The effect of a variety factors on the survival of several rhizobia strains on inoculants and inoculated seeds has been evaluated. Since the rhizobia strains showed different cell-density-evolution patterns on peat-based inoculants and on inoculated seeds, several inoculant formulations with highly effective Rhizobium/Bradyrhizobium strains (for Lupinus, Hedysarum, Phaseolus and Glycine max.) w...

soilless culture systems of strawberry production are increasing. yield and fruit quality are not only affected by growing media but also by chilling and horticultural managements. the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different growing media and chilling on vegetative growth, yield and fruit quality of three strawberry cultivars. the experiment was conducted in factorial experime...

To accommodate major civil engineering projects in or in the vicinity of peatlands, it is essential to stabilise peat deposits. On the other hand, the accumulation of waste tyres in recent decades has caused environmental problems around the world. An effective remedy for both issues is to use scrap tyre material to stabilise problematic peat soils. This article reports an experimental investig...

In this study, we test whether the δ(13)C and δ(15)N in a peat profile are, respectively, linked to the recent dilution of atmospheric δ(13)CO(2) caused by increased fossil fuel combustion and changes in atmospheric δ(15)N deposition. We analysed bulk peat and Sphagnum fuscum branch C and N concentrations and bulk peat, S. fuscum branch and Andromeda polifolia leaf δ(13)C and δ(15)N from a 30-c...

Forestry harvesting on peats is known to result in significant losses of soil phosphorus (P) to adjacent waters, and the issue is becoming an increasingly serious concern as peatland forest stocks mature and reach harvestable age. One potential solution could be the use of low-cost P recovery techniques based on the chemical precipitation and/or adsorption of the dissolved fraction of soil P, w...

11 Peatland ecosystems accumulate thick organic soil layers because plant production exceeds decomposition throughout the entire organic soil column (Fig. 1). Peatlands cover only about 2–3% of the Earth’s land surface but store around 25% of the world’s soil carbon1. They are most abundant at northern high latitudes (Fig. 2a), where they cover roughly 4,000,000 km2 of land1 and store an estima...

BACKGROUND A large proportion of the world's tropical peatlands occur in Indonesia where rapid conversion and associated losses of carbon, biodiversity and ecosystem services have brought peatland management to the forefront of Indonesia's climate mitigation efforts. We evaluated peat volume from two commonly referenced maps of peat distribution and depth published by Wetlands International (WI...

Analysis of the genome sequence of Methanoregula boonei strain 6A8, an acidophilic methanogen isolated from an ombrotrophic (rain-fed) peat bog, has revealed unique features that likely allow it to survive in acidic, nutrient-poor conditions. First, M. boonei is predicted to generate ATP using protons that are abundant in peat, rather than sodium ions that are scarce, and the sequence of a memb...