Marina Pintar

S projektom CRP V4-2216 Ohranjanje in izboljšanje proizvodnega potenciala tal za trajnostno pridelavo oljk (GO-TO S-OIL) smo želeli ovrednotiti neposredni učinek, ki ga imata čas in način uporabe oljčnih tropin, pridelanih v slovenskih oljarnah, na stanje tal, talno vodo, prehrano rastlin. Na območju slovenske Istre v oljčniku sorte ˈItranaˈ na lokaciji Marezige je bil zasnovan poljski poskus za ovrednotenje vpliva uporabe oljčnih tropin na okolje. Poskus je vključeval pet obravnav: kontrola ─ brez dodatka tropin – zatravljeno – obravnava 1; oljčne tropine, dodane na površino tal spomladi – obravnava 2; oljčne tropine, dodane in zadelane v tla spomladi – obravnava 3; oljčne tropine dodane na površino tal jeseni – obravnava 4; oljčne tropine dodane in vdelane v tla jeseni * – obravnava 5. Ugotovljeno je bilo, da oljčne tropine iz dvofazne predelave predstavljajo koristen organski dodatek za tla, saj izboljšujejo njihovo rodovitnost in zadrževanje vode. Vpliv oljčnih tropin na pH tal je odvisen od začetne kislosti tal. Spomladanski nanos oljčnih tropin lahko povzroči slabo ravnovesje hranil in izgubo dušika, zato je primernejši jesenski čas, ko je tveganje za izpiranje hranil in imobilizacija dušika manjše. Tropine je priporočljivo mehansko vdelati v tla, da se zmanjša možnosti točkovnega onesnaženja, vendar pa so zaradi vremenskih razmer možnosti mehanske vdelave v tla v jesenskem času lahko omejene. Za trajnostno rabo je nujno dolgoročno spremljanje vsebnosti težkih kovin, zlasti bakra in cinka, ki se lahko kumulativno nalagata ob ponavljajoči se uporabi oljčnih tropin.

Although sewage sludge in agriculture can promote circular economy goals, concerns remain about the transfer of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) into crops and soils. This study evaluated the uptake and risk of 27 CECs in tomatoes cultivated in peat substrate amended with stabilised anaerobically digested (dried) sludge from a local municipal wastewater treatment plant at two rates corresponding to nitrogen and nitrogen/potassium requirements. Peat substrate served as the control. Additional treatments included CEC-spiked media and peat amended with non-dried sludge. Analysis was performed with LC–MS/MS. In tomato fruits, ibuprofen (15.8 ng/g) and triclosan (17.9 ng/g) were quantified at the low amendment rate, while caffeine (381 ng/g), carbamazepine (18.1 ng/g), ciprofloxacin (306 ng/g) and ibuprofen (5.3 ng/g) were quantified at the high amendment rate. Dietary exposure estimates were below the health-based reference values for most compounds; however, a potential risk was identified for bisphenol S when non-dried anaerobically digested sludge was applied. Soil risk quotients (RQ > 1) for several CECs at the end of the experiment indicate possible ecological concern. These findings emphasise that monitoring CECs in sludge-amended soil remains essential to ensure the safety of sludge reuse in agriculture.

Microplastic (MP) particles are ubiquitous in the environment and pose a growing threat to ecosystem stability. As concern over their ecological impact increases, biotests and ecotoxicological approaches using plant species have become valuable tools for research. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of varying concentrations of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) MP on seed germination, root development, and shoot growth of white mustard (Sinapis alba L.) under controlled laboratory and pot experiment conditions. For the seven-day laboratory experiment, concentrations of 0.01% and 1% w/w were used, whereas concentrations of 1% and 5% w/w were applied in the ten-day pot experiment. Results indicated no statistically significant effects of LDPE MP on germination rate or germination speed index (GSI) in either setting. However, shoot length data suggest that the 5% LDPE treatment may have a slight stimulatory effect compared to the control, though this trend was marginally significant. These findings highlight the complex and context-dependent nature of MP–plant interactions. Further research is needed to better understand the mechanisms driving these responses and to support the development of mitigation strategies for MP contamination in terrestrial ecosystems.

The Terminological Dictionary of Agronomy contains terms from twelve subject fields, namely agricultural economics, agrometeorology, plant protection, agricultural engineering, pasture science, soil science, arable farming, fruit growing, grassland science, landscaping, viticulture and vegetable growing. It contains 4388 terms that have a definition or guide the user of the dictionary to a preferred term. With clear and precise definitions, it provides the user with reliable terminological information on the conceptual system of agronomy and by guiding to preferred terms, it contributes to the harmonization of terminology. It is primarily aimed at experts in the field of agronomy, but is also useful for all those who deal with plant production as laymen and need reliable information on this subject field. The dictionary also contains 3994 English equivalents, which will facilitate international cooperation between experts in the field of agronomy.

