Digital mapping of soil physical and mechanical properties using machine learning at the watershed scale

Knowledge about the spatial distribution of the soil physical and mechanical properties is crucial for soil management,water yield,and sustainability at the watershed scale;however,the lack of soil data hinders the application of this tool,thus urging the need to estimate soil properties and consequently,to perform the spatial distribution.This research attempted to examine the proficiency of three machine learning methods(RF:Random Forest;Cubist:Regression Tree;and SVM:Support Vector Machine)to predict soil physical and mechanical properties,saturated hydraulic conductivity(Ks),Cohesion measured by fall-cone at the saturated(Psat)and dry(Pdry)states,hardness index(HI)and dry shear strength(SS)by integrating environmental variables and soil features in the Zayandeh-Rood dam watershed,central Iran.To determine the best combination of input variables,three scenarios were examined as follows:scenarioⅠ,terrain attributes derivative from a digital elevation model(DEM)+remotely sensed data;scenarioⅡ,covariates of scenarioⅠ+selected climatic data and some thematic maps;scenarioⅢ,covariates in scenarioⅡ+intrinsic soil properties(Clay,Silt,Sand,bulk density(BD),soil organic matter(SOM),calcium carbonate equivalent(CCE),mean weight diameter(MWD)and geometric weight diameter(GWD)).The results showed that for Ks,Psat Pdry and SS,the best performance was found by the RF model in the third scenario,with R2=0.53,0.32,0.31 and 0.41,respectively,while for soil hardness index(HI),Cubist model in the third scenario with R2=0.25 showed the highest performance.For predicting Ks and Psat,soil characteristics(i.e.clay and soil SOM and BD),and land use were the most important variables.For predicting Pdry,HI,and SS,some topographical characteristics(Valley depth,catchment area,mltiresolution of ridge top flatness index),and some soil characteristics(i.e.clay,SOM and MWD)were the most important input variables.The results of this research present moderate accuracy,however,the methodology employed provides quick and costeffective information serving as the scientific basis for decision-making goals.

Studies of Soil Physical Property on Different Abandoned Lands in the Minqin Oasis,Downstream of the Shiyang River

The vast area of farmland was abandoned at downstream of the Shiyang River because of decreased water recourse. To ensure the ecological safety of Minqin Oasis and to provide management basis for the abandoned land, soil physical properties were observed and studied. The authors analyzed land with abandonment time of 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, 4 years, 5 years, 8 years, 15 years, 24 years and 31 years. Samples were took at the 0-40 cm layer of soil to measure the bulk density, porosity and grain composition of soil in the different abandoned lands. Results showed that the tendency of clay content was decreasing, conversely, the fine sand increased at the layer of 0-10 cm of different abandoned lands.The changes of grain content reached a peak at the fourth year after the land was abandoned, then varied slightly. The variation of grain content of abandoned land was obvious with the extension of the abandonment year. The soil bulk density decreased and porosity increased with the extension of the abandonment year. The difference of porosity and soil bulk density at the range of 0-40 cm of different abandoned land decreased after the land abandoned for 3 years. The quality of soil was decreased, while the soil permeability was improved. The soil physical properties changed obviously in 3 to 4 years after abandonment, so it is the key time for land management.

Studies of Soil Physical Properties and Community Characteristics of Different Abandoned Lands in the Minqin Oasis,Downstream of the Shiyang River

[Objective] The aim was to explore physical properties and community characteristics of abandoned lands in different years in Minqin Oasis, downstream of the Shiyang River, [Method] The evolution of environment and plant community characteristics in different abandoned lands were analyzed after abandonment for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 15, 24 and 31 years, and the plant community characteristics, water content, bulk density, porosity and mechanical composition of soil in the different a- bandoned lands were also researched in the Minqin Oasis, downstream of the Shiyang River. [Result] Plant of 32 species spread over 14 family live through fifty years appeared in abandoned lands in the study area. Shrubs was 6 species, herbs was 26 species among them, which were 18.75%, 81.25% respectively. The goose- foot family （6 species）, the composite family（4 species）,the grass family（4 species）, caltrop family（3 species） were 53.13% among them. Within the range of 0-40 cm of different abandoned Land, the soil moisture content showed a trend of first increase and then decrease with the increase of soil depth changes in soil bulk density and porosity of less obvious. In the range of 0-40 cm soil depth, the largest proportion of fine sand, followed by silt and clay and the smallest proportion of coarse sand in every plot, but the proportion of the each silt size varies little with the years aban- doned. [Conclusion] The research provides references for vegetation reconstruction and eco-environment construction in abandoned lands in downstream of Shiyang River.

