Pub Date : 2026-02-16DOI: 10.1007/s11104-026-08331-y
D. Boldrin, A. K. Leung, M. Marin, J. A. Knappett, A. G. Bengough, K. W. Loades
Background and aims To optimise soil conditions for agriculture and engineering, we must better understand how root growth and decomposition affect soil hydraulic properties. This paper investigates soil hydraulic properties down soil columns containing grass, forb, and legume species before and after root decomposition. Methods Contrasting species (2 grasses, 1 forb, 1 legume) were grown within repacked soil columns. These soil columns were divided horizontally into 60 mm cores and hydraulic conductivity ( Ks ) was measured both before and after 7-month incubation of cores at either 5 °C or in a heated glasshouse (18–25 °C). Water sorptivity, hydrophobicity and hardness were measured in root-channel walls after decomposition in cores divided longitudinally. Soil water-release characteristics were measured in small cores sampled down the soil profile. Results Vegetated soil averaged up to 5.6-fold greater Ks than fallow soils, varying greatly between species. Ks decreased rapidly down the columns in fallow soil, whilst D. carota and L. corniculatus soils had more uniform Ks with depth. The soil of root-channel walls showed distinct sorptivity and hydrophobicity compared to control bulk-soil. Conclusion Appropriate species choice can increase Ks . Roots and their decomposition greatly affect these soil physical properties down the profile, influencing water dynamics in plant communities and soil-mediated ecosystem services.
{"title":"Root decomposition affects soil hydraulic properties in four contrasting herbaceous species","authors":"D. Boldrin, A. K. Leung, M. Marin, J. A. Knappett, A. G. Bengough, K. W. Loades","doi":"10.1007/s11104-026-08331-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-026-08331-y","url":null,"abstract":"Background and aims To optimise soil conditions for agriculture and engineering, we must better understand how root growth and decomposition affect soil hydraulic properties. This paper investigates soil hydraulic properties down soil columns containing grass, forb, and legume species before and after root decomposition. Methods Contrasting species (2 grasses, 1 forb, 1 legume) were grown within repacked soil columns. These soil columns were divided horizontally into 60 mm cores and hydraulic conductivity ( <jats:italic>K</jats:italic> <jats:sub> <jats:italic>s</jats:italic> </jats:sub> ) was measured both before and after 7-month incubation of cores at either 5 °C or in a heated glasshouse (18–25 °C). Water sorptivity, hydrophobicity and hardness were measured in root-channel walls after decomposition in cores divided longitudinally. Soil water-release characteristics were measured in small cores sampled down the soil profile. Results Vegetated soil averaged up to 5.6-fold greater <jats:italic>K</jats:italic> <jats:sub> <jats:italic>s</jats:italic> </jats:sub> than fallow soils, varying greatly between species. <jats:italic>K</jats:italic> <jats:sub> <jats:italic>s</jats:italic> </jats:sub> decreased rapidly down the columns in fallow soil, whilst <jats:italic>D. carota</jats:italic> and <jats:italic>L. corniculatus</jats:italic> soils had more uniform <jats:italic>K</jats:italic> <jats:sub> <jats:italic>s</jats:italic> </jats:sub> with depth. The soil of root-channel walls showed distinct sorptivity and hydrophobicity compared to control bulk-soil. Conclusion Appropriate species choice can increase <jats:italic>K</jats:italic> <jats:sub> <jats:italic>s</jats:italic> </jats:sub> . Roots and their decomposition greatly affect these soil physical properties down the profile, influencing water dynamics in plant communities and soil-mediated ecosystem services.","PeriodicalId":20223,"journal":{"name":"Plant and Soil","volume":"10 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146205076","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-16DOI: 10.1007/s11104-026-08388-9
Mingfu Gao, Weichao Yang, Dan Dong, Zongwei Xia, Hui Xu
{"title":"Combined application of 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP) and exogenous water-soluble organic carbon synergistically increases maize yield and reduces yield-scaled N2O emissions under an 18% reduction in nitrogen input","authors":"Mingfu Gao, Weichao Yang, Dan Dong, Zongwei Xia, Hui Xu","doi":"10.1007/s11104-026-08388-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-026-08388-9","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":20223,"journal":{"name":"Plant and Soil","volume":"244 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146205078","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-14DOI: 10.1007/s11104-026-08361-6
