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This study explores the complex relationship between soil electricity generating capacity, bacterial community dynamics, and soil chemical and physical properties across diverse regions of Japan. First, soil samples were systematically collected and analyzed. Subsequent investigations evaluated soil microbial biomass carbon, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and total dissolvable iron (DFeT) concentrations. In the experiments, soil samples underwent a rigorous 60-day microbial fuel cell trial, wherein power density and total energy output were measured. Significant variations in power density were observed among different soil samples; specifically, a sugarcane field designated as Okinawa-3 and a peach orchard soil as Nagano-2 demonstrated relatively high total energy output. Analysis of soil bacterial community structures identified some families which showed positive correlations with increased electricity generation capabilities. Correlation analyses revealed associations between these bacterial communities and key soil parameters, particularly with DOC and DFeT concentrations. Redundancy analysis revealed intricate connections between soil properties and electricity generation capacities. Particularly noteworthy was the positive correlation between Acidobacteriaceae and DOC, as well that between Sphingomonadaceae and electricity generation, highlighting the crucial roles of soil microbial communities and chemical compositions in driving electricity generation processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to determine the effect of sulfur (S) application on a root-associated microbial community resulting in a rhizosphere microbiome with better nutrient mobilizing capacity. Soybean plants were cultivated with or without S application, the organic acids secreted from the roots were compared. High-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA was used to analyze the effect of S on microbial community structure of the soybean rhizosphere. Several plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) isolated from the rhizosphere were identified that can be harnessed for crop productivity. The amount of malic acid secreted from the soybean roots was significantly induced by S application. According to the microbiota analysis, the relative abundance of Polaromonas, identified to have positive association with malic acid, and arylsulfatase-producing Pseudomonas, were increased in S-applied soil. Burkholderia sp. JSA5, obtained from S-applied soil, showed multiple nutrient-mobilizing traits among the isolates. In this study, S application affected the soybean rhizosphere bacterial community structure, suggesting the contribution of changing plant conditions such as in the increase in organic acid secretion. Not only the shift of the microbiota but also isolated strains from S-fertilized soil showed PGPB activity, as well as isolated bacteria that have the potential to be harnessed for crop productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The improvement of phosphorus (P) use efficiency (PUE) is a critical problem in crop production because of phosphorus' scarcity. Especially in strongly weathered soil with a high P fixation capacity, a low PUE generally limits plant growth. Here, in a 70-day pigeon pea cultivation pot experiment using Ultisols, we evaluated the effects of Rhizobium inoculation (−I/+I) on the plant growth, rhizosphere, bulk soil P dynamics, and plant root P acquisition characteristics, with or without P fertilization (0P: no P application; 50SSP:50 kg P ha−1 with single superphosphate). The combination of Rhizobium inoculation with P fertilization (50SSP + I) increased the plant growth, P uptake, and organic acid content per pot by 63%, 41%, and 130%, respectively, but not without P fertilization (0P + I). The labile and moderately labile inorganic P (NaHCO3-Pi and NaOH-Pi) contents were higher (55% and 44%, respectively) in the rhizosphere soil than those in the bulk soil in the 50SSP + I treatment, indicating the efficient solubilization of the applied P under the 50SSP + I treatment. The fertilized PUE was higher in the 50SSP + I treatment (26%) than that in the 50SSP−I treatment (15%). Thus, these results suggest that Rhizobium inoculation with 50SSP should stimulate plant root P acquisition characteristics, leading to the solubilization of applied P in the rhizosphere and efficient plant P uptake. In conclusion, the 50SSP + I treatment effectively improved the PUE of pigeon peas in strongly weathered soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic acid secretion from the roots enables plants to acquire phosphorus (P) which is poorly soluble in soil. We previously reported that when soybeans were cultivated in vermiculite in the presence of insoluble calcium phosphate, as a phosphorus source, sulfur (S) fertilization increased organic acid secretion from the roots and improved P acquisition in soybeans. In the present study, we confirmed that S fertilization increased secretion of organic acids such as citric acid when soybeans were cultivated in Andosols having a strong P fixation capacity. In contrast, concentration of citric acid in soybean roots did not increase by S fertilization. Therefore, the relationship between S nutrition and gene expression of citric acid exporters was investigated to understand the mechanisms of induction of citric acid secretion by S. Further, we verified whether the expression of citric acid transporter genes, GmMATE13 and GmMATE47, is involved in the induction of citric acid secretion from the roots by S fertilization. The expression level of GmMATE13 in roots was significantly increased by S fertilization compared to that without S fertilization. Therefore, our results suggest that S nutrition is involved in inducing GmMATE13 expression and contributes to the excretion of citric acid from the soybean roots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biochar application is attracting attention to be an effective soil organic carbon (SOC) management to prevent land degradation, though quantitative information of its effect on carbon dioxide (CO2) flux and associated microbial responses is still scarce, especially in degraded tropical agroecosystems. We conducted a 27‐month field experiment with periodically measuring environmental factors, CO2 efflux rate, microbial biomass C (MBC), and SOC stock, and evaluated the impact of land management (control (C), biochar (B; 8.2 Mg C ha−1), farmyard manure (FYM) (M; 1.1 Mg C ha−1 yr−1), and a mixture of both (BM) on CO2 flux, microbial responses (MBC and qCO2 as microbial activity) and C budget, in tropical alkaline cropland of southern India. Based on the relationship between the CO2 efflux rate and environmental factors, cumulative CO2 flux was estimated at 2.4, 2.7, 4.0, and 