Soil & Tillage Research最新文献

{"title":"Applying stable isotopes to illuminate the mechanism of water use in wheat fields under ridge-furrow planting with plastic film","authors":"Yanhui Wang ,&nbsp;Yangyang Li ,&nbsp;Li Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106652","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106652","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As an efficient water and soil conservation tillage practice, ridge-furrow planting with plastic film (RP) is rarely used in humid and sub-humid areas. It is hypothesized that RP could break the bottleneck of flat planting (FP) in sub-humid areas that makes it difficult to improve wheat yield. Before recommending RP, it should be clarified how RP promotes the efficient utilization of water in fields. Therefore, we conducted a 2-year field experiment following a randomized block design with winter wheat under FP and RP in the Guanzhong Plain. Stable isotopes of δ²H and δ¹⁸O were used to quantify precipitation infiltration, root water uptake (RWU), and evaporation (E) and transpiration (T). The results showed that the average contribution proportion of precipitation to 0–100 cm soil layer under RP significantly increased by 10.4–22.9 % versus FP within five days after precipitation. RP also increased the average RWU proportion by 8.6 % in the 0–60 cm layer and decreased it by 28.1 % in the 60–200 cm layer compared to FP. Furthermore, RP significantly decreased E by 36.9 % and increased T by 8.9 % versus FP from greening to harvest stage, resulting in significantly depleted δ²H and δ¹⁸O values in soil water. Ultimately, the two-year average grain yield and water use efficiency (WUE) of winter wheat under RP increased significantly by 19.1 % and 21.6 % in comparison to FP, respectively. Overall, RP can conserve soil water by promoting precipitation infiltration and inhibiting E, thereby increasing T and improving grain yield and WUE. This study bridges the gap between theoretical research and practical dissemination of RP in the sub-humid region, and provides an empirical support for soil and water conservation and yield enhancement.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49503,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Tillage Research","volume":"253 ","pages":"Article 106652"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144067214","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":"Temporal dynamics of minesoil restoration in Southern Brazil: A two-decade monitoring of soil physical attributes and organic carbon content","authors":"Maria Bertaso de Garcia Fernandez ,&nbsp;Otávio dos Anjos Leal ,&nbsp;Gláucia Oliveira Islabão ,&nbsp;Adão Pagani Junior ,&nbsp;Tainara Vaz de Melo ,&nbsp;Ana Paula Knapp ,&nbsp;Istefani Wenske Haudt ,&nbsp;Emerson Meireles de Farias ,&nbsp;Luiz Fernando Spinelli Pinto ,&nbsp;Pablo Miguel ,&nbsp;Jakeline Rosa de Oliveira ,&nbsp;Nicolas Brüggemann ,&nbsp;Marilia Alves Brito Pinto ,&nbsp;Lizete Stumpf","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106647","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106647","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Brazil covers a huge territory (852 Mha) with biomes distributed from North to South of the country. In Southern Brazil, about 24% of the area covered by the Pampa Biome was lost between 1985 and 2022, mainly due to conversion to agriculture, but also due to coal mining. This region holds the largest coal mine in Latin America, namely Candiota Mine, which represents 38 % of the Brazilian coal reserves. Minesoils typically exhibit severe compaction and poor structure, jeopardizing its reclamation and reintegration to the biome. This study aimed to assess the temporal changes in physical attributes and total organic carbon (TOC) content of a minesoil as affected by perennial grasses in a long-term field randomized complete block design experiment located in the Candiota Mine region. Based on prior research indicating superior performance of <em>Urochloa brizantha</em> for amelioration of this minesoil, we hypothesized a continued outstanding performance of this grass over the others to enhance the structure and increase the TOC content of the minesoil. Experimental treatments (with four replicates) consisted of perennial grasses used for minesoil revegetation: <em>Hemarthria altissima</em>, <em>Paspalum notatum</em>, and <em>Urochloa brizantha</em>. Minesoil bulk density (Bd), macroporosity (Ma), total porosity (Tp), percentage of macroaggregates and microaggregates, and TOC content were evaluated in the different treatments at 0.00−0.10 and 0.10−0.20 m layers at four restoration time points (0.5, 8.6, 14.6 and 20 years). The elevated percentage of macroaggregates and Bd close to or &gt; 1.50 Mg m⁻³ observed for the 0.00−0.10 and 0.10−0.20 m layers up to 8.6 years reflect the persistent compaction caused by the traffic of heavy machinery on the minesoil during landscape restoration. Minesoil compaction was remarkably attenuated after 14.6 years of restoration, likely due to root-induced disruption of aggregates formed by compression followed by soil re-aggregation. This was consistent with a reduction of Bd and an increase of Ma and TOC of the minesoil at this same restoration age. <em>Urochloa brizantha</em> was the pioneer grass alleviating minesoil compaction but this outstanding performance leveled off after 14.6 years compared to the other grasses, contracting our hypothesis. This was confirmed by the ordination of <em>Urochloa brizantha</em> close mainly to <em>Hemarthria altissima</em> in a principal component analysis biplot of the data set, indicating similar interrelations of the examined attributes after 20 years of restoration, regardless of the grass species.