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Current Soil-Health Status of Our Soils and Near-Term Trends on Potential Food Productivity

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A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant–Soil Interactions".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 June 2023) | Viewed by 14842

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Dr. Paulo Pagliari

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Guest Editor

Southwest Research and Outreach Center, Department of Soil, Water, and Climate, University of Minnesota, Lamberton, MN 56152, USA
Interests: soil quality; sustainability; food production; food quality; soil fertility; plant nutrition; crop productivity

Dr. Fernando Galindo

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Guest Editor

Center for Nuclear Energy in Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba 13416-330, Brazil
Interests: soil science; crop production; plant growth promoting bacteria
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Dear Colleagues,

Soil is the foundation of our society. The continued supply of food and shelter for the global population heavily depends on maintaining our soil’s health. Soil erosion and soil overuse over the last 50 year has negatively impacted soil quality and future generations will suffer if we do not address our problem now. Regenerative agriculture and practices that focus on rebuilding soil quality are starting to be heavily investigated due to our understanding of the current issues related to soil quality. Many researchers have argued that we have about 60 harvests left on most agricultural soils. Whether this statement is accurate or not is not an issue, but the reality is that our soils are degrading at an accelerating rate. We must act now to assure future generations will have adequate conditions to thrive. This Special Issue will focus on the importance of adequate soil management practices such as adequate nutrient availability and fertility on crop growth and yield with a focus on practices that support sustainability.

Dr. Paulo Pagliari
Dr. Fernando Galindo
Guest Editors

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Keywords

soil health
soil resilience
sustainability
plant growth
soil quality
plant nutrition
crop productivity
fertilizer use efficiency

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 1690 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fungi Present in the Clones and Cultivars of European Cranberry (Vaccinium oxycoccos) Grown in Lithuania

by Jolanta Sinkevičienė, Aušra Sinkevičiūtė, Laima Česonienė and Remigijus Daubaras

Plants 2023, 12(12), 2360; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12122360 - 18 Jun 2023

Viewed by 895

Abstract

Fungi are associated with the European cranberry (Vaccinium oxycoccos L.) and play important roles in plant growth and disease control, especially in cranberry yields. This article presents the results of a study which was aimed to investigate the diversity of fungi found on different clones and cultivars of the European cranberry grown in Lithuania, causing twigs, leaf diseases and fruit rots. In this study seventeen clones and five cultivars of V. oxycoccos were selected for investigation. Fungi were isolated via the incubation of twigs, leaves and fruit on a PDA medium and identified according to their cultural and morphological characteristics. Microscopic fungi belonging to 14 genera were isolated from cranberry leaves and twigs, with Physalospora vaccinii, Fusarium spp., Mycosphaerella nigromaculans and Monilinia oxycocci being the most frequently isolated fungi. ‘Vaiva’ and ‘Žuvinta’ cultivars were the most susceptible to pathogenic fungi during the growing season. Among the clones, 95–A–07 was the most susceptible to Phys. vaccinii, 95–A–08 to M. nigromaculans, 99–Ž–05 to Fusarium spp. and 95–A–03 to M. oxycocci. Microscopic fungi belonging to 12 genera were isolated from cranberry berries. The most prevalent pathogenic fungi M. oxycocci were isolated from the berries of the cultivars ‘Vaiva’ and ‘Žuvinta’ and clones 95–A–03 and 96–K–05. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Soil-Health Status of Our Soils and Near-Term Trends on Potential Food Productivity)

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23 pages, 13415 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Common Bean Productivity and Micronutrients in the Soil–Plant System under Residual Applications of Composted Sewage Sludge

by Gabriela Souza de Oliveira, Arshad Jalal, Adrielle Rodrigues Prates, Marcelo Carvalho Minhoto Teixeira Filho, Rodrigo Silva Alves, Luana Corrêa Silva, Raimunda Eliane Nascimento do Nascimento, Philippe Solano Toledo Silva, Orivaldo Arf, Fernando Shintate Galindo, Fernando Carvalho Oliveira, Cassio Hamilton Abreu-Junior, Arun Dilipkumar Jani, Gian Franco Capra and Thiago Assis Rodrigues Nogueira