Renata Jarosz, Krzysztof Gondek, Justyna Szerement, Marcin Jewiarz, Małgorzata Bołdak, Monika Mierzwa-Hersztek
{"title":"Effects of fly ash–derived zeolite–leonardite/lignite composites on heavy metal bioavailability and plant uptake in contaminated soil","authors":"Renata Jarosz, Krzysztof Gondek, Justyna Szerement, Marcin Jewiarz, Małgorzata Bołdak, Monika Mierzwa-Hersztek","doi":"10.1007/s11104-026-08361-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-026-08361-6","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":20223,"journal":{"name":"Plant and Soil","volume":"72 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146196629","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-14DOI: 10.1007/s11104-026-08341-w
Yudi M. Lozano, Leonie S. Kuhlmann, Julian W. Zeller, Alejandro Terrones, Cristina Armas
Background and aims Drylands face increasing microplastic pollution. We tested how plastic particulates and leachable chemicals affect key dryland plants (grasses and forbs). Methods We performed two controlled experiments using dryland grasses and forbs, and evaluated the effect of plastic particulates and leachables on germination, plant morphological and physiological traits. Results Plastic particulates reduced grasses germination velocity by ~ 17% compared to soils without particulates, likely by trapping seeds and impairing water uptake. Most forbs were marginally affected, although germination was inhibited in mucilage-producing species. Notably, leachates stimulated forbs germination through hormesis, contrasting with particulates physical inhibition. For instance, E. vulgare velocity increased by ~ 20% with leachates than without them. However, this stimulation was transient and faded in later development. Grasses shoot mass decreased by ~ 21% with particulates, likely from soil water loss via plastic-induced cracks, an effect exacerbated by their shallow root systems. Forbs avoided this stress through deeper rooting and benefited from improved soil aeration, which enhanced shoot growth by ~ 61% compared to control. Grasses allocated carbon to stress tolerance, increasing photosynthetic rates (+ 15%) and water-use efficiency (+ 7.2%). Forbs favored shoot growth despite lower photosynthetis (-8.1%) and water-use efficiency (-25%), using thinner leaves and higher transpiration rates. Root morphology also critically influence tolerance to microplastics. The divergent particulate effects on grasses and forbs, reveal a mechanistic trade-off between stress tolerance and growth investment. Conclusion Microplastic particulates, more than leachates, drive plant responses, suggesting that plastic pollution may act as environmental filter by favoring stress-adapted forbs over grasses.
{"title":"Microplastics favor forbs over grasses in drylands: Opposing roles of particulates and chemical leachates on germination and plant traits","authors":"Yudi M. Lozano, Leonie S. Kuhlmann, Julian W. Zeller, Alejandro Terrones, Cristina Armas","doi":"10.1007/s11104-026-08341-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-026-08341-w","url":null,"abstract":"Background and aims Drylands face increasing microplastic pollution. We tested how plastic particulates and leachable chemicals affect key dryland plants (grasses and forbs). Methods We performed two controlled experiments using dryland grasses and forbs, and evaluated the effect of plastic particulates and leachables on germination, plant morphological and physiological traits. Results Plastic particulates reduced grasses germination velocity by ~ 17% compared to soils without particulates, likely by trapping seeds and impairing water uptake. Most forbs were marginally affected, although germination was inhibited in mucilage-producing species. Notably, leachates stimulated forbs germination through hormesis, contrasting with particulates physical inhibition. For instance, <jats:italic>E. vulgare</jats:italic> velocity increased by ~ 20% with leachates than without them. However, this stimulation was transient and faded in later development. Grasses shoot mass decreased by ~ 21% with particulates, likely from soil water loss via plastic-induced cracks, an effect exacerbated by their shallow root systems. Forbs avoided this stress through deeper rooting and benefited from improved soil aeration, which enhanced shoot growth by ~ 61% compared to control. Grasses allocated carbon to stress tolerance, increasing photosynthetic rates (+ 15%) and water-use efficiency (+ 7.2%). Forbs favored shoot growth despite lower photosynthetis (-8.1%) and water-use efficiency (-25%), using thinner leaves and higher transpiration rates. Root morphology also critically influence tolerance to microplastics. The divergent particulate effects on grasses and forbs, reveal a mechanistic trade-off between stress tolerance and growth investment. Conclusion Microplastic particulates, more than leachates, drive plant responses, suggesting that plastic pollution may act as environmental filter by favoring stress-adapted forbs over grasses.","PeriodicalId":20223,"journal":{"name":"Plant and Soil","volume":"48 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146196597","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-14DOI: 10.1007/s11104-026-08365-2
