Different Approaches to Reduce Salinity in Salt-Affected Soils and Enhancing Salt Stress Tolerance in Plants

Salt stress is one of the most harmful environmental stresses in recent times and represents a significant threat to food security. Soil salinization is caused by spontaneous natural processes of mineral dissolution and human activities such as inappropriate irrigation practices. Natural geological progressions like weathering of rocks, arid climate, and higher evaporation, as well as anthropogenic activities, including the use of brackish water for irrigation, and poor tillage operations, are the foremost causes of soil salinization. Typical characteristics of saline soils are salt stress, high pH, and lack of organic carbon, as well as low availability of nutrients. Disruption of precipitation patterns as well as high average annual temperatures due to climate change additionally negatively affects the process of soil salinization. Productivity and ability to support crop growth are reduced on saline soil. Salinity-induced stress reduces plant growth by modulating the antioxidative system and nutrient orchestration. The aim of this work is to show that the mentioned problems can be alleviated in several ways such as the addition of biochar, exogenous application of several elicitors, seed priming, etc. Research has shown that the addition of biochar can significantly improve the recovery of saline soil. The addition of biochar has no significant effect on soil pH, while the cation exchange capacity of the soil increased by 17%, and the electrical conductivity of the saturated paste extract decreased by 13.2% (depends on the initial salinity and the type of biochar raw material). Moreover, biochar enriched with silicon increases the resistance of bananas to salt stress. In addition, exogenous application of several elicitors helps plants to alleviate stress by inducing stress-related physicochemical and molecular changes (selenium, sulfur, silicon, salicylic acid). Finally, seed priming showed positive effects on metabolomics, proteomics and growth of plants subjected to abiotic stress. Priming usually involves immersing the seed in a solution for a period of time to induce physiological and metabolic progression prior to germination.

Changes in Soil Properties Under the Influences of Cropping and Drip Irrigation During the Reclamation of Severe Salt-Affected Soils

Reclamation of salt-affected land plays an important role in mitigating the pressure of agricultural land due to competition with industry and construction in China. Drip irrigation was found to be an effective method to reclaim salt-affected land. In order to improve the effect of reclamation and sustainability of salt-affected land production, a field experiment （with reclaimed 1-3 yr fields） was carried out to investigate changes in soil physical, chemical, and biological properties during the process of reclamation with cropping maize and drip irrigation. Results showed that soil bulk density in 0-20 cm soil layer decreased from 1.71 g·cm-3 in unreclaimed land to 1.44 g ·cm^-3 in reclaimed 3 yr fields, and saturated soil water content of 0-10 cm layer increased correspondingly from 20.3 to 30.2%. Both soil salinity and pH value in 0-40 cm soil layer dropped markedly after reclaiming 3 yr. Soil organic matter content reduced, while total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and total potassium all tended to increase after cropping and drip irrigation. The quantities of bacteria, actinomycete, and fungi in 0-40 cm soil layer all greatly increased with increase of reclaimed years, and they tended to distribute homogeneously in 0-40 cm soil profile. The urease activity and alkaline phosphatase activity in 0-40 cm soil layers were also enhanced, but the sucrase activity was not greatly changed. These results indicated that after crop cultivation and drip irrigation, soil physical environment and nutrients status were both improved. This was benefit for microorganism＇s activity and plant＇s growth.

