Cultivated Soils Research Articles

Effect of NPK fertilizer and soil amendments of soybean productivity in saline soil

Salinity on agricultural land due to global warming occurs almost all over the world. Salinity stress was harmful to cultivated plants, including soybeans. Saline soils require the management of nutrients and water to reduce salt from the soil so that plants can grow optimally. This study aims to obtain effective doses of NPK fertilizers and soil amendments for soybean cultivation in saline soils. The research was conducted during the 2019 rainy and dry seasons in Lamongan and Tuban Regencies, East Java Province, Indonesia. The electrical conductivity (EC) of soil during the growing season was 5-12 dSm-1, with irrigation water was 6-7 dSm-1. The treatment consisted of NPK fertilizers, ameliorants: gypsum, manure, and straw mulch, which were arranged in a randomized block design and replicated 15 times. The results showed that the Anjasmoro variety of soybean productivity on saline in the Lamongan Regency during the rainy season was higher (90%) than in the Tuban Regency in the dry season. Application of NPK Fertilizer (46 kg N + 108 kg P2O5+ 60 kg K2O ha-1 + or 400 NPKS kg ha-1 with ameliorants (gypsum 1.5 t ha-1; manure 2.5-5.0 t ha-1 and straw mulch 3.5 t ha-1) have the potential to increase soybean yield up to 2 t ha-1 on saline soil.

Salt stress influences the proliferation of Fusarium solani and enhances the severity of wilt disease in potato

Soil salinity has emerged as a critical abiotic stress in potato production, whereas wilt disease, caused by Fusarium solani, is the significant biotic stress. An experiment was performed to decipher the occurrence of wilt incidence by F. solani FJ1 under the influence of salinity in both in vitroand pot culture conditions. High salt concentration negatively influenced root and shoot development in the variety “Kufri Jyoti” but positively affected the mycelial growth and sporulation behaviours of F. solani FJ1. There was abundant whitish mycelial growth with enhanced biomass and high sporulation (microconidia production) in F. solani FJ1 cultured on salt-supplemented media. Moreover, under high salinity conditions (EC 2–8 dS m−1), severe wilting and rotting of vascular bundles were observed in plants artificially inoculated with F. solani FJ1. The mortality rate of potato plants was significantly higher under individual and combined stresses as compared to control. The wilt index of individual and combined stressed plants was also substantially higher compared to the control. Additionally, compared to the control, there was a significant decrease in total chlorophyll content and membrane stability index of the leaves under combined stress. However, the total phenols were increased under stress conditions. The total sugar content of potato plants decreased in infected plants, but increased when exposed to salt stress or a combination of salt stress and pathogen infection. F. solani infection also increased the activity of peroxidase (POX) and decreased the activity of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and catalase (CAT). These results suggest that Fusarium wilt and dry rot will be a more severe disease for potato cultivation in saline soils.

Hierarchically porous magnetic biochar as an amendment for wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivation in alkaline Cd-contaminated soils: Impacts on plant growth, soil properties and microbiota

Hierarchically porous magnetic biochar (HMB) had been found to act as an effective amendment to remediate cadmium (Cd) in water and soil in a previous study, but the effects on wheat growth, Cd uptake and translocation mechanisms, and soil microorganisms were unknown. Therefore, soil Cd form transformation, soil enzyme activity, soil microbial diversity, wheat Cd uptake and migration, and wheat growth were explored by adding different amounts of HMB to alkaline Cd-contaminated soil under pot experiments. The results showed that application of HMB (0.5 %–2.0 %) raised soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC) and available Fe concentration, decreased soil available Cd concentration (35.11 %–50.91 %), and promoted Cd conversion to less bioavailable Cd forms. HMB treatments could reduce Cd enrichment in wheat, inhibit Cd migration from root to stem, rachis to glume, glume to grain, and promote Cd migration from stem to leaf and stem to rachis. HMB (0.5 %–1.0 %) boosted antioxidant enzyme activity, reduced oxidative stress, and enhanced photosynthesis in wheat seedlings. Application of 1.0 % HMB increased wheat grain biomass by 40.32 %. Besides, the addition of HMB (0.5 %–1.0 %) could reduce soil Cd bioavailability, increase soil enzyme activity, and increase the abundance and diversity of soil bacteria. Higher soil EC brought forth by HMB (2.0 %) made the wheat plants and soil bacteria poisonous. This study suggests that applying the right amount of HMB to alkaline Cd-contaminated soil could be a potential remediation strategy to decrease Cd in plants' edible parts and enhance soil quality.

