Improve Soil Properties Research Articles

Mechanism and application prospects of microbial fertilizers in regulating quality formation of medicinal plants

With the promotion of chemical fertilizer and pesticide reduction and green production of traditional Chinese medicines, microbial fertilizers have become a hot way to achieve the zero-growth of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, improve the yield and qua-lity of medicinal plants, maintain soil health, and promote the sustainable development of the planting industry of Chinese herbal medicines. Soil conditions and microenvironments are crucial to the growth, development, and quality formation of medicinal plants. Microbial fertilizers, as environmentally friendly fertilizers acting on the soil, can improve soil quality by replenishing organic matter and promoting the metabolism of beneficial microorganisms to improve the yield and quality of medicinal plants. In this regard, understanding the mechanism of microbial fertilizer in regulating the quality formation of medicinal plants is crucial for the development of herbal eco-agriculture. This study introduces the processes of microbial fertilizers in improving soil properties, participating in soil nutrient cycling, enhancing the resistance of medicinal plants, and promoting the accumulation of medicinal components to summarize the mechanisms and roles of bacterial fertilizers in regulating the quality formation of medicinal plants. Furthermore, this paper introduces the application of bacterial fertilizers in medicinal plants and makes an outlook on their development, with a view to providing a scientific basis for using microbial fertilizers to improve the quality of Chinese herbal medicines, improve the soil environment, promote the sustainable development of eco-agriculture of traditional Chinese medicine, and popularize the application of microbial fertilizers.

Influence of soil management on vegetative growth, yield, and wine quality parameters in an organic “Pedro Ximénez” vineyard: field and UAV data

The use of cover crops in vineyards is expected to increase due to the strong encouragement by European agricultural policy and their contribution to reducing soil erosion. This paper presents the results obtained over three years in a vineyard of the “Pedro Ximénez” variety organically grown in southern Spain. The influence on production, vigor, and grape quality of a seeded cover crop versus tillage was compared using field data and imagery acquired by an uncrewed aerial vehicle. The vines under tillage showed greater vegetative development and yield than those with cover crops between rows. The grapes from the vines under the cover crop treatment ripened earlier and presented higher values of total soluble solids, characteristics that can be useful in the protected designation of origin where the study field is placed. However, the strong yield reduction caused by the cover crop treatment encourages future research to explore other cover crop species that could contribute to improving soil properties without compromising the profitability of the vineyard. This is the first time that the influence of cover cropping on the agronomic and oenological parameters of organically grown white vineyard varieties such as “Pedro Ximénez” has been assessed using field and UAV data.

LCA for territorial metabolism analysis: An application to organic waste management planning

The management of biodegradable waste in landfills is associated to a range environmental impacts and refers to a linear model regarded as unsustainable. At the same time, many agricultural and urban soils present low organic matter content. Composting is emerging as a good practice for converting organic waste into a new resource able to improve soil properties, thus providing regulation Ecosystem Services. Considering a territorial metabolism perspective, this work discusses the potential contribution to regional planning of a transferable methodology for quantifying environmental impacts and benefits associated to waste management, based on a combined use of Life Cycle Assessment and Geographic Information Systems, and considering Ecosystem Services deriving from the application of compost in agricultural soils. The approach was tested through a site-dependent analysis based on primary data, referring to year 2019 and focusing on the Veneto Region, Italy. Results indicate that direct benefits associated to the use of compost and the thermal energy to district heating are compensating from 29 % to 51 % of the impacts associated to compost production, while waste transports represent the largest share of the impacts, covering between 52 % and 78 % of the total flows considered. The proposed methodology is applied for comparing the reference condition to alternative scenarios, in the perspective of providing support in Strategic Environmental Assessment procedures. In this context, results shown markedly lower impacts associated to compost production, with respect to organic waste treatment, for 5 out of 6 of the considered categories (freshwater eutrophication 100:1, climate change 5:1), with the notable exception of water resource depletion. Scenarios produced are discussed with respect to the choice between centralized and non-centralized plants, and the characterization of potential benefits at the territorial scale associated to compost use for urban green infrastructures. With respect to this latter point, results showed an underdeveloped use of compost-related ES flow, compared to its capacity, suggesting an interest for further research aimed at estimating compost requirements by urban and peri-urban soils.

A preliminary study on heavy metal monitoring in soil and guar (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba) biomass amended with sewage sludge.

