scholarly journals Knowledge needs, available actions and future challenges in agricultural soils

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georgina Key ◽  
Mike G. Whitfield ◽  
Julia Cooper ◽  
Franciska T. De Vries ◽  
Martin Collison ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Agricultural Soils ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Grazing Intensity ◽  
Nitrification Inhibitors ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Future Challenges ◽  
Spearman’S Correlation

Abstract. The goal of this study is to clarify research needs and identify effective actions for enhancing soil health. This was done by a synopsis of soil literature that specifically tests actions designed to maintain or enhance elements of soil health. Using an expert panel of soil scientists and practitioners, we then assessed the evidence in the soil synopsis to highlight actions beneficial to soil health, actions considered detrimental, and actions that need further investigation. Only seven of the 27 reviewed actions were considered to be beneficial, or likely to be beneficial in enhancing soil health. These included the use of a mixture of organic and inorganic soil amendments, cover crops, crop rotations, and growth of crops between crop rows or underneath the main crop, and the use of formulated chemical compounds (such as nitrification inhibitors), the control of traffic and traffic timing, and reducing grazing intensity. Using a partial Spearman's correlation to analyse the panel's responses, we found that increased certainty in scientific evidence led to actions being considered to be more effective due to them being empirically justified. This suggests that for actions to be considered effective and put into practice, a substantial body of research is needed to support the effectiveness of the action. This is further supported by the high proportion of actions (33 %), such as changing the timing of ploughing or amending the soil with crops grown as green manures, that experts felt had unknown effectiveness, usually due to insufficient robust evidence. Our assessment, which uses the Delphi technique, increasingly used to improve decision-making in conservation and agricultural policy, identified actions that can be put into practice to benefit soil health. Moreover, it has enabled us to identify actions that need further research, and a need for increased communication between researchers, policy-makers and practitioners, in order to find effective means of enhancing soil health.

scholarly journals Knowledge needs, available practices, and future challenges in agricultural soils

SOIL ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 511-521 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georgina Key ◽  
Mike G. Whitfield ◽  
Julia Cooper ◽  
Franciska T. De Vries ◽  
Martin Collison ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Nutrient Management ◽  
Agricultural Soils ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Grazing Intensity ◽  
Nitrification Inhibitors ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Future Challenges

Abstract. The goal of this study is to clarify research needs and identify effective practices for enhancing soil health. This was done by a synopsis of soil literature that specifically tests practices designed to maintain or enhance elements of soil health. Using an expert panel of soil scientists and practitioners, we then assessed the evidence in the soil synopsis to highlight practices beneficial to soil health, practices considered detrimental, and practices that need further investigation. A partial Spearman's correlation was used to analyse the panel's responses. We found that increased certainty in scientific evidence led to practices being considered to be more effective due to them being empirically justified. This suggests that for practices to be considered effective and put into practice, a substantial body of research is needed to support the effectiveness of the practice. This is further supported by the high proportion of practices (33 %), such as changing the timing of ploughing or amending the soil with crops grown as green manures, that experts felt had unknown effectiveness, usually due to insufficiently robust evidence. Only 7 of the 27 reviewed practices were considered to be beneficial, or likely to be beneficial in enhancing soil health. These included the use of (1) integrated nutrient management (organic and inorganic amendments); (2) cover crops; (3) crop rotations; (4) intercropping between crop rows or underneath the main crop; (5) formulated chemical compounds (such as nitrification inhibitors); (6) control of traffic and traffic timing; and (7) reducing grazing intensity. Our assessment, which uses the Delphi technique, is increasingly used to improve decision-making in conservation and agricultural policy, identified practices that can be put into practice to benefit soil health. Moreover, it has enabled us to identify practices that need further research and a need for increased communication between researchers, policy-makers, and practitioners, in order to find effective means of enhancing soil health.

scholarly journals Addiction journals and the management of conflicts of interest

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerstin Stenius
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Drug Research ◽  
Conflicts Of Interest ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Research Articles ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
New Research ◽  
Political Decisions