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49503,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Tillage Research","volume":"253 ","pages":"Article 106647"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143942900","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 role of legume roots in carbon sequestration, soil health enhancement, and salinity mitigation under climate change: A comprehensive review","authors":"R.K. Srivastava ,&nbsp;Ali Yetgin ,&nbsp;Shubhangi Srivastava","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106656","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106656","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Legumes play a crucial role in sustainable agriculture by enhancing soil health, nitrogen cycling, carbon sequestration, and salinity mitigation, particularly in the face of climate change. This review synthesizes current knowledge on how legume roots and associated microbial interactions contribute to these processes. The deep-rooting systems of legumes stabilize soil structure while increasing soil organic carbon (SOC) fractions by up to 29.6 %. Through biological nitrogen fixation (BNF), legumes reduce reliance on synthetic fertilizers by up to 40 %, improving soil fertility and resilience. Additionally, legume cropping systems promote beneficial rhizobacterial communities, enhancing microbial nitrogen transformations. Meta-analyses reveal that intercropping legumes with non-legumes can significantly improve soil nutrient availability, microbial biomass, and overall crop yield while mitigating nitrogen losses. Furthermore, certain legume species thrive in saline soils, reducing soil salinity by up to 9.6 % and improving structure via organic matter accumulation and root-microbe interactions. Case studies across various agroecosystems highlight the real-world applications of legume-based strategies, showing measurable improvements in soil carbon storage, nitrogen cycling efficiency, and salinity reduction. These findings underscore the importance of site-specific legume management practices to maximize benefits under diverse environmental conditions. Future research should refine legume species selection, intercropping strategies, and biochar applications to enhance soil resilience and sustainability in a changing climate. This review provides a data-driven understanding of the multifaceted roles of legumes, offering insights into their potential as key components of climate-smart agriculture.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49503,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Tillage Research","volume":"253 ","pages":"Article 106656"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143942901","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 innovative mineral-organic mixtures on enzymatic activity, ecotoxicity, and microbial communities in contaminated soil","authors":"Renata Jarosz ,&nbsp;Agnieszka Klimkowicz-Pawlas ,&nbsp;Karolina Biel ,&nbsp;Jakub Mokrzycki ,&nbsp;Marcin Musiałowski ,&nbsp;Klaudia Dębiec-Andrzejewska ,&nbsp;Monika Mierzwa-Hersztek","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106655","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106655","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The sustainable use of fertilizers to enhance food production while minimizing environmental impact is a pressing global challenge. Soil regeneration is especially critical for soils poor in organic matter and contaminated with heavy metals. This study investigated the effect of mineral-organic mixtures containing zeolite composites and organic additives (lignite/leonardite) on soil enzymes activity, ecotoxicity, and microbiological properties. Various doses of zeolite composites and organic additives were tested in a two-years pot experiment using soil with elevated levels of cadmium, zinc, and lead. Soil enzymes activity (dehydrogenase, urease, phosphatase, and arylsulfatase) were quantified, and soil ecotoxicity was assessed using Microtox®, Phytotoxkit, and Ostracodtoxkit assays. Microbial abundance, diversity, and community structure were analyzed via culturable methods and DNA sequencing. Mixtures containing zeolite-vermiculite composite had the most pronounced positive effect on enzymes activity. Notably, mixture with 3 % zeolite-carbon composite and 3 % leonardite significantly enhanced urease activity after the 2nd year (111 %). Mixtures containing zeolite–vermiculite composite showed an average <em>GMea</em> index about 10 % higher than those with zeolite–carbon composites. The <em>GMea</em> index proved more sensitive than TEI in assessing total enzymes activity and soil quality. Soil microbiological studies showed that the quantity and overall structure of the microbiome remained stable after the application of mineral-organic mixtures. The dominant taxa at the phylum level were Proteobacteria (16.17–18.73 %), Planctomycetota (16.17–18.73 %), Chloroflexi (14.99–18.49 %), and Actinobacteriota (11.28–14.86 %). The mixtures did not affect the diversity of soil microorganisms, suggesting a neutral effect on the soil ecosystem. The greatest reduction in water-soluble Cd, Zn, and Pb was achieved with the mixtures containing zeolite-carbon composite and lignite. The results demonstrate the impact of mineral-organic additives on soil ecotoxicity, which is of significant importance from an environmental and sustainable soil management perspective. The outcomes of this study may prove to be a factor in the formulation of effective remediation strategies for contaminated soils.