Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science最新文献

{"title":"Sewage Sludge and Cashew Bagasse Biochars Promote Changes in Selected Physical Attributes Related to the Structure of Degraded Dryland Soil","authors":"João Marcos Rodrigues dos Santos,&nbsp;Ícaro Vasconcelos do Nascimento,&nbsp;Gilvanete da Silva Henrique,&nbsp;Tiago da Costa Dantas Moniz,&nbsp;Francisco Luan Almeida Barbosa,&nbsp;Alexandre dos Santos Queiroz,&nbsp;Adriana Guirado Artur,&nbsp;Mirian Cristina Gomes Costa,&nbsp;Helon Hébano de Freitas Sousa,&nbsp;Odair Pastor Ferreira,&nbsp;Laís Gomes Fregolente,&nbsp;Antônio Gomes de Souza Filho,&nbsp;Romildo Lopes de Oliveira Filho,&nbsp;Arthur Prudêncio de Araujo Pereira,&nbsp;Jaedson Cláudio Anunciato Mota","doi":"10.1002/jpln.70067","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jpln.70067","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Biochar, produced through biomass pyrolysis, has been proposed as a strategy for the restoration of degraded dry soils due to its stability and potential benefits. However, knowledge about its impact on the physical structure of degraded drylands remains limited, particularly for biochars derived from co-pyrolysis of sewage sludge with cashew residues.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Aims</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study evaluated the effects of two biochars applied at distinct rates on the physical properties of a degraded loamy sand soil.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A column experiment was conducted in a greenhouse under a completely randomized design (2 × 4 + 1) with four replications. Treatments included two biochars obtained from the co-pyrolysis of sewage sludge with cashew pruning residue (SPB) and the pyrolysis of cashew bagasse (CBB), applied at four rates (5, 10, 20, and 40 Mg ha⁻¹), along with a control. Soil density, porosity components, pore size distribution curves, air permeability, pore continuity index, and aggregate stability were analyzed.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The application of SPB at 20 Mg ha⁻¹ reduced bulk density by 7.74% compared to the control. Porosity components and pore connectivity were primarily influenced by soil reconsolidation over time, with only isolated and inconsistent effects of SPB and CBB. Aggregate size distribution was more responsive: SPB favored larger aggregates, whereas CBB promoted smaller ones.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Overall, the results indicate that biochar additions can affect specific aspects of soil structural quality, but their impacts are context-dependent and not uniformly expressed across physical attributes.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":16802,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science","volume":"189 4","pages":"460-478"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jpln.70067","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148662619","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Strontium Concentrations in Vineyard Soils Developed on Volcano-Carbonate Materials Under Semiarid Climate","authors":"Raimundo Jiménez-Ballesta,&nbsp;Caridad Pérez-de-los-Reyes,&nbsp;Sandra Bravo,&nbsp;Andrés Gómez-Magan,&nbsp;Jose A. Amorós,&nbsp;Francisco J. García-Navarro","doi":"10.1002/jpln.70074","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jpln.70074","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p><b>Background</b>: The variability of total strontium (Sr) concentration was studied in 75 vineyard soil profiles developed on volcano-carbonate materials (with different concentrations of carbonates) in the region of Campo de Calatrava (Central Spain), one of the main Cenozoic magmatic provinces belonging to the circum-Mediterranean region.</p>\u0000 <p><b>Aim</b>: The aim of this survey was to build up a database on total Sr concentrations in vineyard soils of the Castilla-La Mancha region (Spain).</p>\u0000 <p><b>Methods</b>: Most soils in this region are classified into six main Reference Soil Groups (WRB FAO) —luvisols, calcisols, cambisols, leptosols and regosols—along with lower amounts of gleysols, acrisols, and kastanozems; therefore, the studied region exhibited a remarkable level of pedodiversity.</p>\u0000 <p><b>Results</b>: Strontium, a plentiful element, is widely spread and distributed in the soils of Campo de Calatrava, with an average total concentration of 206 mg kg⁻¹ (ranging from 59 to 2182 mg kg⁻¹). This variability in Sr concentration is attributed to lithologic heterogeneity (a common characteristic in the studied region), pedogenesis, and soil management. A tendency for Sr concentration to increase toward subsurface horizons was observed, although, in some cases, the opposite trend was detected. Soils developed on materials of volcanic origin, along with those of quartzite materials, showed the lowest Sr concentration.</p>\u0000 <p><b>Conclusion</b>: However, Sr concentrations in the studied soils, except for a few isolated samples, were below the background (380 mg kg⁻¹) and threshold (1868 mg kg⁻¹) values ​​established for this region, indicating that there is no Sr contamination in the study area.