Search

Estimates of conservation agriculture (CA) adoption vary worldwide because of a lack of a standardized methodology to quantify the simultaneous utilization of its core principles of minimum soil disturbance, permanent soil organic cover and crop diversification. Comparisons of CA adoption among farms across regions requires estimation of the farm area and cropping season where CA principles are applied. To develop the Conservation Agriculture Appraisal Index (CAAI) as a standardized conceptual framework with defined thresholds that indicates the intensity and frequency of use of each CA core principle. CAAI was subsequently applied to quantify CA adoption on farms across four wheat (triticum aestivum) growing regions, both with and without livestock, including dryland and irrigated systems in Australia and Mexico, respectively. CAAI is a continuous scoring system that estimates the intensity and frequency of application of the core principles and their concurrent utilization to assess the extent of CA adoption. CAAI score is the sum of the scores of each core principle, accounting for the percentage of the farm area and cropping season where CA is applied. CAAI emerged from semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, and farm visits that captured underlying patterns of CA use in regional-specific contexts. CAAI assessed annual CA adoption on 100 farms in four wheat growing regions with different environments and farming systems. The adoption of CA was higher in Australia than Mexico, where partial adoption was more prevalent, especially for summer crops. 'No adoption' of CA occurred when one of the core principles consistently scored zero within a year. The CAAI can be used as a benchmarking research tool at the farm level to standardize units for comparisons and identify levels of CA adoption by farm area and cropping seasons between and across regions. [Display omitted] • Estimates of conservation agriculture (CA) adoption vary worldwide because of a lack of standardized methodology. • The novel CA Appraisal Index (CAAI) quantifies concurrent adoption of core CA principles across farm area and cropping seasons. • The CAAI defines thresholds that determines the intensity of utilization of the core CA principles. • CAAI was successfully applied to cropping regions in Australia and Mexico to estimate annual CA adoption. • CAAI can be used as a benchmarking research tool for an appraisal of CA adoption at the farm level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article studies the morphological and physicochemical properties of soils in the natural habitat of dandelion kok-saghyz (Taraxacum kok-saghyz L.E. Rodin) (TKS)—a source of high-quality rubber. The purpose of the work is to study the natural soil habitat of dandelion TKS in comparison with the nearby area where TKS is absent. The methods of soil research are comparative, geographical, morphological, and analytical. Soil sections were laid down and georeferenced, and relief, vegetation, and morphological structures of soil profiles by genetic horizons were described. A database of the physical and chemical properties of soils by horizon was created. Landscapes and soil conditions of in situ populations have been studied in the Kegen District of the Almaty region in the territory of the Kegen River floodplain, in the areas of the Jalauly and Kegen villages, and in the zone of groundwater inclination north of Saryzhas village. The natural soil habitat of TKS was studied. It was found that TKS grows in conditions of moisture floodplains of intermountain valleys on saline floodplain meadowy soils of a sulfate–sodium composition with a high content of total humus and nutrient elements in an alkaline environment.

The study assessed the levels of usage of conservation agriculture technology in Kisangani, Democratic Republic of Congo and Angonia, Mozambique. A structured questionnaire was randomly administered to 192 farmers in each study site to collect data through a multistage sampling process. The study employed descriptive statistics and multinomial logistic regression to examine possible relationships among the study parameters. The results showed that land size used for conservation agriculture was a significant predictor in both study sites. Farmers’ intention to adopt depended on the services of vulgarisation of conservation agriculture technology. The results further showed that Kisangani farmers do not use the three-conservation agriculture technology at the same time, but they use crop rotation (54%). However, farmers use the three technologies (30%) simultaneously and soil cover (38%) in Angonia. The results suggest that efforts to promote adoption in Kisangani should be based on equal provision of extension services in all locations, and that the current farmer field schools (FFS) approach should be redesigned for contextualisation. For both study sites, the results imply that the use of FFS should be adapted to the use of farmer-to-farmer extension services, which can improve the upscaling of conservation agriculture to increase food security in a sustainable manner

Actuality. Studies of soil pollution assessment are based on scientific principles that define a complex system of environmental safety management in the context of increased exposure to sources of secondary dust pollution of the atmosphere. To ensure environmental safety under conditions of high levels of dust pollution, it is necessary to apply and improve the relevant models. Among the many types of environmental pollution, dust pollution of the atmospheric air and the deposition of harmful substances on the soil are particularly dangerous. This pollution can take two forms: direct emissions from industrial enterprises (primary) or the formation of secondary pollution through physical and chemical processes in places where dust-like waste is stored. Fine waste after air purification with dimensions of less than 100 microns is particularly hazardous. In modern environmental monitoring and assessment of soil pollution, special attention is paid to remote methods that allow for more effective monitoring of the impact of human activity and solving environmental problems. The use of unmanned aerial vehicles is one such method that has positive results. The purpose of the article is to solve the scientific problem of improving aerospace methods based on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for monitoring and assessing the quality of soil pollution. The object of the study is the use of aerospace tools for monitoring and assessing the condition of soil cover. To achieve this goal, the following tasks have been defined: to study the current state and ways to improve the efficiency of UAVs in the system of environmental monitoring of soils; to develop models of environmental assessment; to analyze existing approaches to the use of aerospace assets for monitoring and assessing the state of soil cover. Conclusions: a methodological approach based on a modified method of the comprehensive assessment of the level of technogenic hazard of industrial facilities is proposed to assess the state of environmental safety in conditions of intense dust pollution of the atmospheric air.

