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From:
Amir Kassam <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Amir Kassam <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Mon, 27 May 2019 14:50:07 +0100
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*Global CA-CoP* *CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE*

*for sustainable agriculture and land management*

Dear Subscribers,

Please see herebelow the latest IUSS Alert 167 (May 2019).

Apologies for any cross-posting.

*Amir Kassam *

*Moderator*

*Global CA-CoP*

e-mail: [log in to unmask]

URL: http://www.fao.org/conservation-agriculture



*Conservation Agriculture is an ecosystem approach to regenerative
sustainable agriculture and land management based on the practical
application of context-specific and locally adapted three interlinked
principles of: (i) Continuous no or minimum mechanical soil disturbance
(no-till seeding/planting and weeding, and minimum soil disturbance with
all other farm operations including harvesting);  (ii) permanent
maintenance of soil mulch cover (crop biomass, stubble and cover crops);
and (iii) diversification of cropping system (economically, environmentally
and socially adapted rotations and/or sequences and/or associations
involving annuals and/or perennials, including legumes and cover crops),
along with other complementary good agricultural production and land
management practices. Conservation Agriculture systems are present in all
continents, involving rainfed and irrigated systems including annual
cropland systems, perennial systems, orchards and plantation systems,
agroforestry systems, crop-livestock systems, pasture and rangeland
systems, organic production systems and rice-based systems. Conservation
Tillage, Reduced Tillage and Minimum Tillage are not Conservation
Agriculture, and nor is No-Till on its own* (more at:
http://www.fao.org/conservation-agriculture).

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: The International Union of Soil Sciences - IUSS <
[log in to unmask]>
Date: Sun, 26 May 2019 at 21:51
Subject: IUSS Alert 167 (May 2019)
To: Amir Kassam <[log in to unmask]>



If you have problems reading this content - please follow this link to the
IUSS page <https://iuss.boku.ac.at/index.php?article_id=714>

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IUSS Alert 167 (May 2019)

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IUSS News
IUSS celebrates its 95th Anniversary

On May 19th, 95 years ago, was the official establishment of the
International Society of Soil Science in Rome. A lot has happened in soil
science and the International Union of Soil Sciences since then. We invite
all members to celebrate this anniversary by promoting soil science around
the world and by awareness raising among citizens to preserve this precious
resource, which is the basis of life on earth.

_____________________________________________________________________________

International Poster Contest ‘Soilutions’ to solve soil degradation
problems – submission deadline extended

IUSS considers stopping soil degradation as one of its most important
tasks, and invites you to propose in a poster your ‘Soilutions’ to address
soil problems in order to preserve this unique resource and life. The ideas
and proposals should represent the role of the soil as an essential natural
resource to preserve the environment. *IUSS will award 1,000 USD from the
Stimulus Fund for the best ‘Soilutions’ poster and 500 USD each for the
second and third best poster.* The best 12 posters will be displayed on the
IUSS website and a calendar shall be made using these posters.
Poster submission deadline has been extended until June 15, 2019.

Read more: https://iuss.org/index.php?article_id=26&goback=619

_____________________________________________________________________________

Dick Arnold received Guy Smith Medal

Since Dick Arnold could not attend the World Congress of Soil Science in
Rio, Curtis Monger and John Galbraith (current and past chairs of
Commission 1.4 Soil Classification) and Erika Michéli, chair of Division 1,
organised a celebration event in his home town West Lafayette, Indiana, and
presented the award to Dick Arnold, Honorary Member of the IUSS. Dick
Arnold was granted this prestigious IUSS award in honour of his outstanding
contributions to soil science in research, teaching and outreach.

The IUSS Guy Smith Medal is the award of Commission 1.4 Soil
Classification, and is awarded in every 2 years to distinguished soil
scientists in the field of soil classification and/or mapping.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Henrik Breuning-Madsen (1949 – 2018)

Professor, DSc, PhD Henrik Breuning-Madsen, long-standing secretary of
Danish Soil Science Society, died on 24 November 2018 in a tragic car
accident.

