ORCID Profile
0000-0002-8832-360X
Current Organisation
NSW Department of Primary Industries
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Research Topics
In Research Link Australia (RLA), "Research Topics" refer to ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes. These topics are either sourced from ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes listed in researchers' related grants or generated by a large language model (LLM) based on their publications.
Top 5 Research Topics
ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)
Soil Sciences | Environmental Science and Management | Land Capability And Soil Degradation | Environmental Management And Rehabilitation | Geochemistry | Immunological And Bioassay Methods | Crop and Pasture Production | Environmental Technologies | Environmental Impact Assessment | Animal Protection (Pests And Pathogens) | Aquaculture | Isotope Geochemistry | Nanomaterials | Mineral Processing/Beneficiation | Soil Chemistry (excl. Carbon Sequestration Science) | Crop and Pasture Nutrition | Marine And Estuarine Ecology (Incl. Marine Ichthyology) | Environmental Sciences Not Elsewhere Classified | Fertilisers And Agrochemicals (Application Etc.) |
ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)
Environmental health | Ornamentals, Australian natives and nursery plants | Rehabilitation of degraded mining lands | Chemical Fertilisers | Management of Solid Waste from Animal Production | Rehabilitation of degraded farmland | Environmental and resource evaluation not elsewhere classified | Living resources (flora and fauna) | Farmland, Arable Cropland and Permanent Cropland Soils | Land and water management | Management of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Plant Production | Aquaculture | Fodder crops | Mining and Extraction of Stone and Clay | Diagnostics | Global climate change adaptation measures
Related Links
Publications
Behaviour of estrogenic endocrine-disrupting chemicals in permeable carbonate sands
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 26-03-2015
DOI: 10.1007/S11356-015-4238-8
Abstract: The remediation of four estrogenic endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs), estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), ethinylestradiol (EE2) and estriol (E3), was measured in saturated and unsaturated carbonate sand-filled columns dosed with wastewater from a sewage treatment plant. The estrogen equivalency (EEQ) of inlet wastewater was 1.2 ng L(-1) and was remediated to an EEQ of 0.5 ng L(-1) through the unsaturated carbonate sand-filled columns. The high surface area of carbonate sand and associated high microbial activity may have assisted the degradation of these estrogens. The fully saturated sand columns showed an increase in total estrogenic potency with an EEQ of 2.4 ng L(-1), which was double that of the inlet wastewater. There was a significant difference (P < 0.05) in total estrogenic potency between aerobic and anaerobic columns. The breakdown of conjugated estrogens to estrogenic EDCs formed under long residence time and reducing conditions may have been responsible for the increase in the fully saturated columns. This may also be explained by the desorption of previously sorbed estrogenic EDCs. The effect of additional filter materials, such as basalt sediment and coconut fibre, on estrogenic EDC reduction was also tested. None of these amendments provided improvements in estrogen remediation relative to the unamended unsaturated carbonate sand columns. Aerobic carbonate sand filters have good potential to be used as on-site wastewater treatment systems for the reduction of estrogenic EDCs. However, the use of fully saturated sand filters, which are used to promote denitrification, and the loss of nitrogen as N2 were shown to cause an increase in EEQ. The potential for the accumulation of estrogenic EDCs under anaerobic conditions needs to be considered when designing on-site sand filtration systems required to reduce nitrogen. Furthermore, the accumulation of estrogens under anaerobic conditions such as under soil absorption systems or leachate fields has the potential to contaminate groundwater especially when the water table levels fluctuate.
Soil and foliar nutrient and nitrogen isotope composition (δ15N) at 5 years after poultry litter and green waste biochar amendment in a macadamia orchard
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 10-2014
DOI: 10.1007/S11356-014-3649-2
Abstract: This study aimed to evaluate the improvement in soil fertility and plant nutrient use in a macadamia orchard following biochar application. The main objectives of this study were to assess the effects of poultry litter and green waste biochar applications on nitrogen (N) cycling using N isotope composition (δ(15)N) and nutrient availability in a soil-plant system at a macadamia orchard, 5 years following application. Biochar was applied at 10 t ha(-1) dry weight but concentrated within a 3-m diameter zone when trees were planted in 2007. Soil and leaf s les were collected in 2012, and both soil and foliar N isotope composition (δ(15)N) and nutrient concentrations were assessed. Both soil and foliar δ(15)N increased significantly in the poultry litter biochar plots compared to the green waste biochar and control plots. A significant relationship was observed between soil and plant δ(15)N. There was no influence of either biochars on foliar total N concentrations or soil NH4 (+)-N and NO3 (-)-N, which suggested that biochar application did not pose any restriction for plant N uptake. Plant bioavailable phosphorus (P) was significantly higher in the poultry litter biochar treatment compared to the green waste biochar treatment and control. We hypothesised that the bioavailability of N and P content of poultry litter biochar may play an important role in increasing soil and plant δ(15)N and P concentrations. Biochar application affected soil-plant N cycling and there is potential to use soil and plant δ(15)N to investigate N cycling in a soil-biochar-tree crop system. The poultry litter biochar significantly increased soil fertility compared to the green waste biochar at 5 years following biochar application which makes the poultry litter a better feedstock to produce biochar compared to green waste for the tree crops.
Holocene carbon accumulation in lakes of the current east Asian monsoonal margin: Implications under a changing climate
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2020
Correction to: Biochars regulate bacterial community and their putative functions in the charosphere: a mesh‑bag field study
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 17-11-2022
Biochar-based fertilizer: Supercharging root membrane potential and biomass yield of rice
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2020
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2019.136431
Abstract: Biochar-based compound fertilizers (BCF) and amendments have proven to enhance crop yields and modify soil properties (pH, nutrients, organic matter, structure etc.) and are now in commercial production in China. While there is a good understanding of the changes in soil properties following biochar addition, the interactions within the rhizosphere remain largely unstudied, with benefits to yield observed beyond the changes in soil properties alone. We investigated the rhizosphere interactions following the addition of an activated wheat straw BCF at an application rates of 0.25% (g·g
Phytolith-rich straw application and groundwater table management over 36 years affect the soil-plant silicon cycle of a paddy field
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 06-08-2020
Trapping effect of mangrove and saltmarsh habitats on geochemical elements: a case study in Ximen Island, Zhejiang, China
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 27-03-2023
Wheat straw biochar application increases ammonia volatilization from an urban compacted soil giving a short-term reduction in fertilizer nitrogen use efficiency
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 14-11-2018
Short-term biochar manipulation of microbial nitrogen transformation in wheat rhizosphere of a metal contaminated Inceptisol from North China plain
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2018.06.009
Abstract: While metal immobilization had been increasingly reported with biochar soil amendment (BSA), changes in microbial activity and nitrogen (N) transformation in metal contaminated croplands following biochar addition had been insufficiently addressed. In a field experiment, a Pb/Cd contaminated Inceptisol from North China was amended to topsoil with wheat straw biochar at 0 (CK), 20 (C1) and 40 t ha
A re-evaluation of the agronomic effectiveness of the nitrification inhibitors DCD and DMPP and the urease inhibitor NBPT
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2018
Is sustainability certification for biochar the answer to environmental risks?
Publisher: FapUNIFESP (SciELO)
Date: 05-2012
DOI: 10.1590/S0100-204X2012000500002
Abstract: Biochar has the potential to make a major contribution to the mitigation of climate change, and enhancement of plant production. However, in order for biochar to fulfill this promise, the industry and regulating bodies must take steps to manage potential environmental threats and address negative perceptions. The potential threats to the sustainability of biochar systems, at each stage of the biochar life cycle, were reviewed. We propose that a sustainability framework for biochar could be adapted from existing frameworks developed for bioenergy. Sustainable land use policies, combined with effective regulation of biochar production facilities and incentives for efficient utilization of energy, and improved knowledge of biochar impacts on ecosystem health and productivity could provide a strong framework for the development of a robust sustainable biochar industry. Sustainability certification could be introduced to provide confidence to consumers that sustainable practices have been employed along the production chain, particularly where biochar is traded internationally.
Regional considerations for targeted use of biochar in agriculture and rehabilitation in Australia
Publisher: American Society of Agronomy and Soil Science Society of America
Date: 29-10-2015
The accumulation of rhizodeposits in organo-mineral fractions promoted biochar-induced negative priming of native soil organic carbon in Ferralsol
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2018
The molar H:Corg ratio of biochar is a key factor in mitigating N2O emissions from soil
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2015
Low pH of a High Carbon Gleysol Contributes to Nitrification Inhibition Resulting in Low N2O Soil Emissions and Limited Effectiveness of Nitrification Inhibitors
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 21-12-2020
DOI: 10.3390/SOILSYSTEMS4040075
Abstract: Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a potent greenhouse gas, and drained tropical/subtropical wetland soils that are high in carbon (C) make a substantial contribution to global anthropogenic N2O emissions. However, we previously reported negligible N2O emissions from an acidic, C-rich Gleysol under aerobic rice (Oryza sativa L.) production in the subtropics despite le moisture and fertiliser nitrogen (N). In a field experiment, seasonal cumulative N2O emissions in the field following the application of 90 kg ha−1 N as urea were low (0.15 kg N2O-N ha−1·season−1). An incubation study examining the effects of temperature (20 °C, 25 °C and 30 °C) and water-filled pore space (WFPS 40% vs. 60%) on N transformations showed that incubation temperature had a larger influence on nitrification than WFPS (40% vs. 60%). There was limited nitrification at 20 °C at either WFPS over 30 days, but low concentrations of NO3− ( mg kg−1) began to accumulate between 16–23 days at 30 °C and between 23–30 days at 25 °C. Liming soil resulted in nitrification after 10 days, while only minor nitrification was evident in the unlimed soil. The presence of the nitrification inhibitor 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP) with urea delayed nitrification for up to 4 days in the limed soil, suggesting such inhibitors may not provide substantial benefits in high C soils. Our results suggest that a low soil pH contributes to impaired nitrification in the C-rich Gleysol examined, which is associated with low fluxes of N2O in the field. We suggest that soil pH could potentially be manipulated to sustain low rates of nitrification and lower N losses, without compromising crop growth.
Long-term bare fallow soil fractions reveal thermo-chemical properties controlling soil organic carbon dynamics
Publisher: Copernicus GmbH
Date: 09-11-2020
Current and future potential soil organic carbon stocks of vegetated coastal ecosystems and their controls in the Bohai Rim Region, China
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2023
Soil Microbial Community Structure Shifts Induced by Biochar and Biochar‐Based Fertilizer Amendment to Karst Calcareous Soil
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-2019
Designing advanced biochar products for maximizing greenhouse gas mitigation potential
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 09-2016
Soil properties and anthropogenic influences control the distribution of soil organic carbon in grasslands of northern China
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 04-09-2023
DOI: 10.1002/LDR.4895
Biochar's role in mitigating soil nitrous oxide emissions: A review and meta-analysis
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2014
The phosphorus limitation in the post-fire forest soils increases soil CO2 emission via declining cellular carbon use efficiency and increasing extracellular phosphatase
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2023
Influence of growth stage and seed nitrogen on B values and potential contributions to error in estimating biological N2 fixation using the 15N natural abundance method
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 17-02-2018
Effect of aerated compost tea on grapevine powdery mildew, botrytis bunch rot and microbial abundance on leaves
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 13-10-2013
Catechol‐O‐methyltransferase and Its Inhibitors in Parkinson's Disease
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-2007
Direct Determination of Glyphosate and its Metabolite AMPA in Soil Using Mixed-Mode Solid-Phase Purification and LC-MS/MS Determination on a Hypercarb Column
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 05-2019
Abstract: Background: Although glyphosate is widely used in agriculture, information on its residue level in soils remains scarce partly because of the difficulty in its analysis. Objective: Develop and validate a method to directly analyze glyphosate and its metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) in soil. Method: Soils were extracted with 0.6 M KOH solution, and coextracted interferences were removed using a mixed-mode Bond Elut Plexa PAX®. The extracts were analyzed by LC-tandem MS fitted with a Hypercarb column and isotope-labeled (13C,15N) glyphosate and AMPA were used as internal standards. Results: LOQs were 0.05 mg/kg for both glyphosate and AMPA in soils. Correlation coefficients were ≥0.99, residuals were below 20%, and calibrations were linear in the range 0.02–1.0 μg/mL. The method was validated on five contrasting soils (Vertosol, Calcarosol, Chromosol, Sodosol, and Tenosol) commonly used for grain production in Australia. The recoveries for glyphosate and AMPA in the soils were 96–121 and 91–118%, respectively, with RSD in the range of 3–16%. Conclusions: This paper presents using the validated method in analysis glyphosate and AMPA in soils collected from crop production paddocks in Australia. The survey data showed that glyphosate and AMPA were detected in all collected soils, with concentrations ranging between 0.05 and 1.2 mg/kg. Highlights: The study demonstrates that the mixed-mode solid-phase extraction is effective in removing interferences and validates the use of Hypercarb as an alternative stationary phase for glyphosate and AMPA analysis from soils.
