Antihistamines are a group of pharmaceuticals that enter the environment and may affect microorganisms that regulate decomposing of organic matter and the release of carbon and nitrogen from soils. In this study I investigated if the antihistamine fexofenadine decreases the concentration of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) from humus. I used humus from two vegetation types (heath and meadow), and used a batch experiment approach, where humus was mixed with fexofenadine solutions (2000 ng/L and 20 000 ng/L). After ten days in room temperature, the samples with fexofenadine were compared with batches containing pure water solutions (control). I found differences in the concentration of DOC, DON and pH that were dependent on the studied vegetation types. There were higher concentrations of DOC and DON in heath (35.9 mg/L and 2.0 mg/L) than in the more nutrient rich meadow (9.2 mg/L and 0.5 mg/L). The latter vegetation type did also have a higher pH. In contrast to my hypothesis, the concentration of DOC and DON was not significantly affected by the fexofenadine. However, if considering a 90%-level of significance, there were a significant interaction effect where concentration of DOC decreased in meadow and increased it in heath. A possible vegetation specific effect of fexofenadin seems plausible as microbial biomass and activity in the vegetation types are known to differ. My findings cannot exclude that fexofenadine stimulates degradation of DOC in the more microbial active meadow humus, but not in the humus of heath where activities are lower.

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the organic N in silty clay loam soil as an indicator of soil fertility. The incubation method was used in this study. The N03 -N, the total N percent, and the organic matter were determined. The soil which was used in this study came from Evans Research Farm. The samples were taken from two different N experiments which were adjacent to each other. The soil samples were taken in October-November, 1973, after the crop had been harvested. These two experiments had different cropping histories. The results of the first experiment which had continuous corn for four years indicated that there was no correlation between the mineralizable-N and the crop performance, but there was a good correlation between the No3 -N and crop yield. The results of the second experiment which had alfalfa for three years prior to corn indicated that there was a good correlation between N03-N and the crop performance and also there was a correlation between mineralizable-N and crop performance. It was concluded that cropping history could be used as a guideline as to whether mineralizable-N should be tested as an indication of soil N availability. In situations where the cropping history is unknown, N03-N could be used exclusively since it was a good fertility predictor in both of these field experiments.

Antihistamines are a group of pharmaceuticals that enter the environment and may affect microorganisms that regulate decomposing of organic matter and the release of carbon and nitrogen from soils. In this study I investigated if the antihistamine fexofenadine decreases the concentration of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) from humus. I used humus from two vegetation types (heath and meadow), and used a batch experiment approach, where humus was mixed with fexofenadine solutions (2000 ng/L and 20 000 ng/L). After ten days in room temperature, the samples with fexofenadine were compared with batches containing pure water solutions (control). I found differences in the concentration of DOC, DON and pH that were dependent on the studied vegetation types. There were higher concentrations of DOC and DON in heath (35.9 mg/L and 2.0 mg/L) than in the more nutrient rich meadow (9.2 mg/L and 0.5 mg/L). The latter vegetation type did also have a higher pH. In contrast to my hypothesis, the concentration of DOC and DON was not significantly affected by the fexofenadine. However, if considering a 90%-level of significance, there were a significant interaction effect where concentration of DOC decreased in meadow and increased it in heath. A possible vegetation specific effect of fexofenadin seems plausible as microbial biomass and activity in the vegetation types are known to differ. My findings cannot exclude that fexofenadine stimulates degradation of DOC in the more microbial active meadow humus, but not in the humus of heath where activities are lower.

