Field Crops Research最新文献

{"title":"Integrating green manure and organic amendments enhances nutrient–yield coupling and system resilience in dryland wheat","authors":"Yunuo Li ,&nbsp;Yuhan Jiang ,&nbsp;MengDi Wang ,&nbsp;Conghui Liu ,&nbsp;Yamin Peng ,&nbsp;Jianglan Shi ,&nbsp;Xiaohong Tian","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2026.110361","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2026.110361","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><div>Dryland wheat systems on the Loess Plateau of China are increasingly constrained by erratic rainfall and ongoing soil degradation. The traditional summer fallow, intended for water storage, fails to restore soil fertility or sustain productivity. Under intensifying climate variability, improved management strategies are urgently needed.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study tested whether integrating legume green manure with organic amendments (straw, manure, or both) could transform the summer fallow from a passive water-storage phase into an active biological stage, thereby enhancing yield stability, soil fertility, and system resilience.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A seven-year split-plot field experiment (2016–2023) was established in a rainfed winter wheat system on the Loess Plateau, China. The main plot compared two summer fallow systems: conventional fallow (G₀) and legume green manure incorporation (G). Subplots included five fertilization regimes: mineral fertilizer alone, mineral fertilizer combined with manure (M), straw (S), or their combination (MS).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Replacing summer fallow with green manure initially reduced yield by 8–14 % but produced a 14.4 % advantage during the 2023 drought after a 3–5-year transition. The green manure system (G) enhanced crop nitrogen and phosphorus uptake primarily via soil nutrient pool expansion, whereas nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and phosphorus use efficiency (PUE) showed strong interannual variability rather than consistent increases across years. Among treatments, the G-M achieved the highest yield, whereas G-MS most effectively enhanced soil nutrient stocks (0–60 cm) and maintained comparable nutrient uptake to G-M. Path analysis indicated that 61 % of the total yield effect occurred indirectly through nutrient-pool expansion and enhanced nutrient uptake.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Replacing summer fallow with green manure shifted system management from water conservation to soil fertility renewal. The G-M pathway supports short-term productivity through fast nutrient turnover, whereas G-MS builds long-term resilience by expanding soil nutrient capital and sustaining nutrient cycling.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>Integrating green manure with organic amendments offers a flexible and scalable approach to strengthen soil function, enhance nutrient–yield coupling, and build climate resilience in dryland wheat systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"340 ","pages":"Article 110361"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146045260","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Achieving sustainable rice production with reduced nitrogen fertilization through unlocking soil organic nitrogen mineralization by alleviating microbial carbon limitation","authors":"Ning Su ,&nbsp;Xiangmin Rong ,&nbsp;Yao Liu ,&nbsp;Junru Li ,&nbsp;Runjia Yin ,&nbsp;Guixian Xie ,&nbsp;Yuping Zhang ,&nbsp;Gongwen Luo","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2026.110382","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2026.110382","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background and purpose</h3><div>Balancing nitrogen (N) fertilizer management strategies to ensure both food security and environmental sustainability remains a major challenge for sustainable agriculture. Promoting the conversion of soil organic N (SON) into inorganic N is a viable strategy to achieve this goal; however, its underlying mechanisms are not yet fully understood.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A 12-year (2013–2024) field experiment with five N application rates was employed to determine the optimal reduction potential for N fertilizer in a double-cropping rice system in Liuyang County, Hunan Province, China. Concurrently, soil samples from the experiment plots were subjected to a 120-day microcosm experiment to further investigate the alleviation of soil microbial carbon (C) limitation and soil N mining potential driven by exogenous C inputs.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Field experiments indicate that reducing N application by 10 % maintained grain yields comparable to conventional fertilization while significantly decreasing N losses (7.1 %-19.9 %; highest value for NO₃^--N leaching). A 20 % N reduction could maintain a relatively stable soil-plant N balance and markedly decreased N input and loss (12.8–34.2 %; highest value for NO₃^--N leaching), albeit with a risk of yield decrease. High N application did not significantly increase acidolysable SON content, related enzyme activities, or the abundance of key functional genes involved in SON mineralization. Instead, high input reduced the rates of soil microbial amino acid uptake and gross protein depolymerization. N input alleviated soil microbial N limitation but progressively exacerbated microbial C limitation with increasing input. Microcosm experiments indicate that straw addition alleviated the microbial C limitation, enhanced the retentions of inorganic, and organic N in soil, increased net N mineralization rate, and suppressed nitrification.