Applying sewage sludge in agricultural soils is an interesting source of organic matter. This study aimed to monitor concentrations of heavy elements in soil and guar plants, which can pose a risk to the health of humans and animals if they enter the food chain through the soil-plant system. The experiment revealed that applying sludge increased the amount of organic matter, total nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus in the soil. Additionally, the concentration of heavy metals such as Pb, Co, Cr, Ni, Cu, and Zn in all treatments remained below the permissible limits for soil. The highest plant height and plant dry weight were recorded in the sludge and sludge + fertilizer treatments. The dry weight of the guar varied from 629 g m-1 in the control treatment to 1050 g m-1 in the sludge + fertilizer plots. The use of sludge increased the accumulation of heavy metals in the above-ground parts of the guar plant compared to the control. However, the level of heavy metal remained within the normal range and below the toxic concentration. Our results also showed that the application of sludge along with fertilizer improved the quality of the guar forage by increasing the levels of crude protein, digestible dry matter and water-soluble carbohydrates. Overall, the results indicated that using sludge as organic fertilizer can improve soil properties, reduce the use of inorganic fertilizers, and decrease the harmful effects of heavy metals on the environment and health in the research area.

Soil Properties and Macrofauna Community in a Converted Intensive Rice Field into an Organic Polyculture in Malang Regency, Indonesia

Farmers in Malang cultivated rice intensively since 2019 due to water availability but reduce yields. It might also reduce soil productivity and increase pest attacks, so the conversion field to organic polyculture was needed using sorghum and legumes. The research aims were to evaluate soil fauna dynamics and soil properties in the three, six, and 12 months after converting (mac) into organic polyculture. Soil and micro-climate factors were recorded including air temperature (°C), day length (hours), rainfall (mm), water content (%), organic matter content (%), electrical conductivity (mS.m-1), pH, and soil bulk density (g.cm-3). Soil macrofauna was sampled using hand sorting (20 x 20 x 10 cm) with five plots at each field. Identified soil macrofauna was used to determine the density, frequency, Important Value Index (IVI), Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index (H'), Evenness Index (E), Simpson Dominance Index (D), Diversity t-test, and Indicator Species. The Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) was used to analyze the interaction among abiotic factors and macrofauna using PAST 4.05. Results showed that the improvement of soil properties including soil organic matter and soil macrofauna was recorded at 6 mac compared to the intensive rice field, and continuously at 12 mac. The richness, diversity, and evenness of soil macrofauna taxa were higher in the converted field than in the intensive one due to organic polyculture. Moreover, we recorded a better proportion of detritivores and predators in the converted field after 12 months. Based on Indicator Species analysis, the dominant fire ants (Solenopsis sp.) in the intensive rice field might be considered as a potential indicator of unhealthy soil in the intensive rice fields. Whereas in the converted field the dominancy of these ants greatly decreased. We concluded that within 6 months conversion using the organic polyculture improved soil properties.

Study on the improvement of soil properties using hydrophilic-hydrophobic biopolymer crosslinking

In recent years, biopolymer soil treatment technology has been increasingly applied in the field of geotechnical engineering due to its environmental friendliness. While biopolymers exhibit the capacity to substantially enhance the mechanical properties of soils, their effectiveness, particularly in the case of polysaccharide-based biopolymers, is often influenced by the water, thereby restricting their practical application in engineering contexts. This study explores the potential of hydrophilic-hydrophobic biopolymer crosslinking, namely xanthan gum and casein, to enhance the strength and water stability of soils. Through a comprehensive array of assessments encompassing unconfined compressive strength (UCS) tests, soaking tests, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses, the improvement effect, optimal conditions and microscopic mechanisms of the soil treated with hydrophilic-hydrophobic biopolymer crosslinking were investigated. The results demonstrate that compared to the sole utilization of either xanthan gum or casein, xanthan gum-casein crosslinking treatment not only significantly improves the unconfined compressive strength of the soil but also enhances its water resistance. Under optimal treatment conditions, the residual rate of unconfined compressive strength can still maintain a relatively large value after soaking for 24 h, while the soil under other conditions completely disintegrated. Moreover, the hydrophilic-hydrophobic biopolymer crosslinking transforms the gel morphology into an elongated fibrous structure that wraps and surrounds the soil particles to form a cohesive and unified entity, this synergetic interaction further enhances the efficacy of the crosslinking treatment.