Long-Term Fertilization Effect on Fertility of Salt-Affected Soils

The long-term effects of annual fertilizer applications on the fertility of salt-affected soils under the rotation system of wheat （Triticum aestivum L.） and maize （Zea mays L.） are not well documented. In 1984, research plots were established to test the effects of annual applications of different rates of nitrogen （N） and phosphorus （P） fertilizers on the fertility of a salt-affected soil （Typic Ustochrept） at the Quzhou Experimental Station, Quzhou County, Hebei Province, China. In October 2001, composite soil samples （0-20 and 20 40 cm） were collected from each plot and analyzed for soil fertility indices. Seventeen years of N and P fertilizer applications increased the soil organic matter （SOM） in the surface layer. With combined N, 270 （N1） and 540 （N2） kg N ha^-1 year^-1, and P, 67.5 （P1） and 135 （P2） kg P205 ha^-1 year^-1, fertilizer applications, total soil N mostly significantly decreased （P〈0.05）. Soil total P in the 0-20 cm layer of the P2 treatment significantly （P （0.05） increased as compared to those of the other treatments. Rapidly available P （RP） in the 0-20 cm layer of the N1P2 treatment was significantly higher than those in the other treatments except the P2 treatment; and RP in the 0-20 cm layer of the P2 treatment significantly increased as compared to those of the other treatments except the P1 and N1P2 treatments. RP in the subsurface soil layer （20-40 cm） of the P2 treatment （4.2 mg P kg^-1） was significantly （P〈0.05） higher than those in the other treatments. Nevertheless, long-term N fertilization did not significantly increase the alkali-hydrolyzable N in the soil. However, in the salt-affected surface soils the application of combined N and P fertilizers over 17 years significantly （P〈0.05） decreased rapidly available potassium （K）. The results suggested that while under long-term fertilizer applications some soil fertility parameters could be maintained or enhanced, careful monitoring of soil fertility was necessary as other nutrients such as K could become depleted.

Feasibility and Prospect about the Cultivation of Apocynum venetum L. in Coastal Salt-affected Soils

[Objective]The aim of this paper was to analyze the feasibility and prospect of Apocynum venetum L.cultivation in coastal salt-affected soils.[Method]The habitat and distribution of Apocynum venetum L.in coastal area of north China were studied.A method to integrate the charicteristics of Apocynum venetum L.（Luobuma） with the utilization of salt-affected soils in this region was proposed.[Result]The introduction,domestication and growth of plants on coastal salt-affected soils can realize the protection of endangered wild species,and achieve the purpose of improving soil.The characteristics of Apocynum venetum L.can produce optimum economic and ecological benefits.[Conclusion]The implementation will provide references for the protection and exploitation of wild plant,and it is of positive significance for the integration of soil and plant resources.

The Effects of Farmyard Manure and Mulch on Soil Physical Properties in a Reclaimed Coastal Tidal Flat Salt-Affected Soil

Careful soil management is important for the soil quality and productivity improvement of the reclaimed coastal tidal flat saline land in northern Jiangsu Province, China. Farmyard manure（ FYM） and mulch applications, which affect soil characteristics and plant significantly, are regard as an effective pattern of saline land improvement. As a conventional management in the study region, FYM and mulch are used for the amendment of the new reclaimed tidal flat regularly, but little is known about their effects on soil physical properties functioning. A study was conducted on a typical coastal tidal flat saline land, which was reclaimed in 2005, to evaluate the effects of FYM, polyethylene film mulch（PM）, straw mulch（SM）, FYM combined with PM（FYM＋PM）, FYM combined with SM（FYM＋SM）, on soil hydraulic properties and soil mechanical impedance. CK represented conventional cultivation in study area without FYM and mulch application and served as a control. The experiment, laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications, was studied in Huanghaiyuan Farm, which specialized in the agricultural utilization for coastal tidal flat. Result showed that capillary water holding capacity（CHC）, saturated water content（SWC）, saturated hydraulic conductivity（ Ks） and bulk density（BD）, cone index（CI） were affected significantly by the FYM and mulch application, especially in the 0-10 cm soil layer. FYM and mulch management increased CHC, SWC and Ks over all soil depth in the order of FYM＋SM〉FYM＋PM〉FYM〉SM〉PM〉CK. With the contrary sequence, BD and CI decreased significantly; however, FYM and mulch application affected BD and CI only in the upper soil layers. CHC, SWC and Ks decreased significantly with the increasing of soil depth, BD and CI, and a significant liner equation was found between CHC, SWC, Ks and BD, CI. With the highest CHC（38.15%）, SWC（39.55%）, Ks（6.00 mm h-1） and the lowest BD（1.26 g cm-3） and CI（2.71 MPa）, the combined management of FYM and SM was recommend to be an effective method for the melioration of reclaimed coastal tidal flat saline soil.

