European Journal of Agronomy最新文献

{"title":"Response of soil organic matter (SOM) properties from 180 years of mineral versus organic fertilisation in the Broadbalk experiment at Rothamsted (UK)","authors":"Jerzy Weber ,&nbsp;Lilla Mielnik ,&nbsp;Peter K. Leinweber ,&nbsp;Riccardo Spaccini ,&nbsp;Andrew S. Gregory ,&nbsp;Riffat Rahim ,&nbsp;Elżbieta Jamroz ,&nbsp;Irmina Ćwieląg-Piasecka ,&nbsp;Agnieszka Grabusiewicz ,&nbsp;Marek Podlasiński ,&nbsp;Maria Jerzykiewicz ,&nbsp;Magdalena Dębicka ,&nbsp;Andrzej Kocowicz","doi":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128017","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128017","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The aim of this study was to deepen the knowledge on the changes in soil organic matter (SOM) properties under the long-term influence of organic and inorganic fertilization. Particular attention was paid to the humin fraction (HUM), considered to be a particularly stable and long-term sink of atmospheric carbon. The studies were conducted on soil samples from the Broadbalk Winter Wheat experiment running continuously for 180 years, which were analysed using unique chemical and spectrometric methods (¹³C-CPMAS NMR; C and N <em>K-</em>edge Xanes; EPR; TC-GC/MS; fluorescence; UV-Vis, and others). Long-term manure fertilization treatment confirmed the greatest increase of soil C at a level comparable to permanent grassland. The manuring significantly increased the HUM-C-content in comparison to the inorganically-fertilized NPK treatment and the control (no inputs) (7.02 g kg⁻¹, 4.37 g kg⁻¹ and 1.72 g kg⁻¹, respectively). The manuscript documented that the proportion of HUM in total organic carbon (TOC) increased twofold with NPK fertilization and one and a half times with manure fertilization, but surprisingly not after the application of both, shedding new light on the mechanisms of C stabilization. The manuscript indicated for the first time by multivariate statistical analyses that HUM-C enrichments from manure were linked with increasing proportions of heterocyclic N compounds. These findings have profound implications for broader sustainability, directly linking to climate change mitigation and food security. It is concluded that offsetting mineral fertilizer by manure, where this is possible and feasible, is an option for sustainable soil C increase.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51045,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Agronomy","volume":"175 ","pages":"Article 128017"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146071603","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":"Beyond pesticide reduction: Exploring synergies between contrasted territorial scenarios","authors":"Myrto Parmantier ,&nbsp;Marc Moraine ,&nbsp;Rémy Ballot ,&nbsp;Lorène Prost","doi":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128009","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128009","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pesticide use creates significant environmental, health and socioeconomic challenges and its reduction is hindered by sociotechnical lock-ins. The territorial level, combined with systemic approaches, is promising to overcome these systemic challenges. This research proposes an original methodological approach which, instead of aiming at creating consensus, explores contrasted pesticide reduction scenarios with local stakeholders based on existing initiatives in order to identify pathways for collective action. The study was conducted in the Western Plain of Montpellier, in Southern France, and involved a diversity of stakeholders from the territory and outside of the territory in 5 steps, using the Co-Click’Eau tool and workshops. The scenarios explored the potential of diversification for food production, biodiversity conservation and crop-livestock integration to meet pesticide reduction challenges. In addition to an important pesticide use reduction, each scenario proposed significant land-use and farming practices transformations. The analysis revealed that the approach was able to create spaces for dialogue through the formulation of synergies between these strategies by participants, especially on land-use management, technical levers, linking production to consumers and highlighted complementary contributions of biodiversity and livestock to the territory. Beyond its agronomic dimensions, the process opens the pathway to better coordination with the identification of synergies and tensions between different visions, helping to identify coherent strategies including agricultural production, biodiversity, and food objectives. By doing so, our approach contributes to embedding pesticide reduction into a broader, systemic reconfiguration of agroecosystems and territorial governance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51045,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Agronomy","volume":"175 ","pages":"Article 128009"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146072111","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":"Towards sustainable potato production in China: Optimizing nitrogen and water management with 5R strategies","authors":"Zhaolong Pan ,&nbsp;Rong Jiang ,&nbsp;Daijia Fan ,&nbsp;Daping Song ,&nbsp;Hanyou Xie ,&nbsp;Xiya Wang ,&nbsp;Wei Zhou ,&nbsp;Ping He ,&nbsp;Wentian