Field Crops Research最新文献

{"title":"Newer wheat cultivars achieved greater yield and water productivity through root and canopy synergies in the North China Plain","authors":"Yehan Fu ,&nbsp;Jiayue Dai ,&nbsp;Han Yang ,&nbsp;Biwei Gao ,&nbsp;Yuzhao Ma ,&nbsp;Yunzhou Qiao ,&nbsp;Yongpeng Li ,&nbsp;Hong Yang ,&nbsp;Baodi Dong","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109880","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109880","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><div>Selecting high water productivity wheat cultivars is an ideal strategy to maintain grain yield under water limited environments. However, the evolutionary and physiological-ecological mechanisms underlying high-yielding and water-efficient traits in wheat remain poorly understood.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>A three-year field experiment (2020–2023) was conducted in the North China Plain, encompassing three irrigation environments (W0: rainfed; W1: irrigation at jointing and W2: irrigation at both jointing and anthesis), and 14 wheat cultivars released between 1976–2016. The purpose was to identify morpho-physiological differences in grain yield and water productivity with cultivar replacement.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Grain yield and water productivity increased by 0.41–0.75 % yr ⁻¹ and 0.43–0.76 % yr ⁻¹ with cultivar replacement under different irrigation environments. Compared to 1970s cultivars (JM 1 and JM 2), those released in the 2010s (JM 585, JM 518 and JM 325) showed a 70.05–117.96 % increase in leaf area index and a 32.61–44.70 % increase in post-anthesis dry matter accumulation. Additionally, the ratio of green to yellow leaf dry weight increased by 30.77–105.12 %. Wheat cultivars released in the 2010s delayed senescence of the surface 0–30 cm root system under W0 and W1, resulting in a 23.82 % and 0.73 % increase respectively in total root length post-anthesis, while reducing total root length by 22.29 % under W2. Structural equation modeling indicated that grain yield and water productivity were positively affected by leaf area index and the ratio of leaf area to total root length at late grain filling period.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Newly released wheat cultivars improve grain yield and water productivity through improving root adaptation and optimizing root-canopy synergies post-anthesis.</div></div><div><h3>Implications</h3><div>These findings offer critical insights for breeding and selecting wheat cultivars with high water efficiency, supporting sustainable agriculture in water-limited regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"328 ","pages":"Article 109880"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143843943","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":"Bacterial-mediated nutrient cycling and yield recovery in high-density cassava–maize intercropping systems enhanced by maize straw return","authors":"Wei Shao ,&nbsp;Hua Wang ,&nbsp;Saiqing Lu ,&nbsp;Xiuhua Wang ,&nbsp;Jie Huang ,&nbsp;Dengfeng Wang ,&nbsp;Cuicui He ,&nbsp;Minggang Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109915","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109915","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Background&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;High-Density Cassava-Maize Intercropping (HDCMI) has been proven effective in improving land-use efficiency. However, interspecific competition arising during the symbiotic period often reduces cassava or maize yields compared with monocropping.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Objective&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;This study explored the potential of the HDCMI system with maize straw return to address these challenges. The approach emphasized possible improvements in soil nutrient cycling and beneficial microbial communities.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Methods&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Field experiments involved four treatments: cassava monoculture (C), maize monoculture (M), cassava-maize intercropping without straw incorporation (CM), and cassava-maize intercropping with maize straw return (CMr). The assessments covered crop growth, yield, soil chemical properties, and microbial diversity in rhizosphere, non-rhizosphere, and inter-row soils. Advanced techniques, including co-occurrence network analysis, Mantel tests, partial least squares path modeling (PLS-PM), clarified the relationships among soil nutrients, bacterial network modules, and cassava yield.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Results&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Intercropping resulted in an 10.13 % reduction (&lt;em&gt;P&lt;/em&gt; = 0.03) in maize yield and caused a temporary suppression of cassava growth during the symbiotic period; however, cassava recovered following maize harvest. Although the HDCMI system achieved a land equivalent ratio (LER) of 1.86, cassava yield declined by 6.62 % (&lt;em&gt;P&lt;/em&gt; = 0.02) compared with the monoculture treatment. In comparison with CM, the CMr treatment boosted cassava yield (&lt;em&gt;P&lt;/em&gt; = 0.024) and nitrogen accumulation in storage roots (&lt;em&gt;P&lt;/em&gt; = 0.018) by 6.5 % and 24.22 %, respectively, which restored yield to levels observed in the monoculture. CMr also increased soil organic matter, improved nutrient cycling, and raised nitrogen/potassium accumulation in cassava tissues; nitrogen effects were the most pronounced. Bacterial analysis revealed that CMr promoted soil microbial α-diversity and enriched beneficial genera such as &lt;em&gt;Mycobacterium&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;Bradyrhizobium&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;IMCC26256&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;WPS-2&lt;/em&gt;, and &lt;em&gt;Bacillus&lt;/em&gt;. Furthermore, network analysis demonstrated that maize straw return facilitated nitrogen-related taxa (e.g., &lt;em&gt;Candidatus Solibacter&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;IMCC26256&lt;/em&gt;) by suppressing Modules 2 (&lt;em&gt;P&lt;/em&gt; &gt; 0.05) and 4 (&lt;em&gt;P&lt;/em&gt; = 0.024). These adjustments promoted nitrogen transfer and utilization in the cassava rhizosphere.