Soil science
Kh. Salarinik; M. Nael; M. Sayyari; S.S. Moosavi
Abstract
IntroductionApplication of agricultural waste composts, in addition to improving soil fertility, has positive effects on the quality of agricultural products and the environment by reducing the use of chemical fertilizers and recycling agricultural waste. Spinach (Spinacea oleracea L.) is a suitable ...
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IntroductionApplication of agricultural waste composts, in addition to improving soil fertility, has positive effects on the quality of agricultural products and the environment by reducing the use of chemical fertilizers and recycling agricultural waste. Spinach (Spinacea oleracea L.) is a suitable plant for studying the effects of composts and chemical fertilizers due to some physiological characteristics such as high antioxidant activity and oxalic acid, significant amount of mineral compounds and vitamin C, and nitrate accumulation. Despite relatively extensive studies on the effect of different composts on plants, no study has been conducted so far to investigate the effect of grape pomace (GP) composts on plants in Iran. Therefore, the objectives of the present study were: 1- to investigate the effect of different GP composts on yield, nutrient elements, and some physiological parameters of spinach in comparison with two levels of urea fertilization in a pot experiment in two consecutive growing seasons, and 2- to investigate the relationship between nutrient elements and physiological indicators of spinach based on principal component analysis. Materials and MethodsTo investigate the effects of GP composts on yield, nutrient elements, and physiological parameters of spinach (Persius hybrid), an outdoor pot experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with eight compost treatments, two levels of urea fertilizer (46%), and a control treatment (C0) in three replications and two consecutive growing seasons (spring and fall). Compost treatments included: High grape pomace (HG) (60-63%) with chickpea straw and alfalfa (HG-Ch-A), high GP with chickpea straw and sugar beet pulp (HG-Ch-B), high GP with alfalfa and sugar beet pulp (HG-A-B), high GP combined with chickpea straw, alfalfa, and sugar beet pulp (HG-All); four other compost treatments included low level of grape pomace (LG) (37-42%) combined with other residues/wastes similar to the first four treatments (LG-Ch-A, LG-Ch-B, LG-A-B, and LG-All). Urea fertilizer treatments included: 150 kg per hectare (C150) (two-stage top dressing) and 500 kg per hectare (C500) (three-stage top dressing). Prior to planting, the composts were separately mixed into the soil (sandy loam) at a rate of 2% by weight(. The first crop was grown for 50 days in May 2018 and the second crop was grown for 45 days in September 2018. In both seasons, plant samples were taken in the early morning at the end of the growing season to determine the fresh and oven-dried weight of shoot and root samples, leaf area, nutrient elements, and some physiological indicators. Some of the shoot samples were wrapped in aluminum foil and stored in a freezer (-20 °C) to determine the amount of chlorophyll (type a, type b, and total), carotenoids, total phenol, vitamin C, and antioxidant activity. Oxalic acid, zinc, iron, copper, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, and nitrate were determined in oven-dried samples. One-way ANOVA was applied separately to spring and fall data, and mean comparisons were made using Duncan's test at the 0.05% level. Principal component analysis was used to determine the relationships between nutrient elements and physiological indicators of spinach. Results and DiscussionThe LG-Ch-A and C500 treatments (in spring cultivation), and the LG-A-B, LG-All, and HG-All treatments (in fall cultivation) had the highest leaf number, leaf area, and yield and were significantly difference from the C0 treatment. The high yield in C500, LG-Ch-A, LG-All, and HG-All treatments was associated with nitrate accumulation in spinach. In both cultivations, there was a significant positive correlation between the amount of P, K, Mg and Zn in spinach and the amount of these elements in the corresponding composts. A synergistic relationship was also observed between P and Mg; P and Zn; and Mg and Zn in spinach. On the other hand, an antagonistic relationship was observed between Ca and Mg in spinach because a high concentration of calcium inhibits magnesium uptake by reducing cell permeability. In both seasons, the chemical fertilizer treatments showed the highest amount of chlorophyll and carotenoids because these compounds increase with increasing nitrogen availability. On the contrary, the amount of antioxidant activity was significantly higher in compost treatments than in chemical treatments. In the spring cultivation, the highest and lowest amount of oxalic acid and oxalic acid/Ca ratio were observed in the LG-Ch-B and HG-All treatments, respectively. Interactions between nutrients and physiological indicators were observed. The uptake of all micronutrients, P, and Mg (in both cultivations) and K (in the fall cultivation) was inhibited by high Ca concentration. With the decrease of micronutrients uptake, an increase in nitrate accumulation may occur because micronutrients are present in the structure of nitrate reducing enzymes. The interdependence between Mg and oxalic acid/Ca (in spring), K and oxalic acid (in fall), and Na and oxalic acid/Ca (in fall) may be related to the role of oxalates in the uptake of mineral ions by plants, since oxalates are usually combined with Na, Mg, Ca, and K in the form of soluble and insoluble salts. ConclusionThe use of urea chemical fertilizer (at two levels) and agricultural waste composts had different effects on the physiological indicators, growth and nutrients in spinach. Spinach grown in soils treated with composts rich in P, K, Mg, and Zn had higher nutritional value. The grouping of treatments by principal component analysis showed that chemical and control treatments were clearly separated from compost treatments with high amount of chlorophyll, carotenoid, nitrate, K, and Zn and low amount of oxalic acid, oxalic acid/Ca ratio, antioxidant activity, phenol, and Na. In general, the use of C500, LG-Ch-A, LG-All and HG-All treatments is not recommended due to nitrate accumulation in spinach.
