Fertile Area Research Articles

Impact of Agroforestry Practices on Soil Microbial Diversity and Nutrient Cycling in Atlantic Rainforest Cocoa Systems.

Microorganisms are critical indicators of soil quality due to their essential role in maintaining ecosystem services. However, anthropogenic activities can disrupt the vital metabolic functions of these microorganisms. Considering that soil biology is often underestimated and traditional assessment methods do not capture its complexity, molecular methods can be used to assess soil health more effectively. This study aimed to identify the changes in soil microbial diversity and activity under different cocoa agroforestry systems, specially focusing on taxa and functions associated to carbon and nitrogen cycling. Soils from three different cocoa agroforestry systems, including a newly established agroforestry with green fertilization (GF), rubber (Hevea brasiliensis)-cocoa intercropping (RC), and cocoa plantations under Cabruca (cultivated under the shave of native forest) (CAB) were analyzed and compared using metagenomic and metaproteomic approaches. Samples from surrounding native forest and pasture were used in the comparison, representing natural and anthropomorphic ecosystems. Metagenomic analysis revealed a significant increase in Proteobacteria and Basidiomycota and the genes associated with dissimilatory nitrate reduction in the RC and CAB areas. The green fertilization area showed increased nitrogen cycling activity, demonstrating the success of the practice. In addition, metaproteomic analyses detected enzymes such as dehydrogenases in RC and native forest soils, indicating higher metabolic activity in these soils. These findings underscore the importance of soil management strategies to enhance soil productivity, diversity, and overall soil health. Molecular tools are useful to demonstrate how changes in agricultural practices directly influence the microbial community, affecting soil health.

Exploring the unintended contribution of soil erosion research to microplastic contamination

The global scientific community, particularly soil erosion researchers, is increasingly recognizing the urgent need to address plastic pollution and the accumulation of microplastics in soil. Human activities such as urban expansion, food packaging, and the use of agricultural materials have driven a significant rise in microplastic contamination. The problem is compounded by the difficulty, expense, and time-intensive nature of analyzing soil erosion samples to accurately identify microplastic types, sources, and their effects. Soil erosion, while naturally shaping landscapes like hillslopes, deltas or river valleys, has evolved into a critical issue due to human-induced changes, threatening fertile agricultural zones and areas prone to landslides, with serious economic and human consequences. While validated methods exist to quantify soil erosion, runoff, and pollutant concentrations, these techniques inadvertently introduce microplastics into the environment by plastic materials during sampling, transport, and lab analysis. This not only skews historical and current data on microplastic levels in soils but also alters natural soil conditions around research plots. To address these challenges, this paper advocates for the refinement of measurement techniques to minimize contamination, a reassessment of current methodologies, and a concerted effort to reduce human impact on soil health, thereby safeguarding a critical natural resource.

Human resource management practices in corporate restructuring: a review and agenda for future research

PurposeAlthough corporate restructuring has the potential to provide performance benefits to firms, it can also bring upheaval and challenges to the restructuring firms’ employees. Further, the frequency of corporate restructuring across the business landscape shows no signs of abating. The purpose of this review paper is to identify and synthesize what is known about the selection, implementation and outcomes of the human resource management (HRM) practices that firms deploy in the context of corporate restructuring, with the additional aim of distilling fertile research areas for scholars and best-practice guidance for practitioners.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is based upon a systematic review of 110 articles published in highly-ranked, peer-reviewed journals from 2003 to 2023.FindingsThis review surfaces the predominant ability-, motivation- and opportunity-enhancing HRM practices employed by restructuring firms. It further elucidates the major themes and challenges associated with the use and outcomes of these practices across firms and restructuring settings. The analysis illuminates gaps and opportunities in the literature to suggest future directions for the study of HRM practices and corporate restructuring.Originality/valueThis paper identifies, categorizes and integrates the extant literature on HRM practices and outcomes in corporate restructuring, which is a topic that is salient to both researchers and managers. Papers are classified using the Ability, Motivation and Opportunity framework. An inclusive definition of corporate restructuring, which includes organizational, portfolio, governance and financial restructuring, is applied across two decades of research to provide a comprehensive and holistic assessment.