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49503,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Tillage Research","volume":"253 ","pages":"Article 106655"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143937273","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":"Divergent responses of cropland soil available potassium to fertilization across the Sichuan Basin of China","authors":"Jinli Cheng ,&nbsp;Dan Chen ,&nbsp;Xinyi Chen ,&nbsp;Yaruo Mao ,&nbsp;Aiwen Li ,&nbsp;Ke Zhu ,&nbsp;Yaling Yu ,&nbsp;Wanqi Tan ,&nbsp;Bing Li ,&nbsp;Bin Zhao ,&nbsp;Qiquan Li","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106654","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106654","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding the mechanisms driving change in soil available potassium (soil AK) is crucial for guiding sustainable agricultural practices. Fertilization in agricultural agroecosystems can profoundly affect soil AK content by temporarily increasing soil AK concentration and leading to substantial potassium depletion through the stimulation of crop growth. However, the role of fertilizers in regulating soil AK and their interactions with environmental factors across diverse regions remain underexplored. This study investigated the effects of fertilization on soil AK content and the influence of environmental conditions using a dataset of over 4000 soil samples from the Sichuan Basin collected in the 1980s and 2010s. The results showed that soil AK in the study area increased from 83.43 mg/kg in the 1980s to 105.25 mg/kg in the 2010s, an increase of nearly a quarter of the initial value. In regions with low precipitation and clay-rich soils (soil clay content &gt; 22.2 %, precipitation &lt; 1000 mm), fertilization was positively correlated with soil AK change. However, in areas with high precipitation and sandy soils (soil clay content &lt; 22.2 %, precipitation &gt; 1000 mm), fertilization had no significant impact on soil AK. Additionally, precipitation had less influence on soil AK dynamics compared to soil texture. For clayey soils in areas with high precipitation, a parabolic relationship between fertilization and soil AK change was observed. In contrast, fertilization had no effect on soil AK in sandy soils, regardless of precipitation. These findings highlight the complex effects of interactions among the environmental factors like soil clay content and precipitation on soil AK change, and emphasize the need for fertilizer application strategies incorporating environment-specific mechanisms for demands of crop growth and prevention of wasting potassium fertilizer, especially underscoring the importance of soil clay content in optimizing fertilizer application.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49503,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Tillage Research","volume":"253 ","pages":"Article 106654"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143937376","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 carbon, aggregation and crop residue dynamics under different tillage and nitrogen fertilization strategies in rainfed Mediterranean conditions","authors":"Jorge Álvaro-Fuentes ,&nbsp;Carlos Cantero-Martínez ,&nbsp;María Alonso-Ayuso ,&nbsp;Fernando Gómez ,&nbsp;María Concepción Ramos","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106650","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106650","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In rainfed Mediterranean croplands, the interactive effects of fertilization and tillage types on soil aggregation and soil organic carbon (SOC) have been rarely studied. The objective of this study was to assess the interactive effects of tillage and nitrogen (N) fertilization strategies on different soil and crop properties in a long-term rainfed experiment established in semiarid NE Spain in 2010. During two cropping seasons (2020–2021 and 2021–2022) the following variables were assessed: SOC, particulate organic matter C (POM-C) and mineral-associated organic matter C (Min-C) contents in the 0–5, 5–10 and 10–30 cm depths; soil aggregate stability in the topsoil (0–5 cm); crop yield; and crop residue dynamics (crop residue biomass and the percent residue cover). Two tillage treatments were compared: conventional tillage (CT) and no-tillage (NT), and five N fertilization strategies: unfertilized, medium and high N rates of mineral fertilizer, and medium and high N rates of organic fertilizer. In both cropping seasons, the crop yield, crop residue biomass and percent residue cover were greater in NT compared with CT (2148 and 1319 kg ha ⁻¹ crop residue biomass and 72.0 and 49.7 % residue cover for NT and CT, respectively). Regarding N fertilization, crop yields tended to be greater in the organic fertilizer than in the mineral fertilization treatments (1600 vs 1168 kg ha⁻¹, respectively). Differences between N fertilization treatments were more marked in the residue biomass parameter than in the percent residue cover. The SOC, POM-C and Min-C contents decreased in the next order across soil depths: 0–5 &gt; 5–10 &gt; 10–30. The greatest soil C values were observed in the treatments with the greatest N rate of organic fertilizer. The soil aggregate stability in the topsoil (0–5 cm) increased under NT and the application of organic fertilizers. This study has demonstrated that in rainfed semiarid conditions, long-term NT adoption and the use of organic fertilizers are promising strategies for enhancing SOC buildup and the formation of stable aggregates in the topsoil.