Agriculture

  2012 MAY 3 - (VerticalNews.com) -- "A pot experiment was conducted to study the effect of various forms of sewage sludge application namely sewage sludge (SS), sewage sludge coirpith mixture (SSCM) and sewage sludge coirpith pellets (SSCP) on accumulation of cadmium, chromium, nickel and lead in forage maize (Zea mays L.). irrespective of the forms of sewage sludge the dry forage yield was directly propotional to the dose. Sewage sludge at 5.0 t ha(-1) recorded higher dry forage and root biomass yield of 55 and 51 per cent, respectively," scientists in Coimbatore, India report ...read more

  2012 MAY 3 - (VerticalNews.com) -- According to the authors of recent research from Mymensingh, Bangladesh, "The effect of a major quantitative trait locus (QTL) for salinity tolerance in rice, designated as SalTol in a previous study, was tested using three F2 breeding populations. The populations were derived from the following F1 hybrids: 'BRRI dhan40' (susceptible)/ 'IR61920-3B-22-2-1' (highly tolerant); 'BRRI dhan28' (highly susceptible)/ 'IR50184-3B-18-2B-1' (moderately tolerant); and 'Kajalsail' (tolerant)/ 'IR52713-2B-8-2B-1-2' (tolerant). ...read more

  2012 MAR 15 - (VerticalNews.com) -- "A study was carried out to establish the quantity intensity relationship of potassium (K) in soils under mango orchards. Equilibrium activity ratio of potassium (AR(e)(k)) in mango orchard soils ranged from 1.20 x 10(-3) (S4) to 41.30 x 10(-3) (S9) (mole L-1)(0.5)," scientists in Jammu Kashmir, India report.

  "AR(e)(k) was significantly and positively correlated with available forms of K, K saturation percentage, Labile potassium (K-L) and potassium held on specific sites (K-X) and negatively correlated with free energy of exchange (-Delta G). Nearly 80 per cent of the mango growing soils recorded PBC0K (potential buffering capacity of potassium) values of < 75 cmol (+) kg(-1)/(moles L-1)(0.5) with least being 5.1 cmol (+) kg (-1)/(moles L-1)(0.5). The PBC0K was positively and significantly correlated with cation exchange capacity (CEC). The Delta K-0 (K on non-specific sites) values for mango growing soils varied from 0.069 to 0.248 cmol kg(-1) of soil. K-X ranged from 0.019 (S6) to 0.522 (S9) cmol kg(-1) of soil. The Delta K-0, K-L and K-X shared a positive correlation with different forms of K and K saturation percentage. Considering the free energy of exchange concept, majority of the soils were deficient in potassium content. The negative relation of Gapon selectivity coefficient (K-G) with easily available forms of K confirms that increased K selectivity will decrease its presence in solution and easily exchangeable pools," wrote V. Sharma and colleagues, Faculty of Agriculture ...read more