bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Scheduling Municipal Waste‐Water Effluent Irrigation of Reed Canarygrass on Nitrogen Renovation and Grass Production
Authors: Linden D. R. , Clapp C. E. , Gilley J. R.
Published: July 2010

A 2‐year field experiment was conducted to test the performance of reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) and the removal of nitrogen from municipal waste‐water effluent under varying irrigation schedules. The effluent was obtained from an activated sludge treatment facility that served a domestic suburban population. The 1st‐year total application to the 12‐ by 12‐m plots was about 170 cm of effluent containing 320 kg/ha N, primarily in the ammonia form. The 2nd‐year application consisted of about 290 cm of effluent containing $30 kg/ha N. Treatments during both years were comprised of 1, 2, or 5 irrigations per week. Results indicated that there was no effect of varying the irrigation schedule on the reed canarygrass yields, which averaged 10.2 and 15.0 metric tons/ha during the 1st and 2nd year, respectively. There also was no effect on soil water N concentrations, which averaged 1.0 and 2.4 mg/liter during the 1st and 2nd year, respectively.
Chlortetracycline and Oxytetracycline Effects on Plant Growth and Development in Liquid Cultures
Authors: Batchelder A. R.
Published: July 2010

Cattle manure often contains relatively large amounts of antibiotics used as cattle feed supplements. Spreading that manure over cropland might cause plant growth problems. Two greenhouse studies were conducted to evaluate the effects of two antibiotics, chlortetracycline (7‐chloro‐4‐dimethylamino‐1,4,4a,5,5a,6,11,12a‐octahydro‐3,6,10,12,12a‐pentahydroxy‐6‐methyl‐1,11‐dioxo‐2‐naphthacenecarboxamide) and oxytetracycline (4‐[dimethylamino]‐1,4,4α,5,5α,6,11,12a‐octahydro‐3,5,6,10,12,12a‐hexahydroxy‐6‐methyl‐1,11‐dioxo‐2‐naphthacenecarboxamide) on pinto bean plants (Phaseolus vulgaris var. University of Idaho 114) grown in aerated nutrient media. Root growth and development were markedly decreased by both antibiotics as their concentrations were increased from 0 to 160 ppm in solution. Top dry weights were reduced 71–87% by the antibiotic concentrations, and root dry weights were decreased 66–94%. Plant mortality increased as the antibiotic concentrations were increased and all plants died at the 160‐ppm treatment level. Chlortetracycline degraded faster in nutrient solution than oxytetracycline did, but the effects on pinto bean plants were more detrimental even at lower concentrations. The results showed that relatively low antibiotic concentrations can markedly affect pinto bean plant growth and development in nutrient solution.
Heavy Metals in Tissues of Small Mammals Inhabiting Waste‐Water‐Irrigated Habitats
Authors: Anthony Robert G. , Kozlowski Rosemarie
Published: July 2010

Concentrations of heavy metals in liver and kidney of meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus) and white‐footed mice (Permyscus leucopus) from waste‐water‐irrigated and control areas were analyzed. Heavy metals were not accumulating in meadow voles inhabiting a reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea) field irrigated with sewage effluent. In contrast, Pb and Cd concentrations were significantly higher in tissues of white‐footed mice inhabiting an irrigated forested site as compared with a control forested site. However, concentrations of Pb and Cd were not high enough to be considered toxic. Cadmium/zinc ratios for kidneys of small mammals were higher than those for soils and vegetation on irrigated areas, demonstrating the potentially hazardous uptake of Cd. Heavy metals were not accumulating to hazardous levels in herbivorous small mammals inhabiting areas irrigated with sewage effluent at application rates ranging from 5.0 to 7.5 cm/week for 14 years.
A System for Measuring Methane Fluxes from Inland and Coastal Wetland Environments
Authors: Sebacher D. I. , Harriss R. C.
Published: July 2010

A technique for field measurements of methane fluxes at a water‐atmosphere interface as a function of air velocity has been developed and tested. The method uses a partitioned chamber placed over the water surface where the air velocity along the surface can be controlled. CH4 fluxes as low as 2 × 10−3 (± 0.05) g m−2 day−1 were measured in this way, and additional CH4‐flux data were determined as functions of air velocity from 0.9 (± 0.1) m sec−1 to 4.4 (± 0.37) m sec−1. Emission rates of gas across an air‐water interface is controlled by shear stress of winds in the overlying gas. Our objective was to develop a relatively simple field system which had the capability of quantitatively controlling air velocity over the water surface within the chamber sampling area. This technique has the important advantage of including a continuous monitoring system so that data can be observed on site. Measurements obtained in a coastal wetland creek demonstrate that the CH4 flux passing through a water‐atmosphere interface can be quantified as a function of air velocity over the water surface.
Soil Warming as an Alternative to Conventional Waste‐Heat Dissipation
Authors: Cook David R. , Norman John M.
Published: July 2010

The dissipation of waste heat via soil warming has been suggested as an alternative to conventional electric generating plant cooling methods. A small field prototype was constructed to determine the potential of this alternative. The efficiency of a previously determined economic‐optimum‐size buried‐pipe network (1,821 ha) has been estimated from the application of the prototype data to an empirical advection model. The model produces dissipation estimates that are 30% lower than the prototype results. Adjusting these estimates for the greater flow rate of water through the optimum system, that system could be expected to dissipate approximately 66% of the waste heat from a 1,500 MW electric generating plant (4,366 MW thermal at 34.4% efficiency) in winter, 26% in summer, and 46% on an annual average.

