Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition最新文献

{"title":"The Effect of Chlorella vulgaris (Chlorellales: Chlorellaceae) on the Fertility of Sandy Soils and on the Composition of Soil Leachates","authors":"Tomasz Garbowski","doi":"10.1007/s42729-024-01984-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-024-01984-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The aim of the manuscript was to verify the hypothesis whether the algal biomass of <i>Chlorella vulgaris</i> added as a fertilizer affects the properties of a sandy soil and the leachates from that soil. A pot experiment was conducted using sandy soil, which was enriched with a suspension of live <i>Chlorella vulgaris</i> cells. The concentrations of total nitrogen (N_total), ammonium nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, total phosphorus (P_total), phosphate phosphorus, potassium, sulphates, turbidity, pH and electrolytic conductivity (EC) were determined in the leachates from soil. Soil samples from each pot were analysed for N_total, P_total, P_available, K_available, calcium (Ca), organic carbon (C_org.) and pH. Soil fertilized with suspended biomass of <i>Chlorella vulgaris</i> was enriched with nutrients, mainly nitrogen, phosphorus and calcium. The use of algae has also helped reduce nutrient losses in the soil. There was an increase in the concentration of SO₄²⁻ ions in the tested leachates, which could pose a potential threat to the environment. Conducted studies confirm the hypothesis that <i>Chlorella vulgaris</i> added to sandy soil as a suspension of living cells affects the fertilizing properties of the soil and the composition of leachates from the fertilized soil. Soil fertilized with <i>Chlorella vulgaris</i> biomass is more resistant to nutrient leaching. An important conclusion of the study is that the composition of soil leachates needs to be monitored when testing and applying this type of fertilizer, due to the risk of sulphates entering into the groundwater.</p>","PeriodicalId":17042,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2024-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142189870","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":"Ecological Stoichiometry of Carbon, Nitrogen and Phosphorus in Deep Sediments within the Critical Zone of South Dongting Lake Wetland, China","authors":"Shuaishuai Lu, Nianqing Zhou, Yi Cai, Mengshen Guo, Dong Sheng, Ying Liu","doi":"10.1007/s42729-024-01976-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-024-01976-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study investigates the ecological stoichiometric characteristics and driving factors of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) in deep sediments within the critical zone of South Dongting Lake Wetland. Correlation analysis, partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), and gradient boosted decision tree (GBDT) algorithm were employed for this investigation. The results showed that the mean values of the total carbon (TC), soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP) contents in sediments are 9.0, 7.3, 0.9, and 0.5 g kg^− 1, respectively. Sediment C, N, and P contents tended to decrease with increasing burial depth (H). The mean ratios of C/N, C/P, and N/P in sediments were 10.5, 46.5, and 5.1, respectively, notably lower than the averages in wetland soils across China. Lower C/N and C/P ratios indicate that the decomposition rate of organic matter is relatively fast and organic P is prone to mineralization in sediments. Additionally, the lower N/P ratio implies N limitation within the sediments. The TC, SOC, TN, and TP exhibited significant negative correlations with both H and redox potential (Eh), while showing positive associations with water content (W). Moreover, these factors influence ecological stoichiometric ratios (ESR) by directly affecting C, N, and P contents in sediments. The GBDT modelling revealed that TN primarily influenced C/N ratios, while TP predominantly controlled C/P and N/P ratios. The contents of C, N, and P, as well as their ESR in deep sediments of wetland are mainly controlled by H, Eh, and W.