Geoderma Regional最新文献

{"title":"From paddy fields to natural wetlands: Soil quality across successional stages","authors":"Zhen Wang ,&nbsp;Yuxi Peng ,&nbsp;Yuqi Liu ,&nbsp;Guanglan Cao","doi":"10.1016/j.geodrs.2025.e01003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.geodrs.2025.e01003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Natural succession following farmland abandonment promotes ecological restoration of wetland soils, yet systematic studies on soil property and quality trends in wetlands over time are scarce. This study evaluated the dynamic changes in soil physicochemical properties and quality across wetlands with varying abandonment durations to elucidate drivers of soil quality restoration. Five sites were selected in the downstream Tumen River, China: paddy fields (PF); restored wetlands abandoned for 5 (Ab5), 15 (Ab15), and 30 years (Ab30); and natural wetlands (NW). Principal Component Analysis was employed to evaluate the relationship between abandonment duration and soil property changes, while Minimum Data Set was used to assess soil quality, with total nitrogen, available nitrogen, total phosphorus, and available phosphorus as core indicators. The results revealed significant differences in soil properties between the upper and lower soil layers, with the most pronounced differences observed in Ab5 compared to other restored wetlands. Total nitrogen had the greatest influence on the soil quality index at both soil depths. The upper soil layer gradually recovered with succession, although agricultural activities still contributed to nutrient loss, while lower layer recovery lagged behind. Ab30 exhibited the highest soil quality index, followed by Ab15, Ab5, NW, and PF, confirming the positive effect of succession on soil quality. These findings highlight critical soil indicators, offering insights for the restoration and sustainable management of degraded wetlands. These findings can be integrated into adaptive management strategies to enhance ecological resilience and promote sustainable land use.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56001,"journal":{"name":"Geoderma Regional","volume":"42 ","pages":"Article e01003"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144931610","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Copper isotope signatures during red earth weathering and their significance for soil reticulation (Xuancheng, South China)","authors":"Daqian Zhang ,&nbsp;Lian Zhou ,&nbsp;Thomas J. Algeo ,&nbsp;Ke Yin ,&nbsp;Lanping Feng ,&nbsp;Yu Jiao ,&nbsp;Yating Hu ,&nbsp;Jinhua Liu ,&nbsp;Hanlie Hong","doi":"10.1016/j.geodrs.2025.e00997","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.geodrs.2025.e00997","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Copper isotopes (δ⁶⁵Cu) can provide critical insights in the study of weathering, pedogenic processes, and paleoenvironmental evolution. However, the behavior of Cu and its isotopic fractionation mechanisms in complex soil-forming systems are not well known. The Xuancheng profile in South China is characterized by a distinctive reticulate structure, consisting of white veins and red matrix. It is an excellent field laboratory for the study of Cu isotope variation in pedogenic systems with complex redox and developmental histories. Our results show that Cu is present mainly in clay minerals, and its isotopic composition exhibits limited variability, ranging from −0.29 ± 0.02 ‰ to −0.15 ± 0.02 ‰ (relative to NIST 976). In the modern soil layer (MSL) and homogenous red earth layer (HREL), bulk Cu isotopes (−0.22 to −0.15 ‰) are similar to those of the residual fraction (δ⁶⁵Cu_res = −0.29 to −0.21 ‰), suggesting that Cu in clay minerals is relatively stable during oxic weathering. Cu isotopic compositions in the middle and lower reticulated red earth layer (RREL) were affected by redox variations during the reticulation process. In the middle RREL (1.7–2.4 m), δ⁶⁵Cu variation was related to decomposition or transformation of iron oxides during weak reticulation. The clay assemblages, Cu isotopes of bulk soil and residual fractions indicate that Cu isotopic variation in the RREL was positively correlated with the presence of reticulation but not to the intensity of the reticulation process. Furthermore, the white veins contain isotopically heavier Cu than the red matrix of the LRREL, which was related to dissolution of iron oxides containing isotopically light Cu in the red matrix under seasonally wet-dry climate conditions. These results advance our understanding of the mechanisms of Cu-isotopic fractionation during chemical weathering in pedogenic environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56001,"journal":{"name":"Geoderma Regional","volume":"42 ","pages":"Article e00997"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145018624","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Substantial amounts of soil organic carbon and macronutrients are stored in deep soil layers under bamboo plantations","authors":"Jintu Kumar Bania ,&nbsp;Arun Jyoti Nath ,&nbsp;Gudeta W. Sileshi ,&nbsp;Venkatesh Paramesh ,&nbsp;Subrata Nandy ,&nbsp;Ashesh Kumar Das","doi":"10.1016/j.geodrs.2025.e01004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.geodrs.2025.e01004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Bamboo is well known for its fast growth, high productivity, and multipurpose uses in different industries. Although bamboo stands are claimed to stock considerable amount of carbon in their biomass and the soil, our knowledge of soil organic carbon (SOC) and macronutrient storage below 100 cm soil depth is limited. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate (1) variations in SOC and macronutrient concentration and stocks up to 500 cm soil depth under different aged bamboo plantations and open forests; (2) the vertical distribution of SOC and macronutrients; and (3) the stratification of SOC along soil depths and stand ages of bamboo. SOC and macronutrient contents decreased with soil depth consistently following distance-decay spatial interaction models. The highest SOC stock was recorded in 30 years old bamboo plantation (243.3 Mg ha⁻¹), while the lowest was in 5 years old bamboo plantations (186.47 Mg ha⁻¹) in the 0–500 cm soil depth. The SOC and macronutrient concentrations in the 0–100 cm were higher in all the bamboo stands than in the open forest. The total carbon stocks increased with increasing bamboo stand age. The stratification ratio of SOC and SOC: clay under different aged bamboo plantations indicated a moderate soil quality and good soil structure. It is concluded that bamboo plantations can serve as effective carbon sinks, contributing to substantial accumulation of SOC and macronutrients in subsurface soil layers. This makes bamboo plantations on degraded land a sustainable strategy for climate change mitigation, soil conservation, and land restoration.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56001,"journal":{"name":"Geoderma Regional","volume":"42 ","pages":"Article e01004"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145026362","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Improving the accuracy of digital soil mapping using remote sensing and topography covariates in the Central Dry Zone of Myanmar","authors":"Akari Win ,&nbsp;Budiman Minasny ,&nbsp;Anthony Ringrose-Voase ,&nbsp;Ho-Jun Jang","doi":"10.1016/j.geodrs.2025.e01001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.geodrs.2025.e01001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Remote sensing has been extensively applied in Digital Soil Mapping to support land resource management and environmental monitoring. However, in humid tropical regions, the effectiveness of optical sensors is often constrained by persistent cloud cover. As a result, many studies in these areas rely primarily on topographic variables as covariates. This study aims to achieve high-accuracy mapping by combining remote sensing images and topographic variables in the Pyawbwe township of the Central Dry Zone of Myanmar, covering 1,650 km². This study explored (1) the correlation between soil properties and remote sensing predictors retrieved from monthly composite images of Landsat 5 bands on the accuracy of soil property predictions and (2) the improved prediction accuracy of Digital Soil Mapping when topographic variables were combined with Landsat 5 images. Correlation and regression analyses show significant relationships between spectral bands and soil properties. Integrating Landsat imagery with topographic data consistently improved the prediction of soil properties using Random Forest (RF) and Cubist models, with R² values more than double in some cases compared to models using topography alone. Particularly for clay content (R² improved from 0.27 to 0.54 for RF and 0.14 to 0.57 for Cubist), effective cation exchange capacity (from 0.17 to 0.48 for RF and 0.07 to 0.42 for Cubist), and sand content (from 0.15 to 0.46 for RF and 0.10 to 0.50 for Cubist). Results from linear correlation analysis show that clay, silt, sand, effective cation exchange capacity, and exchangeable magnesium display the highest correlations with near-infrared and shortwave infrared bands during the fallow period in March, May, and December. The results suggest the potential for using remote sensing to interpret soil fertility, texture, and nutrient-supplying capacity during these periods.