Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment最新文献

{"title":"Changes in the population and diversity of plant parasitic nematodes and their effects on sugarcane growth at Wonji-Shoa Sugar Estate, Ethiopia","authors":"Alemayehu Dengia,&nbsp;Nigussae Dechassa,&nbsp;Lemma Wogi,&nbsp;Berhanu Amsalu","doi":"10.1002/agg2.70006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/agg2.70006","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In Wonji-Shoa Sugar Estate (WSSE), sugarcane (S<i>accharum</i> spp. hybrid) yields have declined by about 48% over the last 70 years. One of the causes for the decline is assumed to be the long-term monoculture production system that results in the buildup of plant parasitic nematodes (PPNs). Therefore, the population and diversity of PPNs were investigated by conducting soil sampling using a biosequential method (simultaneous sampling of the soils of adjacent cultivated land [CL] and uncultivated land [UL]) and a chronosequential method (taking soil samples at different times from the same site). The samples were subjected to analysis using standard procedures to determine the change in the population, and identify the genera of PPNs. Additionally, a pot experiment that involved fumigation was conducted on top soils sampled from the CL and UL of the plantation. The results revealed that about 10 genera of PPNs (<i>Meloidogyne</i>, <i>Helicotylenchus</i>, <i>Hoplolaimus</i>, <i>Rotylenchulus</i>, <i>Hemicycliophora</i>, <i>Discriconemella</i>, <i>Xhiphinema</i>, <i>Pratylenchus</i>, <i>Tylenchorhynchus</i>, <i>and Scutellonema</i>) were detected, of which the first four were newly identified. The population density and the number of genera of PPNs found in the CL were 36-fold and 4.5-fold higher than those found in the UL, respectively. Furthermore, fumigation reduced the population of the PPNs by 61% and increased production of cane biomass by 63%. It is concluded that the soils of the WSSE are infested by PPNs, which consequently have detrimental effects on sugarcane growth. While amending soil fertility is crucial, reversing the decline in sugarcane yields also necessitates implementing an integrated soil management system that includes PPNs.</p>","PeriodicalId":7567,"journal":{"name":"Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment","volume":"7 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-11-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/agg2.70006","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142579745","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":"Application of univariate, multivariate, and mixed models to the stability analysis of Ethiopian tetraploid wheat cultivars under irrigation condition","authors":"Geleta Gerema,&nbsp;Girma Mengistu,&nbsp;Tilahun Bayisa,&nbsp;Urgaya Balcha","doi":"10.1002/agg2.20574","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/agg2.20574","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The testing of durum wheat (<i>Triticum turgidum </i>subsp.<i> durum</i>) varieties in different irrigated environments is critical for determining the stability of their performance and adaptation. In this study, 12 popular and newly developed durum wheat varieties were examined in eight irrigated locations with the purpose of investigating genotype–environment interaction and their effect on Ethiopian tetraploid wheat yield stability across diverse environments. The field experiment has two replications with a randomized complete block design. Multivariate (analysis of variance, additive main effect and multiplicative interaction [AMMI], and genetics, genetics × environment [GGE] biplot) and univariate (b_i [regression coefficient], S²_d [deviation from regression], σ_i² [Shukla's stability variance], W_i² [Wricke's ecovalence], YS_i [yield stability statistic], and CV_i [coefficient of variance]) analysis methods were used to identify stable varieties. The AMMI analysis showed that the genetic × environmental interaction was highly significant (<i>p</i> &gt; 0.01), while the genotype and environment variation were not significant. The first two principal component axes (IPCA1 and IPCA2) were highly significant (<i>p</i> &gt; 0.01) and contributed 79% of the total GE interaction. Univariate statistical models indicate that Bulala is a stable, high-yielding variety that can adapt to various environments. GGE biplot analysis revealed that the eight test environments were clustered into three mega-environments, ranked Bulala as the most stable variety across diverse environments. The results of the combined mean analysis, multivariate and univariate models revealed that Bulala is a high yielder (3.46 tons ha⁻¹) and stable variety across all test environments, while Mukiye variety has a high yield (3.43 tons ha⁻¹) but is not as stable or adaptive to multiple locations. As a result, Bulala was recommended for further demonstration and popularization in test locations and places with similar agroecologies under irrigation.