</p>","PeriodicalId":17042,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2024-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142189846","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":"Current Research Trends in Endophytic Fungi Modulating Plant Adaptation to Climate Change-associated Soil Salinity Stress","authors":"Arinal Haq Izzawati Nurrahma, Wiwiek Harsonowati, Hana Haruna Putri, Rashid Iqbal","doi":"10.1007/s42729-024-01980-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-024-01980-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Climate change has significantly led to the intensification of its associated stresses such as salinity, drought, and extreme temperature in agriculture, threatening global food security and safety. In this review, we performed a bibliometric analysis to provide information on the research trends in abiotic stress. The results show that salinity has been revealed to be the most alarming stress in recent years. Salinity or salt stress, is the primary abiotic stressor that significantly impacts plant development, yield, and productivity, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions worldwide. This stress causes a significant loss of crop productivity by disrupting water and nutrient uptake. Plant symbionts, particularly fungal endophytes play a key role in mitigating salinity stress in crop plants. Endophytic fungi, particularly <i>Piriformospora indica</i>, and several species of dark septate endophyte (DSE) living symbiotically within plant tissues, are revealed as sustainable and promising tools to mitigate the destructive impacts of salinity stress. Their interaction with the host plants induces the production of osmolytes and antioxidative enzymes, modulates plants to manage osmotic stress, and prevents the accumulation of harmful reactive oxygen species (ROS). Despite these advancements, understanding the specific mechanisms of how these fungi enhance salinity tolerance in host plants remains a research gap. This review synthesizes existing literature, identifies research gaps, and proposes future research directions. It provides a comprehensive overview of the role of endophytic fungi in ameliorating salinity stress, optimizing agricultural practices, and developing sustainable solutions in the context of climate change.</p>","PeriodicalId":17042,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2024-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142189847","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":"Post-Flowering Phosphorus Deficiency Negatively Impacts Biological Fixation but not Nitrogen Utilization Efficiency of Soybean","authors":"Felipe M. Almeida, Sara A. L. Andrade, Fernando C. B. Zambrosi","doi":"10.1007/s42729-024-01975-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-024-01975-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Understanding how phosphorus (P) deficiency during the reproductive phase of soybean [<i>Glycine max</i> (L.) Merril] affects nitrogen (N) acquisition via biological N fixation (BNF), and seed yield per unit of the accumulated nutrient remains incomplete. Soybean plants were fertigated with a sufficient concentration of P in the nutrient solution (500 µmol L^-1 P) until flowering. Subsequently, plants were maintained under this condition or subjected to nutrient deficiencies (20 or 100 µmol L^-1 P), resulting in three regimes of P supply during the reproductive phase. At the onset of maximum grain-filling rate and physiological harvest, various parameters were assessed, including nodulation traits, plant nutritional status and biomass production, accumulation, partitioning, and utilization efficiency of P and N. P deficiency after flowering negatively impacted soybean yield and dry mass production, as well as the concentration of P and N in plant organs, their total shoot content, and partitioning to grains. The poor BNF performance was associated with a reduction in the number and dry mass of nodules, triggered by a decrease in plant’s N demand. Nevertheless, low-P stress did not affect seed yield per unit of acquired nutrient, which was related to the fact that the decline in N partitioning to grains was accompanied by a proportional decreasing in their N concentration. The down-regulation of BNF, rather than an impaired N utilization efficiency, contributes to explaining reduced yield of soybean plants facing post-flowering P deficiency. Therefore, the development of precise P fertilization management approaches to maximize BNF and crop yield should prioritize strategies that ensure adequate P supply across the reproductive phase of soybean.