Article
Environmental Sciences
Bo Wu, Shuhai Guo, Lingyan Zhang, Sa Wang, Dong Liu, Zhigao Cheng, Nan Shi
Summary: In this study, the spatial variation of residual TPH components and their ecological risk in oilfield soils were analyzed. It was found that zonal environmental factors and soil properties were the main influencing factors of residual TPH index. The ecological risk caused by residual TPHs decreased when the oilfield latitude and clay and organic matter content in the soil were lower.
Article
Agronomy
Roope Nasi, Hannu Mikkola, Eija Honkavaara, Niko Koivumaki, Raquel A. Oliveira, Pirjo Peltonen-Sainio, Niila-Sakari Keijala, Mikael Anakkala, Laura Alakukku, Laura Alakukku
Summary: Crop growth within agricultural parcels can be uneven, even with even management. Aerial images can determine vegetation presence and variability, but the reasons for uneven growth are less studied. This study evaluated the relationship between drone image data and field/soil quality indicators. The results showed that soil/field indicators can effectively explain spatial variability in drone images, which can be utilized for cultivation planning and field parcel evaluation.
Article
Agronomy
Padikkal Chandran, Duraisamy Vasu, Pramod Tiwary, Karunakaran Karthikeyan, Abhishek Jangir, Gopal Tiwari, Ranjan Paul, Krishnendu Das
Summary: This study identifies soil quality indicators and assesses the soil quality index for different agricultural ecological sub-regions in India. The findings suggest that soil pH, active carbon pool, and available zinc are common indicators for both sub-regions. The study also shows a strong relationship between the soil quality index and crop yield, indicating the reliability of the selected indicators in measuring soil quality.
ARCHIVES OF AGRONOMY AND SOIL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Youxiao Wang, Gaohuan Liu, Zhonghe Zhao
Summary: The study on soil fertility in the Yellow River Delta found that soil fertility levels consistently declined from west to east, with total potassium, total nitrogen, and organic matter being the main factors affecting soil fertility. Future agricultural planning should focus on soil total nitrogen, total potassium, and organic matter, and control salinization to improve land productivity, with particular attention to the eastern coastal zone, especially the southeastern region.
JOURNAL OF SOILS AND SEDIMENTS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Studies
Fengkui Qian, Yuanjun Yu, Xiuru Dong, Hanlong Gu
Summary: Soil quality is closely related to food security and human survival and development. In recent years, the quality of topsoil in Tieling County, northeast China, has deteriorated due to urbanization and abandoned land. A minimum data set (MDS) was constructed through principal component analysis (PCA) to evaluate topsoil quality, and a soil quality index (SQI) was calculated to analyze its spatial distribution characteristics and influencing factors. The MDS included indicators such as total potassium, clay, zinc, soil organic matter, soil water content, cation exchange capacity, pH, and copper. The evaluation results showed a trend of low soil quality in the east and high quality in the west, gradually increasing from hilly to plain areas. The proportion of Grade-II and grade-III soil quality was the largest, while grade-V was the smallest. These findings can serve as a reference for future topsoil quality evaluations and provide a basis for soil quality improvement measures.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Yitayh Leul, Mohammed Assen, Shimeles Damene, Asmamaw Legass
Summary: Soil quality degrades when natural forests are converted to human-managed ecosystems. This study analyzed the impact of land use change on soil quality dynamics in a tropical sub-humid ecosystem in western Ethiopia. The results showed that certain soil quality indicators significantly degraded in commercial lands and farmlands compared to forest soils, highlighting the importance of sustainable land management practices.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Hongxiang Zhao, Li Wu, Shuwei Zhu, Hongchang Sun, Cailong Xu, Jindong Fu, Tangyuan Ning
Summary: Tillage management is a crucial factor in determining soil quality, which is vital for sustainable agriculture. Through investigating the effects of different tillage managements on soil properties, it was found that subsoiling tillage had positive effects on soil organic carbon and total nitrogen, while rotary tillage increased soil water content. The soil quality index was significantly correlated with grain yield. Therefore, evaluating soil quality through sensitive indicators can provide a scientific basis for selecting appropriate tillage management and assessing soil quality.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Guohui Shen, Xin Ru, Yanting Gu, Wei Liu, Kunzhen Wang, Baiyi Li, Yanzhi Guo, Juan Han
