Pub Date : 2024-02-27DOI: 10.3389/fagro.2024.1358076
Gerison Saddick Stephen, M. Shitindi, Magdalena Deemay Bura, C. Kahangwa, E. Nassary
Farming practices reliant solely on synthetic agrochemicals face unreliability in the current era marked by unpredictable climate changes and rapid soil health deterioration. Consequently, a shift towards sustainable approaches is imperative to ensure both food security and environmental quality. Molasses and vinasse, abundant organic liquid by-products from sugar processing and distillery industries respectively, have historically served as soil conditioners and biofertilizers. Despite their potential, their effectiveness as organic amendments remain relatively unknown globally. In response, we conducted a systematic literature review to unveil the benefits of molasses and vinasse as organic amendments. Our findings reveal that these by-products consist of both inorganic and organic compounds that enhance soil and aquatic ecosystem performance. These compounds include essential plant nutrients as mineral elements and organic matter, contributing to improved soil physico-chemical and biological properties. Notably, the application of molasses and vinasse in crop production has demonstrated superiority over chemical fertilizers, particularly when combined with other inorganic amendments. Molasses and vinasse have been reported to significantly increase yield in several crops including sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum), tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum), soybean (Glycine max), maize (Zea mays) and rice (Oryza sativa). Strategic utilization of vinasse has the potential to enhance environmental quality by reducing soil heavy metal loads and mitigating negative impacts associated with synthetic fertilizers. However, it is crucial to note that irregular disposal or misuse of these by-products can result in detrimental effects on the environment and human health. To encourage sustainable utilization on a global scale, it is essential to establish appropriate dosages, raise awareness among farmers and stakeholders regarding judicious use, and develop effective methods for handling and application of molasses and vinasse. This approach ensures cost-effective and environmentally friendly organic amendments, fostering a harmonious balance between agricutural productivity and ecological well-being.
{"title":"Harnessing the potential of sugarcane-based liquid byproducts—molasses and spentwash (vinasse) for enhanced soil health and environmental quality. A systematic review","authors":"Gerison Saddick Stephen, M. Shitindi, Magdalena Deemay Bura, C. Kahangwa, E. Nassary","doi":"10.3389/fagro.2024.1358076","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fagro.2024.1358076","url":null,"abstract":"Farming practices reliant solely on synthetic agrochemicals face unreliability in the current era marked by unpredictable climate changes and rapid soil health deterioration. Consequently, a shift towards sustainable approaches is imperative to ensure both food security and environmental quality. Molasses and vinasse, abundant organic liquid by-products from sugar processing and distillery industries respectively, have historically served as soil conditioners and biofertilizers. Despite their potential, their effectiveness as organic amendments remain relatively unknown globally. In response, we conducted a systematic literature review to unveil the benefits of molasses and vinasse as organic amendments. Our findings reveal that these by-products consist of both inorganic and organic compounds that enhance soil and aquatic ecosystem performance. These compounds include essential plant nutrients as mineral elements and organic matter, contributing to improved soil physico-chemical and biological properties. Notably, the application of molasses and vinasse in crop production has demonstrated superiority over chemical fertilizers, particularly when combined with other inorganic amendments. Molasses and vinasse have been reported to significantly increase yield in several crops including sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum), tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum), soybean (Glycine max), maize (Zea mays) and rice (Oryza sativa). Strategic utilization of vinasse has the potential to enhance environmental quality by reducing soil heavy metal loads and mitigating negative impacts associated with synthetic fertilizers. However, it is crucial to note that irregular disposal or misuse of these by-products can result in detrimental effects on the environment and human health. To encourage sustainable utilization on a global scale, it is essential to establish appropriate dosages, raise awareness among farmers and stakeholders regarding judicious use, and develop effective methods for handling and application of molasses and vinasse. This approach ensures cost-effective and environmentally friendly organic amendments, fostering a harmonious balance between agricutural productivity and ecological well-being.","PeriodicalId":505893,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Agronomy","volume":"12 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140426192","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-02-19DOI: 10.3389/fagro.2024.1331377
E. Hanyabui, K. A. Frimpong, F. Annor-Frempong, K. Atiah
Biochar is one of the commonly used soil amendments for sustainable agriculture. The effect of biochar on crop yields depends on the quality of the biochar, which is influenced by feedstock type and pyrolysis conditions. Sole application of pineapple waste biochar and compost, and their combination has not been rigorously investigated. In this study, we investigated the effects of pineapple waste biochar and compost applied solely or in combination on growth and yield of pineapple on a coastal savanna Acrisol in Ghana.The split-plot design with three replications was used, with pineapple varieties as the main plot and fertilizer application rates as the sub-plots.The results showed that sole application of biochar and compost or their combination as a soil amendment increased pineapple growth and yield as compared to the unamended soil. Biochar applied in combination with compost/or inorganic NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) fertilizer significantly increased plant height and the number of leaves of pineapple plant, which resulted in improved fruits yield of the three (sugar loaf, MD2 and smooth cayenne) pineapple varieties at maturity over control, sole application of biochar, compost and inorganic NPK fertilizer. The Smooth cayenne variety outperformed MD2 and Sugar loaf variety.In conclusion, the results revealed that biochar applied solely or in addition to compost or inorganic NPK fertilizer has the capability to enhance soil quality and improve pineapple yield. Application of biochar in combination with compost/or inorganic NPK improves pineapple growth and yield.
