Ploughed Soil Research Articles

Количественная оценка потерь почвы вследствие водной эрозии на сильновыпаханных почвах бассейна верхней Оки с использованием географических информационных систем

The paper presents some results of studying soil losses appearing due to water erosion in an agricultural field with highly degraded plowed soils. The research was carried out on the arable slope of the southern exposure in an experimental area located in the Oryol district of the Oryol Region (upper Oka basin). A set of methods was used: morphometric analysis of the topography relief, radiocaesium method, soil-morphological method, method for determining easily decomposable organic matter (labile organic matter) designed according to Ganzhara and Borisov, agrochemical methods. The study was based upon the authors’ in-situ data of 2016–2023. Maps are compiled to show the caesium-137, humus and labile organic matter spatial distribution, and of the soil degradation degree (in points on the Ganzhara and Borisov scale) in the arable horizon of 0–25 cm. Analysis of the caesium-137 radioactivity spatial distribution made it possible to identify two sectors in an area of highly degraded plowed soil, which differ in surface slope values and in nature of the caesium-137 radioactivity interdependences with catchment area and sign of profile curvature. Developed semi-empirical computational dependences for the delineated sectors allow to compile a gridded map of the soil runoff intensity (in t/ha/year). The intensity of soil runoff in the area with highly degraded plowed soils is ranged from 5 to more than 20 t/ha/year. The algorithm for the intensity of soil delivery outside of the studied area was developed on the basis of layer-by-layer soil sampling data collected in the mouth of the ravine, removing soil from the highly degraded plowed soil area. The algorithm showed that 4.7–6.5 tons of soil per year are removed from 1 hectare of the catchment area basin. The rest of the outwashed soil material is deposited in accumulation areas within the catchment area basin. The authors recommend verifying the findings in other areas of the agricultural field. The proposed methodology for soil loss estimation, developed for highly degraded plowed soil areas in an agricultural field, requires clarification by enlarging the scale of the study.

The Looming Food Crisis: Exploring the Causes and Consequences – A Comprehensive Analysis And Strategic Recommendations for SDGs 2

Background: This study investigates the sustainability of future food production by examining current intensive high-yield cultivation practices and their long-term impacts. With the global population projected to reach 10 billion by 2050, the demand for food will escalate, leading to increased use of chemical inputs in agriculture. This practice poses a significant threat to soil fertility, potentially rendering it infertile for future generations. Presently, food scarcity affects millions, with 80 million people lacking adequate food and 2 million dying annually due to hunger-related issues. If these trends persist, the impact will extend from low-income countries to middle-income and developed nations. Objective: The study highlights the urgent need for strategic and practical approaches to mitigate these challenges. It underscores the detrimental effects of current agricultural practices on human health, including a rise in chronic diseases and genetic impacts on future generations. The research draws on interviews, case studies, and focus group discussions with farmers to understand their motivations and knowledge regarding sustainable practices. It also analyses the transition from traditional to modern agricultural methods in Telangana state over five years of doctoral research. Recommendations: Based on this comprehensive analysis, the paper provides strategic recommendations for Small Scale Growers (SSGs) to achieve sustainable development goals, eradicate future hunger, and preserve soil fertility. The proposed strategies include controlling soil erosion, minimizing synthetic fertilizer use, eliminating herbicides, and promoting effective soil ploughing and residue management. By integrating traditional knowledge with modern practices, these recommendations aim to enhance agricultural productivity while safeguarding environmental and human health. This study calls for immediate action to implement these strategies at the ground level to ensure a sustainable future for food production.

