Stable isotope labeling of agricultural polyesters enables demonstration of their microbial utilization in soils.
There is growing political pressure for farmers to use more sustainable agricultural practices to protect people and the planet. The farming press could encourage farmers to adopt sustainable practices through its ability to manipulate discourse and spread awareness by changing the salience of issues or framing topics in specific ways. We sought to understand how the UK farming press framed sustainable agricultural practices and how the salience of these practices changed over time. We combined a media content analysis of the farming press alongside 60 qualitative interviews with farmers and agricultural advisors to understand whether the farming press influenced farmers to try more sustainable practices. Salience of sustainable agricultural practices grew between 2009 and 2020. Many of the practices studied were framed by the press around economic and agronomic aspects, and farmer respondents said the most common reasons for trying sustainable agricultural practices were for economic and agronomic reasons. The farming press tended to use more positive rather than negative tones when covering sustainable agricultural practices. Respondents used the farming press as a source of information, though many did not fully trust these outlets as they believed the farming press were mouthpieces for agribusinesses. Whilst a minority of farmers stated they were motivated to try a new sustainable agricultural practice after learning about it in the farming press, this was rare. Instead, the farming press was used by respondents to raise their awareness about wider agricultural topics. We reflect on the role and power given to agribusinesses by the farming press and what this means for agricultural sustainability.Increasing food demand coupled with climate change pose a great challenge to agricultural systems. In this review we summarize recent advances in our knowledge of how plants, together with their associated microbiota, shape rhizosphere processes. We address (molecular) mechanisms operating at the plant\uffe2\uff80\uff93microbe-soil interface and aim to link this knowledge with actual and potential avenues for intensifying agricultural systems, while at the same time reducing irrigation water, fertilizer inputs and pesticide use. Combining in-depth knowledge about above and belowground plant traits will not only significantly advance our mechanistic understanding of involved processes but also allow for more informed decisions regarding agricultural practices and plant breeding. Including belowground plant-soil-microbe interactions in our breeding efforts will help to select crops resilient to abiotic and biotic environmental stresses and ultimately enable us to produce sufficient food in a more sustainable agriculture in the upcoming decades.
Remarkably, peat origin and land use did not affect basal respiration rates. In contrast, land use affected microbial biomass and potential growth rates as they were quadrupled in dairy meadows compared to nature reserves. This may be attributable to the pulses of organic and inorganic fertiliser that are being supplied in agricultural peatlands. Potential activities of oxidative exo-enzymes (phenol oxidase, POX, and phenol peroxidase, POD), in contrast, depended more on peat type, indicating a difference in peat substrate quality. Basal respiration rates and enzyme activities were not related. Phosphorus enrichment was identified as a potential driver of increased peat decomposition. The activity of the oxidative enzyme phenol oxidase and the concentration of phenolic compounds, which are considered to be the main regulators of peat decomposition according to the enzymic latch theory, were not related to respiration rates. It was concluded that decomposition theories like the enzymic latch theory (attributing a main role in the regulation of decomposition to phenolic compounds and phenol oxidase) were not supported by our research in the drained peat soils in the Netherlands.", "keywords": ["Decomposition", "Peat", "national", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "01 natural sciences", "Microbial activity", "Energy limitation", "13. Climate action", "Nutrient limitation", "SIR", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "SDG 2 - Zero Hunger", "SDG 15 - Life on Land", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2015.11.018"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Soil%20Biology%20and%20Biochemistry", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1016/j.soilbio.2015.11.018", "name": "item", "description": "10.1016/j.soilbio.2015.11.018", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1016/j.soilbio.2015.11.018"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2016-04-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1038/s41893-019-0469-x", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-05-25T16:17:43Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2020-01-20", "title": "Potential yield challenges to scale-up of zero budget natural farming", "description": "Under current trends, 60% of India's population (>10% of people on Earth) will experience severe food deficiencies by 2050. Increased production is urgently needed, but high costs and volatile prices are driving farmers into debt. Zero budget natural farming (ZBNF) is a grassroots movement that aims to improve farm viability by reducing costs. In Andhra Pradesh alone, 523,000 farmers have converted 13% of productive agricultural area to ZBNF. However, sustainability of ZBNF is questioned because external nutrient inputs are limited, which could cause a crash in food production. Here, we show that ZBNF is likely to reduce soil degradation and could provide yield benefits for low-input farmers. Nitrogen fixation, either by free-living nitrogen fixers in soil or symbiotic nitrogen fixers in legumes, is likely to provide the major portion of nitrogen available to crops. However, even with maximum potential nitrogen fixation and release, only 52-80% of the national average nitrogen applied as fertilizer is expected to be supplied. Therefore, in higher-input systems, yield penalties are likely. Since biological fixation from the atmosphere is possible only with nitrogen, ZBNF could limit the supply of other nutrients. Further research is needed in higher-input systems to ensure that mass conversion to ZBNF does not limit India's capacity to feed itself.", "keywords": ["Monitoring", "IEAS/POO2501/1", "NE/S009019/1", "330", "Supplementary Data", "QH301 Biology", "NE/P004830/1", "WHEAT", "01 natural sciences", "630", "12. Responsible consumption", "QH301", "NE/M021327/1", "SOIL PHYSICAL-PROPERTIES", "SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy", "FERTILIZER", "Renewable Energy", "Wellcome Trust", "SDG 2 - Zero Hunger", "Nature and Landscape Conservation", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences", "Planning and Development", "2. Zero hunger", "Global and Planetary Change", "Geography", "Policy and Law", "Ecology", "Sustainability and the Environment", "Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)", "Sustainable and Healthy Food Systems (SHEFS)", "NE/P019455/1", "1. No poverty", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "6. Clean water", "Management", "NITROGEN", "Urban Studies", "13. Climate action", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "INDIA", "Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)", "Food Science"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-019-0469-x.pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-019-0469-x"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Nature%20Sustainability", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1038/s41893-019-0469-x", "name": "item", "description": "10.1038/s41893-019-0469-x", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1038/s41893-019-0469-x"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2020-01-20T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1029/2021ef002622", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-05-25T16:17:32Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2022-11-29", "title": "Appraising the Water\u2010Energy\u2010Food Nexus From a Sustainable Development Perspective: A Maturing Paradigm?", "description": "Abstract