{"title":"Effect of pineapple waste biochar and compost application on the growth and yield of pineapple varieties in Ghana","authors":"E. Hanyabui, K. A. Frimpong, F. Annor-Frempong, K. Atiah","doi":"10.3389/fagro.2024.1331377","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fagro.2024.1331377","url":null,"abstract":"Biochar is one of the commonly used soil amendments for sustainable agriculture. The effect of biochar on crop yields depends on the quality of the biochar, which is influenced by feedstock type and pyrolysis conditions. Sole application of pineapple waste biochar and compost, and their combination has not been rigorously investigated. In this study, we investigated the effects of pineapple waste biochar and compost applied solely or in combination on growth and yield of pineapple on a coastal savanna Acrisol in Ghana.The split-plot design with three replications was used, with pineapple varieties as the main plot and fertilizer application rates as the sub-plots.The results showed that sole application of biochar and compost or their combination as a soil amendment increased pineapple growth and yield as compared to the unamended soil. Biochar applied in combination with compost/or inorganic NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) fertilizer significantly increased plant height and the number of leaves of pineapple plant, which resulted in improved fruits yield of the three (sugar loaf, MD2 and smooth cayenne) pineapple varieties at maturity over control, sole application of biochar, compost and inorganic NPK fertilizer. The Smooth cayenne variety outperformed MD2 and Sugar loaf variety.In conclusion, the results revealed that biochar applied solely or in addition to compost or inorganic NPK fertilizer has the capability to enhance soil quality and improve pineapple yield. Application of biochar in combination with compost/or inorganic NPK improves pineapple growth and yield.","PeriodicalId":505893,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Agronomy","volume":"2 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139958863","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-02-16DOI: 10.3389/fagro.2024.1282940
L. Mhoro, A. Meya, Nyambilila A. Amuri, P. Ndakidemi, K. Mtei, K. Njau
In the northern part of Tanzania, the slopes of Mount (Mt.) Kilimanjaro are the most important areas, both in terms of socio-economic development and ecological succession. The main agricultural systems in the area are banana-based (in the highlands) and maize-based (in the lowlands), with strong interlinkage between them via residual transfer from the lowlands to the mountains. This study assessed the soil fertility status between the two contrasting farming areas of highland and lowland farms in Hai district along the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro. To achieve this, smallholder farmers along the slope [from above 1000 meters above sea level (m.a.s.l) banana-based down to maize-based, i.e., less than 1000 m.a.s.l] who practice crop residual transfer from maize-based to banana-based farming systems were selected. Qualitative information regarding the demographics, farming practices, and soil fertility management in the two areas were gathered using a semi-structured questionnaire. Soils from both areas (highland and lowland farms) were collected and analyzed in the laboratory for the key soil properties. The demographic results show that agriculture is mostly done by adults and elders (>40 years old). Manure was most commonly reported to be used in the highlands, while inorganic fertilizers were mainly used in lowland areas. The major challenges for soil fertility management are a shortage of manure and high cost of inorganic fertilizers. The results of soil nutrients revealed that lowland zones (>1000 m.a.s.l) had significantly (p< 0.01) lower levels of nitrogen (0.14%) and organic carbon (OC) (1.22%) compared with highland zones. Extractable phosphorus (P) was significantly lower in both the highland and lowland zones, at 9.3 mg kg-1 and 8.2 mg kg-1, respectively, compared with other nutrients. However, potassium (K+) was significantly (p<0.01) lower [0.34 cmol (+) kg-1] in the highland zone compared to lowland areas. The data show that there is a severe depletion of soil nutrients in the lowland area of Hai district. Notwithstanding the efforts of the small-holder farmers; the study comes to the conclusion that increasing agricultural yield and the sustainability of farming systems require replenishing the nutrients in the soil along the slope of Mount Kilimanjaro.