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>These findings indicate that the incorporation of straw could hold promise for reducing N fertilization by approximately 20 % in rice systems within this region. This effect stems from enhanced microbial activity and accelerated SON mineralization, thereby sustaining productivity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"340 ","pages":"Article 110382"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146072436","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Limited variation in sorghum yield responses to diverse legume rotations under Sudano-Sahelian conditions","authors":"Louis-Marie Raboin ,&nbsp;Eric Gozé ,&nbsp;Oumarou Diallo ,&nbsp;Guelika Kafando ,&nbsp;Benoit Joseph Batieno ,&nbsp;Julie Dusserre","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2026.110371","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2026.110371","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><div>In Sudano-Sahelian West Africa, declining soil fertility due to land degradation, low fertilizer use, and shortened fallows threatens productivity. Legume-based rotations offer a sustainable solution by improving nitrogen availability and soil health, especially under low-input conditions.</div></div><div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>This study aimed to enhance sorghum-based cropping systems through one-year legume rotations. It sought to characterize a diversity of legume crops and evaluate the effect of returning their biomass (excluding grain) to the soil on subsequent sorghum crop’s growth and yield.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Twenty crop precedents, comprising 17 legumes and 3 grasses, were evaluated across three randomized complete block design (RCBD) field trials under varying soil fertility conditions. Biological nitrogen fixation was quantified using the natural abundance (δ¹⁵N) method along with measurements of nitrogen content and total nitrogen accumulation in aboveground biomass. In the following season, sorghum was grown to assess rotational effects on yield and growth.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The study revealed substantial and significant variability among legume species in biomass and nitrogen accumulation, with <em>Crotalaria juncea</em> and <em>Centrosema pascuorum</em> showing the highest values. However, these differences did not translate into significant yield gains for subsequent sorghum crops. While legumes outperformed grasses in improving sorghum yields, variation among legume species was minimal, suggesting nitrogen recycling inefficiencies under Sudano-Sahelian conditions.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Under Sudano-Sahelian conditions, non-nitrogen (non-N) effects appear to play a crucial role in the overall rotational benefits of legumes in cereal-based systems. Therefore, grain and fodder legumes should be preferred over green manure legumes because they provide high-protein food for humans and feed for animals, while enhancing the overall performance of crop rotations. Further diversification of legume crops is needed to optimize legume-nonlegume balance and manage trade-offs between food security and sustainable soil management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"340 ","pages":"Article 110371"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146076930","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multi-site evaluation of phosphorus fertilization with bio-inputs in sugarcane: Yield and soil P fractions","authors":"Gabriel Pinheiro Silva,&nbsp;Sarah Mello Leite Moretti,&nbsp;Ingrid Martins Stelutti,&nbsp;Paulo Sergio Pavinato,&nbsp;Otávio Gonçalves Cesário,&nbsp;Marcelo Grijalva Carneiro Barros,&nbsp;Johnny Rodrigues Soares,&nbsp;Rafael Otto","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2026.110379","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2026.110379","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Background&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Phosphorus (P) deficiencies in highly weathered tropical soils limits sugarcane productivity, and the agronomic value of bio-inputs and phosphorus reapplication remain uncertain. We evaluated whether integrating bio-inputs with phosphorus fertilization increases yield and modifies soil phosphorus pools across contrasting environments.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Methods&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Field trials were conducted at six commercial sites in South-Central Brazil over two crop cycles. We compared P applied in the planting furrow alone or combined with a biological conditioner or phosphate-solubilizing bacteria; in the first ratoon, P was either reapplied or omitted while maintaining the same bio-input scheme. Stalk yield was measured in both cycles, and sugar yield was derived from technological analyses. After each harvest, soils were sampled and a rapid fractionation quantified labile, moderately labile, occluded, organic, and total P for selected fertilized treatments. Multivariate patterns were summarized with principal component analysis (PCA). Associations between stalk yield and soil P fractions were evaluated using Spearman correlation.