Chemical attributes of soil and growth of castor beans fertilized with drilling gravel from oil wells and castor pie.

The extraction of oil from onshore wells and the production of biodiesel from castor bean crops have grown in recent years, resulting in the production of large volumes of drill cuttings from these wells and castor pie, which can be harmful to the environment. The objective of this work was to evaluate the influence of a combination of different doses of drill cuttings and castor pie on the chemical attributes of a Planosol and on the dry mass production of the aerial part (DMAP) and dry mass of roots (DMR) of castor bean crops (Ricinus communis L.), cultivar BRS-149 Nordestina. The experimental design was a randomized block with a factorial 6 × 6, consisting of five castor pie doses (2, 4, 8, 16, and 32 Mg ha-1); five drill cuttings doses (5, 15, 30, 45, and 60 Mg ha-1) and an experimental control using only soil samples, with three repetitions. The soil used as the main substrate was collected at 0.0-0.2 m depth in a Planosol. The mixture of the topsoil layer with the experimental doses was performed using a mixer for 5 min, and the samples were distributed in 8 dm3 pots; each pot corresponded to an experimental unit. The mixture of cuttings from drill wells and castor pie with a 30: 16 Mg ha-1 ratio, provided favorable chemical conditions for castor bean crop development; however, drill cuttings doses >30 Mg ha-1 can cause soil salinization, and negatively affect the development of castor bean crops.

Dark Septate Endophytic Fungi Increase Green Manure-15N Recovery Efficiency, N Contents, and Micronutrients in Rice Grains.

An understanding of the interaction between rice and dark septate endophytic (DSE) fungi, under green fertilization, may lead to sustainable agricultural practices. Nevertheless, this interaction is still poorly understood. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to evaluate the accumulation of macro- and micronutrients, dry matter, and protein and N recovery efficiency from Canavalia ensiformis (L.)-15N in rice inoculated with DSE fungi. An experiment under greenhouse conditions was conducted in a randomized complete block design comprising split-plots, with five replicates of rice plants potted in non-sterilized soil. Rice (Piauí variety) seedlings were inoculated with DSE fungi, A101 and A103, or left uninoculated (control) and transplanted into pots containing 12 kg of soil, which had previously been supplemented with dry, finely ground shoot biomass of C. ensiformis enriched with 2.15 atom % 15N. Two collections were performed in the experiment: one at 54 days after transplanting (DAT) and one at 130 DAT (at maturation). Growth indicators (at 54 DAT), grain yield, nutrient content, recovery efficiency, and the amount of N derived from C. ensiformis were quantified. At 54 DAT, the N content, chlorophyll content, and plant height of inoculated plants had increased significantly compared with the control, and these plants were more proficient in the use of N derived from C. ensiformis. At maturation, plants inoculated with A103 were distinguished by the recovery efficiency and amount of N derived from C. ensiformis and N content in the grain and shoot being equal to that in A101 inoculation and higher than that in the control, resulting in a higher accumulation of crude protein and dry matter in the full grain and panicle of DSE-rice interaction. In addition, Fe and Ni contents in the grains of rice inoculated with these fungi doubled with respect to the control, and in A103 inoculation, we observed Mn accumulation that was three times higher than in the other treatments. Our results suggest that the inoculation of rice with DSE fungi represents a strategy to improve green manure-N recovery, grain yield per plant, and grain quality in terms of micronutrients contents in cropping systems with a low N input.

Dark Septate Endophytic Fungi Help Tomato to Acquire Nutrients from Ground Plant Material.

