Many soil types in the Federal State of Schleswig‐Holstein (North Germany) are naturally compacted in the subsoil due to pedo or geogenic processes (42 % of the area) but, due to anthropogenic impacts, the percentage of subsoil compaction has increased further. To determine the overall subsoil compaction status of seven representative soil types in Schleswig‐Holstein (≤ 60 cm depth), air capacity (AC)

Dust emission from wind erosion is a widespread phenomenon in arid and semi‐arid areas having considerable implications for ecosystems and human well‐being. However, few studies have examined the efficiency of biochar amended to soil on wind erosion control. Aimed at studying the effect of biochar on resistance of soils against wind erosion, a wind tunnel experiment was conducted. We tested (i) soils

Continuous rise in the atmospheric CO2 concentration upshots the genesis of cataclysmic planetary problems such as global warming and climate change. Another critical issue which is environmentally challenging is land degradation. When productive land is poorly managed, it turns to marginal land. And further degradation of marginal land ends up to being unproductive land. On the Contrary, considerable

Persistence of subsoil compaction in construction right‐of‐way (ROW) areas is a major cropland concern following installation of underground pipelines. Soil physical disturbance and remediation practices including removal of topsoil, subsoil tillage and replacement of topsoil were investigated in a soybean–corn rotation field, which was located within a pipeline ROW. The objectives of the study were

Accidental flowback water spills can cause serious soil pollution. Nickel (Ni) is one of the common heavy metal components in the flowback water. However, the behaviour and mechanism of Ni in flowback water in dolomite‐derived laterite soil are poorly understood. In this study, laterite soils were selected from a Cambrian dolomite strata in China. Column experiments and synthetic flowback water were

With the move towards conservation agriculture, we have seen an increase in weeds such as Salsola kali L., well known as Russian thistle, which are wind spread over fallow land. The emergence of this weed species seemed erratic, perhaps connected to climate conditions and management techniques. In order to shed some light on this issue, we carried out a field experiment over three years to monitor

Controlled‐release fertilizers based on superabsorbents containing lignohumate and conventional mineral fertilizer (NPK) were prepared. Their water absorption was supported by the presence of lignohumate (LH) and suppressed by the presence of NPK. The release of mineral nutrients was prolonged up to four weeks in the case of increased content of NPK. The addition of LH had negligible influence on the

This paper explores the role of women empowerment and labour on enabling farmers to cross two hurdles: adopt and intensify soil fertility management (SFM), coming after six decades of SFM research that disseminated several technologies. Despite the assertion that productivity gains cannot be realised unless drivers of soil degradation are addressed, SFM usage is low. We collected data from a systematically

Soil microbial disorder caused by continuous cropping of potato is a major challenge in the semi‐arid region of northwest China. Crop rotation can enhance crop productivity and increase soil microbial diversity. However, the functional significance of changes in soil microbial communities in different ridge‐mulching patterns of potato continuous cropping soil is poorly understood. In view of this,

Peatlands occupy 20% of the land area of Ireland and store over half of soil carbon stocks. Over 80% of these peatlands have been disturbed by human activity such as drainage for peat extraction, afforestation and agriculture. In this study, peat samples were collected from 12 horticultural peat extraction sites in the Irish midlands. The carbon (C), nitrogen (N), hydrogen and sulphur content were

In general, farming systems that provide the greatest organic matter returns to the soil support the highest earthworm populations and typically the application of organic materials will increase earthworm numbers because of an abundance of food. There has been limited work on the effects of digestate applications on earthworm populations with most focus on the short‐term effects of digestate from

Intensive dairy farming is implicated with the phosphorus (P) enrichment and eutrophication of fresh water bodies. In Northern Ireland (NI), although P surpluses on dairy farms are high, representative soil P data for both dairy and non‐dairy ruminant sector grassland are needed to help assess the extent to which dairying per se is contributing to poor water quality. Data from a recently completed

