Soil Structure Research Articles

Natural Recovery Dynamics of Alfalfa Field Soils under Different Degrees of Mechanical Compaction

Soil compaction in alfalfa fields has become increasingly severe due to the mechanization of animal husbandry and the increased use of heavy agricultural machinery. Perennial alfalfa land undergoes mechanical compaction several times during the planting period without mechanical tillage. The compacted soil structure may recover through moisture changes, freezing and thawing cycles, and plant growth, but the extent and rate of this recovery remain unknown. In this study, alfalfa plots with two different soil types (medium loam and sandy) in Gansu, China, were selected to address these issues. The areas of the plots were 120 m × 25 m and 80 m × 40 m, respectively. In the third year after sowing, three types of agricultural machinery with grounding pressures of 88 kPa, 69 kPa, and 48 kPa were used to compact the soil one, three, five, and seven times. The interval between replicates was 1 h. Each treatment had one plot of 10 m × 5 m, and the experiment was repeated 4 times, totaling 44 plots. Changes in soil bulk density, soil cone index, and saturated hydraulic conductivity were measured after 1, 4, 8, and 17 weeks, respectively. The results showed that the post-compaction soil bulk density and soil cone index largely influenced the recovery of the compacted soil. Recovery became problematic once the soil bulk density exceeded 1.5 g/cm3. The soil bulk density recovery rate varied across different soil layers, with the top layer recovering faster than more profound layers. The initial state could be restored when the change in post-compaction soil bulk density was minimal. Sandy soil recovered faster than medium-loam soil. The recovery of the soil cone index in each layer of medium-loam soil under lower compaction was more noticeable than that under severe compaction. However, with undergrounding pressures of 88 kPa and 69 kPa, the soil cone index could not fully recover after multiple compactions. The recovery of soil-saturated hydraulic conductivity in both soil types was slower and less pronounced. The recovery of soil-saturated hydraulic conductivity in medium-loam soil was slower than that in sandy loam. After 7 compactions and 17 weeks under a grounding pressure of 88 kPa, the saturated hydraulic conductivity remained below 20% of its initial value of 20 mm/h. In contrast, sandy soils recovered faster, reaching 60 mm/h within a week of each compaction event. This research is crucial for ensuring high and stable alfalfa yields and supporting sustainable agricultural practices.

Effect of Different Tillage and Organic Inputs on Soil Properties and Yield of Cotton on Vertisols

The present investigation was carried out at Research Farm, Department of Soil Science, Dr. PDKV, Akola during Kharif 2023-24 to study the effect of different tillage practices and organic inputs on soil properties and yield of cotton on Vertisols. Intensive tillage accelerates the loss of soil organic carbon (SOC) and reduces soil quality and yields, particularly in rainfed areas. This is further worsened by imbalanced fertilization and insufficient recycling of organic residues. Conservation tillage, when combined with organic inputs like FYM, vermicompost and phospho-compost, can help to restore soil structure, increase SOC and promote sustainable agricultural practices. The study aimed to assess the effect of different tillage practices and organic inputs on soil properties and on yield of cotton. The factorial randomized block design with two factors and four tillage treatments as factor A and four sources of manure as factor B were adopted. The treatments were composed of factor A consisting of four tillage operations [conventional tillage (T1), reduced tillage (T2), minimum tillage (T3) and zero tillage (T4)] and factor B consisting of organic manures such as farmyard manure (10 t ha-1) (M1), vermicompost (5 t ha-1) (M2), phospho-compost (5 t ha-1) (M3) and no manure (M4) replicated thrice. The results clearly indicated that conventional tillage resulted in the significantly highest seed cotton yield (14.10 ha-1), stalk yield (27.78 ha-1), total uptake of N (46.46 ha-1), P (7.86 ha-1) and K (33.05 ha-1) relative to other tillage practices examined. Among the organic manure treatments the highest seed cotton yield (11.21 ha-1), stalk yield (21.95 ha-1), total N (37.27 ha-1), P (6.57 ha-1) and K (31.25 ha-1) uptake by cotton was observed with phospho-compost application. Based on the observed results, it was notable that the available soil N, P and K were significantly influenced by the distinct tillage practices and organic manures. Among the tillage practices, the highest content of available soil N (182.14 kg ha-1), P (17.14 kg ha-1) and K (312.95 kg ha-1) were exhibited by the reduced tillage. The use of vermicompost resulted in the highest available soil N (185.93 kg ha-1) and K (316.68 kg ha-1), while the highest available soil P (18.22 kg ha-1) was observed with phospho-compost. The results revealed that conventional tillage combined with phospho-compost improves cotton yield and nutrient uptake, while reduced tillage along with the application of vermicompost and phospho-compost improves soil fertility. Therefore, combined use of tillage and organic inputs could be beneficial for enhancing soil properties and higher productivity of cotton in Vertisols as well as the whole of Maharashtra.

