Das Wurzelwachstum von Winterweizen wurde erfasst und modelliert, um teilflächenspezifisches Boden- und Düngemanagement zu verbessern. Die Variation von Wurzellängendichten im Feld wurde über zwei Vegetationsperioden hinweg an zwei unterschiedlichen Standorten in Ostdeutschland untersucht. Zur Auswertungserleichterung der hohen Anzahl an Wurzelproben, wurde eine halbautomatische Methode zur Bildanalyse von Wurzeln entwickelt. Der Einfluss von Änderungen bezüglich Bodenwasserstatus und Bodendichte bzw. Durchdringungswiderstand auf das Wurzelwachstum wurde untersucht. Die erhobenen Felddaten dienten gleichzeitig dazu, die Bodenwasser- und Wurzelwachstumsberechnung des Modells CERES-Wheat zu validieren. Das Modell simulierte die unterschiedlichen Bodeneigenschaften sowie die Wurzellängendichten und Bodenwassergehalte nur unzureichend. Der Effekt von Änderungen der Niederschlagsmengen auf die Simulationen von Wurzellängendichten und Bodenwassergehalten wurde anhand einer Unsicherheitsanalyse getestet und war extrem gering. Des Weiteren wurde eine Methode für praktische Zwecke entwickelt, mit der die Generierung von räumlich hoch aufgelösten Bodeninformationen unter Verwendung limitierter Eingangsdaten möglich ist. Die Modellkalkulationen basieren auf der Dempster-Shafer-Theorie. Anhand von multitemporal und multimodal erfassten Bodenleitfähigkeitsdaten, die Eingangsdaten für den Modellansatz sind, wurden Bodentypen und Texturklassen bestimmt. Das Modell generiert eine digitale Bodenkarte, die flächenhafte Informationen über Bodentypen und Bodeneigenschaften enthält. Die Validation der Bodenkarte mit zusätzlich erhobenen Bodeninformationen ergab gute bis sehr gute Ergebnisse. / Winter wheat root growth was measured and modelled to improve site-specific soil and fertilizer management in commercial wheat fields. Field variations in root length densities were analysed at two contrasting sites in East-Germany during two vegetation seasons. A semi-automated root analysing method was developed to facilitate analyses of large numbers of samples. Influences of variations in soil water states, bulk densities and penetration resistances on spatial distributions of roots were quantified. Differences in soil characteristics were large between the two sites and affected root growth considerably. The same field data was used for validating the soil moisture and root growth calculations of the widely applied growth model CERES-Wheat. Simulations of root length densities, soil physical properties and soil water contents were inadequate. The effects of changes of rainfall variabilities on simulated root length densities and soil water contents were tested by uncertainty analysis but were negligible low. A methodology for generating soil information for practical management purposes at a high degree of spatial resolution using limited input information was developed. The corresponding model calculations were carried out based on the Dempster and Shafer theorem. Soil types and texture classes were determined with multimodally and multitemporally captured data of soil electrical conductivities which are required input data of the new model approach. The model generates a digital map with extensive information of spatial variations in soil properties. The validation of the generated soil map with soil data from independent measurements yielded close correlation between measured and calculated values.

