Field Crops Research最新文献

{"title":"Effective potassium management for sustainable crop production based on soil potassium availability","authors":"Zhen Xu ,&nbsp;Tingzhen Lai ,&nbsp;Shuang Li ,&nbsp;Dongxia Si ,&nbsp;Chaochun Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109865","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109865","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Potassium (K) is an essential macronutrient for sustainable crop production. The impact of exogenous K input on soil K apparent balance has been increasingly investigated; however, the effects of K input on K reserves and crop yields in soils with different characteristics are not well understood. This study conducted a six-season crop field experiment at Quzhou site (QZ), a region with inherently high soil K availability, and Liaocheng (LC) site, a region with low soil K availability. It examined the impacts of K fertilizer application, with straw retention and straw removal, on soil K reserves and yield sustainability of winter wheat-summer maize in the North China Plain. The results indicated that co-application of K fertilizer and straw did not influence crop annual yield at QZ but significantly increased yields by 21 % at LC, and the co-application did not significantly affect the sustainable yield index at both sites. Crop K uptake was higher at QZ than at LC and was increased by straw retention at both sites, suggesting straw is a vital supplement for promoting K uptake. NH₄OAc-extractable K was most abundant in the topsoil but was likely translocated to deeper soil layers with higher K inputs, especially at the LC site. Slowly available K decreased for straw removal with no K fertilizer at both sites, but for application of 332 kg K ha⁻¹, the slowly available K remained unchanged at QZ and increased at LC. The recommended K fertilization rate of 112 kg K ha⁻¹ had no significant effect on soil NH₄OAc extractable K concentration at QZ but the increase in that concentration at LC was only observed with straw retention. In words, for soils initially rich in K, a sustainable K management strategy should consider adjusting K apparent balances based on K fertilizer prices. In contrast, for soils naturally deficient in K, enhancing soil K fertility through K fertilization is essential, alongside the strategic use of straw.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"326 ","pages":"Article 109865"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143685003","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrating yield gap analysis to capture genotype by environment by management interactions for Australian broadacre sorghum cropping systems","authors":"Ismail I. Garba ,&nbsp;Javier A. Fernandez ,&nbsp;Qiaomin Chen ,&nbsp;Carla Gho ,&nbsp;Peter deVoil ,&nbsp;Mark Cooper ,&nbsp;Scott C. Chapman","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109858","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109858","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><div>Australia contributes ∼ 3 % of the global grain sorghum production despite relatively large gaps between water-limited potential (PYw) and attainable on-farm (AYw) yields. With sorghum yield gaps typically 59 % of the PYw in Australia, it is important to identify the drivers of these yield gaps and what are the optimal genotype (G) × environment (E) × management (M) combinations needed for sustainable improvement of sorghum productivity.</div></div><div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>APSIM farming systems modelling framework was used to simulate comprehensive G × E × M scenarios for sorghum in Australia using modern hybrids and current management to (1) define the PYw fronts and identify key drivers of spatial sorghum yield variability, and (2) determine desirable G × M combinations that can improve sorghum productivity and stability across the expected range of seasonal evapotranspiration (ET) for the Australian Target Population of Environments (TPE).</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We use a set of 70 comprehensive national variety trials (NVT) data from 2017 – 2021 to parameterize and evaluate APSIM and then subsequently apply the model to define the range of G × E × M dimensions for sorghum TPEs in Australia. From these, we systematically simulate 93 sites-soil combinations for 103 years to extend the NVT to other fields beyond the NVT sites directly sampled. Using yield frontier analysis, we then define the expected PYw fronts, yield variability and the drivers of this variability.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>A non-linear relationship was observed between simulated grain yields and seasonal ET with most yields between 2.6 and 4.5 t ha⁻¹ associated with an ET of 167 – 420 mm. The yield opportunity frontiers were estimated to fall between 9.4 t ha⁻¹ (Q80 %) and 12.0 t ha⁻¹ (Q99 %). Nitrogen application rate at sowing explained the greatest component of the grain yield variation across most subregions. We found that most crop failures (defined as yield at or below Q10 %; 1.1 t ha⁻¹) occurred under low N and high plant density with greater risks in North-East and North-Central Queensland. Yield failure risks were higher at higher densities, while earlier sowing buffered against these crop failures.