Field Crops Research最新文献

{"title":"Relationship between agricultural water and soil resources carrying capacity and crop yield with long-term plastic film mulching coupled with fertilization","authors":"Rui Jiao, Jiubo Pei, Siyin Wang, Mengmeng Wang, Yao Zhang, Jiahui Shi, Xuesong Leng, Heyuan Guan, Sidi Wang, Shuangyi Li","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109927","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109927","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><div>The black soil area located in northeast China is one of the four major black soil areas in the world, with developed agriculture. Due to the long-term intensive utilization of cultivated land and low nutrient input, the deterioration of soil and water resources in cultivated land is accelerated, which challenges the carrying capacity of cultivated land and water resources for grain production. However, the impact of the carrying capacity of land and water resources on grain production at field scale is still unclear. This is crucial for optimizing tillage measures to promote the steady improvement of the carrying capacity of cultivated land and water resources for food production.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>Utilizing a 37-year long-term field positioning experiment, this study quantitatively evaluated the agricultural water and soil resources carrying capacity index (WSI) under varying mulching and fertilization regimes and established their functional correlations with maize yield dynamics.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Based on the 37 year continuous mulching and fertilization experiment of brown earth at Shenyang Agricultural University, 14 treatments were selected, including single application of nitrogen fertilizer (N<sub>2</sub>, N<sub>4</sub>), single application of organic fertilizer (M<sub>2</sub>, M<sub>4</sub>), organic fertilizer+nitrogen fertilizer (M<sub>1</sub>N<sub>1</sub>, M<sub>2</sub>N<sub>2</sub>), and no fertilization (CK), under mulching (F) and non mulching (WF) conditions.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The results showed that both mulching and fertilization can significantly improve the WSI and crop yield. Among them, the treatment of mulching with high organic fertilizer and nitrogen fertilizer (FM<sub>2</sub>N<sub>2</sub>) had the most significant effect on both carrying capacity and yield of agricultural water and soil resources. For every 0.1 unit increase in the WSI, the yield of corn under mulching and non mulching conditions can increase by 11.8 % and 12.01 %, respectively. Under mulching conditions, the average yields of N<sub>2</sub>, N<sub>4</sub>, M<sub>2</sub>, M<sub>4</sub>, M<sub>1</sub>N<sub>1</sub>, and M<sub>2</sub>N<sub>2</sub> treatments increased by 43.91 %, 71.3 %, 62.84 %, 97.38 %, 68.58 %, and 85.3 %, respectively. The WSI increased by 6.61 %, 7.47 %, 16.97 %, 20.29 %, 18.83 %, and 22.6 %, respectively; Under non mulching conditions, the average yields of N<sub>2</sub>, N<sub>4</sub>, M<sub>2</sub>, M<sub>4</sub>, M<sub>1</sub>N<sub>1</sub>, and M<sub>2</sub>N<sub>2</sub> treatments increased by 48.1 %, 65.5 %, 97.79 %, 134.72 %, 120.55 %, and 122.32 %, respectively. The WSI increased by 4.07 %, 5.58 %, 13.63 %, 18.29 %, 16.78 %, and 20.31 %, respectively. Overall, except for the CK treatment, the WSI of the mulching fertilization treatment was higher than that of the non mulching fertilization treatment.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Un","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"328 ","pages":"Article 109927"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143860321","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":"Suitability assessment of film mulching on maize production in Northwest China: Integrating meta-analysis with machine learning","authors":"Juzhen Xu , Bowei Duan , Yanbo Wang , Xiaowei Liu , Wenqing He , Wangsheng Gao , Yuanquan Chen , Jixiao Cui","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109919","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109919","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><div>Film mulching (FM) is commonly used in Northwest China to address water scarcity in agriculture by promoting soil warming and moisture retention. However, FM is not suitable for all regions, and excessive reliance on this method can lead to overuse, which may harm the farmland ecosystem. Understanding where and how FM is most effective is crucial for ensuring its sustainable use.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study assessed the suitability of FM on maize considering yield and water use efficiency (WUE) in Northwest China by integrating meta-analysis with machine learning techniques. In addition, the analysis aimed to assess the regional and environmental factors influencing FM performance.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A meta-analysis was conducted, synthesizing data from 141 studies, to evaluate the influence of FM on maize yield and WUE. Machine learning models, including Random Forest regression, support vector regression, and gradient boosting regression tree, were applied to predict the regional suitability of FM based on climatic, soil, and management practices. Key factors influencing the effect of FM included climatic factors (mean annual precipitation and mean annual temperature), soil characteristics (bulk density, soil organic matter, and total nitrogen), and fertilization strategies (nitrogen and phosphorus). Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to explore the relationship between the 7 factors and the effectiveness of FM, while Random Forest was utilized to prioritize the importance of each factor.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The meta-analysis revealed that FM increased maize yield by 40.55 % and WUE by 40.79 %. Plastic mulch demonstrated superior effectiveness, improving yield by 43.68 % and WUE by 43.85 %. FM performed best under conditions of scarce resources. Among the 7 factors, mean annual precipitation, mean annual temperature, and total nitrogen were of higher importance in the prediction. Random Forest regression excelled in predicting yield and WUE changes. The spatial analysis revealed notable regional variability of FM, with the best results observed in Xinjiang and Gansu.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>This study highlighted the effectiveness of FM in improving maize yield and WUE in Northwest China, with regional variability in its performance. The results indicated that FM was most beneficial in regions with limited water and heat, particularly in Xinjiang and Gansu. Moreover, the study also demonstrated the utility of machine learning models, particularly Random Forest regression, in predicting FM suitability across regions.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>This study offered valuable insights into the regional suitability of FM for maize production in Northwest China, providing guidance for agricultural policy and management decisions to enhance the sustainability of FM. In addition, by integrating meta-analysis with machine learning, it","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"328 ","pages":"Article 109919"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143852363","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":"Climate suitability determines optimal yielding of dryland maize: A validation on timely sowing as an ancient wisdom","authors":"Jing Wang ,&nbsp;Ling Zhao ,&nbsp;Meng Hao ,&nbsp;Ning Wang ,&nbsp;Qing-Hui Wen ,&nbsp;Fu-Jian Mei ,&nbsp;Aziz Khan ,&nbsp;Bao-Zhong Wang ,&nbsp;Xiao-Lin Zhang ,&nbsp;Wei Wang ,&nbsp;Chang-Lang Yang ,&nbsp;Fei Mo ,&nbsp;Xiu-Ping Tao ,&nbsp;You-Cai Xiong","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109920","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109920","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><div>Climate-based timely sowing is an ancient wisdom, which can facilitate crops to sufficiently utilize climate resources and harvest optimal yielding. However, few studies have validated or addressed this issue from the perspective of climate suitability degree in association with crop maturity and sowing dates.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>1) To explore the sole and integrated effects of sowing dates and crop maturing on maize growth and yielding in dry and wet growing seasons; 2) To reveal the mechanisms of appropriate sowing date affecting yield formation in association of climatic resource utilization; and 3) to validate the ancient wisdom of timely sowing in agricultural production.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A two-year field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of three sowing dates (advanced, SD1; timely, SD2; delayed, SD3) and three maize varieties with early-, medium- and late- maturing (EM, MM and LM) in northwest China. Dry matter accumulation, grain yield, climatic suitability degree, and other related parameters were determined and analyzed.</div></div><div><h3>Results and conclusion</h3><div>Maize yield performance varied from the growing seasons (dry 2017 and wet 2018) under different sowing dates, but followed a similar trend between two years (i.e. two growing seasons, the same below). In 2017, maize yield was 11.3 % and 22.4 % greater in SD2 than that of SD1 and SD3, respectively (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05). Similarly, in 2018, it increased by 11.1 % and 18.3 % in SD2 respectively, relative to SD1 and SD3 (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05). As for the medium- and late-maturing varieties, it appeared to be 7.3 % and 9.8 % greater in 2017, and 25.2 % and 28.6 % greater in 2018 respectively, than the early-maturing one (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05). Overall, the optimal yielding performance was observed in the late-maturing variety under SD2, up to 7.2 ton ha⁻¹ in 2017 and 10.38 ton ha⁻¹ in 2018 respectively, followed by the medium-maturing variety under SD2. Mechanistically, the highest climate suitability degree across whole growth period (S(C)wgp) was observed in SD2 across three varieties. Regardless of crop maturity, the S(C)wgp was significantly positively correlated with main agronomic traits. Particularly, crop growth rate, leaf area duration, net assimilation rate and maximum relative dry matter accumulation rate performed significantly better in SD2 than those of SD1 and SD3, suggesting that appropriate sowing time can maximize yield potential.</div></div><div><h3>Implications or significance</h3><div>The findings underscore the importance of timely sowing in maize production, confirming the reasonability and feasibility of timely sowing as an ancient agricultural wisdom based on climate suitability degree.