Seasonal and climatic considerations clearly affect the dissipation ability of the system. Nevertheless, soil warming appears valuable as a supplementary system to conventional cooling methods.
Effects of Sulfur Dioxide Fumigation in Open‐Top Field Chambers on Soil Acidification and Exchangeable Aluminum
Authors: Lee Edward H. , Heggestad Howard E. , Bennett Jesse H.
Published: July 2010

The effects of sulfur dioxide (SO2) fumigation in open‐top field chambers on soil pH and exchangeable Al were evaluated. Soil samples were taken from the surface 0–8 cm in plots where tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum L. ‘Jet Star’) plants were grown. Treatments were: 0, 0.06, 0.12, 0.24, and 0.48 ppm SO2 in non‐filtered (NF) air, and 0, 0.12, and 0.48 ppm SO2 in C‐filtered (CF) air. The variation in soil pH after 13 weeks of exposure (5 hours/day, 5 days/week) to 0.12 ppm or less SO2 was not statistically significant. However, the highest SO2 dose (0.48 ppm SO2 for 275 hours total exposure) significantly decreased soil pH from 5.84 to 5.05 and from 5.75 to 4.89 in NF and CF chambers, respectively. A high linear correlation was found between SO2 exposure concentration and soil SO4‐S levels at the end of the fumigation period (r = 0.95). Exchangeable Al was markedly increased at pH values below 5.5. The highest SO2 exposure dose caused exchangeable Al in the surface soil to be increased more than tenfold from 0.64 to 6.53% of the total cation exchange capacity. Long‐term SO2 exposure appears to possess the potential to induce Al phytotoxicity only when the soil pH is reduced to below pH 5.0.
Sweet Corn Growth on Incinerated Sewage Sludge‐Amended Soil
Authors: Mellbye M. E. , Hemphill D. D. , Volk V. V.
Published: July 2010

Incinerated sewage sludge was applied to Willamette silt loam in a 2‐year field study to determine the effect of the waste on the yield and elemental composition of sweet corn (Zea mays L.). The ash had a CaCO3 equivalence of 13–34%, contained 4.1–5.8% P, and trace metal contents exceeded the average concentrations reported for sewage sludges. Treatments included ash applications at rates from 0 to 106 metric tons/ha with a banded P fertilizer variable.

The pH, extractable P, exchangeable Ca, and DTPA‐extractable Zn, Cu, and Pb content of the surface soil (0–15 cm) increased with ash application while exchangeable K and Mg, and extractable Cd were unaffected and extractable Mn decreased. The Zn concentration in the leaves tended to increase with ash application while the Mn concentration decreased. The Cu, Cd, Cr, Mo, Mg, Ca, and Pb concentrations in the corn leaves and kernels were largely unaffected. Yield of mature corn ears and leaf P content increased with ash application the second year suggesting a response to either P or lime in the ash. Banding P fertilizer also increased mature ear yield. Land application of incinerated sewage sludge may provide a feasible waste management option and ash could serve as a source of lime, P, Ca, Zn, and perhaps other micronutrients when used as a soil amendment.
The Effect of Mount St. Helens' Ash on Soil Microbial Respiration and Numbers
Authors: Elliott L. F. , Tittemore D. , Papendick R. I. , Cochran V. L. , Bezdicek D. F.
Published: July 2010

Incubation studies were conducted to determine the effect of different levels of Mount St. Helens' ash on soil microbial activity. Ritzville silt loam was mixed with 1% wheat straw (Triticum aestivum L.) and amended with 0, 10, or 20% ash or 10 or 20% sand. Oxygen uptake by the soil‐sand mixes was significantly greater than by the other treatments, and there was a trend for greater CO2 evolution by the sand‐amended treatments. These differences likely resulted from an aeration effect and/or differences in the systems caused by the mixtures, and not from salinity or release of toxic elements from the ash. Total bacterial, fungal, and pseudomonad counts in the soil were unaffected by either ash or sand additions with or without a wheat straw amendment during a 20‐day incubation period. These results show that the ash additions to the soil from the volcanic eruption should not adversely affect crop residue decomposition or the microbial flora of the soil as measured by soil microbial activity and numbers.
The Effect of Some Oil Shale Process Waters Upon the Viability of Indicator Bacteria
Authors: Adams J. C. , Farrier D. S.
Published: July 2010

This research was undertaken to determine if a spill of oil shale process waters could have a detrimental effect upon the numbers of indicator bacteria in receiving waters. The first objective was to determine the effect of four process waters upon pure cultures of members of total and fecal coliforms and fecal streptococci. The second objective was to determine the effect of the process waters on these organisms in freshly collected water samples. The pure‐culture studies were done by inoculating the organisms into various dilutions of the process waters and plating with time on selective and nonselective media. Secondly, water samples diluted with various amounts of process waters and allowed to stand for 5 hours at 4°C were processed by standard membrane‐filtration procedures. The effect of the process waters upon the viability of the test bacteria depended upon the concentration and type of process water. Death and injury occurred in some cases. Process waters diluted 1:100 had no adverse effect upon the bacteria studied.
Movement of Heavy Metals in Sewage Sludge‐Treated Soils
Authors: Emmerich W. E. , Lund L. J. , Page A. L. , Chang A. C.
Published: July 2010

