Studies on the effect of irradiated soil on crop growth and its mechanism

Pot experiments showed that with the treatment of 25 kGy gamma radiation on the irrigated gray desert soil in Xinjiang and the moist soil in Zhejiang, 25% moisture, plant height, biomass and photosynthesis intensity of winter wheat, hot pepper and matrimony vine increased significantly. In irradiated soils of six types, the available N, P, K were significantly enhanced, and the available Fe, Zn, Cu increased to some extent, while the oxidation stability of the soil organo-mineral complex decreased dramatically. The amount of available N supplied by the irradiated gray desert soil and the moist soil increased by 59.26% and 82.35% respectively. The amount of N derived from the irradiated soils in crops also increased by 4.48% and 24.97% respectively. The amount of available P supplied by irradiated gray desert soil increased by 15.69%, and the P in crops derived from the irradiated gray desert soil increased by 34.00%. Utilization rate of N fertilizer were raised by 49.47% and 75.53% for irradiated gray desert soil and moist soil respectively, that of P fertilizer was raised by 17.88% for moist soil. The effect of radiation on soil showed little difference between treatments of 25 kGy and 35 kGy. However, soil moisture affected the radiation effect greatly. (7 refs., 2 figs., 12 tabs.)