Soil Physical and Chemical Properties of Five Subtropical Forests in Lingao of Hainan

With 5 types of typical forests as research object, the physical and chemical properties of different types of forests were analyzed by sample plot investigation method. The results showed that： the soil total porosity was the highest in the Casuarina equisetifolia forest （46.168%）, but the lowest in the Encalyptus robusta forest （39.46%）. The soil capillary porosity was the highest in the Acacia mangium forest （22.57%）, but the lowest in the secondary forest （18.95%）. The soil water content was the highest in the C. equisetifolia forest, with a mean value of 27.85%, but the lowest in the secondary forest, with a mean value of 4.34%. The soil pH values were in the range of 4.81-6.59, the soils in the A. mangium forest, C. equisetifolia forest and E. robusta forest were strongly acidic （pH 4.5-5.5）, and the soils in the secondary forest and C. nucifera forest were weakly acidic. The soils had organic matter contents in the range of 0.34-28.68 g/kg, and showed an order of A. mangium forest〉C. equisetifolia forest〉E. robusta forest〉secondary forest〉C. nucifera forest, with a decreasing trend with the soil depth increasing. The soil total N contents were in the range of 0.10-1.63 g/kg, the A. mangium forest showed the highest soil total N contents, while the C. nucifera forest exhibited the lowest soil total N contents; the soil total P contents were in the range of 0.21-1.74 g/kg, and the E. robusta forest had the highest soil total P contents; and the soil total K contents were in the range of 0.16-2.15 g/kg, and the A. mangium forest exhibited the highest soil total K contents. The soil available P contents were in the range of 0.98-132.46 mg/kg; and the secondary forests had the highest soil available P contents; and the soil rapidly available K contents were in the range of 3.03-27.35 mg/kg, and the C. nucifera forest exhibited the highest soil rapidly available K contents. The soil ammonium N contents were in the range of 1.38-5.15 mg/kg, and the nitrate N contents were in the range were in the range of 0.56 -3.51 mg/kg. The A. mangium forest showed the highest soil nitrate N contents （with a mean value of 2.29 mg/kg） and ammonium N contents （with a mean value of 3.93 mg/kg）. For the same forest type, with the increase of soil depth, the nitrate nitrogen and ammonium nitrogen content also showed a decreasing trend.

Effects of Crude Oil Contamination on Soil Physical and Chemical Properties in Momoge Wetland of China

Large oilfields are often coincidentally located in major river deltas and wetlands,and potentially damage the structure,function and ecosystem service values of wetlands during oil exploration.In the present study,the effects of crude oil contamination during oil exploration on soil physical and chemical properties were investigated in marshes of the Momoge National Nature Reserve in Jilin Province,China.The concentrations of total petroleum hydrocarbons in the marsh soil near the oil wells are significantly higher than those in the adjacent control marsh.Soil water contents in oil-contaminated marshes are negatively correlated with soil temperature and are significantly lower than those in the control area,especially in fall.Crude oil contamination significantly increases the soil pH up to8.0,and reduces available phosphorus concentrations in the soil.The concentrations of total organic carbon are significantly different among sampling sites.Therefore,crude oil contamination could potentially alkalinize marsh soils,adversely affect soil fertility and physical properties,and cause deterioration of the marshes in the Momoge National Nature Reserve.Phyto-remediation by planting Calamagrostis angustifolia has the potential to simultaneously restore and remediate the petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated wetlands.Crude oil contamination affects the soil physical and chemical properties,so developing an effective restoration program in the Momoge wetland is neccesary.