{"title":"Farming systems and soil fertility management practices in smallholdings on the southern slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania","authors":"L. Mhoro, A. Meya, Nyambilila A. Amuri, P. Ndakidemi, K. Mtei, K. Njau","doi":"10.3389/fagro.2024.1282940","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fagro.2024.1282940","url":null,"abstract":"In the northern part of Tanzania, the slopes of Mount (Mt.) Kilimanjaro are the most important areas, both in terms of socio-economic development and ecological succession. The main agricultural systems in the area are banana-based (in the highlands) and maize-based (in the lowlands), with strong interlinkage between them via residual transfer from the lowlands to the mountains. This study assessed the soil fertility status between the two contrasting farming areas of highland and lowland farms in Hai district along the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro. To achieve this, smallholder farmers along the slope [from above 1000 meters above sea level (m.a.s.l) banana-based down to maize-based, i.e., less than 1000 m.a.s.l] who practice crop residual transfer from maize-based to banana-based farming systems were selected. Qualitative information regarding the demographics, farming practices, and soil fertility management in the two areas were gathered using a semi-structured questionnaire. Soils from both areas (highland and lowland farms) were collected and analyzed in the laboratory for the key soil properties. The demographic results show that agriculture is mostly done by adults and elders (>40 years old). Manure was most commonly reported to be used in the highlands, while inorganic fertilizers were mainly used in lowland areas. The major challenges for soil fertility management are a shortage of manure and high cost of inorganic fertilizers. The results of soil nutrients revealed that lowland zones (>1000 m.a.s.l) had significantly (p< 0.01) lower levels of nitrogen (0.14%) and organic carbon (OC) (1.22%) compared with highland zones. Extractable phosphorus (P) was significantly lower in both the highland and lowland zones, at 9.3 mg kg-1 and 8.2 mg kg-1, respectively, compared with other nutrients. However, potassium (K+) was significantly (p<0.01) lower [0.34 cmol (+) kg-1] in the highland zone compared to lowland areas. The data show that there is a severe depletion of soil nutrients in the lowland area of Hai district. Notwithstanding the efforts of the small-holder farmers; the study comes to the conclusion that increasing agricultural yield and the sustainability of farming systems require replenishing the nutrients in the soil along the slope of Mount Kilimanjaro.","PeriodicalId":505893,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Agronomy","volume":"4 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139961085","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-02-15DOI: 10.3389/fagro.2024.1335443
Abdoh M. A. Jabbari, Tawseef Ahmed Teli, F. Masoodi, F. Reegu, Mueen Uddin, Ashwag Albakri
The irrigation sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) confronts a range of obstacles, such as scarce water resources, the elevated salinity and alkalinity of irrigation water, inefficient irrigation practices, and inter-sectoral competition for water resources. These challenges have led to diminishing agricultural yields and abandonment of arable lands. Internet of Things (IoT)-based irrigation systems present a promising remedy for these issues. By curbing water wastage and ensuring precise water delivery to crops, IoT-based irrigation systems offer a viable solution to the challenges entrenched in traditional irrigation methodologies in KSA. However, the widespread implementation of an IoT-based Smart Irrigation System (I-SIMS) poses a multifaceted and intricate challenge in KSA. This study is focused on the identification of the factors and challenges through a systematic review and ranking of the challenges/factors that exert a significant influence on the adoption of I-SIMS. Ranking aids in determining the importance of various alternatives. It enables locating the best options that support the required objectives in complex decision situations. The study employs both Grey Relational Analysis (GRA) and Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) methodologies to prioritize these factors. The study’s conclusive findings indicate that among the challenges, technical expertise and security measures emerge as the foremost concerns that demand attention.
