lili [School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240 (China); Shen, Guoqing, E-mail: gqsh@sjtu.edu.cn [School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240 (China)

    2016-11-01

    Biochar has been explored as a cost-effective sorbent of contaminants, such as soil fumigant. However, contaminant-loaded biochar probably becomes a source of secondary air pollution. In this study, biochars developed from cow manure and rice husk at 300 °C or 700 °C were used to investigate the catalytic degradation of the soil fumigant 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D) in aqueous biochar slurry. Results showed that the adsorption of 1,3-D on the biochars was influenced by Langmuir surface monolayer adsorption. The maximum adsorption capacity of cow manure was greater than that of rice husk at the same pyrolysis temperature. Batch experiments revealed that 1,3-D degradation was improved in aqueous biochar slurry. The most rapid 1,3-D degradation occurred on cow manure-derived biochar produced at 300 °C (C-300), with t{sub 1/2} = 3.47 days. The degradation efficiency of 1,3-D on C-300 was 95.52%. Environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) in biochars were detected via electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) techniques. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) and hydroxyl radical (·OH) in biochars were detected by using a fluorescence spectrophotometer coupled with a terephthalic acid trapping method. The improvement of 1,3-D degradation efficiency may be attributed to EPFRs and DOM in aqueous biochar slurry. Our results may pose implications in the development of effective reduction strategies for soil fumigant emission with biochar. - Highlights: • Hydrolysis of 1,3-D was accelerated in aqueous biochar slurry. • 1,3-D adsorption kinetics on biochars fitted well with Langmuir model. • Cow manure biochar showed higher catalytic degradation activity for 1,3-D than rice husk biochar did. • EPFRs and DOM have potential roles in 1,3-D degradation on biochar.

  7. Catalytic degradation of the soil fumigant 1,3-dichloropropene in aqueous biochar slurry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qin, Jiaolong; Cheng, Yuxiao; Sun, Mingxing; Yan, Lili; Shen, Guoqing

    2016-01-01

    Biochar has been explored as a cost-effective sorbent of contaminants, such as soil fumigant. However, contaminant-loaded biochar probably becomes a source of secondary air pollution. In this study, biochars developed from cow manure and rice husk at 300 °C or 700 °C were used to investigate the catalytic degradation of the soil fumigant 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D) in aqueous biochar slurry. Results showed that the adsorption of 1,3-D on the biochars was influenced by Langmuir surface monolayer adsorption. The maximum adsorption capacity of cow manure was greater than that of rice husk at the same pyrolysis temperature. Batch experiments revealed that 1,3-D degradation was improved in aqueous biochar slurry. The most rapid 1,3-D degradation occurred on cow manure-derived biochar produced at 300 °C (C-300), with t 1/2 = 3.47 days. The degradation efficiency of 1,3-D on C-300 was 95.52%. Environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) in biochars were detected via electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) techniques. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) and hydroxyl radical (·OH) in biochars were detected by using a fluorescence spectrophotometer coupled with a terephthalic acid trapping method. The improvement of 1,3-D degradation efficiency may be attributed to EPFRs and DOM in aqueous biochar slurry. Our results may pose implications in the development of effective reduction strategies for soil fumigant emission with biochar. - Highlights: • Hydrolysis of 1,3-D was accelerated in aqueous biochar slurry. • 1,3-D adsorption kinetics on biochars fitted well with Langmuir model. • Cow manure biochar showed higher catalytic degradation activity for 1,3-D than rice husk biochar did. • EPFRs and DOM have potential roles in 1,3-D degradation on biochar.

  8. Toxicity of pesticides associated with potato production, including soil fumigants, to snapping turtle eggs (Chelydra serpentina).

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Solla, Shane Raymond; Palonen, Kimberley Elizabeth; Martin, Pamela Anne

    2014-01-01

    Turtles frequently oviposit in soils associated with agriculture and, thus, may be exposed to pesticides or fertilizers. The toxicity of a pesticide regime that is used for potato production in Ontario on the survivorship of snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) eggs was evaluated. The following treatments were applied to clean soil: 1) a mixture of the pesticides chlorothalonil, S-metolachlor, metribuzin, and chlorpyrifos, and 2) the soil fumigant metam sodium. Turtle eggs were incubated in soil in outdoor plots in which these mixtures were applied at typical and higher field application rates, where the eggs were subject to ambient temperature and weather conditions. The pesticide mixture consisting of chlorothalonil, S-metolachlor, metribuzin, and chlorpyrifos did not affect survivorship, deformities, or body size at applications up to 10 times the typical field application rates. Hatching success ranged between 87% and 100% for these treatments. Metam sodium was applied at 0.1¯ times, 0.3¯ times, 1 times, and 3 times field application rates. Eggs exposed to any application of metam sodium had 100% mortality. At typical field application rates, the chemical regime associated with potato production does not appear to have any detrimental impacts on turtle egg development, except for the use of the soil fumigant metam sodium, which is highly toxic to turtle eggs at the lowest recommended application rate. © 2013 SETAC.

  9. [Effects of lime-ammonium bicarbonate fumigation and biofertilizer application on Fusarium wilt and biomass of continuous cropping cucumber and watermelon.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Zong Zhuan; Sun, Li; Wang, Dong Sheng; Lyu, Na Na; Xue, Chao; Li, Rong; Shen, Qi Rong

    2017-10-01

    In this study, the population size of soil microbes was determined using plate counting method after the application of lime-ammonium bicarbonate and ammonium bicarbonate fumigation. In addition, biofertilizer was applied after soil fumigation and population of Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium wilt disease control efficiency and plant biomass were determined in the cucumber and watermelon continuous cropping soil. The results showed that the population of F. oxysporum in cucumber mono-cropped soil fumigated with lime-ammonium bicarbonate or ammonium bicarbonate was decreased by 95.4% and 71.4%, while that in watermelon mono-cropped soil was decreased by 87.3% and 61.2%, respectively compared with non-fumigated control (CK). Furthermore, the greenhouse experiment showed that biofertilizer application, soil fumigation and crop type showed significant effects on the number of soil F. oxysporum, Fusarium wilt disease incidence, disease control efficiency and plant biomass based on multivariate analysis of variance. In the lime-ammonium bicarbonate fumigated soil amended with biofertilizer (LFB), significant reductions in the numbers of F. oxysporum and Fusarium wilt disease incidence were observed in both cucumber and watermelon cropped soil compared to non-fumigated control soil applied with organic fertilizer. The disease control rate was 91.9% and 92.5% for cucumber and watermelon, respectively. Moreover, LFB also significantly increased the plant height, stem diameter, leaf SPAD, and dry biomass for cucumber and watermelon. It was indicated that biofertilizer application after lime-ammonium bicarbonate fumigation could effectively reduce the abundance of F. oxysporum in soil, control Fusarium wilt disease and improve plant biomass in cucumber and watermelon mono-cropping systems.

  10. Buffer Zone Requirements for Soil Fumigant Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Updated pesticide product labels require fumigant users to establish a buffer zone around treated fields to reduce risks to bystanders. Useful information includes tarp testing guidance and a buffer zone calculator.

  11. Midas® Fumigant Safe Handling Guide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Handlers or applicators should wear personal protective equipment including respirator and chemical-resistant gloves when working with this soil fumigant, be trained according to the Worker Protection Standard (WPS), and know signs of pesticide exposure.

  12. Defining a realistic control for the chloroform fumigation-incubation method using microscopic counting and 14C-substrates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Horwath, W.R.; Paul, E.A.; Harris, D.; Norton, J.; Jagger, L.; National Science Foundation, Logan, UT; Horton, K.A.

    1996-01-01

    Chloroform fumigation-incubation (CFI) has made possible the extensive characterization of soil microbial biomass carbon (C) (MBC). Defining the non-microbial C mineralized in soils following fumigation remains the major limitation of CFI. The mineralization of non-microbial C during CFI was examined by adding 14 C-maize to soil before incubation. The decomposition of the 14 C-maize during a 10-d incubation after fumigation was 22.5% that in non-fumigated control soils. Re-inoculation of the fumigated soil raised 14 C-maize decomposition to 77% that of the unfumigated control. A method was developed which varies the proportion of mineralized C from the unfumigated soil (UF c ) that is subtracted in calculating CFI biomass C. The proportion subtracted (P) varies according to a linear function of the ratio of C mineralized in the fumigated (F c ) and unfumigated samples (F c /UF c ) with two parameters K 1 and K 2 (P = K 1 F c /UF c ) + K 2 ). These parameters were estimated by regression of CFI biomass C, calculated according to the equation MBC = (F c - PUF c )/0.41, against that derived by direct microscopy in a series of California soils. Parameter values which gave the best estimate of microscopic biomass from the fumigation data were K 1 = 0.29 and K 2 = 0.23 (R 2 = 0.87). Substituting these parameter values, the equation can be simplified to MBC = 1.73F c - 0.56UF c . The equation was applied to other CFI data to determine its effect on the measurement of MBC. The use of this approach corrected data that were previously difficult to interpret and helped to reveal temporal trends and changes in MBC associated with soil depth. (author). 40 refs., 4 tabs., 3 figs

  13. The Effects of Fungicide, Soil Fumigant, Bio-Organic Fertilizer and Their Combined Application on Chrysanthemum Fusarium Wilt Controlling, Soil Enzyme Activities and Microbial Properties

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shuang Zhao

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Sustained monoculture often leads to a decline in soil quality, in particular to the build-up of pathogen populations, a problem that is conventionally addressed by the use of either fungicide and/or soil fumigation. This practice is no longer considered to be either environmentally sustainable or safe. While the application of organic fertilizer is seen as a means of combating declining soil fertility, it has also been suggested as providing some control over certain soil-borne plant pathogens. Here, a greenhouse comparison was made of the Fusarium wilt control efficacy of various treatments given to a soil in which chrysanthemum had been produced continuously for many years. The treatments comprised the fungicide carbendazim (MBC, the soil fumigant dazomet (DAZ, the incorporation of a Paenibacillus polymyxa SQR21 (P. polymyxa SQR21, fungal antagonist enhanced bio-organic fertilizer (BOF, and applications of BOF combined with either MBC or DAZ. Data suggest that all the treatments evaluated show good control over Fusarium wilt. The MBC and DAZ treatments were effective in suppressing the disease, but led to significant decrease in urease activity and no enhancement of catalase activity in the rhizosphere soils. BOF including treatments showed significant enhancement in soil enzyme activities and microbial communities compared to the MBC and DAZ, evidenced by differences in bacterial/fungi (B/F ratios, Shannon–Wiener indexes and urease, catalase and sucrase activities in the rhizosphere soil of chrysanthemum. Of all the treatments evaluated, DAZ/BOF application not only greatly suppressed Fusarium wilt and enhanced soil enzyme activities and microbial communities but also promoted the quality of chrysanthemum obviously. Our findings suggest that combined BOF with DAZ could more effectively control Fusarium wilt disease of chrysanthemum.

  14. A model-based approach to preplanting risk assessment for gray leaf spot of maize.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paul, P A; Munkvold, G P

    2004-12-01

    ABSTRACT Risk assessment models for gray leaf spot of maize, caused by Cercospora zeae-maydis, were developed using preplanting site and maize genotype data as predictors. Disease severity at the dough/dent plant growth stage was categorized into classes and used as the response variable. Logistic regression and classification and regression tree (CART) modeling approaches were used to predict severity classes as a function of planting date (PD), amount of maize soil surface residue (SR), cropping sequence, genotype maturity and gray leaf spot resistance (GLSR) ratings, and longitude (LON). Models were development using 332 cases collected between 1998 and 2001. Thirty cases collected in 2002 were used to validate the models. Preplanting data showed a strong relationship with late-season gray leaf spot severity classes. The most important predictors were SR, PD, GLSR, and LON. Logistic regression models correctly classified 60 to 70% of the validation cases, whereas the CART models correctly classified 57 to 77% of these cases. Cases misclassified by the CART models were mostly due to overestimation, whereas the logistic regression models tended to misclassify cases by underestimation. Both the CART and logistic regression models have potential as management decision-making tools. Early quantitative assessment of gray leaf spot risk would allow for more sound management decisions being made when warranted.

  15. Gamma radiation of cotton seeds pre-planting

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gulyamov, M-K.; Atadzhanov, M.; Narimov, S.

    1977-01-01

    The study of pre-planting irradiation of the cotton plant seeds with gamma rays is summed up. It is for the first time that for the industrial grades stimulating doses for preplanting gamma irradiation of seeds have been offered depending on the power of a radiation source, time before planting, reproduction and the site of origin of seeds. In the Tashkent area doses stimulating the growth, development, and productivity of the cotton plant G. hirsutum L. for seeds, resting in the dry condition are 0.5-2 krad by Co 60 gamma-rays. The early maturing kinds of the type C-4727 should be irradiated with slightly lowered doses (0.5-1 krad) while the usual types of the kind 108-F require doses nearer to 2 krad. Time from irradiation of the seed to planting influences not only the character of changes in the plants, but also heredity. Study during the vegetation period shows that at a dose of 1 krad a much earlier maturity (by 2 days) is observed for irradiation 10 days before planting. Irradiation 20 days before planting shows considerable delay in maturing and productivity as compared to controls

  16. Effect of Irrigation and Preplant Nitrogen Fertilizer Source on Maize in the Southern Great Plains

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jacob T. Bushong

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available With the demand for maize increasing, production has spread into more water limited, semiarid regions. Couple this with the increasing nitrogen (N fertilizer costs and environmental concerns and the need for proper management practices has increased. A trial was established to evaluate the effects of different preplant N fertilizer sources on maize cultivated under deficit irrigation or rain-fed conditions on grain yield, N use efficiency (NUE, and water use efficiency (WUE. Two fertilizer sources, ammonium sulfate (AS and urea ammonium nitrate (UAN, applied at two rates, 90 and 180 kg N ha−1, were evaluated across four site-years. Deficit irrigation improved grain yield, WUE, and NUE compared to rain-fed conditions. The preplant application of a pure ammoniacal source of N fertilizer, such as AS, had a tendency to increase grain yields and NUE for rain-fed treatments. Under irrigated conditions, the use of UAN as a preplant N fertilizer source performed just as well or better at improving grain yield compared to AS, as long as the potential N loss mechanisms were minimized. Producers applying N preplant as a single application should adjust rates based on a reasonable yield goal and production practice.

  17. Measurement and characteristics of microbial biomass in forest soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vance, E.D.

    1986-01-01

    The soil microbial biomass is the primary agent responsible for the breakdown and mineralization of soil organic matter and plays a major role in regulating nutrient availability to plants. In this study, methods for measuring biomass in soil were compared and tested in forest soils ranging in pH from 3.2 to 7.2. A good relationship between biomass C measured using the chloroform fumigation-incubation method and soil ATP or microbial biomass C by direct microscopy was found in soils at or above pH 4.2. The fumigation-incubation method consistently underestimated biomass C in soils below pH 4.2, however. Hypotheses for the breakdown of the fumigation-incubation method in strongly acid soils were tested by using an alterative fumigant, measuring the proportion of added 14 C labelled fungi and bacteria decomposed in fumigated soils (k/sub C/), and by studying the effect of large, non-fumigated soil inocula on the flush of respiration following fumigation. These studies indicated that the failure of the method in strongly acid soils was due to inhibited decomposition of non-microbial soil organic matter by the microbial recolonizing population following fumigation. A modified method for measuring biomass C by fumigation-incubation in acid soils is proposed

  18. Evaluation of allyl isothiocyanate as a soil fumigant against soil-borne diseases in commercial tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) production in China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ren, Zongjie; Li, Yuan; Fang, Wensheng; Yan, Dongdong; Huang, Bin; Zhu, Jiahong; Wang, Xiaoning; Wang, Xianli; Wang, Qiuxia; Guo, Meixia; Cao, Aocheng

    2018-03-12

    Root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.), soil-borne diseases and weeds seriously reduce the commercial yield of tomatoes grown under protected cultivation in China. Allyl isothiocyanate (AITC), a natural product obtained from damaged Brassica tissues, was evaluated as a potential replacement for the fumigant methyl bromide (MB) for use in the greenhouse production of tomatoes in China. The dose-response assay indicates that AITC has high biological activity against major bacterial and fungal pathogens (EC 50 of 0.225-4.199 mg L -1 ). The bioassay results indicate that AITC has good efficacy against root-knot nematodes (LC 50 of 18.046 mg kg -1 ), and moderate efficacy against fungal pathogens (LC 50 of 27.999-29.497 mg kg -1 ) and weeds (LC 50 of 17.300-47.660 mg kg -1 ). The potting test indicates that AITC significantly improved plant vigor. Field trials indicate that AITC showed good efficacy against Meloidogyne spp. and Fusarium spp. (both ∼ 80%) as well as Phytophthora spp. and Pythium spp. (both ∼ 70%), and improved plant vigor and marketable yield. AITC used as a soil fumigant (30-50 g m -2 ) effectively controlled major bacterial and fungal pathogens, root-knot nematode, weeds and increased plant vigor, yield and farmers' income in tomato cultivated under protected agriculture in China. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

  19. Fumigant Management Plan Templates - Phase 2 Files Listed by Chemical

    Science.gov (United States)

    FMP templates are in PDF and Word formats for each type of soil fumigant pesticide, with samples of filled out plans. Types are by active ingredient chemical: Chloropicrin, dazomet, dimethyl disulfide, metam sodium/potassium, and methyl bromide.

  20. Regulations and control of in-transit fumigated containers as well as of fumigated cargo ships.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Low, Anthony; Hüsing, Ulf-Peter; Preisser, Alexandra; Baur, Xaver

    2003-01-01

    According to IMO's international regulations, e.g. "Recommendations on the safe use of pesticides in ships", fumigated containers and ship cargoes must be labeled giving specifications about dates of fumigation and the fumigation gas used. Furthermore, appropriate certificates are necessary and these records have to be forwarded to the Port Health Authorities without their explicitly asking for them. According to IMO (DSC/Circ.8.24.7.2001) a recent inspection of containers unloaded in ports showed that some were under fumigation, but not declared as such and in a few cases these ventilated containers arrive with "Degas Certificates" stating that fumigant has been removed, but still have a high fumigant concentration inside when opened. There are similar reports from The Netherlands, where 21% of the fumigated containers had missing or false declarations and contained measurable amounts of toxic gas. In England 6% were mentioned to be allegedly false. Reports exist of a number of other incidents with containers under fumigation arriving in English ports with no accompanying documents on the ship or at the port of discharge as to the type of cargo. In one case several people were hospitalized after exposure to phosphine gas because the fumigant tablets were not yet totally decomposed before the ship arrived at its destination port. In Bavaria, Germany, a bad accident recently occurred through a non declared fumigated container (see press release). Our sample: a large container ship in the Port of Hamburg where 27 of the cargo's containers were found fumigated with 27 non/incomplete/false declarations. These examples show that missing/false labelling is frequent. Clearance of in-transit fumigated containers in ports is complicated and time-consuming for the captain and shipping company. The above mentioned accident and also the results of our spot check prove, as do the experiences in The Netherlands and England, that false declarations of fumigated containers seem

  1. Exposure to methyl bromide during greenhouse fumigation on Crete, Greece

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vreede, J.A.F. de; Boeft, J. den; Hemmen, J.J. van

    1998-01-01

    In agricultural areas where greenhouses and dwellings are intermixed, the general population as well as the professional applicators may be exposed to pesticides. In a field study on Crete, exposure to methyl bromide during soil fumigation was assessed. Exposure of applicators (both contractors and

  2. The effect of preplanting gamma radiation on chemical constitutents of peppermint oil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eissa, A.I.; El-Kholei, S.A.; Ragab, M.A.; Abou El-Seoud, M.A.

    1984-01-01

    Uniformly selected stem cuttings of peppermint (Mentha piperita L) were exposed to 0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 and 4.0 Krad of gamma rays from a Co 60 source and subsequently grown in field. Irradiation dose of 1.0 Krad was the best stimulatory dose for enhancing herb fresh weight as it resulted in almost two folds yield as compared with control, whereas dose of 4.0 Krad did not affect plant growth. One Krad treated plants induced higher yield of essential oil as compared with other radiation treatments and control. The major chemical constitutents (menthol, menthone and menthyl acetate) were statistically affected by developmental stages, and by pre-planting irradiation treatments as expressed on the total content basis. Higher contents of menthol, menthone and menthyl acetate were found in plant cut during flowering stage. Pre-planting gamma irradiation did not seem to affect both chemical ''acid value, ester value and saponification value'' and physical properties ''specific gravity, solubility and refractive index'' of extracted mint oil

  3. Predicting Pre-planting Risk of Stagonospora nodorum blotch in Winter Wheat Using Machine Learning Models

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lucky eMehra

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Pre-planting factors have been associated with the late-season severity of Stagonospora nodorum blotch (SNB, caused by the fungal pathogen Parastagonospora nodorum, in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum. The relative importance of these factors in the risk of SNB has not been determined and this knowledge can facilitate disease management decisions prior to planting of the wheat crop. In this study, we examined the performance of multiple regression (MR and three machine learning algorithms namely artificial neural networks, categorical and regression trees, and random forests (RF in predicting the pre-planting risk of SNB in wheat. Pre-planting factors tested as potential predictor variables were cultivar resistance, latitude, longitude, previous crop, seeding rate, seed treatment, tillage type, and wheat residue. Disease severity assessed at the end of the growing season was used as the response variable. The models were developed using 431 disease cases (unique combinations of predictors collected from 2012 to 2014 and these cases were randomly divided into training, validation, and test datasets. Models were evaluated based on the regression of observed against predicted severity values of SNB, sensitivity-specificity ROC analysis, and the Kappa statistic. A strong relationship was observed between late-season severity of SNB and specific pre-planting factors in which latitude, longitude, wheat residue, and cultivar resistance were the most important predictors. The MR model explained 33% of variability in the data, while machine learning models explained 47 to 79% of the total variability. Similarly, the MR model correctly classified 74% of the disease cases, while machine learning models correctly classified 81 to 83% of these cases. Results show that the RF algorithm, which explained 79% of the variability within the data, was the most accurate in predicting the risk of SNB, with an accuracy rate of 93%. The RF algorithm could allow early

  4. Predicting Pre-planting Risk of Stagonospora nodorum blotch in Winter Wheat Using Machine Learning Models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mehra, Lucky K; Cowger, Christina; Gross, Kevin; Ojiambo, Peter S

    2016-01-01

    Pre-planting factors have been associated with the late-season severity of Stagonospora nodorum blotch (SNB), caused by the fungal pathogen Parastagonospora nodorum, in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum). The relative importance of these factors in the risk of SNB has not been determined and this knowledge can facilitate disease management decisions prior to planting of the wheat crop. In this study, we examined the performance of multiple regression (MR) and three machine learning algorithms namely artificial neural networks, categorical and regression trees, and random forests (RF), in predicting the pre-planting risk of SNB in wheat. Pre-planting factors tested as potential predictor variables were cultivar resistance, latitude, longitude, previous crop, seeding rate, seed treatment, tillage type, and wheat residue. Disease severity assessed at the end of the growing season was used as the response variable. The models were developed using 431 disease cases (unique combinations of predictors) collected from 2012 to 2014 and these cases were randomly divided into training, validation, and test datasets. Models were evaluated based on the regression of observed against predicted severity values of SNB, sensitivity-specificity ROC analysis, and the Kappa statistic. A strong relationship was observed between late-season severity of SNB and specific pre-planting factors in which latitude, longitude, wheat residue, and cultivar resistance were the most important predictors. The MR model explained 33% of variability in the data, while machine learning models explained 47 to 79% of the total variability. Similarly, the MR model correctly classified 74% of the disease cases, while machine learning models correctly classified 81 to 83% of these cases. Results show that the RF algorithm, which explained 79% of the variability within the data, was the most accurate in predicting the risk of SNB, with an accuracy rate of 93%. The RF algorithm could allow early assessment of

  5. Study on the Influence of Sulfur Fumigation on Chemical ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Purpose: To study the influence of different sulfur fumigation time and ... after sulfur fumigation though sulfur fumigation time and dosage were at low levels – 2 h ... Conclusion: Sulfur fumigation is not a desirable method for field processing of ...

  6. Anaerobic soil disinfestation reduces survival and infectivity of Phytophthora nicotianae chlamydospores in pepper

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phytophthora nicotianae is the principal causal agent of root and crown rot disease of pepper plants in Extremadura (western Spain), a spring-summer crop in this region. Preplant soil treatment by anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) may effectively control plant pathogens in many crop production sys...

  7. Predicting pre-planting risk of Stagonospora nodorum blotch in winter wheat using machine learning models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pre-planting factors have been associated with the late-season severity of Stagonospora nodorum blotch (SNB), caused by the fungal pathogen Parastagonospora nodorum, in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum). The relative importance of these factors in the risk of SNB has not been determined and this know...

  8. Procedures of Laboratory Fumigation for Pest Control with Nitric Oxide Gas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yong-Biao; Yang, Xiangbing; Masuda, Tiffany

    2017-11-24

    Nitric oxide (NO) is a newly discovered fumigant for postharvest pest control. This paper provides detailed protocols for conducting NO fumigation on fresh products and procedures for residue analysis and product quality evaluation. An airtight fumigation chamber containing fresh fruit and vegetables is first flushed with nitrogen (N2) to establish an ultralow oxygen (ULO) environment followed by injection of NO. The fumigation chamber is then kept at a low temperature of 2 - 5 °C for a specified time period necessary to kill a target pest to complete a fumigation treatment. At the end of a fumigation treatment, the fumigation chamber is flushed with N2 to dilute NO prior to opening the chamber to ambient air to prevent the reaction between NO and O2, which produces NO2 and may damage delicate fresh products. At different times after NO fumigation, NO2 in headspace and nitrate and nitrite in liquid samples were measured as residues. Product quality was evaluated after 2 weeks of post-treatment cold storage to determine effects of NO fumigation on product quality. Keeping O2 from reacting with NO is critical to NO fumigation and is an important part of the protocols. Measuring NO levels is challenging and a practical solution is provided. Possible protocol modifications are also suggested for measuring NO levels in the fumigation chambers as well as residues. NO fumigation has the potential to be a practical alternative to methyl bromide fumigation for postharvest pest control on fresh and stored products. This publication is intended to assist other researchers in conducting NO fumigation research for postharvest pest control and accelerating the development of NO fumigation for practical applications.

  9. Impact of sulphur fumigation on the chemistry of ginger.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Cheng-Ying; Kong, Ming; Zhang, Wei; Long, Fang; Zhou, Jing; Zhou, Shan-Shan; Xu, Jin-Di; Xu, Jun; Li, Song-Lin

    2018-01-15

    Ginger (Zingiberis Rhizoma), a commonly-consumed food supplement, is often sulphur-fumigated during post-harvest handling, but it remains unknown if sulphur fumigation induces chemical transformations in ginger. In this study, the effects of sulphur fumigation on ginger chemicals were investigated by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS)-based metabolomics. The results showed that sulphur fumigation significantly altered the holistic chemical profile of ginger by triggering chemical transformations of certain original components. 6-Gingesulphonic acid, previously reported as a naturally-occurring component in ginger, was revealed to be a sulphur fumigation-induced artificial derivative, which was deduced to be generated by electrophilic addition of 6-shogaol to sulphurous acid. Using UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS extracting ion analysis with 6-gingesulphonic acid as a characteristic chemical marker, all the commercial ginger samples inspected were determined to be sulphur-fumigated. The research outcomes provide a chemical basis for further comprehensive safety and efficacy evaluations of sulphur-fumigated ginger. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. WAY OF PRE-PLANTING TREATMENT OF EARLY-RIPENNING POTATO

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T. V. Semibratskaja

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The technology of pre-planting treatment of early-ripening potato increasing the volume of production in the Eastern forest-Steppe of Ukraine is presented. This technology is referred to development of organic-mineral container, which covers the surface of tubers and remains there until planting. During this period, the substance of the substrate has a direct impact on growth of apical points of tubers that stimulate its germination and development of root system, and prevent the breaking of sprouts. Comparative data of time of seedling emergence and yield of different potato varieties are presented.

  11. Economic analysis of anaerobic soil disinfestation treatments for tomato production in southwest and north Florida

    Science.gov (United States)

    The approach of anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) in Florida, a method for pre-plant soil treatment, consists of combining the application of the molasses (C source) with the application of composted poultry litter (CPL) as an organic amendment. However, CPL is not always available locally and is...

  12. PIXE analysis of remaining bromine in fumigated old manuscripts and books

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kohno, M.; Yoshida, K.; Moritani, K.; Naito, M.; Enami, K.; Kasajima, H.; Takada, J.; Matsushita, R.

    1999-01-01

    Buddhist scriptures in Reeky University Library have been fumigated regularly for protecting them from vermin. Methyl bromide (CH 3 Br) had been used there till 1985. In order to examine whether the chemical remains on the fumigated objects or not, paper fragments of old manuscripts and books, modern paper placed together with them, and non-fumigated ones were analyzed by PIXE. The bromine concentration of fumigated paper was more than from several tens to several hundreds times higher than non-fumigated ones. (author)

  13. Efficacy of Nitric Oxide Fumigation for Controlling Codling Moth in Apples

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yong-Biao Liu

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Nitric oxide (NO fumigation under ultralow oxygen (ULO conditions was studied for its efficacy in controlling codling moth and effects on postharvest quality of apples. NO fumigation was effective against eggs and larvae of different sizes on artificial diet in 48 h treatments. Small larvae were more susceptible to nitric oxide than other stages at 0.5% NO concentration. There were no significant differences among life stages at 1.0% to 2.0% NO concentrations. In 24 h treatments of eggs, 3.0% NO fumigation at 2 °C achieved 100% egg mortality. Two 24 h fumigation treatments of infested apples containing medium and large larvae with 3.0% and 5.0% NO resulted in 98% and 100% mortalities respectively. Sound apples were also fumigated with 5.0% NO for 24 h at 2 °C to determine effects on apple quality. The fumigation treatment was terminated by flushing with nitrogen and had no negative impact on postharvest quality of apples as measured by firmness and color at 2 and 4 weeks after fumigation. This study demonstrated that NO fumigation was effective against codling moth and safe to apple quality, and therefore has potential to become a practical alternative to methyl bromide fumigation for control of codling moth in apples.

  14. Efficacy of Nitric Oxide Fumigation for Controlling Codling Moth in Apples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yong-Biao; Yang, Xiangbing; Simmons, Gregory

    2016-12-02

    Nitric oxide (NO) fumigation under ultralow oxygen (ULO) conditions was studied for its efficacy in controlling codling moth and effects on postharvest quality of apples. NO fumigation was effective against eggs and larvae of different sizes on artificial diet in 48 h treatments. Small larvae were more susceptible to nitric oxide than other stages at 0.5% NO concentration. There were no significant differences among life stages at 1.0% to 2.0% NO concentrations. In 24 h treatments of eggs, 3.0% NO fumigation at 2 °C achieved 100% egg mortality. Two 24 h fumigation treatments of infested apples containing medium and large larvae with 3.0% and 5.0% NO resulted in 98% and 100% mortalities respectively. Sound apples were also fumigated with 5.0% NO for 24 h at 2 °C to determine effects on apple quality. The fumigation treatment was terminated by flushing with nitrogen and had no negative impact on postharvest quality of apples as measured by firmness and color at 2 and 4 weeks after fumigation. This study demonstrated that NO fumigation was effective against codling moth and safe to apple quality, and therefore has potential to become a practical alternative to methyl bromide fumigation for control of codling moth in apples.

  15. Chloropicrin Emission Reduction by Soil Amendment with Biochar

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Qiuxia; Yan, Dongdong; Liu, Pengfei; Mao, Liangang; Wang, Dong; Fang, Wensheng; Li, Yuan; Ouyang, Canbin; Guo, Meixia; Cao, Aocheng

    2015-01-01

    Biochar has sorption capacity, and can be used to enhance the sequestration of volatile organic contaminants such as pesticides in soil. Chloropicrin (CP) is an important soil fumigant for the production of many fruit and vegetable crops, but its emissions must be minimized to reduce exposure risks and air pollution. The objective of this study was to determine the capacity of biochar to adsorb CP and the effect of biochar amendments to soil on CP emission, concentration in the soil gas phase, degradation in soil and CP bioactivity for controlling soil borne pests. CP emission and concentration in the soil air phase were measured from packed soil columns after fumigant injection at 20-cm depth and application of selected doses of biocharto the surface 5 cm soil. Laboratory incubation and fumigation experiments were conducted to determine the capacity of biochar to adsorb CP, the effects on CP degradation and, separately, CP’s bioactivity on soil borne pests in soil amended with biochar. Biochar amendment at 2% to 5% (w/w) greatly reduced total CP emission losses by 85.7% - 97.7% compared to fumigation without biochar. CP concentrations in the soil gas-phase, especially in the top 5 cm of soil, were reduced within 48 h following application. The half-life of CP decreased from 13.6 h to 6.4 h as the biochar rate increased from 0% to 5%. CP and its metabolite (dichloronitromethane) both degraded more rapidly in pure biochar than in soil. The biochar used in the present study had a maximum adsorption capacity for CP of less than 5 mg g-1. There were no negative effects on pathogen and nematode control when the biochar used in this study was less than 1% (on a weight basis) in soil. Biochar amendment to soil reduced the emissions of CP. CP concentrations in the top 5 cm of soil gas-phase were reduced. CP degradation was accelerated with the addition of biochar. The biochar used in the present study had a low adsorption capacity for CP. There were no negative effects

  16. The effects of soil fumigation on the growth and mineral nutrition of weeds and crops=Efeito da fumigação do solo no crescimento e nutrição mineral de plantas daninhas e culturas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marliane de Cássia Soares da Silva

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Weeds and soil microorganisms interact with each other in the soil/root interface, promoting the development and establishment of both. The objective of this study was to evaluate the growth and nutrient accumulation in eight species of weeds (Ageratum conyzoides L., Bidens pilosa L., Cenchrus echinatus L., Conyza bonariensis L., Echinochloa crus-galli L., Eleusine indica L. Ipomoea grandifolia L. and Lolium multiflorum L. and in bean and corn crops grown for 50 days in a substrate fumigated with methyl bromide. Assessments relating to the height, leaf area, leaf number, dry weight of shoots and roots and relative content of nutrients were carried out 50 days after seedling emergence. A positive effect of soil fumigation was observed on the growth, leaf number, leaf area, plant height and accumulation of nutrients in monocot weeds in relation to dicots. Conyza bonariensis was the most affected by soil fumigation, with levels of dry matter, leaf number, leaf area, height and accumulation of nutrients approximately 50% lower than plants grown in normal soil. Fumigation also influenced the growth cycle of the plants, which was lower for B. pilosa, E. indica and C. echinatus. We also observed a 20 and 30% lower phosphorus accumulation in Bidens pilosa and Conyza bonariensis, respectively, when grown in the sterilized soil. Overall, the bean and corn crops were less affected by soil fumigation than the weeds.Plantas daninhas e microrganismos do solo se interagem na interface solo/raiz promovendo vantagens para o desenvolvimento e estabelecimento de ambos. Objetivou-se com este trabalho avaliar o crescimento e o acúmulo de nutrientes em oito espécies de plantas daninhas (Ageratum conyzoides L., Bidens pilosa L., Cenchrus echinatus L., Conyza bonariensis L., Echinochloa crus-galli L., Eleusine indica L., Ipomoea grandifolia L. e Lolium multiflorum L. e nas culturas de feijão e milho, cultivadas, por 50 dias, em substrato fumigado com brometo de

  17. TIF film, substrates and nonfumigant soil disinfestation maintain fruit yields

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Steven Fennimore

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available A 5-year project to facilitate the adoption of strawberry production systems that do not use methyl bromide initially focused on fumigant alternatives and resulted in increased use of barrier films that reduce fumigant emissions. The focus shifted in year 3 to evaluating and demonstrating nonfumigant alternatives: soilless production, biofumigation, anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD and disinfestation with steam. In the 2010–2011 strawberry production season, fruit yields on substrates were comparable to fruit yields using conventional methods. Anaerobic soil disinfestation and steam disinfestation also resulted in fruit yields that were comparable to those produced using conventionally fumigated soils. Additional work is in progress to evaluate their efficacy in larger-scale production systems in different strawberry production districts in California.

  18. Fact Sheet in English and Spanish: What Residents in Agricultural Communities Should Know About Soil Fumigants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Learn about fumigant gas from treated fields (often covered with plastic tarps), some chemical and trade names of these agricultural products, signs and symptoms of pesticide exposure, and how to avoid or report or treat pesticide illness.

  19. Oxygenated phosphine fumigation for control of Nasonovia ribisnigri (Homoptera: Aphididae) on harvested lettuce.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yong-Biao

    2012-06-01

    Low temperature regular phosphine fumigations under the normal oxygen level and oxygenated phosphine fumigations under superatmospheric oxygen levels were compared for efficacy against the aphid, Nasonovia ribisnigri (Mosley), and effects on postharvest quality of romaine and head lettuce. Low temperature regular phosphine fumigation was effective against the aphid. However, a 3 d treatment with high phosphine concentrations of > or = 2,000 ppm was needed for complete control of the aphid. Oxygen greatly increased phosphine toxicity and significantly reduced both treatment time and phosphine concentration for control of N. ribisnigri. At 1,000 ppm phosphine, 72 h regular fumigations at 6 degrees C did not achieve 100% mortality of the aphid. The 1,000 ppm phosphine fumigation under 60% O2 killed all aphids in 30 h. Both a 72 h regular fumigation with 2,200 ppm phosphine and a 48 h oxygenated fumigation with 1,000 ppm phosphine under 60% O2 were tested on romaine and head lettuce at 3 degrees C. Both treatments achieved complete control of N. ribisnigri. However, the 72 h regular fumigation resulted in significantly higher percentages of lettuce with injuries and significantly lower lettuce internal quality scores than the 48 h oxygenated phosphine fumigation. Although the oxygenated phosphine fumigation also caused injuries to some treated lettuce, lettuce quality remained very good and the treatment is not expected to have a significant impact on marketability of the lettuce. This study demonstrated that oxygenated phosphine fumigation was more effective and less phytotoxic for controlling N. ribisnigri on harvested lettuce than regular phosphine fumigation and is promising for practical use.

  20. Fumigation in Ayurveda: potential strategy for drug discovery and drug delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vishnuprasad, Chethala N; Pradeep, Nediyamparambu Sukumaran; Cho, Yong Woo; Gangadharan, Geethalayam Gopinathan; Han, Sung Soo

    2013-09-16

    Ayurveda has its unique perceptions and resultant methodologies for defining and treating human diseases. Fumigation therapy is one of the several treatment methods described in Ayurveda whereby fumes produced from defined drug formulations are inhaled by patients. This therapeutic procedure offers promising research opportunities from phytochemical and ethnopharmacological viewpoints, however, it remains under-noticed. Considering these facts, this review is primarily aimed at introducing said Ayurvedic fumigation therapy and discussing its scientific gaps and future challenges. A search of multiple bibliographical databases and traditional Ayurvedic text books was conducted and the articles analyzed under various key themes, e.g., Ayurvedic fumigation, fumigation therapy, medicinal fumigation, inhalation of drugs and aerosol therapy. Ayurveda recommends fumigation as a method of sterilization and therapeutic procedure for various human diseases including microbial infections and psychological disorders. However, it has not gained much attention as a prospective field with multiple research opportunities. It is necessary to have a more detailed and systematic investigation of the phytochemical and pharmacodynamic properties of Ayurvedic fumigation therapy in order to facilitate the identification of novel bioactive compounds and more effective drug administration methods. © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Evaluating anaerobic soil disinfestation and other biological soil management methods for open-field tomato production in Florida

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD), amending the soil with composted poultry litter (CPL) and molasses (M), has been shown to be a potential alternative to chemical soil fumigation for tomato production, however, optimization of ASD and the use of other biologically-based soil management practices ...

  2. Chlorine Dioxide Fumigation of Subway Materials ...

    Science.gov (United States)

    Report This bench scale study observed that a six (6) log reduction in viable spores of a suitable B. anthracis surrogate can be obtained for subway infrastructure materials by ClO2 fumigation if the temperature is at or above 24 °C combined with RH greater than 75%. No six log reduction in viable spores was observed at realistic (winter) temperatures in a subway environment (11-13 °C and 70-80% RH) for periods of fumigation that are otherwise efficacious at 24 °C/ 75% RH.

  3. Evaluation of steam and soil solarization for Meloidogyne arenaria control in Florida floriculture crops

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steam and soil solarization were investigated for control of the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne arenaria in two years of field trials on a commercial flower farm in Florida. The objective was to determine if pre-plant steam treatments in combination with solarization, or solarization alone effective...

  4. Experimental studies on fumigation of ethanol in a small capacity Diesel engine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chauhan, Bhupendra Singh; Kumar, Naveen; Pal, Shyam Sunder; Du Jun, Yong

    2011-01-01

    To diversify the mix of domestic energy resources and to reduce dependence on imported oil, ethanol is widely investigated for applying in combination with Diesel fuel to reduce pollutants, including smoke and NO x . Present work aims at developing a fumigation system for introduction of ethanol in a small capacity Diesel engine and to determine its effects on emission. Fumigation was achieved by using a constant volume carburetor. Different percentages of ethanol fumes with air were then introduced in the Diesel engine, under various load conditions. Ethanol is an oxygenated fuel and lead to smooth and efficient combustion. Atomization of ethanol also results in lower combustion temperature. During the present study, gaseous emission has been found to be decreasing with ethanol fumigation. Results from the experiment suggest that ethanol fumigation can be effectively employed in existing compression ignition engine to achieve substantial saving of the limited Diesel oil. Results show that fumigated Diesel engine exhibit better engine performance with lower NOx, CO, CO 2 and exhaust temperature. Ethanol fumigation has resulted in increase of unburned hydrocarbon (HC) emission in the entire load range. Considering the parameters, the optimum percentage was found as 15% for ethanol fumigation. -- Research highlights: → To diversify energy resources and to reduce dependence on imported oil, ethanol is used in Diesel engine to reduce pollutants. → Developing a fumigation system to inject ethanol in a small capacity Diesel engine, to determine its effects on emissions. → Different percentages of ethanol fumes with air were introduced in Diesel engine, under various load conditions by using a constant volume carburetor. → Results show that fumigated Diesel engine exhibits better engine performance with lower NOx, CO, CO 2 and exhaust temperature. → Results show increase of unburned hydrocarbon emission in entire load range. Optimum percentage found as 15% for

  5. [Primary investigation on fumigation and moxibustion in treatment ulcer and sore of yin syndrome].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Chao-Jun; Zhang, Zhao-Hui; Ma, Jing; Li, Pin-Chuan; Liu, Xian-Zhou; Yin, Yue; Tian, Ying

    2011-09-01

    To explore the fumigation and moxibustion therapy in treatment of ulcer and sore of yin syndrome. The fumigation and moxibustion therapy is the combination of fumigation and moxibustion, in which, smoking fumigation is provided with warming effect and the actions as moxibustion. This therapy works on the efficacy of both fumigation and moxibustion. In treatment, different herbal medicines can be selected flexibly, acting on dispersing yin and rescuing yang. The fumigation and moxibustion therapy can drain toxin and remove ulcer and sore. It contributes to the treatment of boils and chronic sores of yin syndrome and promotes wound healing.

  6. 40 CFR 180.521 - Fumigants for grain-mill machinery; tolerances for residues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 23 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Fumigants for grain-mill machinery... Tolerances § 180.521 Fumigants for grain-mill machinery; tolerances for residues. (a) General. Fumigants may be safely used in or on grain-mill machinery in accordance with the following prescribed conditions...

  7. Assessment of the polytank for fumigation and storage of cowpea

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ademang Korletey, Francis

    2009-06-01

    Insect infestation of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) in storage is identified as a major constraint facing cowpea farmers in Ghana. The major insect pest causing losses to stored cowpea in West Africa is the cowpea weevil (Callosobruchus maculatus). Fumigation is the most effective control method against cowpea weevil considering its mode of infestation. The jute sack lined with a plastic film bag commonly used by farmers for fumigation and storage is very delicate to handle, not sufficiently airtight for fumigation and easily attacked by rodents. The objectives of the project were to (1) assess the polytank for fumigation and storage of cowpea, and (2) compare the storage qualities of stored cowpea using the polytank and jute sack lined with a plastic film bag. The cowpea was fumigated using aluminium phosphide tablets for a period of 7 days and stored for six mouths. Data was collected, analysed and compared between the two storage containers on seed germination, seed vigour, grain moisture content, insect infestation, percentage usable proportion by number and by weight before, mid-storage and after the trial. The levels of phosphine gas concentration in the polytank and the jute sack were assessed daily for 7 days. The results showed no significant differences (1% probability) between the two storage containers in their performance as storage containers in terms of grain moisture content, seed germination, seed vigour, insect infestation, percentage usable proportion by number and by weight. There was also significant difference (5%) in phosphine gas concentration between the two storage containers in their performance as fumigation containers except on day one. However, it was found that fumigation and storage using the polytank had a greater advantage over the jute sack lined with plastic film bag in terms of air tightness, handling and resistance to rodent attacks. (au)

  8. THE EFFECT OF FUMIGATION TREATMENT TOWARDS AGAVE CANTALA ROXB FIBRE STRENGTH AND MORPHOLOGY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    MUSA BONDARIS PALUNGAN

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this study is to reveal the morphology, physical properties and strength of the king pineapple leaf fibre (Agave Cantala Roxb after fumigation treatment. The king pineapple leaf fibres (KPLF before and after the fumigation treatment are then separated into groups. The fumigation treatment on KPLF is given in different durations, and the smoke comes from burning coconut shells. Before and after fumigation, the surface morphology, chemical content, and functional group character of KPLF were observed by SEM, XRD, and FTIR, respectively. While the physical characteristics were identified by measuring fibre density, moisture content and fibre strength were tested by a single fibre tensile strength test. The results show that chemical contents of KPLF were cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, accounting for as much as 55.8%, 21.27%, and 7.66%, respectively. After fumigation, the KPLF surface morphology becomes rough and grooved, the fibre density increased, and the single fibre tensile strength increased notably at the base of the king pineapple leaf. With the tensile strength increase and a rough and grooved KPLF surface morphology due to fumigation, fumigated KPLF would have the potential to be used as a strengthened composite.

  9. Tractor-mounted, GPS-based spot fumigation system manages Prunus replant disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. Udompetaikul

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Our research goal was to use recent advances in global positioning system (GPS and computer technology to apply just the right amount of fumigant where it is most needed (i.e., in a small target treatment zone in and around each tree replanting site to control Prunus replant disease (PRD. We developed and confirmed the function of (1 GPS-based software that can be used on cleared orchard land to flexibly plan and map all of an orchard's future tree sites and associated spot fumigation treatment zones and 2 a tractor-based GPS-controlled spot fumigation system to quickly and safely treat the targeted tree site treatment zones. In trials in two almond orchards and one peach orchard, our evaluations of the composite mapping and application system, which examined spatial accuracy of the spot treatments, delivery rate accuracy of the spot treatments, and tree growth responses to the spot treatments, all indicated that GPS spot fumigation has excellent potential to greatly reduce fumigant usage while adequately managing the PRD complex.

  10. Gaseous and particle emissions from an ethanol fumigated compression ignition engine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Surawski, Nicholas C.; Ristovski, Zoran D.; Brown, Richard J.; Situ, Rong

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Ethanol fumigation system fitted on a direct injection compression ignition engine. ► Ethanol substitutions up to 40% (by energy) were achieved. ► Gaseous and particle emissions were measured at intermediate speed. ► PM and NO emissions significantly reduced, whilst CO and HC increased. ► The number of particles emitted generally higher with ethanol fumigation. - Abstract: A 4-cylinder Ford 2701C test engine was used in this study to explore the impact of ethanol fumigation on gaseous and particle emission concentrations. The fumigation technique delivered vaporised ethanol into the intake manifold of the engine, using an injector, a pump and pressure regulator, a heat exchanger for vaporising ethanol and a separate fuel tank and lines. Gaseous (Nitric oxide (NO), Carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbons (HC)) and particulate emissions (particle mass (PM 2.5 ) and particle number) testing was conducted at intermediate speed (1700 rpm) using 4 load settings with ethanol substitution percentages ranging from 10% to 40% (by energy). With ethanol fumigation, NO and PM 2.5 emissions were reduced, whereas CO and HC emissions increased considerably and particle number emissions increased at most test settings. It was found that ethanol fumigation reduced the excess air factor for the engine and this led to increased emissions of CO and HC, but decreased emissions of NO. PM 2.5 emissions were reduced with ethanol fumigation, as ethanol has a very low “sooting” tendency. This is due to the higher hydrogen-to-carbon ratio of this fuel, and also because ethanol does not contain aromatics, both of which are known soot precursors. The use of a diesel oxidation catalyst (as an after-treatment device) is recommended to achieve a reduction in the four pollutants that are currently regulated for compression ignition engines. The increase in particle number emissions with ethanol fumigation was due to the formation of volatile (organic) particles

  11. Nitrogen fractions in the microbial biomass in soils of southern Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    F. A.O. Camargo

    1999-03-01

    Full Text Available The reaction of nitrogen compounds with ninhydrin can be used as an indicator of cytoplasmic materials released from microbial cells killed by fumigation. Total-N, ninhydrin-reactive-N (NR-N, ammonium-N (A-N, and α-amino-N in the microbial biomass of soils from the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, were determined, in 1996, in 0.5 mol L-1 K2SO4 extracts of fumigated and non-fumigated soils. Total-N varied from 20.3 to 104.4 mg kg-1 and the ninhydrin-reactive-N corresponded, in average, to 27% of this. The ninhydrin-reactive-N was made up of 67% ammonium-N and 33% aminoacids with the amino group at the α-carbon position. It was concluded that colorimetric analysis of NR-N and A-N may be used as a direct measure of microbial N in soil. This simple and rapid procedure is adequate for routine analyses.

  12. Radiocesium storage in soil microbial biomass of undisturbed alpine meadow soils and its relation to 137Cs soil-plant transfer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stemmer, Michael; Hromatka, Angelika; Lettner, Herbert; Strebl, Friederike

    2005-01-01

    This study focuses on radiocesium storage in soil microbial biomass of undisturbed alpine meadow sites and its relation to the soil-to-plant transfer. Soil and plant samples were taken in August 1999 from an altitude transect (800-1600 m.a.s.l.) at Gastein valley, Austria. Soil samples were subdivided into 3-cm layers for analyses of total, K 2 SO 4 -extractable and microbially stored 137 Cs. Microbial biomass was measured by the fumigation extraction method, and fungal biomass was quantified using ergosterol as biomarker molecule. In general, the quantity of 137 Cs stored in the living soil microbial biomass was relatively small. At the high-altitude meadows, showing high amounts of fungal biomass, microbially stored 137 Cs amounted to 0.64 ± 0.14 kBq m -2 which corresponds to about 1.2-2.7% of the total 137 Cs soil inventory. At lower altitudes, microbial 137 Cs content was distinctly smaller and in most cases not measurable at all using the fumigation extraction method. However, a positive correlation between the observed soil-to-plant aggregated transfer factor, microbially stored 137 Cs and fungal biomass was found, which indicates a possible role of fungal biomass in the storage and turnover of 137 Cs in soils and in the 137 Cs uptake by plants

  13. Experimental investigation of gasoline fumigation in a single cylinder direct injection (DI) diesel engine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sahin, Z.; Durgun, O.; Bayram, C.

    2008-01-01

    In the presented study, the effects of gasoline fumigation have been investigated experimentally in a single cylinder direct injection (DI) diesel engine. Gasoline has been introduced into the inlet air flow using an elementary carburetor and no other modification on the engine has been done. The effects of 2%, 4%, 6%, 8% and 10% (by vol.) gasoline fumigation have been investigated experimentally at the speeds of (900-1600) (rpm) and at the selected compression ratios of (18-23). From the experimental results it is determined that by application of gasoline fumigation effective power output increases at the levels of 4-9%, effective efficiency increases by approximately 1.5-4% and specific fuel consumption decreases by approximately 1.5-4%. It is also determined that 4-6% fumigation ratio range is the most favorable percentage interval of gasoline at the selected compression ratios for this engine. Because cost of gasoline is higher than diesel fuel in Turkey as well as in many of the other countries and the decrease ratio of specific fuel consumption is low, gasoline fumigation is not economic for this engine. In the presented study, heat balance tests have also been performed for 18 and 21 compression ratios. The heat balance has been investigated experimentally in respect of effective power, heat rejected to the cooling water, heat lost through exhaust, and other losses (unaccounted-for losses). Heat lost through exhaust decreases until 4-6% gasoline fumigation ratios and after these fumigation ratios it starts to increase because of increasing exhaust gas temperature. Heat rejected to the cooling water decreases at low fumigation ratios, but at high fumigation ratios it increases. Other losses generally exhibit an increasing tendency at low fumigation ratios

  14. Seasonal changes in and relationship between soil microbial and ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    In April, June and October 2010, soil samples were taken from an estuary of the Yellow River. We measured microbiomass (using the soil chloroform fumigation extraction method), substrate induced respiration (SIR), and phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA). Microbe community structure and soil nematode species richness ...

  15. Study of the fumigation effect on pollutants over Inshas area

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tawfik, F.S.; Ramadan, Abou Bakr. A.; Abdel El-Aal, M.M.

    2004-01-01

    This work aims to investigate the effect of morning fumigation event on the ground level pollutants concentration at inshas area. Monitoring stations for mesuring the hourly continues concetration of some pollutants such sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and ozone were placed near the hot lab in nuclear research center for one complete year, At the same time the hourly averages meteorological parameters were measured continuously at different levels. A fortran computer program was developed to determine the relative relative concentration Assuming accident case in two cases, nonfumigation and morning fumigation. The processing and interpretation of the meteorological data and pollutants concentration revealed that these high pollution events occur almost on daily bassis, usually several hours between sunrise and before afternoon. The maximum fumigation peaks occur earlier in the summer than other seasons owing to theearlier sunrise in addition, ozone concentrations appear to reach their maximum a few hours after intense fumigation events. Maximum hourly concentrations of sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide and ozone don't exceed threshold values that are considered to be phytotoxic. As sunset pollutant concentration is decrease due to lofting condition

  16. Physiological responses of lichens to factorial fumigations with nitric acid and ozone

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Riddell, J.; Padgett, P.E.; Nash, T.H.

    2012-01-01

    This paper addresses the effects of gaseous nitric acid (HNO 3 ) and ozone (O 3 ), two important air pollutants, on six lichen species with different morphological, ecological, and biological characteristics. The treatment chambers were set up in a factorial design consisting of control chambers, chambers fumigated with HNO 3 , with O 3 , and with HNO 3 and O 3 , together. Each species showed a different sensitivity to the fumigations, reflecting the physiological variation among species. Our results clearly indicate that HNO 3 is a strong phytotoxin to many lichens, and that O 3 alone has little effect on the measured parameters. The combined fumigation effects of HNO 3 and O 3 were not significantly different from HNO 3 alone. - Highlights: ► We fumigated 6 lichen species with factorial combinations of nitric acid (HNO 3 ) and ozone (O 3 ). ► Some species were highly sensitive to HNO 3 while others were tolerant. ► No species responded significantly to O 3 . ► The combined fumigation effects of HNO 3 and O 3 were not significantly different from HNO 3 alone. ► HNO 3 may play an important role in lichen community composition in areas with high HNO 3 pollution. - Nitric acid can be highly toxic to lichens through several physiological mechanisms. Ozone is relatively non-toxic to fumigated lichens.

  17. Correlations of Rotylenchulus reniformis Population Densities with 1,3-Dichloropropene Dosage Rate and Pineapple Yields

    OpenAIRE

    Schenck, Susan

    1990-01-01

    The relationships between Rotylenchulus reniformis population densities and pineapple growth and yield were studied in a small-plot field experiment. Increasing rates of handgun-injected 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D) preplant fumigant from 0 to 337 liters/ha resulted in greater nematode control, faster plant growth, and larger pineapple fruits. Rotylenchulus reniformis population densities at 2, 4, 6, and 8 months postplant were correlated with plant size and yield. The shorter the time period ...

  18. [Progress of sulfur fumigation and modern processing technology of Chinese traditional medicines].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Tu-Lin; Shan, Xin; Li, Lin; Mao, Chun-Qin; Ji, De; Yin, Fang-Zhou; Lang, Yong-Ying

    2014-08-01

    Infestation, moldy and other phenomenon in the processing and storage of Chinese herbal medicines is a problem that faced in the production of Chinese traditional medicine. The low productivity of traditional processing methods can not guarantee the quality of Chinese herbal medicines. Sulfur fumigation is the first choice of grassroots to process the Chinese herbal medicine with its low cost and easy operation. Sulfur fumigation can solve some problems in the processing and storage of Chinese herbal medicines, but modern pharmacological studies show that long-term use of Chinese traditional medicine which is fumigated by sulfur can cause some serious harm to human liver, kidney and other organs. This paper conducts a review about the application history of sulfur fumigation, its influence to the quality of Chinese herbal medicines as well as domestic and foreign limits to sulfur quantity, and a brief introduction of the status of modern processing technologies in the processing of food and some Chinese herbal medicines, the problems ex- isting in the Chinese herbal medicines processing, which can provide a reference basis for the further research, development and application of investigating alternative technologies of sulfur fumigation.

  19. Methylation of food commodities during fumigation with methyl bromide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Starratt, A.N.; Bond, E.J.

    1990-01-01

    Sites of methylation in several commodities (wheat, oatmeal, peanuts, almonds, apples, oranges, maize, alfalfa and potatoes) during fumigation with 14 C-methyl bromide were studied. Differences were observed in levels of the major volatiles: methanol, dimethyl sulphide and methyl mercaptan, products of O- and S-methylation, resulting from treatment of the fumigated materials with 1N sodium hydroxide. In studies of maize and wheat, histidine was the amino acid which underwent the highest level of N-methylation. (author). 24 refs, 3 tabs

  20. Effect of fumigation methanol and ethanol on the gaseous and particulate emissions of a direct-injection diesel engine

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Z. H.; Tsang, K. S.; Cheung, C. S.; Chan, T. L.; Yao, C. D.

    2011-02-01

    Experiments were conducted on a four-cylinder direct-injection diesel engine with methanol or ethanol injected into the air intake of each cylinder, to compare their effect on the engine performance, gaseous emissions and particulate emissions of the engine under five engine loads at the maximum torque speed of 1800 rev/min. The methanol or ethanol was injected to top up 10% and 20% of the engine loads under different engine operating conditions. The experimental results show that both fumigation methanol and fumigation ethanol decrease the brake thermal efficiency (BTE) at low engine load but improves it at high engine load; however the fumigation methanol has higher influence on the BTE. Compared with Euro V diesel fuel, fumigation methanol or ethanol could lead to reduction of both NOx and particulate mass and number emissions of the diesel engine, with fumigation methanol being more effective than fumigation ethanol in particulate reduction. The NOx and particulate reduction is more effective with increasing level of fumigation. However, in general, fumigation fuels increase the HC, CO and NO 2 emissions, with fumigation methanol leading to higher increase of these pollutants. Compared with ethanol, the fumigation methanol has stronger influence on the in-cylinder gas temperature, the air/fuel ratio, the combustion processes and hence the emissions of the engine.

  1. Understanding resistant effect of mosquito on fumigation strategy in dengue control program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aldila, D.; Situngkir, N.; Nareswari, K.

    2018-01-01

    A mathematical model of dengue disease transmission will be introduced in this talk with involving fumigation intervention into mosquito population. Worsening effect of uncontrolled fumigation in the form of resistance of mosquito to fumigation chemicals will also be included into the model to capture the reality in the field. Deterministic approach in a 9 dimensional of ordinary differential equation will be used. Analytical result about the existence and local stability of the equilibrium points followed with the basic reproduction number will be discussed. Some numerical result will be performed for some scenario to give a better interpretation for the analytical results.

  2. 29 CFR 1917.25 - Fumigants, pesticides, insecticides and hazardous preservatives (see also § 1917.2 Hazardous...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 29 Labor 7 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Fumigants, pesticides, insecticides and hazardous..., DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (CONTINUED) MARINE TERMINALS Marine Terminal Operations § 1917.25 Fumigants, pesticides... fumigants, pesticides or hazardous preservatives have created a hazardous atmosphere. These signs shall note...

  3. Evaluation of methyl bromide alternatives efficacy against soil-borne pathogens, nematodes and soil microbial community.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hongwei Xie

    Full Text Available Methyl bromide (MB and other alternatives were evaluated for suppression of Fusarium spp., Phytophthora spp., and Meloidogyne spp. and their influence on soil microbial communities. Both Fusarium spp. and Phytophthora spp. were significantly reduced by the MB (30.74 mg kg-1, methyl iodide (MI: 45.58 mg kg-1, metham sodium (MS: 53.92 mg kg-1 treatments. MS exhibited comparable effectiveness to MB in controlling Meloidogyne spp. and total nematodes, followed by MI at the tested rate. By contrast, sulfuryl fluoride (SF: 33.04 mg kg-1 and chloroform (CF: 23.68 mg kg-1 showed low efficacy in controlling Fusarium spp., Phytophthora spp., and Meloidogyne spp. MB, MI and MS significantly lowered the abundance of different microbial populations and microbial biomass in soil, whereas SF and CF had limited influence on them compared with the control. Diversity indices in Biolog studies decreased in response to fumigation, but no significant difference was found among treatments in PLFA studies. Principal component and cluster analyses of Biolog and PLFA data sets revealed that MB and MI treatments greatly influenced the soil microbial community functional and structural diversity compared with SF treatment. These results suggest that fumigants with high effectiveness in suppressing soil-borne disease could significantly influence soil microbial community.

  4. [Quality changes in Gastrodia Rhizoma of different origins and forms before and after sulfur fumigation].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, Chuan-Zhi; Yang, Wan-Zhen; Zhou, Li; Jiang, Jing-Yi; Lv, Chao-Geng; Wang, Sheng; Zhou, Tao; Yang, Ye; Huang, Lu-Qi; Guo, Lan-Ping

    2018-01-01

    As Gastrodiae Rhizoma (GR) is one of the herbs more seriously affected by sulfur fumigation, so its quality has been always of a great concern. In this paper, GR samples collected from eight main producing areas and in three forms were fumigated with sulfur and quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed based on UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS. The results showed that the contents of gastrodin, parishin, parishin B and parishin C were decreased, while the content of parishin E was increased after sulfur fumigation treatment. Besides, a new sulfur marker named p-hydroxybenzyl hydrogen sulfite was produced in sulfur-fumigated GR samples. As compared with producing origins, forms had a greater impact on the quality of GR, especially in Hongtianma and Wutianma. Besides, the contents of gastrodins and parishins in Hongtianma from Jilin were lowest as compared with those in other producing areas. This might be correlated with planting patterns and environmental factors. In conclusion, sulfur fumigation has a more obvious impact on the quality of GR than origins and forms, which is attributed to the generation of new sulfur fumigated markers. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

  5. Effects of hydrogen fluoride fumigation of bean plants on the growth, development, and reproduction of the Mexican bean beetle

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Weinstein, L H; McCune, D C; Mancini, J F; van Leuken, P

    1973-01-01

    The growth and behavior of Mexican bean beetle populations on control and hydrogen fluoride-fumigated bean plants (P. vulgaris L.) were investigated to assess the effects of such fumigation on beetle growth, development and reproduction. Beetles that were cultured on HF-fumigated plants were generally lighter than controls, although the occurrence and magnitude of this effect depended upon stage of development, age, and sex of the adult beetle and the number of generations of culture on HF-fumigated plants. A consistently decreased mass of larvae cultured on HF-fumigated tissue pupated and enclosed three to six days later than controls, and the adults commenced reproductive activity with the same lag in time. Beetles cultured on the fumigated plants also contained greater amounts of fluoride than the controls, and the fluoride content of females was greater than that of males on both HF-fumigated and control plants. Beetles raised on fumigated plants laid fewer egg masses and fewer eggs per mass, although when the first generation was repeated at a later date there was no significant effect. Feeding activity was reduced in both larval and adult stages in beetles cultured on the fumigated plants, and adults showed less flight activity than controls. A difference in color of the elytra was also noted; beetles on HF-fumigated plants were paler than controls.

