Conventional tillage disturbs soil structure, increasing the soil’s susceptibility to compaction by machinery traffic in sugarcane fields. In this sense, the adoption of reduced tillage or no-tillage practices associated with traffic control has been proposed to preserve the functionality of soil structure, thus reducing soil compaction and plant growth restrictions. A long-term sugarcane experiment

Nitrogen agronomic efficiency (NAE) is crucial for global food security due to its important role in determining crop yields. However, we do not know whether NAE under nitrogen (N) application changes in the long term, and what controls these temporal dynamics. These knowledge gaps could result in high uncertainty in predicting the increase in global crop yields due to N fertilization in the future

Soil compaction caused by intense machine traffic is a challenge in the sugarcane production system, but its implications can be mitigated by the higher content of soil organic matter and plant root growth provided by conservation management practices (i.e., no-tillage). Thus, we aim to study the impacts of tillage systems on the soil physical attributes, root system and yield of sugarcane propagated

Recent studies have shown that soil particle size analyses using laser diffraction method (LDM) can give compatible results compared with traditional sedimentation based methods, if the clay-silt particle size cutoff is transformed. Additionally, procedures including separation of the sand fraction by wet sieving and running a well dispersed sample of only fractions smaller than sand during laser diffraction

Land application of biosolids as a source of crop fertilizer and soil organic matter can be viewed as a sustainable approach to maintain soil productivity. Field-based experiments were conducted to examine the effects of three municipal biosolids (composted, liquid mesophilic anaerobically digested, and alkaline treated) on soil nitrogen dynamics and corn response, applied over three years in Nova

Stress propagation in soil under vehicular traffic can be simulated either analytically based on the laws of continuum mechanics or numerically using finite element (FEM) and discrete element methods (DEM). Soil stress measured by a stress probe may differ from the "true" stress (i.e. the stress without the probe), as probes under- or over-estimate soil stress. No instrument has yet been developed

This study assessed soil Phosphorus (P) fractions and lability according to crops in rotation and crop residue P inputs under long-term no-till (NT) in weathered tropical soils. Two experiments were established in split-plot designs with fall-winter as the main plot and spring as the subplots. In one experiment, sunflower and triticale were grown in Typic Rhodudalf (TR) soil in fall-winter; in the

Plastic-shed vegetable cultivation is characterized by high nitrogen (N) application rates, frequent irrigation and multiple cropping, probably leading to different soil N transformation rates compared to open-field cultivation. However, how continuous cultivation of vegetables under plastic sheds affects soil N transformation rates and associated nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions remains unclear. Here

Intensive soil disturbance by conventional tillage and heavy machinery traffic for planting, cultivation, and harvesting operations are the main causes of soil compaction and degradation of soil physical quality in sugarcane fields. However, the adoption of conservation soil tillage practices, such as no-till and reduced tillage associated with traffic control have been proposed as a key strategy to

Understanding the dynamics during the seedling emergence process has important implications in creating favourable soil conditions for improved plant emergence. In this study, a model was developed using the discrete element method (DEM). The model simulated the emergence process of a canola seedling under six different soil compaction levels (L1 to L6). In the model, soil was represented by 2-mm spherical

Monitoring soil water use at the plot level is essential for studying the plant’s response to drought or irrigation. However, the current soil monitoring system using moisture sensors is impractical. Soil electromagnetic induction (EMI) surveys can be a rapid, convenient, and non-invasive solution for monitoring soil moisture changes at the plot level. This study developed a crop water use monitoring

Soil aggregate stability is an important parameter that indicates soil resistance to erosion and the potential productivity of sloping farmland. The cultivated-layer (0–20 cm) of typical sloping purple soil (entisol) farmland around the Three Gorges Reservoir was studied. In-situ controls test and shovel test were used to determine the response of water stable aggregates to two factors, degree of erosion

The frequent occurrence of unprecedented droughts has necessitated strategies for enhancing water use efficiency to boost agricultural production. Water-absorbing polymer (WAP) has emerged as a viable option for water stress management. However, the sensitivity of these hydrophilic WAP’s to the external ionic medium significantly affects their water absorption capacity. Therefore, the combined or hybrid

