In combination with frequent and low-intensity irrigation and split application of fertiliser N, substitution of NO₃^–-based fertilisers for urea and reduction in fertiliser N application rates were considered promising mitigation strategies to maintain yield and minimise N₂O emissions during the low rainfall season.

C and N stocks in relation to grazing management in Ireland were studied. Proper reseeding was helpful to maintain soil C and N, while chemical N fertiliser did not cause any change of soil C and N. Intensified stocking rate caused changes of soil C and N by re-locating soil C and N at depth.

We found that increasing salinity decreases soil microbial biomass. Microbial community structure is changed by increased salinity; and any changes in the community that are brought about by increasing salinity will reflect adaptations in the PLFA composition resulting from microbial cell stress.

Most boron fertiliser sources are water soluble and the application of these sources alone can cause adverse effects in many crops and result in leaching losses. The application of slow-release boron sources can overcome these problems. Boron phosphates co-granulated with mono-ammonium phosphate (MAP) provide slow release of B and have potential as high-quality boron fertilisers in high rain fall areas.

The effects of wetting and drying cycles on estimation of the load support capacity (pre-compaction stress; σpc) of two soils using plate sinkage test (PST) and confined compression test (CCT) were studied. The results indicated that for both soils, σpc estimated from PST did not show any significant difference with the values of preload. This method can, therefore, be used to determine the load support capacity for tilled soils.

The effects of thinning on soil respiration and microbial respiration in Quercus frainetto forest were examined over 2-year. Annual mean R_S was significantly higher in thinned plots and had linear correlations with GC, soil temperature and fine root biomass. R_SM had linear correlation with soil N content and soil pH, R_FFM had linear correlations with C concentration and the C : N ratio of forest floor in thinned plots.

Total soil respiration (TSR) is the major component of the CO₂ global flux. It is hard to define a TSR field value because this parameter shows high variability in time and space. An accurate TSR estimate could be the key to define soil CO₂ emissions. Electromagnetic induction can be useful to study the distribution of TSR field variability allowing an accurate accounting of soil efflux.

Soil erosion in olive groves is a widespread phenomenon in the Mediterranean Basin. Erosion of grass-covered and tilled soils was assessed in this small-scale study. Temporal evolution of tillage effects was also evaluated. Grass cover limited runoff and sediment yield in sloping olive groves. Time after tillage affected erosion by reducing runoff and especially sediment yield.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term influences of urban organic amendments on the enzymes involved in the carbon cycle under semi-arid conditions. Total microbial activities, microbial biomass estimated by phospholipid-fatty acid analysis and the number of isoforms of each enzyme, analysed by zymographic techniques, showed increases related to the initial amount of organic amendment and the consequent development of vegetation.

Although digital soil mapping is becoming popular, few studies have investigated the uncertainty distribution. We used elevation, radioelement and EM38-v data to map soil salinity at the district scale and employed conditional simulation to quantify errors. Combined error was ~4.44 dS m^–1, attributable to input (1.38 dS m^–1) and model error (0.02 dS m^–1). The large input error is attributable to the lack of ancillary data.