Optimization of Diesel and Crude Oil Degradation in a Ghanaian Soil Using Organic Wastes as Amendment

Soil contamination by hydrocarbons poses numerous environmental, health and agricultural problems. The degradation of these pollutants can occur naturally but very slowly. It is therefore generally necessary to stimulate this degradation by different means. Thus, this study aimed to improve the bio-degradation of diesel and crude oil in a Ghanaian soil by biostimulation. For this, the sampled soil was characterized by standard methods and contaminated with diesel and crude oil at a proportion of 1% (w/w). Then, contaminated soil samples were supplemented with biochar-compost, poultry manure or cow dung at the proportion of 10% (w/w). Periodically, fractions of these samples were taken to evaluate the density of hydrocarbon utilizing bacteria (HUB) and the residual quantities of diesel or crude oil. The characteristics of the soil used show the need for supplementation for better degradation of hydrocarbons. The results of the study show that supplementing the soil with organic substrates increases HUB loads in soils contaminated by diesel and crude oil. They also show that the residual quantities of diesel and crude oil are generally significantly lower in supplemented soils (p = 0.048 and p < 0.0001 respectively). In addition, the study shows that degradation was generally greater in soils contaminated by diesel compared to those contaminated by crude oil, especially at the end of the study.

Application of ChatGPT in soil science research and the perceptions of soil scientists in Indonesia

Since its arrival in late November 2022,ChatGPT-3.5 has rapidly gained popularity and significantly impacted how research is planned,conducted,and published using a generative artificial intelligence approach.ChatGPT-4 was released four months later and became more popular in November 2023.However,there is little study about the perception of scientists of these chatbots,especially in soil science.This article presents the new findings of a brief research investigating soil scientists’responses and perceptions towards chatbots in Indonesia.This artificial intelligence application facilitates conversation-based interactions in text format.The study evaluated ten ChatGPT answers to fundamental questions in soil science,which has developed into a normal science with a mutually agreed-upon paradigm.The evaluation was carried out by seven soil scientists recognized for their expertise in Indonesia,using a scale of 1-100.In addition,a questionnaire was distributed to soil scientists at the National Research and Innovation Agency of the Republic of Indonesia(BRIN),universities,and Indonesian Soil Science Society(HITI)members to gauge their perception of ChatGPT’s presence in the research field.The study results indicate that the scores of ChatGPT answers range from 82.99 to 92.24.ChatGPT-4 is better than both the paid and free versions of ChatGPT-3.5.There is no significant difference between the English and Indonesian versions of ChatGPT-4.0.However,the perception of general soil scientists about the level of trust is only 55%.Furthermore,80%of soil scientists believe that chatbots can only be used as digital tools to assist in soil science research and cannot be used without the involvement of soil scientists.

Assessing the performance of decision tree and neural network models in mapping soil properties

To build any spatial soil database, a set of environmental data including digital elevation model(DEM) and satellite images beside geomorphic landscape description are essentials. Such a database, integrates field observations and laboratory analyses data with the results obtained from qualitative and quantitative models. So far, various techniques have been developed for soil data processing. The performance of Artificial Neural Network(ANN) and Decision Tree(DT) models was compared to map out some soil attributes in Alborz Province, Iran. Terrain attributes derived from a DEM along with Landsat 8 ETM+, geomorphology map, and the routine laboratory analyses of the studied area were used as input data. The relationships between soil properties(including sand, silt, clay, electrical conductivity, organic carbon, and carbonates) and the environmental variables were assessed using the Pearson Correlation Coefficient and Principle Components Analysis. Slope, elevation, geomforms, carbonate index, stream network, wetness index, and the band’s number 2, 3, 4, and 5 were the most significantly correlated variables. ANN and DT did not show the same accuracy in predicting all parameters. The DT model showed higher performances in estimating sand(R^2=0.73), silt(R^2=0.70), clay(R^2=0.72), organic carbon(R^2=0.71), and carbonates(R^2=0.70). While the ANN model only showed higher performance in predicting soil electrical conductivity(R^2=0.95). The results showed that determination the best model to use, is dependent upon the relation between the considered soil properties with the environmental variables. However, the DT model showed more reasonable results than the ANN model in this study. The results showed that before using a certain model to predict variability of all soil parameters, it would be better to evaluate the efficiency of all possible models for choosing the best fitted model for each property. In other words, most of the developed models are sitespecific and may not be applicable to use for predicting other soil properties or other area.