Influences of Soil Physical Properties on Water-Supplying Capacity

The water-supplying capacity of two agricultural soils, red soil in Jiangxi Province and meadow soil in Henan Province, was assessed mainly using physical investigations. The reticulated mottting horizon in the red soil was a horizon limiting roots distribution due to its high density and hardness in structure and low pH (pH 5.05). The resistance of the red soil to drought hazard was poor because of its low water-supply capacity and poor hydraulic conductivity. The meadow soil had superior profile infiltration to that of the red soil and great available water-storage capacity) which resulted in low run-off loss, especially in the wheat-growth season. It was difficult for water stored in the deep layers of the meadow soil to reach the surface due to the low unsaturated hydraulic conductivity of its clay-rich horizon in subsoil. However, water stored in deep layers was still available because the roots could extend to the deep layers due to the relatively low density in soil structure.

Robinia pseudoacacia leaves improve soil physical and chemical properties

The role of the leaves of Robinia pseudoacacia L., which is widely distributed in the arid lands, on improving soil physical and chemical properties was analyzed at various incubation periods. The incubated soils added with 0, 25, 50 and 75 g Robinia pseudoacacia leaves were tested after consecutive incubation intervals of 6, 8 and 10 months and the different soil parameters were measured. The results showed the increases in organic matter (OM), extractable K, cation exchange capacity (CEC), aggregate stability and water holding capacity, but the decreases in pH value and bulk density after 6 months’ incubation. The gradual decrease in change rates of soil properties indicated less microbial population and organic residual mineralization under acidic conditions, which were resulted from fast decomposition of leaves after the first 6 months incubation. The increases in soil organic matter content, extractable K, CEC, aggregate stability and water holding capacity and the decreases in soil pH and bulk density provide favorable conditions for crop’s growth.

Effects of Straw and Biochar Returned to the Soil on Soil Physical Properties and pH Value in Cold Rice Region

[Objectives]In order to explore the feasibility of using straw and biochar returned to the soil to improve soil physical properties and pH value in cold rice regions of China.[Methods]the effects of straw directly returned to the soil and charred straw(biochar)returned to the soil on soil bulk density,porosity,temperature and pH value of cold paddy soil were studied in this paper.[Results]The results showed that compared with conventional production,straw(6 t/ha),a small amount of biochar(2 t/ha)and a large amount of biochar(40 t/ha)returned to the soil reduced paddy soil bulk density at different growth stages by 6.02%-11.86%,2.69%-6.67%and 8.58%-11.32%,respectively,increased total porosity by 7.41%-14.93%,3.19%-8.38%and 9.81%-14.27%,respectively,and increased aeration porosity by 22.28%-192.11%,17.80%-92.11%and 52.44%-157.11%,respectively.Straw and a small amount of biochar returned to the soil had no significant effect on soil temperature and pH value of paddy field,but a large amount of biochar returned to the soil could significantly increase soil temperature by 5.13%-8.79%and pH value by 3.15%-5.96%in the later stage of rice growth.[Conclusions]The straw and biochar returned to the soil could reduce soil bulk density,increase total porosity and aeration porosity,and only a large amount of biochar returned to the soil could significantly increase soil temperature and pH value.

Effects of Spatial Information of Soil Physical Properties on Hydrological Modeling Based on a Distributed Hydrological Model

The spatial distribution of soil physical properties is essential for modeling and understanding hydrological processes. In this study, the different spatial information (the conventional soil types map-based spatial information (STMB) versus refined spatial information map (RSIM)) of soil physical properties, including field capacity, soil porosity and saturated hydraulic conductivity are used respectively as input data for Water Flow Model for Lake Catchment (WATLAC) to determine their effectiveness in simulating hydrological processes and to expound the effects on model performance in terms of estimating groundwater recharge, soil evaporation, runoff generation as well as partitioning of surface and subsurface water flow. The results show that: 1) the simulated stream flow hydrographs based on the STMB and RSIM soil data reproduce the observed hydrographs well. There is no significant increase in model accuracy as more precise soil physical properties information being used, but WATLAC model using the RSIM soil data could predict more runoff volume and reduce the relative runoff depth errors; 2) the groundwater recharges have a consistent trend for both cases, while the STMB soil data tend to produce higher groundwater recharges than the RSIM soil data. In addition, the spatial distribution of annual groundwater recharge is significantly affected by the spatial distribution of soil physical properties; 3) the soil evaporation simulated using the STMB and RSIM soil data are similar to each other, and the spatial distribution patterns are also insensitive to the spatial information of soil physical properties; and 4) although the different spatial information of soil physical properties does not cause apparent difference in overall stream flow, the partitioning of surface and subsurface water flow is distinct. The implications of this study are that the refined spatial information of soil physical properties does not necessarily contribute to a more accurate prediction of stream flow, and the selection of appropriate soil physical property data needs to consider the scale of watersheds and the level of accuracy required.

