Experimental plot size of passion fruit

The determination of the plot size is a practical matter pertinent to the experimental planning, and its optimal characterization allows to obtain higher precision and better quality in the results. Therefore, in this study, the main goal was to determine the plot size in experiments of passion fruit in two uniformity tests with Passiflora setacea and Passiflora alata. The experiment was constituted of a substrate at planting with 3 thirds of soil and 1 of barnyard manure. The soil was fertilizer with 3 kg of simple superphosphate and 0.5 kg of KCl by 1m³. Each species of Passiflora was considered a uniformity test with 40 basic units (BU). The evaluations of the experiments were done on 60 days after the transplant, noticing the tree’s height, stem’s diameter, number of leaves, number of buds, number of meristems and chlorophyll. Several plot sizes were simulated, in which each plant was first considered as a basic unit up to 40 plants per unit basic. For the estimation of optimum plot size, the maximum modified curvature method was used. The plot sizes varied with the specie, founding values as three to seven BU for Passiflora setacea and four BU to five for Passiflora alata.

Estimation of 137Cs and 90Sr accumulation in the organism of dairy cows in the radioactive contaminated agro landscapes of the Central Forest-steppe in the remote period of the Chernobyl catastrophe

Because of the Chernobyl catastrophe, almost all the territory of Polissya and a significant part of the Forest-Steppe south of Kyiv suffered radioactive contamination. More than three decades have passed since the Chernobyl accident, but despite the time since the disaster, the problem of radioactive contamination is still very relevant. In radioactive contaminated agro landscapes, plant fodder becomes a source of 137Cs and 90Sr in the body of cows. In the organism of an animal, radionuclides of cesium mainly accumulate in muscle tissue, and strontium in bone and excreted with milk, urine and feces. Milk plays an important role in human nutrition, which necessitates constant monitoring of the radio ecological situation, estimates of the accumulation of 137Cs and 90Sr, and the determination of the laws governing the transition of these radionuclides into products. The aim of the research was to evaluate the supply of 137Cs and 90Sr with feed in the body of dairy cows and the accumulation of these radionuclides in milk and barnyard manure mass in radioactive contaminated agricultural landscapes of the Central Forest Steppe. The research was carried out at LLC "Agro-Leader Ukraine" Ltd. and "Nadiya" Ltd and on the peasants’ plots of Yosypivka, Tarasivka villages of the Bila Tserkva district of the Kyiv region who suffered from the radioactive contamination because of the Chernobyl catastrophe. Samples of soils, fodder, milk and barnyard manure mass for conducting research were selected. The activity of 137Cs and 90Sr was determined at the USM "Gamma Plus U" with the "Progress 2000" software in the laboratory of the Bila Tserkva NAU, department of life safety. The activity of 137Cs was determined by the method of scintillation gamma spectrometry in a Marinelli vessel of volume 1L in native samples or after their physical concentration, and 90Sr – after radiochemical isolation by scintillation beta spectrometry. The results of the studies indicate that the content of 137Cs and 90Sr in feed is directly proportional to the level of soil contamination by these radionuclides. At the same time, the least accumulated 137Cs and 90Sr in the green mass of corn, and most of all in the green mass of alfalfa and oats mixture. The intensity of the accumulation of 90Sr in the green mass of corn is 20 times, the alfalfa – in 1,5-2 times, the use of oatmeal mixture – 4 to 6 times higher than 137Cs. It has been established that the concentration of 137Cs and 90Sr in milk of cows is directly proportional to their activity in the diet. In the daily hopes of milk from cows from the diet 7,6 ± 0,55 % of 137Cs and 1,7 ± 0,42 90Sr passed from their activity in the diet. The coefficient of transition of 137Cs in 1 liter of milk on average was 0.76 % and 0.17 % 90Sr. The activity of 137Cs and 90Sr in milk does not exceed the permissible levels. At the same time, in the milk of households, the activity of 137Cs and 90Sr in the spring-summer period was two to three times higher than that of autumn-winter due to the grazing of cows in natural pastures, where the level of soil contamination is much higher than that of arable lands. The determinants of the formation of 137Cs and 90Sr activity in cow’s milk are the amounts of these radionuclides with feed from the daily ration, which depend on the composition of the diet and the density of soil contamination on which the forage crops are grown. Studies have shown that the main proportion of 137Cs and 90Sr (up to 90 %), coming from plant foods in the body of cows, is converted into a barnyard manure mass. The accumulation coefficient of 137Cs and 90Sr in the cow barnyard manure is 0.87. The barnyard manure mass of cows, when introduced into the soil, becomes a source of secondary soil contamination and promotes the migration and redistribution of 137Cs and 90Sr in agro landscapes. Obtained in radioactive contaminated areas of the barnyard manure mass of cattle must be used only within the farms in which it is produced. Studies have shown that fodder crops can be grown on the radioactive contaminated forest-steppe areas and it is possible to get milk without any restrictions. Key words: agro landscapes,radioactive contaminated areas, radionuclides, 137Cs, 90Sr, grass, dairy cows, milk, cow’s manure, forest-steppe zone.