Assessment of Heavy Metals Immobilization in Artificially Contaminated Soils Using Some Local Amendments

Three alluvial soil samples with different textures were artificially polluted with chloride solutions of Cd, Pb, Co and chromate solution for Cr. The aqua-regia extracted concentration ranges in the artificially polluted soils were 1134 - 1489 mg·kg-1 for Pb, 854 - 938 mg·kg-1 for Cr, 166 - 346 mg·kg-1 for Co and 44 - 54 mg·kg-1 for Cd. The aqua-regia extracted metals were the highest in the spiked clay soil due to its high adsorption capacity. Rock phosphate (PR), lime-stone (LS) and Portland-cement (Cem) were mixed with the spiked soils at 1% and 2% rates (w/w) and incubated at 30 C for 2, 7, 14, 30, 60, 150 and 360 days. The extracted DTPA metals significantly decreased with different magnitudes with increasing the incubation period accompanied by increases in both pH and EC. The data showed that cement (Cem) treatment dropped the DTPA-Pb from @ 1000 to @ 400 mg·kg-1 in all the studied soils (60% decrease) in the first 2 months while it gradually decreased from 400 to 200 mg·kg-1 (20% decrease) in the next 10 months. Limestone (LS) and rock phosphate (PR) materials were relatively less effective in lowering DTPA-Pb after 12 months of incubation. The data showed also that cement (Cem) treatment was the most effective one in lowering DTPA-Cd by @ 60% as compared to the un-amended soils after 12 months of soil incubation. Extractable DTPA-Co and Cr showed consistent decreases with time down to nearly 50% of un-amended soils due to the effect of the added amendments after 12 months of incubation with superior reductions for the cement treatment in all the investigated soils. The statistical analysis confirmed that in all the studied metals and treatment, cement treatment (Cem) was significantly the most effective in lowering the DTPA extracted metals as indicated from LSD test. It was found that up to 73% and 57% of the applied Pb and Cd, respectively, were fixed by only 1% cement. However, the present study showed that from the practical and economic points of view, that 1% Cement was the best treatment to immobilize Pb and Cd from all the artificially polluted soils.

Soil Fertility Survey in Western Usambara Mountains, Northern Tanzania

Soil samples from thirty sites representing four agro-ecological zones in the Western Usambara Mountains (WUM) of the Lushoto District in northern Tanzania were collected and analyzed for different nutrients. The results suggested that the major soil fertility constraint was P deficiency. On the basis of critical levels established in other areas, 90% of the soils were ranked as P deficient. This was followed by N, which was ranked as inadequate in 73% of the sites. Magnesium, K, and Ca also appeared limiting with 67%, 53% and 50% of the soils falling below the established critical values, respectively. A few soils (10%) were also found to contain exchangeable Al. The metallic micronutrients (Cu, Fe, and Zn) were adequate in all soils. Two sites had excessive Mn that could lead to toxicity in crops, and one was Mn deficient.

