Agricultural & Environmental Letters最新文献

{"title":"Overlooked tools for studying soil nitrogen depolymerization: Aminopeptidase assays using nitroanilide substrates","authors":"Andrew J Margenot,&nbsp;Rachel C Daughtridge","doi":"10.1002/ael2.20079","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ael2.20079","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Aminopeptidases are one of the extracellular hydrolytic enzymes that catalyze organic nitrogen (N) depolymerization and are commonly assayed using fluorogenic substrates. However, chromogenic substrates based on <i>para</i>-nitroaniline (<i>p</i>NA) developed for the study of aminopeptidases in the 1960s have been underutilized. To gauge the use of <i>p</i>NA substrates to assay soil aminopeptidases, a systematic literature review was conducted. We identified 61 studies that were nearly all limited to measuring leucine and/or glycine aminopeptidases, despite the commercial availability of at least six other aminopeptidase-specific <i>p</i>NA substrates. Assay parameters of scale (slurry vs. direct incubations), matrix type, buffer pH, substrate concentration, assay duration and temperature, termination, and colorimetry indicated a lack of standardization and a confusion of <i>p</i>NA with <i>p</i>NP substrates despite important differences in abiotic hydrolysis and absorbance maxima. Future studies should systematically evaluate and standardize these parameters and assess the sensitivity of other amino acid-specific aminopeptidases to carbon (C), N, and sulfur (S) cycling.</p>","PeriodicalId":48502,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural & Environmental Letters","volume":"7 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2022-06-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ael2.20079","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42447096","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"How can we estimate optimum fertilizer rates with accuracy and precision?","authors":"Fernando E. Miguez,&nbsp;Hanna Poffenbarger","doi":"10.1002/ael2.20075","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ael2.20075","url":null,"abstract":"<p>For decades, agronomists have invested time and resources to identify the optimum nitrogen (N) rates for cereal crops. The most common method for estimating the agronomic optimum N rate (AONR) is to design a field experiment with several N fertilizer rates and fit a regression model to the yield observations. Here, we concentrate on its accuracy and precision given choices of experimental design and statistical analysis. Our first finding is that the choice of functional form has a large agronomic effect on the estimate of the AONR, and this depends on the data-generating model. Our second finding is that improving the precision and accuracy of AONR estimates will demand an increase in the number of N rates and replications. Finally, we propose that using either the best-fitting model or a weighted model is preferable to always choosing either the linear-plateau (negative bias) or quadratic-plateau (positive bias) models.</p>","PeriodicalId":48502,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural & Environmental Letters","volume":"7 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2022-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ael2.20075","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46443744","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Seed size variability has implications for achieving cover cropping goals","authors":"Natalie P. Lounsbury,&nbsp;Nicholas D. Warren,&nbsp;Julia Hobbie,&nbsp;Heather Darby,&nbsp;Matthew R. Ryan,&nbsp;David A. Mortensen,&nbsp;Richard G. Smith","doi":"10.1002/ael2.20080","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ael2.20080","url":null,"abstract":"<p>It is common to use mass-based units (e.g., kg ha^–1) to describe cover crop seeding rates. However, this convention obscures important information about seed size and resulting plant density in the field, which may be linked to cover crop performance and ecosystem services. Seed counts of 27 lots of commercially available winter rye (<i>Secale cereale</i> L.) spanned a wide range from 28,000 to 50,000 seeds kg^–1. If the lots with the lowest and highest seed counts were seeded at a common mass-based seeding rate of 125 kg ha^–1, it would result in a nearly twofold difference in density-based seeding rate, or 3.0 and 5.6 million live seeds ha^–1. Including density-based metrics such as live seeds per area and resulting in-field plant density in research will help advance our understanding of cover crop management, and these efforts will make it easier for farmers and policymakers to tailor cover cropping practices for specific goals.</p>","PeriodicalId":48502,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural & Environmental Letters","volume":"7 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2022-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ael2.20080","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"51338370","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Can soil health explain grain quality? A case study of a corn field in Texas","authors":"Kabindra Adhikari,&nbsp;Douglas R. Smith,&nbsp;Chad Hajda,&nbsp;Phillip R. Owens","doi":"10.1002/ael2.20078","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ael2.20078","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Studies show a strong relationship between soil health and crop yield, but those relating soil health and grain quality are limited. We studied the relationship between soil health and grain protein and oil content from a corn (<i>Zea mays</i> L.) field in Texas. Protein and oil content data were collected in the field with a CropScan monitor. Soil health values were measured at 202 locations using the Haney Soil Health Tool. We first mapped protein and oil content using apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) and 14 terrain attributes as predictors, and we then quantified the relationship with data from sample locations. Soil health was positively correlated with protein and oil content, but the relationship was rather weak. Soil health accounted for up to 13% of the variability in protein (<i>p</i> &lt; .001) and between 2 and 17% in oil content (<i>p</i> &lt; .1) depending on soil map unit. Their spatial distribution was mostly influenced by elevation, ECa, and wetness index. We do not recommend estimating grain protein and oil content with the Haney Soil Health Tool; however, we suggest investigating such relationship across different soil and agronomic conditions for further verification.