Influence of ameliorating soil acidity with dolomite on the priming of soil C content and CO2 emission
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 21-02-2017
DOI: 10.1007/S11356-017-8602-8
Abstract: Lime or dolomite is commonly implemented to ameliorate soil acidity. However, the impact of dolomite on CO
Biochar and compost soil amendments affect soil carbon and greenhouse gas emissions
Publisher: International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS)
Date: 11-2017
Comparative analysis of the microbial communities in agricultural soil amended with enhanced biochars or traditional fertilisers
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2014
Biochar and soil properties limit the phytoavailability of lead and cadmium by Brassica chinensis L. in contaminated soils
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 21-01-2022
DOI: 10.1007/S42773-021-00126-X
Abstract: The current study investigated the effect of biochars derived from cinnamomum woodchip, garden waste and mulberry woodchip on soil phytoavailable lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd) pools, and their uptake by Chinese cabbage ( Brassica chinensis L.). The biochars were produced at 450 °C of pyrolysis temperature. The contaminated soils were collected from Yunfu (classified as Udept), Jiyuan (Ustalf) and Shaoguan (Udult) cities in China at the depth of 0–20 cm and amended with biochars at the rate of 3% w/w. After mixing the soil with biochar for 14 days, the Chinese cabbage was planted in the amended soils. Then, it was harvested on the 48th day after sowing period. In Udult soil, Chinese cabbage died 18 days after sowing period in control and soils amended with cinnamomum and mulberry biochars. Although only plants grown with the garden waste biochar treatment survived in Udult soil, amendment of garden waste or mulberry biochars at 3% w/w (450 °C) to Udult soil significantly increased (4.95–6.25) soil pH compared to other biochar treatments. In Udept and Ustalf soils, the application of garden waste and mulberry biochars significantly improved plant biomass compared to control, albeit it was dependent on both biochar and soil properties. Garden waste biochar significantly decreased soil Cd phytoavailable concentration by 26% in the Udult soil, while a decrease of soil Cd phytoavailable concentration by 16% and 9% was observed in Ustalf and Udept soils, respectively. The available phosphorus in biochar and soil pH were important factors controlling toxic metal phytouptake by the plant. Thus, the amendment of soil with biochar at 3% can effectively reduce the mobility of Cd and Pb in soil and plant uptake. However, biochar and soil properties should be well-known before being used for soil toxic metal immobilization.
Influence of arsenic co-contamination on DDT breakdown and microbial activity
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2003
DOI: 10.1016/S0269-7491(02)00463-3
Abstract: The impacts of arsenic co-contamination on the natural breakdown of 1,1,l1-trichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethane (DDT) in soil are investigated in a study of 12 former cattle dip sites located in northeastern NSW, Australia. This study examines the relationship between the intrinsic breakdown of DDT to 1,1 -dichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethane (DDD) and 1,l-dichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethylene (DDE), and the impacts of arsenic co-contamination on this breakdown. Between-site analysis demonstrated that arsenic at 2000 mg/kg gave a 50% reduction in the concentration of DDD compared to background arsenic of 5 mg/kg.Within-site analysis also showed the ratio of DDT:DDD increased in soils as arsenic concentrations increased. This within-site trend was also apparent with the DDT:DDE ratio, suggesting inhibition of DDT breakdown by arsenic co-contamination. Microbial activity was inhibited as residues of total DDTs and arsenic increased. Hence arsenic co-contamination and high concentrations of DDT in soil may result in an increased persistence of DDT in the environment studied.
Nitrification (DMPP) and urease (NBPT) inhibitors had no effect on pasture yield, nitrous oxide emissions, or nitrate leaching under irrigation in a hot-dry climate
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2016
DOI: 10.1071/SR15330
Abstract: Modern dairy farming in Australia relies on substantial inputs of fertiliser nitrogen (N) to underpin economic production. However, N lost from dairy systems represents an opportunity cost and can pose several environmental risks. N-cycle inhibitors can be co-applied with N fertilisers to slow the conversion of urea to ammonium to reduce losses via volatilisation, and slow the conversion of ammonium to nitrate to minimise leaching of nitrate and gaseous losses via nitrification and denitrification. In a field c aign in a high input ryegrass–kikuyu pasture system we compared the soil N pools, losses and pasture production between (a) urea coated with the nitrification inhibitor 3,4-dimethyl pyrazole phosphate (b) urea coated with the urease inhibitor N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide and (c) standard urea. There was no treatment effect (P .05) on soil mineral N, pasture yield, nitrous oxide flux or leaching of nitrate compared to standard urea. We hypothesise that at our site, because gaseous losses were highly episodic (rainfall was erratic and displayed no seasonal rainfall nor soil wetting pattern) that there was a lack of coincidence of N application and conditions conducive to gaseous losses, thus the effectiveness of the inhibitor products was minimal and did not result in an increase in pasture yield. There remains a paucity of knowledge on N-cycle inhibitors in relation to their effective use in field system to increase N use efficiency. Further research is required to define under what field conditions inhibitor products are effective in order to be able to provide accurate advice to managers of N in production systems.
Biochar in Soil for Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Date: 2011
Effect of clay and iron sulphate on volatile and water-extractable organic compounds in bamboo biochars
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2018
The long-term role of organic amendments in addressing soil constraints to production
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 07-2018
Phosphorus speciation and bioavailability in diverse biochars
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 30-07-2019
Balanced nutrient stoichiometry of organic amendments enhances carbon priming in a poorly structured sodic subsoil
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2020
Impact of climate and lithology on soil phytolith-occluded carbon accumulation in eastern China
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 20-08-2016
Influence of copper fungicide residues on occurrence of earthworms in avocado orchard soils
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2004
Pyrolysing poultry litter reduces N2 O and CO2 fluxes
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2013
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2013.02.054
Abstract: Application of poultry litter (PL) to soil can lead to substantial nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions due to the co-application of labile carbon (C) and nitrogen (N). Slow pyrolysis of PL to produce biochar may mitigate N2O emissions from this source, whilst still providing agronomic benefits. In a corn crop on ferrosol with similarly matched available N inputs of ca. 116 kg N/ha, PL-biochar plus urea emitted significantly less N2O (1.5 kg N2O-N/ha) compared to raw PL at 4.9 kg N2O-N/ha. Urea amendment without the PL-biochar emitted 1.2 kg N2O-N/ha, and the PL-biochar alone emitted only 0.35 kg N2O-N/ha. Both PL and PL-biochar resulted in similar corn yields and total N uptake which was significantly greater than for urea alone. Using stable isotope methodology, the majority (~80%) of N2O emissions were shown to be from non-urea sources. Amendment with raw PL significantly increased C mineralisation and the quantity of permanganate oxidisable organic C. The low molar H/C (0.49) and O/C (0.16) ratios of the PL-biochar suggest its higher stability in soil than raw PL. The PL-biochar also had higher P and K fertiliser value than raw PL. This study suggests that PL-biochar is a valuable soil amendment with the potential to significantly reduce emissions of soil greenhouse gases compared to the raw product. Contrary to other studies, PL-biochar incorporated to 100mm did not reduce N2O emissions from surface applied urea, which suggests that further field evaluation of biochar impacts, and methods of application of both biochar and fertiliser, are needed.
Marked changes in herbicide sorption-desorption upon ageing of biochars in soil
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2012
DOI: 10.1016/J.JHAZMAT.2012.06.040
Abstract: We studied the sorption-desorption behaviour of two herbicides (diuron and artrazine) in a soil rich in Fe and Al oxides (Ferrosol), either amended freshly with two different types of biochars or that contained biochars aged under field conditions. Standard batch sorption-desorption experiments were conducted on soil s les freshly amended with two biochars, (namely, poultry litter - PL and paper mill - PM sludge) as well on those collected from field 32 months after biochar application. Soils that were freshly amended with biochars @ 10 t ha(-1) showed a two (PM) to five (PL) fold increase in sorption of herbicides as compared with that in the unamended soil. For ex le, the fresh amendments with PL biochar at 10 t ha(-1) led to a highly significant (P<0.001) increase in the Freundlich sorption coefficient (K(f)) of atrazine i.e. 20.71 (n=0.40) as compared with 4.02 (n=0.70) for the control soil. Sorption was reversible in the unamended soil but sorption-desorption hysteresis was prominent in the soil amended with fresh biochars. In contrast, the soil containing aged biochars (at 10 t ha(-1)) exhibited sorption-desorption properties that were statistically similar to that of the control soil, especially for atrazine. Ageing of biochars in the soil over a 32 months period reduced the sorption capacity by 47% (PM) to 68% (PL) for diuron. These findings may have implications for herbicide efficacy in biochar amended soils.
Wetting-drying cycles during a rice-wheat crop rotation rapidly (im)mobilize recalcitrant soil phosphorus
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 10-07-2020
Determination of DDT and its metabolites in cattle dip soil available in aqueous phase after remediation.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 31-08-2001
Effects of 4-nonylphenol and 17α-ethynylestradiol exposure in the Sydney rock oyster, Saccostrea glomerata: Vitellogenin induction and gonadal development
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2008
DOI: 10.1016/J.AQUATOX.2008.03.003
Abstract: Adult Saccostrea glomerata were exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of 4-nonylphenol (1microg/L and 100microg/L) and 17alpha-ethynylestradiol (5ng/L and 50ng/L) in seawater over 8 weeks. Exposures were performed to assess effects on vitellogenin induction and gonadal development during reproductive conditioning. Chronic direct estrogenicity within gonadal tissue was assessed via an estrogen receptor-mediated, chemical-activated luciferase reporter gene-expression assay (ER-CALUX). Estradiol equivalents (EEQ) were greatest in the 100microg/L 4-nonylphenol exposure (28.7+/-2.3ng/g tissue EEQ) while 17alpha-ethynylestradiol at concentrations of 50ng/L were 2.2+/-1.5ng/g tissue EEQ. Results suggest 4-nonylphenol may be accumulated in tissue and is partly resistant to biotransformation maintaining its potential for chronic estrogenic action, while 17alpha-ethynylestradiol, although exhibiting greater estrogenic potency on biological endpoints possibly exerts its estrogenic action before being rapidly metabolised and/or excreted. A novel methodology was developed to assess vitellogenin using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Exposure to both 17alpha-ethynylestradiol (50ng/L) and 4-nonylphenol (100microg/L) produced increases in vitellogenin for females, whereas males exhibited increases in vitellogenin when exposed to 50ng/L 17alpha-ethynylestradiol only. Females exhibited greater vitellogenin responses than males at 50ng/L 17alpha-ethynylestradiol only. Histological examination of gonads revealed a number of in iduals exhibiting intersex (ovotestis) in 50ng/L 17alpha-ethynylestradiol exposures. Male in iduals in 1microg/L and 100microg/L 4-nonylphenol exposures and 5ng/L 17alpha-ethynylestradiol were at earlier stages of spermatogenic development than corresponding controls.
Ameliorating alkaline dispersive subsoils with organic amendments: Are productivity responses due to nutrition or improved soil structure?
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 11-07-2022
DOI: 10.1007/S11104-022-05569-0
Abstract: Alkaline dispersive subsoils are characterised by multiple physicochemical constraints that limit plant water and nutrient acquisition. Subsoil amelioration through organic amendments (OAs) requires significant financial investment. Whereas large yield responses can result following amelioration, sometimes small or even negative yield responses can occur, resulting in a significant net financial loss for the farmer. For farmers to feel confident in investing in subsoil amelioration better prediction of the likely yield improvement is required and to achieve this an understanding of the underlying mechanisms such as nutritional and non-nutritional drivers, and the longevity of benefits are required. Our study aimed to ascertain the drivers of yield improvements from subsoil amelioration with OAs. In a controlled environment, wheat ( Triticum aestivum L. cv. Scepter) plants were grown until maturity in a Solonetz amended with (i) poultry litter (PL 20 t ha −1 ), and (ii) NPKS nutrients and (iii) model organic carbon (MOC) with equivalent amounts of nutrients and total carbon contained in the PL, and (iv) NPKS + MOC. Control (no amendments) and gypsum (5 t ha −1 ) were included as district practices. Before planting, amendments were applied as a vertical band at 20 – 40 cm depth and pre-incubated. Plant biomass, grain yield, root biomass, and physicochemical properties of the soil associated with the amendment band were quantified at harvest. Compared to the control, wheat grain yield was increased by 30% for PL, 43% for NPKS + MOC, and 61% for NPKS, but no differences in yield were detected for MOC or gypsum. The lower yield increase by PL than NPKS with or without MOC was likely due to the readily available form of plant nutrients in the inorganic fertilisers vs slower mineralisation of nutrients from the OAs. Improvement in soil physicochemical properties following amelioration of alkaline dispersive subsoil resulted in better root proliferation and subsoil water use. Grain yield showed a positive correlation with root biomass in the subsoil layers. In the short-term (one crop cycle), organic amendments improved soil’s non-nutritional physical and chemical properties but had no additional nutritional effect on wheat grain yield compared to inorganic fertiliser application. Longer-term studies are needed to determine the legacy effect of the nutritional contribution in conjunction with the improvement of soil structure from the OAs in alkaline dispersive subsoils.
