ABSTRACT
@#Soil sample is one of the important evidence that can be found in crime scene. Unknown soil sample can be analysed and compared with reference sample in order to determine the origin as its physical and chemical components possess unique characteristics. The purpose of this study is to determine the physical and chemical characteristics of soil from oil palm plantations in Perak, Malaysia to assist forensic investigation. Total of 97 topsoil samples were collected from three different oil palm plantations in Perak. Particle size distribution was obtained using dry sieving technique and colour of soil sample was examined under three conditions that are dry, moist and ashed. Soil pH was measured using pH meter and percentage of composition of soil organic matter (SOM) was determined by weighing the sample before and after ignition. Result showed that the composition of particle size <0.18mm was within the range of 5.57-21.11% whereas for particle size between 0.18mm - 0.6mm was within 31.62 - 52.96% and 25.78-66.86% for particle size >0.6mm. The color mode of soil after oven dried, moistened and ashed was greyish brown (10YR 5/2), very dark greyish brown (10YR 3/2) and light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) respectively. Soil pH was in the range of 5.79 – 6.70. The percentage of SOM was between 3.29 - 20.48%. The physical and chemical characteristics of soil analysed in this study from three different locations of oil palm plantations varied and it is possible to discriminate these locations based on the analysis highlighted in this study.
ABSTRACT
Objective: American ginseng is a medicinal plant with large market demands, however, its producing areas are shrinking because of the continuous cropping obstacles in China. Therefore, it is urgent to establish a suitable model to determine the new producing areas. Here we evaluated and predicted the suitable areas of American ginseng using the maximum entropy model (MaxEnt). Methods: Based on the 37 environmental variables over thirty years from 1970 to 2000 and 226 global distribution points of American ginseng, MaxEnt was used to determine the global ecological suitable areas for American ginseng. The Receiver Operating Curve (ROC) was used to evaluate the model prediction accuracy. Meanwhile, an innovative ecological variable, the precipitation–temperature ratio, was established to indicate the climate characteristic in the American ginseng suitable areas based on the monthly precipitation and temperature. Results: The potential ecological suitable areas of American ginseng were primarily in Appalachian Mountain in America and Changbai Mountain in China, about in the range of 35°N–50°N, 60°W–120°W and 35°N–50°N, 110°E–145°E, respectively, including the United States, Canada, China, North Korea, South Korea, Russia and Japan. South Korea and Japan were the potential producing regions. The precipitation–temperature ratios were stable at (0.22, 0.56) of the vigorous growth period (April–October) in the best suitable areas of American ginseng, serving as characteristic parameters to optimize the prediction model. The model showed that the common soil parameters were pH 4.5–7.2, Base Saturation (BS) above 80%, Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) 10–20 cmol/kg, organic carbon (OC) < 1.4%, and the soil types were sandy loam or loam. Conclusion: An optimized MaxEnt model was established to predict the producing area for American ginseng that needed to be validated by a field test.
ABSTRACT
Ever since the government began providing incentives for biofuel production, physic nut has appeared to be a promising plant, due to the high oil content of the seeds. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the nutrition of physic nut seedlings and changes in the chemical attributes of soil, based on the doses of domestic and industrial sewage sludge. Two experiments were conducted in a design with casualized blocks with four replicates using samples of a "Latossolo Amarelo" that received five doses of each sludge, equivalent to 0; 100; 150; 200 and 300 kg N total ha-1. The domestic sewage sludge raised the calcium and magnesium contents in the dry mass of the aerial part and root, and nitrogen and phosphorus in the dry mass of the aerial part of physic nut seedlings, whereas the industrial sludge raised the calcium and nitrogen in the dry mass of the aerial part and root of the physic seedlings, but did not affect the phosphorus, nitrogen, magnesium and potassium contents in the dry mass of the aerial part and root. The domestic sludge did not alter the soil pH but raised the amounts of phosphorus, calcium + magnesium, cation exchange capacity, organic matter and reduced the exchangeable aluminum, while the industrial one raised the pH and the cation exchange capacity of the soil, increased the amounts of phosphorus, calcium + magnesium, and organic matter and reduced the exchangeable aluminum present in the soil. The domestic and industrial sludges may be used to produce physic nut seedlings; however is necessary studies to evaluate the presence of heavy metals or potentially pathogenic microorganisms.
Com os incentivos governamentais para produção de biocombustíveis, o pinhão-manso surgiu como uma planta promissora, devido ao alto teor de óleo nas sementes. Objetivou-se, com este estudo, avaliar a nutrição de mudas de pinhão-manso e alterações nos atributos químicos do solo, em função de doses de lodos de esgoto doméstico e industrial. Dois experimentos em um delineamento em blocos casualizados, com quatro repetições, foram conduzidos utilizando amostras de um Latossolo Amarelo que recebeu cinco doses de cada lodo, equivalentes a 0; 100; 150; 200 e 300 kg N total ha-1. O lodo de esgoto doméstico elevou os teores de cálcio e magnésio na massa seca da parte aérea e raiz e de nitrogênio e fósforo na massa seca da parte aérea das mudas de pinhão-manso, enquanto o lodo industrial elevou os teores de cálcio e nitrogênio na massa seca da parte aérea e raiz das mudas de pinhão-manso, porém não afetou os teores de fósforo, nitrogênio, magnésio e potássio na massa seca da parte aérea e raiz. O lodo doméstico não alterou o pH do solo, contudo elevou as quantidades de fósforo, cálcio + magnésio, a capacidade de troca catiônica, a matéria orgânica e reduziu o alumínio trocável, enquanto o industrial elevou o pH e a capacidade de troca catiônica do solo, aumentou as quantidades de fósforo, cálcio + magnésio e matéria orgânica e reduziu o alumínio trocável presentes no solo. Os lodos domésticos e industriais podem ser utilizados na produção de mudas de pinhão-manso, contudo é necessário estudos sobre a presença de metais pesados ou micro-organismos patogênicos.