Wood Distillate Interactions with Urea in Soil: A First Step to Developing a Slow-Release Next-Generation Fertilizer.

We tested the ability of wood distillate (WD) to interact with urea in agricultural soil. WD is a sustainable material that has been addressed as a promising alternative to synthetic soil corroborants. However, there is little information about the effect of WD on the nitrogen cycle.

Soil and Foliar Applications of Wood Distillate Differently Affect Soil Properties and Field Bean Traits in Preliminary Field Tests.

Natural products such as wood distillate (WD) are promising alternatives to xenobiotic products in conventional agriculture and are necessary in organic farming. A field study gave insight into the effectiveness of WD applied as foliar spray (F-WD), soil irrigation (S-WD), and their combination as growth promoters for field beans. The soil fertility and quality parameters, plant growth, nutrient uptake, and resource partitioning within plants were evaluated.

Biochar as a soil amendment in the tree establishment phase: What are the consequences for tree physiology, soil quality and carbon sequestration?

Trees play a pivotal role in the urban environment alleviating the negative impacts of urbanization, and for this reason, local governments have promoted strongly tree planting policies. However, poor soil quality and neglect tree maintenance (e.g.

The Importance of Root Interactions in Field Bean/Triticale Intercrops.

To highlight the contribution of belowground interactions to biomass and N and P yields, field bean and triticale were grown in a P-poor soil as sole crops and as replacement intercrops at two N levels. The shoots were always in contact, while the roots of adjacent rows were free to interact or were completely separated. This allowed simultaneous testing the intraspecific and interspecific competition between rows, which to our knowledge has not been studied before.

Characterization and origin of organic and inorganic pollution in urban soils in Pisa (Tuscany, Italy).

We assessed the quality of 31 urban soils in Pisa by analyzing total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs), Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn, and the platinum group elements (PGEs). The risk was evaluated by the geological accumulation index (I ) and the enrichment factor (EF). Results were compared with those obtained from a non-urban site and with the quantitative limits fixed by Italian legislation.

Sulphur mineralization kinetics of cattle manure and green waste compost in soils.

Sulphur mineralization of cattle manure (CM) and green waste compost (GWC) added to six agricultural soils with different chemical properties was monitored over 10 weeks in a laboratory incubation experiment. Although the amount of sulphur was higher in CM than in GWC, the cumulative SO4(2-)-S values in GWC-treated soils were higher than in soil amended with CM. The percentages of mineralized S were always higher in GWC-treated soil (in the range 1.