Although many farmers in the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) are currently adopting zero tilled wheat (ZTW), limited information is available on the impacts of conservation tillage and conservation agriculture (CA) practices on soil aggregation, glomalin content, soil enzymatic activities and their inter-relationships. Hence, this study investigated the effects of direct seeded rice (DSR)-ZTW, DSR-ZTW with

No-tillage with residue coverage has been proven for protection of agricultural soils worldwide. However, in Northeast China, inconsistent maize yields under no-tillage system have hindered the broad adoption of this practice and its mechanisms in yield reduction remain unclear. This study therefore aimed to determine key factors affecting growth and yield of maize under no-tillage with residue coverage

Tillage erosion is a relevant process of soil redistribution in sloping arable land, but little research has analysed the effect of shallow tillage on soil erosion in vineyards. The goal of this study was to quantify the soil tillage effect on soil translocation and erosion at the territorial level in a large vineyard area in Sicily. The soil loss and soil erosion tolerance limits were compared to

Spectral techniques such as visible-to-near-infrared (VIS–NIR) and mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopies have been regarded as effective alternatives to laboratory-based methods for determining soil organic carbon (SOC). Research to explore the potential of the fusion of VIS–NIR and MIR absorbance for improving SOC prediction is needed, since each individual spectral range may not contain sufficient information

Soil aggregate stability is often used as the key indicate to evaluate soil degradation or soil erodibility. Numerous studies have indicated that biological soil crusts (biocrusts) can stabilise the soil surface by increasing the aggregate stability. In the end of the 20th century, the “Grain for Green” ecological project was implemented in most areas of the Loess Plateau, leading to the widespread

Continuous cropping of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) can result in soil degradation and yield decline. These negative effects could be alleviated by crop rotation. Green manure-potato rotation is being proposed as an alternative that can sustain high yield and soil quality in potato production system. However, the mechanisms by which biotic and abiotic factors are affected by different cropping sequences

Soil salinization is a serious environmental problem in arid and semi-arid regions, affecting crop yields and jeopardizing the food security of affected households. A common prescription to ameliorate salt-affected soils is the application of gypsum. However, little is known about the factors that motivate land managers to adopt gypsum and its likely effect on crop yields in different agro-ecological

Recultivation of disturbed lands is very important task of science and practice at large territories of mining in Siberia as in other regions of Russia and other countries. Condition of physical properties of new-formed soils technozems (Technosols) is one of key questions for future state and usage of these lands. Changes of technozem's physical properties over time as part of land restoration and

Soil physical degradation is a current problem in Molisols of the Pampas Region under no-tillage (NT), that has been related to over-simplified agricultural systems with scarce or no rotations and long winter bare fallows. Soil physical quality (SPQ) is a key factor of soil health and productivity, as it controls root development and air and water fluxes and storage in the soil, which in turn affect

Nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria (NFC) biofertilizers have demonstrated great potential in improving rice yield and soil fertility. However, few studies have systematically evaluated the effects of combined application of NFC biofertilizers and chemical nitrogen (N) fertilizer on ammonia (NH3) volatilization and rice N absorption in red soil paddy fields. Therefore, we conducted a 2-year single cropping

The adoption of different row spacing configurations has been advocated as a possible solution to mitigate the problems related to soil compaction in sugarcane areas due to the frequent use of heavy agricultural machines. This study aimed to (i) identify factors that influence the relationships of biometric attributes of sugarcane and attributes of an Oxisol soil under different scenarios in Southern

Evaluation of soil properties that enable aggregates to resist breakdown from impacting water drops is useful in modeling soil erosion process and tillage of some tropical soils. The effect of applications of poultry manure and spent mushroom wastes on soil properties related to resistance of aggregates of a degraded ultisol to water drops detachment energy (D) in southern Nigeria was studied. The

Weed control is important to improve crop yield in organic farming. In Northern Europe, the use of mechanical weed control restricts the ability to use green manure-cover crops that could be a key source of N supply. In a two-year experiment repeated twice, the objective of this study was to compare the effect of cover crop- and autumn tillage-based systems on N uptake of the succeeding barley crop

For decades, conservation tillage has been promoted as a measure to increase carbon stocks in arable soils. Since organic farming improves soil quality and soil carbon storage, reduced tillage under organic farming conditions may further enhance this potential. Therefore, we assessed soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks of reduced tillage compared with mouldboard ploughing in nine organic farming field

Saline-sodic soils are susceptible to wind and water erosion when the dispersive effect of sodium overcomes inter-particle bonds. Rheological parameters of viscoelasticity can help to quantify inter-particle attractive forces and account for the effect of salinity in these soils. The main objective of the present study was to investigate the viscoelasticity behavior of saline-sodic soils of the Sirjan

Runoff of nutrients and sediment from agricultural catchments can impair the health and resilience of aquatic ecosystems in receiving waterbodies. The sugarcane (Saccharum sp.) industry in Australia has adopted strategies to improve farm runoff water quality. Rainfall simulation trials were conducted to quantify the relative effectiveness of some sugarcane soil and fertiliser management practices on

