Field Crops Research最新文献

{"title":"Mechanism responsible for restricted synthesis and accumulation of lignin in wheat stems under low light conditions","authors":"Feng Qin ,&nbsp;Jiawei Zhang ,&nbsp;Long Cheng ,&nbsp;Xinjuan Guo ,&nbsp;Lihui Su ,&nbsp;Wenjing Zhao ,&nbsp;Zhikuan Jia ,&nbsp;Xiaolong Ren ,&nbsp;Peng Zhang ,&nbsp;Tiening Liu ,&nbsp;Zhenlin Wang ,&nbsp;Weibing Yang ,&nbsp;Tie Cai","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109952","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109952","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>At present, stem lodging remains a key factor that limits further increases wheat yields, where it is attributed to the reduce mechanical strength of plant stems in the population due to low light during high-yield cultivation. The accumulation of lignin in the stem directly determines its mechanical properties. However, the mechanism associated with the effects of low light restriction on lignin metabolism in wheat stems is poorly understood, and thus there is not a sufficient theoretical basis for developing technical measures to promote stem lodging resistance under high yield cultivation conditions. Therefore, in the present study, three representative wheat cultivars with strong (Xinong511), medium (Xinong979), and weak (Shannong16) stem lodging resistance were selected as experimental materials. Different light environments were simulated within the population by using sparse and close planting treatments, and the effects of low light were assessed on lignin synthesis and accumulation in wheat stems, and stem lodging resistance. Compared with sparse planting, close planting significantly reduced the net photosynthetic rate in the third, fourth, and fifth leaves by 7.55–33.25 %, 0.09–50.48 %, and 5.64–46.49 %, respectively, the allocation of photosynthetic carbon assimilates by various organs decreased, while the root vitality decreased significantly by 9.53–22.78 %, the uptake of nitrogen by various organs decreased, the accumulation of lignin decreased significantly by 5.92–35.87 %, and the stem breaking strength and stem lodging resistance index decreased by 4.59–26.85 % and 21.40–35.59 %, respectively. Correlation analysis and path analysis showed that the light environment affected the activity and gene expression levels of enzymes related to lignin biosynthesis through both direct and indirect pathways (roots), thereby affecting lignin accumulation, and ultimately leading to weakened stem lodging resistance in wheat. The net photosynthetic rate were lower in the middle and lower leaves under low light conditions. In addition, the root vitality was weakened and the expression levels of genes encoding enzymes related to lignin synthesis in stems were significantly down regulated. Thus, the activities of enzymes related to lignin synthesis were significantly reduced, which limited the synthesis and accumulation of lignin in the basal internodes of stems, thereby, leading to wheat stems with decreased mechanical strength and a significantly increased risk of stem lodging. These findings provide important insights into the mechanism associated with stem strength weakening under high-yield wheat cultivation conditions and a theoretical basis for developing technical measures to enhance stem lodging resistance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"328 ","pages":"Article 109952"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143890910","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":"Effects of leaching amounts and drip irrigation types on water-salt distribution and seed cotton yield in northern Xinjiang, China","authors":"Qingyang Hu,&nbsp;Hongxia Cao,&nbsp;Zijian He,&nbsp;Haolei Shi,&nbsp;Zhiwen Ren,&nbsp;Chen Qi","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109947","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109947","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><div>In Xinjiang, the primary cotton-producing region of China, water scarcity and soil salinity challenge sustainable agriculture. While drip irrigation enhances water efficiency, it is inadequate for effective salinity management, making the integration of drip irrigation with leaching a promising strategy. However, the optimal irrigation management of this integrated approach to simultaneously control salinity and conserve water remains uncertain.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study aimed to assess the effects of different leaching amounts and drip irrigation types on soil water-salt transport, desalination efficiency, and cotton growth, yield, and irrigation water productivity (IWP), and to determine the optimum leaching amount under different drip irrigation types.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This hypothesis was tested through a three-year field study (2020, 2021 and 2022) in Xinjiang, China. Surface drip irrigation (DI) without leaching in the reproductive period served as the control (CK). The experiment included three leaching amounts (120, 240 and 360 mm) combined with two drip irrigation types: surface drip irrigation and subsurface drip irrigation (SDI).