Sonoko Dorothea Bellingrath-Kimura

Growth and 137Cs uptake of four Brassica species influenced by inoculation with a plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium Bacillus pumilus in three contaminated farmlands in Fukushima prefecture, Japan

The effectiveness of the plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium Bacillus pumilus regarding growth promotion and radiocesium ((137)Cs) uptake was evaluated in four Brassica species grown on different (137)Cs contaminated farmlands at Fukushima prefecture in Japan from June to August 2012. B. pumilus inoculation did not enhance growth in any of the plants, although it resulted in a significant increase of (137)Cs concentration and higher (137)Cs transfer from the soil to plants. The Brassica species exhibited different (137)Cs uptake abilities in the order Komatsuna>turnip>mustard>radish. TF values of (137)Cs ranged from 0.018 to 0.069 for all vegetables. Komatsuna possessed the largest root surface area and root volume, and showed a higher (137)Cs concentration in plant tissue and higher (137)Cs TF values (0.060) than the other vegetables. Higher (137)Cs transfer to plants was prominent in soil with a high amount of organic matter and an Al-vermiculite clay mineral type.

Estimating agro-ecosystem carbon balance of northern Japan, and comparing the change in carbon stock by soil inventory and net biome productivity

Soil C sequestration in croplands is deemed to be one of the most promising greenhouse gas mitigation options for agriculture. We have used crop-level yields, modeled heterotrophic respiration (Rh) and land use data to estimate spatio-temporal changes in regional scale net primary productivity (NPP), plant C inputs, and net biome productivity (NBP) in northern Japans arable croplands and grasslands for the period of 1959-2011. We compared the changes in C stocks derived from estimated NBP and using repeated inventory datasets for each individual land use type from 2005 to 2011. For the entire study region of 2193 ha, overall annual plant C inputs to the soil constituted 37% of total region NPP. Plant C inputs in upland areas (excluding bush/fallow) could be predicted by climate variables. Overall NBP for all land use types increased from -1.26MgCha(-1)yr(-1) in 1959-0.26 Mg Cha(-1)yr(-1) in 2011. However, upland and paddy fields showed a decreased in NBP over the period of 1959-2011, under the current C input scenario. From 1988, an increase in agricultural abandonment (bush/fallow) and grassland cover caused a slow increase in the regional C pools. The comparison of carbon budgets using the NBP estimation method and the soil inventory method indicated no significant difference between the two methods. Our results showed C loss in upland crops, paddy fields and sites that underwent land use change from paddy field to upland sites. We also show C gain in grassland from 2005 to 2011. An underestimation of NBP or an overestimation of repeated C inventories cannot be excluded, but either method may be suitable for tracking absolute changes in soil C, considering the uncertainty associated with these methods.

Influence of Different Plant Materials in Combination with Chicken Manure on Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Contents and Vegetable Yield

Abstract The use of plant materials as soil amendments is an uncommon practice amongst major farming communities in Ghana, although it is necessary for soil fertility improvement. An examination of the effects of soil amendments is necessary to encourage the use of under-utilized organic resources in Ghana. Thus, a field experiment was conducted using 8 different tropical plant materials mixed with chicken manure as soil amendments for growth of tomato as a test crop. The plant materials included Leucaena leucocephala, Centrosema pubescens, Sesbania sesban, Gliricidia sepium, Mucuna pruriens, Pueraria phaseoloides, Azadirachta indica, and Theobroma cacao. There were two other treatments: one with equivalent amounts of chemical fertilizers and the other with no-fertilizer input (control). Plant materials were mixed with chicken manure to obtain a uniform carbon-to-nitrogen (C:N) ratio of 5:1. Except the no-fertilizer control, all treatments received the same amount of nitrogen (N). To clarify the decomposition pattern of the plant materials in soil, an incubation experiment was conducted using only the plant materials before the field experiment. The Gliricidia treatment released significantly more mineral N than the other plant materials in the incubation experiment. However, the tomato fruit yield was not enhanced in the Gliricidia treatment in the field experiment. The known quality parameters of the tested plant materials, such as total N, total carbon (C), C:N ratio, and total polyphenols, had minimal effects on their mineralization dynamics. Azadirachta showed the best synergistic effect with chicken manure through significantly increasing soil microbial biomass and fruit yield of tomato. This result provides insights into the possible adoption of Azadirachta in combination with chicken manure as a soil amendment in small-scale agricultural holdings.

