Nondestructive evaluation of pavements using spectral analysis of surface waves in the frequency wave-number domain

The potential of using Spectral analysis of surface waves (SASW) for nondestructive testing of pavement and soil sites has been demonstrated in several publications. The usual SASW field testing and data analysis procedures and the assumption of a single propagation mode yield accurate results when there are no sharp changes in the stiffness of the site with depth. When this is not the case, however, difficulties arise in the interpretation of experimental data due to the participation of more than one mode in the wave field. In an earlier study, the multiple filter/crosscorrelation technique was suggested for analyzing multi-mode SASW signals. This technique, however, may not yield accurate results when propagation modes are closely spaced. A more general method using spectral analysis in the frequency wave-number domain is presented in this paper. Formulas are presented for determining a reasonably small number of surface measurements, and the accuracy of this method in resolving experimental dispersion curves is demonstrated for a pavement site.     

江苏省耐盐生物质能源植物选育和生物柴油制备研究

江苏省有近67万公顷沿海盐土滩涂资源,发展适应这些土地资源的油料植物对促进江苏省生物质能的产业化具有极大的促进作用.本研究针对江苏省土地资源的特点,自2001年,从江苏盐城种植了近10年的美国耐盐油料植物海滨锦葵6万株自然群体中筛选了40个优良单株,并进行了子代测定.目前已经初步选育出了海滨锦葵优良无性系,含油量从原群体平均的18 %提高到23 %.2005年首次从耐盐油料植物海滨锦葵中成功获得生物柴油实验室样品,并已经得到中石化权威机构检测数据.     

Effect of excess boron fertilization on status and availability of boron in calcareous soils

Field experiments were conducted at Al-Qatif area in the eastern region of Saudi Arabia to study the status and availability of B under B fertilization regime in three types of calcareous soils and to evaluate the response of two alfalfa varieties, Hassawi (local variety) and Hyden (american variety), to increasing levels of added B.Boron was applied at 7 rates as Na₂B₄O₇.10H₂O. Four cuttings were taken from each site at different intervals. Data showed that extractable B by hot-water and NH₄HCO₃-DTPA (8 days after borax application) was significantly (p <0.001) affected by soil type and B applications. The amount of B recovered by hot-water from the three soils, 200 days after borax application, was in the following order: sandy loam > sandy clay loam > clay loam.Total dry matter of alfalfa (4 cuttings) was significantly (p <0.05) affected by soil type, borax application rates and alfalfa variety.The critical level of B in plant as determined by Cate and Nelson analysis, ranged from 148 to 652 mg kg^–1 dry matter for Hassawi cultivar and 138 to 521 mg kg^–1 for Hyden cultivar in the first harvest. However, the upper critical levels for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th harvests were 800, 875 and 935 mg B kg^–1 dry matter for Hassawi and 603, 723 and 812 mg B kg^–1 for Hyden varieties, respectively. Nevertheless, the lower critical levels for 2nd, 3rd and 4th harvests ranged from 148 to 153 mg B kg^–1 dry matter for Hassawi and 138 to 142 mg B kg^–1 for Hyden.     

Phosphate sorption approach for determining phosphorus requirements of wheat in calcareous soils

Five field experiments involving P application rates from 0 to 66 kg P ha^–1 were conducted on irrigated wheat at Tandojam, Pakistan. The soils belonged to two great soil groups, Torrifluvent and Camborthid. All soils were calcareous. Olsen-P contents ranged from 3.5 to 6.3 mg P kg^–1. Phosphate sorption curves were developed for soils from control (no P) plots at each site. Concentrations of P in solution established by fertilization in the field as estimated from the sorption curves ranged from 0.008 to 0.16mg P L^–1. Actual grain yields were converted to relative grain yields and plotted against corresponding concentrations of P in solution. Yield response to P application was obtained in each experiment. Control plot yields ranged from 57 to 89% of maximum yield of respective experiments. Phosphorus requirements of wheat were 0.032 mg L^–1 for 95% yield as determined from a composite yield response curve. Predicted quantities of P required to attain 0.032 mg P L^–1 ranged from 18 to 29 kg P ha^–1. The results of the study suggest that the P sorption approach can be used as a rational basis for making P fertilizer recommendations for various soil-crop combinations.     

