Search Results (16)

This study investigates the impact of sewage sludge-based composts on the quality of sod-podzolic soils (Fluvisols, WRB), which are naturally acidic and low in fertility. A field experiment with eight variants was conducted, applying different doses of sewage sludge and composts mixed with organic materials to enhance soil properties. Energy crops, including Salix viminalis L., Miscanthus × giganteus, and Panicum virgatum L., along with Helianthus tuberosus, were cultivated in three replications to ensure research reliability. The study assessed changes in physicochemical soil properties, nutrient availability, and heavy metal accumulation within the soil-plant-ash continuum. Results indicated that compost application improved soil fertility, increased biomass yields, and influenced heavy metal dynamics, with variations depending on the applied compost type and dosage. The findings highlight the potential of sewage sludge composts to enhance soil productivity while maintaining environmental safety. Full article

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) efflux from soil (or soil respiration, SR) is one of the most important yet variable characteristics of soil. When evaluating large areas, CO₂ efflux modeling serves as a viable alternative to direct measurements. This research aims to identify site-specific differences and their effects on empirical CO₂ efflux modeling. The experimental data from 25 years of field observations were utilized to identify the optimal site- and weather-specific models, parameterized for normal, wet, and dry years, for the forest and grassland ecosystems located on similar Entic Podzols (Arenic) in the same bioclimatic coniferous–deciduous forest zone. The following parameters were considered in the examined models: mean monthly soil or air temperatures (Tsoil and Tair), amount of precipitation during the current (P) and the previous (PP) months, and the storage of soil organic carbon (SOC) in the top 20 cm of soil. The weighted non-linear regression method was employed to estimate the model parameters for the normal, wet, and dry years. To increase the magnitude of the model resolutions, we controlled the slope and intercept of the linear model comparison between the measured and modeled data through the change in R₀—CO₂ efflux at Tsoil = 0 °C. The mean bias error (MBE), root-mean-square error (RMSE), and determination coefficient (R²) were employed to assess the quality of the model’s performance. The measured Tsoil, Tair, and P, as well as the litter (for forest) or sod (for grassland) horizon (modeled by the Soil SCLmate Statistical Simulator (SCLISS)), and soil temperatures (Tlit_m, Tsoil_m) and moistures (Mlit_m, Msoil_m), were used for SR simulation. For the CO₂ efflux in the forest ecosystem with the lower SOC availability for mineralization, the direct Tsoil and Tair measurements in combination with SOC storage provided better parameterization for the empirical TPPC model. For the CO₂ efflux in the grassland ecosystem with the high SOC availability for mineralization, the temperature became the governing factor, and the TPPrh model provided better performance over all the considered models. The model’s performance was the best for the wet years, and the worst for the dry years for both ecosystems. For forest ecosystems, the model performance for average precipitation years was equivalent to that in wet years. For grassland ecosystems, however, the model performance was equivalent to that in dry years due to differing exposure and hydrothermal regimes. The wet-year R₀ obtained for both forest and grassland ecosystems differed from the normal- and dry-year values. The measured SR values relevant for the R₀ estimations distribute along the precipitation range for the forest and along the temperature range for the grassland. The SCLISS-modeled Tlit_m and Mlit_m provide good alternatives to direct atmospheric measurements, and can be used as initial temperature and moisture data for CO₂ efflux modeling when direct soil and moisture observations are not available on site. Full article

This study examines the effects of oil contamination on three soil types—podzolic, sod-gley, and alluvial—in Western Siberia’s middle taiga, assessing key physical and chemical properties and the influence of the surfactant Modified Syntherol (MS) on oil degradation. In controlled laboratory experiments, oil was introduced at 50, 100, and 150 g/kg concentrations. Results indicate a substantial increase in soil pH, most notably in podzolic soils, alongside a significant decline in cation exchange capacity (CEC). For example, CEC in podzolic soils dropped five-fold at higher contamination levels, reflecting a reduced ability to retain essential nutrients. The water retention capacity decreased in all soil types, with the most pronounced decline observed in alluvial soils’ capillary moisture levels. MS application did not accelerate oil degradation; even after 35 days, natural decomposition rates in untreated soils remained low (0.02–0.4%), underscoring the persistence of oil contaminants. Notably, podzolic soils showed the highest susceptibility to oil contamination due to their acidic and low-organic nature, in contrast to sod-gley and alluvial soils, which demonstrated moderate resilience. These findings highlight the need for soil-specific remediation approaches, as general methods may be ineffective for soils with differing vulnerabilities and recovery capacities. This research provides essential insights for developing effective, tailored strategies to address the environmental challenges of oil pollution, advancing sustainable soil management practices for sensitive taiga ecosystems. Full article