The water\uffe2\uff80\uff90energy\uffe2\uff80\uff90food (WEF) nexus is a prominent approach for addressing today's sustainable development challenges. In our critical appraisal of the WEF, covering different approaches, drivers, enablers, and applications, we emphasize the situation across the Global South (Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean). Here, WEF research covers at least 23 focal domains. We find that the nexus is still a maturing paradigm primarily rooted in a physical and natural sciences framing, which is itself embedded in a neoliberal securities narrative. While providing insights and tools to address the systemic interdependencies between resource sectors whose exploitation, degradation, and sub\uffe2\uff80\uff90optimal management contribute to (un)sustainable development, there is still insufficient engagement with social, political, and economic dimensions. Progress related to climate, urbanization, and resource consumption is encouraging, but while governance and finance are central enablers of current and future nexus systems, gaps remain in relation to implementation and operationalization. Harnessing the nexus for sustainable development across the Global South means recognizing that it is more than a biophysical system, but also a multi\uffe2\uff80\uff90scale complex of people, institutions, and infrastructure, affected by history and context. Addressing this complexity requires alternative and possibly challenging perspectives to counter dominant narratives, and manage problems associated with policy integration, trade\uffe2\uff80\uff90offs, and winners and losers. We outline 10 emergent research areas that we think can contribute to this endeavor and enable the nexus to be a stronger policy force.Diversified cropping systems, especially those including legumes, have been proposed to enhance food production with reduced inputs and environmental impacts. However, the impact of legume pre-crops on main crop yield and its drivers has never been systematically investigated in a global context. Here, we synthesize 11,768 yield observations from 462 field experiments comparing legume-based and non-legume cropping systems and show that legumes enhanced main crop yield by 20%. These yield advantages decline with increasing N fertilizer rates and crop diversity of the main cropping system. The yield benefits are consistent among main crops (e.g., rice, wheat, maize) and evident across pedo-climatic regions. Moreover, greater yield advantages (32% vs. 7%) are observed in low- vs. high-yielding environments, suggesting legumes increase crop production with low inputs (e.g., in Africa or organic agriculture). In conclusion, our study suggests that legume-based rotations offer a critical pathway for enhancing global crop production, especially when integrated into low-input and low-diversity agricultural systems.International policies and guidelines often highlight the divide between \uffe2\uff80\uff98nature\uffe2\uff80\uff99 and \uffe2\uff80\uff98heritage\uffe2\uff80\uff99 in landscape management, and the weakness of monodisciplinary approaches. This study argues that historic agricultural practices have played a key role in shaping today\uffe2\uff80\uff99s landscapes, creating a heritage which affords opportunities for more sustainable landscape management. The paper develops a new interdisciplinary approach with particular reference to soil loss and degradation over the long term. It presents innovative methods for assessing and modelling how pre-industrial agricultural features can mitigate soil erosion risk in response to current environmental conditions. Landscape archaeology data presented through Historic Landscape Characterisation are integrated in a GIS-RUSLE model to illustrate the impact of varying historic land-uses on soil erosion. The resulting analyses could be used to inform strategies for sustainable land resource planning.
The increasing frequency of extreme weather events, such as floods, requires management strategies that promote resilience of grassland productivity. Mixtures of plant species may better resist and recover from flooding than monocultures, as they could combine species with stress\uffe2\uff80\uff90coping and resource acquisition traits. This has not yet been tested in intensively managed grasslands despite its relevance for enhancing agroecosystem resilience.
Using intact soil cores from an 18\uffe2\uff80\uff90month\uffe2\uff80\uff90old field experiment, we tested how 11 plant communities (Festuca arundinacea, Lolium perenne, Poa trivialis and Trifolium repens in monoculture, two\uffe2\uff80\uff90 and four\uffe2\uff80\uff90species mixtures) resist and recover from repeated flooding in a 4\uffe2\uff80\uff90month greenhouse experiment.
We found that plant community composition, not whether the community was a mixture or monoculture, influenced the community's resistance to flooding, although most communities were able to resist and recover from both floods.
The plant community's position on the leaf economic spectrum in flooded conditions was related to its resistance to and recovery from flooding. Resistance to and recovery from a severe flood were related to flood\uffe2\uff80\uff90induced intraspecific trait variation, causing a shift in the community's position on the leaf resource economic spectrum. In flooded conditions, resource\uffe2\uff80\uff90conservative communities (characterized by low specific leaf area, low leaf nitrogen content and high leaf dry matter content) better resisted and recovered from flooding. The community's position on the root resource economic spectrum was less connected to the community's resistance and recovery.
Synthesis and applications. Our study shows that in flooded conditions, resource\uffe2\uff80\uff90conservative plant communities are more resilient to flooding than resource\uffe2\uff80\uff90acquisitive communities in an intensively managed grassland. This suggests that plant community position on the leaf economic spectrum, as well as species\uffe2\uff80\uff99 flood\uffe2\uff80\uff90induced intraspecific variation, should be considered when designing grasslands to withstand increasing flood frequency and severity.
The importance of soils to society has gained increasing recognition over the past decade, with the potential to contribute to most of the United Nations\uffe2\uff80\uff99 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With unprecedented and growing demands for food, water and energy, there is an urgent need for a global effort to address the challenges of climate change and land degradation, whilst protecting soil as a natural resource. In this paper, we identify the contribution of soil science over the past decade to addressing gaps in our knowledge regarding major environmental challenges: climate change, food security, water security, urban development, and ecosystem functioning and biodiversity. Continuing to address knowledge gaps in soil science is essential for the achievement of the SDGs. However, with limited time and budget, it is also pertinent to identify effective methods of working that ensure the research carried out leads to real\uffe2\uff80\uff90world impact. Here, we suggest three strategies for the next decade of soil science, comprising a greater implementation of research into policy, interdisciplinary partnerships to evaluate function trade\uffe2\uff80\uff90offs and synergies between soils and other environmental domains, and integrating monitoring and modelling methods to ensure soil\uffe2\uff80\uff90based policies can withstand the uncertainties of the future.Highlights
We highlight the contributions of soil science to five major environmental challenges since 2010.
Researchers have contributed to recommendation reports, but work is rarely translated into policy.
Interdisciplinary work should assess trade\uffe2\uff80\uff90offs and synergies between soils and other domains.
Integrating monitoring and modelling is key for robust and sustainable soils\uffe2\uff80\uff90based policymaking.
