SOILomics; where Microbiome Genetics meets Precision Agriculture

Advances in genetics, soil biochemistry and microbiome analysis are opening up a new era in Precision Agriculture. In this direction, new techniques bring groundbreaking changes in land management practices through direct or indirect management of soil microbial communities. There is huge demand for the protection and enhancement of soil health and climate change resilience of crops. The increase in population, food consumption and fast approaching climate change pose a new threat to mankind that only by being proactive and highly prepared to deploy all novel and innovative stratagems in state-of-the-art soil microbiome precision agriculture can be avoided.

SOILomics; where Microbiome Genetics meets Precision Agriculture

Advances in genetics, soil biochemistry and microbiome analysis are opening up a new era in Precision Agriculture. In this direction, new techniques bring groundbreaking changes in land management practices through direct or indirect management of soil microbial communities. There is huge demand for the protection and enhancement of soil health and climate change resilience of crops. The increase in population, food consumption and fast approaching climate change pose a new threat to mankind that only by being proactive and highly prepared to deploy all novel and innovative stratagems in state-of-the-art soil microbiome precision agriculture can be avoided.

Modelling Alternatives for Highland Soil Structural Degradation and Erodibility, Bui Plateau, Cameroon

Highland triggers of soil physical degradation through the fragilisation of soil aggregates are primarily factors of soil biochemistry and anthropogenic mishandling of land resources. Soil degradation forms are challenging the sustenance of human systems on earth. This study probes into soil physical degradation and exposure to external stressors using 60 soil samples collected and analysed for soil aggregate stability, vulnerability and erodibility to determine soil structural stability/resilient capacity. The soils were found to be stable in structure, but highly vulnerable to stress and erodible. Coarse-granitic sandy soils just as the less evolved erosion soils of the eastern slopes of the plateau were proven to be most erodible and vulnerable to physical degradation. Soil Structural Stability Index (ISS) was very low (≤ 4.3%: severe physical degradation) for disturbed soils under grazing with similar tendencies on cultivated humid volcanic soils. High erosion vulnerability/erodibility soils are indicative of low organic matter and organic carbon content issuant of heavy and uncontrolled grazing, annual biomass burning and long-term cropping without soil improvement schemes which calls for guided land use practices over the Bui Plateau.

The yield values of densimetric fractions from typical chernozems of different land use types

One of the most justified and applied approaches to isolating pools of soil organic matter is fractionation in heavy liquids. The main problem with this approach is rather large losses in the separation of fractions at the stage of washing fractions from heavy liquids. The paper presents a densimetric fractionation protocol that can significantly reduce these losses. It is suggested to use 0.001 M HCl for washing. This approach, in comparison with distilled water, allows reducing losses of weight from 15 to 5% and of carbon from 7.5 to 2.5%. The paper provides a detailed protocol, used by the Laboratory of Soil Biochemistry of V.V. Dokuchaev Soil Science Institute, to isolate four densimetric fractions using sodium polytungstate solutions: free and occluded SOM with a density of <1.6 g/cm3, occluded SOM – of 1.6–2.0 g/cm3, and a mineral residue with a density >2.0 g/cm3. In the work we used samples of typical chernozems of different land use types. It was shown that the processes of soil restoration and degradation significantly affect the content of light occluded soil organic matter.

The future of soil biochemistry and services in the UK under plausible climate, land use and land management scenarios

&lt;p&gt;In this study, we explore plausible future states of soil organic matter, biomass, food production and soil greenhouse gas emissions across the UK under a range of climate, land use and land management scenarios. We use state-of-the-art soil biochemistry model, N14CP-Ag, combined with UKCP18 climate scenarios and ASSET land cover change and crop scenarios mapped onto a UK-wide grid with around 100,000 land parcels. Historic runs cover the period from the start of the Holocene interglacial (-12 kyr BP) to 2015; scenarios run from 2016 out to 2100. The results show variations of soil organic carbon (SOC) of around 10% between 2016 and 2100 relative to the simulated starting value of 1.4 Gton in 2015, with reductions of up to 7% under arable expansion scenarios and increases of up to 3% under grassland restoration scenarios. The effect of changing cropping patterns on UK-wide SOC is comparatively small. As climate scenarios move from lower to higher global emissions, the SOC reductions under arable expansion become more pronounced, while the SOC increases under grassland restoration diminish and eventually turn into losses. UK-wide crop yields show resilience to climate change and are maximised for the arable expansion scenario with protected sites of special scientific interest. Soil CO2 and nitrogen emissions get progressively higher in warmer climates. The results of this study are expected to contribute to a future UK agricultural policy aimed at rewarding farmers for sustainable land management practices.&lt;/p&gt;