Abstract. Biochar has been widely used for the in-situ remediation in the cadmium (Cd) contaminated soil, while the high-cost of biochar limited its application in farmland. In this study, we firstly investigated the possibility of cooperative application of oyster shell and biochar to enhance Cd immobilization efficiency and reduce the cost in field experiments under rice-oilseed rape rotation. Treatments

Subsoil carbon (C) stocks are a prime target for efforts to increase soil C storage for climate change mitigation. However, subsoil C dynamics are not well understood, especially in soils under long-term intensive agricultural management. We compared subsoil C storage and soil organic matter (SOM) composition in tomato–corn rotations after 25 years of differing C and nutrient management in the California

Rhizosheath size varies significantly with crop genotype, and root exudation is one among its driving factors. Unravelling the relationships between rhizosheath formation, root exudation and soil carbon dynamics may bring interesting perspectives in terms of crop breeding towards sustainable agriculture. Here we grew four pearl millet (C4 plant type: δ13C of −12.8 ‰, F14C = 1.012) inbred lines showing

Crop rotation and biofertilizer application have historically been employed as efficient management strategies for soil-borne disease suppression through soil microbiome manipulation. However, how this occurs and to what extent the combination of methods affects the microbiota reconstruction of diseased soil is unknown. In this study, pineapple–banana rotation combined with biofertilizer application

Agricultural plastic covers made from polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) provide increased yields and an improved crop quality. However, such covers are suspected of partially breaking down into smaller debris and thereby contributing to soil pollution with microplastics. To scrutinize this, we randomly sampled 240 topsoil cores (0–5 cm) from eight fields which were covered with fleeces, perforated

Abstract. Understanding the relationship between soil microbial taxonomic compositions and functional profiles is essential for predicting ecosystem functions under various environmental disturbances. However, even though microbial communities are sensitive to disturbance, ecosystem functions remain relatively stable, as soil microbes are likely to be functionally redundant. Microbial functional redundancy

At the early stages of pedogenesis, the dynamics of phosphorus (P) in soils are controlled by microbial communities, the physicochemical properties of the soil and the environmental conditions. While various microorganisms involved in carrying out biogeochemical processes have been identified, little is known about the actual contribution of microbial processes, such as organic P hydrolysis and microbial

Biochar is purported to provide agricultural benefits when added to the soil, through changes in saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat) and increased nutrient retention through chemical or physical means. Despite increased interest and investigation, there remains uncertainty regarding the ability of biochar to deliver these agronomic benefits due to differences in biochar feedstock, production method

Abstract. Microplastic is recognized as a factor of global change affecting many environmental compartments. Agricultural soils are likely hotspots of microplastic contamination in terrestrial ecosystems and are of particular concern due to their role in food production. Microplastic has already been shown to be able to affect soil properties, but its effect on different soil types is poorly understood

Abstract. Free amino acids (FAAs) in soil play an important role in the soil nitrogen cycle and plant nutrition. However, the attributing factors and migration characteristics of free amino acid pools in paddy soils after green manure application during the entire growth period of rice have not been elucidated. In this study, a single application of chemical fertilizer (CK) was used as a control under

Abstract. The management of agricultural soils during crop establishment can affect root development by changes to soil structure. This paper assesses the influence of tillage depth (250 mm, 100 mm & zero) and traffic management (conventional tyre pressure, low tyre pressure & no traffic) on wheat root system architecture during winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) tillering and flowering growth stages

Abstract. Addition of organic wastes such as animal manures and straw is a feasible practice to alleviate soil degradation, and the mitigation is closely related to the activities of soil-dwelling fauna. In this study, the community structure of soil fauna were compared under four treatment regimes: straw only, and straw combined with the use of chicken manure, ox manure and pig manure. A total of

Land degradation negatively impacts water, food, and nutrition security and is leading to increased competition for resources. While landscape restoration has the potential to restore ecosystem function, understanding the drivers of degradation is critical for prioritizing and tracking interventions. We sampled 300–1000 m2 plots using the Land Degradation Surveillance Framework across Nyagatare and

Despite the importance of soil organic matter (SOM) in the global carbon cycle, there remain many open questions regarding its formation and preservation. The study of individual organic compound classes that make up SOM, such as lipid biomarkers including n-alkanes, can provide insight into the cycling of bulk SOM. While studies of lipid biomarkers, particularly n-alkanes, have increased in number

Abstract. Benzobicyclon is a triketone pro-herbicide that needs to be hydrolyzed to form an active compound benzobicyclon hydrolysate (BH). This study aimed to investigate the migration behavior of BH in different types of agricultural soil and the associated influencing factors. Soil thin-layer chromatography and column leaching tests were used to study the migration behavior of BH in these soils

