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Soil Health Management for Ecological Sustainability in Agricultural Systems

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 December 2021) | Viewed by 44513

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Dr. Arnab Bhowmik

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Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Design, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC 27411, USA
Interests: carbon and nitrogen cycling in agroecosystems; soil health and sustainable agriculture; soil management and greenhouse gas emission; CBD hemp best management practices
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Soil health is an integrative concept defined as the continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, human and the environment. Sustainable agricultural ecosystems have the potential to provide ecological and environmental services that promote soil conservation, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve soil health. This approach is targeted towards minimal use of off-farm inputs with management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony. Soil health management practices typically integrate the use of crop rotations, reduced tillage, cover crops and animal wastes to enhance soil fertility by fostering soil health and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions.

This Special Issue intends to cover the state-of-the-art and recent progress in different aspects related to how specific soil health management practices like tillage intensity, amendment type and livestock integration impacts ecosystem services, specially carbon and nitrogen cycling, across a wide range of agroecosystems. All types of contributions (original research, reviews and meta-analysis) providing new insights on ecological sustainability in agricultural systems through soil health management are encouraged.

Dr. Arnab Bhowmik
Guest Editor

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Keywords

Soil health management
Greenhouse gas emissions
Soil carbon and nitrogen cycle

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Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 2570 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Commons as Traditional Means of Sustainably Managing Forests and Pastures in Olt Land (Romania)

by Gheorghe Roșculeț and Daniela Sorea

Sustainability 2021, 13(14), 8012; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13148012 - 18 Jul 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2149

Abstract

The compossessorates in Transylvania (Romania) are traditional varieties of commons. During the inter-war period two types of compossessorates were most common in the Olt Land, between the Olt River and the Southern Carpathians: those of the former boyars and the ones owned by the former serfs. An analysis of the 1904 Austro-Hungarian Regulation on the organization and management of the commons, of the 1910 Romanian Forest Code that was implemented in Transylvania after 1918, and of the by-laws of compossessorates, derived from the aforementioned documents, unveils the concern of both legislators and members of compossessorates for the preservation, balanced exploitation and regeneration of the forest fund and their focus on sustainable management of forests. The compossessorates were disbanded upon the instauration of the communist regime in Romania and re-established after 1989. Nowadays, compossessorates in the Olt Land continue the local tradition of sustainably managing the forests and the pastures. Their activity in this regard can be improved. Collaboration of the communal schools and the university with the compossessorates, the use of the Internet to promote their image and the involvement of NGOs in their support would be effective in this respect. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Health Management for Ecological Sustainability in Agricultural Systems)

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13 pages, 854 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Soil Health Beneath Amended Switchgrass: Effects of Biochar and Nitrogen on Active Carbon and Wet Aggregate Stability

by Priya Saini, Jason P. de Koff, Richard Link and Chris Robbins

Sustainability 2021, 13(13), 7176; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13137176 - 25 Jun 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2401

Abstract

Perennial crops, like switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), are important for bioenergy production and long-term carbon sequestration. Biochar, a byproduct of certain bioenergy production processes, is also identified as a potential tool for carbon sequestration and soil quality improvements, especially in marginal soils. Despite the focus on switchgrass, soil health characteristics under switchgrass production for biomass are unclear. This study focused on identifying the effects of four N rates (0, 17, 34, and 67 kg N ha⁻¹) and biochar application (0 and 9 Mg ha⁻¹) in a 3-year switchgrass field study on a silt loam soil. Soil active carbon (AC) and wet aggregate stability (WAS) were the indicators used to assess soil health. Our results indicated a decline in both AC and WAS over the study period, similar to other studies. Wet aggregate stability declined from 32% in 2018 to 15% in 2019. There were some significant differences between treatments, but no defined trends were observed. A decline in AC from 301 mg C kg soil⁻¹ to 267 mg C kg soil⁻¹ was also observed over the three-year period. Nitrogen rate also affected AC in the last year of study. Several possible explanations for the observed changes are proposed; however, a definitive mechanism is still unknown, thus future research is essential to improve our understanding and provide wider acceptance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Health Management for Ecological Sustainability in Agricultural Systems)

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11 pages, 1071 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effects of Rice Husk Biochar Rate on Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Growth of Soursop (Annona muricata L.) Seedlings

by Nur Saidahtul Nadiah Harun, Noraini Md. Jaafar and Siti Zaharah Sakimin

Sustainability 2021, 13(4), 1817; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13041817 - 8 Feb 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2933

