Field Crops Research最新文献

{"title":"Out of sight, out of mind: Night-temperature impact on major field crops","authors":"Román A. Serrago ,&nbsp;Víctor D. Giménez ,&nbsp;Guillermo A. García ,&nbsp;Daniel J. Miralles ,&nbsp;Gustavo A. Slafer ,&nbsp;Ignacio A. Ciampitti","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.110108","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.110108","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Recent decades have highlighted the impact of climate change on field crops around the globe, with drought and extreme heat as the main drivers. However, a consistent and continuous increase in night temperature has been documented over time, but with very little attention and research on its impact on the yield of major field crops. This opinion paper presents the current state of the art on this topic, highlights the lack of research, identifies some potential causes, and draws attention to the need for future investment to fill the knowledge gap on this topic. Securing future productivity gains for major field crops will depend on more targeted crop improvement and agronomic management to enhance crop resilience to multiple stresses, including night temperature as a relevant stress that is usually overlooked (out of sight, out of mind!).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"333 ","pages":"Article 110108"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144893653","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":"Machine learning reveals drivers of yield sustainability in five decades of continuous rice cropping","authors":"Tomoaki Yamaguchi ,&nbsp;Olivyn Angeles ,&nbsp;Toshichika Iizumi ,&nbsp;Achim Dobermann ,&nbsp;Keisuke Katsura ,&nbsp;Kazuki Saito","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.110114","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.110114","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The long-term sustainability of intensive rice systems under climate change is a critical challenge for global food security. Here, we use machine learning techniques to assess the impact of climate change, genotype, and nutrient management on rice yield in the world's longest-running continuous cropping experiment (LTCCE) at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines. In the experiment, three to six rice genotypes were cultivated from 1968 to 2017 in three annual cropping seasons—dry, early wet, and late wet seasons—with four nitrogen (N) fertilizer treatments. These genotypes were changed regularly to utilize the best high-yielding, disease- and insect-resistant varieties available at a given time. Our analysis showed that nitrogen application, varietal replacement, solar radiation, and seasonal temperature patterns were major determinants of yield variation. While nitrogen and solar radiation consistently improved yield irrespective of seasons, temperature effects were season-specific. In the dry season, lower temperatures during reproductive and ripening stages were beneficial. In the early wet season, yield gains were observed under higher vegetative-stage temperatures. Enhanced nitrogen mineralization and improved early rice growth may be contributing factors. The late wet season was constrained by low radiation, high disease pressure, and declining N response with prolonged varietal use. These findings demonstrate the value of combining long-term yield data with weather information to assess sustainability in intensive rice systems under increasing climatic and biotic pressures. They also illustrate the need for seasonally tailored and integrated crop, nutrient, and pest management practices, including more frequent variety replacement and rotating varieties between seasons. Breeding dry season varieties with reduced respiration losses and wet season varieties with improved tolerance to humid, low-radiation conditions can play a crucial role in enhancing seasonal adaptation and overall productivity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"333 ","pages":"Article 110114"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144893654","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":"Prescreening rice for cold tolerance at the reproductive stage using anther length (prescreening rice reproductive-stage cold tolerance)","authors":"Reo Sato ,&nbsp;Natsumi Sugawara ,&nbsp;Zelalem Zewdu ,&nbsp;Honoka Takasago ,&nbsp;Akira Abe ,&nbsp;Maya Matsunami ,&nbsp;Hiroyuki Shimono","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.110115","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.110115","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Breeding cold-tolerant rice cultivars can reduce the yield loss caused by spikelet sterility induced by low temperatures. This