</p>","PeriodicalId":17042,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2024-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142189848","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":"Rhizosphere Ecological Characteristics of Trifolium repens L. under Cadmium Stress: with Focus on the Spatial Distribution Pattern of Enzyme Activity","authors":"Chenxi Zhang, Haibo Li, Fan Mo, Mingshuai Wang, Yaran Bai, Haotian Ma, Bingqian Gao, Rui Wang","doi":"10.1007/s42729-024-01978-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-024-01978-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study aims to illustrate the temporal and spatial patterns of rhizosphere microecological characteristics of plants highly adapted to heavy metals under different levels of heavy metal stress, to reveal the rhizosphere nutrient cycling and the mechanism of enhanced stress tolerance. The dynamic changes of rhizosphere microecology of <i>Trifolium repens</i> L. (white clover) were studied under different concentrations of Cd treatment. The spatial variation of soil enzyme activities was investigated in situ and microscopically by in situ zymography and the spatial distribution models of enzyme activities were developed. The results showed that the rhizosphere ecosystem remained relatively stable under 40 days of stress, with pH ranging from 7.13 to 7.26 and organic matter contents ranging from 14.83 to 18.09 g kg^− 1. In addition, pH and soil organic matter (SOM) were important ecological factors affecting Cd activation in the rhizosphere. Based on soil zymography analysis, both phosphatase and N-acetyl-glucosaminidase hotspots had root effects, and a maximum hotspot area of 21.51 and 10.19% at 10 mg kg^− 1 Cd treatment, respectively. Besides, the maximum activities of both enzymes were observed at 5 mg kg^− 1 Cd treatment and the rhizosphere extension distance up to 1.82 and 1.59 cm. This study reveals the potential rhizosphere regulatory mechanism of white clover. It was emphasized that the Cd bioavailability was increased in the rhizosphere, the activities of enzymes related to N and P cycling were stimulated under 5–10 mg kg^− 1 Cd stress, and thus soil N loss due to Cd could be compensated in the rhizosphere.</p>","PeriodicalId":17042,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2024-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142189872","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":"A Method for Acclimatization of Micropropagated Vanilla Plantlets Using Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi","authors":"María Karen Serrano-Fuentes, María del Rosario Moreno-Hernández, Ricardo Hernández-Martínez, Jericó Jabín Bello-Bello","doi":"10.1007/s42729-024-01989-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-024-01989-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) make associations with the roots of different plant species to improve crop development in a sustainable way. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of different doses of AMF (<i>Rhizophagus intraradices</i>) on the ex vitro development of vanilla (<i>Vanilla planifolia</i> Jacks. ex Andrews) plantlets. Vanilla plantlets were inoculated with different doses: 0, 50, 100, 200, and 300 spores per plantlet (s/p) of <i>R. intraradices</i> during the acclimatization stage. At 120 days of inoculation, the colonization percentage, survival percentage, different growth variables, dry matter, chlorophyll and macro and micronutrient contents of the plantlets were evaluated. An effect of the AMF doses on the evaluated variables was observed. AMF at a dose of 50 s/p showed an efficient symbiotic interaction according to the development variables evaluated. At this dose, with 17% colonization, 96% survival was obtained, while, at doses of 200 and 300 s/p, with 65.3% and 73.3% colonization, the lowest survival percentages were observed, with 63.3% and 53.3%, respectively. In addition, AMF had an effect on the content of the nutrients N, P, Zn, Mn and B, while, for K, Ca, Mg, Fe and Cu, no significant differences were observed. Applying suitable inoculation doses of <i>R. intraradices</i> in vanilla plantlets under greenhouse conditions is an alternative to improve survival and physiological development during acclimatization and allows conditioning prior to transplanting for cultivation.</p>","PeriodicalId":17042,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2024-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142189849","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":"Characterization and Induction of Biochar Induced Capsicum annumm Defense Against Bacterial Wilt","authors":"Muhammad Taqqi Abbas, Tehmina Anjum, Waheed Anwar, Muhammad Khurshid, Adnan Akhter","doi":"10.1007/s42729-024-01991-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-024-01991-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Biochar is considered to have the potential of managing plant diseases by activating plant defense response and influencing the soil-plant-microbe interactions. Therefore, in this study we assessed the soil biochar amendments against bacterial wilt of chilies (<i>Ralstonia solanacearum</i>). Cultivar specific response of chilies to biochar was characterized with reference to physiological and biochemical alterations of the