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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Soil Conservation and Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2023) | Viewed by 35816

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Nádia Luísa Castanheira

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Guest Editor

Agrarian and Forestry Systems and Plant Health, Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária (INIAV), 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
Interests: soil protection and preservation; sustainable soil management practices; soil erosion; nutrient management; soil degradation; soil health

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

A major challenge for agriculture today is reducing the negative environmental footprint while sustaining food production for a growing global population. The intensification of crop productivity has been made with intensive use of synthetic fertilizer and pesticides, which has led to land degradation and environmental pollution in several agroecosystems. The pressure on soil resources placed by agriculture has been enormous and still, it is recognized that food necessities have been increasing faster than crop production. We need to understand the soil complex systems, including their various physical, chemical, and biological interactions and how they relate to soil functions. Improving or restoring soil health in agriculture is challenging, and assessment of soil health and quality indicators are expected to enhance our understanding of the factors underlying the processes that contribute to the sustainability of agriculture. We need to enhance knowledge on the plant and soil microbiota and microbial–host dynamics that are beneficial to the host plant and/or the environment. We need to take advantage of the existing natural potential of microbial inoculants that can improve plant access to nutrients and help to improve plant adaptation to stress. This Special Issue will focus on soil management practices to promote soil health, soil quality, and soil biodiversity in agriculture. These soil management practices may include the application of inorganic and organic soil amendments, biostimulants, microbial inoculants, no-tillage, direct seeding, and sustainable agricultural practices. Additionally, soil and water management practices in agriculture, soil monitoring, soil degradation, soil protection, and the role of rhizospheric microorganisms for the sustainability of agriculture will be considered. Papers highlighting the influence of soil management practices on soil health are welcome. This Special Issue invites you to participate and contribute to increased knowledge on this up-to-date challenge for the sustainability of agriculture.

Dr. Nádia Luísa Castanheira
Guest Editor

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Keywords

soil health
soil quality
soil protection
soil degradation
soil monitoring
soil biodiversity
rhizospheric microorganisms for sustainable agriculture
sustainable soil and water management practices in agriculture

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Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 2135 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Phosphorus Sorption in Soils and Clay Fractions Developed from Different Parent Rocks in Limpopo Province, South Africa

by Omosalewa Oyebanjo, Georges-Ivo Ekosse and John Odiyo

Sustainability 2022, 14(14), 8528; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14148528 - 12 Jul 2022

Viewed by 1746

Abstract

Phosphorus (P) sorption dynamics in soils have implications for the environment and soil fertility. Soils and clay fractions that were developed from basalt, granite, arkosic sandstone, and gneiss in Limpopo Province, South Africa were analysed for their P adsorption characteristics and external phosphorus requirements (EPR). The relationship between the P adsorption parameters and EPR of the soils and clay fractions were also assessed. The Langmuir adsorption isotherms for the soils and clay fractions gave a better fit with slightly higher R-square values relative to the Freundlich adsorption isotherms. The Langmuir P sorption maxima were between 285.71 and 833.33 mg/kg and 238.09 and 625.0 mg/kg for the soils and clay fractions, respectively, and the EPR values ranged from 7.78 to 92.91 mgP/kg and 5.13 to 65.85 mgP/kg for the soils and clay fractions, respectively. The variations in the EPR suggest a single, uniform P fertiliser application to the soils could cause under-fertilisation and over-fertilisation problems. The soils that were developed from basalt, relative to the others, showed no risk to the water quality in the region at the current rate of P fertiliser application. The P sorption parameters of the soils and clay fractions showed no statistically significant differences. Hence, the P sorption parameters of the clay fractions could be reliable predictors of the P sorption and buffering in their respective soils. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Management Practices to Promote Soil Health)

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19 pages, 6569 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ecological Risk Evaluation and Source Identification of Heavy Metal Pollution in Urban Village Soil Based on XRF Technique

by Siqi Liu, Biao Peng and Jianfeng Li

Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 5030; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095030 - 22 Apr 2022