This study is aimed to provide comprehensive evaluation and mechanistic understanding of the impact of process intensification techniques applied in main and side stream wastewater treatment on biosolids management in terms of anaerobic digestion enhancement, dewaterability improvement, odor mitigation, as well as phosphorus and nitrogen removal. The first part of this study was conducted to understand the effect of anaerobic digester solids retention time (SRT) on odor emission from biosolids. A kinetic model and inhibitory studies showed the emission of methanethiol (MT), a representative odor compound, was primarily determined by the dynamic concurrence of MT production from amino acid and utilization by methanogens in the course of anaerobic digestion. MT emission pattern follows a bell-shape curve with SRT in anaerobic digesters. However, for digested and dewatered biosolids, SRT ranging from 15 to 50 days in anaerobic digesters demonstrated insignificant effect on the odor emission from biosolids. In contrast, the peak odor emission was found to exponentially increase with both shear intensity and polymer dose applied during dewatering. The second part of this study investigated the impact of process intensification practices on sludge dewatering performance. The integration of high-rate activated sludge process and anaerobic digestion elevated the sludge orthophosphate level, leading to struvite scaling and dewaterability deterioration. Superior orthophosphate removal, significant improvement of sludge dewaterability, and favorable economics were achieved through sludge conditioning by cerium chloride. Continuous flow aerobic granulation technology offered significant process intensification of mainstream treatment trains. However, its impact on biosolids management was not studied. This study showed that there was little dewaterability difference between aerobic granular sludge and activated sludge when polymer was not added. However, about 75% polymer saving and improved dewatering performance were observed with polymer addition. When subjected to high shear, a greater dewaterability deterioration was observed for granular sludge than activated sludge. The last part of this study is focused on the impact of anaerobic digestion process intensification through thermal treatment including pre-pasteurization, thermophilic anaerobic digestion, temperature phased anaerobic digestion, and thermal hydrolysis pretreatment. Improved methane production, pathogen reduction, dewatering performance, and odor mitigation were observed with the involvement of these high-temperature processes. However, special cautions and measure should be taken during the start-up of these high rate processes as they are more liable to digester souring. In addition, the in-depth understanding of the mechanism of recalcitrant dissolved organic nitrogen formation during sludge thermal pretreatment was provided. / Doctor of Philosophy / This study is aimed to provide comprehensive evaluation and mechanistic understanding of the impact of process intensification techniques applied in main and side stream wastewater treatment on biosolids management in terms of anaerobic digestion enhancement, dewaterability improvement, odor mitigation, as well as phosphorus and nitrogen removal. The first part of this study was conducted to understand the effect of anaerobic digester solids retention time (SRT) on odor emission from biosolids. A kinetic model and inhibitory studies showed the emission of methanethiol (MT), a representative odor compound, was primarily determined by the dynamic concurrence of MT production from amino acid and utilization by methanogens in the course of anaerobic digestion. MT emission pattern follows a bell-shape curve with SRT in anaerobic digesters. However, for digested and dewatered biosolids, SRT ranging from 15 to 50 days in anaerobic digesters demonstrated insignificant effect on the odor emission from biosolids. In contrast, the peak odor emission was found to exponentially increase with both shear intensity and polymer dose applied during dewatering. The second part of this study investigated the impact of process intensification practices on sludge dewatering performance. The integration of high-rate activated sludge process and anaerobic digestion elevated the sludge orthophosphate level, leading to struvite scaling and dewaterability deterioration. Superior orthophosphate removal, significant improvement of sludge dewaterability, and favorable economics were achieved through sludge conditioning by cerium chloride. Continuous flow aerobic granulation technology offered significant process intensification of mainstream treatment trains. However, its impact on biosolids management was not studied. This study showed that there was little dewaterability difference between aerobic granular sludge and activated sludge when polymer was not added. However, about 75% polymer saving and improved dewatering performance were observed with polymer addition. When subjected to high shear, a greater dewaterability deterioration was observed for granular sludge than activated sludge. The last part of this study is focused on the impact of anaerobic digestion process intensification through thermal treatment including pre-pasteurization, thermophilic anaerobic digestion, temperature phased anaerobic digestion, and thermal hydrolysis pretreatment. Improved methane production, pathogen reduction, dewatering performance, and odor mitigation were observed with the involvement of these high-temperature processes. However, special cautions and measure should be taken during the start-up of these high rate processes as they are more liable to digester souring. In addition, the in-depth understanding of the mechanism of recalcitrant dissolved organic nitrogen formation during sludge thermal pretreatment was provided.