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>This study estimated PYw fronts and yield gap distributions for sorghum, elucidating the drivers of spatial sorghum yield variability for the Australian sorghum TPE. This finding highlights potential opportunities to close the on-farm yield gaps through optimized region-specific agronomic recommendations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"326 ","pages":"Article 109858"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143685005","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of nitrogen application levels on soybean photosynthetic performance and yield: Insights from canopy nitrogen allocation studies","authors":"Binbin Qiang ,&nbsp;Suyu Chen ,&nbsp;Zhen Fan ,&nbsp;Liang Cao ,&nbsp;Xin Li ,&nbsp;Chenye Fu ,&nbsp;Yuxian Zhang ,&nbsp;Xijun Jin","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109871","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109871","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><div>Increasing photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency(PNUE) at the canopy level can increase seed yield with reduced nitrogen inputs. An appropriate increase in nitrogen application can maximize canopy optimal nitrogen allocation and improve nitrogen use efficiency.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>The objectives of this study were to employ a plot comparison approach to study the vertical distribution of light and nitrogen attenuation in crop canopy, the variations in nitrogen allocation within the photosynthetic system, and the limiting factors of PNUE based on the soybean(<em>Glycine max</em> L.) leaves at different positions during the filling stage.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A two-year field experiment was conducted in Heshan Farm, Heilongjiang Province(China), to evaluate the effects of two soybean varieties and four nitrogen applications.</div></div><div><h3>Results and conclusions</h3><div>The results showed that an appropriate nitrogen increases photosynthetic rate(Pn) in the middle and lower leaves and slows down the aging process and chlorophyll degradation in the lower leaves. As the canopy height decreases, the limiting factors that restrict PNUE transition from carboxylation and electron transport system to light-harvesting and electron transport system. Increasing nitrogen applications can significantly improve PNUE in the lower leaves. Two years of soybean yield showed that the N1 averagely increased by 38.1 % for Jinyuan55 and N1.5 increased by 47.1 % for Keshan1 compared to N0. Nitrogen application significantly improves the allocation of photosynthetic nitrogen in the middle and upper leaf positions, promoting the hundred-grain weight in the middle and upper leaf positions. In summary, optimized nitrogen allocation accounted for the improvement in canopy PNUE while maintaining a high grain yield.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"326 ","pages":"Article 109871"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143685006","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Nano-biochar-based struvite with urea reduces ammonia emission and warming potential, promotes nitrogen utilization balance, and improves net ecosystem economic benefits of paddy fields","authors":"Yanqi Li ,&nbsp;Xuanming Wang ,&nbsp;Yu Guan ,&nbsp;Qi Wu ,&nbsp;Daocai Chi ,&nbsp;Nanthi S. Bolan ,&nbsp;Kadambot H.M. Siddique","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109872","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109872","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context or problem</h3><div>This study explores the development of an efficient, eco-friendly nano-biochar-based struvite (NBS) fertilizer by enhancing slow-release properties and nanocolloid content of biochar-based fertilizers through ultrasound-assisted magnesium modification.</div></div><div><h3>Objective or research question</h3><div>The NBS fertilizer is designed to partially replace urea at low doses, reducing the environmental impact of fast-release fertilizers while promoting nitrogen (N) balance in the soil–crop system.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A two-year field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of different NBS substitution rates (0 %: CF, 10 %: B₁N₉, 30 %: B₃N₇) on soil aggregate stability, ammonia (NH₃) volatilization, warming potential, soil apparent N balance, crop N uptake, yield, and net ecosystem economic benefits (NEEB). The critical N concentration dilution curve model and N nutrition index (NNI) were used for assessment.