Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment最新文献

Inadequate soil water for timely crop establishment in dryland agricultural production systems of the inland Pacific Northwest is a key limiting factor in crop production. It is important to identify management practices that reduce soil water evaporation in the long fallow season prior to seeding wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in the fall. In a 2-year study, we assessed the impacts of four residue management approaches (conventional stubble height, high stubble left standing, high stubble mowed in spring, and residue removed) in conjunction with two row orientations (north-south vs. east-west) at low and intermediate precipitation dryland agriculture sites. Soil cores to a 120-cm depth were collected at the beginning and end of each fallow season. Near-surface microclimate data (relative humidity, air temperature, soil temperature, and windspeed) were collected. Taller stubble had significantly lower windspeed compared to short residue heights. Higher soil temperatures were observed where residue was removed, but higher air temperatures were observed in high stubble. Differences in snow capture were noted during one snowfall event with high winds. Row orientation demonstrated little impact on any of the parameters. No statistically significant (p < 0.05) differences were found between treatments in wheat yield, fallow soil water storage, or reference evapotranspiration. The results of this study suggest that while residue management can have effects on microclimate, it did not lead to differences in soil water storage or wheat yield in a climate where little precipitation is received for the last 3 months of the fallow season.

Cover crops are touted for improving soil health, reducing nutrient losses to ground and surface waters, and providing soil protection between cash-crop growing seasons. While they may improve cash crop yield stability and resilience in the long term, cover crops incur seed, planting, termination, and labor costs to farmers while providing little to no short-term revenue. Short growing seasons and harsh winters in many regions make cover crop establishment difficult, resulting in persistent questions about their conservation efficacy and economic feasibility. Row crop farmers with livestock may graze cover crops to defray feed costs, but this increases the importance of cover crop establishment and biomass accumulation. We worked with four farmers in south-central Wisconsin to assess short-term ecological and economic dimensions of rotational grazing of cover crops and to demonstrate “real world” risks in Wisconsin row crop systems. Rotational grazing of cover crops in row crop operations did not appear to impact sensitive soil health indicators, but it did positively affect each farmer's bottom line in the project's first year. In the project's second year, cover crops did not establish well, and only one farmer had a positive economic benefit from grazing cover crops. Nonetheless, all four farmers are determined to plant and graze cover crops in future years. They reported not being discouraged by the “failures” but instead excited for the opportunity.

Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri S. Watson) is classified as a noxious weed in Minnesota, necessitating its eradication within the state. Manure from livestock fed contaminated feed was identified as a major pathway for the introduction of Palmer amaranth in Minnesota. Black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens L.) (BSFL) are known to feed on organic materials and have been extensively studied for improving manure management. However, little is known about their effect on the fate of weed seeds. Laboratory experiments assessed the effect of BSFL on the fate of Palmer amaranth seeds in dairy manure over a 10-day incubation period. The addition of BSFL during incubation reduced manure weight by 42% compared to a nontreated control. The presence of Palmer amaranth seeds in dairy manure did not impact the biomass accumulation of BSFL during incubation. Palmer amaranth seed recovery from dairy manure was 67%, with no additional reduction observed in the presence of BSFL. Germination of recovered Palmer amaranth seeds dropped to 22% in manure treatments, compared to 64% in a non-manure control seed lot, with no further reduction noted with the addition of BSFL. Overall, mixing Palmer amaranth seeds in manure reduced their emergence to 14%, which could be attributed to the reduction in both seed recovery and germination. However, the addition of BSFL to manure did not affect the number of seeds recovered or their germination.

Bambara groundnut (BG) (Vigna subterranean L. verdc) is a highly nutritious and economically important leguminous crop of African origin that forms symbiotic relationships with nitrogen-fixing rhizobia, but it has a low yield. Currently, there is a paucity of information on effective rhizobium inoculant (to improve the yield) for BG, which are cheaper and safer alternatives to chemical fertilizers. Indigenous rhizobia strains were trapped from 54 farm soils collected at three Nigerian states (Niger, Kaduna, and Kano). Six selected rhizobium strains (Bradyrhizobium spp.) were identified using 16S rDNA sequencing, applied as an inoculant in a field experiment using a completely randomized block design, and compared with USDA110 strain (Bradyrhizobium japonicum), urea fertilizer, and uninoculated plants on two selected BG varieties (TVSU1248 and TVSU 631). Nutrient utilization and nitrogen fixation in plants were determined at 6 weeks, while leaf chlorophyll was determined fortnightly. Seed yield was determined at maturity. The strains increased the %nitrogen (1.33 ± 0.10–≥1.37 ± 0.05), %phosphorous (0.48 ± 0.02–≥0.51 ± 0.02), %nitrogen fixed (21.07 ± 2.38–≥61.30 ± 6.13), nodulation (72.50 ± 21.075–154.00 ± 23.79), and leaf chlorophyll, which was ≥49.74 ± 1.47 mg/L, ≥51.82 ± 1.86 mg/L, and ≥49.65 ± 1.56 mg/L at second, fourth, and sixth weeks after planting, respectively, and the yield of BG (from an average of 398.6 to 1454.725 kg/ha). Seed yield was highest (1869.85 ± 273.68 kg/ha) in BG variety TVSU1248 using BN5 strain. Indigenous Bambara-symbiotic strains significantly increased the seed yields and plant nutrients, showing their potential use as an inoculant to improve the yield of BG.