Cover cropping is a promising and sustainable agronomic practice to ameliorate soil health and crop performances in agro-ecosystems. Indeed, cover crops (CCs) may regulate several ecosystem services such as nutrient cycling, soil fertility, moderation of extreme meteorological events, pollination, and climate and water regulation; in addition, CCs are also used as forage crops and have considerable effects on plant and soil biodiversity. However, to achieve the desired effects on agro-ecosystems, cover cropping should be carefully adopted by considering the specie choice, period of cultivation, and termination method based on site, farm, or purpose-specific. The main objective of this manuscript is to analyze the effects of modern agriculture on soil and environmental health and how cover crops can support sustainable cropping systems and global food security. In addition, it focuses on how the incorporation of cover crops into conventional cropping systems can help in the diversification of crops and assist in mitigating the environmental effects of cropping systems. Finally, this review thoroughly investigates the potential effects of CCs on environmental sustainability, which can be an important source of information for sustainable crop production and food security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accelerating pace of development due to groundwater overwithdrawal throughout the world places increasing demands on the unsaturated zone. Estimating evaporation from unsaturated soil has been important for many geotechnical and geoenvironmental applications. As an example, the long-term performance of soil covers, which are widely used in mining and landfill applications to protect the environment, depends on evaporation from their surfaces. Evaporation, in turn, depends on moisture flow within an unsaturated soil mass, which is generally coupled with heat flow. Evaporation also depends on the void ratio and hydraulic and air conductivities of soil, which are, in turn, affected by stress and strain and the resulting soil settlement. As a result, a thermohydromechanical (THM) analysis for predicting evaporation is necessary. A two-dimensional (2D) finite-element program, θ-Stock, can perform THM analysis of unsaturated soil but works only within the soil, not in the atmosphere above the soil. In this study, a 2D model of soil–atmosphere interaction employing atmospheric coupling and using a modified Penman equation was implanted in θ-Stock to develop program EVAP1, which numerically estimates potential and actual evaporation from unsaturated soil using THM analysis. Because of the coupled character of the phenomena, the boundary conditions were determined by the soil state and the environmental data. The program EVAP1 was verified with published experimental and numerical studies on evaporation. The results of analyses using the verified program showed that neglecting THM behavior, and hence soil settlement, leads to an overestimation of evaporation from unsaturated soil surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyzes the problem of soil cover contamination of the urban ecosystem with heavy metals. The work is based on the authors own long-term monitoring studies. The main sources of soil contamination are identified - industrial enterprises and motor transport. The content of total and mobile forms of Cu, Ni, Pb, Cr, and Zn in the soils of the city territory was found out. The concentration factors (Cf) of heavy metals and their total contamination indexes (TCI) were determined. The highest Cf values for the total form of heavy metals belong to zinc (up to 25.1). At 61.1% of the study sites, the Cf values of zinc are above 9.0. At 83.3% of the sites, the Cf values for the total form of copper content are in the range of 6.0-22.1. The results of the studies indicate high average Cf values for lead and chromium at the majority of the sites. The highest maximum and average Cf values for the mobile form for all heavy metals were found at test-site No. 4. As a result of the studies, it was found that the average values of the total contamination indexes for the total form of heavy metals exceed the permissible level by 1.6-2.7 times. For the mobile form of heavy metals, the average values of the TCI are within the permissible limits, except for test-site No.4, where an excess of 3.7 times is recorded. It is found that the soils of the northern and southern parts of the city are the most contaminated, the least contaminated are soils of the eastern part of the city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper was to assess the impact of grazing methods on the indicators of vegetation and soil cover of pastures located in the semi-desert zone in the West of Kazakhstan. The experiment was carried out on 3 pastures with different grazing methods, and a reference plot with no grazing served as a control variant. Transects measuring 100*50 m were laid on pastures, where all regime observations of herbage indicators were carried out. Soil samples were taken in layers of 0-10, 10-20, and 20-30 cm with 3-fold repetition. The lowest indicators of yield (0.38 t/ha), projective coverage (45%), species composition (12 pieces), and herbage height (22 cm) were established on pastures with intensive grazing. Intensive grazing also reduced the quality of the soil, where a low content (0.83 percent) and reserves of humus (34.19 t/ha) and phosphorus (0.65 mg/100g) were found, and the soil compacted to 1.38 g/cm3, its structure decreased to 53.15%, the soil degraded to the 3rd degree and became moderately solonetzic. High values of vegetation and soil cover indicators were obtained on pastures with rotational grazing. In the rotational grazing variant, the yield difference compared to the control variant amounted to 0.41 t/ha, and the yield of feed units (0.07 t/ha), digestible protein (0.011 t/ha), and exchange energy (1.08 GJ/ha) had increased. A higher content of available phosphorus (0.95 mg/100g of soil), agronomically valuable structural aggregates (67.55%), a looser density (1.24 g/cm3), and weak salinity were found in the soil cover of rotational grazing pastures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Eurasian Journal of Ecology is the property of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The contradictory statements and opinions, which need by the mind of author additional explanation or disentangle are in the work followings: stages in the forming soil covers' humus status; additional carbon sequestration into the soil; discord between consumption and accumulation of soil organic matter; the influence of land use, land-use change and soil tillage on soil humus status; permanent and dynamic properties of soil; the role of agriculture in carbon turnover; degradation of soil fertility; the influence of different components of soil organic matter on soil functioning; pedoecological approach of peat soils; biodiversity and species richness of soils; weediness of agroecosystems; ethical statements concerning land use.

