Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment最新文献

{"title":"Climate characteristics and trend analyses over major tef-growing areas in Ethiopia","authors":"Endalew Assefa Abera,&nbsp;Aderaw Tsegaye Anteneh","doi":"10.1002/agg2.70469","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/agg2.70469","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study aimed to understand the characteristics of seasonal rainfall and temperature over major tef-growing areas in Ethiopia. The daily weather data were analyzed using statistical methods, including the Mann–Kendall test and Sen's slope estimator. The findings of this study revealed that the mean seasonal onset of the main rainy season was on June 19 at the Debre Zeit site, June 5 at the Cheffe Donsa site, and June 21 at the Minjar Shenkora site. The mean end dates of the rainy season occurred on September 25, 26, and 28 at Debre Zeit, Cheffe Donsa, and Minjar Shenkora sites, respectively. The length of the growing period during the main rainy season ranged from 74 to 132 days at the Debre Zeit site, from 100 to 159 days at the Cheffe Donsa site, and from 57 to 122 days at the Minjar Shenkora site. A significant (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05) increasing trend was observed in the average temperature across all three sites. At the same time, the total annual rainfall exhibited a decreasing trend in the study areas. Overall, the findings highlighted the variability and changing patterns in rainfall and temperature trends in the tef-growing areas of Ethiopia.</p>","PeriodicalId":7567,"journal":{"name":"Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment","volume":"9 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/agg2.70469","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149146235","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of fertilizer source and rate on phosphorus leaching and extractable phosphorus in soils with long-term dairy manure history","authors":"Nora Doonan,&nbsp;Qianwen Lu,&nbsp;Abigayle Ward,&nbsp;Richard Meinert,&nbsp;Wayne Roper,&nbsp;Haiying Tao","doi":"10.1002/agg2.70468","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/agg2.70468","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Land application of dairy manure is a common practice on dairy farms. Long-term application of phosphorus (P), in the forms of manure or fertilizers, to cropland can lead to a buildup of P in the soil and increased soil test P. Understanding how additional manure inputs can influence P nutrient balances throughout agroecosystems in Connecticut is critical. Intact soil columns were collected from two hay and two corn (<i>Zea mays</i> L.) fields with long-term history of manure application. Separated liquid dairy manure (SLM) and granular P (GP) were applied to the surface of the soil columns at rates of 54, 108, and 161 kg P₂O₅ ha⁻¹ along with no fertilizer control. Columns received weekly irrigation to mimic average monthly rainfall in Connecticut. Leachate was collected across six sampling times during a 21-week incubation following fertilization. P dynamics from soil and leachate were evaluated by measuring total P (TP), modified Morgan (MM) extractable P, MM-Ca, and pH. Across most fields, there were no significant differences in TP, MM-P, MM-Ca, or pH across fertilizer source or application rate. Exceptions were greater TP leachate concentration in Corn Field 2 by GP, greater MM-P increase by GP in Corn Field 1, and greater pH change by SLM in Corn Field 2. MM-P and soil pH declined during incubation, while MM-Ca increased. These results indicate that leachate TP and MM-extractable nutrient responses were primarily driven by baseline soil properties, reflecting the legacy effects of historical management, throughout the incubation, rather than fertilization treatments alone.</p>","PeriodicalId":7567,"journal":{"name":"Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment","volume":"9 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/agg2.70468","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149146187","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Regulated deficit irrigation exhibits limited effects on soil health and microbial communities in processing tomatoes","authors":"Kelsey Fenn,&nbsp;Courtney Emerson,&nbsp;Logan Ebert,&nbsp;Noelymar Gonzalez-Maldonado,&nbsp;Erika Yao,&nbsp;Radomir Schmidt,&nbsp;Tom Turini,&nbsp;Kate Scow,&nbsp;Cristina Lazcano,&nbsp;Mallika Nocco","doi":"10.1002/agg2.70471","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/agg2.70471","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) has been increasingly adopted in California processing tomato (<i>Solanum lycopersicum</i> L.) systems as a strategy to reduce agricultural water use in water-limited regions. While