Plant, Soil and Environment, 2014 (vol. 60), issue 11

Nitrous oxide emissions from the soil under different fertilization systems on a long-term experimentOriginal Paper

T. Sosulski, E. Szara, W. Stępień, M. Szymańska

Plant Soil Environ., 2014, 60(11):481-488 | DOI: 10.17221/943/2013-PSE  

The research aimed at the assessment of N2O emission from agricultural soils subject to different fertilization conditions. It was carried out on a long-term experiment field in Skierniewice in Central Poland maintained with no alterations since 1923 under rye monoculture. The treatments included mineral (CaNPK), mineral-organic (CaNPK + M) and organic (Ca + M) fertilization. Measurements were conducted during the growing periods of 2012 and 2013. N2O emissions from the soil were measured in situ by the means of infrared spectroscopy using a portable FTIR spectrometer Alpha. N2O fluxes over the measurement...

Establishment of Bryum argenteum and concentrations of elements in its biomass on soils contaminated by As, Cd, Pb and ZnOriginal Paper

M. Hejcman, V. Müllerová, S. Vondráčková, J. Száková, P. Tlustoš

Plant Soil Environ., 2014, 60(11):489-495 | DOI: 10.17221/414/2014-PSE  

Using a pot experiment with slightly acidic and alkaline soils anthropogenically contaminated by As, Cd, Pb, and Zn, we assessed how the establishment of Bryum argenteum and concentrations of elements (P, Ca, Mg, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in its biomass are affected by the pH of the substrate, mobility of trace elements, and by quick lime (CaO) and superphosphate (P) additives. Over one vegetation season, in pots naturally colonised by B. argenteum, a substantially higher cover of B. argenteum was recorded on acidic soil that was heavily contaminated with Cd, Pb, and Zn than on alkaline soil with higher As but...

Monitoring of acetochlor residues in soil and maize grain supported by the laboratory studyOriginal Paper

M. Kucharski, M. Dziągwa, J. Sadowski

Plant Soil Environ., 2014, 60(11):496-500 | DOI: 10.17221/624/2014-PSE  

The purpose of this work was to evaluate the acetochlor degradation rate in soils and investigate acetochlor contamination of maize grains and soil. Two kinds of soil: medium silty loam (soil A) and heavy loamy sand (soil B) were collected for the laboratory experiment. The degradation data were plotted. Good linearity was found between logarithmic concentration of acetochlor residues and time, indicating first-order rates of degradation. The t1/2 values varied from 10.5 days for soil A to 15.1 days for soil B. The degradation rate depends on the soil properties. In the soil A (higher content of clay and organic carbon) the t1/2...

Use of Landsat images for yield evaluation within a small plotOriginal Paper

J. Kumhálová, F. Zemek, P. Novák, O. Brovkina, M. Mayerová

Plant Soil Environ., 2014, 60(11):501-506 | DOI: 10.17221/515/2014-PSE  

Many factors can influence crop yield. One of the most important factors is topography, which can play a crucial role especially in dry years. Plant variability can be monitored by many methods. This paper evaluates the suitability of vegetation indices derived from satellite Landsat 5 TM data in comparison with yield, curvature and topography wetness index over a relatively small field (11.5 ha). Imageries were chosen from the years 2006 and 2010, when oat was grown and from 2005 and 2011, when winter wheat was grown. These images were taken in June in the same growth stage for every crop. It was confirmed that derived indices from Landsat images...

Effect of leguminous crop and fertilization on soil organic carbon in 30-years field experimentOriginal Paper

D. Pikuła, A. Rutkowska

Plant Soil Environ., 2014, 60(11):507-511 | DOI: 10.17221/436/2014-PSE  

The paper presents the results of over 30-years of field experiment on soil organic carbon accumulation under different crop rotation, manure and mineral N fertilization. The experiment was conducted with two crop rotations: A - recognized as soil exhausting from humus (potatoes, winter wheat, spring barley and corn) and B enriching soil with humus (potatoes, winter wheat, spring barley, and clover with grass mixture). In each crop rotation, five rates of manure - 0, 20, 40, 60 and 80 t/ha and four rates of mineral fertilizers N1, N2, N3 and N4 were applied. At the beginning of the experiment in 1979, the initial organic carbon content amounted to...

Effect of cultivar, flesh colour, location and year of cultivation on the glycoalkaloid content in potato tubersOriginal Paper

K. Hamouz, K. Pazderů, J. Lachman, M. Orsák, V. Pivec, K. Hejtmánková, J. Tomášek, M. Čížek

Plant Soil Environ., 2014, 60(11):512-517 | DOI: 10.17221/596/2014-PSE  

In the three-year field trials (2009-2011) at two locations with different altitudes a total of 14 potato cultivars with different colour of flesh (yellow, white, red and purple) were grown. The content of total glycoalkaloids (TGA) was determined by HPLC. TGA content ranged from 18.8 to 102.4 mg/kg fresh matter and none of the cultivars reached the value of risk to human health. Conclusive and decisive influence on the content of the TGA was recorded in genotype. Individual cultivars reached 0.47 to 1.45 of the TGA content in the control cv. Agria. In terms of the colour of the flesh the highest TGA content was found in group of red-fleshed cultivars...

Impact of site-specific weed management in winter crops on weed populationsOriginal Paper

P. Hamouz, K. Hamouzová, J. Holec, L. Tyšer

Plant Soil Environ., 2014, 60(11):518-524 | DOI: 10.17221/636/2014-PSE  

This work is focused on evaluating the effects of site-specific weed management (SSWM) on weed populations over a 4-year period. SSWM was used on a 3.07 ha experimental field during 2011-2014 in a rotation of winter wheat and winter oilseed rape. The area was split into application cells of 6 × 10 m and weed abundance was evaluated manually in each cell. Four different herbicide treatments were tested. Standard whole-field herbicide application (blanket spraying) was treatment 1. Treatments 2, 3 and 4 comprised SSWM using different thresholds for post-emergent herbicide applications. SSWM resulted in herbicide savings of 6.3-100% for Galium aparine,...

Effect of ontogeny, heterophylly and leaf position on the gas exchange of the hop plantOriginal Paper

V. Hejnák, H. Hniličková, F. Hnilička

Plant Soil Environ., 2014, 60(11):525-530 | DOI: 10.17221/671/2014-PSE  

This paper evaluates the influence of ontogeny and the position of bine and offshoot leaves on the rate of photosynthesis (Pn), transpiration (E) and stomatal conductance (gs) in hop plants. In the ontogeny influencing Pn, E and gs among hops. The highest Pn was measured in phase 81-89 BBCH and E and gs in phase 61-69 BBCH. The Pn increased over the course of ontogeny from the 1st to 3rd level of the hop plants. From the 61 BBCH phase, the leaves of the first and second level achieved a photosynthetic maturity and Pn value no longer increased....