Plant, Soil and Environment, 2005 (vol. 51), issue 1
Low-cost agricultural measures to reduce heavy metal transfer into the food chain - a review
M. Puschenreiter, O. Horak, W. Friesl, W. Hartl
Plant Soil Environ., 2005, 51(1):1-11 | DOI: 10.17221/3549-PSE 
Heavy metal contamination affects large areas of Europe and worldwide. Hot spots of pollution are located close to industrial sites, around large cities and in the vicinity of mining and smelting plants. Agriculture in these areas faces major problems due to heavy metal transfer into crops and subsequently into the food chain. This paper gives an overview on simple but effective countermeasures to reduce the transfer of heavy metals to edible parts of crops. Since crop species and varieties largely differ in their heavy metal uptake, choosing plants with low transfer factors (e.g., legumes, cereals) may reduce metal concentration in edible parts significantly....
The application of sludge on agriculturally used soils and the problemof persistent organic pollutants
R. Vácha, V. Horváthová, M. Vysloužilová
Plant Soil Environ., 2005, 51(1):12-18 | DOI: 10.17221/3550-PSE
A set of 45 samples of the sludge from wastewater factories in the area of the Czech Republic was completed. The selection of wastewater factories reflected the extent of observed area as well as the occurrence of the industrial wastewater. The contents of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) were determined in the samples. Moreover, the contents of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofuranes (PCDD/F) were detected in 16 samples. The set of analytical data summarises the level of sewage sludge contamination by POPs within Czech wastewater factories. The results were compared with the directive of Czech Ministry of Environment, No. 382/2001...
The role of titanium in biomass production and its influence on essential elements' contents in field growing crops
P. Tlustoš, P. Cígler, M. Hrubý, S. Kužel, J. Száková, J. Balík
Plant Soil Environ., 2005, 51(1):19-25 | DOI: 10.17221/3551-PSE
The role of titanium (Ti) in plant metabolism is not so far fully clear. Many positive beneficial effects as well as a few adverse effects of Ti application are described in literature. The objective of our study was to investigate the effects of Ti foliar applications alone or in combination with Mg on the yield and accumulation of essential cations in consumable portions of frequently grown agricultural crops (potatoes, winter wheat and spring barley) grown under reduced and optimum nitrogen availability in field conditions. Nitrogen side dress fertilization significantly affected the investigated parameters, especially yield and N content. The effect...
The availability of Cd, Pb and Zn and their relationships with soil pH and microbial biomass in soils amended by natural clinoptilolite
G. Mühlbachová, T. Šimon, M. Pechová
Plant Soil Environ., 2005, 51(1):26-33 | DOI: 10.17221/3552-PSE
The relationships among soil microbial biomass, pH and available of heavy metal fractions were evaluated in longterm contaminated soils during an incubation experiment with the amendment of zeolite (natural clinoptilolite) and the subsequent addition of glucose. The values of pH after the addition of glucose decreased during the first day of incubation approximately at about one unit and corresponded with the maximum increase of microbial biomass. The available heavy metal contents extracted by H2O, 1 mol/l NH4NO3 and 0.005 mol/l DTPA increased during the first two days of incubation. Only a few significant relationships...
The effects of mineral treatment and the amendments by organic and organomineral fertilisers on the crop yield, plant nutrient status and soil properties
K. Gondek, B. Filipek-Mazur
Plant Soil Environ., 2005, 51(1):34-45 | DOI: 10.17221/3553-PSE
The studies were carried out as a pot experiment comprised of mineral treatments with farmyard manure, slurry and liquid organomineral fertiliser (Damishum) and finally the unfertilised control. Mineral fertilisation and liquid organomineral fertiliser better affected the crop yield in comparison with organic treatments in the first year of the experiment, whereas in the subsequent two years with a consecutive affect of organic fertilisers. According to the expectations the biggest nitrogen concentrations were found in crops receiving mineral treatment and organomineral fertiliser. Phosphorus content depended on crop species and applied fertiliser....
The use of Spectroquant Merck BOD photometric test to evaluate the stabilityof organic matters in soil
L. Kolář, S. Kužel, A. Hanušová, J. Gergel, R. Ledvina, M. Šindelářová, Š. Silovská, P. Štindl
Plant Soil Environ., 2005, 51(1):46-50 | DOI: 10.17221/3554-PSE
We proposed a new method to determine the rate constant of biochemical oxidation of soil organic matters that makes it possible to evaluate their stability by Spectroquant Merck BOD photometric tests; if smaller samplings are used and individual determinations are performed, it can replace the method of BOD vacuum measuring by an Oxi Top Control Merck system. The time and labour consumption of this vacuum method is sometimes criticised, but it has demonstrable work advantages for a large series of samples and so it is still recommended. The two methods are identical as for the correctness and coincidence of results and they do not differ by either...