Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Jing Cao Author-Workplace-Name: College of Agriculture, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, Henan, P.R. China Author-Name: Li Wang Author-Workplace-Name: College of Agriculture, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, Henan, P.R. China Author-Name: Qinyao Meng Author-Workplace-Name: College of Agriculture, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, Henan, P.R. China Author-Name: Hao Cheng Author-Workplace-Name: College of Agriculture, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, Henan, P.R. China Author-Name: Xihui Zhao Author-Workplace-Name: College of Agriculture, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, Henan, P.R. China Author-Name: Guowei Xu Author-Workplace-Name: College of Agriculture, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, Henan, P.R. China Title: Synergistic root-photosynthesis responses to phosphorus rates optimise grain appearance quality in phosphorus‑efficient rice cultivars Abstract: Combining phosphorus management with phosphorus-efficient cultivars is an effective strategy for improving rice quality. To investigate their effects on root characteristics and photosynthetic traits, a pot experiment was conducted with two rice cultivars differing in phosphorus efficient: Liangeng 7 (weakly efficient) and Yongyou 2640 (highly efficient). Four phosphorus rates (0, 0.44, 0.88, and 1.32 g/pot, designated as P0, P1, P2, and P3, respectively) were applied. A significant cultivar-phosphorus interaction was observed. Most root traits (the length, dry weight, volume, total absorption area, active absorption area, oxidation activity, and acid phosphatase activity) and photosynthetic traits (photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, and stomatal conductance) initially increased and then decreased with increasing phosphorus rates, while the leaf intercellular CO2 concentration showed the opposite trend. Liangeng 7 performed optimally under P2, whereas Yongyou 2640 reached its peak under P1. Compared with Liangeng 7, Yongyou 2640 exhibited better appearance quality, root traits, and photosynthetic parameters. Correlation analysis showed that root length, root physiological activity and leaf photosynthetic parameters (except intercellular CO2 concentration) were significantly negatively correlated with chalkiness degree. These findings demonstrate that matching phosphorus supply to cultivar‑specific efficiency optimises root‑photosynthesis synergy, leading to superior grain appearance quality with less phosphorus input. Keywords: rice (Oryza sativa L.), appearance quality, root trait, photosynthesis, phosphorus management Journal: Plant, Soil and Environment Pages: 211-227 Volume: 72 Issue: 4 Year: 2026 DOI: 10.17221/35/2026-PSE File-URL: http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/35/2026-PSE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/pse-202604-0001.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:72:y:2026:i:4:id:35-2026-PSE Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Farahnaz Nourmohammadian Author-Workplace-Name: Research and Development Department, Lucent Biosciences Inc, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada Author-Name: Hessamoddin Solouki Author-Workplace-Name: Research and Development Department, Lucent Biosciences Inc, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada Author-Name: Wilfried Dossou-Yovo Author-Workplace-Name: Research and Development Department, Lucent Biosciences Inc, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada Author-Name: Cheng Jiang Author-Workplace-Name: Research and Development Department, Lucent Biosciences Inc, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada Title: Slow-release copper efficacy study on wheat: a sustainable solution for efficient crop micronutrient delivery Abstract: This study evaluated a novel slow-release copper fertiliser (soileos Cu) as a sustainable alternative to conventional copper sources for improving wheat yield and nutrient use efficiency. Traditional Cu fertilisers are often limited by rapid leaching and low efficiency, especially on sandy soils with low organic matter, contributing to environmental pollution. They also exhibit low plant-use efficiency due to strong adsorption and immobilisation in soils rich in organic matter and clay minerals, thereby reducing copper availability in the soil solution and contributing to environmental pollution. A multi-scale approach was employed, including laboratory incubation, greenhouse experiments, and multi-site field trials. Copper release was quantified in water over 30 days. Greenhouse experiments compared soileos Cu with copper sulfate (CuSO4) across multiple application rates, assessing grain yield, biomass, spike count, chlorophyll index (SPAD), and tissue and grain nutrient concentrations. Field trials were conducted at four sites in Canada and the United States with contrasting soil Cu availability. Soileos Cu exhibited controlled, non-linear Cu release with substantially reduced leaching compared to CuSO4. In greenhouse conditions, soileos Cu achieved maximum grain yield, biomass, and spike number at 25-26% lower Cu application rates than CuSO4, indicating higher nutrient use efficiency. Field trials confirmed that yield responses were strongly dependent on baseline soil Cu levels, with the greatest yield increase (up to 13.3%) observed at a Cu-deficient site. Overall, soileos Cu provides an effective and environmentally responsible strategy for improving Cu nutrition and wheat productivity, particularly under Cu-limiting conditions. Keywords: bio-based fertiliser, field, greenhouse, yield improvement, circular economy Journal: Plant, Soil and Environment Pages: 228-238 Volume: 72 Issue: 4 Year: 2026 DOI: 10.17221/41/2026-PSE File-URL: http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/41/2026-PSE.html File-Format: text/html File-URL: http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/41/2026-PSE.pdf File-Format: Application/pdf X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/pse-202604-0002.