A simulation modelling study was carried out of the effects of poor field drainage on raising losses to the environment of inorganic phosphorus during livestock grazing and slurry spreading. The study used the weather‐driven colloid transport version of the MACRO model, as previously calibrated and tested using measurements of inorganic phosphorus in drainage water at experimental field sites. Results

Cover crops can be utilized to lower soil nitrate leaching. However, depending on the species grown and cover crop termination management, this may lead to nitrogen (N) immobilization and/or depletion of soil moisture available to the following cash crop, potentially impacting on crop yields. Cover crop management is also dependent on using herbicides to terminate growth prior to planting the next

The integration of soil value in agronomic micro‐level decision‐making and macro‐scale policy development has grown immensely in recent years. Major threats to soil resources and their impact on human well‐being require a comprehensive estimation of soil’s economic worth, highlighting the need for sustainable and pragmatic conservation strategies. However, the absence of formal markets for numerous

The aftermath of surface mining is a wasteland deprived of vegetation, soil structure and biodiversity. The unearthed overburden material is nutrient deprived and can only support the growth of invasive weeds such as Lantana camera which often cause allelopathy. The aim of the study is to prepare biochar from these noxious weeds and use it as an amendment for the mine spoil reclamation. Lantana biochar

Decreased frequency but greater intensity of rainfall in semi‐arid India severely affect growth and the yield of rainfed annual food crops, where there is no other source of water, leading to moisture stress during protracted dry spells. As Indian farmers growing rainfed crops are small landholders, their better option is in situ rainwater harvesting. This ensures moisture storage and increases soil

In this work, we aimed to investigate changes in compressive properties and least limiting water range (LLWR ) of the plough layer and plough pan induced by successive years of sugarcane cultivation. Undisturbed soil samples were collected in a sugarcane field at the plough layer and below tillage depth (plough pan). Uniaxial compression tests were performed for a water tension (h ) range of 30 to

Studies of phosphorus (P) behaviour in soils receiving sugar cane filter cake are important for determining doses, its contribution to P nutrition and maximizing fertilizer efficiency, especially in soils with low P availability. This study aimed to assess organic and inorganic forms of P in soils treated with sugar cane filter cake, and the relationship between these and plant available P. Soil inorganic

CO2 and N2O are important greenhouse gases that are related to soil mineralization–immobilization turnover and nitrification. To explore the responses of CO2 and N2O emissions to N deposition in forests with different N transformation characteristics, CO2 and N2O fluxes were measured in two NH4NO3 fertilized plots. One plot was in a temperate pine plantation in Heilongjiang Liangshui National Nature

The present study was a six‐year long‐term positioning experiment to explore the microbial community structure in the soil of spring maize under different cultivation techniques in rainfed areas. Five treatments were designed as follows: no fertilizer (CK); 135 kg/hm2 N and 90 kg/hm2 P under straw mulching (SM); plastic mulching (PM); ridge‐furrow with plastic film mulching (RFPFM) and green manure

Highland vegetables play an important role in meeting the demand for fresh vegetables in summer and also increasing the income of farmers in upland areas of China. With the large‐scale and intensive development of vegetable planting in upland areas, many of the farmers have used vegetable–maize rotation instead of the traditional maize monoculture pattern. The bacterial community and diversity under

Proper management of soil organic matter is an important issue in the context of sustainable agriculture. The intensification of production and the loss of organic carbon associated with agriculture reduce the efficiency of production and the quality of the environment, especially in relation to areas exposed to erosion. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of specific tillage systems

The low efficiency of phosphorus fertilization in weathered soils can limit plant development. The application of biochars in these areas has been seen as an important way to increase the efficiency of phosphorus fertilization and to promote better plant growth. However, biochars are alkaline materials that can increase soil pH and thus change the nutrient dynamics, which has been often ignored in

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is associated with environmental benefits and crop productivity; therefore, monitoring of SOC stocks is important when assessing the sustainability of agricultural systems. This study applied a hybrid method and the results of on‐farm soil tests to calibrate the AMGv2 model and adapt it to local conditions. The method was applied to soils in the Limagne plain (France), which

