Academic literature on the topic 'Microbial amendments'
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Journal articles on the topic "Microbial amendments"
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Li, Zhigang, Kaiyang Qiu, Rebecca L. Schneider, Stephen J. Morreale, and Yingzhong Xie. "Comparison of microbial community structures in soils with woody organic amendments and soils with traditional local organic amendments in Ningxia of Northern China." PeerJ 7 (May 8, 2019): e6854. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.6854.
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Background Addition of organic amendments has been commonly adopted as a means to restore degraded soils globally. More recently, the use of woody organic amendments has been recognized as a viable method of capturing and retaining water and restoring degraded and desertified soil, especially in semi-arid regions. However, the impacts of woody amendments on soil microbial community structure, versus other traditional organic supplements is less understood. Methods Three locally available natural organic materials of different qualities, i.e., cow manure (CM), corn straw (CS), and chipped poplar branches (PB) were selected as treatments in Ningxia, Northern China and compared with control soils. Four microcosms served as replicates for each treatment. All treatments contained desertified soil; treatments with amendments were mixed with 3% (w/w) of one of the above organic materials. After 7 and 15 months from the start of the experiment, soil samples were analyzed for chemical and physical properties, along with biological properties, which included microbial α-diversity, community structure, and relative abundance of microbial phyla. Results Both bacterial and fungal α-diversity indices were weakly affected by amendments throughout the experimental period. All amendments yielded different microbial community compositions than the Control soils. The microbial community composition in the CS and PB treatments also were different from the CM treatment. After 15 months of the experiment, CS and PB exhibited similar microbial community composition, which was consistent with their similar soil physical and chemical properties. Moreover, CS and PB also appeared to exert similar effects on the abundance of some microbial taxa, and both of these treatments yield different abundances of microbial taxa than the CM treatment. Conclusion New local organic amendment with PB tended to affect the microbial community in a similar way to the traditional local organic amendment with CS, but different from the most traditional local organic amendment with CM in Ningxia, Northern China. Moreover, the high C/N-sensitive, and lignin and cellulose decompose-related microbial phyla increased in CS and PB have benefits in decomposing those incorporated organic materials and improving soil properties. Therefore, we recommend that PB should also be considered as a viable soil organic amendment for future not in Ningxia, but also in other places.
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Hao, Jianjun, and Katherine Ashley. "Irreplaceable Role of Amendment-Based Strategies to Enhance Soil Health and Disease Suppression in Potato Production." Microorganisms 9, no. 8 (August 3, 2021): 1660. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9081660.
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Soilborne diseases are a major constraining factor to soil health and plant health in potato production. In the toolbox of crop management, soil amendments have shown benefits to control these diseases and improve soil quality. Most amendments provide nutrients to plants and suppress multiple soilborne pathogens. Soil amendments are naturally derived materials and products and can be classified into fresh or living plants, organic or inorganic matters, and microbial supplements. Fresh plants have unique functions and continuously exude chemicals to interact with soil microbes. Organic and inorganic matter contain high levels of nutrients, including nitrogen and carbon that plants and soil microorganisms need. Soil microorganisms, whether being artificially added or indigenously existing, are a key factor in plant health. Microbial communities can be considered as a biological reactor in an ecosystem, which suppress soilborne pathogens in various mechanisms and turn soil organic matter into absorbable forms for plants, regardless of amendment types. Therefore, soil amendments serve as an energy input, nutrient source, and a driving force of microbial activities. Advanced technologies, such as microbiome analyses, make it possible to analyze soil microbial communities and soil health. As research advances on mechanisms and functions, amendment-based strategies will play an important role in enhancing soil health and disease suppression for better potato production.
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Readyhough, Taylor, Deborah A. Neher, and Tucker Andrews. "Organic Amendments Alter Soil Hydrology and Belowground Microbiome of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)." Microorganisms 9, no. 8 (July 22, 2021): 1561. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9081561.
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Manure-derived organic amendments are a cost-effective tool that provide many potential benefits to plant and soil health including fertility, water retention, and disease suppression. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to evaluate how dairy manure compost (DMC), dairy manure compost-derived vermicompost (VC), and dehydrated poultry manure pellets (PP) impact the tripartite relationship among plant growth, soil physiochemical properties, and microbial community composition. Of tomato plants with manure-derived fertilizers amendments, only VC led to vigorous growth through the duration of the experiment, whereas DMC had mixed impacts on plant growth and PP was detrimental. Organic amendments increased soil porosity and soil water holding capacity, but delayed plant maturation and decreased plant biomass. Composition of bacterial communities were affected more by organic amendment than fungal communities in all microhabitats. Composition of communities outside roots (bulk soil, rhizosphere, rhizoplane) contrasted those within roots (endosphere). Distinct microbial communities were detected for each treatment, with an abundance of Massilia, Chryseolinea, Scedosporium, and Acinetobacter distinguishing the control, vermicompost, dairy manure compost, and dehydrated poultry manure pellet treatments, respectively. This study suggests that plant growth is affected by the application of organic amendments not only because of the soil microbial communities introduced, but also due to a synergistic effect on the physical soil environment. Furthermore, there is a strong interaction between root growth and the spatial heterogeneity of soil and root-associated microbial communities.
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Wiseman, P. Eric, Susan Day, and J. Roger Harris. "Organic Amendment Effects on Soil Carbon and Microbial Biomass in the Root Zone of Three Landscape Tree Species." Arboriculture & Urban Forestry 38, no. 6 (November 1, 2012): 262–76. http://dx.doi.org/10.48044/jauf.2012.036.
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There is increasing interest in amending degraded soils with organic matter to improve soil quality, especially in urban areas where rehabilitation of damaged soils may enhance tree growth and provision of ecosystem services. To assess the potential of such organic amendments for producing a sustained alteration in soil biological characteristics, researchers studied the effects of three organic amendments incorporated into the root zone of three tree species on root development, soil carbon dynamics, and soil microbial biomass over one year beginning 20 months after amendment application. Soil amendment with leaf-based, and to a lesser extent, biosolids-based composts increased root length within the amended root zone of red maple (Acer rubrum), but not of pin oak (Quercus palustris) or chestnut oak (Q. montana). There was a concomitant increase in microbial biomass carbon for red maple. Across all species, sphagnum peat moss amendment reduced microbial biomass carbon by 47% compared to unamended root zones and suppressed maximum seasonal soil respiration relative to composts. In contrast, leaf-based compost increased microbial biomass carbon by 12% (P = 0.0989) compared to unamended root zones. Carbon/nitrogen ratios remained stable throughout most of the year except in the root zones of chestnut oak and pin oak amended with peat, where it declined 44%–85%. Total soil carbon was stable in all treatments, although unamended soils averaged about 40% lower than amended soils. Across all species and treatments, cumulative fine root length explained 19% of the variation in microbial biomass carbon. The study authors conclude that soil microbial activity can be increased by compost amendment of the root zone and that this increase is mediated to some degree by tree roots. In addition, stable C/N ratios suggest this alteration in the root zone may be sustainable. Further research may clarify whether compost amendment combined with tree planting can accelerate soil restoration.
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Bonilla, Nuria, Carmen Vida, Maira Martínez-Alonso, Blanca B. Landa, Nuria Gaju, Francisco M. Cazorla, and Antonio de Vicente. "Organic Amendments to Avocado Crops Induce Suppressiveness and Influence the Composition and Activity of Soil Microbial Communities." Applied and Environmental Microbiology 81, no. 10 (March 13, 2015): 3405–18. http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/aem.03787-14.
