A) Soil Organic Matter and Humic Substances

• Isolation and fractionation of soil organic matter, humic substances, and soil hydrocolloids.
• Physicochemical, structural, and molecular characterization of natural and artificial humic substances.
• Study of the relationship between the composition, structure, and reactivity of soil organic matter and humic substances.
• Research on soil hydrocolloids and their role in the behavior of substances in soil.
• Preparation and evaluation of artificial humic materials for environmental and agricultural applications.

B) Soil Conditioners, Biostimulants, and Bioinoculants

• Study of biochar as a soil conditioner with emphasis on the effects of biomass type, pyrolysis conditions, texture, and particle size.
• Development of hydrogels and composite materials to improve water retention and soil conditions.
• Design of carriers for bioinoculants to support the stability and efficiency of beneficial soil microorganisms.
• Use of lignite and lignohumates to improve soil quality and nutrient availability.
• Development of products for the revitalization of soils affected by drought, contamination, or loss of biological activity.

C) Transport, Mobility, and Bioavailability of Substances in Soil

• Study of sorption and desorption of metals, nutrients, pharmaceuticals, and organic pollutants on soil system components.
• Experimental description of diffusion and mobility of substances in model and real soil environments.
• Evaluation of the effects of physicochemical environmental conditions and soil conditioners on the transport behavior of substances in soil.

D) Transformation and Stability of Soil Organic Matter

• Study of physical, chemical, and colloidal mechanisms involved in the stabilization of soil organic matter.
• Research on the stability of soil organic matter–metal–pollutant complexes.
• Monitoring microbial aspects of degradation, stabilization, and mineralization of soil organic matter.

The common goal of the research is to understand the behavior of organic, carbonaceous, and colloidal components of the soil system at the molecular level and to apply this knowledge to the design of materials and approaches supporting soil quality, resilience, and sustainable soil management.

• Understanding the effect of biochar amendment on transformation of soil organic matter – from interdisciplinary methodology to molecular-level interpretation
  GA 20-28208Y.
  Principal investigator: Ing. Michal Kalina, Ph.D.
• NATO SPS G296; Improving the monitoring of the state of agricultural land affected by military operations
  Czech title: Monitoring the state of agricultural soils affected by military operations.
  Principal investigator: Prof. Ing. Miloslav Pekař, CSc.
• GA 23-06757S; Self-entrapment of Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria by gelation of their exopolysaccharides
  Czech title: Encapsulation of plant growth-promoting bacteria through gelation of their exopolysaccharides as a pathway towards a new generation of bioinoculants.
  Principal investigator: doc. Ing. Petr Sedláček, Ph.D.
• TH02030073; Revitalisation of agricultural land in the areas of the Czech Republic endangered by drought
  Czech title: Revitalisation of agricultural land in drought-endangered areas of the Czech Republic.
  Principal investigator at FCH BUT: Prof. Ing. Miloslav Pekař, CSc.
• SQ01020087; Use of waste raw sheep wool in horticultural production
  Czech title: Use of waste raw sheep wool in horticultural production.
  Principal investigator at FCH BUT: Prof. Ing. Miloslav Pekař, CSc.
• HS SR162559210; Research and comprehensive characterisation of biochar and feedstock for biochar production according to European Biochar Certificate (EBC) certification standards (contract research)
  Principal investigator: Ing. Michal Kalina, Ph.D.
• Other projects

