Advances in agronomy. V.90 /

Contributors p. xi
Preface p. xiii
Pathogens in Biosolids
Biosolids: A Historical Perspective and Current Outlook p. 2
The Nature of Wastewater (Sewage) p. 3
Wastewater (Sewage) Treatment p. 4
Class A Versus Class B Biosolids p. 4
Removal of Pathogens by Sewage Treatment Processes p. 6
Pathogens of Concern in Class B Biosolids p. 8
Bacteria p. 8
Enteric Viruses p. 15
Protozoan Pathogens p. 18
Helminths p. 19
Other Biological Concerns in Biosolids p. 21
Pathogen Transport and Survival in Soil, Water, and Air p. 25
Exposure via Soil and Groundwater p. 25
Exposure via Air p. 27
Risk-Based Evaluation of the Potential Hazards Posed by Pathogens in Biosolids p. 29
On-Site Exposure from Land-Applied Biosolids p. 29
On-Site Exposure to Workers via Bioaerosols Generated During Land Application of Biosolids p. 30
Off-Site Exposure of Bioaerosols to Residents in Communities Close to Land Application Sites p. 31
Public Perceptions of Land Application of Biosolids with Respect to Pathogens p. 32
Future Research Needs p. 33
References p. 34
Advances in Crop Water Management Using Capacitive Water Sensors
Introduction p. 44
Capacitance Soil Water Content Measuring Systems p. 45
Principle of Operation p. 45
Equipment Design p. 47
Installation p. 49
Data Logging and Displaying p. 51
Calibration p. 53
Application of Capacitance as Water Management Devices: Irrigation Scheduling for Different Crops p. 57
Determination of Soil Water Physical Properties p. 62
Field Soil Water Storage p. 62
Field Unsaturated Hydraulic Conductivity p. 64
Spatial and Temporal Distributions of Soil Physical Properties p. 66
Use of MCP to Calculate Different Field Water Cycle Components p. 66
Plant Water Use p. 66
Drainage Below the Root Zone p. 68
Effective Rainfall p. 68
Effect of Fluctuation of Soil Temperature and Soil Salinity on the Performance of MCP p. 70
Conclusions p. 72
Acknowledgments p. 72
References p. 73
Synchrotron Radiation Infrared Spectromicroscopy: A Noninvasive Chemical Probe for Monitoring Biogeochemical Processes
Introduction p. 80
SR-FTIR Spectromicroscopy p. 83
Background p. 83
Synchrotron IR Light Sources p. 87
Synchrotron IR Spectromicroscopy of Biogeochemical Systems p. 90
Biogeochemical Processes Measured by SR-FTIR Spectromicroscopy p. 95
Instrumentation p. 95
Spectral Analysis p. 97
Application Examples p. 98
Future Possibilities and Requirements p. 110
Acknowledgments p. 111
References p. 111
Development and Testing of "On-Farm" Seed Priming
Introduction p. 130
The Problem p. 131
Inadequate Crop Stands p. 131
Factors Affecting Crop Establishment p. 132
Simple Ways to Improve Crop Establishment p. 134
Seed Quality p. 134
Timely Sowing p. 134
Depth of Sowing p. 135
Dry Planting p. 137
Transplanting Seedlings p. 137
Seed Priming p. 138
"On-Farm" Seed Priming p. 139
In Vitro Investigations of Rate and Extent of Germination p. 141
In Vitro Emergence and Early Seedling Growth p. 144
Research Station Studies p. 150
On-Farm Studies p. 155
Added Value: Improved Crop Nutrition p. 162
Added Value: Increased Pest and Disease Resistance p. 166
Conclusions p. 167
References p. 169
Thermodynamic Modeling of Metal Adsorption onto Bacterial Cell Walls: Current Challenges
Introduction p. 180
Mechanistic Studies of Cell Wall Adsorption p. 181
Partitioning Relationships Versus Surface Complexation Modeling p. 181
Constraints on Bacterial Cell Wall-Protonation Reactions p. 183
Constraints on Mechanisms of Metal Adsorption onto Bacteria p. 188
Challenges in Applying Surface Complexation Models to Real Systems p. 192
Concluding Remarks p. 195
Acknowledgments p. 197
References p. 198
Alfalfa Winter Hardiness: A Research Retrospective and Integrated Perspective
Introduction p. 204
Morphological and Developmental Bases of Winter Survival p. 205
Crown Depth, Root Morphology, and Winter Survival p. 205
Fall Dormancy and the Acquisition of Freezing Tolerance p. 207
Impact of Environmental Factors on Alfalfa-Freezing Tolerance p. 211
Molecular Bases of Winter Survival: Current Understanding and Emerging Concepts p. 217
Tolerance to Freeze-Induced Desiccation and Cold Hardiness of Alfalfa p. 217
Cold-Induced Accumulation of Cryoprotective Sugars p. 218
Amino Acids p. 222
Modification of Gene Expression at Low Temperature p. 224
The Genetic Bases of Cold Adaptation in Alfalfa p. 234
Genetic Variability for Freezing Tolerance p. 234
Conventional Genetic Selection for Improved Winter Hardiness and Freezing Tolerance p. 236
Marker-Assisted Selection p. 242
Conceptual Approach to the Genetic Control of Freezing Tolerance in Alfalfa p. 248
References p. 250
Projecting Yield and Utilization Potential of Switchgrass as an Energy Crop
Introduction p. 268
Projecting Yield Gains in Switchgrass Relative to Maize p. 270
Breeding History of Maize p. 270
Breeding Gains with Perennial Grasses Including Switchgrass p. 272
Potential Yields of Maize and Switchgrass p. 274
Whole Plant Production in Maize and Switchgrass p. 277
Projecting Switchgrass Performance in Time and Space with the ALMANAC Model p. 279
Physiological and Ecological Traits of Switchgrass p. 279
Parametrization of the ALMANAC Model p. 280
Simulated Yields from ALMANAC Versus Actual Yields Within the Region p. 281
Assessing Economic Impacts of Widespread Deployment of Switchgrass in a National Bioenergy Program p. 285
Conclusions p. 292
Acknowledgments p. 293
References p. 294
Index p. 299