It is widely accepted that bioavailability, rather than total soil concentration, is preferred when assessing the risk associated with metal contamination. Despite this, debate continues on what constitutes a bioavailable pool and how to best predict bioavailability, especially in relation to crop plants. The overall aim of this thesis was to assess and validate measures of cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni) and zinc (Zn) bioavailability in a range of soils amended with metal salts and biosolids. Six potential measures of bioavailability were investigated and compared: total metal; 0.04 M EDTA extraction; 0.05 M Ca(NO₃)₂ extraction; soil solution extracted using rhizon probes; effective solution concentration (CE) determined using diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT); and modelled free ion activities (WHAM 6.0). These were compared to shoot metal concentrations obtained from plants grown in three soils with contrasting properties treated with biosolids and metal salts. The first study involved a wheat seedling (Triticum aestivum) assay carried out under controlled environmental conditions on incubated soils treated with metal salts and biosolids. Results showed that the presence of biosolids resulted in increases of DOC, salinity, Ca and Mg in soil solution as well as total concentrations of Cu and Zn, dry matter was also adversely affected by increased levels of salinity. The addition of biosolids did not significantly alter the extractability or solubility of Cd, Cu, Ni and Zn although concentrations of Cd in shoots were significantly lower in plants grown in biosolids amended soils compared with unamended soils. The second study involved a field experiment that used 20 cm diameter by 30 cm deep soil monoliths of the same three soils treated with metals and biosolids, and perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) was grown for 24 months. Results revealed the addition of biosolids significantly increased the amount of DOC, salinity, Ca and Mg in solution. The presence of biosolids also significantly altered the bioavailability of Cd, Cu, Ni and Zn, as measured by soil solution, CE and free ion activity. However, this change had little effect on plant metal uptake. The length of time following treatment application had the greatest effect on soil chemistry and metal availability, resulting in pH decreases and increases in DOC, soil solution salinity, Ca and Mg. The free ion activities of each metal increased with time, as did soil solution Cd and Zn and CE-Cu, with results for Zn indicative of migration through the soil profile with time. Plant uptake of Ni and Zn also changed with time. Nickel concentrations in shoots decreased, while concentrations of Zn in shoots increased. The findings from the two studies demonstrated that biosolids increased the amount of DOC, salinity, Ca and Mg present in soil solution. In the lysimeter study measures of metal availability were affected in soils amended with biosolids, but this did not effect shoot concentrations. The overall predictive strengths of the six potential measures of bioavailability was investigated using results from the previously described experiments and related studies carried out by ESR and Lincoln University using nine different soils amended with combinations of biosolids and metal salts. Of the four metals Ni provided the strongest correlations between metal bioavailability and shoot concentrations, with 0.05 M Ca(NO₃)₂ extraction giving the strongest relationship for Ni concentrations in shoots (r² = 0.73). This suggests that the solubility of Ni is highly indicative of shoot concentrations and that Ca(NO₃)₂ is a robust measure of Ni bioavailability. In addition Ca(NO₃)₂ provided the best estimate of Zn bioavailability (r² = 0.65), and CE-Cd provided the best measure of Cd bioavailability, although it could only describe 47 % of shoot Cd concentration. Results for Cu were typical of previously described studies as assays of Cu availability are almost always poorly correlated with shoot concentrations, with total Cu having the strongest relationship (r² = 0.34). Methods based on the extractability and solubility of Cu in soils were poor indicators of Cu concentration in shoots. Overall, the addition of biosolids did not alter the outcome of these bioavailability assays, and results indicated that total metal concentrations present in the soils and biosolids matrix, plus length of time since soil treatment, had a greater affect on metal bioavailability.