The study is the first to examine the combined use of blast-furnace sludge as a source of microelements and converter slag as a soil-deoxidizing agent in oat (Avena sativa L.) cultivation in sod-podzolic soils. It has been established that blast-furnace sludge is a highly dispersed waste, which contains about 50% iron, 7% zinc, and a small amount of calcium, silicon, magnesium, aluminum, and sulfur. Hazardous components such as lead, arsenic, etc., are not detected. Converter slag comprises porous granules up to 3 mm in size, consisting mainly of calcium compounds (CaO, Ca(CO)₃, CaSiO₃, CaFe₂O₄) and a small amount of Mn, Al, and Mg trace elements. In a laboratory experiment, blast-furnace sludge increased the germination of oats by 5–10%, regardless of the addition of a deoxidizer (slag), but at the same time suppressed the growth of stem length by a maximum of 18% at 1 g∙kg⁻¹. The addition of slag raised substrate pH and increased the index by 8% at a sludge concentration of 0.1 g∙kg⁻¹. Root length in deoxidizer-free variants increased by 50–60% and with the addition of slag by 27–47%. Root dry mass also increased under the addition of sludge by 85–98%; however, the addition of slag reduced the indicator to the control level. In a field experiment with the combined application of waste, an increase in yield by more than 30% was shown. When soil was treated with slag and sludge, the height of plants increased by an average of 18%. It should be noted that the introduction of waste did not affect the quality of the grain. The use of slag increased the lead content in the soil, which is probably due to the sorption properties of calcium compounds in the slag, since lead was not found in the analyzed waste. Presumably, lead is sorbed by slag from the lower soil horizons, concentrating and immobilizing it in the upper layer. This version is supported by the absence of lead accumulation in straw and oat grain. The zinc-containing sludge increased the content of this element by 33% in the soil, as well as by 6% in straw and by 14% in grain. Thus, we found that the studied metallurgical wastes can be used as nutrients for agriculture, both individually and jointly. Overall, the proposed approach will contribute both to reducing the amount of accumulated waste and to improving the efficiency and sustainability of agricultural production and CO₂ sequestration. However, the features of the accumulation of heavy metals in soil and plants under the influence of the analyzed types of waste require more in-depth study, including within the framework of long-term field experiments. Full article

The search for active cellulolytic consortia among soil microorganisms is of significant applied interest, but the dynamics of the formation of such communities remain insufficiently studied. To gain insight into the formation of an active cellulolytic community, the experiment was designed to examine the colonization of a sterile substrate (cellulose) by microorganisms from two soil types: sod-podzolic and chernozem. To achieve this, the substrate was placed in the soil and incubated for six months. To assess microbiome dynamics, the experiment employed sequencing of 16S rRNA gene fragment and ITS2 amplicon libraries at four time points. It was demonstrated that, from the second month of the experiment, the prokaryotic component of the communities reached a state of stability, with a community composition specific to each soil type. The results demonstrated no relationship between changes in community diversity and soil respiration. There also was no significant shift in the community diversity throughout the chronosequence. Furthermore, the taxonomic composition of the community shifted towards a decrease in the proportion of Pseudomonadota and an increase in representatives of the Bacteroidota, Bacillota, and Verrucomicrobiota phyla. The network analysis of the community demonstrated that, in contrast to sod-podzolic soil, chernozem is distinguished by a higher modularity, with the formation of taxon-specific groups of microorganisms at each stage of the chronoseries. These differences are attributed to the alterations in the eukaryotic component of the community, particularly in the prevalence of nematodes and predatory fungi, which in turn influenced the cellulolytic community. Full article

