Field Crops Research最新文献

{"title":"Critical periods for the expression of vegetative and reproductive plasticity in maize crops","authors":"F. Espelet , D.H. Rotili , K.E. D’Andrea , G.A. Maddonni","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109907","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109907","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context or problem</h3><div>Across the world, maize (<em>Zea mays</em> L.) production has expanded into marginal environments where low densities are used. Low densities increase the resource offer pl<sup>−1</sup> 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.</div></div><div><h3>Objective or research question</h3><div>To define critical periods for the expression of vegetative-reproductive plasticity in low-density maize crops.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We analyzed the impact of growth reductions through shading (70 % reduced incident radiation) throughout different stages of the cycle (S<sub>1</sub>: V<sub>3</sub>-V<sub>7</sub>; S<sub>2</sub>: V<sub>7</sub>-V<sub>13</sub>; S<sub>3</sub>: V<sub>13</sub>-R<sub>1</sub> and S<sub>4</sub>: R<sub>1</sub>-R<sub>2</sub>) 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<sup>−2</sup>. Four field experiments (Exp<sub>1</sub>, Exp<sub>2</sub>, Exp<sub>3</sub>, Exp<sub>4</sub>) were conducted during two growing seasons.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Under the control treatment, all plastic phenotypes reached a higher grain yield m<sup>−2</sup> than the flex, but both the tillering and prolific+tillering phenotypes had the highest grain yields. Differences in kernel number m<sup>−2</sup> among treatments were very strong in all phenotypes, with the prolific and prolific+tillering being relatively more stable among shading treatments. S<sub>1</sub> reduced tiller emission, while S<sub>2</sub> reduced tiller growth. The greatest reductions in kernel number m<sup>−2</sup> were always observed with S<sub>3</sub> and S<sub>4</sub> 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.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>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.</div></div><div><h3>Implications or significance</h3><div>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}

{"title":"Co-application of microalgae and biochar increases yield and mitigates greenhouse gas emissions in saline-alkali soil","authors":"Chao Ma ,&nbsp;Zhe Xu ,&nbsp;Wei Yang ,&nbsp;Tao Tang ,&nbsp;Qi Liu ,&nbsp;Dongliang Zhang ,&nbsp;Prashanth Prasanna ,&nbsp;Zhongyi Qu","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109885","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109885","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><div>Despite the proven role of biochar or microalgae application alone in yield stability and climate resilience, their synergistic effects have not been well characterized, especially in fragile saline-alkali lands.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study aims to investigate the individual and combined effects of biochar and microalgae application on sunflower yield, soil carbon (C), greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and carbon footprint (CF), providing novel insights into saline-alkali soil management.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>Three doses of microalgae fertilizer (0, 30, and 60 L ha⁻¹), combined with two rates of biochar (0 and 30 t ha⁻¹), were applied in field experiments over 3 years in Northwest China (Wuyuan, Inner Mongolia). The key parameters evaluated included the soil organic carbon (SOC) content, GHG emissions, and crop yield.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Microalgal fertilizer application alone caused minimal changes in SOC storage, whereas biochar application had a predominant effect, indicating that biochar was a key contributor to SOC accumulation. Notably, the combined effects of biochar and microalgae on yield, SOC storage, and emission reduction were stronger than those of each factor separately, confirming the positive complementary effects of dual application. The combination of microalgae fertilizer and biochar resulted in maximum yield (3824 kg ha⁻¹) and SOC sequestration (26 Mg C ha⁻¹), which increased by 58 % and 24 %, respectively, compared to that of the control over the three years. Additionally, co-application reduced GHG emissions and the CF by 18 %-31 % and 101 %, respectively.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The combination of 30 t ha⁻¹ biochar and 60 L ha⁻¹ microalgae was identified as the optimal strategy for the study area. This optimized regime holds great potential for increasing crop yield, enhancing C sequestration, and mitigating GHG emissions, thereby promoting sustainable development in saline agriculture.