Types of Irrigation Water and Soil Amendment Affect the Growth and Flowering of Petunia x alkinsiana ‘Bravo Pinc’

Water insufficiency is the hampering feature of crop sustainability,especially in arid and semi-arid regions.So,the effectual usage of all water resources especially underground brackish water represents the core priority in Saudi Arabia.The present study aimed to recognize the influence of different types of water irrigation(tap water as a control,salinized well water,and magnetized salinized well water)with or without soil amendments(soil without any amendment as a control,peat-moss,ferrous sulfate,and peat-moss plus ferrous sulfate)on petunia plant growth and flowering as well as ion content.Irrigating Petunia plants with saline well water adversely affected growth and flowering as compared to tap water and magnetized saline well water.Additionally,plants irrigated with magnetized water showed a significant enhancement in all the studied vegetative and flowering growth parameters as compared to those irrigated with salinized well water.Furthermore,mineral contents and survival of Petunia plants irrigated with magnetized well water were higher than those irrigated with tap water.Irrigation with magnetized well water significantly reduced levels of Na+and Cl−ions in leaves of Petunia plants indicating the role of magnetization in alleviating harmful effects of salinity.In conclusion,we recommend the utilization of magnetized saline well water for irrigating Petunia plants either alone or in combination with soil amendments(peat moss plus ferrous sulfate).

Effects of sawdust soil amendment on the soil, growth and yield of Solanum esculentum Linn. in waste engine oil-polluted soil

This study investigated the effects of sawdust as a soil amendment on certain growth parameters of Solanum esculentum Linn. grown in soil polluted with various concentrations of waste engine oil, and changes in the physicochemical proper- ties of the soil. The purpose was to assess the soil remediation potentials of sawdust in waste engine oil-polluted soil. The experiment was divided into three regimes： control （air-dried soil without waste engine oil and with clean sawdust）, pol- luted （waste engine oil-contaminated soil）, and amended （oil-polluted soil amended with sawdust）. Enough 3-kg soil samples were sieved and air-dried to prepare five treatment levels of waste engine oil-contaminated soil （30 mL, 1%; 60 mL, 2%; 90 mL, 3%; 120 mL, 4%; and 150 mL, 5%）, as well as five additional treatment levels （the same amounts ofoil contamination） in soil amended with sawdust. The treatment levels were replicated five times in a completely randomized design. A nursery bed was planted with a hybrid tomato variety （Roma V F） obtained from National Horticultural Research Institute （NIHORT） in Ibadan, Nigeria. During the maturation period, the growth parameters such as plant height, number of leaves, and number of branches per plant were determined and then the harvested plants were oven dried at 70 ℃for 48 hours to determine their dry weights. The effects of the sawdust amendment on the soil were assessed by determining the soil pH （glass electrode pH meter）, total nitrogen （Kjeldahl method）, total phosphorus （Bray-1 solution）, and potassium （on the leacheate by a flame photometer）. Chromium, lead, and cadmium contents were determined using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Analysis of variance and a Duncan multiple-range test were employed to test significant differences in the soil properties of the three regimes. The growth performance ofSolanum esculentum Linn. in the amended regime （soil with sawdust） at the 150-mL waste engine oil-contamination level was significantly higher than in the polluted regime （soil without sawdust）. After plant harvest, the pH of the soil was shown to be clearly affected by the addition of waste engine oil. The control soil （air-dried only, no sawdust, no oil） had the highest pH value, 6.60, which was significantly different from the pH values at other levels of waste engine oil contamination. However, when amended with sawdust, the control soil had a significantly lower pH value than the unamended control soil. This study further demonstrates that sawdust has the potential of amending waste engine oil-contaminated soil for increasing tomato growth performance because it is capable of increasing the soil nutrient content and reducing the soil total hydrocarbon content.