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>At 120 mm leaching amount, SDI promoted deeper wetting fronts, reducing soil salt content (SSC) in the 30–60 cm layer by 28.85 %-38.49 % versus DI. Conversely, DI increased soil water content (SWC) in the 0–20 cm layer by 13.2 %-19.1 % and lowered SSC by 10.44 %-14.25 %, but induced salt accumulation in the 20–40 cm layer, with SSC increasing by 12.7 %-18.3 %. Under these conditions, SDI increased yield by 8.24 %-13.00 % over DI. With 240 mm leaching amount, both DI and SDI effectively enhanced leaching, increasing SWC by 20.4 %-47.3 % and reducing SSC by 34.70 %-70.50 %, compared with CK. Additionally, cotton plant height, stem diameter, leaf area index, and dry matter accumulation increased by 53.48 %-69.17 %, 48.37 %-70.55 %, 107.58 %-134.62 %, and 97.97 %-114.73 %, respectively, over CK, achieving higher seed cotton yields (6072.46–7439.94 kg ha⁻¹) and improved IWP (0.932–1.33 kg m^-³). Excessive leaching amount (360 mm) decreased IWP by 14.87 %-17.29 % without yield improvement.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>Integrating 240 mm leaching amount with DI/SDI resolves water-salt trade-offs, offering a scalable strategy for sustainable cotton production in saline-alkali cultivated lands.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"328 ","pages":"Article 109947"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143886398","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":"Impact of alternate irrigation with reclaimed water and saline water according to sunflower growth period on plant and grain development","authors":"Pingru He ,&nbsp;Jingang Li ,&nbsp;Jing Chen ,&nbsp;Dan Chen ,&nbsp;Xiaoping Dai ,&nbsp;Ahmed Elsayed Abdelghany ,&nbsp;Zhongyi Qu","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109948","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109948","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To address the issue of freshwater scarcity for agricultural irrigation in arid and semi-arid regions, saline water and reclaimed water have great potential as alternative irrigation water. Therefore, a three-year field study was conducted in the Yinbei Irrigation District of Ningxia, China, to investigate the effects of alternate drip irrigation using freshwater (F), saline water (S) and reclaimed water (R) on sunflower growth. The study established six alternate drip irrigation schedules (SSR, SRS, RSS, SRR, RSR, RRS) and three continuous drip irrigation modes (FFF, SSS, RRR) based on the key sunflower growth stages: emergence-budding, budding-flowering, and flowering-maturity. The results revealed that during the emergence-budding stage and budding-flowering stage, saline water irrigation favored the allocation of dry matter to the roots, whereas reclaimed water irrigation was more effective in allocating dry matter to the leaves and faceplate, and significantly promoted nitrogen and phosphorus accumulation in sunflower plants. Furthermore, reclaimed water irrigation dramatically increased the crude protein content (12.6 %-15.4 %), unsaturated fatty acid content, and saturated fatty acid content in sunflower grains. During the flowering-maturity stage, reclaimed water irrigation was more conducive to dry matter accumulation in the plant, biomass allocation to the faceplate and grains, and resulted in an increase in sunflower grain yield by 2.1 %-5.0 %. Additionally, reclaimed water irrigation during the flowering-maturity stage significantly promoted radial development of the sunflower faceplate and markedly increased the linoleic acid and palmitic acid contents in the kernels, compared to saline water irrigation. The optimal irrigation schedule for sunflower cultivation in arid and semi-arid agricultural areas of China was suggested to be alternate irrigation with saline water during the emergence-budding stage and reclaimed water during the budding-flowering stage and flowering-maturity stage.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"328 ","pages":"Article 109948"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143881286","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":"DSSAT modeling of oilseed flax (Linum usitatissimum L.): Sensitivity analysis of yield to weather variability and nitrogen application","authors":"Zechen Lin ,&nbsp;Yue Li ,&nbsp;Gerrit Hoogenboom ,&nbsp;Yuhong Gao ,&nbsp;Bing Wu ,&nbsp;Ling Wu ,&nbsp;Lili Wu ,&nbsp;Hui Zhou ,&nbsp;Bin Yan ,&nbsp;Peina Lu ,&nbsp;Jie Tang ,&nbsp;Shunchang Su ,&nbsp;Yifan Wang ,&nbsp;Lizhuo Guo ,&nbsp;Yongwei Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109930","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109930","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Oilseed flax (<em>Linum usitatissimum</em> L.), an annual plant in the Linaceae family, is a significant oil crop cultivated in the high-altitude arid regions of China. Until now, the Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) model has not been used to simulate the growth of flax. This study aims to develop a new flax model for DSSAT, based on field data collected