European Journal of Agronomy最新文献

{"title":"Soil mulching enhanced maize canopy ammonia flux in contrast mitigating field ammonia emission","authors":"Shenqiang Lv ,&nbsp;Ting Yang ,&nbsp;Jia Li ,&nbsp;Zeyu Yang ,&nbsp;Huitong Li ,&nbsp;Linquan Wang ,&nbsp;Shenzhong Tian ,&nbsp;Ahmed I. Abdo","doi":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A systematic elucidation of soil ammonia (NH₃) volatilization (SAV), canopy NH₃ flux (CAF), field NH₃ emission (FAE), and their underlying drivers is imperative for evaluating NH₃ pollution mitigation strategies and advancing sustainable agricultural practices. Currently, the role of the maize canopy in NH₃ emission and the contributions of field factors to NH₃ emission remain inadequately understood. A consecutive field experiment was conducted over a 3-year period from 2019 to 2021 with a split-plot design. The experiment comprised five tillage treatments (conventional tillage without mulch (CT), ridge-furrow tillage without mulch (RT), plastic film mulch (PM), ridge-furrow cultivation with plastic film mulch on the ridge (RTPM), and straw mulching (SM)) and two N application rates (0 kg N ha^–1 and 225 kg N ha^–1). The results demonstrated that the CAF was positive, which meant that the maize canopy acted as an NH₃ source. The cumulative SAV, CAF, and FAE amounted to 4.21–10.12 kg N ha^–1, 1.27–4.94 kg N ha^–1 and 6.07–13.26 kg N ha^–1, respectively. The N fertilizer NH₃ loss rate was 1.13 %–2.41 %. Soil mulching practices (PM, RTPM, and SM) resulted in a 5.3 %–61.1 % increase in CAF, but markedly reduced SAV, FAE, and the N fertilizer NH₃ loss rate by 15.4 %–31.9 %, 9.5 %–11.7 %, and 0.94 %-1.04 %, respectively, compared to those of CT. Conversely, RT exhibited negligible effects on these parameters. Meteorological variables, including the air temperature and solar radiation exhibited positive correlations with the CAF. A mechanistic analysis identified soluble protein (SP, primary regulator) and the NH₃ compensation point (ACP) as direct positive regulators of the CAF, with canopy NH₄⁺ concentration exerting indirect positive effects. Conversely, glycolate oxidase (GO) and glutamine synthetase (GS) activities directly suppressed CAF. Consequently, although it promoted the CAF, soil mulching depressed maize field NH₃ emission and N fertilizer NH₃ loss rate. Hence, soil mulching emerges as an effective strategy for mitigating non-point source pollution risks while enhancing nitrogen use efficiency in agricultural systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51045,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Agronomy","volume":"175 ","pages":"Article 128002"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145979829","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":"Sustained reductions in methane emissions and global warming potential through periodic liming in a double-cropped rice system: A 4-year field experiment","authors":"Ping Liao ,&nbsp;Lei Liu ,&nbsp;Jinsong Liu ,&nbsp;Xiangcheng Zhu ,&nbsp;Jie Liu ,&nbsp;Jin Chen ,&nbsp;Yanni Sun ,&nbsp;Yu Jiang ,&nbsp;Shan Huang ,&nbsp;Yongjun Zeng ,&nbsp;Kees Jan van Groenigen","doi":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128037","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128037","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Lime application has been shown to reduce methane (CH₄) emissions, thereby lowering the global warming potential (GWP) in acidic rice fields. However, most existing evidence comes from short-term experiments, and the longevity of this effect remains unclear. In this study, we conducted a 4-year field experiment in a double-cropped rice system to determine the responses of CH₄ and nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions, the sequestration of soil organic carbon (C), and grain yield to liming with and without residue return in the second lime application cycle. We also conducted residue decomposition experiments and functional gene analyses to identify the mechanisms underlying liming effects. Compared to unlimed treatments, liming reduced CH₄ emissions by an average of 20.6 % over the entire lime application cycle, with a stronger reduction under residue return (-23.3 %) than residue removal (-14.9 %). The reduction in CH₄ emissions under liming was 32.1 % in 2019, 19.9 % in 2020, and 21.1 % in 2021, with no significant effect in 2022. In contrast, liming increased N₂O emissions by 20.6 % relative to unlimed treatments. Liming improved rice yield (+5.2 %) but had no significant effect on soil organic C stocks. As a result, applying lime lowered both the net GWP (-24.8 %) and greenhouse gas intensity (-28.5 %) of the cropping system. Mechanistically, liming promoted residue decomposition, reduced <em>mcrA</em> gene abundance (linked to CH₄ production) and enhanced <em>pmoA</em> gene abundance (linked to CH₄ oxidation). Liming promoted nitrification and denitrification through increasing the abundance of <em>amoA-AOB</em> and <em>nirS</em> genes. Taken together, our findings indicate that lime application can persistently raise grain yield and reduce CH₄ emissions and the net GWP in a double-cropped rice system, albeit N₂O emissions were