Submission Deadline: 12 May 2022 (closed)
Dr. Keli Zhao, Zhejiang A & F University, China
Dr. Zhengqian Ye, Zhejiang A & F University, China
Dr. Lingli Lu, Zhejiang University, China
Dr. Peng Liu, Zhejiang Normal University, China
Soil quality normally indicated soil fertility quality, soil environment quality and soil health quality. Due to the long-term intensive management from farmers and industrial activities, more and more agroforestry lands are suffering soil degradation, including soil fertility decrease, soil heavy metal pollution and soil microbial communities changes, which further influence the plant growth, quality and food safety. Since soil plays the directly important role in the healthy plant/crop growth, protective measures should be carried out. In order to explore the soil-plant correlation under the soil quality degradation, this special issue will mainly focus on the following topics:
New methodology and index to reveal soil quality degradation of agroforestry ecosystem;
Crop quality and safety assessment under the threat of soil quality degradation;
The transfer and transportation of nutrients, toxic elements etc. in the soil-plant systems of subtropical region;
The protective measures which could be used to improve the soil quality degradation such as heavy metal pollution, nutrients imbalance, soil erosion etc.
- OPEN ACCESS ARTICLE
- Observation on Flower Bud Differentiation of Crape Myrtle in Red Soil Environment
- Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2022.022485
- (This article belongs to this Special Issue: The Effect of Soil Quality Degradation on the Plant Growth, Quality and Food Safety in Subtropical Agroforestry Ecosystems)
- Abstract Flower bud differentiation is a key component of plant blooming biology and understanding how it works is vital for flowering regulation and plant genetic breeding, increasing the number and quality of flowering. Red soil is the most widely covered soil type in the world, and it is also the most suitable soil type for crape myrtle planting. The flower buds of crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) planted in red soil were employed as experimental materials in this study, and the distinct periods of differentiation were identified using stereomicroscopy and paraffin sectioning. We optimized the steps of dehydration, transparency, embedding, sectioning and… More
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- Role of Organic Amendments to Mitigate Cd Toxicity and Its Assimilation in Triticum aestivum L.
- Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2022.022473
- (This article belongs to this Special Issue: The Effect of Soil Quality Degradation on the Plant Growth, Quality and Food Safety in Subtropical Agroforestry Ecosystems)
- Abstract In soil biota, higher and enduring concentration of heavy metals like cadmium (Cd) is hazardous and associated with great loss in growth, yield, and quality parameters of most of the crop plants. Recently, in-situ applications of eco-friendly stabilizing agents in the form of organic modifications have been utilized to mitigate the adverse effects of Cd-toxicity. This controlled experiment was laid down to appraise the imprints of various applied organic amendments namely poultry manure (PM), farmyard manure (FYM), and sugarcane press mud (PS) to immobilize Cd in polluted soil. Moreover, phytoavailability of Cd in wheat was also accessed under an alkaline… More
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- N-Exponential Fertilization Could Affect the Growth and Nitrogen Accumulation of Metasequoia glyptostroboides Seedling in a Greenhouse Environment
- Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.91, No.10, pp. 2211-2220, 2022, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2022.021382
- (This article belongs to this Special Issue: The Effect of Soil Quality Degradation on the Plant Growth, Quality and Food Safety in Subtropical Agroforestry Ecosystems)
- Abstract Metasequoia glyptostroboides (M. glyptostroboides) is a unique plant species related to relic flora in China. It plays a positive role in afforestation and its long-term protection with high paleoclimate research value. However, due to the nutrients-supply deficiency, it is a big challenge to cultivate the high-quality seedlings of M. glyptostroboides. In this study, a pot experiment in a greenhouse environment was carried out to identify the effect of N-exponential fertilization on the growth and nutrient distribution of M. glyptostroboides seedling. The M. glyptostroboides rooted seedlings with 12-month growth were chosen. Different N fertilizer levels with conventional fertilization (CF: 5.0 g… More
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- Spatial Heterogeneity of Selected Soil Nutrients Related to Torreya grandis cv. Merrillii Plantation in Southeastern China
- Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.91, No.10, pp. 2221-2233, 2022, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2022.021422
- (This article belongs to this Special Issue: The Effect of Soil Quality Degradation on the Plant Growth, Quality and Food Safety in Subtropical Agroforestry Ecosystems)
- Abstract Chinese Torreya grandis (Torreya grandis cv. Merrillii) is a unique economic tree species in China. Intensive management related to application of chemical fertilizer and herbicides caused serious soil quality degradation of Chinese Torreya grandis plantations. Totally, 120 soil samples were collected from the main disbtributed areas of Chinese Torreya grandis in Southeastern China. In this area, soil pH values varied from 3.68 to 6.78, with a median value of 4.91, implying a trend of acidification. The average concentrations of organic matter, available nitrogen, available phosphorus and available potassium were 27.52 g kg−1, 135.77 mg kg−1, 15.12 mg kg−1, and 153.43… More
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- How Physical Disturbance and Nitrogen Addition Affect the Soil Carbon Decomposition?
- Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.91, No.9, pp. 2087-2097, 2022, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2022.021412
- (This article belongs to this Special Issue: The Effect of Soil Quality Degradation on the Plant Growth, Quality and Food Safety in Subtropical Agroforestry Ecosystems)
- Abstract The decomposition of soil organic carbon (SOC) plays a critical role in regulating atmospheric CO2 concentrations and climate dynamics. However, the mechanisms and factors controlling SOC decomposition are still not fully understood. Here, we conducted a 60 days incubation experiment to test the effects of physical disturbance and nitrogen (N) addition on SOC decomposition. N addition increased the concentration of NO3- by 51% in the soil, but had little effect on the concentration of NH4+. N addition inhibited SOC decomposition, but such an effect differed between disturbed and undisturbed soils. In disturbed and undisturbed soils, application of N decreased SOC… More
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- Land Consolidation with Seedling Cultivation Could Decrease Soil Microbial PLFA Diversity
- Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.91, No.8, pp. 1745-1756, 2022, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2022.021076
- (This article belongs to this Special Issue: The Effect of Soil Quality Degradation on the Plant Growth, Quality and Food Safety in Subtropical Agroforestry Ecosystems)
- Abstract The impact of land consolidation on the soil microbial PLFA diversity is of great importance for understanding the effective arable land usage, improving agricultural ecological conditions and environment. In this study, we collected the soil samples (0–20 cm) in experimental plots with 0 (Z0), 1 (Z1a) and 4 (Z4a) years of land consolidation in the forest station of Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province, southeastern China. The results were analyzed using ANOVA for randomized block design. Compared with control (Z0), the soil pH value under Z1a treatment increased by 14.6%, soil organic carbon (SOC) content decreased by 65.4%, so did the PLFA… More
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- Organic Materials Could Improve the Phytoremediation Efficiency of Soil Potentially Hazardous Metal by Sedum alfredii Hance
- Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.91, No.7, pp. 1529-1542, 2022, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2022.019368
- (This article belongs to this Special Issue: The Effect of Soil Quality Degradation on the Plant Growth, Quality and Food Safety in Subtropical Agroforestry Ecosystems)
- Abstract Soil potentially hazardous metal (PHM) is continually attracting public attention worldwide, due to its highly toxic properties and potentially huge damage to human being through food chain. Phytoremediation is an effective and eco-friendly way in remediation technology. A pot experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of different organic materials (biogas residue (BR), mushroom residue (MR), and bamboo-shoot shell (BS)) application on phytoremediation of two PHM-contaminated soils (Fuyang soil as ‘heavily-polluted soil’ and Wenzhou soil as ‘moderately-polluted soil’, respectively) by Sedum alfrecdii Hance. The results indicated: 1) for moderately-polluted soil, the 5% BR treatment had the strongest activation to… More
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- Seasonal Changes in Soil Respiration with An Elevation Gradient in Abies nephrolepis (Trautv.) Maxim. Forests in North China
- Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.91, No.7, pp. 1543-1556, 2022, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2022.020329
- (This article belongs to this Special Issue: The Effect of Soil Quality Degradation on the Plant Growth, Quality and Food Safety in Subtropical Agroforestry Ecosystems)
- Abstract Soil respiration (Rs) plays an important role in regulating carbon cycle of terrestrial ecosystems and presents temporal and spatial heterogeneity. Abies nephrolepis is a tree species that prefers the cold and wet environment and is mainly distributed in Northeast Asia and East Asia. The Rs variations of Abies nephrolepis forests communities are generally environmental-sensitive and can effectively reflect the adaptive responses of forest ecosystems to climate change. In this study, the growing-seasonal variations of Rs, soil temperature, soil water content and soil properties of Abies nephrolepis forests were analyzed along an altitude gradient (2000, 2100, 2200 and 2300 m) over… More
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- Optimization of Organic Mulches Thickness Improves Soil Moisture Retention under Controlled Conditions
- Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.91, No.4, pp. 841-857, 2022, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2022.017938
- (This article belongs to this Special Issue: The Effect of Soil Quality Degradation on the Plant Growth, Quality and Food Safety in Subtropical Agroforestry Ecosystems)
