Soil Science Commons^™

Never Say Never: The Interdependence Of No-Till And Strategic Deep Tillage In Sustainable Production Systems, Therese Mcbeath, Stephen Davies, John A. Kirkegaard

Grain and Other Field Crops Research Articles

No-till (NT) farming systems are a defining feature of modern conservation agriculture (CA), providing benefits for soil and water conservation, operational efficiency, and resource use efficiency. However, long-term NT adoption across Australian dryland cropping systems has also intensified inherent and emergent soil constraints, including subsurface compaction, topsoil water repellence, acidity, and nutrient stratification. These constraints limit crop water use and yield potential. In the sandy soils of southern and western Australia, strategic deep tillage (SDT) has been developed in otherwise NT systems to alleviate these constraints. Advances in machinery design and controlled traffic systems have enabled deeper, more effective amelioration …

Data Repository For "The Influence Of Hydrologic And Salinity Conditions On Drought-Tolerant Great Salt Lake Wetland Plant Species" By Samantha Kurkowski And Karin Kettenring, Samantha Kurkowski

Browse all Datasets

This greenhouse experiment investigated the effects of salinity (3 levels) and hydrologic condition (5 levels),  on the cover and biomass of a single mix of 11 native drought- and salt-tolerant species.

Ammonium Phosphate Fertilizers Are A More Effective Phosphorus Source Than Superphosphate For Wheat Grown On Acidic Gravelly Soils, Craig A. Scanlan, Raj Malik, Fien Degryse, Andrew Van Burgel, Mike J. Mclaughlin

Grain and Other Field Crops Research Articles

Selecting the most effective phosphorus (P) fertilizer source is essential for maximizing crop yields. However, there is little information to guide the choice between the widely used soluble granular sources: ammonium phosphates and superphosphates. The aims of this study were to examine whether there are differences in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grain yield response to ammonium phosphate and superphosphate fertilizers in field conditions, and if these differences relate to diffusion of P from fertilizer granules. Two field experiments were conducted on acidic gravelly soils in Western Australia where P deficiency occurs to compare wheat growth response to P applied …

Land Condition Standards For The Western Australian Nullarbor Pastoral Region, Peter-Jon A. Waddell, Wayne J. Fletcher

Natural resources published reports

This report outlines the quantitative land condition standards that define acceptable pastoral land condition for the Western Australian part of the Nullarbor, to meet the regulatory requirements of the Land Administration Act 1997 and the Soil and Land Conservation Act 1945.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development is developing regional-level pastoral land condition standards for Western Australia as a critical component of the Framework for sustainable pastoral management – revised edition (Fletcher 2022), the purpose of which is to address the Office of the Auditor General’s recommendations to improve the management of pastoral lands in WA …

Physical And Chemical Ameliorations Of A Heavy Soil Constrained By Sodicity And Alkalinity For Improving Productivity In The Low Rainfall Regions Of Western Australia, Md. Shahinur Rahman, Gaus Azam Dr

Grain and Other Field Crops Research Articles

Heavy soil can be compacted and poorly structured with dense sodic and alkaline (high pH) clay in the B-horizon, which prevents root exploration in the subsoil layer, potentially restricting grain yield in the low rainfall regions of Western Australia (WA) and globally. This study investigated whether loosening of compacted soil layers through deep ripping with or without phosphorus (P) and gypsum addition can increase barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) crop productivity in a 3-year-long field experiment. Soil loosening significantly increased barley root exploration and yield immediately after deep ripping in 2021 and showed no significant difference in 2022 and 2023. The …

Micro-Topographic Control On Soil Moisture And Ph Dynamics In A Northern Peatland Ecosystem: A Case Study From Saco Heath, Maine, Henry Mahoney

Student Publications

Peatland ecosystems are characterized by complex structural microtopography, prominently featuring elevated hummocks and depressed hollows that establish critical micro-environmental and ecohydrological gradients. This study investigates the influence of micro-topographic positioning on soil moisture and pH dynamics at the Saco Heath Preserve; a raised acid bog located in southern Maine. Data collection was focused entirely within Sphagnum moss, which serve as the dominant vegetative component across multiple structural hummocks and hollows. Using a systematic temporal framework and a robust spatial sampling strategy (n = 100 per micro-habitat) between July 16 and August 16, we quantified physical moisture contents and chemical pH …

R Code And Supporting Data For "Fast And Slow Water Handling Strategies Explain Pinyon Pine Decline And Juniper Expansion", Andrew Kulmatiski, Muhammad Faraz Rehman

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This repository contains the datasets, R scripts, HYDRUS-1D model files, weather data, and supporting materials used for the M.S. thesis, "Fast and Slow Water Handling Strategies Explain Pinyon Pine Decline and Juniper Expansion." The study investigated root water uptake and water-use strategies of pinyon pine (Pinus edulis) and Utah juniper (Juniperus osteosperma) using stable isotope tracer experiments, soil water flow modeling, leaf water potential measurements, stomatal conductance measurements, and environmental data collected across an aridity gradient in southern Utah, USA.

