To return straw or not to return? We demonstrate that rice straw incorporation at half of the harvest enhanced soil fertility without additional global warming potential (GWP). This minimal increase in GWP relied on the highest nosZII abundance and the lowest nirS/nosZII ratio, and the CH₄ production being just above the soil CH₄ holding capacity. We offer a viable strategy to scientifically manage rice straw for climate-smart sustainable rice agriculture.

Over three years of observation in a Swiss lysimeter, our results show that cumulative nitrate leaching was 26 % higher under conventional tillage than under non-inversion tillage. This difference was driven by nitrate concentrations in seepage water rather than by differences in seepage water volumes. The beneficial effect of non-inversion tillage was most pronounced during and shortly after a bare-soil period following sugar beet cultivation, coinciding with above-average spring precipitation.

We studied how to better estimate and map how much carbon is stored in soils when key measurements are scarce. We built a machine learning model that follows known physical links between soil carbon and soil density, and compared it with pure machine learning methods. Although accuracy was similar, the model informed by soil science gave more realistic and stable results over time and clearer insights into soil behavior, improving interpretability for decision making.

On the Tibetan Plateau, soil in degraded grasslands releases more carbon when exposed to sheep and pika droppings. This is because the droppings change the soil's microbial composition. To reduce carbon loss, it is suggested to limit animal activity in degraded areas and protect healthy grasslands.

We studied how changes in precipitation affect the production of nitrous oxide, a powerful greenhouse gas, from farmland soils along a hillslope in Norway. By reducing precipitation, we reduced nitrous oxide emissions. Under normal precipitation, soil properties like carbon and clay affected the emissions. Our findings shows that shifts in precipitation patterns had a stronger effect on nitrous oxide production from agricultural soils than the natural variation between soils.

Organic soils store large amounts of carbon but also emit greenhouse gases. Drainage alters soil conditions, affecting carbon cycling and plant growth. We studied poplar trees under controlled water levels to see how soil and plant interactions influence greenhouse gas emissions and plant vitality. This helps understand how water management can improve carbon storage and sustainable use of organic soils.

Through the analysis and modeling of SOC and isotope (Δ¹⁴C and δ¹³C) data from contrasting treatments in a 60-year agricultural experiment, we found that mineral-associated SOC is highly isolated from recent atmospheric CO₂ inputs, with isolation increasing with soil depth. Integrated crop-pasture rotational systems have not been able to sequester substantial new carbon along the profile, particularly at depth, but they are relevant to preserve the natural carbon legacy of these soils.

This study investigates soil quality along a transect in the Transylvanian Basin, comparing intact slopes, landslide deposits, and parent material, using physico-chemical and magnetic measurements. Overall, the study shows that landslides substantially degrade soil structure and composition and highlights magnetic susceptibility, organic matter, and electrical conductivity as reliable indicators of disturbance severity.

Acidic soils can lock up nutrients and release harmful metals, reducing crop growth. In a laboratory soil-column experiment, we tested steelmaking slag, an alkaline by-product, under repeated wetting and drying. The slag-mixed layer showed lasting improvement in acidity for twenty-four weeks, while nearby layers changed little. Slag released calcium slowly and formed surface coatings, suggesting durable, place-specific treatment and guidance for rate, depth, and reapplication.

We studied California farmland managed with conservation practices for 20 years to understand how reducing tillage and planting cover crops affects soil health. These practices dramatically improved soil structure and doubled carbon storage in surface soils. Importantly, soils still have substantial capacity to store more carbon even after two decades. These findings show conservation farming can combat climate change while improving water retention in drought-prone regions.

Straw decomposes readily in soil: residues reduced aliphaticity, enhanced oxidation, higher humification, sharp POM decline. Biochar: highly stable, minimal residue/element shifts, slow POM decline, strong decomposition resistance. vs. CK, CS/Bc have higher POM organic carbon/SOM proportion—"false elevation" from undecomposed residues. Full POM counting risks SOM overestimation: recalcitrant organics’ long persistence biases global SOM assessments, providing key refs for precise SOM evaluation.