Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition最新文献

With the global population increasing and food security becoming an ever more critical issue, the need for enhanced agricultural practices to boost crop productivity while ensuring sustainability is unmistakable. While chemical fertilizers have played a vital role in modern agriculture, their excessive use has resulted in environmental pollution and economic challenges. As an alternative, biofertilizers have emerged, albeit with certain limitations. The advent of nanotechnology offers an environmentally friendly and precise solution, introducing the era of nano-fertilizers and nano-biofertilizers. These nanoparticles exhibit the potential to improve soil fertility and crop yields while minimizing adverse environmental effects. In the realm of nanotechnology, precision agriculture aims to optimize chemical usage by mimicking natural processes. This article explores the latest advancements in nanotechnology, specifically focusing on the development of nano-fertilizers and nano-biofertilizers, underscoring their pivotal role in sustainable agriculture. Through a risk–benefit analysis compared to conventional methods, this review contributes to the ongoing discussion on achieving long-term stewardship of natural and human resources, ultimately benefiting both agriculture and the environment. Additionally, it identifies various gaps and challenges, proposing potential solutions for modern agriculture.

To foster sustainable agricultural practices, the utilization of irrigation, fertilizers, and recycled soil enhancements is essential, particularly in regions with limited resources. This investigation sought to ascertain the optimal water and fertilizer prerequisites for the cultivation of maize by employing Response Surface Methodology (RSM) in arenosol enriched with spent mushroom substrate (SMS) in a controlled pot experiment. The experimental treatments were determined using the Central Composite Design based on varying levels of irrigation (50%, 75%, and 100% of soil field capacity), nitrogen (0, 1, and 2 g pot⁻¹), and SMS (0, 5, and 10%, v/v). The investigation's findings demonstrated that augmented irrigation and nitrogen fertilization positively influenced all agronomic traits, as well as nitrogen concentrations in the roots, shoots, and soil. SMS increased shoot fresh weight, shoot dry weight, leaf area per plant, and dissolved and total soil organic carbon. The optimal levels of irrigation, nitrogen fertilizer, and SMS to improve agronomic attributes were determined to be 81.43–97.80%, 1.38–1.69 g pot⁻¹, and 5.77–8.48%, respectively. The optimal amounts for NPK retention in soil and plant uptake were 69.50–98.00%, 1.20–1.98 g pot⁻¹, and 4.72–9.74%, respectively. The study concluded that irrigation and nitrogen levels had a greater impact on optimizing maize growth response than SMS. However, SMS was found to be more effective in increasing plant biomass due to its enhancement of both dissolved and total soil organic carbon. Furthermore, the interaction of irrigation and mineral nitrogen with SMS improved soil nutrient retention, plant uptake, and plant biomass productivity.

Magnesium (Mg) helps improve tea yield and quality, yet many tea plantations in China commonly exhibit magnesium deficiency. Therefore, studying the mechanisms of Mg²⁺ leaching in tea plantation soils is of significant importance. This study investigates how nitrogen fertilizer application affects the leaching mechanisms of magnesium in soil through pot experiments. The control group (N0) consisted of pots without tea seedlings and no nitrogen fertilizer solution added, only an equivalent amount of ultrapure water was used. The experimental groups were: N1 (no tea seedlings, 0.75 mmol L^− 1 nitrogen), N2 (no tea seedlings, 1.5 mmol L^− 1 nitrogen), N3 (no tea seedlings, 3.0 mmol L^− 1 nitrogen), TN0 (tea seedlings, no nitrogen), TN1 (tea seedlings, 0.75 mmol L^− 1 nitrogen), TN2 (tea seedlings, 1.5 mmol L^− 1 nitrogen), and TN3 (tea seedlings, 3.0 mmol L^− 1 nitrogen). The results show that the correlation between nitrate nitrogen (NO₃⁻-N), ammonium nitrogen (NH₄⁺-N), and Mg in the soil with tea seedlings is higher than in soil without tea seedlings. This indicates that tea planting promotes the leaching of Mg²⁺ in the soil. Further investigation revealed that excessive nitrogen application reduces the soil pH, activates aluminum ions (Al³⁺) in the soil, and competes with Mg²⁺ for net adsorption sites, further exacerbating the leaching of Mg²⁺. Additionally, excessive use of nitrogen fertilizer limits the roots’ ability to absorb nutrients, indirectly leading to the leaching of Mg²⁺. We believe that excessive application of nitrogen fertilizer in tea gardens will exacerbate the leaching of Mg²⁺ in the soil.

