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

ABSTRACT The glomalin produced by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi has beneficial effects on soils. We studied the vertical profile of glomalin related soil protein (GRSP) in pasturelands grown under saline soils and exposed to different management practices. Treatments included haying and grazing of Chloris gayana subject to either N-fertilization or not. We measured mycorrhizal colonization, spores,

Abstract Soil nitrogen (N) distribution and crop utilization are closely related to fertilizer management and crop productivity. The present study, based on 47-year fertilizer focused on a cropping system (maize-wheat) based budgeting of N which is necessary to identify its sources and losses to improve fertilizer use efficiency, crop productivity, and environmental sustainability. Long-term application

Abstract Amongst all biotic factors, weeds pose the most serious threat to successful cotton production. Adoption of conservation agriculture, the evolution of herbicide-resistant weed populations, and the absence of any new herbicide chemistry are allowing weeds to become more destructive and uncontrollable. It is important now to investigate cultural practices (non-chemical) to reduce the pressure

Abstract Though application of chemical fertilizers has contributed significantly to the huge increase in the world food production, the adverse impacts of it are well known. To develop an organic farming system an experiment was conducted on paddy, in old alluvial soil zone, with vermicompost prepared from screened municipality solid waste and different doses of bio-fertilizer and chemical fertilizer

ABSTRACT Biochar due to its high K content may affect K forms and dynamics. The effect of biochars produced from licorice root pulp, municipal waste and cow manure at 300 and 600 ºC on K forms, release and fixation in a loamy calcareous soil was investigated. The soil samples were analyzed after biochar application and incubation at field water holding capacity or saturation conditions. The cow manure

Abstract Soil erosion and drought are significant environmental hazards for crop production in the northwestern coastal zone of Egypt, leading to increased soil resources degradation. In-situ rainwater harvesting techniques by changing the micro-topography of soil via tillage practices can increase runoff retention and improve soil productivity. In this study, field trials were conducted on a sandy

Abstract Soil microbial processes can serve as sensitive indicators of soil quality. A 2-year field experiment was conducted to determine the combined effects of tillage (conventional, CT; reduced, RT; and no tillage, NT) and residue (with or without residue removal) on soil microbial and enzyme activities under wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)- and corn (Zea mays L.) in a rotation, using a split-plot

Abstract This study aimed to compare the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant coliforms and Escherichia coli strains between industrial and antimicrobial-free poultry manure. The mean counts of high-level antibiotic-resistant coliforms were determined using the spread plate technique. Metal and antibiotic resistance of Escherichia coli strains in manure samples was compared using plate dilution and CLSI

Abstract Unregulated land-use conversion influences soil organic carbon (SOC) storage and sequestration causing fluctuations. As one of the most vulnerable regions to climate-change impact, Caribbean ecosystems require formulation of strong adaptation strategies to cope with the vagaries of climate-change. Therefore, understanding SOC dynamics under land-use change is critical. With increasing popularity

Abstract The consequences of climate change are drastically impacting field crop production; it is an immense prerequisite to attribute resilience through crop improvement. Thus, the breeders’ task is to sustain yield potential in changing climate, which imperils the food grain security. Globally, high temperature is one of the grounds that support climate change. High temperature critically affects

Abstract Deriving accurate pedo-transfer functions (PTFs) for predicting difficult-to-measure soil properties such as soil cumulative infiltration (CI) is an essential issue for saving time and cost. This study aimed to develop MLR (multiple-linear-regression), ANN (artificial-neural-network) and GMDH (group-method-of-data-handling) PTFs for predicting CI at different time intervals (i.e. 1, 2, 5,

Abstract This work evaluated the response of irrigated rice fertilized with two sources of phosphorus in paddy soils with different phosphorus adsorption capacities. Also, it evaluated the phosphorus availability predictive ability for irrigated rice. We studied two soils with different maximum phosphorus adsorption capacities (MPAC), a Planosol (low MPAC) and a Gleysol (high MPAC). The experiment