Variation of soil physical-chemical characteristics in salt-affected soil in the Qarhan Salt Lake,Qaidam Basin

Soil salinization has adverse effects on the soil physical-chemical characteristics.However,little is known about the changes in soil salt ion concentrations and other soil physical-chemical characteristics within the Qarhan Salt Lake and at different soil depths in the surrounding areas.Here,we selected five sampling sites(S1,S2,S3,S4,and S5)alongside the Qarhan Salt Lake and in the Xidatan segment of the Kunlun Mountains to investigate the relationship among soil salt ion concentrations,soil physical-chemical characteristics,and environmental variables in April 2019.The results indicated that most sites had strongly saline and very strongly saline conditions.The main salt ions present in the soil were Na^(+),K^(+),and Cl^(-).Soil nutrients and soil microbial biomass(SMB)were significantly affected by the salinity(P<0.05).Moreover,soil salt ions(Na^(+),K^(+),Ca2+,Mg^(2+),Cl^(-),CO_(3)^(2-),SO_(4)^(2-),and HCO_(3)^(-))were positively correlated with electrical conductivity(EC)and soil water content(SWC),but negatively related to altitude and soil depth.Unlike soil salt ions,soil nutrients and SMB were positively correlated with altitude,but negatively related to EC and SWC.Moreover,soil nutrients and SMB were negatively correlated with soil salt ions.In conclusion,soil nutrients and SMB were mainly influenced by salinity,and were related to altitude,soil depth,and SWC in the areas from the Qarhan Salt Lake to the Xidatan segment.These results imply that the soil quality(mainly evaluated by soil physical-chemical characteristics)is mainly influenced by soil salt ions in the areas surrounding the Qarhan Salt Lake.Our results provide an accurate prediction of how the soil salt ions,soil nutrients,and SMB respond to the changes along a salt gradient.The underlying mechanisms controlling the soil salt ion distribution,soil nutrients,and SMB in an extremely arid desert climate playa should be studied in greater detail in the future.

Salt-Affected Soil Mapping in an Arid Environment Using Semi-Empirical Model and Landsat-OLI Data

The aim of this research is to map the salt-affected soil in an arid environment using an advanced semi-empirical predictive model, Operational Land Imager (OLI) data, a digital elevation model (DEM), field soil sampling, and laboratory and statistical analyses. To achieve our objectives, the OLI data were atmospherically corrected, radiometric sensor drift was calibrated, and distortions of topography and geometry were corrected using a DEM. Then, the soil salinity map was derived using a semi-empirical predictive model based on the Soil Salinity and Sodicity Index-2 (SSSI-2). The vegetation cover map was extracted from the Transformed Difference Vegetation Index (TDVI). In addition, accurate DEM of 5-m pixels was used to derive topographic attributes (elevation and slope). Visual comparisons and statistical validation of the semi-empirical model using ground truth were undertaken in order to test its capability in an arid environment for moderate and strong salinity mapping. To accomplish this step, fieldwork was organized and 120 soil samples were collected with various degrees of salinity, including non-saline soil samples. Each one was automatically labeled using a digital camera and an accurate global positioning system (GPS) survey (σ ≤ ± 30 cm) connected in real time to the geographic information system (GIS) database. Subsequently, in the laboratory, the major exchangeable cations (Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+, Cl- and SO42-), pH and the electrical conductivity (EC-Lab) were extracted from a saturated soil paste, as well as the sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) being calculated. The EC-Lab, which is generally accepted as the most effective method for soil salinity quantification was used for statistical analysis and validation purposes. The obtained results demonstrated a very good conformity between the derived soil salinity map from OLI data and the ground truth, highlighting six major salinity classes: Extreme, very high, high, moderate, low and non-saline. The laboratory chemical analyses corroborate these results. Furthermore, the semi-empirical predictive model provides good global results in comparison to the ground truth and laboratory analysis (EC-Lab), with correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.97, an index of agreement (D) of 0.84 (p < 0.05), and low overall root mean square error (RMSE) of 11%. Moreover, we found that topographic attributes have a substantial impact on the spatial distribution of salinity. The areas at a relatively high altitude and with hard bedrock are less susceptible to salinity, while areas at a low altitude and slope (≤2%) composed of Quaternary soil are prone to it. In these low areas, the water table is very close to the surface (≤1 m), and the absence of an adequate drainage network contributes significantly to waterlogging. Consequently, the intrusion and emergence of seawater at the surface, coupled with high temperature and high evaporation rates, contribute extensively to the soil salinity in the study area.

