Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment最新文献

{"title":"Enhancing Plant Growth and Yield Under Reduced Water and Nutrient Conditions: The Role of Biostimulants in Improving Irrigation Efficiency and Drought Resilience in Soilless Strawberry Cultivation Under Glasshouse Conditions","authors":"Ruvini Ranasingha,&nbsp;Anya Perera,&nbsp;Kenneth Tabugbo,&nbsp;Viktor Vasilev","doi":"10.1002/sae2.70082","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/sae2.70082","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Introduction</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Strawberries are globally valued for their flavour, nutritional benefits and antioxidant content. However, their cultivation is highly sensitive to abiotic stresses, particularly water and nutrient limitations, which can impact yield and quality. Soilless systems like hydroponics offer a solution by improving irrigation efficiency in commercial strawberry cultivations. This study investigates the use of microbial biostimulants and protein hydrolysates to enhance water and nutrient use efficiency and drought tolerance in hydroponic strawberry production under glasshouse conditions.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Method</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The study was conducted at ARU Writtle's unheated glasshouse from May to November 2024, using two strawberry cultivars, ‘Loren’ and ‘Malwina’. Plants were grown in commercial compost media under two irrigation regimes (100% and 50%) and treated with biostimulants (Vitalnova TriBoost and Hicure). Measurements included plant growth, fruit yield, and physiological parameters. Statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS to assess treatment effects and correlations.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Biostimulant treatments, significantly improved various growth and physiological traits, especially under deficit irrigation. In ‘Loren’, TriBoost moderately increased leaf production, while in ‘Malwina’, it significantly enhanced leaf count (14.4%), shoot fresh weight (52%), shoot water content (25.1%) and stomatal conductance (17%). Hicure improved stomatal conductance in both cultivars, suggesting improved physiological responses to reduced irrigation. Although biostimulants did not significantly influence fruit count, TriBoost and Hicure significantly improved fruit weight by 35.7% and 37.0% respectively in ‘Malwina’ under 50% irrigation.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study shows that biostimulants, particularly Hicure and TriBoost, can improve growth and physiological performance of hydroponically grown strawberries under reduced irrigation. However, yield increases were observed in only one cultivar, with no yield benefit in the other cultivar despite improved growth. These cultivar-specific responses highlight the importance of tailored biostimulant use and provide valuable insights for growers, as biostimulants can support improved irrigation efficiency and drought resilience in soilless strawberry production.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":100834,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment","volume":"4 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/sae2.70082","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144740525","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fungal Networks Constrain Microfauna-Stimulated Nitrogen Mineralisation in a Soil Microcosm Experiment","authors":"Reza Ghaderi,&nbsp;Helen L. Hayden,&nbsp;Ramesha H. Jayaramaiah,&nbsp;Thi Bao Anh Nguyen,&nbsp;Hang-Wei Hu,&nbsp;Ji-Zheng He","doi":"10.1002/sae2.70081","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/sae2.70081","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Soil microfauna are recognised as key regulators of nitrogen (N) transformations, primarily through grazing and translocation mechanisms. The interactions between soil microorganisms and their microfaunal grazers play a crucial role in controlling N mineralisation and immobilisation processes. Despite the well-established role of bacterivore nematodes and other microbial grazers in enhancing N mineralisation, the extent to which these organisms contribute to overall nutrient cycling within fungal-dominated systems remains unclear. In a non-amended soil microcosm experiment, we investigated microorganisms-microfauna interaction using morphological observations, quantitative polymerase chain reaction and high-fthroughput sequencing. Our findings indicate that microbial grazing by microfauna did not enhance N mineralisation contrary to our hypothesis, despite an increase in bacterial grazers and bacterial abundance compared to the defaunated control. Instead, we observed a dominant fungal-driven N immobilisation process, as evidenced by the increased presence of saprophytic fungi, fungivore nematodes, and a high nematode channel index. The absolute abundance of fungal communities, particularly members of the Sordariomycetes class, further supports the hypothesis that fungi play a central role in regulating N transformations. These results challenge the conventional assumption that microfauna-driven bacterial turnover leads to enhanced N availability and highlight the significant role of fungal networks in N retention.