Article
Environmental Sciences
Hui Liu, Tino Colombi, Ortrud Jack, Thomas Keller, Martin Weih
Summary: The use of heavy farm machinery has led to widespread soil compaction, affecting the growth and grain yield of spring wheat under different weather conditions. Higher early vigor may be associated with reduced grain yield, highlighting the importance of considering the interactive effects of soil physical and weather conditions when evaluating the impact of soil compaction on crop growth and productivity.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Soil Science
Victoria Regina Morello Gongora, Deonir Secco, Doglas Bassegio, Araceli Ciotti de Marins, Pablo Chang, Mateus Rodrigues Savioli
Summary: This study found that cover crops can improve the physical properties of compacted soil but may not effectively reduce soil loss and runoff.
Article
Agronomy
David D. Tarkalson, Bradley A. King, Dave L. Bjorneberg
Summary: This study aims to explore the relationship between maize grain yield and water use, and provide data support for deficit water management decisions in irrigated maize. The results suggest that adjustments should be made to the crop coefficients for maize in the arid Northwest U.S. Additionally, by establishing crop water production functions, the range of maize yield and water productivity under different water conditions can be understood.
AGRICULTURAL WATER MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Murilo Battistuzzi Martins, Fernanda Pacheco de Almeida Prado Bortolheiro, Joao Vitor Paulo Testa, Maria Marcia Pereira Sartori, Carlos Alexandre Costa Crusciol, Kleber Pereira Lancas
Summary: The study aimed to verify energy optimization in sugarcane soil preparation for increasing productivity. The results showed that deep band preparation can achieve higher productivity.
Article
Agronomy
Guangzhou Wang, Xiaogang Li, Xinqiang Xi, Wen-Feng Cong
Summary: Intensive agriculture and excessive use of chemical fertilizers have negatively impacted soil microbial composition and functions. Crop diversification can address these issues by altering the interactions between above- and belowground biota. However, the mechanisms by which crop diversity alleviates monoculture soil sickness are still unknown.
Article
Agronomy
Xucheng Zhang, Huizhi Hou, Yanjie Fang, Hongli Wang, Xianfeng Yu, Yifan Ma, Kangning Lei
Summary: Plastic mulching combined with supplementary irrigation and organic fertilizer application significantly increased yield and water productivity of wheat and maize, and had a positive effect on soil water balance. Long-term effects of plastic mulching on soil organic carbon balance still need further investigation for sustainable agricultural production.
AGRICULTURAL WATER MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Morad Mirzaei, Manouchehr Gorji Anari, Ehsan Razavy-Toosi, Hossein Asadi, Ebrahim Moghiseh, Nermina Saronjic, Jesus Rodrigo-Comino
Summary: The study showed that applying crop residue can improve soil quality and yield, especially at higher rates of residue application. Different proportions of residue had varying effects on wheat yield and soil properties, with slight differences between the no-till and conventional systems.
Article
Horticulture
E. B. Lulane, S. Dzikiti, T. Volschenk, E. Lotze, S. J. E. Midgley
Summary: Apple producers are using nets to address climate and pest-related challenges. This study found that under fixed nets, water use in apple orchards decreased and water saving benefits were smaller than expected.
SCIENTIA HORTICULTURAE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Raghavendra Singh, Subhash Babu, R. K. Avasthe, Gulab Singh Yadav, Anup Das, K. P. Mohapatra, Amit Kumar, Vinod K. Singh, Puran Chandra
Summary: The study evaluated six cropping systems and three soil moisture conservation measures over a four-year period, showing that combining cowpea with maize and including winter crops can significantly improve yield and soil quality in rainfed ecosystems. Among the systems, maize thorn cowpea-garden pea (M thorn C-GP) recorded the highest crop productivity.
INTERNATIONAL SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Miranda T. Curzon, Robert A. Slesak, Brian J. Palik, Julia K. Schwager
Summary: Our study shows that the impact of management on forest productivity and recovery is influenced by factors such as soil texture, quality, and climate. Different management treatments had varying effects on above-ground biomass, soil carbon and nutrients, soil bulk density, and stand development in aspen-dominated forests. Understanding soil limitations is crucial when considering forest management impacts.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Hanaa Darouich, Razan Karfoul, Tiago B. Ramos, Ali Moustafa, Baraa Shaheen, Luis S. Pereira
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the water requirements of jute mallow in the Akkar region of Syria, and analyzed the impact of different irrigation methods on the crop. The results showed that drip irrigation had the highest water productivity and economic indicators, while basin irrigation led to substantial percolation losses.