  6. Oxygenated Phosphine Fumigation for Control of Light Brown Apple Moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) Eggs on Cut-Flowers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Samuel S; Liu, Yong-Biao; Simmons, Gregory S

    2015-08-01

    Light brown apple moth, Epiphyas postvittana (Walker), eggs were subjected to oxygenated phosphine fumigation treatments under 70% oxygen on cut flowers to determine efficacy and safety. Five cut flower species: roses, lilies, tulips, gerbera daisy, and pompon chrysanthemums, were fumigated in separate groups with 2,500 ppm phosphine for 72 h at 5°C. Egg mortality and postharvest quality of cut flowers were determined after fumigation. Egg mortalities of 99.7-100% were achieved among the cut flower species. The treatment was safe to all cut flowers except gerbera daisy. A 96-h fumigation treatment with 2,200 ppm phosphine of eggs on chrysanthemums cut flowers also did not achieve complete control of light brown apple moth eggs. A simulation of fumigation in hermetically sealed fumigation chambers with gerbera daisy showed significant accumulations of carbon dioxide and ethylene by the end of 72-h sealing. However, oxygenated phosphine fumigations with carbon dioxide and ethylene absorbents did not reduce the injury to gerbera daisy, indicating that it is likely that phosphine may directly cause the injury to gerbera daisy cut flowers. The study demonstrated that oxygenated phosphine fumigation is effective against light brown apple moth eggs. However, it may not be able to achieve the probit9 quarantine level of control and the treatment was safe to most of the cut flower species. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America 2015. This work is written by US Government employees and is in the public domain in the US.

  7. Exposure of Brown Recluse and Brown Widow Spiders (Araneae: Sicariidae, Theridiidae) to a Commercial Sulfuryl Fluoride Fumigation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vetter, Richard S; Hoddle, Mark S; Choe, Dong-Hwan; Thoms, Ellen

    2014-10-01

    The body of pesticide research on spiders is sparse with most studies using topical or residual applications to assess efficacy. Data on the effects of fumigation on spider survivorship are scarce in the scientific literature. In this study, we exposed adult male and female brown recluse spiders, Loxosceles reclusa Gertsch & Mulaik, and female brown widow spiders, Latrodectus geometricus C. L. Koch, to a commercial fumigation event using sulfuryl fluoride directed at termite control. General consensus from the pest control industry is that fumigation is not always effective for control of spiders for a variety of reasons, including insufficient fumigant dosage, particularly, for contents of egg sacs that require a higher fumigant dosage for control. We demonstrated that a sulfuryl fluoride fumigation with an accumulated dosage of 162 oz-h per 1,000 ft(3) at 21°C over 25 h (≈1.7 × the drywood termite dosage) directed at termites was sufficient to kill adult brown recluse and brown widow spiders. The effectiveness of commercial fumigation practices to control spiders, and particularly their egg sacs, warrants further study. © 2014 Entomological Society of America.

  8. Diffusion and adsorption of the nematicide 1,3-dichloropropene in soil

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Leistra, M.

    1972-01-01

    After soil fumigation the concentration of the nematicidal compounds cis and trans 1,3-dichloropropene at various depths in the soil was estimated by electron-capture gas-chromatography. The coefficients for the distribution of the compounds over

  9. Comparative effects of irradiation, fumigation, and storage on the free amino acids and sugar contents of green, black and oolong teas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kausar, Tusneem; Akram, Kashif; Kwon, Joong-Ho

    2013-01-01

    Food irradiation or chemical fumigation can be used to ensure the hygienic quality of teas. The comparative effects of gamma irradiation (5 and 10 kGy) and fumigation (MeBr and PH 3 ) were investigated on the amino acids and sugar contents of Camellia sinensis (green, black and oolong teas) during storage (15±12 °C). The major amino acids found in teas were theanine and glutamic acid. Irradiation increased amino acids such as, leucine, alanine, and glutamic acid, and decreased the histidine. PH 3 fumigation resulted in a decrease of tyrosine content; however, the effect of MeBr fumigation was negligible. Storage showed no significant effect on the amino acid content of the irradiated and fumigated teas. Sucrose, glucose, and fructose contents significantly increased upon gamma irradiation (p≤0.05). However, fumigation and subsequent storage did not affect the sugar contents. Irradiation could be a preferred alternative choice to address food safety problems as fumigation is restricted in many countries. - Highlights: ► Teas were investigated for the changes during storage on irradiation and fumigation. ► The effect on amino acid contents was more prominent on irradiation than fumigation. ► The sucrose, glucose, and fructose contents increased on gamma irradiation. ► Fumigation and storage did not affect the sugar contents in the teas. ► Irradiation could be an effective alternative for fumigants

  10. Decomposition of Straw in Soil after Stepwise Repeated Additions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sørensen, Lasse Holst

    1979-01-01

    after the first repeated addition of labelled straw the soils were subjected to a number of “stress” treatments: addition of unlabelled glucose, air-drying, oven-drying, grinding and fumigation with vapour of chloroform, respectively. The CO2 that developed during the first 10 days after the treatments......, grinding the most. The effect of each treatment declined with an increasing number of successive additions of straw. The ratio between CO2 evolved after grinding and fumigation, respectively, revealed that grinding also exposed non-biomass material to accelerated decomposition. The effects of the stress...

  11. Management of the potato cyst nematode (Globodera pallida) with bio-fumigants/stimulants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin, T J G; Turner, S J; Fleming, C C

    2007-01-01

    Field trials evaluated the effect of four plant-based bio-fumigants/stimulants on population levels of G. pallida and the resulting potato yields and quality. Three formulations contained seaweed biostimulants (Algifol, Nutridip and Metastim) and one bio-fumigant containing mustard and chilli pepper extracts (Dazitol). These were compared with the fumigant nematicide Nemathorin and untreated control plots. The effect of G. pallida on growing potato crops was assessed by recording haulm characteristics which indicated that the nematicide treatment gave most protection. Levels of PCN juveniles and migratory nematodes were assessed during the trial. Plots treated with Nemathorin and Dazitol had fewest PCN, whilst the highest number of migratory nematodes occurred in fallow plots. Sixteen weeks after planting the nematicide treatment produced highest yield and tuber numbers. Dazitol treatment produced a lower yield but the largest tubers.

  12. Methyl Bromide Commodity Fumigation Buffer Zone Lookup Tables

    Science.gov (United States)

    Product labels for methyl bromide used in commodity and structural fumigation include requirements for buffer zones around treated areas. The information on this page will allow you to find the appropriate buffer zone for your planned application.

  13. Fumigation success for California facility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hacker, Robert

    2010-02-01

    As Robert Hacker, at the time director of facilities management at the St John's Regional Medical Center in Oxnard, California, explains, the hospital, one of the area's largest, recently successfully utilised a new technology to eliminate mould, selecting a cost and time-saving fumigation process in place of the traditional "rip and tear" method. Although hospital managers knew the technology had been used extremely effectively in other US buildings, this was reportedly among the first ever healthcare applications.

  14. Ozone-induced growth suppression in radish plants in relation to pre- and post-fumigation temperatures. [Raphanus sativus L

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Adedipe, N.O.; Ormrod, D.P.

    1974-01-01

    Two cultivars of Raphanus sativus L. (radish) were fumigated with ozone at a concentration of 25 parts per hundred million (pphm) for 3 h, before or after subjecting the plants to two growth temperature regimes. In the cultivar ''Cavalier'' ozone decreased leaf weight at the lower pre-fumigation day/night growth temperature regime of 20/15/sup 0/, but had no significant effect when the plants were either pre- or post-fumigation conditioned at the high temperatures of 30/25/sup 0/. In the cultivar ''Cherry Belle'', ozone decreased the leaf weight of only low temperature post-fumigation conditioned plants. Ozone had no significant effect on the total soluble carbohydrate concentration of ''Cherry Belle'', while it increased that of pre-fumigation conditioned ''Cavalier'' plants.

  15. Rice weevil response to basil oil fumigation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Basil oil, Ocimum basilicum L., is a volatile plant essential oil that is known to have insecticidal activity against stored product pests such as rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae (L.). Basil oil was diluted in acetone and applied to a sponge held inside a tea strainer for fumigations in containers wi...

  16. Mechanical pre-planting weed control in short rotation coppice using deep forestry ploughing techniques

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1997-11-01

    This report describes a trial by Border biofuels to investigate the deep forestry plough as a mechanical pre-planting weed control method to reduce weed infestations in willow coppice and thus contribute to improved establishment and eventual yield. The results suggest that there was a considerable increase in biomass productivity from the deep ploughed area compared to the conventionally cultivated area at all three SRC sites tested. This technique also suggests that the deep forestry ploughing provides the benefit of much reduced levels of seed germination of many annual weed species and a reduction in levels of perennial weed infestation. It is not possible at this stage to predict the longer term benefits in terms of harvestable biomass productivity but it may be considered that the improved establishment and lack of weed competition would consistently produce higher yields of biomass than plantations which suffer from persistent and invasive weed competition. (author)

  17. Efficacy and residue analysis of nitric oxide fumigation of strawberries for control of Drosophila suzukii

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nitric oxide (NO) has been demonstrated as an effective fumigant against various insect pests on postharvest products under ultralow oxygen (ULO) conditions. NO showed efficacy against all life stages of insect pests with varied fumigation time and temperature, and had feasible cost-effectiveness to...

  18. Analytical solution describing pesticide volatilization from soil affected by a change in surface condition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yates, S R

    2009-01-01

    An analytical solution describing the fate and transport of pesticides applied to soils has been developed. Two pesticide application methods can be simulated: point-source applications, such as idealized shank or a hot-gas injection method, and a more realistic shank-source application method that includes a vertical pesticide distribution in the soil domain due to a soil fracture caused by a shank. The solutions allow determination of the volatilization rate and other information that could be important for understanding fumigant movement and in the development of regulatory permitting conditions. The solutions can be used to characterize differences in emissions relative to changes in the soil degradation rate, surface barrier conditions, application depth, and soil packing. In some cases, simple algebraic expressions are provided that can be used to obtain the total emissions and total soil degradation. The solutions provide a consistent methodology for determining the total emissions and can be used with other information, such as field and laboratory experimental data, to support the development of fumigant regulations. The uses of the models are illustrated by several examples.

  19. Response of soil aggregate stability to storage time of soil samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gerzabek, M.H.; Roessner, H.

    1993-04-01

    The aim of the present study was to investigate the well known phenomenon of changing aggregate stability values as result of soil sample storage. In order to evaluate the impact of soil microbial activity, the soil sample was split into three subsamples. Two samples were sterilized by means of chloroform fumigation and gamma irradiation, respectively. However, the aggregate stability measurements at three different dates were not correlated with the microbial activity (dehydrogenase activity). The moisture content of the aggregate samples seems to be of higher significance. Samples with lower moisture content (range: 0.4 to 1.9%) exhibited higher aggregate stabilities. Thus, airdried aggregate samples without further treatment don't seem to be suitable for standardized stability measurements. (authors)

  20. Expression of pathogenesis-related (PR) genes in avocados fumigated with thyme oil vapours and control of anthracnose.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bill, Malick; Sivakumar, Dharini; Beukes, Mervyn; Korsten, Lise

    2016-03-01

    Thyme oil (TO) fumigation (96μll(-1)) to cv. Hass and Ryan avocados significantly reduced anthracnose incidence compared to prochloraz and the untreated control. Also, enhanced activities of β-1,3-glucanase, chitinase were noted in both cultivars. TO fumigation induced the expression of both β-1,3-glucanase and chitinase genes in naturally infected fruit of both cultivars, during storage at 7 or 7.5°C for up to 21d and during subsequent simulated market shelf conditions at 20°C for 5d. However, the impact of TO fumigation on the β-1,3-glucanase gene expression was higher in both cultivars. Higher gene regulation and β-1,3-glucanase, chitinase activities were observed in cv. Ryan compared to Hass. Although TO fumigation significantly reduced anthracnose incidence in both naturally infected cultivars, the inhibitory effect was slightly higher in cv. Ryan than Hass. Thus, postharvest TO fumigation had positive effects on enhancing anthracnose disease resistance during storage and also gave a residual effect during the simulated shelf life. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Effects of irradiation and fumigation on the antioxidative properties of some spices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kuruppu, D.P.; Schmidt, K.; Farkas, J.; Langerak, D.I; Duren, M.D.A. van

    1985-01-01

    The effects of gamma irradiation (5.6 kGy) and ethylene oxide fumigation on the antioxidative activity of marjoram, nutmeg, paprika and black pepper were investigated. Sunflower oil in water emulsion (1:1), dark, at 30 deg C, lard, dark, at 40 deg C, lard, illuminated, at 50 deg C, and lard, dark, at 50 deg C were the substrates utilized for the investigation. Oxidation of the substrates in the presence of 0.2% (by weight) of spices were followed by the determination of peroxide value (PO) and free fatty acide value (FFA). No significant effect of irradiation on the antioxidant activities of spices was revealed. Fumigated marjoram tended to be less antioxidative in lard kept in dark storage at 60 deg C than the non-treated or irradiated spice. Marjoram and nutmeg lost their antioxidant properties in the presence of light. This loss, however, was not influenced by the irradiation or fumigation treatments. (author)

  2. Effects of irradiation and fumigation on the antioxidative properties of some spices

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kuruppu, D P; Schmidt, K; Farkas, J; Langerak, D I; Duren, M D.A. van

    1985-12-01

    The effects of gamma irradiation (5.6 kGy) and ethylene oxide fumigation on the antioxidative activity of marjoram, nutmeg, paprika and black pepper were investigated. Sunflower oil in water emulsion (1:1), dark, at 30 deg C, lard, dark, at 40 deg C, lard, illuminated, at 50 deg C, and lard, dark, at 50 deg C were the substrates utilized for the investigation. Oxidation of the substrates in the presence of 0.2% (by weight) of spices were followed by the determination of peroxide value (PO) and free fatty acid value (FFA). No significant effect of irradiation on the antioxidant activities of spices was revealed. Fumigated marjoram tended to be less antioxidative in lard kept in dark storage at 60 deg C than the non-treated or irradiated spice. Marjoram and nutmeg lost their antioxidant properties in the presence of light. This loss, however, was not influenced by the irradiation or fumigation treatments. 13 references, 4 figures, 5 tables.

  3. Clinical investigation of CT-guided ozone-blowing and fumigation ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Clinical investigation of CT-guided ozone-blowing and fumigation therapy for the chronic ... African Journal of Biotechnology ... In control group, seven patients were completely cured in 45 days after being treated by traditional surgery.

  4. Morphologic observations on respiratory tracts of chickens after hatchery infectious bronchitis vaccination and formaldehyde fumigation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Di Matteo, A M; Soñez, M C; Plano, C M; von Lawzewitsch, I

    2000-01-01

    The histologic changes in the respiratory tracts of chickens were evaluated after hatchery fumigation with 40% formaldehyde vapors and vaccination against infectious bronchitis virus with live attenuated vaccine (Massachusetts serotype). One-day-old chickens were housed in four isolation units in controlled environmental conditions, fed and watered ad libitum, and separated into four groups: 1) fumigated and vaccinated birds (FV group); 2) nonfumigated and vaccinated birds (NFV group); 3) fumigated and nonvaccinated birds (FNV group); and 4) control group (C group). All birds were tested to be free from Mycoplasma gallisepticum and Mycoplasma synoviae. After necropsy on the first, eighth, and twenty-sixth days after birth, samples from tracheal upper portion and lungs were conventionally processed for light, scanning, and transmission electron microscopy. Tissue response was monitored by microscopic examination of trachea and lung. On the first day of observation, fumigated and vaccinated birds (FV group) showed extensively damaged tracheal epithelium with exfoliated areas and some active glands with electrodense granules, and in the lung, the primary bronchi epithelium had disorganized cilia and abundant lymphocytes, with emphysematous areas in tertiary bronchus. On day 8 after vaccination, cubical and cylindrical tracheal cell proliferation was observed, and on day 26, ciliated columnar epithelium was almost regenerated with heterophil corion infiltration, and hyaline cartilage nodules appeared in parabronchi. The nonfumigated and vaccinated birds (NFV) revealed less injury on the epithelial surface and a more rapid response to epithelial regeneration than the in only fumigated animals (FNV). The control group did not show remarkable morphologic changes. Postvaccinal and fumigation effects on the upper respiratory tract were temporary, whereas in lungs, increased emphysema, cartilage nodules in the interchange zone, and general lymphocyte infiltration had caused

  5. Active oxygen participation in chlorophyll destruction and lipid peroxidation in SO/sub 2/-fumigated leaves of spinach

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shimazaki, K; Sakaki, T; Sugahara, K

    1980-01-01

    Chlorophyll a and carotenoids of spinach plants began to be destroyed in 2 to 3 hr after the initiation of fumigation with 2.0 ppM sulfur dioxide (SO/sub 2/) in light, whereas chlorophyll b was apparently undamaged during 8 hr of exposure to SO/sub 2/. The content of pheophytin a, chromatographically determined, was not changed by SO/sub 2/ fumigation. When leaf disks (phi = 10 mm), excised from the leaves fumigated with SO/sub 2/ at 2.0 ppM for 2 hr, were illuminated, chlorophyll a and carotenoids were broken down, but they were not destroyed in darkness. The destruction of chlorophyll a and carotenoids was suppressed under a stream of nitrogen. Chlorophyll a destruction was inhibited by free radical scavengers, 1,2-dihydroxbenzene-3,5-disulfonate (tiron), hydroquinone and ascorbate. The singlet oxygen scavengers, 1,4-diazabicyclo-(2,2,2)-octane (DABCO), methionine and histidine, and hydroxyl radical scavengers, benzoate and formate were without effect on the destruction of chlorophyll a. Chlorophyll a destruction was inhibited by the addition of superoxide dismutase (SOD) to the homogenate of SO/sub 2/-fumigated leaves. SO/sub 2/ fumigation for 2 hr reduced the activity of superoxide dismutase to 40% without producing the significant loss of chlorophyll. From these results we concluded that chlorophyll a destruction by SO/sub 2/ was due to superoxide radicals. Moreover, malondialdehyde (MDA), an indicator of lipid peroxidation, was accumulated in SO/sub 2/-fumigated leaves in light. MDA formation was inhibited by tiron and hydroquinone, and by DABCO but was not inhibited by benzoate and formate. MDA formation was increased by D/sub 2/O. From these results it was concluded that /sup 1/O/sub 2/ was involved in lipid peroxidation in SO/sub 2/-fumigated leaves.

  6. Influence of Sulfur Fumigation on the Chemical Constituents and Antioxidant Activity of Buds of Lonicera japonica

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ai-Li Guo

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Lonicera japonica flos is widely used as a pharmaceutical resource and a commonly-employed ingredient in healthy food, soft beverages and cosmetics in China. Sometimes, sulfur fumigation is used during post-harvest handling. In this study, a comprehensive comparison of the chemical profile between sun-dried and sulfur-fumigated samples was conducted by HPLC fingerprints and simultaneous quantification of nine constituents, including secologanic acid, along with another eight usually-analyzed markers. Secologanic acid was destroyed, and its sulfonates were generated, whereas caffeoylquinic acids were protected from being oxidized. The residual sulfur dioxide in sulfur-fumigated samples was significantly higher than that in sun-dried samples, which might increase the potential incidence of toxicity to humans. Meanwhile, compared with sun-dried samples, sulfur-fumigated samples have significantly stronger antioxidant activity, which could be attributed to the joint effect of protected phenolic acids and flavonoids, as well as newly-generated iridoid sulfonates.

  7. The USEPA environmental response team TAGA at work at the Hart building fumigation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mickunas, D.B.; Turpin, R. [United States Environmental Protection Agency, Edison, NJ (United States). Environmental Response Team; Blaze, S.; Wood, J. [Lockheed Martin Inc., Edison, NJ (United States). Response Engineering and Analytical Contract

    2004-07-01

    This paper describes the fumigation activities conducted at the Hart Senate Office building in Washington, DC in October 2001 following the delivery of a letter containing anthrax. Anthrax spores were dispersed in areas within the office. The United States States Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Response Team (USEPA/ERT) was responsible for the decontamination activities. Chlorine dioxide was chosen as the anthrax sporicide after a detailed technical review and consultation with scientific experts. ERT provided continuous, near real-time ambient air monitoring during the fumigation process. The monitoring was conducted to ensure that the nearby residences were not impacted by the chlorine dioxide fumigant. The monitoring plan required the use of a Trace Atmospheric Gas Analyzer (TAGA), a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer mounted in a mobile laboratory. The monitoring activities of ERT's mobile laboratory were outlined in this paper along with the logistical and technical aspects of the air monitoring. More than 130 hours of TAGA monitoring was performed and 2.3 million data points were collected. No chlorine or chlorine dioxide concentrations were observed above the action limits during any fumigation event. The building was cleared by the health and regulatory agencies and re-opened in January 2002. It was concluded that TAGA is an excellent technology to monitor these compounds because is is extremely sensitive and selective. 2 tabs., 5 figs.

  8. 78 FR 36507 - Notice of Availability of a Treatment Evaluation Document; Methyl Bromide Fumigation of Blueberries

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-06-18

    ... treatment schedule for blueberries at a temperature of 60[emsp14][deg]F at a dosage rate of 2 lbs gas/1,000...] Notice of Availability of a Treatment Evaluation Document; Methyl Bromide Fumigation of Blueberries... and Quarantine Treatment Manual an additional treatment schedule for methyl bromide fumigation of...

  9. Effect of tillage and fumigation on Pasteuria penetrans

    Science.gov (United States)

    The endospore-forming bacterium Pasteuria penetrans (Pp) is a parasite of Meloidogyne spp. In this study, the effect of tillage and the fumigant 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D) on numbers of Pp and suppression of M. incognita (Mi) was evaluated from 2011-2013. A split-plot experiment was established i...

  10. 40 CFR 180.522 - Fumigants for processed grains used in production of fermented malt beverage; tolerances for...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... production of fermented malt beverage; tolerances for residues. 180.522 Section 180.522 Protection of... PESTICIDE CHEMICAL RESIDUES IN FOOD Specific Tolerances § 180.522 Fumigants for processed grains used in production of fermented malt beverage; tolerances for residues. (a) General. Fumigants for processed grain...

  11. Fumigant emission reductions with TIF warrant regulatory changes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Husein Ajwa

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available With methyl bromide's phase-out, most growers have turned to alternative fumigants, particularly 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D and chloropicrin. These alternatives are tightly regulated because they are classified as toxic air contaminants and volatile organic compounds; the latter combine with other substances to produce ground-level ozone (smog. Two ambient air monitoring studies were conducted to evaluate the potential of totally impermeable film (TIF to reduce emissions from shank applications of chloropicrin and 1,3-D. In 2009, a study demonstrated that TIF reduced chloropicrin and 1,3-D peak emissions by 45% and 38%, respectively, but TIF did not reduce total emissions when it was cut after 6 days. In 2011, increasing the tarp period from 5 to 10 days decreased chloropicrin and 1,3-D peak emissions by 88% and 78%, and their total emissions by 64% and 43%, respectively. Concurrent dynamic flux chamber results corroborated the ambient air monitoring data. These studies provide regulatory agencies with mitigation measures that should allow continued fumigant use at efficacious application rates.

  12. Essential oils as fumigants for bed bugs (Hemiptera: Cimicidae)

    Science.gov (United States)

    In Petri dish assays, fumigation of a pyrethroid-susceptible strain of bed bugs Cimex lectularius L. (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) with various essential oils resulted in mortality that approached or equaled 100%, after 5 days. However, when bed bugs were exposed to the same essential oils in sealed, comme...

  13. Managing for soil health can suppress pests

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amanda Hodson

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available A “healthy” soil can be thought of as one that functions well, both agronomically and ecologically, and one in which soil biodiversity and crop management work in synergy to suppress pests and diseases. UC researchers have pioneered many ways of managing soil biology for pest management, including strategies such as soil solarization, steam treatment and anaerobic soil disinfestation, as well as improvements on traditional methods, such as reducing tillage, amending soil with organic materials, and cover cropping. As managing for soil health becomes more of an explicit focus due to restrictions on the use of soil fumigants, integrated soil health tests will be needed that are validated for use in California. Other research needs include breeding crops for disease resistance and pest suppressive microbial communities as well as knowledge of how beneficial organisms influence plant health.

  14. Experimental investigation of regulated and unregulated emissions from a diesel engine fueled with Euro V diesel fuel and fumigation methanol

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Z. H.; Cheung, C. S.; Chan, T. L.; Yao, C. D.

    2010-03-01

    Experiments were conducted on a four-cylinder direct-injection diesel engine with part of the engine load taken up by fumigation methanol injected into the air intake of each cylinder to investigate the regulated and unregulated gaseous emissions and particulate emission of the engine under five engine loads at an engine speed of 1920 rev min -1. The fumigation methanol was injected to top up 10%, 20% and 30% of the engine load under different engine operating conditions. The experimental results show that at low engine loads, the brake thermal efficiency (BTE) decreases with increase in fumigation methanol; but at high engine loads, the BTE is not significantly affected by fumigation methanol. The fumigation methanol results in significant increase in hydrocarbon (HC), carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2) emissions, but decrease in nitrogen oxides (NO x). For the unregulated gaseous emissions, unburned methanol, formaldehyde and BTX (benzene, toluene and xylene) emissions increase but ethyne, ethene and 1,3-butadiene emissions decrease. Particulate mass and number concentrations also decrease with increase in fumigation methanol. A diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) is found to reduce significantly most of the pollutants, including the air toxics, when the exhaust gas temperature is sufficiently high.

  15. Effect of phytosanitary irradiation and methyl bromide fumigation on the physical, sensory, and microbiological quality of blueberries and sweet cherries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thang, Karen; Au, Kimberlee; Rakovski, Cyril; Prakash, Anuradha

    2016-10-01

    The objective of this study was to determine whether irradiation could serve as a suitable phytosanitary treatment alternative to methyl bromide (MB) fumigation for blueberries and sweet cherry and also to determine the effect of phytosanitary irradiation treatment on survival of Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes on these fruit. 'Bluecrop' blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum) and 'Sweetheart' cherries (Prunus avium) were irradiated at 0.4 kGy or fumigated with methyl bromide and evaluated for quality attributes during storage. Irradiation caused an immediate decrease in firmness of both fruit without further significant change during storage. Fumigated fruit, in contrast, softened by 11-14% during storage. Irradiation did not adversely affect blueberry and cherry shelf-life. MB fumigation did not impact blueberry and cherry quality attributes initially; however, fumigated fruit exhibited greater damage and mold growth than the control and irradiated samples during storage. Irradiation at 400 Gy resulted in a ∼1 log CFU g(-1) reduction in Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes counts, indicating that this treatment cannot significantly enhance safety. This study indicates that irradiation at a target dose of 0.4 kGy for phytosanitary treatment does not negatively impact blueberry and cherry quality and can serve as an alternative to methyl bromide fumigation. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

  16. Fumigant Activity of Sweet Orange Essential Oil Fractions Against Red Imported Fire Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Wei; Zhang, Ning; Chen, Hongli; Zhong, Balian; Yang, Aixue; Kuang, Fan; Ouyang, Zhigang; Chun, Jiong

    2017-08-01

    Sweet orange oil fractions were prepared by molecular distillation of cold-pressed orange oil from sample A (Citrus sinensis (L.) 'Hamlin' from America) and sample B (Citrus sinensis Osbeck 'Newhall' from China) respectively, and their fumigant activities against medium workers of red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta Buren) were investigated. The volatile composition of the orange oil fractions was identified and quantified using GC-MS. Fractions from sample A (A1, A2, and A3) contained 23, 37, and 48 chemical constituents, and fractions from sample B (B1, B2, and B3) contained 18, 29, and 26 chemical constituents, respectively. Monoterpenes were the most abundant components, accounting for 73.56% to 94.86% of total orange oil fractions, among which D-limonene (65.28-80.18%), β-pinene (1.71-5.58%), 3-carene (0.41-4.01%), β-phellandrene (0.58-2.10%), and linalool (0.31-2.20%) were major constituents. Fumigant bioassay indicated that all orange oil fractions exerted good fumigant toxicity against workers of fire ants at 3, 5, 10, and 20 mg/centrifuge tubes, and B1 had the strongest insecticidal potential, followed by A1, B2, A2, B3, and A3. The fractions composed of more high volatile molecules (A1 and B1) showed greater fumigant effects than others. Compounds linalool and D-limonene, which were the constituents of the orange oil, exhibited excellent fumigant toxicity against red imported fire ant workers. Linalool killed red imported fire ant workers completely at 5, 10, and 20 mg/tube after 8 h of treatment, and D-limonene induced >86% mortality at 8 h of exposure. © The Authors 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  17. Survival of genetically marked .i.Escherichia coli./i. O157:H7 in soil as affected by soil microbial community shifts

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    van Elsas, J.D.; Hill, P.; Chroňáková, Alica; Grekova, M.; Topalova, Y.; Elhottová, Dana; Krištůfek, Václav

    -, č. 1 (2007), s. 204-214 ISSN 1751-7362 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LC06066 Grant - others:NATO(NL) ESP.EAP.CLG 981785 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60660521 Source of funding: V - iné verejné zdroje Keywords : soil * fumigation * Escherichia coli O157:H7 Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour

  18. Comparative effects of gamma irradiation and phosphine fumigation on the quality of white ginseng

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kwon, J.-H.Joong-Ho; Byun, M.-W.Myung-Woo; Kim, K.-S.Kang-Soo; Kang, I.-J.Il-Jun

    2000-03-01

    The hygienic, physicochemical, and organoleptic qualities of white ginseng were monitored during 6 months under accelerated conditions (40 deg. C, 90% r.h.) by observing its microbial populations, disinfestation, and some quality attributes following either gamma irradiation at 2.5-10 kGy or commercial phosphine (PH{sub 3}) fumigation. In a comparative study, both treatments were found to be effective for disinfecting the stored samples. Phosphine showed no appreciable decontaminating effects on microorganisms contaminated including coliforms, while 5 kGy irradiation was sufficient to control all microorganisms related to the quality of the packed samples. Irradiation at 5 kGy caused negligible changes in physicochemical attributes of the samples, such as ginsenosides, amino acids, fatty acids, and organoleptic properties, whereas phosphine fumigation was found detrimental to sensory flavor (P<0.01). Quality deterioration occurred in the commercially-packed samples was in the following order: the control, 10 kGy-, phosphine-, and 2.5-5 kGy-treated samples. Accordingly, irradiation at <5 kGy was found to be an effective alternative to phosphine fumigation for white ginseng. (author)

  19. Fumigant toxicity and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity of 4 Asteraceae plant essential oils and their constituents against Japanese termite (Reticulitermes speratus Kolbe).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seo, Seon-Mi; Kim, Junheon; Kang, Jaesoon; Koh, Sang-Hyun; Ahn, Young-Joon; Kang, Kyu-Suk; Park, Il-Kwon

    2014-07-01

    This study investigated the fumigant toxicity of 4 Asteraceae plant essential oils and their constituents against the Japanese termite Reticulitermes speratus Kolbe. Fumigant toxicity varied with plant essential oils or constituents, exposure time, and concentration. Among the tested essential oils, those from Chamaemelum nobile exhibited the strongest fumigant toxicity, followed by those from Santolina chamaecyparissus, Ormenis multicaulis, and Eriocephalus punctulatus at 2 days after treatment. In all, 15, 24, 19, and 9 compounds were identified in the essential oils from C. nobile, E. punctulatus, O. multicaulis, and S. chamaecyparissus, respectively, by using gas chromatography, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, or open-column chromatography. The identified compounds were tested individually for their fumigant toxicity against Japanese termites. Among the test compounds, trans-pinocarveol, caryophyllene oxide, sabinene hydrate, and santolina alcohol showed strong fumigant toxicity against Japanese termites. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition activity of the identified compounds from C. nobile, E. punctulatus, O. multicaulis, and S. chamaecyparissus essential oils were tested to determine the mode of their action. The IC50 values of (+)-α-pinene, (-)-limonene, (-)-α-pinene, β-pinene, and β-phellandrene against Japanese termite AChE were 0.03, 0.13, 0.41, 0.42, and 0.67mg/mL, respectively. Further studies are warranted to determine the potential of these essential oils and their constituents as fumigants for termite control. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Effect of pre-plant treatments of yam (Dioscorea rotundata setts on the production of healthy seed yam, seed yam storage and consecutive ware tuber production

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abiodun Olufunmilayo Claudius-Cole

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Numerous pests and diseases of yams are perpetuated from season to season through the use of infected seed material. Developing a system for generating healthy seed material would disrupt this disease cycle and reduce losses in field and storage. The use of various pre-plant treatments was evaluated in field experiments carried out at three sites in Nigeria. Yam tubers of four preferred local cultivars were cut into 100 g setts and treated with pesticide (fungicide + insecticide mixture, neem extract (1 : 5 w/v, hot water (20 min at 53 °C or wood ash (farmers practice and compared with untreated setts. Pesticide treated setts sprouted better than all other treatments and generally led to lower pest and disease damage of yam tubers. Pesticide treatment increased tuber yields over most treatments, depending on cultivar, but effectively doubled the production as compared to the control. Pesticide and hot water treated setts produced the healthiest seed yams, which had lower storage losses than tubers from other treatments. These pre-treated seed yams produced higher yields corresponding to 700 % potential gain compared to the farmers usual practice. Treatments had no obvious influence on virus incidence, although virus-symptomatic plants yielded significantly less than nonsymptomatic plants. This study demonstrated that pre-plant treatment of setts with pesticide is a simple and effective method that guarantees more, heavier and healthier seed yam tubers.

  1. Influence of environmental, structural, and behavioral factors on the presence of phosphine in worker areas during fumigations in grain elevators.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reed, C

    2001-02-01

    Data-logging gas monitors with electrochemical cells sensitive to phosphine (PH3) were used to characterize concentrations of this common grain fumigant in and around grain elevators during fumigations. Twenty-four grain fumigations were observed, and each was monitored over a 5- to 8-day period. Phosphine gas, generated from aluminum phosphide fumigant applied to the grain, generally moved upward toward the grain surface and exited the bin at bin-top openings to the outside air or to enclosed worker areas. The upward air currents appeared to be the result of chimney effects, e.g., pressure differences resulting from buoyant air inside the warm grain and cooler, denser, ambient air. Significant wind effects on the PH3 concentration were also observed in the air between the grain surface and the bin roof. In enclosed areas located at the bin-top level, monitors located near the fill port or the fumigant dispenser recorded PH3 concentrations in excess of the exposure limit of 0.3 parts per million (ppm) about 35% of the time during grain fumigations. Phosphine concentrations between 0.31 and 1.0 ppm were observed 17.3% of the time, and concentrations in the ranges of 1.01-3.0, 3.01-10.0, and >10 ppm constituted 11.8%, 5.5%, and 0.3% of all readings, respectively, in bin-top worker areas. The likelihood of recording PH3 concentrations >0.3 ppm depended on ventilation practices. Fans in tunnels and open windows at aboveground locations appeared to greatly reduce the likelihood of high PH3 concentrations in enclosed areas.

  2. 7 CFR 305.6 - Methyl bromide fumigation treatment schedules.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 12 40 or above 16 8 T408-g-1 Chamber 60 or above 10 24 60 or above 20 15.5 T408-g-2 Tarpaulin 60 or..., fumigation with methyl bromide for sapote fruit fly. Regulated citrus fruits originating inside an area quarantined for sapote fruit fly that are to be moved outside the quarantined area may be treated with methyl...

  3. Residential proximity to agricultural fumigant use and IQ, attention and hyperactivity in 7-year old children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gunier, Robert B; Bradman, Asa; Castorina, Rosemary; Holland, Nina T; Avery, Dylan; Harley, Kim G; Eskenazi, Brenda

    2017-10-01

    Our objective was to examine the relationship between residential proximity to agricultural fumigant use and neurodevelopment in 7-year old children. Participants were living in the agricultural Salinas Valley, California and enrolled in the Center for the Health Assessment of Mothers and Children Of Salinas (CHAMACOS) study. We administered the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (4th Edition) to assess cognition and the Behavioral Assessment System for Children (2nd Edition) to assess behavior. We estimated agricultural fumigant use within 3, 5 and 8km of residences during pregnancy and from birth to age 7 using California's Pesticide Use Report data. We evaluated the association between prenatal (n = 285) and postnatal (n = 255) residential proximity to agricultural use of methyl bromide, chloropicrin, metam sodium and 1,3-dichloropropene with neurodevelopment. We observed decreases of 2.6 points (95% Confidence Interval (CI): -5.2, 0.0) and 2.4 points (95% CI: -4.7, -0.2) in Full-Scale intelligence quotient for each ten-fold increase in methyl bromide and chloropicrin use within 8km of the child's residences from birth to 7-years of age, respectively. There were no associations between residential proximity to use of other fumigants and cognition or proximity to use of any fumigant and hyperactivity or attention problems. These findings should be explored in larger studies. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  4. Evaluation of anaerobic soil disinfestation amendments and rates for conventional tomato production in Florida

    Science.gov (United States)

    Methyl bromide and other soil fumigants have been heavily relied upon to control soilborne plant pathogens, nematodes, and weeds in polyethylene-mulched vegetable production in Florida. However, negative aspects of their use on the environment and human health have increased the interest in non-chem...

  5. Insecticidal Activity of Melaleuca alternifolia Essential Oil and RNA-Seq Analysis of Sitophilus zeamais Transcriptome in Response to Oil Fumigation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liao, Min; Xiao, Jin-Jing; Zhou, Li-Jun; Liu, Yang; Wu, Xiang-Wei; Hua, Ri-Mao; Wang, Gui-Rong; Cao, Hai-Qun

    2016-01-01

    The cereal weevil, Sitophilus zeamais is one of the most destructive pests of stored cereals worldwide. Frequent use of fumigants for managing stored-product insects has led to the development of resistance in insects. Essential oils from aromatic plants including the tea oil plant, Melaleuca alternifolia may provide environmentally friendly alternatives to currently used pest control agents. However, little is known about molecular events involved in stored-product insects in response to plant essential oil fumigation. M. alternifolia essential oil was shown to possess the fumigant toxicity against S. zeamais. The constituent, terpinen-4-ol was the most effective compound for fumigant toxicity. M. alternifolia essential oil significantly inhibited the activity of three enzymes in S. zeamais, including two detoxifying enzymes, glutathione S-transferase (GST), and carboxylesterase (CarE), as well as a nerve conduction enzyme, acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Comparative transcriptome analysis of S. zeamais through RNA-Seq identified a total of 3,562 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), of which 2,836 and 726 were up-regulated and down-regulated in response to M. alternifolia essential oil fumigation, respectively. Based on gene ontology (GO) analysis, the majority of DEGs were involved in insecticide detoxification and mitochondrial function. Furthermore, an abundance of DEGs mapped into the metabolism pathway in the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway database were associated with respiration and metabolism of xenobiotics, including cytochrome P450s, CarEs, GSTs, and ATP-binding cassette transporters (ABC transporters). Some DEGs mapped into the proteasome and phagosome pathway were found to be significantly enriched. These results led us to propose a model of insecticide action that M. alternifolia essential oil likely directly affects the hydrogen carrier to block the electron flow and interfere energy synthesis in mitochondrial respiratory chain

  6. Repellent and Fumigant Activities of Tanacetum nubigenum Wallich. ex DC Essential Oils against Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haider, S Zafar; Mohan, Manindra; Pandey, Abhay K; Singh, Pooja

    2015-01-01

    The repellent and fumigant toxicity of essential oils of Tanacetum nubigenum Wallich. ex DC collected from three different habitats (Gothing, Burphu and Glacier) of Uttarakhand Himalayas, India named as TNG, TNB and TNM respectively, were investigated against the adults of red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum (Herbst). Among the three samples tested, TNG was found to more potent exhibiting more repellent effect towards the insects and with LC50 values by fumigant bioassay were 13.23 and 8.32 µl per 0.25 L air at 24 and 48 h exposure of insects to the essential oil respectively. In between other two oil samples, TNM was superior in potency showed LC50 value of 14.22 (24 h) & 8.82 µl per 0.25 L air (48 h). During in vivo study all the essential oil samples significantly protected 500 g of wheat grains for 6 months from insect infestation as compared to non fumigated grains and order of efficacy was TNG>TNM>TNB. There were no side effects of essential oils on germination rate of grains (essential oil of T. nubigenum can be explored as novel natural fumigants for the control of stored product insects.

  7. Fumigation treatment of Four Yellow Qing Ling Water with artificial tears for dry eyes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yan-Yan Chen

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available AIM: To observe the clinical efficacy of fumigation treatment of traditional Chinese medicine(Four Yellow Qing Ling Waterfor dry eye, and to provide the reference for clinical treatment of dry eye. METHODS: Totally 82 patients(164 eyeswere randomly divided into two groups from June 2016 to December 2016 in Ophthalmology Department of our hospital. The patients in control group were given artificial tears; the patients in the observation group were given artificial tears and fumigation treatment of traditional Chinese(Four Yellow Qing Ling Wateronce a day. After treatment for 14d, the Schirmer Ⅰ test(SⅠt, break-up time(BUT, cornea fluorescein staining(FLand clinical efficacy of two groups were compared. RESULTS: The efficiency rate of observation group was significantly better than the control group(87.8% vs 70.7%, Pvs 6.38±2.52mm/5min, Pvs 6.35±2.29s, Pvs 1.26±0.84, PCONCLUSION: The fumigation treatment of traditional Chinese medicine(Four Yellow Qing Ling Watercombined with artificial tears for dry eyes can improve the clinical symptoms of dry eye syndrome.

  8. Responses of the lichen Ramalina menziesii Tayl. to ozone fumigations

    Science.gov (United States)

    J. Riddell; T.H. Nash; P. Padgett

    2010-01-01

    Tropospheric ozone (O3) is a strong oxidant, and is known to have serious negative effects on forest health. Lichens have bccn used as biomonitors of the effects of air pollution on forest health for sulfur and nitrogen pollutants. However, effects of O3 on lichens are not well understood, as past fumigation studies and...

  9. Soil Fumigants

    Science.gov (United States)

    This Toolbox provides training, outreach, and resource materials for applicators and handlers, communities, state/local agencies, and others interested in understanding and implementing the current requirements for safe use of these pesticides.

  10. Detection and control of Fusarium oxysporum and Cylindrocarpon destructans in forest nursery soils

    Science.gov (United States)

    Catherine Crosby; Lynne Carpenter-Boggs; Stewart Higgins; Nabil Khadduri

    2010-01-01

    Fusarium oxysporum and Cylindrocarpon destructans cause root disease that leads to significant crop losses in forest nurseries when not treated. Treatment currently relies on methyl bromide fumigation to eradicate soil pathogens. New environmental protection laws, however, are phasing out methyl bromide. Alternative chemical treatments are being tested, as well as...

  11. Theoretical investigation of heat balance in direct injection (DI) diesel engines for neat diesel fuel and gasoline fumigation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Durgun, O.; Sahin, Z.

    2009-01-01

    The main purpose of the presented study is to evaluate energy balance theoretically in direct injection (DI) diesel engines at different conditions. To analyze energy balance, a zero-dimensional multi-zone thermodynamic model has been developed and used. In this thermodynamic model, zero-dimensional intake and exhaust approximations given by Durgun, zero-dimensional compression and expansion model given by Heywood and quasi-dimensional phenomenological combustion model developed by Shahed and then improved Ottikkutti have been used and developed with new approximations and assumptions. By using the developed model, complete diesel engine cycle, engine performance parameters and exhaust emissions can be determined easily. Also, by using this model energy balance can be analyzed for neat diesel fuel and for light fuel fumigation easily. In the presented study, heat balance has been investigated theoretically for three different engines and various numerical applications have been conducted. In the numerical applications two different turbocharged DI diesel engines and a naturally aspirated DI diesel engine have been used. From these numerical applications, it is determined that, what portion of available fuel energy is converted to useful work, what amount of fuel energy is lost by exhaust gases or lost by heat transfer. In addition, heat balance has been analyzed for gasoline fumigation and some numerical results have been given. Brake effective power and brake specific fuel consumption increase and brake effective efficiency decreases for gasoline fumigation for turbocharged diesel engines used in numerical applications. Combustion duration increases with increasing fumigation ratio and thus heat transfer to the walls increases. Because exhaust temperature increases, exhaust losses also increases for fumigation case

  12. Soil Conditions Rather Than Long-Term Exposure to Elevated CO2 Affect Soil Microbial Communities Associated with N-Cycling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kristof Brenzinger

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Continuously rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations may lead to an increased transfer of organic C from plants to the soil through rhizodeposition and may affect the interaction between the C- and N-cycle. For instance, fumigation of soils with elevated CO2 (eCO2 concentrations (20% higher compared to current atmospheric concentrations at the Giessen Free-Air Carbon Dioxide Enrichment (GiFACE sites resulted in a more than 2-fold increase of long-term N2O emissions and an increase in dissimilatory reduction of nitrate compared to ambient CO2 (aCO2. We hypothesized that the observed differences in soil functioning were based on differences in the abundance and composition of microbial communities in general and especially of those which are responsible for N-transformations in soil. We also expected eCO2 effects on soil parameters, such as on nitrate as previously reported. To explore the impact of long-term eCO2 on soil microbial communities, we applied a molecular approach (qPCR, T-RFLP, and 454 pyrosequencing. Microbial groups were analyzed in soil of three sets of two FACE plots (three replicate samples from each plot, which were fumigated with eCO2 and aCO2, respectively. N-fixers, denitrifiers, archaeal and bacterial ammonia oxidizers, and dissimilatory nitrate reducers producing ammonia were targeted by analysis of functional marker genes, and the overall archaeal community by 16S rRNA genes. Remarkably, soil parameters as well as the abundance and composition of microbial communities in the top soil under eCO2 differed only slightly from soil under aCO2. Wherever differences in microbial community abundance and composition were detected, they were not linked to CO2 level but rather determined by differences in soil parameters (e.g., soil moisture content due to the localization of the GiFACE sets in the experimental field. We concluded that +20% eCO2 had little to no effect on the overall microbial community involved in N-cycling in the

  13. Soil Conditions Rather Than Long-Term Exposure to Elevated CO2 Affect Soil Microbial Communities Associated with N-Cycling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brenzinger, Kristof; Kujala, Katharina; Horn, Marcus A; Moser, Gerald; Guillet, Cécile; Kammann, Claudia; Müller, Christoph; Braker, Gesche

    2017-01-01

    Continuously rising atmospheric CO 2 concentrations may lead to an increased transfer of organic C from plants to the soil through rhizodeposition and may affect the interaction between the C- and N-cycle. For instance, fumigation of soils with elevated CO 2 ( e CO 2 ) concentrations (20% higher compared to current atmospheric concentrations) at the Giessen Free-Air Carbon Dioxide Enrichment (GiFACE) sites resulted in a more than 2-fold increase of long-term N 2 O emissions and an increase in dissimilatory reduction of nitrate compared to ambient CO 2 ( a CO 2 ). We hypothesized that the observed differences in soil functioning were based on differences in the abundance and composition of microbial communities in general and especially of those which are responsible for N-transformations in soil. We also expected e CO 2 effects on soil parameters, such as on nitrate as previously reported. To explore the impact of long-term e CO 2 on soil microbial communities, we applied a molecular approach (qPCR, T-RFLP, and 454 pyrosequencing). Microbial groups were analyzed in soil of three sets of two FACE plots (three replicate samples from each plot), which were fumigated with e CO 2 and a CO 2 , respectively. N-fixers, denitrifiers, archaeal and bacterial ammonia oxidizers, and dissimilatory nitrate reducers producing ammonia were targeted by analysis of functional marker genes, and the overall archaeal community by 16S rRNA genes. Remarkably, soil parameters as well as the abundance and composition of microbial communities in the top soil under e CO 2 differed only slightly from soil under a CO 2 . Wherever differences in microbial community abundance and composition were detected, they were not linked to CO 2 level but rather determined by differences in soil parameters (e.g., soil moisture content) due to the localization of the GiFACE sets in the experimental field. We concluded that +20% e CO 2 had little to no effect on the overall microbial community involved in N

  14. Insecticidal Activity of Melaleuca alternifolia Essential Oil and RNA-Seq Analysis of Sitophilus zeamais Transcriptome in Response to Oil Fumigation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Min Liao

    Full Text Available The cereal weevil, Sitophilus zeamais is one of the most destructive pests of stored cereals worldwide. Frequent use of fumigants for managing stored-product insects has led to the development of resistance in insects. Essential oils from aromatic plants including the tea oil plant, Melaleuca alternifolia may provide environmentally friendly alternatives to currently used pest control agents. However, little is known about molecular events involved in stored-product insects in response to plant essential oil fumigation.M. alternifolia essential oil was shown to possess the fumigant toxicity against S. zeamais. The constituent, terpinen-4-ol was the most effective compound for fumigant toxicity. M. alternifolia essential oil significantly inhibited the activity of three enzymes in S. zeamais, including two detoxifying enzymes, glutathione S-transferase (GST, and carboxylesterase (CarE, as well as a nerve conduction enzyme, acetylcholinesterase (AChE. Comparative transcriptome analysis of S. zeamais through RNA-Seq identified a total of 3,562 differentially expressed genes (DEGs, of which 2,836 and 726 were up-regulated and down-regulated in response to M. alternifolia essential oil fumigation, respectively. Based on gene ontology (GO analysis, the majority of DEGs were involved in insecticide detoxification and mitochondrial function. Furthermore, an abundance of DEGs mapped into the metabolism pathway in the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG pathway database were associated with respiration and metabolism of xenobiotics, including cytochrome P450s, CarEs, GSTs, and ATP-binding cassette transporters (ABC transporters. Some DEGs mapped into the proteasome and phagosome pathway were found to be significantly enriched. These results led us to propose a model of insecticide action that M. alternifolia essential oil likely directly affects the hydrogen carrier to block the electron flow and interfere energy synthesis in mitochondrial

  15. A new strategy for Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) control with community participation using a new fumigant formulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harburguer, Laura; Beltrán, Gaston; Goldberg, Lucila; Goldberg, Laura; Zerba, Eduardo; Licastro, Susana; Masuh, Héctor

    2011-05-01

    Dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever are mosquito-borne viral diseases that coincide with the distribution of Aedes aegypti (L.), the primary vector in the tropical and semitropical world. With no available vaccine, controlling the dengue vector is essential to avoid epidemics. This study evaluates the efficacy of a new smoke-generating formulation containing pyriproxyfen and permethrin in Puerto Libertad, Misiones, Argentina. A fumigant tablet (FT) was applied inside the houses by the community members and compared with a professional application. A treatment combining the application of fumigant tablets indoors and ultralow volume fumigation outdoors was also assessed. The community perceptions and practices about dengue disease and the acceptance of this new nonprofessional FT were evaluated through surveys. Results show >90% adult emergence inhibition and 100% adult mortality with these treatments. More than 80% of the residents applied the FT and preferred participating in a vector control program by using a nonprofessional mosquito control tool, instead of attending meetings and workshops promoting cultural changes.

  16. Experimental investigation of performance, exhaust emission and combustion parameters of stationary compression ignition engine using ethanol fumigation in dual fuel mode

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jamuwa, D.K.; Sharma, D.; Soni, S.L.

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Potential of renewable fuels as diesel replacement is being emphasized. • Effect of ethanol fumigation on the performance of diesel engine is investigated. • NOx, CO_2 and smoke decreases with simultaneous increase in HC and CO. • Increase in ignition delay with decrease in combustion duration for ethanol substitution observed. - Abstract: Dwindling reserves and steeply increasing prices of the fossil-fuels, concern over climatic change due to release of anthropogenic greenhouse gases and the strict environmental regulations have motivated the researchers for the search for renewable alternative fuel that has clean burning characteristics and may be produced indigenously. Alcohols, being oxygenated fuel improve the combustion and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, thus enhancing agrarian economies and encouraging national economy as a whole. The objective of this paper is to investigate the thermal performance, exhaust emissions and combustion behaviour of small capacity compression ignition engine using fumigated ethanol. Fumigated ethanol at different flow rates is supplied to the cylinder during suction with the help of a simplified low cost ethanol fuelling system. With ethanol fumigation, brake thermal efficiency decreased upto 11.2% at low loads due to deteriorated combustion, whereas improved combustion increased efficiency up to 6% at higher loads, as compared to pure diesel. Maximum reduction of 22%, 41% and 27% respectively in nitrogen oxide, smoke and carbon-di-oxide emissions with simultaneous increase in hydrocarbon and carbon-mono-oxide emissions upto maximum of 144% and 139% respectively for different rates of ethanol fumigation have been observed, when compared to pure diesel operation. This is due to the changes in physico-chemical properties of air fuel mixture, viz combustion temperature, oxygen concentration, latent heat of vaporisation, fuel distribution, cetane number and ignition delay, that occurred with addition of

  17. Quantifying residues from postharvest fumigation of almonds and walnuts with propylene oxide

    Science.gov (United States)

    A novel analytical approach, involving solvent extraction with methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) followed by gas chromatography (GC), was developed to quantify residues that result from the postharvest fumigation of almonds and walnuts with propylene oxide (PPO). Verification and quantification of PPO,...

  18. Tractor-mounted, GPS-based spot fumigation system manages Prunus replant disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    Our research goal was to use recent advances in global positioning system (GPS) and computer technology to apply just the right amount of fumigant where it is most needed (i.e., in a small target treatment zone in and around each tree replanting site) to control Prunus replant disease (PRD). We deve...

  19. Effects of growth retardants and fumigations with ozone and sulfur dioxide on growth and flowering of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cathey, H.M.; Heggestad, H.E.

    1973-01-01

    Eight cultivars of poinsettia, Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., were evaluated for sensitivity to ..cap alpha..-cyclopropyl-..cap alpha.. (4-methoxyphenyl)-5-pyrimidine methanol (ancymidol) and protection from ozone and sulfur dioxide injury afforded by applications of ancymidol and (2-chloroethyl) trimethyl ammonium chloride (chlormequat). Foliar sprays of ancymidol were at least 80 to 500 times and the soil drench 1000 times more active than chlormequat in retarding stem elongation. The diam of the bracts was reduced, but branching increased more on plants treated with ancymidol than on untreated plants. The cv. Annette Hegg (AH) was more sensitive to ozone fumigations than was Eckespoint C-1' (C-1). Sulfur dioxide also caused more injury to AH than to C-1. Ancymidol and chlormequat reduced visible injury induced by ozone and sulfur dioxide.

  20. Effects of vegetation type on microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen in subalpine mountain forest soils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ravindran, Anita; Yang, Shang-Shyng

    2015-08-01

    Microbial biomass plays an important role in nutrient transformation and conservation of forest and grassland ecosystems. The objective of this study was to determine the microbial biomass among three vegetation types in subalpine mountain forest soils of Taiwan. Tatachia is a typical high-altitude subalpine temperate forest ecosystem in Taiwan with an elevation of 1800-3952 m and consists of three vegetation types: spruce, hemlock, and grassland. Three plots were selected in each vegetation type. Soil samples were collected from the organic layer, topsoil, and subsoil. Microbial biomass carbon (Cmic) was determined by the chloroform fumigation-extraction method, and microbial biomass nitrogen (Nmic) was determined from the total nitrogen (Ntot) released during fumigation-extraction. Bacteria, actinomycetes, fungi, cellulolytic microbes, phosphate-solubilizing microbes, and nitrogen-fixing microbes were also counted. The Cmic and Nmic were highest in the surface soil and declined with the soil depth. These were also highest in spruce soils, followed by in hemlock soils, and were lowest in grassland soils. Cmic and Nmic had the highest values in the spring season and the lowest values in the winter season. Cmic and Nmic had significantly positive correlations with total organic carbon (Corg) and Ntot. Contributions of Cmic and Nmic, respectively, to Corg and Ntot indicated that the microbial biomass was immobilized more in spruce and hemlock soils than in grassland soils. Microbial populations of the tested vegetation types decreased with increasing soil depth. Cmic and Nmic were high in the organic layer and decreased with the depth of layers. These values were higher for spruce and hemlock soils than for grassland soils. Positive correlations were observed between Cmic and Nmic and between Corg and Ntot. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  1. Improving of diesel combustion-pollution-fuel economy and performance by gasoline fumigation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Şahin, Zehra; Durgun, Orhan

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: • The effects of gasoline fumigation on the engine performance and NO x emission were investigated in Ford XLD 418 T automotive diesel engine. • Gasoline at approximately (2, 4, 6, 8 10, and 12)% (by vol.) ratios was injected into intake air by a carburetor. • GF enhances effective power and reduces brake specific fuel consumption, cost, and NO x emission. - Abstract: One of the most important objectives of the studies worldwide is to improve combustion of diesel engine to meet growing energy needs and to reduce increasing environmental pollution. To accomplish this goal, especially to reduce pollutant emissions, researchers have focused their interest on the field of alternative fuels and alternative solutions. Gasoline fumigation (GF) is one of these alternative solutions, by which diesel combustion, fuel economy, and engine performance are improved, and environmental pollution is decreased. In the fumigation method, gasoline is injected into intake air, either by a carburetor, which main nozzle section is adjustable or by a simple injection system. In the present experimental study, a simple carburetor was used, and the effects of gasoline fumigation at (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12)% (by vol.) gasoline ratios on the combustion, NO x emission, fuel economy, and engine performance sophisticatedly investigated for a fully instrumented, four-cylinder, water-cooled indirect injection (IDI), Ford XLD 418 T automotive diesel engine. Tests were conducted for each of the above gasoline fumigation ratios at three different speeds and for (1/1, 3/4, and 1/2) fuel delivery ratios (FDRs). GF test results showed that NO x emission is lower than that of neat diesel fuel (NDF). NO x emission decreases approximately 4.20%, 2.50%, and 9.65% for (1/1, 3/4, and 1/2) FDRs, respectively. Effective power increases approximately 2.38% for 1/1 FDR. At (2500 and 3000) rpms, effective power decreases at low gasoline ratios, but it increases at high gasoline ratios for 3/4 and 1

  2. Physiological responses of lichens to factorial fumigations with nitric acid and ozone

    Science.gov (United States)

    J. Riddell; P.E. Padgett; T. Nash

    2012-01-01

    This paper addresses the effects of gaseous nitric acid (HNO3) and ozone (O3), two important air pollutants, on six lichen species with different morphological, ecological, and biological characteristics. The treatment chambers were set up in a factorial design consisting of control chambers, chambers fumigated with HNO

  3. Fumigant Compounds from the Essential Oil of Chinese Blumea balsamifera Leaves against the Maize Weevil (Sitophilus zeamais

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sha Sha Chu

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Essential oil of Chinese medicinal herb, Blumea balsamifera leaves, was found to possess fumigant toxicity against the maize weevils, Sitophilus zeamais. The main components of the essential oil of B. balsamifera were 1,8-cineole (20.98%, borneol (11.99%, β-caryophyllene (10.38%, camphor (8.06%, 4-terpineol (6.49%, α-terpineol (5.91%, and caryophyllene oxide (5.35%. Bioactivity-guided chromatographic separation of the essential oil on repeated silica gel columns led to isolate five constituent compounds, namely, 1,8-cineole, borneol, camphor, α-terpineol, and 4-terpineol. 1,8-Cineole, 4-terpineol, and α-terpineol showed pronounced fumigant toxicity against S. zeamais adults (LC50 = 2.96 mg/L, 4.79 mg/L, and 7.45 mg/L air, resp. and were more toxic than camphor (LC50 = 21.64 mg/L air and borneol (LC50 = 21.67 mg/L air. The crude essential oil also possessed strong fumigant toxicity against S. zeamais adults (LC50 = 10.71 mg/L air.

  4. Changes in transpiration rate of SO/sub 2/-resistant and -sensitive plants with SO/sub 2/ fumigation and the participation of abscisic acid

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kondo, N.; Sugahara, K.

    1978-01-01

    Peanut and tomato plants were resistant to 2.0 ppm SO/sub 2/, while radish, perilla and spinach plants were sensitive. The amounts of SO/sub 2/ absorbed by peanut and tomato were obviously less than those absorbed by radish, perilla and spinach. Transpiration rates of peanut and tomato began to decrease within 5 min after the commencement of SO/sub 2/ fumigation and reached minimum levels, i.e., 10 and 50% for the initial levels, respectively, after initiation of fumigation, then declined. Those of radish and spinach did not change for about 20 and 30 min, then decreased gradually. The content of abscisic acid (ABA) was highest in peanut. The content in tomato was also high, but low in radish, perilla and spinach. Radish supplied with exogenous ABA began to decrease its transpiration rate immediately after SO/sub 2/ fumigation and was markedly resistant to SO/sub 2/. ABA in leaves may control the rapid stomatal closure following SO/sub 2/ fumigation. 26 references.

  5. Fumigant and repellent activities of essential oil extracted from Artemisia dubia and its main compounds against two stored product pests.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Jun-Yu; Guo, Shan-Shan; Zhang, Wen-Juan; Geng, Zhu-Feng; Deng, Zhi-Wei; Du, Shu-Shan; Zhang, Ji

    2018-05-01

    The major chemical constituents of the essential oil extracted from Artemisia dubia wall. ex Bess. (Family: Asteraceae) were found as terpinolene (19.02%), limonene (17.40%), 2,5-etheno[4.2.2]propella-3,7,9-triene (11.29%), isoelemicin (11.05%) and p-cymene-8-ol (5.93%). Terpinolene and limonene were separated as main components from the essential oil. The essential oil showed fumigant toxicity against Tribolium castaneum and Liposcelis bostrychophila with LC 50 values of 49.54 and 0.74 mg/L, respectively. The essential oil and isolated compounds of A. dubia showed repellency activities against both insects. Terpinolene and limonene showed the fumigant toxicity against T. castaneum. Terpinolene showed obvious fumigant toxicity against L. bostrychophila. The results indicated that the essential oil of A. dubia had potential to be developed into natural insecticides for controlling stored product pests.

  6. Comparative studies on fumigation and irradiation of semi-dry date fruits

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Emam, O.A.; Farag, S.E.A.; Hammad, A.I.

    1994-01-01

    The experiment was carried out on Egyptian semidried date fruits 'El-Seidi CV' which use to process paste of dates. It is aimed to compare the effect of irradiation (1.5, 3.0 kGy) and fumigation with methyl bromide (MB) on physical, chemical and mycological characteristics, especially on aflatoxin production during storage for dates for a long period (8 months). Irradiation was more effective than MB for disinfestation of dates, but caused significant loss in weight of dates. No changes were observed in irradiated samples as well as in MB samples in moisture content, pH-values and titratable acidity, but less significant changes were observed in browning and sugars, as well as in the total, reducing or non-reducing sugar/acid ratio. Irradiation (3,0 kGy) was more effective than other treatments for inhibition the growth of fungi and prevention of aflatoxin production in synthetic born media of date fruits. Therefore, the irradiation dose of 3.0 kGy instead of fumigation (MB) can be recommended to keep date fruits in good quality, free from infestation, contamination and safer for human consumption during a long storage period. (author)

  7. Ethylene Oxide Commerical Sterilization and Fumigation Operations National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP)

    Science.gov (United States)

    The purpose of this document is to provide implementation materials to assist in conducting complete and efficient inspections at ethylene oxide commercial sterilization and fumigation operations to determine compliance with the NESHAP

  8. Fumigant toxicities of essential oils and two monoterpenes against potato tuber moth (Phthorimaea operculella Zeller

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tayoub Ghaleb

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: The potato tuber moth (PTM is the major economic pest of potato. Different approaches were tried to prevent and control this pest including natural pesticides and synthetic fumigants.

  9. Methyl Bromide Buffer Zone Distances for Commodity and Structural Fumigation: Treatment Longer than 8 Hours

    Science.gov (United States)

    This document contains buffer zone tables required by certain methyl bromide commodity fumigant product labels that refer to Buffer Zone Lookup Tables located at epa.gov/pesticide-registration/mbcommoditybuffer on the label.

  10. Methyl Bromide Buffer Zone Distances for Commodity and Structural Fumigation: Treatment 8 Hours or Less

    Science.gov (United States)

    This document contains buffer zone tables required by certain methyl bromide commodity fumigant product labels that refer to Buffer Zone Lookup Tables located at epa.gov/pesticide-registration/mbcommoditybuffer on the label.

  11. Heterotrophic components of soil respiration in pastures and forests in southwestern Amazonia, Acre, Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eric Atlas Davidson

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available In this paper we present data on soil microbial biomass and heterotrophic respiration in pastures, mature and secondary forests, in order to elucidate their contribution to total CO2 flux from soil to atmosphere. The research was conducted in Southwestern Amazonia, Acre State, Brazil. Microbial biomass was estimated using a variation of the traditional fumigation-extraction method and heterotrophic respiration was measured using respirometry flasks attached to an infrared gas analyzer. Soil microbial biomass and heterotrophic respiration did not differ statistically among pastures, mature and secondary forests. These laboratory results indicate that higher CO2 fluxes from pasture soils measured in situ are probably due to higher root respiration by pasture grasses.

