ABSTRACT There have been few studies in Japan on the effects of the application of lime materials, especially in regard to the soil calcium-to-magnesium ratio (Ca:Mg). The aim of this study was to explore the effects of changes in the soil Ca:Mg on soybean growth via pot and field tests over two growing seasons: 2018–2019. The field tests were conducted in two different fields, one in each year, and

ABSTRACT The increasing demand for sugarcane residue to produce industrial biofuels competes with organic-matter inputs to tropical soils for increasing fertility. Soil nitrogen (N) availability to plants and carbon (C) storage can be optimized by the selection of substrate types and quantities. We tested whether substrate-induced microbial growth increases soil N mineralization and C stabilization

(2021). Acknowledgment to the Reviewers. Soil Science and Plant Nutrition. Ahead of Print.

ABSTRACT Salinity is one of the major problems when it comes to soil fertility and agricultural productivity. In this regard, this study aimed to elucidate the influence of four salinity levels (0, 20, 50, 100 mM NaCl) on the soybean growth and the nodulation by rhizobia inoculated on the soybean variety CNS. Additionally, the compatibility of soybean varieties with the seven representative strains

ABSTRACT The root phosphorus (P) uptake efficiency (RE), defined as plant P uptake per unit root mass or root area, may contribute to the P efficiency of upland rice grown in acid, P-deficient soils. The identification of root traits conferring RE of rice has been compromised by the lack of attention given to P speciation when evaluating P-mining mechanisms. Here we disentangled the effect of soluble

(2020). Abstracts of Nippon Dojo-Hiryogaku Zasshi. Soil Science and Plant Nutrition. Ahead of Print.

(2020). Preface to the special section “Research frontiers on the use of sensing technologies and ICT for soil and fertilizer managements (Sensing-ICT)”. Soil Science and Plant Nutrition. Ahead of Print.

(2020). Abstracts of Nippon Dojo-Hiryogaku Zasshi 91-03. Soil Science and Plant Nutrition: Vol. 66, No. 4, pp. 662-663.

ABSTRACT Nickel (Ni) is an essential cofactor for various microbial enzymes, but in higher plants, few Ni-containing enzymes (e.g., urease) have been identified. Here, we explored the use of liquid chromatography–inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) to identify novel Ni-containing proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana. Water-soluble proteins were extracted from the roots of A. thaliana,

ABSTRACT Farmland in the Fukushima region of Japan experienced unprecedented radioactive contamination as a result of the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant disaster in 2011. Many fields (4,950 ha; over 30,000 fields to date) have been decontaminated by replacing the top surface soil with non-contaminated soil. However, the fertility of these fields is quite low and within-field heterogeneity is marked

ABSTRACT Present climate and socioeconomic issues would threaten the global food and environmental security. Smart farming (SF) based on advances in sensing, robotic, and information and communication technologies is a promising approach to support the efficient, sustainable, and profitable crop production. This paper discusses the background needs for SF and the role of remote sensing. Recent advances

ABSTRACT Increasing soil organic carbon (SOC) content in agricultural fields is one of the strategies for mitigating climate change through carbon (C) sequestration, and could improve soil fertility. However, only a few field experimental studies have been conducted to determine the SOC stock changes in tropical areas. A field experiment was conducted under various soil management approaches in a maize-mung

ABSTRACT Mycorrhizal symbiosis may help plants to compensate the water deficit-induced macronutrients, secondary metabolites and osmotic adjustments as the basis of crop production. The present investigation was undertaken to evaluate the physiological responses of the lavender (Lavandula officinalis L.), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) and thyme (Thymus vulgaris) host plants to inoculation with

ABSTRACT Burial of the surface soil by volcanic ash deposition plays roles in organic matter accumulation. Assuming that decomposition of the buried humus is limited solely by labile substrate inputs, glucose inputs are hypothesized to stimulate microbial activity in buried humic horizons. We describe patterns of microbial mineralization of 14C-labeled glucose in volcanic soil profiles to test whether

ABSTRACT Many crops are colonized with arbuscular mycorrhizae fungi (AMF), which can efficiently absorb nutrient from the soil and induce plant immunity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of AMF and rock phosphate (P) fertilizer applications on available P and some secondary plant metabolite in robusta coffee. The experiments were laid out in a 3 × 4 factorial randomized complete

ABSTRACT Genetic variations in the root traits of rice remain unexplored in relation to varietal groups and diverse ecosystems. Therefore, we evaluated 257 Bangladeshi accessions, which included landraces and improved varieties belonging to four ecotypes (Aus, Aman, Boro and Jhum), to understand genetic variations in the total root length (TRL), maximum root length and root number under different concentrations

