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Land
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Soil Management for Sustainable Agriculture and Ecosystem Services
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Soil Management for Sustainable Agriculture and Ecosystem Services

A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Soil-Sediment-Water Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 July 2022) | Viewed by 36448

Printed Edition Available!
A printed edition of this Special Issue is available here.

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Chiara Piccini

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment, Via della Navicella, 2-4, 00184 Rome, Italy
Interests: geostatistics; digital soil mapping; soil science; sustainable agriculture; soil and water conservation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Rosa Francaviglia

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment, 00184 Rome, Italy
Interests: soil organic carbon content; soil fertility; soil biodiversity; land-use/land-cover change; SOC simulation models
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to invite you to contribute with your papers to the Special Issue “Soil Management for Sustainable Agriculture and Ecosystem Services” in Land.

Soil ecosystem services include the direct and indirect benefits that people obtain from soils. These include (1) provisioning services, such as food, feed, fibre, and fresh water; (2) regulating services, such as flood and disease control, and climate regulation; (3) supporting services, such as soil formation, water and nutrient cycling, the production of atmospheric oxygen, and provisioning of habitats.

Utilising soil for agriculture inevitably leads to changes in soil properties such as nutrient status, pH, organic matter content, and physical characteristics. In many cases, changes that are beneficial for food production are detrimental to other ecosystem services. Core farming practices such as soil tillage, crop residue management, nutrient management, and pest management impact a range of soil functions and ecosystem services, including water availability for crops, weed control, insect and pathogen control, soil quality and functioning, soil erosion control, soil organic carbon pool, environmental pollution control, greenhouse gas emissions, and crop yield productivity.

Since prevailing farming paradigms point to the conflict between high crop yields and low environmental impact, it is of crucial importance to define an environmentally sound range of agronomic activities that would be considered tolerable at a certain extent of intensity. Sustainable agriculture mainly focuses on increasing the productivity of the soil and reducing the harmful effects of agricultural practices on climate, soil, water, environment, and human health. Aspects such as an increase in soil fertility, protection of water, and protection of biodiversity need to be taken into account.

Following the principles of sustainable agriculture, soils must be protected and developed, water and water resources must be protected, natural control of pests and diseases should be adopted, and different agricultural products should be cultivated. Managing soil organic carbon is central because soil organic matter influences numerous soil properties relevant to ecosystem functioning and crop growth.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Minimising soil erosion from agricultural land;
  • Maintaining and improving soil productivity;
  • Managing soil nutrients;
  • Maintaining and improving soil organic matter;
  • Optimising soil physical conditions for crop growth—bulk density, water infiltration, etc.;
  • Water management and conservation;
  • Understanding and optimising soil biological processes;
  • Cover crops and rotations/diversity;
  • No till/conservation tillage;
  • Root–soil interactions;
  • Pests and diseases management;
  • Possible beneficial impacts of biochar on soil properties and crop growth.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Dr. Chiara Piccini
Dr. Rosa Francaviglia
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Land is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • sustainable agriculture
  • soil ecosystem services
  • soil erosion
  • soil productivity
  • soil nutrients
  • soil organic matter
  • soil physics
  • soil biological processes
  • water management

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Published Papers (14 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 2923 KiB  
Article
Bacterial Microbiota and Soil Fertility of Crocus sativus L. Rhizosphere in the Presence and Absence of Fusarium spp.
by Beatrice Farda, Rihab Djebaili, Matteo Bernardi, Loretta Pace, Maddalena Del Gallo and Marika Pellegrini
Land 2022, 11(11), 2048; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11112048 - 15 Nov 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1451
Abstract
Intensive agricultural practices have led to intense soil degradation and soil fertility losses. Many soil-borne diseases affect these intensive agricultural soils, worsening the physical-chemical and fertility imbalances. Among the numerous pathogens, the genus Fusarium includes members that destroy many crops, including Crocus sativus [...] Read more.
