Flash pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry(Py-GC/MS) was used to study the structural transformations of humic fractions formed as a result of composting processes of diverse organic materials (solid wastes of wineries, solid olive-mill wastes, domestic wastes, ovine manures plus straw, and mixtures of animal manures). Sodium hydroxide-extracted total humic-like extracts (THE; humic p...

Slurry can be oxidized to eliminate undesirable emissions, including malodorous hydrogen sulfide (H(2)S). However, it is difficult to assess the optimal amount of oxidizing agent required. In this study, one cow and one pig manure, each in three particle size ranges were oxidized with 0-350 mg ozone/L manure. Redox and H(2)S concentration were measured continuously. During ozonation the manures...

Previous studies have suggested that phenolics from legume green manures may contribute to weed control through allelopathy. The objective of this study was to determine how decomposition of red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) residue affects phytotoxicity to a weed species, wild mustard (Sinapis arvensis L.). Red clover (1.25 g), 30 g acid washed sand, and 5 ml of microbial inoculant were incub...

In order to study the effect of phosphate solubilization microorganisms (PSM) and plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) on yield and yield components of corn Zea mays (L. cv. SC604) an experiment was conducted at research farm of Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University, Iran during 2007. Experiment laid out as split plot based on randomized complete block design with t...

When handled separately from manures, dairy farm effluents (DE) are costly to manage because of their low nutrient content and large volume. In anticipation of using surface irrigation to lower the land application cost of DE, this projects investigated the impact, on DE characteristics, of different sources and storage systems. Milk house wastewaters were monitored on two farms using a 500 l m...

Sudangrass cv. Trudan 8 has been demonstrated to suppress infection of vegetables by Meloidogyne hapla (Mh). Hydrogen cyanide, released from the degradation of the cyanogenic glucoside (dhurrin) during decomposition of Trudan 8, was the primary factor involved in suppression of Mh on vegetables. The cyanide ion level in leaf tissue of 14 hybrids of sudangrass varied between 0.04 (cv. SX-8) to 1...

Extensive field farming and homegardening (representing an intensive resource management system) on different inclination positions were compared on the basis of soil quality and productivity of maize and Mung bean over two years, in Meegahakiula, Sri Lanka. Soil organic matter (SOM) content of homegardens was greater than in fields irrespective of the inclination and it was more pronounced in ...

H ighbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) is adapted to soils with high organic matter and pH of 4.5-5.5. Coniferous sawdust is the blueberry industry standard soil amendment and mulch in the Pacific Northwest, USA. However, sawdust prices are increasing, and its availability is becoming limited. Therefore, many blueberry producers are interested in compost as an alternative to sawdust, whi...

The effects of nitrogenous (inorganic) fertilisers, organic manures and blue-green algae (BGA) biofertiliser on mosquito populations (Diptera: Culicidae) were studied in rice fields of Madurai, Tamil Nadu, south India, with particular attention to Culex vishnui Theobald, Cx. pseudovishnui Colless and Cx. tritaeniorhynchus Giles, the vectors of Japanese encephalitis (JE). The application of urea...

Because land-applied organic amendments (manures and biosolids) have widely differing susceptibilities to phosphorus (P) solubilization by water, total P (TP) content is an unreliable indicator of their potential to impact water quality. While P can be transported by erosion of Penriched soil particles, much research has addressed P loss to surface runoff and subsurface drainage in the form of ...