bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Increased Fertilizer Rates on Nitrogen Content of Runoff and Percolate From Monolith Lysimeters
Authors: Chichester F. W.
Published: July 2010

Nitrogen (N) fertilizer was applied to meadow (Danthonia spicata L., Poa pratensis L., and Medicago sativa L. Dactylis glomerata L.)‐ and corn (Zea mays L.)‐cropped lysimeters at rates up to 322 and 672 kg/ha per year, respectively, to determine the effects on chemical quality of surface and subsurface water. Runoff and percolate samples collected from May 1971 through April 1975 were analyzed for inorganic and total N content. Results were evaluated from crop and soil cover treatment differences and compared with data from a similar, earlier study on the same lysimeters in which very low rates of N fertilizer were used.

Nitrogen losses in runoff were greatest in the summer when intense rainfall events occurred shortly after the date of fertilizer application. Quantities of N transported in surface water decreased as the amount of effective soil cover increased. The N losses ranged from < 1 kg/ha per year for meadow to 10 kg/ha per year for clean cultivated corn.

Nitrogen loss by leaching was greatest during the winter when percolation rates increased because of low evapotranspirational demand. Differences observed among management practices were primarily a function of the levels of soluble N remaining in the soil at the end of the growing season. Nitrogen flux was < 10 kg/ha per year under meadow, with N concentrations in the percolate not exceeding the 10 ppm NO3‐N level recommended for potable water by the U. S. Public Health Service. More than 250 kg/ha per year of N loss was measured under corn, with N concentrations in percolating water attaining 70 ppm—far in excess of recommended levels.

Results of this study demonstrated that improved fertilizer management, involving application rates in balance with crop nutrient requirements, soil incorporation of fertilizer materials, and adequate soil cover, will minimize runoff and leaching losses which reduce fertilizer efficiency and adversely affect water quality.
Bacterial and Viral Pathogens Associated with Land Application of Organic Wastes
Authors: Elliott L. F. , Ellis J. R.
Published: July 2010

Bacterial and viral pathogens may be present in animal, and especially municipal, wastes. This requires that caution be exercised when using these materials for crop production. These wastes should not be applied to root crops during the current growing season, or to above‐ground crops 1 month before harvest. Animals should not be allowed to graze areas for 2 to 3 weeks after waste application. Waste should be applied on the basis of crop fertility requirements based on optimum nutrient utilization, thereby minimizing pathogen‐loading rates. Disease outbreaks have occurred when crops grown on soils receiving raw sewage were eaten raw, or when an area was grazed shortly after waste application. No incidence of disease has been reported from land application of treated wastes. Thus, treatment of municipal waste before application is important. A zero‐tolerance for pathogens in wastes land‐applied for crop growth would seem unnecessary when proper management is used.
Effects of Soil, Cover Crop, and Nutrient Source on Movement of Soil, Water, and Nitrogen under Simulated Rain‐Slope Conditions
Authors: Hoyt G. D. , McLean E. O. , Reddy G. Y. , Logan T. J.
Published: July 2010

Nitrogen, P, and K as manure, chemical fertilizers + straw, or chemical fertilizers alone were added to microplots of soils, which were then either cropped to wheat (Triticum aestivum) or left bare, and finally subjected to simulated rainfall. The N, P, and K were each applied at 224 kg/ha in the forms of: (i) N‐ and P‐enriched cow manure (7.35 metric tons/ha, dry weight); (ii) urea, triplesuperphosphate (TSP), and KCI + straw at the same weight of dry matter as the manure; and (iii) fertilizers alone. A 5‐day rainfall sequence was imposed with varying intensities, durations, and soil slopes. The movement of N generally increased as the quantities of solids, runoff, and leachate increased. Where discrepancies occurred, they could usually be explained by differences in structure, crusting of the soils, or clogging of their pores by manure, or by effects of straw on soil permeability to water or on increased microbial activity. In general, almost all the mineral N moving in the leachate, and about half of that moving in runoff, was in NO3− form
Quality of Water Discharged from Three Small Agronomic Watersheds in the Maumee River Basin
Authors: Jones Lyle A. , Smeck Neil E. , Wilding L. P.
Published: July 2010

This investigation was aimed at evaluating the quality of water and characteristics of sediments leaving three nearly level watersheds in the Lake Plain sector of the Maumee River Basin during a 32‐month period as a function of soils comprising the watersheds. Each watershed consisted of a soil of major extent (Paulding, Hoytville, or Millgrove) developed from the three most extensive geologic deposits present in the basin: lacustrine, glacial till, and beach sand, respectively. The results indicated that water quality is a function of soil characteristics, discharge, and year. The finetextured Paulding watershed yielded lower concentrations of calcium, magnesium, and bicarbonate ions than the other two watersheds, but higher concentrations of sodium, potassium, and phosphorus. High concentrations of the latter three elements were attributed to the presence of septic tank effluent in the drainage ditch sampled. The Paulding watershed also yielded the highest concentration of sediment, which implies that nearly level watersheds of the basin, particularly fine‐textured watersheds, may represent significant contributors of sediment entering the Maumee River. Flocculation of clay minerals in the sediments during fluvial transport resulted in increasing particle size and changing mineralogy on moving downstream from headwater areas.
Aerial Deposition of Plutonium in Mixed Forest Stands from Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing
Authors: Adriano D. C. , Pinder J. E.
Published: July 2010

Concentrations of 238Pu and 239,240Pu were determined in bark, organic matter, and soil samples collected in the summer of 1975 from pine (Pinus taeda) and hardwood (Quercus falcata; Carya tormentosa) stands near a nuclear fuel reprocessing plant at the U. S. Energy Res. and Dev. Admin.'s Savannah River Plant near Aiken, S. C. The results indicated that tree crowns intercepted fallout Pu (Pu‐bearing particles) and produced higher Pu concentrations in the organic matter and soil under tree crowns. Higher 239,240Pu concentrations were found under pines than under hardwoods. Plutonium concentrations in the O1 (litter, Aoo) and O2 (organic matter, Ao) layers were higher than those in mineral soil, but most of the Pu was contained in the mineral soil. Higher contents of 239,240Pu were observed near the tree stems than in locations outside of the tree crowns. In pines these values were 163 and 80 nCi 239,240Pu/m2, and in hardwoods, 122 and 80 nCi 239,240Pu/m2, for the respective locations, from the litter to the 15‐cm depth.

