Iron slag-based silicate fertilizer, a byproduct of the iron production process, has been applied as a soil amendment in Korean and Japanese rice paddies for over 50 years. Silicate fertilizer application is known to improve rice productivity and decrease methane (CH4) emissions. In Korea, CH4 emissions from rice paddy have dropped by around 50 % from 1990 to 2020, which might be attributed to the

Agricultural system models are practical tools for optimizing irrigation and fertilization strategies. Mulched drip irrigation (MDI) is commonly used in arid regions of China, playing a vital role in enhancing soil water and heat conditions to support agricultural production. However, current models inadequately capture the effects of MDI on land surfaces, limiting their utility in guiding irrigation

Agronomic biofortification of Zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe) in cereal grains is a critical strategy to address human deficiencies in these micronutrients. Our study examined the effects of crop rotation and farming system on Zn and Fe bioavailability in wheat grains, using data from 2011 to 2020 from the Glenlea Long-term Crop Rotation Study, Canada’s longest running study on organic farming. Two crop rotations

Rice paddies account for approximately 11 % of global agricultural nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. Climate warming can impact rice plant growth and soil nitrogen (N) cycling, consequently affecting N2O emissions from rice paddies.

The impact of nitrogen fertilizer (N) application timing on nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions is inconsistent in the literature. This inconsistency is attributed to year-to-year weather variations, which affect soil conditions around N application time. Planting dates (PD) also vary year-to-year based on weather, and PD can influence N timing decisions.

Quantifying historical changes from plant breeding and increasing plant density on maize biomass production and allocation to organs is crucial for understanding historical grain yield increase and its implications for soil health, and carbon sequestration. Yet, such information is scarce.

In recent decades, compounding weather extremes and plant diseases have increased wheat yield variability in France, the largest wheat producer in the European Union.

Compared to conventional tillage (CT), conservation tillage has been widely proven to better improve the soil structure, increase soil water content, and enhance crop yield, especially in arid rain-fed agricultural regions.

Enhancing crop yield can be achieved through two combined approaches: increasing photosynthetic biomass productivity and efficiently transferring photosynthetic products to the harvestable organs. Dwarfing has become a significant breeding objective due to benefits such as lodging resistance, improved grain allocation of photosynthetic products, and high nitrogen use efficiency. However, the commonly

Rice production needs to increase to meet projected demand. Understanding a crop’s yield potential and the management practices and limitations to increasing yields and closing yield gaps are critical for addressing food security issues.

Available phosphorus (P) management is a continuous task in wheat-based systems of the UK, primarily to balance applying enough P to support high yields while avoiding unnecessary costs and damaging losses to the environment by applying too much.

Given the negative impacts of climate change on crop production, it is vital to implement efficient adaptation and mitigation strategies. The diversification of cropping systems, particularly through intercropping combined with shifts in sowing times, could have the potential to offset such negative impacts. Yet, both experimental data and simulation studies are scarce to elucidate the intercropping

Rice grown under projected concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide ([CO2]) often exhibits enhanced yield and decreased nutritional quality. However, rice yield increases are often lower than the theoretical extent of photosynthetic stimulation and the basis for the nutritional deterioration is unclear.

The subsoil contains valuable nutrient and water resources for crop production, but root growth and therefore resource access can be impeded by compact soil layers. Large-sized biopores formed by perennial taprooted crop species with large root diameters and deep-rooting habit such as chicory and lucerne or anecic earthworms can provide pathways through compacted subsoil layers. Following annual crops

Introducing cover crop (CC) mixtures is a promising approach to enhance the multifunctionality of ecosystem services provided by CCs. However, CC mixtures have contrasting effects on subsequent crop yield, depending on multiple factors such as the type of subsequent crop and the mixture composition. In the context of climate change, sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), which is adapted to environments

Rainfed rice production in inland valleys has the potential to improve food security in West Africa, yet the average grain yield ranges only between 1 and 3 t ha−1. Increased nutrient use efficiency through site-specific fertilizer management can enhance the rice yield and make rice production economically attractive.

Yield is a complex trait reflecting the interaction between genotype, environment and farm management. The challenge of adapting spring crops to climate change involves unravelling the contribution of climatic factors that impact yield performance according to phenological stages. The aim of the present study was to identify the main Environmental Covariates (EC) – climatic variables calculated over

Clinoptilolite zeolite, a class of crystalline inorganic porous material, has been shown to provide several benefits in field crops. However, there is limited information on field-aged effects of zeolite in relation to irrigation methods in rice.

Remote sensing, particularly through unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), has emerged as a pivotal tool in precision agriculture, especially for nitrogen (N) management. Traditional methods, while effective in quantifying crop N status using the Nitrogen Nutrition Index (NNI), fall short in providing quantitative fertilization strategies.

Achieving efficient use of water resources is crucial for ensuring food security in the face of the problems posed by water scarcity and the growing demand for food. Wheat is one of the major crops in the north of China, improving the soil water supply (ΔSWS) through effective agricultural management practices during the wheat growing season is a key strategy to reduce water crises.