Straw-returning reduces the contribution of microbial anabolism to salt-affected soil organic carbon accumulation over a salinity gradient

●In low-salinity soil,straw-returning did not change necromass contribution to SOC.●In medium-salinity soil,straw-returning reduced necromass contribution to SOC.●Straw-returning reduced POC contribution to SOC in low-salinity soil.●Straw-returning increased POC contribution to SOC in medium-salinity soil.●Salinity affects the contribution of microbial-derived and plant-derived C to SOC.Salinization affects microbial-mediated soil organic carbon(SOC)dynamics.However,the mechanisms of SOC accumulation under agricultural management practices in salt-affected soils remain unclear.We investigated the relative contribution of microbial-derived and plant-derived C to SOC accumulation in coastal salt-affected soils under straw-returning,by determining microbial necromass biomarkers(amino sugars)and particulate organic C(POC).Results showed that,straw-returning increased necromass accumulation in low-salinity soil but did not change its contribution to SOC.In medium-salinity soil,straw-returning did not increase necromass accumulation but decreased its contribution to SOC.In low-and medium-salinity soils,the contribution of POC to SOC showed the opposite direction to that of the necromass.These results suggest that under straw-returning,the relative contribution of microbial-derived C to SOC decreased with increasing salinity,whereas the reverse was true for plant-derived C.Our results highlighted that straw-returning reduces the contribution of microbial anabolism to SOC accumulation in salt-affected soils with increasing salinity.

Biochar application in remediating salt-affected soil to achieve carbon neutrality and abate climate change

Salt-affected soils urgently need to be remediated to achieve the goals of carbon neutrality and food security.Limited reviews are available on biochar performance in remediating salt-affected soils in the context of carbon neutrality and climate change mitigation.This work summarized the two pathways to achieve carbon neutrality during remediating salt-affected soils using biochars,i.e.,biochar production from sustainable feedstock using thermal technologies,application for promoting plant productivity and mitigating greenhouse gas(GHG)emission.Converting biomass wastes into biochars can reduce GHG emission and promote carbon dioxide removal(CDR),and collection of halophyte biomass as biochar feedstocks,development of biochar poly-generation production systems with carbon neutrality or negativity could be promising strategies.Biochar can effectively improve plant growth in salt-affected soils,showing that the grand mean of plant productivity response was 29.3%,via improving physicochemical characteristics,shifting microbial communities,and enhancing plant halotolerance.Moreover,biochar can mitigate GHG emission via inducing negative priming effect,improving soil properties,changing microbial communities associated with carbon and nitrogen cycle,direct adsorption of GHG.However,biochar also may pose negative effects on plant growth because of stress of toxic compounds and free radicals,and deterioration of soil properties.The promoted GHG emission is mainly ascribed to positive priming effect,and provision of labile carbon and inorganic nitrogen fractions as microbial substrates.Finally,this review pointed out the gaps in the current studies and the future perspectives.Particularly,the development of“carbon neutral”or“carbon negative”biochar production system,balancing the relationship of biochar effectiveness and functionality with its environmental risks and costs,and designing biochar-based GHG adsorbents would be important directions for remediating salt-affected soils to achieve carbon neutrality and abate climate change.