Submitted by Claudinei Pracidelli (cpracide@ipen.br) on 2016-04-08T12:32:34Z No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-08T12:32:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Dissertação (Mestrado em Tecnologia Nuclear) / IPEN/D / Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares - IPEN-CNEN/SP

Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-26T13:53:24Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 texto completo.pdf: 856512 bytes, checksum: 70874d4538e5ec458c06e19fe5160a9c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-02-19 / The Leguminosae plant family emcompasses plant species that are of great importance in agriculture owned to their capacity of fixing atmospheric nitrogen. Leguminous, as they are ordinarily known, have been commonly used as green manures, in consorciation either with grasses or annual or perennial crops, being key in the cycling of nutrients and adding organic matter to the soil. Provided these plants are able to fix large amounts of N and the later makes up a substantial portion of a crop fertilization budget, these plants can be used to partially or fully supply plants N demand. Relatively high amounts of N are required to sustain plant growth as it is one of the main plant constituents upon its presence in structural compounds, besides acting in a multitude of metabolic processes in plants. Around 95% of the soil N content is found in organic forms under different degrees of stability, thus having limited availability to plants. The extent to which N stability depends upon largely relies on the N reactions with lignin, on its adsorption with clay minerals, on the formation of polivalent complexes with cations as well as on the physical protection entailed by variations in soil pores sizes. The formation of more stable organic compounds in soils have been attributed to the N involvement in the humification process. Arachis pintoi, a leguminous species of the Caulorrhizae branch, has shown great potential for consorciation with grassy pasture and perennial cultures. It forms highly productive pastures, owns good nutritional value, combines with other grasses, is strongly perennial, drought resistant, forms dense mats, therefore with outstanding capacity to covering the ground. The CENARGEN/EMBRAPA gathers over 150 ecotipes of the Leguminosae family. Since 2004, 28 of this leguminous ecotipes out of the 150 held by CENARGEN/EMBRAPA have been evaluated for their adaptation to the edafo-climatic conditions of the Zona da Mata region of Minas Gerais state. The objective of this study was (i) to evaluate the partitioning of soil N into its mineral and organic forms and (ii) the changes in some representative pools of the soil organic matter (SOM) as by the recalcitrance of the SOM products formed upon the cultivation of pinto peanut over two cropping years. The experiment was set up in February of 2004 in an experimental station of the Federal University of Viçosa, in Coimbra, Minas Gerais state, Brazil, in a randomized block design with three replicates. The plots were 2.5 m wide and 4.0 m lenght. Phosphate fertilizer was applied at a 50 kg ha-1 rate as P2O5 followed by planting of pinto peanuts seedlings with 0.5 m spacing between rows. In November of 2006, soil samples were collected at the 0 to 5, 5 to 10, 10 to 20 and 20 to 30 cm depth. Additionally, soil samples from an adjacent unoccupied pasture were collected for reference purposes and, together, they were appropriately handled to serve routine analisys purposes. In the present study, it was choosen to use 11 ecotipes so that 4 ecotipes were rated as of high, 4 as of medium and 3 as of low yield. In the determination of total C (C) and K2Cr2O7 oxidizable C (Cox) and N (Nox) + H2SO4 in the concentrations of 0.1, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 3.0, 6.0, 9.0 mol L-1 it was utilized soil samples grounded to pass through a 0.2 mm screen sieve. In order to quantify the organic forms of N, soil subsamples of smaller granulometry, 0.149 mm, were employed. The 13C (δ13C) natural abundance of the plant and soil materials was determined to assess the contribution of the leguminous in the SOM. Nitrogen availability was evaluated via the N taken up by 130 proso millet (Panicum milaceum L.) plants grown in 100 g of soil, under greenhouse conditions and with three successive growth cycles of 21 days. Qualitative and quantitative changes in the SOM were observed upon the cultivation of the leguminous. About 3 and 4 % of the C in the SOM of the 10 to 30 cm soil layer derived from the ecotipes of A. pintoi. The leguminous ecotipes favored the increase of the N associated to more labile organic compounds pool. There were no significant changes in the organic N fractions distribution obtained through acid hydrolisys. / As leguminosas têm grande importância para os sistemas agrícolas devido à capacidade de fixação biológica de nitrogênio (FBN). São utilizadas como adubo verde, em consorciação com pastagens e com cultivos