The dynamics of the soil organic carbon (SOC) pool and the mechanisms that underpin those dynamics are at the frontier of terrestrial carbon (C) cycling research. Soil erosion seriously affects the migration and redistribution of SOC, driving a critical part of the C cycle. In this study, soil samples were collected from a 14.69 m sediment profile formed between 1960 and 2017, which was located in

Reducing the usage and residue of plastic mulch film, but not productivity, is crucial for the sustainable development of dryland farming. The re-used mulching of plastic film (directly cropping on the already used plastic film) was tested compared to no-mulch and new mulching (mulching new film each year), in the grain maize, forage maize, and faba bean cropping systems. The new mulch significantly

As phosphorus (P) is a finite, non-renewable resource, it should be used as efficiently as possible. Different placement methods (broadcast, band, deep band, and others) can optimize the P supply for plants. Therefore, this meta-analysis evaluated 39 studies involving four major crops wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), maize (Zea mays L.), soybean (Glycine max L.), and oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) concerning

Knowledge of phosphorus (P) sorption and desorption properties of different soils can help predict the availability of added P, which is of importance in terms of managing soil fertility problems and P environmental impacts. As biochar has become widely utilized as an amendment in agricultural soils over the past decades, the present study mainly aims at investigating the effect of wheat straw-derived

The Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) is a promising technique for soil fertility analysis in a rapid and environmentally friendly way. This application requires the selection of an optimal modelling procedure capable of handling the high spectral resolution of LIBS. This work aimed at comparing different modelling methods of LIBS data for the determination of key fertility attributes in

Whether spectral feature parameters (SFPs) can be effectively used to predict soil organic matter (SOM), and its spatial transferability was tested for different regions. In this study, a hybrid model was proposed based on SFPs and local regression method. The topsoil spectra of 221 soil samples from Sanjiang Plain and 187 soil samples from Nong’an county in Northeast China were re-sampled (at 0.01 µm

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of soil tillage and crop type on soil respiration (Rs) in a typical Central European agricultural site characterized by crop rotation. The weekly Rs and supporting environmental variables were measured under different crop types (including winter and summer crops) for 5 consecutive years under mouldboard ploughing (MP) and no-tillage (NT) treatments

Aluminum toxicity is a key determinant of crop yield for acid soils. Techniques used to characterize a soil’s exchangeable Al content often yield discordant results, thus impeding the implementation of corrective measures. We critically compared three such techniques – back-titration, ICP-AES, and 27Al NMR – for a tropical Oxisol under long-term (8-years) no-till cultivation involving four different

Recently conservation agriculture (CA) using the principles of zero tillage, crop residue management and suitable crop rotation has gained the momentum and quite popular among the farmers. Researchers throughout the globe have shown the potential of CA in enriching soil organic carbon storage in various soil types and cropping systems. But there is very limited study on the effect of CA on soil humic

Conversion from conventional tillage to no-till in surface irrigated agroecosystems is low, mostly due to difficulties crop residue creates for water surface flow if no-till is implemented. A three-year continuous corn (Zea mays L.) study was conducted to evaluate the effects of residue management (retained yet mechanically moved out of the irrigation furrow, grazed, or baled/removed) and tillage (conventional

Mediterranean silvopastoral systems provide a wide range of ecosystem services, among which soil C sequestration is one of the most relevant. Although the role of trees in enhancing soil C content of silvopastoral systems is widely recognized, the impacts of the tree cover on the overall soil C balance and hence the soil C sequestration rates are not clear enough to identify feasible options and effective

Limited research is available on sediment provenance of snowmelt erosion. In this study, a Bayesian mixing model-based fingerprint tracing technique was used to estimate the relative sediment source contributions for snowmelt erosion in the black soil region of Northeast China, which experiences severe snowmelt erosion. Relative sediment contributions were estimated under two source classification

Straw return affects the soil N supply; however, the mechanisms underlying the effects of different straw types and substance additions on soil N availability remain elusive. This study compared net N mineralization (NNM) in soils with various straw management histories under rotations rice-fallow (RF), rice-wheat (RW) and rice-potato with straw mulch (RP) during 2003–2017. The soils were then subjected

Modelling of the tillage process by working tools based on the method of discrete elements is currently the most promising. The results of modelling the processing process obtained by the method of discrete elements adequately describe the behaviour of the soil. Due to the large number of physical and mechanical parameters included in the description of contact models of discrete elements, the calibration

Historically, machinery with wheels and tires has dominated the agricultural machinery market, despite the rapidly growing popularity of rubber tracks. However, notwithstanding the rather long development history of wheels, unresolved problems remain. Most of these are associated with a reduction in the harmful effects on the soil. The aim of this study was to reduce the levels of load on agricultural

Aggregates are functional units to describe the impact of soil structural changes on physical and biogeochemical processes in soil. Both incubation and field experiments have shown that changing agricultural practices could reshape the intra-aggregate structure in a matter of days, but most such data were obtained from a single time-point and it is hence impossible to interpret that such a change was