Intensive agricultural practices have led to intense soil degradation and soil fertility losses. Many soil-borne diseases affect these intensive agricultural soils, worsening the physical-chemical and fertility imbalances. Among the numerous pathogens, the genus Fusarium includes members that destroy many crops, including Crocus sativus L., which also impairs the composition and functions of the microbial communities. This work aimed to investigate, for the first time, the bacterial communities of the rhizosphere of saffron in the presence and absence of fusariosis. The rhizosphere of the saffron fields in the territory of L’Aquila (Italy) with and without fusariosis was sampled and subjected to a microbiological analysis. Culture-dependent methods characterized the fusariosis. The dehydrogenase activity assay was estimated. The metabarcoding of the 16S rRNA gene, a metagenome functioning prediction, and a network analysis were also carried out. The results showed that fusariosis, when it is linked to intensive agricultural practices, causes alterations in the microbial communities of the rhizosphere. The culture-dependent and independent approaches have shown changes in the bacterial community in the presence of fusariosis, with functional and enzymatic imbalances. The samples showed a prevalence of uncultured and unknown taxa. Most of the known Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASVs) were associated with the Pseudomonadoa (syn. Proteobacteria) lineage. The composition and richness of this phylum were significantly altered by the presence of Fusarium. Moreover, pathogenesis appeared to improve the ASVs interconnections. The metagenome functions were also modified in the presence of fusariosis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Management for Sustainable Agriculture and Ecosystem Services)
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20 pages, 4022 KiB  
Article
Comparison of Vegetation Types for Prevention of Erosion and Shallow Slope Failure on Steep Slopes in the Southeastern USA
by Homayra Asima, Victoria Niedzinski, Frances C. O’Donnell and Jack Montgomery
Land 2022, 11(10), 1739; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11101739 - 08 Oct 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3748
Abstract
Shallow slope failures due to erosion are common occurrences along roadways. The use of deep-rooted vegetative covers is a potential solution to stabilize newly constructed slopes or repair shallow landslides. This study compared species that may provide slope stabilization for sites in the [...] Read more.
Shallow slope failures due to erosion are common occurrences along roadways. The use of deep-rooted vegetative covers is a potential solution to stabilize newly constructed slopes or repair shallow landslides. This study compared species that may provide slope stabilization for sites in the Piedmont region of the southeastern USA. Six species were tested on experimental plots under natural rainfall conditions, and vegetation health and establishment were monitored. Two methods were used to measure surface erosion, measurement of total suspended solids in collected runoff and erosion pins. While measurement uncertainty was high for both methods, differences were evident between species in the spatial distribution of surface erosion that was related to the quality of vegetation establishment. For three species that established well, soil cores were collected to measure root biomass at depths up to 40 cm. Vetiver grass (Vetiveria zizaniodies) had substantially higher mean root biomass (3.75 kg/m3) than juniper shrubs (Juniperus chinensis; 0.45 kg/m3) and fescue grass (Lolium arundinaceum; 1.28 kg/m3), with the most pronounced difference in the deepest soil layers. Seeding with turf grass such as fescue is a common practice for erosion control in the region but replacing this with vetiver on steep slopes may help prevent shallow landslides due to the additional root reinforcement. Additional work is needed to measure the magnitude of the strength gain. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Management for Sustainable Agriculture and Ecosystem Services)
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20 pages, 4613 KiB  
Article
Reducing Nitrogen Fertilization in Olive Growing by the Use of Natural Chabazite-Zeolitite as Soil Improver
by Valeria Medoro, Giacomo Ferretti, Giulio Galamini, Annalisa Rotondi, Lucia Morrone, Barbara Faccini and Massimo Coltorti
Land 2022, 11(9), 1471; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11091471 - 03 Sep 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 1752
Abstract
In order to improve the sustainability and productivity of modern agriculture, it is mandatory to enhance the efficiency of Nitrogen (N) fertilizers with low-impact and natural strategies, without impairing crop yield and plant health. To achieve these goals, the ZeOliva project conducted an [...] Read more.