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Conclusions&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;The HDCMI system with maize straw return enhances soil nitrogen availability through modifications in bacterial networks, ultimately supporting cassava nutrient absorption and yield formation.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Significance&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;This study advances the understanding of nitrogen-efficient strategies in cassava intercropping systems with maize straw return, providing a basis for nutrient-efficient agroecosystem manage","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"328 ","pages":"Article 109915"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143838705","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":"Residual effects of repeated catch crops on spring barley yield and nitrate leaching","authors":"Uttam Kumar ,&nbsp;Ingrid Kaag Thomsen,&nbsp;Iris Vogeler,&nbsp;Maarit Mäenpää,&nbsp;Elly Møller Hansen","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109911","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109911","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context/problem</h3><div>Growing catch crops in autumn after the main crop is known to reduce nitrate leaching and improve soil fertility. Residual effects of growing catch crops repeatedly for several years on the grain yield and grain nitrogen (N) of the following main crop, and nitrate leaching are less known.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We conducted field experiments with spring barley and catch crops, including an herbicide treated bare treatment, from 2015 to 2022 at two sites in Denmark, differing in soil type and climatic conditions. The spring barley was fertilized at four N levels (0–150 % of the recommended amount). The residual effect of the repeated catch crops was measured in 2021 for barley grain yield and grain N, and for nitrate leaching in the percolation periods of 2020–21 and 2021–22.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>During the repeated catch crop periods the average aboveground biomass N ranged between 20 and 61 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹. A residual effect of the repeated catch crops on grain yield and grain N was only observed in unfertilized barley. Catch crops significantly reduced nitrate leaching compared to the bare soil, with a reduction of 38–91 % per percolation period. After discontinuing the catch crops, there was no residual effect on nitrate leaching.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Repeated catch crops for four percolation periods did not have measurable residual effects on the following main crop, nor on nitrate leaching after their discontinuation.</div></div><div><h3>Implications or significance</h3><div>More research is needed on N immobilization and mineralization processes, and the factors that influence them to better understand the residual effects of catch crops.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"327 ","pages":"Article 109911"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143834134","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 chemical topping in cotton: Effects of planting density and variety sensitivity to mepiquat chloride","authors":"Yanqin Wu ,&nbsp;Chaoyuan Tang ,&nbsp;Mingwei Du ,&nbsp;Jingshan Tian ,&nbsp;Mingfeng Yang ,&nbsp;Yali Zhang ,&nbsp;Wangfeng Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109914","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109914","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Context&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Chemical topping using plant growth regulators like mepiquat chloride (DPC) effectively inhibits apical dominance in cotton. However, the effectiveness of chemical topping may vary depending on planting density and the sensitivity of cotton varieties to DPC, which remains unclear.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Methods&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;A split-plot factorial AB+C design field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of variety, planting density, topping method, and their interactions on cotton agronomic traits, canopy structure, and yield. The main A plots included cotton varieties with different DPC sensitivities (insensitive and sensitive), main B plots included low, medium, and high planting density (PD&lt;sub&gt;14&lt;/sub&gt;, 14 plants m&lt;sup&gt;−2&lt;/sup&gt;, PD&lt;sub&gt;28&lt;/sub&gt;, 28 plants m&lt;sup&gt;−2&lt;/sup&gt; and PD&lt;sub&gt;55&lt;/sub&gt;, 55 plants m&lt;sup&gt;−2&lt;/sup&gt;), while subplots were assigned no topping, manual topping (remove of the main-stem tips), and chemical topping (A mixed liquor with 180 g ha&lt;sup&gt;−1&lt;/sup&gt; mepiquat chloride and 150 ml ha&lt;sup&gt;−1&lt;/sup&gt; special additives).