Soils are a host to several micro‐organisms which are responsible for various biogeochemical processes prevailing in the geoenvironment. Such processes have been utilized to alter engineering properties of the coarse‐grained soils viz., sands, such as strength, liquefaction potential and permeability. One of such processes, which has been explored by several researchers, is ‘Biogenic Calcite Precipitation'

Nitrogen (N) fertilizer retention and short‐term vertical redistribution into soil affect N balance and N‐use efficiency in rice (Oryza sativa L.) production systems. A series of experiments was conducted on intact soil cores obtained from rice production fields to track floodwater and soil ammonium‐ and nitrate‐N concentrations up to 96 hr after urea and ammonium sulphate fertilizer amendments to

Deep soil (>2 m) moisture is relatively stable water that supports tree growth and water management in the loess hilly‐gully area of China. Characterizing the spatial variation of deep soil moisture is important for water management in apple orchards. Using a space‐for‐time substitution approach, we analyzed the spatial variation of soil moisture content (θ) in 0–8 m soil profiles in a dry year (2015

The near‐surface soil water content (SWC) can reflect the agricultural drought levels. In addition, understanding the historical trends of near‐surface SWC change in China is an important step in combating climate change. The monthly near‐surface SWC data set during 1988–2016 published by the European Space Agency Climate Change Initiative were used in this study to analyse the variations of SWC in

In order to evaluate and protect ecosystem services provided by peat and peaty soils, accurate estimations for the depth of the surface organic horizon are required. This study uses linear mixed models (LMMs) to test how topographic (elevation, slope, aspect) and superficial geology parameters can contribute to improved depth estimates across a Scottish upland catchment. Mean (n  = 5) depth data from

Land use capability systems do not present any considerations regarding recharge zones (RZs). To improve conservation planning, the objective of this study was to present a parametrization method for the land use capability of recharge zones (LUC‐RZ). RZs were characterized as the upper thirds of the elevations of all slopes with rectilinear, concave and/or convex features in the terrains. The LUC‐RZ

Good soil structure provides multiple benefits for society but in grass‐based production systems is underpinned by trafficking management regime. For Irish soils, there is no soil trafficking intensity index that considers the effect of geo‐climatic variability or differences in drainage classes on soil compaction risk. Grazing and machinery activity data were compiled across 38 managed grasslands

This study compared the effects on nitrate leaching of slurry application to ley in early Autumn (15 September), late Autumn (1 November) and Spring (April) under Swedish growing conditions. In two separate two‐year experiments, started in Autumn 2009 and 2010, on a sandy loam soil in south‐west Sweden, these three application times were compared with no slurry application in grass–clover and grass

Prescribed burning of plant residues in agricultural lands may increase surface soil temperature and change the dynamics of soil potassium (K). In the current investigation, the effects of two hours heating of soil to 25, 100, 225, or 350°C and cycling (one and three cycles) on properties of eight calcareous soils from southern Iran and K dynamics (K forms, release, and fixation) were studied. Results

Quantification of nitrogen mineralization at the field scale is necessary to improve current N fertilizer recommendations. The objective of this study was to identify a suitable set of explanatory variables and an appropriate modelling framework to estimate the average daily amount of N mineralized (DANM) during a corn (Zea mays L.) growing season. In six field experiments in Flat Inland Pampas, Argentina

As a waste‐derived soil amendment with a long history, biochar has received extensive attention for its capability to improve soil fertility/health; remove or immobilize contaminants in soil, water and air; and mitigate climate change. With the aim of producing engineered biochars with excellent performances, new trends in biochar pyrolytic production and modification strategies have emerged. This

As one part of the ‘Three Norths’ forest protection system, dense farmland shelterbelt networks in northeastern China could greatly modify water and sediment flows. In this paper, catchment soil erosion rate and sediment yield (SY ) that are impacted by farmland shelterbelts were estimated using WaTEM /SEDEM model. The shelterbelts reduced catchment soil erosion and SY to some extent. The mean soil