Edaphic variables influence soil bacterial structure under successive fertilization of Paulownia plantation substituting native vegetation
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 13-06-2021
Phytotoxicity of soilborne glyphosate residues is influenced by the method of phosphorus fertiliser application
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 11-11-2018
Integration and potential nitrogen contributions of green manure inter-row legumes in coppiced tree cropping systems
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2019
Utilization of Biochar in Sugarcane and Sugar-Industry Management
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 28-07-2012
Slow Release Brown Coal-Urea Fertilizer Potentially Influences Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Nitrogen Use Efficiency, and Sweet Corn Yield in Oxisol
Publisher: American Chemical Society (ACS)
Date: 09-2021
A Critical Review of Methods for Analyzing Freshwater Eutrophication
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 18-01-2021
DOI: 10.3390/W13020225
Abstract: Water eutrophication is a global environmental problem that poses serious threats to aquatic ecosystems and human health. The evaluation of eutrophication provides a theoretical basis and technical guidance for the management and rehabilitation of water ecosystems. In the last four decades, dozens of evaluation methods have been applied to freshwater eutrophication, but there is a clear need to optimize and standardize the most suitable methods. We have addressed this gap by presenting a systematic review of methodologies. Due to the ersity and complexity of water bodies, no single evaluation method was identified that would adequately represent eutrophication under all scenarios. We demonstrate that lakes can best be assessed using the trophic level index (TLI) method, reservoirs and wetlands the trophic state index (TSI) and fuzzy comprehensive evaluation (FCE) method, respectively, and rivers the FCE method or back propagation (BP) neural network methods. More recently applied methodologies including spectral imaging and 3-D mapping of water quality using underwater gliders allow greater resolution and can be effective in managing waterbodies to avoid future eutrophication. The aim of this review is to guide future studies on the most appropriate methods available for assessing and reporting water eutrophication.
Bioavailable DDT residues in sediments: Laboratory assessment of ageing effects using semi-permeable membrane devices
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2008
DOI: 10.1016/J.ENVPOL.2007.07.017
Abstract: We describe the reduction in bioavailability of DDT in contaminated soil after it was incubated as sediment for 365 d. Bioavailability was assessed using semi-permeable membranes. Contaminated soils from three cattle dip sites, one spiked paired uncontaminated site, and one spiked OECD standard soil were studied. Sandy soil with residues of 1880 mg/kg summation operator DDT incurred since 1962, initially had 4.6% of summation operator DDT available, reducing to 0.6% following 365 d. Clay soil (1108 mg summation operator DDT/kg) had 4.1% initially available, reducing to 0.3% after 365 d. Freshly spiked soils had a greater amount of DDT initially available (10.9%), but this reduced to 1.5% by the end of the incubation. Of the DDT congeners, both o,p'-DDD and p,p'-DDD were most bioavailable in the soils, but also had the most significant decrease following incubation.
Agronomic values of greenwaste biochar as a soil amendment
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2007
DOI: 10.1071/SR07109
Abstract: A pot trial was carried out to investigate the effect of biochar produced from greenwaste by pyrolysis on the yield of radish (Raphanus sativus var. Long Scarlet) and the soil quality of an Alfisol. Three rates of biochar (10, 50 and 100 t/ha) with and without additional nitrogen application (100 kg N/ha) were investigated. The soil used in the pot trial was a hardsetting Alfisol (Chromosol) (0–0.1 m) with a long history of cropping. In the absence of N fertiliser, application of biochar to the soil did not increase radish yield even at the highest rate of 100 t/ha. However, a significant biochar × nitrogen fertiliser interaction was observed, in that higher yield increases were observed with increasing rates of biochar application in the presence of N fertiliser, highlighting the role of biochar in improving N fertiliser use efficiency of the plant. For ex le, additional increase in DM of radish in the presence of N fertiliser varied from 95% in the nil biochar control to 266% in the 100 t/ha biochar-amended soils. A slight but significant reduction in dry matter production of radish was observed when biochar was applied at 10 t/ha but the cause is unclear and requires further investigation. Significant changes in soil quality including increases in pH, organic carbon, and exchangeable cations as well as reduction in tensile strength were observed at higher rates of biochar application ( t/ha). Particularly interesting are the improvements in soil physical properties of this hardsetting soil in terms of reduction in tensile strength and increases in field capacity.
Storage, patterns and influencing factors for soil organic carbon in coastal wetlands of China
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 20-07-2022
DOI: 10.1111/GCB.16325
Abstract: Soil organic carbon (SOC) in coastal wetlands, also known as “blue C,” is an essential component of the global C cycles. To gain a detailed insight into blue C storage and controlling factors, we studied 142 sites across ca. 5000 km of coastal wetlands, covering temperate, subtropical, and tropical climates in China. The wetlands represented six vegetation types ( Phragmites australis , mixed of P. australis and Suaeda , single Suaeda , Spartina alterniflora , mangrove [ Kandelia obovata and Avicennia marina ], tidal flat) and three vegetation types invaded by S. alterniflora ( P. australis , K. obovata , A. marina ). Our results revealed large spatial heterogeneity in SOC density of the top 1‐m ranging 40–200 Mg C ha −1 , with higher values in mid‐latitude regions (25–30° N) compared with those in both low‐ (20°N) and high‐latitude (38–40°N) regions. Vegetation type influenced SOC density, with P. australis and S. alterniflora having the largest SOC density, followed by mangrove, mixed P. australis and Suaeda , single Suaeda and tidal flat. SOC density increased by 6.25 Mg ha −1 following S. alterniflora invasion into P. australis community but decreased by 28.56 and 8.17 Mg ha −1 following invasion into K. obovata and A. marina communities. Based on field measurements and published literature, we calculated a total inventory of 57 × 10 6 Mg C in the top 1‐m soil across China's coastal wetlands. Edaphic variables controlled SOC content, with soil chemical properties explaining the largest variance in SOC content. Climate did not control SOC content but had a strong interactive effect with edaphic variables. Plant biomass and quality traits were a minor contributor in regulating SOC content, highlighting the importance of quantity and quality of OC inputs and the balance between production and degradation within the coastal wetlands. These findings provide new insights into blue C stabilization mechanisms and sequestration capacity in coastal wetlands.
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and goethite promote carbon sequestration via hyphal-aggregate mineral interactions
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2021
Low seasonal nitrous oxide emissions in tea tree farming systems following nitrogen fertilisation using poultry litter application or green manure legumes
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2020
DOI: 10.1071/SR19207
Abstract: The integration of legumes into coppiced tree crop systems to replace some or all of the external nitrogen (N) fertiliser requirements may be one means to lower seasonal nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. We investigated soil N2O emissions using static chamber methodology in field trials located within two commercial tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) plantations (Casino and Tweed Heads) where N (116 and 132 kg N ha–1 respectively) was supplied via poultry litter application (5 t wet ha–1) or by termination of annual legumes (soybean or mung bean) grown in the inter-row. While there was no treatment effect at the Tweed Heads site, both legume treatments had significantly (P = 0.01) lower cumulative N2O emissions (0.33 and 0.30 kg N2O-N ha–1 season–1 for soybean and mung beans respectively) than the poultry litter treatment (0.66 kg N2O-N ha–1 season–1) at the Casino site. However, the amount of N added to soils in each treatment was not identical owing to an inability to accurately predict N inputs by legume crops, and thus differences could not be attributed to the N source. A third site was thus established at Leeville comparing N2O emissions from poultry litter amendment (5 t wet ha–1 contributing 161 kg N ha–1) to an inter-row faba bean crop (contributing 92 kg N ha–1) and a nil-N control. Cumulative seasonal N2O emissions were significantly (P & 0.05) lower in the faba bean treatment than the poultry litter treatment (0.08 and 0.23 kg N2O-N ha–1 season–1 respectively), but owing to different N inputs and generally low emissions, it was not possible to draw definitive conclusions on whether green manure legume crops can lower N2O emissions. Overall, soil N2O emissions in coppiced tea tree systems under current management practices were very low, offering limited potential to reduce seasonal N2O emissions through management practice change.
An effective biochar-based slow-release fertilizer for reducing nitrogen loss in paddy fields
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 16-07-2019
A critical review of biochar-based nitrogen fertilizers and their effects on crop production and the environment
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 13-06-2022
DOI: 10.1007/S42773-022-00160-3
Abstract: Globally, nitrogen (N) fertilizer demand is expected to reach 112 million tonnes to support food production for about 8 billion people. However, more than half of the N fertilizer is lost to the environment with impacts on air, water and soil quality, and bio ersity. Importantly, N loss to the environment contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. Nevertheless, where N fertilizer application is limited, severe depletion of soil fertility has become a major constraint to sustainable agriculture. To address the issues of low fertilizer N use efficiency (NUE), biochar-based N fertilizers (BBNFs) have been developed to reduce off-site loss and maximize crop N uptake. These products are generally made through physical mixing of biochar and N fertilizer or via coating chemical N fertilizers such as prilled urea with biochar. This review aims to describe the manufacturing processes of BBNFs, and to critically assess the effects of the products on soil properties, crop yield and N loss pathways.
No evidence for higher agronomic N use efficiency or lower nitrous oxide emissions from enhanced efficiency fertilisers in aerobic subtropical rice
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2018
The stoichiometric C-Fe ratio regulates glucose mineralization and stabilization via microbial processes
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2021
Terra Preta Australis: Reassessing the carbon storage capacity of temperate soils
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2011
Improving the statistical preparation for measuring soil N2O flux by closed chamber
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2013
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2013.02.032
Abstract: Nitrous oxide emissions from soil are known to be spatially and temporally volatile. Reliable estimation of emissions over a given time and space depends on measuring with sufficient intensity but deciding on the number of measuring stations and the frequency of observation can be vexing. The question of low frequency manual observations providing comparable results to high frequency automated s ling also arises. Data collected from a replicated field experiment was intensively studied with the intention to give some statistically robust guidance on these issues. The experiment had nitrous oxide soil to air flux monitored within 10 m by 2.5 m plots by automated closed chambers under a 3h average s ling interval and by manual static chambers under a three day average s ling interval over sixty days. Observed trends in flux over time by the static chambers were mostly within the auto chamber bounds of experimental error. Cumulated nitrous oxide emissions as measured by each system were also within error bounds. Under the temporal response pattern in this experiment, no significant loss of information was observed after culling the data to simulate results under various low frequency scenarios. Within the confines of this experiment observations from the manual chambers were not spatially correlated above distances of 1m. Statistical power was therefore found to improve due to increased replicates per treatment or chambers per replicate. Careful after action review of experimental data can deliver savings for future work.
Herbicide residues in Australian grain cropping soils at sowing and their relevance to crop growth
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2022
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2022.155105
Abstract: Herbicides are used extensively in Australian grain cropping systems. Despite occasional observations of herbicide-induced phytotoxicity, there is little information on the persistence and carryover of multiple herbicide classes in cropping soils and the risk to subsequent crops. Two soil surveys were conducted, in 2015 (n = 40) and 2016 (n = 42), across different Australian grain cropping fields prior to sowing of winter crops, and soil s les analysed for herbicide residues (16 analytes in 2015 and 22 analytes in 2016). S les in 2015 were taken at two depths (0-10 cm and 10-30 cm), whilst s les in 2016 were taken in topsoil (0-10 cm) only, but from two discrete locations in each field. Our research in both years found at least one herbicide (or herbicide metabolite) residue at all sites, with a median of 6 analytes detected in 2015 and 7 analytes detected in 2016. The most frequently detected residues were glyphosate and its primary breakdown product aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), in 87 and 100%, respectively, of topsoil (0-10 cm) s les in 2015, and 67 and 93% of s les in 2016. The median concentration of glyphosate in 2015 was 0.12 mg kg
The nitrification inhibitor DMPP applied to subtropical rice has an inconsistent effect on nitrous oxide emissions
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2017
DOI: 10.1071/SR17022
Abstract: Although there is growing evidence that the nitrification inhibitor 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP) can lower soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions in temperate environments, there is little evidence of its efficacy in subtropical or tropical environments where temperatures and rainfall intensities are typically higher. We investigated N2O emissions in field-grown aerobic rice in adjacent fields in the 2013–14 and 2014–15 seasons in a subtropical environment. Crops were topdressed with 80 kg nitrogen (N) ha–1 before rainfall, as either urea, urea + DMPP (at 1.6 kg DMPP t–1 urea: ‘urea-DMPP’) or a blend of 50% urea and 50% urea-DMPP in the 2013–14 season, and urea, urea-DMPP or polymer (3 month)-coated urea (PCU) in the 2014–15 season. DMPP-urea significantly (P 0.05) lowered soil N2O emissions in the 2013–14 season during the peak flux period after N fertiliser application, but had no effect in 2014–15. The mean cumulative N2O emissions over the entire growing period were 190 g N2O-N ha–1 in 2013–14 and 413 g N2O-N ha–1 in 2014–15, with no significant effect of DMPP or PCU. Our results demonstrate that DMPP can lower N2O emissions in subtropical, aerobic rice during peak flux events following N fertiliser application in some seasons, but inherent variability in climate and soil N2O emissions limited the ability to detect significant differences in cumulative N2O flux over the seasonal assessment. A greater understanding of how environmental and soil factors impact the efficacy of DMPP in the subtropics is needed to formulate appropriate guidelines for its use commercially.