&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Results&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;In DPC-insensitive varieties, plant height and number of main stem internodes decreased with the increasing plant density, while sensitive varieties showed no significant changes. Sensitive varieties exhibited stronger inhibition of plant height, plant width, and internode length (1.8–35.9 %) than insensitive ones. At medium and low densities, upper internodes in sensitive varieties were reduced by 14.7–43.2 %. At high density, an increased leaf area index (LAI) in sensitive varieties before topping improved light interception rate (LIR). This effect was further enhanced LIR at medium and low densities by sustaining a higher LAI. Compared with manual topping, seed cotton yield increased by 8.7–29.5 % with no topping and by 4.4–33.3 % with chemical topping at low density for both sensitive and insensitive varieties. At medium density, seed cotton yield in sensitive varieties with no topping increased significantly by 6.3–14.6 % under no topping. At high density, the highest seed cotton yield in sensitive varieties was observed with no topping compared with manual or chemical topping. Yield improvements in insensitive varieties under chemical topping were linked to a higher harvest index at medium and high densities, whereas in sensitive varieties, yield increases were driven by a higher total number of bolls per unit area at high density.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Conclusions&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Chemical topping with DPC can be a substitute for manual topping at moderate or high planting density in DPC-insensitive varieties, provided systematic chemical control establishes a balanced canopy structure prior to topping. For DPC-sensitive varieties, no topping or continued low-dose chemical control with DPC is recommended for optimal topping effects. These findings provide valuable insights into optimizing chemical topping strategies by considering cotton variety sensitivit","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"327 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143825009","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":"Critical periods for the expression of vegetative and reproductive plasticity in maize crops","authors":"F. Espelet ,&nbsp;D.H. Rotili ,&nbsp;K.E. D’Andrea ,&nbsp;G.A. Maddonni","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109907","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109907","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Context or problem&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Across the world, maize (&lt;em&gt;Zea mays&lt;/em&gt; L.) production has expanded into marginal environments where low densities are used. Low densities increase the resource offer pl&lt;sup&gt;−1&lt;/sup&gt; and promote vegetative (tillering) and reproductive (prolificacy, tillering) plasticity mechanisms, with strong differences among genotypes. However, the periods of the cycle when mechanisms are defined vary, and seasonal stresses may hinder tiller emission or growth, as well as kernel setting on multiple ears of the main shoot and/or tillers.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Objective or research question&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;To define critical periods for the expression of vegetative-reproductive plasticity in low-density maize crops.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Methods&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;We analyzed the impact of growth reductions through shading (70 % reduced incident radiation) throughout different stages of the cycle (S&lt;sub&gt;1&lt;/sub&gt;: V&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt;-V&lt;sub&gt;7&lt;/sub&gt;; S&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;: V&lt;sub&gt;7&lt;/sub&gt;-V&lt;sub&gt;13&lt;/sub&gt;; S&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt;: V&lt;sub&gt;13&lt;/sub&gt;-R&lt;sub&gt;1&lt;/sub&gt; and S&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt;: R&lt;sub&gt;1&lt;/sub&gt;-R&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;) versus a non-shaded control on crop grain yield and its components for four maize hybrids presenting different plasticity mechanisms under potential growth conditions (phenotypes): i) tillering, ii) prolific, iii) prolific+tillering, and iv) non-tillering non-prolific (“flex”) cultivated at 3 pl m&lt;sup&gt;−2&lt;/sup&gt;. Four field experiments (Exp&lt;sub&gt;1&lt;/sub&gt;, Exp&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;, Exp&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt;, Exp&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt;) were conducted during two growing seasons.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Results&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Under the control treatment, all plastic phenotypes reached a higher grain yield m&lt;sup&gt;−2&lt;/sup&gt; than the flex, but both the tillering and prolific+tillering phenotypes had the highest grain yields. Differences in kernel number m&lt;sup&gt;−2&lt;/sup&gt; among treatments were very strong in all phenotypes, with the prolific and prolific+tillering being relatively more stable among shading treatments. S&lt;sub&gt;1&lt;/sub&gt; reduced tiller emission, while S&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; reduced tiller growth. The greatest reductions in kernel number m&lt;sup&gt;−2&lt;/sup&gt; were always observed with S&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; and S&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt; but affected different components depending on the phenotype: kernel set in apical ears of the main shoot, reduced expression of prolificacy and/or promotion of tiller sterility.