Straw, decomposition

Stemmer M, Gerzabek MH, Kandeler E (1999) Invertase and xylanase activity of bulk soil and particle-size fractions during maize straw decomposition. Soil Biol Biochem 31 9-18... 

Ftihr, F., and Sauerbeck, D. (1967b). The uptake of straw decomposition products by plant roots. In Report FAO/IAEA Meeting, Vienna, Pergamon, Oxford, pp. 317-327. 

Figure 14.14. Thermograms for volatilization of lignin dimers and lignin monomers of wheat straw (a) before incubation, without incubation (control), and with inoculation with Tricho-derma satumisporum (+T. sat.), (b) after 4 weeks, and (c) after 13 weeks of incubation. Reprinted from Wiedow, D., Baum, C., and Leinweber, P. (2007). Inoculation with Tricho-derma satumisporum accelerates wheat straw decomposition on soil. Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science 53,1-12, with permission from Taylor Francis.

Wiedow, D., Baum, C., and Leinweber, P. (2007). Inoculation with Trichoderma saturnisporum accelerates wheat straw decomposition on soil. Arch. Agron. Soil Sci. 53,1-12. 

Andren O. and Paustian K. (1987) Barley straw decomposition in the field A comparison of models. Ecology (Tempe) 68(5), 1190-1200. 

Figure 3.10 Decomposition of " C-labelled rice straw in (a) well-drained upland soils and (b) continuously submerged lowland soils under tropical conditions (adapted from Neue and Scharpenseel, 1987). Reprinted with permission from Elsevier...

Neue HU, Scharpenseel HW. 1987. Decomposition pattern of C-labeled rice straw in aerobic and submerged soils of the Philippines. Science of the Total Environment 62 431-434. 

The highest NH3-losses occur in straw-based housing systems when the manure is moved to storage (Hartung 1991). Aerobic decomposition (e.g. composting) is connected with higher losses (9-44% of Nt) than anaerobic (< 1% of Nt). NH3... 

Acetic and butyric acids were among the toxins. produced during decomposition of rye residues (73). and salts of acetic, propionic, and butyric acids were the chief phytotoxins produced in decaying wheat straw... 

Thble VIII. Decomposition of Non-Sterile Straw Ctontained in Glass... 

Polonium tetrachloride is a bright yellow solid it melts in chlorine at about 300°C 6, 74) to a straw-colored liquid which becomes scarlet at 350°C, possibly through decomposition to the dichloride. It boils at 390°C to give a purple-brown vapor which becomes blue-green above 500°C 6). The reason for this reversible color change is unknown. 

A. J. Balard,9 in 1821, also prepared hypobromous acid in a similar manner, namely, by the gradual addition of mercuric oxide of bromine water, and thoroughly shaking the mixture after each addition. Further, quantities of bromine and mercuric oxide can be added until the yellow fluid contains between 6 and 7 parts of HOBr per 100 c.c. The mercuric oxide can be replaced by silver oxide, silver or mercuric nitrate, mercuric acetate, etc. The soln. with 6-7 parts of HOBr per 100 c.c. decomposes at 30°, but more dil. soln. when distilled under ordinary atm. press, give a distillate of bromine followed by a straw-yellow fraction which is a dil. aq. soln. of hypobromous acid. The decomposition is not so pronounced if it be conducted at 40° under a press, of, say, 50 mm. of mercury. 

Selenium oxychloride, when distilled under reduced pressures, has a light straw colour, but when distilled under atmospheric pressure it decomposes slightly and becomes reddish-brown this decomposition reverses to some extent on cooling. 

Another cheap and readily available source of cellulose is the straw of annual plants. This raw material usually contains exceptionally large quantities of mineral matter. In order to separate cellulose the chlorine process is often used. It consists in treating the cellulosic raw material (previously boiled in a 10% sodium hydroxide solution and then in water) with chlorine. The decomposition of lignin, pentosans and other substances takes place and at the same time the cellulose is bleached. Crude cellulose prepared in this way contained 80-92% of a-cellulose and about 1% of mineral matter. 

We have investigated the humification of straw, as an example, under constant conditions of humidity and temperature in a climatic chamber (4,18) and separated different fractions according to a modified method of Waksman s proximate analysis. The amount of nitrogen present in these processes is the factor limiting the rate of decomposition. Therefore we added nitrogen in form of ammonium nitrate in a quantity of 1% of straw dry weight to a nutrient solution in one experiment while the nutrient solution had no nitrogen in a parallel experiment. Table I shows the calculated data. 

Table I. Decomposition of Straw, Holocellulose, and lignin with and without Added Nitrogen...

However, in the lignin fraction of the rotted straw, the ratio was 0.5 1 at the end of the decomposition experiment. Therefore, the syringyl components are split off more slowly from the polymeric lignin than the guaiacyl... 

Murayama, S. (1984). Changes in the monosaccharide composition during the decomposition of straws under field conditions. Soil Sci. Plant Nutr. 30, 367-381. 

A buried corpse surrounded by plant material (e.g., straw, pine branches) can display a more rapid rate of decomposition than a cadaver buried without these materials (Mant 1950). Mant (1950) believed that these plant materials introduced additional bacteria into the burial environment while providing a layer of air between the cadaver and the soil. Also, an increase in the rate of cadaver decomposition following the addition of plant material is due to the widening of the carbon to nitrogen ratio, which promotes microbial activity. In fact, this is the premise behind the composting of dead animals (Elwell, Moller, and Keener 1998). 

Martin, J. P. and Haider, K., 1979. Effect of concentration on decomposition of some 14C-labeled phenolic compounds, benzoic acid, glucose, cellulose, wheat straw, and Chlorella protein in soil. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. J. 43, 917-920... 

In a 500-cc. flask fitted with a 24-cm. fractionating column (Notes 1 and 4) attached to a water-j acketed condenser, are placed 148 g. (1 mole) of dry powdered cinnamic acid, 2 g. of hydroquinone and several small pieces of day plate. One-half gram of hydroquinone is also placed in the flask in which the distillate is to be collected (Note 2). The acid is rapidly heated over a wire gauze with a free flame until phenylethylene begins to distil, the heating being regulated so that the temperature of the vapors at the head of the column never exceeds 130°, and mainly remains below 120° (Notes 3 and 4). The cinnamic acid refluxes, but very little should escape and collect in the condenser. The decomposition is complete in three and one-half to five hours, when no more phenylethylene distils and the temperature at the head of the column rises rapidly. The distillate consists of a straw-colored oil and a little water a dark tarry residue (50-60 g.) remains in the reaction flask. About 100 cc. of water is added to the distillate and the aqueous mixture is distilled. The phenylethylene is easily volatile with steam and separates in the distillate as a colorless oil. The oil (45-48 g.) is separated, dried with a small amount of calcium chloride, and carefully distilled under diminished pressure, cool-... 

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