40K, 226Ra AND 228Ra SERIES IN BOVINE AND POULTRY FEED AND IN DICALCIUM PHOSPHATE (DCP) SAMPLES BY GAMMA-RAY SPECTROMETRY

The aim of this study is to determine the amounts of radionuclides' activity present in samples of feed for young and adult chicken and feed for dairy and beef cattle, as well as in dicalcium phosphate (DCP) (CaHPO4), used as a nutritional supplement for animal feed. Radioactivity in these samples is due to the presence of the 238U and 232Th radioactive series, as well as their daughter. In addition, as it is for environmental samples, the activity of 40K should be an important source of radioactivity in all analyzed samples. Gamma rays were measured using a standard spectroscopy system, with a high-resolution HPGe detector. Measured activities in feed samples ranged from 0.23 to 1.51 Bq.kg-1, 0.67 to 4.21 Bq.kg-1, 0.29 to 1.63 Bq.kg-1 and 236 to 402 Bq.kg-1 for 226Ra, 228 Ra, 228 Th and 40K, respectively. Measured activities in DCP samples were 46.6 Bq.kg-1, 83 Bq.kg-1, 4.20 Bq.kg-1 and 16.61 Bq.kg-1 for 40 K, 226 Ra, 228 Ra and 228 Th, respectively. Although 40K activity has reached hundreds of Becquerel in feed samples, it should not represent a risk to human health, not even to animals, since potassium is an essential mineral to living organisms.

Capim-piatã adubado com fontes de fósforo de diferente solubilidade em água / Piata palisadegrass fertilized with different sources of phosphorus for solubility in water

The development of piatã grass fertilized with phosphorus sources with different solubilities in water was evaluated. The experiment was developed in the unit of Aquidauana of UEMS, MS, from February to August, 2012. Four treatments were evaluated: control (without phosphorus fertilization), slow solubility, fast solubility (readily available), and mixed solubility sources of phosphorus (FH Pasture(r)). It was adopted a randomized blocks design with four blocks and four replicates in a total of 16 pastures (0.5 ha each one). Measurements were performed weekly to evaluate structural characteristics and morphogenic variables of the plants. Data were submitted to a variance analysis according to the model. When necessary, the means of treatments with different phosphorus fertilizer sources were compared with the control using the Dunnett test and with other treatments by using student's t test. The significance level of 5% was adopted in all analysis. No significant effect was observed (P 0.05) in the evaluated traits in the first year of the experiment.

Phosphate-Solubilizing Bacteria in the Rhizosphere of Some Cultivated Legumes from Meknes Region, Morocco.

Aims: Through the National Botanical Research Institute's phosphate growth medium (NBRIP) and 16S rDNA sequence analysis were used to isolate and identify the bacterial groups that actively solubilized phosphates in vitro from rhizosphere soil for three cultvited leguminous in agricultural soils from Meknes region. Study Design: Rhizosphere soil samples for three cultivated legumes in different sites from Meknes region were collected for the study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of biology (Soil & Environment Microbiology Unit) Faculty of Sciences, Moulay Ismail University, Meknes, Morocco; between January and July 2014. Methodology: Out of several hundred colonies that grew on NBRIP medium eight best isolates were selected based on the solubilization of insoluble phosphates in solid medium with solubilizing index (SI) and Phosphate concentration solubilized in liquid medium; The bacterial isolates were identified based on their phenotypic and 16S rDNA genes sequencing. Results: P solubilization index of these isolates ranged from 2.51 to 6. Drop in pH of the medium ranged from 6.8 to 3.2 with the continuous growth of these isolates for seven days. P-solubilized ranged from 50.95 to 113.11 mg L-1. They were clustered under the genera Enterobacter, Pantoea, Rhizobium, Klebsiella, Rahnella, Bacillus and Burkholderia. Conclusion: This research extends the knowledge on Phosphate solubilizing bacteria in the rhizosphere of some cultivated legumes from Meknes region and development of environmentally friendly bio-Phosphate fertilizers.

Disponibilidade de fósforo em dois latossolos argilosos e seu acúmulo em plantas de soja, em função do aumento do pH / Phosphorus availability in two clayey oxisols and its accumulation in soybean as a function of the increase in pH

O melhor aproveitamento do P, tanto o aplicado no cultivo quanto o residual do solo, em razão do uso de calcário em solos argilosos cultivados e adubados por muitos anos, pode ser viável. Objetivando avaliar o efeito do aumento do pH do solo e da aplicação de adubo fosfatado e calcário na semeadura sobre a disponibilidade de P e o seu acúmulo em plantas de soja, realizaram-se dois experimentos em Latossolo Vermelho Distrófico-LVD e Latossolo Vermelho Distroférrico-LVDf, argilosos, com elevados níveis de fertilidade. O delineamento experimental foi blocos casualizados, num fatorial 4x2x2: quatro níveis de pH, duas doses de P e duas de calcário, com quatro repetições. Cultivaram-se plantas de soja em vaso até a floração. Avaliaram-se o peso da massa seca, teor e acúmulo de P na parte aérea; teor de P e P remanescente no solo. A disponibilidade de P nos solos aumentou com a elevação do pH. Para o LVdf, houve interação entre pH e doses de P, os teores de P no solo aumentaram com o pH e com a aplicação de P. Para o LVD, houve interação entre pH e doses de calcário. O P remanescente foi reduzido pelo aumento do pH em ambos os solos. Nos dois experimentos, com o aumento do pH do solo houve incremento na produção de massa seca e de P acumulado. Em solos argilosos e com alto teor de P, a elevação do pH aumenta a disponibilidade de P, proporcionando maior produção de massa seca de soja.

