Michael Cahn

Relationship between root elongation rate and diameter and duration of growth of lateral roots of maize

The objective of this work was to describe the relationship between elongation rate and diameter of maize roots and to estimate the length and growth duration of lateral roots of maize. Diameters and elongation rates of roots were measuredin situ on plants grown 5 weeks in small rhizotrons under greenhouse conditions. At the end of the experimental period the roots were harvested and diameters of axile and lateral roots were measured. The frequency distribution of diameters of harvested roots was bimodal with a minimum at 0.6 mm; 97% of axile roots were larger than this value and 98% of the lateral roots were smaller. Root elongation per day increased as diameter increased but the slope of the relationship with lateral roots was about 2.5 times that with axile roots when separate linear regressions were fitted to the two populations. The length of lateral roots found on axillary roots between the base and about 30 cm from the apex was approximately 2.2 cm. All of the data was consistent with the hypothesis that the lateral roots grew for about 2.5 days and then ceased growing. The axillary roots continued to grow throughout the experimental period at a rate of about 3 cm day−1.

Fate of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in field-inoculated lettuce.

Impact of drip and overhead sprinkler irrigation on the persistence of attenuated Escherichia coli O157:H7 in the lettuce phyllosphere was investigated using a split-plot design in four field trials conducted in the Salinas Valley, California, between summer 2007 and fall 2009. Rifampicin-resistant attenuated E. coli O157:H7 ATCC 700728 (BLS1) was inoculated onto the soil beds after seeding with a backpack sprayer or onto 2- or 4-week-old lettuce plant foliage with a spray bottle at a level of 7 log CFU ml⁻¹. When E. coli O157:H7 was inoculated onto 2-week-old plants, the organism was recovered by enrichment in 1 of 120 or 0 of 240 plants at 21 or 28 days post-inoculation, respectively. For the four trials where inoculum was applied to 4-week-old plants, the population size of E. coli O157:H7 declined rapidly and by day 7, counts were near or below the limit of detection (10 cells per plant) for 82% or more of the samples. However, in 3 out 4 field trials E. coli O157:H7 was still detected in lettuce plants by enrichment 4-weeks post-inoculation. Neither drip nor overhead sprinkler irrigation consistently influenced the survival of E. coli O157:H7 on lettuce.

Nitrate sorption in the profile of an acid soil

Sorption of NOinf3sup−by different horizons of a highly weathered, acid tropical soil was measured in laboratory batch experiments. Sorption was found to increase with depth, ranging from small amounts in the 0–15 cm layer to amounts that would be roughly equivalent to 25 to 50% of the NOinf3sup−in the 90–120 cm layer at water and NOinf3sup−contents commonly found under field conditions. Calculations, based on sorption isotherms, demonstrated how sorption may be important for managing N in a tropical acid soil. Sorption of Cl− was also found in the range of 0.1 and 2.0 mol m−3. In this range of concentrations sorption of NOinf3sup−and chloride were found to be independent, suggesting that anion exchange sites were far from saturated.

Toxicity of anionic polyacrylamide formulations when used for erosion control in agriculture.

Addition of anionic polyacrylamide (PAM) to agricultural irrigation water can dramatically reduce erosion of soils. However, the toxicity of PAM to aquatic life, while often claimed to be low, has not been thoroughly evaluated. Five PAM formulations, including two oil-based products, one water-based product, one granular product and one tablet product, were evaluated for acute and/or chronic toxicity to five species commonly used for freshwater toxicity testing [Hyalella azteca (Saussure), Chironomus dilutus (Shobanov et al.), Ceriodaphnia dubia (Richard), Pimephales promelas (Rafinesque), and Selenastrum capricornutum (Printz)]. When applied as an oil-based product, acute toxicity was seen to four of the five species at concentrations less than the 10 mg/L that is often used for erosion control. Toxicity was diminished, but still remained, after passage of the irrigation water across an agricultural field, indicating a potential impact to nearby surface waters. Results from the non-oil-based products indicated minimal toxicity associated with PAM even at concentrations 10 times those used in agriculture when applied in the granular form, as a tablet, or in a water-based liquid. These data suggest that other agents in the oil-based products, such as surfactants or emulsifiers, rather than the PAM itself, contribute to the toxicity. Care is required in selecting an appropriate PAM formulation when the potential exists for entry of tailwater to nearby surface waters.

Cell size selection for site-specific crop management

For site-specific crop management (SSCM), fields are viewed as collections of small regions (cells) in which soil properties are nearly uniform. Inputs to the field are adjusted on a cell-by-cell basis. The selection of cell size is an important step in SSCM. In this article, a mean correlation distance (MCD) is developed by geostatistical analysis. The MCD can be used as the upper limit of cell size. A lower limit of cell size is also considered. A sample MCD determination for soil moisture and nitrate of one particular field is included.

Risk-Based Review of California’s Water-Recycling Criteria for Agricultural Irrigation

AbstractCalifornia currently recycles treated wastewater at a volume of approximately 8.0×108  m3 of water per year, with a potential to recycle an additional 1.9×109  m3 per year. A key challenge in promoting the expansion of water recycling for agricultural purposes was addressing the perceived concern about whether recycled water produced in conformance with California law is protective of public health. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) established an expert panel to consider the concern. The panel found, based on quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA), that the annualized median risks of infection for full tertiary treatment ranges from 10−8 to 10−4 (for human enteric viruses Cryptosporidium parvum and Giardia lamblia, and Escherichia coli O157:H7) based on the assumption of daily exposure. The panel found that risk estimates are consistent with previous CDPH estimates and concluded that current agricultural water recycling regulations do not measurably increase public health risk.