Stenius, K. (2016). Addiction journals and the management of conflicts of interest. The International Journal Of Alcohol And Drug Research, 5(1), 9-10. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.7895/ijadr.v5i1.233Scientific journals are crucial for a critical and open exchange of new research findings and as guardians of the quality of science. Today, as policy makers increasingly justify decision-making with references to scientific evidence, and research articles form the basis for evidence for specific measures, journals also have an indirect responsibility for how political decisions will be shaped.

scholarly journals Identifying Sustainable Nitrogen Management Practices for Tea Plantations

Nitrogen ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-57
Author(s):  
Rhys Rebello ◽  
Paul J. Burgess ◽  
Nicholas T. Girkin
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Synergistic Effects ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
N Leaching ◽  
N2o Emissions ◽  
Nitrification Inhibitors ◽  
Financial Barriers ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
High Yields ◽  
N Management

Tea (Camellia sinensis L.) is the most widely consumed beverage in the world. It is mostly grown in the tropics with a heavy dependence on mineral nitrogen (N) fertilisers to maintain high yields while minimising the areas under cultivation. However, N is often applied in excess of crop requirements, resulting in substantial adverse environmental impacts. We conducted a systematic literature review, synthesising the findings from 48 studies to assess the impacts of excessive N application on soil health, and identify sustainable, alternative forms of N management. High N applications lead to soil acidification, N leaching to surface and groundwater, and the emission of greenhouse gases including nitrous oxide (N2O). We identified a range of alternative N management practices, the use of organic fertilisers, a mixture of organic and inorganic fertilisers, controlled release fertilisers, nitrification inhibitors and soil amendments including biochar. While many practices result in reduced N loading or mitigate some adverse impacts, major trade-offs include lower yields, and in some instances increased N2O emissions. Practices are also frequently trialled in isolation, meaning there may be a missed opportunity from assessing synergistic effects. Moreover, adoption rates of alternatives are low due to a lack of knowledge amongst farmers, and/or financial barriers. The use of site-specific management practices which incorporate local factors (for example climate, tea variety, irrigation requirements, site slope, and fertiliser type) are therefore recommended to improve sustainable N management practices in the long term.

scholarly journals Universities and Entrepreneurship: An Overview of Albanian Public HEI-s on Entrepreneurial University Model Aspects

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 107-115
Author(s):  
Bruna Papa ◽  
Ervin Demo
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Knowledge Exchange ◽  
Entrepreneurial University ◽  
Financial Resources ◽  
Learning Needs ◽  
Public Higher Education ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Institutional Level ◽  
Start Up ◽  
Future Challenges

Abstract Albanian higher education sector has undergone various changes in the last years. Such changes have brought different implication and challenges for higher education institutions. HEIs need to find new and innovative ways to be able to respond properly and play their role in the society. This paper aims to provide an evaluation of the staus quo of 5 public higher education instituions, that took part in the study, in regard to 6 aspects of the entrepreneurial university model.Interviews were conducted using HEInnovate tool as a theoretical guideline and questions were asked by being grouped in 6 categories: on aspects such as governance and lidership, internationalization, knowledge exchange, human and financial resources, entrepreneurial education and start up support and measures, were conducted in order to have a general overview and identify potential areas of improvement. Entrepreneurship needs to be supported and formilazed by the top lidership and effective organizational structure that promotes entrepreneurshop at all levels of the institution, financial stream needs to be diversified, blended learning needs to be encourgaed and promoted and public HEIs need to increase their international cooperation and presence. The study shows that HEIs need to implement new practies in order to better be prepared to face the current and future challenges. The findings and recommendation can be used to present measures to be undertaken both at institutional level of HEIs and at the level of policy makers in Albania.

The use of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to improve root function and nutrient-use efficiency

2021 ◽  
pp. 493-530
Author(s):  
Tom Thirkell ◽  
◽  
Grace Hoysted ◽  
Ashleigh Elliott ◽  
Katie Field ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi ◽  
Mycorrhizal Fungi ◽  
Agricultural Soils ◽  
Nutrient Use Efficiency ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Research Priorities ◽  
Arbuscular Mycorrhizal ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Health Demands ◽  
The Many

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) form endosymbiosis with over 70 % of land plants, including most crops including cereals. These symbioses facilitate resource exchange between partners and can significantly increase plant nutrient uptake and growth, among other benefits. AMF ubiquity in agricultural soils, in addition to the many roles they are known to play in soil health, demands we consider them when discussing crop function. We discuss how AMF are capable of increasing crop acquisition of macro- and micronutrients. We examine further impacts that AMF have on root system architecture, and how this relates to nutrient acquisition. We highlight reasons why potential benefits of the symbiosis are often not realised and how this influences current perspectives on the utility of AMF. We also discuss aspects of modern agronomy practice which are deleterious to mycorrhizal functioning. Strategies are suggested by which mycorrhizas might be exploited in future highlighting future research priorities.