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ABSTRACTOne of the main avocado diseases in southern Spain is white root rot caused by the fungusRosellinia necatrixPrill. The use of organic soil amendments to enhance the suppressiveness of natural soil is an inviting approach that has successfully controlled other soilborne pathogens. This study tested the suppressive capacity of different organic amendments againstR. necatrixand analyzed their effects on soil microbial communities and enzymatic activities. Two-year-old avocado trees were grown in soil treated with composted organic amendments and then used for inoculation assays. All of the organic treatments reduced disease development in comparison to unamended control soil, especially yard waste (YW) and almond shells (AS). The YW had a strong effect on microbial communities in bulk soil and produced larger population levels and diversity, higher hydrolytic activity and strong changes in the bacterial community composition of bulk soil, suggesting a mechanism of general suppression. Amendment with AS induced more subtle changes in bacterial community composition and specific enzymatic activities, with the strongest effects observed in the rhizosphere. Even if the effect was not strong, the changes caused by AS in bulk soil microbiota were related to the direct inhibition ofR. necatrixby this amendment, most likely being connected to specific populations able to recolonize conducive soil after pasteurization. All of the organic amendments assayed in this study were able to suppress white root rot, although their suppressiveness appears to be mediated differentially.
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García-López, Ana M., Ramiro Recena, and Antonio Delgado. "Soil properties modulate the effect of different carbon amendments on growth and phosphorus uptake by cucumber plant." Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research 20, no. 1 (March 2022): e1101-e1101. http://dx.doi.org/10.5424/sjar/2022201-18299.
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Aim of study: Phosphorus (P) is a non-renewable, limited and strategic resource, inefficiently used in agriculture. Organic carbon (C) supply to soil can stimulate microbial activity increasing the mobilization of soil P thus improving its uptake by crops. This work aimed at investigating the effect of different C amendments on P uptake and how may differ depending on soil properties and P fertilization. Area of study: Soils used in this study were collected in SW Spain. Material and methods: An experiment with cucumber was performed involving three factors: (i) C amendment (cellulose, glucose, citric acid and control without amendment), (ii) soil type (Vertisol and Alfisol), and (iii) P supply (unfertilized, and mineral phosphate in form of KH2PO4). Main results: Cellulose or glucose provided the highest P uptake by plants in soils independently of the treatment. Cellulose and glucose addition were effective increasing dry matter (DM) in the Alfisol. Citric acid application decreased development of aerial parts and roots, and P uptake in soils compared with other sources. In the Alfisol, increased P uptake with cellulose was associated to an increased concentration of low molecular weight organic acids, which seemed to be related to microbial activity. Research highlights: Organic amendments affect microbial activity, and P mobilization mechanisms are associated to microorganisms. This explain the improvement of P supply to plants with amendments; these effects, however, are modulated by soil properties and consequently vary depending on soil type.
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Li, Yang, Sushuang Liu, Xiangui Yang, Choufei Wu, Quanxin Gao, and Liqin Zhang. "The Influence of Applying Microbial Amendments to Soil and Plants on the Microbial Diversity in the Rhizosphere Soil of Garlic." Journal of Biobased Materials and Bioenergy 15, no. 4 (August 1, 2021): 528–35. http://dx.doi.org/10.1166/jbmb.2021.2077.
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With the environmental problems brought about by the excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides, numerous biological amendments have been developed and used in recent years. This study, through in-depth analysis of the effects of two different microbial amendments on the microbial diversity in the garlic rhizosphere, provides a theoretical basis and data support for farmers to select microbial amendments. In the experiment, two different microbial amendments were applied to garlic, and its rhizosphere soil was collected after 10, 20, 30, and 40 days. The polymerase chain reaction denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) was used to analyze bacterial diversity in the garlic rhizosphere soil. The total abundance and diversity of microbial flora in the rhizosphere soil of garlic increased after application of microbial amendments to soil or plants. Plant growth was significantly better in the soil treatment than the plant treatment and the water control. The two dominant bacteria of uncultured gamma proteobacterium and Uncultured Gemmatimonadete existed only in the soil treatment. After 40 day of treatment, the abundance in the rhizosphere soil of these four bacterial strains (Uncultured Bacillus sp. clone D.an-22, Mesorhizobium sp., uncultured gamma proteobacterium, and Pseudomonas boreopolis) was greater in the soil than the plant treatment and the control. The irrigation of microbial amendments not only influenced the structure and abundance of rhizosphere microorganisms, and also promoted the colonization by microorganisms. The five bacterial strains of uncultured gamma proteobacterium, Uncultured Gemmatimonadetes, Uncultured Bacillus sp. clone D.an-22, Mesorhizobium sp., Pseudomonas boreopolis could facilitate the growth and enhance resistance of garlic, establishing a foundation for the use of microbial amendments and providing new ideas and methods for environmental management and protection.
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Wright, Maureen S., and Isabel M. Lima. "Identification of Microbial Populations in Blends of Worm Castings or Sugarcane Filter Mud Compost with Biochar." Agronomy 11, no. 8 (August 22, 2021): 1671. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11081671.
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Soil amendments are used to improve soil quality, thereby enhancing plant growth and health. Efforts have been made to replace synthetic chemical enhancers. It is also preferable to not use natural products such as peat moss, the harvesting of which can be harmful to marine ecosystems. Viable replacements include worm castings, which can contribute beneficial microbes, as well as physicochemical amendments. Another potential soil amendment is the compost produced from sugarcane processing byproducts. While the texture of these two materials is not ideal for even dispersal onto fields, the addition of biochar improves the texture. Previous work demonstrated that blending them with biochar from sugarcane byproducts added physicochemical benefits, while not quantitatively reducing the microbial load, even after storage. Microbial populations of the blends in the present study were found to (1) contain taxonomic groups that contribute to plant health and (2) not contain human pathogens. Based on the quantitative and qualitative microbial analyses, it has been determined that 50% or less biochar in a blend will allow maintenance of beneficial microbes in stored samples.
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Marmier, Vincent, Jacynthe Dessureault-Rompré, Emmanuel Frossard, and Jean Caron. "Impact of Plant-Based Amendments on Water-Soluble Nitrogen Release Dynamics in Cultivated Peatlands." Nitrogen 3, no. 3 (July 23, 2022): 426–43. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/nitrogen3030028.
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Drained cultivated peatlands have been an essential agricultural resource for many years. To slow and reduce the degradation of these soils, which increases with drainage, the use of plant-based amendments (straw, wood chips, and biochar) has been proposed. Literature on the effects of such amendments in cultivated peatlands is scarce, and questions have been raised regarding the impact of this practice on nutrient cycling, particularly nitrogen (N) dynamics. By means of a six-month incubation experiment, this study assessed the effects of four plant-based amendments (biochar, a forest mix, willow, and miscanthus) on the release kinetics of water-soluble N pools (mineral and organic) in two histosols of differing degrees of decomposition (Haplosaprist and Haplohemist). The amendment rate was set at 15 Mg ha−1 on a dry weight basis. The N release kinetics were significantly impacted by soil type and amendment. Miscanthus and willow were the amendments that most reduced the release of soluble organic N (SON) and mineral N (minN). The addition of plant-based amendments reduced the total amount of released N pools during the incubation (cumulative N pools) by 50.3 to 355.2 mg kg−1, depending on the soil type, the N pool, and the type of amendment. A significant relationship was found between microbial biomass N, urease activity, and the cumulative N at the end of the incubation. The results showed that the input of plant-based amendments in cultivated peatland decreases N release, which could have a beneficial impact by decreasing N leaching; however, it could also restrict crop growth. Further research is needed to fully assess the impact of such amendments used in cultivated peatlands on N and on C fluxes at the soil–plant and soil–atmosphere interfaces to determine if they constitute a long-term solution for more sustainable agriculture.