Evaluation of Soil Potassium Test to Improve Fertilizer Recommendations for Corn

The soil potassium (K) test methodology is under increased evaluation due to the soil sample drying effect, temporal variations of test results and inconsistent crop response to applied K fertilizers. Ten on-farm trials were conducted in 2014 in eastern North Dakota to determine the corn response to different K-fertilizer rates and to assess the variation of soil K test levels between air-dried (KDry) and field moist (KMoist) soil samples during the corn growing season. Significant differences were observed between KDry and KMoist soil K test results. The ratio of KDry/KMoist showed high correlation with cation exchange capacity (r = 0.63, p < 0.10), Organic matter (r = 0.61, p < 0.10) and (Ca + Mg)/K ratio (r = 0.64, p < 0.10) from the 1 M ammonium acetate extractant, while pH, electrical conductivity, clay (%), and soil moisture showed non-significant correlation. On average, KDry resulted in higher soil K test levels than KMoist and pattern of deviation was different for surface and sub-surface soil samples. Soil K analysis of samples collected during the fall and spring showed large enough variations to affect the soil test interpretation category which was used to make fertilizer recommendations. Corn yield increased significantly with applied K fertilizer at only three out of 8 sites with beginning K levels below the current critical level of 150 ppm, and one response was at a site with K level above the critical level. Therefore, use of either the KDry or KMoist method alone may not be adequate to predict K response in some North Dakota soils.

Spatial variability of soil development indices and their compatibility with soil taxonomic classes in a hilly landscape: a case study at Bandar village, Northern Iran

Soil complexity and its multivariable nature restrict the precision of soil maps that are essential tools for soil sustainable management. Most methods developed for reducing impurities of soil map units focus on soil external properties. Taking into account the soil internal properties like geochemical weathering indices could increase the map unit's purity. However, the compatibility of these indices with Soil Taxonomic Classes has not been studied yet. This study has been performed in a hilly region with different soil types, vegetation and diverse topographic attributes to illustrate the spatial variability of soil weathering indices and their compatibility with Soil Taxonomic Classes. The grid sampling is at 100 m interval. Physico-chemical and total elemental analyses were performed on 184 and 56 soil samples respectively. Eight topographic attributes and 14 common soil development indices were determined. Principal components analysis(PCA) was done to identify the most important components. The results indicated that Morphological Index(MI) was the best index to show the degree ofsoil development in the studied region. Spatial distribution of Soil Taxonomic Classes showed relatively good compatibility with the first principal component(PC1), Vogt(V) and morphological indices. This study showed that using soil development indices with the conventional methods could be helpful tools in soil survey investigations.

Origin of Sulfur and Mode of Gypsum Formation in Central Iraqi Soils

The δ18O and 8D values of gypsum crystallization water together with δ18O and 834S of sulfates were used as reliable techniques to study source of sulfur and mode of gypsum formation in selected central Iraqi soils. Six representative pedons on different geologic units were studied. The slope of 3.9 for δ18O and 8D plot of gypsum crystallization water showed that evaporation was the major process of gypsum deposition in the study area. The mean 834S value of ＋17.58 %0 showed that Cretaceous sea sulfate followed by Tertiary is the source of sulfur in studied soils. The heavier 834S value （＋17.58 %0） of the study area compared to central Iran （＋13.5 %） proved that gypsum in central Iraq soils has been formed in the later stage of evaporation and that Iraqi landforms were cut off from the Tethys seaway after central Iran was evolved.

Geochemical indices of soil development on basalt rocks in arid to sub-humid climosequence of Central Iran

Quantitative weathering indices are efficient tools in determining the soil development from the underlying rocks.In order to evaluate the effects of climate on the soils developed under an arid to sub-humid climosequence in central Iran,twenty soil-development indices were compared.Twentyfour samples from six pedons were analyzed for routine physico-chemical and geochemical analyses using X-ray fluorescence(XRF).The lowest and highest calculated soil development indices were observed in the arid and sub-humid regions respectively.Among the studied indices,fifteen indices showed similar trends concerning the intensity of weathering.The consistency of such trends reveals the feasibility of using these indices to evaluate basalt weathering rate and soil development in arid,semi-arid and sub-humid regions.This study demonstrated that,among the evaluated weathering indices,the Weathering Index of Parker(WIP)and mass transfer coefficient(τ)were the most proper indices for predicting basalt weathering intensity.This is due to the fact that these indices use the highly mobile earth elements which are the most sensitive elements in basalt chemical weathering.The calculated indices were subdivided into three subgroups including the ratios of mobile/immobile,mobile/mobile and immobile/mobile elements based on the elements used in their calculation.The state of soil evolution was more accurately predicted compared to the other subgroups using the mobile/immobile subgroup of indices.Overall,the weathering indices calculated using the mobile elements are better indicators of weathering intensity,soil formation and the exogenous processes across the arid to sub-humid climosequence.

