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BRICS Soil Management for Sustainable Agriculture

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Soil Conservation and Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (18 June 2023) | Viewed by 12048

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Yilai Lou

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Guest Editor

Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
Interests: soil micro-food web; soil nematode; soil microbiome; carbon cycling
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Liangshan Feng

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Guest Editor

Liaoning Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenyang 110161, China
Interests: cropping system; soil microbiome
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Sartaj Ahmad Bhat

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Guest Editor

River Basin Research Center, Gifu University, 1-1, yanagido, Gifu 501-1193, Japan
Interests: bioremediation; vermicomposting; soil pollution; soil microbiology; activated sludge; heavy metals and solid waste management

Dr. Olga Nesterva

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Guest Editor

Department of Soil Science, Far Eastern Federal University, 10 Ajax Bay, Russky Island, 690090 Vladivostok, Russia
Interests: biochar; greenhouse gas emission; soil ecology; soil organic matter

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

One of the primary challenges of our time is to feed a growing and more demanding world, while management practices such as the over-application of synthetic fertilizer and intensive tillage have caused soil degradation (e.g., soil acidification, carbon and biodiversity losses) and environmental pollution (e.g., greenhouse gas emissions and nutrient runoff loss) worldwide. During the 2022 BRICS conference, the five BRICS countries of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa have together called for the promotion of sustainable development. The development of proper soil management strategies (e.g., organic substitution, reduced tillage, biochar amendment, straw retention, diversification cropping) is necessary to achieve sustainable agriculture. This Special Issue focusing on the latest advances in soil management for sustainable agriculture in BRICS countries aims to promote scholarly communications among the BRICS countries, and to share the relevant research achievements with the world. This will be significant for informing soil management for worldwide sustainable agriculture.

Scope (for BRICS countries):

Soil organic carbon and nitrogen cycling under contrasting management strategies and global changes;
Soil management for climate-smart agriculture;
Soil greenhouse gas emissions and/or carbon footprint under contrasting management strategies and global changes;
Soil fertility, environment quality, biodiversity and/or ecosystem functions under contrasting management strategies and global changes.

Prof. Dr. Yilai Lou
Dr. Liangshan Feng
Dr. Sartaj Ahmad Bhat
Dr. Olga Nesterva
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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

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

soil carbon sequestration
carbon cycling
greenhouse gases
soil microbiome
soil biodiversity
soil fertility

Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 1949 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Soil CO₂ and CH₄ Dynamics and Their Relationships with Soil Nutrients, Enzyme Activity, and Root Biomass during Winter Wheat Growth under Shallow Groundwater

by Wenchao Zhang, Chen Guo, Xinguo Zhou, Jianqiang Zhu and Fahu Li

Sustainability 2024, 16(4), 1396; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16041396 - 7 Feb 2024

Viewed by 547

Abstract

Soil CO₂ and CH₄ concentrations are crucial determinants of crop physiology and the soil environment. However, the intricate relationships among soil respiration, soil nutrients, enzyme activities, and winter wheat growth in the presence of shallow groundwater remain enigmatic. This study aimed to investigate the dynamics of soil CO₂ and CH₄ concentrations and their correlations with soil nutrient content, enzymatic activities, and wheat root biomass to better understand the influence of shallow groundwater on soil environmental conditions. Lysimeter experiments were conducted at five groundwater depths (20, 40, 50, 60, and 80 cm) and three fertilizer application rates (low, 75%; normal, 100%; high, 125%). Soil CO₂ (soil layer > 10 cm) and CH₄ concentrations significantly decreased with increasing groundwater depth. The maximum values of root parameters and shoot biomass were mainly concentrated at 50–60 cm at the high fertilization level (except root length density, which was higher at the normal fertilization level), and were 0.36–77.4% higher than other treatments. Soil CO₂ concentration showed positive correlations with organic matter and total N content, enzyme activities, and root biomass. Soil CH₄ concentration had significant correlations with soil organic matter, total N, and available K. Compared to the fertilization level, groundwater depth emerged as a crucial factor as it affected soil physicochemical properties, soil enzymatic activities, root respiration, and winter wheat growth in shallow groundwater. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue BRICS Soil Management for Sustainable Agriculture)

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12 pages, 2577 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spatial Distribution of Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Content in the Danjiangkou Reservoir Area and Their Responses to Land-Use Types

by Bo Xu, Yuefen Li and Yi Liu

Sustainability 2024, 16(1), 444; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16010444 - 4 Jan 2024