  12. Ozone fumigation for safety and quality of wine grapes in postharvest dehydration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Botondi, Rinaldo; De Sanctis, Federica; Moscatelli, Niccolò; Vettraino, Anna Maria; Catelli, Cesare; Mencarelli, Fabio

    2015-12-01

    This paper proposes postharvest ozone fumigation (as a method) to control microorganisms and evaluate the effect on polyphenols, anthocyanins, carotenoids and cell wall enzymes during the grape dehydration for wine production. Pignola grapes were ozone-treated (1.5 g/h) for 18 h (A=shock treatment), then dehydrated or ozone-treated (1.5 g/h) for 18 h and at 0.5 g/h for 4 h each day (B=long-term treatment) during dehydration. Treatment and dehydration were performed at 10 °C. No significant difference was found for total carotenoid, total phenolic and total anthocyanin contents after 18 h of O3 treatment. A significant decrease in phenolic and anthocyanin contents occurred during treatment B. Also carotenoids were affected by B ozone treatment. Pectin methylesterase (PME) and polygalacturonase (PG) activities were higher in A-treated grapes during dehydration. Finally, ozone reduced fungi and yeasts by 50%. Shock ozone fumigation (A treatment) before dehydration can be used to reduce the microbial count during dehydration without affecting polyphenol and carotenoid contents. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Carbon Monoxide Fumigation Improved the Quality, Nutrients, and Antioxidant Activities of Postharvest Peach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Ying; Pei, Fei

    2014-01-01

    Peaches (Prunus persica cv. Yanhong) were fumigated with carbon monoxide (CO) at 0, 0.5, 5, 10, and 20 μmol/L for 2 hours. The result showed that low concentration CO (0.5–10 μmol/L) might delay the decrease of firmness and titrable acid content, restrain the increase of decay incidence, and postpone the variation of soluble solids content, but treating peaches with high concentration CO (20 μmol/L) demonstrated adverse effects. Further research exhibited that exogenous CO could induce the phenylalnine ammonialyase activity, maintain nutrient contents such as Vitamin C, total flavonoid, and polyphenol, and enhance antioxidant activity according to reducing power and 2,2-diphenyl-1-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl) hydrazyl radical scavenging activity. Treating peaches with appropriate concentration CO was beneficial to the quality, nutrients, and antioxidant activity of postharvest peaches during storage time. Therefore, CO fumigation might probably become a novel method to preserve postharvest peach and other fruits in the future. PMID:26904651

  14. Use of lichen fumigation studies to evaluate the effects of new emission sources on class I areas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hart, R.; Webb, P.G.; Biggs, R.H.; Portier, K.M.

    1988-01-01

    Allowable increments of SO 2 from new emission sources near Class I areas are severely limited by the PSD provisions of the Clean Air Act, unless the applicant can prove that the expected emissions will not adversely affect the air quality related values of Class I area. Lichens are considered to be the resource that is most sensitive to SO 2 . If projected concentrations will not injure lichens, other resources should not be affected. Four lichen species native to two Class I area, Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge and Everglades National Park, were fumigated in the laboratory with SO 2 doses that simulated the frequencies, duration, and concentrations expected from potential new sources. Lichens from Cape Romain were fumigated with 240 μg/m 3 , 400 μg/m 3 , and ambient air 3 hours/week for 6 weeks. No differences in biomass gain, percent electrolyte leakage in solution (an indicator of membrane damage) or 14 CO 2 assimilation were observed among treatments. Lichens from Everglades National Park were fumigated with 100 μg/m 3 , 200 μg/m 3 , 400 μg/m 3 , and ambient air 6 hours/week for 10 weeks. Percent electrolyte leakage of Parmotrema tinctorum was greater at the two high concentrations, but there was no significant effect on biomass gain or 14 CO 2 assimilation. Percent electrolyte leakage increased and biomass gain and 14 CO 2 assimilation decreased in Ramalina denticulata at 400 μg/m 3 SO 2 in comparison with lower concentrations. Studies of fumigation effects on lichens are a useful technique for the evaluation of impacts of emission sources on air quality related values in Class I areas

  15. Irradiation versus methyl bromide fumigation or heating as procedures for increasing shelf life of dry date varieties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    El-Samahy, S.K.; Abd El-Hady, S.A.; Swailam, H.M.

    2004-01-01

    The objective of this study is to evaluate the use of irradiation as an alternative method and comparing it with the traditional methods such as fumigation and heating for increasing shelf life dry date varieties. two varieties of dry dates, Malakaby and Gandilla, were obtained from Aswan, Upper Egypt and were used in this study. The irradiation was carried out with different doses of gamma rays to select the recommended dose to increase shelf life of dry dates. The fumigated, heated and irradiated samples were stored at room temperature after packaging in polyethylene plus cloth bags. The date characteristics such as insect infestation percent, weight loss, microbiological analyses, and firmness and chemical analyses were evaluated. The results obtained indicated that irradiation as a procedure for insect disinfestation and increasing shelf life of dry dates was better than both fumigation and heating methods. Where, irradiation of date fruits at dose of 1.0 kGy inhibited the insect infestation and improved the microbial quality of the date fruits during storage up to 18 months. Adding cloths to polyethylene packages raised the percentage of intact dry date fruits

  16. Effects of forest conversion on soil microbial communities depend on soil layer on the eastern Tibetan Plateau of China.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ruoyang He

    Full Text Available Forest land-use changes have long been suggested to profoundly affect soil microbial communities. However, how forest type conversion influences soil microbial properties remains unclear in Tibetan boreal forests. The aim of this study was to explore variations of soil microbial profiles in the surface organic layer and subsurface mineral soil among three contrasting forests (natural coniferous forest, NF; secondary birch forest, SF and spruce plantation, PT. Soil microbial biomass, activity and community structure of the two layers were investigated by chloroform fumigation, substrate respiration and phospholipid fatty acid analysis (PLFA, respectively. In the organic layer, both NF and SF exhibited higher soil nutrient levels (carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus, microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen, microbial respiration, PLFA contents as compared to PT. However, the measured parameters in the mineral soils often did not differ following forest type conversion. Irrespective of forest types, the microbial indexes generally were greater in the organic layer than in the mineral soil. PLFAs biomarkers were significantly correlated with soil substrate pools. Taken together, forest land-use change remarkably altered microbial community in the organic layer but often did not affect them in the mineral soil. The microbial responses to forest land-use change depend on soil layer, with organic horizons being more sensitive to forest conversion.

  17. Soil pCO2, soil respiration, and root activity in CO2 - fumigated and nitrogen-fertilized ponderosa pine

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dale Johnson; Donn Geisinger; Roger Walker; John Newman; James Vose; Katherine Elliott; Timothy Ball

    1994-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to describe the effects of C02 and N treatments on soil pC02, calculated CO2 efflux, root biomass and soil carbon in open-top chambers planted with Pinus ponderosa seedlings. Based upon the literature, it was hypothesized that both elevated CO...

  18. Efficacy and fumigation characteristics of ozone in stored maize.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kells, S A.; Mason, L J.; Maier, D E.; Woloshuk, C P.

    2001-10-01

    This study evaluated the efficacy of ozone as a fumigant to disinfest stored maize. Treatment of 8.9tonnes (350bu) of maize with 50ppm ozone for 3d resulted in 92-100% mortality of adult red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), adult maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais (Motsch.), and larval Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella (Hübner) and reduced by 63% the contamination level of the fungus Aspergillus parasiticus Speare on the kernel surface. Ozone fumigation of maize had two distinct phases. Phase 1 was characterized by rapid degradation of the ozone and slow movement through the grain. In Phase 2, the ozone flowed freely through the grain with little degradation and occurred once the molecular sites responsible for ozone degradation became saturated. The rate of saturation depended on the velocity of the ozone/air stream. The optimum apparent velocity for deep penetration of ozone into the grain mass was 0.03m/s, a velocity that is achievable in typical storage structures with current fans and motors. At this velocity 85% of the ozone penetrated 2.7m into the column of grain in 0.8d during Phase 1 and within 5d a stable degradation rate of 1ppm/0.3m was achieved. Optimum velocity for Phase 2 was 0.02m/s. At this velocity, 90% of the ozone dose penetrated 2.7m in less than 0.5d. These data demonstrate the potential usefulness of using ozone in managing stored maize and possibly other grains.

  19. Effect of dairy manure rate and the stabilization time of amended soils on atrazine degradation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aguilera, Paula; Briceño, Gabriela; Candia, Maribel; Mora, Maria de la Luz; Demanet, Rolando; Palma, Graciela

    2009-10-01

    The application rate of liquid cow manure (LCM) in the field and the stabilization time of amended soils before application of pre-plant herbicides are factors that determine their efficiency. This study includes evaluation of residual atrazine (2-chloro-4-ethylamino-6-isopropylamino-1,3,5-triazine) in soil and amended soils with equivalent rate of 100,000; 200,000; and 300,000 L ha(-1) of LCM and the effect of pre-incubation time of amended soils on atrazine degradation. The study was carried out under controlled conditions using an Andisol with previous historical application of atrazine. The respiratory activity and fluorescein diacetate (FDA) studies indicated that the time necessary for stabilization of amended soils is over 20-30 d. During the measurement of respiratory and FDA activity, no significant differences were observed when atrazine was applied. The half-life of atrazine ranged from 5 to 8d and the relative distribution of degradation products seem to be affected by the application of LCM. The pre-incubation time of amended soil and LCM dose would not affect atrazine degradation rate, when the soil has a history of herbicide application. However, repeated applications of LCM in a long period of time could change the soil pH and increase the content of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) which could further contribute to a faster degradation of atrazine. Both effects would reduce the effectiveness of atrazine in weed control.

  20. Fumigant toxicity of five essential oils rich in ketones against Sitophilus zeamais (Motschulsky

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J.M Herrera

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Essential oils (EOs and individual compounds act as fumigants against insects found in stored products. In fumigant assays, Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky adults were treated with essential oils derived from Aphyllocladus decussatus Hieron, Aloysia polystachya Griseb, Minthostachys verticillata Griseb Epling and Tagetes minuta L , which are rich in ketones and their major components: a- thujone, R-carvone, S-carvone, (- menthone, R (+ pulegone and E-Z- ocimenone. M. verticillata oil was the most toxic ( LC50: 116.6 µl /L air characterized by a high percentage of menthone (40.1% and pulegone (43.7%. All ketones showed insecticidal activity against S. zeamais. However, pulegone (LC50: 11.8 µl/L air, R- carvone (LC50: 17.5 µl/L air, S-carvone (LC50: 28.1 µl/L air and E-Z-ocimenone (LC50: 42.3 µl/L air were the most toxic. These ketones are a,b-unsaturated carbonyl. This feature could play a fundamental role in the increase of insecticidal activity against S. zeamais.

  1. Methyl bromide residues in fumigated cocoa beans with particular reference to inorganic bromide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adomako, D.

    1976-01-01

    Inorganic bromide residues and 14 C-labelled methylated products (expressed as CH 3 Br equivalent) in cocoa beans fumigated with [ 14 C]-methyl bromide have been determined by radiometric and chemical methods. Determination of 14 C by direct combustion in an oxygen chamber followed by liquid scintillation counting confirmed previous findings with respect to the magnitude, distribution and chemical nature of the residues. Although recovery of added bromide was good, the values of total bromide obtained by the chemical method were only half of those estimated from the total residual 14 C-activity. This is attributed to loss of organic (presumably, protein-bound) bromide. In agreement with the total 14 C-labelled residue contents, total bromide in shells was 20 times greater than that in nibs. The low levels of residues in the nib (12ppm as CH 3 Br equivalent, 10ppm Br) and the further reduction of organic residues by roasting suggest that no toxicological and nutritional hazards may be expected from fumigation of cocoa beans with methyl bromide. (author)

  2. Arbuscular-mycorrhizal networks inhibit Eucalyptus tetrodonta seedlings in rain forest soil microcosms.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David P Janos

    Full Text Available Eucalyptus tetrodonta, a co-dominant tree species of tropical, northern Australian savannas, does not invade adjacent monsoon rain forest unless the forest is burnt intensely. Such facilitation by fire of seedling establishment is known as the "ashbed effect." Because the ashbed effect might involve disruption of common mycorrhizal networks, we hypothesized that in the absence of fire, intact rain forest arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM networks inhibit E. tetrodonta seedlings. Although arbuscular mycorrhizas predominate in the rain forest, common tree species of the northern Australian savannas (including adult E. tetrodonta host ectomycorrhizas. To test our hypothesis, we grew E. tetrodonta and Ceiba pentandra (an AM-responsive species used to confirm treatments separately in microcosms of ambient or methyl-bromide fumigated rain forest soil with or without severing potential mycorrhizal fungus connections to an AM nurse plant, Litsea glutinosa. As expected, C. pentandra formed mycorrhizas in all treatments but had the most root colonization and grew fastest in ambient soil. E. tetrodonta seedlings also formed AM in all treatments, but severing hyphae in fumigated soil produced the least colonization and the best growth. Three of ten E. tetrodonta seedlings in ambient soil with intact network hyphae died. Because foliar chlorosis was symptomatic of iron deficiency, after 130 days we began to fertilize half the E. tetrodonta seedlings in ambient soil with an iron solution. Iron fertilization completely remedied chlorosis and stimulated leaf growth. Our microcosm results suggest that in intact rain forest, common AM networks mediate belowground competition and AM fungi may exacerbate iron deficiency, thereby enhancing resistance to E. tetrodonta invasion. Common AM networks-previously unrecognized as contributors to the ashbed effect-probably help to maintain the rain forest-savanna boundary.

  3. Methyl bromide residues in fumigated cocoa beans

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adomako, D.

    1975-01-01

    The 14 C activity in unroasted [ 14 C]-methyl bromide fumigated cocoa beans was used to study the fate and persistence of CH 3 Br in the stored beans. About 70% of the residues occurred in the shells. Unchanged CH 3 Br could not be detected, all the sorbed CH 3 Br having reacted with bean constituents apparently to form 14 C-methylated derivatives and inorganic bromide. No 14 C activity was found in the lipid fraction. Roasting decreased the bound (non-volatile) residues, with corresponding changes in the activities and amounts of free sugars, free and protein amino acids. Roasted nibs and shells showed a two-fold increase in the volatile fraction of the 14 C residue. This fraction may be related to the volatile aroma compounds formed by Maillard-type reactions. (author)

  4. 40 CFR 180.123 - Inorganic bromide residues resulting from fumigation with methyl bromide; tolerances for residues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ..., postharvest 30.0 Lemon, postharvest 30.0 Lime, postharvest 30.0 Mango, postharvest 20.0 Melon, honeydew... methyl bromide or from such fumigation in addition to the authorized use of methyl bromide on the source...

  5. Structure-Dependent Water-Induced Linear Reduction Model for Predicting Gas Diffusivity and Tortuosity in Repacked and Intact Soil

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Møldrup, Per; Chamindu, T. K. K. Deepagoda; Hamamoto, S.

    2013-01-01

    The soil-gas diffusion is a primary driver of transport, reactions, emissions, and uptake of vadose zone gases, including oxygen, greenhouse gases, fumigants, and spilled volatile organics. The soil-gas diffusion coefficient, Dp, depends not only on soil moisture content, texture, and compaction...... but also on the local-scale variability of these. Different predictive models have been developed to estimate Dp in intact and repacked soil, but clear guidelines for model choice at a given soil state are lacking. In this study, the water-induced linear reduction (WLR) model for repacked soil is made...... air) in repacked soils containing between 0 and 54% clay. With Cm = 2.1, the SWLR model on average gave excellent predictions for 290 intact soils, performing well across soil depths, textures, and compactions (dry bulk densities). The SWLR model generally outperformed similar, simple Dp/Do models...

  6. Dynamics of Verticillium species microsclerotia in field soils in response to fumigation, cropping patterns, and flooding

    Science.gov (United States)

    Many soil-inhabiting fungi are capable of surviving the dynamic soil microenvironment through the formation of resilient resting structures, such as thick-walled spores, melanized hyphae, and sclerotia. Verticillium dahliae is a soil-inhabiting, economically significant plant pathogenic fungus that ...

  7. Abscisic acid-dependent changes in transpiration rate with SO/sub 2/ fumigation and the effects of sulfite and pH on stomatal aperture

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kondo, N.; Maruta, I.; Sugahara, K.

    1980-01-01

    Transpiration rate of rice plants which contained extremely large amounts of abscisic acid (ABA) decreased rapidly with 2.0 ppm SO/sub 2/ fumigation, reached 20% of the initial level after 5 min exposure, then recovered slightly and thereafter remained constant. SO/sub 2/ fumigation of alday and tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. Samsun) which have a lower ABA content showed a 50% decrease in transpiration rate. Similarly, rates for wheat and tobacco (N. tabacum L. Samsun NN) which contained even smaller amounts of ABA than alday and tobacco (Samsun) decreased by 35 and 45%, respectively, 30 min after the beginning of the fumigation. In the cases of broad bean and tobacco (N. glutinosa L.) with low ABA contents, the rates slightly increased immediately after the start of the fumigation and began to decrease gradually 20 and 40 min later, respectively. The transpiration rates of corn and sorghum, in spite of their extremely low ABA contents, decreased significantly with SO/sub 2/ fumigation and reached 65 and 50% of the initial levels after 20 and 40 min exposure, respectively. Foliar application of 0.04 N HCl to peanut leaves remarkably depressed the transpiration rate, while the application of 0.04 M Na/sub 2/SO/sub 3/ decreased the rate only to the same level as water treatment. Foliar application of either HCl or Na/sub 2/SO/sub 3/ to radish leaves exerted no change in the transpiration rate. When 3 X 10/sup -4/ M ABA was applied to radish leaves prior to HCl and Na/sub 2/SO/sub 3/ treatment, the transpiration rate of radish was decreased by HCl application, but not by Na/sub 2/SO/sub 3/.

  8. Efeito do pré-plantio com plantas medicinais e aromáticas no controle de Plasmodiophora brassicae The effect of pre-plantation with medicinal plants in the Plasmodiophora brassicae control

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ionete Hasse

    2007-03-01

    have collaborated to inoculum dissemination. Aiming to control this disease with the lowest environmental impact, the present study verified the effect of pre-plantation medicinal and aromatic plants in the reduction of Plasmodiophora brassicae inoculum. Two experiments were carried out under greenhouse conditions at 'Ciências Agrárias' sector at ´Universidade Federal do Paraná', from June to November 2003 as well as from July to December 2004. The experiment was installed in a completely randomized design with nine treatments and six replications. Medicinal and aromatic plants used in the treatments were mint (Mentha piperita L.; basil (Ocimum basilicum L.; bardana (Arctium minus Hill; calêndula (Calendula officianalis L.; chive (Allium fistulosum L.; parsley (Petroselinum hortense Hoffm and salvia (Salvia officinalis L.. As control samples, inoculation and infested soil, both inactive, were used. Pots with 3 kg of steam-sterilized soil were used, and as an inoculum of P. brassicae 2,5 g of galls were used per pot. Rudbeckia (Eruca sativa Mill was the susceptible host. Forty days after rudbeckia plantation, fresh foliar mass, the incidence and disease severity index were determined. The greater fresh foliar mass and lower severity index were obtained in the 2003 experiment with the treatment pre-plantation of "bardana", parsley, mint, basil and chive.

  9. Methyl Bromide Buffer Zone Distances for Commodity and Structural Fumigation: Active Aeration, No Stack, More than 8 Hours

    Science.gov (United States)

    This document contains buffer zone tables required by certain methyl bromide commodity fumigant product labels that refer to Buffer Zone Lookup Tables located at epa.gov/pesticide-registration/mbcommoditybuffer on the label.

  10. Methyl Bromide Buffer Zone Distances for Commodity and Structural Fumigation: Active Aeration, Horizontal Stacks, 8 Hours or Less

    Science.gov (United States)

    This document contains buffer zone tables required by certain methyl bromide commodity fumigant product labels that refer to Buffer Zone Lookup Tables located at epa.gov/pesticide-registration/mbcommoditybuffer on the label.

  11. Methyl Bromide Buffer Zone Distances for Commodity and Structural Fumigation: Active Aeration, No Stack, 8 Hours or Less

    Science.gov (United States)

    This document contains buffer zone tables required by certain methyl bromide commodity fumigant product labels that refer to Buffer Zone Lookup Tables located at epa.gov/pesticide-registration/mbcommoditybuffer on the label.

  12. Postharvest fumigation of California table grapes with ozone to control Western black widow spider (Araneae: Theridiidae)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ozone fumigations were evaluated for postharvest control of Western black widow spider (BWS), Latrodectus hesperus (Chamberlin and Ivie), in fresh table grapes destined for export from California USA. Mature adult female black widow spiders were contained in separate gas-permeable cages within a flo...

  13. Managing Phytophthora crown and root rot on tomato by pre-plant treatments with biocontrol agents, resistance inducers, organic and mineral fertilizers under nursery conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giovanna GILARDI

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Five trials were carried out under greenhouse conditions to test the efficacy of spray programmes based on biocontrol agents, phosphite-based fertilizers and a chemical inducer of resistance (acibenzolar-S-methyl, phosethyl-Al to control crown and root rot of tomato incited by Phytophthora nicotianae. The best disease control, under high disease pressure resulting from artificial inoculation, was obtained with three pre-plant leaf sprays at 7 d intervals with acibenzolar-S-methyl and with two mineral phosphite-based fertilizers. The disease reduction achieved was similar to that obtained with a single application of azoxystrobin and metalaxyl-M. Phosetyl-Al and the biocontrol agents Glomus spp. + Bacillus megaterium + Trichoderma, B. subtilis QST713, B. velezensis IT45 and the mixture T. asperellum ICC012 + T. gamsii ICC080 provided a partial disease control. Brassica carinata pellets did not control the disease.

  14. Methyl bromide fumigation and delayed mortality: safe trade of live pests?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phillips, C B; Iline, I I; Novoselov, M; McNeill, M R; Richards, N K; van Koten, C; Stephenson, B P

    Live organisms intercepted from treated commodities during phytosanitary inspections usually arouse suspicions of treatment failure, sub-standard treatment application, or post-treatment infestation. The additional possibility that some treatments could kill slowly, meaning commodities might be inspected before pests have succumbed, is seldom considered for treatments other than irradiation. We used a novel biochemical viability assay to measure delays between methyl bromide fumigation and mortality of dipteran eggs, and evaluated the correspondence between egg viability and egg morphological features. Our experimental conditions simulated shipping of rock melons from Australia to New Zealand by sea and air. No eggs survived fumigation, but they took 3-20 days to die, whereas phytosanitary inspections of rock melons occur within 2-7 days. Delays were not influenced by methyl bromide concentration, but were significantly lengthened by cooler storage temperatures. Methyl bromide's preservative effects delayed degradation of egg morphology, so the biochemical assay detected mortality long before morphological signs of egg death appeared. The results show that commodities subjected to effective methyl bromide treatments are at risk of being inspected before all pests have either died, or started to exhibit morphological signs of death. This could cause commodities to be unnecessarily rejected by quarantine authorities. Better methods than inspection for live pests are needed to assist authorities to gain assurance that treated commodities have been effectively disinfested. These could be developed by exploiting biochemical responses of pests and commodities to treatments.

  15. Evaluation of potential human health effects associated with the agricultural uses of 1,3-D: Spatial and temporal stochastic risk analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Driver, Jeffrey H., E-mail: jeff@risksciences.net [risksciences.net, LLC, 10009 Wisakon Trail, Manassas, VA 20111 (United States); Price, Paul S. [The Dow Chemical Company, 1803 Building, Midland, MI 48674 (United States); Van Wesenbeeck, Ian [Dow AgroSciences, LLC, 9330 Zionsville Road, Indianapolis, IN 46268 (United States); Ross, John H. [risksciences.net, LLC, 5150 Fair Oaks Blvd., Ste. 101-370, Carmichael, CA 95608 (United States); Gehen, Sean [Dow AgroSciences, LLC, 9330 Zionsville Road, Indianapolis, IN 46268 (United States); Holden, Larry R. [Larry R. Holden, Statistical Consulting, 1403 Post Oak Circle, College Station, TX (United States); Landenberger, Bryce [The Dow Chemical Company, 1803 Building, Midland, MI 48674 (United States); Hastings, Kerry; Yan, Zhongyu; Rasoulpour, Reza [Dow AgroSciences, LLC, 9330 Zionsville Road, Indianapolis, IN 46268 (United States)

    2016-11-15

    Dow AgroSciences (DAS) markets and sells 1,3-Dichloropropene (1,3-D), the active ingredient in Telone®, which is used as a pre-plant soil fumigant nematicide in economically important crops in California. 1,3-D has been regulated as a “probable human carcinogen” and the California Department of Pesticide Regulation limits use of 1,3-D based on human health risk assessments for bystanders. This paper presents a risk characterization for bystanders based on advances in the assessment of both exposure and hazard. The revised bystander risk assessment incorporates significant advances: 1) new data on residency duration and mobility in communities where 1,3-D is in high demand; 2) new information on spatial and temporal concentrations of 1,3-D in air based on multi-year modeling using a validated model; and 3) a new stochastic spatial and temporal model of long-term exposures. Predicted distributions of long-term, chronic exposures indicate that current, and anticipated uses of 1,3-D would result in lifetime average daily doses lower than 0.002 mg/kg/d, a dose associated with theoretical lifetime excess cancer risk of < 10{sup −} {sup 5} to > 95% of the local population based on a non-threshold risk assessment approach. Additionally, examination of 1,3-D toxicity studies including new chronic toxicity data and mechanism of action supports the use of a non-linear, threshold based risk assessment approach. The estimated maximum annual average daily dose of < 0.0016 mg/kg/d derived from the updated exposure assessment was then compared with a threshold point of departure. The calculated margin of exposure is > 1000-fold, a clear indication of acceptable risk for human health. In summary, the best available science supports 1,3-D's threshold nature of hazard and the revised exposure assessment supports that current agricultural uses of 1,3-D are associated with reasonable certainty of no harm, i.e., estimated long-term exposures pose insignificant health risks

  16. Evaluation of steam for Meloidogyne Arenaria control in production of in-ground floriculture crops in Florida

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steam and soil solarization were investigated for control of the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne arenaria in two years of field trials on a commercial flower farm in Florida. The objective was to determine if pre-plant steam treatments in combination with solarization, or solarization alone effective...

  17. Ozone fumigation (twice ambient) reduces leaf infestation following natural and artificial inoculation by the endophytic fungus Apiognomonia errabunda of adult European beech trees

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Olbrich, Maren; Knappe, Claudia; Wenig, Marion; Gerstner, Elke; Haeberle, Karl-Heinz; Kitao, Mitsutoshi; Matyssek, Rainer; Stich, Susanne; Leuchner, Michael; Werner, Herbert; Schlink, Katja; Mueller-Starck, Gerhard; Welzl, Gerhard; Scherb, Hagen; Ernst, Dieter; Heller, Werner; Bahnweg, Guenther

    2010-01-01

    In 2006, a controlled infection study was performed in the 'Kranzberger Forst' to address the following questions: (1) Will massive artificial inoculation with Apiognomonia errabunda override the previously observed inhibitory effect of chronic ozone? (2) Can biochemical or molecular markers be detected to account for the action of ozone? To this end six adult beech trees were chosen, three ozone fumigated (2x ozone) and three control trees (ambient = 1x ozone). Spore-sprayed branches of sun and shade crown positions of each of the trees, and uninoculated control branches, were enclosed in 100-L plastic bags for one night to facilitate infection initiation. Samples were taken within a five-week period after inoculation. A. errabunda infestation levels quantified by real-time PCR increased in leaves that were not fumigated with additional ozone. Cell wall components and ACC (ethylene precursor 1-amino cyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid) increased upon ozone fumigation and may in part lead to the repression of fungal infection. - Chronic sublethal ozone exposure reduces both natural and artificial infestation of beech leaves by the endophytic fungus Apiognomonia errabunda.

  18. Ozone fumigation (twice ambient) reduces leaf infestation following natural and artificial inoculation by the endophytic fungus Apiognomonia errabunda of adult European beech trees

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Olbrich, Maren; Knappe, Claudia; Wenig, Marion; Gerstner, Elke [Institute of Biochemical Plant Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum Muenchen, German Research Center for Environmental Health, 85764 Neuherberg (Germany); Haeberle, Karl-Heinz; Kitao, Mitsutoshi; Matyssek, Rainer [Forest Botany, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Am Hochanger 13, 85354 Freising (Germany); Stich, Susanne [Institute of Biochemical Plant Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum Muenchen, German Research Center for Environmental Health, 85764 Neuherberg (Germany); Leuchner, Michael; Werner, Herbert [Bioclimatology, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Am Hochanger 13, 85354 Freising (Germany); Schlink, Katja; Mueller-Starck, Gerhard [Section of Forest Genetics, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Am Hochanger 13, 85354 Freising (Germany); Welzl, Gerhard [Institute of Developmental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum Muenchen, German Research Center for Environmental Health, 85764 Neuherberg (Germany); Scherb, Hagen [Institute of Biomathematics and Biometry, Helmholtz Zentrum Muenchen, German Research Center for Environmental Health, 85764 Neuherberg (Germany); Ernst, Dieter; Heller, Werner [Institute of Biochemical Plant Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum Muenchen, German Research Center for Environmental Health, 85764 Neuherberg (Germany); Bahnweg, Guenther, E-mail: bahnweg@helmholtz-muenchen.d [Institute of Biochemical Plant Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum Muenchen, German Research Center for Environmental Health, 85764 Neuherberg (Germany)

    2010-04-15

    In 2006, a controlled infection study was performed in the 'Kranzberger Forst' to address the following questions: (1) Will massive artificial inoculation with Apiognomonia errabunda override the previously observed inhibitory effect of chronic ozone? (2) Can biochemical or molecular markers be detected to account for the action of ozone? To this end six adult beech trees were chosen, three ozone fumigated (2x ozone) and three control trees (ambient = 1x ozone). Spore-sprayed branches of sun and shade crown positions of each of the trees, and uninoculated control branches, were enclosed in 100-L plastic bags for one night to facilitate infection initiation. Samples were taken within a five-week period after inoculation. A. errabunda infestation levels quantified by real-time PCR increased in leaves that were not fumigated with additional ozone. Cell wall components and ACC (ethylene precursor 1-amino cyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid) increased upon ozone fumigation and may in part lead to the repression of fungal infection. - Chronic sublethal ozone exposure reduces both natural and artificial infestation of beech leaves by the endophytic fungus Apiognomonia errabunda.

  19. Effect of calcium cyanamide, ammonium bicarbonate and lime mixture, and ammonia water on survival of Ralstonia solanacearum and microbial community

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Lijuan; Sun, Chengliang; Liu, Xingxing; He, Xiaolin; Liu, Miao; Wu, Hao; Tang, Caixian; Jin, Chongwei; Zhang, Yongsong

    2016-01-01

    The inorganic nitrogenous amendments calcium cyanamide (CC), ammonia water (AW), and a mixture of ammonium bicarbonate with lime (A+L) are popularly used as fumigants to control soil-borne disease in China. However, it is unclear which of these fumigants is more effective in controlling R. solanacearum. This present study compared the efficiencies of the three nitrogenous amendments listed above at four nitrogen levels in suppressing the survival of R. solanacearum in soil. The CC showed the best ability to suppress R. solanacearum due to its highest capacity to increase soil and NO2− contents and pH. However, AW was more suitable to controlling bacterial wilt caused by R. solanacearum because it had a lower cost and its application rate of 0.25 g N kg−1 soil could effectively suppress the survival of R. solanacearum. Additionally, soil microbial activity and community populations were restored to their initial state four weeks after the application of each fumigant, indicating that the three fumigants had few detrimental impacts on soil microbial activity and community structure with an exception of the suppression of R. solanacearum. The present study provides guidance for the selection of a suitable alkaline nitrogenous amendment and its application rate in controlling bacterial wilt. PMID:26738601

  20. Effect of calcium cyanamide, ammonium bicarbonate and lime mixture, and ammonia water on survival of Ralstonia solanacearum and microbial community

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Lijuan; Sun, Chengliang; Liu, Xingxing; He, Xiaolin; Liu, Miao; Wu, Hao; Tang, Caixian; Jin, Chongwei; Zhang, Yongsong

    2016-01-01

    The inorganic nitrogenous amendments calcium cyanamide (CC), ammonia water (AW), and a mixture of ammonium bicarbonate with lime (A+L) are popularly used as fumigants to control soil-borne disease in China. However, it is unclear which of these fumigants is more effective in controlling R. solanacearum. This present study compared the efficiencies of the three nitrogenous amendments listed above at four nitrogen levels in suppressing the survival of R. solanacearum in soil. The CC showed the best ability to suppress R. solanacearum due to its highest capacity to increase soil and NO2- contents and pH. However, AW was more suitable to controlling bacterial wilt caused by R. solanacearum because it had a lower cost and its application rate of 0.25 g N kg-1 soil could effectively suppress the survival of R. solanacearum. Additionally, soil microbial activity and community populations were restored to their initial state four weeks after the application of each fumigant, indicating that the three fumigants had few detrimental impacts on soil microbial activity and community structure with an exception of the suppression of R. solanacearum. The present study provides guidance for the selection of a suitable alkaline nitrogenous amendment and its application rate in controlling bacterial wilt.

  1. Enzymatic changes in intact leaves of Phaseolus vulgaris following ozone fumigation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dass, H C; Weaver, G M

    1972-01-01

    Enzymatic changes in the intact leaves of Phaseolus vulgaris cv. Seaway 65 were studied following ozone fumigation. It was found that peroxidase enzyme increased significantly with the ozone treatment in the first 48 h. Similarly, cellulase enzyme showed significant increase 48 h. following ozone treatment. Lactic dehydrogenase activity was not markedly affected by ozone treatment. Disc electrophoretic studies of peroxidase isoenzymes showed that ozone treatment induced a new band of peroxidase. The role of peroxidase, cellulase and lactic dehydrogenase enzymes is discussed in relation to ozone damage and the bronzing disorder in white beans. 22 references, 1 figure, 1 table.

  2. Interactions of ClO2 and H2O2 Fumigants with Dirt and Grime ...

    Science.gov (United States)

    Report The primary objective of this research was to evaluate the impact that dirt and grime, as present on unpainted subway concrete, may have on fumigation efficacy. Other objectives include determining which sampling procedure provides better recovery from grimed and cleaned concrete, and characterizing subway material before and after cleaning using a prescribed method from the New York City Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).

  3. [Case-control study on Chinese medicine fumigation and massage therapy for the treatment of knee stability and func tional recovery after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction operation].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Min, Zhong-han; Zhou, Ying; Jing, Lin; Zhang, Hong-mei; Wang, Sheng; Chen, Wei-heng; Chen, Ping-quan

    2016-05-01

    To study clinical outcomes of Chinese medidine fumigation and massage therapy for the treatment of knee stability and functional recovery after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction operation,and to explore the effect on tendon-bone healing. Total 50 patients were divided into two groups: the control group (normal rehabilitation therapy group),the treatment group (Chinese medicine fumigation and manipulation group). There were 25 patients in the control group, including 16 males and 9 females, who were treated with isometric muscle training, with the gradually enlarging amplitude of flexion and progressive loading of bearing training for knee recovery. There were 25 patients in the treatment group, including 15 males and 10 females,who were treated with the conventional rehabilitation therapy combined with Chinese medicine fumigation and massage therapy. The Chinese herbs named as Haitongpi decoction was steamed by a special equipment to fumigate the knee after operation; Based on the biomechanical parameters of the ligament reconstruction, the massage therapy was designed to control the degree of the knee flexion and release the adhesion for early recovery of knee functions. The Lysholm knee function evaluation system was used, and MRI examination was performed to measure the change in width of ligament tunnel in femur and tibia to evaluate the safety and stability of the treatment. Lysholm system showed that two groups both had improving results from the 1st month after operation to the 3rd month (treatment group, F=36.54, P0.05), indicating that Chinese rehabilitation therapy was a safety treatment without the influence on the loosing of tendon. Chinese medicine fumigation and massage therapy can early improve the knee function after the anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction operation without the disturbance of the knee stability.

  4. Fumigant toxicity of essential oils from some common spices against pulse beetle, Callosobruchus chinensis (Coleoptera: Bruchidae).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chaubey, Mukesh Kumar

    2008-01-01

    In the present study, the essential oil from seven common spices, Anethum graveolens, Cuminum cyminum, Illicium verum, Myristica fragrans, Nigella sativa, Piper nigrum and Trachyspermum ammi was isolated and its insecticidal, oviposition, egg hatching and developmental inhibitory activities were determined against pulse beetle, Callosobruchus chinensis. Essential oils were isolated by hydrodistillation method using Clevenger apparatus. These essential oils caused death of adults and larvae of Callosobruchus chinensis when fumigated. The 24-h LC(50) values against the adults of the insect were 8.9 mul, 10.8 mul, 11.0 mul, 12.5 mul, 13.6 mul, 14.8 mul and 15.6 mul for N. sativa, A. graveolens, C. cyminum, I. verum, P. nigrum, M. fragrans and T. ammi oils respectively. On the other hand, against larval stage these values were 6.4 mul, 7.9 mul, 8.9 mul, 11.1 mul, 11.7 mul, 12.2 mul and 13.5 mul for N. sativa, A. graveolens, C. cyminum, I. verum, P. nigrum, M. fragrans and T. ammi respectively. These essential oils reduced the oviposition potential, egg hatching rate, pupal formation and emergence of adults of F(1) progeny of the insect when fumigated with sublethal concentrations. These essential oils also caused chronic toxicity as the fumigated insects caused less damage to the stored grains. The essential oil of N. sativa was found most effective against all the different stages of the Callosobruchus chinensis followed by A. graveolens, C. cyminum, I. verum, P. nigrum, M. fragrans and T. ammi oils. All the responses were found concentration-dependent. The toxic and developmental inhibitory effects may be due to suffocation and inhibition of various biosynthetic processes of the insects at different developmental stages.

  5. Chemical constituents and fumigant toxicity of essential oil from Carum copticum against two stored product beetles

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    BIBI ZAHRA SAHAF; SAEID MOHARRAMIPOUR; MOHAMMAD HADI MESHKATALSADAT

    2007-01-01

    Plant secondary metabolites play an important role in plant-insect interactions and therefore such compounds may have insecticidal or antifeedant activity against insects. Carum copticum C. B. Clarke (Apiaceae) is one of these plants that have medicinal effects on humans. The chemical composition of the essential oil from dry seeds of C. copticum was studied by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Thymol (41.34%), α-terpinolene (17.46%) and ρ-cymene (11.76%) were found to be the major constituents of the oil. In fumigant toxicity tests with the essential oil against adults of Sitophilus oryzae (L.) and Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) at 27 +-1℃ and 60%+-5% RH, it was observed that S. oryzae (LC50= 0.91 μL/L) were significantly susceptible than T. castaneum (LC50= 33.14 μL/L). The mortalities of the insect species reached 100% at concentrations higher than 185.2 μL/L and 12-h exposure time. The findings indicate the strong insecticidal activity of C. copticum oil and its potential role as a fumigant for storedproduct insects.

  6. Influência da adubação e da fumigação do solo, na incidência de nematôides em tubérculos de batatinha Influence of fertilizers and soil fumigation on the nematode incidence of potato tubers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    O. J. Boock

    1959-01-01

    Full Text Available Dentre as causas que podem levar ao fracasso a cultura da batatinha (Solanum tuberosum L. no Brasil, sobressaem as devidas aos nematóides causadores de galhas ou pipoca Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoide & White, 1919 Chitwood, 1949. Os tubérculos, quando atacados, tornam-se impróprios ao plantio e ao consumo apodrecendo rapidamente. Em vista dêsse fato vêm sendo realizadas, no Instituto Agronômico de Campinas, experiências visando ao combate àquela praga. Os resultados obtidos ultimamente, quando se procurou constatar a influência sôbre a redução da infestação exercida pelas adubações e pelas fumigações do solo com dibrometo de etileno, forneceram os seguintes esclarecimentos: a adubação não exerceu nenhuma influência sôbre o aumento ou diminuição das infestações dos tubérculos pelos nematóides; o dibrometo de etileno mostrou-se eficiente na redução da infestação, na dose de 276 litros por hectare, não devendo, todavia, ser aplicado no terreno no ato do plantio da batatinha mas sim com antecedência de oito ou mais dias; o melhor espaçamento entre aplicações foi o de 20x20 cm; a produção de tubérculos aumentou satisfatoriamente com a fumigação, principalmente quando o nematocida foi aplicado duas vezes no mesmo terreno, isto é, antes de cada uma das culturas ("da sêca" e "das águas".The most important losses caused by root nematodes to the potato crop in the State of Silo Paulo and other parts of Brazil are due to the species Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoide & White, 1919 Chitwood, 1949 and Pralylenchus steineri Lordello, Zamith & Boock, 1954. The former is quite widespread and measures aiming at its control were studied under field conditions. The present paper reports the results on the influence of fertilizer and soil fumigation with ethilene dibromide at 10%, cither separately or combined, on the nematode infestation of the potato yield. The results of the tests showed that the fertilizer application

  7. Fumigant and repellent properties of sesquiterpene-rich essential oil from Teucrium polium subsp. capitatum (L.)

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Abbas Khani; Monireh Heydarian

    2014-01-01

    Objective:To test fumigant and repellent properties of sesquiterpene-rich essential oil from Teucrium polium subsp.capitatum(L.).Methods:The fumigant toxicity test was performed at(27±1)℃,(65±5)% relative humidity, and under darkness condition and24 h exposure time.The chemical composition of the isolated oils was examined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.Results:The major compounds wereα-cadinol(46.2%), caryophyllene oxide(25.9%), α muurolol epi(8.1%), cadalene(3.7%) and longiverbenone(2.9%).In all cases, considerable differences in mortality of insect to essential oil vapor were observed in different concentrations and exposure times.Callosobruchus maculatus(C. maculates)(LC50=148.9 μL/L air) was more susceptible to the tested plant product thanTeucrium castaneum(T. castaneum) (LC50=360.2 μL/L air) based onLC50 values.In the present investigation, the concentration of3 μL /mL acetone showed60% and52% repellency againstT. casteneumandC. maculatus adults, respectively.Conclusions:The results suggests that sesquiterpene-rich essential oils from the tested plant could be used as a potential control agent for stored-product insects.

  8. Degradation of dimethyl disulphide in soil with or without biochar amendment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Dawei; Yan, Dongdong; Cao, Aocheng; Fang, Wensheng; Liu, Pengfei; Li, Yuan; Ouyang, Canbin; Wang, Qiuxia

    2017-09-01

    Dimethyl disulphide (DMDS) is a new and effective alternative to methyl bromide for soil fumigation. The effect of biochar on the fate of DMDS in soil is not fully understood. The objective of this study was to determine the degradation kinetics of DMDS in different soils and evaluate the effect of biochar amendment on DMDS degradation using incubation experiments. The degradation half-life of DMDS was between 1.05 and 6.66 days under non-sterile conditions, and 12.63 to 22.67 days under sterile conditions in five types of soil. Seven out of the eight tested biochar amendments (BC-2 to BC-8) delayed the degradation of DMDS in soil, increasing the half-life of DMDS in Fangshan soil from 1.05 to 1.16-5.87 days following amendment with 1% (w/w) biochar. The degradation rate of DMDS in Fangshan soil accelerated as the amendment rate of BC-1 increased, and decreased as the amendment rate of BC-7 increased. Biodegradation is an important degradation route for DMDS in soil, and DMDS degraded faster in alkaline soil. The effects of biochar amendments on DMDS degradation in soil are determined by complex multiple factors (such as surface area, pH and physicochemical composition), rather than by any single property of biochar. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

  9. Soil Fumigant Labels - Dazomet

    Science.gov (United States)

    Updated labels include new safety requirements for buffer zones and related measures. Find information from the Pesticide Product Labeling System (PPLS) for products such as Basamid G, manufactured by Amvac.

  10. Effect of soil solarization on soil-borne pathogens

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sobh, Hana

    1995-01-01

    -knot indices nor yields were significantly different in both treatments. At present, fumigation with methyl bromide is the most common method adopted by Lebanese farmers to control soil-borne pathogens of high value crops in greenhouses. Since methyl bromide is extremely toxic and damage the ozone layer, and its use is banned in several countries and may be banned world wide in year 2001, these preliminary results prove that soil solarization may stand as a good alternative control measure

  11. Persistence of 1,2-dibromoethane in soils: entrapment in intraparticle micropores

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Steinberg, S.M.; Pignatello, J.J.; Sawhney, B.L.

    1987-01-01

    The soil fumigant 1,2-dibromoethane (EDB) was found in agricultural topsoils up to 19 years after its last known application. This residual EDB was highly resistant to both mobilization (desorption into air and water) and microbial degradation in contrast to freshly added EDB. Release of the residual EDB into aqueous solution was extremely slow at 25 0 C but highly temperature dependent. Treatment of release as a radial diffusion process yielded effective intraparticle diffusivities of (2-8) x 10 -7 cm 2 /s and half-equilibration times in a 1:2 soil-water suspension of 2-3 decades at 25 0 C. Aerobic degradation of residual EDB by indigenous microbes was negligible after 38 days compared to rapid removal and mineralization of added [ 14 C]EDB. The release of residual EDB was greatly enhanced by pulverization of the soil. The results show that the residual EDB is trapped in soil micropores other than the interlayers of expandable clays where release is influenced by extreme tortuosity or steric restriction. 27 references, 7 figures, 2 tables

  12. Fumigation of Folia belladonnae with 14C-labelled ethylene oxide to reduce the germ number - activity distributions in the drug and preparations made from it

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Strohmeier, H.

    1988-01-01

    The study described here provided evidence to prove that considerable quantities of ethylene oxide, ethylene chlorhydrin and ethylene glycol are retained, when a drug is fumigated with ethylene oxide under standard fumigation conditions in order to reduce the germ number. Ethylene oxide bound by adsorption may be eliminated from the drug by repeated aeration. If an aqueous-ethanolic percolate is prepared from a drug showing very high levels of ethylene chlorhydrin and then carefully distilled at 40 C using only little pressure, a dry extract can be obtained that contains no such residue. (orig.) [de

  13. Fumigant Toxicity of Crushed Bulbs of Two Allium Species to Callosobruchus maculatus (Fabricius (Coleoptera: Bruchidae Toxicidad Fumigante para Callosobruchus maculatus (Fabriciu (Coleoptera: Bruchidae de Bulbos Trozados de Especies Allium

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T.I Ofuya

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available Fumigant toxicity of crushed fresh bulbs of Allium sativum L. and A. cepa L. to the Callosobruchus maculatus (Fabricius, a major pest of stored cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L. Walp. seeds was assessed under laboratory conditions in Akure, Nigeria. In the tests, 20 g of infested cowpea seeds were suspended in a piece of muslin cloth, over an amount of crushed bulb in a container with a tightly fitted lid. Adult emergence was completely prevented from freshly laid eggs of C. maculatus on cowpea seeds that was fumigated with 6.0 g or more of crushed bulbs of A. sativum. Such fumigated seeds were not holed at all. Other amounts of A. sativum tested (1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0 and 5.0 g significantly reduced C. maculatus adult emergence from fumigated eggs and seed holing in comparison with the control. Crushed A. sativum was ineffective in preventing adult emergence from fumigated C. maculatus larvae in seeds. The fumigant effect of crushed A. cepa did not kill all C. maculatus eggs. An amount of 7.0 g significantly reduced C. maculatus adult emergence from fumigated eggs and seed holing in comparison with the control. There is good prospect in using crushed bulbs of A. sativum> as fumigant in C. maculatus control in stored cowpea seeds.Se evaluó la toxicidad fumigante de bulbos frescos trozados de Allium sativum L. y A. cepa L. sobre Callosobruchus maculatus (Fabricius, una importante plaga de semilla almacenada de caupí Vigna unguiculata (L. Walp. bajo condiciones de laboratorio en Akure, Nigeria. En las pruebas, 20 g de semillas infestadas se suspendieron en un trozo de tela sobre cierta cantidad de bulbos trozados en un contenedor con una tapa ajustada. Se previno completamente la emergencia de adultos desde huevos recién puestos de C. maculatus en semillas de caupí que se fumigaron con 6,0 g o más de bulbos de A. sativum. Estas semillas fumigadas no estaban ahuecadas. Otras cantidades de A. sativum probadas (1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0 y 5.0 g redujeron

  14. Carnauba straw incorporated into the soil for fertilization carrot in organic cultivation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Micharlyson Carlos Morais

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Carrot is one of the most produced vegetables in Brazil and, with the growing demand for organic vegetables, it is necessary to develop production technologies that are less dependent on external inputs and more accessible to family agriculture. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the addition to soil of carnauba straw as fertilizer, incorporated under different pre-planting periods, for the organic cultivation of the carrot. The experiment was carried out in the Experimental Horta of the Instituto Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Campus Ipanguaçu, using the experimental design in randomized blocks with three replicates and five treatments referring to the times of 15; 30; 45 and 60 days for the incorporation of carnauba straw, in the amount of 14 t ha-1, prior to planting the carrot, and a control treatment without addition of straw to the soil. The evaluated characteristics was dry mass of the aerial part, the length and root diameter, and productivity. There was an effect of the incorporation time of the carnauba straw on the length and productivity, being the highest values observed when the straw was incorporated between 15 and 30 days before sowing.

  15. Enhanced fumigant toxicity of p-cymene against Frankliniella occidentalis by simultaneous application of elevated levels of carbon dioxide

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Janmaat, A.F.; Kogel, de W.J.; Woltering, E.J.

    2002-01-01

    The fumigant toxicity of the essential oil component p-cymene was assessed against Western Flower Thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis. F occidentalis adult females, first- and second-instar larvae and eggs were exposed for 2, 24 and 48h to combinations of three p-cymene doses and two carbon dioxide

  16. Method for determining the susceptibility of trees to air pollution by artificial fumigation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Spierings, F

    1967-01-01

    An apparatus has been developed for testing the susceptibility of trees and shrubs to air pollution while they are growing in their natural environment. It does not disturb the prevailing climatic conditions because ambient air and the test gas are mixed and blown onto a branch of the tree. The specially constructed blower is set up so that the branch to be fumigated is near the outlet and between two transparent plastic plates fixed on either side of the outlet of the apparatus. 2 references, 4 figures, 3 tables.

  17. 78 FR 56225 - Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Soil...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-09-12

    ...EPA has submitted the following Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act: ``Soil Fumigant Risk Mitigation'' (EPA ICR No. 2451.01, OMB Control No. 2070- New). This is a request for approval of a new collection. The ICR, which is abstracted below, describes the nature of the information collection activity and its expected burden and costs. Copies of the ICR and related documents are available in the docket.

  18. Impact of biological amendments on Agrobacterium tumefaciens soil survival

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paradox, the primary walnut rootstock used in California, is susceptible to Agrobacterium tumefaciens, which causes crown gall. While A. tumefaciens is susceptible to commonly used fumigants such as methyl bromide (MeBr) and Telone-C35 (1,3-dichloropropene and chloropicrin), these fumigants also sig...

  19. Reduction of root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne javanica, and ozone mass transfer in soil treated with ozone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiu, Jinya Jack; Westerdahl, Becky B; Pryor, Alan

    2009-09-01

    Ozone gas (O₃) is a reactive oxidizing agent with biocidal properties. Because of the current phasing out of methyl bromide, investigations on the use of ozone gas as a soil-fumigant were conducted. Ozone gas was produced at a concentration of 1% in air by a conventional electrical discharge O₃ generator. Two O₃ dosages and three gas flow rates were tested on a sandy loam soil collected from a tomato field that had a resident population of root knot nematodes, Meloidogyne javanica. At dosages equivalent to 50 and 250 kg of O₃/ha, M. javanica were reduced by 24% and 68%, and free-living nematodes by 19% and 52%, respectively. The reduction for both M. javanica and free-living nematodes was dosage dependent and flow rate independent. The rates of O₃ mass transfer (OMT) through three soils of different texture were greater at low and high moisture levels than at intermediate ones. At any one soil moisture level, the OMT rate varied with soil texture and soil organic matter content. Results suggest that soil texture, moisture, and organic matter content should be considered in determining O₃ dosage needed for effective nematode control.

  20. Experimental investigation of n-butanol/diesel fuel blends and n-butanol fumigation – Evaluation of engine performance, exhaust emissions, heat release and flammability analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Şahin, Zehra; Durgun, Orhan; Aksu, Orhan N.

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • n-Butanol/diesel fuel blends and n-butanol fumigation investigated experimentally. • Flammability analysis of n-butanol performed. • Smoke decreases significantly for n-butanol/diesel fuel blends and n-butanol fumigation. • HC emission increases significantly for n-butanol/diesel fuel blends and n-butanol fumigation. • 2% n-Butanol/diesel fuel blend decreases slightly BSFC. - Abstract: The aim of this paper is to investigate and compare the effects of n-butanol/diesel fuel blends (nBDFBs) and n-butanol fumigation (nBF) on the engine performance and exhaust emissions in a turbocharged automobile diesel engine. Also, evaluations based on heat release and flammability analysis have been done. Experiments have been performed for various n-nBDFBs and nBF at different engine speeds and loads. For nBDFBs and nBF tests; nB2, nB4 and nB6 and nBF2, nBF4 and nBF6n-butanol percentages were selected. Here, for example nB2 and nBF2 contains 2% n-butanol and 98% diesel fuel by volume respectively. The test results showed that smoke decreases significantly by applying both of these two methods. However, decrement ratios of smoke for fumigation method are higher than that of blend method. NO x emission decreases for nB2, but it increases for nB4 and nB6 at selected engine speeds and loads. NO x emission decreases generally for nBF. For nB2 and nB4, BSFC decreases slightly but it increases for nB6. For nBF, BSFC increases at all of the test conditions. Adding n-butanol to diesel fuel becomes expensive for two methods. For nBDFBs, heat release rate (HRR) diagrams exhibit similar typical characteristic to NDF. However, for nBF, HRR shows slightly different pattern from NDF and a double peak is observed in the HRR diagram. The first peak occurs earlier than NDF and the second peak takes places later. In addition, this diagram shows that the first peak becomes larger and the second peak diminishes as n-butanol ratio is increased. Because of pilot injection of

  1. Potential of ozone as a fumigant to control pests in honey bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) hives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    James, R R

    2011-04-01

    Ozone is a powerful oxidant capable of killing insects and microorganisms, and eliminating odors, taste, and color. Thus, it could be useful as a fumigant to decontaminate honey comb between uses. The experiments here are intended to determine the exposure levels required to kill an insect pest and spore forming bee pathogens. Ozone was effective against greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), even on naturally infested comb. Neonates and adults were the easiest life stages to kill, requiring only a few hours of exposure, whereas eggs required a 48-h exposure (at 460-920 mg O3/m3). Two honey bee, Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae), pathogens, Ascosphaera apis (a fungus that causes chalkbrood) and Paenibacillus larvae (a bacterium that causes American foulbrood), also were killed with ozone. These pathogens required much higher concentrations (3200 and 8560 mg O3/m3, respectively) and longer exposure periods (3 d) than needed to control the insects. P. larvae was effectively sterilized only when these conditions were combined with high temperature (50 degrees C) and humidity (> or =75% RH). Thus, ozone shows potential as a fumigant for bee nesting materials, but further research is needed to evaluate its acceptability and efficacy in the field. The need for a reliable method to decontaminate honey bee nesting materials as part of an overall bee health management system is discussed.

  2. Methyl Bromide Buffer Zone Distances for Commodity and Structural Fumigation: Active Aeration, Attached Vertical Stacks, More than 8 hours, 10 Foot Stack Height

    Science.gov (United States)

    This document contains buffer zone tables required by certain methyl bromide commodity fumigant product labels that refer to Buffer Zone Lookup Tables located at epa.gov/pesticide-registration/mbcommoditybuffer on the label.

  3. Methyl Bromide Buffer Zone Distances for Commodity and Structural Fumigation: Active Aeration, Attached Vertical Stacks , 8 Hours or Less, 25 Foot Stack Height

    Science.gov (United States)

    This document contains buffer zone tables required by certain methyl bromide commodity fumigant product labels that refer to Buffer Zone Lookup Tables located at epa.gov/pesticide-registration/mbcommoditybuffer on the label.

  4. Methyl Bromide Buffer Zone Distances for Commodity and Structural Fumigation: Active Aeration, Attached Vertical Stacks, 8 Hours or Less, 50 Foot Stack Height

    Science.gov (United States)

    This document contains buffer zone tables required by certain methyl bromide commodity fumigant product labels that refer to Buffer Zone Lookup Tables located at epa.gov/pesticide-registration/mbcommoditybuffer on the label.

  5. Methyl Bromide Buffer Zone Distances for Commodity and Structural Fumigation: Active Aeration, Attached Vertical Stacks, More than 8 hours, 50 Foot Stack Height

    Science.gov (United States)

    This document contains buffer zone tables required by certain methyl bromide commodity fumigant product labels that refer to Buffer Zone Lookup Tables located at epa.gov/pesticide-registration/mbcommoditybuffer on the label.

  6. Methyl Bromide Buffer Zone Distances for Commodity and Structural Fumigation: Active Aeration, Attached Vertical Stacks, More than 8 hours, 25 Foot Stack Height

    Science.gov (United States)

    This document contains buffer zone tables required by certain methyl bromide commodity fumigant product labels that refer to Buffer Zone Lookup Tables located at epa.gov/pesticide-registration/mbcommoditybuffer on the label.

  7. Methyl Bromide Buffer Zone Distances for Commodity and Structural Fumigation: Active Aeration, Attached Vertical Stacks , 8 Hours or Less, 10 Foot Stack Height

    Science.gov (United States)

    This document contains buffer zone tables required by certain methyl bromide commodity fumigant product labels that refer to Buffer Zone Lookup Tables located at epa.gov/pesticide-registration/mbcommoditybuffer on the label.

  8. Soil quality changes in land degradation as indicated by soil chemical, biochemical and microbiological properties in a karst area of southwest Guizhou, China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Pingjiu; Li, Lianqing; Pan, Genxing; Ren, Jingchen

    2006-12-01

    Not only the nutritional status and biological activity but also the soil ecological functioning or soil health has been impacted profoundly by land degradation in the karst area of southwest China where the karst ecosystems are generally considered as extremely vulnerable to land degradation under intensified land-use changes. The objectives of this study are to elucidate the changes in overall soil quality by a holistic approach of soil nutritional, biological activity, and soil health indicators in the karst area as impacted by intense cultivation and vegetation degradation. Topsoil samples were collected on selected eco-tesserae in a sequence of land degradation in a karst area of southwest Guizhou in 2004. The soil nutrient pools of organic carbon (Corg), extractable extracellular carbon (Cext), total soil nitrogen (Nt), alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen (Nah), total phosphorus (Pt), available phosphorus (Pa) were analyzed by wet soil chemistry. The soil biological properties were studied by means of measurements of microbial biomass carbon (both by fumigation-extraction, FE-Cmic, and by calculation from substrate-incubation respiration, SIR-Cmic) of respiration [respiration without addition of substrates, basal respiration (BR), and potential respiration (PR) with substrate-incubation] and of soil enzyme activities (invertase, urease, and alkaline phosphatase). Soil health status was assessed by simple indices of Cmic/Corg and BR/Cmic in conjunction with bacterial community structures determined by polymerase chain reaction and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. While the nutritional pool parameters, such as Corg and Cext, described basically the changes in soil life-supporting capacity with cultivation interference and vegetation declined, those parameters of biological activity such as FE-Cmic, SIR, and SIR-Cmic as well as bacterial community structures measured by molecular method evidenced well the changes in soil functioning for ecosystem health with

  9. Weed seed inactivation in soil mesocosms via biosolarization with mature compost and tomato processing waste amendments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Achmon, Yigal; Fernández-Bayo, Jesús D; Hernandez, Katie; McCurry, Dlinka G; Harrold, Duff R; Su, Joey; Dahlquist-Willard, Ruth M; Stapleton, James J; VanderGheynst, Jean S; Simmons, Christopher W

    2017-05-01

    Biosolarization is a fumigation alternative that combines passive solar heating with amendment-driven soil microbial activity to temporarily create antagonistic soil conditions, such as elevated temperature and acidity, that can inactivate weed seeds and other pest propagules. The aim of this study was to use a mesocosm-based field trial to assess soil heating, pH, volatile fatty acid accumulation and weed seed inactivation during biosolarization. Biosolarization for 8 days using 2% mature green waste compost and 2 or 5% tomato processing residues in the soil resulted in accumulation of volatile fatty acids in the soil, particularly acetic acid, and >95% inactivation of Brassica nigra and Solanum nigrum seeds. Inactivation kinetics data showed that near complete weed seed inactivation in soil was achieved within the first 5 days of biosolarization. This was significantly greater than the inactivation achieved in control soils that were solar heated without amendment or were amended but not solar heated. The composition and concentration of organic matter amendments in soil significantly affected volatile fatty acid accumulation at various soil depths during biosolarization. Combining solar heating with organic matter amendment resulted in accelerated weed seed inactivation compared with either approach alone. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

  10. Accelerated degradation of methyl iodide by agrochemicals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Wei; Papiernik, Sharon K; Guo, Mingxin; Yates, Scott R

    2003-01-29

    The fumigant methyl iodide (MeI, iodomethane) is considered a promising alternative to methyl bromide (MeBr) for soil-borne pest control in high-cash-value crops. However, the high vapor pressure of MeI results in emissions of a significant proportion of the applied mass into the ambient air, and this may lead to pollution of the environment. Integrating the application of certain agrochemicals with soil fumigation provides a novel approach to reduce excessive fumigant emissions. This study investigated the potential for several agrochemicals that are commonly used in farming operations, including fertilizers and nitrification inhibitors, to transform MeI in aqueous solution. The pseudo-first-order hydrolysis half-life (t(1/2)) of MeI was approximately 108 d, while the transformation of MeI in aqueous solutions containing selected agrochemicals was more rapid, with t(1/2) agrochemicals on the rate of MeI degradation in soil was also determined. Adsorption to soil apparently reduced the availability of some nitrification inhibitors in the soil aqueous phase and lowered the degradation rate in soil. In contrast, addition of the nitrification inhibitors thiourea and allylthiourea to soil significantly accelerated the degradation of MeI, possibly due to soil surface catalysis. The t(1/2) of MeI was 300 h).

  11. Discriminating impacts of geomorphological and human factors on vineyard soil erosion (Burgundy, France)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chevigny, Emmanuel; Quiquerez, Amélie; Petit, Christophe; Curmi, Pierre

    2014-05-01

    The Burgundy vineyards have been recognized for the high diversity of Terroirs, controlled by complex interactions between natural features, historical parameters and soil management practices. Vineyards are known to undergo substantial soil loss in comparison with other types of agricultural land. Hydric erosion on vineyards is controlled by complex interactions of natural and anthropogenic factors leading to intra-plot spatial heterogeneities of topsoil at a scale of a metre. Studying the relationship between soils and their degradation is crucial in this situation where soil sustainability is threatened. This study explores the relative influences of historical and present-day anthropogenic factors and geomorphological processes controlling soil erosion on vineyard hillslopes. The selected area was located in the Monthelie vineyard (Côte de Beaune, France) where intensive erosion occurred during high-intensity rainfall events. Soil erosion quantification was performed at a square-metre scale using dendrogeomorphology. This method is based on the measurement of the unearthing of the stock located on the vine plants, considered as a passive marker of soil-surface vertical displacement since the year of plantation. The obtained maps, together with various complementary datasets, such as geological and geomorphological data, but also historical documents (cadastral plans, cadastral matrices and old aerial photographs) allow landscape evolution to be assessed. The combination of all these data shows that spatial distribution and intensity of erosion are controlled mainly by lithology and slope value. However, our study highlights that the sediment dynamics in this vineyard plot is highly related to historical former plot limits and present-day management practices. Nonetheless, quantification of sediment dynamic for the last decade reveals that the impacts of historical structures are disappearing gradually, in response to present-day management practices and

  12. Occupational use of insecticides, fungicides ~and fumigants and risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and nultiplc myeloma in the Agricultural Health Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farming and exposure to pesticides have been linked to non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), and multiple myeloma (MM) in previous studies. We evaluated use of insecticides, fungicides and fumigants and risk of NHL, including MM and other NHL sub-types in the Agricultural Health Study, a ...

  13. Methyl Bromide Buffer Zone Distances for Commodity and Structural Fumigation: Active Aeration, Open Area Vertical Stacks, More than 8 Hours, 25 Foot Stack Height

    Science.gov (United States)

    This document contains buffer zone tables required by certain methyl bromide commodity fumigant product labels that refer to Buffer Zone Lookup Tables located at epa.gov/pesticide-registration/mbcommoditybuffer on the label.

  14. Methyl Bromide Buffer Zone Distances for Commodity and Structural Fumigation: Active Aeration, Open Area Vertical Stacks, 8 Hours or Less, 25 Foot Stack Height

    Science.gov (United States)

    This document contains buffer zone tables required by certain methyl bromide commodity fumigant product labels that refer to Buffer Zone Lookup Tables located at epa.gov/pesticide-registration/mbcommoditybuffer on the label.