The relevance of the study is caused by the need in data on the soil background states in the territory of the gold ore facility as well as in knowledge of relationships between the mineral and geochemical features of the deposit soil cover. The purpose of the research is to detect mineralogical and geochemical features of the soil cover of Vyun gold deposit territory at the pre-operational period of its development. Object of the study is soils of the territory of Vyun gold deposit. Factual materials and research methods. The factual material was obtained by employees of the Department of Geoecology and Geochemistry of the National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University in 2017 in the course of research work. The paper presents results of the study of the Vyun gold deposit territory based on 19 soil samples obtained at that time. The work was carried out by standard methods in accordance with the regulation documents. The elemental composition of the soils including 55 chemical elements was determined by the mass spectrometry method with inductively coupled plasma at the analytical chemical certified center «Plasma» (Tomsk). Mineral composition of soils was determined using optical microscopy, X-ray diffractometry and scanning electron microscopy on the basis of the International Scientific and Educational Center «Uranium Geology». The results were processed using modern software (Microsoft Excel, Statistica, Corel Draw, etc.). Results. The mineralogical and geochemical features of the soils in Vyun gold deposit territory have been determined. The relationship between the mineral composition of the ore zone and the soil geochemical characteristics was established. The data were obtained on the increased contents of gold and elements-satellites of low-sulfide gold-quartz mineralization, namely arsenic, silver, antimony, their contrasting scattering halos were determined, which can be used in the practice of further prospecting work.

Methodological approaches to the formation of a unified national system for monitoring and accounting the balance of carbon and greenhouse gas emissions are considered. The purpose, typification, requirements for the spatial placement of “carbon” polygons, assessment of the carbon absorption capacity of forests and agricultural ecosystems in the Russian Federation, the standard methodology recommended by the international community for assessing carbon stocks in soils, which should be applied in the Russian Federation to ensure comparability of the results of greenhouse gas accounting between countries, determination of the carbon absorption capacity of natural ecosystems and soils are discussed. The potential of carbon uptake by agricultural soils is shown. The list of indicators for assessing soil carbon according to the IPCC methodology for Tiers 2 and 3 is given. Taking into account the analysis of international practice, as well as on the basis of theoretical and applied experience of national science, the priority measures have been developed, they are aimed at working out and implementation of the national strategy for the use of terrestrial ecosystems in order to regulate greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate climate change.

Olive groves rank among the cropping systems facing higher erosion risk in Mediterranean Europe. The adoption of erosion control soil management practices is key for reducing such risk and driving olive production towards sustainability. This field experimental study aimed to quantify the erosion control performance of improved soil management as compared to conventional soil management in olive groves of NE Portugal. The design aimed to compare the effects of introducing no-tillage (NT) to a conventionally managed (T) olive grove and those with complementing ground cover by adventitious species (NS) with a sown cover (S) and comprised four treatments: TNS (reference for conventional), TS, NTNS and NTS. Erosion microplots (4 m2) were installed (two per treatment), recording soil loss, runoff and ground cover in seven erosion events throughout one year. The best erosion control performance was found in NTNS (low-cost improved soil management treatment) with 50% and 85% reductions in soil loss, respectively, in the annual total and in erosion events following large precipitation periods. Plots with adventitious vegetation ground cover performed better in soil loss control than the sown ones. Converting to no-tillage, as compared to sowing herbaceous vegetation to increase ground cover, proved more performant and less hazardous for improving erosion control in olive groves.