The proportion of 238Pu contained in foliage, litter, and organic matter was greater than for 239,240Pu. However, the latter radionuclides had a greater proportion contained in the mineral soil. This observation is consistent with the more recent releases containing a higher percentage of 238Pu from reprocessing operation. Plutonium concentrations in the 5–15 cm depth indicated limited Pu mobility in soil, but 239,240Pu concentrations at this depth were higher near tree stems, suggesting greater mobility perhaps as a result of stem flow.
Effects of Treated Municipal Waste Water on Growth, Fiber, Protein, and Amino Acid Content of Sorghum Grain
Authors: Day A. D. , Tucker T. C.
Published: July 2010

Experiments were conducted at Tucson, Arizona, to study effects of treated municipal waste water on growth, fiber, protein, and amino acid content of grain from sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench.). Sorghum grain was grown in two soil types: (i) Comoro sandy loam, and (ii) Grade silt loam. Three irrigation and fertilizer treatments were used: (i) well water plus suggested amounts of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) (112, 35, and 1 kg/ha of N, P, and K, respectively); (ii) well water plus N, P, and K from commercial sources in amounts equal to those found in waste water (224, 73, and 140 kg/ha of N, P, and K, respectively); and (iii) waste water from an activated sludge sewage plant (224, 73, and 140 kg/ha of N, P, and K, respectively).

When sorghum was grown for grain in Comoro sandy loam, average number of days from planting to maturity, leaf length, and grain yield were higher in plots that received waste water than in plots that received well water and suggested amounts of N, P, and K. Sorghum grown with waste water produced higher grain yields than when grown with synthetic waste water. The plant growth response of sorghum to waste water, when grown in Grabe silt loam, was similar to that observed when the crop was produced in Comoro sandy loam. Sorghum grain grown with all irrigation and fertilizer treatments contained similar amounts of total protein. In sandy loam soil, grain from sorghum grown with simulated waste water and waste water alone contained less cystine, glycine, and histidine than did grain produced with suggested culture. Grain grown with all treatments, in both soil types, contained similar amounts of leucine, methionine, threonine, and tyrosine. Municipal waste water may be an effective source of irrigation water and plant nutrients in the production of high yields of high quality sorghum grain for livestock feed in the irrigated areas of the southwestern U. S.
Disruption of Nutrient Pools and Transport of Heavy Metals in a Forested Watershed Near a Lead Smelter
Authors: Jackson D. R. , Watson A. P.
Published: July 2010

A 1‐year study was initiated in March 1974 to measure the distribution and investigate the effects of the heavy metals Pb, Cd, Zn, and Cu on a forested ecosystem (Crooked Creek Watershed) located near a Pb smelter in southeastern Missouri. Atmospheric discharges of heavy metal particulates have impacted the watershed since 1968. Recent annual deposition rates of particulate Pb, Cd, Zn, and Cu measured within 0.4 km from the smelter were 103, 0.72, 6.4, and 2.1 g/m2, respectively.

Sampling stations were established at 0.4‐, 0.8‐, 1.2‐, and 2.0‐ km intervals along a centrally located transect on the watershed. The transect was located on the leeward side of the smelter stack and in line with the prevailing wind direction. Extremely high metal concentrations in soil and vegetation along the transect reflected the long‐term impact of emissions on the watershed.

Two stages of ecosystem disruption on Crooked Creek Watershed were found: (i) an initial stage (1.2–2.0 km from the stack) characterized by an accumulation of O2 litter with no measurable effects on soil‐litter biota, and (ii) an advanced stage (0.4–0.8 km from the stack) characterized by depletion of soil and litter nutrient pools with evidence of depressed decomposer communities and nutrient translocation.

This study indicates that disruption of nutrient cycling mechanisms may serve as an early indicator of ecosystem stress in response to chemical contamination.
DDT: Persistence in Northern Spodosols
Authors: Owen Ray B. , Dimond John B. , Getchell A. Stanley
Published: July 2010

DDT (dichloro‐dipenyl‐trichloroethene) was used between 1954 and 1967 for the control of spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana) in northern Maine. Soils originally tested in 1967 were resampled in 1973 and 1976 to help clarify the degree of persistence of DDT in northern spodosols. Soils from areas sprayed three times at 1.12 kg/ha continue to contain up to 4.5 ppm DDT residues 12 years after application. Pesticide levels in the soils sampled in 1973 and 1976 were not significantly different from levels measured in 1967. Also, analyses of soil profile samples through the A and B horizons indicated that >96% of the residues were still located in the O1 and O2 horizons.
Growth of Loblolly Pine Seedlings in Strip‐Mined Kaolin Spoil as Influenced by Sewage Sludge
Authors: Berry Charles R. , Marx Donald H.
Published: July 2010