  15. Methyl Bromide Buffer Zone Distances for Commodity and Structural Fumigation: Active Aeration, Open Area Vertical Stacks, 8 Hours or Less, 50 Foot Stack Height

    Science.gov (United States)

    This document contains buffer zone tables required by certain methyl bromide commodity fumigant product labels that refer to Buffer Zone Lookup Tables located at epa.gov/pesticide-registration/mbcommoditybuffer on the label.

  16. Methyl Bromide Buffer Zone Distances for Commodity and Structural Fumigation: Active Aeration, Open Area Vertical Stacks, More than 8 Hours, 10 Foot Stack Height

    Science.gov (United States)

    This document contains buffer zone tables required by certain methyl bromide commodity fumigant product labels that refer to Buffer Zone Lookup Tables located at epa.gov/pesticide-registration/mbcommoditybuffer on the label.

  17. Methyl Bromide Buffer Zone Distances for Commodity and Structural Fumigation: Active Aeration, Open Area Vertical Stacks, More than 8 Hours, 50 Foot Stack Height

    Science.gov (United States)

    This document contains buffer zone tables required by certain methyl bromide commodity fumigant product labels that refer to Buffer Zone Lookup Tables located at epa.gov/pesticide-registration/mbcommoditybuffer on the label.

  18. Methyl Bromide Buffer Zone Distances for Commodity and Structural Fumigation: Active Aeration, Open Area Vertical Stacks, More than 8 Hours, 5 Foot Stack Height

    Science.gov (United States)

    This document contains buffer zone tables required by certain methyl bromide commodity fumigant product labels that refer to Buffer Zone Lookup Tables located at epa.gov/pesticide-registration/mbcommoditybuffer on the label.

  19. Methyl Bromide Buffer Zone Distances for Commodity and Structural Fumigation: Active Aeration, Open Area Vertical Stacks, 8 Hours or Less, 10 Foot Stack Height

    Science.gov (United States)

    This document contains buffer zone tables required by certain methyl bromide commodity fumigant product labels that refer to Buffer Zone Lookup Tables located at epa.gov/pesticide-registration/mbcommoditybuffer on the label.

  20. Methyl Bromide Buffer Zone Distances for Commodity and Structural Fumigation: Active Aeration, Open Area Vertical Stacks , 8 Hours or Less, 5 Foot Stack Height

    Science.gov (United States)

    This document contains buffer zone tables required by certain methyl bromide commodity fumigant product labels that refer to Buffer Zone Lookup Tables located at epa.gov/pesticide-registration/mbcommoditybuffer on the label.

  1. Transfer and Development of Pasteuria penetrans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kariuki, G M; Dickson, D W

    2007-03-01

    Pasteuria penetrans isolate P-20 has been attributed as the cause of soil suppressiveness to peanut root-knot nematode in Florida. In this study, P. penetrans was transferred from a suppressive site to a new site and established by growing susceptible hosts to the peanut root-knot nematode during both summer and winter seasons. When two soil fumigants, 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D) and chloropicrin, were applied broadcast at the rate of 168 liters/ha and 263 kg/ha, respectively, the bacterium was not adversely affected by 1,3-D but was adversely affected by chloropicrin. In autumn 2005, after the harvest of the second peanut crop, the greatest number of J2 was recorded in the chloropicrin-treated plots, followed by the non-fumigated plots and 1,3-D-fumigated plots. The percentage J2 encumbered with endospores, endospores per J2 and percentage of P. penetrans-infected females were greatest in the non-fumigated plots, followed by 1,3-D- and chloropicrin-fumigated plots. This study demonstrates that P. penetrans can be transferred from a suppressive site to a new site and increased to suppressive densities against the peanut root-knot nematode.

  2. Fumigant Activity of 6 Selected Essential Oil Compounds and Combined Effect of Methyl Salicylate And Trans-Cinnamaldehyde Against Culex pipiens pallens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Wei-Bin; Feng, Jun-Tao; Jiang, Zhi-Li; Zhang, Xing

    2014-09-01

    We studied the knockdown activity and lethal toxicity of 6 essential oil compounds-methyl salicylate, linalool, 2-phenethyl alcohol, eugenol, β-citronellol, and trans-cinnamaldehyde-as fumigants against adult female Culex pipiens pallens in the laboratory. Of the 6 products tested, trans-cinnamaldehyde was the most toxic (LC50  =  0.26 µl/l air, 24 h) with a slow knockdown time (KT95  =  176.5 min at 0.5 µl/l air). Methyl salicylate displayed a lower toxicity (LC50  =  1.17 µl/l air, 24 h) but the fastest knockdown activity (KT95  =  16.8 min) at the sublethal concentration 0.5 µl/l air. Furthermore, the binary mixture of methyl salicylate and trans-cinnamaldehyde exhibited a combined effect of fast knockdown activity and high toxicity against Cx. p. pallens adults, showing potential for development as natural fumigants for mosquito control.

  3. Ozone visible symptoms and reduced root biomass in the subalpine species Pinus uncinata after two years of free-air ozone fumigation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Díaz-de-Quijano, Maria; Schaub, Marcus; Bassin, Seraina; Volk, Matthias; Peñuelas, Josep

    2012-01-01

    Concentrations of ozone often exceed the thresholds of forest protection in the Pyrenees, but the effect of ozone on Pinus uncinata, the dominant species in subalpine forests in this mountainous range, has not yet been studied. We conducted an experiment of free-air ozone fumigation with saplings of P. uncinata fumigated with ambient O 3 (AOT40 May–Oct: 9.2 ppm h), 1.5 × O 3amb (AOT40 May–Oct: 19.2 ppm h), and 1.8 × O 3amb (AOT40 May–Oct: 32.5 ppm h) during two growing seasons. We measured chlorophyll content and fluorescence, visible injury, gas exchange, and above- and below-ground biomass. Increased exposures to ozone led to a higher occurrence and intensity of visible injury from O 3 and a 24–29% reduction of root biomass, which may render trees more susceptible to other stresses such as drought. P. uncinata is thus a species sensitive to O 3 , concentrations of which in the Pyrenees are already likely affecting this species. - Highlights: ► We assessed sensitivity to O 3 in Pinus uncinata using a free-air O 3 fumigation system. ► Occurrence and intensity of visible injury from O 3 correlated with exposure to O 3 . ► Increased O 3 reduced root biomass 24–29%. ► O 3 weakens P. uncinata, making it more susceptible to other stresses. ► Ambient [O 3 ] in the Pyrenees is thus likely to already be affecting P. uncinata stands. - Ozone concentrations similar to those in the Pyrenees affect Pinus uncinata by reducing root biomass and possibly increasing susceptibility to other stresses.

  4. Size and Persistence of the Microbial Biomass Formed during the Humification of Glucose Hemicellulose Cellulose, and Straw in Soils Containing Different Amounts of Clay

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sørensen, Lasse Holst

    1983-01-01

    14C-labelled substrates were incubated at 20°C in 4 soils with clay contents ranging from 6 to 34%. Glucose was most readily decomposed, followed in order by hemicellulose, cellulose, maize straw, and barley straw. After the first 10 days of incubation, about 60% of the glucose-C had left the soils...... as CO2, compared with only 23% of the barley-C.The humified matter that remained in the soils after 3 months decayed at almost the same rate whether the origin of the matter was glucose, hemicellulose, cellulose or straw; this rate was, on the whole, independent of the caly content of the soils. Half......-C percentages increased with the clay content of the soils.The biomass was determined by fumigation with CHCl3 according to Jenkinson. After 3 months an average of 17% of the residual labelled C was in biomass; the values ranged from 37% when the labelled C was added as glucose to 2–9% when added as barley...

  5. Fumigation of a laboratory-scale HVAC system with hydrogen peroxide for decontamination following a biological contamination incident.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meyer, K M; Calfee, M W; Wood, J P; Mickelsen, L; Attwood, B; Clayton, M; Touati, A; Delafield, R

    2014-03-01

    To evaluate hydrogen peroxide vapour (H2 O2 ) for its ability to inactivate Bacillus spores within a laboratory-scale heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) duct system. Experiments were conducted in a closed-loop duct system, constructed of either internally lined or unlined galvanized metal. Bacterial spores were aerosol-deposited onto 18-mm-diameter test material coupons and strategically placed at several locations within the duct environment. Various concentrations of H2 O2 and exposure times were evaluated to determine the sporicidal efficacy and minimum exposure needed for decontamination. For the unlined duct, high variability was observed in the recovery of spores between sample locations, likely due to complex, unpredictable flow patterns within the ducts. In comparison, the lined duct exhibited a significant desorption of the H2 O2 following the fumigant dwell period and thus resulted in complete decontamination at all sampling locations. These findings suggest that decontamination of Bacillus spore-contaminated unlined HVAC ducts by hydrogen peroxide fumigation may require more stringent conditions (higher concentrations, longer dwell duration) than internally insulated ductwork. These data may help emergency responders when developing remediation plans during building decontamination. © 2013 The Society for Applied Microbiology This article has been contributed to by US Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.

  6. Refining ASD for disease management in strawberry and apple production

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) has been studied as an industry level option for replacing soil fumigants to manage soil-borne diseases in both annual and perennial crop production systems. Although ASD has proven effective for the suppression of certain soil-borne pathogens in both strawberry ...

  7. The importance of plant-soil interactions for N mineralisation in different soil types

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murphy, Conor; Paterson, Eric; Baggs, Elizabeth; Morley, Nicholas; Wall, David; Schulte, Rogier

    2013-04-01

    The last hundred years has seen major advancements in our knowledge of nitrogen mineralisation in soil, but key drivers and controls remain poorly understood. Due to an increase in the global population there is a higher demand on food production. To accommodate this demand agriculture has increased its use of N based fertilizers, but these pose risks for water quality and GHG emissions as N can be lost through nitrate leaching, ammonia volatilization, and denitrification processes (Velthof, et al., 2009). Therefore, understanding the underlying processes that determine the soils ability to supply N to the plant is vital for effective optimisation of N-fertilisation with crop demand. Carbon rich compounds exuded from plant roots to the rhizosphere, which are utilized by the microbial biomass and support activities including nutrient transformations, may be a key unaccounted for driver of N mineralisation. The main aim of this study was to study the impact of root exudates on turnover of C and N in soil, as mediated by the microbial community. Two soil types, known to contrast in N-mineralisation capacity, were used to determine relationships between C inputs, organic matter mineralisation (priming effects) and N fluxes. 15N and 13C stable isotope approaches were used to quantify the importance of rhizosphere processes on C and N mineralisation. Gross nitrogen mineralisation was measured using 15N pool dilution. Total soil CO2 efflux was measured and 13C isotope partitioning was applied to quantify SOM turnover and microbial biomass respiration. Also, 13C was traced through the microbial biomass (chloroform fumigation) to separate pool-substitution effects (apparent priming) from altered microbial utilisation of soil organic matter (real priming effects). Addition of labile carbon resulted in an increase in N-mineralisation from soil organic matter in both soils. Concurrent with this there was an increase in microbial biomass size, indicating that labile C elicited

  8. Soil microbial communities as suitable bioindicators of trace metal pollution in agricultural volcanic soils

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parelho, Carolina; dos Santos Rodrigues, Armindo; do Carmo Barreto, Maria; Gonçalo Ferreira, Nuno; Garcia, Patrícia

    2015-04-01

    Summary: The biological, chemical and physical properties of soil confer unique characteristics that enhance or influence its overall biodiversity. The adaptive character of soil microbial communities (SMCs) to metal pollution allows discriminating soil health, since changes in microbial populations and activities may function as excellent indicators of soil pollutants. Volcanic soils are unique naturally fertile resources, extensively used for agricultural purposes and with particular physicochemical properties that may result in accumulation of toxic substances, such as trace metals (TM). In our previous works, we identified priority TM affecting agricultural Andosols under different agricultural land uses. Within this particular context, the objectives of this study were to (i) assess the effect of soil TM pollution in different agricultural systems (conventional, traditional and organic) on the following soil properties: microbial biomass carbon, basal soil respiration, metabolic quotient, enzymatic activities (β-glucosidase, acid phosphatase and dehydrogenase) and RNA to DNA ratio; and (ii) evaluate the impact of TM in the soil ecosystem using the integrated biomarker response (IBR) based on a set of biochemical responses of SMCs. This multi-biomarker approach will support the development of the "Trace Metal Footprint" for different agricultural land uses in volcanic soils. Methods: The study was conducted in S. Miguel Island (Azores, Portugal). Microbial biomass carbon was measured by chloroform-fumigation-incubation-assay (Vance et al., 1987). Basal respiration was determined by the Jenkinson & Powlson (1976) technique. Metabolic quotient was calculated as the ratio of basal respiration to microbial biomass C (Sparkling & West, 1988). The enzymatic activities of β-glucosidase and acid phosphatase were determined by the Dick et al. (1996) method and dehydrogenase activity by the Rossel et al. (1997) method. The RNA and DNA were co-extracted from the same

  9. Soil Microbial Biomass, Basal Respiration and Enzyme Activity of Main Forest Types in the Qinling Mountains

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Fei; Peng, Xiaobang; Zhao, Peng; Yuan, Jie; Zhong, Chonggao; Cheng, Yalong; Cui, Cui; Zhang, Shuoxin

    2013-01-01

    Different forest types exert essential impacts on soil physical-chemical characteristics by dominant tree species producing diverse litters and root exudates, thereby further regulating size and activity of soil microbial communities. However, the study accuracy is usually restricted by differences in climate, soil type and forest age. Our objective is to precisely quantify soil microbial biomass, basal respiration and enzyme activity of five natural secondary forest (NSF) types with the same stand age and soil type in a small climate region and to evaluate relationship between soil microbial and physical-chemical characters. We determined soil physical-chemical indices and used the chloroform fumigation-extraction method, alkali absorption method and titration or colorimetry to obtain the microbial data. Our results showed that soil physical-chemical characters remarkably differed among the NSFs. Microbial biomass carbon (Cmic) was the highest in wilson spruce soils, while microbial biomass nitrogen (Nmic) was the highest in sharptooth oak soils. Moreover, the highest basal respiration was found in the spruce soils, but mixed, Chinese pine and spruce stands exhibited a higher soil qCO2. The spruce soils had the highest Cmic/Nmic ratio, the greatest Nmic/TN and Cmic/Corg ratios were found in the oak soils. Additionally, the spruce soils had the maximum invertase activity and the minimum urease and catalase activities, but the maximum urease and catalase activities were found in the mixed stand. The Pearson correlation and principle component analyses revealed that the soils of spruce and oak stands obviously discriminated from other NSFs, whereas the others were similar. This suggested that the forest types affected soil microbial properties significantly due to differences in soil physical-chemical features. PMID:23840671

  10. Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Solid and Liquid Organic Fertilizers Applied to Lettuce.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toonsiri, Phasita; Del Grosso, Stephen J; Sukor, Arina; Davis, Jessica G

    2016-11-01

    Improper application of nitrogen (N) fertilizer and environmental factors can cause the loss of nitrous oxide (NO) to the environment. Different types of fertilizers with different C/N ratios may have different effects on the environment. The focus of this study was to evaluate the effects of environmental factors and four organic fertilizers (feather meal, blood meal, fish emulsion, and cyano-fertilizer) applied at different rates (0, 28, 56, and 112 kg N ha) on NO emissions and to track CO emissions from a lettuce field ( L.). The study was conducted in 2013 and 2014 and compared preplant-applied solid fertilizers (feather meal and blood meal) and multiple applications of liquid fertilizers (fish emulsion and cyano-fertilizer). Three days a week, NO and CO emissions were measured twice per day in 2013 and once per day in 2014 using a closed-static chamber, and gas samples were analyzed by gas chromatography. Preplant-applied solid fertilizers significantly increased cumulative NO emissions as compared with control, but multiple applications of liquid fertilizers did not. Emission factors for NO ranged from 0 to 0.1% for multiple applications of liquid fertilizers and 0.6 to 11% for preplant-applied solid fertilizers, which could be overestimated due to chamber placement over fertilizer bands. In 2014, solid fertilizers with higher C/N ratios (3.3-3.5) resulted in higher CO emissions than liquid fertilizers (C/N ratio, 0.9-1.5). Therefore, organic farmers should consider the use of multiple applications of liquid fertilizers as a means to reduce soil greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining high yields. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

  11. Contact and fumigant toxicity of Armoracia rusticana essential oil, allyl isothiocyanate and related compounds to Dermatophagoides farinae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yun, Yeon-Kyeong; Kim, Hyun-Kyung; Kim, Jun-Ran; Hwang, Kumnara; Ahn, Young-Joon

    2012-05-01

    The toxicity to adult Dermatophagoides farinae of allyl isothiocyanate identified in horseradish, Armoracia rusticana, oil and another 27 organic isothiocyanates was evaluated using contact + fumigant and vapour-phase mortality bioassays. Results were compared with those of two conventional acaricides, benzyl benzoate and dibutyl phthalate. Horseradish oil (24 h LC(50), 1.54 µg cm(-2)) and allyl isothiocyanate (2.52 µg cm(-2)) were highly toxic. Benzyl isothiocyanate (LC(50) , 0.62 µg cm(-2)) was the most toxic compound, followed by 4-chlorophenyl, 3-bromophenyl, 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl, cyclohexyl, 2-chlorophenyl, 4-bromophenyl and 2-bromophenyl isothiocyanates (0.93-1.41 µg cm(-2)). All were more effective than either benzyl benzoate (LC(50) , 4.58 µg cm(-2)) or dibutyl phthalate (24.49 µg cm(-2)). The structure-activity relationship indicates that types of functional group and chemical structure appear to play a role in determining the isothiocyanate toxicities to adult D. farinae. In the vapour-phase mortality bioassay, these isothiocyanates were consistently more toxic in closed versus open containers, indicating that their mode of delivery was, in part, a result of vapour action. In the light of global efforts to reduce the level of highly toxic synthetic acaricides in indoor environments, the horseradish oil-derived compounds and the isothiocyanates described herein merit further study as potential acaricides for the control of house dust mite populations as fumigants with contact action. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry.

  12. Response of Sitophilus granarius L. to fumigant toxicity of some plant volatile oils

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ali F. Hamza

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available One-week-old adults of Sitophilus granarius (L. reared on wheat were subjected to pure plant volatile oils of Thuja, Eucalyptus and Peppermint. Volatile oil of Thuja was extracted from unripe fruits of Thuja orientalis plant by water distillation. The objective of the current study was to determine the fumigant toxicity of these volatile oils against adults of S. granarius. The fumigant toxicity of the volatile oils was tested against 1week old adults of S. granarius at 28±2 °C and 65±5% RH in darkness. The mortality of adults was tested at different concentrations ranging from 20 to 100 μl of Thuja, 10–30 μl of Eucalyptus and 3–15 μl of Peppermint at different exposure times (24, 48 and 72 h. The results demonstrated that the mortality increased with increases in concentration and exposure periods. The percent mortality of S. granarius reached 91.2, 95.0 and 91.2% when 1-w-old adult exposed to higher concentration of Thuja, Eucalyptus and Peppermint oils, respectively, comparing to 0% in the control after 24 h. After 72 h the percent mortality was 100% at the higher concentration of the three volatile oils. LC50 and LC90 were determined for each volatile oil and each exposure period. Data probit analysis demonstrated that concentrations of 70.71 μl Thuja, 16.95 μl Eucalyptus and 10.48 μl Peppermint, recorded 50% mortality after 24 h, however it reached 90% when concentrations increased to 104.04 μl Thuja, 25.48 μl Eucalyptus and 15.92 μl Peppermint after the same period. LC50 and LC90 values were decreased by increasing the exposure periods. These results showed that the three volatile oils could be applicable to the management of populations of S. granarius (L..

  13. Effect of application timing and method on efficacy and phytotoxicity of 1,3-D, chloropicrin and metam-sodium combinations in squash plasticulture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Desaeger, Johan A; Seebold, Kenneth W; Csinos, Alex S

    2008-03-01

    Metam-sodium, 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D) and chloropicrin are widely used soil fumigants. Combined application of metam-sodium and 1,3-D + chloropicrin is intended to improve efficacy and broaden spectrum of control, but little is known about the effect on crop safety. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of application timing of fumigant combinations on soilborne pest and disease control (nematodes, soil fungi and weeds) and growth of squash. Two separate tests with chisel-injected and drip-applied fumigant combinations and plant-back times ranging from 1 to 4 weeks were conducted in Tifton, GA, USA, in spring and fall 2002. Fumigant combinations using 1,3-D, chloropicrin and metam-sodium were as effective as methyl bromide in controlling Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid & White) Chitwood, Pythium irregulare Buis., Rhizoctonia solani Kühn and Cyperus esculentus L. Chisel-applied combinations were more effective in terms of root-knot nematode control than drip-applied combinations. Root-knot nematode reduced squash yields by up to 60%. Phytotoxicity problems and lower yields were observed during spring, especially following 1,3-D + chloropicrin and when plant-back periods were shorter. The main problem with fumigant alternatives to methyl bromide may not be reduced efficacy but, in particular for 1,3-D products, loss of flexibility in terms of longer plant-back periods. (c) 2008 Society of Chemical Industry.

  14. Measures of Microbial Biomass for Soil Carbon Decomposition Models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mayes, M. A.; Dabbs, J.; Steinweg, J. M.; Schadt, C. W.; Kluber, L. A.; Wang, G.; Jagadamma, S.

    2014-12-01

    Explicit parameterization of the decomposition of plant inputs and soil organic matter by microbes is becoming more widely accepted in models of various complexity, ranging from detailed process models to global-scale earth system models. While there are multiple ways to measure microbial biomass, chloroform fumigation-extraction (CFE) is commonly used to parameterize models.. However CFE is labor- and time-intensive, requires toxic chemicals, and it provides no specific information about the composition or function of the microbial community. We investigated correlations between measures of: CFE; DNA extraction yield; QPCR base-gene copy numbers for Bacteria, Fungi and Archaea; phospholipid fatty acid analysis; and direct cell counts to determine the potential for use as proxies for microbial biomass. As our ultimate goal is to develop a reliable, more informative, and faster methods to predict microbial biomass for use in models, we also examined basic soil physiochemical characteristics including texture, organic matter content, pH, etc. to identify multi-factor predictive correlations with one or more measures of the microbial community. Our work will have application to both microbial ecology studies and the next generation of process and earth system models.

  15. Soil fungal and bacterial biomass determined by epifluorescence microscopy and mycorrhizal spore density in different sugarcane managements

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adriana Pereira Aleixo

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Crop productivity and sustainability have often been related to soil organic matter and soil microbial biomass, especially because of their role in soil nutrient cycling. This study aimed at measuring fungal and bacterial biomass by epifluorescence microscopy and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF spore density in sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L. fields under different managements. We collected soil samples of sugarcane fields managed with or without burning, with or without mechanized harvest, with or without application of vinasse and from nearby riparian native forest. The soil samples were collected at 10cm depth and storage at 4°C until analysis. Fungal biomass varied from 25 to 37µg C g-1 dry soil and bacterial from 178 to 263µg C g-1 dry soil. The average fungal/bacterial ratio of fields was 0.14. The AMF spore density varied from 9 to 13 spores g-1 dry soil. The different sugarcane managements did not affect AMF spore density. In general, there were no significant changes of microbial biomass with crop management and riparian forest. However, the sum of fungal and bacterial biomass measured by epifluorescence microscopy (i.e. 208-301µg C g-1 dry soil was very close to values of total soil microbial biomass observed in other studies with traditional techniques (e.g. fumigation-extraction. Therefore, determination of fungal/bacterial ratios by epifluorescence microscopy, associated with other parameters, appears to be a promising methodology to understand microbial functionality and nutrient cycling under different soil and crop managements.

  16. Vesicular-Arbuscular Mycorrhiza in Field-Grown Crops

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jakobsen, Iver

    1986-01-01

    The importance of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhiza (VAM) and P fertilizer for P nutrition and dry matter production in field peas (Pisum sativum L.) was studied in moderately P-deficient soil. Half of the experimental plots were fumigated to reduce the level of VAM infection. Shoots and 0 to 30 cm...... in fumigated plots, although both it and P uptake were increased by adding P fertilizer. The possible reasons for this discrepancy are discussed. A supplementary survey on infection development at five other field sites showed that peas are extensively colonized by VAM fungi, even in soils where a standard...

  17. Extraction of allyl isothiocyanate from horseradish (Armoracia rusticana) and its fumigant insecticidal activity on four stored-product pests of paddy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Hua; Zhang, Guo-An; Zeng, Shuiyun; Lin, Kai-chun

    2009-09-01

    Isothiocyanates (ITCs) extracted from Armoracia rusticana Gaertn., May & Scherb. have been shown previously to have insecticidal activity. Allyl isothiocyanate (AITC), a major component of ITCs with high volatility, was therefore extracted using different methods and tested as a fumigant against four major pest species of stored products, maize weevil Sitophilus zeamais (Motsch.), lesser grain borer Rhizopertha dominica (F.), Tribolium ferrugineum (F.) and book louse Liposcelis entomophila (Enderlein). Whereas there was no significant difference between hydrodistillation and supercritical carbon dioxide fluid extraction in extraction rate for AITC from A. rusticana, both methods resulted in higher extraction efficiency than water extraction. AITC fumigation showed strong toxicity to the four species of stored-product pests. Adult mortality of 100% of all four pest species, recorded after 72 h exposure to AITC fumes at an atmospheric concentration of 3 microg mL(-1), showed no significant difference from that of insects exposed to phosphine at 5 microg mL(-1), the recommended dose for phosphine. The results suggest good insecticidal efficacy of AITC against the four stored-product pests, with non-gaseous residuals on stored products. AITC obtained from A. rusticana may be an alternative to phosphine and methyl bromide against the four pest species. Copyright 2009 Society of Chemical Industry.

  18. appraisal of the economic activities of termites: a review

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    DR.AMIN

    within the soil increases the rate of percolation of water into the soil, thereby ... into the soil, mineral nutrients of these trees. Man in ... soil barrier termiticides, treated zone termiticides, dust and fumigant, and, non ... a result of man's interference with natural food supply .... The destructive effects of termites to man, whenever.

  19. Disinfestation of stored rice and corn grains by gamma irradiation. 3. Survival values for irradiated rice weevil and flour beetle and comparison of gamma irradiation and fumigation of weevil infested grains

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Manoto, E.C.; Villarcarlos, L.T.

    1976-02-01

    Survival values for Sitophilus oryzae and Tribolium castaneum adults were studied using gamma radiation dosage of 25, 50, 100 and 150 krad. Results with the two species seemed similar, although the rice weevil appeared the more sensitive. Rice and corn grains were artificially infested with Sitophilus oryzae and then treated with gamma radiation or fumigation. Both treatment reduced or eliminated adult emergence although fumigation left some insecticidal residues in corn. Sterility in the adult weevils was induced by 15 or 25 krad treatment of gamma radiation. A practical control level for bulk irradiation of rice or corn grains could probably be achieved by a 25 krad treatment although complete disinfestation should be achieved by a 50 krad treatment

  20. Eliminating amino acid interference during spectrophotometric NH4+ analysis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ros, G.H.; Leeuwen, van A.G.; Temminghoff, E.J.M.

    2011-01-01

    Amino acids can interfere with NH4+ in spectrophotometric NH4+ determination hampering accurate quantification of the fate of NH4+ and dissolved organic N in soils. Serious interference has been reported for soils rich in organic matter, and for soils that have been fumigated, oven-dried or

  1. Winter Annual Weed Response to Nitrogen Sources and Application Timings prior to a Burndown Corn Herbicide

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kelly A. Nelson

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Autumn and early preplant N applications, sources, and placement may affect winter annual weed growth. Field research evaluated (1 the effect of different nitrogen sources in autumn and early preplant on total winter annual weed growth (2006–2010, and (2 strip-till and broadcast no-till N applied in autumn and early preplant on henbit (Lamium amplexicaule L. growth (2008–2010 prior to a burndown herbicide application. Total winter annual weed biomass was greater than the nontreated control when applying certain N sources in autumn or early preplant for no-till corn. Anhydrous ammonia had the lowest average weed density (95 weeds m−2, though results were inconsistent over the years. Winter annual weed biomass was lowest (43 g m−2 when applying 32% urea ammonium nitrate in autumn and was similar to applying anhydrous ammonia in autumn or early preplant and the nontreated control. Henbit biomass was 28% greater when applying N in the autumn compared to an early preplant application timing. Nitrogen placement along with associated tillage with strip-till placement was important in reducing henbit biomass. Nitrogen source selection, application timing, and placement affected the impact of N on winter annual weed growth and should be considered when recommending a burndown herbicide application timing.

  2. Multiple Modes of Nematode Control by Volatiles of Pseudomonas putida 1A00316 from Antarctic Soil against Meloidogyne incognita

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yile Zhai

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Pseudomonas putida 1A00316 isolated from Antarctic soil showed nematicidal potential for biological control of Meloidogyne incognita; however, little was known about whether strain 1A00316 could produce volatile organic compounds (VOCs, and if they had potential for use in biological control against M. incognita. In this study, VOCs produced by a culture filtrate of P. putida 1A00316 were evaluated by in vitro experiments in three-compartment Petri dishes and 96-well culture plates. Our results showed that M. incognita juveniles gradually reduced their movement within 24–48 h of incubation with mortality ranging from 6.49 to 86.19%, and mostly stopped action after 72 h. Moreover, egg hatching in culture filtrates of strain 1A00316 was much reduced compared to that in sterile distilled water or culture medium. Volatiles from P. putida 1A00316 analysis carried out by solid-phase micro-extraction gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (SPME-GC/MS included dimethyl-disulfide, 1-undecene, 2-nonanone, 2-octanone, (Z-hexen-1-ol acetate, 2-undecanone, and 1-(ethenyloxy-octadecane. Of these, dimethyl-disulfide, 2-nonanone, 2-octanone, (Z-hexen-1-ol acetate, and 2-undecanone had strong nematicidal activity against M. incognita J2 larvae by direct-contact in 96-well culture plates, and only 2-undecanone acted as a fumigant. In addition, the seven VOCs inhibited egg hatching of M. incognita both by direct-contact and by fumigation. All of the seven VOCs repelled M. incognita J2 juveniles in 2% water agar Petri plates. These results show that VOCs from strain 1A00316 act on different stages in the development of M. incognita via nematicidal, fumigant, and repellent activities and have potential for development as agents with multiple modes of control of root-knot nematodes.

  3. Soil Fumigant Labels - Metam Sodium/Potassium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Search by EPA registration number, product name, or company; and follow the link to the Pesticide Product Label System (PPLS) for details. Updated labels include new safety requirements for buffer zones and related measures.

  4. Soil Fumigant Labels - Dimethyl Disulfide (DMDS)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Search by EPA registration number, product name, or company and follow the link to the Pesticide Product Labeling System (PPLS) for label details. Updated labels include new safety requirements for buffer zones and related measures.

  5. Fumigant and Repellent Activity of Limonene Enantiomers Against Tribolium confusum du Val.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malacrinò, A; Campolo, O; Laudani, F; Palmeri, V

    2016-10-01

    The use of pesticides, as carried out in the last 50 years, caused several negative environmental and human health consequences, leading to the development of alternative techniques to control pests, such as the use of compounds of plant origin. In this study, we assessed the fumigant and repellent activity of both the enantiomers of limonene, a monoterpene usually found in many plant species, against Tribolium confusum du Val. We tested both molecules at different doses, air temperatures, and in absence and presence of flour. R-(+)-limonene resulted more effective than S-(-)-limonene; indeed, it was able to reach 100% of efficacy at a concentration of 85 mg/L air when tested at different temperatures without flour. Data showed a positive relationship between efficacy and temperature, and a negative effect of the presence of debris on the bioactivity of limonene. Furthermore, repellency trials reported a higher activity of R-(+)-limonene compared to the other enantiomer.

  6. Engineering Pseudomonas putida KT2440 for simultaneous degradation of organophosphates and pyrethroids and its application in bioremediation of soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zuo, Zhenqiang; Gong, Ting; Che, You; Liu, Ruihua; Xu, Ping; Jiang, Hong; Qiao, Chuanling; Song, Cunjiang; Yang, Chao

    2015-06-01

    Agricultural soils are usually co-contaminated with organophosphate (OP) and pyrethroid pesticides. To develop a stable and marker-free Pseudomonas putida for co-expression of two pesticide-degrading enzymes, we constructed a suicide plasmid with expression cassettes containing a constitutive promoter J23119, an OP-degrading gene (mpd), a pyrethroid-hydrolyzing carboxylesterase gene (pytH) that utilizes the upp gene as a counter-selectable marker for upp-deficient P. putida. By introduction of suicide plasmid and two-step homologous recombination, both mpd and pytH genes were integrated into the chromosome of a robust soil bacterium P. putida KT2440 and no selection marker was left on chromosome. Functional expression of mpd and pytH in P. putida KT2440 was demonstrated by Western blot analysis and enzyme activity assays. Degradation experiments with liquid cultures showed that the mixed pesticides including methyl parathion, fenitrothion, chlorpyrifos, permethrin, fenpropathrin, and cypermethrin (0.2 mM each) were degraded completely within 48 h. The inoculation of engineered strain (10(6) cells/g) to soils treated with the above mixed pesticides resulted in a higher degradation rate than in noninoculated soils. All six pesticides could be degraded completely within 15 days in fumigated and nonfumigated soils with inoculation. Theses results highlight the potential of the engineered strain to be used for in situ bioremediation of soils co-contaminated with OP and pyrethroid pesticides.

  7. Neonicotinoid insecticide residues in surface water and soil associated with commercial maize (corn fields in southwestern Ontario.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arthur Schaafsma

    Full Text Available Neonicotinoid insecticides have come under scrutiny for their potential unintended effects on non-target organisms, particularly pollinators in agro-ecosystems. As part of a larger study of neonicotinoid residues associated with maize (corn production, 76 water samples within or around the perimeter of 18 commercial maize fields and neighbouring apiaries were collected in 5 maize-producing counties of southwestern Ontario. Residues of clothianidin (mean = 2.28, max. = 43.60 ng/mL and thiamethoxam (mean = 1.12, max. = 16.50 ng/mL were detected in 100 and 98.7% of the water samples tested, respectively. The concentration of total neonicotinoid residues in water within maize fields increased six-fold during the first five weeks after planting, and returned to pre-plant levels seven weeks after planting. However, concentrations in water sampled from outside the fields were similar throughout the sampling period. Soil samples from the top 5 cm of the soil profile were also collected in these fields before and immediately following planting. The mean total neonicotinoid residue was 4.02 (range 0.07 to 20.30 ng/g, for samples taken before planting, and 9.94 (range 0.53 to 38.98 ng/g, for those taken immediately after planting. Two soil samples collected from within an conservation area contained detectable (0.03 and 0.11 ng/g concentrations of clothianidin. Of three drifted snow samples taken, the drift stratum containing the most wind-scoured soil had 0.16 and 0.20 ng/mL mainly clothianidin in the melted snow. The concentration was at the limit of detection (0.02 ng/mL taken across the entire vertical profile. With the exception of one sample, water samples tested had concentrations below those reported to have acute, chronic or sublethal effects to honey bees. Our results suggest that neonicotinoids may move off-target by wind erosion of contaminated soil. These results are informative to risk assessment models for other non-target species in maize

  8. Neonicotinoid Insecticide Residues in Surface Water and Soil Associated with Commercial Maize (Corn) Fields in Southwestern Ontario

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schaafsma, Arthur; Limay-Rios, Victor; Baute, Tracey; Smith, Jocelyn; Xue, Yingen

    2015-01-01

    Neonicotinoid insecticides have come under scrutiny for their potential unintended effects on non-target organisms, particularly pollinators in agro-ecosystems. As part of a larger study of neonicotinoid residues associated with maize (corn) production, 76 water samples within or around the perimeter of 18 commercial maize fields and neighbouring apiaries were collected in 5 maize-producing counties of southwestern Ontario. Residues of clothianidin (mean = 2.28, max. = 43.60 ng/mL) and thiamethoxam (mean = 1.12, max. = 16.50 ng/mL) were detected in 100 and 98.7% of the water samples tested, respectively. The concentration of total neonicotinoid residues in water within maize fields increased six-fold during the first five weeks after planting, and returned to pre-plant levels seven weeks after planting. However, concentrations in water sampled from outside the fields were similar throughout the sampling period. Soil samples from the top 5 cm of the soil profile were also collected in these fields before and immediately following planting. The mean total neonicotinoid residue was 4.02 (range 0.07 to 20.30) ng/g, for samples taken before planting, and 9.94 (range 0.53 to 38.98) ng/g, for those taken immediately after planting. Two soil samples collected from within an conservation area contained detectable (0.03 and 0.11 ng/g) concentrations of clothianidin. Of three drifted snow samples taken, the drift stratum containing the most wind-scoured soil had 0.16 and 0.20 ng/mL mainly clothianidin in the melted snow. The concentration was at the limit of detection (0.02 ng/mL) taken across the entire vertical profile. With the exception of one sample, water samples tested had concentrations below those reported to have acute, chronic or sublethal effects to honey bees. Our results suggest that neonicotinoids may move off-target by wind erosion of contaminated soil. These results are informative to risk assessment models for other non-target species in maize agro

  9. Effects of elevated nitrogen deposition on soil microbial biomass carbon in major subtropical forests of southern China

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Hui WANG; Jiangming MO; Xiankai LU; Jinghua XUE; Jiong LI; Yunting FANG

    2009-01-01

    The effects of elevated nitrogen deposition on soil microbial biomass carbon (C) and extractable dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in three types of forest of southern China were studied in November, 2004 and June, 2006. Plots were established in a pine forest (PF), a mixed pine and broad-leaved forest (MF) and monsoon evergreen broad-leaved forest (MEBF) in the Dinghushan Nature Reserve. Nitrogen treatments included a control (no N addition), low N (50 kg N/(hm2.a)), medium N (100 kg N/ (hm2. a)) and high N (150 kg N/(hm2. a)). Microbial biomass C and extractable DOC were determined using a chloro-form fumigation-extraction method. Results indicate that microbial biomass C and extractable DOC were higher in June, 2006 than in November, 2004 and higher in the MEBF than in the PF or the MF. The response of soil microbial biomass C and extractable DOC to nitrogen deposition varied depending on the forest type and the level of nitrogen treatment. In the PF or MF forests, no significantly different effects of nitrogen addition were found on soil microbial biomass C and extractable DOC. In the MEBF, however, the soil microbial biomass C generally decreased with increased nitrogen levels and high nitrogen addition significantly reduced soil microbial biomass C. The response of soil extractable DOC to added nitrogen in the MEBF shows the opposite trend to soil microbial biomass C. These results suggest that nitrogen deposition may increase the accumulation of soil organic carbon in the MEBF in the study region.

  10. Transport of atrazine and dicamba through silt and loam soils

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tindall, James A.; Friedel, Michael J.

    2016-01-01

    The objectives of this research were to determine the role of preferential flow paths in the transport of atrazine (2-chloro-4-(ethylamino)-6-(isopropylamino)-s-triazine) and dicamba (3-6-dichloro-2-methoxybenzoic acid) through silt and loam soils overlying the High Plains aquifer in Nebraska. In a previous study, 3 of 6 study areas demonstrated high percentages of macropores; those three areas were used in this study for analysis of chemical transport. As a subsequent part of the study, 12 intact soil cores (30-cm diameter by 40-cm height), were excavated sequentially, two from each of the following depths: 0-40cm and 40-80cm. These cores were used to study preferential flow characteristics using dye staining and to determine hydraulic properties. Two undisturbed experimental field plots, each with a 3-m2 surface area, were installed in three study areas in Nebraska. Each was instrumented with suction lysimeters and tensiometers at depths of 10cm to 80cm in 10-cm increments. Additionally, each plot was planted with corn (Zea mays). A neutron probe access tube was installed in each plot to determine soil w ater content at 15-cm intervals. All plots were enclosed w ith a raised frame (of 8-cm height) to prevent surface runoff. All suction lysimeters were purged monthly for three months and were sampled immediately prior to pre-plant herbicide application to obtain background chemical concentrations. Atrazine and dicamba moved rapidly through the soil, but only after a heavy rainfall event, probably owing to the presence of preferential flow paths and lack of microbial degradation in these soil areas. Staining of laboratory cores showed a positive correlation between the percent area stained by depth and the subsequent breakthrough of Br- in the laboratory and leaching of field-applied herbicides owing to large rainfall events. Suction lysimeter samples in the field showed increases in concentrations of herbicides at depths where laboratory data indicated greater

  11. Volatile Discrimination of Irradiated and Fumigated White Ginseng Powders at Different Storage Times and Temperatures Using the Electronic Nose

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kwon, J.H.; Shin, J.A.; Lee, K.T.

    2006-01-01

    The pattern of volatile emissions from white ginseng powders (WGP) that were treated with selected preservatives was investigated during 5-months of storage (at-10 and 25℃) by an electronic nose system equipped with 12 metal-oxide sensors. WGP were treated with gamma radiation at 5 kGy, commercial methyl bromide (MeBr), and phosphine fumigations. Electronic nose differentiated the volatile patterns of the WGP with each different preservative treatment. In addition, each volatile pattern was affected by both storage time (1, 2 and 5 months) and temperature (-10 and 25℃)

  12. A dynamic two-dimensional system for measuring volatile organic compound volatilization and movement in soils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allaire, S E; Yates, S R; Ernst, F F; Gan, J

    2002-01-01

    There is an important need to develop instrumentation that allows better understanding of atmospheric emission of toxic volatile compounds associated with soil management. For this purpose, chemical movement and distribution in the soil profile should be simultaneously monitored with its volatilization. A two-dimensional rectangular soil column was constructed and a dynamic sequential volatilization flux chamber was attached to the top of the column. The flux chamber was connected through a manifold valve to a gas chromatograph (GC) for real-time concentration measurement. Gas distribution in the soil profile was sampled with gas-tight syringes at selected times and analyzed with a GC. A pressure transducer was connected to a scanivalve to automatically measure the pressure distribution in the gas phase of the soil profile. The system application was demonstrated by packing the column with a sandy loam in a symmetrical bed-furrow system. A 5-h furrow irrigation was started 24 h after the injection of a soil fumigant, propargyl bromide (3-bromo-1-propyne; 3BP). The experience showed the importance of measuring lateral volatilization variability, pressure distribution in the gas phase, chemical distribution between the different phases (liquid, gas, and sorbed), and the effect of irrigation on the volatilization. Gas movement, volatilization, water infiltration, and distribution of degradation product (Br-) were symmetric around the bed within 10%. The system saves labor cost and time. This versatile system can be modified and used to compare management practices, estimate concentration-time indexes for pest control, study chemical movement, degradation, and emissions, and test mathematical models.

  13. Profiling secondary metabolites of needles of ozone-fumigated white pine (Pinus strobus) clones by thermally assisted hydrolysis/methylation GC/MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shadkami, F; Helleur, R J; Cox, R M

    2007-07-01

    Plant secondary metabolites have an important role in defense responses against herbivores and pathogens, and as a chemical barrier to elevated levels of harmful air pollutants. This study involves the rapid chemical profiling of phenolic and diterpene resin acids in needles of two (ozone-tolerant and ozone-sensitive) white pine (Pinus strobus) clones, fumigated with different ozone levels (control, and daily events peaking at 80 and 200 ppb) for 40 days. The phenolic and resin acids were measured using thermally assisted hydrolysis and methylation (THM) gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Short-term fumigation affected the levels of two phenolic acids, i.e., 3-hydroxybenzoic and 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acids, in that both showed a substantial decrease in concentration with increased ozone dose. The decrease in concentration of these THM products may be caused by inhibition of the plant's shikimate biochemical pathway caused by ozone exposure. The combined occurrence of these two ozone-sensitive indicators has a role in biomonitoring of ozone levels and its impact on forest productivity. In addition, chromatographic profile differences in the major diterpene resin acid components were observed between ozone-tolerant and ozone-sensitive clones. The resin acids anticopalic, 3-oxoanticopalic, 3beta-hydroxyanticopalic, and 3,4-cycloanticopalic acids were present in the ozone-sensitive pine; however, only anticopalic acid was present in the ozone-tolerant clone. This phenotypic variation in resin acid composition may be useful in distinguishing populations that are differentially adapted to air pollutants.

  14. 75 FR 74714 - DCNA (dicloran), Ziram, Diquat Dibromide, and Chloropicrin; Notice of Receipt of Requests to...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-12-01

    ... III. In a letter dated August 2, 2010, Shadow Mountain Products Corporation requested that EPA amend... fumigation devices. 62531-2 ASHTA Gold Chloropicrin Mushroom casing soil, potting soil, and small area seed.... 45728 Taminco, Inc., 21320 Sweet Clover Place, Ashburn, VA 20147. 58266 Shadow Mountain Products...

  15. Comparative effects of gamma irradiation and ethylene oxide fumigation on some chemical quality of white ginseng powder

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kwon, J.H.; Byun, M.W.; Cho, H.O.; Han, B.H.

    1994-01-01

    Ginseng saponins and proximate components were considerably resistant to both gamma irradiation at less than 10 kGy and commercial ethylene oxide cycle, while sulfur-containing amino acids, reducing sugar, pH, and acidity of white ginseng powder were significantly changed by EO fumigation. The contents of saponins, reducing sugar, pH and acidity were relatively liable to change under the higher relative humidity (90%), especially in the non-treated control sample. However, irradiated samples at optimum-dose range (5 to 10 kGy) depending on the microbial load following airtight packaging showed a good chemical quality for 7 months of storage at 30 pm 2 deg. C irrespective of relative humidity

  16. Effects of long-term elevated CO2 on N2-fixing, denitrifying and nitrifying enzyme activities in forest soils under Pinus sylvestriformis in Changbai Mountain

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    ZHENG Jun-Qiang; HAN Shi-Jie; REN Fei-Rong; ZHOU Yu-Mei; ZHANG Yan

    2008-01-01

    A study was conducted to determine the effects of elevated CO2 on soil N process at Changbai Mountain in Jilin Province,northeastern China (42o24'N,128o06'E,and 738 m elevation).A randomized complete block design of ambient and elevated CO2 was established in an open-top chamber facility in the spring of 1999.Changpai Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris var.sylvestriformis seeds were sowed in May,1999 and CO2 fumigation treatments began after seeds germination.In each year,the exposure started at the end of April and stopped at the end of October.Soil samples were collected in June and August 2006 and in June 2007,and soil nitrifying,denitrifying and N2-fixing enzyme activities were measured.Results show that soil nitrifying enzyme activities (NEA) in the 5-10 cm soil layer were significantly increased at elevated CO2 by 30.3% in June 2006,by 30.9% in August 2006 and by 11.3% in June 2007.Soil denitrifying enzyme activities (DEA) were significantly decreased by elevated CO2 treatment in June 2006 (P < 0.012) and August 2006 (P < 0.005) samplings in our study; no significant difference was detected in June 2007,and no significant changes in N2-fixing enzyme activity were found.This study suggests that elevated CO2 can alter soil nitrifying enzyme and denitrifying enzyme activities.

  17. 推拿配合中药熏蒸治疗陈旧性踝关节扭伤疗效观察%Efficacy observation of combining tuina and Chinese herbal fumigation for chronic ankle sprain

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    陈斌; 张峻峰; 李艳; 吴耀持

    2015-01-01

    Objective:To observe the clinical efficacy of combining tuina and Chinese herbal fumigation for chronic ankle sprain. Methods:A total of 93 cases were randomly allocated into an observation group (n=47) and a control group (n=46) according to the table of random number. Cases in the observation group received tuina combining with Chinese herbal fumigation, whereas cases in the control group received oral blood-circulating and pain-alleviating capsules combining with Chinese herbal fumigation. Both tuina and Chinese herbal fumigation were done once every other day and 10 times made up a course of treatment. The Baird-Jackson ankle scoring system and clinical efficacy were observed after 1 course of treatment. Results:After treatment, except for radiographic findings, there were significant intra-group differences in individual item scores of Baird-Jackson (P Conclusion:Combining Chinese herbal fumigation and tuina based on the muscle region theory can obtain better effect than combining oral blood-circulating and pain-alleviating capsules and Chinese herbal fumigation for chronic ankle sprain.%目的:观察推拿配合中药熏蒸治疗陈旧性踝关节扭伤的临床疗效。方法:将纳入的93例患者根据随机数字表随机分为2组,观察组47例,给予经筋理论指导下推拿配合中药熏蒸治疗;对照组46例,予口服活血止痛药物配合中药熏蒸治疗。推拿和中药熏蒸均隔日1次,10次为1个疗程,治疗1个疗程后观察两组踝关节功能评分(Baird-Jackson)及临床疗效。结果:治疗后,除放射线检查结果外,两组治疗前后Baird-Jackson各项评分均有统计学差异(P<0.05,P<0.01);除踝关节活动度量(range of motion, ROM)外,两组间各项评分及总分差异亦有统计学意义(P<0.01)。观察组优良率为76.6%,对照组优良率为54.4%,两组优良率差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论:经筋理论指导下推拿配合中药熏蒸治疗陈旧性踝关节扭伤的临床效果优于口服活血止痛药物配合中药熏蒸治疗。

  18. Short term recovery of soil physical, chemical, micro- and mesobiological functions in a new vineyard under organic farming

    Science.gov (United States)

    Costantini, E. A. C.; Agnelli, A. E.; Fabiani, A.; Gagnarli, E.; Mocali, S.; Priori, S.; Simoni, S.; Valboa, G.

    2014-12-01

    Deep earthwork activities carried out before vineyard plantation can severely upset soil profile properties. As a result, soil features in the root environment are often much more similar to those of the underlying substratum than those of the original profile. The time needed to recover the original soil functions is ecologically relevant and may strongly affect vine phenology and grape yield, particularly under organic viticulture. The general aim of this work was to investigate soil resilience after vineyard pre-planting earthworks. In particular, an old and a new vineyard, established on the same soil type, were compared over a five year period for soil chemical, physical, micro and mesobiological properties. The investigated vineyards (Vitis vinifera L., cv. Sangiovese) were located in the Chianti Classico district (Central Italy), on stony and calcareous soils and were not irrigated. The older vineyard was planted in 2000, after slope reshaping by bulldozing and back hoe ploughing down to about 0.8-1.0 m. The new vineyard was planted in 2011, after equivalent earthwork practices carried out in the summer of 2009. Both vineyards were organically managed and fertilized only with compost every autumn (1000 kg ha-1 per year). The new vineyard was cultivated by periodic tillage, while the old vineyard was managed with alternating grass-covered and tilled inter-rows. Soil samples were collected at 0-15 cm depth from the same plots of the new and old vineyards, during the springtime from 2010 to 2014. The old vineyard was sampled in both the tilled and the grass-covered swaths. According to the results from physical and chemical analyses, the new vineyard, during the whole 2010-2014 period, showed lower TOC, N, C/N and EC values, along with higher silt and total CaCO3 contents than the old vineyard, suggesting still evolving equilibrium conditions. The microarthropod analysis showed significantly different abundances and communities' structures, in relation to both

  19. Fumigant Antifungal Activity of Myrtaceae Essential Oils and Constituents from Leptospermum petersonii against Three Aspergillus Species

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Il-Kwon Park

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Commercial plant essential oils obtained from 11 Myrtaceae plant species were tested for their fumigant antifungal activity against Aspergillus ochraceus, A. flavus, and A. niger. Essential oils extracted from Leptospermum petersonii at air concentrations of 56 × 10−3 mg/mL and 28 × 10−3 mg/mL completely inhibited the growth of the three Aspergillus species. However, at an air concentration of 14 × 10−3 mg/mL, inhibition rates of L. petersonii essential oils were reduced to 20.2% and 18.8% in the case of A. flavus and A. niger, respectively. The other Myrtaceae essential oils (56 × 10−3 mg/mL only weakly inhibited the fungi or had no detectable affect. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis identified 16 compounds in L. petersonii essential oil. The antifungal activity of the identified compounds was tested individually by using standard or synthesized compounds. Of these, neral and geranial inhibited growth by 100%, at an air concentration of 56 × 10−3 mg/mL, whereas the activity of citronellol was somewhat lover (80%. The other compounds exhibited only moderate or weak antifungal activity. The antifungal activities of blends of constituents identified in L. petersonii oil indicated that neral and geranial were the major contributors to the fumigant and antifungal activities.

  20. Photosynthesis, chloroplast pigments, and antioxidants in Pinus canariensis under free-air ozone fumigation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Then, Ch.; Herbinger, K.; Luis, V.C.; Heerdt, C.; Matyssek, R.; Wieser, G.

    2009-01-01

    High O 3 levels, driving uptake and challenging defense, prevail on the Canary Islands, being associated with the hot and dry summers of the Mediterranean-type climate. Pinus canariensis is an endemic conifer species that forms forests across these islands. We investigated the effects of ozone on photosynthesis and biochemical parameters of P. canariensis seedlings exposed to free-air O 3 fumigation at Kranzberg Forest, Germany, where ambient O 3 levels were similar to those at forest sites in the Canary Islands. The twice-ambient O 3 regime (2xO 3 ) neither caused visible injury-like chlorotic or necrotic spots in the needles nor significantly affected violaxanthin, antheraxanthin and zeaxanthin levels and the de-epoxidation state of the xanthophyll cycle. In parallel, stomatal conductance for water vapour, net photosynthesis, intercellular CO 2 concentration, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, as well as antioxidant levels were hardly affected. It is concluded that presently prevailing O 3 levels do not impose severe stress on P. canariensis seedlings. - Twice-ambient ozone does not significantly affect the physiological behavior of Pinus canariensis seedlings

  1. 76 FR 5483 - Hazardous Materials: Incorporation of Certain Cargo Tank Special Permits Into Regulations

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-02-01

    ... are used to supply LPG fuel to farmers for crop drying, crop irrigation, flame weeding, plant..., applicators use soil fumigants primarily on high value crops, such as vegetables, fruits, and ornamentals...

  2. 76 FR 71271 - Common Crop Insurance Regulations; Fresh Market Tomato (Dollar Plan) Crop Provisions

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-11-17

    ... to add ``strawberries'' in section 9(b)(3) to the list of crops that require soil fumigation before planting fresh market tomatoes. Strawberries are susceptible to nematode damage and pose the same risk of... sections 9(b)(1) and (2)), peppers, eggplants, strawberries or tobacco have been grown and the soil was not...

  3. Fumigant Toxicity of some Essential Oils on Adults of some Stored-Product Pests Toxicidad Fumigante de Algunos Aceites Esenciales sobre Adultos de algunas Plagas de Productos Almacenados

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Mahmoudvand

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Plant materials with insecticidal properties have been traditionally used for generations in some parts of the world. In this study, fumigant toxicity of some essential oils extracted from Rosmarinus officinalis L., Mentha pulegium L., Zataria multiflora, and Citrus sinensis (L. Osbeck var. hamlin on adults of stored-product pests, including Tribolium castaneum, Sitophilus granarius, Callosobruchus maculatus, and Plodia interpunctella were investigated. Pure essential oils were used in glass vials for the bioassay. LC50 values of Citrus sinensis var. hamlin against T. castaneum, S. granarius, and C. maculatus were 391.28, 367.75, and 223.48 µL L-1 air after 24 h, 362.40, 20.45, and 207.17 µL L-1 air after 48 h, respectively. Furthermore, LC50 values of the fumigant test of C. sinensis and M. pulegium essential oils against S. granarius were 0.038 and 367.75 µL L-1 air after 24 h, 0.025 and 320.45 µL L-1 air after 48 h, respectively. On the other hand, LC50 values of R. officinalis and Z. multiflora on P. interpunctella moths were 0.93 and 1.75 µL L-1 after 24 h. Results showed that among tested essential oils, C. sinensis var. hamlin had good fumigant toxicity on T. castaneum, S. granarius, and C. maculatus. In addition, M. pulegium essential oil was stronger than C. sinensis var. hamlin on S. granarius. Results also indicated that both Z. multiflora and R. officinalis had fumigant toxicity on P. interpunctella adults. In summary, results indicated that these essential oils have good fumigant toxicity on stored-product pests.Materiales vegetales con propiedades insecticidas han sido usados tradicionalmente por generaciones en algunas partes del mundo. En este estudio se estudió la toxicidad fumigante de algunos aceites esenciales extraídos desde Rosmarinus officinalis L., Mentha pulegium L., Zataria multiflora y Citrus sinensis (L. Osbeck var. hamlin sobre adultos de plagas de productos almacenados, incluyendo Tribolium castaneum

  4. Buffer Zone Fact Sheets

    Science.gov (United States)

    New requirements for buffer zones and sign posting contribute to soil fumigant mitigation and protection for workers and bystanders. The buffer provides distance between the pesticide application site and bystanders, reducing exposure risk.

  5. Soil respiration in northern forests exposed to elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide and ozone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pregitzer, Kurt; Loya, Wendy; Kubiske, Mark; Zak, Donald

    2006-06-01

    The aspen free-air CO2 and O3 enrichment (FACTS II-FACE) study in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, USA, is designed to understand the mechanisms by which young northern deciduous forest ecosystems respond to elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and elevated tropospheric ozone (O3) in a replicated, factorial, field experiment. Soil respiration is the second largest flux of carbon (C) in these ecosystems, and the objective of this study was to understand how soil respiration responded to the experimental treatments as these fast-growing stands of pure aspen and birch + aspen approached maximum leaf area. Rates of soil respiration were typically lowest in the elevated O3 treatment. Elevated CO2 significantly stimulated soil respiration (8-26%) compared to the control treatment in both community types over all three growing seasons. In years 6-7 of the experiment, the greatest rates of soil respiration occurred in the interaction treatment (CO2 + O3), and rates of soil respiration were 15-25% greater in this treatment than in the elevated CO2 treatment, depending on year and community type. Two of the treatments, elevated CO2 and elevated CO2 + O3, were fumigated with 13C-depleted CO2, and in these two treatments we used standard isotope mixing models to understand the proportions of new and old C in soil respiration. During the peak of the growing season, C fixed since the initiation of the experiment in 1998 (new C) accounted for 60-80% of total soil respiration. The isotope measurements independently confirmed that more new C was respired from the interaction treatment compared to the elevated CO2 treatment. A period of low soil moisture late in the 2003 growing season resulted in soil respiration with an isotopic signature 4-6 per thousand enriched in 13C compared to sample dates when the percentage soil moisture was higher. In 2004, an extended period of low soil moisture during August and early September, punctuated by a significant rainfall event, resulted in soil

  6. Changes of main secondary metabolites in leaves of Ginkgo biloba in response to ozone fumigation

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    HE Xingyuan; HUANG Wei; CHEN Wei; DONG Tian; LIU Changbing; CHEN Zhenju; XU Sheng; RUAN Yanan

    2009-01-01

    To investigate the effect of elevated O3 on the accumulation of main secondary metabolites in leaves of Ginkgo biloba L., four-year-old trees were exposed in open-top chambers with ambient air and the air with twice ambient O3 concentration in Shenyang in 2006.Elevated O3 increased the concentrations of terpenes, but decreased the concentrations of phenolics in G.biloba leaves.The results showed that secondary compounds from G.biloba leaves responded to the elevated O3 exposure in a different way when compared to previous studies which showed elevated O3 increased the concentrations of phenolics but had no effect on the terpenes in leaves of other deciduous trees.Furthermore, reduced synthesis of phenolics may decrease the resistance of G.biloba to O3 and other environmental factors.On the other hand, the induced synthesis of terpenes may enhance the antioxidant abilities in G.biloba leaves at the end of O3 fumigation.

  7. Film Permeability Determination Using Static Permeability Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    The permeability of tarps to soil fumigant pesticides varies depending on the active ingredient chemical: dimethyl disulfide (DMDS), methyl bromide, chloropicrin, or other. The diffusion rate can be represented by the mass transfer coefficient (MTC).

  8. Phosphatase activity in sandy soil influenced by mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal cover crops

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alceu Kunze

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Cover crops may difffer in the way they affect rhizosphere microbiota nutrient dynamics. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal cover crops on soil phosphatase activity and its persistence in subsequent crops. A three-year experiment was carried out with a Typic Quartzipsamment. Treatments were winter species, either mycorrhizal black oat (Avena strigosa Schreb or the non-mycorrhizal species oilseed radish (Raphanus sativus L. var. oleiferus Metzg and corn spurry (Spergula arvensis L.. The control treatment consisted of resident vegetation (fallow in the winter season. In the summer, a mixture of pearl millet (Pennisetum americanum L. with sunnhemp (Crotalaria juncea L. or with soybean (Glycine max L. was sown in all plots. Soil cores (0-10 cm and root samples were collected in six growing seasons (winter and summer of each year. Microbial biomass P was determined by the fumigation-extraction method and phosphatase activity using p-nitrophenyl-phosphate as enzyme substrate. During the flowering stage of the winter cover crops, acid phosphatase activity was 30-35 % higher in soils with the non-mycorrhizal species oilseed radish, than in the control plots, regardless of the amount of P immobilized in microbial biomass. The values of enzyme activity were intermediate in the plots with corn spurry and black oat. Alkaline phosphatase activity was 10-fold lower and less sensitive to the treatments, despite the significant relationship between the two phosphatase activities. The effect of plant species on the soil enzyme profile continued in the subsequent periods, during the growth of mycorrhizal summer crops, after completion of the life cycle of the cover crops.

  9. Short-term recovery of soil physical, chemical, micro- and mesobiological functions in a new vineyard under organic farming

    Science.gov (United States)

    Costantini, E. A. C.; Agnelli, A. E.; Fabiani, A.; Gagnarli, E.; Mocali, S.; Priori, S.; Simoni, S.; Valboa, G.

    2015-06-01

    Deep earthwork activities carried out before vineyard plantation can severely affect soil profile properties. As a result, soil features in the root environment are often much more similar to those of the underlying substratum than those of the original profile. The time needed to recover the original soil functions is ecologically relevant and may strongly affect vine phenology and grape yield, particularly under organic viticulture. The general aim of this work was to investigate soil resilience after vineyard pre-planting earthworks. In particular, an old and a new vineyard, established on the same soil type, were compared over a 5-year period for soil chemical, physical, micro- and mesobiological properties. The investigated vineyards (Vitis vinifera L., cv. Sangiovese) were located in the Chianti Classico district (central Italy), on stony and calcareous soils, and were not irrigated. The older vineyard was planted in 2000, after slope reshaping by bulldozing and back-hoe ploughing down to about 0.8-1.0 m. The new vineyard was planted in 2011, after equivalent earthwork practices carried out in the summer of 2009. Both vineyards were organically managed, and they were fertilized with compost only every autumn (1000 kg ha-1 per year). The new vineyard was cultivated by periodic tillage, while the old vineyard was managed with alternating grass-covered and tilled inter-rows. Soil samples were collected at 0-15 cm depth from fixed locations in each vineyard every spring from 2010 to 2014. The old vineyard was sampled in both tilled and grass-covered inter-rows. According to the results from physical and chemical analyses, the new vineyard, during the whole 2010-2014 period, showed lower total organic carbon, total nitrogen, carbon to nitrogen ratio and electrical conductivity, along with higher silt and total CaCO3 contents than the old vineyard, suggesting still-evolving equilibrium conditions. The microarthropod analysis showed significantly different

  10. Calculating Buffer Zones: A Guide for Applicators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buffer zones provide distance between the application block (i.e., edge of the treated field) and bystanders, in order to control pesticide exposure risk from soil fumigants. Distance requirements may be reduced by credits such as tarps.

  11. Nitrate reduction by fungi in marine oxygen-depleted laboratory microcosms

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Manohar, C.S.; Raghukumar, C.

    in terrestrial soils (Laughlin et al. 2009). Studies on denitrification in wetlands indicate that both bacteria and fungi contribute significantly to denitrification under reducing conditions. However, fungal denitrification might well be of greater ecological... such as grassland soil (Laughlin and Stevens 2002), fumigated soil (Spokas et al. 2006) and woodland (Castaldi and Smith 1998). Mixed cultures of the fungus Fusarium oxysporum and the bacterium Pseudomonas stutzeri (Lehmann and Neumann) Sijderius under anaerobic...

  12. AN EXPERIMENTAL NOX REDUCTION POTENTIAL INVESTIGATION OF THE PARTIAL HCCI APPLICATION, ON A HIGH PRESSURE FUEL INJECTION EQUIPPED DIESEL ENGINE BY IMPLEMENTING FUMIGATION OF GASOLINE PORT INJECTION

    OpenAIRE

    ERGENÇ, Alp Tekin; YÜKSEK, Levent; ÖZENER, Orkun; IŞIN, Övün

    2016-01-01

    This work investigates the effects of partial HCCI (Homogeneous charge compression ignition) application on today's modern diesel engine tail pipe NOx emissions. Gasoline fumigation is supplied via a port fuel injection system located in the intake port of DI(Direct injection) diesel engine to maintain partial HCCI conditions and also diesel fuel injected directly into the combustion chamber before TDC(Top dead center). A single cylinder direct injection diesel research engine equipped w...