Embankment base strengthening and construction of working platforms on soft soil

Geosynthetics have been used for decades in infrastructure construction, especially in traffic construction and geotechnics. Despite this, there is still a relatively low uptake of methods for designing solutions using these materials. While the applications of geogrids (or more broadly: geosynthetics) in reinforced soil structures (retaining walls, steep slopes) and the associated design methods are well described in the literature and standards, there is much more modest knowledge available on applications related to the reinforcement of the subsoil directly under road and railway pavement structures, the construction of working platforms on soils with very low bearing capacity, or increasing the fatigue life of the pavement itself. This situation is due, among other things, to the fact that different geosynthetics, including different geogrids, affect the bearing capacity of the subsoil and the durability of the structure in different and often very different ways. Hence – unlike, for example, in the case of retaining walls – it is difficult to develop a one-size-fits-all design method covering this range of applications. It is necessary to rely on the experience of manufacturers of particular varieties of geogrids or geo-grids and to use design methods developed by them based on this experience. This article presents the technology of geocellular mattresses used primarily in the base of embankments on weak and deformable grounds, as well as for the construction of temporary working platforms. The performance of structures in complex and complicated geotechnical conditions is analysed on the example of completed projects. The results of back analysis of structures subjected to real-scale tests are presented, which can be used for preliminary analysis of solutions in numerical modelling programmes

Revolutionizing food security: The transformative role of fungi in the 21st century

With increasing global population density and climate change, the sustainability of food production poses new challenges. These are factors such as food inflation, climate change, natural disasters, and diseases affecting crops among others. Consequently, fungi have evolved as a pillar of ecological agriculture in the twenty-first century. Some of the diverse applications of fungi include biological control, synthesis of antifungal compounds, symbiotic relationship with plants, and enhancement of soil structure. They also function as decomposers in ensuring nutrient availability in the soil, and as biostimulants to enhance plants’ growth, plant disease management and enhanced resistance to abiotic stressors such as water scarcity, and salinity and mitigate the impact of climate change. Furthermore, fungi play other important roles in food security, such as in the processing of various foods including cheese, bread, fermented products and other sources of protein, vitamins, and dietary fiber, while foods of fungi origin prevent lifestyle diseases. New approaches in fungal biotechnology present the hope of eliminating hunger and malnutrition through food production, preservation, and packaging among others. Although, challenges persist in the management of pathogenic fungi in agriculture, however, it is important to leverage the beneficial role of fungi and encourage further exploration of its transformative potential towards a secured global food security.

