Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) occupies a strategic place in Ivorian agriculture, contributing both to food security and to the incomes of rural populations. Despite national production exceeding six million tons per year, farmers' yields remain low due to empirical farming practices and a poor match between varieties, soil types, and tillage methods. This study, conducted in the Taabo region (a forest-savanna transition zone in south-central Côte d'Ivoire), aimed to evaluate the combined effect of soil type, tillage method, and variety on cassava productivity. The experiment, conducted using a randomized complete block design, crossed three factors: soil type (clay or sand), tillage method (ridging or leveling), and variety (Bocou 1 or Yacé), for a total of 24 plots. The results show that clay soils and ridge cultivation significantly improve plant growth and tuber yield. The Bocou 1 variety proved to be the most productive (bocou 1 = 42,07 t/ha and Yacé = 31,63 t/ha), while the IAC variety showed greater vegetative growth but lower yield. The combination of ridging, sandy soil, and the Bocou 1 variety is therefore the most effective combination for the agroecological conditions in Taabo. These results offer prospects for the development of sustainable technical itineraries adapted to cassava production in Côte d'Ivoire.

Tea plantations are a hot-spot source of nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions in the agricultural system. Using nitrification inhibitors (NIs) is a promising way to mitigate agricultural N2O emissions and has been widely tested in many croplands. However, the efficiency of different NIs and whether there are soil-specific effects are still unclear in tea plantations with typical acidic soil conditions. This study evaluated the effects of three widely used NIs, i.e., dicyandiamide (DCD), 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP), and 2-chloro-6-(trichloromethyl) pyridine (Nitrapyrin), through a lab incubation trial, on the nitrification suppression, N2O emissions, and ammonia-oxidizing microbial communities in two tea plantation soils with contrasting physicochemical properties (pH and texture). During the 50-day incubation, the soil with a higher pH and coarse texture (TA) exhibited a four-times-higher apparent nitrification ratio (ANR) than the more acidic and clay soil (HZ). Nitrification inhibitor addition resulted in about a 60% and 80% reduction in the ANR in HZ and TA soils, respectively. During the entire incubation, ammonium sulfate (N) addition without NIs emitted N2O at 64.1 ± 1.2 and 61.5 ± 0.4 μg N kg−1 (mean ± standard deviation, and the same in the following text) in the HZ and TA soils, respectively. Compared with the N alone, the N2O mitigation efficiency of DCD, DMPP, and Nitrapyrin was 38.3% ± 0.4% (standard deviation), 33.8% ± 0.99%, and 36.5% ± 0.59% in the HZ soil and 94.1% ± 0.39%, 52.8% ± 1.05%, and 95.6% ± 0.65% in the TA soil, respectively. Nitrapyrin more effectively suppressed both ammonia-oxidizing archaeal (AOA) and ammonia-oxidizing bacterial (AOB) abundance, particularly in the acidic soil (HZ), where ammonia-oxidizing archaea dominate nitrification. These results revealed the pivotal role of soil properties in controlling NI efficiency and highlighted Nitrapyrin as a potential superior nitrification inhibitor for N2O mitigation under the tested conditions in this study.

Ecological determinants and indicator-based analysis of Aedes albopictus expansion in a Central European metropolis: implications for urban sustainability.

Nutrient acquisition is the fundamental regulator of maize (Zea mays) growth, development, and yield. The present narrative review intends to integrate existing information on dynamics of nutrient uptake in maize under scrutiny for understanding how the processes affect growth and yield. We focus on the effective absorption and utilization of macronutrients (N, P and K) and micronutrients that promote plant health, grain development, and stress tolerance. Key determinants of nutrient availability (soil type, pH, organic matter, environment) and physiological or yield impacts of deficiency are studied. Strategies to optimize uptake efficiency precision application of fertilizer, organic fertilizers, and sustainable soil management are discussed. Optimizing these dynamics is central to maize productivity, enhancement and sustainable crop production. This review provides valuable insights into optimizing maize nutrition for improved food security and sustainable crop production.