  13. Effect of air pollution on agricultural and forest crops. I

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Matsushima, J

    1971-10-01

    Indirect and direct effects of air pollutants on agricultural and forest crops are discussed. Pollutants can cause changes in the quality of pesticides, imbalances in the nutritional makeup of crops, and other effects in the soil. Past studies have shown that there is a definite correlation between the germ induced blight of pine trees and the concentration of sulfur dioxide in air. Infestation of pine insects and the degree of oxidant in the air also have close relationships. The final cause for blight of pines is often the work of insects such as western pine beetles and mountain pine beetles, but the insects attack trees that are already weakened by oxidant. Orange trees sprayed with pesticide were fumigated in SO/sub 2/. Control trees showed a marked state of good health in comparison to the fumigated trees. However, the relationship and mechanism of the pesticide and SO/sub 2/ are controlled by a complex set of factors. Lime and sulfur compound pesticides also affect citrus trees when SO/sub 2/ is present. Trees sprayed during winter in conjunction with SO/sub 2/ fumigation show a heavy shedding of leaves. The SO/sub 2/ accumulation in soil and plant in the form of acidity or sulfur result in increases of potassium, calcium, or magnesium, depending on the type of produce. Direct effects of SO/sub 2/ are discussed based on the mathematical formula of Thomas, and invisible damages caused by winter fumigation in SO/sub 2/ such as deterioration of growth and photosynthesis are discussed.

  14. Rhizosphere bacterial carbon turnover is higher in nucleic acids than membrane lipids: implications for understanding soil carbon cycling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ashish A. Malik

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Using a pulse-chase 13CO2 plant labeling experiment we compared the flow of plant carbon into macromolecular fractions of root-associated soil microorganisms. Time dependent 13C dilution patterns in microbial cellular fractions were used to calculate their turnover time. The turnover times of microbial biomolecules were found to vary: microbial RNA (19 h and DNA (30 h turned over fastest followed by chloroform fumigation extraction-derived soluble cell lysis products (14 d, while phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs had the slowest turnover (42 d. PLFA/NLFA 13C analyses suggest that both mutualistic arbuscular mycorrhizal and saprophytic fungi are dominant in initial plant carbon uptake. In contrast, high initial 13C enrichment in RNA hints at bacterial importance in initial C uptake due to the dominance of bacterial derived RNA in total extracts of soil RNA. To explain this discrepancy, we observed low renewal rate of bacterial lipids, which may therefore bias lipid fatty acid based interpretations of the role of bacteria in soil microbial food webs. Based on our findings, we question current assumptions regarding plant-microbe carbon flux and suggest that the rhizosphere bacterial contribution to plant assimilate uptake could be higher. This highlights the need for more detailed quantitative investigations with nucleic acid biomarkers to further validate these findings.

  15. Original Article. Efficacy of electrospun bionanofibers as fumigant pesticides in foodstuff storage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Allahvaisi Somaye

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Essential oils as alternative synthetic pesticides for pest management of foodstuffs have recently received increased attention. Controlled and slow release formulations of essential oils are used to enhance their efficiency. Two volatile essential oils of Mentha piperita L. and Salvia officinalis L. were investigated for release rate and mortality percentage by fumigant toxicity against 1st instar larvae of Plodia interpunctella. Electrospinning was used to incorporate various concentrations of essential oils in nanofibers. The essential oils can be released from the nanofibers for long periods of time, from several days to several weeks. Poly(lactic acid was used as a green polymer carrier and the essential oils were incorporated into the nanofibers (8-15v/v% PLA. Insecticidal bioassay revealed that oil-loaded nanofibers (NFOs were more toxic than pure essential oils (PEOs against tested larvae. The LC50 and LT50 of NFOs were 1.2 and 4 times, respectively, more than PEOs. Our results indicated that PEOs completely lost their insecticidal activity after 14 days, whereas at the same period, NFOs had an average of 93% mortality when applied against P. interpunctella. Therefore, it can be concluded that nanofibers improved the persistence of the oil. This study presents S. officinalis has more toxicity and M. piperita had more persistence for controlling the larvae of indian meal moth.

  16. Management of Fusarium corm rot of gladiolus (Gladiolus ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    USER

    2010-07-26

    Jul 26, 2010 ... this disease, the problem is still widespread (Roebroeck and Mes ... factor in triggering regulatory restrictions on the use of soil fumigants. ... for 45 min and packed in transparent polythene bags (40 x 28 cm) whose open ends ...

  17. Buffer Zone Sign Template

    Science.gov (United States)

    The certified pesticide applicator is required to post a comparable sign, designating a buffer zone around the soil fumigant application block in order to control exposure risk. It must include the don't walk symbol, product name, and applicator contact.

  18. Evaluation of microbial biomass C and N content of the soils cultivated with vetch (Vicia sativa L. and alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    İlyas Bolat

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Legume forage crops have the ability of retaining free nitrogen in the air through symbiotic Rhizobium bacteria found in their roots. Additionally, microbial biomass (MB–an essential living component of soil and a significant factor influencing plant nutrient dynamics–is considered to be accurate indicator of soil’s biological condition. Given the aforementioned aspects, soil MB C (Cmic and MB N (Nmic of different legume forage crops were investigated in this study. Soil samples were taken in order to identify certain physical and chemical characteristics of the soil using volume cylinders (0 – 6.5 cm depth from Vicia sativa L. (VSP and Medicago sativa L. planted (MSP areas. To determine the Cmic and Nmic contents, topsoil samples were also taken from 0 – 6.5 cm depth. Cmic and Nmic contents were identified using chloroform – fumigation – extraction method. There was no statistical significance for particle density, bulk density, electrical conductivity, CaCO3 %, and decomposition ratio (Corg/Ntotal of the VSP and MSP soil (P > 0.05. However, some other soil characteristics such as temperature, porosity, sand, silt and clay contents, pH, organic C and total N differed significantly (P < 0.05. Compared to VSP soil, the Cmic contents were determined to be 27 % higher (P < 0.05 in MSP soil. In VSP soil, the soil Nmic content ranged from 83.38 µg g-1 to 124.67 µg g-1, while it ranged from 91.62 µg g-1 to 187.07 µg g-1 in MSP soil. The Nmic content of the MSP soil was observed to be approximately 35 % higher than VSP soil, and a statistically significant difference (P < 0.05 was noticed between the two. Moreover, a significant positive correlation was found not only between the Cmic and organic C contents (r = 0.667; P < 0.05 but also between the Nmic and total N contents of MSP and VSP soil (r = 0.881; P < 0.01. The results of the study revealed that soil Cmic and Nmic values differ as the types of planted legume forage crops

  19. Determination of air movement in stored grain as a factor in dynamic dispersion and distribution patterns of gaseous pesticides (fumigants).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berck, B

    1975-05-01

    The new research reported herein was motivated by variations in distribution-persistence patterns of fumigant residues (BERCK, 1974). The current developmental program is still underway. In the meantime, measurement of picoliter amounts of SF6 in air by GC equipped with a Ni63 EC detector has been proven useful over an airflow range of 10(-4) to 50 mph, representing a factor of 500,000 in differences in air velocity. Diverse applications have been outlined herein. This is the first case on record where measurement of unassisted airflow in the interstitial air of stored grain has been successfully executed, and which enabled determination of airflow speeds in the range of 0.5 to 7.5 times 10(-4) mph (=3 to 45 inches per hour).

  20. Digestate and ash as alternatives to conventional fertilisers: Benefits and threats to soil biota

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marshall, Rachel; Lag-Brotons, Alfonso J.; Herbert, Ben; Hurst, Lois; Ostle, Nick; Dodd, Ian C.; Quinton, John; Surridge, Ben; Aiouache, Farid; Semple, Kirk T.

    2017-04-01

    Recovering energy and nutrients from waste offers opportunities to tackle issues of energy and food security whilst simultaneously improving waste management. Waste materials from the bioenergy industry potentially contain valuable resources for use in agriculture and there is growing evidence to suggest that the use of digestate, from anaerobic digestion, and biomass ash from incineration processes could contribute to improving soil health and nutrition. The work presented here is part of the Adding Value to Ash and Digestate (AVAnD) project which looks at the impacts of digestate and ash blends on soil fertility, crop yields and soil health. Whilst increased crop productivity is one of the essential indicators of the success of these alternative soil amendments; it is important that the impacts on soil biological function is understood. Field and lab experiments were conducted with a number of different fertiliser treatments, including conventional fertiliser (urea and superphosphate), digestate from two contrasting feedstocks, ash material and ash-digestate blends. Looking across different biological scales from soil microbe to soil macro-fauna, this work examines the benefits and threats to soil biota arising from the use of ash-digestate fertilisers in agriculture. Measurements of microbial respiration and biomass (by chloroform fumigation) and community composition (by phospholipid fatty acid analysis) were made at different timescales (days/weeks). Data from these studies demonstrates that none of the soil amendments decreased microbial activity or biomass in the short term (t= 1 month). Additions of both conventional fertilisers and the fertilisers derived from waste stimulated microbial activity with significantly higher respiration observed from the digestate based treatments. Digestate-based treatments also resulted in higher soil microbial biomass and differential effects were observed between digestate amendments with and without ash. These results

  1. The soils of Champaign are still alive. An assessment of socio-ecological co-evolution in viticulture using DPSIR framework.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nicolai, Annegret; Cluzeau, Daniel; Descotes, Arnaud; Georget, Cédric; Chaussod, Rémi; Nouaim-Chaussod, Rachida; Peres, Guénola; Guernion, Muriel; Cylly, Daniel; Rougé, Laurence; Garcia, Olivier; Panigai, Laurent; Moncomble, Dominique

    2016-04-01

    Conventional agricultural practices have lead to a loss of ecosystem services, such as soil fertility and soil integrity, water quality, and carbon storage. The importance of soil health to sustain agriculture in the future has raised sociological and political awareness. Wine growers in the Champaign have been the top one users of pesticides in France, and soils were declared by media "being dead" in the 1980ies. Using the DPSIR framework (Driving forces, Pressure, State, Impact, Response circle) we show the mechanism for the evolution of practices in viticulture between 1990 and 2010 in this region. The observed change from 90% to 33% conventional pesticide use is the result of the interaction between scientists and stakeholders via impact studies and technical advices, thereby modulating socio-economic driving forces. Until 1995, 100% of newly planted vineyard were subjected to fumigation by nematicides which represented the highest pressure in Champaign observed through the negative impact on Lombricidae biomass and diversity as well as on aging of vine. In response, a first warning message was published in 1993 in the Professional Technical Guide for Champaign's Viticulture followed by systematic yearly recommendation of alternative practices, such as 3 years of fallow before plantation. The increased fear of economic losses for vine farmers drove the nematicide treatment gradually down to 1% in 2010. The restoration of the soil's biological activities was observed progressively since 2000, associated to an improvement in ecosystem services. The assessment of Champaign's viticulture show, how studying and communicating indicators within a DPSIR framework at a regional scale allow for a directed evolution of management measures in socio-ecosystems.

  2. Crop-Specific Grafting Methods, Rootstocks and Scheduling-Tomato

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grafting has gained popularity as a method to manage plant diseases previously controlled by soil fumigation with methyl bromide. Some of the most significant soilborne pest problems for which resistant rootstocks may be beneficial include root-knot nematodes, Verticillium wilt, and southern blight....

  3. Control of Globodera spp. using Brassica juncea seed meal and seed meal extract

    Science.gov (United States)

    The eradication program for the potato cyst nematode, Globodera pallida, revolves around the use of soil fumigation. Alternative, integrated strategies are needed to continue to battle this invasive nematode. Laboratory, greenhouse, and field experiments were conducted with G. pallida and another cy...

  4. Comparative effects of gamma irradiation and ethylene oxide fumigation on sorption properties and microbiological quality of white ginseng powder

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kwon, J.H.; Byun, M.W.; Lee, S.J.

    1994-01-01

    The microbial populations of exportable and domestic white ginseng powders, which have been problems in quality control, were higher than the legally-permissive level of microorganisms as 5x10 4 g in total bacteria and as negative coliforms. Various microorganisms contaminated in the sample were effectively decontaminated by gamma irradiation at below 10 kGy as well as ethylene oxide (EO) fumigation. The radiosensitivity of microorganisms was the highest in coliforms, followed by molds and aerobic bacteria (D 10 : 1.25 kGy). The good microbiological quality could be retained in white ginseng powders for more than 7 months of storage at 30 per mille 2 deg. C irrespective of relative humidities if products are prepared with a lower moisture content below 10% and treated by gamma irradiation at 5 to 10 kGy in an airtight packaging

  5. Simultaneous ozone fumigation and fluoranthene sprayed as mists negatively affected cherry tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oguntimehin, Ilemobayo; Eissa, Fawzy; Sakugawa, Hiroshi

    2010-07-01

    Ozone (O(3)) fumigated at 120 microg L(-1) for 12 hd(-1) was combined with 10 microM fluoranthene, and other treatments, including Mannitol solution to investigate the interaction of the two pollutants on tomato plant (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill). Using ten treatments including Mannitol solution and a control, exposure experiment was conducted for 34 d inside six growth chambers used for monitoring the resulted ecophysiological changes. Visible foliar injury, chlorophyll a fluorescence, leaf pigment contents, CO(2) uptake and water vapor exchange were monitored in tomato. Ozone or fluoranthene independently affected some ecophysiological traits of the tomato. In addition, simultaneous treatments with the duo had increased (additive) negative effects on the photosynthesis rate (A(max)), stomatal conductance (g(s)), chlorophyll pigment contents (Chl a, Chl b and Chl((a+b))) and visible foliar symptoms. Contrarily, alleviation of the negative effects of O(3) on the leaf chlorophyll a fluorescence variables by fluoranthene occurred. Mannitol solution, which functioned as a reactive oxygen species scavenger was able to mitigate some negative effects of the two pollutants on the tomato plants. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Soft rot decay capabilities and interactions of fungi and bacteria from fumigated utility poles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, C.J.K.; Worrall, J.J.

    1992-11-01

    The objectives were to (1) identify microfungi and bacterial associates isolated from fumigated southern pine poles from EPRI project RP 1471-72, (2) study the soft-rot capabilities of predominant fungi, and (3) study interactions among microorganisms in relation to wood decay. Methods for identification followed standard techniques using morphological and physiological criteria. Soft-rot by microfungi alone and with bacteria was determined as weight loss and anatomical examination of wood blocks using light microscopy and limited electron microscopy. Acinetobacter calcoaceticus was the predominant bacterium. Twenty-one species of microfungi were identified including four new species. A book entitled IDENTIFICATION MANUAL FOR FUNGI FROM UTILITY POLES IN THE EASTERN UNITED STATES was published. An improved soft-rot test was devised. Fifty-one of 84 species (60%) of microfungi from poles tested were soft-rot positive; that is much greater than previously reported. Three types of anatomical damage of wood of pine or birch caused by soft-rot fungi were described. Interaction tests showed that, in some cases, there was a strong synergism between bacteria and fungi in causing weight loss, but results were inconsistent. Although soft rot is often most apparent under conditions of very high moisture, intermediate moisture levels appear to be optimal, as with basidiomycete decayers

  7. Effect of sequential surface irrigations on field-scale emissions of 1,3-dichloropropene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yates, S R; Knuteson, J; Ernst, F F; Zheng, W; Wang, Q

    2008-12-01

    A field experiment was conducted to measure subsurface movement and volatilization of 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D) after shank injection to an agricultural soil. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of sprinkler irrigation on the emissions of 1,3-D to the atmosphere and is based on recent research that has shown that saturating the soil pore space reduces gas-phase diffusion and leads to reduced volatilization rates. Aerodynamic, integrated horizontal flux, and theoretical profile shape methods were used to estimate fumigant volatilization rates and total emission losses. These methods provide estimates of the volatilization rate based on measurements of wind speed, temperature, and 1,3-D concentration in the atmosphere. The volatilization rate was measured continuously for 16 days, and the daily peak volatilization rates for the three methods ranged from 18 to 60 microg m(-2) s(-1). The total 13-D mass entering the atmosphere was approximately 44-68 kg ha(-1), or 10-15% of the applied active ingredient This represents approximately 30-50% reduction in the total emission losses compared to conventional fumigant applications in field and field-plot studies. Significant reduction in volatilization of 1,3-D was observed when five surface irrigations were applied to the field, one immediately after fumigation followed by daily irrigations.

  8. Quantifying Residues from Postharvest Propylene Oxide Fumigation of Almonds and Walnuts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jimenez, Leonel R; Hall, Wiley A; Rodriquez, Matthew S; Cooper, William J; Muhareb, Jeanette; Jones, Tom; Walse, Spencer S

    2015-01-01

    A novel analytical approach involving solvent extraction with methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) followed by GC was developed to quantify residues that result from the postharvest fumigation of almonds and walnuts with propylene oxide (PPO). Verification and quantification of PPO, propylene chlorohydrin (PCH) [1-chloropropan-2-ol (PCH-1) and 2-chloropropan-1-ol (PCH-2)], and propylene bromohydrin (PBH) [1-bromopropan-2-ol (PBH-1) and 2-bromopropan-1-ol (PBH-2)] was accomplished with a combination of electron impact ionization MS (EIMS), negative ion chemical ionization MS (NCIMS), and electron capture detection (ECD). Respective GC/EIMS LOQs for PPO, PCH-1, PCH-2, PBH-1, and PBH-2 in MTBE extracts were [ppm (μg/g nut)] 0.9, 2.1, 2.5, 30.3, and 50.0 for almonds and 0.8, 2.2, 2.02, 41.6, and 45.7 for walnuts. Relative to GC/EIMS, GC-ECD analyses resulted in no detection of PPO, similar detector responses for PCH isomers, and >100-fold more sensitive detection of PBH isomers. NCIMS did not enhance detection of PBH isomers relative to EIMS and was, respectively, approximately 20-, 5-, and 10-fold less sensitive to PPO, PCH-1, and PCH-2. MTBE extraction efficiencies were >90% for all analytes. The 10-fold concentration of MTBE extracts yielded recoveries of 85-105% for the PBH isomers and a concomitant decrease in LODs and LOQs across detector types. The recoveries of PCH isomers and PPO in the MTBE concentrate were relatively low (approximately 50 to 75%), which confound improvements in LODs and LOQs regardless of detector type.

  9. Effects of midas® on nematodes in commercial floriculture production in Florida.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kokalis-Burelle, Nancy; Rosskopf, Erin N; Albano, Joseph P; Holzinger, John

    2010-03-01

    Cut flower producers currently have limited options for nematode control. Four field trials were conducted in 2006 and 2007 to evaluate Midas® (iodomethane:chloropicrin 50:50) for control of root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne arenaria) on Celosia argentea var. cristata in a commercial floriculture production field in southeastern Florida. Midas (224 kg/ha) was compared to methyl bromide:chloropicrin (98:2, 224 kg/ha), and an untreated control. Treatments were evaluated for effects on Meloidogyne arenaria J2 and free-living nematodes in soil through each season, and roots at the end of each season. Plant growth and root disease were also assessed. Population levels of nematodes isolated from soil were highly variable in all trials early in the season, and generally rebounded by harvest, sometimes to higher levels in fumigant treatments than in the untreated control. Although population levels of nematodes in soil were not significantly reduced during the growing season, nematodes in roots and galling at the end of the season were consistently reduced with both methyl bromide and Midas compared to the untreated control. Symptoms of phytotoxicity were observed in Midas treatments during the first year and were attributed to Fe toxicity. Fertilization was adjusted during the second year to investigate potential fumigant/fertilizer interactions. Interactions occurred at the end of the fourth trial between methyl bromide and fertilizers with respect to root-knot nematode J2 isolated from roots and galling. Fewer J2 were isolated from roots treated with a higher level of Fe (3.05%) in the form of Fe sucrate, and galling was reduced in methyl bromide treated plots treated with this fertilizer compared to Fe EDTA. Reduced galling was also seen with Midas in Fe sucrate fertilized plots compared to Fe EDTA. This research demonstrates the difficulty of reducing high root-knot nematode population levels in soil in subtropical conditions in production fields that have been

  10. Variações nos métodos de aplicação dos herbicidas Diuron e Tripluralin na cultura do algodoeiro Methods of application of the herbicides Diuron and Trifluralin in cotton

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aldo Alves

    1967-01-01

    Full Text Available Foram estudados os efeitos das variações nos métodos de aplicação dos herbicidas Diuron e Trifluralin na cultura algodoeira, para verificar sua eficiência no combate às ervas daninhas. O tratamento Trifluralin aplicado em pré-plantio incorporado, provocou excelente combate às ervas daninhas gramíneas, porém irrisória redução da população das dicotiledôneas. A aplicação de Trifluralin em pré-plantio incorporado e a de Diuron em pré-emergência, aumentaram consideravelmente a área de contrôle nos dois grupos de ervas más. O tratamento Diuron aplicado em pré-emergência foi bastante efetivo no combate às ervas de "fôlhas largas", enquanto que no combate às gramineas não foi tão eficiente. O incorporação do Diuron, aplicado em pré-plantio, não aumentou a eficiência do produto químico. A redução da dose de Diuron em pré-plantio incorporado ou em pré-emergência não proporcionou combate adequado às ervas más.1 - An experiment to study the various modalities of the application of the herbicides diuron and trifluralin in cotton plantings was carried out in purple latosol soil, Chapadão series. The two herbicides were applied in various doses and at different times. The most common weeds in the trial area were capim pé-de-galinha (goosegrass, capim carrapicho (sandbur, capim colchão (crabgrass, beldroega (purslane, carraplcho de carneiro, and poaia. 2 - The effectiveness of diuron (1.60 kg/ha, applied pre-planting, was not increased by incorporation into the soil. The control of weeds was efficient, but the yield was inferior to that of plots without incorporation. Of the weeds that survived the treatment, a predominance of grass species was noted. Some of the cotton leaves turned yellow in plots that received this herbicide, but this chlorosis was temporary and the plants regained their normal color within a few weeks. The tolerance of cotton for the treatments did not appear to be affected by the method of

  11. Evaluation of potential human health effects associated with the agricultural uses of 1,3-D: Spatial and temporal stochastic risk analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Driver, Jeffrey H; Price, Paul S; Van Wesenbeeck, Ian; Ross, John H; Gehen, Sean; Holden, Larry R; Landenberger, Bryce; Hastings, Kerry; Yan, Zhongyu June; Rasoulpour, Reza

    2016-11-15

    Dow AgroSciences (DAS) markets and sells 1,3-Dichloropropene (1,3-D), the active ingredient in Telone®, which is used as a pre-plant soil fumigant nematicide in economically important crops in California. 1,3-D has been regulated as a "probable human carcinogen" and the California Department of Pesticide Regulation limits use of 1,3-D based on human health risk assessments for bystanders. This paper presents a risk characterization for bystanders based on advances in the assessment of both exposure and hazard. The revised bystander risk assessment incorporates significant advances: 1) new data on residency duration and mobility in communities where 1,3-D is in high demand; 2) new information on spatial and temporal concentrations of 1,3-D in air based on multi-year modeling using a validated model; and 3) a new stochastic spatial and temporal model of long-term exposures. Predicted distributions of long-term, chronic exposures indicate that current, and anticipated uses of 1,3-D would result in lifetime average daily doses lower than 0.002mg/kg/d, a dose associated with theoretical lifetime excess cancer risk of 95% of the local population based on a non-threshold risk assessment approach. Additionally, examination of 1,3-D toxicity studies including new chronic toxicity data and mechanism of action supports the use of a non-linear, threshold based risk assessment approach. The estimated maximum annual average daily dose of 1000-fold, a clear indication of acceptable risk for human health. In summary, the best available science supports 1,3-D's threshold nature of hazard and the revised exposure assessment supports that current agricultural uses of 1,3-D are associated with reasonable certainty of no harm, i.e., estimated long-term exposures pose insignificant health risks to bystanders even when the non-threshold approach is assumed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Tracking movement of Meloidogyne spp and R. reniformis in a plasticulture system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soil fumigation and in-row treatments of nematicides have been the common protocol for pre-and in-season management of plant parasitic nematodes (PPN’s) in vegetable production. One issue not addressed is the depth at which the highest concentration of nematodes occur. In the United States, applicat...

  13. Tracing in situ amino acid uptake in plants and microbes with15N13C labelled compounds

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andresen, Louise Christoffersen; Michelsen, Anders; Jonasson, Sven Evert

    amino acids. Furthermore, tannin addition tended to reduce plant uptake of label. By combining data on 15N recovery after 1 day in shoots and roots (fine and coarse) of the dominant heathland plants: the evergreen dwarf shrub Calluna vulgaris and the graminoid Deschampsia flexuosa, in soil...... microorganisms (chloroform fumigation extraction) and in soil water, we discuss the relative importance of free amino acids and ammonium as plant nutrients and microbial substrates in natural N-limited ecosystems with a high proportion of soil N held in tannin-N complexes. ...

  14. Fumigant toxicity of plant essential oils against Camptomyia corticalis (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Jun-Ran; Haribalan, Perumalsamy; Son, Bong-Ki; Ahn, Young-Joon

    2012-08-01

    The toxicity of 98 plant essential oils against third instars of cecidomyiid gall midge Camptomyia corticalis (Loew) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) was examined using a vapor-phase mortality bioassay. Results were compared with that of a conventional insecticide dichlorvos. Based on 24-h LC50 values, all essential oils were less toxic than dichlorvos (LC50, 0.027 mg/cm3). The LC50 of caraway (Carum carvi L.) seed, armoise (Artemisia vulgaris L.), clary sage (Salvia sclarea L.), oregano (Origanum vulgare L.), lemongrass [Cymbopogon citratus (DC.) Stapf], niaouli (Melaleuca viridiflora Gaertner), spearmint (Mentha spicata L.), cassia especial (Cinnamomum cassia Nees ex Blume), Dalmatian sage (Salvia offcinalis L.), red thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.), bay [Pimenta racemosa (P. Mill.) J.W. Moore], garlic (Allium sativum L.), and pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium L.) oils is between 0.55 and 0.60 mg/cm3. The LC50 of cassia (C. cassia, pure and redistilled), white thyme (T. vulgaris), star anise (Illicium verum Hook.f.), peppermint (Mentha X piperita L.), wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens L.), cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume) bark, sweet marjoram (Origanum majorana L.), Roman chamomile [Chamaemelum nobile (L.) All.], eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus Labill.), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.),Virginian cedarwood (Juniperus virginiana L.), pimento berry [Pimenta dioica (L.) Merr.], summer savory (Satureja hortensis L.), lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Mill.), and coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) oils is between 0.61 and 0.99 mg/cm3. All other essential oils tested exhibited low toxicity to the cecidomyiid larvae (LC50, >0.99 mg/cm3). Global efforts to reduce the level of highly toxic synthetic insecticides in the agricultural environment justify further studies on the active essential oils as potential larvicides for the control of C. corticalis populations as fumigants with contact action.

  15. Study of methyl bromide reactivity with human and mouse hemoglobin

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    A study has been carried out on in-vitro reactivity of human and mouse hemoglobin spectrophotometrically at physiological pH, using different protein to reagent ratios. Hemoglobin side chains were modified with different concentrations of methyl bromide on agro-soil fumigant. To ascertain if the site of alkylation was the ...

  16. Fate and possible nutritional and toxicological significance of methylbromide residues in fumigated cocoa beans. Coordinated programme on isotopic tracer-aided studies on foreign chemical residues in food

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adomako, D.

    1975-03-01

    Methyl bromide residues in cocoa as a result of fumigation under practical conditions have been studied. Cocoa beans were exposed to 14 C-labelled CH 3 Br for 24 hours at 20-32degC and dosage 23.5 to 28mg/1 of fumigants (moisture content of 6-7%). Whole unroasted beans and their shells and nibs as well as shells and nibs of roasted (105degC for 30 min) beans were extracted separately with toluene (for free CH 3 Br) and the dried residues wet combusted. 14 C-activities were determined by liquid scintillation counting. Total methyl bromide (bound and free) was equivalent 83-98ppm in whole unroasted beans 35 hours after treatment and aeration, and 31, 15 and 10ppm after 7, 42 and 70 days respectively in one set of experiments and 37, 53 and 42ppm after 76, 60 and 51 days in another set. Approximately 80% of the residue occurred in the shells which constitute only 12 to 13% of unroasted beans. 99% of the total residues appeared to be in chemically-bound form. Roasting reduced the total residues by 32 to 62% in nibs and 3.6 to 14% in shells. A striking effect of roasting was the occurrence in roasted nibs of residues as (extractable) carbon-14 (62-82% of the total residues compared to 16.5 - 27% in unroasted nibs). The bound residues behaved as methylated derivatives whilst the volatile fraction behaved as volatile aroma compounds formed by Maillard type reactions from the 14 C-labelled amino acides and sugars

  17. Fungos micorrízicos arbusculares e adubação fosfatada em mudas de mangabeira Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and phosphorus supply on seedlings of mangabeira

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cynthia Maria Carneiro Costa

    2005-03-01

    Full Text Available O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar os efeitos de fungos micorrízicos arbusculares (FMA e da adubação fosfatada em mudas de mangabeira (Hancornia speciosa Gomes. O experimento, em casa de vegetação, utilizou delineamento inteiramente casualizado em fatorial com dois tratamentos de solo nativo oriundo de pomar com mangabeiras, desinfestado com brometo de metila e não-desinfestado, seis doses de P (3*, 3, 48, 93, 138 e 183 mg dm-3 e três tratamentos de inoculação, Gigaspora albida Schenck & Smith, Glomus etunicatum Becker & Gerdemann e controle sem inoculação, com quatro repetições. O tratamento 3* não recebeu solução nutritiva e os demais receberam solução nutritiva de Hoagland sem fósforo por ocasião da inoculação. Após 150 dias, observou-se aumento na altura, biomassa e área foliar nos tratamentos com G. albida, em solo desinfestado. Respostas à inoculação ocorreram nas mudas cultivadas com a menor dose de P, nos dois tratamentos de solo. A mangabeira mostrou-se dependente da micorrização apenas na menor dose de P em solo desinfestado. Nos demais níveis de P, a dependência variou em função do FMA e da condição do solo. A associação com G. albida proporcionou melhor desenvolvimento das mudas de mangabeira.The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of the association of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF and phosphorus fertilization on seedlings of "mangaba" (Hancornia speciosa. The experiment, at a greenhouse, was in a completely randomized factorial design with two treatments of the native soil from an H. speciosa orchard, fumigated with methyl bromite and non-fumigated, six doses of P (3*, 3, 48, 93, 138 and 183 mg dm-3 and three inoculation treatments, Gigaspora albida Schenck & Smith, Glomus etunicatum Becker & Gerdemann and an uninoculated control, with four replicates. The treatment 3* did not receive nutrient solution and the others received Hoagland nutrient solution without phosphorus

  18. Growth of soybean at future tropospheric ozone concentrations decreases canopy evapotranspiration and soil water depletion

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bernacchi, Carl J., E-mail: bernacch@illinois.edu [Global Change and Photosynthesis Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); Institute for Genomic Biology and Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); Leakey, Andrew D.B. [Institute for Genomic Biology and Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); Kimball, Bruce A. [USDA-ARS US Arid-Land Agricultural Research Center, 21881 N. Cardon Lane, Maricopa, AZ 85238 (United States); Ort, Donald R. [Global Change and Photosynthesis Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); Institute for Genomic Biology and Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States)

    2011-06-15

    Tropospheric ozone is increasing in many agricultural regions resulting in decreased stomatal conductance and overall biomass of sensitive crop species. These physiological effects of ozone forecast changes in evapotranspiration and thus in the terrestrial hydrological cycle, particularly in intercontinental interiors. Soybean plots were fumigated with ozone to achieve concentrations above ambient levels over five growing seasons in open-air field conditions. Mean season increases in ozone concentrations ([O{sub 3}]) varied between growing seasons from 22 to 37% above background concentrations. The objective of this experiment was to examine the effects of future [O{sub 3}] on crop ecosystem energy fluxes and water use. Elevated [O{sub 3}] caused decreases in canopy evapotranspiration resulting in decreased water use by as much as 15% in high ozone years and decreased soil water removal. In addition, ozone treatment resulted in increased sensible heat flux in all years indicative of day-time increase in canopy temperature of up to 0.7 deg. C. - Highlights: > Globally, tropospheric ozone is currently and will likely continue to increase into the future. > We examine the impact of elevated ozone on water use by soybean at the SoyFACE research facility. > High ozone grown soybean had reduced rates of evapotranspiration and higher soil moisture. > Increases in ozone have the potential to impact the hydrologic cycle where these crops are grown. - Soybean grown in elevated concentrations of ozone is shown to evapotranspire less water compared with soybean canopies grown under current atmospheric conditions.

  19. Growth of soybean at future tropospheric ozone concentrations decreases canopy evapotranspiration and soil water depletion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bernacchi, Carl J.; Leakey, Andrew D.B.; Kimball, Bruce A.; Ort, Donald R.

    2011-01-01

    Tropospheric ozone is increasing in many agricultural regions resulting in decreased stomatal conductance and overall biomass of sensitive crop species. These physiological effects of ozone forecast changes in evapotranspiration and thus in the terrestrial hydrological cycle, particularly in intercontinental interiors. Soybean plots were fumigated with ozone to achieve concentrations above ambient levels over five growing seasons in open-air field conditions. Mean season increases in ozone concentrations ([O 3 ]) varied between growing seasons from 22 to 37% above background concentrations. The objective of this experiment was to examine the effects of future [O 3 ] on crop ecosystem energy fluxes and water use. Elevated [O 3 ] caused decreases in canopy evapotranspiration resulting in decreased water use by as much as 15% in high ozone years and decreased soil water removal. In addition, ozone treatment resulted in increased sensible heat flux in all years indicative of day-time increase in canopy temperature of up to 0.7 deg. C. - Highlights: → Globally, tropospheric ozone is currently and will likely continue to increase into the future. → We examine the impact of elevated ozone on water use by soybean at the SoyFACE research facility. → High ozone grown soybean had reduced rates of evapotranspiration and higher soil moisture. → Increases in ozone have the potential to impact the hydrologic cycle where these crops are grown. - Soybean grown in elevated concentrations of ozone is shown to evapotranspire less water compared with soybean canopies grown under current atmospheric conditions.

  20. Update on soil fumigation: MBr alternatives and reregistration decisions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scott A. Enebak

    2011-01-01

    This article gives a brief history of the importance of methyl bromide in the production of forest seedlings in the southern United States and the timeline for the Montreal Protocol and Clean Air Act to phase out ozone-depleting compounds. In addition, the process, steps, and potential for continued MBr use under the Critical Use Exemption and Quarantine Pre-shipment...

  1. Fumigation toxicity of volatile natural and synthetic cyanohydrins to stored-product pests and activity as soil fumigants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dong-Sik Park; Chris Peterson; Shaohan Zhao; Joel R. Coats

    2004-01-01

    secondary plant metabolites are useful for defense against herbivores.1 Many food and feed plants have been shown to synthesize cyanogenic compounds which can decompose to produce hydrocyanic acid (HCN) as a main source of plant defense, which acts as a toxicant or feeding deterrent to herbivores. Cassava, lima beans, peas, almonds, white clover...

  2. Root length, biomass, tissue chemistry and mycorrhizal colonization following 14 years of CO2 enrichment and 6 years of N fertilization in a warm temperate forest.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, Benton N; Strand, Allan E; Cooper, Emily R; Beidler, Katilyn V; Schönholz, Marcos; Pritchard, Seth G

    2014-09-01

    Root systems serve important roles in carbon (C) storage and resource acquisition required for the increased photosynthesis expected in CO2-enriched atmospheres. For these reasons, understanding the changes in size, distribution and tissue chemistry of roots is central to predicting the ability of forests to capture anthropogenic CO2. We sampled 8000 cm(3) soil monoliths in a pine forest exposed to 14 years of free-air-CO2-enrichment and 6 years of nitrogen (N) fertilization to determine changes in root length, biomass, tissue C : N and mycorrhizal colonization. CO2 fumigation led to greater root length (98%) in unfertilized plots, but root biomass increases under elevated CO2 were only found for roots biomass in N-fertilized plots (19%), but fine root [N] and [C] both increased under N fertilization (29 and 2%, respectively). Mycorrhizal root tip biomass responded positively to CO2 fumigation in unfertilized plots, but was unaffected by CO2 under N fertilization. Changes in fine root [N] and [C] call for further study of the effects of N fertilization on fine root function. Here, we show that the stimulation of pine roots by elevated CO2 persisted after 14 years of fumigation, and that trees did not rely exclusively on increased mycorrhizal associations to acquire greater amounts of required N in CO2-enriched plots. Stimulation of root systems by CO2 enrichment was seen primarily for fine root length rather than biomass. This observation indicates that studies measuring only biomass might overlook shifts in root systems that better reflect treatment effects on the potential for soil resource uptake. These results suggest an increase in fine root exploration as a primary means for acquiring additional soil resources under elevated CO2. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  3. Advances in understanding ozone impact on forest trees: Messages from novel phytotron and free-air fumigation studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matyssek, R.; Karnosky, D.F.; Wieser, G.; Percy, K.; Oksanen, E.; Grams, T.E.E.; Kubiske, M.; Hanke, D.; Pretzsch, H.

    2010-01-01

    Recent evidence from novel phytotron and free-air ozone (O 3 ) fumigation experiments in Europe and America on forest tree species is highlighted in relation to previous chamber studies. Differences in O 3 sensitivity between pioneer and climax species are examined and viewed for trees growing at the harsh alpine timberline ecotone. As O 3 apparently counteracts positive effects of elevated CO 2 and mitigates productivity increases, response is governed by genotype, competitors, and ontogeny rather than species per se. Complexity in O 3 responsiveness increased under the influence of pathogens and herbivores. The new evidence does not conflict in principle with previous findings that, however, pointed to a low ecological significance. This new knowledge on trees' O 3 responsiveness beyond the juvenile stage in plantations and forests nevertheless implies limited predictability due to complexity in biotic and abiotic interactions. Unravelling underlying mechanisms is mandatory for assessing O 3 risks as an important component of climate change scenarios. - Novel phytotron and free-air O 3 exposure studies on forest trees communicate sensitivity to be governed by genotype, ontogeny and biotic agents rather than species per se.

  4. Advances in understanding ozone impact on forest trees: Messages from novel phytotron and free-air fumigation studies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Matyssek, R., E-mail: matyssek@wzw.tum.d [Ecophysiology of Plants, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Am Hochanger 13, D-85354 Freising-Weihenstephan (Germany); Karnosky, D.F. [Michigan Technological University, School of Forest Resources and Environmental Sciences, Houghton, MI 49931-129 (United States); Wieser, G. [Federal Research and Trainings Centre for Forests, Natural Hazards and Landscape, Dept. of Alpine Timberline Ecophysiology, Rennweg 1, A-6020 Innsbruck (Austria); Percy, K. [K.E. Percy Air Quality Effects Consulting Ltd., 207-230 Wilson Drive, Fort McMurray, Alberta T9H 0A4 (Canada); Oksanen, E. [Faculty of Biosciences, University of Joensuu, P.O. Box 111, FIN 80101 Joensuu (Finland); Grams, T.E.E. [Ecophysiology of Plants, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Am Hochanger 13, D-85354 Freising-Weihenstephan (Germany); Kubiske, M. [Institute for Applied Ecosystem Studies, US Forest Service, Northern Research Station, 5985 Hwy K, Rhinelander, WI 54501 (United States); Hanke, D. [Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, CB2 3EA (United Kingdom); Pretzsch, H. [Forest Yield Science, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Am Hochanger 13, D-85354 Freising-Weihenstephan (Germany)

    2010-06-15

    Recent evidence from novel phytotron and free-air ozone (O{sub 3}) fumigation experiments in Europe and America on forest tree species is highlighted in relation to previous chamber studies. Differences in O{sub 3} sensitivity between pioneer and climax species are examined and viewed for trees growing at the harsh alpine timberline ecotone. As O{sub 3} apparently counteracts positive effects of elevated CO{sub 2} and mitigates productivity increases, response is governed by genotype, competitors, and ontogeny rather than species per se. Complexity in O{sub 3} responsiveness increased under the influence of pathogens and herbivores. The new evidence does not conflict in principle with previous findings that, however, pointed to a low ecological significance. This new knowledge on trees' O{sub 3} responsiveness beyond the juvenile stage in plantations and forests nevertheless implies limited predictability due to complexity in biotic and abiotic interactions. Unravelling underlying mechanisms is mandatory for assessing O{sub 3} risks as an important component of climate change scenarios. - Novel phytotron and free-air O{sub 3} exposure studies on forest trees communicate sensitivity to be governed by genotype, ontogeny and biotic agents rather than species per se.

  5. Intercomparison of model predictions of tritium concentrations in soil and foods following acute airborne HTO exposure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barry, P.J.; Watkins, B.M.; Belot, Y.; Davis, P.A.; Edlund, O.; Galeriu, D.; Raskob, W.; Russell, S.; Togawa, O.

    1998-01-01

    This paper describes the results of a model intercomparision exercise for predicting tritium transport through foodchains. Modellers were asked to assume that farmland was exposed for one hour to an average concentration in air of 10 4 MBq tritium m -3 . They were given the initial soil moisture content and 30 days of hourly averaged historical weather and asked to predict HTO and OBT concentrations in foods at selected times up to 30 days later when crops were assumed to be harvested. Two fumigations were postulated, one at 10.00 h (i.e., in day-light), and the other at 24.00 h (i.e., in darkness).Predicted environmental media concentrations after the daytime exposure agreed within an order of magnitude in most cases. Important sources of differences were variations in choices of numerical values for transport parameters. The different depths of soil layers used in the models appeared to make important contributions to differences in predictions for the given scenario. Following the night-time exposure, however, greater differences in predicted concentrations appeared. These arose largely because of different ways key processes were assumed to be affected by darkness. Uptake of HTO by vegetation and the rate it is converted to OBT were prominent amongst these processes. Further research, experimental data and modelling intercomparisons are required to resolve some of these issues. (Copyright (c) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam. All rights reserved.)

  6. Biochar in vineyards: impact on soil quality and crop yield four years after the application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferreira, Carla; Verheijen, Frank; Puga, João; Keizer, Jacob; Ferreira, António

    2017-04-01

    Biochar is a recalcitrant organic carbon compound, created by biomass heating at high temperatures (300-1000°C) under low oxygen concentrations. Biochar application to agricultural soils has received increasing attention over the last years, due to its climate change mitigation and adaptation potential and reported improved soil properties and functions relevant to agronomic and environmental performance. Reported impacts are linked with increased cation exchange capacity, enhanced nutrient and water retention, and positive influences on soil microbial communities, which influence crop yields. Nevertheless, few studies have focused on mid-to-long term impacts of biochar application. This study investigated the impact of biochar on soil quality and crop yield four years after biochar application in a vineyard in North-Central Portugal. The site has a Mediterranean climate with a strong Atlantic Ocean influence, with mean annual rainfall and temperature of 1100 mm and 15°C, respectively. The soil is a relatively deep ( 80cm) sandy loam Cambisol, with gentle slopes (3°). The experimental design included three treatments: (i) control, without biochar; (ii) high biochar application rate (40 ton/ha); and (iii) biochar compost (40 ton/ha, 10% biochar). Three plots per treatment (2m×3m) were installed in March 2012, using a mini-rotavator (0-15cm depth). In May 2016, soil quality was also assessed through soil surveys and sampling. Penetration resistance was performed at the soil surface with a pocket penetrometer, and soil surface sampling rings were used for bulk density analyses (100 cm3). Bulked soil samples (0-30 cm) were collected in each plot for aggregate stability, microbial biomass (by chloroform fumigation extraction) and net mineralization rate (through photometric determination of non-incubated and incubated samples). Decomposition rate and litter stabilisation was assessed over a 3-month period through the Tea Bag Index (Keuskamp et al., 2013). The number

  7. Effect of phosphate solubilizing bacteria on the growth of Agave angustifolia Haw (Maguey Espadin)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cruz, A.B.; Gutierrez, G.M.

    2015-01-01

    Experiments were conducted to evaluate the potential effects of phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) on the growth of maguey espadin (Agave angustifolia Haw.). A total of nine strains of PSB, previously isolated in the maguey rhizosphere and identified as PSBVa, PSBVb, PSBVf, PSBHa, PSBHc, PSBHd, PSBMg, PSBMh and PSBMi were tested on maguey plants grown in phosphorus-deficient sterilized and unsterilized soils of three sites where maguey is grown (valley, hill and mountain) under greenhouse conditions. Aerial dry weight and the total weight of maguey plants inoculated with PSBMh in unsterile mountain soil increased by 12.14% and 10.99% respectively, compared with the uninoculated control. Total root dry weight increased by 17.85% with PSBMh in sterile mountain soils and by 11.64% with PSBMg in unsterile mountain soils, with respect to the uninoculated sterile and unsterile control respectively. Plant stem diameter increased by 13.61% with PSBVb in unsterile valley soil, compared to the uninoculated control. Root length was 56.84% higher with PSBMi in unsterile mountain soils than the uninoculated control. Plant leaf number increased by 35% with PSBHd in unsterile hill soil, with respect to the uninoculated control. In all treatments, the available phosphorus at harvest was higher than pre-planting levels. This study suggests that isolated PSBMh, PSBMg and PSBMi are the most efficient biofertilizers for maguey espadin cultivation. (author)

  8. Effect of Tropical Rotation Crops on Meloidogyne incognita and Other Plant-Parasitic Nematodes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McSorley, R; Dickson, D W

    1995-12-01

    In a field experiment conducted on sandy soil in Florida during the 1993 season, rotation crops of castor (Ricinus communis), velvetbean (Mucuna deeringina), 'Mississippi Silver' cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), American jointvetch (Aeschynomene americana), 'Dehapine 51' cotton (Gossypium hirsutum), and 'SX-17' sorghum-sudangrass (Sorghum bicolor x S. sudanense) were effective in maintaining low population densities (450/100 cm(3) soil) resulted after 'Clemson Spineless' okra (Hibiscus esculentus) and 'Kirby' soybean (Glycine max). Following a winter cover crop of rye (Secale cereale), densities of M. incognita following the six most effective rotation crops (1993 season) remained relatively low (crop planted in 1994, but increased by the end of the eggplant crop. The rotation crops planted during 1993 had little effect on yield of eggplant in 1994. Eggplant yield was inversely correlated with preplant densities (Pi) of Belonolaimus longicaudatus (r = -0.282; P crop cultivars were lower (P crops intended for suppression of individual Meloidogyne spp. be evaluated for their response to other nematode pests as well.

  9. 76 FR 29238 - Methyl Bromide; Cancellation Order for Registration Amendments To Terminate Certain Soil Uses

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-05-20

    ...This notice announces EPA's order for the amendments to terminate soil uses, voluntarily requested by the registrants and accepted by the Agency, of products containing methyl bromide, pursuant to section 6(f)(1) of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), as amended. This cancellation order follows a February 9, 2011, Federal Register Notice of Receipt of Requests from the registrants listed in Table 2 of Unit II to voluntarily amend to terminate uses of these product registrations. These are not the last products containing this pesticide registered for use in the United States. In that notice, EPA indicated that it would issue an order implementing the amendments to terminate uses, unless the Agency received substantive comments within the 30-day comment period that would merit its further review of these requests, or unless the registrants withdrew their requests. The Agency did not receive any comments on the notice. Further, the registrants did not withdraw their requests. These amendments do not affect post-harvest fumigant uses. Any distribution, sale, or use of the products subject to this cancellation order is permitted only in accordance with the terms of this order, including any existing stocks provisions.

  10. Weed Control and Peanut Tolerance with Ethalfluralin-Based Herbicide Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    W. J. Grichar

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Field studies were conducted from 2007 through 2009 to determine weed efficacy and peanut (Arachis hypogaea L. response to herbicide systems that included ethalfluralin applied preplant incorporated. Control of devil's claw (Proboscidea louisianica (Mill. Thellung, yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus L., Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri S. Wats., and puncturevine (Tribulus terrestris L. was most consistent with ethalfluralin followed by either imazapic or imazethapyr applied postemergence. Peanut stunting was 19% when paraquat alone was applied early-postemergence. Stunting increased to greater than 30% when ethalfluralin applied preplant incorporated was followed by S-metolachlor applied preemergence and paraquat applied early-postemergence. Stunting (7% was also observed when ethalfluralin was followed by flumioxazin plus S-metolachlor applied preemergence with lactofen applied mid-postemergence. Ethalfluralin followed by paraquat applied early-postemergence reduced peanut yield when compared to the nontreated check. Ethalfluralin applied preplant incorporated followed by imazapic applied mid-postemergence provided the greatest yield (6220 kg/ha. None of the herbicide treatments reduced peanut grade (sound mature kernels plus sound splits when compared with the nontreated check.

  11. Control químico del Nematodo quiste Heterodera trifolii en clavel miniatura Chemical control of the cyst nematode, Heterodera trifolii in miniature carnation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marroquin Alicia

    1991-12-01

    Full Text Available Una de las enfermedades en el cultivo del clavel recientemente registradas en Colombia es el nemátodo quiste, Heterodera trifolii. Un aumento del marchitamiento vascular ocasionado por Fusarium oxysporumof. sp. dianthi se ha observado en algunas fincas afectadas por los dos patógenos. La investigación se realizó para evaluar el efecto de varios productos químicos en el control del nemátodo, en un invernadero comercial con clavel miniatura de la variedad Red Baron. Los fumigantes DD-metilisotiocianato, Dazomet y Metan sodio se aplicaron al suelo antes de la siembra, solos y en combinación con tres nemáticidas no fumiqantes Aldicarb, Carbofuran y Oxamil, en tres épocas de aplicación. Los fumigantes fueron máseficientes para la reducción de la población del nemátodo en el suelo que los nematicidasno fumigantes. El mejor tratamiento fue DD-metilisotiocianato con una reducción del 52% de la población de quistes viables y de 38% en la población de larvas en el suelo, un adelanto de 15 días en la cosecha, un aumento del 9% en rendimiento y del 19% en ingresos netos, en comparación con el Testigo no tratado. Entre los nematicidas no fumigantes, los mejores tratamientos fueron Aldicarb y Carbofuran aplicados en el momento de la siembra y Oxamil aplicado 30 días después de la siembra. La combinación de los fumigantes y de los nematicidas no fumigantes no mejoró el control del nemátodo, el rendimiento y la calidad de las flores, pero si aumentó notablemente los costos de producción.
    One of the diseases recently registered on carnation in Colombia is the cystnematode caused by Heterodera trifolii. An increase of the vascular wilt was observed in some farms affected by the two pathogens. A trial was carried out in a commercial greenhouse with miniature carnation of the variety Red Baron. The fumigants DD memethylisothiocianate, Dazomet and Methamsodium applied to the soil before planting were used alone and in combination with

  12. Farmer evaluation of biocontrol methods against rootknot nematodes in tomatoes

    OpenAIRE

    McLeod, Anni; Ndungu, Beth; Karanja, Daniel; Karanja, Peter

    2002-01-01

    This report was presented at the UK Organic Research 2002 Conference. Root-knot nematodes in tomatoes cause financial loss to Kenyan smallholders. While soil fumigation appears to be losing effectiveness two bio-control agents (bcas), Pasteuria penetrans and Verticillium chlamydosporium, appear promising. Participatory budgeting is being used to compare the bcas with chemical and other biological controls on commercial and organic smallholdings.

  13. Preplanting irradiation of tomato seeds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maltseva, S.

    1976-01-01

    Seeds of the tomato varieties Pioneer-2, Drouzhba and Ace were treated prior to planting with Co 60 gamma rays in optimal doses of 2000 R and the varieties No 10 x Bison, Triumph and Extase with 1500 R. This treatment raised the germination energy and the plants started flowering and ripening earlier. The index of earliness was enhanced but the overall yield was equal to that of the control plants. (author)

  14. An example of treated waste water use for soil irrigation in the SAFIR project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cary, L.; Jovanovic, Z.; Stikic, R.; Blagojevic, S.; Kloppmann, W.

    2009-04-01

    focused on the fully irrigated plots because the potential impact of irrigation water quality on soil and plant quality are expected higher for fully irrigated soils compared to other irrigation strategies. Samples were taken within the soil volume of potential influence around each of the drip emitters. Potato (Solanum tuberosum) variety Liseta was used for investigation. The seeds tubers were planted in the similar period in all three seasons (middle of Spring) at the depth of 10 cm. Two irrigation methods were used in all three seasons: drip and furrow systems. Water for irrigation was supplied from a channel which is located 100m away from the experimental field. For all experiments, three sampling campaigns were foreseen for each of the three irrigation seasons: at pre-planting, at the end of irrigation, and at harvest. After three campaigns, the results show a variability of the elements concentrations in water and soil between the three years. The soil appears significantly depleted in CaO (a mean of -40 %), MgO (-20%), Na (-30%), and Sr (-10%) and Pb (-12%). On the contrary, concentrations of Mn, Ni, V and Li slightly increase (+15 to 20%) whereas SiO2, Al2O3, Fe2O3, Cu and Cr do not significantly increase (a mean of + 10%). Knowing that potatoes do need between 40 to 50 kg per ha of CaO and 15 to 30 kg per ha of MgO (Soltner, 1999), potato absorption of Ca and Mg may be the main sink for both elements. A statistical analysis (ACP) shows precisely a Ca-Mg-Sr pole which explains more than 90 % of the second component; the first component being explained by Al2O3, SiO2, Fe2O3 and TiO2 at the same percentage. Antonious, G.F. and Snyder, J.C., 2007. Accumulation of heavy metals in plants and potential phytoremediation of lead by potato, Solanum tuberosum L. Journal of environmental science and health. Part A, Toxic/hazardous substances & environmental engineering, 42(6): 811-816. Bouwer, H., 2000. Groundwater problems caused by irrigation with sewage effluent. Journal

  15. Camphor--a fumigant during the Black Death and a coveted fragrant wood in ancient Egypt and Babylon--a review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Weiyang; Vermaak, Ilze; Viljoen, Alvaro

    2013-05-10

    The fragrant camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora) and its products, such as camphor oil, have been coveted since ancient times. Having a rich history of traditional use, it was particularly used as a fumigant during the era of the Black Death and considered as a valuable ingredient in both perfume and embalming fluid. Camphor has been widely used as a fragrance in cosmetics, as a food flavourant, as a common ingredient in household cleaners, as well as in topically applied analgesics and rubefacients for the treatment of minor muscle aches and pains. Camphor, traditionally obtained through the distillation of the wood of the camphor tree, is a major essential oil component of many aromatic plant species, as it is biosynthetically synthesised; it can also be chemically synthesised using mainly turpentine as a starting material. Camphor exhibits a number of biological properties such as insecticidal, antimicrobial, antiviral, anticoccidial, anti-nociceptive, anticancer and antitussive activities, in addition to its use as a skin penetration enhancer. However, camphor is a very toxic substance and numerous cases of camphor poisoning have been documented. This review briefly summarises the uses and synthesis of camphor and discusses the biological properties and toxicity of this valuable molecule.

  16. Fumigation characteristics of ozone in postharvest treatment of Kabkab dates (Phoenix dactylifera L.) against selected insect infestation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niakousari, Mehrdad; Erjaee, Zahra; Javadian, Shahram

    2010-04-01

    Methyl bromide fumigation, the most accepted quarantine treatment for dates and many other dried commodities, will be phased out by 2015 worldwide. As a result, there is a critical need to develop durable alternatives for methyl bromide as postharvest treatments of agricultural commodities. This article presents a new method for postharvest treatment of Kabkab dates (Phoenix dactylifera L.) by application of gaseous ozone to reduce or eliminate all life stages (adults, larvae, and eggs) of Indian meal moth (Plodia interpunctella) and sawtooth grain beetle (Oryzaephilus surinamensis). The effect of the ozonation process on the sugar content of dates was also evaluated. Infested dates were exposed to ozone concentrations of 600, 1,200, 2,000, and 4,000 ppm for 1 and 2 h. As insect eggs are known to be most tolerant to many chemical or physical treatments, they were additionally exposed to an atmosphere of pure carbon dioxide prior to ozonation. Exposing samples to ozone concentrations of >2,000 ppm for 2 h resulted in complete mortality of larvae and adults. Exposure to 4,000 ppm of ozone for 2 h resulted in 80% mortality of eggs, and exposure to CO(2) prior to ozonation did not improve the effect of ozonation on eggs. Ozone did not have any influence on the sugar content of Kabkab dates.

  17. Characterization of Petroleum Hydrocarbon Decomposing Fungi Isolated from Mangrove Rhizosphere

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nuni Gofar

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available The research was done to obtain the isolates of soil borne fungi isolated from mangrove rhizosphere which were capable of degrading petroleum hydrocarbon compounds. The soil samples were collected from South Sumatra mangrove forest which was contaminated by petroleum. The isolates obtained were selected based on their ability to survive, to grow and to degrade polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in medium containing petroleum residue. There were 3 isolates of soil borne hydrocarbonoclastic fungi which were able to degrade petroleum in vitro. The 3 isolates were identified as Aspergillus fumigates, A. parasiticus, and Chrysonilia sitophila. C. sitophila was the best isolate to decrease total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH from medium containing 5-20% petroleum residue.

  18. Fumigant Toxicity of the Essential Oil of Caraway, Carum carvi on the Tomato Leaf Miner, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Goudarzvande Chegini

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: The tomato leafminer (TLM, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae, is an important pest on tomato, potato and other Solanaceous with a great economic importance. Tomato borer can be regarded as a serious threat to tomato production in Iran. TLM larvae cause losses of up to 100% by attacking tomato leaves, flowers, stems, and especially fruits. TLM larvae act as leaf miners, and in high numbers, they can totally destroy the plant foliage; TLM infestation can destroy crop production early on by infesting both developing and ripe fruits. Management of the pest can be problematic, particularly when the infestation pressure is high. One of the main tools in its management is the use of conventional synthetic insecticides, however, this overreliance on the use of synthetic insecticides quickly leads to problems of insecticide resistance. The use of natural compounds such as plant essential oils is considered as alternatives to chemical pesticides due to their lower toxicity on the non-target and low persistence in the environment. In recent years essential oils of medicinal plants have received much attention as pest control chemical agents. The discovery of active compounds that are less persistent will be beneficial for both the environment and agricultural product consumers. Materials and Methods: The egg, 2nd larval instars, and adult of TLM were used to determine the fumigant toxicity of the C. cavi. The essential oil of aerial parts of C. cavi, was extracted by hydrodistillation using a modified Clevenger-type apparatus. Conditions of extraction were: 50g of air-dried sample, 1:12 plant material/water volume ratio and 4h distillation. The obtained oil was dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and stored in the refrigerator at + 4°C until used. The fumigant toxicity of essential oil on larvae 2nd (inside leaf and egg were tested in macro plastic container volume 1800 ml, The vials were contained leaves containing larvae

  19. Vesicular-Arbuscular Mycorrhiza in Field-Grown Crops

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jakobsen, Iver

    1983-01-01

    The effect of inoculation with vesicular–arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on the growth of barley in the field was studied at two levels of soil P on plots fumigated with methyl bromide. During the vegetative phase, growth and P uptake was influenced only by soil P; P uptake in the period from earing...... and inoculation increased the uptake of bromide, Zn and Cu significantly. Mycorrhizal infection in inoculated plots was first observed 25 days after seedling emergence, and final infection levels were c. 50% in contrast to 12 % without inoculation. The introduced endophyte had spread 30 cm horizontally during...

  20. Soil fertility management: Impacts on soil macrofauna, soil aggregation and soil organic matter allocation.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ayuke, F.O.; Brussaard, L.; Vanlauwe, B.; Six, J.; Lelei, D.K.; Kibunja, C.N.; Pulleman, M.M.

    2011-01-01

    Maintenance of soil organic matter through integrated soil fertility management is important for soil quality and agricultural productivity, and for the persistence of soil faunal diversity and biomass. Little is known about the interactive effects of soil fertility management and soil macrofauna

  1. Influence of Inoculation, Nitrogen and Phosphorus Levels on Wheat Growth and Soil Microbial Biomass-N Using 15N Techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Galal, Y.G.; El-Ghandour, I.A.; Abdel Raouf, A.M.; Osman, M.E.

    2003-01-01

    Pot experiment was carried out with wheat that cultivated in virgin sandy soil and inoculated with Rhizobium (Rh), mycorrhizea (VAM) and mixture of both. The objective of this work was to verify the potential of these inoculum on wheat production, nutrient acquisition and microbial biomass N (MBN) contribution as affected by N and P fertilizers levels. MBN was detected through the fumigation-extraction method. Nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers were applied at three levels, 0; 25 ppm N and 3.3 ppm P and 50 ppm N and 6.6 ppm P in the form of ( 15 NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 , 5% atom excess and super-phosphate, respectively. The effect of inoculation and chemical fertilizers on dry matter (DM), N and P uptake (shoot and grain) and MBN were traced. The obtained data revealed that the highest DM and N uptake by wheat shoot were recorded with the dual inoculation (Rh + VAM) at the highest level of N and P fertilizers. The highest grain yield was detected with single inoculum of AM fungi while N and P uptake were with dual inoculation at the same rate of fertilizers. Inoculation with Rh either alone or in combination with VAM have a positive and stimulative effect on wheat growth and N and P uptake indicating the possibilities of extending the use of symbiotic microorganisms to be applied with cereals. The fluctuation in the soil microbial biomass N did not gave a chance to recognize, exactly, the impact of inoculation and/or fertilization levels

  2. Sodium and chloride accumulation in leaf, woody, and root tissue of Populus after irrigation with landfill leachate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zalesny, Jill A.; Zalesny, Ronald S.; Wiese, Adam H.; Sexton, Bart; Hall, Richard B.

    2008-01-01

    The response of Populus to irrigation sources containing elevated levels of sodium (Na + ) and chloride (Cl - ) is poorly understood. We irrigated eight Populus clones with fertilized well water (control) (N, P, K) or municipal solid waste landfill leachate weekly during 2005 and 2006 in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, USA (45.6 deg. N, 89.4 deg. W). During August 2006, we tested for differences in total Na + and Cl - concentration in preplanting and harvest soils, and in leaf, woody (stems + branches), and root tissue. The leachate-irrigated soils at harvest had the greatest Na + and Cl - levels. Genotypes exhibited elevated total tree Cl - concentration and increased biomass (clones NC14104, NM2, NM6), elevated Cl - and decreased biomass (NC14018, NC14106, DM115), or mid levels of Cl - and biomass (NC13460, DN5). Leachate tissue concentrations were 17 (Na + ) and four (Cl - ) times greater than water. Sodium and Cl - levels were greatest in roots and leaves, respectively. - Sodium and chloride supplied via landfill leachate irrigation is accumulated at high concentrations in tissues of Populus

  3. Contamination of groundwater by the fumigants ethylene dibromide (EDB) and dibromochloropropane (DBCP) near McBee, South Carolina

    Science.gov (United States)

    Landmeyer, James E.; Campbell, Bruce G.

    2010-01-01

    McBee is a small town of about 700 people located in Chesterfield County, South Carolina, in the Sandhills region of the upper Coastal Plain. The halogenated organic compounds ethylene dibromide (EDB) and dibromochloropropane (DBCP) have been detected in several public and domestic supply and irrigation wells since 2002 at concentrations above their U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Maximum Contaminant Limits of 0.05 and 0.2 microgram per liter (µg/L), respectively. The source(s) and release histories of EDB and DBCP to local groundwater are unknown, but believed to be related to their historical use between the 1940s and their ban in the late 1970s as fumigants to control nematode damage in peach orchards. However, gasoline and jet-fuel supplies also contained EDB and are an alternative source of contamination to groundwater. The detection of EDB and DBCP in water wells has raised health concerns because groundwater is the sole source of water supply in the McBee area. In April 2010, forensic, geochemical-based investigation was initiated by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Alligator Rural Water & Sewer Company to provide additional data regarding EDB and DBCP in local groundwater. The investigation includes an assessment of the use, release, and disposal history of EDB and DBCP in the area, the distribution of EDB and DBCP concentrations in the unsaturated zone, and transport and fate in groundwater.

  4. Soil physical properties affecting soil erosion in tropical soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lobo Lujan, D.