KOMPARASI PREFERENSI PETANI JAGUNG DAN CABAI RAWIT DALAM MATERI PENYULUHAN UNTUK PERTANIAN BERKELANJUTAN

Suwawa Selatan is one of the areas vulnerable to climate change, this condition is caused by unsustainable agricultural practices such as land clearing on slopes and burning agricultural waste. This study aims to identify the level of knowledge and implementation of sustainable agriculture that is relevant to the needs of farmers and prioritize extension materials needed by farmers. The method used in this study is a quantitative method that uses BNA analysis techniques and independent T-test statistical tests. The results showed that maize farmers had a lower knowledge level than chili farmers regarding sustainable agriculture components. Meanwhile, chili farmers in Suwawa Selatan needed more materials to increase the use of organic fertilizers and reducing excessive soil plowing (priority), while the priority extension materials for corn farmers in Suwawa Selatan sub-district were reducing the use of chemical fertilizers and reducing the use of chemical herbicides (priority).

Результаты экспериментальных измерений эрозионных потерь почвы в свально-развальных бороздах и в ручьях, сформировавшихся на сельскохозяйственном поле с выпаханными почвами (бассейн Сухой Орлицы Орловского района Орловской области)

Erosion losses of soil in agricultural fields are difficult to account for due to the need for a differentiated approach to assessing soil losses due to the complex structure of the field surface, and, consequently, due to the need to model the process in each of the areas that differ in the conditions of erosion processes. The article discusses the technology of accounting for erosion losses of soil in dump-collapse furrows and in streams formed by rainfall, in areas of agricultural fields, the soils of which differ in the degree of ploughing. The results of an experiment conducted on a site with gray forest soils ploughed to varying degrees are presented. The plot is located in the Oryol district of the Oryol region. The soil-morphological method using the cesium-137 isotope of Chernobyl origin as a marker was used to determine the volume of washed-off soil delivered to the receiving ravine (3-4 tons/ha per year) from a 50,000 m2 hollow, the territory of which is occupied by weakly plowed and very weakly plowed soils. Layer-by-layer sampling of soil by depth in the thalweg of a stream formed in two plots (with strongly plowed and weakly plowed soils) made it possible to determine the degree of soil erosion in the thalweg of this stream in each of the plots. It was found that both in strongly plowed and weakly plowed plots the intensity of soil loss in the stream formed by rainfall is equally high. Heavily plowed soils lose soil in a stream in a volume 2.3 times greater than the amount of soil washed away in the dump-collapse furrows on the same site and 5.4 times greater than the amount of soil washed away in the dump-collapse furrows on a site with very weakly plowed soils (on the watershed space). It is proposed to take into account the erosive soil losses in streams in the calculation scheme by introducing an increasing coefficient to the data obtained from the soil loss intensity map published earlier. The locations for introducing the coefficient can be determined by overlaying (in a GIS environment) the map on a high-resolution satellite image with dump-collapse furrows. The coordinates of the thalwegs of streams should be determined using GPS or data obtained from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Keywords: SPACE IMAGE, CESIUM-137, HOLLOW COMPLEX, PLOWED SOILS, DUMP-RUIN FURROWS, STREAMS, RAINFALL, SOIL WASH-OFF

Impacts of land use and management methods on soil quality dynamics in central highlands of Ethiopia.

Land degradation often results in poor soil quality in many parts of Ethiopia, including the study area. To address this issue and promote sustainable land management practices, various land use and management methods (LUMMs) have been implemented. However, little information is available regarding how these management practices influence overall soil quality dynamics of the study area. This study aimed at evaluating soil quality dynamics in the Urago micro-watershed, central highlands of Ethiopia, under major LUMMs: barren land (BL), grassland (GL), established farm boundary (EFB), restored degraded land (RDL), and stone-supported soil bund (SSB). Forty-five disturbed and fifteenundisturbed soil samples were collected from the ploughed soil layer (0-20cm) of each LUMM and analysed for selected physicochemical properties to be used as indicators of soil quality. Principal component analysis and multiple correlation were used to select the minimum data set (MDS) to evaluate the overall soil quality index (SQI). The MDS included SOC, clay content, exchangeable Mg2+, and available P, which could replace other indicators for assessing the overall soil quality dynamics of the study watershed. The result showed notable variations in particle-size fractions, soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), available P (av. P), and exchangeable Na+, K+, and Mg2+ levels among the LUMMs. RDL had higher sand and silt contents than SSB, whereas SSB had higher clay content compared to RDL, GL, and BL. GL, RDL, and EFB showed significantly higher levels of SOC, TN, and av. P, respectively, compared to other LUMMs. The obtained SQI showed that GL had the highest score (0.847), followed by SSB (0.703), RDL (0.701), EFB (0.644), and BL (0.628). This underscores the significance of stone-supported soil bund and restored degraded land as an efficient management method to enhance soil quality and agro-ecosystem through conserving soil and encouraging sustainable farming practices.