</p>","PeriodicalId":7567,"journal":{"name":"Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment","volume":"7 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/agg2.20574","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142525503","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":"Short-term survival and growth of 32 native boreal plants on treated oil sands tailings","authors":"Dani Degenhardt,&nbsp;Angeline Van Dongen,&nbsp;Çağdaş Kera Yücel,&nbsp;Amanda Schoonmaker","doi":"10.1002/agg2.20577","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/agg2.20577","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The consolidation of oil sands tailings is a cost- and time-consuming process that requires treatment via active (e.g., centrifugation) and passive (e.g., self-weight consolidation) methods. The use of plants to dewater tailings is a promising concept and has previously been evaluated using agronomic grass species in greenhouse studies. This greenhouse study evaluated the short-term survivorship and growth of 32 upland and lowland native plant species (12 forbs, 14 graminoids, and six woody plants) in centrifuged tailings and benchmarked their performance against reclamation soil and undisturbed forest soil. All plant species were propagated from seed and transplanted as seedlings into containers filled with one of the three substrates. After 42 days, the height (woody species only) and total aboveground biomass were determined for all living plants. As expected, the mortality of seedlings in tailings was higher than plants grown in the other two substrates. Graminoid species, regardless of species community type (wetland or upland), had higher survival probabilities and growth compared to forb or woody species across all substrates. Of forbs and woody species evaluated, <i>Geum aleppicum</i> and <i>Populus tremuloides</i> showed the most promise amongst the upland species, and <i>Rumex occidentalis</i> was the wetland equivalent.</p>","PeriodicalId":7567,"journal":{"name":"Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment","volume":"7 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/agg2.20577","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142525182","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":"Enhancing the sustainability of cowpea production through the integrated use of fish effluents and animal manure","authors":"Andre A. Diatta,&nbsp;César Bassène,&nbsp;Anicet G. B. Manga,&nbsp;Yolande Senghor,&nbsp;Mariama Sambou,&nbsp;Cheikh Mbow","doi":"10.1002/agg2.20578","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/agg2.20578","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The integration of aquaculture and agriculture in arid and semi-arid environments is crucial for maximizing water and land productivity, especially considering the increasing global water scarcity and the simultaneous use of water for crop and fish production. A greenhouse study was conducted to determine the effects of fish effluent on the growth, yield parameters, and yield of cowpea (<i>Vigna unguiculata</i>). The experiment involved 13 fertilization treatments, including three types of irrigation water (river water—control, Nile tilapia (<i>Oreochromis niloticus</i>), African sharp-toothed catfish (<i>Clarias gariepinus</i>), four fertilizers (poultry, cattle, and sheep manures at 10 t ha⁻¹), recommended rate of inorganic fertilizer (150 kg ha⁻¹ of NPK 6-20-10), and six mixed treatments with fish effluent and 50% of the applied rate of manure alone (5 t ha⁻¹). The combined use of <i>C. gariepinus</i> effluent + 50% poultry manure significantly increased stem diameter, nodules per plant, pods per plant, and seed yield compared to NPK treatments. The shortest days to reach 50% flowering were obtained with the effluent of <i>O. niloticus</i> + 50% sheep manure, <i>C. gariepinus</i>/<i>O. niloticus</i> + 50% poultry manure, and 10 t ha⁻¹ poultry manure. However, fertilization treatments did not significantly influence the number of branches, pod and root length, number of pods per plant, 100-seed weight, and leaf chlorophyll concentrations. This study suggests that fish effluents, when combined with manure, can improve plant growth and seed yield, providing a cost-effective alternative to inorganic fertilizers for smallholder farmers.