Enhanced efficiency fertilizers, such as urea treated with a urease inhibitor, controlled-release fertilizers (CRFs), and fertilizer blends, compose important strategies for improving efficiency in nitrogen (N) use by plants and mitigating ammonia (N-NH3) emissions. The physical mixture of fertilizers in blends can favor synchronization of N-release from the fertilizers and N-uptake by coffee plants and also dilute the costs of acquiring a pure CRF, making fertilizer blends more accessible to growers. To investigate this, a field experiment was conducted over two consecutive crop years with Coffea arabica with the aim of evaluating nitrogen fertilizer technologies at application rates ranging from 0 to 450 kg N ha−1. The fertilizers were characterized, and analyses were performed to quantify N-release from the fertilizers, ammonia volatilization, and nutritional and yield aspects of the coffee plant. The fertilizers used were urea (UCon), urea treated with N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric-triamide (UNBPT), urea-coated with polymer of the E-Max technology (with 41%N (EMax41) or 43%N (EMax43)), and blends of UNBPT with E-Max (Blend41–Blend43). The cumulative N-release for EMax41 always remained below that for EMax43, just as occurred for Blend41 in relation to Blend43. Over the two crop years, the greatest volatilization of N-NH3 occurred with UCon (~25%) and the least with EMax41 (9%). The results indicate that the technologies mitigated the N-NH3 emissions in relation to UCon [EMax41 (63% mitigation) > Blend41 (43%) > EMax43 (32%) > UNBPT (28%) > Blend43 (19%)]. Crop management affects coffee yield. The yield increase went from 20% in the first crop year to 75% in the second, with better results from fertilizers containing CRF. We present information that can assist fertilizer producers and coffee growers, and, above all, we seek to contribute to environmental action for the reduction of agricultural NH3, clarifying potential strategies for mitigation of these emissions and strategies that generate advances in research on technologies for coffee growing.

Salt-affected soils have detrimental effects on agriculture and ecosystems. However, these soils can still be used for halophyte (salt-tolerant plants) cultivation using brackish and/or saline water. In this study, we employed soil technologies and mutualistic microorganisms as a sustainable strategy to improve the growth and reproduction of the halophyte Limonium algarvense Erben’s growth and reproduction under saline conditions. A microcosm assay was conducted under controlled greenhouse conditions to cultivate L. algarvense using a saline Fluvisol (FLU) amended—or not—with a Technosol (TEC). Plants were inoculated with the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) Rhizoglomus irregulare and/or a consortium of plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB), and they were irrigated with estuarine water. Soil enzyme analysis and physicochemical characterisation of the soils, collected at the beginning and at the end of the assay, were carried out. The physiological status of non-inoculated and inoculated plants was monitored during the assay for 4 months, and AMF root colonisation was evaluated. In FLU, only plants inoculated with the AMF survived. These plants had lower number of leaves, and shoot and root dry biomass than the ones grown in the TEC by the end of the assay. In the TEC, PGPB inoculation led to higher NDVI and PRI values, and AMF inoculation promoted higher reproductive development but not pollen fertility. The findings show that the combined use of soil and microbial technologies can be successfully applied to cultivate L. algarvense, suggesting their generalized use for other Limonium species with economic interest, while contributing to the sustainable use of marginal lands.

The present study investigates the functionalecological status of typical light clay soils in vineyards in the southern region of Crimea, using both traditional (including fallow soils) and organic land-use systems. This analysis was carried out by examining agrochemical indicators, microbial respiratory activity, microbial biomass, and the ecological status of the microbial community. In organic vineyard soils, the mean substrate-induced respiration, microbial biomass carbon and the ratio of microbial biomass to organic carbon were found to be 2.8, 4.0, and 4.1 times higher, respectively, compared to conventional farm soils. On the contrary, the microbial metabolic coefficient was 1.4 times lower, signifying more favorable conditions for the functioning of the soil microbiota. The increased mobile sulfur content in organic vineyard soils (18.3 mg kg−1 vs. 8.0 mg kg−1 in traditional farms) and inadequate mobile phosphorus supply in some farms present potential risks. The suboptimal functional state of the microbiome in fallow soils previously under traditional plant protection necessitates comprehensive ecotoxicological analyses before development. Assessing the soil functional ecological status through an ecophysiological evaluation of the microbiome is vital for understanding ampelocenosis soils and making informed decisions on vineyard management practices.