Henrik Breuning-Madsen got his MSc degree in geography from University of
Copenhagen (UC) in 1975 and three years later he got the PhD degree based
on a thesis on soil surveying. In 1983 he defended his DSc thesis on
detailed classification and mapping of soils in Western Denmark (Jutland).
Appointed associate professor at (UC) in 1983, Henrik headed the section
for mapping of marginal Danish land and coordinated construction of the
European soil analysis data base. From 1991 to his death, Henrik was
professor in soil geography at UC.

During the entire period, Henrik participated in many soil geographic
projects in- and outside Denmark. Because of great knowledge and broad
interests, Henrik got several positions of trust. Apart from serving as
secretary of Danish Soil Science Society for many years, he was leader of
the Geographic Institute. Henrik was secretary-general and finally vice
president of the Royal Danish Geographic Society. He was editor or
editorial board member of some scientific journals.

With Henrik’s death we lost a very special and enterprising researcher; the
student have lost a committed teacher; Danish Soil Science Society has lost
an inspiring and an open-minded board member; AND we lost a good friend and
colleague.

By Ingeborg Callesen, Gry Lyngsie, Bjarne W. Strobel & Ole K. Borggaard
(shortened)
General News
Soil Health Mission Board

The European Commission has identified five main missions that will serve
as the main pillars of Horizon Europe, one of which targets Soil Health and
Food. The missions are designed to make a real difference in the lives of
citizens and society as a whole by boosting the impact of EU-funded
research and innovation.

The Commission has just launched a call for experts to join ‘Mission
Boards’, which will advise the Commission for the identification and
implementation of each mission. Members of the ‘Mission Boards’ will be
high-level independent experts, who will help shape their respective
objectives, indicators and timelines.

Further information on Missions can be found here:
https://ec.europa.eu/info/news/commission-invites-top-experts-shape-new-research-and-innovation-missions-2019-may-13_en

Application forms for Mission Boards:
http://ec.europa.eu/transparency/regexpert/index.cfm?do=calls.calls_for_app

_____________________________________________________________________________

1 million species face extinction — soil could be a solution

An intergovernmental science-policy group of the United Nations found — and
the United States agreed — that 1 million species are threatened with
extinction, and that one factor in that decline was the decline of carbon
in soil. Specifically, 5.6 gigatons of annual CO2 emissions are sequestered
in marine and terrestrial ecosystems. That’s equivalent to 60 percent of
global fossil fuel emission. The finding released in a report May 6 also
found that it is not too late to stop this decline, but action is needed
immediately at the local, country, and global level.

Read more:
https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/442239-un-1-million-species-threatened-with-extinction-by-humans

[From: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Science Policy Report, 15 May 2019]

_____________________________________________________________________________

This global map of manure could help save farming as we know it

To grow the world’s wheat, corn, and beans, farmers need phosphorus—an
essential nutrient that comes from bird and bat droppings and rock
deposits. But the global supply of easily mineable phosphorus is dwindling;
to stave off the coming drought, scientists are exploring an alternative:
recycling animal manure for its phosphorus content. Now, they’ve come up
with the world’s first map of this underappreciated resource, which shows
that most manure is exactly where farmers need it—in their own backyards.

Read more:
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/05/global-map-manure-could-help-save-agriculture-we-know-it?utm_campaign=news_daily_2019-05-07&et_rid=49165632&et_cid=2804893

[From: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Science Policy Report, 15 May 2019]

_____________________________________________________________________________

7th GSP Plenary Assembly

The 7th GSP Plenary Assembly will be held at FAO headquarters from 5 – 7
June 2019. The Plenary is the main decision body of the GSP.
Representatives from FAO member countries and GSP partners will review the
progress made and discuss the work plan for the next year.
Deadline for registration: 29 May 2019

Read more:
http://www.fao.org/global-soil-partnership/about/plenary-assembly/en/

_____________________________________________________________________________

Call for projects in the Eurasian region

Fill out the application form and send it to the GSP Secretariat by 31 May
2019.
The FAO’s GSP and the Eurasian Soil Partnership (EASP), in collaboration
with the Eurasian Center for Food Security (ECFS), are pleased to announce
two calls for research and implementation projects directed to EASP
countries: 1) Soil Research Projects and 2) Soil Salinity Mitigation and
Adaptation Projects, focusing on the assessment of soil salinity and
sustainable practices to reduce anthropogenic salinization and/or increase
soil organic carbon and innovative agricultural practices to adapt to and
mitigate soil salinization.