anuais ou perenes, onde contribuem para cobertura do solo. O N é exigido em grandes quantidades pelas plantas por ser constituinte de vários compostos estruturais e atuar em diversos processos metabólicos nas plantas. No solo cerca de 95 % do N encontra-se em forma orgânica com diferente grau de estabilidade, o que nem sempre possibilita uma adequada disponibilidade para as plantas. A maior estabilidade dos compostos orgânicos nitrogenados deve-se a reação da lignina com moléculas protéicas, a adsorção a minerais de argila, a formação de complexos com cátions polivalentes e a proteção física devido a poros do solo com diferentes tamanhos. Estudos têm demonstrado que o N desempenha um papel importante na formação de compostos orgânicos mais estáveis no solo (humificação). O Arachis pintoi e A. repens são leguminosas da seção Caulorrhizae com potencial para consorciação com gramíneas forrageiras e culturas perenes. Estas leguminosas são de alta produtividade, bom valor nutritivo, compatibilidade com gramíneas, persistência, grande capacidade de cobertura do solo. O CENARGEN/EMBRAPA reúne mais de 150 ecótipos desta espécie. Vinte oito destes ecótipos estão sendo avaliados desde 2004, quanto à adaptação às condições edafo-climáticas da zona da Mata de Minas Gerais. Utilizando-se amostras de solo desta área experimental avaliou-se o efeito de ecótipos A. pintoi de alta, média e baixa produtividade sobre a estabilidade da matéria orgânica do solo e na distribuição das formas orgânicas do N. O experimento para avaliar a adaptação edafo-climática dos 28 ecótipos de Arachis foi implantado na Fazenda Experimental de Coimbra, do DFT em fevereiro de 2004. As unidades experimentais foram parcelas de 2,5 x 4 m dispostas em um delineamento de blocos casualizados com três repetições. O plantio foi feito com mudas espaçadas de 50 cm, adubadas com 50 kg ha-1 P2O5 aplicados na cova. Em novembro de 2006 foram coletadas amostras de solo nas profundides de 0-5, 5-10, 10-20 e 20-30. Nas parcelas cultivadas com Arachis e em área próxima ao experimento (solo controle). Para este estudo foram utilizadas amostras das parcelas de 11 ecótipos, sendo quatro com alta, quatro com média e três com baixa produtividade. Foram utilizadas subamostras com granulometria menor que 0,149 mm para determinação das frações orgânicas de N. Em subamostras com granulometria inferior a 0,2 mm foram determinados o C orgânico total, o C e N oxidado (Nox) com K2Cr2O7 em solução com 0,1; 0,5; 1; 1,5; 3,0; 6,0 e 9,0 mol L-1 de H2SO4. Determinou-se a abundância natural de 13C (δ13C) no material vegetal dos 11 ecótipos e no solo. A disponiblidade do N foi avaliada por meio do N absorvido por 130 plantas de painço (Panicum milaceum L.) cultivadas em 100 g de solo, em casa de vegetação, em três ciclos sucessivos de 21 dias de crescimento. De maneira geral, o cultivo com a leguminosa promoveram alterações na MOS. Após dois anos de cultivo com as leguminosas ocorreu aumento nos teores de matéria orgânica e Ntotal do solo, sobretudo nas camadas subsuperficiais (10 a 30 cm). Com base na variação do δ13C nesta camada, cerca de 3 a 4 % do C na MOS são provenientes dos ecótipos de A. pintoi. Não ocorreram alterações significativas na distribuição das diferentes frações de N orgânico obtidas por hidrólise ácida. Houve aumento nos teores de N associado a compostos orgânicos mais lábeis.

Submitted by Claudinei Pracidelli (cpracide@ipen.br) on 2016-04-08T12:32:34Z No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-08T12:32:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / A casca da castanha de caju (CCC), um resíduo agrícola da produção de castanha, proveniente da região nordeste do Brasil foi caracterizada e submetida ao processo de pirólise lenta. As propriedades do bio-carrvão, do bio-óleo e dos gases produzidos foram investigados e potenciais aplicações foram propostas. A CCC foi caracterizada pela seguintes técnicas: análise elementar CHNS, umidade total, conteúdo de cinzas, matérias voláteis, poder calorífico superior e por análise termogravimétrica. A análise termogravimétrica sob fluxo de nitrogênio mostrou que a decomposição é dominada pela degradação da hemicelulose e celulose na faixa de 250 a 350oC e pela decomposição da lignina na faixa de 400 a 500oC. Na presença de ar, o perfil de degradação é semelhante, porém observa-se uma maior degradação da lignina. A pirólise lenta da casca da castanha de caju foi realizada em um reator tipo batelada aquecido por chama ar-GLP sob diferentes fluxos (mL min-1) de nitrogênio ou ar. O sólido obtido (bio-carvão), líquido (fase aquosa + bio-óleo) e a fase gás foram quantificados e caracterizados por diferentes técnicas. Os experimentos realizados sob fluxo de nitrogênio apresentaram um rendimento de cerca de 30, 40 e 30% em massa paras as fases sólido, líquida e gás, respectivamente. Sob fluxo de ar ocorreu uma diminuição no rendimento da fase líquida, principalmente na produção de bio-óleo, e um aumento da fase gás. Os bio-carvões produzidos