ABSTRACT Crop rotations and residue management contributes to the sustainability of the soil and environment and reduction of fertiliser use. However, appropriate crop and residue level combinations have yet to be determined to maximise productivity, while ensuring the preservation of soil resources in different agricultural production systems. The experiment evaluated production and soil chemical

Abstract This study aimed to evaluate effects of Funneliformis mosseae on plant growth and root exudate compositions and contents, soil and root phosphatase activity, soil glomalin concentrations, and thus soil aggregate stability and distribution in trifoliate orange under well-watered (75% of maximum water holding capacity) and drought stress (55% of maximum water holding capacity) conditions. After

Abstract Soil organic carbon (SOC) content can greatly affect soil quality by determining and maintaining important soil functions. The study examined SOC, humic substances and molecular composition characteristics of acid soil (Dystric Retisol) with different long – term (54 years) fertilization in Western Lithuania. Farmyard manure (FYM 60 t ha−1) and alternative organic fertilizers (wheat straw

Abstract Biochar has the potential to effectively improve yield and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of upland crops in different soil types. However, it is unclear for rapeseed in purple soil under N reduction. A 2-yr field experiment was conducted in southwest China, to evaluate the combined effects of nitrogen (180, 144 and 108 kg ha−1, named N100, N80 and N60, respectively) and biochar (0, 10, 20

Abstract To study the effects of mulching on fine roots and fruits of Camellia oleifera Abel, four materials (Peanut stalk + straw, black mulch, eco-film, C. oleifera shell) were used to mulch on the C. oleifera forest land. The nondestructive minirhizotrons were used to in-situ monitor the growth, death, and turnover of fine roots for one year, and the fruit properties were measured for three years

Abstract Reducing the water loss sources, i.e. soil evaporation and weeds presence, is an essential act for keeping well soil moisture to crop growth, especially under drought conditions. Therefore, two–year field trials were conducted for seeking the best compatible practice between irrigation regime and weed control method in onion onion. Three irrigation water regimes (60%, 80% and 100% of the crop

Abstract Zinc deficient soils cause low crop production leading to malnutrition in humans and livestock. A two years field experiments were conducted on cowpea crop with six ZnSO4·H2O (33%) treatments viz. no Zn, soil application of 16 kg ZnSO4·H2O ha−1 (SZn), one foliar spray of 0.3% ZnSO4·H2O at early bloom (EB) stage (F1Zn), two foliar sprays of 0.3% ZnSO4·H2O at EB and full bloom (FB) stages (F2Zn)

Abstract Organic incorporation is widely recommended to increase SOC content, but little was done to compare the effects of using manure and straw in different soil layers. The study was set up to assess the changes of SOC and oxidizable organic carbon fractions in three soil depths (0-15, 15-30 and 30-45 cm) in a double-rice paddy field subjected to 37-years fertilization schemes [control (CK), combined

Abstract Measurements of availability and mobility are required in order to prevent potential toxic hazards. Column leaching experiments were conducted to determine the degree of mobility and the distribution of zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), and lead (Pb) following spiking of the sediments. Metal distribution and release from sediments was related to pH, clay and sand. This study

Abstract A novel biodegradable super absorbent polymer (SAP) was synthesized by γ-poly (glutamic acid) (γ-PGA) and poly (ethylene glycol) with the units of glycidyl ether as chain ends (PEGGE). The resultant γ-PGA SAPs with different PEGGE contents were characterized and their effects on soil total available water (TAW) were investigated. The γ-PGA SAP was synthesized at 45 °C for 48 h when γ-PGA was

Abstract Changes in the bioavailability of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) due to biochar have been frequently reported, raising concerns about the management and effectivity of biochar as soil amendment. We investigated the availability of N and P to maize plants cultivated in soil amended with 20 t ha−1 and 30 t ha−1 of biochar from sewage sludge (SSB20, SSB30) and coconut husk (CHB20, CHB30), in

Abstract The relation between chemical attributes of complexed Fe sources and the efficiency of foliar fertilization is still unclear. This study aimed to investigate the influence of Fe-complex stability on iron accumulation and redistribution in maize by foliar application. The iron complexing agents used were biodegradable citric acid (CA), malic acid (MA), tartaric acid (TA), and oxalic acid (OA)

