Quantification of the Nitrogen (N)-supplying capacity of organic manures provides an important insight into more effective N management practices. The aims of this study were to determine the potential N mineralization of cow manure (CM), poultry manure (PM), urea fertilizer (UF) and the combined use of cow manure + urea fertilizer (CM + UF) for silage maize (Zea mays L.) in a calcareous so...

With the global population predicted to grow by at least 25% by the year 2050, the sustainable production of nutritious foods will be necessary for human health and the environment. Iron (Fe) is an essential nutrient for both plants and humans. Fe is poorly soluble, especially at high pH levels, at which it is difficult for living organisms to accumulate sufficient Fe. In plants, Fe deficiency ...

Pedogenesis and clay mineralogy of soils and rock samples were studied in a transect of calcareous, gypsiferous, saline soils and sediments of Bakhtegan lake bank in southern Iran. The main objectives of study were to determine the occurrence of clay minerals and factors controlling their distribution pattern and relative abundance in soils and parent materials. The soil parent material is high...

In this study, five microbes were employed to precipitate calcite in cohesionless soils. Four microbes were selected from calcite-precipitating microbes isolated from calcareous sand and limestone cave soils, with Sporosarcina pasteurii ATCC 11859 (standard strain) used as a control. Urease activities of the four microbes were higher than that of S. pasteurii. The microbes and urea-CaCl₂ medium...

In a proof-of-concept study, an acidic (pH 5.8) biochar was created using a low pyrolysis temperature (350 °C) and steam activation (800 °C) to potentially improve the soil physicochemical status of an eroded calcareous soil. Biochar was added at 0%, 1%, 2%, and 10% (by wt.) and soils were destructively sampled at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 month intervals. Soil was analyzed for gravimetric water con...

Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), and other synthetic polycarboxylic acids have been shown to possess substantial capacity as washing agents of heavy metal-polluted soils, but they are environmentally problematic. Therefore, a sample of natural soluble humic substances (HS) was tested as a possible substitute. The efficiency of HS to extract cadmium (Cd), copp...