Loblolly pine seedlings (Pinus taeda L.) were transplanted and grown outdoors for 6 months in microplots containing strip‐mined kaolin spoil amended with different quantities of dry sewage sludge. Seedlings on kaolin spoil amended with sludge equivalent to 34 metric tons/ha had greater height, stem diameter, and fresh weight (49, 79, and 126% increases, respectively) than seedlings on nonamended spoil. The percent of short‐roots with ectomycorrhizae was higher on seedlings grown in spoil with 34 and 69 metric tons/ha sludge than in spoil with 0, 138, or 275 metric tons/ha sludge. At the end of the experiment, chemical analysis revealed significantly greater quantities of residual organic matter and essential elements for plant growth in kaolin spoil amended with sludge than in nonamended spoil. Sewage sludge is apparently an excellent organic amendment for kaolin spoil; even small amounts significantly stimulate growth and mycorrhizal development of loblolly pine seedlings.
Movement of Methazole and Its Degradation Products in Soils
Authors: Swoboda Allen R. , Merkle Morris G.
Published: July 2010

The movement of 2‐(3,4‐dichlorophenyl)‐4‐methyl,1,2,4‐oxadiazolidine‐3,5‐dione (methazole) tagged with 14C was studied in Lakeland sand, Nacogdoches sandy loam, Norwood clay loam, and Miller clay soils. The herbicide, at a rate equivalent to 3.4 kg/ha, was incubated for 30 days with each soil. The treated soil, equivalent to 2.5 cm in a 15‐cm diameter column, was placed on the surface of untreated soil contained in columns. The columns were subsequently leached daily with 1.25 cm of distilled water for 42 days. Very little 14C‐activity was detected in the leachate. The percentage of 14C‐tagged material added which leached through the soils was 2.75, 0.84, 2.87, and 1.01 for the Lakeland, Nacogdoches, Norwood, and Miller soils, respectively. Upon sectioning the columns, the majority of 14C‐active material was found in the 0‐ to 2.5‐ and 2.5‐ to 7.5‐cm sections, although a considerable amount of material was found in the 7.5‐ to 15‐cm sections of the Lakeland and Norwood soil columns. Very little herbicide was found below 15 cm in any of the soil columns.

Essentially all of the 14C‐active material present in the soils could be extracted by either shaking for 2 hours with methanol or refluxing with methanol for 16 hours in a soxhlet extractor. Wet combustion of soil samples indicated that very little 14C‐activity remained in the samples extracted by the soxhlet method.

Methazole was readily converted to 1‐(3,4‐dichlorophenyl)‐3‐methylurea (DCPMU) and 1‐(3,4‐dichlorophenyl) urea (DCPU) in the soils studied, with DCPMU being present in the largest quantities. Very little unaltered methazole or unidentified degradation products were detected in the soils.
Manure Management in an Irrigated Basin Relative to Salt Leachate to Ground Water
Authors: Pratt P. F. , Davis S. , Laag A. E.
Published: July 2010

The leaching of cations (Ca, Mg, K, Na) from the soil root zone as a function of rate of manure and irrigation treatments, which controlled the leaching fraction and the volume of leachate, was measured during a 4‐year field experiment. Large amounts of Ca, Mg, and K were accumulated in the soil, but there was a net loss of Na. Practically no K moved beyond the 1.5‐m depth, which was considered the bottom of the root zone. The percent leaching of the cations added in water and in manures decreased as the rate of manure increased.

Extrapolation of the field data to a basin having 18,200 ha of irrigated land, and a production of 364,000 metric tons of dairy manure per year, showed that the total mass of salt leached to ground water in the basin would be reduced by concentrating the manure at relatively high rates on a fraction of the irrigated land, and by export of manure from the basin. However, these reductions were small compared to the effects of irrigation water management to obtain small leachate volumes. The concentration of manure on soils having low water transmissivities, and consequently giving low leachate volumes with most irrigation systems, might be a viable management approach.
Transport of Heavy Metals in a Sludge‐Treated Forested Area
Authors: Sidle R. C. , Kardos L. T.
Published: July 2010

Plots in a mixed hardwood forest received two separate applications of anaerobically digested sewage sludge (0.102–3.094% solids) in fall 1974 and spring 1975. Total solids loading in the low and high treatments were 12.71 and 26.96 metric tons/ha, respectively. Copper, Zn, and Cd loadings in the high treatment were 24.50, 28.49, and 0.253 kg/ha, respectively. Calculated amounts of percolate Cu, Zn, and Cd moving out of the 120‐cm depth in the high treatment were 0.3, 3.2, and 6.6% of the total applied levels, respectively, indicating the order of relative mobility in soil as Cd > Zn > Cu. Relative levels of 0.1/V HCl extractable vs. total soil Cu, Zn, and Cd sampled before and after sludge applications indicated that Cu applied in the sewage sludge was more extractable than the native soil Cu, Zn was only slightly more extractable, and Cd was less extractable. Of the other heavy metals (Cr, Pb, Co, and Ni) analyzed in 0.1/V HCl soil extracts, only Cr and Ni increased in the 0‐ to 7.5‐cm depth following sludge applications.
Land Application of Sewage Sludge: V. Carbon Dioxide Production as Influenced by Sewage Sludge and Wood Waste Mixtures
Authors: Agbim N. N. , Sabey B. R. , Markstrom Donald C.
Published: July 2010

Carbon dioxide production during a 367‐day period was used in assessing the rate of carbon oxidation when wood (W), bark (B), and wood‐bark (WB) mixture from Engelmann spruce (Picea Engelmannii Parry) were each mixed in different proportions with anaerobically digested sewage sludge and each mixture applied to a Nunn clay loam at rates of 22.4 to 224 metric tons/ha.