Principles and processes in conserving and restoring cultivated organic soils: promising avenues

Principles and processes in conserving and restoring cultivated organic soils: promising avenues

Water isotopic composition traces source and dynamics of water supply in a semi‐arid agricultural landscape

AbstractChanges in seasonality and form of precipitation alter the structure and function of grassland and steppe ecosystems and pose challenges for land management and crop production in regions like the Northern Great Plains, North America. This research uses isotopic composition of water (δ18O and δ2H) to explore the sources and fate of soil water in lower‐elevation agricultural areas of the Judith River watershed, in the headwaters of the Missouri River, USA. Extensive non‐irrigated cereal crop production in this area occurs on well‐drained soils and depends on careful water management. Our observations indicate that colder precipitation contributes isotopically distinct water to cultivated terrace soils relative to downgradient groundwaters and streams. Riparian waters also exhibit a higher fraction of contributions from colder precipitation relative to terrace groundwaters and streams. Apparent contributions from colder precipitation in terrace and riparian soil waters suggest that snowmelt is a key component of the water supply to these systems. Riparian waters also show evidence of evaporation suggesting that water spends sufficient time in some ponds and open channels in the riparian corridor to reflect fractionation by evaporation. The evolution of water isotopic composition from soils to shallow aquifers to stream corridors indicates source water partitioning as precipitation moves through this semi‐arid agricultural landscape. The apparent mixing processes evident in this evolution reveal source water dynamics that are necessary to understand plant transpiration, solute processing, and contaminant leaching processes.

Evolution of physical properties of a cultivated organic soil drained by drainage trench

Evolution of physical properties of a cultivated organic soil drained by drainage trench

Discriminating stratigraphic layers of cultivated organic soils using proximal sensors

Discriminating stratigraphic layers of cultivated organic soils using proximal sensors

Review on Rooting and Shooting Growth Performance of Populus Alba in Hydroponic Soil Cultures

In a greenhouse soil and hydroponic media experiment was carried out with plastic bottles to examine the effects of biochar, azolla, and moss as growth media components on root and shooting development performance in tiny cuttings of populous plants. Root installations were observed using the cutting length, cutting thickness, and cutting ages. The information showed that certain modifications and root media had a major impact on the populus establishment. The number of roots, length of roots, number of leaves, shoot height, and rooting percentage of the rooted mini-cuttings were also measured. Out of all the supplements and rooting media, moss (25 mg L-1) outperformed water in the current study in terms of rooting percent (100%), number of roots (16.33), and root formation.

Status of Soil Health Indicators after 18 Years of Systematic Tillage in a Long-Term Experiment

Long-term cultivation experiments are gaining more attention due to the possibility of following the changes in soil parameters (e.g., soil organic carbon (SOC), stock and soil health indicators, etc.). Our objective was to assess the status of soil in an 18-year-old tillage experiment after almost two decades of systematic tillage. In this research, soil physical (bulk density, moisture content), chemical (pH, SOC), and biological properties (soil microbial respiration, abundance, biomass, species composition of earthworms, yield) were used as indicators in three soil cultivation methods representing different degrees of disturbance (no-till—NT; shallow cultivation—SC; and ploughing—P). Based on our results, there were significant differences in bulk density (NT > SC, P) in 0–10 cm, and NT > P in deeper layers (10–20, 20–30, 30–40 cm), while the SOC content in 0–10 cm was the highest in NT (2.5%), followed by SC (2.4%) and P (2.0%). Soil microbial respiration was significantly greater in NT than in SC and P. The abundance and biomass of earthworms was the highest in NT (189 ind m−2, 41.26 g m−2), followed by SC (125 ind m−2, 36.9 g m−2) and P (48 ind m−2, 7.4 g m−2). We concluded that NT offered a beneficial habitat for earthworms and microorganisms and a high SOC storage capacity; however, bulk density was less convenient due to soil compaction in our experiment. Therefore, SC can be used as an alternative approach for sustainable soil tillage.

