From production to consumption: tracing C, N, and S dynamics in Brazilian agroecosystems using stable isotopes

Brazilian scientists have played a pioneering role in developing and applying stable isotope methodologies, in terms of natural abundance and enriched levels, to trace carbon and nutrient flows in terrestrial ecosystems, including natural and agroecosystems. Significant contributions have been made in the areas of biological N₂ fixation, carbon dynamics in soil, synthesis and evaluation of labeled fertilizers, and food science. These contributions have originated from several decentralized units of Embrapa, from research institutions, and from federal or state universities. In order to capitalize the existing Brazilian expertise, it is necessary to provide, at an institutional level, analytical facilities for stable isotope research, aiming to strengthen national capacity and to maintain the international competitiveness of the research.

Index terms:
biological N₂ fixation; fertilizer use efficiency; food science; labeled fertilizer; soil carbon; stable isotopes

Authorship

Phillip Michael Chalk

Embrapa Solos, Rua Jardim Botânico, no 1.024, Jardim Botânico, CEP 22460-000 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. E-mail: chalkphillip@gmail.comEmbrapa SolosBrazilRio de Janeiro, RJ, BrazilEmbrapa Solos, Rua Jardim Botânico, no 1.024, Jardim Botânico, CEP 22460-000 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. E-mail: chalkphillip@gmail.com

SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

Tables | Formulas

Tables (8)
Formulas (2)

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Table 1
Isotopic composition of the important elements in biological sciences. Adapted from Berglund & Wieser (2011)BERGLUND, M.; WIESER, M.E. Isotopic compositions of the elements 2009 (IUPAC Technical Report). Pure and Applied Chemistry, v.83, p.397-410, 2011. DOI: 10.1351/PAC-REP-10-06-02.
https://doi.org/10.1351/PAC-REP-10-06-02... .

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Table 2
Brazilian studies of Embrapa Agrobiologia, using ¹⁵N-based methodologies to quantify endophytic N₂ fixation in C₄ forages and in sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum).

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Table 3
Brazilian field studies using 15N dilution to quantify symbiotic N2 fixation in legumes⁽¹⁾ (1) Common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris; soybean, Glycine max; and groundnut, Arachis hypogaea. (2)Wheat, Triticum aestivum; Nn, non-nodulating; Weeds, Digitaria horizontalis, Sorghum arundinaceum, and Cenchrus echinatus; C4 grasses, Urochloa brizantha, U. arrecta, and Panicum maximum; Weeds, Sorghum sp., Zea mays, Cynodon dactylon, Cyperus rotundus, and Sida glaziovii; and Nnlegume, the non-nodulating legumes Bauhinia cheilanta and Caesalpinia pyramidalis. (3)E, 15N enrichment; and NA, 15N natural abundance. (4)Patm, proportional dependence of the legume on biologically-fixed N. (5)B value was assumed to be zero (Ramos et al., 2001), -1.3‰ (Teixeira et al., 2006). (6)Stem tissue, low range is dry season, and high range is wet season. .

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Table 4
δ¹³C signatures of Brazilian soils under forest and after a number of years of C₄ pasture or sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) established on cleared forest.

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Table 5
Synthesis of labeled fertilizers at Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura of Universidade de São Paulo, as well as fertilizer use efficiency.

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Table 6
The use of stable isotope δ values to authenticate Brazilian foods and beverages.

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Table 7
δ¹⁸O in water and δ¹³C in ethanol in wines from three regions of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil (Dutra et al., 2011DUTRA, S.V.; ADAMI, L.; MARCON, A.R.; CARNIELI, G.J.; ROANI, C.A.; SPINELLI, F.R.; LEONARDELLI, S.; DUCATTI, C.; MOREIRA, M.Z.; VANDERLINDE, R. Determination of the geographical origin of Brazilian wines by isotope and mineral analysis. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, v.401, p.1571-1576, 2011. DOI: 10.1007/s00216-011-5181-2.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-011-5181-... )⁽¹⁾ (1) Means followed by equal letters do not differ by Tukey’s test, at 5% probability. .

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Table 8
Brazilian institutions involved in stable isotope research in terrestrial and agroecosystems⁽¹⁾ (1) While endeavoring to be comprehensive, some institutions may have been inadvertently overlooked. (2)IRMS, isotope-ratio mass spectrometer. .

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Table 1 Isotopic composition of the important elements in biological sciences. Adapted from Berglund & Wieser (2011)BERGLUND, M.; WIESER, M.E. Isotopic compositions of the elements 2009 (IUPAC Technical Report). Pure and Applied Chemistry, v.83, p.397-410, 2011. DOI: 10.1351/PAC-REP-10-06-02.
https://doi.org/10.1351/PAC-REP-10-06-02... .

⁽¹⁾Superscript is mass number. ⁽²⁾Best measurement from a single terrestrial source. ⁽³⁾Terrestrial materials.

Table 2 Brazilian studies of Embrapa Agrobiologia, using ¹⁵N-based methodologies to quantify endophytic N₂ fixation in C₄ forages and in sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum).

⁽¹⁾Bahia grass, Paspalum notatum; Guinea grass, Panicum maximum; signal grass, Urochloa brizantha, U. decumbens, U. humidicola, U. ruziziensis, and U. arrecta; elephant grass, Pennisetum purpureum; and sugarcane, Saccharum officinarum. ⁽²⁾E, ¹⁵N enrichment; and NA, ¹⁵N natural abundance. ⁽³⁾P_atm, proportional dependence of the legume on biologically-fixed N.

