Phosphorus (P) is an indispensable element for all life on Earth and, during the past decade, concerns about the future of its global supply have stimulated much research on soil P and method development. This review provides an overview of advanced state-of-the-art methods currently used in soil P research. These involve bulk and spatially resolved spectroscopic and spectrometric P speciation methods (1 and 2D NMR, IR, Raman, Q-TOF MS/MS, high resolution-MS, NanoSIMS, XRF, XPS, (µ)XAS) as well as methods for assessing soil P reactions (sorption isotherms, quantum-chemical modeling, microbial biomass P, enzymes activity, DGT, 33P isotopic exchange, 18O isotope ratios). Required experimental set-ups and the potentials and limitations of individual methods present a guide for the selection of most suitable methods or combinations.

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Innovative methods in soil phosphorus research: A review

Plethora of cellular events is regulated by phosphatases (EC 3.1.3.-). Agricultural soil contains phosphatases in variable amounts depending on microbial count, amount of organic materials, other macroscopic living organisms and their activities etc. The amount of phosphate released into the soil can then be directly co-related to soil fertility. The assay of soil phosphatase was carried out following a standard procedure with a minor modification. The pH and temperature optima were pH 5.0 and 37.0 0 C, respectively. Using standard assay conditions kinetic parameters of soil phosphatases such as maximum reaction rates of phosphatase (Vmax) and the substrate concentration at which the reaction rate is half maximal (Km) were determined. It produced an apparent Km value of 1.353mM. The effects of various metal ions like Na + , K + , Mg 2+ and Ca 2+ were also carried out using the standard assay procedure. Phosphatase activity of 10 soil samples, collected from the various agricultural lands, of the district Burdwan, West Bengal, India, was studied. The maximum unit of activity was 6.393 units in standard assay conditions. The phosphatases present in a soil sample are heterogeneous and might be utilized as a major parameter to assess soil fertility in an agricultural land.

Soil phosphatase activity of agricultural land: A possible index of soil fertility

Western corn rootworm (WCR), or Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, became a very serious quarantine maize pest in Europe in the mid-1990s. Between 1995 and 2010, European countries were involved in international projects to share information and plan common research for integrated pest management (IPM) implementation. Since 2011, however, common efforts have declined, and an overview of WCR population spread, density, and research is in serious need of update. Therefore, we retained that it was necessary to (1) summarize the research activities carried out in the last 12 years in various countries and the research topics addressed, and analyze how these activities have contributed to IPM for WCR and (2) present the current distribution of WCR in the EU and analyze the current population levels in different European countries, focusing on different management strategies. A review of scientific papers published from 2008 to 2020, in addition to direct interviews with experts in charge of WCR management in a range of European countries, was conducted. Over the past 12 years, scientists in Europe have continued their research activities to investigate various aspects of WCR management by implementing several approaches to WCR control. A considerable amount of new knowledge has been produced, contributing to the development of pest management strategies applicable in EU farming systems. Among the 10 EU countries analyzed, there is no country reporting economic damage on a large scale. Thanks to intensive research leading to specific agricultural practices and the EU Common Agricultural Policy, there are crop-rotation-based solutions that can adequately control this pest avoiding insecticide use.

Western Corn Rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte) in Europe: Current Status and Sustainable Pest Management.

In order to study the effect of the interaction of manure and chemical fertilizer on yield and yield component of barley, an experiment was conducted as split plot design on randomized complete block design with three replications in research field of Zabol University, 2008. Different proportions of manure and chemical fertilizer treatments were composed of 100% manure (F1), 100% chemical fertilizer (F2), 50% manure + 50% chemical fertilizer (F3) and control (F4) as the main plot. Use of micro nutrient elements were composed of Iron Sulfate (N1), Zinc Sulfate (N2), Manganese Sulfate (N3) and control (N4) as sub plot in this experiment. Results showed that the effect of different proportions of manure and chemical fertilizer treatment on grain yield and yield components properties with the exception of grain number/ear, were significant. Nutrient treatments had a significant effect on grain yield and yield components in barley and among this nutrient use of Fe (N1) had maximum effect on grain component of barley.

	 

	Key words: Barley (Hordeum vulgare), chemical fertilizer, manure, yield.

https://www3.iupui.academicjournals.org/article/article1380894845_Ghanbari et al.pdf

The effect of cattle manure and chemical fertilizer on yield and yield component of barley (Hordeum vulgare )

The performance of smallholder irrigation schemes is multidimensional and can be looked at from different perspectives. This study assessed the technical performance of the Mooi River irrigation scheme (MRIS) to derive a comprehensive set of best management practices (BMPs). This was done acknowledging that the farmer is now the water manager, in line with participatory irrigation management (PIM) and irrigation management transfer (IMT) concepts. Five performance indicators related to water supply and delivery and agricultural performance were assessed through the field measurement method during spring and summer of the 2010/2011 season. Farmers were interviewed through a questionnaire to gather suggestions on ways to improve the performance of their scheme. Their responses helped in the selection of the BMPs for the scheme which were then ranked using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). The results show a scheme average conveyance efficiency of 86.4%, maximum dependability of irrigation interval between water applications of 2.57 in spring and the scheme relative irrigation supply of 1.48. Agricultural performance indicators—output per unit irrigation supply and water productivity (ET)—were found to be 0.64 and 5.37 kg m-3, respectively. Irrigation scheduling was the most preferred BMP by the farmers, while volumetric measurement of irrigation water used by each block was the least preferred. This study concludes that water management in smallholder schemes is poor, thus affecting performance of these schemes, and that farmers are aware of the problems and possible solutions to perennial problems hindering performance in smallholder schemes. The study recommends deepening farmers' participation in policy formulation and derivation of BMPs. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Assessing the performance of smallholder irrigation and deriving best management practices in south africa

