Untargeted UHPLC-HRMS-based metabolomics for traceability of lupin (Lupinus albus L.): Revealing the impact of geographical origin and farming practices

Substituting ecological intensification of agriculture for conventional agricultural practices increased yield and decreased nitrogen losses in North China

Soil microbial biomass carbon, an essential component of soil organic matter, serves as an indicator of microbial activity and can influence soil fertility and overall agroecosystem productivity. The conventional farming practices employed in the cultivation of these crops have raised concerns related to environmental sustainability, soil health and long-term productivity. The present investigation was carried out with an objective to study the impact of organic farming and natural farming practices on soil microbial biomass carbon and enzymatic activities in arecanut-black pepper cropping system at Horticulture Research and Extension Center, Sirsi. The treatments included (1) Integrated nutrient management practices (INM), (2) Organic farming practices, (3) Natural farming practices, (4) Chemical farming practices. The details of the four treatments imposed in arecanut and black pepper are T1: INM (100:40:140 g N/P/K per palm per year + 25 ton of Farm yard manure (FYM) + 5-6 ton of vermicompost + biofertilizers was applied as recommended by the University of Horticultural Sciences, Bagalkot). T2: Organic farming (25 ton of FYM + 5-6 ton of vermicompost + biofertilizers were applied), T3: Natural farming (Ganajeevamrutha 400 kg/acre in split doses during the pre-monsoon (200 kg/acre) and post-monsoon (200 kg/acre) period. Jeevamrutha was sprinkled on soil (200 l/acre) at 15-day intervals) and T4: Chemical farming (100:40:140 g N/P/K per palm per year was applied as recommended by the University of Horticultural Sciences, Bagalkot). Pre-incubation of soil samples was done to restore the normal biological activities. A known quantity of soil was moistened to field capacity (60% of MWHC) and incubated at 37 ± 2 0C in a BOD incubator, three days for dehydrogenise and 7 days for phosphatase.Data obtained during the investigation was subjected for a factorial RCBD. By taking nutrient management practices and soil depth as factors. Statistical analysis was performed at a 5 % level of significance using OPSTAT software. The study reveals that the higher microbial biomass carbon (270.20 mg kg-1), microbial biomass nitrogen (28.42 mg kg-1), dehydrogenase (18.55 ug TPF g-1 24 hr-1) and acid phosphatase (19.22 ug PNP g-1 h-1) activity was recorded at the surface soil (0-20cm) of organic farming practice followed by natural farming practice as compared to integrated nutrient management practice and chemical farming practice. The study also reveals that natural farming and organic farming practices contribute positively to soil health by enhancing the soil organic carbon, microbial biomass carbon and enzymatic activities. So, it can be concluded that both organic and natural framing practices contribute to sustainable agriculture by enhancing soil health, which is essential for long-term crop productivity and ecosystem resilience.

The growing global population and increasing demand for agricultural products have exerted significant pressure on agricultural systems. As a result, soil organic matter depletion and degradation have become prevalent issues, including in regions such as South Bohemia, Czech Republic, where conventional farming practices are predominant. Soil organic matter (SOM) plays a critical role in soil health, crop productivity, and the sustainability of agricultural systems, with changes occurring in both the total and labile fractions of the organic matter pools. However, changes in the total soil organic matter carbon pool (TOC) resulting from agricultural practices occur gradually and may become evident only after several years, posing challenges for timely management adjustments. Therefore, the identification of early indicators of SOM dynamics is crucial for implementing prompt corrective actions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of sustainable management practices, such as cultivated crops (Pisum sativum and Lupinus albus), selected entomopathogenic and myco parasitic fungi (MEHA) (Trichoderma virens and Metarhizium brunneum), and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) on the labile fraction of the SOM pool (CLSOM) and identify potential early indicators. Our findings demonstrated that the type of crop and applied microorganisms (treatments) significantly affected the CLSOM in peas, and the crop growth stages affected the TOC in both pea and lupin. Growth stages also showed an impact on the CLSOM in lupin. Moreover, in both crops, the change in CLSOM correlated with changes in the SOM oxidation rate constant (k), carbon lability index (LI), carbon management index (CMI), and carbon enrichment ratio (ER). Conversely, changes in the TOC did not exhibit significant correlations, except for LI and CMI, which showed a positive correlation with the TOC in peas (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the separate application of MEHA and LAB on seeds or leaves resulted in increased SOM carbon pools compared with the combined application. The application of these beneficial microorganisms in pea and lupin crops showed potential in maintaining or increasing CLSOM, which can be assessed early through indicators such as k, LI, CMI, and ER. Contributing to the development of sustainable soil management strategies, future research should further investigate different crops and microorganisms—and the mechanisms underlying their observed relationships—and explore additional early indicators to refine and optimize sustainable agricultural practices.