Abstract

Soursop (Annona muricata L.) is increasingly planted in Malaysia for its agronomical importance as a multipurpose plant with medicinal and health benefits. However, there is limited information on soursop cultivation in Malaysia. Soursop can be inoculated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) as a sustainable approach for successful seedlings growth before transplanting to field. As a beneficial symbiotic soil microorganism, AMF has been known as biofertilizer which can improve soil conditions and plant growth. Following the need to understand the soil management using soil beneficial microorganisms for soursop cultivation, this experiment aimed to determine the effects of AMF and biochar on the growth of soursop seedlings. The polybag experiment was conducted under glasshouse conditions at Farm 15, Faculty of Agriculture, UPM Serdang, Selangor. The study was arranged in Randomised Complete Block Design (RCBD) with eight treatments comprising different rates of rice husk biochar (RHB), with and without AMF and four replications. The treatments were; T1 (Control), T2 (AMF only), T3 (−AMF with 10 t/ha RHB), T4 (+AMF with 10 t/ha RHB), T5 (−AMF with 15 t/ha RHB), T6 (+AMF with 15 t/ha RHB), T7 (−AMF with 20 t/ha RHB) and T8 (+AMF with 20 t/ha RHB). Plant growth measurement were determined upon harvesting after four months of planting. Shoot and root biomass, leaf area meter, root surface area and root length were found significantly highest in soursop seedlings grown in soils amended with 10 t/ha RHB with or without AMF as compared to control. It was concluded that RHB, either individually or when in combination with AMF, had significantly improved the growth performance of soursop seedlings at nursery stage. Therefore, earliest inoculation of soursop seedlings with AMF at nursery stage could ensure successful mycorrhizal establishment and growth performance of soursop seedlings before transplanted under field condition. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Health Management for Ecological Sustainability in Agricultural Systems)

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15 pages, 1656 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Soil Enzyme Activity and Microbial Metabolic Function Diversity in Soda Saline–Alkali Rice Paddy Fields of Northeast China

by Yunke Qu, Jie Tang, Zhaoyang Li, Zihao Zhou, Jingjing Wang, Sining Wang and Yidan Cao

Sustainability 2020, 12(23), 10095; https://doi.org/10.3390/su122310095 - 3 Dec 2020

Cited by 52 | Viewed by 4848

Abstract

Western Jilin province has the most serious area of soda salinization in Northeast China, which affects and restricts the sustainable development of agriculture. The effects of physico-chemical properties of rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soil on soil microbial diversity and enzyme activities (polyphenol oxidase, catalase, invertase, amylase) were evaluated in typical soda saline-alkali paddy field. Community-level physiological profile (CLPP) based on Biolog-ECO plates was used to assess the functional diversity of soil microorganisms. Exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) and pH were negative correlated with the microbial activity (AWCD), soil enzyme activities (amylase, sucrose, and catalase, except for polyphenol oxidase) in rice rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soil (P < 0.05). The indexes of microbial diversity in rice rhizosphere soil were significantly higher than that of non-rhizosphere soil. The utilization of amino acids by rice rhizosphere microorganisms was relatively high, while non-rhizosphere soil had relatively high utilization of carboxylic acid, phenolic acid, and amine. Among the selected physico-chemical properties, soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil water content (SWC) had the greatest influence on the variation of microbial diversity indexes and enzyme activities in rhizosphere soil. ESP and pH showed a significant positive correlation with carbon source utilization, especially for amine (AM) and phenolic acid (PA) carbon source utilization (P < 0.05) by means of RDA, and the utilization rate of AM and PA carbon sources by rice rhizosphere and non-root soil microorganisms was P1 < P2 < P3. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Health Management for Ecological Sustainability in Agricultural Systems)

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19 pages, 1850 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Abiotic Soil Health Indicators that Respond to Sustainable Management Practices in Sugarcane Cultivation

by Camila Viana Vieira Farhate, Zigomar Menezes de Souza, Maurício Roberto Cherubin, Lenon Herique Lovera, Ingrid Nehmi de Oliveira, Marina Pedroso Carneiro and Newton La Scala Jr.

Sustainability 2020, 12(22), 9407; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12229407 - 12 Nov 2020