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Conclusions&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Maize phenotypes cultivated at low density present different critical periods for the contribution of plasticity mechanisms to crop grain yield. Particularly for tillering phenotypes, it would be relevant to sustain high plant growth rates from early vegetative stages to promote tiller emission and during subsequent growth stages to promote tiller fertility. By contrast, the critical period for the prolific phenotype was similar to that of the flex phenotype.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Implications or significance&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;The findings of this work regarding the expression of plasticity mechanisms in maize as a r","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"327 ","pages":"Article 109907"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143828804","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":"Exploring the effects of soil structure, nutrients, and farm management on crop root biomass and depth distribution","authors":"Tuomas J. Mattila ,&nbsp;Laura Häkkinen","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109909","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109909","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><div>Roots are important for crop productivity and soil C sequestration but are difficult to study because they are hidden underground. Consequently, they are often estimated from aboveground biomass, ignoring the variability caused by belowground soil properties and farm management.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>Our study aimed to identify the main factors that explain the variability in root biomass encountered on working farms.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We investigated 20 farms during two years (2021 and 2023), across soil and crop types, soil fertility ranges, and farming systems. We measured root biomass from collected samples at 10-cm intervals from soil surface to a depth of 60–100 cm. Root biomass and depth distribution were compared with auxiliary data on soil properties and farm management.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>We found that aboveground biomass was a poor predictor of root biomass and that root:shoot ratios were highly variable. Root biomass was controlled by a combination of soil texture, structure, nutrient availability, and management history. The main determinants of root biomass and depth distribution differ between annual and perennial crops. In addition, the topsoil 0–20 cm contains only 60–70 % of the crop roots, highlighting the importance of also investigating roots in the subsoil.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Soil texture, structure, and nutrients determine root biomass to a greater extent than crop type (perennial vs. annual) or aboveground biomass. They should be considered in more detail when estimating root biomass and when exploring ways to increase it.</div></div><div><h3>Implications</h3><div>Our findings highlight the importance of mitigating soil compaction, maintaining adequate but not excessive crop nutrition, and managing soil water, also for growing larger crop root systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"327 ","pages":"Article 109909"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143823107","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":"Zeolite amendment enhances grain yield and mitigates greenhouse gas emissions in an intensive aerobic rice system","authors":"Xuda Chen ,&nbsp;Guangyan Liu ,&nbsp;Boyang Liu ,&nbsp;Taotao Chen ,&nbsp;Yinghao Li ,&nbsp;Wei Chen ,&nbsp;Jiayin Pang ,&nbsp;Kadambot H.M. Siddique ,&nbsp;Daocai Chi","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109884","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109884","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Intensive aerobic rice system (I_I_ARS) can enhance water use efficiency and mitigate methane (CH₄) emissions, but it may decrease rice grain yields and stimulate nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions by incurring a water deficit. Therefore, eco-efficient strategies are required to maintain rice grain yields while reducing the environmental burden associated with I_IARS. Zeolite is a promising soil conditioner for increasing rice yields and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. However, how zeolite amendment affects rice grain yield and CH₄ and N₂O emissions in I_IARS remains elusive. In this study, a two-year field experiment was conducted to elucidate the impacts of zeolite amendment on the rice grain yield, irrigation input, water use efficiency, CH₄ and N₂O emissions, global warming potential (GWP), and associated soil parameters, including redox potential (Eh), pH, NH₄⁺, and NO₃⁻ under continuously flooded irrigation (I_CF) and I_IARS. We found that I_IARS significantly mitigated CH₄ emissions by 65–80 % but increased N₂O emissions by 35–239 % relative to I_CF. Notably, zeolite amendment mitigated CH₄ and N₂O emissions by 8–45 % and 13–22 % under I_IARS, respectively, relative to the non-zeolite control. Accordingly, zeolite amendment significantly decreased the GWP by 10–38 % under I_IARS compared with the non-zeolite control. Concurrently, I_IARS significantly increased the rice grain yield by 15 % in 2022 but obtained an equivalent yield in 2023 compared with I_CF, and zeolite amendment resulted in significant increases in rice grain yields of 7 % and 8 % in 2022 and 2023, respectively, relative to the non-zeolite control. The lower GWP and higher rice grain yield observed under zeolite-amendment treatment can be attributed to the reduced soil NH₄⁺ and increased NO₃⁻ concentrations. Consequently, soil amendment with zeolite in I_IARS paddy fields is an optimal strategy regarding environmental sustainability and safeguarding food security.