late-season RDI can achieve substantial water savings with minimal yield penalties, its implications for soil health and microbial activity remain poorly understood, particularly in subsurface drip-irrigated systems where soil wetting is spatially constrained. We evaluated the effects of RDI on soil physicochemical and biological properties across the growing season and within tomato beds at two commercial processing tomato sites in California's Central Valley. Treatments included a grower standard control and three RDI regimes of increasingly reduced fractions of crop evapotranspiration (approximately 50%, 43.5%, and 37%). Soil health indicators included electrical conductivity (EC), pH, nitrate, ammonium, potentially mineralizable nitrogen (PMN), and microbial biomass carbon (MBC). Microbial communities were characterized using phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis. No effects were detected for most soil health indicators, including EC, pH, inorganic nitrogen pools, and MBC, although statistical power was limited for some comparisons. PMN exhibited limited change under Medium RDI but did not show sustained declines under all RDI treatments. PLFA profiles indicated overall microbial community stability, with no consistent shifts toward drought-tolerant taxa, even under higher RDI levels. Instead, site-specific characteristics, spatial heterogeneity within beds, and seasonal dynamics exerted stronger control over soil health than the RDI regime. These results suggest that late-season RDI in subsurface drip-irrigated processing tomato systems can reduce water inputs without substantially degrading soil health or microbial community composition in the short term.</p>","PeriodicalId":7567,"journal":{"name":"Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment","volume":"9 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/agg2.70471","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149146212","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Root-mediated trade-offs in nitrogen acquisition and utilization affect yield and grain composition in short-stature corn","authors":"Binod Joshi,&nbsp;Raziel A. Ordóñez,&nbsp;Daniel Quinn,&nbsp;Chad Penn,&nbsp;Yichao Rui","doi":"10.1002/agg2.70472","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/agg2.70472","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Plant architectural traits play a critical role in shaping nitrogen (N) uptake, allocation, and overall performance in corn (<i>Zea mays</i> L.). Recently developed short-stature corn hybrids exhibit enhanced belowground growth compared to conventional tall-stature hybrids; however, how these traits influence N uptake, internal partitioning, grain yield, and composition remains unclear. To address this knowledge gap, a field experiment was conducted in west-central Indiana to evaluate short- and tall-stature corn hybrids across five N fertilization rates (0–269 kg N ha⁻¹), focusing on root responses, N uptake, internal C and N partitioning, and grain composition. Short-stature corn produced greater root biomass (+20%) than tall corn, along with higher plant tissue N accumulation and N nutrition index, indicating enhanced N acquisition. Despite lower total N uptake and plant tissue N accumulation at R6, tall-stature exhibited higher agronomic N use efficiency, resulting in similar grain yield between hybrids. Grain composition also differed, with short-stature exhibiting higher protein concentration and tall-stature higher starch concentration. Across both hybrids, N fertilization tended to increase root biomass, plant N accumulation, grain yield, and protein content, with optimal responses observed at intermediate N rates. These results suggest that N acquisition and utilization are regulated differently at root level, where the short-stature enhances N uptake and grain protein without increasing yield, while the tall-stature hybrid more efficiently converts N into grain yield and starch. This trade-off calls attention to the importance of aligning hybrid selection with N management strategies to optimize fertilizer use efficiency, productivity, and grain quality.