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 4057

Abstract

Soil quality (SQ) assessments are fundamental to design more sustainable land uses and management practices. However, SQ is a complex concept and there is not a universal approach to evaluate SQ across different conditions of climate, soil, and cropping system. Large-scale sugarcane production in Brazil is predominantly based on conventional tillage and high mechanization intensity, leading to SQ degradation. Thus through this study, we aim to assess the impact of sustainable management practices, including cover crops and less intensive tillage systems, in relation to the conventional system, using a soil quality index composed of abiotic indicators. Additionally, we developed a decision tree model to predict SQ using a minimum set of variables. The study was conducted in the municipality of Ibitinga, São Paulo, Brazil. The experimental design used was in strips, with four cover crops and three tillage systems. We evaluated three sugarcane cultivation cycles (2015/16, 2016/17, and 2017/18 crops). To calculate the SQ index, we selected five abiotic indicators: macroporosity, potassium content, calcium content, bulk density, and mean weight-diameter of soil aggregates. Based on our SQ index, our findings indicated that the soil quality was driven by the production cycle of sugarcane. Although a reduction of soil quality occurs between the plant cane and first ratoon cane cycles, from the second ratoon cane there is a trend of the gradual restoration of soil quality due to the recovery of both the soil’s physical and chemical attributes. Our study also demonstrated that the cultivation of sunn hemp and millet as cover crops, during the implementation of sugarcane plantation, enhanced soil quality. Due to the advantages provided by the use of these two cover crops, we encourage more detailed and long-term studies, aiming to test the efficiency of intercropping involving sunn hemp and millet during the re-planting of sugarcane. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Health Management for Ecological Sustainability in Agricultural Systems)

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13 pages, 2362 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Trade-Offs between Sugarcane Straw Removal and Soil Organic Matter in Brazil

by Maristela C. Morais, Marcos Siqueira-Neto, Henrique P. Guerra, Lucas S. Satiro, Amin Soltangheisi, Carlos E. P. Cerri, Brigitte J. Feigl and Maurício R. Cherubin

Sustainability 2020, 12(22), 9363; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12229363 - 11 Nov 2020

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3639

Abstract

Environmental benefits from bioenergy production derived from sugarcane crop residues (straw) can be lost by soil organic matter depletion resulting from excessive straw removal rates from fields. Soil organic carbon stock is the core for sustaining soil health, supporting nutrient cycling, and sequestering carbon dioxide. To find out that how much sugarcane straw can be removed from the field to produce bioenergy without changes in soil C concentrations, we investigated effects of straw removal rates (total, moderate, and no removal of sugarcane straw) on soil carbon and nitrogen fractions in an Oxisol and an Ultisol in southeastern Brazil for two years. Soil C and N fractions were affected by increased rates of straw removal at the second year. In the Oxisol, total straw removal decreased labile and microbial-C by ~30% and soil C stock by 20% compared to no straw removal. No removal decreased microbial-N and total N stock by ~15% and ~20%, respectively. In the Ultisol, no straw removal resulted in increases in C stock by >10% and labile and microbial-C by ~20% related to total straw removal. Total straw removal showed more microbial-N (~10%) and total-N stock (~25%) compared to no straw removal. The moderate straw removal intensity (i.e., 8 to 10 Mg ha⁻¹ of straw) may control the straw-C release to soil by straw decomposition. This study suggests that excessive straw removal rates should be avoided, preventing SOM depletion and consequently, soil health degradation. Moderate straw removal seems to be a promising strategy, but long-term soil C monitoring is fundamental to design more sustainable straw management and bioenergy production systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Health Management for Ecological Sustainability in Agricultural Systems)

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15 pages, 3566 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Composted Chicken Manure for Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation Increased the Strawberry Yield and Shifted the Soil Microbial Communities

by Zhaoxin Song, Sebastien Massart, Dongdong Yan, Hongyan Cheng, Mathilde Eck, Chadi Berhal, Canbin Ouyang, Yuan Li, Qiuxia Wang and Aocheng Cao

Sustainability 2020, 12(16), 6313; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12166313 - 5 Aug 2020

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 3735

Abstract

Anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD), as a bio-fumigation technology, has been developed to control soil-borne pests. There is increasing evidence showing that carbon sources and cover tarps play an important role in the ASD suppression of soil-borne pests, but little is known about the effect of composted chicken manure (CCM) and totally impermeable films (TIF) against soil-borne pests in the strawberry production system. In experiments, the colonies of Fusarium spp. and Phytophthora spp., which are recognized to cause strawberry soil-borne diseases, decreased significantly after ASD. The soil promoted a significant increase in ammonium nitrogen, nitrate-nitrogen and organic matter, but a decrease in oxidation-reduction potential after ASD. Besides, the strawberry plant height, stem thickness and yield were significantly higher than in the non-amended soil. Compared to the untreated control, ASD, both at 6 and 12 ton/ha of CCM, significantly (p = 0.05) increased strawberry marketable yield and income. The economic benefit could be due to the suppression of soil-borne diseases and the improvement of soil nutrition. The soil bacterial and fungal diversity and richness increased after soil fumigation. The increased presence of biological control agents led to the suppression of soil-borne pathogens. In summary, ASD with CCM amendments could be applied in pre-plant fumigation to control strawberry soil-borne pests, strengthen soil fertility, improve crop yield and increase growers’ income. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Health Management for Ecological Sustainability in Agricultural Systems)