</p>","PeriodicalId":100834,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment","volume":"4 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/sae2.70081","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144740535","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Foliar Application of Three Biostimulants in Two Time Intervals Affects Crop Yield and Chemical Parameters of Melissa officinalis L.","authors":"Davide Farruggia,&nbsp;Maria Cannizzaro,&nbsp;Mario Licata,&nbsp;Salvatore La Bella,&nbsp;Giovanni Urso,&nbsp;Johannes Novak","doi":"10.1002/sae2.70075","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/sae2.70075","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Lemon balm is a medicinal and aromatic plant which is commonly known for its antimicrobial, antiviral, antioxidant, antianxiety and anti-inflammatory activities. Literature reports that the intrinsic traits of this species can be greatly affected by several factors, producing relevant variations. Particularly, the crop yield and synthesis of secondary metabolites are affected by abiotic factors, such as temperature, drought and salt stresses. The application of biostimulants, complementing the conventional agronomic practices, allows to reduce the impact of stress conditions on yield and enhance the quality standards of the plant. With this in mind, a 2-year study was carried out with the aim to investigate the effects of three different biostimulant formulations such as <i>Ascophyllum nodosum</i>, fulvic acids, and vegetal protein hydrolysate, with two intervals of application, on morphological traits, biomass yield and chemical parameters of lemon ball. The experimental setup was a randomized complete block design with three replicates. The foliar application and application interval, as main factors, significantly affected almost all parameters in the study. In general, all biostimulants improved plant growth. The best results in terms of fresh and dry biomass were observed in plants treated with fulvic acids every 14 days. An increase of over 5 t ha⁻¹ for fresh yield and over 1 t ha⁻¹ for dry yield were recorded. Antioxidant activity and total phenolic content were positively affected by biostimulant and interval of application. The results highlight that few applications of biostimulants can greatly improve the yields of lemon balm and, in some cases, enhance the properties of its extracts.</p>","PeriodicalId":100834,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment","volume":"4 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/sae2.70075","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144740542","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Compost Application Compensates Yield Loss in a Successive Winter Wheat Rotation: Evidence From a Multiple Isotope Labelling Study","authors":"Nikolaos Kaloterakis,&nbsp;Mehdi Rashtbari,&nbsp;Rüdiger Reichel,&nbsp;Bahar S. Razavi,&nbsp;Nicolas Brüggemann","doi":"10.1002/sae2.70079","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/sae2.70079","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Introduction</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Successive winter wheat (WW) rotations lead to yield decline due to a less favourable microbial community and changes in soil nutrient availability. Research on mitigation options is limited and has great potential to improve farming profitability.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Materials and Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Using a quadruple isotope labelling study (¹³C, ¹⁵N, ²H and ¹⁸O) and a novel mesocosm experimental setup enabling the growth of wheat in outdoor conditions, we investigated the effects of the rotational position and compost application on the productivity of WW, grown either after oilseed rape or in self-succession, during the flowering (T1) and grain ripening stage (T2).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The initial high soil nutrient content after oilseed rape created a long-lasting soil legacy that gave an advantage to the first WW after oilseed rape (W1) compared to the growth of the second WW after oilseed rape (W2), with significantly higher soil nitrate, ammonium, dissolved organic carbon, and microbial biomass than in W2. Compost significantly compensated for the disadvantage of W2, and by T2, these effects were reflected in enhanced root growth and nutrient uptake in the compost-amended W2. Allocation of freshly assimilated carbon was 46.2% higher in the compost-amended compared to the unamended W2. A similar trend was observed for plant ¹⁵N from the ¹⁵N-labelled fertiliser. Compost increased the contribution of the topsoil and decreased the contribution of the subsoil to total plant water uptake, which resulted in a 30% higher plant growth and yield gain in the compost-amended W2.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Our findings highlight the capacity of compost to buffer negative plant-soil feedbacks in monotonous crop rotations by influencing key rhizosphere processes, while simultaneously improving wheat growth and yield.