International Journal of Plant Production最新文献

The conventional paddy-wheat-green gram cropping system in the North-Bihar, area experienced issues such as diminishing yield, water constraint, and uneven fertilizer usage. Researchers wanted to boost sustainability and productivity by testing alternative tillage and crop establishment (TCE) practices within this cropping pattern. The research was conducted out at the Climate Resilient Agriculture (CRA) the village in the Muzaffarpur region of Bihar. The purpose was to compare five distinct (TCE) utilization in the present rice–wheat-green gram cropping system. The study indicated that the TCE technique designated SN 5 (ZTDSR-HSZTW-HSG) resulted in the greatest yields across all crops, with 15–18% greater rice yield, 20–25% higher wheat yield, and 20–22% higher green gram yield compared to other TCE methods. Additionally, SN 5 produced 20.2% larger net returns employing a conservation agriculture (CA)-based system compared to the conventional technique. These results suggest that CA-based TCE outperformed conventional approaches in terms of net returns and overall efficiency.

The majority of farmers (85%) in Asia operate on small plots (< 2 ha) under low-input conditions to support their livelihoods. Wheat production in India faces challenges due to water scarcity and suboptimal nitrogen (N) management practices. To address this problem, a multi-location (9) field experiment comprising of 9 treatments by including nano and prilled urea alone or in combination was conducted under restricted irrigation conditions (only two irrigations i.e., first at crown root initiation stage and 2nd at flag leaf stage) during 2021–2022 and 2022–2023 in randomised block design with three replications in three agro-climatic regions (NWPZ- North Western Plains Zone, NEPZ- North Eastern Plains Zone and CZ- Central Zone) of India. Results indicated that combining recommended nitrogen (RDN) i.e., 90 kg/ha with two sprays of 5% urea increased grain yield by 4.1% and 41.9% in NWPZ and NEPZ, respectively, over RDN alone. Two sprays of nano urea at tillering and jointing stages significantly outperformed the control (Zero N), increasing grain yield by 14.5%, 34.0%, and 19.2% in NWPZ, NEPZ, and CZ, respectively. Moreover, RDN with two sprays of nano urea increased the grain yield and agronomic efficiency by 12.1% and 12.0% in CZ and 25.2% and 24.6% in NEPZ over RDN alone, respectively. From a net benefit perspective, RDN with two sprays of 5% urea was 6.7 and 70.4% higher in NWPZ and NEPZ over RDN under restricted irrigation. In CZ, applying RDN with two sprays of nano urea provided 15.5% higher net benefit over RDN. The recommendation for wheat cultivation in small-scale farming systems in India under restricted irrigation conditions suggests adopting a nitrogen management approach combining RDN with two sprays of 5% urea in NWPZ and NEPZ or with two sprays of nano urea in NEPZ and CZ improved the productivity, profitability and agronomic efficiency.

Ancient wheats are valuable genetic resources, though knowledge on their response to micronutrients in the presence of saline irrigation water is scanty. Two studies were conducted to unravel the behavior of ancient emmer and spelt wheats upon exposure to saline (75 and 150 mM NaCl) water and foliar-applied Zn (4 g L^− 1) under pot and field conditions. Two weeks after implementing the salt treatment, Zn treatment was implemented twice with one week interval and the plants were exposed to the prolonged salt stress until physiological maturity. Then, an array of physiological processes underlying differential grain yield and quality responses of the ancient and standard wheats to these treatments were scrutinized. Salinity suppressed chlorophyll, relative water content, root volume, stubble yield, and grain yield of emmer and spelt and standard durum and bread wheats. Though, it increased the proline concentration, and Na⁺/K⁺ in all wheat genotypes. Emmer wheats indicated smaller salt-induced suppressions in stubble yield and grain yield, despite indicating a greater Na⁺/K⁺. Ancient emmer and spelt wheats indicated smaller grain yield components, but out-ranked the standard durum and bread wheats in terms of root volume, grain Zn, and protein concentrations. Zn’s effect on the grain yield attributes and grain yield was moderate but it enhanced the grain Zn, particularly in emmer wheats. Novel findings of this study suggest that emmer wheats supplied with foliar-applied Zn are superior to standard durum and bread wheats in terms of grain protein and Zn, root volume, and tolerance to saline water.

Abstract

Regular application of synthetic chemicals in rice ecosystem led to loss of nitrogen (N) and affected the native microbial communities. Controlled release fertilizers (CRFs), a solution to poor nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of urea and associated environmental implications while diminished economic advantages by high CRF use, is major obstacle that still exists. Reviving the diazotrophic native bacteria from rice cultivated locations should be the alternate for bounciness of potential bioinoculants for better performance and yield enhancement. In the present investigation, two potential nitrogen fixing bacteria, Pseudomonas lini GHM32 and Brevundimonas nasdae GHM62 isolated from rice rhizosphere on Rennie medium. These two bacteria were evaluated for yield and NUE in field studies in a randomized block design with treatments, T₁- 100% recommended dose of nitrogen through neem coated urea (RDN), T₂- 50% RDN, T₃- 50% RDN + P. lini GHM32, T₄- 50% RDN + B. nasdae GHM62 and T₅- co-application of both bacterial isolates during Rabi-2020-21 (dry season) and Kharif-2021 (wet season). Experimental results for plant height, chlorophyll, nitrogen content and yield in T₃ were on par T₁. Nitrogen use efficiency indices, such as partial factor productivity (PFP), nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and nitrogen requirement (NR) of T₃ were at par T₁ throughout the experimental period. This is the first report with field trials on P. lini and B. nasdae as potential diazotrophic bacterial application by reduction in application of inorganic N fertilizer through neem coated urea with a focus on NUE indices and yield improvement of rice.