Understanding spatial and temporal variations in soil moisture is critical for sustainable agriculture. Contactless approaches such as ground-penetrating radar and satellite sensing are either expensive or offer limited resolution, making them less scalable. In-situ sensors provide higher resolution but often involve challenging data retrieval processes and wired infrastructure. In this work, we propose EC-Sense, a wire-free system for in-situ soil moisture sensing that employs ultra-low-power sensor Tags buried underground and reference Tags placed on the surface. EC-Sense introduces a novel sensing modality based on energy capture time (EC Time), defined as the time taken by a sensor Tag to harvest sufficient energy to activate a response. EC Time serves as a proxy for path loss in soil, which correlates strongly with soil moisture. By leveraging differential path loss—estimated from the EC Times of both surface and buried Tags—EC-Sense isolates soil-induced attenuation from environmental effects above ground. This differential sensing approach, combined with a decoupled sensing and communication architecture, enables EC-Sense to overcome limitations of existing wideband RF-based sensors. Despite using an active radio, our Tags consume only 3.7 μW on average and achieve a projected lifetime of 10 years under realistic conditions. We deployed EC-Sense in an open agricultural field for over a week and measured soil moisture at multiple depths daily, achieving 98% accuracy compared to ground truth. We further evaluate EC-Sense across three representative soil types—sandy loam, silt loam, and silty clay loam—and demonstrate reliable sensing at depths of 40 cm, 30 cm, and 25 cm, respectively, at field capacity.

Abstract The study was conducted in Malta Nursery in Duhok Governorate on seeds and seedlings of the fruit pine, Pinus pinea , the fruit pine seeds were obtained from 40-year-old trees growing in the forests of northern Iraq in Duhok Governorate, Loman a-Bakira village, located at an altitude of 966 m above sea level and within longitude 18 11 43 and latitude 15 58 36. Seeds were collected in late July 2023 to study the effects of hot water soaking and different growth media on breaking the dormancy of Pinus pinea seeds. Seeds of approximately the same size are selected, and small seeds are excluded, the seeds are also immersed in water for a quarter of an hour. After that, the seeds floating on the surface of the water are excluded and not planted because the embryo has not fully developed and is not mature. Only the seeds immersed in water are used, as they are fully developed and mature in relation to the embryo, these fully grown and matured seeds are then taken and subjected to some treatments to break the dormancy of the seeds, including soaking them in hot water at a temperature of 100 degrees Celsius for 0, 5, or 10 minutes and then planting the seeds in different growth media such as 100% mixed soil, mixed soil and compost at a ratio of 1:1, or mixed soil, compost, and clay at a ratio of 1:1:1, thus, we have 9 factorial treatments repeated 3 times and 10 observations in each experimental unit (one seed per observation), i.e., 270 seeds, the results obtained can be summarized as follows: The results showed significant differences in the effect of single and overlapping treatments between treatments in all studied traits. As for the hot water soaking treatment, it gave the highest percentage of seed germination and seedling height compared to the control treatment of soaking in hot water and soaking in hot water for 5 minutes, it was also found that there was no significant effect between the hot water soaking treatments and the control treatment on germination speed. We also found that the control treatment of soaking in hot water improved the growth index. Also, for different types of soil, the mixed soil + compost and the mixed soil + compost + clay recorded the highest increase in germination percentage, growth index, and seedling height, it was also found that the mixed soil alone, as well as the mixed soil + compost, led to improved germination speed. As for the two-way interaction, regarding the interaction between soaking in hot water and soil type, the two-way interaction between the control treatment for the duration of soaking in hot water and the type of mixed soil + compost recorded the highest values in the percentage of seed germination, growth index, and seedling height. We also found that the combination of soaking in hot water for 5 minutes and then planting in a mixed soil led to an improvement in the speed of seed germination. We also find that the interaction between the control treatment of soaking in hot water and planting in a mixed soil + compost + clay led to an improvement in seedling height.

Water scarcity across agricultural landscapes requires the use of deficit irrigation (DI) strategies to conserve water while maintaining crop yields. This study evaluated the effectiveness of DI on lettuce ( Lactuca sativa L.) growth, water use efficiency (WUE), and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) across different soil types, aiming to identify optimal irrigation levels. Controlled experiments were conducted in contrasting environments—humid Florida, USA, and arid California, USA—using DI treatments of 80%, 70%, and 60% of full irrigation, alongside a 100% irrigation control. Data on water usage and plant physiology were collected to assess IWUE at varying deficits in potting mix and two soil types: Florida sand and California silty clay soil. In addition, soil moisture sensor data were used to evaluate water movement across the soil profile. Results highlighted significant media-specific responses. In the FL-potting mix, a 30% water reduction (70% DI) showed the highest head weight (185.86 g/plant) and IWUE (53.23 kg/m 3 ). For FL-sand, 70% DI also yielded the highest IWUE (11.53 kg/m 3 ), although head weight was notably reduced at 80% and 60% DI compared with 100%. In contrast, for CA-silty clay, head weight progressively declined with increasing deficit (e.g., from 57.5 g/plant at 100% DI to 29.67 g/plant at 60% DI), and although WUE significantly decreased at 70% and 60% DI (e.g., from 0.16 to 0.07–0.08 kg/m 3 ), IWUE showed no significant differences across DI treatments. The CA-potting mix maintained stable head weight and IWUE across all DI levels. Leaf nutrient analysis indicated no statistically significant differences in nitrogen (N) or phosphorus (P) concentrations across DI treatments within each soil type, despite varied soil nutrient dynamics. Our findings underscore that the effectiveness of DI strategies is highly soil dependent, with optimal water-saving levels varying significantly across media. Precision irrigation, tailored to the unique physical properties and nutrient dynamics of each soil type, is therefore important for sustainable water management in horticultural systems.