The Spatial Variation of Soil Structure Fractal Derived from Particle Size Distributions at the Basin Scale

The accurate characterization of soil structure is fundamental to groundwater science, environmental ecology, and Earth systems science. To address the challenge of quantifying the high spatial variability of large-scale soil structures, this study used a laser particle size analyzer to measure the distribution of soil particle size in 207 samples from ten profiles across the Daqing and Ziya River basins in the North China Plain. The quantified soil structure, expressed as soil fractal dimension D, was derived using monofractal theory. Various spatial analysis techniques, including Moran’s I index, correlation analysis heat maps, the Kolmogorov–Smirnov one-sample test, and geostatistical semivariogram function, were jointly applied to investigate the spatial variability of soil structural fractals across different depths in the piedmont plain–coastal areas of the two river basins. The results indicate the following: (1) Quantitative analysis confirms that under the influence of piedmont alluvial and fluvial dynamics, soil D values homogenize from the piedmont to the coastal areas, with decreasing particle size differences closer to the coast. However, the spatial variability of the soil structural fractals in the Ziya River Basin was greater than that in the Daqing River Basin. (2) The combined effects of climate change, regional differences, and human activity led to greater spatial variability in the soil structural fractals in the Ziya River Basin than in the Daqing River Basin. The correlation between D values and burial depth was strongest in the Xianxian profile (−0.78), whereas the spatial correlation was strongest in the Hengshui and Dacheng profiles (−0.47). (3) The greatest spatial variability in soil D values occurred at depths of 1–2 m, with a coefficient of variation of 23.595%, which was significantly higher than those at depths of 0–1 (14.569%) and 2–3 m (16.284%).

The effects of earthworm species on organic matter transformations and soil microbial communities are only partially related to their bioturbation activity

Earthworms are pivotal in shaping soil ecological processes through their bioturbation activity and organic matter consumption. Earthworm species are known to have different impacts on soil structure, but only a small number of species have been studied so far, and few studies have examined how earthworms simultaneously affect soil functions. Here, we measured the impact of different earthworm species on soil structure (bioturbation function), carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) dynamics and the microbial community (organic matter transformation function), while exploring the links between these functions, across distinct soil compartments (surface casts, below-ground drilosphere, and bulk soil). Six earthworm species (Lumbricus terrestris, Allolobophora chlorotica, Octolasion cyaneum, Octodrilus complanatus, Aporrectodea caliginosa meridionalis and Microscolex dubius) of different ecological categories and functional groups were incubated in soil cores with soil and alfalfa litter for 6 weeks. Our results on the bioturbation function illustrated a great diversity of behaviors and confirmed the relevance of a functional classification based on bioturbation metrics. The main microbial hotspots were surface casts, whose characteristics allowed to distinguish two groups of species. Octod. complanatus, L. terrestris and M. dubius induced high humidity (respectively, +57, +48, +74%), high C (respectively, 19.9, 24.8, 33.2 g kg⁻1 dry soil) and N (respectively, 2, 2.3, 3.2 g kg⁻1 dry soil) content and microbial community selection, promoting C and N mineralization. The three other species had a lower impact. The below-ground drilosphere only showed specific characteristics in the case of L. terrestris. The effects of the studied species on the organic matter transformation function did not align with their bioturbation activities nor with their ecological category. These findings show that the contribution of earthworms to C and N turnover is only partially dependent on their bioturbation effects and suggest the usefulness of developing distinct functional groups based on the specific soil functions under consideration.

Regulatory mechanism of soil and water conservation measures on understorey erosion in a subtropical hilly region