ABSTRACT The subsurface soil compact layer hampers the root growth of crops and affects the crop water productivity. It is imperative to study the deep tillage impact on soil water balance and water productivity of maize-wheat cropping system. A two-year (2016-18) field experiment was conducted with two irrigation regimes in main plots based on irrigation water to pan evaporation ratio 1.2 (I1.2) and

Abstract To evaluate the influence of different plantations on the stability of soil aggregates, we selected 5 typical plantations in south subtropical region: Pinus massoniana (PM), Cunninghamia lanceolata (CL), Eucalyptus urophylla×E. grandis (EU), Mytilaria laosensis (ML) and Castanopsis hystrix (CM). Soil aggregate stability was determined by the Le Bissonnais method and included three disruptive

In recent decades, contamination of soil with toxic metals has become a severe environmental problem. Although phytoremediation has emerged as a promising environment friendly remediation technology, an exclusively derived process by plants alone is time-consuming and is restricted by their limited metal tolerance and accumulation capacity. As a natural bio-accelerator, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

Intercropping research interest is increasing globally due to its contribution to agriculture sustainability, crop productivity, and soil quality. To better understand the advantageous effect of intercropping, a pot and field experiment was conducted to evaluate the impact of maize-alfalfa intercropping on the plant and soil nutrient contents under nitrogen fertilization (N0 and N1 at 2.0 g pot−1 and

Conservation agriculture (CA) is believed to contribute to sustainable crop production. However, there are contrasting reports on its short term effects on soil properties. An experiment was conducted to determine effects of CA on bulk density (BD), porosity, mean weight diameter (MWD) and penetration resistance (PR) in a semiarid province of South Africa (SA). A split-split-plot design; with the main

Evaluating soil quality is of vital importance to strategize fertilization and management practices for sustaining agricultural productivity. Five fertilization practices were carried out for six years under corn-soybean rotation in Mollisols of Northeast China. Two soil quality index models of Nemoro quality index (NQI) and integrated quality index (IQI), and two indicator selection approaches of

Dongxiang common wild rice (CWR) is extremely cold tolerant, which can grow at the northernmost latitudes. To take full advantage of Dongxiang CWR’s cold tolerance for rice production and breeding, it is important to obtain a deep understanding of the mechanism underlying its cold tolerance. In this study, the rhizospheric microbiome of CWR was investigated and compared with that of Leersia hexandra

Conversion of native pasturelands to cultivated land led to a decline in soil fertility resulting in low agricultural productivity. This study attempted to investigate the magnitude and rate of pastureland to cultivated land conversion and the associated impact on selected soil properties. The study was conducted in three villages of Ofla district, northern Ethiopia. Land-use conversion that happened

This work aimed to study the impacts of long-term pig slurry (PS) amendment by soil organic matter (SOM) structural characterization. The study was conducted over five years in an experimental field with PS amendment. Two doses (50 m3 ha−1 and 100 m3 ha−1) of PS were applied to soil twice every year, once before planting the winter crop (Avena strigosa Schreb. + Lolium multiflorum Lam.) and once before

This experiment analyzed the effect of the treated wastewater (TWW) use via irrigation on the production of dry matter and content of nutrient and sodium (Na) in millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.) and on the chemical properties of clay soil (CS) and sandy loam soil (SLS). The study was conducted in 5 × 2 factorial scheme, consisting of five TWW concentrations (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100%), combined

Biological potassium fertilizer (BPF) is a promising technology to improve potassium availability in soil through bio-activation of endogenous K-reserves. A group of microorganisms has been recognized for K solubilization from insoluble silicate minerals (e.g. biotite, feldspar, illite, muscovite, orthoclase and mica) and these microorganisms can potentially perform a key role in enhancing K supply

Applications of enriched compost (ECM) with reduced doses of inorganic fertilizers over ten consecutive years reduced phytotoxic aluminium (Al) fractions, whereas, improved nutritional quality of rice in acid soil. The long-term field trial with integrated nutrient management (INM) practices was initiated in kharif–2006 at Instructional–cum–Research (ICR) farm under rice mono-cropping system. Treatments