    2004-01-01

    The total vegetated land area of the earth is about 11,500 hectare. Of this, about 12% is in South America. Of this, about 14% is degraded area. Water erosion, chemical degradation, wind erosion, and physical degradation have been reported as main types of degradation. In South America water erosion is a major process for soil degradation. Nevertheless, water erosion can be a consequence of degradation of the soil structure, especially the functional attributes of soil pores to transmit and retain water, and to facilitate root growth. Climate, soil and topographic characteristics determine runoff and erosion potential from agricultural lands. The main factors causing soil erosion can be divided into three groups: Energy factors: rainfall erosivity, runoff volume, wind strength, relief, slope angle, slope length; Protection factors: population density, plant cover, amenity value (pressure for use) and land management; and resistance factors: soil erodibility, infiltration capacity and soil management. The degree of soil erosion in a particular climatic zone, with particular soils, land use and socioeconomic conditions, will always result from a combination of the above mentioned factors. It is not easy to isolate a single factor. However, the soil physical properties that determine the soil erosion process, because the deterioration of soil physical properties is manifested through interrelated problems of surface sealing, crusting, soil compaction, poor drainage, impeded root growth, excessive runoff and accelerated erosion. When an unprotected soil surface is exposed to the direct impact of raindrops it can produce different responses: Production of smaller aggregates, dispersed particles, particles in suspension and translocation and deposition of particles. When this has occurred, the material is reorganized at the location into a surface seal. Aggregate breakdown under rainfall depends on soil strength and a certain threshold kinetic energy is needed to start

  5. Selecting minimum dataset soil variables using PLSR as a regressive multivariate method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stellacci, Anna Maria; Armenise, Elena; Castellini, Mirko; Rossi, Roberta; Vitti, Carolina; Leogrande, Rita; De Benedetto, Daniela; Ferrara, Rossana M.; Vivaldi, Gaetano A.

    2017-04-01

    Long-term field experiments and science-based tools that characterize soil status (namely the soil quality indices, SQIs) assume a strategic role in assessing the effect of agronomic techniques and thus in improving soil management especially in marginal environments. Selecting key soil variables able to best represent soil status is a critical step for the calculation of SQIs. Current studies show the effectiveness of statistical methods for variable selection to extract relevant information deriving from multivariate datasets. Principal component analysis (PCA) has been mainly used, however supervised multivariate methods and regressive techniques are progressively being evaluated (Armenise et al., 2013; de Paul Obade et al., 2016; Pulido Moncada et al., 2014). The present study explores the effectiveness of partial least square regression (PLSR) in selecting critical soil variables, using a dataset comparing conventional tillage and sod-seeding on durum wheat. The results were compared to those obtained using PCA and stepwise discriminant analysis (SDA). The soil data derived from a long-term field experiment in Southern Italy. On samples collected in April 2015, the following set of variables was quantified: (i) chemical: total organic carbon and nitrogen (TOC and TN), alkali-extractable C (TEC and humic substances - HA-FA), water extractable N and organic C (WEN and WEOC), Olsen extractable P, exchangeable cations, pH and EC; (ii) physical: texture, dry bulk density (BD), macroporosity (Pmac), air capacity (AC), and relative field capacity (RFC); (iii) biological: carbon of the microbial biomass quantified with the fumigation-extraction method. PCA and SDA were previously applied to the multivariate dataset (Stellacci et al., 2016). PLSR was carried out on mean centered and variance scaled data of predictors (soil variables) and response (wheat yield) variables using the PLS procedure of SAS/STAT. In addition, variable importance for projection (VIP

  6. The economics of managing Verticillium wilt, an imported disease in California lettuce

    OpenAIRE

    Carroll, Christine L; Carter, Colin A; Goodhue, Rachael E; Lin Lawell, C.-Y. Cynthia; Subbarao, Krishna V

    2017-01-01

    Verticillium dahliae is a soilborne fungus that is introduced to the soil via infested spinach seeds and that causes lettuce to be afflicted with Verticillium wilt. This disease has spread rapidly through the Salinas Valley, the prime lettuce production region of California. Verticillium wilt can be prevented or controlled by the grower by fumigating, planting broccoli, or not planting spinach. Because these control options require long-term investment for future gain, renters might not take ...

  7. Soil [N] modulates soil C cycling in CO2-fumigated tree stands: a meta-analysis

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Dieleman, W. I. J.; Luyssaert, S.; Rey, A.; De Angelis, P.; Barton, C. V. M.; Broadmeadow, M.; Broadmeadow, S. B.; Chigwerewe, K. S.; Crookshanks, M.; Dufrene, E.; Jarvis, P. G.; Kasurinen, A.; Kellomäki, S.; Le Dantec, V.; Liberloo, M.; Marek, Michal V.; Medlyn, B.; Pokorný, Radek; Scarascia-Mugnozza, G.; Temperton, V. M.; Tingey, D.; Urban, Otmar; Ceulemans, R.; Janssens, I. A.

    2010-01-01

    Roč. 33, č. 12 (2010), s. 2001-2011 ISSN 0140-7791 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60870520 Keywords : [CO2] enrichment * fine root production * microbial respiration * N fertilization * root biomass Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour Impact factor: 5.145, year: 2010

  8. iSOIL: Interactions between soil related sciences - Linking geophysics, soil science and digital soil mapping

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dietrich, Peter; Werban, Ulrike; Sauer, Uta

    2010-05-01

    High-resolution soil property maps are one major prerequisite for the specific protection of soil functions and restoration of degraded soils as well as sustainable land use, water and environmental management. To generate such maps the combination of digital soil mapping approaches and remote as well as proximal soil sensing techniques is most promising. However, a feasible and reliable combination of these technologies for the investigation of large areas (e.g. catchments and landscapes) and the assessment of soil degradation threats is missing. Furthermore, there is insufficient dissemination of knowledge on digital soil mapping and proximal soil sensing in the scientific community, to relevant authorities as well as prospective users. As one consequence there is inadequate standardization of techniques. At the poster we present the EU collaborative project iSOIL within the 7th framework program of the European Commission. iSOIL focuses on improving fast and reliable mapping methods of soil properties, soil functions and soil degradation risks. This requires the improvement and integration of advanced soil sampling approaches, geophysical and spectroscopic measuring techniques, as well as pedometric and pedophysical approaches. The focus of the iSOIL project is to develop new and to improve existing strategies and innovative methods for generating accurate, high resolution soil property maps. At the same time the developments will reduce costs compared to traditional soil mapping. ISOIL tackles the challenges by the integration of three major components: (i)high resolution, non-destructive geophysical (e.g. Electromagnetic Induction EMI; Ground Penetrating Radar, GPR; magnetics, seismics) and spectroscopic (e.g., Near Surface Infrared, NIR) methods, (ii)Concepts of Digital Soil Mapping (DSM) and pedometrics as well as (iii)optimized soil sampling with respect to profound soil scientific and (geo)statistical strategies. A special focus of iSOIL lies on the

  9. Manejo de plantas daninhas em maracujazeiro amarelo cultivado com adubação química e orgânica Weed management in yellow passion fruit cultivated with chemical and organic fertilization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Ogliari

    2007-12-01

    (organic, chemical and chemical + organic and five types of weed management in each subplot (hand-hoeing, without hand-hoeing, diuron (pre-planting + glyphosate (postemergence, diuron (pre-planting + MSMA (postemergence and diuron (pre-planting + (diuron + paraquat (postemergence. Diuron applied in pre-planting induced phytotoxicity symptom in the leaves around 20 to 26 days after planting (DAP. However, it was more evident in plants undergoing chemical fertilization. The treatments with chemical + organic fertilization associated to hand-hoeing, diuron (pre-planting + glyphosate (postemergence and diuron (pre-planting + (diuron + paraquat (postemergence provided the highest fruit productivity. For the cultivation using organic fertilization, hand-hoeing promoted the highest productivity. On the other hand, under, chemical fertilization, highest crop production and weed control were observed in the treatment diuron (pre + glyphosate (post.

  10. Soil and Soil Water Relationships

    OpenAIRE

    Easton, Zachary M.; Bock, Emily

    2017-01-01

    Discusses the relationships between soil, water and plants. Discusses different types of soil, and how these soils hold water. Provides information about differences in soil drainage. Discusses the concept of water balance.

  11. Surplus N in US maize production: Informing data-driven policies using the Adapt-N model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sela, Shai; van-Es, Harold; McLellan, Eileen; Margerison, Rebecca; Melkonian, Jeff

    2016-04-01

    Maize (Zea mays L.) production accounts for the largest share of crop land area in the U.S, and is the largest consumer of nitrogen (N) fertilizers of all US crops. Over-application of N fertilizer in excess of crop needs often lead to surplus of N in the soil, resulting in well-documented environmental problems and social costs associated with high reactive N losses. There is a potential to reduce these costs through better application timing, use of enhanced efficiency products, and more precise rate calculations. However, promoting management changes by means of environmental policies requires robust analysis of the possible environmental outcomes associated with these policies. This research gap is addressed using Adapt-N, a computational tool that combines soil, crop and management information with near-real-time weather data to estimate optimum N application rates for maize. Using results from a large synthetic dataset of 8100 simulations spanning 6 years (2010-2015), we have explored the total applied N rates, surplus of N (total N applied minus N removed by the crop) and the environmental losses resulting from seven N management scenarios applied in the top 5 US maize production states - IL, IN, IA, MN and NE. To cover a wide range of weather and production environments, all scenarios were applied at five randomly selected locations in each state, using combinations of three soil texture classes and two organic matter contents. The results indicate that fall applications typically lead to the highest total amount of N applied, highest N surplus and substantial amounts of environmental N losses. Nitrification inhibitors were found to have a marginal benefits for fall applied N. Spring pre-plant N applications were found to have lower N surplus than fall applications, but could still lead to high N losses under wet spring conditions. These losses were reduced (12%) when nitrification and urease inhibitors were applied. Out of all simulated N management

  12. Soil metagenomics and tropical soil productivity

    OpenAIRE

    Garrett, Karen A.

    2009-01-01

    This presentation summarizes research in the soil metagenomics cross cutting research activity. Soil metagenomics studies soil microbial communities as contributors to soil health.C CCRA-4 (Soil Metagenomics)

  13. Microbial immobilization and recycling of 137Cs in the organic layers of forest ecosystems: Relationship to environmental conditions, humification and invertebrate activity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brueckmann, Axel; Wolters, Volkmar

    1994-01-01

    The 137 Cs content of the microbial biomass in the organic layers of 10 German forest sites was quantified with a modified fumigation/extraction method. A K Cs factor was calculated for biomass 137 Cs from the difference between unfumigated and fumigated samples by means of laboratory cultures. The size of the estimated K Cs factors varied between 1.54 and 2.90 (mean, 2.17; S.D., 0.48). The microflora at the different forest sites contained between 1 and 56% of the total amount of 137 Cs found in the organic layers (mean, 13%). Litterbag experiments showed that 137 Cs was actively transported into the L layer by the microflora and that this effect was enhanced by the mesofauna. It is concluded that the immobilization and recycling of 137 Cs by the microflora in the organic layer of forest soils is determined by three major factors: 137 Cs availability, growth conditions of the microflora and biotic interactions

  14. Oxygen enhances phosphine toxicity for postharvest pest control.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yong-Biao

    2011-10-01

    Phosphine fumigations under superatmospheric oxygen levels (oxygenated phosphine fumigations) were significantly more effective than the fumigations under the normal 20.9% atmospheric oxygen level against western flower thrips [Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande)] adults and larvae, leafminer Liriomyza langei Frick pupae, grape mealybug [Pseudococcus maritimus (Ehrhorn)] eggs, and Indianmeal moth [Plodia interpunctella (Hübner)] eggs and pupae. In 5-h fumigations with 1,000 ppm phosphine at 5 degrees C, mortalities of western flower thrips increased significantly from 79.5 to 97.7% when oxygen was increased from 20.9 to 40% and reached 99.3% under 80% O2. Survivorships of leafminer pupae decreased significantly from 71.2% under 20.9% O2 to 16.2% under 40% O2 and reached 1.1% under 80% O2 in 24-h fumigations with 500 ppm phosphine at 5 degrees C. Complete control of leafminer pupae was achieved in 24-h fumigations with 1,000 ppm phosphine at 5 degrees C under 60% O2 or higher. Survivorships of grape mealybug eggs also decreased significantly in 48-h fumigations with 1,000 ppm phosphine at 2 degrees C under 60% O2 compared with the fumigations under 20.9% O2. Indian meal moth egg survivorships decreased significantly from 17.4 to 0.5% in responses to an oxygen level increase from 20.9 to 40% in 48-h fumigations with 1,000 ppm phosphine at 10 degrees C and reached 0.2% in fumigations under 80% O2. When the oxygen level was reduced from 20.9 to 15 and 10% in fumigations, survivorships of Indianmeal moth eggs increased significantly from 17.4 to 32.9 and 39.9%, respectively. Increased O2 levels also resulted in significantly lower survival rates of Indianmeal moth pupae in response to 24-h fumigations with 500 and 1,000 ppm phosphine at 10 degrees C and a complete control was achieved in the 1,000 ppm phosphine fumigations under 60% O2. Oxygenated phosphine fumigations have marked potential to improve insecticidal efficacy. Advantages and limitations of oxygenated

  15. Assessment the effect of homogenized soil on soil hydraulic properties and soil water transport

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohawesh, O.; Janssen, M.; Maaitah, O.; Lennartz, B.

    2017-09-01

    Soil hydraulic properties play a crucial role in simulating water flow and contaminant transport. Soil hydraulic properties are commonly measured using homogenized soil samples. However, soil structure has a significant effect on the soil ability to retain and to conduct water, particularly in aggregated soils. In order to determine the effect of soil homogenization on soil hydraulic properties and soil water transport, undisturbed soil samples were carefully collected. Five different soil structures were identified: Angular-blocky, Crumble, Angular-blocky (different soil texture), Granular, and subangular-blocky. The soil hydraulic properties were determined for undisturbed and homogenized soil samples for each soil structure. The soil hydraulic properties were used to model soil water transport using HYDRUS-1D.The homogenized soil samples showed a significant increase in wide pores (wCP) and a decrease in narrow pores (nCP). The wCP increased by 95.6, 141.2, 391.6, 3.9, 261.3%, and nCP decreased by 69.5, 10.5, 33.8, 72.7, and 39.3% for homogenized soil samples compared to undisturbed soil samples. The soil water retention curves exhibited a significant decrease in water holding capacity for homogenized soil samples compared with the undisturbed soil samples. The homogenized soil samples showed also a decrease in soil hydraulic conductivity. The simulated results showed that water movement and distribution were affected by soil homogenizing. Moreover, soil homogenizing affected soil hydraulic properties and soil water transport. However, field studies are being needed to find the effect of these differences on water, chemical, and pollutant transport under several scenarios.

  16. Biomassa microbiana em amostras de solos secadas ao ar e reumedecidas Microbial biomass in air dried and rewetted soil samples

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antônio Samarão Gonçalves

    2002-05-01

    Full Text Available O objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar a viabilidade do condicionamento de amostras como terra fina secada ao ar (TFSA por curto período, para a determinação do carbono da biomassa microbiana (BMS-C, pelo método da fumigaçãoextração, e verificar a respiração microbiana basal (RB do solo. O condicionamento como TFSA, procedendo-se à fumigação para a análise da BMS-C imediatamente ou 24 horas após o reumedecimento, proporcionou valores de BMS-C para os solos Podzólicos, Latossolo Vermelho-Amarelo álico e Orgânico, semelhantes aos valores dos seus controles. Os solos Glei Pouco Húmico e Vertissolo apresentaram valores de BMS-C similares aos do controle a partir de 24 horas de incubação; o solo Planossolo arenoso apresentou valores similares aos do controle com 72 horas, e a Rendizina, com 168 horas de incubação. Na maioria dos solos, a RB determinada na TFSA apresentou valores maiores do que os do tratamento-controle, quando avaliada imediatamente ou 24 horas após o reumedecimento a 60% da capacidade máxima de retenção de água, seguida de queda e manutenção em níveis semelhantes ao do controle nos períodos subseqüentes. O précondicionamento, de curta duração, como TFSA, é promissor para a determinação da BMS-C, quando níveis e períodos adequados de reumedecimento são adotados.The objective of this work was to evaluate the utilization of short term air dried soil samples in a determination of soil microbial biomass (SMB-C, by a fumigationextraction method, and soil microbial basal respiration (BR. Zero time or 24 hours rewetting incubation period before fumigation procedure gave values of SMB-C similar to those of the control for the Podzolic soils, Allic RedYellow Latosol and Organic soil. Low Humic Gley and Vertisol soils gave values of SMB-C similar to those of the control for periods of incubation equal or higher than 24 hours. Planosol (sandy soil and Rendzina soils gave values of SMB-C similar to the

  17. Soil microbiology and soil health assessment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soil scientists have long recognized the importance of soil biology in ecological health. In particular, soil microbes are crucial for many soil functions including decomposition, nutrient cycling, synthesis of plant growth regulators, and degradation of synthetic chemicals. Currently, soil biologis...

  18. Soil pollution and soil protection

    OpenAIRE

    Haan, de, F.A.M.; Visser-Reijneveld, M.I.

    1996-01-01

    This book was compiled from lecture handouts prepared for the international postgraduate course on soil quality, entitled 'Soil Pollution and Soil Protection' given jointly by the universities of Wageningen (The Netherlands), Gent and Leuven (Belgium), under the auspices of the international Training Centre (PHLO) of Wageningen Agricultural University.Of the three environmental compartments air, water and soil, it is soil that varies most in composition under natural conditions. The effects o...

  19. Soil shrinkage characteristics in swelling soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taboada, M.A.

    2004-01-01

    The objectives of this presentation are to understand soil swelling and shrinkage mechanisms, and the development of desiccation cracks, to distinguish between soils having different magnitude of swelling, as well as the consequences on soil structural behaviour, to know methods to characterize soil swell/shrink potential and to construct soil shrinkage curves, and derive shrinkage indices, as well to apply them to assess soil management effects

  20. Atmospheric volatilization and distribution of (Z)- and (E)-1,3-dichloropropene in field beds with and without plastic covers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas, John E; Allen, L Hartwell; McCormack, Leslie A; Vu, Joseph C; Dickson, Donald W; Ou, Li-Tse

    2004-01-01

    The fumigant 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D) is considered to be a potential replacement for methyl bromide when methyl bromide is phased out in 2005. This study on surface emissions and subsurface diffusion of 1,3-D in a Florida sandy soil was conducted in field beds with or without plastic covers. After injection of the commercial fumigant Telone II by conventional chisels to field beds at 30cm depth which were covered with polyethylene film (PE), virtually impermeable film, or no cover (bare), (Z)- and (E)-1,3-D rapidly diffused upward. Twenty hours after injection, majority of (Z)- and (E)-1,3-D had moved upward from 30 cm depth to the layer of 5-20 cm depth. Downward movement of the two isomers in the beds with or without a plastic cover was not significant. (Z)-1,3-D diffused more rapidly than (E)-1,3-D. Virtually impermeable films (VIF) had a good capacity to retain (Z)- and (E)-1,3-D in soil pore air space. Vapor concentrations of the two isomers in the shallow subsurface of the field bed covered with VIF were greater than that in the two beds covered with polyethylene film (PE) or no cover (bare). In addition, VIF cover provided more uniform distribution of (Z)- and (E)-1,3-D in shallow subsurface than PE cover or no cover. Virtually impermeable film also had a better capability to retard surface emissions of the two isomers from soil in field beds than PE cover or no cover.

  1. Apple replant disease: role of microbial ecology in cause and control.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mazzola, Mark; Manici, Luisa M

    2012-01-01

    Replant disease of apple is common to all major apple growing regions of the world. Difficulties in defining disease etiology, which can be exacerbated by abiotic factors, have limited progress toward developing alternatives to soil fumigation for disease control. However, the preponderance of data derived from studies of orchard soil biology employing multidisciplinary approaches has defined a complex of pathogens/parasites as causal agents of the disease. Approaches to manipulate microbial resources endemic to the orchard soil system have been proposed to induce a state of general soil suppressiveness to replant disease. Such a long-term strategy may benefit the existing orchard through extending the period of economic viability and reduce overall disease pressure to which young trees are exposed during establishment of successive plantings on the site. Alternatively, more near-term methods have been devised to achieve specific quantitative and qualitative changes in soil biology during the period of orchard renovation that may lead to effective disease suppression.

  2. Soil structural behaviour of flooded soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taboada, M.A.

    2004-01-01

    The objectives of this presentation are to: identify factors determining of the structural behaviour of flooded soils, as compared to those acting in upland soils; analyse the influence of reductive processes on aggregate stabilising agents; discuss mechanisms of structural deterioration and recovery during the flooding-drying cycle, on the basis of a case study: cattle trampling effects in the flooding Pampa of Argentina. Flooded soils, now known as Hydric soils, are characteristic of wetlands and irrigated fields cropped to rice (paddy soils). In them, water covers the soil, or is present either at or near the surface of the soil all year or for varying periods of time during the year. Hydric soils belong to different taxa of the FAO-UNESCO Soil Map (2000). Fluvisols, Planosols and Gleysols are widespread distributed in the globe. The generation of redoximorphic features is due to different causes in each of them. Fluvisols are covered part of the year by surface water from river overflows; Planosols are soils having an impervious Bt horizon, supporting perched water during short periods; and Gleysols are soils affected by stagnant water tables during long periods

  3. 75 FR 55997 - Carbaryl; Order Denying NRDC's Objections and Requests for Hearing

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-09-15

    ..., creatinine, total protein, total bilirubin, albumin, hormones, and enzymes such as alkaline phosphatase...: carbaryl use in or on pea and bean, succulent shelled (subgroup 6B); millet; wheat; pre-plant root dip for...

  4. Soil-ecological risks for soil degradation estimation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trifonova, Tatiana; Shirkin, Leonid; Kust, German; Andreeva, Olga

    2016-04-01

    Soil degradation includes the processes of soil properties and quality worsening, primarily from the point of view of their productivity and decrease of ecosystem services quality. Complete soil cover destruction and/or functioning termination of soil forms of organic life are considered as extreme stages of soil degradation, and for the fragile ecosystems they are normally considered in the network of their desertification, land degradation and droughts /DLDD/ concept. Block-model of ecotoxic effects, generating soil and ecosystem degradation, has been developed as a result of the long-term field and laboratory research of sod-podzol soils, contaminated with waste, containing heavy metals. The model highlights soil degradation mechanisms, caused by direct and indirect impact of ecotoxicants on "phytocenosis- soil" system and their combination, frequently causing synergistic effect. The sequence of occurring changes here can be formalized as a theory of change (succession of interrelated events). Several stages are distinguished here - from heavy metals leaching (releasing) in waste and their migration downward the soil profile to phytoproductivity decrease and certain phytocenosis composition changes. Phytoproductivity decrease leads to the reduction of cellulose content introduced into the soil. The described feedback mechanism acts as a factor of sod-podzolic soil self-purification and stability. It has been shown, that using phytomass productivity index, integrally reflecting the worsening of soil properties complex, it is possible to solve the problems dealing with the dose-reflecting reactions creation and determination of critical levels of load for phytocenosis and corresponding soil-ecological risks. Soil-ecological risk in "phytocenosis- soil" system means probable negative changes and the loss of some ecosystem functions during the transformation process of dead organic substance energy for the new biomass composition. Soil-ecological risks estimation is

  5. Response of tropical trees to sulphur dioxide stress and recovery

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vartshney, C.K.; Mitra, I. [Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi (India). School of Environmental Sciences

    1995-12-31

    Ethylene emission, ascorbic acid content, peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activity were measured in four tropical tree species. Six month old saplings of Morus alba Linn., Azadirachta indica A.Juss., Melia-azadirach Linn. and Syzgium jambolina Lamk, were exposed to 0.5 ppm SO{sub 2} for four hours for six consecutive days. Recovery from SO{sub 2} stress was followed for twelve days after termination of the fumigation. SO{sub 2} induced foliar ethylene emission increased during fumigation but declined following termination of fumigation. SO{sub 2} fumigation enhanced the activities of superoxide dismutase and peroxidase in all four species. Their activities, however, declined on withdrawal of SO{sub 2} stress. Ascorbic acid content decreased due to SO{sub 2} stress but exhibited recovery on termination of fumigation. The response of the four plant species was widely different both during the fumigation period and during post-fumigation recovery regime. 26 refs., 3 figs., 2 tabs.

  6. evaluation of job performance of village extension agents in lagos ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    AFINNI IMAM

    The World Bank reports that global food prices rose. 83% over the last ... application of modern technology (Adisa, 2005). The agricultural ... combination of the following farming activities: pre-planting, post-planting, harvest and post- harvest.

  7. Physical soil quality indicators for monitoring British soils

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corstanje, Ron; Mercer, Theresa G.; Rickson, Jane R.; Deeks, Lynda K.; Newell-Price, Paul; Holman, Ian; Kechavarsi, Cedric; Waine, Toby W.

    2017-09-01

    Soil condition or quality determines its ability to deliver a range of functions that support ecosystem services, human health and wellbeing. The increasing policy imperative to implement successful soil monitoring programmes has resulted in the demand for reliable soil quality indicators (SQIs) for physical, biological and chemical soil properties. The selection of these indicators needs to ensure that they are sensitive and responsive to pressure and change, e.g. they change across space and time in relation to natural perturbations and land management practices. Using a logical sieve approach based on key policy-related soil functions, this research assessed whether physical soil properties can be used to indicate the quality of British soils in terms of their capacity to deliver ecosystem goods and services. The resultant prioritised list of physical SQIs was tested for robustness, spatial and temporal variability, and expected rate of change using statistical analysis and modelling. Seven SQIs were prioritised: soil packing density, soil water retention characteristics, aggregate stability, rate of soil erosion, depth of soil, soil structure (assessed by visual soil evaluation) and soil sealing. These all have direct relevance to current and likely future soil and environmental policy and are appropriate for implementation in soil monitoring programmes.

  8. Physical soil quality indicators for monitoring British soils

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. Corstanje

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Soil condition or quality determines its ability to deliver a range of functions that support ecosystem services, human health and wellbeing. The increasing policy imperative to implement successful soil monitoring programmes has resulted in the demand for reliable soil quality indicators (SQIs for physical, biological and chemical soil properties. The selection of these indicators needs to ensure that they are sensitive and responsive to pressure and change, e.g. they change across space and time in relation to natural perturbations and land management practices. Using a logical sieve approach based on key policy-related soil functions, this research assessed whether physical soil properties can be used to indicate the quality of British soils in terms of their capacity to deliver ecosystem goods and services. The resultant prioritised list of physical SQIs was tested for robustness, spatial and temporal variability, and expected rate of change using statistical analysis and modelling. Seven SQIs were prioritised: soil packing density, soil water retention characteristics, aggregate stability, rate of soil erosion, depth of soil, soil structure (assessed by visual soil evaluation and soil sealing. These all have direct relevance to current and likely future soil and environmental policy and are appropriate for implementation in soil monitoring programmes.

  9. Soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Freudenschuss, A.; Huber, S.; Riss, A.; Schwarz, S.; Tulipan, M.

    2002-01-01

    Environmental soil surveys in each province of Austria have been performed, soils of about 5,000 sites were described and analyzed for nutrients and pollutants, the majority of these data are recorded in the soil information system of Austria (BORIS) soil database, http://www.ubavie.gv.at/umweltsituation/boden/boris), which also contains a soil map of Austria, data from 30 specific investigations mainly in areas with industry and results from the Austria - wide cesium investigation. With respect to the environmental state of soils a short discussion is given, including two geographical charts, one showing which sites have soil data (2001) and the other the cadmium distribution in top soils according land use (forest, grassland, arable land, others). Information related to the soil erosion, Corine land cover (Europe-wide land cover database), evaluation of pollutants in soils (reference values of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mo, Ni, Se, Pb, Tl, Va, Zn, AOX, PAH, PCB, PCDD/pcdf, dioxin), and relevant Austrian and European standards and regulations is provided. Figs. 2, Tables 4. (nevyjel)

  10. Non-hodgkin lymphoma risk and insecticide, fungicide and fumigant use in the agricultural health study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael C R Alavanja

    Full Text Available Farming and pesticide use have previously been linked to non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL and multiple myeloma (MM. We evaluated agricultural use of specific insecticides, fungicides, and fumigants and risk of NHL and NHL-subtypes (including CLL and MM in a U.S.-based prospective cohort of farmers and commercial pesticide applicators. A total of 523 cases occurred among 54,306 pesticide applicators from enrollment (1993-97 through December 31, 2011 in Iowa, and December 31, 2010 in North Carolina. Information on pesticide use, other agricultural exposures and other factors was obtained from questionnaires at enrollment and at follow-up approximately five years later (1999-2005. Information from questionnaires, monitoring, and the literature were used to create lifetime-days and intensity-weighted lifetime days of pesticide use, taking into account exposure-modifying factors. Poisson and polytomous models were used to calculate relative risks (RR and 95% confidence intervals (CI to evaluate associations between 26 pesticides and NHL and five NHL-subtypes, while adjusting for potential confounding factors. For total NHL, statistically significant positive exposure-response trends were seen with lindane and DDT. Terbufos was associated with total NHL in ever/never comparisons only. In subtype analyses, terbufos and DDT were associated with small cell lymphoma/chronic lymphocytic leukemia/marginal cell lymphoma, lindane and diazinon with follicular lymphoma, and permethrin with MM. However, tests of homogeneity did not show significant differences in exposure-response among NHL-subtypes for any pesticide. Because 26 pesticides were evaluated for their association with NHL and its subtypes, some chance finding could have occurred. Our results showed pesticides from different chemical and functional classes were associated with an excess risk of NHL and NHL subtypes, but not all members of any single class of pesticides

  11. Soils

    Science.gov (United States)

    Emily Moghaddas; Ken Hubbert

    2014-01-01

    When managing for resilient forests, each soil’s inherent capacity to resist and recover from changes in soil function should be evaluated relative to the anticipated extent and duration of soil disturbance. Application of several key principles will help ensure healthy, resilient soils: (1) minimize physical disturbance using guidelines tailored to specific soil types...

  12. Soil pollution and soil protection

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Haan, de F.A.M.; Visser-Reijneveld, M.I.

    1996-01-01

    This book was compiled from lecture handouts prepared for the international postgraduate course on soil quality, entitled 'Soil Pollution and Soil Protection' given jointly by the universities of Wageningen (The Netherlands), Gent and Leuven (Belgium), under the auspices of the international

  13. Cross-cutting activities: Soil quality and soil metagenomics

    OpenAIRE

    Motavalli, Peter P.; Garrett, Karen A.

    2008-01-01

    This presentation reports on the work of the SANREM CRSP cross-cutting activities "Assessing and Managing Soil Quality for Sustainable Agricultural Systems" and "Soil Metagenomics to Construct Indicators of Soil Degradation." The introduction gives an overview of the extensiveness of soil degradation globally and defines soil quality. The objectives of the soil quality cross cutting activity are: CCRA-4 (Soil Metagenomics)

  14. Soil invertebrates as bioindicators of urban soil quality

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Santorufo, Lucia; Van Gestel, Cornelis A.M.; Rocco, Annamaria; Maisto, Giulia

    2012-01-01

    This study aimed at relating the abundance and diversity of invertebrate communities of urban soils to chemical and physical soil characteristics and to identify the taxa most sensitive or tolerant to soil stressors. The invertebrate community of five urban soils in Naples, Italy, was sampled. To assess soil quality invertebrate community indices (Shannon, Simpson, Menhinick and Pielou indices), Acarina/Collembola ratios, and the soil biological quality index (QBS) were calculated. The chemical and physical characteristics of the soils strongly differed. Abundance rather than taxa richness of invertebrates were more affected by soil characteristics. The community was more abundant and diverse in the soils with high organic matter and water content and low metal (Cu, Pb, Zn) concentrations. The taxa more resistant to the urban environment included Acarina, Enchytraeids, Collembola and Nematoda. Collembolans appeared particularly sensitive to changing soil properties. Among the investigated indices, QBS seems most appropriate for soil quality assessment. - Highlights: ► The abundance and diversity of invertebrate communities was related to properties and metal contents of urban soils. ► Several (biodiversity) indices were calculated and compared to evaluate soil quality. ► Metal contamination affected invertebrate density and diversity. ► The taxa more tolerant to metal contamination were Acarina, Enchytraeids, Collembola and Nematoda. ► The soil biological quality index QBS index was most appropriate for soil quality assessment. - Soil metal contamination negatively affected soil invertebrate abundance and diversity.

  15. Soil Nutrient Responses to Disturbance in a Northern Temperate Forest: The Influence of an Ice Storm Manipulation Experiment on Belowground Biogeochemical Cycling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiley, E.; King, C.; Richardson, A. D.; Landhäusser, S.

    2016-12-01

    Temperate forest ecosystems are increasingly impacted by human-induced changes in climate, which have the ability to alter the prevalence, severity, and extent of extreme weather events. Ice storms, an example of such extreme events, tend to be rarer and often occur as localized events, making them difficult to predict. As such, their impacts on ecosystem structure and functioning are poorly understood. We utilized a field manipulation experiment that effectively simulated natural ice storms of varying intensities to mechanistically understand the short-term nitrogen (N) responses to such extreme weather events. Net N mineralization and nitrification were quantified for both the organic and mineral soil horizons via 30-day in situ incubations of intact soil cores, while gross N transformations were measured in short-term laboratory incubations using the 15N pool dilution technique. Net C mineralization and N and C microbial biomass were also measured on disturbed soil cores via the chloroform fumigation incubation method. All microbial transformation measurements were carried out in the fall of the pre-treatment year (2015), and the spring and fall of the post-treatment years (2016 and 2017). We found that the availability of inorganic N to the microbial community did not significantly change immediately following the simulated ice storms. Over longer time-scales, however, we expect that N loss (mineralization, nitrification, denitrification) and conservation (immobilization) processes will be controlled more by the flow and availability of labile C from newly decaying fine and coarse woody debris that was dropped immediately following the ice storm. We hypothesize that the forested ecosystem is now in a state of N oligotrophy, and thus less likely to show any N response to disturbance in the short-term. This suggests that recovery of the forest over the long-term may be slower than that observed following a natural ice storm event that took place in 1998 in the

  16. Restoring Soil Quality to Mitigate Soil Degradation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rattan Lal

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Feeding the world population, 7.3 billion in 2015 and projected to increase to 9.5 billion by 2050, necessitates an increase in agricultural production of ~70% between 2005 and 2050. Soil degradation, characterized by decline in quality and decrease in ecosystem goods and services, is a major constraint to achieving the required increase in agricultural production. Soil is a non-renewable resource on human time scales with its vulnerability to degradation depending on complex interactions between processes, factors and causes occurring at a range of spatial and temporal scales. Among the major soil degradation processes are accelerated erosion, depletion of the soil organic carbon (SOC pool and loss in biodiversity, loss of soil fertility and elemental imbalance, acidification and salinization. Soil degradation trends can be reversed by conversion to a restorative land use and adoption of recommended management practices. The strategy is to minimize soil erosion, create positive SOC and N budgets, enhance activity and species diversity of soil biota (micro, meso, and macro, and improve structural stability and pore geometry. Improving soil quality (i.e., increasing SOC pool, improving soil structure, enhancing soil fertility can reduce risks of soil degradation (physical, chemical, biological and ecological while improving the environment. Increasing the SOC pool to above the critical level (10 to 15 g/kg is essential to set-in-motion the restorative trends. Site-specific techniques of restoring soil quality include conservation agriculture, integrated nutrient management, continuous vegetative cover such as residue mulch and cover cropping, and controlled grazing at appropriate stocking rates. The strategy is to produce “more from less” by reducing losses and increasing soil, water, and nutrient use efficiency.

  17. Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) - Magnesic Soils

    Data.gov (United States)

    California Natural Resource Agency — Magnesic soils is a subset of the SSURGO dataset containing soil family selected based on the magnesic content and serpentinite parent material. The following soil...

  18. Isolation and identification of soil fungi isolates from forest soil for flooded soil recovery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hazwani Aziz, Nor; Zainol, Norazwina

    2018-04-01

    Soil fungi have been evaluated for their ability in increasing and recovering nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium content in flooded soil and in promoting the growth of the host plant. Host plant was cultivated in a mixture of fertile forest soil (nutrient-rich soil) and simulated flooded soil (nutrient-poor soil) in an optimized soil condition for two weeks. The soil sample was harvested every day until two weeks of planting and was tested for nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium concentration. Soil fungi were isolated by using dilution plating technique and was identified by Biolog’s Microbial Systems. The concentration of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium was found to be increasing after two weeks by two to three times approximately from the initial concentration recorded. Two fungi species were identified with probability more than 90% namely Aspergillus aculeatus and Paecilomyces lilacinus. Both identified fungi were found to be beneficial in enhancing plant growth and increasing the availability of nutrient content in the soil and thus recovering the nutrient content in the flooded soil.

  19. Predicting Soil-Air and Soil-Water Transport Properties During Soil Vapor Extraction

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Poulsen, Tjalfe

    Increased application of in-situ technology for control and removal of volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the subsurface has made the understanding of soil physical properties and their impact upon contaminant transport even more important. Knowledge of contaminant transport is important when...... properties of undisturbed soil from more easily measurable soil properties are developed. The importance of soil properties with respect to contaminant migration during remediation by soil vapor extraction (SVE) in the unsaturated zone was investigated using numerical simulations....

  20. Soil forensics: How far can soil clay analysis distinguish between soil vestiges?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corrêa, R S; Melo, V F; Abreu, G G F; Sousa, M H; Chaker, J A; Gomes, J A

    2018-03-01

    Soil traces are useful as forensic evidences because they frequently adhere to individuals and objects associated with crimes and can place or discard a suspect at/from a crime scene. Soil is a mixture of organic and inorganic components and among them soil clay contains signatures that make it reliable as forensic evidence. In this study, we hypothesized that soils can be forensically distinguished through the analysis of their clay fraction alone, and that samples of the same soil type can be consistently distinguished according to the distance they were collected from each other. To test these hypotheses 16 Oxisol samples were collected at distances of between 2m and 1.000m, and 16 Inceptisol samples were collected at distances of between 2m and 300m from each other. Clay fractions were extracted from soil samples and analyzed for hyperspectral color reflectance (HSI), X-ray diffraction crystallographic (XRD), and for contents of iron oxides, kaolinite and gibbsite. The dataset was submitted to multivariate analysis and results were from 65% to 100% effective to distinguish between samples from the two soil types. Both soil types could be consistently distinguished for forensic purposes according to the distance that samples were collected from each other: 1000m for Oxisol and 10m for Inceptisol. Clay color and XRD analysis were the most effective techniques to distinguish clay samples, and Inceptisol samples were more easily distinguished than Oxisol samples. Soil forensics seems a promising field for soil scientists as soil clay can be useful as forensic evidence by using routine analytical techniques from soil science. Copyright © 2017 The Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Co-pyrolysis of swine manure with agricultural plastic waste: laboratory-scale study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ro, Kyoung S; Hunt, Patrick G; Jackson, Michael A; Compton, David L; Yates, Scott R; Cantrell, Keri; Chang, SeChin

    2014-08-01

    Manure-derived biochar is the solid product resulting from pyrolysis of animal manures. It has considerable potential both to improve soil quality with high levels of nutrients and to reduce contaminants in water and soil. However, the combustible gas produced from manure pyrolysis generally does not provide enough energy to sustain the pyrolysis process. Supplementing this process may be achieved with spent agricultural plastic films; these feedstocks have large amounts of available energy. Plastic films are often used in soil fumigation. They are usually disposed in landfills, which is wasteful, expensive, and environmentally unsustainable. The objective of this work was to investigate both the energetics of co-pyrolyzing swine solids with spent plastic mulch films (SPM) and the characteristics of its gas, liquid, and solid byproducts. The heating value of the product gas from co-pyrolysis was found to be much higher than that of natural gas; furthermore, the gas had no detectable toxic fumigants. Energetically, sustaining pyrolysis of the swine solids through the energy of the product gas could be achieved by co-pyrolyzing dewatered swine solids (25%m/m) with just 10% SPM. If more than 10% SPM is used, the co-pyrolysis would generate surplus energy which could be used for power generation. Biochars produced from co-pyrolyzing SPM and swine solid were similar to swine solid alone based on the surface area and the (1)H NMR spectra. The results of this study demonstrated the potential of using pyrolysis technology to manage two prominent agricultural waste streams (SPM and swine solids) while producing value-added biochar and a power source that could be used for local farm operations. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  2. Effect of different soil washing solutions on bioavailability of residual arsenic in soils and soil properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Im, Jinwoo; Yang, Kyung; Jho, Eun Hea; Nam, Kyoungphile

    2015-11-01

    The effect of soil washing used for arsenic (As)-contaminated soil remediation on soil properties and bioavailability of residual As in soil is receiving increasing attention due to increasing interest in conserving soil qualities after remediation. This study investigates the effect of different washing solutions on bioavailability of residual As in soils and soil properties after soil washing. Regardless of washing solutions, the sequential extraction revealed that the residual As concentrations and the amount of readily labile As in soils were reduced after soil washing. However, the bioassay tests showed that the washed soils exhibited ecotoxicological effects - lower seed germination, shoot growth, and enzyme activities - and this could largely be attributed to the acidic pH and/or excessive nutrient contents of the washed soils depending on washing solutions. Overall, this study showed that treated soils having lower levels of contaminants could still exhibit toxic effects due to changes in soil properties, which highly depended on washing solutions. This study also emphasizes that data on the As concentrations, the soil properties, and the ecotoxicological effects are necessary to properly manage the washed soils for reuses. The results of this study can, thus, be utilized to select proper post-treatment techniques for the washed soils. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Diel hysteresis between soil respiration and soil temperature in a biological soil crust covered desert ecosystem.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guan, Chao; Li, Xinrong; Zhang, Peng; Chen, Yongle

    2018-01-01

    Soil respiration induced by biological soil crusts (BSCs) is an important process in the carbon (C) cycle in arid and semi-arid ecosystems, where vascular plants are restricted by the harsh environment, particularly the limited soil moisture. However, the interaction between temperature and soil respiration remains uncertain because of the number of factors that control soil respiration, including temperature and soil moisture, especially in BSC-dominated areas. In this study, the soil respiration in moss-dominated crusts and lichen-dominated crusts was continuously measured using an automated soil respiration system over a one-year period from November 2015 to October 2016 in the Shapotou region of the Tengger Desert, northern China. The results indicated that over daily cycles, the half-hourly soil respiration rates in both types of BSC-covered areas were commonly related to the soil temperature. The observed diel hysteresis between the half-hourly soil respiration rates and soil temperature in the BSC-covered areas was limited by nonlinearity loops with semielliptical shapes, and soil temperature often peaked later than the half-hourly soil respiration rates in the BSC-covered areas. The average lag times between the half-hourly soil respiration rates and soil temperature for both types of BSC-covered areas were two hours over the diel cycles, and they were negatively and linearly related to the volumetric soil water content. Our results highlight the diel hysteresis phenomenon that occurs between soil respiration rates and soil temperatures in BSC-covered areas and the negative response of this phenomenon to soil moisture, which may influence total C budget evaluations. Therefore, the interactive effects of soil temperature and moisture on soil respiration in BSC-covered areas should be considered in global carbon cycle models of desert ecosystems.

  4. Nitrogen fertilizer split-application for corn in no-till succession to black oats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ceretta Carlos Alberto

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available The studies of fertilization splitting are necessary specially for the grass succession black oat-corn where N immobilization is very common. Four experiments were carried out in commercial farms under no-tillage, in four counties - Itaara, Santo Ângelo, Júlio de Castilhos and Tupanciretã, all of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, with the objective of evaluating the splitting of N application in a corn/black oat crop rotation, during the 97/98 and 98/99 cropping seasons. The N was applied at three times -- pre-planted, starter and sidedressed. The pre-planted applied N for corn, corresponding to total or partial rates that would be sidedressed presented similar results in relation to the sidedress application, however, years of above average rainfall presented N deficiency for corn, reducing yield, which indicates that N application as starter or sidedress is recommended.

  5. Toxicidade por fumigação, contato e ingestão de óleos essenciais para Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky, 1885 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae Toxicity by fumigation, contact and ingestion of essential oils in Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky, 1885 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rodrigo Leandro Braga de Castro Coitinho

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available A espécie Sitophilus zeamais é uma das principais pragas do milho armazenado no Brasil. O controle é feito, comumente, utilizando-se medidas de higienização e limpeza, bem como inseticidas sintéticos fumigantes e protetores. A busca por produtos menos tóxicos, biodegradáveis e seguros do ponto de vista ecológico, é muito bem aceita pela sociedade. Assim, os objetivos do presente trabalho foram testar a toxicidade de contato e ingestão e fumigante de óleos essenciais e do composto orgânico natural eugenol para adultos de S. zeamais. Os valores de CL50 dos óleos essenciais provenientes de folhas de Piper hispidinervum, Eugenia uniflora, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, P. marginatum, Schinus terebinthifolius, Melaleuca leucadendron, dos frutos verdes de S terebinthifolius e do composto eugenol, nos testes de contato e ingestão, foram estimados em 1,0; 11,6; 14,2; 21,1; 57,7; 75,8; 98,8 e 14,8 µL/40 g de milho, respectivamente. As razões de toxicidade (RT variaram entre 1,3 e 98,8. Na fumigação em adultos, as concentrações letais dos óleos variaram de 0,53 a 94,7 µL/L de ar, obedecendo à seguinte ordem decrescente de toxicidade: P. hispidinervum > P. aduncum > S. terebinthifolius > frutos verdes de S. terebinthifolius > P. marginatum > eugenol e as RT variaram entre 2,0 a 178,7.The Sitophilus zeamais species is a major pest of stored maize in Brazil. The control is made, usually, using measures of hygiene and cleanliness, synthetic insecticides and fumigant protectors. The search for less toxic products, biodegradable and safe from an ecological point of view is very well accepted by society. the objective of this study was to test the toxicity by contact and ingestion and fumigant of essential oils and eugenol natural organic compound for adults of S. zeamais. The values of LC50 in oil from leaves of Piper hispidinervum, Eugenia uniflora, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, P. marginatum, Schinus terebinthifolius, Melaleuca leucadendron, green

  6. Development of soil taxation and soil classification as furthered by the Austrian Soil Science Society

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baumgarten, Andreas

    2013-04-01

    Soil taxation and soil classification are important drivers of soil science in Austria. However, the tasks are quite different: whereas soil taxation aims at the evaluation of the productivity potential of the soil, soil classification focusses on the natural development and - especially nowadays - on functionality of the soil. Since the foundation of the Austrian Soil Science Society (ASSS), representatives both directions of the description of the soil have been involved in the common actions of the society. In the first years it was a main target to improve and standardize field descriptions of the soil. Although both systems differ in the general layout, the experts should comply with identical approaches. According to this work, a lot of effort has been put into the standardization of the soil classification system, thus ensuring a common basis. The development, state of the art and further development of both classification and taxation systems initiated and carried out by the ASSS will be shown.

  7. SOIL Geo-Wiki: A tool for improving soil information

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skalský, Rastislav; Balkovic, Juraj; Fritz, Steffen; See, Linda; van der Velde, Marijn; Obersteiner, Michael

    2014-05-01

    Crowdsourcing is increasingly being used as a way of collecting data for scientific research, e.g. species identification, classification of galaxies and unravelling of protein structures. The WorldSoilProfiles.org database at ISRIC is a global collection of soil profiles, which have been 'crowdsourced' from experts. This system, however, requires contributors to have a priori knowledge about soils. Yet many soil parameters can be observed in the field without specific knowledge or equipment such as stone content, soil depth or color. By crowdsourcing this information over thousands of locations, the uncertainty in current soil datasets could be radically reduced, particularly in areas currently without information or where multiple interpretations are possible from different existing soil maps. Improved information on soils could benefit many research fields and applications. Better soil data could enhance assessments of soil ecosystem services (e.g. soil carbon storage) and facilitate improved process-based ecosystem modeling from local to global scales. Geo-Wiki is a crowdsourcing tool that was developed at IIASA for land cover validation using satellite imagery. Several branches are now available focused on specific aspects of land cover validation, e.g. validating cropland extent or urbanized areas. Geo-Wiki Pictures is a smart phone application for collecting land cover related information on the ground. The extension of Geo-Wiki to a mobile environment provides a tool for experts in land cover validation but is also a way of reaching the general public in the validation of land cover. Here we propose a Soil Geo-Wiki tool that builds on the existing functionality of the Geo-Wiki application, which will be largely designed for the collection and sharing of soil information. Two distinct applications are envisaged: an expert-oriented application mainly for scientific purposes, which will use soil science related language (e.g. WRB or any other global reference

  8. PENGARUH KONDISI FUMIGASI TERHADAP EFEKTIFITAS PEWARNAAN DAN KEAWETAN KAYU HUTAN RAKYAT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Istie Sekartining Rahayu

    2009-08-01

    Full Text Available Indonesian log consumption average in 1999-2004 was about 40 million cubic meter per year. Far above the capacity of natural forest to supply wood demand which was only 6.9 million cubic meter per year and only 5 million cubic meter per year from plantation forest. Now community forest has been managed well based on commercial orientation to fullfill the needs of forest products. Recently community forest is known as realible wood producer for furniture such as rubber wood (Hevea brasiliensis, Maesopsis (Maesopsis eminii, Jeunjing (Paraserianthes falcataria, Durian (Durio spp., Jackfriut (Arthocarpus sp. However those woods have low appearance quality (pale colours and ununiform, texture not attractive. Thus they need some treatments to enhance their appearance, one of them by fumigation. The purpose of this researh are to gain optimalize fumigation condition (combination between amonia volume and time of fumigation to have wood stain that resistance from weathering and to analyze durability of fumigation wood against Cryptotermes sp attack. The treatments were fumigation by 2, 4, 6 litre of amonia for 1, 2, 3 days. Those treatments were applied on 5 wood species (mahagony, jackfruit, rambutan, menteng and mindi. The results of this research showed that fumigation treatments have effects only on jackfruit, mahagony, rambutan. They did not have effects on menteng and mindi. Because the difference of tanin content between woods, made every wood had different reaction to fumigation (amonia. Based on comparison of all treatments quantitatively showed the most darkened colour of jackfruit was resulted by fumigation by 4 litre amonia for 3 days, mahagony was fumigation by 6 litre amonia for 2 days and rambutan was fumigation by 4 liter amonia for 2 days. Weathering resistance resulted all wood species did not resist to weathering or their colour fade away. Wood fumigation durability showed 100 % mortality of Cryptotermes sp (on jackfruit, mahagony and

  9. Soil hydraulic properties of Cuban soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ruiz, M.E.; Medina, H.

    2004-01-01

    Because soil hydraulic properties are indispensable for determining soil water retention and soil water movement, their input for deterministic crop simulation models is essential. From these models is possible to access the effect of the weather changes, soil type or different irrigation schedules on crop yields. With these models, possibilities are provided to answer questions regarding virtual 'what happen if' experiments with a minimum of fieldwork. Nevertheless, determining soil hydraulic properties can be very difficult owing to unavailability of necessary equipment or the lack of personal with the proper knowledge for those tasks. These deficiencies are a real problem in developing countries, and even more so when there is not enough financial possibilities for research work. This paper briefly presents the way these properties have been accessed for Cuban soils, which methods have been used and the work now in progress. (author)

  10. Forest soils

    Science.gov (United States)

    Charles H. (Hobie) Perry; Michael C. Amacher

    2009-01-01

    Productive soils are the foundation of sustainable forests throughout the United States. Forest soils are generally subjected to fewer disturbances than agricultural soils, particularly those that are tilled, so forest soils tend to have better preserved A-horizons than agricultural soils. Another major contrast between forest and agricultural soils is the addition of...

  11. Clay-illuvial soils in the Polish and international soil classifications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kabała Cezary

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Soil with a clay-illuvial subsurface horizon are the most widespread soil type in Poland and significantly differ in morphology and properties developed under variable environmental conditions. Despite the long history of investigations, the rules of classification and cartography of clay-illuvial soils have been permanently discussed and modified. The distinction of clay-illuvial soils into three soil types, introduced to the Polish soil classification in 2011, has been criticized as excessively extended, non-coherent with the other parts and rules of the classification, hard to introduce in soil cartography and poorly correlated with the international soil classifications. One type of clay-illuvial soils (“gleby płowe” was justified and recommended to reintroduce in soil classification in Poland, as well as 10 soil subtypes listed in a hierarchical order. The subtypes may be combined if the soil has diagnostic features of more than one soil subtypes. Clear rules of soil name generalization (reduction of subtype number for one soil were suggested for soil cartography on various scales. One of the most important among the distinguished soil sub-types are the “eroded” or “truncated” clay-illuvial soils.

  12. Soil structural quality assessment for soil protection regulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johannes, Alice; Boivin, Pascal

    2017-04-01

    Soil quality assessment is rapidly developing worldwide, though mostly focused on the monitoring of arable land and soil fertility. Soil protection regulations assess soil quality differently, focusing on priority pollutants and threshold values. The soil physical properties are weakly considered, due to lack of consensus and experimental difficulties faced with characterization. Non-disputable, easy to perform and inexpensive methods should be available for environmental regulation to be applied, which is unfortunately not the case. As a consequence, quantitative soil physical protection regulation is not applied, and inexpensive soil physical quality indicators for arable soil management are not available. Overcoming these limitations was the objective of a research project funded by the Swiss federal office for environment (FOEN). The main results and the perspectives of application are given in this presentation. A first step of the research was to characterize soils in a good structural state (reference soils) under different land use. The structural quality was assessed with field expertise and Visual Evaluation of the Soil Structure (VESS), and the physical properties were assessed with Shrinkage analysis. The relationships between the physical properties and the soil constituents were linear and highly determined. They represent the reference properties of the corresponding soils. In a second step, the properties of physically degraded soils were analysed and compared to the reference properties. This allowed defining the most discriminant parameters departing the different structure qualities and their threshold limits. Equivalent properties corresponding to these parameters but inexpensive and easy to determine were defined and tested. More than 90% of the samples were correctly classed with this method, which meets, therefore, the requirements for practical application in regulation. Moreover, result-oriented agri-environmental schemes for soil quality

  13. Visual soil evaluation and soil compaction research

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    M.L. Guimarães, Rachel; Keller, Thomas; Munkholm, Lars Juhl

    2017-01-01

    Following on from discussions that took place during the 19th International Conference of the International Soil Tillage Research Organization (ISTRO) in Montevideo, Uruguay, in 2012, the ISTRO working groups “Visual Soil Examination and Evaluation” (VSEE) and “Subsoil Compaction” decided...... to organize a joint workshop. The present special issue is an outcome from the workshop on “Soil structural quality of tropical soils: Visual evaluation methods and soil compaction prevention strategies” that was held 26–29 May 2014 in Maringá, Paraná, Brazil. There has been a long-lasting interest in Visual...... Soil Evaluation (VSE). An ISTRO working group was established more than 30 years ago with the objectives to exchange knowledge and experiences on field methods of visual-tactile soil assessment and to foster international cooperation on new or refined methods. The three previous meeting of the group...

  14. [Microscopic soil fungi - bioindicators organisms contaminated soil].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Donerian, L G; Vodianova, M A; Tarasova, Zh E

    In the paper there are considered methodological issues for the evaluation of soil biota in terms of oil pollution. Experimental studies have shown that under the exposure of a various levels of oil pollution meeting certain gradations of the state and optimal alteration in microbocenosis in sod-podzolic soils, there is occurred a transformation of structure of the complex of micromycetes and the accumulation of toxic species, hardly typical for podzolic soils - primarily represantatives of the genus Aspergillus (A.niger and A. versicolor), Paecilomyces (P.variotii Bainer), Trichoderma (T.hamatum), the genus of phytopathogens Fusarium (F.oxysporum), dermatophytes of genus Sporothrix (S. schenckii) and dark-colored melanin containing fungi of Dematiaceae family. Besides that there are presented data on the study of microbiocenosis of the urban soil, the urban soil differed from the zone soil, but shaped in similar landscape and climatic conditions, and therefore having a tendency to a similar response from the side of microorganisms inhabiting the soil. Isolated complex of soil microscopic fungi is described by many authors as a complex, characteristic for soils of megalopolises. This allowed authors of this work to suggest that in urban soils the gain in the occurrence of pathogenic species micromycetes also increases against a background of chronic, continuously renewed inflow of petroleum hydrocarbons from various sources of pollution. Because changes in the species composition of micromycetes occurred in accordance with the increasing load of oil, so far as microscopic soil fungi can be recommended as a bioindicator organisms for oil. In the article there is also provided information about the distinctive features of modern DNA identification method of soil microscopic fungi and accepted in our country methodology of isolation of micromycetes with the use of a nutrient Czapek medium.

  15. SoilInfo App: global soil information on your palm

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hengl, Tomislav; Mendes de Jesus, Jorge

    2015-04-01

    ISRIC ' World Soil Information has released in 2014 and app for mobile de- vices called 'SoilInfo' (http://soilinfo-app.org) and which aims at providing free access to the global soil data. SoilInfo App (available for Android v.4.0 Ice Cream Sandwhich or higher, and Apple v.6.x and v.7.x iOS) currently serves the Soil- Grids1km data ' a stack of soil property and class maps at six standard depths at a resolution of 1 km (30 arc second) predicted using automated geostatistical mapping and global soil data models. The list of served soil data includes: soil organic carbon (), soil pH, sand, silt and clay fractions (%), bulk density (kg/m3), cation exchange capacity of the fine earth fraction (cmol+/kg), coarse fragments (%), World Reference Base soil groups, and USDA Soil Taxonomy suborders (DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0105992). New soil properties and classes will be continuously added to the system. SoilGrids1km are available for download under a Creative Commons non-commercial license via http://soilgrids.org. They are also accessible via a Representational State Transfer API (http://rest.soilgrids.org) service. SoilInfo App mimics common weather apps, but is also largely inspired by the crowdsourcing systems such as the OpenStreetMap, Geo-wiki and similar. Two development aspects of the SoilInfo App and SoilGrids are constantly being worked on: Data quality in terms of accuracy of spatial predictions and derived information, and Data usability in terms of ease of access and ease of use (i.e. flexibility of the cyberinfrastructure / functionalities such as the REST SoilGrids API, SoilInfo App etc). The development focus in 2015 is on improving the thematic and spatial accuracy of SoilGrids predictions, primarily by using finer resolution covariates (250 m) and machine learning algorithms (such as random forests) to improve spatial predictions.

  16. Shaping an Optimal Soil by Root-Soil Interaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jin, Kemo; White, Philip J; Whalley, William R; Shen, Jianbo; Shi, Lei

    2017-10-01

    Crop production depends on the availability of water and mineral nutrients, and increased yields might be facilitated by a greater focus on roots-soil interactions. Soil properties affecting plant growth include drought, compaction, nutrient deficiency, mineral toxicity, salinity, and submergence. Plant roots respond to the soil environment both spatially and temporally by avoiding stressful soil environments and proliferating in more favorable environments. We observe that crops can be bred for specific root architectural and biochemical traits that facilitate soil exploration and resource acquisition, enabling greater crop yields. These root traits affect soil physical and chemical properties and might be utilized to improve the soil for subsequent crops. We argue that optimizing root-soil interactions is a prerequisite for future food security. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Dryland soil microbial communities display spatial biogeographic patterns associated with soil depth and soil parent material

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steven, Blaire; Gallegos-Graves, La Verne; Belnap, Jayne; Kuske, Cheryl R.

    2013-01-01

    Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are common to drylands worldwide. We employed replicated, spatially nested sampling and 16S rRNA gene sequencing to describe the soil microbial communities in three soils derived from different parent material (sandstone, shale, and gypsum). For each soil type, two depths (biocrusts, 0–1 cm; below-crust soils, 2–5 cm) and two horizontal spatial scales (15 cm and 5 m) were sampled. In all three soils, Cyanobacteria and Proteobacteria demonstrated significantly higher relative abundance in the biocrusts, while Chloroflexi and Archaea were significantly enriched in the below-crust soils. Biomass and diversity of the communities in biocrusts or below-crust soils did not differ with soil type. However, biocrusts on gypsum soil harbored significantly larger populations of Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria and lower populations of Cyanobacteria. Numerically dominant operational taxonomic units (OTU; 97% sequence identity) in the biocrusts were conserved across the soil types, whereas two dominant OTUs in the below-crust sand and shale soils were not identified in the gypsum soil. The uniformity with which small-scale vertical community differences are maintained across larger horizontal spatial scales and soil types is a feature of dryland ecosystems that should be considered when designing management plans and determining the response of biocrusts to environmental disturbances.

  18. Why is the influence of soil macrofauna on soil structure only considered by soil ecologists ?

    OpenAIRE

    Bottinelli, N.; Jouquet, Pascal; Capowiez, Y.; Podwojewski, Pascal; Grimaldi, Michel; Peng, X.

    2015-01-01

    These last twenty years have seen the development of an abundant literature on the influence of soil macrofauna on soil structure. Amongst these organisms, earthworms, termites and ants are considered to play a key role in regulating the physical, chemical and microbiological properties of soils. Due to these influential impacts, soil ecologists consider these soil macro-invertebrates as ‘soil engineers’ and their diversity and abundance are nowadays considered as relevant bioindi...

  19. Estimation of soil-soil solution distribution coefficient of radiostrontium using soil properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ishikawa, Nao K; Uchida, Shigeo; Tagami, Keiko

    2009-02-01

    We propose a new approach for estimation of soil-soil solution distribution coefficient (K(d)) of radiostrontium using some selected soil properties. We used 142 Japanese agricultural soil samples (35 Andosol, 25 Cambisol, 77 Fluvisol, and 5 others) for which Sr-K(d) values had been determined by a batch sorption test and listed in our database. Spearman's rank correlation test was carried out to investigate correlations between Sr-K(d) values and soil properties. Electrical conductivity and water soluble Ca had good correlations with Sr-K(d) values for all soil groups. Then, we found a high correlation between the ratio of exchangeable Ca to Ca concentration in water soluble fraction and Sr-K(d) values with correlation coefficient R=0.72. This pointed us toward a relatively easy way to estimate Sr-K(d) values.

  20. Soil tension mediates isotope fractionation during soil water evaporation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaj, Marcel; McDonnell, Jeffrey

    2017-04-01

    Isotope tracing of the water cycle is increasing in its use and usefulness. Many new studies are extracting soil waters and relating these to streamflow, groundwater recharge and plant transpiration. Nevertheless, unlike isotope fractionation factors from open water bodies, soil water fractionation factors are poorly understood and until now, only empirically derived. In contrast to open water evaporation where temperature, humidity and vapor pressure gradient define fractionation (as codified in the well-known Craig and Gordon model), soil water evaporation includes additionally, fractionation by matrix effects. There is yet no physical explanation of kinetic and equilibrium fraction from soil water within the soil profile. Here we present a simple laboratory experiment with four admixtures of soil grain size (from sand to silt to clay). Oven-dried samples were spiked with water of known isotopic composition at different soil water contents. Soils were then stored in sealed bags and the headspace filled with dry air and allowed to equilibrate for 24hours. Isotopic analysis of the headspace vapor was done with a Los Gatos Inc. water vapor isotope analyzer. Soil water potential of subsamples were measured with a water potential meter. We show for the first time that soil tension controls isotope fractionation in the resident soil water. Below a Pf 3.5 the δ-values of 18O and 2H of the headspace vapor is more positive and increases with increasing soil water potential. Surprisingly, we find that the relationship between soil tension and equilibrium fractionation is independent of soil type. However, δ-values of each soil type plot along a distinct evaporation line. These results indicate that equilibrium fractionation is affected by soil tension in addition to temperature. Therefore, at high soil water tension (under dry conditions) equilibrium fractionation is not consistent with current empirical formulations that ignore these effects. These findings may have

  1. Soil! Get the Scoop - The Soil Science Society of America's International Year of Soils Campaign

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lindbo, David L.; Hopmans, Jan; Olson, Carolyn; Fisk, Susan; Chapman, Susan; van Es, Harold

    2015-04-01

    Soils are a finite natural resource and are nonrenewable on a human time scale. Soils are the foundation for food, animal feed, fuel and natural fiber production, the supply of clean water, nutrient cycling and a range of ecosystem functions. The area of fertile soils covering the world's surface is limited and increasingly subject to degradation, poor management and loss to urbanization. Increased awareness of the life-supporting functions of soil is called for if this trend is to be reversed and so enable the levels of food production necessary to meet the demands of population levels predicted for 2050. The Soil Science Society of America is coordinating with the Global Soil Partnership and other organizations around the world to celebrate the 2015 International Year of Soils and raise awareness and promote the sustainability of our limited soil resources. We all have a valuable role in communicating vital information on soils, a life sustaining natural resource. Therefore, we will provide resources to learn about soils and help us tell the story of soils. We will promote IYS on social media by sharing our posts from Facebook and Twitter. Additionally SSSA developed 12 monthly themes that reflect the diverse value of soils to our natural environment and society. Each month has information on the theme, a lesson plan, and other outreach activities. All information is available on a dedicated website www.soil.org/IYS. The site will be updated constantly throughout the year.