Abstract Plants and microorganisms sense and respond to biotic and abiotic signals in the environment to competitively optimize their fitness. These specific adjustments which are pertinent to prevailing environmental conditions bring about distinct signal-induced behavioural responses that appear intelligent. A suite of cellular and molecular networks underlie the generation of such attributes in

Abstract Organic soil amendments such as modified lignite and biostimulants like arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) may have the potential to improve soil biological conditions of agricultural soils. The aim of the study was to test if nitrogen-modified lignite granules (NH) are beneficial for mycorrhization, root and shoot development compared to common mineral nitrogen (Nmin) in a nitrogen and phosphorus

Abstract In this study, Pb was added to the soil at rates of 0, 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 mg kg−1 as Pb (NO3)2 and then incubate at 27 ºC and soil moisture of 0.7 field capacity for 180 d. Soil biological characteristics including acid and alkaline phosphomonoesterases (ACP and ALP), nitrate reductase (NR), and urease (UA) activities, microbial biomass carbon (MBC), and basal respiration (BR) were

Abstract Low wheat grain yield under conservation tillage has been reported, and growth duration could determine the yield. Thus, an 11-year field experiment was conducted to assess the relationship between growth duration and grain yield under different tillage and residue management. Four treatments were investigated: no-till with residue removal (NT0), conventional tillage with residue removal (CT0)

Abstract Accurate forecasts of cotton yield are of great interest for the development of the market, increasing the sustainability of the sector worldwide. Thus, the objectives of this study were: 1) to evaluate the influence of climatic elements on cotton yield in Brazil, 2) to predict cotton yield using machine learning algorithms based on climatic elements, 3) to calibrate and test machine learning

ABSTRACT The current experiment envisages estimating nitrification and elucidates the mechanistic processes of nitrogen mineralization in a long-term fertilizer experiment (LTFE) on a soybean-wheat cropping system. The experiment had four treatments: fallow (no fertilizer and no crop), control (no fertilizer), inorganic (recommended dose as 100% NPK), and integrated (100% NPK + farmyard manure FYM)

ABSTRACT Fertilization with suitable amendment in acidic soil is crucial to achieve long-term high crop yield without deteriorating soil health in intensive cropping system. We studied the chemical and biological properties of soil, soybean, and wheat yield after 47 years of long-term fertilization in an acidic Alfisol. Treatments were: unfertilized (control); recommended N dose (N); recommended N

Abstract The pre-isolated B. cereus had shown better ß Cypermethrin resistance at 100 mg L−1 dosage in the Mineral Salt Medium (MSM). Hence, it was applied for the biodegradation study on MSM. The GC-MS analysis revealed that the B. cereus had the potential to degrade ß Cypermethrin and metabolize it into six predominant less or nontoxic components (Benzene, 1-ethyl -3- methyl-, Ethanethiol, 2- (dimethylamino)-

Abstract The DSSAT4.7-CERES model was employed to simulate plant-water nexus conditions in the future of Mazandaran province in Iran, using ensemble outputs of various GCMs and emission scenarios with LARS-WG 5.5 in the time period 2010-2100. The results showed during the 21st century, maize water requirement is expected to be reduced by 3.3-14.1%. Under climate change scenarios, both negative and

Abstract A long-term experiment was initiated in a sub-humid tropical Indian rice-wheat system to identify suitable soil quality indicators for determining yield and sustainability of the system as influenced by chemical fertilizers (NPK) alone or in combination with organic amendments viz. farmyard manure (FYM), paddy straw (PS) and green manure (GM). Soil samples were analysed for physical, chemical

Abstract Soil-test crop response (STCR) approach is aiming to precise adjustment of fertilizers under varying soil-test values for targeted-yield, presently gaining wider recognitions for sustainable nutrient management. The study aimed to envisage the precision scale of STCR targeted-yield models in maize-lentil rotation in alkaline Fluvisol under sole-fertilizer and integrated nutrient management