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"328 ","pages":"Article 109920"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143855353","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":"Revisiting plant density by environment interaction in maize across contrasting sowing dates","authors":"Guido Di Mauro ,&nbsp;Diego H. Rotili ,&nbsp;Gonzalo Parra ,&nbsp;Brenda L. Gambin ,&nbsp;Jerónimo Costanzi ,&nbsp;José Micheloud ,&nbsp;Gustavo Martini ,&nbsp;María Paolini ,&nbsp;Raí Schwalbert","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109917","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109917","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><div>The definition of the agronomic optimum plant density (AOPD) in maize is a critical management practice due to seed cost and impact on final yield. Farmers often reduce plant density when planting later in the season because of the lower expected yield compared to earlier plantings. However, this practice may lead to lost yield opportunities that need to be quantified.</div></div><div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>Our objectives were i) to understand how farmers define maize plant density for different planting dates and, ii) to explore the yield response to plant density in early and late plantings across a range of yield environments (YE).</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We explored maize on-farm records (2017–2021; n = 25,143 fields) and field experiments (n = 491 paired comparisons) across Argentina under early (ESM) and late (LSM) plantings to characterize plant density used by farmers and attainable yields at contrasting sowing dates. Then, we conducted field experiments across different YEs, where several commercial genotypes were tested at different plant densities under both ESM (n = 39 location-years) and LSM (n = 54 location-years).</div></div><div><h3>Results and conclusion</h3><div>The proportion of area with ESM and LSM varied across regions and YEs in Argentina. Farmers usually chose higher plant densities at ESM than LSM, but not necessarily ESM always out-yielded LSM in the study region. Maize response to plant density varied depending on the YE, with no apparent difference between sowing dates.</div></div><div><h3>Implications</h3><div>Although practical reasons often justify reducing plant density in later planting, farmers should base their decisions about the AOPD based on the expected YE regardless of the planting date. Accurately predicting the YE should therefore be a key priority to optimize yields and resource allocation. The expected yield in later planting seems to be currently underestimated by farmers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"328 ","pages":"Article 109917"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143855352","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":"The effect of nitrification inhibitor on the yield and quality of Triticum aestivum L. and Brassica napus L. – A long-term experiment","authors":"Jiří Antošovský,&nbsp;Petr Škarpa,&nbsp;Pavel Ryant","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109906","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109906","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Purpose</h3><div>The nitrogen is a crucial element in crop production, which can be associated with the environmental loss and low agronomic nitrogen efficiency. The utilization of fertilizers with inhibitors represents an economical option by lowering the number of applications, lowering the dose of nitrogen and limiting the risk of environmental loss of N.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The long-term effect of nitrogen fertilizer with nitrification inhibitors (alternative technology) in comparison with conventional fertilizers (prevalent technology) on yield and quality of winter wheat and oilseed rape cultivated in field conditions at two experimental localities was evaluated.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The long-term average yields of both crops were significantly higher after the alternative technology with the NI (+0.4 t/ha wheat grain, +0.3 t/ha rape seed) in comparison with prevalent technology. The effect of NI also resulted in significantly higher average protein content (13 %), protein production (0.98 t/ha) and gluten content (29.5 %) in wheat grain in comparison with prevalent technology without NI (12.8 %; 1.04 t/ha; 28.7 %). The oil content of oilseed rape did not differ significantly between the compared fertilizer technologies. The alternative technology with NI resulted in significantly highest production of oil (+0.1 t/ha) in comparison with prevalent technology. The economic evaluation of alternative technology with NI resulted in net profit in comparison with prevalent technology in every scenario.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>These long-term results are proving, that addition of NI to the conventional fertilizer applied in higher dose and less applications is more suitable choice compared to the classic split nitrogen fertilization.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"328 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143847789","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":"Biological N2-fixation and grain yield of pigeon pea: The role of biochar and conservation agriculture in low-input systems","authors":"Talent Namatsheve ,&nbsp;Jan Mulder ,&nbsp;Alfred Obia ,&nbsp;Vegard Martinsen","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109923","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109923","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Context&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Biological N&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;-fixation by legumes such as pigeon pea is a potentially important nitrogen input and a pathway for replenishing soil nitrogen (N) in maize dominant cropping systems. Biochar has been reported to affect N cycling, yet there are no studies on the synergism of conservation agriculture (CA) and biochar amendments on biological N&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;-fixation of pigeon pea in low input systems of sub-Saharan Africa.