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Results&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;P at planting consistently increased stalk yield relative to the unfertilized control across sites, with an average gain of approximately 9 Mg ha&lt;sup&gt;−1&lt;/sup&gt; in plant cane. In the first ratoon, yields were largely sustained by residual P from planting and the cross-site mean effect of reapplication was small and not significant, although clear gains occurred at some locations. Responses to bio-inputs were modest and site dependent: the biological conditioner improved yield at a subset of sites, whereas phosphate-solubilizing products rarely exceeded fertilization alone. Within fertilized treatments, soil P fractionation showed that bio-inputs increased labile P in some site–cycles (direction and magnitude varied by product and cycle) and increased moderately labile P in plant cane, relative to fertilization alone. Shifts among P pools varied by site and cycle and were not consistently associated with yield. PCA indicated that site properties dominated responses, with one clay-rich, high-phosphorus site clustering separately and aligning with higher productivity together with larger moderately labile and total pools.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Conclusions and implications&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;P applied at planting was the primary driver of sugarcane yield gains across our multi-site; while additional gains from first-ratoon reapplication or from bio-inputs were small and depended on local conditions. Bio-inputs may offer medium to long term benefits, since they increased the moderately labile soil P fraction at some sites, although this prospect remains uncertain and requires validation under low P supply. Overall, prioritizing P at planting while using site-specific diagnostics to decide on reapplication and to test bio-inputs is the most defensible strategy. These findings su","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"340 ","pages":"Article 110379"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146071611","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multi-objective optimization framework for cropping structure based on water-carbon-economy nexus: Large-scale case study in Northeast China","authors":"Zhenwei Hou ,&nbsp;Yaqun Liu ,&nbsp;Jieyong Wang ,&nbsp;Kiril Manevski ,&nbsp;Zhaohai Zeng","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2026.110367","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2026.110367","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><div>Large-scale coordination of crop production, environmental costs, and economic benefits (EB) is necessary to achieve sustainable agricultural development. However, there is lack of knowledge on methodologies satisfying multiple criteria and proposing solutions with low carbon-water footprints and high EB.</div></div><div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>This study aimed to develop an annual crop-specific multi-objective optimization framework to jointly minimize irrigation water requirement (IWR) and maximize net carbon sequestration (NCS) and EB.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The framework coupled Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm III (NSGA-III) to generate annual Pareto fronts with an entropy-weighted Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) scheme to identify annual best crop allocation plans. The framework was designed with actual data for the Northeast China region over 2000–2020 period. Annual precipitation across the region was fitted with a Pearson-III distribution and classified into dry, normal, and wet years informing scenario-specific irrigation water caps and robustness evaluation via Monte Carlo resampling.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>With an essentially unchanged regional mean total sown area (2.19 × 10⁷ ha), the framework explicitly proposed changes in cropland and provincial reallocations to achieve the best annual crop allocation plans. Within 20 years total IWR decreased by 5.1 %, total NCS changed marginally (+0.1 %) and remained broadly stable interannually, while median EB increased from 1.5 × 10¹¹–1.6 × 10¹¹ RMB (+5.5 %) with reduced interannual variability.</div></div><div><h3>Implications</h3><div>The study shows truncated EB over two decades when coordinated with IWR and NCS due to realistic constraints. The proposed framework offers a reproducible approach for large-scale resource management strategies through quantifying trade-offs in water-carbon-economy nexus, providing actionable evidence to advance Sustainable Development Goals and enhance regional sustainability under climate variability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"340 ","pages":"Article 110367"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146071609","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Climate-resilient agriculture strategies to address the challenges of agri-food security and climate change","authors":"Raj Kumar Jat ,&nbsp;Vijay Singh Meena ,&nbsp;RK Sohane ,&nbsp;RK Jha ,&nbsp;Abhay Kumar ,&nbsp;Ujjwal Kumar ,&nbsp;Anjani Kumar ,&nbsp;RN Singh ,&nbsp;Shubham Durgude ,&nbsp;Suneel Kumar ,&nbsp;Illathur R. Reddy ,&nbsp;S. Pazhanisamy ,&nbsp;Rakesh Kumar ,&nbsp;Sunita Kumari Meena ,&nbsp;Ved Prakash ,&nbsp;Sanjay Kumar ,&nbsp;Brijendu Kumar ,&nbsp;Umesh Narayan Umesh ,&nbsp;Ranjan Kumar Singh ,&nbsp;Ravikant Chaubey ,&nbsp;Swati Sagar","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2026.110370","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2026.110370","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><div>Small landholding agricultural landscapes face heightened risks due to adverse climatic conditions, threatening sustainable management practices and agri-food and nutritional security. The Eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains (EIGP), particularly Bihar, India, are vulnerable to these challenges, necessitating the optimization of cropping systems for enhanced productivity, profitability, and climate resilience.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study investigated suitable cropping systems and the impacts of climate change on agri-food production systems in Bihar, India, to optimize the farm-level productivity, profitability, and sustainability.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Field demonstrations of climate-resilient agricultural (CRA) practices were conducted across 70 project locations in seven hubs from 2019 to 2024. Data from agro-climatic zones (ACZs) were analyzed to evaluate productivity, profitability, and sustainability of optimized cropping systems.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The Rice–Potato + Maize (RPM) system showed the highest productivity across zones (34.10, 42.23, and 23.69 t ha⁻¹ in ACZ I, IIIa, and IIIb, respectively). Soybean–Wheat–Mung bean (SWM) demonstrated higher profitability in ACZ I ($2400 ha⁻¹) and IIIb ($211.43 ha⁻¹), highlighting the economic potential of legume-based systems. In ACZ III, rice-based systems incorporating mustard ($2030.4 ha⁻¹) and lentil ($1936.30 ha⁻¹) were more profitable, emphasizing crop diversification and rotation strategies. Adverse climatic conditions significantly impacted agro-ecosystems, exacerbating threats to agri-food production systems.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Cropping system optimization enhances system productivity and profitability while mitigating climate risks. Legume- and rice-based systems demonstrate significant potential for economic and environmental sustainability in Bihar.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>Policymakers should prioritize climate-resilient cropping systems as adaptive strategies to ensure sustainable agro-ecosystem management, enhance farm-level profitability, and improve agri-food and nutritional security in vulnerable regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"340 ","pages":"Article 110370"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146076540","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Nitrogen evaluation under different maize–soybean intercropping row configurations by HYDRUS (2D/3D) considering biological nitrogen fixation in northern China","authors":"Bokai Yang ,&nbsp;Xianyue Li ,&nbsp;Jirí Šimůnek ,&nbsp;Jianwen Yan ,&nbsp;Ning Chen ,&nbsp;Yuehong Zhang ,&nbsp;Qi Hu ,&nbsp;Hongxing Liu ,&nbsp;Lei Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2026.110365","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2026.110365","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><div>Maize-soybean intercropping is a widely adopted agricultural system. However, most existing modeling approaches do not explicitly account for biological nitrogen fixation (BNF), limiting their ability to distinguish different nitrogen sources and associated processes. As a result, the interactions among fertilizer-derived nitrogen (N), biological nitrogen fixation (BNF), and crop N uptake under different row configurations remain insufficiently understood.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study aimed to quantify the allocation and utilization of fertilizer- and BNF-derived nitrogen between maize and soybean, evaluate crop nitrogen competition, and identify optimal row configurations under BNF.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A two-year field experiment (2024–2025) was conducted in northern China to quantify soil nitrogen dynamics and crop N uptake in maize–soybean intercropping systems with different row configurations. Soybean biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) and its transfer to maize were quantified using the δ¹⁵N natural abundance method. Experimental data were further analyzed using a modified HYDRUS (2D/3D) model, in which BNF was incorporated as a time-varying nitrogen flux to simulate nitrogen transport and uptake processes.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>As the proportion of soybean rows increased, soil N content on the soybean side reached approximately 1.2 times that on the maize side, and the total BNF input increased from 14.3 to 44.3 kg ha⁻¹. Conversely, the proportion of BNF-derived N taken up by maize decreased from 31.3 % to 15.2 %. The intercropping system with two rows of maize and four rows of soybean (IC_2–4) resulted in soil N surplus and leaching (29.2 kg ha⁻¹), whereas the system with two rows of maize and two rows of soybean (IC_2–2) maintained the optimal balance between the BNF input and crop N uptake, achieving the highest N land equivalent ratio (<em>LER</em>_N) of 1.15. In contrast, the system with four rows of maize and two rows of soybean (IC_4–2) showed the highest total crop N uptake but the lowest BNF input, thereby limiting the N facilitation effects between the two crops.