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Soil, land care and environmental research

Soil Research

Soil Research

Soil Research is an international journal for publishing research about fundamental and applied aspects of soil science. Read more about the journalMore

Editors-in-Chief: Balwant Singh and Mark Tibbett

Publishing Model: Hybrid. Open Access options available.

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Latest

These articles are the latest published in the journal. Soil Research is published under a continuous publication model. More information is available on our Continuous Publication page.

Published online 08 August 2025

SR25007Copper sulfate causes greater toxicity and growth inhibition in grapevine seedlings compared to copper chloride in different vineyard soils

Okbagaber Andom 0009-0001-3480-394X, Ajigul Mamut, Xueqi Guo, Wenbo Bai, Yohannes Kebede, S K Gregory Zackariah, Komlanvi Jacob Maneh, Qingjie Li, Zhaojun Li 0000-0002-8502-8496 and Jianquan Huang
 

Understanding the factors influencing copper toxicity is essential for safe grape production amid increasing copper accumulation in vineyards. This study investigated how different soils and copper salts and concentrations influence copper toxicity in vineyard soils and the effects on vine growth – our findings reveal that soil type and type of copper salt significantly influence copper toxicity, affecting vine safety and production. These findings help in assessing environmental risks of copper and designing tailored remediation strategies.

Published online 04 August 2025

SR24149Fate of 15N-labelled urea under cotton and maize as affected by urease and nitrification inhibitors, and application method

Tariq Mahmood, Muhammad Akhtar 0000-0003-1628-8910, Rehmat Ali, Zafar Iqbal, Saira Butt, Fariha Malik and Muhammad Yaqub
 

We tested the potential of urease inhibitor NBPT and nitrification inhibitor ATC to reduce urea-N loss under cotton and maize. Urea-N loss was substantially reduced by NBPT, whereas ATC increased the loss. The beneficial effects of NBPT were more pronounced with urea applied in subsurface bands than that applied by the conventional broadcast method.

Published online 31 July 2025

SR25015Enhancing root nodulation and boosting soil nitrogen mineralisation through strategic incorporation of sunnhemp as a green manure

Arvind Kumar Singh 0000-0001-6059-1664, Girindrani Dutta, Tinku Goswami and Gouranga Kar
 

Sunnhemp (Crotalaria juncea) used as a green manure promotes sustainable agriculture and decreases environmental impacts associated with synthetic nitrogen use, such as nitrate leaching and greenhouse gas emissions.

Published online 29 July 2025

SR24225Long-term experiments on atrazine adsorption in biochar-amended soils in Brazilian tropical areas

Etelvino Henrique Novotny 0000-0001-9575-1779, Michele Fabri de Resende and Beata E. Madari 0000-0002-6242-6619
 

Biochar properties change over time, known as ageing, affecting their sorption capacity. However, only three published papers have evaluated soil sorption capacity at least 3 years after biochar application. This lack of information has led to the need for long-term studies on the effect of biochar application on soil. This manuscript focuses on natural long-term biochar ageing in soil up to 6 years after a single biochar application, the fourth longest evaluated period for any organic contaminant in literature.

Published online 01 July 2025

SR24151Response of wheat to phosphorus-enriched ironstone gravel

David Weaver 0000-0003-1737-6680, David Rogers, Ronald Master, Peta Richards, Robert Summers 0000-0002-3108-7562 and Simon Clarendon 0000-0002-2425-6890
 

Gravel-sized soil particles greater than 2 mm in size exist in farmers’ paddocks but are routinely excluded from laboratory tests and glasshouse experiments. Ironstone gravel can supply phosphorus to plants, but can also influence other soil properties such as the amount of moisture plants can access. Soils containing large amounts of ironstone gravel are likely to require lower applications of phosphorus fertiliser to achieve maximum crop yield, but can also limit plant growth due to low soil moisture.

Published online 01 July 2025

SR25001Humic substance turnover by bacterial decomposers in the maritime Antarctic soil

Dockyu Kim 0000-0001-7504-6247, Mincheol Kim, Sungho Woo, Eungbin Kim and Hyoungseok Lee
 

Antarctic tundra soils are cold, harsh environments where bacteria play a crucial role in breaking down plant-derived, large humic substances (HS), vital for maintaining soil ecosystems. This study shows that Antarctic bacteria outperformed fungi in decomposing and solubilising HS, producing smaller compounds that microbes and plants can readily use. Our findings show that warming in polar regions may affect microbial activity and nutrient cycling, and highlights bacterial resilience and metabolic contributions to extreme environments.

Published online 24 June 2025

SR24123Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in biochar-amended soils: a review

Jonna Rosenthal 0009-0004-9525-0842 and Kpoti M. Gunn
 

Biochar research has recently increased due to its effectiveness as a sustainable fertiliser and toxicological adsorbent. However, major oversights appear in the impacts of biochar on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) due to a lack of standardized pyrolysis and application methods. This review paper finds that infrequent biochar application leads to higher AMF root colonisation rates as well as increased biodiversity. Furthermore, conjunctive use of biochar and AMF is useful at increasing drought resistance of crops as water resources become scarce.

Published online 23 June 2025

SR25028A pragmatic workflow towards the generation of pXRF datasets for large-scale soil monitoring programs

Xueyu Zhao 0000-0003-3115-9762, Uta Stockmann, Mark Farrell 0000-0003-4562-2738 and Senani Karunaratne 0000-0002-9278-7941
 

We evaluated the performance of portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) spectroscopy in soil analysis, comparing Geochem and Soil modes for macro- and microelement detection. Results indicate that Geochem mode provides more reliable measurements, particularly for Mg, Al, and Si, while reducing analysis time and cost, making it more suitable for large-scale soil monitoring projects. We demonstrated the limitations of plastic bag thickness on measurement accuracy, which contribute to optimising pXRF protocols for national and global soil assessment initiatives.

