Field Crops Research最新文献

{"title":"Synergies and trade-offs of crop diversification system for productive, energy budget, economic, and environmental indicators in Northeast China","authors":"Tao Sun ,&nbsp;Haotian Chen ,&nbsp;Li Yao ,&nbsp;Xiaogang Yin ,&nbsp;Zichao Zhao ,&nbsp;Aixing Deng ,&nbsp;Weijian Zhang ,&nbsp;Xinhao Gao ,&nbsp;Zhenwei Song","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109816","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109816","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><div>Continuous maize monoculture in Northeast China maintains higher productivity as well as results in excessive environmental costs. Integrating legume or gramineous crops into maize cropping system is an effective way to achieve high productivity while reducing carbon footprint (CF). However, the performance of different crop diversification systems is not clear so far.</div></div><div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>The present study aimed to comprehensively evaluate the effects of diversified maize, peanut, and wheat cropping systems on 1) crop productivity, energy budget and economic benefits; 2) environmental costs including CF, net ecosystem economic budget (NEEB), and carbon sustainability index (CSI) in Northeast China.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A four-year field experiment was conducted in Northeast China, including continuous maize (CM), continuous wheat (CW), continuous peanut (CP), maize and wheat intercropping (M||W), maize and peanut intercropping (M||P), maize and wheat rotation (M→W), maize and peanut rotation (M→P). The life cycle assessment (LCA) and Z-score methods were employed to analyze carbon emission related performance for these treatments.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Crop diversification (i.e., rotation and intercropping system) decreased biomass and grain yield but increased maize equivalent yield (MEY) and protein yield (PY). In particular, the M||P treatment showed 20.9 % and 24.6 % higher MEY and PY, respectively, compared to the CM treatment. Total revenue and net income for the M||P treatment were 20.8 % and 23.7 % higher than the CM treatment. However, M||W, M||P, M→W, and M→P treatments had lower energy yield (EY) and energy use efficiency compared to CM. The CSI was significantly higher for M||W (86.3 %), M||P (81.6 %), and M→W (46.4 %) treatments compared to CM. The M||P showed the lowest CF per unit equivalent yield (CF_MEY), per unit energy yield (CF_EY), and per unit economic benefit (CF_E), which were 58.6 %, 47.3 %, and 59.5 % lower than CM, respectively. Additionally, the M||P treatment had the highest NEEB of 15307.6 CNY ha⁻¹, which was 24.4 % higher than CM. Overall, M||P treatments demonstrated more positive effects with the highest comprehensive score of 20.1 due to higher yield, economic return, and lower environmental cost among the treatments.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>It is indicated that crop diversification practices, particularly the M||P system, can achieve higher profitability and NEEB while maintaining a lower CF in Northeast China.</div></div><div><h3>Implications</h3><div>This study underpins that maize and peanut intercropping is a viable alternative to traditional maize monoculture in Northeast China, which offers improved economic returns and environmental sustainability. However, the potential negative impact on energy yield should be considered when implementing such systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"325 ","pages":"Article 109816"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143512344","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":"Improving soil health and crop productivity through conservation agriculture and nitrogen management in rice-mustard-maize systems","authors":"Santosh Marahatta ,&nbsp;Shrawan Kumar Sah ,&nbsp;Andrew McDonald ,&nbsp;Jagadish Timsina ,&nbsp;Krishna Prasad Devkota","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109825","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109825","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><div>Conventional crop production practices, including crop establishment using intensive soil tillage, low use of fertilization, low-yielding varieties, and the removal or burning of crop residues, in the Terai region of Nepal have led to low crop yields and nutrient imbalances. Conservation agriculture (CA) offers a potential solution by integrating no-tillage, residue retention, and optimized nitrogen (N) management, yet its impact in this region remains underexplored.</div></div><div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>This study investigated the effects of CA practices combined with varying N rates on soil physico-chemical properties, nutrient uptake, and crop yields in rice-mustard-maize- systems.