Central Santa Fe (Argentina) is a low-gradient region with impaired natural drainage. Extreme rainfall events are increasingly common and cause significant economic losses to agriculture. There is a growing interest in the use of mole drainage as a cost-effective strategy to mitigate such impacts. However, there is no information available that assists with mole drainage design, installation and maintenance

The application of biochar in agricultural ecosystems is a viable strategy for mitigating climate change and ensuring food security. Northeast China is China’s main maize-growing region, as well as the country's greatest commodity grain base. However, due to a lack of long-term field investigations, information on the effects of biochar on soil CO2 emissions and C sequestration in brown soil in Northeast

Aggregate-associated soil organic carbon (SOC) controls organic carbon stabilization. The research question of this paper was: what were the effects of conversion of forest land uses to agriculture at Ranchi, India on SOC pools, soil aggregation and aggregate-associated C? The samples were taken from six different land uses viz. native forest (NF), agri-horticulture (AH), native grass land (NG), rice-wheat

Abstract not available

Land rolling has become a popular practice in soybean and pulse production in the Northern Great Plains. The practice of land rolling is simply pulling a large-scale cylindrical roller over a cultivated field to push down stones and improve seed-to-soil contact. Many soybean farms in Manitoba are routinely rolled either immediately after seeding or at the very early stages of crop development. There

Farm tractors have different driving systems, including four-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive which are common systems employed to conduct agricultural operations all over the world. The type of driving system influences tractor wheel slip which is one of the most effective factors in soil compaction. Hence a series of experiments were conducted using Goldoni 240 tractor to investigate the effects

No-till (NT) is a sustainable alternative to conventional-till (CT), however, the impacts of NT and its duration on the depth distribution of soil organic carbon (SOC), physical and hydrological parameters are less studied. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the changes in soil hydro-physical properties and X-ray computed tomography (XCT)-derived macropore characteristics to a depth

The selection of an appropriate soil tillage system for improving yields and longevity is an important decision in sugarcane cultivation. In the present study, the effects of different soil tillage systems and methods of applying lime on sugarcane stalk and sugar yield performance as well as soil fertility parameters were evaluated throughout the sugarcane crop cycle. The experiments were established

Simulating cropland soil carbon changes following a reduction in tillage intensity is necessary to determine the utility of this management practice in climate change mitigation. In instances where reduced or no tillage increases soil carbon stocks, this is typically due to reduced decomposition rates of plant residues. Although some soil carbon models contain a priori decomposition rate modifiers

Abstract not available

Despite rice residue burning is popularized against its retention under rice-wheat system in the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP), limited information is available on the impacts of long-term rice residue burning versus its retention on carbon stock, soil aggregation and aggregated-associated carbon in the region. Hence, a 18 (1998–2016) years old conservation agriculture (different combinations of tillage

Compaction of subsoils is a steady increasing challenge as induced by the increase in weight as well as power of field machinery. We performed a field experiment with two different machinery systems used in slurry application. A tractor-trailer combination (TT) was compared to a tricycle-like self-propelled machine with traction on all three wheels (SP). The maximum wheel load was 88 and 114 kN for

Soil structure influences the soil hydraulic properties, aeration and resistance to root penetration. Many indicators can be used to investigate the changes of soil structure, but using a single indicator or method has limitations. This study evaluates the effects of 15-years tillage management on soil structure with soil bulk density (BD), penetrometer resistance (PR), soil water retention curve (SWRC)

Nitrate leaching from agricultural production systems threatens groundwater and surface water quality. Grazing of forage crops can result in high inputs of urinary-N and soil compaction from livestock treading. However, the effects of soil compaction from winter grazing on nitrate leaching are poorly understood. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that the effects of soil compaction

The rise of medium-scale farmers across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is offering Conservation agriculture (CA) a new perspective. Such farmers not only cultivate increasingly large land areas but also provide machinery services, share knowledge, and can act as role models to smallholders. Although mechanization may incentivize CA adoption in SSA, little research has focused on the performance of mechanized

Recycling organic waste (OW) in agriculture can improve soil fertility and substitute chemical fertilizers depending on the OW and their treatment. The effects of OW have often been studied in simplified cropping systems to strengthen the observed effects. The objective of this study was thus to evaluate the long-term effects of different types of OW used at European regulatory rates on C storage,

