Cassava production requires nitrogen (N) inputs to drive processes such as protein synthesis. Nevertheless, N not taken up by cassava roots is subjected to microbial transformation resulting in nitrous oxide (N2O) production, a potent greenhouse gas. The temporal dynamics of soil N is partially influenced by the N source (i.e., organic or inorganic fertilizer) and the synchrony between N supply and

Silage maize (Zea mays L.) is an important crop for forage on northwestern European dairy cattle farms. We examined the effect of readily available soil phosphorus (P) on early maize growth and linked in‐season height growth to final harvest yield using field plots with contrasting P supply in a one‐year study embedded in a long‐term experiment. Water‐extractable P (Pw) was used as a proxy for readily

The present study aims to improve shear strength of poorly graded sand using microbially induced calcite precipitation (MICP) technique. Two soil‐based bacteria, namely Sporosarcina pasteurii (SP) and Bacillus sphaericus (BS), were bioaugmented in sand. The cementation solutions of 0.50 M concentration were prepared using distilled water (DWCS) and tap water (TWCS), maintaining sterile and non‐sterile

We performed a systematic mapping of validation methods used in digital soil mapping (DSM), in order to gain an overview of current practices and make recommendations for future publications on DSM studies. A systematic search and screening procedure, largely following the RepOrting standards for Systematic Evidence Syntheses (ROSES) protocol, was carried out. It yielded a database of 188 peer‐reviewed

Variations in and control of soil total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) and their stoichiometric ratios (C:N, C:P and N:P) are critical in agricultural nutrient management. This study examined the scale‐dependent effects of environmental factors on these soil properties under two contrasting land‐use types (tea versus. bamboo) at plot scale (70 × 70 m) and landscape

The integrated rice–crayfish (RC) farming has become popular in rice‐growing areas in China. In order to raise crayfish in paddy, the RC system requires large amounts of feed and flooding of fields, and changes in the use and management of paddy may have an impact on soil properties. This study investigated the effects of feed placement and long‐term flooding on soil profile structure, organic carbon

Heavy metals in ecosystems affect human health through the web chain. Castellon Province is home to the largest ceramic production hub in Spain, with 94% of the country's total production. Agricultural soils in the vicinity of the ceramic hub were reported to contain potentially toxic elements (Pb, Cr, Ni and Cd) in 2008 and have since been subject to repeated amendment with biosolids (sewage sludge)

This study verified the inter‐related effect of ‘market distance’, defined as walking time, ‘farm typology’, defined as resource endowment, and ‘site’, defined as geographic location with contrasting agro‐ecologies, as well as farmers’ indigenous knowledge on soil fertility variability in smallholder farming systems in two distinct regions (Bushumba, Mushinga) of South‐Kivu, DR Congo. A total of 384

The concepts of soil security (especially relating to soil condition) provide a useful framework in building spectral libraries. Spectral libraries can be used with the purpose of assessing soil condition by measuring soil organic carbon (SOC) or increasing productivity through soil nutrient management. A spectral library was generated by measuring SOC and nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium)

Soil biodiversity has become a hot research topic base on its important role in maintaining the stability of soil function. This study examined the impacts of long‐term (36 years) management practices on the soil microbial community. We employed high‐throughput sequencing to determine the diversity and composition of the bacterial and fungal communities under different long‐term management practices

The variability of soil qualities across the coffee‐growing areas and consequences of conversion of forest to coffee plantations on soil qualities and sustainability in the Western Ghats of South India are evaluated in this study by assessing and studying the six representative pedons selected from Chikmagalur district in Karnataka and Wayanad and Idukki districts of Kerala taking into consideration

In‐field soil testing and soil mapping can contribute to addressing the challenge of poor soil fertility and limited fertilizer application across sub‐Saharan Africa. Semi‐quantitative colorimetric methods, such as paper test strips, are frequently employed in soil nutrient assessment across developing countries, especially in South‐East Asia. This research investigated the accuracy of nutrient‐sensitive

The contamination agricultural soils and food by cadmium (cd) is one of the major concerns of the world. The field experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of silicon (Si) fertilizer on bioavailability and accumulation of Cd in soil, Cd chemical fractions, dynamic changes of soil pH, available Cd content and Cd content of various parts of rice plants. The results revealed that application

The ageing of orchards is common in the apple planting process, which affects the yield and quality of apples, as well as the development of the apple industry and local economy. The investigation of soil properties is important to the improvement and soil management of aged apple orchards. In this study, we investigated the spatial distribution, correlation and clustering of soil properties (nutrients

Glomalin produced by fungal mycelium represents a significant stabilizing element of soil aggregates and a relatively stable carbon reservoir in the soil. The aim of our research was to investigate the changes in the amount of glomalin‐related soil protein (GRSP) associated with the transition from forest to meadow or field conditions at the four transects during the 2016 growing season. The method

