Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Mengistu Jiru Author-Name: Boja Mekonnen Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Water Resources Engineering, School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Adama Science and Technology University, Adama, Ethiopia Author-Name: Henk Ritzema Author-Workplace-Name: Water Resources Management Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands Author-Name: Fentaw Abegaz Author-Workplace-Name: Agricultural Water Management Research, Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Title: Assessment of soil salinity and environmental factors in the Kesem irrigation scheme, Afar Region, Ethiopia Abstract: Soil salinity is a growing problem for agricultural production in irrigated areas of arid and semi-arid regions. The extent of salinity levels has not been fully studied in the Kesem irrigation scheme in Ethiopia's Afar region. The objective of the study was to identify the main issues related to soil salinity and their variations, and to assess the influence of environmental variables on soil salinity using multivariate analysis (MVA). The dominant cations in the soil were found to be soluble Na+, Ca2+ and K+ while SO42-and Cl- were the dominant anions. These ions are responsible for the salinity in the scheme. Groundwater table surveys showed that cultivated fields experienced greater fluctuations in groundwater levels compared to abandoned land due to frequent irrigation. The first two principal components (PCA) explained approximately 60% and 63% of the total variation in salinity for the top and bottom layers, respectively. The difference between the top and bottom layers suggests a management influence. According to redundancy analysis (RDA), the groundwater depth and length of irrigation years were identified as the major environmental factors contributing to 99% and 52% of the variability in salinity, respectively. These findings highlight the importance of considering the rising groundwater levels in future land management decisions. Keywords: anions, cations, environmental variables, groundwater levels,  multivariate analysis Journal: Soil and Water Research Pages: 191-199 Volume: 19 Issue: 4 Year: 2024 DOI: 10.17221/37/2024-SWR File-URL: http://swr.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/37/2024-SWR.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/swr-202404-0001.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlswr:v:19:y:2024:i:4:id:37-2024-SWR Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Juraj Lieskovský Author-Name: Tibor Lieskovský Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Theoretical Geodesy and Geoinformatic, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovak Republic Author-Name: Svetlana Košanová Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Natural Sciences and Informatics, Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Nitra, Slovak Republic Author-Name: Lucia Bírová Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Natural Sciences and Informatics, Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Nitra, Slovak Republic Title: Application of LiDAR visualisations for mapping the tillage direction Abstract: Contour tillage is an agricultural practice that significantly contributes to enhancing water retention, reducing the risk of flooding, and mitigating soil erosion. Information about the tillage direction is used for modelling water and tillage erosion. In our study, we used Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) visualizations, originally developed for archaeological research, to visualise tillage traces and map tillage direction in the Nitra district (SW Slovakia). The tillage traces were visible in all agricultural parcels, on various agricultural fields, under various agricultural crops. The LiDAR visualisations also revealed pre-collectivization field patterns and even prehistorical field patterns in certain areas. Among the 5 961 investigated points, we recorded the application of contour tillage in 30.63% of the cases. The preference for contour tillage varied among farmers, with the highest reported percentage reaching 49.74%. Our analysis did not reveal a significant correlation between the preference for contour tillage and the slope steepness. Keywords: contour tillage, Slovakia, soil erosion, tillage orientation Journal: Soil and Water Research Pages: 200-209 Volume: 19 Issue: 4 Year: 2024 DOI: 10.17221/70/2024-SWR File-URL: http://swr.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/70/2024-SWR.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/swr-202404-0002.