Comparative efficacy of wheat-straw biochar and chicken-waste compost on cadmium contaminated soil remediation, reducing cadmium bioavailability and enhancing wheat performance under cadmium stress

Cadmium (Cd) pollution of soil and food crops is a widespread environmental issue caused by excessive industrialization, unsustainable urbanization, and intensive farming practices. Cd, a hazardous element, poses significant risks to agro-environmental sustainability, food safety, and human health. Using organic materials such as biochar and compost to stabilize Cd in contaminated soil is an environmentally benign and cost-effective strategy for remediating moderately to highly polluted soil. However, in response to the scarcity of comparative studies on biochar and compost efficacy, this research explores the impact of wheat-straw biochar and chicken waste compost on Cd-contaminated soil remediation. A greenhouse experiment using two application rates (1.5 % and 2.5 %) of biochar and compost in 10 mg kg−1 Cd-contaminated soil revealed significant (p≤0.05) effects. The 2.5 % compost application increased soil organic carbon (SOC) from 0.45 % to 0.85 %, while 2.5 % biochar enhanced soil pH from 7.1 to 7.7 and electrical conductivity (EC) from 0.33 to 0.44 dSm−1. Notably, 2.5 % biochar significantly reduced Cd bioavailability from 9.49 to 4.90 mg kg−1, root accumulation from 29.8 to 16.4 mg kg−1 and shoot translocation from 16.8 to 8.4 mg kg−1. This reduction was confirmed through translocation factor (51.5 %) and immobilization efficiency (48.4 %). Furthermore, 2.5 % biochar improved chlorophyll content (a, b, and total) and wheat morphological attributes under Cd stress in soil. Overall, higher rates of biochar (2.5 %) and compost (2.5 %) effectively mitigate Cd uptake, improve soil properties, and enhance physiological and morphological responses, suggesting their promise for sustainable soil management practices.

Promotive effect of mechanochemically crushed straw on rice growth by improving soil properties and modulating bacterial communities

Promotive effect of mechanochemically crushed straw on rice growth by improving soil properties and modulating bacterial communities

Si-enriched biochars improved soil properties, reduced Cd bioavailability while enhanced Cd translocation to grains of rice.

Biochar and silicon (Si) have been widely considered to play an important role in mitigating cadmium (Cd) toxicity. In this study, wild-type rice (WT, high-Si) and Si-deficient mutant rice (lsi1, low-Si) were used as raw materials to prepare biochar at 500℃; the Si concentrations of high- and low-Si biochar were 15.9% and 5.3%, respectively. The impacts of different application rates (0%, 2%, 4%) of high- and low-Si biochars on soil chemical properties, Si and Cd fractions and availability, Cd absorption, and translocation were investigated. The results showed that both types of biochars increased soil pH, soil available nitrogen, and available phosphorus and potassium; and promoted Si uptake and plant growth of rice. Soil available Si, CaCl2-Si, acetic-Si, H2O2-Si, oxalate-Si, and Na2CO3-Si were also increased by biochar supply, especially for high-Si biochar treatments. In addition, both types of biochars had no effects on soil total Cd, but reduced soil available Cd by 2-17% in early season 2022, and reduced oxidizable Cd and residual Cd. Biochar application did not influence Cd concentrations in roots, stems, and leaves, but significantly increased Cd uptake and transport from stems and leaves to grains. The results suggested that Si-rich biochar could improve soil nutrients, change soil Si/Cd fractions and availability, promote rice growth but increase the risk of Cd toxicity in grains, indicating the complex of straw biochar in remediating Cd-contaminated paddy soil.

Application of Arabidopsis thaliana in the Remediation of Soil Pollution : Evidence from the Earthworm-Microbe-Arabidopsis System

ABSTRACT Presence of cadmium in soil affects the growth status of plants; research on the underlying mechanism has focused on its lethal and sublethal consequences in plants, ignoring the impacts of soil organisms. Therefore, this study designed a microorganism – earthworm – plant ecosystem, investigated the influence of Cd (0, 0.3, 1.0, and 3.0 mg kg−1) on the growth of Arabidopsis thaliana in the presence of earthworms (Eisenia fetida), and revealed the mechanisms from the perspective of altered relationships among different soil organisms. In this study, there was no significant difference in the death rate of earthworms with low Cd addition concentration, but the microorganisms in earthworms and soil microorganisms changed, abundance of Actinomycetes in soil increased, while Planctomycetes decreased, Mycobacterium in the gut of Eisenia fetida decreased under Cd stress. Microorganisms affect soil pH, which in turn affects soil physicochemical properties and the form of cadmium in soil. Compared with the control, soil pH significantly decreases under cadmium stress, Under 0.3 mg kg−1 treatment, soil total nitrogen, available phosphorus and total potassium are 181.11, 5.09, 51.90, and 7.55 mg kg−1, respectively, They were significantly higher than control group. Improved the growth environment of Arabidopsis thaliana and promoted the absorption of Cd in soil which affected the proportion of available Cd in the soil (when Cd was added at 1.0 mg kg−1, the proportion of available Cd in the soil decreased significantly from 95.05% to 49.40%). A. thaliana also absorbed more Cd, which increased Cd toxicity, and the reproductive growth of A. thaliana was enhanced, while vegetative growth was weakened.Compared with the control group (278.11 mg), the biomass of A. thaliana decreased significantly to 189.83 mg when Cd was supplemented at 0.3 mg kg−1. Therefore, the activities of and interactions among earthworms, plants, and microorganisms play important roles in reducing soil heavy metals and improving soil properties.

