EURASIAN JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE

238 – 244

Authors: Dina Nevidomskaya , Tatiana Minkina, Alexander Soldatov, Galina Motuzova, Yuliya Podkovyrina

XANES spectroscopy is an effective method for the study of bonds between metals and soil components. The study of structural organization in different soil samples and soil phases saturated with Cu2+ and Zn2+ ions by using XANES allowed determining the mechanism of their interaction with soil phases and all the chemical bindings taken place in the course of this process. Changes in the structure of the metal ion, in particular breakdown of the symmetry of electron orbits of atoms, take place due to interaction with soil components. Application of this method demonstrated that the state of copper and zinc introduced in chernozem as oxides did not change after one year of incubation. Copper is absorbed after being introduced as soluble salts, and copper ions are incorporated in the octahedral and tetrahedral sites of minerals and bonded with humic materials at the expense of covalent bond and the formation of coordination humate copper complexes. Zinc included into octahedric structures of layered minerals and hydro(oxides) can be inner-and outer-sphere adsorbed. It is shown that the action of the metal bound to soil components becomes weakened in case of increasing the Cu and Zn load (from 2000 to 10000 mg/kg) especially applied in the form of soluble salts. Extractive fractionation of metal compounds in chernozem samples, artificially contaminated with copper and zinc salts serves as evidence of absorbing the applied Cu2+ ions by the soil organic matter and Zn2+ ions – by silicates, carbonates, and Fe-Mn oxides.

254 – 259

Authors: Lucia Maderková, Jaroslav Antal, Ján Čimo

Because soil erosion which is caused by rain is also an important phenomenon in the Slovak Republic, higher emphasis is impute to research of water erosion caused by rain and that is why we proceeded to calculate the rain factor R. Based on data which were provided by the Slovak Hydrometeorological Insitute for 6 selected meteorological stations in Slovakia, we accomplished to the calculation of rain factor R. For the calculation we used the methodology by Wischmeier-Smith (1978) and results we comparing with the methodology of Hudson (KE> 1) and with already published values of the Research Institute of Soil Science and Conservation. We also created a line exceeded of probability from the calculated data, which gives us detailed information on the occurrence of the calculated R values 1 time per 100, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 year. On the basis of calculated data we created a distribution of R factor values for individual months of the growing season and found out that the highest percentage fall on the summer months June, July, August and by contrast the lowest to April and October, so it is necessary to impute emphasis to soil erosion control especially in summer months. Comparing the methodology of Hudson (KE>1) and methodology of Wischemeier-Smith, we found out that the Hudson methodology gives almost 2 times lower value of R-factor than with using the methodology of Wischmeier-Smith.

267 – 273

Authors: Oksana Naydyonova, Sviatoslav Baliuk

We studied the changes in the state of microbial cenosis of Ukraine’s chernozems under irrigation. Considerable part of Ukraine’s chernozems is located in the areas where humidification is insufficient and unstable. Irrigation is a soil-reclamation measure for chernozems of Ukrainian Forest-steppe and Steppe which enables getting the assured yield, especially vegetable and fodder crops. At the same time, irrigation is a powerful anthropogenic factor that affects the soil, causes a significant transformation of many of its properties and regimes including biological ones. Often these changes are negative. The purpose of our investigation was to identify changes in the state of microbial cenoses of chernozem soils under irrigation which depend on such factors as the quality of irrigation water, the duration and intensity of irrigation, the initial properties of soil, the structure of crop rotation, usage of fertilizing systems and agroameliorative techniques. We identified direction and evaluated a degree of changes in biological properties of chernozems under influence of irrigation in different agro-irrigational and soil-climatic conditions. In the long-term stationary field experiments we identified the following biological indices of irrigated soils and their non-irrigated analogues: a number of microorganisms which belong to main ecological-trophic groups, activity of soil enzymes (dehydrogenase, invertase, phenol oxidase), soil phytotoxic activity, cellulose destroying capacity of soil, indices of oligotrophy and mineralization, summary biological index (SBI) and index of biological degradation (BDI). Results of researches showed that irrigation unbalanced the soil ecosystem and stipulated the forming of microbial cenosis with new parameters. Long-term intensive irrigation of typical chernozem (Kharkiv Region) with fresh water under condition of 4-fields vegetable crop rotation led to the degradation changes of its microbial cenosis such as reduction the number of microorganisms and the diversity of fungi species, repression of cellulose destroying capacity, decrease invertase activity and the rate of humification, intensifying mineralization processes and soil toxicity increasing. Long-term irrigation of ordinary chernozem (Kharkiv Region) with fresh water in moderate regime under 7-field crop rotation including alfalfa caused no disturbances of microbial cenosis. In this case parameters of biological indices did not deviate from the level of its non-irrigated analogue. Irrigation with saline water causes more profound negative changes of microbial cenosis of chernozem, which not always can be corrected using agroameliorative techniques. Intensive irrigation with saline water with total mineralization from 1.2 to 2.2 g/l of ordinary chernozem (Odesa Region) for 13 years has led to a significant degradation changes in the structure and functioning of its microbial cenosis, its radical alteration such as oppression of microflora, decrease in the number of its main groups by 30 – 40 %, intensification of its mineralization function. Application of agroameliorative techniques (such as annually use of phosphogypsum 3 t/ha) or /and complex measures (phosphogypsum 3 t/ha annually + N150P90K60 + manure 18 t/ha of crop rotation)) enable to regulate of soil biodynamic processes and partially or completely eliminate the phenomena of biological degradation. It was stated that after the cessation of irrigation the degradation changes of ordinary chernozem’s biological properties caused by irrigation with saline water were gradually restored.