Grassland management significantly influences soil organic carbon (SOC) and nutrient fluxes. This study investigated the effects of five distinct grassland management types on SOC, nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) in Ethiopia's Central Rift Valley. We collected soil samples from random grazing natural grasslands (random grazed); periodically mowed and grazed natural grasslands (mowed-grazed); cultivated, fertilized, and mowed grasslands (cultivated-mowed); periodically mowed area closure natural grasslands (mowed-closed); and protected native forest grasslands (protected forest). We analyzed SOC, labile and stable C fractions, total N, total P, and soil aggregate indices using standard methods, also calculating the C management index and stability ratio. Our findings reveal significant variations (p < 0.01) in SOC fractions across management types. Protected forest grasslands exhibited the highest labile C (1.41%), while random grazed grasslands showed the lowest (0.39%). For stable C, mowed-closed grasslands had the highest (0.92%) and random grazed the lowest (0.23%). Total N ranged from 1.18% in protected forest and cultivated-mowed to 0.04% in random grazed, with total P highest in cultivated-mowed soils. SOC, total N, and total P levels also varied significantly (p < 0.05) with soil depth. The highest total SOC was observed in protected forest, followed by mowed-closed, cultivated-mowed, mowed-grazed, and random grazed. Overall, grassland management practices that minimize soil disturbance, such as protected forest and mowed-closed, proved most effective in enhancing SOC storage and total N content. This study underscores the critical importance of implementing sustainable grassland management to maximize C sequestration in the region.

Farmers in the Palouse watershed of Eastern Washington primarily focus on growing wheat but will often rotate with grain legumes and canola. This rotation is profitable and can reduce costs and boost wheat yields. Both legumes and canola have concerning agronomic attributes, such as poor weed competitiveness and the need for additional nitrogen inputs. Intercropping a legume with canola is an attractive option for decreasing inputs and boosting yields. This study reports a 3-year trial in which canola, peas, and chickpeas were grown solely and intercropped (chickpeas/canola and peas/canola). Each treatment was followed by winter wheat. Land equivalency ratios showed moderate overyielding for chickpea/canola (1.15, p = 0.02) and pea/canola (1.14, p = 0.06) intercrops. Canola was the dominant contributor to yield when grown with chickpeas, and peas were more predominant than canola. Analysis of yield components showed that chickpeas grew taller and had fewer branches in the intercrop, suggesting higher plant populations of this species could increase yields due to their smaller size in intercropped conditions. Soil water loss from each treatment was measured at a shallow (0–70 cm) and a deep (70–130 cm) soil depth. Measurements of soil water consumption revealed that sole-cropped peas used the least water, and water consumption ended earlier than other crop treatments. Chickpeas used the most water at a shallow soil depth. Chickpea and canola intercrops depleted more water at the deep soil depth. Intercropping canola with a grain legume increased soil water consumption deeper in the profile compared to the legume alone. Winter wheat yields were unaffected, and grain quality was relatively unchanged by the previous intercrop or sole crop.

Agronomic management offers a practical approach for cultivating mungbean (Vigna radiata L. Wilczek) under water-stressed dry conditions. This study investigated the effects of water stress (WS) on mungbean yield productivity, plant water relations, and physicochemical changes in response to different potassium (K) application rates. Two genotypes—drought-resistant BMX-08010-2 (G1) and sensitive cultivar BARI Mung-1 (G2)—were employed alongside seven levels of potassium fertilization treatments, namely, well-watered + recommended K fertilization (RKF) in the form of muriate of potash (KL₁), WS + RKF (KL₂), WS + 25% additional K with RKF (KL₃), WS + 50% additional K with RKF (KL₄), WS + 75% additional K with RKF (KL₅), WS + 100% additional K with RKF (KL₆), and WS + 125% additional K with RKF (KL₇). All treatments were conducted under a rain-out shelter using a split-plot design with three replications. The results revealed that various physicochemical and agronomic traits were affected under WS, including water use efficiency (WUE), chlorophyll content, relative water content, xylem exudation rate, membrane stability index, proline, and soluble conditions, particularly temperature depression, biological yield, harvest index, and seed yield productivity. However, the application of additional K (KL₃–KL₇) improved the performance of all these traits under WS conditions, with the most notable improvement observed at the highest application level (KL₇). Specifically, the KL₇ treatment increased WUE to 8.14 kg ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹ and grain yield to 1093 kg ha⁻¹, whereas the KL₂ treatment, without additional K, recorded the lowest WUE (4.73 kg ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹) and grain yield of 825 kg ha⁻¹. Compared to lower K applications under WS, the KL₇ treatment resulted in a 32.52% increase in grain production, with overall yields ranging from 1410 kg ha⁻¹ using 281 mm water (KL₁) to 825 kg ha⁻¹ using 175 mm water (KL₂). These findings support the role of K supplementation in mitigating the adverse effects of WS and offer a promising strategy for using this approach as a model for enhancing WUE and crop resilience in achieving sustainable water development under climate-smart agricultural practices.