Straw return under deep tillage increases grain yield in the rice-rotated wheat cropping system

ContextStraw return under rotary tillage has been used for two decades in the rice-rotated wheat cropping system in the lower Yangtze region of China, but it has become prone to reduce wheat emergence and yield in recent years, and alternative tillage methods are required to ensure the high wheat yields. AimsTo determine whether straw return under deep tillage can improve wheat yield and under what mechanisms. We hypothesize that straw return under deep tillage can increase wheat seedling number by reducing rice stubble and straw coverage, and expand the nutrient pool and root system of the plow soil profile to keep post-anthesis viability for increasing wheat yield. MethodsA field study was conducted during two consecutive years and included four treatments: rotary tillage after straw removal (RT); rotary tillage after straw return (RTS); shallow rotary tillage followed by straw mulch (STS) and deep tillage after straw return (DTS). Wheat seedling number, yield, aboveground nutrient uptake, growth period, root characteristics, and soil nutrients were measured. ResultsCompared to RT, seedling number under RTS and STS decreased by 8.3 % and 13.4 %, respectively, while DTS increased by 14.7 %. Wheat yield under RTS and STS decreased by 3.0 % and 7.3 %, respectively, while DTS increased by 8.2 %. The reduction in seedling number under RTS and STS would be partially offset in wheat yield by an increase in effective tiller number per plant and grain weight. Consequently, the variation in wheat yield among treatments was less than the variation in seedling number. Aboveground N and P accumulation in wheat under DTS were higher than the other treatments. Among four treatments, DTS had the highest root distribution and soil N and P contents in the middle and deep soil layers, thus prolonged grain filling duration. Wheat nutrient uptake at maturity and yield were significantly correlated with root weight density and root length density in both middle and deep soil layers. ConclusionsStraw return under deep tillage can increase nutrient supply capacity and root distribution in deep soil while ensuring wheat emergence, enabling better filling of post-anthesis wheat and yield. It is therefore an effective alternative tillage method suitable for the rice-rotated wheat cropping system.

Strategic tillage of no-till decreased surface and subsurface losses of dissolved phosphorus.

Enrichment of soluble P on the surface layer of long-term no-till (NT) soils, and consequent increase in dissolved P losses, is a concern for which occasional plowing has been suggested as a remedy. We measured the effect of such strategic tillage (ST) on surface and subsurface P losses from 0.5-ha field plots on clay soil for 4years. Two NT plots had discharged threefold dissolved molybdate-reactive P (DRP) losses compared to annually plowed soil conventional tillage (CT). ST by plowing to 20-cm depth was applied on one of the NT plots, whereas the other remained under NT. ST done in July was sown with canola (Brassica napus ssp. oleifera) to establish plant cover before winter. Summed 4-year DRP loss from ST treatment was 60% lower compared to NT (0.78vs. 1.96kg ha-1), accompanied with 11% higher particulate P (PP) loss (4.39vs. 3.97kg ha-1). CT plots produced slightly lower DRP losses (0.53-0.76kg ha-1) than ST, but higher PP losses (6.02-7.96kg ha-1). Bioavailable P (BAP) losses from ST were lower than from the other treatments if >7% of PP turns bioavailable. After ST, soil P stratification first vanished, but started to develop again when NT was resumed. Occasional tillage of NT soils mitigates DRP losses over several years, and it was at the study site the preferred mitigation option in reducing BAP losses.

