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Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus spp.) leads to depletion of nutrients from the soil due to its fast growing nature. Therefore, a pot experiment was conducted to study the effect of zinc (Zn) application on clonal eucalyptus growth, biomass output and its uptake, as well as response of eucalyptus to Zn in soils of three textures. The treatments consisted of eight levels of Zn (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 mg kg−1 applied through ZnSO4.H2O) in a completely randomized design triplicated in soils of three distinct textures (loamy sand, sandy loam and sandy clay). The plant height, collar diameter, dry weight of shoot and roots, soil plant analysis development (SPAD) readings, Zn concentration and uptake by leaves, stem+branches and roots increased significantly with Zn application. Average dry weight of shoot and roots (31.93 and 15.12 g plant−1, respectively) was significantly highest at 15 mg Zn kg−1 whereas Zn concentration and uptake (18.35 mg kg−1 and 286.2 µg plant−1, respectively) by roots were highest at 20 mg Zn kg−1. The above parameters differed significantly among soils as sandy clay>sandy loam>loamy sand except Zn content and uptake by roots and SPAD values which were highest in sandy loam soil. Loamy sand and sandy loam soil exhibited higher Zn use efficiency, shoot biomass response and uptake response to applied Zn than sandy clay soil. It is concluded to apply 20 mg Zn kg−1 in light soil and 15 mg Zn kg−1 in heavy textured soil for better growth and productivity of eucalyptus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The agricultural frontier in Brazil advances mainly in areas of sandy soils, where the management of soil fertility is still a challenge, including the practice of liming. Limestone dissolution was investigated under varying doses (0–40 t ha−1) in soil samples with a wide range of textural gradients (5%–74% clay). In view of textural variations and limestone rates, the objective was to generate information regarding pH, the residual liming effect, and exchangeable calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) levels, including under overliming conditions. Throughout the textural gradient, the pH was between 4.2 and 8.5. On more sandy soils (5%–18% clay), overheating (pH > 7) was obtained with ~ 2 t ha−1 of limestone. On clayey soils (37%–74% clay), a similar effect was obtained with ~ 10 t ha−1 of limestone, indicating the marked difference in the acid buffering capacity of these soils. In addition, the equilibrium pH in the context of overliming in sandy soil was higher (8.2) compared with clayey soils (7.8). The residual liming effect was greater in sandy soils due to the lower potential acidity. Regardless of the soil texture, the Ca/Mg ratio increased in the context of overliming. Liming must be carefully applied and requires proper recommendations, especially on sandy soils, avoiding pH ≥ 6.5, a condition that is not suitable for most crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The selectivity and efficacy of protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PROTOX) inhibitor herbicides in cassava varieties depend on product formulation, dosage, and soil texture. The aim of this study was to assess the selectivity and efficacy of flumioxazin and sulfentrazone in the cassava variety 'IPR B36' and the clone 'VN 117'. Two experiments were carried out: one in a clayey soil and one in a sandy soil. Both experiments were laid in a split-plot randomized block design with three replicates. The two cassava varieties were used as main plots, with subplots consisting in 10 treatments including, flumioxazin at 50, 75, 100, and 125 g ha-1; sulfentrazone at 250, 500, 750, and 1000 g ha-1; one weed-free control, and one unweeded control. Flumioxazin (=75 g ha-1) and sulfentrazone (=250 g ha-1) achieved mean weed control rates > 70 and 90% in both types of soil for up to 90 days after application. Flumioxazin exhibited fewer residual effects on the cassava varieties than sulfentrazone, particularly in clayey soil. Flumioxazin was selective to the different cassava varieties planted in both soil types, whereas sulfentrazone was more selective in clayey soil. PROTOX inhibitors were effective in controlling weed growth in cassava plots, and there were no varietal differences in herbicide selectivity; however, the use of sulfentrazone should be restricted to maximum spray rates of 250 g ha-1 in sandy soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The priming effect (PE) induced by exogenous organic substrate input plays an important role in the soil carbon balance. However, little is known about how the chemical complexity of different exogenous organic substrates and soil type regulate the PE. Therefore, we conducted a 72-day incubation experiment involving the addition of three 13C-labelled substrates (glucose, starch and cellulose) to two forest soils with contrasting textures (i.e., a fine-textured clay soil and a coarse-textured sandy soil). Cellulose had a lag phase in the mineralization process but induced greater PE compared to glucose and