requires facilities that can maintain a precise low temperature, but their limited availability creates a bottleneck for efficient breeding of new cultivars, especially in developing countries. Here, we hypothesized that quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with anther length under non-stress conditions could be used to prescreen candidate cultivars for cold tolerance. We tested this hypothesis using two recombinant inbred lines (RILs) based on crosses of a common cultivar, ‘Hitomebore’, with ‘Sasanishiki’ (the “SH-population”, 188 lines) and with ‘Moukoto’ (the “MH-population”, 216 lines) at two N levels. We detected three QTLs related to anther length (on chromosomes 7, 8, and 11) in the SH-population and four QTLs (on chromosomes 1, 6, 7, and 9) in the MH-population. Haplotype analysis confirmed that the spikelet fertility of the RILs that had QTLs for anther elongation was significantly higher than that of RILs that lacked these QTLs in both populations in a cold tolerance test in a cool-irrigation facility. Our results therefore indicate that anther length can be used to prescreen accessions for their cold tolerance during the reproductive stage.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"333 ","pages":"Article 110115"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144892234","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 post-emergence herbicides in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) for economic benefits, yield response, and weed control under different mega-environments in India","authors":"Narendra Kumar ,&nbsp;C.P. Nath ,&nbsp;K.K. Hazra ,&nbsp;Shailesh Tripathi ,&nbsp;G.P. Dixit ,&nbsp;Kamal Tiwari ,&nbsp;Guriqbal Singh ,&nbsp;Harpreet Kaur Virk ,&nbsp;K.C. Gupta ,&nbsp;Dasharath Prasad ,&nbsp;Brij Nandan ,&nbsp;Sunil Kumar ,&nbsp;N. Anando Singh ,&nbsp;Md. Hedayetullah ,&nbsp;P.A. Pagar ,&nbsp;D.K. Patil ,&nbsp;G.P. Banjara ,&nbsp;R.P. Singh ,&nbsp;Satya Narayan Meena ,&nbsp;S.R. Vasava ,&nbsp;D.H. Patil","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.110113","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.110113","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><div>Weed infestation is a major constraint in crop production across the globe but few herbicide options are available. In India, the world’s major chickpea producer, broadleaf weeds are most damaging to chickpea due to lack of post-emergence herbicides.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>The study aimed to systematically evaluate the selectivity and efficacy of topramezone, a novel post-emergence (POST) herbicide, for broad-spectrum weed control in chickpea.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We tested different pre-emergence (PRE) and POST herbicides alone and in combination with topramezone during 2021–22 and 2022–23 in thirteen locations under major mega-environments of India, comprising different agro-climatic conditions.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The average yield loss due to weed infestation was 52.3 % (24.1 – 73.6, CI 95 %) across locations. Across all locations, the sequential herbicide application comprising oxyfluorfen 150 g a.i. ha⁻¹ PRE - topramezone 20.6 g a.i. ha⁻¹ POST at 14 days after sowing, DAS (OXYF150-TOPR20.6) exhibited the highest weed control efficiency of 70 % (68.2 – 81.1, CI 95 %) and recorded yields up to 98 % of the weed-free check, reducing yield losses by up to 60 % over weedy check. In contrast, narrow-spectrum herbicides such as propaquizafop at 150 g a.i. ha⁻¹ and quizalofop-p-ethyl 150 g a.i. ha⁻¹ at 25 DAS had the lowest efficiency (∼55–58 %) and yielded only 60–80 % of weed-free check, proving the need of herbicides for managing broadleaf weeds in chickpea. The OXYF150-TOPR20.6 significantly enhanced the grain yield (1537–1858 kg ha⁻¹) and delivered the highest net return (∼₹52,000) and benefit-cost ratio (BCR: ∼3.0), proving its superiority in both productivity and profitability across agro-climatic zones.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion and significance</h3><div>It is the first comprehensive evaluation of topramezone and its sequential use with PRE herbicides under major mega-environments of India. This study highlights topramezone's potential as a globally viable POST herbicide, offering effective weed control, improved chickpea yield, and sustainable weed management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"333 ","pages":"Article 110113"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144886320","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":"Response of crop photosynthetic product allocation under different water supply conditions: A global synthetic analysis","authors":"Wei Xu ,&nbsp;Wen Zhang ,&nbsp;Yongqiang Yu ,&nbsp;Wenjuan Sun ,&nbsp;Lijun Yu ,&nbsp;Dongyao Shang ,&nbsp;Changying Xue ,&nbsp;Qing Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.110104","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.110104","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context or problem</h3><div>Photosynthetic product allocation is essential for crop development, but the rising frequency of extreme drought and flood events has disrupted biomass distribution and carbon storage in terrestrial ecosystems. Yet, the effects of seasonal drought stress on crop biomass allocation remain poorly understood.