  2. Progress towards GlobalSoilMap.net soil database of Denmark

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Adhikari, Kabindra; Bou Kheir, Rania; Greve, Mogens Humlekrog

    2012-01-01

    Denmark is an agriculture-based country where intensive mechanized cultivation has been practiced continuously for years leading to serious threats to the soils. Proper use and management of Danish soil resources, modeling and soil research activities need very detailed soil information. This study...... presents recent advancements in Digital Soil Mapping (DSM) activities in Denmark with an example of soil clay mapping using regression-based DSM techniques. Several environmental covariates were used to build regression rules and national scale soil prediction was made at 30 m resolution. Spatial...... content mapping, the plans for future soil mapping activities in support to GlobalSoilMap.net project initiatives are also included in this paper. Our study thought to enrich and update Danish soil database and Soil information system with new fine resolution soil property maps....

  3. Impact of Soil Texture on Soil Ciliate Communities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chau, J. F.; Brown, S.; Habtom, E.; Brinson, F.; Epps, M.; Scott, R.

    2014-12-01

    Soil water content and connectivity strongly influence microbial activities in soil, controlling access to nutrients and electron acceptors, and mediating interactions between microbes within and between trophic levels. These interactions occur at or below the pore scale, and are influenced by soil texture and structure, which determine the microscale architecture of soil pores. Soil protozoa are relatively understudied, especially given the strong control they exert on bacterial communities through predation. Here, ciliate communities in soils of contrasting textures were investigated. Two ciliate-specific primer sets targeting the 18S rRNA gene were used to amplify DNA extracted from eight soil samples collected from Sumter National Forest in western South Carolina. Primer sets 121F-384F-1147R (semi-nested) and 315F-959R were used to amplify soil ciliate DNA via polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and the resulting PCR products were analyzed by gel electrophoresis to obtain quantity and band size. Approximately two hundred ciliate 18S rRNA sequences were obtained were obtained from each of two contrasting soils. Sequences were aligned against the NCBI GenBank database for identification, and the taxonomic classification of best-matched sequences was determined. The ultimate goal of the work is to quantify changes in the ciliate community under short-timescale changes in hydrologic conditions for varying soil textures, elucidating dynamic responses to desiccation stress in major soil ciliate taxa.

  4. Soil organic matter and soil biodiversity spots in urban and semi urban soils of southeast Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huerta, Esperanza

    2015-04-01

    We have observed how the constant use of compost or vermicompost has created spots of soil restoration in urban and semiurban soils of Chiapas (Huitepec and Teopisca), increasing soil organic matter amount, soil moisture and soil porosity, and enhancing then the presence of soil biodiversity; for example, in a Milpa with vermicompost (polyculture of Zea mays with Curcubita pepo, and Fasolius vulgaris) we have found a high density of an epigeic earthworm (640 ind.m2), Dichogaster bolahui, not present in the same type of soil just some meters of distance, in an Oak forest, where soil macroinvertebrates abundance decreased drastically. In another ecosystem within a Persea Americana culture, we found how above and below ground soil biodiversity is affected by the use of vermicompost, having clearly different microcosmos with and without vermicompost (30-50% more micro and macro invertebrates with vermicompost). So now in Campeche, within those soils that are classified by the mayas as tzequel, soils not use for agriculture, we have implemented home gardens and school gardens by the use of compost of vermicomposts in urban and semiurban soils. In school gardens (mainly primary schools) students have cultivated several plants with alimentary purposes; teachers have observed how the increase of soil biodiversity by the use of compost or vermicompost has enhanced the curiosity of children, even has promoted a more friendly behavior among students, they have learned how to do compost and how to apply it. Urban and semiurban soils can be modified by the use of compost and vermicompost, and soil biodiversity has extremely increased.

  5. U.S. EPA, Pesticide Product Label, GLY N GO, 05/11/2009

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-04-21

    ... conjunction with tillage practices in fallow systems or preplant ... natural rainfall or via a sprinkler system. ... I~~~~ T~kSE~~~i~~~ ~~VDE~~~~~Rt~~~~E ...

  6. Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) variation among cultivars and environments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Although Nitrogen (N) is an essential nutrient for crop production, large preplant applications of fertilizer N can result in off-field loss that causes environmental concerns. Canopy reflectance is being investigated for use in variable rate (VR) N management. Normalized difference vegetation index...

  7. Soil physical properties on Venezuelan steeplands: Applications to soil conservation planning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Delgado, F.

    2004-01-01

    This paper presents a framework to support decision making for soil conservation on Venezuelan steeplands. The general approach is based on the evaluation of two important land qualities: soil productivity and soil erosion risk, both closely related to soil physical properties. Soil productivity can be estimated from soil characteristics such as soil air-water relationships, soil impedances and soil fertility. On the other hand, soil erosion risk depends basically on soil hydrologic properties, rainfall aggressiveness and terrain slope. Two indexes are obtained from soil and land characteristics: soil productivity index (PI) and erosion risk index (ERI), each one evaluates the respective land quality. Subsequently, a matrix with these two qualities shows different land classes as well as soil conservation priorities, conservation requirements and proposed land uses. The paper shows also some applications of the soil productivity index as an approach to evaluate soil loss tolerance for soil conservation programs on tropical steeplands. (author)

  8. Soil warming increases metabolic quotients of soil microorganisms without changes in temperature sensitivity of soil respiration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marañón-Jiménez, Sara; Soong, Jenniffer L.; Leblans, Niki I. W.; Sigurdsson, Bjarni D.; Dauwe, Steven; Fransen, Erik; Janssens, Ivan A.

    2017-04-01

    Increasing temperatures can accelerate soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition and release large amounts of CO2 to the atmosphere, potentially inducing climate change feedbacks. Alterations to the temperature sensitivity and metabolic pathways of soil microorganisms in response to soil warming can play a key role in these soil carbon (C) losses. Here, we present results of an incubation experiment using soils from a geothermal gradient in Iceland that have been subjected to different intensities of soil warming (+0, +1, +3, +5, +10 and +20 °C above ambient) over seven years. We hypothesized that 7 years of soil warming would led to a depletion of labile organic substrates, with a subsequent decrease of the "apparent" temperature sensitivity of soil respiration. Associated to this C limitation and more sub-optimal conditions for microbial growth, we also hypothesized increased microbial metabolic quotients (soil respiration per unit of microbial biomass), which is associated with increases in the relative amount of C invested into catabolic pathways along the warming gradient. Soil respiration and basal respiration rates decreased with soil warming intensity, in parallel with a decline in soil C availability. Contrasting to our first hypothesis, we did not detect changes in the temperature sensitivity of soil respiration with soil warming or on the availability of nutrients and of labile C substrates at the time of incubation. However, in agreement to our second hypothesis, microbial metabolic quotients (soil respiration per unit of microbial biomass) increased at warmer temperatures, while the C retained in biomass decreased as substrate became limiting. Long-term (7 years) temperature increases thus triggered a change in the metabolic functioning of the soil microbial communities towards increasing energy costs for maintenance or resource acquisition, thereby lowering the capacity of C retention and stabilization of warmed soils. These results highlight the need

  9. Parameterization of radiocaesium soil-plant transfer using soil characteristics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Konoplev, A. V.; Drissner, J.; Klemt, E.; Konopleva, I. V.; Zibold, G.

    1996-01-01

    A model of radionuclide soil-plant transfer is proposed to parameterize the transfer factor by soil and soil solution characteristics. The model is tested with experimental data on the aggregated transfer factor T ag and soil parameters for 8 forest sites in Baden-Wuerttemberg. It is shown that the integral soil-plant transfer factor can be parameterized through radiocaesium exchangeability, capacity of selective sorption sites and ion composition of the soil solution or the water extract. A modified technique of (FES) measurement for soils with interlayer collapse is proposed. (author)

  10. Soil salinity decreases global soil organic carbon stocks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Setia, Raj; Gottschalk, Pia; Smith, Pete; Marschner, Petra; Baldock, Jeff; Setia, Deepika; Smith, Jo

    2013-11-01

    Saline soils cover 3.1% (397 million hectare) of the total land area of the world. The stock of soil organic carbon (SOC) reflects the balance between carbon (C) inputs from plants, and losses through decomposition, leaching and erosion. Soil salinity decreases plant productivity and hence C inputs to the soil, but also microbial activity and therefore SOC decomposition rates. Using a modified Rothamsted Carbon model (RothC) with a newly introduced salinity decomposition rate modifier and a plant input modifier we estimate that, historically, world soils that are currently saline have lost an average of 3.47 tSOC ha(-1) since they became saline. With the extent of saline soils predicted to increase in the future, our modelling suggests that world soils may lose 6.8 Pg SOC due to salinity by the year 2100. Our findings suggest that current models overestimate future global SOC stocks and underestimate net CO2 emissions from the soil-plant system by not taking salinity effects into account. From the perspective of enhancing soil C stocks, however, given the lower SOC decomposition rate in saline soils, salt tolerant plants could be used to sequester C in salt-affected areas. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Soil functional types: surveying the biophysical dimensions of soil security

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cécillon, Lauric; Barré, Pierre

    2015-04-01

    Soil is a natural capital that can deliver key ecosystem services (ES) to humans through the realization of a series of soil processes controlling ecosystem functioning. Soil is also a diverse and endangered natural resource. A huge pedodiversity has been described at all scales, which is strongly altered by global change. The multidimensional concept soil security, encompassing biophysical, economic, social, policy and legal frameworks of soils has recently been proposed, recognizing the role of soils in global environmental sustainability challenges. The biophysical dimensions of soil security focus on the functionality of a given soil that can be viewed as the combination of its capability and its condition [1]. Indeed, all soils are not equal in term of functionality. They show different processes, provide different ES to humans and respond specifically to global change. Knowledge of soil functionality in space and time is thus a crucial step towards the achievement soil security. All soil classification systems incorporate some functional information, but soil taxonomy alone cannot fully describe the functioning, limitations, resistance and resilience of soils. Droogers and Bouma [2] introduced functional variants (phenoforms) for each soil type (genoform) so as to fit more closely to soil functionality. However, different genoforms can have the same functionality. As stated by McBratney and colleagues [1], there is a great need of an agreed methodology for defining the reference state of soil functionality. Here, we propose soil functional types (SFT) as a relevant classification system for the biophysical dimensions of soil security. Following the definition of plant functional types widely used in ecology, we define a soil functional type as "a set of soil taxons or phenoforms sharing similar processes (e.g. soil respiration), similar effects on ecosystem functioning (e.g. primary productivity) and similar responses to global change (land-use, management or

  12. Electrochemical soil remediation - accelerated soil weathering?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ottosen, L.M.; Villumsen, A.; Hansen, H.K.; Jensen, P.E.; Pedersen, A.J. [Dept. of Civil Engineering, Technical Univ. of Denmark, Lyngby (Denmark); Ribeiro, A.B. [Dept. of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, New Univ. of Lisbon, Monte da Caparica (Portugal)

    2001-07-01

    In electrochemical soil remediation systems, where enhancement solutions and complexing agents are not used, a developing acidic front is mobilizing the heavy metals and the electric current is removing the mobilized elements from the soil. The hypotheses investigated in this paper is whether this process may be comparable to the chemical soil weathering that occurs in the environment due to the acidic rain, where the mobilized elements are removed from the soil by the penetrating water. Even through the weathering process is highly accelerated in the electrochemical cell. This paper shows results from electrodialytic remediation experiments performed with four different Danish heavy metal polluted soils. The main emphasis is laid on the relation between the developing acidic front and electromigration of Cu, Zn, Mn, Mg, Fe and Ca. (orig.)

  13. Dynamical soil-structure interactions: influence of soil behaviour nonlinearities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gandomzadeh, Ali

    2011-01-01

    The interaction of the soil with the structure has been largely explored the assumption of material and geometrical linearity of the soil. Nevertheless, for moderate or strong seismic events, the maximum shear strain can easily reach the elastic limit of the soil behavior. Considering soil-structure interaction, the nonlinear effects may change the soil stiffness at the base of the structure and therefore energy dissipation into the soil. Consequently, ignoring the nonlinear characteristics of the dynamic soil-structure interaction (DSSI) this phenomenon could lead to erroneous predictions of structural response. The goal of this work is to implement a fully nonlinear constitutive model for soils into a numerical code in order to investigate the effect of soil nonlinearity on dynamic soil structure interaction. Moreover, different issues are taken into account such as the effect of confining stress on the shear modulus of the soil, initial static condition, contact elements in the soil-structure interface, etc. During this work, a simple absorbing layer method based on a Rayleigh/Caughey damping formulation, which is often already available in existing Finite Element softwares, is also presented. The stability conditions of the wave propagation problems are studied and it is shown that the linear and nonlinear behavior are very different when dealing with numerical dispersion. It is shown that the 10 points per wavelength rule, recommended in the literature for the elastic media is not sufficient for the nonlinear case. The implemented model is first numerically verified by comparing the results with other known numerical codes. Afterward, a parametric study is carried out for different types of structures and various soil profiles to characterize nonlinear effects. Different features of the DSSI are compared to the linear case: modification of the amplitude and frequency content of the waves propagated into the soil, fundamental frequency, energy dissipation in

  14. What is Soil?

    Science.gov (United States)

    It! What is Soil? Chip Off the Old Block Soil Forming Factors Matters of Life and Death Underneath It All Wise Choices A World of Soils Soil? 2 The Skin of the Earth 3 Soil Ingredients 4 Soil Recipes 5 CLORPT for Short >> What Is Soil? Soils Make Life Plants grow in and from

  15. 7 CFR 319.8-23 - Treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Treatment. 319.8-23 Section 319.8-23 Agriculture....8-23 Treatment. (a)(1) Vacuum fumigation as required in this subpart shall consist of fumigation, in... the substitution of processing, utilization, or other form of treatment for vacuum fumigation when in...

  16. Modelling the Impact of Soil Management on Soil Functions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vogel, H. J.; Weller, U.; Rabot, E.; Stößel, B.; Lang, B.; Wiesmeier, M.; Urbanski, L.; Wollschläger, U.

    2017-12-01

    Due to an increasing soil loss and an increasing demand for food and energy there is an enormous pressure on soils as the central resource for agricultural production. Besides the importance of soils for biomass production there are other essential soil functions, i.e. filter and buffer for water, carbon sequestration, provision and recycling of nutrients, and habitat for biological activity. All these functions have a direct feed back to biogeochemical cycles and climate. To render agricultural production efficient and sustainable we need to develop model tools that are capable to predict quantitatively the impact of a multitude of management measures on these soil functions. These functions are considered as emergent properties produced by soils as complex systems. The major challenge is to handle the multitude of physical, chemical and biological processes interacting in a non-linear manner. A large number of validated models for specific soil processes are available. However, it is not possible to simulate soil functions by coupling all the relevant processes at the detailed (i.e. molecular) level where they are well understood. A new systems perspective is required to evaluate the ensemble of soil functions and their sensitivity to external forcing. Another challenge is that soils are spatially heterogeneous systems by nature. Soil processes are highly dependent on the local soil properties and, hence, any model to predict soil functions needs to account for the site-specific conditions. For upscaling towards regional scales the spatial distribution of functional soil types need to be taken into account. We propose a new systemic model approach based on a thorough analysis of the interactions between physical, chemical and biological processes considering their site-specific characteristics. It is demonstrated for the example of soil compaction and the recovery of soil structure, water capacity and carbon stocks as a result of plant growth and biological

  17. Apparent soil electrical conductivity in two different soil types

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wilker Nunes Medeiros

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Mapping the apparent soil electrical conductivity (ECa has become important for the characterization of the soil variability in precision agriculture systems. Could the ECa be used to locate the soil sampling points for mapping the chemical and physical soil attributes? The objective of this work was to examine the relations between ECa and soil attributes in two fields presenting different soil textures. In each field, 50 sampling points were chosen using a path that presented a high variability of ECa obtained from a preliminary ECa map. At each sampling point, the ECa was measured in soil depths of 0-20, 0-40 and 0-60 cm. In addition, at each point, soil samples were collected for the determination of physical and chemical attributes in the laboratory. The ECa data obtained for different soil depths was very similar. A large number of significant correlations between ECa and the soil attributes were found. In the sandy clay loam texture field there was no correlation between ECa and organic matter or between ECa and soil clay and sand content. However, a significant positive correlation was shown for the remaining phosphorus. In the sandy loam texture field the ECa had a significant positive correlation with clay content and a significant negative correlation with sand content. The results suggest that the mapping of apparent soil electrical conductivity does not replace traditional soil sampling, however, it can be used as information to delimit regions in a field that have similar soil attributes.

  18. Soil Forming Factors

    Science.gov (United States)

    It! What is Soil? Chip Off the Old Block Soil Forming Factors Matters of Life and Death Underneath It All Wise Choices A World of Soils Soil Forming Factors 2 A Top to Bottom Guide 3 Making a Soil Monolith 4 Soil Orders 5 State Soil Monoliths 6 Where in the Soil World Are You? >> A Top to

  19. Soil-structure interaction including nonlinear soil

    OpenAIRE

    Gicev, Vlado

    2008-01-01

    There are two types of models of soil-structure system depending upon the rigidity of foundation: models with rigid and models with flexible foundation. Main features of the soil-structure interaction phenomenon: -wave scattering, -radiation damping, -reduction of the system frequencies. In this presentation, the influence of interaction on the development of nonlinear zones in the soil is studied.

  20. Solarization soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abou Ghraibe, W.

    1995-01-01

    Solar energy could be used in pest control, in soil sterilization technology. The technique consists of covering humid soils by plastic films steadily fixed to the soil. Timing must be in summer during 4-8 weeks, where soil temperature increases to degrees high enough to control pests or to produce biological and chemical changes. The technique could be applied on many pests soil, mainly fungi, bacteria, nematods, weeds and pest insects. The technique could be used in greenhouses as well as in plastic film covers or in orchards where plastic films present double benefits: soil sterilization and production of black mulch. Mechanism of soil solarization is explained. Results show that soil solarization can be used in pest control after fruit crops cultivation and could be a method for an integrated pest control. 9 refs

  1. Pesticide-soil microflora interactions in flooded rice soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sethunathan, N.; Siddaramappa, R.; Siddarame Gowda, T.K.; Rajaram, K.P.; Barik, S.; Rao, V.R.

    1976-01-01

    Isotope studies revealed that gamma and beta isomers of HCH (hexachlorocyclohexane) decomposed rapidly in nonsterile soils capable of attaining redox potentials of -40 to -100mV within 20 days after flooding. Degradation was slow, however, in soils low in organic matter and in soils with extremely low pH and positive potentials, even after several weeks of flooding. Under flooded conditions, endrin decomposed to six metabolites in most soils. There is evidence that biological hydrolysis of parathion is more widespread than hitherto believed, particularly under flooded soil conditions. Applications of benomyl (fungicide) to a simulated-oxidized zone of flooded soils favoured heterotrophic nitrification. (author)

  2. Soil mechanics and analysis of soils overlying cavitose bedrock

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Drumm, E.C.

    1987-08-01

    The stability of the residual soils existing at the West Chestnut Ridge Site, Oak Ridge Reservation, Tennessee, was evaluated. The weathered bedrock below this residual soil contains numerous solution cavities, and several karst features were identified. The West Chestnut Ridge site was evaluated with respect to deformation and collapse of the residual soil into the bedrock cavities. A finite element analysis investigated the effects of bedrock cavity radius, thickness of soil overburden, and surface surcharge upon the deformational and stability characteristics of the residual soil. The results indicate that for small cavity radii, the thickness of the soil cover has little effect on the zone of yielded soil. For large cavity radii, a smaller zone of distressed soil occurs under thick soil cover than under thin soil cover. Dimensionless curves are presented to enable the prediction of the vertical extent of the zone of yielded soil for a range of site geometries. Although the thick soil deposits (100 feet or greater) typically found on the ridges result in high stresses adjacent to the cavity, the area of the distressed or yielded soil is small and unlikely to extend to the surface. In addition, the surface deformation or subsidence is expected to be minimal. Thus, the siting of waste facilities on the ridges where the overburden is maximum would tend to reduce the effects of deformation into the cavities. 29 refs., 37 figs., 7 tabs

  3. Soil physics and the water management of spatially variable soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Youngs, E.G.

    1983-01-01

    The physics of macroscopic soil-water behaviour in inert porous materials has been developed by considering water flow to take place in a continuum. This requires the flow region to consist of an assembly of representative elementary volumes, repeated throughout space and small compared with the scale of observations. Soil-water behaviour in swelling soils may also be considered as a continuum phenomenon so long as the soil is saturated and swells and shrinks in the normal range. Macroscale heterogeneity superimposed on the inherent microscale heterogeneity can take many forms and may pose difficulties in the definition and measurement of soil physical properties and also in the development and use of predictive theories of soil-water behaviour. Thus, measurement techniques appropriate for uniform soils are often inappropriate, and criteria for soil-water management, obtained from theoretical considerations of behaviour in equivalent uniform soils, are not applicable without modification when there is soil heterogeneity. The spatial variability of soil-water properties is shown in results from field experiments concerned with water flow measurements; these illustrate both stochastic and deterministic heterogeneity in soil-water properties. Problems of water management of spatially variable soils when there is stochastic heterogeneity appear to present an insuperable problem in the application of theory. However, for soils showing deterministic heterogeneity, soil-water theory has been used in the solution of soil-water management problems. Thus, scaling using similar media theory has been applied to the infiltration of water into soils that vary over a catchment area. Also, the drain spacing to control the water-table height in soils in which the hydraulic conductivity varies with depth has been calculated using groundwater seepage theory. (author)

  4. [Soil Microbial Respiration Under Different Soil Temperature Conditions and Its Relationship to Soil Dissolved Organic Carbon and Invertase].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Jing; Chen, Shu-tao; Hu, Zheng-hua; Zhang, Xu

    2015-04-01

    In order to investigate the soil microbial respiration under different temperature conditions and its relationship to soil dissolved organic carbon ( DOC) and invertase, an indoor incubation experiment was performed. The soil samples used for the experiment were taken from Laoshan, Zijinshan, and Baohuashan. The responses of soil microbial respiration to the increasing temperature were studied. The soil DOC content and invertase activity were also measured at the end of incubation. Results showed that relationships between cumulative microbial respiration of different soils and soil temperature could be explained by exponential functions, which had P values lower than 0.001. The coefficient of temperature sensitivity (Q10 value) varied from 1.762 to 1.895. The Q10 value of cumulative microbial respiration decreased with the increase of soil temperature for all soils. The Q10 value of microbial respiration on 27 days after incubation was close to that of 1 day after incubation, indicating that the temperature sensitivity of recalcitrant organic carbon may be similar to that of labile organic carbon. For all soils, a highly significant ( P = 0.003 ) linear relationship between cumulative soil microbial respiration and soil DOC content could be observed. Soil DOC content could explain 31.6% variances of cumulative soil microbial respiration. For the individual soil and all soils, the relationship between cumulative soil microbial respiration and invertase activity could be explained by a highly significant (P soil microbial respiration.

  5. Optimizing the efficacy of Paecilomyces lilacinus (strain 251) for the control of root-knot nematodes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kiewnick, S; Sikora, R A

    2004-01-01

    The egg pathogenic fungus Paecilomyces lilacinus (strain 251) is a biocontrol fungus with a potential range of activity to control the worldwide most important plant parasitic nematodes. This biological nematicide may be an useful tool in an integrated approach to control mainly sedentary nematodes. Greenhouse experiments were conducted with the root-knot nematodes Meloidogyne incognita and M. hapla on tomato. P. lilacinus, formulated as WG (BIOACT WG), was incorporated into soil inoculated with root-knot nematode eggs prior to transplanting the susceptible tomato cultivar "Hellfrucht". Furthermore, soil treatments were combined with seedling treatments 24 hours before transplanting and a soil drench 2 weeks after planting, respectively. Seedling and post planting treatment was also combined with a soil treatment at planting. All single or combination treatments tested decreased the gall index and the number of egg masses compared to the untreated control 12 weeks after planting. However, the combination of the seedling treatment with a pre- or at-planting application of P. lilacinus was necessary to achieve higher levels of control. Additional post plant drenching resulted in only a slight increase In efficacy. To the feasibility of this modified application system for the control of root-knot nematodes, a yield experiment was conducted with M. hapla and the susceptible cultivar "Gnom F1 Hybrid". It could be demonstrated that the above mentioned combination of pre-planting application plus the seedling and one post plant drench gave the best control and resulted in a significant fruit yield increase in concurrence with a decrease in number of galls per root.

  6. SoilGrids1km--global soil information based on automated mapping.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tomislav Hengl

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Soils are widely recognized as a non-renewable natural resource and as biophysical carbon sinks. As such, there is a growing requirement for global soil information. Although several global soil information systems already exist, these tend to suffer from inconsistencies and limited spatial detail. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We present SoilGrids1km--a global 3D soil information system at 1 km resolution--containing spatial predictions for a selection of soil properties (at six standard depths: soil organic carbon (g kg-1, soil pH, sand, silt and clay fractions (%, bulk density (kg m-3, cation-exchange capacity (cmol+/kg, coarse fragments (%, soil organic carbon stock (t ha-1, depth to bedrock (cm, World Reference Base soil groups, and USDA Soil Taxonomy suborders. Our predictions are based on global spatial prediction models which we fitted, per soil variable, using a compilation of major international soil profile databases (ca. 110,000 soil profiles, and a selection of ca. 75 global environmental covariates representing soil forming factors. Results of regression modeling indicate that the most useful covariates for modeling soils at the global scale are climatic and biomass indices (based on MODIS images, lithology, and taxonomic mapping units derived from conventional soil survey (Harmonized World Soil Database. Prediction accuracies assessed using 5-fold cross-validation were between 23-51%. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: SoilGrids1km provide an initial set of examples of soil spatial data for input into global models at a resolution and consistency not previously available. Some of the main limitations of the current version of SoilGrids1km are: (1 weak relationships between soil properties/classes and explanatory variables due to scale mismatches, (2 difficulty to obtain covariates that capture soil forming factors, (3 low sampling density and spatial clustering of soil profile locations. However, as the SoilGrids system is

  7. Bioavailability of radiocaesium in soil: parameterization using soil characteristics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Syssoeva, A.A.; Konopleva, I.V. [Russian Institute of Agricultural Radiology and Agroecology, Obninsk (Russian Federation)

    2004-07-01

    It has been shown that radiocaesium availability to plants strongly influenced by soil properties. For the best evaluation of TFs it necessary to use mechanistic models that predict radionuclide uptake by plants based on consideration of sorption-desorption and fixation-remobilization of the radionuclide in the soil as well as root uptake processes controlled by the plant. The aim of the research was to characterise typical Russian soils on the basis of the radiocaesium availability. The parameter of the radiocaesium availability in soils (A) has been developed which consist on radiocaesium exchangeability; CF -concentration factor which is the ratio of the radiocaesium in plant to that in soil solution; K{sub Dex} - exchangeable solid-liquid distribution coefficient of radiocaesium. The approach was tested for a wide range of Russian soils using radiocaesium uptake data from a barley pot trial and parameters of the radiocaesium bioavailability. Soils were collected from the arable horizons in different soil climatic zones of Russia and artificially contaminated by {sup 137}Cs. The classification of soils in terms of the radiocaesium availability corresponds quite well to observed linear relationship between {sup 137}Cs TF for barley and A. K{sub Dex} is related to the soil radiocaesium interception potential (RIP), which was found to be positively and strongly related to clay and physical clay (<0,01 mm) content. The {sup 137}Cs exchangeability were found to be in close relation to the soil vermiculite content, which was estimated by the method of Cs{sup +} fixation. It's shown radiocaesium availability to plants in soils under study can be parameterized through mineralogical soil characteristics: % clay and the soil vermiculite content. (author)

  8. Soil microbes and soil respiration of Mongolian Steppe soils under grazing stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bölter, Manfred; Krümmelbein, Julia; Horn, Rainer; Möller, Rolf; Scheltz, Annette

    2012-04-01

    Soils of Northern China were analysed for their microbiological and soil physical properties with respect to different grazing stress. An important factor for this is soil compaction and related aeration due to pore size shifts. Bulk density increases significantly with increasing grazing intensity and soil carbon contents show decreasing values from top to depth. Organic carbon (LOI) concentrations decrease significantly with increasing grazing intensity. The data on LOI (2-5.8%) approximate 10-30 mg C, our data on glucose show values between 0.4-1.2 mg, i.e. approx. 4% of total carbon. Numbers and biomass of bacteria show generally a decreasing trend of those data at grazed and ungrazed sites, numbers range between 0.4 and 8.7 x10(8) g(-1) d.wt., bacterial biomass between 0.4 and 3.8 microg Cg(-1). This need to be recorded in relation to soil compaction and herewith-hampered aeration and nutrient flow. The temperature-respiration data also allow getting an idea of the Q10-values for soil respiration. The data are between 2.24 (5-15 degrees C) and 1.2 (25-35 degrees C). Our data are presented with a general review of biological properties of Mongolian Steppe soils.

  9. The Influence of Soil Particle on Soil Condensation Water

    OpenAIRE

    Hou Xinwei; Chen Hao; Li Xiangquan; Cui Xiaomei; Liu Lingxia; Wang Zhenxing

    2013-01-01

    The experiment results showed that the indoor experiment formed from the volume of soil hygroscopic water increased gradually with decreasing size of soil particles. In the outdoor experiments, the results showed that the formed condensation water in medium sand was greater than it was in fine sand; the soil hot condensation water was mainly formed in the top layer of soil between 0-5 cm. We also found that covering the soil surface with stones can increase the volume of formed soil condensat...

  10. Soils - Volusia County Soils (Polygons)

    Data.gov (United States)

    NSGIC Local Govt | GIS Inventory — Soils: 1:24000 SSURGO Map. Polygon boundaries of Soils in Volusia County, downloaded from SJRWMD and created by NRCS and SJRWMD. This data set is a digital version...

  11. Migration of 137Cs, 90Sr, 239,240Pu and 241Am in the chain soil-soil solution-plant. The soil-soil solution link

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sokolik, G.A.; Ovsyannikova, S.V.; Kil'chitskaya, S.L.; Ehjsmont, E.A.; Zhukovich, N.V.; Kimlenko, I.M.; Duksina, V.V.; Rubinchik, S.Ya.

    1999-01-01

    The mobility of 137 Cs, 90 Sr, 239,240 Pu and 241 Am in the link soil-soil solution is analysed for different soil types on the basis of radionuclide distribution coefficients between solid and liquid soil phases. The distribution coefficients allow to differentiate soils in correlation with radionuclide migration rate from the solid phase to the soil solution. The reasons of different radionuclide mobility are considered

  12. Soil Properties Database of Spanish Soils Volume I.-Galicia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Trueba, C.; Millan, R.; Schmid, T.; Roquero, C.; Magister, M.

    1998-01-01

    The soil vulnerability determines the sensitivity of the soil after an accidental radioactive contamination due to Cs-13 7 and Sr-90. The Department de Impacto Ambiental de la Energia of CIEMAT is carrying out an assessment of the radiological vulnerability of the different Spanish soils found on the Iberian Peninsula. This requires the knowledge of the soil properties for the various types of existing soils. In order to achieve this aim. a bibliographical compilation of soil profiles has been made to characterize the different soil types and create a database of their properties. Depending on the year of publication and the type of documentary)' source, the information compiled from the available bibliography is very heterogeneous. Therefore, an important effort has been made to normalize and process the information prior to its incorporation to the database. This volume presents the criteria applied to normalize and process the data as well as the soil properties of the various soil types belonging to the Comunidad Autonoma de Galicia

  13. Monitor Soil Degradation or Triage for Soil Security? An Australian Challenge

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrea Koch

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available The Australian National Soil Research, Development and Extension Strategy identifies soil security as a foundation for the current and future productivity and profitability of Australian agriculture. Current agricultural production is attenuated by soil degradation. Future production is highly dependent on the condition of Australian soils. Soil degradation in Australia is dominated in its areal extent by soil erosion. We reiterate the use of soil erosion as a reliable indicator of soil condition/quality and a practical measure of soil degradation. We describe three key phases of soil degradation since European settlement, and show a clear link between inappropriate agricultural practices and the resultant soil degradation. We demonstrate that modern agricultural practices have had a marked effect on reducing erosion. Current advances in agricultural soil management could lead to further stabilization and slowing of soil degradation in addition to improving productivity. However, policy complacency towards soil degradation, combined with future climate projections of increased rainfall intensity but decreased volumes, warmer temperatures and increased time in drought may once again accelerate soil degradation and susceptibility to erosion and thus limit the ability of agriculture to advance without further improving soil management practices. Monitoring soil degradation may indicate land degradation, but we contend that monitoring will not lead to soil security. We propose the adoption of a triaging approach to soil degradation using the soil security framework, to prioritise treatment plans that engage science and agriculture to develop practices that simultaneously increase productivity and improve soil condition. This will provide a public policy platform for efficient allocation of public and private resources to secure Australia’s soil resource.

  14. Impacts of soil moisture content on visual soil evaluation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Emmet-Booth, Jeremy; Forristal, Dermot; Fenton, Owen; Bondi, Giulia; Creamer, Rachel; Holden, Nick

    2017-04-01

    Visual Soil Examination and Evaluation (VSE) techniques offer tools for soil quality assessment. They involve the visual and tactile assessment of soil properties such as aggregate size and shape, porosity, redox morphology, soil colour and smell. An increasing body of research has demonstrated the reliability and utility of VSE techniques. However a number of limitations have been identified, including the potential impact of soil moisture variation during sampling. As part of a national survey of grassland soil quality in Ireland, an evaluation of the impact of soil moisture on two widely used VSE techniques was conducted. The techniques were Visual Evaluation of Soil Structure (VESS) (Guimarães et al., 2011) and Visual Soil Assessment (VSA) (Shepherd, 2009). Both generate summarising numeric scores that indicate soil structural quality, though employ different scoring mechanisms. The former requires the assessment of properties concurrently and the latter separately. Both methods were deployed on 20 sites across Ireland representing a range of soils. Additional samples were taken for soil volumetric water (θ) determination at 5-10 and 10-20 cm depth. No significant correlation was observed between θ 5-10 cm and either VSE technique. However, VESS scores were significantly related to θ 10-20 cm (rs = 0.40, sig = 0.02) while VSA scores were not (rs = -0.33, sig = 0.06). VESS and VSA scores can be grouped into quality classifications (good, moderate and poor). No significant mean difference was observed between θ 5-10 cm or θ 10-20 cm according to quality classification by either method. It was concluded that VESS scores may be affected by soil moisture variation while VSA appear unaffected. The different scoring mechanisms, where the separate assessment and scoring of individual properties employed by VSA, may limit soil moisture effects. However, moisture content appears not to affect overall structural quality classification by either method. References

  15. Fixation of Soil Using PEC and Separation of Fixed Soil

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Choi, Yong Suk; Yang, Hee-Man; Lee, Kune Woo; Seo, Bum-Kyoung; Moon, Jei Kwon [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-10-15

    Radioactive cesium (Cs-137) is the most apprehensive element due to its long half-lives, high solubility in water, and strong radiation emission in the form of gamma rays. Because the radioactivity is localized within topsoil, soil surface on topsoil should be fixed to prevent the spreading of the contaminated soils by wind and water erosion. Many methods have been developing for soil fixation to remove radioactive contaminants in soil and prevent to diffuse radioactive materials. Various materials have been used as fixatives such as clays, molecular sieves, polymer, and petroleum based products. One of the methods is a soil fixation or solidification using polyelectrolyte. Polyelectrolytes have many ionic groups and form the polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) due to electrostatic interaction of anion and cation in an aqueous solution. polyelectrolyte complex can fix soil particles by flocculation and formation of crust between soil. The method can prevent a spread of radioactive material by floating on a soil surface. The decontamination efficiency of the surface soils reached about 90%, and dust release was effectively suppressed during the removal of surface soils. However it has a problem that the removed soil must separate soil and polymer to treat as the waste. In this study, the fixation of soil by polyelectrolyte complex to suppress the spread of contaminant and the separation method of soil and polymer was investigated. The properties of polyelectrolyte complex solution and the stability of fixed soil by polyelectrolyte complex were investigated. The concentration of salt in the polyelectrolyte complex solution is a very important parameter for the soil fixation.

  16. Soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Freudenschuss, A.; Huber, S.; Riss, A.; Schwarz, S.; Tulipan, M.

    2001-01-01

    For Austria there exists a comprehensive soil data collection, integrated in a GIS (geographical information system). The content values of pollutants (cadmium, mercury, lead, copper, mercury, radio-cesium) are given in geographical charts and in tables by regions and by type of soil (forests, agriculture, greenland, others) for the whole area of Austria. Erosion effects are studied for the Austrian region. Legal regulations and measures for an effective soil protection, reduction of soil degradation and sustainable development in Austria and the European Union are discussed. (a.n.)

  17. Soil Organic Carbon in the Soil Scapes of Southeastern Tanzania

    OpenAIRE

    Rossi, Joni

    2009-01-01

    Soil organic carbon (SOC) is well known to maintain several functions. On the one hand, being the major component of soil organic matter (SOM),it is a determinant of soil physical and chemical properties, an important proxy for soil biological activity and a measure of soil productivity. Land use management that will enhance soil carbon (C) levels is therefore important for farmers and land use planners, particularly in semiarid and sub-humid Africa where severe soil degradation and desertifi...

  18. Soil CO2 Dynamics in a Tree Island Soil of the Pantanal: The Role of Soil Water Potential

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Mark S.; Couto, Eduardo Guimarães; Pinto Jr, Osvaldo B.; Milesi, Juliana; Santos Amorim, Ricardo S.; Messias, Indira A. M.; Biudes, Marcelo Sacardi

    2013-01-01

    The Pantanal is a biodiversity hotspot comprised of a mosaic of landforms that differ in vegetative assemblages and flooding dynamics. Tree islands provide refuge for terrestrial fauna during the flooding period and are particularly important to the regional ecosystem structure. Little soil CO2 research has been conducted in this region. We evaluated soil CO2 dynamics in relation to primary controlling environmental parameters (soil temperature and soil water). Soil respiration was computed using the gradient method using in situ infrared gas analyzers to directly measure CO2 concentration within the soil profile. Due to the cost of the sensors and associated equipment, this study was unreplicated. Rather, we focus on the temporal relationships between soil CO2 efflux and related environmental parameters. Soil CO2 efflux during the study averaged 3.53 µmol CO2 m−2 s−1, and was equivalent to an annual soil respiration of 1220 g C m−2 y−1. This efflux value, integrated over a year, is comparable to soil C stocks for 0–20 cm. Soil water potential was the measured parameter most strongly associated with soil CO2 concentrations, with high CO2 values observed only once soil water potential at the 10 cm depth approached zero. This relationship was exhibited across a spectrum of timescales and was found to be significant at a daily timescale across all seasons using conditional nonparametric spectral Granger causality analysis. Hydrology plays a significant role in controlling CO2 efflux from the tree island soil, with soil CO2 dynamics differing by wetting mechanism. During the wet-up period, direct precipitation infiltrates soil from above and results in pulses of CO2 efflux from soil. The annual flood arrives later, and saturates soil from below. While CO2 concentrations in soil grew very high under both wetting mechanisms, the change in soil CO2 efflux was only significant when soils were wet from above. PMID:23762259

  19. Effects of straw mulching on soil evaporation during the soil thawing ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    26

    Keywords: straw mulching, soil water evaporation, soil thawing period, freezing depth, soil liquid water .... moisture and the soil water evaporation process. The Songnen Plain ...... soils on soil infiltration and evaporation: Water Sci. Technol.

  20. How does soil management affect carbon losses from soils?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klik, A.; Trümper, G.

    2009-04-01

    Agricultural soils are a major source as well as a sink of organic carbon (OC). Amount and distribution of OC within the soil and within the landscape are driven by land management but also by erosion and deposition processes. At the other hand the type of soil management influences mineralization and atmospheric carbon dioxide losses by soil respiration. In a long-term field experiment the impacts of soil tillage systems on soil erosion processes were investigated. Following treatments were compared: 1) conventional tillage (CT), 2) conservation tillage with cover crop during the winter period (CS), and 3) no-till with cover crop during winter period (NT). The studies were carried out at three sites in the Eastern part of Austria with annual precipitation amounts from 650 to 900 mm. The soil texture ranged from silt loam to loam. Since 2007 soil CO2 emissions are measured with a portable soil respiration system in intervals of about one week, but also in relation to management events. Concurrent soil temperature and soil water content are measured and soil samples are taken for chemical and microbiological analyses. An overall 14-yr. average soil loss between 1.0 t.ha-1.yr-1 for NT and 6.1 t.ha-1.yr-1 for CT resulted in on-site OC losses from 18 to 79 kg ha-1.yr-1. The measurements of the carbon dioxide emissions from the different treatments indicate a high spatial variation even within one plot. Referred to CT plots calculated carbon losses amounted to 65-94% for NT plots while for the different RT plots they ranged between 84 and 128%. Nevertheless site specific considerations have to be taken into account. Preliminary results show that the adaptation of reduced or no-till management strategies has enormous potential in reducing organic carbon losses from agricultural used soils.

  1. Stability Analysis of a Mathematical Model for Onchocerciaisis ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Also, all the four control strategies reduce the effective reproduction number below unity. A 40% coverage rate of fumigation and treatment of infectious but not blind is better than a 40%coverage rate of fumigation only. It further reveals that a 30% coverage rate of fumigation and treatment of infectious blind is better than ...

  2. Soil biodiversity and soil community composition determine ecosystem multifunctionality

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wagg, Cameron; Bender, S. Franz; Widmer, Franco; van der Heijden, Marcel G. A.

    2014-01-01

    Biodiversity loss has become a global concern as evidence accumulates that it will negatively affect ecosystem services on which society depends. So far, most studies have focused on the ecological consequences of above-ground biodiversity loss; yet a large part of Earth’s biodiversity is literally hidden below ground. Whether reductions of biodiversity in soil communities below ground have consequences for the overall performance of an ecosystem remains unresolved. It is important to investigate this in view of recent observations that soil biodiversity is declining and that soil communities are changing upon land use intensification. We established soil communities differing in composition and diversity and tested their impact on eight ecosystem functions in model grassland communities. We show that soil biodiversity loss and simplification of soil community composition impair multiple ecosystem functions, including plant diversity, decomposition, nutrient retention, and nutrient cycling. The average response of all measured ecosystem functions (ecosystem multifunctionality) exhibited a strong positive linear relationship to indicators of soil biodiversity, suggesting that soil community composition is a key factor in regulating ecosystem functioning. Our results indicate that changes in soil communities and the loss of soil biodiversity threaten ecosystem multifunctionality and sustainability. PMID:24639507

  3. Soil inoculation method determines the strength of plant-soil interactions

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Voorde, van de T.F.J.; Ruijten, M.; Putten, van der W.H.; Bezemer, T.M.

    2012-01-01

    There is increasing evidence that interactions between plants and biotic components of the soil influence plant productivity and plant community composition. Many plant–soil feedback experiments start from inoculating relatively small amounts of natural soil to sterilized bulk soil. These soil

  4. An experimental study of the 14C transfer from air to rice plant by photosynthesis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jun, In; Kang, Heeseok; Keum, Dongkweon; Choi, Yongho; Lee, Hansoo; Lee, Changwoo

    2007-01-01

    Experimental studies were performed under controlled environmental conditions to observe the deposition and subsequent allocation of 14 C following a short-term fumigation of a major Korean crop with 14 CO 2 . The fumigation of the rice plants was performed at five different times during their growth in a transparent box and the fumigation time was 40 minutes. The 14 C in the fumigation box was collected into collection vials every 5 minutes using an air sampler. A duplicate plant sampling was made immediately after the end of fumigation and another is going to be made at the normal harvest time. After the 2nd and 3rd fumigation experiments, plant sampling was made 3 times more till harvest. The samples will be ground into powder after removing the moisture completely and the trapped 14 C in the carbosorb vials by sample oxidizer will be analyzed by Liquid Scintillation Counter. This paper only shows the analysis results of air samples because no plant sample was analyzed yet. (author)

  5. Soil-soil solution distribution coefficient of soil organic matter is a key factor for that of radioiodide in surface and subsurface soils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Unno, Yusuke; Tsukada, Hirofumi; Takeda, Akira; Takaku, Yuichi; Hisamatsu, Shun'ichi

    2017-04-01

    We investigated the vertical distribution of the soil-soil-solution distribution coefficients (K d ) of 125 I, 137 Cs, and 85 Sr in organic-rich surface soil and organic-poor subsurface soil of a pasture and an urban forest near a spent-nuclear-fuel reprocessing plant in Rokkasho, Japan. K d of 137 Cs was highly correlated with water-extractable K + . K d of 85 Sr was highly correlated with water-extractable Ca 2+ and SOC. K d of 125 I - was low in organic-rich surface soil, high slightly below the surface, and lowest in the deepest soil. This kinked distribution pattern differed from the gradual decrease of the other radionuclides. The thickness of the high- 125 I - K d middle layer (i.e., with high radioiodide retention ability) differed between sites. K d of 125 I - was significantly correlated with K d of soil organic carbon. Our results also showed that the layer thickness is controlled by the ratio of K d -OC between surface and subsurface soils. This finding suggests that the addition of SOC might prevent further radioiodide migration down the soil profile. As far as we know, this is the first report to show a strong correlation of a soil characteristic with K d of 125 I - . Further study is needed to clarify how radioiodide is retained and migrates in soil. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Predicting Soluble Nickel in Soils Using Soil Properties and Total Nickel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xiaoqing; Li, Jumei; Wei, Dongpu; Li, Bo; Ma, Yibing

    2015-01-01

    Soil soluble nickel (Ni) concentration is very important for determining soil Ni toxicity. In the present study, the relationships between soil properties, total and soluble Ni concentrations in soils were developed in a wide range of soils with different properties and climate characteristics. The multiple regressions showed that soil pH and total soil Ni concentrations were the most significant parameters in predicting soluble Ni concentrations with the adjusted determination coefficients (Radj2) values of 0.75 and 0.68 for soils spiked with soluble Ni salt and the spiked soils leached with artificial rainwater to mimic field conditions, respectively. However, when the soils were divided into three categories (pH 8), they obtained better predictions with Radj2 values of 0.78-0.90 and 0.79-0.94 for leached and unleached soils, respectively. Meanwhile, the other soil properties, such as amorphous Fe and Al oxides and clay, were also found to be important for determining soluble Ni concentrations, indicating that they were also presented as active adsorbent surfaces. Additionally, the whole soil speciation including bulk soil properties and total soils Ni concentrations were analyzed by mechanistic speciation models WHAM VI and Visual MINTEQ3.0. It was found that WHAM VI provided the best predictions for the soils with pH 8. The Visual MINTEQ3.0 could provide better estimation for pH 8. These results indicated the possibility and applicability of these models to predict soil soluble Ni concentration by soil properties.

  7. Importance of soil-water relation in assessment endpoint in bioremediated soils: Plant growth and soil physical properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, X.; Sawatsky, N.

    1995-01-01

    Much effort has been focused on defining the end-point of bioremediated soils by chemical analysis (Alberta Tier 1 or CCME Guideline for Contaminated Soils) or toxicity tests. However, these tests do not completely assess the soil quality, or the capability of soil to support plant growth after bioremediation. This study compared barley (Hordeum vulgare) growth on: (i) non-contaminated, agricultural topsoil, (2) oil-contaminated soil (4% total extractable hydrocarbons, or TEH), and (3) oil-contaminated soil treated by bioremediation (< 2% TEH). Soil physical properties including water retention, water uptake, and water repellence were measured. The results indicated that the growth of barley was significantly reduced by oil-contamination of agricultural topsoil. Furthermore, bioremediation did not improve the barley yield. The lack of effects from bioremediation was attributed to development of water repellence in hydrocarbon contaminated soils. There seemed to be a critical water content around 18% to 20% in contaminated soils. Above this value the water uptake by contaminated soil was near that of the agricultural topsoil. For lower water contents, there was a strong divergence in sorptivity between contaminated and agricultural topsoil. For these soils, water availability was likely the single most important parameter controlling plant growth. This parameter should be considered in assessing endpoint of bioremediation for hydrocarbon contaminated soils

  8. Soil Properties Database of Spanish Soils Volume III.- Extremadura

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Trueba, C; Millan, R.; Schmid, T.; Roquero, C; Magister, M.

    1998-01-01

    The soil vulnerability determines the sensitivity of the soil after an accidental radioactive contamination due to Cs-13 7 and Sr-90. The Departamento de Impacto Ambiental de la Energia of CIEMAT is carrying out an assessment of the radiological vulnerability of the different Spanish soils found on the Iberian Peninsula. This requires the knowledge of the soil properties for the various types of existing soils. In order to achieve this aim, a bibliographical compilation of soil profiles has been made to characterize the different soil types and create a database of their properties. Depending on the year of publication and the type of documentary source, the information compiled from the available bibliography is very heterogeneous. Therefore, an important effort has been made to normalize and process the information prior to its incorporation to the database. This volume presents the criteria applied to normalized and process the data as well as the soil properties of the various soil types belonging to the Comunidad Autonoma de Extremadura. (Author) 50 refs

  9. Soil protists: a fertile frontier in soil biology research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geisen, Stefan; Mitchell, Edward A D; Adl, Sina; Bonkowski, Michael; Dunthorn, Micah; Ekelund, Flemming; Fernández, Leonardo D; Jousset, Alexandre; Krashevska, Valentyna; Singer, David; Spiegel, Frederick W; Walochnik, Julia; Lara, Enrique

    2018-05-01

    Protists include all eukaryotes except plants, fungi and animals. They are an essential, yet often forgotten, component of the soil microbiome. Method developments have now furthered our understanding of the real taxonomic and functional diversity of soil protists. They occupy key roles in microbial foodwebs as consumers of bacteria, fungi and other small eukaryotes. As parasites of plants, animals and even of larger protists, they regulate populations and shape communities. Pathogenic forms play a major role in public health issues as human parasites, or act as agricultural pests. Predatory soil protists release nutrients enhancing plant growth. Soil protists are of key importance for our understanding of eukaryotic evolution and microbial biogeography. Soil protists are also useful in applied research as bioindicators of soil quality, as models in ecotoxicology and as potential biofertilizers and biocontrol agents. In this review, we provide an overview of the enormous morphological, taxonomical and functional diversity of soil protists, and discuss current challenges and opportunities in soil protistology. Research in soil biology would clearly benefit from incorporating more protistology alongside the study of bacteria, fungi and animals.

  10. Soil Properties Database of Spanish Soils. Volume V.- Madrid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Trueba, C.; Millan, R.; Schmid, T.; Roquero, C.; Magister, M.

    1998-01-01

    The soil vulnerability determines the sensitivity of the soil after an accidental radioactive contamination due to Cs-137 and Sr-90. The Departamento de Impacto Ambiental de la Energia of CIEMAT is carrying out an assessment of the radiological vulnerability of the different Spanish soils found on the Iberian Peninsula. This requires the knowledge of the soil properties for the various types of existing soils. In order to achieve this aim, a bibliographical compilation of soil profiles has been made to characterize the different soil types and create a database of their properties. Depending on the year of publication and the type of documentary source, the information compiled from the available bibliography is very heterogeneous. Therefore, an important effort has been made to normalize and process the information prior to its incorporation to the database. This volume presents the criteria applied to normalize and process the data as well as the soil properties of the various soil types belonging to the Comunidad Autonoma de Madrid. (Author) 39 refs

  11. Soil Properties Database of Spanish Soils. Volume XV.- Aragon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Trueba, C; Millan, R.; Schmid, T.; Lago, C.; Roquero, C; Magister, M.

    1999-01-01

    The soil vulnerability determines the sensitivity of the soil after an accidental radioactive contamination due to Cs-137 and Sr-90. The Departamento de Impacto Ambiental de la Energia of CIEMAT is carrying out an assessment of the radiological vulnerability of the different Spanish soils found on the Iberian Peninsula. This requires the knowledge of the soil properties for the various types of existing soils. In order to achieve this aim, a bibliographical compilation of soil profiles has been made to characterize the different soil types and create a database of their properties. Depending on the year of publication and the type of documentary source, the information compiled from the available bibliography is very heterogeneous. Therefore, an important effort has been made to normalize and process the information prior to its incorporation to the database. This volume presents the criteria applied to normalize and process the data as well as the soil properties of the various soil types belonging to the Comunidad Autonoma of Aragon. (Author) 47 refs

  12. Soil Properties Database of Spanish Soils. Volume XIV.- Cataluna

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Trueba, C; Millan, R.; Schmid, T.; Lago, C.; Roquero, C; Magister, M.

    1999-01-01

    The soil vulnerability determines the sensitivity of the soil after an accidental radioactive contamination due to Cs-137 and Sr-90. The Departamento de Impacto Ambiental de la Energia of CIEMAT is carrying out an assessment of the radiological vulnerability of the different Spanish soils found on the Iberian Peninsula. This requires the knowledge of the soil properties for the various types of existing soils. In order to achieve this aim, a bibliographical compilation of soil profiles has been made to characterize the different soil types and create a database of their properties. Depending on the year of publication and the type of documentary source, the information compiled from the available bibliography is very heterogeneous. Therefore, an important effort has been made to normalize and process the information prior to its incorporation to the database. This volume presents the criteria applied to normalize and process the data as well as the soil properties of the various soil types belonging to the Comunidad Autonoma of Cataluna. (Author) 57 refs

  13. Soil degradation effect on biological activity in Mediterranean calcareous soils

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roca-Pérez, L.; Alcover-Sáez, S.; Mormeneo, S.; Boluda, R.

    2009-04-01

    Soil degradation processes include erosion, organic matter decline, compaction, salinization, landslides, contamination, sealing and biodiversity decline. In the Mediterranean region the climatological and lithological conditions, together with relief on the landscape and anthropological activity are responsible for increasing desertification process. It is therefore considered to be extreme importance to be able to measure soil degradation quantitatively. We studied soil characteristics, microbiological and biochemical parameters in different calcareous soil sequences from Valencia Community (Easter Spain), in an attempt to assess the suitability of the parameters measured to reflect the state of soil degradation and the possibility of using the parameters to assess microbiological decline and soil quality. For this purpose, forest, scrubland and agricultural soil in three soil sequences were sampled in different areas. Several sensors of the soil biochemistry and microbiology related with total organic carbon, microbial biomass carbon, soil respiration, microorganism number and enzyme activities were determined. The results show that, except microorganism number, these parameters are good indicators of a soil biological activity and soil quality. The best enzymatic activities to use like indicators were phosphatases, esterases, amino-peptidases. Thus, the enzymes test can be used as indicators of soil degradation when this degradation is related with organic matter losses. There was a statistically significant difference in cumulative O2 uptake and extracellular enzymes among the soils with different degree of degradation. We would like to thank Spanish government-MICINN for funding and support (MICINN, project CGL2006-09776).

  14. A soil mechanics approach to study soil compaction and traffic effect on the preconsolidation pressure of tropical soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dias Junior, Moacir de Souza

    2004-01-01

    Several researchers have already demonstrated the causes and the effects of soil compaction. These studies showed that the soil compaction is a limiting factor in the agricultural production. The attributes of the soil conventionally monitored has not been capable to quantify the load support capacity of the soil, not allowing to foresee the levels of pressures that can be applied to the soils at different moisture conditions without additional soil compaction (structure degradation) happens. The researches done in the soil compressive behaviour of some tropical soils indicate that the pre-compression stress may be used as an alternative measure of the load support capacity and as a quantitative indicator of the structure sustainability of the tropical soils

  15. Relationships between soil erosion risk, soil use and soil properties in Mediterranean areas. A comparative study of three typical sceneries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gil, Juan; Priego-Navas, Mercedes; Zavala, Lorena M.; Jordán, Antonio

    2013-04-01

    Generally, literature shows that the high variability of rainfall-induced soil erosion is related to climatic differences, relief, soil properties and land use. Very different runoff rates and soil loss values have been reported in Mediterranean cropped soils depending on soil management practices, but also in soils under natural vegetation types. OBJECTIVES The aim of this research is to study the relationships between soil erosion risk, soil use and soil properties in three typical Mediterranean areas from southern Spain: olive groves under conventional tillage, minimum tillage and no-till practices, and soils under natural vegetation. METHODS Rainfall simulation experiments have been carried out in order to assess the relationship between soil erosion risk, land use, soil management and soil properties in olive-cropped soils under different types of management and soils under natural vegetation type from Mediterranean areas in southern Spain RESULTS Results show that mean runoff rates decrease from 35% in olive grove soils under conventional tillage to 25% in olive (Olea europaea) grove soils with minimum tillage or no-till practices, and slightly over 22% in soils under natural vegetation. Moreover, considering the different vegetation types, runoff rates vary in a wide range, although runoff rates from soils under holm oak (Quercus rotundifolia), 25.70%, and marginal olive groves , 25.31%, are not significantly different. Results from soils under natural vegetation show that the properties and nature of the organic residues play a role in runoff characteristics, as runoff rates above 50% were observed in less than 10% of the rainfall simulations performed on soils with a organic layer. In contrast, more than half of runoff rates from bare soils reached or surpassed 50%. Quantitatively, average values for runoff water losses increase up to 2.5 times in unprotected soils. This is a key issue in the study area, where mean annual rainfall is above 600 mm

  16. Soil color - a window for public and educators to understands soils

    Science.gov (United States)

    Libohova, Zamir; Beaudette, Dylan; Wills, Skye; Monger, Curtis; Lindbo, David

    2017-04-01

    Soil color is one of the most visually striking properties recorded by soil scientists around the world. Soil color is an important characteristic related to soil properties such organic matter, parent materials, drainage. It is a simplified way for the public and educators alike to understand soils and their functions. Soil color is a quick measurement that can be recorded by people using color charts or digital cameras, offering an opportunity for the citizen science projects to contribute to soil science. The US Soil Survey has recorded soil colors using Munsell color system for over 20,000 soil types representing a wide range of conditions throughout the Unites States. The objective of this research was to generate a US soil color map based on color descriptions from the Official Series Descriptions (OSDs). A color calculator developed in R and ArcMap were used to spatially display the soil colors. Soil colors showed vertical trends related to soil depth and horizontal trends related to parent material and climate. Soil colors represent development processes depending upon environment and time that have influenced their appearance and geographic distribution. Dark colors represent soils that are rich in organic matter, such as the soils of the Midwest USA, which are some of the most fertile soils in the world. These soils are relatively "young" in that they developed over the last 20,000 years in materials left behind after continental Glaciers retreated and reflect long- term prairie vegetation that dominated this area prior to European settlements. Dark soils of the Pacific Northwest reflect the influence of forests (and volcanic activity) but are shallower and less fertile than the deep dark Midwest soils. Soils of the eastern and southern Coastal Plains are older and are enriched with iron oxides ('rust') which gives them their red coloring. Soils of flood plains, like the broad Mississippi Valley, have multi-colored soils that reflect the process of

  17. Developing and using artificial soils to analyze soil microbial processes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, X.; Cheng, H. Y.; Boynton, L.; Masiello, C. A.; Silberg, J. J.

    2017-12-01

    Microbial diversity and function in soils are governed by soil characteristics such as mineral composition, particles size and aggregations, soil organic matter (SOM), and availability of nutrients and H2O. The spatial and temporal heterogeneity of soils creates a range of niches (hotspots) differing in the availability of O2, H2O, and nutrients, which shapes microbial activities at scales ranging from nanometer to landscape. Synthetic biologists often examine microbial response trigged by their environment conditions in nutrient-rich aqueous media using single strain microbes. While these studies provided useful insight in the role of soil microbes in important soil biogeochemical processes (e.g., C cycling, N cycling, etc.), the results obtained from the over-simplified model systems are often not applicable natural soil systems. On the contrary, soil microbiologists examine microbial processes in natural soils using longer incubation time. However, due to its physical, chemical and biological complexity of natural soils, it is often difficult to examine soil characteristics independently and understand how each characteristic influences soil microbial activities and their corresponding soil functioning. Therefore, it is necessary to bridge the gap and develop a model matrix to exclude unpredictable influences from the environment while still reliably mimicking real environmental conditions. The objective of this study is to design a range of ecologically-relevant artificial soils with varying texture (particle size distribution), structure, mineralogy, SOM content, and nutrient heterogeneity. We thoroughly characterize the artificial soils for pH, active surface area and surface morphology, cation exchange capacity (CEC), and water retention curve. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the artificial soils as useful matrix for microbial processes, such as microbial growth and horizontal gene transfer (HGT), using the gas-reporting biosensors recently developed in

  18. Modelling soil anaerobiosis from water retention characteristics and soil respiration

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schurgers, G.; Dörsch, P.; Bakken, L.; Leffelaar, P.A.; Egil Haugen, L.

    2006-01-01

    Oxygen is a prerequisite for some and an inhibitor to other microbial functions in soils, hence the temporal and spatial distribution of oxygen within the soil matrix is crucial in soil biogeochemistry and soil biology. Various attempts have been made to model the anaerobic fraction of the soil

  19. Soil gas radon response to environmental and soil physics variables

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thomas, D.M.; Chen, C.; Holford, D.

    1991-01-01

    During the last three years a field study of soil gas radon activities conducted at Poamoho, Oahu, has shown that the primary environmental variables that control radon transport in shallow tropical soils are synoptic and diurnal barometric pressure changes and soil moisture levels. Barometric pressure changes drive advective transport and mixing of soil gas with atmospheric air; soil moisture appears to control soil porosity and permeability to enhance or inhibit advective and diffusive radon transport. An advective barrier test/control experiment has shown that advective exchange of soil gas and air may account for a substantial proportion of the radon loss from shallow soils but does not significantly affect radon activities at depths greater than 2.3 m. An irrigation test/control experiment also suggests that, at soil moisture levels approaching field capacity, saturation of soil macroporosity can halt all advective transport of radon and limit diffusive mobility to that occurring in the liquid phase. The results of the authors field study have been used to further refine and extend a numerical model, RN3D, that has been developed by Pacific Northwest Laboratories to simulate subsurface transport of radon. The field data have allowed them to accurately simulate the steady state soil gas radon profile at their field site and to track transient radon activities under the influence of barometric pressure changes and in response to changes in soil permeability that result from variations in soil moisture levels. Further work is continuing on the model to enable it to properly account for the relative effects of advective transport of soil gas through cracks and diffusive mobility in the bulk soils

  20. SoilEffects – start characterization of the experimental soil

    OpenAIRE

    Løes, Anne-Kristin; Johansen, Anders; Pommeresche, Reidun; Riley, Hugh

    2013-01-01

    This report describes the establishment, experimental plan and initial soil characteristics of the field experiment linked to the project “Effects of anaerobically digested manure on soil fertility - establishment of a long-term study under Norwegian conditions” (SoilEffects, 2010-14). The aim of the SoilEffects project is to identify potential risks and benefits for soil fertility when animal manure is anaerobically digested for biogas production. The field experiment was established on...

  1. Fumigant activity of plant essential oils and components from horseradish (Armoracia rusticana), anise (Pimpinella anisum) and garlic (Allium sativum) oils against Lycoriella ingenua (Diptera: Sciaridae).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Ii-Kwon; Choi, Kwang-Sik; Kim, Do-Hyung; Choi, In-Ho; Kim, Lee-Sun; Bak, Won-Chull; Choi, Joon-Weon; Shin, Sang-Chul

    2006-08-01

    Plant essential oils from 40 plant species were tested for their insecticidal activities against larvae of Lycoriella ingénue (Dufour) using a fumigation bioassay. Good insecticidal activity against larvae of L. ingenua was achieved with essential oils of Chenopodium ambrosioides L., Eucalyptus globulus Labill, Eucalyptus smithii RT Baker, horseradish, anise and garlic at 10 and 5 microL L(-1) air. Horseradish, anise and garlic oils showed the most potent insecticidal activities among the plant essential oils. At 1.25 microL L(-1), horseradish, anise and garlic oils caused 100, 93.3 and 13.3% mortality, but at 0.625 microL L(-1) air this decreased to 3.3, 0 and 0% respectively. Analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry led to the identification of one major compound from horseradish, and three each from anise and garlic oils. These seven compounds and m-anisaldehyde and o-anisaldehyde, two positional isomers of p-anisaldehyde, were tested individually for their insecticidal activities against larvae of L. ingenua. Allyl isothiocyanate was the most toxic, followed by trans-anethole, diallyl disulfide and p-anisaldehyde with LC(50) values of 0.15, 0.20, 0.87 and 1.47 microL L(-1) respectively.

  2. Water repellent soils: the case for unsaturated soil mechanics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Beckett Christopher

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Water repellent (or “hydrophobic” or “non-wetting” soils have been studied by soil scientists for well over a century. These soils are typified by poor water infiltration, which leads to increased soil erosion and poor crop growth. However, the importance of water repellence on determining soil properties is now becoming recognised by geotechnical engineers. Water repellent soils may, for example, offer novel solutions for the design of cover systems overlying municipal or mine waste storage facilities. However, investigations into factors affecting their mechanical properties have only recently been initiated. This purpose of this paper is to introduce geotechnical engineers to the concept of water repellent soils and to discuss how their properties can be evaluated under an unsaturated soils framework. Scenarios in which water repellent properties might be relevant in geotechnical applications are presented and methods to quantify these properties in the laboratory and in the field examined.