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56001,"journal":{"name":"Geoderma Regional","volume":"42 ","pages":"Article e01001"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144922660","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Influence of biochar and compost and their interaction on carbon and nitrogen mineralization in a Saharan sandy soil","authors":"E. Le Guyader ,&nbsp;H. Oueriemmi ,&nbsp;H. Clivot ,&nbsp;M. El Mazlouzi ,&nbsp;A. Guillaneuf ,&nbsp;M. Gommeaux ,&nbsp;B. Marin ,&nbsp;I.R. Zoghlami ,&nbsp;G. Alavoine ,&nbsp;M. Sbih ,&nbsp;B. Boumaraf ,&nbsp;A. Tirichine ,&nbsp;V. Kavvadias ,&nbsp;M.L. Aubertin ,&nbsp;D. Sebag ,&nbsp;T. Adatte ,&nbsp;X. Morvan","doi":"10.1016/j.geodrs.2025.e01002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.geodrs.2025.e01002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Biochar and compost co-application in agricultural soils is of growing interest due to their complementary nature, combining high carbon (C) sequestration potential and nutrient inputs. An organically depleted sandy soil sampled in an oasis in southern Tunisia was selected to evaluate the impact of date palm-based biochar and compost as soil amendments and to assess the biodegradability of these organic products sole or in mixtures. Carbon and Nitrogen (N) mineralization dynamics in soils amended or not with biochar and/or compost were monitored during 112 days. Soil samples were taken at the start and after 56 and 112 days of incubation for soil organic matter quantification and characterization using Rock-Eval® thermal analysis.</div><div>The apparent mineralized organic carbon fraction of the compost was ≈16.7 % after 112 days. The mineralization rate constants of the labile fractions of sole compost and biochar were 0.012 and 0.037 day⁻¹ respectively following model fittings on C mineralization data. The proportion of their recalcitrant fractions were 77 and 98 % of initial C for compost and biochar, respectively. The comparison of model fits obtained for products alone <em>vs</em> mixtures showed no differences, suggesting no significant interaction between biochar and compost in mixtures on C mineralization. However, in the soil amended with pre-incubated biochar-compost mixtures, lower cumulated CO₂ emissions were found compared with the same products inputs applied individually. The nitrogen supply of the compost was estimated at 53 ± 28 kg N.ha⁻¹ in the short-term in the soil amended with ≈77 t.ha⁻¹ of date palm compost. Biochar pre-incubated with compost increased the soil N supply to 106 ± 45 kg N.ha⁻¹ compared with the unamended soil.</div><div>The low thermal stability of the initial pure compost highlighted the low stabilization of the organic matter during the composting process. The high salt content of the compost does not seem to inhibit organic matter decomposition in a saline non-sodic soil. However, improving the composting process with date palm residues is needed to optimise its carbon stability, and to avoid salinization of the soil and water in arid areas.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56001,"journal":{"name":"Geoderma Regional","volume":"42 ","pages":"Article e01002"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145049338","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Corrigendum to ‘Mapping sub-surface distribution of soil organic carbon stocks in South Africa's arid and semi-arid landscapes: Implications for land management and climate change mitigation’ [Geoderma Regional Volume 37, 2024, e00817]","authors":"Omosalewa Odebiri ,&nbsp;Onisimo Mutanga ,&nbsp;John Odindi ,&nbsp;Rob Slotow ,&nbsp;Paramu Mafongoya ,&nbsp;Romano Lottering ,&nbsp;Rowan Naicker ,&nbsp;Trylee Nyasha Matongera ,&nbsp;Mthembeni Mngadi","doi":"10.1016/j.geodrs.2025.e01006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.geodrs.2025.e01006","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":56001,"journal":{"name":"Geoderma Regional","volume":"42 ","pages":"Article e01006"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145104161","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pine, spruce and birch logging residues on a clear-cut increase base cations concentrations in soil percolation water along with nitrate concentrations increase","authors":"Antti-Jussi Lindroos,&nbsp;Tiina Törmänen,&nbsp;Aino Smolander","doi":"10.1016/j.geodrs.2025.e01005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.geodrs.2025.e01005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study's aim was to determine the effect of logging residue piles of Scots pine, Norway spruce and silver birch on the base cation concentrations in percolation water below the rooting depth in a clear-cut. The second aim was to determine if the concentrations of nitrate and dissolved organic carbon were related to the concentrations of base cations in percolation water. A Norway-spruce-dominated stand was clear-cut, and logging residues were taken from spruce, pine, and birch trees from the adjacent and similar forest stand to the clear-cut. Piles containing 40 kg m⁻² of fresh branches were constructed on the soil surface, covering a 60 cm × 60 cm area, i.e. the whole surface area of the lysimeter that was first installed. A zero-tension lysimeter collected soil percolating water through a logging residue pile and soil profile to a depth of 40 cm below the surface of the ground. Percolation