New approach to soil management focusing on soil health and air quality: one earth one life (critical review)

Soil plays a key role in ecosphere and air quality regulation. Obsolete environmental technologies lead to soil quality loss, air, water, and land systems pollution. Pedosphere and plants are intertwined with the air quality. Ionized O2 is capable to intensify atmosphere turbulence, providing particulate matter (PM2.5) coalescence and dry deposition. Addressing environmental quality, a Biogeosystem Technique (BGT*) heuristic transcendental (nonstandard and not direct imitation of nature) methodology has been developed. A BGT* main focus is an enrichment of Earth's biogeochemical cycles through land use and air cleaning. An intra-soil processing, which provides the soil multilevel architecture, is one of the BGT* ingredients. A next BGT* implementation is intra-soil pulse continuously discrete watering for optimal soil water regime and freshwater saving up to 10-20 times. The BGT* comprises intra-soil dispersed environmentally safe recycling of the PM sediments, heavy metals (HMs) and other pollutants, controlling biofilm-mediated microbial community interactions in the soil. This provides abundant biogeochemical cycle formation and better functioning of the humic substances, biological preparation, and microbial biofilms as a soil-biological starter, ensuring priority plants and trees nutrition, growth and resistance to phytopathogens. A higher underground and aboveground soil biological product increases a reversible C biological sequestration from the atmosphere. An additional light O2 ions photosynthetic production ensures a PM2.5 and PM0.1 coalescence and strengthens an intra-soil transformation of PM sediments into nutrients and improves atmosphere quality. The BGT* provides PM and HMs intra-soil passivation, increases soil biological productivity, stabilizes a climate system of the earth and promotes a green circular economy.

Investigation of Antibacterial Properties of Corrosion-Resistant 316L Steel Alloyed with 0.2 wt.% and 0.5 wt.% Ag

The article is devoted to the study of melted ingots, plates rolled from them, and the resulting spherical powder made of corrosion-resistant 316L steel with the addition of 0.2 wt.% and 0.5 wt.% Ag. The study of antibacterial properties, microstructure, and distribution of silver concentrations, as well as qualitative analysis of silver content was carried out. The optimal mode of homogenization annealing of the ingot was 1050 °C for 9 h, which leads to the formation of an austenitic structure. It is shown that the addition of a small amount of silver does not affect the formation of the austenitic structure and silver is distributed evenly throughout the volume of the ingot. The austenitic structure also prevails in the plates after rolling. Silver is distributed evenly throughout the entire volume of the plate. It is noted that the addition of 0.2 wt.% Ag does not affect the strength, elongation, and microhardness of steel, and the addition of 0.5 wt.% Ag does not significantly reduce the strength of steel, however, all samples meet the mechanical characteristics according to the ASTM A240 standard. The qualitative chemical composition of samples made of corrosion-resistant steels was confirmed by X-ray fluorescence analysis methods. By the method of energy-dispersion analysis, the presence of a uniform distribution of silver over the entire volume of the powder particle was determined. The particles have a spherical shape with a minimum number of defects. The study of the antibacterial activity of plates and powder shows the presence of a clear antibacterial effect (bacteria of the genus Xanthomonas campestris, Erwinia carotovora, Pseudomonas marginalis, Clavibacter michiganensis) in samples No. 2 and No. 3 with the addition of 0.2 wt.% and 0.5 wt.% Ag.

Species Diversity in the Fusarium solani (Neocosmospora) Complex and Their Pathogenicity for Plants and Humans

The Fusarium solani species complex is a large group of soil saprotrophs with a broad adaptive potential, which allows the fungi to exist under various conditions and to parasitize on different hosts. The review analyzes the modern data concerning the genetic peculiarities of species from this complex by the example of F. solani f. sp. pisi and generalizes the data on the most widespread species pathogenic for both plants and humans. The enhanced resistance of the F. solani species complex to the most of modern antifungal agents and the need for novel therapeutic agents against fusariosis has been considered.

