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Exergy assessment of topsoil fertility

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  • Valero, Antonio
  • Palacino, Bárbara
  • Ascaso, Sonia
  • Valero, Alicia

Abstract

Soil degradation, affecting around 38% of the world's cropland, threatens the global food supply. Due to the soil's complexity, the measure of soil degradation that involves the loss of soil fertility due to crop system management processes represents an unsolved problem. Exergy is a property with the potential to be used in soil fertility and/or degradation analysis. A methodology to determine the exergy value fenced in a fertile soil due to its inorganic and organic components is established in this study and will be applied to evaluate soil fertility, degradation, and quality. As a first step, the exergy of perfect topsoil with optimum characteristics called "OptSOIL" is determined. The "OptSOIL" is established by agronomic expertise and will allow establishing a general theoretical reference suitable to execute exergy assessments of soils and compare the degradation grade of any soil concerning the best possible. Consequently, we introduce a perfect fertile planetary crust made of “OptNUT” and “OptSOM” invariant and independent of the different local textures, but not independent of their water content and aeration. We call this imaginary crust -copiously fertile- Pristinia as opposed to Thanatia, a dead state referring to abiotic resources. Thus, any real agricultural soil will be an intermediate soil between Pristinia and Thanatia. This idea might serve to quantitatively diagnose an assessment of all the concepts by which soil is degraded. The methodology has been validated through laboratory agronomic tests for different soils, concluding that exergy is a rigorous indicator to measure topsoil fertility.

Suggested Citation

  • Valero, Antonio & Palacino, Bárbara & Ascaso, Sonia & Valero, Alicia, 2022. "Exergy assessment of topsoil fertility," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 464(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecomod:v:464:y:2022:i:c:s0304380021003471
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2021.109802
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Valero, Antonio & Agudelo, Andrés & Valero, Alicia, 2011. "The crepuscular planet. A model for the exhausted atmosphere and hydrosphere," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 36(6), pages 3745-3753.
    2. Szargut, Jan, 1989. "Chemical exergies of the elements," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 32(4), pages 269-286.
    3. Valero, Alicia & Valero, Antonio & Gómez, Javier B., 2011. "The crepuscular planet. A model for the exhausted continental crust," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 36(1), pages 694-707.
    4. Erol, M. & Haykiri-Acma, H. & Küçükbayrak, S., 2010. "Calorific value estimation of biomass from their proximate analyses data," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 35(1), pages 170-173.
    5. Atanu Mukherjee & Rattan Lal, 2014. "Comparison of Soil Quality Index Using Three Methods," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(8), pages 1-15, August.
    6. Valero, Antonio & Valero, Alicia, 2012. "Exergy of comminution and the Thanatia Earth's model," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 44(1), pages 1085-1093.
    7. Kemper, W. D. & Koch, E.J., 1966. "Aggregate Stability of Soils from Western United States and Canada," Technical Bulletins 171386, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    8. Valero, Alicia & Valero, Antonio & Calvo, Guiomar & Ortego, Abel & Ascaso, Sonia & Palacios, Jose-Luis, 2018. "Global material requirements for the energy transition. An exergy flow analysis of decarbonisation pathways," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 1175-1184.
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