There is growing international interest in better managing soils to increase soil organic carbon (SOC) content to contribute to climate change mitigation, to enhance resilience to climate change and to underpin food security, through initiatives such as international \uffe2\uff80\uff984p1000\uffe2\uff80\uff99 initiative and the FAO's Global assessment of SOC sequestration potential (GSOCseq) programme. Since SOC content of soils cannot be easily measured, a key barrier to implementing programmes to increase SOC at large scale, is the need for credible and reliable measurement/monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) platforms, both for national reporting and for emissions trading. Without such platforms, investments could be considered risky. In this paper, we review methods and challenges of measuring SOC change directly in soils, before examining some recent novel developments that show promise for quantifying SOC. We describe how repeat soil surveys are used to estimate changes in SOC over time, and how long\uffe2\uff80\uff90term experiments and space\uffe2\uff80\uff90for\uffe2\uff80\uff90time substitution sites can serve as sources of knowledge and can be used to test models, and as potential benchmark sites in global frameworks to estimate SOC change. We briefly consider models that can be used to simulate and project change in SOC and examine the MRV platforms for SOC change already in use in various countries/regions. In the final section, we bring together the various components described in this review, to describe a new vision for a global framework for MRV of SOC change, to support national and international initiatives seeking to effect change in the way we manage our soils.", "keywords": ["[SDE] Environmental Sciences", "550", "BULK-DENSITY", "QH301 Biology", "Climate", "[SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio]", "NEW-ZEALAND", "630", "Soil", "NE/M021327/1", "11. Sustainability", "SDG 13 - Climate Action", "AGRICULTURAL SOILS", "SDG 15 - Life on Land", "General Environmental Science", "agriculture", "2. Zero hunger", "Global and Planetary Change", "reporting", "Measurement", "Ecology", "IN-SITU", "Agricultura", "NE/P019455/1", "carbono org\u00e1nico del suelo", "Agriculture", "LAND-USE CHANGE", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "[SDV] Life Sciences [q-bio]", "climate change", "Sustainability", "[SDE]Environmental Sciences", "Carbon Sequestration", "DIFFUSE-REFLECTANCE SPECTROSCOPY", "LONG-TERM EXPERIMENTS", "330", "Monitoring", "STOCK CHANGES", "MRV", "secuestro de carbon", "12. Responsible consumption", "QH301", "Greenhouse Gases", "ORGANIC-CARBON", "soil organic matter", "greenhouse gases", "Invited Research Reviews", "Environmental Chemistry", "774378", "SDG 2 - Zero Hunger", "European Commission", "resilience", "Climate Solutions", "Soil organic matter", "Soil organic carbon", "Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)", "Verification", "food security", "15. Life on land", "carbon sequestration", "Sustainable Agriculture", "Carbon", "EDDY-COVARIANCE", "soil organic carbon", "monitoring", "Reporting", "13. Climate action", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "measurement", "verification"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/gcb.14815"}, {"href": "https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/context/rsfac/article/1079/viewcontent/Lini2019b.pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14815"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Global%20Change%20Biology", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1111/gcb.14815", "name": "item", "description": "10.1111/gcb.14815", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1111/gcb.14815"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2019-10-06T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1111/gcb.14878", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-05-25T16:18:38Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2019-10-22", "title": "Which practices co\u2010deliver food security, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and combat land degradation and desertification?", "description": "AbstractThere is a clear need for transformative change in the land management and food production sectors to address the global land challenges of climate change mitigation, climate change adaptation, combatting land degradation and desertification, and delivering food security (referred to hereafter as \uffe2\uff80\uff9cland challenges\uffe2\uff80\uff9d). We assess the potential for 40 practices to address these land challenges and find that: Nine options deliver medium to large benefits for all four land challenges. A further two options have no global estimates for adaptation, but have medium to large benefits for all other land challenges. Five options have large mitigation potential (>3\uffc2\uffa0Gt CO2eq/year) without adverse impacts on the other land challenges. Five options have moderate mitigation potential, with no adverse impacts on the other land challenges. Sixteen practices have large adaptation potential (>25 million people benefit), without adverse side effects on other land challenges. Most practices can be applied without competing for available land. However, seven options could result in competition for land. A large number of practices do not require dedicated land, including several land management options, all value chain options, and all risk management options. Four options could greatly increase competition for land if applied at a large scale, though the impact is scale and context specific, highlighting the need for safeguards to ensure that expansion of land for mitigation does not impact natural systems and food security. A number of practices, such as increased food productivity, dietary change and reduced food loss and waste, can reduce demand for land conversion, thereby potentially freeing\uffe2\uff80\uff90up land and creating opportunities for enhanced implementation of other practices, making them important components of portfolios of practices to address the combined land challenges. Striga hermonthica is a major constraint in the subsistence agriculture regions of northern Ethiopia. Low soil fertility and overall environmental degradation has contributed to the build up of the parasitic weed infestation. Improved cropping systems have to be introduced to address the interrelated problems of Striga and soil fertility decline. Thus, relay cropping of sorghum with legume shrubs was investigated at two locations representing different environments. Results showed that the output of the improved cropping system was dependent on ecological endowments. Relay cropping led to significant improvement in yield at Sheraro, at the site with relatively better weather and soil conditions. The legume shrubs resulted in significantly lower sorghum yield in a dryland location (Adibakel). Overall Striga infestation declined over the 3\uffe2\uff80\uff90year period; however, treatment differences were not apparent. Among the two legume shrubs, Sesbania sesban was better adapted to the dryland areas. Relay cropping could provide a viable option for farmers in both types of environments that are characterized by accelerated decline in natural resource base. However, it could mean compromising the yield of non\uffe2\uff80\uff90fertilized sorghum in the interest of long\uffe2\uff80\uff90term benefits of low incidence of Striga and more rewarding crop enterprise in dry areas.
", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "SDG 2 - Zero Hunger"], "contacts": [{"organization": "F. Reda, W. H. O. Ernst, J. A. C. Verkleij,", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-037x.2004.00126.x"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Journal%20of%20Agronomy%20and%20Crop%20Science", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1111/j.1439-037x.2004.00126.x", "name": "item", "description": "10.1111/j.1439-037x.2004.00126.x", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1111/j.1439-037x.2004.00126.x"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2005-02-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1111/j.1439-037x.2004.00125.x", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Closed Access", "updated": "2026-05-25T16:18:51Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2005-02-03", "title": "Intercropping For The Improvement Of Sorghum Yield, Soil Fertility And Striga Control In The Subsistence Agriculture Region Of Tigray (Northern Ethiopia)", "description": "AbstractStriga hermonthica is a major biotic constraint in the dry and less fertile areas of northern Ethiopia. Emphasis is being placed on improved cropping systems to address the interrelated problems of Striga and soil fertility decline. The potential benefits of intercropping were investigated at two sites representing different environments for crop yield improvement, soil fertility maintenance and Striga control. Ten food legume and oilseed crop species were compared in inter\uffe2\uff80\uff90row arrangement with sorghum under non\uffe2\uff80\uff90fertilized conditions. In most cases, there was no significant negative impact of intercropping on sorghum growth and development. Among the intercrops, two cowpea varieties \uffe2\uff80\uff93 cv. TVU 1977 OD and cv. Blackeye bean \uffe2\uff80\uff93 produced the highest supplemental yield of up to 329 and 623\uffe2\uff80\uff83kg\uffe2\uff80\uff83ha\uffe2\uff88\uff921 grain and 608 and 1173\uffe2\uff80\uff83kg\uffe2\uff80\uff83ha\uffe2\uff88\uff921 biomass at Adibakel and Sheraro respectively. Treatment differences on Striga infestation and measured soil fertility indicators were not significant. Nevertheless, valuable grain and biomass obtained from the legume intercrops, without seriously compromising sorghum yield, could offer multiple benefits as a source of protein, additional income, feeds for animals and manure in the subsistence agriculture regions of northern Ethiopia.
", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "SDG 2 - Zero Hunger"], "contacts": [{"organization": "J. A. C. Verkleij, F. Reda, W. H. O. Ernst,", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-037x.2004.00125.x"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Journal%20of%20Agronomy%20and%20Crop%20Science", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1111/j.1439-037x.2004.00125.x", "name": "item", "description": "10.1111/j.1439-037x.2004.00125.x", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1111/j.1439-037x.2004.00125.x"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2005-02-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1126/sciadv.aas9024", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-05-25T16:19:06Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2018-07-25", "title": "Biodegradation of synthetic polymers in soils: Tracking carbon into CO 2 and microbial biomass", "description": "Stable isotope labeling of agricultural polyesters enables demonstration of their microbial utilization in soils.
Humans have, and always have had, a major impact on wildfire activity, which is expected to increase in our warming world. Andela et al. use satellite data to show that, unexpectedly, global burned area declined by \uffe2\uff88\uffbc25% over the past 18 years, despite the influence of climate. The decrease has been largest in savannas and grasslands because of agricultural expansion and intensification. The decline of burned area has consequences for predictions of future changes to the atmosphere, vegetation, and the terrestrial carbon sink.
Science , this issue p. 1356
", "keywords": ["[SDE] Environmental Sciences", "Satellite Imagery", "Carbon Sequestration", "Conservation of Natural Resources", "550", "General Science & Technology", "Climate", "Veterinary and Food Sciences", "Fires", "Theoretical", "Models", "11. Sustainability", "Human Activities", "SDG 2 - Zero Hunger", "Ecosystem", "Agricultural", "info:eu-repo/classification/ddc/550", "ddc:550", "Forestry Sciences", "Agriculture", "Models", " Theoretical", "15. Life on land", "Earth sciences", "13. Climate action", "Ecological Applications", "[SDE]Environmental Sciences", "Environmental Sciences"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://escholarship.org/content/qt6v95t473/qt6v95t473.pdf"}, {"href": "https://escholarship.org/content/qt6b42q71s/qt6b42q71s.pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aal4108"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Science", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1126/science.aal4108", "name": "item", "description": "10.1126/science.aal4108", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1126/science.aal4108"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2017-06-30T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1128/msystems.00562-19", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Open Access", "updated": "2026-05-25T16:19:09Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2020-01-13", "title": "Transcriptomic Response of Nitrosomonas europaea Transitioned from Ammonia- to Oxygen-Limited Steady-State Growth", "description": " Nitrification is a ubiquitous microbially mediated process in the environment and an essential process in engineered systems such as wastewater and drinking water treatment plants. However, nitrification also contributes to fertilizer loss from agricultural environments, increasing the eutrophication of downstream aquatic ecosystems, and produces the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide. As ammonia-oxidizing bacteria are the most dominant ammonia-oxidizing microbes in fertilized agricultural soils, understanding their responses to a variety of environmental conditions is essential for curbing the negative environmental effects of nitrification. Notably, oxygen limitation has been reported to significantly increase nitric oxide and nitrous oxide production during nitrification. Here, we investigate the physiology of the best-characterized ammonia-oxidizing bacterium, Nitrosomonas europaea , growing under oxygen-limited conditions. Abstract. Soil organic carbon (SOC), one of the largest terrestrial carbon (C) stocks on Earth, has been depleted by anthropogenic land cover change and agricultural management. However, the latter has so far not been well represented in global C stock assessments. While SOC models often simulate detailed biochemical processes that lead to the accumulation and decay of SOC, the management decisions driving these biophysical processes are still little investigated at the global scale. Here we develop a spatially explicit data set for agricultural management on cropland, considering crop production levels, residue returning rates, manure application, and the adoption of irrigation and tillage practices. We combine it with a reduced-complexity model based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) tier\u00a02 method to create a half-degree resolution data set of SOC stocks and SOC stock changes for the first 30\u2009cm of mineral soils. We estimate that, due to arable farming, soils have lost around 34.6\u2009GtC relative to a counterfactual hypothetical natural state in 1975. Within the period 1975\u20132010, this SOC debt continued to expand by 5\u2009GtC (0.14\u2009GtC\u2009yr\u22121) to around 39.6\u2009GtC. However, accounting for historical management led to 2.1\u2009GtC fewer (0.06\u2009GtC\u2009yr\u22121) emissions than under the assumption of constant management. We also find that management decisions have influenced the historical SOC trajectory most strongly by residue returning, indicating that SOC enhancement by biomass retention may be a promising negative emissions technique. The reduced-complexity SOC model may allow us to simulate management-induced SOC enhancement \u2013 also within computationally demanding integrated (land use) assessment modeling. <p>Soil organic matter (SOM) is important for soil fertility and climate change mitigation. Agricultural management - including soil amendments - can improve soil fertility and contribute to climate change mitigation by stabilising carbon in soils. This calls for cost-effective parameters to assess&#160; the influence of management practices on SOM. The current study aimed at understanding how sensitive the parameters active/permanganate oxidisable carbon (AC) and nitrogen mineralisation potential (NMP) react to different agricultural management practices compared to total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (Nt). We aimed to gain a better understanding of SOM processes, mainly regarding depth distribution and seasonality of SOM dynamics using AC and NMP.</p><p>Data were obtained in five Austrian long-term field experiments (LTEs) testing four management practices: i) tillage, ii) compost application, iii) crop residue management, and iv) mineral fertilisation.</p><p>AC was specifically sensitive in detecting the effect of tillage treatment at different soil depths. NMP differentiated between all different tillage treatments in the top soil layer, it showed the temporal dynamics between the years in the compost LTE, and it was identified as an early detection property in the crop residue LTE. Both AC and NMP detected short-term fluctuations better than TOC and Nt over the course of two years in the crop residue LTE. Thus, we suggest that AC and NMP are two valuable soil biochemical parameters providing more detailed information on C and N dynamics regarding depth distribution and seasonal dynamics and react more sensitively to different agricultural management practices compared to TOC and Nt. They should be integrated in monitoring agricultural LTEs and in field analyses conducted by farmers. However, when evaluating results of long-term carbon storage, their sensitivity towards annual fluctuations should be taken into account.</p> <p>Soil organic matter (SOM) is important for soil fertility and climate change mitigation. Agricultural management - including soil amendments - can improve soil fertility and contribute to climate change mitigation by stabilising carbon in soils. This calls for cost-effective parameters to assess&#160; the influence of management practices on SOM. The current study aimed at understanding how sensitive the parameters active/permanganate oxidisable carbon (AC) and nitrogen mineralisation potential (NMP) react to different agricultural management practices compared to total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (Nt). We aimed to gain a better understanding of SOM processes, mainly regarding depth distribution and seasonality of SOM dynamics using AC and NMP.