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The results showed that the treatments of replacing partial urea with NBS (BN treatments) significantly reduced cumulative NH₃ emissions by 19.64–35.20 %, lowering the warming potential by 14.85–31.93 kg CO₂-eq ha^–1. Floodwater NH₄⁺-N concentration played a stronger role in influencing NH₃ volatilization than floodwater pH. Increasing NBS application improved soil aggregate stability by enhancing the proportion of &gt; 250 μm water-stable aggregates, thereby improving N retention. The BN treatments reduced soil apparent N loss by 21.32–41.84 %, and resulted in NNI values between 0.88 and 1.00, indicating balanced crop N utilization. Replacing 10 % urea with NBS (B₁N₉) led to displayed stronger N assimilation than the 30 % substitution (B₃N₇) under identical dry matter conditions. The B₁N₉ treatment also increased yields by 15.02 %, and improved NEEB by 4.38 % (two-year average).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Based on these findings, we recommend applying NBS to replace 10 % of urea to enhance agricultural sustainability and profitability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"326 ","pages":"Article 109872"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143685002","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Rotation, tillage and irrigation influence agronomic and environmental performance of maize-based bioenergy systems in a dynamic long-term experiment in NE Germany","authors":"Genís Simon-Miquel ,&nbsp;John Kirkegaard ,&nbsp;Moritz Reckling","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109866","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109866","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context and objectives</h3><div>Cropland use for biogas production has sparked debate due to its competition with food production and potential environmental trade-offs derived from maize-based systems. Furthermore, climate change influenced cropping conditions, generating the need to adapt productive and sustainable systems. This work aimed to optimise crop production and sustainability in the face of these challenges by exploring alternatives to existing crop sequence, tillage and irrigation strategies.</div></div><div><h3>Methodology</h3><div>Within a long-term field experiment conducted in Müncheberg (NE Germany), specific cropping systems were assessed from 2008 to 2015, with two alternative crop sequences (continuous maize vs. 4-year crop rotation), tillage practices (plough/no-till), and irrigation (irrigated/rainfed). Productivity indicators, water and N use efficiency, and soil fertility indicators were evaluated at the cropping system level.</div></div><div><h3>Results and discussion</h3><div>Continuous maize systems achieved the highest energy and methane yield levels, while the diverse crop rotation achieved the highest protein yields. Irrigation showed variable yield increases (8–125 %) at rainfall levels &lt; 400 mm pa. The tillage reduction showed a trend to lower yield but higher soil C in the later experimental years. Overall, the systems with the highest productivity also showed high levels of resource use efficiency.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>We observed a trade-off between productivity and sustainability when diversifying continuous maize systems. Higher productivity came with evidence of soil quality decline over time. A maize and perennial legume forage-based system coupled with a target water supply for maize of 400 mm pa and the adoption of strategic tillage could maintain high productivity and sustainability in the long term.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"326 ","pages":"Article 109866"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143685007","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Can rhizotron tube studies predict deep rooting in the field? A comparison of root phenotyping methods","authors":"Arnesta Odone,&nbsp;Kristian Thorup-Kristensen","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109867","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109867","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context or problem</h3><div>Roots have been neglected in crop research, and in particular deep roots which are more difficult to access. Yet they play a crucial role in water stress tolerance, especially in later developmental stages. Methods for phenotyping roots are needed in order to breed for deeper rooting. While field phenotyping methods are costly and laborious, smaller scale methods are often cheaper and more easily replicated, but do not necessarily represent field conditions. Existing studies have not found strong relationships between small-scale and field grown roots, especially in later developmental stages.</div></div><div><h3>Objective or research question</h3><div>This study aimed to investigate whether similar genotypic differences can be seen in deep rooting of winter wheat in field soil and in tube studies, and if tubes could therefore be used to predict deep rooting in the field.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We used root imaging to compare deep rooting characteristics of eight modern Danish winter wheat cultivars using three different methods: field experiments assessing roots with minirhizotron tubes; the semi-field facility, RadiMax; and 1.5 m tall rhizotron tubes.