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Kaur, Jatinder, Sandeep Sharma, and Hargopal Singh. "Comparative assessment of microbial enzyme activity with compost and sewage sludge amendment." Journal of Applied and Natural Science 7, no. 2 (December 1, 2015): 1021–28. http://dx.doi.org/10.31018/jans.v7i2.725.
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Changes in soil microbial activities were investigated to examine the effect of aerobically digested sewage sludge (SS) and compared with compost under incubation conditions over 63 days. Sandy soil was amended with 0.25, 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 % w/w of compost and sewage sludge. Enzyme activity (dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase, phytase and urease) were examined at an interval of 3, 7, 14, 21, 28, 42 and 63 days. At the end of the experiment the change in organic carbon, nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus was also recorded.Results indicated that enzyme activities were substantially enhanced in presence of both amendments for first few days and the higher increases were measured at 1.5% of compost and sewage sludge amendment. Then an overall decrease in enzyme activity was recorded. Both the amendments also significantly increased the organic carbon, nitrogen and potassium of the soil while increase in available phosphorus was only recorded in treatment receiving compost. The present experiment indicated that addition of compost and sewage sludge have positive effect on soil microbial activity and can be safely used as soil amendment without having any adverse effect. Though, a previous examination of sewage sludge to be used must be made for heavy metals and pathogens.
Dissertations / Theses on the topic "Microbial amendments"
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Kruger, Matthew Wayne. "Can Soil Microbial Activity Be Improved With the Use of Amendments?" Thesis, North Dakota State University, 2020. https://hdl.handle.net/10365/31824.
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Low microbial activity and associated nutrient cycling are concerns in agricultural problem soils. The objectives of this study were to investigate microbial response on problem soils to amendments, drying-wetting cycles, and the interaction of amendments and drying-wetting cycles. In this laboratory study, soil carbon dioxide (CO2) flux was measured from thermal desorption treated soils and saline soils in response to Proganics, spent lime, and composted beef manure applications. Microbial activity was measured through CO2 flux and its rate of change, permanganate oxidizable C, and residual inorganic nitrogen. Proganics had the greatest ability to elevate and sustain microbial activity on problem soils, but spent lime and compost had the greatest potential to improve microbial mediated nitrogen mineralization. In conclusion, spent lime and compost can be effective amendments for improving soil quality of saline and thermal desorption treated problem soils to increase microbial activity and associated nitrogen cycling.
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Adhikari, Deepak. "Microbial response to different carbon source amendments in agricultural soils as monitored by culture-independent techniques." Access to citation, abstract and download form provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company; downloadable PDF file, 127 p, 2008. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1605142671&sid=3&Fmt=2&clientId=8331&RQT=309&VName=PQD.
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Lekkas, Panagiotis. "The Microbial Ecology Of Listeria Monocytogenes As Impacted By Three Environments: A Cheese Microbial Community; A Farm Environment; And A Soil Microbial Community." ScholarWorks @ UVM, 2016. http://scholarworks.uvm.edu/graddis/463.
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This dissertation examined the microbial ecology of Listeria monocytogenes in three distinctly different environments: a cheese microbial community; a farm environment; and a soil microbial community.
The aim of the first study was to investigate the effects of L. monocytogenes on the composition of the surface microflora on washed rind soft cheese. Two trials with washed rind cheeses that were inoculated with 100cfu cm⁻² of a L. monocytogenes six strain cocktail were conducted. The first trial had to be terminated early (day 28) as contamination of Pseudomonas spp. from the initial brine did not produce the expected characteristics of the cheese during the aging period. For the second trial, cheese samples were aged in the lab for 60 days according to the cheesemakers specifications. Surface cheese rind samples were collected from both control and inoculated cheeses every 7 days. Cheese rind samples were analyzed through the standard BAM method for enumeration of L. monocytogenes and through amplification of the V4 region of 16S rRNA and ITS regions for identification of the surface rind bacterial and fungal communities, respectively. Our data showed that Pseudomonas spp. significantly changed the composition of the microorganisms found on the surface of the rind while L. monocytogenes had little effect. In addition, although the concentration of L. monocytogenes increased to levels of 10⁶ cfu cm⁻² based on the enumeration data, the genetic data was not able to identify it in the flora due to the fact that other genera were found at much higher concentrations, which is a limitation of molecular methods used for identification of pathogens in foods.
For the second study the presence and incidence of L. monocytogenes on farms that either produce raw milk cheese or supply the milk for raw milk cheese production was investigated. Five farms were visited and in total 266 samples were collected from barn, environmental, and milk sites. L. monocytogenes prevalence was found to be at 6% from all the farms tested with 10 isolates found in the barn samples, 5 from environmental sites and 1 from milking equipment. Samples were identified to the genus level through a modified BAM method and speciated though multiplex PCR. Included in the pathogenic isolates was a DUP-1042B L. monocytogenes strain that has been implicated in major outbreaks, which emphasizes the adaptability and persistence of highly pathogenic stains in food manufacturing environments. Results from this study continue to support the fact that contaminated silage can be an important reservoir of the pathogen in a dairy farm setting. From our data and field observations we identified that drinking water sources for the animals is also an important reservoir of L. monocytogenes in farm environments. More importantly this study has shown the importance of continuous monitoring of environmental sites for the presence of the pathogen, particularly in silage.
Lastly manure amended soils in the northeastern U.S. were tested for the presence and survival of rifampicin resistant Escherichia coli (rE. coli), generic E. coli (gE. coli) and Listeria spp.. Both gE.coli and rE.coli samples were processed using either direct enumeration, MPN or bag enrichment methods. Samples were taken from both tilled and surface dairy solid manure-amended plots. Listeria samples were processed using a modified BAM method. Listeria presence was constant throughout the study. In contrast, rE. coli and gE. coli levels declined with time. The main conclusions of this study were that soil type, location and physical characteristics have a significant role in the survival of bacterial populations of rE. coli, gE. coli and Listeria spp. in soil. Dairy solids application does not seem to have a long term effect on the natural microbial population of soils. Tilling of soils results in increased survival of the bacterial population due to the fact that it increases soil pore size and facilitates moisture entry, which in turn has been shown to increase bacterial survival rates. Data from this research will assist in the creation of preventative measures that lead to the elimination of pathogen reservoirs. It will be further used to verify that a 120 day interval following manure application should be sufficient to ensure food safety of edible crops subsequently planted on these soils.
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Summerville, Kevin M. "Effectiveness of Amendments and Microbial Treatments on Plant Growth in Urban Garden Soils." Youngstown State University / OhioLINK, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ysu1495712379969062.
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Buckley, Elan. "Change in the Structure of Soil Microbial Communities in Response to Waste Amendments." Thesis, Virginia Tech, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/101499.