286 – 292

Authors: Sezai Delibacak, Ali Rıza Ongun, Sıdıka Ekren

The research was carried out in Akhisar environs where tobacco was very popular in the period of 2004-2005. In this study, 9 fields were selected which are known to show differences in terms of the quality and efficiency in the villages called Hacıosmanlar Arabacıbozköy, Dereköy, Mecidiye and Süleymanlı. In order to find out the differences caused by the efficiency, the some properties of soils were examined. The relationships between yield and quality of tobacco and some soil properties were determined by correlation tests. After two years of the study, total alkoloid (nicotine), total reducing sugar, total nitrogen, and raw ash were measured as 0.126-1.410%, 7.81-33.71%, 0.45-3.24 %, 8.49-30.01%, respectively. The yield and total reducing sugar were decreased by increasing bulk density as an important soil property. On the other side raw ash content of tobacco increased. It is recommended that low raw ash and high sugar content are required for tobacco quality. With this content, The yield and quality of tobacco can increase with taken some necessary measurement for decreasing bulk density. The nicotin content of tobacco increased with increasing available Mg, Na and Cu content in soil. On the other side, the raw ash content in tobacco decreased with increasing total salt and available Fe, Zn and Mn in soil. It was determined that there was a positif relationship between salt in soil and reducing sugar in soil which is another quality factor for tobacco. In the research, some results were reached as mentioned above. However, further studies must be carried out in the next years to determine relationships between soil properties and yield and quality of tobacco. It can be possible to improve yield and quality of tobacco with using these relations for producers.

303 – 310

Authors: Zsolt Kotroczó, Zsuzsa Veres, Borbála Biró, János Attila Tóth, István Fekete

The increasing temperature enhances soil respiration differently depend on different conditions (soil moisture, soil organic matter, the activity of soil microbes). It is an essential factor to predicting the effect of climate change on soil respiration. In a temperate deciduous forest (North-Hungary) we added or removal aboveground and belowground litter to determine total soil respiration. We investigated the relationship between total soil CO2 efflux, soil moisture and soil temperature. Soil CO2 efflux was measured at each plot using chamber based soil respiration measurements. We determined the temperature sensitivity of soil respiration. The effect of doubled litter was less than the effect of removal. We found that temperature was more influential in the control of soil respiration than soil moisture in litter removal treatments, particularly in the wetter root exclusion treatments (NR and NI) (R2: 0.49-0.61). Soil moisture (R2: 0.18-0.24) and temperature (R2: 0.18-0.20) influenced soil respiration similarly in treatments, where soil was drier (Control, Double Litter, Double Wood). A significantly greater increase in temperature induced higher soil respiration were significantly higher (2-2.5-fold) in root exclusion treatments, where soil was wetter throughout the year, than in control and litter addition treatments. The highest bacterial and fungal count was at the DL treatment but the differences is not significant compared to the Control. The bacterial number at the No Litter, No Root, No Input treatment was significantly lower at the Control. Similar phenomenon can be observed at the fungal too, but the differences are not significant. The results of soil respiration suggest that the soil aridity can reduce soil respiration increases with the temperature increase. Soil bacterial and fungal count results show the higher organic matter content and soil surface cover litter favors the activity.

