This contribution presents a proposal of semiempirical method to estimate vertical profiles of nutrients uptake rate by plant roots, based on results of field measurements of soil - plant - atmosphere continuum (SPAC). The transport of chemicals in porous media can be described by convection-dispersion equation, containing sink term, characterising the solute (nutrients) uptake by roots. To determine this sink term was the aim of presented study. The data - necessary for determination of nutrients uptake rate profiles - during plants ontogenesis were acquired by measurement in the field site with maize canopy, near Trnava locality, South Slovakia. The proposed method of vertical profiles of nutrients uptake calculation is based on the estimated direct proportionality between nutrients uptake rate (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) and transpiration intensity during ten days time intervals. Shorter time interval is not recommended to be utilised, because estimation errors are comparable to the changes of estimated values of nutrients concentration in plants. A nutrient uptake rates profiles can be determined using the Eq. (9), knowing water uptake rate profiles and the ratio of transpiration flux and particular nutrient uptake rate. The nutrient uptake rate profile calculated by the proposed method can be incorporated into the convection-dispersion equation and is used to model nutrient transport in the soil, taking into account uptake of particular nutrients by plants, during the vegetation period. Comparison of nitrogen uptake rates estimated from field measurements and those, calculated by the presented method shows significant differences in some cases, but seems to be applicable for mathematical modelling of nutrients uptake by plants. and Príspevok obsahuje návrh poloempirickj metódy výpočtu vertikálneho rozdelenia intenzít odberu rozpustených látok (najdôležitejších živín) porastom poľnohospodárskych plodín. Súbor údajov (chodov intenzít transpirácie počas ontogenézy rastlín a sezónnych chodov obsahu vybraných živín v pôde a v rastlinách), umožňujúcich výpočet, bol získaný z výsledkov komplexných meraní charakteristík systému pôda - rastlina - atmosféra (SPAC) v pôde s porastom kukurice v objekte bývalého Výskumného ústavu kukurice v Trnave. Predpokladajúc platnosť zistenej priamej úmernosti medzi intenzitami odberu živín (dusík, fosfor, draslík) rastlinami z pôdy a intenzitou transpirácie porastu, navrhnutá bola metóda výpočtu vertikálneho rozdelenia intenzít odberu rozpustených látok (najdôležitejších živín) porastom poľnohospodárskych plodín. Jej aplikácia umožňuje určenie odberového člena v rov. (1) a riešením tejto rovnice môžeme vypočítať zmeny koncentrácie vybraných živín v pôde, berúc do úvahy ich odber koreňmi rastlín. Odberový člen možno vypočítať pomocou rov. (9), ak poznáme vertikálne rozdelenie intenzít odberu vody koreňmi rastlín a pomer medzi transpiračným tokom a celkovou intenzitou odberu príslušného iónu porastom v danom časovom intervale. Porovnanie celkových intenzít odberu dusíka porastom kukurice, ktoré bolo určené z výsledkov poľných meraní a intenzít, vypočítaných predloženou metódou síce v niektorých prípadoch ukazuje na značné rozdiely (obr. 4), avšak v prvom priblížení je metóda vhodná na modelovanie pohybu žívín v pôde.