</div></div><div><h3>Objective or research question</h3><div>This study aims to quantitatively assess how drought stress influences the allocation patterns of photosynthetic products in maize and wheat, with particular attention to biomass partitioning and its implications for soil carbon dynamics and water use efficiency.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>To address this gap, we conducted a meta-analysis and regression analysis based on 63 peer-reviewed studies comparing photosynthetic product allocation under well-watered (WW) and drought stress (DS) conditions in maize and wheat. We then employed regression analysis to explore the response of crop photosynthetic product allocation to water stress.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Drought stress inhibits crop growth, crops allocate more biomass to their roots, resulting in a significant increase in the root to shoot ratio. Compared with wheat, maize demonstrates greater drought adaptability to water stress by allocating more photosynthetic products to its roots. Maize shows enhanced growth and water use efficiency under moderate to high water supply (300–800 mm), whereas wheat performs steadily under moderate water supply (300–650 mm).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Water availability strongly influences crop biomass allocation and water use efficiency. Drought promotes root-biased allocation, potentially increasing soil carbon input, which could increase organic carbon accumulation in soils. For optimal yield and root-derived carbon sequestration, moderate to high water supply is recommended for maize, while wheat benefits from a moderate supply to avoid the negative effects of overwatering.</div></div><div><h3>Implications or significance</h3><div>These findings revealed the significant effects of water supply on crop photosynthetic product allocation and water use efficiency, which can help optimize field management to improve crop productivity and irrigation efficiency.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"333 ","pages":"Article 110104"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144886322","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":"From photosynthesis to grain formation: A comprehensive evaluation of nitrogen-phosphorus co-optimization strategies in mung bean (Vigna radiata L.) cultivation","authors":"Jiahao Ge ,&nbsp;Xiaoyi Han ,&nbsp;Qi Wang ,&nbsp;Rong Zhong ,&nbsp;Shaofei Li ,&nbsp;Qixuan Wang ,&nbsp;Enlei Li ,&nbsp;Qingming Wang ,&nbsp;Feng Gao ,&nbsp;Baili Feng ,&nbsp;Jinfeng Gao","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.110112","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.110112","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context or problem</h3><div>Mung bean (<em>Vigna radiata</em> L.), a key crop for nutritional security and ecological restoration in semi-arid regions, suffers from yield stagnation and suboptimal fertilization efficiency. Despite its agronomic importance, the synergistic mechanisms by which nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) regulate photosynthetic carbon assimilation, source-sink dynamics, and grain quality formation remain poorly understood.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a two-year field experiment (2022–2024) employing a complete factorial design with four N (0, 60, 90, 120 kg ha⁻¹) and P (0, 45, 90, 135 kg ha⁻¹) application rates (16 treatments total), using the widely cultivated Yulv 1 variety. The research systematically evaluated N-P coordination effects on photosynthetic performance, dry matter accumulation, yield components, and grain quality in mung beans.