The reuse of treated wastewater for irrigation can preserve freshwater resources

The perception of linkages between ecosystem services (ES) and the urban green infrastructure (UGI) is evaluated, and their impact on human well-being (WB) is defined. Using a theoretical approach, the UGI’s specific contribution to WB is calculated as the sum of the products of (a) the number of perceived ES per ES group and the WB weight factor divided by the product of (b) the number of respondents and (c) the sum of the products of ES and the WB weight factor. Stakeholders demand more ES than the perceived ES supply from all types of UGI, especially for the social relations component of WB. The highest number of perceived ES and greatest impact on all WB components is provided by urban forests. This method could be helpful in acknowledging ES and involving stakeholders not previously familiar with the ES concept with the aim of introducing ES into UGI governance.

In this study, fermentation-based organic fertilizer (OF) was produced from the aboveground parts of Fallopia japonica (Houtt.) Ronse Decr. The quantity of N in OF (17.2 kg t⁻¹ fresh lactic-fermented OF) was higher than average in cattle farmyard manure, but on a comparable level to solid poultry and rabbit manure. The OF was applied on a field to evaluate its effect on Chinese cabbage. The applied nutrients with OF N159 were 159, 19 and 100 kg ha⁻¹ for N, P, and K, respectively. The applied nutrients with OF N317 were 317, 38, and 200 kg ha⁻¹ for N, P, and K, respectively. The average mass of marketable Chinese cabbage (Brassica pekinensis Rupr.) single heads ranged from 253 g with N0 treatment to 602 g with N317 treatment. The nutrient recovery efficiency RE_N,P,K was 37, 20, and 50% for N317 and 55, 48, and 77% for N159. The OF was found to be a suitable alternative to farmyard manure. Additionally, OF produced from F. japonica could complement existing approaches to limit the spread of invasive species in cities. Further research should focus on perennial crop rotations and cropping patterns, different soil types, and a greater variety of crops and consider the possible retention of urban farmers using fertilizer from invasive plants.

Large‐scale irrigation systems (LIS) are massively utilized in agriculture worldwide to ensure food security and mitigate the effect of global warming. LIS face unpredictable changes in climate, technologies, and societal tendencies during their lifetime, potentially becoming unusable or insufficient. In this case study of Slovenia, the evolution of LIS was divided into five characteristic periods in terms of motivation, mechanisms, and the key stakeholders. The heyday of LIS development in the late 1980s was followed by denationalization and privatization, and construction was replaced by measures for improving the status irrigation at the state level. Simultaneously, there was a shift in global development towards modernization as LIS should be adaptive to changes throughout their existence in order to preserve their functionality. The construction of LIS resumed less intensively in the European Union during 2007–2013, with recognition of effective LIS functioning as necessity. This study confirms that irrigation development follows the global imperative focus on more effective use of the existing LIS along with simultaneous reduction in the environmental impact of agricultural production through smarter use of water, nutrients, and plant protection products. This should be achieved by organized LIS users, increased knowledge, efficient LIS maintenance and management, and improved connections to the local markets.

Soil hydraulic properties provide important information about soil behavior under unsaturated and saturated conditions. Often sampling of undisturbed soils is not possible and soil samples have to be repacked for laboratory analysis. The HYPROP® measuring system (METERgroup, Munich, Germany) is a convenient method for determination of soil water retention characteristics and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity of undisturbed soil samples. It measures the matric potential of the saturated and drying soil sample using two tensiometers placed at different depths. Although the tensiometers are based on a new design that theoretically withstands cavitation at higher tension values, they are still considered to operate in the low tension range. Since soil water retention properties in the low tension range are strongly influenced by soil structure and pore size distribution, we were interested in the changes in hydraulic properties when measured on disturbed and then repacked samples, and undisturbed soil samples. Therefore, we investigated the soil hydraulic properties of three different soil types using the evaporation method on undisturbed and repacked samples. The results provide important insights for the interpretation of the results when the collection of undisturbed samples is not possible, and for designing laboratory experiments with repacked soils.

Maintaining good soil quality is crucial for the sustainability of agriculture. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the visual soil assessment (VSA) method by testing it on two soil types and two agricultural management practices (AMP) (organic and integrated) that are considered to protect soil quality. We selected two farms with plots on two river terraces with different soil properties. The test was based on the modified method Annual Crops Visual Quality Assessment developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and supported by a standardized soil physical and chemical analysis. This study showed that the assessed score is highly dependent on the type of farming practice and how soils are managed. The soil type also plays an important role. The results for Calcaric Fluvisol showed that the effects of selected agricultural management practices on the visual assessment of soil quality could be almost undetectable. The time of assessment also plays a significant role in VSA scoring. Different crops and agricultural activities with significant impacts on the soil occur throughout the year (especially in vegetable production). It was observed that a higher score for the soil cover indicator had a beneficial effect on the total VSA rating.