The potential for biotransformation of weathered hydrocarbon residues in soils collected from two commercial oil refinery sites (Soil A and B) was studied in microcosm experiments. Soil A has previously been subjected to on-site bioremediation and it was believed that no further degradation was possible while soil B has not been subjected to any treatment. A number of amendment strategies inclu...

Legumes build soil fertility and contribute substantial amounts of N for sustainability of cereal based cropping systems. These lacking information for the system as a whole in rainfed pothwar were investigated through field experiments at two different locations i.e. (Research farm of University of Arid Agriculture Rawalpindi, UAAR and farmer’s fields in Chakwal district). Mung bean (Var. NM-9...

Understanding the effects of external organic and inorganic components on soil fertility and quality is essential for improving low-yielding soils. We conducted a field study over two consecutive rice growing seasons to investigate the effect of applying chemical fertilizer (NPK), NPK plus green manure (NPKG), NPK plus pig manure (NPKM), and NPK plus straw (NPKS) on the soil nutrient status, en...

Pakistan is among top three chickpea producing countries but the crop is usually grown on marginal lands without irrigation and fertilizer application which significantly hampers its yield. Soil fertility and inoculation with beneficial rhizobacteria play a key role in nodulation and yield of legumes. Four kabuli and six desi chickpea genotypes were, therefore, evaluated for inoculation respons...

Traditional yam-based cropping systems (shifting cultivation, slash-and-burn, and short fallow) often result in deforestation and soil nutrient depletion. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of yam-based systems with herbaceous legumes on dry matter (DM) production (tubers, shoots), nutrients removed and recycled, and the soil fertility changes. We compared smallholders' tra...

Eight red maple (Acer rubrum L.) provenances, four each from wet and dry sites, were grown under the same conditions and their physiological responses to soil water availability investigated. Under well-watered conditions, seedlings of wet-site provenances grew faster and had consistently higher net photosynthesis, leaf conductance, maximum carboxylation rate, maximum rate of coupled photosynth...

Livestock waste composts with minimum inorganic fertilizer as a soil amendment in low-input intensive farming are a feasible agricultural practice to improve soil fertility and productivity and to mitigate soil degradation. The key benefits of the practice rely on the activities of soil microorganisms. However, the role of different livestock composts [composted cattle manure (CCM) vs. composte...

In cotton and cereals production systems, the most important cause of soil fertility degradation is the inappropriate crop residues management. In a long-term experiment carried out from 1982 to 2012, the effects of crop residues management (CRM) during 30 years on soil chemical properties and crops yields were evaluated in a cotton-cereals rotation. The experimental design was nonrandomized bl...