In order to improve the sustainability and productivity of modern agriculture, it is mandatory to enhance the efficiency of Nitrogen (N) fertilizers with low-impact and natural strategies, without impairing crop yield and plant health. To achieve these goals, the ZeOliva project conducted an experiment using a zeolite-rich tuff as a soil amendment to improve the efficiency of the N fertilizers and allow a reduction of their inputs. The results of three years of experimentation performed in three different fields in the Emilia-Romagna region (Italy) are presented. In each field, young olive trees grown on zeolite-amended soil (−50% of N-input) were compared to trees grown on unamended soil (100% N-input). Soils and leaves were collected three times every year in each area and analyzed to monitor the efficiency of the zeolite treatment compared to the control. Vegetative measurements were performed along with analysis of pH, Soil Organic Matter and soluble anions in soil samples, whereas total C and N, C discrimination factor and N isotopic signature were investigated for both soils and leaves. Besides some fluctuations of nitrogen species due to the sampling time (Pre-Fert, Post-Fertilization and Harvest), the Total Nitrogen of leaves did not highlight any difference between treatments, which suggest that plant N uptake was not affected by lower N input in the zeolite treatment. Results, including vegetative measurements, showed no significant differences between the two treatments in all the observed variables, although the control received twice the N-input from fertilization. Based on these results, it is proposed that zeolite minerals increased the N retention time in the soil, allowing a better exploitation by plants which led to the same N uptake of the control notwithstanding the reduction in the N inputs. The use of zeolite-rich tuff in olive growing thus allows a reduction in the amount of fertilizer by up to 50% and improves the N use efficiency with many environmental and economic benefits. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Management for Sustainable Agriculture and Ecosystem Services)
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23 pages, 6428 KiB  
Article
Assessment of Soil Fertility Status under Soil Degradation Rate Using Geomatics in West Nile Delta
by Mohamed A. E. AbdelRahman, Mohamed M. Metwaly, Ahmed A. Afifi, Paola D’Antonio and Antonio Scopa
Land 2022, 11(8), 1256; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11081256 - 06 Aug 2022
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3941
Abstract
The presence of a noticeable rate of degradation in the land of the Nile Delta reduces the efficiency of crop production and hinders supply of the increasing demand of its growing population. For this purpose, knowledge of soil resources and their agricultural potential [...] Read more.
The presence of a noticeable rate of degradation in the land of the Nile Delta reduces the efficiency of crop production and hinders supply of the increasing demand of its growing population. For this purpose, knowledge of soil resources and their agricultural potential is important for determining their proper use and appropriate management. Thus, we investigated the state of soil fertility by understanding the effect of the physical and chemical properties of the soil and their impact on the state of land degradation for the years 1985, 2002 (ancillary data), and 2021 (our investigation). The study showed that there are clear changes in the degree of soil salinity as a result of agricultural management, water conditions, and climatic changes. The soil fertility is obtained in four classes: Class one (I) represents soils of a good fertility level with an area of about 39%. Class two (II) includes soils of an average fertility level, on an area of about 7%. Class three (III) includes soils with a poor level of fertility, with an area of about 17%. Class four (IV) includes soils of a very poor level of fertility with an area of about 37% of the total area. Principal component analysis (PCA) has revealed that the parameters that control fertility in the studied soils are: C/N, pH, Ca, CEC, OM, P, and Mg. Agro-pedo-ecological units are important units for making appropriate agricultural decisions in the long term, which contribute to improving soil quality and thus increasing the efficiency of soil fertility processes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Management for Sustainable Agriculture and Ecosystem Services)
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13 pages, 767 KiB  
Article
Composted Sewage Sludge Sustains High Maize Productivity on an Infertile Oxisol in the Brazilian Cerrado
by Adrielle Rodrigues Prates, Karen Cossi Kawakami, Aline Renée Coscione, Marcelo Carvalho Minhoto Teixeira Filho, Orivaldo Arf, Cassio Hamilton Abreu-Junior, Fernando Carvalho Oliveira, Adônis Moreira, Fernando Shintate Galindo, Zhenli He, Arun Dilipkumar Jani, Gian Franco Capra, Antonio Ganga and Thiago Assis Rodrigues Nogueira
Land 2022, 11(8), 1246; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11081246 - 05 Aug 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1841
Abstract
Mato Grosso do Sul State in Brazil is characterized by the ‘Cerrado’ ecoregion, which is the most biologically rich Savannah globally. In agricultural terms, the region produces several commodities that are exported around the world. This level of productivity has been achieved through [...] Read more.