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Objectives&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of biochar amendments under CA systems on biological N&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;-fixation, as these practices are promising sustainable intensification options in SSA. Specifically, we explored the effects of pigeon pea rotation and biochar amendments under CA on (1) biological N&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;-fixation, and (2) pigeon pea grain yield at three sites located in different agro-ecological regions of Uganda. We hypothesized that application of biochar under CA leads to greater biological N&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;-fixation and grain yield, than CA alone or conventional tillage.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Materials and methods&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;We set up three on-station experiments; one in Central Uganda (Mubende district), and two in Northern Uganda (Alebtong and Gulu districts) for two seasons. CA involved minimum tillage with planting basins established by hand hoeing. We investigated four treatments (1) conventional tillage with crop rotation (Conventional), (2) minimum tillage with crop rotation (CA), (3) CA and 2 Mg ha&lt;sup&gt;−1&lt;/sup&gt; of biochar, applied in both first and second year (CA+BC+BC), and (4) CA and 4 Mg ha&lt;sup&gt;−1&lt;/sup&gt; of biochar, applied once in the first year (CA+BC).&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Results&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Biological N&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;-fixation was high in Gulu, compared to Alebtong and Mubende; and this was mainly related to low soil N and greater percent of N derived from the atmosphere (%Ndfa), compared to other sites. Treatment effect on biological N&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;-fixation was variable across seasons, biochar application in CA systems did not affect biological N&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;-fixation in 2022 in Alebtong and Mubende. In 2023, biochar amendments in CA systems significantly increased biological N&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;-fixation in all sites. Grain yield was significantly increased by biochar application in CA systems compared to conventional practices, in all seasons and sites. A single dose application or split application of 4 Mg ha&lt;sup&gt;−1&lt;/sup&gt; biochar had similar effects on biological N&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;-fixation and grain yield.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Conclusions&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Biological N&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;-fixation was positively influenced by biochar application under CA systems. The additional N input associated with biological N&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;-fixation was up to 106 kg N ha&lt;sup&gt;−1&lt;/sup&gt; in Gulu and it significantly increased grain yield. There were no differences between once off application of 4 Mg ha&lt;sup&gt;−1&lt;/sup&gt; of biochar or applying 2 Mg ha&lt;sup&gt;−1&lt;/sup&gt; in the fi","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"328 ","pages":"Article 109923"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143848512","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":"Evidence that the soil yeast Papiliotrema laurentii affects germination, vigour and grain nutrient content of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)","authors":"Christiaan F. van den Heever ,&nbsp;Leandra Moller ,&nbsp;Elizaveta Koroleva ,&nbsp;Alexander J. Valentine ,&nbsp;Lezaan Hess ,&nbsp;Willem Botes ,&nbsp;Alfred Botha","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109913","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109913","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Purpose</h3><div>The effect of a soil yeast seed coating on germination, growth and crop characteristics of wheat (<em>Triticum aestivum</em> L.) is unknown. Thus we determined the plant growth promoting (PGP) traits of <em>Papiliotrema laurentii</em> CAB 91 before evaluating the effect of the yeast on the germination and vigour of wheat. We then studied the effect of a seed coating containing the yeast on wheat growth, as well as grain morphology and nutrient content under field conditions.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We evaluated the PGP properties of <em>P. laurentii</em> CAB 91 and determined the effects thereof on the germination and vigour of three wheat cultivars, namely cv. Ratel, cv. SST027 and cv. SST047. Additionally, the effect of polyamine (PA) production by the yeast on cv. Ratel and cv. SST027 germination was investigated, and the effect of three PAs on the germination of the same two cultivars in the absence of the yeast was determined. Finally, we evaluated the efficacy of a <em>P. laurentii</em> CAB 91 seed coating on growth and grain characteristics of cv. Ratel and cv. SST027 under field conditions.