Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment最新文献

{"title":"Impacts of long-term fertilizer reduction and organic substitution on microbe-mediated multi-nutrient in agricultural ecosystems","authors":"Zhenling Li ,&nbsp;Jiawei Ying ,&nbsp;Xiaokang He ,&nbsp;Yangyang Li ,&nbsp;Guangchun Shan ,&nbsp;Chenghong Feng ,&nbsp;Mingjun Ding ,&nbsp;Gaoxiang Huang ,&nbsp;Jia Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2026.110237","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2026.110237","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Organic amendment addition represents one of the most effective soil organic matter (SOM) sequestration strategies, faced with the dilemma of deepening organic carbon losses due to increased agricultural intensification. However, little is known regarding the impacts of long-term fertilizer reduction and organic substitution on microbe-mediated multi-nutrient (C, N, P, S) in agricultural ecosystems, especially with the alternation of green manure and manure application. Here, the responses of soil physicochemical properties, microbial community structure, and nutrient cycling processes to the application of fertilizer reduction and organic substitution were investigated with metagenome analysis. The results indicated that the content of SOM, pH, available phosphorus, total nitrogen and cation exchange capacity in soils with organic and chemical fertilizer combinations exhibited a significant increase (p &lt; 0.05) compared to soil with chemical fertilizer alone. These drove significant differences in microbial community structure and enrichment in specific archaeal and bacterial groups. Additionally, chemical fertilizer reduction and organic substitution can alter soil nutrient cycling. Specifically, carbon fixation through the Wood-Ljungdahl Pathway was significantly stimulated (p &lt; 0.05) while methanogenesis was significantly inhibited (p &lt; 0.05). The abundance of functional genes responsible for the oxidative generation of sulfate was significantly suppressed (p &lt; 0.05). Notably, organic fertilizers significantly enhance the potential of microorganisms to inorganic phosphorus solubilization and organic phosphorus mineralization while significantly inhibiting their potential for nitrogen fixation and nitrification. The findings underpin a scientific comprehension of agroecosystem health and eco-agriculture.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"400 ","pages":"Article 110237"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145974735","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":"Beetle communities in agricultural landscapes: relative influences of climate, landscape, plant communities and agricultural practices","authors":"B. Penel ,&nbsp;L. Genty ,&nbsp;C. Marty ,&nbsp;A. Bourdonné ,&nbsp;A.-L. Clamens ,&nbsp;L. Benoit ,&nbsp;L. Soldati ,&nbsp;A. Migeon ,&nbsp;G.J. Kergoat ,&nbsp;J. Haran ,&nbsp;G. Fried ,&nbsp;C.N. Meynard","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2026.110252","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2026.110252","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Agricultural field margins are semi-natural habitats that play a key role in conservation and restoration, supporting threatened biodiversity of agroecosystems. However, most research on field margin biodiversity has focused on plant communities, while insect populations remain largely understudied. To address this gap, we leveraged a national monitoring network across France to provide a comprehensive taxonomic and functional characterisation of beetles, a highly diverse insect group of significant agricultural interest. We examined how climate, landscape, vegetation and agricultural practices influence the structure of field margin beetle communities. Using a combination of molecular and morphological approaches and multivariate analyses, we investigated beetle communities within the herbaceous field margins of 374 agricultural sites across continental France sampled between 2020 and 2023. Our surveys revealed a high diversity of beetles, with 797 species recorded, including hundreds of flower visitors and auxiliary species. Estimates based on accumulation curves suggest a richness of up to 1200 species, corresponding to approximately 10 % of the French beetle fauna. We also identified five community types, each having specific taxonomic and functional characteristics and associated with specific climatic, soil, landscape and agricultural environments. While large-scale climatic gradients were the main drivers shaping these community types, local vegetation played a key role in determining species richness. By contrast, agricultural practices appear to be an important structuring factor for both community types and richness. Finally, this study provides the first in-depth characterisation of beetle communities in French field margins, offering a solid baseline for future research and improving our understanding of the complex interactions among climatic, landscape, vegetation, and agricultural drivers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"400 ","pages":"Article 110252"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146035264","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 