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>An appropriate proportion of soybean rows enhances N complementarity between maize and soybean, increases both the BNF input and N use efficiency, and reduces soil N accumulation and leaching risk. Among all tested configurations, IC_2–2 provides the best comprehensive performance, achieving high N uptake efficiency while minimizing environmental risks.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"340 ","pages":"Article 110365"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146045259","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrated subsurface drip fertigation and residue management enhance maize resource-use efficiency in semi-arid agro-ecosystems","authors":"Arjun Singh,&nbsp;Anchal Dass,&nbsp;S. Sudhishri,&nbsp;V.K. Singh,&nbsp;Prameela Krishnan,&nbsp;Pravin K. Upadhyay,&nbsp;K. Shekhawat,&nbsp;R.N. Sahoo,&nbsp;S.S. Rathore,&nbsp;Ayekpam Dollina Devi,&nbsp;A.R. Devika","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2026.110339","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2026.110339","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Efficient resource management is crucial for sustaining maize (<em>Zea mays</em> L.) productivity in semi-arid Indo-Gangetic Plains, where water scarcity and nitrogen-use inefficiency limit yield potential. The present two-year field study (2022–2023) at ICAR-IARI, New Delhi, investigated: (1) the influence of precision sub-surface drip fertigation (SSDF) of N and crop residue management on maize physiological performance and productivity, and (2) relationships between physio-biochemical parameters and grain yield of maize. Treatments included 0–100 % of the recommended dose of nitrogen (RDN) delivered in 3 or 4 splits <em>via</em> SSDF (main-plot treatments), with or without greengram residue (3 t ha⁻¹) incorporation (sub-plot treatments), in comparison to conventional surface fertilization. Data were analysed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) for a split-plot design. SSDF significantly (p &lt; 0.05) improved photosynthetic rate, chlorophyll status (SPAD), intercepted PAR (IPAR), and yield attributes. The treatment with100 % N delivered in 4 splits (100 % N-4S) recorded the highest net photosynthesis (31.9 µmol CO₂ m⁻² s⁻¹), SPAD (50.4), IPAR (1673 µmol m⁻² s⁻¹), and grain yield (6.7 t ha⁻¹), revealing 19.6–27.5 % higher yield over conventional practices. The treatment with 75 % N delivered in 4 splits (75 % N-4S) achieved a comparable yield (6.3–6.4 t ha⁻¹), enabling a 25 % nitrogen saving without loss in productivity. Residue incorporation enhanced stomatal conductance (↑9 %), transpiration efficiency (↑5 %), specific leaf nitrogen (↑5–9 %), and improved grain yield by 5.5 % (during the year 2022) and 9.8 % (during 2023) over no-residue. Additionally, PCA explained 65 % of the total trait variance, with key loadings from specific leaf area (SLA), SPAD, photosynthetic nitrogen-use efficiency (PNUE), and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). These findings confirm that integrating SSDF with optimized N scheduling and residue management enhances maize resource-use efficiency and yield, offering a resilient, sustainable strategy in semi-arid agro-ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"339 ","pages":"Article 110339"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145923520","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Optimizing nitrogen application to minimize yield-scaled reactive nitrogen loss and nitrogen surplus in rice systems","authors":"Wangmei Li ,&nbsp;Yu Sun ,&nbsp;Tingting He ,&nbsp;Yuhan Xue ,&nbsp;Ke Hu ,&nbsp;Ruotong Si ,&nbsp;Mingsheng Fan ,&nbsp;Haiqing Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2026.110340","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2026.110340","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><div>Determining optimum nitrogen (N) management is essential for maintaining rice yield while reducing the environmental risk caused by N loss. The C/N ratio of agricultural inputs plays a critical role in regulating reactive N (Nr) emissions and soil N retention.</div></div><div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>However, critical knowledge gaps persist regarding the optimization of N management (application rates and surplus levels) to simultaneously achieve yield maximization and yield-scaled Nr loss minimization in straw-incorporated, deep-fertilized paddy systems.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We conducted a three-year field experiment in Sanjiang Plain in northeast China with four N application rate treatments (0, 50, 100, and 150 kg N ha⁻¹). Through systematic evaluation N input (straw-N, biological N fixation, atmospheric N deposition，irrigation-derived N), output (grain N removal, NH₃ volatilization, N₂O emissions, runoff, leaching, and drainage loss), and yield of paddy system.