</p><p>Data were obtained in five Austrian long-term field experiments (LTEs) testing four management practices: i) tillage, ii) compost application, iii) crop residue management, and iv) mineral fertilisation.</p><p>AC was specifically sensitive in detecting the effect of tillage treatment at different soil depths. NMP differentiated between all different tillage treatments in the top soil layer, it showed the temporal dynamics between the years in the compost LTE, and it was identified as an early detection property in the crop residue LTE. Both AC and NMP detected short-term fluctuations better than TOC and Nt over the course of two years in the crop residue LTE. Thus, we suggest that AC and NMP are two valuable soil biochemical parameters providing more detailed information on C and N dynamics regarding depth distribution and seasonal dynamics and react more sensitively to different agricultural management practices compared to TOC and Nt. They should be integrated in monitoring agricultural LTEs and in field analyses conducted by farmers. However, when evaluating results of long-term carbon storage, their sensitivity towards annual fluctuations should be taken into account.</p>
The water\uffe2\uff80\uff90energy\uffe2\uff80\uff90food (WEF) nexus is a prominent approach for addressing today's sustainable development challenges. In our critical appraisal of the WEF, covering different approaches, drivers, enablers, and applications, we emphasize the situation across the Global South (Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean). Here, WEF research covers at least 23 focal domains. We find that the nexus is still a maturing paradigm primarily rooted in a physical and natural sciences framing, which is itself embedded in a neoliberal securities narrative. While providing insights and tools to address the systemic interdependencies between resource sectors whose exploitation, degradation, and sub\uffe2\uff80\uff90optimal management contribute to (un)sustainable development, there is still insufficient engagement with social, political, and economic dimensions. Progress related to climate, urbanization, and resource consumption is encouraging, but while governance and finance are central enablers of current and future nexus systems, gaps remain in relation to implementation and operationalization. Harnessing the nexus for sustainable development across the Global South means recognizing that it is more than a biophysical system, but also a multi\uffe2\uff80\uff90scale complex of people, institutions, and infrastructure, affected by history and context. Addressing this complexity requires alternative and possibly challenging perspectives to counter dominant narratives, and manage problems associated with policy integration, trade\uffe2\uff80\uff90offs, and winners and losers. We outline 10 emergent research areas that we think can contribute to this endeavor and enable the nexus to be a stronger policy force.International policies and guidelines often highlight the divide between \uffe2\uff80\uff98nature\uffe2\uff80\uff99 and \uffe2\uff80\uff98heritage\uffe2\uff80\uff99 in landscape management, and the weakness of monodisciplinary approaches. This study argues that historic agricultural practices have played a key role in shaping today\uffe2\uff80\uff99s landscapes, creating a heritage which affords opportunities for more sustainable landscape management. The paper develops a new interdisciplinary approach with particular reference to soil loss and degradation over the long term. It presents innovative methods for assessing and modelling how pre-industrial agricultural features can mitigate soil erosion risk in response to current environmental conditions. Landscape archaeology data presented through Historic Landscape Characterisation are integrated in a GIS-RUSLE model to illustrate the impact of varying historic land-uses on soil erosion. The resulting analyses could be used to inform strategies for sustainable land resource planning. Soils form the basis for agricultural production and other ecosystem services, and soil management should aim at improving their quality and resilience. Within the SoilCare project, the concept of soil-improving cropping systems (SICS) was developed as a holistic approach to facilitate the adoption of soil management that is sustainable and profitable. SICS selected with stakeholders were monitored and evaluated for environmental, sociocultural, and economic effects to determine profitability and sustainability. Monitoring results were upscaled to European level using modelling and Europe-wide data, and a mapping tool was developed to assist in selection of appropriate SICS across Europe. Furthermore, biophysical, sociocultural, economic, and policy reasons for (non)adoption were studied. Results at the plot/farm scale showed a small positive impact of SICS on environment and soil, no effect on sustainability, and small negative impacts on economic and sociocultural dimensions. Modelling showed that different SICS had different impacts across Europe\u2014indicating the importance of understanding local dynamics in Europe-wide assessments. Work on adoption of SICS confirmed the role economic considerations play in the uptake of SICS, but also highlighted social factors such as trust. The project\u2019s results underlined the need for policies that support and enable a transition to more sustainable agricultural practices in a coherent way.
Nitrification is a ubiquitous microbially mediated process in the environment and an essential process in engineered systems such as wastewater and drinking water treatment plants. However, nitrification also contributes to fertilizer loss from agricultural environments, increasing the eutrophication of downstream aquatic ecosystems, and produces the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide. As ammonia-oxidizing bacteria are the most dominant ammonia-oxidizing microbes in fertilized agricultural soils, understanding their responses to a variety of environmental conditions is essential for curbing the negative environmental effects of nitrification. Notably, oxygen limitation has been reported to significantly increase nitric oxide and nitrous oxide production during nitrification. Here, we investigate the physiology of the best-characterized ammonia-oxidizing bacterium, Nitrosomonas europaea , growing under oxygen-limited conditions. There is a clear need for transformative change in the land management and food production sectors to address the global land challenges of climate change mitigation, climate change adaptation, combatting land degradation and desertification, and delivering food security (referred to hereafter as \uffe2\uff80\uff9cland challenges\uffe2\uff80\uff9d). We assess the potential for 40 practices to address these land challenges and find that: Nine options deliver medium to large benefits for all four land challenges. A further two options have no global estimates for adaptation, but have medium to large benefits for all other land challenges. Five options have large mitigation potential (>3\uffc2\uffa0Gt CO2eq/year) without adverse impacts on the other land challenges. Five options have moderate mitigation potential, with no adverse impacts on the other land challenges. Sixteen practices have large adaptation potential (>25 million people benefit), without adverse side effects on other land challenges. Most practices can be applied without competing for available land. However, seven options could result in competition for land. A large number of practices do not require dedicated land, including several land management options, all value chain options, and all risk management options. Four options could greatly increase competition for land if applied at a large scale, though the impact is scale and context specific, highlighting the need for safeguards to ensure that expansion of land for mitigation does not impact natural systems and food security. A number of practices, such as increased food productivity, dietary change and reduced food loss and waste, can reduce demand for land conversion, thereby potentially freeing\uffe2\uff80\uff90up land and creating opportunities for enhanced implementation of other practices, making them important components of portfolios of practices to address the combined land challenges.