Table 3 Brazilian field studies using 15N dilution to quantify symbiotic N2 fixation in legumes⁽¹⁾ (1) Common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris; soybean, Glycine max; and groundnut, Arachis hypogaea. (2)Wheat, Triticum aestivum; Nn, non-nodulating; Weeds, Digitaria horizontalis, Sorghum arundinaceum, and Cenchrus echinatus; C4 grasses, Urochloa brizantha, U. arrecta, and Panicum maximum; Weeds, Sorghum sp., Zea mays, Cynodon dactylon, Cyperus rotundus, and Sida glaziovii; and Nnlegume, the non-nodulating legumes Bauhinia cheilanta and Caesalpinia pyramidalis. (3)E, 15N enrichment; and NA, 15N natural abundance. (4)Patm, proportional dependence of the legume on biologically-fixed N. (5)B value was assumed to be zero (Ramos et al., 2001), -1.3‰ (Teixeira et al., 2006). (6)Stem tissue, low range is dry season, and high range is wet season. .

⁽¹⁾
Common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris; soybean, Glycine max; and groundnut, Arachis hypogaea. ⁽²⁾Wheat, Triticum aestivum; Nn, non-nodulating; Weeds, Digitaria horizontalis, Sorghum arundinaceum, and Cenchrus echinatus; C₄ grasses, Urochloa brizantha, U. arrecta, and Panicum maximum; Weeds, Sorghum sp., Zea mays, Cynodon dactylon, Cyperus rotundus, and Sida glaziovii; and Nnlegume, the non-nodulating legumes Bauhinia cheilanta and Caesalpinia pyramidalis. ⁽³⁾E, ¹⁵N enrichment; and NA, ¹⁵N natural abundance. ⁽⁴⁾P_atm, proportional dependence of the legume on biologically-fixed N. ⁽⁵⁾B value was assumed to be zero (Ramos et al., 2001RAMOS, M.G.; VILLATORO, M.A.A.; URQUIAGA, S.; ALVES, B.J.R.; BODDEY, R.M. Quantification of the contribution of biological nitrogen fixation to tropical green manure crops and the residual benefit to a subsequent maize crop using 15N-isotope techniques. Journal of Biotechnology, v.91, p.105-115, 2001. DOI: 10.1016/S0168-1656(01)00335-2.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0168-1656(01)00... ), -1.3‰ (Teixeira et al., 2006TEIXEIRA, F.C.P.; REINERT, F.; RUMJANEK, N.G.; BODDEY, R.M. Quantification of the contribution of biological nitrogen fixation to Cratylia mollis using the 15N natural abundance technique in the semi-arid Caatinga region of Brazil. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, v.38, p.1989-1993, 2006. DOI: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2005.11.013.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2005.1... ). ⁽⁶⁾Stem tissue, low range is dry season, and high range is wet season.

Table 4 δ¹³C signatures of Brazilian soils under forest and after a number of years of C₄ pasture or sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) established on cleared forest.

⁽¹⁾Equation of proportional N recovery per plant.

Table 5 Synthesis of labeled fertilizers at Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura of Universidade de São Paulo, as well as fertilizer use efficiency.

⁽¹⁾Rice, Oryza sativa; sunn hemp, Crotalaria juncea; sugarcane, Saccharum officinarum; and coffee, Coffea arabica. ⁽²⁾Recovery in plant tops, in which data in parentheses represent growth periods in days.

Table 6 The use of stable isotope δ values to authenticate Brazilian foods and beverages.

⁽¹⁾The geographic origin of the seized samples of the illicit drug marijuana has also been determined by stable isotope (¹³C, ¹⁵N) analysis (Shibuya et al., 2006SHIBUYA, E.K.; SARKIS, J.E.S.; NEGRINI NETO, O.; MOREIRA, M.Z.; VICTORIA, R.L. Sourcing Brazilian marijuana by applying IRMS analysis to seized samples. Forensic Science International, v.160, p.35-43, 2006. DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2005.08.011.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2005... ). ⁽²⁾Cachara, Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum.

Table 7 δ¹⁸O in water and δ¹³C in ethanol in wines from three regions of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil (Dutra et al., 2011DUTRA, S.V.; ADAMI, L.; MARCON, A.R.; CARNIELI, G.J.; ROANI, C.A.; SPINELLI, F.R.; LEONARDELLI, S.; DUCATTI, C.; MOREIRA, M.Z.; VANDERLINDE, R. Determination of the geographical origin of Brazilian wines by isotope and mineral analysis. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, v.401, p.1571-1576, 2011. DOI: 10.1007/s00216-011-5181-2.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-011-5181-... )⁽¹⁾ (1) Means followed by equal letters do not differ by Tukey’s test, at 5% probability. .

⁽¹⁾
Means followed by equal letters do not differ by Tukey’s test, at 5% probability.

Table 8 Brazilian institutions involved in stable isotope research in terrestrial and agroecosystems⁽¹⁾ (1) While endeavoring to be comprehensive, some institutions may have been inadvertently overlooked. (2)IRMS, isotope-ratio mass spectrometer. .

⁽¹⁾
While endeavoring to be comprehensive, some institutions may have been inadvertently overlooked. ⁽²⁾IRMS, isotope-ratio mass spectrometer.

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Embrapa Secretaria de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento; Pesquisa Agropecuária Brasileira Caixa Postal 040315, 70770-901 Brasília DF Brazil, Tel. +55 61 3448-1813, Fax +55 61 3340-5483 - Brasília - DF - Brazil
E-mail: pab@embrapa.br

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From production to consumption: tracing C, N, and S dynamics in Brazilian agroecosystems using stable isotopes

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[TFN01] ⁽¹⁾Superscript is mass number. ⁽²⁾Best measurement from a single terrestrial source. ⁽³⁾Terrestrial materials.