Soil & Tillage Research最新文献

{"title":"Agroforestry management improves soil surface layer structure and hydrological behavior","authors":"Julia Rossi Pereira ,&nbsp;Laura Fernanda Simões da Silva ,&nbsp;Anastacia Fontanetti ,&nbsp;Miguel Cooper","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106721","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106721","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Long-term inappropriate agricultural and forestry practices can degrade soil structure, compromising critical hydrological functions such as water regulation, groundwater recharge, and storing and filtering of water. This study assessed the hydro-physical attributes of soils under different land uses, aiming to identify their impacts and relationships using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). We hypothesized that agroforestry systems (AF) would improve soil structure compared to crop (CR) and forest monocultures (EP). Our findings confirmed improvements in soil structure within the surface layer (0–10 cm) under AF, evidenced by very high infiltration rates (515.5 mm.h⁻¹) compared to CR (93.0 mm.h⁻¹) and EP (154.9 mm.h⁻¹). AF also showed higher total porosity (0.51 m.m⁻³), better aggregate stability, and higher soil organic carbon (SOC), promoting better hydrological functioning. In contrast, CR exhibited higher bulk density (BD) (1.41 g.cm⁻¹), lower mean weight diameter (MWD) (1.27 mm), and reduced SOC (12.62 g.kg⁻¹), indicating greater erosion susceptibility due to compromised aggregation and infiltration. EP soils showed signs of compaction, with increased BD (1.46 g.cm⁻¹), MWD (2.48 mm), and penetration resistance (PR) (2.01 MPa). PCA analysis revealed that land use impacts are more pronounced in surface layers, while subsurface layers are influenced mainly by pedogenetic processes. These results highlight the importance of adopting sustainable practices, such as agroforestry, which minimize soil disturbance and enhance organic matter inputs to maintain soil health and hydrological functioning.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49503,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Tillage Research","volume":"254 ","pages":"Article 106721"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144366369","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Unveiling the effects of construction measures and heat emissions from underground power cables on maize growth and yield","authors":"Jonas Trenz ,&nbsp;Joachim Ingwersen ,&nbsp;Alexander Schade ,&nbsp;Emir Memic ,&nbsp;Jens Hartung ,&nbsp;Simone Graeff-Hönninger","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106722","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106722","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The impact of underground energy transmission lines on agricultural crop productivity is primarily unknown. Under Germany's Renewable Energy Sources Act, the grid expansion will be conducted underground through arable land. Construction measures through trenching and resulting heat dissipation using 525 kV high voltage direct current (HVDC) might affect soil properties and crop growth. A 2-yr field study was conducted as an on-farm field trial on an Abruptic Luvisol with the dominant texture of Loam in Southwestern Germany from 2021 to 2022. The intricate dynamics between trench construction measures, backfilling methods, and heating pipes on silage maize (<em>Zea mays</em> l.) growth and yield were analyzed in five treatments: 1) heated trench (HT) with conventional backfilling (CONV), 2) HT with alternative backfilling (ALT), 3) unheated trench (UT) with CONV, and 4) UT with ALT and 5) Control. In the ALT subsoil backfilling, the soil was pressed with an excavator bucket and compacted to 90 % of the bulk density of the natural soil. In contrast, in the CONV subsoil backfilling, a trench roller was used to press to 95–100 % of the bulk density of the natural soil. Trenching and heating treatments impacted the surrounding soil and changed the initial soil conditions, leading to significant differences in soil properties like bulk density, soil water content, and temperature. Due to varied amounts of rainfall, 481 mm in 2021 and 209 mm in 2022, a seasonal effect on maize growth and yield was observed for the Control, resulting in a total above-ground biomass of 31.2 ha⁻¹ in 2021 and 9.8 t ha⁻¹ in 2022. The favorable growing conditions in 2021 led to no significant changes in maize growth or yield across the treatments. When subjected to water-limiting conditions and heat stress in 2022, notable differences in yield, particularly during the crucial grain-filling stage, were detected. Soil backfilling method and soil heating significantly affected total above-ground biomass at harvest, resulting in a 49 % increase for the HT-ALT treatment and a 13 % yield loss for the UT-CONV treatment compared to the Control. Overall, construction activities and heat emissions from heated pipes affected maize growth and yield in the first two years, and with the differentiation of construction methods, the ALT backfilling method showed promising results in minimizing