European Journal of Agronomy最新文献

{"title":"Dynamic hazard assessment of compound drought and heat events in maize based on a soil-temperature-integrated index in Songliao Plain","authors":"Xianwei Lu ,&nbsp;Sicheng Wei ,&nbsp;Ying Guo ,&nbsp;Cha Ersi ,&nbsp;Dan Chen ,&nbsp;Ziyuan Zhou ,&nbsp;Yue Li ,&nbsp;Yuping Dong ,&nbsp;Zhijun Tong ,&nbsp;Xingpeng Liu ,&nbsp;Jiquan Zhang ,&nbsp;Chunli Zhao ,&nbsp;Yanxia Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.127984","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.127984","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Compound drought and heat events (CDHEs) pose severe threats to food security, yet the role of soil temperature in event occurrence and crop stress has been largely overlooked. Using ERA5-Land and SPEI-GD datasets (1982–2021), we developed a soil-temperature-integrated Compound Drought and Heat Event Index (CDHEI) to make dynamic hazard assessment of compound drought and heat events in maize by combining air temperature, soil temperature, soil moisture, and meteorological drought indices. CDHEs during maize growth stages in the Songliao Plain were identified using run theory, and their spatiotemporal characteristics and hazard levels were systematically assessed. The results showed that CDHEs were mainly concentrated in the northwest and southwest regions of the Songliao Plain, with around year 2000 identified as a critical breakpoint, after which their frequency and intensity increased significantly in the 21st century. CDHEI was strongly correlated with maize yield loss, with the maximum correlation coefficient reaching 0.749 (p &lt; 0.05), particularly in the southwestern and northwestern regions. Compared with existing indices, specifically the CDHEI without the soil temperature component (CDHEI_noST), the Compound Events Toolbox and Dataset (CETD), and the Compound Drought and Heat Magnitude Index (CDHMI), the correlation increased by 13 % to over 100 %, highlighting the superior capability of CDHEI in capturing yield impacts. Dynamic hazard assessment further identified Baicheng, Songyuan, and surrounding areas as high-hazard-level zones. Breakpoint-year analysis also revealed that the soil temperature (SSTI) had the highest importance in event evolution, underscoring the dominant role of soil thermal anomalies in the intensification of CDHEs. Overall, this study highlights the indispensable role of soil processes in compound extreme event monitoring and provides a scientific basis for agricultural risk assessment and regional adaptation strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51045,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Agronomy","volume":"175 ","pages":"Article 127984"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145928705","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":"Root growth traits are the dominant sources of uncertainty in simulating agricultural crop rotational systems","authors":"Bahareh Kamali ,&nbsp;Seyed Hamid Ahmadi ,&nbsp;Thomas Gaiser","doi":"10.1016/j.eja.2025.127976","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eja.2025.127976","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Crop rotation systems effectively enhance resource use efficiency and biodiversity. Process-based agroecosystem models serve as valuable tools for their sustainable design. However, most model applications overlook the role of root characteristics on simulated above- and belowground model components. This is particularly critical in crop rotations, involving diverse species and cultivars. Overlooking this aspect can lead to significant inaccuracies in modelling crop yields, as well as soil organic carbon (SOC), and nitrogen leaching (N-leaching). This study quantifies the contribution of climate, management (crop rotation, irrigation and rainfed systems), and cultivar (phenology and root growth characteristics) factors on simulation of crop yields, N-leaching, and SOC. The analysis was conducted in mono-cropping and 10 different crop rotations (cereals-tuber, cereal-cereal, tuber-tuber crops). The MOdel of NItrogen and CArbon dynamics (MONICA) was used for this purpose. MONICA was parameterized and calibrated using detailed data on the time and amount of irrigation recorded for Hamerstorf experimental site located in Lower Saxony, Germany. Our results demonstrated a stronger effect of root depth factor on yield variability in rainfed compared to irrigated systems, accounting for approximately 60 % of the observed variation. In contrast, crop phenology had a greater impact on yield under irrigation. For N-leaching and SOC, crop rotation explained over 65 % of the variability. Root depth and root density contributed more significantly to SOC dynamics than to N-leaching. These findings highlight the importance of accurate estimation on root growth in models to reduce uncertainty in simulating crop rotation systems. Precise root growth characteristics become even more critical when modeling extends beyond yield to include nitrogen and SOC—key indicators of sustainable agricultural systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51045,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Agronomy","volume":"175 ","pages":"Article 127976"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145979723","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":"Enzyme