157 – 162

Authors: Renata Wilma Vasconcelos, Vanessa dos Santos Gomes, Diego Rodrigues de Lucena, Orione Alvares da Silva, Anaonio Cicero Sousa, Alexandre Fonseca D'Andrea

Mangrove ecosystems are of great environmental significance, because of their fragility and role in feeding and breeding various animal species. In northeastern Brazil, the disorderly occupation of estuarine areas and the urban sprawl have led to a considerable loss of the original area occupied by mangroves. In the municipality of Cabedelo, State of Paraíba, there are about 4,900 ha of remnant mangrove areas in the estuarine complex of the Paraíba River. However, information about the attributes of mangrove soils at this location is quite scarce. The aim of this study was to quantify the soil organic matter and soil acidity in mangroves located in the estuary of the Paraíba River, State of Paraíba, Brazil, in order to increase the database of soil attributes in this region. The study area is in local influence of the Restinga de Cabedelo National Forest (Flona), an environmental conservation unit of the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation. For the choice of sampling points, we considered an area that receives direct influence of the eviction of domestic and industrial effluents. The soil of the study area is an “Organossolo Háplico” in Brazilian Soil Classification (Histosol), and was sampled at four point sites: one upstream of the effluent discharge (P1), one in the watercourse receiving effluent water (P2), one downstream of the effluent discharge (P3) and another near Flona (P4), at 0-20 and 20-40 cm, in four replications in time (28/08/2012 in the morning and afternoon, and 21/01/2013 in the morning and afternoon). Potential acidity, pH and soil organic matter (SOM) were determined. No significant differences were detected in the potential acidity of the four collection sites, which ranged from 0.38 to 0.45 cmolc dm-3. Soil pH was greatest at point P4 (7.0) and lowest at point P1 (5.8). The SOM was highest at point P1 (86.4 %) and lowest at P2 (77.9 %). The attributes related to soil acidity were not sensitive to indicate differences in the environments we evaluated, and seem not to indicate the contamination of mangroves by discharge of sewage into water bodies that border these environments. The high organic matter content of soils in the mangrove may have helped avoid significant fluctuations in soil acidity, because of the large buffering capacity.

172 – 181

Authors: David Pinskiy, Anastasiya Maltseva, Berta Zolotareva

The influence of the composition and properties of the mineral matrix in soils on the humification of corn residues was studied. The substrate (silica sand, loam, silica sand + 10% bentonite, or silica sand + 30% kaolinite) was mixed with 10% corn residues (milled to 3–5 mm) and incubated under stationary conditions for 6–19 months. Sampling for the analysis was performed every month, and a few times in the first month. The dynamics of mineralization and humification of plant residues was studied by applying elemental and bulk analyses of neogenic organic matter (OM), densitometric fractionation of substrates, FTIR spectroscopy, solid-phase 13C-NMR spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy with an electron microprobe. It was shown that the humification processes had a wavelike character for loam and sand substrates, which could be explained by the transformation of the microorganism populations together with the change in the amount and quality of OM in the system. The main mechanism for the stabilization of neogenic OM was adsorption on a mineral matrix with formation of relatively resistant compounds. This adsorption can be selective, depending on the composition and properties of the mineral matrix. The FTIR and 13C-NMR analyses of OM distribution in different substrates and densitometric fractions showed that sand and heavy fractions (HF >2.2 g/cm3) were enriched with compounds of an aromatic nature and polypeptides. Light fractions (LF-2, 1.4–2.2 g/cm3) accumulated compounds that also contained alkyl and carboxyl groups. The sandy substrate and HF have higher aromaticity indices than LF-2. Higher aromaticity index values of humus substances in the sandy substrate and HF in the loamy substrate, compared to LF-2, evidenced the formation of steady aromatic compounds, in which there may be kernels of humic acids (HA). We do not exclude the possibility of the matrix synthesis of the HA-like substances.

