Soil structure development can be described with tensile and shear processes as well as the further stabilization of interparticle bonds by hydraulic, chemical, biological, and physicochemical processes. The related shrink, swell or stress strain processes, as well as organic bindings and biological glueing processes, however, define the rigidity limits of soil structure and soil functions, which also

Understanding the large-scale spatial distribution characteristics of gully development dynamics, particularly over long periods, can help in accurately identifying areas with severe gully erosion and is thus crucial for targeted gully prevention and rehabilitation efforts. This study aimed to investigate the long-term dynamics of permanent gullies on cropland in the Songnen typical black soil region

Although data regarding the effect of different types of synthetic biochar on plant performance and physical and chemical characteristics of soil is widely available, the effect of natural biochar in this respect is not well known, so far. The purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of 650-million-years old natural biochar at three application levels of 0 %, 2.5 % and 5 % by weight on

Many farmers have adopted reduced tillage management practices. While the effectiveness of these practices at reducing soil erosion and enhancing soil health are well documented, the impact of reduced tillage on plant nutritional quality is not well understood. Current interest in the role of the fungal derived antioxidant ergothioneine (ERGO) in human health has driven efforts to understand the influence

As a dynamic process in the soil, soil aggregation has a direct impact on several vital functions, including microbial activity, greenhouse gas emissions, water storage, and nutrient availability. Biochar as a recalcitrant soil amendment could potentially regulate soil functions, especially aggregation. However, there have been conflicting studies regarding the effectiveness of biochar, its variations

Management of perennial weeds has become increasingly difficult with the reduction of herbicide use. Creeping perennials accumulate reserves in specialized belowground organs from which they regenerate new plants after a disturbance. Through tool selection, tillage operations could be optimized to reduce perennial-weed reserves and limit regeneration. In the present study, the effect of five tools

Straw return is a widespread agricultural practice for improving cropland nitrogen (N) stocks. However, the contribution of microbial N to the soil aggregate N pool and the underlying microbial metabolic regulation mechanisms remain uncertain. This study was based on a 13-year field experiment with rice ( L.) and wheat ( L.) rotation, using only a chemical fertilizer alone (CF) as the control. We analyzed

Understanding land use effects on carbon sequestration in various soil fractions is vital to mitigating climate change and restoring soil functions. The objective of this study was to explore the effects of land use on soil organic carbon (SOC) fractions in different soil types. For this purpose, we studied the effects of long-term (>20 years) land use including dryland pasture (DP), irrigated pasture

Biochar is a promising carbon sequestration strategy, however, the mechanisms underlying the regulation of microbial-derived carbon (M-C) and plant-derived carbon (P-C) in soil organic carbon (SOC) formation and stabilisation remain elusive, constraining accurate predictions of the organic carbon pool. This study examined the soil biotic and abiotic factors that influence the plant and microbial biomarkers

Sustainable cropland management requires preservation of soil organic matter (SOM). In spite of in depth understanding gained from ample field and laboratory studies, we have a poor understanding of landscape scale spatial variation of fresh organic matter (OM) decomposition and its conversion into soil organic carbon (SOC). Particularly, local topographic position may be expected to co-control these

Gully erosion, with an enormous threat to global economic development and ecological security, results from the comprehensive effect of soil inherent properties and external geo-environmental factors. Previous studies on gully causative factors were mainly conducted on a specific site, case, or region, and limited systematic investigation has been performed on their spatial variation. Based on gully

Fertilizer application can affect the physicochemical properties of soil, such as the contents of large aggregates, humus, and exchangeable cations, thereby influencing soil erosion resistance. However, the rill erosion resistance and its key influencing factors of soil following long-term balanced fertilizer application remains unclear. This study aimed to analyze the change in rill erosion resistance

Continuous rotary tillage has resulted in several issues, including a thin tillage layer with low soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil compaction, impeding crop root development and resulting in low crop yields, especially in clay soils. Although deep tillage can increase crop yields by loosening the soil structure and expanding the tillage layer it is rarely applied in soils with high clay contents

Excessive application of synthetic fertilizer has resulted in serious soil degradation and significant greenhouse gases (GHGs) fluxes in farmlands. Partial organic substitution for synthetic fertilizer was considered as a possible strategy for sustainable agricultural development, but its potential effects on soil quality, GHGs emissions, and crop productivity remain unclear. A field experiment across

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) has been a valuable economic crop in arid Xinjiang, whose cotton production accounts for 90.2 % of the grand total in China. Low phosphorus (P) bioavailability brings severe restrictions for cotton production in arid regions as a result of P precipitation caused by high soil pH and Ca content. Therefore, how to utilize the biological potential to improve the efficiency