Generally, as the application rate of organic material increased the CO2 production increased, but nonadditively for most time intervals. At the 22.4‐metric tons/ha rate, there were no consistent differences in CO2 production with variations in the proportion of wood materials to sludge. At the higher application rates, as the percentage of wood materials increased and sludge decreased, the CO2 accumulation increased up to 75% wood material — 25% sludge, then dropped with 100% wood material. The 22.4‐metric tons/ha application of 100% sludge also resulted in lower CO2 production rates than the mixtures of wood materials and sludge. The percentage decomposition of the added residues increased with decrease in application rate of the treatments, with values ranging from 11 to 55%.

In concurrent studies, attempts were made to correlate CO2 production with N mineralized in laboratory incubation studies and with wheat growth in a greenhouse pot experiment. The appropriate regression equations were derived to describe the relationships obtained. It was concluded that microbial respiration was a good index of plant‐available N in soil, except where plant nutrients were deficient due to microbial immobilization, or where toxic factors were limiting to microbial activity.
Effect of Inorganic and Organic Compounds on the Extractability of 239Pu from an Artificially Contaminated Soil
Authors: Nishita H. , Haug R. M. , Rutherford T.
Published: July 2010

The effect of a number of inorganic and organic compounds on the extractability of 239Pu from a contaminated soil has been examined. This has been done on an artificially contaminated kaolinitic soil by using the equilibrium batch method of extraction. Among the 21 inorganic compounds examined, NaHPO4 showed the least 239Pu extractability (0.07% of dose) and Na4P2O7 showed the greatest extractability (28.59% of dose). The compounds that showed relatively high 239Pu extractability included NaF, Na2B4O7, Na4P2O7, Na2CO3, Na2O2, NaOH, and NH4OH. Among the organic compounds, the order of 239Pu extractability was Na acetate < Na formate < Na oxalate < Na tartrate < Na citrate. A 0.004M DTPA solution was a more effective extractant than a 0.08M citric acid solution. Aside from the chemical nature of these compounds, the 239Pu extractability was influenced by soil and extractant pH, soil organic matter, equilibrium time, soil weight/extractant volume ratio, and wet‐dry pretreatment of the soil.
Servo Controlled Optimization of Nitrification—Denitrification of Waste Water in Soil
Authors: Enfield Carl G.
Published: July 2010

Based on potentials of platinum electrodes in conjunction with a Calomel reference electrode, a servo controller was used to meter trickling filter secondary waste water application to soil columns. The controller “optimized” denitrification by adjusting both the frequency of application as a function of the potential voltage observed 6 cm below the soil surface, and the duration of each application as a function of the potential 30 cm below the surface, of four Chigley gravelly loam soil columns. Digested municipal waste water sludge was added to three of the four columns at a rate of 7.5 metric tons(carbon)/ha in an upper 30‐cm layer of the profile. The servo controller applying waste water to the column with no sludge requested waste water continuously. This column converted essentially all TKN‐N to NO3‐N. The conversion of TKN to NO3 took place in the upper 3 cm of the profile. Under the experimental conditions, the disappearance of solution N in the column without sludge was about 45%. Addition of sludge to the profile increased the apparent denitrification, such that the total N removal was > 90%.
Decomposition of Sewage Sludge Compost in Soil: I. Carbon and Nitrogen Transformation
Authors: Tester C. F. , Sikora L. J. , Taylor J. M. , Parr J. F.
Published: July 2010

Laboratory incubation studies were conducted to determine the rate and extent of decomposition of sewage sludge compost in soil. Freeze‐dried compost made from undigested sewage sludge was mixed with three soils (a loamy sand, a silt loam, and a silty clay) and a sand at rates of 0, 2, 4, and 6% of the dry weight. The mixtures were incubated at 22C in a constant atmosphere of CO2‐ and NH3‐free air. Rates of mineralization and decomposition were determined by monitoring CO2 and NH3 evolution and changes in the organic and inorganic fractions of C and N with time. Cumulative CO2 evolution was linearly related to the rate of sludge compost applied. Approximately 16% of the compost C evolved in 54 days of incubation. Nitrogen mineralization was lowest in the silt loam‐compost treatment. In the sand‐compost mixture, mineral N was immobilized during incubation. Ammonia volatilization from all of the treatments was minimal. Approximately 6% of the compost N in the loamy sand‐compost treatment had mineralized after 54 days incubation. Interlattice fixation of NH4+ may have occurred in the silt loam and silty clay soils.
Adsorption and Desorption of Paraquat in Acid Tropical Soils
Authors: Juo A. S. R. , Oginni O. O.
Published: July 2010

Adsorption of paraquat (1:1′‐dimethyl 4:4′‐bipyridylium chloride) by six common soil types from southern Nigeria was studied. Adsorption data conformed with linear Langmuir isotherm. Adsorption maximum (b) calculated from the Langmuir equation ranged from 1,200 to 7,500 µg/g of soil. The iron oxide‐rich soil derived from basalts adsorbed the highest amount, while the strongly acidic soils derived from sedimentary rocks adsorbed the least amount of paraquat. Desorption data indicated that a substantial portion (40 to 70%) of the adsorbed paraquat could not be recovered by 12 successive extractions with dilute CaCl2 solution.
Influence of Artificial Drainage on Penetration of Coliform Bacteria from Septic Tank Effluents into Wet Tile Drained Soils
Authors: Reneau R. B.
Published: July 2010

The penetration of total and fecal coliform bacteria from septic tank drainage fields into wet tile drained soils classified as Typic and Aeric Ochraquults was studied during 1974, 1975, and 1976. These bacteria were monitored in ground waters at selected distances from the septic tank drainage fields in the direction of ground water flow and were compared to coliform densities in control wells and in tile outfalls. Fecal coliform densities were approximately 105/100 ml in ground waters adjacent to the disposal area as compared to 101–103/100 ml 152 cm from the agricultural tile and <3.0/100 ml in control wells. The outfall from the study area was normally < 200 fecals/100 ml compared to < 3.0/100 ml in outfall waters from a control area. Fecal coliform densities of the outfall from the study area were some tenfold less than the bacterial quality of the receiving stream. Coliform densities in ground waters decreased as a logarithmic function of distance.