The grasses are suitable to provide cover to the soil and they can be used as fodder. A study was conducted to screen out the best species of native and exotic grasses which can flourish under rainfed conditions of Pothwar for biomass (fodder) production, grass hedge suitability and soil cover due to spreading character. Initially twelve grasses were planted for evaluation of their performance under rainfed conditions viz. Khavi, Madhana, Palwan, Lemon, Mott, khabbal, Kai, Suryala, Vetiver, Chingen, Babbar and Kangroo. Four grasses which could not survive under stress were Khabbal, Palwan, Chingen and Kangroo compared to other eight grasses. These remaining eight grass species were tested for biomass yield, spread ability and growth during 2008-2013 and data for plant height, periphery (hedge suitability) and biomass yield were collected at each year in three months intervals. The mean data of six years from 2008-2013 indicated that Mott grass (Pennisetum perpureum) attained the highest spreading (1.49 m) as well as biomass yield (47.48 t/ha) followed by Kai grass (Typha latifolia) with periphery (0.93 m) and biomass yield (13.7 t/ha). Khavi (Cymbopogen schoenanthus) produced least periphery and biomass yield as compared to other grasses. The order of suitability regarding biomass among eight grasses was Mott grass> Kai grass > Lemon grass > Shryala grass> Vetiver grass> Madana grass> Babbar grass> and Khavi grass. The results revealed that these grasses are suitable as soil cover for strengthening bunds structures to arrest erosion as well as fodder production for livestock in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming to solve the problems of easy generation of clods, poor soil fluidity and poor soil-covering effect in the no-tillage seeding operation mode, this study has designed a soil-covering device with a soil-closing function for the chisel-type furrow opener of a corn no-tillage planter. Theoretical analysis and design of the soil dividing plate and the soil-covering disc were carried out, and the key parameters were determined. Then, the soil-covering device with soil-closing function and the soil movement model was constructed in Altair EDEM, and the spatial soil particle mobility was analyzed. The numerical simulation method was combined with the center plane composite response test scheme to carry out the simulation test, and the optimal working parameter combination was obtained. The operating speed was 6.35 km·h−1, the inclination angle of the soil-covering disc was 60°, the opening angle of the soil-covering disc was 70°, and the inclination angle of the soil dividing plate was 40°. A comparative test of the soil-covering effect and performance was carried out, and the results showed that the designed device was better than the traditional soil-covering device in terms of the consistency of soil-covering thickness and the stability of seed position deviation. The relative errors of the soil bin experiment results and the simulation optimization results for the cover soil thickness and seed position deviation were 5.7% and 11.1%, respectively. The operation effect of the designed soil-covering device with soil-closing function meets the requirements of soil covering under no-tillage conditions and provides a basis for the research and development of soil-covering suppression technology and devices under no-tillage seeding mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing the water loss sources, i.e. soil evaporation and weeds presence, is an essential act for keeping well soil moisture to crop growth, especially under drought conditions. Therefore, two–year field trials were conducted for seeking the best compatible practice between irrigation regime and weed control method in onion onion. Three irrigation water regimes (60%, 80% and 100% of the crop water requirements, CWR) and seven weed control practices (rice, wheat and peanut straws as soil mulches as well as oxadiargyl, oxyfluorfen, weeding, and unweeded) were applied. Findings revealed that the application of 60% of CWR either with peanut straw mulch or weeding recorded the maximum reduction in weed biomass. In plots mulched by peanut straw irrigation with 80% of CWR produced acceptable marketable bulb yield, NPK contents, flavonoids content and economic returns closing irrigation by 100% of CWR. In conclusion, the rate of water loss from soil surface through evaporation was much lower in case of mulch treatment than non–mulched one. Thus, mulch not only keeps weeds out but also maintains soil moisture. This allows the opportunity to reduce irrigation water by 20% (80% of CWR) with gaining acceptable yield, saving water and raising benefit/cost ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The necessity of a comprehensive description of greenhouse gas fluxes on different types of soils, the methodology for creating “carbon polygons” and “carbon farms” with the use of modern methods for assessing carbon fluxes in ecosystems, taking into account the specifics of the natural conditions of Russia and competitive advantages, are substantiated. Directions for developing national methods for calculating carbon fluxes are given, which should be subjected to verification by the interested parties of the Paris Agreement adopted by the Russian Federation. Such issues are considered as the role and potential of the Russian soil cover in the carbon balance of the planet, factors of reducing carbon stocks from the upper 1 meter depth layer of the soil, competitive edge in the EU and the Western world in the questions of natural and climatic changes, the use of remote sensing of the Earth from space in order to obtain regular, complete and reliable estimates of the absorption of greenhouse gases.

The goal of this study was to assess impact of flood on soil and vegetation cover in the Sazava river floodplain after an extreme spring flood in 2006. The impact on soil cover resulted mainly in vast erosion and sedimentation leading to differentiation of three fluvisol subtypes according to sediment coarseness. The impact on vegetation resulted in regeneration of herbaceous alluvial vegetation buried under a thin layer of sediments, succession of vegetation on eroded sites and succession of vegetation on new sediments. The regeneration of alluvial vegetation, expressed by vegetation cover, reached the same level as vegetation on undisturbed sites after 8 months. The succession of vegetation on new sites, studied within 25 m2 sampling plots and tested by using multivariate statistical methods, was primarily dependent on diaspores left on sites by the flood and on site type as well. The vegetation cover reached 100 percent at the end of the first vegetation season in both cases. There was a significant difference in species’ composition between eroded sites and sites on thick layers of sediments each year as hypothesized. There was also significant difference in vegetation succession between site types. Sukcese vegetace a přeměna pokryvnosti půdy po extrémních záplavách. Případová studie v nivě Sázavy Vliv extrémních záplav na vegetaci a půdní kryt byl studován v nivě Sázavy po jarní povodni v roce 2006. V prostoru nivy mezi Čerčany a Poříčím nad Sázavou došlo k rozsáhlé erozi a sedimentaci. Sledována byla jednak obnova aluviální vegetace pohřbené pod málo mocné vrstvy sedimentu, jednak sukcese vegetace na erozních plochách a mocných sedimentech. Regenerace aluviální vegetace byla rychlá. Pokryvnost vegetace disturbovaných ploch dosáhla po 8 měsících stejné pokryvnosti jako na plochách nedisturbovaných. Oproti předpokladu nebyla prokázána rozdílná rychlost zarůstání studovaných ploch (regenerující vegetace aluviálních luk, sukcese na erozních plochách a sukcese na sedimentech). Druhové složení vegetace na sukcesních plochách však bylo průkazně závislé na typu plochy. Druhové složení také průkazně závisí na typu plochy a sukcesním stáří.

Conservation agriculture with its basic principles (permanent soil cover, minimal soil disturbance and crop rotation) is one of the most effective tools for adapting agricultural production to the adverse conditions of climate change. The numerous advantages of conservation agriculture are further expressed by the integration of cover crops into the crop rotation. Cover crops are introduced into innovative plant production systems for the purpose of improving the chemical, physical and biological properties of the soil with a positive impact on biodiversity and contributing to the sustainability of agricultural production. The aim of this paper is to present some of the main roles of cover crops in conservation agriculture with emphasis on soil erosion protection, water and nutrient conservation, and the impact on organic matter and soil structure.