This study, conducted at Nkolbisson in the Centre region of Cameroon, aimed to identify soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] varieties released by the Pan-African Soybean Variety Trials (PAT) in 2016 that are adapted to the acidic soil conditions (pH 4.10). A completely randomized block design with three replications was used for experimentation. Fertilizer was not applied to allow each variety to develop its potential under acidic conditions. Quantitative parameters, including plant height, crown diameter, fresh and dry weights of aboveground parts and roots, and total plant dry matter, were measured. The total nitrogen content of the plant during nodulation and after pod formation, as well as the production yields, was also assessed. Results showed that six varieties had plant heights greater than 67 cm (Pan 237, TGX 2010 3F, Pan 3, Maksoy 2N, Songda, and TGX 2001 12F), with the highest height recorded with TGX 2001 12F (85.66 ± 5.68 cm). The highest fresh weights of the aerial parts, ranging from 13.36 ± 3.97 to 44.26 ± 13.95 g, were observed in 19 soybean varieties. Fifteen soybean varieties showed the highest dry matter (95.04%–95.60%). The soybean varieties with the highest total nitrogen content at nodulation and after pod formation were Sentinel (6.00%) and TGX 2011-3F (4.88%), respectively. Nine varieties achieved yields above 2 t/ha, with TGX 2010 3F scoring the highest yield (2.76 t/ha). This study demonstrated the potential of some varieties of soybeans to thrive in acidic soils, offering a viable alternative for cultivation in areas with edaphic constraints. For that, further studies should be conducted on both the nutritional performance and the symbiotic interactions of these soybean varieties under acidic soil conditions.

A challenge for precisin agriculture is developing automated computer methods to accurately estimate fruit and seed yield in the standing crop. Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) pods are hard to distinguish from stems, which causes inaccurate predictions of yield from images of mature shoots. We developed image analysis tools to estimate morphological traits in the vertical canopy profile that are associated with high seed yield in soybeans. Using common image processing methods involving thresholding and particle analysis, higher circularity of the shoot convex hull vertical profile was found to correlate with high seed yield (number and grams per plant) in both an indeterminate cultivar (P49T80R) and in a determinate cultivar (Glenn). These soybean cultivars achieved high yields using different growth and production strategies. Glenn had a smaller shoot but exhibited a high pod density phenotype throughout its canopy (PT1, where PT stands for phenotype), while P49T80R achieved high yield through a combination of increased height and greater branching width, which compensated for lower pod density in its branches (PT2). We trained a deep machine learning model to automate shoot phenotyping using nearly 400 images of soybean shoots. The resulting model distinguished between PT1 and PT2 shoot images with 80% overall accuracy. The highest prediction accuracy in the model, 95%, was attained for shoots exhibiting the PT2 phenotype. Our work illustrates real-world application of image analysis technologies to identify high-yield trait analysis in field-grown soybeans and emphasizes the importance of including pod density positioning in machine learning training models.

Analyzing genotype-by-environment interaction (GEI) is crucial in multi-environment trials before introducing new barley varieties for cultivation under diverse regional conditions. This study evaluated novel barley genotypes across five Iranian locations during the 2022–2024 cropping seasons, assessing traits such as days to heading, maturity, grain-filling period, plant height, 1000-kernel weight, and grain yield. Combined analysis of variance revealed significant effects of genotype (G), environment (E), and GEI. Substantial phenotypic variation was observed across genotypes. The additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) model partitioned GEI into six interaction principal component axes (IPCA). Based on IPCA1 scores and mean yield, genotypes G1, G2, G3, and G5 were identified as both high-yielding and stable. The AMMI-based stability metrics and best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) identified genotypes G14 and G16 as the most stable, with broad adaptability across environments. These findings were reinforced by complementary metrics integrating AMMI and BLUP: weighted average of absolute scores and yield balance, and weighted average of absolute scores and yield scenarios. The genotype plus genotype-by-environment biplot analysis defined three mega-environments in Iran's barley-growing regions—Gonbad (north), Ahvaz, and Darab (south)—highlighting key targets for breeding efforts. Genotype G3 showed strong performance in the northern environment, while G4 was better adapted to southern conditions. Genotypes G14 and G16, due to their consistent performance across sites, are recommended for cultivation under variable or harsh climatic conditions. These insights support targeted selection and breeding of barley varieties adapted to Iran's diverse agroecological zones.