Reaction products of ammonium nitrate phosphate fertilizers of varying water-soluble phosphorus content in different Indian soils

Studies were undertaken on the isolation and identification of reaction products of ammonium nitrate phosphate (ANP) fertilizers containing 30, 50 and 70 per cent water-soluble phosphorus (WSP) of total phosphorus in representative soils of the vertisol, oxisol, alfisol, entisol, mollisol and aridisol groups of India. ANP fertilizers were applied in solid form to soil, and reaction products formed at and around the site of ANP fertilizer placement were identified after six weeks incubation in moist soils by X-ray diffraction technique. DCPD (dicalcium phosphate dihydrate- CaHPO₄ · 2H₂O) was the major reaction product of ANP fertilizers containing 30 and 50 per cent WSP in vertisol, entisol, aridisol, mollisol, oxisol and alfisol, and of ANP containing 70 per cent WSP in vertisol, entisol, alfisol, aridisol and mollisol. DCP (dicalcium phosphate-CaHPO₄) was detected with ANP of 30 and 50 per cent WSP in the vertisol, alfisol, entisol, mollisol and aridisol groups of soils. In addition to DCPD, FePO₄ · 2H₂O (metastrengite) and AlPO₄ · 2H₂ O-monoclinic (metavariscite) were formed in alfisol and oxisol soils with ANP of 30 and 50 per cent WSP. FePO₄ · 2H₂O and AlPO₄ · 2H₂O (metavariscite) were identified in alfisol and oxisol soils while AlPO₄ · 2H₂O-orthorhombic (variscite) was formed in alfisol soils with ANP of 70 per cent WSP.     

Zinc diffusion and extractability as affected by zinc carrier and soil chemical properties

This work was carried out to evaluate the effect of soil chemical properties, Zn carrier and time elapsed after fertilizer application on the diffusion and extractability of Zn. A soil block technique was used to study zinc diffusion and DTPA extractability from ZnEDTA and ZnSO₄ fertilizers in three soils that varied in texture, CaCO₃ content, organic matter content, and pH using Zn⁶⁵ tracer. ZnEDTA diffused readily in all soils, moving 20–25 mm from the fertilizer layer after three days. The rate of Zn diffusion and the extractability of Zn, however, varied among the soils and were lowest in Baha soil with the highest clay content, organic matter, and CEC despite its lower pH. The high pH and CaCO₃ content in Dirab soil did not restrict the diffusion or reduce the extractability of ZnEDTA in this soil. On the other hand, the diffusion of Zn from ZnSO₄ fertilizer was largely restricted in all soils and was confined to 5 mm from the fertilizer layer after 13 d. The extractability of ZnSO₄ fertilizer was largely affected by soil pH and CaCO₃ content and was lowest in Dirab calcareous soil. Organic matter amendment at 5% (as alfalfa) considerably reduced the diffusion and the extractability of ZnSO₄ in both Dirab calcareous and Bakyria noncalcareous soils. The application of 1% (w/w) elemental S reduced soil pH and increased Zn diffusion from ZnSO₄ fertilizer in Bakyria soil but had slight effect on Dirab calcareous soil.     

Laboratory study of methane oxidation in paddy soils

Methane oxidation in paddy soils was investigated under laboratory conditions. Paddy soils collected before early rice transplanting could not oxidize atmospheric CH₄ but could oxidize CH₄ when the concentration exceeded 10 μl l^-1. Initial CH₄ oxidation rate increased with the increase of initial CH₄ concentration. Soil with the maximum potential to produce CH₄, also had the maximum CH₄ oxidation activity and the maximum emission flux from paddy soil. High CH₄ concentration stimulated the oxidation of CH₄. After 10 days' incubation under atmosphere containing 1000 μl^-1 or 10⁴ μl l^-1 CH₄, the soil which could not oxidize atmospheric CH₄ was able to oxidize it. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effect of granule size and the placement geometry on the efficiency of urea supergranules for wetland rice grown on a permeable soil

