Trends in food production and nitrous oxide emissions from the agriculture sector in India: environmental implications

We studied trends in food production and nitrous oxide emissions from India's agricultural sector between 1961 and 2000. Data from Food and Agricultural Statistics (FAO) have been gathered covering production, consumption, fertilizer use and livestock details. IPCC 1996 revised guidelines were followed in studying the variations in N₂O-N emissions. Results suggest that total N₂O-N emissions (direct, animal waste and indirect sources) increased ~6.1 times from ~0.048 to ~0.294 Tg N₂O-N, over 40 years. Source-wise breakdown of emissions from 1961–2000 indicated that during 1961 most of the N₂O-N inputs were from crop residues (61%) and biological nitrogen fixation (25%), while during 2000 the main sources were synthetic fertilizer (~48%) and crop residues (19%). Direct emissions increased from ~0.031 to ~0.183 Tg. It is estimated that ~3.1% of global N₂O-N emissions comes from India. Trends in food production, primarily cereals (rice, wheat and coarse grains) and pulses, and fertilizer consumption from 1961–2000 suggest that food production (cereals and pulses) increased only 3.7 times, while nitrogenous fertilizer consumption increased ~43 times over this period, leading to extensive release of nitrogen to the atmosphere. From this study, we infer that the challenge for Indian agriculture lies not only in increasing production but also in achieving production stability while minimizing the impact to the environment, through various management and mitigation options.     

珠江三角洲中低产水稻土结构特性及其改良

珠江三角洲粘质水稻土的肥力水平和产量水平与土壤结构特性密切相关。中低产水稻土产量偏低的原因主要是5—2、2—1、1—0.5mm水稳性团聚体、1—0.01mm粗粒微团聚体和非毛管孔隙都较少,从而导致土壤通透性差,水稻生长不良。水旱轮作、犁冬晒白和增施有机物料都能在一定程度上改善土壤结构孔隙。因而促进水气循环、土壤活化、产量提高。特别是水旱轮作与施用有机物料相结合,对改善粘质中低产水稻土结构的效果最为显著。犁冬晒白对改善土壤结构和促进水稻生长发育,当季效果也很明显,但其作用不能持久,宜与其它两种措施配合使用。     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in different forest humus types

The behavior of 20 PAH in the organic layers of a L mull, an Of mull and a mor was assessed by a combined approach of a soil profile study, and the analysis of particle-size separates. Increasing PAH concentrations with depth in the mor profile (L, 866 μg kg⁻³; Of, 2902 μg kg⁻¹; Oh, 10489 ug kg⁻¹) were assigned to selective enrichment during organic matter decomposition. PAH were further highly enriched within the finer separates. For the L horizons, significant positive correlations were established between the enrichment of individual PAH (as observed from the decomposition gradient between the >2-mm fraction and the < 0.05-mm fraction), and the K_OW for each compound. The slope of the regression line, m, described the degree of differentiation between low- and high-molecular PAH during litter decomposition. Since m was greatest in the most biologically active humus type (L mull, 0.33) and smallest in the most inactive (mor, 0.20), microbial breakdown was assumed as the dominating process for this differentiation. The results also indicated that decomposition processes had already taken place in the L horizons, leading to morphological and chemical changes of organic matter, and to an enrichment of high molecular PAH.     

Impact of Harvest Intensity on Long-Term Base Cation Budgets in Swedish Forest Soils

The effects of harvesting on the long-term mass balances of calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and potassium (K) were evaluated on a regional level in Sweden. A new high-resolution weathering database was used together with estimates of total deposition, losses through harvest and leaching. Estimates were made for pine and spruce separately and for two harvesting intensity scenarios: stem harvesting and whole-tree harvesting. The mass balance calculations showed net losses of Ca and Mg in almost the whole country for both scenarios. The losses were smaller for pine than for spruce. The K balances were mainly positive for pine but negative for spruce. Leaching was a main factor in the mass balances, especially for Ca and Mg. Whole-tree harvesting in spruce forests led to substantially higher net losses of K and Ca than stem harvesting, according to the calculations. In the whole-tree harvesting scenario in spruce forests the estimated yearly net losses of Ca, Mg and K corresponded to at least 5%, 8% and 3% of the pools of exchangeable base cations, respectively, at 25% of the analysed sites. If losses of this magnitude continue the depletion of the pools of Ca, Mg and K may lead to very low base saturation of the soils, possibly accompanied by negative effects on soil fertility, runoff water quality, tree vitality and tree growth within a forest rotation in parts of Sweden. Avoiding whole-tree harvesting can improve the situation substantially for K, but the losses of Ca and Mg will still be significant.     