A controlled column study was conducted to evaluate the potential for Cd, Cu, Ni, and Zn movement through three reconstructed soil profiles from surface applied sewage sludge. Anaerobically digested sewage sludge was mixed into the top 15 cm in either liquid or air‐dried form three times for a total rate of 476 metric tons/ha. The soil columns were leached with 5 m of Colorado River water over a 25‐month period. After leaching, columns were sectioned and analyzed for metal movement by a complete metal mass balance. Analysis of the soils below the sludge‐soil layers indicated that essentially no metals moved below the depth of incorporation. The mass balance calculation for the metals in the sludge‐soil layers confirmed that movement had not occurred, in that close to 100% of the added metals were recovered in the sludge‐soil layers. Although no metal movement was observed, a situation conducive to metal movement was noted. Greatly lowered pH of the soil profiles beneath the sludge‐soil layers was attributed to the mineralization and nitrification of the added organic N. A subsequent pH reduction in the sludge‐soil layer could increase the solubilization of the metals and induce movement in the soil profiles, but this was not observed within the time frame of this study.
Sweet Corn Response to Application of Three Sewage Sludges
Authors: Hemphill D. D. , Jackson T. L. , Martin L. W. , Kiemnec G. L. , Hanson D. , Volk V. V.
Published: July 2010

Anaerobically digested sewage sludges from Portland, Salem, and Rock Creek, Oreg., and (NH4)2SO4 were applied to Willamette silt loam soil for 3 consecutive years to determine their effects on yield and elemental composition of sweet corn (Zea mays L.) leaves and kernels. In the first and second year, sweet corn ear yields increased nearly proportionally to the sludge NH4‐N content at the low rate of sludge application, but were not further increased at the high rate of sludge application. In the first 2 years ear yields of plants grown on sludge‐amended soils were less than yields obtained with the optimal rate of (NH4)2SO4. However, in the third year yields on sludge‐amended soils equaled or exceeded those with optimal (NH4)2SO4. Banding concentrated superphosphate at planting tended to increase yields, particularly of fully mature ears. Response to banded P was more pronounced with (NH4)2SO4 than with sewage sludge as the N source.

Leaf‐tissue Zn and Cd content increased with sludge or commerical N application, with the highest Zn and Cd content occurring in plants grown on soils amended with the sludge that contained the highest concentration of trace metals. Kernel metal content varied less with N rate or source than did leaf metal content. Liming had little effect on yield or the metal content of kernels. Metal content of kernels did not increase with second and third sludge applications.
Potassium and Magnesium Availability in Mudstone Coal Overburdens in West Virginia
Authors: Gensheimer G. J. , Stout W. L.
Published: July 2010

Mudstones are rapidly weathering sedimentary rocks with a hardness of <2.5 (gypsum = 2.0, calcite = 3.0) and are dominated by silt‐and/or clay‐sized particles. They may contain abundant amounts of Ca, Mg, and K, and may have a high neutralizing potential. Mixing mudstones containing high amounts of K and Mg with infertile top‐soils when reclaiming surface mined lands may increase the fertility of the resulting mine soil. The objective of this experiment was to determine which soil testing procedure(s) would best predict the availability of K and Mg to plants from nine mudstone samples associated with seven coal seams in northern West Virginia.

The soil testing procedures used to extract K and Mg from the mudstones were double acid (0.05N HCl and 0.025N H2SO4), boiling 1N HNO3 (nitric acid), neutral 1N NH4OAC (ammonium acetate), water, and Baker's small exchange method. The biological extraction of K and Mg by oat seedlings (Avena sativa L.) was determined with a modified Stanford‐DeMent procedure.

Except in mudstones where toxic elements are present, such as the Clarksburg samples, it appears that mudstones are a possible source of plant‐available K in newly constructed mine soils. The HNO3, NH4OAC, and Baker tests predicted the relative availability of K in the mudstones. The HNO3 test was best able to predict the total amount of K available to the oat seedlings.

Although there was a large amount of HNO3‐extractable Mg in the high‐pH mudstones, it was not available to the oat seedlings. If, as postulated, the Mg in these mudstones was in the carbonate form, it may become available over time in the humid regions where the mudstones occur.
Water Regime and Nitrogen Fertilization for Rhodes Grass Irrigated with Municipal Waste Water on Sand Dune Soil
Authors: Vaisman I. , Shalhevet J. , Kipnis T. , Feigin A.
Published: July 2010

The use of municipal waste water for crop irrigation has advantages in increasing water supply and reducing the need for fertilization application. The objective of this research was to develop management for using secondary effluent for crop irrigation while reducing pollution hazards.

A field experiment was conducted on a sand dune soil during 1978 and 1979 to determine the water requirement and fertilizer needs of Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana Kunth). There were four irrigation treatments, each at two levels of N fertilizer. The grass was irrigated with municipal effluent that received secondary treatment in settling ponds. The N concentration in the waste water used was about 18 mg/liter, which did not fully supply the needs of the crop. When 250 kg N/ha was added as (NH4)2SO4, an optimum dry matter yield of 12.0 metric tons/ha was obtained when irrigation was applied on the basis of 0.8 pan factor. Higher rates of fertilization and water application resulted in N seepage below the root zone. Any additional water resulted in increased drainage.