More and more cultivated coastal territories of Syria are being affected by increasing land degradation processes, specifically, by soil erosion due to non‐sustainable soil management. The use of cover crops can be considered an ideal solution to reduce the negative impacts of extreme rainfall events on soil erosion. However, there is no enough information about the main cultivated areas of Syria due

Biochar has various ecological effects on heavy metal‐contaminated soils. Biochar can passivate the activity of heavy metals and improve environmental conditions for microbial growth. A greenhouse pot experiment was conducted to explore the diversity of microbes in red soil under cadmium (Cd) stress following the application of wheat straw biochar. The contaminant Cd was prepared at 2.5 mg kg‒1 with

Crop residue management strategies must be adapted for improving carbon (C) balance and soil C stock in agroecosystems in sub‐Saharan Africa with consideration of the crop residue availability and site‐specific soil characteristics. We conducted field experiments to determine the effects of crop residue application method (incorporation/mulching) and quality (maize/cowpea) and N fertilizer application

Liming is a common management practice, but there exists uncertainty about the economic benefits. An economic analysis of the costs and profitability of liming arable crops was undertaken using data from the long‐term liming experiment at Rothamsted and Woburn. There was a strong liming effect on gross margins, but large differences in the economic benefit between crops. For some crops (such as spring

Past settlement sites often relate to the accumulation of elements in Anthrosols. The analyses of Anthrosols can resolve specific queries on the estimation of element enrichment factors and their potential suitability for arable fields. We studied Anthrosols in the sub‐Sahara developed on a mid‐19th century AD Bremen missionary settlement in the Volta Region, Ghana, aiming to compare the physicochemical

Long‐term use of white plastic film mulching is an important reason for premature leaf senescence of spring mulch maize in the Weibei Plateau area of China. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of black plastic film mulching on leaf senescence characteristics and yield of spring maize. In 2017 and 2018, a field experiment was conducted in Changwu County, China. The experiments included

Nitrogen (N) fertilizers are increasingly being used to meet crop demand for the expanding human population. However, historical N‐use efficiency (NUE) is low for rice paddy fields compared to upland ecosystems. This study aimed to investigate the fate of N fertilizer and compared NUE under different tillage regimes in a rice‐based agroecosystem. A long‐term field study of tillage regimes (i.e. flooded

The aggregate formation and stability are controlled by the dynamics of soil organic matters (SOM), but how it is related to SOM chemical composition within different‐sized aggregates is largely unknown during manure fertilization. In this study, the variations of intra‐aggregate organic carbon (OC), including intra‐particulate organic matter (iPOM) and mineral‐associated organic matter, were quantitatively

To improve phosphorus (P) fertilization and environmental assessments, a better understanding of release kinetics of solid‐phase P to soil solution is needed. In this study, Fe (hydr)oxide‐coated filter papers (Fh papers), isotopic exchange kinetics (IEK) and chemical extractions were used to assess the sizes of fast and slowly desorbing P pools in the soils of six long‐term Swedish field experiments

Optimum nitrogen (N) fertilization, which aims for high productivity while minimizing N losses to the environment, requires a better understanding of the N leaching behaviour around the recommended N rate. A study was conducted with increasing N fertilization levels over 3 years (2016–2019) with early and timely sown winter cereals (rye and wheat) at two sites in Denmark with different climatic conditions

The soil in the sugarcane growing area of far north Queensland is often sodic (exchangeable sodium percentage—ESP > 6%). Gypsum therefore needs to be applied to reduce potential for land degradation. To accurately map ESP, a digital soil map (DSM) approach can be used. In this paper, we compare and contrast various aspects of DSM for mapping topsoil (0–0.3 m) ESP, including a suitable model (i.e. linear

Tropical peatlands are unique and globally important ecosystems for carbon storage that are generally considered nutrient poor. However, different nutrient and trace element concentrations in these complex ecosystems and their interactions with carbon emissions are largely unknown. The objective of this research was to explore the concentrations of macro‐ and micronutrients and othertrace elements

Sewage sludge‐derived biochar (SSBC) could improve nitrogen (N) use efficiency (NUE) and reduce the use of mineral N fertilizers in agriculture. However, information on the residual effect (after stopping amendment) of SSBC on NUE is scarce, but necessary, to evaluate how often biochar should be applied to agricultural crops. In this study, the residual effect of SSBC produced at different temperatures

Global demand for bioenergy increases interest in biomass‐derived fuels, as ethanol from sugarcane straw. However, straw is the main carbon source to soil and its removal reduces C input, affecting active fractions (dissolved organic carbon, DOC) and C storage. To quantify the effects of straw removal on DOC and C stocks, we built lysimeter system using soil (Rhodic Kandiudox) from sugarcane field