The increasing frequency of extreme weather events, such as floods, requires management strategies that promote resilience of grassland productivity. Mixtures of plant species may better resist and recover from flooding than monocultures, as they could combine species with stress\uffe2\uff80\uff90coping and resource acquisition traits. This has not yet been tested in intensively managed grasslands despite its relevance for enhancing agroecosystem resilience.
Using intact soil cores from an 18\uffe2\uff80\uff90month\uffe2\uff80\uff90old field experiment, we tested how 11 plant communities (Festuca arundinacea, Lolium perenne, Poa trivialis and Trifolium repens in monoculture, two\uffe2\uff80\uff90 and four\uffe2\uff80\uff90species mixtures) resist and recover from repeated flooding in a 4\uffe2\uff80\uff90month greenhouse experiment.
We found that plant community composition, not whether the community was a mixture or monoculture, influenced the community's resistance to flooding, although most communities were able to resist and recover from both floods.
The plant community's position on the leaf economic spectrum in flooded conditions was related to its resistance to and recovery from flooding. Resistance to and recovery from a severe flood were related to flood\uffe2\uff80\uff90induced intraspecific trait variation, causing a shift in the community's position on the leaf resource economic spectrum. In flooded conditions, resource\uffe2\uff80\uff90conservative communities (characterized by low specific leaf area, low leaf nitrogen content and high leaf dry matter content) better resisted and recovered from flooding. The community's position on the root resource economic spectrum was less connected to the community's resistance and recovery.
Synthesis and applications. Our study shows that in flooded conditions, resource\uffe2\uff80\uff90conservative plant communities are more resilient to flooding than resource\uffe2\uff80\uff90acquisitive communities in an intensively managed grassland. This suggests that plant community position on the leaf economic spectrum, as well as species\uffe2\uff80\uff99 flood\uffe2\uff80\uff90induced intraspecific variation, should be considered when designing grasslands to withstand increasing flood frequency and severity.
Stable isotope labeling of agricultural polyesters enables demonstration of their microbial utilization in soils.
Information on the harvest date of crops can help with logistics management in the agricultural industry, planning machinery operations and also with yield prediction modelling. In this study, the determination and prediction of harvest dates for different crops were performed by applying machine learning techniques on C-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data. Ground truth data were provided for the Vojvodina region (Serbia), an area with intensive agricultural production, considering winter wheat, maize and soybean fields with exact harvest dates, for the period 2017\u20132020, including 592 samples in total. Data from the Sentinel-1 satellite were used in the study. Time series of backscattering coefficients for vertical\u2013horizontal (VH) and vertical\u2013vertical (VV) polarisations, both from ascending and descending orbits, were collected from Google Earth Engine. Clustering of harvested and unharvested fields was performed with Principal Component Analysis, multidimensional scaling and t-distributed Stochastic Neighbour Embedding, for initial cluster visualization. It is shown that the separability of unharvested and harvested data in two-dimensional space does not depend on the selected method but more on the crop itself. Support Vector Machine and Multi-layer Perceptron were used as classification algorithms for harvest detection, with the former achieving higher accuracies of 79.65% for wheat, 83.41% for maize and 95.97% for soybean. Finally, regression models were developed for the prediction of the harvest date using Random Forest and the long short-term memory network, with the latter achieving better results: an R2 score of 0.72, mean absolute error of 6.80 days and root mean squared error of 9.25 days, for all crops considered together.
There is growing international interest in better managing soils to increase soil organic carbon (SOC) content to contribute to climate change mitigation, to enhance resilience to climate change and to underpin food security, through initiatives such as international \uffe2\uff80\uff984p1000\uffe2\uff80\uff99 initiative and the FAO's Global assessment of SOC sequestration potential (GSOCseq) programme. Since SOC content of soils cannot be easily measured, a key barrier to implementing programmes to increase SOC at large scale, is the need for credible and reliable measurement/monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) platforms, both for national reporting and for emissions trading. Without such platforms, investments could be considered risky. In this paper, we review methods and challenges of measuring SOC change directly in soils, before examining some recent novel developments that show promise for quantifying SOC. We describe how repeat soil surveys are used to estimate changes in SOC over time, and how long\uffe2\uff80\uff90term experiments and space\uffe2\uff80\uff90for\uffe2\uff80\uff90time substitution sites can serve as sources of knowledge and can be used to test models, and as potential benchmark sites in global frameworks to estimate SOC change. We briefly consider models that can be used to simulate and project change in SOC and examine the MRV platforms for SOC change already in use in various countries/regions. In the final section, we bring together the various components described in this review, to describe a new vision for a global framework for MRV of SOC change, to support national and international initiatives seeking to effect change in the way we manage our soils.10% of people on Earth) will experience severe food deficiencies by 2050. Increased production is urgently needed, but high costs and volatile prices are driving farmers into debt. Zero budget natural farming (ZBNF) is a grassroots movement that aims to improve farm viability by reducing costs. In Andhra Pradesh alone, 523,000 farmers have converted 13% of productive agricultural area to ZBNF. However, sustainability of ZBNF is questioned because external nutrient inputs are limited, which could cause a crash in food production. Here, we show that ZBNF is likely to reduce soil degradation and could provide yield benefits for low-input farmers. Nitrogen fixation, either by free-living nitrogen fixers in soil or symbiotic nitrogen fixers in legumes, is likely to provide the major portion of nitrogen available to crops. However, even with maximum potential nitrogen fixation and release, only 52-80% of the national average nitrogen applied as fertilizer is expected to be supplied. Therefore, in higher-input systems, yield penalties are likely. Since biological fixation from the atmosphere is possible only with nitrogen, ZBNF could limit the supply of other nutrients. Further research is needed in higher-input systems to ensure that mass conversion to ZBNF does not limit India's capacity to feed itself.", "keywords": ["Monitoring", "IEAS/POO2501/1", "NE/S009019/1", "330", "Supplementary Data", "QH301 Biology", "NE/P004830/1", "WHEAT", "01 natural sciences", "630", "12. Responsible consumption", "QH301", "NE/M021327/1", "SOIL PHYSICAL-PROPERTIES", "SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy", "FERTILIZER", "Renewable Energy", "Wellcome Trust", "SDG 2 - Zero Hunger", "Nature and Landscape Conservation", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences", "Planning and Development", "2. Zero hunger", "Global and Planetary Change", "Geography", "Policy and Law", "Ecology", "Sustainability and the Environment", "Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)", "Sustainable and Healthy Food Systems (SHEFS)", "NE/P019455/1", "1. No poverty", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "6. Clean water", "Management", "NITROGEN", "Urban Studies", "13. Climate action", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "INDIA", "Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)", "Food Science"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-019-0469-x.pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/2164/14738"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Nature%20Sustainability", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "2164/14738", "name": "item", "description": "2164/14738", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/2164/14738"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2020-01-20T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "2164/18196", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Open Access", "updated": "2026-05-25T16:25:26Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2021-07-13", "title": "Sustainable futures over the next decade are rooted in soil science", "description": "Abstract
The importance of soils to society has gained increasing recognition over the past decade, with the potential to contribute to most of the United Nations\uffe2\uff80\uff99 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With unprecedented and growing demands for food, water and energy, there is an urgent need for a global effort to address the challenges of climate change and land degradation, whilst protecting soil as a natural resource. In this paper, we identify the contribution of soil science over the past decade to addressing gaps in our knowledge regarding major environmental challenges: climate change, food security, water security, urban development, and ecosystem functioning and biodiversity. Continuing to address knowledge gaps in soil science is essential for the achievement of the SDGs. However, with limited time and budget, it is also pertinent to identify effective methods of working that ensure the research carried out leads to real\uffe2\uff80\uff90world impact. Here, we suggest three strategies for the next decade of soil science, comprising a greater implementation of research into policy, interdisciplinary partnerships to evaluate function trade\uffe2\uff80\uff90offs and synergies between soils and other environmental domains, and integrating monitoring and modelling methods to ensure soil\uffe2\uff80\uff90based policies can withstand the uncertainties of the future.