plants. The biochar prepared from leaf waste (LWB) of <i>Syzygium cumini</i>, was applied as a soil amendment at 3 and 6% concentrations along with compost (20%) and the plants were inoculated with or without <i>R. solanacearum</i>. All the cultivars of chilli (<i>Capsicum annumm</i> L.) i.e., F1 Zenia, Desi Chilli and F1 green queen showed a positive impact of biochar amendment on plant growth even under bacterial wilt stress. Although, the reduction in percentage disease index (PDI) and disease incidence (DI) was significant for all cultivars in biochar amended treatments but resistant plant response against wilt was only recorded in cultivar F1 green queen with 6% biochar. The disease response of chili cultivars was not only dependent upon the concentration of biochar in soil but also on the phenolics, catalases and flavonoid contents of the cultivars used. Different chilli cultivars exhibited varied defense response under different biochar concentration. Different chilli cultivars showed variable plant growth in response to the leaf waste biochar amendment. Plant response to disease stress depends not only on the concentration and source of biochar but also on the cultivar. These findings will certainly add to our existing understanding of biochar induced plant resistance as well as cultivar specific chilies defense response against <i>R. solanacearum</i>.</p>","PeriodicalId":17042,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2024-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142189871","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":"Superabsorbent Polymer Reduces β-ODAP Content in Grass Pea by Improving Soil Water Status and Plant Drought Tolerance","authors":"Jun Han, Yu Hu, Tao Xue, Fang Wu, Huirong Duan, Jie Yang, Lichao Xue, Huanhuan Liang, Xiongzhou Liu, Qianqian Yang, Fuping Tian","doi":"10.1007/s42729-024-01936-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-024-01936-1","url":null,"abstract":"<h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Purpose</h3><p>Grass pea (<i>Lathyrus sativus</i> L.) has significant nutritional value and broad-spectrum resistance properties. However, the neurotoxin β-N-oxalyl-L-α, β-diaminopropionic acid (β-ODAP) in its seeds increases exponentially during drought stress, and overconsumption can lead to neurogenic hypoparalysis. Superabsorbent polymer (SAP) has the potential to improve soil physicochemical properties and alleviate plant drought stress, but the effects of different SAP concentrations on soil water availability, physiological traits, and β-ODAP content of grass pea under drought conditions are unclear. The objective of this study was to elucidate the impact of SAP on the physiological and biochemical characteristics, as well as the β-ODAP content, of grass pea under drought conditions.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Methods</h3><p>We conducted potting experiments of natural drought with <i>L. sativus</i> cv. Wugong Yongshou (WGYS), <i>L. sativus</i> cv. Jingbian (JB), <i>L. sativus</i> cv. Aksu (AKS), and cultivated grass pea (ZP) materials with different SAP ratios (0.00%, 0.25%, 0.50%, 0.75%, 1.00%).</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Results</h3><p>The research confirmed that the addition of 0.50% SAP had a positive effect on soil physicochemical properties and growth parameters of grass pea, including plant height, leaf area, leaf water potential, seed yield, and straw yield per plant; Following an eight-day cessation of irrigation, the transpiration rate (E), stomatal conductance (GH₂O), intercellular CO₂ concentration (Ci), and net photosynthetic rate (A) of the four grass pea leaves exhibited a notable optimization in comparison to the control without SAP; The levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), malondialdehyde (MDA), and β-ODAP (leaves, seeds, and straw) of four grass pea plants treated with 0.50% SAP were significantly decreased.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Conclusion</h3><p>SAP can improve soil water-holding capacity, leaf photosynthesis to alleviate oxidative damage caused by drought stress in grass pea, reduce β-ODAP content, and promote low-toxicity and high-yield planting.