Rice residue burning poses a significant challenge in the rice-wheat cropping system of India, leading to environmental pollution, health issues, and substantial nutrient loss. To combat this menace, a three-year study (2020-21 to 2022-23) was conducted, investigating the effects of rice residue retention (RRR) and rice residue incorporation (RRI) at graded N levels (0, 50, 100, 150, and 200 kg/ha) alongside farmers’ practices. The primary objective was to enhance wheat productivity, profitability, and soil fertility within this system. Pooled analysis revealed that RRR outperformed RRI at lower nitrogen doses, while RRI excelled with 7.5%, 7.4%, and 10.0% higher biological yields at higher nitrogen doses (100, 150, and 200 kg/ha). The success of RRR and RRI was attributed to 10.5% and 5.0% higher effective tiller/m², respectively, compared to farmers’ practices at 150 kg N/ha. Notably, RRR exhibited superior NDVI values at the flag leaf stage (0.76) over farmers’ practices (0.73). At the 150 kg N/ha, RRR displayed a 9.6% lower cost of cultivation compared to farmers’ practices, with 19.6% higher net returns at lower N levels (50 kg/ha), suggesting its greater benefits under low-input conditions. Furthermore, RRR showed the highest benefit-cost ratio (2.75) at 150 kg N/ha, followed by RRI (2.59) and farmers’ practices (2.55). Over the three-year period, RRR significantly increased organic carbon content (0.49–0.54%) compared to the initial value (0.38%), affirming its long-term benefits. Consequently, the adoption of RRR by farmers is a preferable eco-friendly option over RRI and present practices for enhancing wheat productivity within the rice-wheat system. Due to 60–65% saving of fuel with the practice of zero tillage along with rice residue retention, it can reduce CO₂ emission by 120 kg/ha, therefore, its implementation can reduce CO₂ release by 1.62 MT in South Asia per year. Ultimately, it can meet the target of Paris Agreement of limiting global warming to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels and reaching net-zero CO₂ emissions globally by 2050.

This study evaluates the interaction effect of different irrigation strategies and winter wheat cultivars on yield and water use efficiency in a semi-arid region. The aim is to identify effective water-saving strategies for sustainable winter wheat production considering the variability in annual rainfall patterns over two years in Shiraz, Iran. The irrigation strategies included full irrigation (FI), deficit irrigation at 0.75FI, 0.5FI, and rainfed with supplemental irrigation at sowing. Two winter wheat cultivars, Varedati and Sirvan, were tested. The results showed no significant differences in grain yield, dry matter, and harvest index between the two cultivars. However, deficit irrigation (0.75FI and 0.5FI) and rainfed conditions led to a significant reduction in winter wheat yield and dry matter. The first year, with lower rainfall, resulted in a 16% decrease in grain yield and dry matter compared to the second year with higher rainfall. The rainfed treatment, supplemented with irrigation at sowing, yielded about 44% of the full irrigation regime in both years. Deficit irrigation negatively impacted yield components such as 1000-grain weight and the number of spikes per unit area. The Varedati cultivar had lower 1000-grain weight and spikes per unit area but a higher number of grains per spike compared to the Sirvan cultivar. In comparison to FI, rainfed treatments decreased RLD by 45% in both years. However, Sirvan cultivar exhibited a higher level of resistance in terms of root growth under water stress conditions.The study highlights the importance of selecting suitable irrigation strategies based on annual rainfall patterns to optimize winter wheat yield and water use efficiency in semi-arid regions.

