European Journal of Agronomy最新文献

{"title":"Supplementary irrigation alleviates the inhibition effect of warming on metallic micronutrients absorption","authors":"Haifang Pang ,&nbsp;Shangying Ma ,&nbsp;Fengni Xue ,&nbsp;Zongzhen Li ,&nbsp;Junjie Hu ,&nbsp;Zeyu Xin ,&nbsp;Yongzhe Ren ,&nbsp;Yanhao Lian ,&nbsp;Tongbao Lin ,&nbsp;Zhiqiang Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.eja.2025.127979","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eja.2025.127979","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Global warming-induced drought threatens the micronutrient quality of agricultural products, as water availability governs nutrient translocation and partitioning within plants. However, the effects of supplemental irrigation on wheat micronutrient dynamics under warming conditions remain poorly characterised. Here, a 3-year field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of warming treatments (CK: ambient temperature; WS: winter-spring warming; FF: flowering-grain filling warming) and irrigation regimes (CI: conventional irrigation; SI: supplemental irrigation) on metal micronutrients (Fe, Mn, Cu, and Zn) in winter wheat and their driving factors. Results showed that warming slightly increased grain Fe, Mn, and Zn concentrations (0.3–5.8 %) but reduced their total accumulations (17.1–34.6 %). Compared to CK, FF decreased soil available micronutrients (9–35.7 %), with Fe and Zn availability strongly correlated with microbial taxa (Chloroflexi, Proteobacteria, and Firmicutes). SI increased grain Fe (3.1 %) and Zn (7.1 %) concentrations, enhanced total micronutrient uptake (6.8–22.6 %), and elevated soil-available micronutrients (6.2–25.8 %) relative to CI. Structural equation modelling revealed that soil temperature, moisture, pH, nutrients, available micronutrients, and microbiota jointly regulated grain micronutrients through direct pathways, with microbes being a key driver (total direct effect value = 0.619, p &lt; 0.001). We conclude that supplemental irrigation effectively mitigates warming-induced micronutrient depletion, whereas the soil microbiota plays a pivotal role in mediating wheat micronutrient acquisition. These findings advance adaptive strategies to safeguard crop nutritional security under changing climate conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51045,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Agronomy","volume":"175 ","pages":"Article 127979"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145897842","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 synergistic improvements in maize yield and nitrogen use sustainability through a novel high-density production system enabled by precision stage-specific regulation","authors":"Liang Fang ,&nbsp;Dongping Shen ,&nbsp;Zhen Wang ,&nbsp;Linli Zhou ,&nbsp;Tingting Zhang ,&nbsp;Guoqiang Zhang ,&nbsp;Jun Xue ,&nbsp;Ruizhi Xie ,&nbsp;Peng Hou ,&nbsp;Keru Wang ,&nbsp;Bo Ming ,&nbsp;Ling Gou ,&nbsp;Shaokun Li","doi":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Confronted with the dual imperatives of ensuring food security and reducing environmental pollution in China’s intensive agricultural systems, this study proposes and validates an innovative crop management paradigm: a High-Density Production System enabled by Precision Stage-Specific Regulation (HD-PSR). Based on a three-year field experiment spanning a wide nitrogen (N) application gradient (0–765 kg N ha⁻¹), we assessed the effects of N rate on grain yield, nitrogen partial factor productivity (PFP_N), plant N dynamics (uptake, distribution, and remobilization), soil residual N, and nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions. The results show that the system achieved a clear yield plateau of 14.7–16.5 t ha⁻¹ at 243.8–306.4 kg N ha⁻¹ , while sustaining efficient internal N uptake and remobilization, providing a strong physiological basis for high yield. Simultaneously, the system markedly reduced the direct N₂O emission factor to a consistently low range of 0.3 %–0.9 %, well below the IPCC default. Notably, both cumulative N₂O emissions and the emission factor exhibited a strictly linear relationship with N application rate, in contrast to the exponential increases widely reported under conventional fertilization. This linearity is attributed to split application, which prevents the accumulation of soil mineral N that typically triggers microbial N₂O emission pulses. A comprehensive benefit index identified approximately 289 kg N ha⁻¹ as the synergistic optimum for high yield and low emissions. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that HD-PSR—through deep integration of high-density planting with whole-season, physiology-oriented precision regulation—can simultaneously enhance grain yield and nitrogen-use sustainability, offering a practical systemic pathway for the sustainable intensification of cereal production.