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"327 ","pages":"Article 109885"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143792162","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 drip tape placement position and dripper type on root distribution, N use efficiency and yield of cotton under drip irrigation in Xinjiang, China","authors":"Kai Liu,&nbsp;Shaohua Liu,&nbsp;Huan Liao,&nbsp;Zhenan Hou","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109894","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109894","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><div>Drip irrigation technology has been widely used in cotton fields in Xinjiang of China. The placement of drip tape and the type of dripper directly influence the distribution of soil moisture and nutrients, thereby affecting root growth and nutrients uptake. However, the effect of drip tape placement position and dripper type on N use efficiency (NUE) and yield of cotton is still unclear.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>In this study, two placement positions of drip tape (in wide (W) or narrow (N) rows of cotton plant) and two types of dripper (single-wing labyrinth dripper (L) or embedded dripper (E)) were evaluated, resulting in four treatments (LW, LN, EW, EN).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>After 24 h fertigation, EW and EN treatments exhibited deeper soil moisture penetration than LW and LN treatments, while LW and LN showed more uniform moisture distribution in the 0–20 cm soil layer. The soil NO₃^--N of LW, LN and EN treatments were mainly concentrated in the narrow rows, while that in the EW treatment was concentrated in the wide rows. The root length density (RLD) distribution of LW, LN and EN treatments coincided with soil moisture and NO₃^--N patterns. Compared with EW and EN treatments, LW and LN treatments increased cotton RLD by 12 %-34 % and root surface area by 9 %-23 %. Compared with EW and EN treatments, the LW treatment significantly increased cotton yield and NUE by 12 %-15 % and 37 %-53 %, respectively.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Therefore, drip tape with single-wing labyrinth dripper placed in wide rows enhances cotton root growth and nutrients uptake, thereby increasing NUE and yield. This research contributes to optimizing drip irrigation configurations and improving cotton yield and NUE under drip irrigation in Xinjiang.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"327 ","pages":"Article 109894"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143785171","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":"Soybean-maize intercropping combined with water management enhances leaf traits to obtain yield benefits in semi-arid regions","authors":"Ping Chen ,&nbsp;GaoJie Xian ,&nbsp;Tian Pu ,&nbsp;Wanzhuo Gong ,&nbsp;Jianzheng Li ,&nbsp;Feng Yang ,&nbsp;Xiaochun Wang ,&nbsp;Taiwen Yong ,&nbsp;Yuze Li ,&nbsp;Yanhong Yan ,&nbsp;Jiang Liu ,&nbsp;Wenyu Yang ,&nbsp;Yushan Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109869","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109869","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><div>Intercropping can enhance land use efficiency and offer promising ways for achieving food security and sustainable agriculture. However, the impact of water management on intercropping productivity still needs to be further studied in semi-arid areas, particularly the mechanisms behind the yield advantages related to crop leaf photosynthetic parameters in soybean-maize intercropping are still unclear.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>The current study aimed to assess the effects of cropping systems and water management on crop biomass accumulation, photosynthesis, grain yield, land equivalent ratio (LER), and economic benefits of soybean-maize intercropping systems in semi-arid regions.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A two-year field experiment using a two-factor randomized block design was conducted in Baotou, Inner Mongolia, a semi-arid region of China. The study compared alternate soybean-maize intercropping (RI) and strip soybean-maize intercropping (SI) with the corresponding sole cropping (Factor A) under two water management strategies (Factor B), and analysed crop leaf functional traits mediated biomass accumulation and yield advantages in intercropping.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Results showed that the LER ranged from 1.07 to 1.17 for RI with average partial land equivalent ratio (pLER) at 0.20 and 0.92 for soybean and maize. The LER of SI ranged from 1.13 to 1.35 and the pLER of soybean and maize were 0.38 and 0.86. The average net effect of soybean-maize intercropping was 5.41 Mg ha^–1. Although the LER was independent of water management, full irrigation without plastic film mulch treatment (WM1) boosted the net effect of intercropping systems compared with the reduced irrigated ridge-furrow treatment (WM0). Intercropping enhanced biomass accumulation and grain yield by increasing the leaf area index rather than improving leaf photosynthetic parameters. Additionally, WM1 improved crop leaf functional traits and enhanced biomass accumulation contributing to higher yield advantages and economic benefit compared with WM0.