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The supplementation of Zn to farm animal feed and the excretion via manure leads to an unintended Zn input to agricultural systems, which might compromise the long-term soil fertility. The Zn fluxes at three grassland sites in Switzerland were determined by a detailed analysis of relevant inputs (atmospheric deposition, manure, weathering) and outputs (seepage water, biomass harvest) during one hydrological year. The most important Zn input occurred through animal manure (1076-1857 g ha

Phosphorus (P) accumulated in soil after surplus P applications can potentially serve as a P source for subsequent crop production. This study investigated residual P availability after long-term surplus P application with different organic waste products. Topsoil samples from a long-term field trial treated with different types of organic wastes were subjected to P characterization, including determination of total P, water-soluble P, and isotopically exchangeable P pools. The waste products were applied for 12 years before sampling, at rates according to crop nitrogen demand and thus typically in excess of crop P requirements. Residual waste P in soil was determined based on the difference between total soil P measured in the different specific waste-treated plots and a balanced reference treatment. After 12 years of surplus P balance (inputs – crop offtake) of 79–598 kg P ha−1 yr−1 with waste, significant amounts of P (636–4177 kg ha−1) had accumulated in the soil as residual P. The average fraction of residual waste P which could be recovered as rapidly exchangeable P (within 1 min) followed the order: composted household waste P (2.1%)

Applying mineral phosphorus (P) fertilizers introduces a considerable input of the toxic heavy metal cadmium (Cd) into arable soils. This study investigates the fate of P fertilizer derived Cd (Cddff) in soil-wheat systems using a novel combination of enriched stable Cd isotope mass balances, sequential extractions, and Bayesian isotope mixing models. We applied an enriched 111Cd labeled mineral P fertilizer to arable soils from two long-term field trials with distinct soil properties (a strongly acidic pH and a neutral pH) and distinct past mineral P fertilizer application rates. We then cultivated wheat in a pot trial on these two soils. In the neutral soil, Cd concentrations in the soil and the wheat increased with increasing past mineral P fertilizer application rates. This was not the case in the strongly acidic soil. Less than 2.3% of freshly applied Cddff was taken up by the whole wheat plant. Most of the Cddff remained in the soil and was predominantly (>95% of freshly applied Cddff) partitioned into the easily mobilizable acetic acid soluble fraction (F1) and the potentially mobile reducible fraction (F2). Soil pH was the determining factor for the partitioning of Cddff into F1, as revealed through a recovery of about 40% of freshly applied Cddff in F1 in the neutral pH soil compared with about 60% in the strongly acidic soil. Isotope mixing models showed that F1 was the predominant source of Cd for wheat on both soils and that it contributed to over 80% of the Cd that was taken up by wheat. By tracing the fate of Cddff in entire soil-plant systems using different isotope source tracing approaches, we show that the majority of Cddff remains mobilizable and is potentially plant available in the subsequent crop cycle., Environmental Pollution, 287, ISSN:0269-7491, ISSN:1878-2450, ISSN:1873-6424

The presence and transformations of nitrogen (N) in the environment depend on a variety of environmental factors but are also strongly influenced by anthropogenic activities such as modern agriculture. Understanding N transformations within the context of agricultural systems is crucial for efficient use thereof. The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in concentration of N forms (ammonium, nitrite, nitrate and organic N) within an aquaponic system, a modern agricultural system, in order to obtain insights into environmental pressures influencing N transformation processes. By measuring the concentrations of the individual N compounds, complemented by the determination of abiotic parameters and other relevant nutrients within the system water at 13 sampling points, significant differences between compartments that build up an aquaponic system could be demonstrated. These differences were attributed to individual microenvironments specific to the aerobic loop, anaerobic loop and radial flow settler as a connection between the two, shaping the microbial processes within the aquaponic system., Aquacultural Engineering, 92

Low soil fertility is challenging the sustainable production of yam and other staple crops in the yam belt of West Africa. Quantitative soil measures are needed to assess soil fertility decline and to improve crop nutrient supply in the region. We developed and tested a mid-infrared (mid-IR) soil spectral library to enable timely and cost-efficient assessments of soil properties. Our collection included 80 soil samples from four landscapes (10 km × 10 km) and 20 fields per landscape across a gradient from humid forest to savannah and 14 additional samples from one landscape that had been sampled within the Land Health Degradation Framework. We derived partial least squares regression models to spectrally estimate soil properties. The models produced accurate cross-validated estimates of total carbon, total nitrogen, total sulfur, total iron, total aluminum, total potassium, total calcium, exchangeable calcium, effective cation exchange capacity, and diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA)-extractable iron and clay content (R2>0.75). The estimates of total zinc, pH, exchangeable magnesium, bioavailable copper, and manganese were less predictable (R2>0.50). Our results confirm that mid-IR spectroscopy is a reliable and quick method to assess the regional-level variation of most soil properties, especially the ones closely associated with soil organic matter. Although the relatively small mid-IR library shows satisfactory performance, we expect that frequent but small model updates will be needed to adapt the library to the variation of soil quality within individual fields in the regions and their temporal fluctuations., Soil, 7 (2), ISSN:2199-3971, ISSN:2199-398X

Background An aquaponic system couples cultivation of plants and fish in the same aqueous medium. The system consists of interconnected compartments for fish rearing and plant production, as well as for water filtration, with all compartments hosting diverse microbial communities, which interact within the system. Due to the design, function and operation mode of the individual compartments, each of them exhibits unique biotic and abiotic conditions. Elucidating how these conditions shape microbial communities is useful in understanding how these compartments may affect the quality of the water, in which plants and fish are cultured. Results We investigated the possible relationships between microbial communities from biofilms and water quality parameters in different compartments of the aquaponic system. Biofilm samples were analyzed by total community profiling for bacterial and archaeal communities. The results implied that the oxygen levels could largely explain the main differences in abiotic parameters and microbial communities in each compartment of the system. Aerobic system compartments are highly biodiverse and work mostly as a nitrifying biofilter, whereas biofilms in the anaerobic compartments contain a less diverse community. Finally, the part of the system connecting the aerobic and anaerobic processes showed common conditions where both aerobic and anaerobic processes were observed. Conclusion Different predicted microbial activities for each compartment were found to be supported by the abiotic parameters, of which the oxygen saturation, total organic carbon and total nitrogen differentiated clearly between samples from the main aerobic loop and the anaerobic compartments. The latter was also confirmed using microbial community profile analysis.

