Enhanced soil quality with reduced tillage and solid manures in organic farming - a synthesis of 15 years

Demands upon the sustainability of farming are increasing in step with climate change and diversity loss. Organic farming offers a viable approach. To further improve organic management, three strategies with potential to enhance soil quality are being tested in a long-term trial since 2002 on a clay loam in temperate Switzerland: reduced tillage vs. ploughing, solid vs. liquid manures and biodynamic preparations. A synthesis of 15 years reveals an increase in topsoil organic carbon (SOC, +25%), microbial biomass (+32%) and activity (+34%) and a shift in microbial communities with conversion from ploughing to reduced tillage. Soils under reduced tillage are more stratified in SOC and nutrients. Additional application of composted manure has increased SOC by 6% compared to pure slurry application, with little impact on soil microbes. Biodynamic preparations have had a minor impact on soil quality. Fertilisation and biodynamic preparations did not affect yields. Both higher and lower yields were harvested in the reduced tillage system in relation to ploughing. The main yield determinants were N supply and higher weed infestation under reduced tillage. Continuously reduced tillage in organic farming has been proven to enhance soil quality at this site, while also presenting more challenges in management

Entwicklung von pfluglosen Anbauverfahren im ökologischen Landbau unter Anwendung verschiedener Hofdüngerformen und biologisch-dynamischer Präparate

In a long-term field trial (November 2002-2011), located in Frick near Basle (Switzerland), the influence of reduced tillage on soil fertility and yield is studied in a crop rotation under organic farming conditions. Here, we describe the field experiment and present results of the first year. The three factors examined, soil tillage, manure type and biodynamic preparations are implemented in a fully factorised experimental setup. The experimental field manifested a high homogeneity for the parameters pH, soil organic carbon (Corg), dehydrogenase activity and microbial biomass. Wheat yield in the first experimental year was 16% higher in ploughed plots than in the plots with reduced tillage (p < 0.001). Plots fertilised with slurry manifested 5 % (p < 0.001) higher wheat yields than plots manured with compost. Yield of the following oat/clover intercrop was somewhat higher in reduced tilled plots than in ploughed plots, but not statistically significant. Long-term effects need to be evaluated

Animal-Sediment Relationships and Early Sediment Diagenesis in Long Island Sound

Guidebook for field trips in Connecticut: New England Intercollegiate Geological Conference 60th annual meeting, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, October 25-27, 1968: Trip E-

Neuer Langzeitversuch über Bodenbearbeitung, Düngung und Präparate

In den ersten drei Jahren hat der seit 2002 laufende Langzeitversuch Frick (Schweiz) bereits viele spannende Ergebnisse zu Tage gefördert. Unerwartet war, dass Weizen, der in Parzellen gewachsen war, welche lediglich im Versuchsjahr mit biologisch-dynamischen Präparaten behandelt wurden, weniger Fusarientoxine enthielt und mit den bildschaffenden Methoden klar von nicht behandelten Weizenproben unterschieden werden konnte. Sehr bedeutsam sind auch die Ergebnisse zur Bodenfruchtbarkeit: Reduziert bearbeitete Böden waren schon nach kurzer Zeit belebter, wiesen etwas mehr Humus auf und auch die Symbiosepilze fühlten sich dort wohler als in gepflügten Böden. Die Erträge reagierten je nach Kultur positiv oder negativ auf reduzierte Bodenbearbeitung. Allerdings könnten sich bei dieser Bodenbearbeitung Wur-zelunkräuter zu einem ernsthaften Problem entwickeln. Wie sich die Erträge und die Unkrautsituation entwickeln, müssen weitere Untersuchungsjahre zeigen. Die FiBL-Forscher erwarten, dass sich die Differenzen zwischen den Verfahren im Verlaufe der nächsten Versuchsperiode noch stärker zeigen. Der Abschluss des Versuchs ist auf das Jahr 2011 geplant

Klimafreundlicher Bioackerbau auf schweren Böden (Exaktversuch Frick)

Versuchsfragen Langfristige Auswirkungen auf Bodenfruchtbarkeit und Ertrag bei: ❯ Reduzierter Bodenbearbeitung vs Pfl ug ❯ Vollgülle vs Mistkompost/Gülle ❯ Mit vs ohne biologisch-dynamische Präparate Questions expérimentales Conséquences à long terme sur la fertilité du sol et le rendement en cas de: ❯ Travail réduit du sol par rapport au labourage ❯ Lisier complet vs. compost fumier/lisier ❯ Avec ou sans préparation biodynamique