from 2020 to 2023 in the arid regions of Dingxi and Yuzhong, China. We utilized the CSM-CROPGRO-Canola as a template for genetic coefficient adjustment, along with modifications to the water and nitrogen balance modules. This model was used to analyze the response of flax yield to weather factors (maximum temperature, minimum temperature, and precipitation) and nitrogen fertilizer application during dry years, normal years, and wet years over the past 30 years. The results indicate that the flax model demonstrates good predictive accuracy with a low root mean square error (<em>RMSE</em>) and high index of agreement (<em>D-index</em>) in simulating key stages such as the anthesis and maturity phases, as well as in predicting biomass, leaf area index, yield, and soil moisture content. In addition, flax yield exhibited varying degrees of sensitivity to maximum temperature, minimum temperature, precipitation, and nitrogen fertilizer under different precipitation years. Therefore, in dry years, it is recommended to prioritize temperature and moisture management while applying nitrogen fertilizer cautiously, while in normal years, a balance between water and nitrogen use should be maintained to optimize fertilization effects. In wet years, nitrogen utilization should be maximized to enhance yields. The yield of flax under different precipitation conditions follows this trend: wet years &gt; normal years &gt; dry years. This study demonstrated the significant practical value of developing a flax model in the arid regions of China.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"328 ","pages":"Article 109930"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143879246","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":"Long-term organic material application enhances black soil productivity by improving aggregate stability and dissolved organic matter dynamics","authors":"Haoliang Feng ,&nbsp;Xiaozeng Han ,&nbsp;Asim Biswas ,&nbsp;Min Zhang ,&nbsp;Yuanchen Zhu ,&nbsp;Yuxuan Ji ,&nbsp;Xinchun Lu ,&nbsp;Xu Chen ,&nbsp;Jun Yan ,&nbsp;Wenxiu Zou","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109946","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109946","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding the long-term effects of organic material application on soil structure and organic matter dynamics is important for sustainable agriculture. We investigate interactions between organic materials, soil aggregates, dissolved organic matter (DOM), and crop yield after long-term (34-year) experimental field conditions. The effects of fertilization regimes on soil aggregates, DOM characteristics, and soil organic carbon from 0 to 20 cm and 20–40 cm depth, and their impacts on crop yield are explored for various treatments (no fertilizer, chemical fertilizer, and chemical fertilizer combined with low straw, high straw), and organic manure (OM)). Organic amendments increased proportions of soil aggregates &gt; 0.25 mm by 2.5 %-5.4 % and soil organic carbon contents within aggregates by 4.5 %-21.2 %. The OM treatment had the highest mean weight diameter and geometric mean diameter. DOM concentration in soil aggregates increased by 11.8 %-42.7 % in organic material treatments, and shifted in composition. Fulvic-like and humic-like components increased and protein components decreased, suggesting a transition towards microbial-derived organic matter, enhancing soil humification and bioavailability. Analyses reveal DOM influences aggregate stability and carbon sequestration by changing fluorescence components and structure in soil layers. Straw treatments primarily improved crop yields by enhancing soil aggregate stability, and OM boosted yield. We demonstrate the benefits of applying different organic materials to soil to sustain agricultural productivity, improve soil structure, enhance organic matter quality and quantity, and increase crop yield, revealing ways to optimize organic amendment in different agricultural contexts for more resilient and productive farming systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"328 ","pages":"Article 109946"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143879247","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 agricultural management practices to promote ratoon rice yield during ratoon crop: A comprehensive global meta-analysis","authors":"Shi-Wen Deng ,&nbsp;Yousif Abdelrahman Yousif Abdellah ,&nbsp;Hong-Yu Chen ,&nbsp;Ping-Lei Gao ,&nbsp;Mutaz Mohammed Abdallah ,&nbsp;Muhammad Shoaib Rana ,&nbsp;Fu-Qiang Yu ,&nbsp;Qi-Gen Dai ,&nbsp;Rui-Long Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109943","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109943","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context or problem</h3><div>Ratoon rice is recognized as a sustainable and efficient method for low-input rice production. Improving the yield of the ratoon crop (RC) was the key to ensuring high yields in the ratoon rice system. Agricultural management practices (AMPs) have the potential to enhance the yield of RC in ratoon rice systems.