Increasing pesticide diversity impairs soil microbial functions.

Pesticide application is essential for stabilizing agricultural production. However, the effects of increasing pesticide diversity on soil microbial functions remain unclear, particularly under varying nitrogen (N) fertilizer management practices. In this study, we investigated the stochasticity of soil microbes and multitrophic networks through amplicon sequencing, assessed soil community functions related to carbon (C), N, phosphorus (P), and sulfur (S) cycling, and characterized the dominant bacterial life history strategies via metagenomics along a gradient of increasing pesticide diversity under two N addition levels.

Soil Plastisphere Reinforces the Adverse Effect of Combined Pollutant Exposure on the Microfood Web.

Microbial interactions form microfood webs, crucial for ecological functions. The steady state of these webs, shaped by cooperation and competition among trophic levels, prevents pathogen proliferation and invasion, maintaining soil health. Combined pollutants pose a widespread environmental issue, exerting significant pressure on microfood webs.

Effects of heavy metal and disinfectant on antibiotic resistance genes and virulence factor genes in the plastisphere from diverse soil ecosystems.

Antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs) are world-wide contaminants posing potential health risks. Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) and heavy metals can apply selective pressure on antibiotic resistance. However, there is a lack of evidence regarding their coupled effect on changes in ARGs and virulence factor genes (VFGs) in various soil types and their plastispheres.

Reduced fertilization mitigates NO emission and drip irrigation has no impact on NO and NO emissions in plastic-shed vegetable production in northern China.

Plastic-shed vegetable production in China creates hotspots for emission of the potent greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (NO) and the atmospheric pollutant nitric oxide (NO). To mitigate NO and NO emissions, determination of the predominant processes of NO and NO generation in plastic-shed vegetable production is important. Here, we reported the findings of a 2-year experimental study on the effects of reduced fertilization and/or drip irrigation on NO and NO emissions during plastic-shed tomato production in northern China.

Crop straw incorporation alleviates overall fertilizer-N losses and mitigates NO emissions per unit applied N from intensively farmed soils: An in situ N tracing study.

A thorough elucidation of the coupled effects of N fertilization and straw incorporation on NO emissions and N losses is crucial for alleviating negative environmental impacts in intensively farmed regions. Here, we conducted an in situ N tracing experiment to assess the source of NO emissions and fate of fertilizer-N in soil intensively farmed with summer maize (Zea mays L.).

[Impacts of Nitrogen Application on Ammonia Volatilization During Maize Season in Northern China].

Ammonia volatilization is one of the major paths of nitrogen (N) loss and may exert a substantial impact on air quality. This study aims to explore the effects of nitrogen (N) fertilizer types, fertilization rate, and application timing and gas collection method on NH volatilization during the maize season in Northern China. This study collected the publications on the NH volatilization from maize farming which were conducted in Northern China from 1980 to 2018, and undertook a systematic analysis.