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2280

Abstract

The rapid urbanization in China has resulted in significant differences between urban and rural areas. The emergence of urban villages is inevitable in this context, for which complex problems regarding land use, industrial management and ecological environment have arisen. This study performed a case study on a typical urban village, by assessing heavy metal pollution and ecological risk in soil. It detected a total of 80 basic units through portable X-ray fluorescence (XRF) instrument. A total of 25 high-risk contaminated points were selected, sampled and analyzed in laboratory as confirmation. The results showed the mean concentrations of Pb, Cu, Zn and Ni in soil were significantly higher than background values. Pb, Zn and Ni showed obvious pairwise correlation, and the high-value zones could be attributed to automobile traffic and industrial activities. In addition, the pollution problem is complicated by a combination of agricultural activities, the absence of clear division between different functional zones, as well as a general lack of environmental awareness. All of these lead to increased ecological risk and are a serios threaten to public health. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Management Practices to Promote Soil Health)

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19 pages, 27998 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Priority Soil Pollution Management of Contaminated Site Based on Human Health Risk Assessment: A Case Study in Southwest China

by Jin Wu, Ruitao Jia, Hao Xuan, Dasheng Zhang, Guoming Zhang and Yuting Xiao

Sustainability 2022, 14(6), 3663; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14063663 - 21 Mar 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2614

Abstract

The human risk assessment model can serve as a tool for regional contaminated site comprehensive management. However, site-specific risk assessment is still seldom applied in China as a basis for making decisions on risk management actions. In this study, a total of 112 soil samples were collected from ten polluted sites in Southwest China. The human health risk assessment method was used to assess the risk of Cd, As, Cu, Pb, Cr, Zn, and Hg pollution. According to the findings, the average concentrations of As, Zn, and Pb in contaminated sites are substantially higher than those of Cu, Cd, Cr, and Hg. Further studies conclusively showed the soil at contaminated site in its present condition pose risk to human health to potential future receptors. The main contribution of non-cancer and cancer risks was through incidental soil and dust ingestion. The priority control site remediation order is Region VI > Region V > Region IV > Region III > Region VII > Region X > Region IX > Region VIII > Region I > Region II. Finally, management recommendations are made, including reducing pollutant intake, implementing a stringent monitoring scheme, utilizing bioremediation, and strengthening the implementation of relevant laws. This study provides a case for the comprehensive evaluation of soil pollution at contaminated sites in China. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Management Practices to Promote Soil Health)

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17 pages, 764 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Simulating Maize Productivity under Selected Climate Smart Agriculture Practices Using AquaCrop Model in a Sub-humid Environment

by Alex Zizinga, Jackson Gilbert Majaliwa Mwanjalolo, Britta Tietjen, Bobe Bedadi, Ramon Amaro de Sales and Dennis Beesigamukama

Sustainability 2022, 14(4), 2036; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14042036 - 11 Feb 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3377

Abstract

Crop models are crucial in assessing the reliability and sustainability of soil water conservation practices. The AquaCrop model was tested and validated for maize productivity under the selected climate smart agriculture (CSA) practices in the rainfed production systems. The model was validated using final biomass (B) and grain yield (GY) data from field experiments involving seven CSA practices (halfmoon pits, 2 cm thick mulch, 4 cm thick mulch, 6 cm thick mulch, 20 cm deep permanent planting basins (PPB), and 30 cm deep) and the control (conventional practice) where no CSA was applied. Statistics for coefficient of determination (R²), Percent bias (Pbias), and Nash–Sutcliffe (E) for B and GY indicate that the AquaCrop model was robust to predict crop yield and biomass as illustrated by the value of R² > 0.80, Pbias −1.52–1.25% and E > 0.68 for all the CSA practices studied. The relative changes between the actual and simulated water use efficiency (WUE) of grain yield was observed in most of the CSA practices. However, measured WUE was seemingly better in the 2 cm thick mulch, indicating a potential for water saving and yield improvement. Therefore, the AquaCrop model is recommended as a reliable tool for assessing the effectiveness of the selected CSA practices for sustainable and improved maize production; although, the limitations in severely low soil moisture conditions and water stressed environments should be further investigated considering variations in agroecological zones. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Management Practices to Promote Soil Health)

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14 pages, 321 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Organic Amendments on Soil Aggregate Stability and Microbial Biomass in a Long-Term Fertilization Experiment (IOSDV)

by Gábor Csitári, Zoltán Tóth and Mónika Kökény

Sustainability 2021, 13(17), 9769; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179769 - 31 Aug 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2913