Environmental factors dominate microbial community puppet-like driving the distribution of antibiotic resistance genes in different utilization lands

Excessive use of antibiotics has caused the accumulation of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the soil environment, posing a great challenge to environmental safety and public health. However, there is a lack of comprehensive investigations of soil ARGs profiles under different land utilization patterns, and the drivers that affect the distribution of ARGs remain poorly defined. Herein, we investigated the ARGs profiles of eight different land uses and explored the critical factors influencing the distribution of ARGs. The results showed that ARGs abundance in soil of parks, residential areas, farmland, and vegetable cultivation was significantly higher than that in other lands, with an average of 2.08 × 103 copies/g dry soil. The structural equation model demonstrated that the environmental variables were the pivotal drivers that dominated the differences in ARG distribution across land utilization types (path coefficient=0.934), in which the physicochemical factors exhibited the greatest contribution with an explanatory rate of 20.27%, which was markedly higher than that of antibiotics and heavy metal residues. Importantly, these physicochemical factors manipulate the succession of microbial communities by altering the connections between microorganisms, which in turn indirectly affects the distribution of ARGs. Moreover, ARG exposure was strongly correlated with fertilizer application, precipitation, and per capita water resources (p < 0.01). Overall, this study provides a well-rounded understanding of ARG exposure under different land-use patterns, which helps to develop management strategies for curbing ARGs dissemination in the environment.

Optimizing nitrogen application position to change root distribution in soil and regulate maize growth and yield formation in a wide-narrow row cropping system: pot and field experiments.

The wide-and narrow-row cropping technology used for maize has the advantages of protecting cultivated soil and improving the population structure in maize fields. However, the relationship between nitrogen application position and root interactions has not been determined. Through pot and field experiments, we evaluated the effects of two nitrogen application positions ((narrow row nitrogen application (RC) and wide row nitrogen application (RN)) and two nitrogen application regimens ((high nitrogen(HN) and low nitrogen(LN)) on root growth and yield composition of wide-narrow row maize during the flowering and harvest stages. In field experiments, RC increased the biomass, length and surface area of competing roots (narrow-row roots, CR) at the flowering stage. The yield and agronomic efficiency of N(AEN) and partial factor productivity of N(PFPN) were increased by RN compared to RC under HN, However, the AEN under LN was significantly lower; There was no significant effect on maize growth and biomass allocation at the same level of application of N. At the flowering stage, the results of CR and non-competing roots (wide-row roots, NCR) was consistent under pot experiments and the field experiments, and the yield under RN was also higher than that under RC, although the difference was not significant. Furthermore, according to the principal component analysis and correlation analysis, the competing roots were the main factor influencing yield and AEN. In conclusion, our study showed that RN is a useful fertilization method to improve overall productivity. All in all, how roots coordinate neighbors and nitrogen spatial heterogeneity is a complex ecological process, and its trophic behavior deserves further study.

Assessing soil erosion in a semiarid ecosystem in Central Argentina using 137Cs and 7Be measurements