{"title":"Prioritizing factors for the adoption of IoT-based smart irrigation in Saudi Arabia: a GRA/AHP approach","authors":"Abdoh M. A. Jabbari, Tawseef Ahmed Teli, F. Masoodi, F. Reegu, Mueen Uddin, Ashwag Albakri","doi":"10.3389/fagro.2024.1335443","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fagro.2024.1335443","url":null,"abstract":"The irrigation sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) confronts a range of obstacles, such as scarce water resources, the elevated salinity and alkalinity of irrigation water, inefficient irrigation practices, and inter-sectoral competition for water resources. These challenges have led to diminishing agricultural yields and abandonment of arable lands. Internet of Things (IoT)-based irrigation systems present a promising remedy for these issues. By curbing water wastage and ensuring precise water delivery to crops, IoT-based irrigation systems offer a viable solution to the challenges entrenched in traditional irrigation methodologies in KSA. However, the widespread implementation of an IoT-based Smart Irrigation System (I-SIMS) poses a multifaceted and intricate challenge in KSA. This study is focused on the identification of the factors and challenges through a systematic review and ranking of the challenges/factors that exert a significant influence on the adoption of I-SIMS. Ranking aids in determining the importance of various alternatives. It enables locating the best options that support the required objectives in complex decision situations. The study employs both Grey Relational Analysis (GRA) and Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) methodologies to prioritize these factors. The study’s conclusive findings indicate that among the challenges, technical expertise and security measures emerge as the foremost concerns that demand attention.","PeriodicalId":505893,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Agronomy","volume":"102 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139776723","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-02-15DOI: 10.3389/fagro.2024.1335443
Abdoh M. A. Jabbari, Tawseef Ahmed Teli, F. Masoodi, F. Reegu, Mueen Uddin, Ashwag Albakri
The irrigation sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) confronts a range of obstacles, such as scarce water resources, the elevated salinity and alkalinity of irrigation water, inefficient irrigation practices, and inter-sectoral competition for water resources. These challenges have led to diminishing agricultural yields and abandonment of arable lands. Internet of Things (IoT)-based irrigation systems present a promising remedy for these issues. By curbing water wastage and ensuring precise water delivery to crops, IoT-based irrigation systems offer a viable solution to the challenges entrenched in traditional irrigation methodologies in KSA. However, the widespread implementation of an IoT-based Smart Irrigation System (I-SIMS) poses a multifaceted and intricate challenge in KSA. This study is focused on the identification of the factors and challenges through a systematic review and ranking of the challenges/factors that exert a significant influence on the adoption of I-SIMS. Ranking aids in determining the importance of various alternatives. It enables locating the best options that support the required objectives in complex decision situations. The study employs both Grey Relational Analysis (GRA) and Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) methodologies to prioritize these factors. The study’s conclusive findings indicate that among the challenges, technical expertise and security measures emerge as the foremost concerns that demand attention.
{"title":"Prioritizing factors for the adoption of IoT-based smart irrigation in Saudi Arabia: a GRA/AHP approach","authors":"Abdoh M. A. Jabbari, Tawseef Ahmed Teli, F. Masoodi, F. Reegu, Mueen Uddin, Ashwag Albakri","doi":"10.3389/fagro.2024.1335443","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fagro.2024.1335443","url":null,"abstract":"The irrigation sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) confronts a range of obstacles, such as scarce water resources, the elevated salinity and alkalinity of irrigation water, inefficient irrigation practices, and inter-sectoral competition for water resources. These challenges have led to diminishing agricultural yields and abandonment of arable lands. Internet of Things (IoT)-based irrigation systems present a promising remedy for these issues. By curbing water wastage and ensuring precise water delivery to crops, IoT-based irrigation systems offer a viable solution to the challenges entrenched in traditional irrigation methodologies in KSA. However, the widespread implementation of an IoT-based Smart Irrigation System (I-SIMS) poses a multifaceted and intricate challenge in KSA. This study is focused on the identification of the factors and challenges through a systematic review and ranking of the challenges/factors that exert a significant influence on the adoption of I-SIMS. Ranking aids in determining the importance of various alternatives. It enables locating the best options that support the required objectives in complex decision situations. The study employs both Grey Relational Analysis (GRA) and Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) methodologies to prioritize these factors. The study’s conclusive findings indicate that among the challenges, technical expertise and security measures emerge as the foremost concerns that demand attention.","PeriodicalId":505893,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Agronomy","volume":"47 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139836370","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-02-09DOI: 10.3389/fagro.2024.1322377
Christoph von Redwitz, Janin Lepke, Otto Richter
Competition by weeds is a severe threat to agricultural crops. While these days the broadcast of herbicides over the entire field is common praxis, new technologies promise to reduce chemical output by reducing the area sprayed. The maximum precision would be a single plant treatment. This precision will allow a single plant management, which requires single plant management decisions, which is far beyond the possibilities of current praxis. A plant specific management decision can only be made on the basis of a model simulation.A simulation model was developed to evaluate the effect of spatially explicit weed management covering interaction between single plants. The governing equations consist of coupled nonlinear differential equations for growth and competition of crop and weed plants in a spatial setting i.e. a coordinate is assigned to each plant. The mutual interaction is determined by the parameters strength and range of competition. Furthermore, an experiment was carried out parallel to the development of the model involving wheat and Viola arvensis (Murr.), in which coordinates and growth curves for a large number of plants (~600) were recorded allowing for a reasonable parameterization of the model.The model is able to evaluate spatially explicit management measures such as weed strip control based on the height growth of single plants. The model is capable of evaluating a variety of control measures such as the frequency and spatial allocation of treatments. In particular, the effect of the width of a treatment zone around the rows of the crop was simulated.In future, the developed model could be extended to a decision support system for single plant weed management. Making decisions plant-by-plant, allows to orchestrate the weed management in a way that takes into account competing goals in plant protection: yield and biodiversity.