Effects of restoration modes on the spatial distribution of soil physical properties after land consolidation: a multifractal analysis

Soil physical properties(SPP)are considered to be important indices that reflect soil structure,hydrological conditions and soil quality.It is of substantial interest to study the spatial distribution of SPP owing to the high spatial variability caused by land consolidation under various land restoration modes in excavated farmland in the loess hilly area of China.In our study,three land restoration modes were selected including natural restoration land(NR),alfalfa land(AL)and maize land(ML).Soil texture composition,including the contents of clay,silt and sand,field capacity(FC),saturated conductivity(Ks)and bulk density(BD)were determined using a multifractal analysis.SPP were found to possess variable characteristics,although land consolidation destroyed the soil structure and decreased the spatial autocorrelation.Furthermore,SPP varied with land restoration and could be illustrated by the multifractal parameters of D1,ΔD,ΔαandΔf in different modes of land restoration.Owing to multiple compaction from large machinery in the surface soil,soil particles were fine-grained and increased the spatial variability in soil texture composition under all the land restoration modes.Plough numbers and vegetative root characteristics had the most significant impacts on the improvement in SPP,which resulted in the best spatial distribution characteristics of SPP found in ML compared with those in AL and NR.In addition,compared with ML,Δαvalues of NR and AL were 4.9-and 3.0-fold that of FC,respectively,andΔαvalues of NR and AL were 2.3-and 1.5-fold higher than those of Ks,respectively.These results indicate that SPP can be rapidly improved by increasing plough numbers and planting vegetation types after land consolidation.Thus,we conclude that ML is an optimal land restoration mode that results in favorable conditions to rapidly improve SPP.

Improvement of Soil Physical Properties with Soil Con-ditioners

Effects of non-ionic polyacrylamide(PAM), anionic polyacrylamide(PHP), cationic polyacrylamide (PCA-M), non-ionic polyvinylalcohol(PVA), anionic hydrolyzed polyacrylonitrile(HPAN) and polyethyleneoxide(PE-O) on the physical properties of three different soil types were studied. Content of water-stable aggregateslarger than 0.25 mm increased to varying extents for different soils and soil conditioners. Among the sixkinds of conditioners, non-ionic polyacrylamide(PAM) was the most effective for red soil while polyethyle-neoxide(PEO) the least effective for Chao soil, red soil and yellow-brown soil. Water-stable aggregatesincreased with the rates of PEO and PAM application (except for PEO treatment of yellow-brown soil) andwith the molecular weight of PEO within a certain range. Only evaporation rate of Chao soil decreased afterapplication of PAM and HPAN to Chao soil and red soil.

Effects of Subsoiling on Some Soil Physical Properties and Wheat Yield in a Dry Land Ecological Condition

In order to evaluate the effect of subsoiling on the soil physical properties and wheat yield in dry land conditions, this research was conducted in Mamassani area of Fars province in Iran. The experiment was laid down in the form of a complete block experimental design with four treatments and four replications for three years. Treatments included： （1） conventional tillage without using subsoiler which was control treatment （So）; （2） using subsoiler with the shank space of 40 cm which was equal to the subsoiling depth （SO; （3） using subsoiler with the shank space of 60 cm which was 1.5 times of the subsoiling depth （S2）; and （4） using subsoiler with the shank space of 80 cm which was 2 times of the subsoiling depth （S3）. Subsoiling depth was set at 40 cm which was the lower limit of the hard pan depth in the soil. Soil cone index, soil bulk density, soil moisture content, wheat yield, and yield components were measured in this study and SAS software was used to analyze the collected data. Results showed that subsoiling decreased the soil bulk density and cone index, and increased water retention of the soil. Results also revealed that applying subsoiler increased wheat yield and yield components in our dry land conditions. Since subsoiling improved soil physical conditions and increases wheat yield, applying subsoiler in such a dry land conditions is therefore recommended. Results of this study also showed that subsoiling with the shank space of 40 cm and 60 cm had better performance compared to the shank space of 80 cm. On the other hand, shank space of 40 cm reduced the subsoiler effective working width and consequently effective field capacity. Therefore, subsoiler with a shank space of 60 cm is recommended for application in dry land soils of our type.