SOIL NEMATODES INDICATE SOIL HEALTH IN MACADAMIA ORCHARDS
Publisher: International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS)
Date: 10-2005
A meta-analysis and critical evaluation of influencing factors on soil carbon priming following biochar amendment
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 22-12-2017
Phytoremediation Potential of Pityrogramma Calomelanos Var. Austroamericana and Pteris Vittata L. Grown at a Highly Variable Arsenic Contaminated Site
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 10-2011
DOI: 10.1080/15226514.2011.568023
Abstract: This study examined the phytoextraction potential of two arsenic (As) hyperaccumulators, Pteris vittata L. and Pityrogramma calomelanos var. austroamericana at a historical As-contaminated cattle dip site in northern New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Total As concentration in the surface soil (0-20 cm) showed a better spatial structure than phosphate-extractable As in the surface and sub-surface soil at this site. P. calomelanos var. austroamericana produced greater frond dry biomass (mean = 130 g plant(-1)) than P. vittata (mean = 81 g plant(-1)) after 10 months of growth. Arsenic concentration and uptake in fronds were also significantly higher in P. calomelanos var. austroamericana (means = 887 mg kg(-1) and 124 mg plant(-1)) than in P. vittata (means = 674 mg kg(-1) and 57 mg plant(-1)). Our results showed that under the field conditions and highly variable soil As at the site, P. calomelanos var. austroamericana performed better than P. vittata. We predict that P. calomelanos var. austroamericana would take approximately 100 years to reduce the total As to below 20 mg kg(-1) at the site compared to > or =200 years estimated for P. vittata. However, long-term data are required to confirm these observations under field conditions.
Lowering N2O emissions from soils using eucalypt biochar: the importance of redox reactions
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 30-11-2015
DOI: 10.1038/SREP16773
Abstract: Agricultural soils are the primary anthropogenic source of atmospheric nitrous oxide (N 2 O), contributing to global warming and depletion of stratospheric ozone. Biochar addition has shown potential to lower soil N 2 O emission, with the mechanisms remaining unclear. We incubated eucalypt biochar (550 °C) – 0, 1 and 5% (w/w) in Ferralsol at 3 water regimes (12, 39 and 54% WFPS) – in a soil column, following gamma irradiation. After N 2 O was injected at the base of the soil column, in the 0% biochar control 100% of expected injected N 2 O was released into headspace, declining to 67% in the 5% amendment. In a 100% biochar column at 6% WFPS, only 16% of the expected N 2 O was observed. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy identified changes in surface functional groups suggesting interactions between N 2 O and the biochar surfaces. We have shown increases in -O-C = N yridine pyrrole/NH 3 , suggesting reactions between N 2 O and the carbon (C) matrix upon exposure to N 2 O. With increasing rates of biochar application, higher pH adjusted redox potentials were observed at the lower water contents. Evidence suggests that biochar has taken part in redox reactions reducing N 2 O to dinitrogen (N 2 ), in addition to adsorption of N 2 O.
Biochar: A coproduct to bioenergy from slow-pyrolysis technology
Publisher: Springer New York
Date: 07-06-2013
Biochar improves diary pasture yields by alleviating P and K constraints with no influence on soil respiration or N2O emissions
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 03-2019
Real-time forecasting of pesticide concentrations in soil
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2019
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2019.01.401
Abstract: Forecasting pesticide residues in soils in real time is essential for agronomic purposes, to manage phytotoxic effects, and in catchments to manage surface and ground water quality. This has not been possible in the past due to both modelling and measurement constraints. Here, the analytical transient probability distribution (pdf) of pesticide concentrations is derived. The pdf results from the random ways in which rain events occur after pesticide application. First-order degradation kinetics and linear equilibrium sorption are assumed. The analytical pdfs allow understanding of the relative contributions that climate (mean storm depth and mean rainfall event frequency) and chemical (sorption and degradation) properties have on the variability of soil concentrations into the future. We demonstrated the two uncertain reaction parameters can be constrained using Bayesian methods. An approach to a Bayesian informed forecast is then presented. With the use of new rapid tests capable of providing quantitative measurements of soil concentrations in the field, real-time forecasting of future pesticide concentrations now looks possible for the first time. Such an approach offers new means to manage crops, soils and water quality, and may be extended to other classes of pesticides for ecological risk assessment purposes.
Plant growth responses to soil-applied hydrothermally-carbonised waste amendments: a meta-analysis
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 30-10-2021
Soil parent material controls organic matter stocks and retention patterns in subtropical China
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 14-03-2020
Enhancing cell survival of atrazine degrading Rhodococcus erythropolis NI86/21 cells encapsulated in alginate beads
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 2007
DOI: 10.1111/J.1365-2672.2006.03047.X
Abstract: To develop a method to produce beads with encapsulated Rhodococcus erythropolis NI86/21 with high cell density, extended shelf life, ease of handling and good atrazine degradation capabilities in both liquid and in agricultural soil. Our findings show that the supplementary recovery step in nutrient broth media shortly after cell encapsulation facilitates cell survival in both wet and dry beads upon extended storage at 4 degrees C. Air drying has little or no impact on encapsulated R. erythropolis cell's ability to degrade atrazine in liquid or soil. Bead storage for periods extending up to 12 months at 4 degrees C did not affect the capacity of R. erythropolis encapsulated cells to degrade atrazine in either BMN or nonsterile soil extracts. Bentonite-amended beads formulated with 1% skim milk and exposed to the supplementary growth step, outperformed all other bead formats. These beads provided adequate numbers of vigorous R. erythropolis cells in either liquid or soil media to degrade atrazine. Supplementary growth in nutrient broth media immediately following cell encapsulation greatly enhances R. erythropolis cells survival in both wet and dry beads upon extended storage at 4 degrees C. Wet and dried beads have similar capacity for atrazine degradation, and their usefulness and appeal in agronomic practise will only be known after bioassay evaluation and successful demonstration at field scale using incurred residues. R. erythropolis NI86/21 encapsulated cells have the potential to reduce residual atrazine in soil, thereby minimizing the likelihood of off-site transport to ground or river water and reduce the loss of crops because of phytotoxicity of residual herbicide. Owing to their ease of handling, storage and possible compatibilities with pre-existing mechanical equipment, dried bead formats are ideally suited for agricultural and remediational applications.
Biochar increases nitrogen retention and lowers greenhouse gas emissions when added to composting poultry litter
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.WASMAN.2016.11.027
Abstract: Biochar has intrinsic and nascent structural and sorption properties that may alter the physical and chemical properties of a composting mixture thus influencing the production of greenhouse gases [GHGs nitrous oxide (N
Contribution of Asian dust to soils in Southeast China estimated with Nd and Pb isotopic compositions
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 17-09-2020
The characteristics of rhizosphere microbes associated with plants in arsenic-contaminated soils from cattle dip sites
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2007
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2007.02.036
Abstract: Soil microorganisms and plants were studied in s les of arsenic-contaminated soil from two cattle dip sites. The aim was to delineate the parameters that will determine the feasibility of future remediation by growing arsenic-accumulating plants, including the identity and characteristics of some rhizosphere soil microbes. The soil s les contained high total, but low soluble arsenic concentrations which, together with other properties, resembled the previously reported characteristics of dip-site soils from this region of rural Australia. A glasshouse trial demonstrated that dip-site rhizosphere microbes promoted arsenic accumulation by the grass Agrostis tenuis on contaminated dip-site soil without inhibition of growth. The arsenic content of the shoots was increased by 45%. We studied the colonization of roots of dip-site plants by mycorrhizal fungi and tentatively identified six genera of other fungi present in the soil s les. Two plant species growing at the sites, Kikuyu grass (the most abundant plant) and Rainbow fern, exhibited mixed infections of their roots by endomycorrhizal fungi (tentatively identified as Acaulospora and Gigaspora) and by soil-born pathogens. Five rhizosphere bacteria were identified to genus level and we determined the effect of arsenic on their growth. The two most prevalent strains differed greatly in their growth sensitivity to arsenate Arthrobacter sp. being the most sensitive while Ochrobactrum sp. exhibited exceptional resistance to arsenate. Of the other, less prevalent strains, two were Bacillus spp. and the last, Serratia sp., was the most resistant to arsenite. These findings show the importance of understanding plant-soil microbe interactions for developing future strategies aimed at a phytoremediation-based approach to removing arsenic from soil at dip sites.
Release of native and mass labelled PCDD/PCDF from soil heated to simulate bushfires
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2012
DOI: 10.1016/J.ENVPOL.2012.02.014
Abstract: Soil is an important reservoir of PCDD/PCDF, which can be released when environmental conditions change. Fire is an extreme event that can increase the surface temperatures of soil substantially, yet little is known of the role soil plays in the emission of PCDD/PCDF. Soil containing native PCDD/PCDF was fortified with a mixture of mass labelled PCDD/PCDF and heated between 150 °C and 400 °C. Both native and mass labelled PCDD/PCDF were released from the soil beyond 200 °C. Release of the mass labelled compounds was linearly related to temperature with up to 9 % found in the air stream at 400 °C. The release of some native PCDD/PCDF was much greater. At 400 °C, emission of 1,2,3,7,8-Cl(5)DD was 300% compared to pre-experimental soil. Emission of PCDD/PCDF from soil during bushfires is a relevant process and may originate from both volatilization and formation via de novo or precursor pathways, or dechlorination.
Sample preservation methods impact arbuscular mycorrhizal DNA recovery from sugarcane root tissue
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2022
Chemical and structural analysis of enhanced biochars: Thermally treated mixtures of biochar, chicken litter, clay and minerals
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2013
DOI: 10.1016/J.CHEMOSPHERE.2012.11.063
Abstract: In this study biochar mixtures comprising a Jarrah-based biochar, chicken litter (CL), clay and other minerals were thermally treated, via torrefaction, at moderate temperatures (180 and 220 °C). The objectives of this treatment were to reduce N losses from CL during processing and to determine the effect of both the type of added clay and the torrefaction temperature on the structural and chemical properties of the final product, termed as an enhanced biochar (EB). Detailed characterisation indicated that the EBs contained high concentrations of plant available nutrients. Both the nutrient content and plant availability were affected by torrefaction temperature. The higher temperature (220 °C) promoted the greater decomposition of organic matter in the CL and dissociated labile carbon from the Jarrah-based biochar, which produced a higher concentration of dissolved organic carbon (DOC). This DOC may assist to solubilise mineral P, and may also react with both clay and minerals to block active sites for P adsorption. This subsequently resulted in higher concentrations of plant available P. Nitrogen loss was minimised, with up to 73% of the initial total N contained in the feedstock remaining in the final EB. However, N availability was affected by both torrefaction temperature and the nature of the clay minerals added.
Biochar as a Geoengineering Climate Solution: Hazard Identification and Risk Management
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 02-2012
Minor effects of herbicides on microbial activity in agricultural soils are detected by N-transformation but not enzyme activity assays
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2018
Rusty sink of rhizodeposits and associated keystone microbiomes
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2020
Spatial distribution of plant-available silicon and its controlling factors in paddy fields of China
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2021
Oil mallee biochar improves soil structural properties-A study with x-ray micro-CT
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2014
Abiotic and biotic regulation on carbon mineralization and stabilization in paddy soils along iron oxide gradients
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2021
Soil type regulates carbon and nitrogen stoichiometry and mineralization following biochar or nitrogen addition
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2021
The Mineral Biochar Alters the Biochemical and Microbial Properties of the Soil and the Grain Yield of Hordeum vulgare L. under Drought Stress
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 25-02-2023
DOI: 10.3390/LAND12030559
Abstract: Biochar improves soil physical, biochemical, and microbial properties, leading to the amelioration of soil fertility, which, in turn, results in better growth and yield in crop plants. The current study aimed to evaluate whether using different levels of biochar can enhance soil characteristics and plant attributes. Accordingly, an experimental study was conducted in 2022 using a randomized complete block design with four replications (n = 4) in the experimental glasshouse of the University of Zanjan, in which two regimes of irrigation (D0, full irrigation as the control D1, water scarcity was applied immediately after the flowering stage for two weeks) and four levels of natural mineral biochar (0% as the control treatment, 0.25, 0.5, and 1% of soil weight) were applied. The results indicated that drought substantially decreased the organic carbon content of the soil and the grain yield while increasing the available phosphorous, soil carbohydrate content, and microbial biomass of the soil. Biochar could considerably alter the means of the studied soil quality parameters and the barley grain yield. Adding biochar could be considered a valid strategy to increase the resistance of plants to drought.
Crop-season and residual effects of sequentially applied mineral enhanced biochar and N fertiliser on crop yield, soil chemistry and microbial communities
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2018
Contrasting effects of maize straw and its biochar on aggregation and soil organic matter stabilization
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 11-10-2023
Fate and recovery of nitrogen applied as slow release brown coal-urea in field microcosms: 15N tracer study
Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
Date: 2023
DOI: 10.1039/D2EM00482H
Abstract: The over-use of synthetic nitrogen (N) fertilisers for crop production can cause environmental pollution through leaching and gaseous losses, resulting in low N use efficiency (NUE).
