This study investigates the synthesis, characterization, and environmental application for amoxicillin (AMX) removal in batch mode of three novel calcium-rich biochars. These biochars were produced from the co-pyrolysis of poultry manure, date palm wastes, and waste marble powder at temperatures of 700 °C (Ca-B-700), 800 °C (Ca-B-800), and 900 °C (Ca-B-900). Characterization results show that increasing the pyrolysis temperature results in improved structural, textural, and surface chemistry properties. For instance, the BET surface area of the Ca-B-900 was assessed to be 52.3 m² g⁻¹, which is 14.1 and 3.1 times higher than those observed for Ca-B-700 and Ca-B-800, respectively. Moreover, the Ca-B-900 shows higher AMX removal ability (56.2 mg g⁻¹) than Ca-B-800 (46.8 mg g⁻¹), Ca-B-700 (14.6 mg g⁻¹), and numerous other engineered biochars. The AMX removal process by these biochars is favorable under wide experimental conditions of initial pH and AMX concentrations. Additionally, the experimental and modeling data show that the AMX adsorption process includes both physical and chemical mechanisms. This study confirms that Ca-rich biochars can perform significant removal of AMX in batch mode.

Increasing concentrations of in surface water and groundwater can cause ecological and public health effects and has come under increased scrutiny by both environmental scientists and regulatory agencies. For many regions though, including the Sahel of Tunisia, little is known about the sorption capacity of soils. In this project we measured sorption by a profile of an iso-humic soil from Chott Meriem, Tunisia. Soil samples were collected from four soil depths (025, 2560, 6090, and 90120cm) on 1 June 2011, and their sorption capacity was determined using batch experiments under laboratory conditions. The effects of contact time, the initial concentration, and the soil-solution ratio on sorption were investigated. In general, the results suggested that was weakly retained by the Chott Meriem soil profile. The quantity of sorption increased with depth, contact time, initial concentration, and soil-solution ratios. To evaluate the sorption capacities of the soil samples at concentrations ranging between 25 and 150mgL1 experimental data were fitted to both Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm sorption models. The results indicated that Freundlich model was better for describing sorption in this soil profile.

This study investigated phosphorus sorption kinetics of three different soils from three sites within the Sahel region of Tunisia; iso-humic soils from Chott-Mariem site, calcic-magnesic soils from Enfidha site and saline-sodic soils from Kondar site. Soils from all sites were sampled (0–25 cm) and analysed for their physico-chemical proprieties. In previous works, we determined the adsorption efficiency of these different soils. In this study, we focused on the influence of contact time on phosphorus adsorption by the different soils. The analytic data were approached from the following kinetics models: pseudo-first-order, pseudo- second-order and Elovich model. The second order model was shown to be the best fit for describing phosphorus adsorption by each soil sample, as seen from the correlation coefficient R² which ranged from 0.68 to 0.96 for the pseudo-first-order model, 0.91 to 0.99 for pseudo-second-order model and 0.84 to 0.94 for Elovich model.

Cereal–legume intercropping systems are not well studied under the semi–arid conditions of Southern Tunisia. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of intercropping durum wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. durum L.) with chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) on crop grain yield and soil physicochemical proprieties such as carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) availability, microbial biomass nutrients (C and N) and plant nutrient content (N) in comparison to their monocultures. Field experiments were conducted during the 2020–2021 (EXP–A) and 2021–2022 (EXP–B) seasons in Medenine, Tunisia. The results revealed a significant augmentation (p < 0.05) in the total nitrogen proportions (Ntot) within the soil of intercropped durum wheat (DuWh–IR) compared to its monoculture (DuWh–MC). The observed variations amounted to 32% and 29% during the two growing seasons, identified as EXP–A and EXP–B. Additionally, the soil of intercropped durum wheat (DuWh–IR) significantly (p < 0.05) accumulated more total carbon (C_tot) than the monocrop (DuWh–MC) for both experiments, showing an increase of 27% in EXP–A and 24% in EXP–B. Simultaneously, the N− uptake of durum wheat significantly increased under the effect of intercropping, showing a rise of 26% in the EXP–A season and 21% in the EXP–B season. Similarly, the yield of durum wheat crops was comparatively greater in the intercropped plots as opposed to the monoculture crops, with variances of 23% in EXP–A and 20% in EXP–B. Intercropping cereals and legumes has the potential to enhance the soil fertility and crop production in the semi–arid regions of Southern Tunisia and contribute to environmental sustainability by reducing reliance on nitrogen fertilizers.

Modern intensive agricultural systems generally focus on the productivity of monocultures. They are characterized by a low diversity of crops, with uniform and symmetrical planting layouts. They largely rely on the utilization of chemical inputs. They are widely denounced for their negative environmental impacts. In this context, the ecological intensification framework proposes the exploitation of biodiversity in order to better achieve such ecosystem services and soil conservation. Intercropping, i.e., the simultaneous growth of two or more crops mixed in the same field, appears to have the potentialities to improve the productivity, resilience capacity, and ecological sustainability of agroecosystems through the intensification of such positive interactions between plants as facilitation and niche complementarity. Cereal–legume intercropping turns out to be effective in low-N agroecosystems, since legumes have the ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen via their symbiosis with rhizobia. This fixed N, in turn, benefits the cereal through various ecological processes. The objective of the project is to improve the benefit of legumes for intercropped cereals in low-input agroecosystems through the management of plant–plant and plant–microbe interactions. The nitrogen-fixing symbiosis requires phosphorus and iron to be efficient. While these nutrients are prone to be lacking in N-limited agroecosystems, as is the case in Mediterranean agroecosystems, plant–plant interactions and rhizobacteria and mycorrhiza interactions seem to play an important role in their acquisition and efficient utilization. We propose the development of a participatory research project in four Mediterranean agroecosystems. Agronomic and environmental diagnosis will be performed in the field to assess N and P biogeochemical cycles, as well as Fe availability, in combination with the plant performances and the diversity of soil microorganisms. Molecular identification of soil microorganisms from the most productive sites will be done and research of genes for tolerance to Fe- and P-deficiencies will be realized. Glasshouse experiments involving various cultivars of cereals and legumes, as well as the previously identified microorganisms, will be done in order to disentangle the various mechanisms of nutrient acquisition, sharing, and transfer between plants. Other experiments will assess the effects of cereal–legume–microbe interactions on the development and architecture of the plant root systems and root hair development. The lines of research are integrated with a strategy of functional ecology on plant–microbe–soil interactions in the agroecosystems of Gabès (Tunisia), Boumedfaa (Algeria), Beni Mellal (Morocco), and Thessaloniki (Greece). Using multidisciplinary and innovative approaches, the program will provide novel knowledge and understanding of agroecosystem management for food production.