Within field spatial variation in methane emissions from lowland rice in Myanmar

An assessment of within field spatial variations in grain yield and methane (CH4) emission was conducted in lowland rice fields of Myanmar. Two successive rice fields (1st field and 2nd field) were divided into fertilized and non-fertilized parts and CH4 measurements were conducted at the inlet, middle and outlet positions of each field. The results showed that CH4 emissions at non-fertilized parts were higher than those at fertilized part in both rice fields. The average CH4 emissions ranged from 8.7 to 26.6 mg m-2 h-1 in all positions in both rice fields. The spatial variation in CH4 emission among the positions was high in both rice fields with the highest emissions in the outlet of the 1st field and the inlet of the 2nd field. The CH4 emissions at these two positions showed 2 - 2.5 times higher than those at other positions in both rice fields. Stepwise regression analysis indicates that soil total carbon content is the primary factor for CH4 emission. The average CH4 emissions during rice growing season were 13.5 mg m-2 h-1 for the 1st field and 15.7 mg m-2 h-1 for the 2nd field. Spearman rank order correlation analysis showed that CH4 emission was significantly and positively correlated with soil temperature, surface water depth and negatively correlated with soil redox potential. The result indicated that high within field spatial variation in CH4 emissions required different site specific management practices to mitigate CH4 emissions in lowland paddy rice soil.

Growth and 137Cs uptake and accumulation among 56 Japanese cultivars of Brassica rapa, Brassica juncea and Brassica napus grown in a contaminated field in Fukushima: Effect of inoculation with a Bacillus pumilus strain

Fifty six local Japanese cultivars of Brassica rapa (40 cultivars), Brassica juncea (10 cultivars) and Brassica napus (6 cultivars) were assessed for variability in growth and (137)Cs uptake and accumulation in association with a Bacillus pumilus strain. Field trial was conducted at a contaminated farmland in Nihonmatsu city, in Fukushima prefecture. Inoculation resulted in different responses of the cultivars in terms of growth and radiocesium uptake and accumulation. B. pumilus induced a significant increase in shoot dry weight in 12 cultivars that reached up to 40% in one B. rapa and three B. juncea cultivars. Differences in radiocesium uptake were observed between the cultivars of each Brassica species. Generally, inoculation resulted in a significant increase in (137)Cs uptake in 22 cultivars, while in seven cultivars it was significantly decreased. Regardless of plant cultivar and bacterial inoculation, the transfer of (137)Cs to the plant shoots (TF) varied by a factor of up to 5 and it ranged from to 0.011 to 0.054. Five inoculated cultivars, showed enhanced shoot dry weights and decreased (137)Cs accumulations, among which two B. rapa cultivars named Bitamina and Nozawana had a significantly decreased (137)Cs accumulation in their shoots. Such cultivars could be utilized to minimize the entry of radiocesium into the food chain; however, verifying the consistency of their radiocesium accumulation in other soils is strongly required. Moreover, the variations in growth and radiocesium accumulation, as influenced by Bacillus inoculation, could help selecting well grown inoculated Brassica cultivars with low radiocesium accumulation in their shoots.