</p>","PeriodicalId":7567,"journal":{"name":"Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment","volume":"7 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/agg2.20578","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142449133","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":"Interaction of drought stress and potassium deficiency on soybean vigor and leaf temperature","authors":"C. C. Ortel,&nbsp;T. L. Roberts,&nbsp;L. C. Purcell,&nbsp;W. J. Ross,&nbsp;K. A. Hoegenauer,&nbsp;C. A. Followell,&nbsp;M. Victorio Pessotto","doi":"10.1002/agg2.20576","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/agg2.20576","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Potassium (K) nutrition and drought stress affect soybean (<i>Glycine max</i> (L.) Merr.) vigor and productivity through the combined impacts on water regulation. A study was conducted with soybean grown in 18.9-L buckets under a rain out shelter to determine how the interaction between these crop stresses at various growth stages influences the crop leaf K concentration, biomass production, total K uptake (TKU), grain yield, and temperature of the uppermost fully expanded trifoliate. Treatments included soybean grown with and without preplant fertilizer K, soil moisture at 50% (drought) or 80% (well-watered) field capacity, imposed drought during vegetative growth (V3–V7), flowering (R1–R3), pod development (R4–early R6), and seed development (R5–mid-R6) on two different silt loam soils. Widespread K deficiencies were observed during the study across all treatments. Drought stress significantly (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05) reduced the TKU, aboveground biomass production, and grain yield. The crop growth stage when drought stress was imposed was a significant factor, with greater reductions in plant response parameters when stress was imposed during reproductive growth. Preplant fertilizer K increased trifoliolate K concentrations and TKU in drought conditions, but did not increase the grain yield of well-watered soybean. Leaf temperature increased when under drought stress compared to well-watered soybean (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.0001) but the impact of crop K nutrition status on leaf temperature was inconclusive because of widespread K deficiencies. Results emphasize the complexity of the interactions between K nutrition and drought stress in soybean, as drought stress impeded K uptake, exacerbated K deficiencies, and limited yield.</p>","PeriodicalId":7567,"journal":{"name":"Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment","volume":"7 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/agg2.20576","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142451185","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":"Trait component analysis of lettuce in response to daily light integrals at two growth stages","authors":"Hossein Sheikhi,&nbsp;Mojtaba Delshad,&nbsp;Sasan Aliniaeifard,&nbsp;Mesbah Babalar,&nbsp;Rasool Nasiri,&nbsp;Seyed Habib Shojaei,&nbsp;Kamahldin Haghbeen","doi":"10.1002/agg2.20579","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/agg2.20579","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Little is known about the relative impact of lighting duration and light intensity on lettuce production, as well as whether daily light integrals (DLIs) play a significant role during different plant growth stages. Four DLIs were tested: 8.64, 11.52, 12.96, and 17.28 mol m⁻² day⁻¹ as supplemental lighting, which were obtained from a combination of supplemental light intensities at 200 and 300 µmol m⁻² day⁻¹ for 12 and 16 h. Sunlight was used as control. A direct correlation was observed between DLIs and yield, total fresh weight, and total dry weight. Under supplemental lighting, relative growth rate (RGR) increased due to an increase in net assimilation rate (NAR) rather than in leaf area ratio (LAR). Plants in the seedling stage were more sensitive to an elevation in DLI than in the head stage. This was confirmed by a greater increase in NAR compared to their corresponding control under the same DLI. Increasing DLI also improved lettuce quality via reducing nitrate and increasing protein content. Higher DLIs (12.96 and 17.28 mol m⁻² day⁻¹) led to a decrease in maximum quantum yield of photosystem II and an increase in performance index. In conclusion, manipulating RGR through NAR adjustments proved to be more effective than changes in LAR, and adjusting supplemental DLI at each stage was necessary to achieve a larger NAR and, consequently, a larger RGR.