Agricultural Research最新文献

{"title":"Interactive Effects of Elevated CO2, Temperature, and Weed Competition on Mungbean","authors":"Dasari Sreekanth,&nbsp;Deepak Vishwanath Pawar,&nbsp;Rajeev Kumar,&nbsp;Shobha Sondhia,&nbsp;P. K. Singh,&nbsp;J. S. Mishra,&nbsp;Ankita Sinha,&nbsp;Subhash Chander,&nbsp;Nagaraju Mukkamula,&nbsp;B. Kiran Kumar","doi":"10.1007/s40003-025-00919-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40003-025-00919-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The present study investigated the impact of weed interference, <i>Trianthema portulacastrum</i> L. and <i>Paspalum distichum</i> L., on the physiological, biochemical, and yield levels of greengram (<i>Vigna radiata</i>) under different environmental conditions, including ambient, elevated CO₂ (550 ± 50 ppm), elevated temperature (ambient + 2 °C), and a combination of elevated CO₂ and temperature. The findings demonstrated that weed interference caused an oxidative burst, as evidenced by the increased accumulation of superoxide ions and malondialdehyde levels in weed-infested greengram compared to weed-free plants across all environmental conditions. Furthermore, various parameters including membrane stability index, photosynthetic rate, protein content, and yield were significantly reduced under weed infestation in comparison to weed-free greengram, irrespective of the environmental conditions. The highest accumulation of superoxide ions was observed under elevated temperature conditions, primarily due to the biotic stress induced by <i>P. distichum</i> (49.39 µmol g^− 1 fresh weight) and <i>T. portulacastru</i>m (60.30 µmol g^− 1 fresh weight). Similarly, under elevated temperature, the malondialdehyde content of greengram increased by 10.32 µmol g^− 1 fresh weight and 14.02 µmol g^− 1 fresh weight in the occurrence of <i>P. distichum</i> and <i>T. portulacastrum</i>, respectively. Additionally, a significant reduction in yield (1.99 g) was observed under elevated temperature conditions. In contrast, elevated CO₂ conditions resulted in increased yield (7.80 g) compared to ambient, elevated temperature and combined effect of elevated CO₂ and temperature due to higher membrane stability index, relative water content, photosynthetic rates, and protein level. Overall, this study highlights the detrimental impact of weed interference on greengram yield under changing environmental conditions. <i>T. portulacastrum</i> was found to cause a higher reduction in greengram yield. These results impart valuable insights into the ecological and agronomic aspects of weed management strategies, especially in the context of climate change, aiming to enhance crop productivity and sustainability.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":7553,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Research","volume":"15 2","pages":"953 - 961"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-12-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148299978","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Augmenting Genetic Variability in Leaf and Sap Volatiles of Appemidi (Mangifera Indica L.) Genetic Resources Collection from the Biodiversity Hotspot of Western Ghats of India","authors":"Veena Gonibeedu Lakshmana,&nbsp;Dinesh Makki Ramachandra,&nbsp;Shivashankara Kodathalu Seetharamaiah,&nbsp;Ravishankar Kundapura Venkataramana,&nbsp;Vasugi Chinnaiyan,&nbsp;Sankaran Murugan,&nbsp;Tapas Kumar Roy,&nbsp;Manjesh Guligenahalli Narayanappa","doi":"10.1007/s40003-025-00909-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40003-025-00909-9","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Aroma is a crucial quality trait in mangoes, indicative of species identity and geographic origin. This study examined 32 distinct indigenous mango genotypes originating from the western ghat regions of Karnataka and identified more than 80 volatile compounds across various chemical classes. Based on the dominant volatile profiles obtained through Gas chromatography Mass spectrometry (GC-MS) by headspace solid phase microextraction technique (HS-SPME) genotypes were grouped into monoterpenoid-dominant, sesquiterpenoid-dominant, and balanced types. Cluster analysis of monoterpenoids revealed three subgroups: Cluster I (α-Pinene and β-Phellandrene), Cluster II (Cis-Ocimene), and Cluster III (Limonene and β-Phellandrene). Significant positive correlations were observed between key monoterpenoids in the leaves and immature fruit sap, particularly β-Phellandrene (<i>r =</i> 0.89). Quantitative profiling identified unique aroma-active volatiles in Appemidi genotypes and findings established a direct link between foliar and sap aroma profiles, suggesting their utility as biomarkers.