Read more:
http://www.fao.org/global-soil-partnership/resources/highlights/detail/en/c/1189922/

_____________________________________________________________________________

Global assessment: SOC Sequestration Potential Map

Carbon sequestration is a growing topic that addresses one important aspect
of an overall strategy for carbon management to help mitigate the
increasing emissions of CO2. Soil is recognized as an important component
of the carbon cycle due to its great potential to sequester carbon. The GSP
is currently finalizing the technical aspects for the Global Soil Organic
Carbon Sequestration potential map (GSOCseq map) together with its
technical networks and world-renowned SOC experts. A coordinated and
country-driven approach will ensure tangible results and impact at a
national and global scale.

Read more:
http://www.fao.org/global-soil-partnership/intergovernmental-technical-panel-soils/gsoc17-implementation/en/

_____________________________________________________________________________

The multi-faced role of soil in the Near East and North Africa

The policy brief, launched on 31 March 2019 at the Near East and North
Africa Land and Water Days, aims to raise awareness and trigger policy
action on the added value of soil resources in the Near East and North
Africa (NENA) region. English | French | Arabic

http://www.fao.org/global-soil-partnership/resources/highlights/detail/en/c/1187691/

English: http://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/CA3803EN

[The four items above are from the Global Soil Partnership #23 –
Newsletter, 3 May 2019]

_____________________________________________________________________________

Baboons’ gut makeup is determined mostly by soil, not genetics

You are what you eat. And when you eat a lot of dirt, the makeup of your
gut will change—at least, if you’re a baboon. A new study shows local
soils, not genetics, may be the primary determinant of baboons’ gut
microbiota, the vast ecosystem of microorganisms that live in the gut,
digesting food, fighting infections, and breaking down toxins.

Read more:
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/04/baboons-gut-makeup-determined-mostly-soil-not-genetics

[From: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Science Policy Report, 1 May 2019]

_____________________________________________________________________________

Laser diffraction evaluation for soil particle size determination

Soil particle size distribution is a fundamental soil characteristic that
highly affects soil water retention, soil fertility and microbial activity,
and requires accurate determination. The laser diffraction method is
increasingly being applied to measure soil particle size owing to its
merits of rapid processing, high reproducibility and detailed analysis for
a wide range of size fractions; yet some ambiguities exist regarding the
comparability of its results with those obtained by other classical methods.

Read more:
https://dl.sciencesocieties.org/content/Laser-Diffraction-Evaluation-for-Soil-Particle-Size-Determination

[From: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Science Policy Report, 1 May 2019]

_____________________________________________________________________________

A Cascade Extraction Method for risking phosphorus leaching

Soil phosphorus leaching has aroused a wide concern in recent years. There
is much information about the evaluation of P leaching in topsoil. However,
little information is available on the evaluation of P leaching from soil
profiles in agroforestry areas. In an article recently published in the
Journal of Environmental Quality, researchers proposed a cascade extraction
method to determine the leachable P in the underlying soil extracted using
extraction solution of the adjacent upper layer of soil (ESAUS), and in the
topsoil, it was still extracted by 0.01M CaCl2. This method was defined as
the Cascade Extraction Method. Then the change-point can be estimated
according to a split-line model between soil leachable extracted by ESAUS
and soil Olsen-P.

Read more:
https://dl.sciencesocieties.org/content/Cascade-Extraction-Method-for-Risking-Phosphorus-Leaching

[From: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Science Policy Report, 1 May 2019]

_____________________________________________________________________________

Mud and guts: Europe’s forgotten environmental crisis

The dirt scientists know their work isn’t glamorous. But alarmed soil
experts at the Netherlands Institute of Ecology, where scientists conduct
crop studies lasting decades, say human activity above ground has wreaked
havoc below. Chemical spills, industrialized farming, urban sprawl and
erosion are gnawing away on one of the world’s most relied-upon natural
resources. It’s a problem that some soil scientists liken to climate
change: glacial, inexorable, potentially disastrous if it’s left
unaddressed. The European Commission estimates Europe loses 9 million
metric tons of soil annually — equivalent to 275 soccer pitches each day.
Regaining just one cubic centimeter of topsoil can take centuries