In our previous study, we identified TaPHT1;9–4B as a critical high-affinity phosphate (Pi) transporter that plays a significant role in Pi acquisition and transport. Subsequently, we developed the functional marker CAPS-799 to facilitate the identification of its Pi-efficient elite haplotype.

Domestication and breeding processes for developing modern wheat plants from diverse wild relatives and landraces have had unintended effects of loss of genetic diversity. This reduction in genetic variation undermines the ability of modern wheat cultivars to tolerate environmental stresses such as drought. Wheat wild relatives possess untapped genetic potential for tolerating abiotic stress, especially

The crop production in Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) facing serious challenges of decaling factor productivity under changing climatic scenarios with shrinking water resources driving future food insecurity.

Africa faces significant challenges due to climate change, which jeopardizes food security and the livelihoods of smallholder farmers who rely heavily on rain-fed agriculture. Although crop diversification has the potential to enhance resilience against climate variability, determining the optimal species compositions and agronomic practices for varying moisture conditions remains a significant challenge

Effective nitrogen (N) management is an essential aspect of productivity and sustainability of corn silage (Zea mays L.) production in New York (NY) dairy systems. Implementing end-of-season evaluations for N use can help farms identify opportunities to refine N management over time, and support field experimentation through the NY adaptive N management process.

Crossover interactions can hinder the identification of superior genotypes and the selection of evaluation sites. Identifying yield environments where frequent crossover interactions occur will help determine when narrowly or broadly adapted genotypes might excel or fail. This information can aid in targeted breeding and selection strategies.

Decapitation causes axillary bud outgrowth in plants, but the effects of decapitation on yield-related traits in soybean (Glycine max) and the underlying mechanisms are not completely clear. Such information would be useful for developing strategies for breeding soybean cultivars with varying degrees of shoot branching in different production systems.

Research in grain crops has focused on understanding the critical period (CP) for yield formation to develop genetic and agronomic options that minimize stress or resource limitation during this time. While the link between the photothermal quotient (PTQ) in the CP and yield potential is known for wheat, it needs re-evaluation with current genetics and agronomy, and is less explored in barley, especially

Critical period for yield determination is essential for crop management. Research on soybean has focused on grain number sensitivity to stress, while the impact of weight per grain remains underexplored.

Respiration is an essential link between assimilation of carbon and energy in photosynthesis and subsequent growth and yield of all crops. It provides usable energy and biochemical building blocks (carbon skeletons) required for growth and maintenance, releasing CO2 and heat as byproducts in the process. Field data indicate that from about 30 % to well over 50 % of photosynthetically assimilated carbon

Agroforestry can be an option of sustainable farming practices for upland communities. However, information of spatial and temporal variation in soil fertility and crop productivity along slopes, which can guide e.g. effective management, such as application of fertilizers, is limited. This study evaluated spatial and temporal variability in crop productivity and soil fertility along slopes in two

While the individual benefits of technologies like alternate wetting and drying (AWD), site-specific nutrient management (SSNM), mechanical transplanting, laser-guided land leveling (LLL), and herbicide application are well-documented, limited information exists on their combined effects on rice productivity and profitability.

Remote sensing has shown potential to provide accurate and real-time information on grassland forage quality, crucial for the management of livestock systems. However, there are still uncertainties that must be considered to make models reliable and practical. A source of discrepancy regards the measurement unit describing forage quality variables, namely either mass-based concentration (%) or mass

The rise in winter and spring nighttime temperatures is a hallmark of global climate change, and warming has been proven to stimulate N2O emissions from wheat fields. However, it remains elusive whether this increasing effect is influenced by straw return, a practice considered globally as a future climate-smart agricultural strategy.

The partitioning of light between species in intercrops changes over time in relation to the earliness of canopy development of each species, the final plant height, and the growth duration. Seasonal patterns of light capture in crop species mixtures may be reflected in the yield components of the species.

Mitigating methane (CH4) emissions from the rice paddy is crucial for preventing global warming and achieving carbon neutrality in agroecosystems. While biochars are effective soil amendments for reducing CH4 emissions, their efficacy varies with different feedstocks, soil properties, climate conditions, and field management. A global evaluation needs to be conducted.

Monitoring the aboveground biomass (AGB) is critical for assessing crop growth status, predicting yield, and making informed crop management decisions.

Enhancing crop yield by increasing planting density has long been a widely accepted agricultural practice. However, high-density planting is prone to problems, such as increased intraspecific competition. Growth regulators are often used to mitigate the challenges posed by heightened intraspecific competition and the negative effects on kernel setting and final yield associated with dense planting

Given the significant impact of grain number (GN) on wheat grain yield, it is critical to gain a deeper understanding of the physiological bases of GN determination. The formation of both spike number (SN) and grains per spike (GS) coincides temporally and undergoes a parallel process characterized by the extensive generation of structures (such as tillers or floret primordia), succeeded by substantial

The agricultural intensification due to global increased food demand has harmed pollinator communities worldwide. However, some of the economically most important oilseed crops, such as the sunflower, depend on pollinators to produce seeds. While self-fertile varieties have undergone genetic selection to guarantee productivity, the pollinator-dependence levels and the economic contribution of pollinators

Soil acidification poses a severe threat to both global food security and sustainable agriculture. However, a quantitative assessment of its impact on crop yield reduction across different soil conditions and crop varieties is still lacking.