Rhodes grass proved to be an efficient remover of N from effluent, and also prevented deep seepage and ground‐water pollution.
Utilization of Industrial Fermentation Residues for Turfgrass Production
Authors: Wright W. R. , Schauer P. S. , Huling R. E.
Published: July 2010

Fermentation residues are formed during the production of antibiotics and organic acids. If these residues are to be applied to agricultural land, information concerning nitrogen availability, crop response, and possible toxicity is needed so that appropriate application rates can be determined. Wastes were applied to an Enfield silt loam soil (coarse‐silty over sandy‐skeletal, mixed mesic, Typic Dystrochrept) at rates of 0, 112, and 224 dry metric tons/ha, which provided 0, 2,778 or 5,556 kg N/ha, respectively. Additional plots received 24 or 48 kg N/ha per month as NH4NO3 from May through October of each year for comparison purposes. All plots were seeded with a mixture of 60% Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L. cv. Merion), 20% perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L. cv. Manhattan), and 20% Chewings fescue (Festuca rubra ssp. commutata Gaud cv. Highlight). Turfgrass yields and N contents were obtained weekly during the growing season over a 3‐year period. Nitrogen derived from mineralization of industrial fermentation wastes was sufficient to produce high quality turfgrass for a period of 2 or 3 years without any supplemental N fertilizer. Wastes applied at a rate of 224 metric tons/ha inhibited the germination and growth of turfgrass when seeded immediately after application. Only 5–11% of the N applied as fermentation wastes was recovered by the clippings. These data suggest lowering application rates to eliminate potential turfgrass injury from excess N and to prevent possible contamination of ground water.
Maximizing Potential Residue Removal from Cropland in Iowa and Southern Minnesota
Authors: Onstad C. A. , Larson W. E. , Gupta S. C. , Holt R. F.
Published: July 2010

Several cropping alternatives to maximize amounts of crop residues available for alternative uses while maintaining soil losses at or below tolerable levels were investigated. The amounts of crop residues that would be available for removal from the land in Iowa and southern Minnesota were computed using various cropping, tillage, and residue‐management, as well as conservation and cover‐crop practices. Residue was considered available for removal when the calculated soil erosion value was less than or equal to the soil‐loss tolerance. As compared with present practices, the amount of crop residues that could be removed could be approximately doubled by. (i) changing the cropping sequence or (ii) growing a winter cover crop. Leaving a part of the residues on the land and using conservation tillage or no‐till on the more sloping land increased from 10 to 32% the amount of residues available for removal, depending on other practices. Average soil‐loss values could be significantly decreased if the treatments we considered were adopted. For the steeper slopes, we found that to adequately control erosion, engineering‐type practices, such as terracing and contouring, need to be incorporated with low‐level residue management.
Heavy Applications of Liquid‐Digested Sludge on Three Ultisols: II. Effects on Mineral Uptake and Crop Yield
Authors: Lutrick M. C. , Robertson W. K. , Cornell J. A.
Published: July 2010

A study was made of the nutrient uptake of corn (Zea mays L.), grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench), and soybeans (Glycine max L.) grown on land to which liquid‐digested sludge (sludge) containing 2.6% solids had been applied as a source of plant nutrients. The sludge was applied over a 6‐year period to give a total of 0, 87, 174, 241, 288, and 335 metric tons/ha dry matter. Corn did not contain Pb in the leaves or grain but the leaves contained up to 2.0 ppm Cd and 0.23 ppm Hg when high levels of sludge were applied. Cadmium and Hg were not detected in the corn grain. No measurable amount of Cd and Pb were found in the leaves or grain of grain sorghum, however Hg accumulated in the leaves up to 0.06 ppm. Soybeans took up Cd and Hg in the leaves but none accumulated in the seed. Some soybean seedlings became chlorotic and died at the 288 and 335 metric tons of dry matter/ha treatments. These seedlings contained 963 and 1,188 ppm Zn and 484 and 725 ppm Mn, respectively, probably causing the soybean plant injury. Soybean leaves taken from the 335 metric tons/ha treatment at the R5 stage contained 619 ppm Zn and 220 ppm Mn, and corn leaves taken at the hard‐dough stage contained 707 ppm Zn and 458 ppm Mn, but neither showed any detrimental foliar symptoms.

The yield and plant data analyses indicated that annual applications of sludge from Pensacola, Fla., equivalent to 28 metric tons dry matter/ha would be an acceptable rate of disposal by land‐spreading for corn, grain sorghum, and soybeans grown on three Paleudults: Orangeburg, Troup, and Lucy soils.
Effectiveness of By‐Product Sulfuric Acid for Reclaiming Calcareous, Saline‐Sodic Soils
Authors: Cates Richard L. , Haby V. A. , Skogley E. O. , Ferguson Hayden
Published: July 2010

Copper smelters produce H2SO4 during the S scrubbing process, creating a continuing supply of H2SO4. Oil refineries use commercial grade H2SO4 in alkylation units and the resultant “spent” acid is a waste product available for other purposes. A 2‐year field experiment was conducted on two irrigated sites in south‐central Montana to evaluate the effectiveness of H2SO4 for reclaiming calcareous, salinesodic soils. Treatments included increasing rates of smelter acid, and comparisons with gypsum (CaSO4 · 2H2O), spent acid, and feedlot cattle manure in combination with smelter acid. Reclamation effectiveness was evaluated by analysis of saturated paste pH, electrical conductivity of the saturation extract (ECe), and sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) values of the soil in the 0‐ to 15‐ and 0‐ to 20‐cm depth intervals. Barley (Hordeum vulgare L) was grown both years as a biological test for reclamation.

The degree of reclamation improved with increasing acid rate. Barley dry matter yield on plots that received the highest rate of acid was more than four times that of the check the second year.

The effect of spent acid was similar to that of smelter acid. Gypsum lowered ECe and pH vlaues more than an equivalent rate of smelter acid, but SAR and barley dry matter yield were improved similarly by both amendments. Feedlot cattle manure plus smelter acid increased barley dry matter yield 40% over smelter acid alone. We propose that this effect is due to the improved soil nutrient status when both amendments are used together.
Graphical Calculation of Ion Concentrations in Calcium Carbonate and/or Gypsum Soil Solutions
Authors: Suarez D. L.
Published: July 2010

Water quality specialists and agricultural extension personnel, among others, need estimates of soil solution Ca concentrations when evaluating the soil chemistry of irrigated arid lands. Existing prediction methods require computer models or extensive numerical calculations, which are often not convenient to use by field personnel. A new graphical method for calculating the equilibrium chemical concentration of waters undergoing calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and/or gypsum dissolution or precipitation is presented. The procedure requires the assumption that the water is in an open system with CO2, i.e., CO2 is not affected by carbonate dissolution/precipitation reactions but rather is controlled by respiration and diffusion. The procedure can be utilized to calculate steady‐state ion concentrations of soil and drainage waters.