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The PGP traits of <em>P. laurentii</em> CAB 91 include solubilisation of phosphate and zinc, as well as decarboxylation of amino acids that have been implicated in polyamine production. While the yeast increased the vigour of all three cultivars, and improved germination of cv. Ratel and cv. SST027, no effect was observed on the germination of cv. SST047. Similarly, cv. Ratel and cv. SST027 seeds exhibited improved germination on a medium designed to induce yeast PA production. In the absence of the yeast, it was found that the PA spermidine increased the germination of both cv. Ratel and cv. SST027 seeds. Under field conditions and compared to control plants, cv. SST027 treated with the yeast produced larger spikes with more grains per spike, while both yeast-treated cv. Ratel and cv. SST027 produced grain with increased protein content.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The findings that a soil yeast seed coating may impact on grain characteristics under field conditions paves the way for the development of affordable and efficacious yeast biofertilizers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"328 ","pages":"Article 109913"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143844463","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":"A novel, ridged enlarging lateral space drip irrigation pattern (ReDiP) for high- yield and WUE spring wheat in Xinjiang, China","authors":"Liulong Li ,&nbsp;Zijian Wang ,&nbsp;Wenliang Wan ,&nbsp;Zhaofeng Li ,&nbsp;Jian Cai ,&nbsp;Qin Zhou ,&nbsp;Mei Huang ,&nbsp;Yingxin Zhong ,&nbsp;Xiao Wang ,&nbsp;Dong Jiang","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109921","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109921","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><div>Drip-irrigated wheat systems typically require more drip tubes, leading to higher costs. We previously developed the enlarging lateral space (ELS) wheat drip irrigation patterns, which reduced drip tube input but resulted in fluctuating yields. Balancing economic benefits with stable yields and water use efficiency (WUE) remains a significant challenge.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To develop a ridged ELS drip irrigation pattern (ReDip) facilitating water transportation for better grain yield and WUE in wheat, and to decipher the underlying mechanisms in terms of soil water status and plant growth.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A three-year field experiment was conducted with seven drip irrigation patterns, the conventional pattern (TR4, one drip <strong>T</strong>ube serves four wheat <strong>R</strong>ows with row-space of 15 cm and <strong>L</strong>ateral <strong>S</strong>pacing of 60 cm), ELS patterns (TR6S (LS = 80 cm) and TR8S (LS = 100 cm), with narrowed row-space of 10 cm and inter-block space of 25 cm), and the ridged ELS patterns (TR6S-R₁₀ and TR8S-R₁₀, with hill angle of 10⁰; TR6S-R₁₅ and TR8S-R₁₅, with hill angle of 15⁰).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>In comparison to TR4, TR6S and TR8S separately caused a yield loss of ca. 1.30 % – 10.5 % and 6.82 % – 17.69 %, whilst the corresponding ridged pattern showed much less yield reduction (2.75 % – 7.40 % and −3.32 % – 3.13 % for TR6S-R₁₀ and TR6S-R₁₅, and 8.34 % – 16.09 % and 1.50 % – 14.52 % for TR8S-R₁₀ and TR8S-R₁₅, respectively). Ridging significantly improved horizontal water movement, reducing the coefficient of variation of soil water content and ensuring uniform moisture distribution across the root zone. This was closely related to the better maintained soil water status, which facilitated both root and shoot growth in terms of higher root dry weight and modified canopy structure than the non-ridged patterns. Additionally, ridged patterns mainly improved dry matter accumulation after anthesis and its contribution to grain to increase biomass and harvest index. The optimal pattern, TR6S-R₁₅, achieved 18.91 % – 24.12 % higher in WUE and 0.56 % – 9.11 % higher in profit while maintaining yields comparable to or exceeding TR4 (e.g., 3.32 % higher in 2023).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Ridging facilitates horizontal water movement to maintain better soil moisture status and promotes wheat growth and yield formation. The TR6S-R₁₅ pattern was recommended considering performances of grain yield, WUE and profit.</div></div><div><h3>Implications</h3><div>The ReDiP system will potentially improve wheat production and WUE in arid regions and be adapted for other crops, offering a sustainable solution for water-saving agriculture.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"328 ","pages":"Article 109921"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143844532","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":"Optimizing the ratio of controlled release urea relative to normal urea to improve the crop yield and N recovery efficiency – A global meta-analysis","authors":"Shiju Liu ,&nbsp;Yaru Zhang ,&nbsp;Dehao Zhao ,&nbsp;Yuncheng Liao ,&nbsp;Guangxin Zhang ,&nbsp;Yajun Li ,&nbsp;Juan Han","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109924","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109924","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><div>Controlled release urea combined with normal urea (CN) has huge potential for wider applications as the sustained nitrogen (N) supply can meet the N demands of most crops and its cost is relatively affordable compared with the single application of controlled release urea (CRU). However, it is currently unclear how to balance the crop yield, N recovery efficiency (NRE), and N uptake in response to CN. Furthermore, the lack of a global meta-analysis on the ratio of CRU to normal urea (NU) under different environmental conditions hinders the determination of the optimal CRU:NU ratio.