Abstract

The effect of two types of organic amendment (manure and straw incorporation) and various doses (0–200 kg N*ha⁻¹) of mineral N fertilization on microbial biomass C (MBC), aggregate stability (AS), soil organic C (SOC) and grain yield were investigated in an IOSDV long-term fertilization experiment (Keszthely, Hungary). This study was conducted during years 2015–2016 in a sandy loam Ramann-type brown forest soil (Eutric Cambisol according to WRB). Organic amendments had a significant effect on AS, MBC and SOC, increased their values compared to the unamended control. The organic amendments showed different effects on AS and MBC. AS was increased the most by straw incorporation and MBC by manure application. The magnitude of temporal variability of AS and MBC differed. Presumably, the different effects of organic amendments and the different degrees of temporal variability explain why there was only a weak (0.173) correlation between AS and MBC. AS did not correlate with SOC or grain yield. MBC correlated (0.339) with SOC but not with the grain yield. The N fertilizer dose did not have a significant effect on AS and MBC, but had a significant effect on SOC and grain yield. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Management Practices to Promote Soil Health)

13 pages, 1735 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Distributions of Particle Sizes in Black Soil and Their Environmental Significance in Northeast China

by Binghe Yan, Yulan Zhang, Shuying Zang, Qiang Chen and Li Sun

Sustainability 2021, 13(7), 3706; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13073706 - 26 Mar 2021

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2828

Abstract

In recent years, black soil has decreased and degenerated heavily due to complicated functions of natural and artificial factors. Hence, characterizing distributions of particle sizes in black soil and their environmental influencing factors is important for understanding black soil degradation. A total of 116 surface soil samples in the top 20 cm from a typical black soil region in northeastern China were collected, and the spatial distribution of particle size parameters were characterized. Particle size-sensitive components were extracted quantitatively using the log-normal distribution function, and their environmental implications were investigated. The contents of black soil mechanical composition ranged from 7.8% to 79.3% for clay, 17.7% to 80.3% for silt, and 0% to 73.7% for sand, respectively. Median particle size ranged from 1.71 to 142.67 μm, with a coefficient of variation of 60%, indicating silt accounted for the majority of the composition. Four environmentally sensitive components were identified, including long-distance transported airborne deposits of clay dust (C1), successions from local parent materials (C2), short-distance deposits of silt particles (C3), and a component strongly disturbed by human activities (C4). C1 and C2 had relatively low variations, with C1 exhibiting the smallest variation, and C2 contributing highest proportion, showing no significant differences across all samples. C3 widely existed across samples, suggesting common wind erosion within the black soil region. C3 and C4 varied spatially, which was caused by the low vegetation coverage and high human disturbance of agricultural topsoil. The results suggest that windbreaks should be encouraged to reduce wind erosion in the black soil regions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Management Practices to Promote Soil Health)

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Review

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23 pages, 1099 KiB

Open AccessReview

Linking Nematode Communities and Soil Health under Climate Change

by David Pires, Valeria Orlando, Raymond L. Collett, David Moreira, Sofia R. Costa and Maria L. Inácio

Sustainability 2023, 15(15), 11747; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151511747 - 30 Jul 2023

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 7957

Abstract

Soil health is intimately intertwined with ecosystem services. Climate change negatively impacts ecosystem functioning, by altering carbon and nitrogen biogeochemical cycles and shifting nutrient bioavailability, thus hampering food production and exacerbating biodiversity loss. Soil ecosystem services are provided by belowground biota, and as the most abundant metazoans on Earth, nematodes are key elements of soil food webs and reliable bioindicators of soil health. Here, we carry out a literature review from 2019, the year that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change published a report relating and expressing serious concerns on the effects of climate change on the land degradation and sustainability of terrestrial ecosystems. We focus on documenting and discussing the composition of nematode communities contributing to improving soil health, and soil management practices to promote their presence and limit the effects of climate change on soils. By recognizing beneficial nematodes as plant-promoting agents, we could harness their potential to our benefit, catalyze decomposition services, improve plant performance, and increase carbon sequestration. This way, we will contribute to soil health and a well-balanced and well-managed system, making it possible to increase productivity, guarantee food security, and reduce the yield gap, with a limited human footprint on the environment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Management Practices to Promote Soil Health)