Plant and Soil, 467, ISSN:0032-079X, ISSN:1573-5036

Agronomy, 11 (12), ISSN:2073-4395

Understanding how plant-associated microbial communities assemble and the role they play in plant performance are major goals in microbial ecology. For nitrogen-fixing rhizobia, community assembly is generally driven by host plant selection and soil conditions. Here, we aimed to determine the relative importance of neutral and deterministic processes in the assembly of bacterial communities of root nodules of a legume shrub adapted to extreme nutrient limitation, rooibos (Aspalathus linearis Burm. Dahlgren). We grew rooibos seedlings in soil from cultivated land and wild habitats, and mixtures of these soils, sampled from a wide geographic area, and with a fertilization treatment. Bacterial communities were characterized using next generation sequencing of part of the nodA gene (i.e. common to the core rhizobial symbionts of rooibos), and part of the gyrB gene (i.e. common to all bacterial taxa). Ecological drift alone was a major driver of taxonomic turnover in the bacterial communities of root nodules (62.6% of gyrB communities). In contrast, the assembly of core rhizobial communities (genus Mesorhizobium) was driven by dispersal limitation in concert with drift (81.1% of nodA communities). This agrees with a scenario of rooibos-Mesorhizobium specificity in spatially separated subpopulations, and low host filtering of other bacteria colonizing root nodules in a stochastic manner.

Soil microbial community coalescence, whereby entire microbial communities mix and compete in a new environmental setting, is a widespread phenomenon whose applicability for targeted root microbiome assembly has not been studied. Using a legume shrub adapted to nutrient poor soil, we tested for the first time how the assembly of communities of rhizobial root nodule symbionts is affected by the interaction of coalescence and fertilization. Seedlings of the rooibos [Aspalathus linearis (Burm.f.) Dahlg.], were raised in pairwise mixtures of soil from cultivated and uncultivated land of five farms, as well as the individual mixture components. A fragment of the symbiosis maker gene, nodA, was sequenced to characterize the taxonomic turnover of the rhizobia associated with all root nodules at the age of eight month. Soil mixing promoted taxonomic turnover in the rhizobial communities, while fertilization amplified such turnover by increasing the number of rhizobia that became more abundant after soil mixing. Soil mixing and fertilization had a synergistic effect on the abundance of a particular taxon, which was rare in the component soils but became highly abundant in fertilized plants raised in soil mixtures. These findings provide the first evidence that fertilizer addition can interact with soil microbial community coalescence, probably through increasing the chances for rare strains to prioritize root nodule colonization. The combination of soil mixing and fertilizer addition may be a still unexplored measure to (re)introduce root microbial mutualists in arable land.

There is interest in understanding how cultivation, plant genotype, climate and soil conditions influence the biogeography of root nodule bacterial communities of legumes. For crops from regions with relict wild populations, this is of even greater interest because the effects of cultivation on symbiont communities can be revealed, which is of particular interest for bacteria such as rhizobia. Here, we determined the structure of root nodule bacterial communities of rooibos (Aspalathus linearis), a leguminous shrub endemic to South Africa. We related the community dissimilarities of the root nodule bacteria of 18 paired cultivated and wild rooibos populations to pairwise geographical distances, plant ecophysiological characteristics and soil physicochemical parameters. Using next-generation sequencing data, we identified region-, cultivation- and farm-specific operational taxonomic units for four distinct classes of root nodule bacterial communities, dominated by members of the genus Mesorhizobium. We found that while bacterial richness was locally increased by organic cultivation, strong biogeographical differentiation in the bacterial communities of wild rooibos disappeared with cultivation of one single cultivar across its entire cultivation range. This implies that expanding rooibos farming has the potential to endanger wild rooibos populations through the homogenisation of root nodule bacterial diversity.

Understanding how plant-associated microbial communities assemble and the roles they play in plant performance are major goals in microbial ecology. For nitrogen-fixing rhizobia, assemblages are mostly determined by filtering by the host as well as abiotic soil conditions. However, for legumes adapted to highly variable environments and nutrient-poor soils, filtering out rhizobial partners may not be an effective strategy to ensure symbiotic benefits. As a consequence, this can lead to net increases in rhizobial diversity driven by stochastic (neutral) assembly processes. Here, we addressed whether symbiotic promiscuity of rooibos (Aspalathus linearis Burm. Dahlgren), reflects increases in rhizobial diversity that are independent of the environmental conditions, following a neutral assembly. We performed a common garden experiment to assess whether root system size and location- and habitat-specific rhizobial propagule pools of rooibos affected rhizobial community diversity and composition. We found a dominance of drift in driving taxonomic turnover in the root nodule communities, but operating at different scales in the dominant Mesorhizobium symbionts and the rest of bacterial taxa. Specifically, drift triggered differentiation between the core rhizobial symbionts of rooibos due to dispersal limitation on a regional scale, whereas it dominated the assembly of non-dominant rhizobial taxa at the root level. This suggests the existence of a significant neutral component in rhizobial community assembly when selectivity by the host plant is low. We conclude that in this promiscuous legume neutral processes govern bacterial community root nodule community assembly, but that these operate at different scales in dominant and rare rhizobial symbionts of the plant.

Yam (Dioscorea sp.) is an understudied tuber crop despite its importance for food security, income generation, culture, and health in West Africa. Traditional yam cropping practices in West Africa deliver low yields and lead to environmental degradation. In the context of a ‘research for development’ project, we developed and implemented a participatory and transdisciplinary research approach as a means to derive more sustainable yam production practices. We identified and studied different soil and plant management technologies adapted to varying biophysical and socio-economic contexts. For this purpose, we established innovation platforms (IPs) in four yam growing regions of West Africa, to validate the new technologies and to promote their adoption. These co-developed technologies were set up and tested first in researcher-managed plots before doing the same in farmer-managed plots. The new technologies resulted in a significant increase in yam productivity compared to conventional practices. The results discussed in the IPs gained interest from regional stakeholders and were shared through the media at local and national levels. Overall, this development-focused research approach showcases the relevance of purposeful stakeholder involvement to improve agricultural research outcomes, Sustainability, 12 (10), ISSN:2071-1050

South East Asia's agricultural landscape is rapidly transitioning from subsistence to intensive and market-oriented production, often with negative impacts on soil fertility. Ensuring that this transition is conducted in a sustainable way is critical, especially for the poorest who rely exclusively on natural resources that are of limited quality and quantity. This study aims to evaluate sustainable intensification options for smallholder ethnic minority farmers of the Lao uplands. Following a systematic selection of case study crop-livestock farms with different degrees of diversification and market orientation, we adopted a detailed nutrient flow approach to quantify nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) balances at farm level using a whole farm modelling tool. This was then used to simulate alternative sustainable intensification options relative to the baseline and their impact on farm performance and N and P cycling. Irrespective of the intensification level, nutrient balances were negative on all farms, with net nutrient removal between −34 and −130 kg N ha−1y−1 and between −9 and −20 kg P ha−1y−1. The positive effect of the sustainable intensification options on selected system performance variables was up to 15 times higher when its baseline value was low, i.e. when potential for improvement was high. Compared to the baseline (rice and maize monocropping systems), fallow plots during the dry season and low level of residues recycling, all intensification options increased land productivity and N balance by at least 12% on each farm, whereas the P balances were negatively impacted. The positive effects on the N balances might not be sufficient to reverse nutrient depletion, and additional nutrient inputs would be necessary. Four management principles are key to ensure a smooth transition from subsistence to intensive production: no residue burning, stay diverse, integrate livestock and use small amounts of P mineral fertilizer. If combined with efficient and integrative agricultural extension, seed systems and market development, these basic principles could be the key success factor for a sustainable development of the Lao uplands.