Abstract. Soils and landscapes can show complex, non-linear evolution, especially under changing climate or land use. Soil-landscape evolution models (SLEMs) are increasingly equipped to simulate the development of soils and landscapes over long timescales under these changing drivers, but provide large data output that can be difficult to interpret and communicate. New tools are required to analyse

Tracing the origin of sediment is needed to improve our knowledge of hydro-sedimentary dynamics at the catchment scale. Several fingerprinting approaches have been developed to provide this crucial information. In particular, spectroscopy provides a rapid, inexpensive and non-destructive alternative technique to the conventional analysis of the geochemical properties. Here, we investigated the performance

Abstract. Biochar production and application as soil amendment is a promising carbon (C) negative technology to increase soil C sequestration and mitigate climate change. However, there is a lack of knowledge about biochar degradation rate in soil and its effects on native soil organic carbon (SOC), mainly due to the absence of long term experiments performed in field conditions. The aim of this work

Abstract. The saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat) is a key soil hydraulic property governing agricultural production. However, the influence of conversion from conventional tillage (CT) to conservation tillage (CS) (including no tillage (NT) and reduced tillage (RT)) on Ksat of soils is not well understood and still debated. In this study, we applied a global meta-analysis method to synthesize

Abstract. Improving N cycling in agroecosystems is one of the key challenges in reducing the environmental footprint of agriculture. Further, uncertainty in precipitation makes crop water management relevant in regions where it has not been necessary thus far. Here, we focus on the potential of winter-killed catch crops to reduce N leaching losses from N mineralization over the winter and soil water

Abstract. Thermogravimetry (TG) is a simple method that enables rapid analysis of soil properties such as the content of total organic C, nitrogen, clay and C fractions with different stability. However, the possible link between TG data and microbiological soil properties has not been systematically tested yet and limits TG application for soil and soil organic matter assessment. This work aimed to

Abstract. Recycling of agricultural wastes to reduce mineral fertilizer input, in particular phosphorous (P), plays crucial role in sustainable agriculture production. Understanding the transformation of phosphorous (P) fractions and their bioavailability following soil application of different renewable P-contained fertilizers is very important for improving P use efficiency and reducing environmental

Abstract. Soil organic carbon (SOC), as the largest terrestrial carbon pool, has the potential to influence climate change and mitigation, and consequently SOC monitoring is important in the frameworks of different international treaties. There is therefore a need for high resolution SOC maps. Machine learning (ML) offers new opportunities to do this due to its capability for data mining of large datasets

The nitrogen-15 (15N) natural abundance composition (δ15N) in soils or plants is a useful tool to indicate the openness of ecosystem N cycling. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of the experimental warming on soil and plant δ15N. We applied a global meta-analysis method to synthesize 79 and 76 paired observations of soil and plant δ15N from 20 published studies, respectively. Results showed

Low soil fertility is challenging the sustainable production of yam and other staple crops in the yam belt of West Africa. Quantitative soil measures are needed to assess soil fertility decline and to improve crop nutrient supply in the region. We developed and tested a mid-infrared (mid-IR) soil spectral library to enable timely and cost-efficient assessments of soil properties. Our collection included

Information on soil properties is crucial for soil preservation, the improvement of food security, and the provision of ecosystem services. In particular, for the African continent, spatially explicit information on soils and their ability to sustain these services is still scarce. To address data gaps, infrared spectroscopy has achieved great success as a cost-effective solution to quantify soil properties

Abstract. In our previous studies, we filtered out fungus (Trichoderma reesei) to have the best ability to transform corn straw into a humic acid-like substance through laboratory incubation experiments. In order to further verify our former findings, we set up a 360 day-field experiment that included three treatments applied under equal C mass: (i) corn straw returned to the field (CS), (ii) fermented

Abstract. Including information about soil microbial communities into global decomposition models is critical for predicting and understanding how ecosystem functions may shift in response to global change. Here we combined a standardised litter bag method for estimating decomposition rates, Tea Bag Index (TBI), with high-throughput sequencing of the microbial communities colonising the plant litter

Abstract. Few studies have focused on arenosols with regard to soil carbon dynamics despite the fact that they represent 8 % of the world's soils and are present in key areas where food security is a major issue (e.g. in Sahelian regions). As for other soil types, land use changes (from forest or grassland to cropland) lead to a loss of substantial soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks and have a lasting

Abstract. (E)-Pyriminobac-methyl (EPM), a pyrimidine benzoic acid esters herbicide, has a high potential as weedicide; nevertheless, its environmental behaviors are still not well understood. In this study, we systematically investigated for the first time the adsorption–desorption, degradation, and leaching behaviors of EPM in agricultural soils from five exemplar sites in China (characterized by