Heavy metal pollution risk of desulfurized steel slag as a soil amendment in cycling use of solid wastes

The by-product of wet flue gas desulfurization,desulfurized steel slag(DS),had chemical characteristics like natural gypsum that can be used to improve saline-sodic soil.However,contamination risk of heavy metals for cycling utilization of DS in agriculturewas concerned mostly.Both pot and field experiments were conducted for evaluating the potential pollution risk of DS as the amendment of saline-sodic soil.Results showed that application of DS decreased the contents of Cd,Cu,Zn,and Pb,while significantly increasing chromium(Cr)content in DS-amended soils.The field experiment demonstrated that the migration of heavy metals(Cd,Zn,Cu,and Pb)in the soil profile was negligible.The application of DS at the dosage of 22.5–225 tons/ha significantly increased the Cr content in alfalfa(Medicago sativa L.)but lower than the national standard for feed in China(GB 13078-2017).DS altered the chemical fraction of heavy metals(Zn,Cu,and Pb),transferred exchangeable,reducible into oxidizable and residual forms in DS-amended soil.Application of DS combined with fulvic acid(FA)could effectively reduce the movement of heavy metals in soil and the accumulation of Cr in alfalfa.Based on our results,DS was a safe and feasible material for agricultural use and presented relatively little pollution risk of heavy metals.However,the results also showed that DS to a certain extent had a potential environmental risk of Cr if larger dosages of DS were used.

Effect of Polyacrylamide integrated with other soil amendments on runoff and soil loss:Case study from northwest Ethiopia

Anionic polyacrylamide(PAM)has the potential to reduce soil erosion through soil conditioning.However,a comprehensive study about its effectiveness especially when applied combined with other amendments have rarely been conducted in the tropical highland climatic conditions,such as in Ethiopia.The study assessed the effectiveness of PAM(P=40 kg ha^(-1))alone or integrated with other soil amendments such as gypsum(G=5 t ha^(-1)),lime(L=4 t ha^(-1))and biochar(B=8 t ha^(-1))on runoff and soil loss at Aba Gerima watershed in the Upper Blue Nile basin,northwest of Ethiopia,where there is high erosion-caused soil degradation.A total of 79 daily runoff and sediment data were collected from eight runoff plots(1.3m×4m)with three replications planted with teff(Eragrostis tef)crop for two years(2018&2019)rainy seasons.Associated changes in soil physicochemical properties and crop growth parameters were investigated.Treatments reduced seasonal runoff by 12–39%and soil loss by 13–53%.The highest reduction in runoff was observed from P+B and PAM treatments while the highest reduction in soil loss was observed from that of P+L and PAM treatments.Integrating PAM with other amendments improved soil structural stability,moisture content,soil pH(P+L)and organic matter(P+B),leading to favorable environment for crop growth(biomass yield)and reduced runoff and soil erosion.Unlike PAM,biochar and lime amendments may need more time after application to be more effective.Hence continuing the field experiment and studying physico-chemical mechanisms for extended period will better elucidate their single or combined effectiveness over time.

Effects of different soil amendments on physicochemical property of soda saline-alkali soil and crop yield in Northeast China

Soil amendment is one of the most effective methods to improve saline-alkali soil.In this study,laboratory experiments were conducted to verify the effect of 13 kinds of amendments and their combinations(Citric acid(NM),Phosphogypsum(LS),Aluminum sulfate+citric acid(AL+NM),Aluminum sulfate+phosphogypsum(AL+LS),Aluminum sulfate+citric acid+phosphogypsum(HH),Zeolite(Z),Acidified zeolite(ZH),Aluminum sulfate(AL),Aluminum sulfate+zeolite(AL+Z),Aluminum sulfate+acidified zeolite(AL+ZH),Poly Aluminum chloride(ALCL),Polyaluminium chloride+zeolite(ALCL+Z),Polyaluminium chloride+acidified zeolite(ALCL+ZH))on soil pH,metal cations content,exchangeable Na+,exchangeable sodium percentage(ESP)in the lab.And then the five most effective amendments(Z,ZH,AL,AL+Z,and AL+ZH)were chosen applying both in dry field(maize field)and paddy field to evaluate their improvement on soda saline-alkali soil and crop yield in the northeast Songnen Plain,China.The lab results showed that AL,AL+Z and AL+ZH treatments could significantly reduce the pH in soil solution and increase the content of metal cations.Z and ZH treatments could adsorb metal cations in soil.Both in dry and paddy fields,all five treatments could increase the soil saturated hydraulic conductivity(Ks),increased from 9.63 to 60.02 mm/d and 0.18 to 33.25 mm/d,respectively,of which the AL treatment was the best;all five treatments could reduce the content of exchangeable Na+in soil,and decrease by 38.62%-61.33%and 25.24%-71.53%,respectively,of which the AL+ZH treatment was the best;all treatments could reduce soil exchangeable sodium percentage,and decrease by 0.14-0.22 and 0.14-0.41,respectively,of which the AL+ZH treatment was the best;AL,AL+Z and AL+ZH treatments could improve soil organic matter content;all treatments could effectively improve the yield of crops,and increase 23.98%-60.75%and 52.51%-260.21%,respectively,of which the AL treatment was the best in dry field and the AL+ZH treatment was the best in paddy field.The effect of AL treatment was the best in dry field and AL+ZH treatment was the best in paddy field of soda saline-alkali soil.This study could provide instructive information for the chemical improvement and agricultural utilization of soda saline-alkali soils in the world.