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>We identified closely aligned thresholds for agronomic (104.5 kg N ha⁻¹ for maximum yield) and environmental (99.5 kg N ha⁻¹ for minimal yield-scaled Nr loss) objectives, corresponding to similar N surpluses (32.9–34.1 kg N ha⁻¹). The system maintains high efficiency with Nr losses of just 2.3–6.5 kg N ha⁻¹ annually, dominated by NH₃ volatilization (2.7–4.4 % of applied N). When N application exceeded 100 kg N ha⁻¹, both Nr losses and yield-scaled Nr losses increased sharply, with a critical inflection point at 110 kg N ha⁻¹ corresponding to accelerated N surplus accumulation. Notably, a negative correlation was observed between paddy Nr losses and the C:N ratio of input materials.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>The recommended 99.5–110 kg N ha⁻¹ application range provides a scientifically validated pathway for sustainable intensification, requiring 30.3–33.6 % N less than conventional systems while maintaining comparable yields through optimized N cycling rather than increased inputs. The synergistic effects of optimization N rates，straw incorporation, and deep fertilization collectively regulate the C:N ratio and Nr losses of paddy systems, thereby mitigating the typical trade-off between productivity and sustainability in intensive rice systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"339 ","pages":"Article 110340"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145923515","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Crop yield–soil quality trade-offs under no-tillage and deep tillage in the black soil region of Northeast China","authors":"Ying Song ,&nbsp;Xiaoling He ,&nbsp;Jinxia Fu ,&nbsp;Fenli Zheng ,&nbsp;Zhi Li","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2026.110337","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fcr.2026.110337","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Context&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Conservation Agriculture (CA) is globally recognized as a critical strategy for sustaining agricultural productivity while preserving soil ecosystem services. In the black soil region of Northeast China, long-term conventional tillage has contributed to black soil degradation, resulting in yield stagnation and loss of critical soil functions. Regenerative tillage practices, including no-tillage (NT) and deep tillage (DT), are now being adopted as key components of CA to restore soil functions and sustain productivity.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Research question&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;However, because most studies have focused on the impacts of either NT or DT on individual soil properties, the trade-offs between crop yield and soil quality under these two CA tillage practices remain poorly understood.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Methods&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;This study synthesized 745 paired observations from 151 publications in Northeast China, integrating meta-analysis with the Soil Quality Index (&lt;em&gt;SQI&lt;/em&gt;) and interpretable machine learning methods to quantify how NT and DT influence crop yield and &lt;em&gt;SQI&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Results&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Overall, NT and DT increase crop yield by an average of 3 % and improve &lt;em&gt;SQI&lt;/em&gt; by 7 %. NT shows a greater benefit for &lt;em&gt;SQI&lt;/em&gt; (+8 % vs. +6 %), while DT provides larger yield gains (8 %, CI: 5 % to 11 %). Tillage effectiveness varies with climate and soil conditions: DT outperforms NT in enhancing both yield and &lt;em&gt;SQI&lt;/em&gt; under cold (MAT &lt; 3°C) or dry (MAP &lt; 500 mm) climates and under unfavorable soil conditions (bulk density &gt; 1.35 g/cm³, pH &lt; 6, or soil organic matter &lt; 20 g/kg). Straw retention is critical for maximizing tillage benefits. Fertilization strategies further influence outcomes: single fertilization favors &lt;em&gt;SQI&lt;/em&gt; improvement (+9 %) under NT, whereas split applications are more effective under DT, leading to a substantial yield increase (+14 %) and simultaneous improvement in &lt;em&gt;SQI&lt;/em&gt; (+8 %). The positive effects of NT accumulate over time, whereas DT benefits decline after six years. Under NT, nitrogen application rate and duration as the dominant drivers of yield and &lt;em&gt;SQI&lt;/em&gt;, whereas MAP and straw management are the primary determinants under DT.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Conclusions&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Both NT and DT effectively enhance yield and soil quality in Northeast China’s black soils, but their suitability depends heavily on local conditions. Tailoring tillage practices to specific climatic, soil, and management contexts is essential for maximizing agricultural sustainability.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Implications&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;This study provides an evidence-based framework for optimizing tillage practices in mollisols. By elucidating the context-dependent efficacy of NT and DT, it supports the development of region-specific conservation strategies that balance productivity and soil health. These insights are valuable for policymakers and farmers aiming to implement su","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"339 ","pages":"Article 110337"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145956487","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}