ABSTRACT Silicon (Si) is a beneficial element for plants, which helps to mitigate various biotic and abiotic stresses. Since the last review on Si published in this journal in 2004, great progress has been made in understanding transport system of Si in different plant species. The discovery of two different transporters for Si (Lsi1 and Lsi2) in rice led to intensive investigation of Si transporters

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to estimate local calibration models for 30 chemical and 4 physical soil properties, based on visible and near-infrared subsurface soil reflectance spectra (VNIR-SRS). Further, we discussed a case of decision-making for precision farming by a grower, using high-resolution soil maps. The experimental sites were located in rotational upland fields of taro in Saitama

ABSTRACT Combined applications of plant residues and nitrogen (N) fertilizer in agroecosystems may increase N immobilization and reduce N loss through microbial propagation using fresh organic matter (FOM). However, the effects of different carbon (C) availabilities in FOM to microbes on the immobilization of two forms of fertilizer-N (NH4 +-N and NO3 −-N) are still not clear. In this study, starch

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to investigate the current soil properties in lowland paddy fields in Peninsular Malaysia and to assess the long-term changes in the soil fertility status during 50 years after the Green Revolution. Forty paddy fields were selected close to the study sites surveyed in 1965 and grouped based on six physiographic environments: the brackish swamp (including acid

ABSTRACT Several region-specific vegetable varieties in Japan have an extensive cultivation history. Distinct tastes and aromas make them suitable for use in spices and pickles, and varieties with a high content of functional sulfur-containing compounds have been preferentially selected over the years. In the present study, we investigated the effects of different rhizosphere sulfate concentrations

ABSTRACT Azorhizobium caulinodans ORS571 is a rhizobium of the tropical legume Sesbania rostrata. This bacterium possesses the reb operon, which is associated with pathogenic R-bodies. To establish symbiosis with host plants, the expression of reb operon is suppressed at a low level by multiple regulators, such as PraR transcription factor and Lon protease. The reb operon is highly expressed in the

ABSTRACT Azorhizobium caulinodans ORS571 is a microsymbiont of the tropical legume Sesbania rostrata. This bacterium induces nodules on the stems and roots of host plants, and fixes nitrogen in the host cells within such nodules. It is also an endophytic bacterium of some non-leguminous plants, such as Arabidopsis thaliana, rice, wheat, and tomato. It is known that this bacterium colonizes in the intercellular

(2020). Preface to the special section on ‘New frontiers of the nature, function and use of volcanic soils’. Soil Science and Plant Nutrition. Ahead of Print.

ABSTRACT Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi is expected to be utilized in low input agriculture for their function to supply nutrients and water to host plants. AM fungal inoculum has been provided, but it has been known that their effect is context dependent. To clarify the factors that determine the effect of AM fungal inoculation to forage corn, a pot experiment was conducted using different indigenous

ABSTRACT The 2030 Agenda was promulgated for the Sustainable Develop Goals (SDGs), which consist of 17 goals created to eradicate poverty and realize a more sustainable world. Among the goals, soil science can contribute significantly toward achieving zero hunger (#2), implementing climate action (#13), bettering life on land (#15), among others. Paddy fields are important sustainable agro-ecosystems

ABSTRACT In Lotus japonicus, quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for nitrogen fixation activity (acetylene reduction activity, ARA) and seed weight are located in the same region on chromosome 4 as the gene responsible for the Fix− mutant sen1. The SEN1 gene of L. japonicus Gifu B129 has a deletion of three nucleotides in comparison with that of L. japonicus Miyakojima MG20, which results in a deletion

ABSTRACT Wide-area surveys have been conducted on a prefectural or regional scale in Japan for revealing soil chemical properties affecting soybean yield. However, they vary by region and thus, the common chemical factors through Japan remain unclear. This study aims to identify the soil chemical properties involved in soybean yield based on field data in various prefectures throughout Japan. We collected

ABSTRACT Continuous cropping often leads yield losses via deteriorated soil biological and chemical properties. In this mini review, the importance of organic matter amendment is focused in relation to the management of soilborne plant pathogens and plant parasitic nematodes. A wide range of examples are shown for organic matter amendment including composts, cover crops and simple organic compound

ABSTRACT We examined the linkages between topography and electron donors for denitrification on in-stream NO3 − concentration in headwater catchments in the Lake Hachiro watershed having marine sedimentary rock, Japan. In 35 headwater catchments (0.07–16.9 km2), we sampled stream water every season in 2 years. The water samples were analyzed for NO3 –, dissolved nitrous oxide (dN2O), and SO4 2 – concentrations

ABSTRACT Extensive areas of Andosols in tropical Indonesia have been subjected to long-term (>100 years) alterations from native forest to agricultural land use. This study assessed the mineralogical and surface charge characteristics of Andosols in West Java, Indonesia and assessed their resilience upon conversion from rainforest (PF1) to tea plantation (TP1) and horticultural practices. Soils developed

