Potassium and Magnesium in American Ginseng Roots as Key Factors in Monitoring Soil Quality, Yield, and Quality: Screening, Prediction, and Validation

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Dear Editor,

The submitted manuscript entitled ‘Screening, Prediction and Validation of Potassium and Magnesium for Soil Quality as Key Monitoring Factors in American Ginseng’ presents interesting results from soil quality indicators. The article seems to have been elaborated carefully. Although it has some limitations (mainly regarding some methods and discussion), I conclude that these data deserve publication in ‘Horticulturae’. Therefore, I recommend reconsidering the paper after major revision.

See specific comments:

Introduction

Please correct the form of citation throughout the text. See some examples of errors in lines 49-51; 68.

Expand the state of the art on soil quality indicators. There are hundreds of approaches recently introduced to assess soil quality.

Why did you choose K and Mg as soil quality indicators? Consider that previous work does not indicate these elements as the main chemical indicators of soil quality.

Hypothesis: Please formulate and add the hypothesis to the text.

Materials and Methods

Section 2.1.1. Include geographic coordinates.

Section 2.3. Give details on the determination of active compounds.

Section 2.4. Provide details on the extractants used, particularly for K and Mg.

Section 2.5. Present citations.

Section 2.6.2. Present citations.

Section 2.8. Present details about the statistical tests used in the box plots.

Results

Table 2, 3 and 4: Improve table formatting and presentation.

Discussion:

Highlight the role of organic matter in soil quality. Justify why OM was not included as an indicator of soil quality.

Conclusion:

 

Present the limitations of the study and present the need for future work.

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Dear Authors,

Your manuscript is interesting because it shows the screening, prediction and validation of potassium and magnesium for soil quality as key factors for monitoring American ginseng. The layout of the articles became standard for research papers. However, I have a few comments and observations:

(1) In the text, reference numbers should be placed in square brackets [ ], and placed before the punctuation; for example [1], [1–3] or [1,3]. Prepare a document according to the guidelines for Horticulturae https://www.mdpi.com/journal/horticulturae/instructions

(2) Abstract and Introduction. These chapters are well written. Please make sure that the "g/kg" entry is correct --> check the instructions for authors.

(3) Materials and Methods. L. 116-117: Explain what are Rb1, Rb2, 116 Rb3, Rc, Rd, Re, Rg1, Rg2?

Result, Discussion and Conclusions. How can you use these results practically?

Subsections should not begin with figures. Move the figures.

 

Good luck!

Sincerely yours

Reviewer

Author Response

Please see the attachment

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

In its current form, the article is ready to be published.