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:72:y:2026:i:4:id:41-2026-PSE Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Tingting Cao Author-Workplace-Name: School of Water and Environment, Chang'an University, Xi'an, P.R. China Author-Workplace-Name: Key Laboratory of Subsurface Hydrology and Ecological Effects in Arid Region of the Ministry of Education, Chang'an University, Xi'an, P.R. China Author-Workplace-Name: Key Laboratory of Eco-hydrology and Water Security in Arid and Semi-arid Regions of Ministry of Water Resources, Chang'an University, Xi'an, P.R. China Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Land Engineering and Technology, Shaanxi Provincial Land Engineering Construction Group Co., Ltd. Xi'an, P.R. China Author-Name: Wei Wang Author-Workplace-Name: School of Water and Environment, Chang'an University, Xi'an, P.R. China Author-Workplace-Name: Key Laboratory of Subsurface Hydrology and Ecological Effects in Arid Region of the Ministry of Education, Chang'an University, Xi'an, P.R. China Author-Workplace-Name: Key Laboratory of Eco-hydrology and Water Security in Arid and Semi-arid Regions of Ministry of Water Resources, Chang'an University, Xi'an, P.R. China Author-Name: Jian Wang Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Land Engineering and Technology, Shaanxi Provincial Land Engineering Construction Group Co., Ltd. Xi'an, P.R. China Author-Name: Jinbin Li Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Land Engineering and Technology, Shaanxi Provincial Land Engineering Construction Group Co., Ltd. Xi'an, P.R. China Author-Name: Xubo Sun Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Land Engineering and Technology, Shaanxi Provincial Land Engineering Construction Group Co., Ltd. Xi'an, P.R. China Author-Name: Yan Xu Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Land Engineering and Technology, Shaanxi Provincial Land Engineering Construction Group Co., Ltd. Xi'an, P.R. China Title: Biochar combined with hyperaccumulators: a strategy for remediation of heavy metal composite pollution in mining areas Abstract: In pursuit of a low-cost, pollution-free, and scalable technology for remediating heavy metal pollution in mining areas, this study examines a gold mining area with heavy metal pollution (Cd, Pb, and Hg) and employs soil replacement, biochar passivation, and a combination of hyperaccumulators for the remediation. Results show that both soil replacement and the application of biochar significantly reduce the effective content of these three heavy metals, with pig manure biochar demonstrating superior passivation effects on Pb and Hg compared to fruitwood biochar. Combining biochar with hyperaccumulators leads to better results than using either method alone. The combined approach achieved maximum reductions of 69.8, 70.1, and 56.0% for Cd, Pb, and Hg, respectively. The application of biochar improves the originally coarse soil structure, with maximum increases in organic carbon, available potassium, available phosphorus, and total nitrogen under different treatments being 6.26 times, 4.66 times, 4.04 times, and 3.21 times, respectively. Biochar anchors heavy metals around roots, while hyperaccumulators utilise their excellent stress-resistant physiological characteristics to thrive in nutrient-deficient soil enriched with biochar, thereby absorbing the heavy metals anchored by biochar. The synergy of biochar and hyperaccumulators enhances their individual effectiveness, showing promise for remediating polluted mining areas. Keywords: biochar fixation, anchoring, enrichment and transport, combined remediation technology, soil remediation synergy Journal: Plant, Soil and Environment Pages: 239-258 Volume: 72 Issue: 4 Year: 2026 DOI: 10.17221/503/2025-PSE File-URL: http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/503/2025-PSE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/pse-202604-0003.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:72:y:2026:i:4:id:503-2025-PSE Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Dmytro Kyselov Author-Workplace-Name: Private Enterprise "Zakhidnyi Buh" 39 Yunosti Avenue, Pavliv village, Sheptytskyi District, Lviv Region, Ukraine Author-Name: Svitlana Kalenska Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Plant Science, National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine Author-Name: Bohdan Mazurenko Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Plant Science, National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine Title: Root yield and technological quality of sugar beet as affected by harvest time under the conditions of the Western Forest-Steppe of Ukraine Abstract: This study evaluated the effects of hybrid, vegetation period duration, weather conditions, and harvest timing on sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) yield and technological quality under short-rotation cropping systems in the Western Forest-Steppe of Ukraine. Field experiments were conducted in 2022-2024 on commercial fields using six industrial hybrids and five harvest intervals from late September to mid-November. Root yield, sugar content, sugar yield, α-amino nitrogen, K+ and Na+, invert sugars, and the technological quality index (Iq) were assessed using ANOVA, correlation analysis, and principal component analysis (PCA). Extending vegetation from 185 to 200 days increased root yield by 11-12% and sugar yield by 0.8-1.2 t/ha. The optimal harvest window (10-25 October) provided the highest performance, with root yields of 68-73 t/ha, sugar content of 16.2-16.6%, and sugar yields of 14.6-16.3 t/ha. Early harvest resulted in reduced sugar content and Iq, whereas harvesting after 10 November did not increase yield and caused deterioration of technological quality due to elevated α-amino nitrogen and molasses-forming ions. PCA showed that over 85% of the total variation was explained by technological quality and moisture-related factors. Strube hybrids demonstrated greater stability under extended vegetation compared with KWS hybrids. These results define an optimal harvest window for maximising sugar beet productivity and quality under temperate meteorological conditions. Keywords: sugar industry, storage, biomass accumulation, growing season Journal: Plant, Soil and Environment Pages: 259-270 Volume: 72 Issue: 4 Year: 2026 DOI: 10.17221/105/2026-PSE File-URL: http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/105/2026-PSE.html File-Format: text/html File-URL: http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/105/2026-PSE.pdf File-Format: Application/pdf X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/pse-202604-0004.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:72:y:2026:i:4:id:105-2026-PSE