apresentaram elevados teores de carbono, na faixa de 70-75% em massa, poder calorífico na faixa de 25 a 28 MJ kg-1, características de carbono amorfo, sem morfologias definidas e ausência de poros. Os espectros FTIR de bio-óleos produzidos sob fluxo de nitrogênio apresentaram um aumento da intensidade relativa das bandas cerca de 1700 cm-1 (ν C=O) e 1230 cm-1 (ν C-O) em comparação com os produzidos sob fluxo de ar, o que sugere a presença de grandes quantidades de compostos oxigenados de carbono, como aldeídos, cetonas e ácidos carboxílicos. As análises das fases gás mostraram a predominância de CO2 e CO a temperaturas inferiores a 400ºC e a formação preferencial de H2 acima desta temperatura. / Dissertação (Mestrado em Tecnologia Nuclear) / IPEN/D / Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares - IPEN-CNEN/SP

A disponibilidade de nitrogênio no solo e o fornecimento de doses de potássio podem alterar a nutrição do capim-marandu, com reflexos diretos na morfologia, atividade de enzimas e acúmulo de poliaminas nas plantas. Objetivou-se: i) identificar a forma de nitrogênio e a dose de potássio que promovem a maximização dos atributos morfológicos da parte aérea e das raízes e, consequentemente, a produção de forragem do capim-marandu (Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu); ii) avaliar as concentrações de nitrogênio, nitrato, amônio, potássio, prolina, poliaminas e clorofila, além do valor SPAD e da redutase do nitrato nas folhas diagnósticas, em função da adubação de formas de nitrogênio com doses de potássio e iii) quantificar as transformações do nitrogênio do solo, em função da aplicação de formas de nitrogênio e adição de material vegetal de capim-marandu. Os experimentos foram realizados em duas etapas: a) em casa de vegetação onde as plantas de capim-marandu foram cultivadas em solo classificado como Neossolo Quartzarênico. Quatro formas de nitrogênio (nitrato, amônio, 70%nitrato+30%amônio e amídica) mais controle e quatro doses de potássio (0, 150; 300 e 450 mg dm-3) foram combinados em um fatorial completo 5x4. As unidades experimentais consistiram em 80 vasos e o delineamento experimental foi o de blocos inteiramente casualizados, com quatro repetições; b) em laboratório, seis combinações envolvendo formas de nitrogênio (nitrato e amônio enriquecidos com 15N e controle) e presença/ausência de material vegetal de capim-marandu foram avaliados em incubação aeróbica. Cada combinação foi repetida três vezes e todos foram incubados por oito períodos de avaliação (0, 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 16 e 20 semanas) com o Neossolo Quartzarênico, em delineamento completamente causalizado. Os resultados demonstraram que o fornecimento de nitrogênio associado ao de potássio foi fundamental para elevar a produção de forragem e das raízes e a concentração desses elementos nas folhas diagnósticas do capim-marandu. A forma nitrato+amônio, na dose de potássio de 450 mg dm-3, proporcionou mais elevada área foliar, a qual foi determinante no incremento da produção de forragem. O fornecimento das formas de nitrato, nitrato+amônio e amídica, associados à máxima dose de potássio proporcionaram incrementos nos números de perfilhos e folhas, área foliar, e consequentemente na produção de forragem. O não fornecimento de nitrogênio e a aplicação na forma de amônio proporcionaram as mais baixas produções de forragem. O incremento das doses de potássio reduziu os sintomas de toxicidade de amônio nas plantas de capim. Os atributos produtivos do sistema radicular foram alterados positivamente pelas formas nitrato, nitrato+amônio e amídica e pelas doses de potássio. O valor SPAD foi incrementado pelas formas nitrato, nitrato+amônio e amídica e a aplicação de potássio de 336 mg dm-3 que resultou em 38 unidades SPAD. A concentração de clorofila de 35 ?g g-1 correspondeu à de nitrogênio total de 22,5 g kg-1. A enzima redutase do nitrato teve sua atividade aumentada com o incremento das doses de potássio e o fornecimento de nitrato+amônio. As concentrações de putrescina, espermidina, espermina e prolina aumentaram mediante o fornecimento de amônio e diminuíram com incremento das doses de potássio. Os baixos teores de 15NH4 + no solo após a segunda semana permitiram verificar que todo amônio foi imobilizado pelos microrganismos do solo, em todas as combinações. A aplicação de amônio, com material vegetal de capimmarandu, resultou nos mais elevados teores de amônio, aminoácido, aminoaçúcar e nitrogênio total hidrolisados. / Soil nitrogen availability and potassium supply rates can influence Marandu palisadegrass nutrition, with direct effect on the morphology, enzyme activity and polyamines accumulation in plants. This study aimed to: i) identify the nitrogen form and the potassium rate that maximizes the morphological attributes of shoots and roots, and consequently, the forage production of Marandu palisadegrass (Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu), ii) evaluate the nitrogen, nitrate, ammonium, potassium, proline, polyamines