Summary: Heavy metal(loid)s pollution in farmland soil is a significant environmental and human health issue. Accurately understanding and evaluating the levels of heavy metal pollution in soil is crucial for sustainable agricultural development and food safety. Mountainous and hilly areas, which serve as both industrial and agricultural regions, are more susceptible to heavy metal pollution in farmland soil.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Duraisamy Vasu, Gopal Tiwari, Sonalika Sahoo, Benukantha Dash, Abhishek Jangir, Ram Prasad Sharma, Ravindra Naitam, Pramod Tiwary, Karunakaran Karthikeyan, Padikkal Chandran
Summary: This study established a minimum data set (MDS) based on soil morphological properties to quantify coastal soil quality, with pore abundance, structure size, drainage, pore size, and colour as key contributors. The categorical principal component analysis (CATPCA) identified five principal components explaining 60% of the variability. Rice-growing soils exhibited lower morphological quality due to structural degradation, and land-use types significantly influenced the morphological soil quality index (MSQI) in both surface and subsurface soils. The strong correlation between MSQI and saturated hydraulic conductivity validated the MDS for assessing soil quality in coastal regions.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Samuel Adingo, Jie-Ru Yu, Liu Xuelu, Sun Jing, Xiaodan Li, Zhang Xiaoning
Summary: This study analyzed the physicochemical properties of soils in different land-use types in YongDeng County, revealing variations in soil particle composition and organic carbon content among different land-use types. The correlation among soil quality indicators was significant, with the overall soil quality scores highest in farmland and lowest in poplar woodland. Conservation tillage and natural restoration of abandoned farmland to grassland were identified as effective measures to improve soil quality in dry ecosystems.
Article
Agronomy
Tajamul Islam Shah, Aanisa Manzoor Shah, Shabir Ahmed Bangroo, Manbir Pal Sharma, Aziz Mujtaba Aezum, Nayar Afaq Kirmani, Aabid Hussain Lone, Mohammad Iqbal Jeelani, Ajai Pratap Rai, Fehim Jeelani Wani, Mohammad Iqbal Bhat, Abdul Raouf Malik, Asim Biswas, Latief Ahmad
Summary: The study aimed to establish a minimum data set (MDS) of soil quality indicators and evaluate soil quality in the Himalayan foothills. The results showed that the integrated module of organic and inorganic fertilization significantly improved soil characteristics, and the soil quality index (SQI) varied among different treatments. The key indicators influencing the SQI were water holding capacity, dehydrogenase activity, total bacterial count, and available phosphorus. The treatments that received an integrated nutrient package exhibited a higher SQI compared to the control treatment.
Article
Soil Science
Selvaraj Selvalakshmi, Duraisamy Vasu, Xiaodong Yang
Summary: This study assessed the impact of different planting densities on soil quality in pine plantations and found that increasing planting density had a negative effect on soil quality. Total carbon, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and soil moisture content were identified as important drivers of soil quality. Maintaining a moderate to low planting density can help restore understory vegetation, achieve high timber yield, and sustain soil quality in pine plantations.
APPLIED SOIL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
S. K. Reza, N. M. Alam, S. Mukhopadhyay, D. C. Nayak, A. K. Sahoo, S. K. Singh, B. S. Dwivedi, D. Maurya, J. Mukhopadhyay
Summary: This study evaluated the soil quality of alluvial soils in the Indo-Gangetic Plains, India by assessing pedo-morphological properties. Through the collection of 241 geo-referenced soil profiles and the use of optimal scaling method and categorical principal component analysis, a minimum dataset was identified and specific soil quality indicators for alluvial landforms were determined. The results indicate that these soil quality indicators are suitable for the evaluation and monitoring of alluvial soils.
ARCHIVES OF AGRONOMY AND SOIL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Maryam Zahedifar, Ali Akbar Moosavi, Edris Gavili
Summary: This study evaluated the integrated impacts of cattle manure-derived biochar and soil moisture levels on soybean yield and soil quality. It identified the most important soil indicators for soil quality indices and showed that high levels of biochar can significantly improve soil quality under drought conditions.
ENVIRONMENT DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Tavjot Kaur, Simerpreet Kaur Sehgal, Satnam Singh, Sandeep Sharma, Salwinder Singh Dhaliwal, Vivek Sharma
Summary: This study investigated the seasonal effects of five different land use systems on soil quality in the lower Satluj basin of India. It found that forests had the highest impact on soil organic carbon and nutrient content, while sugarcane had the lowest impact. The surface soil layer had higher organic carbon and nutrient content, and seasonal variations significantly affected soil quality.