An ever-increasing amount of research is being performed on the stability and recovery of soil methane-oxidizing bacteria since this is one of the fundamental processes controlling the amount of methane in the atmosphere. Mineral fertilizers may alter the methane oxidation processes in agricultural soils when they are introduced. Although ammonium (NH₄⁺) is believed to have a significant impact on aerobic methane oxidation activity in soils, there is still little data on how it reacts with lanthanum (La). The recent identification of a novel class of lanthanum-containing enzymes in methanotrophic bacteria may be the foundation for controlling the function of the soil “methane filter” and related microbiota. In the current study, microcosms with agricultural sod-podzolic soils were created and incubated in air or 20% CH₄ in the gas phase with the addition of NH₄⁺ (100 µg/g) and La (5 µg/g) to the soil. Using GC analysis and high-performance 16S rRNA sequencing, the methane oxidation potential and composition of soil bacterial communities were studied over the month of incubation. A negative impact of NH₄⁺ on the oxidation of methane was observed, whereas La had a somewhat beneficial effect. Ammonium had an impact on the composition of methanotrophs, and a significant shift was observed upon La addition. Proteobacteria made up a larger share of the soil microbial community, and Gammaproteobacteria dominated the methanotrophic populations. Methylobacter, a methanotroph, and Methylotenera, an obligatory methylotroph, were the two absolute dominants in the La-amended variants. These findings could help evaluate how lanthanum regulates methanotrophic communities in agricultural soils and lead to the creation of new strategies for controlling the “methane filter” in soil. Full article

The aim of this study is to determine the effects of structural soil restoration on the buffering capacities of these soils, their productivity, and the efficiency of their use as a basis for sustainable management. Based on a review of literature sources and our own experimental research, the proposed article shows the possibility of improving the buffering capacities of sod-podzolic cohesive sandy soils through the use of structural amelioration as an effective measure to protect them from degradation and ensure their resilience to climate change. The use of structural ameliorants (clay and peat) in the studied soils improves the granulometric composition, has a positive effect on the pH-buffering capacities, and contributes to optimizing the moisture capacity of soil. It was found that the efficiency of the application of structural amelioration on sod-podzolic cohesive sandy soils increases significantly with the local application method (e.g., clay in a dose of 10 t/ha or a combined application of clay in a dose of 2 t/ha with lowland peat in a dose of 3 t/ha). The largest yield increase in winter wheat (27.2%) was achieved by the local application of 2 t/ha of clay combined with peat in a dose of 3 t/ha. Full article

The article presents the research findings from the analysis of the growth, development, and yield formation characteristics as well as grain amino acid composition of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.). The aim of this research was to assess the adaptability of quinoa, a new alternative crop for the Non-Chernozem conditions of Moscow’s urban region. Five quinoa cultivars were tested, namely Brighest Brillian, Red Faro, Cherry Vanilla, Titicaca, and Regalona and were grown on sod-podzolic soil with wide-row hill-drop planting. For four years, the quinoa cultivars produced high yields without fertilizer and pesticide application—on average, 2.08–2.59 tons of grain per hectare—with a high content of protein and essential amino acids, primarily valine, lysine, and threonine. The Cherry Vanilla and Regalona cultivars had the highest grain yield on average (2.59 and 2.39 t/ha, respectively). Being able to produce crops in years with different temperatures and moisture supply, they were described as cultivars with high flexibility. However, none of the studied cultivars provided a sustained yield. The total protein content in the quinoa grains grown in 2020 ranged from 12.50 to 13.96% with high essential amino acids scores, such as valine, lysine, and threonine. The cultivar Red Faro was characterized by the highest ecological plasticity, stability, and resistance to the environmental conditions of Moscow’s urban region. Full article