Towards a better understanding of the role of Fe cycling in soil for carbon stabilization and degradation
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 18-06-2022
DOI: 10.1007/S44246-022-00008-2
Abstract: Iron (Fe) minerals play an important role in stabilizing soil organic carbon (SOC). Fe-mediated SOC protection is mainly achieved through adsorption, co-precipitation, or aggregation. However, newly emerging evidence indicates that the electron transfer role of Fe exerts a crucial influence upon SOC turnover. In this review, we address the pathways of Fe mineral-associated soil organic carbon (Fe-SOC) formation and decomposition, and summarize the Fe-mediated biogeochemical, including redox reactions, and physical processes that control SOC cycling. The reduction of Fe can release SOC from Fe-SOC coprecipitates and Fe(III) cemented micro-aggregates, with the process also releasing CO 2 from the metabolic coupling of SOC oxidation and Fe reduction. The abiotic oxidation of Fe(II) by oxidants can also oxidize SOC to produce CO 2 due to reactive oxygen species production. Therefore, the functional roles of Fe on SOC sequestration may be a double-edged sword, and these processes are rarely explored concurrently. We conclude that the roles of Fe minerals in SOC stability depend on the properties of the Fe mineral, edaphic properties, and anthropogenic influence. We highlight knowledge gaps and promising directions of future research in redox-dynamic environments to optimize carbon storage in soil. Graphical Abstract
Phytolith accumulation in broadleaf and conifer forests of northern China: Implications for phytolith carbon sequestration
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2018
Short-term effects of organo-mineral biochar and organic fertilisers on nitrogen cycling, plant photosynthesis, and nitrogen use efficiency
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 27-09-2017
Inducing Inorganic Carbon Accrual in Subsoil through Biochar Application on Calcareous Topsoil
Publisher: American Chemical Society (ACS)
Date: 03-01-2023
Responses of soil nutrients and microbial activity to the mill-mud application in a compaction-affected sugarcane field
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 29-11-2021
DOI: 10.1071/SR21162
Abstract: Context Compaction removal and organic amendment application are commonly used to mitigate the compaction-induced declines in crop yield, soil carbon (C) and soil health. However, the response of microbial activities and nutrient pools to the combination of mill-mud amendments and decompaction in the soil profile are not fully understood. Aims A field trial was conducted at Burdekin, Australia, to investigate the effects of different decompaction managements on soil nutrient cycling, associated biological activities and sugarcane yield. Methods This experiment included four treatments: control (CK, without mill-mud), mill-mud shallow furrow (MS), deep trenching without mill-mud (DT) and deep trenching mill-mud application (MD). Key results The MD treatment increased concentrations of hot water extractable organic C by 30–70% and hot water extractable total nitrogen (N) by 30–90% at the application depth. Soil microbial biomass C and N were also higher in mill-mud applied layers. Mill-mud applied treatments increased plant cane yield by 7% (MS treatment) and 14% (MD treatment) compared to CK. The DT treatment also increased plant cane yield by 11% compared to CK. Conclusion The MD treatment increased the supply of organic C and nutrients to the microbial community within the entire soil profile, enhanced nutrient cycling processes, improved soil environmental conditions and soil health for sugarcane growth and thus increased sugarcane productivity. Implications Further research should focus on microbial community composition shifts to further explore the mechanisms responsible for soil microorganism regulation of nutrient cycling in sugarcane farming systems.
Temperature sensitivity and priming of organic matter with different stabilities in a Vertisol with aged biochar
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2017
Contrasting effects of manure and green waste biochars on the properties of an acidic ferralsol and productivity of a subtropical pasture
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 26-08-2013
Using Biochar-Based Nitrogen Fertilizers to Enhance the Productivity of Low Fertility Soils
Publisher: CRC Press
Date: 07-04-2023
Distinct Mechanisms Govern Sucrose Mineralization and Soil Organic Carbon Priming in Biochar Amended Soils: Evidence from 10-Years Field Studies
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2023
DOI: 10.2139/SSRN.4455901
Plant growth responses to biochar addition: an Australian soils perspective
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 13-05-2014
Corrigendum to “A re-evaluation of the agronomic effectiveness of the nitrification inhibitors DCD and DMPP and the urease inhibitor NBPT” [Agric. Ecosyst. Econ. 252 (2017) 69–73](S0167880917304541)(10.1016/j.agee.2017.10.008)
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2018
Faba bean is less susceptible to fertiliser N impacts on biological N2 fixation than chickpea in monoculture and intercropping systems
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 21-09-2016
Impact of agricultural inputs on soil organisms—a review
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2006
DOI: 10.1071/SR05125
Abstract: External agricultural inputs such as mineral fertilisers, organic amendments, microbial inoculants, and pesticides are applied with the ultimate goal of maximising productivity and economic returns, while side effects on soil organisms are often neglected. We have summarised the current understanding of how agricultural inputs affect the amounts, activity, and ersity of soil organisms. Mineral fertilisers have limited direct effects, but their application can enhance soil biological activity via increases in system productivity, crop residue return, and soil organic matter. Another important indirect effect especially of N fertilisation is soil acidification, with considerable negative effects on soil organisms. Organic amendments such as manure, compost, biosolids, and humic substances provide a direct source of C for soil organisms as well as an indirect C source via increased plant growth and plant residue returns. Non-target effects of microbial inoculants appear to be small and transient. Among the pesticides, few significant effects of herbicides on soil organisms have been documented, whereas negative effects of insecticides and fungicides are more common. Copper fungicides are among the most toxic and most persistent fungicides, and their application warrants strict regulation. Quality control of organic waste products such as municipal composts and biosolids is likewise mandatory to avoid accumulation of elements that are toxic to soil organisms.
Nanoscale organo-mineral reactions of biochars in ferrosol: an investigation using microscopy
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 03-03-2012
Effect of glyphosate and a commercial formulation on soil functionality assessed by substrate induced respiration and enzyme activity
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2018
Atrazine degradation by encapsulated Rhodococcus erythropolis NI86/21
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 10-2005
DOI: 10.1111/J.1365-2672.2005.02679.X
Abstract: To develop an encapsulation procedure for Rhodococcus erythropolis NI86/21 and demonstrate its use as a slow-release inoculant for reducing atrazine levels in aquatic and terrestrial environments. Alginate encapsulation procedures were developed for the atrazine-degrading bacteria R. erythropolis NI86/21. Several bead amendments, including bentonite, powdered activated carbon (PAC) and skimmed milk (SM), were evaluated for slow release of R. erythropolis NI86/21 and efficacy of atrazine degradation. All bead types demonstrated a capacity to degrade atrazine in basal minimal nutrient buffer whilst continually releasing viable bacterial cells. We found that the addition of bentonite hastened cell release whilst SM sustained cell viability in bead formulations. Reducing the percentage of SM to 1% (w/v) resulted in faster rates of atrazine degradation in both liquid and soil, and was found to prolong cell survival upon bead storage. Limited oxygen transfer affects the capacity of the encapsulated R. erythropolis cells to degrade atrazine. Degradation studies have demonstrated the efficacy of R. erythropolis encapsulated cells to degrade atrazine in amended liquid and soil. However, in their current formulation, the wet alginate-based beads are impractical for field application because of their poor cell viability during storage. R. erythropolis NI86/21-encapsulated cells have the potential to reduce atrazine residues in a number of soil and water environments, possibly ensuring the continued registration and use of atrazine in agriculture by minimizing or eliminating nontarget effects.
Disentangling carbon stabilization in a Calcisol subsoil amended with iron oxyhydroxides: A dual-13C isotope approach
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2022
High potential of stable carbon sequestration in phytoliths of China's grasslands
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 31-01-2022
DOI: 10.1111/GCB.16092
Abstract: Phytolith carbon (C) sequestration plays a key role in mitigating global climate change at a centennial to millennial time scale. However, previous estimates of phytolith‐occluded carbon (PhytOC) storage and potential in China's grasslands have large uncertainties mainly due to multiple data sources. This contributes to the uncertainty in predicting long‐term C sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems using Earth System Models. In this study, we carried out an intensive field investigation (79 sites, 237 soil profiles [0–100 cm], and 61 vegetation assessments) to quantify PhytOC storage in China's grasslands and to better explore the biogeographical patterns and influencing factors. Generally, PhytOC production flux and soil PhytOC density in both the Tibetan Plateau and the Inner Mongolian Plateau had a decreasing trend from the Northeast to the Southwest. The aboveground PhytOC production rate in China's grassland was 0.48 × 10 6 t CO 2 a –1 , and the soil PhytOC storage was 383 × 10 6 t CO 2 . About 45% of soil PhytOC was stored in the deep soil layers (50–100 cm), highlighting the importance of deep soil layers for C stock assessments. Importantly, the Tibetan Plateau had the greatest contribution (more than 70%) to the PhytOC storage in China's grasslands. The results of multiple regression analysis indicated that altitude and soil texture significantly influenced the spatial distribution of soil PhytOC, explaining 78.1% of the total variation. Soil phytolith turnover time in China's grasslands was mainly controlled by climatic conditions, with the turnover time on the Tibetan Plateau being significantly longer than that on the Inner Mongolian Plateau. Our results offer more accurate estimates of the potential for phytolith C sequestration from ecological restoration projects in degraded grassland ecosystems. These estimates are essential to parameterizing and validating global C models.
Phytotoxicity induced by soil-applied hydrothermally-carbonised waste amendments: effect of reaction temperature, feedstock and soil nutrition
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 15-09-2023
Release of PCDD/PCDF to air and land during open burning of sugarcane and forest litter over soil fortified with mass labelled PCDD/PCDF
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2012
Impacts of management on soil biota in Vertosols supporting the broadacre grains industry in northern Australia
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2006
DOI: 10.1071/SR05137
Abstract: The grain-producing regions of northern New South Wales and southern and central Queensland are characterised by cropping systems that are strongly dependent on stored soil moisture rather than in-crop rainfall, and tillage systems that are increasingly reliant on zero or minimum tillage. Crops are grown relatively infrequently and crop rotations are dominated by winter and summer grains (wheat [Triticum aestivum L.] and sorghum [Sorghum bicolor L. Moench], respectively), with smaller areas of grain legumes and cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). The grey, black, and brown Vertosols represent the more productive soils in the region under rainfed cropping, and are the focus of work reported in this study. Soil s les were collected from surface soils (0–0.30 m) across the region, utilising sites of long term tillage and residue management studies, fertiliser trials, and commercial fields to enable an assessment of the impact of various management practices on soil biological properties. A number of biological and biochemical parameters were measured (microbial biomass C, total organic C and labile C fractions, total C and N, microbial activity using FDA, cellulase activity, free living nematodes, total DNA and fatty acid profiles), and the response of wheat, sorghum, and chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) to steam pasteurisation was assessed in glasshouse bioassays. The objective was to obtain an indication of the biological status of grain-growing soils and assess the impact of biological constraints in soils from different regions and management systems. Results showed that biological activity in cropped soils was consistently low relative to other land uses in northern Australia, with management practices like stubble retention and adoption of zero tillage producing relatively small benefits. In the case of zero tillage, many of these benefits were confined to the top 0.05 m of the soil profile. Fallowing to recharge soil moisture reserves significantly reduced all soil biological parameters, while pasture leys produced consistent positive benefits. Breaking a long fallow with a short duration grain or brown manure crop significantly moderated the negative effects of a long bare fallow on soil biology. Use of inorganic N and P fertilisers produced minimal effects on soil biota, with the exception of one component of the free-living nematode community (the Dorylaimida). The glasshouse bioassays provided consistent evidence that soil biota were constraining growth of both grain crops (sorghum and wheat) but not the grain legume (chickpea). The biota associated with this constraint have not yet been identified, but effects were consistent across the region and were not associated with the presence of any known pathogen or correlated with any of the measured soil biological or biochemical properties. Further work to confirm the existence and significance of these constraints under field conditions is needed. None of the measured biological or biochemical parameters consistently changed in response to management practices, while conflicting conclusions could sometimes be drawn from different measurements on the same soil s le. This highlights the need for further work on diagnostic tools to quantify soil biological communities, and suggests there is no clear link between measured changes in soil biological communities and economically or ecologically important soil attributes.
