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Soil Use Management and Soil Health
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Soil Use Management and Soil Health

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Resources and Sustainable Utilization".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2021) | Viewed by 13491

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Monika Mierzwa-Hersztek

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Agricultural and Environmental Chemistry, University of Agriculture in Krakow, al. Mickiewicza 21, 31-120 Krakow, Poland
2. Department of Mineralogy, Petrography and Geochemistry, Faculty of Geology, Geophysics and Environmental Protection, AGH University of Science and Technology, al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow, Poland
Interests: waste management; biochar; soil organic matter; mineral and organic fertilizers
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

New trends in waste management are emerging with the goal to reduce, reuse, and recycle waste. Changes in physical, biological, and chemical properties of soil after the addition of organic materials and different kinds of mineral/organomineral fertilizers have an effect on soil quality and health, which refers to the soil’s ability to perform certain functions. This results in a direct impact on the living conditions of plants, which translates into the quantity and quality of the biomass obtained. In recent years, the quality and health of soil fertilized with, e.g., exogenous organic matter of waste origin, which is part of the principles of sustainable development and circular economy, is widely recognized by and of great interest to a wide range of scientists around the world. For this reason, manuscripts should focus on the use of a waste material in a new product (e.g., biochar, compost, organomineral fertilizers) and their impact on soil quality. Multidisciplinary research that embraces the diversity of sustainability perspectives is particularly appreciated.

The following are some of the major areas in which papers are solicited:

  • Best practices in solid waste collection and recycling—generation and characterization of waste;
  • Innovative practices in waste management;
  • Protection of soil quality and assessment of soil degradation processes;
  • Impact of anthropogenic factors and climate changes on soils;
  • Monitoring of soil pollution with trace elements and organic contaminants;
  • Reclamation and revitalization of contaminated soils;
  • Ecotoxicity assessments and ecological risk assessment;
  • Recycling and reuse;
  • Treatment (mechanical, biological, chemical, thermal, other);
  • organic fertilization impact on soil fertility and its effect on soil environment and plants;
  • Agricultural usefulness of organic fertilizers and waste products enriching soil with organic matter (sludges, industrial composts) and raw materials deacidifying soils (calcium, calcium–magnesium fertilizers).

Dr. Monika Mierzwa-Hersztek
Guest Editor

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. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2400 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

  • organic matter
  • nutrients
  • exogenic organic matter
  • soil improvers
  • waste management
  • ecological risk assessment
  • microorganisms
  • enzymatic activity
  • soil pollutions

