Legume-rice rotation improves soil quality index, ecosystem multifunctionality and soybean yield in saline-alkali soils of the Yingbei Plain.

Agronomic management practices shape soil health and crop productivity in northeastern China: Insights from a meta-analysis

Manure fertilizer-derived soil emerging pollutants compromises its fertility benefits for vegetable quality: At the scale of soil aggregates.

Combined application of organic amendments improved soil quality and maize yield in coastal saline soil

Long-term nutrient management shapes soil microbial and metabolic signatures in a century-old semi-arid agroecosystem.

The sustainable mitigation of antibiotic and herbicide residues requires materials that integrate effective contaminant sequestration with soil quality improvement. Here, we present a novel, scalable strategy for synthesizing artificial humic substances (AHS) from poplar bark via alkaline hydrothermal humification, which accelerates natural humification pathways and generates a supramolecular structure rich in carboxyl, pHenolic, and quinone functional groups. The engineered AHS was assessed for selective removal of tetracycline (TC), sulfamethoxazole (SMX), and atrazine (ATZ). Under optimized neutral conditions (pH 7.0, ambient temperature), AHS achieved adsorption capacities of 65.8, 10.7, and 10.8 mg/g for TC, SMX, and ATZ, respectively, driven primarily by hydrogen bonding, π–π stacking, and electrostatic forces. Kinetic analysis followed a pseudo-second-order model, and equilibrium data were consistent with the Langmuir isotherm (R 2 ≥ 0.985), indicating monolayer adsorption on a mesoporous surface. Competitive adsorption experiments demonstrated strong selectivity toward TC (K TC/SMX = 5.21; K TC/ATZ = 2.56). Soil amendment with AHS significantly enhanced pollutant immobilization, achieving >95% removal of TC and SMX after four weeks of aging. Dynamic leaching experiments demonstrated that a layered AHS-soil configuration functions as a superior reactive barrier compared to homogeneous mixing. Collectively, these results demonstrate that poplar bark-derived AHS offers a robust, bifunctional platform for integrated water purification and soil remediation, providing a practical and environmentally sustainable approach to mitigate organic pollutants. • Artificial humic substance synthesized from poplar bark via hydrothermal treatment. • AHS effectively adsorbed antibiotics and herbicides from aqueous and soil systems. • Adsorption followed the pseudo-second-order kinetics and Langmuir isotherm model. • AHS-amended soils demonstrated contaminant removal after four weeks of incubation. • Layered AHS configuration exhibited superior leaching control and pollutant retention.

Over the past six decades, one-third of the world's territory has been affected by land-use changes, mainly driven by agricultural practices. For example, in Spain, large areas once covered by forests have been replaced by land for conventional cereal cultivation, leading to a loss of soil organic matter and consequently a decrease in soil microbial activity, which affects P cycling. Recently, management in some of these agricultural systems has shifted toward practices that prioritize soil quality and health, incorporating principles of organic and regenerative agriculture. This study examines a land use change from forest to conventional cereal cultivation and ultimately to organic vineyard management in the Spanish Central Plateau. Soil samples corresponding to four distinct land-use histories (forest, old vineyards, new vineyards, cereal) were analyzed, and the following properties were determined: activities of enzymes related to the P cycle, total P content, Olsen P, microbial biomass DNA, pH, electrical conductivity, and soil organic carbon (SOC). Soils were sampled both in the topsoil (0–20 cm) and in the subsoil (20–40 cm). All analyzed enzymes (acid phosphomonoesterase, alkaline phosphomonoesterase, phosphodiesterase and pyrophosphate-phosphodiesterase) showed the highest activities in the surface layer of forest soils, with the lowest levels observed in vineyard soils at both depths. Microbial biomass DNA was strongly correlated with enzyme activity and SOC ( p < 0.001). Conversely, total P concentrations were highest in the surface soils of agricultural lands, with average values of 154 mg kg⁻¹ in cereal fields, 130 mg kg⁻¹ in old vineyards, and 122 mg kg⁻¹ in new vineyards, while forest soils showed the lowest levels, reaching 98 mg kg⁻¹ . We can conclude that converting forest land to agricultural land increases total and available P at both soil depths. However, the decline in P-related enzymatic activities was restricted to the topsoil, as enzymatic activity in the forest subsoil was already low. • Land-use change alters phosphorus availability and related enzyme activities. • Transitioning from forest to agricultural land decreases P-related enzyme activities. • Agricultural soils show higher total and available P contents than forest soils. • Phosphatase enzyme activities positively correlate with soil organic carbon. • Olsen P negatively correlates with P-related enzyme activities.