starch in both soils. Moreover, exogenous organic substrate input generally induced negative PE and net soil C gain in the clay soil, but positive PE and net soil C loss in the sandy soil. The negative PE in the clay soil was negatively correlated with exogenous C mineralization, indicating that preferential substrate utilization was the mechanism controlling PE in the clay soil. However, the positive PE in the sandy soil was positively correlated with exogenous C mineralization, microbial biomass C (MBC), cellulase activity and soil inorganic N content, suggesting that co-metabolism was the mechanism regulating PE in the sandy soil. The significant difference in PE between the clay and sandy soils was mainly attributed to their significant differences in soil MBC, dissolved organic C (DOC) and SOC contents, followed by soil texture (particularly the clay content), available N content and pH. Overall, our results demonstrate that soil type is much more important than substrate type in regulating the PE and that the clay soil has a greater C storage potential than the sandy soil following the input of exogenous organic substrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Easily found in humid and shady places, Maranta sobolifera has spread in agricultural areas. However, the lack of information on the development of the species in different environments makes it difficult to understand its adaptive capacity. This paper evaluated the morphophysiological changes of M. sobolifera plants to sun exposure and soil textures. In a completely randomized experimental design and split plots, the main plots corresponded to light exposure and the subplots to soil textures. Gas exchange indices, stomatal density, chlorophyll a, b and total contents, macronutrients and dry mass were evaluated. The lower incidence of luminosity increases the photosynthetic rate by an average of 43% and 33% in clayey and sandy soils, respectively. Stomatal density was higher in full sun, while chlorophyll contents a and b were higher in shaded plants. The N and K contents in leaves, stems and roots were higher in shaded plants by up to 37%. The P content in the stem was 69% and 48% higher in plants grown in clayey and sandy soil, respectively. Dry mass was 26% higher in shaded plants compared to plants grown in full sun. In clayey soil, the total dry mass was 42% higher in relation to plants in sandy textured soil. It is concluded that M. sobolifera plants show morphophysiological changes (>stomatal density) that help adapt to full sun. However, under the canopy of agricultural crops, this species can compete intensely for nutrients, especially in clayey soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of irrigation on winter wheat yield and water use efficiency (WUE) were mostly explored based on site-based experiments in North China Plain (NCP) region. However, due to the influences of contrasting environmental factors (e.g. climate and soil properties), these results cannot be accurately cross-compared among different studies, resulting in the difficulty to get the generalizable pattern at regional scale. Here meta-analysis was conducted to comprehensively evaluate the effects of irrigation on winter wheat yield and WUE in NCP region, with the observation data of 1876 pairs from 186 field experimental papers totally. The differences of the irrigation effects in different regions, precipitation year types, soil texture, and nitrogen (N) application levels were explored, and the corresponding optimal irrigation amounts for reaching high yield and WUE were ascertained. Results showed that compared with non-irrigation during the winter wheat growing period, irrigation increased the yield of winter wheat in NCP by 32.0%-38.3%, and reduced the WUE by 27.1%-30.1%. The yield increment due to irrigation in the northwest of NCP (39.6%-53.5%) with total precipitation during the winter wheat growing period below 150mm was higher than that in the southeast of NCP (24.3%-27.1%) with total precipitation during the winter wheat growing period higher than 150mm, while the decrease of WUE due to irrigation in northwest of NCP (32.4%-37.5%) was higher than that in the southeast of NCP (22.0%-24.3%). The optimum irrigation amount for high yield and WUE of winter wheat was 150-180mm in the northwest and 120-150mm in the southeast. Specifically, for different precipitation year types, the optimum irrigation amounts were 120-150mm with 2 times during jointing and flowering stages for dry year, during jointing and heading stages for normal year, and during jointing and booting stages for wet year. For different soil texture, irrigation under loamy soil had the highest increases in yield, while clay soil had the lowest decreases in WUE; the optimum irrigation amounts of winter wheat with four different soil texture of sandy soil, loam, clay loam and clay were 60-90mm, 120-150mm, 180-210mm, and 150-180mm, respectively. For different N application levels, N application of 120-240kg.ha-1 led to the highest yield and WUE under the irrigation amounts of 80-140mm, of which the higher yield was obtained under irrigation amounts of 110-140mm, and the higher WUE was obtained under the irrigation amounts of 80-110mm. Collectively, the NCP region can achieve the goals of high yield and WUE when irrigation amount was 120-150mm with 2 times but at different stages during different precipitation year types (i.e. dry year, normal year and wet year). Meanwhile, the combination of loam conditions with the N application of 120-240kg.ha-1 can synergistically improve the yield and water use efficiency of winter wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