water was collected for chemical analysis at 4–6-week intervals during 2016–2017 and the concentrations of calcium, magnesium and potassium were determined. Logging residues of spruce, pine, and birch caused increased concentrations of base cations in percolation water, and the highest concentrations were associated with birch residues. Dissolved organic carbon concentrations were always low and were not correlated with base cations. Logging residues are located to restrict parts of a clear-cut area in large piles, and this causes elevated concentrations of nitrate below the piles: this study showed that nitrate concentrations were related to the elevated concentrations of base cations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56001,"journal":{"name":"Geoderma Regional","volume":"42 ","pages":"Article e01005"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145049339","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"On the importance of digital soil mapping scale for ecosystem service assessment and policy - A study involving soil sediments dynamic and direct aquifer recharge","authors":"Fernanda Almeida Bócoli ,&nbsp;Junior Cesar Avanzi ,&nbsp;Bruno Montoani Silva ,&nbsp;Vanêssa Lopes de Faria ,&nbsp;Maria Cecília Vieira Totti ,&nbsp;Michele Duarte de Menezes ,&nbsp;Alexandre Uezu ,&nbsp;Nilton Curi ,&nbsp;Sérgio Henrique Godinho Silva","doi":"10.1016/j.geodrs.2025.e00999","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.geodrs.2025.e00999","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil is crucial for many ecosystem services. Among them, direct aquifer recharge and sediment dynamic have the soil as a fundamental basis for interpretations to improve territorial and environmental planning. This study assessed the importance of improving the scale (details) of soil maps and the impact it has on the correct interpretation and quantification of ecosystem services related to aquifer recharge and sediment dynamics. Fuzzy logic was applied to four watersheds from the Pontal do Paranapanema region, Brazil. Knowledge-based models were used to upscale soil maps, later validated and then adopted to derive information on direct water recharge and sediment dynamics. Effects of upscaling were evident when comparing the soil maps produced by fuzzy logic at low cost with the existing maps. Incorporating terrain attributes and legacy data effectively predicted soil spatial distribution in the studied watersheds, delivering overall accuracy and Kappa index values of 69–74 % and 0.51–0.63, respectively. Latossolos and Argissolos persist as the main soils in the watersheds, but their spatial distribution drastically changed. Another remarkable improvement on the soil maps by fuzzy logic was the detailed distinction of floodplain soils, which were not reported in previous maps. Aquifer discharge interpretations was severely affected by the soil maps scale. Trade-offs or synergies among ecosystem services were spatially detected since soil-landscape relations that foster water infiltration, storage, and direct aquifer recharge are those that also prevent soil loss (sediment retention). More detailed soil maps identified places where ecosystem services were more prominent in each watershed, showing the impact of using more detailed soil maps in this process. Knowledge-based process under the fuzzy logic approach allowed such maps upscaling at relatively low cost. Future studies should incorporate other environmental data (e.g., land use/land cover, relief variation, lithology, etc.) to further improve soil maps and, hence, the assessment of ecosystem services, supporting detailed interpretations and decision-making towards environmental sustainability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56001,"journal":{"name":"Geoderma Regional","volume":"42 ","pages":"Article e00999"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144925347","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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 residue incorporation promotes soil organic carbon accumulation and enhances the effect of subsoiling on plant growth","authors":"Weijun Zhang ,&nbsp;Xu Liu ,&nbsp;Lars J. Munkholm ,&nbsp;Tingting An ,&nbsp;Hongdan Li ,&nbsp;Xiaoqian Xu ,&nbsp;Shuangyi Li ,&nbsp;Chang Peng ,&nbsp;Jingkuan Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.geodrs.2025.e01000","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.geodrs.2025.e01000","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Subsoiling tillage (SubT) is an effective strategy for improving soil structure in the agricultural management. However, little is known about the response of soil organic carbon (SOC) accumulation and plant nutrient uptake to SubT and subsoiling with straw residue incorporation (SubTS). We conducted a one-year field experiment in the Mollisol region of northeastern China, including three treatments: (1) conventional tillage (ConT); (2) SubT; (3) SubTS. Soil samples were collected from topsoil (0–20 cm) and subsoil (20–35 cm) to determine contents of SOC fractions, soil nutrients and soil microbial community structure. Crop biomass components and plant nutrient concentration as well as uptake were determined at maturity. SubTS increased particulate and mineral-associated organic carbon (POC and MAOC) contents and soil microbial biomass in the whole soil profile relative to ConT during days 30–150, and significantly (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) for subsoil (averagely by 18.8 %, 13.2 % and 76.7 %, respectively). However, SubT was only conducive to POC and MAOC formation and soil microbial activities in the topsoil but not for the subsoil during days 60–150. Nonetheless, SubT and especially SubTS substantially increased harvest index and plant nutrient uptake. Moreover, the stronger relationships among SOC pool, aggregate stability, soil microorganisms and soil nutrients were observed in the subsoil than those in the topsoil. These results demonstrated that soil structure improvement and exogenous organic materials input performed pivotal functions in SOC accumulation, soil nutrients preservation and plant nutrition absorption. Accordingly, SubTS was recommended as a sustainable agriculture practice to promote SOC accumulation and plant growth in Northeast China.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56001,"journal":{"name":"Geoderma Regional","volume":"42 ","pages":"Article e01000"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144893618","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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 influence of rice husk biochar, compost, and their mixture on maize yields and soil organic carbon content in southern Togo","authors":"Dodji Komlan Aziandeke ,&nbsp;Murilo dos Santos Vianna ,&nbsp;Ekpetsi Chantal Bouka ,&nbsp;Gbénonchi Mawussi ,&nbsp;Alou Coulibaly ,&nbsp;Thomas Gaiser","doi":"10.1016/j.geodrs.2025.e00996","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.geodrs.2025.e00996","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil fertility decline is the basis of crop yield reduction, especially in sub-Saharan Africa where ensuring food security is one of the greatest challenges. Biochar application could be an option to alleviate this decline, also improving soil organic carbon content (SOC) which is a major goal for resilient agricultural systems under changing climate. This study aimed to understand the effect of biochar applied alone or in combination with compost and mineral fertilizers in synergistic way on SOC and maize productivity. From 2022 to 2024, a two-year field experiment over three growing seasons was conducted in a coastal agroecological zone of southern Togo. The experimental design was arranged in a split-split plot design with three factors: (1) Application of compost (no compost = C0 and 10 t ha⁻¹ = C1), (2) Application of mineral fertilizer (no mineral fertilizer = F0 and half of the recommended rate in the country = F1), (3) Application rates of biochar (0 t ha⁻¹ = B0, 10 t ha⁻¹ = B10, and 20 t ha⁻¹ = B20). A linear mixed-effects model was applied for statistical data analysis. A correlation analysis between, on the one hand, maize yield and yield components and SOC and total nitrogen, on the other hand, was carried out for the second and third growing seasons to understand the interrelation between maize yield and soil properties. The application of 20 t ha⁻¹ of biochar (B20) significantly increased SOC concentration by 2.20 g kg⁻¹. Meanwhile, B10 and C1 did not significantly influence SOC. The effect on soil total nitrogen from different treatments was not significant. Grain yield increased significantly with biochar application at a rate of 20 t ha⁻¹ during the second season, while the positive effect was marginal in the third growing season. The mineral fertilizers showed a significant effect for all three seasons thanks to their immediate response. Our study concluded that applying biochar at a rate of 20 t ha⁻¹, with re-application after one year, can significantly enhance maize yield. This approach may also contribute to mitigating the impact of climate change on agriculture. Biochar can be crucial in building the resilience of maize production to effectively address the decline in soil quality. Although biochar alone in a reasonable rate improved soil carbon and yield in later seasons, its combination with compost and mineral fertilizers did not lead to significant interactive effects under the conditions of this study, suggesting that further research is needed to assess the context-dependent benefits of integrated soil amendments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56001,"journal":{"name":"Geoderma Regional","volume":"42 ","pages":"Article e00996"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144830976","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}