Processes of humus loss in leached chernozem soils of the North Kazakhstan region

This article discusses the processes of dehumification and loss of humus in leached chernozem soils of agricultural lands of the North Kazakhstan region due to mineralization and as a result of erosion processes. Modern rates of soil dehumification lead to a decrease in the fertility of agricultural land and a decrease in yields, soil fertility is a valuable resource. The intensive process of decomposition of organic matter and its dehumidification occurs as a result of plowing virgin soil and as a result of its improper use in agricultural conditions. In the North Kazakhstan region, after the development of virgin lands, trends of intensive soil dehumidification are widespread. It was found that the object of study, leached chernozem, loses 0.69 t/ha by mineralization of humus and 0.011 t/ha as a result of erosion processes. Due to the long-term agricultural use of the land, improper construction of soil protection works, lack of organic substances that complement the humus composition of the soil, the balance of humus is disturbed, and organic substances connect soil structures with each other, increasing resistance to environmental factors. The destruction of soil structures of the plowed soil layer, the predominance of dust structures, thinning of the humus layer and the intensity of erosion processes were revealed.

The effects of elevated CO2 and temperature on soil organic carbon and total nitrogen contents and mineralization in the 0 to 50 cm paddy soil layer were masked by different land use history

Global warming can accelerate soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition resulting in faster carbon (C) loss and positive climate-C feedback. Previous studies on response of SOM decomposition to climate change mainly focus on plow soil layer. However, the effects of elevated CO2 and soil warming on soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) contents and mineralization are rarely studied in subsoil layer. In this study, soil samples were collected from the 0–50-cm paddy soil layer of the Tsukuba free-air CO2 enrichment experimental site with elevated CO2 (+200 ppm) and soil warming (+2 °C), Japan, after 5-year rice growth season. The amounts of SOC, TN, δ13C, and δ15N were analyzed. A 4-week anaerobic incubation experiment was conducted to measure C decomposition and N mineralization potentials. Due to the intrinsic variation in SOC and TN contents in soil layers and fields, the effects of elevated CO2 and soil warming on C decomposition and N mineralization potentials could not be determined here. However, the effect of elevated CO2 on δ13C was only found in 0‒10-cm soil layer. In the 0–50-cm soil profiles, significant correlations were observed among SOC and TN, δ13C and δ15N, decomposed C and mineralized N, and δ13C of decomposed C. The variables associated with soil C and N pools, and dynamics showed large spatial heterogeneity within paddy field, due to variation in the original land use history. Therefore, great caution should be exercised when evaluating the effects of elevated CO2 and temperature on SOM decomposition and sequestration in paddy soil profiles.

Changes in Microbial Community and Activity of Chernozem Soil under Different Management Systems in a Long-Term Field Experiment in Hungary

The effects of intensive and reduced tillage, fertilization, and irrigation on soil chemical and microbiological parameters were studied in a long-term field experiment in Hungary. The treatments were plowing tillage, ripper tillage, strip tillage; control (without fertilization), NPK fertilization (N: 160 kg/ha; P: 26 kg/ha; K: 74 kg/ha); and non-irrigation and irrigation. Soil samples were collected through maize monoculture in the fall of 2021 in the 30th year of the experiment. The soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, soil microbial biomass (based on PLFA analysis), and soil enzyme activity were observed to be significantly high in the strip tillage plots, but were lower in the ripper tillage plots, and even lower in the plowing tillage plots. The fungal, arbuscular mycorrhiza fungal, and bacterial biomasses were significantly higher in the strip tillage and ripper tillage plots compared to the plowing tillage plots. The strip tillage treatment was found to be the most favorable cultivation method for improving the microbial biomass and activity of Chernozem soil, followed by the ripper tillage and plowing tillage treatments. The long-term use of chemical fertilizers greatly reduced the soil microbial biomass and negatively impacted the soil microbial community, leading to a decrease in fungi and Gram-negative bacteria. The ratio of cyclopropyl PLFA precursors to cyclopropyl PLFAs, as a “stress factor”, indicated the most stressful bacterial environment was that found in the fertilized, non-irrigated plowed soil.