Plastic film mulching (PFM) and nitrogen (N) fertilization are two important agricultural management methods that are used to enhance crop yields in semi-arid dryland agriculture. However, the impacts of PFM and N fertilization on the temperature sensitivity (Q) of soil respiration (R), particularly its heterotrophic (R) and autotrophic (R) components, remain unclear. To investigate this, a trenching

Mapping the soil organic matter (SOM) content of cultivated lands at the regional scale is of great significance for evaluating the cultivated land quality and monitoring the soil carbon cycle, especially in the fertile black-soil area of China. The large paddy fields area is one of the characteristics of the black-soil area in Northeast China. The vast differences between paddy fields and dry lands

Understanding the effects of liming plus phosphate fertilization on soil physical and chemical properties, as well as carbon stock, is critical for improving soil fertility management under conventional till (CT) and no-till (NT) systems. This study aimed to quantify changes in these soil properties resulting from incorporation (CT) or not (NT) of limestone and phosphorus (P) in a subtropical Ferralsol

Accurately mapping the spatial distribution of soil organic matter (SOM) content is critical for informed land management decisions and comprehensive climate change analyses. Remote sensing-based SOM mapping models during periods of bare soil exposure have demonstrated efficacy in various regional studies. However, integrating bare soil imagery with growing season imagery for SOM content mapping remains

Changes in soil total nitrogen (N) content would affect wetland function and the global N cycle. Determination of spatial heterogeneity controlling factors of wetland soil total N content per unit mass is essential to assess responses of ecosystem N cycle to global change. However, such information is limited in permafrost zones because few soil profiles have been acquired and methods to predict spatial

Widespread sources of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) might threaten soil ecosystems. Most studies on NPs have been carried out in plant-free soils, which do not represent natural conditions. Monitoring the fate and possible effects of nanoparticles (NPs) in soil-plant systems is crucial for predicting their environmental consequences. Plant root systems might respond differently to Ag types/concentrations

sp. is one of the widely known spicy aromatic and medicinal plants widely used in medicine, cooking and perfumery. Biochar is an amendment to improve soil quality attributes. However, the interactive effect of cultivation and biochar application rate (BAR) on soil quality indicators in field conditions is not documented yet. This study aimed to investigate the effect of biochar of apple tree branches

Conservation agriculture and sustainable agronomic principles include several management practices such as cover cropping, no-till, and alternative fertilization rates. Each of these practices can result in changes among agricultural productivity, sustainability for future farming, and protections for the environment. These management practices are important concepts that can be applied in the production

Saturated, , and near-saturated, , soil hydraulic conductivity control many hydrological processes but they are difficult to measure. Comparing methods to determine and is a means to establish how and why these soil hydrodynamic properties vary with the applied method. A comparison was established between the and values of a sandy-loam soil obtained, in the field, with the BEST (Beerkan Estimation

In this study, we developed a new general approach to estimate the macroscopic capillary length () using different hydraulic function models and related shape parameters, along with the Haverkamp infiltration model constant. We next applied this new approach to the van Genuchten model coupled with a Burdine condition (vGB) to estimate . Then, we applied the new computation to three different methods

Conservation tillage (CS) is a widely implemented and sustainable agricultural practice. Nevertheless, there is substantial controversy regarding its influence on crop yield and the underlying factors that contribute to these effects. We conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis incorporating 5191 comparisons from 551 studies to assess the global crop yield response to CS. The overall findings indicate

Soil shrinkage during the drying process (water stress) is one of the main issues in expansive soils of paddy fields. It occurs due to decrease in soil water content, resulting in changes in soil volume and the geometry of pores, leading to the formation of cracks and higher water loss. The aim of this study was to assess the shrinkage characteristic curve and pore size of paddy soils to determine

Soil Water Retention Curve (SWRC) provides crucial information for understanding soil moisture retention, essential for agriculture, hydrology, engineering and environmental science applications. Many SWRC fitting models in the literature are based on empirical equations without a direct physical meaning. However, SWRC data is physically related to the soil’s porous structure and its interactions with

Soil structure governs the functions of soil in many ecosystems, including those dominated by agriculture, such as water and carbon storage, biomass production, and physical stability. Specifically in tropical and subtropical soils, the long-term impacts of different fertilizers on soil functionality and stability in no-till crops are poorly understood. Under subtropical climate conditions, we evaluated

Across the Brazilian Cerrado, the land area under soybean-maize (double cropping) and maize-brachiaria (intercropping) systems has been expanding. In this study, we evaluated the efficiency of P fertilization and the response of residual P compartments to i) soybean monoculture in conventional (CT) or no-tillage (NT), ii) soybean in rotation systems including the maize+brachiaria consortium; and iii)

Changes in soil pores and aggregate stability due to freeze-thaw cycles (FTCs) are important causes of increased soil erosion during snowmelt. Soil erosion causes spatial redistribution of soils, enhancing soil heterogeneity and potentially impacting soil responses to FTCs. Nonetheless, there is minimal knowledge of the responses of soils subjected to different degrees of erosion to seasonal FTCs.