Rapid and far‐reaching transitions are required to combat climate change and its impacts. Carbon capture and storage within mineral deposits is a promising solution to remove CO2 from the atmosphere. In‐situ geological storage and ex‐situ mineral sequestration are practically sufficient for sequestering all the anthropogenic CO2. Recent research reports that more than 95% of injected CO2 was mineralized

The reuse of phosphogypsum (PG) and water treatment residual (WTR) waste for agricultural purposes is a possible option to improve the soil properties and increase the crop yield. The present study was conducted during the 2014 growing season in order to determine the impacts of PG and WTR applied to the heavy clay soils (which contain more than 50% clay particles) at rates of 5 and 10 t ha−1 with

This paper examines the potential influence of soil management and land use on soil carbon on cropping farms in New South Wales (NSW ), Australia. Soil organic carbon (SOC ) data from ten farms spatially distributed across NSW were examined on two occasions. Soil cores to a depth 0–30 cm were measured for SOC and, as expected, SOC in the A horizon (1.16%) was significantly (p  < .001) greater than

When using mechanical harvesting, the sugarcane trash can be partially recovered for use as feedstock for bioenergy. However, the amount of trash that can be removed without prejudicing the sustainability of the sugarcane production system has still been little studied. The aim of this study was to evaluate the short‐term impact of removing part of the sugarcane trash using enzymatic and microbiological

The need for facilitation of access to soil information has never been greater. Growing human population, shrinking land and water resources, soil pollution, climate change and unequal distribution of agriculture‐oriented technology impact negatively on global food security. There has been a long‐standing interest in developing low‐cost and easily accessible soil field kits to measure different properties

The accurate monitoring of soil moisture is critical for many environmental and hydrological applications, and commercial sensors have been used widely to detect the soil water content. However, the sensitivity of these sensors to the soil texture and bulk density demands calibration before conducting determinations. In the present study, we calibrated two soil moisture sensors (TDR ‐315L and Diviner

Accumulation of inorganic and labile organic phosphorus (P) in intensive agricultural systems leads to P loss from soil which can cause serious environmental problems. Soil microbes are important in mobilizing soil non‐available P, however, little is known about the role of soil microbes in immobilizing P to reduce P loss. Here, we test whether stimulating microbial biomass to immobilize P could reduce

Solar vegetable greenhouse soils show low soil organic carbon content and thus also low rates of soil respiration. Processing vegetable residues to biochar and mixing biochar with maize straw might improve soil respiration and increase soil organic carbon stocks, while preventing the spread of soil‐borne diseases carried by vegetable residues. In an incubation experiment, we tested how additions of

Grassland management aimed at enhancing carbon (C) in soil is an important tool in mitigation of rising atmospheric CO 2, yet little is known of how grassland soil C changes with livestock stocking rate (SR ). We relate soil organic and inorganic C mass (t ha−1 to 60 cm depth) with cattle stocking over periods of 7–27 year for 32 paddocks distributed across nine community pastures in the mixed‐grass

Long‐term P Fertiliser application increases soil phosphorus (P) labile fractions, which can be associated with crop P uptake and grain yield and are useful to improve fertilizer recommendations. Research aims were to evaluate in long‐term experiments with different P Fertiliser application in a Mollisol and a Vertisol: (a) the changes of soil P fractions and (b) the relationship between soil P fractions

The unsustainable use of phosphate‐based fertilizers can lead to the depletion of accessible phosphorous reserves and cause environmental problems. As well as finding new phosphate supplies, we ought to be prioritizing sustainable phosphate‐based fertilizers. By adopting microbial, physical and chemical modifications, low‐solubility phosphate minerals could be used in an efficient way for nutrient