Early growth water stress reduces the extract and fresh oil of Silybum marianum L. (S. marianum) shoots. Two experiments were conducted to reduce the effects of early growth drought. Treatments in the first experiment were organic seed cover fillers at three levels (control, vermicompost, and peat moss), hydrogel at seven levels (control, 2, 4, and 6 g hydrogelF1 per kg OSC, and 2, 4, and 6 g hydrogelA200 per kg organic seed cover), and water deficit at three levels (100, 50, and 25% of field capacity), and in the second experiment, seeds were inoculated with bacteria at four levels (control, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Pseudomonas putida, and their combination) and water deficit at four levels (100, 50, and 25% of field capacity). Our results showed that milk thistle seeds are sensitive to water deficit at the emergence stage. Covering milk thistle (S. marianum) seeds with organic seed cover increased water retention around the seeds and improved emergence percentage. Use of organic seed cover with hydrogel increased relative water content (RWC), leaf area, and shoot length, and increased extracts and oils in fresh shoots. Bacterial inoculation also improved initial growth and reduced the effect of water stress on the plant, and increased leaf number, extract, and oil. The combination of bacteria had a positive effect on initial growth and inoculation of seeds, P. fluorescens and P. putida increased relative water content (RWC), shoot height, and specific leaf area, and increased extract and oil under water deficit conditions. A comparison of the results showed that seed inoculation is a simple method without new culture medium, and improves extract and oil under water deficit conditions.

In the 1960s, a conservationist agricultural practice known as a “no-tillage system” was adopted. Several benefits such as soil erosion reduction and soil carbon sequestration, among others, could be ascribed to no-till systems. Therefore, it is important to evaluate the long-term sustainability of this agricultural system in different environments. This study has the objective to evaluate the soil organic carbon dynamic in a no-till system (40-year) and on a rolling landscape in Southern Brazil. A systematic grid with four transversal–longitudinal transects was used for soil sampling. Soil samples from 0–20, 20–40, and 40–60 cm depths were collected (16 trenches × 3 depths × 1 sample per soil layer = 48), and a forest nearby was used as control (4 trenches × 3 depths × 1 sample = 12). The soil at the forest site showed 20% more carbon stock than no-till at the 0–20 cm soil depth. However, the entire no-till soil profile (0–60 cm) showed similar soil carbon as forest soil. The soil carbon stock (0–20 cm) in no-till was depleted at a rate of 0.06 kg C m−2 year−1, summing up to a carbon loss of 2.43 kg C m−2. In addition, the non-uniform hillslope affected the soil carbon redistribution through the landscape, since the convex hillslope was more depleted in carbon by 37% (15.87 kg C m−2) when compared to the concave sector (25.27 kg C m−2). On average, the soil carbon loss in the subtropical agroecosystem was much lower than those reported in literature, as well as our initial expectations. In addition, the no-till system was capable of preserving soil carbon in the deepest soil layers. However, presently, the no-till system is losing more carbon in the topsoil at a rate greater than the soil carbon input.

Soil erodibility is one of the most crucial factors used to estimate soil erosion by applying modeling techniques. Soil data from soil maps are commonly used to create maps of soil erodibility for soil conservation planning. This study analyzed the spatial variability of soil erodibility by using a digital elevation model (DTM) and surface soil sample data at the Rhirane catchment (Algeria). A total of 132 soil samples were collected of up to 20 cm in depth. The spatial distributions of the K-value and soil physical properties (permeability, organic matter, and texture) were used to elaborate ordinary Kriging interpolation maps. Results showed that mean values of soil organic matter content were statistically different between Chromic Cambisols (M = 3.4%) vs. Calcic Cambisols (M = 2.2%). The analysis of variance of the organic matter provided a tool for identifying significant differences when comparing means between the soil types. The soil granulometry is mainly composed of silt and fine sand. The soil erodibility showed values varying between 0.012 and 0.077 with an average of 0.034, which was greater in soils with calcic horizons. Statistical evaluation by using Pearson’s correlation revealed positive correlations between erodibility and silt (0.63%), and negative correlations with sand (−0.16%), clay (−0.56%), organic matter (−0.32%), permeability (−0.41%), soil structure (−0.40%), and the soil stability index (−0.26%). The variability analysis of the K-factor showed moderate spatial dependency with the soil erodibility map indicating moderate to highly erodible risk in cropland and sparse grassland land uses. Overall, the study provides scientific support for soil conservation management and appropriate agricultural food practices for food supply.

Baculoviruses are DNA viruses that can naturally control insects and form the basis for a range of biological insecticides. These viruses are occluded in a crystalline protein matrix, the occlusion body (OB), which favors their persistence in the environment until consumed by a susceptible insect. This review presents evidence that baculoviruses are perfectly adapted to persist in soil. In support of this assertion, detailed evidence is presented concerning the stability of virus OBs in soil, the mechanisms and processes that affect OB transport to soil, OB persistence and movement through the soil layers, and the transport of the virus back to the host’s foodplant for subsequent transmission. The soil reservoir interacts with the host insect, the foodplant and the biotic and abiotic factors in the environment, all of which influence the function of the soil OB reservoir. Agricultural practices that conserve the soil reservoir can result in improved pest control. The soil is also an overlooked source of genetic diversity for the design of baculovirus-based insecticides. Finally, the principal issues that remain to be elucidated are highlighted, particularly with reference to those that affect the soil–baculovirus relationship and the impact of the soil OB reservoir on insect populations.