Plants 2023, 12(11), 2153; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12112153 - 30 May 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1428

Abstract

Composted sewage sludge (CSS) is an organic fertilizer that can be used as a source of micronutrients in agriculture. However, there are few studies with CSS to supply micronutrients for the bean crop. We aimed to evaluate micronutrient concentrations in the soil and their effects on nutrition, extraction, export, and grain yield in response to CSS residual application. The experiment was carried out in the field at Selvíria-MS, Brazil. The common bean cv. BRS Estilo was cultivated in two agricultural years (2017/18 and 2018/19). The experiment was designed in randomized blocks with four replications. Six different treatments were compared: (i) four increasing CSS rates, i.e., CSS5.0 (5.0 t ha⁻¹ of applied CSS, wet basis), CSS7.5, CSS10.0, CSS12.5; (ii) a conventional mineral fertilizer (CF); (iii) a control (CT) without CSS and CF application. The available levels of B, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn were evaluated in soil samples collected in the 0–0.2 and 0.2–0.4 m soil surface horizons. The concentration, extraction, and export of micronutrients in the leaf and productivity of common beans were evaluated. The concentration of Cu, Fe, and Mn ranged from medium to high in soil. The available levels of B and Zn in the soil increased with the residual rates of CSS, which were statistically not different from the treatments with CF. The nutritional status of the common bean remained adequate. The common bean showed a higher requirement for micronutrients in the second year. The leaf concentration of B and Zn increased in the CSS7.5 and CSS10.0 treatments. There was a greater extraction of micronutrients in the second year. Productivity was not influenced by the treatments; however, it was higher than the Brazilian national average. Micronutrients exported to grains varied between growing years but were not influenced by treatments. We conclude that CSS can be used as an alternative source of micronutrients for common beans grown in winter. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Soil-Health Status of Our Soils and Near-Term Trends on Potential Food Productivity)

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15 pages, 2605 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Maize Yield Response, Root Distribution and Soil Desiccation Crack Features as Affected by Row Spacing

by Giovanni Lacolla, Davide Caranfa, Ugo De Corato, Giovanna Cucci, Mario Alberto Mastro and Anna Maria Stellacci

Plants 2023, 12(6), 1380; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12061380 - 20 Mar 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1308

Abstract

Plant density is among the most critical factors affecting plant yields and resource use efficiency since it drives the exploitation of the available resources per unit area, root distribution and soil water losses by direct evaporation from the soil. Consequently, in fine-textured soils, it can also affect the formation and development of desiccation cracks. The aim of this study, carried out on a sandy clay loam soil in a typical Mediterranean environment, was to investigate the effects of different row spacings of maize (Zea mais L.) on yield response, root distribution and the main features of desiccation cracks. The field experiment compared bare soil and soil cropped with maize using three plant densities (6, 4 and 3 plants m⁻²), obtained by keeping the number of plants in a row constant and varying the distance between the rows (0.5–0.75–1.0 m). The highest kernel yield (16.57 Mg ha⁻¹) was obtained with the greatest planting density (6 plants m⁻²) with a row spacing of 0.5 m; significantly lower yields were recorded with spacings of 0.75 and 1 m, with a decrease of 8.09% and 18.24%, respectively. At the end of the growing season, soil moisture in the bare soil was on average 4% greater in comparison to the cropped soil and was also affected by row spacing, decreasing with the decrease in the inter-row distance. An inverse behaviour was observed between soil moisture and both root density and desiccation crack size. Root density decreased to the increase in soil depth and to the increase in distance from the row. The pluviometric regime occurred during the growing season (total rainfall of 343 mm)-resulted in the formation of cracks of reduced size and with an isotropic behaviour in the bare soil, whereas in the cultivated soil, the cracks were parallel to the maize rows and increased in size with decreasing inter-row distance. The total volume of the soil cracks reached a value of 135.65 m³ ha⁻¹ in the soil cropped with a row distance of 0.5 m, and was about ten times greater in comparison to the bare soil and three times greater in comparison to a row spacing of 1 m. Such a volume would allow a recharge of 14 mm in the case of intense rainy events on soil characterised by low permeability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Soil-Health Status of Our Soils and Near-Term Trends on Potential Food Productivity)