Read more:
https://www.politico.eu/article/europe-forgotten-environmental-crisis-soil/

[From: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Science Policy Report, 1 May 2019]

_____________________________________________________________________________

Concerns over glyphosate pass from human health to the soil

When François Peaucellier talks about soil, he sounds like a sommelier.
Peaucellier, who grows cereals and vegetables on a 200-hectare farm in the
Hauts-de-France region north of Paris, is part of small but growing
movement of farmers who are cutting back on pesticides not so much out of
concerns for human health — but because they worry about what it does to
the soil. Public attention on the risk of pesticides has focused on what
chemicals like glyphosate do to human health. A U.S. federal jury last week
ordered Germany’s Bayer to pay more than $80 million to a man who claimed
his cancer was caused by exposure to the weedkiller. But farmers like
Peaucellier say the weedkiller’s impact on soil health has been overlooked,
and represents a serious threat to Europe’s long-term food security.

Read more:
https://www.politico.eu/article/glyphosate-concerns-pass-from-human-health-to-soil/

[From: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Science Policy Report, 1 May 2019]

_____________________________________________________________________________

When losing your soil means losing your livelihood (commentary)

In Niger, where agriculture is the main source of income, the message is
simple: Losing your soil means losing your livelihood. The ability to grow
food is inextricably linked to the productive capacity of the soil. In the
case of Niger’s soil, the picture is bleak: The soils hold poor structural
stability, low nutrient holding capacity, low water retention capacity… the
list goes on.

Read more:
https://news.mongabay.com/2019/05/when-losing-your-soil-means-losing-your-livelihood-commentary/?fbclid=IwAR1VLYXrkZzK5ZUECXIqt8FahVGXduRL1v95NjH_LjAznYcjXmdTU1hvLDg

_____________________________________________________________________________

Soil Biodiversity Observation Network Established

The Group on Earth Observations Biodiversity Observation Network (GEO BON)
and the Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative, together with the German
Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), have established the
global Soil Biodiversity Observation Network (Soil BON). This operational
network will be specified and deployed in the near future with other
partners

Read https://geobon.org/bons/thematic-bon/soil-bon/

[From: GSBI Newsletter – May 2019]

_____________________________________________________________________________

#WorldWormWeek

The basics of a good farmland earthworm population includes two key
parameters – spatial abundance (widespread earthworm activity over the
field) and earthworm diversity (all three ecological types of earthworms) –
with surface-dwelling earthworms supporting efficient crop residue
breakdown facilitating crop seedling emergence, topsoil earthworms mixing
and mobilising nutrients for plant uptake, and deep burrowing ‘drainage’
worms forming permanent vertical burrows helping to reduce waterlogging of
crop roots. This framework was the basis of developing an earthworm survey
method that would be useful and used by farmers.

Read more:
https://www.globalsoilbiodiversity.org/blog-beneath-our-feet/2019/3/22/4ewwexsdm77v9qxyrp1hswhzvg605h

[From: GSBI Newsletter – May 2019]

_____________________________________________________________________________

New insights in belowground drivers of plant performance

Plants interact with a myriad of soil organisms ranging from microscopic
bacteria, protists and fungi to animals such as nematodes, micro-arthropods
and earthworms. When it comes to plant performance, these soil communities
contain both many good and many bad guys. Plants affect the composition of
this belowground biodiversity, and in turn soil organisms affect plant
performance. This multi-directional process is called ‘plant-soil
feedback’, and acts on a plant species-specific level.

Read more:
https://www.globalsoilbiodiversity.org/blog-beneath-our-feet/2019/4/4/new-insights-in-belowground-drivers-of-plant-performance

[From: GSBI Newsletter – May 2019]

_____________________________________________________________________________

Contribute to the Special Issue on “Elucidating the Role of Soil Arthropods
in Soil Health”

The Journal of Insects is requesting submissions to a special issue about
the soil arthropods impacts on soil health. The deadline for manuscript
submission is 31 August 2019

Read more:
https://www.mdpi.com/journal/insects/special_issues/soil_arthropods

[From: GSBI Newsletter – May 2019]
Conferences, Meetings and Workshops2019
9th ESSC International Congress

September 26-28, 2019, Tirana, Albania. The European Society for Soil
Conservation & the Agricultural University of Tirana are delighted to
invite you to the 9th ESSC International Congress. In this 9th edition of
the congress, the focus will be on “Soil’s Contribution to People: from
Food to Life Supporting Services”.