</p>","PeriodicalId":7567,"journal":{"name":"Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment","volume":"7 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/agg2.20579","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142449194","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":"Micronutrients concentration and content in corn as affected by nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilization","authors":"Ravinder Singh,&nbsp;Steven Sawatzky,&nbsp;Matthew Thomas,&nbsp;Samuel Akin,&nbsp;William R. Raun,&nbsp;Hailin Zhang,&nbsp;D. Brian Arnall","doi":"10.1002/agg2.20568","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/agg2.20568","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The interaction between nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) fertilizers significantly impacts the uptake of micronutrients in corn, influencing their availability in soil and uptake by plants. Understanding the interaction of macro- and micronutrients is a prerequisite to targeting nutrient balance in crop production. Therefore, a 2-year field experiment was conducted to determine the effect of NPK fertilization on micronutrient uptake of rain-fed corn (<i>Zea mays</i> L.). A randomized complete block design was employed with 12 treatments replicated three times. Different combinations of N, P, and K fertilizer rates were investigated for micronutrient concentration and uptake in rain-fed corn. Findings revealed the order of nutrient accumulation in corn plants: iron (Fe) &gt; manganese (Mn) &gt; zinc (Zn) &gt; copper (Cu). Nitrogen application influenced nutrient concentrations and uptake. Increasing N rates increased micronutrient concentrations in corn grain, except for Cu. Interestingly, Cu content in grains exhibited no correlation with nutrient supply, biomass, or other concentrations. As the N application rate increased, micronutrient content increased at early growth stage and physiological maturity. Phosphorus application showed negligible impact on grain micronutrient concentration and uptake. However, K application notably increased Mn, Fe, and Cu uptake in grains. This study underscores the need to consider not only grain yield but also nutritional quality when determining optimal NPK rates in rain-fed corn cultivation.</p>","PeriodicalId":7567,"journal":{"name":"Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment","volume":"7 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/agg2.20568","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142435588","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":"Combination of AMMI, GGE biplot, stability parameters, and physiological traits in promising barley genotypes under water-deficit condition","authors":"Abbas Saidi,&nbsp;Ali Barati,&nbsp;Habibollah Ghazvini,&nbsp;Zohreh Hajibarat","doi":"10.1002/agg2.20575","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/agg2.20575","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Successful improvement of stable genotypes is dependent on the interaction of genotype with environment, which has a great influence on breeding new barley (<i>Hordeum vulgare</i>) varieties. The main objectives of this study were to (1) evaluate the effectiveness of drought tolerance indices for the selection of drought-tolerant barley genotypes, (2) identify stable high-yielding genotypes in variable environments, and (3) survey physiological traits of five contrasting genotypes under water deficit. In this experiment, 18 spring barley genotypes were evaluated under two moisture regimes (normal and deficit irrigations) for 2 years during the crop periods of 2022–2023 in Varamin Agriculture Experimental Station. In order to identify drought-tolerant barley genotypes in response to water deficit, GGE (genotype and genotype by environment interaction) biplot and AMMI (additive main effects and multiplicative interaction) analysis, stability parameters, and drought indices under water deficit and normal condition were used. Also, physiological traits in three tissues (leaf, penultimate, and peduncle) were measured. Based on our results, AMMI and GGE biplot analysis revealed that the G15 genotype was superior to other genotypes under water-deficit condition. Based on the physiological traits, the G3 and G15 had higher chlorophyll content and carotenoids than other genotypes under water deficit as compared to normal condition. Our results demonstrate the efficiency of the stability evaluation techniques to select genotypes that are high-yielding and responsive to drought stress condition.