Mato Grosso do Sul State in Brazil is characterized by the ‘Cerrado’ ecoregion, which is the most biologically rich Savannah globally. In agricultural terms, the region produces several commodities that are exported around the world. This level of productivity has been achieved through the large-scale use of synthetic fertilizers, which has created several economic and environmental concerns. New approaches in soil fertility management are required to avoid environmental degradation, pollution, and socio-environmental damages. A field experiment, lasting two years, was conducted to investigate the composted sewage sludge (CSS) effects on an infertile acidic soil (Oxisol) planted to maize (Zea mays L.). The following complete randomized complete block design with a 4 × 2 + 2 factorial scheme (four replications) was applied: four CSS increasing rates (from 5.0 to 12.5 Mg ha−1, w.b.) following two application methods (whole area and between crop rows). A control, without CSS or synthetic fertilizers, and conventional synthetic fertilization without CSS were also investigated. Evaluated parameters were: (i) soil and leaf micronutrient concentrations; (ii) maize development, yield, and production. The CSS application increased: (i) the concentration of micronutrients in both soil and leaves; and (ii) the crop yield. Both were particularly true at the higher CSS applied rates. Such organic fertilizer can be safely used as a source of micronutrients for crops as an important low-cost and environmentally friendly alternative to mineral fertilizers, thus safeguarding soil health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Management for Sustainable Agriculture and Ecosystem Services)
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18 pages, 8644 KiB  
Article
Assessment of Soil Capability and Crop Suitability Using Integrated Multivariate and GIS Approaches toward Agricultural Sustainability
by Radwa A. El Behairy, Ahmed A. El Baroudy, Mahmoud M. Ibrahim, Elsayed Said Mohamed, Dmitry E. Kucher and Mohamed S. Shokr
Land 2022, 11(7), 1027; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11071027 - 06 Jul 2022
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3233
Abstract
Land evaluation has an important role in agriculture. Developing countries such as Egypt face many challenges as far as food security is concerned due to the increasing rates of population growth and the limited agriculture resources. The present study used multivariate analysis (PCA [...] Read more.