ABSTRACT Argentina is a Latin American country which encounters soil degradation problems. The most productive regions have implemented conservative land practices (no-till). However, agricultural frontier has been displaced to marginal lands with arid and semiarid climates, with the consequent disappearance in many areas of native forest and land degradation. In this work, the fallout of gamma-emitting radionuclides, 137Cs and 7Be, was jointly used to assess changes in soil erosion in a recently converted semiarid ecosystem into agricultural land. 137Cs was utilized to estimate the erosion over the past 60 years, whereas 7Be was employed to estimate the erosion after the conversion of the area to cultivated land and soil tillage. For 137Cs the Proportional Model (PM), the Mass Balance Model II (MBMII) and the MODERN model were used, for 7Be the Profile Distribution Model (PDM) and the MODERN model were used. 137Cs indicates mean erosional rates of 8.2, 10.5 and 6.5 Mg ha−1 a−1, using MBMII, PM and MODERN, respectively, and that a soil layer between 0.5 and 0.8 mm was annually lost by erosion. By applying a 7Be tracer, we measured erosion rates of 2.4 and 3.3 Mg ha−1 (with PDM and Modern, respectively), indicating the loss of the upper 0.2 mm of soil. This erosion can be attributed to a few heavy rainfalls that occurred within the past 90 days. The results suggest that current land management practices have led to an increase in soil erosion. This could be attributed to the fact that the soil remains bare after crop harvest, which may compromise its conservation and future productivity.

Effects of the synergistic treatments of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and trehalose on adaptability to salt stress in tomato seedlings.

AMF improve the plant adaptability to salt resistance by increasing mineral absorption and reducing the damage of saline soil. Trehalose plays an important role in plant response to salt damage by regulating osmotic pressure. Together, the use of AMF and trehalose in tomato seedlings proved efficient in regulating host substance synthesis, osmosis, and antioxidant enzymes. These synergistic effects significantly improved seedling adaptability to salt stress by enhancing cell osmotic protection and cell antioxidant capacity, ultimately reducing losses to crops grown on land where salinization has occurred.

Response of Soil Microorganisms and Phenolic to Pseudostelariae heterophylla Cultivation in Different Soil Types

Pseudostellaria heterophylla of the Caryophyllaceae family is an important medicinal herb in traditional Chinese medicine, but it encounters continuous cropping obstacle during cultivation. This study aimed to study the differences in the response of Pseudostellaria heterophylla cultivation to soil microorganisms and phenolic substances in different types of soil (Loamy soil and Clayey soil). The analysis of soil metabolites using HPLC-ESI-Q/TOF-MS and HPLC-DAD techniques revealed that the content of various phenolic components in the rhizosphere soil increased significantly after Pseudostellaria heterophylla cultivation. Pseudostellaria heterophylla cultivation in yellow soil could increase the abundance of Proteobacteria, Ascomycota, and Thermoplasmatota, while in brown soil, the abundance of Ascomycota significantly decreased. In addition, Pseudostellaria heterophylla cultivation could increase the α-diversity of bacteria and fungi in yellow soil, while reducing the α-diversity of archaea, and the impact on diversity in brown soil was relatively small. Correlation analysis showed that phenolic compounds were more likely to regulate the genera Bradyrhizobium, Calcarisporiella, Boothiomyces and Methanocella. Pseudostellaria heterophylla may regulate rhizosphere microbial diversity and community structure by secreting phenolic. However, in different types of soil environments, the response mechanism of soil microorganisms to Pseudostellaria heterophylla planting might vary. Our study provides new insights that the variability in the response of different soil types to Pseudostelariae heterophylla cultivation should be taken into account when developing strategies for reducing continuous cropping obstacles in medicinal plants.

The impact of different preceding crops on soil nitrogen structure and nitrogen cycling in tobacco-planting soil