A greenhouse experiment was conducted to study the indirect effects of soil salinity on a caterpillar that induces gall formation on a non-halophilic plant. Larvae of Epiblema scudderiana (Clemens) were allowed to feed on potted goldenrods (Solidago altissima L.) treated with 3 concentrations of NaCl (0, 8,000, 16,000 PPM). Experiments were also carried out with the larvae of two species of leaf beetles, Trirhabda borealis Blake, a leaf-chewer, and Microrhopala vittata F., a leaf-miner, to determine the influence of feeding guild. Adding salt to the soil affected both the plant and insect herbivores. The biomass of roots and shoots as well as root/shoot ratios of salt-stressed plants were lower, relative to controls. The biomass of the fully grown larvae and galls were decreased for the plants treated with the highest salt concentration. The percentage of biomass allocated to the gall was increased by soil salinity. All gall-inducing larvae completed their development (from second to final instar) even though their biomass was significantly reduced in the 16,000 PPM treatment. Soil salinity increased nitrogen concentrations in both gall and stem (normal) tissues but the levels were always higher in the gall. The salt treatments also increased sodium and potassium concentrations in galls and stems. Interestingly, sodium concentrations as well as the ratio of sodium ions to potassium ions increased more rapidly in the stem compared with the gall. Responses of folivorous insects to salt-stressed plants varied. Leaf-chewing larvae ate smaller amounts of plant tissue with high salt content compared with control, which also resulted in shorter feeding periods. The performance of the leaf-mining insect was not affected. However, it was able to complete its larval development within a smaller portion of the leaves. This study showed that soil salinity has a strong negative effect on S. altissima, especially on root development. Conversely, salt stress effects seemed to be progressively decreasing from the stem to the gall to the gall-inducer, which suggests that the gall tissue might act as a buffer against drastic changes in the mineral balance of the host plant. Nevertheless, it seems that unless the host plant dies, larvae of E. scudderiana can always produce a gall in which they can complete their development. On the other hand, leaf-chewing insects appeared to be sensitive to salt-rich tissues since they were deterred by them. Leaf-miners could complete their development with fewer food without any effect on their growth, suggesting that the peculiar tissues on which they feed within leaves became more abundant or nutritious in salt-treated plants.
Povodně a sucho se v posledních letech skloňují ve všech pádech. Často se v tomto kontextu zmiňuje potřeba budování přehrad a dalších nákladných děl, která však řeší jen důsledek mnohdy špatné péče o krajinu. Ne každý si totiž uvědomuje, jak důležitou roli hraje v koloběhu vody půda a stav krajiny. Kvalitní a nedegradovaná půda dokáže poutat značné množství vody, čímž reguluje dopady obou klimatických extrémů. Pestrá krajina s přirozenými mokřady a dalšími krajinnými prvky s vodou hospodaří lépe než krajina plná velkých půdních bloků s monokulturami zemědělských plodin a regulovanými vodními toky. and Jiří Hladík, Jan Vopravil, Marek Batysta.
Presented are results of simulations of root water uptake applying a macroscopic model of water transport in Soil - Plant - Atmosphere - Continuum. As a simulation tool is used the software package GLOBAL, based on the solution of the one-dimensional Richards equation. The main objective is to examine the contribution of root extraction functions (sink terms) based on different root morphological parameters to the changes in the soil water content profiles during the vegetation period of three crops. The root extraction functions are estimated using dry mass, length and surface area density distributions of all (total) and the fine roots (< 0.5 mm) of spring barley, winter rye and maize. It was observed that the ''root mass'' extraction curves slightly deviate from the ''length'' and ''surface area'' ones, especially in the topsoil and for the crops with a longer vegetation period. Nevertheless, the resulted differences in the soil water content distributions were small. The role of ''fine roots'' distribution was also examined. Calculating the water storage, it was found that the deviations were within the error of direct measurements. The sensitivity of the models based on the Richard´s equation to the different root extraction functions was found to be low, which reflected in small differences in soil water content distributions. Hence, any of the studied root morphological parameters can be successfully applied for simulations of root uptake at macro scale. and Práca obsahuje výsledky simulácie odberu vody koreňmi rastlín makroskopickým modelom pohybu vody v systéme pôda - rastlina - atmosféra, ak boli funkcie odberu vody koreňovým systémom určené z rozdelení rôznych charakteristík koreňového systému. Použili sme simulačný model GLOBAL, založený na riešení jednorozmerného tvaru rovnice Richardsa. Cieľom práce bolo určiť funkcie odberu vody koreňovým systémom rastlín, s využitím rozdelenia rôznych charakteristík koreňového systému tej istej rastliny a ich vplyv na vlhkostné profily v pôde počas ontogenézy rastlín. Simulácia bola vykonaná pre tri porasty - jarný jačmeň, ozimnú raž a kukuricu. Funkcie odberu vody boli vypočítané z údajov o rozdelení hmotnosti suchých koreňov, ich mernej dĺžky a merného povrchu pre všetky korene a pre ''jemné'' korene (< 0,5 mm v priemere). Ukázalo sa, že funkcie odberu založené na rozdelení hmotnosti koreňov sa nevýrazne odlišovali od tých, ktoré boli vypočítané s použitím ''dĺžky'' a ''povrchu'' koreňov v orničnej vrstve pôdy a pre porasty s dlhším vegeračným obdobím. Aj rozdiely medzi funkciami odberu s využitím rozdelenia rôznych vlastností ''jemných'' a všetkých koreňov boli v medziach presnosti merania. Z toho vyplýva, že ľubovoľný z použitých rozdelení parametrov koreňov (hmotnosť, dĺžka, povrch) môže byť použitý na výpočet odberových funkcií pre simuláciu pohybu vody v systéme PRAT a následnú simuláciu makroskopickými modelmi, založenými na riešení rovnice Richardsa.
