Present

Life passes by, I speak things

That matters to my heart

What I felt when I didn’t speak up

The crimson hue, the poetic cradle

Children’s hands soft as muds

Pools where I bathed once 

I belong to my memories of present

Car windows randomly come by

The buildings are yellow and streets

That speak of monologues

Of people and politics and the rusty mirror

Nails that are scary of partition blood

I mug prosaic utterances of past

I breathed that I am I am. 

Congratulations to contributor Jacques Fleury, who was chosen among 4,000 competitors from 83 countries as a recipient of the 2026 International Naji Naaman Literary Prize for Creativity!

Also, Synchronized Chaos contributor Marisa LaPorte has a new book out, which includes a few poems Synchronized Chaos published.

Dead Grandmas Are Universal by Marisa LaPorte is a raw, intimate poetry collection that traces the emotional inheritance of trauma, grief, queerness, mental illness, and survival through the lens of womanhood. Across deeply confessional free verse poems, the author explores complicated legacies passed down through generations of women: addiction, abuse, self-destruction, resilience, and the desperate longing to be loved without disappearing in the process. If you’re interested in reading and reviewing the book, please let us know.

It’s been said that life isn’t so much about finding oneself as it is creating oneself. In this issue, contributors suggest that statement could also prove true about meaning in life, that it’s something we can build by ourselves or together over time.

Several contributors begin by confronting life’s darker realities. J.J. Campbell’s To Live Your Dreams, as reviewed by Cristina Deptula, expresses a deep desire for human connection and understanding despite loneliness, trauma, and despair. J.J. Campbell’s poetry later in this issue further develops the theme of alienation, including from one’s own aging, weakening body. George Gad Economou reflects on the allure and consequences of excessive drinking, reflecting on the bittersweet memories that remain long after moments of indulgence have passed. Nad Raf addresses loss, betrayal, and personal recovery, finding herself among the neglected and forgotten, while Elaine Murray finds solace in grief through her memories of love. Hussein Nasr Jabr looks at loss and others’ struggles with tenderness, while Stephen Jarrell Williams and Marisa LaPorte speak to relationships lost and those that drift apart. These works suggest that meaning often emerges through the honest confrontation of suffering.

Themes of power and vulnerability also appear throughout the issue. Alan Catlin creates a sense of dislocation in his work that demonstrates the psychological brutality of government authority and institutional control, while Mykyta Ryzhykh demonstrates the powerlessness of individuals confronting systemic violence. Mickey Corrigan excoriates those who believe their wealth and power insulate them from accountability. Anonymous issues a revolutionary declaration against Elon Musk. Fhen M.’s criticism of Bagulaya’s Marxist analysis of contemporary Waray Filipino poetry reminds us that our lives and imaginations exist on multiple aesthetic levels and cannot be reduced just to socioeconomics. Together, these works remind readers that artistic expression remains a powerful means of resistance and reflection.

At the same time, many contributors celebrate the everyday experiences that connect people to one another. Abbie Huh captures summer moments filled with warmth, welcome, and abundance. A. Iwasa’s review of Ivan Salinas’ Dealer highlights the ordinary beauty of these slices of life amongst classic cars. Mark Young finds a mixture of wry humor and joy in ordinary encounters and systems of social etiquette. Dianne Reeves Angel transforms interactions among women into a poetic song and dance, while Christina Chin’s illustrated haiga commemorates a simple yet meaningful exchange of craft. Soumen Roy and Mesfakus Salahin speak elegantly of love and connection as Lan Xin urges people searching for true love to continue to be kind and true to themselves. Bill Tope’s inclusive prom story similarly celebrates community and acceptance. Jacques Fleury’s poem speaks to getting out of one’s personal comfort zone to build bridges across social barriers. Jernail S. Anand celebrates the role many women have historically played holding families and communities together and promoting peace, as Danijela Ćuk urges the world to pursue peace and compassion. Naeem Aziz celebrates an act of heroic rescue where a man showed up for a young girl in need. Qahramonova Zahro Qahramonovna pays poetic tribute to her family and her heritage. Mahbub Alam honors a long-term loving marriage as Graciela Noemi Villaverde finds exquisite and delicate beauty in a newer relationship and Mirta Liliana Ramirez reflects on short, but meaningful loves. These works reveal the significance hidden within ordinary encounters and shared experiences.