</p>","PeriodicalId":7567,"journal":{"name":"Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment","volume":"9 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/agg2.70472","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149146213","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genetic diversity in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] genotypes based on agro-morphological traits using univariate and multivariate statistical techniques","authors":"Yechalew Sileshi","doi":"10.1002/agg2.70464","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/agg2.70464","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Soybean [<i>Glycine max</i> (L.) Merr.] is a versatile leguminous crop that plays a vital role in biodiesel production, livestock feed, and enhancing global food security. Soybean production and productivity in Ethiopia are low compared to the national potential, mainly due to the lack of high-yielding genotypes. Substantial genetic variability is essential for developing high-yielding, climate-resilient soybean varieties. This study was conducted during the 2024 growing season to assess genetic variability among soybean genotypes. The experiment evaluated 528 genotypes laid out in a 22 × 24 alpha-lattice design with two replications. Analyses of variance revealed highly significant differences among the tested genotypes for all 13 quantitative traits. Some introduced genotypes produce &gt;4 t ha⁻¹. High values for both the phenotypic coefficient of variation and the genotypic coefficient of variation were observed for most of the traits. High broad-sense heritability was recorded for days to maturity (98.5%), petiole length (97.8%), number of nodes (98.4%), plant height (85.3%), internode length (84.4%), leaf width (90.9%), leaf length (91.1%), and leaf area (93.4%). In this study, all traits showed high genetic advance as a percent of the mean; however, the highest values were observed for yield (83%), leaf area (70%), days from flowering to maturity (69%), number of nodes (53%), and leaf length (52%). This suggests that genetic gain for these traits can be effectively achieved through direct selection. Principal component analysis showed that the first four components accounted for approximately 70% of the total variation among the 13 quantitative traits. Cluster analysis identified eight divergent groups, with the maximum genetic distance between clusters IV and VII followed by Clusters II and IV, indicating the potential for selecting parental lines for hybridization. The Shannon diversity index indicated that hilum color had the highest diversity among the nine qualitative traits. Both univariate and multivariate analyses demonstrate considerable genetic variability within the evaluated soybean genotypes. This provides ample scope for selecting superior and desirable genotypes. It is highly recommended to advance the best-performing genotypes in the future breeding programs and evaluate them across diverse locations and seasons.</p>","PeriodicalId":7567,"journal":{"name":"Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment","volume":"9 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/agg2.70464","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149145645","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Performance of tef [Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter] genotypes in moisture-deficit areas of Amhara region, Ethiopia","authors":"Eyeberu Abere,&nbsp;Solomon Mitiku,&nbsp;Mulugeta Mamo,&nbsp;Yemata Beze,&nbsp;Tadese Ayalew,&nbsp;Kedir Endris,&nbsp;Tesfaye Alemayehu,&nbsp;Abebe Assefa","doi":"10.1002/agg2.70463","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/agg2.70463","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Tef (<i>Eragrostis tef</i>) is one of the most important staple food crops in the Amhara region, where it takes the largest share of annual area coverage. However, the productivity of the crop is far below its genetic potential. Limited availability of stable and high-yielding improved varieties coupled with traditional crop production practices has constrained tef productivity. Twenty early-maturing tef genotypes were evaluated across seven environments using randomized complete block design with three replications to estimate the magnitude of genotype by environment interaction for grain yield and to identify and release stable and high-yielding tef genotypes with desirable agronomic traits. for moisture-deficit areas of the Amhara region. The combined analysis of variance for grain yield revealed a highly significant difference (<i>p</i> ≤ 0.01) among genotypes, environments, and genotype by environment interaction. Among the tested genotypes, G16 (DZ-Cr-409 × DZ-Cr-387; RIL122) was found to be the highest yielding genotype with a mean grain yield of 2531 kg ha⁻¹ and showed 20.3% and 35.1% grain yield advantages of over the standard and local checks, respectively. The results of genotype × genotype by environment (GGE) biplot analysis showed that among the tested genotypes, genotype-16 was found to be an ideal genotype at all tested environments. Among the test environments, Sirinka 2023, followed by Cheffa 2022, was found to be the ideal environments to select widely adapted tef genotypes. In conclusion, considering its stability status, high-yielding potential, and other desirable agronomic traits, G16 has been officially released with a local name “Zati” for moisture-deficit tef-producing areas of the Amhara region and similar agro-ecologies in the country.