Wind erosion is known to be a gradual process of soil degradation on arable lands. Poultry manure fertilization is a common practice to improve physical, chemical and biological soil properties, and is thus an essential part to maintain soil fertility. Shortly after incorporation, poultry manure and soil particles are loosely adjacent without any bonding. This supposedly affects the susceptibility

In modern agriculture, mineral fertilizers are considered to be a significant enhancing factor. They promote soil fertility, particularly in sandy soils. Farmers should be aware of the effects of fertilizers on the soil environment. Here, we report the results of three long-term experiments with durations of 25, 41 and 94 years conducted in a sandy soil at the experimental station of the Warsaw University

Achieving sustainability is a worldwide current concern in agriculture that brings important challenges but also opportunities for rethinking agroecosystems. While many studies focused on tillage effects upon soil organisms, few of them have considered this into a temporal framework. In a study conducted in actual field conditions, we evaluated at short-term (7 months) the dynamic of several abiotic

Moisture is one of the most important factors affecting soil reflectance spectra. However, provisional and dynamic behavior of soil moisture (SM) in salty soils reduce the capability of field spectrometry in the estimation of soil properties. This study aims minimising the effect of SM on the accuracy of visible and near-infrared (VNIR) spectra estimation of clay, calcium carbonate (CaCO3), and organic

Crop straw return is being widely applied as a sustainable soil management practice to improve soil organic carbon (SOC) storage in intensive agricultural ecosystems. However, the dynamics and chemical composition of SOC under long-term straw return are not fully understood. Based on a 15-year field experiment with soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill.)–maize (Zea mays L.) cropping system, we studied

It is required to employ variable rate (VR) tillage because the soil is not uniform and immense spatial variability is available inside the agricultural fields. A conventional rotary tiller was instrumented to instantly vary the tillage intensity based on the tilled soil surface roughness measurement. The random roughness (RR) was estimated as the standard deviation of surface peaks and depressions

Soil sodicity is a major ecological problem in the western Songnen Plain of Northeast China and rice cultivation is the main approach used to mitigate saline-sodic soils. However, rice cultivation alone may not be the most effective practice. This study aimed to investigate the combined effects of annual tillage and rice cultivation with either phosphogypsum or farmyard manure on soil salinity, mineral

The use of irrigation systems in rice and other crops cultivated under aerobic conditions in lowland leveling soils has increased worldwide. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of land leveling operations on the soil physical quality (SPQ), mainly on water retention and aeration in a lowland soil in Southern Brazil. A 10 × 10 m-grid was established before and after land leveling in a 1.0 ha-experimental

Land use, soil organic carbon content and bulk density are important factors influencing the occurrence of soil water repellency (SWR) and water flow through the soil profile. This study elucidated the relations between the repellency index (RI) and contents of soil organic carbon (SOC), organic-complexed aluminium (Alp) and iron (Fep), pH, specific surface area (SSA) and bulk density in the ortstein

Soil pores can be functionally classified into macro-, meso- and micropores. The volume of these pores is highly affected by constitutive and state components of soils, such as particle size distribution and degree of compactness. In this study, we aimed to examine the impact of soil texture and degree of compactness on total porosity, and distribution of macro-, meso- and micropores. Undisturbed soil

The consensus for mechanisms controlling soil organic matter (SOM) persistence has shifted from traditional views based on SOM recalcitrance to a new paradigm based on SOM stabilization controlled by soil minerals and aggregates. Recent studies indicate that the origin, composition and molecular diversity of SOM are crucial to the decomposition and stabilization of SOM. However, it is not fully understood

Soil compaction constrains root growth and crop yield. Previous studies have shown that localized nutrient supply can significantly improve maize plant growth in field conditions at the early growth stage. However, this promoting effect has not been tested in the compacted soil. We describe 2-year field experimentation on a fluvo-aquic soil in the North China Plain to investigate the effect of localized

Soil moisture is crucial in governing land surface processes that have an important influence on the yield and quality of crops. Therefore, it is essential to establish criteria for appropriate mean soil moisture monitoring strategy in order to obtain a representative mean soil moisture value of a farmer’s field. In this study, the plant available water capacity was introduced as an auxiliary variable

While water and wind erosion are part of intensive research activities all over the world, soil loss due to crop harvesting (SLCH) is rarely acknowledged. SLCH occurs in tuber and root crops, which were cultivated on at least 1.1 million km2 worldwide in 2019. Thus, 8.4% of arable soils were affected by this kind of soil loss which can reach erosion rates of 22 Mg ha−1 harvest−1. Although these erosion

Long-term effects of applying pyrolysed [biochar (BC)] or un-pyrolysed [rice straw (RS) and farmyard manure (FYM)] organic materials individually or their co-application on soil irrigated with saline water (SW) is not well known. An incubation study was conducted for 52 weeks with soil collected from plots irrigated with water of variable electrical conductivity (EC) [SW of EC 10 and 15 dS m-1 and

The aim of the article is to demonstrate the effect of setting the length of the upper link of the three-point hitch on the change in the load of the in-furrow wheel and the on-land wheel of the tractor during ploughing. Furthermore, attention is paid to the load on the rear wheels together with the tyre inflation pressure and their effect on the contact pressure under the tractor wheels. The tractor’s