Gas diffusion can be used to quantify soil quality and structural development that is strongly affected by soil use and management practices. There is a lack of information about the quantitative effect of tillage combined with crop sequences on soil structure. This study aimed to quantify the effects of tillage and crop sequences on soil bulk density, gas diffusivity, air-filled porosity, and the

Tillage practices change microtopography and hydrological process, which significantly affects soil erosion. The objective of this study is understanding storm-driven microtopography development under different tillage practices and its effects on runoff and soil erosion. A series of simulated rainfall experiments with an intensity of 2.0 mm min−1 were implemented on three 4 m by 0.8 m soil boxes on

Subsoiling loose subsoil, plowing loose topsoil, burying crop residue, the take turns used of subsoiling and plowing in years seem to be good methods to achieve the goal of regulating topsoil and subsoil structure and improving soil fertility and crop yield. However, the evaluation of the long-term effects of a subsoiling and plowing yearly rotation in a crop residue retention cropping system is lacking

Several studies have reported a frequent occurrence of platy structures in soils under no tillage (NT), mostly in silty ones. The objective of this study was to evaluate the morphological features and the pore architecture of a soil under NT and their effects on hydro-physical variables. The study was conducted on a Typic Argiudoll in a site located in the Rolling Pampa, NE of the Buenos Aires province

Conversion from synthetic nitrogen (N) fertilizer to organic manure has been well documented to effectively mitigate nitric oxide (NO) emissions in the current year or growing season. However, a clear understanding of NO emissions following long-term manure substitution is lacking. We hypothesize that soil conditions (particularly the accumulation of organic matter) following long-term manure substitution

Although the variable-rate manure application (VRMA) offers a promising solution to overcome the shortcomings of the conventional uniform-rate (UR) application, effectively incorporating this technique into precision agriculture solutions presents a substantial challenge. This study entailed developing a quantitative analysis tool to calculate manure consumption, evaluate environmental risks, and compare

the climax community species, especially their roots, have been found very helpful to increase slope stability and reinforce the soil on the Loess Plateau of China. However, the effect of root-soil shear resistance is poorly understood on plant roots mechanical traits and chemical compositions on the Loess Plateau. Thus, this study evaluated the correlations among root mechanical properties, root chemical

In this work, Sentinel-2A images were used to estimate maize residue cover (MRC) using tillage indices (TIs) and textural features. A MRC estimation model based on partial least squares regression (PLSR) was constructed using different features and methods (TIs method, textural feature method, and combination method). Results showed that the normalized difference tillage index (NDTI; r:0.854; R2: 0

As an integrated parameter for soil structure and function, aggregate stability is crucial to soil quality and erodibility, resulting in extensive studies on the formation and stability mechanisms of aggregates, especially for heavy-textured soils. Granitic soils with a wide range of particle composition are concentrated by large-scale permanent gullies in subtropical China, while limited information

Reduced tillage practices, including no-till, have been proposed to reduce NO3- leaching in agricultural soils. However, this is not universally supported by experimental data, and the effect of reduced tillage on NO3- leaching is likely connected to the interaction between macropore flow and resident solutes. To investigate this, we carried out infiltration experiments on intact soil cores from conventionally

Fertilizers can affect formation, size distribution and stability of soil aggregates in agricultural ecosystems. Although many independent studies have been recently carried out to understand the effects of fertilizers on soil aggregates in farmland ecosystems of China, the results remain widely contradictory. A meta-analysis was conducted using a total number of 1286 observations from 100 publications

Biopore recycling is the process during which roots ingress into existing biopores instead of creating new ones. Previous studies investigated biopore recycling in rather artificial conditions, e.g., with artificially created vertical macropores, by neglecting the smaller biopore diameter classes or by focusing on high bulk density soil material only. To address these shortcomings, we designed a soil

Several studies on soil physical quality have related soil structural properties to bulk density, proposing values for critical limits in relation to the soil compaction status. However, these values are not applicable to Andosols due to their very low bulk density (< 0.9 Mg m−3). This work aimed to evaluate the short-term effects of soil compaction on the soil physical quality of an Andosol. The experiment