Processing of extracted oil sands generates substantial volumes of tailings slurries. Due to the scale and inherent variability of the tailings properties, consolidation settlement is expected to occur at different rates and magnitudes across the tailings deposit. Estimating potential differential settlement of the consolidated deposit surface is an essential input for closure design. This paper presents a three-step methodology that generates multiple realizations of quasi-three-dimensional (3D) surfaces of the consolidated deposit based on the adjacent points. Each point is based on a stochastic one-dimensional (1D) large strain consolidation model developed with Monte Carlo techniques in GoldSim. The simulated surfaces provide early estimates of differential settlement based on the variability of consolidation properties expected in the tailings deposit. Comprehensive sensitivity analyses are performed for differently treated tailings material through 28 distinct scenarios to evaluate the sensitivity of the developed 1D and 3D models to consolidation input parameters over a 40-year time period. The analysis demonstrated that differential settlement is highly sensitive to tailings compressibility and hydraulic conductivity governed by the constitutive relationship parameters, and less sensitive to the solids content, specific gravity or thickness of a surcharge load. Tailings that underwent steady continuous settlement exhibited the largest degree of differential settlement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Soil erosion is a kind of land degradation that is one of the world's environmental issues. One of the most common causes of land degradation is soil erosion. Various additives and amendments are being employed in order to safeguard the country's water and land. As a result, understanding diverse soil additives and their roles in the conservation of soil and water resources, as well as complete watershed management, is critical. As a result, the purpose of this study was to provide comprehensive information on the background and recent studies on the use of organic, inorganic, and biological soil additives, as well as to evaluate various effects and determine their performance and application in erosion control and soil and water conservation. Materials and Methods: All studies and research on the application of amendments in soil and water conservation in different conditions on various components of soil erosion and conservation in Iran were documented in databases and extracted from journal articles, conferences, executive reports, and related research, and theses and dissertations were investigated. The relevant 75 documents were then chronologically evaluated, analyzed, and summarized in order to assess the usage of various amendments in many areas, including the kind of amendments, the scope of use, the experimental setting, and the research variables. The necessary conclusions were ultimately drawn qualitatively. Results: The use of soil stabilizers and amendments such as organic, inorganic, and biological elements to enhance the erodibility threshold and prevent soil water erosion has been widely documented based on the findings of this study. According to research findings, the performance of amendments varied depending on the kind, manner of application, scale, and soil type. In addition, the findings on the usage of amendments revealed that various additions are used and work well in soil and water conservation. However, adopting any of the customary changes has been noted as a considerable difficulty due to economic, environmental, health, administrative, functional, and technical restrictions. The use of biologically and ecologically friendly alternatives to boost the efficiency of the conditions for balancing and stabilizing the soil environment has been stressed due to the aforementioned constraints for the use of amendments. Conclusion: Because of the widespread use of amendments, the feasibility of using environmentally friendly amendments, and emphasizing waste management in the primary industry through additional studies and research, there is a need for proper and appropriate measures that are naturally environmentally friendly in the long term. Nevertheless, additional research on the application of various amendments resulting from the direct or modified use of significant industrial wastes with respect to various aspects of environmental, economic, ecological, and even aesthetic and at different scales is necessary to summarize and develop appropriate executive instructions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mature forest ecosystems are the most considerable reservoir of organic carbon (OC) among terrestrial ecosystems. The effect of soil type on aboveground OC stocks and their annual increases (AI) of overstorey tree, understorey tree and ground vegetation layers in Estonian forest phytocoenoses with mature stands on mineral soils were studied. The study enfolds nine mineral soil groups, which are characterized by their phytocoenoses composition, soil cover properties and tree stands' taxation data. An assemblage of soil and plant cover or plant–soil system is the main focus point in explaining causal and quantitative sides of ecosystems functioning. Surface densities of OC stocks in aboveground phytomass of forests varied significantly in the range of 52–100 Mg OC ha−1. High AI or productivity (4.8–5.5 Mg OC ha−1 year−1) is a characteristic of forest ecosystems formed on leached, eluviated and pseudopodzolic soils. Forest ecosystem ground vegetation, which is an important ecological indicator, fulfils vacant ecological niches with herbs and/or mosses (up to 0.50 Mg OC ha−1). The variation of ecosystem OC stocks and their AI by soil type should be taken into account in regional OC stocks and its annual increase estimations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the benefits associated with winter soil cover before sowing a spring crop, this practice is adopted unevenly by farmers. The goal of this paper is to identify and hierarchize the main soil-climate factors that hinder the adoption of cover crops. It is the first study to carry out this analysis at the scale of France, which is a country with a wide variety of soil types and climates. For this country, maps of vegetated winter soil cover prior to the establishment of a spring crop were previously produced for years 2018 and 2019, using Sentinel-2 multispectral images. For approximately half of France’s acreage with spring crops, the estimation concerning the presence or absence of a winter cover crop was correlated here with