Evaluation on Soil Improvement Effects of Organic Fertilization in Honey Peach Orchard in the Longquan Mountain

Combined application of organic fertilizer is an effective measure to improve the productivity and ecological effect of newly added soil.However,the effect of organic fertilizer application in newly added orchard soil is not clear.In this project,the soil of newly built peach orchard in the Longquan Mountain of Chengdu was applied with 45 t/hm 2 of organic fertilizer.After 9 months of planting 6 varieties of honey peach(Wanhujing,Baifeng,Zhongtao 13,Huangjinmitao 1,Zhongpan 101,Zhongpan 104),the locally well developed peach orchard was taken as the control.The physical and chemical properties of soil from four topography(top slope,middle slope,lower slope and flat land)of newly built peach orchard were analyzed,and the effect of organic fertilizer on soil was evaluated.The results showed that combined application of organic fertilizer had different effects on soils from orchards with different varieties of peach and from different terrain parts of the same peach variety.Specifically,it had the best effect on soil improvement in Baifeng(local variety),Zhongpan 101 and Zhongpan 104(introduced varieties).Meanwhile,the best effect of soil improvement was found on top slope.Cluster analysis divided newly built peach orchards,uncultivated soil,and locally well developed peach orchard into four groups,indicating that the selected amount of organic fertilizer application in this study has improved the soil of peach orchards to some extent,but it was still necessary to increase the application amount.It was better for 54 t/hm 2 amount of organic fertilization on the part of top and middle slope,and 60 t/hm 2 on the lower slope and flat land.The comprehensive ecological benefit assessment of organic fertilizer should be conducted based on long-term monitoring of peach orchard ecological environment,fruit tree growth,fruit yield and quality,which would provide scientific basis for peach orchard production and management.

Soil Moisture Retention on the High Plains of North America via Compost Amendments: A Longitudinal Field Study

Water is a finite but vital resource, and the volume of water used in arid and semi-arid regions must be managed to its fullest and best use. Irrigation water is approximately 37% of the total water used in the United States by volume annually. Thus, this area of water use is critical for local and national water conservation. Irrigation is primarily used to increase soil water content above that which precipitation can supply. Soil structure and associated effects on drainage and evapotranspiration, however, largely control soil water content, no matter the amount of applied water. Therefore, improving soil structure to hold more water decreases the amount of water needed for irrigation, which frees that water for other uses. In this paper, organic compost amendments are studied to determine the change in soil structure and accompanying improvements in soil water content over a 4-year period. A uniform field site was selected for this research in the high plains of South Dakota, where irrigation water was available for crop growth. The test site was divided into two equal area fields;one without compost and a field with compost amendments added to 20 cm depth. Compost was incorporated into the treated field at rates of 5% and 10% by weight. Both fields received the same tillage, seed, fertilizer, weather and irrigation. Weekly to monthly in-situ water content measurements from both fields were recorded at the surface and the depths of 20, 40 and 60 cm from 2017 to 2020. Precipitation and applied irrigation water were recorded at the site. No irrigation occurred in 2019 and 2020, and moisture content was dependent on natural precipitation in those years. Results of water content and soil structure show significant differences in the water contents of the soils with the compost amendments compared to baseline, with higher compost content resulting in higher water contents without the soil becoming over-saturated. These results were consistent at all depths and across all growing seasons. This work demonstrates the efficacy of compost soil amendments in regulating soil moisture, which has profound impacts on crop yields, topsoil erosion losses, carbon sequestration, and water conservation.