It is widely accepted that bioavailability, rather than total soil concentration, is preferred when assessing the risk associated with metal contamination. Despite this, debate continues on what constitutes a bioavailable pool and how to best predict bioavailability, especially in relation to crop plants. The overall aim of this thesis was to assess and validate measures of cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni) and zinc (Zn) bioavailability in a range of soils amended with metal salts and biosolids. Six potential measures of bioavailability were investigated and compared: total metal; 0.04 M EDTA extraction; 0.05 M Ca(NO₃)₂ extraction; soil solution extracted using rhizon probes; effective solution concentration (CE) determined using diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT); and modelled free ion activities (WHAM 6.0). These were compared to shoot metal concentrations obtained from plants grown in three soils with contrasting properties treated with biosolids and metal salts. The first study involved a wheat seedling (Triticum aestivum) assay carried out under controlled environmental conditions on incubated soils treated with metal salts and biosolids. Results showed that the presence of biosolids resulted in increases of DOC, salinity, Ca and Mg in soil solution as well as total concentrations of Cu and Zn, dry matter was also adversely affected by increased levels of salinity. The addition of biosolids did not significantly alter the extractability or solubility of Cd, Cu, Ni and Zn although concentrations of Cd in shoots were significantly lower in plants grown in biosolids amended soils compared with unamended soils. The second study involved a field experiment that used 20 cm diameter by 30 cm deep soil monoliths of the same three soils treated with metals and biosolids, and perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) was grown for 24 months. Results revealed the addition of biosolids significantly increased the amount of DOC, salinity, Ca and Mg in solution. The presence of biosolids also significantly altered the bioavailability of Cd, Cu, Ni and Zn, as measured by soil solution, CE and free ion activity. However, this change had little effect on plant metal uptake. The length of time following treatment application had the greatest effect on soil chemistry and metal availability, resulting in pH decreases and increases in DOC, soil solution salinity, Ca and Mg. The free ion activities of each metal increased with time, as did soil solution Cd and Zn and CE-Cu, with results for Zn indicative of migration through the soil profile with time. Plant uptake of Ni and Zn also changed with time. Nickel concentrations in shoots decreased, while concentrations of Zn in shoots increased. The findings from the two studies demonstrated that biosolids increased the amount of DOC, salinity, Ca and Mg present in soil solution. In the lysimeter study measures of metal availability were affected in soils amended with biosolids, but this did not effect shoot concentrations. The overall predictive strengths of the six potential measures of bioavailability was investigated using results from the previously described experiments and related studies carried out by ESR and Lincoln University using nine different soils amended with combinations of biosolids and metal salts. Of the four metals Ni provided the strongest correlations between metal bioavailability and shoot concentrations, with 0.05 M Ca(NO₃)₂ extraction giving the strongest relationship for Ni concentrations in shoots (r² = 0.73). This suggests that the solubility of Ni is highly indicative of shoot concentrations and that Ca(NO₃)₂ is a robust measure of Ni bioavailability. In addition Ca(NO₃)₂ provided the best estimate of Zn bioavailability (r² = 0.65), and CE-Cd provided the best measure of Cd bioavailability, although it could only describe 47 % of shoot Cd concentration. Results for Cu were typical of previously described studies as assays of Cu availability are almost always poorly correlated with shoot concentrations, with total Cu having the strongest relationship (r² = 0.34). Methods based on the extractability and solubility of Cu in soils were poor indicators of Cu concentration in shoots. Overall, the addition of biosolids did not alter the outcome of these bioavailability assays, and results indicated that total metal concentrations present in the soils and biosolids matrix, plus length of time since soil treatment, had a greater affect on metal bioavailability.

Orientador: Marcelo Carvalho Minhoto Teixeira Filho / Resumo: Alternative management practices are needed to minimize the need for chemical fertilizer use in non-leguminous cropping systems. The use of biological agents which can fix atmospheric nitrogen and promote plant growth has shown potential as an option to improve soil nutrient availability to grass crops. In recent years, studies investigating the effects of silicon (Si) have increased substantially, especially in grain crops. This increased interest in Si is likely due to the beneficial effects of Si application on plant resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses, reflecting on greater plant development. This research was developed to investigate if inoculation of corn and wheat with Azospirillum brasilense associated with Si can enhance nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and improve plant nutrition and yield, leading to a greater economic profit. The study was set up in a Rhodic Haplustox under no-till system, located in Selvíria, state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. The field trial took place during the 2015/16 (November-March), 2016 (April-September), 2016/17 (November-March) and 2017 April-September) seasons, with corn and wheat crops in sucession (spring/summer and winter seasons for corn and wheat, respectively). Treatments were tested in a randomized completely block design with four replicates, arranged in a full factorial design 5 × 2 × 2 and included: i) five N application rates, as urea source, applied in side-dressing (0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 kg ha-1); ii) two liming sou... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Doutor