The response of soil microbial diversity to long-term fertilization is still not well understood in the context of different soil types. The purpose of this research was to reveal the impact of fertilization systems on soil parameters and life activity of the main taxonomic and physiological groups of microorganisms responsible for nitrogen, carbon, and phosphorus transformation. Reported results were obtained in the course of a 55-year-long experiment on fertilization of sod-podzolic soil in a grain-flax-potato crop rotation. Soil sampling was conducted within a 0–20 cm depth in five sites: without fertilizer (C); organic fertilization system, manure (O1FS); mineral fertilization system, NPK (MFS); organic-mineral fertilization system, manure + NPK (O1MFS); and organic-mineral fertilization system, siderate + NPK (O2MFS). Long-term use of various fertilization systems has led to changes in the soil properties. Bacteria dominated the microbial community in all examined areas. Soil fertilization supported bacteria development in all variants, except for MFS, and negatively affected the micromycetes content. A strong relationship between the change of the main soil indicators and the number of microorganisms from the main taxonomic groups was found between the soil pH KCl and the number of micromycetes. The O1FS option had the most beneficial effect on the development of soil nitrifiers and denitrifiers. The O1MFS fertilization system was the most favorable for the development of non-symbiotic anaerobic nitrogen-fixing, cellulose-degrading and phosphate-mobilizing microorganisms. In turn, the least favorable conditions for the development of physiological groups of microorganisms were found in cases of continuous use of mineral fertilizers. Full article

Forest ecosystems perform important forestry and ecological functions. However, mining and processing companies cause significant soil contamination by heavy metals, in particular, copper (Cu). The resistance of nine types and subtypes of forest soils of the dry and humid subtropics in the Greater Caucasus region to Cu contamination at concentrations of 100, 1000, and 10,000 mg/kg was evaluated for the first time following the most sensitive and informative biological (microbiological, biochemical, and phytotoxic) indicators via a laboratory simulation study. Contamination was simulated under laboratory conditions. The series of forest soils was established following their resistance to Cu pollution: brown leached soils (Haplic Cambisols Eutric) = brown typical soils (Haplic Cambisols Eutric) > brown carbonate soils (Haplic Cambisols Eutric) = sod-carbonate typical soils (Rendzic Leptosols Eutric) ≥ yellow soils (Albic Luvisols Abruptic) ≥ leached sod-carbonate soils (Rendzic Leptosols Eutric) > brown forest slightly unsaturated soils (Haplic Cambisols Eutric) > acid brown forest soils (Haplic Cambisols Eutric) > acid brown forest podzolized soils (Haplic Cambisols Eutric). Regional environmentally safe standards for the Cu content in forest soils of the dry and humid subtropics of the Greater Caucasus were proposed: for brown typical soils, brown leached soils, brown carbonate soils, brown forest slightly unsaturated soils, sod-carbonate typical soils, leached sod-carbonate soils, and yellow soils, the rMPC was 100 mg/kg; for acid brown forest soils and acid brown forest podzolized soils, the rMPC was 70 mg/kg. Full article

Based on the actual material, the state of the land, previously (more than 15 years ago) placed under cultivation and “neglected” to date, was assessed. Control sites within different landscape provinces of the Volga-Oka interstream area were compared by the state of soil cover and vegetative cover, as well as the type of anthropogenic transformation. The study identified three types of transformation of post-agrogenic lands characteristic of the initial and intermediate overgrowth stages of pre-climax communities: field overgrowth associated with a change in land use; field overgrowth with nearby forest; and field overgrowth without nearby forest. The soil cover state was assessed by acidity, pH, and humus content, and it generally corresponds to the area’s characteristics. Deterioration of these characteristics was noted on sod-podzolic soils overgrown with forest vegetation, as evidenced by low humus content of 0.96–1.46%. The results of research using statistical methods reliably showed that the overgrowth of most sites with herbaceous vegetation within different landscapes followed common successions, even on different soils (sod-podzolic and gray forest). With the leveling of landscape features of areas, there were similar plant species and communities. It was shown that as a result of agricultural overgrowing, the species richness of plant communities was sharply reduced. For example, the maximum value of the Shannon index on overgrown lands is 3.6, which is lower than the reference natural community, where this indicator is 4.1. The remediation of biodiversity in the foreseeable future is very problematic. Although post-agrogenic phytocenoses can gradually restore their productive potential to the level of natural phytocenoses (the maximum value of phytomass in overgrown lands is 10.2 mt/ha, for comparison, natural phytocenoses accumulate 6.3 mt/ha at reference sites), their productivity is provided by a different species composition of herbaceous plants with poor biodiversity. In order to preserve biodiversity, it seems advisable to intersperse croplands with uncultivated plots of sufficiently large size which can serve as a kind of natural ecosystem preservation bank. Full article

Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L.) is considered to be one of the most promising multipurpose bioenergetic crops. The goal of this study was to carry out laboratory and field research regarding the tops and tubers of 16 Jerusalem artichoke (JA) cultivars grown on sod-podzolic sandy loam soils, taking into account varietal characteristics in order to point out advances in JA potential as alternative feedstock in herbivorous animal husbandry. The height of JA plants produced was from 147 to 280 cm. Having formed by the beginning of September, the size of the assimilating leaf apparatus surface was 0.41 to 2.31 m²/plant. In early September, the productivity of JA green mass amounted to 23.6 to 86.0 t/ha for late-maturing cultivars on average; correspondingly, this was 13.0 to 25.4 t/ha for early-maturing cultivars. At the end of October, the “late” cultivars produced 28.2 to 86.9 t/ha of green mass; on the contrary, the herbage of the “early” ones mostly withered and even dried up. The highest gross yield of tubers in early September was obtained from cultivars Diyeticheskiy (43.5 t/ha) and Nadezhda (40.8 t/ha). The average yield of early-maturing cultivars was 13.4 … 43.5 t/ha; as for “late” ones, it was reported to be 6.0 … 35.9 t/ha. In the third ten-day period of October, tubers of all cultivars gained weight significantly: the average yield of early-maturing cultivar tubers increased up to 33.1 …51.1 t/ha, whereas the average tuber yields of “late” cultivars were 14.4 … 43.9 t/ha. On average, the distribution of dry matter content in JA was 28.8 to 29.8% in aboveground biomass and in tubers, 23.8 to 24.0%. According to the chemical composition, cellulose (10.9 to 13.1%) and sugars (4.0 to 4.2%) could be noted to predominate in the green mass, but tubers were high in sugars (16.9 to 17.6%). The analyses on the trace elements (Ca, Fe, Mg, Mn, Si and Zn) showed that crop green mass contained more Mg (45 to 72 mg/100 g) and Mn (44 to 65 mg/100 g), but for JA tubers, late-maturing cultivars were rich in Si (27.2 to 79.0 mg/100 g) and early-maturing cultivars were mainly high in Zn (32.8 to 46.5 mg/100 g). The highest total coefficient of energy efficiency was displayed by the following cultivars: Novost VIRa (3.09); Tadzhikskiy (2.78); Spindle (2.68); Korenevskiy (2.43); Interes (2.10); and Skorospelka (1.98). In this respect, Jerusalem artichoke certainly has potential as a forage crop that can reach high yields with low external inputs. The data obtained may be useful for farmers who want to adapt and produce this useful and essential crop for the sustainability of feed production. Full article

Jerusalem artichoke is a staple for the raw material base of healthy food, beverages, feed, medicine, and fuel, in addition to being the source of its herbage and tubers. The choice of conditions for cultivating a variety depends on the purpose or direction for the crop and the products obtained from it. This research involved laboratory and on-farm studies of 16 Jerusalem artichoke varieties of different maturity groups cultivated on sod-podzolic sandy loam soils to determine their suitability for further use in feed production. The list of varieties in question is presented in this work. The gross yield of tubers obtained from varieties with early leaf wilting was 33.1–51.1 t/ha, whereas that from varieties with late leaf wilting was 14.4–43.9 t/ha. The total yield of Jerusalem artichoke raw biomass was 36.8–98.1 t/ha. Moreover, early varieties had a dominant mass of tubers in the total feed value structure (68%), whereas herbage mass (59%) prevailed in the total feed value structure of varieties with late leaf wilting. The highest total solids in tubers (25.0–26.4%) were found in varieties Korenevskiy, Novost VIRa, and Blank Brekos; whereas high inulin content was found in varieties Dieticheskiy, Kaluzhskiy, Korenevskiy, Nakhodka, Novost VIRa, and Blank Brekos. The aggregate feed value amounted to 37.0–103.4 thousand MJ/ha of metabolized energy; this exceeded energy production costs on properly selected varieties by two- to three-fold. The data obtained can be useful for growers in the introduction and evaluation of Jerusalem artichoke varieties to be cultivated for further usage and processing, including fodder purposes. Full article

