Summary
In this study, the soil effect on the chemical composition of red grapes from Vitis vinifera L. (cv Nero d'Avola) was studied. The soil effect was evaluated by considering the main soil ...chemical–physical parameters (e.g., texture, pH, total carbonates, cation exchange capacity, electric conductivity, organic matter, and mineral composition) of four vineyards located in the southwestern coast of Sicily (southern Italy). Grapes' quality in relation to different soils was investigated by studying some composition parameters and the (in)/homogeneity of ripeness of grapes at the harvest date. Results suggested that the soil greatly affected the quality of Nero d'Avola red grapes. The most impactful soil parameters were cation exchange capacity, electric conductivity, pH, and mineral composition (especially P and Mn content) that are directly involved into grapevine nutrition. Through multivariate statistical analysis, it was highlighted that the soil effect was remarkable within a specific vintage. However, when more vintages are considered simultaneously, the vintage effect (conceivably through the inter‐annual climatic variability) is the major factor determining grapes quality.
In this study, the soil effect on the chemical composition of Nero d'Avola red grapes was studied. Results suggested that the soil greatly affected the quality of Nero d'Avola grapes. The most impactful soil parameters were cation exchange capacity, electric conductivity, pH, and mineral composition that are directly involved into grapevine nutrition.
In this study, the evaluation of soil characteristics was coupled with a pyrosequencing analysis of the V2-V3 16S rRNA gene region in order to investigate the bacterial community structure and ...diversity in the A horizon of a natural saline soil located in Sicily (Italy). The main aim of the research was to assess the organisation and diversity of microbial taxa using a spatial scale that revealed physical and chemical heterogeneity of the habitat under investigation. The results provided information on the type of distribution of different bacterial groups as a function of spatial gradients of soil salinity and pH. The analysis of bacterial 16S rRNA showed differences in bacterial composition and diversity due to a variable salt concentration in the soil. The bacterial community showed a statistically significant spatial variability. Some bacterial phyla appeared spread in the whole area, whatever the salinity gradient. It emerged therefore that a patchy saline soil can not contain just a single microbial community selected to withstand extreme osmotic phenomena, but many communities that can be variously correlated to one or more environmental parameters. Sequences have been deposited to the SRA database and can be accessed on ID Project PRJNA241061.
The development of subsoil models represents an important aspect of land resource evaluation, because they can provide an accurate description of the spatial variability in soil properties. Although ...direct soil sampling provides the best information in terms of soil properties, sample density is rarely adequate to accurately describe the horizontal and vertical variability of the physical properties of soil. Geophysical methods, such as Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and electromagnetic induction (EMI) sensors, provide rapid, non-invasive and exhaustive ways for subsoil characterization. Moreover, geophysical methods can be integrated with geostatistics to map soil properties.
This study investigates the capability of geostatistics to incorporate auxiliary geoelectrical information for the prediction of soil properties. The prediction model of clay content used was kriging with external drift (KED) with EMI and GPR data as auxiliary information. Soil clay contents were computed for a 1×1m grid maps at two depths (0–0.20m and 0.20–0.40m). The spatial trend map and the standard error maps were shown separately. Maps of the clay content at the two depths were compared with the ordinary kriging estimates through cross-validation. The results showed that the model using the auxiliary variables can be preferred to univariate kriging in terms of correlation between true and estimated values and capability of interpretation of spatial variability.
► The study investigated the capability of geostatistics to incorporate auxiliary geoelectrical information for the prediction of soil properties. ► The results of this work showed that using the auxiliary variables can be preferred to univariate kriging. ► We used GPR and EMI sensors in combination with geostatistical technique to map soil clay content. ► The study showed the utility to supplement direct sampling with auxiliary geophysical variables. ► Kriging with external drift (KED) was used to estimate clay content with EMI and GPR data as auxiliary information.