soil management intensity and soil type on the community assembly and functional potential of soil phosphorus cycling microbes","authors":"Xianwen Long ,&nbsp;Xionghui Liao ,&nbsp;Jiangnan Li ,&nbsp;Wenjun Zhang ,&nbsp;Jiachen Wang ,&nbsp;Wei Zhang ,&nbsp;Kelin Wang ,&nbsp;Jie Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2026.110236","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2026.110236","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Revealing the community assembly process of soil phosphorus (P) cycling microbes is conducive to a better understanding of soil P-cycling processes in agricultural ecosystems. Previous studies have documented that soil microbial diversity or community composition drives soil P cycling. However, little is known about how agricultural management intensity and soil type affect community assembly processes of P-cycling microbes and the related microbial functional potential. Here, four typical agricultural land use types with a gradient of management intensity in both calcareous and red soils were selected in southwest China, including pasture, sugarcane farmland, rice paddy fields, and maize cropland (from low to high management intensity). The results showed that the abundance of the total P-cycling, P-solubilization, P-mineralization, and P-transporter gene in calcareous soil was significantly higher than that in red soil. Agricultural management practice and soil type significantly affected the P-cycling microbial community structure, with tillage frequency, herbicide application frequency, and soil pH being the main influencing factors. Stochastic processes dominated the P-cycling microbial community assembly in both calcareous and red soils, and the stochastic processes were more predominant in calcareous soil than in red soil. The relative importance of stochastic assembly processes increased with agricultural management intensity. In particular, fertilization frequency, pesticide, and herbicide application frequency were the key predictors of stochastic processes of P-cycling microbes. Intensive agricultural management reduced the abundance of total P-cycling, P-solubilization, and P-transporter functional genes across different land use types and soil types but promoted the abundance of P-starvation regulation genes. In particular, we found that the relationship between taxonomic and functional diversity of P-cycling microbes was controlled by deterministic factors (e.g., soil pH and TP), and high stochastic processes will decouple the relationship between the taxonomic and functional diversity of P-cycling microbes. Overall, these findings strengthen our understanding of the community structure and functional potential of P-cycling microbes under different soil types and agricultural management practices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"400 ","pages":"Article 110236"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145962562","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":"Microbial community restructuring under crop rotation: A sustainable strategy to counteract potato monoculture-induced soil degradation in arid ecosystems","authors":"Zhitao Li ,&nbsp;Jinyong Zhu ,&nbsp;Tianbin Shi ,&nbsp;Chengwei Gao ,&nbsp;Xiaoqiang Qiu ,&nbsp;Minmin Bao ,&nbsp;Yuanming Li ,&nbsp;Zhenzhen Bi ,&nbsp;Panfeng Yao ,&nbsp;Chao Sun ,&nbsp;Huaijun Si ,&nbsp;Yuhui Liu ,&nbsp;Zhen Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2026.110245","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2026.110245","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Continuous potato monoculture induces soil degradation and yield reduction. While crop rotation alleviates continuous cropping obstacles, its microbial regulatory mechanisms underlying soil quality improvement remain poorly understood. Through field trials in arid and semi-arid regions of Northwest China, we systematically analyzed the effects of five rotation systems (potato - broad bean rotation, PB; potato - maize rotation, PM; potato - fallow, PF; potato - oil flax rotation, PO; and potato - quinoa rotation, PQ) on soil microbial community structure and soil quality, along with tuber yield, with continuous potato cropping (PP) as the control. A Soil Quality Index (SQI) was developed through principal component analysis by integrating multiple soil physicochemical indicators. All rotations significantly increased SQI (21.5 %-37.7 %) and tuber yields by 2.1 %-16.2 % compared to PP, with PO achieving the peak yield enhancement (16.2 %). Random forest modeling identified available phosphorus (AP), potassium (AK), and soil organic matter (SOM) as primary SQI influencing factors. Microbial analysis revealed rotations enriched Acidobacteriota (6.1 %-38.5 %) while reducing Anthophyta abundance (8.8 %-154.2 %). Weighted gene co-expression network analysis demonstrated bacterial networks exhibited higher node complexity but lower connectivity than fungal networks. Key bacterial family (1.1 % of taxa) including Pyrinomonadaceae (positively correlated with TK/AP, <em>r</em> &lt; -0.50, <em>P</em> = 0.01) and Chitinophagaceae (yield-associated, <em>r</em> = 0.52, <em>P</em> = 0.03) were identified by <em>Zi-Pi</em> analysis as microbial indicators of