The importance of long-term experiments in agriculture: their management to ensure continued crop production and soil fertility; the Rothamsted experience.

Long-term field experiments that test a range of treatments and are intended to assess the sustainability of crop production, and thus food security, must be managed actively to identify any treatment that is failing to maintain or increase yields. Once identified, carefully considered changes can be made to the treatment or management, and if they are successful yields will change. If suitable changes cannot be made to an experiment to ensure its continued relevance to sustainable crop production, then it should be stopped. Long-term experiments have many other uses. They provide a field resource and samples for research on plant and soil processes and properties, especially those properties where change occurs slowly and affects soil fertility. Archived samples of all inputs and outputs are an invaluable source of material for future research, and data from current and archived samples can be used to develop models to describe soil and plant processes. Such changes and uses in the Rothamsted experiments are described, and demonstrate that with the appropriate crop, soil and management, acceptable yields can be maintained for many years, with either organic manure or inorganic fertilizers. Highlights: Long-term experiments demonstrate sustainability and increases in crop yield when managed to optimize soil fertility.Shifting individual response curves into coincidence increases understanding of the factors involved.Changes in inorganic and organic pollutants in archived crop and soil samples are related to inputs over time.Models describing soil processes are developed from current and archived soil data.

Changes in soil organic matter over 70 years in continuous arable and ley-arable rotations on a sandy loam soil in England.

The sequestration in soil of organic carbon (SOC) derived from atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) by replacing arable crops with leys, has been measured over 70 years on a sandy loam soil. The experiment was designed initially to test the effect of leys on the yields of arable crops. A 3-year grazed grass with clover (grass + clover) ley in a 5-year rotation with arable crops increased percentage organic carbon (%OC) in the top 25 cm of the soil from 0.98 to 1.23 in 28 years, but with little further increase during the next 40 years with all-grass leys given fertilizer nitrogen (N). In this second period, OC inputs were balanced by losses, suggesting that about 1.3% OC might be near the equilibrium content for this rotation. Including 3-year lucerne (Medicago sativa) leys had little effect on %OC over 28 years, but after changing to grass + clover leys, %OC increased to 1.24 during the next 40 years. Eight-year leys (all grass with N or grass + clover) in 10-year rotations with arable crops were started in the 1970s, and after three rotations %OC had increased to ca. 1.40 in 2000-2009. Over 70 years, %OC declined from 0.98 to 0.94 in an all-arable rotation with mainly cereals and to 0.82 with more root crops. Applications of 38 t ha-1 farmyard manure (FYM) every fifth year increased %OC by 0.13% by the mid-1960s when applications ceased. Soil treated with FYM still contained 0.10% more OC in 2000-2009. Changes in the amount of OC have been modelled with RothC-26.3 and estimated inputs of C for selected rotations. Little of the OC input during the 70 years has been retained; most was retained in the grazed ley rotation, but 9 t ha-1 only of a total input of 189 t ha-1. In other rotations more than 98% of the total OC input was lost. Despite large losses of C, annual increases in OC of 4‰ are possible on this soil type with the inclusion of grass or grass + clover leys or the application of FYM, but only for a limited period. Such increases in SOC might help to limit increases in atmospheric CO2. HIGHLIGHTS: Can leys sequester significant amounts of atmospheric CO 2 in SOM and contribute to the 4‰ initiative?Changes in the percentage and amount of OC were measured and modelled over 70 years and OC losses estimated.Three-year grass or grass + clover leys increased %OC, but only to an equilibrium level that was then maintained.Despite large losses, sequestering CO 2-C at 4‰ year-1 by growing grass or grass + clover leys is possible.

Testing the distinctness of shoot ionomes of angiosperm families using the Rothamsted Park Grass Continuous Hay Experiment.

• The ionome is the elemental composition of a tissue or organism. Phylogenetic variation in the ionomes of plant shoots has been widely reported based on controlled experiments, vegetation surveys and literature meta-analyses. However, environmental effects on phylogenetic variation in shoot ionomes have not been quantified. This study tests the hypothesis that phylogenetic variation in shoot ionomes is robust to environmental perturbation and that plant families can be distinguished by their shoot ionomes. • Herbage was sampled from six subplots of the Rothamsted Park Grass Experiment. Subplots had received contrasting fertilizer treatments since 1856. Herbage was separated into its constituent species (n = 21) and concentrations of eleven mineral elements were determined in dried shoot material. • Shoot concentrations of calcium (Ca), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), magnesium (Mg) and sodium (Na) showed significant variation associated with plant species, and responded similarly to fertilizer treatments in diverse plant species. Species × treatment interactions were indicated for phosphorus (P), potassium (K), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu) and iron (Fe). Plant families could be distinguished by their shoot ionomes. The most informative elements for discriminant analysis were Ca > Mg > Ni > S > Na > Zn > K > Cu > Fe > Mn > P. • Whilst shoot ionomes were sensitive to fertilizer treatment, phylogenetic variation in a subset of the shoot ionome (Ca, Zn, Mn, Mg) was robust to this environmental perturbation.