3.7 Mg C ha−1 in the C, B, M, and BM treatments, respectively. Biochar application increased soil moisture though did not affect CO2 flux, causing a positive C budget (6.7 Mg C ha−1), because of the limited response of microbes to increased soil moisture due to the small amount of SOC. Biochar and FYM combined application did not increase CO2 flux compared with FYM alone, contributing to the largest SOC increment (8.9 Mg C ha−1) with a positive C budget (9.1 Mg C ha−1), due to little difference of microbial responses between the two treatments. Hence, biochar application combined with FYM could be an effective SOC management in the degraded cropland of southern India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deforestation of native tropical forests has occurred extensively over several decades. The plantation of fast-growing trees, such as Acacia spp., is expanding rapidly in tropical regions, which can contribute to conserve the remaining native tropical forests. To better understand belowground biogeochemical cycles and the sustainable productivity of acacia plantations, we assessed the effects of vegetation (acacia plantations vs. native forests) and soil types (Oxisols vs. Ultisols) on soil properties, including the diversity and community structures of bacteria- and fungi-colonizing surface and subsurface roots and soil in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. The results in surface soil showed that pH was significantly higher in acacia than in native for Oxisols but not for Ultisols, while exchangeable Al was significantly lower in acacia than in native for Ultisols but not for Oxisols. Bacterial alpha diversity (especially within phylum Chloroflexi) was higher in acacia than in native only for Oxisols but not for Ultisols, which was the same statistical result as soil pH but not exchangeable Al. These results suggest that soil pH, but not exchangeable Al, can be the critical factor to determine bacterial diversity. Acacia tree roots supported greater proportions of copiotrophic bacteria, which may support lower contents of soil inorganic N, compared with native tree roots for both Oxisols and Ultisols. Acacia tree roots also supported greater proportions of plant pathogenic Mycoleptodiscus sp. but appeared to reduce the abundances and diversity of beneficial ECM fungi compared with native tree roots regardless of soil types. Such changes in fungal community structures may threaten the sustainable productivity of acacia plantations in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen (N) fixation by rhizobia plays an important role in N assimilation of soybean (Glycine max). Nitrogenase, the enzyme responsible for N fixation in rhizobia, contains a large amount of sulfur (S) molecules and requires phosphorus (P) in adenosine triphosphate. Thus, S and P are essential for plant growth and N fixation by rhizobia. However, P in soils forms insoluble PO43 – salts with metals. Plant roots solubilize these PO43- salts by secreting organic acids and absorb solubilized PO43-. In this study, the effects of S application on P solubilization by soybean roots and the involvement of rhizobia were evaluated. Soybean plants inoculated with Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens USDA110 were grown in vermiculite, and Ca3(PO4)2 was added as the sole P source. A hydroponic solution supplemented with three S concentrations (0, 20, and 1000 µM) was applied, and plants were grown for 5 weeks. Root fresh weight, the soil-plant analysis development (SPAD) values, and shoot and root S concentrations increased significantly with S application, but root nodule numbers and nitrogenase activity were not significantly affected. Organic acid secretion by roots was drastically increased by S application, and shoot P concentration and content also increased significantly. These results indicated that S application can promote P solubilization by increasing the secretion of organic acids by roots and increase in N fixation is not involved in this promotion at least in early vegetative growth period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intercropping with cereal and phosphorus (P)-mobilizing leguminous crops is a traditional agricultural practice in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is essential to evaluate the effect of intercropping (i.e., rhizosphere sharing) on fractionated rhizosphere soil P dynamics under the various soil P conditions and legumes, to improve the soil-plant P dynamics in this region. This study aimed to identify the effect of rhizosphere sharing of maize (MZ)/P-mobilizing legumes intercropping on fractionated rhizosphere soil P dynamics and plant P uptake under different P fertilization rates in strongly weathered cropland soil of Tanzania. We conducted 60-day MZ and P-mobilizing legumes intercropping pot experiments under different P-fertilized conditions (0, 50, and 100 kg P ha−1) with two legumes (pigeon pea (PP) and groundnut (GN)) by using three different root-separation treatments (no separation (NS) for rhizosphere sharing, nylon mesh separation (MS), and complete separation (CS)), to compare the effect of rhizosphere sharing in one pot. We evaluated the Hedley-fractionated P of rhizosphere soil and plant P uptake in each pot. We found that both P-efficient legumes did not clearly decrease the less labile P (NaOH-P) of rhizosphere soil in no P treatment, while these clearly decreased the less labile P in 100 kg P ha−1 treatment. It indicates that P-efficient legumes can solubilize the fertilized P but not native less labile P of the soil. The NS treatment increased the labile P of rhizosphere compared with CS by solubilizing the fertilized P, except for MZ/GN intercropping at 50 kg P ha−1. Relative to CS, MZ/PP intercropping increased the total plant P uptake per pot (20%–40%) under P-fertilized conditions, whereas MZ/GN intercropping decreased it (17%) at 50 kg P ha−1 or showed no change at 100 kg P ha−1. MZ/PP intercropping improved P fertilizer recovery efficiency, whereas MZ/GN intercropping did not. Enhanced P use efficiency through intercropping with P-mobilizing legumes is dependent on P-solubilizing characteristics of each P-mobilizing legume. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the use of biochar, a carbonated biomass generated through pyrolysis, for improving agricultural productivity and carbon sequestration. The benefits of biochar have been observed in regions such as East and Southeast Asia, where there is a long history of biochar utilization. The article highlights the importance of sharing information on biochar in order to effectively use it in other countries. The special section in the journal Soil Science & Plant Nutrition serves as a starting point for research on biochar utilization for soil sustainability from Asian agronomical and ecological perspectives. [Extracted from the article]