increased. In addition, our data suggests that regular lime additions are required to maintain the benefits of this soil amendment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51045,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Agronomy","volume":"175 ","pages":"Article 128037"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146160806","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":"Improved photosynthesis from leaf to canopy scale drives yield progress in super hybrid rice","authors":"Jun Deng ,&nbsp;Ke Liu ,&nbsp;Nina Tian ,&nbsp;Tao Su ,&nbsp;Xiangqian Feng ,&nbsp;Xiaohai Tian ,&nbsp;Zhaoqiang Jin ,&nbsp;Shijie Shi ,&nbsp;Liying Huang ,&nbsp;Yunbo Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128031","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128031","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Super hybrid rice (SHR) plays a crucial role in achieving global food security by boosting grain yields. However, the physiological mechanisms underpinning yield gains—particularly from the leaf to canopy scale—under different nitrogen (N) regimes remain insufficiently understood. This study explores the physiological drivers of yield enhancement by examining biomass production, photosynthetic characteristics, radiation use efficiency (RUE), and yield components across varying nitrogen application rates. A three-year field experiment (2021–2023) assessed three representative SHR varieties—Liangyoupeijiu (LYPJ), Y-liangyou 1 (YLY1), and Y-liangyou 900 (YLY900)—released between 1999 and 2015, under four N treatments (0, 90, 180, and 270 kg N ha⁻¹). Among them, YLY900 achieved the highest average grain yield (9.78 Mg ha⁻¹), which was 9.1 % higher than that of LYPJ and YLY1, primarily owing to a 21.2 % increase in spikelets per panicle and a 12.6 % increase in total biomass. Its yield advantage was associated with enhanced RUE (2.91 g MJ⁻¹), 12.8 % higher than that of LYPJ, owing to sustained photosynthetic capacity under high N input. Unlike earlier varieties that depended mainly on intercepted photosynthetically active radiation (IPAR), YLY900 exhibited superior RUE through higher net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, and photochemical quenching, together with lower non-photochemical quenching. Elevated Rubisco and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase activities supported efficient carbon assimilation. Overall, recent SHR breeding advances indicate a shift from maximizing light interception to enhancing photosynthetic efficiency and RUE, providing a physiological basis for future breeding and N management strategies aimed at sustainable yield improvement.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51045,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Agronomy","volume":"175 ","pages":"Article 128031"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146161062","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":"Decadal rice cultivation reconfigured saline-alkali paddy nitrogen cycling through microbial-DNRA dominance and soil amelioration synergy","authors":"Yunshan Meng ,&nbsp;Panpan Gao ,&nbsp;Jiaxin Hu ,&nbsp;Haoge Liang ,&nbsp;Tairan Zhou ,&nbsp;Xueqin Ren ,&nbsp;Haojie Feng ,&nbsp;Shuwen Hu","doi":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128025","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128025","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Long-term rice cultivation shows potential in alleviating soil salinization, yet the mechanistic links between sustained cultivation and optimized nitrogen cycling in saline-alkali paddies remain unclear. Here, we integrated a field chronosequence experiment (0–20 years) with a global meta-analysis of saline-alkali agroecosystems to elucidate the spatiotemporal drivers of soil nitrogen dynamics. Field data revealed decadal organic inputs elevated total nitrogen (TN) by 80.77 % (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.01), while meta-regression confirmed that TN and available nitrogen (AN) exhibited linear accumulation over decades of rice cultivation. Microbial communities exhibited directional succession patterns, with phylogenetic assembly strongly correlated to nitrogen stoichiometry and <em>narGH</em>/<em>nirS</em>/<em>nirB</em>/<em>nxrAB</em> gene abundance. Metagenomic reconstruction and meta-network analysis convergently identified microstructure optimization and substrate sufficiency as key factors associated with soil dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA), denitrification, and complete ammonia oxidation processes. Crucially, inferred convergence at 10 years of cultivation marked the critical juncture where salinization alleviation converged with microbial modularity to maximize nitrogen use efficiency. This work pioneers a soil-microbe-metabolic coevolution framework validated by field-meta synergy, establishing operational chronosequence thresholds for sustainable saline-alkali paddy management. By coupling mechanistic experiments with global meta-analytical evidence, our work advances predictive understanding of nutrient-cycling recovery in marginal lands.