1. Readily oxidized organic carbon and particulate organic carbon were the main factors affecting soil surface electrochemical properties. 2. Biochar enhanced van der Waals attraction while reducing electrostatic repulsion and net repulsive forces, stabilizing soil aggregates. 3. Soil aggregate stability increased with higher biochar application rates, and the beneficial effect of biochar on aggregate stability became increasingly pronounced over time.

We systematically explored the microbial diversity of the three typical soil types (Chernozem, Solonchak and Vertisol) under three different management practices. Study showed that healthier soils host more diverse microbial communities with acidity and mineral content being the main drivers and contributed the missing biodiversity data for Serbia. These findings help us understand soil health better, support more sustainable farming and integrate Serbia into European soil research space.

We combined Rock‑Eval indices, machine learning, and structural equation modelling to identify soil properties controlling carbon thermal stability. These Rock‑Eval parameters (S1, S2, S3′, OI, HI, T50) were handled as response variables; we linked them to soil characteristics. This predictive–causal framework reveals how clay, dissolved carbon, pH, aluminium, and bulk density drive soil organic carbon stability.

Nowadays, minimizing agricultural soil tillage is widely promoted but often leads to lower crop yields. This study combines experimental evidence globally to identify soil-related causes of these yield declines. Results show that minimized tillage, especially without leaving crop residues on the field, can cause soil compaction, limiting root growth and the movement of air and water needed by crops. This suggests that conservation agriculture should only be applied where suitable.

Effective strategies are needed to remediate heavy metal pollution while supplying C to maintain microbial activity and soil fertility. In this study,  we reveraled that optimised straw–biochar ratio (1:3) provides a novel integrated approach for remediating heavy metal-contaminated agricultural soils while simultaneously enhancing soil C stability, nutrient availability, and microbial activity. 

We present a probabilistic compositional framework for farm-scale mapping of soil carbon fractions and totals with calibrated uncertainty. We combine mid-IR, probabilistic gradient-boosted trend and Bayesian SPDE spatial modelling to jointly map POC, MAOC, ROC, TOC, TIC, and TC. The framework preserves the compositional closure of the organic fractions and the mass balance between organic and inorganic carbon while propagating uncertainty from the laboratory through to spatial inference.

Tracking forest soil carbon stability is challenging. We found that field-based visible and near-infrared spectroscopy can rapidly estimate carbon forms. Specifically, models calibrated directly from the field outperform laboratory transfers for regional monitoring, enabling scalable carbon assessment under environmental change.

We conduct the first ever Australia-wide soil water forecasting analysis to determine the best modelling techniques, expected accuracy of forecasts, and how far ahead a model can actually forecast. We find areas with rainfall throughout the year are less accurately forecasted than areas with seasonally-dominated rainfall. We are also able to identify preference for model depending on the rainfall patterns at a site. We generally find across Australia, models to be useful up to 4 months ahead.

We studied how much carbon soil could store and what limits it on farms. Using data from many farms across Australia, we compared current carbon levels with achievable levels and identified the main factors holding them back. We found that limits differ by soil condition and rainfall, meaning one solution does not fit all. This approach helps farmers target the right actions to improve soil health and increase carbon storage more effectively.

Converting between different measurements of soil test phosphorus (P) is frequent but error-prone. We used a dataset of ~900 soils (10 soil orders) to develop robust equations to convert between two common soil test P: Mehlich-3 P and Olsen P. By leveraging properties at the individual soil level, the equations reduce conversion errors by half on average compared to previous equations in the literature. We discuss the benefits for agronomy, P transport models, and more.

This study examines whether alley-cropping agroforestry improves water quality in temperate regions by quantifying dissolved organic carbon and nutrient leaching under trees, crop alleys, and open cropland. Tree roots reduced nutrients by up to 7 m, but fertilisation in crop rows led to leaching, resulting in no overall difference between agroforestry and open cropland. It is essential to align fertiliser application with crop demand to mitigate leaching in alley-cropping agroforestry.

In dry salty grassland, altering rainfall didn't affect soil enzymes or microbial nutrient needs, microbes were phosphorus-limited, not carbon or nitrogen. Adapted to drought, they resisted rain shifts. However, rainfall changes indirectly impacted soil moisture, nitrogen, plant diversity, and plant carbon, influencing microbial growth and nutrient cycling. This stability may shift with long-term plant or soil changes, aiding predictions of grassland responses to climate change.

Ethiopian soils are highly weathered and need remediation. We cultivated enduring forage plants in four degraded Ethiopian soils differing in soil fertility in a greenhouse experiment to assess their effect on microbial carbon use efficiency (mCUE). Plants had a moderate effect, while soil specific phosphorous availability appeared to restrict mCUE. This implies that Ethiopian soils require better soil pH and P management before plant-based soil remediation methods can be developed.