【Objective】 This paper aimed to explore effects of reduced chemical fertilizer and soil texture on yield, quality and nitrogen（N）, phosphorus（P） and potassium（K） fertilizer utilization rate of flue-cured tobacco. 【Method】 Using flue-cured tobacco variety K326 as material, a field experiment was established in sandy soil, clay soil and heavy loam in Qujing tobacco production site, and six fertilization treatments were set up, i.e., T1（CK）（conventional dosage of N, P, K）, T2 and T3（deduced fertilizer N, P, K proportion by 10% and 20%, respectively）, T4 and T5（organic fertilizer replacing 10% and 20% chemical fertilizer, respectively） and T6（no manure or fertilizer）. 【Result】Compared with treatment T1（CK）, treatments T2, T3 significantly improved grade, yield, economical output and N, P, K use efficiency of tobacco leaves in sandy soil. Meanwhile, treatments T2, T3 increased contents of potassium, decreased total sugar, reducing sugar. The contents of total nitrogen, nicotine and water-soluble chloride in the middle and upper parts of leaves were not significantly affected; and the chemical composition was more balanced under T2 and T3. Compared with treatment T1（CK）, treatment T2 and T5 did not significantly improved growth of the tobacco plants in clay soil, but the proportion, yield, output and N, P, K use efficiency under T2 and T5 in tobacco leaves were significantly higher than that of T1（CK）, and the chemical composition of middle and upper position leaves was more balanced. Compared with T1（CK）, treatments T2, T3, T5 had no effect on tobacco plant growth in heavy loam, but improved the proportion of products, yield, output, N, P, K use efficiency of tobacco. Furthermore, the contents of total sugar, reducing sugar of middle and upper part leaves were increased under T2, T3 and T5. The total nitrogen, nicotine, potassium and water-soluble chloride were not affected by treatments. And treatments T2, T3 significantly improved the balance of chemical composition of tobacco leaves. Under the same N, P and K application rate, the N and P uptake and use of tobacco plants in different soils could be sorted as the following: Sandy soil>heavy loam>clay soil, and K use efficiency as the following: Heavy loam>clay soil>sandy soil. 【Conclusion】Based on the current N, P and K usage of tobacco in farmlands, the potential N, P and K proportion of chemical fertilizer reduction（CR） or replacement with organic fertilizer（ROR） in sandy soil was 10%. The N, P and K proportion of CR or ROR in clay soil was 10%-20%. The potential reduction of N, P and K fertilizer in heavy loam was 10%, and the potential proportion ROR was 10%-20%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deinking paper sludge (DPS) soil amendments have potential as a climate change mitigation strategy. Understanding how DPS application affects carbon mineralization in different soil textures is crucial but has not been well investigated. We performed a 120 days incubation experiment to evaluate the effect of soil texture and DPS amount on CO2 emissions. Three different textures were tested: silty clay, sandy-silt and sandy with three DPS doses: 0, 30 and 60 t.ha-1. Results showed that DPS mineralization without soil seemed very rapid with a high mineralized carbon amount (more than 2.500 gC.kg-1DPS), but did not reach the stable phase. For amended soils, soil texture effects are marked at the end of incubation. The cumulative carbon mineralization depended significantly on soil texture and DPS doses with a significant interaction. Among all soils with different dose application, the highest cumulative carbon mineralization was revealed for silty-clay soil by applying 30 t.ha-1 as well as 60 t.ha-1 of DPS. However, the lowest values occurred for sandy soil. Only this latter achieved the stabilization phase after 120 days and therefore stopped CO2 emission. The highest potential mineralization rate (C0) was achieved for silty-clay soil by applying the two DPS doses. The mineralization rate (C0*k) was two times higher for this soil than the sandy soil. The kinetic deviation of carbon mineralization applying the highest DPS doses (60 t.ha-1) is similar for the four studied soils because of C-decomposition blockage. These findings highlight the necessity to consider the combined effects of the DPS amount and soil texture for assessing C release in DPS-amended soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil evaporation concerns water and our life support sources, which are important for agriculture or for climate change prediction science. A simple instrument based on the nonsteady-state (NSS) technique for soil evaporation measurement appears