Browsing by Author "Wang, Q."
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Item Impact of maize straw biochar and tied-ridge-furrow rainwater harvesting on soil erosion and soil quality in a semiarid region(WILEY, 2023) Obour, P.B.; Mak-Mensah, E.; Zhao, W.; Zhou, X.; Wang, Q.; Zhang, D.In dry land areas, integrating biochar soil amendment with in situ rainwater harvesting systems may decrease soil erosion, improve soil quality, and increase crop productivity and yield. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of maize straw biochar amendment and ridge-furrow rainwater harvesting systems on run-off, sediment yield and the physico-chemical properties of a Calcic Cambisol soil in semiarid areas. The experiment was conducted on alfalfa (Medicago sa tiva) production land at the Anjiagou Catchment experimental station in Gansu province, China. The experimental layout was a split-plot design with three replications. Biochar was applied at a rate of 0 and 30 tha−1, respectively. The tillage treatments were flat planting, open-ridging, and tied-ridging (TR). Overall, the integration of maize straw biochar with TR decreased soil bulk density at 0–40 cm depth. Biochar application reduced run-off by 37.8% and soil loss by 55.5% during alfalfa-growing seasons compared to the control. In general, biochar addition increased soil total potassium, but the same effect was not observed for soil pH, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and available phosphorus. These findings demonstrate the potential of integrating maize straw biochar and tillage systems to reduce soil erosion and improve soil quality for rainfed crop production in semi arid areas. Further studies on the effect of biochar-tillage system interaction are warranted to improve soil conditions for plant growth and increase crop yield in dryland areasItem Influence of plastic film mulch with biochar application on crop yield, evapotranspiration, and water use efficiency in northern China: A metaanalysis(Peerj, 2021) Mak-Mensah, E.; Obour, P.B.; Essel, E.; Wang, Q.; Ahiakpa, J.K.Background. China is the leading consumer of plastic film worldwide. Plastic film mulched ridge-furrow is one of the most widely adopted agronomic and field man- agement practices in rain-fed agriculture in dry-land areas of China. The efficiency of plastic film mulching as a viable method to decrease evapotranspiration (ET), increase crop yields, and water use efficiency (WUE), has been demonstrated extensively by earlier studies. Methods. A comprehensive evaluation of how co-application of plastic-film mulch and biochar in different agro-environments under varying climatic conditions influence ET, crop yield, WUE, and soil microbial activity were assessed. We performed a meta- analysis using the PRISMA guideline to assess the effect of plastic-film mulched ridge- furrow and biochar on ET, yield, and WUE of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), and maize (Zea mays L.) in northern China. Results. The use of plastic film increased average yields of wheat (75.7%), potato (20.2%), and maize (12.9%) in Gansu, Ningxia, Shaanxi, and Shanxi provinces, respectively due to the reduction in ET by 12.8% in Gansu, 0.5% in Ningxia, and 4.1% in Shanxi, but increased in Shaanxi by 0.5% compared to no-mulching. These changes may be attributed to the effect of plastic film mulch application which simultaneously increased WUE by 68.5% in Gansu, 23.9% in Ningxia, 16.2% in Shaanxi, and 12.8% in Shanxi, respectively. Compared to flat planting without mulching, in three years, the yield of maize increased with the co-application of plastic film and biochar by 22.86% in the Shanxi and Shaanxi regions. Conclusion. Our analysis revealed co-application of plastic film with biochar is integral for improving soil and water conservation in rain-fed agriculture and as an integrated practice to avert drought while simultaneously mitigating runoff and erosion.Item Severe dioxin-like compound (DLC) contamination in e-waste recycling areas: An under-recognized threat to local health(Environment International, 2020-04-17) Fobil, J.; Dai, Q.; Xu, X.; Eskenazi, B.; Asante, K.A.; Chen, A.; Bergman, A.; Brennan, L.; Sly, P.D.; Nnorom, I.C.; Pascale, A.; Wang, Q.; Zeng, E.Y.; Zeng, Z.; Landrigan, P.J.; Drisse, M.N-B.; Huo, X.Electrical and electronic waste (e-waste) burning and recycling activities have become one of the main emission sources of dioxin-like compounds (DLCs). Workers involved in e-waste recycling operations and residents living near e-waste recycling sites (EWRS) are exposed to high levels of DLCs. Epidemiological and experimental in vivo studies have reported a range of interconnected responses in multiple systems with DLC exposure. However, due to the compositional complexity of DLCs and difficulties in assessing mixture effects of the complex mixture of e-waste-related contaminants, there are few studies concerning human health outcomes related to DLC exposure at informal EWRS. In this paper, we have reviewed the environmental levels and body burdens of DLCs at EWRS and compared them with the levels reported to be associated with observable adverse effects to assess the health risks of DLC exposure at EWRS. In general, DLC concentrations at EWRS of many countries have been decreasing in recent years due to stricter regulations on e-waste recycling activities, but the contamination status is still severe. Comparison with available data from industrial sites and well-known highly DLC contaminated areas shows that high levels of DLCs derived from crude ewaste recycling processes lead to elevated body burdens. The DLC levels in human blood and breast milk at EWRS are higher than those reported in some epidemiological studies that are related to various health impacts. The estimated total daily intakes of DLCs for people in EWRS far exceed the WHO recommended total daily intake limit. It can be inferred that people living in EWRS with high DLC contamination have higher health risks. Therefore, more welldesigned epidemiological studies are urgently needed to focus on the health effects of DLC pollution in EWRS. Continuous monitoring of the temporal trends of DLC levels in EWRS after actions is of highest importance.Item Tropical agricultural land management influences on soil microbial communities through its effect on soil organic carbon(Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 2013-10) Sul, W.J.; Asuming-Brempong, S.; Wang, Q.; Tourlousse, D.M.; Penton, C.R.; Deng, Y.; Rodrigues, J.L.M.; Adiku, S.G.K.; Jones, J.W.; Zhou, J.; Cole, J.R.; Tiedje, J.M.We analyzed the microbial community that developed after 4 years of testing different soil-crop management systems in the savannah-forest transition zone of Eastern Ghana where management systems can rapidly alter stored soil carbon as well as soil fertility. The agricultural managements were: (i) the local practice of fallow regrowth of native elephant grass (Pennis e tum purpureum) followed by biomass burning before planting maize in the spring, (ii) the same practice but without burning and the maize receiving mineral nitrogen fertilizer, (iii) a winter crop of a legume, pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan), followed by maize, (iv) vegetation free winter period (bare fallow) followed by maize, and (v) unmanaged elephant grass-shrub vegetation. The mean soil organic carbon (SOC) contents of the soils after 4 years were: 1.29, 1.67, 1.54, 0.80 and 1.34%, respectively, differences that should affect resources for the microbial community.From about 290,000 sequences obtained by pyrosequencing the SSU rRNA gene, canonical correspondence analysis showed that SOC was the most important factor that explained differences in microbial community structure among treatments. This analysis as well as phylogenetic ecological network construction indicated that members of the Acidobacteria GP4 and GP6 were more abundant in soils with relatively high SOC whereas Acidobacteria GP1, GP7, and Actinobacteria were more prevalent in soil with lower SOC. Burning of winter fallow vegetation led to an increase in Bacillales, especially those belonging to spore-forming genera. Of the managements, pigeon-pea cultivation during the winter period promoted a higher microbial diversity and also sequestered more SOC, presumably improving soil structure, fertility, and resiliency. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.