</div></div><div><h3>Methodologies</h3><div>A two-year field experiment (2011–2013) was conducted in farmers’ fields in the Western Terai region using a strip-split plot design. Treatments included: (i) two establishment methods (CA: no-till with residue retention vs. conventional tillage (CT): conventional tillage without residue retention, (ii) two crop varieties (improved or hybrid vs. local), and (iii) four N rates (0, 60, 120, and 180 kg ha⁻¹ for rice and 0, 30, 60, and 90 kg ha⁻¹ for mustard in both years whereas for maize, 0, 60, 120, and 180 kg ha⁻¹ in the first year and 0, 80, 160, and 240 kg ha⁻¹ in the second year). Soil properties, crop yields, and crop nutrient uptake were assessed.</div></div><div><h3>Results and discussion</h3><div>CA enhanced soil fertility and structure, with significant increase in soil organic carbon (15.4 %) and total nitrogen (14.6 %) at 0–10 cm depth, reduced bulk density, and improved moisture retention. In CA, Nitrogen uptake increased by 3 % in rice and 11 % in maize, while yield increased by 7 % and 9 %, respectively. Hybrid maize and rice outperformed local varieties, yielding 47 % and 3 % higher, respectively. Mustard performed variably, with ‘Bikash’ yielding 44 % more than ‘Goldie’. System productivity increased by 5 % under CA. Optimal yields were achieved with 180 kg ha⁻¹ for rice and maize and 90 kg ha⁻¹ for mustard. Increased N application reduced barrenness and sterility percentage across varieties.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>CA combined with optimized N management significantly improves soil health, nutrient dynamics, and crop productivity in intensive rice-based systems. Hybrid varieties exhibit higher productivity under CA than open-pollinated or inbred types. Thus, adopting CA with appropriate N management and variety can sustainably intensify cropping systems, bridging yield gaps while preserving soil health. These findings have implications for broader adoption across Nepal's Terai and similar agroecological zones of Indo-Gangetic Plains, addressing food security and environmental challenges.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"325 ","pages":"Article 109825"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143520390","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":"Explaining how diversified crop rotation systems reduce soybean yield gap: The case of Uruguay","authors":"Santiago Alvarez,&nbsp;Oswaldo Ernst","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109823","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109823","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Context&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;The increase in cultivated area in Uruguay’s main cropping systems (CS) has been achieved through a shift from crop-pasture rotation systems to continuous annual cropping systems with a high frequency of soybean. Evidence suggests eliminating perennial pastures and reducing crop sequence diversification may gradually reduce soil quality, limiting the actual crop productivity and generating adverse environmental effects.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Objectives&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;We hypothesize that as crop rotation diversity decreases, the actual soybean yield (Ya) will also decrease, leading to an increase in exploitable soybean yield gap (Yg&lt;sup&gt;Exp&lt;/sup&gt;), and consequently compromising future food production capacity. This decline would likely be due to changes in resource efficiency use in response to crop rotation design, modifying the soil quality, which in turn reduces the efficiency of resource use and inputs. The objectives were to quantify the effects on attainable yield (Yatt) and Yg&lt;sup&gt;Exp&lt;/sup&gt;, identifying the contributions of resource availability and efficiency generated by the cropping system design.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Methods&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;The study analyzed 64 on-farm experiments on commercial farms representing key regional CS. Two nutrient management approaches were compared: 1) farmer's management, and 2) non-limiting nutrient supply, resulting in 128 soybean yield records. Stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) was used to estimate Yatt based on factors influencing soybean yield, incorporating an inefficiency function into the stochastic frontier production function (SFPF). We estimated a maximum attainable yield (Ymax), calculating the mean above the 90th percentile of Yatt. Ya, Yatt, and Ymax were used to estimate the efficiency yield gap (Yg&lt;sup&gt;Ef&lt;/sup&gt; = Yatt – Ya) and the yield gap attributable to differences in resource availability (Yg&lt;sup&gt;Re&lt;/sup&gt; = Ymax – Yatt). The sum of both allowed us to determine the Yg&lt;sup&gt;Exp&lt;/sup&gt;. The outcomes were categorized into three productivity levels based on Ya: i) Highest Ya, values above the 90th percentile; ii) Medium Ya, values between the 45th and 55th percentiles; iii) Lowest Ya, values below the 10th percentile.