Abstract This study assessed the effect of soil inputs, i.e., lime, gypsum and fertilizers, on biological parameters, total organic C (TOC), and growth and physiology of soybean under integrated crop-livestock system (ICLS). Five soil inputs were evaluated: CT (no input), T1 (lime), T2 (lime and gypsum), T3 (lime, gypsum and NPK), and T4 (lime, gypsum, NPK and micronutrients). The highest TOC and soil

Abstract A field experiment consisted of two types of N fertilizer, controlled release urea (CRU) and normal urea (U), in combination with three SAP application rates (0, 45 and 90 kg ha−1) in a split-plot design was conducted in 2018 and 2019. The successive release of N from polymer-coated urea corresponded well to the N requirements of maize growth. The NO3 −-N and NH4 +-N contents in the 0-20 cm

ABSTRACT Fungi play an important role in ecosystem and crop production, but the effect of global warming on fungal communities in soil of winter wheat fields is not clear. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of nightly warming and nitrogen application on the diversity of soil fungi in winter wheat fields. In this study, the free air temperature was increased with infrared heating, and

Abstract Improving efficiencies of water and nutrients is considered as most vital factor for augmenting mulberry productivity. In this study, low-cost drip fertigation (LCDF) systems were evaluated on leaf yield, quality, water use efficiency (WUE) and nutrient use efficiency (NUE) utilizing 12 year-old S1635 mulberry plantation. Treatments were drip tape and drum-kit drip fertigation in different

ABSTRACT Allelochemicals exuded by Stellera chamaejasme into the soil environment could be an important factor which might contribute to its competitive behavior in nature. We aimed to explore the interactions between the allelochemicals, soil enzyme activities, environmental factors and rhizosphere bacterial communities which might contribute to the plant’s invasiveness. The composition and abundance

Abstract Since 1970, most of the tobacco has been cultivated using conventional tillage system in Southern Brazil. No long-term soil degradation assessment on tobacco crop has been performed, particularly, on soil erodibility. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the aggregate stability, soil erodibility, and physico-chemical soil changes, as a function of the time of tobacco cultivation i

ABSTRACT The present study was carried out aimed at characterizing the spatial distribution and source apportionment of heavy metals (HMs), including lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni) and manganese (Mn), in the soils around the Yasouj cement factory. A total of 61 surface soil samples (0–30 cm) were collected and after measuring the near-total concentration of selected HMs, contamination factor

ABSTRACT To determine the impact of K fertilization on crop yields and soil K supplying capacity in rice (Oryza sativa L.) and oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) rotation, four field experiments were conducted with five K fertilizer rates: 0 (K0), 90-147 (K1), 180-210 (K2), 270-300 (K3) and 336-390 (K4) kg K2O ha−1 per rotation. Compared with K0, adding K increased the yield of rice and oilseed rape

Abstract Soil organic matter has vital role in maintaining important soil functions. Consequently, using sewage sludge as soil organic amendment is considered one of the agricultural practices for improving soil fertility, which is also a safe approach for its disposal. The present research was carried out to analyze the different microbial activities and functional diversity of agricultural soil with

Abstract The study investigates the effect of various existing hill land-use practices on soil quality. The land-use types were selected for the analysis was based on common land-use types practices in the area. Soil samples were collected from different land-use types and analysed for bulk density (BD), clay, sand, silt content, soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, microbial

Abstract A mixture of ethephon (ETH) and thidiazuron (TDZ) (called ETTD) has been proven to effectively reduce maize grain moisture content and improve yield and quality of mechanical grain harvesting, but the underlying mechanism is unclear. Field trials were conducted in 852 Farm, Heilongjiang Province, China, in 2017 and 2018, to study the effects of ETH, TDZ and ETTD sprayed on Xianyu335 at 25

Abstract For many years after the discovery of the two stable isotopes of B (10B,11B) in 1920 it was not used routinely as a tracer in the biological sciences until the development of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry in the early 1980s. This development provided an impetus to the study of the role of B in plant nutrition, although many seminal discoveries were made beforehand without the

Abstract Rill erosion has serious impacts on arable soils in Chinese Loess Plateau. It is imperative to clarify the key processes of rill erosion to implement effective soil conservation practices. In this study, rill erosion on a 26.8% slope was evaluated using a Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS) and CA-Rill model under simulated rainfall. The results showed that (1) the TLS method and the CA-Rill model

