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 has moved to a continuous publication model. More information is available on our Continuous Publication page.

Published online 19 April 2024

SR23174Soil aluminum saturation threshold for subtropical crops in no-tillage system

Danilo dos Santos Rheinheimer

, Alexandre Troian

, Marília Camotti Bastos

, Gustavo Pesini

and Tales Tiecher

Agricultural production models in subtropical regions should involve the use of Al-tolerant plant varieties that respond well to the application of lime. We have been monitoring soil reacidification and its impact on crop yields for more than 3 decades following the conversion from conventional to no-tillage cultivation. The tolerance of the varieties to Al³⁺ made it possible to obtain high and stable yields only with superficial reapplications of lime, because the natural potential acidity had been amended when adopting no-tillage.

Published online 19 April 2024

SR23061Chemical and mineralogical factors affecting the kinetics of acid drainage in different geomaterials

Walter A. P. Abrahão, Isabela C. F. Vasques

, José D. Fabris

and Jaime W. V. de Mello

The environmental impacts that the use of sulfides containing soils can cause are worrisome, being the acid drainage (AD) one of them. This problem has some chemical aspects that are not well understood, such as the rate of AD production. This study shows that the size and structure of the mineral that promotes acid drainage (sulfides) are the main aspects of this process.

Published online 15 April 2024

SR24009Evaluating effects of physical soil and water conservation measures using farmers’ perception and soil analysis in southern Ethiopia

Habtamu Ermias, Kebede Wolka

and Birhanu Biazin

Evidence on the effects of soil and water conservation (SWC) measures is inadequate. Examining the effects of variously aged SWC measures is important. Laboratory analysis of 59 soil samples and the opinion of 122 farmers were used in this study. Approximately 40% of respondents perceived severe soil erosion, and 96% of the farmers were interested in repairing it. The soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, and available phosphorous were significantly greater in the fields with older soil bunds. Farmers are advised to retain bunds.

Published online 12 April 2024

SR23160Vertical distribution of edaphic oribatid mites (Acari: Oribatida) in two artificial forests planted on temperate grasslands

Eugenia Levy

, M. Fernanda Alvarez and Natalia A. Fredes

Oribatids are the most abundant mites in the soil fauna of woodlands, where they inhabit spaces between soil particles. We studied their distribution in artificial woodlands of Eucalyptus and Pinus trees planted in soils that were originally grasslands, and found that they depend on the 3D configuration of litter layers determined by the availability of the organic remains present. This information has applications on the assessment and management of woodlands, being relevant for better assessment of soils diversity.

Published online 09 April 2024

SR23248Comparison of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and ICP analysis results for measuring Pb and Zn in soil

Hyeon Yang

, Young-Tae Jo

, Jihyo Chong

, Yonggwan Won

and Jeong-Hun Park

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a rapid, multielement analytical technique, suitable for the qualitative and quantitative analyses of heavy metals in soil. The LIBS data were compared with the data obtained via conventional inductively coupled plasma (ICP) spectroscopy to validate the technique. The concentration coefficient of determination between LIBS and ICP analysis were >0.86 and >0.89 for Pb and Zn, respectively. The total analysis time for the LIBS method was 310 min, which was 54.40% shorter than that for the ICP method.

Published online 09 April 2024

SR23137_COCorrigendum to: WEPP interrill erodibility for clay soils in the crop lands of Northern NSW and Southern Queensland, Australia

Silburn D. Mark and Bronwyn Bosomworth

SR23137_CO Full Text | SR23137_COPDF (125 KB)

Published online 04 April 2024

SR23148Pesticide extraction from soil into runoff in North American and Australian croplands

D. Mark Silburn

and M. H. Crawford

Concentrations in surface soil and runoff were taken from rainfall simulation and catchment studies in Australian and North American croplands. Pesticide runoff concentrations were closely related to soil surface concentrations, for pesticides with a wide range of properties. The relationship was not significantly different for simulated and natural rainfall. Similar runoff extraction ratios were due to similar hydrology, limited sediment concentrations, and because leaching was not influential. Conditions studied apply for croplands in North American and on Australian clay soils.

SR23148 Abstract | SR23148 Full Text | SR23148PDF (1.3 MB) | SR23148Supplementary Material (651 KB) Open Access Article

Published online 28 March 2024

SR22210Redesigning the soil Tea Bag Index methodology for school and citizen science in Australia

Wartini Ng

, Alex B. McBratney

, Vanessa Pino

, Eugenia O’Brien and Bendrik Baumeister

More accessible and higher participations in Tea Bag Index (TBI) studies can be achieved by using local tea bag brand. The Madame Flavour tea brand can potentially be used for TBI studies in Australia. The tea incubation period for the TBI method could be shortened down to 21 days.