soil fertility and productivity. The superior performance of the potato-oil flax rotation is attributed to enhanced SOM accumulation, improved nutrient availability (AP, AK), and the selective stimulation of functional bacterial groups promoting nutrient cycling. This work advances understanding of rotation-mediated soil remediation by systematically characterizing microbial interaction networks, providing actionable insights for sustainable potato cultivation in arid and semi-arid regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"400 ","pages":"Article 110245"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145974675","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":"Temperature-dependent modulation of soil organic carbon by earthworm (Pheretima guillelmi) bioturbation in a subtropical forest: Topsoil versus Subsoil","authors":"Yufeng Qiu ,&nbsp;Minshen Ying ,&nbsp;Ronggui Tang ,&nbsp;Tanja Trakić ,&nbsp;Yihong Liu ,&nbsp;Youchao Chen ,&nbsp;Xie Wang ,&nbsp;Yanjiang Cai ,&nbsp;Scott X. Chang","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2026.110240","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2026.110240","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Earthworms play a crucial role in pedogenesis through bioturbation, shaping soil structure and driving the sequestration of soil organic carbon (SOC). Although extensive studies have documented earthworm-mediated carbon cycling in croplands and forestlands under optimal temperatures, their impact on carbon dynamics under suboptimal temperatures remains poorly understood, particularly in forest soils. This study conducted a one-year field experiment in a bamboo forest across different temperature phases (warm and cool conditions) to investigate the density-dependent effects of earthworms (<em>Pheretima guillelmi</em>) on soil carbon preservation capacity (CPC), quantified as sequestered SOC, in both topsoil (0–15 cm) and subsoil (15–30 cm). Results indicated that earthworm bioturbation significantly increased coarse particulate organic carbon (by 8.5–24.9 %), fine particulate organic carbon (by 11.3–19.7 %), and mineral-associated organic carbon (by 11.9–22.9 %). Under warm conditions, earthworm bioturbation significantly increased the proportion of large macroaggregates (&gt; 2 mm) by 35.1–62.8 % and promoted aggregate stability (mean weight diameter and geometric mean diameter) in the topsoil. However, under cool conditions, there were no significant changes in aggregate in the topsoil and subsoil. Earthworm-mediated CPC exhibited significant temperature dependence: CPC significantly increased by 12.3–25.3 % under warm conditions but only by 6.0–15.9 % under cool conditions. Notably, earthworms enhanced CPC mainly through improving aggregate stability and promoting SOC fractions during warm conditions. In contrast, the efficacy of earthworm bioturbation diminished as temperatures dropped, with CPC variation becoming primarily affected by SOC fractions. This mechanistic understanding establishes earthworm bioturbation as a temperature-sensitive driver of carbon stabilization and provides theoretical insights into the potential of earthworms to enhance soil carbon protection under climatic variability in agroforestry ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"400 ","pages":"Article 110240"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145956484","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":"Grazing intensity, microtopography, and soil properties mediate the relationship between soil seed banks and aboveground vegetation in grazed wetlands in a semi-arid region","authors":"Mingye Zhang ,&nbsp;Shuchen Liu ,&nbsp;Shouzheng Tong ,&nbsp;Yu An ,&nbsp;Ming Jiang ,&nbsp;Haitao Wu ,&nbsp;Guodong Wang ,&nbsp;Dongjie Zhang ,&nbsp;Geng Cui","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.110210","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.110210","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil seed banks (SSBs) serve as the fundamental basis for natural vegetation regeneration, and their relationship with aboveground vegetation (AV) plays an important role in achieving natural rehabilitation of wetlands. Grazing is the predominant form of wetland resource utilization in semi-arid regions, significantly influencing biodiversity and ecological functions. Although the response of wetland SSBs to grazing is an important focus area in ecology research and microtopography is extremely common in semi-arid wetlands, the mediating role of microtopography in regulating the impact of herbivores on SSB dynamics remains unclear. To address this knowledge gap, this long-term field study (2000–2023) investigated the effects of four grazing intensities (no, slight, moderate, and heavy grazing) and three microtopographic conditions (hummock apex, hummock brae, and hummock interspace) on SSBs. Results revealed that the interaction between grazing and microtopography significantly influenced SSBs and their association with AV. The density and richness of SSBs decreased with an increase in grazing intensity and significantly varied with microtopographic heterogeneity. The similarity between SSBs and AV initially increased and subsequently decreased with increasing grazing