How dose of biochar and biochar with nitrogen can improve the parameters of soil organic matter and soil structure?

Biochar application to agricultural soils has a significant potential to influence soil resource availability and thus crop performance. A factorial experiment investigating effects of different biochar application rates combined with nitrogen fertilizer was conducted in field conditions on a Haplic Luvisol. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of biochar and biochar combined with fertilization on soil organic matter and soil structure parameters. The treatments comprised combinations of biochar application of 0, 10 and 20 t ha−1 (B0, B10 and B20) and 0, 40 and 80 kg N ha−1 of nitrogen fertilizer (N0, N40, N80) applied in a full-factorial design. Biochar application rate of 20 t ha−1 significantly increased soil organic carbon content (SOC) and non-labile carbon content (CNL), but decreased carbon lability (LC). The addition of biochar at 10 t ha−1 together with 40 and 80 kg N ha−1 significantly increased the values of SOC and CNL. On the other hand, B10N80 treatment resulted in a considerable decrease of carbon lability (LC). Overall, the lowest average content of water-stable micro-aggregates was found in the B20N80 treatment and then with B10N0 < B20N40 < B20N0 < B10N80 < B0N0 < B10N40. Biochar applied at 20 t ha−1 increased the critical level of soil organic matter and decreased the crusting index

Density, porosity and magnetic susceptibility of the Košice meteorite shower and homogeneity of its parent meteoroid

Bulk and grain density, porosity, and magnetic susceptibility of 67 individuals of Košice H chondrite fall were measured. The mean bulk and grain densities were determined to be 3.43 g/cm3 with standard deviation (s.d.) of 0.11 g/cm3 and 3.79 g/cm3 with s.d. 0.07 g/cm3, respectively. Porosity is in the range from 4.2 to 16.1%. The logarithm of the apparent magnetic susceptibility (in 10−9 m3/kg) shows narrow distribution from 5.17 to 5.49 with mean value at 5.35 with s.d. 0.08. These results indicate that all studied Košice meteorites are of the same composition down to ∼g scale without presence of foreign (non-H) clasts and are similar to other H chondrites. Košice is thus a homogeneous meteorite fall derived from a homogenous meteoroid.Peer reviewe

Short-term soil carbon dioxide (CO2) emission after application of conventional and reduced tillage for red clover in Western Slovakia

Tillage systems have impact on soil properties, crop growth and through this directly and indirectly influence the cropland CO2 emission and therefore the global warming. In Slovakia, the wider adoption of conservation practices has barriers such as large acreage of compacted soils, the absence of detailed regionalization of suitable soils for such practices and the scientific evaluation of its application on sustainable soil productivity and environment protection. This study evaluated the short-termeffect of conventional tillage (CT) and reduced tillage (RT) with (N1) and without (N0) N fertilizer application on soil CO2 emission from cropland planted with a red clover (Trifoliumpratense) during 40 days in 2013 on a tillage field experiment initiated in 1994. CO2 flux, soil temperature, and soil water contentwere monitored during the studied period in western Slovakia.Results of this study showed that there wasn’t significant difference (p< 0.05) in soil CO2 between conventional tillage and reduced tillage for both, not fertilized and fertilized plots. Averaged 40 days CO2 emissions were greater in reduced tillage as compared to conventional tillage for both fertilization levels. A linear regression between CO2 emission and soil temperature in conventionally and reduced tilled plots showed that soil temperature (r = 0.88-0.94; P <0.05) and not the soil moisture was a controlling factor. The highest CO2 emission were recorded on the CT and RT plots during the first two weeks after tillage, showing that the tillage resulted in a rapid physical release of CO2

IMPACT OF DIFFERENT SOIL TILLAGE SYSTEMS AND NITROGEN FERTILIZATION ON SOIL CARBON DIOXIDE (CO2) EMISSION FOR ORTHIC LUVISOL IN WESTERN SLOVAKIA

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ANALYSIS OF PRECIPITATION CHANGES IN DANUBIAN LOWLAND

The aim of this article is to point precipitation occurrence in the Nitra town area in years 1961 – 2010. The precipitations were considered in 3 categories within decades - always during spring, summer, autumn and winter months: number of days with precipitation of 0,1 mm and more, days with precipitation of 1 mm and more, days with precipitation of 10 mm and more. In the conclusion, we can assume a higher number of cases with precipitation increase over 10 mm were recorded and it considerably influences the amount of water in soil. This increase was recorded mainly in spring and autumn