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Soil microbial communities are affected extensively by addition of amendments to their environment. Of particular concern is the addition of poultry litter, which contains a substantial C, energy, and nutrient supply, but also antibiotic resistance genes (ARG), antimicrobials, and a multitude of microbial species. This project seeks to primarily assess if there is a change in bacterial community structure in response to poultry litter amendments to pasture land across geographically independent land across northern Georgia. It may be that changes in the relative abundance of bacterial communities also result in alteration in ARGs, and the community resistance to antibiotics (“resistome”) which in turn increases the potential threat of antibiotic resistance genes. While another part of this study will determine changes in integrons and specific ARGs, this project will focus on changes in bacterial communities and the potential functional changes in the community, which in turn have consequences for ARG levels and its horizontal transfer to various members of the soil community. Addition of waste from livestock is a historical method for increasing nutrients needed in the soil for the cultivation of crops, and in turn causes pronounced shifts in soil microbial communities due to the addition of large amounts of carbon, nutrients, foreign microbes, and other material. This study is unique because it utilizes a novel and relatively large landscape-scale to determine if there are discernable and repeatable patterns of bacterial community structure change in response to amendment regardless of exact soil type or source of chicken litter amendment. In the future, these data can also provide insight into the changes in the relative abundance antibiotic related genes associated with community change.M.S.
Soil is complicated, both in terms of its physical makeup and the organisms that live inside of it. Predicting changes in soil based on the addition of foreign material such as chemicals or biological waste is not an easy process, and whether or not it is even possible to reliably predict those changes is a matter of some dispute. This study is designed to illustrate that such changes can in fact be reliably and consistently predicted even with regard to the addition of complicated materials to the soil. In this study, specifically, the material in question is chicken litter. A mix of the bedding and waste produced by chickens, litter is commonly handled by composting and is added to soil in farms as a fertilizer rich in organic matter. It is possible to point at specific elements of the soil such as the chemistry and bacteria and see how it is changed with the addition of chicken litter, which allows us to determine the nature and extent of the change that chicken litter has on soil. This study is conducted on a larger scale than similar experiments conducted in the past, making it apparent that these relationships exist on a repeated basis. It is the object of this study to pave the way and make it easier for scientists in the future to determine these relationships in other unique contexts.
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Van, Schoor Louise. "Effect of biological amendments on soil microbial properties and performance of pome fruit trees." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/4602.
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Thesis (PhD(Agric))--Stellenbosch University, 2009.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The global movement in agriculture is towards more environmentally friendly, sustainable production practices, since the role of soil microbial functions in ensuring crop production and soil fertility has become more evident in agricultural systems. Furthermore, with the impeding phase-out of methyl bromide, apple replant disease (ARD) is becoming an increasingly important problem and biological management practises are needed. Since microbial activity is generally carbon-limited in agricultural soil, it is widely accepted that management practices providing a range of organic compounds on a regular basis will tend to maintain an active and diverse microbial population. It was hypothesised that the application of various biological amendments can affect soil microbial numbers and function, thereby having a positive effect on fruit tree growth and yield. The effect of continued applications of organic material, various microbial inoculants and biostimulants on tree performance were evaluated in conventional management systems. Field trials were established in a conventional pear orchard, potential apple replant disease sites, as well as an optimally managed, high density apple orchard under controlled fertigation. The use of compost, compost extracts, a Bacillus inoculant and humates were investigated intensively. Furthermore, to improve our understanding of soil biological systems a combination of simple, practical methods were used to evaluate the effect of biological amendments on soil microbial properties and effects were related to tree performance. Regular application of compost extract in combination with compost showed the most significant effect in improving tree performance in commercial pome fruit orchards under various conditions. In the pear orchard, cumulative yield over the first two seasons was improved by more than 50% compared to controls, while in the fertigated orchard yield was improved by 22%. Biological amendments also showed improved growth in orchards suffering from stunted growth symptoms typical of ARD. However, in severe ARD cases methyl bromide fumigation showed the most consistent effects. Other biological amendments which showed positive effects on yield were application of Bacillus inoculants (Biostart®) in combination with a labile C source and a low dosage humate product, as well as a combination of compost and humates. It was clear that a combination of labile organic matter and a diverse group of microorganisms showed most promise. Although for some specific treatments increased microbial numbers and activity may have resulted in improved tree performance, in general, changes in culture-based plate counts, soil enzyme activity and carbon utilisation profiles could not be used as an indicator of yield. It was suggested that improved synchronisation of nutrient release and plant uptake, as well as microbial phytohormone production, may play an important role in improving tree performance with application of biological amendments. More research is needed on the exact mechanisms through which compost extracts improve yield and studies on root growth proliferation, as well as effects in the rhizosphere are recommended.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Binne lanbouverband is daar tans wêreldwyd die neiging om die uitwerking van produksie-praktykte op die omgewing in ag te neem en sodoende meer verantwoordelik op te tree. Omdat die belangrike rol wat grondmikro-organisme funksionering in volhoubare verbouingspraktyke speel nou deeglik besef word, word meer volhoubare bestuurspraktyke bepleit. Hiermee saam, noodsaak aspekte soos die uitfasering van metielbromied vir die beheer van appelhervestigingsiekte, dat biologiese bestuurspraktyke meer aandag geniet. Daar word geredelik aanvaar dat gereelde toediening en aanvulling van organiese materiaal ‘n aktiewe, diverse mikrobe populasie in die grond tot gevolg sal hê. Die hipotese is gestel dat die toediening van ‘n verskeidenheid biologiese produkte grondmikrobe getalle en werking gunstig kan beïnvloed. Dit kan moontlik weer aanleiding gee tot positiewe reaskies wat die groei en drag van vrugtebome betref. In hierdie studie is die uitwerking van voortgesette toedienings van organiese materiaal, mikrobiese inokulante, asook biostimulante, op die prestasievermoë van vrugtebome ondersoek. Veldproewe is uitgelê in ‘n konvensionele peerboord, verskeie boorde met moontlike appelhervestigingsiekte probleme, asook ‘n hoëdigtheidsaanplanting appelboord onder optimale bestuur. ‘n Deeglike ondersoek is gedoen met betrekking tot die gebruik van kompos, komposekstrak, Bacillus-inokulante en humate. Eenvoudige, praktiese metodes is aangewend om vas te stel hoe biologiese toevoegings grondmikrobe eienskappe beïnvloed en of dit verband hou met veranderinge in boomprestasie. Die studie het aangetoon dat die gereelde toediening van komposekstrak saammet kompos, betekenisvolle verbetering in boomprestasie van kernvrugboorde teweeg bring onder verskeie omstandighede. Die kumulatiewe opbrengs van ‘n peerboord is oor twee seisoene met meer as 50% verhoog teenoor die kontrole. In ‘n optimaal bestuurde appelboord onder sproeibemesting, is opbrengs met 22% verhoog in vergelyking met die kontrole. Biologiese toevoegings het ook groei verbeter in boorde waar appelhervestigingsiekte bome se groei vertraag het. In die geval van ernstige appelhervestigingsimptome het metielbromied egter steeds die mees konstante positiewe uitwerking gehad. Ander biologiese toevoegings wat ‘n gunstige uitwerking op opbrengs getoon het, was ‘n kombinasie van Bacillus inokulante, ‘n lae dosis humaat en ‘n aktiewe koolstofbron, asook kompos in kombinasie met humate. Dit is duidelik dat ‘n kombinasie van ‘n maklik afbreekbare koolstofbron (soos kompos) tesame met ‘n diverse groep mikroorganismes mees belowend is vir gebruik in biologiese verbouingssisteme. Resultate toon dat veranderings in aantal organismes gemeet deur plaattellings, die aktiwiteit van grondensieme, en verbruikspotensiaal van verskillende koolstofbronne, nie as ‘n aanduiding van boomprestasie gebruik kan word nie. Daar is voorgestel dat verbeterde sinkronisasie van voedingselementvrystelling en plantopname, sowel as produksie van plantgroeihormone deur mikrobe, moontlik ‘n rol speel by boomreaksies op biologiese toevoegings. Meer navorsing wat verband hou met die meganisme waardeur komposekstrak opbrengs verbeter, is nodig. Verder word studies op fynwortelontwikkeling sowel as aspekte van die wortelrisosfeer aanbeveel.