Insights into the spatial ecology of the world’s most ancient dog: high-altitude movements of New Guinea dingoes

Knowledge of an animal’s activity patterns, home range size and space use is fundamental to understanding their basic ecology, and obtaining spatial data is an important research priority for newly discovered species, data-deficient species of conservation concern, or species of great scientific or public interest. Here we report the first spatial data obtained from wild-living dingoes near Puncak Jaya, New Guinea. Based on information from four dingoes monitored with GPS tracking collars between 2018 and 2022, we report that dingo home range sizes can be up to 128km2, dingoes travel up to 56.8km per day, and they utilise rainforest and alpine habitats up to 4,630m above sea level. Dingoes at the site regularly traversed steep, rocky and barren alpine mountain crevasses to access more fertile areas at lower altitudes on the other side. These results imply that New Guinea dingoes may have physiological and genetic adaptations that enable them to live in high-altitude low-oxygen environments similar to Himalayan wolves, Ethiopian wolves, and other canids found in high-altitude areas. As the first domesticated animal and the world’s most ancient dog, and given their historic and current cultural significance, their illusiveness in the wild, and their trophic position as the largest terrestrial predators on the second-largest island in the world, we believe that further research on the ecology of New Guinea dingoes will continue to reveal important insights valuable for our understanding of human and animal ecology in this global biodiversity hotspot.

Mental health outcomes across the reproductive life course among women with disabilities: a systematic review.

This systematic review examined literature on mental health outcomes among women with disabilities living in high-income countries within the context of reproductive health, spanning menstruation through menopause. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, we searched MEDLINE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO databases for studies published through June 2023. Eligible studies were observational, quantitative, and included a comparison group without disabilities. A total of 2,520 studies were evaluated and 27 studies met inclusion criteria. These studies assessed mental health during prepregnancy, pregnancy, postpartum, and parenting among women with and without disabilities. None of the studies examined reproductive health time periods related to menstruation, fertility, or menopause. Women of reproductive age with disabilities were more likely to have poor mental health outcomes compared to women without disabilities. During pregnancy and the postpartum, women with disabilities were at greater risk of diagnosed perinatal mental disorders and psychiatric-related healthcare visits. Findings also suggested mental distress and inadequate emotional and social support related to parenting among women with disabilities. The greatest risks of poor mental health outcomes were often observed among women with intellectual and developmental disabilities and among women with multiple types of disabilities, compared to women without disabilities. Routine reproductive healthcare visits provide significant prevention and treatment opportunities for poor mental health among women with disabilities. Further research examining mental health outcomes within the context of reproductive health, especially understudied areas of menstruation, fertility, parenting, and menopause, among women with disabilities is needed.

Mapping the soil organic matter content in Northeast China considering the difference between dry lands and paddy fields

Mapping the soil organic matter (SOM) content of cultivated lands at the regional scale is of great significance for evaluating the cultivated land quality and monitoring the soil carbon cycle, especially in the fertile black-soil area of China. The large paddy fields area is one of the characteristics of the black-soil area in Northeast China. The vast differences between paddy fields and dry lands may pose a major challenge in mapping the SOM contents of local cultivated lands. In this study, the SOM of cultivated lands in Northeast China is taken as the research object, and all available Landsat-8 images from 2014 to 2022 and the main environmental covariates (climate and terrain) are obtained. By combining the random forest regression algorithm, SOM prediction models of paddy fields and dry lands are established to evaluate the optimal window period and appropriate environmental covariates for paddy fields and dry lands. Finally, the accuracy difference between the global regression and local regression results for distinguishing paddy fields and dry lands is compared. The results showed that (1) the SOM content in Northeast China increased gradually from south to north, and the average SOM content in paddy fields was approximately 0.4 % higher than that in dry lands; (2) the SOM mapping time windows in paddy fields and dry lands in Northeast China differed, with paddy fields mapped in April and dry lands mapped in May; (3) the addition of environmental covariates improved the SOM prediction accuracy, with a greater importance for mapping SOM in paddy fields than in dry lands; and (4) the local regression results based on the division of paddy fields and dry lands achieved the highest prediction accuracy, with the highest determination coefficient (R2) being 0.653 and lowest root mean square error (RMSE) being 1.144 %. This study proves that different types of arable land have a great impact on the SOM prediction accuracy. Researchers should adopt different strategies to map the SOM contents of paddy fields and dry lands.