Can deep fertilization in spring maize fields improve soil properties and their distribution in soil profile?

Deep fertilization strategy has been proven to be an important fertilizer management method for improving fertilizer utilization efficiency and crop yield. However, the relationship between soil chemical and biochemical characteristics and crop productivity under different fertilization depth patterns still needs comprehensive evaluation. Field tests on spring maize were therefore carried out in the Loess Plateau of China for two successive growing seasons from 2019 to 2020. Four distinct fertilization depths of 5 cm, 15 cm, 25 cm, and 35 cm were used to systematically investigate the effects of fertilization depth on soil physicochemical parameters, enzyme activity, and biochemical properties. The findings demonstrated that although adjusting fertilization depths (D15, D25) did not significantly affect the soil organic carbon content, they did significantly improve the soil chemical and biochemical characteristics in the root zone (10–30 cm), with D25 having a greater influence than D15. Compared with D5, the total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), available nitrogen (AN), Olsen-P, dissolved organic carbon, and nitrogen (DOC and DON) in the root zone of D25 significantly increased by 12.02%, 7.83%, 22.21%, 9.56%, 22.29%, and 26.26%, respectively. Similarly, the urease, invertase, phosphatase, and catalase in the root zone of D25 significantly increased by 9.56%, 13.20%, 11.52%, and 18.05%, while microbial biomass carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus (MBC, MBN, and MBP) significantly increased by 18.91%, 32.01% and 26.50%, respectively, compared to D5. By optimizing the depth of fertilization, the distribution ratio of Ca2–P and Ca8–P in the inorganic phosphorus components of the root zone can also be increased. Therefore, optimizing fertilization depth helps to improve soil chemical and biochemical characteristics and increase crop yield. The results of this study will deepen our understanding of how fertilization depth influence soil properties and crop responses.

Microplastic fibres affect soil fungal communities depending on drought conditions with consequences for ecosystem functions.

Microplastics affect soil functions depending on drought conditions. However, how their combined effect influences soil fungi and their linkages with ecosystem functions is still unknown. To address this, we used rhizosphere soil from a previous experiment in which we employed microplastic fibres addition and drought in a factorial design, and evaluated their effects on soil fungal communities. Microplastics decreased soil fungal richness under well-watered conditions, likely linked to microplastics leaching toxic substances into the soil, and microplastic effects on root fineness. Under drought, by contrast, microplastics increased pathogen and total fungal richness, likely related to microplastic positive effects on soil properties, such as water holding capacity, porosity or aggregation. Soil fungal richness was the attribute most affected by microplastics and drought. Microplastics altered the relationships between soil fungi and ecosystem functions to the point that many of them flipped from positive to negative or disappeared. The combined effect of microplastics and drought on fungal richness mitigated their individual negative effect (antagonism), suggesting that changes in soil water conditions may alter the action mode of microplastics in soil. Microplastic leaching of harmful substances can be mitigated under drought, while the improvement of soil properties by microplastics may alleviate such drought conditions.

Verification of Vermicompost Technology on Faba Bean Production at Welmera District, Birbo Watershed, Central Highlands of Ethiopia

Vicia faba, usually known as faba bean, which is commonly cultivated as a crop for human consumption, is the world’s leading source of protein. However, due to the low availability of basic cations, excess of hydrogen and aluminium in exchangeable forms, soil fertility limits its productive potential. Thus, this verification trial was intended to show the effects of Vermicompost technology on faba bean production, productivity and soil properties improvement on Nitisol of Birbo watershed in Welmera district in 2020/23. This verification work indicated that vermicompost application had contributed to the improvement of soil’s chemical properties and yields of faba bean, even if statistically non-significant results were observed. Soil chemical properties like pH, TN and OC were observed due to their application. From this study it is concluded that fifty per cent of nitrogen (0.47 ton ha-1) from Vermicompost and fifty per cent of nitrogen from urea would be recommended to be applied in the areas which have the same agro-ecology and soil properties as Welmera Districts.