</p>","PeriodicalId":7567,"journal":{"name":"Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment","volume":"9 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/agg2.70463","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149146998","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Slow-release peat-urea fertilizer increased sweet corn yield and nitrogen use efficiency compared to urea","authors":"Ummya Habiba,&nbsp;Md. Kafil Uddin,&nbsp;Sumaya Nahian,&nbsp;Md. Al Arafat,&nbsp;Biplob Kumar Saha","doi":"10.1002/agg2.70467","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/agg2.70467","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Nitrogen (N) use efficiency of urea is often low, resulting in inefficient N utilization. Again, peat, a high organic carbon (OC)-containing soil, is considered a problematic soil. However, enriching peat with urea may release fertilizer N slowly, and its application to agricultural soil can sequester OC in the soil. So, this experiment was undertaken to evaluate the effects of peat-urea (PU) fertilizer on N release, post-harvest soil health, growth, yield, N uptake, and use efficiency of sweet corn (<i>Zea mays</i> L.) compared with urea. Two PU (PU-I and PU-II) granules were formulated, having a C/N ratio of 1.95 and 2.61, respectively. The size, moisture content, and crush strength of PU granules reflect their feasibility for field application. The Fourier transform infrared analysis confirms the urea-N loading in the peat matrix. The N release was slower from PU than from urea. In the pot trial, urea, PU-I, and PU-II were applied at 100% and 75% of the recommended dose of N. PU application resulted in significantly higher chlorophyll, cob yield, and N uptake by sweet corn compared to the sole application of urea. Compared to urea, application of PU increased the cob yield by 23% and N uptake by 21%. The higher N uptake in PU-treated plants facilitated 15.16% higher N use efficiency and 13.85% higher fertilizer N use efficiency of sweet corn than urea. In addition, the total N and OC in the post-harvest soil also increased considerably due to PU application compared to urea.</p>","PeriodicalId":7567,"journal":{"name":"Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment","volume":"9 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/agg2.70467","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149146983","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparative performance of short-stature and traditional corn hybrids in Wisconsin: Canopy development, weed suppression, and yield","authors":"Ahmadreza Mobli,&nbsp;Ryan Dewerff,&nbsp;Daniel Qiran Zhu,&nbsp;Luma L. L. S. Rodrigues,&nbsp;Harkirat Kaur,&nbsp;Rodrigo Werle","doi":"10.1002/agg2.70466","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/agg2.70466","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Short-stature corn (<i>Zea mays</i> L.) hybrids were introduced to the market in 2023 to improve crop standability and reduce lodging risk under strong wind conditions. However, limited information is available regarding their agronomic performance relative to traditional hybrids, particularly with respect to plant height development, canopy formation, light interception, and late season weed suppression. A field experiment was conducted in 2024 at two separate fields at the Arlington Agricultural Research Station (Arlington-2024A and Arlington-2024B, Arlington, WI) to compare canopy height development, light interception, late-season weed infestation, and grain yield between short-stature and traditional corn hybrids. All hybrids reached 50% of maximum canopy height development at approximately the V12 stage at Arlington-2024A and the V10 stage at Arlington-2024B. Except for PR108-20SSC, short-stature hybrids exhibited 14%–16% lower maximum plant height compared with traditional hybrids. Despite these differences in plant height, hybrids did not differ in maximum canopy light interception or in the growth stage required to reach 50% light interception. Similarly, end-of-season weed biomass did not differ among hybrids. Grain yield varied among hybrids at both sites; however, no differences were observed between hybrid types at Arlington-2024A, whereas traditional hybrids produced 9.2% greater yield than short-stature hybrids at Arlington-2024B. Overall, although short-stature hybrids exhibited reduced maximum canopy height, their canopy light interception dynamics and weed suppression were comparable to those of traditional hybrids in this study. These findings indicate that short-stature corn hybrids can maintain similar canopy function and weed competitive ability while offering potential operational advantages