Vegetation restoration affects soil erosion by altering near soil-surface characteristics and hydrodynamic mechanisms. However, the regulatory mechanisms of vegetation restoration in reducing soil erosion under forests are not fully clear. Five soil and water conservation measures (SWCM) with different vegetation structures and characteristics were used in the pure forest of Pinus massoniana which included the grass and shrub, grass, grass and shrub + level furrow, grass, shrub and trees and grass + fish-scale pits, to analyze the impact of vegetation restoration on near soil-surface characteristics and soil erosion. The data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to find the key indicators affecting soil erosion under forest. The findings revealed that, as opposed to the control plots (CK), there were significant alterations in the near soil-surface attribute following the application of SWCM. These changes were characterized by an increase in soil porosity, soil water content, soil nutrient content, root biomass, litter, and vegetation cover, and a decrease in soil compaction, disintegration coefficient, and bulk density, with the most significant improvement occurring in 0–10 cm soil layer. The SWCM significantly reduced soil erosion, with runoff and soil loss reduction ranging from 60.46 % to 74.09 % and 67.62 % to 79.99 %, respectively. Structural equation models revealed the influence of SWCM on soil erosion. Specifically, soil water content and litter had a favourable influence on reducing soil erosion, root biomass had a direct positive impact on soil erosion, and vegetation cover directly leads to a reduction in soil erosion. Soil physical properties primarily influenced soil erosion through their effect on vegetation cover. Combining bioengineering and vegetation measures is superior at enhancing soil structure, improving nutrient content, and decreasing soil erosion compared to single vegetation measures. It is recommended to combine bioengineering with vegetation strategies to effectively curb understory forest erosion and enhance soil quality in pine forests.

Desertification indirectly affects soil fauna by reducing complexity of soil habitats and diversity of energy sources

Soil fauna is closely linked to ecological functions such as biogeochemical cycling, soil structure, ecosystem sustainability and trophic interactions. However, little consideration has been given to how desertification influences the abundance and diversity of soil fauna in arid areas. In this study, soil fauna was sampled in four desert habitats (gravel, sand, salt and mud desert) in northwest China. At the same time, the plant traits, geographic location and soil properties were investigated. We also measured contribution of environmental factors explained faunal community diversity and abundance, and by what pathways desertification controls soil fauna. The results showed that total abundance and diversity of soil fauna in the mud desert were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than salt, sand and gravel deserts. Soil fauna diversity, composition and community were more sensitive to desertification-induced changes in soil properties than to changes in plant traits and geographic locations (changes in soil properties explained 68.9 % and 73.7 % of the variation in diversity and abundance of soil fauna community, respectively). Among them, the available phosphorus, volumetric water content had a significant positive effect on community diversity and abundance, while pH had a significant negative effect (P < 0.01). The results of piecewise structural equation modeling imply that desertification may have mainly indirect impacts on soil fauna community, and that direct effects are almost zero. In summary, regardless of the type of desertification, it will affect the material cycle, energy flow and information transfer of ecosystems by destroying the soil habitats and vegetation conditions, and will affect the structure and diversity of soil fauna from the bottom up.

Metagenomic Analysis to Assess the Impact of Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria on Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) Crop Production and Soil Enzymes and Microbial Diversity.

Peanut production could be increased through plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). In this regard, the present field research aimed at elucidating the impact of PGPR on peanut yield, soil enzyme activity, microbial diversity, and structure. Three PGPR strains (Bacillus velezensis, RI3; Bacillus velezensis, SC6; Pseudomonas psychrophila, P10) were evaluated, along with Bradyrhizobium japonicum (BJ), taken as a control. PGPR increased seed yield by 8%, improving the radiation use efficiency (4-14%). PGPR modified soil enzymes (fluorescein diacetate activity by 17% and dehydrogenase activity by 28%) and microbial abundance (12%). However, PGPR did not significantly alter microbial diversity; nonetheless, it modified the relative abundance of key phyla (Actinobacteria > Proteobacteria > Firmicutes) and genera (Bacillus > Arthrobacter > Pseudomonas). PGPRs modified the relative abundance of genes associated with N-fixation and nitrification while increasing genes related to N-assimilation and N-availability. PGPR improved agronomic traits without altering rhizosphere diversity.