We investigated the sorption-desorption behaviour of acid herbicide MCPA (4-chloro-2-methylphenoxy acetic acid) in five soils (denoted as A1-5), three bottom sediments (S1-3) and in two river sediments (L1-2) at two initial concentrations in aqueous solution - C0 = 0.5 and 10 mg L-1. Sorption and desorption of MCPA was measured by a batch equilibrium technique using analytical pure MCPA. There was no significant influence of the initial concentration of MCPA on its equilibrium distribution between soil/sediment and aqueous solution. The difference between distribution coefficient KD at C0 = 0.5 mg L-1 and KD at C0 = 10 mg L-1 was found only in the case of one bottom sediment (S2). Simple regression analysis between KD at C0 = 0.5 and 10 mg L-1 and soil/sediment properties indicated that the most important property which determined the variation in MCPA sorption is organic carbon (r = 0.885** and r = 0.921***, respectively). Similarly, the desorption of MCPA was inversely proportional to organic carbon content of the soils and sediments used (r = -0.821* and r = -0.888**). These observations showed that sorption-desorption behaviour of MCPA in soils and sediments was primarily controlled by organic components of the geosorbents used. Overall, the sorption extent of MCPA in soils and sediments was low (Psorp ≈ 5 - 53 %; KD = 0.131 - 2.827 L kg-1) and desorption extent was relatively high (Pdes ≈ 11 - 52 %), especially in soils and sediments with the lower organic carbon content. The experimental results and calculated values of groundwater ubiquity score GUS and relative leaching potential index RLPI imply that MCPA is very mobile in all soils and has high potential to contaminate groundwater. and Laboratórnymi metódami sme skúmali sorpčno-desorpčné správanie herbicídu MCPA (kyselina 4-chlór2-metyl fenoxyoctová) s kyslým charakterom (pKa = 3,07) v 5 vzorkách pôd (A1-5), v 3 vzorkách dnových sedimentov (S1-3) a v 2 vzorkách riečnych sedimentov (L1-2) pri dvoch koncentráciách vo vodnom roztoku - 0,5 a 10 mg l-1. Počiatočná koncentrácia MCPA vo vodnom roztoku nemala vplyv na jeho rozdelenie medzi pôdu/sediment a vodný roztok, iba v prípade 1 vzorky dnového sedimentu (S2) bol zistený rozdiel v rozdeľovacích koeficientoch KD. Sorbované množstvo MCPA v sledovaných pôdach a sedimentoch priamo úmerne záviselo od celkového obsahu organického uhlíka. Podobne, vodou desorbované (extrahované) množstvo MCPA z pôd a sedimentov vyjadrené v % (Pdes) nepriamo úmerne záviselo od celkového obsahu organického uhlíka. Tieto pozorovania dokumentujú, že sorpčno-desorpčné správanie MCPA v pôdach a sedimentoch je primárne kontrolované organickými zložkami sledovaných geosorbentov. Celkovo bol sorbovaný podiel MCPA v pôdach a sedimentoch nízky (Psorp ≈ 5-53 %; KD = 0,131-2,827 l kg-1) a desorbované množstvo relatívne vysoké (Pdes ≈ 11-52 %), zvlášť v pôdach a sedimentoch s nižším obsahom organického uhlíka. Experimentálne výsledky a vypočítané hodnoty GUS (Groundwater Ubiquity Score) a RLPI (Relative Leaching Potential Index) poukazujú na výraznú pohyblivosť MCPA v pôdach a vysokú tendenciu MCPA preniknúť do podzemných vôd.