Changes in the isotopic composition of oxygen associated with phosphate can provide information on the impact of phosphatase activity on soil P dynamics, whereas the use of radioactive P delivers information on P fluxes within soil systems. Although these two tracers may provide complementary data, they have rarely been used together to study soil P cycling. We conducted a dual isotopic soil incubation study of one month with soils originating from four sites of a climatic gradient (Kohala, Hawaii), which provides well-controlled geochemical and biological variations on soils derived from the same parent material. Three groups of soils were incubated in parallel, the first group labelled with 32P radioisotopes, the second group labelled with 18O enriched water and the third group not labelled and used for CO2 emission measurements. The dual labelling study informed about three processes controlling P dynamics in soils: those that maintain the bond between P and O and transfer phosphate from one pool to another (category I processes), those that involve the cleavage of the P-O bond and transfer phosphate from one pool to another (category IIa processes), and those that involve the cleavage of the P-O bond but do not transfer phosphate from one pool to another (category IIb processes). The use of 32P showed that the studied soils contained a large amount of P that was isotopically exchangeable with the resin P pool (category I process) and that microorganisms had taken up P, but in much lower amounts, from the resin P pool (category I process). 18O added with water was incorporated into microbial and resin P, but not into the other pools obtained from the modified Hedley extraction. Thus, the turnover of O associated with P within microbial cells (category IIb process) and/or enzymatic hydrolysis of organic P (category IIa process) had occurred and had affected active microbes, which passed the 18O labelled phosphate to the resin pool (category I process). The dual isotopic approach thus provided complementary insights on P cycling processes.

Historically, the chemical nature of organic phosphorus (P) in soil has largely been considered to comprise of recognizable biomolecules that predominantly include inositol phosphates, nucleic acids and phospholipids. However, these forms alone do not explain the existence of, or account for the processes responsible for, a larger pool of “unresolved” organic P that exists in soils. We critically reviewed the historic literature and carried out a global compilation of quantitative data to understand the chemical nature of soil organic P, including insight on what might constitute unresolved forms. We identified five key eras spanning the mid-1800s to current. Understanding of the chemical nature of organic P has largely reflected the predominant analytical technique in use, which generally involved focusing on a particular class of organic P. While inositol phosphates have been a focus throughout most eras, quantitative data reveal that the composition of the majority of organic P (typically > 50%) in soil remains unresolved. Insight on its chemical nature has revealed that it is largely comprised of phosphomonoesters (P–O–C) and is associated with large molecular weight fractions, including the soil humic acid fraction. Furthermore, there is strong evidence that this is concomitant with the existence of a broad spectral feature that appears along with sharp peaks attributable to specific compounds in the phosphomonoester region of solution 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectra. Here, we highlight the need to improve our understanding of the chemical nature and cycling of diverse forms of organic P in soil, including that of “unresolved” pools. This will necessitate the use of multiple techniques and approaches in soil biogeochemistry that require a holistic approach to understanding soil organic matter dynamics, and the association of organic P with soil organic carbon.

Remobilization of zinc (Zn) from shoot to grain contributes significantly to Zn grain concentrations and thereby to food quality. On the other hand, strong accumulation of cadmium (Cd) in grain is detrimental for food quality. Zinc concentrations and isotope ratios were measured in wheat shoots (Triticum aestivum) at different growth stages to elucidate Zn pathways and processes in the shoot during grain filling. Zinc mass significantly decreased while heavy Zn isotopes accumulated in straw during grain filling (Δ66 Znfull maturity-flowering = 0.21-0.31‰). Three quarters of the Zn mass in the shoot moved to the grains, which were enriched in light Zn isotopes relative to the straw (Δ66 Zngrain-straw -0.21 to -0.31‰). Light Zn isotopes accumulated in phloem sinks while heavy isotopes were retained in phloem sources likely because of apoplastic retention and compartmentalization. Unlike for Zn, an accumulation of heavy Cd isotopes in grains has previously been shown. The opposing isotope fractionation of Zn and Cd might be caused by distinct affinities of Zn and Cd to oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur ligands. Thus, combined Zn and Cd isotope analysis provides a novel tool to study biochemical processes that separate these elements in plants.

Background and aims: Legumes integrated in crop rotations are intended to improve crop nitrogen (N) supply and yield. In conservation agriculture (CA) systems under low input conditions on highly weathered tropical soils, experimental evidence for these benefits is lacking. To understand the mechanisms and evaluate the impact of the legume N on the subsequent crop, an in-depth study on N dynamics in the soil-plant system was conducted. Methods : In Madagascar, a CA based crop rotation with the perennial forage legume Stylosanthes guianensis (stylo) and upland rice (rice/stylo – stylo - rice/stylo) was established under three fertilization regimes. In addition, rice was grown in a non-CA bare fallow rotation without fertilizer. Over the three years N2 fixed in stylo shoots, the incorporation of stylo shoot (mulch) N into soil N pools and mulch N uptake by rice was quantified using 15N techniques and mulch and stylo root residue decomposition was investigated in a litterbag study. Results: N2 fixed in stylo shoots ranged from 96 to 122 kg N ha−1. Between 50 to 70% of stylo mulch and root residues decomposed during the third cropping season. Without fertilizer, grain yield of rice after the fallow with stylo was about 70% greater than after bare fallow, corresponding to 11 kg N ha−1 greater N uptake. Recoveries of stylo mulch N after rice harvest were on average 64% in soil, with about 3% in each of the microbial and mineral N pools, with 39% on the soil surface, and 6% in the rice crop. The N input via stylo seed, leaf litter and belowground N totalled about three times the amount of N contained in stylo mulch, which usually is considered as major rice N source. Conclusions: Legumes, like stylo, can improve crop N supply and yield in low input CA cropping systems on highly weathered tropical soils. To explain the impact and mechanisms involved requires a consideration of all legume-N components beyond the mulch N present at the onset of the rice-cropping season.

