Because plant properties have been disregarded in most approaches which are estimated soil available water for plant (PAW), so, the objective of this study is to include the plant physiological properties to redefine upper and lower limits of PAW. Indeed, in our proposed approach is hypothesized that soil materials with similar texture, mechanical and hydrological properties but under different plants can lead to different water availability values. This work is expected to contribute to a deeper understanding of water availability for a given soil under different managements and/or plants.

The diversity of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are markers that evaluate the health and quality of the soil. Here, PGPR diversity and the physicochemical properties of the soil were used to determine the effects of land use changes. Our results demonstrated that the PGPR correlated with the physicochemical properties of the soil, exhibiting differences between the soils caused by their use.

The remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques were used in this study for soil erosion analysis. There was a need to prioritise 82 watersheds according to high soil erosion in which two fell into the very high and high priority categories respectively. Very high and high priority areas were associated with high rainfall and agricultural activities on steep slopes which indicate the importance of remote sensing and GIS techniques in finding accurate causes of soil erosion.

The sugarcane mechanical harvesting with maintenance of straw improve soil carbon stock and soil protection, decreasing soil CO₂ emission. ARQ can be used as an index to categorise biological activity in soil, with ARQ values close to 1 considered a reflection of aerobic activity with balance between CO₂ production and O₂ consumption. Sugarcane straw should be maintained on soil and ARQ values can be used to determine soil biological activity.

It is crucial to understand how surface topography controls soil water movement. This study aimed to evaluate such effects under various hydrologic conditions through laboratory experiments and numerical modelling, and revealed two distinct soil water movement stages: topography-dominated two-dimensional flow and uniform one-dimensional flow. The findings are useful for better understanding of soil-water processes and agricultural water management.

Geogenic CO₂, originating from volcanic and seismic activities, affects a variety of processes in soil. This study demonstrates a previously unknown effect on exchangeable cations, total element contents, and on the composition of physical fractions of soil organic matter, derived from infrared spectroscopy. These findings are potentially transferrable to other sites with similarly enhanced CO₂ concentrations in the soil atmosphere.

Di- and tripeptides are nitrogen-containing compounds that plants can take up and use for growth. Despite this, the ecological importance of these compounds for plant growth is a knowledge gap. This is because of their unknown occurrence in soil mainly due to the lack of robust analytical methods. This study optimises an analytical method for potential future use in quantification of soil di- and tripeptides to unravel their role.

Labile C fractions yields information about the sources of C inputs, pathways of C losses and mechanisms of soil C sequestration. The present study aims to quantify and evaluate the impact of different cropping practices on TOC and labile C pools in the Damodar River basin of India. We recommend crop rotation practices whereby planting sugarcane replenishes TOC content in soils.

A numerical model of soil texture is required for quick perception, making digital maps and facilitating flexible classification of soil. The study aim was to develop a numerical model that reflected soil texture and showed relationships with soil properties along with extended applicability in soil research. The model might further be useful for developing other models of soil.

Continuous cereal cropping of soils results in up to 70% depletion of organic C and N, reducing both yields and grain quality. In this study we evaluated legume-based pastures, chickpea, N fertiliser and no-till for wheat cropping over a 12-year period on a Vertosol in a semi-arid region. Only pastures increased organic C and N. Pastures had a gross margin similar to chickpea and fertiliser, and provided an economic option for restoring fertility and productivity.