Land evaluation has an important role in agriculture. Developing countries such as Egypt face many challenges as far as food security is concerned due to the increasing rates of population growth and the limited agriculture resources. The present study used multivariate analysis (PCA and cluster analysis) to assess soil capability in drylands, Meanwhile the Almagra model of Micro LEIS was used to evaluate land suitability for cultivated crops in the investigated area under the current (CS) and optimal scenario (OS) of soil management with the aim of determining the most appropriate land use based on physiographic units. A total of 15 soil profiles were selected to characterize the physiographic units of the investigated area. The results reveal that the high capability cluster (C1) occupied 31.83% of the total study area, while the moderately high capability (C2), moderate capability (C3), and low capability (C4) clusters accounted for 37.88%, 28.27%, and 2.02%, respectively. The limitation factors in the studied area were the high contents of CaCO3, the shallow soil depth, and the high salinity and high percentage of exchangeable sodium (% ESP) in certain areas. The application of OS enhanced the moderate suitability (S3) and unsuitable clusters (S5) to the suitable (S2) and marginally suitable (S4) categories, respectively, while the high suitability cluster (S1) had increased land area, which significantly affected the suitability of maize crop. The use of multivariate analysis for mapping and modeling soil suitability and capability can potentially help decision-makers to improve agricultural management practices and demonstrates the importance of appropriate management to achieving agricultural sustainability under intensive land use in drylands. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Management for Sustainable Agriculture and Ecosystem Services)
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18 pages, 1655 KiB  
Article
Influence of Leguminous Cover Crops on Soil Chemical and Biological Properties in a No-Till Tropical Fruit Orchard
by Ariel Freidenreich, Sanku Dattamudi, Yuncong Li and Krishnaswamy Jayachandran
Land 2022, 11(6), 932; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11060932 - 17 Jun 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3464
Abstract
South Florida’s agricultural soils are traditionally low in organic matter (OM) and high in carbonate rock fragments. These calcareous soils are inherently nutrient-poor and require management for successful crop production. Sunn hemp (SH, Crotalaria juncea) and velvet bean (VB, Mucuna pruriens) [...] Read more.
South Florida’s agricultural soils are traditionally low in organic matter (OM) and high in carbonate rock fragments. These calcareous soils are inherently nutrient-poor and require management for successful crop production. Sunn hemp (SH, Crotalaria juncea) and velvet bean (VB, Mucuna pruriens) are highly productive leguminous cover crops (CCs) that have shown potential to add large quantities of dry biomass to nutrient- and organic-matter-limited systems. This study focuses on intercropping these two CCs with young carambola (Averrhoa carambola) trees. The objective was to test the effectiveness of green manure crops in providing nutrients and supplementing traditional fertilizer regimes with a sustainable soil-building option. Typically, poultry manure (PM) is the standard fertilizer used in organic or sustainable production in the study area. As such, PM treatments and fallow were included for comparison. The treatments were fallow control (F), fallow with PM (FM), sunn hemp (SH), SH with PM (SHM), velvet bean (VB), and VB with PM (VBM). Sunn hemp and VB were grown for two summer growing seasons. At the end of each 90-day growing period, the CCs were terminated and left on the soil surface to decompose in a no-till fashion. The results suggest that SH treatments produced the greatest amount of dry biomass material ranging from 48 to 71% higher than VB over two growing seasons. As a result, SH CCs also accumulated significantly higher amounts of total carbon (TC) and total nitrogen (TN) within their dry biomass that was added to the soil. Sunn hemp, SHM, and FM treatments showed the greatest accumulation of soil OM, TC, and TN. Soil inorganic N (NH₄⁺ + NO3− + NO2) fluctuated throughout the experiment. Our results indicate that generally, VB-treated soils had their highest available N around 2 months post termination, while SH-treated soils exhibited significantly higher N values at CC termination time. Sunn hemp + PM (SHM)treatments had highest soil N availability around 4 months after CC termination. Soil enzyme activity results indicate that at CC termination, SHM exhibited the highest levels of β-1-4- glucosidase and β-N-acetylglucosaminidase among all treatments. Overall, SH, SHM, and FM treatments showed the greatest potential for supplementing soil nutrients and organic matter in a no-till fruit production setting. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Management for Sustainable Agriculture and Ecosystem Services)
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20 pages, 3509 KiB  
Article
Water Regulation Ecosystem Services of Multifunctional Landscape Dominated by Monoculture Plantations
by Yudha Kristanto, Suria Tarigan, Tania June, Enni Dwi Wahjunie and Bambang Sulistyantara
Land 2022, 11(6), 818; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11060818 - 31 May 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1652
Abstract
Meeting the growing demand for agricultural production while preserving water regulation ecosystem services (WRES) is a challenge. One way to preserve WRES is by adopting multifunctional landscape approach. Hence, the main objective was to evaluate the role of forest patches (FP) in preserving [...] Read more.