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7553,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Research","volume":"15 2","pages":"741 - 754"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-12-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148299882","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Quantifying the Influence of Extreme Climate Events on Maize Crop Productivity Using Climate Indices in Anantapur District of Andhra Pradesh","authors":"Shirish Khedikar,&nbsp;Adarsh Dube,&nbsp;K. P. D. Raju,&nbsp;Swapnil Panchabhai","doi":"10.1007/s40003-025-00914-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40003-025-00914-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The study was conducted to analyze the impact of extreme climate and weather events on maize crop productivity in Anantapur District, Andhra Pradesh, India. Climate indices derived from temperature and rainfall data collected over 23 years (1997–2020) from the National Climate Data Centre, IMD, Pune, and Maize crop productivity data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Govt. of India was utilized. The changes in average maximum and minimum temperatures were identified as influential factors affecting maize productivity. Regression analysis indicated that rising temperatures negatively affect maize yield. Maize productivity is negatively affected by amount of hot days, mean daily temperatures, number of days when maximum temperature was at least 30 °C and 35 °C, for the reason that, with warmer days and colder nights reflected by a negative trend in TR (Tropical nights), the maize productivity is found to decrease. These findings also characterize strong positive relationships for rainfall indices and their effect on Maize productivity. RX1day shows an R² of 0.21 for <i>Rabi</i> maize, indicating that nearly 20% of the variability in <i>Rabi</i> yield is linked to extreme single-day rainfall events. These findings could help mitigate scientific intervention in formulating evidence-based strategies to farming methods aimed at strengthening resilience and ensuring food security under evolving climatic conditions.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7553,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Research","volume":"15 2","pages":"973 - 983"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-12-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148299868","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of Salicylic Acid (SA) on Nitrogen Metabolism in Mungbean (Vigna radiata) Seedlings Under Drought Stress","authors":"Emmanuel Iwuala,&nbsp;Esther Ogunsiji,&nbsp;Victor Odjegba,&nbsp;Isiaka Abiodun,&nbsp;Sylvia Uzochukwu,&nbsp;Afroz Alam","doi":"10.1007/s40003-025-00912-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40003-025-00912-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Drought is regarded as a major environmental stress factor that hinders plant development and yield worldwide. In this study, salicylic acid (SA) improved the growth and nitrogen (N) uptake of Mungbean (<i>Vigna radiata</i>) seedlings in a concentration-dependent manner under varying regimes of drought stress. We investigated how the plant hormone salicylic acid (SA) affects nitrogen (N) synthesis in mungbean seedlings under SA, drought and combine SA + drought stress. Two SA concentrations of (0.5 and 1.0m M) were applied through seed priming method on two varieties of mungbean (Var 155 and Var 145) to drought stressed plants under (25% and 50%) field capacity (FC) condition. The experiment was conducted in a complete randomized pattern with treatment of SA, drought and combined SA + drought stress culminated into nine treatments. It was observed that Var 155 and Var 145 responded better at 1.0 mM SA concentration in ameliorating the effect of drought stress at 25% and 50%FC in comparison to 0.5mMSA. SA significantly decreased nitrate by 34.2%, ammonia by 37% and proline concentrations by 41% in Var 155 as compared to Var 145 when treated with 1.0 mM SA treatment under 50%FC. SA increased the activities of nitrogen metabolizing enzymes such as glutamine synthetase (GS), glutamate synthase (GOGAT) and nitrate reductase (NR) by 53%, 91% and 71% respectively in Var 155 after treatment with 1.0 mM SA as compared to Var 145 under 25%FC. The study revealed that SA increased the capacity of <i>V. radiata</i> to stabilize biological nitrogen fixation and high nitrogen metabolism. The transcript expression pattern of <i>nifH</i> was upregulated by 34.6% and 37% during drought treatment in Var 145 as compared to Var 155 by mitigating the excessive loss of water in plants caused by quick transpiration. These results reveal that SA plays a vital role on N utilization in SA treated <i>V. radiata</i> seedlings to adapt with drought stress. Therefore, this study presents a novel approach on how SA influences mungbean tolerance to drought stress through N assimilation.