</p>","PeriodicalId":48502,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural & Environmental Letters","volume":"7 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2022-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ael2.20078","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44917131","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Soil health within transitions from irrigation to limited irrigation and dryland management","authors":"Krishna B. Bhandari,&nbsp;Veronica Acosta-Martínez,&nbsp;Lumarie Pérez-Guzmán,&nbsp;Charles P. West","doi":"10.1002/ael2.20077","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ael2.20077","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The decline in groundwater supply in the Texas High Plains is forcing some growers to convert center-pivot irrigated cropland to dryland production. Transitioning toward reduced water input can lead to declines in soil health. We assessed short-term changes in soil health indicators in two transition scenarios: (a) from high irrigation method to low irrigation method (center pivot to subsurface drip) and (b) from high irrigation method to dryland (center pivot to dryland), in comparison to continuous center-pivot management. We monitored changes in chemical and biological indicators in four fields for each transition scenario and in three pivot-irrigated fields. There were declines in soil water content, potassium (K), sodium (Na), and soil organic carbon with transition from irrigation to reduced irrigation and dryland. Severe drought in the final year revealed reduced amounts of multi-enzyme activities, total ester-linked fatty acid methyl ester (EL-FAME), and total fungi. Transitioning to low water-input management in this environment complicates efforts to maintain microbial components of soil health. Longer-term comparisons are needed to detect slow changes in soil health indicators on producers’ fields.</p>","PeriodicalId":48502,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural & Environmental Letters","volume":"7 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2022-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ael2.20077","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46874839","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Quantitative comparison of the storage protein distribution in glandless and glanded cottonseeds","authors":"Zhongqi He,&nbsp;Dunhua Zhang,&nbsp;Christopher P. Mattison","doi":"10.1002/ael2.20076","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ael2.20076","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Glanded (Gd) cottonseed (<i>Gossypium hirsutum</i> L.) contains scattered gossypol glands. Glandless (Gl) cottonseed is a new type of seed containing only trace levels of gossypol. This work quantitatively compared the content and migration pattern of Gd and Gl protein isolates. Both protein samples were subjected to sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-gel electrophoresis, and the protein gel bands were separated into seven partitions for peptide mass spectroscopic analysis. While multiple peptide fragments (isoformers) of vicilin and legumin proteins were present in both samples, the percentage of vicilins in total seed protein was higher in Gd (74.9%) than in Gl (63.4%). In contrast, legumin proteins were more abundant in Gl (30.4%) than Gd (23.6%). Minor protein components such as lipid-related oleosins and vicilin-like antimicrobial peptides 2-2 were also observed at a relatively higher incidence in Gl compared with Gd, potentially reflecting a need for increased protein-related defense capability in the absence of gossypol against natural predators or adverse growth environment.</p>","PeriodicalId":48502,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural & Environmental Letters","volume":"7 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2022-05-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ael2.20076","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49236068","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Hybrid breeding and cultivar diversity in rice production in China","authors":"Min Huang","doi":"10.1002/ael2.20074","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ael2.20074","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study determined the effect of hybrid breeding on cultivar diversity in rice (<i>Oryza sativa</i> L.) production in China. The results showed that hybrid breeding led to increases in the Shannon index of cultivar diversity by 29–184% during the period 2011–2015 compared with the period 1986–1990 for 10 major hybrid rice-producing provinces in China. There was a significant exponential relationship between the Shannon index of cultivar diversity and the number of hybrid cultivars and the total number of cultivars across the 10 provinces and the two 5-yr periods. The results of this study also demonstrate that hybrid rice breeding resulted in a cultivar diversity that came close to saturation in some provinces, such as Anhui, Hunan, Jiangxi, and Sichuan, and highlight the urgent need for a reconsideration of the development of hybrid rice industrialization in China to avoid wasting resources caused by overbreeding.</p>","PeriodicalId":48502,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural & Environmental Letters","volume":"7 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2022-05-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ael2.20074","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44067070","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Thanks to our 2021 reviewers","authors":"","doi":"10.1002/ael2.20072","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ael2.20072","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;Maintaining the editorial standards of a scientific journal is an important responsibility because the publications of a society are one of its major services to its members. This task can only be accomplished with the advice of a large number of colleagues who are invited to review manuscripts. Their critical comments and helpful suggestions have played a major part in making &lt;i&gt;Agricultural &amp; Environmental Letters&lt;/i&gt; a success. The members of the &lt;i&gt;Agricultural &amp; Environmental Letters&lt;/i&gt; Editorial Board express their thanks to all those scientists who reviewed manuscripts in 2021. We extend our apologies and thanks to those reviewers whose names have been inadvertently omitted from this list.