Meeting the growing demand for agricultural production while preserving water regulation ecosystem services (WRES) is a challenge. One way to preserve WRES is by adopting multifunctional landscape approach. Hence, the main objective was to evaluate the role of forest patches (FP) in preserving WRES in tropical landscapes dominated by oil palm plantations. The SWAT model was used to evaluate the essential WRES, such as water yield (WYLD), soil water (SW), surface runoff (SURQ), groundwater recharge (GWR), and evapotranspiration (AET). Due to a compaction, soils in monoculture plantation have higher bulk density and lower porosity and water retention, which decrease WRES. Conserving FP among oil palms evidently improves WRES, such as decreasing SURQ and rain season WYLD and increasing GWR, SW, AET, and dry season WLYD. FP has sponge-like properties by storing water to increase water availability, and pump-like properties by evaporating water to stabilize the microclimate. Mature oil palm also has pump-like properties to maintain productivity. However, it does not have sponge-like properties that make water use more significant than the stored water. Consequently, a multifunctional landscape could enhance WRES of forest patches and synergize it with provisioning ecosystem services of oil palm plantations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Management for Sustainable Agriculture and Ecosystem Services)
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16 pages, 2790 KiB  
Article
The Effects of Agricultural Conservation Practices on the Small Water Cycle: From the Farm- to the Management-Scale
by Nina Noreika, Tailin Li, Julie Winterova, Josef Krasa and Tomas Dostal
Land 2022, 11(5), 683; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11050683 - 04 May 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2163
Abstract
Reinforcing the small water cycle is considered to be a holistic approach to both water resource and landscape management. In an agricultural landscape, this can be accomplished by incorporating agricultural conservation practices; their incorporation can reduce surface runoff, increase infiltration, and increase the [...] Read more.
Reinforcing the small water cycle is considered to be a holistic approach to both water resource and landscape management. In an agricultural landscape, this can be accomplished by incorporating agricultural conservation practices; their incorporation can reduce surface runoff, increase infiltration, and increase the water holding capacity of a soil. Some typical agricultural conservation practices include: conservation tillage, contour farming, residue incorporation, and reducing field sizes; these efforts aim to keep both water and soil in the landscape. The incorporation of such practices has been extensively studied over the last 40 years. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was used to model two basins in the Czech Republic (one at the farm-scale and a second at the management-scale) to determine the effects of agriculture conservation practice adoption at each scale. We found that at the farm-scale, contour farming was the most effective practice at reinforcing the small water cycle, followed by residue incorporation. At the management-scale, we found that the widespread incorporation of agricultural conservation practices significantly reinforced the small water cycle, but the relative scale and spatial distribution of their incorporation were not reflected in the SWAT scenario analysis. Individual farmers should be incentivized to adopt agricultural conservation practices, as these practices can have great effects at the farm-scale. At the management-scale, the spatial distribution of agricultural conservation practice adoption was not significant in this study, implying that managers should incentivize any adoption of such practices and that the small water cycle would be reinforced regardless. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Management for Sustainable Agriculture and Ecosystem Services)
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18 pages, 2460 KiB  
Article
Inversion Estimation of Soil Organic Matter in Songnen Plain Based on Multispectral Analysis
by Siyu Tang, Chong Du and Tangzhe Nie
Land 2022, 11(5), 608; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11050608 - 21 Apr 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1575
Abstract
Sentinel-2A multi-spectral remote sensing image data underwent high-efficiency differential processing to extract spectral information, which was then matched to soil organic matter (SOM) laboratory test values from field samples. From this, multiple-linear stepwise regression (MLSR) and partial least square (PLSR) models were established [...] Read more.