Sareh Nezami; Mohammad Jafar Malakouti
Abstract
Introduction: Phosphorus (P) and zinc (Zn) fixation by soil minerals and their precipitation is one of the major constraints for crop production in calcareous soils. Recent Studies show that root exudates are effective for the extraction of the large amounts of nutrients in calcareous soils. A part of ...
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Introduction: Phosphorus (P) and zinc (Zn) fixation by soil minerals and their precipitation is one of the major constraints for crop production in calcareous soils. Recent Studies show that root exudates are effective for the extraction of the large amounts of nutrients in calcareous soils. A part of the root exudations are Low Molecular Weight Organic Acids (LMWOAs). LMWOAs are involved in the nutrients availability and uptake by plants, nutrients detoxification, minerals weathering and microbial proliferation in the soil. At nutrients deficiency conditions citric and oxalic acids are released by plants root in large quantities and increase nutrient solubility like P, Zn, Fe, Mn and Cu in the rhizosphere. These components are the large portion of the carbon source in the soil after exudations are mineralized by microorganisms, quickly. In addition, soil surface sorption can affect their half-life and other behaviors in the soil. In order to study the effect of oxalic and citric organic acids on the extraction of phosphorus and zinc from a calcareous soil, an experiment was conducted.
Materials and Methods: Studied soil was calcareous and had P and Zn deficiency. Soil sample was collected from A horizon (0-30 cm) of Damavand region. 3 g of dried soil sample was extracted with 30 ml of oxalic and citric acids extraction solutions at different concentrations (0.1, 1 and 10 mM) and different time periods (10, 60, 180 and 360 minutes) on an orbital shaker at 200 rev min-1.The soil extracts then centrifuged for 10 minutes (16000g). After filtering, the pH of the extractions was recorded and then phosphorus, calcium and zinc amounts were determined. Soil extraction with distilled water was used as control. Each treatment was performed in 3 replications. Statistical analysis was performed with ANOVA test followed by the Bonferroni method significant level adjustments due to multiple comparisons.
Results and Discussion: The results of variance analysis showed that the effect of different concentrations of organic acids at various times on the pH of extractions was significant at 1% level. Low concentrations of organic acids at various times had no effect on the pH of soil extractions compared to control, but organic acids at 10 mM concentration increased the pH of extractions. This high pH amount was related to the organic acid mineralization and consumption of H+ by microorganisms in the soil. The results of variance analysis also showed that the effect of different concentrations of organic acids at various times in the extraction of Ca from the soil was significant at 1% level .Citric acid extracted higher Ca from the soil compared to oxalic acid. The maximum extracted Ca was observed at 10 mM concentration of citric acid at 10 minutes of shaking time. Extracted Ca at 0.1 and 1 mM concentrations of both organic acids was almost the same at all the times. The higher extraction of Ca with citric acid was due to the Ca precipitation as oxalate. The analysis of variance for P showed that the effect of different concentrations of organic acids at various times was significant at the 1% level. Extracted P by oxalic acid was more than citric acid .The highest amount of P was obtained by 10 mM concentration of oxalic acid at 360 minutes. The amounts of extracted P by both organic acids at 0.1 and 1 mM concentrations were similar to control. Citric acid at 10 mM concentration also released lower P compared to other concentrations and control. More P extraction of oxalate than citrate was due to the Ca-oxalate formation and P release from calcium phosphate in calcareous soil. Different concentrations of organic acids at different time periods had no effect on Zn extraction from the soil and the amount of extracted Zn by organic acids was lower than control.
Conclusion: Organic acids at 10 mM concentration were effective in Ca and P extraction from the soil but had no significant effect on the Zn extraction. It seems that organic acid more than 10 mM concentrations is required for Zn extractionfrom from the calcareous soils. The type and concentration of Organic acids, soil type, shaking time and experimental conditions are important factors that affect the obtained results.
E. Babaeian; M. Homaee; R. Rahnemaie
Abstract
Phytoextraction is a remediation technology for contaminated soils with lead (Pb). The application of chelating agents can be resulted in high efficiency in this method. In current study, the effect of synthetic and natural chelates applicationon efficiency of lead phytoextraction from soil by carrot ...
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Phytoextraction is a remediation technology for contaminated soils with lead (Pb). The application of chelating agents can be resulted in high efficiency in this method. In current study, the effect of synthetic and natural chelates applicationon efficiency of lead phytoextraction from soil by carrot was investigated. The experiment factors were 1) six levels of Pb (0, 100, 200, 300, 500 and 800 mg Pb kg-1 soil, added as Pb(NO3 )2, 2) chelates (EDTA, NTA and oxalic acid, and 3) chelate concentration (0, 2.5, 5 and 10 mmol kg-1 soil). The results indicated that EDTA effectively increased the Pb content in soil solution. At the highest applied rate (10 mmol EDTA kg-1), it resulted in 463-fold increase in extractable Pb, compared to the control treatment. Pb content in the shoot and taproot increased with the chelates application rates.The highest Pb content in the shoot (342.2±13.9 mg kg-1) and root (310 ±15.5 mg kg-1) occurred in 10 mmol kg-1 EDTA when Pb level was 800 mg kg-1. Pbphytoextraction potential increased with increasing thechelate and Pb concentration. Maximum Pb extraction from soil (1208±26.6 g ha-1 yr-1) during growth season occurred in 10 mmol kg-1 EDTA, when soil Pb level was 800 mg kg-1. It may be concluded that carrot can take up high amount of Pb and concentrate it in its roots and shoots. Thus, it can be introduced as a lead accumulator to phytoextractPb from contaminated soils.
