The mobility, longevity and termiticidal activity of imidacloprid (Premise 2 termiticide; Bayer Environmental Sciences) at the termiticidal labeled rate for perimeter treatment were tested in vegetated and non-vegetated soil columns in two tests: in cone plots and in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes. Imidacloprid content in the cone plot eluate peaked at 1 month, declined rapidly by the second mo...

Root activity can modify the chemistry of the rhizosphere and alter phosphorus (P) availability and uptake. However, until recently, relatively little was known about the dynamics of soil solution P at the root surface because of our inability to measure in situ changes in solution P at the plant root. A mini-rhizotron experiment with corn (Zea mays L. cv. Stine 2250), soybean [Glycine max (L.)...

There is increasing concern in the United States about the pesticide movement in soil, groundwater contamination, and pesticide residue in food. The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy, degradation, and movement of fenamiphos (Nemacur 15G) in the soil and residues in squash fruit as influenced by four simulated rainfall treatments (2.5 or 5.0 cm each applied 1 or 3 days after ...

BACKGROUND Monitoring the properties of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in soil water is frequently used to evaluate changes in soil quality and to explain shifts in freshwater ecosystem functioning. METHODS Using >700 individual soils (0-15 cm) collected from a 209,331 km(2) area we evaluated the relationship between soil classification (7 major soil types) or vegetation cover (8 dominant cla...

Definitions and forms of salinity All natural waters contain soluble salts. The concentration of the salts determines whether the water is of high quality (drinkable or usable for irrigation without need for special precautions) or of low quality (brackish or saline). Water in the soil also contains soluble salts (sometimes called free or nonattached salts). The amount of salts in the root zone...

BACKGROUND Previous studies have shown that plants often have species-specific effects on soil properties. In high elevation forests in the Southern Rocky Mountains, North America, areas that are dominated by a single tree species are often adjacent to areas dominated by another tree species. Here, we assessed soil properties beneath adjacent stands of trembling aspen, lodgepole pine, and Engel...

Arsenic (As) accumulation in rice owing to uptake from the soil is a critical human health issue. Here, we studied the chemical properties of As-treated soils, growth inhibition patterns of As-stressed rice plants, changes in the As content of soil and soil solutions, and the relationship between As accumulation and As transfer factor from the soil to the rice organs. Rice plants were cultivate...

The comparative effects of different concentrations of saline soil and saline irrigation water were investigated on growth of canola (cv. Ganyou-5). Plants were subjected to control (non-saline), 0.2% (EC 2.5 dS.m-1), 0.4% (EC 4.5 dS.m-1) and 0.6% (EC 6.5 dS.m-1) of sea salt concentrations in soil as well as saline irrigation water. Vegetative growth parameters recorded were plant height, numbe...

We examined manganese uptake and translocation in 30-year-old silver fir trees (Abies alba Mill.) showing severe symptoms of needle chlorosis by analyzing both xylem and phloem sap of shoots and an extract of root sap originating from both xylem and phloem elements. Manganese concentrations in shoot xylem and phloem sap were significantly lower in chlorotic trees than in neighboring healthy tre...