Soil inorganic amendments produce safe rice by reducing the transfer of Cd and increasing key amino acids in brown rice

The digestibility of cadmium(Cd)in brown rice is directly related to amino acid metabolism in rice and human health.In our field study,three kinds of alkaline calcium-rich soil inorganic amendments(SIAs)at three dosages were applied to produce safe rice and improve the quality of rice in Cd-contaminated paddy.With the increased application of SIA,Cd content in iron plaque on rice root significantly increased,the transfer of Cd from rice root to grain significantly decreased,and then Cd content in brown rice decreased synchronously.The vitro digestibility of Cd in brown rice was estimated by a physiologically based extraction test.Results showed that more than 70%of Cd in brown rice could be digested by simulated gastrointestinal juice.Based on the total and digestible Cd contents in brown rice to evaluate the health risk,the application of 2.25 ton SIA/ha could produce safe rice in acidic slightly Cd-contaminated paddy soils.The amino acids(AAs)in brown rice were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography.The contents of 5 key AAs(KAAs)that actively respond to environmental changes increased significantly with the increased application of SIA.The structural equation model indicated that KAAs could be affected by the Cd translocation capacity from rice root to grain,and consequently altered the ratio of indigestible Cd in brown rice.The formation of indigestible KAAs-Cd complexes by combining KAAs(phenylalanine,leucine,histidine,glutamine,and asparagine)with Cd in brown rice could be considered a potential mechanism for reducing the digestibility of Cd.

Facultative-anaerobic microbial digestion of coal preparation waste and use of effluent solids to enhance plant growth in a sandy soil

Coal preparation solid waste,which is a major environmental issue for coal-producing areas in China,may be microbiologically digested and transformed into a product suitable as a soil amendment to increase soil organic matter content and prevent and enhance plant/crop growth.Coal preparation waste collected from a coal sorting plant in Inner Mongolia,China was digested in bioreactors inoculated with microbial enrichments prepared from activated sludge and cow manure.The effluent solids from the coal preparation waste bioreactors were analyzed for their suitability as organic soil amendments,which complied with China standards.Plant growth tests were conducted in sandy soil from a semi-arid region in Colorado,which was amended with the effluent solids.Kentucky bluegrass(Poa pratensis L.)and chives(Allium schoenoprasum)were used as the representative plants for the growth tests,where results indicated substantially higher yields of Kentucky bluegrass and chives for the sandy soils amended with the effluent solids when compared to a commercial organic fertilizer.The number and average length of Kentucky bluegrass shoots were 10 and 5.1 times higher,respectively,in soils amended with the effluent solids.Similarly,the number and average length of chives shoots were 10 and 1.7 times higher,respectively,in soils amended with the effluent solids.Overall,the microbial digestion of coal preparation waste for application as an organic soil amendment is a viable alternative and beneficial use of coal preparation solid waste.

Biochar Production and Application in Forest Soils-A Critical Review

The increasing deforestation with an alarming rate is the prime cause of upsetting the balance in the natural ecosystem and the livelihood of local communities.Sustainable forest management and reforestation efforts can equilibrium this destruction and maintain the protected areas.In this regard,soil management strategies for reforestation of the degraded forest land can be helpful.In this review,the potential of using biochar,a solid carbon rich product of biomass thermochemical conversion,as a soil amendment in forest soils has been discussed.The production procedures of biochar,availability of feedstocks and the biochar properties are discussed using the existing knowledge.The positive effects of biochar are soil quality depended and change with varying geographical locations.Therefore,long-term field trials examining a range of biochars,soils,and forest types are required for a better understanding of this issue.Careful planning to match biochar with the soil properties is essential to obtain maximum benefits of biochar as a soil amendment.