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Results&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Average Ya was 3.2 Mg ha&lt;sup&gt;−1&lt;/sup&gt;, Yg&lt;sup&gt;Ef&lt;/sup&gt; was 1.3 Mg ha&lt;sup&gt;−1&lt;/sup&gt; and Yg&lt;sup&gt;Re&lt;/sup&gt; was 1.7 Mg ha&lt;sup&gt;−1&lt;/sup&gt;. We found that Yg&lt;sup&gt;Ef&lt;/sup&gt; was partially explained by crop rotation design and supplementary irrigation. Soil quality, measured through soil penetration resistance, and technological improvements, such as increasing the amount of water supplied or enhancing fertilization in high-productive environments, were identified as determining factors of Yg&lt;sup&gt;Re&lt;/sup&gt;.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Conclusions&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Our findings reveal the susceptibility of soybean yield to the diversity of crop rotation history and highlight water supply, fertilization strategy when water is not limiting, and surface compaction as","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"325 ","pages":"Article 109823"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143508952","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":"Greenness index profile in maize canopy: Implications for crop N status diagnosis","authors":"Nicolas E. Maltese ,&nbsp;Walter D. Carciochi ,&nbsp;Octavio P. Caviglia ,&nbsp;María P. Iglesias ,&nbsp;Nahuel I. Reussi Calvo","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109824","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109824","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><div>The greenness index of the ear-leaf in maize (<em>Zea mays</em> L.) has been used to assess crop nitrogen (N) status, but it may not accurately predict yield responses to late N fertilization.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study aimed to i) analyze differences in the greenness index and N sufficiency index (NSI) across maize canopy leaf positions and their relationship with soil N availability, N nutrition index (NNI), and grain yield, and ii) evaluate the accuracy of NSI determined in different leaf positions in predicting the grain yield response to N fertilization at silking.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The greenness index was measured across the maize canopy profile under varying N rates and application timings in five field experiments. Bell-shaped models described the greenness index distribution, and relationships among NSI, NNI, and relative grain yield (rGY) were analyzed.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>At silking, NSI differences were more pronounced in lower leaves, showing stronger associations with soil N availability (R² &gt; 0.69) and NNI (R² &gt; 0.58), compared to the ear-leaf (R² = 0.37 and 0.54, respectively). The NSI vs rGY relationship showed no differences among the three lower leaf positions. Measurements in upper leaves had weak associations with crop N status or yield responses. Only NSI from leaves in the lowest position below the ear-leaf predicted yield response to N fertilization at silking.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Measuring NSI in lower leaves provided a better assessment of crop N status, improving predictions of yield responses to late N applications, and supporting more precise N fertilization strategies for modern maize hybrids.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"325 ","pages":"Article 109824"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143508939","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":"NTRI: A novel spectral index for developing a precise nitrogen diagnosis model across pre- and post-anthesis stages of maize plants","authors":"Yuzhe Tang ,&nbsp;Fei Li ,&nbsp;Yuncai Hu ,&nbsp;Kang Yu","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109829","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109829","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><div>Accurate and real-time diagnosis of crop nitrogen (N) status is essential for effective precision N management. Integrating the N nutrition index (NNI) with spectral non-destructive rapid monitoring technologies offers a promising approach to precision N management for field crops. However, applying spectral sensing technologies for providing fertilizer recommendations based on real-time plant N nutrition diagnosis for drip-irrigated maize in arid regions remains challenging.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>Our study set out to leverage spectroscopic techniques to accurately diagnose maize N status at pre- and post-anthesis. Our goal was to develop a novel spectral index that could guide site-specific fertigation strategies in arid environments.