Lowland Tropical Forests Remain A Methane Sink Under Warming And Long-Term Hurricane Disturbance Recovery, Gabriele Larocca Conte, Lucia Zuvela, Rachel Cruz-Pérez, Tatiana Barreto-Vélez, Nibia Becerra-Santillan, Sophia F. Campbell, Hieu P. Chu, Trung Dam, Iana F. Grullón-Penkova, Miriam Kleit, Deyaneira A. Ortiz-Iglesias, Laura C. Rubio-Lebrón, Molly A. Cavaleri, Sasha C. Reed, Debjani Sihi, Tana E. Wood, Christine S. O'Connell

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Methane (CH₄) is a potent greenhouse gas, and tropical forests account for roughly one–third of global atmospheric CH₄ uptake by soils. Projected warming and more frequent hurricanes in these ecosystems may alter soil CH₄ sink strength, as warmer and wetter soils enhance methanogenesis activity. We measured soil CH₄ and CO₂ efflux during the calendar summer months of 2023 and 2024 alongside continuous records of soil moisture, soil and air temperature, and precipitation in an in–situ warming experiment (TRACE) located in a lowland tropical forest in Puerto Rico, six to seven years after Hurricanes Irma …

Urban Conflagrations: Structural Ash And Soil Metal(Loid) Contamination After California’S Eaton And Palisades Fires, S. Anselme Dossou, Leon Kelly, P. Louis Lu, Robin Jones, Oliver O'Donnell, Justin St. P. Walsh, Daniel D. Richter

Art Faculty Articles and Research

In the weeks after California’s Eaton-Palisades wildfires, structural ash of burned homes and soils from yards and curbsides were sampled for analysis of Pb, As, and eight metals from 32 burned residences. About six months after fires and after US Army Corps of Engineers’ Phase 2 cleanups removed 15 cm from structural ash footprints, 17 properties were resampled within about a meter of original sampling sites. Concentrations of metal(oid)s in structural ash and residential soils varied between and within properties with significant spatial and temporal patterns. Lead concentrations were highest in structural ash and soil of yards of select pre-1970s …

Fodder Maize Variety Trial: Broome 2021, Carla Milazzo, Samuel Crouch, Christopher Ham, Geoff Moore

Grain and other field crops research reports

• High yielding, highly digestible maize can be produced under irrigation on Pindan sands in northern Western Australia.
• Using high inputs, the biomass and digestibility of all trialled varieties equalled or exceeded varieties used in well-established maize growing regions of Australia.
• Eleven hybrid maize varieties were trialled near Broome. The average dry matter yield of all trialled varieties was 24t/ha at 10.5MJ/kg of dry matter.
• The impact of fall armyworm on yield was successfully reduced by using integrated pest management combining NPV virus (nucleopolyhedrovirus) with strategic insecticide applications.

Soil Property Responses To Push-Pull Cropping In East Africa, Grace Mercy Amboka, Mattias Jonsson, Celina Apel, David Meinhof, Adomas Liepa, Frank Chidawanyika, Andargachew Detebo, Felipe Librán-Embid, Emily A. Martin, Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter, Marcell K. Peters, Jie Zhang, Michael Thiel, Michael Otim, James Mugisha, Ghebremedhin Belay Bahta, Fredah Maina, Alice Murage, Benjamin Feit, A. Sigrun Dahlin

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Push-pull technology is increasingly promoted in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly for pest management and enhancing crop productivity. However, its influence on soil properties remains understudied, despite its potential implications for soil health and sustainable soil fertility management. This study examines soil properties in push-pull and conventional non-push-pull cropping systems. Soil samples were collected from push-pull and conventional plots in Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda. We examined the associations between soil physicochemical properties and cropping systems, along with key components of push-pull, namely Desmodium coverage and plot age, and manure and mineral fertiliser application. Overall, there were a few differences in soil …

Warming Climate Amplifies Vapor Pressure Deficit Limits On Gross Primary Productivity, Shiqin Xu, Nate G. Mcdowell, Tim R. Mcvicar, Diego G. Miralles, Stephen Sitch, Pablo Sanchez-Martinez, Joshua B. Fisher, Pierre Friedlingstein, Hylke E. Beck, Matthew F. Mccabe