Soil aggregate size, which is a proxy used to guide agricultural decisions and tillage management, can be estimated using optical remote sensing techniques. However, limited investigation has been conducted into the potential of using a physical model to retrieve soil aggregate size (< 2 mm) from different types of soil. This study is based on the multi-angular spectral measurements of seven soil samples

Continued mining operations have resulted in substantial soil degradation, necessitating the effective restoration of ecological functions in soils. Accurate and rapid measurement of soil organic matter (SOM) is essential for boosting soil fertility, supporting ecological restoration, and facilitating effective environmental management. Combining visible to near-infrared spectroscopy with machine learning

Soil aggregates, which are the basic units of soil structure, play an important role in the carbon cycle of ecosystems. The pore characteristics of aggregates influence soil organic carbon sequestration. However, studies on SOC mechanisms in aggregates have been limited to Mollisols. This study was conducted as a long-term experiment established in 2004 with a corn-soybean rotation in Mollisols. There

Long-term sustainability of intensive cropping systems in tropical soils depends on strategies to reconcile grain output, cover crops to maximize biomass yield for soil mulching, and maintaining soil organic carbon (SOC). In this study, we evaluated spatiotemporal constraints underpinning the diversification from soybean ( (L.) Merr.) monoculture under conventional tillage (CT) or no-tillage (NT) and

On-time and accurate estimation of the soil nitrogen mineralization rate (SNMR) is critical for nitrogen (N) management and protecting the environment. This study evaluated the performance of a visible-to-near-infrared reflectance (vis-NIR) spectroscopy for predicting SNMR for four texture groups. A total of 62 topsoil samples were collected from 17 management zones distributed over four fields and

This article presents a review of the equipment used in the process of determining the mechanical strength of soil, in particular with regards to the vertical loads applied. Here, devices incorporating the bevameter approach, i.e. medium and large-scale testers, are discussed. The bevameter technique is described in detail, along with the most common mathematical models relating to the vertical pressure

Precompression stress, compression index, and swelling index are used for characterizing the compressive behavior of soils, and are essential soil properties for establishing decision support tools to reduce the risk of soil compaction. Because measurements are time-consuming, soil compressive properties are often derived through pedotransfer functions. This study aimed to develop a comprehensive database

The increased focus on soil quality (SQ) aims to conserve land resources and arrest land degradation. However, there are several unknowns regarding which indicators can most effectively indicate specific SQ outcomes and ecosystem functioning. For the first time, this study aims to integrate the soil morphological properties and earthworm population with physical and chemical properties and propose

Drip irrigation with alternate use of surface water and groundwater (ADI) has been widely applied in arid regions to relieve the effects of heat stress on crop growth. However, the heat dynamics under ADI are still unclear, especially concerning the impacts of ADI on daily and seasonal fluctuations of soil temperature (). Thus, a two-year experiment was carried out during 2019–2020 in the Jiuzhuang

Prescribed fire (slash and burn) tends to impede the sustainable functionality of soil in agricultural systems. However, the use of amendment has a potential to reverse these negative effects. Prescribed fire is still used by farmers in Nigeria for land preparation before planting. This has continued to increase soil degradation in Nigeria with no agronomic activities that could ameliorate this effect

Estimating the spatiotemporal variations and driving factors of farmland soil organic carbon density (SOCD) is of great significance for enhancing soil carbon sequestration capacity. Herein, a large region of complex topography was targeted, which includes hill–mountain, valley–basin, and plain–platform. Based on the massive amounts of sampling data (57,254 measured values) and a large-scale soil map

The stability and chemical composition of SOM are related to the changes of the proportions of old and young SOM. However, there are few studies that investigated the effects of no-tillage (NT) on the stability, chemical composition, and sources of SOM. In this study, the effects of 9-years of NT on the contents of total, thermally labile and stable SOM, their chemical composition and the contributions

Soil aggregate stability plays a crucial role in influencing erodibility and soil health. This study explored the integration of cover crops and poultry litter effects on soil aggregate stability and erosion resistance in a no-till rainfed agriculture system. A five-year field experiment was conducted in an Atwood silt loam soil near Pontotoc, Mississippi in which no-till soybean was grown every year

Soil erosion is the first threat to soil functions. Reducing the soil aggregate breakdown strength is a key step to improve the soil’s ability to resist rainfall splash erosion. Soil internal forces have been found to be the initial and important forces driving aggregate turnover. The application of exogenous organic materials can effectively improve soil aggregate stability and the resistance to rainfall