Sorption of herbicides (acetochlor, atrazine, 2,4-D-DMA, chlorotoluron, MCPA and trifluralin) in six soils was evaluated. Among herbicides studied, dissociable herbicides (MCPA and 2,4-D-DMA) were the least sorbed, whereas nonionic herbicides were the most sorbed (acetochlor < chlorotoluron < trifluralin). The distribution coefficient values KD and equilibrium sorbed amounts positively correlated with soil organic carbon content for all herbicides except MCPA. Moreover, all herbicides except MCPA were the most sorbed in the Vertisoil (SA) with relatively high content of expanding clay minerals in proportion to organic carbon content. Organic carbon - water distribution coefficient values KOC for each herbicide showed a smaller variation among soils used except the SA soil than distribution coefficients KD. To estimate potential risk of groundwater contamination by herbicides investigated, measured KOC and treshold GUS values (Groundwater Ubiquity Score) were used to calculate half-lives t1/2 that would rank herbicides as potentially hazardous and non-hazardous. Comparison of calculated t1/2 values to published was found that atrazine and MCPA could be considered hazardous herbicides, trifluralin non-hazardous herbicide and acetochlor, 2,4-D and chlorotoluron could be hazardous or non-hazardous, depending on soil type. Presented analysis was also in line with risk assessment of groundwater contamination according to EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) criterion. and Referát prináša výsledky výskumu sorpcie herbicídov (acetochlór, atrazín, 2,4-D-DMA, chlórtoluron, MCPA a trifluralín) v šiestich poľnohospodárskych pôdach. V rámci sledovaných herbicídov najnižšie rovnovážne sorbované množstvá v pôdach boli zistené pre disociovateľné herbicídy (MCPA a 2,4-D-DMA) a najvyššie pre nepolárne herbicídy (acetochlór < chlórtoluron < trifluralín). Ukázalo sa, že s rastúcim podielom organického uhlíka v použitých pôdach sa priamo úmerne zvyšuje rovnovážne sorbované množstvo sledovaných herbicídov s výnimkou MCPA. Navyše, všetky herbicídy okrem MCPA sa najlepšie sorbovali v pôde smonica (SA) s relatívne vysokým podielom expandujúcich ílových minerálov v pomere k obsahu organického uhlíka. V rámci použitých pôd s výnimkou pôdy smonica (SA) boli rozdiely medzi zistenými hodnotami rozdeľovacích koeficientov normalizovaných na podiel organického uhlíka KOC pre daný herbicíd výrazne nižšie ako rozdiely medzi rozdeľovacími koeficientami KD. Na posúdenie potenciálneho rizika kontaminácie podzemných vôd skúmanými herbicídmi boli využité stanovené KOC a hraničné hodnoty ukazovateľa GUS (riziko výskytu organickej látky v podzemných vodách), z ktorých sa vypočítali žiadané polčasy rozkladu t1/2. Porovnaním vypočítaných t1/2 s publikovanými v literatúre sa dospelo k záveru, že atrazín a MCPA možno považovať za rizikové herbicídy vo všetkých pôdach, trifluralín za herbicíd bez rizika a acetochlór, 2,4-D a chlórtoluron za rizikové alebo bez rizika v závislosti od pôdneho typu. Uvedená analýza sa zhodovala aj s analýzou možného rizika kontaminácie podľa kritérií EPA.
Soil samples were collected from the whole territory of the Czech Republic, and the presence of entomopathogenic nematodes from the families Steinernematidae and Heterorhabditidae was evaluated by Galleria traps method. Of the 342 samples studied, 53.8% were positive for entomopathogenic nematodes with only one positive for the heterorhabditid, Heterorhabditis megidis Poinar, Jackson ct Klein. 1987. Of steinernematid species, Steinernema kraussei (Steiner, 1923), Steinernema felliae (Filipjev, 1934), Steinernema affine (Bovicn, 1937), Steinernema intermedium (Poinar, 1985), Steinernema bicornutum Tallosi, Peters et F.hlers, 1995, and Steinernema sp. belonging to “glaseri" group were recovered. With several exceptions the nematodes occurred in all the ecosystems, subecosystcms and habitats studied. They were more frequently found in samples from tree than open habitats, from light than heavy soil, and their incidence was ubiquitous, rather than patchy. Dependence of entomopathogenic nematodes on insect incidence seemed to be elementary for both their incidence and abundance. The sampling sites with moderate to severe insect abundance were 66.5 % positive for nematodes while those with slight or no visible insect abundance only 15 %.