Designing Specific Biochars to Address Soil Constraints
Publisher: CRC Press
Date: 21-02-2013
DOI: 10.1201/B14585-7
Effect of biochar amendment on the soil-atmosphere exchange of greenhouse gases from an intensive subtropical pasture in northern New South Wales, Australia
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 08-03-2011
Meet the challenges in the “Carbon Age”
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 18-06-2022
An incubation study investigating the mechanisms that impact N2 O flux from soil following biochar application
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2014
Carbon-nitrogen isotope coupling of soil organic matter in a karst region under land use change, Southwest China
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2020
Microbial carbon functional responses to compaction and moisture stresses in two contrasting Australian soils
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2023
Colonisation dynamics of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and dark septate endophytes in the sugarcane crop cycle
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2018
Soilborne glyphosate residue thresholds for wheat seedling metabolite profiles and fungal root endophyte colonisation are lower than for biomass production in a sandy soil
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 19-03-2019
Effects of crabs on greenhouse gas emissions, soil nutrients, and stoichiometry in a subtropical estuarine wetland
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 28-09-2021
Application of woody biochar and woody mulch to mitigate nitrous oxide emissions from a poultry litter-amended soil in the subtropics
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2016
Impact of Herbicides on Soil Biology and Function
Publisher: Elsevier
Date: 2016
Nutrient stoichiometry and labile carbon content of organic amendments control microbial biomass and carbon-use efficiency in a poorly structured sodic-subsoil
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 28-11-2020
EXPRESSION OF THE 2,4-D DEGRADING PLASMID PJP4 OF ALCALIGENES-EUTROPHUS IN RHIZOBIUM-TRIFOLII
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 1994
DMPP-urea restricts nitrification in the first month without improving agronomic N use efficiency
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 07-04-2023
Biochar-based fertilizer decreased while chemical fertilizer increased soil N2O emissions in a subtropical Moso bamboo plantation
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2021
Weed Suppression, Biomass and Nitrogen Accumulation in Mixed-Species and Single-Species Cover Crops in a Tropical Sugarcane Fallow
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 08-07-2021
DOI: 10.3390/AGRICULTURE11070640
Abstract: While mixed-species cover crops are gaining worldwide popularity, their utility in the ‘plough-out’ period in tropical sugar cane systems has not been investigated. Field trials investigating weed suppression (one season only), biomass production and nitrogen accumulation of single-species and mixed-species cover crops were conducted over two seasons on a commercial sugarcane farm in the Australian tropics. Mixed-species cover crops showed strong weed suppression, and were among the top treatments for biomass production each year, but did not yield the highest biomass in either season. Sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea cv. Global sunn) produced the most biomass in the drier-than-average 2016–2017 season ( t dry matter ha−1), while soybean (Glycine max cv. Leichardt) produced the most biomass (5.3 t dry matter ha−1) in the wetter-than-average 2018–2019 season, highlighting the influence of seasonal conditions on species’ biomass production. The inclusion of multiple species in a short-term cover crop in the tropics where extreme weather events can occur can thus be seen as a risk mitigation strategy given the risk of failure of any given species in a given season.
Upper airway inflammation assessed by nasal lavage in compost workers: A relation with bio-aerosol exposure
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 05-2000
DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1097-0274(200005)37:5<459::AID-AJIM2>3.0.CO;2-J
Abstract: Exposure to microbial agents in the composting industry may cause work related airway inflammation. Nasal lavage (NAL) has been proposed as a noninvasive method to assess such effects in population studies. Pre- and post-shift NAL were performed in the workers of a compost plant visited in 1995 (n = 14) and 1996 (n=15), of whom only four participated in both surveys. Total cells, cytokines and other inflammation markers were measured in NAL fluid, and pre-shift levels and post re concentration ratios were compared with NAL results obtained in the same periods in 10 and 9 controls, respectively, and with levels of airborne exposure to microbial agents endotoxin and beta(1,3)-glucan as measured in personal air s les. Job-title specific exposure levels in the first survey ranged from 75 to 527 EU/m(3) for endotoxin and from 0.54 to 4.85 microg/m(3) for beta(1,3)-glucan. In the second survey these values were lower, 29-285 EU/m(3) and 0.36-4.44 microg/m(3), respectively. In the first survey pre-shift NAL concentrations of total cells, MPO, IL-8, NO and albumin were significantly (1.1-4.8 fold) higher in compost workers than in controls. Post re ratios for various markers were significantly (1.2-3.2 fold) higher in compost workers in both surveys. NAL cells were mainly neutrophils, while eosinophils were only incidentally observed. A weak relation with exposure was found for pre-shift levels of MPO, uric acid and urea in the first survey. Occupational exposure of compost workers may cause acute and possibly (sub-)chronic inflammatory reactions in the upper airways, presumably induced by non-allergenic pro-inflammatory agents like endotoxins and beta(1, 3)-glucans.
Impact of glyphosate on soil microbial biomass and respiration: A meta-analysis
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2016
Biochar accelerates soil organic carbon mineralization via rhizodeposit-activated Actinobacteria
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 29-04-2022
Phytoremediation of an arsenic-contaminated site using Pteris vittata L. and Pityrogramma calomelanos var. austroamericana: a long-term study
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 22-04-2012
DOI: 10.1007/S11356-012-0910-4
Abstract: This field study investigated the phytoremediation potential of two arsenic (As) hyperaccumulating fern species, Pityrogramma calomelanos var. austroamericana and Pteris vittata over 27-month duration at a disused As-contaminated cattle-dip site located at Wollongbar, NSW, Australia. Ferns planted in January 2009 were harvested following 10, 22 and 27 months of growth. A detailed soil s ling was undertaken in June 2009 (initial, n = 42 per plot) and limited s ling in April 2011 (after 27 months, n = 15 per plot) to measure total and phosphate-extractable As concentrations in soil at 0 - 20-, 20 - 40- and 40 - 60-cm depths. The choice of the limited number of s les was considered sufficient to estimate the changes in soil As concentration following phytoremediation based on a geostatistical model. The average frond dry biomass, As concentration and As uptake were significantly (P < 0.001 - 0.05) greater in P. calomelanos var. austroamericana than P. vittata, at all three harvests (1.6 - 4.3, 1.3 - 1.5 and 2.2 - 5.7 times, respectively). After 27-months of growth, P. calomelanos var. austroamericana removed 8,053 mg As (i.e. cumulative over three harvests) in plot B (25.4 kg As ha(-1)) that was 2.65 times higher than that depleted by P. vittata (3,042 mg As in plot A (9.7 kg As ha(-1))). The cumulative frond As uptake data of the two fern species revealed that P. calomelanos var. austroamericana extracted 1.7 - 3.9 % and P. vittata removed 0.53 - 1.5 % of total As from soil at three depths. However, for the surface (0 - 20 cm) and subsurface (40 - 60 cm) layers, the (post-experiment) soil As data indicated that total As concentration in soil was reduced by 49 and 63 % (P 0.05), respectively, by P. vittata. Our results show that phytoremediation time based on observed changes in soil As based on limited s ling is not reliable hence, it is recommended that the frond As uptake should be considered in order to evaluate the phytoremediation efficiency of the two fern species at the experimental site. Using As uptake of the two fern species, we estimate that with P. calomelanos var. austroamericana it would take 55 - 125 years to decrease mean total As content below the ecological investigation level (20 mg kg(-1)) in the surface and subsurface soils, whereas with P. vittata 143 - 412 years would be required to achieve this target.
Estrogen mediated effects in the Sydney rock oyster, Saccostrea glomerata, following field exposures to sewage effluent containing estrogenic compounds and activity
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2012
DOI: 10.1016/J.AQUATOX.2012.03.020
Abstract: The Sydney rock oyster, Saccostrea glomerata, has been demonstrated as a useful biomonitor of estrogenic compounds following laboratory exposures, yet its utility in the assessment of estrogenic exposure and effects under field conditions requires investigation. To achieve this aim, S. glomerata were deployed in Newcastle, Australia in the effluent receiving marine waters of Burwood Beach WWTP (Burwood Beach "near", <50 m from outfall and Burwood Beach "far", 100-150 m from outfall) and reference locations (Redhead, Fingal Island 1 and Fingal Island 2) at depths of 4, 8 and 12 m for six weeks. Effluent receiving waters of Burwood Beach WWTP were found to be a suitable impact location, demonstrated via measurement of estrogenic compounds and activity throughout the deployment. Estrogenic compounds were detected (average of combined solids and liquid fractions) at average concentrations of: 1.42 ng/L for estrone, 0.69 ng/L for 17β estradiol, 3.83 ng/L for estriol (E3), 0.56 ng/L for 17α-ethynylestradiol, 64.2 ng/L for bisphenol A, 7.51 ng/L for 4-nonylphenol and 5.93 ng/L for 4-tert-octylphenol. Total estrogenic activity was estimated at 4.48 ng/L EEQ via the Yeast Estrogen Screen (YES(®)) assay (average of combined solid and liquid fractions). Female vitellogenin gene expression was highest at Burwood Beach locations, yet no significant differences were detected among locations for either sex. Vitellogenin protein was significantly higher (p<0.05) in S. glomerata at Burwood Beach Near compared to reference locations for the 4 and 12 m depths. Increased proportions of females were found at Burwood Beach Near, at 4m depth (p<0.05). Both Burwood Beach locations had higher proportions of mature female gonadal development stages compared to reference locations (p<0.05). Oocyte area was highest at both Burwood Beach locations, but no significant differences were detected among locations. Findings provided further evidence that female S. glomerata may be a suitable candidate species for assessment of effects of estrogenic compounds in Australian waters.
Biochar lowers ammonia emission and improves nitrogen retention in poultry litter composting
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.WASMAN.2016.12.009
Abstract: The poultry industry produces abundant quantities of nutrient-rich litter, much of which is composted before use as a soil amendment. However, a large proportion of nitrogen (N) in poultry litter is lost via volatilisation during composting, with negative environmental and economic consequences. This study examined the effect of incorporating biochar during composting of poultry litter on ammonia (NH
Microspectroscopic visualization of how biochar lifts the soil organic carbon ceiling
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 02-09-2022
DOI: 10.1038/S41467-022-32819-7
Abstract: The soil carbon (C) saturation concept suggests an upper limit to the storage of soil organic carbon (SOC). It is set by the mechanisms that protect soil organic matter from mineralization. Biochar has the capacity to protect new C, including rhizodeposits and microbial necromass. However, the decadal-scale mechanisms by which biochar influences the molecular ersity, spatial heterogeneity, and temporal changes in SOC persistence, remain unresolved. Here we show that the soil C storage ceiling of a Ferralsol under subtropical pasture was raised by a second application of Eucalyptus saligna biochar 8.2 years after the first application—the first application raised the soil C storage ceiling by 9.3 Mg new C ha −1 and the second application raised this by another 2.3 Mg new C ha −1 . Linking direct visual evidence from one-, two-, and three-dimensional analyses with SOC quantification, we found high spatial heterogeneity of C functional groups that resulted in the retention of rhizodeposits and microbial necromass in microaggregates (53–250 µm) and the mineral fraction ( µm). Microbial C-use efficiency was concomitantly increased by lowering specific enzyme activities, contributing to the decreased mineralization of native SOC by 18%. We suggest that the SOC ceiling can be lifted using biochar in (sub)tropical grasslands globally.
Feeding Biochar to Cows: An Innovative Solution for Improving Soil Fertility and Farm Productivity
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2015
Unraveling microbiomes and functions associated with strategic tillage, stubble, and fertilizer management
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2008
Understory N Application Overestimates the Effect of Atmospheric N Deposition on Soil N2o Emissions
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2023
DOI: 10.2139/SSRN.4379482
Optimisation of analytical method for estrogen in surface water and primary risk assessment in South Creek
Publisher: Inderscience Publishers
Date: 2007
The coupling between iron and carbon and iron reducing bacteria control carbon sequestration in paddy soils
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2023
Biochar increases soil organic carbon, avocado yields and economic return over 4 years of cultivation
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2020
The effects of short term, long term and reapplication of biochar on soil bacteria
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2018.04.278
Abstract: Biochar has been shown to affect soil microbial ersity and abundance. Soil microbes play a key role in soil nutrient cycling, but there is still a dearth of knowledge on the responses of soil microbes to biochar amendments, particularly for longer-term or repeated applications. We s led soil from a field trial to determine the in idual and combined effects of newly applied (1 year ago), re-applied (1 year ago into aged biochar) and aged (9 years ago) biochar amendments on soil bacterial communities, with the aim of identifying the potential underlying mechanisms or consequences of these effects. Soil bacterial ersity and community composition were analysed by sequencing of 16S rRNA using a Miseq platform. This investigation showed that biochar in soil after 1 year significantly increased bacterial ersity and the relative abundance of nitrifiers and bacteria consuming pyrogenic carbon (C). We also found that the reapplication of biochar had no significant effects on soil bacterial communities. Mantel correlation between bacterial ersity and soil chemical properties for four treatments showed that the changes in soil microbial community composition were well explained by soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC), extractable organic C and total extractable nitrogen (N). These results suggested that the effects of biochar amendment on soil bacterial communities were highly time-dependent. Our study highlighted the acclimation of soil bacteria on receiving repeated biochar amendment, leading to similar bacterial ersity and community structure among 9-years old applied biochar, repeated biochar treatments and control.
