Plant, Soil and Environment, 2024 (vol. 70), issue 1
Nitrogen losses (N2O and NO3–) from mustard (Brassica juncea L.) cropping applied urea coated bio-charcoalOriginal Paper
Elisabeth Srihayu Harsanti, Asep Nugraha Ardiwinata, Sukarjo, Hidayatuz Zu'amah, Asep Kurnia, Mas Teddy Sutriadi, Dedi Nursyamsi, Wahida Annisa Yusuf, Anicetus Wihardjaka
Plant Soil Environ., 2024, 70(1):1-10 | DOI: 10.17221/282/2023-PSE 
Most farmers use urea as a nitrogen fertiliser to raise mustard (Brassica juncea L.), although its nitrogen (N) content is quickly lost due to its hygroscopic nature. Nitrogen loss in the form of nitrous oxide (N2O) and nitrates (NO3–) has been causing low nitrogen fertiliser efficiency in vegetable cultivation. This investigation aims to assess the impact of urea fertiliser coated with biochar or activated charcoal on losses of N2O and NO3– concentration in the soil during mustard production. The experiment used a randomised block design with five treatments of urea...
Six-year results on the effect of organic mulching on potato yield and tuber damagesOriginal Paper
Anikó Südiné Fehér, Mihály Zalai, György Turóczi, Ferenc Tóth
Plant Soil Environ., 2024, 70(1):11-16 | DOI: 10.17221/353/2023-PSE
Due to its positive effects, mulching with organic matter is a popular soil conservation tool. However, opinions are divided on the effects of mulching on pests and pathogens. Our research aimed to investigate the effect of organic mulch on potato tuber damage caused by soil-dwelling pests and soil-borne pathogens. Therefore, mulching trials were carried out at four sites over six years, comparing the effects of straw, walnut leaves, mixed leaves, compost and two sowing methods (in soil, on soil surface, and under mulch). The total yield of the mulched plots was equal (2013, 2014) or significantly higher (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018) than the control, while...
Effects of foliar application of amino acid-chelated selenite on photosynthetic characteristics of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) leaves at the podding stageOriginal Paper
Ying Wang, Qing Zhu, Zhiwei Wang, Junpei Wang, Zhen Wang, Feiyan Yu, Lianhe Zhang
Plant Soil Environ., 2024, 70(1):17-25 | DOI: 10.17221/406/2023-PSE
Foliar application of selenium (Se) is an effective measure to increase Se concentrations in peanut pods. However, how the foliar application of amino acid-chelated selenite affects the photosynthetic characteristics of peanut leaves at the podding stage is still unclear. Here, the effects of Se on the activities of antioxidant enzymes, the concentrations of chlorophyll, soluble protein, soluble sugar, and reduced glutathione (GSH), photosynthetic parameters, and Se concentration of peanut leaves were investigated by spraying selenite, L-lysine-chelated selenite, and amino acid-chelated selenite solutions, respectively. The results indicated that foliar...
Sole and combined foliar application of silicon and putrescine alleviates the negative effects of drought stress in maize by modulating the morpho-physiological and antioxidant defence mechanismsOriginal Paper
Hossam S. El-Beltagi, Khairiah Mubarak Alwutayd, Umair Rasheed, Abdul Sattar, Qasim Ali, Basmah M. Alharbi, Ghadah Hamad Al-Hawas, Zahid Khorshid Abbas, Doaa Bahaa Eldin Darwish, Samy F. Mahmoud, Manal Abdullah Al-Shaqhaa, Ahmed Abou El-Yazied, Maha M.A. Hamada
Plant Soil Environ., 2024, 70(1):26-39 | DOI: 10.17221/423/2023-PSE
Drought stress is one of the major threats to food security in the climate change scenario. Reducing the deleterious impacts of drought stress on the productivity of cereal crops is crucial. Hence, limited information has been available about the effect of the combined use of plant growth regulators and mineral fertilisers on promoting drought tolerance in maize seedlings. In this study, a pot experiment was carried out to evaluate the potential of sole or combined application of silicon (Si) and putrescine (Put) to mitigate the detrimental effects of drought on maize. The experimental treatments were, i.e. control (CK), water spray, 4.0 mmol Si, 0.5...
Responses of soil nutrients, enzyme activities, and maize yield to straw and plastic film mulching in coastal saline-alkalineOriginal Paper
Zhen Liu, Mengkun Zhang, Zengjiao Wang, Ying Shen, Deheng Zhang, Shenghao Zhang, Xingchao Qi, Xuepeng Zhang, Tao Sun, Shenzhong Tian, Tangyuan Ning
Plant Soil Environ., 2024, 70(1):40-47 | DOI: 10.17221/284/2023-PSE
To address the issue of low soil nutrients and low crop yields in coastal alkaline salines, a field experiment of straw combined with plastic film mulching in coastal alkaline salines was conducted in this study to explore the effects of different treatments on soil nutrients, enzyme activities and maize yield. Four treatments, including no mulching (NM), straw mulching (SM), plastic film mulching (PM), and straw mulching combined with plastic film mulching (SP), were set up during 2019–2020. In the 0–20 cm soil layer, compared with NM, the soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil catalase activity (SCA) of SM significantly increased by 23.4%...
The effects of diverse microbial community structures, driven by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculation, on carbon release from a paddy fieldOriginal Paper
Xue Zhang, Xiaodong Yu, Yunxiao Cao, Jiani Yue, Shan Wang, Yunxia Liu
Plant Soil Environ., 2024, 70(1):48-59 | DOI: 10.17221/340/2023-PSE
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play a key role in regulating the carbon cycle in terrestrial ecosystems. However, there is little information on how AMF inoculation affects the carbon fluxes of paddy fields, which are major sources of global carbon emissions. We, therefore, designed an experiment to study the effects of AMF inoculation on methane and carbon dioxide emissions from a paddy field. Results showed that: (1) Among the tested factors, the C/N ratio was the main environmental determinant of microbial community structure in the investigated soil; (2) compared with traditional fertilisation (control), the soil C/N ratio increased by 2.1~15.2%...