Published online 23 June 2025

SR25008Estimating soil erodibility for the RUSLE with rainfall simulation in central Queensland, Australia

B. Bosomworth 0000-0001-6444-2842, B. Yu and A. E. Elledge
 

This central Queensland study evaluated the RUSLE soil erodibility factor used for hillslope erosion modelling within the Great Barrier Reef catchment. By incorporating observed rainfall simulation data into established erosion models, improved K-factors were achieved for consolidated and aggregated soils in the Fitzroy Basin. This approach offers an economical means of developing local soil erodibility values to improve hillslope sediment loss budgets.

The main source of phosphate fertiliser production is limited and controlled by a few countries. This study aims to evaluate struvite, a fertiliser made from recycled wastewater, as an alternative phosphate fertiliser for agricultural production in New Zealand soils. The results revealed that struvite performed similarly to commonly used phosphorus fertilisers. Struvite is therefore a promising alternative source of phosphorus for New Zealand pasture systems, while helping make farming more sustainable.

Designing a post-mining landscape without considering the evolution of surface materials and pedogenesis assumes that any materials are in an equilibrium state. Here, the effect of depth-dependent pedogenesis functions and particle breakage geometry on erosion rates and landform evolution are examined using the SSSPAM Landscape Evolution Model. The results demonstrate that with knowledge of weathering and pedogenesis, an optimised landscape can be engineered that would reduce the cost of post-mining landform design and construction.

Published online 05 June 2025

SR24180Variable-rate nitrogen fertilisation to improve silage maize yield and crude protein using APSIM modelling

Iris Vogeler 0000-0003-2512-7668, Christof Kluß and Friedhelm Taube
 

Determining optimum nitrogen (N) fertilisation rates to maximise yields and minimise N losses remains challenging due to uncertainties in future crop N requirements and soil N supply. However, accounting for spatial variability within a field can enhance N fertilisation efficiency. Using the APSIM model, we identified optimal N fertilisation rates for silage maize that maximise both yields and protein concentrations while minimising N losses. Field testing of this approach is required before it can be implemented for practical N fertilisation management.

Published online 05 June 2025

SR24216Are fans required for closed chamber N2O measurements in grazed pastures?

Donna L. Giltrap 0000-0001-7919-0414, Surinder Saggar, Peter Berben and Thilak Palmada
 

Static chambers are a common method for measuring greenhouse gas emissions from soils. However, there are no definitive guidelines about whether it is necessary to include fans within the chamber to ensure good mixing within the headspace. This study compared the fluxes of nitrous oxide from a pasture soil measured both with and without the use of fans.

Published online 20 May 2025

SR25020The magnitude of crop yield improvement with different soil acidity management practices in the Ethiopian highlands: a meta-analysis

Birhanu Agumas 0000-0003-2103-3752, Gizaw Desta, Getachew Agegnehu, Gizachew Legesse, Tesfaye Feyisa and Gudeta Weldesemayat Sileshi
 

Soil acidity affects over 44% of Ethiopia’s farmland, yet knowledge of acid soil management practices (ASMPs) and their impact on yields remains limited. This meta-analysis provides evidence that implementing ASMPs can increase crop yields by 28–194% relative to the no-input control. Application of agricultural lime, biochar, and synthetic fertilisers achieved 122, 104, and 78% increase in yield, respectively, relative to a no-input control. Results offer valuable insights to guide policies and practices for managing acid soils in Ethiopia.

Published online 09 May 2025

SR24220Feammox in the Yellow River Delta wetlands is weak

Qingsong Guan 0000-0002-8603-3502, Shuo Li, Yiqiao Zhou, Fan Yang, Xiang Zhao and Qingjia Meng
 

Feammox has emerged as a significant pathway for nitrogen loss in natural ecosystems, and our study marks the inaugural investigation into this process within the wetlands of the Yellow River Delta. Our findings reveal that feammox activity in this region is comparatively weak, with denitrification dominating as the primary route for nitrogen removal. Further research is essential to uncover the reasons behind the low feammox rates observed in the Yellow River Delta wetlands.

Just Accepted

These articles have been peer reviewed and accepted for publication. They are still in production and have not been edited, so may differ from the final published form.

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Collections

Collections are a curation of articles relevant to a topical research area

Soil Research presents a special collection of papers for the Joint NZSSS and SSA Conference, highlighting advancements in soil science that directly support the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) — particularly Life on Land, Zero Hunger, and Climate Action. This collection provides innovative insights into soil conservation, sustainable agriculture, and ecosystem health, with topics ranging from erosion dynamics to carbon sequestration and nitrous oxide emission modelling. These studies offer practical solutions for sustainable land management and resilient agroecosystems, supporting a more sustainable future for our planet.

All papers in this collection are available Open Access.

Collection Editors
Balwant Singh (EiC Soil Research), University of Sydney, Australia
Mark Tibbett (EiC Soil Research), University of Reading, UK

Last Updated: 08 Nov 2024

Since 2006, there has been a substantial increase in biochar-related research in soil mainly due to its potential for long-term carbon storage in soil and agronomic benefits from its soil application. This Biochar Collection presents selected articles covering several research aspects of biochar applications. These include laboratory, glasshouse and field studies, where biochars produced from woody materials, cereal straws, and animal wastes at different temperatures were applied to different soil types.

Last Updated: 23 Sep 2016

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Best Student-Led Paper

The Best Student-Led Paper published in 2023 has been awarded to Guilherme Oliveira Andrade da Silva.

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