Sentinel-2A multi-spectral remote sensing image data underwent high-efficiency differential processing to extract spectral information, which was then matched to soil organic matter (SOM) laboratory test values from field samples. From this, multiple-linear stepwise regression (MLSR) and partial least square (PLSR) models were established based on a differential algorithm for surface SOM modeling. The original spectra were subjected to basic transformations with first- and second-derivative processing. MLSR and PLSR models were established based on these methods and the measured values, respectively. The results show that Sentinel-2A remote sensing imagery and SOM content correlated in some bands. The correlation between the spectral value and SOM content was significantly improved after mathematical transformation, especially square-root transformation. After differential processing, the multi-band model had better predictive ability (based on fitting accuracy) than single-band and unprocessed multi-band models. The MLSR and PLSR models of SOM had good prediction functionality. The reciprocal logarithm first-order differential MLSR regression model had the best prediction and inversion results (i.e., most consistent with the real-world data). The MLSR model is more stable and reliable for monitoring SOM content, and provides a feasible method and reference for SOM content-mapping of the study area. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Management for Sustainable Agriculture and Ecosystem Services)
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19 pages, 4526 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Pelletized Lime Kiln Dust Combined with Biomass Combustion Ash on Soil Properties and Plant Yield in a Three-Year Field Study
by Donata Drapanauskaitė, Kristina Bunevičienė, Regina Repšienė, Danutė Karčauskienė, Romas Mažeika and Jonas Baltrusaitis
Land 2022, 11(4), 521; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11040521 - 04 Apr 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2601
Abstract
Extensive application of mineral fertilizers resulted in high soil acidity, which is one of the major problems for crop production and soil degradation. Industrial solid waste, such as lime kiln dust and wood ash, can be used as alternative liming materials to benefit [...] Read more.
Extensive application of mineral fertilizers resulted in high soil acidity, which is one of the major problems for crop production and soil degradation. Industrial solid waste, such as lime kiln dust and wood ash, can be used as alternative liming materials to benefit sustainable agricultural development. In this work, pelletized lime kiln dust with and without wood ash was utilized as liming material and the results of the three-year field study were compared with conventional mineral-based liming materials. It was determined that pelletized lime kiln dust satisfies the requirements posed by the recent European Union regulations to qualify as liming materials. The application of 2000 kg/ha Ca equivalent pelletized lime kiln dust increased soil pHKCl by ~0.55 pH units. Moreover, pelletized lime kiln dust significantly increased spring wheat grain yields ranging from 33.6% to 40.4%, depending on the pellet size. The usage of these liming materials not only increased crop yield but also decreased heavy metal concentration in soil. Due to high alkalinity, carbonate content, easy handling, and the transportation of pelletized lime kiln dust with and without wood ash, the materials have the potential to be used in agriculture as liming materials to reduce soil acidification and increase crop productivity or be used as soil amendments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Management for Sustainable Agriculture and Ecosystem Services)
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18 pages, 3126 KiB  
Article
Prediction of Soil Organic Carbon at Field Scale by Regression Kriging and Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines Using Geophysical Covariates
by Daniela De Benedetto, Emanuele Barca, Mirko Castellini, Stefano Popolizio, Giovanni Lacolla and Anna Maria Stellacci
Land 2022, 11(3), 381; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11030381 - 04 Mar 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1842
Abstract
Knowledge of the spatial distribution of soil organic carbon (SOC) is of crucial importance for improving crop productivity and assessing the effect of agronomic management strategies on crop response and soil quality. Incorporating secondary variables correlated to SOC allows using information often available [...] Read more.