Phosphorus in Agriculture: A Review of Results from 175 Years of Research at Rothamsted, UK.

Insight into the role of phosphorus (P) in soil fertility and crop nutrition at Rothamsted, UK, and its involvement in associated environmental issues, has come from long-term field experiments initially started by J. B. Lawes in 1843 and continued by others, together with experiments on different soils. Results from the 1940s confirmed that residues of P applied in fertilizers and manures build up reserves of P in soil. There is a strong relationship between crop yield and plant-available P (Olsen P), and a critical level of Olsen P can be determined. For soils near the critical level, P-use efficiency is high when the P applied and offtake by the crop is nearly equal. Soil inorganic P is associated with various soil components and is held there with a range of bonding energies so that when no P is applied, the decline in Olsen P follows a smooth curve. We conceptualize inorganic soil P as being in four pools of vastly varying size, availability for uptake, and extractability by reagents used in routine soil analysis, and with reversible transfer of P between pools. For very disparate soils at Rothamsted and in the United States, there is a strong relationship between the change in Olsen P and P removal/input ratios, suggesting an underlying similarity in inorganic P behavior. Maintaining soil near the critical level should optimize yield and the use of the global P resource while minimizing the risk of transfer of large amounts of P to the aquatic environment.

Sepiapterin Improves Vascular Reactivity and Insulin-Stimulated Glucose in Wistar Rats.

In the vasculature, sedentary behavior leads to endothelial abnormalities, resulting in elevated cardiovascular disease risk. Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) aberrations characterize endothelial dysfunction; eNOS also regulates mitochondrial function. We hypothesized that sepiapterin (a precursor to eNOS cofactor tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4)) supplementation would improve endothelium-dependent vascular relaxation in sedentary animals via modulation of NOS function and mitochondrial activity. Sedentary male Wistar rats were fed ad libitum for a total of 10 weeks. Sepiapterin was administered in diet during the final 5 weeks. Intraperitoneal insulin and glucose tolerance tests (IP-ITT/IP-GTT) were conducted at baseline and endpoint. Aorta was assessed for vasoreactivity and mitochondrial respiration. Insulin tolerance, determined by IP-ITT, significantly improved in rats treated with sepiapterin (p < 0.05, interaction of time and treatment). Acetylcholine- (ACh-) driven vasodilation was significantly greater in aorta from sepiapterin-treated rats as compared with control (76.4% versus 54.9% of phenylephrine contraction at 20 µM ACh, p < 0.05). Sepiapterin treatment resulted in significantly elevated state 3 (9.00 oxygen pmol/sec∗mg versus 8.17 oxygen pmol/sec∗mg, p < 0.05) and 4 (7.28 oxygen pmol/sec∗mg versus 5.86 oxygen pmol/sec∗mg, p < 0.05) aortic mitochondrial respiration with significantly lower respiratory control ratio (p < 0.05) during octanoylcarnitine-driven respiration. Vasodilation and insulin sensitivity were improved through targeting NOS via sepiapterin supplementation.

Reductions and changing patterns of ambient PCDD/Fs in the UK: evidence and implications.