Biological and Chemical Vicissitudes in Soil Rhizosphere Arbitrated under Different Tillage, Residues Recycling and Oilseed Brassica-Based Cropping Systems

In this study, the impacts of long-term soil and crop management practices on crop productivity and soil health in oilseed brassica-based production systems were examined. Different tillage, crop residue recycling and cropping systems (fallow–mustard, cluster bean–mustard, green gram–mustard, maize–mustard, pearl millet–mustard and sesame–mustard) were studied for 5 years at two soil depths (0–15 and 15–30 cm) in a split-plot design with three replications. No-till permanent beds with crop residue (PB + R) noticeably improved soil organic carbon (SOC), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), enzymes (dehydrogenase (DHA) and alkaline phosphatase (AlP)), nitrogen fractions (available and total nitrate) and available phosphorus and potassium content in both soil layers compared to conventional tillage without crop residues. However, the plough soil layer (0–15 cm) showed higher concentrations of soil carbon, enzymes, N fractions and available P than in the subsoil (15–30 cm). The dynamic soil biological and chemical properties also varied with the crop stage, and higher MBC at 30 days, SOC and enzymatic activities at 60 days, and N fractions and available P and K during the harvesting of mustard crop were recorded. Green gram–mustard rotation showed higher values in terms of biological and chemical parameters. Thus, the legume-based mustard crop rotation following no-till permanent beds and residue recycling was found to be holistic in terms of improving soil health and nutrient cycling.

New approach to soil fertility management: Biogeosystem Technique methodology (critical review)

AbstractA standard management soil priming effect is short term. A current soil plowing, irrigation and waste utilization soil priming action shortcomings elimination is needed. The Biogeosystem Technique (BGT*) priming action system was developed for soil management to provide a higher‐level priming effect. The BGT* is focused on a soil biogeochemical cycle activation similar to the biodegradation in a colon of a live organism as an efficient benchmark bioreactor. Fluorescence in situ hybridization showed a cooperation of bacteria within polymicrobial biofilms and a probability of the polymicrobial biofilms biodegradation process acceleration and soil organic matter (SOM) regime improvement. The soil priming actions the BGT* technological management is capable of providing are based on the BGT* constituents, whose essence, applications and corresponding detailed data are presented in available studies. The main BGT* components are as follows. The illuvial horizon intra‐soil milling artificial soil aggregation (a form of crumbling and mixing) priming action provides the soil structuring, a SOM content increase and an annual yield increment direct priming effects. A long‐term secondary priming effect is a technology life cycle with higher profitability compared to the standard moldboard, chiseling and three‐tier plowing. The intra‐soil pulse sequential‐discrete watering priming action is performed through water injection into the soil in sequence. A next water spreading provides the soil aggregate stability, the seedling length and weight increment direct priming effect and a water‐saving secondary priming effect. The intra‐soil dispersed liquid, paste‐like and loose granular nutrition and structuring matter intra‐soil milling application priming action ensures soil structuring direct priming effects, heavy metals passivation and long‐term yield increment secondary priming effects. The BGT* methodology could be useful for soil management improvement.

Change in land cover and use on Territorial Planning, period 2010 – 2020, in Guarainag Parish

Changes in land cover and use are caused mainly by anthropogenic factors; these can cause severe physical, territorial, and environmental damage; it is then necessary to warn and demonstrate their effects opportunely to contribute to mitigating their damages. The study was developed in the Guarainag Parish, Paute canton in the province of Azuay-Ecuador; it analyzed the changes in 17 types of land cover and use through a geographic information system from 2010 to 2020. The main results suggested an increase in areas of managed pasture, burned areas, and shrubby vegetation (Chaparro); results also included the reduction of areas of degraded pasture, plowed soil, and eroded soils, as well as, the changes of specific areas from degraded pasture to managed pasture, from plowed soil to degraded pasture and from plowed soil to managed pasture.