Increasing soil carbon (C) in arable soils is an important strategy to achieve sustainable yields and mitigate climate change. We investigated changes in soil organic and inorganic carbon (SOC and SIC ) under conservation agriculture (CA ) in a calcareous soil of the eastern Indo‐Gangetic Plains of India. The treatments were as follows: conventional‐till rice and wheat (CT ‐CT ), CT rice and zero‐till

Bio‐mediated soil improvement involves the usage of microbes to improve soil engineering performance through a series of bio‐geochemical processes. In particular, Microbially Induced Calcite Precipitation (MICP), a ubiquitous bio‐geochemical process that occurs in soil and results in permanent inorganic cementation between soil grains, has received the greatest research focus. While substantial progress

Land use change (LUC) alters soil structure and, consequently, the functions and services provided by these soils. Conversion from extensive pasture to sugarcane is one of the largest land transitions in Brazil as a result of the growth of the domestic and global demands of bioenergy. However, the impacts of sugarcane expansion on the soil structure under extensive pasture remains unclear, especially

Topsoil is disturbed by ploughing, the effects of infiltration, the movement of fine particles from the topsoil to the subsoil, and direct pressure from agriculture machinery, all creating an abrupt delineation in the form of a compacted layer with very low permeability. Spatial variability of soil properties, such as soil structure and penetration resistance (PR ), can help identify the compacted

The integrated horizontal flux method is commonly used to estimate ammonia emission from field‐applied manure. The method involves measuring the wind speed and ammonia concentration at various heights on a post in the middle of a manured plot. Wind speed and concentration profiles are subsequently fitted to these measurements. The product of the profiles represents the amount of ammonia displaced by

Nitrogen (N) gas losses can be reduced by using enhanced‐efficiency N (EEN ) fertilizers such as urease inhibitors and coating technologies. In this work, we assessed the potential of EEN fertilizers to reduce winter losses of nitrous oxide (N2O‐N) and ammonia (NH 3‐N) from a subtropical field experiment on a clayey Inceptisol under no‐till in Southern Brazil. The EEN sources used included urea containing

Soil organic carbon (SOC ) stocks and nutrient availability are key indicators of soil quality, and both can be influenced by land‐use change. However, it is still unclear whether the impact of land‐use change on SOC and nutrient stocks differs between ecoregions. Grasslands near the northeast border of the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau (QTP ) occur across several ecoregions that have recently been subjected

A field study was conducted to assess the long‐term effects of no‐tillage (NT ) and conventional tillage (CT ), and the short‐term effects following tillage conversion from CT to NT (NT n) and from NT to CT (CT n) on soil quality (SQ ) indicators in a semi‐humid climate. First, plots of a long‐term tillage experiment on a Luvic Phaeozem initiated in 1986 were split into two subplots in 2012, yielding

Land classification assists in identifying optimal crop selection for a given field, and land use capability gives an indication of potential agronomic productivity. However, these approaches are most germane to farming systems managed with high technology. This study sought to adapt land use capability to farming systems managed with low and intermediate levels of technology. Assessment of the classification

Community level physiological profiles (CLPPs) were used to characterize soils with two contrasting no‐till agricultural practices in terms of crop rotation, looking for differences in soil physiology according to management: ‘good agricultural practices (GAP), based on crop rotation, and monocropping agriculture considered as poor agricultural practices (PAP); soils from nearby natural environments

The change in soil carbon (C) concentration, soil pH and major nutrients for approximately 1,000 topsoil sampled from on‐farm experimental sites over a thirty‐year period from 1950 to 1980 in north‐east Scotland are summarized. This period coincided with increased agricultural intensification, which included regular liming and fertilizer additions. During 2017, 37 of these sites were resampled and

The imbalanced use of chemical fertilizers under intensive cultivation practices over a period of years leads to various soil‐associated problems particularly nutrient availability. Thus, to examine the effect of long‐term application of balanced and imbalanced inorganic fertilizer and farm yard manure (FYM) application on the chemical fraction of DTPA‐extractable micronutrients under rice–wheat cropping