Influence of Gypsum Amendment on Methane Emission from Paddy Soil Affected by Saline Irrigation Water

To investigate the influence of gypsum application on methane (CH4) emission from paddy rice soil affected by saline irrigation water, two pot experiments with the rice cultivation were conducted. In pot experiment (I), salinity levels 30 mMNaCl (S30) and 90 mMNaCl (S90), that showed maximum and minimum CH4 production in an incubation experiment, respectively, were selected and studied without and with application of 1 Mg gypsum ha-1(G1). In pot experiment (II), CH4 emission was investigated under different rates of gypsum application: 1 (G1), 2.5 (G2.5) and 5 (G5) Mg gypsum ha-1 under a non-saline and saline condition of 25 mMNaCl (S25). In experiment (I), the smallest CH4 emission was observed in S90. Methane emission in S30 was not significantly different with the non-saline control. The addition of gypsum showed significant lower CH4 emission in saline and non-saline treatments compared with non-saline control. In experiment (II), the CH4 emissions in the saline treatments were not significantly different to the non-saline treatments except S25-G5. However, our work has shown that gypsum can lower CH4 emissions under saline and non-saline conditions. Thus, gypsum can be used as a CH4 mitigation option in non-saline as well as in saline conditions.

Relations of fine-root morphology on 137Cs uptake by fourteen Brassica species

Fourteen Brassica species consisting of seven leafy vegetables and seven root vegetables were examined for (137)Cs uptake differences in relation to their fine-root morphological characters. A pot experiment was conducted from November 2014 to February 2015 in a Phytroton using a contaminated soil of Fukushima prefecture. Leafy vegetables showed bigger root diameters, larger root surface area and larger root volume. Consequently, leafy vegetables had higher (137)Cs uptake compared to root vegetables. Among the three fine-root parameters, only root surface area was observed as a significant contributing factor to higher (137)Cs uptake in terms of transfer factor (TF, dry weight basis). Kakina exhibited higher (137)Cs TF value (0.20) followed by Chinese cabbage (0.18) and mizuna (0.17). Lower TF values were observed in turnip (0.059), rutabaga (Kitanoshou) (0.062) and radish (Ha daikon) (0.064).

Characterization of 140 Japanese and world rice collections cultivated in Nihonmatsu-city in Fukushima in terms of radiocesium activity concentrations in seed grains and straws to explore rice cultivars with low radiocesium accumulation

We studied varietal difference in radiocesium accumulation by using Japanese and World rice collection for future development of low accumulation varieties. As a result, the radiocesium activity concentration varied by 12- and 22-fold in seed grains and straws, respectively. When we examined the seed grain to straw ratio of radiocesium activity concentration, paddy rice cultivars of Japonica sub-species showed a lower result than Indica and Javanica paddy rice cultivars. These observations suggest that the Japonica paddy rice cultivars may have the property of repressing radioactive cesium translocation to edible parts.

Short-Term Effects of Differentiated Tillage on Dry Matter Production and Grain Yield of Autumn and Spring Sown Grain Legumes Grown Monocropped and Intercropped with Cereal Grains in Organic Farming

Abstract Conservation tillage techniques offer considerably reduced soil erosion and improved soil structure but they are rarely used in organic farming systems due to the potentially increased weed pressure. For the use in the transition period to conservation tillage in organic farming, this study investigated the dry matter production, weed suppression and grain yield of winter and spring faba bean (Vicia faba L.), field pea (Pisum sativum L.) and spring narrow-leafed lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L.), monocropped and intercropped with winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.; winter crops) and oats (Avena sativa L.; spring crops). The different species were grown in no-tillage, reduced tillage and plough tillage systems at three sites in south-eastern Germany. In the no-tillage system the winter field pea grain yields of up to 3.39 Mg ha–1 were similar to the plough tillage system. For spring faba bean and field pea the yield in the reduced tillage system amounted to 2.92 and 3.29 Mg ha–1, respectively which was similar to the plough tillage system, but exceeded not 2.15 Mg ha–1 in the no-tillage system. Narrow-leafed lupin displayed consistently yields below 0.65 Mg ha–1 in the no-tillage system. Normal leafed winter field pea appeared best suited for the transition period to an organic no-tillage system due to the autumn seeding and its high competitive ability. Spring faba bean and field pea can be grown successfully in the reduced tillage system. Intercropping can increase the total grain yield and weed competition as long as sufficient soil nitrogen resources are plant available.