Essential oils (EO) of several plant species have the potential to combat plant and fungal diseases. However, the effects ofAchillea millefoliumEO on the development of common bean (Phaseolus vulgarisL.), is still unknown. Moreover, its effect on N₂-fixing bacteria, and in general on soil properties has not been studied yet. A greenhouse trial was set up to evaluate both the influence thatAchillea millefoliumEO and the inoculation with three differentRhizobiumstrains have on the bean plant and on the chemical and microbiological properties of an agriculturally used Cambisol. Non-inoculated pots were used as control. Our findings showed a decrease in bacterial colony forming units due to EO application and an increase following theRhizobiuminoculation compared to the control. The EO application decreased soil basal respiration and activities of dehydrogenase, urease, β-glucosidase and acid phosphatase. Such effects were stronger with higher oil concentrations. Moreover, the treatments combiningRhizobiuminoculation with EO showed a positive effect on nodulation and plant height. Overall, the combined application ofAchillea millefoliumEO and rhizobia works as an efficient biocide that could be applied in organic agriculture without hampering the activity of nodule-forming N-fixing bacteria and the development of common bean.

Global attention to climate change issues, especially air temperature changes, has drastically increased over the last half-century. Along with population growth, greater surface temperature, and higher greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, there are growing concerns for ecosystem sustainability and other human existence on earth. The contribution of agriculture to GHG emissions indicates a level of 18% of total GHGs, mainly from carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O). Thus, minimizing the effects of climate change by reducing GHG emissions is crucial and can be accomplished by truly understanding the carbon footprint (CF) phenomenon. Therefore, the purposes of this study were to improve understanding of CF alteration due to agricultural management and fertility practices. CF is a popular concept in agro-environmental sciences due to its role in the environmental impact assessments related to alternative solutions and global climate change. Soil moisture content, soil temperature, porosity, and water-filled pore space are some of the soil properties directly related to GHG emissions. These properties raise the role of soil structure and soil health in the CF approach. These properties and GHG emissions are also affected by different land-use changes, soil types, and agricultural management practices. Soil management practices globally have the potential to alter atmospheric GHG emissions. Therefore, the relations between photosynthesis and GHG emissions as impacted by agricultural management practices, especially focusing on soil and related systems, must be considered. We conclude that environmental factors, land use, and agricultural practices should be considered in the management of CF when maximizing crop productivity.

Composite soils from conventional tillage (CT) and no-till (NT) fields under wheat (Triticum vulgare cultivar Dogu-88) were randomly collected (0-30 cm depth) in triplicate at 1, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 km distance to evaluate the effects of cement dust on soil basal respiration, microbial populations, enzyme activity and calculated soil quality (SQ) indices. Soil pH, exchangeable Ca and Mg, CaCO3, and alkaline phosphatase (AlkP) showed a significant linear decrease in total organic C (TOC), total C (TC), urease activity (UA), and bacterial populations, and soil biological quality (SBQ) showed a significant linear increase with sampling distance from the cement plant. Total N (TN), available P (AP), basal respiration (BR), acid phosphate (AcdP) activity, dehydrogenase (DH) activity, fungal populations, and SQ showed a quadratic response with sampling distance. Soil pH, CaCO3, TOC effective CEC, SBQ, soil chemical quality (SCQ), and SQ were significantly influenced by increasing distance.