Soil Chemical Analysis

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides access to information on a variety of topics related to the environment and strives to inform citizens of health risks. The EPA also has an extensive library network that consists of 26 libraries throughout the United States, which provide access to a plethora of information to EPA employees, scientists, and researchers. The EPA implemented a reorganization project to digitize their materials so they would be more accessible to a wider range of users, but this plan was drastically accelerated when the EPA was threatened with a budget cut. It chose to close and reduce the hours and services of some of their libraries. As a result, the agency was accused of denying users the “right to know” by making information unavailable, not providing an adequate strategic plan, and discarding vital materials. This case study explores the background of the digitization project, the practices implemented, and the critiques of the project.

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The Environmental Protection Agency

Statistical Methods For Agricultural Workers

B6nassy, C., 1955. R6marques sur deux Aphelinid6s: Aphelinus mytilaspidis Le Baron et Aphytis proclia Walker. Annls l~piphyt. 6: 11-17. Lord, F. T. & MacPhee, A. W., 1953. The influence of spray programs on the fauna of apple orchards in Nova Scotia II. Oyster shell scale. Can. Ent. 79: 196-209. Pickett, A. D., 1946. A progress report on long term spray programs. Rep. Nova Scotia Fruit Grow. Ass. 83 : 27-31. Pickett, A. D., 1967. The influence of spray programs on the fauna of apple orchards in Nova Scotia XIV. Can. Ent. 97: 816-821. Tothill, J. D., 1918. The predacious mite Hemisarcoptes malus Shimer and its relation to the natural control of the oyster shell scale Lepidosaphes ulmi L. Agric. Gaz. Can. 5 : 234-239.

http://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/BF01976688.pdf

Soil enzymes: Kuprevich, V. F. & Shcherbakova, T. A.: Translated from the Russian edition (1966), published by the Indian National Scientific Documentation Centre, New Delhi 1971. 392 pp., offset printing from type script, paper cover. Obtainable from U.S. Department of Commerce, National Technical Information Service, Springfield, Va. 22151

This article introduces the radical approach of applying alkaline anion-exchange membranes (AAEMs) to meet the current challenges with regards to direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). A review of the literature is presented with regards to the testing of fuel cells with alkaline membranes (fuelled with hydrogen or methanol) and also to candidate alkaline anion-exchange membranes for such an application. A brief review of the directly related patent literature is also included. Current and future research challenges are identified along with potential strategies to overcome them. Finally, the advantages and challenges with the direct electrochemical oxidation of alternative fuels are discussed, along with how the application of alkaline membranes in such fuel cells may assist in improving performance and fuel efficiency.

https://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/1696/1/fulltext.pdf

Prospects for Alkaline Anion-Exchange Membranes in Low Temperature Fuel Cells†

A study was conducted to assess the seasonal variations of soil enzymes (amylase, invertase, cellulase, and urease), and physicochemical parameters of soil in an arsenic (As)-contaminated area. Ten different sampling sites of Purbasthali, West Bengal, India, were chosen for this experiment, and the collected data were compared with that of the control area, Burdwan University Farm, Burdwan. The As concentrations were found to be high in all experimental soil samples. Only urease and amylase activities were found to vary significantly (p   0.05) relationships were recorded between soil enzyme activities and organic carbon content during the post-monsoon period. Again urease and cellulase activities were found to vary significantly (p < 0.05) with soil As content in both pre- and post-monsoon periods, respectively. Similar observations were recorded from cluster analysis in both the seasons. Moreover, all tested soil enzymes...

Soil enzyme activity under arsenic-stressed area of Purbasthali, West Bengal, India

A field experiment had been carried out in the Crop Research and Seed Multiplication Farm of The University of Burdwan, West Bengal, India during the two consecutive winter seasons of 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 to study the effect of indigenous rhizospheric bacterial strains on growth, physiology and yield of mustard variety. Pseudomonas putida, Burkholderia cepacia, Burkholderia sp. and their mixture were used as seed inoculants for mustard cultivation. The experiment was laid down in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Results revealed that indigenous inoculation (with reduced dose of chemical fertilizer) significantly increased (p

Evaluation of indigenous rhizobacterial strains with reduced dose of chemical fertilizer towards growth and yield of mustard (Brassica campestris) under old alluvial soil zone of West Bengal, India

Integrated effects of reduction dose of nitrogen fertilizer and mode of biofertilizer application on soil health under mung bean cropping system.