In these soils, artificial drainage systems apparently lowered the seasonal fluctuating water tables to such a degree that individual waste water treatment systems did not fail as a result of untreated or partially treated effluent coming to the surface. It is more difficult to access the adequacy of artificial drainage with respect to penetration of coliform organisms present in the waste waters.
Fallout Cesium‐137 in Cultivated and Noncultivated North Central United States Watersheds
Authors: Ritchie Jerry C. , Mc Henry J. Roger
Published: July 2010

The cesium (137Cs) concentrations were measured in the soils and sediments of 14 watersheds, 7 cultivated and 7 noncultivated, in the North Central United States. The 137Cs concentration in watershed soils ranged from 56 to 149 nCi/m2, with cultivated watersheds averaging 75 nCi/m2 and noncultivated watersheds averaging 104 nCi/m2. The 137Cs concentration in the reservoir sediments ranged from 74 to 1,280 nCi/m2, with a mean of 676 nCi/m2 for the cultivated watersheds and 365 nCi/m2 for the noncultivated watersheds. The 137Cs concentrations per unit area in sediments were 0.8 to 18.7 times greater than those found in the contributing watershed soils. This indicated that some 137Cs is moving within the watersheds and that the reservoirs are acting as “traps” or “sinks.” The factors accounting for the variation in 137Cs concentration in the soils and sediments of the watersheds are (i) the erosion potential of the watershed, (ii) the sites for adsorption of 137Cs, and (iii) the input of radioactivity into the watershed.
Effluents from Catfish Ponds during Fish Harvest
Authors: Boyd Claude E.
Published: July 2010

Samples of effluents from eight channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) ponds at Auburn, Ala., collected during fish harvest were analyzed for BOD, COD, settleable matter, soluble orthophosphate, total phosphorus, total ammonia, and nitrate.

Settleable matter concentrations, for which 3.3 ml/liter has been suggested as the instantaneous maximum for effluents from fish ponds, ranged from 0 to 1.2 ml/liter during the draining phase when 95% of water was discharged. Water discharged during seining to remove fish usually contained > 3.3 ml/liter settleable matter (range 0.5 to 100 ml/liter).

Concentrations of other potential pollutants, except nitrate, also increased during the seining phase. However, even effluents discharged during the draining phase had higher levels of most measured parameters than first‐order streams draining forested or agricultural watersheds in the vicinity.
Transport of Atrazine and Simazine in Runoff from Conventional and No‐Tillage Corn
Authors: Triplett G. B. , Conner B. J. , Edwards W. M.
Published: July 2010

On 0.4‐ to 3.5‐ha watersheds, highest concentrations of atrazine (0.48 ppm) (2‐chloro‐4‐[ethylamino]‐6‐[isopropylamino]‐s‐triazine) and simazine (1.2 ppm) (2‐chloro‐4,6‐bis[ethylamino]‐s‐triazine) were present in runoff occurring soon after application and declined rapidly for later events. Quantity of herbicides transported increased with the amount of runoff, and was inversely related to the length of time between application and the runoff event. A maximum of 6% of the applied herbicide was transported from the field even under the most favorable conditions, and the average for all watersheds was < 2%. Less runoff and herbicide loss occurred from areas planted to no‐tillage than to conventional corn (Zea mays L.).

In a multiple regression analysis of the factors, the natural logarithm (ln) of days after application and a tillage × application rate interaction were useful in predicting the natural logarithm of herbicide concentration in runoff. Factors from the multiple regression analysis used in this study were important in predicting concentration of atrazine and other pesticides when applied to data published by other workers.
Impact of Land Use on Ground Water Quality in the Grand Traverse Bay Region of Michigan
Authors: Rajagopal R.
Published: July 2010

Investigations in townships surrounding the Grand Traverse Bay of Michigan show identifiable geographic relationship between ground water quality and land use. Wells averaging 32 m deep in thinly populated areas (cherry orchards) measured an average of 3.75 ppm nitrate‐N, indicating the effect of prolonged years of fertilizer application. Wells averaging 19 m deep in predominantly residential areas had an average of 1.31 ppm nitrate‐N, indicating possible contamination from septic tank effluents. An average of 0.18 ppm of ammonia‐N was detected in marshy wetlands.

An analysis of temporal variations in ground water quality with reference to precipitation, streamflow, and a trend component provided high as well as low R2 (0.92 to 0.12; R2 = square of the multiple correlation coefficient) producing regression models, indicating the effect of site specific conditions. A year‐long observation of a sample well (43 m deep) surrounded by cherry orchards had an average of 18.25 ppm nitrate‐N in a range of 13.09 to 20.64 ppm, almost double the standard considered safe for human consumption. Ammonia‐N and chloride measurements from a shallow well (12.5 m deep), surrounded by residential and commercial activities, showed synchronized variations over a year (correlation coefficient r = 0.75, significant at 1% level), suggesting the existence of a common source of contamination.