Effective use of soil phosphorus (P) for crop production requires an understanding of how P pools are stabilized and cycled within soil aggregates, rather than assuming that P dynamics, particularly organic P, closely follow those of C. The main goal of this study was to compare C and N cycling with P dynamics in soil aggregate fractions under two distinct crop species, maize (Zea mays) and pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) in a highly-weathered Lixisol. We found that while C and N follow an open cycle, whereby C and N are mineralized from microaggregates during macroaggregate turnover and partially exit the soil system as gas and leachate, P has a relatively closed cycle, where most of the mineralized and solubilized P from microaggregates is lost from the plant-available pool via sorption to the unaggregated silt and clay-sized particles (

The role of diffuse phosphorus (P) losses from agricultural land gained importance since technical and constructional measures in urban areas and industry have reached their potential in temperate regions. Phytoremediation strategies are a new suggestion to effectively reduce soil legacy P but until now, there is a lack of estimates on the time such strategies should take. With a rainfall-runoff model, spatial information on the hydrological risk of the catchment of Lake Baldegg (Switzerland) was generated and combined with a soil test P (CO2-saturated water extraction) map. Based on these results, two potential soil target test P values (2.0 mg P (kg soil)−1 target-P 1 and 1.6 mg P (kg soil)−1 target-P 2) were set. A simple nonlinear mixed effects model was used to compare different balance and cropping scenarios to decrease soil test P. The relationship between P-balance (input - output) and soil test P was found to be exponential. The confidence interval for the predicted time necessary to reach target-P 2 after a cessation of P-fertilization on intensively managed grassland was 2 to 9 years depending on the initial soil test P. If fertilization is completely ceased, the predicted P-decline times were longer (8 to 32 years). The decline-time for the balance that is recommended for farmers in the catchment of a P-fertilization that covers 80% of the demand was predicted to be 11 to 47 years. The study emphasizes that P phytoextraction can be an effective and time and resource efficient mitigation strategy for catchments with high legacy P., Geoderma, 403, ISSN:0016-7061, ISSN:1872-6259

Soil phosphorus (P) tests are designed to indicate plant-available inorganic orthophosphate (Pi), but fail to account for Pi that may become available through organic phosphorus (Po) mineralization. This P source may be especially important in soils with low concentrations of solution and labile Pi. We assessed gross Po mineralization and immobilization using labeling with 33P in four calcareous Alfisols with varying concentrations of Olsen soil test P that were collected from forage fields of dairy farms in Ontario, Canada. Rapid microbial 33P uptake during incubation was found for the soils with the lowest available Pi as indicated by both Olsen soil test P and water-extractable Pi. The tracer incorporation into microbial P after 8 days ranged from 7 to 44% of applied 33P and was negatively related to water-extractable Pi following a power-type relationship. As concentrations of microbial P were similar in all soils, this suggests faster turnover of P in the microbial biomass at water-extractable Pi below 0.1 mg P kg−1 soil. Daily gross Po mineralization rates ranged from 0.2 to 2.8 mg P kg−1 soil d−1 and contributed 7–56% of the isotopically-exchangeable P in 8 days. Based on these findings, microbial processes have the potential to make a significant contribution to forage P nutrition.

Inoculation with phosphorus (P) solubilizing bacteria is being proposed to increase P availability for plants by mineralization and solubilization of non-available soil and fertilizer P. Solubilization of inorganic P compounds by bacterial strains has repeatedly been shown on agar plates and in liquid media. However, the effects of inoculation on P availability to plants growing in soils, either in pot or field studies, are inconsistent and do not allow to separate between direct effects on P availability and indirect effects such as improved plant health. This differentiation could be achieved using 33P isotopic labeling. We applied the 33P isotopic dilution method in a pot and in an incubation experiment to study gross P fluxes in a calcareous soil inoculated with the P solubilizing bacteria Pseudomonas protegens CHA0. We hypothesized that the inoculant dilutes the specific activity (33P/31P) in the soil solution or in the plant shoots because of P solubilization beyond the P mobilization by the endogenous microbial biomass. To this end, we conducted a plant growth experiment with Lolium multiflorum var. Gemini and an incubation experiment. In both experiments, the soil was amended or not with a calcium P rich sewage sludge ash, and both treatments were conducted with and without inoculation. The inoculant was able to solubilize P from sewage sludge ash under controlled conditions in liquid media. However, it did not enhance P release from soil or from sewage sludge ash in the incubated soil. Inoculation of the soil reduced organic P mineralization by the soil microbial biomass, which was supported by a simultaneous decrease in soil respiration. Thus, any inorganic P solubilized by the inoculant might have been offset by less basal organic P mineralization. Increased P uptake of inoculated Lolium multiflorum at first harvest was attributed to an indirect effect, since the specific activity in shoots of inoculated Lolium multiflorum was not decreased. Although sewage sludge ash contained very little water-soluble P, an increase in P availability following sewage sludge ash addition could be shown using 33P isotopic dilution, while biological processes remained unchanged. While in this study, the inoculant did not increase P availability, the approach presented here can give insight into the mechanisms underlying beneficial effects of inoculants.

Background and aims In Malawi, strategies are being sought to boost maize production through improvements in soil fertility. This study assessed the impact of intercropping maize (Zea mays) with pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) in Lixisols of Malawi on yield, biological N fixation, soil aggregation, and P forms within soil aggregates. Methods Maize and pigeon pea were grown intercropped in pots, with varying degrees of root interaction in order to understand the relative importance of biochemical versus physical rhizospheric interactions. Following harvest, soils were separated into aggregate fractions using wet-sieving, and the nutrient content of all fractions was assessed. Results The proportion of macroaggregates and microaggregates increased by 52 and 111%, respectively, in the intercropping treatment compared to sole maize, which significantly increased organic P storage in the microaggregates of intercropped compared to sole maize (84 versus 29 mg P kg−1, respectively). Biologically fixed N increased from 89% in the sole pigeon pea to 96% in the intercropped system. Conclusions Intercropping maize with pigeon pea can have a significant and positive impact on soil structure as well as nutrient storage in these high P-sorbing soils. This is caused primarily by physical root contact and to a lesser degree by biochemical activities.