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7553,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Research","volume":"15 2","pages":"1168 - 1183"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-11-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148299993","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genotype × Environment Interaction Effects for Identifying Stable Genotypes with High Iron and Zinc Content in Mung Bean (Vigna radiata)","authors":"Madhan Arunkumar,&nbsp;Arumugam Yuvaraja,&nbsp;Dharmalingam Kumaresan,&nbsp;Narayanan Manikanda Boopathi,&nbsp;Chinnusamy Menaka,&nbsp;Ramasamy Jagadeeswaran","doi":"10.1007/s40003-025-00907-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40003-025-00907-x","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) are crucial micronutrients for growth and development. Mung bean, a key source of plant-based protein, is largely cultivated in South Asia. Enhancing micronutrient levels through biofortification offers a promising strategy to combat deficiencies. This study evaluated the genotype × environment interaction (G × E) and stability of Fe, Zn, and hundred-seed weight (HSW) in 33 mung bean genotypes across three locations in Tamil Nadu. Fe and Zn levels were estimated using atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). The combined analysis of variance revealed a significant (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05) G × E interaction for Fe, Zn, and HSW. (Additive Main Effects and Multiplicative Interaction) AMMI and (Genotype and Genotype × Environment) GGE. Biplot analyses identified stable genotypes with superior micronutrient profiles. COGG 22–03, COGG 23–021, and VBN 7 exhibited enhanced stability and micronutrient content. Stability indices, including AMMI stability index (ASI) and multi-trait stability index (MTSI), identified VGG 20–157, VBN 7, and COGG 23–006 as potential lines for biofortified mung bean breeding programs.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7553,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Research","volume":"15 2","pages":"693 - 705"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-11-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148299899","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genetic Improvement of Manipur Black Scented Rice Chakhao Poireiton Through Marker-Assisted Introgression of Novel Semidwarfing Allele, sd1bm","authors":"Bhuvaneswari Shivashankar,&nbsp;Subbaiyan Gopala Krishnan,&nbsp;Ranjith Kumar Ellur,&nbsp;Supradip Saha,&nbsp;Haritha Bollinedi,&nbsp;Kunnummal Kurungara Vinod,&nbsp;Vandana Sharma,&nbsp;Prolay Kumar Bhowmik,&nbsp;Mariappan Nagarajan,&nbsp;Konsam Sarika,&nbsp;Umakanta Ngangkham,&nbsp;Ashok Kumar Singh","doi":"10.1007/s40003-025-00904-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40003-025-00904-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p><i>Chakhao Poireiton,</i> a traditional aromatic black rice landrace from Manipur, popularly known as Manipur black rice, protected under the Geographical Indications (GI) of India, is valued for its anthocyanin-rich pericarp and high antioxidant potential. However, its tall stature and susceptibility to lodging limit yield and grain quality. To address this, a novel semidwarfing allele, <i>sd1</i>^<i>bm</i>, was introgressed from the donor parent Pusa 1652 into <i>Chakhao Poireiton</i> using marker-assisted backcross breeding (MABB). The breeding strategy combined offseason generation advancement, stringent phenotypic selection, foreground selection for <i>sd1</i>^<i>bm</i>, and background selection to accelerate the recovery of the recurrent parent genome. The resulting semidwarf near-isogenic lines (NILs) demonstrated superior agronomic performance, with grain yields ranging from 4167 ± 25.6 to 5501 ± 40.5 kg/ha, compared to 3463 ± 10.5 kg/ha in <i>Chakhao Poireiton</i>. Several NILs exhibited significantly higher total anthocyanin content (169 ± 2.1 to 260.6 ± 5.4 mg/100 g DW), low amylose, and strong aroma. High genome recovery confirmed their near isogenicity with <i>Chakhao Poireiton</i>. Multilocation adaptability trials across GI regions of Manipur further established a yield advantage of up to 27.1% over the original landrace. These findings hold significant promise for enhancing the productivity and livelihood security of <i>Chakhao Poireiton</i> farmers.