It is widely recognized that vegetation plays a significant role in contrasting slope instability through the root reinforcement. The main objectives of this paper are to evaluate the root tensile of selected Pennisetum species, namely, P. pedicellatum (PPd) and P. polystachion (PPl), and to determine the soil shear strength of root-permeated soil from these species. The selected species were initially planted in the polybags using the hydroseeding technique. A mineral fertilizer of NPK ratio 10&#x2009;:&#x2009;8&#x2009;:&#x2009;10 was adopted in the hydroseeding mixture. Routine watering program was applied twice a day throughout growth observation for six months. Four replications were prepared for each species including a set of control polybags, which contained only soil for reference and comparison. The results of root tensile tests revealed the significant relationships between root diameter and tensile force. In comparison, the PPl was still indicated by higher values of root tensile force than PPd. The presence of roots clearly has contributed to the shear stress of root-permeated soils. The root density based on root biomass measurement attributed to the higher value of peak shear stress as achieved by PPl than PPd. The combined effects of root tensile and the soil shear strengths of this selected species can be used as biological materials in slope protection against erosion.

Afaff Emhemed Ettbeb

Zulfahmi Ali Rahman

Wan Mohd Razi Idris

Jumaat Adam

S. Abd. Rahim

S. N. Ahmad Tarmidzi

Tukimat Lihan

Root Tensile Resistance of Selected Pennisetum Species and Shear Strength of Root-Permeated Soil

Soil conservation practices such as cover crops can improve crop production, soil quality, and water quality. Cover crops can also influence soil microbial growth and activity. Cover cropped and manured soils can potentially store and transmit fecal bacteria (e.g., E. coli) to surface water if runoff and subsurface seepage occur. While many studies have shown the soil health benefits of cover crops, fewer studies have evaluated the extent to which cover crops influence the abundance of potential waste-borne pathogens. A two-year study (2015–2017) was conducted on a limited-resource farm in Logan County, Kentucky, USA, to quantify the abundance of the fecal indicator Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria (as a proxy for fecal coliforms) in treatments with and without cover crops or composted poultry litter. The cover crop consisted of a cereal rye (Secale cereale L.), Austrian winter pea (Pisum sativum L.), and crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.) mix. Summer crops consisted of a no-till maize (Zea mays L.)—soybean (Glycine max L.) rotation. Soil samples were taken before and after each summer crop season and assessed to detect and enumerate E. coli. At the end of the study period, no significant treatment differences in the E. coli abundance in soil were detected (ca. 104 CFU·g−1) (<svg xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" style="vertical-align:-3.42938pt" id="M1" height="11.7782pt" version="1.1" viewBox="-0.0498162 -8.34882 44.5261 11.7782" width="44.5261pt"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path id="g113-113" d="M570 304C570 398 525 448 414 448C385 448 343 445 312 434L329 511L321 518C297 504 262 482 244 460L233 411C195 397 159 381 128 358L135 332C160 347 189 360 224 373L111 -147C97 -210 84 -218 17 -231L13 -257L254 -247L259 -218L233 -216C183 -212 177 -202 189 -142L218 -1C238 -10 266 -12 283 -12C351 3 429 48 483 105C543 168 570 242 570 304ZM482 289C482 161 380 33 304 33C278 33 248 51 233 69L303 396C326 400 352 403 369 403C428 403 482 380 482 289Z"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,11.342,0)"><path id="g117-92" d="M512 230V281L75 514V456L453 256V254L75 55V-3L512 230Z"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,22.605,0)"><path id="g113-49" d="M241 635C89 635 35 457 35 312C35 153 89 -12 240 -12C390 -12 443 166 443 312C443 466 390 635 241 635ZM238 602C329 602 354 454 354 312C354 172 330 22 240 22C152 22 124 173 124 313S148 602 238 602Z"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,28.845,0)"><path id="g113-47" d="M113 -12C146 -12 170 11 170 46C170 78 146 103 114 103S58 78 58 46C58 11 82 -12 113 -12Z"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,31.809,0)"><use xlink:href="#g113-49"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,38.049,0)"><path id="g113-54" d="M153 550H386L412 615L406 623H120L82 318C104 327 142 338 184 338C294 338 347 275 347 187C347 112 305 39 221 39C160 39 119 71 97 89C88 97 80 96 71 90C59 80 50 67 49 57C48 45 52 36 66 23C80 9 123 -12 169 -12C221 -11 288 15 342 59C403 109 431 165 431 225C431 308 366 395 238 395C212 395 165 379 127 364L153 550Z"/></g></svg>). However, season/time was a significant factor (<svg xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" style="vertical-align:-3.42938pt" id="M2" height="11.7782pt" version="1.1" viewBox="-0.0498162 -8.34882 44.5261 11.7782" width="44.5261pt"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><use xlink:href="#g113-113"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,11.342,0)"><path id="g117-91" d="M512 -3V55L134 254V256L512 456V514L75 281V230L512 -3Z"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,22.605,0)"><use xlink:href="#g113-49"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,28.845,0)"><use xlink:href="#g113-47"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,31.809,0)"><use xlink:href="#g113-49"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,38.049,0)"><use xlink:href="#g113-54"/></g></svg>). We conclude that the background E. coli already present in soil was sufficiently high, inhibiting the detection of the influence of added composted litter. These indigenous E. coli were unaffected by cover crop and nutrient management but did fluctuate on a seasonal basis.