kinetics reveal biochar-driven soil multifunctionality improvements in arid soils: Insights from pot experiments and meta-analysis","authors":"Qiuting Yan ,&nbsp;Jiahao Zhang ,&nbsp;Jiao Liu ,&nbsp;Meiying Gu ,&nbsp;Guangmu Tang ,&nbsp;Mallavarapu Megharaj ,&nbsp;Haixia Tian ,&nbsp;Wanli Xu ,&nbsp;Wenxiang He","doi":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Biochar amendment holds considerable potential for enhancing soil multifunctionality (SMF), yet its underlying biochemical mechanisms remain insufficiently understood. This study integrates pot experiments with a comprehensive meta-analysis to evaluate the effects of biochar on SMF in grey desert and aeolian sandy soils, focusing on enzyme kinetics as indicators of nutrient cycling. The meta-analysis revealed that biochar increased soil pH (4.76 %, 0.31 units), microbial biomass carbon (MBC, 32.64 %), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP, 7.12 %), while reducing ammonium nitrogen (NH₄⁺-N, 10.07 %). Notably, biochar suppressed net nitrogen accumulation and nitrification rates by over 93 %. It also shifted enzyme stoichiometry toward nitrogen and phosphorus co-limitation, reflected by a 14.17 % decrease in the C_enz: N_enz ratio and an 11.83 % increase in the C_enz: P_enz ratio. Pot experiments demonstrated biochar application enhanced the catalytic efficiency (V_max/K_m) of urease (0.005–0.77 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹/mM), invertase (4.74–37.74 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹/mM), and alkaline phosphatase (3.28–24.25 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹/mM), indicating improved nitrogen turnover, carbon availability, and phosphorus mobilization. These kinetic parameters proved more sensitive and direct indicators of SMF than traditional soil metrics. Among the treatments, 2 % biochar amendment delivered the most pronounced benefits, increasing SMF by 137.2 % in grey desert soil and 118.0 % in aeolian sandy soil. Structural equation modeling (SEM) identified enzyme kinetics, MBC, ALP, and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) as primary drivers of SMF enhancement. Overall, the findings highlight the critical role of enzyme kinetics in soil biochemical functioning and reinforce biochar’s potential as a sustainable strategy for restoring nutrient-deficient soils.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51045,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Agronomy","volume":"175 ","pages":"Article 128004"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145979828","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":"Can regenerative agriculture enhance productivity, profitability, and reduce C emissions? A case study in Andean potato farming","authors":"Percy Briceño ,&nbsp;Johan Ninanya ,&nbsp;Juan F. Seminario ,&nbsp;Ronal Otiniano ,&nbsp;Javier Rinza ,&nbsp;Carlos Mestanza ,&nbsp;Enner Arias ,&nbsp;Cristian Villanueva ,&nbsp;Wilson Mendoza ,&nbsp;Felipe de Mendiburu ,&nbsp;Jan F. Kreuze ,&nbsp;David A. Ramírez","doi":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128020","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128020","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Andean agriculture faces several challenges, such as land use changes, land degradation, poverty, extreme events, and climate change. Such conditions compromise food production and security, highlighting the need to explore sustainable alternatives. This two-trial study evaluated the short-term performance of regenerative agricultural practices for potato production in the Peruvian Andes over two seasons (2022–2024), in terms of productivity (FTY: Fresh tuber yield), profitability (BCR: Benefit-cost ratio), C footprint (CF), and soil properties. One trial (Trial 1) tested tillage practices—minimum (MT) <em>vs.</em> zero (ZT); plastic barriers—with (wPB) <em>vs.</em> without (nPB); and mulch thicknesses—0.1 (M10) <em>vs.</em> 0.2 (M20) <em>vs.</em> 0.3 (M30) m. The other trial (Trial 2) tested cropping systems—monoculture (MO) <em>vs.</em> intercropping with faba bean (IN); a fungicide optimization tool—with (wDK) <em>vs.</em> without (nDK); and chicken manure doses—1 (CM1) <em>vs.</em> 2 (CM2) <em>vs.</em> 4 (CM4) t ha⁻¹ . Compared to conventional practices, numerically MT+nPB+M30 increased FTY by ∼3.5 % and reduced CF by 19.9 % in Trial 1, while MO+wDK+CM4 increased FTY and BCR by 28 % and 12.4 %, respectively, in Trial 2. ZT and IN performed poorly in the short-term under Andean conditions, highlighting the need for long-term studies. In both trials, the short-term effect of regenerative practices improved soil organic matter with a mixed impact on pH. Regenerative practices in the Andes offer synergies and trade-offs, but integrating reduced tillage, mulching, and organic fertilization can enhance sustainability without lowering productivity. Long-term adoption is essential to restore soil carbon stocks, improve sustainability, and increase the resilience of Andean agriculture.