Art itself becomes a source of connection and renewal throughout the collection. Joseph Ogbonna reimagines Leonardo’s Mona Lisa as a confident and engaging presence, bridging centuries of artistic admiration. Priyanka Neogi celebrates Charlie Chaplin’s artistry. Mohammed Al Gaddafi Masoud’s poetry celebrates creativity, joy, and human fellowship. Sayani Mukherjee reflects on the sacrifices involved with and the transcendent possibilities of artistic creation, acknowledging both beauty and impermanence. Noah Berlatsky humorously probes the limits of human logic and classification, while Thi Lan Anh Tran and Musharraf Hussa evoke elusive presences that linger at the edge of human consciousness. Together, these works demonstrate art’s ability to deepen awareness and foster connection across time and experience.

Nature serves as another important source of meaning. Duane Vorhees contemplates the cyclical patterns that unite human life with the natural world. Ananya S. Guha explores memory, imagination, and time through encounters with nature, while Nurbek Norchayev reflects on sorrow, happiness, and life’s purpose amid beautiful landscapes. Emmanuel Taiwo draws comfort from nature’s cycles of birth, life, and death, and Brian Barbeito pursues spiritual insight through both wilderness contemplation and the quiet observations of a summer poolside scene. Eva Lianou Petropoulou’s works celebrate peace, sunshine, childhood, love, and hope. Christina Chin’s haiku and art showcase dragon boat racing. Collectively, these contributions suggest that nature offers both perspective and renewal, helping individuals understand their place within larger cycles of existence.

Many writers also emphasize the importance of preserving and transmitting knowledge. Ismatova Dilnura highlights the role of books in children’s education, while Sharifov Sirojiddin Shavkatovich examines the history and significance of calculus as a cornerstone of human understanding. Akbarova Farangiz explores the use of folk proverbs as a literary device in Abdulla Qodiriy’s novel O‘tkan Kunlar (Bygone Days). Jasmina Qahramonjonova honors the dedication and achievement of athletes whose discipline inspires others. Timothee Bordenave seeks a rational and ethical framework for living that promotes both personal fulfillment and social well-being. Karimova Navbaxar Mahmudjanovna honors the importance and dignity of the teaching profession. These works underscore humanity’s ongoing effort to learn, grow, and pass wisdom from one generation to the next.

The collection further broadens its perspective by addressing collective responsibility and hope for the future. Dilnoza Jabborova’s examination of pollution in the Aral Sea serves as both a warning and a testament to the possibility of environmental restoration. Oʻktamova Sabrina Mahmud qizi urges mulching and natural soil enhancement to improve agricultural fertility. Shonazarova Parizod recognizes the often-unseen labor of volunteers whose efforts sustain communities. Maki Starfield proposes that humanity’s current crises may be addressed through a synthesis of scientific knowledge, spiritual understanding, and ancient wisdom. These contributions encourage readers to view personal meaning as inseparable from the well-being of society and the planet.

Taken together, these works reveal that our lives do not have to be meaningless. Meaning can emerge through memory and imagination, struggle and perseverance, learning and creativity, nature and community. Whether confronting loss, celebrating beauty, questioning authority, preserving knowledge, or imagining a better future, each contributor illuminates a different aspect of humanity’s ongoing search for connection, purpose, and renewal. The result is a rich tapestry of voices that affirms both the complexity of human experience and the enduring hope that gives it meaning.

dragon boat 

drumbeats vibrate

the regatta

More about dragon boat racing here.

Your Love Will Eventually Come

Poet / Lan Xin (Lan Xin Sa Mei)

The hardships and perplexities encountered in life

Are often hard to embrace in the moment

Later you will suddenly realize

Everything is destined for the best

Heaven never makes you lose give up or wait without cause

It merely leads you toward something finer

I always believe

To miss someone not meant for you

Is a deliberate trial and design from above

Stay true to who you are

A better soulmate will come for you

To miss things not meant to be

Is a thoughtful test and arrangement

It sees if you can grow stronger through setbacks

Keep striving march forward and walk the right path

You will gather strength and reap remarkable achievements

May someone dear

Heal all your wounds

Settle all your grievances

Untie all your tangles

Fill all your emptiness

Make up for all your regrets

May you meet the one your heart longs for and let go of life’s unfairness

May you embrace the sweetest love and leave past sorrows behind

Dead Grandmas Are Universal 

“I joined the dead grandma club. 

