Growth of Plants on TBT-contaminated Harbour Sludge and Effect on TBT Removal (10 pp)

Background Worldwide, large amounts of sediments have to be dredged annually from waterways and harbours. These sediments are sometimes polluted with a variety of toxic compounds. In some countries, including Belgium, the load with the biocide tributyltin (TBT) from ship coatings prohibits the dumping of harbour sludge into the sea. Land-based dumping is a commonly used alternative. Objective This research investigated the feasibility to use land-deposited harbour sludge for plant production. In a field trial, the growth of 38 more or less salt-tolerant plant species on low and high TBT-contaminated sediments was studied. The elimination of TBT from sludge with and without vegetation was compared. The uptake of TBT and its degradation products di- and monobutyltin (DBT and MBT) into harvest products under field conditions was determined. - Experimental Set-up. Sediments dredged in May 2003 from the brackish waters of the port of Antwerp were analysed in the laboratory for soil texture, pH, electroconductivity, sodium, magnesium, potassium, calcium, ammonium, nitrate, total nitrogen, chloride, sulphur and the organotins TBT, DBT and MBT. The sediments were lagooned for one year to dewater, desalinate and improve their structure. Salt-tolerant domestic and wild plants were selected and sown in May 2004. In August 2004, plants were harvested and the produced biomass was determined. Samples were taken from vegetated and non-vegetated top and bottom sediments and from plants growing above soil and analysed for TBT, DBT and MBT. Results The fresh sediments showed a good supply with nutrients and a neutral pH, but were rather saline (EC 14 mS cm-1 of the saturated paste extract). The salinity decreased to 3.7 mS cm-1 during lagoonation. The high and the low contaminated sediment had initially 43 and 1.6 mg TBT kg-1 dry weight, respectively. Besides TBT, several other contaminants were present in the sediments at critical levels. The biomass production of the plant species from the field trial ranged from 0.2 to 13 tons dry mass per hectare. Plants performing excellently were barley, sorghum, rape seed, a clover/grass mix and reed. If at all, a positive influence of TBT on plant growth was seen. TBT was degraded significantly faster (>40%) below barley. The uptake of TBT, DBT and MBT into stem and leaves of reed, grass and clover was very low, but measurable and not related to concentrations in soil. No uptake of TBT or its metabolites into corn of barley was found. Discussion This study confirmed former results: the toxicity of TBT to higher plants is low, and even high levels in soils would not be a hindrance for crop production. The removal of TBT seemed to be increased by both lagooning and plant growth, although the target values for sea dumping in use in certain European countries were not reached. A plausible explanation for the faster degradation of TBT under vegetation is that oxygen is a limiting factor, and plants dewater the soil, thus aerating it. The uptake of the organotins TBT, DBT and MBT into harvest products is probably due to attached soil particles. Conclusions To summarize, barley was the optimal species: it grew very well despite the salinity of the dredged sediments, it had a significantly positive effect on TBT removal; it showed no measurable uptake of TBT or the other butyltins into the harvested product; and it is a cash crop well established in European agriculture. Outlook The amounts of dredged sediments are high, and good soils are becoming increasingly rare. The feasibility of using dredged sediments for non-food production, such as energy crops, should be investigated by a critical risk assessment.     

A Screening Test for the Determination of Ethylene Sensitivity

Ethephon, which releases ethylene within plant tissues after application, was chosen to perform assessments of the relative sensitivity of crops to ethylene and to determine which stages of plant development were most sensitive. The species chosen were: barley, wheat, oats, canola and field pea, all of which are important crops in the province of Alberta, Canada. Plants were treated with ethephon at one of 7 different stages. Plants were assessed for their vegetative and reproductive growth, including height, biomass, yield and seed quality. Visual symptoms were photographed and documented to compare them with symptoms caused by ethylene applied as a gas. It was concluded that in barley, wheat and canola the late vegetative and early reproductive stages were most sensitive, at least when sensitivity was defined as reductions in yield and quality. As for field pea, ethephon had no effect on yield but did cause increased numbers of pods, which in certain conditions could lead to increased yields. Significant effects on vegetative growth were only observed in the early vegetative stages of development but with no effects on yield. The screening protocol successfully identified sensitive cultivars and growth stages for further investigation of the effects of ethylene exposure.     