In these last decades, the awareness that soil is a very important resource for humans has noticeably increased. Many actions and initiatives to promote soil governance, aiming at sustainable soil ...management and soil security have been undertaken by several national and international institutions and in many countries. Analysis of the changes of soil perception over the centuries allows highlighting a perfect harmony between the evolution of soil awareness and the level of knowledge and technology achieved by humans during their history and evolution. Notwithstanding these many achievements, soils continue to be scarcely considered in politics and society. We suggest some thoughts and reflections that could lead to an up-to-date and effective definition of soil that directly focuses the public attention on its economic value. In our opinion, soil economic value could be the only aspect that truly attracts the attention of politicians and administrators, which could increase soil awareness and encourage soil sustainability, security and Sustainable Development Goals and finally promote soil governance.
The interface between biological and geochemical components in the surface crust of a saline soil was investigated using X-ray diffraction, and variable pressure scanning electron microscopy in ...combination with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry. Mineral compounds such as halite and gypsum were identified crystallized around filaments of cyanobacteria. A total of 92 genera were identified from the bacterial community based on 16S gene pyrosequencing analysis. The occurrence of the gypsum crystals, their shapes and compartmentalization suggested that they separated NaCl from the immediate microenvironment of the cyanobacteria, and that some cyanobacteria and communities of sulfur bacteria may had a physical control over the distinctive halite and gypsum structures produced. This suggests that cyanobacteria might directly or indirectly promote the formation of a protective envelope made of calcium and sulfur-based compounds.
In a saline soil crust the dominating cyanobacterial and sulfur bacteria species have physical control over the distinctive halite and gypsum structures produced, suggesting that cyanobacteria might directly or indirectly promote the formation of a protective envelope made of calcium and sulfur-based compounds to overcome salt stress.
Graphical Abstract Figure.
In a saline soil crust the dominating cyanobacterial and sulfur bacteria species have physical control over the distinctive halite and gypsum structures produced, suggesting that cyanobacteria might directly or indirectly promote the formation of a protective envelope made of calcium and sulfur-based compounds to overcome salt stress.
To investigate man's role in the creation and evolution of soils in areas of large scale farming, and to investigate the main morpho-descriptive aspects of the related soils, a survey was carried out ...in south eastern Sicily, Italy, where, as common to other regions of the Mediterranean basin, there are wide areas with anthropogenic soils due to large scale farming activity.
The complex genesis pattern of these anthropogenic soils, which shows a double sequence of man-made horizons, sideways oriented to the soil surface, does not allow their classification as Technosols, because their composition is not dominated or strongly influenced by artefacts or human-made materials as is the case for Technosols.
According to the principles of the WRB (World Reference Base for Soil Resources), these soils should be regarded as being within the Anthrosols reference soil group (RSG). For their classification, the “geomiscic” horizon, not listed among the diagnostic horizons of the WRB, is proposed as a new diagnostic horizon for the Anthrosols RSG. The geomiscic horizon can be succinctly defined as “a horizon that develops when a layer, at least 30 cm thick of different kinds of earthy materials, is added to the soil using earthmoving equipment. For farming purposes this layer is subsequently deeply mixed into the underlying soil using heavy machinery. Its colour is related to the source materials and generally the layer is not parallel to the surface of the soil”.
•The paper considers the importance of the soil surveys in land use policy.•A soil survey to develop a bi-national peace plan between Peru and Ecuador is explained.•The philosophy of the land ...evaluation system applied is stressed.•Irrigation improves land and labor productivity of smallholders in under-developed areas.
In Latin America countries, competition for access to natural resources among different groups has been a major reason for the outburst of violence over the last decades. One of the main aims of the political ecology concerns the understanding of the environmental conditions that can underlies the social conflict among people. Such understanding needs to be based on a detailed investigation of the natural resources of the landscape, mainly the soils. Few years ago the Italian Ministry for Foreign Affairs financed a soil survey with a humanitarian purpose: the development of a peace plan between Peru and Ecuador by improving the socio-economic conditions of the rural populations living in the areas close to the border. To achieve such goal, the construction of an irrigation canal was planned to irrigate few hundred hectares in the province of Ayabaca, on the border between Peru and Ecuador. To be soundly planned and designed, the canal project was obviously based on a preliminary soil survey that is essential to assess the irrigation suitability of the land. In this work, the authors illustrate the soil characteristics within the study area, their suitability for irrigation and the key aspects for future land uses, highlighting the philosophy followed in applying the land evaluation system which took into consideration the social, cultural and humanitarian purposes of the soil survey. Results proved the feasibility of the financed project and the potential increase of the living conditions of the rural people.