• Soil Organic Matter And Mineral Content As Crucial Factors For The Fate Of Tetracycline In Soils
  KLUČÁKOVÁ, M.; ZÁVODSKÁ, P.
• Self-entrapment of Azotobacter vinelandii cultures by gelation of their exopolysaccharides: A way towards next-generation bioinoculants
  ČERNAYOVÁ, D.; SÚKENÍK, M.; OBRUČA, S.; SMILEK, J.; KALINA, M.; MRÁZOVÁ, K.; HRUBANOVÁ, K.; KRZYŽÁNEK, V.; SEDLÁČEK, P.
• Influence of plasma activated water on the growth and vitality of Radish (Raphanus sativus L.)
  VOZÁR, T.; TREBULOVÁ, K.; KOZÁKOVÁ, Z.; KRČMA, F.; ENEV, V.; ČECHOVÁ, L.
• Lignite as a natural active immobilization system for surface/drainage water polluted by fertilizers
  KLUČÁKOVÁ, M.; ZÁVODSKÁ, P.; LAGOVÁ, M.; BURSÍK, L.; SOBOTKOVÁ, V.
• Microcalorimetry as an Effective Tool for the Determination of Thermodynamic Characteristics of Fulvic–Drug Interactions
  KLUČÁKOVÁ, M.; KROUSKÁ, J.
• Physico-Chemical Aspects of Metal–Fulvic Complexation
  KLUČÁKOVÁ, M.; KROUSKÁ, J.; KALINA, M.
• Soil organic matter interactions along the elevation gradient of the James Ross Island (Antarctica)
  VLČEK, V.; JUŘIČKA, D.; VALTERA, M.; DVOŘÁČKOVÁ, H.; ŠTULC, V.; BEDNAŘÍKOVÁ, M.; ŠIMEČKOVÁ, J.; VÁCZI, P.; POHANKA, M.; KAPLER, P.; BARTÁK, M.; ENEV, V.
• Agarose Hydrogels Enriched by Humic Acids as a Functional Model for the Transport of Pharmaceuticals in Nature Systems
  KLUČÁKOVÁ, M.; ZÁVODSKÁ, P.
• The Effect of Biochar Particle Size on the Leaching of Organic Molecules and Macro- and Microelements
  SOVOVÁ, Š.; MRAVCOVÁ, L.; POŘÍZKA, J.; KUBÍKOVÁ, L.; KALINA, M.
• Functional Hydrogels for Agricultural Application
  KRATOCHVÍLOVÁ, R.; KRÁČALÍK, M.; SMILKOVÁ, M.; SEDLÁČEK, P.; PEKAŘ, M.; BRADT, E.; SMILEK, J.; ZÁVODSKÁ, P.; KLUČÁKOVÁ, M.
• Diffusion of sulphonamide antibiotics in agarose hydrogels enriched by humic acids
  KLUČÁKOVÁ, M.; ZÁVODSKÁ, P.
• Biochar Texture – A Parameter Influencing Physicochemical Properties, Morphology, and Agronomical Potential
  KALINA, M.; SOVOVÁ, Š.; HAJZLER, J.; KUBÍKOVÁ, L.; TRUDIČOVÁ, M.; SMILEK, J.; ENEV, V.
• The Effect of Pyrolysis Temperature and the Source Biomass on the Properties of Biochar Produced for the Agronomical Applications as the Soil Conditioner
  KALINA, M.; SOVOVÁ, Š.; ŠVEC, J.; TRUDIČOVÁ, M.; HAJZLER, J.; KUBÍKOVÁ, L.; ENEV, V.
• Polarity-Based Sequential Extraction as a Simple Tool to Reveal the Structural Complexity of Humic Acids
  ENEV, V.; SEDLÁČEK, P.; KUBÍKOVÁ, L.; SOVOVÁ, Š.; DOSKOČIL, L.; KLUČÁKOVÁ, M.; PEKAŘ, M.
• New possibility for characterization of dissociation behaviour of supramolecular electrolytes
  KLUČÁKOVÁ, M.
• Agarose Hydrogels Enriched by Humic Acids as the Complexation Agent
  KLUČÁKOVÁ, M.
• How the Supramolecular Nature of Lignohumate Affects Its Diffusion in Agarose Hydrogel
  KLUČÁKOVÁ, M.; KALINA, M.; ENEV, V.
• Composite materials for controlled release of mineral nutrients and humic substances for agricultural application
  KRATOCHVÍLOVÁ, R.; SEDLÁČEK, P.; POŘÍZKA, J.; KLUČÁKOVÁ, M.
• Mean Activity Coefficients of Humic Acids as Physicochemical Characteristics of their Behavior in Water Environment
  KLUČÁKOVÁ, M.
• Other publications

• Physicochemical characterization of soils, soil organic matter, and humic substances – determination of basic physicochemical properties (pH, conductivity), organic and mineral fraction content, and CHNS/O analysis.
• Isolation and fractionation of soil organic matter and humic substances – separation into humic acids, fulvic acids, and humins according to standard IHSS procedures.
• Advanced spectroscopic analyses of soil organic matter and humic substances – application of UV–VIS, FTIR, Raman, and fluorescence spectroscopy for evaluating structure, aromaticity, functional groups, and transformation changes.
• Quantification of humic substances in preparations and soil products – determination and verification of humic substance content in materials and commercial products.
• Colloidal characterization of dispersions, soil hydrocolloids, and material suspensions – particle size, molecular weight, aggregation, polydispersity, zeta potential, and dispersion stability.
• Thermal analysis, calorimetry, and material stability evaluation – analysis of soil conditioners, organic materials, hydrogels, and composites.
• Study of sorption, desorption, diffusion, and mobility of substances in soil – particularly metals, nutrients, pharmaceuticals, and organic pollutants in model and real soil systems.
• Stability of soil organic matter and its complexes – investigation of organic matter stabilization, binding interactions with metals and pollutants, and the influence of soil conditioners.
• Rheological characterization of solutions, dispersions, gels, and hydrogel matrices – flow and viscoelastic properties of systems relevant to soil and material applications.
• Microbial activity of soils and biodegradation of materials – evaluation of soil respiration, microbial activity, and interactions of materials with soil biota.
• Growth and cultivation experiments under controlled conditions – testing the effects of soil conditioners, bioinoculants, and other additives on soil environment and model plant growth.