Planting density (PD) is an important management practice that plays a crucial role in crop growth and weeds infestation. Weeds control methods also play an indispensable role to control the weeds infestation. Therefore, present study was conducted to determine the effect of different weed control methods and PD on growth, yield and quality of maize grown under semi-arid conditions. The study was comprised of weedy season, weed free, S-metalachlor @ 1920 g a.i. ha⁻¹, S-metolachlor + atrazine @ 740 g a.i. ha⁻¹ + 550 g a.i. ha⁻¹, mesotrione + atrazine @ 687.5 g a.i. ha⁻¹, S-metolachlor + atrazine @ 740 g a.i. ha⁻¹ + 550 g a.i. ha⁻¹ + mesotrione and atrazine @ 687.5 g and different PD; 12 and 20 cm. The results indicated that taller plants with maximum rows/cob, cob length, grains/cob, 1000 grain weight (GW), grain yield, biological yield and harvest index (HI) during both years was recorded in 20 cm apart plants with application of S-metolachlor + atrazine @ 740 g a.i. ha⁻¹ + 550 g a.i. ha⁻¹ + mesotrione and atrazine @ 687.5 g ha⁻¹ and lowest yield and yield traits were observed in 12 cm spaces plants with fully weeds. However, lowest weed density and weeds biomass was recorded in 12 cm apart plants with l weed free followed by application of S-metolachlor + atrazine @ 740 g a.i. ha⁻¹ + 550 g a.i. ha⁻¹ + mesotrione and atrazine @ 687.5 g ha⁻¹ and maximum weed density and weed biomass broad PD (12 cm) with weedy check. Additionally, maximum concentration of carbohydrate, protein and starch was also recorded in narrow PD (12 cm)) with application of S-metolachlor + atrazine @ 740 g a.i. ha⁻¹ + 550 g a.i. ha⁻¹ + mesotrione and atrazine @ 687.5 g and lowest concentration of carbohydrate, protein and starch was recorded in 12 cm spaced plants with weedy check. Therefore, combination of 20 cm spaced plants and application of S-metolachlor + atrazine @ 740 g a.i. ha⁻¹ + 550 g a.i. ha⁻¹ + mesotrione and atrazine @ 687 could be an promising approach to get better maize productivity in semi-arid regions.

Green manure represents a crucial soil management practice for soil traits and potentially sequestering organic carbon (OC) within the soil profile. Understanding the biomass dynamics of Fabaceae and Poaceae plants has become essential for refining existing models of soil fertility and organic carbon. In this work, we have developed six models of the fertility and carbon stock of the soil collected from the plots where ten plant species were cultivated as green manuring crop. Two of them are named aboveground and belowground biomass models which use specific biomass production parameters α and adapted to both Fabaceae and Poaceae stands, and three other models are named Ca²⁺, K⁺ and P models adapted to green manure stands. The last one is named soil organic carbon stock model, and it is adapted to both Fabaceae and Poaceae stands. A Bayesian inference was carried out to determine parameters values according to the 6-years field experiment database. The highest significant values for SOC stock, aboveground biomass model, and belowground biomass modes were found for the Fabaceae model with 9.99 t ha⁻¹, 5.37 t ha⁻¹, and 0.61 g cm⁻³, respectively. All proposed models into this study (density, soil, and biomass models) were explained by the geometric reliability index (GRI) and efficiency factor (EF) with a more dispersive fitting. This study underscores the importance of considering adapted models from the Fabaceae and Poaceae families, particularly those with high growth rate index (GRI) and efficiency factor (EF). We found that shoot dry biomass exhibited a polynomial decrease, whereas root density showed an exponential decrease over time for both Poaceae and Fabaceae plants. Furthermore, our study revealed that long-term cultivation of cover crops with green manure significantly augmented the contents of exchangeable cations (Ca²⁺ and K⁺) as well as soil organic carbon (SOC) stock.

Abstract

Evaluation of the net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of agroecosystems may help to assess regional carbon cycles and ensure carbon neutrality. However, farmland NEE is influenced by climate change, phenological period, and crop management. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the time-lag effects of climate change on the phenology and NEE of winter wheat, as well as the influence of crop management. We found that the impact of climate change on the phenology of winter wheat exhibits a time lag of 1 to 2 months, with notable spatial and temporal heterogeneity. When accounting for time-lag effects, the correlation between climate change and both phenology and NEE significantly strengthens, with the lagged impact on NEE primarily mediated through changes in phenology. Specifically, climate change accelerates the green-up and heading dates but delays the maturity date, while crop management extends the phenological period. Our findings indicated that during the green-up stage, NEE is mainly influenced by temperature changes resulting from climate change. During the heading stage, it is predominantly affected by crop management, and during the maturity stage, it is impacted by both factors, with crop management having a more significant effect. Overall, the accelerated green-up stage and delayed heading and maturity stages contribute to enhanced carbon sequestration. This research provides new insights into carbon exchanges in agricultural ecosystems.

Abstract

Attaining sustainable agriculture requires water consumption management. A water allocation optimization model was developed for the Moghan irrigation network (northwest of Iran) based on the AquaCrop plug-in model. The genetic algorithm was applied to optimize water allocation for five main crops, including wheat, first-cultivation maize, second-cultivation maize, soybeans, and alfalfa. The heuristic economic utility (EU) function was used as the objective function to optimize water allocation. In this function, drained water salinity was applied as a penalty factor to the total benefit, and soil salinity deterioration due to irrigation was also considered as a factor in each crop’s benefit. The results showed that the optimal allocated water depth was 17% less than the normal water consumption. Moreover, the application of soil water salinity coefficients did not affect the ratio of EU to EB (economic benefits) for wheat and alfalfa. However, first-cultivation maize, second-cultivation maize, and soybeans cultivation led to a reduction in EU within the study area. A combination of the crops cultivation led to a change in river water quality and an 8.2% reduction in the ratio of EU to EB function.