Agricultural long-term field experiments (LTFE) are an important basis for soil and agricultural sciences. A compilation of metadata and research data from LTFE in Germany shall enhance networking and simplify the access to this most valuable research infrastructure. The common analyses of similar LTFE on different sites can broaden the results. Therefore, LTFE were classified and their distribution in Germany was compared to two complex site classifications.

In this study geophysical observations from Ground Penetrating Radar with soil physical and geochemical properties from pedons excavated in four study areas of the climate and ecological gradient in the Chilean Coastal Cordillera are combined. Findings suggest that profiles with Ground Penetrating Radar along hillslopes can be used to infer lateral thickness variations in soil horizons, and to some degree physical and chemical variations with depth.

Global significance of metals (extractable Fe and Al phases) to control organic matter (OM) in recognized. Next key questions include the identification of their localization and mechanisms behind OM-metal relationships. Across 23 soils of contrasting mineralogy, Fe and Al phases were mainly associated with microbially-processed OM as meso-density microaggregates. OM- and metal-rich nanocomposites having narrow OM : metal ratio likely acted as binding agents. A new conceptual model was proposed.

Soil is a renewable resource for purposes ranging from agriculture to mineralization. Soil microbiome plays vital roles in facilitating process like providing nutrients to plants, or their mobilization for plant uptake, consequently improving plant growth and productivity. Therefore, understanding of these microbial communities and their role in soil is crucial for exploring the possibility of using microbial community inoculants for improving desert soil fertility and agricultural potential.

Sedimentary rocks contain organic carbon that may end up as soil carbon. However, this source of soil carbon is overlooked and has not been quantified sufficiently. In this study we analysed 10 m long sediment cores with three different sedimentary rocks. All sediments contain considerable amounts of geogenic carbon contributing 3 to 12 % to total soil carbon below 30 cm soil depth. The low ¹⁴C content of geogenic carbon can result in underestimations of soil carbon turnover derived from ¹⁴C data.

Soil health is an important term in the international policy arena when considering soil contributions to sustainable development. We propose a measurement method, lacking so far, and explore differences with the term soil quality. The latter describes the inherent properties of soils while soil health focuses on actual health. The procedure is illustrated for three Italian soil types, also showing the effects of climate change, demonstrating that each soil acts significantly different.

Application of organic amendments, althought is considered a sustainable form of soil fertilization, may cause accumulation of trace elements (TEs), including toxic metals, in the topsoil. In this research we analyzed the concentration of zinc, copper, lead and cadmium in a > 60 yr experiment in Switzerland and showed that the dynamic model IDMM-ag reasonably predicted the hystorical TEs concentrations in plots amended with farmyard manure, sewage sludge and compost.

Long-term studies on the impact of land-use change and crop selection on soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks in Sub-Saharan Africa are scarce. Accordingly, this study analysed the impact of converting natural grasslands to a range of low-input production systems in a tropical Savannah on SOC stocks. Apart from the cultivation of legume tree/shrub species, all land management techniques were detrimental. Grazed grasslands particularly had almost 50 % less SOC than natural grasslands.