Tillage and Poultry Manure Effects on Soil Physical Properties, Nutrient Status, Growth, Dry Matter and Grain Yield of Sorghum

The effects of different tillage systems and poultry manure on soil physical properties, performance and nutrients in sorghum were studied for three years at Owo, southwest Nigeria. There was factorial combinations of herbicide-based zero tillage （ZT）, manual clearing （MC）, disc ploughing （P）, ploughing plus harrowing （P＋H） and ploughing plus double harrowing （P＋2H）, and two rates of poultry manure at 0 and 7.5 Mg ha^-1. Herbicide-based zero tillage and manual clearing reduced soil temperature and conserved more water than mechanized tillage techniques. Poultry manure reduced soil bulk density and temperature and increased soil water and porosity. There was a percentage decrease of leaf N, P, K, Ca and Mg concentrations, plant height, leaf area, stem girth, root dry weight, dry matter and grain yield in ascending order for herbicide-based zero tillage, manual clearing, ploughing, ploughing plus harrowing and ploughing plus double harrowing while percentage increases were recorded in a descending order for all the various combinations of tillage with poultry manure in that order. Poultry manure in combination with tillage increased dry matter and grain yield by 33.1 and 39.5%, respectively in comparison with tillage only. The manure-zero tillage methods increased dry matter and grain yield by 8% and 15%, respectively when compared with manure-mechanized tillage methods. Zero tillage or manual clearing in combination with 7.5 Mg ha^-1 poultry manure was most suitable for sorghum cultivation.

Influences of mechanized tillage and sowing modes on soil physical properties,soybean yield and economic benefits in mollisols region of Northeast China

Appropriate mechanized straw returning and tillage sowing techniques were effective means to optimize soil physical properties and enhance agricultural productivity,as well as important measures for the conservation and restoration of mollisols region in Northeast China.Under the condition of full-scale maize straw returning,four mechanized tillage and sowing modes were set,including plough tillage and sowing(PTS),combined tillage and sowing(CTS),no-tillage and sowing(NTS),and no-tillage and sowing with straw mulching(NTSM).In 2020 and 2021,the study investigated the effects of different mechanized tillage and sowing modes on soil physical properties,soybean yield and economic benefits.The results showed that during the pod-setting and pod-filling period of soybean,the NTS and NTSM treatments exhibited better effects on deep soil insulation and shallow soil moisture retention,the soil physical structure of PTS and CTS treatments were relatively ideal.Compared with PTS and CTS treatments,NTS and NTSM treatments significantly increased soil gravimetric water content(SWC)by 2.35%to 7.98%in the 5-15 cm soil layer and increased soil temperature(ST)by 3.94%to 10.42%in the 25-35 cm soil layer(p<0.05),significantly increased soil bulk density(SBD)by 2.98%to 6.72%and significantly reduced soil total porosity(STP)by 3.88%to 6.53%in the 5-25 cm soil layer,and significantly reduced soil gas phase ratio by 8.26%to 6.27%at the 15-25 cm soil layers,which caused soil three-phase ratio(STPR)of PTS and CTS treatment in 15-25 cm soil layer were relatively ideal.The soybean yield of NTSM treatment in 2020 was not significantly different from PTS and CTS treatment(p>0.05),the soybean yield of NTSM treatment in 2021 significantly increased by 7.30%and 5.84%over PTS and CTS treatments,respectively.And the average annual profit per unit area of NTSM treatment increased by 12.84%,12.41%and 8.57%compared with PTS,CTS and NTS treatments,respectively.Therefore,it was recommended to combine NTSM technique with PTS or CTS technique in a maize-soybean rotation system in mollisols region.The research results provided reference for the selection of appropriate mechanized tillage and sowing techniques in Northeast China’s mollisols region and had important guiding significance and practical value for the construction of rational plow layers and the implementation of conservation tillage.