{"title":"Modelling individual plants’ growth: competition of Viola arvensis and wheat","authors":"Christoph von Redwitz, Janin Lepke, Otto Richter","doi":"10.3389/fagro.2024.1322377","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fagro.2024.1322377","url":null,"abstract":"Competition by weeds is a severe threat to agricultural crops. While these days the broadcast of herbicides over the entire field is common praxis, new technologies promise to reduce chemical output by reducing the area sprayed. The maximum precision would be a single plant treatment. This precision will allow a single plant management, which requires single plant management decisions, which is far beyond the possibilities of current praxis. A plant specific management decision can only be made on the basis of a model simulation.A simulation model was developed to evaluate the effect of spatially explicit weed management covering interaction between single plants. The governing equations consist of coupled nonlinear differential equations for growth and competition of crop and weed plants in a spatial setting i.e. a coordinate is assigned to each plant. The mutual interaction is determined by the parameters strength and range of competition. Furthermore, an experiment was carried out parallel to the development of the model involving wheat and Viola arvensis (Murr.), in which coordinates and growth curves for a large number of plants (~600) were recorded allowing for a reasonable parameterization of the model.The model is able to evaluate spatially explicit management measures such as weed strip control based on the height growth of single plants. The model is capable of evaluating a variety of control measures such as the frequency and spatial allocation of treatments. In particular, the effect of the width of a treatment zone around the rows of the crop was simulated.In future, the developed model could be extended to a decision support system for single plant weed management. Making decisions plant-by-plant, allows to orchestrate the weed management in a way that takes into account competing goals in plant protection: yield and biodiversity.","PeriodicalId":505893,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Agronomy","volume":" 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139789301","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-02-09DOI: 10.3389/fagro.2024.1322377
Christoph von Redwitz, Janin Lepke, Otto Richter
Competition by weeds is a severe threat to agricultural crops. While these days the broadcast of herbicides over the entire field is common praxis, new technologies promise to reduce chemical output by reducing the area sprayed. The maximum precision would be a single plant treatment. This precision will allow a single plant management, which requires single plant management decisions, which is far beyond the possibilities of current praxis. A plant specific management decision can only be made on the basis of a model simulation.A simulation model was developed to evaluate the effect of spatially explicit weed management covering interaction between single plants. The governing equations consist of coupled nonlinear differential equations for growth and competition of crop and weed plants in a spatial setting i.e. a coordinate is assigned to each plant. The mutual interaction is determined by the parameters strength and range of competition. Furthermore, an experiment was carried out parallel to the development of the model involving wheat and Viola arvensis (Murr.), in which coordinates and growth curves for a large number of plants (~600) were recorded allowing for a reasonable parameterization of the model.The model is able to evaluate spatially explicit management measures such as weed strip control based on the height growth of single plants. The model is capable of evaluating a variety of control measures such as the frequency and spatial allocation of treatments. In particular, the effect of the width of a treatment zone around the rows of the crop was simulated.In future, the developed model could be extended to a decision support system for single plant weed management. Making decisions plant-by-plant, allows to orchestrate the weed management in a way that takes into account competing goals in plant protection: yield and biodiversity.
