Evaluation of Jatropha curcas Genotypes for Rehabilitation of Degraded Sodic Lands

Abstract

Jatropha (Jatropha curcas L.) is recently introduced in several states as a source of biomass and bioenergy in India. It can withstand and survive on a wide range of soils. However, information related to identification of a genotype tolerant to certain levels of sodicity is lacking. Five Jatropha genotypes (BTP 1-K, BTP 1-N, BTP 1-A, GCC-1, and TNM-5) collected from different ecological regions of the country were screened and evaluated for three years (2007)(2008)(2009)(2010) at Lucknow, India, in sodic soils having four (20, 40, 60, and 80) exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) levels. A large variation in plant growth, seed yield, and oil content was observed among genotypes owing to sodicity levels. Plant mortality of all the genotypes increased significantly beyond ESP of 40. Among the genotypes screened, BTP 1-A recorded the maximum plant height (240 cm), girth (34·0 cm), biomass yield (14·00 ± 1·43 kg plant À1 ), and number of fruits per plant (14·8) up to ESP 40. The highest seed oil content was found in BTP 1-K and BTP 1-N followed by BTP 1A and the minimum in TMN-5 and GCC-1. Soil amelioration in terms of soil pH, ESP, organic carbon, and microbial biomass was higher under genotype BTP 1-A than BTP 1-K, GCC-1, and TNM-5. Genotype BTP 1-A was found to be suitable for producing more biomass and bioenergy and rehabilitation of degraded lands.

Preventing thermal degradation of PVC insulation by mixtures of cross‐linking agents and antioxidants

“…This is due to the formation of double bonds in the PVC. Thermal degradation of PVC occurs with the elimination of hydrogen atoms and chlorine atoms on carbon atoms—generating HCl molecules and double bonds . HCl molecules are extracted from the formation, and the length of the double bonds can be correlated to the color of the samples…”

Interaction Between Plant Roots and Soil Water Flow in Response to Preferential Flow Paths in Northern China

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“…Moreover, as a prevailing phenomenon in soil hydrological processes, preferential flow can promote water flow and solute transportation with little resistance (Bogner et al, ). This phenomenon is critical to understanding the biogeocenotic and global ecological functions of soil, such as the loss of soil fertility and nutrients, the intense erodibility of topsoil, the low activity of soil microorganisms stemming from the intense use of fertilizers and pesticides, and the formation of chemical compositions in groundwater (Brevik et al, ; Singh et al, ). Therefore, understanding the land degradation response to preferential flow is essential (Cerdà, ).…”

Vineyard Compost Supplemented with Trichoderma Harzianum T78 Improve Saline Soil Quality

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