suitable. However, because the NSS chamber technique is highly invasive, special care should be provided to correct the wind speed influence on the evaporation process. Soil evaporation is a complex process that involves many soil and air characteristics. Measurement chamber installation on the soil and its head deployment may perturb these characteristics. We therefore had to minimize differences or to correct the measurements. Most of the differences between bare soil and soil with a deployed chamber head can be minimized, except for the wind speed influences that are not reproducible inside a chamber head. Meanwhile, as the wind influences depend on numerous variables that are not monitorable in real time, a self-calibrating chamber with a corresponding protocol called the Autocalibrated Soil Evapo-respiration Chamber (ASERC) was developed to make the measurements easily corrigible on bare soil with a unique variable (wind speed, WS), regardless of the soil composition, soil texture, and other soil or air meteorological variables. A simple protocol followed by this chamber allows us to determine the soil evaporation wind speed susceptibility (Z) and to correct the measurements achieving 0.95 as the coefficient of determination. Some interesting findings on sandy and clayey soil evaporation measured during laboratory calibration and "slow" sensor simulation will also be reported in the two appendices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The amount and quality of carbon from forest litter present in the soil will depend on several factors, including species composition, management practices, plantation age, climatic conditions and soil texture, among several other factors. The aims of this research were to: i) quantify the labile organic carbon content in soils with Eucalyptus grandis plantations of the Mesopotamian region in Argentina and evaluate its relationship with the amount and type of litter; and ii) identify management, edaphic and environmental factors that may influence its variation. The study was performed on young and middle age plantations having soils with sandy and clayey texture located in the Gualeguaychú district, Entre Ríos, Argentina. To quantify the labile carbon in the soil, the soluble organic carbon was extracted with a 0.5M potassium sulfate solution. Soluble organic carbon concentration did not differ according to the age of the stands, with average values of 45.6 mg kg-1 in clay soils, and of 32.8 mg kg-1 in sandy soils, showing a positive association with clay content. The highest soluble organic carbon values were recorded during the summer months, and were positively related to the increases in the water-saturated pore space and the soil biological activity. We also verified a linear and positive relationship between the amount of initial fine litter and the increase of soluble organic carbon in the soil (R² = 0.41). The reported results provide explicit ranges of variability for total organic carbon, soluble organic carbon and carbon fluxes at local level; thereby contributing to further characterize carbon modeling in forest systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In savannas, partitioning of below‐ground resources by depth could facilitate tree–grass coexistence and shape vegetation responses to changing rainfall patterns. However, most studies assessing tree versus grass root‐niche partitioning have focused on one or two sites, limiting generalization about how rainfall and soil conditions influence the degree of rooting overlap across environmental gradients.We used two complementary stable isotope techniques to quantify variation (a) in water uptake depths and (b) in fine‐root biomass distributions among dominant trees and grasses at eight semi‐arid savanna sites in Kruger National Park, South Africa. Sites were located on contrasting soil textures (clayey basaltic soils vs. sandy granitic soils) and paired along a gradient of mean annual rainfall.Soil texture predicted variation in mean water uptake depths and fine‐root allocation. While grasses maintained roots close to the surface and consistently used shallow water, trees on sandy soils distributed roots more evenly across soil depths and used deeper soil water, resulting in greater divergence between tree and grass rooting on sandy soils. Mean annual rainfall predicted some variation among sites in tree water uptake depth, but had a weaker influence on fine‐root allocation.Synthesis. Savanna trees overlapped more with shallow‐rooted grasses on clayey soils and were more distinct in their use of deeper soil layers on sandy soils, consistent with expected differences in infiltration and percolation. These differences, which could allow trees to escape grass competition more effectively on sandy soils, may explain observed differences in tree densities and rates of woody encroachment with soil texture. Differences in the degree of root‐niche separation could also drive heterogeneous responses of savanna vegetation to predicted shifts in the frequency and intensity of rainfall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• GeoWATCH performs statistically better in certain soil