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29 pages, 771 KiB

Open AccessReview

Soil and Water Conservation in Africa: State of Play and Potential Role in Tackling Soil Degradation and Building Soil Health in Agricultural Lands

by Massamba Diop, Ngonidzashe Chirinda, Adnane Beniaich, Mohamed El Gharous and Khalil El Mejahed

Sustainability 2022, 14(20), 13425; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142013425 - 18 Oct 2022

Cited by 27 | Viewed by 9080

Abstract

Africa’s lands are largely vulnerable and threatened by soil degradation and low water availability, especially in semi-arid and arid regions, limiting crop and livestock productivity and farmer livelihood options. Therefore, in African agricultural lands, adopting/improving measures that conserve soil and water resources is crucial. This review aims to provide an update on soil and water conservation (SWC) in terms of farmer practices and research actions and explore how SWC technologies and practices represent a pathway to build or re-establish soil health and enhance sustainable agriculture in Africa. It also aims to increase knowledge on best-fit SWC approaches. Soil conservation, which includes measures of controlling soil erosion and maintaining or improving soil fertility, is inseparable from water conservation. On agricultural lands, the two are typically co-addressed. Increasing plant biomass production through improved water, crop and soil management practices, and managing this biomass judiciously, have direct and indirect impacts on conserving soils and water resources, particularly in drylands. This study focuses on rainfed agricultural systems. We discuss the barriers and challenges to scaling up best-bet SWC technological and management options. Moreover, we show that options, such as Conservation Agriculture (CA), Agroforestry (AF), as well as integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) and field-scale rainwater harvesting (RWH), remain promising for the preservation and improvement of soil health in Africa’s farmlands and improving the resilience of agrosystems to climate change and variability as well as droughts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Management Practices to Promote Soil Health)

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Other

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12 pages, 1090 KiB

Open AccessBrief Report

Physicochemical and Microbial Properties of Dairy Barn Soils: A Case Study in Costa Rican Farm-Associated Soils Harboring the Foodborne Pathogen Listeria monocytogenes

by Rossy Guillén-Watson, Luis Barboza-Fallas, Federico Masís-Meléndez, Olga Rivas-Solano, Rodrigo Aguilar-Rodríguez, Alejandro Medaglia-Mata, Michel Abanto and Kattia Núñez-Montero

Sustainability 2023, 15(18), 13629; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151813629 - 12 Sep 2023

Viewed by 1110

Abstract

Animal farming activities can influence soil properties that contribute to the survival of foodborne pathogens like the ubiquitous Listeria monocytogenes. However, the presence of this pathogen in farm-associated soils in Costa Rica has not been studied, which might provide new insights regarding the environmental conditions associated with the establishment of this pathogen. In this work, we correlated the presence of L. monocytogenes with the soil physicochemical properties and bacterial community structure of soils associated with livestock activities, including a dairy barn floor (DB) and a slaughterhouse holding pen (SH). A cropland (CL) was included as an example of soil not associated with animal farming practices. We characterized the presence pattern of L. monocytogenes via culture-dependent and culture-independent techniques (i.e., metabarcoding based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing) and conducted a determination of physical, elemental and chemical parameters with Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) to statistically determine the soil properties that correlate with L. monocytogenes’ presence in the soil. L. monocytogenes was isolated from DB samples and SH but not from CL. Subsequently, 16S rRNA gene-based metabarcoding showed that the presence of L. monocytogenes was positively correlated with higher bacterial diversity, while physicochemical analyses revealed that the total hydrogen and nitrogen contents of soil organic matter, pH, and electrical conductivity were the main drivers of L. monocytogenes’ presence. Moreover, a CL sample fertilized with animal-derived products showed DB-like physicochemical properties matching conditions in favor of L. monocytogenes’ presence. Hence, our work emphasizes the significance of soil as a primary source for the widespread dissemination of pathogens, particularly underscoring the necessity for improved agricultural practices to prevent cross-contamination with L. monocytogenes. Additionally, we highlight the importance of further understanding the biotic and abiotic factors in facilitating the establishment of L. monocytogenes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Management Practices to Promote Soil Health)

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