</p>","PeriodicalId":17042,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2024-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142189873","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":"Impact of Thirty-Four Years of Fertilization and Manuring on Soil Nutrients Availability, Yield and Quality of Crops in Indo-Gangetic Plains","authors":"Priya Singh, Sunanda Biswas, Nandita Ghoshal, Nirmal De, Divyadarshan Singh","doi":"10.1007/s42729-024-01958-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-024-01958-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Dryland rainfed agriculture needs an appropriate fertilization strategy to achieve sustainable yield with good soil health. This study was aimed at assessing the impact of long-term fertilization on soil available nutrients, its enzymatic activities, and yield and quality of crops. Depth-wise soil samples were collected from a 34-year-old long-term fertilizer experiment (LTFE) with a rainfed rice-lentil cropping system. Treatments used for comparison were: control, 100% NPK (recommended NPK), 50% NPK, 50% FYM (50% of recommended nitrogen from farmyard manure), 100% FYM, and 50% NPK + FYM. Collected samples were analyzed for the physico-chemical and biological properties of soils along with the quality and yield of crops harvested. Among the treatments, 50%NPK + FYM showed the highest activities of dehydrogenase (DHA) (72.7%), alkaline phosphatase (ALKP) (48%), arylsulphatase (ASP) (92.8%) and urease (URE) (112%) compared with the control at the surface layer. It (NPK + FYM) also enhanced soil macro- (available N, P, K and S) and micro-nutrients (available Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn and B). The use of FYM either alone or in combination with inorganic fertilizer, had significant impacts on uptake of macro- and micro-nutrients by grains and straw of rice. Conjoint use of FYM and inorganic fertilizer also improved grain yield of rice (2038 kg ha^-1) and lentil (965 kg ha^-1), values of sustainable yield index (SYI), and quality of rice in terms of enrichment of N, P and K (1.34%, 0.37% and 0.24%) in grains. Results also revealed an improved agronomic efficiency (AE) and apparent recovery efficiency (ARE) of N (38.8%), P (33.7%) and K (91.4%) with FYM. With the exception of control, there was a positive apparent N and P balance shown in all the treatments, whereas negative apparent K balance in all except the FYM-treated plots. Application of NPK with FYM improves soil physico-chemical and biological properties, crop productivity and also its quality. It also ensures a steady supply of N, P and K to crops enhancing their use efficiencies. A balanced and conjoint application of inorganic fertilizer and FYM to rainfed rice-lentil cropping system is recommended for upkeeping soil health, improving crop productivity and its quality under Indo-Gangetic Plains.</p>","PeriodicalId":17042,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2024-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142189877","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":"Spatial Variability of Soil Aggregate Size Fractions Driven by Precipitation and Nitrogen Fertilizer at the Regional Scale in Southwestern China","authors":"Wei-chun Zhang, Xin Zhang, Wei Wu, Hong-bin Liu","doi":"10.1007/s42729-024-01981-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-024-01981-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Detailed information on the spatial variability of soil aggregate-size fractions (SASF) is crucial for soil erosion modelling and agricultural production. The effects of intrinsic and extrinsic factors on SASF have been widely studied at the grain to small-watershed scales, but rarely studied at the regional scale. This study aimed to investigate the influence of 19 environmental factors on the spatial variability of SASF in southwestern China, where similar tillage practices were used in local tobacco fields. A total of 2238 soil samples were randomly collected from the topsoil (0–20 cm) for analysis. The random forest model was used to identify the relationship between SASF and environmental factors. Random Forest explained 43–54% of SASF variability. Total precipitation during the non-growing period (NGP) was the main factor influencing the variation of SASF, which was 2 to 3 times more important than total precipitation during the growing season (GP) and nitrogen fertilizer application, which ranked second or third, respectively. After NGP exceeded the threshold values, aggregate formation slowed down, while after GP exceeded the threshold values, aggregate fragmentation accelerated. Additionally, excessive nitrogen fertilization not only negatively affected soil aggregate formation, but also weakened the promotional effects of NGP. Overall, our regional-scale study identified the effects of precipitation and nitrogen fertilization on SASF, which might be useful for regional soil erosion modelling and climate-adapted agricultural policies.</p>","PeriodicalId":17042,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2024-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142189874","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}