Biochar as a Soil Ameliorant: How Biochar Properties Benefit Soil Fertility—A Review

In recent years, biochar has received great attention among researchers worldwide. This carbon-rich material, mainly produced from residues from agriculture and forestry, holds a wide range of properties, e.g. large specific surface area, high cation exchange capacity, and substantial nutrient contents, that can have beneficial effects when added to soils. This review is giving a brief introduction to biochar properties and how feedstock, pyrolysis temperature, and time influence these properties. As the majority of studies concentrate on the soil amending effects of biochar, this review also provides an overview of how biochar affects the chemical, physical, hydrological, and biological properties of soils. For example, biochar addition to soils can raise the pH, increase the organic carbon content, enhance nutrient retention, foster porosity, augment the water-holding capacity, and increase microbial biomass. Consequently, biochar can contribute to soil fertility, increase yields, help closing nutrient cycles, and thus help secure food safety in a region. However, the knowledge about the long-term effects is still limited and should be broadened by a more systematic testing of biochar effects in the future to help bring the benefits of biochar into practice.

Mitigating Cadmium (Cd) Toxicity in Montane Forest Soils Using Biochar: Laboratory Trial for Soils from Horton Plains, Sri Lanka

Horton Plains (HP), one of the two montane forests in Sri Lanka and habitat to many endemic species of plants and animals, has been severely affected by forest dieback. Past research has identified a direct link between soil pollution with Cadmium (Cd) and the phenomenon of forest dieback. As a consequence, forest dieback is increasing proportionately to the soil pollution. Hence, this study focuses on identifying a cost-effective remediation technique to neutralize soil Cd, and thereby reducing forest dieback. Soil samples were collected from HP, mainly Thotupolakanda site which shows more than 90% severity of forest die back, and bulked together. The soil was high (13.4) in organic matter and low (5.42) in pH, and three soil amendments were tested in this research as;bio char prepared using 1) rubber nut shells, 2) rice husk, and 3) dead wood from HP. Each sample was spiked with 20 ml of 5 ppm (parts per million) Cd solution, and four treatments a) soil + rubber-nut shell biochar (T1), b) soil + rice husk biochar (T2), c) soil + wood-from-HP biochar (T3), and d) soil only (T4), with five (05) replicates, were setup. During the first eight weeks after the application of treatments, it was observed that T1 showed the best performance, by showing a consistent trend in reducing the available soil Cd, with T2 following closely. The interesting observation was that the natural forest soil (T4) was also able to buffer the loading of Cd. At the close of the experiment, it was observed that the available soil Cd goes almost to zero, in less than 24 months.

Superabsorbent Polymer and Rabbit Manure Improve Soil Moisture, Growth and Yield of Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.)

Production of eggplant(Solanum melongena L.)is influenced by limited soil water and fertility conditions that affect its growth and yield.The use of superabsorbent polymer(SAP),also known as slush powder and rabbit manure are among the strategies that can improve soil conditions,hence growth and yield of crops.The objective of the study was to evaluate the effects of SAP and rabbit manure on soil moisture,growth and yield of eggplant.The study was conducted at Pwani University,Kilifi,Kenya.A randomized complete block design with three replications was used.The treatments were SAP,rabbit manure,SAP plus rabbit manure and control(without SAP or rabbit manure).Soil moisture,growth and yield parameters were determined.Superabsorbent polymer and/or rabbit manure improved soil moisture,growth and yield of eggplant compared with the control.Use of SAP had a better soil moisture retention,growth and yield comparable to SAP combined with rabbit manure.The finding demonstrates that use of SAP and/or rabbit manure may help in better soil water and nutrient management,particularly in arid and semi-arid areas to improve growth and yield of eggplant.