In summary, it is reiterated that the analysis of ground water quality problems require a different philosophical approach from those of water quantity and surface water quality modeling.
The Automatic Determination of ppb Levels of Ammonia, Nitrate plus Nitrite, and Phosphate in Water in the Presence of Added Mercury (II) Chloride
Authors: Skjemstad J. O. , Reeve R.
Published: July 2010

Three automated procedures are reported for the simultaneous determination of ammonia, nitrate plus nitrite, and phosphate in water. The ammonia determination is based on the salicylate‐dichloroisocyanurate reaction in the presence of nitroprusside preceded by in‐line distillation. Nitrate plus nitrite is estimated by using an in‐line copperized cadmium reductor, diazotizing the nitrite with sulphanilamide, and coupling with N‐1‐naphthylethylenediamine. Phosphate is estimated by reaction with molybdate and reduction to molybdenum blue with ferrous ammonium sulphate. Mercury (II) chloride used as a preservative does not interfere with the methods and good precision at ppb levels can be obtained.
Bacterial Variations in Streams from a Southwest Idaho Rangeland Watershed
Authors: Stephenson G. R. , Street L. V.
Published: July 2010

Sources and variations in bacterial indicators are reported from stream sites over a 3‐year period on a 233‐km2 rangeland watershed in southwest Idaho. The occurrence of fecal coliforms was directly related to the presence of cattle on summer range and winter pastures. Fecal coliform counts in adjacent streams were found to increase soon after cattle were turned in and remained high for several months after cattle were removed.

Runoff from rainstorms increased both total and fecal coliform concentrations in streams on summer range with limited management and adjacent to winter pastures, but runoff from snowmelt had little effect. Total coliform counts varied more with change in streamflow than did fecal coliform counts. In fenced summer range allotments, under deferred grazing management, the effects were the same, except bacterial counts were not as high or persistent.

The decrease in bacterial concentrations at several downstream sampling sites indicated that certain stream segments were self‐purifying. The presence or absence of livestock along the streams overshadow any effect variations in chemical concentration of the water might have on bacterial concentrations.
Yield and Metal Composition of Lettuce and Wheat Grown on Soils Amended with Sewage Sludge Enriched with Cadmium, Copper, Nickel, and Zinc
Authors: Mitchell G. A. , Bingham F. T. , Page A. L.
Published: July 2010

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. vat. longifolia) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L. ‘Inia’) were grown under greenhouse conditions on an acid and a calcareous soil amended with sewage sludge enriched with Cd, Cu, Ni, or Zn to determine relative toxicities of the metals and uptake characteristics of the test plants.

While the order of toxicities was not the same for all soil and plant‐species combinations, Cd was, in general, most toxic followed by Ni, Cu, and Zn. The latter three metals were about equally toxic to wheat grown in the calcareous soil; in the acid soil, Cu was about four times and Ni about six times more toxic to wheat than was Zn. Yield results indicated strong soil and plant species effects. Nickel was more phytotoxic to lettuce and wheat grown in the acid than in the calcareous soil, whereas Cd, Cu, and Zn toxicity depended on plant species and metal‐concentration range. At relatively low soil treatments, Cu and Cd were more toxic to lettuce grown in the calcareous than in the acid soil.

Both DTPA and water‐soluble metal concentrations were significantly correlated with metal uptake by plants. Water‐soluble concentrations of Cd, Cu, and Ni better predicted plant uptake of these metals while Zn uptake was more closely correlated with DTPA‐soluble Zn.
Loss of Spray and Pelleted Picloram in Surface Runoff Water
Authors: Bovey R. W. , Richardson C. , Burnett E. , Merkle M. G. , Meyer R. E.
Published: July 2010

This investigation was conducted to determine the concentration of piclorum (4‐amino‐3,5,6‐trichloropicollnic acid), applied as the pelleted formulation, in surface runoff water that may move from a treated watershed to untreated areas as a result of natural or simulated rainfall. Movement of surface and subsurface applied picloram in surface runoff water was also investigated.

The potassium salt of pelleted picloram was applied at 2.24 kg/ha (acid equivalent) to a 1.3‐ha rangeland watershed supporting stands of honey mesquite (Prosopis juliflora [Swartz] DC. var. glandulosa [Torr.] Cockerell). Surface runoff of 1.5 cm from a 2.1‐cm rain received 2 days after treatment contained an average of 2.8 ppm picloram. Picloram content declined rapidly and runoff water contained < 5 ppm picloram by 2.5 mo after application. Loss of the potassium salt of picloram from grassland watersheds in surface runoff water was similar whether the picloram was applied as an aqueous spray or pellet. Picloram applied subsurface was lost in surface runoff water, but in lower concentration than when applied to the soil surface.
Land Application of Municipal Sewage Waste Water: Yield and Chemical Composition of Forage Crops
Authors: Bole J. B. , Bell R. G.
Published: July 2010

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) outyielded four grass species (reed canarygrass [Phalaris arundinacea L.], bromegrass [Bromus inermis Leyss.], Altai wildrye [Elymus angustus Trin.], and tall wheatgrass [Agropyron elongatum Beauv.]) when the forages were irrigated with sufficient lagooned municipal sewage waste water to meet the evapotranspiration minus precipitation deficit (about 50/cm per year). The yields were increased and the yield differential between the alfalfa and the grasses was reduced when additional N was added as fertilizer or by doubling the amount of waste water. The grasses, with the exception of tall wheatgrass, out‐yielded the alfalfa when fertilizer was added at the high waste water level. Since water did not limit growth, yields were controlled by the N supply. Waste water‐N and fertilizer‐N were equally effective in stimulating forage production.