In a laboratory experiment 5 cm depth of water was allowed to percolate daily down through a 15 cm thick soil (Typic Ustipsamment) layer. It was observed that leaching losses of urea supergranules (USG)-N could be decreased by about 20% by the placement of four 0.25 g granules at four points instead of one 1 g granule at one point. In field microplots, the placement of approximately 30 granules of 0.30 g size instead of 9 granules of 1.00 g size resulted in reduced leaching of USG-N and, in turn, increased rice yield. In a follow-up field study, the advantage of more frequently placed USG was confirmed. As compared with 1 g USG placed in the usual manner in the center of four rice hills, increasing the density of placement in soil produced 15% more rice grain. Further increase in rice yield could be obtained by increasing the number of USG placed in the soil and decreasing the size of the granule from 1.00 g to 0.70 or 0.35 g. With USG of 0.35 and 0.70 g yields were equal or sometimes even slightly higher than with split application of prilled urea on a heavily percolating, low-CEC, light-textured soil.     

In vitro effects of urease inhibitors on rate of urea hydrolysis in soils

We studied the effect of urease inhibitors on the urea hydrolysis in some Sundanese soils belonging to the orders of Vertisol and Entisol. The hydrolysis showed a lag period of about 3 days and its rate (Y) per unit time (t) could be described by a two constants exponential equation of the general form Y = K₁t^K ₂. Statistical analysis showed that the intercept K₁ (rate of urea hydrolysis) was significantly affected by soil type rather than treatment. It seems that K₁ is associated with the soils' initial urease activity as it closely correlates with the Michaelis constant (km).The gradient, K₂, being significantly affected by soil type as well as treatment is probably associated with the induced urease activity with time and it, therefore, varied with variations in soils and treatments. Of the so-called urease inhibitors used in this study Ca(OH)₂, p-benzoquinone (PBQ) and orthophosphoric acid (OP) only PBQ reduced urea hydrolysis while the other chemicals have effects possibly related to modifying the soil pH. Inhibitor treated soils had substantial amounts of unacounted for N which was believed to be present, presumably, in the form of carbamate.Contribution from the Department of Biochemistry and Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Shambat, Sudan.     

Bauxite residue (red mud) increases phosphorus retention in sandy soil catchments in Western Australia

The Peel-Harvey estuary on the Swan Coastal Plain, Western Australia has become eutrophic partly because of the leaching of fertiliser phosphorus from sandy soils. The acid, coarse textured sandy soils are predominantly quartz, have a low iron and aluminium content and do not retain phosphorus. Red mud, derived from bauxite, is a by-product of the alumina industry and has the ability to retain phosphorus. Retention of phosphorus is enhanced when the red mud is neutralised with gypsum. Red mud has been suggested as a soil amendment to reduce phosphorus leaching.To investigate the reduction in the leaching of phosphorus from soils amended with red mud, weirs were constructed at the outlets from a pair of catchments to quantify the amount of phosphorus in the streamflow. Both catchments were deep grey Bassendean sand. One of the catchments was treated with 80 t/ha of red mud which had been neutralised with waste gypsum from the phosphate industry. The red mud was applied to the soil surface using conventional fertiliser spreading equipment. The other catchment was untreated.The red mud reduced phosphorus loss by 70% from 13.8 kg/ha on the untreated catchment, to 4.2 kg/ha on the treated catchment. Both catchments were treated with 20.4 kg/ha of phosphorus as superphosphate. The catchment treated with red mud also received a further 41.5 kg/ha of phosphorus from the phosphogypsum that was used to neutralise the red mud.Our results show that red mud reduces phosphorus leaching and is potentially a nutrient management option in sandy soils. Red mud has the potential to reduce the impact of agriculture on the estuarine environment and has implications for the continued expansion and intensification of agriculture in the Peel-Harvey catchment.