Biochar derived from papermill factories improves soil physical and hydraulic properties in no-till cotton fields

Whether biochar produced as a by-product of energy generation from the papermill industry,and often disposed in landfills,can be gainfully applied to commercial croplands has not been investigated.The objective of this study was to investigate the physical and hydraulic properties of soils in commercial cotton fields managed as no-till systems following repeated applications of biochar generated as a waste of a papermill plant.Undisturbed cores and disturbed soil samples were collected from 0-5 and 5-10 cm layers from five commercial no-till fields in Mississippi,USA that received 6.7 Mg ha^(−1) year^(−1) biochar for 0,2,3,5 or 10 years.A number of physical,hydraulic,and chemical properties of these samples were measured in the lab.The results showed that biochar reduced the degree of soil compactness and increased soil aggregation and structural stability index.The findings were particularly apparent for the 10 years of consecutive application,which increased soil aggregate stability by up to 67%,reduced bulk density from 1.40 to 1.26 g cm^(−3),and reduced degree of compactness from 73.2%to 62.8%.Biochar increased soil porosity but much of this increase(55%)occurred for small pores(<0.5μm)with little effect on storage pores(0.5-50μm)or transmission pores(>50μm).Consequently,biochar increased soil field capacity by up to 26%,but PAW increased by only 17%.Biochar significantly increased soil physical quality index score in the 0-5 cm layer from 0.16 to 0.26 and the increase was positively correlated with the number of years of application.The results suggest biochar generated as a byproduct of papermill could be land-applied in real-world crop production systems to improve soil health as an alternative to disposal in landfills.

Shear resistance characteristics and influencing factors of root-soil composite on an alpine metal mine dump slope with different recovery periods

Artificial vegetation restoration is the main measure for vegetation restoration and soil and water conservation in alpine mine dumps on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,China.However,there are few reports on the dynamic changes and the influencing factors of the soil reinforcement effect of plant species after artificial vegetation restoration under different recovery periods.We selected dump areas of the Delni Copper Mine in Qinghai Province,China to study the relationship between the shear strength and the peak displacement of the root-soil composite on the slope during the recovery period,and the influence of the root traits and soil physical properties on the shear resistance characteristics of the root-soil composite via in situ direct shear tests.The results indicate that the shear strength and peak displacement of the rooted soil initially decreased and then increased with the increase of the recovery period.The shear strength of the rooted soil and the recovery period exhibited a quadratic function relationship.There is no significant function relationship between the peak displacement and the recovery period.Significant positive correlations(P<0.05)exists between the shear strength of the root-soil composite and the root biomass density,root volume density,and root area ratio,and they show significant linear correlations(P<0.05).There are no significant correlations(P>0.05)between the shear strength of the root-soil composite and the root length density,and the root volume ratio of the coarse roots to the fine roots.A significant negative linear correlation(P<0.05)exists between the peak displacement of the rooted soil and the coarse-grain content,but no significant correlations(P>0.05)with the root traits,other soil physical property indices(the moisture content and dry density of the soil),and slope gradient.The coarse-grain content is the main factor controlling the peak displacement of the rooted soil.

Key Physical Factors Affecting Spatial-temporal Variation of Labile Organic Carbon Fractions by Biochar Driven in Mollisols Region of Northeast China

Biochar is widely used to improve soil physical properties and carbon sequestration. However, few studies focuse on the impact of maize stalk biochar on labile organic carbon(LOC) pool and the relationship between physical properties and LOC fractions. A field positioning experiment was performed in Mollisols region of Northeast China to evaluate the influence of maize stalk biochar on the spatial distribution and temporal changes of physical properties and LOC fractions. Maize stalk biochar treatments included C1(1.5 kg·hm^(-2)), C2(3 kg·hm^(-2)), C3(15 kg·hm^(-2)), C4(30 kg·hm^(-2)), and CK(0). The results showed that maize stalk biochar increased soil water contents(SWC) and soil porosity(SP), but reduced bulk density(BD). Maize stalk biochar reduced dissolved organic carbon(DOC) contents in the 0-20 cm soil layer, ranging from 0.25 g·kg^(-1) to 0.31 g·kg^(-1) in harvest period, while increased in the 20-40 cm soil layer. In addition, the application of biochar had a significant impact on the spatial distribution and temporal change of SWC, BD, SP, DOC, hot-water extractable carbon(HWC), acid hydrolyzed organic carbon(AHC Ⅰ, Ⅱ), and readily oxidized organic carbon(ROC). High amounts of maize stalk biochar up-regulated the contents of soil organic carbon SOC, HWC, AHC Ⅰ, AHC Ⅱ, and ROC. In addition, SWC and SP were the key physical factors to affect LOC fractions. In conclusions, maize stalk biochar could improve physical properties, and then influence LOC fractions, and maize stalk biochar could be used as an organic amendment for restoring degraded soils governed by their rates of addition.