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Our results demonstrate that synergistic N-P co-application significantly enhanced leaf nutrient content, SPAD values, and photosynthetic efficiency, thereby delaying functional leaf senescence during reproductive growth. The N-P interaction optimized dry matter partitioning, elevating pod allocation by 27.36 % and boosting grain yield by 41.92 % compared to unfertilized controls. Mechanistically, N dominated chlorophyll biosynthesis via leaf N modulation, indirectly influencing carbon allocation (grain number), while P regulated grain morphogenesis (100-grain weight) through P-mediated pathways. Notably, excessive fertilization (&gt; 90 kg ha⁻¹) induced photoinhibition, disrupted nutrient-defense metabolic imbalance (evidenced by an 18.7 % reduction in flavonoid content), and led to grain deformities, highlighting a trade-off between yield maximization and physiological stability. Structural equation modeling identified leaf nutrient and SPAD values as the central hub linking photosynthetic performance, biomass accumulation, and yield architecture. Furthermore, fertilization-induced variations in mung bean grain color were significantly correlated with shifts in nutrient composition, suggesting a physiological link between fertilization regimes and grain quality traits.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>In summary, Optimal N-P co-application (90 kg ha⁻¹ each) synergistically enhanced photosynthetic efficiency, dry matter allocation to grains, and yield in mung beans while maintaining a balance between nutritional and appearance quality.</div></div><div><h3>Implications or significance</h3><div>This work establishes a physiologically grounded framework for reconciling yield enhancement with nutritional enrichment in rainfed legumes, offering actionable strategies to transform semi-arid pulse production systems through precision nutrient stewardship.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"333 ","pages":"Article 110112"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144886282","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":"Satellite-based winter wheat yield estimation with a newly parameterized LUE model based on crop water status and leaf chlorophyll content","authors":"Ali Mokhtari ,&nbsp;Haibo Yang ,&nbsp;Holly Croft ,&nbsp;Simon Vlad Luca ,&nbsp;Fei Li ,&nbsp;Mirjana Minceva ,&nbsp;Urs Schmidthalter ,&nbsp;Kang Yu","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.110106","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.110106","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Water and nutrient availability are crucial factors influencing crop yield. However, the extent of their respective impacts on yield and the potential of remote sensing to clarify these effects remain insufficiently understood. This study explores the relative importance of satellite-derived crop water status (CWS) and leaf chlorophyll concentration (LCC) in determining crop yield production at the field scale. To address this question, we introduce a newly parametrized LUE model for winter wheat yield estimation. It leverages ET_a and subsequently CWS from OPTRAM-ET, plus LCC from PROSAIL, to drive yield estimates. The LUE model was calibrated using big-plot field experimental data collected in 2021 and 2022 and was further validated on large areas across 125 farm fields from 2017 to 2021 in South Germany and Switzerland. Results showed that, under various nitrogen fertilization treatments in a region such as Germany with relatively favourable water availability, LCC showed a more dominant role in yield determination and was more sensitive to nitrogen availability than was CWS. Although the interplay between CWS and LCC was important, even slight improvements in the accuracy of LCC measurements considerably enhanced the precision of winter wheat yield estimates. Yield estimation using the LUE model had a high accuracy, with R² of 0.89 and RMSE of 0.74 t/ha in the big-plot experiments. Subsequently, the model was validated in large fields in Germany and Switzerland. While the direct impact of CWS on yield was less pronounced, its derivation from optical data provided superior temporal resolution compared with thermal images, which further refined yield predictions by increasing R² from 0.21 to 0.56 on the TUM fields and from 0.33 to 0.56 on the SWTZ fields, while decreasing RMSE from 1.22 to 0.91 t ha⁻¹ and from 1.50 to 1.22 t ha⁻¹ , respectively. These findings highlight the importance of taking into account both the CWS and LCC, as well as their derivation methods, in predicting crop yield, presenting a scientifically robust approach to spatially explicit yield estimation under varying nitrogen availability conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"333 ","pages":"Article 110106"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144878977","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":"Pre-harvest sprouting in cereals: Global incidence, impacts and mitigation strategies","authors":"Rui Yang ,&nbsp;Matthew Tom Harrison ,&nbsp;Yinmiao Yang ,&nbsp;Chunhu Wang ,&nbsp;Sergey Shabala ,&nbsp;Mingxia Huang ,&nbsp;Chenchen Zhao ,&nbsp;Meixue Zhou ,&nbsp;Chengming Sun ,&nbsp;Ke Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.110111","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.110111","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><div>Pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) is a pervasive threat to cereal production, adversely affecting yield, grain quality, and economic return. While numerous studies have investigated PHS in specific crops or regions, a comprehensive synthesis of the climatic drivers, crop-specific susceptibilities, and mitigation strategies across cereals remains lacking, especially under the context of intensifying weather extremes due to climate change.