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Lucas, Shawn T. "MANAGING SOIL MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES WITH ORGANIC AMENDMENTS TO PROMOTE SOIL AGGREGATE FORMATION AND PLANT HEALTH." UKnowledge, 2013. http://uknowledge.uky.edu/pss_etds/24.
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The effects of managing soil with organic amendments were examined with respect to soil microbial community dynamics, macroaggregate formation, and plant physio-genetic responses. The objective was to examine the possibility of managing soil microbial communities via soil management, such that the microbial community would provide agronomic benefits. In part one of this research, effects of three amendments (hairy vetch residue, manure, compost) on soil chemical and microbial properties were examined relative to formation of large macroaggregates in three different soils. Vetch and manure promoted fungal proliferation (measured via two biomarkers: fatty acid methyl ester 18:2ω6c and ergosterol) and also stimulated the greatest macroaggregate formation. In part two of this research, effects of soil management (same amendments as above, inorganic N fertilization, organic production) on soil chemical and microbial properties were examined relative to the expression of nitrogen assimilation and defense response genes in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.). Soil management affected expression of a nitrogen assimilation gene (GS1, glutamine synthetase) and several defense-related genes. The GS1 gene was downregulated with inorganic N fertilization, expression of the pathogenesis-related PR1b gene (which codes for the pathogenesis-related PR1b protein) was increased in plants grown in soil amended with compost, vetch, and N fertilizer, and expression of three other defense-related genes coding for chitinase (ChiB), osmotin (Osm), and β-1,3-glucanase (GluA) were decreased in plants from soil amended with manure and in plants from the organically managed soil. Differential expression of defense-related genes was inversely related to the relative abundance of Gram-negative bacteria. The relative abundance of the 18:1ω7c Gram‑negative bacterial biomarker was greatest in manure treated soil and in organically managed soil (which recieves seasonal manure applications). These treatments also had the lowest expression of ChiB, Osm, and GluA, leading to speculation that manure, through increases in Gram-negative bacteria, may have suppressed populations of soil organisms that induce a defense response in plants, possibly allowing for less-stressed plants. Outcomes of this research may be useful for those interested in developing management strategies for maintaining or improving soil structure as well as those interested in understanding management effects plant physio-genetic responses.
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Lanza, G. R., and Phillip R. Scheuerman. "Effect of Soil Amendments on In Situ Biodegradation in Creosote Contaminated Soils." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 1996. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/2910.
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Gebhardt, Martha Mary. "Soil Amendment Effects on Degraded Soils and Consequences for Plant Growth and Soil Microbial Communities." Thesis, The University of Arizona, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/556614.
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Human activities that disrupt soil properties are fundamentally changing ecosystems. Soil degradation decreases microbial abundance and activity, leading to changes in nutrient availability, soil organic matter, and plant growth and establishment. Land use and land cover change are widespread and increasing in semiarid regions of the southwestern US, which results in reductions of native plant and microbial abundance and community diversity. Here we studied the effects of soil degradation and amendments (biochar and woodchips) on microbial activity, soil carbon and nitrogen availability, and plant growth of ten semi-arid plants species native to the southwestern US. Results show that woodchip amendments result in poor overall plant growth, while biochar amended soils promoted plant growth when soil quality was reduced. Additionally, amendments had a strong influence on microbial activity, while the presence and species identity of plants did not. Biochar amended soils led to increases in the potential activities of enzymes involved in the degradation of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus rich substrates. Woodchips, caused an increase of potential activity in enzymes involved in the degradation of sugar and proteins. These results show that microbes and plants respond differently to soil treatments and suggest that microbial responses may function as earlier indicators of the success of re-vegetation attempts.
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Park, Kee Choon. "Enzymatic activity, microbial diversity, and weed seed banks in soils receiving different organic amendments and the biological fertilizer EM(tm) /." free to MU campus, to others for purchase, 2004. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/mo/fullcit?p3164535.
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Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2004.(tm) after EM in title is for Trademark symbol. Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 120-142). Also available on the Internet.
Book chapters on the topic "Microbial amendments"
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Rodriguez-Kabana, R., G. Morgan-Jones, and I. Chet. "Biological control of nematodes: Soil amendments and microbial antagonists." In Plant and Soil Interfaces and Interactions, 237–47. Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands, 1987. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-3627-0_17.
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Ariffin, Fazilah, Cheah Jin Min, Gan Sik Ze, Sabariah Yussof, and Noraznawati Ismail. "Microbial Degradation of Hydrocarbons from Petrochemical Waste Using Food Waste Amendments." In Advances in Waste Processing Technology, 157–72. Singapore: Springer Singapore, 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-4821-5_10.
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Swer, Haribashai, and M. S. Dkhar. "Influence of Crop Rotation and Intercropping on Microbial Populations in Cultivated Fields Under Different Organic Amendments." In Microbial Diversity and Biotechnology in Food Security, 571–80. New Delhi: Springer India, 2014. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-1801-2_51.
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Fauci, Mary F., and Richard P. Dick. "Microbial Biomass as an Indicator of Soil Quality: Effects of Long-Term Management and Recent Soil Amendments." In SSSA Special Publications, 229–34. Madison, WI, USA: Soil Science Society of America and American Society of Agronomy, 2015. http://dx.doi.org/10.2136/sssaspecpub35.c17.
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Steiner, Christoph, Wenceslau G. Teixeira, Johannes Lehmann, and Wolfgang Zech. "Microbial Response to Charcoal Amendments of Highly Weathered Soils and Amazonian Dark Earths in Central Amazonia — Preliminary Results." In Amazonian Dark Earths: Explorations in Space and Time, 195–212. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2004. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-05683-7_15.
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Gowthaman, Sivakumar, Thiloththama Hiranya Kumari Nawarathna, Pahala Ge Nishadi Nayanthara, Kazunori Nakashima, and Satoru Kawasaki. "The Amendments in Typical Microbial Induced Soil Stabilization by Low-Grade Chemicals, Biopolymers and Other Additives: A Review." In Building Materials for Sustainable and Ecological Environment, 49–72. Singapore: Springer Singapore, 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-1706-5_4.
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Verma, Sakshi, Manoj Kumar, and Nitika Kapoor. "Biochar as an Emerging Amendment for Remediation of Heavy Metals-Contaminated Soil." In Microbial and Biotechnological Interventions in Bioremediation and Phytoremediation, 445–85. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-08830-8_19.
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Srivastava, Anjana, and P. C. Srivastava. "Role of Organic Soil Amendments in Controlling Ground Water Pollution Due to Pesticides." In Advances in Environmental Engineering and Green Technologies, 61–68. IGI Global, 2018. http://dx.doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-3126-5.ch004.