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51045,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Agronomy","volume":"175 ","pages":"Article 128020"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146048008","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":"No-tillage with straw mulching practices improved the lodging resistance of maize and yield in semi-arid areas","authors":"Jia Wang ,&nbsp;Jun Fan ,&nbsp;Zizhuang Ye ,&nbsp;Fuqiang Wei ,&nbsp;Mingde Hao","doi":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.127983","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.127983","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Lodging risk is closely related to yield potential, especially in semi-arid agricultural ecosystems, where achieving sustainable development and increasing food production without increasing lodging risk is a key challenge. However, research on how different tillage practices affect maize lodging risk and yield potential remains limited. This study, based on a long-term field experiment established in 2004 in the Loess Plateau of China, investigates the effects of conventional tillage (CT), no-tillage (NT), no-tillage with straw mulching (NTS), and no-tillage with straw mulching in alternating wide and narrow rows (NTSR) on soil physical properties, agronomic traits, lodging, and yield from 2022 to 2024. The aim is to identify key factors affecting maize lodging and yield. The results indicate that compared to CT, NT, NTS, and NTSR significantly increased soil water. NTS and NTSR significantly improved the saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) in the 0–40 cm soil layer. In the same soil layer, NT significantly increased soil bulk density (BD) and soil compaction (SC), while reducing Ks. During the key growth stages of maize, the canopy height, leaf area index (LAI), above-ground biomass (AGB), and root growth under NTS and NTSR were all significantly greater than under CT (P &lt; 0.05). However, the root morphology at the 0–100 cm depth under NT was significantly lower than that under CT (P &lt; 0.05). Additionally, NTS and NTSR significantly reduced the center of gravity (CG), ear height coefficient (EHC), and internode length (LTI), while increasing the root-shoot ratio (RSR), third internode diameter (SDTI), internode breaking strength (IBS), bending strength (BS), and stem lodging resistance index (SLRI) (P &lt; 0.05), which effectively reduced lodging rates. Random forest analysis indicated that soil water, IBS, BS, and LAI are the key factors affecting lodging. Compared to CT, NTS and NTSR significantly increased grain yield (by 16.8 % and 11.1 %, respectively) and 100-grain weight (by 6.8% and 4.5 %, respectively). Overall, NTS and NTSR improved soil water, soil physical properties, and the third internode traits of maize, achieving higher maize grain yield and lodging resistance. These findings provide valuable theoretical support for the sustainable development of rainfed agricultural areas similar to the Loess Plateau.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51045,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Agronomy","volume":"175 ","pages":"Article 127983"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145928706","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 organic substitution thresholds in smallholder farms: Results from a 34-year experiment on crop—livestock integration systems","authors":"Yu Ning ,&nbsp;Shuai-lin Li ,&nbsp;Xin-hui Zhang ,&nbsp;Zhu-qing Xia ,&nbsp;Yun Gao ,&nbsp;Lu Sun ,&nbsp;Qiang Ma ,&nbsp;Wan-tai Yu","doi":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128023","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128023","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Organic fertilizer (OGF) plays a crucial role in reducing chemical fertilizer application and mitigating agricultural pollution. However, the maximum resource availability and nutrient recovery efficiency of OGF in smallholder farming systems remain unclear. Based on a 34-year long-term experiment in Northeast China, we assessed organic potential substitution ratio (ORR) thresholds under two organic conversion models (maize-pig farming (MPF) model and maize-aerobic composting (MAC) model) across four combined OGF and mineral fertilizer treatments (OGF, N + OGF, NP+OGF and NPK+OGF). We found that the combined application of organic and mineral fertilizer increased crop yields compared to the application of mineral fertilizer alone. MAC achieved significantly higher biomass and nutrient residue ratios than MPF. The maximum OGF biomass ranged from 1.5 to 2.6 Mg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ in MPF and from 1.7 to 3.3 Mg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ in MAC. The potential organic substitution ratio thresholds for N and P, respectively, were 37.5 % and 69.7 % in MPF, and 59.7 % and 89.3 % in MAC. The NPK+OGF treatment, which achieved these thresholds, represents the optimal fertilization regime developed in this study. Economically, MPF resulted in a maximum net benefit of US$ 6553.9 ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹, while that of MAC was US$ 315.4 ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹. On the basis of these findings, we recommend the development of context-specific organic cycling models tailored to smallholder farmers’ practical needs, the implementation of appropriate organic substitution strategies, and the expansion of organic waste management chains.