EJSS

Eurasian Journal of Soil Science

Eurasian J Soil Sci

2147 - 4249

Federation of Eurasian Soil Science Societies

http://ejss.fesss.org/10.18393/ejss.286694

10.18393/ejss.286694

Comparative potential of Rhizobium species for the growth promotion of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)

Sana Ullah msunny9887@gmail.com

M.Amjad Qureshi

M. Asif Ali

Fakhar Mujeeb

Sanaullah Yasin

189-196

2016-09-28

2017-01-09

2017-01-20

2017-06-29

Rhizobium besides its nodule formation characteristic with members of Fabaceae family has been recognized for its great root colonizing ability and growth hormone production potential. In addition to nitrogen fixation in legume plants, rhizobia considered as beneficial tools and act as plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) with many non-legumes. Present study was elucidated to determine the comparative role of Rhizbium sp for growth promotion of sunflower. Rhizobia were isolated from five different legumes (mungbean, barseem, lentil, chickpea, and vegetable pea) and checked for their auxin production efficiency. Rhizobial isolates Cp-4 showed maximum auxin potential (5.37 µg mL-1IAA equivalents).Results showed that inoculation of all rhizobial isolates caused significant increase in growth and physiological parameters of sunflower plants. While prominent results were found with inoculation of mungbean rhizobial isolate Mb-2 which increases the chlorophyll a, N, P, fresh and dry matter of sunflower significantly by 8.34, 4.9, 36, 31, and 34%, respectively in comparison to un-inoculated control plants. Hence, present study concluded that Rhizobium sp can be successfully used as PGPR in non-legumes after thorough investigations.

Rhizobium sp, PGPR, auxin biosynthesis, growth, sunflower

http://ejss.fesss.org/10.18393/ejss.287976

10.18393/ejss.287976

Spatial distribution of heavy metals density in cultivated soils of Central and East Parts of Black Sea Region in Turkey

Mehmet Ozyazici arifozyazici@siirt.edu.tr

Orhan Dengiz

Gulen Ozyazici

197-205

2016-10-19

2017-01-21

2017-01-25

2017-06-29

Heavy metal contamination has caused serious environmental and health-related problems around the world. To identify the concentrations and sources of heavy metals, 3400 surface soil samples (0-20 cm depth) were collected from the study area. Subsequently, the concentrations of Cd, Co, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn in the samples were measured. In order to evaluate natural or anthropogenic sources of heavy metal content and their spatial distribution in agricultural fields of Central and East Parts of Black Sea Region soil geostatistic approach were combined with geographic information system (GIS). GIS technology was employed to produce spatial distribution maps of the 6 elements in the study area. The results showed that the concentration of Ni and Co exceeded its threshold level. The local pollution from Ni was attributed to the natural influences. The concentrations of the other heavy metals are relatively lower than the critical values. The mean values of the heavy metal contents arranged in the following decreasing order: Ni > Zn > Cu >Pb> Co > Cd in the study area. On the other hand, according to distribution ratio of heavy metals in total soil samples, except for Co and Ni distribution in total soil samples, all other heavy metal element exceeded concentration in samples were determined about less than 10% total soil samples. However, in some regions of the study area, the Cd, Cu and Zn contents were also slightly raised, this case possibly stem from excessive P fertilization and field traffic.

Heavy metal contamination, GIS, soil properties

http://ejss.fesss.org/10.18393/ejss.288350

10.18393/ejss.288350

Estimation of Soil loss by USLE Model using GIS and Remote Sensing techniques: A case study of Muhuri River Basin, Tripura, India

Amit Bera amitbera12312@yahoo.com

206-215

2016-12-04

2017-01-25

2017-01-27

2017-06-29

Soil erosion is a most severe environmental problem in humid sub-tropical hilly state Tripura. The present study is carried out on Muhuri river basin of Tripura state, North east India having an area of 614.54 Sq.km. In this paper, Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) model, with Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) have been used to quantify the soil loss in the Muhuri river basin. Five essential parameters such as Runoff-rainfall erosivity factor (R), soil erodibility Factor (K), slope length and steepness (LS), cropping management factor (C), and support practice factor (P) have been used to estimate soil loss amount in the study area. All of these layers have been prepared in GIS and RS platform (Mainly Arc GIS 10.1) using various data sources and data preparation methods. In these study DEM and LISS satellite data have been used. The daily rainfall data (2001-2010) of 6 rain gauge stations have been used to predict the R factor. Soil erodibility (K) factor in Basin area ranged from 0.15 to 0.36. The spatial distribution map of soil loss of Muhuri river basin has been generated and classified into six categories according to intensity level of soil loss. The average annual predicted soil loss ranges between 0 to and 650 t/ha/y. Low soil loss areas (70 t/ha/y) of soil erosion was found along the main course of Muhuri River.