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"327 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143799175","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":"Assessing the root and shoot composition, decomposition, carbon contribution and nitrogen mineralization trends of single species and mixed cover crops","authors":"Alexandra Smychkovich,&nbsp;Samantha Glaze-Corcoran,&nbsp;Ashley Keiser,&nbsp;Masoud Hashemi","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109902","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109902","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><div>Annual cover crops (CC) planted in the fall can enhance nutrient cycling in no-till vegetable cropping systems by recycling nutrients to succeeding crops and improving long-term soil health. However, our knowledge of the decomposition dynamics and nutrient release of both aboveground and belowground portions of CC in no-till systems remains limited.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study aimed to quantify the fall biomass, nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) accumulation, and spring decomposition and nutrient release of the roots and aerial parts of three common CC species, oat (<em>Avena sativa</em>), field pea (<em>Pisum sativum</em>) (FP), daikon radish (<em>Raphanus sativus</em>) (DR) and their mixture. The goal was to assess the potential nutrient contributions from fall-planted CC to spring-planted successor crops in a no-till system. Additionally, we sought to characterize the relationship between the quality of root and aerial litter and various decomposition parameters.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A replicated field experiment was conducted to evaluate fall CC biomass, nutrient accumulation, and spring decomposition dynamics, which were evaluated using litterbags. A first-order exponential decay model was applied to quantify CC decay rate (<em>k</em>), N release (<em>kn</em>), C release (<em>kc</em>), and the relative rates of C and N release (<em>kc:kn</em>).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Fall-planted CC produce significant amounts of C (787.7 – 1190.4 kg ha⁻¹ C) during their growing period, potentially contributing to SOC accumulation in agricultural systems. The CC species showed varying potentials for N supply to succeeding crops, with FP, DR and CC mixture likely enhancing plant-available N in soils during spring decomposition, while oat likely contributed to net soil N immobilization. Litter quality was a better predictor of aerial decomposition than root decomposition. Initial moisture and hemicellulose content strongly influenced the decomposition and nutrient release rates in aerial residues, but not in root residues.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Our findings indicate that the rates of decomposition for surface and root residues, as well as spring nutrient release, are influenced by CC species used in no-till cropping systems. Moreover, the dynamics of aerial and root decomposition differ, suggesting that roots and shoots of CC should be considered independently in undisturbed vegetable cropping systems.</div></div><div><h3>Implications</h3><div>These findings enhance our understanding of the role of annual CC in nutrient cycling in no-till agricultural systems, thereby improving our ability to enhance soil health and promote the sustainability of cropping systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"327 ","pages":"Article 109902"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143807995","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":"Enhancing cotton field productivity in arid northwest China through improved farm-level nitrogen balance and reduced nitrogen footprint","authors":"Chao Xiao ,&nbsp;Xintong Xu ,&nbsp;Yi Li ,&nbsp;Fucang Zhang ,&nbsp;Junliang Fan","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109891","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109891","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Contexts</h3><div>Cotton is the most important economic crop in Xinjiang of China. However, due to the excessive application of nitrogen fertilizers, the region is experiencing considerable environmental stress. Optimizing water and nitrogen management practices presents an effective approach to mitigating nitrogen losses and minimizing the risk of environmental pollution.</div></div><div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>This study aims to evaluate the effects of various nitrogen (N) and irrigation strategies on N uptake by cotton plants, and compare the effectiveness of different management approaches on field-level N balance and overall N footprint.