Now that she’s gone, I feel closer to her. 

I’m torn between remembering her

for the woman she was 

and forgiving her 

for the empty shell she became.”

Candlelight Lover

“She was my candlelight lover 

but I never thought loving her 

would mold me into a woman of wax.”

To all the Antidepressants I’ve Ingested Before

“Wellbutrin 

I wish I could call you a fling. 

Truly, I wish I’d never swallowed. 

My mind had never been in such a state. 

Let’s leave our memories in the past 

and never speak of them again.”

These poems are excerpts from Marisa LaPorte’s recently published collection Dead Grandmas are Universal.

PART I: ENGLISH

THE ROLE OF MODERN TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS IN ENHANCING SOIL FERTILITY THROUGH THE EFFICIENT MANAGEMENT OF ORGANIC MATTER

Author: Oʻktamova Sabrina Mahmud qizi

1st-year Student of Ecology, Faculty of Geography and Agronomy, Qarshi State University, Qarshi, Uzbekistan 

Abstract

Soil organic matter (SOM) and humus depletion represent major ecological and agronomic crises in arid and semi-arid agroecosystems, particularly in the irrigated lands of the Qashqadaryo region of Uzbekistan. While traditional application of raw animal manure and crop residues has been the historical norm, its efficiency is severely limited by rapid mineralization, greenhouse gas emissions, nutrient leaching, and pathogen transmission. This paper reviews and analyzes the transformative role of modern green technologies in maximizing the efficiency of organic matter to restore soil fertility. We examine advanced paradigms such as biochar-blended co-composting, microbial-inoculated vermitechnology, anaerobic digestate recycling, and nano-formulated organic carrier systems. Integrating these biotechnological advances into local agricultural systems can stabilize soil aggregates, suppress erosion, improve water-use efficiency, and facilitate carbon sequestration, paving the way for sustainable, climate-smart agriculture in Uzbekistan.

Keywords: Soil organic matter, humus recovery, biochar co-composting, vermitechnology, anaerobic digestate, nano-organic fertilizer, sustainable agriculture.

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1. Introduction

Soil organic matter (SOM), primarily represented by the complex fraction known as humus, is the biological engine of soil fertility. It dictates soil structure, cation exchange capacity (CEC), water retention, and microbial biodiversity. In arid and semi-arid regions like the Karshi Steppe in Uzbekistan, high temperatures combined with intensive tillage accelerate the mineralization of organic carbon, leading to a critical decline in humus levels (often dropping below 0.8%). This depletion triggers a cascade of ecological degradation: soil compaction, salinity, loss of biodiversity, and vulnerability to wind and water erosion.

To mitigate this, returning organic matter to the soil is imperative. However, the direct application of raw organic wastes (such as fresh manure or untreated crop stalks) is highly inefficient in hot climates. Raw organic inputs undergo rapid decomposition, releasing large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO_2) and methane (CH_4) into the atmosphere while yielding minimal stable humus. Furthermore, they can introduce weed seeds, pathogens, and temporary nitrogen immobilization (due to high C:N ratios). Therefore, modern agricultural ecology must transition from simple organic recycling to advanced technogenic and biological processing of organic matter before soil application.

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**2.Modern Technological Paradigms in Organic Soil Management**

2.1. Biochar-Blended Co-Composting (Biokoʻmirli birgalikda kompostlash)

Co-composting organic waste (manure, straw, food waste) with biochar (derived from pyrolysis of agricultural residues like cotton stalks) is a cutting-edge technology.

• Mechanism: Biochar acts as a porous carbon scaffold during the composting process. It adsorbs volatile ammonia (NH_3), reducing nitrogen loss by up to 50%, and physically protects composting microorganisms from temperature fluctuations.

• Impact on Fertility: The resulting biochar-compost complex is highly stable. When applied to the soil, it does not rapidly decompose, thus providing long-term carbon storage while slowly releasing nutrients to plant roots.