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 1408 KiB  
Article
Water Stress Affects the Some Morpho-Physiological Traits of Twenty Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Genotypes under Field Condition
by Nazeer Ali Panhwar, Monika Mierzwa-Hersztek, Gul Muhammad Baloch, Zahoor Ahmed Soomro, Mahboob Ali Sial, Erdona Demiraj, Sajjad Ali Panhwar, Ambreen Afzal and Altaf Hussain Lahori
Sustainability 2021, 13(24), 13736; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132413736 - 13 Dec 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2106
Abstract
Water stress has become one of the foremost constraints to agricultural development, mostly in areas that are deficient in water. A field trial has been conducted to evaluate the performance of different twenty wheat genotypes under three stress treatments viz., control (T0) = [...] Read more.
Water stress has become one of the foremost constraints to agricultural development, mostly in areas that are deficient in water. A field trial has been conducted to evaluate the performance of different twenty wheat genotypes under three stress treatments viz., control (T0) = normal watering, stress-1 (T1) = water stress from tillering up to maturity, and stress-2 (T2) = water stress from anthesis to maturity were used as treatments. The results revealed that a highly significant (p < 0.01) difference was observed among twenty wheat cultivars for morpho-physiological traits except for several tillers plant−1, spikeletspike−1, and relative water content. In the early days, 50% flowering was noted in Anmole-91 (64.33 days) under (T0), while Anmol-91 showed a relative decrease (RD-1) (−2.34 days) at days 50% flowering in (T1). The TJ-83 genotype showed an early response (−8.34 day) at days to 50% flowering under stress-2 (T2), but TD-I (−3.34) was observed to be relatively tolerant. Underwater stress from tillering to maturity (T1) SKD-1 was found more susceptible (−36.7 days) than other cultivars. Wheat cultivar Soghat-90 showed maximum RD-1 (−24.7) for grain yield plant−1 in stress-1 (T1) from tillering to maturity. Anmole-91, NIA-Sarang, and TD-I observed minimum was (−6) in the same water stress for various traits. Therefore, the findings of present work revealed that the best performing genotypes can be recommended for effective cultivation in future breeding programs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Use Management and Soil Health)
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10 pages, 852 KiB  
Article
The Application Potential of Hop Sediments from Beer Production for Composting
by Michał Kopeć, Monika Mierzwa-Hersztek, Krzysztof Gondek, Katarzyna Wolny-Koładka, Marek Zdaniewicz and Aleksandra Suder
Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6409; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116409 - 04 Jun 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2753
Abstract
The chemical composition of hop sediments from beer brewing and fermentation gives them the potential for further use. These wastes are not generated in large amounts, but the absence of proper characteristics may lead to processing errors. This study examines the possibility of [...] Read more.
The chemical composition of hop sediments from beer brewing and fermentation gives them the potential for further use. These wastes are not generated in large amounts, but the absence of proper characteristics may lead to processing errors. This study examines the possibility of using hop waste for aerobic biological transformation processes (composting). The study was carried out on two hop sediments from two different technological stages of beer production: hot trub and spent hops. Chemical, microbiological, and biochemical analyses were performed in the composted hop sediments, as was the assessment of phytotoxicity to Lepidium sativum L. The tested feedstocks were partially inhabited by microorganisms and thus safe from an epidemiological point of view, and they were not a source of microbial contamination. Inhibitory properties for plant development were found for hot trub, which most likely result from the organic compound content. If it is only a small portion of its biomass, the mineral composition of hot trub does not exclude the possibility of its composting. Spent hops were characterized by a significant total nitrogen content, which affected the composting process. Composting this sediment required the selection of substrates with a widely C:N ratio. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Use Management and Soil Health)
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15 pages, 15203 KiB  
Article
Investigation of Lithium Application and Effect of Organic Matter on Soil Health
by Muhammad Umar Hayyat, Rab Nawaz, Zafar Siddiq, Muhammad Bilal Shakoor, Maira Mushtaq, Sajid Rashid Ahmad, Shafaqat Ali, Afzal Hussain, Muhammad Atif Irshad, Abdulaziz Abdullah Alsahli and Mohammed Nasser Alyemeni
Sustainability 2021, 13(4), 1705; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13041705 - 05 Feb 2021
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3230
Abstract
The extensive use of lithium (Li) ion-based batteries has increased the contamination of soil and water systems due to widespread dispersal of Li products in the environment. In the current study, the influence of Li application on soil fertility and leachate was observed. [...] Read more.