In purple soil areas of China, there is a traditional practice of breaking up bedrock to obtain soil matrix by hoeing. Purple soil is formed by the development of mud shale with low hardness and high brittleness, which is easy to break under mechanical action. Research on the effect of deep vertical rotary tillage (DVRT) in breaking up the bedrock on soil infiltration performance is still lacking. This study selected a hillslope with 18 cm, 25 cm, and 40 cm soil depths at the upper, middle, and lower slopes, respectively. They investigated differences in soil infiltration capacity after DVRT and rotary tillage (RT) and identified the main controlling factors responsible for differences. The effects of different bedrock fragment contents (RFC, range 0-70%) and the bedrock size (0-5, 5-10, 10-20 mm) on saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) were investigated with laboratory tests by constant head method. Results are that (1) stabilized soil infiltration rates for the DVRT treatment increased by 150% and 81% relative to the RT treatment at the upper and middle slope positions, and the lower slope position decreased by 80%. (2) The Kostiakov model shows that the DVRT broken bedrock promotes soil infiltration performance on the upper and middle slopes but inhibits this at lower slope. (3) With increased RFC, saturated hydraulic conductivity decreased and then increased, and RFC thresholds existed to change the inhibition/promotion effect. The thresholds for bedrock fragments with grain sizes of 0-5, 5-10, and 10-20 mm were 74%, 59%, and 53%, respectively. It is suggested that DVRT can regulate the soil infiltration in shallow hillslopes and promote rainwater in-situ utilization.

Purpose

The goal of global carbon (C) neutralization has raised concerns about the potential of soil organic carbon (SOC) storage, particularly regarding the role of soil microbial activities across aggregate classes. Reasonable tillage methods drive microbial community within soil aggregates, so have a stronger ability to utilize carbon sources. However, simultaneously studying the effects of tillage methods through microbial activity, functional and structural diversity at the aggregate level is relatively rare, and seasonal changes in the ability to utilize carbon sources of microbial communities remain largely unknown.

Methods

Initial from 2002, a 14-year long-term tillage experiment started; then in 2016–2017, we tested the following tillage methods: no tillage (NT), rotary tillage (RT), subsoiling (ST) and conventional tillage (CT).

Results

Compared with CT, ST had the most significant promoting effect on microbial activity across aggregate classes, and microbial activity (ATP and SIR) decreased with the aggregate classes decreasing. ATP and SIR increased by 3.23 µmol·g^− 1 and 15.94 µg CO₂·g^− 1·d^− 1 in winter wheat growth, and increased by 2.39 µmol·g^− 1 and 31.16 µg CO₂·g^− 1·d^− 1 in summer maize growth. Microbial communities in aggregates under ST and NT had greater diversity and ability to utilize carbon sources compared with CT, and those function showed the order of 5 − 2 > 2-0.25 > 0.25–0.053 mm. The microbial activity and diversity were higher in summer maize growth.

Conclusions

Therefore, ST is a promising tillage method for enhancing the soil microbial activity and diversity. Our study provides a fundamental understanding for the utilization of carbon sources by microbial community whithin aggregate level and highlights the importance of reasonable tillage methods.

Purpose

Our purpose is to reveal the natural enrichment patterns of metals in the Holocene soils of the Southern Loess Plateau.

Methods

Element and mineral contents and particle size were measured using X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, X-ray diffractometry, and laser diffraction, respectively.

Results

The study area has a subtropical climate with average annual precipitation and temperature of ~ 800 mm and ~ 15.3 °C during the mid-Holocene. At this time the summer monsoon and non-summer monsoon supplied ~ 440 mm and ~ 360 mm of precipitation, respectively. Soil moisture was in a positive balance and persistent gravity water occurred with a moisture content > 20% in the mid-Holocene paleosol.

Conclusions

Natural enrichment of heavy metals occurred in the mid-Holocene paleosol, and the enrichment of heavy metals in the mid-Holocene paleosol do not meet the soil pollution standards and is safe for agricultural production. The mechanism of natural heavy metals enrichment in the mid-Holocene paleosol was as follows: The warm and humid climate enhanced the summer monsoon precipitation, causing a positive soil moisture balance, and persistent gravity water and soil moisture content > 20% caused strong leaching and hydrolysis of minerals, which resulted in enhanced clay formation and heavy metals enrichment.

Production systems can affect soil properties, such as soil fertility and microbiological community and activity, favoring plant growth and crop yield. This study aimed to investigate the effect of successive cropping systems on the chemical, biochemical, and biological properties of a tropical Oxisol and their relationship with cotton initial growth and nutritional status. soil samples were collected in areas with different soybean/maize/cotton cropping system histories (T0—consolidated soybean/corn system; T1—first year of soybean/cotton system; T2—second year of soybean/cotton system; T3—third year of the soybean/cotton system, and T4—fourth year of the soybean/cotton system; T10—tenth year of soybean/cotton system). First, we evaluated the effect of T0—T4 on soil properties and cotton initial growth (cropping history experiment). Then, we evaluated the effect of dilution and autoclaving in T10 samples on soil properties and cotton growth (soil dilution/autoclaving experiment). Both experiments were carried out under greenhouse conditions. in the cropping history experiment, we observed that longer soybean/cotton systems increased P availability and legacy P index in soil and favored arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization in cotton roots and P uptake by cotton plants. Similarly, we observed in the soil dilution/autoclaving experiment that the sterilization limited the mycorrhizal colonization and induced P deficiency, even with available P above the critical limit in soil. the results indicated that the successive soybean/cotton cropping for several years (long-term) stimulates root mycorrhizal colonization of cotton and increases legacy P in soil compared to the recent soybean/cotton cropping, improving legacy P exploration, P uptake, and the growth and development of cotton plants.

