Only a few studies have quantified and measured ecosystem services (ES) specifically related to soil. To address this gap, we have developed and applied a methodology to assess changes in ecosystem services, based on measured or estimated soil property changes that were stimulated by soil management measures (e.g., mulching, terracing, no-till). We applied the ES assessment methodology in 16 case study sites across Europe representing a high diversity of soil threats and land use systems. Various prevention and remediation measures were trialled, and the changes in manageable soil and other natural capital properties were measured and quantified. An Excel tool facilitated data collection, calculation of changes in ecosystem services, and visualization of measured short-term changes and estimated long-term changes at plot level and for the wider area. With this methodology, we were able to successfully collect and compare data on the impact of land management on 15 different ecosystem services from 26 different measures. Overall, the results are positive in terms of the impacts of the trialled measures on ecosystem services, with 18 out of 26 measures having no decrease in any service at the plot level. Although methodological challenges remain, the ES assessment was shown to be a comprehensive evaluation of the impacts of the trialled measures, and also served as an input to a stakeholder valuation of ecosystem services at local and sub-national levels.

Heavy metal contamination of soil and plants is a worldwide concern. Copșa Mică in Romania is one of the areas in the country known to have a high level of pollution. Even if metallurgical activities have been reduced or stopped the soil is still polluted. This study aimed to estimate the bioaccumulation of heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Zn and Cu) in soil from garlic bulbs (Allium sativum L.) from individual gardens in the Copșa Mică polluted area, Romania. The bioaccumulation of heavy metals in garlic bulbs was estimated based on a data set collected from 44 individual gardens. The value of the linear correlation coefficient between the total cadmium content in the soil and that in the plant was significantly different from zero, indicating a close correlation between the two variables (r = 0.775***). In addition, for zinc (r = 0.649***) and lead (r = 0.423**), simple power-type regressions were found to be best for estimating the bioaccumulation of these elements in garlic bulbs. Only for copper, the value of the linear correlation coefficient was not significantly different from zero (r = 0.274ns), indicating that the estimation of copper accumulation in garlic cannot be described by simple power-type regressions. The results of this study are important for estimating the accumulation of heavy metals in garlic bulbs (head), which are often consumed by the population.

Food safety and the high demand for food have represented worrisome problems worldwide in recent decades. It is well known that plants can accumulate metals from contaminated soil and through deposits from pollutant emissions released by contaminated sources. Cadmium, copper, zinc, and lead are poisonous elements. The accumulation of heavy metals in plants grown in polluted areas represents a major risk to human and animal health. Soil pollution with heavy metals is a global problem that has an unfavourable impact on the environment. For this study, data collected from 65 individual households located in the Copşa Mică area were used to estimate the bioaccumulation of four different heavy metals [cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu)] in onion bulbs in different scenarios, in correlation with the total metal content from the soil. The highest correlation coefficients were obtained for the regression curves established for the estimation of Cd (r = 0.648***), Zn (r = 0.592***), and Pb (r = 0.525***) in onion bulbs. In the case of copper (Cu), the linear correlation coefficient was insignificant (r = 0.088ns). The mean cadmium and lead values determined in the onion samples from the study area did not exceed the maximum stable levels for these contaminants in vegetables.

Agronomic practices can have a negative impact on soil health and quality and ecosystem resilience. The objectives of the study were (1) to evaluate the soil chemical properties and microbial abundance under short-term application of organic and mineral fertilizers and different cultivated crops and (2) to observe the antifungal efficacy of microorganisms isolated from the studied soil. A field trial was conducted in the 2021–2022 period on a preluvosoil-type soil in four randomized blocks with eight fertilizer treatments based on manure compost (MC) and MC + mineral fertilizer (V1—control-soil; V2—NPK only; V3—15 t/ha MC; V4—15 t/ha MC + NPK; V5—30 t/ha MC; V6—30 t/ha MC + NPK; V7—60 t/ha MC; and V8—60 t/ha MC +NPK) and four crops (winter wheat—Triticum aestivum L., maize—Zea mays L., soybean—Glycine max L., and a mixture of perennial grasses and legumes). In almost all treatments, the soil pH decreased during the summer–autumn period. The organic carbon (C_org) and humus contents increased compared to the initial state of the soil after the application of different doses of MC and MC + NPK fertilization in almost all treatments. The microbial load of the soil was influenced by the fertilization regime and crop species, but there were no significant differences between the variants. The highest bacterial load was recorded in soil cultivated with a mixture of perennial grasses and grain legumes, i.e., in the variant with 15 t/ha MC, followed by soil cultivated with maize and fertilized with 30 t/ha and 60 t/ha MC. A higher number of fungi was observed in the mixture of perennial grasses and legumes, and Rhizobium population was higher, especially in the winter wheat plots, despite the fertilization regime. The antifungal efficacy of the microorganisms isolated from the samples was medium to low, except in the winter wheat experiment, where the efficacy against Fusarium culmorum was medium to high and against other pathogens was medium. In the other crops within the experiment, the antagonistic activity of the soil microorganisms was medium to low.

Climate change increasingly challenges winter wheat production, making balanced nutrient management essential for maintaining crop productivity and grain quality. In this context, fertilization remains a key factor determining crop productivity and yield stability. This study was conducted during 2022–2025 within a long-term field experiment established in 1975 at the Agricultural Research and Development Station Secuieni, Romania, to evaluate the cumulative effects of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization on winter wheat yield, yield components, grain quality, and soil chemical properties. The experiment was established on a medium-textured cambic chernozem using a two-factor split-plot design with five replications. Five phosphorus (P₀, P₄₀, P₈₀, P₁₂₀, and P₁₆₀ kg ha⁻¹ active ingredient) and nitrogen (N₀, N₄₀, N₈₀, N₁₂₀, and N₁₆₀ kg ha⁻¹ active ingredient) treatments were evaluated using the winter wheat cultivar Otilia grown in a bean–wheat–maize rotation. Fertilization significantly increased grain yield and improved grain quality. The highest winter wheat grain yield, 6897 kg ha⁻¹, was obtained with the N₈₀P₁₆₀ fertilization treatment, indicating that this nitrogen and phosphorus combination provided the most favorable response under the experimental conditions. Higher nitrogen rates significantly increased grain quality parameters, with protein content rising from 9.15% at N₀ to 14.20% at N₁₆₀, wet gluten content increasing from 17.29% to 28.97% and starch content decreasing from 70.95% at N₀ to 66.91% at N₁₆₀; however, the application of higher fertilizer rates did not result in further increases in grain yield. These findings emphasize the importance of balanced nitrogen and phosphorus management for improving winter wheat productivity and grain quality under changing climatic conditions.