For 5 yr we monitored the fertility of a volcanic-ash derived Inceptisol at a site in the humid tropics of Costa Rica. After forest felling and burning, we established four treatments in a randomized block design with six blocks: a sequence of monocultures (two crops of maize [Zea mays] followed by cassava [Manihot esculenta], then the tree species Cordia alliodora), successional vegetation, a ...

Leaf lifespan varies widely among plant species, from a few weeks to >40 years. This variation is associated with differences in plant form and function, and the distribution of species along resource gradients. Longer leaf lifespans increase the residence time of nutrients and are one mechanism by which plants conserve nutrients; consequently, leaf lifespan should increase within species with ...

a field study was undertaken with four farming systems (fs) such as; grasses and fodders, agro-forestry, agriculture (new farming systems) and shifting cultivation (old practice), to investigate the effect of land use on the soil properties, erosion and crop productivity on a loamy acidic alfisol. besides crops, the livestock were also kept and their dropping were incorporated in the respective...

amounts involved are much smaller. The amount of boron in the 7-ton potato crop (if determined) would have been about 0.2 pound. In the case of boron (and to a lesser degree the other micronutrients) if the soil contains excessive amounts, toxic quantities are absorbed by plants and growth is restricted. The need for a reasonable balance in amounts of available nutrients in the soil has been po...

If all resources are harnessed, and adequate measures taken to minimize soil degradation, sufficient food to feed the population in 2020 can be produced, and probably sufficient for a few billion more. These were the key conclusions from a Discussion Meeting held at the Royal Society in London in December 1996. The meeting entitled ‘Land resources: on the edge of the Malthusian precipice?’ atte...

This paper discusses recent developments in the market for agricultural land in Slovakia related to the new law on land acquisition. The stated objective of this law is to protect agricultural land from non-agricultural use. We analyze landrelated data as reported by sellers in the newly established Registry of offers of agricultural land administered by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural De...

Phytotechnologies are often shown as an emerging tool to remediate contaminated soils. Research in this field has resulted in many important findings relating to plant and soil sciences. However, there have been scant private and public investments and little commercial success with this technology. Here, we investigate the barriers to the adoption of phytotechnologies and determine whether it ...

Fertilizers that are essentially sulfurfree have been used increasingly. Ammonium nitrate, anhydrous ammonia, urea, and ammonia solutions are examples among the nitrogen carriers. The use of concentrated superphosphate and other phosphorus carriers with little sulfur has been expanding. We recommend that farmers in areas of potential deficiency should have a planned program of adding sulfur ins...

Antarctic ecosystems are often considered nearly pristine because levels of anthropogenic disturbance are extremely low there. Nevertheless, over recent decades there has been a rapid increase in the number of people, researchers and tourists, visiting Antarctica. We evaluated, over 10 years, the direct impact of foot traffic on the abundance of soil animals and soil properties in Taylor Valley...

variety of crops. Pot tests indicated that addition of about 200 p.p.m. of copper from copper sulfate produced a toxic reaction in soils low in copper, but otherwise comparable to Alsatian vineyard soils, which were found to contain as much as 400 p.p.m. of copper. Among the crops tested, vines were most resistant to copper toxicity; clover and alfalfa were most sensitive. Symptoms of copper po...