and chlorophyll concentration, as well as the SPAD value and the nitrate reductase activity in diagnostic leaves, as a function of nitrogen forms and potassium rates, and iii) quantify the soil nitrogen changes according to different forms of nitrogen and addition of Marandu residue. The experiments were carried out in two stages: a) in a greenhouse, where Marandu plants were grown in an Entisol. Four nitrogen forms (nitrate, ammonium, 70% nitrate+30% ammonium, urea) plus the control (no nitrogen) and four potassium rates (0, 150, 300 and 450 mg dm-3) were arranged in a 5x4 complete factorial design. The experimental units consisted on 80 pots. The twenty combinations were evaluated in a completely randomized block design with four replications; b) in the laboratory experiment, six combinations involving three forms of N (nitrate and ammonium enriched with15N atoms 1% and no nitrogen) and Marandu residue (presence/absence) were evaluated using aerobic incubation. Each combination was replicated three times and incubated under eight incubation periods (0, 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 16 and 20 weeks) in an Entisol. In total, 144 experimental units were evaluated using a completely randomized design. The results from the first experiment showed that nitrogen supply associated with potassium rates were important for increasing the forage and roots biomass and the concentration of these elements in the diagnostic leaves. Nitrate+ammonium and potassium at 450 mg dm-3 provided with the largest leaf area, which was decisive for high forage production. The supply of nitrate, nitrate+ammonium and urea, associated with the maximum potassium rate resulted in increased number of tillers, leaves, leaf area, and consequently, increased forage production. Combinations involving ammonium and no nitrogen provided with the lowest forage production. High potassium rates were associated with less ammonium toxicity symptoms on the plants. The productive attributes of the root system were positively modified by nitrate, nitrate+ammonium and urea and by the high potassium rates. The SPAD value increased with nitrate, nitrate+ammonium and urea and potassium at 336 mg dm-3 resulted in 38 SPAD units. Chlorophyll concentration of 35 mg g-1 corresponded to a total nitrogen concentration of 22.5 g kg-1. Nitrate reductase activity increased with higher potassium rates and nitrate+ammonium supply. Higher concentrations of putrescine, spermidine, spermine and proline were observed with ammonium supply, but they decreased with higher potassium rates. The low concentration of 15NH4 + in the soil after the second week indicates that all ammonium was immobilized by soil microorganisms, for all combinations. The application of ammonium in combination with Marandu residue resulted in higher concentration of ammonium, amino acid, amino sugar and total nitrogen hydrolysates.

A disponibilidade de nitrogênio no solo e o fornecimento de doses de potássio podem alterar a nutrição do capim-marandu, com reflexos diretos na morfologia, atividade de enzimas e acúmulo de poliaminas nas plantas. Objetivou-se: i) identificar a forma de nitrogênio e a dose de potássio que promovem a maximização dos atributos morfológicos da parte aérea e das raízes e, consequentemente, a produção de forragem do capim-marandu (Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu); ii) avaliar as concentrações de nitrogênio, nitrato, amônio, potássio, prolina, poliaminas e clorofila, além do valor SPAD e da redutase do nitrato nas folhas diagnósticas, em função da adubação de formas de nitrogênio com doses de potássio e iii) quantificar as transformações do nitrogênio do solo, em função da aplicação de formas de nitrogênio e adição de material vegetal de capim-marandu. Os experimentos foram realizados em duas etapas: a) em casa de vegetação onde as plantas de capim-marandu foram cultivadas em solo classificado como Neossolo Quartzarênico. Quatro formas de nitrogênio (nitrato, amônio, 70%nitrato+30%amônio e amídica) mais controle e quatro doses de potássio (0, 150; 300 e 450 mg dm-3) foram combinados em um fatorial completo 5x4. As unidades experimentais consistiram em 80 vasos e o delineamento experimental foi o de blocos inteiramente casualizados, com quatro repetições; b) em laboratório, seis combinações envolvendo formas de nitrogênio (nitrato e amônio enriquecidos com 15N e controle) e presença/ausência de material vegetal de capim-marandu foram avaliados em incubação aeróbica. Cada combinação foi repetida três vezes e todos foram incubados por oito períodos de avaliação (0, 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 16 e 20 semanas) com o Neossolo Quartzarênico, em delineamento completamente causalizado. Os resultados demonstraram que o fornecimento de nitrogênio associado ao de potássio foi fundamental para elevar a produção de forragem e das raízes e a concentração desses elementos nas folhas diagnósticas do capim-marandu. A forma nitrato+amônio, na