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51045,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Agronomy","volume":"175 ","pages":"Article 128023"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146072110","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":"Model structure and data available for estimation affect uncertainty of genotype-specific parameter estimates","authors":"Muhammad Zeeshan Mehmood ,&nbsp;Phillip D. Alderman ,&nbsp;Romulo P. Lollato ,&nbsp;Amanda de Oliveira Silva","doi":"10.1016/j.eja.2025.127968","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eja.2025.127968","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The substantial uncertainty in crop modeling undermines confidence in the results of crop models, so quantifying and understanding the sources of this uncertainty is a critical first step towards reducing it. Parameter uncertainty is a major source of overall uncertainty in crop models and a systematic analysis of the uncertainty in genotype-specific parameter (GSP) estimates is critical across different model structure (MS) and data available for estimation (DE) scenarios. This study was conducted to quantify the effects of MS and DE on the uncertainty in GSP estimates for wheat crop models. Different MS were created by combining each of the wheat crop models (CERES, CROPSM, and NWHEAT) with maximum evapotranspiration (ET_max) models (Priestley–Taylor and Standardized Short Crop Reference Evapotranspiration) and soil evaporation (SE) models (Ritchie and Suleiman Ritchie), all within the Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer-Cropping Systems Model (DSSAT-CSM). Similarly, different DE consisted of various subsets (the whole dataset and 6 holdouts) of a winter wheat dataset from Oklahoma, United States. Overall, MS, DE, and MS:DE together explained 70% or greater proportion of variability in more than three-quarters of all the estimated parameters across all DSSAT-CSM Wheat models. However, if we compare each factor individually, MS explained 25% or greater proportion of variability in nearly two-thirds of all the estimated parameters across all DSSAT-CSM Wheat models. Each DSSAT-CSM Wheat model showed a unique pattern for the uncertainty in GSP estimates. Overall, the uncertainty in GSP estimates due to MS and DE scenarios exceeded prior expectations for most parameters across models. Our results suggest that care must be taken during GSP estimation when using different MS (especially based on same crop model but different ET_max and SE methods) and DE (especially under limited data availability). This is particularly important in the context of an ensemble modeling approach (when ensemble members include the same crop model with different ET_max and SE methods), which has been increasingly adopted for climate impact assessments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51045,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Agronomy","volume":"175 ","pages":"Article 127968"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146078217","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of nitrogen addition on rhizosphere soil microbial community and biomass yield and quality of different fall dormancy-rating alfalfa cultivars","authors":"Yize Yu ,&nbsp;Yaxin Li ,&nbsp;Shuqi Ran ,&nbsp;Hanyu Li ,&nbsp;Jicao Dao ,&nbsp;Jinhuan Yang ,&nbsp;Lihong Yu ,&nbsp;Yuefei Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nitrogen fertilization is crucial for forage production and can alter soil microbial communities, whereas fall dormancy (FD) reflects alfalfa's physiological strategy and forage yield potential. However, it remains unclear how microbial communities respond to FD under different nitrogen fertilization management regimes, and how these responses impact alfalfa yield and quality. Therefore, we conducted a 4-year field experiment and treated three different FD alfalfa cultivars (FD3, FD5, and FD7) with and without nitrogen fertilization, and employed 16S rRNA and ITS high-throughput sequencing to explore rhizosphere microbial diversity and interactions, and to assess changes in cultivar yield and quality. Nitrogen fertilization significantly increased yield and crude protein (CP) content of different FD cultivars, with FD3 being the most significantly affected (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05). Bacterial community diversity was influenced by both nitrogen fertilization and FD, whereas fungal communities were primarily affected by FD. Specifically, nitrogen fertilization significantly reduced bacterial α-diversity and FD3 exhibited a higher bacterial α-diversity. Under nitrogen fertilization, bacterial community composition was more similar between FD5 and FD7. Co-occurrence network analysis indicated that nitrogen fertilization increased the microbial network complexity, with sensitive taxa responding to FD in specific co-occurrence patterns. Furthermore, these sensitive taxa included some keystone members (e.g., Nitrosomonadaceae and Helotiales), which were affected by environmental variables and were significantly positively correlated with alfalfa yield and CP content. Collectively, these results suggest interactive effects of FD and nitrogen fertilization on alfalfa performance and rhizosphere microbial communities, highlights the potential importance of keystone taxa in maintaining alfalfa yield and quality, and lays a foundation for developing fertilization strategies tailored to different FD alfalfa cultivars.