Highlights
We highlight the contributions of soil science to five major environmental challenges since 2010.
Researchers have contributed to recommendation reports, but work is rarely translated into policy.
Interdisciplinary work should assess trade\uffe2\uff80\uff90offs and synergies between soils and other domains.
Integrating monitoring and modelling is key for robust and sustainable soils\uffe2\uff80\uff90based policymaking.
", "keywords": ["330", "550", "QH301 Biology", "Sustainable Development Goals", "NE/R016429/1", "Urban development", "[SDV.SA.SDS]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Agricultural sciences/Soil study", "01 natural sciences", "333", "Ecosystems", "12. Responsible consumption", "QH301", "11. Sustainability", "SDG 13 - Climate Action", "774378", "Climate change", "SDG 2 - Zero Hunger", "European Commission", "[SDV.SA.SDS] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Agricultural sciences/Soil study", "869625", "SDG 15 - Life on Land", "biodiversity", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences", "2. Zero hunger", "Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)", "NE/P019455/1", "biodiversity; climate change; ecosystems; food security; sustainable development goals; urban development; water security", "Food security", "Biodiversity", "food security", "15. Life on land", "sustainable development goals", "water security", "urban development", "[SHS.SCIPO]Humanities and Social Sciences/Political science", "6. Clean water", "climate change", "13. Climate action", "Water security", "ecosystems", "[SHS.SCIPO] Humanities and Social Sciences/Political science"]}, "links": [{"href": "http://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/3157809/1/2021%20Evans%20et%20al%20-%20European%20Journal%20of%20Soil%20Science.pdf"}, {"href": "https://eprints.lancs.ac.uk/id/eprint/157184/1/Evans_etal_2021_Decade.pdf"}, {"href": "https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/ejss.13145"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/2164/18196"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/European%20Journal%20of%20Soil%20Science", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "2164/18196", "name": "item", "description": "2164/18196", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/2164/18196"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2021-07-26T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "2164/16366", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-05-25T16:25:26Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2020-05-04", "title": "The influence of nutrient management on soil organic carbon storage, crop production, and yield stability varies under different climates", "description": "Abstract Our understanding on how soil organic carbon (SOC) storage, crop yield, and yield stability are influenced by climate is limited. To critically examine this, the impact of long-term (\u226510 years) application of nutrient management practices on SOC storage, crop productivity, and yield stability were evaluated under different climatic conditions in China using a meta-analysis approach. The cropping area of China was divided into four distinct groups based on local climatic conditions (warm dry, DW; warm moist, WM; cool dry, CD; cool moist, CM). Results indicated that the impact of nutrient management practices on SOC storage, crop yield, and yield stability varies under different climatic zone in China. The use of unbalanced mineral fertilizer (UMF), and balanced mineral fertilizer (BMF) led to a loss in SOC storage by 6%, and 11% under CM climatic zone and gains in DW, WM, and CD climates. Organic fertilizers (OF), combined unbalanced mineral and organic fertilizers (UMOF), and combined balanced mineral and organic fertilizers (BMOF) were able to sustain and enhance SOC storage under all climatic conditions. However, the largest increase in SOC storage across all climates was seen for BMOF. Further, corresponding values of crop productivity and yield stability were also highest for BMOF among all the nutrient management treatments. A linear-plateau model indicated that maximal yield responsive SOC stock (Copt) levels ranged from 33.43 to 45.51\u00a0Mg\u00a0C ha\u22121 for rice (Oryza sativa), maize (Zea mays), and wheat (Triticum aestivum) production. To enhance and sustain SOC storage, and crop productivity of croplands under different climates, BMOF appears to be the most appropriate nutrient management strategy. Our findings demonstrate that it is essential to optimize nutrient management strategies according to the local climate to protect soil from SOC losses, and for achieving sustainable crop production.", "keywords": ["Yield stability", "AGRICULTURE", "550", "INCREASES", "Supplementary Data", "QH301 Biology", "Strategy and Management", "SEQUESTRATION", "CHINA", "Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering", "630", "12. Responsible consumption", "QH301", "Critical level", "SDG 13 - Climate Action", "Climate change", "SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy", "Renewable Energy", "SDG 2 - Zero Hunger", "General Environmental Science", "2. Zero hunger", "Sustainability and the Environment", "Crop yields", "Soil organic carbon", "PADDY FIELDS", "Nutrient management", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "6. Clean water", "NITROGEN", "13. Climate action", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "STRAW", "LONG-TERM FERTILIZATION", "MATTER"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/2164/16366"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Journal%20of%20Cleaner%20Production", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "2164/16366", "name": "item", "description": "2164/16366", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/2164/16366"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2020-09-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "2164/19434", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-05-25T16:25:26Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2022-08-22", "title": "Global systematic review with meta-analysis reveals yield advantage of legume-based rotations and its drivers", "description": "AbstractDiversified cropping systems, especially those including legumes, have been proposed to enhance food production with reduced inputs and environmental impacts. However, the impact of legume pre-crops on main crop yield and its drivers has never been systematically investigated in a global context. Here, we synthesize 11,768 yield observations from 462 field experiments comparing legume-based and non-legume cropping systems and show that legumes enhanced main crop yield by 20%. These yield advantages decline with increasing N fertilizer rates and crop diversity of the main cropping system. The yield benefits are consistent among main crops (e.g., rice, wheat, maize) and evident across pedo-climatic regions. Moreover, greater yield advantages (32% vs. 7%) are observed in low- vs. high-yielding environments, suggesting legumes increase crop production with low inputs (e.g., in Africa or organic agriculture). In conclusion, our study suggests that legume-based rotations offer a critical pathway for enhancing global crop production, especially