189 – 196

Authors: Guadalupe D. Calalang, Laurent Bock, Gilles Colinet

The study was conducted in the crop production areas of Miarayon Village, along the volcanic footslope of Mt. Kalatungan, Talakag, Bukidnon, Philippines. The elevation range of the longitudinal toposequence is 1,900 to 1,300 m asl. Production areas in the intermediate part of the toposequence (Salsalan) are located at about 1,600 to 1,400 m asl and in the lower part (Mambuaw) at 1,400 to 1,300 m asl. A total of 24 plots (12 in each location) which were planted to potatoes, carrots and corn were investigated. Soils are “Andic” Cambisol in open and convex positions and “Andic” Umbrisol in concave positions and toeslopes. The soil pH values ranged from 5.0-5.9. TOC and TN content were medium to high (4.1-8.9% and 0.30-0.80% respectively) with C/N ratios from 8-15. Range values of available Ca, Mg, K and Na were 1.9-11.24, 0.16-2.14 and 0.20-1.13, 0.04-0.13 cmol+kg-1, respectively. Top soil horizon exchangeable Al in Mambuaw was higher than in Salsalan. The differences in TN, C/N ratio and available K levels between the two locations were very highly significant, TOC was highly significant and for soil pH and available Ca and sum of bases, their disparities were significant. Available Mg and Na did not differ between the two sites. Mean potato yield in Salsalan was 8.97 tha-1 more than in Mambuaw. Mean carrot yield in Salsalan was 2.39 tha-1 lesser than in Mambuaw. Mean corn yield in Salsalan was higher than in Mambuaw by 0.29 tha-1 only. Correlations between potato yields with TOC, TN, and available Ca were highly significant while soil pH and K were significant. There was no relationship detected between potato yields and Mg and Na. There was no association detected between carrot yields with topsoil nutrient levels. Correlations were noted in corn yields with available Ca, Mg and K.

206 – 211

Authors: Jan Horak, Dusan Igaz, Elena Kondrlova

Tillage systems have impact on soil properties, crop growth and through this directly and indirectly influence the cropland CO2 emission and therefore the global warming. In Slovakia, the wider adoption of conservation practices has barriers such as large acreage of compacted soils, the absence of detailed regionalization of suitable soils for such practices and the scientific evaluation of its application on sustainable soil productivity and environment protection. This study evaluated the short-termeffect of conventional tillage (CT) and reduced tillage (RT) with (N1) and without (N0) N fertilizer application on soil CO2 emission from cropland planted with a red clover (Trifoliumpratense) during 40 days in 2013 on a tillage field experiment initiated in 1994. CO2 flux, soil temperature, and soil water contentwere monitored during the studied period in western Slovakia.Results of this study showed that there wasn’t significant difference (p< 0.05) in soil CO2 between conventional tillage and reduced tillage for both, not fertilized and fertilized plots. Averaged 40 days CO2 emissions were greater in reduced tillage as compared to conventional tillage for both fertilization levels. A linear regression between CO2 emission and soil temperature in conventionally and reduced tilled plots showed that soil temperature (r = 0.88-0.94; P <0.05) and not the soil moisture was a controlling factor. The highest CO2 emission were recorded on the CT and RT plots during the first two weeks after tillage, showing that the tillage resulted in a rapid physical release of CO2.

220 – 229

Authors: Liudmila N. Plekhanova

Studies on paleosols under an archaeological landmark of a rare type (a complex of kurgans with “whiskers”) dating from the Early Iron Age (the fourth century AD) have been performed in the steppe zone of the Transural Plateau. The size and shape of third-order soil polygons under stony ridges (“whiskers”) between the kurgans have been described in detail. The results have shown that the paleosol under the kurgans erected at the turn of the Late Sarmatian and Hun times (1600 years ago) is characterized by a higher humus content and deeper location of the carbonate horizon, compared to the recent soil. This indicates that an increase in atmospheric humidity took place in the fourth century AD.