The best P employment, both applied in the culture as the P soil residual, is possible, due limestone use in clayey soils cultivated and fertilized for many years. Aiming at evaluating the pH increase in the soil and the effect of the application of phosphated fertilizer and lime on the sowing on the P availability and its accumulation in soybean plants, two experiments in oxisols, Haplortox (one LVD and the other LVDf), with high fertility levels, were carried out. The experimental design was random blocks, in a 4x2x2 factorial, being four pH levels, two P doses and two limestone doses, with four repetitions. Soybean plants were cultivated in vases up to flowering. The dry mass weight, P contents and accumulation in the area, P content and P remaining in the soil, were evaluated. P availability in soils increased with pH elevation. For the LVDf, there was an interaction between the pH and the P doses, the P contents in the soil increased with the pH and with the P application. For the LVD, there was an interaction between the pH and the doses of lime applied. The P remaining was reduced by the pH increase in both soils. In both experiments, with the pH increase in the soil, there was an increment in the dry mass production and P accumulated. In clayey soils with a high P content, the pH elevation increases the P availability, providing greater soybean dry mass production.

Eficiência agronômica de superfosfato triplo e fosfato natural de Arad em cultivos sucessivos de soja e milho / Agronomic efficiency of triple superphosphate and Arad rock phosphate on crop rotation of soybean and corn

Conduziu-se este estudo, com o objetivo de avaliar os efeitos de doses de adubos fosfatados sobre a cultura da soja e do milho, em cultivos sucessivos. O experimento foi realizado em casa de vegetação da UFGD, em vasos contendo amostras de 5,5 dm³ de um Latossolo Vermelho Distroférrico argiloso, sendo utilizado como fontes de fósforo (P) o superfosfato triplo (SFT) e o fosfato natural de Arad (FNA). O FNA foi utilizado sob duas formas. Em uma, considerou-se o P total (Arad T) e, em outra, apenas a fração de P solúvel em ácido cítrico a 2% (Arad SA), resultando em três fatores de estudo, cada um em seis níveis de P (0, 56, 112, 224, 336 e 560), expressos em mg dm-3. A soja foi semeada em dezembro de 2006 e ao final do ciclo, efetuou-se a colheita, avaliando-se a produtividade de grãos, teores de P na folha e no solo. Após o cultivo da soja, semeou-se o milho, cuja colheita das plantas ocorreu aos 76 dias após a semeadura, sendo avaliados a produção de massa seca da parte aérea e teores de P na folha. O índice de eficiência agronômica foi calculado para ambas as culturas. Conclui-se que, para o primeiro cultivo (soja), o SFT apresentou um melhor desempenho no que se refere à produtividade de grãos, quando comparado ao FNA. No cultivo do milho em sucessão a soja, o FNA tendeu a equiparar-se ao SFT nos atributos avaliados.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of phosphate fertilizer rates on soybean and corn crops, in crop rotation. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse at the Grande Dourados University, in pots with samples of 5.5 dm³ clayey Dystropherric Red Latosol, where the triple superphosphate (TSP) and the Arad rock phosphate (ARP) were used as P source. Two kinds of ARP were used. In one, the total P (Arad T) was considered while in the other, only the P soluble fraction in citric acid at the concentration of 2% (Arad SA) was considered, resulting in three factors of study, each with six levels of P (0, 56, 112, 224, 336, and 560 mg dm-3). The soybean was sowed in December 2006 and in the end of the cycle, the crop was harvested and evaluated for grain yield, P concentration in leaves and in the soil. After the soybean crop, it was turn for the corn sowing, which harvest occurred 76 days after sowing. The shoot dry matter and P concentrations in leaves were evaluated. The Index of Agronomic Efficiency was calculated for both crops. We concluded that the TSP caused a better soybean grain yield, when compared to the ARP. In the corn crop succeeding the soybean crop, the ARP tended to be similar to the TSP values in the attributes evaluated.

Mineral composition and dry mass production of the corn plants in response to phosphorus sources and aluminum concentration

The corn plants were evaluated with different phosphate fertilizer sources and aluminum (Al) concentrations in a sandy substrate. A totally randomized experiment design was set up with two corn plants in the pots containing 2 kg of a sandy substrate, two phosphate sources (Triple Super Phosphate - TSP or Arad Phosphate - AP) and four Al concentrations. When Al concentrations increased, pH (CaCl2) substrate values decreased. There was an increase in the calcium and phosphorus contents in the sandy substrates that received the TSP and AP sources. The calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium concentrations of the corn plant's shoot were higher in the TSP than without P and AP sources. When the Al concentration increased, the concentration values of the former elements decreased. The dry mass production of the corn plants responded positively to P sources. As the Al concentration increased, the dry mass values decreased significantly in the TSP source.

Foram avaliadas plantas de milho submetidas a diferentes fontes de fertilizantes fosfatados e diferentes concentrações de alumínio em um substrato de areia. O experimento foi conduzido com duas plantas por vaso contendo 2 kg de areia, duas fontes de fósforo (Fosfato Supertriplo -TSP ou Fosfato de Arad -AP) e quatro concentrações de Al. Com o aumento das concentrações de Al houve diminuição dos valores de pH (CaCl2) do substrato. Os valores de cálcio e fósforo aumentaram no substrato nos tratamentos com TSP e AP. As concentrações de cálcio, magnésio, fósforo e de potássio das plantas de milho foram maiores em TSP do que nos tratamentos sem P ou com AP. Como o aumento da concentração de Al observou-se redução na concentração de cálcio, magnésio, fósforo e de potássio nas plantas. A produção de massa seca da parte aérea respondeu positivamente com as fontes de P. Com o aumentou da concentração de Al os valores de massa seca diminuíram significativamente com TSP.