Browsing by Author "Rich, Charles I."

Now showing 1 - 14 of 14
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    Chemical, physical and clay mineralogical properties of Montgomery County, Virginia soils
    Obenshain, Samuel S.; Porter, Hobart C.; Rich, Charles I. (Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station, 1966-03)
    properties and composition of Montgomery County Virginia Soils
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    Distribution and physical parameters of solid waste disposal sites in Southwestern Virginia and the nature of leachate emissions
    Black, Elwood David (Virginia Tech, 1975-03-04)
    A total of 62 solid waste disposal sites were documented and evaluated in the 18 county study area of southwestern Virginia. The solid waste disposal operations encompassed a combined area in excess of 458.7 ha. An estimated 32 workers and 40 pieces of heavy equipment were utilized for the disposal of the waste at the various dumps, landfills, and sanitary landfills. The largest number of disposal sites were operated as dumps (62%), while only 14% of the sites qualified as sanitary landfills. The dump type of operation was characterized by: erosion, odor, leachate, minimum compaction, burning, lack of final or daily cover, and limited soil, financing, cover material, personnel, equipment, and planning. Generally, the waste was deposited at a remote or obscure site and left unattended. The landfill form of waste disposal, which occurred in 17% of the sites, required the construction of a trench for the disposal of the waste material which was later covered. The landfill form of waste disposal was characterized by shallow soils, limited cover material, steep slopes, and/or underground springs. The sanitary landfills were located in areas of deep soils, with moderate slopes, and showed an absence of interacting water. These sites demonstrated proper management of the resources and limited alteration of the surrounding area.
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    The effect of soluble salts on the availability of phosphate fertilizers
    Lutz, J. A.; Rich, Charles I. (Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station, 1961-12)
    Laboratory, greenhouse and field experiments were conducted to measure the effect of salts on the availability of phosphate
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    Effects of certain fertilizer and manurial treatments on the cation exchange properties and organic matter content of dunmore silt loam
    Rich, Charles I. (Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic Institute, 1941)
    An investigation of the pH, organic matter content, and cation exchange properties of the soil of the 26-year-old rotation and continuously cropped plots at Blacksburg, Virginia was carried out. Individual soil samples were taken of the eight sub-plots which represent each plot. After the chemical work had been completed, the data obtained were analyzed statistically. As a result of this investigation, the following conclusions are considered worthy of mention: Fertilizer and cropping practices which tended to increase crop yields also tended to increase soil organic matter and cation exchange capacity. There was a significant, positive correlation between organic matter content and cation exchange capacity of the soil. The organic fraction seemed to be of greater importance than the mineral fraction in contributing to the cation exchange capacity of this soil. Superphosphate, rock phosphate, muriate of potash and farm manure had or no effect on soil reaction. Ammonium sulphate caused a reduction of the pH and exchangeable calcium and magnesium and an increase in exchangeable hydrogen. The application of this fertilizer decreased exchangeable calcium but had no influence on the pH. Of the total potassium applied as muriate of potash, an average of 15 percent remained as exchangeable potassium in the upper six inches of soil. Where farm manure was applied, exchangeable calcium, magnesium, potassium, and cation exchange capacity were increased significantly. Examination of the samples and crop yield data from the check plots indicated considerable soil variation.
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    Evaluation and calibration of soil tests for available zinc
    Alley, Marcus M. (Virginia Tech, 1971-06-02)
    The results of the research show that either the EDTA-(NH4)C03 procedure or the multivariate regression equation could be used to estimate the Zn supplying powers of Virginia soils. It was pointed out that the critical levels obtained for the procedures are considered tentative and that the calibration should be continued as more field data become available.
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    Manganese in Virginia soils and correction of manganese deficiency in soybeans (Glycine max L.)
    Alley, Marcus M. (Virginia Tech, 1975-03-07)
    The research was undertaken to provide basic information on Mn in Virginia soils and to evaluate rates and methods of Mn application to correct Mn deficiency in soybeans. Soil profile samples were analyzed from catenas representing the Appalachian, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain regions. The exchangeable, easily reducible, and total Mn contents were higher in the Appalachian soils than in the Piedmont or Coastal Plain soils. The total Mn content of the well-drained soil was higher than the poorly-drained soil in the Appalachian catena. No other differences were found between soils varying in drainage. Parent material and time appear to be the soil forming factors that exert the largest influence on total soil Mn. Further research is necessary to fully characterize soil Mn in these broad physiographic regions.
