Plant, Soil and Environment, 2009 (vol. 55), issue 6
A comparative account of the microbial biomass-N and N-mineralization of soils under natural forest, grassland and crop field from dry tropical region, India
Jay S. Singh, D.P. Singh, A.K. Kashyap
Plant Soil Environ., 2009, 55(6):223-230 | DOI: 10.17221/1021-PSE 
This study investigated microbial biomass-N (MB-N) and N-mineralization in soils of four different vegetation systems including forest (sal), mixed forest, savanna and cropland ecosystems in the Vindhyan region, India. A change was noted in the above region due to physiographic differences and anthropogenic disturbances. Annually the soil moisture (SM) content across the different study sites ranged from 7.5 to 24.3% being maximum in forest sites compared to savanna and cropland sites. The NH4+-N, NO -3 -N and MB-N concentrations varied from 4.3 to 10.2 μg/g, 1.1 to 5.8 μg/g and 21.3 to 90.2 μg/g...
Chemical and microbiological characterization of Cambisols, Luvisols and Stagnosols
L. Růžek, M. Růžková, K. Voříšek, J. Kubát, M. Friedlová, O. Mikanová
Plant Soil Environ., 2009, 55(6):231-237 | DOI: 10.17221/35/2009-PSE
Cambisols, Luvisols and Stagnosols are main soil taxonomical units covering 78% of the total area of the Czech Republic. In the period 2001-2008 soil samples from 13 arable and 2 grassed localities were collected and tested. Microbial biomass carbon (MBC) was determined using microwave irradiation method (MW), chloroform fumigation extraction method (FE) and re-hydration technique (RHD). Soil samples were moistened, according to the content of organic carbon (Corg), by deionized water addition (%Corg × 0.19 ml/g DM - dry mass of soil) immediately before MBC determination. Microwave sterilization (800 J/g DM = 600 W, 2 × 67 s,...
Nitrogen compounds and enzyme activities in sorghum induced to water deficit during three stages
C.F. Oliveira Neto, A.K.S. Lobato, R.C.L. Costa, W.J.M.S. Maia, B.G. Santos Filho, G.A.R. Alves, B. Brinez, H.K.B. Neves, M.J. Santos Lopes, F.J.R. Cruz
Plant Soil Environ., 2009, 55(6):238-244 | DOI: 10.17221/84/2009-PSE
The aim of this study was to evaluate and explicate the changes in the nitrogen compounds and enzyme activities in Sorghum bicolor plants (cv. BR-700) submitted to water deficit during vegetative, reproductive and maturation stages. The experimental design used was entirely randomized in factorial scheme, with two conditions (control and stress) combined with three stages (vegetative, reproductive and maturation). The nitrate level was increased at 180.6, 72.9 and 78.9% during the vegetative, reproductive and maturation stages, respectively. The total soluble amino acids and glycinebetaine increased only during vegetative and reproductive stages,...
Labile fractions of soil organic matter, their quantity and quality
L. Kolář, S. Kužel, J. Horáček, V. Čechová, J. Borová-Batt, J. Peterka
Plant Soil Environ., 2009, 55(6):245-251 | DOI: 10.17221/87/2009-PSE
The objective of the present paper is to contribute to the evaluation of quantity and quality of non-humified part of soil organic matter (SOM). In samples of soil organic matter from the humus profile of Šumava forest soils and forest meadows, taxonomically designated as mor and moder forms, the fractions of labile soil carbon Ccws, Chws, CPM and fraction of stable carbon represented by carbon of humus acids CHA and CFA were determined. Organic matter of samples was fractionated according to the degrees of hydrolyzability by two different methods in particle-size fractions of 2.00-0.25 mm and...
Effect of in vitro chitosan application on growth and minituber yield of Solanum tuberosum L.
R. Asghari-Zakaria, B. Maleki-Zanjani, E. Sedghi
Plant Soil Environ., 2009, 55(6):252-256 | DOI: 10.17221/1018-PSE
In order to investigate the effects of soluble chitosan on plantlets growth in vitro and increase of minituber yield in potato micropropagation, plantlets of Agria cultivar were treated in vitrowith soluble chitosan at different concentrations including 0, 5, 15, 50, 150, 500, 750 and 1000 mg/l added to the MS tissue culture medium. Plantlets were subsequently transferred to the greenhouse and minituber yield parameters were evaluated. At the concentrations of 750 and 1000 mg/l of chitosan the culture medium failed to solidify. Application of 500 mg/l of soluble chitosan increased the shoot fresh weight, but its lower concentrations did...
Climate-driven changes of production regions in Central Europe
M. Trnka, J. Eitzinger, P. Hlavinka, M. Dubrovský, 3, D. Semerádová, 3, P. Štěpánek, S. Thaler, Z. Žalud, 3, M. Možný, H. Formayer
Plant Soil Environ., 2009, 55(6):257-266 | DOI: 10.17221/1017-PSE
The presented work complements studies on agroclimatic zoning that were performed during 19th and 20th century in the Czech Republic and Austria and allows estimating the effect of climate change on the spatial distribution of agroclimatic conditions within both countries. The main conclusions of the study are: (1) The combination of increased air temperature and changes in the amount and distribution of precipitation will lead to significant shifts in the agroclimatic zones by the 2020's. The current most productive areas will be reduced and replaced by warmer but drier conditions, which are considered less suitable for rainfed farming....