Soil loss, erosion risk, USLE, GIS, remote sensing, Muhuri river

http://ejss.fesss.org/10.18393/ejss.289460

10.18393/ejss.289460

Sodium-resistant plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria isolated from a halophyte, Salsola grandis, in saline-alkaline soils of Turkey

Ryota Kataoka

Esra Güneri

Oguz Can Turgay O.Can.Turgay@agri.ankara.edu.tr

Ahmet Yaprak

Bahar Sevilir

Isa Başköse

216-225

2016-09-27

2017-01-26

2017-02-03

2017-06-29

Phytoremediation is an expanding field of research in environmental studies due to the benefits of its cost effectiveness and environmental friendliness. The use of this technology in saline and alkaline soils can be a promising approach because soil salinity inhibits crop growth and causes tremendous yield losses in many regions of the world, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. However, little is known about the plants that can be applicable in the phytoremediation of saline soils and role of their rhizobacteria in the phytoremediation processes. In this study, we examined sodium (Na) uptake by the halophyte Salsola grandis and screened Na resistant rhizobacteria inhabiting in an extremely saline soil environment. S. grandis could uptake Na at the value of 15447 mg·kg-1 and transported Na to stem and leaves from roots. We found that 50 out of the 131 strains were Na resistant and 8 out of these 50 strains contributed to the growth of S. grandis. Using 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing, we determined these eight strains to be within the genera Arthrobacter spp. and Bacillus spp. Moreover, four of the eight strains (A22, WP5, B14, AP20) showed traits of being both siderophore and indole-3-acetic acid producers. Therefore, these eight strains appear to be suitable candidates for plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria of S. grandis.

Arthrobacter, Bacillus, phytoremediation, Salsola, salinity in soil

http://ejss.fesss.org/10.18393/ejss.291945

10.18393/ejss.291945

Biochar amendment improves soil fertility and productivity of mulberry plant

Faruque Ahmed

Md. Shoriful Islam

Md.Toufiq Iqbal toufiq_iqbal@yahoo.com

226-237

2016-10-20

2017-02-08

2017-02-13

2017-06-29

Biochar has the potential to improve soil fertility and crop productivity. A field experiment was carried out at the experimental field of Bangladesh Sericulture Research and Training Institute (BSRTI), Rajshahi, Bangladesh. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of biochar on soil properties, growth, yield and foliar disease incidence of mulberry plant. The study consisted of 6 treatments: control, basal dose of NPK, rice husk biochar, mineral enriched biochar, basal dose + rice husk biochar and basal dose + mineral enriched biochar. Growth parameters such as node/meter, total branch number/plant, total leaf yield/hectare/year were significantly increased in basal dose + mineral enriched biochar treated plot in second year compared with the other fertilizer treatments. In second year, the total leaf yield/hectare/year were also 142.1% and 115.9% higher in combined application of basal dose + mineral enriched biochar and basal dose + rice husk biochar, respectively, than the control treatment. The soil properties such as organic matter, phosphorus, sulphur and zinc percentage were significantly increased with both the (mineral enriched and rice husk) biochar treated soil applied with or without recommended basal dose of NPK than the control and only the recommended basal dose of NPK, respectively. Further, the lowest incidences of tukra (6.4%), powdery mildew (10.4%) and leaf spot (7.6%) disease were observed in second year under mineral enriched biochar treated plot than the others. The findings revealed that utilization of biochar has positive effect on the improvement of soil fertility and productivity as well as disease suppression of mulberry plant.

Soil fertility, systemic resistance, pyrolysis, decomposition, pruning.

http://ejss.fesss.org/10.18393/ejss.292581

10.18393/ejss.292581

Glyphosate, 1,1’- dimethyl-4,4’-bipyridinium dichloride and Atrazine induces changes in Soil organic carbon, bacterial and fungal communities in a tropical alfisol