Urban soils are of increasing interest for their potential to provide ecosystem services such as carbon storage and nutrient cycling. Despite this, there is limited knowledge on how soil sealing with impervious surfaces, a common disturbance in urban environments, affects these important ecosystem services. In this paper, we investigate the effect of soil sealing on soil properties, soil carbon and

Research carried out on soil organic carbon stock (SOCS) in the Sudano-Sahelian region of Cameroon is very rare. The few existing studies are mostly available in reports and concern in most cases carbon stocks in plant biomass. In order to contribute to the documentation on soils in this part of the country, the present work was designed to evaluate the SOCS in the main soil types and the influence

Heterotrophic soil respiration is an important component of the global terrestrial carbon (C) cycle, driven by environmental factors acting from local to continental scales. For tropical Africa, these factors and their interactions remain largely unknown. Here, using samples collected along topographic and geochemical gradients in the East African Rift Valley, we study how soil chemistry and fertility

Abstract. Soil organic carbon sequestration (SOCseq) is considered the most attractive carbon capture technology to partially mitigate climate change. However, there is conflicting evidence regarding the potential of SOCseq. The additional storage potential on existing global cropland is missing. SOCseq is region-specific and conditioned by management but most global estimates use fixed accumulation

Abstract. Conservation agriculture (CA) relies on two key practices to improve agricultural sustainability—reduced tillage and cover crop usage. Despite known soil physics benefits (reduced soil compaction and strength, enhanced soil porosity and permeability), inconsistent reports on short-term CA results have limited its adoption in European agroecosystems. To elucidate the short-term effects, a

Abstract. Rhizosheath size varies significantly with crop genotype, and root exudation is one among its driving factors. Unravelling the relationships between rhizosheath formation, root exudation and soil carbon dynamics may bring interesting perspectives in terms of crop breeding towards sustainable agriculture. Here we grew four pearl millet (C4 plant type: δ13C of −12.8 ‰, F14C = 1.012) inbred

Abstract. Soil microbial communities play a crucial role in ecosystem functioning. Past research has examined the effects of forest conversion on soil microbial composition and diversity, but it remains unknown how networks within these communities respond to forest conversion such as when tropical rainforest are replaced with rubber plantations. In this study, we used Illumina sequencing and metagenome

Abstract. Stony soils that have a considerable amount of rock fragments are widespread around the world. However, experiments to determine effective hydraulic properties of stony soils (SHP), i.e. the water retention curve (WRC) and hydraulic conductivity curve (HCC), are challenging. Installation of measurement devices and sensors in these soils is difficult and the data are less reliable because

Abstract. The widespread use of both heavy metals and antibiotics in livestock farming and their subsequent arrival on agricultural soils through manure/slurry spreading has become a problem of vital importance for human health and the environment. In the current research, a laboratory experiment was carried out for 42 days to study co-selection for tolerance of three tetracycline antibiotics (tetracycline

Abstract. The roles of microorganisms in enhancing crop production have been demonstrated for a range of cropping systems. Most studies to date, however, have been confined to a limited number of locations, making it difficult to identify general soil biotic and abiotic characteristics underpinning the yield-promotion across various locations. This knowledge gap limits our capacity to harness soil

Abstract. Soil structure in terms of the spatial arrangement of pores and solid is highly relevant for most physical, biochemical processes in soil. While this is known for long a scientific approach to quantify soil structural characteristics was also missing for long. This was due to its buried nature but also due to the three-dimensional complexity. During the last two decades, tools to acquire

Abstract. Soil fungi play important roles in the functioning of ecosystems, but they are challenging to measure. Using a continental scale dataset, we developed and evaluated a new method to estimate the relative abundance of the dominant phyla and diversity of fungi in Australian soil. The method relies on the development of spectro-transfer functions with state-of-the-art machine learning and using

Abstract. We present methods to evaluate the spatial patterns of the geographic distribution of soil properties in the USA, as shown in gridded maps produced by Predictive Soil Mapping (PSM) at global (SoilGrids v2), national (Soil Properties and Class 100 m Grids of the USA), and regional (POLARIS soil properties) scales, and compare them to spatial patterns known from detailed field surveys (gSSURGO)

Abstract. The presented research deals with the issue of the potential effect of adjuvants/wetting agents (WA) added to the spray mixture for stability of soil aggregates (SAS) in agricultural soil. Nine localities were chosen in the Czech Republic. Each locality was mapped using soil pits (depth min. 1.4 m). A total of 54 mixed samples were collected from the topsoil horizon in the selected localities

Ecosystem engineers (EEs) are present in every environment and are known to strongly influence ecological processes and thus shape the distribution of species and resources. In this study, we assessed the direct and indirect effect of two EEs (perennial shrubs and ant nests), individually and combined, on the composition and function of arid soil bacterial communities. To that end, topsoil samples