Transfer of Escherichia coli O157:H7 from Simulated Wildlife Scat onto Romaine Lettuce during Foliar Irrigation

A field trial in Salinas Valley, California, was conducted during July 2011 to quantify the microbial load that transfers from wildlife feces onto nearby lettuce during foliar irrigation. Romaine lettuce was grown using standard commercial practices and irrigated using an impact sprinkler design. Five grams of rabbit feces was spiked with 1.29 × 10(8) CFU of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and placed - 3, - 2, and - 1 days and immediately before a 2-h irrigation event. Immediately after irrigation, 168 heads of lettuce ranging from ca. 23 to 69 cm (from 9 to 27 in.) from the fecal deposits were collected, and the concentration of E. coli O157:H7 was determined. Thirty-eight percent of the collected lettuce heads had detectable E. coli O157:H7, ranging from 1 MPN to 2.30 × 10(5) MPN per head and a mean concentration of 7.37 × 10(3) MPN per head. Based on this weighted arithmetic mean concentration of 7.37 × 10(3) MPN of bacteria per positive head, only 0.00573% of the original 5 g of scat with its mean load of 1.29 × 10(8) CFU was transferred to the positive heads of lettuce. Bacterial contamination was limited to the outer leaves of lettuce. In addition, factors associated with the transfer of E. coli O157:H7 from scat to lettuce were distance between the scat and lettuce, age of scat before irrigation, and mean distance between scat and the irrigation sprinkler heads. This study quantified the transfer coefficient between scat and adjacent heads of lettuce as a function of irrigation. The data can be used to populate a quantitative produce risk assessment model for E. coli O157:H7 in romaine lettuce to inform risk management and food safety policies.

Amelioration of subsoil acidity in an Oxisol of the humid tropics

SummaryThis work investigated the effectsof amendments of fertilizer N and lime on subsoil acidity and maize rooting depth in an acid soil of the central Amazon basin. A split-plot designed field experiment was conducted on a clayey Oxisol (Typic Acrudox) during a 16-month period. Main plots received 0 or 4 Mt ha-1 of lime. Subplots were four crop sequences: (1) Maize-green manure (Canavalia ensiformes); (2) maize-green manure (Mucuna aterrima); (3) maize-bare fallow, with the maize receiving 300 kg ha-1 of urea-N; and (4) bare fallow, with an application of 300 kg ha-1 of urea-N at the same time as sequence 3. Plots were periodically sampled to 1.2 m. The experimental site received 4265 mm of precipitation during 16 months; approximately 60%–90% of this rain percolated through the profile. Substantial amounts of Ca were leached from the 0–30 cm horizon during the experimental period, but only limited amounts accumulated in the subsoil. Base saturation below 45 cm was less than 50% at the end of the experiment regardless of lime treatment. Roots of maize were concentrated in the 0–30 cm layers in limed plots and the 0–20 cm layers in unlimed plots. In all treatments less than 5% of the roots was found below 50 cm. An acidity balance indicated that considerable acidity was leached below the plow layer and out of the profile.

A robust method for estimating soil properties in unsampled cells

For site-specific crop management (SSCM), fields are viewed as collections of small regions (cells) in which soil properties are nearly uniform. A field information system (FIS) can be used to store soil fertility data and to create application rate maps on a cell-by-cell basis. A data blocking procedure was developed to convert soil sample data into a new data set in which one value represents the soil property in each cell. A nonparametric distance-weighting algorithm was developed which produced about the same estimation errors as a kriging method, but was much faster. Example applications of the data blocking procedure to KC1 extractable nitrate and soil organic matter data are included.

An integrated vegetated ditch system reduces chlorpyrifos loading in agricultural runoff

Agricultural runoff containing toxic concentrations of the organophosphate pesticide chlorpyrifos has led to impaired water body listings and total maximum daily load restrictions in Californias central coast watersheds. Chlorpyrifos use is now tightly regulated by the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board. This study evaluated treatments designed to reduce chlorpyrifos in agricultural runoff. Initial trials evaluated the efficacy of 3 different drainage ditch installations individually: compost filters, granulated activated carbon (GAC) filters, and native grasses in a vegetated ditch. Treatments were compared to bare ditch controls, and experiments were conducted with simulated runoff spiked with chlorpyrifos at a 1.9 L/s flow rate. Chlorpyrifos concentrations and toxicity to Ceriodaphnia dubia were measured at the input and output of the system. Input concentrations of chlorpyrifos ranged from 858 ng/L to 2840 ng/L. Carbon filters and vegetation provided the greatest load reduction of chlorpyrifos (99% and 90%, respectively). Toxicity was completely removed in only one of the carbon filter trials. A second set of trials evaluated an integrated approach combining all 3 treatments. Three trials were conducted each at 3.2 L/s and 6.3 L/s flow rates at input concentrations ranging from 282 ng/L to 973 ng/L. Chlorpyrifos loadings were reduced by an average of 98% at the low flow rate and 94% at the high flow rate. Final chlorpyrifos concentrations ranged from nondetect (<50 ng/L) to 82 ng/L. Toxicity to C. dubia was eliminated in 3 of 6 integrated trials. Modeling of the ditch and its components informed design alterations that are intended to eventually remove up to 100% of pesticides and sediment. Future work includes investigating the adsorption capacity of GAC, costs associated with GAC disposal, and real-world field trials to further reduce model uncertainties and confirm design optimization. Trials with more water-soluble pesticides such as neonicotinoids are also recommended. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2017;13:423-430.