Soil nitrogen content, structure, and nitrogen cycling play a crucial role in tobacco growth quality, with different preceding crops having varying impacts on tobacco cultivation soil. This study conducted using field experiments, employed three treatments with different preceding crops, namely tobacco, barley, and rapeseed, to investigate the effects of different preceding crops on soil nitrogen structure and the expression levels of soil nitrogen cycling-related functional genes in tobacco cultivation soil. The results indicated that different preceding crops had varying effects on the content of different nitrogen forms in tobacco cultivation soil. Ammonium nitrogen and nitrate nitrogen were the two nitrogen forms which were most influenced by preceding crops, with the ammonium nitrogen content in soils following barley and rapeseed preceding crops increasing by 82.88% and 63.56%, respectively, compared to sole tobacco cultivation. The nitrate nitrogen content in tobacco cultivation soil was 26.97% higher following barley preceding crops and 24.39% higher following rapeseed preceding crops compared to sole tobacco cultivation. Simultaneously, different preceding crops also affected the expression levels of nitrogen cycling-related genes in tobacco cultivation soil. In the nitrification process, amoA was significantly impacted, with its expression reduced by 64.39% and 72.24% following barley and rapeseed preceding crops, respectively, compared to sole tobacco cultivation. In the denitrification process, except for the narG gene, all other genes were subjected to varying degrees of inhibition when preceded by barley and rapeseed crops. Correlation analysis between soil nitrogen structure and the expression levels of nitrogen cycling-related genes revealed that increased nitrogen levels suppressed the expression of Arch-amoA. Additionally, ammonium nitrogen strongly influenced the expression levels of most soil nitrogen cycling functional genes. In conclusion, preceding crops alter soil nitrogen structure, possibly due to changes in soil microorganisms, and different preceding crops modified the expression levels of nitrogen cycling-related genes in tobacco cultivation soil, consequently affecting the proportions of various nitrogen forms in the soil.

Influences of Soil and Plant Types on The Mitigation Rate of Radium-226 in The Cultivated Soils

Influences of Soil and Plant Types on The Mitigation Rate of Radium-226 in The Cultivated Soils

Effects of cropping patterns on the distribution, carbon contents, and nitrogen contents of aeolian sand soil aggregates in Northwest China

The long-term physicochemical responses of aeolian sandy soil aggregates to different crop rotation patterns are poorly understood. Here, we collected soil samples from the 0 to 20 cm tillage layer of continuous maize crop and alfalfa–maize rotation plots situated on the edge of the Zhangye Oasis, Northwest China. These samples were analyzed to quantify the influence of both cropping patterns on the structure, carbon content, and nitrogen content of aeolian sandy soils. When compared with long-term continuous maize cropping, planting alfalfa–maize rotation system significantly increased the mass fraction of macro-aggregates with sizes of > 2 mm and 0.25–2 mm from 8.7 to 12.1% and 19.1 to 21.2%, respectively, but decreased the mass fraction of micro-aggregates (0.053–0.25 mm) from 8.1 to 6.2%. Further, there was no significant difference in the content of silt and clay particles between each system. The alfalfa–maize rotation increased the stability of aggregates from 32 to 37%, representing an increase of 15.6%. Soil organic carbon, inorganic carbon, and total nitrogen were mainly enriched in macro-aggregates with sizes of > 2 mm, and silt and clay fractions for both cropping patterns. Implementation of a rotation pattern increased organic carbon contents by 27.2%, 25.6%, 26.7%, and 27.6%, inorganic carbon contents by 14.4%, 4.5%, 53.3%, and 21.0%, and total nitrogen contents by 29.7%, 7.0%, 4.2%, and 50.0% in aggregate particle sizes of > 2 mm, 0.25–2 mm, 0.053–0.25 mm, and < 0.053 mm, respectively, when compared to continuous maize cropping. The alfalfa–maize crop rotation can therefore effectively improve soil aggregate composition and aggregate stability, alongside organic carbon content, inorganic carbon content, total nitrogen content, and their storage capacity. This system thus represents a soil cultivation technique that can increase the soil carbon sequestration capacity in the oasis zone of Northwest China.

Anaerobic digestion of vinasse improves its use as a liquid fertilizer

The global demand for exploiting the potential of renewable biofuel production is increasing. When countries with large agricultural areas produce ethanol, they also generate a harmful byproduct called vinasse. Vinasse is a dark brown effluent that contains a high amount of organic matter, has an acidic nature, and is rich in mineral salts. Managing this effluent poses a challenge due to its significant volume, which ranges from 8 to 20 liters per liter of ethanol produced. Traditionally, raw vinasse has been applied directly to the soil as a liquid fertilizer. However, this practice, without proper guidance, can lead to soil degradation, micronutrient imbalance, pH change and excessive accumulation of organic matter. To resolve these issues and still use vinasse as a fertilizer, the process of anaerobic degradation of vinasse in biodigesters was analyzed. The resulting treated effluent, known as digested vinasse, was then compared to raw vinasse in terms of pollution parameters and the balance of minerals crucial for sugarcane cultivation. The results demonstrated a significant reduction in the organic load of vinasse, with a removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) ranging from 66% to 85%. After applying the digested vinasse to sugarcane like cultivation soil, a noticeable decrease in the environmental impact caused by excessive organic matter was observed. Additionally, the study found that important nutritional elements such as sodium (Na) did not have any adverse effects or accumulate excessively when compared to calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg). In conclusion, the research demonstrates that the anaerobic degradation of vinasse in biodigesters can effectively reduce its organic load and mitigate the environmental impact associated with the direct application of raw vinasse to agricultural soils