Geospatial analysis of soil quality index in relation to land use/land cover and spectral indices in Wukari, Nigeria

Agricultural land transition in rapidly urbanizing coastal regions poses significant challenges for sustainable land use planning and long-term food security. This study examines the driving forces behind agricultural land conversion in Cilegon City, Banten Province, Indonesia as one of Southeast Asia's most industrialized coastal cities by integrating Remote Sensing (RS), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) with structured local knowledge elicitation. Land cover classification was performed using Random Forest machine learning applied to multi-temporal Landsat imagery (2011 and 2023), revealing substantial encroachment of non-agricultural land uses. Through pairwise comparison interviews with six domain experts, AHP weighting assigned the highest influence to rainfall (18%), soil quality (15%), and road accessibility (14%) as transition drivers. The resulting transitional suitability map, validated against observed land cover change, achieved an overall accuracy of 88.70% and a Kappa coefficient of 0.86, demonstrating the model's strong predictive capacity. The findings underscore that environmental, infrastructural, and socio-economic factors collectively govern land conversion dynamics. This study contributes a replicable, participatory spatial framework that bridges objective geospatial data with community-embedded knowledge, supporting more inclusive, evidence-based urban planning and agricultural land management in fast-growing coastal cities. Keywords: analytical hierarchy process, coastal city, land use change, local knowledge, remote sensing.

The mining industry's rapid growth has intensified environmental pollution, particularly from lead-zinc tailings (LZT), which threaten soil and water quality due to heavy metal contamination. Heavy metals like lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), and cadmium (Cd) pose significant risks to ecosystems and public health. This study investigates the use of carbonic anhydrase (CA)-producing bacteria, which can convert carbon dioxide (CO2) into bicarbonate (HCO3-) without generating harmful byproducts. The potential of these bacteria for remediating LZT through microbial-induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) was explored. Three bacterial strains with high CA activity were isolated, with one strain, identified as Bacillus sp., exhibiting the highest enzyme production at 12.29 U/L. Optimal conditions for bio-calcification were determined to be a calcium ion concentration of 50 mM and a pH of 8.5, leading to significant reductions in Pb (65%) and Zn (58%) bioavailability after treatment. The bio-mineralization process was effective even under environmental stress, including freeze-thaw and dry-wet cycles, demonstrating substantial decreases in heavy metal mobility and the formation of stable carbonate minerals, confirmed through XRD and SEM-EDS. Post-treatment analysis revealed over 80% of heavy metals were immobilized as carbonate minerals, effectively mitigating the risks associated with LZT. This study highlights the innovative use of CA-producing bacteria for bioremediation in challenging environments, suggesting future research should focus on scaling this approach for broader applications in contaminated sites.

Land degradation is a threat to global ecosystems and livelihoods of billions of people. Nearly 85% of Ethiopia's land is degraded, costing more than USD 4.3billion per year. Area closures for excluding human and livestock disturbances have been widely adopted as a restoration strategy for degraded lands to enable natural regeneration. However, integrated ecological and socio-economic assessments are scarce in the Siltie Zone of Central Ethiopia and evidence-based interventions are limited. A comparative study design was used in the study area of Hulberag District, to assess 14-years-long area closures and adjacent open grazing lands. Data collection comprised vegetation surveys, physicochemical analyses of soils at different soil depths and household questionnaires. Statistical analysis was performed by ANOVA and post-hoc Tukey's HSD tests to compare land-use types and topographic positions. Area closures significantly improved ecosystem metrics. Woody species richness increased by 200%, stem density increased by 154%, and Shannon diversity was significantly higher than in open grazing lands. Soil organic carbon increased by 50%, available phosphorus by 33%, and cation exchange capacity by 25%. Bulk density decreased by 19%, indicating reduced soil compaction and improved soil quality. The greatest improvements occurred on lower slopes. Surveys revealed strong community support, with 79.8% of respondents identifying livestock fodder as the primary benefit and 53.1% associating area closures with increased crop yields through improved erosion control. Area closure represents an effective, low-cost intervention for restoring degraded semi-arid ecosystems in Ethiopia, promoting native woody vegetation recovery and enhancing soil fertility while providing tangible livelihood benefits. For long-term success, adaptive co-management frameworks that integrate clear resource-use guidelines, equitable benefit-sharing, and alignment with broader watershed conservation strategies are recommended.

ABSTRACT The variation in soil quality due to land use change from forest to rainfed agriculture, rainfed agriculture under forest, and irrigated cultivation in the forested region of Lordegan, Iran, was investigated. A total of 240 soil samples from depths of 0–10 cm and slopes of 0–5% gradient across different land uses including 80 samples for chemical and physical analyses, another 80 samples for biological analyses, and 80 soil cores for bulk density measurements were gathered. Eighteen soil quality indices were assessed. The results indicated that the average diameter weight of soil particles was highest in the forest land use (0.40 mm) and lowest in the irrigated cultivation land use (0.29 mm). The highest amount of particulate organic carbon was found in coarse particles under forest land use at 1.01%, whereas the lowest amount was observed in irrigated cultivation at 0.21%. The highest microbial biomass carbon was recorded in the forest land use at 19.26 g/kg of soil, whereas the lowest was in irrigated cultivation at 7.94 g/kg of soil. This study demonstrated that any alteration in forest land use significantly reduces soil quality.

