Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment最新文献

{"title":"Localized application of manure and fertilizers increases productivity of cereals, resource use efficiency and profitability in sub-Saharan Africa","authors":"Gudeta W. Sileshi ,&nbsp;Laurie E. Drinkwater ,&nbsp;Paswel Marenya ,&nbsp;Sieglinde Snapp","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2024.109347","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2024.109347","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The combined use of livestock manure and synthetic fertilizers is considered as one of the climate smart and sustainable agricultural practices. However, farmers’ adoption and the benefits and costs of localized application of manure and fertilizers are not well-understood in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Therefore, the objectives of this review and meta-analysis were to: (1) provide the evidence for joint adoption of livestock manure and synthetic fertilizers by smallholder farmers; (2) determine farmers’ manure placement practices and the intensity of manure application; and (3) provide a comparative analysis of the productivity of cereals, resource use efficiency and profitability with localized application of manure and synthetic fertilizers in SSA. Review of 32 studies indicated that adoption rates of livestock manure by smallholder farmers is: (1) as high as the adoption rates of synthetic fertilizers; and (2) conditional on the adoption of synthetic fertilizers, improved seeds and soil and water conservation practices. Meta-analyses of data from 106 studies across 19 African countries revealed that mean response ratios of cereals with spot-application (2.16), banding (2.07) or broadcasting (2.39) of manure and fertilizer are not significantly different. On the other hand, rain use efficiency was 43.6 % higher with spot-application than broadcasting of manure and fertilizer. The agronomic use efficiencies of nitrogen and phosphorus were also 15–39 % higher with spot-application than broadcasting. This indicates that localized application of manure and fertilizer can serve as an effective strategy to achieve more efficient utilization of the limited rainfall and applied nutrients by crops. The benefit to cost ratio of spot-application (6.7) was also 81.9 % higher than for broadcasting (3.7). The returns to farmers were estimated at 3.7–4.3 dollars for every dollar invested in manure or manure + fertilizers. It is conclude that spot-application or banding can significantly reduce the quantity of manure needed without compromising crop yields, resource use efficiency or profitability. This review has provided a much needed synthesis of research in ways that advance the understanding of integrating organic and inorganic fertilizers as critical inputs for soil health.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"379 ","pages":"Article 109347"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142536151","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":"Modeling soil organic matter changes under crop diversification strategies and climate change scenarios in the Brazilian Cerrado","authors":"Jorge Luiz Locatelli ,&nbsp;Stephen Del Grosso ,&nbsp;Rafael Silva Santos ,&nbsp;Mu Hong ,&nbsp;Ram Gurung ,&nbsp;Catherine E. Stewart ,&nbsp;Maurício Roberto Cherubin ,&nbsp;Cimélio Bayer ,&nbsp;Carlos Eduardo Pellegrino Cerri","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2024.109334","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2024.109334","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In Brazil, land conversion and agricultural management have historically accounted for the largest share of the country's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with the <em>Cerrado</em> region being one of the most affected areas. Although cropping diversification has been proposed as a potential strategy to mitigate GHG emissions through soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration, the long-term effects of these systems in the <em>Cerrado</em> are unknown. The DayCent model was used to simulate the impact of crop diversification and tillage on SOC dynamics until 2070 (∼50 years), including common crop succession systems and crop rotations associated with cover crops under climate change scenarios. First, we calibrated and evaluated the DayCent model using plant and soil observations from three sites in the region, where Pearson coefficients (r values) ranged from 0.50 to 0.94 (calibration sites) and 0.53–0.99 (validation site) for crop yields, SOC, and nitrogen. We then used the model to investigate how cropping systems and climate interact to control SOC levels. Results indicate that SOC stocks would decrease under the long-term (∼50 years) soybean-cotton succession, regardless of soil management (-0.04 to −0.17 Mg C ha⁻¹ year⁻¹). Crop diversification with crop rotation and cover crops (i.e., millet, ruzigrass, sunn hemp) had the highest SOC accrual potential (∼0.71 Mg C ha⁻¹ year⁻¹), resulting in SOC stocks of up to 130 Mg C ha⁻¹ by 2070. Ruzigrass, either single or intercropped with maize on crop succession systems, showed substantial potential for SOC sequestration (∼0.55 Mg C ha⁻¹ year⁻¹) and could be a viable strategy if implementing more complex rotations is not feasible. The SSP2 – 4.5 and SSP5 – 8.5 climate change scenarios increased SOC stocks by 6.3 and 8.2 % in SOC across treatments by 2070, respectively. Results suggest that diversified cropping systems are a promising strategy for increasing SOC sequestration, and they offer valuable guidance for enhancing current management practices in the region.