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlswr:v:19:y:2024:i:4:id:70-2024-SWR Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Dario Autovino Author-Name: Vincenzo Bagarello Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy Author-Name: Gaetano Caltabellotta Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy Author-Name: Mariachiara Fusco Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy Author-Name: Massimo Iovino Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy Title: Determining saturated hydraulic conductivity of a repacked loam soil by the simplified falling-head technique: Impact of sieving duration and scraping of exposed surfaces Abstract: Many methods are used in a laboratory for packing sieved soil. Determination of soil properties is expected to vary with the applied packing method. The objective of this investigation was to test the impact of initial soil sieving duration and scraping of exposed soil surfaces on saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) of an initially air-dry loam soil determined by the simplified falling-head technique. Two sieving durations (5 and 30 min) were considered. A brush was used to scrape exposed surfaces for half of the tested soil columns. A long sieving yielded finer soil than a short sieving and 9-22% smaller values of Ks. Scraping the exposed soil surfaces yielded 4-17% smaller Ks values than those obtained on the not scraped columns. None of the observed differences was statistically significant. Therefore, sieving duration and treatment of the exposed soil surfaces were minor factors influencing the determination of Ks. Reaching general conclusions about sieving duration and scraping effects requires testing these factors with other soils, initial soil water conditions and Ks measurement techniques. Keywords: hydraulic continuity, saturated soil hydraulic conductivity, soil column preparation method, undispersed particle size distribution Journal: Soil and Water Research Pages: 210-217 Volume: 19 Issue: 4 Year: 2024 DOI: 10.17221/79/2024-SWR File-URL: http://swr.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/79/2024-SWR.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/swr-202404-0003.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlswr:v:19:y:2024:i:4:id:79-2024-SWR Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Josef Kučera Author-Workplace-Name: Department for Land Use Planning Brno, Research Institute for Soil and Water Conservation, Brno, Czech Republic Author-Name: Martin Blecha Author-Workplace-Name: The State Land Office, Brno, Czech Republic Author-Name: Jana Podhrázská Author-Workplace-Name: Department for Land Use Planning Brno, Research Institute for Soil and Water Conservation, Brno, Czech Republic Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Applied and Landscape Ecology, Faculty of AgriSciences, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic Author-Name: Jan Szturc Author-Name: Petra Fukalová Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Applied and Landscape Ecology, Faculty of AgriSciences, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic Author-Name: Hana Středová Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Applied and Landscape Ecology, Faculty of AgriSciences, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic Title: Impact of winter conditions on wind erosion susceptibility of clay soils Abstract: Wind erosion primarily affects sandy soil in arid areas.  However, the specific winter meteorological conditions (freeze-thaw cycles) lead to the disintegration of aggregates into erosion-risk fractions even on clay soils. These changes in the winter erodibility of clay soils were investigated in an area with frequent occurrences of wind erosion in southeastern Moravia (Czech Republic, Central Europe) between the years 2014/2015 and 2020/2021.  The percentage of non-erodible fraction (NEF) before and after winter was assessed. NEF was set as particles larger than 0.84 mm and also larger than 2.00 mm (based on field observations), while soils containing less than 40% NEF have the highest susceptibility to wind erosion. Autumn NEF0.84 content was 80 and 95%, indicating significant resistance to wind, and although there was a significant decrease in spring to 65%, it still exceeded the 40% threshold. Autumn NEF2.00 content of 60-70% also indicates a significant resistance to wind erosion. However, spring values were well below the 40% threshold (8 to 35%), indicating significant susceptibility to wind erosion. It showed a significant negative influence of winter on NEF2.00 content and, thus, a greater susceptibility to erosion in spring compared to NEF0.84. Our results also document vegetation efficiency on the presence of NEF. Keywords: aggregates disintegration, aggregates stability, soil texture, vegetation, wind erosion Journal: Soil and Water Research Pages: 218-228 Volume: 19 Issue: 4 Year: 2024 DOI: 10.17221/90/2024-SWR File-URL: http://swr.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/90/2024-SWR.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/swr-202404-0004.