ABSTRACT Excessive concentrations of trace metals in soils in quantities above the allowed limits are dangerous to biota, ecosystems, and human health, especially when they enter the food chain through contaminated crops. Peri-urban subsistence food gardens in Lae city, Papua New Guinea, play an important role in household food security by providing a significant amount of dietary energy. However, rapid urbanization, industrial expansion, and other anthropogenic activities contaminate food garden soils with trace metals. This study investigated the concentrations, contamination status, and ecological risks of Cd, Cr, Ni, and Pb in peri-urban food garden soils in Lae City. Soil samples were taken at three depths (0–10, 10–20, and 20–30 cm), and metal concentrations were measured using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy, and contamination and environmental risk indicators were evaluated. Cadmium, Ni, and Pb concentrations surpassed WHO/FAO standards in 93.3%, 100%, and 10% of samples, respectively. The contamination factor, geo-accumulation index, and ecological risk indices consistently identified Cd as a significant ecological threat. While Cd and Pb were predominantly linked to anthropogenic activities, Ni and Cr appeared to originate mainly from geogenic sources. These results highlight the need for targeted monitoring and management strategies to safeguard soil quality and public health.

Abstract. Azerbaijan’s soil resources constitute a vital part of the country’s natural capital, playing a key role in maintaining ecological balance, supporting agricultural productivity, and ensuring sustainable development. However, growing anthropogenic pressures, ongoing land degradation, and climate-related impacts have increasingly threatened soil quality and functionality. This study explores soil protection as a strategic focus within the activities of the Soil Museum operating under the Institute of Geography. Although soil conservation has been among the museum’s primary objectives since its establishment, its integration into the institutional framework of the Institute has significantly expanded its scope. Today, the museum functions not merely as a storage space for soil monoliths and scientific collections, but also as a scientific, educational, and informational center where soil is presented as an integral element of the geographical environment. The research particularly emphasizes that soil, as a fundamental component of geographical systems, is closely interconnected with climate, relief, water resources, vegetation, and human activities. This integrated geographical approach enhances the scientific value of the museum by enabling the study of soil diversity within the broader context of natural-territorial interactions that shape landscapes and ecological processes across Azerbaijan. Soil monoliths serve as effective tools for demonstrating soil diversity, environmental conditions, and degradation patterns. The results indicate that soil protection is not only a scientific concern but also a key element of environmental education, public awareness, and sustainable land use. From a geographical perspective, degradation levels vary across regions depending on relief, climate, irrigation practices, and human influence.

Tomatoes are a type of fruit vegetable that has excellent prospects in agribusiness development due to its high economic value and high nutritional value. The successful growth and yield of tomato plants are greatly influenced by the condition of the planting medium and the availability of nutrients in the soil. The planting medium serves as a place for root attachment and as a provider of nutrients for plants. Therefore, selecting the right dose of organic fertilizer is very important to improve soil quality and support the growth of tomato plants. The purpose of this study was to obtain the best dose of cow manure and various planting media for the growth and yield of tomato plants. This study used a completely randomized design (CRD) with 2 factors. The first factor is the planting medium (M) which is PMK soil (M1) and sandy black soil (M2). The second factor is the dose of cow manure (D) which consists of 500 g/plant (D1), 1000 g/plant (D2), 1500 g/plant (D3) and 2000 g/plant (D4). The observation data were analyzed statistically by analysis of variance (F test). If the calculated F &gt; F table 5%, then the difference between treatments was tested with Duncan's New Multiple Range Test (DNMRT) at a significance level of 5%. The results showed that the application of cow manure with a dose of 2000 g/plant had a significant effect on observations of plant height, number of fruits and fruit weight. The sandy black soil medium had a significant effect on observations of root length, root volume, number of fruits and fruit weight.

Overview of Systematic Monitoring Networks for Surface Water Quality in the Amazon River Basin.

