The Role of Organic and Mineral Fertilization in Maintaining Fertility and Productivity of Cryolithozone Soils

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Dear Authors,

 

Review of the manuscript:

The Role of Organic and Mineral Fertilizers in Food Security Governance: on the Example of the Cryolithozone of the European Part of Russia

The paper presents interesting and valuable study on the role of organic and mineral fertilizers in the maintaining the fertility and productivity of different Retisols of cryolitic zone. The topic of manuscript fits the aims and scope of the Agronomy Journal, Soil and Plant Nutrition section. In my opinion, the manuscript should be corrected before its publication.

Kind regards

Reviewer

 

Review of the manuscript:

 

General remark

Modern agriculture is based on nutrient management. In addition, C organic and nutrient balances are carried out in order to maintain soil fertility, agroecosystem stability and ensure environmental protection. The article contains only some elements of these issues. I suggest possibly expanding the manuscript to include them.

 

Title

I propose to consider the change of the title of the work on:

 

The Role of Organic and Mineral Fertilization in Maintaining Fertility and Productivity of Cryolithozone Soils

 

2. Organic Fertilizers and Humates

Line 116 – The name “pretense” needs to be corrected. Also use the Italic font

Is: Trifolium pretense

Should be: Trifolium pratense

Line 149: Rarely used units like c/ha it would be good to clarify.  

 

3.2. Phosphorus Fertilizers

Lines: 250, 252 - 253, 258, 259

I propose to give the name of the mineral element “phosphorus” or element symbol ”P” instead of  P₂O₅.

P₂O₅ (as chemical compound) is not a component of phosphorous flour (Ca₃PO₄)₂ or superphosphates Ca(H₂PO₄)₂, and is not applied to the soil in P₂O₅ form. This is just the amount of phosphorus in the fertilizer expressed in oxide form. The expression of the element in oxide (P₂O₅) form  - (P fertiliser calculated as P₂O₅) is in my opinion inadequate.

Line 250

Is: Under condition of equal P₂O₅ amounts applied to soil

Suggestion: Under condition of equal P amounts applied to soil

Lines: 252 - 253

Is: Even in case when P₂O₅ is applied

Suggestion: Even in case when phosphorus is applied

Lines: 258- 259

Is: Thus, P₂O₅ of superphosphate largely transforms into compounds that are not as available to plants as P₂O₅ of phosphorite.

Suggestion: Thus, P of water-soluble fertilisers superphosphates undergo chemical sorption in the soil and largely transforms into compounds that are not as available to plants as P of phosphorite.

Line 326

Is: assimilation

Suggestion: uptake

 

3.3. Potassium Fertilizers

Line 376

Is: is light soils from

Should be: is light soil from

Line 384: I propose to convert 155 kg/ha K₂O to pure element (K). 

 

4. Complex Fertilizers

Line 495

Is: nitrogen and

Suggestion: nitrogen compounds and

Lines: 495-496

Is: increased the activity of the nitrifying ability

Suggestion: increased the nitrifying ability

Line 521

Is: contamination of.

Suggestion: contamination.

Line 561

Is: (60 kg N / ha)

Suggestion: (60 kg N/ha)

Line 568

Is: (156-170 N kg/ha)

Suggestion: (156-170 kg N/ha)

 

Conclusions

I suggest to emphasise the role played by natural and organic fertilisers, as well as calcium-based deacidification fertilisers, in relation to the soils analysed, which is important in the context of managing the safety of food sourced from low-fertile, poorly humified and acidic soils.

 

References

Please format your references:

Lines: 632, 636, 644, 650, 659, 664, 677, 706, 708, 719, 729, 734, 750, 783, 785, 787, 812, 821, 840, 842, 844, 856.

Author Response

Dear reviewer, we are cordially thanks you for detailed work with paper and providing suggestions and recommendations for improving the manuscript text.
All changes in the text we marked yellow.
Detailed comment for all suggestions provided below:

Title has been corrected to "The Role of Organic and Mineral Fertilization in Maintaining Fertility and Productivity of Cryolithozone Soils"
2. Organic Fertilizers and Humates
Line 116 corrected.
Line 149: In all text recalculated from c/ha to t/ha.
3.2. Phosphorus Fertilizers
Lines: 250, 252-253, 258, 259, 326 corrected. The content of P₂O₅ was recalculated for pure P
3.3. Potassium Fertilizers
Line 376 corrected
Line 384: throughout the chapter, the K₂O content was recalculated to pure K.
4. Complex Fertilizers
Lines 495, 496, 521, 561 and 568 corrected
Conclusions have been adjusted
Format References has been corrected.

With Kind Regards,
Authors

Reviewer 2 Report

The Role of Organic and Mineral Fertilizers in Food Security Governance: on the Example of the Cryolithozone of the European Part of Russia

Dear Editor,

The authors have provided important information on the Role of Organic and Mineral Fertilizers in Food Security Governance, which would be help to enhance the audience knowledge and minimize the study gaps regarding food security just not in Russia even other parts of the world as well. The review is organized and informative. Further author needs some improvements and then accept it. 

Comments:

1.      In the abstract, conclusion portion: Try to extract your most interesting outcome of the study and to connect your research to the greater questions.

2.      Introduction need to improve with latest references in terms of organic fertilizers and please try to cite the state of the art studies, as we know organic farming is increasing day by day.

3.      Why author choose the only organic and inorganic but didn’t make any comparison between two different practices.

4.      Please mention and make comparison table between two practices.

5.      Overall I am satisfied with the startup, but needs to add more references and make better comparison and also make the tables between two practices.  

 

 

Best wishes 

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

1. The conclusion of the manuscript has been supplemented.
2. Yes, the reviewer is absolutely right that organic farming is growing day by day. The introduction and the review itself contain 38 references to articles from 2020-2023. In our opinion, this is quite enough. Therefore, a further increase in references will unnecessarily increase the size of the manuscript.
3. In our review, we tried to consider all practices used, including the complex use of fertilizers (Section 4).
4-5. The creation of such a table, in our opinion, is somewhat difficult, since the considered practices were used for different vegetable crops and such a comparison may not be entirely correct.