Biochar amendments offer promising potential to improve soil fertility, soil organic carbon (SOC) and crop yields; however, a limited research has explored these benefits of biochar in the arid and semi‐arid regions. This two‐year field study investigated the effects of Acacia tree biomass‐derived biochar, applied at 0 and 10 t ha‒1 rates with farmyard manure (FYM) or poultry manure (PM) and mineral

Studies of forest clear‐felling operations in 1995–97 in the Afon Tanllwyth sub‐catchment of the upper River Severn on Plynlimon, mid‐Wales, by Stott et al. (Journal of Environmental Management (2001), 63, 3), indicated elevated suspended sediment loads (SSLs) immediately following timber harvesting. UK Forestry Commission (1993) Forests and Water Guidelines recommended that riparian buffer zones adjacent

Integrated crop–livestock–forest is a promising strategy to improve soil quality. It comprises four different integrated farming systems: crop–livestock, crop–forest, forest–livestock and crop–livestock–forest. This work systematically reviewed studies about integrated crop–livestock–forest systems and soil quality. A total of 92 papers were retrieved from the Web of Science—Clarivate Analytics platform

Sustained tillage and continual applications of phytopharmaceutical and fertilizers using heavy machineries frequently give rise to soil erosion, loss of soil organic matter (SOM) and contamination phenomena in Mediterranean vineyards. Because of their distinctive properties, applying natural zeolites to vineyard soils can conceivably affect the efficient use of fertilizers and reduce nutrient leaching

Soil texture is the most important soil physical property that determines water holding capacity, nutrient availability and crop growth. Spatial distribution of soil texture at a higher spatial resolution at regional and national level is essential for crop planning and management. In the present study, we mapped the soil textural classes over 16.2 M ha area of Andhra Pradesh state, India, at 250 m

On average, sugar beet yield in the UK is reduced by 10% due to water limitation. The root system of a plant is responsible for water uptake and hence an extensive root system is crucial to mitigate drought stress. There might be varietal differences when it comes to plant root system architecture but so far none have been reported in sugar beet. This study shows the results of 2 years of field experiments

Nitrogen management is the key to improve crop yield. Polymer materials are widely used as water‐retaining agents in agriculture, but little is known about how polymer materials affect the transformation and utilization of soil nitrogen. This study focused on the effects of three polymer materials (humic acid extracted from cottonseed meal, H; modified polymer prepared by using polyacrylamide as main

There are few reliable data sets to inspire confidence in policymakers that soil organic carbon (SOC) can be measured on farms. We worked with farmers in the Tamar Valley region of southwest England to select sampling sites under similar conditions (soil type, aspect and slope) and management types. Topsoils (2–15 cm) were sampled in autumn 2015, and percentage soil organic matter (%SOM) was determined

Soil carbon (C) saturation implies an upper limit to a soil's capacity to store C depending on the contents of silt + clay and poorly crystalline Fe and Al oxides. We hypothesized that the poorly crystalline Fe and Al oxides in silt + clay fraction increased the C saturation and thus reduced the capacity of the soil to sorb additional C input. To test the hypothesis, we studied the sorption of dissolved

The Zoige alpine peatlands cover approximately 4,605 km2 of the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau and are considered to constitute the largest plateau peatland on the Eurasian continent. However, the Zoige alpine peatlands are undergoing major degradation because of human activities and climate change, which would cause uncertainty in the budget of greenhouse gases (CH4 and CO2) and carbon (C) storage in global

Soil is a non‐renewable resource considering its extremely slow pace of regeneration (Amundson et al., 2015). Soil management practice directly affects the world's soil resources, with huge implications for food security, human health, biodiversity, climate change and environmental quality (Bahram et al., 2018; Bampa et al., 2019; FAO, 2015). Because of anthropogenic activities and natural events,

Environmental changes are threatening current and future food security. In this context, it is imperative to design agricultural systems that are resilient to increasing frequent climate shocks, losses in biodiversity and soil fertility and to increasing demand from our societies because of population growth and consumption patterns. The emergence of sustainability science reminds us that soil management

This research attempted to investigate a part of the United Nations sustainable development goal 15, dealing with preventing land degradation and halting the loss of microorganisms’ diversity. Since soil deterioration and biodiversity loss in the Mediterranean area are occurring because of intensive management, we evaluated some biochemical and microbiological parameters and bacterial biodiversity

This study aimed to quantify the dynamics of soil CO2 fluxes in two silvopastoral systems based on Leucaena leucocephala, one associated with Panicum maximum (L + P) and another with Cynodon plectostachyus (L + C). We measured CO2 fluxes fortnightly during the dry and rainy seasons in the morning and the afternoon, with an infrared gas analyzer. Simultaneously, we measured soil temperature, soil moisture