potential disruptions in agricultural productivity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49503,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Tillage Research","volume":"254 ","pages":"Article 106722"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144330629","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of organic fertilizer substitution for chemical fertilizer on tea yield and quality: A meta-analysis focusing on alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen dynamics","authors":"Shaobo Zhang,&nbsp;Hongbin Zhang,&nbsp;Lan Zhang,&nbsp;Zhengzhen Li,&nbsp;Yihu Mao,&nbsp;Liping Zhang,&nbsp;Shibei Ge,&nbsp;Qiang Hu,&nbsp;Chao Chen,&nbsp;Wenyan Han,&nbsp;Peng Yan,&nbsp;Xin Li","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106724","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106724","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fertilizers are critical for tea cultivation; however, consensus is lacking on the mechanisms by which organic fertilizer substitution affects yield and quality of tea leaves. Our meta-analytical investigation synthesized 211 comparative treatments across 35 published studies to systematically evaluate the impacts of organic-for-inorganic fertilizer substitution, organic fertilizer categories, and substitution ratios on multiple parameters: soil characteristics (pH, available phosphorus (AP), available potassium (AK), alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen (AKN), soil organic carbon (SOC)) and tea metrics (yield, 100-bud weight (BW), bud density (BD), water extract (WE), caffeine, tea polyphenols (TP), free amino acids (FAA), ratio of tea polyphenols to amino acids (RPA)). The analysis further investigates correlations between edaphic factors and tea production parameters. The findings demonstrate that organic fertilizer substitution generated significant improvements: enhanced tea yield (19.8 %), BD (10.1 %), WE (3.73 %), and FAA (12.9 %), accompanied by a reduction in RPA (13.8 %). Higher organic fertilizer proportions positively correlated with FAA content but inversely affected BD and RPA. Moreover, the substitution intervention modified soil chemistry, reducing pH while augmenting AP, AK, AKN, and SOC levels (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05), with organic fertilizer proportion positively correlating with SOC accumulation. The analysis revealed significant relationships between soil nutrient status and tea characteristics: elevated AK levels corresponded with increased WE content, while enhanced AKN concentrations positively influenced multiple parameters including yield, BD, WE, and FAA content. This meta-analysis establishes that organic fertilizer substitution enhances tea production outcomes primarily through its beneficial effects on soil AKN content. Moreover, increasing in the substitution ratio can elevate FAA content, while reducing BD and RPA in tea. Our findings highlight that replacing chemical fertilizers with organic fertilizers may improve both yield and taste of tea, as well as increase the pool of SOC.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49503,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Tillage Research","volume":"254 ","pages":"Article 106724"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144330498","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Straw return impacts on crop yield and yield variability: A meta-analysis","authors":"Kexin He ,&nbsp;Bao-Luo Ma ,&nbsp;Xiaofei Wei ,&nbsp;Sha Guo ,&nbsp;Chengcheng Feng ,&nbsp;Chenyang Liu ,&nbsp;Yongqing Ma ,&nbsp;Pufang Li","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106712","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106712","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Crop yield variability is important for global food security. Numerous studies have shown that straw return can increase crop yields by improving soil properties and nutrient supply. However, past studies have not demonstrated whether and how straw return affects yield variability. A meta-analysis was conducted to investigate straw return effect on crop yields and yield variability as well as their driving factors associated with soil properties, management practices and climate conditions. The meta-analysis summarized the results from 44 experimental sites and illustrated that the effect of straw return on yield did not differ between short-term and longer-term experiments, but longer-term straw return reduced yield variability. Specifically, straw return treatment resulted in a 27 % increase in yield variability in the short-term studies, but only an 18 % increase in yield variability in the longer-term experiments. Soil properties and N, P or K input influenced the response of crop yields and yield variability to straw return practices. The effect of straw return on crop yields was more obvious in slightly alkaline soils with higher pH value (pH &gt;7.3) and lower total nitrogen content (TN ≤1). Straw return with low N, P or K inputs not only increased crop yields but also reduced yield variability. Straw return treatment with low N and P input reduced yield variability by 19 % and 23 %. Mean annual precipitation was another driving factor affecting crop yield response to straw return. The effect of straw return on crop yields increased with the increase of mean annual precipitation from 500 mm to 1200 mm. In contrast, straw return treatments tended to reduce crop yields when mean annual precipitation was below 500 mm or above 1200 mm. Our study clearly showed that straw return practices with low N and P input can ensure long-term yield stability in areas with suitable rainfall (500–1200 mm) and slightly alkaline soil.