Archived herbage samples taken between the mid-1800s and the present day from the Park Grass permanent grassland experiment in the UK were analysed for PCDD/Fs. The concentrations of SigmaP((4-8))CDD/Fs ranged between 15 (in 2003-2004) and 320 pg/g (in 1963) and the SigmaTEQ ranged between 0.11 (2003-2004) and 2.4 pg/g in (1903). The underlying trend from the mid-1970s to the present is of a decline by about factor of 10, indicating a general reduction in the air concentration/deposition fluxes. The homologue pattern in samples from the first half of the 20th century was characterised by the lower (mono- to tri-) PCDFs, indicating the dominance of domestic wood/coal burning on the SigmaP((1-8))CDD/Fs signature. The second half of the 20th century saw a substantial decline in domestic wood/coal burning for space heating in the UK, but also the 'rise and fall' in the production/use of chloroaromatic compounds - notably pentachlorophenol (PCP). The isomer/homologue patterns for the 1960-2004 samples have a much lower contribution from the lower PCDFs and large contributions from the hepta and octa-CDDs. The possibility that these are related to PCP inputs via different routes is discussed. The UK - in line with other countries - has had a policy to reduce the environmental sources and the emissions of PCDD/Fs, by the introduction of new combustion control technologies and emissions standards. However, these were not introduced to specifically address PCDD/F emissions until the 1990s. The declines in PCDD/F levels in these samples: (a) pre-date the introduction of emission control measures on incinerators and other combustion sources in the UK; (b) appear to have been largely unaffected by them.

Determinants of species richness in the Park Grass Experiment.

The Park Grass Experiment at Rothamsted in southeast England was started in 1856, making it the longest-running experiment in plant ecology anywhere in the world. Experimental inputs include a range of fertilizers (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and organic manures) applied annually, with lime applied occasionally, and these have led to an increase in biomass and, where nitrogen was applied in the form of ammonium sulfate, to substantial decreases in soil pH. The number of species per plot varies from three to 44 per 200 m(2), affording a unique opportunity to study the determinants of plant species richness and to estimate the effect sizes attributable to different factors. The response of species richness to biomass depends on the amount and type of nitrogen applied; richness declined monotonically with increasing biomass on plots receiving no nitrogen or receiving nitrogen in the form of sodium nitrate, but there was no relationship between species richness and biomass on plots acidified by ammonium sulfate application. The response to lime also depended on the type of nitrogen applied; there was no relationship between lime treatment and species richness, except in plots receiving nitrogen in the form of ammonium sulfate, where species richness increased sharply with increasing soil pH. The addition of phosphorus reduced species richness, and application of potassium along with phosphorus reduced species richness further, but the biggest negative effects were when nitrogen and phosphorus were applied together. The analysis demonstrates how multiple factors contribute to the observed diversity patterns and how environmental regulation of species pools can operate at the same spatial and temporal scale as biomass effects.

The influence of dietary unsaturated cis and trans and saturated fatty acids on tissue lipids of swine.

A feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary trans unsaturated fatty acids (trans fat) and of the interplay of dietary saturated fatty acids (saturated fat), cis unsaturated fatty acids, (cis fat) and trans fat on tissue lipids, particularly those effects suggestive of angiotoxicity. Swine were fed for 10 months a diet containing 17% added fat. Seven blends of varying proportions of the 3 fat components provided sufficient sample points to permit an examination of the interplay. Parameters under study included weight gain, serum cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations, lipoprotein lipid profile, total lipid and cholesterol concentrations of liver, heart and aorta, fatty acid composition of liver and aorta lipids and hepatic fatty acid synthesis and cholesterol synthesis and oxidation. Fat blends containing disproportionately high levels of saturated or cis fat generally elicited responses consistent with results reported by others. The notable exception was the serum cholesterol concentration. Throughout the study, the swine were hypercholesterolemic. Swine fed the high saturated fat blend had serum cholesterol levels equal to those swine fed the high cis fat blend. Serum cholesterol levels in the swine fed the other fat blends were more elevated. Another apparent anomaly was the lower concentration of lipid in the aortas of swine fed the high-saturated fat diet. The impact of the trans fat was modulated by the relative proportions of saturated and cis fat in the diet. The impact of trans fat was of greater magnitude for most parameters when the fat blend was low in saturated fat. The sole parameter suggestive of trans fat-mediated angiotoxicity was the distribution of lipids in lipoprotein fractions. Swine fed diets containing trans fat had lower relative proportions of the alpha-lipoprotein lipids. Although hypercholesterolemic, the high fat diets were not overtly angiotoxic except when fed to swine that carried a specific immunogenetically-defined low density lipoprotein.

Effects of myocardial fiber orientation in echocardiography: quantitative measurements and computer simulation of the regional dependence of backscattered ultrasound in the parasternal short-axis view.

We measured the regional disparity in backscattered ultrasound by means of obtaining integrated backscatter images of 10 healthy subjects and placing a region of interest in 18 distinct positions. A computer model simulating the short-axis view was implemented on the basis of previously measured values for the anisotropic ultrasonic properties of myocardium. Measurements showed that the integrated backscatter value was greatest for the anterior septum and decreased by 15.9 +/- 3.5 dB for the lateral wall and 17.7 +/- 3.5 dB for the inferior septum. The value in the posterior wall was 8.1 +/- 3.8 dB below the value for the anterior septum. The regional variation of backscatter predicted with the simulation correlated well with the clinical measurements. These results suggested that analyses based on measurements of backscatter may require compensation for the inherent anisotropic properties of myocardium.