- Abstract Organic mulch can improve the moisture, chemical composition, dust, and dust suppression of soil, and beautify the environment. In view of the rapid evaporation rate and serious loss of soil water in tropical areas, this paper explored the effect of organic mulch materials with different thickness on the increase of soil water retention rate and the improvement of soil water loss caused by evaporation. Rubberwood sawdust (RWS), rubberwood bark (RWB), coconut fiber (CF), and Mulch (MC) were selected as the mulching materials. Field experiment and laboratory experiment were performed, and soil-moisture content and temperature were continuously monitored. However, from the… More
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- Diversity of Saxicolous Lichens along an Aridity Gradient in Central México
- Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.91, No.4, pp. 827-840, 2022, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2022.017929
- (This article belongs to this Special Issue: The Effect of Soil Quality Degradation on the Plant Growth, Quality and Food Safety in Subtropical Agroforestry Ecosystems)
- Abstract Lichens are symbiotic organisms that comprise a fungus and a photosynthetic partner wich are recognized as a good indicator of climate change. However, our understanding of how aridity affects the diversity of saxicolous lichens in drylands is still limited. To evaluate the relationship between saxicolous lichen diversity and aridity in a central México dryland, a geographical transect was established of 100 km to build an aridity gradient in the semiarid zone of the State of Querétaro, Mexico, comprising ten sampling sites with a 10 km separation. Species richness, abundance and diversity of soil lichen species were recorded using two sampling methods: the… More
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- EoPHR2, a Phosphate Starvation Response Transcription Factor, Is Involved in Improving Low-Phosphorus Stress Resistance in Eremochloa ophiuroides
- Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.91, No.3, pp. 651-665, 2022, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2022.017633
- (This article belongs to this Special Issue: The Effect of Soil Quality Degradation on the Plant Growth, Quality and Food Safety in Subtropical Agroforestry Ecosystems)
- Abstract As a macronutrient, Phosphorus (P) takes many roles in plant growth and development. It should be significant to explore the molecular mechanism of low-phosphorus stress response of plants. Phosphate starvation response (PHR) transcription factors play important roles in response to phosphorus deficiency stress in plants. In this study, we isolated a gene related to the plant phosphorus signaling system from the acid-soil-resistant centipedegrass (Eremochloa ophiuroides [Munro] Hack.), termed EoPHR2. The subcellular localization of EoPHR2 protein was observed to be nuclear located. The expression patterns of EoPHR2 in different tissues and Al/Pi-stress conditions were analyzed by qRT-PCR, they suggested a potential… More
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- Effects of Nitrogen Exponential Fertilization on Growth and Nutrient Concentration of Hydrangea macrophylla Seedlings
- Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.91, No.2, pp. 395-407, 2022, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2022.017981
- (This article belongs to this Special Issue: The Effect of Soil Quality Degradation on the Plant Growth, Quality and Food Safety in Subtropical Agroforestry Ecosystems)
- Abstract Slow growth rate restricts the development and growth of seedlings due to nutrients deficiency or nutrient imbalance. Exponential fertilization can enhance the internal nutrient reserves in seedlings at the nursery-stage and strengthen their resistance to adverse conditions. In this study, nitrogen requirements for producing Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Hanatemari’ that robust seedlings, nutrient dynamics, biomass and growth, was examined utilizing exponential fertilization. The potted seedlings were fertilized with urea under exponential regime at rates of 0.5, 1.5 and 2.0 g nitrogen/plant (EF1, EF2, and EF3), respectively. In addition, an unfertilized group treated with equal volume of deionized water was used as control.… More
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- Integrated Fertilization Regimes Boost Heavy Metals Accumulation and Biomass of Sedum alfredii Hance
- Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.90, No.4, pp. 1217-1232, 2021, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2021.014951
- (This article belongs to this Special Issue: The Effect of Soil Quality Degradation on the Plant Growth, Quality and Food Safety in Subtropical Agroforestry Ecosystems)
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Abstract
The hyperaccumulator Sedum alfredii Hance (S. alfredii) may be employed for zinc (Zn) and cadmium (Cd)-polluted soil remediation. However, the low phytoremediation efficiency, related to the low biomass production, limits its use with that purpose. In this experiment, nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) fertilizers, and organic manure were applied to investigate the phytoremediation ability of S. alfredii. Hydroponic and pot experiments were conducted using Zn-Cd polluted soil. The hydroponic experiment indicated that appropriate fertilizer application could increase (p < 0.05) the amount of accumulated Zn and Cd in S. alfredii. When N supply ranged from 0.5 to 2.5… More
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