Dynamics of Agronomic Characteristics and Plant Diversity in Lemon Verbena (Aloysia citrodora Paláu) Cultivation in Greece

Nowadays, there is an increasing negative environmental effect of using chemical fertilizer. For this reason, the use of biofertilizers is promoted in the agriculture sector. The purpose of this investigation was to carry out an evaluation of the effects of biological fertilizer (biofertilizers are organic materials that can be used to improve soil properties) use on the growth and agronomic characteristics of Aloysia citrodora. To achieve this aim, a two-year randomized complete blocks field experiment was carried out in central Greece. The experiment included four biological fertilizer levels (0, 50, 100 and 150 N kg ha−1) with three replications. Plant height, dry stem, dry leaves, dry total yield and leaf area index (LAI) were measured during the two growing years. The results showed that in the first and second studied years, the maximum plant height and total dry yield were observed in the BF150 treatment. Moreover, LAI was ameliorated by applying the BF100 and BF150 treatments in both studied years. A key finding in this study is that the A. citrodora ecosystem favors herbaceous plant species richness. Also, soil factors (soil organic matter, P and K) promote positive herbaceous plant diversity within the A. citrodora ecosystem. Finally, A. citrodora could be a promising medicinal plant, cultivated under Mediterranean climatic conditions.

Study on improvement of copper sulfide acid soil properties and mechanism of metal ion fixation based on Fe-biochar composite

In this study, Fe modification of bamboo biochar (BC) with ferrate was used to construct a composite soil amendment based on K2FeO4-biochar (Fe-BC) system. Based on soil culture experiments, Fe-BC combined with organic–inorganic materials at the application levels of 3%, 5% and 10% to copper sulfide contaminated acid soil was studied. Adsorption kinetics experiment was used to investigate the adsorption capacity of Fe-modified biochar to heavy metal Cu. The results showed that the pH value of bamboo biochar could be increased by 1.12 units after K2FeO4 modification. Compared with the BC, the adsorption capacity of Cu2+ increased from 190.48 to 276.12 mg/g, which was mainly reflected in single-layer surface adsorption and chemisorption. Pore diffusion, electrostatic interaction and surface interaction are the possible mechanisms of Fe-BC interaction with Cu2+ ions. And the contents of Pb, Cu and Zn in soil leaching state decreased by 59.20%, 65.88% and 57.88%, respectively, at the 10% application level of Fe-BC. In general, the composite modifier based on ferrate and biochar has a positive effect on improving the characteristics of acidic soil in copper mining area.

Impacts of biochar and slag on carbon sequestration potential and sustainability assessment of MgO-stabilized marine soils: insights from MIP analysis

MgO-based binders enhance soil stability and CO2 sequestration. This study examines soft dredged marine soils treated with MgO, integrated with biochar or slag, demonstrating significant improvements in soil properties and environmental benefits.

Biomass Storage Potential and Improvement in Soil Properties under Different Bamboo Plantations in the Terai Region of Central Himalaya

This study evaluates six bamboo species, i.e., Dendrocalamus hamiltonii, Bambusa nutans, Dendrocalamus asper, Bambusa bambos, Bambusa balcooa, and Dendrocalamus strictus, regarding their growth behavior, nutrient uptake, and effect on the soil properties of the Terai region. Various aboveground growth parameters exhibited significant variations with the maximum clump girth (8.60 m) and internodal length (35.37 cm) of B. nutans, which was also reported by the culm diameter (5.70 cm) of D. hamiltonii and the number of culms per clump (65) of D. strictus. The total aboveground biomass ranged from 51.14 Mg.ha-1 in D. asper to 362.56 Mg.ha-1 in D. hamiltonii. The most significant variation in soil properties was observed in the 0-40 cm soil layer. Under D. hamiltonii, the lowest soil bulk density (1.07 g.cm3; 1.21 g.cm3) and the maximum soil porosity (59.00%; 56.40%), soil organic carbon (1.54%; 0.72%), and available soil nitrogen (228.29 kg.ha-1; 173.73 kg.ha-1) were found the 0-40 and 40-80 cm soil layers. Furthermore, significant enhancements in soil microbial population were recorded. Thus, bamboo plantations have great potential to enhance the biomass generation and fertility quotient of fallow lands.