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study aimed to: (1) identify key meteorological conditions associated with PHS events in cereal crops; (2) assess the impacts of PHS on grain quality and yield across major cereals; and (3) evaluate the effectiveness of genetic, agronomic, and chemical interventions to mitigate PHS incidence.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We conducted a global meta-analysis to quantify effect sizes of PHS incidence, quality degradation, and mitigation outcomes using data from 101 peer-reviewed articles and 65 media reports, covering five major cereals (rice, wheat, barley, sorghum, and maize).</div></div><div><h3>Results and conclusions</h3><div>PHS risk was strongly associated with 2–6 consecutive days of moderate rainfall (3–29 mm/day) and crop-specific temperature thresholds. Rice and sorghum were more vulnerable under warm, humid conditions, while wheat and barley exhibited greater susceptibility in cooler environments. PHS significantly degraded grain quality: in rice, polished grain rate declined by 22.5 % and chalkiness increased by 53.8 %; in wheat, falling number dropped by 71.8 % and gluten strength also declined. Genotypic variation played a substantial role: tolerant genotypes had less than half the PHS incidence of sensitive ones. Among mitigation strategies, exogenous abscisic acid (ABA) and hormonal inhibitors reduced PHS incidence by up to 81.8 %, though efficacy diminished with prolonged wet conditions.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>Our findings underscore the multifaceted nature of PHS and its growing relevance under climate change. Integrated strategies—combining resistant cultivar deployment, optimized agronomic practices, and timely chemical applications—are essential for mitigating PHS risk. Context-specific adaptation, guided by meteorological thresholds and crop phenology, will be critical for sustaining grain quality and yield across global cereal production systems in an era of climatic uncertainty.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"333 ","pages":"Article 110111"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144886321","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":"Basal-topdressing trade-offs in maize production: Lower current N losses versus elevated soil residual N and subsequent losses in the Northeast China","authors":"Zheng Liu ,&nbsp;Wenli Zhou ,&nbsp;Tujin Wang ,&nbsp;Hong Ren ,&nbsp;Baoyuan Zhou ,&nbsp;Zaisong Ding ,&nbsp;Xinbing Wang ,&nbsp;Congfeng Li","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.110109","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.110109","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context or problem</h3><div>In the Northeast China’s intensive maize (<em>Zea mays</em> L.) production, reliance on high nitrogen (N) fertilizer inputs elevates risks of residual soil N and environmental losses, yet the long-term N fates remain unquantified. Split application of N fertilizer significantly enhances maize productivity and N use efficiency, but trade-offs between current season N losses and residual N accumulation of basal and topdressing fertilizers are poorly resolved across seasons.</div></div><div><h3>Objective or research question</h3><div>The objectives of this study were to explore the fate of basal and topdressing N in maize production as affected by N application rates and hybrids, especially its distribution in the soil profile and contributions to grain yield.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>In this study, a three-year field experiment was conducted in Northeast China with five N rates (0, 100, 200, 300, 400 kg N ha⁻¹) and two hybrids (XY335 and WK702). N fertilizers were applied in split applications before sowing (as basal N) and at nine-leaf stage (as topdressing N). The basal and topdressing N were labeled with ¹⁵N in 2020, respectively, to trace the fate during the experimental years. Grain yield, N content of maize and N distribution in the soil profile were investigated in 2020–2022.