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7553,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Research","volume":"15 2","pages":"682 - 692"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-11-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148299974","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparative Evaluation of Evapotranspiration Models for Irrigation Scheduling in Garden Pea","authors":"Avnee,&nbsp;Ranbir Singh Rana,&nbsp;Sandeep Manuja","doi":"10.1007/s40003-025-00905-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40003-025-00905-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Irrigation scheduling is crucial for optimizing water footprints, ensuring crops receive the exact amount of water needed for optimal growth. This approach minimizes water waste and promotes sustainable agricultural practices. A field experiment was conducted at the Research Farm of the Department of Agronomy, CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur, India, during the <i>rabi</i> season of 2021–22 and 2022–23 to evaluate three evapotranspiration (ET) models, viz., Penman–Monteith, Penman temperature and Spatial reference ET, and compared them with limited and full irrigation conditions. The experiment included fifteen treatment combinations, with five irrigation treatments in main plots and three sowing windows in sub-plots and was carried out in a split-plot design with three replications. Amongst various irrigation scheduling methods, full irrigation (six irrigations), spatial reference PET, ET₀ by Penman–Monteith modified and Penman temperature method resulted in higher values of yield attributes, yield and benefit–cost ratio compared to limited irrigations (two irrigations) when sown during the 42nd Standard Meteorological Week (SMW) (20th October). The estimation of crop water requirement using the Penman–Monteith modified method with real-time weather data was proved to be the best for irrigation scheduling to reduce crop water footprints compared to other methods (14.6% and 13.8% less than full irrigation) of crop water requirement. However, in data-limited situations, Penman temperature can be used as an alternative method to compute crop water requirements.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7553,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Research","volume":"15 2","pages":"1157 - 1167"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148299858","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of Conventional and Biodegradable Microplastics on Soil Physicochemical Properties and Microorganisms","authors":"Haixia Liu,&nbsp;Meng Li,&nbsp;Hong Yu,&nbsp;Lingling Shi","doi":"10.1007/s40003-025-00906-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40003-025-00906-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>With the widespread use of plastic products in production and daily life, microplastic pollution has become a global concern. As an important sink for microplastics in terrestrial ecosystems, soil is significantly impacted by microplastics, making research on this subject of great importance. This study investigated the effects of conventional plastic (polyethylene; PE) and biodegradable plastic (polylactic acid; PLA) microplastics on the physicochemical properties and microbial communities in soil. Through a 4-month in-situ soil incubation experiment, we analyzed the effects of PE and PLA microplastics at varying concentrations (0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, 2.0%, 2.5% w/w) on soil physicochemical properties and microorganisms. Results showed the following: (1) PE and PLA microplastics increased soil organic carbon (SOC), and PLA microplastics had a significant impact on SOC. The stimulating effect of PLA degradation accelerates the breakdown and release of existing SOC, further boosting the total SOC levels. PE microplastics lowered ammonium nitrogen (AN) levels, with the effect lessening at higher concentrations. Low PLA concentrations increased AN, but high concentrations reduced it. (2) PE and PLA microplastics inhibited β-1,4-N-acetylglucosaminidase activity, stimulate β-xylosidase and alkaline phosphatase activities, but had no significant effect on β-1,4-glucosidase and leucine aminopeptidase activities. Moreover, PE and PLA microplastics respectively inhibited and activated cellobiohydrolase activity. (3) Low concentrations of PE microplastics with increased the abundance of fungi, bacteria, actinomycetes, gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, and total microbial biomass, while high concentrations reduced them. PLA microplastics also increased these microorganisms, but the effect weakened with higher concentrations. In conclusion, both conventional and biodegradable microplastics significantly impact soil properties, enzyme activities, and microbial communities, with effects varying with type and concentration. The structural and degradation differences between PE and PLA resulted in different impacts on soil environment. This study provides important insights into the potential risks microplastics pose to soil ecosystems.