Abstract Agronomic practices such as long-term use of plastic film mulching (PFM) and application of organic and inorganic fertilizers have profound effect on soil microbial community. However, there is limited information on the abundance and community structure of ammonia-oxidizers where these practices have been employed. In this study, we investigated soil ammonia oxidizers in a long-term application

Abstract Accurate predictions of the short-term reactivity of liming products are needed for situations where rapid soil pH adjustment is desired. Lime efficiency (LE) describes the capacity of a liming material to neutralize soil acidity in comparison with a finely ground CaCO3 standard (LE = 100%). Our objectives were to evaluate LE for calcitic liming materials varying in particle size at 1-12 months

Abstract Improved soil health is essential to sustain agricultural production. Therefore, understanding the effects of management on soil health is crucial to implement new agricultural practices. This study aimed to assess the effects of long-term tillage systems on biochemical indicators of a Typic Haploxerert soil under winter wheat-soybean-corn rotation in the Mediterranean region of Turkey. The

Abstract Wind erosion is most likely influenced by unsuitable tillage and is considered critically harmful process for sustainable agriculture in arid and semi-arid regions as drought becomes more frequent and severe due to changes in the climate. The study was conducted for spatial modeling of aeolian sediment transport over adjacent plots managed by wheat-fallow rotation system under rainfed agriculture

ABSTRACT Tidal flat reclamation generates several excavated saline-sodic soil slopes. However, there are limited studies on the hydraulic flow characteristics and dynamic erodibility of saline-sodic soil slopes. This study was conducted to quantify the effects of the soil bulk density (1.35 and 1.40 g cm−3), rainfall intensity (85, 110, and 125 mm h−1), and slope gradient (11°, 22°, and 35°) on the

Abstract Development duration in the cactus is directly related to changes in the environment caused by the management, which can result in advancing or delaying the harvest. The aim of this study was to analyse the growth, phenology and cutting time of irrigated cactus intercropped with millet, with and without the use of mulch. The experimental design was of randomised blocks (regular arrangement)

ABSTRACT Soil microbial and enzymatic activities are sensitive to change in environment. To assess variations in soil properties, six prominent rainfed land use systems were undertaken in Shiwalik foothills of Punjab, India. In soil samples (0-0.15 m), pH, electrical conductivity, soil organic carbon (SOC), available nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, DTPA zinc, iron, manganese and copper varied from

Abstract The effectiveness of Rhizobium inoculation is largely determined by soil properties. In this study, the symbiotic efficiency of seventeen Rhizobium/Agrobacterium local strains were screened in greenhouse experiments. Subsequently, the combined effects of selected five rhizobial strains plus a starting N-dose (48 kg N ha−1) on nodulation and yield of faba bean were evaluated in two-year field

ABSTRACT Verticillium wilt (V-wilt) causes huge and irreparable losses to cotton worldwide every year. Potassium (K) is considered to be a critical nutrient for resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. To verify the effect of K application on the establishment of an ecological-friendly soil microenvironment resistant to V-wilt, a two-year field experiment was conducted. Two cotton varieties (ND-601

ABSTRACT Nitrogen (N) plays a key role for plant life cycle. It is available in agricultural soils as the form of nitrate and ammonium (NH4 +) where nitrate (NO3 −) is a major nutrient. Plants are able to sense NO3 − in their environment, allowing them to quickly respond to the dramatic fluctuations of its availability. As a main feature of plant autotrophy, assimilation of inorganic N is not only

Abstract The bacterial community structure and diversity in the rhizosphere of broomcorn millet treated with different fertilizers were analyzed. The crops were grown under one of four fertilization treatments: M1 (compound fertilizer), M2 (farmyard manure), M3 (biological bacterial fertilizer), and M4 (no fertilizer). The soil DNA was isolated, and the 16S rRNA library was sequenced using Illumina