Setaria italica, Panicum miliaceum var. compactum, and Chenopodium quinoa have strong stress resistance, allowing adaptation to poor environments. The study of the stress resistance mechanisms of these crops has important significance for humans. The microbial diversity and metabolic pathways in soil collected from the rhizospheres of S. italica, P. miliaceum var. compactum, and C. quinoa were investigated

Salinity-sodicity may be reduced by freezing and melting (FM) brackish ice irrigation combined with gypsum for the highly saline-sodic soils. A 5-year field study was carried out in the Songnen Plain, northeast China, to investigate the effects of FM brackish ice irrigation in combination with phosphogypsum on soil salinity-sodicity. The treatments consisted of: no amendment, no irrigation (CK) and

To change row spacing is a common agricultural practice to adjust plant density to enhance plant growth and development. Here we examined the fine root (≤1.0 mm in diameter) distribution and morphological characteristics of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) in the 7th growth year under three row spacing settings (20 cm, 40 cm and 60 cm) on a terrace field in the semi-arid Loess Plateau region. Roots

The main components of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and the degree of contamination of soil with different oils (gasoline, diesel oil, and lubricating oil) were examined. Malus prunifolia var. Ringo was planted in soil contaminated by gasoline, diesel oil, or lubricating oil with three different concentrations which were low concentration (0.1 g kg−1), medium concentration (0.2 g kg−1),

Maize-peanut intercropping (M//P) is widely used in the North China Plain, but little is known about the changes in soil microorganism and its interactions with soil nutrient availability. Based on three years of field experiment, this study systematically investigated the soil microorganisms and soil properties in the 0-10 cm, 10-20 cm and 20-40 cm soil layers. This study found that M//P changed the

Sustainability of continuous rice-wheat rotation is questioned with soil degradation and depleting natural resources. The study aimed to assess the long-term impact of four crop rotations [rice-wheat, rice-wheat-mungbean, rice-chickpea, rice-wheat-rice-chickpea (2-year rotation)] each consisted of three nutrient treatments [control, integrated nutrient management (INM), and chemical fertilizers (RDF)]

The structures of soil humus (HS) amended with organic wastes (OWs) were closely related to properties of OWs derived humus-like substances (HSL). This work evaluated the properties of HSL isolated from mushroom residue (MR), chicken manure (CM), sheep manure (SM), tree leaves (TL), maize straw (MS), and fodder grass (FG), and studied the structures of soil humic acid (HA) and fulvic acid (FA) amended

Degradation and enclosure can change plant composition and soil properties, thereby alter soil microbial community, diversity and activity. This study used high-throughput sequencing and microplate fluorometric to determine the patterns of soil fungal community and extracellular enzyme activity (EEA) under degradation and restoration on the Tibetan Plateau. Three degradation (including: non-degraded

Development of sustainable mountain agriculture will require an increased understanding of the effects of climatic and environmental factors on grain yield. The objective of this study was to explore the drivers on variations of grain meteorological yield (MY) in Yunnan province, a typical high mountainous region. We used biological logistic regression model to simulate the trend yield to eliminate

High levels of boron (B) in soils cause toxicity in tomatoes, but inoculation of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) into plants can reduce it. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of AMF inoculation on morphological parameters (shoot height, plant fresh and dry weights), yield, leaf chlorophyll and boron content, and fruit characteristics (weight, water and soluble solid contents, firmness, color)

Anaerobic digestate (AD), a sub-product of cattle manure treatment to produce biogas, could be used for agricultural purposes after co-composting. The aim of this research was to evaluate in organic horticulture the co-composted AD, obtained using two different aerobic stabilization processes (not aerated and aerated composting), by assessing: i) the energy requirements and the GHG emissions of on-farm

For sustainable agriculture, efficient use of energy is of utmost importance. This study was conducted for a period of three years in Central Anatolia region of Turkey to find out how the energy balance was affected under different planting methods. Split plot design with four replications was used in the study. While the main plots included planting methods, the subplots included the varieties. Energy