Dark septate endophytic (DSE) fungi are facultative biotrophs that associate with hundreds of plant species, contributing to their growth. These fungi may therefore aid in the search for sustainable agricultural practices. However, several ecological functions of DSE fungi need further clarification. The present study investigated the effects of DSE fungi inoculation on nutrient recovery efficiency, nutrient accumulation, and growth of tomato plants fertilized with organic and inorganic N sources. Two experiments were carried out under greenhouse conditions in a randomized blocks design, with five replicates of tomato seedlings grown in pots filled with non-sterile sandy soil. Tomato seedlings (cv. Santa Clara I-5300) inoculated with DSE fungi (isolates A101, A104, and A105) and without DSE fungi (control) were transplanted to pots filled with 12 kg of soil which had previously received finely ground plant material [Canavalia ensiformis (L.)] that was shoot enriched with 0.7 atom % 15N (organic N source experiment) or ammonium sulfate-15N enriched with 1 atom % 15N (mineral N source experiment). Growth indicators, nutrient content, amount of nitrogen (N) in the plant derived from ammonium sulfate-15N or C. ensiformis-15N, and recovery efficiency of 15N, P, and K by plants were quantified 50 days after transplanting. The treatment inoculated with DSE fungi and supplied with an organic N source showed significantly higher recovery efficiency of 15N, P, and K. In addition, the 15N, N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, and Zn content, plant height, leaf number, leaf area (only for the A104 inoculation), and shoot dry matter increased. In contrast, the only positive effects observed in the presence of an inorganic N source were fertilizer-K recovery efficiency, content of K, and leaf area when inoculated with the fungus A104. Inoculation with A101, A104, and A105 promoted the growth of tomato using organic N source (finely ground C. ensiformis-15N plant material).

Carbono e frações granulométricas da matéria orgânica do solo sob sistemas de produção orgânica / Carbon and granulometry fractions of soil organic matter under organic production system

Os resultados do fracionamento granulométrico da matéria orgânica do solo (MOS) podem contribuir para o entendimento da sua dinâmica em áreas com sistemas de manejo orgânico. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar as frações granulométricas da MOS e o carbono orgânico total em áreas submetidas a manejo orgânico sob diferentes sistemas de uso do solo. As áreas selecionadas apresentavam os seguintes sistemas: preparo convencional (PC, milho/feijão), plantio direto (PD, beringela/milho), consórcio maracujá - Desmodium sp, uma área cultivada com figo e um sistema agroflorestal (SAF). As amostras de solo foram coletadas em duas profundidades (0-5 e 5-10cm) e duas épocas (verão - 17 de novembro de 2005 e inverno - 23 de junho de 2006-). Foi medido o carbono orgânico total (COT), calculado seu estoque e realizado o fracionamento granulométrico da MOS, obtendo-se o carbono orgânico particulado (COp) e o carbono orgânico associado aos minerais (COam). As áreas com figo e beringela/milho apresentaram os maiores teores de COT e estoques de COT na estação do verão. No inverno, os sistemas com rotação de culturas (PD e PC) foram mais eficientes no estoque de COT que os demais sistemas avaliados. Maiores variações foram observadas nos teores de COT na profundidade de 5-10cm, decorrentes dos sistemas de manejo adotados. Pelos valores de COp foi possível identificar diferenças entre todos os sistemas de uso avaliados na estação do verão e na profundidade de 0-5cm, destacando-se a área em plantio direto com os maiores valores, nas duas estações. O COp mostrou-se mais eficiente que o COT no verão para evidenciar diferenças entre os sistemas avaliados na profundidade de 0-5cm. As diferenças observadas entre os sistemas de manejo para o COam foram atribuídas ao uso constante da adubação orgânica.

The soil organic matter (SOM) granulometry fractioning can contribute to the understanding of the SOM dynamics in areas under organic production systems. The objective of this study was to evaluate the granulometry fractions of SOM and total organic carbon in areas with organic management systems and under different soil usages. The selected areas presented the following systems: conventional tillage (CT, corn/beans), no tillage (NT, eggplant/corn), passion fruit and Desmodium sp consortium, fig grove, and agroforest system (AFS). Soil samples were taken in two depths (0-5 and 5-10cm) and two periods of the year (17/11/2005 - summer and 23/06/2006 - winter). The total organic carbon (TOC) was evaluated, and calculated the TOC stocks. The SOM was granulometrically fractioned, obtaining the particulate organic carbon (POC) and organic carbon associated to minerals (OCam). The fig grove and eggplant/corn areas presented the highest TOC and TOC stocks in the summer season. In the winter the crop rotation (NT and CT) systems were more efficient in the stocking of TOC that the other systems. There were observed highest TOC variations in the 5-10cm depth, resulting from the management systems adopted. From the POC values it was possible to identify differences among all systems evaluated, in the summer season and in the 0-5cm depth, standing out the area with no tillage, which showed the highest values, in the two seasons. The POC was more efficient than the TOC, in the summer, to evidence differences among the evaluated soil usage systems, in the 0-5cm depth. The differences observed among the production systems for OCam were attributed to the constant usage of organic manure.