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Ongoing climate warming may profoundly impact terrestrial gross primary productivity (GPP), a key component of the global carbon cycle. However, uncertainty in the relative roles of atmospheric water demand (vapor pressure deficit, VPD) and root-zone soil moisture (SM) limits predictions of drought impacts on GPP. Here, we show that growing-season GPP was more strongly constrained by VPD than SM globally, based on observation-constrained model estimates, satellite retrievals and Dynamic Global Vegetation Model simulations. The importance of VPD increased with higher temperatures and more severe and prolonged droughts. This pattern reflects VPD’s critical role in regulating stomatal conductance and plant hydraulic …

Effects Of Soil Amelioration On Wheat Growth, Nutrition, And Soil Microbiome Dynamics In Sandy Soil, Shompa Akter, Sultan Mia, M. Asaduzzaman Prodhan, Gaus Azam, Zakaria Solaiman, Kadambot H M Siddique

Grain and Other Field Crops Research Articles

Purpose Cropping regions in Western Australia (WA) face multiple soil constraints including acidity, nutrient deficiencies, compaction and water repellence, which limit crop productivity. Developing sustainable soil management strategies is therefore crucial. This study evaluates the effects of soil amendments—lime, gypsum, clay, compost, and synthetic fertilisers on soil health, nutrient availability, microbial function and wheat production. Methods A glasshouse experiment was conducted using undisturbed soil cores collected in a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) column from a field trial site where four treatments were applied: Control (no amendment), CLG (clay, lime, gypsum), CLG + NPK (CLG + nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilisers), and …

Weed Seed Burial And Long-Term Viability Following Soil Inversion, Catherine Borger, Sultan Mia, Gaus Azam, Stephen Davies

Grain and Other Field Crops Research Articles

Strategic soil inversion is advocated as a periodic weed management strategy, typically recommended every 4 to 8 yr if the goal is to delay the evolution of herbicide resistance. It is assumed that the weed seeds buried during the inversion process will lose viability during this period. However, long-term seedbank persistence following soil inversion has not been investigated. If the buried seeds retain viability, subsequent inversions or other deep-tillage operations may return them to the soil surface, potentially replenishing the weed seedbank. The current study identified 30 sites within the wheatbelt of Western Australia (in 2020) that had previously been …

Ecovoltaic Solar Energy Development Creates Novel Microclimate, Temperature, And Soil Moisture Patterns Under Solar Panels In A Warm Desert, Juan Pinos, Seth M. Munson, Claire C. Karban, Matthew D. Petrie

Life Sciences Faculty Research

Background As solar energy development expands in desert regions, new installation practices and solar technologies seek to balance ecosystem conservation and energy generation (ecovoltaics). The Gemini Solar Project, a large ecovoltaic facility located in the northeastern Mojave Desert, employed low impact installation methods to reduce disturbance of the desert ecosystem within arrays of bifacial panels mounted on solar tracking systems. We evaluated microclimate and environmental conditions across five locations: four within-facility microsites (underneath solar panels, east and west panel driplines, and interspaces between panel rows) and one in the undisturbed desert outside the facility. Results Under panel microsites experienced lower …

Wayne E. Sabbe Arkansas Soil Fertility Studies 2025, Nathan A. Slaton

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

Rapid technological changes in crop management and production require that the research efforts be presented in an expeditious manner. The contributions of soil fertility and fertilizers are major production factors in all Arkansas crops. The studies described within will allow producers to compare their practices with the university’s research efforts. Additionally, soil-test data and fertilizer sales are presented to allow comparisons among years, crops, and other areas within Arkansas.

Soil Re-Engineering In Western Australia, Part I: A Novel Approach For Rapid And Lasting Improvement Of Soil Physical And Chemical Properties, Gaus Azam, Chad Reynolds

Natural Resources Research Articles

Context

Soil acidity, high soil strength, and poor subsoil structure are major constraints to crop productivity in coarse-textured and texture-contrast soils of southern Australia. These interacting limitations restrict root growth, reduce access to subsoil water and nutrients, and constrain yield potential in water-limited environments. While deep tillage and surface liming have been used to address individual constraints, their benefits are often short-lived and insufficient to overcome multiple subsoil limitations simultaneously. Aims

This study aimed to evaluate the short- and long-term effects of soil profile re-engineering on soil physical, chemical, and hydrological properties, and to determine the persistence of these changes …

To Hold Or Sell Breeding Cattle In The Rangelands, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Animal production and livestock factsheets

In a dry season where feed, water and finances are limited, removing less productive animals as soon as possible is a good option. This will free up feed for more productive animals and help preserve ground cover.