the main soil-climate factors of each field. The inclusion within Nitrate Vulnerable Zones is another potentially important variable to explain cover crop adoption, as regulatory requirements of the Nitrates Directives strongly encourage winter soil cover in these zones to reduce nitrogen losses. Because of the regulatory requirements of the Nitrates Directives regarding winter soil cover, the influence of being located in a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone was also evaluated. But despite these incentives for winter soil cover, inclusion in a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone had little influence on cover crop adoption. Principal component analyses performed for different crop rotations showed that the clay content was the soil-climate factor most negatively correlated with the adoption of cover crops. Cover crops were more frequently established on sandy fields with high organic carbon stocks, which corresponds rather to the characteristics of livestock regions. The development of technical solutions for the establishment and destruction of winter cover crops on clay soils could facilitate the adoption of these crops, and thus improve global water quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objectives] To find a sustainable production model for potato at low latitude plateau in winter in Yunnan Province. [Methods] Xuanshu 2 potato variety was tested in prefectures of Yunnan Province. Soil covering experiment was conducted in two trials (open field experiment and green house potted experiment). Impacts of three cultivation factors were analyzed: (i) three cultivation models (T1, T2 and T3), (ii) planting density (T1, T2 and T3), (iii) soil covering (T1, T2, T3, T4) on plant growth, and yield production. [Results] The soil moisture content, temperature, roots growth, stems development, leaf area index, and number-weight of tubers per plant and per plot (g) have significantly increased with commercial yield average of 45 t/ha. [Conclusions] The combination of this method with modern agriculture mechanization should be further popularized and applied in large scale planting in regions with climatic conditions similar winter season in Yunnan Province, so as to make contribution to the satisfaction of the world population potato consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to study perennial grasses for ornamental purposes in the period 2019−2021, a field experiment was conducted in IFC − Pleven on soil type leached chernozem, under non-irrigated conditions, a characteristic was made in height, soil cover, turf density, biomass, color, content of photosynthetic pigments of varieties, breeding populations and ecotypes of perennial ryegrass, crested wheatgrass and red fescue. It was found that the height varies by species, variety and ploidy level. For perennial ryegrass, Tetrany variety is higher than Harmoniya, and the lowest is Iljo variety. The crested wheatgrass Svejina has the tallest plants and the red fescue the lowest. The soil cover varies by species, varieties, cuts and years as for the first year it was 100% for Bulgarian varieties of perennial ryegrass and crested wheatgrass, and for the second years for perennial ryegrass is a maximum of 73%−70% for Tetrany, an average of Harmoniya 48%−50% and a minimum of Iljo−12%−15%. In crested wheatgrass Svejina has a relatively stable soil cover for the first to third cut is 55% and decreases in the fourth to 35%. In red fescue, polycross progenies suffer severely from drought and have 6% soil cover, except for the Ravnogor ecotype, 51%, 54% for the first and second growth and an average of 52% per year. The density of turf in perennial ryegrass is the highest for Iljo − 73.88, follow by Harmoniya − 50.53 and Tetrany − 47.50 stems per 10cm². Crested wheatgrass Svejina has an intermediate position - 66.56, and red fescue has the densest turf, as the ecotype Ravnogor has 115.38 stems per 10cm². Fresh biomass has the highest values for crested wheatgrass Svejina, followed by perennial ryegrass Tetrany and Harmoniya, and red fescue, ecotype Ravnogor has the largest amount. The shades of green color differ - green (Harmoniya and Iljo), dark green (Tetrany and all red fescue), and light blue-graygreen (Svejina). According to the content of photosynthetic pigments, (mg/100g Fr.w.) crested wheatgrass Svejina has the highest value sum of 4 cuts 1760.90 mg, followed by perennial ryegrass Harmoniya, Tetrany and Iljo, and with the lowest content is red fescue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scientific and practical problems facing the "society-nature" system that have developed a new direction in the system of geographical sciences - landscape ecology, which deals with just the problems or rather the consequences of irrational nature management. From these positions, the relevance of the research topic seems relevant and in demand, primarily by the practice of combating desertification processes in the Chechen Republic. The purpose of the study is to study the influence of anthropogenic factors on landscapes and the patterns of their changes depending on the stages of development of degradation processes. Research objectives: to conduct studies of anthropogenic changes in landscape complexes under the influence of desertification processes; to identify natural indicators of the desertification process; to establish regional features of landscape transformation in the semi-desert zone; to develop measures to optimize the natural environment of the semi-desert zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim is to find out the influence of using coloured plastic mulches (blue, white, green, red, black and white on black) compared with a mulch-free treatment on the root zone temperature, growth and productivity of broccoli. The results indicated that the highest and lowest mean root zone temperatures were recorded the in the dark-coloured mulches (blue, green, red and white on black) and in the light-coloured mulches (white), respectively, in both the winter and spring seasons. The average shoot length, leaf number and root volume of the broccoli for all the treatments was higher in the spring season compared with those of the winter season. The highest marketable head fresh weight values were 449.6 and 451.0 g found in the black mulch, while the lowest values were 391.4 and 397.5 g found in the winter and spring seasons for the red mulch, respectively. The N, P, K, Ca and Mg concentrations in the broccoli heads ranged from 2.0 to 2.8%, 0.9 to 1.0%, 2.7 to 3.6%, 1.9 to 5.9% and 0.5 to 0.89%, respectively, for all the treatments.