4-Nitropyrazolin-5-ones as Readily Available Fungicides of the Novel Structural Type for Crop Protection: Atom-Efficient Scalable Synthesis and Key Structural Features Responsible for Activity

The development of new types of fungicides for agriculture and medicine is highly desirable due to the uprising fungal resistance against commonly used compounds. Herein, 4-substituted-4-nitropyrazolin-5-ones (nitropyrazolones) were proposed as highly active fungicides of the novel structural type. The first scalable and practical method for the nitropyrazolone synthesis was proposed, which is atom-efficient, is applicable for the multigram scale synthesis, and allows for production of a wide variety of nitropyrazolones with high yields and purity. The synthesized compounds demonstrated high fungicidal activity against the broad spectrum of phytopathogenic fungi (Venturia inaequalis, Rhizoctonia solani, Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium moniliforme, Bipolaris sorokiniana, and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum). Their mycelium growth inhibiting activity was comparable or superior to that of kresoxim-methyl. In vitro activity against Staphyloccocus aureus, Candida albicans, and Aspergillus niger revealed that nitropyrazolones are promising candidates against human pathogens. The key factors for the manifestation of high fungicidal activity were established to be an aromatic substituent on the N1 atom and small substituents, such as methyl, at the C3 and C4 positions of the pyrazolone ring.

Intra-soil waste recycling provides safety of environment

Amelioration and remediation technology was developed for phosphogypsum utilization in Haplic Chernozem of South-European facies (Rostov Region). The technology comprises phosphogypsum dispersed application into the soil layer of 20-45 cm during intra-soil milling. In the model experiment, the phosphogypsum doses 0 (control), 10, 20, and 40 t ha^-1 were studied. The Cd thermodynamic forms in soil solution were calculated via the developed mathematical chemical-thermodynamic model and program ION-3. The form of ion in soil solution (or water extract) was considered accounting the calcium-carbonate equilibrium (CCE) and association of ion pairs CaCO₃⁰; CaSO₄⁰, MgCO₃⁰, MgSO₄⁰, CaHCO₃⁺, MgHCO₃⁺, NaCO₃^-, NaSO₄^-, CaOH⁺, MgOH⁺. For calculation of the equilibrium of microelements concentration in soil solution ion including heavy metals (HMs), the coefficient of microelement association k_as was proposed. According to calculations, Cd²⁺ ion in soil solution was mostly bounded to associates CdOH⁺, partly to associates CdCO₃⁰ and CdHCO₃⁺. The calculated k_as of Cd was 1.24 units in the control option of experiment and decreased to 0.95 units at phosphogypsum dose 40 t ha^-1. The ratio of "active [Cd²⁺] to total Cd" reduced from 33.5% in control option to 28.0% in the option of phosphogypsum dose 40 t ha^-1. The biogeochemical barrier for penetration of HMs from soil to plant roots was high after application of phosphogypsum. According to calculation by ION-3, the standard soil environmental limitations overestimate the toxicity of Cd in soil solution. New decision for intra-soil milling and simultaneous application of phosphogypsum was developed to provide the environmentally safe waste recycling.

Microplastic Pollution: An Emerging Threat to Terrestrial Plants and Insights into Its Remediation Strategies

Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous and constitute a global hazard to the environment because of their robustness, resilience, and long-term presence in the ecosystem. For now, the majority of research has primarily focused on marine and freshwater ecosystems, with just a small amount of attention towards the terrestrial ecosystems. Although terrestrial ecosystems are recognized as the origins and routes for MPs to reach the sea, there is a paucity of knowledge about these ecological compartments, which is necessary for conducting effective ecological risk assessments. Moreover, because of their high persistence and widespread usage in agriculture, agribusiness, and allied sectors, the presence of MPs in arable soils is undoubtedly an undeniable and severe concern. Consequently, in the recent decade, the potential risk of MPs in food production, as well as their impact on plant growth and development, has received a great deal of interest. Thus, a thorough understanding of the fate and risks MPs, as well as prospective removal procedures for safe and viable agricultural operations in real-world circumstances, are urgently needed. Therefore, the current review is proposed to highlight the potential sources and interactions of MPs with agroecosystems and plants, along with their remediation strategies.