textures. • Bias correction models were applied to the raw GeoWATCH values. • The bias correction models significantly improved performance of GeoWATCH. The US Army is required to be a good steward of the land per US Army regulation AR 200-1. Based on this regulation, Army installations need to manage lands, to reduce potential damage and impacts to water quality and habitat that may occur from training. Maneuver training does impact the vegetation and soil and this damage is directly related to soil moisture. Soil moisture is an important factor for understanding the potential for soil surface disturbance due to vehicle impacts and predicting soil resilience to vehicle traffic, however, producing accurate estimates of the spatial and temporal variation of soil moisture has historically been elusive. GeoWATCH, which stands for Geospatial Weather-Affected Terrain Conditions and Hazards (formerly DASSP), simulates soil moisture world-wide, at relatively small spatial and temporal scales. GeoWATCH uses a physics-based downscaling approach that uses weather-scale land surface model estimates of soil moisture and land surface water and energy fluxes, with high resolution geospatial data. GeoWATCH soil moisture outputs coupled with vehicle impact models, are anticipated to be useful for near-real-time estimation of ground disturbance, but will require ground validation. To validate GeoWATCH soil moisture estimates, we utilized Soil Climate Analysis Network (SCAN) gauge network soil moisture data from 127 sites across 34 states. Statistical analysis of the raw GeoWATCH output indicated the model performs statistically better in certain soil textures. Model bias is largest for sandy soils, whereas clayey soils were least biased. As a result, bias correction models were applied to the raw GeoWATCH simulated values using linear regression to predict correction factor (CF) values based on physical site characteristics. The bias correction models significantly improved the performance of the GeoWATCH soil moisture model in terms of average performance statistics and number of statistically cally unbiased sites. This process could easily be incorporated into GeoWATCH, allowing for a capability to rapidly estimate vehicle impacts and determine rehabilitation requirements by installation land managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GHGs production and emission may vary depending on soil physical properties, water management and fertilization. Two paddy soils characterized by different texture were incubated to evaluate the impact of flooding (permanent or intermittent) and N addition on potential N2O, CH4 and CO2 production and release into atmosphere and soil solution. Relationships with volumetric water content (VWC) and water filled pore space (WFPS) were evaluated. Overall, the finer clayey soil (CL) produced 58% more CH4 than the coarser sandy soil (SA) and showed an earlier sink to source transition; the difference was lower with N addition. Permanent flooding favoured the amount of dissolved CH4. SA produced more N2O emissions than CL under permanent flooding (31.0 vs. 3.7%); an opposite pattern was observed for dissolved N2O (16.4 vs. 52.7%). Fertilization increased N2O emissions under dry conditions in CL and under flooding in SA.Our findings showed that i) VWC had a larger influence on N2O and CH4 emissions than WFPS, ii) soil type influenced the gas release into atmosphere or soil solution and the timing of sink to source transition in CH4 emissions. Further investigation on timing of fertilization and drainage are needed to improve climate change mitigation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global climate change is predicted to intensify temperature and precipitation extremes, exposing soils to frequent and/or intense alternate wetting and drying regimes. Rewetting a dry soil causes a burst of CO 2 known as the "Birch effect". This spike in respiration can be attributed to: (i) release of cellular solutes (metabolites) accumulated during drought due to rapid increase in water potential upon re-wetting; (ii) sudden death of certain microbes serving as carbon (C) sources for surviving microbes, leading to microbial community shifts; and (iii) release of physically protected C due to aggregate breakdown upon repeated drying-wetting. The relative importance of these mechanisms may change in different soil textures, but very few studies examine all three processes. In this study, we evaluated the effects of repeated drying and wetting cycles (transient state moisture conditions) on the Birch effect and elucidated the mechanisms that contributed to this effect in different textured soils. Soils of three distinct textures (sandy, loamy, and clayey) were incubated for 140 days under five alternate cycles of drying (10% WHC) and wetting (100% WHC) conditions. Control soils were held at 55% WHC for the same duration. Microbial biomass C (MBC), extractable organic C (EOC), metabolites, microbial community structure, and changes in aggregate associated C were determined at each time point. Sandy soil had the lowest respiration rate followed by loamy and clayey soils, and cumulative CO 2 