ABSTRACT It is essential to manage nitrogen (N) fertilization to obtain the appropriate protein contents in wheat grains. In this study, N uptake from the booting stage to flag leaf appearance, and the tiller number at the booting and panicle formation stages was estimated using a handheld active optical sensor of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) under different measurement conditions

ABSTRACT The time has come to promote a new paradigm for promoting the concept that soil is alive. Soil is generally defined as a natural body formed in response to factors such as climate, living things, parent material, topography, and time. However, in order to restore land, it is necessary to recognize that soil is alive like organisms. For that purpose, I will demonstrate that soil is alive based

ABSTRACT In organic farming, intensive tillage for weed eliminating may cause physical and biological soil degradation. Weed residue mulch can be used to stabilize the organic carbon in the soil by improving soil aggregation and increasing microbial activity. However, the effectiveness of weed mulch in no-tillage (NT) and conventional tillage (CT) systems remains unclear. Therefore, we studied the

ABSTRACT The oxalate-extractable Al (Alo) of weathered Nantai-Imaichi (Nt-IK) tephra sampled at Kiwadajima in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan is more than twice as high as that of weathered Nantai-Shichihonzakura (Nt-SK) tephra. This difference is peculiar because the Nt-IK horizon is directly under the Nt-SK tephra, without a buried A horizon in between, and the Nt-IK compares with the Nt-SK in age. The

Understanding of the long-term soil fertility trends is the basis for rational and sustainable management of the soil resources in agricultural fields. In tropical Asia, the Green Revolution initiated in the late 1960s contributed to a drastic increase in both food production and human population. Among the tropical Asian countries, Thailand is known as a rice-exporting country, but the country’s rice

Salinity degrades the environment, reducing the productive capacity of affected land. This presents a significant challenge in agriculture; however, different crops are known to vary in their tolerance to salt stress. This study investigated the tolerance of two oat (Avena sativa L.) lines, Baiyan2 and Mengnongda1, to salinity stress. Oat lines were subjected to salt treatments (100 mM NaCl) for a

Ciliates play important ecological roles as microbial predators in soil. Although arable soils can experience a wide range of temperatures caused by agricultural land management, the effect of temperature on soil ciliates has been poorly documented, particularly for high temperatures over 30°C. Here, we studied the response of the soil ciliate community to different temperatures in comparison with

Paddy fields are generally submerged during the growing season and drained in the fallow season, and occasionally stimulating the air-drying effect and drying-rewetting effect on soil nitrogen (N) mineralization and soil carbon (C) decomposition. It is important to understand how these two effects take place in Andosol field under organic farming. To elucidate these effects, we incubated fresh, air-dried

Conservation agriculture (CA), which consists of minimum soil disturbance, soil cover, and crop rotation/association, has been promoted as an indivisible three-component package to control water erosion in the Sudan Savanna. However, CA has not been adopted by local smallholder farmers, probably because the three-component package constitutes a large burden for the farmers. Our previous study revealed

Soil acidification is a natural pedogenetic process in forest ecosystems, but is accelerated by acidic deposition. Soils on Yakushima Island, in southwestern Japan, are derived from granitic bedrock and volcanic parent materials influenced by eolian dust inputs. Acid deposition and low acid-neutralizing capacity (ANC) of granite-derived soils are hypothesized to be the cause of acidic stream water

This work focused on the amounts and distribution of organic C (OC), organic phosphorus (Po), and acid phosphomonoesterase (AcP) and β-glucosidase (βG) activities in volcanic soils, as well as on the effect of inorganic P (Pi) on potential P-acquiring effort. The OC and Po contents are correlated with the active aluminum (Alox) and iron (Feox) and with the stratified gradients of the enzyme activities

Nitrogen (N) is the most important and limiting factor in crop production. Thus, a clear understanding of its cycle is important to improve its efficiency and reducing environmental pollution. A 2-year experiment was conducted to investigate the N flows on a winter-wheat field during 2017 to 2019 in Ehime Prefecture, Japan. We also evaluated N budgets based on N input and N output among different N

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) grown in flooded paddy fields is a large contributor of inorganic arsenic (As) to human diets. The absorption pathway of arsenite via rice roots is known to be similar to that of silicon (Si). However, the spatiotemporal dynamics of As and Si in the aboveground parts of rice plants at different growth stages are not yet fully understood. In this study, we aimed to compare the

Phosphorus (P) is a macronutrient essential for plant growth and productivity. Plants uptake P as inorganic phosphate (Pi); however, in the natural ecosystem, Pi availability is frequently a severe limiting factor for plant growth. Thus, plants have evolved several mechanisms, such as the expression of Pi starvation-responsive genes, to adapt to Pi deficient conditions. Although we recently reported