The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of composting method on changes in compost structure and to evaluate the effects compost, phosphorous levels and Streptomyces inoculation on soil biochemical properties and the growth of forage maize in a loess soil. The effect of simultaneous application of urea and Streptomyces inoculation in the decomposition of wheat straw and the formation of mature compost was investigated. A 90-day pot experiment was conducted to assess the alterations in soil microbial activity, enzymatic activity, nutrient concentrations in both soil and plants, and the growth characteristics of maize plants The soil was thoroughly mixed with 2% compost (simple (C1) and enriched (C2)) and four levels of phosphorus (0, 10, 40, and 100 mg kg⁻¹); Additionally, two levels of Streptomyces were inoculated on maize seeds. Field emission scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed compositional and morphological changes during composting. Pot experiment demonstrated enhanced maize growth with enriched compost, Streptomyces inoculation and phosphorus fertilization. These treatments significantly increased plant biomass and nutrient content. Soil biochemical analysis showed increased microbial activity, enzyme levels, and organic carbon content with compost and Streptomyces. Phosphorus application improved soil fertility and enzymatic activity. Simultaneous application of compost, triple superphosphate and inoculation with Streptomyces led to a significant increase in soil-available phosphorus and plant phosphorus content. The findings of this study highlight the importance of combining compost, phosphorus, and Streptomyces for optimal maize growth and enhancing crucial soil microbial and biochemical functions.

The aim of the manuscript was to verify the hypothesis whether the algal biomass of Chlorella vulgaris added as a fertilizer affects the properties of a sandy soil and the leachates from that soil. A pot experiment was conducted using sandy soil, which was enriched with a suspension of live Chlorella vulgaris cells. The concentrations of total nitrogen (N_total), ammonium nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, total phosphorus (P_total), phosphate phosphorus, potassium, sulphates, turbidity, pH and electrolytic conductivity (EC) were determined in the leachates from soil. Soil samples from each pot were analysed for N_total, P_total, P_available, K_available, calcium (Ca), organic carbon (C_org.) and pH. Soil fertilized with suspended biomass of Chlorella vulgaris was enriched with nutrients, mainly nitrogen, phosphorus and calcium. The use of algae has also helped reduce nutrient losses in the soil. There was an increase in the concentration of SO₄²⁻ ions in the tested leachates, which could pose a potential threat to the environment. Conducted studies confirm the hypothesis that Chlorella vulgaris added to sandy soil as a suspension of living cells affects the fertilizing properties of the soil and the composition of leachates from the fertilized soil. Soil fertilized with Chlorella vulgaris biomass is more resistant to nutrient leaching. An important conclusion of the study is that the composition of soil leachates needs to be monitored when testing and applying this type of fertilizer, due to the risk of sulphates entering into the groundwater.

This study investigates the ecological stoichiometric characteristics and driving factors of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) in deep sediments within the critical zone of South Dongting Lake Wetland. Correlation analysis, partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), and gradient boosted decision tree (GBDT) algorithm were employed for this investigation. The results showed that the mean values of the total carbon (TC), soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP) contents in sediments are 9.0, 7.3, 0.9, and 0.5 g kg^− 1, respectively. Sediment C, N, and P contents tended to decrease with increasing burial depth (H). The mean ratios of C/N, C/P, and N/P in sediments were 10.5, 46.5, and 5.1, respectively, notably lower than the averages in wetland soils across China. Lower C/N and C/P ratios indicate that the decomposition rate of organic matter is relatively fast and organic P is prone to mineralization in sediments. Additionally, the lower N/P ratio implies N limitation within the sediments. The TC, SOC, TN, and TP exhibited significant negative correlations with both H and redox potential (Eh), while showing positive associations with water content (W). Moreover, these factors influence ecological stoichiometric ratios (ESR) by directly affecting C, N, and P contents in sediments. The GBDT modelling revealed that TN primarily influenced C/N ratios, while TP predominantly controlled C/P and N/P ratios. The contents of C, N, and P, as well as their ESR in deep sediments of wetland are mainly controlled by H, Eh, and W.