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49503,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Tillage Research","volume":"254 ","pages":"Article 106712"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144322653","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of organic amendments on soil organic carbon fractions, water retention, and mechanical properties in a Chinese Alfisol","authors":"Yue Pan ,&nbsp;Danyang Wang ,&nbsp;Tingting Tan ,&nbsp;Jing An ,&nbsp;Xinxin Jin ,&nbsp;Hongtao Zou ,&nbsp;Yuling Zhang ,&nbsp;Na Yu ,&nbsp;Kadambot H.M. Siddique","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106723","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106723","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Intensive agriculture and excessive land use have significantly degraded soil structure, challenging the sustainable development of global agriculture. Organic amendments have proven effective in enhancing soil structure, increasing soil organic carbon (SOC), and regulating soil water-holding capacity while influencing soil physical and mechanical properties. However, the interplay between SOC fractions, soil water-retention capacity, and mechanical characteristics remains poorly understood. This study used a 10-month incubation experiment to evaluate the effects of different organic materials—straw (ST), biochar (BR), organic fertilizer (OR), and straw biochar (SBR)—applied at two proportions (1 % and 3 %) to assess their effects on SOC fractions, water-retention capacity, and mechanical properties of Alfisols in Northeast China. The results demonstrated that the type and proportion of organic material significantly influenced SOC and its fractions, which increased significantly with the 10-month incubation period. Higher SOC and mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC) contents correlated with improved water retention and compressive resistance, with the 3 %-BR treatment showing the most significant effects. These findings highlight the importance of considering SOC and its role in water retention during tillage to avoid compaction, especially under high soil moisture conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49503,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Tillage Research","volume":"254 ","pages":"Article 106723"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144313727","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring freshwater generation in the Namib Desert: The potential of passive fog harvesting and solar stills","authors":"Hupenyu Allan Mupambwa ,&nbsp;Bethold Handura ,&nbsp;Veronica Amalia Howoses ,&nbsp;Mayday Haulofu ,&nbsp;Ozzie Abaye ,&nbsp;Travis Miller ,&nbsp;Mary Kasarda ,&nbsp;Gillian Maggs-Kölling ,&nbsp;Eugene Marais ,&nbsp;Werner Gawanab ,&nbsp;Samuel Kakambi Mafwila","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106718","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106718","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Coastal nations such as Namibia are characterized by a distinctive desert environment that interfaces with the Atlantic Ocean. This unique geographic and climatic condition, influenced by the cold Benguela Current, generates a persistent fog belt along the coastal desert region. Our study evaluated the potential of passively harvesting this fog for the purpose of generating fresh water of desert irrigation. Fog nets (1 m²) facing south and west were established at the Henties Bay (coastal) site and at the Gobabeb (inland) site. The fog net direction significantly affected the quantity of water harvested with the south facing fog nets at Henties Bay recording an average of 6747 mL of water compared to 4855 mL per month for the west facing, whilst at the Gobabeb site, 5027 mL of water was recorded for the south compared to 2843 mL for the west, per month. The electrical conductivity of the fog water harvested at Henties Bay was however highly saline with electrical conductivity (EC) above 4000 µS/cm, with the highest EC being 40.93 mS/cm, whilst that from Gobabeb was moderately saline, with the highest EC of 2.69 mS/cm. Similarly, the fog water at the Henties Bay showed the highest concentrations of Cr (0.29 mg/L), Cd (0.056 mg/L), Cu (0.61 m mg/L) and Ni (1.89 mg/L), that were above the permissible levels of 0.1, 0.01, 0.2 and 0.2 mg/L, respectively. The use of solar still resulted in the generation of water that was of pristine quality with EC below 750 µS/cm. On average, the solar stills across both sites were able to generate between 33 and 166 mL of clean water