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In soil, pesticide residues are subjected to various transformations and transportation processes. Leaching is one of the major transportation processes responsible for ground water contamination. Organic amendments used in agriculture are known to improve the physico-chemical properties of soil at low cost and are regarded as one of the most suitable technologies for sustainable agriculture. These amendments play an important role in the retention of pesticides because of increased adsorption of these chemicals on soil. Sorption of pesticides which are weak acids or bases, is influenced by soil pH because they assume a positive or negative charge, or no charge depending on the pH. Leaching of such pesticides to ground water can be prevented to a great extent by mixing of organic amendments to soil because they enhance the ability of pesticide retention on soil and or promote their microbial degradation as well during in situ decomposition of organic amendments in soil.
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Majić, Ivana, Ankica Sarajlić, Emilija Raspudić, Marko Josipović, and Gabriella Kanižai Šarić. "Effects of Irrigation and Bioproducts of Microbial Origin on Nematode Community and Mycorrhizal Root Colonization in Soybean." In Nematodes - Recent Advances, Management and New Perspectives [Working Title]. IntechOpen, 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.99294.
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Soybean (Glycine max L. Merr) is the most important legume and threaten by diverse pests and diseases. Complex interactions among rhizosphere organisms are found in all agro-ecosystems. Results of these interactions can be positive and/or negative in terms of plant production. Soil nematode community consists of different trophic groups of nematodes. Nematodes are the most abundant soil invertebrates. Several nematode species penetrate soybean roots as parasites, and can cause loss in yields. Arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi are obligate plant symbionts that colonize soybean roots naturally. The aim of the study was to evaluate effects of irrigation and amendments of bioproducts containing beneficial soil microorganisms (ABM) on nematode community and mycorrhizal root colonization in soybean. Field experiments were conducted in soybean in 2013 in Osijek, Croatia. The plots were either rain fed or irrigated to 60-100% field water capacity (FWC). We tested soil amendments and soil + foliar amendments of three commercial products containing beneficial organisms. Average number of nematodes per soil sample varied from 186,67 (soil ABM in non-irrigated plots) to 297,57 (soil+foliar ABM in plots with 60-100% FWC), and there were no significant differences between the treatments. Bacterial feeding nematodes were the most abundant, while plant parasitic genus Pratylenchus was the most abundant among other plant parasitic nematodes. There was no clear influence of any of the treatments on soil nematode community. Amendments of the bioproducts increased mycorrhizal root colonization in rain fed plots, while it decreased the mycorrhizal root colonization when soybeans were irrigated. Irrigation increased mycorrhizal root colonization in plots without amendments of the bioproducts, and mycorrhizal colonization differed significantly between the sampling dates. Further research is needed to determine if irrigation alters the potential of mycorrhiza to colonize the roots.
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Inubushi, Kazuyuki, and Miwa Yashima. "Mitigation of Climate Change by Nitrogen Managements in Agriculture." In Nitrogen in Agriculture - Physiological, Agricultural and Ecological Aspects [Working Title]. IntechOpen, 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.99972.
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Soil is one of the important sources of nitrous oxide (N2O), which is generally producing through soil microbial processes, such as nitrification and denitrification. Agricultural soils receive chemical and organic fertilizers to maintain or increase crop yield and soil fertility, but several factors are influencing N2O emissions, such as types and conditions of soil and fertilizer, and rate, form, and timing of application. Mitigation of N2O is a challenging topic for future earth by using inhibitors, controlled-release fertilizers, and other amendments, but the cost and side effects should be considered for feasibility.
Conference papers on the topic "Microbial amendments"
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Bonilla, N., F. M. Cazorla, J. M. Hermoso, J. González, J. A. Torés, and A. de Vicente. "Microbial analysis of soils from avocado crop modified by organic amendments." In Proceedings of the III International Conference on Environmental, Industrial and Applied Microbiology (BioMicroWorld2009). WORLD SCIENTIFIC, 2010. http://dx.doi.org/10.1142/9789814322119_0016.
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Schrader, Greg W., and Lisamarie Kane. "Best Practices for Fresh Juice Production." In ASME 1996 Citrus Engineering Conference. American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 1996. http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/cec1996-4201.
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In late 1995 an outbreak of Salmonella was traced to unpasteurized orange juice. In response to the outbreak, the Florida Citrus Commission has recommended several amendments to the Department of Citrus Rules. Regardless of the outcome of these amendments, there exists a series of “best practices” to help insure the production of a consistent product of sound nature. This paper focuses on best practices in process design, equipment and facility design. A brief overview of microbiology is given with attention to source of contamination and environmental conditions for microbial growth. Paper published with permission.
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Kumar, Pramod, Ajay Kumar Joshi, Suman Lata, Bhupesh Kumar Gupta, and Nisha Sharma. "Biological Amendments Improved Survival, Growth Traits, and Microbial Properties of Air-Layered Litchi chinensis Sonn. cv. Early Large Red Saplings." In IECHo 2022. Basel Switzerland: MDPI, 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/iecho2022-12491.
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Wellman, Dawn M., Shas V. Mattigod, Susan Hubbard, Ann Miracle, Lirong Zhong, Martin Foote, Yuxin Wu, and Danielle Jansik. "Advanced Remedial Methods for Metals and Radionuclides in Vadose Zone Environments." In ASME 2010 13th International Conference on Environmental Remediation and Radioactive Waste Management. ASMEDC, 2010. http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/icem2010-40235.
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Functionally, the methods for addressing contamination must remove and/or reduce transport or toxicity of contaminants. This problem is particularly challenging in arid environments where the vadose zone can be up to hundreds of feet thick, rendering transitional excavation methods exceedingly costly and ineffective. Delivery of remedial amendments is one of the most challenging and critical aspects for all remedy-based approaches. The conventional approach for delivery is through injection of aqueous remedial solutions. However, heterogeneous vadose zone environments present hydrologic and geochemical challenges that limit the effectiveness. Because the flow of solution infiltration is dominantly controlled by gravity and suction, injected liquid preferentially percolates through highly permeable pathways, by-passing low-permeability zones which frequently contain the majority of the contamination. Moreover, the wetting front can readily mobilize and enhance contaminant transport to underlying aquifers prior to stabilization. Development of innovative, in-situ technologies may be the only way to meet remedial action objectives and long-term stewardship goals. Shear-thinning fluids (i.e., surfactants) can be used to lower the liquid surface tension and create stabile foams, which readily penetrate low permeability zones. Although surfactant foams have been utilized for subsurface mobilization efforts in the oil and gas industry, so far, the concept of using foams as a delivery mechanism for transporting reactive remedial amendments into deep vadose zone environments to stabilize metal and long-lived radionuclide contaminants has not been explored. Foam flow can be directed by pressure gradients, rather than being dominated by gravity; and, foam delivery mechanisms limit the volume of water (< 20% vol.) required for remedy delivery and emplacement, thus mitigating contaminant mobilization. We will present the results of a numerical modeling and integrated laboratory-/intermediate-scale investigation to simulate, develop, demonstrate, and monitor (i.e. advanced geophysical techniques and advanced predictive microbial markers) foam-based delivery of remedial amendments to remediate metals and radionuclides in vadose zone environments.
