Fusarium wilt, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (FOC), remains a major
constraint to global banana (Musa spp.) production, especially in tropical regions. Although
soil conditions are known to modulate disease expression, the specific physicochemical
drivers of FOC prevalence under field conditions are not well understood. This study
investigated the relationships between soil properties and the Fusarium wilt incidence
across 47 banana farms on Hainan Island, China, a tropical region dominated by highly
weathered tropical soil (latosols). The disease incidence (%PDI) and FOC abundance
were quantified, alongside key soil parameters, including the pH, organic carbon, cation
exchange capacity, and macro- and micronutrient availability. The soils were predominantly
acidic (mean pH 4.93), with low levels of organic carbon and exchangeable calcium (Ca)
and elevated levels of available phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and magnesium (Mg). The
Fusarium wilt incidence ranged from 1% to 78%, with significantly higher levels observed in
younger plantations (<5 years old). Statistical analyses revealed strong negative correlations
between the PDI and the soil pH, exchangeable Ca and Mg, and available K. Principal
component analysis further confirmed the suppressive role of the pH and base cations in
the disease dynamics. Farms older than five years exhibited better soil fertility indices
and lower disease pressure, suggesting a temporal improvement in soil-mediated disease
suppression. These findings underscore the critical role of soil acidification and nutrient
imbalances, particularly Ca, Mg, and K deficiencies, in promoting FOC pathogenicity.
Enhancing soil health offers a promising and sustainable strategy for managing Fusarium
wilt in tropical banana production systems

Sustainable water stress management in arid and semi-arid regions requires precise understanding of soil-plant interactions
when implementing biochar-based strategies. This study developed an Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) model to
predict mango productivity under drought conditions using potassium-enriched biochar (KEB), addressing a significant
knowledge gap in biochar application modeling. KEB was made by pyrolyzing a maize straw–banana peel mix (1:3)
at 500 °C for 3 h. A two-year field experiment evaluated four potassium sources, i.e., C (control), KS (K₂SO₄), KEB
(potassium-enriched biochar), and KF (potassium feldspar), under two irrigation regimes representing 80% (normal) and
50% (drought) of available soil moisture. Potassium release patterns between KEB and KS (R2 = 0.83–0.97), both superior
to other treatments. Drought stress significantly impaired soil quality, reducing mango fruit yield by 20% and decreasing
soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and dehydrogenase enzyme activity by 22% and 14%, respectively. However, KEB
application enhanced soil quality under water stress by improving MBC, dehydrogenase enzyme activity, and soil organic
carbon (SOC), resulting in an 82% yield increase. KEB treatment also elevated chlorophyll content, proline levels, and
soluble carbohydrates, enhancing drought tolerance through improved osmotic adjustment in mango leaves. ANN modeling
identified optimal conditions for maximizing fruit yield, with 125% KEB application providing the best results. The
model established critical threshold values: SOC (3.1 g kg− 1), MBC (365.66 mg kg− 1), chlorophyll (3.7 mg kg− 1), soluble
carbohydrates (38.25 mg kg− 1), and phosphorus (2.78 mg kg− 1). These findings highlight the dual role of KEB as a sustainable
soil amendment and the utility of ANN as a decision-support tool for precision agriculture. Integrating KEB with
intelligent modeling approaches offers a promising strategy for improving resilience and productivity in mango orchards
under water-limited conditions.

Soil organic carbon (SOC), the largest terrestrial organic carbon stored on land, plays a crucial role in regulating climate via soil carbon sequestration. Soil carbon sequestration, also known as “carbon farming” or “regenerative agriculture,” refers to various practices that manage land, especially farmland, to increase the amount of carbon stored in soils. In the soil, SOC acts as a major carbon sink by absorbing and storing atmospheric CO₂. Approximately 1,550 gigatons of organic carbon are stored in soils, accounting for about 73% of the estimated 2,110 gigatons of organic carbon in the biosphere. Also a vital component of land ecosystems, it significantly influences soil fertility, structure, and overall ecosystem health. Carbon sequestration can affect the mitigation of climate change, soil health and productivity, food security, and ecosystem services. The dynamics of SOC are regulated by the balance between inputs, including plant residues, root exudates, and microbial activity, and outputs, such as decomposition and mineralization processes These processes are governed by physical, chemical, and biological mechanisms. It also affected agricultural management like conservation tillage, crop rotation, cover crops, organic amendments (manure, compost, and biochar), and agroforestry systems. Measuring SOC is challenging due to factors like spatial variability, temporal variation, and sampling depth. Therefore, using modeling to understand and quantify soil carbon sequestration is vital for sustaining agricultural systems and directing climate policy.