Methane emission from rice paddy soils, aerotolerance of methanogens and global thermal warming

In vitro methane emissions from different rice paddy soils and algal mats were studied under anoxic and atmospheric conditions. Methane production from rice paddy soils cultivating different strains of rice was found to be appreciable under anoxic conditions, but considerably reduced under atmospheric conditions, and dependent on rice cultivars (strains). A contradictory result was obtained with a Gobindabhog cultivated rice field (a strain of rice with aroma), where methane yield under anoxic was greater than that under atmospheric conditions. The results indicated aerotolerance of methanogens or the possible existence of microaerophilic methanogens. The results from algal mats corroborated these findings.Methane has been considered to be an important greenhouse gas contributing significantly to global thermal warming (GTW). Flooded rice paddy fields have been considered to be a most prominent source of abiogenic methane emission, though considerable uncertainty exists regarding the true estimates of methane emission. Factors affecting methane emission and its abatement have been examined. In spite of increasing methane emission, rice cultivation leads to enormous utilization of the green house gas carbon dioxide and release of oxygen to the atmosphere. Thus, the contribution of methane to GTW (from rice paddy cultivation) is more than compensated by carbon dioxide absorption.Appropriate steps have been suggested for the reduction of methane emissions, the most important of which is the restoration of methane sinks.     

广州地区农田土壤中有机氯农药残留分布特征

以网格法在农田土壤中均匀布点,采集土壤样品75个,对广州地区农田土壤中有机氯农药含量及分布状况进行了研究。结果表明,试区土壤有机氯农药的检出率为100％,表明广州地区农田土壤中有机氯农药残留现象普遍存在。六六六（HCHs）和滴滴涕（DDTs）的平均含量分别为42．75μg/kg、52．76μg/kg,含量范围分别在1．35—803．72和2．73—1036．90μg/kg。与国内不同区域的同类研究相比,广州地区土壤的有机氯残留水平较高。在不同利用类型土壤中,有机氯残留状况有所差异,六六六在水稻土中残留量最高,而滴滴涕在菜园土中含量最高。     

北京通州灌区土壤和河流底泥中有机氯农药残留的研究

2007年6月在北京通州污水灌区、清污混合灌区和清水灌区采集土壤和河流底泥样品共28个,参考EPA标准对样品进行处理和分析,研究了26种有机氯农药(OCPs)的残留及分布情况,探讨了有机氯农药含量与总有机碳(TOC)以及有机氯农药组分之间的相关性.结果表明:从污水灌区到清水灌区有机氯农药的总量上并未出现明显递减的趋势,土壤和河流底泥中残留的有机氯农药主要是滴滴涕(DDTs)、六六六(HCHs)和六氯苯(HCB)类,三者占有机氯农药残留总量的97.89%.OCPs质量分数平均值为36.18 ng·g-1,其中DDTs占OCPs的72.85%,大部分样品中DDT与DDE+DDD的质量分数之比都小于1,说明这些土壤和河流底泥中DDTs主要来自历史残留物.同时,除了两个样品外,其它样品的α-HCH/γ-HCH比值均小于1,平均值为0.63,表明林丹是这些采样点中HCH的主要新的污染源.沉积物中TOC、DDTs、HCHs和HCB类农药含量与有机氯农药总含量之间显著相关,在决定有机氯农药含量和分布上起着重要的作用.     

