The GEMAS (geochemical mapping of agricultural soil) project collected 2108 Ap horizon soil samples from regularly ploughed fields in 33 European countries, covering 5.6 million km2. The <2 mm fraction of these samples was analysed for 53 elements by ICP-MS and ICP-AES, following a HNO3/HCl/H2O (modified aqua regia) digestion. Results are used here to establish the geochemical background variation and threshold values, derived statistically from the data set, in order to identify unusually high element concentrations for these elements in the Ap samples. Potentially toxic elements (PTEs),

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Soil legacy data rescue via GlobalSoilMap and other international and national initiatives The International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) believes that open access contributes to its mission of reducing hunger and poverty, and improving human nutrition in the tropics through research aimed at increasing the eco-efficiency of agriculture. CIAT is committed to creating and sharing knowledge and information openly and globally. We do this through collaborative research as well as through the open sharing of our data, tools, and publications.

An experiment with five different tillage systems and their influence on physical properties of a&nbsp;silty loam soil (Albic Luvisol) was carried in northwest Slavonia in the period of 1997&ndash;2000. The compared tillage systems were: 1. conventional tillage (CT), 2. reduced tillage (RT), 3. conservation tillage I&nbsp;(CP), 4. conservation tillage II (CM), 5. no-tillage system (NT). The crop rotation was soybean (Glycine max L.) &ndash; winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) &ndash; soybean &ndash; winter wheat. Differences between tillage systems in bulk density, total porosity, and water holding capacity and air capacity were not significant in winter wheat seasons. In soybean seasons, significant differences between some tillage systems were recorded in bulk density, total porosity, air capacity and soil moisture. The deterioration trend of physical properties was generally increasing in the order CM, CT, CP, NT and RT. The highest yield of soybean in the first experimental year was achieved under CT system and the lowest under CP system. In all other experimental years, the highest yield of winter wheat and soybean was achieved under CM system, while the lowest under RT system.

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