The method of calculation permits corrections to be made for ionic strength (activity coefficient). Simplified numerical methods for correcting for ion complexation are also presented. The graphical procedures allow quick prediction of equilibrium concentration of major species in solutions in the absence of ion exchange. An evaluation of the procedure, based on various western U.S. irrigation waters and different leaching fractions, shows that the graphical method is comparable to computer simulations.
Nutrient Removal and Leaching from a Whole‐Tree Harvest of Northern Hardwoods
Authors: Hornbeck James W. , Kropelin William
Published: July 2010

Whole‐tree harvesting of a northern hardwood stand in New Hampshire removed an average of 111 dry metric tons/ha of biomass, representing 96% of the aboveground total. Nutrient removal in harvested trees averaged 344, 242, 128, and 19 kg/ha for Ca, N, K, and P, respectively. The nutrients removed were between 2 and 3% of estimated total soil capital for Ca and N, and about 1% of total soil capital for K and P. Of estimated available nutrient capital, the removals were 30% for Ca and 85% for K. The harvest was carried out on the lower 40% of a 16‐ha watershed. Concentrations of NO3, Ca, and K in soil solution and streamflow of the harvested watershed increased for 1½ to 2 years. Streamflow concentrations increased by a maximum of 3, 1, and 0.2 mg/liter for NO3, Ca, and K, respectively. Increased loss of N and Ca by leaching to streams is estimated at < 40 kg/ha. NO3 in soil solution increased from background levels of 1 mg/liter to a maximum of 95 mg/liter. Ca increased from background levels of 2 mg/liter to a maximum of 19 mg/liter. Concentrations of both ions returned to background levels by the third growing season after harvest.

The increases in nutrient ions in streams and soil solution are thought to result from increased mineralization and nitrification immediately after harvest. The harvested area has regenerated rapidly with pioneer and commercial species, perhaps partly because of the enriched soil solution. Nutrient removals and leaching losses by themselves do not seem to deplete total nutrient capital significantly. However, the impacts of whole‐tree harvesting upon the processes, mechanisms, and rates by which nutrients are made available for future stands are still of concern.
Copper Availability, Form, and Mobility in Soils from Three Annual Copper‐Enriched Hog Manure Applications
Authors: Mullins G. L. , Martens D. C. , Miller W. P. , Kornegay E. T. , Hallock D. L.
Published: July 2010

Relatively high Cu concentrations occur in manure from hogs fed growth‐stimulating Cu levels. Concern exists that detrimental effects may occur in crop production from incorporation of the Cu‐enriched hog manure into agricultural soils. This research was conducted during three growth seasons to evaluate effects of Cu‐enriched hog manure applications on Cu availability, form, and mobility in one Alfisol and two Ultisols. Five field treatments applied to the three soils annually for 3 years were 33.6 and 67.2 metric tons/ha of wet manure from hogs on high‐Cu diets, Cu levels as CuSO4 equivalent to that in the manure, and a control. Copper concentrations in the hog feed ranged from 178 to 261 ppm during the 3 years. Amounts of Cu in manure used in the field experiments varied with Cu concentrations in the feed and ranged from 899 to 1,398 ppm. From 55.6 to 65.6 kg/ha Cu were incorporated into the soils over the 3‐years at the 67.2‐metric ton/ha manure rate. Application of these levels of Cu as either CuSO4 or Cu‐enriched hog manure did not decrease corn (Zea mays L.) grain yields on the three soils. In some cases, the Cu applications caused relatively small increases in Cu concentrations in corn ear leaves and grain. Diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA)‐extractable Cu data indicated that downward movement of Cu from Cu‐enriched hog manure application occurred in only one of the three soils. This soil contained relatively low amounts of clay and free Fe and Mn. Sequential Cu extraction data indicated that the applied Cu increased the potentially plant‐available soil Cu fractions and that a portion of the applied Cu reverted to relatively plant‐unavailable soil Cu forms.
Comparative Movement of Different Enteroviruses in Soil Columns
Authors: Lance J. C. , Gerba C. P. , Wang D.‐S.
Published: July 2010

Echo 1 and Echo 29, the least adsorptive viruses studied in previous batch studies with small soil samples, and Polio 1 were seeded in secondary sewage effluent that was applied to 250‐cm‐long soil columns. Water samples from various column depths showed that the adsorption patterns for Echo 29 and Polio 1 were quite similar. Fewer Echo 1 viruses were adsorbed near the soil surface, but the leaching pattern below the 40‐cm depth resembled that for Polio 1 and Echo 29. The leaching patterns of Echo 1 and Polio 1 were influenced in a similar manner by changes in virus concentration, and flow velocity and leaching patterns were similar for three other soils with a wide range in virus‐retention efficiencies. These tests and previous experiments on virus adsorption and survival suggest that movement of polioviruses type 1 through soils is similar to the movement of many other enteroviruses through soils. Virus movement through loamy sand roughly paralleled that of fecal coliforms.
Chemical Water Quality of Runoff From Grazing Land in Nebraska: II. Contributing Factors
Authors: Schepers J. S. , Hackes B. L. , Francis D. D.
Published: July 2010