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14 pages, 1186 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Seed Meals on Weed Control and Soil Physical Properties in Direct-Seeded Pumpkin

by Rupinder Saini, Atinderpal Singh and Sanjit K. Deb

Sustainability 2020, 12(14), 5811; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12145811 - 19 Jul 2020

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2711

Abstract

Mustard (Brassica sp.) seed meal (MSM) and sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) seed meal (SSM) are the byproducts of the seed oil extraction process. They release biologically active allelochemicals that can provide a resource for supplemental nutrients and weed suppression in vegetable cropping systems. Our field experiment aimed to assess the phytotoxic impact of MSM and SSM on weeds and seedling establishment of direct-seeded pumpkin under semi-arid conditions and to study the impact of MSM and SSM on soil physical properties and soil water retention characteristics. The meals were incorporated into the soil 2 weeks before pumpkin planting at two rates (1150 and 2250 kg ha⁻¹). MSM at both rates reduced early season grass and broadleaf weeds by 75 to 82% and 69 to 76%, respectively, as compared to the untreated control. However, SSM at both rates provided 59 to 65% and 54 to 59% controls of narrow and broadleaf weeds, respectively. Both MSM and SSM provided significantly better weed control and pumpkin yield as compared to the untreated control, but higher pumpkin yield was recorded with a lower rate of MSM. In addition, soils amended by both the seed meals had higher saturated hydraulic conductivity, soil water content, and lower bulk density than the untreated control. Overall, our findings suggest that the use of both MSM and SSM as an organic adjuvant is effective in controlling weeds and improving soil physical properties; however, additional research is required to further evaluate these findings and improve the reliability of MSM and SSM for weed suppression following application to agricultural soils. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Health Management for Ecological Sustainability in Agricultural Systems)

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Review

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17 pages, 1659 KiB

Open AccessReview

Development of Ecological Strategies for the Recovery of the Main Nitrogen Agricultural Pollutants: A Review on Environmental Sustainability in Agroecosystems

by Daniela Losacco, Valeria Ancona, Domenico De Paola, Marina Tumolo, Carmine Massarelli, Angela Gatto and Vito Felice Uricchio

Sustainability 2021, 13(13), 7163; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13137163 - 25 Jun 2021

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3445

Abstract

Nitrogen (N) is a fundamental nutrient for plant growth and for the performance of biological functions. In agroecosystems, nitrogen fertilization is aimed at providing a suitable N dose for crop growth, avoiding the impoverishment or the improper enrichment of nitrogen compounds in soil. The high application of nitrogen fertilizers is the main cause of the increase in nitrate leaching and loss of the quality of natural resources (groundwater and soil). In the last decades, new sustainable technological approaches have been developed and applied on laboratory and field scales to reduce the impacts of nitrogen pollution on the environmental matrices and to improve the sustainability of agricultural management. This review highlights the results of the implementation of sustainable remediation new strategies to reduce pollution from a main agricultural contaminant (nitrate) and describes the benefits obtained from the use of these solutions in agroecosystems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Health Management for Ecological Sustainability in Agricultural Systems)

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28 pages, 420 KiB

Open AccessReview

A Review on Potential Plant-Based Water Stress Indicators for Vegetable Crops

by Ved Parkash and Sukhbir Singh

Sustainability 2020, 12(10), 3945; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12103945 - 12 May 2020

Cited by 189 | Viewed by 13672

Abstract

Area under vegetable cultivation is expanding in arid and semi-arid regions of the world to meet the nutritional requirements of an ever-growing population. However, water scarcity in these areas is limiting vegetable productivity. New water-conserving irrigation management practices are being implemented in these areas. Under these irrigation management practices, crops are frequently exposed to some extent of water stress. Vegetables are highly sensitive to water stress. For the successful implementation of new irrigation practices in vegetable crops, it is of immense importance to determine the threshold water deficit level which will not have a detrimental effect on plant growth and yield. Along with this, plant response and adaptation mechanisms to new irrigation practices need to be understood for the successful implementation of new irrigation practices. To understand this, water stress indicators that are highly responsive to water stress; and that can help in early detection of water stress need to be identified for vegetable crops. Plant-based water stress indicators are quite effective in determining the water stress level in plants because they take into account the cumulative effect of water stress due to declining soil moisture status and increased evaporative demand of the atmosphere while determining the water stress level in plant. Water stress quantification using plant-based approaches involves direct measurements of several aspects of plant water status and indirect measurements of plant processes which are highly sensitive to water deficit. In this article, a number of plant-based water stress indicators were critically reviewed for (1) their efficacy to determine the level of water stress, (2) their potential to predict the yield of a crop as affected by different water-deficit levels and (3) their suitability for irrigation scheduling in vegetable crops. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Health Management for Ecological Sustainability in Agricultural Systems)

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