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>While deep rooting genotypes showed mostly positive correlations across all methods, significant correlations between methods were observed only in one year, specifically between the tubes and semi-field. Furthermore, deep rooting exhibited significant correlations across years and months within the RadiMax method, suggesting consistent deep rooting patterns over time. The increase in variability as experiments became more field-like highlights the complexity of soil-root interactions.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>While this study suggests that under certain conditions, small-scale phenotyping methods can indicate deep rooting genotypes, the correlations were not consistent enough to be used to predict deep rooting in the field. This underscores the challenge of using small-scale experiments to extrapolate root measurements to the field.</div></div><div><h3>Implications</h3><div>This study demonstrates the need for caution when interpreting small-scale root experiments, and underlines the need for continued developments in root research generally. Further studies are needed to improve the quality of methods, to evaluate the effects of different soil types and environmental conditions on root growth, and to relate these to field-grown roots.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"326 ","pages":"Article 109867"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143685004","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Soil greenhouse gas emissions, yield, and water-use efficiency affected by maize-soybean intercropping under long-term nitrogen fertilization","authors":"Md Raseduzzaman ,&nbsp;Md Razzab Ali ,&nbsp;Wenxu Dong ,&nbsp;Stephen Okoth Aluoch ,&nbsp;Xiaoxin Li ,&nbsp;Gokul Gaudel ,&nbsp;Yuming Zhang ,&nbsp;Chunsheng Hu","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109861","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109861","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><div>Intercropping is widely practiced in many parts of the world due to its high resource-use efficiency, increased productivity, and numerous other agronomic benefits compared to monoculture. However, the interactions between intercropping and varied nitrogen (N) levels under long-term fertilization, particularly concerning soil greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and water-use efficiency (WUE), are not well understood in the semi-arid North China Plain region.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study aimed to quantify the effects of maize-soybean intercropping and varying N levels under long-term N fertilization on soil GHG emissions, crop productivity, and WUE.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A two-year field experiment was conducted using three cropping systems: maize monocrop, soybean monocrop, and maize-soybean intercrop, combined with four N levels: 0 (control, N0), 100 (N100), 150 (N150), and 200 (N200) kg N ha⁻¹ per growing season. All crops were managed using recommended practices.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Maize monocropping consistently emitted higher levels of N₂O and CO₂ than soybean monocropping and maize-soybean intercropping systems. Intercropping reduced cumulative N₂O and CO₂ emissions by 28 % and 15 %, respectively, compared to maize monocropping. Increasing N rates led to higher GHG emissions, with N200 treatment emitting 127 % and 71 % more N₂O and 10.7 % and 4.1 % more CO₂ than N100 and N150, respectively. Intercropped maize increased grain yield and above-ground biomass by 42 % and 21 % than monoculture maize in 2018 and by 39 % and 22 % in 2019, respectively. Although intercropped soybean yielded less biomass and grain, the total LER ranged from 1.11 to 1.37, suggesting that the overall productivity in intercropping was consistently higher than in monocropping. While nitrogen application significantly boosted biomass and grain yield, no difference was found between N150 and N200 treatments, suggesting that a higher N dose beyond N150 offered no additional benefit. Intercropping increased grain WUE by 47 % than maize monocropping. The water equivalent ratio (WER) ranged from 1.13 to 1.41, and the relative water-saving index ranged from −16.5 % to −28.8 %, suggesting that intercropping used water more efficiently, particularly at N150, where the highest WER for grain yield (1.41) and water savings (-28.8 %) were observed among the N rate treatments.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Maize-soybean intercropping, combined with moderate N rate (150 kg N ha⁻¹), offers a sustainable approach to reducing GHG emissions, enhancing crop productivity, and improving water use efficiency in the semi-arid region of northern China.