An increasing area of oilseed rape cultivation in Europe is used to produce biodiesel. However, a large amount of straw residue is often left in the field in autumn. Straw mineralization provides both carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) sources for emission of soil nitrous oxide (N2O), which is an important greenhouse gas with a high warming potential. Some studies have focused on soil N2O emissions immediately

Biochar has been shown to be potentially beneficial for enhancing yields and soil properties, and diminishing nitrogen (N) losses. However, it remains unclear how biochar regulates soil carbon (C) and N to mitigate N losses induced by straw mixing with N fertilizer in dryland soils. Therefore, we investigated the effects of straw mixing (S1), S1 with biochar (SB) and no straw inputs (S0), and routine

The remediation of metal(loid) polluted soil using plants (i.e. phytoremediation) often requires the application of amendments, as well as chemical fertilizer. However, such fertilizers can have negative effects when applied alone and can thus be applied together with other organic amendments to diminish this negative effect. Finally, plants to be used in phytoremediation should be selected based on

Biochar application to soil may impact soil nitrogen (N) dynamics, but the effects on N uptake and utilization by crop remain largely unknown, especially the effects of the rate of biochar application. To investigate the effects of biochar on soil 15N retention rate and 15N utilization efficiency (15NUE) by maize, a six‐month 15N isotope tracer technique combined with in situ pot experiment was conducted

Biochar addition can expand soil organic carbon (SOC) stock and has potential ability in mitigating climate change. Also, some incubation experiments have shown that biochar can increase soil inorganic carbon (SIC) contents. However, there is no direct evidence for this from the field experiment. In order to make up the sparseness of available data resulting from the long‐term effect of biochar amendment

Degradation of soil in the United Kingdom (UK) is compromising the ecosystem services that flow from this natural capital asset, including water flow regulation. Soil compacted by grazing livestock, for example, results in an increase in overland flow following rainfall and is thought to be one of the key factors contributing to increased severity of UK winter flooding in recent years. Practical farm‐scale

Real‐time monitoring of crop nitrogen and soil nutrient status can provide an important basis for the rational application of nitrogen during fertilization. Two field experiments were conducted in Henan Province, China, using three main wheat cultivars and four nitrogen levels, across two consecutive growing seasons. Canopy spectral reflectance, plant nitrogen and soil nitrogen were synchronously measured

Soil compaction is a major problem in arable farming mainly caused by the intensive traffic of heavy machinery. It affects negatively soil and crop development. Even though the first wheeling is considered the most damaging, repeated traffic deteriorates further the soil and subsoil even up to irreversible conditions. Intelligent infield traffic planning in the form of optimized route planning is one

Raising a sandy soil's ability to retain more water is an important strategy to manage sandy soils. Combined application of biochar and slurry was hypothesized to be an appropriate strategy for improving soil hydro‐physical properties. A two‐season field trial was conducted by cultivating peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) on a sandy soil under permanent overhead sprinkler irrigation. Rice straw biochar

Urban soils are a crucial component of urban ecosystems, especially in public green spaces, because of the ecosystem services they provide (e.g. public recreation, urban cooling or water infiltration). In this study, we describe the chemical, physical and hydrostructural characteristics of 180 forest and lawn surface soil samples, taken along an urban–rural gradient in the Paris region. This was done

A lysimeter experiment using undisturbed monoliths from a stony silt loam soil was carried out to quantify the effects different pasture types on N losses from urine applied to soil on different dates. Three pasture types were tested: (a) perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne)/white clover (Trifolium repens) (PRG/WC), (b) perennial ryegrass/white clover/plantain (Plantago lanceolata) (PRG/WC/P) and (c)

Depletion of soil nutrient is a major impediment for food production in sub‐Saharan Africa, but little is known about nutrient dynamics at the farm level. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate nutrient management on a range of contrasting farms by estimating balances of N, P and K. Representative farmers of three wealth classes (rich, medium and poor) were selected from two different

Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the most susceptible crops to zinc (Zn) deficiency. However, in much of the world, soil Zn tests are poorly calibrated, and thus determining a critical soil test, level for Zn is challenging. The objectives of this study were to: (i) produce a field calibration of the Zn Mehlich‐3 (M3‐Zn) method for predicting maize grain yield response to Zn fertilizer application, (ii)

The Dry Chaco region is a vast plain that extends throughout north‐western Argentina. This region concentrates about 13% of the total Argentine cattle national stock. Beef cattle systems in the north‐west of Argentina are highly varied including extensive pastoral systems, silvopastoral systems and intensive grazing systems. Little is known about the impact of these systems on microbial biodiversity