Plant, Soil and Environment, 2010 (vol. 56), issue 4
Effect of N and P fertilisation and aeration on biodegradation of crude oil in aged hydrocarbon contaminated soils
S. Syafruddin, G. Wieshammer, M. Puschenreiter, I. Langer, M. Wieshammer-Zivkovic, W.W. Wenzel
Plant Soil Environ., 2010, 56(4):149-155 | DOI: 10.17221/146/2009-PSE 
We conducted two laboratory experiments to examine the effects of fertilisation and agitation (aeration) on crude oil degradation in two soils with differential nutrient (nitrogen, phosphorus) availability. Two soils that had been spiked with crude oil two years before were mixed with nitrogen and/or phosphorus at three different levels and subsequently incubated 28 days (Exp. 1). In experiment 2 we investigated the effect of repeated agitation (manual mixing) on hydrocarbon degradation with and without fertilisation. One of the soils was also freshly spiked to assess the impact of ageing. Heptane-extractable hydrocarbon concentrations were determined...
Evaluation of effect of different sterilization methods on soil biomass phosphorus extracted with NaHCO3
A.A.S. Sinegani, A. Hosseinpur
Plant Soil Environ., 2010, 56(4):156-162 | DOI: 10.17221/86/2009-PSE
Soil microbial biomass is a dynamic force driving soil phosphorus cycling in soils. The temperature, time and method for killing soil organisms in soil biomass P determination are so important factors that affect the results. The aim of this study was to compare some methods of soil sterilization and soil microbial P (Pm) release in extraction with NaHCO3. Five samples of calcareous soils in three replicates were incubated in field capacity and 28°C. The texture of soils differed from loamy sand to sandy loam. They had 10-15% equivalent calcium carbonate, 1-3% organic carbon and 40-90 mg/kg available P content. After 1, 10, 30, and 50 days...
Evaluation of crop yield under different nitrogen doses of mineral fertilization
Š. Matějková, J. Kumhálová, J. Lipavský
Plant Soil Environ., 2010, 56(4):163-167 | DOI: 10.17221/196/2009-PSE
Yields of winter wheat, winter rape and oats were evaluated in the field; the field was divided into the site-specific zones and treated with variable doses of nitrogen fertilizer in years 2004-2006. Measurements of the yields were carried out with a yield monitor placed in a combine harvester. The measured data were processed into the yield maps by means of ArcGIS 9.2 software. Variable application of fertilizer should balance yield potential of the field. Generally, total yield variability on the field after the application of various doses of experimental fertilizer was similar in the years 2004 (11.3%), 2005 (14.7%) and 2006 (11.7%) in comparison...
Effect of inhibitors on Zygophyllum dumosum plant litter decomposition
T.K. Abramovich, Y. Zurovsky, Y. Steinberger
Plant Soil Environ., 2010, 56(4):168-175 | DOI: 10.17221/38/2009-PSE
The contribution of soil fauna to decomposition processes was studied by elimination of specific biotic elements using chemical inhibitors. Changes in overall activity of the microbial community were studied in Zygophyllum dumosum leaves treated with the inhibitors Nemacur (nematocide), Edigan (biocide), and water (control). At the end of a one-year study, the decomposition of leaves treated with Nemacur or Edigan indicated a loss of about ten percent mass compared to leaves treated with water. The kinetic constant for mass loss exhibited a bi-phasic decomposition process (typical for the Negev Desert) for inhibitor- and water-treated leaves....
Salt tolerance evaluation and relative comparison in cuttings of different omegranate cultivar
A.R. Okhovatian-Ardakani, M. Mehrabanian, F. Dehghani, A. Akbarzadeh
Plant Soil Environ., 2010, 56(4):176-185 | DOI: 10.17221/158/2009-PSE
A pot experiment was conducted during a two-year period in order to evaluate and compare the salinity tolerance of 10 Iranian commercial cultivars of pomegranate. Pots were arranged in a split plot design with two factors included water salinity as main plot in 3 levels of 4, 7 and 10 dS/m and 10 pomegranate cultivars as sub-plot and 3 replications. The properties concerned during the experiment were vegetative growth, percentage of alive cuttings after 2 month and the necrosis and chlorosis of leaves. In the end of the experiment the vegetative yield and root dry weight were also measured. In addition, irrigation water, drainage water, soil in plots,...
Effects of film-bottomed treatment on seedling emergence and growth of agana korshinskiiarid northwestern China
X. Zhou, Y. Yan, Ch. Wan, H. Wang, L. Wu, Y. Wang, J. Ren
Plant Soil Environ., 2010, 56(4):186-193 | DOI: 10.17221/206/2009-PSE
A field study was conducted to study the effectiveness of film-bottomed treatment (FBT) on the seed germination and seedling establishment of Caragana korshinskii Kom. in the arid Hexi Corridor of northwestern China in 2007 and 2008. The experiment involved three different depths of film-bottomed treatments (DFBT) (80, 90 and 100 cm) and a control with twelve replications in each treatment. Soil moisture, seedling emergence percentage, leaf characteristics, shoot height, main root length, basal diameter, biomass, biomass allocation, as well as root system distribution, were studied and were found to be significantly higher with FBT in respect...
Effects of lead on seedling growth of spesia populnea
M. Kabir, M.Z. Iqbal, M. Shafiq, Z.R. Farooqi
Plant Soil Environ., 2010, 56(4):194-199 | DOI: 10.17221/147/2009-PSE
The effects of lead on root, shoot and seedling length, leaf area, number of leaves, plant circumference, seedling dry weight, root/shoot and leaf area ratios of Thespesia populnea L. were determined in greenhouse under natural environmental conditions with and without phytotoxic metal ions at 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 µmol/l. Lead treatments have a strong influence on the growth and development of T. populnea by reducing significantly (P < 0.05) all the above parameters. Lead treatment at 5-25 µmol/l produced significant (P < 0.05) effects on seedling and root length, plant circumference and seedling...