INNOVATIVE FOOD WASTE RECYCLING METHODS FOR AGRICULTURAL SUSTAINABILITY: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

This systematic review investigates innovative food waste recycling methods and their contributions to agricultural sustainability, focusing on four key approaches: composting, anaerobic digestion, biochar production, and vermiculture. 45 peer-reviewed articles published between 2010 and 2024 were analyzed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The review demonstrates that these methods significantly improve soil health, increase crop yields, and reduce environmental impacts. Composting enhances soil structure and moisture retention, while anaerobic digestion offers dual benefits of biogas production and nutrient-rich digestate. Biochar production improves soil aeration, water retention, and carbon sequestration, contributing to long-term climate change mitigation. Vermiculture, a low-cost method for small-scale farmers, produces high-quality compost with enhanced nutrient content. However, scalability and economic feasibility remain key challenges across all methods. Technological advancements, such as automation and machine learning, offer promising solutions to improve the efficiency and scalability of these recycling methods. The review identifies critical gaps in the literature, particularly regarding the long-term impacts of these methods and the economic barriers to their widespread adoption. Future research should focus on addressing these challenges and exploring policy interventions to promote broader implementation, particularly in under-resourced regions. These findings suggest that food waste recycling plays a vital role in achieving a circular agricultural economy and advancing global sustainability goals.

Control and Analysis of Layered Soil Structure to Ensure Railway Roadbed Stability

Control and Analysis of Layered Soil Structure to Ensure Railway Roadbed Stability

Research Progress and Trend of Biochar based Microbial Fertilizer

Biochar based microbial fertilizer has loose porous structure, which can improve soil structure, improve soil fertility, promote crop growth, and provide strong support for agricultural sustainable development. In this paper, the research progress of biochar based microbial fertilizer in the preparation process, fertilizer efficiency research, application effect and other aspects was reviewed, and it was pointed out that in the future, in-depth research should be carried out in the aspects of preparation process and performance optimization, microbial strain screening and function enhancement, application effect and mechanism research, standardization and standardization system establishment, application field expansion and technology innovation.

Mulched drip irrigation: a promising practice for sustainable agriculture in China’s arid region

The long-term practice of mulched drip irrigation (MDI) has significantly advanced cotton production in China’s arid regions. In this study, we conducted an evaluation of the changes to key soil environmental factors within cotton fields under MDI, providing a holistic assessment of MDI sustainability. Specifically, long-term MDI demonstrated numerous benefits including improved soil salinity management, nutrient retention, soil structure, and microbial functions. Collectively, these changes contribute to enhanced overall soil quality. Our research also confirms MDI as an effective integrated water-saving technology approach. Affirming the sustainability of widespread MDI promotion, our findings firmly support its potential as a sustainable and viable solution for oasis agriculture in arid lands, conferring long-term benefits to agricultural production in these regions.

Regularity of zinc, copper, and lead distribution in different size fractions of Rostov-on-Don urban soil aggregates

: The article is devoted to the study of zinc, copper, and lead content in the soils of Rostov-on-Don. Soil samples were collected from full-profile sections located in different districts of the city and suburbs of Rostov-on-Don. The group of anthropogenically disturbed soils included Urbic Technosol urbanstratozems and replantozems, as well as urbanized chernozems Calcic Chernozems (Technic). Natural soils of recreational areas are represented by migration-segregation chernozems Calcic Chernozems (Pachic). The study was carried out using atomic absorption spectrometry and X-ray fluorescence analysis to determine metal content. Soil structure was determined by the Savvinov method (dry sieving) (&lt;0.25; 1–2; 3–5; 5–7; &gt;10 mm). Statistical analysis of the Wilcoxon criterion for related samples was performed to identify relationships. The main objective of the study was to assess the heavy metal content in different size fractions of aggregates and the ability of structural fractions to accumulate zinc, copper, and lead. Structural aggregates of different sizes differ in their ability to accumulate zinc, copper and lead. Zinc, including its mobile compounds, is predominantly accumulated in microaggregates. The content of gross copper and especially lead is confined to larger aggregates. At the same time, mobile copper compounds are concentrated in microaggregates and in fractions larger than 10 mm. Mobile lead compounds are distributed in fractions of different sizes quite uniformly in all studied soils.