Increase of Productivity and Neutralization of Pathological Processes in Plants of Grain and Fruit Crops with the Help of Aqueous Solutions Activated by Plasma of High-Frequency Glow Discharge

In this work, we, for the first time, manufactured a plasma-chemical reactor operating at a frequency of 0.11 MHz. The reactor allows for the activation of large volumes of liquids in a short time. The physicochemical properties of activated liquids (concentration of hydrogen peroxide, nitrate anions, redox potential, electrical conductivity, pH, concentration of dissolved gases) are characterized in detail. Antifungal activity of aqueous solutions activated by a glow discharge has been investigated. It was shown that aqueous solutions activated by a glow discharge significantly reduce the degree of presence of phytopathogens and their effect on the germination of such seeds. Seeds of cereals (sorghum and barley) and fruit (strawberries) crops were studied. The greatest positive effect was found in the treatment of sorghum seeds. Moreover, laboratory tests have shown a significant increase in sorghum drought tolerance. The effectiveness of the use of glow-discharge-activated aqueous solutions was shown during a field experiment, which was set up in the saline semi-desert of the Northern Caspian region. Thus, the technology developed by us makes it possible to carry out the activation of aqueous solutions on an industrial scale. Water activated by a glow discharge exhibits antifungicidal activity and significantly accelerates the development of the grain and fruit crops we studied. In the case of sorghum culture, glow-discharge-activated water significantly increases drought resistance.

Thermodynamic mathematical model of the Kastanozem complex and new principles of sustainable semiarid protective silviculture management

The Kastanozem complex in the dry steppe of southern Russia underlies an artificially-constructed forest strips. Deep ploughing to a depth of 45 cm was used to process the soil prior to planting. Between 20 and 40 cm depth, soil density was high, 1.57 t m^-3. Soil hardness was also high, 440 psi. Soil aggregates greater than 5 cm in size were impermeable to tree roots. The content of such aggregates was high, comprising 35%. The number of tree roots with diameters greater than 0.5 cm that cross the soil profile was as low as 0.15 to 0.3 pcs cm^-2. The soil matric potential signifying water availability was low in the vegetation period -0.9 MPa to a depth of 1.0 m. According to modelling experiments, the main salt components in the soil solution drive the transfer of soil organic matter (SOM) and heavy metals (HM). The composition of the soil solution determined by the calcium carbonate equilibrium (CCE) and the association and complexation of ions. ION-3 software was used to calculate the ion equilibrium in the soil solution. Macro-ions Cа²⁺, Mg²⁺, SO₄^2-, and CO₃^2- partly bonded as ion pairs. Oversaturation of the soil solution with CaCO₃ was calculated according to the analytical content of macro-ion, which was high up to 1000 units, and its value decreased in response to ionic strength, activity, association, complexation, and thermodynamic equilibrium of macro-ions in the soil solution. Oversaturation calculated for Salic Solonetz and Gleyic Solonetz soil solutions was small considering the SOM content. Calculations indicate the profile and lateral loss of C from the soil to the vadose zone. The content of Pb in the soil solution was calculated sirca 75%-80%. The calculated coefficient of Pb²⁺ association was as high as 52.0. The probability of Pb passivation by SOM in the Kastanozem complex was significant. The probability of uncontrolled transfer and accumulation of HM in the soil and vadose zone was high. Biogeosystem Technique (BGT*) transcendental methodology, an innovative methodology created for stable geomorphological system formation to achieve sustainable agriculture and silviculture, was applied. The BGT* elements were: intra-soil milling of the 30-60 cm soil layer for geophysical conditioning; intra-soil continuously-discrete pulse watering for plants and trees to improve the hydrologic regime. The BGT* methodology reduced HM mobility, controlled biodegradation, enriched nutrient biogeochemical cycling, increased C content, increased soil productivity, and reversible carbon sequester in biological form.

