Applied and Environmental Soil Science
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Acceptance rate22%
Submission to final decision96 days
Acceptance to publication21 days
CiteScore3.500
Journal Citation Indicator0.520
Impact Factor-

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 Journal profile

Applied and Environmental Soil Science publishes research in the field of soil science. Its focus reflects the multidisciplinary nature of soil science, especially the dynamics and spatial heterogeneity of processes in soil.

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Research Article

Characterization and Mapping of Soil-Landscape for Site-Specific Soil Management in Ayiba Watershed, Northern Highlands of Ethiopia

The characterization of soil landscapes is becoming increasingly important for making decisions regarding site-specific agriculture systems and soil management. This study was initiated for the purpose of identifying landscape-scale spatial soil variation using a toposequence model so that site-specific fertilization could be achieved. According to the finding, the soils were shallow to very deep in depth, moderately acidic to moderately alkaline in soil reaction, nonsaline in salinity, and clay to sandy loam in texture. The soils were found very low to low levels in most soil nutrients, very low to very high levels of base saturation, and deficient in zinc but have adequate levels of iron, copper, and manganese. The soil exchange complex was mainly dominated by Ca and Mg where the order of occurrence was Ca > mg > K > Na. The CEC values were in high to very high range. Following the field survey and soil analytical results, five main reference soil groups of the World Soil Resource Base—Leptosols (56%), Luvisols (8.5%), Fluvisols (14.4%), Vertisols (13%), and Cambisol (8.2%)—were identified and mapped. Leptosols cover the largest landmass of the watershed and mostly found at the summit and hill back slopes. On the other hand, Luvisols, Fluvisols, Vertisols, and Cambisols were found on the middle and foot slopes. According to the findings, the variation in soil source indicating that topography is the primary pedogenic element in the formation of the soil in the watershed that was under research. Therefore, having local-scale-specific soil information can assist the site-specific application of soil nutrients and amendments based on spatial variability which is tailored to the soil requirements.

Research Article

Downstream Distribution and Postdepositional Mobilization of Cadmium in Alluvial Soils

The geochemical signature in alluvial soils is a witness of human activities that took place in a river catchment. Sampling of alluvial soils at depth, in combination with information on sedimentological history and age of samples, may even allow to reconstruct the pollution history of the river basin. In the present study, data on alluvial soils contaminated by a major pollution source were analyzed, with special attention for these soils as an archive for information on the pollution history of a river/river catchment, and on the postdepositional downward migration of metal(loid)s in the alluvial soils. Besides the lateral variation of soil properties and metal(loid) concentrations in the alluvial soils, the vertical distribution of metal(loid)s in soil profiles, as well as the evolution of soil composition in relation to the distance from the river, was addressed. The postdepositional mobilization of Cd was evaluated in a fine-scale sampled alluvial soil core, by comparing data from 137Cs dating with data about the Cd emissions through time and by using leaching tests to calculate the downward migration of Cd. A substantial amount of Cd could leach from superficial to deeper soil layers. Therefore, the low-resolution (cm-scale) sampling of the alluvial soil was not reliable to reconstruct the pollution history of the river catchment, because the elevated chloride-concentrations in the river water increased the downward leaching of Cd through the formation of chloro-complexes. Moreover, the variability in flooding and sedimentation regimes along the river resulted in a heterogeneous composition of the alluvial soils, allowing very large differences in metal(loid) concentrations in places only a few meters apart.

Research Article

Explaining the Soil Quality Using Different Assessment Techniques

Soil quality serves as the basis for both food security and environmental sustainability. To optimize production and implement soil management interventions, understanding the state of the soil quality is fundamental. Thus, this study was conducted to assess the soil quality of arable lands situated in the Nitisols and Luvisols using different assessment techniques. A total of 57 georeferenced soil samples were taken at a depth of 20 cm (18 from Nitisols and 39 from Luvisols land). The soil samples were analyzed for particle size distribution (PSD), texture, pH, organic carbon (OC), total nitrogen (TN), available phosphorus (P), sulfur (S), exchangeable bases (calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and potassium (K)), soil micronutrients (boron (B), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), and zinc (Zn)), and cation exchange capacity (CEC). The techniques used to estimate soil quality includes principal component analysis (PCA), a normalized PCA, and common soil parameters (soil texture, pH, OC, N, P, and K). The results were expressed in terms of soil quality index (SQI). In addition, the soil fertility/nutrient/index (NI) approach was used. The result showed that the SQI values using the common parameters approach were 0.17 and 0.30 for the lands belonging to Nitisols and Luvisols and categorized as very poor (<0.2) and poor (0.2–0.4) quality soils, respectively. PCA-SQI and normalized PCA-SQI values for lands in the Nitisols were 0.36 and 0.42, while for Luvisols they were 0.38 and 0.40, respectively. The soil quality of lands in the Luvisols was rated low (0.38–0.44), while lands in the Nitisols qualified under very low (<0.38) and low soil quality, respectively. In addition, the value of 1.42 and 1.78 in their order for lands belonging to Nitisols and Luvisols were recorded using the NI method that indicated low and medium soil quality. In conclusion, PCA and common soil parameters techniques regardless of soil types offered consistently similar information and could be taken as useful techniques for aiding soil management interventions. Furthermore, the result also calls for the need for applying soil management practices.