</div></div><div><h3>Objective or research question</h3><div>Despite this potential, few studies have comprehensively quantified the impact of AMPs on RC yield, particularly regarding the optimal conditions for their application.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>In this study, we extracted 67 individual experimental observations globally and conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis to assess the response of RC yield to various AMPs. These AMPs included mineral nitrogen fertilizer (MNF) practice, organic material (OM) practice, water-saving irrigation (WSI), spraying growth regulators/foliar fertilizers (GR/FF), and no-tillage (NT) practice.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>MNF practice increased the yield of RC by 43.86% and the harvest index by 4.00% compared to non-MNF. Similarly, WSI practice raised RC yield by 14.01% and improved the harvest index by 6.89% versus farmer irrigation. GR/FF practice also enhanced the yield of RC by 12.70% and the harvest index by 6.92% relative to non-GR/FF. OM practice boosted RC yield by 25.31% compared to non-OM, but did not significantly affect the harvest index. In contrast, NT practice showed no significant impact on either the yield or harvest index of RC when compared to conventional tillage. MNF has a stronger effect on increasing yield under the nitrogen (N) application rate &gt; 200 kg ha^-1, MAP &lt; 1200 mm, low SOC content, and advanced nitrogen application for promoting bud initiation. WSI had the best effect on enhanced yield when moderate water conservation, MAT &gt; 18 °C, MAP &gt; 1200 mm, and SOC content was moderate or high. GR/FF was particularly effective in increasing yield when the MAT &lt;18 °C, the SOC content was moderate or high, the soil pH &lt; 6, and the application was made before and after the heading stage. In addition, appropriate N rates of heading in the main crop and optimal planting density could maximize the yield-increasing potential of AMPs.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Compared to untreated conditions, MNF, WSI, and GR/FF applications could significantly boost yields and harvest index, while adjusting AMPs in conjunction with local environmental conditions could further improve RC yield.</div></div><div><h3>Implications or significance</h3><div>Findings could inform the development of sustainable strategies to enhance the yield of ratoon rice in future agricultural practices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"328 ","pages":"Article 109943"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143881285","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 application strategies of prohexadione-calcium·uniconazole composite regulator to improve lodging resistance and grain yield in rice cultivation in East China","authors":"Dengke Ma ,&nbsp;Yimin Ding ,&nbsp;Yifan Liu ,&nbsp;Lin Du ,&nbsp;You Mo ,&nbsp;Ali Dai ,&nbsp;Junyan Xu ,&nbsp;Dalu Gu ,&nbsp;Liusheng Duan ,&nbsp;Weiming Tan","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109931","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109931","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Context or problem&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Rice (&lt;em&gt;Oryza sativa&lt;/em&gt; L.) is a major staple crop worldwide. Yet, its grain yield is frequently constrained by lodging, which disrupts the canopy structure, reduces photosynthetic efficiency, lowers grain quality, and hampers mechanical harvesting. The application of plant growth regulators (PGRs) can mitigate lodging risks; however, the individual use of uniconazole and prohexadione-calcium presents certain limitations, such as panicle development issues and high costs, respectively.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Objective or research question&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;This study aimed to determine the optimal application timing and concentration of a composite PGR, prohexadione-calcium·uniconazole (PCU), to enhance stem traits and grain yield components, thereby improving rice lodging resistance and yield.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Methods&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;A two-year field experiment was conducted to assess the effects of different PCU concentrations (90, 120, and 180 g ha⁻¹) applied at two critical growth stages: the tillering stage (I) and the jointing stage (when the first elongating internode of 50 % of plants reached 1 cm, designated as II). A water-treated control (PCU0) was included. The study evaluated plant height, stem characteristics, lodging index (LI), endogenous hormone levels, and grain yield parameters.