dose de potássio de 450 mg dm-3, proporcionou mais elevada área foliar, a qual foi determinante no incremento da produção de forragem. O fornecimento das formas de nitrato, nitrato+amônio e amídica, associados à máxima dose de potássio proporcionaram incrementos nos números de perfilhos e folhas, área foliar, e consequentemente na produção de forragem. O não fornecimento de nitrogênio e a aplicação na forma de amônio proporcionaram as mais baixas produções de forragem. O incremento das doses de potássio reduziu os sintomas de toxicidade de amônio nas plantas de capim. Os atributos produtivos do sistema radicular foram alterados positivamente pelas formas nitrato, nitrato+amônio e amídica e pelas doses de potássio. O valor SPAD foi incrementado pelas formas nitrato, nitrato+amônio e amídica e a aplicação de potássio de 336 mg dm-3 que resultou em 38 unidades SPAD. A concentração de clorofila de 35 ?g g-1 correspondeu à de nitrogênio total de 22,5 g kg-1. A enzima redutase do nitrato teve sua atividade aumentada com o incremento das doses de potássio e o fornecimento de nitrato+amônio. As concentrações de putrescina, espermidina, espermina e prolina aumentaram mediante o fornecimento de amônio e diminuíram com incremento das doses de potássio. Os baixos teores de 15NH4 + no solo após a segunda semana permitiram verificar que todo amônio foi imobilizado pelos microrganismos do solo, em todas as combinações. A aplicação de amônio, com material vegetal de capimmarandu, resultou nos mais elevados teores de amônio, aminoácido, aminoaçúcar e nitrogênio total hidrolisados. / Soil nitrogen availability and potassium supply rates can influence Marandu palisadegrass nutrition, with direct effect on the morphology, enzyme activity and polyamines accumulation in plants. This study aimed to: i) identify the nitrogen form and the potassium rate that maximizes the morphological attributes of shoots and roots, and consequently, the forage production of Marandu palisadegrass (Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu), ii) evaluate the nitrogen, nitrate, ammonium, potassium, proline, polyamines and chlorophyll concentration, as well as the SPAD value and the nitrate reductase activity in diagnostic leaves, as a function of nitrogen forms and potassium rates, and iii) quantify the soil nitrogen changes according to different forms of nitrogen and addition of Marandu residue. The experiments were carried out in two stages: a) in a greenhouse, where Marandu plants were grown in an Entisol. Four nitrogen forms (nitrate, ammonium, 70% nitrate+30% ammonium, urea) plus the control (no nitrogen) and four potassium rates (0, 150, 300 and 450 mg dm-3) were arranged in a 5x4 complete factorial design. The experimental units consisted on 80 pots. The twenty combinations were evaluated in a completely randomized block design with four replications; b) in the laboratory experiment, six combinations involving three forms of N (nitrate and ammonium enriched with15N atoms 1% and no nitrogen) and Marandu residue (presence/absence) were evaluated using aerobic incubation. Each combination was replicated three times and incubated under eight incubation periods (0, 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 16 and 20 weeks) in an Entisol. In total, 144 experimental units were evaluated using a completely randomized design. The results from the first experiment showed that nitrogen supply associated with potassium rates were important for increasing the forage and roots biomass and the concentration of these elements in the diagnostic leaves. Nitrate+ammonium and potassium at 450 mg dm-3 provided with the largest leaf area, which was decisive for high forage production. The supply of nitrate, nitrate+ammonium and urea, associated with the maximum potassium rate resulted in increased number of tillers, leaves, leaf area, and consequently, increased forage production. Combinations involving ammonium and no nitrogen provided with the lowest forage production. High potassium rates were associated with less ammonium toxicity symptoms on the plants. The productive attributes of the root system were positively modified by nitrate, nitrate+ammonium and urea and by the high potassium rates. The SPAD value increased with nitrate, nitrate+ammonium and urea and potassium at 336 mg dm-3 resulted in 38 SPAD units. Chlorophyll concentration of 35 mg g-1 corresponded to a total nitrogen concentration of 22.5 g kg-1. Nitrate reductase activity increased with higher potassium rates and nitrate+ammonium supply. Higher concentrations of putrescine, spermidine, spermine and proline were observed with ammonium supply, but they decreased with higher potassium rates. The low concentration of 15NH4 + in the soil after the second week indicates that all ammonium was immobilized by soil microorganisms, for all combinations. The application of ammonium in combination with Marandu residue resulted in higher concentration of ammonium, amino acid, amino sugar and total nitrogen hydrolysates.