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>When N rate increased from 0 to 400 kg ha⁻¹, grain yield increased from 4.2 to 13.6 t ha⁻¹ in XY335 and from 4.3 to 12.4 t ha⁻¹ in WK702. XY335 increased grain yield by 8.3 %-14.3 % than WK702, especially under N rate of 200–400 kg ha⁻¹. The ¹⁵N content of XY335 was higher than that of WK702 regardless of N rates and N sources. There was no significant difference in ¹⁵N content of maize plant among N rates, except 100 kg ha⁻¹. In the first year, basal and topdressing N did not differ in content within maize plant regardless of N rates and hybrids. In subsequent years, the content of topdressing N was higher than that of basal N within plant, especially under higher N rates. Grain yields were positively correlated with basal and topdressing N, even when their magnitudes were small (less than 4 kg ha⁻¹) in the third year. In term of N fate, basal N reduced N losses in the first year but increased soil residual N and subsequent N losses compared with topdressing N. WK702 reduced N losses by increasing soil residual N, although its plant N uptake was lower than that of XY335. The content of basal and topdressing N reduced with soil depth in the first two year while increasing in the third year. Basal N was higher than topdressing N regardless of soil layers, especially growing WK702. Grain yield exhibited a concave function with soil N content, where the soil N content corresponding to the maximum yield increased in the first two years but decreased in the third year with soil dept","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"333 ","pages":"Article 110109"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144886319","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":"Mismatch between soil nitrate and cumulative crop nitrogen uptake shape stage-specific N₂O emissions with legume cover crops under nitrogen reduction in dryland wheat systems","authors":"Mingming Zong ,&nbsp;Xiaolin Yang ,&nbsp;Sien Li ,&nbsp;Kiril Manevski ,&nbsp;Mujia Jiaduo ,&nbsp;Siyu Zhou ,&nbsp;Xingfa Huang ,&nbsp;Taisheng Du ,&nbsp;Shaozhong Kang ,&nbsp;Klaus Butterbach-Bahl ,&nbsp;Diego Abalos","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.110110","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.110110","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Residues from leguminous cover crops can maintain crop nitrogen (N) uptake with reduced synthetic N fertilizer rates, but they can also induce N₂O emissions. However, the magnitude and dynamics of these effects on crop N uptake and N₂O emissions and the underlying soil-plant mechanisms remain insufficiently understood. We studied this knowledge gap conducting a two-year field experiment in arid northwest China with spring wheat (<em>Triticum aestivum</em> L.) grown with or without incorporated residues from a mixture of legume cover crops: hairy vetch (<em>Vicia villosa</em> Roth.) and common vetch (<em>Vicia sativa</em> L.), each fertilized either conventionally (full) or 15, 30, and 45 % reduction of the conventional N rate. The impacts on N₂O emissions, soil nitrate-N (NO₃^--N) accumulation (0–120 cm), and plant N uptake and their interactive effects were statistically evaluated across wheat growth stages. The N₂O fluxes peaked during seedling (2.81 and 2.19 µg N m⁻² min⁻¹ in 2023 and 2024, respectively) and jointing (3.98 and 3.71 µg N m⁻² min⁻¹ in 2023 and 2024, respectively) stages associated with elevated soil mineral N concentrations and water-filled pore space. Stage-specific N₂O emissions positively correlated with 0–120 cm soil NO₃^--N accumulation (<em>P &lt; 0.001</em>), and the highest accumulation (785 and 594 N ha⁻¹ in 2023 and 2024, respectively) was observed at the jointing stage under full N fertilization without cover crops. Across treatments, cumulative plant N uptake increased from jointing to maturity stages, while stage-specific N₂O emissions declined (<em>P &lt; 0.001</em>). Treatments with 15 % N reduction had about 14 % higher plant N uptake at each stage from jointing to anthesis compared to full N fertilization without cover crops in 2023. Moreover, 15 % N reductions following cover crop incorporation improved nitrogen use efficiency and reduced yield-scaled N₂O emissions relative to full N fertilization without cover crops. This study provides new soil-plant insights into the drivers of in-season N₂O emissions and underscores the potential of combining moderate N reduction with legume cover crops to simultaneously enhance nitrogen use efficiency and reduce environmental losses during the growing season in dryland wheat systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"333 ","pages":"Article 110110"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144865233","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}