In recent years, mulberry has acquired a special importance due to its phytochemical composition and its beneficial effects on human health, including antioxidant, anticancer, antidiabetic and immunomodulatory effects. Botanical parts of Morus sp. (fruits, leaves, twigs, roots) are considered a rich source of secondary metabolites. The aim of our study was to highlight the phytochemical profile of each of the botanical parts of Morus tree, their health benefits and applications in food industry with an updated review of literature. Black and white mulberries are characterized in terms of predominant phenolic compounds in correlation with their medical applications. In addition to anthocyanins (mainly cyanidin-3-O-glucoside), black mulberry fruits also contain flavonols and phenolic acids. The leaves are a rich source of flavonols, including quercetin and kaempferol in the glycosylated forms and chlorogenic acid as predominant phenolic acids. Mulberry bark roots and twigs are a source of prenylated flavonoids, predominantly morusin. In this context, the exploitation of mulberry in food industry is reviewed in this paper, in terms of developing novel, functional food with multiple health-promoting effects.

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Phytochemical Composition of Different Botanical Parts of Morus Species, Health Benefits and Application in Food Industry

The importance of phosphatase for plant nutrition has repeatedly been pointed out. In most soils, the organically bound P- fraction is higher than the inorganic. Phosphorus uptake by plants requires mineralization of the organic P- component by phosphatases to orthophosphate. Phosphatases are inducible enzymes that are produced predominantly under conditions of low phosphorus availability. Phosphatases are excreted by plant roots and by microorganisms. Microbial phosphatases dominate in soils. The phosphomonoesterases, so-called phosphatases differ in their substrate specificity and their pH optimum. One can thus diferentiate between acid and alkaline phosphatases in the soil. Phosphatase activities were determined in the 0-20-, 20-40- and 40-60-cm layers of a preluvosoil submitted to a complex tillage (no-till and conventional tillage), crop rotation (2- and 3-crop rotations) and fertilisation (mineral(NP) fertilisation and farmyard-manuring) experiment. It was found that the activities decreased in the order: acid phosphatase activity > alkaline phosphatase activity. Each activity decreased with increasing sampling depth. No-till -in comparison with conventional tillage - resulted in significantly higher soil phosphatase activities in the 0-20-cm layer and in significantly lower activities in the deeper layers. The soil under maize or wheat was more phosphatase-active in the 3-than in the 2- crop rotation.In the 2-crop rotation higher soil phosphatase activities were recorded under wheat than under maize. Farmyard-manuring of maize - in comparison with its mineral fertilisation - led to a significant increase in each activity.

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The estimation of phosphatase activity in soil

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of edible coatings based on gelatine, oils (sunflower and coconut) and beeswax on the physicochemical properties, bioactive compounds (total phenols and monomeric anthocyanin content), antioxidant capacity (DPPH and FRAP assays were used) and sensorial attributes of mulberry fruits during a period of storage (0, 2, 5 and 8 days) at 4 °C. The results showed that, in all samples treated with edible films, the degree of firmness was higher and the deterioration weaker compared to the control at day 8 of storage. Edible coatings significantly reduced the rate of deterioration, in terms of total phenolics and anthocyanins, in mulberry fruits over time, and the gelatine-coated mulberry samples (G_Mn) exhibited the best results. In terms of the antioxidant capacity of the coated mulberry, after 5 and 8 days of storage, only the G_Mn samples maintained significantly high DPPH radical scavenging and FRAP values compared to control. Coating improved the sensorial attributes of the mulberry during storage, and gelatine-coated fruits recorded the highest score, followed by layer-by-layer samples (O+W_G_Mn). All edible coatings used to cover black mulberry in this study extended the shelf life of the fruits, while maintaining high levels of bioactive compounds and, consequently, high antioxidant capacity, along with improved sensory qualities, during cold storage.

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Effects of Different Edible Coatings on the Shelf Life of Fresh Black Mulberry Fruits (Morus nigra L.)

The irrigation influence on water use efficiency in autumn cabbage from Crişurilor Plain.

Researches regarding the influence of chemical fertilizers, manure and lime applied in long term field experiments on pH-value of preluvosoils from North-West part of Romania.

A. Vuşcan

Papers

Phytochemical Composition of Different Botanical Parts of Morus Species, Health Benefits and Application in Food Industry

The estimation of phosphatase activity in soil

Effects of Different Edible Coatings on the Shelf Life of Fresh Black Mulberry Fruits (Morus nigra L.)

The irrigation influence on water use efficiency in autumn cabbage from Crişurilor Plain.

Researches regarding the influence of chemical fertilizers, manure and lime applied in long term field experiments on pH-value of preluvosoils from North-West part of Romania.