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"326 ","pages":"Article 109861"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143685501","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pea-oats intercropping: Agronomy and the benefits of including oats as a companion crop","authors":"Rebecca Oiza Enesi ,&nbsp;Vengai Mbanyele ,&nbsp;Lana Shaw ,&nbsp;Chris Holzapfel ,&nbsp;Bryan Nybo ,&nbsp;Linda Yuya Gorim","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109863","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109863","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><div>Intercropping field pea (<em>Pisum sativum</em> L.) and oat (<em>Avena sativa</em> L.) can offer some benefits over monocropping to conventional grain and forage producers. Most studies have been conducted in organic systems with little information for conventional producers prompting a 2-year field study conducted at three Saskatchewan, Canada sites (SERF, IHARF, WCA).</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study aimed to assess pea-oat intercropping with oats sown at different seeding rates under conventional systems. Also, it investigates the profitability of pea-oat intercropping.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Treatments included monoculture pea (with and without weed control) and oats seeded at recommended rates; pea-oat intercrop with oats seeded at five seeding rates thus: Pea-oat (PO) intercrop with oats seeding rates targeted at 25 plant m⁻² (PO₂₅), 50 plants m⁻² (PO₅₀), 75 plants m⁻² (PO₇₅), 100 plants m⁻² (PO₁₀₀), and 125 plants m⁻² (PO₁₂₅).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>In pea-oat intercropping, increased oat seeding rates reduced pea plant height, pea dry matter and total dry matter compared with monoculture. The highest Pea-oat seeding rate (PO₁₂₅₎ decreased weeds by ∼ 50 % compared to pea monocrop at one site-year. Pea-oat intercropping, especially at high oat seeding rates reduced lodging. Oat grain yield showed a quadratic relationship with increasing seeding rate (r = 0.69; P &lt; 0.020), and maximum oat grain yield was predicted at 163.7 plants m⁻². The Partial land equivalent ratios (PLER) for peas for grains and biomass was &gt; 0.5 mostly at lower densities (PO₂₅ and PO₅₀) while for oat it was &gt; 0.5 at higher densities (PO₇₅, PO₁₀₀ and PO₁₂₅). Land equivalent ratio (LER) differed with site-year with only 2 out of 5 site-years having LER &gt; 1. Net revenue generated for grain yields were higher in Pm while intercropping reduced net revenue gains. Forage revenue did not differ between pea-oat intercropping seeding rates and was comparable to monocrops.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion and implications</h3><div>Our findings suggest that pea-oat intercrop significantly reduced grain yields of peas and oats. Furthermore, with oat as a companion crop, intercropping can potentially be beneficial for weed control and lodging especially when oat is sown at higher seeding rates. This study provides an approach in which pea-oat intercropping could be a potential option for increased profitability in forage production systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"326 ","pages":"Article 109863"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143666460","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Nitrogen fertilizer fate and plant nitrogen uptake characteristics in waxy sorghum-soybean intercropping system","authors":"Can Wang,&nbsp;Fangli Peng,&nbsp;Siyu Chen,&nbsp;Qiang Zhao,&nbsp;Jie Gao,&nbsp;Guobing Zhang,&nbsp;Lingbo Zhou,&nbsp;Mingbo Shao","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109862","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109862","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Context&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Waxy sorghum intercropped with soybean is a typical example of cereal-legume intercropping systems, which is widely used in southwest China. However, nitrogen fertilizer fate and plant nitrogen uptake characteristics in waxy sorghum-soybean intercropping system remain unclear.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Objective&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;This study aimed to evaluate the biological nitrogen fixation efficiency of soybean, plant nitrogen uptake characteristics of waxy sorghum and soybean, and nitrogen fertilizer fate in waxy sorghum-soybean intercropping system.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Methods&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;A two-year field experiment with &lt;sup&gt;15&lt;/sup&gt;N labeling micro-plot design was conducted in 2023 and 2024 using a randomized complete block design with three planting patterns and two nitrogen application rates. Planting patterns included sole cropping waxy sorghum (SW), sole cropping soybean (SS), and waxy sorghum intercropped with soybean (WS), and nitrogen application rates included medium nitrogen (N1) and high nitrogen (N2). We investigated the grain yield, land equivalent ratio, and &lt;sup&gt;15&lt;/sup&gt;N abundance of each sample, and then assessed the biological nitrogen fixation efficiency of soybean, plant nitrogen uptake characteristics of waxy sorghum and soybean, and nitrogen fertilizer fate.