Potato absorption and phytoavailability of Cd, Ni, Cu, Zn and Pb in sierozem soils amended with municipal sludge compost

Effects of sludge utilization on the mobility and phytoavailability of heavy metals in soil-plant systems have attracted broad attention in recent years. In this study, we analyzed the effects of municipal sludge compost （MSC） on the solubility and pIant uptake of Cd, Ni, Cu, Zn and Pb in a soil-potato system to explore the mobility, potato plant uptake and enrichment of these five heavy metals in sierozem soils amended with MSC through a potato cultivation trial in Lanzhou University of China in 2014. Ridge regression analysis was conducted to investigate the phytoavailability of heavy metals in amended soils. Furthermore, CaC12, CH3COONH4, CH3COOH, diethylene triamine pentacetic acid （DTPA） and ethylene diamJne tetraacetic acid （EDTA） were used to extract the labile fraction of heavy metals from the amended soils. The results show that the MSC could not only improve the fertility but also increase the dissolved organic carbon （DOC） content of sierozem soils. The total concentrations and labile fraction proportions of heavy metals increase with increasing MSC percentage in sierozem soils. In amended soils, Cd has the highest solubility and mobility while Ni has the lowest solubility and mobility among the five heavy metals. The MSC increases the concentrations of heavy metals in the root, stem, peel and tuber of the potato plant, with the concentrations being much higher in the stem and root than in the peel and tuber. Among the five heavy metals, the bioconcentration factor value of Cd is the highest, while that of Ni is the lowest. The complexing agent （DTPA and EDTA） extractable fractions of heavy metals are the highest in terms of phytoavailability. Soil properties （including organic matter, pH and DOC） have important impacts on the phytoavailability of heavy metals. Our results suggest that in soil-potato systems, although the MSC may improve soil fertility, it can also increase the risk of soils exposed to heavy metals.

Microbial community structure and functional metabolic diversity are associated with organic carbon availability in an agricultural soil

Exploration of soil environmental characteristics governing soil microbial community structure and activity may improve our understanding of biogeochemical processes and soil quality. The impact of soil environmental characteristics especially organic carbon availability after 15-yr different organic and inorganic fertilizer inputs on soil bacterial community structure and functional metabolic diversity of soil microbial communities were evaluated in a 15-yr fertilizer experiment in Changping County, Beijing, China. The experiment was a wheat-maize rotation system which was established in 1991 including four different fertilizer treatments. These treatments included： a non-amended control（CK）, a commonly used application rate of inorganic fertilizer treatment（NPK）; a commonly used application rate of inorganic fertilizer with swine manure incorporated treatment（NPKM）, and a commonly used application rate of inorganic fertilizer with maize straw incorporated treatment（NPKS）. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis（DGGE） of the 16 S r RNA gene was used to determine the bacterial community structure and single carbon source utilization profiles were determined to characterize the microbial community functional metabolic diversity of different fertilizer treatments using Biolog Eco plates. The results indicated that long-term fertilized treatments significantly increased soil bacterial community structure compared to CK. The use of inorganic fertilizer with organic amendments incorporated for long term（NPKM, NPKS） significantly promoted soil bacterial structure than the application of inorganic fertilizer only（NPK）, and NPKM treatment was the most important driver for increases in the soil microbial community richness（S） and structural diversity（H）. Overall utilization of carbon sources by soil microbial communities（average well color development, AWCD） and microbial substrate utilization diversity and evenness indices（H＇ and E） indicated that long-term inorganic fertilizer with organic amendments incorporated（NPKM, NPKS） could significantly stimulate soil microbial metabolic activity and functional diversity relative to CK, while no differences of them were found between NPKS and NPK treatments. Principal component analysis（PCA） based on carbon source utilization profiles also showed significant separation of soil microbial community under long-term fertilization regimes and NPKM treatment was significantly separated from the other three treatments primarily according to the higher microbial utilization of carbohydrates, carboxylic acids, polymers, phenolic compounds, and amino acid, while higher utilization of amines/amides differed soil microbial community in NPKS treatment from those in the other three treatments. Redundancy analysis（RDA） indicated that soil organic carbon（SOC） availability, especially soil microbial biomass carbon（Cmic） and Cmic/SOC ratio are the key factors of soil environmental characteristics contributing to the increase of both soil microbial community structure and functional metabolic diversity in the long-term fertilization trial. Our results showed that long-term inorganic fertilizer and swine manure application could significantly improve soil bacterial community structure and soil microbial metabolic activity through the increases in SOC availability, which could provide insights into the sustainable management of China＇s soil resource.