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlswr:v:19:y:2024:i:4:id:90-2024-SWR Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Lenka Pavlů Author-Name: Jiří Balík Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Agroenvironmental Chemistry and Plant Nutrition, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Simona Procházková Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Agroenvironmental Chemistry and Plant Nutrition, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Ivana Galušková Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Soil Science and Soil Protection, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Luboš Borůvka Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Soil Science and Soil Protection, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Title: How to measure soil quality? A case study conducted on cropland in the Czech Republic Abstract: This work presents the advantages and risks of selected soil quality criteria using data from the monitoring of agricultural soils in the Czech Republic. Soil samples were taken from 71 sites covering various soil types. Basic soil parameters and mid-infrared spectra were measured. Indicators describing the quality of soil organic matter (SOM), and soil were calculated. The results show that soil types differ significantly in the qualitative indicators of soil organic matter. More acidic soils with lower clay content contain lower proportions of aromatic and higher proportions of aliphatic organic compounds than neutral soils with higher clay particles content. These soils differ little in total carbon content and C/N ratio but considerably in C/clay ratio. Cambisols are the least degraded soils in the Czech Republic in terms of C/clay ratio, which is controversial in many respects. The results indicate that more aliphatic organic matter is important for the SOM content in the upper part of the agricultural soil, and more aromatic organic matter is mainly bound to the clay fraction. The results raise questions about the suitability of uniform C/clay target values proposed in European legislation as a criterion for assessing soil degradation due to carbon loss. Keywords: agricultural soils, infrared spectroscopy, soil organic carbon, soil texture Journal: Soil and Water Research Pages: 229-243 Volume: 19 Issue: 4 Year: 2024 DOI: 10.17221/118/2024-SWR File-URL: http://swr.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/118/2024-SWR.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/swr-202404-0005.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlswr:v:19:y:2024:i:4:id:118-2024-SWR Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Mukhiddin Juliev Author-Workplace-Name: State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, P.R. China Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Fundamental and Applied Research, "TIIAME" National Research University, Tashkent, Uzbekistan Author-Workplace-Name: Turin Polytechnic University in Tashkent, Tashkent, Uzbekistan Author-Name: Madinabonu Kholmurodova Author-Name: Bekmurat Abdikairov Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Agriculture and Agrotechnologies of Karakalpakstan, Nukus, Uzbekistan Author-Name: Jilili Abuduwaili Author-Workplace-Name: State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, P.R. China Author-Workplace-Name: Research Center for Ecology and Environment of Central Asia, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, P.R. China Author-Workplace-Name: University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P.R. China Title: A comprehensive review of soil erosion research in Central Asian countries (1993-2022) based on the Scopus database Abstract: Soil is a valuable resource for food production, and it demands a long time to recover itself. Soil erosion is one of the most important issues for countries based on agriculture. This review article analyzed articles published on the topic of general soil erosion in Central Asian countries in 1993-2022. More than 50% of the articles reflect the results of the conducted practical work. The main content of these scientific works is aimed at the prevention of erosion processes, their evaluation and the development of countermeasures. During the considered period, the number of publications on soil erosion has increased in the last years compared to the first years, which indicates that the attention to the topic has increased in recent years. The purpose of this article is to get accurate information about the state of soil erosion in the countries of Central Asia and to get acquainted with the practical works carried out against erosion in these countries. For this aim, the contents of the articles were reviewed and the results of the scientific works conducted on the topic of erosion in each country were presented. According to the content of the articles, the use of modern techniques and technologies in the evaluation and prevention of soil erosion gives effective results. Keywords: Central Asia, co-occurrence, Scopus, soil erosion Journal: Soil and Water Research Pages: 244-256 Volume: 19 Issue: 4 Year: 2024 DOI: 10.17221/82/2024-SWR File-URL: http://swr.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/82/2024-SWR.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/swr-202404-0006.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlswr:v:19:y:2024:i:4:id:82-2024-SWR Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Editorial Department Title: INDEX OF VOLUME 19 Journal: Soil and Water Research Pages: I-II Volume: 19 Issue: 4 Year: 2024 File-URL: http://swr.agriculturejournals.cz/artkey/swr-202404-0007_index-of-volume-19.php File-Format: text/html Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlswr:v:19:y:2024:i:4:id:swr-202404-0007