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51045,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Agronomy","volume":"175 ","pages":"Article 128008"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145979827","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":"Balancing productivity and sustainability: Identifying optimal nitrogen application rates for Chinese regional sugarcane systems","authors":"Ruixuan Zhu,&nbsp;Shengsen Zhou,&nbsp;Fumin Wei,&nbsp;Xiaomai Yuan,&nbsp;Beilei Wei,&nbsp;Wei Yao,&nbsp;Ziting Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128022","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128022","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Global nitrogen imbalance has reached critical levels. Despite applying 2–2.5 times international standards (300–500 kg N ha⁻¹), Chinese sugarcane regions exhibit low nitrogen use efficiency, undermining economic viability and environmental sustainability, threatening national sugar security and degrading ecosystems. This study analyzed 328 datasets from 56 field trials across China's three major sugarcane production regions, integrating meta-analysis, machine learning, and bioeconomic modeling to establish a multi-objective optimization framework for sugarcane nitrogen management, which evaluates relationships among yield, economic, ecological, and social benefits and optimizes nitrogen strategies under different management objectives. Results revealed optimal yield-enhancing response within 200–300 kg N ha⁻¹ , with yields peaking at 306 kg N ha⁻¹ nitrogen application. However, soil properties contributed more to yield response than nitrogen application rates themselves, explaining over half of yield variation and validating soil-climate-based fertilization recommendations. Optimal nitrogen rates diverged systematically across the four benefit objectives. Specifically, shifting from <span><math><mrow><msub><mrow><mi>B</mi></mrow><mrow><mi>yield</mi></mrow></msub><mspace></mspace></mrow></math></span>(N-derived yield benefit)-maximizing strategies (311 kg N ha⁻¹) to <span><math><mrow><msub><mrow><mi>B</mi></mrow><mrow><mi>society</mi></mrow></msub><mspace></mspace></mrow></math></span>(Social benefit)-optimal strategies (242 kg N ha⁻¹) reduced nitrogen losses by 23 %, increased sugar yield by 3.53 %, while decreasing cane yield by only 0.97 %. Regional analysis revealed distinct optimization pathways: Yunnan demonstrated <span><math><msub><mrow><mi>B</mi></mrow><mrow><mi>yield</mi></mrow></msub></math></span>-<span><math><msub><mrow><mi>B</mi></mrow><mrow><mi>society</mi></mrow></msub></math></span> synergy under low inputs (benefit divergence 19 kg N ha⁻¹) but requires moderate nitrogen increase; Guangxi achieved highest yields but showed significant <span><math><msub><mrow><mi>B</mi></mrow><mrow><mi>yield</mi></mrow></msub></math></span>-<span><math><msub><mrow><mi>B</mi></mrow><mrow><mi>society</mi></mrow></msub></math></span> divergence (32 kg N ha⁻¹), requiring moderate reduction; Guangdong exhibited high-input low-output dilemmas with the widest <span><math><msub><mrow><mi>B</mi></mrow><mrow><mi>yield</mi></mrow></msub></math></span>-<span><math><msub><mrow><mi>B</mi></mrow><mrow><mi>society</mi></mrow></msub></math></span> divergence (65 kg N ha⁻¹), necessitating fundamental soil amelioration. These findings provide a scientific basis for region-specific precision nitrogen management in Chinese sugarcane production, facilitating coordination of sugar security, environmental protection, and rural development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51045,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Agronomy","volume":"175 ","pages":"Article 128022"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146134138","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":"Critical nitrogen concentration of annual ryegrass and tall fescue is not affected by phosphorus deficiency","authors":"R. Cuadro ,&nbsp;C.I. Borrajo ,&nbsp;M.A. Marino ,&nbsp;P. Cicore ,&nbsp;A. Hirigoyen ,&nbsp;P.M. Errecart ,&nbsp;G.A. Berone ,&nbsp;F.A. Lattanzi","doi":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128028","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128028","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) deficiencies commonly limit plant growth in agroecosystems. While critical N concentration (Nc) dilution curves are widely used to assess the N status of crops and pastures, it remains unclear whether Nc curves remain valid under P deficiency. This study assessed the effect of P deficiency on Nc curves. For this purpose, a factorial combination of