Deadline of abstract submission: May 31, 2019

3rd Circular available at:
http://9essc.ubt.edu.al/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/3rd-circular-ESSC
-2019-Int.-Congress13_05_2019-1.pdf

Read more: www.9ESSC.UBT.EDU.AL
<http://iuss.boku.ac.at/www.9ESSC.UBT.EDU.AL>

_____________________________________________________________________________

2019 ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting

The American Society of Agronomy, the Crop Science Society of America, and
the Soil Science Society of America will host approximately 4,000
scientists, professionals, educators, and students at the 2019
International Annual Meeting, “Embracing the Digital Environment,” on
November 10-13, 2019, in San Antonio, Texas.

This premier scientific meeting provides unlimited networking
opportunities, scientific abstracts, oral and poster sessions, a robust
exhibit hall, technical workshops, and professional and destination tours.
Plus, there’s a career center, graduate and undergraduate programs,
distinguished lecturers, awards, continuing education units, prizes, and
more!

We invite you to attend and help create solutions to advance science.
Final abstract deadline: June 11, 4:00 PM CDT

Read more: https://www.acsmeetings.org/

_____________________________________________________________________________

LOTEX2019 – 2nd Conference on Long-term Field Experiments

20-21 November, 2019, Nyíregyháza, Hungary.

The University of Debrecen, IAREF, Research Institute of Nyíregyháza and
the Hungarian Soil Society are pleased to invite you to take part on the
2nd Conference on Long-term Field Experiments (LOTEX2019). The aims of this
conference are to draw attention to the long-term experiments, to gather
the soil and plant scientists and the representatives of the
decision-making organisations to know each other, to share their knowledge
and to disseminate the results of different topics.
Abstract submission deadline: June 10, 2019

Read more: http://konferencia.unideb.hu/en/node/295

Contact: [log in to unmask]

_____________________________________________________________________________

2020
Global Symposium on Soil Biodiversity (GSOBI20)

10 – 12 March 2020, at Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative (GSBI)
Headquarters in Rome, Italy.

This Symposium will be jointly organized by the Global Soil Partnership (GSP),
the Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils (ITPS), the Global Soil
Biodiversity Initiative (GSBI) and the UN Convention on Biological
Diversity (CBD). The Global Symposium on Soil Biodiversity will bring
together international experts with the aim of reviewing the status of
knowledge on soil biodiversity and ecosystem services, the sustainable use
and conservation of soil biodiversity, and the contributions of soil
organisms to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Read more:
http://www.fao.org/global-soil-partnership/resources/highlights/detail/en/c/1183872/

_____________________________________________________________________________

2021
The Third Global Soil Biodiversity Conference

1-3 November, 2021, Dublin, Ireland

_____________________________________________________________________________

New publications
Plant-Soil Slope Interaction

By Charles Wang Wai Ng, Anthony Leung, Junjun Ni. 1st Edition published by
CRC Press, May 2019, 182 Pages, 188 B/W Illustrations, ISBN 9781138197558,
price hardback £109.95.

This inter-disciplinary book provides the latest advanced knowledge of
plant effects on vegetated soil properties such as water retention
capability, water permeability function, shear strength, slope hydrology,
movements and failure mechanisms, and applies this knowledge to the
solution of slope stability problems. It is the first book to cover in
detail not only the mechanical effects of root reinforcement but more
importantly the hydrological effects of plant transpiration on soil
suction, soil shear strength, and water permeability. The book also offers
a fundamental understanding of soil-plant-water interaction. Analytical
equations are provided for predicting the combined hydrological and
mechanical effects of plant roots on slope stability.

This book is essential reading for senior undergraduate and postgraduate
students as well as researchers in civil engineering, geo-environmental
engineering, plant ecology, agricultural science, hydrology and water
resources. It also provides advanced knowledge for civil engineers seeking
“green” engineering solutions to combat the negative impact of climate
change on the long-term engineering sustainability of infrastructure
slopes. Professionals other than civil engineers, such as ecologists,
agriculturists, botanists, environmentalists, and hydrologists, would also
find the book relevant and useful.