Aggregate structure of agro-gray soils of Vladimir Opolye: composition and strength of aggregates

A complex of soils characteristic of the Vladimir Opole region was studied: agro-gray typical deep-arable soil, tongue-shaped agrozem and agro-gray gleyic soil. The high contrast of soil properties, which is due to the genesis of field landscapes, can be traced in the differences in the arable and subarable horizons of agro-gray soils at the aggregate and microaggregate levels. The soils have an excellent structural condition, high water resistance and mechanical strength of aggregates. In the aggregate structure of arable horizons, dependences on the position in the relief were found: down the slope the content of agronomically valuable aggregates decreases, the weighted average diameter of aggregates increases, the water resistance of aggregates and the mechanical strength of aggregates at capillary saturation decreases. However, the distribution and size of microaggregates, as well as the strength of aggregates in an air-dry state, reflects the complex genesis of the landscape and retains the influence of paleorelief with depressions and elevations. The weighted average diameter of microaggregates of arable horizons of the soils of the Vladimir Opole region is close to the chernozems of the Kursk region. The granulometric composition of the studied soils is typical of Vladimir Opolye soils and close to each other. In accordance with the classification of N.A. Kachinsky arable horizons are medium loamy, coarse silt, BT horizons are heavy loamy, coarse silt. The most structural is the arable horizon of agro-gray typical deep-arable soil, it has large microaggregates, it also has high water resistance and the highest content of agronomically valuable aggregates. The most homogeneous in terms of aggregate composition is tongue-shaped agrozem; the average diameter of aggregates and microaggregates in the arable and subarable horizons are equal and similar in the content of microaggregates and agronomically valuable aggregates. This soil is also highly water resistant. Agro-gray gleyic soil contains fewer agronomically valuable aggregates and its water stability is unsatisfactory.

A review on tillage system and no-till agriculture and its impact on soil health

Soil tillage is a fundamental agriculture practice aimed at preparing the soil for planting, managing crop residues, controlling weeds, preparing the ground for the next crop, integrating leftover crops and nutrients into the soil, and enhancing soil structure. However, tillage practice significantly influences activities like soil moisture, temperature, aeration, and mixing the crop residues within the soil. This article explores the impacts of traditional tillage methods and alternative approaches to reduce production costs, environmental consequences, and safeguard soil for sustainable crop production through the secondary source of results as published research papers, documents, government official and institution reports. Traditional tillage method involves the mechanical disruption of soil, which affects critical factors such as moisture retention, temperature regulation, and aeration. While use of such heavy machines can improve short-term productivity, its long-term impacts include soil compaction, erosion, and loss of organic matter, leading to environmental degradation and declining soil health. In contrast, No-till and reduced tillage practices offers a promising solution to contemporary challenges such as global climate change, water conservation, rapid soil degradation, and desertification. Under this system, wide range of crops can be grown effectively in low production cost by reducing fuel and labor requirements. No-tillage and minimal tillage is being adopted across a wide range of farm sizes, from small plots of land to vast expanses, in various countries around the world with promising sustainability.

Optimization-Based Vibration Control Analysis of Dampers in High-Rise Building

Tuned mass dampers (TMDs) are a useful control of vibrations for tall buildings and can be considered equal to burdens such as breezes and earthquakes. The better limits for TMD are to reduce the earthquake vibrations of tall buildings including soil–structure interaction (SSI) influences. This study proposes the multi-objective Black Widow Optimization (BWO) with Elman neural network (ENN) computation that is brought on to find the optimal limits of TMD. Considering that this proposed model analyzed the mass, stiffness, and damping ratio of TMD to get the maximum accelerations and displacement of 40 story building model, from the execution results, starting from this proposed BWO–Elman model to the expected methodology, the most outrageous TMD limits are better, likewise, the reduction of acceleration and displacement are 25% and 19.86% in the proposed study. This study assists the researchers with a better understanding of earthquake vibration and leads the fashioners to achieve superior TMD for tall designs. The impact of vibration control on the displacements and accelerations of both controlled and uncontrolled buildings is investigated in this work. It uses a MATLAB software technique to analyze their modal replies, moreover, this proposed optimal TMD model is compared with conventional techniques by acceleration and stiffness parameters.