AGRICULTURAL WATER MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Review
Plant Sciences
Abdul Wahab, Murad Muhammad, Asma Munir, Gholamreza Abdi, Wajid Zaman, Asma Ayaz, Chandni Khizar, Sneha Priya Pappula Reddy
Summary: Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) form symbiotic relationships with land-dwelling plants, improving growth and productivity, especially during abiotic stress. AMF enhances nutrient acquisition and plant tolerance to abiotic stress through nutrient exchange at the arbuscular mycorrhizal interface. AMF also affects plants' antioxidant defense systems, osmotic adjustment, and hormone regulation, promoting plant performance in abiotic stress conditions. More research is needed to understand the molecular mechanisms and responses of AMF-plant interactions to abiotic stresses.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Hardeep Singh, Brian K. Northup, Charles W. Rice, P. V. Vara Prasad
Summary: Biochar application can have positive effects on soil properties and crop productivity. It can increase soil pH, cation exchange capacity, and organic carbon content, while reducing bulk density and increasing porosity. The impact on microbial diversity varies depending on the feedstock and soil texture. However, the increase in crop productivity is only significant in fine and coarse textured soils.
Article
Agronomy
Muhammad Mughees Ud Din, Muhammad Imran Khan, Muhammad Azam, Muhammad Hayder Ali, Rashad Qadri, Muhammad Naveed, Abdul Nasir
Summary: This study evaluated the effects of compost and biochar addition on the growth and fruit quality of tomatoes under salinity stress. The results showed that the addition of biochar and compost in saline soil significantly improved plant growth and reduced the phytotoxicity caused by salinity.
Article
Agronomy
Se-Won Kang, Jin-Ju Yun, Jae-Hyuk Park, Ju-Sik Cho
Summary: The study found significant improvements in crop productivity and soil quality, as well as reductions in CO2 and N2O emissions, with the application of biochar derived from soybean stalks in an upland field. The results suggest that incorporating biochar with compost can be an effective strategy for sustainable agriculture and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Alejandro Romero-Ruiz, Niklas Linde, Ludovic Baron, Daniel Breitenstein, Thomas Keller, Dani Or
Summary: Characterizing and quantifying soil structure in the field remains a challenge despite its importance for hydrological and ecological soil functioning. This study expands the application of geoelectrical and time-domain reflectometry monitoring to infer the impacts of compaction on soil structure and function. The findings suggest that soil compaction leads to a decrease in soil electrical resistivity and drier soil conditions.
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Surya Gupta, Andreas Papritz, Peter Lehmann, Tomislav Hengl, Sara Bonetti, Dani Or
Summary: This study developed a machine learning framework called CoGTF to predict global soil water characteristic curve (SWCC) parameters, and found through spatial cross-validation and comparison analysis that the accuracy of the CoGTF model is better than that of the pedotransfer function (PTF) models.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Surya Gupta, Andreas Papritz, Peter Lehmann, Tomislav Hengl, Sara Bonetti, Dani Or
Summary: The study assembled and quality-checked SWCC data from the literature to establish a global soil hydraulic properties database. The findings indicate that there are differences in SWCCs across climatic regions, and the database can be used to create global maps of soil hydraulic properties.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Linfeng Fan, Peter Lehmann, Chunmiao Zheng, Dani Or
Summary: Vegetation modulates rainfall-induced landslides primarily through root reinforcement, canopy interception, and evapotranspiration. An understudied consequence of vegetation activity is the promotion of soil structure development, which inhibits landslides by enhancing infiltration capacity and drainage. Developed soil structure also decreases sediment yields and promotes the export of dissolved organic carbon.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Philippe Tschanz, Stefan Vogel, Achim Walter, Thomas Keller, Matthias Albrecht
Summary: Ground-nesting wild bees play a crucial role in pollinating wild plants and crops, impacting human wellbeing. This study in Switzerland found that arable fields are utilized for nesting by various bee species, with nest density being positively related to the proportion of bare ground and decreasing with distance from field edges. The findings suggest that maintaining small field sizes, increasing edge density, and reducing crop cover through increased row spacing can support ground-nesting bees in agricultural landscapes, potentially aided by floral-rich agri-environment scheme areas. Further research is needed to determine if tilled arable fields serve as suitable nesting habitats or ecological traps for ground-nesting bees.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Laerke Daverkosen, Alena Holzknecht, Jurgen K. Friedel, Thomas Keller, Bjarne W. Strobel, Annelie Wendeberg, Sabine Jordan
Summary: This study aims to investigate the impact of regenerative management practices on soil health indicators in Gotland, Sweden. The results show that the application of organic matter has a positive effect on soil indicators, while reduced tillage and increased share of perennials have a positive impact on vegetation density and root abundance. Additionally, cluster analysis reveals significant differences in soil indicators among different management types.