This page provides some of the information and a process for making decisions about holding or selling breeding cattle.

Deep Amelioration Of Compaction And Acidity Doubled The Water Use Efficiency Of Cereal Crops On A Sandy Soil In A Long-Term Experiment In A Water-Limited Environment, Gaus Azam, Md. Shahinur Rahman, Craig Scanlan, Md. Hasinur Rahman, Ross Gazey, E G. Barrett-Lennard, Kanch Wickramarachchi, Bob Nixon, Chris Gazey

Natural Resources Research Articles

The co-occurrence of subsoil compaction and acidity commonly decreases the yield and water use efficiency (WUE) of agricultural crops around the world, yet the benefits of the complete amelioration of these constraints on yield and WUE remain unclear. We conducted a long-term field experiment in Western Australia (WA) to evaluate the effects of the complete removal of subsoil compaction and acidity through soil profile re-engineering — involving soil removal, replacement, and lime incorporation — on root architecture, yield, and WUE in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Treatments included an untreated control, and soil loosening to 0.45 …

Deep Learning-Based Quantification Of Tall Fescue Abundance In Pastures, Rose E. Binkley, Samuel R. Revolinski, Echo Elizabeth Gotsick, Ray Smith, Zeya Wang, Katsutoshi Mizuta

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Accurate and rapid measurement of tall fescue abundance is essential for efficient forage management and mitigating livestock exposure to potential endophyte-related toxicity. Traditional visual estimation methods are labor-intensive and are subject to change depending on the observer doing the calculations, which limits their scalability and consistency. This study explores the application of deep learning techniques to automate and improve the classification of tall fescue abundance across pasture systems in Kentucky. Ground-truth abundance classes were evaluated using one of the traditional methods with occupancy grid and compared against estimates derived from red-green-blue images. Two convolutional neural network architectures, YouOnlyLookOnce (YOLO) and …

Micronutrients (Trace Elements) For High Rainfall Pastures In Western Australia, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

Micronutrient deficiencies can result from removal of agricultural products over many years, changes in soil acidity, or from large increases in plant biomass production and export. This page is specific to high rainfall pastures (more than 600mm average annual rainfall) in the south-west of Western Australia.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development recommends tissue testing to check plant micronutrient nutrient needs.

Nebraska Statewide Groundwater-Level Monitoring Report 2025, Aaron R. Young, Mark E. Burbach, Sue Olafsen Lackey, Robert Matthew Joeckel, Jeffrey Westrop

Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

A Conserved Ethylene-Triggered Cell Death Mechanism May Underlie Hollow Stem Formation Across Plant Species, Mengxiao Yan, Weijuan Fan, Yinghui Meng, Jiamin Zhao, Wei Yang, Ziyin Xu, Yusen Gao, Haiyan Zhuang, Wuyu Zhou, Yuqin Wang, Qingjun Huang, Ling Yuan, Hongxia Wang, Jun Yang

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Hollow stems have independently evolved multiple times across the plant kingdom and play crucial roles in plant development and various environmental adaptations. However, the mechanisms underlying stem hollowness remain poorly understood. Water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica) is one of the few hollow-stemmed plants in the Convolvulaceae family (eudicot: asterid), and its hollow stems are essential for thriving in aquatic environments. Using histochemical staining and transcriptome analysis, we found that programmed cell death (PCD) is involved in cavity formation at water spinach shoot tips. Single-cell and spatial transcriptome analyses further revealed that ethylene and reactive oxygen species (ROS) likely drive …

Supplemental Bibliographic Details. From 2001 Mars Odyssey To Earth’S Climate Crisis: Integrating Gamma Spectroscopy, Martian Soil Simulants, And Plant Genomes For Agroecology, Anchored In Sri Lanka’S Mars-Context Serpentinites, Suniti Karunatillake, Maheshi Dassanayake, Carlos Gary Bicas

Planetary Science Lab

Bibliographic details follow to supplement hyperlinked citations in the multinational GANGOTRI-supporting project conceived by Karunatillake, Dassanayake, and Gary-Bicas

Nonpyrogenic "Black" Nitrogen Likely Plays A Major Yet Underrecognized Role In The Global Nitrogen Cycle, João Vitor Dos Santos, Aleksandar I. Goranov, Kyle M. Lambert, Theodoro Da Rosa Salles, Susan J. Carter, Ann Pearson, Patrick G. Hatcher