Sait Sarr

Mark Coyne

Maheteme Gebremedhin

Avinash Top&#xe8;

Shreya Patel

Cover Crop and Fertility Effects on Escherichia coli Abundance in a Composted Poultry Litter-Amended Silt Loam Soil

This research aimed to address health and food security challenges affecting Los Angeles and beyond in our own backyard. One possible way to combat these challenges is through biotechnology. The purpose of this research was to characterize the arable soils at Los Angeles Pierce College and their potential uses. The methods employed were collection of soil physical and chemical properties, cultivation of soil microorganisms, and 16S rDNA sequencing with a citizen science platform. Statistical analysis in R revealed associations between field conditions and life in the soil. The testing of plant-based antimicrobial agents on antibiotic-resistant bacteria revealed that plant oils could be more efficacious for control than common antibiotics. We found evidence of plant growth-promoting, antibiotic-producing, and bioremediating bacteria in different fields with distinct microclimates based on the 16S rDNA taxonomy results and inferred functional profiles. The major findings included an abundance of Streptomyces, Bacillus, Methylobacteria, and others with desirable functions. Numerous Streptomyces isolates cultivated on selective media demonstrated the ability to reduce nitrate. These results will empower future trials and product development by identifying target soil microorganisms and the most viable fields.

Savanah St. Clair

Maryam Saraylou

Daila Melendez

Norman Senn

Serina Reitz

Destini Kananipour

Angelo Alvarez

Analysis of the Soil Microbiome of a Los Angeles Urban Farm

As an effect of intensive agricultural development of the steppes of the northern Black Sea coast, the finds of postantique agricultural landscapes that preserve relic elements of ancient land-use infrastructure are extremely rare. To these belongs the uniquely preserved ancient Greek land division system on the Tarkhankut Peninsula (north-western Crimea), which was studied using the methods of soil science and biomorphic analysis. This paper explores ancient land-use practices in order to reconstruct the original parameters of the land division system, as well as agricultural techniques employed. For postantique agricultural landscapes, an integrated geoarchaeological approach that includes GIS and remote sensing methodologies, in-field study of microrelief and soil registrograms, pedochronological dating technique, and physicochemical, geochemical, and biomorphic soil analyses has been developed and tested. The soil-geomorphological reconstruction shows that the Hellenistic land division system included a 4.5&#x2013;4.9&#x2009;m wide strip of land bordered by a 4.1&#x2013;4.7&#x2009;m wide (at the base) and c. 0.2&#x2009;m high wall and a c. 2&#x2009;m wide and over 15&#x2009;cm deep trench, which controlled surface runoff and erosion. Ancient agricultural practices of slope farming resembled the modern ones. Surface runoff and soil erosion were controlled by dividing the catchment area into narrow plots, the borders of which on arable land were marked by simple earthen structures (low walls with shallow trenches). The biomorphic analysis of soil sampled atop these structures indicates that in ancient times, these earthen walls were not cultivated. The study of conservative properties preserved in pedomemory of postagrogenic soils provided valuable evidence of agricultural techniques used in the palaeogeographic conditions of the 4th and 3rd centuries BC.