{"title":"Modelling individual plants’ growth: competition of Viola arvensis and wheat","authors":"Christoph von Redwitz, Janin Lepke, Otto Richter","doi":"10.3389/fagro.2024.1322377","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fagro.2024.1322377","url":null,"abstract":"Competition by weeds is a severe threat to agricultural crops. While these days the broadcast of herbicides over the entire field is common praxis, new technologies promise to reduce chemical output by reducing the area sprayed. The maximum precision would be a single plant treatment. This precision will allow a single plant management, which requires single plant management decisions, which is far beyond the possibilities of current praxis. A plant specific management decision can only be made on the basis of a model simulation.A simulation model was developed to evaluate the effect of spatially explicit weed management covering interaction between single plants. The governing equations consist of coupled nonlinear differential equations for growth and competition of crop and weed plants in a spatial setting i.e. a coordinate is assigned to each plant. The mutual interaction is determined by the parameters strength and range of competition. Furthermore, an experiment was carried out parallel to the development of the model involving wheat and Viola arvensis (Murr.), in which coordinates and growth curves for a large number of plants (~600) were recorded allowing for a reasonable parameterization of the model.The model is able to evaluate spatially explicit management measures such as weed strip control based on the height growth of single plants. The model is capable of evaluating a variety of control measures such as the frequency and spatial allocation of treatments. In particular, the effect of the width of a treatment zone around the rows of the crop was simulated.In future, the developed model could be extended to a decision support system for single plant weed management. Making decisions plant-by-plant, allows to orchestrate the weed management in a way that takes into account competing goals in plant protection: yield and biodiversity.","PeriodicalId":505893,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Agronomy","volume":"85 11-12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139849473","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-02-08DOI: 10.3389/fagro.2024.1346946
Zoë J. Stroobosscher, Akshara Athelly, Sandra M. Guzmán
Accurate and near real-time volumetric soil water and volumetric ion content (VIC) measurements can both inform precise irrigation scheduling and aid in fertilizer management applications in cropping systems. To assist in the monitoring of these measurements, capacitance-based soil moisture probes are used in agricultural best management practice (BMP) programs. However, the ability of these sensors to detect nutrients in the soil sourced from fertilizers is not well understood. The objective of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity of a capacitance-based soil moisture probe in detecting Nitrogen (N), Phosphorous (P), and Potassium (K) movement in the soil. To achieve this, a laboratory-based setup was established using pure sand soil cores. Raw soil moisture and VIC probe readings from the cores were contrasted across multiple N, P, and K rates. The N treatments applied were rates of 0, 112, 168, and 224 kg/ha; for P, were 0, 3.76, and 37.6 kg/ha, and for K were 0, 1.02, 1.53, and 2.04 kg/ha. Each nutrient was evaluated separately using a randomized complete block design experiment with three replications for N and K, and 5 replications for P. The impact of each nutrient rate on the sensitivity of VIC readings was determined by evaluating differences in three points of the time series, including the observed maximum point, inflection point, and convergence value as well as the time of occurrence of those points over a 24-hour period. These points were assessed at depths 5, 15, 25, 35, 45, and 55 cm. The findings of this study highlight the capacitance-based soil moisture probes’ responsiveness to changes in all K rates at most depths. However, its sensitivity to changes in N and P rates is comparatively lower. The results obtained in this study can be used to develop fertilizer management protocols that utilize K movement as the baseline to indirectly assess N and P, while helping to inform those who currently use the probe which nutrients the probe may be detecting. The probes’ readings could be incorporated into decision support systems for irrigation and nutrient management and improve control systems for precision water and nutrient management.
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Pub Date : 2024-02-08DOI: 10.3389/fagro.2024.1346946
Zoë J. Stroobosscher, Akshara Athelly, Sandra M. Guzmán
Accurate and near real-time volumetric soil water and volumetric ion content (VIC) measurements can both inform precise irrigation scheduling and aid in fertilizer management applications in cropping systems. To assist in the monitoring of these measurements, capacitance-based soil moisture probes are used in agricultural best management practice (BMP) programs. However, the ability of these sensors to detect nutrients in the soil sourced from fertilizers is not well understood. The objective of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity of a capacitance-based soil moisture probe in detecting Nitrogen (N), Phosphorous (P), and Potassium (K) movement in the soil. To achieve this, a laboratory-based setup was established using pure sand soil cores. Raw soil moisture and VIC probe readings from the cores were contrasted across multiple N, P, and K rates. The N treatments applied were rates of 0, 112, 168, and 224 kg/ha; for P, were 0, 3.76, and 37.6 kg/ha, and for K were 0, 1.02, 1.53, and 2.04 kg/ha. Each nutrient was evaluated separately using a randomized complete block design experiment with three replications for N and K, and 5 replications for P. The impact of each nutrient rate on the sensitivity of VIC readings was determined by evaluating differences in three points of the time series, including the observed maximum point, inflection point, and convergence value as well as the time of occurrence of those points over a 24-hour period. These points were assessed at depths 5, 15, 25, 35, 45, and 55 cm. The findings of this study highlight the capacitance-based soil moisture probes’ responsiveness to changes in all K rates at most depths. However, its sensitivity to changes in N and P rates is comparatively lower. The results obtained in this study can be used to develop fertilizer management protocols that utilize K movement as the baseline to indirectly assess N and P, while helping to inform those who currently use the probe which nutrients the probe may be detecting. The probes’ readings could be incorporated into decision support systems for irrigation and nutrient management and improve control systems for precision water and nutrient management.