典型污染区农业土壤中PAHs的分布、来源及生态风险

采用同位素稀释气相色谱-质谱（GC/MS）分析了路桥农业表层土壤中16种优控PAHs的含量,并对其分布、来源及生态风险进行了分析.结果表明,土壤中16种PAHs的检出率达到100%,其总含量范围为52.3~991 μg·kg-1,与土壤有机碳显著相关（p < 0.01）.PAHs组成特征表明,路桥土壤中以高环PAHs为主.PAHs（除Nap、Acy和Fl）间呈显著相关（r > 0.7,p < 0.01）,表明采样区PAHs污染来源具有一定的相似性.同分异构体比值和因子分析表明,路桥农业土壤中PAHs主要来源于煤和生物质的燃烧.土样中16 PAHs的毒性当量浓度（TEQBaP）介于4.61~164 μg·kg-1之间,7种致癌性PAHs对总TEQBaP的贡献达99%.在35%的土样中,10种PAHs的总TEQBaP超过荷兰土壤目标参考值,表明路桥部分农业土壤存在潜在的生态风险.     

Effects of free iron oxyhydrates and soil organic matter on copper sorption-desorption behavior by size fractions of aggregates from two paddy soils

Effects of free iron oxyhydrates (Fed) and soil organic matter (SOM) on copper (Cu2+) sorption-desorption behavior by size fractions of aggregates from two typical paddy soils (Ferric-Accumulic Stagnic Anthrosol (Soil H) and Gleyic Stagnic Anthrosol (Soil W)) were investigated with and without treatment of dithionite-citrate-bicarbonate and of H2O2. The size fractions of aggregates were obtained from the undisturbed bulk topsoil using a low energy ultrasonic dispersion procedure. Experiments of equilibrium sorption and subsequent desorption were conducted at soil water ratio of 1:20, 25℃. For Soil H, Cu2+ sorption capacity of the DCB-treated size fractions was decreased by 5.9% for fine sand fraction, by 40.4% for coarse sand fraction, in comparison to 2.9% for the bulk sample. However, Cu2+ sorption capacities of the H2O2-treated fractions were decreased by over 80% for the coarse sand fraction and by 15% for the clay-sized fraction in comparison to 88% for bulk soil. For Soil W, Cu2+ sorption capacity of the DCB-treated size fraction was decreased by 30% for the coarse sand fraction and by over 75% for silt sand fraction in comparison to 44.5% for the bulk sample. Cu2+ sorption capacities of the H2O2-treated fractions were decreased by only 2.0% for the coarse sand fraction and by 15% for the fine sand fraction in comparison to by 3.4% for bulk soil. However, Cu2+ desorption rates were increased much in H2O2-treated samples by over 80% except the clay-sized fraction (only 9.5%) for Soil H. While removal of SOM with H2O2 tendend to increase desorption rate, DCB- and H2O2-treatments caused decrease in Cu2+ retention capacity of size fractions. Particularly, there hardly remained Cu2+ retention capacity by size fractions from Soil H after H2O2 treatment except for clay-sized fraction. These findings supported again the dominance of the coarse sand fraction in sorption of metals and the preference of absorbed metals bound to SOM in differently stabilized status among the size fractions. Thus, enrichment and turnover of SOM in paddy soils may have great effects on metal retention and chemical mobility in paddy soils.     

Stability of soil organic carbon changes in successive rotations of Chinese fir （Cunninghamia lanceolata （Lamb.） Hook） plantations

The importance of soil organic carbon (SOC) under forests in the global carbon cycle depends on the stability of the soil carbon and its availability to soil microbial biomass. We investigated the e ects of successive rotations of Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook) plantations on the stability of SOC and its availability to microbes by adopting the two-step hydrolysis with H2SO4 and density fractionation. The results showed that successive rotations of Chinese fir decreased the quantity of total SOC, recalcitrant fraction, and carbohydrates in Labile Pool I (LP I), and microbial properties evidently, especially at 0–10 cm horizon. However, cellulose included in Labile Pool II (LP II) and the cellulose/total carbohydrates ratio increased in successive rotations of Chinese fir. The noncellulose of carbohydrates included in LP I maybe highly available to soil microbial biomass. Hence the availability of SOC to microbial biomass declined over the successive rotations. Although there was no significant change in recalcitrance of SOC over the successive rotations of Chinese fir, the percentage of heavy fraction to total SOC increased, suggesting that the degree of physical protection for SOC increased and SOC became more stable over the successive rotations. The degradation of SOC quality in successive rotation soils may be attributed to worse environmental conditions resulted from disturbance that related to “slash and burn” site preparation. Being highly correlated with soil microbial properties, the cellulose/total carbohydrates ratio as an e ective indicator of changes in availability of SOC to microbial biomass brought by management practices in forest soils.