Soil quality and fertility in sustainable agriculture, with a contribution to the biological classification of agricultural soils

Wang

et al. 2022

IJERPH

Conventional fertilization in the greenhouses of North China used excessive amounts of chemical and organic fertilizer, resulting in soil degradation and severe agricultural non-point source pollution. A nine-year study was conducted on a loamy clay soil in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province, to investigate the effects of reduced-fertilizer input regimes on soil property, bacterial diversity, nitrogen (N) cycling and their interactions. There were four treatments, including high organic + chemical fertilizer application rate and three reduced-fertilizer treatments with swine manure, maize straw or no substitution of 50% chemical N. Treatments with reduced-fertilizer input prevented soil salinization and acidification as in local conventional fertilization after being treated for nine years. In comparison to chemical fertilizer only, swine manure or maize straw substitution maintained higher nutrient availability and soil organic C contents. Fertilizer input reduction significantly increased bacterial richness and shifted bacterial community after nine years, with decisive factors of EC, Olsen P and C/N ratio of applied fertilizer. Soil chemical characteristics (EC, pH and nutrients), aggregation and C/N ratio of applied fertilizer selected certain bacterial groups, as well as N-cycling functions. Reduced-fertilizer input decreased the potential nitrification and denitrification functioning of bacterial community, but only in organic substitution treatments. The results of this study suggested that fertilizer input reduction combined with organic C input has potential in reducing non-point source pollution and increasing N-use efficiency in greenhouse vegetable production in North China.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Positive Effects of Organic Substitution in Reduced-Fertilizer Regimes on Bacterial Diversity and N-Cycling Functionality in Greenhouse Ecosystem

Wang

et al. 2022

IJERPH

“…However, they observed significantly lower concentrations of exchangeable potassium and extractable phosphorus in organically managed soils. These studies show that management practices impact soil fertility and should be considered by farmers, land managers, and crop advisers in the decision-making processes to choose appropriate agricultural practices (Sofo et al, 2022).…”

Section: Highlightsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Organic <em>versus</em> conventional farming: Medium-term evaluation of soil chemical properties

et al. 2022

Agricultural management affects soil fertility through the frequency and type of agronomic practices such as mechanical operations, type and rate of fertilizers, crop rotations, and residue management. This study evaluated the evolution of soil chemical properties (pH; electrical conductivity; soil organic carbon, SOC; total Kjeldahl nitrogen, TKN; and available phosphorous, PO4-P) over time in two farming systems, organically and conventionally managed, after 5 and 14 years after the establishment of both systems, in northeastern Italy. SOC content remained stable in the conventional farming system, but slightly decreased in the organic farming system, despite inputs from organic amendments. In contrast, soil TKN remained consistently higher in the organic farming system. The PO4-P increased over time, in both farming systems. Moreover, we observed that an increase of 1% in soil clay content resulted in increases of 0.0534 and 0.0053 g kg–1 in SOC and TKN, respectively. In conclusion, our results indicate that organic management does not have an advantage over conventional management in terms of soil organic matter accumulation. Highlights - Organic management did not increase soil organic carbon content 14 years after the system was established. - The soil organic carbon was stable over time in the conventional system. - Soil organic nitrogen was higher in the organic farm than in the conventional farm. - Soil C/N ratios in organic and conventional management were <10, indicating active mineralization.

Soil Use and Management

“…NPs may also affect soil fauna, such as earthworms and nematodes (Huerta Lwanga et al, 2016). Earthworms could promote plant development by modifying the soil environment, like enhancing soil permeability, enzyme activity and nutrients (especially effective phosphorus; Carlesso et al, 2022; Sofo et al, 2022; Wang et al, 2019). However, numerous researches demonstrated that high concentration of MPs adversely affect the survival, growth rate, cast production, digging and feeding behaviour of earthworms (Liu et al, 2021).…”

Section: Implications For Soil Health Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nanoplastic–plant interaction and implications for soil health

Zhou

Wang

Gao

et al. 2022

Nanoplastics (NPs) are accumulating in the soil environment at a rapid rate, which may cause serious consequences for ecosystems and human health. However, environmental behaviour and toxicity of NPs in the soil-plant system remain poorly understood. This review summarizes current studies on NP-plant interactions to unravel uptake mechanisms and phytotoxicity of NPs. NPs could be taken up by plant roots and transported upwards through the xylem to all organs of the plant, even to the edible parts such as the grain, thereby threatening human health.The interaction of NPs with plants affects plant transport of water and nutrients.Besides, it induces significant oxidative stress leading to inhibition of physiological and biochemical activities such as photosynthesis, and thus adversely affects plant growth and development. In addition, the co-transport of NPs with other soil pollutants may induce the combined toxic effects. This study also discussed the potential mechanism of NP-plant interactions based on previous experience with engineered nanomaterials. Finally, a comprehensive assessment of the key challenges in each area was presented, and future perspectives are offered.