Lichens are group of nonvascular plants. Lichen absorbs water and nutrient passively from their environment. Because of this lichens are particularly sensitive to environmental factors such as temperature, water availability, and air pollutants and/or by substances accumulates in lichen from the environment through variety of mechanisms including particulate trapping, ion exchange, extracellular electrolyte adsorption, hydrolysis and intra cellular uptake. Air pollution control is more complex than most other environmental changes. A study has been done to evaluate the air pollution status by means of lichen through the biochemical variability of three macro environment (semiurban area Arambagh, urban area Burdwan and industrial area Durgapur). The study results revealed that there exist inverse relationship between pollutant load and pigment content (chlorophyll and carotenoid content). Average concentration of chlorophyll ‘a’, ‘b’, and total chlorophyll was found in following order, Site-II>Site-III>Site-I. From the result of Chlorophyll Stability Index (CSI) it has been found that the chlorophyll degradation is highest in Site-II followed by Site-III and lowest in Site-I. There is a strong inverse relationship of chlorophyll content in lichen with SO 2 and NO x but the level of SPM found highest in Site-I followed by Site-III and lowest in Site-II. Moreover, biochemical constituents (protein, sugar, phenol and proline) of all the representative samples were also vary from site to site. The study results reveal that the amount of soluble sugar was highest recorded at Site-III followed by Site–I and lowest in Site-II. Again correlation study indicates that there is positive relationship between soluble sugar and phenol content at 5% level of significance. Therefore, it also indicates that the lichen metabolite and other physiological action monitored by SO 2 , NO x and SPM level in the air. Studies showed that the semiurban area was under more vulnerable condition than industrial and urban area of Hooghly and Burdwan district. Moreover the micrograph study of representative lichen samples directly proved that lichen structure affected by air pollutants, but the extent of deformation exclusively depends on the level of pollutants present in the air. Results also suggest that different level of air pollutants (SO 2 , NO x and SPM) affect the biochemical parameters of lichen, but more extensive study is needed to confirm the relationship between air pollution status and lichen biochemistry.

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A comparative study of lichen biochemistry and air pollution status of urban, semi urban and industrial area of Hooghly and Burdwan district, West Bengal

Field experiments were conducted with mung bean (Vigna radiata L. Wilczek) consecutively for three years (2009, 2010, and 2011) in the Crop Research and Seed Multiplication Farm, Burdwan University, West Bengal, India. In the first two years, varietals screening of mung bean under recommended dose of chemical fertilizer (20:40:20) were performed with five varieties with a local variety of mung bean during February to May of 2009. In the second year, one experiment was conducted with six different reduced dose of chemical fertilizer. In the third year, five different method and time of application of biofertilizer were applied to study the effects on agronomic traits and growth attributes of mung bean. The variety PDM-54 a significant higher seed yield along with other yield contributing factors, which was found to be superior to other varieties. In 2010, seed yield was found to be the best for 30% less nitrogenous and 25% less phosphate fertilizer along with recommended dose of chemical fertilizer. In 2011, the best yield was given by the treatment of basal @ 0.75 kg ha -1 + 1.5 kg ha -1 soil application after 21 days + 0.75 kg ha -1 as soil application + best dose of previous year.

Jayanta Kumar Datta

Papers

Soil enzyme activity under arsenic-stressed area of Purbasthali, West Bengal, India

Evaluation of indigenous rhizobacterial strains with reduced dose of chemical fertilizer towards growth and yield of mustard (Brassica campestris) under old alluvial soil zone of West Bengal, India

Integrated effects of reduction dose of nitrogen fertilizer and mode of biofertilizer application on soil health under mung bean cropping system.

A comparative study of lichen biochemistry and air pollution status of urban, semi urban and industrial area of Hooghly and Burdwan district, West Bengal

Impact of reduction dose, time and method of application of chemical fertilizer on mung bean under old alluvial soil, West Bengal, India.