Retention of eucalyptus harvest residues reduces soil compaction caused by deep subsoiling

Eucalyptus harvesting,forwarding and soil tillage operations are among the main causes for compaction of forest soils,with potential impacts on productivity.This concern is especially important in areas with soils that are naturally compacted(fragipans and duripans).In these soils,tillage operations include the use of subsoilers that can reach depths of more than one meter and require heavy tractors that exert high pressure on the soil.One of the ways to try to minimize the effect of this compaction is by retaining harvest residues.The objective of this study was to evaluate the impacts of eucalyptus harvesting on soil physical attributes,as well as to determine the potential of different types of residue management to reduce compaction from the soil tillage operation.Two experiments were conducted in the same area with a Yellow Argisol.In the first experiment,compaction caused by mechanized harvesting with harvester+forwarder was evaluated.In the second experiment,different managements of harvest residues were examined as potential modifiers of soil compaction during tillage for new plantings.For this,three managements systems were tested:(1)retention of all harvest residues and litter from the previous rotation(HR+L),(2)retention of litter from the previous rotation(L),and(3)removal of harvest residues and litter from the previous rotation(WR).Before and after harvest,sampling was carried out in the planting rows and inter-rows,and after tillage,samples were collected in the traffic line of the subsoiler-tractor set.In both experiments,undisturbed soil samples were collected from the center of the 0-10,10-20,20-40,40-60,and 60-100 cm layers to determine soil density and total porosity.In each period and site of evaluation,mechanical resistance to penetration up to the 60-cm depth was also determined.The harvesting operation increased soil density at 0-10 and 60-100 cm depths only in the inter-rows.Retention of harvest residues and litter(HR+L)after harvesting avoided increases in soil density and penetration resistance caused by machine traffic during tillage.The results indicate the importance of retaining harvest residues on forest soils for achieving sustainable utilization and for conserving soil quality.

Impact of Surface Water and Groundwater Pollutions on Irrigated Soil, El Minia Province, Northern Upper Egypt

Current research has been focused on heavy metals pollution in surface water and groundwater and effect on irrigated soil from El Minia Province, north Upper Egypt. Concentration of heavy metals (e.g., As, Co, Hg, Ni, Se, Cd and Cr) in surface water, groundwater and irrigated soil samples is most significantly affected by leachate of many pollutants as the factories, agricultural activities, urban and natural processes. Microbiological parameters and microscopic investigations are revealed that some localities are common by micro-organisms, which are unsuitable for drinking waters.

The Spatial Variability and Temporal Dynamics of Soil Properties as Affected by Visitors’ Pressure in an Urban Park

Soil properties and their tempo-spatial heterogeneity, affected by visitors’ pressure, season and soil depth, were studied in an urban park in Tel-Aviv. Soil was sampled twice yearly in wet and dry seasons. In each season soil was sampled from areas exposed to differing levels of visitors’ pressure (VP), and designated “no VP (Control)”, “High VP” and “Low VP”. The soil samples were taken from two depths. For each soil sample, moisture, organic matter and soluble-ion contents, pH, and electrical conductivity were determined. It was found that different properties were differently affected by VP, seasonal dynamics and soil depth: organic matter content, penetration depth and sodium concentration were the most sensitive to VP;Soil moisture did not respond to VP, but sharply reflected seasonal changes;Calcium and organic matter contents were significantly affected by the soil depth. The sensitivity of soil properties to VP increased from March to July, and the upper soil layer was more sensitive to seasonal dynamics and VP than the deeper layer. Some soil properties exhibited “spotty” patterns;others a “frontal” one. Organic matter content was completely controlled by VP at both depths and in both seasons, and could be used as an indicator of soil status in recreation areas. Visitors’ activities included trampling and other anthropogenic factors that enhanced the spatial changes and seasonal dynamics of soil properties. Based on these measurements the intensity of soil degradation and dynamics was evaluated and used to describe the soil status in an urban park.