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51045,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Agronomy","volume":"175 ","pages":"Article 128025"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146134149","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":"Grassland vulnerability to climate change varies by region and season through productivity-stability trade-offs","authors":"Essomandan Urbain Kokah ,&nbsp;Christophe Lacroix ,&nbsp;Xavier Fettweis ,&nbsp;David Knoden ,&nbsp;Benjamin Dumont ,&nbsp;Jérôme Bindelle","doi":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128032","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128032","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding the vulnerability of permanent grasslands to climate change is essential for sustaining forage production and other ecosystem services. Potential adaptation levers include adjustments in management strategies and the selection of plant functional types (PFTs). This study quantifies changes in biomass yield and interannual stability of temperate permanent grasslands under future climate scenarios, using Gras-Sim, a process-based model integrating climate, soil management, and PFT composition. Simulations were performed for contrasting agricultural regions at +2 °C, +3 °C, and +4 °C warming levels, using downscaled CMIP6 projections (CMCC, MIR, MPI) with corresponding CO₂ trajectories. Significant interactions between region, climate model, and PFT (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001) revealed context-dependent responses. In high-altitude regions such as the High Ardennes, annual yields increased by up to 2.52 t DM ha⁻¹ compared to the historical baseline (1981–2010). Across all scenarios, PFT B (e.g. <em>Dactylis glomerata</em>) exhibited significantly higher yields, while PFT A (e.g. <em>Lolium perenne</em>) showed significantly higher interannual stability, confirming a productivity-stability trade-off. Seasonal shifts were more pronounced under MIR + 4 °C, with spring yields increasing by 4.5 t DM ha⁻¹ and summer yields decreasing by 2.4 t DM ha⁻¹ relative to historical baselines (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001). The frequency of pixel-years without a summer cut increased up to 14 % under MIR at + 4 °C, highlighting an emergent signal of production collapse during peak drought. These results support the need for adaptation strategies that combine functional complementarity, flexible management, and spatially explicit simulation tools to sustain grassland productivity and stability under climate change.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51045,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Agronomy","volume":"175 ","pages":"Article 128032"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146152634","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":"Challenges and opportunities in protein crop production: Finnish farmers’ perspectives on legumes and oilseeds","authors":"Kiflemariam Y. Belachew ,&nbsp;Jaakko A.O. Haarala ,&nbsp;Casimir Schauman ,&nbsp;Frederick L. Stoddard","doi":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128010","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128010","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The cultivation of grain legumes and oilseeds in Finland is limited, despite their ecological benefits and potential for enhancing protein security. While these crops provide essential protein and ecosystem services through nitrogen fixation, farmers are hesitant to grow them due to perceived high risks and low profitability, leading to a heavy reliance on imported soybeans for livestock feed: 70 % of the EU's supply and 85 % in Finland. Hence, a survey was conducted in 2018 among 14,000 Finnish farmers, with 503 respondents. Over 80 % felt knowledgeable about producing legumes and oilseeds and recognized the importance of protein self-sufficiency. However, farmers expressed a need for more specific technical information on cultivation and the use of domestic protein crops as feed. Interest in protein crops was particularly strong among organic farmers, who value legumes for their benefits as bio-fertilizers and break-crops. Additionally, factors such as agricultural policies, subsidies, and contract agreements significantly influenced farmers' willingness to produce protein crops. Domestic protein crops in Finland were perceived as high-risk and costly. To improve cultivation reliability and achieve long-term self-sufficiency in plant protein, effective agricultural policies, the development of earlier and winter-hardy cultivars, and a national market network among producers, processors, and livestock farmers are essential.