This study aims to compare photoacoustic (FTIR–PAS), diffuse reflectance (DRIFT), and attenuated total reflection (ATR) FTIR modalities in the wide wavenumber range from NIR (7500 cm⁻¹) to FIR (150 cm⁻¹) for the same silicate soil samples under the same conditions. The possibilities of non-destructive rapid qualitative analysis of soils by these modalities without comprehensive data treatment were compared. The assignment of more than 100 bands for the chernozem and sod-podzolic as common types of silicate types of soil was made. The following groups of bands of organic matter and inorganic matrix were reliably found in spectra of all or at least two modalities: 3690–3680 cm⁻¹ (hydrogen-bonded SiO–H…H₂O stretch, not ATR), 2930–2910 cm⁻¹ and 2860–2850 cm⁻¹ (methylene stretch), 1390–1380 cm⁻¹, (symmetric stretch carboxylate, DRIFT and FTIR–PAS); 2000–1990 cm⁻¹, 1885 cm⁻¹, and 1790–1783 cm⁻¹ (SiO₂ overtones, DRIFT and FTIR–PAS), 1163–1153 cm⁻¹, SiO₂ lattice (not FTIR–PAS), 1037 cm⁻¹ (Si–O or Al–O stretch), 796 cm⁻¹ (lattice symmetrical Si–O–Si stretch); 697 cm⁻¹, SiO₂; and 256 cm⁻¹ (not FTIR–PAS). Amide I, II, and III bands appear in DRIFT and FTIR–PAS spectra while not in ATR. Except for methylene and carboxylate groups, CH vibrations (3100–2900 cm⁻¹) are not seen in ATR. Bands at 1640–1630 cm⁻¹, 1620–1610 cm⁻¹, 1600–1598 cm⁻¹ (primary water bands and probably carboxylate) appear in the spectra of all three modalities but are unresolved and require data treatment. It is preferable to use all three modalities to characterize both soil organic matter and mineral composition. DRIFT provides the maximum number of bands in all three modalities and should be selected as a primary technique in the NIR and 4000–2000 cm⁻¹ regions for hydrogen-bonding bands, CH_X groups, and the silicate matrix. ATR–FTIR complements DRIFT and provides a good sensitivity for soil water and the matrix in 2000–400 cm⁻¹. FTIR–PAS in 4000–1500 cm⁻¹ reveals more bands than DRIFT and shows the highest sensitivity for absorption bands that do not appear in DRIFT or ATR-IR spectra. Thus, FTIR–PAS is expedient for supporting either DRIFT or ATR–FTIR. This modality comparison can be a basis for methodological support of IR spectroscopy of soils and similar organomineral complexes. Full article

Molecular genetic techniques (FISH, RT-PCR, and metagenomic analysis) were used to investigate the comparative functional biodiversity in the prokaryotic complex in grassland and forests’ sod-podzol under polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon influence. The polluted samples showed a decrease in the biomass of the prokaryotic community representatives and a change in the metabolically active dominants–representatives of the Bacteria and Archaea domains compared to the control samples. The suppression of the metabolic activity of prokaryote cells under the influence of PAHs in sod-podzolic soil under meadow vegetation was more pronounced compared to soils under forest vegetation. The representatives of prokaryotes that are sensitive and resistant to the studied PAHs were identified. The representatives of the phylogenetic groups from the bacterial complex resistant to PAH pollution were Proteobacteria (Alphaproteobacteria), Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Chloroflexi, and Thaumarhaeota in the archaeal complex. Representatives of the phylum Acidobacteria and Actinobacteria (Streptosporangiales) are noted among those sensitive to PAH contamination. The presence and expression of the functional alkane monooxygenase (alkB) gene were established in all the experimental variants studied. In the plant variants, the number of copies of alkB genes increased by an order of magnitude and the biomass of metabolically active prokaryotic representatives with the functional alkB gene doubled compared to the unpolluted territories. The copy number index of the alkB gene can be used as one of the parameters when characterizing an ecosystem for the presence of PAH pollutants. Full article