Abandoned anthropogenic sites are transformed when they come into use. In the present study, such objects were abandoned Evangelical cemeteries located in the Land of the Great Mazurian Lakes (northern Poland). This study aims to compare the concentrations of selected major (Ca, Na, Mg, Al, Fe) and potentially toxic elements (Zn, Cd, Pb) in the roots, leaves, and branches of Syringa vulgaris and buried necrosols and unburied soils in which this species grows. The soils analysed differ in their profile structure; in the case of burial necrosols, anthropogenic layers are present, while Brunic Arenosol has a natural horizon arrangement. Regarding pH, the soils analysed are characterised in the weakly acidic (6.6–6.8) to alkaline (7.2–8.6) range, both in KCl and H2O. Total phosphorus has high values in the humus and anthropogenic horizons, especially at coffin sites (Rudówka Mała: layer of Ccoffin—759 mg∙kg−1; Szymonka—844 mg∙kg−1). Necrosols are characterised by a slightly higher variation in major element content than soils outside the burial area. The highest elemental content in Syringa vulgaris is accumulated in leaves and roots. Potassium (K) has the highest content in the studied tissues, and cadmium (Cd) is the lowest. The study showed no significant differences in heavy metal accumulation for plants directly associated with necrosols and soils formed outside of burials, which is confirmed by analyses of environmental indicators. The study showed that plant chemistry is more influenced by the soil substrate and soil-forming process than the soil anthropogenisation associated with burials. There was no significant effect of burials on the chemical composition of individual parts of Syringa vulgaris.

Elevated cadmium (Cd) levels in cacao products have been detected in a major cacao-producing region of Colombia, with concentrations well above those permitted for export and posing a potential threat to human health. Geochemical and petrographic analyses of fertilizer, soil and rocks from three farms were used to determine the origin of Cd. Parent rocks were the main source of the Cd in soils, while organic fertilizer may have further contributed to elevated metal content in one farm. High Cd levels in the organic fertilizer were most likely due to bioaccumulation, since it was sourced from animals in the same area. Even though the soil pH range, elevated OM content and the presence of Mn and K diminish bioavailability, the extremely high Cd content in soils results nonetheless in significant uptake by the plants and subsequent accumulation in cocoa beans. Traditional methods to reduce Cd adsorption, such as the addition of calcium, will not be effective in this case. Instead, the selection of cacao species that are naturally low accumulators and amendment with soil microorganisms with mineralization and biotransformation capabilities, as well as testing of fertilizers before application, could all be cost-effective solutions to reduce Cd in the final product.

Wild blueberries (Vaccinium angustifolium Ait.) are often cultivated uniformly despite significant within-field variations in topography and crop density. This study was conducted to relate apparent soil electrical conductivity (ECa), topographic attributes, and multi-spectral satellite imagery to fruit yield and soil attributes and evaluate the potential of site-specific management (SSM) of nutrients. Elevation and ECa at multiple depths were collected from two experimental fields (referred as FieldUnd, FieldFlat) in Normandin, Quebec, Canada. Soil samples were collected at two depths (0–0.05 m and 0.05–0.15 m) and analyzed for a range of soil properties. Statistical analyses of fruit yield, soil, and sensor data were used to characterize within-field variability. Fruit yield showed large variability in both fields (CVUnd = 54.4%, CVFlat = 56.5%), but no spatial dependence. However, several soil attributes showed considerable variability and moderate to strong spatial dependence. Elevation and the shallowest depths of both the Veris (0.3 m) and DUALEM (0.54 m) ECa sensors showed moderate to strong spatial dependence and correlated significantly to most soil properties in both study sites, indicating the feasibility of SSM. In place of management zone delineation, a quadrant analysis of the shallowest ECa depth vs. elevation provided four sensor combinations (scenarios) for theoretical field conditions. ANOVA and Tukey–Kramer’s post hoc test showed that the greatest differentiation of soil properties in both fields occurred between the combinations of high ECa/low elevation versus low ECa/high elevation. Vegetation indices (VIs) obtained from satellite data showed promise as a biomass indicator, and bare spots classified with satellite imagery in FieldUnd revealed significantly distinct soil properties. Combining proximal and multispectral data predicted within-field variations of yield-determining soil properties and offered three theoretical scenarios (high ECa/low elevation; low ECa/high elevation; bare spots) on which to base SSM. Future studies should investigate crop response to fertilization between the identified scenarios.