Plant, Soil and Environment, 2015 (vol. 61), issue 11
Effects of rice husk biochar application on the properties of alkaline soil and lentil growthOriginal Paper
S. Abrishamkesh, M. Gorji, H. Asadi, G.H. Bagheri-Marandi, A.A. Pourbabaee
Plant Soil Environ., 2015, 61(11):475-482 | DOI: 10.17221/117/2015-PSE 
This study evaluated the effects of biochar application on some properties of an alkaline soil and on lentil (Lens culinaris Medik) growth. Lentils were grown in the soil amended with the rates of 0.4, 0.8, 1.6, 2.4, and 3.3 weight percent of two biochars (B1 and B2), produced from rice husk under different pyrolysis conditions. Lentils were harvested after 70 days. Soil samples were also analysed for changes in physico-chemical properties. The results indicated that biochar application significantly increased soil organic carbon, cation exchange capacity, available potassium and below ground biomass of lentil, while it decreased...
Response of Avena sativa, microorganisms and enzymes to contamination of soil with diesel oilOriginal Paper
J. Wyszkowska, A. Borowik, J. Kucharski
Plant Soil Environ., 2015, 61(11):483-488 | DOI: 10.17221/463/2015-PSE
The scale of the impact of petroleum products on the natural environment is still difficult to determine. This is why it was decided to conduct tests, under the conditions of a pot experiment, for the effects of diesel oil (0, 4, and 8 mL/kg dry matter of soil) on the yield of oat, content of macroelements, as well as the microbiological, biochemical, physicochemical and chemical properties of the soil. The study results showed that diesel oil had an adverse effect on the growth and development of oat, and contents of nitrogen, sodium, calcium and magnesium in the above-ground parts of oat. Diesel oil increased the concentration of the following substances...
Evaluation of two chemical weed control systems in sugar beet in Germany and the Russian FederationOriginal Paper
K. Bezhin, H.-J. Santel, R. Gerhards
Plant Soil Environ., 2015, 61(11):489-495 | DOI: 10.17221/482/2015-PSE
Roundup Ready® sugar beets are widely grown in the USA since their market introduction in 2005. The system has proven to be cost-efficient and reliable. However, the negative social image among consumers and politicians has prohibited the adoption of this technology in Europe. Seven field experiments were conducted over three years in Germany and the Russian Federation to compare weed control efficacy and sugar beet yields of post-emergent glyphosate applications with conventional selective herbicides. Although weed infestations at the Russian sites were higher than in Germany, weed control efficacies were similar at both locations ranging between...
Dissipation kinetics and residues analysis of pendimethalin in soil and maize under field conditionsOriginal Paper
S. Tandon
Plant Soil Environ., 2015, 61(11):496-500 | DOI: 10.17221/406/2015-PSE
Herbicides play an important role in the production of crops, but their residues may cause numerous human/environmental problems. Dissipation kinetics of pendimethalin and residues in soil, maize straw and cobs in winter maize under field conditions were studied by gas chromatograph-electron capture detector (GC-ECD). Dissipation followed the first order kinetics and accounted by a biphasic pattern. The half-life for initial phase and later phase was 11.70 and 34.13 days for recommended and 9.19 and 46.81 days for double dose, respectively. Percent recovery from cobs, straw and soil samples varied from 76.2-88.5, 76.6-84.4, and 85.0-89.5%. The limit...
Accurate identification of nitrogen fertilizer application of paddy rice using laser-induced fluorescence combined with support vector machineOriginal Paper
J. Yang, W. Gong, S. Shi, L. Du, 4, J. Sun, Y.-Y. Ma, S.-L. Song
Plant Soil Environ., 2015, 61(11):501-506 | DOI: 10.17221/496/2015-PSE
To identify accurately the doses of nitrogen (N) fertilizer and improve the photosynthetic efficiency of paddy rice, laser induced fluorescence (LIF) technique combined with the support vector machine (SVM) and principal component analysis (PCA) is proposed in this paper. The LIF technology, in which the ultraviolet light (355 nm) is applied as an excitation light source, is employed to measure fluorescence spectra of paddy rice. These fluorescence spectra demonstrate that the fluorescence spectral characteristics of paddy rice leaves with different doses of N fertilizer have distinct differences from each other. Then, PCA and SVM are implemented to...
Growth and photosynthesis of Upland and Pima cotton: response to drought and heat stressOriginal Paper
V. Hejnák, Ö. Tatar, G.D. Atasoy, J. Martinková, A.E. Çelen, F. Hnilička, M. Skalický
Plant Soil Environ., 2015, 61(11):507-514 | DOI: 10.17221/512/2015-PSE
The effects of drought and heat stress on physiology of two common cotton species, Gossypium hirsutum L. (Upland) and G. barbadense L. (Pima) were investigated in this study. Four consecutive 28-day pot experiments were carried out in a fully controlled growth chamber under four temperatures (25, 30, 35 and 40°C), while two water treatments (well-watered and drought) were imposed for 10 days to both cotton species. Growth according to dry matter accumulation of G. barbadense was more limited by sole drought conditions (50%), whereas heat stress was more remarkable on growth of G. hirsutum (64%). Chlorophyll (Chl)...
The role of the initial soil water content in the determination of unsaturated soil hydraulic conductivity using a tension infiltrometerOriginal Paper
S. Matula, M. Miháliková, J. Lufinková, K. Báťková
Plant Soil Environ., 2015, 61(11):515-521 | DOI: 10.17221/527/2015-PSE
The unsaturated hydraulic conductivity K(h) is a key soil parameter governing the water and solute transportation processes. The course of this function depends on the geometry of the pores which is determined by the soil's physical and chemical properties. Many studies focus on the comparison of soil hydraulic conductivity under different conditions. Despite the recent progress in this research field, no reference method for measuring the K(h) in situ exists. This study focuses on the effect of the initial water content of the soil as a factor influencing the measured K(h). The study was performed in situ...
The effect of digestate, cattle slurry and mineral fertilization on the winter wheat yield and soil quality parametersOriginal Paper
T. Šimon, E. Kunzová, M. Friedlová
Plant Soil Environ., 2015, 61(11):522-527 | DOI: 10.17221/530/2015-PSE
This study compares the effect of application of digestate, straw, cattle slurry and inorganic fertilizers on crop yield and soil organic matter content. Total organic carbon (C), total organic nitrogen (N), hot water soluble C, microbial biomass C and hydrophobic soil components were evaluated in soil from the field experiment in Prague-Ruzyně (Orthic Luvisol, clay loam) with winter wheat. All fertilized treatments significantly increased grain yield above the level of non-fertilized control (5.68 t/ha), and the sequence was as follows: digestate (9.88 t/ha) > NPK(9.80 t/ha) > cattle slurry (9.73 t/ha) > digestate + straw (9.35 t/ha). Average...