loss was higher under transient moisture state compared to steady state. In sandy and clayey soils, changes in bacterial abundance controlled the Birch effect, while in loamy soil, the release of aggregate protected C majorly controlled the Birch effect. • CO 2 loss in changing soil moisture conditions is higher than steady conditions. • Soil texture is a major controller of microbial activity leading to the Birch Effect. • Bacterial community compositional changes contributed to the Birch Effect in all soils. • In sandy soils, metabolite accumulation controlled the Birch Effect. • In loamy and clayey soils, aggregate disruption fueled the Birch Effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the differential fertilizer N fates among soil textures is important to optimize crop nitrogen (N) management for reducing N losses while enhancing crop yields and N use efficiency. In this study, two-year field experiments were conducted on three contrasting soil textures (clay, sandy and loamy soils) with an identical climate in Northeast China, to quantify fertilizer N fates in the maize cropping system and evaluate their responses to N rates (168, 240, and 312 kg N ha−1) under different soil textures using 15N tracer technique, further to model fertilizer N fates with soil properties using multiple linear regression. In two seasons, both grain yields and plant N accumulation were the highest on loamy soil, followed by clay soil, while the lowest on sandy soil. Compared with loamy and clay soils, the plant N accumulation derived from fertilizer (Ndff%) was significantly higher (47 %) on sandy soil in the 1st season, meanwhile its poor soil structure increased environmental N losses (ENL) while decreasing crop N recovery (CNR) and soil N residual (SNR); together with higher in-season ENL, this further significantly lower Ndff% (6%) on sandy soil in the 2nd season. Relative to loamy soil, the SNR on clay soil was significantly higher in both seasons due to the denser and heavier soil texture, but its CNR was lower in the 1st season while both CNR and ENL were higher in the 2nd season. Throughout two growing seasons, the total CNR of loamy, clay and sandy soil was 44 %, 34 % and 28 %, the total ENL was 41 %, 46 % and 64 %, and the final SNR was 15 %, 20 % and 8 %, respectively. With increasing N rates, total CNR decreased while final SNR increased on all three soils, and ENL increased in the 1st season but decreased in the 2nd season. Moreover, the N responses of CNR and SNR were higher on sandy soil, indicating that its fertilizer N fates were more susceptible to N rates. Therefore, crop N management strategies are required to be adjusted according to differential fertilizer N fates among soil textures. By establishing the model between fertilizer N fates with soil properties and N rates, we provided a promising approach to understand and predict fertilizer N use and loss for precisely optimizing N managements on different soil textures. [Display omitted] • Crop 15N recovery was higher on loamy soil (43.8 %) relative to clay soil (34.4 %) and sandy soil (28.1 %). • Soil 15N residual was higher on clay soil (19.6 %) relative to loamy soil (14.9 %) and sandy soil (7.6 %). • Total 15N loss was higher on sandy soil (64.3 %) relative to clay soil (46.0 %) and loamy soil (41.2 %). • The higher Ndff in 1st year but the lower Ndff in 2nd year were obtained on sandy soil than other soils. • Modelling the relationships between fertilizer 15N fates and the soil structure and N rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salt accumulation has a negative effect on microorganisms, but plant residues may enhance the microbial activity and biomass. An experiment was conducted over 50 days to evaluate the effect of wheat and alfalfa residues on microbial activity and biomass and nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) availability in sandy and clayey soils at different salinity levels. Equivalent amounts of calcium (Ca+2) and sodium (Na+) salts were added to both soils. Values of electrical conductivity (EC1:5), denoted S1, S2, and S3 in each soil, were 0.16, 1.10 and 1.98 dS m−1in the sand and 0.19, 0.82 and 1.75 dS m−1in the clay. Residues of wheat and alfalfa were added at 2% (w/w). Cumulative respiration and microbial biomass decreased with increasing salinity, but with residue addition they increased with a greater rate in amended sandy soil than in clay soil, with a more pronounced effect for alfalfa than for wheat residue. After 10 days, with wheat residue available N values were 113, 86, and 71μg in the clay and 144, 114, and 94μg g−1soil in the sand in S1, S2, and S3, respectively. Relative to wheat residue, alfalfa residue increased N availability by 9, 13, and 19% and 22, 24, and 24% in the clay and in the sand in S1, S2, and S3, respectively. Compared to the control, in the clay P availability increased by 33, 57, and 100% with wheat residue and by 58, 128, and 175% with alfalfa residue, whereas in the sand it increased by 92, 45, and 40% with wheat residue and by 130, 145, and 280% with alfalfa residue in S1, S2, and S3, respectively. Availability of N and P increased from day 10 to day 