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"379 ","pages":"Article 109334"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142536152","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":"Actinobacteria derived from soybean/corn intercropping influence the subsequent wheat","authors":"Songhe Chen ,&nbsp;Ruirui Li ,&nbsp;Bo Lv ,&nbsp;Yanjun Li ,&nbsp;Junda Li ,&nbsp;Mengzhen Zhang ,&nbsp;Xiaoxiao Ma ,&nbsp;Cunhu Wang ,&nbsp;Ruineng Xu ,&nbsp;Yonghong Wang ,&nbsp;Hong Liao ,&nbsp;Yongjia Zhong","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2024.109331","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2024.109331","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil legacy effects, especially soil bacterial legacy effects, influence growth, fitness and nutrient acquisition in sequential cropping systems. To date, mechanisms underlying soil bacterial legacy influences on subsequent crops remain largely unknown. In this study, we employed soybean monoculture (S), corn monoculture (C), and soybean/corn intercropping (SC) to study soil legacy effects on the growth and nutrient acquisition of wheat. In these tests, S, C and SC drove establishment of distinctive soil bacterial communities, with higher abundances of Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria taxa observed in SC plots than in S and C treatments. Variation among soil bacterial communities was associated with functional shifts in nitrogen cycling in SC treatment compared to other treatments（C and Control）. Soil legacy effects in turn may contribute to growth, nutrient acquisition and grain production in wheat crops planted in rotations. Pot assay suggest that soil microorganism of SC treatment significantly increased the plant height of wheat by 15.1 % and 18.7 %, the shoot biomass by 50.7 % and 62.7 %, the nitrogen content by 76.0 % and 94.9 %, the phosphorus content by 80.3 % and 75.9 %, and the potassium content by 64.0 % and 83.7 % by compared with C and S. Actinobacteria taxa collections further promote nutrient acquisition of wheat. Taken together, our observations from field plots and manipulation of specific bacterial taxa revealed novel soil bacterial legacy effects of previously reared crops on subsequent crops. These new insights open avenues for using soil legacy effects for positive impacts in crop rotation systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"379 ","pages":"Article 109331"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142536149","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 tillage intensity and pesticide treated seeds on epigeal arthropod communities and weed seed predation in a maize-soybean rotation","authors":"Isaac N. Ativor,&nbsp;Nicholas D. Warren,&nbsp;Richard G. Smith","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2024.109338","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2024.109338","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tillage practices and the use of pesticide seed treatments (PST) both have the potential to influence epigeal arthropod communities and the ecosystem services they provide, yet few studies have examined both factors in conjunction. A three-year field study (2017–2019) was conducted to assess the independent and interactive effects of tillage and pesticide seed treatments on epigeal arthropod communities and weed seed predation in a long-term row crop tillage intensity experiment located in southeastern New Hampshire, USA. Throughout the study, maize and soybean were planted in rotation with and without pesticide seed treatments (seed coatings containing a mixture of systemic and contact fungicides and neonicotinoid insecticides) under three tillage systems (full-, strip-, and no-till) in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Epigeal arthropod communities were sampled with pitfall traps from September to October 2018–2019 and weed seed predation was assessed over the same period each year from 2017–2019. A total of 1669 individual arthropods, representing 47 taxonomic groups, were observed over the course of the study. In 2018, epigeal arthropod communities differed based only on pesticide seed treatment. The opposite response was observed in 2019, as epigeal arthropod communities differed based only on tillage. Activity densities of <em>Pterostichus melanarius</em> (Illiger) were higher in the strip-till compared to full-till treatment in 2018. Annual levels of post-dispersal weed seed predation by invertebrates (% total seeds removed) varied based on tillage treatment in 2017 and 2019, but not in 2018, and ranged from as low as 6.1 % to as much as 27.2 % depending on year and treatment. These data provide evidence that both pesticide seed treatments and tillage systems can influence the communities of epigeal arthropods that inhabit annual row crop agroecosystems relatively late in the growing season, when the majority of pesticide residues have likely dissipated, and that the weed seed predation services provided by members of this community can be strongly negatively impacted by intensive tillage.