for corn production systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":7567,"journal":{"name":"Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment","volume":"9 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/agg2.70466","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149146956","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Root traits of modern alfalfa lines with contrasting stem fiber digestibility","authors":"Hannah L. Rusch,&nbsp;Kylie Hansen,&nbsp;Jacob Jungers,&nbsp;D. Jo Heuschele","doi":"10.1002/agg2.70470","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/agg2.70470","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Alfalfa (<i>Medicago sativa</i> L.) is a perennial legume forage crop with high-quality forage and a robust root system. Alfalfa roots support forage growth and contribute to soil carbon and nitrogen supplies. Novel alfalfa lines selected for stem fiber digestibility have been developed, but the consequences of these selections on root traits are understudied. Tradeoffs between selections for aboveground traits and belowground outcomes can have implications for root inputs to soils. We evaluated five alfalfa lines ranging in stem fiber digestibility for root biomass production, morphological traits, and chemistry. The roots of third-year alfalfa stands were excavated from replicated field trials at two Minnesota locations. Root biomass beneath the crown and the pectin and lignin in their root cell walls were measured. Fine root biomass from the space between plants was collected and analyzed for morphological traits, C and N concentrations. The high lignin (HL) line had ∼35% more root biomass than the low fiber digestibility (LFD) and the high fiber digestibility (HFD) lines. The LFD line had 11% more cell wall pectin in roots than the high HL line, and 25%–33% more lignin in the root cell walls than all other alfalfa lines. Additionally, the LFD line had a lower N concentration and a higher C:N ratio than the HL and HFD lines. The data suggest that the LFD alfalfa line produced fewer, less degradable roots than other lines, which has implications for the rate and persistence of soil organic matter.</p>","PeriodicalId":7567,"journal":{"name":"Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment","volume":"9 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/agg2.70470","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149146830","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Leaf economics and tissue turnover dynamics in four perennial C4 grasses","authors":"Emanoella K. S. Otaviano,&nbsp;Alexandre F. Mammana,&nbsp;Ricardo H. Ribeiro,&nbsp;Chad Bitler,&nbsp;André F. Sbrissia,&nbsp;Marília B. Chiavegato","doi":"10.1002/agg2.70473","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/agg2.70473","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Warm-season perennial grasses are important components of pasture systems in the United States, yet their functional characteristics and relationships with productive attributes remain poorly understood. This study evaluated tissue flow dynamics and leaf economic traits in four C4 forage grasses: eastern gamagrass (<i>Tripsacum dactyloides</i> (L.) L.), switchgrass (<i>Panicum virgatum</i> L.), big bluestem (<i>Andropogon gerardii</i> Vitman), and indiangrass (<i>Sorghastrum nutans</i> (L.) Nash). The objective was to characterize their resource-use strategies. Species differed significantly in leaf dry matter content, with switchgrass exhibiting greater values (36%) compared to other species (average 30%). Eastern gamagrass displayed the greatest leaf elongation (5.93 cm tiller⁻¹ day⁻¹) and senescence rates (1.09 cm tiller⁻¹ day⁻¹), while switchgrass showed the lowest senescence (0.37 cm tiller⁻¹ day⁻¹). Daily tissue production rate was greatest for eastern gamagrass (0.037 g tiller⁻¹ day⁻¹) and lowest for switchgrass (0.015 g tiller⁻¹ day⁻¹). Big bluestem exhibited the greatest stem elongation rate (0.93 cm tiller⁻¹ day⁻¹). These results reveal distinct positions along the leaf economics spectrum: eastern gamagrass represents a resource-acquisitive strategy with rapid tissue turnover and individual tiller productivity, while switchgrass exemplifies a resource-conservative strategy with slower tissue dynamics. These contrasting functional strategies provide a mechanistic explanation for field performance differences and can help guide species selection in forage-based livestock systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":7567,"journal":{"name":"Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment","volume":"9 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/agg2.70473","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149146829","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}