50 in both soils, but with different magnitudes. Residue addition can increase microbial activity and nutrient availability in saline soils, particularly in coarser textured soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: There is considerable disagreement on the effects of different soil conditions on the growth of Jatropha curcas L., although different reports agree on some factors, such as a preference for sandy soils over clay soils. This paper presents results on the growth of seedlings of a low-toxic Mexican cultivar in three different soils from the SE of Mexico. The Mexican seeds were sown in soils of different textures: sandy, sandy-loam and clay-loam. The germinated seedlings were monitored during a period of one month. Then, they were uprooted to record below and above ground morphological parameters and dry matter weight. Stem lengths, root collar diameter, length and diameter of the five main roots, number of true leaves and dry matter were analyzed using one-way ANOVA. The soils used were subjected to a chemical analysis to determine soil nutrient contents, which revealed that clay-loam soil had the highest nutrient content, followed by the sandy-loam, while sandy soil presented the lowest values. It was found that seedlings grown in sandy-loam soil were significantly taller than those in clay-loam and sandy substrates (P ≤ 0.05). Root collar diameter, root diameter, number of true leaves and dry matter weight did not present significant differences between plants grown in sandy-loam and clay-loam soils, however they showed significant differences when compared with plants grown in sandy soil. Therefore it can be concluded that development of seedlings in sandy-loam soils was greater, followed by those in clay-loam, while the poorest performance of the seedlings was recorded in sandy soil. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Aggregation and stabilization of soil organic C (SOC) and N are highly dependent on soil texture and addition of organic resources (ORs). While OR quality may influence SOC and N stabilization within aggregates, the simultaneous addition of N-fertilizers may enhance OR decomposition resulting in loss of SOC. A mesocosm study was conducted on a clayey soil at Embu and a sandy soil at Machanga in central Kenya to determine the influence of soil texture, OR quality and N-fertilizer on aggregation, SOC and N. Tithonia diversifolia (high quality), Calliandra calothyrsus (medium quality) and Zea mays (maize; low quality) residues, natural abundance or labeled with 15N, were applied to soil at an equivalent rate of 4MgCha−1 compared to no input control. Each treatment was fertilized with 120kg 14N or 15Nha−1 as (NH2)2CO, or not fertilized. Soil samples were collected at installation of the mesocosms (start), and 8 months after installation (end). Soils were separated into different aggregate size fractions by wet sieving and macroaggregates were further fractionated to isolate microaggregates-within-macroaggregates. Total soil and aggregate fractions were analyzed for SOC and N. On average, 20% and 70% of SOC and N was in the macroaggregates in the sandy and clayey soils, respectively. There were no differences among OR quality in both soils but in the clayey soil all ORs resulted in greater SOC and N than in the control. However, proportions of OR-derived N in the macroaggregates, mostly in the microaggregates-within-macroaggregates were greater with sole applied maize in the clayey soil. The addition of N-fertilizer together with maize stover reduced soil N, macroaggregate N, and OR-derived N in the microaggregate and silt and clay fractions within macroaggregates compared to when maize was applied alone. In the sandy soil, Calliandra resulted in greater OR-derived N than Tithonia in the coarse particulate organic matter (cPOM; i.e., 5% compared to 2% of N applied). Thus, the greater polyphenol concentration in Calliandra likely slowed its decomposition compared to that of Tithonia. In addition, greater proportions of N and residue-derived N in the macroaggregates were observed in the coarse POM in the sandy soil whereas in the clayey soil it was in the microaggregates-within-macroaggregates. We conclude that the preservation of OR-derived N is affected by the chemical recalcitrance of the residues in sandy soils, whereas macroaggregate protection, and not OR quality, is the major factor in clayey soils. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Hydraulic lift can be a desirable characteristic for cotton growing in areas that experience frequent drying of the topsoil. This study employed specialized soil columns to test if cotton can hydraulically lift water and whether this hydraulically lifted water can facilitate P acquisition from the dry topsoil of a clay and a sandy soil. The role of subsoil P placement on cotton growth was also tested. By using a Theta probe, hydraulic lift was detected in the clay soil for 7 days after water was withheld from the topsoil. However, in the sandy soil, a significant overnight increase in soil water was only detected for one day for the treatment with subsoil P application. Where P was applied to the topsoil, and water was withheld, cotton roots showed significant root P uptake from the sandy soil, but negligible P uptake from the clay soil. Irrespective of topsoil watering, the higher root length density in the subsoil of the clay soil accounted for the pronounced response to deep P placement. This study demonstrated that soil texture affects the amount and longevity of hydraulic lift from cotton roots. Hydraulic lift detected in the clay soil did not aid P acquisition from dry surface soil by cotton plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Sandy soils reach moderate penetration resistance at field capacity. • In semi-arid climates and sandy soils, low penetration resistance occurs infrequently. • Penetration resistance in clay soils is below 10 MPa even during the dry season. • In seasonally dry climates, penetration resistance follows a beta distribution. • Wet season rainfall affects year-round penetration resistance distribution. In water-controlled environments, because rainfall is one of the primary hydroclimatic forcings, its variability can affect the dynamics of soil water content and other related processes such as soil penetration resistance (PR), plant growth, and food production. The objective of this study was to simulate the relative soil water content (s) and PR year-round considering semi-arid rainfall conditions for different soil classes. An experiment was conducted to obtain relative soil water content (s) and PR data in sandy soil and this information was combined with a data set of four soils from a similar experiment conducted on different soil texture classes. The relative soil water content and PR were simulated at a daily timescale using a stochastic soil water balance model for the five soils. The parameters of the PR - s model can be estimated from the soil texture and bulk density. Under rainfed conditions, there is a short window for tillage (plowing and cultivation) of sandy soils compared with clay soils. During the majority of a typical hydrological year, the PR reaches high values (greater than 5.0 MPa) imposing a moderate to high physical limitation for root growth in sandy soils. In the same soils, limiting PR is reached at s levels very close to the field capacity during the drying process. This indicates that an extra input of water through irrigation may be required during the establishment of crops with a well-developed root system in order to prevent impairments to root growth. The daily PR values modeled over the course of a hydrological year followed a beta distribution with shape parameters (α and β) which were strongly correlated with the frequency of rainfall events during the wet season (λ wet). The modeling framework presented here for simulating relative soil water content and soil penetration resistance can be applied to agricultural systems in order to prevent physical limitations on crop growth and to plan tillage management schedules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soils are among the most biodiverse and densely inhabited environments on our planet. However, there is little understanding of spatial distribution patterns of belowground biota, and this hampers progress in understanding species interactions in belowground communities. We investigated the spatial distribution of nematodes, which are highly abundant and diverse metazoans in most soil ecosystems. To gain insight into nematode patchiness, we mapped distribution patterns in twelve apparently homogeneous agricultural fields (100 m × 100 m each) with equal representation of three soil textures (marine clay, river clay and sandy soil). Quantitative PCRs were used to measure the abundances of 48 distinct nematode taxa in ≈1200 plots. Multivariate analysis showed that within this selection of sites, soil texture more strongly affected soil nematode communities than land management. Geostatistical analysis of nematode distributions revealed both taxon-specific and field-specific patchiness. The average geostatistical range (indicating patch diameter) of 48 nematode taxa in these fields was 36 m, and related to soil organic matter. Soil organic matter content affected the spatial variance (indicating within-field variation of densities) in a life-strategy dependent manner. The r-strategists (fast-growing bacterivores and fungivores) showed a positive correlation between organic matter content and spatial variance, whereas most K-strategists (slow-growing omnivores and carnivores) showed a negative correlation. Hence, the combination of two parameters, soil organic matter content and a general life-strategy characterisation, can be used to explain the spatial distribution of nematodes at field scale. • Nematode distribution maps show taxon- and field-specific levels of patchiness • Distributions of nematodes with similar food preferences show little or no overlap • Soil organic matter affects nematode patchiness in a life-strategy dependent manner • Stochasticity is a dominant driving factor for mesoscale distribution of nematodes • Distribution maps enable the design of soil sampling schemes with known accuracies [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]