Biochar amendment can alter soil properties, for instance, the ability to adsorb and degrade different chemicals. However, ageing of the biochar, due to processes occurring in the soil over time, can influence such biochar-mediated effects. This study examined how biochar affected adsorption and degradation of two herbicides, glyphosate (N-(phosphonomethyl)-glycine) and diuron (3-(3,4-dichlorop...

Abstract Plant residues are often used as soil amendments in laboratory experiments, but they can reportedly release compounds interfering with DNA extraction and subsequent molecular biological analyses. Theoretically, for accurate comparison of microbial community composition soils without added plant after a period incubation, no significant difference at the beginning experiment is required...

Cadmium has a toxic effect on soil microbial activity which plays an important role in nutrient cycling and, therefore, in maintaining soil fertility. In addition, the mobility of this heavy metal in soil is affected by the addition of urban wastes such as sewage sludge. This study was conducted to determine the effect of sewage sludge amendment of a semiarid soil, previously polluted with Cd, ...

Iturin A and surfactin are antimicrobial lipopeptides produced by antagonistic Bacillus spp. We herein demonstrated that both lipopeptides amended the soil-mediated suppression of the soil-borne disease, Fusarium yellows of tatsoi (Brassica rapa var. rosularis). Significant disease suppression was conferred by the amendments of purified iturin A or surfactin to soil. However, an excess amount o...

The impact of chronic nitrogen amendments on bacterial communities was evaluated at Harvard Forest, Petersham, MA, USA. Thirty soil samples (3 treatments × 2 soil horizons × 5 subplots) were collected in 2009 from untreated (control), low nitrogen-amended (LN; 50 kg NH4NO3 ha(-1) yr(-1)) and high nitrogen-amended (HN; 150 kg NH4NO3 ha(-1) yr(-1)) plots. PCR-amplified partial 16S rRNA gene seque...

Chairman: J. A. R. BATES (UK); Secretary: R. GREENHALGH (Canada); Titular Members: N. AHARONSON (Israel); A. AMBRUS (Hungary); S. GORBACH (FRG); W. KLEIN (FRG); Associate Members: J. DESMORAS (France); H. 0. ESSER (Switzerland); L. A. GOLOVLEVA (USSR); R. J. HEMINGWAY (UK); R. HOLLINGWORTH (USA); N. KURIHARA (Japan); W. B. NEELY (USA); S. OTTO (FRG); T. R. ROBERTS (UK); J. SEIBER (USA); D. B. S...

Vetiveria zizaniodes (vetiver) is commonly known for its effectiveness in soil and sediment erosion control. It can tolerate to extreme soil conditions and produce a high biomass even growing in contaminated areas. Zea mays (maize) can also produce a very high biomass with a fast growth rate and possesses some degree of metal tolerance. A greenhouse study was conducted to investigate the feasib...

Many studies have shown that changes in nitrogen (N) availability affect primary productivity in a variety of terrestrial systems, but less is known about the effects of the changing N cycle on soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition. We used a variety of techniques to examine the effects of chronic N amendments on SOM chemistry and microbial community structure and function in an alpine tundra...

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