Assessment of Dithionite and Oxalate Extractable Iron and Aluminium Oxides on a Landscape on Basement Complex Soil in South-Western Nigeria

The study investigats the morphological, physical and chemical characteristic of a toposequence on basement complex in Ejioku area, south-western Nigeria on latitude 07°28.675'N;and longitude 004°07.219'E;180 m above sea level at the upper slope. It terminates at the valley bottom on latitude 07°28.756'N;and longitude 004°07.229'E;175 m above sea level. The topography of the site is moderately slope (not greater than 10%). The aim is to examine the two forms of sesquioxides (crystalline-dithionite extractible Fe & Al and amorphous-oxalate Fe & Al) and their distribution on the toposequence. The crystalline form of Fe oxide dominates all the positions and ranges from 7.2 g/kg at the valley bottom to 444.3 g/kg at the crest compared to the amorphous forms that range from 2.7 g/kg to 10.9 g/kg. The crystalline and amorphous aluminium oxide contents of the soils are low (2.9 g/kg - 43.3 g/kg and 1.3 g/kg - 8.7 g/kg respectively). There is significant negative relationship between Fed and Fed/Feo (r =-0.15;P n = 16). There is also a correlation between Feo and Ald (r = 0.63;P n = 16), FeO and FeO/Fed (r = 0.44;P n = 16), signifying a high level of weathering. The relatively high amount of Fed virtually at all the horizons indicates that the crystalline and less active forms of the oxides exist more on the landscape and may be responsible for the non-availability of some nutrient like phosphorus that may be sorbed to their crystals lattice. All forms of Al in the soils are low especially, the oxalate extractable forms, when compare with the dithionite extractable forms. However, there is a significant correlation between Ald and Feo/Fed (r = 0.57;P < 0.01). As a result of high accumulation of crystalline form of Fe and Al oxide with increasing depth, most especially, at the crest/upper slope, there is greater amount of concretions, nodules and plinthites which will lead to further deterioration of the soil for agricultural purposes.

Phytoextraction of Nickel and Chrome in Paddy Soil Amended With Municipal Solid Waste and Sewage Sludge

A field study was conducted in the paddy soil amended with municipal solid waste （MSW） and sewage sludge （SS） to find out total, DTPA extractable nickel （Ni） and chrome （Cr） in soil and their uptake by rice plant as split-plot arrangement based on randomized complete block design with three replications. The results indicated that the most available Ni （2.10 ppm） measured under 3 years application of 40 ton.ha~ MSW＋I/2 chemical fertilizer （CF）. Also, with 3 application of 40 ton-ha＂l MSW concluded the highest available Cr. The most accumulation of Ni in root （14.51 ppm） and grain （8.89 ppm） happened under 3 years application of 40 ton.ha-1 SS and 20 ton ha-1 MSW＋I/2 CF, respectively. With application of 40 ton.ha-1 SS and 40 ton SS＋1/2 CF, respectively happened the maximum Cr uptake by root and grain （12.43 and 3.65 ppm, respectively）.

Short-Range-Order Minerals and Dominant Accessory Properties Controlling P Sorption in Tropical Tephra Soils of the Cameroon Volcanic Line

Knowledge on soil properties likely to influence P sorption in tephra soils is very important for sustainable management of available P. Sorption studies on six tephra soils were conducted to relate P sorption to soil characteristics in order to identify those with potential influence on P sorption. Four equilibrium-based sorption models commonly encountered in soil studies (Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, and Van Huay) were used to describe P sorption in the soils. P sorption was determined by measuring the residual P content of a clarified equilibrating solution of 0.02 N KCl containing varying concentrations (0, 5, 10, 15, 30, 40, 50, 60, 80, and 100 mg/L) of P as KH2PO4 after mixing with 1 g of soil in duplicates for 16 hours at 25&deg;C. Maximum amount of P sorbed for the varying P concentrations used ranged from 2080 to 5402 mg/kg with a potential for greater P sorption maxima at higher P solution concentrations. P sorption in these soils was best described by the Langmuir and Freundlich models. Allophane and ferrihydrite are the principal species controlling the high P sorption in these soils. pH-NaF proved to be a potentially reliable test for assessing the presence of allophanic materials and thus for estimating P sorbed. This work would guide both effective and efficient P fertilizer management with economic implications for both the study area and similar environments.