Assessment of the humus state of hortically suitable soils Northwest Caucasus

The laying of intensive industrial gardens in Russia is carried out according to special projects, which are based on complex works that begin the selection and assessment of the soil suitability of land plots. The levels of total humus and its labile forms have been established for the main horticultural soils of the Krasnodar Territory on the basis of long-term studies. The use of these criteria makes it possible to assess the degree of cultivation or degradation processes of the soil cover of each specific garden plot. Studies have shown that, in all surveyed soils of the region, the profile distribution of humus is gradually decreasing. The most informative soil layer for assessing fertility can be considered the upper 30 cm layer. The greatest quantitative and qualitative changes of organic matter occur in this layer. Different gardening zones of the region differ in the content of total humus in the main types of soils, a decrease is observed from ordinary chernozems (northern zone) to alluvial meadow soils (river valleys of the foothill zone). The humus content in the natural cenoses of Kuban chernozems reached 5.5 %, and in heavily plowed soil up to 3.5 %, a similar situation was observed in floodplain soils, these values corresponded to 4.0 % and 2.0 %. All other types of soils occupied an intermediate position in terms of humus content.

Development of the Technological Scheme of the Combined Frontal Plough and the Justification of the Parameters of Disc Working Bodies

It has been established that there is a need for regular inclusion of soil plowing in the process of minimum tillage. The need for regular inclusion of soil plowing in the process of minimum tillage has been established. A technological scheme for a combined machine has been developed, and a combined front plough for smooth plowing capable of performing both basic and surface soil tillage in a single pass has been proposed. Several geometric, operational, and technological parameters of the proposed plow working body have been determined. The feasibility of using a combined front plough for smooth plowing has been confirmed.

Представяне на „Софтуер за потенциална относителна оценка и класификация по пригодност за земеползване на земеделските земи в България“

In 2023, I developed “Software for potential land use suitability classification of agricultural land in Bulgaria” (Radovanova, 2023). It works in MS Office terms, programmed entirely through Microsoft Excel. The software with the corresponding methodology is essentially an update of the legally adopted “Methodology for work on the cadastre of agricultural land in Bulgaria” (Petrov E. et al., 1988), and this was achieved by a newly developed “Methodology for potential assessment of agricultural land in Bulgaria” (Radovanova, 2020). Actual and potential assessment are fully comparable in terms of approach, scheme, parameters, etc. The difference between actual and potential assessment, as in the case of software, is that in the case of potential assessment of agricultural land, potential characteristics (subject to improvement by external intervention) are used. These characteristics are: depth of the humus horizon, soil reaction, humus content, groundwater level, stoniness of the plough soil and degree of salinity and/or alkalinity. For these characteristics, 86 newly developed Bonite scales and algorithms have been applied (Radovanova, 2020). The software uses the built-in functions of Microsoft Excel. The mechanism of the existing final land use suitability categorisation of the assessed land is fully maintained, but is now considered in a “potential” aspect and uses the new potential algorithms. The software allows the printing of an official document of the potential assessment of the agricultural land concerned.

Short-Term Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Cattle Slurry for Silage Maize: Effects of Placement and the Nitrification Inhibitor 3,4-Dimethylpyrazole Phosphate (DMPP)