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18 pages, 968 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Response of Cucumbers (Cucumis sativus L.) to Waste Wood Fiber Substrates and Additional Nitrogen Fertilization

by Rita Čepulienė, Lina Marija Butkevičienė, Lina Skinulienė and Vaida Steponavičienė

Plants 2022, 11(24), 3464; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11243464 - 10 Dec 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1677

Abstract

As the consumption of plant products grown under regulated-climate conditions intensifies, its production also intensifies. Peat substrate as a growing medium is widely used due to its desirable physical, chemical, and biological properties. Peatlands play an important ecological, economic, and cultural role in human well-being, but their resources are decreasing, so wood fiber can be used as a substitute for peat substrate. Cucumbers (Cucumis sativus L.) were cultivated in growing media (Factor A) of peat substrate and wood fiber: (1) peat substrate (PS); (2) wood fiber (WF); (3) WF and PS 50:50 v/v; or (4) WF and PS 25:75 v/v. To evaluate the amount of additional nitrogen, four fertilization rates were used (Factor B): (1) conventional fertilization (CF); (2) N₁₃; (3) N₂₃; or (4) N₃₀. The yield of cucumbers grown in wood fiber depended on the amount of additional nitrogen. When plants were fertilized with the highest rate of additional nitrogen, N₃₀, their yield increased by 22% compared to the yield of cucumbers that were grown in wood fiber using conventional fertilization. Chlorophyll synthesis was the most intense in the leaves of cucumbers grown in wood fiber when the plants were additionally fertilized with N₂₃ and N_30, and in mixtures of wood fiber with peat substrate in ratios of 50:50 and 25:75, fertilized with N₂₃ and N₁₃, respectively. In summary, it can be argued that cucumbers can be grown in wood fiber and in a mixture with peat substrate in a ratio of 50:50, but additional nitrogen is needed to compensate for the amount of nitrogen immobilized in the fiber. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Soil-Health Status of Our Soils and Near-Term Trends on Potential Food Productivity)

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17 pages, 2711 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Azospirillum brasilense and Zinc Rates Effect on Fungal Root Colonization and Yield of Wheat-Maize in Tropical Savannah Conditions

by Philippe Solano Toledo Silva, Ana Maria Rodrigues Cassiolato, Fernando Shintate Galindo, Arshad Jalal, Thiago Assis Rodrigues Nogueira, Carlos Eduardo da Silva Oliveira and Marcelo Carvalho Minhoto Teixeira Filho

Plants 2022, 11(22), 3154; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11223154 - 18 Nov 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1448

Abstract

A successful microbial inoculant can increase root colonization and establish a positive interaction with native microorganisms to promote growth and productivity of cereal crops. Zinc (Zn) is an intensively reported deficient nutrient for maize and wheat production in Brazilian Cerrado. It can be sustainably managed by inoculation with plant growth-promoting bacteria and their symbiotic association with other microorganisms such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and dark septate endophytes (DSE). The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of Azospirillum brasilense inoculation and residual Zn rates on root colonization and grain yield of maize and wheat in succession under the tropical conditions of Brazil. These experiments were conducted in a randomized block design with four replications and arranged in a 5 × 2 factorial scheme. The treatments consisted of five Zn rates (0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 kg ha⁻¹) applied from zinc sulfate in maize and residual on wheat and without and with seed inoculation of A. brasilense. The results indicated that root colonization by AMF and DSE in maize–wheat cropping system were significantly increased with interaction of Zn rates and inoculation treatments. Inoculation with A. brasilense at residual Zn rates of 4 kg ha⁻¹ increased root colonization by AMF under maize cultivation. Similarly, inoculation with A. brasilense at residual Zn rates of 2 and 4 kg ha⁻¹ reduced root colonization by DSE under wheat in succession. The leaf chlorophyll index and leaf Zn concentration were increased with inoculation of the A. brasilense and residual Zn rates. The inoculation did not influence AMF spore production and CO₂-C in both crops. The grain yield and yield components of maize–wheat were increased with the inoculation of A. brasilense under residual Zn rates of 3 to 4 kg ha⁻¹ in tropical savannah conditions. Inoculation with A. brasilense under residual Zn rates up to 4 kg ha⁻¹ promoted root colonization by AMF and DSE in the maize cropping season. While the inoculation with A. brasilense under 2 and 4 kg ha⁻¹ residual Zn rates reduced root colonization by AMF and DSE in the wheat cropping season. Therefore, inoculation with A. brasilense in combination with Zn fertilization could consider a sustainable approach to increase the yield and performance of the maize–wheat cropping system in the tropical savannah conditions of Brazil. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Soil-Health Status of Our Soils and Near-Term Trends on Potential Food Productivity)