Hydraulic properties of typical salt-affected soils in Jiangsu Province, China

Every year about 1,500 ha of land is reclaimed from the sea along the coastline of Jiangsu Province,China.It is important to characterize the hydraulic properties of this reclaimed land to be able to predict and manage salt and water movement for amelioration of these saline soils.In this paper,we report hydraulic properties of these salt-affected soils.The pressure-plate method,constant head method,the crust method and Klute’s method were used in this study.The satu-rated hydraulic conductivities of the soils ranged from 128.66 to 141.26 cm/day and decreased with increasing soil depth.The unsaturated hydraulic conductivities followed an expo-nential function of pressure head.The soil water retention curves were similar for three soil layers in the soil.The satu-rated water content,field capacity and wilting point decreased with increasing soil depth.Plant available water contents of the three layers in the soil profile were 0.21,0.20 and 0.19 cm3/cm3,respectively.The unsaturated soil water diffu-sivity of the studied soils ranged from 0.07 to 10.46 cm^(2)/min,and was related to the water content via an exponential relationship.

Study on Cultural Technologies and Salt-resistance of Nitraria sibirica in Coastal Areas with Serious Salt-affected Soil

In this research, five Nitraria sibirica provenances such as Dayilu were selected to do experiment of salt-resistance, combining fixed plots test with typical plot investigation, measuring survival rate and growth as main indicators. The experiments of main cultural technology were done on Nitraria sibirica in 4 types of site preparation, 3 types of planting, 3 designs for planting density. The Nitraria sibirica experiments for the effects of curbing salt and improving soil were done by testing soil nutrients, salt content, soil physical properties as focal points in typical site of 3-4 years woods. The experiment results showed that the Nitraria sibirica could survive well with soil salt content of 0.6%, and that survival rate declined distinctively as soil salt content exceeded 0.8%. However, high soil salt content did not influence growth in the year of planting. There were obvious differences in salt-tolerance among Nitraria sibirica provenances; Dayilu was the best on salt-tolerance, the other 4 provenances had no differences, and obviously inferior to Dayilu. The different types of site preparation clearly influenced planting survival rate, conserving rate and growth. The method of two-ploughing-two-harrowing was the best among all 4 types of site preparation. Seed forestation was largely limited, bared-rooted seedling forestation may be popularised when soil salt content was less than 1% and soil moisture content was better in spring. Forestation with container seedling was suited to coastal saline soil in rainy season. The optimum planting density of Nitraria sibirica was 2 505/ha in the Yellow River Delta area in view of coverage rate, yield of fruits and cost of planting. Generally speaking,Nitraria sibirica could effectively refrain soil from accumulation of salt in the surface soil, decrease salt content and increase soil nutrient, and heighten soil capillary pore rate.

Land Management Effects on Biogeochemical Functioning of Salt-Affected Paddy Soils

Most lowlands in Northeast Thailand(Isaan region)are cultivated with rice and large areas are affected by salinity, which drastically limits rice production.A field experiment was conducted during the 2003 rainy season to explore the interactions between salinity and land management in two fields representative of two farming practices:an intensively managed plot with organic inputs and efficient water management,and one without organic matter addition.Field measurements,including pH,Eh,electrical conductivity(EC),and soil solution chemistry,were performed at three depths, with a particular focus on Fe dynamics,inside and outside saline patches. High reducing conditions appeared after flooding particularly in plots receiving organic matter and reduction processes leading to oxide reduction and to the release of Fe and,to a lesser extend,Mn to the soil solution.Oxide reduction led to the consumption of H^+ and the more the Fe reduction was,the higher the pH was,up to 6.5.Formation of hydroxy-green rust were likely to be at the origin of the pH stabilization.In the absence of organic amendments,high salinity prevented the establishment of the reduction processes and pH value remained around 4.Even under high reduction conditions,the Fe concentrations in the soil solution were below commonly observed toxic values and the amended plot had better rice production yield.