Cattle slurry is an important nitrogen source for maize on dairy farms. Slurry injection is an effective measure to reduce ammonia emissions after field application, but with higher risk of nitrous oxide emission than surface application. This study compared soil mineral nitrogen dynamics and nitrous oxide emissions with two ways of application. First, traditional injection at 25 cm spacing between rows followed by ploughing (called “non-placed slurry”), and second, injection using a new so-called goosefoot slurry injector that placed the slurry in ploughed soil as a 30 cm broad band at 10 cm depth below maize crop rows with 75 cm spacing (named “placed slurry”). Furthermore, the effect of treating slurry with the nitrification inhibitor 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP) in Vizura® was tested with both application methods. The field experiment was conducted on a sandy loam soil in a temperate climate. Both nitrous oxide emissions, and the dynamics of soil mineral nitrogen, were monitored for eight weeks after slurry application and seeding of maize using static chambers. The level of nitrous oxide emissions was higher with non-placed compared to placed slurry (p < 0.01), mainly due to higher emissions during the first four weeks. This might be due to higher rates of nitrification and in turn stimulation of denitrification. In both placed and non-placed slurry treatments, Vizura® caused higher soil ammonium concentrations and lower nitrate concentrations (p < 0.001), particularly from 3 to 8 weeks after slurry application. The final level of soil nitrate was similar with and without the nitrification inhibitor, but higher with placed compared to non-placed slurry. Adding Vizura® to non-placed slurry reduced nitrous oxide emissions by 70% when compared to untreated slurry. Surprisingly, there was a non-significant trend towards higher cumulative emissions from placed slurry with the nitrification inhibitor compared to untreated slurry, which was due to higher emissions in the last part of the monitoring period (5–7 weeks after slurry application). Possibly, degradation of the nitrification inhibitor and nitrification activity inside the slurry band as the soil dried promoted nitrous oxide emissions by this time. In summary, placement of untreated slurry in a broad band under maize seeds reduced nitrous oxide emissions compared to non-placed slurry with more soil contact. A comparable reduction was achieved by adding a nitrification inhibitor to non-placed slurry. The pattern of nitrous oxide emissions from placed slurry treated with the inhibitor was complex and requires more investigation. The emission of nitrous oxide was highest when nitrate accumulated in soil around decomposing cattle slurry, and mitigation strategies should aim to prevent this. This study demonstrated a potential for mitigation of nitrous oxide emission by placement of cattle slurry, which may be an alternative to the use of a nitrification inhibitor.

Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Forest Vegetation and Their Impacts on Soil Properties in the Forest-Steppe Zone of Central Russian Upland: A Remote Sensing, GIS Analysis, and Field Studies Approach

This article showcases the outcomes of a comprehensive spatiotemporal dynamic analysis conducted in forest vegetation areas within the forest-steppe zone of the Central Russian Upland (eastern Europe), spanning the period from 1970 to 2020. This study utilized high-resolution data from the Corona satellite system from the year 1970 as well as satellite imagery from the ArcGIS World Imagery database. Soil properties and their changes were assessed based on the analysis of soil bulk density (930 samples), soil organic carbon features, pH, available phosphorus, and the composition of salt extracts (1362 samples). We collected and analyzed 3920 soil samples in the field to study the impact of shelterbelts on soil moisture over a period of two years. For six selected key sites with a total area of 1722 km2, it was found that over a 50-year period, the area covered by forest vegetation increased from 14% to 24%. This expansion was primarily due to the planting and growth of young shelterbelts in the 1970s–1980s as well as widening anti-erosion shelterbelts on slopes and gullies. The average linear growth rate of forest vegetation boundaries was found to be 23.5 m (4.7 m per decade) for the entire study area. The expansion was highest on west-facing slopes, which was attributed to the higher moisture content from windward atmospheric precipitation events. However, alongside the increase in forest cover, degradation was also observed, particularly in old-age shelterbelts, which was attributed to increased fragmentation and mortality. A gradual increase in the extent of shelterbelt degradation was observed from the northwest to the southeast within the forest-steppe region, corresponding to areas with a drier climate. Additionally, the impact of shelterbelts on soil properties and soil cover was analyzed using four key sites and using fields and laboratory research methods. We detected a lateral uptake of substances from plowed soils into the soils of shelterbelts and vertical uptake from deep layers. The two-year observations (2020 and 2021) of soil moisture during the growing season (May–September) in two climatically contrasting forest-steppe areas revealed a more intensive accumulation of soil moisture in fields west of shelterbelts compared to those to the east of them, particularly within the 10 m zone near the shelterbelts. This can be attributed to arable fields on the windward side receiving more moisture compared to the leeward side. The formation of striped microstructures in the soil cover that occurred under the shelterbelts and on adjacent arable lands was influenced by various factors such as microclimatic conditions, vegetation types, ecological conditions for soil fauna, and human-induced soil processing and transformation along the shelterbelt boundaries. Shelterbelts and their adjacent areas in agro-landscapes are considered to be self-developing natural–anthropogenic geosystems with their own organizational structure. Therefore, their study is recommended as an integral part of modern geographical zoning.