Priming of soil organic carbon induced by sugarcane residues and its biochar control the source of nitrogen for plant uptake: A dual 13C and 15N isotope three-source-partitioning study
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2020
Impact of wheat-vetch temporary intercropping on soil functions and grain yield in a dryland semi-arid environment
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 07-02-2023
Biochar carbon dynamics in physically separated fractions and microbial use efficiency in contrasting soils under temperate pastures
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2018
Plant-biochar interactions drive the negative priming of soil organic carbon in an annual ryegrass field system
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2015
The interactive effects of dolomite application and straw incorporation on soil N2O emissions
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 06-02-2018
DOI: 10.1111/EJSS.12541
Wood biochar increases nitrogen retention in field settings mainly through abiotic processes
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2015
Vertical distributions of organic carbon fractions under paddy and forest soils derived from black shales: Implications for potential of long-term carbon storage
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2021
Spartina alterniflora invasion controls organic carbon stocks in coastal marsh and mangrove soils across tropics and subtropics
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 28-01-2021
DOI: 10.1111/GCB.15516
Probing the nature of soil organic matter
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 26-09-2021
The potential impact of long-term copper fungicide usage on soil microbial biomass and microbial activity in an avocado orchard
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2002
DOI: 10.1071/SR01084
Abstract: The impact of copper-based fungicides on soil microbial function in an avocado orchard was assessed. Copper (Cu) residues (280 and 340 mg/kg, respectively) in surface soils (0-2 cm) of an established avocado orchard were shown to be significantly (n = 6, P & le 0.05) greater than a nearby reference site under natural vegetation (13 mg/kg). The bioavailable fraction of Cu in these soils was also shown to be significantly greater (2.15 and 1.29 mg/kg, c. pCu2+ 8.64) than in the reference site (0.71 mg/kg, c. pCu2+ 9.2), as measured by ion-selective electrode in CaCl2 extraction. Similar trends were observed for the 2-10 cm soil profile. Data suggest that the Cu residues are responsible for significant reductions in biomass carbon (Cmic) even though the orchard soils had similar or elevated levels of total organic carbon (Corg). The Cmic : Corg ratio was significantly lower in all of the Cu contaminated soils, and a significant correlation was observed between CaCl2-extractable Cu in the surface soils and Cmic (n = 16, r2 = 0.68, P b 0.01). Soil respiration in surface soils from the orchard were elevated (6.04 and 5.57 mg CO2-C/kg.day) compared with the reference soil (3.04 mg CO2-C/kg.day), and the metabolic quotient (qCO2) was also significantly greater.
Biochar built soil carbon over a decade by stabilizing rhizodeposits
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 24-04-2017
DOI: 10.1038/NCLIMATE3276
Using poultry litter biochars as soil amendments
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2008
DOI: 10.1071/SR08036
Abstract: Despite the recent interest in biochars as soil amendments for improving soil quality and increasing soil carbon sequestration, there is inadequate knowledge on the soil amendment properties of these materials produced from different feed stocks and under different pyrolysis conditions. This is particularly true for biochars produced from animal origins. Two biochars produced from poultry litter under different conditions were tested in a pot trial by assessing the yield of radish (Raphanus sativus var. Long Scarlet) as well as the soil quality of a hardsetting Chromosol (Alfisol). Four rates of biochar (0, 10, 25, and 50 t/ha), with and without nitrogen application (100 kg N/ha) were investigated. Both biochars, without N fertiliser, produced similar increases in dry matter yield of radish, which were detectable at the lowest application rate, 10 t/ha. The yield increase (%), compared with the unamended control rose from 42% at 10 t/ha to 96% at 50 t/ha of biochar application. The yield increases can be attributed largely to the ability of these biochars to increase N availability. Significant additional yield increases, in excess of that due to N fertiliser alone, were observed when N fertiliser was applied together with the biochars, highlighting the other beneficial effects of these biochars. In this regard, the non activated poultry litter biochar produced at lower temperature (450°C) was more effective than the activated biochar produced at higher temperature (550°C), probably due to higher available P content. Biochar addition to the hardsetting soil resulted in significant but different changes in soil chemical and physical properties, including increases in C, N, pH, and available P, but reduction in soil strength. These different effects of the 2 different biochars can be related to their different characteristics. Significantly different changes in soil biology in terms of microbial biomass and earthworm preference properties were also observed between the 2 biochars, but the underlying mechanisms require further research. Our research highlights the importance of feedstock and process conditions during pyrolysis on the properties and, hence, soil amendment values of biochars.
A communal catalogue reveals Earth’s multiscale microbial diversity
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 11-2017
DOI: 10.1038/NATURE24621
Abstract: Our growing awareness of the microbial world’s importance and ersity contrasts starkly with our limited understanding of its fundamental structure. Despite recent advances in DNA sequencing, a lack of standardized protocols and common analytical frameworks impedes comparisons among studies, hindering the development of global inferences about microbial life on Earth. Here we present a meta-analysis of microbial community s les collected by hundreds of researchers for the Earth Microbiome Project. Coordinated protocols and new analytical methods, particularly the use of exact sequences instead of clustered operational taxonomic units, enable bacterial and archaeal ribosomal RNA gene sequences to be followed across multiple studies and allow us to explore patterns of ersity at an unprecedented scale. The result is both a reference database giving global context to DNA sequence data and a framework for incorporating data from future studies, fostering increasingly complete characterization of Earth’s microbial ersity.
The contribution of Asian dust in the pedogenesis of ultisols in Southeastern China determined by soil grain size
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 24-05-2018
Rapid Degradation of Atrazine by Rhodococcus sp. NI86/21 and by an Atrazine-Perfused Soil
Publisher: American Chemical Society (ACS)
Date: 05-1995
DOI: 10.1021/JF00053A046
Priming, stabilization and temperature sensitivity of native SOC is controlled by microbial responses and physicochemical properties of biochar
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2021
Silicon fractionations at the margin of a coastal wetland and its response to sea level rise
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2023
Sorption of Pb(II) onto biochar is enhanced through co-sorption of dissolved organic matter
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2022
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2022.153686
Abstract: Biochar plays an important role in controlling migration of pollutants in soils. However, little information is available on the interactions between soil-derived dissolved organic matter (DOM), biochar and soluble metal species. The aim of this work was to present the adsorption process of soil DOM by biochar (corn straw biochar produced at 700 °C) and to determine whether co-sorption of DOM would change the affinity for Pb(II). The adsorption rates of biochar and biochar + DOM for Pb(II) were best fitted with a pseudo-second order kinetic model, and the equilibrium adsorption isotherm data agreed well with both the Langmuir and Freundlich models. Adsorption of DOM to biochar reached equilibrium after 15 h with an uptake of 52% of the supplied DOM. We used fluorescence excitation-emission matrices (EEMs) with parallel factor (PARAFAC) analysis to demonstrate that protein-like, fulvic acid-like and humic acid-like substances were the primary constituents of the DOM, which were quenched over time in the presence of biochar. Synchronous fluorescence spectra indicated that the protein-like structures were the predominant fluorescence substances in DOM. Two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (2D-COS) showed the binding of DOM to biochar resulted in the quenching of fluorescence in the order: protein-like substances > humic-like substances (280 > 355 nm). Data supports the notion that DOM can increase the adsorption capacity of biochar for metal-ions.
Sugarcane bagasse biochars impact respiration and greenhouse gas emissions from a latosol
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 19-01-2016
Patterns and determinants of plant‐derived lignin phenols in coastal wetlands: Implications for organic C accumulation
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 17-02-2023
Abstract: As a major plant‐derived soil organic carbon (SOC) component, lignin phenols are unique biomarkers that reflect biogeochemical characteristics under different vegetation compositions and climatic zones in coastal wetlands. However, the latitudinal patterns of plant‐derived lignin phenols to SOC and their link with the stability and controlling mechanisms remain poorly understood. A total of 156 soil s les from 39 sites along a 5000 km coastal transect, were taken to explore the effects of biological and environmental controls on the patterns of lignin phenols. Lignin phenols had contents ranging from 1.91 to 83.3 mg g −1 OC, and a positive correlation was detected in grass‐dominated salt marsh, but a weakly negative correlation in mangrove. Positive correlations between SOC or lignin content and C/V or S/V (the cinnamyl‐ or syringyl‐to‐vanillyl) ratios were found, while overall negative correlations between SOC or lignin content and (Ad/Al) V or (Ad/Al) S (the acid‐to‐aldehyde of vanillyl or syringyl units) ratios were detected, respectively, which confirmed the validity of these lignin biomarker degradation parameters. Our findings revealed that plant C inputs and monomer ratios directly influenced the capacity of lignin phenols in soils. Lignin content and stabilization was mainly controlled by soil properties (i.e. pH, EC sand/clay). Mean annual temperature (MAT) influenced the patterns of lignin phenols both directly by increasing decomposition and indirectly by changing the vegetation and soil biogeochemistry (i.e. microbial substrate availability). Coastal wetlands are characterized by high primary productivity and C burial rate, yet plant‐derived lignin phenols are not as much as we thought compared to microbial residues C. Precise identification and quantification of the origin, decomposition, and determinants of lignin phenols help us understand their contribution to C sequestration and its response to climate and environmental changes. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
Additive effects of organic and inorganic amendments can significantly improve structural stability of a sodic dispersive subsoil
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2021
An investigation into the reactions of biochar in soil
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2010
DOI: 10.1071/SR10009
Abstract: Interactions between biochar, soil, microbes, and plant roots may occur within a short period of time after application to the soil. The extent, rates, and implications of these interactions, however, are far from understood. This review describes the properties of biochars and suggests possible reactions that may occur after the addition of biochars to soil. These include dissolution–precipitation, adsorption–desorption, acid–base, and redox reactions. Attention is given to reactions occurring within pores, and to interactions with roots, microorganisms, and soil fauna. Examination of biochars (from chicken litter, greenwaste, and paper mill sludges) weathered for 1 and 2 years in an Australian Ferrosol provides evidence for some of the mechanisms described in this review and offers an insight to reactions at a molecular scale. These interactions are biochar- and site-specific. Therefore, suitable experimental trials—combining biochar types and different pedoclimatic conditions—are needed to determine the extent to which these reactions influence the potential of biochar as a soil amendment and tool for carbon sequestration.
Assessing plant-available glyphosate in contrasting soils by diffusive gradient in thin-films technique (DGT)
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2019
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2018.07.221
Abstract: Glyphosate represents one quarter of global herbicide sales, with growing interest in both its fate in soils and potential to cause non-target phytotoxicity to plants. However, assessing glyphosate bioavailability to plants from soil residues remains challenging. Here we demonstrate that the diffusive gradient in thin-films technique (DGT) can effectively measure available glyphosate across boundary conditions typical of the soil environment: pH 4-9, P concentrations of 20-300 μg P L
Soil organic matter formation is controlled by the chemistry and bioavailability of organic carbon inputs across different land uses
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2021
The electrochemical properties of biochars and how they affect soil redox properties and processes
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 21-07-2015
Subsoil application of compost improved sugarcane yield through enhanced supply and cycling of soil labile organic carbon and nitrogen in an acidic soil at tropical Australia
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2018
Removal of phosphorus in residues of legume or cereal plants determines growth of subsequently planted wheat in a high phosphorus fixing soil
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 13-08-2016
Effects of biochar from slow pyrolysis of papermill waste on agronomic performance and soil fertility
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 19-06-2010
Understory N application overestimates the effect of atmospheric N deposition on soil N2O emissions
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2023
Influence of biochars on flux of N2 O and CO2 from Ferrosol
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2010
DOI: 10.1071/SR10004
Abstract: Biochars produced by slow pyrolysis of greenwaste (GW), poultry litter (PL), papermill waste (PS), and biosolids (BS) were shown to reduce N2O emissions from an acidic Ferrosol. Similar reductions were observed for the untreated GW feedstock. Soil was amended with biochar or feedstock giving application rates of 1 and 5%. Following an initial incubation, nitrogen (N) was added at 165 kg/ha as urea. Microcosms were again incubated before being brought to 100% water-filled porosity and held at this water content for a further 47 days. The flooding phase accounted for the majority ( %) of total N2O emissions. The control soil released 3165 mg N2O-N/m2, or 15.1% of the available N as N2O. Amendment with 1 and 5% GW feedstock significantly reduced emissions to 1470 and 636 mg N2O-N/m2, respectively. This was equivalent to 8.6 and 3.8% of applied N. The GW biochar produced at 350°C was least effective in reducing emissions, resulting in 1625 and 1705 mg N2O-N/m2 for 1 and 5% amendments. Amendment with BS biochar at 5% had the greatest impact, reducing emissions to 518 mg N2O-N/m2, or 2.2% of the applied N over the incubation period. Metabolic activity as measured by CO2 production could not explain the differences in N2O emissions between controls and amendments, nor could NH4+ or NO3– concentrations in biochar-amended soils. A decrease in NH4+ and NO3– following GW feedstock application is likely to have been responsible for reducing N2O emissions from this amendment. Reduction in N2O emissions from the biochar-amended soils was attributed to increased adsorption of NO3–. Small reductions are possible due to improved aeration and porosity leading to lower levels of denitrification and N2O emissions. Alternatively, increased pH was observed, which can drive denitrification through to dinitrogen during soil flooding.