Crop residue management strategies must be adapted for improving carbon (C) balance and soil C stock in agroecosystems in sub‐Saharan Africa with consideration of the crop residue availability and site‐specific soil characteristics. We conducted field experiments to determine the effects of crop residue application method (incorporation/mulching) and quality (maize/cowpea) and N fertilizer application on the soil respiration rate and soil C stock in the surface soil layer (0–15 cm) in maize croplands with contrasting soil textures (clay/sandy) over 2 years from 2012 to 2014 in Tanzania. At the clay site, the incorporation of maize residues showed a 38% increase in CO2 flux compared to mulching, whereas, at the sandy site, mulching showed a 16% increase compared to the incorporation. At the sandy site, mulching practice retained soil moisture content and apparently enhanced the decomposition of the original soil organic C in the surface layer. It is, therefore, suggested that mulching practice may accelerate a long‐term depletion of soil C stock at the sandy site. The cowpea residue incorporation led to rapid decomposition because of its high biodegradability at both sites. The N fertilizer application stimulated the decomposition of labile soil organic matter. The soil C stock in the surface layer did not significantly change after the 2‐year experiment, irrespective of crop residue treatment and soil type. In conclusion, adequate crop residue management in terms of suppressing CO2 flux during a cropping season depends on soil type, but the long‐term effect on soil C stock is unclear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sulfur (S) and Nitrogen (N) metabolisms in plants are interacted and it is known that S deficiency decrease N absorption and metabolism. In leguminous plants S deficiency also decreases N2 fixation by rhizobia in the nodules. Deep placement of a controlled-release N fertilizer is a good method to provide nitrogen to soybean without inhibiting N2 fixation; thus, it was hypothesized that this method is able to provide nitrogen effectively to sulfur-deficient soybean plants. In this study effects of deep placement of coated urea on S-N physicological interaction, growth and productivity in soybean plants were examined using pot experiments. Soybean plants were grown with sulfate concentrations of 30, 100, or 1000 μM, with or without deep placement of coated urea. Shoot weights at the developing stage were not affected by S deficiency. SPAD values of leaves during the flowering stage decreased with S deficiency and increased with the deep placement of coated urea. S deficiency decreased seed weight per plant at the harvesting stage, but this decrease was attenuated by the deep placement of coated urea. N and S content in shoots at the developing stage increased with the deep placement of coated urea, whereas in seeds, only the N content increased. N2 fixation activity based on the relative ureide-N content in xylem sap indicated that the deep placement of coated urea did not inhibit N2 fixation activity at the early flowering stage. Without deep placement of coated urea, the relative ureide-N content decreased under S deficiency at the seed filling stage. These results suggest that the deep placement of coated urea is an efficient method to supply N to support soybean yield under S deficiency. Abbreviations: Deep+: with deep placement of coated urea; Deep–: without deep placement of coated urea [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The forest-savanna transition zone is widely distributed on nutrient-poor Oxisols in Central Africa, and a population explosion has led to the rapid cultivation of these vegetation types in this zone. To reveal and compare the effects of short-term (3 years) cultivation on the soil nutrient status of the forest and savanna vegetation in this area, we evaluated microbial nutrient limitation and availability by conducting hourly measurements of soil microbial respiration after the addition of glucose in combination with nitrogen (N) and/or phosphorus (P) to soils that were collected from a forest site (FOR), a savanna site (SAV), as well as cropland for 3 years derived from a forest (Crop-F) and a savanna (Crop-S), in eastern Cameroon. The N addition had little effect on the pattern of microbial respiration rate for the FOR and Crop-F sites, indicating N rich for microbes. In contrast, N addition resulted in the increases in maximal respiration rates after the exponential increase for the SAV and Crop-S sites, indicating microbial N limitation, and cultivation accelerated the soil N depletion. Furthermore, we observed that P addition resulted in the increase in the maximal respiration rates, indicating microbial P limitation for all sites, except for FOR site. Since the cultivation significantly affected the microbial properties only in the forest ecosystem, such as the increase in the microbial specific growth rate and the decreased microbial C:N and C:P ratios, these changes would induce the P limitation for Crop-F. These results indicate that (1) the FOR site was a N-rich ecosystem for soil microbes, and 3 years of cultivation in the Crop-F site did not alter the high soil N status but induced microbial P limitation, with the changes in the microbial properties, and that (2) the SAV site was N and P limited for soil microbes, and 3 years of cultivation clearly decreased the soil N availability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil phosphorus (P) forms have been practically defined as chemically fractionated pools. A knowledge of the abundance and diversity of P forms in soil, and the factors affecting them, will lead to better soil management. However, little is known about the differences in P forms among soils with different geological properties in tropical Africa. The aim of this study was to investigate the P forms in soils with different physicochemical properties formed under different geological conditions in southern Tanzania and to identify the factors affecting the P forms in these soils. In total, 37 surface soil samples were collected from three geological groups; the plutonic (mainly granite) rock (PL) group, the sedimentary and metamorphic rock (SM) group, and the volcanic ash (V) group. Soil P was sequentially extracted by NH4Cl, NH4F, NaHCO3, NaOH + NaCl, and HCl, and inorganic (Pi) and organic P (Po) in each fraction were determined. The lowest total P was in the PL group (average, 360 mg P kg-1) because of the high sand content. Iron (Fe)-P (NaOH-Pi) was the major form in this group, accounting for 8.4% of total P. In the SM group (average total P, 860 mg P kg-1), Fe-P was the major form in most, accounting for 7.8% of total P. Soils in the SM group occasionally had high calcium (Ca)-P due to application of chemical fertilizer at the collection site. The V group had the