He","doi":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128021","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128021","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Imbalanced nitrogen (N) and water management constrains the sustainable development of potato production in China. Although the 4R nutrient management strategy is crucial for optimizing potato production, water management is often overlooked in traditional 4R practices. Therefore, integrating N and water optimization is essential for enhancing potato production sustainability and safeguarding national food security. By integrating “right irrigation” into the established 4R nutrient stewardship framework, this study proposes an innovative 5R nutrient management strategy for potato production in China. A systematic review and meta-analysis of 139 studies were conducted to quantitatively evaluate the agronomic and environmental impacts of 5R-based practices, with focus on potato yield, N use efficiency (NUE), partial factor productivity of N (PFPN), irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE), and reactive N (Nr) losses. Our findings show that the optimal N application rate was approximately 200 kg N ha⁻¹ nationally, with significant regional variation accurately quantifiable via a nutrient expert system. Split fertilization (base fertilizer plus top dressing) significantly increases yield compared to basal application only, with the best results achieved by applying 25–50 % of the N fertilizer during the tuber development and bulking stages, respectively. The application of N fertilizer at a depth of 10–15 cm beside the plant significantly improves N use efficiency. The use of NH₄⁺-N, enhanced-efficiency fertilizers (EEFs) and urea ammonium nitrate solution (UAN) increased yields by 16.6 %, 10.8 %, and 6.2 %, respectively, compared to conventional urea. Among these, nitrification inhibitors (NI), urease inhibitors (UI), combined application of NI and UI (NIUI), and polymer-coated urea (PCU) significantly boost potato yield and PFPN. Optimized irrigation methods (drip irrigation and sprinkler irrigation) compared to traditional furrow irrigation significantly increased yields by 19.0 %, improved IWUE by 139.8–148.6 %, and significantly reduced Nr losses by 23.3–51.6 %. This study proposed the 5R nutrient optimization management concept and framework for potatoes. By systematically quantifying the effects of different optimization measures on potato yield, NUE, and environmental impact, it provides a scientific basis for rational nutrient management and site-specific production practices in potato cultivation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51045,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Agronomy","volume":"175 ","pages":"Article 128021"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146072112","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":"Assessing organic substitution thresholds in smallholder farms: Results from a 34-year experiment on crop—livestock integration systems","authors":"Yu Ning ,&nbsp;Shuai-lin Li ,&nbsp;Xin-hui Zhang ,&nbsp;Zhu-qing Xia ,&nbsp;Yun Gao ,&nbsp;Lu Sun ,&nbsp;Qiang Ma ,&nbsp;Wan-tai Yu","doi":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128023","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128023","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Organic fertilizer (OGF) plays a crucial role in reducing chemical fertilizer application and mitigating agricultural pollution. However, the maximum resource availability and nutrient recovery efficiency of OGF in smallholder farming systems remain unclear. Based on a 34-year long-term experiment in Northeast China, we assessed organic potential substitution ratio (ORR) thresholds under two organic conversion models (maize-pig farming (MPF) model and maize-aerobic composting (MAC) model) across four combined OGF and mineral fertilizer treatments (OGF, N + OGF, NP+OGF and NPK+OGF). We found that the combined application of organic and mineral fertilizer increased crop yields compared to the application of mineral fertilizer alone. MAC achieved significantly higher biomass and nutrient residue ratios than MPF. The maximum OGF biomass ranged from 1.5 to 2.6 Mg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ in MPF and from 1.7 to 3.3 Mg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ in MAC. The potential organic substitution ratio thresholds for N and P, respectively, were 37.5 % and 69.7 % in MPF, and 59.7 % and 89.3 % in MAC. The NPK+OGF treatment, which achieved these thresholds, represents the optimal fertilization regime developed in this study. Economically, MPF resulted in a maximum net benefit of US$ 6553.9 ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹, while that of MAC was US$ 315.4 ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹. On the basis of these findings, we recommend the development of context-specific organic cycling models tailored to smallholder farmers’ practical needs, the implementation of appropriate organic substitution strategies, and the expansion of organic waste management chains.