Combined use of vinasse and nitrogen as fertilizers affects nitrification, ammonification and denitrification by prokaryotes

A common agricultural practice of combining organic fertilizer vinasse (a liquid residue from sugarcane ethanol production) with mineral nitrogen (N) fertilizer promotes N losses such as greenhouse gas emissions due to the effects of physicochemical changes in soil on the microbiota inhabiting this environment. In this study, we applied microarray GeoChip v.5.0M technology to obtain a better insight into the prokaryotic communities and identify and quantify the N functional gene families associated with the N processes in sugarcane soils without N fertilizer (N0), with urea at 60 kg ha−1 (N60), and with vinasse combined with urea (NV). Soil samples were collected at 7 (T7) and 150 (T150) days after N application, corresponding to maximum and minimum nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions, respectively, for molecular and physicochemical analysis. Additionally, the metagenomes of these DNA samples, previously deposited in the MG-RAST server, were accessed to investigate the functions and taxonomic groups associated with selected gene families. The results revealed that 87% of the select gene families were significantly responsive to the fertilizer combined treatment (NV) in the 7 days after the application. The most responsive genes and processes were nitrification [with the amoA gene from ammonia-oxidizing Bacteria (AOB) and Archaea (AOA) and hao from Bacteria], ammonification (with gdh and ureC genes from Bacteria and Archaea), and denitrification (with p450nor from Eukarya). The AOA, Nitrosopumilus, and AOB, Nitrosomonas, were the groups with the greatest functions associated with nitrification, as well as a pathogenic Mycobacterium, with denitrification. The results also revealed that under N fertilizers and decreased O2 in soil, the increases in K and P nutrients can promote the growth of the halophile Archaea Natronomonas and the Bacteria Anaeromyxobacter, which can reduce N2O. In conclusion, this typical agricultural fertilization management may favor functional genes and archaeal and bacterial groups associated with N processes that have the potential to reduce environmental damage in tropical sugarcane soils

Strategies to mitigate the nitrous oxide emissions from nitrogen fertilizer applied with organic fertilizers in sugarcane

Vinasse is a major byproduct of the sugarcane biofuel industry, recycled in the fields. However, there is evidence that the application of vinasse with mineral nitrogen (N) fertilizers in sugarcane enhances the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs). Therefore, strategies are needed to decrease the environmental impacts caused by both inputs. We carried out three sugarcane field experiments by applying N fertilizer (ammonium nitrate) with types of vinasses (concentrated-CV and standard-V) in different combinations (vinasses with N fertilizer and vinasses one month before or after mineral N fertilization). The gases nitrous oxide (N2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), and methane (CH4) were measured in one experiment fertilized in the beginning (fall/winter = dry season) and two experiments fertilized in the end (spring = rainy season) of the harvest season. Sugarcane fields were sinks rather than sources of CH4, while total carbon emitted as CO2 was similar between seasons and treatments. The effect of mineral fertilization and vinasses (CV and V) on N2O emissions was highly dependent on soil moisture (rain events). The N2O-N fertilizer emission factor (EF) varied from 0.07% to 0.51%, whereas the average EF of V and CV were 0.66% and 0.34%, respectively. On average across the three experiments, the combination of vinasse (CV or V) with N fertilizer increased the N2O emissions 2.9-fold compared to that of N fertilizer alone. For CV + N, the EF was 0.94% of the applied N and 0.23% of the ammonium nitrate-N, and for V + N (EF = 0.47%), increased emissions were observed in two out of three experiments. The strategy of anticipating or postponing vinasse application by one month with respect to mineral N reduced the N2O emissions by 51% for CV, but not for V. Therefore, to avoid boosting N2O emissions, we suggest applying vinasses (CV and V) before or after mineral N fertilization

Measurement of anti-p p pi+pi- and anti-p p->K+K- annihilation frequencies in a 5mb hydrogen gas target

We report the first measurement of the K +K-, 7r + 7r- frequencies for ~ annihilations at rest in a gaseous H 2 target at low pressure (5 mbar). We have obtained: f~= (4.26+0.11 ) × 10 -3, fKK = (0.46+0.03) × 10 -3. The ratio R=fKK/f~, has also been measured at a pressure of 2 mbar. Comparison with previous measurements shows that fKK decreases monotonically with the target density but its value at 5 mbar is still higher than the value with L X-rays in coincidence. Antiproton-proton annihilations at rest occur from the 1So spin singlet and 3S1 spin triplet S-wave initial states with principal quantum number n >~ 1 and from the lp~ spin singlet and 3P o, 3P 1 and 3P 2 spin triplet

Brazilian Flora 2020: Leveraging the power of a collaborative scientific network

International audienceThe shortage of reliable primary taxonomic data limits the description of biological taxa and the understanding of biodiversity patterns and processes, complicating biogeographical, ecological, and evolutionary studies. This deficit creates a significant taxonomic impediment to biodiversity research and conservation planning. The taxonomic impediment and the biodiversity crisis are widely recognized, highlighting the urgent need for reliable taxonomic data. Over the past decade, numerous countries worldwide have devoted considerable effort to Target 1 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC), which called for the preparation of a working list of all known plant species by 2010 and an online world Flora by 2020. Brazil is a megadiverse country, home to more of the world's known plant species than any other country. Despite that, Flora Brasiliensis, concluded in 1906, was the last comprehensive treatment of the Brazilian flora. The lack of accurate estimates of the number of species of algae, fungi, and plants occurring in Brazil contributes to the prevailing taxonomic impediment and delays progress towards the GSPC targets. Over the past 12 years, a legion of taxonomists motivated to meet Target 1 of the GSPC, worked together to gather and integrate knowledge on the algal, plant, and fungal diversity of Brazil. Overall, a team of about 980 taxonomists joined efforts in a highly collaborative project that used cybertaxonomy to prepare an updated Flora of Brazil, showing the power of scientific collaboration to reach ambitious goals. This paper presents an overview of the Brazilian Flora 2020 and provides taxonomic and spatial updates on the algae, fungi, and plants found in one of the world's most biodiverse countries. We further identify collection gaps and summarize future goals that extend beyond 2020. Our results show that Brazil is home to 46,975 native species of algae, fungi, and plants, of which 19,669 are endemic to the country. The data compiled to date suggests that the Atlantic Rainforest might be the most diverse Brazilian domain for all plant groups except gymnosperms, which are most diverse in the Amazon. However, scientific knowledge of Brazilian diversity is still unequally distributed, with the Atlantic Rainforest and the Cerrado being the most intensively sampled and studied biomes in the country. In times of “scientific reductionism”, with botanical and mycological sciences suffering pervasive depreciation in recent decades, the first online Flora of Brazil 2020 significantly enhanced the quality and quantity of taxonomic data available for algae, fungi, and plants from Brazil. This project also made all the information freely available online, providing a firm foundation for future research and for the management, conservation, and sustainable use of the Brazilian funga and flora