highest total P (average, 1600 mg P kg-1) and its major P form was Ca-P, which was possibly derived from primary minerals (i.e., apatite), accounting for 14% of total P. In addition, the high oxalate-extractable Al possibly caused the accumulation of Al-P in the V group. Oxalate-extractable Fe generally increased with increasing Fe-Pi, while oxalate-extractable Al increased with increasing organic P and Al-Pi in soils in all three geological groups. These results demonstrate that the soil P forms differ greatly among sites in southern Tanzania with different geological conditions and associated soil properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest-savanna mosaic is widespread in tropical Africa mainly occurring on nutrient-poor Oxisols. Though sustainable agriculture is a major concern in this region, little is known about the effects of original vegetation (i.e., forest vs savanna) on nutrient losses from cropland. Hence, we evaluated basic cation losses and nutrient balance of Oxisol cropland cultivated over two years in the Cameroonian forest-savanna mosaic. Solute fluxes at 30-cm depth in maize croplands derived from forest (CR FR ) and savanna (CR SV ) were compared with those in adjacent forest (FR) and savanna (SV) ecosystems. Nutrient inputs by rainfall, outputs from solute leaching and cropland grain removal, and soil nutrient stocks measured at depths between 0 and 30 cm were investigated. The main anion present in FR soil solutions was NO 3 − (0.16–0.19 mmol c  L −1 ), while it was present in negligible amounts in SV. The 2-year NO 3 − flux in CR FR (156 kg N ha −1 ) was double that in CR SV (78 kg N ha −1 ), leading to greater 2-year K + leaching in CR FR (118 kg K ha −1 ) than in CR SV (37 kg K ha −1 ). The ratio of 2-year nutrient losses to total soil stocks was the greatest for Ca both in CR FR (5%) and CR SV (4%), while K loss also reached 5% in combination with lower solution pH in CR FR . In conclusion, cultivation of former forest land substantially increased NO 3 − leaching, resulting in depletion of both K and Ca; whereas, cultivation of former savanna results in mainly Ca depletion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil nitrogen (N) dynamics in croplands need to be improved for the increase of food production in sub-Saharan Africa. Our objective was to investigate the crop residue management in terms of quality and application method to improve soil N dynamics during the period of crop growth in maize croplands with special reference to soil textures in dry tropical agroecosystems. Field experiments were conducted during the rainy seasons of 2012 and 2013 at clayey and sandy sites in Tanzania. Five treatment plots were established: plots with no residue applied (Ctrl plot), chemical fertilizer applied (F plot), maize residue (high C:N ratio = 60) incorporated (M-In plot) or mulched (M-On plot), and cowpea residue (low C:N ratio = 21) incorporated (P-In plot). In each plot, we regularly collected surface soil and crop samples and measured inorganic N (NO3−–N and NH4+–N), the soil respiration rate, and crop N uptake. Rainfall and soil moisture content were also continuously monitored. Our results showed that cowpea residue with high biodegradability caused prompt increases in the soil respiration rate and soil inorganic N because decomposition of the applied residue occurred within ca. 2 weeks after the application at both the clayey and sandy sites. It resulted in high N use efficiency in the early growing period and 18–73% higher total crop N uptake than that in the maize residue plots at both sites. The application methods (incorporation and mulching) showed no significant difference in soil N dynamics and crop yield, although higher soil respiration was observed in the M-In plot than the M-On plot at the clayey site. However, at the sandy site, mulching of maize residue resulted in the increased soil inorganic N content in the M-On plot by 18–26% compared with that in the M-In plot during the cropping season because of the higher soil moisture content. Consequently, crop N uptake in the mulching plot resulted in 26–59% higher than that in the incorporation plot. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We lack an understanding of nitrogen (N) cycles in tropical forests of Africa, although the environmental conditions in this region, such as soil type, vegetation, and climate, are distinct when compared with other tropical forests. Herein, we simultaneously quantified N fluxes through precipitation, throughfall, and 0-, 15-, and 30-cm soil solutions, as well as litterfall, in two forests with different soil acidity (Ultisols at the MV village (exchangeable Al3+in 0–30 cm, 126 kmolcha–1) and Oxisols at the AD village (exchangeable Al3+in 0–30 cm, 59.8 kmolcha–1)) over 2 years in Cameroon. The N fluxes to the O horizon via litterfall plus throughfall were similar for both sites (MV and AD, 243 and 273 kg N ha–1 yr–1, respectively). Those values were remarkably large relative to other tropical forests, reflecting the dominance of legumes in this region. The total dissolved N flux from the O horizon at the MV was 28 kg N ha–1 yr–1, while it was 127 kg N ha–1 yr–1 mainly as NO3–-N (~80%) at the AD. The distinctly different pattern of N cycles could be caused by stronger soil acidity at the MV, which was considered to promote a superficial root mat formation in the O horizon despite the marked dry season (fine root biomass in the O horizon and its proportion to the 1-m-soil profile: 1.5 Mg ha–1and 31% at the MV; 0.3 Mg ha–1and 9% at the AD). Combined with the published data for N fluxes in tropical forests, we have shown that Oxisols, in combination with N-fixing species, have large N fluxes from the O horizon; meanwhile, Ultisols do not have large fluxes because of plant uptake through the root mat in the O horizon. Consequently, our results suggest that soil type can be a major factor influencing the pattern of N fluxes from the O horizon via the effects of soil acidity, thereby determining the contrasting plant–soil N cycles in the tropical forests of Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil water erosion is a major agricultural concern in tropical Africa with high precipitation and low soil fertility where Oxisols are generally distributed. A field experiment was conducted in east Cameroon during the rainy season in 2013 to investigate the effects of surface mulching with the residues of Imperata cylindrica on soil losses and surface runoff water generation in a cassava cropland on an Oxisol. Three treatments were established using two small plots for each treatment: bare plot (BA), cassava plot (CA) and cassava with mulch plot (CM). Soil loss and surface runoff water were measured, and water budgets of rainfall, surface runoff and soil moisture within rainfall events were measured in all treatment plots. Runoff coefficients in all treatment plots were suppressed below 8·0% because the large volume of large pores of surface soil of Oxisols contributed to the high drainage capacity over a rainy season even under wet soil moisture conditions. Total soil loss in CM was decreased by 49% compared with that in BA and CA, despite there not being a large difference in runoff water among treatments. These results suggest that surface mulching with the residues of I. cylindrica can substantially suppress soil losses caused by particle detachment by raindrops, while it maintain soil surface with originally high permeability in cassava croplands on Oxisols. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water erosion is one of the main concerns driving land degradation in mountainous areas throughout the world, and its characteristics change widely with soil and climate conditions in different locations. To investigate the effects of soil and rainfall properties on surface runoff and soil loss, we installed runoff plots (width 0·8 m × slope length 2·4 m) enclosed by corrugated iron sheets, and evaluated water budgets for rainfall, surface runoff and soil moisture for every rainfall event over a rainy season at four sites (designated NY, TA, SO and MA) in the Uluguru Mountains of Tanzania. Two of the sites, NY and TA, were located in mountainous areas and had steep slopes and higher rainfall amounts, while the two foothill sites, SO and MA, were flatter and with coarser textures. Runoff amount was related to rainfall amount, but also to infiltration capacity. Runoff amounts in mountainous areas were higher than in foothill sites while runoff ratio was low at sites with high permeability in the surface layer, TA and MA. Sediment concentrations and soil loss were basically enhanced by high rainfall amount and intensity at mountainous sites. Soil texture also controlled the erodibility of soils; MA had twice the soil loss of SO owing to sandy soil despite similar rainfall amounts at MA and SO. Our results show that the high rainfall amounts in the mountainous areas and high susceptibility of sandy soils to erosion enhanced soil loss by water erosion in this study. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wet–dry cycles of soil primarily drive carbon (C) dynamics in dry croplands that mainly experience sporadic rainfall events. We evaluated thein situshort-term (hourly) dynamics of soil carbon dioxide (CO2) efflux and microbial biomass, to compare the significance of a single rainfall event with/without C substrate to reveal the effects of a single rainfall on the soil C dynamics in clayey dry croplands in four different climates and ecosystems. The experiments were conducted on four clayey dry croplands as follows: Thailand (TH) and Tanzania (TZ) in tropical climates, and Kazakhstan (KZ) and Hungary (HG) in continental climates. Hourly measurements of soil CO2efflux,in situmicrobial biomass (MB) andin situmicrobial activity (qCO2) were conducted after the application of simulated rainfall (W plots) and rainfall/glucose (WG plots) treatments. We also evaluated the easily mineralizable carbon (EMC) by incubation. The rainfall treatment caused an increase in the qCO2but not in MB, causing a clear but short C flush in all W plots (10–37 h), while the WG treatment caused an increase both of qCO2and MB, resulting in substantially longer and larger C flush in the WG plots (ca. 100 h). The ratio of the cumulative soil CO2flux caused by rainfall treatment to EMC was larger in TH-W and TZ-W plots (8.2 and 4.9%, respectively) than in the KZ-W and HG-W plots (2.9 and 1.1%, respectively). In addition, applied glucose was more heavily mineralized in the TH-WG and TZ-WG plots (15.0 and 9.7%, respectively) than in the KZ-WG and HG-WG plots (6.4 and 3.4%, respectively), because of the different MB increment patterns for the first 24 h, i.e., immediate and large MB increments in TH and TZ, but not in KZ and HG. These results reveal a possible mechanism that causes the rapid decomposition of soil organic carbon and applied organic matter in the dry tropical cropland. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The forest–savanna transition zone is widely distributed on nutrient-poor oxisols in Central Africa. To reveal and compare the nutrient cycle in relation to soil microbes for forest and savanna vegetation in this area, we evaluated seasonal fluctuations in microbial biomass carbon (MBC), nitrogen (MBN), and phosphorus (MBP) for 13 months as well as soil moisture, temperature, soil pH levels, and nutrients for both vegetation types in eastern Cameroon. Soil pH was significantly lower in forest (4.3) than in savanna (5.6), and soil N availability was greater in forest (87.1 mg N kg −1 soil) than in savanna (32.9 mg N kg −1 soil). We found a significant positive correlation between soil moisture and MBP in forest, indicating the importance of organic P mineralization for MBP, whereas in savanna, we found a significant positive correlation between soil N availability and MBP, indicating N limitation for MBP. These results suggest that for soil microbes, forest is an N-saturated and P-limited ecosystem, whereas savanna is an N-limited ecosystem. Additionally, we observed a significantly lower MBN and larger MB C:N ratio in forest (50.7 mg N kg −1 soil and 8.6, respectively) than in savanna (60.0 mg N kg −1 soil and 6.5, respectively) during the experimental period, despite the rich soil N condition in forest. This may be due to the significantly lower soil pH in forest, which influences the different soil microbial communities (fungi-to-bacteria ratio) in forest versus savanna, and therefore, our results indicate that, in terms of microbial N dynamics, soil pH rather than soil substrate conditions controls the soil microbial communities in this area. Further studies should be focused on soil microbial community, such as PLFA, which was not evaluated in the present study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The forest-savanna transition zone, which evolves as a result of past climate change, is widely distributed in central Africa. Because nutrient-poor soils (Oxisols) are widely distributed in this area, it is necessary to understand the characteristics of soil nutrients in relation to the vegetation. We collected 52 soil samples from five pits each for two different vegetation types (forest and savanna) in this area and evaluated the effect of vegetation type on soil physicochemical properties [pH, soil texture, cation-exchange capacity, bulk density, crystalline and non-crystalline aluminum (Al) and iron (Fe)] and nutrient status [carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and other soil minerals]. We also evaluated the fractionated P. Whereas most physicochemical properties were similar between the two vegetation types throughout the soil profile (0–80 cm depth), clay content, bulk