{"title":"Assessing capacitance soil moisture sensor probes’ ability to sense nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium using volumetric ion content","authors":"Zoë J. Stroobosscher, Akshara Athelly, Sandra M. Guzmán","doi":"10.3389/fagro.2024.1346946","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fagro.2024.1346946","url":null,"abstract":"Accurate and near real-time volumetric soil water and volumetric ion content (VIC) measurements can both inform precise irrigation scheduling and aid in fertilizer management applications in cropping systems. To assist in the monitoring of these measurements, capacitance-based soil moisture probes are used in agricultural best management practice (BMP) programs. However, the ability of these sensors to detect nutrients in the soil sourced from fertilizers is not well understood. The objective of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity of a capacitance-based soil moisture probe in detecting Nitrogen (N), Phosphorous (P), and Potassium (K) movement in the soil. To achieve this, a laboratory-based setup was established using pure sand soil cores. Raw soil moisture and VIC probe readings from the cores were contrasted across multiple N, P, and K rates. The N treatments applied were rates of 0, 112, 168, and 224 kg/ha; for P, were 0, 3.76, and 37.6 kg/ha, and for K were 0, 1.02, 1.53, and 2.04 kg/ha. Each nutrient was evaluated separately using a randomized complete block design experiment with three replications for N and K, and 5 replications for P. The impact of each nutrient rate on the sensitivity of VIC readings was determined by evaluating differences in three points of the time series, including the observed maximum point, inflection point, and convergence value as well as the time of occurrence of those points over a 24-hour period. These points were assessed at depths 5, 15, 25, 35, 45, and 55 cm. The findings of this study highlight the capacitance-based soil moisture probes’ responsiveness to changes in all K rates at most depths. However, its sensitivity to changes in N and P rates is comparatively lower. The results obtained in this study can be used to develop fertilizer management protocols that utilize K movement as the baseline to indirectly assess N and P, while helping to inform those who currently use the probe which nutrients the probe may be detecting. The probes’ readings could be incorporated into decision support systems for irrigation and nutrient management and improve control systems for precision water and nutrient management.","PeriodicalId":505893,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Agronomy","volume":"11 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139793491","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-01-31DOI: 10.3389/fagro.2024.1330199
E. Ganji, S. Andert
Synthetic herbicides are used for perennial weed management, but owing to environmental and health concerns they face increasing regulatory restrictions. Consequently, there is growing interest in ecologically friendly alternatives including bio-herbicides based on natural compounds such as the active ingredient pelargonic acid (PA). PA acts as a broad-spectrum non-selective contact herbicide. However, when used as a contact herbicide, regrowth of the aboveground parts of plants still presents a challenge. The aim of this study was to investigate the control effect of a two-year application of PA on perennial weeds. The study was conducted between spring 2020 and autumn 2021 as a semi-field experiment. The factors were two levels of weed species (Cirsium arvense and Sonchus arvensis), three levels of herbicide treatment (untreated control, PA, and glyphosate), and three levels of initial ramet size (5, 10, and 15 cm). The results showed that a two-year application of PA increased its efficacy on C. arvense and S. arvensis when combined with the smaller initial ramet size (5 cm), but did not prevent regrowth in either species. PA efficacy was greater on C. arvense than on S. arvensis. The plant coverage decreased by 24 % when the initial ramet size was 5 cm for C. arvense, while for S. arvensis with the same initial ramet size it was reduced by just 4 %. For PA-treated C. arvense with an initial ramet size of 5 cm, aboveground biomass and belowground biomass were reduced by 43 % and 22 % respectively. In S. arvensis, the reductions in aboveground and belowground biomass for an initial ramet sizes of 5 cm were 13 % and 12 % respectively. In general, PA efficacy was not as high as glyphosate efficacy for both species. In conclusion, the results revealed that after PA application the regrowth of shoots from the creeping roots in C. arvensis and S. arvensis decreased when the initial ramet size was 5 cm. This reduction suggests that PA efficacy on these plants increases when it is applied repeatedly on the same patches with smaller initial root fragments.