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":16802,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science","volume":"189 4","pages":"571-580"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148662905","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Issue Information: J. Plant Nutr. Soil Sci. 4/2026","authors":"","doi":"10.1002/jpln.70095","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jpln.70095","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":16802,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science","volume":"189 4","pages":"399-400"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jpln.70095","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148662182","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Interaction Between Nitrogen Forms, Phosphorus Forms, and Mineral Phases Drives Phosphorus Limitation and Uptake by Ryegrass in a Model System","authors":"Issifou Amadou,&nbsp;Michel-Pierre Faucon,&nbsp;Josep Peñuelas,&nbsp;Jordi Sardans,&nbsp;David Houben","doi":"10.1002/jpln.70086","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jpln.70086","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) cycles significantly influence ecosystem functioning, yet the interactions between their chemical forms and mineral phases in determining P limitation remain poorly understood.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Aims</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We investigated the impact of interactions between P forms (organic vs. inorganic), N forms, and mineral types on plant P uptake and aimed to understand how these interactions affect rhizosphere processes governing P availability, including pH modifications and phosphatase activity.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) plants were grown in RHIZOtest-like devices in the presence of three P compounds (inositol hexakisphosphate—IHP, glycerophosphate—GLY, and inorganic P—IP) adsorbed onto two mineral phases (goethite and kaolinite), combined with two nitrogen forms (NO₃-N and NH₄-N).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>N addition shifted plant nutrition from N to P limitation, with the degree of this shift depending on P form and mineral type. Organic P sources induced stronger P limitation than IP. NO₃-N enhanced P acquisition more effectively than NH₄-N across all treatments. Mechanistically, N addition increased phosphatase activity but simultaneously depleted available P pools, with enzymatic P mobilization being the dominant process rather than pH-mediated effects. Clay minerals (kaolinite) showed lower P limitation than Fe oxyhydroxides (goethite) due to contrasting adsorption mechanisms.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>In this model system, NO₃-N promoted greater P acquisition than NH₄-N through enhanced phosphatase activity rather than pH changes, and P limitation was more severe on Fe oxyhydroxides than on kaolinite. These findings suggest that selecting nitrate-based fertilization and adapting P management to soil mineralogy could help alleviate P limitation.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":16802,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science","volume":"189 4","pages":"593-604"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jpln.70086","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148662585","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Soil Loosening of Compacted Urban Tree Sites Using a Pneumatic Lance Injector: Quantifying Treatment Success Through Tree Morphology and Soil Structure Parameters via Terrestrial Laser Scanning","authors":"Oliver Löwe,&nbsp;Dominik Seidel,&nbsp;Katharina Weltecke,&nbsp;Thorsten Gaertig","doi":"10.1002/jpln.70080","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jpln.70080","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Urban trees provide essential ecosystem services, but their growth and longevity are often limited by soil compaction. Although pneumatic lance injection (PLI) is increasingly promoted as a minimally invasive and efficient soil loosening technique, robust scientific evidence for its long-term effectiveness remains limited.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Aim</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study evaluated the effectiveness of pneumatic lance injector for compacted urban tree sites with silt, sand, and clay soils. Three treatment variants were tested against reference variant: compressed air (CA), compressed air with injection of granules (CA+G), and compressed air followed by water injection (CA+W). Soil structure and tree morphological traits were monitored over 2 years after soil treatment. In addition, the soil surface was scanned using a terrestrial laser scanner (TLS) before and after the treatment. This approach was based on the assumption that the pore volume generated in the soil correlates with measurable changes in the soil surface.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Results showed that PLI effects were highly soil- and variant-dependent. The sand site exhibited the greatest surface uplift and pore volume increase (19.8 dm³ within a 0.8 m radius around the injection point), followed by silt (12.5 dm³) and clay (8.3 dm³). The CA and CA+G treatments produced pore volumes two to three times greater than those generated by the variant with water injection (CA+W). However, most soil parameters, including bulk density, gas diffusion, and root density, showed only marginal or inconsistent improvements. Tree structural parameters showed no improvement in any treatment compared to the reference. Moreover, crown development nearly stagnated in treated trees, particularly under the CA+W treatment. Overall, the treatment failed to produce sustained improvements in soil or tree structure parameters. Due to its limited efficacy and high cost, pneumatic lance injector treatment cannot be recommended in its current form without significant methodological optimization.