Cotton yield and quality are constantly deteriorating in water limited and poorly drained silty clay soils. Farmers practice deep plowing and irrigate at 2-week interval, which is costly, degrading soil, and reduce cotton yield. A field study was conducted to evaluate impact of tillage, irrigation intervals, and K (potassium) levels on cotton yield and quality. The experiment comprised of main plot

Wheat cultivation under a dual-purpose (DP) system holds great potential to provide additional fodder for livestock with marginal grain reduction. This study explores the potential of wheat as a DP crop for improving both, forage and grain cropping system by finding out optimal sowing dates and cultivars suitable for DP cropping. Field experiments with four cultivars (Saleem-2000, Bathoor-2007, Fakhre

A field experiment was conducted in years 2016-2018 in crop-rotation: faba bean-winter wheat-winter wheat. After seedling emergency (2016) mineral fertilizer (15NH4)2SO4 having 20.1 at% 15N (dose of 30 kg N ha−1) was applied. The faba bean biomass contained 194.1 kg ha−1of nitrogen (140.0 kg of N in seeds and 54.1 kg in crop residue). In this amount including 58.7 kg N ha−1 in seed and 21.2 kg of N

Controlled-release urea (CRU) mixed with conventional urea can promoting grain yield (GY). Whether deep placement of mixed nitrogen fertilizer can further enhance GY, nitrogen use efficiency is rarely reported. In this study, four CRU-urea mixtures and two fertilizer placement depths were tested on rainfed spring maize. Fertilizer placement at a depth of 16 cm created a soil environment of lower temperature

A hydroponic experiment was conducted to explore the effects of nitrogen on cotton root morphology and related hormone contents and to analyse the correlation between the indexes. The effects of different nitrogen concentrations (N0, N1, N2, and N3 with 0, 2, 4, and 8 mmol l−1, respectively) on main and lateral roots were evaluated. A moderate nitrogen concentration (N2, 4 mmol l−1) promotes root growth

Poor land utilization and land degradation is always a concern in semi-arid regions. This study was conducted to examine the effect of different silvopastoral systems on soil chemical, biological and biochemical properties after 9 years of establishment. Six land use systems were studied: guava (Psidium guajava L.) + pasture [buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris L.) and Caribbean stylo (Stylosanthes hamata

Weed suppression of allelopathic rice PI312777 (PI) and non-allelopathic rice Lemont (LE) at 3-, 5-, and 7-leaf stages were studied in field test. The results showed that inhibitory effect of rice rhizosphere soil (IR1), the soil aqueous extracts (IR2), and the mixture of phenolic acids of the soil extracts (IR3) were IR1 > IR2 > IR3. The same trend was observed in the content of total phenols (Ctp)

The study was aimed to determine the effect of wheat straw incorporation and nitrogen (N) fertilization on soil fertility and enzyme activity, as well as sweetpoato yield and quality. Field experiment was conducted in the summer season of 2017 and 2018, and four treatments were set: zero straw + 50 kg·ha−1 N (S0N50), 50% straw return + 50 kg·ha−1 N (S1N50), 100% straw return + 50 kg·ha−1 N (S2N50)

To get a quick and accurate hail damage simulation method for cotton, two-year experiments about two different simulation methods were conducted at the initial bloom stage in 2017 and 2018, respectively. Method one: five defoliation treatments (0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%) were conducted in 2017; method two: canopy height was decreased by 0%, 30%, 60%, and 90% by self-made tools in 2018. Field design

Degradation of soil quality, especially soil acidification, restricts the sustainable management of moso bamboo forest. A 10-year pH monitoring study was carried out in Zhejiang Province, China. The soil acidification rate of moso bamboo forests was quantified by experiments. The results showed that the natural acidification rate of soil was 0.011 pH year−1. The average acidification rate of long-term

Nutrient loss is one of the most important problems in saffron cultivation which affects saffron production. Summer irrigation during flower initiation period improves saffron yield but affects nutrient availability. This study aimed to evaluate the role of summer irrigation on saffron nitrogen (N) uptake and utilisation efficiency for different organic and chemical fertilisers. A three-year field

