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Topic Review
Water Land Resources Degradation Index
Natural resources are gradually coming under continuous and increasing pressure due to anthropogenic interventions and climate variabilities. The result of these pressures is reflected in the sustainability of natural resources. Significant scientific efforts during the recent years focus on mitigating the effects of these pressures and on increasing the sustainability of natural resources. Hence, there is a need to develop specific indices and indicators that will reveal the areas having the highest risks. The Water and Land Resources Degradation Index (WLDI) was developed for this purpose. WLDI consists of eleven indicators and its outcome results from the spatiotemporal performance of these indicators. The WLDI is based on the Standardized Drought Vulnerability Index (SDVI) and the Environmentally Sensitive Areas Index (ESAI). 
  • 1.7K
  • 27 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Optimizing Sustainability Opportunities for Biochar
Biochar is most commonly considered for its use as a soil amendment, where it has gained attention for its potential to improve agricultural production and soil health. Twenty years of near exponential growth in investigation has demonstrated that biochar does not consistently deliver these benefits, due to variables in biochar, soil, climate, and cropping systems. While biochar can provide agronomic improvements in marginal soils, it is less likely to do so in temperate climates and fertile soils. Here, biochar and its coproducts may be better utilized for contaminant remediation or the substitution of nonrenewable or mining-intensive materials. 
  • 1.7K
  • 18 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Factors Affecting SIC Formation in Arid Soils
Soil inorganic carbon (SIC) has received increasing attention due to the high accumulation of SIC in arid soils contributed by its high temperature, low soil moisture, less vegetation, high salinity, and poor microbial activities. SIC storage in dryland soils is a complex process comprising multiple interactions of several factors such as climate, land use types, farm management practices, irrigation, inherent soil properties, soil biotic factors, etc. In addition, soil C studies in deeper layers of drylands have opened-up several study aspects on SIC storage. 
  • 1.7K
  • 27 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Chemical Analysis of Organochlorine Pesticide in Agricultural Soils
Soil constitutes the central environmental compartment that, primarily due to anthropogenic activities, is the recipient of several contaminants. Among these are organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), which are of major concern, even though they were banned decades ago due to their persistence and the health effects they can elicit. A plethora of methods have been developed and applied for OCP analysis in environmental matrices (i.e., soil and sediment). The entire chemical analysis involves several crucial stages such as sample preparation and analyte chromatographic separation, including detection, quantification, and data analysis. Among them, the sample preparation step is considered as the most critical point to be made prior to instrumental analysis. In particular, the development of methodologies for determining pesticides in soil is a challenging task. As a result of the complexity and the physicochemical characteristics of such types of samples, two main factors should be considered: (a) the extremely low concentration of banned OCPs in soil samples. This is the reason why extremely sensitive analytical methods (including, in many cases, enrichment techniques) are required for the detection and quantification of these analytes at such levels, and (b) the strong binding of OCPs to soil.
  • 1.7K
  • 31 May 2022
Topic Review
Growth Enhancement of Camellia sinensis with Biochar
Biochar is a pyrolysis product of biomass and is recommended for soil amendment for improving soil health and increasing crop yield. Biochar application in the agriculture sector is a practical approach to minimize waste and maintain sustainable farming. However, the information regarding biochar application in tea cultivation is limited and especially rare in field research
  • 1.6K
  • 21 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Agricultural Soils
Globally, agricultural soils are being evaluated for their role in climate change regulation as a potential sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) through sequestration of organic carbon as soil organic matter. Scientists and policy analysts increasingly seek to develop programs and policies which recognize the importance of mitigation of climate change and insurance of ecological sustainability when managing agricultural soils.
  • 1.6K
  • 09 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Glyphosate Pollution Treatment
Glyphosate (N-Phosphonomethyl-glycine) is a broad-spectrum herbicide extensively used worldwide to eliminate weeds in agricultural areas, control vegetation in urban areas, and accelerate the harvest of several crops. Recently was classified as a potentially carcinogenic compound, due to this several countries banned or are in the process of banning its use.
  • 1.5K
  • 24 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Fundamental Principles of EM38 and MK2 Sensors
Soil salinization and its detrimental agricultural, environmental, and socioeconomic impact over extended regions represent a major global concern that needs to be addressed. The sustainability of agricultural lands and the development of proper mitigation strategies require effective monitoring and mapping of the saline areas of the world. Therefore, robust modeling techniques and efficient sensors that assess and monitor the spatial and temporal variations in soil salinity within an area, promptly and accurately, are essential.
  • 1.5K
  • 30 Oct 2023
Topic Review
Mechanism of Remediation of Contaminated Soil by Nanoparticles
The varied sources of soil pollution include the application of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, industrial discharge, and transformed products of these accumulated chemical residues. These processes may hamper the composition and soil ecosystem. Different types of methodologies ranging from physical, chemical, and biological approaches have been exploited to tackle this challenge. Nanomaterials (NMs) research has contributed to a new dimension for the remediation of polluted soils.
  • 1.4K
  • 12 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Restoration of Soils and Groundwater Contaminated by Explosives
Soil pollution resulting from explosives represents a critical environmental challenge. While physical methods like excavation and disposal are effective, their applicability is constrained by cost and logistical challenges for large contaminated areas. Chemical methods, such as oxidation and reduction, focus on transforming explosives into less toxic byproducts. Biological remediation utilizing plants and microorganisms emerges as a cost-effective and sustainable alternative. 
  • 1.4K
  • 31 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Coastal Acid-Sulfate Soils of Kalimantan, Indonesia
Coastal acid-sulfate soils are crucial for producing crops and thus, for food security. However, over time, these soil resources experience degradation, leading to higher agro-input, lower yields, and environmental hazards that finally threaten food security. The optimal use of this fragile resource is only attained by implementing vigorous integrated water–soil–crop management technologies amid the climate change impact. 