Cultivation of Crops in Strip-Till Technology and Microgranulated Fertilisers Containing a Gelling Agent as a Farming Response to Climate Change

Climatic and soil conditions are changing in response to the increasing human impact. This requires the introduction of low-cost, low-emission, but effective technologies in the field cultivation of crops, in turn requiring and justifying research in this area. In laboratory tests and field studies, the production and environmental effects of strip-till and the application of microgranular fertilisers with a gelling component were determined (and, in particular, their use in combination as a plant cultivation technology). These effects were measured in terms of soil properties, the biomass production, and the yields of maize (Zea mays L.), spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), and winter rape (Brassica napus L.). Fertiliser microgranules with a gelling agent absorbed water in the amount of 118.6–124.7% of fertiliser mass and increased the volumetric moisture content of the soil in the layer in which they were applied (0–7.5 cm) by 3.0–3.9 percentage points compared to the soil moisture without fertiliser. Strip tillage with the application of fertilisers with a gelling agent significantly increased the amount of water in the soil during the sowing period for winter and spring plants and reduced the CO2 emissions from the soil relative to the conventional tillage without microgranular fertiliser. The biomass of maize, spring barley, and winter rape before flowering, as well as the yields of these plants, were higher when cultivated using strip-till and fertilisers with gelling agents than when ploughed with a mouldboard plough without the use of microgranulated fertilisers. This technology also increased the number of microorganisms, including bacteria, actinobacteria, and filamentous fungi in the soil after harvesting compared to the unfertilised, ploughed soil. Strip tillage and microgranulated fertilisers containing a gelling agent can thus reduce the environmental pressure exerted by agriculture and reduce the risk of climate change, as well as being a way of adapting agriculture to climate change.

Short-term effect of different returning methods of maize straw on the temperature of black soil plough layer

Clarifying the effect of different maize straw returning methods on soil temperature is crucial for optimizing the management of farmland straw and the efficient utilization of heat resources in the black soil region of Northeast China. To investigate the impacts of straw returning methods on soil temperature, we conducted a field experiment with four treatments during 2018 and 2020, including plough tillage with straw returning (PTSR), rotary tillage with straw returning (RTSR), no-tillage with straw returning (NTSR), and a control treatment of conventional ridge tillage without straw returning (CT). We measured soil temperature and water content at the 5 cm, 15 cm and 30 cm soil layer, and the straw coverage rate during the 3-year maize growth period. We further analyzed the differences of soil temperature in different soil layer under different treatments, accumulated soil temperature and growing degree-days (GDD) above 10 ℃, daily dynamics of soil temperature, the production efficiency of air accumulated temperature among different treatments, and explored factors causing the difference of soil temperature and the production efficiency of air accumulated temperature. Our results showed that different treatments mainly affected soil temperature from the sowing to emergence stage (S-VE) of maize. The daily average soil temperature showed a trend of CT>PTSR>RTSR>NTSR. The differences of soil temperature under different treatments showed a decreasing trend as growth process advanced and soil depth increased. Compared with the CT treatment, soil temperature at 5 cm depth was decreased by 0.86, 1.84 and 3.50 ℃ for PTSR, RTSR, and NTSR treatments, respectively. NTSR significantly reduced the accumulated temperature of ≥10 ℃ in different soil layers and GDD. The accumulated temperature ≥ 10 ℃ at the 5, 15, and 30 cm soil layers decreased by 216.2, 222.7, and 165.1 ℃·d, and the GDD decreased by 201.9, 138.7 and 123.9 ℃·d, respectively. In addition, production efficiency of air accumulated temperature decreased by 9.7% to 15.6% for NTSR. Conclusively, PTSR and RTSR had significant impacts on topsoil temperature during the maize growing period from sowing to emergence, but did not affect the accumulated soil temperature and the production efficiency of air accumulated temperature. However, NTSR significantly reduced topsoil temperature and production efficiency of air accumulated temperature.