A recomendação de doses de nitrogênio (N) para a cana-de-açúcar (Saccharum spp.) com base em testes de solo é essencial para o aumento da sustentabilidade desse agroecossistema. Além disso, pouco se conhece sobre as reações do N orgânico dissolvido (NOD) na zona de transição palha-solo nos canaviais. A influência das formas minerais de N (N-NH4+ e N-NO3-) na mineralização de carbono (C) nessa região transitória também é desconhecida. Desse modo, os objetivos do estudo foram: i) correlacionar diversos métodos para a predição do N mineralizável do solo com parâmetros de resposta da cana-de-açúcar ao N; ii) quantificar os processos de mineralização de C e sorção de compostos do NOD aplicados em palha e solo (ambos amostrados na zona de transição); e iii) determinar a mineralização C e o conteúdo de N mineral em palha e solo de cana-de-açúcar (provenientes da zona de transição) pela adição de 14C-glicose associada ou não à fontes minerais de N. Entre 2006 e 2013 foram instalados 21 experimentos de curva de resposta da cana-de-açúcar ao N no Estado de São Paulo, Brasil, para correlacionar métodos de natureza biológica, química, microbiológica e isotópica (15N), com a produtividade de colmos (PCC) e extração de N (ENC) no tratamento controle, produção relativa da cultura (PRC) e com a dose de N necessária para obtenção de 90% da PRC (DN 90% PRC). As amostragens de solo foram realizadas nas camadas de 0-20 e 20-40 cm. Foram detectadas fracas correlações entre a incubação anaeróbia e a PCC, e o N extraível por KCl a quente por 4 h e o N extraível por tampão fosfato-borato a pH 11,2 com a ENC. Os métodos não se correlacionaram com a PRC e a DN 90% PRC. Nenhum método é recomendado no ajuste de doses de N para aplicação em soqueiras de cana-de-açúcar no Estado de São Paulo. Para o estudo das reações do NOD e do N mineral, amostras de palha e solo foram coletadas na região de transição entre os dois materiais, em dois sítios experimentais localizados no Estado de São Paulo. A mineralização de C e sorção de mistura de aminoácidos, peptídeos, ureia e proteína (todos marcados em 14C) foi determinada pela aplicação dos compostos em palha e solo. A mineralização de C e conteúdo de N mineral pela adição de 14C-glicose com ou sem as formas de N mineral (N-NH4+ e N-NO3-) também foi avaliada. Existem diferenças acentuadas entre a palha e solo relacionadas à dinâmica do NOD, perfil da comunidade microbiana e imobilização de N. Em geral, o conteúdo de 14C restante dos compostos do NOD foi maior no solo em relação à palha. Os peptídeos e a ureia apresentaram rápida mineralização de C, enquanto que a sorção da proteína foi maior no solo em comparação com a palha. A associação da 14C-glicose com N-NO3- resultou em maior mineralização de 14C na palha de ambos os sítios. Ocorreu intensa imobilização de N-NH4+, sobretudo no resíduo de cana-de-açúcar. / Recommendation of nitrogen (N) rates for sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) based upon soil testing is essential for increasing the sustainability of this agroecosystem. In addition, little is known about the dynamics of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) in the straw-soil transition zone in sugarcane fields. The influence of mineral N forms in the carbon (C) mineralization in this transitional region is also unknown. Thus, the objectives of this study were: i) correlate several methods to predict the soil mineralizable N with sugarcane N response parameters; ii) quantifying the C mineralization and sorption processes of DON compounds applied to straw and soil (both sampled in the transition zone); and iii) determine the C mineralization and mineral N content in straw and soil (from the transition zone) by addition of 14C-glucose with or without mineral sources of N. Between 2006 and 2013, 21 sugarcane N response trials were performed in the State of São Paulo, Brazil, to correlate biological, chemical, microbiological and isotopic (15N) methods with stalks yield (SYC) and total N uptake (NUC) in the control treatment, relative stalks yield (RSY) and the N rate required to achieve 90% of the RSY (NR 90% RSY). Soil sampling was performed at 0-20 and 20-40 cm depths. Weak correlations were detected between anaerobic incubation and the SYC, and the hot KCl extractable N and phosphate-borate buffer at pH 11.2 extractable N with NUC. Methods did not correlate with RSY and the NR 90% RSY. No method is recommended for adjusting N fertilizer rates for application on sugarcane ratoons in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. To study the reactions of DON and mineral N, straw and soil samples were collected in the transition region between the two materials, in two experimental sites located in the State of São Paulo. The C mineralization and sorption of 14C-labelled amino acids mix, peptides, urea and protein was performed by addition of the compounds in straw and soil. The C mineralization and mineral N content by the addition of 14C-glucose with or without mineral N forms (NH4+-N and NO3--N) was also checked. There are marked differences between straw and soil regarding to the DON dynamics, microbial community profile and N immobilization. In general, the 14C remaining of the applied DON compounds in the soil was higher when compared to the straw. Peptides and urea had a rapid C mineralization, while the protein sorption was higher in the soil than the straw. The use of 14C-glucose with NO3--N intensified 14C mineralization in the straw of both sites. There was an intense immobilization of NH4+-N, mainly in the sugarcane residue.