Effects of selected amendments on soil properties and emergence of wheat seedlings

Crusting can have a prominent effect on seedling emergence. Crust formation at the soil surface is a common feature of many soils including the silty loam soil (Aquic Haplocalsids) from the Konya plain examined in this investigation. The effects of different soil amendments on modulus of rupture and aggregate stability in water were measured in a pot experiment in the laboratory. Seedling emergence of wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) and penetration resistance was investigated in a microplot experiment in the greenhouse. Portland cement, barnyard manure (dairy cattle), city waste compost (municipal refuse) and wheat straw were used in the pot experiment, and Portland cement and barnyard manure were investigated in the microplot experiment. Soil amendments were added to the soil samples at rates of 0, 2, 4 and 6% (wt/wt) and the samples including a control were incubated at about field capacity water content for up to 100 d in the laboratory. The moduli of rupture values and water stable aggregates were measured after 25, 50, 75 and 100 d of incubation. All the soil amendments reduced the modulus of rupture compared with the control soil sample. The modulus of rupture of the control and mixes with Portland cement, barnyard manure, city waste compost and wheat straw (6%, wt/wt) after 100 d of incubation were 726, 0, 494, 564 and 113 kPa, respectively. Aggregate stabilities of the control and the soil amended with Portland cement, barnyard manure, city waste compost and wheat straw (6%, wt/wt) after 100 d of incubation were 5.16, 55.02, 10.82, 8.44 and 34.98%, respectively. Seedling emergences of wheat and penetration resistances of the control and the soil amended with Portland cement and barnyard manure (6%, wt/wt) in the microplots were 29, 80 and 36%; 489, 0 and 471 kPa, respectively. Key words: Surface sealing, aggregate stability, seedling emergence, penetration resistance.

THE EFFECT OF CONTINUAL USE OF PHOSPHATE FERTILIZER AND BARNYARD MANURE ON YIELD OF WHEAT AND THE FERTILITY STATUS OF A CLAY CHERNOZEM SOIL

Long-term agronomy experiments with wheat have been maintained at Indian Head, Saskatchewan for more than 30 yr. Yield increases due to barnyard manure (BYM) inputs have become progressively larger over the years whereas the long-term effect of monoammonium phosphate (MAP) on yield of wheat has been cyclic.

EFFECTS OF HIGH RATES OF CHEMICAL FERTILIZER AND BARNYARD MANURE ON YIELD AND MOISTURE USE OF SIX SUCCESSIVE BARLEY CROPS GROWN ON THREE GRAY LUVISOLIC SOILS

High rates of chemical fertilizer and barnyard manure were applied separately and together to barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) grown on three Gray Luvisolic soils for 6 successive yr. The fertilizers were applied annually with the N–P–K rates greater than 110–50–40 kg/ha. The manure was applied initially at 134 tonnes/ha and at 150 tonnes/ha before the fifth crop. Moisture use by the barley was measured for the last five crops. Average yields of barley were 1,530, 3,270 and 3,950 kg/ha for the nil, manure and fertilizer treatments, respectively. The manure + fertilizer treatment gave little or no further increase in yield over the fertilizer treatment. Efficiency of moisture use was generally more than doubled by the fertilizer and fertilizer + manure treatments. These treatments also greatly increased the use of soil moisture reserves, the greatest increase being for Beryl fine sandy loam, followed by Hazelmere loam and the least for Nampa clay loam. Soil moisture reserves at harvest time were depleted more under the fertility treatments than under the control plots. However, by the following spring, soil moisture reserves were nearly equal under the different plots having been replenished by fall and winter precipitation. These results show that on stubble land, moisture restricted yields much less than nutrients did and, on that basis, continuous cropping of Gray Luvisolic soils is discussed.