Legume-grass intercropping is proposed as a globally sustainable approach to enhance forage crop productivity and quality while supporting agropastoral ecosystem functioning. However, the mechanism involved in interspecific complementarity and competition driven forage productivity, quality, resource utilization, and economic benefits across different proportions of intercrops remains unclear, particularly

Agricultural management practices are changing from the high-yield production to high-efficient production and now sustainable production in order to satisfy the increasing demand for food. We attempted to establish a high-yielding and high-efficient maize production practice, Integrated Soil-Crop System Management (ISCM). The ISCM increased yield and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), which could be due

Potato belongs to the category of the staple food playing an important role in global food security and nutrition. Because potato plants have a shallow root system and stop nitrogen uptake early in the growing season (between 20 and 60 days after emergence), potato fields are more prone to leaching of nitrate to lower soil layers and the groundwater than deep rooting crops, thus posing a higher risk

Humic acid urea (HAU) has become the leading product of high-efficiency nitrogen (N) fertilizer worldwide. Value-added urea products represented by HAU account for 80 % of the market share of high-efficient urea in China. To our knowledge, precise field monitoring of the agronomy and environmental performance of HAU has not been conducted.

A better understanding of the plasticity of grain number (GN) components may be essential to design better management and breeding strategies. Alterations in resource availability during pre-anthesis may affect the interplay between the main GN components, spike number (SN) and grains per spike (GS). Quantifying the magnitude, and understanding the physiological bases, of differences in plasticity

Limited irrigation is a measure to avoid sugar beet yield reduction and improve water use efficiency in arid areas. However, it is unclear whether the optimization of traditional nitrogen fertilizer management under the limited irrigation conditions can further improve sugar beet yield and economic benefits.

Nitrogen (N) plays integral roles in plant growth and yield. Finding ways to increase plant yield with reduced N usage will promote both agricultural and environmental sustainability. Melatonin acts as a multifunctional regulatory molecule in numerous metabolic processes crucial for plant growth and development as well as response to environmental stresses. The effects of melatonin on the material

Comprehending the intricacies of crop growth and its impact on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is crucial for food security and agricultural resilience to climate change.

Wheat is an important food crop for mankind, simultaneous improvement of wheat yield and quality is human most important goal, but they often cannot increase at the same time.

It is well-established that maize (Zea mays L.) grown in extended rotations produces higher grain yields compared to maize grown in one- or two-phase rotations, even when nitrogen (N) is not limiting. Understanding the mechanisms driving this phenomenon, commonly referred to as ‘the rotation effect’, is important for designing cropping systems that use land and other resources efficiently. Differences

The random forest model (RF) has been widely applied for crop yield prediction. However, extrapolation, measurement errors, and uncertainty arising from limited predictive power of covariates may affect the model performance.

Mitigating environmental impacts while enhancing grain yield is essential for sustainable rice production. One-time urea deep placement (UDP) has been recognized for its potential to reduce nitrogen (N) loss and improve rice yield. However, this method applies an excessive amount of nitrogen as a basal fertilizer, which increases N₂O emissions during the mid-season aeration (MSA) phase and promotes

Accurately estimating the partitioning of daily photosynthetic assimilates among different plant organs is crucial for understanding crop growth and yield formation. However, challenges in field measurements, especially in assessing belowground biomass, hinder precise evaluation of the partitioning process.

Unbalanced competition for water poses a major challenge to intercropping systems in semiarid regions. The role of biochar as a soil amendment in regulating water balance and crop productivity is unclear.

Legume-inclusive cropping is increasingly appreciated for enhancing crop yield and sustainability. However, their impacts on subsequent oilseed rape productivity under reduced nitrogen (N) inputs have not been well explored. In a five-year field rotation experiment, oilseed rape was cultivated with N fertilizer at zero (MN0), recommended (MN100), and 35 % reduction (MN65) following maize monoculture

The effects of sulfur and potassium fertilizers on wheat yield and quality have been well studied, but most of them are used as basal fertilizers. However, the root system is senescent at the later stages of wheat growth and cannot absorb sufficient sulfur and potassium fertilizers plant needed. It is still unclear whether sulfur and potassium foliar applications at the later stages can affect wheat

Sulfur (S) deficiency has been increasing due to decreased natural deposition in the United States (US), highlighting the need to integrate S with nitrogen (N) in corn (Zea mays) nutrient management. Herein, we assessed corn response to various N and S rates and examined the impact of N, S, and N × S on i) grain yield, N/S agronomic efficiency (NAE/SAE), and N/S partial factor productivity (NPFP/SPFP)

Effective nutrient management is critical for crop growth and development. However, using nitrogen-based fertilizers in agriculture raises substantial concerns about environmental pollution. The optimal timing for applying nitrogen to maximize floret fertility and production efficiency in wheat remains undetermined.