IDENTIFICATION OF TARGET GENES INVOLVED IN RESPONSES OF Populus TO POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS BASED ON RNA-SEQ

Steel slag and rice husk bokashi are the ameliorant that expected can decrease P-retention Phytoremediation represents an effective, low-cost, environmentally friendly alternative that improves soil properties, although there have been significant developments in the last decade. From the scientific point of life, the main challenge is to decipher the metabolic pathways involved in response to contaminants and to understand their regulation. This information is essential if we aspire to improve the natural capacities of some plant species to remediate contaminated soils. A comprehensive study of the molecular response to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), a family of persistent organic pollutants of particular relevance on a global scale, was obtained. A transcriptomic approach based on RNA-seq technology has been used to identify the genes involved in the metabolism of in-plant compounds and to quantify their activation levels in different controlled situations. It is surprising that this response is virtually unknown at the molecular level, despite its great potential applied in the context of phytoremediation technology. We apply to hybrid poplar (Populus tremula x alba) crops with Aroclor 1221. And we took samples of RNA, thus generating a matrix of four elements with their corresponding controls. On the other hand, we perform functional analyzes with bioinformatic tools based on sequence comparisons and gene co-expression networks. The response of genes of particular interest was validated using qRT-PCR technology. This is the first comprehensive study of the response of a plant organism to the presence of PCBs. A considerable number of structural and regulatory genes have been found, defining new transcription factors whose expression is proportional to the concentration of pollutant in the medium or the time of exposure to it. Correlation analyzes allow us to state that the metabolic response to PCBs, including possible degrading pathways, is involved in at least fifteen transcription factors and approximately forty proteins or enzymes that are particularly induced.

In situ charcoal production in Acacia decurrens‐based taungya system improved soil properties and productivity of three agricultural crops in the highlands of Ethiopia

AbstractShort‐term in situ charcoal production‐induced changes in soil properties and crop productivity of acidic soil in Acacia decurrens‐based taungya system were assessed in the Guder watershed of northwestern Ethiopia. Data were collected through field study, pot experiment and interviews with local farmers. The field study involved a survey of 36 paired charcoal production kiln sites and adjacent reference sites in 18 croplands to analyse soil physicochemical properties and productivity of tef (Eragrostis tef), barley (Hordeum vulgare) and wheat (Triticum aestivum). A pot experiment was undertaken with wheat to investigate seed germination and chemical fertilizer needs at charcoal production sites. Local farmers were interviewed for their perceptions and management practices. The production and short‐term presence of charcoal in kiln sites significantly increased sand fraction, pH, organic carbon, available phosphorous, exchangeable Mg2+ and exchangeable K+ compared with the reference sites. Charcoal production practice raised pH by 0.83 units, organic carbon, available P and exchangeable K+ by 40%, 92% and 303%, respectively. Exchangeable acidity and exchangeable Al3+ were lowered by over 80% at kiln sites. Both aboveground biomass and grain yield of tef, barley and wheat were, on average, 135% higher at kiln sites than at the reference sites. Furthermore, crops grown at kiln sites were taller and had greener and larger leaves. Farmers' responses indicated higher crop productivity and reduced inorganic fertilizer application at kiln sites. Results from the pot experiment provided evidence of faster seed germination, enhanced crop productivity and reduced inorganic fertilizer needs in charcoal‐treated soils. The study suggests that the inclusion of charcoal remnants and heating can increase carbon storage, improve soil properties which promote crop productivity and reduce the need for inorganic fertilizer in degraded, acidic agricultural soil.

Research on current situation of farmland runoff pollution and ecological treatment technology

Farmland runoff pollution, caused by excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides, poses serious threats to water quality and aquatic ecosystems. To address this issue, various ecological treatment technologies have been developed and applied, such as vegetated ditches, constructed wetlands, and bioaugmentation techniques. These systems aim to reduce nutrient and pesticide concentrations in runoff water and enhance soil quality and biodiversity. This study reviews the current state of farmland runoff pollution and the existing ecological treatment methods. It also presents the results of our comparative analysis of the performance and efficiency of different treatment systems across multiple study sites with diverse climatic conditions. We demonstrate that ecological treatment technologies can effectively remove pollutants from runoff water and improve soil properties and microbial activity. We also discuss the implications and challenges of applying these technologies for agricultural sustainability and environmental protection.