Viewed by 862

Abstract

Understanding the spatial distribution of soil properties is essential for comprehending soil fertility, predicting ecosystem productivity, enhancing environmental quality, promoting sustainable agriculture, and addressing global climate change. This study focuses on investigating the spatial distribution and influencing factors of soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) in the Danjiangkou Reservoir area, a vital water source for the South-to-North Water Transfer Project. Utilizing both geostatistical and traditional statistical methods, this research explores the impact of various land-use types—such as orchards, drylands, paddy fields, and Hydro-Fluctuation Belts (HF belts)—on soil C and N content. The findings reveal predominantly low levels of soil organic carbon (SOC) (ranging from 2.95 to 21.50 g·kg⁻¹), total nitrogen (TN) (ranging from 0.27 to 2.44 g·kg⁻¹), and available nitrogen (AN) (ranging from 18.20 to 170.45 mg·kg⁻¹), mostly falling into deficient categories. Notably, spatial variability is observed, especially in agriculturally developed regions, leading to areas of enrichment. Paddy fields and HF belts are identified as influential contributors to increased SOC and nitrogen content compared to orchards and drylands. Correlation and stepwise regression analyses unveil intricate interactions among SOC, TN, AN, and environmental factors, underscoring the necessity for a holistic approach to soil management. This study emphasizes the critical role of adopting rational land-use types and sustainable agricultural practices for effective soil management in the Danjiangkou Reservoir area. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue BRICS Soil Management for Sustainable Agriculture)

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13 pages, 4791 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Microplastic Accumulation in Agricultural Soils with Different Mulching Histories in Xinjiang, China

by Shan Zhang, Anming Bao, Xiaoli Lin, Gongxu Jia and Qingling Zhang

Sustainability 2023, 15(6), 5438; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15065438 - 20 Mar 2023

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2124

Abstract

Microplastics (MPs) in soils have been widely studied, yet very little is known about their distribution in agricultural soils and the impact of mulching history. In this study, soil samples were taken across 3 soil layers of 60 sites with varying years of mulching history (<5 years, 5–10 years, 10–20 years and >20 years) in agricultural film-mulched cotton fields of Xinjiang, China. Microplastics were obtained from the soils using oil separation combined with density separation. Stereomicroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used for identification. The average microplastic abundance of the sites with different years of mulching history are 538, 1484, 5812 and 9708 pieces/kg, respectively. The microplastics with sizes 1000–5000 and 200–500 μm are dominant in soils with less than 10 years and over 10 years of continuous mulching history, respectively. The results show that the abundance of microplastics increases and the size of microplastics decreases gradually as the number of years of mulching history increases. In addition, the best polynomial fitting curves were found between microplastic abundance (y) and mulching years (x) in different soil layers, and the relationship in the topsoil layer can be fitted as the following equation: y = 20.6x² = 41.39x + 198.65 (p < 0.01, R² = 0.62). The results indicate that residual agricultural mulching film is the dominating source of microplastics in cotton fields. This study provides rationale for further research on microplastics prediction in agricultural film-mulched fields. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue BRICS Soil Management for Sustainable Agriculture)

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15 pages, 2470 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Phosphate and Silicate Combined Application on Cadmium Form Changes in Heavy Metal Contaminated Soil

by Xiuli Wang, Hongtao Zou and Qi Liu

Sustainability 2023, 15(5), 4503; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15054503 - 2 Mar 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1460