Inositol phosphates (IP) are a major pool of identifiable organic phosphorus (P) in soil. However, insight on their distribution and cycling in soil remains limited, particularly of lower-order IP (IP5 and IP4). This is because their quantification typically requires a series of chemical extractions, including hypobromite oxidation to isolate IP, followed by chromatographic separation. Here, for the first time, we identify the chemical nature of organic P in four soil extracts following hypobromite oxidation using solution 31P NMR spectroscopy and transverse relaxation (T2) experiments. Soil samples analysed include the A horizon of a Ferralsol from Colombia, of a Cambisol from Switzerland, of a Gleysol from Switzerland and of a Cambisol from Germany. Solution 31P NMR spectra of the phosphomonoester region on soil extracts following hypobromite oxidation revealed an increase in the number of sharp signals (up to 70), and an on average 2-fold decrease in the concentration of the broad signal compared to the untreated soil extracts. We identified the presence of four stereoisomers of IP6, four stereoisomers of IP5, and scyllo-IP4 (using solution 31P NMR spectroscopy). We also identified for the first time two isomers of myo-IP5 in soil extracts: myo-(1,2,4,5,6)-IP5 and myo-(1,3,4,5,6)-IP5. Concentrations of total IP ranged from 1.4 to 159.3 mg P/kgsoil across all soils, of which between 9 % and 50 % were comprised of lower-order IP. Furthermore, we found that the T2 times, which are considered to be inversely related to the tumbling of a molecule in solution and hence its molecular size, were significantly shorter for the underlying broad signal compared to the sharp signals (IP6) in soil extracts following hypobromite oxidation. In summary, we demonstrate the presence of a plethora of organic P compounds in soil extracts, largely attributed to IP of various order, and provide new insight on the chemical stability of complex forms of organic P associated with soil organic matter.

Geoderma, 345, ISSN:0016-7061, ISSN:1872-6259

Thermochemical treatments allow production of sewage sludge ash (SSA) rich in P and low in heavy metals, which could be recycled in agriculture. Our objective was to quantify P release from SSA using ion sink assays and to relate these results to P speciation in SSA and plant P uptake. Anion and cation exchange membranes saturated with different counterions (HCO₃, Na, and H) were used to create a gradient in pH, P, or cation concentration between SSA particles and the surrounding solution. Phosphorus speciation in SSA was assessed using X-ray powder diffraction, and plant P uptake was determined in a pot experiment with an acidic and a neutral soil. Four SSA products were investigated: a SSA thermochemically treated with CaCl₂ or MgCl₂ (SSA Ca/Mg), a SSA blended with KCl, and a SSA blended with KCl and triple superphosphate (TSP) to obtain a marketable 12–20 P–K fertilizer. The H membranes dissolved all P species present in SSA. Combined HCO₃/Na membranes extracted diffusible P and noncrystalline P from SSA Ca/Mg and stanfieldite from SSA Mg. Blending with KCl hardly changed P release from SSA, whereas blending with TSP masked P release. The amount of P extracted from SSA by combined HCO₃/Na membranes was correlated to plant P use in the acid soil, whereas the amount of P extracted by HCO₃ membranes alone was correlated to P use in the neutral soil. In conclusion, the ion sink assays delivered information on P release that was related to both SSA mineralogy and P use by plants.

Decreasing phosphorus (P) concentrations in leaves of beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) across Europe raise the question about the implications for forest health. Considering the distribution of beech forests on soils encompassing a broad range of nutrient availability, we hypothesized that this tree species exhibits high phenotypic plasticity allowing it to alter mass, and nutrient allocation in response to local nutrient availability. To test this, we grew two groups of 12–15 year old beech saplings originating from sites with high and low soil P availability for 2 years in mineral soil from their own site and in soil from the other site. After two growing seasons, P concentrations in leaves and stem, as well as mass allocation to leaves and fine roots were affected by both soil and plant origin. By contrast, relative P allocation to leaves and fine roots, as well as P concentrations in fine roots, were determined almost entirely by the experimental soil. Independent of the P nutritional status defined as average concentration of P in the whole plant, which still clearly reflected the soil conditions at the site of plant origin, relative P allocation to leaves was a particularly good indicator of P availability in the experimental soil. Furthermore, a high plasticity of this plant trait was indicated by a large difference between plants growing in the two experimental soils. This suggests a strong ability of beech to alter resource allocation in response to specific soil conditions., Frontiers in Plant Science, 10, ISSN:1664-462X

Mutualistic plant–microbial functioning relies on co-adapted symbiotic partners as well as conducive environmental conditions. Choosing particular plant genotypes for domestication and subsequent cultivar selection can narrow the gene pools of crop plants to a degree that they are no longer able to benefit from microbial mutualists. Elevated mineral nutrient levels in cultivated soils also reduce the dependence of crops on nutritional support by mutualists such as mycorrhizal fungi and rhizobia. Thus, current ways of crop production are predestined to compromise the propagation and function of microbial symbionts, limiting their long-term benefits for plant yield stability. The influence of mutualists on non-native plant establishment and spread, i.e. biological invasions, provides an unexplored analogue to contemporary crop production that accounts for mutualistic services from symbionts like rhizobia and mycorrhizae. The historical exposure of organisms to biotic interactions over evolutionary timescales, or so-called eco-evolutionary experience (EEE), has been used to explain the success of such invasions. In this paper, we stress that consideration of the EEE concept can shed light on how to overcome the loss of microbial mutualist functions following crop domestication and breeding. We propose specific experimental approaches to utilize the wild ancestors of crops to determine whether crop domestication compromised the benefits derived from root microbial symbioses or not. This can predict the potential for success of mutualistic symbiosis manipulation in modern crops and the maintenance of effective microbial mutualisms over the long term., Plants establish beneficial symbiotic interactions with microbes that sustain plant nutrition and growth. These interactions are crucial for the stability of crop yields, particularly those of legumes. Likewise, in natural ecosystems symbioses facilitate the establishment and spread of invasive plant populations, to which microbes confer similar benefits as in crops. This manuscript builds on the parallelism between microbial symbioses in crops and invasive plants to develop a new framework. This framework can inform whether modern crops preserve the ability to obtain symbiotic benefits from microbes, and whether breeding programs could target symbioses for future plant production.