when integrated into low-input and low-diversity agricultural systems. Abstract. Soil organic carbon (SOC), one of the largest terrestrial carbon (C) stocks on Earth, has been depleted by anthropogenic land cover change and agricultural management. However, the latter has so far not been well represented in global C stock assessments. While SOC models often simulate detailed biochemical processes that lead to the accumulation and decay of SOC, the management decisions driving these biophysical processes are still little investigated at the global scale. Here we develop a spatially explicit data set for agricultural management on cropland, considering crop production levels, residue returning rates, manure application, and the adoption of irrigation and tillage practices. We combine it with a reduced-complexity model based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) tier\u00a02 method to create a half-degree resolution data set of SOC stocks and SOC stock changes for the first 30\u2009cm of mineral soils. We estimate that, due to arable farming, soils have lost around 34.6\u2009GtC relative to a counterfactual hypothetical natural state in 1975. Within the period 1975\u20132010, this SOC debt continued to expand by 5\u2009GtC (0.14\u2009GtC\u2009yr\u22121) to around 39.6\u2009GtC. However, accounting for historical management led to 2.1\u2009GtC fewer (0.06\u2009GtC\u2009yr\u22121) emissions than under the assumption of constant management. We also find that management decisions have influenced the historical SOC trajectory most strongly by residue returning, indicating that SOC enhancement by biomass retention may be a promising negative emissions technique. The reduced-complexity SOC model may allow us to simulate management-induced SOC enhancement \u2013 also within computationally demanding integrated (land use) assessment modeling.
The increasing frequency of extreme weather events, such as floods, requires management strategies that promote resilience of grassland productivity. Mixtures of plant species may better resist and recover from flooding than monocultures, as they could combine species with stress\uffe2\uff80\uff90coping and resource acquisition traits. This has not yet been tested in intensively managed grasslands despite its relevance for enhancing agroecosystem resilience.
Using intact soil cores from an 18\uffe2\uff80\uff90month\uffe2\uff80\uff90old field experiment, we tested how 11 plant communities (Festuca arundinacea, Lolium perenne, Poa trivialis and Trifolium repens in monoculture, two\uffe2\uff80\uff90 and four\uffe2\uff80\uff90species mixtures) resist and recover from repeated flooding in a 4\uffe2\uff80\uff90month greenhouse experiment.
We found that plant community composition, not whether the community was a mixture or monoculture, influenced the community's resistance to flooding, although most communities were able to resist and recover from both floods.
The plant community's position on the leaf economic spectrum in flooded conditions was related to its resistance to and recovery from flooding. Resistance to and recovery from a severe flood were related to flood\uffe2\uff80\uff90induced intraspecific trait variation, causing a shift in the community's position on the leaf resource economic spectrum. In flooded conditions, resource\uffe2\uff80\uff90conservative communities (characterized by low specific leaf area, low leaf nitrogen content and high leaf dry matter content) better resisted and recovered from flooding. The community's position on the root resource economic spectrum was less connected to the community's resistance and recovery.
Synthesis and applications. Our study shows that in flooded conditions, resource\uffe2\uff80\uff90conservative plant communities are more resilient to flooding than resource\uffe2\uff80\uff90acquisitive communities in an intensively managed grassland. This suggests that plant community position on the leaf economic spectrum, as well as species\uffe2\uff80\uff99 flood\uffe2\uff80\uff90induced intraspecific variation, should be considered when designing grasslands to withstand increasing flood frequency and severity.
The estimation of crop evapotranspiration (ETc) is crucial for irrigation water management, especially in arid regions. This can be particularly relevant in the Po Valley (Italy), where arable lands suffer from drought damages on an annual basis, causing drastic crop yield losses. This study presents a novel approach for vegetation-based estimation of crop evapotranspiration (ETc) for maize. Three years of high-resolution multispectral satellite (Sentinel-2)-based Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI), Normalized Difference Red Edge Index (NDRE), and Leaf Area Index (LAI) time series data were used to derive crop coefficients of maize in nine plots at the Acqua Campus experimental farm of Irrigation Consortium for the Emilia Romagna Canal (CER), Italy. Since certain vegetation indices (VIs) (such as NDVI) have an exponential nature compared to the other indices, both linear and power regression models were evaluated to estimate the crop coefficient (Kc). In the context of linear regression, the correlations between Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)-based Kc and NDWI, NDRE, NDVI, and LAI-based Kc were 0.833, 0.870, 0.886, and 0.771, respectively. Strong correlation values in the case of power regression (NDWI: 0.876, NDRE: 0.872, NDVI: 0.888, LAI: 0.746) indicated an alternative approach to provide crop coefficients for the vegetation period. The VI-based ETc values were calculated using reference evapotranspiration (ET0) and VI-based Kc. The weather station data of CER were used to calculate ET0 based on Penman-Monteith estimation. Out of the Vis, NDWI and NDVI-based ETc performed the best both in the cases of linear (NDWI RMSE: 0.43 \u00b1 0.12; NDVI RMSE: 0.43 \u00b1 0.095) and power (NDWI RMSE: 0.44 \u00b1 0.116; NDVI RMSE: 0.44 \u00b1 0.103) approaches. The findings affirm the efficacy of the developed methodology in accurately assessing the evapotranspiration rate. Consequently, it offers a more refined temporal estimation of water requirements for maize cultivation in the region.
Increasing food demand coupled with climate change pose a great challenge to agricultural systems. In this review we summarize recent advances in our knowledge of how plants, together with their associated microbiota, shape rhizosphere processes. We address (molecular) mechanisms operating at the plant\uffe2\uff80\uff93microbe-soil interface and aim to link this knowledge with actual and potential avenues for intensifying agricultural systems, while at the same time reducing irrigation water, fertilizer inputs and pesticide use. Combining in-depth knowledge about above and belowground plant traits will not only significantly advance our mechanistic understanding of involved processes but also allow for more informed decisions regarding agricultural practices and plant breeding. Including belowground plant-soil-microbe interactions in our breeding efforts will help to select crops resilient to abiotic and biotic environmental stresses and ultimately enable us to produce sufficient food in a more sustainable agriculture in the upcoming decades.