Soil acidification and carbon sequestration are central challenges for sustainable agriculture, particularly across China’s extensive acidic red soil regions, which comprise 32.4% of the national soil area. This study evaluated the long-term effects of straw and manure incorporation on aluminum (Al) and iron (Fe) oxide fractions, soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration, and crop yield in acidic red upland soil. A 33-year field experiment was conducted with four treatments: no fertilizer (CK), chemical fertilizer (NPK), NPK plus straw (NPKS), and NPK plus manure (NPKM). Soil samples were collected from three depths (0–10, 10–20, and 20–30 cm), and Al and Fe oxide fractions were quantified. Relationships among Al/Fe fractions, soil pH, and SOC were assessed using ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation, and Redundancy Analysis (RDA). Compared with CK, NPKM increased reactive Al (Alo) by 43.84%, 42.94%, and 43.06% and reactive Fe (Feo) by 132.98%, 91.54%, and 55.75% at 0–10, 10–20, and 20–30 cm, respectively. The highest carbon sequestration rate (0.21 t ha⁻¹ year⁻¹) occurred under NPKM in the 0–10 cm depth. Strong positive relationships were observed between reactive/non-crystalline Al and Fe oxides and both SOC sequestration and crop yield, particularly within the 0–20 cm depth, while SOC stock and CSR declined with depth across all treatments. These results highlight the critical role of manure in alleviating soil acidity, enhancing SOC stabilization capacity, and increasing crop productivity in acidic red upland soils. Overall, integrating organic amendments such as manure and straw substantially improves SOC accumulation and supports sustainable agricultural management in acidic red soils.

Water scarcity and the rising cost of chemical fertilizers pose major challenges to sustainable crop production in Egypt, particularly in sandy soils with low fertility. This study was conducted during the winters of 2022–2023 and 2023–2024 to investigate the combined effects of different irrigation levels and Nostoc algae extract on soil properties and wheat (Triticum aestivum) productivity. Three irrigation levels (100%, 80%, and 60% of crop evapotranspiration [ETc]) were evaluated with and without added algae. To analyze our data, we performed an analysis of variance (ANOVA) to evaluate differences among the treatments; correlation analysis was conducted to assess the relationships among soil properties and plant properties. The results showed that application of algae significantly increased soil organic matter under all irrigation treatments. In contrast, soil pH decreased in response to addition of algae, with the greatest reduction observed under the 60% ETc treatment (0.29 and 0.31 units in the first and second growing seasons, respectively). Water productivity differed significantly among treatments, following the order: 80% ETc > 100% ETc > 60% ETc (p ≤ 0.05). The application of algae under the 80% ETc regime increased water productivity by 12.01% and 12.19% in the first and second seasons, respectively, compared with the treatment without algae. Moreover, organic matter exhibited a strong positive correlation with N, P, and K contents in both straw and grain. The total yield reached its greatest level at 100% ETc with algae (5,526.43 ± 61.30 kg feddan⁻¹), whereas the lowest value was reported at 60% ETc without algae (2,880.97 ± 37.81 kg feddan⁻¹). Overall, application of algae contributed to improved soil properties, enhanced soil nutrients, structure and moisture retention, and mitigated yield losses associated with reduced irrigation. These findings suggest that integrating algae biofertilizers with deficit irrigation strategies can serve as a sustainable approach to improve wheat production in sandy soils under water-limited conditions.

Lime application represents an established approach for ameliorating soil acidity, and understanding its effects on the interactions between aluminum (Al) and iron (Fe) oxides and soil organic carbon (SOC) fractions is essential for promoting sustainable agricultural practices that enhance carbon sequestration. This investigation examined the interactions among Al and Fe oxides and SOC fractions under long-term fertilization and liming. A long-term field experiment was implemented with five treatments: CK (no fertilizer), N (nitrogen fertilizer), NCa (N plus lime), NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizer), and NPKCa (NPK plus lime). Soil samples were obtained from three depths: 0–10, 10–20, and 20–30 cm. The findings revealed that lime application increased SOC by 20.84% under the N treatment but decreased SOC by 9.97% under NPK. At the 0–10 cm depth, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was substantially higher under NCa (410.51 mg kg^–1) and NPKCa (372.83 mg kg^–1) compared with CK. Particulate organic carbon (POC) and mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC) demonstrated consistent enhancement under NPK and NPKCa across all soil depths compared with CK. DOC exhibited significant positive correlations with both aluminum (Ald), reactive aluminum (Alo) and aluminum (Alp), indicating a key role of organically bound and reactive Al in carbon dynamics. Compared to the CK treatment, SOC stock increased significantly by 43.49% under NPK and by 36.82% under NPKCa. Structural equation modeling demonstrated that lime application mitigated the negative effects of free Al (Ald) on carbon sequestration, while Fe oxides (Fed) contributed positively to SOC stabilization. DOC showed no significant impact on carbon sequestration rate (CSR), while easily oxidizable carbon (EOC) negatively affected CSR directly. These results highlight the crucial role of lime in improving acidic soil conditions and enhancing the stability and sequestration of soil organic carbon.