Identification of Organic Matter Dispersions Based on Light Scattering Matrices Focusing on Soil Organic Matter Management

The origin of organic matter, its spread, scattering, and functioning are influenced by the physical structure of liquid or dispersed media of organic matter. Refractive indices of fodder yeast grown on paraffin oil (paprin) and natural gas (gaprin) as well as Lycoperdon spore and organelles were measured by laser phase microscopy. The scattering matrices of aqueous suspensions of paprin, gaprin, and Lycoperdon spores were measured using a laser polarimeter with the scattering angle ranging from 20 to 150°. The experimentally measured scattering matrices have been approximated by the weighted sum of theoretically calculated scattering matrices using the T-matrix code developed by Mishchenko. Most of the particle radii in the filtered fraction of paprin and gaprin were within the range of about 0.05-0.12 μm. Particle radii of the Lycoperdon spore suspension were within the range of 0.4-2.4 μm, which corresponded to both whole spores and their separate organelles. A possibility of identifying a suspension by its scattering matrices was shown for a small difference in the real parts of the refractive index in the example of paprin and gaprin. The measurements of the light scattering matrix showed that for a small size parameter of about 1, the identification of paprin and gaprin can be based only on a difference in the particle shape. Refractive index difference is manifested for the size parameter values higher than 3. An example of a suspension consisting of micron-sized spores and their submicron organelles shows high sensitivity of the scattering matrix to the composition of the dispersed material. The presented data and models help to extrapolate the results of the light scattering matrix study to a vast spectrum of media of organic matter origin and functioning. This study focused on the Biogeosystem Technique (BGT*) transcendental methodology to manage soil as an arena of biodegradation and organic synthesis. A BGT*-based robotic system for intra-soil pulse continuous-discrete water and matter supply directly into the dispersed-aggregated physical structure of the soil media was developed. The system enables transformation of soil into a stable highly productive organic chemical bioreactor for better controlled nanoparticle biomolecular interactions and adsorption by biological and mineral media. The scattering matrix measurement unit is supposed to be used in the robotic system as a diagnostic tool for the dispersion composition of soil organic components.

Development and application of photoconversion fluoropolymer films for greenhouses located at high or polar latitudes

To convert and store energy in the process of photosynthesis, plants primarily use quanta of the red and blue parts of the spectrum. At high latitudes, the average daily intensity of red and blue parts of the spectrum is not very high; for many crops cultivated under greenhouse conditions, it reaches the sufficient level only on clear summer days. The problem of insufficient illumination in greenhouses is usually solved with artificial light sources. This article describes a technology for the manufacture of photoconversion fluoropolymer films for greenhouses. The fluoropolymer films described in the paper make use of original gold nanoparticles and nanoparticles with fluorescence in the blue or red region of the spectrum. In the polymer film, nanoparticles aggregate in the form of "beads", which enhances the field of the optical wave. The film photoconverts UV and violet light into blue and red light. Gold nanoparticles also partially convert energy in the green region of the spectrum (not used by plants) into heat, which is also important for agriculture at high latitudes. In addition, impregnation of gold nanoparticles into fluoropolymer significantly increases the lifetime of the film. The films described in the paper can significantly increase the productivity of greenhouses located at high latitudes. Plants cultivated under the films have more chlorophyll and a higher intensity of photosynthesis - although their system of distance stress signals is, to a certain degree, suppressed.

Chemical Soil-Biological Engineering Theoretical Foundations, Technical Means, and Technology for Safe Intrasoil Waste Recycling and Long-Term Higher Soil Productivity