Abstract

Pollution by heavy metal cadmium (Cd) in soil is still serious and control measures are constantly updated. In this paper, one indoor culture method was applied to investigate the effect of phosphate and thermo-activated nano silicate combined application on soil cadmium (Cd) speciation transformation. A total of 7 treatments were designed, which were: simulated cadmium-contaminated soil without phosphate and silicate recorded as the reference (CK) treatment; mixtures of 0.5%, 1.0%, and 2.0% soil heavy dose of potassium dihydrogen phosphate and 700 °C thermo-activated nano serpentine (potassium dihydrogen phosphate: thermo-activated nano serpentine ratio = 1:2) added to simulated cadmium-contaminated soil, denoted as nPS₇₀₀-0.5, nPS₇₀₀-1.0, and nPS₇₀₀-2.0, respectively; and 0.5%, 1.0%, and 2.0% soil heavy dose of potassium dihydrogen phosphate and 700 °C thermo-activated nano zeolite mixture (potassium dihydrogen phosphate: thermo-activated nano zeolite ratio = 1:2) added to simulated cadmium-contaminated soil, denoted as nPF₇₀₀-0.5, nPF₇₀₀-1.0, and nPF₇₀₀-2.0, respectively. The results showed that the combined application of potassium dihydrogen phosphate with thermo-activated nano serpentine or potassium dihydrogen phosphate with thermo-activated nano zeolite reduced the soil exchangeable Cd content to varying degrees and increased levels of carbonate-bound, Fe-Mn oxide-bound, organic-bound, and residual Cd forms to different degrees. In combined application of phosphate and thermo-activated nano silicate, the higher the dosage level, the greater the reduction of exchangeable Cd content and the better the effect on Cd-contaminated soil remediation: nPS₇₀₀-2.0 > nPS₇₀₀-1.0 > nPS₇₀₀-0.5, nPF₇₀₀-2.0 > nPF₇₀₀-1.0 > nPF₇₀₀-0.5 (N, P, S, and F represent nano, KH₂PO₄, serpentine, and zeolite, respectively, and 700 represents the activation temperature). At the same dosage level, the combined application of potassium dihydrogen phosphate and thermo-activated nano serpentine was more effective than that of potassium dihydrogen phosphate and thermo-activated nano zeolite in repairing Cd-contaminated soil (nPS₇₀₀-2.0 > nPF₇₀₀-2.0, nPS₇₀₀-1.0 > nPF₇₀₀-1.0, nPS₇₀₀-0.5 > nPF₇₀₀-0.5), which indicated that the combination of phosphate and thermo-activated nano silicate can passivate heavy metal cadmium (Cd) to a certain extent and promote the transformation of bioavailable Cd into an unusable state. The reason why potassium dihydrogen phosphate, zeolite, and serpentine can absorb heavy metal cadmium after entering the soil is because the silicate mineral itself can directly absorb cadmium. Second, after nano treatment and thermal activation, the specific surface areas and pores of the minerals increase, which enhances the adsorption performance. Third, because the pH value of the mineral itself is high, the pH value of the soil environment will rise, thereby transforming H₂PO₄⁻ into PO₄³⁻, which is conducive to the adsorption of Cd²⁺. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue BRICS Soil Management for Sustainable Agriculture)

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18 pages, 2942 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Responses of Vegetation, Soil, and Microbes and Carbon and Nitrogen Pools to Semiarid Grassland Land-Use Patterns in Duolun, Inner Mongolia, China

by Xiuli Gao, Shihai Lv, Zhaoyan Diao, Dewang Wang, Daikui Li and Zhirong Zheng

Sustainability 2023, 15(4), 3434; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043434 - 13 Feb 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1629

Abstract

Previous studies have observed that increased precipitation positively affects primary production in semiarid grasslands in Inner Mongolia, while soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) strongly influence how ecosystems respond to precipitation as well as anthropogenic disturbances under different management strategies. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the storage of organic C and N in four grassland sites with similar flora and landforms but with different grazing intensities to characterize how the storage and concentrations of C and N respond to relief from grazing pressure and precipitation. The concentrations of soil organic carbon (SOC), soil total nitrogen (STN), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), and microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN), as well as the contents of soil bacteria and fungi in the 0–50 cm soil layers, were measured. The results showed that SOC, STN, MBC, and MBN storage varied greatly among the four grassland sites (p < 0.05), with all decreasing significantly with grassland degradation and increasing greatly with the exclusion of grazing, i.e., the establishment of natural grassland (NG). More than 90% of C and 95% of N stored in the soil were lost due to heavy grazing, but the losses were smaller in other nutrient pools (including the aboveground biomass, litter, and roots). Interestingly, the proportion of the particle size fractions (clay, silt, and sand) had a stronger effect on limiting the soil and microbial nutrient pools compared to precipitation. The limited range of C and N storage found in these grassland soils indicated that enclosed fencing was a valuable management tool with a high potential to sequester C in the top meter of the soil, showing a stronger effect than precipitation. This study provides a theoretical basis for improving grassland recovery in semiarid areas that have been heavily grazed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue BRICS Soil Management for Sustainable Agriculture)

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14 pages, 7238 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Meta-Analysis Study on the Use of Biochar to Simultaneously Mitigate Emissions of Reactive Nitrogen Gases (N₂O and NO) from Soils

by Xiayan Zhang, Jiyang Lv, Yuyang Zhang, Shouguo Li, Xian Chen and Zhipeng Sha

Sustainability 2023, 15(3), 2384; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15032384 - 28 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1845

