Bacterial potentials for uptake, solubilization and mineralization of extracellular phosphorus in agricultural soils are highly stable under different fertilization regimes.

Phosphorus is one of the most important macronutrient for plants. In agriculture, amending fertilizer with phosphorus (P) is common practice. However, natural phosphorus sources are finite, making research for more sustainable management practices necessary. We postulated that the addition of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) would stimulate phosphorus mobilization by bacteria because of their desire to maintain a stable intracellular C:N:P stoichiometry. Therefore, we chose a metagenomic approach to investigate two agricultural soils, which only received mineral N fertilizer or mineral N and organic fertilizer for more than 20 years. The most abundant genes involved in the acquisition of external P sources in our study were those involved in solubilization and subsequent uptake of inorganic phosphorus. Independent of site and season, the relative abundance of genes involved in P turnover was not significantly affected by the addition of fertilizers. However, the type of fertilization had a significant impact on the diversity pattern of bacterial families harbouring genes coding for the different P transformation processes. This gives rise to the possibility that fertilizers can substantially change phosphorus turnover efficiency by favouring different families. Additionally, none of the families involved in phosphorus turnover covered all investigated processes. Therefore, promoting bacteria which play an essential role specifically in mobilization of hardly accessible phosphorus could help to secure the phosphorus supply of plants in soils with low P input.

Chromium accumulation potential of Zea mays grown under four different fertilizers.

Chromium (Cr) contamination in soil is a growing concern in sustainable agriculture production and food safety. We performed pot experiment with chromium (30 mg/soil) to assess the accumulation potential of Zea mays and study the influence of four fertilizers, viz. Farm Yard Manure (FYM), NPK, Panchakavya (PK) and Vermicompost (VC) with respect to Cr accumulation. The oxidative stress and pigment (chlorophyll) levels were also examined. The results showed increased accumulation of chromium in both shoots and roots of Zea mays under FYM and NPK supply, and reduced with PK and VC. While the protein and pigment contents decreased in Cr treated plants, the fertilizers substantiated the loss to overcome the stress. Similarly, accumulation of Cr increased the levels of antioxidant enzymes such as catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and peroxidase (POD) indicating the enhanced damage control activity. However, these levels were relatively low in plants supplemented with fertilizers. Our results confirm that the maize can play an effective role in bioremediation of soils polluted with chromium, particularly in supplementation with fertilizers such as farm yard manure and NPK.

Growth, root formation, and nutrient value of triticale plants fertilized with biosolids.

Biosolids are utilized as nutrient rich fertilizer. Little material is available on benefits to forage crops resulting from fertilization with biosolids. This paper aimed to compare the effects of fertilization with biosolids versus commercial nitrogen fertilizer on growth, root formation, and nutrient value of triticale plants in a greenhouse experiment. Per treatment, five pots were seeded with five triticale seeds each. Treatments included a nonfertilized control, fertilization with 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 ml biosolids per pot, and fertilization with a commercial nitrogen fertilizer at the recommended application rate and at double that rate. Biomass production, root length, root diameter, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium concentration were analyzed at harvest. Fertilization with biosolids increased triticale production (P < 0.001); production was similar for the 100 to 400 mL treatments. Root length, nitrogen, and phosphorus concentration increased, and potassium concentration decreased linearly with application rate. At the recommended rate, biomass production was similar between fertilization with biosolids and commercial fertilizer. However, plants fertilized with commercial fertilizer had considerably longer roots (P < 0.001), higher nitrogen concentration (P < 0.05), and lower potassium concentration (P < 0.01) than those fertilized with biosolids. Our results indicate that at the recommended application rate, biomass production was similar between fertilization with biosolids and with commercial nitrogen fertilizer, indicating the value of biosolids fertilization as a potential alternative.

[Effects of different nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium fertilization modes on carbon- and nitrogen accumulation and allocation in rice plant].

Based on a 20-year field site-specific fertilization experiment in Taoyuan Experimental Station of Agriculture Ecosystems under Chinese Ecosystem Research Network (CERN), this paper studied the effects of different fertilization modes of N, P, and K on the accumulation and allocation of C and N in rice plant. The fertilization mode N-only showed the highest C and N contents (433 g kg(-1) and 18.9 g kg(-1), respectively) in rice grain, whereas the modes balanced fertilization of chemical N, P and K (NPK) and its combination with organic mature recycling (NPKC) showed the highest storage of C and N in rice plant. In treatments NPK and NPKC, the C storage in rice grain and in stem and leaf was 1960 kg hm(-2) and 2015 kg hm(-2), and 2002 kg hm(-2) and 2048 kg hm(-2), and the N storage in rice grain was 80.5 kg hm(-2) and 80.6 kg hm(-2), respectively. Treatment NPK had the highest N storage (59.3 kg hm(-2)) in stem and leaf. Balanced fertilization of chemical N, P, and K combined with organic manure recycling increased the accumulation of C and N in rice plant significantly. Comparing with applying N only, balanced fertilization of chemical N, P, and K was more favorable to the accumulation and allocation of C and N in rice plant during its growth period.

[Effects of different manure on lily quality].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the best manure scheme of lily (Lilium lancifolium). METHODS: Determining lilypolysaccharide and phosphatide contents through phenol hydrate-sulfuric acid and molybdenum blue colorimetric method. RESULTS: The content of efficacious composition in applying fertilizer on the leaves is higher than average and possium fertilizer can increase lilypolysaccharide content. CONCLUSION: Possium fertilizer is important in early stage and leaf fertilizer can improve lily quality.

[Effects of various organic fertilizers on growth and mineral nutrient absorption of Morindar officinalis].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of various organic fertilizers on the growth and the mineral nutrient absorption of Morindar officinalis. METHOD: The growing character and the mineral nutrition contents were determined with conventional assay methods. RESULT: The influences of four kinds of fertilizers on the bionomics and nutrient absorption of M. officinalis successively were: biotic organic fertilizer A > biotic organic fertilizer C > biotic organic fertilizer B > farm manure. CONCLUSION: Different kinds of organic fertilizers could facilitate the growth and the mineral nutrient absorption of M. officinalis. Increasing the fertilizer amount of germ manure could promote the absorption of mineral nutrients and the accumulation of dry matters in plants.

[Effect of various nutrient solutions on quality of Gastrodia elata].

This paper dealed with the effect of media fertilization on the quality of Gastrodia eleta according to the results of tissue culture. The results showed that contents of nutrient elements, gastrodin and free amino acids in G. elata were affected by various nutrients solutions. The result of comprehensive analysis showed that the 1/2 MS medium was the fittest treatment of fertilization.

[Effects of fertilization on yield of Asparagus cochinchinensis (Lour.) Merr].

The experiment revealed that the use of various kinds of fertilizers has apparent effect on the yield of Asparagus cochinchinensis during its growth period. Nitrogen fertilizer and compound fertilizer are suitable for the seeding period, while compound fertilizer, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers are suitable for the period of root forming. The quantity of fertilizer to be used depends on the growing and soil conditions.