The amelioration and remediation technology was developed on the basis of research of phosphogypsum and utilization in the Haplic Chernozem of South-European facies (Rostov Region). Phosphogypsum was utilized via dispersed application into a soil layer of 20-45 cm with intrasoil milling of this layer. The phosphogypsum utilization doses were 0, 10, 20, and 40 t ha^-1. The Pb analytical content in soil solution was studied in the model experiment. The soil solution Pb thermodynamic forms were calculated. The mathematical chemical-thermodynamic model ION-2 was developed to calculate the real soil solution (water extract) calcium-carbonate equilibrium (CCE) ion forms, considering the ion pair association. The associated ion pairs CaCO₃ ⁰, CaSO₄ ⁰, MgCO₃ ⁰, MgSO₄ ⁰, CaHCO₃ ⁺, MgHCO₃ ⁺, NaCO₃ ^-, NaSO₄ ^-, CaOH⁺, and MgOH⁺ were accounted for in soil solution equilibrium macroion form calculation. The procedure for the microelement ion [including heavy metals (HMs)] equilibrium concentration in the soil solution coefficient k _as calculation was proposed to account for the real soil solution CCE, macroions, and HM (including Pb) association. The Pb²⁺ ion in soil solution was mostly bound to associates PbOH⁺, Pb(OH)₂ ⁰, PbCO₃ ⁰, Pb(CO₃)₂ ^2-, and PbHCO₃ ⁺. The calculation of CCE and ion association in soil solution revealed 14.5-21.5 times HM passivation compared to HM water-soluble values. The calculated HM activity in the soil solution in the example of the Pb²⁺ ion was less than 4% after phosphogypsum application in the target amelioration layer of 20-45 cm. The studied phosphogypsum doses were substantiated as environmentally safe. This was because the real soil solution CCE provided HM ion form association and consequent passivation. The dry steppe soil remediation after phosphogypsum application was justified as highly probable. The intrasoil milling chemical soil-biological engineering technology was developed for simultaneous soil amelioration and remediation on the basis of the biogeosystem technique (BGT*) transcendental methodology. The BGT*-based technology was tested in the long-term field experiments and is capable of ensuring the priority geophysical micro- and macroaggregate structure via intrasoil milling and mixing of soil illuvial and transitional horizons. This helps synthesize soil multilevel architecture, providing intrasoil-dispersed environmentally safe recycling of wastes of different origin. Addressing the environment safety concerns, a new decision of the intrasoil milling device was proposed for phosphogypsum and other substance application to soil.

Production and Use of Selenium Nanoparticles as Fertilizers

The synergy problem was discussed linking Se nanoparticles and different soil fertility agents. Se zero-valent-state nanoparticles were investigated as fertilizers and antioxidants. A technology was proposed for producing Se zero-valent-state nanoparticles. Se nanoparticles were obtained by laser ablation of Se in water using a fiber ytterbium laser, with a wavelength between 1060 and 1070 nm, a pulse repetition rate of 20 kHz, a pulse duration of 80 ns, and an average power of 20 W, and a copper vapor laser with wavelengths of 510.6 and 578.2 nm and an average power of 8 W. The main particle mass part shifted from 800 nm to a size less than 100 nm, corresponding to the increase in the laser fragmentation time. The resulting nanoparticles were monodisperse in size and mass. The Se nanoparticle water suspension was introduced into the soil. The soil Se nanoparticle concentrations were about 1, 5, 10, and 25 μg kg-1. An experiment was carried out in a climate chamber in two series: (1) growing plants in soil imitating the standard organogenesis environment conditions such as illumination of 16 h per day, temperature of 22 °C, soil humidity of 25% SDW, and an experiment duration of 30 days and (2) growing plants in soil under changing environmental conditions of organogenesis. The standard environmental conditions for the first 10 days are illumination of 16 h day-1, temperature of 22 °C, and soil humidity of 25% SDW. The plant stress for 5 days is hyperthermia of 40 °C. The standard environmental conditions for the next 15 days are illumination of 16 h day-1, temperature of 22 °C, and soil humidity of 25% SDW. At standard organogenesis, the plant leaf plate surface area was 30 ± 2 cm2 in the control option, and the Se nanoparticle doses were correspondingly 1 μg kg-1 for 32 ± 3 cm2, 5 μg kg-1 for 37 ± 2 cm2, 10 μg kg-1 for 38 ± 3 cm2, and 25 μg kg-1 for 28 ± 4 cm2. Hyperthermia stressed plant growth was studied. The highest plant growth rate was in Se nanoparticle concentrations of 5 and 10 μg kg-1. The eggplant growth on the soil with the Se nanoparticle addition at a concentration of 10 μg kg-1 of leaf plate surface area was twice compared to the eggplant growth in untreated soil. The same was for tomato plants. The leaf plate surface area of the cucumber plant grown using Se nanoparticles was 50% higher compared to the control option. The Biogeosystem technique methodology of 20-45 cm soil-layer intrasoil milling for soil multilevel aggregate system formation and intrasoil pulse continuous-discrete watering for soil water regime control was proposed for the Se nanoparticles for better function in the real soil, providing a synergy effect of soil mechanical processing, nanoparticles, humic substances, and polymicrobial biofilms on soil fertility.