Rocío Rodríguez, Antonio Gallardo, Luis Villagarcia, Guiyao Zhou, Tadeo Sáez-Sandino, Samuel Castejón, Ana López, Jesús G. P. Rodríguez, Felipe Bastida, Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo
Background and aim The global-scale abandonment of rural areas is resulting in a mosaic of disturbed ecosystems dominated by ruderal vegetation. Yet, the impacts of climate change on the functioning of ruderal ecosystems remain virtually unknown. Methods We conducted a 4-year field experiment to evaluate, for the first time, the long-term impacts of warming and rainfall reduction on the capacity of a ruderal Mediterranean ecosystem to maintain multiple ecosystem services. Results We found that, in general, ruderal ecosystems are highly resistant to climate change with minor effects of warming and rainfall reductions on plant biodiversity and multiple ecosystem services. In fact, we detected small but positive impacts of climate change on certain individual services, with warming enhancing primary production and soil carbon stocks, whereas the combined effects of warming and rainfall exclusion significantly reduced soil carbon stocks. Variation partitioning analysis further revealed that climate accounted for the largest share of variation in both primary production and soil carbon stocks. Conclusions Our results highlight the complexity of climate change interactions in explaining the capacity of ruderal ecosystems to support multiple ecosystem services, and further highlight the overall resistance of these already disturbed ecosystems to climate change.
{"title":"The multifunctionality of ruderal ecosystems is highly resistant to climate change","authors":"Rocío Rodríguez, Antonio Gallardo, Luis Villagarcia, Guiyao Zhou, Tadeo Sáez-Sandino, Samuel Castejón, Ana López, Jesús G. P. Rodríguez, Felipe Bastida, Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo","doi":"10.1007/s11104-026-08365-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-026-08365-2","url":null,"abstract":"Background and aim The global-scale abandonment of rural areas is resulting in a mosaic of disturbed ecosystems dominated by ruderal vegetation. Yet, the impacts of climate change on the functioning of ruderal ecosystems remain virtually unknown. Methods We conducted a 4-year field experiment to evaluate, for the first time, the long-term impacts of warming and rainfall reduction on the capacity of a ruderal Mediterranean ecosystem to maintain multiple ecosystem services. Results We found that, in general, ruderal ecosystems are highly resistant to climate change with minor effects of warming and rainfall reductions on plant biodiversity and multiple ecosystem services. In fact, we detected small but positive impacts of climate change on certain individual services, with warming enhancing primary production and soil carbon stocks, whereas the combined effects of warming and rainfall exclusion significantly reduced soil carbon stocks. Variation partitioning analysis further revealed that climate accounted for the largest share of variation in both primary production and soil carbon stocks. Conclusions Our results highlight the complexity of climate change interactions in explaining the capacity of ruderal ecosystems to support multiple ecosystem services, and further highlight the overall resistance of these already disturbed ecosystems to climate change.","PeriodicalId":20223,"journal":{"name":"Plant and Soil","volume":"11 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146196628","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-13DOI: 10.1007/s11104-026-08354-5
Arjun Singh, Anchal Dass, Susama Sudhishri, V. K. Singh, R. N. Sahoo, Kapila Shekhawat, Pravin K. Upadhyay, S. S. Rathore, Ayekpam Dollina Devi
{"title":"Subsurface drip fertigation optimizes nitrogen distribution in soil under maize cultivation","authors":"Arjun Singh, Anchal Dass, Susama Sudhishri, V. K. Singh, R. N. Sahoo, Kapila Shekhawat, Pravin K. Upadhyay, S. S. Rathore, Ayekpam Dollina Devi","doi":"10.1007/s11104-026-08354-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-026-08354-5","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":20223,"journal":{"name":"Plant and Soil","volume":"35 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146196633","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-13DOI: 10.1007/s11104-026-08368-z