Pflugloser Ökoanbau auf schweren Böden

Auf schweren Böden wurden im System Ökolandbau reduzierte Bodenbearbeitung, Gülledüngung und biologisch-dynamische Präparate geprüft. Stickstoffengpass im Frühjahr, mehr Aufwand für die Unkrautkontrolle, geringere Getreideerträge bei Pflugverzicht stehen belebterem Oberboden und besseren Zwischenfruchterträgen gegenüber. Überraschend senkten die biologisch-dynamischen Präparate den Gehalt an Fusariumtoxinen

Medical Gas Plasma Treatment in Head and Neck Cancer—Challenges and Opportunities

Despite progress in oncotherapy, cancer is still among the deadliest diseases in the Western world, emphasizing the demand for novel treatment avenues. Cold physical plasma has shown antitumor activity in experimental models of, e.g., glioblastoma, colorectal cancer, breast carcinoma, osteosarcoma, bladder cancer, and melanoma in vitro and in vivo. In addition, clinical case reports have demonstrated that physical plasma reduces the microbial contamination of severely infected tumor wounds and ulcerations, as is often seen with head and neck cancer patients. These antimicrobial and antitumor killing properties make physical plasma a promising tool for the treatment of head and neck cancer. Moreover, this type of cancer is easily accessible from the outside, facilitating the possibility of several rounds of topical gas plasma treatment of the same patient. Gas plasma treatment of head and neck cancer induces diverse effects via the deposition of a plethora of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species that mediate redox-biochemical processes, and ultimately, selective cancer cell death. The main advantage of medical gas plasma treatment in oncology is the lack of adverse events and significant side effects compared to other treatment modalities, such as surgical approaches, chemotherapeutics, and radiotherapy, making plasma treatment an attractive strategy for the adjuvant and palliative treatment of head and neck cancer. This review outlines the state of the art and progress in investigating physical plasma as a novel treatment modality in the therapy of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Medical Gas Plasma Treatment in Head and Neck Cancer—Challenges and Opportunities

Despite progress in oncotherapy, cancer is still among the deadliest diseases in the Western world, emphasizing the demand for novel treatment avenues. Cold physical plasma has shown antitumor activity in experimental models of, e.g., glioblastoma, colorectal cancer, breast carcinoma, osteosarcoma, bladder cancer, and melanoma in vitro and in vivo. In addition, clinical case reports have demonstrated that physical plasma reduces the microbial contamination of severely infected tumor wounds and ulcerations, as is often seen with head and neck cancer patients. These antimicrobial and antitumor killing properties make physical plasma a promising tool for the treatment of head and neck cancer. Moreover, this type of cancer is easily accessible from the outside, facilitating the possibility of several rounds of topical gas plasma treatment of the same patient. Gas plasma treatment of head and neck cancer induces diverse effects via the deposition of a plethora of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species that mediate redox-biochemical processes, and ultimately, selective cancer cell death. The main advantage of medical gas plasma treatment in oncology is the lack of adverse events and significant side effects compared to other treatment modalities, such as surgical approaches, chemotherapeutics, and radiotherapy, making plasma treatment an attractive strategy for the adjuvant and palliative treatment of head and neck cancer. This review outlines the state of the art and progress in investigating physical plasma as a novel treatment modality in the therapy of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Interpretation of Photoemission Spectra of (TaSe4)2I as Evidence of Charge Density Wave Fluctuations

The competition between different and unusual effects in quasi-one-dimensional conductors makes the direct interpretation of experimental measurements of these materials both difficult and interesting. We consider evidence for the existence of large charge-density-wave fluctuations in the conducting phase of the Peierls insulator (TaSe4)2I, by comparing the predictions of a simple Lee, Rice and Anderson theory for such a system with recent angle-resolved photoemission spectra. The agreement obtained suggests that many of the unusual features of these spectra may be explained in this way. This view of the system is contrasted with the behaviour expected of a Luttinger liquid.Comment: Archive copy of published paper. 19 pages, 12 figures, uses IOP macro

An abyssal hill fractionates organic and inorganic matter in deep-sea surface sediments

Current estimates suggest that more than 60% of the global seafloor are covered by millions of abyssal hills and mountains. These features introduce spatial fluid-dynamic granularity whose influence on deep-ocean sediment biogeochemistry is unknown. Here we compare biogeochemical surface-sediment properties from a fluid-dynamically well-characterized abyssal hill and upstream plain: (1) In hill sediments, organic-carbon and -nitrogen contents are only about half as high as on the plain while proteinaceous material displays less degradation; (2) on the hill, more coarse-grained sediments (reducing particle surface area) and very variable calcite contents (influencing particle surface charge) are proposed to reduce the extent, and influence compound-specificity, of sorptive organic-matter preservation. Further studies are needed to estimate the representativeness of the results in a global context. Given millions of abyssal hills and mountains, their integrative influence on formation and composition of deep-sea sediments warrants more attention