The chemical quality of runoff water from a 32.5‐ha portion of a 40‐ha cow‐calf pasture area at the Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center near Clay Center, Nebr., was determined over a 3‐year period. Precipitation and hydrologic characteristics, stocking rates, and sediment contents in the runoff were used to predict the average concentrations of eight chemical constituents in the water. Predicted concentrations of NH4‐N, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, total phosphorus, total organic carbon, and chemical oxygen demand were directly related to the density of grazing livestock. A combination of one or more hydrologic or rainfall factors significantly improved the prediction. Leachates from the standing plant material, surface litter layer, surface soil, and manure deposits indicated manure and standing plant material were likely sources of most chemical constituents in runoff water. Chloride appeared to be a possible indicator of wildlife or livestock activity.
Hydrogen Oxidation in Soils as a Possible Toxic‐Effects Indicator
Authors: Rogers Robert D. , Mc Farlane James C.
Published: July 2010

Efficient soil bioassays are needed in a screening array to determine the toxicities of industrial products and wastes. Hydrogen consumption is a common soil microbiological process that we evaluated as a possible soil indicator of toxic effects. Elemental tritium was used as a tracer to determine the H2 oxidation rates in soils. The H2 bioassay can be completed within 24 h using liquid scintillation counting of the tritium tracer. This test was used to evaluate the effects of known toxic chemicals (e.g., heavy metals, herbicides, and air pollutants), as well as a variety of suspected environmentally harmful compounds (e.g., waste waters, particulates, and sludges from industrial processes) on H2 oxidation in soils. This bioassay responded to test compounds at concentrations shown to be toxic in other soil microbiological investigations.
Effects of Pesticides on Denitrifying Activity in Salt Marsh Sediments
Authors: Grant Michael A. , Payne W. J.
Published: July 2010

Pesticides may alter nutrient cycling in a salt march by affecting various nontarget microorganisms, including denitrifiers. The effects of the herbicides paraquat (1,1′‐dimethyl 4,4′‐bipyridinium dichloride), 2,4‐dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, atrazine ((2‐chloro‐4)(ethylamino)‐6‐(isopropylamine)‐1‐3‐5‐triazine), and dalapon (2,3‐dichloropropionic acid), and the insecticides malathion (O,O‐dimethyl dithiophosphate of dimethyl mercaptosuccinate), carbaryl (1,napthyl N‐methyl‐carbamate), and temephos (O,O,O′O′‐tetramethyl O,O′‐thiodi‐p‐phenylene phosphorothioate on the activity of denitrifying bacteria in salt marsh sediments were determined. Sediment samples were amended with glucose, NO3−, and pesticides, incubated anaerobically, and gas production was measured by gas chromatography. At a concentration of 10 µg/mL only dalapon clearly inhibited denitrification. When pure cultures of Pseudomonas perfectomarinus were amended with 100 and 250 µg/mL commercial dalapon and 2,2‐dichloropropionic acid, NO2− reduction activity was inhibited to a greater extent than NO3− reduction activity. Aerobically, P. perfectomarinus was not inhibited by dalapon or 2,2‐dichloropropionic acid. Dalapon therefore appears to have some capacity to slow the progress of but not suppress denitrification.
Mobility Through Soils of Certain Heavy Metals in Geothermal Brine Water
Authors: Doner H. E. , Pukite A. , Yang E.
Published: July 2010

Geothermal energy conversion studies in agricultural areas of the Imperial Valley of southern California pose several questions with regard to potential accidental spill of brine water onto the land. Some of the geothermal brine waters (GBW) contain > 30% total dissolved solids, mainly as NaCl, CaCl2, and KCl, as well as several heavy metals such as Zn, Pb, Cu, and Cd. An investigation was undertaken to determine the mobility of Cd(II), Cu(II), and Zn(II) present in GBW through five agricultural soils. Columns of soils were leached with GBW collected from a well near the Salton Sea in California. The concentrations of Cd(II), Cu(II), Pb(II), and Zn(II) in the effluent were compared with their original concentrations to determine amounts of adsorption or retention in the soils. Heavy metal determinations also were made on whole soils before and after treatment. An estimate of the extent of Cl− complexation with the metals was made from thermodynamic stability constants by use of the computer program GEOCHEM. Significant quantities (50–100%) of all heavy metals studied were complexed with Cl−. None of the soils adsorbed Cu(II) from the GBW, while Cd(II) was apparently removed from some soils. All soils adsorbed some Pb(II) and Zn(II), but after passing 10 pore volumes of solution their capacity for adsorption was negligible. A combination of mass action and Cl− complexation most likely caused the high mobility of Cd(II), Cu(II), Pb(II), and Zn(II) in the GBW.
Disposal of Feedlot‐Lagoon Water by Irrigating Bromegrass: II. Soil Accumulation and Leaching of Nitrogen
Authors: Olson R. V. , Terry R. V. , Powers W. L. , Swallow C. W. , Kanemasu E. T.
Published: July 2010

This field experiment measured the role of soil accumulation and leaching of N when bromegrass (Bromus inermis) was irrigated with beef‐feedlot‐lagoon water. The 4‐year study included three replications at irrigation rates of 0, 2.5, 5.1, 7.6, and 10.2 cm irrigation−1. The heaviest irrigation added 1,890 kg N ha− during the 4 years. Microplots encased in steel pipes in the main plots received 5.1‐ and 10.2‐cm irrigations with lagoon water enriched with (15NH4)2SO4.

With the main plots, there were no significant differences in total or inorganic soil N due to treatments. Profile contents of total N in the microplots increased during the experiment with 10.2‐cm irrigations, and decreased with 5.1 cm. Amounts of leaching were small and were related to drainage from the profile rather than quantities of N added. Leaching did not constitute a significant hazard to underground water supplies.