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Yaghoubi, Poupak, Erin N. Yargicoglu, and Krishna R. Reddy. "Effects of Biochar-Amendment to Landfill Cover Soil on Microbial Methane Oxidation: Initial Results." In Geo-Congress 2014. Reston, VA: American Society of Civil Engineers, 2014. http://dx.doi.org/10.1061/9780784413272.181.
Full textReports on the topic "Microbial amendments"
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Michel Jr., Frederick C., Harry A. J. Hoitink, Yitzhak Hadar, and Dror Minz. Microbial Communities Active in Soil-Induced Systemic Plant Disease Resistance. United States Department of Agriculture, January 2005. http://dx.doi.org/10.32747/2005.7586476.bard.
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Induced Systemic Resistance (ISR) is a highly variable property that can be induced by compost amendment of potting media and soils. For example, previous studies showed that only 1 of 79 potting mixes prepared with different batches of mature composts produced from several different types of solid wastes were able to suppress the severity of bacterial leaf spot of radish caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. armoraciae compared with disease on plants produced in a nonamended sphagnum peat mix. In this project, microbial consortia in the rhizosphere of plants grown in ISR-active compost-amended substrates were characterized. The plants used included primarily cucumber but also tomato and radish. Rhizosphere microbial consortia were characterized using multiple molecular tools including DGGE (Israel) and T -RFLP (Ohio) in both ISR-active field plots and potting media. Universal as well as population-specific bacterial and fungal PCR primers were utilized. T -RFLP analyses using universal bacterial primers showed few significant differences in overall bacterial community composition in ISR-active and inactive substrates (Ohio). In addition, the community members which were significantly different varied when different ISR-activecomposts were used (Ohio). To better characterize the shifts in microbial community structure during the development of ISR, population specific molecular tools were developed (Israel, Ohio).-PCR primers were designed to detect and quantify bacterial groups including Pyrenomycetes, Bacillus, Pan toea, Pseudomonas, Xanthomonas and Streptomyces as well as Trichoderma and Fusarium; two groups of fungi that harbor isolates which are ISR active (Isreal and Ohio). Bacterial consortia associated with cucumber plants grown in compost-amended potting mixtures were shown to be dominated by the phylogenetic taxon Bacteroidetes, including members of the genus Chryseobacterium, which in some cases have been shown to be involved in biocontrol (Israel). Nested-PCR-DGGE analyses coupled with long l6S rDNA sequencing, demonstrated that the Chryseobacteriumspp. detected on seed and the root in compost-amended treatments were derived from the compost itself. The most effective ISR inducing rhizobacterial strains were identified as Bacillus sp. based on partial sequencing of l6S rDNA. However, these strains were significantly less effective in reducing the severity of disease than Trichoderma hamatum382 (T382). A procedure was developed for inoculation of a compost-amended substrate with T -382 which consistently induced ISR in cucumber against Phytophthora blight caused by Phytophthora capsiciand in radish against bacterial spot (Ohio). Inoculation of compost-amended potting mixes with biocontrol agents such as T -382 and other microbes that induce systemic resistance in plants significantly increased the frequency of systemic disease control obtained with natural compost amendments.
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VanderGheynst, Jean, Michael Raviv, Jim Stapleton, and Dror Minz. Effect of Combined Solarization and in Solum Compost Decomposition on Soil Health. United States Department of Agriculture, October 2013. http://dx.doi.org/10.32747/2013.7594388.bard.
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In soil solarization, moist soil is covered with a transparent plastic film, resulting in passive solar heating which inactivates soil-borne pathogen/weed propagules. Although solarization is an effective alternative to soil fumigation and chemical pesticide application, it is not widely used due to its long duration, which coincides with the growing season of some crops, thereby causing a loss of income. The basis of this project was that solarization of amended soil would be utilized more widely if growers could adopt the practice without losing production. In this research we examined three factors expected to contribute to greater utilization of solarization: 1) investigation of techniques that increase soil temperature, thereby reducing the time required for solarization; 2) development and validation of predictive soil heating models to enable informed decisions regarding soil and solarization management that accommodate the crop production cycle, and 3) elucidation of the contributions of microbial activity and microbial community structure to soil heating during solarization. Laboratory studies and a field trial were performed to determine heat generation in soil amended with compost during solarization. Respiration was measured in amended soil samples prior to and following solarization as a function of soil depth. Additionally, phytotoxicity was estimated through measurement of germination and early growth of lettuce seedlings in greenhouse assays, and samples were subjected to 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing to characterize microbial communities. Amendment of soil with 10% (g/g) compost containing 16.9 mg CO2/g dry weight organic carbon resulted in soil temperatures that were 2oC to 4oC higher than soil alone. Approximately 85% of total organic carbon within the amended soil was exhausted during 22 days of solarization. There was no significant difference in residual respiration with soil depth down to 17.4 cm. Although freshly amended soil proved highly inhibitory to lettuce seed germination and seedling growth, phytotoxicity was not detected in solarized amended soil after 22 days of field solarization. The sequencing data obtained from field samples revealed similar microbial species richness and evenness in both solarized amended and non-amended soil. However, amendment led to enrichment of a community different from that of non-amended soil after solarization. Moreover, community structure varied by soil depth in solarized soil. Coupled with temperature data from soil during solarization, community data highlighted how thermal gradients in soil influence community structure and indicated microorganisms that may contribute to increased soil heating during solarization. Reliable predictive tools are necessary to characterize the solarization process and to minimize the opportunity cost incurred by farmers due to growing season abbreviation, however, current models do not accurately predict temperatures for soils with internal heat generation associated with the microbial breakdown of the soil amendment. To address the need for a more robust model, a first-order source term was developed to model the internal heat source during amended soil solarization. This source term was then incorporated into an existing “soil only” model and validated against data collected from amended soil field trials. The expanded model outperformed both the existing stable-soil model and a constant source term model, predicting daily peak temperatures to within 0.1°C during the critical first week of solarization. Overall the results suggest that amendment of soil with compost prior to solarization may be of value in agricultural soil disinfestations operations, however additional work is needed to determine the effects of soil type and organic matter source on efficacy. Furthermore, models can be developed to predict soil temperature during solarization, however, additional work is needed to couple heat transfer models with pathogen and weed inactivation models to better estimate solarization duration necessary for disinfestation.
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Minz, Dror, Eric Nelson, and Yitzhak Hadar. Ecology of seed-colonizing microbial communities: influence of soil and plant factors and implications for rhizosphere microbiology. United States Department of Agriculture, July 2008. http://dx.doi.org/10.32747/2008.7587728.bard.