Nitrogen yield of alfalfa was double that of the grasses with the unfertilized waste water treatment, and considerably greater than the N yield of the grasses with the other treatments. Nitrogen uptake by all the forages, except tall wheatgrass, exceeded N application by waste water and fertilizer.

Phosphorus application, in the waste water or as fertilizer P, exceeded plant uptake. The P content of the forage was unaffected by the treatment; thus, uptake was determined by the yield.

Alfalfa was the most suitable forage crop when the system was operated for optimum utilization of the waste water. When high levels of waste water were applied, reed canarygrass removed most of the nutrients while withstanding flooding and higher soil moisture without stands being reduced by winterkilling, as occurred with alfalfa.
Disposition of 15N‐Labeled Fertilizer Nitrate Applied During Corn Culture in Field Lysimeters
Authors: Chichester F. W. , Smith S. J.
Published: July 2010

Calcium nitrate [Ca(NO2)2] labeled with 5.5% 15N was applied 336 kg/ha nitrogen (N) to each of two conventional tillage and two mulch minimum tillage field lysimeters continuously cropped to corn (Zea mays L.). Disposition of the labeled N was followed for 3 years, particularly relative to its effect on water quality. Soil profile samples were taken prior to and at the end of the experiment. Runoff was sampled by event, and percolate was sampled twice weekly. The corn crop was sampled at harvest each year. Samples were analyzed for inorganic and/or total N and percent 15N. An accounting of applied 15N for the study period showed that <2% moved in runoff, approximately 30% was leached in percolate, 25 to 30% was recovered by the corn crop, and from 10 to 30% remained in the soil. On the basis of a balance sheet constructed from the data, 15N gaseous loss (presumably mainly by denitrification) was estimated to range from 6 to 26% of that applied. The magnitude of gaseous loss of N appeared to vary as a function of lysimeter management history, with the systems under improved soil fertility management exhibiting less gaseous loss due to greater immobilization of 15N in the soil organic fraction.
Growth and Metal Uptake of Snap Beans Grown on Sewage Sludge‐Amended Soil: A Four‐Year Field Study
Authors: Dowdy R. H. , Larson W. E. , Titrud J. M. , Latterell J. J.
Published: July 2010

To establish the consequence of land application of sewage sludge on the extent of sludge‐borne metal accumulation in the food chain, long‐term trace metal accumulations in edible snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. var. Tendergreen) tissue were measured, over a 4‐year period, for beans grown on a sludge‐amended sandy Udorthentic Haploboroll soil. The objectives of this study were to i) establish the effect of annual sludge applications on trace metal uptake, and ii) study the residual effect of adding a single, large sludge application on metal uptake on subsequent crops. For the first phase of this study, we applied a total of 0, 350, 700, and 1,400 metric tons/ha of anaerobically digested sludge in three equal applications. The second phase of the study consisted of a single sludge application of 0, 112, 225, and 450 metric tons/ha. Crop yields increased as rates of sludge application increased under both cultural systems and often exceeded those of a well‐managed, fertilized control. The Zn and Cu contents of edible tissue increased as rates of sludge application increased, and reached an apparent maximum value from which they did not decrease once sludge applications ceased. Cadmium levels in edible tissue did not respond directly to sludge applications and never exceeded 0.1 µg Cd/g tissue.
Nitrate Accumulation in Soils and Loss in Tile Drainage Following Nitrogen Applications to Continuous Corn
Authors: Gast R. G. , Nelson W. W. , Randall G. W.
Published: July 2010

Nitrate‐N concentration in tile water, loss from tile lines, and accumulation in soil profiles were determined following each of three annual applications of 20, 112, 224, and 448 kg N/ha to continuous corn (Zea mays L.) grown on a Webster clay loam (Typic Haplaquoll) in southern Minnesota. Plots were isolated to a depth of 1.8 m with plastic to allow an accurate assessment of the area drained. Water flow through the tile lines occurred annually for approximately 6 weeks in the period from mid‐April through early July and constituted an equivalent from 20 to 46% of the precipitation during the flow periods and from 7 to 22% of the annual precipitation during the 3 years studied.

There was relatively little increased NO3‐N accumulation in the soil profile or loss from tile lines at the recommended application rate of 112 kg N/ha compared to that for the check treatment. Nitrate‐N losses through tile lines in 1975 (after 3 years treatment) were 19, 25, 59, and 120 kg/ha for the 20, 112, 224, and 448 kg N/ha applications, respectively, which had NO3‐N accumulations in the 0–3 m soil profiles of 54, 100, 426, and 770 kg NO3‐N/ha. Maximum NO3‐N accumulation in the soil profiles occurred at a depth of about 1 m with little evidence of movement below about 2.2 m.
Land Application of Chemically Treated Sewage Sludge: I. Effects on Crop Yield and Nitrogen Availability
Authors: Soon Y. K. , Bates T. E. , Beauchamp E. G. , Moyer J. R.
Published: July 2010

Anaerobically digested sewage sludges resulting from treatment of sewage with Ca(OH)2, Al2(SO4)3, or FeCl, for phosphorus removal were applied to land on which corn (Zea mays L.) and bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyess) were grown. The rates of application supplied 200, 400, 800, and 1,600 kg N/ha each year for 3 years. Treatments with NH4NO3 supplying 0, 100, 200, and 400 kg N/ha were included. Bromegrass yields were increased by sludge application supplying up to 800 kg N/ha and by NH4NO3 application supplying up to 400 kg N/ha. There was an appreciable residual effect of sludge nitrogen on the grass yield. The highest rate of sludge produced hazardous levels of NO3− in the grass in the third year. Corn experiments were conducted in three soils: a loam, a loamy sand, and a clay loam. On the loam and clay loam soils, there was no further increase in the yield of corn with rates of sludge in excess of 200 kg N/ha or NH4NO3 in excess of 100 kg N/ha. There was little or no difference in corn yield between the sludges used on the loam soil. On the clay loam, the Casludge appeared to benefit the corn most. There was no yield response to sludge nor to NH4NO3 on the loamy sand. Nitrate concentration in corn stover was increased by high rates of either NH4NO3 or sludge, and in 1975 on the loamy sand soil nitrate concentrations approached levels hazardous to livestock.