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    Petrology of the basal middle Ordovician Blackford formation of the type belt, Russell County, Virginia
    Heyman, Louis (Virginia Tech, 1970-06-05)
    The Lower Cbazyan (Middle Ordovician) Blackford Formation of the area studied consists of dominantly carbonate rocks deposited in a shallow sea which transgressed on a subaerially eroded carbonate terrane having up to 110 feet of relief locally. The lower two-thirds was deposited in a generally supratidal environment and grades up into rocks deposited in the gradually deepening waters of the intertidal and shallow subtidal environments. The Blackford is divisible into three parts. The lowermost part, which laterally is limited in extent, is a red to purple or yellow green breccia-conglomerate of chert and dolomite clasts in a silty to sandy argillaceous dolomite matrix. The middle part is brownish red to purplish red locally green and mottled, dolomite to dolomitic sandy siltstone. It is locally conglomeratic. It contains algal and faunal debris locally, and varying quantities of terrigenous detritus, including chert and dolomite clasts, rounded quartz grains) quartz crystals, an illite-mica-chlorite clay mineral suite, and a heavy mineral suite characterized by hematite, magnetite and kyanite. This terrigenous detritus dominantly was derived locally, from the unconformably subjacent Canadian (Lower Ordovician) Knox dolomites. The upper part of the Blackford is a sequence of gray to yellowish and greenish gray argillaceous calcilutites to calcareous claystones which grade into the overlying Elway Limestone. This part contains algae algal stromatolites, ostracodes, bryozoa and rare trilobites. Nodular black chert is locally present in the uppermost part. The proportion of coarse clastics and dolomite decreases upward whereas the clay content increases abruptly in the upper beds. The new assemblage is definitely volcanic. Abundant we11 preserved conodonts found with the biotite and apatite are potentially useful for precise paleontologic dating of this volcanism. The volcanic zone in the upper Blackford may be one previously recognized by Laurence in Lower Chazyan rockS at Douglas Dam, Tennessee. The Blackford volcanic zone is homotaxial with a bentonite recognized by Fox and Grant near Chattanooga and in Rhea County, Tennessee, and with one found by Miller and Fuller in the Rose Hill district, Lee County, Virginia, but it is somewhat older than either. The fairly widespread extent of the argillaceous limestones-calcareous claystones of the upper Blackford, and implicitly their contained conodont population, indicates that these synchronous units may be traceable over large areas of southwest Virginia. They are therefore potentially useful as a Olazyan reference time plane in this part of the Appalachians.
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    The relative effect of soil changes associated with old-field succession and available moisture upon the growth of three upland tree species
    Graney, David Lee (Virginia Tech, 1964-06-05)
    The primary objectives of this study were to determine the relative effects of (1) changes in soil characteristics associated with old-field succession and (2) available moisture upon the growth of three upland tree species.
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    Soil phosphorus fractionation and plant growth relationships
    Baldovinos, Francisco (Virginia Tech, 1966-07-07)
    The measurement of phosphorus which is available to plants is a problem closely related to the forms and amounts of phosphorus present in soils. The fractionation of soil phosphorus, based on a series of extractions, is a procedure that has been utilized by many investigators. In this study, this scheme was utilized in an attempt to improve and evaluate the effectiveness of some methods employed in the measurement of available phosphorus to plants.
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    Some mineralogical and physical interpretations of the free- swelling characteristics of montmorillonite-water systems
    Fink, Dwayne Harold (Virginia Tech, 1965-06-15)
    Free-swelling properties of montmorillonites in water systems were studied using X-ray diffraction techniques. Four specimen type montmorillonites (Wyoming bentonite, Otay bentonite, hectorite and nontronite) and several soil clays were selected. In Phase I of the study the differential swelling properties were related to the type of cation on the exchange complex and to variations in the mineralogical properties of the montmorillonites.