Gianmarco Del Vecchio, Hajar Salehi, Federico Ardenti, Alejandro Castro-Cegri, Andrea Fiorini, Luigi Lucini
Background and aims Modern agriculture requires smart and sustainable fertilization approaches. A strategy to delay the nitrification losses involves the use of nitrification inhibitors. Similarly, biostimulants may enhance nutrient uptake efficiency. This study aims to evaluate the potential synergistic effects of the 3,4-DMPP nitrification inhibitor (NI) and an Ascophyllum nodosum -based biostimulant (ANb) in mitigating nitrogen losses while maintaining the growth and physiological performance of tomato plants under low-nitrogen conditions. Methods Tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum L.) plants were subjected to different levels of nitrogen regimes combined with NI and ANb applications. Physiological traits, yield, soil and leachate nitrogen dynamics were assessed. Untargeted metabolomics of leaves and roots was performed to elucidate treatment related metabolic reprogramming. Results Under nitrogen-limited conditions, the combined application of ANb and NI reduced NO 3− in leached water by 48% compared to NI applied alone at 14 days after the transplant. This combined treatment enhanced photosynthetic efficiency (Phi2), during both early and late development stages, increasing Phi2 values by 34.1% and 73.5%, respectively, compared to 0% N-fertilization treatment. Untargeted metabolomics pointed out distinct metabolomic reprogramming triggered by the combination of NI with ANb, with the most pronounced modulations detected in early-stage leaves, in a way related to abiotic stress resilience, defence mechanisms, and carbon–nitrogen balance. Moreover, the combination of NI and low nitrogen resulted in lower malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation in harvested leaves. Conclusions Our findings confirm the impact of NI in low nitrogen conditions, while outlining the complementary and positive contribution of its combination with ANb.
{"title":"Distinctive and synergistic effects of an Ascophyllum nodosum extract and a nitrification inhibitor on tomato growth, photosynthetic efficiency, and metabolomic profile under low nitrogen conditions","authors":"Gianmarco Del Vecchio, Hajar Salehi, Federico Ardenti, Alejandro Castro-Cegri, Andrea Fiorini, Luigi Lucini","doi":"10.1007/s11104-026-08368-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-026-08368-z","url":null,"abstract":"Background and aims Modern agriculture requires smart and sustainable fertilization approaches. A strategy to delay the nitrification losses involves the use of nitrification inhibitors. Similarly, biostimulants may enhance nutrient uptake efficiency. This study aims to evaluate the potential synergistic effects of the 3,4-DMPP nitrification inhibitor (NI) and an <jats:italic>Ascophyllum nodosum</jats:italic> -based biostimulant (ANb) in mitigating nitrogen losses while maintaining the growth and physiological performance of tomato plants under low-nitrogen conditions. Methods Tomato ( <jats:italic>Solanum lycopersicum</jats:italic> L.) plants were subjected to different levels of nitrogen regimes combined with NI and ANb applications. Physiological traits, yield, soil and leachate nitrogen dynamics were assessed. Untargeted metabolomics of leaves and roots was performed to elucidate treatment related metabolic reprogramming. Results Under nitrogen-limited conditions, the combined application of ANb and NI reduced NO <jats:sub>3</jats:sub> <jats:sup>−</jats:sup> in leached water by 48% compared to NI applied alone at 14 days after the transplant. This combined treatment enhanced photosynthetic efficiency (Phi2), during both early and late development stages, increasing Phi2 values by 34.1% and 73.5%, respectively, compared to 0% N-fertilization treatment. Untargeted metabolomics pointed out distinct metabolomic reprogramming triggered by the combination of NI with ANb, with the most pronounced modulations detected in early-stage leaves, in a way related to abiotic stress resilience, defence mechanisms, and carbon–nitrogen balance. Moreover, the combination of NI and low nitrogen resulted in lower malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation in harvested leaves. Conclusions Our findings confirm the impact of NI in low nitrogen conditions, while outlining the complementary and positive contribution of its combination with ANb.","PeriodicalId":20223,"journal":{"name":"Plant and Soil","volume":"2 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146196632","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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