Soil Science Commons^™

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

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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.

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.

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 …

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.

Potassium For High Rainfall Pastures In Western Australia, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

Potassium (K) deficiency can lead to a decline in clover content and severely limit pasture productivity in high rainfall pastures. Large amounts of potassium can be lost each year through leaching and removal of potassium in hay or silage.

This information is specific to high rainfall pastures receiving more than 600mm average annual rainfall in the south-west of Western Australia.

Soil Sampling High Rainfall Pastures In Western Australia, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

Soil sampling and testing is an essential part of making good fertiliser decisions. Fertilisers are a large cost to farming pastures in high rainfall areas. This page is specific to sampling 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 soil sampling and testing as part of a plant nutrient management program.

Sulfur For High Rainfall Pastures In Western Australia, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

Sulfur deficiency can substantially reduce pasture yield on sandy soils, particularly in wet years where the sulfate form of sulfur leaches below the root zone of pasture plants, making it unavailable.

This information applies specifically to high rainfall pastures (over 600mm average annual rainfall) in the south-west of Western Australia.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development recommends basing fertiliser decisions on good evidence (soil and tissue test results)

Tissue Sampling And Analysis For High Rainfall Pastures In Western Australia, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

Tissue testing helps identify nutrient deficiencies that impact plant health. In high rainfall areas ( > 600 mm), pastures are highly productive and have greater demand for both macro- and micronutrients. Micronutrient status is best assessed through plant tissue, as soil levels are difficult to measure accurately.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development recommends tissue testing to assess the effectiveness of fertiliser and soil testing programs, and diagnose emerging macronutrient and micronutrient deficiencies that could cause production losses.

Environmental Impact Of Nitrogen And Phosphorus Fertilisers In High Rainfall Pasture Areas Of Western Australia, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

The most commonly used nitrogen and phosphorus fertilisers in the high rainfall (>600mm annual average) south-west of Western Australia can be leached into the groundwater and washed into waterways, resulting in serious environmental and economic damage.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development recommends regular soil testing and consultation with FertCare-accredited advisers to reduce leaching losses and increase profit from added nutrients.

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.

Report 17—Revisions To The Articles Of Organization And Procedure Of The Commission On Stratigraphic Nomenclature Of The Americas, Lynn T. Dafoe, Robert B. Macnaughton, Marie-Perre Aubry, Carlton E. Brett, James R. Lehane, Fernando Núñez-Useche, Randall C. Orndorff, Frank Brunton, Lucy E. Edwards, Richard H. Fluegeman, Howard Harper, Robert Matthew Joeckel, Norman P. Lasca, B. H. Tew

Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications

Several revisions to the Articles of Organization and Procedure for the North American Commission on Stratigraphic Nomenclature have been adopted following the 75th, 79th, and 80th annual meetings of the Commission in 2020, 2024 and 2025, respectively. Of these, the most substantial change was revision of Article III regarding membership composition of the Commission and the addition of new member organizations from Central and South America and the Caribbean region. As a result, the Commission also voted to change its name to be more inclusive of the expanding membership, with approval of the name: Commission on Stratigraphic Nomenclature of the …

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

Last Glacial Maximum And Late Glacial Aeolian Sand Activity, South-Central Indiana, Usa, H. M. Loope, J. L. Antinao, P.R. Hanson, P. M. Jacobs, D. A. Grimley

Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

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). …

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 …

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 …

Soil Characterization With Proximal Geophysics, Sophia M. Becker

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

High quality soil data is crucial for addressing numerous threats to human well-being such as water scarcity, food insecurity, and intensified natural disasters. True soil property values are determined by analyzing soil samples in a laboratory, but soil sampling is often expensive and time-consuming. Some in-field point sensors and remote sensing products are available to measure soil properties, but they have inherent limitations in measurement extent and resolution. Geophysical methods can fill the measurement scale gap between point measurements and remote sensing products, but various research questions remain open. This dissertation aims to advance understanding of geophysics-derived soil property measurements …

Evaluating Fall And Spring Planted Cover Crops For Integrated Management Of Herbicide Resistant Palmer Amaranth And Effect On Soil Health, Vipin Kumar

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Herbicide-resistant Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri S. Watson) pose a severe threat to agronomic crop productivity in the United States, including corn and soybean production in Nebraska. Therefore, there is an urgent need for diversified and sustainable management approaches. Integrating cover crops (CCs) with herbicide programs represents a promising strategy to achieve Palmer amaranth suppression, sustain crop yields, and contribute to long-term soil health in irrigated corn–soybean production systems in Nebraska.

A meta-analysis of 41 studies and 595 paired observations demonstrated that CCs reduced Amaranthus spp. density and biomass by 37–59% depending on the growing season, with grasses and mixtures …