  It is shown that matter solitons can be effectively managed by means of
smooth variations of parameters of optical lattices in which the condensate is
loaded. The phenomenon is based on the effect of lattice modulations on the
carrier wave transporting the soliton and that is why is well understood in
terms of the effective mass approach, where a particular spatial configuration
of the band structure is of primary importance. Linear, parabolic, and
spatially localized modulations are considered as the case examples. It is
shown that these defects can originate accelerating and oscillating motion of
matter solitons as well as simulate soliton interaction with attractive and
repulsive defects.