Abstract To evaluatse the effects of cabbage varieties and PGPR inoculation on the mobility and phytoavailability of Pb and Cd in a contaminated soil, a factorial (3×6) pot experiment with completely randomized design and three replications was performed. The cabbage varieties were ornamental cabbage, broccoli and cabbage and the PGPR strains included Pseudomonas putida PTCC1694, Bacillus megaterium

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the capacity for Hg adsorption, understand the mechanisms of Hg sorption in tropical soils, and study the potential for Hg sorption by a natural zeolite for possible application in remediation of soils contaminated with Hg. The soil samples used in this study were collected from the 0 to 20 cm layer in areas of native vegetation in the state of Minas Gerais

ABSTRACT Land use subjected to various human managements dramatically differs soil nutrient concentrations and unbalance their stoichiometric ratios. However, the magnitude and extent of these effects remain unclear. This study aimed to explore the differences on soil nutrient concentrations and stoichiometry under the undisturbed naturally managed tea plantation (NMTP), forest land (FL) and disturbed

ABSTRACT Residue management is one of the most difficult tasks in the modern mechanized agriculture with the intensification of cropping systems, which leads to reduced sowing window between two crops and farmers prefer in-situ burning of crop residues. Therefore, the present study was conducted to assess the effect of zero tillage (ZT) based residue management on soil health parameters in maize (Zea

Abstract Quantifying soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics is critical for monitoring agricultural sustainability and mitigating global climate change. A study was done to investigate the SOC changes between 2003 and 2016 by DeNitrification-DeComposition model in an intensively cultivated region of eastern China, using a detailed high-resolution soil database, which contained 4875 sites (0–20 cm depth)

Abstract Seed vigor is greatly influenced by harvest time. In this study, three conventional japonica rice varieties were used to investigate the optimal harvest time. Germination potential (GP), germination rate (GR), germination index (GI), vigor index (VI), mean germination time (MGT), field emergence rate (FER) and controlled deterioration germination rate (CDGR) were determined in 2018 and 2019

Abstract Optimal cropping pattern of Maragheh-Bonab plain were determined in different decision priorities (from viewpoint of farmers and experts) and annually water availability scenarios [60, 80 and 100 MCM (million cubic meters)/year]. Goal programming model was applied to optimization of cropping pattern with considering eight goals. In the optimal cropping pattern from viewpoint of farmers, water

ABSTRACT Whether continuous ridge–furrow plastic film mulch (PM) and flat planting with PM is sustainable for soil water status and yield remain unknown. The study investigated effects of ridge–furrow PM applied in spring (RFMS) or autumn (RFMA), flat planting with no mulch (CK), flat planting with 60% mulch in spring (MS) or autumn (MA) on soil water and maize yield from 2016 to 2019. High yields

ABSTRACT Cotton is an important cash crop with an indeterminate growth characteristic. The labor costs of multiple management practices, including repeated foliar applications of mepiquat chloride (MC) and topdressing with potassium (K) fertilizers, restrict its planting area and benefits. To help address this problem, a field experiment was performed to evaluate the effects of controlled-release potassium

Abstract Soil productivity is a primary determinant of vegetation restoration and land resources utilization in debris flow deposits. However, little is known on the soil productivity change process of debris flow deposits behind check dams during rehabilitation. To investigate the change process of soil productivity at debris flow deposits behind check dams, soil physicochemical properties were measured

Abstract Agricultural practices may lead to a decline in the presence and abundance of natural arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). AMF inoculation can be an environmentally-friendly alternative or complement to chemical fertilizers in agriculture. Initially, through ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) metabarcoding, we characterized the composition of fungal communities from three organic

Abstract Soil-borne Fusarium wilt disease causes damage to certain crops, but crop rotation may be an effective management strategy for this pest. Soil microbes may play an important role in this strategy, but the response of the soil microbial community to crop rotation is unclear. In a field experiment, we used high-throughput sequencing to study the effects of banana rotation with one of four other

Abstract Soil sampling is decisive in determining its physical or chemical quality. In determining soil physical quality, methods for sampling undisturbed soil samples are not efficient from qualitative, financial, and ergonomic point of view, and it is necessary the development of new collection methods. In this study, we developed a soil hydraulic sampler coupled to a tractor to collect undisturbed