Effects of tissue anisotropy and contrast acoustic properties on myocardial scattering in contrast echocardiography.

In this study we explored the potential effects that tissue anisotropy, in conjunction with the acoustic properties of contrast, may have on quantitative measurements of myocardial perfusion with the use of ultrasonic contrast agents. We used a computer simulation of the parasternal short-axis view, based on previously measured values for the anisotropy of backscatter and attenuation of myocardium, to predict the backscattered energy from 18 specific regions within the heart before and after myocardial contrast perfusion. Results demonstrated a regional variation of contrast enhancement in the short-axis view and variations caused by incremental increases in contrast level for specific myocardial regions. Thus quantitative assessment of myocardial perfusion with contrast echocardiography is influenced by the anisotropic properties of the myocardium, and the resulting postcontrast image will depend on the interaction between tissue properties and contrast acoustic properties. The degree of myocardial enhancement caused by the presence of contrast may depend on the spatial position of the specific region investigated with respect to the transducer and the amount of contrast in the myocardium.

Cyclic variation of integrated backscatter: dependence of time delay on the echocardiographic view used and the myocardial segment analyzed.

To determine the influence of myocardial anisotropy in ultrasonic tissue characterization, we measured the time delay (and magnitude) of the cyclic variation of myocardial integrated backscatter from specific segments visualized in the 4 standard transthoracic echocardiographic views. The cyclic variation data in 10 myocardial regions were obtained from analyses of 2-dimensional integrated backscatter images from 23 healthy subjects. Resultant values (mean +/- SD) for the time delay were as follows: parasternal long-axis view: 1.08 +/- 0.17 (septum) and 1.00 +/- 0.14 (posterior wall); parasternal short-axis view: 1.03 +/- 0.16 (anterior septum), 1.03 +/- 0.14 (posterior wall), 2.22 +/- 0.71 (lateral wall), and 1.65 +/- 0.66 (posterior septum); apical 4-chamber view: 1.08 +/- 0.31 (septum) and 2.20 +/- 0.79 (lateral wall); and apical 2-chamber view: 1.68 +/- 0.62 (inferior wall) and 2.04 +/- 0.72 (anterior wall). Hence, results of this study indicate that myocardial ultrasonic characterization that uses the cyclic variation is influenced by the echocardiographic view and the specific segment of the left ventricle.

Comparison of integrated backscatter values obtained with acoustic densitometry with values derived from spectral analysis of digitized signals from a clinical imaging system.

Time-domain-based integrated backscatter values obtained with the use of acoustic densitometry (AD) were compared with values determined from a spectral-based analysis of the radio-frequency (RF) signals with a modified Hewlett-Packard Sonos 1500 imaging system. Integrated backscatter images of five specimens of bovine tendon were acquired in the AD acquisition mode, and the corresponding signals related to the backscattered RF were digitized for each angle of insonification as the specimens were rotated in 10-degree increments. The integrated backscatter images were analyzed with the AD analysis package, and the corresponding values determined from the RF power spectra were obtained from the digitized ultrasonic signals. Good agreement was found between the two methods over the entire range of measured values. The mean anisotropy in the measured integrated backscatter (mean +/- standard error) was found to be 27 +/- 2 dB for time-domain-based analysis and 25 +/- 2 dB for RF spectral-based analysis.

Dependence of "apparent" magnitude on the time delay of cyclic variation of myocardial backscatter.

The goal of this study was to determine if the "apparent" magnitude of the cyclic variation, defined as the difference between the values of integrated backscatter at end-diastole and end-systole, was dependent on the corresponding time delay. We measured the cyclic variation in four myocardial segments of the parasternal short-axis view in 23 healthy subjects. The "apparent" magnitude, actual magnitude, and time delay were compared for each segment. Measured time delays were: 2.22+/-0.71 (lateral wall); 1.65+/-0.66 (inferior septum); and approximately 1.0 for the anterior septum and posterior wall. Segments exhibiting large time delays (> 1.0) resulted in a reversal in sign of the "apparent" magnitude of cyclic variation in one instance, and underestimated the true magnitude in both cases. Thus, estimates of the "apparent" magnitude of the cyclic variation are dependent on the associated time delay, whereas a properly defined magnitude is not.