Characterization and Impact of Cattle Manure Particle Size on Physical Properties of Sandy Soils

Sandy soils have poor physical properties, which cause them to drain quickly and not hold water well;however, with the addition of cattle manure, sandy soil can be improved. Therefore, experiments were conducted to investigate the characterization and impact of different particle sizes of cattle manure (CMS) on improving some physical properties of sandy soil and thus the yield of lettuce. Cattle manure was ground to powder and was sieved with three different Particle sizes 4.76-2 (CMS1), 2-0.8 (CMS2), 0.8-0.4 (CMS3) mm. Some physical properties were measured for different Particle sizes of manure. A batch of sorption experiments was carried out to study the role of different Particle sizes of manure on adsorption of N, P and K from aqueous solution. Two experiments were carried out on sandy soil (pots and field) to study the impact of adding CMS (5 ton/fed) to enhance some physical properties of sandy soil. The results indicated that the physical properties of cattle manure changed based on particle size fractionation, where Bulk density and saturated water holding capacity increased as particle size decreased, while porosity reduced as particle size decreased. The results of the sorption parameters of N, P and K on different particle sizes of manure indicated that maximum sorption occurred on CMS 3 for both P and K according to Langmuir and Freundlich sorption models. Two experiments showed that CMS had affected significantly the total porosity (TP), bulk density (Bd), slowly drainable pores (SDP), water holding pores and (WHP) available water (AW) in comparison to control. The CMS had a slight effect on Quickly-drainable pores (QDP) and fine capillary pores (FCP) as compared to the control in both experiments. Fresh weight, dry weight and number of leaf lettuce increased significantly with decreasing particle sizes of cattle manure as compared to control.

Soil and Variety Effects on the Energy and Carbon Balances of Switchgrass-Derived Ethanol

This study examined the effects of soil and switchgrass variety on sustainability and eco-friendliness of switchgrass-based ethanol production. Using the Agricultural Land Management Alternatives with Numerical Assessment Criteria (ALMANAC) model, switchgrass biomass yields were simulated for several scenarios of soils and varieties. The yields were fed to the Integrated Biomass Supply Analysis and Logistics (IBSAL) model to compute energy use and carbon emissions in the biomass supply chain, which then were used to compute Net Energy Value (NEV) and Carbon Credit Balance (CCB), the indicators of sustainability and eco-friendliness, respectively. The results showed that the values of these indicators increased in the direction of heavier to lighter soils and on the order of north-upland, south-upland, north-lowland, and south-lowland varieties. The values of NEV and CCB increased in the direction of dry to wet year. Gaps among the varieties were smaller in a dry year than in a wet year. From south to north, NEV and CCB decreased for lowland varieties but increased for upland ones. Thus, the differences among the varieties decreased in the direction of lower to higher latitudes. The study demonstrated that the sustainability and eco-friendliness of switchgrass-based ethanol production could be increased with alternative soil and variety options.

