Soil animals are considered as important contributors to soil fertility However, there is paucity of such information for harsh climatic conditions. Therefore, the below ground faunal density and frequency have been studied in relation to physicochemical properties of soil in Thar desert. The selected soil systems were Vigna radiata--Cuminum cyminum, grassland, flower garden and Zizyphus maurit...

Using waste products is a promising and sustainable alternative to conventional non-renewable peat nutrient-rich renewable materials. Their are gaining importance for closing the loop in ornamental plant industry. Porous inorganic materials have recently become potential bulking agents (BA) sewage sludge (SS) owing their high porosity, surface area, passivation capacity, recycling potential, po...

Substrate and rhizosphere microorganisms are key factors affecting seedling growth; however, the effects of substrates bacteria on growth Quercus variabilis not completely understood. Here, Q. seedlings were grown in with without cork flour, as follows: H substrate (charcoal soil/cork flour/perlite, 1:1:2), S (cork 1:1), control (CK) soil/perlite, 3:2). High-throughput sequencing qPCR used to i...

This study evaluated the bioactivity of polypropylene melt-blown filtering nonwovens used in respiratory protective devices (RPD) with a biocidal agent (alkylammonium microbiocides) on 2 mineral carriers. Two types of carriers were tested: a bentonite, with an aluminosilicate base, and a perlite, volcanic glass. High biostatic and biocidal effects of modified nonwovens with biocides were tested...

Expanded perlite has been assumed as simple nuisance, however during an accidental spill out in Taiwan, among 24 exposed workers followed for more than 6 months, three developed persisted respiratory symptoms and positive provocation tests were compatible with reactive airway dysfunction syndrome. During simulation experiment expanded perlite is shown to be very dusty and greatly exceed current...

A poplar planted system resulted in the complete removal of at least 19 of the 29 potential polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners detected in trace amounts (37.9 ng g-1 in total) in a commercial garden soil, while the unplanted soil only had 2 congeners completely removed after 96 days. In addition, the most recalcitrant congener, PCB 52, only decreased by 0.1% in the unplanted reactors whil...

Root litter is the dominant soil carbon and nutrient input in many ecosystems, yet few studies have considered how root decomposition is regulated at the landscape scale and how this is mediated by land-use management practices. Large herbivores can potentially influence below-ground decomposition through changes in soil microclimate (temperature and moisture) and changes in plant species compo...

A field study was undertaken during winter (rabi) season of 2013-2014 to explore the effect of graded levels of fertilizers and bio-fertilizers on yield of chickpea, protein content in chickpea seeds and nutrient uptake by the crop. Significantly higher seed and stover yields (1854, 2722 kg ha-1, respectively) were recorded with application of fertilizer @ 100% RDF (25:50:00, kg N:P:K ha-1). Re...

Theoretical arguments suggest that increased plant productivity may not only increase consumer densities but also their fluctuations. While increased consumer densities are commonly observed in fertilization experiments, experiments are seldom performed at a spatial and temporal scale where effects on population fluctuations may be observed. In this study we used a natural gradient in soil fert...