</p>","PeriodicalId":7567,"journal":{"name":"Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment","volume":"7 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/agg2.20575","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142429653","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":"Tillage and cover cropping influence phosphorus dynamics in soil and water pools","authors":"Harpreet Kaur,&nbsp;Gurbir Singh,&nbsp;Karl Williard,&nbsp;Jon Schoonover,&nbsp;Kelly A. Nelson,&nbsp;Gurpreet Kaur","doi":"10.1002/agg2.20570","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/agg2.20570","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Winter cover crops (CCs) have the potential to reduce phosphorus (P) loss by temporarily fixing P into CC biomass. A field experiment with no-tillage (NT) and conventional tillage (CT) was used to study the ability of different CC species planted after corn (<i>Zea mays</i> L.) and soybean (<i>Glycine max</i> L.) harvests to reduce the P availability in soil solution. The effect of three crop rotations (corn–no CC–soybean–no CC [C–S], corn–cereal rye (<i>Secale cereale</i>)–soybean–hairy vetch (<i>Vicia villosa</i>) [C–R–S–HV], corn–cereal rye–soybean–oats (<i>Avena sativa</i>)+ radish (<i>Raphanus sativus</i> L.) [C–R–S–OR]) and two tillage (NT and CT) treatments was determined on soil available P and soil solution P content through pan (A horizon) and tension (100-cm depth) cup lysimeters. The experiment was set up as a randomized complete block design with tillage as a split factor with three replicates. Over the study period, incorporating hairy vetch in C–R–S–HV rotation reduced the Mehlich-3 P content in soil by 26%–29% compared to the C–S and C–R–S–OR rotation. Both CC rotations (C–R–S–HV and C–R–S–OR) were effective in reducing dissolved reactive P (DRP) concentration in pan and tension cup lysimeters compared to the C–S in both CT and NT systems. However, these results varied with CC species grown and seasonal variability in precipitation. A significantly lower DRP load with crop rotation and tillage treatments was observed mainly during the CC growing season. During the study period, crop rotations with reduced labile soil P content and DRP loss were ranked in an order of C–R–S–HV &gt; C–R–S–OR &gt; C–S. Overall, this study showed that CCs have the potential in both CT and NT systems to significantly reduce P in soil and soil solution, and these effects are resilient to a wide range of precipitation conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":7567,"journal":{"name":"Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment","volume":"7 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/agg2.20570","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142429554","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":"Impact of soil spatial variability on young almond trees: A case study on heavy clay soils","authors":"Carlos Ballester,&nbsp;Rodrigo Filev-Maia,&nbsp;John Hornbuckle","doi":"10.1002/agg2.20572","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/agg2.20572","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The viability of modern horticulture heavily relies on adopting sustainable practices. Understanding soil spatial variability on heavy clay soils and its impact on young trees is crucial to design suitable soil and water management strategies that guarantee the sustainability of orchards. The objective of this study was to assess in an orchard with heavy clay soils of the Riverine Plain, NSW, the impact of soil spatial variability on the development of young almond (<i>Prunus dulcis</i> (Mill.) D. A. Webb) trees and evaluate the use of remote and proximal sensing tools for identifying threatening factors for the sustainability of the crop. Soil and aerial surveys were used to assess the soil and crop spatial variability in an 8.3-ha irrigation block. The site was divided into five areas based on apparent electrical conductivity (EC_a) measurements where soil samples were collected. Tree growth, soil, and plant water status were monitored in two contrasting areas in EC_a. In the first year of study, a significant and positive correlation was found between EC_a and percentage of ground canopy cover. Soil analysis and soil moisture monitoring revealed that high values of exchangeable sodium percentage, which are indicative of sodic soils prone to dispersion, and limited water infiltration were the cause of the reduced tree growth in areas with low EC_a. The impact of soil spatial variability on tree growth decreased in the second growing season due to weather and water management factors that influenced soil water content. This study showcases the usefulness of remote and proximal sensing in assessing potential soil-spatial-related issues in newly established orchards as well as the impact soil spatial variability can have on tree development in the first years after planting.</p>","PeriodicalId":7567,"journal":{"name":"Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment","volume":"7 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/agg2.20572","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142324530","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}