Segun Oladele segun.oladele@aaua.edu.ng

Olatunde Ayodele

238-248

2016-08-01

2017-02-07

2017-02-16

2017-06-29

The increasing use of agrochemicals for weed control has raised concerns about their ecotoxicological effects on soil micro-biota communities and soil functions which serve as indicators of soil quality. Thus, this study was conducted to evaluate the effects of continuous field applied herbicides glyphosate, paraquat, atrazine and their combined forms over a period of five years on soil organic carbon, bacterial and fungal population in Akure, Ondo State Nigeria. Soil samples from farmer’s field which have been exposed to continuous herbicide application were collected and analysed for physio-chemical properties, organic carbon, total bacterial and fungal population. Simultaneously, soil samples designated as control were collected from adjacent fields with no history of herbicide application and analysed. Results showed a significant (P=0.05) 86% and 128% increase in bacterial population from glyphosate and atrazine treated fields respectively and 42% decrease in paraquat and Glyphosate + paraquat fields when compared with the untreated field. A significant 35% decrease in fungal population was observed in fields applied with atrazine and a further 10% decrease in fungal populations in all herbicide treated fields irrespective of herbicide type and combinations when compared with the untreated field. These changes also correlates with the abundance of beneficial microbes such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Proteus mirabilis, Aspergillus flavius with a probable influence on plant growth promotion and potentials for biodegradation of persistent herbicides. SOC, SOM and pH was significantly (P=0.05) increased in atrazine and atrazine + paraquat treated fields when compared with the untreated fields and other herbicide treatments.

Herbicides, organic carbon, bacteria, fungi, alfisol.

http://ejss.fesss.org/10.18393/ejss.293157

10.18393/ejss.293157

Effect of phosphorus solubilizing bacteria on some soil properties, wheat yield and nutrient contents

Ayten Namlı namli@ankara.edu.tr

Ahmad Mahmood

Bahar Sevilir

Emre Özkır

249-258

2016-08-21

2017-02-06

2017-02-21

2017-06-29

Application of chemical fertilizers besides economic concerns has been a reason of environmental and ecosystem degradation, so sustainable organic agriculture is becoming popular in researches and among farming communities. Phosphorus holds second position after nitrogen among macronutrients required for better plant growth and is needed in higher amounts. Meeting this high phosphorus input for better crop yields causes environmental problems like eutrophication, so phosphorus solubilizing bacteria (PSB) and plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are being emphasized to utilize phosphorus fixed in soil layers. This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of PSB on plant growth, soil biological properties including enzymes and soil respiration. Treatments including control, 50 mg kg-1 nitrogen, 50 mg kg-1 nitrogen and 12 mg kg-1 phosphorus applications reduced dosage of nitrogen 25 mg kg-1 with PGPR and 25 mg kg-1 nitrogen along with 0.12 g raw phosphate and PGPR. Results indicated that plant parameters like above and below ground plant biomasses (fresh and dry weight), plant nitrogen and phosphorus content were significantly enhanced in all the treatments when compared with the control. While soil pH in rhizosphere significantly increased with the treatments, bulk soil pH decreased with PGPR treatments when compared with all other treatments. EC values in rhizosphere and bulk soils were not significantly influenced with the treatments. Rhizospheric and bulk soil showed high amount of N, P and organic matter in PGPR treatments. Alkaline phosphatase and β-glucosidase activities were found significantly higher in the last treatment than the other treatments. Basal soil respiration was interestingly found higher in control soil but did not differ statistically from the other treatments. Concluding, application of PGPR with lower amounts of chemical fertilizers can reduce the use of chemical fertilizers and has also potential of improving soil health in long term aspects.

Phosphorus solubilizing bacteria, rhizosphere, bulk soil, alkaline phosphatase, β-glucosidase, basal

http://ejss.fesss.org/10.18393/ejss.297245

10.18393/ejss.297245

Depositional environments signatures, maturity and source weathering of Niger Delta sediments from an oil well in southeastern Delta State, Nigeria

