Amelioration of cadmium contaminated soils using cation exchangers

The contamination of soil and water with cadmium (Cd) is an environmental issue worldwide. Using lettuce ( Lactuca sativa cv. 'Cos') in a glasshouse-based growth trial, two cation exchange materials [ a zeolite and a kaolin amorphous derivate (KAD)] were examined for their ability to remove Cd from the soil solution and hence decrease the uptake of Cd by plants. Zeolite ( applied at a rate of 2.5 t ha(-1)) was ineffective at reducing Cd uptake and accumulation in lettuce. When applied at a rate of 2.5 t ha(-1), the KAD significantly reduced Cd uptake in all soils examined ( ranging from a 26 to 64% reduction). Thus, KAD is considered to be potentially beneficial for the growth of plants in Cd-contaminated soils, although care must be taken to ensure that growth is not limited by deficiencies of the other nutrients for which KAD has a high affinity

Land amendment irrigation Phase III. Final Report. Santos-UQ Large core project.

Intact soil cores from the Roma (QLD) area were irrigated with coal seam water. The soil was amended with gypsum and sulfur an irrigated with up to 100 mm coal seam water per week. Changes in soil solution composition, water infiltration and drainage water composition was investigated after every 100 mm of irrigation. To minimise salt accumulation in the soil, only soils with sufficient permeability (hydraulic conductivity) were suitable for coal seam water irrigation as salt could be leached from the soil during periods of high rainfall. The presence of a vegetation cover (Rhodes grass or lucerne) was necessary for maintaining soil surface structure and infiltration. As Rhodes grass is more salt tolerant, and tolerant of waterlogging, it is a more suitable pasture species for coal seam water

Tolerance of perennial grasses to high copper in sand culture

Although perennial grasses are commonly used to revegetate and stabilise disturbed sites, comparatively little is known of their tolerance to Cu. High Cu in solution reduced growth in all grasses, with the critical solution Cu concentration (corresponding to a 50% reduction in shoot fresh mass) ranging > 5-fold, from 1.7 mu M in Queensland blue grass (Dichanthium sericeum (R. Br.) A. Camus) to 10 mu M in Sabi grass (Urochloa mosambicensis (Hack.) Dandy cv. Saraji). An increase in Cu in solution resulted in elevated Cu concentration in shoots of all but one species, increasing from 6 to 11 mu g g(-1) at 0 mu M Cu to 13 to 25 mu g g(-1) at 11 mu M Cu. The comparatively small magnitude of this increase to a concentration below the animal toxicity threshold suggests that phytotoxicity is likely to be of more environmental concern than is the uptake of Cu into the shoots (and its subsequent consumption by fauna)

Area-wide management of fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) in the Central Burnett district of Queensland, Australia.

Queensland fruit fly, Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt), is the most serious pest of the native tephritid species in Australia and a significant market access impediment for fruit commodities from any area where this species is endemic. An area-wide management (AWM) program was implemented in the Central Burnett district of Queensland with the aim of improving fruit fly control and enhancing market access opportunities for citrus and other fruits produced in the district. The primary control measures adopted in the AWM system included bait spraying of commercial and non-commercial hosts and the year-round installation of male annihilation technology (MAT) carriers in both orchards and town areas. The MAT carrier used consisted of a dental wick impregnated with 1 ml cue-lure [4-(4-acetoxyphenol)-2-butanone] and 1 ml Malathion 500 EC in a plastic cup. The application of these control measures from 2003 to 2007 resulted in overall suppression of fruit fly populations across the entire district. Male trap catches at the peak activity time were reduced by 95% and overall fruit fly infestation in untreated backyard fruit of town areas reduced from 60.8% to 21.8%. Our results demonstrate remarkable improvement in fruit fly control and economic benefit to the Central Burnett horticulture. Therefore, commercial growers are continuing the AWM program as a long-term, industry funded activity, to provide an additional layer of phytosanitary security for market access of fruit commodities from this district

Distribution of iron, zinc and manganese in milling streams of common Serbian wheat cultivars: Preliminary survey

This study investigates distribution of three micronutrients in milling streams of three common wheat cultivars to estimate nutritive value of white and brown flours. Among the analysed wheat cultivars, the majority of flour streams of NS Todorka showed a higher content of soluble micronutrients than the other two investigated wheat cultivars. It is necessary to improve bioavailability of Fe and Zn in flours since these micronutrients were mostly in insoluble form. In contrast, considering average Serbian portion sizes for bread, bread made from flour Type '110' could supply almost 75% of the recommended daily intake for Mn