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51045,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Agronomy","volume":"175 ","pages":"Article 128010"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146014599","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":"Decoupling of carbon pump and diversity in microbes under global agricultural management","authors":"Changkun Yang ,&nbsp;Bing Liu ,&nbsp;Arash Malekian ,&nbsp;Weihao Sun ,&nbsp;Bin Wang ,&nbsp;Xiao Wang ,&nbsp;Wen Li ,&nbsp;Pouyan Dehghan Rahimabadi ,&nbsp;Maliheh Behrang Manesh","doi":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128015","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128015","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Microbial carbon metabolism largely determines whether plant-derived carbon is retained in soils or lost as carbon dioxide. In croplands, integrated management across nutrient supply, tillage, cropping, and irrigation supports production and strongly reshapes microbial-derived carbon. However, it remains unclear how integrated management reshapes microbial carbon anabolism processes at the global scale. This study quantified management-driven changes in microbial carbon use efficiency (CUE) and microbial necromass carbon (MNC) using a global meta-analysis, and then applied random-forest modeling, variance partitioning, and path analysis to identify the key predictors and pathways. Results indicate that integrated management enhances CUE and MNC by 3.85 % and 9.74 %, respectively. Nitrogen management increased both CUE and MNC (11.87 % and 15.97 %, respectively), while organic agriculture boosted CUE (29.71 %), and both straw return and irrigation increased MNC (21.13 % and 14.90 %, respectively). In contrast, tillage inhibited microbial anabolism. Temperature had the strongest influence on CUE, while the duration of practice mainly affected MNC, with effects weakening by 1.37 % after five years. Habitat conditions, such as soil C/N and pH, were also key constraints. Mediation analyses indicated that CUE was primarily regulated by microbial respiration and enzyme activity (23.37 % variance), whereas microbial biomass and community structure dominated MNC variation (27.57 %). Further analysis revealed a decoupling between microbial carbon anabolism and diversity under management. Taken together, integrating nutrient and organic inputs with reduced disturbance, while accounting for soil factors such as temperature, C/N, and pH, can optimize microbial metabolism, thereby enhancing carbon sequestration and agroecosystems productivity, and promoting sustainable development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51045,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Agronomy","volume":"175 ","pages":"Article 128015"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146014838","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":"Root growth traits are the dominant sources of uncertainty in simulating agricultural crop rotational systems","authors":"Bahareh Kamali ,&nbsp;Seyed Hamid Ahmadi ,&nbsp;Thomas Gaiser","doi":"10.1016/j.eja.2025.127976","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eja.2025.127976","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Crop rotation systems effectively enhance resource use efficiency and biodiversity. Process-based agroecosystem models serve as valuable tools for their sustainable design. However, most model applications overlook the role of root characteristics on simulated above- and belowground model components. This is particularly critical in crop rotations, involving diverse species and cultivars. Overlooking this aspect can lead to significant inaccuracies in modelling crop yields, as well as soil organic carbon (SOC), and nitrogen leaching (N-leaching). This study quantifies the contribution of climate, management (crop rotation, irrigation and rainfed systems), and cultivar (phenology and root growth characteristics) factors on simulation of crop yields, N-leaching, and SOC. The analysis was conducted in mono-cropping and 10 different crop rotations (cereals-tuber, cereal-cereal, tuber-tuber crops). The MOdel of NItrogen and CArbon dynamics (MONICA) was used for this purpose. MONICA was parameterized and calibrated using detailed data on the time and amount of irrigation recorded for Hamerstorf experimental site located in Lower Saxony, Germany. Our results demonstrated a stronger effect of root depth factor on yield variability in rainfed compared to irrigated systems, accounting for approximately 60 % of the observed variation. In contrast, crop phenology had a greater impact on yield under irrigation. For N-leaching and SOC, crop rotation explained over 65 % of the variability. Root depth and root density contributed more significantly to SOC dynamics than to N-leaching. These findings highlight the importance of accurate estimation on root growth in models to reduce uncertainty in simulating crop rotation systems. Precise root growth characteristics become even more critical when modeling extends beyond yield to include nitrogen and SOC—key indicators of sustainable agricultural systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51045,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Agronomy","volume":"175 ","pages":"Article 127976"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145979723","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":"Enzyme kinetics reveal biochar-driven soil multifunctionality improvements in arid soils: Insights from pot experiments and meta-analysis","authors":"Qiuting Yan ,&nbsp;Jiahao Zhang ,&nbsp;Jiao Liu ,&nbsp;Meiying Gu ,&nbsp;Guangmu Tang ,&nbsp;Mallavarapu Megharaj ,&nbsp;Haixia Tian ,&nbsp;Wanli Xu ,&nbsp;Wenxiang He","doi":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.128004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Biochar amendment holds considerable potential for enhancing soil multifunctionality (SMF), yet its underlying biochemical mechanisms remain insufficiently understood. This study integrates pot experiments with a comprehensive meta-analysis to evaluate the effects of biochar on SMF in grey desert and aeolian sandy soils, focusing on enzyme kinetics as indicators of nutrient cycling. The meta-analysis revealed that biochar increased soil pH (4.76 %, 0.31 units), microbial biomass carbon (MBC, 32.64 %), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP, 7.12 %), while reducing ammonium nitrogen (NH₄⁺-N, 10.07 %). Notably, biochar suppressed net nitrogen accumulation and nitrification rates by over 93 %. It also shifted enzyme stoichiometry toward nitrogen and phosphorus co-limitation, reflected by a 14.17 % decrease in the C_enz: N_enz ratio and an 11.83 % increase in the C_enz: P_enz ratio. Pot experiments demonstrated biochar application enhanced the catalytic efficiency (V_max/K_m) of urease (0.005–0.77 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹/mM), invertase (4.74–37.74 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹/mM), and alkaline phosphatase (3.28–24.25 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹/mM), indicating improved nitrogen turnover, carbon availability, and phosphorus mobilization. These kinetic parameters proved more sensitive and direct indicators of SMF than traditional soil metrics. Among the treatments, 2 % biochar amendment delivered the most pronounced benefits, increasing SMF by 137.2 % in grey desert soil and 118.0 % in aeolian sandy soil. Structural equation modeling (SEM) identified enzyme kinetics, MBC, ALP, and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) as primary drivers of SMF enhancement. Overall, the findings highlight the critical role of enzyme kinetics in soil biochemical functioning and reinforce biochar’s potential as a sustainable strategy for restoring nutrient-deficient soils.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51045,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Agronomy","volume":"175 ","pages":"Article 128004"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145979828","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":"Dynamic hazard assessment of compound drought and heat events in maize based on a soil-temperature-integrated index in Songliao Plain","authors":"Xianwei Lu ,&nbsp;Sicheng Wei ,&nbsp;Ying Guo ,&nbsp;Cha Ersi ,&nbsp;Dan Chen ,&nbsp;Ziyuan Zhou ,&nbsp;Yue Li ,&nbsp;Yuping Dong ,&nbsp;Zhijun Tong ,&nbsp;Xingpeng Liu ,&nbsp;Jiquan Zhang ,&nbsp;Chunli Zhao ,&nbsp;Yanxia Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.127984","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eja.2026.127984","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Compound drought and heat events (CDHEs) pose severe threats to food security, yet the role of soil temperature in event occurrence and crop stress has been largely overlooked. Using ERA5-Land and SPEI-GD datasets (1982–2021), we developed a soil-temperature-integrated Compound Drought and Heat Event Index (CDHEI) to make dynamic hazard assessment of compound drought and heat events in maize by combining air temperature, soil temperature, soil moisture, and meteorological drought indices. CDHEs during maize growth stages in the Songliao Plain were identified using run theory, and their spatiotemporal characteristics and hazard levels were systematically assessed. The results showed that CDHEs were mainly concentrated in the northwest and southwest regions of the Songliao Plain, with around year 2000 identified as a critical breakpoint, after which their frequency and intensity increased significantly in the 21st century. CDHEI was strongly correlated with maize yield loss, with the maximum correlation coefficient reaching 0.749 (p &lt; 0.05), particularly in the southwestern and northwestern regions. Compared with existing indices, specifically the CDHEI without the soil temperature component (CDHEI_noST), the Compound Events Toolbox and Dataset (CETD), and the Compound Drought and Heat Magnitude Index (CDHMI), the correlation increased by 13 % to over 100 %, highlighting the superior capability of CDHEI in capturing yield impacts. Dynamic hazard assessment further identified Baicheng, Songyuan, and surrounding areas as high-hazard-level zones. Breakpoint-year analysis also revealed that the soil temperature (SSTI) had the highest importance in event evolution, underscoring the dominant role of soil thermal anomalies in the intensification of CDHEs. Overall, this study highlights the indispensable role of soil processes in compound extreme event monitoring and provides a scientific basis for agricultural risk assessment and regional adaptation strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51045,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Agronomy","volume":"175 ","pages":"Article 127984"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145928705","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}