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Results&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Foliar application of PCU at 120 g ha⁻&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; during the jointing stage (PCU120-Ⅱ) significantly reduced the LI by 25.0–36.5 % and increased grain yield by 8.1–9.3 %. Compared with PCU0-Ⅱ, PCU120-Ⅱ markedly shortened the basal internode length while increasing the culm diameter and culm wall thickness. Additionally, PCU120-Ⅱ significantly reduced endogenous gibberellin A&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; (GA&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt;) levels in the second internode (I-2), leading to a reduction in plant height and center of gravity height. Conversely, the elevated endogenous zeatin content promoted cell division in stem tissues, contributing to increased culm wall thickness in the basal internodes. Furthermore, PCU120-Ⅱ enhanced the accumulation of key cell wall components, including cellulose and lignin, thereby strengthening stem rigidity. According to the random forest importance ranking, culm wall thickness, lignin content, culm diameter, and cellulose content emerged as key traits for breeding lodging-resistant rice. Moreover, PCU120-Ⅱ significantly increased both the number of panicles per unit area and grain weight, which were the primary contributors to the observed yield improvement.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Conclusions&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Applying PCU at 120 g ha&lt;sup&gt;−1&lt;/sup&gt; during the jointing stage is the optimal strategy for improving rice lodging resistance and grain yield. This effect is achieved through modifications in stem morphology, hormonal balance, and grain yield components.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Implications or significance&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;This study elucidates the mechanism by which the novel composite PGR, PCU, enhances ","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"328 ","pages":"Article 109931"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143874993","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":"Nitrogen nutrition index as an in-season N diagnostic method for maize yield response to N fertilization","authors":"Leonardo Bosche ,&nbsp;Federico Gomez ,&nbsp;Francisco Palmero ,&nbsp;Aidan Kerns ,&nbsp;Trevor Hefley ,&nbsp;Curtis Ransom ,&nbsp;P.V. Vara Prasad ,&nbsp;Bradley Van De Woestyne ,&nbsp;Ignacio Ciampitti","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109941","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109941","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Assessing crop nitrogen (N) status is essential for optimizing fertilizer N inputs for maize (<em>Zea mays</em> L.<em>)</em> crop and reducing the environmental footprint of this practice. The Nitrogen Nutrition Index (NNI) offers a promising method for improved in-season N diagnosis and management. However, there is a need to identify the different types of in-season responses for the relative yield (RY) to NNI (RY-NNI) relationship to develop better management tools and identify the main drivers (weather and soil factors) governing this process. This study aimed to describe the different RY-NNI relationships and identify the main weather and soil drivers influencing these responses. We used ninety-four maize yield to fertilizer N response experiments collected using a standardized protocol from the 2014–2016 growing seasons across the United States (US) Midwestern (including eight US states). Bayesian modeling and conditional inference tree algorithm were employed to assess the different types of RY-NNI relationships and characterize key weather and soil drivers. Three distinct RY-NNI relationships were identified, 60 % of the experiments exhibited a linear-plateau response (n = 56), 27 % a linear response (n = 26), and the remaining 13 % a no response (n = 12). Pre-planting nitrate-N (NO₃-N), the Shannon Diversity Index (SDI) from late vegetative (tasseling) to end of season (maturity), and the cumulative precipitation (CPP) from V9 to tasseling were key factors influencing RY-NNI responses. Together, these top three variables accounted for ∼ 50 % of the total relative variable importance. These findings enhance the use of NNI as an in-season N diagnostic tool by providing insights into types of RY-NNI relationships and their drivers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"328 ","pages":"Article 109941"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143875042","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":"Advancing agroecosystem management through strategic cover crop selection: The role of species identity and community composition for productivity and climate change mitigation","authors":"Andrea Fiorini ,&nbsp;Diego Abalos ,&nbsp;Federico Capra ,&nbsp;Giacomo Mortella ,&nbsp;Michela Lommi ,&nbsp;Nicolaj Franceschi ,&nbsp;Federico Ardenti ,&nbsp;Vincenzo Tabaglio","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109942","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109942","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><div>Cover cropping may improve soil fertility, nutrient cycling, and soil carbon (C) stocks, yet its effects on nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions and soil greenhouse gas balances remain unclear. The impact of cover crop species and mixtures varies over time, requiring further study.