several N and P fertilization rates was applied in nine field experiments during winter and spring on annual ryegrass (<em>Lolium multiflorum</em> L.) and tall fescue (<em>L. arundinaceum</em> (Schreb.) Darbysh.) pastures, at several sites in Uruguay and Argentina. Across sites, P deficiency did not alter Nc curves, a conclusion supported by both frequentist and Bayesian statistics. A corollary of the fact that Nc dilution curves are largely unaffected by P availability is that, for a given N nutritional status, reduced N uptake under P deficiency is mostly due to lower shoot biomass accumulation. Our results indicate that Nc dilution curves are largely unaffected by P availability across a range of edaphoclimatic conditions and reinforce their use as a reliable diagnostic.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51045,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Agronomy","volume":"175 ","pages":"Article 128028"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146134093","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":"2026-04-01","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":"Exploring the hyperspectral response of leaf chlorophyll content under canopy structure and soil background variability","authors":"Zhenwang Li ,&nbsp;Zhaokai Ma ,&nbsp;Ruisi Bao ,&nbsp;Wenli Fang ,&nbsp;Quan Tang ,&nbsp;Erya Yu ,&nbsp;Xiaodong Song ,&nbsp;Changwei Tan","doi":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.127982","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.127982","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Leaf chlorophyll content (LCC) serves as a critical indicator of crop health and nitrogen status, playing a pivotal role in photosynthesis, vegetation productivity, and precision agriculture. However, remotely retrieving LCC at the canopy scale remains challenging due to confounding factors such as soil background and canopy structure variability. This study employs the PROSAIL radiative transfer model, global sensitivity analysis, and field measurements to explore the hyperspectral response of LCC under various canopy structures and soil backgrounds in agricultural canopies, and to evaluate the robustness of spectral vegetation indices (VIs) under varying conditions. Our findings indicate that the contribution of LCC to canopy spectral reflectance varies significantly with canopy structure and soil background properties, except for soil moisture, which has a minor influence. Spectral bands around 550–575 nm and 700–705 nm are highly sensitive to LCC and least affected by confounding factors. In contrast, LCC-sensitive spectral bands around 665–685 nm are more susceptible to variations in canopy structure and soil type. Simulation and field experiments on twelve LCC-related VIs reveal that MTCI (MERIS terrestrial chlorophyll index), DIDA (Difference Index of the Double-peak Area), and MACC01 (Maccioni index) exhibit higher accuracy in estimating LCC at individual sites but perform poorly across different sites. LICI (LAI-insensitive chlorophyll index) demonstrates the best performance for LCC estimation across various vegetation types and regions, showing potential for large-scale LCC monitoring in agricultural canopies. This study provides valuable insights into optimizing spectral bands and developing new spectral VIs for LCC estimation as an indicator of crop nitrogen stress under complex environmental conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51045,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Agronomy","volume":"175 ","pages":"Article 127982"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145928704","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":"2026-04-01","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}

{"title":"Intensification of rice-wheat cropping system with summer green gram improves growth, productivity and profitability of rice in the middle Indo-Gangetic Plains of India","authors":"Manish Raj ,&nbsp;Sushant ,&nbsp;Mainak Ghosh ,&nbsp;Anil Kumar Singh ,&nbsp;Sumit Sow ,&nbsp;Sanjay Kumar ,&nbsp;Birendra Kumar ,&nbsp;Swaraj Kumar Dutta ,&nbsp;Nintu Mandal ,&nbsp;Pritam Ganguly ,&nbsp;Arnab Roy Chowdhury ,&nbsp;Shishpal Poonia ,&nbsp;Malay Kumar Bhowmick ,&nbsp;Virender Kumar ,&nbsp;Sunil Kumar","doi":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128024","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128024","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rice-wheat cropping system (RWCS) is the backbone of food security in Southeast Asia, particularly in India. However, continuous intensive cultivation has led to sustainability concerns including yield stagnation, poor resource use efficiency, soil organic carbon (SOC) depletion, multi-nutrient deficiencies, pest