intensity, with the similarity level being higher for the hummock apex than for other positions. Electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solid levels, and nitrate nitrogen (NO₃⁻-N) levels were significantly negatively correlated with the density and richness of SSBs and the density of AV. Redundancy analysis indicated that EC and NO₃⁻-N significantly influenced SSB properties across all grazing intensities, and that EC was a key driver of changes in the structural attributes of AV. Furthermore, a structural equation model indicated that grazing and microtopography directly affected SSB properties. In particular, microtopography mediated the process through which grazing disturbed AV, thereby affecting SSBs. Altogether, these findings suggest that grazing and microtopography profoundly affect the structural attributes of wetland SSBs through multiple pathways. These findings enhance the understanding of the ecological functions of microtopography and provide valuable insights into the near-natural restoration and sustainable utilization of grazed wetland ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"400 ","pages":"Article 110210"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145902260","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 anti-hail netting on pollinator activity, fruit quality, and economic yield in kiwifruit","authors":"Camila Corti ,&nbsp;Facundo R. Meroi Arcerito ,&nbsp;María Belén Lezcano ,&nbsp;Facundo Ramos ,&nbsp;Leonardo Galetto ,&nbsp;Matías Maggi","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2026.110217","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2026.110217","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Protective anti-hail nets are increasingly used in kiwifruit orchards, yet their integrated effects on pollination and yield are unclear. We compared two prevalent management systems: a netted system (anti-hail net with manual pollination, no on-site hives) versus an open-field system (no net, manual pollination with honey bee hives). Across seven commercial kiwifruit orchards, we assessed pollinator communities, visitation rates, fruit quality (weight and seed number), and economic yield. The management system significantly altered pollinator composition (PERMANOVA: F=4.58, R² = 0.48, p = 0.029). <em>Apis mellifera</em> dominated (&gt;60 % of visits) in open fields but was nearly absent under nets, where syrphid flies prevailed. A complementary analysis on the wild pollinator assemblage (excluding <em>A. mellifera</em>) indicated that netting itself explained 31.5 % of the variation (F = 2.30, R²=0.315, p = 0.086), suggesting a substantial, albeit marginally non-significant, filter effect independent of hive management. Visitation frequency was 47 % lower in the netted system. Fruits from the netted system were 30 % lighter and had 45 % fewer seeds. Gross revenue per hectare was 31.5 % lower under nets (USD 47,385 vs. 69,213). The netted management system explained 46.0–64.6 % of the variance in fruit quality and 58.0 % in economic yield. Our results demonstrate that the netted system creates a substantial pollination deficit not compensated by standard manual pollination, directly reducing fruit quality and profitability. Integrating pollinator-friendly practices is needed to balance crop protection with sustainable production.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"400 ","pages":"Article 110217"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145941079","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":"Within-field variability in nitrogen losses: A case study in Denmark","authors":"Jingru Yin ,&nbsp;Takashi S.T. Tanaka ,&nbsp;Yeying Zhou ,&nbsp;Vita Antoniuk ,&nbsp;Octavian P. Chiriac ,&nbsp;Marco Canicattì ,&nbsp;Martina Ludovica Careddu ,&nbsp;Davide Cammarano","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.110201","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.110201","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nitrogen (N) losses from agricultural fields, through nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions and nitrate (NO₃⁻) leaching, pose environmental risks and reduce agricultural productivity. Understanding the spatial variability within fields is crucial for effective N management. This study aimed to quantify and explain spatial variability in N₂O emissions and NO₃⁻ leaching within a typical agricultural field in Denmark, identifying the key factors influencing this variability. Field measurements were conducted across two growing seasons (2023 and 2024), involving soil, plant, and environmental data collection at 24 and 48 sampling points, respectively. Random forest modeling was employed to analyze feature importance of predictor variables. The study revealed significant spatial variability in N losses. The key influencing factors included topographical features, plant N uptake, and climatic conditions. An inverse relationship was observed between N₂O emissions and NO₃⁻ leaching, indicating a trade-off in N loss pathways. Random forest models explained approximately 30 % of variability for NO₃⁻ leaching (RMSE = 11.32; MAE = 8.89) and N₂O emissions (RMSE = 0.71; MAE = 0.21). These findings underscore the complexity of N loss dynamics and difficulty of the adoption of site-specific management strategies to mitigate environmental impacts and improve N use efficiency.