Climate change brings increasing attention to winter sowing of traditionally spring sown crops. Crop stand height, soil coverage, grain yield and yield components of six winter pea varieties and one spring pea variety were compared in eastern Austrian growing conditions in 2014 and 2015. Crop stands of winter pea were taller up to the end of May before they declined and crop stands of spring pea were taller from early June on. Winter pea covered the soil at least partly over winter and showed faster soil coverage in spring. At the end of May, just some weeks before harvest, spring pea attained equal soil coverage. Grain yield of winter pea was almost double that of spring pea due to higher pod density whereas spring pea produced more grains pod−1 than four out of six winter pea varieties and a higher thousand grain weight than all winter pea varieties. Consequently, grain density was higher for winter pea while the single pod yield was higher for spring pea. Growing winter peas in Central Europe might be a good strategy for increasing grain legume productivity and thereby European feed protein production.

The article presents data on changes in the state of the lakes of the Kamyshlovsky Log of the Omsk region based on spatio-temporal data of satellite images and analysis of the chemical composition of water. It is shown that the sodium sulfate type of water in the lakes of the region is formed in the foci of continental salinization – in the Kamyshlovsky Log. It is shown that the decisive role in the formation of lakes is played by their feeding with groundwater enriched with sodium chlorides. The data of the spatial-temporal analysis of the lakes of the Kamyshlovsky Log indicate the course of the process of salinization in the period from 2016 to 2020. Chlorides are of decisive importance in terms of chemical composition in lakes, the type of salinity in all lakes is sulfate-chloride. The exception is Kamyshnoye Lake – according to 2016 data, the type of salinity in the lake is sulphate, which by 2018-2020 was replaced by sulphate-chloride. The soil cover is mainly represented by soils of the saline range, mainly salt marshes, near Lake Piketnoe – solonets, near Kamyshlov – lugovo-chernozem saline saline soil. The type of salinization in the presented soils is sulphate.

No-tillage farming can improve crop productivity and the reliability of cropping compared with conventional tillage. The effects of three different seeding system configurations on surface residue handling, sunflower emergence and stand establishment, yield, and gross income were investigated over three cropping seasons. The seeding system configurations comprised of (1) turbo coulter blade, (2) notched disc row cleaner before turbo coulter blade, and (3) no residue handling unit installed in front of a double-disc opener. For all three seeding system configurations, crop residue cover on sown rows (after seeding) was greater than the minimum recommended value of 30% for no-tillage. Residue cover was best with the notched disc row cleaner in front of the turbo coulter blade compared to the other two seeding systems. Furthermore, the notched disc row cleaner in front of the turbo coulter blade produced the highest plant emergence counts and the most uniform stand establishment. Sunflower yield and gross income were highest with the notched disc row cleaner in front of the turbo coulter blade (3.16 Mg·ha-1 and 902 USD·ha-1) compared to when only the turbo coulter blade (2.38 Mg·ha-1 and 680 USD·ha-1) or no residue handling unit (1.69 Mg·ha-1 and 482 USD·ha-1) was used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Brasileira de Engenharia Agricola e Ambiental - Agriambi is the property of Revista Brasileira de Engenharia Agricola e Ambiental and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Cover cropping is a promising and sustainable agronomic practice to ameliorate soil health and crop performances in agro-ecosystems. Indeed, cover crops (CCs) may regulate several ecosystem services such as nutrient cycling, soil fertility, moderation of extreme meteorological events, pollination, and climate and water regulation; in addition, CCs are also used as forage crops and have considerable effects on plant and soil biodiversity. However, to achieve the desired effects on agro-ecosystems, cover cropping should be carefully adopted by considering the specie choice, period of cultivation, and termination method based on site, farm, or purpose-specific. The main objective of this manuscript is to analyze the effects of modern agriculture on soil and environmental health and how cover crops can support sustainable cropping systems and global food security. In addition, it focuses on how the incorporation of cover crops into conventional cropping systems can help in the diversification of crops and assist in mitigating the environmental effects of cropping systems. Finally, this review thoroughly investigates the potential effects of CCs on environmental sustainability, which can be an important source of information for sustainable crop production and food security.

ABSTRACT: The use of plastic mulching and high frequency hydroponic drip irrigation (intensive production methods) watering cycle may increase tabasco pepper crop production per unit area. To test this hypothesis, two randomized block experiments were conducted in a greenhouse, using a 2 × 4 factorial scheme with two contrasting soil types (sandy loam and loamy soil), two mulching conditions of soil cover (SC), and no soil cover (NC) at four frequencies: 1, 3, 12, and 24 irrigations every three days. The growth and yield pepper components were evaluated and the water use efficiency (WUE) was calculated. Mulching did increase fruit dry mass percentage (FDMP), WUE, and potassium use efficiency (KUE) in sandy loam soil. The greater frequency fertigation did not increase fruit fresh mass (FFM), number of fruits (NF), fruit average mass (FAM), fruit dry mass (FDM), FDMP, or WUE in sandy loam and loamy soils. Tabasco pepper has a permanent shrub growth habit that is somewhat different from horticultural crops, besides it is usually responsive to high frequency irrigation under vegetative intensive growth.