Estimating Exchangeable Sodium Percentage from Sodium Adsorption Ratio of Salt-Affected Soil in the Songnen Plain of Northeast China

Soil exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) and sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) are commonly used to assess soil sodicity.Correlation between ESP and SAR of saturated pasted extract (SAR e) or of 1:5 (m:m) mixture soil to water (SAR 1:5) has been documented to predict ESP from SAR.However limited studies have been undertaken to model soil ESP based on soil SAR in the Songnen Plain,Northeast China.In this study,117 soil samples were used to predict ESP from SAR e and SAR 1:5 of salt-affected soils in western Songnen Plain.Soil ESP was highly related (r 2 > 0.76,P < 0.001) with SAR e and SAR 1:5.ESP of salt-affected soils in the Songnen Plain could be predicted using a logarithmic regression equations of ESP=10.72 · ln(SAR e) 15.36 and ESP=11.44 · ln(SAR 1:5) + 5.48.

Autochthonous halotolerant plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria promote bacoside A yield of Bacopa monnieri(L.)Nash and phytoextraction of salt-affected soil

Phytoremediation is a promising approach for reclamation of salt-affected soil.Phytoextraction is the most commonly used process,which exploits plants to absorb,immobilize,and accumulate salt in their shoots.In this study,halotolerant plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria(PGPR)were isolated from the rhizosphere of wild grasses growing naturally in salt-affected areas of Lucknow,Uttar Pradesh(India)and were tested for their efficacies of salt-tolerance and plant growth-promoting(PGP)abilities.Based on 16S rRNA sequences,the most efficient halotolerant isolates possessing PGP traits were identified as Pseudomonas plecoglossicida(KM 233646),Acinetobacter calcoaceticus(KM 233647),Bacillus flexus(KM 233648),and Bacillus safensis(KM 233652).Application of these isolates as bio-inoculants significantly(P<0.05)increased the growth and bacoside A yield of a medicinal plant,Bacopa monnieri(L.)Nash,grown on natural salt-affected soil.The phytoremediation of salt-affected soil was evident by the substantial increase in shoot Na^+:K^+ratio of bio-inoculant-treated plants.When compared to un-inoculated control plants,the soil physico-chemical properties of bio-inoculant-treated plants were improved.The shoot and root biomass(fresh and dry weights),soil enzymes,and soil nutrient parameters showed significant positive correlations with the shoot Na+:K+ratio.Consequently,the halotolerant PGPR screened in this study could be useful for the reclamation of saline soils concomitant with improved plant growth and bacoside A yield.

Subsoil tillage enhances wheat productivity,soil organic carbon and available nutrient status in dryland fields

Tillage practices during the fallow period benefit water storage and yield in dryland wheat crops.However,there is currently no clarity on the responses of soil organic carbon(SOC),total nitrogen(TN),and available nutrients to tillage practices within the growing season.This study evaluated the effects of three tillage practices(NT,no tillage;SS,subsoil tillage;DT,deep tillage)over five years on soil physicochemical properties.Soil samples at harvest stage from the fifth year were analyzed to determine the soil aggregate and aggregate-associated C and N fractions.The results indicated that SS and DT improved grain yield,straw biomass and straw carbon return of wheat compared with NT.In contrast to DT and NT,SS favored SOC and TN concentrations and stocks by increasing the soil organic carbon sequestration rate(SOCSR)and soil nitrogen sequestration rate(TNSR)in the 0-40 cm layer.Higher SOC levels under SS and NT were associated with greater aggregate-associated C fractions,while TN was positively associated with soluble organic nitrogen(SON).Compared with DT,the NT and SS treatments improved soil available nutrients in the 0-20 cm layer.These findings suggest that SS is an excellent practice for increasing soil carbon,nitrogen and nutrient availability in dryland wheat fields in North China.