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"379 ","pages":"Article 109338"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142536148","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":"Landscape heterogeneity and a competing herbivore reduce olive fruit infestation by the pest Prays oleae","authors":"Ángel Plata ,&nbsp;José Manjón-Cabeza ,&nbsp;Daniel Paredes","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2024.109326","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2024.109326","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Monocultural agricultural systems can favour arthropod pests through direct effects, such as promoting pest dispersion, and indirect effects, such as limiting natural pest control. Therefore, promoting the presence of non-crop habitats in agricultural landscapes has the potential to reduce pest damage. However, likely in part due to the trophic complexity surrounding arthropod pests, these effects vary strongly among different pests and crops, and they are rarely consistent on a year-to-year basis. Here, we formulated Generalized Additive Mixed Models with data of 11 years from 25 olive orchards from southern Spain to evaluate the effects of landscape composition at different spatial scales on fruit infestation by the moth <em>Prays oleae,</em> a key Mediterranean olive pest. Then, we evaluated whether these effects were modulated by natural enemies or heterospecific herbivores. Fruit infestation by <em>P. oleae</em> was affected by landscape composition at small spatial scales (100 m radius), but not at medium or large scales (500 m and 1000 m radii). Fruit infestation was negatively affected by the proportion of semi-natural habitats, while it was positively affected by the proportion of olive groves in the landscape. We did not find evidence that these effects were modulated by natural enemies. However, fruit infestation by <em>P. oleae</em> was negatively affected by the presence of <em>Euphyllura olivina</em>, which is considered a secondary olive pest. Overall, this study shows that the negative response of <em>P. oleae</em> to habitat heterogeneity is consistent across years, but these effects were found only at smaller spatial scales. Therefore, we recommend implementing patches of semi-natural vegetation within olive groves as it can help reduce crop damage caused by <em>P. oleae</em>. Specifically, our models showed that maintaining 25 % of non-crop vegetation within 100 m radius buffer zones would reduce by half the proportion of fruits infested by <em>P. oleae</em>. Interestingly, this study also suggests that the secondary pest <em>E. olivina</em> can prevent fruit infestation by <em>P. oleae</em>, which in turn could increase crop yield.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"379 ","pages":"Article 109326"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142536145","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":"Warming but not elevated CO2 depletes soil organic carbon in a temperate rice paddy","authors":"Hyeon Ji Song ,&nbsp;Umakant Mishra ,&nbsp;So Yeong Park ,&nbsp;Young Ho Seo ,&nbsp;Benjamin L. Turner ,&nbsp;Snowie Jane C. Galgo ,&nbsp;Pil Joo Kim","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2024.109333","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2024.109333","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Global climate change has the potential to alter soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks in rice paddies, because increases in temperature and atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration ([CO₂]) both influence the primary input (i.e., net primary production, NPP) and output (i.e. heterotrophic respiration) of carbon (C). We used two types of open-top chambers representing present conditions (+0℃, +0 ppm CO₂) and projected climate change conditions (+2℃, +200 ppm CO₂) to investigate the net effect of climate change on SOC stock in rice paddy. Additional chambers with elevated temperature only (+2℃, +0 ppm CO₂) allowed us to quantify the individual effects of temperature and [CO₂]. We calculated changes in SOC stock using net ecosystem C balance (NECB) analysis (i.e., the balance between C inputs and outputs). Compared to present conditions, projected climate change did not change grain yield due to a trade-off between the effects of warming and [CO₂] on grain yield components. NPP during the fallow season significantly decreased under combined warming and CO₂, as the impact of warming outweighed that of elevated [CO₂]. However, rice NPP remained unchanged during the cropping season. Warming plus elevated CO₂ increased SOC mineralization by 157–429 %, particularly through warming-induced soil CO₂ emission during the fallow season. Consequently, climate change conditions decreased (119–271 %) NECB values compared to present conditions, primarily through the response to warming. Our findings demonstrate that rice paddies represent positive feedback on climate change, because accelerated C release from warmed soils will override C gains from NPP under elevated CO₂. Reducing SOC depletion in rice paddy agriculture under a changing climate therefore requires conservative soil management practices during the fallow season.