The extensive use of lithium (Li) ion-based batteries has increased the contamination of soil and water systems due to widespread dispersal of Li products in the environment. In the current study, the influence of Li application on soil fertility and leachate was observed. Three soil samples were collected and five treatments of Li (0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 mg/L) were applied. After three months of Li treatment, leachate was collected and soil samples were subjected to physical and chemical analyses. The results showed that the mean values of soil pH were increased slightly after Li application while electrical conductivity (EC) ranged from 1.2 to 5.1 µS/cm, indicating that soil was slightly saline in nature. The sodium was observed to be greater than the recommended values (0.3–0.7 mg/kg) in Li-amended soil while calcium and magnesium values decreased in soils compared to untreated soil. Mean values of phosphorus and potassium were greater before Li application and reduced considerably after Li application. Leachate analysis showed that all the parameters differed significantly except those of zinc and iron. The EC of leachate samples ranged from 2286–7188 µS/cm, which shows strong salinity. The sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) ranged from 1–11, which indicates that it falls into the marginal soil category. Lithium concentration in leachate samples ranged from 0–95 mg/L, which was significantly higher than the acceptable value for lithium (2.5 mg/L) in leachate. A soil sample (3) with an additional 10% organic matter showed that after Li application, the loss of nutrients in leachate was less as compared to the other two samples, demonstrating that organic matter improved soil conditions and suppressed the negative effects of Li on soil. Our results could raise concerns about risks in situations where food and fodder crops are associated with Li-contaminated waste disposal. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Use Management and Soil Health)
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16 pages, 2876 KiB  
Article
Clays, Limestone and Biochar Affect the Bioavailability and Geochemical Fractions of Cadmium and Zinc from Zn-Smelter Polluted Soils
by Altaf Hussain Lahori, Monika Mierzwa-Hersztek, Erdona Demiraj, Rachida Idir, Thi Tuyet Xuan Bui, Dinh Duy Vu, Amanullah Channa, Naeem Akhtar Samoon and Zengqiang Zhang
Sustainability 2020, 12(20), 8606; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12208606 - 17 Oct 2020
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2128
Abstract
Ca-bentonite (CB) alone and in a mixture with limestone (L), tobacco biochar (TB) and zeolite (Z) on the fixation, geochemical fractions and absorption of Cd and Zn by Chinese cabbage in smelter heavily polluted (S-HP) and smelter low polluted (S-LP) soils were investigated. [...] Read more.
Ca-bentonite (CB) alone and in a mixture with limestone (L), tobacco biochar (TB) and zeolite (Z) on the fixation, geochemical fractions and absorption of Cd and Zn by Chinese cabbage in smelter heavily polluted (S-HP) and smelter low polluted (S-LP) soils were investigated. The results showed that the CB + TB and CB + L + TB treatments significantly immobilized Cd up to 22.0% and 29.7%, respectively, and reduced uptake by Chinese cabbage shoot to 36.0% with CB + Z + L and 61.3% with CB + L in S-HP and S-LP soils compared with the control. The CB + Z + L + TB treatment mobilized Cd up to 4.4% and increased absorption in the shoot by 9.9% in S-HP soil. The greatest immobilization of Zn was 53.2% and 58.2% with the CB + Z + L + TB treatment, which reduced Zn uptake in the plant shoot by 10.0% with CB + L and 58.0% with CB + Z + L + TB in S-HP and S-LP soils. The CB + Z + TB and CB + TB treatments mobilized Zn up to 35.4% and 4.9%, respectively, in both soils. Furthermore, the uptake of Zn in plant shoot was observed by 59.0% and 7.9% with application of CB + Z and CB + TB treatments, respectively, in S-HP and S-LP soils. Overall, our results suggest that Ca-bentonite alone and in mixtures with different amendments can be used to reduce the phyto-extraction of Cd and Zn in Zn-smelter polluted soils. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Use Management and Soil Health)
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15 pages, 1360 KiB  
Article
A Soil Environmental Quality Assessment Model Based on Data Fusion and Its Application in Hebei Province
by Zheng Huo, Junping Tian, Yanbin Wu and Fengjiao Ma
Sustainability 2020, 12(17), 6804; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12176804 - 21 Aug 2020
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2072
Abstract
Soil pollution has become one of the most important environmental issues in China. It is very important to evaluate soil environmental quality comprehensively and objectively. This paper proposes a soil environment quality assessment model based on the Driving Force-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) model and data [...] Read more.
Soil pollution has become one of the most important environmental issues in China. It is very important to evaluate soil environmental quality comprehensively and objectively. This paper proposes a soil environment quality assessment model based on the Driving Force-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) model and data fusion. At first, 18 evaluation indicators are selected, including complex indexes, such as the industrialization index, heavy metal pollution index, organic pollution index, potential ecological risk index, and human health risk index, and single indexes such as population density, fertilizer/pesticide application intensity, annual average air quality index, etc. Then, hierarchical analysis model is constructed, and the weight of each indicator is calculated based on Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method. According to the quartile of indicator values of 32 provincial administrative divisions on the Chinese mainland, the values of each indicator are standardized and graded. Finally, the soil environmental quality index (SEQI) is calculated by the weighted average of the standard values of the 18 indicators. The assessment model is then applied in evaluating soil quality of Hebei Province, China. The results show that the soil environmental quality of Hebei’s agricultural land is in a medium state, and the industrial land is approaching the alert state. The pressure of soil pollution mainly comes from the discharge of industrial pollutants and the application of pesticides and fertilizers. Soil pollutants, such as lead, copper, zinc, benzo[a]pyrene, and benzo[a] should be especially controlled. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Use Management and Soil Health)
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