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>In semi-arid regions, soybean-maize intercropping can achieve trade-off situations of yield advantages. Especially, strip soybean-maize intercropping with WM1 has obtained the highest yield advantage and economic benefit by enhancing the functional traits of crop leaves.</div></div><div><h3>Implications</h3><div>The current study deciphered the mechanism of yield advantages for soybean-maize intercropping in semi-arid regions, and also proposed reasonable water management strategies. Especially in the strip intercropping, the optimized water management strategies should be considered to further increase land productivity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"327 ","pages":"Article 109869"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143863646","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":"Intercrop overyielding is maintained under estimated water and nitrogen stress in maize-cowpea on-farm trials in semi-arid Zimbabwe","authors":"Illiana W. Kwenda ,&nbsp;Gatien N. Falconnier ,&nbsp;Rémi Cardinael ,&nbsp;François Affholder ,&nbsp;Antoine Couëdel ,&nbsp;Frédéric Baudron ,&nbsp;Angelinus C. Franke ,&nbsp;Isaiah Nyagumbo ,&nbsp;Stanford Mabasa ,&nbsp;Mathilde de Freitas ,&nbsp;Valentin Pret ,&nbsp;Souleymane Diop ,&nbsp;Eleanor F. Mutsamba-Magwaza ,&nbsp;Regis Chikowo","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109890","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109890","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Problem</h3><div>Semi-arid regions of sub-Saharan Africa are characterized by highly variable rainfall and low inherent soil fertility. Maize-cowpea intercropping may offer the prospect of increasing and stabilizing crop productivity in these regions. However, the performance of such cropping systems often varies considerably in space and time.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>The main objective of the study was to understand how farmer context and rainfall variability influence the performance of maize-cowpea intercropping, using on-farm field experiments together with soil-crop model simulations to compute water and nitrogen stress.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The data used in this study was generated from twelve on-farm trials during two cropping seasons (2021/22 and 2022/23) in semi-arid Zimbabwe. Three maize (Zea mays L.) varieties, one cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) variety and two cropping systems - either sole or intercropped - were tested. The STICS soil-crop model was parameterized to reproduce crop growth in the on-farm trials and compute water and nitrogen (N) stresses. Linear mixed-effects models were used to assess the impact of experimental treatments and simulated water and N stresses on intercropping performance.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The Partial Land Equivalent Ratio (pLER – the ratio of intercropped productivity over sole crop productivity) for maize and cowpea greatly varied across farms and crop types. Maize variety did not significantly impact the pLER of maize and cowpea. Water stress and nitrogen (N) stress simulated by the model were significant predictors of variations in pLER: maize pLER for aboveground biomass significantly decreased with increasing simulated water stress, and maize pLER for grain yield significantly decreased with increased simulated N stress. Yet, average LER remained above one, regardless of the water or N stress on maize, because of a greater contribution of cowpea to LER when water and N stress on maize was high. Late planting was found to exacerbate maize water stress, while low total nitrogen in the top soil was significantly correlated with maize nitrogen stress.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Our study reveals that the production benefits of maize-cowpea intercropping can be maintained, in conditions of high water and nitrogen stress in multi-year and multi-location on-farm experiments.</div></div><div><h3>Implications</h3><div>Our findings confirm the assumption that intercropping is a useful approach to intensify and stabilize grain and fodder production in smallholder mixed crop-livestock farming systems in semi-arid environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"327 ","pages":"Article 109890"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143785068","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}