Is Climate Change Worry Fostering Young Italian Adults’ Psychological Distress? An Italian Exploratory Study on the Mediation Role of Intolerance of Uncertainty and Future Anxiety

Climate Change is a phenomenon that has been increasingly investigated in the literature from a psychological perspective for its impact on mental health, particularly that of young adults who, already affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, are highly worried about it. Despite this, few studies have been conducted in the Mediterranean region, especially in southern Italy, and little consideration has been given to the role of other variables in the relationship between environmental emotions and mental health. The present study aims to explore the relationship between Climate Change Worry and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress in a sample of 283 Italian young adults (age range 18–25; M = 21.3; SD = 1.7) from Southern Italy (91% from Campania), examining the mediating effect that Intolerance of Uncertainty and Future Anxiety have on the target. At the same time, it endeavors to explore the joint effect of the two mediators in the relationship between Climate Change Worry and Psychological Distress. Findings highlighted that Climate Change Worry had a significant positive effect on Anxiety and Stress levels and positively influenced Intolerance of Uncertainty and Future Anxiety; the latter two also increased the impact of Climate Change Worry on Psychological Distress, acting as vulnerability factors in all parallel mediation models performed and, specifically, in the fully mediated Depression model. Furthermore, the findings of the serial model corroborated the joint effect of the two mediators and highlighted how young adults with higher levels of Climate Change Worry experienced more Intolerance of Uncertainty, which positively influenced Future Anxiety levels and, in turn, exacerbated the Global Psychological Distress. Finally, levels of Psychological Distress, Climate Change Worry, and Future Anxiety were significantly higher in women. To conclude, exploring the indirect pathways through which negative environmental emotions affect Psychological Distress seems to be a fertile research area to study in more depth the impact of the climate crisis on new generations.

Doses of N in the Morphological and Physiological Characteristics of African Mahogany Seedling

Purpose: To analyse the growth of African mahogany (Khaya senegalensis) seedlings, regarding their morphology and physiology, in soil fertilized with different doses of N, from the application of ammonium sulphate. Theoretical framework: Based on scientific articles found on search engines and books in the area of ​​soil fertility and plant nutrition. To support the explanation of how the physiological characteristics of seedlings are related to the nutrition they receive from fertilization. Therefore, the application of different doses to the soil can provide different physiological responses, resulting in greater or lesser growth and dry mass production of plants. Method: The experiment was carried out in a completely randomized design with five doses of N and five replications, using ammonium sulphate as the source. The doses tested were: T0 – without fertilization; T1 – 50 mg dm-3; T2 – 100 mg dm-3; T3 – 150 mg dm-3; T4 – 200 mg dm-3. The seedlings were produced and then transplanted to the definitive container, when it received nitrogen fertilization. These seedlings went through an adaptation process and, at the end of 90 days, the morphological characteristics were evaluated: height, diameter, leaf dry mass, stem dry mass, root dry mass and; physiological characteristics: net photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, intercellular CO2 concentration, vapor pressure deficit and transpiration rate. Results and conclusion: Nitrogen fertilization influenced the morphological and physiological characteristics of African mahogany seedlings. The greatest growth and production of dry mass was observed at doses of 100 and 150 mg dm-3 of N. These results were related to the increase in the net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration and CO2 concentration. Recommending the most economical dose of 100 mg dm-3 of N. Research implications: These results indicate that nitrogen fertilization is essential for the quality growth of African mahogany seedlings, and the dose to be applied is essential for this to happen, since values ​​lower than this dose may not allow the plant to perform at its maximum. growth potential. Meanwhile, higher doses do not guarantee greater growth and will result in unnecessary expenses and, probably, loss of growth due to toxicity. Originality/value: Using nitrogen fertilizers, in the correct dose for the species, increases its growth potential and guarantees the production of quality seedlings within the nursery.

Comparison of Day-Specific Serum LH, Estradiol, and Progesterone with MiraTM Monitor Urinary LH, Estrone-3-glucuronide, and Pregnanediol-3-glucuronide Levels in Ovulatory Cycles.