89 – 94

Authors: Amrakh I. Mamedov

In arid and semi-arid zones with a short water resources studying the effects of water quality on soil water retention and structure is important for the development of effective soil and water conservation and management practices. Three water qualities (electrical conductivity, EC ~ 2, 100 and 500 μS cm-1 with a low SAR representing rain, canal-runoff and irrigation water respectively) and semi-arid loam and clay soils were tested to evaluate an effect of soil texture and water quality on water retention, and aggregate and structure stability using the high energy moisture characteristic (HEMC) method. The water retention curves obtained by the HEMC method were characterized by the modified van Genuchten (1980) model that provides (i) model parameters α and n, which represent the location (of the inflection point) and the steepness of the S-shaped water retention curve respectively, and (ii) a volume of drainable pores (VDP), which is an indicator for the quantity of water released by the tested sample over the range of suction studied, and modal suction (MS), which corresponds to the most frequent pore sizes, and soil structure index, SI =VDP/MS. Generally (i) treatments significantly affected the shape of the water retention curves (α and n) and (ii) contribution of soil type, water EC, and wetting rate and their interaction had considerable effect on the stability induces and model parameters. Most of changes due to the water quality and wetting condition were in the range of matric potential (ψ), 1.2-2.4; and 2.4-5.0 J kg-1 (pore size 125-250 μm and 60-125 μm). The VDP, SI and α increased, and MS and n decreased with the increase in clay content, water EC and the decrease in rate of aggregate wetting. The SI increased exponentially with the increase in VDP, and with the decrease in MS. Contribution of water EC on stability indices and model parameters was not linear and was soil dependent, and could be more valuable at medium water EC. Effect of wetting rate was more pronounced at low water EC. Results indicate that effectiveness of water EC in the field condition has no simple outcome on water retention and soil structure, and that its application should consider and be adjusted to soil properties and condition, such as soil texture, and moisture content and solution EC. Detailed contribution of treatments on structure induces and model parameters are discussed in the paper.

101 – 107

Authors: Betty Natalie Fitriatin, Anny Yuniarti, Tien Turmuktini, Fadilah Kennedy Ruswandi

Ultisol is soil that have problem of soil acidity, low organic matter and low available macro nutrient in particularly low P availability. This is only small part of phosphorus is available for plant because most of the phosphate was still present in the soil were fixed by soil colloids. Some soil microbes are known phosphate solubilizing microbes have capability to dissolve phosphate that transform of P fixed into the soluble P. The field experiment conducted at Jatinangor, West Java Indonesia to determine the effect of PSM on phosphate solubility, growth and yield of maize and phosphorus fertilizer efficiency. Design experiment of Randomized Block Design (RBD) was used in field experiment, consisted of two factors and three replications. Phosphate solubilizing microbe as the first factor consisted four levels i.e without, phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB), phosphate solubilizing fungi (PSF), mixture of PSB and PSF. While the second factor was P fertilizer consists five levels (0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% doses of recomendation). The results of the field experiment showed that application of phosphate solubilizing microbes significantly improve the yield of maize in Ultisol Jatinangor, but did not significantly affect on soil P, available soil P, phosphatase and P uptake of plants. Application of a mixture of PSB and PSF better effect on soil available P and yield of maize. Phospate fertilizer dosing at a dose of 25 % , 50 % , 75 % and 100 % recommendations increased available soil P. Fertilizer of P could inhibit the activity of phosphatases. Phosphate fertilizer with dose 50 % recommendation gave better effect on soil P and yield of maize.

116 – 122

Authors: Ekaterina Ivanova, Natalia Chizhikova

Cyanobacteria and actinomycetes are essential components of soil microbial community and play an active role in ash elements leaching from minerals of the parent rock. Content and composition of clay minerals in soil determine the sorption properties of the soil horizons, water-holding capacity of the soil, stickiness, plasticity, etc. The transformative effect of cyanobacterial–actinomycetes associations on the structure of clay minerals – kaolinite, vermiculite, montmorillonite, biotite and muscovite – was observed, with the greatest structural lattice transformation revealed under the influence of association in comparison with monocultures of cyanobacterium and actinomycete. The range of the transformative effect depended both on the type of biota (component composition of association) and on the crystal–chemical parameters of the mineral itself (trioctahedral mica – biotite, was more prone to microbial degradation than the dioctahedral – muscovite). The formation of the swelling phase – the product of biotite transformation into the mica–vermicullite mixed-layered formation was revealed as a result of association cultivation. Crystal chemical transformation of vermiculite was accompanied by the removal of potassium (К), magnesium (Mg) and aluminum (Al) from the crystal lattice. The study of such prokaryotic communities existed even in the early stages of the Earth's history helps to understand the causes and nature of the transformations undergone by the atmosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere of the planet.contribution of treatments on structure induces and model parameters are discussed in the paper.