Intensive use of synthetic fertilizers has raised significant concerns due to their adverse impacts on the environment, soil quality, and human health. This has increased interest in sustainable agricultural inputs that can improve crop performance while reducing dependence on fertilizers. Algae-based biostimulants are promising in this context because they contain nutrients and bioactive compounds that may improve plant growth, physiological activity, and yield. This study evaluated the effects of Limnospira platensis and Cladophora glomerata on growth and yield components of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) cv. Remzibey-05. Different concentrations of L. platensis (control, 0.25%, 0.50%, 0.75%, 1.00%, and 1.25%) and C. glomerata (control, 1%, and 2%) were applied either individually or in combination. Treatments were applied at three growth stages, including rosette, stem elongation and branching, and flowering. Agronomic, physiological, and yield-related traits, including plant height, root length, flower head diameter, fresh plant weight, root weight, flower head weight, number of flower heads, number of seeds per flower head, seed yield per plant, 1000-seed weight, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and carotenoid contents, were recorded at harvest. All treatments significantly improved the recorded traits compared with the untreated control (p < 0.05). The greatest increase in plant height (45.3%) was recorded with the sole application of 1% L. platensis. The combined application of 1.25% L. platensis and 1% C. glomerata caused the highest increases in fresh plant weight and root weight (64.5% and 91.8%, respectively). The highest increase (72%) in Chlorophyll a content was recorded with the combined application of 1% L. platensis and 2% C. glomerata. Similarly, the combined application of 1.25% L. platensis and 1% C. glomerata increased seed yield per plant and 1000-seed weight by 210% and 116%, respectively, compared with the control. Combined application of L. platensis and C. glomerata significantly improved safflower growth, photosynthetic pigment accumulation, and yield-related traits under greenhouse conditions. The combined application of 1.25% L. platensis and 1% C. glomerata resulted in the highest seed yield per plant and 1000-seed weight. These results indicate that the combined use of algae-based biostimulants may represent a promising low-input approach for enhancing safflower productivity while reducing reliance on synthetic fertilizers. Field-based validation across contrasting environments is required to confirm their agronomic consistency and support their wider use in sustainable safflower production.

Onion (Allium cepa L.) production in hyper-arid environments is constrained by poor soil fertility, limited water availability, and post-harvest losses that reduce market viability. The interactive effects of foliar application of copper oxide (CuO) and calcium oxide (CaO) nanoparticles (NPs), combined with sugarcane filter mud cake (FMC), on onion growth and storage quality in calcareous hyper-arid soils remain to be characterized. A two-season field study (2023/24-2024/25) evaluated the effects of FMC (30 t ha⁻¹) combined with foliar CuO NPs (10, 20, and 30mg L⁻¹) and CaO NPs (50, 100, and 150mg L⁻¹), applied singly and in combination, on onion cv. Sabeeni in Upper Egypt. Vegetative growth, yield traits, nutrient uptake, and storage performance were quantified. Organic fertilization and nanoparticle treatments interacted significantly: yields of 42-45 t ha⁻¹ (15-21% above control) were achieved with low-to-moderate CuO NPs (10-20mg L⁻¹) and high CaO NPs (150mg L⁻¹); high CaO NPs alone maintained yields close to control values (< 3% increase); and excessive CuO NPs (30mg L⁻¹) with insufficient Ca was associated with phytotoxicity and yield reductions (21.29-28.90 t ha⁻¹). Tissue Cu concentrations ranged from 6.17 to 39.33mg kg⁻¹ and Ca from 2,556 to 4,750mg kg⁻¹. These results suggest that combining organic amendment with appropriately balanced nanoparticle nutrition may represent a scalable approach to improving onion yield by 15-21% and extending post-harvest shelf life under hyper-arid conditions.

Metallic trace element concentrations, vertical patterns and environmental implications in soils under the "cabruca" agroforestry system of Brazil's largest cocoa-producing region.

ABSTRACT Integrated assessment of soil quality is essential to understand the effects of agricultural management on the sustainability of agroecosystems. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Pfeiffer’s circular chromatography (PCC) as a semi-quantitative tool for assessing soil health in agroecological systems. By comparing soil from fields of organic cassava (Manihot esculenta) cultivation with soil from adjacent native forest areas, this study aimed to validate the sensitivity of chromatographic patterns in reflecting soil quality, established through correlations with conventional chemical, physical, and biological indicators. Chemical and biological analyses were conducted in addition to the Provid and bait-lamina methods to assess soil fauna. PCC scores were correlated with soil chemical attributes, showing a significant negative relationship with clay content (r = −0.89) and positive correlations with phosphorus (r = 0.80) and organic matter (r = 0.76). Organic matter, in particular, was associated with cation exchange capacity and base saturation, confirming its central role in soil fertility and biological activity. Conversely, soil fauna diversity and abundance indices did not significantly differentiate the environments, although Collembola and Diptera stood out as dominant groups. It was concluded that Pfeiffer’s circular chromatography is a sensitive and complementary method for agroecological soil quality assessment, as it integrates physical, chemical, and biological attributes, and highlighted the impacts of agricultural management even under ecologically based cultivation.