2.2. Vermitechnology with Customized Microbial Inoculation

Vermicomposting utilizing earthworms (e.g., Eisenia fetida) has been upgraded through the introduction of specific Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) and mycorrhizal fungi.

• Mechanism: Earthworms mechanically grind organic waste, while the inoculated beneficial bacteria (such as Azotobacter and Pseudomonas) enrich the worm cast (vermicompost) with plant hormones (auxins, gibberellins) and fix atmospheric nitrogen.

• Impact on Fertility: This bio-organic fertilizer significantly enhances the soil’s biological fertility, suppressing soil-borne plant pathogens and promoting vigorous root development.

2.3. Anaerobic Digestate Recycling (Biogaz digestati)

The byproduct of biogas production from animal manure and agricultural biomass, known as anaerobic digestate, is an underutilized organic goldmine.

• Mechanism: Anaerobic digestion converts complex organic compounds into highly plant-available mineralized forms (specifically ammonium-nitrogen, NH_4^+-N) while preserving the humic substances.

• Impact on Fertility: Applying liquid digestate through modern drip irrigation systems (fertigation) provides immediate organic nutrition to crops, improves soil microbial respiration, and prevents the volatilization of valuable nitrogen.

2.4. Nano-Formulated Organic Carriers (Smart Organic Fertilizers)

Nanotechnology is now being integrated with organic materials to create “smart” fertilizers.

• Mechanism: Organic humic and fulvic acids are encapsulated or bound with inorganic nanoparticles (like nano-zinc, nano-iron, or nano-silica).

• Impact on Fertility: These nano-organic complexes prevent nutrients from leaching into groundwater or becoming locked in saline soils. They release nutrients slowly, matching the exact physiological demands of the crops, thus increasing nutrient-use efficiency by over 200%.

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3. Ecological and Agronomic Relevance for Qashqadaryo

In the Qashqadaryo province, where water scarcity is acute and soil salinity is widespread, these modern organic technologies are highly relevant:

1. Water Conservation: Organic carbon processed through co-composting and vermicomposting increases soil moisture retention. Every 1% increase in SOM allows the soil to hold up to 20,000 gallons of extra water per acre, crucial for the Karshi Steppe.

2.Salinity Mitigation: Humic acids from processed organic fertilizers bind excess sodium (Na^+) ions, reducing osmotic stress on cotton and wheat crops.

3. Circular Bioeconomy: Utilizing millions of tons of local cotton stalks (gʻoʻzapoya) to produce biochar and composting ingredients prevents open-field burning, reduces air pollution, and turns agricultural waste into economic assets.

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4. Conclusion

The transition from traditional, raw organic manure application to advanced, technologically processed organic inputs is a vital ecological shift required for Uzbekistan’s soils. Biochar co-composting, advanced vermitechnology, digestate utilization, and nano-organic formulations represent the future of sustainable soil management. These technologies not only restore the degraded humus layer and improve soil physical and biological properties but also mitigate climate change through carbon sequestration. Implementing these practices will secure soil fertility, enhance water-use efficiency, and ensure agricultural sustainability in the face of ongoing climate changes.

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References

1. Ahmad, M., et al. (2014). “Biochar as a sorbent for contaminant management in soil and water: A review.” Chemosphere, 99, 19–33.

2. Lehmann, J., & Joseph, S. (2015). Biochar for Environmental Management: Science, Technology and Implementation. London: Routledge.

3. Tang, J., Bu, H., & Liu, G. (2020). “Combined biochar and phytoremediation for remediation of contaminated soils: A review.” Journal of Environmental Management, 277, 111446.

4. Tan, X., et al. (2016). “Application of biochar-based materials in environmental remediation: A review.” Journal of Environmental Management, 168, 234–248.

5. Gulyamova, M. B. (2021). “The dynamics of soil organic matter under conservation agriculture in drylands of Uzbekistan.” Uzbekistan Journal of Agriculture and Forestry, 2(3), 44–51.

6. Lal, R. (2016). “Beyond COP21: Potential and challenges of the ‘4 per Thousand’ initiative.” Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, 71(1), 20A–25A.