Read more:
https://www.crcpress.com/Plant-Soil-Slope-Interaction/Ng-Leung-Ni/p/book/9781138197558

_____________________________________________________________________________

Natural and Enhanced Attenuation of Contaminants in Soils

By Raymond N. Yong, Catherine N. Mulligan. Second Edition published by CRC
Press, April 23, 2019, 308 pages, 131 B/W Illustrations, ISBN
9781138066373, price £115.00, eBook Vital Source £103.50.

Natural attenuation has become an effective and low-cost alternative to
more expensive engineered remediation. This new edition updates the
principles and fundamentals of natural attenuation of contaminants with a
broader view of the field. It includes new methods for evaluating natural
attenuation mechanisms and microbial activity at the lab and field scales.
Case studies, actual treatments and protocols, theoretical processes, case
studies, numerical models, and legal aspects in the natural attenuation of
organic and inorganic contaminants are examined. Challenges and future
directions for the implementation of natural attenuation and enhanced
remediation techniques are also considered.

Read more:
https://www.crcpress.com/Natural-and-Enhanced-Attenuation-of-Contaminants-in-Soils-Second-Edition/Yong-Mulligan/p/book/9781138066373

_____________________________________________________________________________

Urbanization: Challenge and Opportunity for Soil Functions and Ecosystem
Services

Proceedings of the 9th SUITMA Congress. Edited by Viacheslav Vasenev,
Elvira Dovletyarova, Zhongqi Cheng, Tatiana V. Prokof’eva, Jean Louis
Morel, and Nadezhda D. Ananyeva. Published in the Springer Geographybook
series, 2019, ISBN 978-3-319-89602-1 price e-Book EUR 142.79.

This proceedings volume focuses on different aspects of environmental
assessment, monitoring, and management of urban and technogenic soils.
Soils of Urban, Industrial, Traffic, Mining and Military Areas (SUITMAs)
differ substantially from their natural zonal counterparts in their
physical, chemical and biological features, their performed functions, and
supported services. This book discusses the monitoring, analysis and
assessment of the effects of urbanization on soil functions and services.
Further, it helps to find solutions to the environmental consequences of
urbanization and discusses best management practices such as management and
design of urban green infrastructure, waste management, water purification,
and reclamation and remediation of contaminated soils in the context of
sustainable urban development.

This proceedings book appeals to scientists and students as well as
practitioners in soil and environmental science, urban planning, geography
and related disciplines, and provides useful information for policy makers
and other stakeholders working in urban management and greenery.

Read more: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-319-89602-1#about

_____________________________________________________________________________

Modern Soil Microbiology, Third Edition

By Jan Dirk van Elsas, Jack T. Trevors, Alexandre Soares Rosad and Paolo
Nannipieri; 3rd Edition published by CRC Press, April 24, 2019, 472 pages,
25 Colour & 73 b/w Illustrations, ISBN: 9781498763530; price hardback
£61.60; eBook: £69.30; eBook Rental from £38.50.

The living soil is crucial to photosynthesis, biogeochemical cycles, global
food production, climate change, biodiversity, and plant and animal health.
In the past decade, scientists have made significant advances in soil
microbiology research. While the basic principles are now better
understood, knowledge has been forthcoming on the best available
technologies and methods applied to researching soil microorganisms, their
diversity, interactions, biochemistry, survival, gene expression, and their
roles in global climate change, plant disease suppression and growth
stimulation, and biogeochemical cycles. This knowledge can be applied to
better predict the transformation of pollutants in soil and the activities
of microbes in the rhizosphere. It will also assist us in fostering crop
production in an era with an increasing human population and
intensification of agriculture.

Following the tradition of its predecessors, Modern Soil Microbiology,
Third Edition, is an indispensable source that supports
graduate/undergraduate teaching for soil and environmental microbiologists
in academia, as well as in government and industrial laboratories. It is a
comprehensive collection of chapters on various aspects of soil
microbiology, useful for all professionals working with soils. Compiled by
internationally renowned educators and research scholars, this textbook
contains key tables, figures, and photographs, supported by thousands of
references to illustrate the depth of knowledge in soil microbiology.