A dynamic soil freezing characteristic curve model for frozen soil

The soil freezing characteristic curve(SFCC)plays a fundamental role in comprehending thermohydraulic behavior and numerical simulation of frozen soil.This study proposes a dynamic model to uniformly express SFCCs amidst varying total water contents throughout the freezing-thawing process.Firstly,a general model is proposed,wherein the unfrozen water content at arbitrary temperature is determined as the lesser of the current total water content and the reference value derived from saturated SFCC.The dynamic performance of this model is verified through test data.Subsequently,in accordance with electric double layer(EDL)theory,the theoretical residual and minimum temperatures in SFCC are calculated to be-14.5℃to-20℃for clay particles and-260℃,respectively.To ensure that the SFCC curve ends at minimum temperature,a correction function is introduced into the general model.Furthermore,a simplified dynamic model is proposed and investigated,necessitating only three parameters inherited from the general model.Additionally,both general and simplified models are evaluated based on a test database and proven to fit the test data exactly across the entire temperature range.Typical recommended parameter values for various types of soils are summarized.Overall,this study provides not only a theoretical basis for most empirical equations but also proposes a new and more general equation to describe the SFCC.

Straw return increases crop production by improving soil organic carbon sequestration and soil aggregation in a long-term wheat-cotton cropping system

Straw return is a promising strategy for managing soil organic carbon(SOC)and improving yield stability.However,the optimal straw return strategy for sustainable crop production in the wheat(Triticum aestivum L.)-cotton(Gossypium hirsutum L.)cropping system remains uncertain.The objective of this study was to quantify the long-term(10 years)impact of carbon(C)input on SOC sequestration,soil aggregation and crop yields in a wheat-cotton cropping system in the Yangtze River Valley,China.Five treatments were arranged with a single-factor randomized design as follows:no straw return(Control),return of wheat straw only(Wt),return of cotton straw only(Ct),return of 50%wheat and 50%cotton straw(Wh-Ch)and return of 100%wheat and 100%cotton straw(Wt-Ct).In comparison to the Control,the SOC content increased by 8.4 to 20.2%under straw return.A significant linear positive correlation between SOC sequestration and C input(1.42-7.19 Mg ha^(−1)yr^(−1))(P<0.05)was detected.The percentages of aggregates of sizes>2 and 1-2 mm at the 0-20 cm soil depth were also significantly elevated under straw return,with the greatest increase of the aggregate stability in the Wt-Ct treatment(28.1%).The average wheat yields increased by 12.4-36.0%and cotton yields increased by 29.4-73.7%,and significantly linear positive correlations were also detected between C input and the yields of wheat and cotton.The average sustainable yield index(SYI)reached a maximum value of 0.69 when the C input was 7.08 Mg ha^(−1)yr^(−1),which was close to the maximum value(SYI of 0.69,C input of 7.19 Mg ha^(−1)yr^(-1))in the Wt-Ct treatment.Overall,the return of both wheat and cotton straw was the best strategy for improving SOC sequestration,soil aggregation,yields and their sustainability in the wheat-cotton rotation system.

Assessment of soil erosion in the Irga watershed on the eastern edge of the Chota Nagpur Plateau,India

Human activities to improve the quality of life have accelerated the natural rate of soil erosion.In turn,these natural disasters have taken a great impact on humans.Human activities,particularly the conversion of vegetated land into agricultural land and built-up area,stand out as primary contributors to soil erosion.The present study investigated the risk of soil erosion in the Irga watershed located on the eastern fringe of the Chota Nagpur Plateau in Jharkhand,India,which is dominated by sandy loam and sandy clay loam soil with low soil organic carbon(SOC)content.The study used the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation(RUSLE)and Geographical Information System(GIS)technique to determine the rate of soil erosion.The five parameters(rainfall-runoff erosivity(R)factor,soil erodibility(K)factor,slope length and steepness(LS)factor,cover-management(C)factor,and support practice(P)factor)of the RUSLE were applied to present a more accurate distribution characteristic of soil erosion in the Irga watershed.The result shows that the R factor is positively correlated with rainfall and follows the same distribution pattern as the rainfall.The K factor values in the northern part of the study area are relatively low,while they are relatively high in the southern part.The mean value of the LS factor is 2.74,which is low due to the flat terrain of the Irga watershed.There is a negative linear correlation between Normalized Difference Vegetation Index(NDVI)and the C factor,and the high values of the C factor are observed in places with low NDVI.The mean value of the P factor is 0.210,with a range from 0.000 to 1.000.After calculating all parameters,we obtained the average soil erosion rate of 1.43 t/(hm^(2)•a),with the highest rate reaching as high as 32.71 t/(hm^(2)•a).Therefore,the study area faces a low risk of soil erosion.However,preventative measures are essential to avoid future damage to productive and constructive activities caused by soil erosion.This study also identifies the spatial distribution of soil erosion rate,which will help policy-makers to implement targeted soil erosion control measures.