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49503,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Tillage Research","volume":"253 ","pages":"Article 106650"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143937375","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":"Impact of land use conversion patterns on vertical hydrological connectivity in intensive orchards","authors":"Yingni Du,&nbsp;Yujie Wei,&nbsp;Yundong Wang,&nbsp;Yuwei Chen,&nbsp;Tianwei Wang,&nbsp;Zhaoxia Li","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106631","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106631","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Vertical hydrological connectivity (VHC), plays a crucial role in regulating soil water and nutrient cycles, thereby contributing to the sustainability of vegetation restoration. The impacts of anthropic factors, particularly land use changes, on vertical hydrology have gained increasing attention. However, the mechanisms underlying the effects of land use conversion patterns on VHC remain insufficiently understood. To address this knowledge gap, this study investigated the VHC of orchard soils converted from paddy fields (P-O sites) and drylands (D-O sites) using dye-tracer experiments. VHC was quantified using key indicators, including dye coverage (DC), maximum dyed depth (MMD), length index (L_i), depth of diffusion area (U_niFr), and percentage of preferential pathways (P_F-fr). It showed that compared with P-O site, D-O sites exhibited significantly higher sand and gravel content, along with greater non-capillary porosity. Additionally, a relatively uniform and vertically distributed root system was observed at D-O sites. Thus, DC at D-O sites was 63.87 % higher than that at P-O sites, indicating stronger hydrological connectivity. Furthermore, U_niFr at D-O sites was 12 times higher than that at P-O sites, while P_F-fr exhibited the opposite trend, suggesting a more homogeneous infiltration pattern at D-O sites. However, no significant differences were observed in MMD and L_i. At P-O sites, dye coverage fluctuated with depth, peaking at 10–20 cm, whereas at D-O sites, a consistent decreasing trend was observed. The stratification ratio (SR) of soil properties were identified as the most critical factor influencing VHC, explaining 70 % of the variation. Specifically, soil porosity (r = -0.60) had a direct impact on VHC, while soil texture (r = 0.80) and root distribution (r = -0.39) primarily influenced VHC indirectly through their effects on soil porosity. These findings suggest that the presence of a hydrological barrier layer in orchards converted from paddy fields restricts hydrological connectivity. To mitigate this limitation, appropriate tillage practices, such as deep plowing, should be implemented to disrupt the impermeable layer and enhance VHC.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49503,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Tillage Research","volume":"253 ","pages":"Article 106631"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143935593","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":"Fungal and bacterial necromass: Opposite drivers of mineral-associated organic carbon gains and losses","authors":"Zihuan Fu ,&nbsp;Yuxuan Zhang ,&nbsp;Weiwen Qiu ,&nbsp;Waqas Mohy-Ud-Din ,&nbsp;Zhifeng Yan ,&nbsp;Yakov Kuzyakov","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106634","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106634","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Microbial necromass is a major contributor to mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC), widely recognized as the primary and stable carbon (C) pool in soils. Nevertheless, long-term land use changes modify MAOC content and composition, including its fungal and bacterial contributions, which depend on soil types, particularly its hydraulic properties. Here, the impacts of over 30 years of land use, encompassing dryland pasture (DryPast), irrigated-pasture (IrrPast) and cropland (IrrCrop), on MAOC were evaluated across three representative soils with varying drainage characteristics: well-drained Lismore soil (LIS), moderately drained Templeton soil (TEM), and poorly drained Waterton/Temuka soil (WAT). Soil organic carbon (SOC) content and MAOC content decreased in order of IrrPast &gt; DryPast &gt; IrrCrop. MAOC determined the total SOC gains and losses after DryPast conversion to IrrPast and IrrCrop, respectively. Land use change had varying impacts on MAOC, which were influenced by the specific soil types. The well-drained LIS soil showed the highest MAOC increase, rising by 26 % following the conversion from DryPast to IrrPast. In contrast, the poorly drained WAT soil experienced the most significant MAOC reduction, decreasing by 22 % after the conversion to IrrCrop. Fungal necromass dominated MAOC gains, while bacterial necromass drove MAOC losses. Furthermore, the response of MAOC to land uses was primarily affected by labile C as the major source of microbial activity and binding agents. The stabilized fungal necromass is primarily protected within micropores of 0.2–3 µm. In contrast, bacterial necromass is largely constrained by the availability of labile nitrogen. Overall, the increase in fungal necromass and the decrease in bacterial necromass, driven by the interplay between specific management (e.g., irrigation or cultivation) and soil type (e.g., hydraulic properties), are important to interpret MAOC responses to changes in land use.