SR22210 Abstract | SR22210 Full Text | SR22210PDF (652 KB) | SR22210Supplementary Material (1.2 MB) Open Access Article

Published online 15 March 2024

SR23213Effects of biobased fertilisers on soil physical, chemical and biological indicators – a one-year incubation study

Lærke Wester-Larsen, Lars Stoumann Jensen, Johannes Lund Jensen

and Dorette Sophie Müller-Stöver

The market for novel biobased fertilisers is growing, but little is known about how they affect soil quality in the long term. In a one-year laboratory incubation experiment, this study aimed to test the effect on selected soil quality indicators of 10 biobased fertilisers, which were found to improve soil quality overall, with a compost material being the most effective. The results help to understand how different biobased fertilisers can affect soil quality beyond their fertiliser value.

SR23213 Abstract | SR23213 Full Text | SR23213PDF (593 KB) | SR23213Supplementary Material (1.1 MB) Open Access Article

Published online 01 March 2024

SR23015Changes of soil carbon along a topo-climatic gradient in rangelands of Iran: insights from ¹⁴C mean residence time and δ¹³C

Alireza Owji, Ahmad Landi, Saeed Hojati and Maral Khodadadi

Pastures contain a high amount of organic carbon and thus can play a critical role in climate change through both greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sequestration. However, the factors controlling organic carbon in those regions are largely unknown. Our findings showed that air temperature is likely the most influential factor on organic carbon stock and resistance time. Pastures, particularly in uplands, are sensitive to climate change, meaning pools stabilised for centuries to millennia are susceptible to alterations due to climate change.

Published online 27 February 2024

SR23168Sunlight can have a stronger influence than air temperature on soil solarisation: observational evidence from Australia

Maximilian McQuillan

, Ronald J. Smernik and Ren Ryba

Our short article reports an original dataset on soil solarisation from a grassland restoration project in Australia. Using this dataset, we demonstrate that sunlight may be a more influential driver of soil solarisation than previously thought. This result empowers land managers to better plan soil solarisation for restoration projects.

SR23168 Abstract | SR23168 Full Text | SR23168PDF (960 KB) | SR23168Supplementary Material (814 KB) Open Access Article

Published online 26 February 2024

SR23030Atterberg limits of baseball infield soils containing over-size particles, Part II: effects of sand angularity and uniformity

Evan Christopher Mascitti

, Andrew Scott McNitt

and Patrick J. Drohan

Baseball infield soils should be tested to determine how soil water content influences their physical properties. We discovered that the angularity of the sand in an infield soil does not affect its performance, but that the distribution of sand sizes can affect the amount of clay needed to fill the pores between the sand grains. This research will help baseball field managers and scientists understand the behaviour of baseball infield soil mixtures.

Published online 26 February 2024

SR23210Response of microbial community diversity and the abundance of nitrogen-cycling genes to Bacillus subtilis application in mulberry field soil

Yanfang Yu

, Jinzhi Huang, Zhongfei Tong, Zhenhua Deng, Yawei Wang and Junwen Wang

Bacillus subtilis, as a widely used microbial agent, could improve the damage caused by extensive application of fertiliser. We found that application of B. subtilis agent in moderation greatly improved soil fertility, promoted beneficial microbial communities, and regulated soil nitrogen cycling, while excessive dosage of B. subtilis might reduce the microbial diversity. The results could provide reference for cultivating crops with high demand for nitrogen fertiliser.

Published online 16 February 2024

SR23112Proximal and remote sensing – what makes the best farm digital soil maps?

Patrick Filippi

, Brett M. Whelan and Thomas F. A. Bishop

Creating maps at the farm-scale is a promising approach to for an accurate understanding of true spatial variation for a range of agronomically important soil attributes. This study assessed the value of different proximal and remote sensing datasets to map topsoil and subsoil carbon, clay content, and pH across three different farms in Australia. Results showed that using a combination of remote and proximal sensing data resulted in the best models, followed by remote only, and then proximal only.

SR23112 Abstract | SR23112 Full Text | SR23112PDF (1.9 MB) Open Access Article

Published online 13 February 2024

SR23164Effects of straw mulching, liming, and soil texture on ammonia volatilisation: a study of conventional and enhanced efficiency fertilisers

Bruno Maia Abdo Rahmen Cassim

, Vitor Rodrigues Cordioli

, Guilherme Frelo Chilante

, Fabrício Linares Mazzi

, Antonio Saraiva Muniz

, Tadeu Takeyoshi Inoue

and Marcelo Augusto Batista

The use of no-till management practices is a key component to ensure food security and soil preservation. However, it may have disadvantages with respect to nitrogen use efficiency, including losses due to ammonia volatilisation. These losses trigger environmental, economic and human health problems. The study shows that under no-till, nitrogen losses can reach up to 62% with the use of urea. However, new nitrogen fertiliser technologies have reduced losses by more than 30% compared to urea, ensuring more sustainable agriculture.