A greater diversity of crops grown in homegardens in Sri Lanka is thought to be positively associated with increased nutritional diversity of the diet of members of households and their improved nutritional status and health. However, no studies have been made to evaluate the quantitative contribution of homegardens to people's food and nutrient intake and security. Here we report three studies to test an improved homegarden production system, with agricultural and extension interventions, designed for the mid-country wet zone in Sri Lanka. The study assessed the impact of the improved system on crop type diversity, on dietary intake and diversity and food and nutritional security of the households. In Study 1, 100 households with homegardens were evaluated for their household characteristics and homegarden practices. Study 2 was on a sub sample of 20 households each with organized homegardens (OHG); households were provided with planting material, agricultural inputs and advice, and were regularly monitored by a field officer for methodical farming. These improved home gardens were contrasted with non-organized homegardens (NOHG; without intervention) to measure crop diversity through a simple species count. Study 3 assessed 25 sample households with OHG and 20 households with NOHG: dietary nutrient intake and diversity and household food security were quantified. Family food consumption was assessed using a 5-day diet diary. Perceived household food security status was determined using United States Department of Agriculture Food Security Module. Nutrient intakes, dietary adequacy, and contribution to dietary diversity from produce derived from homegarden were calculated. A total of 149 crop species were recorded in the homegardens with a 14% greater diversity in OHG than NOHG. Household food security was not significantly associated with organized or non-organized homegardens. The improved, organized home gardens provided diets with a greater contribution of energy, carbohydrates, fat, calcium, iron, zinc, folate, thiamin, niacin, vitamin C, and vitamin A compared with NOHG. The study demonstrates that households with OHG had greater dietary diversity from homegarden produce compared with that of households with NOHG leading to better food and micronutrient intake and nutritional security., Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 3, ISSN:2571-581X

Belowground (BG) plant resource allocation, including roots and rhizodeposition, is a major source of soil organic matter. Knowledge on the amounts and turnover of BG carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) in soil is critical to the understanding of how these elements cycle in soil-plant system. However, the assumptions underlying the quantification and tracking of rhizodeposition using isotope labeling methods have hardly been tested. The main objectives of this chapter were to (i) review the different plant labeling techniques for each of the three elements; (ii) describe a novel method for the simultaneous investigation of C, N, and P rhizodeposition in sand; and (iii) test the methodological assumptions underlying quantification of rhizodeposition. Stable 13C and 15N isotopes were widely used to study rhizodeposition of plants either separately or in combination, while P radioisotopes (32P, 33P) were used to investigate root distribution. The combination of the 13CO2 single-pulse labeling with the simultaneous 15N and 33P cotton-wick stem feeding effectively labeled Canavalia brasiliensis roots and facilitated the estimation of rhizodeposited C, N, and P input from root systems. However, the isotope distribution was uneven within the root system for all three elements. Additionally, we observed a progressive translocation from shoot to roots for 15N and 33P over 15 days after labeling, while the 13C tracer was diluted with newly assimilated non-enriched C compounds over time. Younger root sections also showed higher specific activities (33P/31P) than the older ones. The relatively high 33P radioactivity recovered in sand right away at the first sampling was attributed to an artifact generated by the stem feeding labeling method. Overall, our results suggest that the assumptions underlying the use of isotope methods for studying rhizodeposition are violated, which will affect the extent of quantification of rhizodeposition. The consequences of nonhomogeneous labeling of root segments of different age require further investigation. The use of a time-integrated isotopic composition of the root is recommended to not only account for temporal variation of isotopes but also to improve the method of quantifying plant rhizodeposition.

Quantification of turnover of inorganic soil phosphorus (P) pools is essential to improve our understanding of P cycling in soil-plant systems at different spatial scales. Turnover can be quantified using mean residence time (MRT), however, to date there is little information on MRT of P in soil P pools. We introduce an approach to quantify MRT of P in sequentially-extracted inorganic soil P pools using data from isotope exchange kinetic experiments. Our analyses of 53 soil samples from the literature showed that MRT of labile P (resin- and bicarbonate extractable P) was on the order of minutes to hours for most soils, MRT in NaOH-extractable P was in the range of days to months, and MRT in HCl-extractable P was on the order of years to millennia. Multiple regression models were able to capture 54–63 % of the variability in MRT among samples, and showed that land use was the most important predictor of MRT of P in labile and NaOH pools. MRT of P in HCl-P was strongly dependent on pH, as high pH soils tended to have longer MRTs. This was interpreted to be related to the composition of HCl-P. Under high pH, HCl-P contains mostly apatite, with a low solubility, whereas under low pH conditions, HCl-P may contain more exchangeable P forms. The estimates of MRT of P in inorganic pools improve our interpretation of soil P dynamics at the laboratory-, field- and ecosystem scale, and will also be useful to constrain P dynamics in global land surface models., Biogeosciences Discussions, ISSN:1810-6277, ISSN:1810-6285

In many parts of the world, soils deficient and/or toxic in micronutrients reduce potential soybean (Glycine max) yields. The objective of our study was to grow plants in low to high concentrations of boron (B) and zinc (Zn) to determine how B and Zn deficiencies and toxicities affect soybean growth and interact with other essential nutrients in roots, leaves, and seeds. We found that B significantly affected levels of all essential nutrients except manganese and iron, while Zn significantly affected all essential nutrients in at least one plant tissue tested. Some of the physiological responses and nutrient interactions were cultivar-dependent. This study showed how deficiencies and toxicities of B and Zn affect plant growth and how B and Zn fertility interacts with many of the other essential nutrients.

Soil drying and rewetting (DRW) events are expected to occur at higher frequencies because of alterations in climate patterns. Readily extractable inorganic and microbial soil phosphorus (P) pools may be affected due to rapid changes in soil water availability. We aimed to determine how soil P dynamics are affected by repeated soil DRW using a sandy grassland soil that regularly experiences DRW. In a laboratory soil incubation study, the soil was exposed to three DRW cycles, with each cycle consisting of a two-day drying phase, a three-day dryness phase and a four-day moist phase after rapid rewetting. The indicators of abiotic processes (P sorption) and biotic processes (respiration, microbial abundance, potential phosphatase enzyme activities) were regularly determined together with water-extractable P, resin-extractable P and microbial P in a 33P-labelled soil. During the first DRW cycle, microbial P was reduced by half and accompanied by a concomitant but not equivalent increase in water-extractable P and a slight as well as delayed increase in resin-extractable P. Thus, increases in water-extractable P were explained by microbial P released during drying but also by microbial P occupying soil P sorption sites, thereby decreasing soil P sorption. Changes in the 33P-isotopic composition of microbial P at the same time suggested that microorganisms did not respond homogenously to the DRW treatment and indicated an increased mineralisation of previously unavailable organic P compounds. However, during the second and third DRW cycles, only water-extractable P, soil P sorption and potential phosphatase activities were affected by the DRW treatment, whereas all other parameters remained similar in values to the constant moist treatment. The effects of DRW on soil P dynamics appeared to affect water-extractable P more long-lastingly, whereas microbial P and most of the biotic indicators quickly adjusted to the DRW treatment. We conclude that the current concepts suggesting an increased mobility of soil P towards other environmental compartments due to soil DRW should consider that abiotic and biotic soil P dynamics are not equally affected in the case of short repetition of DRW incidences., Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 153, ISSN:0038-0717, ISSN:1879-3428