Effects of Different Organic Manure Applications on the Micro Nutrient Contents of Soil in Different Growing Seasons

This experiment aims to elaborate the influence of different organic manure applications on soil iron （Fe）, copper （Cu）, manganese （Mn） and zinc （Zn） contents in three successive seasons. Farmyard manure （FM）, chicken manure （CM） and blood meal （BM） and their mixtures and 1 control collectively 18 applications were tested under the open field conditions. All micro nutrients tended to increase with regard to the successive applications some of which were found to be statistically significant to a different extent. Considering the seasonal mean, an increase between the seasons in Fe, Cu and Mn contents were found to be statistically insignificant, whereas the Zn content was found to be statistically significant. CM gave rise to an augmentation in Cu, the Mn and Zn contents, BM also showed a tendency to increase in Fe contents of soils, but we recommend using BM only in small quantities due to the unfavorable features of the material. Summing up, 2.5 ton ha^-1 CM ＋ 0.3 ton ha^-1 BM and 2.5 ton ha^-1 CM ＋ 4.0 ton ha^-1 FM applications gave the better results.

Effects of Different Organic Manure Applications on the Macro Nutrient Contents of Soil in Different Growing Seasons

Different kind of organic manure, farmyard manure （FM）, chicken manure （CM） and blood meal （BM）, was tested during three successive seasons in order to reveal the effects of the applications on the macro nutrient contents of soil under cabbage （Brassica oleracea L.） growth. 17 organic manures and ! control, collectively 18 treatments, were used in a randomized block design with four replications under the open field conditions. As a result, total nitrogen （N）, phosphorus （P）, magnesium （Mg） and potassium （K） contents were influenced by the treatments to a different extent, while calcium （Ca） contents were less influenced. Evaluating the seasonal mean, P and K contents rose significantly from autumn 1 to autumn 2 season, but the increase in total N, Ca and Mg contents were found to be statistically insignificant. Consequently, 10.0 ton ha-1 FM ＋ 1.2 ton hal CM and 1.7 ton ha-1 CM ＋ 7.5 ton ha^-1 FM treatments gave the better results than the others. FM and CM treatments gave the better results than the BM treatment and we concluded that the BM should be used in small quantities in mixtures.

Evaluation of Cobalt Application Combined with Gypsum and Compost as a Regulator of Cabbage Plant Tolerance to Soil Salinity

In response to the global food crisis and the imperative to address soil degradation, the international agricultural policy is actively working to alleviate the adverse impacts of soil salinity. As part of this initiative, a field trial spanning two consecutive seasons (2019/20-2020/21) was conducted under saline conditions. The primary objective was to evaluate the influence of various compost sources, including vermicompost at a rate of 0.5 ton·fed-1 and plant residues compost at a rate of 5.0 ton·fed-1, as main plots. Subplots were established by applying agricultural gypsum, both in the presence and absence of gypsum requirements. Additionally, sub-subplots were created by externally applying cobalt at a rate of 10.0 mg·L-1, with one sub-subplot receiving foliar cobalt application and the other not. The trial sought to assess the growth performance, chemical composition, enzymatic antioxidants, yield, and quality of cabbage plants (Brassica oleracea var. capitata L.) cultivated in saline soil. According to the findings, cabbage plants exhibited the most favorable response in terms of plant height, chlorophyll content, carotene levels, leaf area, nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), head yield, vitamin C, and total dissolved solids (TDS) when treated with vermicompost, followed by plant compost. Conversely, plants grown without compost exhibited the least improvement in performance. Cabbage treated with agricultural gypsum requirements showed better performance than those without gypsum amendment. Moreover, plants subjected to cobalt spray demonstrated the highest growth, yield, and quality parameters compared to those without cobalt foliar application. In contrast, the control group (plants without the studied treatments) displayed the highest levels of enzymatic antioxidants, specifically catalase and peroxidase. This indicates that soil salinity stress led to an increase in catalase and peroxidase production in cabbage plants as a defense against the harmful impact of reactive oxygen species (ROS) resulting from soil salinity stress. The applied treatments (compost, gypsum, and cobalt) led to a reduction in the cabbage plant’s inherent production of catalase and peroxidase. Generally, the combined treatment of vermicompost × gypsum requirements × cobalt proved effective in mitigating the detrimental effects of soil salinity on cabbage plants. These findings hold significance for farmers and policymakers aiming to enhance agricultural productivity in regions affected by soil salinity. Additionally, further research can explore the long-term effects of these treatments on soil health and crop sustainability.