Technosols are soils developed on non-traditional substrates and containing large quantities of materials mostly due to intensive human industrial activity, such as artefacts. The increasing number ...of sites affected by Technosols and their impact on the environment as growing media for plants or as source of pollutants require an understanding of their functioning and evolution, above all the knowledge on the transport of toxic substances from contaminated technogenic soils to groundwater. A case study on properties, remediation and evaluation of Technosols made up by vitrified fly ash and glass–ceramics in Italy was carried out. Original technogenic soils, classified as Spolic Technosols (ecotoxic), were pedotechnically in situ remediated by adding smectitic marlstone and Ca(OH)2. Chemical analysis on samples from piezometers showed the presence of harmful heavy metals in groundwater. By means of boreholes and soil profiles the new soils generated, after remediation, were physically and chemically characterized and classified as Spolic Technosols (calcaric). Analysis on soil toxicity and leaching tests showed the effectiveness of the remediation and the mobility reduction of some potentially harmful elements according to the environmental Italian regulation.
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•A pedotechnique method for the reclamation of a polluted area is proposed.•The sustainability of the applied remediation treatments was assessed.•The effects of the ad hoc reclamation measures on Technosols were investigated.•The importance of soil classification for Technosols is stressed.
Land reclamation and drainage networks represent one of the most ancient human modifications of the Italian soilscape, where tailored land set-up systems were developed in agro- and forestecosystems ...in three millennia of man’s activity. Most of once manually maintained land settings are currently scarcely working or even disappeared because of the cost needed for their maintenance and the advent of mechanization that have simplified the field organization. The scarce attention to the soil experienced in the last decades, has accelerated soil erosion and flooding events, which entailed high costs in terms of money and human lives, but also caused reduction of soil thickness, water holding capacity, and fertility. In view of a sustainable agriculture, it is mandatory to assess the role of land set-up systems, which for centuries have been key in protecting soil from erosion, but also in increasing soil fertility. Such an effort cannot be made without considering the different pedo-climatic conditions and land uses of the Italian territory, which is different with respect to the past because of the multiple transformations made to favour the mechanization of agriculture. In this review we discuss the main effect of Italian land settings on the soilscape and on soil physicochemical conditions. Since land settings were developed centuries ago, detailed information about their effect on specific soil parameters is scarce in the scientific literature; thus, in some case, we provide information gathered in places where land set-up systems are still present.
In the last decades, in some Mediterranean areas, pedodiversity decreased mainly due to pedotechnique application in large-scale farming that transformed original soils into Anthrosols. Supporting ...the consideration that soils can be considered as living systems, the original concept of ‘soil genetic erosion’ is re-proposed. Data, extrapolated and modeled from a Soil Information System in a study case representative of a Mediterranean landscape, predicted that most of the soil types would disappear in few years leading to a decrease of the soil diversity and originating soil genetic erosion. This circumstance is intentionally here told in form of a story where the fairy tale characters are some soils facing extinction in the landscape. Soil genetic erosion could result in a negative impact on the environment because it reduces the soil's security through a drastic reduction of the soil ecosystem services with a decrease of the immaterial benefit for the environment. The conviction that soils, as well as animals and plants, are living bodies, and pedodiversity is equally important as biodiversity in maintaining sustainability and ecosystem services, might truly attract the attention of the public opinion. Besides, focussing more on the soil economic dimension and strengthening the assignation of ‘economic value‘ to the soil ecosystem services, also politicians and administrators could increase their interest in soil security.
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