Dust deposition is an important source of phosphorus (P) to many ecosystems. However, there is little evidence of dust-derived P-containing minerals in soils. Here we studied P forms along a well-described climatic gradient on Hawaii, which is also a dust deposition gradient. Soil mineralogy and soil P forms from six sites along the climatic gradient were analyzed with bulk (X-ray diffraction and P K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure) and microscale (X-ray fluorescence, P K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure, and Raman) analysis methods. In the wettest soils, apatite grains ranging from 5 to 30 µm in size were co-located at the micro-scale with quartz, a known continental dust indicator suggesting recent atmospheric deposition. In addition to co-location with quartz, further evidence of dust-derived P included backward trajectory modeling indicating that dust particles could be brought to Hawaii from the major global dust-loading areas in central Asia and northern Africa. Although it is not certain whether the individual observed apatite grains were derived from long-distance transport of dust, or from local dust sources such as volcanic ash or windblown fertilizer, these observations offer direct evidence that P-containing minerals have reached surface layers of highly-weathered grassland soils through atmospheric deposition., Geoderma, 381, ISSN:0016-7061, ISSN:1872-6259

Pyrophosphatases (EC 3.6.1.1) are ubiquitous enzymes that catalyse the hydrolysis of pyrophosphate, a byproduct of many biochemical reactions. The hydrolysis leads to an oxygen isotope exchange between the newly formed phosphate molecules and water. Here, we applied Raman spectroscopy to monitor the oxygen isotope exchange reaction in presence of pyrophosphatase from baker's yeast. For this purpose, enzymatic assays consisting of 0.8 m 18O-enriched phosphate were prepared under pH-buffered conditions. Upon addition of pyrophosphatase, the Raman spectrum of the solution immediately started to shift to higher wavenumbers, indicating the progressive substitution of 18O in phosphate by 16O from water. The analytical results were quantified by fitting a Voigt function to the measured Raman spectra that allowed to determine the relative contribution of each phosphate isotopologue in solution over time. Based on the relative contribution of the different phosphate species, the apparent overall oxygen exchange rate could be calculated assuming a first-order kinetic. The progressive formation and disappearance of the different phosphate isotopologues were then modelled by applying a consecutive reaction scheme with first-order steps. The results of our experiments show that Raman spectroscopy can be used to study the kinetics of enzyme-catalysed oxygen isotope exchange in the phosphate–water system. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Background and Aims Soil microbial communities contribute to organic phosphorus cycling in a variety of ways, including secretion of the PhoD alkaline phosphatase. We sampled a long-term grassland fertilization trial in Switzerland characterized by a natural pH gradient. We examined the effects of phosphate depletion and pH on total and active microbial community structures and on the structure and composition of the total and active phoD-harboring community. Methods Archaeal, bacterial and fungal communities were investigated using T-RFLP and phoD-harboring members of these communities were identified by 454-sequencing. Results Phosphate depletion decreased total, resin-extractable and organic phosphorus and changed the structure of all active microbial communities, and of the total archaeal and phoD-harboring communities. Organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus increased with pH, and the structures of all total and active microbial communities except the total fungal community differed between the two pH levels. phoD-harboring members were affiliated to Actinomycetales, Bacilliales, Gloeobacterales, Planctomycetales and Rhizobiales. Conclusions Our results suggest that pH and associated soil factors are important determinants of microbial and phoD-harboring community structures. These associated factors include organic carbon and total nitrogen, and to a lesser degree phosphorus status, and active communities are more responsive than total communities. Key players in organic P mineralization are affiliated to phyla that are known to be important in organic matter decomposition.

Phosphorus is one of the major limiting factors of primary productivity in terrestrial ecosystems and, thus, the P demand of plants might be among the most important drivers of soil and ecosystem development. The P cycling in forest ecosystems seems an ideal example to illustrate the concept of ecosystem nutrition. Ecosystem nutrition combines and extents the traditional concepts of nutrient cycling and ecosystem ecology. The major extension is to consider also the loading and unloading of nutrient cycles and the impact of nutrient acquiring and recycling processes on overall ecosystem properties. Ecosystem nutrition aims to integrate nutrient related aspects at different scales and in different ecosystem compartments including all processes, interactions and feedbacks associated with the nutrition of an ecosystem. We review numerous previous studies dealing with P nutrition from this ecosystem nutrition perspective. The available information contributes to the description of basic ecosystem characteristics such as emergence, hierarchy, and robustness. In result, we were able to refine Odum's hypothesis on P nutrition strategies along ecosystem succession to substrate related ecosystem nutrition and development. We hypothesize that at sites rich in mineral-bound P, plant and microbial communities tend to introduce P from primary minerals into the biogeochemical P cycle (acquiring systems), and hence the tightness of the P cycle is of minor relevance for ecosystem functioning. In contrast, tight P recycling is a crucial emergent property of forest ecosystems established at sites poor in mineral bound P (recycling systems). We conclude that the integration of knowledge on nutrient cycling, soil science, and ecosystem ecology into holistic ecosystem nutrition will provide an entirely new view on soil–plant–microbe interactions.

The importance of organic phosphorus (P) mineralization for forest P nutrition may depend on the P status of the soil. Using an isotopic dilution technique we measured organic P mineralization rates in two contrasting Cambisols under beech forest in Germany which had developed either on basalt resulting in a silty clayey soil high in available inorganic and total P oron pleistocene sand resulting in a sandy soil low in available inorganic and total P. To investigate if soil mixing during labeling causes artefacts in the assessment of microbial P immobilization and organic P mineralization we conducted a 38 day long incubation experiment with labeling of pre incubated soils either by mixing or by injection. Gross and net organic P mineralization were negligible and non detectable against the great inorganic P availability in the soil developed on basalt while biological and biochemical processes dominated P transformations by far in the sandy soil. A significant but transient pulse in soil respiration caused by mixing occurred in the silty clayey soil and it was accompanied by a transient increase in microbial P. Mixing of the sandy soil induced a small but persistent increase in respiration but a decrease in microbial P. Despite these effects on the microbial pool and activity no evidence for an alteration of P transformation rates by soil mixing was found. This study suggests that labeling by injection might be feasible in P isotopic dilution studies especially in low P sorbing sandy soils. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

LCA studies reveal emission hotspots along the whole product value chain allowing the researcher to identify opportunities for improvements. Its combination with integrative design offers an opportunity to substantially improve the eco-efficiency. We describe the multi-stakeholder design process that was followed to provide reductions in resource use and emissions from two alternative bread supply chains in France. Case studies of alternative bread were selected because of strong motivation to improve environmental performance and the limited number of actors along the supply chain: farmers are also processors, distributors and retailers. The structured process of integrative design was supported by the use of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) as an evaluation and information support tool. To avoid any potential burden shifting, environmental impacts were tracked for 13 impact categories. Results of LCA with highlights of processes responsible for the largest share of environmental impacts were disclosed to experts during the collaborative design workshop. Stakeholders included sustainability experts, plant breeders, agronomists and representatives of farmers associations. In the next step, generated improvement scenarios were consulted with farmers on a feedback loop basis. Despite the low acceptance of expert suggestions, the supply of environmental information allowed farmers to find some innovative design solutions. Conservative modelling of approved improvement scenarios revealed 47% potential reduction in the global warming potential in one of the value chains and 40% for aquatic eutrophication potential in the other one. Results of these case studies suggest that in addition to biophysical limitations, some producers may suffer from the lack of innovation, suboptimal management and the lack of access to reliable environmental information. Integrative approaches coupled with systematic, science based assessment tools such as LCA can be effective in overcoming some of these barriers and improving eco-efficiency. More research is needed to understand the social factors driving the life-cycle based eco-innovation on farms.