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Original objectives: Our initial project objectives were to 1) Determine and compare the composition of seed-colonizing microbial communities on seeds, 2) Determine the dynamics of development of microbial communities on seeds, and 3) Determine and compare the composition of seed-colonizing microbial communities with the composition of those in the soil and rhizosphere of the plants. Revisions to objectives: Our initial work on this project was hampered by the presence of native Pythium species in the soils we were using (in the US), preventing us from getting accurate assessments of spermosphere microbial communities. In our initial work, we tried to get around this problem by focusing on water potentials that might reduce damage from native Pythium species. This also prompted some initial investigation of the oomycete communities associated seedlings in this soil. However, for this work to proceed in a way that would allow us to examine seed-colonizing communities on healthy plants, we needed to either physically treat soils or amend soils with composts to suppress damage from Pythium. In the end, we followed the compost amendment line of investigation, which took us away from our initial objectives, but led to interesting work focusing on seed-associated microbial communities and their functional significance to seed-infecting pathogens. Work done in Israel was using suppressive compost amended potting mix throughout the study and did not have such problems. Our work focused on the following objectives: 1) to determine whether different plant species support a microbial induced suppression of Pythium damping-off, 2) to determine whether compost microbes that colonize seeds during early stages of seed germination can adequately explain levels of damping-off suppression observed, 3) to characterize cucumber seed-colonizing microbial communities that give rise to the disease suppressive properties, 4) assess carbon competition between seed-colonizing microbes and Pythium sporangia as a means of explaining Pythium damping-off suppression. Background: Earlier work demonstrated that seed-colonizing microbes might explain Pythium suppression. Yet these seed-colonizing microbial communities have never been characterized and their functional significance to Pythium damping-off suppression is not known. Our work set out to confirm the disease suppressive properties of seed-colonizing microbes, to characterize communities, and begin to determine the mechanisms by which Pythium suppression occurs. Major Conclusions: Compost-induced suppression of Pythium damping-off of cucumber and wheat can be explained by the bacterial consortia colonizing seeds within 8 h of sowing. Suppression on pea was highly variable. Fungi and archaea play no role in disease suppression. Potentially significant bacterial taxa are those with affinities to Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes. Current sequencing efforts are trying to resolve these taxa. Seed colonizing bacteria suppress Pythium by carbon competition, allowing sporangium germination by preventing the development of germ tubes. Presence of Pythium had a strong effect on microbial community on the seed.
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Dick, Warren, Yona Chen, and Maurice Watson. Improving nutrient availability in alkaline coal combustion by-products amended with composted animal manures. United States Department of Agriculture, 2002. http://dx.doi.org/10.32747/2002.7587240.bard.
Full textAbstract:
Hypothesis and Objectives: We hypothesized that coal combustion products (CCPs), including those created during scrubbing of sulfur dioxide from flue gases, can be used alone or mixed with composted animal manures as effective growth media for plants. Our specific objectives were, therefore, to (1) measure the chemical, physical and hydraulic properties of source materials and prepared mixes, (2) determine the optimum design mix of CCPs and composted animal manures for growth of plants, (3) evaluate the leachate water quality and plant uptake of selected elements from prepared mixes, (4) quantify the interaction between composted animal manures and B concentrations in the mixes, (5) study the availability of P to plants growing in the mixes, and (6) determine the microbial community and siderophores involved in the solubilization of Fe and its transfer to plants. Background: In recent years a major expansion of electricity production by coal combustion has taken place in Israel, the United States and the rest of the world. As a result, a large amount of CCPs are created that include bottom ash, fly ash, flue gas desulfurization (FGD) gypsum and other combustion products. In Israel 100,000 tons of fly ash (10% of total CCPs) are produced each year and in the US a total of 123 million tons of CCPs are produced each year with 71 million tons of fly ash, 18 million tons of bottom ash and 12 million tons of FGD gypsum. Many new scrubbers are being installed and will come on-line in the next 2 to 10 years and this will greatly expand the amount of FGD gypsum. One of the main substrates used in Israel for growth media is volcanic ash (scoria; tuff). The resemblance of bottom coal ash to tuff led us to the assumption that it is possible to substitute tuff with bottom ash. Similarly, bottom ash and FGD gypsum were considered excellent materials for creating growth mixes for agricultural and nursery production uses. In the experiments conducted, bottom ash was studied in Israel and bottom ash, fly ash and FGD gypsum was studied in the US. Major Achievements: In the US, mixes were tested that combine bottom ash, organic amendments (i.e. composts) and FGD gypsum and the best mixes supported growth of tomato, wheat and marigolds that were equal to or better than two commercial mixes used as a positive control. Plants grown on bottom ash in Israel also performed very well and microelements and radionuclides analyses conducted on plants grown on bottom coal ash proved it is safe to ingest the edible organs of these plants. According to these findings, approval to use bottom coal ash for growing vegetables and fruits was issued by the Israeli Ministry of Health. Implications: Bottom coal ash is a suitable substitute for volcanic ash (scoria; tuff) obtained from the Golan Heights as a growth medium in Israel. Recycling of bottom coal ash is more environmentally sustainable than mining a nonrenewable resource. The use of mixes containing CCPs was shown feasible for growing plants in the United States and is now being evaluated at a commercial nursery where red sunset maple trees are being grown in a pot-in-pot production system. In addition, because of the large amount of FGD gypsum that will become available, its use for production of agronomic crops is being expanded due to success of this study.
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Dick, Warren, Yona Chen, and Maurice Watson. Improving nutrient availability in alkaline coal combustion by-products amended with composted animal manures. United States Department of Agriculture, December 2006. http://dx.doi.org/10.32747/2006.7695883.bard.
Full textAbstract:
Hypothesis and Objectives: We hypothesized that coal combustion products (CCPs), including those created during scrubbing of sulfur dioxide from flue gases, can be used alone or mixed with composted animal manures as effective growth media for plants. Our specific objectives were, therefore, to (1) measure the chemical, physical and hydraulic properties of source materials and prepared mixes, (2) determine the optimum design mix of CCPs and composted animal manures for growth of plants, (3) evaluate the leachate water quality and plant uptake of selected elements from prepared mixes, (4) quantify the interaction between composted animal manures and B concentrations in the mixes, (5) study the availability of P to plants growing in the mixes, and (6) determine the microbial community and siderophores involved in the solubilization of Fe and its transfer to plants. Background: In recent years a major expansion of electricity production by coal combustion has taken place in Israel, the United States and the rest of the world. As a result, a large amount of CCPs are created that include bottom ash, fly ash, flue gas desulfurization (FGD) gypsum and other combustion products. In Israel 100,000 tons of fly ash (10% of total CCPs) are produced each year and in the US a total of 123 million tons of CCPs are produced each year with 71 million tons of fly ash, 18 million tons of bottom ash and 12 million tons of FGD gypsum. Many new scrubbers are being installed and will come on-line in the next 2 to 10 years and this will greatly expand the amount of FGD gypsum. One of the main substrates used in Israel for growth media is volcanic ash (scoria; tuff). The resemblance of bottom coal ash to tuff led us to the assumption that it is possible to substitute tuff with bottom ash. Similarly, bottom ash and FGD gypsum were considered excellent materials for creating growth mixes for agricultural and nursery production uses. In the experiments conducted, bottom ash was studied in Israel and bottom ash, fly ash and FGD gypsum was studied in the US. Major Achievements: In the US, mixes were tested that combine bottom ash, organic amendments (i.e. composts) and FGD gypsum and the best mixes supported growth of tomato, wheat and marigolds that were equal to or better than two commercial mixes used as a positive control. Plants grown on bottom ash in Israel also performed very well and microelements and radionuclides analyses conducted on plants grown on bottom coal ash proved it is safe to ingest the edible organs of these plants. According to these findings, approval to use bottom coal ash for growing vegetables and fruits was issued by the Israeli Ministry of Health. Implications: Bottom coal ash is a suitable substitute for volcanic ash (scoria; tuff) obtained from the Golan Heights as a growth medium in Israel. Recycling of bottom coal ash is more environmentally sustainable than mining a nonrenewable resource. The use of mixes containing CCPs was shown feasible for growing plants in the United States and is now being evaluated at a commercial nursery where red sunset maple trees are being grown in a pot-in-pot production system. In addition, because of the large amount of FGD gypsum that will become available, its use for production of agronomic crops is being expanded due to success of this study.