Where is PFAS risk to groundwater highest in South Africa?

Assessing the impacts of irrigation and soil types on the water balance and groundwater depletion in an irrigation district of the North China Plain based on a coupled SWAT-MODFLOW model

Geographical flavor fingerprinting of morels: integrated analysis of volatile and non-volatile components with environmental drivers across Chinese regions.

Indoor radon levels and influencing factors in Tarhuna and Msallata, Libya: A winter study including surface soil radon in Tarhuna.

Effects of Biochar on Soybean Physiology and Rhizosphere Soil Environment in Different Soil Types

Assessment of K-40 and Cs-137 radioactivity concentrations and annual effective dose due to ingestion of staple foods in South Korea.

Radon exhalation rate and emanation factor values in relation to different soil characteristics.

Synergistic effects of biochar-immobilized Stenotrophomonas acidaminiphila on potassium availability and ryegrass productivity in purplish soil.

Abstract A laboratory study was carried out to investigate how incorporating compost derived from yellow maize cobs at rates of 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8% influences the physical characteristics of gypsiferous soils. The soils, with gypsum contents ranging between 59.5 and 525 g kg −1 , were sampled from surface horizons (0–10 cm to 60–70 cm depth) at the Agricultural Research Station, College of Agriculture, University of Tikrit. The gypsum levels in the seven collected soil types (G1–G7) were as follows: 59.5, 147.3, 226.5, 313.7, 391.2, 453.9, and 525 g kg −1 respectively. Compost was produced from crushed, air-dried yellow corn cobs (4 mm), enriched with nitrogen (urea, 1.4 kg), phosphorus (DAP, 1.4 kg), poultry manure (5.6 kg), and 8.5 kg of fertile soil to support microbial activity and decomposition. Each soil sample was air-dried, ground, and sieved to 2 mm, then mixed with the compost at the designated rates (2–8%) along with a non-amended control (0%). Samples were incubated for two months to allow proper interaction between compost and soil. After incubation, all soil samples were air-dried and sieved again. For analysis, samples from G1–G7 were subjected to pressure levels of 0, -4, -33, -100, -200, -500, -1000, and -1500 kPa using metal cores (60.2 mm diameter, 20 mm height) to estimate the moisture description curve and calculate the values of water available to the plant. Also, the data of the moisture description curve were used to calculate the pore size distribution. The addition of compost improved the soil moisture retention curve by increasing available water content and enhancing mesopore development, resulting in better pore size distribution across all gypsum levels.

The study assessed the spatial analysis of flood risk zones in Osun State, Nigeria. The study made use of landuse/land cover data, elevation data, soil types and flood dates to compute the flood risk zones in Osun State, Nigeria. Descriptive statistics were applied for the study. Findings showed that in 2017, flood was detected in 16 LGAs of the state, comprising Iwo, Egbedore, Bolorunduro, Boripe, Ife North, Aiyedire, Ejigbo, Ila, Irepodun, Irewole, Isokan, Odo-Otin, Ola Oluwa, Osogbo LGAs which were 13 in number. These increased to 30 LGAs in 2023. Some towns identified included Esa Oke, Oranran, Bode Osi, Ode-Olowo, Ajebandele, Olode Ifon, Modogbon, Aketa and Ikoyi. Between 2017 and 2018, flood extent increased from 0.076 sq. km to 0.078 sq. km while in 2019, a marked increase of 0.293 sq. km was discovered and in 2023, it was 1.348 sq km. between 2017 and 2023, central and western LGAs such as Osogbo, Ede North, Ede South, Ife Central, Iwo, Isokan, and Aiyedire emerged as flood recurrent hotspots due to low-lying terrain, urbanization, and poor drainage. Eastern LGAs such as Oriade, and Obokun were less affected due to higher elevation and vegetation cover. Moreover, annual flood-impacted LGAs increased with increasing time. Similarly, the flooded area increased from 2017 to 2023, exposing the weakness of current structural measures under extreme rainfall. The study thus recommended that the government should enforce floodplain zoning that can restrict high-density settlements in very vulnerable zones; adopt nature-based solutions which can protect wetlands and expand urban green spaces for natural water retention; and control land use expansion to implement urban containment policies to limit impervious surface growth.