Prevention of soil compaction requires examining soil mechanical stability. This is usually done by applying the basic concept of the pre-compression stress σp, assuming a fully elastic behavior for soils being loaded by stresses lower than σp and a mixture of elastic-plastic behavior being loaded by higher stresses. However, a small cumulative plastic deformation may occur even when the applied stresses

Sustainable agriculture should aim to increase biomass yield and yield stability, while protecting soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) content. However, few studies have concurrently explored changes in biomass yield, yield stability and soil C and N content under different cropping systems targeting biorefinery. In this study, 10 different cropping systems were simultaneously investigated from 2012 to

Long-term fertilization regimes can substantially change soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics within different soil fractions. However, the underlying mechanisms of these effects, particularly under manure substitution regimes, remain elusive. Soils from different fertilization regimes [i.e., control, mineral NPK fertilization, and NPK with three manure substitution rates (30%, 50%, and 70%)] in a 33-year

Improving water use efficiency is an effective way to conserve water in agriculture. Drip irrigation is a water-saving irrigation technology that has been adopted worldwide. Film mulching can prevent undesired water vaporization losses and enhance soil surface temperature. This study used a meta-analysis to assess the effects of mulching on crop yield (CY) and water use efficiency (WUE) under drip

In arid and semiarid areas with frequent dust storms, reasonable planting modes and crop residue measures could prevent dust storms that originate from local farmlands and address key factors for wind erosion control. The considered crop residue modes included all harvesting with no residue in a Cyperus esculentus L. (C.) monoculture setting (AH), retention of 1 ridge and harvesting of 3 ridges in

Purple nonsulfur bacteria (PNSB) can potentially improve rice growth, grain yield and soil fertility in acid sulfate soils (ASS) by acting as biofertilizers and bioremediators. Six strains of acid resistant PNSB (Rhodopseudomonas palustris; TLS12, VNS19, VNS32, VNS62 and VNW95, and Rhodopseudomonas harwoodiae TLW42) were evaluated, as single cultures and a mixed culture of the six strains, for their

Designing suitable conservation tillage and rice straw management practices are vital to conserve limited soil water in sloping terraced lands for growing a second crop like lentil (Lens esculentum L.) after rice (Oryza sativa L.). A field study was conducted to evaluate the effects of tillage, rice straw management and supplemental irrigation on soil physico-chemical properties and productivity of

Impacts of tillage-induced surface conditions on modification of the soil-crop-atmospheric interface have not been adequately studied. There is poor quantitative understanding at the intersection of tillage and surface energy balance (SEB), especially for the complete growing season. This research measured and evaluated SEB fluxes, i.e., net radiation (Rn), latent heat (LE), sensible heat (H), and

In Ethiopia, soil fertility problem caused by acidity substantially limits agricultural productivity, necessitating sustainable integrated nutrient management. This study assessed the effect of combined application of lime, manure and inorganic fertilizer on selected hydrophysical properties of an acid clay Nitisols in the Koga irrigation scheme, Ethiopia. Five levels of integrated soil fertility management

Saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) is controlled by a suite of soil processes operating at various scales. Little is known about the spatial variability of Ks along a slope and how it is changed through the planting operation process and the specific scales at which the controlling factors function. The objective was to characterize the scale-dependent relationships between Ks and various soil processes

Straw retention has the potential to improve soil phosphorus (P) availability, but the question on how straw retention under different P level influences the activity of soil P-related enzymes and thus the transformfiation of soil organic P (Po) remains poorly understood. A four-year field experiment (2016–2019) was established to investigate the impacts of straw retention under different P fertilizer

Grazing exclusion is proposed as an effective strategy for to recover degraded grasslands and increase carbon accumulation. However, few studies have explored the response of soil organic carbon (SOC) and its components to grazing exclusion during long-term succession. In this study, we collected soils from sites with a chronosequence of ~33 years after grazing exclusion with randomized and replicated

The challenge of reducing the environmental contamination related to agricultural practices to improve nitrogen (N) use efficiency (NUE), carbon (C) sequestration, and crop yield, requires efficient N fertilization and management strategies. We carried out a field experiment from 2016 to 2018 exploring the effect of the gradual replacement of mineral N with organic manure N on soil properties, soil