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51045,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Agronomy","volume":"175 ","pages":"Article 128006"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146014863","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 soil organic matter (SOM) properties from 180 years of mineral versus organic fertilisation in the Broadbalk experiment at Rothamsted (UK)","authors":"Jerzy Weber ,&nbsp;Lilla Mielnik ,&nbsp;Peter K. Leinweber ,&nbsp;Riccardo Spaccini ,&nbsp;Andrew S. Gregory ,&nbsp;Riffat Rahim ,&nbsp;Elżbieta Jamroz ,&nbsp;Irmina Ćwieląg-Piasecka ,&nbsp;Agnieszka Grabusiewicz ,&nbsp;Marek Podlasiński ,&nbsp;Maria Jerzykiewicz ,&nbsp;Magdalena Dębicka ,&nbsp;Andrzej Kocowicz","doi":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128017","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128017","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The aim of this study was to deepen the knowledge on the changes in soil organic matter (SOM) properties under the long-term influence of organic and inorganic fertilization. Particular attention was paid to the humin fraction (HUM), considered to be a particularly stable and long-term sink of atmospheric carbon. The studies were conducted on soil samples from the Broadbalk Winter Wheat experiment running continuously for 180 years, which were analysed using unique chemical and spectrometric methods (¹³C-CPMAS NMR; C and N <em>K-</em>edge Xanes; EPR; TC-GC/MS; fluorescence; UV-Vis, and others). Long-term manure fertilization treatment confirmed the greatest increase of soil C at a level comparable to permanent grassland. The manuring significantly increased the HUM-C-content in comparison to the inorganically-fertilized NPK treatment and the control (no inputs) (7.02 g kg⁻¹, 4.37 g kg⁻¹ and 1.72 g kg⁻¹, respectively). The manuscript documented that the proportion of HUM in total organic carbon (TOC) increased twofold with NPK fertilization and one and a half times with manure fertilization, but surprisingly not after the application of both, shedding new light on the mechanisms of C stabilization. The manuscript indicated for the first time by multivariate statistical analyses that HUM-C enrichments from manure were linked with increasing proportions of heterocyclic N compounds. These findings have profound implications for broader sustainability, directly linking to climate change mitigation and food security. It is concluded that offsetting mineral fertilizer by manure, where this is possible and feasible, is an option for sustainable soil C increase.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51045,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Agronomy","volume":"175 ","pages":"Article 128017"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146071603","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":"Side-deep fertilization increases rice yield and nutrient use efficiency in China: A meta-analysis","authors":"Kaiqin Yuan ,&nbsp;Jintao Li ,&nbsp;Zifang Chen ,&nbsp;Xiaowei Ma ,&nbsp;Richard W. Bell ,&nbsp;Yuxian Cao ,&nbsp;Jun Hou","doi":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128026","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128026","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Increasing nutrient use efficiency and decreasing labor requirements for rice production are high priorities across Asia. Fertilizer placement beside the rice plants at 50–100 mm depth (called side-deep fertilization, SDF) is a promising alternative to the traditional fertilization that can reduce the amount of chemical fertilizer required, improve the use efficiency of fertilizer, alleviate the shortage of labor force, and realize the clean and simple production of rice. However, the potential for increased productivity and the factors influencing SDF are unclear. In this study, we synthesized 85 studies in China to evaluate the effects of SDF on rice yield, rice quality, nutrient use efficiency combined with greenhouse gas emissions, and explored the effects of different soil environments and fertilization management measures on them. SDF increased rice yield by 4.8 %, nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) by 21.4 %, and reduced CH₄ emission by 12.8 %, NH₃ volatilization by 42.0 %, but had no significant effect on N₂O emission. Random forest analysis showed that soil condition (pH, total nitrogen, available nitrogen and available phosphorus) and specific fertilization practices (amount and depth) were the most important factors on determining the effects of SDF. When the N application rate was ≤ 150 kg ha⁻¹, the yield (9.2 %) and NUE (20.6 %) increases were largest. When the P application rate was ≤ 60 kg ha⁻¹, SDF of P had the largest increase in rice yield (7.4 %) and partial factor productivity of phosphorus PFP_P (7.2 %). Overall, when fertilizer placement was &gt; 100 mm, and the soil nutrient content was low, SDF had a greater impact on rice yield and nutrient use efficiency. In conclusion, SDF increases rice yield with lower environmental cost and lower fertilizer rate which is valuable for food security and sustainable production.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51045,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Agronomy","volume":"175 ","pages":"Article 128026"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146146674","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}