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49503,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Tillage Research","volume":"253 ","pages":"Article 106634"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143937374","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":"Is soil respiration of a chernozem under shallow cultivation similar to moldboard plowing or no-tillage?","authors":"Márton Dencső ,&nbsp;Ágota Horel ,&nbsp;Zsófia Bakacsi ,&nbsp;Márta Birkás ,&nbsp;Tünde Takács ,&nbsp;Anna Füzy ,&nbsp;Tibor Szili-Kovács ,&nbsp;István Balla ,&nbsp;Eszter Tóth","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106644","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106644","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Herein, we report a 6–year–long investigation on the CO₂ emission (soil respiration) of a chernozem soil under conventional moldboard plowing (MP) and two conservation tillage techniques, namely shallow cultivation (SC) and no-tillage (NT). This study aims to compare soil respiration data among SC, and MP or NT treatments and investigate the underlying processes influencing the magnitude of soil-derived emissions. CO₂ fluxes were measured using static and dynamic chamber methods in seven replicates weekly during and biweekly to monthly outside growing seasons. We investigated postharvest yield and root biomass, post-tillage mulch thickness, soil water content (SWC) and temperature (Ts) via a monitoring system and portable instruments, soil chemical parameters via wet chemical analyses, and community-level physiological profiles of the soil microbial community using the MicroResp™ technique. The 6-year average soil respiration under SC (0.093 mgCO₂ m⁻² s⁻¹) was the same as the mean emission in NT. Both of these conservation treatments showed significantly elevated CO₂ emissions compared with the mean soil respiration under conventional MP (0.081 mgCO₂ m⁻² s⁻¹). We found that vegetation biomass via root respiration and denser straw residue cover could be major factors of higher CO₂ emission under SC. Additionally, the higher soil respiration in SC compared with MP could result from the high soil organic carbon (SOC) content. Similarly, elevated soil respiration in NT can occur because of the highest mean SOC and SWC as well as the densest straw residue layer among the three treatments. MicroResp™ measurements revealed differences in the substrate use efficiency of the microbial community under the three treatments, therefore suggesting that the treatment effect on CO₂ emission is caused by differences in microbial communities. Following crop production and soil respiration together, the CO₂ emission to yield ratio was the lowest under SC, similar to MP, and highest under NT treatment. The CO₂ emissions of the treatments exhibited variability over the years. Therefore, longer experimental time is essential to find more established conclusions of different tillage techniques.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49503,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Tillage Research","volume":"253 ","pages":"Article 106644"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143928345","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":"Intercropping controls the response of phosphorus availability to fertilization","authors":"Dongxue Tao ,&nbsp;Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo ,&nbsp;Guiyao Zhou ,&nbsp;Tadeo Sáez-Sandino ,&nbsp;Xiaoqian Yu ,&nbsp;An Yan ,&nbsp;Yingzhi Gao","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106633","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106633","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Phosphorus (P) availability is fundamental for ensuring sustainable food production in global croplands. Intercropping is a sustainable way that promotes P availability, addressing the multiple challenges of scarcity of P rock and exacerbating pollution. Yet, how intercropping regulates the transformation of P availability from inorganic and organic P fractions in unfertilized cropland is poorly understood. Here, we conducted a 5-year field experiment to evaluate the effects of intercropping and P fertilization on the P fractions and to explore the mechanisms of these effects. Results showed that P fertilization increased inorganic and organic P fractions, on average, 1.64 and 2.30 times higher than those in unfertilized soil. Intercropping interacted with P fertilization to affect the content of P fractions. More specifically, soil labile inorganic P increased by unfertilized intercropping, while decreased by fertilized intercropping than monoculture. Unfertilized intercropping increased the ratio of labile inorganic P to moderately stable organic P, while decreasing soil moderately stable organic P. Furthermore, soil microbial diversity and biomass, as well as soil properties predicted changes in P fractions, especially microbial biomass carbon was positively correlated with labile inorganic P and the ratio of both P fractions, while negatively correlated with moderately stable organic P. Our findings suggest that intercropping increases P availability in unfertilized soil by transforming moderately stable organic P to labile inorganic P, and accumulation of microbial biomass mainly drive transformation process.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49503,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Tillage Research","volume":"253 ","pages":"Article 106633"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143928234","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}