蔬菜作物施用耐氨固氮菌的增产效果

研究在小区试验条件下,施用耐氨固氮型的催娩克氏菌和阴沟肠杆菌混合菌剂对蔬菜生长和产量的影响。结果表明,施用耐氨固氮菌可促进蔬菜生长,提高产量并改善品质,供试蔬菜的平均增产率达20％,增产效果明显。     

Medieval Agroecosystems (9th–13th Centuries) in the Region of the Present-Day City of Glazov (Udmurt Republic)

Paleoethnobotanical materials and buried soils from the site of the ancient settlement of Idnakar and neighboring archaeological monuments were analyzed to reconstruct the agroecosystems of the 9th through the 13th centuries AD near the present-day city of Glazov. The results provided data on the main features of the agroecosystem structure and composition, climate, and agriculture in the Middle Ages.     

耐氨固氮菌对蔬菜作物生长的促进作用研究

研究并探讨了蔬菜作物在施用耐氨固氮菌后的生长、生理反应及增产的效果和原因。试验结果表明： 施用耐氨固氮菌显著增加了蔬菜苗期生物量、叶面积和叶片的叶绿素含量, 同时还增强了植株的根系活力, 并有明显的增产效果。耐氨固氮菌促进增产的作用不仅与其本身的固氮作用有关, 还可能与其分泌出某些生长刺激物 （ 或激素） 有关。     

几种果粮间作人工植物群落生物生产力的动态变化及其优化调控

为解决果粮间作经营的中后期常出现的作物减产和资源浪费的矛盾,有必要分析果粮人工植物群落中各生态元的时空变化过程,揭示果粮间作经营中矛盾的产生、发展乃至激化的过程,寻求合理的间作作物组合,并进行优化调控,在岷江上游干旱河谷区,选择处于不同经营阶段（３ａ,５ａ,１０ａ,１８ａ,２８ａ）而经营管理条件基本一致的的９种苹果与粮食作物间作模式,调查测定了每一模式各阶段的果树的生长及其苹果产量,各间作粮食作物的生物量、总生物量、作物固定的总能量及其光能利用率、经济产量和经济收入等指标,揭示了苹果和各粮食作物２８ａ内的生物生产力的动态变化及其特点,找到了果树不同经营阶段的合理间作物组合,提出了该区不同经营阶段的最佳模式类型．对果粮间作的作用、理论基础及优化调控指标及其不确定性等问题也进行了讨论     

氨基酸螯合镧（La(Ⅲ)-AA）对模拟酸雨胁迫下三种作物生理指标的影响

酸雨对农业生态系统中作物的影响,攸关粮食安全,抗酸(雨)减灾研究迫在眉睫. 本文采用模拟酸雨污染盆栽实验方法,研究一种新型氨基酸螯合镧对酸雨胁迫下玉米、水稻、小麦等8项生理指标的影响. 结果表明,与对照组相比预施氨基酸螯合镧能有效降低酸雨对3种作物叶片质膜透性（45.95%—54.22%）、超氧阴离子自由基产生速率（28.44%—42.31%）、丙二醛含量（31.03%—38.71%）、脯氨酸（36.23%—47.17%）含量及过氧化物酶活性（48.3%—57.92%）的影响,提高过氧化氢酶活性（29.43%—78.61%）、叶绿素含量（7.89%—18.76%）和氮代谢强度（21.37%—60.63%）. 由此可见,氨基酸螯合镧对酸雨胁迫下,作物的过氧化损伤具有一定防护效应,预喷氨基酸螯合镧可在一定程度上减轻酸雨污染对作物的伤害.     

Analysis of China''s Water Security and Virtual Water Trade

Producing goods and services all needs water consumption. The water used in the process of an agricultural or industrial product is called the "Virtual Water" contained in this product.Through international trade, water-scarce countries and regions could purchase water-intensive products--especially foods, from water-rich countries to balance their water deficits and achieve water safety. China is one of the 13 most water-deficit countries whose water safety have been severely challenged. This paper generalized the recent global research development and made a brief introduction about the methods calculating virtual water content in specific products. As a case study, we qualified China's annual virtual water flows from year 2000 to 2002 with trade in crops, and ended with some policy advice for application and practice of virtual water strategy.     

重金属对农作物的影响初探

随着工农业的发展,重金属对农作物的影响日益严重.本文选取农作物中有代表性的一种-萝卜做为实验材料,研究的就是在不同浓度的重金属的影响下,萝卜的生长状况.通过所做的硝酸还原酶活性实验、过氧化物酶实验,针对重金属在生态系统中对农作物的影响问题,做了一个早期的、比较完整的分析.