per day. This research indicates that more fog water can be harvested at sites closer to the coast (Henties Bay) compared to sites further away from the coast (Gobabeb). However, the quality of the water harvested close to the coast will need to be desalinated, as the water is highly saline. Solar stills can be an effective, non-costly method of generating fresh pristine water from saline fog water, that can be effectively used for desert plants irrigation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49503,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Tillage Research","volume":"254 ","pages":"Article 106718"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144313737","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The optimal DEM resolution for determining sediment connectivity at runoff plot scale","authors":"Zou Weiting,&nbsp;Xin Zhongbao","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106700","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106700","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Digital Elevation Model (DEM) resolution significantly influences the representation of surface topography and the assessment of sediment connectivity, which is crucial for understanding erosion processes and optimizing soil and water conservation (SWC) measures. However, the optimal DEM resolution for runoff plot sediment connectivity remains unclear, particularly in complex terrains such as the Loess Plateau. This study aimed to: (1) analyze the effects of varying DEM resolutions (2 cm to 100 cm) on sediment connectivity indices (IC) across different SWC measures and slope gradients; (2) identify the most suitable DEM resolution for sediment connectivity assessment at the runoff plot scale. Using high-resolution DEMs generated through UAV/Structure from Motion (UAV/SoFM) photogrammetry, the study encompassed 14 runoff plots (5 m×20 m) on the Loess Plateau. Results showed that IC values increased with coarser DEM resolution but stabilized beyond 20–30 cm, indicating the resolution-dependent nature of IC. The optimal DEM resolution varied with SWC measures: 20 cm for woodland with fish-scale pits, grassland under contour cultivation, and control plots without SWC, and 30 cm for farmland with horizontal ridging. Additionally, significant differences in IC values (P &lt; 0.05) were observed among SWC measures, with control plots exhibiting the highest IC value (-2.18), indicating greater connectivity, while farmland under horizontal ridging exhibited the lowest IC (-3.20). These findings underscore the importance of selecting the appropriate DEM resolution for accurate sediment connectivity assessment and optimizing SWC measures to mitigate erosion. The results provide valuable insights for sediment connectivity evaluations at the runoff plot scale globally.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49503,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Tillage Research","volume":"254 ","pages":"Article 106700"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144306920","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Conservation tillage increases maize (Zea mays L.) root lodging resistance through improving brace root development","authors":"Xiaoqing Wei ,&nbsp;Xuelong Guo ,&nbsp;Erin E. Sparks ,&nbsp;Weida Gao ,&nbsp;Tusheng Ren ,&nbsp;Baoguo Li ,&nbsp;Hu Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106719","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106719","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Maize root lodging causes yield and grain quality reduction. We hypothesized that conservation tillage (CST) could increase root lodging resistance compared to conventional tillage (CVT) by facilitating root development. In this study, we compared maize root pushing resistance (RPR), a proxy for root lodging, in paired CST and CVT fields at 14 field sites and evaluated the relationship between RPR, soil physical properties and the maize plant traits. We found CST significantly increase maize RPR by 33.0 % in CVT system. Soil bulk density (BD), penetration resistance (PR) and shear strength (SS) of the topsoil (0–20 cm) was also significantly higher in CST. Brace root traits, including diameter (BRD), whorl number (BRWN) and angle (BRA), and stalk width were significantly increased following CST relative to CVT. Correlation analysis showed the variation in RPR can be attributed to maize stalk width and brace root phenotypes. A positive correlation was also found between soil strength and brace root traits. These findings indicate that improved soil properties are key factors for stimulating maize brace root development, and increasing maize root lodging resistance in CST fields. These results shed new light on the optimizing tillage practice to minimize maize root lodging.