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51045,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Agronomy","volume":"175 ","pages":"Article 128023"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146072110","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":"Field-scale digital mapping of soil organic matter using spatially enhanced quantile machine-learning models","authors":"M. Córdoba ,&nbsp;P. Paccioretti ,&nbsp;C. Bozzer ,&nbsp;M. Balzarini","doi":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128016","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128016","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Accurate field-scale mapping of soil organic matter (SOM) is essential for implementing precision agriculture strategies that enhance productivity and sustainability by supporting site-specific management. This study assessed three quantile-based machine learning (ML) algorithms—Quantile Regression Forest (QRF), Stochastic Gradient Boosting (SGB), and Deep Learning (DL)—in terms of predictive accuracy, uncertainty quantification, and spatial coherence. The models were trained using 7807 georeferenced SOM samples collected from 2052 fields, together with remote sensing and topographic covariates. To explicitly account for spatial autocorrelation, an additional covariate was derived from ordinary block kriging of SOM. Model performance was evaluated using root mean squared error (RMSE), mean error (ME), prediction interval coverage probability (PICP), and local standard deviation (LSD) as an indicator of spatial smoothness. Spatial validation was used to reduce potential bias arising from spatial autocorrelation. QRF consistently achieved the best balance among accuracy, uncertainty representation, and spatial coherence. Although SGB reached slightly higher accuracy, it underestimated uncertainty and produced noisier spatial patterns. DL generated the smoothest maps but tended to underestimate SOM and provided less reliable uncertainty estimates. Notably, QRF performance remained stable across fields with different sampling intensities, highlighting its robustness and practical relevance in data-limited scenarios. Overall, QRF models enhanced with spatially informed covariates provide a reliable framework for field-scale SOM prediction and uncertainty quantification—critical inputs for optimizing agricultural practices, guiding nutrient management, and supporting sustainable land management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51045,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Agronomy","volume":"175 ","pages":"Article 128016"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146072118","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":"Can regenerative agriculture enhance productivity, profitability, and reduce C emissions? A case study in Andean potato farming","authors":"Percy Briceño ,&nbsp;Johan Ninanya ,&nbsp;Juan F. Seminario ,&nbsp;Ronal Otiniano ,&nbsp;Javier Rinza ,&nbsp;Carlos Mestanza ,&nbsp;Enner Arias ,&nbsp;Cristian Villanueva ,&nbsp;Wilson Mendoza ,&nbsp;Felipe de Mendiburu ,&nbsp;Jan F. Kreuze ,&nbsp;David A. Ramírez","doi":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128020","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128020","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Andean agriculture faces several challenges, such as land use changes, land degradation, poverty, extreme events, and climate change. Such conditions compromise food production and security, highlighting the need to explore sustainable alternatives. This two-trial study evaluated the short-term performance of regenerative agricultural practices for potato production in the Peruvian Andes over two seasons (2022–2024), in terms of productivity (FTY: Fresh tuber yield), profitability (BCR: Benefit-cost ratio), C footprint (CF), and soil properties. One trial (Trial 1) tested tillage practices—minimum (MT) <em>vs.</em> zero (ZT); plastic barriers—with (wPB) <em>vs.</em> without (nPB); and mulch thicknesses—0.1 (M10) <em>vs.</em> 0.2 (M20) <em>vs.</em> 0.3 (M30) m. The other trial (Trial 2) tested cropping systems—monoculture (MO) <em>vs.</em> intercropping with faba bean (IN); a fungicide optimization tool—with (wDK) <em>vs.</em> without (nDK); and chicken manure doses—1 (CM1) <em>vs.</em> 2 (CM2) <em>vs.</em> 4 (CM4) t ha⁻¹ . Compared to conventional practices, numerically MT+nPB+M30 increased FTY by ∼3.5 % and reduced CF by 19.9 % in Trial 1, while MO+wDK+CM4 increased FTY and BCR by 28 % and 12.4 %, respectively, in Trial 2. ZT and IN performed poorly in the short-term under Andean conditions, highlighting the need for long-term studies. In both trials, the short-term effect of regenerative practices improved soil organic matter with a mixed impact on pH. Regenerative practices in the Andes offer synergies and trade-offs, but integrating reduced tillage, mulching, and organic fertilization can enhance sustainability without lowering productivity. Long-term adoption is essential to restore soil carbon stocks, improve sustainability, and increase the resilience of Andean agriculture.