</div></div><div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>This study aimed to assess the agronomic and environmental performance of different cover crops, including hairy vetch, rye, radish, their mixtures, and a seven-species mix, over three years.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Over a three-year field experiment, we tested nine cover crop treatments — including rye, hairy vetch, radish, and their mixtures — and assessed their effects on biomass production, nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) inputs, soil macronutrients (N, P, K), greenhouse gas emissions (N₂O), and yields of maize, sunflower, and soybean.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Hairy vetch and rye produced higher biomass, while radish contributed most to soil C inputs belowground. Hairy vetch provided high N inputs (&gt;200 kg N ha⁻¹ annually) but increased N₂O emissions, revealing a trade-off between fertility and greenhouse gas emissions. Rye and radish emitted less N₂O, with rye increasing soil organic C and potassium availability. The rye and vetch mixture combined high biomass production and soil C sequestration with moderate N₂O emissions, making it a promising option for balancing productivity and sustainability. Rye-based treatments achieved a positive net soil CO₂ balance. Sunflower and maize N uptake improved after vetch and rye-vetch cover crops, while soybean yield remained unaffected.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion and implications</h3><div>Cover crop mixtures with complementary traits can balance productivity and environmental impacts. Integrating rye and vetch enhances ecological functions, supporting sustainable crop production while mitigating climate change.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"328 ","pages":"Article 109942"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143874994","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":"Multi-objective optimization of agronomic practices to balance soil fertility, water productivity, and economic returns in saline-alkali farmlands","authors":"Lei Sun ,&nbsp;Jianyu He ,&nbsp;Puyuan Qi ,&nbsp;Yiming Fan ,&nbsp;Yufan Wu ,&nbsp;Jiawei Liu ,&nbsp;Quanzhong Huang ,&nbsp;Guanhua Huang","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109928","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109928","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><div>Optimizing agronomic management is crucial for improving soil fertility, crop growth, and resource efficiency. However, the interactions between precision irrigation, organic amendments, and straw incorporation in salinized soil remain underexplored.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study aimed to evaluate the combined effects of irrigation on crop demand (IOD), organic substitution (OS), and straw return (SR) on soil fertility, crop growth, water productivity (WP), and net profit (NP) in salinized farmland, while identifying the optimal agronomic strategy through multi-objective optimization.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A 2022–2023 field experiment evaluated eight treatment combinations (CDI (conventional drip irrigation), SNR (straw not return), CK (chemical fertilizer only), IOD, SR, and OS) in saline-alkaline soils of arid regions. Key indicators included soil fertility, sunflower growth, salt leaching efficiency, WP, and NP. Data analysis integrated Pearson correlation, EWM-TOPSIS-AISM optimization, and partial least squares path modeling to assess variable relationships, rank treatment performance, and clarify causal pathways.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>IOD+SR+OS significantly enhanced soil fertility, increasing soil mineral nitrogen by 6.87–59.54 %, available phosphorus by 4.96–152.93 %, and exchangeable potassium by 7.02–83.07 % compared to other treatments, which in turn promoted sunflower growth, leading to improvements in plant height (9.92–63.32 %), stem diameter (7.59–47.39 %), leaf area index (19.59–176.50 %), and above-ground dry matter (7.43–68.01 %). Additionally, this integrated approach exhibited the highest salt leaching efficiency (0.0032 g kg⁻¹ mm⁻¹), effectively mitigating soil salinity. Although IOD+SR+CK achieved the highest short-term NP (22.94 and 22.74 (Thousand Chinese yuan) ha⁻¹ in 2022 and 2023), IOD+SR+OS demonstrated superior long-term sustainability by optimizing WP (1.42 kg m⁻³, increasing by up to 26.12 %). Multi-objective optimization further confirmed IOD+SR+OS as the most effective strategy for balancing soil fertility, WP, and NP in salinized farmland.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>By highlighting the synergies among IOD, SR, and OS, this study provides empirical evidence for improving soil fertility, optimizing resource efficiency, and enhancing farm profitability in arid regions. These findings contribute to the advancement of precision agriculture strategies that foster sustainable agriculture development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"328 ","pages":"Article 109928"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143874992","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}