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":100834,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment","volume":"4 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/sae2.70079","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144681388","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Predicting Forage Nutritional Quality With Near-Infrared Spectroscopy","authors":"Alessandro Benelli,&nbsp;Riccardo Primi,&nbsp;Chiara Evangelista,&nbsp;Raffaello Spina,&nbsp;Marco Milanesi,&nbsp;Daniele Pietrucci,&nbsp;Bruno Ronchi,&nbsp;Umberto Bernabucci,&nbsp;Roberto Moscetti","doi":"10.1002/sae2.70077","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/sae2.70077","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The quality of green forage is crucial in pasture grazing, influencing both animal welfare, environmental sustainability, and production yield. Traditionally, the evaluation of forage composition requires time-consuming and costly chemical analysis. In this context, near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR) emerges as a promising alternative. This study adopted Fourier transform NIR (FT-NIR) spectroscopy to predict nutritional characteristics of green forages. A total of 324 samples were collected from pastures in central Italy. Partial least squares (PLS) regression models were then developed, applying variable selection methods to improve PLS model accuracy. The interval PLS (iPLS) variable selection method gave the best results for fresh forage, while the genetic algorithm (GA) performed best for dried samples. The best results from the PLS models were obtained for dry matter (DM) and crude protein (CP). The DM model for fresh forage yielded an R²_P of 0.96 and an RMSEP of 2.95 g 100 g⁻¹ FW, while the CP model for dried forage yielded an R²_P of 0.94 and an RMSEP of 1.84 g 100 g⁻¹ DW, with a normalised root-mean-square error of cross-validation (NRMSECV) of 3.8% and 5.6%, respectively. The results for the neutral detergent fibre (aNDF) were acceptable. NIR spectroscopy has proven to be a useful tool for assessing forage nutritional quality. Variable selection through iPLS also enabled the identification of “core” spectral regions for the development of compact and portable NIR sensors. Future research should further investigate sample preparation and moisture content effects and expand sampling to different geographical areas to enhance model robustness.</p>","PeriodicalId":100834,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment","volume":"4 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/sae2.70077","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144589955","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Role of Agriculture Extension and Rural Advisory Services in Strengthening Climate-Smart Agricultural System: A Systematic Review","authors":"Md Maruf Billah,&nbsp;Mohammad Mahmudur Rahman,&nbsp;Santiago Mahimairaja,&nbsp;Alvin Lal,&nbsp;Ravi Naidu","doi":"10.1002/sae2.70076","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/sae2.70076","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Introduction</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Agriculture Extension and Rural Advisory Services (AERAS) are the powerhouse of sustainable agricultural development. Conversely, Climate-Smart Agriculture is the core of farm sustainability and food security. The study aimed at investigating the role of AERAS in strengthening climate-smart agricultural system.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Materials and Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The review was conducted employing Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta Analyses (PRISMA). The period for the database searching was confined to 2000 and 2024, and in total, 47 articles were ultimately reviewed.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Findings signify that most of the research had been conducted in the world's developing and least developed nations of Africa and South Asia (32 papers), accounting for about 68%. Outcomes show that diffusion of innovations and collaboration with multiple stakeholders (68.1%) was the foremost role of AERAS. On the contrary, negotiations and lobbying for the best policies (31.9%) were identified as the secondary role. However, capacity building and human resources development (63.8%), performing intermediary functions and supporting extension learning processes (55.3%) were found potential role of AERAS towards climate-smart farming system. Moreover, ambiguous role, maladaptation, poor coordination, and geographical disparities were detected as research loopholes.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Department of agriculture extension and policy research can leverage the findings as a set of guidelines for the provision of demand-driven extension services at farm level, revision of curriculum and principles to support smart farming system. The study is very worthy because it focuses on the role of AERAS in fostering farmers' adaptation and resilience capacity, basically to help kick-start climate-smart agricultural system.