Abstract

Nitrous oxide (N₂O) and nitric oxide (NO) are detrimental reactive gaseous oxides of nitrogen. Excessive application of nitrogen fertilizers in cropping systems has significantly increased the emissions of these gases, causing adverse environmental consequences. Previous studies have demonstrated that biochar amendment can regulate soil-N dynamics and mitigate N losses, but they lacked simultaneous assessments of soil N₂O and NO emissions. Thus, the factors influencing the emissions of nitrogen oxides are still unclear. Therefore, this study examined the impact of biochar application on simultaneous N₂O and NO emissions based on 18 peer-reviewed papers (119 paired observations). A machine learning model (boosted regression tree model) was adopted to assess the potential influencing factors, such as soil properties, biochar characteristics, and field management conditions. The addition of biochar reduced N₂O and NO emissions by 16.2% and 14.7%, respectively. Biochar with a high total carbon content and pH, from woody or herbaceous feedstock, pyrolyzed at a high temperature, applied at a moderate rate and to soil with a high-silt content, a moderate pH, and coarse texture, could simultaneously reduce soil N₂O and NO emissions. Biochar amendment, thus, has the potential to lower the environmental impact of crop production. Furthermore, the influence of soil properties, biochar characteristics, and field management should be considered in the future to enhance the efficacy of biochar. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue BRICS Soil Management for Sustainable Agriculture)

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18 pages, 1699 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Composting of Municipal Solid Waste Using Earthworms and Ligno-Cellulolytic Microbial Consortia for Reclamation of the Degraded Sodic Soils and Harnessing Their Productivity Potential

by Yash Pal Singh, Sanjay Arora, Vinay K. Mishra and Arjun Singh

Sustainability 2023, 15(3), 2317; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15032317 - 27 Jan 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1640

Abstract

The management of municipal solid waste (MSW) and the reclamation of degraded sodic soils are two serious environmental and socio-economic problems experienced by the developing nations. To overcome these problems, a technology has been developed for the composting of MSW using earthworm and ligno-cellulolytic microbial consortia and its utilization for the sustainable reclamation of degraded sodic soils, as well as for harnessing their productivity potential. To standardize on-farm composting under aerobic conditions, the field experiment consisted of seven treatment combinations, replicated thrice with municipal solid waste (MSW) sole and in combination with agricultural wastes (AW) treated with earthworms (Eisenia foetida) and consortia of lingo-cellulolytic microbes such as Aspergillus spp., Trichoderma spp. and Bacillus spp. It was conducted at ICAR-CSSRI, Research farm, Shivri, Lucknow, India. The results revealed that the thermophilic phase was achieved at 60 days of composting and thereafter the temperature decreased. Marked changes in pH and EC were found and they changed from acidic to neutral. The reduction in total C, from initial to maturity, varied from 4.45 to 14.14% and the increase in total P and total K from 4.88 to 88.10% and 12.00 to 35.71%, respectively. The nutrient-rich quality compost based on the lowest C: N ratio, highest nutrient contents, microbial population (bacteria and fungi) and enzymatic activities was obtained from a mix of MSW and AW, enriched with earthworms and consortia of lingo-cellulolytic microbes. The efficacy of this enriched compost was evaluated for the reclamation of sodic soils and their potential for sustaining productivity of the rice-wheat cropping system was harnessed through combined application with a reduced dose of gypsum. The results indicated that the application of on-farm compost @10 t ha⁻¹ in conjunction with a reduced quantity of gypsum (25% GR) significantly (p < 0.05) improved the physico-chemical and microbial soil properties, and enhanced productivity of the rice-wheat cropping system over the use of only gypsum. This study proved that on-farm compost of MSW and its utilization for the reclamation of degraded sodic soils can be an alternate solution for useful disposal and management of MSW, thereby improving the health and productivity of sodic soils. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue BRICS Soil Management for Sustainable Agriculture)

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Other

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7 pages, 2721 KiB

Open AccessTechnical Note

Effect of the Wetting Hydraulic Property of Soil on 1-D Water Infiltration

by Xuebo Li, Tianlun Shen, Ke Xiang, Qian Zhai, Harianto Rahardjo, Alfrendo Satyanaga and Shijun Wang

Sustainability 2023, 15(3), 1822; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15031822 - 18 Jan 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1060

Abstract

Rainwater infiltration is primarily governed by the soil-water characteristic curve (SWCC) and hydraulic conductivity function (HCF) of soil. Both the SWCC and the HCF are hysteretic during the drying and wetting processes. In a numerical simulation, different seepage results can be obtained by incorporating different hydraulic conductivity functions of soil. In practice, the wetting HCF is commonly estimated from the wetting SWCC using the statistical method, which is named HCF_swcc,w in this note. However, there is no study that has verified the results from seepage analyses using HCF_swcc,w. Therefore, the objective of this study is to investigate the influence of wetting SWCC and wetting HCF on 1-D water infiltration. The results from the numerical simulations were verified with the instrumentation reading from a soil column. It was observed that the results from the model using wetting HCF_PSDF, which defines the wetting HCF estimated using the concept of pore-size distribution function, gave better agreement with the instrumented data. Therefore, both wetting SWCC and wetting HCF_PSDF are advised to be used as input information for the numerical simulation of rainwater infiltration. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue BRICS Soil Management for Sustainable Agriculture)

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