Conservation tillage has attracted increasing attention over recent decades, mainly due to its benefits for improving soil organic matter content and reducing soil erosion. However, the effects of long-term straw mulching under a no-till system on soil physicochemical properties and bacterial communities at different soil depths are still unclear. In this 12-year experiment of straw removal (CK) and

Transfer of organic carbon from topsoil horizons to deeper horizons and to the water table is still little documented, in particular in equatorial environments, despite the high primary productivity of the evergreen forest. Due to its complexing capacity, organic carbon also plays a key role in the transfer of metals in the soil profile and, therefore, in pedogenesis and for metal mobility. Here we

Abstract. Recent studies have reported the influence of microplastic on soil quality parameters. Mass concentrations of plastic particles as found in highly contaminated soils were shown to weaken the soil structure by reducing the proportion of water stable aggregates (WSA). In addition, parts of the edaphon are adversely affected by mainly the < 100 µm microplastic fraction. The specific interaction

Abstract. Rain events in arid environments are highly unpredictable, interspersing extended periods of drought. Therefore, tracking changes in desert soil bacterial communities during hydration-desiccation cycles in the field, was seldom attempted. Here, we assessed rain-mediated dynamics of active community in the Negev Desert biological soil crust (biocrust), and evaluated the changes in bacterial

Abstract. Soil degradation is a global challenge that is intrinsically linked to climate change and food security. Soil degradation has many causes, but all degraded soils suffer from poor soil structure. The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals 12, 13 and 15 strive towards responsible consumption and production, building a zero-waste circular economy, achieving net zero by 2030 and reversing land degradation

The central Mongolian forest steppe forms a transition between different ecozones and is as such particularly sensitive to environmental changes. It is commonly affected by disturbances such as logging and forest fires. Intensified drought events aggravate stress on the trees that are anyway at their drier limit in the forest steppe. Climate change increases evapotranspiration and reduces the distribution

Abstract. Forest soil stores a large portion of soil organic carbon (SOC), making it one of the essential components of global carbon cycling. There is apparent spatial variability of SOC in forest soils, but the mechanism that regulates the vertical pattern of SOC is still not clear. Understanding the vertical distribution as well as the transport process of SOC can be of importance in developing

Abstract. Agricultural plastic covers made from polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) offer increased yields and an improved crop quality. However, such covers are suspected of partially breaking down into smaller debris and thereby contributing to soil pollution with microplastics. To scrutinize this, we randomly sampled 240 topsoil cores (0–5 cm) from eight fields covered with fleeces, perforated

Abstract. Soil organic matter (SOM) is an indispensable component of terrestrial ecosystems. Soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics are influenced by a number of well-known abiotic factors such as clay content, soil pH or pedogenic oxides. These parameters interact with each other and vary in their influence on SOC depending on local conditions. To investigate the latter, the dependence of SOC accumulation

Increasing climatic pressures such as drought and flooding challenge agricultural systems and their management globally. How agricultural soils respond to soil water extremes will influence biogeochemical cycles of carbon and nitrogen in these systems. We investigated the response of soils from long-term agricultural field sites under varying crop rotational complexity to either drought or flooding

Abstract. The modelling of peatland functioning, in particular the impact of anthropogenic warming and direct human disturbance on CO2, CH4 and N2O, requires detailed knowledge of the peat structure and of both water and gas flow with respect to the groundwater table level. To this end, freezing is nowadays increasingly used to obtain small size peat samples for X-ray micro computed tomography (X-ray

Abstract. The study aims to analyze the ability of the most popular and widely used vegetation indices (VI’s), including NDVI, SAVI, EVI and TDVI, to discriminate and map soil salt contents compared to the potential of evaporite mineral indices such as SSSI and NDGI. The proposed methodology leverages on two complementary parts exploiting simulated and imagery data acquired over two study areas, i

Abstract. Climate change, accompanied by intensified extreme weather events, results in changes in intensity, frequency and magnitude of soil erosion. These unclear future developments make adaption and improvement of soil erosion modelling approaches all the more important. Hypothesizing that models cannot keep up with the data, this review gives an overview of 44 process based soil erosion models

Information on soils' composition and physical, chemical and biological properties is paramount to elucidate agroecosystem functioning in space and over time. For this purpose, we developed a national Swiss soil spectral library (SSL; n=4374) in the mid-infrared (mid-IR), calibrating 16 properties from legacy measurements on soils from the Swiss Biodiversity Monitoring program (BDM; n=3778; 1094 sites)

Abstract. The sensitivity of chemical weathering to climatic and erosional forcing is well established at regional scales. However, soil formation is known to vary strongly along catenas where topography, hydrology, and vegetation cause differences in soil properties and possibly chemical weathering. This study applies the SoilGen model to evaluate the link between topographic position and hydrology