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The comprehensive field experiments with three maize varieties and different N levels were conducted from 2021 to 2023 in Inner Mongolia, China. Spectral reflectance, biomass, and leaf N concentrations were determined at various layers of maize plants across five growth stages. A Bayesian model to estimate leaf-based NNI was employed to develop leaf-based critical N concentration dilution curves for different ecological sites. The nitrogen nutrient triangle ratio index (NTRI), a key outcome of our research, was constructed using first-order derivative spectral reflectance between 680 and 750 nm. We then compared the NNI prediction accuracies of NTRI with 29 published spectral indices, ensuring the robustness of our findings.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Compared to NNI prediction models based on twenty-nine published spectral indices, our newly developed NTRI demonstrated a superior correlation to NNI (R² = 0.83). Independent validation confirmed NTRI’s robustness, yielding an RMSE of 0.11 % and RE of 9.6 %, surpassing existing indices.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Pre-anthesis N diagnosis was most sensitive to spectral diagnosis from the latest fully expanded leaf, while post-anthesis N diagnosis relied on ear leaves. NTRI’s accuracy and resistance to varietal and interannual variability highlight its potential application for real-time N monitoring.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>Our innovative spectral index NTRI significantly advances spectral N nutrition diagnostics, enabling leaf-layer sensing and smart fertigation systems. This breakthrough paves the way for sustainable, high-yield maize production in arid regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"325 ","pages":"Article 109829"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143508953","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":"Three-year field trials with seven biochars reveal minor changes in soil chemical properties but no impact on crop yield","authors":"Danielle L. Gelardi ,&nbsp;Patricia A. Lazicki ,&nbsp;Daniel Rath ,&nbsp;Michelle M. Leinfelder-Miles ,&nbsp;Kate M. Scow ,&nbsp;Daniel J. Geisseler ,&nbsp;Sanjai J. Parikh","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109807","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109807","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><div>Biochar is frequently described as a “win-win” solution due to its potential to mitigate climate change while improving agricultural production. Intensive investigation has revealed that biochar can deliver agronomic benefits such as increases in soil water retention, fertility, and yield. However, benefits may be greatest in marginal soils such as those with low fertility, coarse-textured, contaminated, highly acidic, or receiving limited fertilizer and irrigation. While the agronomic benefits of biochar may be more limited in fertile soils, there is nevertheless a strong interest in applying it to prime soils for purposes other than crop production, such as climate change mitigation.</div></div><div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>The objectives of this study were to explore the impacts of biochar on processing tomato production in two fertile soils in a Mediterranean climate, and to evaluate the fertilizer rate, soil texture, and biochar production parameters and application rate which may optimize potential benefits and minimize negative consequences.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Seven biochars, produced from different feedstocks at different temperatures, were amended to a silt loam and sandy loam in three-year field trials, at two application rates, in conjunction with two synthetic fertilizer rates.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>No biochar had a significant effect on processing tomato yield, crop ripening, or plant nitrogen (N) uptake at any rate in any year in any location. Minor increases in soil pH, EC, and mineral N concentration were observed in years 2 and 3, though effects were inconsistent across biochars, locations, and years.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>The findings suggest that biochar may confer limited agronomic benefits in fertile soils in Mediterranean climates, though its application resulted in minimal observed negative consequences. In similar contexts with comparable materials, biochar application for climate change mitigation may be pursued with minimal tradeoffs for agricultural production.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"325 ","pages":"Article 109807"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143508938","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Morphogenesis of ratoon crops in response to preharvest nitrogen application in japonica rice","authors":"Weiyi Xie,&nbsp;Yuji Yamasaki,&nbsp;Yoichiro Kato","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109809","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109809","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><div>Nitrogen (N) application during grain filling of the main crop increases yield of ratoon rice. However, the morphological development of ratoon crops in response to preharvest N management is not well documented.