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Adeli, Ardeshir, USDA, United States&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Akula, Umakanth, ICAR-Indian Institute of Millets Research, Hyderabad, India&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Archer, David, USDA-ARS-NGPRL, Mandan, North Dakota, United States&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Arzani, Ahmad, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, Islamic Republic of Iran&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Barcellos, Diego&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Barnes, Ed, Cotton Inc., Cary, North Carolina, United States&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Berti, Marisol, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, United States&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Bir, Courtney, Oklahoma State University System, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Buda, Anthony, USDA-ARS, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Chatterjee, Amitava, Oxford, Mississippi, United States&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Culman, Steven, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Wooster, Ohio, United States&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Daigh, Aaron, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, United States&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;De Guzman, Christian, University of Arkansas System, Stuttgart, Arkansas, United States&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Delhom, Chris, USDA-ARS Mid South Area, United States&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Dick, Warren, The Ohio State University, Wooster, Ohio, United States&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Dorau, Kristof, Universität zu Köln&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Eagle, Alison, Environmental Defense Fund, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Feleke, Shiferaw, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Franzluebbers, Alan, USDA, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Ganie, Zahoor&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Goos, R., NDSU, Fargo, North Dakota, United States&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Govindasamy, Prabhu, Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi, India&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Graham, Jennifer, US Geological Survey Northeast Region, United States&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Grusak, Mike, USDA-ARS Plains Area, Fargo, North Dakota, United States&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Guillen-Portal, Fernando, Texas A and M University College Station, College Station, Texas, United States&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Haden, Ryan, The Ohio State University, Wooster, Ohio, United States&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Hadrich, Joleen, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, United States&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Hall, Clifford&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;He, Zhongqi, USDA-ARS, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Houser, Matthew, Indiana University System, Bloomington, Indiana, United States&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Huggins, Trevis, USDA-ARS Southeast Area, Stuttgart, Arkansas, United States&lt;/p&gt;&lt;","PeriodicalId":48502,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural & Environmental Letters","volume":"7 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2022-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ael2.20072","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"71985478","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"AEL 2021 Publisher's Report","authors":"","doi":"10.1002/ael2.20071","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ael2.20071","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":48502,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural & Environmental Letters","volume":"7 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2022-04-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ael2.20071","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47192277","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Farmers employ diverse cover crop management strategies to meet soil health goals","authors":"Maria Bowman,&nbsp;Kristin Poley,&nbsp;Elyssa McFarland","doi":"10.1002/ael2.20070","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ael2.20070","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Cover crops (CCs) were used on only ∼5% of harvested cropland in the United States in 2017. Lack of information about effective CC management and the costs and benefits of CCs may contribute to low adoption. We use CC management data from 112 farms in the Soil Health Partnership network (2015–2021) to characterize CC management practices and costs. Soil Health Partnership farmers spent a median of US$98.84 per hectare to plant CCs on trial fields in the 2021 crop year, and costs varied with management practices. Farmers also experimented with CC management practices; more than half of 100 farmers providing panel data used more than one seeding method, and the share “planting green” increased over time. This diversity of CC management practices, heterogeneity in costs (and benefits), and experimentation process—among other factors—may make it challenging for farmers to develop expectations about whether CCs will be profitable on their farm in the short, medium, or long-run.</p>","PeriodicalId":48502,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural & Environmental Letters","volume":"7 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2022-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ael2.20070","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42480360","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}