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7553,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Research","volume":"15 2","pages":"885 - 900"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148299977","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Ability of the Key Precursors, Proline, GABA and ZnCl2 to Increase 2-Acetyl-1-Pyrroline Content in Mature Rice (Oryza sativa) Grains of Two Thai Fragrant Rice Varieties Under Field Conditions","authors":"Kanyanat Malithong,&nbsp;Newin Deechum,&nbsp;Jamnian Chompoo,&nbsp;Tossapon Pornprom,&nbsp;Chareerat Monkolsiriwatana,&nbsp;Patiwat Sookgul,&nbsp;Juthamas Romkaew,&nbsp;Chanate Malumpong","doi":"10.1007/s40003-025-00902-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40003-025-00902-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The key aroma compound in aromatic rice, 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (2AP), is influenced by various environmental factors and crop management practices. Although the exogenous application of proline, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and zinc chloride (ZnCl₂) has been shown to enhance 2AP levels, no study has conclusively identified which compound is most effective. This study evaluated the effects of foliar application of proline (1000 mg/L), GABA (250 mg/L), ZnCl₂ (1000 mg/L) and a control treatment at the heading stage over five consecutive growing seasons. Two rice varieties, Pathumthani 1 (PTT1) and Hom Malaiman (HMM), were used to compare their responses in 2AP accumulation. The results showed that proline and GABA significantly increased 2AP content, while ZnCl₂ induced only a slight increase. Among the tested compounds, GABA proved to be the most cost-effective. Gene expression analysis revealed that proline and ZnCl₂ enhanced the expression of <i>OsPRODH</i>, supporting the biosynthetic pathway of 2AP via Δ¹-pyrroline-5-carboxylic acid (P5C). In contrast, GABA application upregulated <i>Osbadh2</i>, suggesting a reversible pathway from GABA to γ-aminobutyraldehyde (GABald), which subsequently contributed to the formation of Δ¹-pyrroline and 2AP. None of the treatments significantly affected grain yield, amylose content, chalky grain percentage, or gelatinization temperature, except ZnCl₂, which caused temporary leaf burn. In conclusion, foliar application of these compounds effectively enhanced 2AP levels in rice grains under field condition, with GABA identified as the most promising option due to its high efficacy and low application cost.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7553,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Research","volume":"15 2","pages":"653 - 669"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148299972","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of Farming Practices on Soil Physico-Chemical Properties and Nematode Dynamics in Moroccan Saffron Agroecosystems","authors":"Hinde Benjlil,&nbsp;Amina Braimi,&nbsp;Abderrahim Ihitassen,&nbsp;Ilyass Filali Alaoui,&nbsp;Mohamed Aït Hamza,&nbsp;Zahra Ferji,&nbsp;Khalil Cherifi,&nbsp;El Hassan Mayad","doi":"10.1007/s40003-025-00899-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40003-025-00899-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Soil functions are shaped by its intrinsic characteristics. However, anthropogenic actions particularly unsustainable agricultural practices can degrade soil health. Assessing soil health involves the integration of physico-chemical and biological indicators each offering insight into the soil's capacity to sustain ecosystem function. In this context, we examined the effect of farming techniques on soil health indicators within saffron lands located in the Taliouine–Taznakht regions in the south of Morocco. Soil samples from 163 plots were studied for soil health indicators including soil physico-chemical and biological indicators. As a result, cultural practices had a considerable effect on soil physico-chemical properties and proportions of nematodes (Cp3-5). Drip irrigation, high frequency of irrigation, modern crop, and rotational cropping are positively correlated with organic matter (OM), phosphorus (P2O5), nitrogen (N), and limestone (CaCO3) content. Multi-block analysis between functional guilds, feeding groups, ecological indices and soil physico-chemical properties revealed that Cu, Fe, Mg, Ca, K, and Ec are positively correlated with channel index (CI), enrichment index (EI) and the trophic groups’ bacterivores and fungivores. Most of which belong to Cp1 and Cp2. These nematodes are negatively correlated with the structure index (SI) and maturity index (MI). Based on the Cp triangle diagram, saffron soils are degraded and agricultural methods may be the root of this degradation via their impact on soil physico-chemical properties. This investigation will deliver valuable reference information to support well-informed decisions on saffron yield sector and land management approaches that improve soil health.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7553,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Research","volume":"15 2","pages":"940 - 952"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148299870","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}