</div></div><div><h3>Objective and methods</h3><div>Therefore, we established a database containing 2143 observations from 345 studies published up to 2024 to conduct a global meta-analysis and explore the effects of three different ratios of CRU relative to NU (CRU:NU &lt; 1, CRU:NU = 1, and CRU:NU &gt; 1) on the crop yield, NRE, and N uptake, as well as identifying the main factors that influenced the effectiveness of CN.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>We found that compared with NU, CN significantly increased the crop yield, NRE, and N uptake by 6.50 %, 22.88 %, and 9.31 %, respectively, and the effect of CRU:NU = 1 was generally greatest. The effects of different CRU:NU ratios on improvements in the crop yield, NRE, and N uptake depended on the mean annual precipitation, mean annual temperature, soil organic matter content, total N content, and pH. Furthermore, CN was suitable for most crops, but the appropriate duration of N release from CRU should be selected based on the length of the crop growth cycles. Moreover, the fertilizer combination of 199.83–222.34 kg N ha^–1, 92.76–126.15 kg P₂O₅ ha^–1, and 120 kg K₂O ha^–1 N could maximize the effectiveness of CN. In addition, CN reduced the accumulated soil nitrate (NO₃^–-N), accumulated N₂O emissions, and NH₃ volatilization by 8.24 %, 12.28 %, and 27.17 %, respectively, and improved the economic benefits by 13.77 %.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions and implications</h3><div>Therefore, combining CRU with NU at an appropriate ratio can improve the crop productivity, as well as reducing environmental risks and improving the economic benefits, thereby supporting its widespread application.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"328 ","pages":"Article 109924"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143844531","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":"Optimizing water–nitrogen productivity in rain-fed summer maize production in semi-humid and drought-prone area: Sustainable approach by integrating straw mulching and suitable fertilization depth","authors":"Guangzhou Chen ,&nbsp;Tie Cai ,&nbsp;Jinshan Zhang ,&nbsp;Junying Wang ,&nbsp;Liangqi Ren ,&nbsp;Yuhao Wang ,&nbsp;Qingxuan Yang ,&nbsp;Kainan Zhao ,&nbsp;Peng Zhang ,&nbsp;Zhikuan Jia ,&nbsp;Shubing Shi","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109918","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109918","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context or problem</h3><div>Achieving high yields and efficient water–nitrogen utilization while increasing net economic benefits is crucial for sustainable agricultural production.</div></div><div><h3>Objective or research question</h3><div>The deep placement of fertilizer is considered an effective strategy for improving crop growth and yield formation. However, it is still not clear how water–nitrogen utilization and economic benefits respond to fertilization depths under different planting methods in summer maize fields.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A three-year field experiment was conducted in a semi-humid and drought-prone area to assess the effects of different fertilizer placement depths of 5 cm (D5, conventional fertilization), 15 cm (D15), 25 cm (D25), and 35 cm (D35) under two planting conditions (straw mulching (S) and bare land planting (N)) on the soil water, mineral nitrogen (NH₄⁺-N and NO₃^--N) and root distribution, leaf photosynthetic rate, yield formation, resource utilization, and economic benefits of summer maize.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Compared with bare land planting, straw mulching improved the soil water content and spatiotemporal distribution, thereby affecting water storage and moisture preservation. Compared with other fertilization depths, D15 improved the mineral nitrogen content and distribution in the soil to promote root growth and nitrogen absorption (4.9–12.5 %). In addition, D15 increased the nitrogen content and photosynthetic rate of summer maize leaves to promote increases in the grain filling rate (3.7–10.0 %) and yield (6.6–18.6 %). Moreover, the combination of straw mulching and D15 significantly improved the nitrogen utilization efficiency (0.7–11.3 %), water utilization efficiency (6.2–36.6 %), net economic benefit (233.5–981.2 $ ha^–1), and input–output ratio (2.4–67.9 %) in summer maize.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>These results clearly indicate that in the semi-humid and drought-prone area of China, a fertilization depth of 15 cm combined with straw mulching is beneficial for improving the yield, resource utilization, and economic benefits of rain-fed summer maize.</div></div><div><h3>Implications or significance</h3><div>This management approach can replace the traditional fertilization depth under bare land planting to achieve high yields and effective resource utilization in the semi-humid and drought-prone area, and thus promote the sustainable development of rain-fed agriculture.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"327 ","pages":"Article 109918"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143839507","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}