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Condensed aromatic nitrogen (ConAN) is commonly found in soil and aquatic environments. ConAN is broadly viewed by the biogeochemistry community as a combustion-derived product leading to its frequent designation as pyrogenic “black” nitrogen. Here, we provide evidence that ConAN can also form through nonpyrogenic pathways. In an experiment simulating biomass oxidation, pine wood boards assembled with iron nails were exposed to 12 years of natural environmental conditions. Nitrogen concentrations increased from 0.2 to 1.2 wt % with increasing proximity to the nail. Ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry showed enrichment of nitrogen-containing compounds within the lignin and condensed aromatic domains. X-ray spectroscopic …

A Simple Statistical Tool To Correct The Daily Temperature Effect On Dielectric Soil Matric Potential Sensor Readings, Sebastián Bravo Peña, Meindert Commelin, Ole O. Wendroth

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

High-resolution time series recorded by soil water dielectric sensors are often affected by other processes. Dielectric soil matric potential sensors, such as the TEROS 21, exhibit temperature sensitivity, resulting in deviations of readings from the true value due to soil temperature fluctuations. However, methods for correcting this effect remain limited. The objective of this study was to create a straightforward, scale-based statistical approach to mitigate the influence of daily temperature oscillations on matric potential dielectric readings. The temperature sensitivity correction function (TSCF) identifies, quantifies, and smooths diurnal fluctuations caused by soil temperature dynamics. We provide a detailed description of the …

Field-Scale Evaluation Of Satellite- Derived Vegetation Indices And Image Timing For In-Season Nitrogen Management In Corn, Ana Morales-Ona, Katsutoshi Mizuta, James J. Camberato, Robert Nielsen, Yuxin Miao, Davide Cammarano, German Mandrini, Daniel Quinn

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Introduction: Traditional methods to determine the agronomic optimum nitrogen rate (AONR) for corn (Zea mays L.) rely on grain yield data, limiting in-season decision-making for nitrogen (N) management. Vegetation indices (VIs) derived from satellite imagery can serve as proxies for grain yield and help estimate in-season AONR, enabling timely sidedress applications. This study aimed to (1) quantify how VI–yield relationships vary during the vegetative period across fields with different tillage systems and crop residue; (2) determine whether VI–N response curves can be used to estimate AONR (AONRvi); and (3) assess the accuracy of AONRvi relative to yield-based AONR (AONRy). …

Climate Change Effects On Biomass And Greenhouse Gas Emissions Are Ameliorated By Nontoxic Endophytes In Southeastern Usa Transition Zone Tall Fescue Pastures, Rebecca Kay Mcgrail, Jonathan D. Moore, A. Elizabeth Carlisle, Jim A. Nelson, Rebecca L. Mcculley

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: The plant–microbe interaction between tall fescue and its endophyte Epichloë coenophiala can affect ecosystem responses to changing rainfall patterns and increasing temperatures. Endophyte-infected (E+) stands often exhibit improved stress tolerance and differing soil greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared to endophyte-free (E−) stands. However, it is unknown if mammalian nontoxic endophyte (NTE) strains introduced into some tall fescue cultivars confer differing stress tolerances or reduce soil GHG emissions.

Methods: We quantified the impact of fescue-NTE symbioses in Jesup and Texoma on biomass and GHG emissions in response to increased temperature (+3°C) and altered precipitation (50% lengthened interval between events) using …

A Global Synthesis Of Fragipan Silicon Concentrations And Relationships With Soil Physicochemical Properties As A Function Of Soil Parent Materials, Christopher Shepard

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Fragipans are dense, brittle subsurface horizons that restrict root growth and limit water-holding capacity. A common factor in these soils is a binding agent, potentially either phyllosilicate clay bridging, amorphous aluminosilicate/silica, or silica sorbed to Fe oxides. Others have suggested that no binding agent is present within these soil horizons and that the arrangement of individual particles is solely responsible for these horizons. In this article, a secondary data synthesis was utilized to demonstrate that silicon (Si) accumulation is a key pedogenic process in loess-derived fragipan horizons, but not in all fragipans. The average dithionite-extractable Si (Si_d) content …

Workshop Outcomes Report: 2nd International Workshop On Seismic Resilience Of Arctic Infrastructure And Social Systems, Majid Ghayoomi, Daniela Morganti

Faculty Publications

The report provides an overview of the second international workshop on Seismic Resilience of Arctic Infrastructure and Social Systems. The report discusses agenda, workshop activities, interdisciplinary working groups, and results. It ends with several strategic questions and investigation plans that were developed as part of the workshop activities.