Feld experiments were undertaken at the ICAR–Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi in the winter seasons of 2013–14 and 2014–15. The objective of the study was to evaluate the significance of three crop establishment methods viz., conventional drill sown wheat, the system of wheat intensification, and zero tillage wheat and rates of nitrogen, phosphorus (P), and zinc (Zn) fertilization

Precision agriculture has been developed in order to achieve more productive, more profitable and environmentally sound agriculture by adjusting the input level in the site-specific manner. Therefore, the delineation of management zone in spatially variable farmland was thought to be crucial for a site-specific management of crops. Recent introduction of ICT (Information and Communication Technology)

The conversion between the two different systems, ISSS and FAO/USDA, of particle size distribution and soil texture classification is useful to characterize soil physical properties and usage of each published. The objective of this study is to test some functions that have been published for conversion from ISSS to FAO/USDA system for Japanese paddy soils and to select the best method. We tested the

Chitin, which is the polymer of N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) linked by β1,4 glycoside bonds, has been reported as a soil amendment to mitigate plant soil diseases, increasing the population of chitin-degrading bacteria, and chitinolytic enzymatic activity in the soil. In some chitin-degrading bacteria, whose chitinolytic systems have been intensively studied, the chitin degradation product N,Nʹ-diacetylchitobiose

The fertilizer absorption characteristics of strawberries are not clear, although appropriate fertilization is definitely necessary to ensure produce quality and quantity. This study aimed to determine the amounts of macro- and micronutrients absorbed during cultivation of strawberries and their biodistribution and utilization in the plant body. We cultivated Japanese strawberries ‘Benihoppe’ and ‘Kirapika’

Alternative saturation and reduction are frequent in the Ultisols on aged alluvial terraces in Taiwan, which forms various redoximorphic features (RMFs) that depend on a seasonally high water table and geographic positions. The abundance and distribution of RMFs in the soil profile are criteria for the classification categories of Plinthite in Soil Taxonomy. Thus, we proposed an empirical relationship

The soil map of Madagascar has not been substantially updated since the 1960s. The number of reported soil profiles that meet the criteria of the Reference Pedon Description – the highest level of data reliability used to ascertain FAO soil unit classification – is also limited for a country-scale soil map. Therefore, we conducted a soil survey in the east coast and the central highlands, the most

Following the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident of 2011, the potential for radiocesium transfer from contaminated soils, such as Andosols, to agricultural crops became a significant concern. Andosols account for up to 70％ of paddy soils in the northern and northwest areas of Tochigi Prefecture, where the radiocesium concentration is 1000 Bq kg−1 or greater in the soil of some fields. The

(2020). Abstracts of Nippon Dojo-Hiryogaku Zasshi 91-02. Soil Science and Plant Nutrition: Vol. 66, No. 3, pp. 527-529.

In 2017, the Japanese Society of Pedology (the Fifth Committee for Soil Classification and Nomenclature) established the Japanese soil classification system. In the classification system, all the soils derived from volcanic ejecta (volcanic ash, pumice, scoria, etc.) are classified into the Great Group of Andosols, excluding Man-made and Organic soils, although some volcanic soils were classified into

Andosols (or Andisols) are the typical soils developed from volcanoclastic materials. They possess several distinctive properties that are rarely found in other groups of soils. These properties are largely due to the dominance of short-range ordered minerals (allophane, imogolite, and ferrihydrite) and/or mineral–humus complexes (Al/Fe–humus complexes). In this review, I survey the diversity of volcanic

ABSTRACT To clarify the factors affecting 137Cs transfer from soil to brown rice in comparison with 133Cs transfer and also to determine the key parameters of the solid-liquid partition coefficient (K d), concentration factor from soil solution to brown rice (CF), and transfer factor from soil to brown rice (TF), we analyzed the results of our previous paper in which a rice pot-culture experiment under

ABSTRACT Soil microorganisms play important roles in crop growth and nutrient cycling. This study investigated the influence of the temporal changes in soil fatty acids (FAs) mainly derived from microorganisms by the incorporation of different green manures on the subsequent crop yield of winter wheat. Plants (Sesbania rostrata or Sorghum bicolor) as green manure were cultivated as the preceding crop

ABSTRACT Iron (Fe) is an essential element for most organisms since it is involved in various biological reactions. Fe deficiency is a major constraint for plant growth and leads to low crop yields and poor nutritional quality. Fe uptake and translocation in plants require the coordinated expression of multiple genes, which is regulated by various transcription factors (TFs), especially members of

ABSTRACT Photosynthetic activity is expected to be maintained during leaf senescence if the amount of Rubisco is maintained. As the mRNA level of the Rubisco gene decreases rapidly just before the stage of full expansion, its overexpression after full expansion would be effective. We previously found that the mRNA level of the Rubisco activase gene (RCA) is maintained during leaf senescence. In the