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51045,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Agronomy","volume":"175 ","pages":"Article 128020"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146048008","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":"Urease dynamics and soil microbiota in a vineyard subjected to 12 years of nitrogen fertilization","authors":"Natália Moreira Palermo ,&nbsp;Paola Daiane Welter ,&nbsp;Carina Marchezan ,&nbsp;Paulo Ademar Avelar Ferreira ,&nbsp;Arthur Gonçalves Gulartt ,&nbsp;Bruna Daltrozo ,&nbsp;Andrieli Lunardi Delevati ,&nbsp;Roberta Lago Giovelli ,&nbsp;Rafael Schumacher ,&nbsp;Gustavo Brunetto","doi":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128014","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128014","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Climate change and changing consumption patterns have increased demands for more sustainable viticulture. Nitrogen (N) fertilization, is essential to meet grapevine nutritional requirements. However, long-term applications may alter soil biological functioning, particularly under rainfed conditions. Urease (UR) activity and soil microbial biomass (SMB) are sensitive indicators of soil health, yet information on their long-term response to mineral N fertilization and their relationship with grape productivity and must quality remains limited. This study evaluated the relationships between UR, SMB, vine productivity, and must quality in a sandy soil under rainfed vineyard conditions with a 12-year history of N fertilization. Increasing N rates (0, 40, and 80 kg N ha-¹ year-¹) were applied annually, and soil sampling was performed during the 2022/23 and 2023/24 harvests in the vineyard row and inter-row at three phenological stages (flowering, veraison and post-harvest). Urease activity was significantly affected by the interaction between N dose and phenological stage, decreasing at higher N rates and showing the highest values at flowering, particularly in the vineyard row. In contrast, soil microbial biomass C, N, and P showed positive responses to N fertilization, especially under higher rainfall conditions, indicating a strong interaction between N availability and climatic factors. Nitrogen doses did not result in significant differences in grape yield or must quality. However, significant correlations were observed between UR and SMB with soil pH, organic C, vine productivity, and must composition, including total soluble solids and organic acids. Overall, long-term N fertilization promoted contrasting soil biological responses, reducing urease activity while increasing soil microbial biomass. Among the evaluated phenological stages, flowering was the most informative period for capturing relationships between soil biological indicators, soil chemical properties, and grape production and must quality in rainfed vineyard systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51045,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Agronomy","volume":"175 ","pages":"Article 128014"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146023837","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":"Soil compaction restricts tea growth through nutrient limitation and oxidative stress, associated with flavonoid metabolic changes: A four-year field trial","authors":"Wenyan Yang ,&nbsp;Wenbin Liu ,&nbsp;Jiawei Ma ,&nbsp;Huan Zhang ,&nbsp;Zhenyu Yang ,&nbsp;Yuchun Wang ,&nbsp;Mei Wang ,&nbsp;Dan Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128012","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128012","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Purpose</h3><div>The widespread adoption of mechanical harvesters in tea plantations has intensified soil compaction, posing a major abiotic constraint on tea plant growth. Elucidating the physiological mechanisms underlying such stress is critical for developing effective mitigation strategies.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A four-year field experiment comparing tillage (T), no-tillage (NT), and mechanical compaction (MC) treatments on plant physiological, metabolic, and transcriptional responses of tea root and leaf tissues were employed in this study.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>T treatment significantly enhanced soil nutrient availability, with available nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, iron, and manganese concentrations 19.32–109.16 % higher than those under MC treatment. MC reduced plant height, suppressed root architecture development, and induced antioxidant defenses. Both roots and leaves showed increased malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and elevated activities of CAT and POD by 18.23–77.01 %, indicating oxidative stress mitigation. Metabolomic profiling identified flavonoid biosynthesis as the dominant response pathway under compaction, with key flavonoid metabolites including epicatechin, luteoforol, and phloretin, accumulating markedly in both tissues. Hormonal analysis showed increased levels of gibberellin A7 and brassinolide under MC, and organ-specific expression of regulatory genes (e.g., <em>CHS</em>, <em>DFR</em>, <em>IAA</em>, <em>PYL</em>) coordinated these metabolic adjustments.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>This study demonstrates that soil compaction severely limits tea plant growth while triggering defense-related metabolic regulation. In contrast, tillage enhances nutrient availability and promotes plant development, whereas compaction induces oxidative stress and stimulates flavonoid-mediated defense responses. Overall, these findings provide mechanistic insights into tea plant adaptation to soil compaction and offer valuable guidance for sustainable management practices in tea cultivation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51045,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Agronomy","volume":"175 ","pages":"Article 128012"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146048009","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":"From application methods to rate recommendations: Integrated strategies for improving maize response to zinc fertilization","authors":"Fucheng Gao ,&nbsp;Shan Chen ,&nbsp;Chengxiang Zhou ,&nbsp;Baogang Yu ,&nbsp;Chunqin Zou","doi":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Zinc (Zn) deficiency is a major constraint to maize yield and grain quality globally, especially in alkaline soils. The efficacy of conventional broadcast Zn fertilization is often limited by soil fixation and high spatial variability. This study evaluates when localized Zn placement surpasses broadcast application, and establishes recommended application rates. Furthermore, it develops spatially explicit, soil-Zn-stratified management strategies to boost maize productivity, providing a quantitative basis for nutrient management across diverse agroecosystems. By integrating a meta-analysis with Random Forest (RF) modeling to evaluate the efficacy of localized versus broadcast application of Zn fertilizer and predict yield responses across diverse agroecosystems. Localized Zn application significantly outperformed broadcast methods in terms of grain yield, increasing it by 8.8 % compared to 5.2 %. The advantage was particularly notable in alkaline soils pH &gt; 7, soil organic matter (SOM) levels 10–20 g kg⁻¹, and elevated soil total nitrogen (N) &gt; 1 g kg⁻¹. We identified annual precipitation and soil DTPA-Zn as the primary predictors of yield response. Recommend Zn application rates depended on soil Zn status: 8 kg ha⁻¹ for 0.5–1.0 mg kg⁻¹ soil DTPA-Zn, 4 kg ha⁻¹ for 1.0–1.5 mg kg⁻¹ soil DTPA-Zn, and 3 kg ha⁻¹ for &gt; 1.5 mg kg⁻¹ soil DTPA-Zn. A scenario analysis projected that implementing a recommended national Zn application rate of 6.8 kg ha⁻¹ could increase China's maize yield by an average of 3.9 %, with regional gains ranging from 2.3 % to 4.4 %. This study provides a unified framework for recommending zinc fertilization in maize by clarifying when localized application offers yield advantages and defining soil Zn thresholds for rate adjustment. The guidance developed here supports more efficient Zn use and provides actionable strategies to improve maize productivity across diverse agroecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51045,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Agronomy","volume":"175 ","pages":"Article 128007"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146014816","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":"A comprehensive comparative analysis of ETc prediction methods: Traditional formulations, crop models, machine learning, and coupled optimization pathways","authors":"Di Hao ,&nbsp;Jingjing Li ,&nbsp;Wengang Zheng ,&nbsp;Chunjiang Zhao ,&nbsp;Liping Chen ,&nbsp;Lili Zhangzhong","doi":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128013","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128013","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Accurate quantification of crop evapotranspiration (ETc) is crucial for effective agricultural water management and climate-adaptive production. Despite advancements in estimation methods—from simplified models to data-driven technologies—achieving high-precision estimations remains a significant challenge. This study systematically evaluated eight ETc estimation methods, including the FAO dual crop coefficient method, the AquaCrop model, three machine learning models, and three coupled models, to assess the differences in prediction accuracy and robustness across various modeling approaches. Additionally, a multi-source coupled modeling framework integrating residual learning and physical constraints was proposed to address the limitations of physical models, which suffer from structural bias, and the high data dependency and training complexity of data-driven models. The results showed that the dual crop coefficient method performed less accurately than the mechanistically interpretable AquaCrop model (R² = 0.901), primarily due to its simplified representation of the crop-soil system dynamics. While the pure data-driven CNN-LSTM model approximated the AquaCrop model’s performance when sufficient data was available (R² = 0.893), its generalization ability deteriorated significantly with limited data (R² dropped to 0.640), highlighting its dependence on large datasets. In contrast, the coupled models, which incorporated physical priors and residual learning, leveraged physical constraints to reduce the mapping space required for deep learning fitting. This approach reduced reliance on large training datasets and decreased training cycles. By combining the structural knowledge of crop models with the nonlinear capabilities of machine learning at both the feature and output levels, the accuracy and robustness of the models were significantly improved. Notably, the connected embedded coupling model (CECM) achieved the best performance (R² = 0.924). This study demonstrates that synergistic modeling of physical mechanisms and data-driven approaches provides an ETc estimation pathway that balances interpretability with high predictive accuracy, offering valuable support for precision irrigation and agricultural water resource management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51045,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Agronomy","volume":"175 ","pages":"Article 128013"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146014598","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}