Sepiolite-supported nanoscale zero-valent iron alleviates Cd&As accumulation in rice by reducing Cd&As bioavailability in paddy soil and promoting Cd&As sequestration in iron plaque

Cadmium and arsenic (Cd&As) co-contaminated paddy soil is the main reason for excessive Cd&As in rice. However, the opposite chemical behaviors of Cd&As posed a challenge to the simultaneous remediation of Cd&As and the reduction of Cd&As content in rice. The synthesized sepiolite-supported nanoscale zero-valent iron (S-nZVI) exhibits exceptional efficacy in Cd&As adsorption. The effects of S-nZVI on Cd&As availability in soil and Cd&As accumulation in rice need to be further investigated. This study applied different amounts of S-nZVI (0.1%−0.6%) to paddy soils for rice cultivation. The findings revealed that the Cd&As concentrations in rice grains reduced by 46.18%− 68.13% and 24.26%− 57.16%, respectively, under 0.1%− 0.6% S-nZVI application. S-nZVI significantly decreased Cd&As concentrations (Cd: 8.23%−86.70%, As: 5.69%−82.03%) in pore water and transformed Cd&As chemical speciation to immobile fractions, reducing the Cd&As availability to rice. Moreover, S-nZVI facilitated iron plaque formation and Cd&As sequestration in iron plaques, inhibiting the absorption of Cd&As by rice roots. Notably, the lower application of S-nZVI (0.1%−0.2%) improved soil pH, more effectively inhibited rice uptake of soil Cd, and increased rice yield. The increased soil pH, decreased Eh, and surface complexation with iron oxyhydroxide were responsible for Cd immobilization, while the formation of inner-sphere chelates with iron oxyhydroxide predominated As immobilization. These findings suggest S-nZVI has the potential to be an effective material for remediating Cd&As co-contaminated paddy soil and alleviating Cd&As accumulation in rice.

Перспективы применения различных органоминеральных удобрений на яровом ячмене

The results of field experiments on spring barley conducted in 2023 on the experimental fields of the Agrobiotechnopark of the Kazan State Agrarian University are presented. The purpose of the research was to assess the impact of the use of various compositions of organomineral fertilizers based on natural minerals (zeolite, diatomite, perlite), humates and food industry waste (buckwheat husk, beet molasses) developed at the Institute of Agrobiotechnologies and Land Management of Kazan State Agrarian University on the formation of the yield and grain quality of spring barley. The objectives of the research included studying the nature of changes in plant growth and development, yield and protein content in grain when using experimental organomineral fertilizers. The object of the study was spring barley of the Raushan variety. The control was the option without fertilizers; the standard was the application of 100 kg/ha of azofoska. Experimental fertilizers were applied at a rate of 120 kg/ha. All fertilizers in the experiment were applied before sowing. The studies were carried out on gray forest highly cultivated soil. The growing season conditions in 2023 were characterized by periodically severe drought phenomena, which affected the growth and development of spring barley plants. It was found that the application of experimental fertilizers contributed to the growth of the length of roots and above-ground parts of plants, and also reduced the damage to plants by root rot. Diatomite-based fertilizer had the greatest positive effect on reducing root rot damage. The largest increase in yield over the control (by 0.73 t/ha) and standard (by 0.22 t/ha) was obtained when using diatomite-based fertilizer. The use of all organomineral fertilizers (especially those based on zeolite) leads to an increase in the protein content in the grain.