environmental problems associated with the excessive use of chemical fertilizers and abiotic stresses due to soil pollution by heavy metals have encouraged use of biological fertilizers in modern agriculture. in order to protect environment and reduce the tension caused by heavy metals, it is essential to use biofertilizer in crop production. to assess the effects of biofertilizers on yield and...

Drought events cause changes in ecosystem function and structure by reducing the shrub abundance and expanding the biological soil crusts (biocrusts). This change increases the leakage of nutrient resources and water into the river streams in semi-arid areas. A common management solution for decreasing this loss of resources is to create a runoff-harvesting system (RHS). The objective of the cu...

The Wind Erosion Prediction System (WEPS) is a process-based model that simulates daily weather and field conditions along with hourly wind speeds and erosion. Its physical basis should allow model application to regions outside the US for which it was originally developed. The objective of this study was to compare results from measured wind erosion with simulated soil losses as a first exampl...

A field study was carried out to evaluate the effects of tillage practices on soil physical properties in Mwala district, Eastern Kenya, during the long rains (LR) and short rains (SR) of 2012/13. The treatments were disc ploughing (DP), disc ploughing and harrowing (DPH), ox-ploughing (OX), subsoiling-ripping (SSR), hand hoeing with tied ridges (HTR), hand hoeing only (H). These were investiga...

Soil quality indices can help ensure that site productivity and soil function are maintained. Biological indices yield evidence of how a soil functions and interacts with the plants, animals and climate that comprise an ecosystem. Soil scientists can identify and quantify both chemical and biological soil-quality indicators for ecosystems with a single main function, such as agricultural lands ...

The element Aluminum (Al) is found in relatively high amounts in the earth’s crust (about 7%) despite being non-essential for life. [1] However, Al is present mostly in its water insoluble form unless the pH of the soil is highly acidic (pH<5.0). Under acidic conditions, Al converts to its soluble form [1] and is mostly found in soluble fluoride or organic complexes.[2] Drinking water also cont...

On Earth, the deep subsurface biosphere of both the oceanic and the continental crust is well known for surviving harsh conditions and environments characterized by high temperatures, high pressures, extreme pHs, and the absence of sunlight. The microorganisms of the terrestrial deep biosphere have an excellent capacity for adapting to changing geochemistry, as the alteration of the crust proce...

Globally, rejuvenation of soil health is a major concern due to the continuous loss fertility and productivity. Soil degradation decreases crop yields threatens global food security. Improper use chemical fertilizers coupled with intensive cultivation further reduces both yields. Plants require several nutrients in varying ratios that are essential for plant complete healthy growth development ...