Most studies on plant-mediated above-belowground interactions focus on soil biota with direct trophic links to plant roots such as root herbivores, pathogens, and symbionts. Detritivorous soil fauna, though ubiquitous and present in high abundances and biomasses in soil, are under-represented in those studies. Understanding of their impact on plants is mainly restricted to growth and nutrient u...

The effects of soil compaction on soil physical properties may alter soil microbial activities and processes, including carbon (C) cycling, and possibly affect agricultural production and environmental degradation. This study investigated the effects of surface soil compaction on soil C mineralization in a claypan soil amended with poultry litter (i.e. turkey excrement mixed with pine shavings ...

B et te r C ro ps /V ol . 9 9 (2 01 5, N o. 1 ) Abbreviations and notes: N = nitrogen; P = phosphorus; K = potassium; S = sulfur; Cu = copper; Fe = iron; Mn = manganese; Mo = molybdenum; Zn = zinc. Sustainable crop production is essential to a healthy and adequate food supply. At fi rst glance, a healthy crop reveals only the above ground plant; the roots that support the visible plant are seld...

To compensate for stress imposed by salinity, biofilm formation and exopolysaccharide production are significant strategies of salt tolerant bacteria to assist metabolism. We hypothesized that two previously isolated salt-tolerant strains Halomonas variabilis (HT1) and Planococcus rifietoensis (RT4) have an ability to improve plant growth, These strains can form biofilm and accumulate exopolysa...

Tillage studies have shown that maximum, tillage-induced, aggregate breakdown occurs near the optimum water content on a Proctor compaction curve for the soil. Many soil databases do not contain Proctor data; therefore, prediction equations were developed to estimate the optimum water content, peak Proctor dry bulk density, and the Proctor compaction curve for a soil based on common intrinsic p...

Increasing attention is being paid to using modern fuelwood as a substitute for fossil energies to reduce CO2 emissions. In this context, forest biomass, particularly harvesting residues (branches), and stumps and associated coarse roots, can be used to supply fuelwood chains. However, collecting harvesting residues can affect soil properties and trees, and these effects are still not fully und...

Because of anthropogenic increases in atmospheric CO(2) content, there is a need to understand how organisms sense and respond to CO(2) variation. An important distinction is whether CO(2) responses result from direct effects of CO(2) on signal-transduction pathways, enzyme catalysis, or regulatory processes, as opposed to indirect, secondary responses that are a consequence of the direct effec...

Abstract Aims Soil compaction is a major yield-reducing factor worldwide and imposes physico-chemical constraints to plant growth development. Facing limitations, roots can adapt compensate for loss of functioning through their plasticity. Being primarily belowground challenge, tolerance soil needs be associated with root phenotype It therefore importance distinguish between size-related appare...