Finite element analysis of single steel-plate concrete composite containment of nuclear power plant under commercial aircraft impact

Single steel-plate concrete composite (SSC) structures, with good impact resistance and high construction efficiency, have emerged as new solutions for nuclear power plant (NPP) containment. This paper presents a commercial aircraft impact analysis of a new SSC containment structure. Before obtaining more reasonable results from large-scale numerical analysis, small-scale models of the SSC local structure, SSC panel elements, and commercial aircraft were established and experimentally or theoretically verified. Based on these small-scale models, a complete model for SSC containment against aircraft impact was established. Parametric analysis was conducted to investigate the influences of various factors on the dynamic characteristics of the containment. The results indicated that while the influence of soil–structure interaction (SSI) effects is relatively minimal, lateral constraints from external plants should be considered. Considering the balance among steel consumption, economic benefits, construction quality, and efficiency, SSC containment is recommended for high-temperature gas-cooled reactors.

Microbial Contributions to Heavy Metal Phytoremediation in Agricultural Soils: A Review.

Phytoremediation is a sustainable technique that employs plants to reinforce polluted environments such as agroecosystems. In recent years, new strategies involving the plant microbiome as an adjuvant in remediation processes have been reported. By leveraging this microbial assistance to remediate soils contaminated with heavy metals such As, Pb, Cd, Hg, and Cr, plants can sequester, degrade, or stabilize contaminants more efficiently. Remarkably, some plant species are known for their hyper-accumulative traits in synergy with their microbial partners and can successfully mitigate heavy metal pollutants. This sustainable biotechnology based on plant-microbe associations not only aids in environmental cleanup but also enhances biodiversity, improves soil structure, and promotes plant growth and health, making it a promising solution for addressing agro-pollution challenges worldwide. The current review article emphasizes the potential of synergistic plant-microbe interactions in developing practical and sustainable solutions for heavy metal remediation in agricultural systems, which are essential for food security.

An Overview of the Role of Vermicompost in Reducing Green House Gas Emissions, Improving Soil Health, and Increasing Crop Yields

Vermicomposting provides a green alternative to composting, which can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve soil health. As a result of existing waste management practices, greenhouse gases are released into the environment. Still, vermicomposting offers a sustainable solution by recycling organic waste into a soil amendment that improves soil health and increases crop yields. This study provides an in-depth overview of the benefits of vermicomposting, a practice that recycles organic waste materials into a nutrient-rich soil amendment called vermicompost, which can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve soil fertility, and boost crop yields by enhancing soil structure and microbial activity, thereby presenting vermicomposting as a sustainable way to recycle organic waste, while mitigating climate change, protecting soils, and boosting agriculture. This overview examines how vermicomposting organic waste lowers greenhouse gas emissions from landfills, improves crop yields through improved soil structure and fertility, and enriches soils by increasing microbial biodiversity and nutrient availability. Vermicomposting provides degradation and detoxification of organic waste with some nutrient-rich castings. The potential of these castings to improve soil health sparked interest among agricultural researchers. Crops fertilized with vermicompost thrived, producing higher yields and the nutrient density of the plants increased significantly. Emerging research reveals that vermicompost can fight against climate change. As an organic fertilizer, it enhances the ability of plants and soil to sequester carbon, decreasing greenhouse gases and also reducing emissions of methane and nitrous oxide compared to conventional fertilizers. With broader implementation, vermicomposting offers a meaningful path to combat climate change through regenerative agriculture.