Research Article

Effects of Bio-Slurry and Chemical Fertilizer Application on Soil Properties and Food Safety of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum Mill.)

This study evaluated the effects of bio-slurry (BS) and chemical fertilizer (CF) application on soil properties and food safety of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum Mill.). A field experiment consisting of 100% BS (5 ton BS ha−1), 100% CF (90 kg N·ha−1 + 30 kg P·ha−1 + 13 kg S·ha−1), and control was conducted. Soil samples from all the treatments were collected for their physico-chemical characteristics. The level of ten heavy metals in experimental soil and tomato fruit samples was also determined. Compared to CF and control, the application of BS improved soil physico-chemical characteristics. The BC significantly reduced the mean concentrations of Cd and Mn in the tomato fruit samples. The mean concentration of Ni (18.24 ± 0.61, 23.9 ± 0.3, and 9.66 ± 1.2 mg kg−1) and Mn (15.4 ± 2.4, 38 ± 3.3 and 21.8 ± 0.99 mg kg−1) in tomato fruit samples of BS-treated, CF-treated, and control soil, respectively, was above the safety limit set by the Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization for human consumption. Similarly, the mean concentration of Cd (7.98 ± 0.72 and 3.29 ± 0.37 mg kg−1) in tomato fruit samples of CF-treated and control soil was above the safety limit. From this perspective, the consumption of these tomato fruits could be unsafe for human health with respect to Ni, Mn, and Cd toxicities. The application of BS could remediate the Cd toxicities, yet other scenarios of phytoremediation would be praiseworthy to address Ni, Cd, and Ni toxicities.

Research Article

Yield and Profitability of Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam) as a Function of Increasing Levels of Phosphorus and Varieties in Southern Ethiopia

Sweet potato is among the most important food security crops in Ethiopia. However, its productivity is constrained by poor soil fertility and a lack of improved varieties. A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the growth and yield response and profitability of three sweet potato varieties to rates of phosphorus (P) in Southern Ethiopia. Five rates of P (0, 10, 20, 30, and 40 kg ha−1) and three sweet potato varieties (Awassa-83, Kulfo, and Local) were considered as treatments that were laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The vine length, internodes length, diameter, and the number of vines were significantly varied among varieties while P had a nonsignificant effect on these parameters. The tuber yield of sweet potato was influenced by the combined effect of variety and P rate. The highest marketable yield (30.22 t ha−1) was obtained at 30 kg P ha−1 from variety Awassa-83 and the lowest marketable yield (6.57 t ha−1) was obtained from Kulfo at 0 kg P ha−1. Thus, improvement of sweet potato productivity in the study area could be achieved through the use of Awassa-83 variety with P at a rate of 10 kg ha−1.

Research Article

Smallholders' Conservation Agriculture Adoption Decision in Arba Minch and Derashe Districts of Southwestern Ethiopia

This study examines smallholder farmers’ conservation agriculture (CA) adoption decisions from a soil management perspective in two semiarid areas of southwestern Ethiopia. The analysis was based on a survey of 392 household heads in each of the mixed maize/sorghum/teff + Moringa stenopetala of Derashe district and maize/teff + banana fruit tree in Arba Minch Zuriya district farming systems. Two groups of smallholders that practice different land management, i.e., conservation agriculture and conventional tillage, were selected. A binary logistic regression model was used to answer the question of factors that determine smallholders’ initial decision to adopt CA. Nine explanatory variables including the age of the household head, level of formal education, family size, size of total landholding in hectares, size of livestock owned in the tropical livestock unit, farming experience, net income from annual + perennial crops, provided extension service by development agents, and lack of access to small-scale irrigation were included in the analysis. The study result revealed that nonpracticing groups have higher schooling, farmland holding, and livestock relative to CA-practicing households. Households with increasing age, schooling, total livestock holding, and higher net per annum income were less likely to practice CA. However, the CA practicing decision was high with an increase in extension service and lack of access to small-scale irrigation. Though CA with the Targa-na-Potayta mulching technique is an age-old practice in the Derashe area, the impact of extension service has indispensable benefits in extending the knowledge to younger smallholders.

Applied and Environmental Soil Science
 Journal metrics
See full report
Acceptance rate22%
Submission to final decision96 days
Acceptance to publication21 days
CiteScore3.500
Journal Citation Indicator0.520
Impact Factor-
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Article of the Year Award: Outstanding research contributions of 2021, as selected by our Chief Editors. Read the winning articles.