131 – 137

Authors: Jordana Ninkov, Jovica Vasin, Stanko Milic, Petar Sekulic,Tijana Zeremski, Slobodan Milenkovic

This research studied the copper content of vineyard soils as affected by the long-term use of copper-based fungicides. The soil samples were taken from individual vineyards located in the central region of Serbia, from two depths: 0-30 and 30-60 cm. At the same time, at each site, control samples were collected from a nearby forest in order to determine the background concentrations. The pseudototal (CuT) and available (CuEDTA) copper content were analysed in 60 soil samples in total, 46 of which represented vineyard soils and 14 control samples. The maximum value of copper was 200.1 mg/kg of pseudototal and 82.1 mg/kg of available copper. Comparison of the copper content in vineyards to the background concentrations of control samples clearly confirmed anthropogenic influence. Out of 46 vineyard soil samples, about one half (22 of them) had the CuT concentration above the critical level of 60 mg/kg. Eleven samples had the pseudototal content over the MAC of 100 mg/kg. Anthropogenic influence was also confirmed on the basis of copper bioavailability and copper distribution along the soil profile. Available content of over 50 mg/kg was found in 8 out of 46 analysed samples of vineyard soils. According to the percentage contribution of available CuEDTA to pseudototalCuT, half of the samples were above 36%, which is potentially phytotoxic. The concentration of copper was the highest in the surface layer in the vineyard soil samples. A check of the background Cu levels has shown that the distribution of CuT and CuEDTA is uniform throughout the soil profile. Data from some of the analysed plots indicate that the process of erosion is under way at the site. The soil on lower-lying terrain has been found to be more exposed to copper pollution than the soil of higher terrain. Since copper at the surveyed sites is very persistent and accumulates in a short period of time, focus should be placed on the preventive measures of reducing the use of copper-based fungicides to an optimal level.

144 – 151

Authors: Tatiana Minkina, Saglara Mandzhieva, Galina Motusova, Marina Burachevskaya, Olga Nazarenko, Svetlana Sushkova, Rıdvan Kızılkaya

The emissions from the Novocherkassk power station comprise 1% of the total volume in the Russian Federation and up to 58% of the emissions in the Rostov oblast. The aim of this work was to assess the regularities of heavy metals accumulation and transformation in soils subjected to aerosol emissions from the power station on the basis of the fractional composition of their compounds. Studies have been conducted on the soils of monitoring plots distances from the power station (1.0–20.0 km) during 15 years. The monitoring plots located on fallow areas. Soil samples for the determination of soil properties and the contents of heavy metals compounds were taken from a depth of 0–20 cm. The soil cover in the region under study consisted of ordinary chernozems, meadow-chernozemic soils, and alluvial meadow soils. The total amount of heavy metals in soils was determined by X-ray fluorescence. Metals in soil extracts were determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy. The fractional composition of heavy metals was determined using combined fractionation. A combined approach for fractioning metal compounds in soils on the basis of and parallel extractions (1 N NH4Ac, pH 8; 1% EDTA in NH4Ac; and 1 N HCl) was used. Aerosol emissions from the power station are the major agents of technogenic impact on the soils under study in the Rostov oblast. The highest degree of contamination with metals (mg/kg: Ni - 64, Cd – 1.3, Cr - 145 and As – 12) was observed for soils located within a radius of 5 km from the power station along the predominant wind direction. It was marked the rise of metals mobility in the polluted soils and predominant participation of Cr and Ni organic-mineral complexes among their mobile species. The increasing of Cd mobility was provided predominantly by exchangeable forms and specifically sorbed by Fe-Mn (hydr)oxides. The environmental contamination hazard increases with the decreasing metal-buffering capacity of soils.

7 – 12

Authors: Melis Cercioglu, Bülent Okur, Sezai Delibacak, Ali Riza Ongun

Effects of composted tobacco waste, chicken manure and bio-humus applied during a period of three years on a coarse textured soil (Typic Xerofluvent) at Agriculture Faculty’s Research and Practise Farmyard of Ege University located on Menemen plain (Izmir, Turkey) on soil physical properties were studied. The experiment was arranged in a randomized block design on 16 plots with four replications. Each plot size was 5x3 m2. Composted tobacco waste (CTW) from cigarette industry and chicken manure (CM) and bio-humus (BH) from plant residuals were applied at rates of 50 t ha-1, 4 t ha-1, 10 t ha-1,respectively. Inorganic fertilizers (N-P-K) are also added with chicken manure and bio-humus plots. Tobacco wastes obtained from cigarette industry were used after composting. The addition of organic wastes resulted in a significant (p≤0.05) decrease in bulk density (BD); increase in porosity (PO), field capacity (FC), wilting point (WP), available water content (AWC) and structure stability index (SSI) of soil samples when compared to the control.