In both the corn and grass experiments, 800 kg N/ha from sludge resulted in as much NO3− in the top 15 cm of soil as 400 kg N/ha from NH4NO3. High concentrations of NO3− were present in the soil to the 90‐cm depth in the grass experiment after 3 years of sludge application at rates supplying 800 kg N/ha but not at 400 kg N/ha. With corn on the loam and loamy sand, high NO3− concentrations were present in the soil to about the 75‐cm depth after 3 years of sludge application at rates supplying 400 kg N/ha.
Influence of pH, Phosphorus, Cadmium, Sewage Sludge, and Incubation Time on the Solubility and Plant Uptake of Cadmium
Authors: Street Jimmy J. , Sabey B. R. , Lindsay W. L.
Published: July 2010

Corn (Zea mays L.) ‘Pioneer‐3932A’ was grown in the greenhouse on a loamy sand amended with cadmium, cadmium‐spiked sewage sludge, and sewage sludge. Soil pH was adjusted to approximately 5.7, 6.7, and 7.8, and phosphorus was applied at 0, 200, and 400 µg/g soil. Soil treatments were applied 0, 8, and 16 weeks prior to planting, and the plants were grown for 5 weeks.

Increasing the pH of the soil amended with inorganic cadmium (CdSO4) decreased the Cd concentration of corn seedlings by approximately 67%. The Cd concentration was reduced approximately 47% for a similar increase in pH on soil amended with Cd‐spiked sludge.

The Cd concentration of corn seedlings was significantly reduced by the addition of P. Increasing incubation time decreased the availability of added inorganic Cd, but increased the availability of Cd applied with sewage sludge.

Increasing the amount of Cd added to the soils increased the Cd concentration of the corn seedlings regardless of the form of Cd used. Cadmium concentrations in the corn seedlings were significantly correlated with DTPA‐extractable soil Cd.

Solubility measurements of Cd in the acidified soils showed undersaturation with respect to all known Cd minerals, whereas in soils above pH 7.25 the Cd solubility was limited by CdCO3 at a CO2 level of 0.003 atm or higher and showed the expected hundredfold decrease in solubility for each unit increase in pH. The minerals Cd3(PO4)2 and Cd(OH)2 are much too soluble to account for the precipitation of Cd in these soils.
Interaction of Treated Sanitary Landfill Leachate with Soil
Authors: Chan K. Y. , Davey B. G. , Geering H. R.
Published: July 2010

Treated leachate (pH 10, ionic strength ∼0.1M) collected from sanitary landfill was passed through a Yellow earth covering material (pH 4.2) in leaching columns, to simulate the field practice of land disposal of leachate. No reduction in the level of chemical oxygen demand of the leachate occurred as a consequence of passage through the soil. On the other hand, the cations in the leachate were retained by the soil in the order Mg > Ca > K > Na. Enhanced adsorption of magnesium and calcium started to occur about pH 6, coinciding with the most rapid rate of increase of pH in the effluent from the column. After addition of 108 cm of leachate, equivalent to the amount sprayed on the landfill in the field over 8 mo, total storage of cations in the soil was 9.24 meq 100 g−1, of which 88% was Ca and Mg. About half of the Ca and Mg cations was stored in exchangeable form and only Na and K were entirely exchangeable. None of the experimental conditions caused precipitation of Ca or Mg, so it was likely that they were specifically adsorbed on the soil clay. The soil sprayed with the same amount of treated leachate in the field had pH 10 and retained twice the amount of Ca and Mg stored in the laboratory column. This difference could have resulted from the longer residence time that the leachate was in contact with the soil in the field.
Mineralization of Nitrogen in Fermentation Residue from Citric Acid Production
Authors: King Larry D. , Vick Roy L.
Published: July 2010

One of the byproducts of commercial citric acid production is presscake: a mixture of microbial biomass, CaSO4, and a filter aid such as perlite. Large production plants produce this byproduct at rates of over 50 metric tons/day. Since the material is often applied to agricultural land, it is important to know the rate of release of N and other plant nutrients so that appropriate application rates can be determined.

Wafers (1.5 cm diam by 0.6 cm thick) of presscake were incorporated into a loamy sand at rates supplying 223, 446, and 669 ppm N and surface‐applied to supply 446 ppm N. Powdered presscake was also incorporated at the 446‐ppm‐N rate. The mixtures were incubated for 32 weeks.

Nitrate accumulated rather rapidly during the first 8 weeks, with little accumulation thereafter. At the end of the experiment, NO3‐N levels at the 446‐ppm‐N rate were 57% of the applied N with incorporated wafers, 32% with incorporated powder, and 28% with surface‐applied wafers. Gaseous N losses were 31% of the applied N with incorporated wafers, 61% with powder, and 55% with surface‐applied wafers. Addition of presscake increased levels of extractable P and Ca in most treatments.