density and soil pH clearly differed between the vegetations at the surface layer (0–10 cm). At 80 cm soil depth, soil C, N and P were 87.9, 7.7 and 3.7 Mg ha−1, respectively, in forest, and 98.6, 7.1 and 3.1 Mg ha−1, respectively, in savanna. Although there was no clear difference between the amounts of soil C, N and P, the upper-soil (0–40 cm) C:N ratio was clearly lower in forest (11.0–12.0) compared with savanna (13.0–15.7), because the main plant species in the forest can fix N effectively. We also found a smaller ratio of sodium hydroxide (NaOH)-extractable inorganic P to total soil P in forest compared with savanna. Because the content of crystalline and non-crystalline Al and Fe in forest soil was similar to that of savanna, the different soil C:N ratio would cause different availability of P between the vegetation types, although the mechanism is unclear. These results indicate that savanna vegetation is N-limited and forest vegetation is N-saturated (and possibly P-limited) in this zone. We also found that, at 20 cm soil depth, total soil potassium (K) in forest was 1590 kg ha−1, which was 930 kg ha−1less than that in savanna (2520 kg ha−1;P < 0.05), although a similar difference was not measured for Na, Ca, and magnesium (Mg). Because we observed lower soil pH in forest, not only plant K uptake but also K leaching loss would contribute to lower soil K in forest. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

No tillage (NT) fosters carbon (C) sequestration, increases soil organic matter (SOM) stock, and improves soil health. However, its effect on SOM accumulation in Andosol, which has high OM stabilization characteristics due to its specific mineral properties, remains unclear. In this study, we evaluated the effect of NT on SOM content and its distribution by the physical fractionation method and assessed the quality of accumulated SOM in each fraction. We collected soil samples at 0–2.5, 2.5–7.5, and 7.5–15 cm depths from NT and conventional tillage (CT) plots in a long-term (19 years) field experiment of Andosols in Ibaraki, Japan. The soil samples were separated into light fraction (LF), coarse-POM (cPOM: 0.25–2 mm), fine-POM (fPOM: 0.053–0.25 mm), and silt + clay (mOM: <0.053 mm). The C, nitrogen (N), and organic phosphorus (Po) contents of each fraction were analyzed. The C content of cPOM and fPOM in NT at 0–7.5 cm was higher than in CT, while there was no clear difference in the mOM fraction or deeper layer (7.5–15 cm). NT increased the C, N, and Po contents in the labile POM fractions at the surface layers but did not increase the stable fraction or change the quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Evaluation of carbon dynamics is of great concern worldwide in terms of climate change and soil fertility. However, the annual CO2 flux and the effect of land management on the carbon budget are poorly understood in Sub-Saharan Africa, owing to the relative dearth of data for in situ CO2 fluxes. Here, we evaluated seasonal variations in CO2 efflux rate with hourly climate data in two dry tropical croplands in Tanzania at two sites with contrasting soil textures, viz. clayey or sandy, over four consecutive crop-cultivation periods of 40 months. We then: (1) estimated the annual CO2 flux, and (2) evaluated the effect of land management (control plot, plant residue treatment plot, fertilizer treatment plot, and plant residue and fertilizer treatment plot) on the CO2 flux and soil carbon stock at both sites. Estimated annual CO2 fluxes were 1.0–2.2 and 0.9–1.9 Mg C ha−1 yr−1 for the clayey and sandy sites, respectively. At the end of the experiment, crop cultivation had decreased the surface soil carbon stocks by 2.4 and 3.0 Mg C ha−1 (soil depth 0–15 cm) at the clayey and sandy sites, respectively. On the other hand, plant residue application (7.5 Mg C ha−1 yr−1) significantly increased the surface soil carbon stocks, i.e., 3.5–3.8 and 1.7–2.1 Mg C ha−1 (soil depth 0–15 cm) at the clayey and sandy sites, respectively, while it also increased the annual CO2 fluxes substantially, i.e., 2.5–4.0 and 2.4–3.4 Mg C ha−1 yr−1 for the clayey and sandy soils, respectively. Our results indicate that these dry tropical croplands at least may act as a carbon sink, though the efficiency of carbon accumulation was substantially lower in sandy soil (6.8–8.4%) compared to clayey soil (14.0–15.2%), possibly owing to higher carbon loss by leaching and macro-faunal activity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The wetting-drying cycles of soil primarily drive carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) dynamics in tropical monsoon climates. We evaluated the in situ short-term C and N dynamics and the effect of soil texture during a wetting-drying cycle in relation to hourly microbial dynamics. Two croplands of differing soil textures (clay [THc] and sand [THs]) in Thailand were used for the experiment. Hourly measurements of soil CO efflux and inorganic nitrogen (Inorg-N) were conducted and we determined fluctuations in the in situ microbial biomass ( In-situ-MB) and in situ microbial activity ( In-situ-qCO) after the application of a simulated rainfall (W plot) and a rainfall/glucose (WG plot) treatment. The rewetting of dry soil led to a C flush, which finished within 50-120 h because of rapid soil drying at both sites. Comparing the microbial dynamics in the THc-W and THs-W plots, it is clear that the rainfall treatment predominantly increased In-situ-qCO in the THc-W plot, whereas it increased In-situ-MB in the THs-W plot. These different microbial dynamics resulted in different C and N dynamics; that is, the cumulative soil CO efflux for the first 100 h after the treatment was effectively greater in the THs-W plot (3.4 g C m) than in the THc-W plot (2.8 g C m). In addition, distinct N-mineralization associated with a decreasing In-situ-MB was observed only in the THs-W plot, although this was not the case in the THc-W plot. Hence, we concluded that rainfall events should play a more important role in the C and N dynamics in sandy soils compared with clayey soils because of different microbial dynamics after rewetting of a dry soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil microbes are considered to be an important N pool in dry tropical croplands, which are nutrient poor. To evaluate the N contribution of soil microbes to plant growth in a dry tropical cropland, we conducted a maize cultivation experiment in Tanzania using different land management treatments (no input, plant residue application, fertilizer application, plant residue and fertilizer application, and non-cultivated plots). Over 104 experimental days, we periodically evaluated the microbial biomass N and C, plant N uptake, microbial respiration in situ and inorganic N in the soil. A significant amount of inorganic N was lost in all of the treatment plots as a result