Plant, Soil and Environment, 2023 (vol. 69), issue 9
Biotransformation of food waste into biofertilisers through composting and anaerobic digestion: a reviewReview
Nurul Solehah Mohd Zaini, Abedelazeez J.D. Khudair, Aliah Zannierah Mohsin, Elicia Jitming Lim, Wakisaka Minato, Hamidah Idris, Jamilah Syafawati Yaacob, Muhamad Hafiz Abd Rahim
Plant Soil Environ., 2023, 69(9):409-420 | DOI: 10.17221/101/2023-PSE 
A growing world population means greater pressure on earth’s resources. Currently, 30% of food is wasted, which poses a significant risk to both humans and the environment. One way to offset the growth in food waste (FW) is through the process of microbial bioconversion, whereby FW is transformed into a range of nutrient-dense biofertilisers. This approach not only promotes a highly desirable circular economy, but it can also reduce the use of inorganic fertilisers, which adversely impact the environment through increased greenhouse gases, changes in soil and water characteristics, and loss of biodiversity. The bioconversion of FW to biofertiliser...
Effects of different habitats on Achnatherum inebrians (Hance) Keng ex Tzvelev (drunken horse grass) soil seed banks and aboveground vegetationOriginal Paper
Saimilakezi Taiwaikuli, Guili Jin, Shazhou An, Yiqing Dong, Peng Wei
Plant Soil Environ., 2023, 69(9):421-428 | DOI: 10.17221/191/2023-PSE
The soil seed bank, as a potential source of ground vegetation renewal, plays an important role in the natural recovery and succession of vegetation as well as in the construction of ecosystems. To clarify the characteristics of the soil seed bank of Achnatherum inebrians and its relationship with the aboveground vegetation, the soil seed bank density, species composition and aboveground vegetation of three different grassland types, namely, desert, steppe and meadow, were investigated by means of field survey sampling and indoor germination experiments. The results showed that the seed bank densities of the three habitats were ranked as desert...
Herbicides and nutrients interaction on earthworm activity in tomato cultivated soil and toxicity appraisalOriginal Paper
Pavani Yerra, Ponnusamy Janaki, Alaguthevar Ramalakshmi, Ramasamy Jagadeeswaran, Arjunan Sankari, Palanisamy Murali Arthanari
Plant Soil Environ., 2023, 69(9):429-436 | DOI: 10.17221/223/2023-PSE
While nutrients are administered through various sources and combinations, herbicides are used for pre-plant and pre-emergence weed control in the tomato fields. Therefore, a study was conducted to understand the effects of nutrient fertilisation through inorganic and organic sources along with farmers practice and the application of three herbicides, namely glyphosate, pendimethalin, and metribuzin, individually or in combinations, on earthworm activity in tomato crops. The herbicides caused a significant reduction in earthworm biomass and escapement to the lower 15 cm depth. Application of pendimethalin and metribuzin to soils inorganically fertilised...
Long-term organic fertilisers application increase plant autotrophic, soil heterotrophic respiration and net ecosystem carbon budget in a hillslope agroecosystemOriginal Paper
Keke Hua, Wenbo Yang, Bo Zhu
Plant Soil Environ., 2023, 69(9):437-445 | DOI: 10.17221/245/2023-PSE
The effects of long-term various organic fertilisers application on ecosystem respiration components and net carbon budget have rarely been investigated in a hillslope agricultural ecosystem. Hence, we measured the rates of plant autotrophic (Ra) and soil heterotrophic respiration (Rh) from 2011 to 2012 with five treatments: no fertiliser (CK); mineral fertiliser (MF); MF combined with swine manure (MFS); MF combined with crop straw (MFC), and swine manure (SM). Our results confirm that Ra was found to be more temperature-moisture sensitive than Rh, whereas Rh...