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A two-year field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of drip irrigation under various soil matric potential (SMP) thresholds (-30, −20, and −10 kPa, as W1, W2 and W3) and three N rates (200, 300, and 400 kg ha⁻¹, as F1, F2 and F3) on N uptake and translocation in various parts of the cotton plant, nitrate N accumulation in the soil, and N inputs and outputs. This comprehensive analysis evaluated the N balance and footprint for each system.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The results showed that excessive irrigation and fertilization intensified N accumulation in the roots, stems, and leaves of cotton plants but did not significantly enhance N accumulation in cotton bolls. The N transport efficiency (NTE) decreased by 25.1 % and 26.1 %, and N reproductive efficiency (NRE) contributions to seeds decreased by 25.2 % and 17.8 %, respectively. Higher N application rates reduced the proportion of nitrogen allocated to cotton bolls. Higher fertilizer and irrigation levels led to a deeper and wider distribution of nitrate N, increasing the risk of deep percolation and horizontal volatilization. The NH₃ emerged as the primary form of reactive N loss in cotton fields, ranging 7.8–24.8 kg N ha⁻¹. The N balance indicated decreased surplus with intensified irrigation, N deficiency was observed at rates below 250 kg N ha⁻¹, and excess N was noted above 350 kg N ha⁻¹.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>An irrigation lower limit of −20 kPa promoted increased N accumulation in cotton bolls and ensuring production. Based on the system's N balance, 275–307 kg N ha⁻¹ was recommended to avoid N deficiency or excess. This approach balanced N environmental friendliness with production, achieving an N footprint of 7.7–8.4 kg N t⁻¹ in this system.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>This study provides critical insights for achieving N balance and minimizing N footprint, and holds substantial promise for the development of cotton cultivation in arid regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"327 ","pages":"Article 109891"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143792163","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":"Interplay between quantitative trait loci for stem strength and agronomic traits in a wheat doubled-haploid population","authors":"J. Allan Feurtado ,&nbsp;Letitia M. Da Ros ,&nbsp;Shola H. Kareem ,&nbsp;Breenah Mulligan ,&nbsp;Daiqing Huang ,&nbsp;Lanette Ehman ,&nbsp;Parul Jain ,&nbsp;Leah K. Flatman ,&nbsp;Hanna Hovland ,&nbsp;Jeff Hovland ,&nbsp;Brett Beckie ,&nbsp;Richard D. Cuthbert ,&nbsp;Ron E. Knox ,&nbsp;Andrew J. Burt ,&nbsp;Jennifer W. Mitchell Fetch ,&nbsp;Lope G. Tabil ,&nbsp;Santosh Kumar","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109892","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109892","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><div>Stem strength in wheat is important for mechanical stability, supporting nutrient translocation and lodging tolerance to uphold yield potential and grain quality.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>The main objectives of this study were to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for stem strength and diameter and determine if stem biomechanical QTLs overlap with QTLs for yield and other agronomic traits.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A doubled haploid wheat population between the distinct parents AC Cadillac and Carberry was assessed for stem biomechanical traits together with lodging, height, heading date, and yield parameters. Multi-environment QTL mapping was performed to identify potential QTL hotspots, facilitate ideotype analysis, and examine putative candidate genes.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Phenotypic analyses across 6 field environments revealed significant variation for 16 stem and agronomic traits with only stem wall thickness, grain yield, and thousand-kernel-weight (TKW) not differing significantly between parents AC Cadillac and Carberry. The <em>Reduced height</em> (<em>Rht</em>) allele <em>Rht-B1b</em>, present in Carberry, was the main driver of trait differences within the population, not only reducing height but also traits such as stem bending moment and TKW. QTL mapping revealed loci for stem traits present on chromosomes 2B, 2D, 4B, 5A, 6A, 6B, 7A, and 7D. There were distinct overlaps of stem trait QTLs with those of other traits including a heading date QTL on 2B and as well as grain size QTLs on 2D, 6A, and 6B. QTLs on 2D, 6A, and 6B compensated for a decrease in TKW largely driven by <em>Rht-B1b</em> in Carberry and also promoted an overall increase in stem diameter and stem bending moment.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>The study revealed the complexity of optimizing for stem strength-related ideotypes given the possible interactions with agronomic traits such as grain size which may have contrasting priorities for allele selections. The most promising QTL hotspot on chromosome 6A drove increases in TKW, stem wall thickness and stem bending moment.</div></div><div><h3>Implication</h3><div>The findings support broadening the scope of traits in stem biomechanical research studies to ensure pleiotropic effects, especially those on grain traits, are captured. The results obtained facilitate future work focused on the development of genetic markers for stem strength and overall germplasm improvement.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"327 ","pages":"Article 109892"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143785067","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}