合成除草剂用于多年生杂草管理，但由于环境和健康问题，它们面临越来越多的监管限制。因此，人们越来越关注生态友好型替代品，包括基于天然化合物的生物除草剂，如活性成分壬二酸（PA）。PA 是一种广谱非选择性接触除草剂。然而，在用作接触性除草剂时，植物地上部分的重新生长仍然是一个挑战。本研究旨在调查两年施用 PA 对多年生杂草的控制效果。研究在 2020 年春季至 2021 年秋季期间进行，是一项半田间试验。试验因素包括两个级别的杂草种类（Cirsium arvense 和 Sonchus arvensis）、三个级别的除草剂处理（未经处理的对照、PA 和草甘膦）以及三个级别的初始头状花序大小（5、10 和 15 厘米）。结果表明，在较小的初始心叶尺寸（5 厘米）条件下，两年施用一次 PA 可提高其对箭毒草和箭毒草的药效，但不能阻止这两种植物的再生。PA 对芹菜的药效高于芹属植物。当芹菜的初始茎穗尺寸为 5 厘米时，植株覆盖率降低了 24%，而对于初始茎穗尺寸相同的芹菜来说，植株覆盖率仅降低了 4%。对于经 PA 处理的、初始心轴尺寸为 5 厘米的箭竹，地上生物量和地下生物量分别减少了 43% 和 22%。在 S. arvensis 中，初始心轴尺寸为 5 厘米的地上生物量和地下生物量分别减少了 13% 和 12%。总的来说，PA 对这两种植物的药效都不如草甘膦高。总之，研究结果表明，在施用 PA 后，当 arvensis 和 S. arvensis 的初始生根大小为 5 厘米时，从匍匐根上重新生长的嫩芽数量减少。这种减少表明，如果在相同的斑块上重复施用 PA，且初始根块较小，则 PA 对这些植物的药效会增加。
{"title":"The effect of two-year application of pelargonic acid on the growth of Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. and Sonchus arvensis L","authors":"E. Ganji, S. Andert","doi":"10.3389/fagro.2024.1330199","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fagro.2024.1330199","url":null,"abstract":"Synthetic herbicides are used for perennial weed management, but owing to environmental and health concerns they face increasing regulatory restrictions. Consequently, there is growing interest in ecologically friendly alternatives including bio-herbicides based on natural compounds such as the active ingredient pelargonic acid (PA). PA acts as a broad-spectrum non-selective contact herbicide. However, when used as a contact herbicide, regrowth of the aboveground parts of plants still presents a challenge. The aim of this study was to investigate the control effect of a two-year application of PA on perennial weeds. The study was conducted between spring 2020 and autumn 2021 as a semi-field experiment. The factors were two levels of weed species (Cirsium arvense and Sonchus arvensis), three levels of herbicide treatment (untreated control, PA, and glyphosate), and three levels of initial ramet size (5, 10, and 15 cm). The results showed that a two-year application of PA increased its efficacy on C. arvense and S. arvensis when combined with the smaller initial ramet size (5 cm), but did not prevent regrowth in either species. PA efficacy was greater on C. arvense than on S. arvensis. The plant coverage decreased by 24 % when the initial ramet size was 5 cm for C. arvense, while for S. arvensis with the same initial ramet size it was reduced by just 4 %. For PA-treated C. arvense with an initial ramet size of 5 cm, aboveground biomass and belowground biomass were reduced by 43 % and 22 % respectively. In S. arvensis, the reductions in aboveground and belowground biomass for an initial ramet sizes of 5 cm were 13 % and 12 % respectively. In general, PA efficacy was not as high as glyphosate efficacy for both species. In conclusion, the results revealed that after PA application the regrowth of shoots from the creeping roots in C. arvensis and S. arvensis decreased when the initial ramet size was 5 cm. This reduction suggests that PA efficacy on these plants increases when it is applied repeatedly on the same patches with smaller initial root fragments.","PeriodicalId":505893,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Agronomy","volume":"388 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140473111","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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