Effects of Plastic Film Mulching on Physical Characters of Soil and Yield and Yield Components of Sweet Potato

Field experiments were carried out to study the effects of plastic film mulching on soil physical characters, including soil temperature, soil moisture content and soil bulk density, and yield and yield components of sweet potato. The results showed that plastic filming mulching increased soil temperature. Considering the soil temperature-increasing effect, the treatments ranked as black plastic film treatment 〉 white plastic film treatment 〉 control. However, with the deepening of soil layer, the warming effect of plastic film mulching was weakened. Black or white plastic film mulching was conducive to low T/R value, especially in the early growth stage of sweet potato. Plastic film mulching significantly improved the storage root yield of sweet potato. In terms of yield-improving effect, the treatments ranked as black plastic film treatment 〉 white plastic film treatment 〉 control. The storage root num- ber per plant showed a downward trend, but the weight of single storage root was increased.

GIS-Based Assessment of Soil Chemical and Physical Properties as a Basis for Land Reclamation in Toshka Area, Aswan, EGYPT

The accurate assessment of soil properties is a crucial factor for composing and implementing reclamation plans. The main objective of this study was to evaluate soil chemical and physical properties and calculate the chemical and fertility index for assisting land reclamation in Toshka area. The Toshka area is located between latitudes 31°32'N and 31°36'N and longitudes 32°40'E and 32°60'E. GIS was used to select 16 sites. The results revealed the soil has undesirable characteristics. The soil pH ranged from slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline. Furthermore, it was characterized as saline (with a ECe of 4.65 - 11.45 dS⋅m−1) and moderately calcareous soil (with CaCO3 at 11.85% - 17.20%). The soil had a low soil organic matter content which did not exceed 0.18%. The soil was dominated by a sandy loam texture (62.50%) followed by a sandy clay loam texture (18.75%). The bulk density, total soil porosity and saturated hydraulic conductivity values varied with 1.38 - 1.55 Mg⋅cm−3, 41.85% - 48.45% and 1.20 - 3.34 cm⋅h−1, respectively. The chemical index ranged from low to moderate quality. The correlations between the parameters osculated between negative and positive. Therefore, the soil may be reclaimed if the soil properties are improved and crop selection is optimized for this soil.

Effects of Green Manure Mixed Cropping Patterns on Physical and Chemical Properties of Soil and Economic Characters of Flue-cured Tobacco

[Objective] The aim was to clear the suitable green manure cropping pat- terns in Xiangxi tobacco-planting areas. [Method] 8 treatments were set to study the effects of the monoculture and mixed cropping of common vetch （Vicia gigantea Bge.）, perennial ryegrass （Lofium） and rapeseed （Brassica campestris L.） on physi- cal and chemical properties of soil and economic characters of flue-cured tobacco. [Result] （1） Green manure turnover can reduce soil bulk density by 1.08%-8.62%, and the effect of green manure mixed cropping pattern was the best. （2） Green manure turnover also can increase the soil nutrient, soil organic matter, total nitro- gen （N）, total phosphorus （P）, total potassium （K）, alkali-hydrolyzale N, rapidly available P and rapidly available K by 1.44%-6.10%, 0.01-0.12 g/kg, 1.89%- 11.32%, 0.12%-3.56%, 1.06%-11.76%, 0.04%-18.93% and 0.98%-23.12%, respec- tively, and the effect of the monoculture of common vetch was the best.（3） The overall change of soil pH was not obvious.（4）Green manure turnover can increase the yield and output of flue-cured tobacco, and the effect of the monoculture of common vetch was the best. [Conclusion] The monoculture of common vetch can be generalized in the dry land of Xiangxi tobacco-planting areas.