Fedor Lisetskii

Vladimir Stolba

Aleksandra Golyeva

Olga Marinina

Arseniy Poletaev

Postantique Soils as a Source of Land Use Information: A Case Study of an Ancient Greek Agricultural Area on the Northern Black Sea Coast

Land degradation is a global negative environmental process that causes the decline in the productivity of land resources’ capacity to perform their functions. Though soil and water conservation (SWC) technologies have been adopted in Geshy subcatchment, their effects on soil quality were limitedly studied. The study was conducted to evaluate the effects SWC measures on soil quality indicators in Geshy subcatchment, Gojeb River Catchment, Ethiopia. A total of 54 soil samples (two treatments–farmlands with and without SWC measures <svg xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" style="vertical-align:-0.04980993pt" id="M1" height="6.01072pt" version="1.1" viewBox="-0.0498162 -5.96091 7.75925 6.01072" width="7.75925pt"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path id="g113-43" d="M471 153C471 170 463 194 452 212C400 220 373 229 322 255C373 281 400 290 452 298C463 316 471 339 471 357C456 366 431 371 410 370C377 329 356 310 308 279C311 336 317 364 336 413C326 432 310 451 294 459C279 451 262 432 252 413C271 364 277 336 280 279C232 310 211 329 178 370C157 371 132 367 117 357C117 340 125 316 136 298C188 290 215 281 266 255C215 229 188 220 136 212C125 194 117 171 117 153C132 144 157 139 178 140C211 181 232 200 280 231C277 174 271 146 252 97C262 78 278 59 294 51C309 59 326 78 336 97C317 146 311 174 308 231C356 200 377 181 410 140C431 139 456 143 471 153Z"/></g></svg> three slope classes <svg xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" style="vertical-align:-0.04980993pt" id="M2" height="6.01072pt" version="1.1" viewBox="-0.0498162 -5.96091 7.75925 6.01072" width="7.75925pt"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><use xlink:href="#g113-43"/></g></svg> three terrace positions <svg xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" style="vertical-align:-0.04980993pt" id="M3" height="6.01072pt" version="1.1" viewBox="-0.0498162 -5.96091 7.75925 6.01072" width="7.75925pt"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><use xlink:href="#g113-43"/></g></svg> three replications) were collected at a depth of 20 cm. Statistical differences in soil quality indicators were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) following the general linear model procedure of SPSS Version 20.0 for Windows. Means that exhibited significant differences were compared using Tukey’s honest significance difference at 5% probability level. The studied soils are characterized by low bulk density, slightly acidic with clay and clay loam texture. The results revealed that farmlands with SWC measures had significantly improved soil physical (silt and clay fractions, and volumetric soil water content (VSWC)) and chemical (pH, SOC, TN, C : N ratio, and Av. phosphorus) quality indicators as compared with farmlands without SWC measures. The significantly higher VSWC, clay, SOC, TN, C : N ratio, and Av. P at the bottom slope classes and terrace positions could be attributed to the erosion reduction and deposition effects of SWC measures. Generally, the status of the studied soils is low in SOC contents, TN, C : N ratio, and Av. P (deficient). Thus, integral use of both physical and biological SWC options and agronomic interventions would have paramount importance in improving soil quality for better agricultural production and productivity.

Melku Dagnachew

Awdenegest Moges

Asfaw Kebede

Adane Abebe

Effects of Soil and Water Conservation Measures on Soil Quality Indicators: The Case of Geshy Subcatchment, Gojeb River Catchment, Ethiopia

Decomposition is a key flux of terrestrial carbon to the atmosphere. Therefore, gaining a better understanding of how plant litter decomposes in soil, and what governs this process, is vital for global climate models. The Tea Bag Index (TBI) was introduced by Keuskamp et al. (2013) as a novel method for measuring litter decomposition rate and stabilisation. The TBI uses two types of tea bags representing fast (green tea) and slow (rooibos tea) decomposition substrates as standardised litter bags. To date, the TBI method has been used in over 2000 locations across the globe. However, before now, there has been no information on how the composition of the tea leaves change during incubation. These data are crucial in determining the validity of the use of the TBI method globally, to ensure the tea leaves decompose in a way that is representative of so-called &#x201c;native&#x201d; litters. To provide chemical underpinning of the TBI method, a laboratory incubation of the tea bags was conducted with destructive sampling at 0, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, 49, 56, 63, 70, 77, 84, and 91&#x2009;d. The incubated tea was analysed for total C and N. In addition, C was characterised as alkyl, O-alkyl, aromatic, or carbonyl C using solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy with cross-polarization and magic angle spinning (CPMAS NMR). The results suggest that changes in carbon in both tea types are comparable to other litter studies, with a net decrease in total C and relative proportion of O-alkyl C fraction, which contains carbohydrates and cellulose. We conclude that the decomposition of tea leaves in the bags used in the TBI is representative of other litters.

Sarah Duddigan

Liz J. Shaw

Paul D. Alexander

Chris D. Collins

Chemical Underpinning of the Tea Bag Index: An Examination of the Decomposition of Tea Leaves

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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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Applied and Environmental Soil Science - Table of contents 2020

Applied and Environmental Soil Science | Hindawi

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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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