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":16802,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science","volume":"189 4","pages":"605-620"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jpln.70080","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148662635","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Phosphorus Speciation Suggests Contrasting P Supply Mechanisms Across Aggregates in Subtropical Forest Soils With Different Lithology","authors":"Liuhuan Chen,&nbsp;Peter Dörsch,&nbsp;Rongshu Chen,&nbsp;Jianhong Liang,&nbsp;Dezhou Huang,&nbsp;Ziying Wang,&nbsp;Jing Zhu","doi":"10.1002/jpln.70059","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jpln.70059","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Phosphorus (P) is a limiting element in highly weathered subtropical/tropical soils. Depending on lithology, tropical soils differ strongly in soil chemistry and aggregate structure.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Aims</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study investigates how differences in lithology shape the P speciation and distribution and hence P availability across soil aggregates in subtropical forests.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The total P (TP), exchangeable P (Ex-P), and P fractions (e.g., iron [Fe]–P, aluminum [Al]–P, calcium-bound Au-P, detritus De-P, labile [LP], moderately labile [MLP], and stable organic P [SP]) were quantified. Microbial biomass P (MBP) and phosphatase activities (acid phosphatase and phytase) were measured in bulk soils and soil aggregates from two adjacent forests, one on acidic red soil and the other on limestone soil.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>(1) Red soil was lower in TP (353.32 mg kg⁻¹) and Ex-P (2.22 mg kg⁻¹) than limestone soil (706.09 and 8.8 mg kg⁻¹, respectively). In red soil, Fe–P dominated inorganic P (69.7%–85.0%), whereas limestone soil allocated more inorganic P to Au-P (10.4%–15.9%) and De-P (23.1%–28.4%). (2) Red soil was dominated by SP which was slightly enriched in macroaggregates, while limestone soil held a higher proportion of LP and all organic P fractions were more equally distributed across aggregate sizes. (3) Red soil MBP concentrated in macroaggregates (1.5%–2.2% of TP) and correlated positively with labile P forms (e.g., Al–P and LP). Limestone soil MBP was small (&lt;1% of TP) and concentrated in microaggregates, correlating negatively with P availability in the macroaggregates. (4) Phytase activities correlated positively with organic P forms in both macro and microaggregates of the red soil but not in the limestone soil.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The findings imply contrasting roles of microorganisms for P supply: Microorganisms mediate a tighter P cycle in the P-poor red soil, whereas in the P-rich limestone soil, macroaggregates appear to limit microbial P uptake by calcium adsorption and occlusion, hence contributing to P sequestration. These findings underscore the critical role of lithology in shaping P storage and availability in subtropical forests, offering insights for targeted soil management in conservation and restoration efforts.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":16802,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science","volume":"189 4","pages":"530-543"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147878677","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Selecting Promising Soil Quality Indicators for Monitoring Soil Management Effects Based on 10 European Long-Term Field Experiments","authors":"Giulia Bongiorno,&nbsp;Marie Wesselink,&nbsp;Wim van den Berg,&nbsp;Zhanguo Bai,&nbsp;Ron de Goede,&nbsp;Carla Sofia Santos Ferreira,&nbsp;Luuk Fleskens,&nbsp;Matjaz Glavan,&nbsp;Wiepie Haagsma,&nbsp;Paul Mäder,&nbsp;Alicia Morugan-Coronado,&nbsp;Harry Verstegen,&nbsp;Zoltan Toth,&nbsp;Wijnand Sukkel,&nbsp;Else K. Bünemann","doi":"10.1002/jpln.70068","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jpln.70068","url":null,"abstract":"<p><b>Background</b>: Soil quality can be measured through <i>soil quality indicators</i> that reflect soil processes.</p><p><b>Aim</b>: The aim of this study was to (1) identify a limited set of soil quality indicators that are most sensitive to agricultural soil management and that are widely applicable regardless of pedo-climatic conditions, and (2) link common analytical soil quality indicators to near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) measurements as a potential high-throughput approach to assess soil quality.</p><p><b>Methods</b>: We assessed the sensitivity of analytical, field, and visual soil quality indicators to tillage (conventional inversion vs. reduced) and organic matter addition (high vs. low) and their interaction with soil texture in 10 long term field experiment across pedo-climatic zones in Europe.</p><p><b>Results</b>: Reduced tillage and high organic matter addition had a positive effect on soil quality parameters, consistent across different European pedo-climatic zones. Total organic carbon, particulate organic carbon, plant available phosphorus and potassium, total nitrogen, microbial carbon and nitrogen, and penetration resistance were the most sensitive indicators and represent four soil functions: Organic matter cycling, nutrient cycling, habitat provisioning, soil structure maintenance. Total organic carbon and total nitrogen measured with NIRS were well correlated with their corresponding analytical methods, highlighting the promising nature of this methodology.