A glasshouse study on the interaction of low mineral ash biochar with nitrogen in a sandy soil
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2010
DOI: 10.1071/SR10003
Abstract: The effect of a low mineral ash biochar on biomass production and nitrogen (N) uptake into plants was tested with wheat and radish in a Yellow Earth used for commercial vegetable production. The biochar had an acid neutralising capacity .5% CaCO3, a total C content of 75%, and a molar H/C ratio of 0.45, indicating stability due to its aromaticity. A pot trial was established under climate-controlled conditions. Five rates of N fertiliser (0, 17, 44, 88, 177 kg N/ha) were applied as urea in combination with 5 biochar rates (0, 1.1, 2.2, 4.4, 11% w/w). Analysis of biomass production revealed a significant biochar × N fertiliser interaction. In particular, increasing biochar concentrations improved biomass production in both crop species at lower N application rates. The highest biochar application rate resulted in significantly greater accumulation of NO3 –-N in the soil and lower NH4 +-N averaged across the 5 N application rates. The biochar also decreased available P, and significantly increased microbial activity measured using the fluorescein diacetate method. Increasing N fertiliser application resulted in greater accumulation of NO3 –-N with no changes to NH4 +-N averaged across the 5 biochar application rates. Nitrogen fertiliser application did not influence microbial activity or biomass C. The trial suggests that in some cropping systems, biochar application will enable reduced N fertiliser input while maintaining productivity.
Wood base biochar alters inorganic N
Publisher: International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS)
Date: 02-2016
Shifts in the bacterial community along with root-associated compartments of maize as affected by goethite
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 05-05-2020
Nanoscale analyses of the surface structure and composition of biochars extracted from field trials or after co-composting using advanced analytical electron microscopy
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2017
Multifunctional applications of biochar beyond carbon storage
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 07-05-2022
A review of carbon isotopes of phytoliths: implications for phytolith-occluded carbon sources
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 13-01-2020
Delayed permanent water rice production systems do not improve the recovery of 15N-urea compared to continuously flooded systems
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2016
Using Biochar and Foliar Application of Methyl Jasmonate Mitigates Destructive Effects of Drought Stress Against Some Biochemical Characteristics and Yield of Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 26-04-2023
Is current biochar research addressing global soil constraints for sustainable agriculture?
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2016
Combined effects of biochar and fertilizer applications on yield: A review and meta-analysis
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2022
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2021.152073
Abstract: The use of biochar is changing, and the combined application of biochar with fertilizer is increasingly gaining acceptance. However, the yield gains results reported in the existing literature through the co-application of fertilizer with biochar are conflicting. To resolve this, we utilized a meta-analysis of 627 paired data points extracted from 57 published articles to assess the performance of the co-application of biochar and fertilizers on crop yield compared with the corresponding controls. We also studied the impact of biochar characteristics, experimental conditions, and soil properties on crop yield. Our analysis showed that in idually, biochar and inorganic fertilizer increased crop yield by 25.3% ± 3.2 (Bootstrap CI 95%) and 21.9% ± 4.4, respectively. The co-application of biochar with both inorganic and organic fertilizers increased crop yield by 179.6% ± 18.7, however, this data needs to be treated with caution due to the limited dataset. The highest yield increase was observed with amendments to very acidic soils (pH ≤5), but the benefits of biochar were not affected by the rate and the time after the application. In addition, the effects of biochar are enhanced when it is produced at 401-500 °C with a C:N ratio of 31-100. Our results suggest that the co-application of biochar with either inorganic and/or organic fertilizers in acidic soils increase crop productivity compared to amendment with either fertilizer or biochar. Our meta-analysis supports the utilization of biochar to enhance the efficiency and profitability of fertilizers.
Enhanced biological N2 fixation and yield of faba bean (Vicia faba L.) in an acid soil following biochar addition: dissection of causal mechanisms
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 12-03-2015
BIOCHAR APPLICATION TO SOIL: AGRONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS AND UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES
Publisher: Elsevier
Date: 2011
Developing More Effective Enhanced Biochar Fertilisers for Improvement of Pepper Yield and Quality
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2015
Formation of soil organic carbon pool is regulated by the structure of dissolved organic matter and microbial carbon pump efficacy: A decadal study comparing different carbon management strategies
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-07-2023
DOI: 10.1111/GCB.16865
Abstract: To achieve long‐term increases in soil organic carbon (SOC) storage, it is essential to understand the effects of carbon management strategies on SOC formation pathways, particularly through changes in microbial necromass carbon (MNC) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Using a 14‐year field study, we demonstrate that both biochar and maize straw lifted the SOC ceiling, but through different pathways. Biochar, while raising SOC and DOC content, decreased substrate degradability by increasing carbon aromaticity. This resulted in suppressed microbial abundance and enzyme activity, which lowered soil respiration, weakened in vivo turnover and ex vivo modification for MNC production (i.e., low microbial carbon pump “efficacy”), and led to lower efficiency in decomposing MNC, ultimately resulting in the net accumulation of SOC and MNC. In contrast, straw incorporation increased the content and decreased the aromaticity of SOC and DOC. The enhanced SOC degradability and soil nutrient content, such as total nitrogen and total phosphorous, stimulated the microbial population and activity, thereby boosting soil respiration and enhancing microbial carbon pump “efficacy” for MNC production. The total C added to biochar and straw plots were estimated as 27.3–54.5 and 41.4 Mg C ha −1 , respectively. Our results demonstrated that biochar was more efficient in lifting the SOC stock via exogenous stable carbon input and MNC stabilization, although the latter showed low “efficacy”. Meanwhile, straw incorporation significantly promoted net MNC accumulation but also stimulated SOC mineralization, resulting in a smaller increase in SOC content (by 50%) compared to biochar (by 53%–102%). The results address the decadal‐scale effects of biochar and straw application on the formation of the stable organic carbon pool in soil, and understanding the causal mechanisms can allow field practices to maximize SOC content.
Changes in microbial biomass and the metabolic quotient with biochar addition to agricultural soils: A Meta-analysis
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2017
Pinto peanut cover crop nitrogen contributions and potential to mitigate nitrous oxide emissions in subtropical coffee plantations
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2019
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2018.11.291
Abstract: Many coffee (Coffea arabica L) production systems are characterised by high use of nitrogen (N) fertilisers, which can result in N leaching and emissions of nitrous oxide (N
Microspectroscopic visualization of how biochar elevates the soil organic carbon ceiling
Publisher: Research Square Platform LLC
Date: 10-09-2021
DOI: 10.21203/RS.3.RS-860309/V1
Abstract: The soil carbon saturation concept suggests an upper limit to store soil organic carbon (SOC), set by the mechanisms that protect soil organic matter from decomposition. Biochar has the capacity to protect new C including rhizodeposits and microbial necromass. However, the decadal scale mechanisms by which biochar influences the molecular ersity, spatial heterogeneity, and temporal changes of SOC persistence remain unresolved. Here we show that the soil C saturation ceiling of a Ferralsol under subtropical pasture could be elevated by 2 Mg (new) C ha-1 by the application of Eucalyptus saligna biochar 8.2 years after the first application. Using one, two-, and three-dimensional analyses, significant increases were observed in the spatial distribution of root-derived 13C in microaggregates (53-250 µm, 11 %) and new C protected in mineral fractions ( µm, 5 %). Microbial C-use efficiency was concomitantly improved by lowering specific enzyme activities, contributing to the decreased mineralization of native SOC by 18 %. We provide evidence that the global SOC ceiling can be elevated using biochar in Ferralsols by 0.01-0.1 Pg new C yr-1.
The accumulation of phytolith-occluded carbon in soils of different grasslands
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 18-03-2017
Diluted pyroligneous vinegar promoted Rhododendron growth by changing functional genes involved in N cycling in the rhizosphere
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2023
A concise review of biochar application to agricultural soils to improve soil conditions and fight pollution
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.JENVMAN.2018.09.006
Abstract: Application of biochar to soil can play a significant role in the alteration of nutrients dynamics, soil contaminants as well as microbial functions. Therefore, strategic biochar application to soil may provide agronomic, environmental and economic benefits. Key environmental outcomes may include reduced availability of toxic metals and organic pollutants, reduced soil N losses and longer-term storage of carbon in soil. The use of biochar can certainly address key soil agronomic constraints to crop production including Al toxicity, low soil pH and may improve nutrient use efficiency. Biochar application has also demerits to soil properties and attention should be paid when using a specific biochar for a specific soil property improvement. This review provides a concise assessment and addresses impacts of biochar on soil properties.
Silicon accumulation controls carbon cycle in wetlands through modifying nutrients stoichiometry and lignin synthesis of Phragmites australis
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2020
Soil acidification and the liming potential of biochar
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2023
DOI: 10.1016/J.ENVPOL.2022.120632
Abstract: Soil acidification in managed ecosystems such as agricultural lands principally result from increased releasing of protons (H+) from the transformation reactions of carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and sulphur (S) containing compounds. The incorporation of liming materials can neutralize the protons released, hence reducing soil acidity and its adverse impacts to soil environment, food security, and human health. Biochar derived from organic residues are becoming a source of carbon input to soil and provide multifunctional values. Biochar can be alkaline in nature with the level of alkalinity dependent upon the feedstock and processing conditions. This review covers the fundamental aspects of soil acidification and of the use of biochar to address constraints related to acidic soil. Biochar are increasingly considered as an effective soil amendment for improving soil acidity owing to its liming potential, thereby enhancing soil fertility and productivity in acid soils. The ameliorant effect on acid soils is mainly because of the dissolution of carbonates, (hydro)-oxides of the ash fraction of biochar and potential use by microorganisms.
Retention capacity of biochar-amended New Zealand dairy farm soil for an estrogenic steroid hormone and its primary metabolite
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2010
DOI: 10.1071/SR10013
Abstract: We examined the retention ability of a New Zealand dairy farm soil amended with 3 types of biochar produced from a variety of feedstocks for a steroid hormone (oestradiol, E2) and its primary transformation product (estrone, E1). Biochars produced from corn cob (CC), pine sawdust (PSD) and green waste (GW) were characterised by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Batch sorption studies were performed on soil amended with each biochar (0.5% and 1% by weight) using a complex solvent extraction scheme, and isotherms were fitted to the Freundlich model. All isotherms were highly non-linear, with N values in the range 0.46–0.83 (E2) and 0.66–0.88 (E1) in soil amended with different percentages of biochars. Overall, addition of all 3 biochars was found to increase the soil sorption affinity for the hormones, with E2 sorption being the highest in the soil amended with 1% PSD biochar. There was no marked difference in hormone sorption ability in the other 2 treatments (soil treated with 1% CC biochar and 1% GW biochar). Overall, the effective distribution coefficient (Kdeff) values for E2 at the lowest equilibrium concentration (Cw 0.5 mg/L) ranged from 35 to 311 L/kg in soil amended with the 3 types of biochar. Addition of 0.5% of PSD biochar resulted in ~560% increase in the Kdeff value for E2, while at 1% addition of PSD biochar, uptake of E2 was nearly 1400% higher than the control. For E1, the percentage increase in Kdeff was comparatively smaller than E2 however, it still ranged from 40 to 280%, and 60 to % at addition of 0.5% and 1% PSD biochar, respectively, compared with the control soil. Highest treatment temperature and associated greater surface area, low ash content, higher carbon content, and the abundance of polar functional groups (e.g. –OH, C=O) may explain why the soil amended with PSD biochar exhibited high sorptive capacity for the hormones.
How biochar works, and when it doesn't: A review of mechanisms controlling soil and plant responses to biochar
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 26-08-2021
DOI: 10.1111/GCBB.12885
Abstract: We synthesized 20 years of research to explain the interrelated processes that determine soil and plant responses to biochar. The properties of biochar and its effects within agricultural ecosystems largely depend on feedstock and pyrolysis conditions. We describe three stages of reactions of biochar in soil: dissolution (1–3 weeks) reactive surface development (1–6 months) and aging (beyond 6 months). As biochar ages, it is incorporated into soil aggregates, protecting the biochar carbon and promoting the stabilization of rhizodeposits and microbial products. Biochar carbon persists in soil for hundreds to thousands of years. By increasing pH, porosity, and water availability, biochars can create favorable conditions for root development and microbial functions. Biochars can catalyze biotic and abiotic reactions, particularly in the rhizosphere, that increase nutrient supply and uptake by plants, reduce phytotoxins, stimulate plant development, and increase resilience to disease and environmental stressors. Meta‐analyses found that, on average, biochars increase P availability by a factor of 4.6 decrease plant tissue concentration of heavy metals by 17%–39% build soil organic carbon through negative priming by 3.8% (range −21% to +20%) and reduce non‐CO 2 greenhouse gas emissions from soil by 12%–50%. Meta‐analyses show average crop yield increases of 10%–42% with biochar addition, with greatest increases in low‐nutrient P‐sorbing acidic soils (common in the tropics), and in sandy soils in drylands due to increase in nutrient retention and water holding capacity. Studies report a wide range of plant responses to biochars due to the ersity of biochars and contexts in which biochars have been applied. Crop yields increase strongly if site‐specific soil constraints and nutrient and water limitations are mitigated by appropriate biochar formulations. Biochars can be tailored to address site constraints through feedstock selection, by modifying pyrolysis conditions, through pre‐ or post‐production treatments, or co‐application with organic or mineral fertilizers. We demonstrate how, when used wisely, biochar mitigates climate change and supports food security and the circular economy.
Biochars regulate bacterial community and their putative functions in the charosphere: a mesh-bag field study
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 11-2023
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