Knowledge of the spatial distribution of soil organic carbon (SOC) is of crucial importance for improving crop productivity and assessing the effect of agronomic management strategies on crop response and soil quality. Incorporating secondary variables correlated to SOC allows using information often available at finer spatial resolution, such as proximal and remote sensing data, and improving prediction accuracy. In this study, two nonstationary interpolation methods were used to predict SOC, namely, regression kriging (RK) and multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS), using as secondary variables electromagnetic induction (EMI) and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) data. Two GPR covariates, representing two soil layers at different depths, and X geographical coordinates were selected by both methods with similar variable importance. Unlike the linear model of RK, the MARS model also selected one EMI covariate. This result can be attributed to the intrinsic capability of MARS to intercept the interactions among variables and highlight nonlinear features underlying the data. The results indicated a larger contribution of GPR than of EMI data due to the different resolution of EMI from that of GPR. Thus, MARS coupled with geophysical data is recommended for prediction of SOC, pointing out the need to improve soil management to guarantee agricultural land sustainability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Management for Sustainable Agriculture and Ecosystem Services)
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16 pages, 3324 KiB  
Article
Assessing Soil-like Materials for Ecosystem Services Provided by Constructed Technosols
by Kristina Ivashchenko, Emanuela Lepore, Viacheslav Vasenev, Nadezhda Ananyeva, Sofiya Demina, Fluza Khabibullina, Inna Vaseneva, Alexandra Selezneva, Andrey Dolgikh, Sofia Sushko, Sara Marinari and Elvira Dovletyarova
Land 2021, 10(11), 1185; https://doi.org/10.3390/land10111185 - 04 Nov 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1967
Abstract
Urbanization results to a wide spread of Technosols. Various materials are used for Technosols’ construction with a limited attention to their ecosystem services or disservices. The research focuses on the integral assessment of soil-like materials used for Technosols’ construction in Moscow megalopolis from [...] Read more.
Urbanization results to a wide spread of Technosols. Various materials are used for Technosols’ construction with a limited attention to their ecosystem services or disservices. The research focuses on the integral assessment of soil-like materials used for Technosols’ construction in Moscow megalopolis from the ecosystem services’ perspective. Four groups of materials (valley peats, sediments, cultural layers, and commercial manufactured soil mixtures) were assessed based on the indicators, which are integral, informative, and cost-effective. Microbial respiration, C-availability, specific respiration, community level physiological profile, and Shannon’ diversity index in the materials were compared to the natural reference to assess and rank the ecosystem services and disservices. The assessment showed that sediments and low-peat mixtures (≤30% of peat in total volume) had a considerably higher capacity to provide C-sequestration, climate regulation and functional diversity services compared to peats and high-peat mixtures. Urban cultural layers provided ecosystem disservices due to pollution by potentially toxic elements and health risks from the pathogenic fungi. Mixtures comprising from the sediments with minor (≤30%) peat addition would have a high potential to increase C-sequestration and to enrich microbial functional diversity. Their implementation in urban landscaping will reduce management costs and increase sustainability of urban soils and ecosystem. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Management for Sustainable Agriculture and Ecosystem Services)
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19 pages, 2580 KiB  
Article
Topsoil Seed Bank as Feeding Ground for Farmland Birds: A Comparative Assessment in Agricultural Habitats
by Aikaterini Voudouri, Evgenia Chaideftou and Athanassios Sfougaris
Land 2021, 10(9), 967; https://doi.org/10.3390/land10090967 - 14 Sep 2021
Viewed by 2119
Abstract
The topsoil seed bank was studied in four types of agricultural bird habitats: fields with cereals, maize, clover and tilled fields of a Mediterranean plain to determine the potentially richest habitat based on food supply for the wintering farmland birds. The diversity and [...] Read more.
The topsoil seed bank was studied in four types of agricultural bird habitats: fields with cereals, maize, clover and tilled fields of a Mediterranean plain to determine the potentially richest habitat based on food supply for the wintering farmland birds. The diversity and abundance of topsoil seeds differed between seasons but did not differ significantly between habitats. The cereal habitat was the richest in food supply for the overwintering of farmland birds. The topsoil seed bank was dominated by Chenopodium album, Polygonum aviculare and Amaranthus retroflexus. The findings of this study provide insight for low-intensity management of higher-elevation mount agricultural areas of southern Mediterranean by preserving seed-rich habitats for farmland avifauna. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Management for Sustainable Agriculture and Ecosystem Services)
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