JOURNAL OF PLANT NUTRITION AND SOIL SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Agronomy
Sara L. Bauke, Wulf Amelung, Roland Bol, Luise Brandt, Nicolas Brueggemann, Ellen Kandeler, Nele Meyer, Dani Or, Andrea Schnepf, Michael Schloter, Stefanie Schulz, Nina Siebers, Christian von Sperber, Harry Vereecken
Summary: This article investigates the relationship between soil water status and the cycling of nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur in agroecosystems. It discusses the impact of soil water on nutrient imbalance and availability at different scales. Water plays a crucial role in nutrient cycling in agroecosystems, affecting the balance and availability of nutrients across different levels.
JOURNAL OF PLANT NUTRITION AND SOIL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
J. B. Woodard, B. B. Mirus, M. M. Crawford, D. Or, B. A. Leshchinsky, K. E. Allstadt, N. J. Wood
Summary: Landslide susceptibility maps show the likelihood of landslide occurrence in different areas. Developing models for large or diverse terrains is challenging due to limited landslide data and variability in triggering conditions. This study introduces a statistical framework to evaluate the effects of different sampling strategies on model accuracy, and highlights the importance of using uniformly distributed data for training over spatially isolated data.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-EARTH SURFACE
(2023)
Article
Biology
Samuel Bickel, Dani Or
Summary: A modelling framework predicts the spatial distribution of soil bacterial communities at sub-millimeter scales across varied climate conditions and soil types. The spatial distribution of bacterial cells in soil communities modulates various metabolic interactions and soil microbiome functioning.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Soil Science
Philippe Tschanz, John Koestel, Valerio Volpe, Matthias Albrecht, Thomas Keller
Summary: Most research on wild bees has focused on their role as pollinators, but their importance as soil ecosystem engineers has been largely overlooked. This study used X-ray computed tomography to examine the morphology and temporal evolution of ground-nesting bee burrows, and found significant differences between species. The study highlights the potential of X-ray imaging to gain insights into the underground life of ground-nesting bees and emphasizes their importance as soil ecosystem engineers.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Florian Walder, Lucie Buechi, Cameron Wagg, Tino Colombi, Samiran Banerjee, Juliane Hirte, Jochen Mayer, Johan Six, Thomas Keller, Raphael Charles, Marcel G. A. van Der Heijden
Summary: One of the critical challenges in agriculture is to enhance yield without compromising soil health and the environment. This study compared the effects of conventional, no-till, and organic management on production and soil health. The results suggest that organic management improves soil health but leads to lower yields, while no-till systems show intermediate results. The study highlights the importance of balanced approaches that combine crop diversification, organic amendments, and effective crop protection to achieve multifunctional agroecosystems.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Linfeng Fan, Xingxing Kuang, Dani Or, Chunmiao Zheng
Summary: The Yarlung Zangbo River (YZR) is the largest river in the northern Himalayas and plays a crucial role in providing water resources downstream. This study establishes a comprehensive hydrological model to understand the streamflow dynamics and water budget in the YZR basin. The results show that groundwater contributes significantly to the annual streamflow in the YZR, while precipitation and melt surface runoff also make significant contributions. Additionally, the study reveals a water imbalance in the basin, where a large portion of precipitation and meltwater remains unaccounted for. The excess water is hypothesized to discharge into deep fractured bedrock aquifers, supported by groundwater storage estimates.
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mehdi Rahmati, Alexander Graf, Christian Poppe Teran, Wulf Amelung, Wouter Dorigo, Harrie-Jan Hendricks Franssen, Carsten Montzka, Dani Or, Matthias Sprenger, Jan Vanderborght, Niko E. C. Verhoest, Harry Vereecken
Summary: Despite previous reports of lengthening growing seasons in Europe due to global warming, recent evidence shows that the trend has reversed in the past decade. Early greening still occurs, but at slower rates, while a shift in the timing of dormancy has caused a decrease in season length. This is primarily due to higher atmospheric water demand in summer, which suppresses transpiration.
COMMUNICATIONS EARTH & ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Editorial Material
Environmental Sciences
Mehdi Rahmati, Dani Or, Wulf Amelung, Sara L. Bauke, Roland Bol, Harrie-Jan Hendricks Franssen, Carsten Montzka, Jan Vanderborght, Harry Vereecken
NATURE REVIEWS EARTH & ENVIRONMENT
(2023)