One Atmosphere

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Singer
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Montreal Protocol ◽  
Intergovernmental Panel ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Protective Shield ◽  
Third Assessment Report ◽  
The Developed Countries ◽  
Full Force

There can be no clearer illustration of the need for human beings to act globally than the issues raised by the impact of human activity on our atmosphere. That we all share the same planet came to our attention in a particularly pressing way in the 1970s when scientists discovered that the use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) threatens the ozone layer shielding the surface of our planet from the full force of the sun's ultraviolet radiation. Damage to that protective shield would cause cancer rates to rise sharply and could have other effects, for example, on the growth of algae. The threat was especially acute to the world's southernmost cities, since a large hole in the ozone was found to be opening up each year over Antarctica, but in the long term, the entire ozone shield was imperiled. Once the science was accepted, concerted international action followed relatively rapidly with the signing of the Montreal Protocol in 1985. The developed countries phased out virtually all use of CFCs by 1999, and the developing countries, given a 10-year period of grace, are now moving toward the same goal. Getting rid of CFCs has turned out to be just the curtain raiser: the main event is climate change, or global warming. Without belittling the pioneering achievement of those who brought about the Montreal Protocol, the problem was not so difficult, for CFCs can be replaced in all their uses at relatively little cost, and the solution to the problem is simply to stop producing them. Climate change is a very different matter. The scientific evidence that human activities are changing the climate of our planet has been studied by a working group of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), an international scientific body intended to provide policy makers with an authoritative view of climate change and its causes. The group released its Third Assessment Report in 2001, building on earlier reports and incorporating new evidence accumulated over the previous five years. The report is the work of 122 lead authors and 515 contributing authors, and the research on which it was based was reviewed by 337 experts.

Weeds, nitrogen and yield: measuring the effectiveness of an organic cover cropped vegetable no-till system

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 439-446 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Robb ◽  
Geoff Zehnder ◽  
Robin Kloot ◽  
William Bridges ◽  
Dara Park
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Weed Management ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Soil Disturbance ◽  
Weed Suppression ◽  
Vegetable Production ◽  
Soil N ◽  
No Till ◽  
Mechanical Methods

AbstractOrganic vegetable growers rely heavily on mechanical methods such as tillage and other forms of labor-intensive soil cultivation for weed management despite the negative effects to soil health associated with intensive soil disturbance. The use of cover crops and no-till (NT) vegetable production represents an alternative approach to weed control that can enhance rather than degrade soil health; however, there are challenges inherent with this practice and previous results in vegetable production have been mixed. Field experiments were conducted over 2 yr at the Clemson Student Organic Farm to examine the effects of tillage [NT versus conventional tillage (CT)] on weed development and management in organic tomato and summer squash production under different nitrogen (N) fertility regimes, and to assess soil N dynamics in both systems. Squash yields were similar between tillage treatments in both years. NT tomato yields were 43% greater than CT yields in 2014, whereas CT tomato yields were 46% greater than NT yields in 2015. Squash and tomato yields per unit of management labor (time) were significantly greater in NT compared with CT treatments for both years. There were no statistical differences in squash and tomato yields between N fertilization treatments in either year. Pre- and post-season soil N results were mixed. Pre-season soil N levels were significantly higher in NT tomato plots in 2014 but similar between tillage treatments in tomato plots in 2015 and in squash plots both years. Post-season soil N levels in tomato plots were similar between tillage treatments both years. Post-season soil N levels were significantly higher in NT squash plots in 2014 and in CT squash plots in 2015. Roller-crimped NT mulches provided adequate early-season weed suppression in both years and saved considerable weed management and seedbed preparation labor. Overall, the results demonstrated that organic NT is a viable method for reduced tillage summer vegetable production in the southeastern Piedmont region.

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