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"379 ","pages":"Article 109333"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142536147","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":"The impact of agricultural land use on the linkages between soil microbial communities and agroecosystem functioning is depth-dependent","authors":"Wenchao Cao ,&nbsp;Yukun Zou ,&nbsp;Gang Li ,&nbsp;Ying Shan ,&nbsp;Jinchuang Wang ,&nbsp;Brajesh Kumar Singh","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2024.109330","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2024.109330","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) mineralization rates are critical indicators of ecosystem functioning in agricultural land. However, the effects of agricultural land use on the interactions between soil C and N mineralization at different soil depths, especially in tropical regions, are poorly understood. Here, a longan orchard (LO) was converted to a conventional tea plantation (CTP) and an organic tea plantation (OTP) in the tropical region of China, and the responses of fungal and bacterial communities to these changes were assessed. The characteristics of the microbial communities, enzyme activities, and N and C mineralization rates were evaluated in response to the changes in land use. It was found that LO and OTP had faster N and C mineralization rates than CTP in surface soil. However, in subsurface soil, LO and OTP showed a faster C mineralization rate and a slower N mineralization rate than CTP. Structural equation modeling revealed that pH and C/N were the most crucial factors affecting N and C mineralization rates in surface soil. In contrast,soil bacterial and fungal community structures were the principal drivers of both the C and N mineralization in subsurface soil. Although soil C and net N mineralization were positively correlated in surface soil, this was not seen in subsurface soil. Collectively, this study demonstrated that differential drivers and their effects on the interactions between soil C and N mineralization at different soil depths should be considered for more accurate prediction of soil C and N dynamics under land-use changes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"379 ","pages":"Article 109330"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142536144","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":"Long-term manure and/or straw substitution mediates phosphorus species and the phosphorus-solubilizing microorganism community in soil aggregation","authors":"Yinjie Zhang ,&nbsp;Shuo Yuan ,&nbsp;Wei Gao ,&nbsp;Haoan Luan ,&nbsp;Jiwei Tang ,&nbsp;Ruonan Li ,&nbsp;Mingyue Li ,&nbsp;Qian Zhang ,&nbsp;Yilun Wang ,&nbsp;Shaowen Huang","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2024.109323","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2024.109323","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The partially substitution of chemical fertilizers with organic materials can improve soil phosphorus (P) availability; however, the response of aggregate-associated P species and the microbial community remains unclear. We investigated P speciation transformation and the related microbial community of aggregates in a 10-year field trial containing chemical fertilizer (CC), 50 % chemical N replaced by pig manure, corn straw, and manure combined with straw. Compared to CC, the organic substitute pattern increased soil aggregate stability indices, which were positively correlated with labile and moderately labile P. The organic substitution pattern improved labile and moderately labile P in &gt; 2 mm large macroaggregates (LM) and 0.25–2 mm macroaggregates (MA), and decreased labile P in 0.053–0.25 mm microaggregates (MI) and &lt; 0.053 mm silt + clay (SC). CaHPO₄ and MgHPO₄ of labile P were the primary components in MA, while Ca(H₂PO₄)₂ was the primary component in MI. Straw addition enhanced the relative abundance of P-solubilizing microorganisms, primarily <em>Bacillus,</em> in different aggregates. The labile P content was higher, and the microbial network displayed higher complexity and connectivity in MI than in aggregates of other sizes. pH was the most critical factor influencing the distribution of P species in the LM. Organic carbon and aggregate stability index were the primary factors in MA, whereas phosphatase activity was the primary factor in MI and SC. Overall, the organic substitution pattern improved aggregate stability and labile P content in LM and MA and reduced labile P in MI and SC, thereby promoting P retention. These insights advance our understanding the effects of organic fertilization on P transformation in soil aggregates, with implications for developing eco-friendly P management strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"378 ","pages":"Article 109323"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142444916","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":"Moisture