  3. On the assessment of root and soil respiration for soils of different textures: interactions with soil moisture contents and soil CO2 concentrations

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bouma, T.J.; Bryla, D.R.

    2000-01-01

    Estimates of root and soil respiration are becoming increasingly important in agricultural and ecological research, but there is little understanding how soil texture and water content may affect these estimates. We examined the effects of soil texture on (i) estimated rates of root and soil

  4. Dependence of Soil Respiration on Soil Temperature and Soil Moisture in Successional Forests in Southern China

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Xu-Li Tang; Guo-Yi Zhou; Shu-Guang Liu; De-Qiang Zhang; Shi-Zhong Liu; Jiong Li; Cun-Yu Zhou

    2006-01-01

    The spatial and temporal variations in soil respiration and its relationship with biophysical factors in forests near the Tropic of Cancer remain highly uncertain. To contribute towards an improvement of actual estimates, soil respiration rates, soil temperature, and soil moisture were measured in three successional subtropical forests at the Dinghushan Nature Reserve (DNR) in southern China from March 2003 to February 2005. The overall objective of the present study was to analyze the temporal variations of soil respiration and its biophysical dependence in these forests. The relationships between biophysical factors and soil respiration rates were compared in successional forests to test the hypothesis that these forests responded similarly to biophysical factors. The seasonality of soil respiration coincided with the seasonal climate pattern, with high respiration rates in the hot humid season (April-September) and with low rates in the cool dry season (October-March). Soil respiration measured at these forests showed a clear increasing trend with the progressive succession. Annual mean (± SD) soil respiration rate in the DNR forests was (9.0±4.6) Mg CO2-C/hm2 per year, ranging from (6.1±3.2) Mg CO2-C/hm2 per year in early successional forests to (10.7±4.9) Mg CO2-C/hm2 per year in advanced successional forests. Soil respiration was correlated with both soil temperature and moisture. The T/M model, where the two biophysical variables are driving factors, accounted for 74%-82% of soil respiration variation in DNR forests. Temperature sensitivity decreased along progressive succession stages, suggesting that advanced-successional forests have a good ability to adjust to temperature. In contrast, moisture increased with progressive succession processes. This increase is caused, in part, by abundant respirators in advanced-successional forest, where more soil moisture is needed to maintain their activities.

  5. Dependence of soil respiration on soil temperature and soil moisture in successional forests in Southern China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, X.-L.; Zhou, G.-Y.; Liu, S.-G.; Zhang, D.-Q.; Liu, S.-Z.; Li, Ji; Zhou, C.-Y.

    2006-01-01

    The spatial and temporal variations in soil respiration and its relationship with biophysical factors in forests near the Tropic of Cancer remain highly uncertain. To contribute towards an improvement of actual estimates, soil respiration rates, soil temperature, and soil moisture were measured in three successional subtropical forests at the Dinghushan Nature Reserve (DNR) in southern China from March 2003 to February 2005. The overall objective of the present study was to analyze the temporal variations of soil respiration and its biophysical dependence in these forests. The relationships between biophysical factors and soil respiration rates were compared in successional forests to test the hypothesis that these forests responded similarly to biophysical factors. The seasonality of soil respiration coincided with the seasonal climate pattern, with high respiration rates in the hot humid season (April-September) and with low rates in the cool dry season (October-March). Soil respiration measured at these forests showed a clear increasing trend with the progressive succession. Annual mean (±SD) soil respiration rate in the DNR forests was (9.0 ± 4.6) Mg CO2-C/hm2per year, ranging from (6.1 ± 3.2) Mg CO2-C/hm2per year in early successional forests to (10.7 ± 4.9) Mg CO2-C/hm2 per year in advanced successional forests. Soil respiration was correlated with both soil temperature and moisture. The T/M model, where the two biophysical variables are driving factors, accounted for 74%-82% of soil respiration variation in DNR forests. Temperature sensitivity decreased along progressive succession stages, suggesting that advanced-successional forests have a good ability to adjust to temperature. In contrast, moisture increased with progressive succession processes. This increase is caused, in part, by abundant respirators in advanced-successional forest, where more soil moisture is needed to maintain their activities.

  6. ROMANIAN SOIL RESOURCES - “HEALTHY SOILS FOR A HEALTHY LIFE”

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mircea MIHALACHE

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available After nearly three years of intensive consultations, 2015 has been declared the International Year of Soils by the 68th UN General Assembly (A/RES/68/232. The International Years of Soil is to be a major platform for raising awareness of the importance of soils for food security and nutrition and essential eco-system functions. Key objectives of the International Years of Soil have been identified as follows: to create full awareness of all stakeholders about the fundamental roles of soils for human life; to achieve full recognition of the prominent contributions of soils to food security and nutrition, climate change adaptation and mitigation, essential ecosystem services, poverty alleviation and sustainable development; to promote effective policies and actions for the sustainable management and protection of soil resources; to sensitize decision-makers about the need for robust investment in sustainable soil management activities, to ensure healthy soils for different land users and population groups; to catalyze initiatives in connection with the Sustainable Development Goal process and Post-2015 agenda; to advocate rapid enhancement of capacities and systems for soil information collection and monitoring at all levels (global, regional and national (http://www.fao.org/soils-2015. Applying a proper management of the recovery and conservation of soil resources is a major goal for every nation. The development of a country depends on the production potential of own soil resources. Soil degradation is a serious problem in Europe an also in Romania. It is caused or exacerbated by human activity such as inadequate agricultural and forestry practices, industrial activities, tourism, urban and industrial expansion etc. Soil Quality Monitoring in Romania revealed a number of problems concerning land use in Romania following the manifestation of one or more limiting factors such as: moisture deficit, salinization and alkalization, soil erosion

  7. Quicklime-induced changes of soil properties: Implications for enhanced remediation of volatile chlorinated hydrocarbon contaminated soils via mechanical soil aeration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Yan; Dong, Binbin; He, Xiaosong; Shi, Yi; Xu, Mingyue; He, Xuwen; Du, Xiaoming; Li, Fasheng

    2017-04-01

    Mechanical soil aeration is used for soil remediation at sites contaminated by volatile organic compounds. However, the effectiveness of the method is limited by low soil temperature, high soil moisture, and high soil viscosity. Combined with mechanical soil aeration, quicklime has a practical application value related to reinforcement remediation and to its action in the remediation of soil contaminated with volatile organic compounds. In this study, the target pollutant was trichloroethylene, which is a volatile chlorinated hydrocarbon pollutant commonly found in contaminated soils. A restoration experiment was carried out, using a set of mechanical soil-aeration simulation tests, by adding quicklime (mass ratios of 3, 10, and 20%) to the contaminated soil. The results clearly indicate that quicklime changed the physical properties of the soil, which affected the environmental behaviour of trichloroethylene in the soil. The addition of CaO increased soil temperature and reduced soil moisture to improve the mass transfer of trichloroethylene. In addition, it improved the macroporous cumulative pore volume and average pore size, which increased soil permeability. As soil pH increased, the clay mineral content in the soils decreased, the cation exchange capacity and the redox potential decreased, and the removal of trichloroethylene from the soil was enhanced to a certain extent. After the addition of quicklime, the functional group COO of soil organic matter could interact with calcium ions, which increased soil polarity and promoted the removal of trichloroethylene. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Thermal-treated soil for mercury removal: Soil and phytotoxicity tests

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Roh, Y.; Edwards, N.T.; Lee, S.Y.; Stiles, C.A.; Armes, S.; Foss, J.E.

    2000-04-01

    Mercury (Hg) contamination of soils and sediments is one of many environmental problems at the Oak Ridge Reservation, Oak Ridge, TN. Mercury-contaminated soil from the Lower East Fork Poplar Creek (LEFPC) at the Oak Ridge Reservation was treated thermally to reduce Hg concentration to a below target level (20 mg kg{sup {minus}1}) as a pilot scale thermal treatment demonstration. As a part of performance evaluation, the soil characteristics and plant growth response of the untreated and treated soil were examined. The soil treated at 350 C retained most of its original soil properties, but the soil treated at 600 C exhibited considerable changes in mineralogical composition and physicochemical characteristics. Growth and physiological response of the three plant species radish (Raphanus sativus L.), fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.), and oat (Avena sativa L.) indicated adverse effects of the thermal treatment. The addition of N fertilizer had beneficial effects in the 350 C treated soil, but had little beneficial effect in the 600 C treated soil. Some changes of soil characteristics induced by thermal treatment cannot be avoided. Soil characteristics and phytotoxicity test results strongly suggest that changes occurring following the 350 C treatment do not limit the use of the treated soil to refill the excavated site for full-scale remediation. The only problem with the 350 C treatment is that small amounts of Hg compounds (<15 mg kg{sup {minus}1}) remain in the soil and a processing cost of $45/Mg.

  9. Soils in art as a teaching tool in soil science

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poch, Rosa M.

    2017-04-01

    The representation of soils in the different artistic expressions occurs much less often than that of other naturalistic scientific disciplines, like botany or zoology, due to the minor perception of soils as a natural body since the humans started to express themselves through art. Nevertheless, painters, writers and even musicians and film directors have been forced to deal with soils in their works, as a component of the landscape and as the main actor of the various soil functions. Even if the artists are not aware of soils in the sense of soil science - a study object - their observation of nature invariably leads to express their properties, the problems due to their misuse or degradation and their management practices. These art works have a great value when teaching soil science to students, because the latter can learn to intepret and go beyond the artist's observation and therefore they can appreciate the perception of soils and soil properties along the history of humankind. Paintings from various periods can be used as exercises, mainly those depicting landscapes or agricultural works. Some examples are Dutch landscape painters, as Brueghel the Young showing detailed soil erosion features; or Wijnants (XVII century) depicting very clear podzols on sand dunes. Also the impressionists (Van Gogh, Cézanne, Gaugin), or the landscapes of the romantic nationalists (XIX- early XX century) show forest or agricultural soils that can be used either to deduce soil forming processes and describe horizons, or to discuss the effectivity of soil management practices (deforestation, burning, plowing, terracing). Also some pieces of literature can be used either for illustrating real soil landscapes and soil-water relationships (Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath") or in case of fiction literature, as exercice for soil mapping (Tolkien's Middle Earth in "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings"). Films as "The field" (Jim Sheridan, 1990) or "Corn Island" (George Ovasvili

  10. Basic Soils. Revision.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montana State Univ., Bozeman. Dept. of Agricultural and Industrial Education.

    This curriculum guide is designed for use in teaching a course in basic soils that is intended for college freshmen. Addressed in the individual lessons of the unit are the following topics: the way in which soil is formed, the physical properties of soil, the chemical properties of soil, the biotic properties of soil, plant-soil-water…

  11. Cyanobacteria Inoculation Improves Soil Stability and Fertility on Different Textured Soils: Gaining Insights for Applicability in Soil Restoration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sonia Chamizo

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available Cyanobacteria are ubiquitous components of biocrust communities and the first colonizers of terrestrial ecosystems. They play multiple roles in the soil by fixing C and N and synthesizing exopolysaccharides, which increase soil fertility and water retention and improve soil structure and stability. Application of cyanobacteria as inoculants to promote biocrust development has been proposed as a novel biotechnological technique for restoring barren degraded areas and combating desertification processes in arid lands. However, previous to their widespread application under field conditions, research is needed to ensure the selection of the most suitable species. In this study, we inoculated two cyanobacterial species, Phormidium ambiguum (non N-fixing and Scytonema javanicum (N-fixing, on different textured soils (from silt loam to sandy, and analyzed cyanobacteria biocrust development and evolution of physicochemical soil properties for 3 months under laboratory conditions. Cyanobacteria inoculation led to biocrust formation in all soil types. Scanning electron microscope (SEM images showed contrasting structure of the biocrust induced by the two cyanobacteria. The one from P. ambiguum was characterized by thin filaments that enveloped soil particles and created a dense, entangled network, while the one from S. javanicum consisted of thicker filaments that grouped as bunches in between soil particles. Biocrust development, assessed by chlorophyll a content and crust spectral properties, was higher in S. javanicum-inoculated soils compared to P. ambiguum-inoculated soils. Either cyanobacteria inoculation did not increase soil hydrophobicity. S. javanicum promoted a higher increase in total organic C and total N content, while P. ambiguum was more effective in increasing total exopolysaccharide (EPS content and soil penetration resistance. The effects of cyanobacteria inoculation also differed among soil types and the highest improvement in soil

  12. Investigation of the sensitivity of trees and shrubs to air pollution

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mooi, J

    1975-01-01

    A long-term fumigation trial was set up on some foliage trees and conifers, as indicators, to see if there was synergistic effect of SO/sub 2/ and O/sub 3/. Three trees were fumigated from June until October in long term fumigation chambers. The following volume fractions were used: O/sub 3/ 50 ppb and SO/sub 2/ 100 ppb. To measure the O/sub 3/ concentration, two McMillan O/sub 3/ monitors and a standard gas generator were acquired. On seven of eleven plant species used, visible differences between fumigated and control plants were observed (chlorosis, necrosis and leaf drop). The plants fumigated with SO/sub 2/ were analysed for total SO/sub 4//sup 2 -/. The tree species showed very great differences in mass fraction (1.20-4.85% SO/sub 4//sup 2 -/), while the control plants had 0.54-2.53%. Mass fraction in wood varied very little in fumigated plants, 0.20-0.64%, in control plants 0.16-0.36%. The conclusion that, if the sulfate contents in healthy plant and a damaged plant are almost equal, the damage of a plant could not be caused by SO/sub 2/, is wrong. Short-term fumigations with a high concentration of SO/sub 2/ caused injury, but SO/sub 4//sup 2 -/ content was not or nearly not affected.

  13. Effect of soil moisture on the temperature sensitivity of Northern soils

    Science.gov (United States)

    Minions, C.; Natali, S.; Ludwig, S.; Risk, D.; Macintyre, C. M.

    2017-12-01

    Arctic and boreal ecosystems are vast reservoirs of carbon and are particularly sensitive to climate warming. Changes in the temperature and precipitation regimes of these regions could significantly alter soil respiration rates, impacting atmospheric concentrations and affecting climate change feedbacks. Many incubation studies have shown that both temperature and soil moisture are important environmental drivers of soil respiration; this relationship, however, has rarely been demonstrated with in situ data. Here we present the results of a study at six field sites in Alaska from 2016 to 2017. Low-power automated soil gas systems were used to measure soil surface CO2 flux from three forced diffusion chambers and soil profile concentrations from three soil depth chambers at hourly intervals at each site. HOBO Onset dataloggers were used to monitor soil moisture and temperature profiles. Temperature sensitivity (Q10) was determined at each site using inversion analysis applied over different time periods. With highly resolved data sets, we were able to observe the changes in soil respiration in response to changes in temperature and soil moisture. Through regression analysis we confirmed that temperature is the primary driver in soil respiration, but soil moisture becomes dominant beyond a certain threshold, suppressing CO2 flux in soils with high moisture content. This field study supports the conclusions made from previous soil incubation studies and provides valuable insights into the impact of both temperature and soil moisture changes on soil respiration.

  14. Effects of environmental factors and soil properties on topographic variations of soil respiration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K. Tamai

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available Soil respiration rates were measured along different parts of a slope in (a an evergreen forest with common brown forest soil and (b a deciduous forest with immature soil. The effects of soil temperature, soil moisture and soil properties were estimated individually, and the magnitudes of these effects in the deciduous and evergreen forests were compared. In the evergreen forest with common brown forest soil, soil properties had the greatest effect on soil respiration rates, followed by soil moisture and soil temperature. These results may be explained by the fact that different soil properties matured within different environments. It can be argued that the low soil respiration rates in the low parts of the slope in the evergreen forest resulted from soil properties and not from wet soil conditions. In the deciduous forest, soil respiration rates were more strongly affected by soil moisture and soil temperature than by soil properties. These effects were likely due to the immaturity of the forest soil.

  15. Wetting properties of fungi mycelium alter soil infiltration and soil water repellency in a γ-sterilized wettable and repellent soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chau, Henry Wai; Goh, Yit Kheng; Vujanovic, Vladimir; Si, Bing Cheng

    2012-12-01

    Soil water repellency (SWR) has a drastic impact on soil quality resulting in reduced infiltration, increased runoff, increased leaching, reduced plant growth, and increased soil erosion. One of the causes of SWR is hydrophobic fungal structures and exudates that change the soil-water relationship. The objective of this study was to determine whether SWR and infiltration could be manipulated through inoculation with fungi. The effect of fungi on SWR was investigated through inoculation of three fungal strains (hydrophilic -Fusarium proliferatum, chrono-amphiphilic -Trichoderma harzianum, and hydrophobic -Alternaria sp.) on a water repellent soil (WR-soil) and a wettable soil (W-soil). The change in SWR and infiltration was assessed by the water repellency index and cumulative infiltration respectively. F. proliferatum decreased the SWR on WR-soil and slightly increased SWR in W-soil, while Alternaria sp. increased SWR in both the W-soil and the WR-soil. Conversely T. harzianum increased the SWR in the W-soil and decreased the SWR in the WR-soil. All strains showed a decrease in infiltration in W-soil, while only the F. proliferatum and T. harzianum strain showed improvement in infiltration in the WR-soil. The ability of fungi to alter the SWR and enmesh soil particles results in changes to the infiltration dynamics in soil. Copyright © 2012 The British Mycological Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Soil-Web: An online soil survey for California, Arizona, and Nevada

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beaudette, D. E.; O'Geen, A. T.

    2009-10-01

    Digital soil survey products represent one of the largest and most comprehensive inventories of soils information currently available. The complex structure of these databases, intensive use of codes and scientific jargon make it difficult for non-specialists to utilize digital soil survey resources. A project was initiated to construct a web-based interface to digital soil survey products (STATSGO and SSURGO) for California, Arizona, and Nevada that would be accessible to the general public. A collection of mature, open source applications (including Mapserver, PostGIS and Apache Web Server) were used as a framework to support data storage, querying, map composition, data presentation, and contextual links to related materials. Application logic was written in the PHP language to "glue" together the many components of an online soil survey. A comprehensive website ( http://casoilresource.lawr.ucdavis.edu/map) was created to facilitate access to digital soil survey databases through several interfaces including: interactive map, Google Earth and HTTP-based application programming interface (API). Each soil polygon is linked to a map unit summary page, which includes links to soil component summary pages. The most commonly used soil properties, land interpretations and ratings are presented. Graphical and tabular summaries of soil profile information are dynamically created, and aid with rapid assessment of key soil properties. Quick links to official series descriptions (OSD) and other such information are presented. All terminology is linked back to the USDA-NRCS Soil Survey Handbook which contains extended definitions. The Google Earth interface to Soil-Web can be used to explore soils information in three dimensions. A flexible web API was implemented to allow advanced users of soils information to access our website via simple web page requests. Soil-Web has been successfully used in soil science curriculum, outreach activities, and current research projects

  17. Effects of natural and synthetic soil conditioners on soil moisture ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The efficacy of a natural soil conditioner, Coco-Peat (C-P), and synthetic soil conditioners, Terawet (T-200) and Teraflow (T-F), in improving soil moisture content were examined on five Ghanaian soil series (Akroso, Akuse, Amo, Hake and Oyarifa). In general, the water retention of T-200 and C-P treated soils were similar ...

  18. Variability of the soil-to-plant radiocaesium transfer factor for Japanese soils predicted with soil and plant properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uematsu, Shinichiro; Vandenhove, Hildegarde; Sweeck, Lieve; Van Hees, May; Wannijn, Jean; Smolders, Erik

    2016-03-01

    Food chain contamination with radiocaesium (RCs) in the aftermath of the Fukushima accident calls for an analysis of the specific factors that control the RCs transfer. Here, soil-to-plant transfer factors (TF) of RCs for grass were predicted from the potassium concentration in soil solution (mK) and the Radiocaesium Interception Potential (RIP) of the soil using existing mechanistic models. The mK and RIP were (a) either measured for 37 topsoils collected from the Fukushima accident affected area or (b) predicted from the soil clay content and the soil exchangeable potassium content using the models that had been calibrated for European soils. An average ammonium concentration was used throughout in the prediction. The measured RIP ranged 14-fold and measured mK varied 37-fold among the soils. The measured RIP was lower than the RIP predicted from the soil clay content likely due to the lower content of weathered micas in the clay fraction of Japanese soils. Also the measured mK was lower than that predicted. As a result, the predicted TFs relying on the measured RIP and mK were, on average, about 22-fold larger than the TFs predicted using the European calibrated models. The geometric mean of the measured TFs for grass in the affected area (N = 82) was in the middle of both. The TFs were poorly related to soil classification classes, likely because soil fertility (mK) was obscuring the effects of the soil classification related to the soil mineralogy (RIP). This study suggests that, on average, Japanese soils are more vulnerable than European soils at equal soil clay and exchangeable K content. The affected regions will be targeted for refined model validation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Soil Penetration Resistance of Recultivated Soil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zadorozhnaya Galina

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available This article examines changes in the spatial distribution of soil penetration resistance in ordinary chernozem (Calcic Chernozem and in the recultivated soil in 2012 and 2014. The measurements were carried out in the field using an Eijkelkamp penetrometer on a regular grid. The depth of measurement was 50 cm, the interval was 5 cm. The indices of variation of soil penetration resistance in space and time have been determined. The degree of spatial dependence of soil penetration resistance has been determined layer by layer. The nature of temporal dynamics of soil penetration resistance of chernozem and technical soil has been described. A significant positive relationship of the structure of chernozem in the two years of the research has been shown. Significant correlations between the data of different years in the technical soil were found to be mostly negative.

  20. Complex linkage between soil, soil water, atmosphere and Eucalyptus Plantations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shukla, C.; Tiwari, K. N.

    2017-12-01

    Eucalyptus is most widely planted genus grown in waste land of eastern region of India to meet the pulp industry requirements. Sustainability of these plantations is of concern because in spite of higher demand water and nutrients of plantations, they are mostly planted on low-fertility soils. This study has been conducted to quantify effect of 25 years old, a fully established eucalyptus plantations on i.) Alteration in physico-chemical and hydrological properties of soil of eucalyptus plantation in comparison to soil of natural grassland and ii.) Spatio-temporal variation in soil moisture under eucalyptus plantations. Soil physico-chemical properties of two adjacent plots covered with eucatuptus and natural grasses were analyzed for three consecutive depths (i.e. 0-30 cm, 30-60 cm and 60-90 cm) with five replications in each plot. Soil infiltration rate and saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) were measured in-situ to incorporate the influence of macro porosity caused due to roots of plantations. Daily soil moisture at an interval of 10 cm upto 160 cm depth with 3 replications and Leaf Area Index (LAI) at an interval of 15 days with 5 replications were recorded over the year. Significant variations found at level of 0.05 between soil properties of eucalyptus and natural grass land confirm the effect of plantations on soil properties. Comparative results of soil properties show significant alteration in soil texture such as percent of sand, organic matter and Ks found more by 20%, 9% and 22% respectively in eucalyptus plot as compare to natural grass land. Available soil moisture (ASM) was found constantly minimum in top soil excluding rainy season indicate upward movement of water and nutrients during dry season. Seasonal variation in temperature (T), relative humidity (RH) and leaf area index (LAI) influenced the soil moisture extraction phenomenon. This study clearly stated the impact of long term establishment of eucalyptus plantations make considerable

  1. Derivation of Soil Ecological Criteria for Copper in Chinese Soils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Xiaoqing; Wei, Dongpu; Ma, Yibing; McLaughlin, Mike J

    2015-01-01

    Considerable information on copper (Cu) ecotoxicity as affected by biological species and abiotic properties of soils has been collected from the last decade in the present study. The information on bioavailability/ecotoxicity, species sensitivity and differences in laboratory and field ecotoxicity of Cu in different soils was collated and integrated to derive soil ecological criteria for Cu in Chinese soils, which were expressed as predicted no effect concentrations (PNEC). First, all ecotoxicity data of Cu from bioassays based on Chinese soils were collected and screened with given criteria to compile a database. Second, the compiled data were corrected with leaching and aging factors to minimize the differences between laboratory and field conditions. Before Cu ecotoxicity data were entered into a species sensitivity distribution (SSD), they were normalized with Cu ecotoxicity predictive models to modify the effects of soil properties on Cu ecotoxicity. The PNEC value was set equal to the hazardous concentration for x% of the species (HCx), which could be calculated from the SSD curves, without an additional assessment factor. Finally, predictive models for HCx based on soil properties were developed. The soil properties had a significant effect on the magnitude of HCx, with HC5 varying from 13.1 mg/kg in acidic soils to 51.9 mg/kg in alkaline non-calcareous soils. The two-factor predictive models based on soil pH and cation exchange capacity could predict HCx with determination coefficients (R2) of 0.82-0.91. The three-factor predictive models--that took into account the effect of soil organic carbon--were more accurate than two-factor models, with R2 of 0.85-0.99. The predictive models obtained here could be used to calculate soil-specific criteria. All results obtained here could provide a scientific basis for revision of current Chinese soil environmental quality standards, and the approach adopted in this study could be used as a pragmatic framework for

  2. Courses for "Soil Practitioner" and other measures for raising soil awareness

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hartl, Wilfried

    2014-05-01

    Today, unfortunately, little use is made of the findings of rhizosphere research in practice. Therefore the author, together with the organic farmers` associations Distelverein and Bio Austria, developed the education programme "Soil Practitioner" for organic farmers. The 9-days` course focuses on the topics nutrient dynamics in soil, plant-root interactions, soil management, humus management and practical evaluation of soil functions. A second series of courses developed by Bio Forschung Austria aims at improving organic matter management on farm level. In order to enable the farmers to estimate if the humus content of their fields is increasing or decreasing, they are familiarized with the humus balancing method. In a second step, humus balances of farmers' fields are calculated and the results are discussed together. Another activity to raise soil awareness is the "Mobile Soil Laboratory", which is presented at various events. The soil functions are demonstrated to the public using special exhibits, which illustrate for example infiltration rate in soils with and without earthworms, or water holding capacity of soils with and without earthworms or erosion intensity on soil blocks from adjacent plots which had been cultivated with different crop rotations. The habitat function of soil is illustrated with portable rhizotrons, which show the ability of plants to root surprisingly deep and to penetrate compacted soil layers. Another exhibit shows a habitat preference test between differently fertilized soils with earthworms as indicator organisms. In the "Mobile Soil Laboratory", visitors are also invited to watch live soil animals through the binocular microscope. They are supplied with information on the soil animals` habitat and behaviour and on how agriculture benefits from biologically active soil. And last but not least, the "Root Demonstration Arena" at our institute features a 3-m-deep excavation lined with large viewing windows into the soil profile, where

  3. Action spectrum of peroxyacetyl nitrate damage to bean plants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dugger, W M; Taylor, O C; Klein, W H; Shropshire, W

    1963-04-06

    For plant damage from peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) there is absolute requirement for light prior to, during, and after fumigation of plants with the oxidant. Pinto beans were fumigated with PAN and exposed to a variety of light intensities and wavelengths. Maximum damage to plants was found when PAN fumigation was contemporaneous with incident light of 370, 419, 480, and 641 m..mu...

  4. Soil washing results for mixed waste pond soils at Hanford

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gerber, M.A.; Freeman, H.D.; Baker, E.G.; Riemath, W.F.

    1991-01-01

    Soil washing technology was assessed as a means for remediating soil contaminated with mixed wastes primarily composed of heavy metals and radionuclides. The soils at the US Department of Energy's Hanford Site are considered suitable for soil washing because of their relatively low quantities of silt and clay. However, in a limited number of soil washing experiments using soils from different locations in the north pond of the 300 Area, the degree of decontamination achieved for the coarse fraction of the soil varied considerably. Part of this variation appears to be due to the presence of a discrete layer of contaminated sediment found in some of the samples

  5. Effect of rainfall infiltration into unsaturated soil using soil column

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ibrahim, A.; Mukhlisin, M.; Jaafar, O.

    2018-02-01

    Rainfall especially in tropical region caused infiltration to the soil slope. The infiltration may change pore water pressure or matric suction of the soil. The event of rainfall infiltration into soil is a complex mechanism. Therefore, the main objectives of this research paper is to study the influence of rainfall intensity and duration that changed pore water pressure to soil. There are two types of soils used in this study; forest soil and kaolin. Soil column apparatus is used for experiments. Rainfall were applied to the soil and result for 3, 6, 12, 24, 72, 120 and 168 hours were retrieved. Result shows that for the both types of soil, the negative pore water pressures were increased during wetting process and gradually decreased towards drying process. The results also show that pore water pressure at top part was increased greatly as the wetting process started compared to the middle and bottom part of the column.

  6. Metals in European roadside soils and soil solution--a review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Werkenthin, Moritz; Kluge, Björn; Wessolek, Gerd

    2014-06-01

    This review provides a summary of studies analysing metal concentrations in soils and soil solution at European roadsides. The data collected during 27 studies covering a total of 64 sites across a number of European countries were summarised. Highest median values of Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn were determined in the top soil layer at the first 5 m beside the road. Generally, the influence of traffic on soil contamination decreased with increasing soil depth and distance to the road. The concentration patterns of metals in soil solution were independent from concentrations in the soil matrix. At 10-m distance, elevated soil metal concentrations, low pH, and low percolation rates led to high solute concentrations. Directly beside the road, high percolation rates lead to high annual loadings although solute concentrations are comparatively low. These loadings might be problematic, especially in regions with acidic sandy soils and a high groundwater table. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Describing Soils: Calibration Tool for Teaching Soil Rupture Resistance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seybold, C. A.; Harms, D. S.; Grossman, R. B.

    2009-01-01

    Rupture resistance is a measure of the strength of a soil to withstand an applied stress or resist deformation. In soil survey, during routine soil descriptions, rupture resistance is described for each horizon or layer in the soil profile. The lower portion of the rupture resistance classes are assigned based on rupture between thumb and…

  8. Soil Plasticity Model for Analysis of Collapse Load on Layers Soil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Md Nujid Masyitah

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Natural soil consist of soil deposits which is a soil layer overlying a thick stratum of another soil. The bearing capacity of layered soil studies have been conducted using different approach whether theoretical, experimental and combination of both. Numerical method in computer programme has become a powerful tool in solving complex geotechnical problems. Thus in numerical modelling, stress-strain soil behaviour is well predicted, design and interpreted using appropriate soil model. It is also important to identify parameters and soil model involve in prediction real soil problem. The sand layer overlaid clay layer soil is modelled with Mohr-Coulomb and Drucker-Prager criterion. The bearing capacity in loaddisplacement analysis from COMSOL Multiphysics is obtained and presented. In addition the stress distribution and evolution of plastic strain for each thickness ratio below centre of footing are investigated. The results indicate the linear relation on load-displacement which have similar trend for both soil models while stress and plastic strain increase as thickness ratio increase.

  9. Predicting radiocaesium sorption characteristics with soil chemical properties for Japanese soils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uematsu, Shinichiro; Smolders, Erik; Sweeck, Lieve; Wannijn, Jean; Van Hees, May; Vandenhove, Hildegarde

    2015-08-15

    The high variability of the soil-to-plant transfer factor of radiocaesium (RCs) compels a detailed analysis of the radiocaesium interception potential (RIP) of soil, which is one of the specific factors ruling the RCs transfer. The range of the RIP values for agricultural soils in the Fukushima accident affected area has not yet been fully surveyed. Here, the RIP and other major soil chemical properties were characterised for 51 representative topsoils collected in the vicinity of the Fukushima contaminated area. The RIP ranged a factor of 50 among the soils and RIP values were lower for Andosols compared to other soils, suggesting a role of soil mineralogy. Correlation analysis revealed that the RIP was most strongly and negatively correlated to soil organic matter content and oxalate extractable aluminium. The RIP correlated weakly but positively to soil clay content. The slope of the correlation between RIP and clay content showed that the RIP per unit clay was only 4.8 mmol g(-1) clay, about threefold lower than that for clays of European soils, suggesting more amorphous minerals and less micaceous minerals in the clay fraction of Japanese soils. The negative correlation between RIP and soil organic matter may indicate that organic matter can mask highly selective sorption sites to RCs. Multiple regression analysis with soil organic matter and cation exchange capacity explained the soil RIP (R(2)=0.64), allowing us to map soil RIP based on existing soil map information. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Spatial patterns of soil organic carbon stocks in Estonian arable soils

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suuster, Elsa; Astover, Alar; Kõlli, Raimo; Roostalu, Hugo; Reintam, Endla; Penu, Priit

    2010-05-01

    Soil organic carbon (SOC) determines ecosystem functions, influencing soil fertility, soil physical, chemical and biological properties and crop productivity. Therefore the spatial pattern of SOC stocks and its appropriate management is important at various scales. Due to climate change and the contribution of carbon store in the soils, the national estimates of soil carbon stocks should be determined. Estonian soils have been well studied and mapped at a scale 1:10,000. Previous studies have estimated SOC stocks based on combinations of large groups of Estonian soils and the mean values of the soil profile database, but were not embedded into the geo-referenced databases. These studies have estimated SOC stocks of Estonian arable soils 122.3 Tg. Despite of available soil maps and databases, this information is still very poorly used for spatial soil modelling. The aim of current study is to assess and model spatial pattern of SOC stocks of arable soils on a pilot area Tartu County (area 3089 sq km). Estonian digital soil map and soil monitoring databases are providing a good opportunity to assess SOC stocks at various scales. The qualitative nature of the initial data from a soil map prohibits any straightforward use in modelling. Thus we have used several databases to construct models and linkages between soil properties that can be integrated into soil map. First step was to reorganize the soil map database (44,046 mapping units) so it can be used as an input to modelling. Arable areas were distinguished by a field layer of Agricultural Registers and Information Board, which provides precise information of current land use as it is the basis of paying CAP subsidies. The estimates of SOC content were found by using the arable land evaluation database of Tartu from the Estonian Land Board (comprising 950 sq km and 31,226 fields), where each soil type was assessed separately and average SOC content grouped by texture was derived. SOC content of epipedon varies in

  11. Exchange of organic solvents between the atmosphere and grass--the use of open top chambers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Binnie, J; Cape, J N; Mackie, N; Leith, I D

    2002-02-21

    Volatile organic compounds (VOC) are of increasing environmental significance as a result of continually increasing volumes of traffic on European roads. An open-top chamber fumigation system has been devised to investigate how these contaminants transfer between the atmosphere and the ground, and how they partition between and within air-plant-soil systems. Variation in chamber temperature, solar radiation in the chamber and chamber flow rate were identified as factors that affected final air concentrations. These were assessed and quantified for all individual chambers used--effectively characterising each chamber. The real-life VOC concentrations generated were stable and readily reproducible. Grass exposed to benzene, toluene, 1,1,1-trichloroethane and tetrachloroethene, respectively, equilibrated in response to a change in air concentration within hours. The rate of equilibration in exposed grass in all cases was independent of air temperature. 1,1,1-Trichloroethane and tetrachloroethene appear to be biologically inert demonstrating a simple physico-chemical approach to equilibrium, however, benzene and toluene do not appear independent of plant metabolic activity. Aqueous solubility can account for all of the toluene and benzene in the fumigated plant material.

  12. Using Agricultural Residue Biochar to Improve Soil Quality of Desert Soils

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yunhe Zhang

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available A laboratory study was conducted to test the effects of biochars made from different feedstocks on soil quality indicators of arid soils. Biochars were produced from four locally-available agricultural residues: pecan shells, pecan orchard prunings, cotton gin trash, and yard waste, using a lab-scale pyrolyzer operated at 450 °C under a nitrogen environment and slow pyrolysis conditions. Two local arid soils used for crop production, a sandy loam and a clay loam, were amended with these biochars at a rate of 45 Mg·ha−1 and incubated for three weeks in a growth chamber. The soils were analyzed for multiple soil quality indicators including soil organic matter content, pH, electrical conductivity (EC, and available nutrients. Results showed that amendment with cotton gin trash biochar has the greatest impact on both soils, significantly increasing SOM and plant nutrient (P, K, Ca, Mn contents, as well as increasing the electrical conductivity, which creates concerns about soil salinity. Other biochar treatments significantly elevated soil salinity in clay loam soil, except for pecan shell biochar amended soil, which was not statistically different in EC from the control treatment. Generally, the effects of the biochar amendments were minimal for many soil measurements and varied with soil texture. Effects of biochars on soil salinity and pH/nutrient availability will be important considerations for research on biochar application to arid soils.

  13. Soil threats and soil protection: the role of biotechnology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rubio, J. L.

    2009-01-01

    The concept of soil conservation/soil protection in its wider sense has undergone important changes through history. Perceptions of soil as a crucial base of life in ancient cultures progressively evolved to a more pragmatic vision, with close connection to food production for survival. For centuries, agrarian production and the provision of food for humankind remained the main and crucial vision of the interaction of societies with soil. However, there are also some other new and important concepts related to soil which have progressively developed. (Author)

  14. Underestimation of boreal soil carbon stocks by mathematical soil carbon models linked to soil nutrient status

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ťupek, Boris; Ortiz, Carina A.; Hashimoto, Shoji; Stendahl, Johan; Dahlgren, Jonas; Karltun, Erik; Lehtonen, Aleksi

    2016-08-01

    Inaccurate estimate of the largest terrestrial carbon pool, soil organic carbon (SOC) stock, is the major source of uncertainty in simulating feedback of climate warming on ecosystem-atmosphere carbon dioxide exchange by process-based ecosystem and soil carbon models. Although the models need to simplify complex environmental processes of soil carbon sequestration, in a large mosaic of environments a missing key driver could lead to a modeling bias in predictions of SOC stock change.We aimed to evaluate SOC stock estimates of process-based models (Yasso07, Q, and CENTURY soil sub-model v4) against a massive Swedish forest soil inventory data set (3230 samples) organized by a recursive partitioning method into distinct soil groups with underlying SOC stock development linked to physicochemical conditions.For two-thirds of measurements all models predicted accurate SOC stock levels regardless of the detail of input data, e.g., whether they ignored or included soil properties. However, in fertile sites with high N deposition, high cation exchange capacity, or moderately increased soil water content, Yasso07 and Q models underestimated SOC stocks. In comparison to Yasso07 and Q, accounting for the site-specific soil characteristics (e. g. clay content and topsoil mineral N) by CENTURY improved SOC stock estimates for sites with high clay content, but not for sites with high N deposition.Our analysis suggested that the soils with poorly predicted SOC stocks, as characterized by the high nutrient status and well-sorted parent material, indeed have had other predominant drivers of SOC stabilization lacking in the models, presumably the mycorrhizal organic uptake and organo-mineral stabilization processes. Our results imply that the role of soil nutrient status as regulator of organic matter mineralization has to be re-evaluated, since correct SOC stocks are decisive for predicting future SOC change and soil CO2 efflux.

  15. Soil friability - Concept, Assessment and Effects of Soil Properties and Management

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Munkholm, Lars Juhl

    Soil friability is a key soil physical property yielding valuable information on the ease of productin a favorable seed- and root beds during tillage operations. Therefore, soil friability is acrucial soil property in relation to the ability of soil to support plant growth and to minimzethe energy...... required for tillage. The topic has interested farmers and soil scientiest for centuries, but is was the paper by Utomo and Dexter (1981) that significantly put the topic on the soil science agenda. The awareness of soil friability is growing, both in practiceand in soil science. This must be viewed...... in the light of the present renewed focus on global food security together with a focus on fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in crop production. Certainly, the demand for well-functioning, arable soils is rising to meet the global challenges....

  16. Utilization of low molecular weight organics by soil microorganisms: combination of 13C-labelling with PLFA analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gunina, Anna; Dippold, Michaela; Kuzyakov, Yakov

    2014-05-01

    Microbial metabolisation is the main transformation pathway of low molecular weight organic substances (LMWOS), but detailed knowledge concerning the fate of LMWOS in soils is strongly limited. Considering that various LMWOS classes enter biochemical cycles at different steps, we hypothesise that the percentage of their LMWOS-Carbon (C) used for microbial biomass (MB) production and consequently medium-term stabilisation in soil is different. We traced the three main groups of LMWOS: amino acids, sugars and carboxylic acids, by uniformly labelled 13C-alanine, -glutamate, -glucose, -ribose, -acetate and -palmitate. Incorporation of 13C from these LMWOS into MB (fumigation-extraction method) and into phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) (Bligh-Dyer extraction, purification and GC-C-IRMS measurement) was investigated under field conditions 3 d and 10 d after LMWOS application. The activity of microbial utilization of LMWOS for cell membrane construction was estimated by replacement of PLFA-C with 13C. Decomposition of LMWOS-C comprised 20-65% of the total label, whereas incorporation of 13C into MB amounted to 20-50% of initially applied 13C on day three and was reduced to 5-30% on day 10. Incorporation of 13C-labelled LMWOS into MB followed the trend sugars > carboxylic acids > amino acids. Differences in microbial utilisation between LMWOS were observed mainly at day 10. Thus, instead of initial rapid uptake, further metabolism within microbial cells accounts for the individual fate of C from different LMWOS in soils. Incorporation of 13C from each LMWOS into each PLFA occurred, which reflects the ubiquitous ability of all functional microbial groups for LMWOS utilization. The preferential incorporation of palmitate can be attributed to its role as a direct precursor for many fatty acids (FAs) and PLFA formation. Higher incorporation of alanine and glucose compared to glutamate, ribose and acetate reflect the preferential use of glycolysis-derived substances in the FAs

  17. SoilGrids1km — Global Soil Information Based on Automated Mapping

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hengl, Tomislav; de Jesus, Jorge Mendes; MacMillan, Robert A.; Batjes, Niels H.; Heuvelink, Gerard B. M.; Ribeiro, Eloi; Samuel-Rosa, Alessandro; Kempen, Bas; Leenaars, Johan G. B.; Walsh, Markus G.; Gonzalez, Maria Ruiperez

    2014-01-01

    Background Soils are widely recognized as a non-renewable natural resource and as biophysical carbon sinks. As such, there is a growing requirement for global soil information. Although several global soil information systems already exist, these tend to suffer from inconsistencies and limited spatial detail. Methodology/Principal Findings We present SoilGrids1km — a global 3D soil information system at 1 km resolution — containing spatial predictions for a selection of soil properties (at six standard depths): soil organic carbon (g kg−1), soil pH, sand, silt and clay fractions (%), bulk density (kg m−3), cation-exchange capacity (cmol+/kg), coarse fragments (%), soil organic carbon stock (t ha−1), depth to bedrock (cm), World Reference Base soil groups, and USDA Soil Taxonomy suborders. Our predictions are based on global spatial prediction models which we fitted, per soil variable, using a compilation of major international soil profile databases (ca. 110,000 soil profiles), and a selection of ca. 75 global environmental covariates representing soil forming factors. Results of regression modeling indicate that the most useful covariates for modeling soils at the global scale are climatic and biomass indices (based on MODIS images), lithology, and taxonomic mapping units derived from conventional soil survey (Harmonized World Soil Database). Prediction accuracies assessed using 5–fold cross-validation were between 23–51%. Conclusions/Significance SoilGrids1km provide an initial set of examples of soil spatial data for input into global models at a resolution and consistency not previously available. Some of the main limitations of the current version of SoilGrids1km are: (1) weak relationships between soil properties/classes and explanatory variables due to scale mismatches, (2) difficulty to obtain covariates that capture soil forming factors, (3) low sampling density and spatial clustering of soil profile locations. However, as the Soil

  18. Combination of soil classification and some selected soil properties ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The advantage in the combined use of soil classification and top soil analysis for explaining crop yield variation was examined. Soil properties and yields of maize (Zea mays L) on different soil types were measured on farmers' fields for 2 years. Yield prediction improved from 2 per cent at the Order and Association levels to ...

  19. Metals in European roadside soils and soil solution – A review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Werkenthin, Moritz; Kluge, Björn; Wessolek, Gerd

    2014-01-01

    This review provides a summary of studies analysing metal concentrations in soils and soil solution at European roadsides. The data collected during 27 studies covering a total of 64 sites across a number of European countries were summarised. Highest median values of Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn were determined in the top soil layer at the first 5 m beside the road. Generally, the influence of traffic on soil contamination decreased with increasing soil depth and distance to the road. The concentration patterns of metals in soil solution were independent from concentrations in the soil matrix. At 10-m distance, elevated soil metal concentrations, low pH, and low percolation rates led to high solute concentrations. Directly beside the road, high percolation rates lead to high annual loadings although solute concentrations are comparatively low. These loadings might be problematic, especially in regions with acidic sandy soils and a high groundwater table. - Highlights: • Summary of studies analysing metals in soils and soil solution at European roadsides. • Metal concentrations in topsoil 5 m beside the road are influenced strongly by traffic. • Solute concentrations of metals are mostly independent from soil concentrations. • High percolation rates lead to high annual loadings directly beside the road. - Summarised data showed typical distance related metal patterns of European roadside soils; solute concentrations are mostly independent from soil matrix concentrations

  20. Roles of soil biota and biodiversity in soil environment – A concise communication

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suleiman Usman

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Soil biota (the living organisms in soil plays an important role in soil development and soil formation. They are the most important component of soil organic matter decomposition and behave efficiently in the development and formation of soil structure and soil aggregate. Their biodiversity provides many functional services to soil and soil components. They help in dissolving verities of plant and animal materials, which could left as decayed organic matter at the surface soil. Understanding the vital role of soil organisms would undoubtedly helps to increase food production and reduces poverty, hunger and malnutrition. Soil biota and biodiversity research in sub-Saharan Africa would play an important role in sustaining food security, environmental health, water quality and forest regeneration. This paper, briefly highlighted some of the biological functions of soil biota and suggests that proper understandings of biota and their biodiversity in soil environment would provide ways to get better understanding of soil health, soil function, soil quality and soil fertility under sustainable soil management activities in agricultural production.

  1. Soil Organic Matter and Soil Productivity: Searching for the Missing Link

    Science.gov (United States)

    Felipe G. Sanchez

    1998-01-01

    Soil-organic matter (SOM) is a complex array of components including soil fauna and flora at different stages of decomposition (Berg et al., 1982). Its concentration in soils can vary from 0.5% in mineral soils to almost 100% in peat soils (Brady, 1974). Organic matter (OM) in the surface mineral soil is considered a major determinant of forest ecosystem productivity...

  2. Soil Spectroscopy: An Alternative to Wet Chemistry for Soil Monitoring

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nocita, M.; Stevens, A.; van Wesemael, Bas

    2015-01-01

    The soil science community is facing a growing demand of regional, continental, and worldwide databases in order to monitor the status of the soil. However, the availability of such data is very scarce. Cost-effective tools to measure soil properties for large areas (e.g., Europe) are required....... Soil spectroscopy has shown to be a fast, cost-effective, envi-ronmental-friendly, nondestructive, reproducible, and repeatable analytical technique. The main aim of this paper is to describe the state of the art of soil spectroscopy as well as its potential to facilitating soil monitoring. The factors...... constraining the application of soil spectroscopy as an alternative to traditional laboratory analyses, together with the limits of the technique, are addressed. The paper also highlights that the widespread use of spectroscopy to monitor the status of the soil should be encouraged by (1) the creation...

  3. Soil washing results for mixed waste pond soils at Hanford

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gerber, M.A.

    1991-09-01

    Soil washing technology was assessed as a means for remediating soil contaminated with mixed wastes primarily composed of heavy metals and radionuclides. The soils at the US Department of Energy's Hanford Site are considered suitable for soil washing because of their relatively low quantities of silt and clay. However, in a limited number of soil washing experiments using soils from different locations in the north pond of the 300 Area, the degree of decontamination achieved for the coarse fraction of the soil varied considerably. Part of this variation appears to be due to the presence of a discrete layer of contaminated sediment found in some of the samples. 7 refs., 2 figs., 4 tabs

  4. Irradiation as a disinfestation method - update on methyl bromide phase out, regulatory action and emerging opportunities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marcotte, Michelle

    1998-01-01

    Methyl bromide (MeBr), is the most widely used agricultural fumigant in the world for the control of pests and plant diseases. It is used to control pests and diseases in food, agricultural and forestry commodities after harvest, before or during storage or transportation and/or at time of import to control quarantine or storage pests. Knowing MeBr will be phased out has spurred a search for alternative treatments and products, and has placed pressure on regulatory authorities to approve alternatives. Some of methyl bromide use could be replaced with irradiation. Methyl bromide is also used for soil and structural fumigation, and although there is some use of irradiation for packaged soil or greenhouse products, in general, these uses can not be replaced by irradiation. Some radiation processing facilities have either seen increased business to disinfest commodities, or have experienced more inquiries for service. There are many other processes and products competing for this market and irradiation will not win its share of the business without an improved regulatory picture, improved marketing to methyl bromide users and improved information to answer questions from commodity sectors. The United Nations Environment Program - Methyl Bromide Technical Options Committee (MBTOC) provides a venue for the publication or information about the use and availability of irradiation as an alternative to methyl bromide. It provides the technical base to the Montreal Protocol contributing to the setting of phase out dates; this committee is actively researching and assessing all alternatives and needs information about irradiation. The author is a member of the MBTOC committee

  5. Soil washing and post-wash biological treatment of petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated soils

    OpenAIRE

    Bhandari, Alok

    1992-01-01

    A laboratory scale study was conducted to investigate the treatability of petroleum contaminated soils by soil washing and subsequent biological treatment of the different soil fractions. In addition to soils obtained from contaminated sites, studies were also performed on soils contaminated in the laboratory. Soil washing was performed using a bench-scale soil washing system. Washing was carried out with simultaneous fractionation of the bulk soil into sand, silt and clay fractions. Cl...

  6. Soil friability

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Munkholm, Lars Juhl

    2011-01-01

    This review gathers and synthesizes literature on soil friability produced during the last three decades. Soil friability is of vital importance for crop production and the impact of crop production on the environment. A friable soil is characterized by an ease of fragmentation of undesirably large...... aggregates/clods and a difficulty in fragmentation of minor aggregates into undesirable small elements. Soil friability has been assessed using qualitative field methods as well as quantitative field and laboratory methods at different scales of observation. The qualitative field methods are broadly used...... by scientists, advisors and farmers, whereas the quantitative laboratory methods demand specialized skills and more or less sophisticated equipment. Most methods address only one aspect of soil friability, i.e. either the strength of unconfined soil or the fragment size distribution after applying a stress. All...

  7. Soil Characteristics Driving Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Communities in Semiarid Mediterranean Soils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alguacil, Maria Del Mar; Torres, Maria Pilar; Montesinos-Navarro, Alicia; Roldán, Antonio

    2016-06-01

    We investigated communities of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in the roots and the rhizosphere soil of Brachypodium retusum in six different natural soils under field conditions. We explored phylogenetic patterns of AMF composition using indicator species analyses to find AMF associated with a given habitat (root versus rhizosphere) or soil type. We tested whether the AMF characteristics of different habitats or contrasting soils were more closely related than expected by chance. Then we used principal-component analysis and multivariate analysis of variance to test for the relative contribution of each factor in explaining the variation in fungal community composition. Finally, we used redundancy analysis to identify the soil properties that significantly explained the differences in AMF communities across soil types. The results pointed out a tendency of AMF communities in roots to be closely related and different from those in the rhizosphere soil. The indicator species analyses revealed AMF associated with rhizosphere soil and the root habitat. Soil type also determined the distribution of AMF communities in soils, and this effect could not be attributed to a single soil characteristic, as at least three soil properties related to microbial activity, i.e., pH and levels of two micronutrients (Mn and Zn), played significant roles in triggering AMF populations. Communities of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are main components of soil biota that can determine the productivity of ecosystems. These fungal assemblages vary across host plants and ecosystems, but the main ecological processes that shape the structures of these communities are still largely unknown. A field study in six different soil types from semiarid areas revealed that AMF communities are significantly influenced by habitat (soil versus roots) and soil type. In addition, three soil properties related to microbiological activity (i.e., pH and manganese and zinc levels) were the main factors

  8. Soil Characteristics Driving Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Communities in Semiarid Mediterranean Soils

    Science.gov (United States)

    Torres, Maria Pilar; Montesinos-Navarro, Alicia; Roldán, Antonio

    2016-01-01

    ABSTRACT We investigated communities of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in the roots and the rhizosphere soil of Brachypodium retusum in six different natural soils under field conditions. We explored phylogenetic patterns of AMF composition using indicator species analyses to find AMF associated with a given habitat (root versus rhizosphere) or soil type. We tested whether the AMF characteristics of different habitats or contrasting soils were more closely related than expected by chance. Then we used principal-component analysis and multivariate analysis of variance to test for the relative contribution of each factor in explaining the variation in fungal community composition. Finally, we used redundancy analysis to identify the soil properties that significantly explained the differences in AMF communities across soil types. The results pointed out a tendency of AMF communities in roots to be closely related and different from those in the rhizosphere soil. The indicator species analyses revealed AMF associated with rhizosphere soil and the root habitat. Soil type also determined the distribution of AMF communities in soils, and this effect could not be attributed to a single soil characteristic, as at least three soil properties related to microbial activity, i.e., pH and levels of two micronutrients (Mn and Zn), played significant roles in triggering AMF populations. IMPORTANCE Communities of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are main components of soil biota that can determine the productivity of ecosystems. These fungal assemblages vary across host plants and ecosystems, but the main ecological processes that shape the structures of these communities are still largely unknown. A field study in six different soil types from semiarid areas revealed that AMF communities are significantly influenced by habitat (soil versus roots) and soil type. In addition, three soil properties related to microbiological activity (i.e., pH and manganese and zinc levels

  9. Predicting soil particle density from clay and soil organic matter contents

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schjønning, Per; McBride, R.A.; Keller, T.

    2017-01-01

    Soil particle density (Dp) is an important soil property for calculating soil porosity expressions. However, many studies assume a constant value, typically 2.65Mgm−3 for arable, mineral soils. Fewmodels exist for the prediction of Dp from soil organic matter (SOM) content. We hypothesized...

  10. Effects of imidacloprid on soil microbial communities in different saline soils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Qingming; Xue, Changhui; Wang, Caixia

    2015-12-01

    The effects of imidacloprid in the soil environment are a worldwide concern. However, the impact of imidacloprid on soil microorganisms under salt stress is almost unknown. Therefore, an indoor incubation test was performed, and the denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) approach was used to determine the response of different saline soil bacterial and fungal community structures to the presence of imidacloprid (0.4, 2, 10 mg kg(-1)). The results showed that the soil bacterial diversity slightly declined with increasing imidacloprid concentration in soils with low salinity. In moderately saline soils, a new band in the DGGE profile suggested that imidacloprid could improve the soil bacterial diversity to some degree. An analysis of variance indicated that the measured soil bacterial diversity parameters were significantly affected by dose and incubation time. Compared with the control, the soil fungal community structure showed no obvious changes in low and moderately saline soils treated with imidacloprid. The results of these observations provide a basic understanding of the potential ecological effects of imidacloprid on different microorganisms in saline soils.

  11. Soil and Pesticides

    Science.gov (United States)

    ; Environment Human Health Animal Health Safe Use Practices Food Safety Environment Air Water Soil Wildlife Home Page Pesticides and the Environment Soil and Pesticides Related Topics: What Happens to Pesticides español Soil and Pesticides Soil can be degraded and the community of organisms living in the soil can

  12. Decontamination by replacing soil and soil cover with deep-level soil in flower beds and vacant places in Northern Fukushima Prefecture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sugiura, Hiroyuki; Kawano, Keisuke; Kayama, Yukihiko; Koube, Nobuyuki

    2012-01-01

    Radioactivity decontamination by replacing soil and soil cover with deep-level soil and soil cover in flower beds and a vacant place in Northern Fukushima Prefecture were studied, which experienced radioactive contamination due to the accident at the TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Radioactivity counting rate 1 cm above the soil surface after replacing surface soil with uncontaminated deep-level soil decreased to 13.7% of the control in gardens. The concentration of radioactive cesium in the cover soil increased after 132 days; however, it decreased in the old surface soil under the cover soil in flower beds. A 10 cm deep-level soil cover placed by heavy machinery decreased the radiation dose rate to 70.8% of the control and radioactivity counting rate to 24.6% in the vacant place. Replacing the radioactively contaminated surface soil and soil cover with a deep-level soil was a reasonable decontamination method for the garden and vacant place because it is quick, cost effective and labour efficient. (author)

  13. know Soil Know Life - Getting Kids Excited About Soils

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lindbo, David L.; Robinson, Clay; Kozlowski, Deborah

    2014-05-01

    In the United States soils are often taught in primary school (grade 3-6) but with little excitement or passion. We have been working with schools and teachers to bring our passion about soils to this audience. The methods and message can be conveyed simply and effectively by engaging the students in a dialog and through kinematic learning. Our approach is to begin with a simple question - what are 4 things we cannot live without. The answer - Air, Water, Sunlight, and Soil. Most students say "food, shelter, clothing, plants, animals etc." so we then explain all of those come from soil. This leads us to a quick "dance" illustrating that without soils we would be 'Hungry. Homeless, and Naked". The results are that students and teachers remember this simple message. From this point it is our hope that students will continue to understand the importance of soils and stop treating soils like dirt. Other simple exercises for this younger audience will also be presented.

  14. Evaluation of soil structure in the framework of an overall soil quality rating

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mueller, L; Shepherd, T G; Schindler, U

    2013-01-01

    Soil structure is an important aspect of agricultural soil quality, and its preservation and improvement are key to sustaining soil functions. Methods of overall soil quality assessment which include visual soil structure information can be useful tools for monitoring and managing the global soil...... resource. The aim of the paper is: (i) to demonstrate the role of visual quantification of soil structure within the procedure of the overall soil quality assessment by the Muencheberg Soil Quality Rating (M-SQR), (ii) to quantify the magnitude and variability of soil structure and overall M......-SQR on a number of agricultural research sites and (iii) to analyse the correlations of soil quality rating results with crop yields. We analysed visual soil structure and overall soil quality on a range of 20 experimental sites in seven countries. To assess visual soil structure we utilised the Visual Soil...

  15. Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) - Kinds and Distribution of Soils

    Data.gov (United States)

    California Natural Resource Agency — This data set is a digital soil survey and generally is the most detailed level of soil geographic data developed by the National Cooperative Soil Survey. The...

  16. Soil aggregate and organic carbon distribution at dry land soil and paddy soil: the role of different straws returning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Rong; Lan, Muling; Liu, Jiang; Gao, Ming

    2017-12-01

    Agriculture wastes returning to soil is one of common ways to reuse crop straws in China. The returned straws are expected to improve the fertility and structural stability of soil during the degradation of straw it selves. The in situ effect of different straw (wheat, rice, maize, rape, and broad bean) applications for soil aggregate stability and soil organic carbon (SOC) distribution were studied at both dry land soil and paddy soil in this study. Wet sieving procedures were used to separate soil aggregate sizes. Aggregate stability indicators including mean weight diameter, geometric mean diameter, mean weight of specific surface area, and the fractal dimension were used to evaluate soil aggregate stability after the incubation of straws returning. Meanwhile, the variation and distribution of SOC in different-sized aggregates were further studied. Results showed that the application of straws, especially rape straw at dry land soil and rice straw at paddy soil, increased the fractions of macro-aggregate (> 0.25 mm) and micro-aggregate (0.25-0.053 mm). Suggesting the nutrients released from straw degradation promotes the growing of soil aggregates directly and indirectly. The application of different straws increased the SOC content at both soils and the SOC mainly distributed at  0.25 and 0.25-0.053 mm aggregates with dry land soil. Rape straw in dry land and rice straw in paddy field could stabilize soil aggregates and increasing SOC contents best.

  17. Relationship between soil erodibility and modeled infiltration rate in different soils

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Guoqiang; Fang, Qingqing; Wu, Binbin; Yang, Huicai; Xu, Zongxue

    2015-09-01

    The relationship between soil erodibility, which is hard to measure, and modeled infiltration rate were rarely researched. Here, the soil erodibility factors (K and Ke in the USLE, Ki and K1 in the WEPP) were calculated and the infiltration rates were modeled based on the designed laboratory simulation experiments and proposed infiltration model, in order to build their relationship. The impacts of compost amendment on the soil erosion characteristics and relationship were also studied. Two contrasting agricultural soils (bare and cultivated fluvo-aquic soils) were used, and different poultry compost contents (control, low and high) were applied to both soils. The results indicated that the runoff rate, sediment yield rate and soil erodibility of the bare soil treatments were generally higher than those of the corresponding cultivated soil treatments. The application of composts generally decreased sediment yield and soil erodibility but did not always decrease runoff. The comparison of measured and modeled infiltration rates indicated that the model represented the infiltration processes well with an N-S coefficient of 0.84 for overall treatments. Significant negative logarithmic correlations have been found between final infiltration rate (FIR) and the four soil erodibility factors, and the relationship between USLE-K and FIR demonstrated the best correlation. The application of poultry composts would not influence the logarithmic relationship between FIR and soil erodibility. Our study provided a useful tool to estimate soil erodibility.

  18. QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF VERNALIZATED SEMI-NOBLE GARLIC CULTIVARS IN WESTERN RIO GRANDE DO NORTE STATE, BRAZIL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    RAFAELLA RAYANE MACEDO DE LUCENA

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Garlic is a vegetable that has economic and social relevance in Brazil. Rio Grande do Norte is among the consumer states, however, despite having regions with favorable conditions for growing garlic, it depends on imports of this product to meet its demand. The introduction of cultivars that have high yield and quality, and the adjustments in vernalization technology, which is a key issue for adaptation of new cultivars, are mechanisms that can contribute to garlic revitalization in areas previously producing this vegetable. Therefore, the objective of this work was to assess the quality characteristics of semi-noble garlic cultivars subjected to different bulb-seed pre-planting vernalization periods in two counties of the Western Mesoregion of Rio Grande do Norte State (RN, Brazil. Two experiments were simultaneously conducted in Barauna RN and Governador Dix-sept Rosado RN, from April to November, 2012. A complete randomized block experimental design was used with four replications. The treatments were arranged in split-plot design, with the plots consisted of cultivars (Gigante-do-Nucleo and BRS-Hozan and subplots consisted of bulb-seed pre-planting vernalization (4±1°C periods (0, 10, 20 and 30 days. The evaluations consisted of bulb diameter, pH, titratable acidity, soluble solids, total soluble sugars, reducing sugars, pungency, total solids and industrial index. The use of 10-day bulb-seed pre-planting vernalization increased the semi-noble garlic quality produced in Barauna and Governador Dix-sept Rosado. The cultivars Gigante-do-Nucleo and BRS-Hozan presented good prospects for industrialization, with good characteristics of flavor and aroma.

  19. Testing of multistep soil washing for radiocesium-contaminated soil containing plant matter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Funakawa, Masafumi; Tagawa, Akihiro; Okuda, Nobuyasu

    2012-01-01

    Decontamination work following radiocesium exposure requires a vast reduction in the amount of contaminated soil generated. The current study subjected 4 types of contaminated soil with different properties to multistep soil washing under the same conditions. This study also determined the effectiveness of radiocesium decontamination and the extent to which the amount of contaminated soil was reduced. In addition, the effectiveness of plant matter separation, adsorbent addition, and grinding as part of multistep soil washing was determined using the same contaminated soil. Results of testing indicated that the rate of radiocesium decontamination ranged from 73.6 to 89.2% and the recovery rate ranged from 51.5 to 84.2% for twice-treated soil, regardless of the soil properties or cesium level. Plant matter in soil had a high radiocesium level. However, there was little plant matter in our soil sample. Therefore, plant matter separation had little effect on the improvement in the percentage of radiocesium decontamination of twice-treated soil. Soil surface grinding improved the rate of radiocesium decontamination of twice-treated soil. However, radiocesium in soil tightly bound with minerals in the soil; thus, the addition of an adsorbent also failed to improve the rate of radiocesium decontamination. (author)

  20. [Interrelationships between soil fauna and soil environmental factors in China: research advance].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yi; Wei, Wei; Yang, Xing-zhong; Chen, Li-ding; Yang, Lei

    2010-09-01

    Soil fauna has close relations with various environmental factors in soil ecosystem. To explore the interrelationships between soil fauna and soil environmental factors is of vital importance to deep understand the dynamics of soil ecosystem and to assess the functioning of the ecosystem. The environmental factors affecting soil fauna can be classified as soil properties and soil external environment. The former contains soil basic physical and chemical properties, soil moisture, and soil pollution. The latter includes vegetation, land use type, landform, and climate, etc. From these aspects, this paper summarized the published literatures in China on the interrelationships between soil fauna and soil environmental factors. It was considered that several problems were existed in related studies, e.g., fewer researches were made in integrating soil fauna's bio-indicator function, research methods were needed to be improved, and the studies on the multi-environmental factors and their large scale spatial-temporal variability were in deficiency. Corresponding suggestions were proposed, i.e., more work should be done according to the practical needs, advanced experiences from abroad should be referenced, and comprehensive studies on multi-environmental factors and long-term monitoring should be conducted on large scale areas.