</p><p><b>Conclusion</b>: The current study presents a limited set of promising soil quality indicators for monitoring the effect of tillage and organic matter addition. This selection should not be interpreted as a fixed minimum data set and future studies should strengthen the use of these indicators by developing interpretation schemes that take into account data from specific pedo-climatic zone and land use characteristics.</p>","PeriodicalId":16802,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science","volume":"189 4","pages":"499-517"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jpln.70068","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148662881","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Correction to “Theoretical and Methodological Framework for Monitoring Feedback Mechanisms among Soil Moisture Dynamics, Soil Organic Matter and Deadwood in Forests”","authors":"","doi":"10.1002/jpln.70070","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jpln.70070","url":null,"abstract":"<p>S. Julich, A. Azekenova, P. Wordell-Dietrich et al., “Theoretical and Methodological Framework for Monitoring Feedback Mechanisms Among Soil Moisture Dynamics, Soil Organic Matter and Deadwood in Forests”, <i>Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science</i>, (2025), 188:554–569, https://doi.org/10.1002/jpln.12008</p><p>The typo in the name of Lilli Zeh has been corrected.</p><p>We apologize for this error.</p>","PeriodicalId":16802,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science","volume":"189 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jpln.70070","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148662576","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Correction to “Theoretical and Methodological Framework for Monitoring Feedback Mechanisms among Soil Moisture Dynamics, Soil Organic Matter and Deadwood in Forests”","authors":"","doi":"10.1002/jpln.70070","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jpln.70070","url":null,"abstract":"<p>S. Julich, A. Azekenova, P. Wordell-Dietrich et al., “Theoretical and Methodological Framework for Monitoring Feedback Mechanisms Among Soil Moisture Dynamics, Soil Organic Matter and Deadwood in Forests”, <i>Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science</i>, (2025), 188:554–569, https://doi.org/10.1002/jpln.12008</p><p>The typo in the name of Lilli Zeh has been corrected.</p><p>We apologize for this error.</p>","PeriodicalId":16802,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science","volume":"189 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jpln.70070","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148662577","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Perennial Legumes Pueraria phaseoloides and Leucaena leucocephala Exhibit High Potential for Fertility Restoration of Degraded Mined Soils in Ghana","authors":"Enoch Opoku,&nbsp;Beloved Mensah Dzomeku,&nbsp;John Opata,&nbsp;Adam Muhammad Adam,&nbsp;Frank Rasche","doi":"10.1002/jpln.70065","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jpln.70065","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Rapid expansion of opencast mining in developing nations is exerting profound pressure on land resources, with the extent of degradation constraining the effectiveness of topsoil replacement and organic amendments in restoring soil organic carbon (SOC) and nitrogen (N) pools, which are key for soil health and productivity.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Aim</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study assessed the potential of perennial legumes (<i>Leucaena leucocephala</i>, <i>Gliricidia sepium</i>, <i>Pueraria phaseoloides</i>) to restore the fertility of mined degraded soils.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>An on-site revegetation experiment with a control (un-revegetated) treatment and selected legumes was established. SOC and total N were monitored prior to and 2 and 5 years after revegetation. Two and 3 years after revegetation, maize was cultivated to assess soil productivity under the influence of selected legumes.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>There was initial decline in SOC and total N at early stages of revegetation. However, significant increases were observed relative to the control with pronounced effects 5 years after revegetation. Highest changes in SOC (3.4–12.4 g kg⁻¹) and total N (0.3–1.1 g kg⁻¹) were observed under <i>L. leucocephala</i>. Growth of maize revealed significant improvement under <i>P. phaseoloides</i>, attaining highest plant height (≈80 cm) compared to the lowest (&lt;30 cm) in the control treatment 3 years after revegetation. Despite significant increases in SOC and total N, plant growth was generally limited.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Although legumes showed strong potential in restoring soil fertility, utilizing their full potential requires adaptive establishment strategies, especially for <i>L. leucocephala</i>, and consistent management of <i>P. phaseoloides</i> to control its vigorous spread and maintain balanced ground cover.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":16802,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science","volume":"189 4","pages":"450-459"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jpln.70065","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148662613","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}