Background and Objectives: Fertility tracking apps and devices are now currently available, but urinary hormone levels lack accuracy and sensitivity in timing the start of the 6-day fertile window and the precise 24 h interval of transition from ovulation to the luteal phase. We hypothesized the serum hormones estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P) might be better biomarkers for these major ovulatory cycle events, using appropriate mathematical tools. Materials and Methods: Four women provided daily blood samples for serum E2, P, and LH (luteinizing hormone) levels throughout their entire ovulatory cycles, which were indexed to the first day of dominant follicle (DF) collapse (defined as Day 0) determined by transvaginal sonography; therefore, ovulation occurred in the 24 h interval of Day -1 (last day of maximum diameter DF) to Day 0. For comparison, a MiraTM fertility monitor was used to measure daily morning urinary LH (ULH), estrone-3-glucuronide (E3G), and pregnanediol-3-glucuronide (PDG) levels in three of these cycles. Results: There were more fluctuations in the MiraTM hormone levels compared to the serum levels. Previously described methods, the Fertility Indicator Equation (FIE) and Area Under the Curve (AUC) algorithm, were tested for identifying the start of the fertile window and the ovulation/luteal transition point using the day-specific hormone levels. The FIE with E2 levels predicted the start of the 6-day fertile window on Day -7 (two cycles) and Day -5 (two cycles), whereas no identifying signal was found with E3G. However, both pairs of (E2, P) and (E3G, PDG) levels with the AUC algorithm signaled the Day -1 to Day 0 ovulation/luteal transition interval in all cycles. Conclusions: serum E2 and (E2, P) were better biomarkers for signaling the start of the 6-day fertile window, but both MiraTM and serum hormone levels were successful in timing the [Day -1, Day 0] ovulatory/luteal transition interval. These results can presently be applied to urinary hormone monitors for fertility tracking and have implications for the direction of future fertility tracking technology.

Looking for the ecological transition of Mediterranean small ruminant sector. Characterization and main drivers of environmental performance of the Sardinian sheep farming systems

A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study was carried out to assess the environmental profile of the main Sardinian dairy sheep farming systems, with the scope to provide a detailed and robust baseline for the identification of effective mitigation solutions at farm level and to develop environmental strategies at regional scale. Both product- and area-based functional units (FUs) were adopted, considering sixteen impact categories and soil carbon sequestration estimates as well. Water Use, Climate Change, Land Use, Ecotoxicity Freshwater, Marine Eutrophication and Fossils Resource Use resulted the main impact categories, cumulatively contributing over 80% of the total environmental impact (single score). Environmental performances significantly varied according to the geo-pedological traits of the different sheep milk production areas and were driven by the farming systems’ structure and production level. The group of farms located in less fertile areas showed significantly worse environmental performance per kg of normalized milk for the impact categories Climate Change and Land Use, whereas no significant differences were observed for the remaining main impact categories. Considering the area-based FU, this farm group resulted less impacting for all main categories compared to the group of farms located in more plain and productive soils, with a significantly lower impact observed for Marine Eutrophication and Fossils Resource Use. Regardless of the FU used, feed supply management represented a key area of improvement, and soil carbon sequestration impact compensated the high GHG emission intensity of grassland-based farms despite the limited nutritional value of natural pasture. Regional strategies should be based on ecosystem services optimization and eco-innovative solutions tailored according to both the specific geo-pedological conditions and the production level of each farming system.

Women and Roman religion in Dacia: the epigraphic evidence

The role of women in Roman religious communication is a growing research field, with several significant focus points and case studies. Understanding the role of women in religious communication within provincial contexts is one of the most fertile areas of research, yet it has not been thoroughly examined within the Danubian provinces. This study marks the first instance in historiography of Dacia where the focus is placed on exploring the role of women in Roman religious communication within the province, employing the comprehensive analysis of all available epigraphic evidence (112 inscriptions). The study provides methodological insights and underscores key research points for future systematic work that needs to be undertaken in the Danubian provinces.