Chitin, Biochar, and Animal Manures Impact on Eggplant and Green Pepper Yield and Quality

The global obligation for food requires soil and plant management practices that provide valuable effects on the physical, chemical, and organic properties of soils. The use of animal manure, in agricultural production systems as alternative to synthetic elemental fertilizers has potential application to improve crop yield and fruit quality. A randomized complete block design (RCBD) was established to investigate the impact of nine soil treatments on yield and quality of bell pepper, Capsicum annuum and eggplant, Solanum melongena. The nine soil treatments included: chitin CH, biochar Bio, sewage sludge SS, chicken manure CM, SS mixed with biochar (SSBio), SS mixed with CH (SSCH), CM mixed with biochar (CMBio), CM mixed with CH (CMCH), and unamended (UN) native soil used as control treatment. At maturity, fruits from each treatment, were counted, weighed, and classified according to the USDA grades to U.S. Fancy, U.S. No.1, U.S. No.2, and culls. Overall number and weight of green pepper fruits collected from plants grown in SSCH were significantly greater (26.2 and 3.14 kg 5 plants-1) compared to fruits of plants grown in unamended control treatment (17.1 and 1.98 kg 5 Plants-1, respectively). Whereas CH alone was superior in increasing the number and weight of eggplant fruits compared to the control treatment. Average weight and number of eggplant fruits of plants grown in soil amended with chitin (4.46 kg and 11.5, respectively) were significantly (P ≤ 0.05) greater than weight and number of fruits obtained from plants grown in other soil treatments. Results also revealed a positive correlation coefficient (r) and high probability of significance (P) between number of fruits and weight of fruits among the nine soil treatments. Utilization of animal manures in agricultural systems is an inexpensive means for limited-resource farmers looking for improvements in crop yield and quality at affordable costs.

Contrasting response of rice rhizosphere microbiomes to in situ cadmium-contaminated soil remediation

Changes in soil properties and microbial communities regulated rhizosphere protistan assemblages. • Bacterial community was more sensitive to soil amendments than protists and fungi. • Soil amendments trigger the role of specific protistan taxa Cercozoa on microbial interactions. Understanding the responses of different rhizosphere microbial lineages to soil amendments during in situ remediation of Cd-contaminated soil is of great importance in the assessment of the restoration and crop health. Here, we evaluated the effects of lime (LM), biochar (BC), pig manure (PM), and a commercial Mg-Ca-Si conditioner (CMC) on the rice rhizosphere soil physicochemical properties and community assembly of bacteria, fungi, and protists in a six-year consecutive application of soil amendments field trial. Our results indicated that among the four amendments, the BC and CMC had the best efficiency in increasing soil pH, which were 5.2% and 16.2%, respectively. Despite the differences in soil Cd concentrations is not noticeable, all the soil amendment treatments significantly decreased the proportion of available Cd in total Cd compared to the control. Soil amendments significantly altered the diversity of bacterial community, while they had no effect on fungal and protistan communities. Linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) showed that the bacteria was more sensitive to soil amendment-induced changes. For protists, treatments with LM and BC changed the groups of protistan consumers, while treatments with PM and CMC significantly increased the relative abundances of protistan phototrophs. Co-occurrence network analysis revealed that soil amendments increased microbial network complexity and triggered the role of protists, especially for the predatory protists Cercozoa, on microbial trophic interactions. Further variation partitioning analysis revealed that edaphic properties, bacterial and fungal communities compositions together explained the 77% of the total variation in protistan community, and the stronger correlations between diversity of bacterial and protistan communities suggested that the bacteria community was a more important biotic driver of the protistan community. Overall, our findings demonstrate the distinct responses of rice rhizosphere microbial communities to soil amendment applications, highlighting the interactive associations between microbiomes, which is vital for enhancing our ability to develop effective strategies for sustainable soil management. This study enhances our understanding of the ecological roles of protists under soil amendment applications and highlights their potential contributions in bioremediation and environmental applications for Cd-contaminated soil.