Under temperate climate conditions, organic farming systems show improved soil quality compared to non-organic systems, whereas little long-term research on the impact of organic farming on soil quality has been conducted in sub-Saharan Africa. Within the system comparison (SysCom) project, two long-term field experiments were set up in 2007 in the sub-humid Central Highlands of Kenya to compare organic and conventional farming at two input levels (high input systems with recommended rates of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and pesticides and with irrigation vs. rain-fed low input systems with low N, P and pesticides), with a similar design at both sites. The two sites differ mainly in their inherent soil properties and in the amount and distribution of rainfall. At the end of each three-year crop rotation period, we analyzed a set of chemical, biological and physical soil quality parameters in 0–20 cm soil depth. After nine years, microbial parameters seemed to have reached a steady state, whereas chemical parameters were still changing. Most soil quality parameters were highest under the high input organic farming system. The high input conventional system performed well in preserving several soil quality indicators, but a trend for acidification and the lack of soil carbon build-up raise concerns about the long-term sustainability of the system. Low input organic and conventional farming systems did not improve soil quality and even showed decreasing trends in several chemical parameters. Total and available P accumulated over time, especially in both high input systems, suggesting increasing risks of losses to the environment. Pronounced site effects revealed strong interactions with pedo-climatic conditions, with soil quality under high input organic farming improving to a greater extent at the site with more favorable conditions. Besides effects on soil quality, important criteria for sustainable input levels are thus the general availability of inputs, resulting nutrient input–output budgets as well as interactions of inputs with inherent soil properties.

1) The extent to which plants can reduce nutrient concentrations in soil and thereby compete with others may increase with nutrient mobility. Hyphae of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can extend the soil volume from which plants acquire phosphorus (P), thus increasing competition for these resources with neighbours. In this study we tested whether the suppression of hyphal interconnections between neighbour plants mitigates their competitive interactions and consequently affects plant community structure. 2) We used custom-built microcosms that used a wire system to suppress the development of a common mycorrhizal network (CMN) between plant neighbours. We applied this CMN treatment to plants without neighbours (competition-free controls), with conspecific neighbours (monocultures), or with heterospecific neighbours (two and four species communities), all assembled from two pools of four separate temperate grassland species each. We analyzed changes in species and community-level productivity and P acquisition. 3) The CMN treatment affected species differently. Most species had reduced shoot biomass while root biomass increased with CMN disconnection. Productivity and nutrient acquisition of Plantago lanceolata in four-species mixtures was negatively affected, leading to a less even distribution of P among species, but community-level P acquisition was not affected. On average, two-species and four-species mixtures produced similar community biomass and had the same P content as monocultures. 4) Synthesis: CMN disconnection did affect competitive interactions among species only little. One explanation may be that the absence of pronounced competitive hierarchy among the species investigated led to relatively symmetric interactions among species that were stable with respects to additional CMN-effects. Another explanation is that CMN effects are less important in natural soils with natural AMF communities than experiments with few AMF strains and often sterilized soils suggest.

Cd in soils might be taken up by plants, enter the food chain and endanger human health. This study investigates the isotopic fractionation of major processes during the Cd transfer from soils to cereal grains. Thereto, soil, soil solution, wheat and barley plants (roots, straw and grains) were sampled in the field at three study sites during two vegetation periods. Cd concentrations and δ114/110Cd values were determined in all samples. The composition of the soil solution was analyzed and the speciation of the dissolved Cd was modelled. Isotopic fractionation between soils and soil solutions (Δ114/110Cd20-50cm-soil solution = −0.61 to −0.68‰) was nearly constant among the three soils. Cd isotope compositions in plants were heavier than in soils (Δ114/110Cd0-20cm-plants = −0.55 to −0.31‰) but lighter than in soil solutions (Δ114/110Cdsoil solution-plants = 0.06–0.36‰) and these differences correlated with Cd plant-uptake rates. In a conceptual model, desorption from soil, soil solution speciation, adsorption on root surfaces, diffusion, and plant uptake were identified as the responsible processes for the Cd isotope fractionation between soil, soil solution and plants whereas the first two processes dominated over the last three processes. Within plants, compartments with lower Cd concentrations were enriched in light isotopes which might be a consequence of Cd retention mechanisms, following a Rayleigh fractionation, in which barley cultivars were more efficient than wheat cultivars.

Data on the dynamics and fate of phosphorus (P) under low soil-test P (STP) conditions is essential for the development of cropping strategies with a high P use efficiency. This study examined the effects of long-term (20 years) mineral and organic fertiliser P applications on a P-depleted sandy loam soil in Denmark. The cycling of P was examined by use of P budgets (inputs-offtake), chemical P extractions, 33P isotopic exchange kinetics (IEK), and solution 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy on NaOH-EDTA extracts. Recovery of applied P in the topsoil was smaller for animal slurry P compared with mineral fertiliser P. The budgets suggest deeper soil layers play an important role for the cycling of P. Resin-extractable P (2 to 17 mg kg−1), Olsen-P (7 to 16 mg kg−1) and E1min (1 to 6 mg kg−1) were correlated with the P budgets. Between 63 and 77% of total inorganic P was not exchangeable in a period of three months (E>3months), with the lowest value observed in no-P treatment N1K1. The data show that a redistribution of exchangeable P had taken place under the influence of a strongly negative P budget. Microbial P (6 to 18 mg kg−1) increased under animal slurry inputs compared with mineral fertiliser applications (p The results demonstrate that P applications increased the amount of P that is potentially available for plants, irrespective of input form. Nevertheless, most P applied in excess of crop uptake resulted in an increase of the amount of P that is slowly exchangeable. Under low soil test P conditions such as in the current trial, fertiliser P applied in excess of plant demand that accumulates in soil would thus only be partially available for crops in subsequent years. On the other hand the data suggests that soil P reserves may be utilised for crop growth, but at the low soil P intensity plant access to P will have to be managed carefully.