Management practices in the inter-row area of olive orchards are undergoing significant transformations. Current regulations and recommendations are increasingly advocating the implementation of temporary spontaneous cover crops (TSCV) mainly to reduce erosion. Existing research has predominantly focused on evaluating the effectiveness of TSCV in mitigating soil erosion in olive orchards, with limited

A better understanding of how land management might affect soil respiration can greatly help enhancing the long-term sustainability of agricultural soils. This study investigated the effects of two key management practices, nutrient fertilization and soil tillage, on soil respiration in an intensive grassland system. Data were collected from a long-term grassland experiment established in 1970 in Northern

Microbial stoichiometry is pivotal in the soil elements cycle within terrestrial ecosystems. However, the impact of microbial stoichiometry on the phosphorus (P) pool transformation in low-P paddy soil, especially with manure addition, remains poorly understood. This study aimed to elucidate the response mechanism of microbial stoichiometry in regulating P pool transformation in two low-P paddy soils

Cover crops are an important component of sustainable agriculture, and additional carbon (C) source inputs can accelerate the soil C cycle. However, the specific processes and factors that control cover crop impact on soil organic carbon (SOC) mineralization are still uncertain. In this study, the ecological associations among SOC fractions, soil bacterial composition, microbial metabolic potential

Sustainable agriculture and eco-environment conservation face constant threats from soil erosion in mountainous regions. This study aimed to predict soil loss in the mountainous watershed by applying the Revise Universal Equation Soil Loss (RUSLE) and Sediment Delivery Ratio (SDR) models and to evaluate the efficacy of the RUSLE model through the observed data in a hydrometric station. Comparing a

Continuous wheat-maize rotation (WM) has caused soil degradation and yield reduction in the North China Plain (NCP). To explore sustainable crop systems, four diversified rotations were conducted over three 2-year cycles from 2015 to 2021: (ⅰ) Maize → WM, spring maize-WM; (ⅱ) Millet → WM, spring millet-WM; (ⅲ) Peanut → WM, spring peanut-WM; and (ⅳ) Soybean → WM, spring soybean-WM. During the third

The unsaturated zone plays a significant role in protecting groundwater resources from microbial contaminants. The mechanisms governing bacteria transport and retention in aggregated soils are still not fully understood and quantified. This study aims to investigate transport and retention in undisturbed calcareous soils under both saturated and unsaturated conditions. Series of transport experiments

Information on soil temperature is crucial for modeling hydrological and climatic processes. Nevertheless, direct measurements of soil temperature are usually rather limited in space, leading to an urgent need for improved spatial resolution. To address this issue, a Physics-Informed Neural Networks (PINN) method for estimating soil temperature () profile variations was proposed in this study. This

The rapid and accurate measurement of soil salinity is essential for assessing the level of soil salinization. In natural conditions, the surface of cohesive soda saline-alkali soil experiences shrinkage and cracking phenomena during water evaporation. The propagation and development of these desiccation cracks can be effectively described using texture features due to their statistical randomness

Pedotransfer functions (PTFs) are widely used in science and engineering to calculate soil thermal diffusivity () as a function of soil moisture content and other soil physical properties. However, available data on are rather scarce and already developed PTFs suffer from significant uncertainties in applicability and performance. Few studies attempted to systematically review and evaluate these PTFs

Cropping system diversification of cereal-cereal systems with alternative systems preferably with pulses/legumes is demand of time across the globe for sustenance of natural resources and climate resilience. Rice-chickpea has been advocated as a futuristic cropping system in rice ecologies of South Asia for diversification of dominating rice-wheat system. However, the long-term sustainability of this

Soil aggregation plays an essential role in maintaining soil structure. A three-year field experiment was undertaken to explore the effects of cover crops on soil aggregate stability indices (mean weight diameter, water-stable aggregates greater than 0.25 mm, and soil erodibility factor), size distribution and their correlations with nine soil physical and chemical properties (soil bulk density, pH

The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is a United.States of Americae government program that provides financial incentives to transition marginal croplands to permanent grass cover to conserve soil and water. Few studies have evaluated the best tillage system that maintains soil properties when converting CRP back to cropland. Our objective was to determine how converting CRP to cropland under different

Human activities, including agricultural practice, have a significant effect on soil biodiversity and function. However, little is known about the influence of agricultural practice on the microbial CO fixation potential. We applied stable isotope, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and high-throughput sequencing to study the atmospheric CO fixation rates and the composition of autotrophic -gene-harboring

Intercropping is an effective cultivation practice to develop sustainable agroecosystems and increase soil organic carbon (SOC) and nitrogen (N) with rich crop diversity. With increased duration, the changes in soil N availability might affect microbial and plant growth and consequently regulate the intercropping effects on SOC sequestration. However, the response of intercropping effects on SOC components