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    Some physiological responses of two grasses as influenced by temperature, light, and nitrogen fertilization
    Schmidt, Richard E. (Virginia Polytechnic Institute, 1965)
    Two environmental control chamber experiments were conducted to study the effects or temperature, nitrogen, and light intensity on the growth and physiological effects on Tifgreen bermudagrass, Cynodon dactylon (L) Pers., and Cohansey bentgrass, Agrostis palustris Huds. Each of the grasses was included in a field experiment to study the influence of nitrogen rates on carbohydrate reserves at different seasons. Increased temperatures with bentgrass caused decreased carbohydrates, root weights, and final growth of tops, but increased nitrogen content and respiration. NAR in bentgrass was highest at 75 F. The respiration rate, top growth, and carbohydrate content of bermudagrass tended to increase with temperature, but root weights and NAR were highest at medium temperatures. High N generally increased top growth, NAR, respiration, and nitrogen content, but lowered the carbohydrates and root growth for both grasses. Bentgrass, grown at 95 F during the day-, declined in yield, root growth, NAR, and respiration as night temperatures increased from 60 to 90 F. With bermudagrass HAR, top growth, and root growth were highest at 75 F and lowest at 90 F night temperatures. The AEC of bentgrass were highest at the mid-temperature, but the AEC: fer bermudagrass tended to increase with the high night temperature. Low light intensity generally decreased the yield of tops and roots, NAR, respiration, and carbohydrates, but increased the nitrogen content of both grasses. Bentgrass stolons increased in carbohydrate content during the tall and early vinter, and then declined rapidly during the spring. During the summer, the carbohydrates in bentgrass were low. The carbohydrates in bermudagrass stolons decreased during the winter and spring, increased during summer, and reached a maximum by late fall. For all experiments the oligosaccharides and monosaccharides made up a rather large portion of the AEC in bentgrass, polysaccharides being the largest fraction. Polysaccharides in bermudagrass made up the largest fraction of the AEC, the monosaccharides and oligosaccharides being less than 10% of the dry weight.
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    Swelling properties of some montmorillonite clays in water systems
    Fink, Dwayne Harold (Virginia Tech, 1962-05-13)
    Soil clays relatively high in montmorillonite were examined and compared to the reference material.
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    Tillering and carbohydrate content of orchardgrass as influenced by environmental factors
    Auda, Hamid (Virginia Tech, 1964-06-05)
    Experiments were conducted in the field, greenhouse, and controlled environment chambers to study the effect of environmental factors on tillering, growth, and carbohydrate content of orchardgrass. Tillers of one genotype were studied with several variable factors (light, temperature, moisture,. nitrogen, and/or defoliation) in each of four experiments. Factorial treatment combinations were used in each of the four experiments to study single factors and interactions. Tillering declined to 73 and 26% of normal light when light intensity was reduced in the greenhouse and field, respectively. In the controlled environment chambers, tillering rates were higher with an 18-hour than for a 9-hour day with 3100 F.C. in both chambers. Soluble carbohydrates in the stubble were associated with tillering. There was a marked increase in water soluble carbohydrates as light energy increased up to normal sunlight. Ory matter production was associated with tillering and carbohydrate contents of orchardgrass, factors which increased tillering augmented clipping dry weights. Tillering and foliage growth were much higher when day temperature was 80*F. as compared with 60°F. There was a sharp increase in soluble carbohydrates with low temperature, but at the high temperature carbohydrates did not accumulate as they were apparently utilized for fast growth and tillering. Carbohydrate accumulation per se was not associated with tillering nor yields when temperatures were sub~-optimum for fast growth. Tillering was increased 30% by irrigation. Tillering of orchardgrass plants, defoliated to 1.5, 3, and 6 inches in combination with other treatments, showed increased tillering and dry matter production as defoliation intensities were relaxed. High tillering rates were associated with the magnitude of carbohydrates in orchardgrass stubble. Root development at the end of the experiment was much poorer for intensive defoliation as compared with lax defoliation. Nitrogen stimulated tillering and retarded soluble carbohydrate accumulation in orchardgrass stubbles, Nitrozen stimulated the production of new tissue and nitrogen compounds at the expense of stored carbohydrates in the stubbles. With slow orchardgrass growth under low nitrogen, soluble carbohydrates in the stubble accumulated. There was good evidence that soluble carbohydrates are directly associated with tillering and growth of orchardgrass when factors such as light, nitrogen, and water do not limit growth. Carbohydrate accumulatpeiro nse is not associated with tillering, if any environment growth factor is sub-optimum for tillering and growth. sub-optimum for tillering and growth.
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    Utilization of topdressed superphosphate by pasture forages in southeastern Virginia
    Hallock, D. L.; Rich, Charles I. (Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station, 1957-07)
    With the increase of livestock farming in southeastern Virginia, great emphasis must be placed on efficient pasture practices