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49503,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Tillage Research","volume":"254 ","pages":"Article 106719"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144297132","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Biochar promoted soil organic carbon accumulation and aggregate stability by increasing the content of organic complex metal oxides in paddy soil","authors":"Jiajun Wu ,&nbsp;Bin Zhou ,&nbsp;Zichuan Li ,&nbsp;Cheng Liu ,&nbsp;Yan Li ,&nbsp;Yulin Wang ,&nbsp;Ning Zhao ,&nbsp;Zhuozhe Wang ,&nbsp;Yanjun Chai ,&nbsp;Antonio Scopa ,&nbsp;Marios Drosos ,&nbsp;Vishnu D. Rajput ,&nbsp;Shengdao Shan","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106713","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106713","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The physical protection of soil organic carbon (SOC) by soil aggregates is one of the important mechanisms on SOC accumulation. Mineral-organic complexes can immobilize organic carbon. It is also a key factor affecting aggregate stability. Biochar can not only promote the accumulation of SOC, but also improve the stability of aggregates. Under frequent fluctuations of soil redox potential in paddy soil, the precipitation-dissolution equilibrium of reactive metal oxides demonstrates heightened sensitivity to biochar addition. These metal oxides play a critical role in stabilizing organic carbon through their regulatory effects. So far, the effect of biochar on the stability of SOC in soil aggregates and mineral-organic complexes in paddy soils has rarely been reported. A field experiment using gradient application rates of biochar was conducted to verify whether mineral-organic complexes play a key role in aggregate stability under biochar application. The results showed that biochar application improved the contents of SOC and total nitrogen. The contents of the soil complexed iron (Fep) and aluminum (Alp), exchangeable manganese (Mnexc) and organic complex manganese (Mnorg) oxides increased with the increase of the biochar application rate. Biochar application resulted in the increased proportion of large macroaggregates and macroaggregates, while the proportion of microaggregates and silt-clay aggregates was decreased. At the same time, biochar application resulted in higher SOC content in four aggregate size fractions with the lower effect in the smaller size fractions compared to the larger size fractions. Structural equation model showed that application of biochar enhanced SOC accumulation by increasing the contents of organic matter and forming Fep, Alp and Mnorg in macroaggregate. The result of gradient application rates of biochar showed that the treatment of 45 t·hm⁻² was the best. In summary, the application of biochar promoted soil organic carbon accumulation and aggregate stability by increasing the content of organic complex metal oxides in paddy soil. This finding could provide practical implications for carbon sequestration, soil health and sustainable agriculture in paddy fields.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49503,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Tillage Research","volume":"254 ","pages":"Article 106713"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144297134","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Soil penetration resistance prediction based on a comparative evaluation of individual and ensemble machine learning under varying tillage, fertilization and liming treatments","authors":"Danijel Jug ,&nbsp;Dorijan Radočaj ,&nbsp;Irena Jug ,&nbsp;Mladen Jurišić ,&nbsp;Bojana Brozović ,&nbsp;Jorge Ivelic-Sáez ,&nbsp;Edward Wilczewski ,&nbsp;Jose Dörner ,&nbsp;Boris Đurđević","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106720","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106720","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study evaluated ensemble machine learning for soil penetration resistance prediction under multiple tillage, fertilization and liming treatments, potentially reducing time-consuming field sampling. Fieldwork was conducted between 2020 and 2023 at two locations in continental Croatia, resulting in a total of 1458 samples per location during 2020 and 2021, and 972 samples in 2023. Four individual machine learning methods, including Random Forest (RF), Cubist (CUB), Support Vector Regression (SVR) and Bayesian Regularized Neural Networks (BRNN), and their ensemble were evaluated using 10-fold cross-validation in 10 repetitions for each combination of locations and years. The ensemble machine learning model achieved superior prediction accuracy in comparison to the four individual machine learning models evaluated in the study, with R² values of 0.681–0.896. Among covariates examined, soil measurement depth, day of year (DOY) of sampling and tillage were the most impactful for the optimal ensemble model, while liming had a limited effect on the soil penetration resistance prediction. These results suggest that ensemble machine learning provided a stable and accurate soil penetration resistance prediction approach, which could reduce labor requirements of future fieldwork campaigns.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49503,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Tillage Research","volume":"254 ","pages":"Article 106720"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144271121","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}