Co-Inoculation with and sp. Enhances Nitrogen Uptake and Yield in Field-Grown Cowpea and Did Not Change N-Fertilizer Recovery.

This study was designed to investigate the effects of and sp. co-inoculation coupled with N application on soil N levels and N in plants (total N, nitrate N-NO and ammonium N-NH), photosynthetic pigments, cowpea plant biomass and grain yield. An isotopic technique was employed to evaluate N fertilizer recovery and derivation.

Comparing soil-to-plant cadmium (Cd) transfer and potential human intake among rice cultivars with different Cd tolerance levels grown in a tropical contaminated soil.

With its accumulation in upland rice, cadmium (Cd) can easily enter the human food chain, which poses a global health threat considering nearly half of the human population depends on rice as a staple food source. A study was conducted to (1) evaluate Cd accumulation by rice cultivars, grown in Cd-polluted Tropical Oxisols, with different levels of Cd tolerance; (2) quantify Cd transfer from soil to rice shoots and grain; and (3) estimate daily Cd intake by humans. Three rice cultivars, characterized by low (Cateto Seda-CS), medium (BRSMG Talento-BT), and high (BRSMG Caravera-BC) Cd uptake capacity, were investigated.

Optimizing pyrolysis conditions for recycling pig bones into phosphate fertilizer.

Selecting pyrolysis parameters for recycling P-rich and hazardous biowastes, such as bones, into fertilizers is still a challenge. Our objective was to improve pyrolysis procedures of pig bones for the production of P fertilizers. Bone chars were produced by pyrolysis at 400, 550, or 800 °C with no gas addition; 550 and 800 °C under N; 800 °C under steam flux, using calcination at 800 °C as control treatment.

Diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy for a qualitative evaluation of plant leaf pigment extraction.

The extraction and quantification of leaf pigments are easy, fast, and cheap procedures; on the other hand, diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform (DRIFT) spectroscopy associated with chemometrics tools could offer new insights into leaf biochemical composition. We aimed to boost the classic leaf pigment quantification, adding leaf biochemical information derived from DRIFT spectroscopy + principal component analysis, using the same leaf pigment extract produced by the classical quantification method. We performed a dose-response experiment using P as the limiting nutrient, and maize (Zea mays L.

Fertilization using sewage sludge in unfertile tropical soils increased wood production in Eucalyptus plantations.

Fertilization of Eucalyptus plantations using sewage sludge on unfertile tropical soils represents an alternative to using mineral N and P fertilizers. A 44-month field experiment was conducted to study the effects of increasing application of sludge, and its interactions with mineral N and P fertilizers, on wood volume. Four rates of sludge (0, 8, 15 and 23 Mg ha, dry base), N (0, 47, 95 and 142 kg ha) and P (0, 28, 56 and 84 kg ha of PO) were combined in a 4 × 4 × 4 factorial scheme in a totally randomized block design.