Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment最新文献

Cropland diversification through mixed cropping has the potential of achieving a more sustainable agriculture while securing food production. This is of special relevance with climate change and the expected drier growing conditions in the future. Seed adaptation to this cropping method is hypothesized to be a fundamental factor to maximize these benefits, as well as the particular species combined. In this study we compared the performance of four cereal–legume mixed crops (wheat and oat mixed with lupin and lentil in pairs) with their respective monocrops. Each crop was sown using seeds adapted to monoculture and mixed cropping, respectively. Moreover, they were grown under early-season and late-season drought treatments and under control conditions. We measured above-ground vegetative biomass, seed yield and harvest index to evaluate crop production, drought resistance and the effect of seed adaptation on each mixed and monocrop. Our results show that mixed cropping either had a beneficial or neutral effect on crop yield, depending on the species combination and drought conditions, but the harvest index was higher in monocrops. We also confirmed that seed adaptation to a particular type of cropping is clearly a determining factor in its performance. In accordance with the insurance hypothesis, mixed cropping has the effect of protecting crop yields in the case of a sudden bad performance of one of the species, for example, caused by adverse environmental conditions. It is necessary to focus on effective species combinations which have the best responses to mixed cropping. In our study, we show that wheat–lentil mixtures performed poorly, while wheat–lupin showed the most promising results improving yield and drought resistance. Oat mixed crops did not show differences with the respective monocrops, so they can be a viable cropping option as well and benefit from advantages of crop diversity not measured in this study.

Humic substances have an enormous potential for regenerative agriculture to improve soil quality and plant growth. Recently developed technologies called hydrothermal humification enabled the conversion of waste into artificial humic acids, that would allow for sustainable and large-scale applications. However, not much is known about the effect of artificially produced humic acid on the soil microbiome and its effect on drought-exposed soil. Therefore, we studied the effect of drought stress and artificial humic acid on the soil microbiota in sandy soil in a controlled experimental design. Analyses of 16S rDNA amplicon libraries by bioinformatics and statistics revealed that both drought and artificial humic acid application influenced bacterial community composition significantly, but only artificial humic acid affected bacterial diversity. Bacterial families like Pseudomonadaceae, Peptostreptococcaceae and Moraxellaceae enriched under artificial humic acid conditions, suggest an adaptation and selection of the soil bacterial microbiome. Under drought stress, artificial humic acid treatment kept bacterial diversity stable in the changed bacterial community composition. We propose that artificial humic acid application in sandy soil can improve the soil bacterial community, diminish drought stress, favour plant growth-promoting taxa, and bring enormous potential to sequestrate carbon in the soil.

The increasing severity of global climate change has led to more frequent extreme high-temperature events, significantly damaging rice yield and quality, thus posing a threat to global food security. Research indicates that plant-microbe interactions can enhance plant growth and overall health under adverse conditions. Therefore, this review aims to explore strategies to improve rice heat tolerance through thermophilic microorganism mediation. This paper systematically summarises the effects of heat stress on both the aboveground and underground parts of rice during its growth stages, identifies the molecular mechanisms by which rice responds to heat stress, and explores the potential roles of microorganisms. Additionally, we review existing studies on microorganisms that alleviate plant heat stress and their mechanisms of action. Through case studies, we explore how microorganisms enhance rice survival in high-temperature environments by regulating its growth and development, along with their potential applications in sustainable agriculture. In the future, environmentally friendly and efficient microbial inoculants and biofertilizers are expected to be developed based on microbe-mediated plant heat tolerance mechanisms, which will help mitigate the heat stress challenges crops face under global climate change.

Agriculture in arid regions encounters significant challenges, including water scarcity, poor soil quality and low crop yields. Sandponics, also known as the Integrated Aqua Vegeculture System (IAVS), presents a promising solution by utilizing sand as a sustainable, water-efficient medium for food production. This review explores the potential of sandponics as a scalable, eco-friendly agricultural practices in arid regions. Sand, being abundant, recyclable and cost-effective, offers a viable alternative to conventional growth media, making sandponics a practical and resource-efficient option. The method has demonstrated success in enhancing crop productivity, particularly, in saline environments, while minimizing environmental impact. Sandponics supports food security and land use optimization by transforming challenging conditions into productive agricultural landscapes. Future research should focus on refining sand selection, optimizing nutrient and environmental conditions, managing microbial interactions and scaling up sandponics for broader application, thus advancing their role in sustainable agriculture.