Read more:
https://www.crcpress.com/Modern-Soil-Microbiology-Third-Edition/Elsas-Trevors-Rosado-Nannipieri/p/book/9781498763530

_____________________________________________________________________________

IPBES Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services

The first intergovernmental report of its kind and the most comprehensive
analysis of nature since the landmark Millennium Ecosystem Assessment of
2005. Compiled by 145 expert authors from 50 countries over the past three
years, with inputs from another 310 contributing authors, the Report
assesses changes over the past five decades, providing a comprehensive
picture of the relationship between economic development pathways and their
impacts on nature. It also offers a range of possible scenarios for the
coming decades.

The Report finds that around 1 million animal and plant species are now
threatened with extinction, many within decades, more than ever before in
human history. To increase the policy-relevance of the Report, the
assessment’s authors have ranked, for the first time at this scale and
based on a thorough analysis of the available evidence, the five direct
drivers of change in nature with the largest relative global impacts so
far. These culprits are, in descending order: (1) changes in land and sea
use; (2) direct exploitation of organisms; (3) climate change; (4)
pollution and (5) invasive alien species.

Read more: https://www.ipbes.net/news/Media-Release-Global-Assessment

The full six-chapter Report (including all data) is expected exceed 1,500
pages and will be published later this year.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Soil erosion: the greatest challenge for sustainable soil management

By Pennock, D.; Published by FAO, Rome, Italy, 2019, 100 pages, ISBN:
978-92-5-131426-5
Despite almost a century of research and extension efforts, soil erosion by
water, wind and tillage continues to be the greatest threat to soil health
and soil ecosystem services in many regions of the world. Our understanding
of the physical processes of erosion and the controls on those processes
has been firmly established. Nevertheless, some elements remain
controversial. It is often these controversial questions that hamper
efforts to implement sound erosion control measures in many areas of the
world. This book, released in the framework of the Global Symposium on Soil
Erosion (15-17 May 2019) reviews the state-of-the-art information related
to all topics related to soil erosion.

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Soil nutrient loss assessment in Malawi. Technical Report

By Christian Thine Omuto and Ronald Vargas. Published by the Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the UNDP-UNEP
Poverty-Environment Initiative and the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation
and Water Development, Malawi. 64 pages, ISBN 978-92-5-131142-4 (FAO).

Soil degradation and the consequent decline in plant available nutrients
negatively affect agricultural productivity of the soil. In Malawi, soil
degradation has been variously reported in the literature as an enemy of
economic growth because Malawi is a largely agrarian economy. Soil
degradation results in a decline in soil nutrient content and to the
eventual deterioration of national food production and agricultural
productivity. The government of Malawi and its development partners have
called for an evaluation of the cost of soil loss in the country and its
associated economic impacts. The aim of the present soil nutrient
assessment study in Malawi was to quantify soil nutrient losses throughout
the country for an economic assessment of overall national soil loss.

Read more: http://www.fao.org/3/CA2666EN/ca2666en.pdf

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Soil and nutrients loss in Malawi: an economic assessment

By Solomon Asfaw, Carlo Orecchia, Giacomo Pallante and Alessandro Palma;
published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
and the UNDP-UNEP Poverty-Environment Initiative and the Ministry of
Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development, Malawi. ISBN
978-92-5-131141-7 (FAO).

Soil and nutrients loss are among the major impediments to a stable and
sustained agricultural development in Malawi. They have historically
affected the country but the high population growth, rapid deforestation,
overgrazing and ploughing, combined with the impacts of climate change,
such as temperature increases and changing precipitation patterns, are
increasing the impact of these events that harm agricultural growth. This
report analyses the economic impact of both soil and nutrient loss in
Malawi with new country representative data on soil and nutrients loss
indicators collected through field surveys, merged with detailed climatic
data and socio-economic information. It translates soil loss/nutrient loss
into yield loss and estimates the economic impact of loss on agricultural
production as a result of soil degradation, followed by the identification
of best practices to mitigate the soil and nutrient loss events.

Read more:
http://www.fao.org/global-soil-partnership/resources/highlights/detail/en/c/1185031/?fbclid=IwAR1pyi9UUbH70rp0CDDSgXqV0TCkyajXv995gtYzldhQzC5lUDrvk4njAbc

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