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Results&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Compared with the corresponding sole cropping, intercropping increased the grain yield, plant biomass, plant nitrogen uptake amount, and plant &lt;sup&gt;15&lt;/sup&gt;N abundance of waxy sorghum, while decreased these parameters of soybean. The grain yield, plant biomass, plant nitrogen uptake amount, and plant &lt;sup&gt;15&lt;/sup&gt;N abundance of waxy sorghum and soybean under the N1 treatment were higher than those under the N2 treatment. The nitrogen fixation efficiency of soybean among planting patterns and nitrogen application rates was in the order of WS &gt; SS and N1 &gt; N2, respectively. The WS-N1 treatment had the highest land equivalent ratio, which was 1.41 in 2023 and 1.44 in 2024. The nitrogen fertilizer fate and plant nitrogen uptake characteristics under the WS-N1 treatment were as follows: (1) the plant nitrogen of waxy sorghum was composed of 56.92 % of derived from soil, 22.20 % of derived from nitrogen fertilizer, and 20.88 % of derived from nitrogen transfer; (2) the plant nitrogen of soybean was composed of 52.74 % of derived from nitrogen fixation, 38.04 % of derived from soil, and 9.22 % of derived from nitrogen fertilizer; and (3) the direction of nitrogen fertilizer included 45.88 % of absorbed by soybean plants, 39.48 % of absorbed by waxy sorghum plants, 11.63 % of nitrogen loss, and 3.01 % of soil residue.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Conclusions&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Waxy sorghum intercropped with soybean combined with medium nitrogen application (220 kg ha&lt;sup&gt;−1&lt;/sup&gt; for waxy sorghum and 18 kg ha&lt;sup&gt;−1&lt;/sup&gt; for soybean) obtained a higher agricultural productivity by optimizing plant nitrogen uptake of waxy sorghum and soybean, p","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"326 ","pages":"Article 109862"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143666338","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Alfalfa yield estimation using the combination of Sentinel-2 and meteorological data","authors":"Angie L. Gámez ,&nbsp;Joel Segarra ,&nbsp;Thomas Vatter ,&nbsp;Luis G. Santesteban ,&nbsp;Jose L. Araus ,&nbsp;Iker Aranjuelo","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109857","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109857","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><div>Alfalfa (<em>Medicago sativa</em> L.) is one of the world's most important forages for livestock feeding. Timely yield estimates could provide information to guide management decisions to improve production. Since alfalfa crops typically undergo multiple harvests in a year and demonstrate rapid regrowth, satellite remote sensing techniques present a promising solution for alfalfa monitoring.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To generate alfalfa yield estimation models at three phenological stages (early vegetative, late vegetative, and budding stages) using vegetation indices (VIs) derived from satellite Sentinel-2 images and their combination with meteorological data.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We analyzed fields located in Navarre (northern Spain) over two consecutive seasons (2020 and 2021). To generate the yield estimation models, we applied a conventional multilinear regression and two machine learning algorithms (Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator - LASSO and Random Forest - RF).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Regardless of the statistical approach, the three phenological stages were not optimal when either VIs or meteorological data were used singularly as the predictor. However, the combination of VIs and meteorological data significantly improved the yield estimations, and in the case of LASSO model reached percentages of variance explained (<em>R</em>^<em>2</em>) and normalized root mean square error (nRMSE) of <em>R</em>^<em>2</em>= 0.61, nRMSE= 0.16 at the budding stage, but RF reached a <em>R</em>^<em>2</em>= 0.44, nRMSE= 0.22 at the late vegetative stage, and <em>R</em>^<em>2</em>= 0.36, nRMSE= 0.24 at the early vegetative stage. The most suitable variables identified were the minimum temperature, accumulated precipitation, the renormalized difference vegetation index (RDVI) and the normalized difference water index (NDWI). The RF model achieved more accurate yield estimations in early and late vegetative stages, but LASSO at bud stage.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>These models could be used for alfalfa yield estimations at the three phenological stages prior to harvest. The results provide an approach to remotely monitor alfalfa fields and can guide effective management strategies from the early development stages.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"326 ","pages":"Article 109857"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143643529","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}