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21 pages, 2613 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Deep Tillage Strategies in Perennial Crop Installation: Structural Changes in Contrasting Soil Classes

by Raphael Passaglia Azevedo, Lara Mota Corinto, Devison Souza Peixoto, Tomás De Figueiredo, Gustavo Cesar Dias Silveira, Pedro Maranha Peche, Leila Aparecida Salles Pio, Paulo Humberto Pagliari, Nilton Curi and Bruno Montoani Silva

Plants 2022, 11(17), 2255; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11172255 - 30 Aug 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1800

Abstract

Tillage modifies soil structure, which can be demonstrated by changes in the soil’s physical properties, such as penetration resistance (PR) and soil electrical resistivity (ρ). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of deep tillage strategies on three morphogenetically contrasting soil classes in the establishment of perennial crops regarding geophysical and physical-hydric properties. The experiment was conducted in the state of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. The tillage practices were evaluated in Typic Dystrustept, Rhodic Hapludult, and Rhodic Hapludox soil classes, and are described as follows: MT—plant hole; CT—furrow; SB—subsoiler; DT—rotary hoe tiller; and DT + calcium (Ca) (additional liming). Analyses of PR and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) were performed during the growing season and measurements were measured in plant rows of each experimental plot. Undisturbed soil samples were collected for analysis of soil bulk density (Bd) at three soil depths (0–0.20, 0.20–0.40, and 0.40–0.60 m) with morphological evaluation of soil structure (VESS). Tukey’s test (p < 0.05) for Bd and VESS and Pearson linear correlation analysis between Bd, ρ, and PR were performed. Soil class and its intrinsic attributes have an influence on the effect of tillage. The greatest effect on soil structure occurred in the treatments DT and DT + Ca that mixed the soil to a depth of 0.60 m. The ρ showed a positive correlation with Bd and with PR, highlighting that ERT may detect changes caused by cultivation practices, although ERT lacks the accuracy of PR. The soil response to different tillage systems and their effects on soil structure were found to be dependent on the soil class. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Soil-Health Status of Our Soils and Near-Term Trends on Potential Food Productivity)

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16 pages, 523 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Soil Enzyme Activity Behavior after Urea Nitrogen Application

by Benjamin Davies, Jeffrey A. Coulter and Paulo H. Pagliari

Plants 2022, 11(17), 2247; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11172247 - 29 Aug 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1648

Abstract

Understanding how fertilizer application (particularly N, the most used chemical fertilizer worldwide) interacts with soil microbes is important for the development of best management practices that target improved microbial activity to enhance sustainable food production. This study was conducted to determine whether urea N rate and time of application to maize (Zea mays) influenced soil enzyme activity. Enzyme activity was determined by monitoring fluorescein diacetate (FDA) hydrolysis, ß-glucosidase, acid-phosphomonoesterase, and arylsulfatase activities. Experiments were conducted from 2014 through 2016 to compare single (fall or spring applications) and split applications of N at varying N rates under irrigation (Becker) and rainfed conditions (Lamberton and Waseca) in MN, USA. Nitrogen rates varied by location and were based on University of Minnesota guidelines. Soil samples were collected seven times each season. Nitrogen application split into two applications increased FDA activity by 10% compared with fall and spring applied N at Waseca. Fall or spring N application decreased arylsulfatase activity by 19% at Becker and by between 13% and 16% at Lamberton. ß-Glucosidase and acid-phosphomonoesterase activities were unaffected by N application. Sampling time and year had the greatest impact on enzyme activity, but the results varied by location. A negative linear relationship occurred between FDA and ß-glucosidase activity at all three sites. In summary, urea N application had small effects on enzyme activity at the sites studied, suggesting that some form of organic N could be more important than the ammonium provided by urea. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Soil-Health Status of Our Soils and Near-Term Trends on Potential Food Productivity)