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"400 ","pages":"Article 110201"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145973844","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":"Appropriate straw return approaches can improve soil properties and crop yield of Mollisol farmlands with various degradation degrees","authors":"Shukun Xing ,&nbsp;Guanghui Zhang ,&nbsp;Yatong Zhang ,&nbsp;Yi Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2026.110248","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2026.110248","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Straw return, as a traditional conservation tillage practice, has been widely applied; however, the suitability of different straw return approaches has rarely been evaluated under various land degradation degrees. In this study, three straw return approaches (strip mulching, rotary tillage and deep plowing) were applied to Mollisols with four degrees of degradation (non-degradation, light, moderate and severe degradation). Soil physical, biological and nutrient properties as well as crop growth characteristics were monitored at different soybean growth stages in 2023. Crop yield was also measured for different treatments. Compared to control (straw removal), the suitability of different approaches was assessed. The results showed that the benefits of straw return were strongly regulated by land degradation. With land degradation intensified, the advantages of rotary tillage in promoting microbial activity and nutrient availability were gradually replaced by the approach of strip mulching. Compared to straw removal, straw return by strip mulching increased soybean yield from 3.1 % in non-degraded cropland to 20.8 % in severely degraded cropland, whereas the yield increases of rotary tillage and deep plowing declined from 15.4 % to 7.1 % and from 12.6 % to 1.3 %, respectively. Changes in soil structure and hydrothermal conditions were the main drivers of yield variation under different straw return approaches. For non-degraded Mollisols, straw incorporation or deep plowing is recommended to alleviate low-temperature stress in cool and humid regions, while for degraded Mollisols, straw return by strip mulching is preferable to improve topsoil aggregate stability, erosion resistance and water retention. This study offers critical insights into optimizing straw return approach under various soil degradation degrees, contributing to sustainable agricultural productivity in response to global challenges of land degradation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"400 ","pages":"Article 110248"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145973846","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":"Plant available nitrogen varies with crop rotation due to legacy effects of legume and poultry litter inputs","authors":"Kathryn E. White ,&nbsp;Michel A. Cavigelli ,&nbsp;Harry H. Schomberg ,&nbsp;Steven B. Mirsky","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2026.110239","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2026.110239","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Poultry litter (PL) is used by grain farmers in poultry producing regions to supply nitrogen (N). Knowledge of the effects of long-term applications on plant available N (PAN) is limited, particularly when combined with historical inputs from legume cover crops and forages. Previous research at the Farming Systems Project (FSP) in Maryland, USA found that historical inputs from legumes and PL increased PAN, likely reducing maize PL requirements. We quantified the effects of three reduced PL application rates on PAN and the effects of PAN and weeds on maize yields in three organically managed rotations at FSP. We established PL application rate microplots in two-year hairy vetch (<em>Vicia villosa</em> Roth) plus rye (<em>Secale cereale</em> L.) cover crop–maize <em>(Zea mays</em> L.)–rye cover crop–soybean (<em>Glycine max</em> L.), three-year hairy vetch plus rye–maize-rye cover crop–soybean–wheat (<em>Triticum aestivum</em> L.), and six-year maize–rye cover crop–soybean–wheat–alfalfa (<em>Medicago sativa</em> L.) –alfalfa–alfalfa rotations. Rotational diversity increased microbially active carbon, N, and PAN concentrations, eliminating maize PL requirements in the six-year rotation. In the two- and three-year rotations, eliminating PL decreased yields by 1645 and 1009 kg ha⁻¹, respectively. However, application rates could be reduced by 43 % and 58 % without affecting maize yields. Weeds reduced yields in the two-year rotation by 1394 kg ha⁻¹. Results indicate that long-term PL and legume inputs increase N storage, N cycling, and soil PAN sufficient to support maize yields, but rates are rotation-dependent. Reducing PL recommendations in comparable rotations, whether organic or conventional, would reduce fertility costs and likely lower N loss risks.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"400 ","pages":"Article 110239"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145973848","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}