Spatiotemporal Distribution and Driving Mechanisms of Cropland Long-Term Stability in China from 1990 to 2018

Long-term stability is crucial in cropland for maintaining stable agricultural production and ensuring national food security. However, relatively few studies have been conducted on the long-term stability of cropland at the national level. This study assessed the long-term stability of cropland in China from 1990 to 2018 using a fine-resolution land use dataset. The experimental results indicated that the average area of unstable cropland in China from 1990 to 2018 amounted to 2.08 × 106 km2, 47.31% of the total. The Qinghai–Tibet Plateau exhibited the highest average proportion of unstable cropland at 65.9%, followed by the northern arid and semiarid region, Southern China, and the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau. The quantity of unstable cropland in China initially declined before increasing, reaching a final growth rate of 5.09%. Furthermore, this study explored the relevant driving factors of cropland’s long-term stability from both natural factors and human activities based on artificial neural networks. The relative importance of distance to vegetation reached a value of 0.30, indicating that it had the most significant influence on the long-term stability of cropland, followed by relief amplitude and soil type. This phenomenon may be attributed to the inadequate execution of the Grain for Green Policy and the requisition–compensation balance of cropland policy, along with the depletion of young and middle-aged laborers due to urban migration from rural areas. Local governments should focus on addressing the unsustainable exploitation of sloped land in rural mountainous or hilly regions while preventing urban developers from appropriating fertile cropland to compensate for less fertile areas.

Sound, Touch, Form, Taste, and Smell as Pathways for Meditation – A Review of Classical and Neuroscience Texts

Meditation has emerged as a useful tool to address various mental health issues and hence has become a fertile area of interdisciplinary research. Contemporary research is focused on evaluating the effects of meditation using different neural correlates and also on developing theoretical models to explain different meditative states. The value of these neuroscientific studies can be enhanced by integrating them with time-tested philosophical framework of classical meditation practices. This work attempts to review and summarize philosophical underpinnings of meditation with the help of hierarchical meditative states discussed in Patañjali’s Yoga darśana and an information flow model proposed based on Sāṅkhya and Yoga darśana. Sense perception as a vehicle to achieve higher meditative states is the focus of this review. Usage of gross sense objects via sense pathways of sound, touch, form, smell and taste to establish in Vitarka state and then moving to Vicāra state by replacing them with subtle sense object has been discussed in detail. A brief discussion on fundamentals of sense transduction has been discussed, which explains how sense stimulation in gross world gets converted to subtle neuro-electrical signals via multiple ionic processes. A summary of various ayurvedic, classical and contemporary yogic practices related to each sense pathway has also been presented.

Land Suitability Evaluation of Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) Production Areas in Davao City, Philippines

With the growing demand for cocoa, local farmers and other key players of the cocoa industry were encouraged to boost production to secure supply. However, after many decades of cocoa production, soil fertility and available cultivation areas are shrinking. Land suitability evaluation was conducted in areas grown with cocoa in Davao City, Philippines to determine the current suitability and soil-related constraints for cocoa production intensification and expansion. Using the environmental lapse rate, temperature of the area was determined and suitability were evaluated using Food and Agriculture Organization framework with the aid of QGIS software. Based on the result, six soil series were identified as suitable for cocoa. These included the Cabantian, Bolinao (Inayangan), Bolinao (Paquibato), Miral, Tugbok and undifferentiated soil. Cabantian, Miral and Bolinao (Inayangan) were moderately suitable with limitations in slope and soil fertility. Bolinao (Paquibato) was moderately suitable with limitations in soil depth and sloping topography. Tugbok was marginally suitable due to low soil fertility and slight limitation in slope. Undifferentiated soil was moderately suitable with sloping topography, shallow depth and soil fertility constraints. The six suitable soil series had moderate to marginal limitations. The constraints to cocoa production are manageable to some extent.

Path Planning Algorithm of Orchard Fertilization Robot Based on Multi-Constrained Bessel Curve