The contradictory statements and opinions, which need by the mind of author additional explanation or disentangle are in the work followings: stages in the forming soil covers' humus status; additional carbon sequestration into the soil; discord between consumption and accumulation of soil organic matter; the influence of land use, land-use change and soil tillage on soil humus status; permanent and dynamic properties of soil; the role of agriculture in carbon turnover; degradation of soil fertility; the influence of different components of soil organic matter on soil functioning; pedoecological approach of peat soils; biodiversity and species richness of soils; weediness of agroecosystems; ethical statements concerning land use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogel and mulch added to the soil may favor arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), contributing to the reforestation of disturbed lands in semiarid regions. This study aimed to evaluate AMF colonization in the roots of Enterolobium contortisiliquum (Vell.) Morong in response to the application of hydrogel and mulch (bagana) from carnauba palm (Copernicia cerifera L.) to the soil and their effects in the soil and plants. A field experiment was set up in April 2014 in Ibaretama (Ceará, Brazil) in a randomized block design in a 2×4 factorial scheme – with mulch (+M) e without mulch (−M) × hydrogel doses (0, 4, 5, and 6 g L−1 ) –, with five replicates. Samples of roots, soil, and leaves were collected 18 months after the beginning of the experiment to determine AMF colonization in the roots and nutrient contents in the soil and plant material. The hydrogel dose of 6 g L−1 and mulch application equivalent to 10 Mg ha−1 increased AMF colonization by 21 e 44%, respectively. Soil contents of Ca, K, and Zn decreased with hydrogel doses without mulch but increased in the presence of the carnauba palm residue applied as mulch. A higher P content in the plant material was not associated with AMF colonization. The leaf content of Ca responded only to the treatment with mulch, reaching the highest value (3.8 g kg−1 ) in the absence of mulch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract. Intensified production, an increased fleet of vehicles with internal combustion engines, as well as increased operational mass of transport and technological vehicles continuously aggravate the environmental situation in the world every year. (Research purpose) To identify the main impacts made by the transport and technological vehicles on the environment and the problems associated with their disposal, as well as with the disposal of automobile and tractor tires. (Materials and methods) The authors have generalized the materials published in periodicals, as well as the results of bench, field and operational tests of the transport and technological vehicles. (Results and discussion) The authors have identified the problem of the destructive impact of the wheeled movers on the supporting road surface, the soil and the soil cover. Measurements have been taken under the contact area of several mover types and the values of the stress-strained state of the soil affected by these movers have been determined in the form of the distribution of normal stress diagrams. The authors have also studied the influence of the design features of transport and technological vehicles performing curvilinear motion on the track size and soil destruction and identified characteristic patterns of the track. Conclusion has been made that in winter the level of environmental pollution depends on the road surface condition and the use of chemical reagents for deicing. The authors have considered a possibility of using electrical-and-hydraulic technology for the disposal of transport and technological vehicles and stressed the need to form regulatory documents for the designing, operation and disposal of transport and technological vehicles, taking into account foreign experience in organizing the environmental management system, as well as environmental auditing and labeling, the procedure for assessing the environmental performance of production systems and products at all life cycle stages. (Conclusions) The paper presents the main impact factors of the transport and technological vehicles on the environment during their life cycle up to full disposal. The authors have proved the need for a safe and energy-saving electro-hydraulic technology for the disposal of electronic components and batteries of transport and technological vehicles based on selective destruction of plastic casings and the separation of pure noble, rare-earth and other metals and their alloys.

Aim. This article discusses the current state of the chemical composition of the soils of the Kharbinsky federal nature reserve located on the territory of Yustinsky and Yashkulsky districts of the Republic of Kalmykia. The predominant soil compositions of the reserve are complexes of brown semi-desert soils with saline and sands. These soils are highly susceptible to erosion, mainly wind. Erosion is facilitated by the light mechanical composition of soils, land use and arid climate where only sparse semi-desert grass stands to grow thus creating no dense turf. Methods. For the general characteristics of the soil, the following analyzes were carried out: analysis of water extraction (the soils were analyzed for Са2+, Mg2+and Na+ cations, НСО3-, CI- and SO42- anions as well as pH), analysis for the content of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, as well as the determination of heavy metals. Results. As a result of chemical analysis, it was found that the soils in the settlements are more saline than in the steppe. The studied soils contain little humus, it varies from 0.37 to 4.66%. The nitrogen content in the soil in the reserve varies from 24.5 to 64.8 mg/1000 g. The content of mobile phosphorus in the studied soils varies over a wide range from 14.0 to 150.0 mg/1000 g. The studied soils are insufficiently supplied with exchangeable potassium, the content of which ranges from 0.12 to 1.17 mg/1000 g. Conclusions. As a result of the study, it was established that agricultural activity leads to a change in the chemical composition of the soil: macroelement composition of the soil, type and degree of salinization change; content of heavy metals increases.

Aiming to solve the problems of easy generation of clods, poor soil fluidity and poor soil-covering effect in the no-tillage seeding operation mode, this study has designed a soil-covering device with a soil-closing function for the chisel-type furrow opener of a corn no-tillage planter. Theoretical analysis and design of the soil dividing plate and the soil-covering disc were carried out, and the key parameters were determined. Then, the soil-covering device with soil-closing function and the soil movement model was constructed in Altair EDEM, and the spatial soil particle mobility was analyzed. The numerical simulation method was combined with the center plane composite response test scheme to carry out the simulation test, and the optimal working parameter combination was obtained. The operating speed was 6.35 km·h−1, the inclination angle of the soil-covering disc was 60°, the opening angle of the soil-covering disc was 70°, and the inclination angle of the soil dividing plate was 40°. A comparative test of the soil-covering effect and performance was carried out, and the results showed that the designed device was better than the traditional soil-covering device in terms of the consistency of soil-covering thickness and the stability of seed position deviation. The relative errors of the soil bin experiment results and the simulation optimization results for the cover soil thickness and seed position deviation were 5.7% and 11.1%, respectively. The operation effect of the designed soil-covering device with soil-closing function meets the requirements of soil covering under no-tillage conditions and provides a basis for the research and development of soil-covering suppression technology and devices under no-tillage seeding mode.