Green manure and rice straw recycling is widely practiced in paddy soils of southern China to enhance soil fertility and crop productivity; however, its environmental consequences remain lacking. Here, we used a long-term field experiment to quantify greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and associated microbial functional genes, energy-use efficiency, carbon footprint, and net ecosystem economic benefit to assess the sustainability implications of this practice. The treatments consisted of conventional chemical fertilizers (CK), CK + green manure recycling (M), CK + early-season rice straw recycling (ERS), CK + ERS + late-season rice straw recycling (DRS), CK + ERS + M (ERSM) and CK + DRS + M (DRSM). Compared with ERS, DRS and DRSM, the ERSM significantly reduced the annual cumulative methane (CH₄) emissions by 24.3 %, 33.9 % and 22.1 %, respectively. Similarly, ERSM significantly reduced nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions by 18.5 %–34.2 % compared to the other treatments, except for DRS. However, compared with all the other treatments, the ERSM treatment increased annual grain yield by 6.0 %–67.6 %, energy-use efficiency by 6.8 %–68 %, and net ecosystem economic benefit by 10.9 %–112.1 %. Optimizing carbon-to-nitrogen ratio lowers direct GHG emissions through balancing CH₄-related gene activity (mcrA and pmoA) and by promoting ammonia-oxidizing genes (amoA), which in turn reduced carbon footprint. Soil organic carbon storage and CH₄ via direct-GHG emissions and chemical nitrogen via indirect-GHG emissions were the major contributors to carbon footprint. In conclusion, ERSM is an effective strategy to promote sustainable rice production in rice-rice cropping systems and it has the potential to support carbon neutrality efforts.

This research evaluated the potential of black soldier fly larvae meal (BSFLM) as a partial substitute for soybean meal (SBM) in broiler diets, for their health and optimum performance. To this end, a total of 360 one-day-old male Cobb500 broiler chicks were randomly allocated to 36 floor pens and fed on basal starter (0-7 days) and grower (8-21 days) diets. During the finisher phase (22-35 days), chicks were randomly assigned to six treatment groups (six replicate pens of 10 birds per treatment) in which SBM was substituted with BSFLM at 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, or 50%, respectively. Growth performance traits were determined as pen averages for each treatment group (n=6). At the end of the trial, blood samples were randomly collected from two birds per replicate pen (n=12) to determine the plasma metabolites, antioxidant status, cytokine indices and immune responses. Additionally, jejunum and ceca specimens were obtained from two birds per replicate (n=12) to assess the jejunum histomorphology and cecal microbiota. Data was analysed through one-way ANOVA and Tukey’s post hoc test for comparison of mean differences. Results showed that including BSFLM up to 30% optimized feed conversion efficiency and maximized productive performance indices (P<0.05), including final BW (R²=0.724), BW gain (R²=0.729), and the European broiler index (R²=0.699). Intermediate inclusion levels (20-30%) were associated with alterations in the overall endocrine and physiological systems, characterized by higher thyroid activity (R²=0.608, P<0.001), enhanced antioxidant potential (R²=0.732, P<0.001) and lower proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-1 (R²=0.631, P<0.001). Immunological parameters, including leukocyte viability, antibody titers and lymphocyte proliferation, were also maximised at 20-30% replacement (R²=0.608-0.703, P<0.001). The intestines significantly (P≤0.001) exhibited better histomorphological features and a more balanced microbial composition in response to the 30% BSFLM treatment compared with other treatments. In conclusion, BSFLM can effectively substitute up to 30% of SBM in broiler finisher diets without adverse effects on productive performance and physiological status, offering a sustainable and effective protein alternative supplement for poultry production