Samuel Oni talk2nicesam@hotmail.com

Akinade Olatunji

259-274

2016-12-19

2017-03-03

2017-03-10

2017-06-29

Attempts have been made to classify the sediment on their degree of maturity. Compositional maturity is a reflection of intensity of weathering and a function of labile grains, unstable/stable rock fragments and stable quartz arenites. The main aim of this study is to investigate maturity and area of deposition and attempt to shed light on source area paleo-weathering conditions. Twenty one samples of shales and sandstones units were collected from a depth precisely between 1160 to 11,480m at a well in western Niger Delta, grinded, pulverized and sieved with less than 75μm. About 10g was packed and sent to Acme analytical Laboratory LTD., Vancouver, Canada. From the results, various plots and indexes inferring maturity and area of deposition were utilized. Using the A-K-F ternary plots of Englund and Jørgensen (1973), the depositional environment is transition zone. The silicate weathering indexes CIA, CIW and PIA values ranges from 45-65, on average indicates low to moderate weathering in the source area with extreme weathering of some sand fraction. Various calculated values of the weathering indices: Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA), Plagioclase Index of Alteration (PIA), Chemical Index of Weathering (CIW) and scatter plots of formulated ratios of Al/Na, K/Na, and Rb/K vs chemical index of alteration (CIA) were plotted. The moderate values below average suggest low to moderate weathering conditions in the source area or during transportation. This also inferred their recycling processes are insignificant. The clay content is low and feldspars are averagely high implying immaturity. The calculated ZTR index for the sand ranges from 36.4-75.0 from with an average mode of 55.5% implying almost all contain mineralogically immature sediments. The calculated Zircon- Tourmaline-Rutile (ZTR) index shows that majority of the sample depths have >43% ZTR index but below 75% which corresponds to generally immature sediments.

PIA, CIW, CIA, AKF, ZTR index, weathering index, Niger delta, immature sediments.

http://ejss.fesss.org/10.18393/ejss.297251

10.18393/ejss.297251

Land suitability evaluation for irrigating wheat by Geopedological approach and Geographic Information System: A case study of Qazvin plain, Iran

Sayed Mousavi r_mousavi@ut.ac.ir

Feraidon Sarmadian

Zohreh Alijani

Abass Taati

275-284

2016-12-12

2017-03-03

2017-03-10

2017-06-29

Land evaluation, using a scientific method, is essential to recognize the potential and limitation of a given land for specific use in terms of its suitability, and certifies its sustainable use. The soil is such a source that its renewal takes a long time, so effective use of soil and land resources requires a thorough understanding of the effective morphological processes of soil forming in different regions. The current study identified available soil in the area in terms of interpretation of aerial photographs and Geopedological approach. After mapping the geoform area, 61 profiles of the designated area were drilled and sampling was done for all diagnostic horizons. Then, the samples were transported to the laboratory for Physico-chemical analysis. By the end of the profile classification process, which was based on the Soil Survey Staff (2014), the soil map, was prepared by integration of the soil data and the geoform map in ArcGIS software. There are several limiting factors for wheat in Qazvin plain, namely; electric conductivity (EC), gypsum, coarse fragment, soil depth, soil organic carbon (SOC), texture, calcium carbonate and climate. The map of the land units was prepared, and land requirements for the type of utility were calculated. Land suitability evaluation was performed according to FAO. The results showed that land unit’s number 17 and 18 were unsuitable (N1) for irrigating wheat with limiting factors such as; high levels of EC and gypsum in the studied profiles. Moreover, the land unit’s number 10, 20, and 23 are suitable (S1) for the wheat production and have the highest rate of predicted yield.

Geopedological approach, land units, land evaluation, parametric method, soil map.

http://ejss.fesss.org/10.18393/ejss.298949

10.18393/ejss.298949

Assessment of heavy metals contamination in the Nile River water and adjacent sediments: A case study from Khartoum City and Nile River State, Sudan

Magboul Sulieman magboul@uofk.edu

Jamal Elfaki

Mutwakil Adam

Mohammed Dafalla

Sulieman Ali

Hager Ahmed

Mushtaha Ali

285-294

2016-11-26

2017-03-17

2017-03-20

2017-06-29

The current study aims to investigate the heavy metals concentration and the degree of pollution in the water and adjacent sediment of the Nile River and its main tributaries at Khartoum City and River Nile State, Sudan. For this purpose, thirty-three water and sediment samples were collected from River Nile, Blue Nile, and White Nile. Water chemical properties and sediment physicо-chemical properties were measure. Concentrations of heavy metals (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Ti, Zn) were determined for both sediment and water samples using inductively coupled plasma (ICP-OES). Enrichment factor (EF) and geo-accumulation index (Igeo) were applied to quantify heavy metals pollution levels in sediment samples. The revealed that only Fe metal detected in the water samples and its concentrations within the permissible maximum limit. This indicated that water is highly suitable for irrigation. Depending on calculated enrichment factor (EF) and geo-accumulation index (Igeo), sediment samples were found to be enriched and polluted with Mn and Mo particularly at Berber site which may as consequence of gold mining activities in this area. The study revealed relatively strong to strong correlation between heavy metals of Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Ti, Zn (r2=0.84 to 0.99) and significant negative correlation with Mo (r2=0.58 to 0.73). This study recommends regular monitoring of heavy metals in the Nile River and its main tributaries for conservation and protection from pollution.

River nile, heavy metals pollution, ICP-OES, enrichment factor, geo-accumulation index.