  • 1.4K
  • 27 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Dripping Rainfall Simulators for Soil Research
Rainfall simulators represent often-used equipment for soil research. Depending on their performance, they could be appropriate for some soil research or not. Dripping rainfall simulators (DRS) can provide rainfall that corresponds to natural rainfall, except in terms of the drop size distribution and wetted area. However, usually there are more factors that do not correspond to natural rainfall, such as the median drop size, volume and kinetic energy. The sizes of the drops generated by the simulator drippers are mostly in the range between 2 and 6 mm, while the number of drops smaller than 2 mm is relatively small. The intensity and duration of the simulated rain can be successfully produced to match natural values, with the most frequently simulated short-term rainfall of a high intensity. Most simulations were conducted at a fall height of up to 2 m, and then their number gradually decreases as the height gets closer to 5 m. Most simulations (58.6%) occur in the range between 20–90% KE, then 33.0% in a range of 90–100%, with only 8.4% lower than 20% KE.
  • 1.4K
  • 15 May 2023
Topic Review
Potential and Field Measurements of Soil Carbon Sequestration
Soil carbon sequestration (SCS) is a key priority in the Australian government’s Long-Term Emissions Reduction Plan. Under the government’s Emission Reduction Fund (ERF), farmers are encouraged to change to a management practice that will increase their soil carbon (C) stock and earn Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs).
  • 1.4K
  • 19 May 2022
Topic Review
Agro-Industrial Waste Composting Process Enhancement via Microbial Inoculation
Composting is an important technology used to treat and convert organic waste into value-added products. Recently, several studies have been done to investigate the effects of microbial supplementation on the composting of agro-industrial waste. According to these studies, microbial inoculation is considered to be one of the suitable methods for enhancing the biotransformation of organic materials during the composting process.
  • 1.3K
  • 19 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Portable X-ray Fluorescence Analysis of Organic Amendments
Portable XRF spectrometry (pXRF) has recently undergone significant technological improvements and is being applied in a wide range of studies. Despite pXRF advantages, this technique has rarely been used to characterize organic amendments and residues. pXRF correctly measures elements such as Fe, Pb, Zn, Mn, Ca, and K but gives conflicting results for elements such as Cr, Ni, and As. Among the reasons that may cause the low performance of the technique with certain elements or under certain measurement conditions would be the inadequacy of the analytical comparison procedures used (i.e., digestion with aqua regia), the lack of knowledge of the interfering effects of organic matter, and sample moisture on the XRF signals and the need for a standardized protocol for performing the measurements. However, the speed and low cost of the procedure forecast a greater future use of this technique, especially in cooperation with other fast spectroscopic techniques based on near-infrared (NIRS) or mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopies. Chemometric procedures based on one or more of these techniques will allow the prediction of elements below the detection limit of pXRF instruments (Cd, Hg), or other properties of organic amendments (organic matter, N, electrical conductivity, cation exchange capacity).
  • 1.3K
  • 05 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Boosting C Sequestration through Forest Management
Soil has a major role in sequestering atmospheric CO2. This has further benefits and potential to improve soil fertility and food production, mitigate climate change, restore land degradation, and conserve ecosystem biodiversity. However, its health is increasingly being threatened by the growing population, land degradation and climate change effects. Despite its importance, soil organic carbon (SOC) is understudied in the tropics.
  • 1.3K
  • 24 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Soil Carbon Sequestration
Carbon sequestration is the process of capturing, securing, and storing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Carbon is sequestered in soil by plants through photosynthesis and can be stored as soil organic carbon (SOC). The amount of SOC accumulated in RMS was mostly influenced by the restoration age, vegetation type, and substrate or type of reclamation used.
  • 1.2K
  • 20 Jan 2022
Topic Review
World-Wide Data of Organochlorine Pesticide in Agricultural Soils
Soil constitutes the central environmental compartment that, primarily due to anthropogenic activities, is the recipient of several contaminants. Among these are organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), which are of major concern, even though they were banned decades ago due to their persistence and the health effects they can elicit. Soil pollution by OCPs should be an essential aspect of the characterization of whole soil quality, considering that a significant percent of soils on a global scale are in the borderline of suitability for cultivation and pertinent activities. The latter, to an extent, is attributed to the presence of organic contaminants, especially those of persistent chemical natures.
  • 1.2K
  • 30 May 2022
Topic Review Video
Morpho-Functional Classification of the Planet’s Humipedons
A morpho-functional classification of the humipedons could be defined as this: 1) Classification: ordering things = summarizing the complexity of reality = putting nature in boxes, to "possess" nature, to "enumerate", divide, understand nature, get to know our home (oikos) = putting a name on things (just like names for people); 2) Type of classification: Morpho-functional; not objects  but "machines" has to be classified, "running systems", "natural clocks" full of interconnected cogwheels and that may indicate the time, systems that inform us about how they live; morpho stays for visible forms that characterize each "machine" and which communicate with us: if there are those visible forms, then we are facing that type of "system"; 3) Some soil scientists classify (morpho-functionally) only humipedons (not all the soil profiles), only the organic (H and O) and organo-mineral (A) horizons of the soil profile. Because they think these horizons are highly connected to the present day evolution of the ecosystems. The other parts of the soil are very important too, but they don't work at the speed that interests present day evolution, from one to 100 years.
  • 1.2K
  • 27 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Antimicrobial Resistance in Agricultural Soils
Excessive use of antibiotics in the healthcare sector and livestock farming has amplified antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as a major environmental threat in recent years. Abiotic stresses, including soil salinity and water pollutants, can affect AMR in soils, which in turn reduces the yield and quality of agricultural products.
  • 1.2K
  • 28 Apr 2022
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