Path planning is the core problem of orchard fertilization robots during their operation. The traditional full-coverage job path planning algorithm has problems, such as being not smooth enough and having a large curvature fluctuation, that lead to unsteady running and low working efficiency of robot trajectory tracking. To solve the above problems, an improved A* path planning algorithm based on a multi-constraint Bessel curve is proposed. First, by improving the traditional A* algorithm, the orchard operation path can be fully covered by adding guide points. Second, according to the differential vehicle kinematics model of the orchard fertilization robot, the robot kinematics constraint is combined with a Bessel curve to smooth the turning path of the A* algorithm, and the global path meeting the driving requirements of the orchard fertilization robot is generated by comprehensively considering multiple constraints such as the minimum turning radius and continuous curvature. Finally, the pure tracking algorithm is used to carry out tracking experiments to verify the robot’s driving accuracy. The simulation and experimental results show that the maximum curvature of the planned trajectory is 0.67, which meets the autonomous operation requirements of the orchard fertilization robot. When tracking the linear path in the fertilization area, the average transverse deviation is 0.0157 m, and the maximum transverse deviation is 0.0457 m. When tracking the U-turn path, the average absolute transverse deviation is 0.1081 m, and the maximum transverse deviation is 0.1768 m, which meets the autonomous operation requirements of orchard fertilization robots.

Sustainable extraction and conservation of soil resources: New insights through Natural Gamma-ray Spectrometry based Proximal Sensing Method

Soil is one the most extracted natural raw materials. The vast expanses of fertile alluvial soils of the Indo Gangetic Plains have long remained as abundant soil resource pool for brick manufacturing and construction sectors. Unmonitored continuous removal of soil is reported to cause depletion of soil reserves, loss of soil fertility and affect crop yield. Excavation and removal of soil from isolated patches of land creates low lying and elevated degraded areas which disrupts normal crop cultivation pattern. Natural gamma-ray spectrometry (NGS) can be used as a non-destructive and rapid geophysical sensing method, for identification and delineation of areas with suitable soils. During this work brick kiln areas were visited to understand soil's availability and extraction pattern. NGS measurements of samples from soil profiles were carried out to find if gamma-ray intensities varied with soil clay content. Soil texture and plasticity of the same samples were obtained following standard testing procedures. Winkler and Plasticity charts were used to assess suitability of the soils. A strong linear relationship between gamma-ray potassium (K) intensity and clay contents of soil profile samples (R2 = 0.88) was observed. NGS based devices can be used to scan soil samples rapidly and log shallow depth boreholes in grid sampling design. The gathered spectral gamma-ray data can be then used to predict and generate high resolution 3D models of soil properties, based on which resource areas of suitable soils can be delineated for long term soil extraction without affecting cultivated areas. This will help in delineating areas restricted for soil extraction, which will not only make soil mining sustainable but also address soil conservation by setting aside large cultivated fertile soil areas untouched. Adopting NGS methods will prevent unsystematic removal of fertile soil and creation of degraded lands. This will ultimately result in efficient soil resource management.

Radiation-resistant bacteria in desiccated soil and their potentiality in applied sciences.

A rich diversity of radiation-resistant (Rr) and desiccation-resistant (Dr) bacteria has been found in arid habitats of the world. Evidence from scientific research has linked their origin to reactive oxygen species (ROS) intermediates. Rr and Dr. bacteria of arid regions have the potential to regulate imbalance radicals and evade a higher dose of radiation and oxidation than bacterial species of non-arid regions. Photochemical-activated ROS in Rr bacteria is run through photo-induction of electron transfer. A hypothetical model of the biogeochemical cycle based on solar radiation and desiccation. These selective stresses generate oxidative radicals for a short span with strong reactivity and toxic effects. Desert-inhibiting Rr bacteria efficiently evade ROS toxicity with an evolved antioxidant system and other defensive pathways. The imbalanced radicals in physiological disorders, cancer, and lung diseases could be neutralized by a self-sustaining evolved Rr bacteria antioxidant system. The direct link of evolved antioxidant system with intermediate ROS and indirect influence of radiation and desiccation provide useful insight into richness, ecological diversity, and origin of Rr bacteria capabilities. The distinguishing features of Rr bacteria in deserts present a fertile research area with promising applications in the pharmaceutical industry, genetic engineering, biological therapy, biological transformation, bioremediation, industrial biotechnology, and astrobiology.

Effects of Organic Fertilizer Addition to Vegetation and Soil Bacterial Communities in Saline-Alkali-Degraded Grassland with Photovoltaic Panels.