Effects of cotton straw amendment on soil fertility and microbial communities

Maintaining soil fertility, while controlling pollution from excessive chemical fertilizer application is important for keeping soil productivity of sustainable agriculture. Variety of straws have been used and proven to be good soil amendments for increasing soil organic matter （OM） and a range of additional soil nutrients. However, little is known about the utilization of cotton straw for soil amendment. To better understand the mechanism behind cotton straw soil amendments, investigations were performed upon cucumber seedlings, where changes to soil nutrients and microbial communities were investigated. The results revealed that the cotton straw application promoted the cucumber seedling growth by significantly increasing the soil OM, available nitrogen, available phosphorus, and available potassium. The concentration of cotton straw was positively correlated to both the number of the culturable microorganisms and also the total microbial biomass within soil. Furthermore, assessment of cotton straw application using Biolog metabolic profiling and phospholipid fatty acid analysis revealed that such application increased the microbial community metabolic activity, and markedly changed the structure of microbial community. 16S rRNA gene clone library construction and phylogenetic analysis of soil bacteria revealed 7- Proteobacteria sequences dominated the cotton straw amendment soil, comprising 27.8% of the total number of analyzed sequences, while they were less represented in control soil （13.4%）. On the contrary, the Sphingobacteria （7.8%） and Verrucomicrobia （2.4%） in the cotton straw amendment soil decreased after application when compared to the control soil 15.2% and 15.2%.

Biochar-based bioenergy and its environmental impact in Northwestern Ontario Canada: A review

Biochar is normally produced as a by-product of bioenergy. However, if biochar is produced as a co-product with bioenergy from sustainably managed forests and used for soil amendment, it could pro- vide a carbon neutral or even carbon negative solution for current envi- ronmental degradation problems. In this paper, we present a comprehen- sive review of biochar production as a co-product of bioenergy and its implications. We focus on biochar production with reference to biomass availability and sustainability and on bioehar utilization for its soil amendment and greenhouse gas emissions reduction properties. Past studies confirm that northwestern Ontario has a sustainable and sufficient supply of biomass feedstock that can be used to produce bioenergy, with biochar as a co-product that can replace fossil fuel consumption, increase soil productivity and sequester carbon in the long run. For the next step, we recommend that comprehensive life cycle assessment of bio- char-based bioenergy production, from raw material collection to bioehar application, with an extensive economic assessment is necessary for making this technology commercially viable in northwestern Ontario.

Application of Rice Husk Biochar for Achieving Sustainable Agriculture and Environment

This paper critically reviewed the current knowledge and challenges of rice husk biochar(RHB)production and its effects on soil properties,plant growth,immobilization of heavy metals,reduction of nutrient leaching and mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions.The characteristics of RHBs produced at various pyrolysis temperatures were discussed and compared to biochars derived from other agro-industrial wastes.RHBs produced at higher pyrolysis temperatures show lower hydrogen/carbon ratio,which suggests the presence of higher aromatic carbon compounds.The increase of pyrolysis temperature also results in production of RHBs with higher ash content,lower yield and higher surface area.RHB usually has higher silicon and ash contents and lower carbon content compared to biochars derived from other feedstocks at the same pyrolysis conditions.Although it depends on soil type,RHB application can improve soil organic carbon content,cation exchange capacity,available K concentration,bulk density and microbial activity.The effect of RHB on soil aggregation mainly depends on soil texture.The growth of different crops is also enhanced by application of RHB.RHB addition to soil can immobilize heavy metals and herbicides and reduce their bioavailability.RHB application shows a significant capacity in reduction of nitrate leaching,although its magnitude depends on the biochar application rate and soil biogeochemical characteristics.Use of RHB,especially in paddy fields,shows a promising mitigation effect on greenhouse gas(CH4,CO2 and N2O)emissions.Although RHB characteristics are also related to other factors such as pyrolysis heating rate and residence time,its performance for specific applications(e.g.carbon sequestration,pH amendment)can be manipulated by adjusting the pyrolysis temperature.More research is needed on long-term field applications of RHB to fully understand the advantages and disadvantages of RHB as a soil amendment.