The linear relationship between amounts of labeled NH4+‐N added and labeled N found in the soil to 70 cm deep was highly significant. Most of the labeled N was in the 0‐ to 10‐cm soil layer with 88–94% of it immobilized in organic forms. The N balance after 4 years for the 5.1‐cm treatment showed 28% of the labeled N applied as NH4+ was in the soil profile, 41% used by the crop, 31% lost as a gas, and 0.7% leached below 105 cm. With the 10.2‐cm treatment, 20% was in the soil, 38% used by the crop, 40% lost as gas, and 1.3% leached.
Irrigation With Simulated Secondary Waste Water on Tiled Soil Cropped to Bromegrass and Corn
Authors: Grant S. A. , Kunze R. J. , Asrar G.
Published: July 2010

Simulated secondary municipal waste‐water effluent was applied by sprinkler irrigation for a 6‐year period to a tiled soil cropped to bromegrass (Bromus inermis L.) and corn (Zea mays L.). The effluent was applied at two rates, 100 and 200 cm season−1, and efficacies of additional N and K fertilization were also tested. The concentrations of both PO4‐P and NO3‐N in the drainage water were lower under grass than corn; however, the nutrients removed by corn were greater than by grass. Additional N fertilization of corn significantly increased nutrient removal, but K fertilization did not. The concentration of P and K in tile water varied with time of outflow, the peak concentration of nutrients preceding by ½ hour the peak outflow of water.
Plant and Soil Reactions to Nickel Ore Processed Tailings
Authors: Sheets P. J. , Volk V. V. , Gardner E. H.
Published: July 2010

Greenhouse and laboratory experiments were conducted to determine the effect that tailings, produced during the processing of nickeliferous laterite ores by a proposed U.S. Bureau of Mines Process, would have on plant growth and soil properties. The tailings contained soluble salts (7.6 mmhos/cm), NH4‐N (877 µg/g), Ni (0.28%), Mn (82 µg/g DTPA‐extractable), Cr (0.44%), P (2 and 6 µg/g acid F‐ and NaHCO3‐extractable, respectively), and Ca and Mg (1.0 and 20.7 meq/100 g NH4Ac‐extractable, respectively). Water leaching decreased the NH4‐N concentration to 53 µg/g and the EC to 0.4 mmhos/cm by removal of (NH4)2SO4 and MgSO4 salts. Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) was grown on Eightlar clay soil (skeletal, serpentinitic, mesic Typic Xerochrept) amended with 0, 223, 446, and 669 g tailings/kg soil and pure, unleached tailings for 32 weeks in the greenhouse. Seedling establishment of plants grown on soil amended at the highest tailings rate and the pure tailings was initially slow, but plants grown on soil amended at lower rates established readily and grew well. Plant P was <0.24%, while plant Ca concentrations were <0.45% throughout the growth period even though Ca(H2PO2)2 and gypsum had been added. Ammonium acetate‐extractable Ca at the end of the growth period was <5.0 meq/100 g on all amended soils. The Mn, Ni, and Cr concentrations of plants grown on treated soils were within normal ranges, although soil‐analysis values were higher than commonly found. It is recommended that the tailings be washed to reduce NH4‐N and soluble salts prior to revegetation, and that native soil be added to the surface to reduce crusting.
Agriculture and Water Quality in the Canadian Great Lakes Basin: I. Representative Agricultural Watersheds
Authors: Coote D. R. , Mac Donald E. M. , Dickinson W. T. , Ostry R. C. , Frank R.
Published: July 2010

The 1972 U.S.‐Canada Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement established the Pollution from Land Use Activities Reference Group (PLUARG). To meet the objectives of the Pilot Watershed Studies of PLUARG, an approach was developed tbat would allow the quantification of the agricultural component of Great Lakes drainage basin pollution loads. A primary separation of agricultural regions was based on an index of the soil's potential to transfer pollutants to surface and ground water. Agricultural watersheds representative of major soils‐crops‐livestock combinations were monitored and studied. Selection and preliminary monitoring processes led to 11 sites being monitored for 2 years.

The areas of the 11 study watersheds ranged from 20 to 79 km2, of which 22–89% was cultivated, and 0–99% tile‐drained. Row‐cropped laud, which occupied 10–66% of the watershed areas, was strongly correlated with tile‐drained area and fertilizer use. Mean surface‐soil clay contents ranged from 7 to 36%. Livestock densities were negligible in some watersheds, but were up to 0.77 animal units ha−1 in others. Mean precipitation and stream discharge during the study period were approximately 9 and 26% higher, respectively, than expected from long‐term means. The proportion of annual precipitation occurring in the January–April period averaged 32%, while approximately 65% of the stream discharge was measured during these 4 months.