The Songnen grassland is an important resource for livestock production in China. Due to the intensification of anthropogenic activities in recent years, vegetation degradation has worsened, and the salinization of grassland has become increasingly serious, which severely affects the sustainable development of grassland animal husbandry. In this study, organic fertilizer addition was carried out at saline-and-alkaline-degraded Songnen grassland sites with photovoltaic panels, and we investigated the effects of organic fertilizer treatments on the vegetation and soil bacteria in these areas. The results showed that both organic fertilizer treatments increased the community composition and diversity indices of plants (p < 0.05); they also had significant effects on soil electrical conductivity and rapidly available potassium (p < 0.05). In the dominant phylum of bacteria, the relative abundance of Firmicutes increased without adding organic fertilizer under the photovoltaic panel; the addition of organic fertilizer had a significant effect on the relative abundance of Firmicutes and Desulfobacterota (p < 0.05), reducing their relative abundance, respectively. There were differences in the number of bacteria at the genus level under different treatments compared to the control, with the highest enrichment of bacteria occurring at the OFE position, and a significant difference (p < 0.05) being found between the control and the other four groups at the genus level of g_norank_f_norank_o_Actinomarinales. Organic fertilizer had a significant effect on the bacterial Simpson diversity index, with the most significant increasing trend found in OFE (the front eaves of the photovoltaic panel in fertilization area). The results of a correlation analysis showed that pH, electrical conductivity, and total nitrogen were the main factors affecting the soil bacterial community.

Initial Growth of Red Tent Seedlings (Adenanthera Pavonina l.) In Soil Enriched with Different Doses and Nitrogenous Sources

Purpose: To evaluate the initial growth of red tent seedlings in different doses and sources of N. Theoretical framework: Based on scientific articles found on search engines and books in the area of soil fertility and plant nutrition. This is to support the explanation of how the morphological characteristics of seedlings, which explain their growth, are affected by nitrogen fertilization, depending on the dose and source of fertilizer applied. Method: The experiment was carried out in a completely randomized design with five doses of N and five replications, using urea and ammonium sulfate as sources, which were evaluated separately. The doses tested were: T0 – without addition of N; T1 – 50 mg dm-3; T2 – 100 mg dm-3; T3 – 150 mg dm-3; T4 – 200 mg dm-3, for each source tested. At the end of 90 days, the morphological characteristics of the seedlings were evaluated: height, diameter, height/diameter ratio, dry mass of the aerial part, dry mass of the root part, aerial dry mass/root dry mass ratio, height/aerial dry mass ratio and, Dickson quality index. Results and conclusion: Growth, dry mass production and seedling quality were greater at a dose of 200 mg dm-3 when using urea as a source of N. When the source was ammonium sulfate, the greatest growth in height occurred at a dose of 100 mg dm-3, however, the greatest growth in diameter, the greatest production of dry mass and quality, were observed at a dose of 200 mg dm-3. This is the recommended dose for the species studied. Research implications: These results indicate that nitrogen fertilization is essential for the quality growth of red seedlings, and the dose to be applied is essential for this to happen, since values lower than this dose may not allow the plant to perform at its maximum. growth potential. Meanwhile, higher doses do not guarantee greater growth and will result in unnecessary expenses and, probably, loss of growth due to toxicity. Originality/value: Using nitrogen fertilizers, in the correct dose for the species, increases its growth potential and guarantees the production of quality seedlings within the nursery.

Antecedents and Consequences of Materialistic Values: A Systematic Literature Review

By applying systematic literature review technique, this paper focuses on the existing research on materialistic values. Although materialistic values have widely been discussed in the literature, this stream of literature lacks in the context of work setting. To the best of our knowledge, reviews focusing on materialistic values haven’t been conducted in the organizational context. Initial search returned a total of 1,191 articles, out of which 209 articles were thoroughly analyzed based on their relevance to the topic. After studying the antecedents, correlates and consequences of materialistic values within literature, the paper identifies three important theoretical and empirical gaps in the literature. Firstly, the literature on materialistic values is vaguely scattered and needs consolidation. Secondly, most of research on materialistic values is a-theoretical in nature. Thirdly, literature on materialistic values lacks within the organizational setting. To fill these gaps, this paper consolidates the literature into theoretical frameworks and proposes theoretical foundations for the future researchers. In addition, the paper points towards some fertile areas largely missing in existing literature. In the end, some managerial implications and limitations of the study are discussed.