To achieve higher system productivity and better soil health under rice‒based cropping systems, this study was conducted to ascertain the best agricultural and nutrient management strategies. The study involved four cropping systems (CS) comprising direct seeded basmati rice (DSBR)‒wheat (CS1), DSBR‒wheat‒greengram (CS2), DSBR‒cabbage‒greengram (CS3) and DSBR‒cabbage‒onion (CS4) under different nutrient

Most of the previously introduced soil particle size distribution (PSD) models have at least one limitation. To overcome the limitations of the PSD models, two conceptual soil PSD models (unimodal- and bimodal-exponential), and one empirical model were suggested to represent PSD curve and evaluated based on the root mean square error (RMSE), adjusted coefficient of determination (R 2 adjusted), coefficient

This pot experiment was carried out to investigate the efficiency of plant rhizospheric microorganisms (PRMs) to counteract salinity stress in Plantago ovata. The treatments included soil salinity (2.5 (as control), 5 and 10 dS m−1), arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (Control, Glomus mosseae, Rhizophagus intraradices and Funneliformis mosseae) and phosphate solubilizing bacteria (Control and Pseudomonas

Controlled-release fertilizers (CRFs) are known to improve grain yield and N-use efficiency (NUE) without intensive labor input in crop production. Here, we report field experiments conducted to investigate the effects of different CRFs [polymer coated complex fertilizer (PCCF), polymer coated urea (PCU), and sulfur-coated urea (SCU)] on leaf characteristics, biomass, N uptake, grain yield, and NUE

The purpose of this study was to examine the characteristics of four crop straw decayed products (SDPs) and their ameliorating effects on an acidic Ultisol. The straws of peanut, canola, rice and pea were decayed for 150 d to obtain decayed products. The Ultisol collected from Jiangxi province was incubated with these SDPs for 30 d. Then, soil pH and soil pH buffering capacity (pHBC) were measured

We aimed to assess the changes in soil phosphorus (P) pools and legacy P after long-term phosphate fertilization. A field study was conducted for twelve years with cotton and soybean crop production in a yearly rotation. Treatments included initial P buildup with fives rates (0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 kg ha−1 of P2O5), and annual band-applied P at five rates (0, 30, 60, 90 and 120 kg ha−1 of P2O5). Soil

Micro-drip irrigation promotes high water and nutrient use efficiency in crops. We aimed to develop a new micro-drip irrigation technology that can reduce the effects of chemical fertilizer input on soil quality while maintaining agricultural productivity. There were four treatments: micro-drip irrigation with 240 (LF), 300 (MF), and 360 kg ha−1 fertilization (HF) and subsurface drip irrigation (SDI)

The objective of this study was to determine whether integrated N management strategies can be used to increase yield and N use efficiency (NUE) of direct-seeded rice. Field experiments were conducted in the Chengdu Plain in China. Super hybrid, ordinary hybrid and inbred rice were grown under four N management practices, namely N0 (zero N), N1 (fix-timing N management), N2 (reduced basal N combined

Novel adsorbents that remove P from contaminated waters can be potentially used as slow release P-fertilizers. In this study, Mg-Al layered double hydroxide (Mg-Al-LDH) and Mg-Al-LDH functionalized apple wood biochar and hydrochar were prepared to remove phosphate from aqueous solutions and then P-loaded LDH-biochar/hydrochar composites used as fertilizers for maize production in calcareous soils under

Sorghum may be a good cellulosic material for bioenergy production because it can be cultivated in current row-crop systems. However, the production of sorghum for bioenergy and its impacts on Southeastern U.S. soils should be investigated to determine the most environmentally sustainable system. The objective of this study was to evaluate tillage (conventional vs. conservation systems), and irrigation

Generally, application of biochar is an important management practice that can affect soil physico-chemical and biological properties. However, biochar is characterized by high pH and ash content, and due to this, little is known of potential salinization risk of application of biochar to soil. Laboratory incubation experiments were conducted with three replications comprising five treatments according