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>We hypothesized that plant N nutrition during grain filling of the main crop mediates the morphogenesis of ratoon tillers and panicles. Our objective was to elucidate the morphological characteristics by which preharvest N promotes ratoon crop growth.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Two N treatments were compared in a lowland rice field for 2 years: with or without 60 kg N ha^–1 applied at 5 days after heading of the main crop. The lengths of the tiller buds and young panicles at each node of the ratoon crop were monitored by dissecting the stubble. Logistic functions simulated the ratoon development dynamics.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Preharvest N application increased ratoon crop yield by enhancing ratooning ability. It also advanced the onset of ratoon tiller growth and shortened the development period of tiller buds and young panicles at the upper nodes. In contrast, ratooning ability and ratoon crop growth at lower nodes were not affected.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Increased ratoon crop yield after preharvest N application resulted from advanced ratoon development and enhanced ratooning ability at the upper nodes.</div></div><div><h3>Implications</h3><div>This study provides scientific support for the importance of preharvest N application in ratoon rice cultivation. Our findings will contribute to improvement of N management in rice<img>ratoon-rice systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"325 ","pages":"Article 109809"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143478816","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Long-term N fertilization increases water use and use-efficiency of winter wheat","authors":"Yuhao Yang ,&nbsp;Jun Zou ,&nbsp;Biao Feng ,&nbsp;Suya Hu ,&nbsp;Bowen Qiao ,&nbsp;Wenhai Huang ,&nbsp;Li Zhang ,&nbsp;Haoyu Zheng ,&nbsp;Matthew Tom Harrison ,&nbsp;Ke Liu ,&nbsp;Xinya Wen ,&nbsp;Fu Chen ,&nbsp;Xiaogang Yin","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109808","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109808","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><div>North China Plain (NCP) is characterized with sporadic seasonal rainfall patterns and scarce surface water resources that challenge the consistency of winter wheat production. Farmers in the NCP tend to fertilize crops with luxury N to obtain high yield, but such practices have accelerated depletion rates of scarce water supplies. However, the influences of long-term N treatments on water use and use-efficiency in the winter wheat production are still not fully understood, which is important for optimizing N rates and irrigation to promote agricultural green development.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>The purpose of this study was to quantify the impacts of different N rates on water consumption and water use efficiency (WUE) in winter wheat using 11-year experimentation.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This study was focused on a winter wheat-summer maize cropping system in an 11-year field experiment in the NCP, which comprised five N rates in the wheat production season, namely 0, 60, 120, 180 and 240 kg N ha⁻¹, hereafter recorded as N0, N60, N120, N180 and N240, respectively.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Fertilization longitudinally increased the yield and WUE of winter wheat, but also ramped water use. Water consumption and WUE under the N60-N240 treatments were 17–38 % and 186–333 % higher than that in the N0 treatment, respectively. Soil water extraction primarily occurred in the 0–120 cm soil depth, and which was predominantly concentrated within the 0–60 cm soil layer before flowering. It primarily reflected by root distribution abundance and yield formation. Greater yield and aboveground biomass under high N treatments were directly proportional to larger amount of water consumption in both vegetative and reproductive stages.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Increased N rates resulted in higher wheat yield and WUE but also caused larger amount of water consumption, while low N inputs significantly reduced water consumption but led to reduced WUE in the long-term. The optimal N rate to achieve high levels of wheat yield and WUE with low water consumption is 180 kg N ha⁻¹ (N180) in the study.