The aim of this study was to determine the potential development of water sorptivity of soil aggregates by heating. Soil aggregates were sampled from arable layer of 5 Polish soils: Haplic Luvisol 1 from Czesławice, Haplic Luvisol 2 from Wierzchucinek, Haplic Cambisol from Felin, Gleyic Mollic Cambisol from Chylice, and Haplic Phaeozem from Grabiec. Three aggregates of each soil type with minimum diameter between 4 and 10 mm were heated in the oven for at least 3 hours at temperatures 20, 100, 200, 250, and 360ºC. After each temperature treatment the soil aggregates were conditioned at the room temperature for 16 hours. Laboratory measurements of water sorptivity of soil aggregates were performed under a negative tension h0 = -2 cm using tension infiltrometer. It was found that the exposure to temperatures between 100 and 200°C tends to decrease water sorptivity of aggregates from all the studied soils but one (Haplic Luvisol 1), followed by about two- to four-fold increase in water sorptivity for exposure to temperatures of 250°C (in Haplic Luvisol 1, Haplic Luvisol 2, and Haplic Phaeozem) or 360°C (in Haplic Cambisol and Gleyic Mollic Cambisol).
Water repellency is a relative (and a little misleading) term because no surface actually exerts a repelling force on a liquid. There is always some attraction between a liquid and any solid. The affinity (hydrophilicity) or repellency (hydrophobicity) between water and solid surfaces originates from mutual attractive forces (adhesion) and the attraction between the water molecules (cohesion). Soil water repellency is generally attributed to hydrophobic organic matter coating soil particles or accumulating in the soil environment. The definition of hydrophobicity and hydrophilicity, based on the contact angle α between water and a solid, reads: if α < 90°, the solid is wettable, if α ≥ 90°, the solid is water repellent (Adamson, 1990). Another definition of hydrophobicity and hydrophilicity, based on the surface-free energy, reads: solid surfaces with a surface-free energy σsa > 72.75 mN m-1 attract water and are therefore hydrophilic. Solid surfaces with a surface-free energy σsa < 72.75 mN m-1 are hydrophobic (Doerr et al., 2000). Soil water repellency (WR) is characterised using three parameters: severity (degree) of WR, persistence of WR, and index of WR. The most frequently used techniques for the severity and persistence of WR measurements are MED (molarity of ethanol droplet) and WDPT (water drop penetration time) test, respectively. and Vodoodpudivosť je relatívny (a trochu zavádzajúci) pojem, pretože žiadny povrch tuhej látky nepôsobí na kvapalinu odpudivou, ale vždy príťažlivou silou. Afinita (hydrofilnosť) alebo odpudivosť (hydrofóbnosť) medzi vodou a povrchom tuhej látky vzniká zo vzájomných príťažlivých síl (adhézia) a príťažlivých síl medzi molekulami vody (kohézia). Vodoodpudivosť pôdy sa všeobecne pripisuje hydrofóbnej organickej hmote, ktorá buď pokrýva pôdne častice alebo je akumulovaná v pôdnom prostredí. Definícia hydrofóbnosti a hydrofilnosti, založená na veľkosti uhla omáčania, znie: ak je uhol omáčania α menší ako 90°, tuhá látka je zmáčavá, ak je väčší alebo sa rovná 90°, tuhá látka je vodoodpudivá (Adamson, 1990). Iná definícia hydrofóbnosti a hydrofilnosti, založená na povrchovej voľnej energii, znie: povrch tuhej látky s povrchovou voľnou energiou σsa > 72,75 mN m-1 je hydrofilný a povrch tuhej látky s povrchovou voľnou energiou σsa < 72,75 mN m-1 je hydrofóbny (Doerr et al., 2000). Vodoodpudivosť je charakterizovaná tromi parametrami: veľkosť, stálosť a index vodoodpudivosti. Najčastejšie používanou metódou na meranie veľkosti vodoodpudivosti pôdy je MED test, v ktorom sa povrchová voľná energia pôdy určuje z molarity kvapky etanolu, ktorá vnikne do pôdy za určitý čas. Najčastejšie používanou metódou na meranie stálosti vodoodpudivosti pôdy je WDPT test, pri ktorom sa meria čas, potrebný na infiltráciu kvapky destilovanej vody do pôdy.