Article
Ecology
Israel Ikoyi, Guylain Grange, John A. Finn, Fiona P. Brennan
Summary: The impact of plant species diversity on belowground communities in intensively-managed grassland systems is poorly understood. This study investigated the changes in the soil nematode community in grassland communities with different plant species diversity, and found that multispecies forage sward mixtures can improve the diversity of soil nematode community and soil quality indices.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Soil Science
Jiangnan Li, Jie Zhao, Xionghui Liao, Qing Yi, Wei Zhang, Haifei Lin, Kunping Liu, Peiqin Peng, Kelin Wang
Summary: The negative environmental impacts of chemical fertilizers are well-known, and returning agricultural residues to the soil is considered a sustainable practice. However, there is limited research on the ecological and economic benefits of this practice. In a 16-year field experiment, the application of agricultural residues increased soil microbial biomass and diversity, soil network complexity, and ecosystem multifunctionality. Economic benefits were highest when cattle manure was returned to the soil, lowest with crop straw, and intermediate with chemical fertilization alone.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Raquel Campos-Herrera, Juan Emilio Palomares-Ruis, Ruben Blanco-Perez, Jose Antonio Rodriguez-Martin, Blanca B. Landa, Pablo Castillo
Summary: This study investigated the occurrence of entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) and associated soil organisms in olive groves managed with different practices. The results showed that drip irrigation enhanced the EPN community and the growth of nematophagous fungi (NF). This provides important insights for determining suitable management strategies to enhance a balanced soil biota in olive groves in Mediterranean regions and other areas where this crop is cultivated.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Soil Science
Gerhard Du Preez, Mieke Daneel, Ron De Goede, Marie Joey Du Toit, Howard Ferris, Hendrika Fourie, Stefan Geisen, Thomais Kakouli-Duarte, Gerard Korthals, Sara Sanchez-Moreno, Jan Henrik Schmidt
Summary: The health and functioning of soil ecosystems are vital for sustainable food production and land management. Indices based on nematode community structure are widely used by soil ecologists. This review evaluates the application and future directions of nematode-based indices, providing a framework for selecting indices based on ecological mechanisms for hypothesis testing.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Thomas P. Moore, Catherine M. Febria, Angus R. McIntosh, Helen J. Warburton, Jon S. Harding
Summary: The study found that commonly used biotic indices were unable to accurately detect the effects of high nitrate concentrations. Additionally, the results suggest that in systems affected by high nutrient concentrations, sensitive taxa may have already been lost.
WATER AIR AND SOIL POLLUTION
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Kara S. Gibson, Deborah A. Neher, Nancy C. Johnson, Robert R. Parmenter, Anita J. Antoninka
Summary: Little information is available regarding thresholds for impacts on soil nematodes caused by mechanized logging equipment, which are critical members of soil foodwebs. In this study, we examined the responses of nematode communities and soil physical characteristics to the increasing number of passes by a tracked feller buncher during thinning of a xeric mixed conifer forest. The results indicated that low levels of logging machinery traffic may have negligible effects on nematode communities, but emphasize the importance of minimizing areas subjected to disturbance because of impacts on soil physical properties.
Article
Automation & Control Systems
Shubo Wang, Jian Chen, Xiongkui He
Summary: An adaptive composite anti-disturbance attitude controller is proposed for agricultural quadrotor UAV to overcome disturbances in ultra-low altitude phenotype remote sensing and precision hovering of spraying. Experimental results demonstrate significant improvement in the controller's anti-disturbance performance under various disturbance conditions.
Article
Forestry
Laura Super, Monika A. Gorzelak, Robert D. Guy
Summary: Relatively little is known about whole-plant fungal communities (mycobiome) and associated soil nematodes, especially with respect to woody plant seedlings and disturbance caused by forest harvesting. In a growth chamber experiment, the researchers tested the effects of simulated clear-cut soil conditions on shoot biomass, total soil nematode density, and the shoot and root mycobiome of Douglas-fir seedlings. They found that refugia plants had an impact on the phyto-biome, including plant-associated nematodes and the stochasticity of root and shoot mycobiome community assembly, while not showing noticeable impacts on above-ground plant growth.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Janet Hooke, Jonas Souza, Miguel Marchamalo
Summary: Connectivity analysis is valuable in understanding runoff and sediment fluxes in catchments, and different versions of Connectivity Index have been developed. This study tested the effects of various Index versions in an agricultural-terraced catchment in the semi-arid Mediterranean region, with UAV imagery providing detailed topography and vegetation cover. Models showed similarities in flow patterns, with the vegetation-inclusive model closer to field conditions. However, all models lacked in accurately modeling ponding and sedimentation created by terraces.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jingwen Yu, Xiyue Yu, Caihong Li, Muhammad Ayaz, Sulaiman Abdulsalam, Deliang Peng, Rende Qi, Huan Peng, Lingan Kong, Jianping Jia, Wenkun Huang
Summary: Silicon and its compounds have been found to enhance plant resistance against various phytopathogens. The application of silicon has been shown to regulate different defense mechanisms and reduce the severity of nematode infestation. Understanding the role of silicon in plant-nematode interactions is important for effective management of plant-nematode diseases.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Juan Zhou, Meng Lu, Xiongjie Sheng, Jianping Wu
Summary: The synthesis indicates that nitrogen addition decreases the maturity index and structure index, but increases the plant-parasitic index. Warming reduces the channel index. The effects of nitrogen addition and warming on ecological indices depend on the experimental system and environmental factors, with long-term experiments showing greater impact than short-term ones.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Ying Pan, Yonghua Zhu, Haishen Lue, Ali Levent Yagci, Xiaolei Fu, En Liu, Haiting Xu, Zhenzhou Ding, Ruoyu Liu
Summary: Agricultural drought poses threats to global water security, food security, and natural ecosystems. This study aimed to identify a reliable and accurate agricultural drought index that works well in both dry and wet climates. The results showed that the Drought Severity Index (DSI) based on the Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) performed the best in identifying agricultural drought in different regions of China.
AGRICULTURAL WATER MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Chengqiang Yin, Shourui Wang, Jie Gao, Xiaowei Li
Summary: In this paper, a trajectory tracking control system is designed for an agricultural tractor with the electric power steering mechanism. A DC brush motor is added on the steering column of the tractor and the hardware circuits for the steering controller are designed to control the front wheel angel. The effectiveness of the designed trajectory tracking control system is demonstrated by simulation analyses in reference to the planed trajectory.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ronnie J. Araneda-Cabrera, Maria Bermudez, Jeronimo Puertas
Summary: Site-specific studies are necessary to identify suitable drought indices for assessing and predicting drought impacts. This study in Argentina found that indices such as STCI, SVHI, and SPEI, particularly correlated with temperature, were effective in explaining variability in crop yields, with El Nino indices showing the strongest correlations with drought indices. The findings may have implications for water resource management, drought risk management, and the Argentinean soybean production sector.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Simon Kloos, Ye Yuan, Mariapina Castelli, Annette Menzel
Summary: Droughts during the growing season in Central Europe are projected to increase, making area-wide monitoring of agricultural drought crucial. Research has shown that water is the primary limiting factor for vegetation growth in specific areas and during summer months, with temperature and vegetation health indices correlating with soil moisture and agricultural yield anomalies.