Manure substitution improves maize yield by promoting soil fertility and mediating the microbial community in lime concretion black soil

Synthetic nitrogen(N)fertilizer has made a great contribution to the improvement of soil fertility and productivity,but excessive application of synthetic N fertilizer may cause agroecosystem risks,such as soil acidification,groundwater contamination and biodiversity reduction.Meanwhile,organic substitution has received increasing attention for its ecologically and environmentally friendly and productivity benefits.However,the linkages between manure substitution,crop yield and the underlying microbial mechanisms remain uncertain.To bridge this gap,a three-year field experiment was conducted with five fertilization regimes:i)Control,non-fertilization;CF,conventional synthetic fertilizer application;CF_(1/2)M_(1/2),1/2 N input via synthetic fertilizer and 1/2 N input via manure;CF_(1/4)M_(3/4),1/4 N input synthetic fertilizer and 3/4 N input via manure;M,manure application.All fertilization treatments were designed to have equal N input.Our results showed that all manure substituted treatments achieved high soil fertility indexes(SFI)and productivities by increasing the soil organic carbon(SOC),total N(TN)and available phosphorus(AP)concentrations,and by altering the bacterial community diversity and composition compared with CF.SOC,AP,and the soil C:N ratio were mainly responsible for microbial community variations.The co-occurrence network revealed that SOC and AP had strong positive associations with Rhodospirillales and Burkholderiales,while TN and C:N ratio had positive and negative associations with Micromonosporaceae,respectively.These specific taxa are implicated in soil macroelement turnover.Random Forest analysis predicted that both biotic(bacterial composition and Micromonosporaceae)and abiotic(AP,SOC,SFI,and TN)factors had significant effects on crop yield.The present work strengthens our understanding of the effects of manure substitution on crop yield and provides theoretical support for optimizing fertilization strategies.

Enhancing Deep Learning Soil Moisture Forecasting Models by Integrating Physics-based Models

Accurate soil moisture(SM)prediction is critical for understanding hydrological processes.Physics-based(PB)models exhibit large uncertainties in SM predictions arising from uncertain parameterizations and insufficient representation of land-surface processes.In addition to PB models,deep learning(DL)models have been widely used in SM predictions recently.However,few pure DL models have notably high success rates due to lacking physical information.Thus,we developed hybrid models to effectively integrate the outputs of PB models into DL models to improve SM predictions.To this end,we first developed a hybrid model based on the attention mechanism to take advantage of PB models at each forecast time scale(attention model).We further built an ensemble model that combined the advantages of different hybrid schemes(ensemble model).We utilized SM forecasts from the Global Forecast System to enhance the convolutional long short-term memory(ConvLSTM)model for 1–16 days of SM predictions.The performances of the proposed hybrid models were investigated and compared with two existing hybrid models.The results showed that the attention model could leverage benefits of PB models and achieved the best predictability of drought events among the different hybrid models.Moreover,the ensemble model performed best among all hybrid models at all forecast time scales and different soil conditions.It is highlighted that the ensemble model outperformed the pure DL model over 79.5%of in situ stations for 16-day predictions.These findings suggest that our proposed hybrid models can adequately exploit the benefits of PB model outputs to aid DL models in making SM predictions.