Intensive flow‐related stream sampling and chemical analyses revealed that the watersheds yielded a wide range of nutrient, sediment, and pesticide loadings to Great Lakes tributaries. The subsequent papers in this series discuss these results and their significance to water quality in the Great Lakes Basin.
Agriculture and Water Quality in the Canadian Great Lakes Basin: V. Pesticide Use in 11 Agricultural Watersheds and Presence in Stream Water, 1975–1977
Authors: Frank R. , Braun H. E. , Holdrinet M. Van Hove , Sirons G. J. , Ripley B. D.
Published: July 2010

A survey of 11 agricultural watersheds located in southern Ontario revealed 81 pesticides were applied on farms and rights‐of‐way during 1975. An average of 39% of the land surface in the 11 watersheds was treated with a mean rate of 8.27 kg ha−1 of fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, and nematocides. This was equivalent to an average of 3.25 kg ha−1 year−1 over the whole area, with application rates varying from 0.005 kg ha−1 on hay and pasture to 51 kg ha−1 on potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.), tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.), and tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.). Between May 1975 and April 1977 stream water draining the 11 watersheds was analyzed for 61 parent pesticidal compounds (plus four isomers), 13 metabolites, and two industrial organic pollutants. Forty‐one pesticides were common to the list of compounds used in the watersheds and the list included in the analytical procedure. These 41 pesticides accounted for 73% of the weight of pesticides used. Eighteen parent compounds (plus three isomers), three metabolites, and one industrial organic pollutant were found in drainage waters. In addition, three pesticides, DOT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane‐o,p′ and ‐p,p′), TDE (tetrachlorodiphenylethane‐o,p′ and ‐p,p′), and HEOD (1,2,3,4,10,10‐hexachloro‐6,7‐epoxy‐1,4,4a,5,6,7,8,8a‐oxtahydro‐exo‐1,4‐endo‐5,8‐dimethanonaphthalene), identified in water, had not been in current use for several years.

Among the pesticides used, only atrazine (2 chloro‐5‐ethylamino‐6‐iso‐propropylamino‐1,3,5‐triazine), endosulfan (6,7,8,9,10,10‐hexachloro‐1,5,5a,6,9,9a‐hexahydro‐6,9‐methano‐2,4,3‐benzo[e]‐dioxathiepin‐3‐oxide [mixed isomers]), and simazine (2‐chloro‐4,6‐bis(ethylamino)‐1,3,5‐triazine) persisted long enough to appear in water throughout the year. The overall unit‐area loading or losses to streams of the pesticides was 2.18 g ha−1 year−1, of which 2.02 g ha−1 year−1 was accounted for by atrazine.

The entrance of pesticides into stream water was determined to occur in three main ways: from storm runoff waters (60%), in base flow from internal soil drainage (18%), and from carelessness, termed “spills,” associated with operating equipment adjacent to streams (22%). Five of the chemicals exceeded the water quality criteria established by the International Joint Commission (IJC) for lake and stream waters entering the Great Lakes. These were PCB (polychlorobiphenyl) in 78% of the water samples, ΣDDT (TDE + DDT) in 41%; HEOD in 16%; endosulfan in 14%; and heptachlor epoxide (1,4,5,6,7,8,8‐heptachlor‐2,3‐epoxy‐3a,4,7,7a‐tetrahydro‐4,7‐methanoindan) in 14%. None of the remaining 58 parent chemical compounds sought in the screening program exceeded the IJC water quality criteria.
The Pedological Properties of Tailings Derived From Three Mining Operations in the Sudbury Area, Ontario, Canada
Authors: Rutherford G. K. , Dimma D. , van Loon G. W. , Breck W. G.
Published: July 2010

The pedological properties of tailings derived from Ni‐Cu, Pb‐Zn, and Au mining have been examined by conventional field and laboratory techniques. The Ni‐Cu tailings have been vegetated by seeding, whereas the Pb‐Zn and Au tailings have remained devoid of vegetation for >40 years. Tailing catenas have been developed and, depending on disposition of local water tables, regosolic‐like profiles have formed with strongly reduced deep horizons overlain by variably oxidized subsurface horizons.

Although unvegetated tailings are strongly acidic, dressings of agricultural lime hold surface vegetated horizons at about pH 6; however these profiles also become strongly acidic with depth. Organic content is low and in some unvegetated tailings is higher than in those supporting vegetation. Sulfates are higher than in most soils in humid temperate regions. Exchangeable trace cations can be detected usually only with extractant at pH 4.2. Clay mineralogy reflects country rock, but high amounts of vermiculite and significant quantities of smectite and kaolin appear to have been formed as well as sand‐sized jarosite. Micromorphologically, the tailings are characteristic of very weakly developed soils.
Reclamation of Red Mud (Bauxite Residues) Using Alkaline‐Tolerant Grasses with Organic Amendments
Authors: Fuller Robert D. , Nelson Emily D. P. , Richardson Curtis J.
Published: July 2010

Distichlis spicata var. stricta (desert saltgrass), Sporobolus airoides (alkali sacaton), Agropyron smithii (western wheatgrass), and A. elongatum (tall wheatgrass), alkaline‐tolerant grasses of the western United States, were tested as species to colonize and cover red mud (bauxite residue) with minimum use of soil amendments. A gradient in red mud texture at a residue impoundment (coarse at edge to fine in the center) located in Mobile, Ala., was correlated with soil pH that ranged from 9.15 (coarse) to 11.9 (fine). Saturation‐extract Na concentrations ranged from 394 to 4,990 mg/L and Al concentrations from 4.3 to 1,004 mg/L. Exchangeable Na percentage ranged from 52.6 to 91.1. Without amelioration red mud impoundments lacking subsurface drainage remain unvegetated indefinitely. Sewage sludge additions to red mud (2 cm on surface, or 1:2 by volume) produced significantly greater growth compared with red mud controls with D. spicata var. stricta, A. elongatum, and S. airoides in greenhouse pot experiments. Other organic amendments (wheat straw, paper pulp waste, glucose, and pine needles) and complete nutrient additions failed to produce a consistent response. Sewage sludge caused similar growth increases with D. spicata var. stricta in field experiments on drained red mud lakes. Sewage sludge may increase growth via several mechanisms: (i) lowering red mud pH, (ii) adding macro‐ and micronutrients, (iii) increasing nutrient availability through chelation, and (iv) lowering potential Al toxicity.