Cadmium in cereal grain and herbage from long-term experimental plots at Rothamsted, UK.

Crop samples harvested and stored from three long-term agricultural experiments started in the 1840-1850s at Rothamsted Experimental Station (UK) have been analysed recently for Cd. Increased Cd burden in the soils of the experiments, which have had a range of treatments, originates mainly from atmospheric deposition. Soils treated with farmyard manure (FYM) or, in some cases, applications of phosphate fertilisers, have increased Cd levels. Herbage, wheat and barley grain from the three experiments were analysed by neutron activation analysis (NAA) and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS). Samples were bulked for groups of years between 1860 and 1986, from variously treated plots in each experiment (control or 'nil' treatment, P-fertilised, FYM-amended, NPK-fertilised-limed and unlimed). There were marked differences in Cd concentrations between treatments. For example, uptake of Cd into herbage was greater where P fertiliser had been applied than not, and was greater from unlimed than limed soils. Offtake of Cd (mg ha(-1) year(-1)) was affected by large differences in yield and probably also by other factors. These include changes in botanical composition in the permanent grassland experiment; cultivar changes in the wheat and barley experiments; changes in soil organic matter and soil pH of some plots; changes in atmospheric deposition of Cd through time. All of these potentially confounding factors make the interpretation of results complicated. It is concluded, however, that, with one exception, there is little evidence of a long-term increase in crop Cd concentrations at Rothamsted.

Retrospective analysis of an archived soil collection. II. Cadmium.

Soil samples collected and stored since the mid-1800s to the present day have been analysed recently for Cd. The samples from long-term experiments under permanent grassland or arable crops at Rothamsted Experimental Station (U.K.) were selected to investigate time trends in elemental composition, due either solely to atmospheric deposition or to a combination of atmospheric deposition and various soil treatments. Increases in soil Cd of 27-55% since the 1850s due to atmospheric deposition were observed. This corresponds to an increase in the soil plough layer Cd concentration of between 0.7 and 1.9 micrograms kg-1 year-1 and is equivalent to an increase of 1.9-5.4 g Cd ha-1 year-1. The changes in soil Cd concentrations since 1846 at one control site corresponded well to predicted increases in the plough layer Cd burden based on assumptions about the temporal trends in atmospheric Cd emissions. In addition, sub-samples of a selection of rock phosphates of known origin and superphosphates, mainly from one supplier, collected and stored in the archive from 1925 onwards were also analysed for Cd. The concentrations ranged from 3.6 to 92 (mean 36) mg Cd kg-1 for rock phosphates and from 3.3 to 40 (9.7) mg kg-1 for superphosphates. On the basis of these data and known application rates the estimated input of Cd to P-treated plots at Rothamsted was 2 g ha-1 year-1, but there was little further increase in soil Cd due to this addition in three long-term arable experiments where soil pH was greater than 6.5. On P-treated plots the mean increase in soil Cd was 1.2 micrograms kg-1 year-1, which is equivalent to an increase in the plough layer burden of 3.1 g Cd ha-1 year-1. By contrast, P-treated soils under permanent grassland with a higher organic matter content and lower pH have increased their Cd content by 7.2 g ha-1 year-1. When permanent grassland soils ranging in pH from 5 to 7 were examined it was found that organic matter had a larger effect on Cd concentration than pH and the effects of pH were not consistent. Farmyard manure applied to some experimental plots at Rothamsted appears to have been a more significant source of Cd than combined atmospheric and phosphate fertiliser inputs.

Changes in the polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon content of wheat grain and pasture grassland over the last century from one site in the U.K.

Crops harvested and stored from two long-term agricultural experiments started in the 1840-1850s at Rothamsted Experimental Station (U.K.) have been analyzed for polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) because PAHs have increased four-to-five fold in the underlying 0-23 cm depth of soil over the last century due to atmospheric deposition. Bulked samples of herbage and wheat grain were analyzed for 16 compounds by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for groups of years between 1860 and 1986. The sigma PAH (16 PAH) concentrations in herbage ranged between 110 and 6900 micrograms kg-1 dry weight, with fluoranthene, pyrene, benzofluoranthenes (b + j + k), chrysene and triphenylene consistently the most abundant. Benz[a]anthracene, benzo[ghi]perylene, benzo[a]pyrene, benzo[e]pyrene and indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene were also all important constituents. PAH concentrations in wheat grain ranged from 4 to 46 micrograms sigma PAH kg-1; the mixture of individual compounds was similar to that in herbage. Correcting for yield differences these corresponded to 37-1500 and 2.4-8.8 micrograms sigma PAH m-2 for herbage and wheat grain respectively. The lowest values were found in the most recent samples (1980s) and the highest for samples collected in 1879-81. Generally, there was a decline in the PAH burden of the vegetation with time. The temporal trends of PAHs in the samples are discussed in the context of possible sources of PAHs. Various lines of evidence indicate that the PAH concentrations in vegetation are an indication of atmospheric deposition directly onto the above-ground plant portions, and that uptake and translocation of soil-bound PAHs is of minor importance.

Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons in an agricultural soil: long-term changes in profile distribution.

Soil profile samples collected from the same plot at Rothamsted Experimental Station in southeast England in 1893, 1944 and 1987 have been analysed for polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The total PAH burden of the plough layer (0-23 cm) has increased approximately four- to five-fold since the 1890s, with some compounds (notably benzo(b)fluoranthene, benzo(a)pyrene and pyrene) showing substantially greater increases. Average rates of increase in the plough layer for individual PAHs in the Rothamsted plots over the century since c. 1890 vary between 0.01 and 0.67 mg m(-2) year(-1). It is concluded that atmospheric deposition from natural sources has been augmented in recent years by regional fallout of anthropogenically-generated PAHs derived from the combustion of fossil fuels. The total PAH content of the 1893 Rothamsted samples was similar to that observed in soils from contemporary isolated/rural locations in the UK and showed little surface enrichment. By 1987 the surface soil at Rothamsted had been enriched in all PAH compounds measured by a factor of between 1.3 (acenaphthalene) and over 20 (benzo(a)pyrene). Increases in the PAH content of the 23-46 cm subsurface layer indicate migration of PAHs from the plough layer. Net average annual migration rates ranged from 0.01-0.14 mg m(-2) year(-1) for individual PAHs, and the rate appeared to be primarily a function of the plough layer PAH content, rather than physical/chemical properties of the individual compounds. This suggests particle-bound translocation as the dominant mechanism of PAH migration.

Possibilities for reducing nitrate leaching from agricultural land.

Agricultural soil is a contributor of nitrate to natural waters. High nitrate levels in water leached from soils are related to high nitrate concentrations in drinking water, and excess levels change the ecological balance of rivers and lakes. In this paper, sound solutions to the major environmental issue of limiting nitrate leaching by modifying agricultural practices are discussed. The causes of nitrate leaching from agricultural land are briefly explained and existing measures for the reduction of nitrate losses are described, analyzed and evaluated. Reduction of nutrient leaching is not a question of organic or conventional farming, but rather of the introduction and use of appropriate countermeasures. We propose the following guiding principles to minimize leaching from agricultural soils. To some extent these principles require a new way of thinking: i) environmental indexing of fields and consideration of spatial variability within fields in relation to their contribution to leaching losses within a catchment; ii) reduction of nitrogen inputs to soil to levels slightly below those expected to give the optimum yield by applying less nitrogen fertilizer and by a further reduction in animal density; and iii) use of a range of counter-measures (catch crops, minimum tillage, control of biological processes, etc.) depending on how sensitive the farming system, soil and climate are to the risk of nitrate leaching.

Time trends of atmospheric PBDEs inferred from archived U.K. herbage.

Aerial portions of vegetation receive the bulk of their burden of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) from the atmosphere. Vegetation can therefore be a useful indicator of the changing atmospheric burden of POPs. Samples of archived pasture, collected from Rothamsted Experimental Station in the United Kingdom between 1930 and 2004, were analyzed for a range of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). PBDEs could not be routinely detected in the pre-1970 samples. Thereafter, the dominant congeners BDE 28, 47, 49, 99, 100, 153, 154, and 183 were frequently detected. The general trend was (a) a rise through the 1970s; (b) a minipeak in the mid-1980s, strongly influenced by one particularly high sample for 1984; (c) values remaining high through the late 1980s/1990s; (d) an indication of a more recent decline for all congeners (except BDE-28), consistent with recent restrictions on PBDE usage in Europe. These trends were compared to recent modeled estimates of U.K. PBDE emissions. The congener profiles of technical mixtures, U.K. air, soil, and pasture were compared and shown to be broadly similar. The implications for environmental release mechanisms are discussed.