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17 pages, 1130 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Co-Inoculation with Azospirillum brasilense and Bradyrhizobium sp. Enhances Nitrogen Uptake and Yield in Field-Grown Cowpea and Did Not Change N-Fertilizer Recovery

by Fernando Shintate Galindo, Paulo Humberto Pagliari, Edson Cabral da Silva, Vinicius Martins Silva, Guilherme Carlos Fernandes, Willian Lima Rodrigues, Elaine Garcia Oliveira Céu, Bruno Horschut de Lima, Arshad Jalal, Takashi Muraoka, Salatiér Buzetti, José Lavres and Marcelo Carvalho Minhoto Teixeira Filho

Plants 2022, 11(14), 1847; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11141847 - 14 Jul 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1876

Abstract

This study was designed to investigate the effects of Azospirillum brasilense and Bradyrhizobium sp. co-inoculation coupled with N application on soil N levels and N in plants (total N, nitrate N-NO₃⁻ and ammonium N-NH₄⁺), photosynthetic pigments, cowpea plant biomass and grain yield. An isotopic technique was employed to evaluate ¹⁵N fertilizer recovery and derivation. Field trials involved two inoculations—(i) single Bradyrhizobium sp. and (ii) Bradyrhizobium sp. + A. brasilense co-inoculation—and four N fertilizer rates (0, 20, 40 and 80 kg ha⁻¹). The co-inoculation of Bradyrhizobium sp. + A. brasilense increased cowpea N uptake (an increase from 10 to 14%) and grain yield (an average increase of 8%) compared to the standard inoculation with Bradyrhizobium sp. specifically derived from soil and other sources without affecting ¹⁵N fertilizer recovery. There is no need for the supplementation of N via mineral fertilizers when A. brasilense co-inoculation is performed in a cowpea crop. However, even in the case of an NPK basal fertilization, applied N rates should remain below 20 kg N ha⁻¹ when co-inoculation with Bradyrhizobium sp. and A. brasilense is performed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Soil-Health Status of Our Soils and Near-Term Trends on Potential Food Productivity)

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20 pages, 782 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Use of Repeated Measures Data Analysis for Field Trials with Annual and Perennial Crops

by Paulo Pagliari, Fernando Shintate Galindo, Jeffrey Strock and Carl Rosen

Plants 2022, 11(13), 1783; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11131783 - 05 Jul 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1909

Abstract

Field studies conducted over time to collect any type of plant response to a set of treatments are often not treated as repeated measures data. The most used approaches for statistical analyses of this type of longitudinal data are based on separate analyses such as ANOVA, regression, or time contrasts. In many instances, during the review of manuscripts, reviewers have asked researchers to treat year, for example, as a random effect and ignore the interactions between year and other main effects. One drawback of this approach is that the correlation between measurements taken on the same subject over time is ignored. Here, we show that avoiding the covariance between measurements can induce erroneous (e.g., no differences reported when they exist, or differences reported when they actually do not exist) inference of treatment effects. Another issue that has received little attention for statistical inference of multi-year field experiments is the combination of fixed, random, and repeated measurement effects in the same statistical model. This type of analysis requires a more in-depth understanding of modeling error terms and how the statistical software used translates the statistical language of the given command into mathematical computations. Ignoring possible significant interactions among repeated, fixed, and random effects might lead to an erroneous interpretation of the data set. In this manuscript, we use data from two field experiments that were repeated during two and three consecutive years on the same plots to illustrate different modeling strategies and graphical tools with an emphasis on the use of mixed modeling techniques with repeated measures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Soil-Health Status of Our Soils and Near-Term Trends on Potential Food Productivity)

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