conditions trigger different response patterns of soil respiration to biochar-induced changes in soil vertical water content and temperature based on a three-year field observation study","authors":"Jiayan Yang ,&nbsp;Fengbao Zhang ,&nbsp;Yuanyuan Li ,&nbsp;Jingxia Gao ,&nbsp;Lei Deng ,&nbsp;Weiyu Shi ,&nbsp;Nan Shen ,&nbsp;Mingyi Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2024.109328","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2024.109328","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Biochar impacts on soil respiration (R_s) remain uncertain, particularly in dryland regions where significant CO₂ emissions result from rewetting. To examine these impacts, we conducted a three-year field experiment during the millet growing season to investigate the response patterns of R_s to biochar-induced changes in vertical soil temperature (T_s) and volumetric water content (VWC). Before R_s observation, the experimental site underwent three years of biochar amelioration (no planting) with five application rates of 1 %, 2.5 %, 4 %, 5.5 % and 7 % (BC1, BC2.5, BC4, BC5.5 and BC7, applied to the 0–20 cm soil layer). R_s was monitored within the 0–20 cm soil layer while T_s and VWC were measured simultaneously at soil depths of 5, 10 and 20 cm (T_s5, T_s10, T_s20, VWC₅, VWC₁₀ and VWC₂₀). Moisture status within the R_s measurement range was partitioned by 0.093 m³ m⁻³ (the optimal VWC for R_s) for non-biochar amended soil (control). Overall, compared with the control, BC4, BC5.5 and BC7 significantly increased R_s (33.3–63.5 %) and experienced water stress earlier at a soil depth of 5 cm. In addition, high moisture levels caused significant differences in R_s among treatments. In terms of the relationship between R_s and T_s, the Gaussian-T_s model performed better than exponential-T_s in control only at a soil depth of 5 cm under low moisture conditions. For biochar treatments, R_s did not continue to rise with increasing T_s for BC1 and BC2.5 treatments under low moisture conditions and for BC5.5 and BC7 treatments under high moisture conditions across soil depths. With biochar application rate, R_s was dominantly shaped by VWC₂₀ and T_s20 under low moisture conditions, while it was significantly influenced by T_s under high moisture conditions. These findings elucidate how R_s responds to biochar-induced changes in vertical T_s and VWC across moisture levels, providing valuable insights for comprehensively evaluating the environmental effects of biochar-amended soil in dryland areas.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"378 ","pages":"Article 109328"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142432579","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":"Spatial arrangement of intercropping impacts natural enemy abundance and aphid predation in an intensive farming system","authors":"Jennifer B. Thompson ,&nbsp;Thomas F. Döring ,&nbsp;Sonoko Dorothea Bellingrath-Kimura ,&nbsp;Kathrin Grahmann ,&nbsp;Michael Glemnitz ,&nbsp;Moritz Reckling","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2024.109324","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2024.109324","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Crop diversification is an increasingly recognized management strategy to support biodiversity and ecosystem services, like pest and disease control, in agricultural systems. However, a significant obstacle to its adoption is the potential trade-off between ecosystem services and optimizing yields. We used a two year, on-farm study in Eastern Germany to test how different spatial arrangements of soy (<em>Glycine max</em> L.) and winter wheat (<em>Triticum aestivum</em> L.) can affect pest abundance, aphid predation, and natural enemy biodiversity as well as yields. We compared conventional sole cropping to three types of spatially diversified cropping systems: relay intercropping, wide strip cropping, and patch cropping. Strip cropping generally supported some of the highest levels of carabid abundance both years and spider abundance in 2022 without any yield penalties. While the relay system failed due to insufficient precipitation, strip cropping produced similar or higher yields than sole cropping (124 % and 96 % of the sole wheat yield and 96 % and 109 % of sole soy yield in 2022 and 2023, respectively). Strip cropping supported significantly more carabid beetles compared to sole cropped soy both years and sole cropped wheat in 2022. We found significantly different carabid community composition between wheat strips and patches and the corresponding soy strips and patches. There were no differences in aphid abundance between systems. Nevertheless, we found 51 % and 36 % higher aphid predation rates in wheat strips compared to wheat patches in 2022 and 2023. Our results provide initial insights into the potential of strip cropping to support both natural enemies and yields while also being an approachable diversification strategy for farmers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"378 ","pages":"Article 109324"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142432578","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}