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":100834,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment","volume":"4 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/sae2.70076","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144551217","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Wheat Production Across East Africa: Trend, Instability, and Decomposition Analysis Using Time Series Approach","authors":"Habtamu Mossie Andualem,&nbsp;Mesfin Bekele Gebbisa,&nbsp;Zsuzsanna Bacsi","doi":"10.1002/sae2.70073","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/sae2.70073","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Measuring agricultural growth and variability is key to tracking output changes. East African wheat production is below its potential, with limited data and analysis over time. As a result, this study examines the growth patterns, variability, and instability of wheat production in East Africa, specifically in Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Tanzania, between 1993 and 2023. To analyse and estimate wheat production trends, instability with regional disparity, and decomposition across East Africa's top wheat-producing countries, a 30-year data series with different secondary data, mostly the FAOSTAT database, was divided into three sub-periods: Period I (1993/94-2002/03), Period II (2003/04-2012/13) and Period III (2013/14-2022/23), even though compound growth rates, a semi-logarithmic trend model, a differential equation approach for decomposition analysis, and the Cuddy-Della Valle Index were utilised. Wheat production and productivity in Eastern Africa exhibited a general upward trend, primarily attributed to land expansion rather than breakthroughs in yield. Ethiopia became the leading producer, whereas Uganda has shown consistent and significant growth. Conversely, Kenya and Tanzania experienced decreasing trends in productivity within cultivated areas. Instability analysis indicates that Uganda exhibited the highest stability in production at 7.32%, whereas Rwanda and Tanzania taught greater volatility, with rates of 46.74% and 32.15%, respectively. The decomposition analysis reveals that the increase in farming areas contributed to 73.1% of the recent production growth. East African countries must prioritise productivity-enhancing wheat production by implementing modern farming technologies, employing improved varieties, increasing irrigation, and encouraging climate-resilient practices to ensure sustainability and improve regional food security, regional trade connectivity and for further encroachment of East Africa community.</p>","PeriodicalId":100834,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment","volume":"4 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/sae2.70073","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144315355","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Culturomics Reveals Microbial Dynamics in the Apple Carposphere Across Developmental Stages, Altitude and Tissue Types","authors":"Ana María Sánchez,&nbsp;Jonàs Oliva,&nbsp;Cristina Solsona,&nbsp;Ahmed Abdelfattah,&nbsp;Neus Teixidó","doi":"10.1002/sae2.70074","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/sae2.70074","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The apple carposphere harbours a diverse community of microorganisms that could play a crucial role in fruit health and postharvest preservation. While culture-independent techniques have advanced our understanding of the apple microbiome, a substantial portion of this community remains unexplored due to cultivation limitations. In this study, a culturomics approach was adopted using culture media enriched with apple-derived nutrients to recover and characterise the epiphytic and endophytic bacterial and fungal communities of apple fruits. Aiming to analyse the effects of the altitude and developmental stage of the fruit on these microbial communities. To do this, the impact of altitude (Pyrenees mountain vs. Ebro valley), fruit developmental stage (30 days before harvest vs. harvest) and tissue type (epiphytes vs. endophytes) was assessed on microbial diversity and composition across four orchards in Catalonia, Spain. Using 13 distinct culture media, 50% more microbial genera were recovered than conventional laboratory media, yielding over 919 isolates, consisting of 489 bacteria, 222 filamentous fungi and 208 yeasts. The results showed that altitude, developmental stage and type of culture media influenced microbial diversity and composition. Richness of endophytic fungi was more influenced by altitude and developmental stage than epiphytic fungal and bacterial communities. On the other hand, bacterial community composition was strongly influenced by the type of culture medium used. Functional characterisation of isolates revealed potential biocontrol agents and plant pathogens, with some genera displaying altitude-specific distributions. Our findings demonstrate that culturomics provides an essential tool to unlock the hidden diversity of fruit-associated microbiomes, paving the way for future applications in sustainable agriculture and postharvest disease management.</p>","PeriodicalId":100834,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment","volume":"4 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/sae2.70074","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144315354","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Organic Mulching in Regenerative Agriculture Enhances Saprotrophs and Concomitantly Reduces Pathogenic Fungal Genera","authors":"Pratyusha Naresh,&nbsp;Indira Singh","doi":"10.1002/sae2.70066","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/sae2.70066","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Regenerative agriculture (RA) uses nature-friendly farm practices to nurture soil microbial communities. This study compared the fungal communities in RA plots with those in conventional agriculture (CA) and barren land (BL) plots (comprising completely barren- BL and with Eucalyptus - BL-Euc). Two crops - finger millets and vegetables (tomato/beans) were considered here. The RA farms identified for this study used diverse organic mulch applications such as farm manure, cow dung, cover-crop mulch, green-mulch, vermicompost, and so forth, for soil management. Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) amplicon sequencing analysis of soil DNA samples obtained from RA, CA and BL plots was done to identify fungal composition in each of the study plots. The fungal communities in RA finger millet and RA vegetable were compared with respective CA finger millet and CA vegetable and with BL plots. The fungal community in finger millet and vegetable RA plots showed high levels of diversity as well as species evenness. The RA plots in both crops showed a significant reduction in plant pathogenic fungal genera - <i>Bipolaris</i> and <i>Pyrenochaetopsis</i>. Furthermore, the RA finger millet plots contained specific Plant Growth Promoting Fungi (PGPF) – <i>Rhizophlyctis</i> and <i>Agrocybe</i> (saprotroph) and <i>Acrocalymma</i> (biotic and abiotic stress tolerance and plant growth and yield inducer), which were absent in finger millet CA and BL plots. Similarly, in RA vegetable plots, we found PGPFs including <i>Mortierella</i> (a biocontrol agent and plant nutrient solubilizer), <i>Phoma</i> (bioherbicide and plant growth promoter), and <i>Pseudorobillarda</i> and <i>Torula</i> (saprotroph), which were absent in the vegetable CA plots and BL plots. Results indicate that regenerative agriculture involving the use of organic mulch as soil amendment enriches beneficial fungi in soil, including saprotrophs, which in turn subdue the pathogenic fungal genera for healthier crop outcomes. The study points to the need for in-depth experimentation on individual organic mulches, through years of application and the associated development of microbial communities to identify best practices for agricultural sustainability.</p>","PeriodicalId":100834,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment","volume":"4 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/sae2.70066","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144264503","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Diversifying Grapevines With Aromatic Plants Changes the Soil Habitat, Microbial Community Composition and Functions Toward More Efficient Substrate Use and Nutrient Allocation","authors":"Felix Dittrich,&nbsp;Loredana Canfora,&nbsp;Luigi Orrù,&nbsp;Bei Liu,&nbsp;Christoph C. Tebbe,&nbsp;Sören Thiele-Bruhn","doi":"10.1002/sae2.70071","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/sae2.70071","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In vineyards facing soil degradation and biodiversity loss, crop diversification may improve sustainability, but its effects on the soil microbiome remain unclear. In a 3-year field study, we examined how diversifying the plant row under grapevine with aromatic plants affected topsoil properties (0–10 cm) in an organically farmed, steep-sloped vineyard. Specifically, we investigated the effects of diversification with oregano and thyme on microbial biomass, respiration, prokaryotic and fungal community compositions, enzyme activities, potential nitrification, and abiotic soil properties, including total and particulate organic carbon (TOC, POC), nutrient status, pH, and soil moisture. Grapevines alone with mechanical tillage served as control. The aromatic plants competed with grapevines by lowering soil nutrient contents and moisture. Aromatic plant litter had a small, mostly non-significant but consistent effect on POC contents, and POC stocks determined in the final year showed a slight increasing trend in the order control (10.9 ± 2.8 t POC ha⁻¹) &lt; thyme (12.6 ± 3.1) &lt; oregano (13.1 ± 4.1). Surprisingly, these changes coincided with a significant decrease in microbial biomass compared to control, indicating aromatic plant-microbe competition. Concomitant decreases in respiration and the activity of C-cycling enzymes but also the metabolic quotient, suggest lower carbon mineralisation but more efficient microbial carbon use. Multivariate statistics revealed that the prokaryotic community was primarily structured by abiotic soil properties, such as organic matter, nutrient and water availability. In contrast, the fungal community exhibited a stronger plant-specific response, with changes in composition likely driven by root-associated interactions, suggesting a more direct biotic influence. Especially, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and potential nitrification were promoted under both aromatic plants, which may benefit grapevine growth. Overall, we show that diversifying perennial agroecosystems such as vineyards with aromatic plants increases soil habitat heterogeneity with benefits for microbial diversity, carbon sequestration and nutrient cycling, demonstrating its positive impact on soil biodiversity and functioning.</p>","PeriodicalId":100834,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment","volume":"4 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/sae2.70071","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144140831","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}