resurgence, and declining profit margins. Intensification of leguminous crop in the existing RWCS could be a possible solution. Thus a research trial with fifteen different rice-wheat cropping sequences was carried out at Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour, Bihar, India to investigate the impact of crop intensification on rice performances. The effect of green gram inclusion in the RWCS was more pronounced during the second year of experimentation. In this study, there was two conservation agriculture systems i.e. partial and full based on tillage intensity and crop establishment methods. The partial conservation agriculture system i.e. Vattar direct seeded rice (DSR) in which seeds are directly sown in a moist (vattar) soil condition after pre-sowing irrigation and light tillage, followed by zero tillage (ZT) wheat and ZT green gram recorded significantly higher yield attributes which led to enhancement in rice grain and straw yield by 36.8 % and 31.3 % respectively over the existing conventional RWCS in the year 2022. In addition to above, full conservation system of agriculture i.e. ZT DSR where dry seeds are directly drilled into unpuddled soil without any tillage followed by ZT wheat and ZT green gram, representing complete elimination of tillage operations throughout the cropping sequence also showed significantly superior to existing RWCS and observed highest net return (INR 82863 ha⁻¹), B:C ratio (2.46), net energy (145351 MJ ha⁻¹), energy use efficiency (14.5 %) and energy productivity (0.45 kg MJ⁻¹) but statistically parallel result with partial conservation system after first year of experimentation. This study demonstrates that the full conservation agriculture-based system (ZT DSR-ZT wheat-ZT green gram) were found the most suitable climate resilient cropping system to intensify RWCS in the middle Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) for overall better performance of rice.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51045,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Agronomy","volume":"175 ","pages":"Article 128024"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146110579","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":"2026-04-01","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":"Long-term cultivation of indica–japonica hybrid rice reshapes the sustainability of rice systems by simultaneously enhancing yield, nitrogen use efficiency, and soil health","authors":"Jinjia Gan ,&nbsp;Xinyue Xu ,&nbsp;Sheng Tang ,&nbsp;Kefeng Han ,&nbsp;Tao Sun ,&nbsp;Jinzhao Ma ,&nbsp;Xiangde Yang ,&nbsp;Xiu Liu ,&nbsp;Haoran Fu ,&nbsp;Zhihao Pang ,&nbsp;Lingli Mao ,&nbsp;Lianghuan Wu ,&nbsp;Qingxu Ma","doi":"10.1016/j.eja.2025.127973","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eja.2025.127973","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Indica–japonica</em> hybrid rice (IJHR) integrates the superior traits of <em>indica</em> rice and <em>japonica</em> rice (JR), with advantages in yield, Nitrogen (N) use efficiency (NUE), and root carbon (C) input. To assess its sustainability, a 9-year field experiment was conducted comparing the IJHR and JR under equivalent N applications. IJHR achieved higher grain yield and NUE and lower apparent N surplus than did JR. Compared with JR, IJHR increased soil organic matter (SOM) by 15.8 %, dissolved organic C and N by 37.0 % and 66.0 %, respectively, and microbial biomass C by 26.8 %. The activities of C- and N-cycling enzymes increased by up to 106 %. These enhancements contributed to a 129.8 % improvement in the soil quality index (SQI) compared to that of the JR. Random forest analysis identified aboveground biomass, NUE, and dissolved organic C as the main yield drivers. SQI improvements were attributed mainly to SOM accumulation and root-derived C inputs, reinforced by enzyme-mediated C and N cycling. A higher SQI further enhanced the yield. Partial least squares path modeling demonstrated that IJHR achieves a higher yield primarily through an increase in the number of spikelets per panicle, mediated by root-driven improvements in soil quality. NUE enhancement was driven mainly by greater plant N uptake. These findings provide a process-based framework linking root traits, soil biochemical functioning, yield formation and NUE in rice systems. Here, we highlight the dual benefits of IJHR in boosting grain production and soil quality, providing a promising pathway for reconciling food security and sustainability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51045,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Agronomy","volume":"175 ","pages":"Article 127973"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145897841","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}