of leaching during the initial 60 days and inorganic N remained low thereafter (∼20–35 kg N ha−1 : 0–15 cm), whereas soil microbial respiration substantially decreased because of soil drying after 60 days (grain-forming stage). During the grain-forming stage (60–104 days), we found a distinct effect of plant N uptake on soil microbial dynamics, although we did not observe an obvious effect of plant residue and/or fertilizer application; microbial biomass N decreased drastically from 63–71 to 18–33 kg N ha−1 and the microbial biomass C : N ratio simultaneously increased (>10-fold) in all maize-cultivated plots; these features were not observed in the non-cultivated plot. Plant N uptake over the same period was 26.6–55.2 kg N ha−1, which was roughly consistent with the decrease in microbial biomass N. These results indicate that strong competition for N occurred between soil microbes and plants over this period and N uptake by plants prevented microbial growth. Thus, we concluded that soil microbes contribute to plant growth by serving as a N source during the grain-forming stage in dry tropical cropland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Soil microbes are an essential component of most terrestrial ecosystems; as decomposers they are responsible for regulating nutrient dynamics, and they also serve as a highly labile nutrient pool. Here, we evaluated seasonal variations in microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and nitrogen (MBN) as well as microbial activity (as qCO2) for 16 months with respect to several factors relating to soil moisture and nutrients under different land management practices (plant residue application, fertilizer application) in both clayey (38% clay) and sandy (4% clay) croplands in Tanzania. We observed that MBC and MBN tended to decrease during the rainy season whereas they tended to increase and remain at high levels during the dry season in all treatment plots at both of our test sites, although soil moisture did not correlate with MBC or MBN. qCO2 correlated with soil moisture in all treatment plots at both sites, and hence soil microbes act as decomposers mainly during the rainy season. Although the effect of seasonal variation of soil moisture on the dynamics of MBC, MBN, and qCO2 was certainly greater than that attributable to plant residue application, fertilizer application, or soil texture, plant residue application early in the rainy season clearly increased MBC and MBN in both clayey and sandy soils. This suggests that plant residue application can help to not only counter the N loss caused by leaching but also synchronize crop N uptake and N release from soil microbes by utilizing these microbes as an ephemeral nutrient pool during the early crop growth period. We also found substantially large seasonal variations in MBC and MBN, continuously high qCO2, and rapid turnover of soil microbes in sandy soil compared to clayey soil. Taken together, our results indicate that soil microbes, acting as both a nutrient pool and decomposers, have a more substantial impact on tropical sandy soil than on clayey soil. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Geophagy is defined as the practice of eating soil and is observed worldwide. In Tanzania, edible soil sticks called pemba are consumed mainly by pregnant women, but the physiological function of eating pemba has not yet been elucidated. The objectives of the present study were to evaluate the physicochemical properties of edible soil sticks compared with ordinary soils in Tanzania and to evaluate the function of geophagy in terms of micronutrient supply and the adsorption capacity of materials such as toxins. The color of eight pemba samples collected from various markets was reddish or whitish and their shape was generally columnar with an average length, width and weight of 6.1 cm, 1.8 cm and 22 g, respectively. Pemba had a more clayey texture (48% clay on average) than the ordinary soils investigated for comparison, and the clay composition was generally dominated by kaolinite. The concentrations of available nutrients in pemba, extracted with 0.1 mol L−1 NaCl (pH 2), were 391 mg Ca kg−1, 234 mg Mg kg−1, 17 mg Mn kg−1, 6.5 mg Fe kg−1, 4.9 mg Cu kg−1, 2.8 mg Co kg−1, 1.9 mg Zn kg−1 and 1.1 mg Ni kg−1, and extraction with reductant drastically increased the amounts of Fe and Mn released. The amount of available nutrients supplied by pemba consumption at a rate of 50 g day−1 amounted to 99% of Mn and 13% of Fe in the case of reddish pemba and 75% of Cu in the case of whitish pemba of the daily requirement by pregnant women, suggesting the potential of pemba to supply these micronutrients. A moderate cation exchange capacity (CEC) level (11.1 cmolc kg−1) and lower ratio of CEC to clay content for the pemba compared with the soils indicated that the adsorption capacity was not the main criteria for choosing soil materials and instead fine-textured soils with kaolinitic clay mineralogy were deliberately chosen for pemba. In conclusion, the main function of eating pemba in Tanzania, and probably the original function of geophagy, is the supply of micronutrients, such as Mn, Cu and Fe, rather than the adsorption of toxic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sugarcane cultivation in Japan has not yet focused on suppressing plant-parasitic nematodes. For proper nematode management, it is essential to know the spatial distribution of economically important plant-parasitic nematodes and free-living nematodes that play important roles in terrestrial ecosystems. We aimed to reveal nematode fauna and soil properties in 85 sugarcane fields of three major sugarcane producing islands in Japan, and to examine their relationship by using the mixed-effect model and by visualizing the spatial distributions using the inverse distance weighting (IDW) approach. The nematode community structures were analyzed by non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS). Among plant-parasitic nematodes in sugarcane, the root-lesion nematodes (Pratylenchus sp.) and the stunt nematodes (Tylenchorhynchus sp.) were widely distributed in these islands, yet the abundance and the species varied geospatially. Soil pH was significantly correlated with the abundance of Pratylenchus and Tylenchorhynchus species. The abundance of Pratylenchus and Tylenchorhynchus species were significantly correlated with soil pH. The abundance of Pratylenchus was significantly correlated with the abundance of free-living nematodes, the number of free-living nematode species, and exchangeable cation K+, as were the abundance of Tylenchorhynchus to the clay content and that of non-Tylenchorhynchus. This study also revealed that the three islands had different nematode faunas, which were explained especially by soil pH, texture, and exchangeable basic cations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics after slash-burn agriculture are poorly understood in African tropical forest, though recent studies have revealed C4 grass invasion as a forest understory influences SOC dynamics after deforestation. This study aimed to quantify the relative SOC contribution of C4 and C3 plants separately through the sequential fallow periods of forest (cropland, or 4–7, 20–30, or >50 years of fallow forest) in the tropical forest of eastern Cameroon. We evaluated the SOC stock and natural 13C abundance for each layer. The SOC stock was largest in 4–7 years fallow forest (136.6 ± 8.8 Mg C ha−1; 100 cm depth, and C4:C3 = 58:42), and decreased with increasing fallow period. SOC from C4 plants was larger in the 4–7 and 20–30 years fallow forests (57.2–60.4 ± 5.8 Mg C ha−1; 100 cm depth), while it clearly decreased in >50 years fallow forest (35.0 ± 4.1 Mg C ha−1; 100 cm depth), resulting in the smallest SOC in this mature forest (106.4 ± 12.9 Mg C ha−1; 100 cm depth). These findings indicate that C4 grass understories contributed to the SOC restoration during early fallow succession in the tropical forest of eastern Cameroon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soils in tropical croplands are becoming degraded because of soil carbon (C) depletion. Local farmers in South India use a specific management of traditional cultivation, i.e., broadcast seeding. However, for sustainable C management, there is no quantitative data on the CO2 flux under this management. Our objectives were to (1) estimate the annual CO2 flux, and (2) evaluate the effect of traditional cultivation management (seeding rate) on the CO2 flux. Our field experiment was conducted in South India, from 2015 to 2017, including two cultivation periods with four cultivation management treatments (traditional cultivation management plot (T), fixed density plot (FD), no thinning plot (NT), and bare plot (B)). The seeding rate in the FD plot was ca. 50% of the T plot. We applied 1.1 Mg C ha−1 farmyard manure just before the experiment as a C input. We found that broadcasting, thinning, and cultivation increased soil moisture, while the CO2 efflux rate showed no significant difference between treatments throughout the experimental period. This indicates that cultivation management did not affect the CO2 flux. The total CO2 fluxes for two years were estimated at 2.2–2.7 Mg C ha−1. Our results indicate that it is necessary to apply larger or more frequent C inputs to prevent C depletion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphorus (P) is an essential nutrient for crop production, while most soil P is the less labile P associated with Aluminum (Al) and Iron (Fe) in acidic soils of Japan. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of two contrasting P-efficient legumes (white lupin, WL (Lupinus albus L.); and groundnut, GN (Arachis hypogaea L.)) on rhizosphere soil P dynamics in different soil types of Japan, such as Al-rich volcanic-soil, Fe-rich red-yellow-soil, and sandy-soil, with or without historical fertilization managements (3 soil types × 2 managements = 6 soil samples). We conducted a 56-day pot experiment, and analyzed the plant P uptake and fractionated P of rhizosphere and bulk soils, based on the Hedley-fractionation method. We observed that GN P uptake was generally larger than that in WL in most soil types and managements. WL significantly decreased the labile P in most soils and also decreased the less labile inorganic P (Pi) and organic P (Po) in fertilized Red-yellow-soil, which has much crystalline Fe, though GN did not. In contrast, both WL and GN significantly decreased the less labile Pi in fertilized volcanic-soil, which has much non-crystalline Al. These results indicate that (1) characteristics of less labile P uptake by P efficient legumes were different between the soil types and managements, and (2) WL efficiently solubilized the less labile P than GN in fertilized red-yellow soil, while GN efficiently absorbed the larger amount of P than WL, especially in volcanic- and sandy-soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural broadleaved forests have been widely converted to plantations with economically valuable trees mainly belonging to the family Pinaceae in temperate regions. Furthermore, mixed natural forests dominated by Pinaceae have been converted into pure cedar plantations involving members of the Cupressaceae in many areas. The objective of this study was to determine the impacts of such conversion with respect to the changes in dominant tree species and tree stand types (i.e. pure vs mixed) on soil properties, including the diversity and community structures of bacteria and fungi colonizing roots, rhizospheres, surface and subsurface bulk soils. Our results showed that vegetation apparently affected the bacterial and fungal community structures, but differently among these compartments. Bacterial alpha diversity was significantly lower in a mixed natural forest than in a pure cedar plantation. In addition, roots in the natural forest supported greater proportions of specific bacteria such as Bradyrhizobiaceae and Burkholderia bryophila , which have been often reported as plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria. Fungal alpha diversity was not different between vegetation, but ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi such as Piloderma olivaceum , Cenococcum geophilum , Tuber pseudosphaerosporum , Sebacina sp. Tomentella sp. and Russula sp. were detected in the natural forest but less than 0.2% in the cedar plantation. The rhizosphere effects on soil pH and bacterial and fungal abundance were observed only in the natural forest, but not in the cedar plantation. Therefore, our results suggested that conversion from mixed natural forest to pure cedar plantation reduces specific bacteria with plant-growth-promoting properties as well as ECM fungi, although it appears to increase bacterial diversity. This has practical implications in that it suggests that specific planting of ECM-associated trees might be an effective strategy when attempting to generate mixed forests from starting points of pure cedar plantations. • Ectomycorrhizal fungi were detected in mixed natural forest dominated by Pinaceae. • The conversion to cedar plantation increased bacterial diversity. • The conversion reduced specific bacteria with plant-growth-promoting properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The members of the Editorial Board and management staffs of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition express their deep appreciation to the scientists listed below who reviewed the manuscripts submitted for publication from October 2021 until September 2022. Their critical comments and helpful suggestions have certainly contributed to the enhancement of the quality of articles published by the journal. [Extracted from the article]