25 – 27

Authors: Mikhail A. Mazirov, Valeria A. Arefieva

The content of water-dispersible phenol substances in rhizosphere both of annual and perennial species of weeds (Cirsium arvense, Sonchus arvensis) increases under soil treatment minimalization. The higher content of phenol substances of researched weeds is defined in rhizosphere of Common Couch (Agropyrum repens). The absence of intensive anthropogenic treatment of plowing layer which accumulates the significant mass of weed’s roots in the cause of much more higher allelopathic potential of some species’ of weeds. The high level of saturation by weeds in agrophytocoenosis under non-tillage soil treatment is defines the competitiveness between certain sepsis’ of weeds, especially, at the beginning of the vegetation. In this case, increasing the secretion of phenol substances is one of the physiological screenings of such competitiveness.

33 – 41

Authors: Firoozeh Rivaz, Mohsen Hosseinalizadeh, Edzer Pebesma

Measuring 137Cs is considered an effective method to study soil redistribution rate and hence needs sampling at a number of sites. The spatial configuration of the network of sites to be sampled has a substantial effect on the soil redistribution assessment. Here, motivated by sampling 137Cs, we adopted a model-based approach. For this, we chose the average kriging variance (AKV) as a design criterion. In fact, by minimizing the AKV of soil 137Cs prediction in the paired sub-catchments of Iran's Golestan province, we determined the optimal sampling design in the case that no directly measured prior information of the primary variable of interest (137Cs) is available. However, the AKV depends on some unknown parameters and preliminary estimates of model parameters are not available. To overcome this problem, we apply the minimax approach which minimizes the maximum value of design criterionover the misspecification of parameters. The method is illustrated taking into account the ancillary information (slope%) from representative Sub-catchments (Sample and Testifier, each around 190 ha in size). A simulated annealing algorithm is used to search for an optimal design from among all possible designs. Since, the number of sampling points is often limited by time and budgetary constraints, we use a sequential-based method for selecting the sample size. It is shown that 60 sites are sufficient for the proposed Sample and Testifier sub-catchments.

56 – 64

Authors: Leinar Septar Cristian Paltineanu, Emil Chitu, Cristina Moale, Hüsnü Demirsoy, Eyüp Selim Köksal, Rıdvan Kızılkaya, İdris Macit

Canopy temperature measurements with infrared thermometry have been extensively studied as a means of assessing plant water status for field and row crops. Achieving high quality peach fruit depends on the ability to maintain mild to moderate levels of water stress in the crop during the growing season. The paper examined the spatial distribution of tree canopy temperature (Tc) using thermal images in a peach orchard for irrigation scheduling. The variation of Tc was investigated in three irrigation regime treatments (factor A) that produced various soil moisture content (SMC) values, three cardinal points (factor B): South, North and East-West aspects combined, and five up-down vertical position measurements (factor C: upper, middle upper, middle, middle lower and lower) across the tree canopy thermal images. It was found that Tc was significantly influenced by the irrigation regime. Cardinal point showed a significant Tc difference between South on the one hand and the other aspects. The vertical position within canopy image did not significantly influence Tc.

77 – 81

Authors: Coşkun Gülser, Feride Candemir

Saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) is an important variable in hydrological cycle processes. Determination of Ks in soils is a difficult and time consuming process. The objective of this study was to determine Ks in soils by pedotransfer (PTF) models derived using soil moisture constants and physical properties. Ks values were determined in 30 different soil samples using constant head permeability method. According to path analyses results, direct effects of some soil properties on Ks in soils were in the following order; permanent wilting point (PWP) > bulk density (BD) > clay (C) > silt (Si) > field capacity (FC). Soil physical properties generally had the highest indirect effects on Ks through PWP. Prediction of Ks by the second order PTF models was significant using only C, Si and DB (r=0.868**) and using only FC and PWP (r=0.796**) in the models. Using moisture constants with the other soil physical properties in the second order PTF model increased significance level of the relation between predicted and measured values of Ks (r=0.955**). Besides soil physical properties, having moisture constants in PTF models showed that saturated Ks values can be predicted more accurately in soils having similar physical boundary conditions such as texture, bulk density etc.