</div></div><div><h3>Implications</h3><div>Application of N fertilizer is beneficial for improving WUE, however, N application may result in accelerated premature senescence when water is limiting, the appropriate N rates should thus consider soil water availability as well as potential for the crop to receive water from rainfall or irrigation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"325 ","pages":"Article 109808"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143478815","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":"Salt leaching with alternate surface and subsurface drip irrigation enhance cotton yield, water use efficiency, desalination rate, desalination efficiency and economic benefit","authors":"Zijian He,&nbsp;Hongxia Cao,&nbsp;Qingyang Hu,&nbsp;Chen Qi,&nbsp;Zhijun Li","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109804","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109804","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><div>Xinjiang's pivotal cotton industry requires improved irrigation management for sustainable production due to water inefficiency and salt accumulation, while alternate surface and subsurface drip irrigation with mulch (ADI) and salt leaching serve as promising solutions. Objective: Therefore, this study assessed the effects of ADI and salt leaching on soil water, salinity, desalination, cotton yield, water use efficiency (WUE) and economic benefits to identify the optimal strategy. Methods: A field experiment in 2020–2021 used two irrigation methods (ADI; DI: surface drip irrigation with mulch) and four leaching levels (0, 120, 240 and 360 mm). Leaching water was applied in three equal portions during the seedling and budding stages (DI) and flowering stage (subsurface drip irrigation). Results: As leaching levels increased, yield, desalination rate and economic benefits improved, while WUE and desalination efficiency initially increased, then decreased for both irrigation methods. Compared to DI, ADI had worse soil water conditions within the film, but this was mitigated with higher leaching levels. Notably, ADI improved soil salinity conditions, effectively offsetting yield reductions caused by water stress. Compared to DI, ADI boosted cotton yield and WUE by 3.1 %-26.5 %, desalination rate and efficiency by 24.1 %-114.5 %. Despite higher inputs, ADI outperformed DI economically in high salinity soils, with better salt control promoting higher yields. Conclusions: Overall, TOPSIS evaluation showed ADI offered superior benefits over DI. ADI with 252–336 mm leaching water (0.8 g·L⁻¹) was identified as optimal (≥95 % peak performance), balancing desalination, cotton yield, WUE and economic benefits. Significance: This recommendation strongly advocates for the positive impact of ADI in promoting sustainable development in saline agriculture.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"325 ","pages":"Article 109804"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143465103","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":"Bio-based fertilisers can replace conventional inorganic P fertilisers under European pedoclimatic conditions","authors":"Hanna Frick ,&nbsp;Else K. Bünemann ,&nbsp;Alicia Hernandez-Mora ,&nbsp;Herbert Eigner ,&nbsp;Stefan Geyer ,&nbsp;Olivier Duboc ,&nbsp;Jakob Santner ,&nbsp;Ramiro Recena ,&nbsp;Antonio Delgado ,&nbsp;Aurélien D´Oria ,&nbsp;Mustapha Arkoun ,&nbsp;Zoltán Tóth ,&nbsp;Lauri Jauhiainen ,&nbsp;Kari Ylivainio","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109803","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109803","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Mineable phosphorus (P) resources are finite and unevenly distributed globally. Recycling of P from different waste streams as bio-based fertilisers (BBFs) provides a viable option for closing nutrient cycles. To implement this approach effectively, it is necessary to evaluate the P fertiliser efficiency of BBFs under field conditions using a mechanistic approach that links their performance to their chemical composition. This study aimed to test to which extent BBFs can replace conventional inorganic P fertilisers under different pedoclimatic conditions. To this end, the same eight BBFs were tested in field experiments over two consecutive years at five different sites in Europe growing cereals and sunflower. Furthermore, the residual effect of the BBFs in a succeeding crop was investigated. We found that none of the tested P-BBFs resulted in significantly lower yield or total P uptake than triple superphosphate. Ammonium magnesium phosphate (struvite), dicalcium phosphate and phytate-based fertilisers performed best across all field experiments (mean mineral replacement values of 80 – 125 %). No consistent effect of soil or climatic conditions was found. Only marginal residual effects were observed, suggesting that longer trials with repeated applications are necessary to quantify residual effects. The fact that two out of five trial sites were not responsive to P fertilisation highlights the need to consider soil P status for the successful implementation of P fertiliser field trials as well as for fertilising recommendations. In conclusion, most tested BBFs have the potential to replace conventional inorganic P fertilisers across a range of European soils and climate.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"325 ","pages":"Article 109803"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143444815","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}