Malaria remains a major public health challenge in Nigeria, particularly in Rivers State, where complex hydro-ecological conditions, rapid urbanization, and inadequate environmental management reinforce persistent transmission. This study applies Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) techniques to assess malaria susceptibility across the 23 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Rivers State using a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) framework. Environmental and climatic parameters—including elevation, slope, rainfall, soil type, land use/land cover (LULC), vegetation indices (NDVI), flow direction and accumulation, proximity to water bodies, and concentration of waste dumpsites—were integrated to model spatial patterns of mosquito breeding suitability and malaria risk.Satellite imagery (Landsat, Sentinel-2, CHIRPS rainfall data, and SRTM elevation data) and ancillary datasets were processed to generate thematic layers for weighted overlay analysis. Results reveal that low-lying areas with poorly drained soils, wetlands, high rainfall, dense vegetation, and high dumpsite concentration exhibit the highest malaria susceptibility. The spatial risk classification shows that six LGAs—Port Harcourt, Obio/Akpor, Eleme, Oyigbo, Tai, and Ogu/Bolo—fall within the high-vulnerability zone. Twelve LGAs exhibit moderate vulnerability, while five LGAs located in higher or better-drained terrains show low susceptibility. The study highlights the strong influence of hydrological and anthropogenic factors on malaria transmission dynamics. The resulting susceptibility and vulnerability maps provide essential tools for targeted vector control, improved drainage planning, environmental sanitation, and resource allocation. By integrating health records with environmental datasets, the study offers a robust spatial decision-support framework for malaria control and public health planning in Rivers State.

Abstract The soil priming effect (PE), triggered by root exudate inputs that stimulates microbial activity and drives significant soil carbon (C) losses in terrestrial ecosystems. However, the influences of resource limitation and microbial communities shaped by distinct lithologies on soil PE remains unclear. Here, we conducted an incubation experiment to assess soil CO 2 emissions and PE in two contrasting soil types: calcium (Ca)‐rich karst soils derived from limestone and Ca‐poor non‐karst soils from clastic rock, both under similar climatic conditions. We added 13 C‐labelled glucose and glycine (containing nitrogen)—two prevalent root exudate compounds. We found positive PE in both soil types. Glycine, a simple nitrogen‐rich amino acid, induced a greater PE than glucose. After the addition of glucose and glycine, enzymatic responses differed between the two soil types. In non‐karst soils, β‐N‐acetyl‐glucosaminidase activity increased while the ratio of β‐D‐glucosidase to the sum of β‐N‐acetyl‐glucosaminidase and leucine aminopeptidase decreased—an extracellular‐enzyme signature commonly interpreted as indicative of nitrogen mining. In contrast, in karst soils, both β‐D‐glucosidase activity and the C:nitrogen‐cycling enzyme ratio increased, patterns commonly interpreted as microbial stoichiometry. In addition, non‐karst soils primed 166%–277% more organic C than karst soils. Notably, greater exchangeable Ca in karst soils was positively correlated with bacterial community diversity and network complexity, which in turn promoted more energy‐efficient bacterial resource acquisition and thereby reduced PE. In contrast, in non‐karst soils, greater short‐range‐ordered iron/aluminium oxide contents were correlated with simpler bacterial networks, leading to greater bacterial energy demands and amplifying PE. Our findings reveal that lithology driving geochemical constraints shape bacterial community structure and function, thereby modulating soil PE. In particular, we highlight the significance of Ca in promoting soil organic C accumulation in karst ecosystems by reducing PE through its regulation of bacterial processes. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Groundwater is a vital freshwater resource for Pakistan, particularly in the rapidly urbanizing cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. However, rising demand, changing land use, and climate uncertainty pose significant risks to its long-term availability. This study employs the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), Remote Sensing (RS), and Geographic Information System (GIS) to map groundwater potential zones (GWPZs). A total of eleven parameters, including Rainfall, slope, elevation, drainage density, soil type, water table depth, land use/land cover (LULC), and remote sensing indices (NDVI, MSI, TWI, and LST), were used for the identification of groundwater potential zones. The results showed that 51.96% of the study area is classified as having “moderate” groundwater potential, while 5.64% and 33.09% are categorized as “very high” and “high” potential zones, respectively. Conversely, 8.25% and 1.04% of the area are classified as “low” and “very low” zones, respectively. Parameters such as steep slopes, urbanization, and high land surface temperatures hinder recharge, whereas gentle slopes, vegetation, and shallow water tables enhance recharge potential. In semi-arid, urbanizing areas, the integrated AHP–GIS–RS techniques provide a reliable and cost-effective method for mapping GWPZs, offering essential decision support for sustainable water resource management.