Carbon sequestration in agricultural soils has the capacity to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, as well as to improve soil biological, physical, and chemical properties. The review of literature pertaining to soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics within Australian grain farming systems does not enable us to conclude on the best farming practices to increase or maintain SOC for a specific combination of soil and climate. This study aimed to further explore the complex interactions of soil, climate, and farming practices on SOC. We undertook a modeling study with the Agricultural Production Systems sIMulator modeling framework, by combining contrasting Australian soils, climates, and farming practices (crop rotations, and management within rotations, such as fertilization, tillage, and residue management) in a factorial design. This design resulted in the transposition of contrasting soils and climates in our simulations, giving soil–climate combinations that do not occur in the study area to help provide insights into the importance of the climate constraints on SOC. We statistically analyzed the model’s outputs to determinate the relative contributions of soil parameters, climate, and farming practices on SOC. The initial SOC content had the largest impact on the value of SOC, followed by the climate and the fertilization practices. These factors explained 66, 18, and 15% of SOC variations, respectively, after 80 years of constant farming practices in the simulation. Tillage and stubble management had the lowest impacts on SOC. This study highlighted the possible negative impact on SOC of a chickpea phase in a wheat–chickpea rotation and the potential positive impact of a cover crop in a sub-tropical climate (QLD, Australia) on SOC. It also showed the complexities in managing to achieve increased SOC, while simultaneously aiming to minimize nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions and nitrate leaching in farming systems. The transposition of contrasting soils and climates in our simulations revealed the importance of the climate constraints on SOC.

Field experiments were conducted at the research farm of the Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania. The main objective of the study was to evaluate the impact of surface soil thickness and management practices on root distribution, plant nutrient content, soil moisture regime, and yield of maize (Zea mays). The experiment was located at two sites, Misufini and Mindu, with Haplic Lixisol and Haplic Acrisol soils, respectively. A detailed soil survey was done to determine four erosion classes based on thickness of the Ap horizon: A, least eroded with surface soil thickness of > 25 cm; B, slightly eroded with surface soil thickness of 21–25 cm; C, moderately eroded with surface soil thickness of 16–20 cm; and D, severely eroded with surface soil thickness of < 15 cm. Three management practices were applied in each erosion class: farmer's practice (control), tied ridges with no fertilizer, and tied ridges with farmyard manure (FYM). Observations on root growth and maize grain yield were made only for farmer's practice and tied ridges with FYM treatments. The root number decreased with depth, but increased with plant growth during the season. The highest number was observed in the moderately eroded class C at Misufini and severely eroded class D at Mindu site. The farmyard manure treatment produced the largest root number at all depths. Maize grain yield decreased with decreasing topsoil depth at both sites and the lowest yield was obtained in plots with topsoil depth of < 15 cm. The use of farmyard manure as a management practice produced significantly higher yields than farmer's practice. Root number was significantly correlated with grain yield for erosion class C at Mindu site, although a trend of increase in yield with increase in root number was observed for all erosion classes at both sites. Soil surface thickness significantly affected the ear leaf concentrations of N and P. The farmyard manure treatment had the highest concentration of P in plants at all stages. Soil moisture content was significantly higher in the farmer's practice treatment, which had low plant vigour. High soil moisture content was measured in the least eroded soils (erosion classes A or B) at both sites.

The 20-year study investigated the effects of conservation practices (CPs) and farmers' practices (FPs) on various soil quality parameters, yield, and economics of horticultural land use systems. CPs demonstrated significant improvements in soil organic carbon (SOC), available nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), compared to FPs. Horticultural systems exhibited higher SOC and available N and P contents than FPs, with substantial variations among different fruit species. CPs also enhanced soil quality index, functional diversity, culturable microbial populations, enzyme activity, and soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC) compared to FPs. It was observed that the SMBC values were 25.0–36.6% and 4.12–25.7% higher in 0–15 cm and 15–30 cm, respectively, under CPs compared to FPs for all the land use systems. In CPs, dehydrogenase activities (DHAs) in surface soils were 9.30 and 7.50 times higher under mango- and citrus-based horticultural systems compared to FPs. The CPs adopted in aonla, guava, mango, litchi, and citrus-based horticultural systems increased SOC by ~27.6, 32.6, 24.4, 26.8, and 22.0%, respectively, over FPs. Canopy spread, fruit yield, litter yield, and soil moisture were significantly higher in fruit-based horticultural systems under CPs. Economic viability analysis indicated higher net present values (NPVs), benefit-cost ratio (BCR), and shorter payback periods (PBPs) for horticultural land use systems under CPs. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that CPs had a more positive influence on soil parameters, particularly DHA, acid and alkali phosphatase activity, available N, P, and K contents, soil microbial load, and organic carbon. The maximum ecosystem services were contributed through mango-based land uses among all land uses. Mango-based horticultural systems exhibited the least impact from both CPs and FPs, while peach-based systems were most affected by CPs. Overall, the findings highlight the benefits of conservation practices in improving soil quality, microbial populations, enzyme activity, and crop productivity in horticultural systems.

Impact of organic and conventional farming practices on the multidimensional characteristics of flour and indirectly on bread

SummaryThis article documents the impact of site conditions and farming practices on the occurrence of rare and endangered weeds on arable land in the Czech Republic. A survey was conducted between 2006 and 2008 in winter cereals, spring cereals and wide‐row crops. The relationship between the occurrence of plants and explanatory factors was analysed using a multivariate analysis to calculate species frequencies in different types of farming, crops and altitudes. In total, 290 relevés were recorded, with a total number of 172 weed species. Nineteen weeds, classified as rare and endangered species according to the national Czech list, were identified in 106 relevés. The highest effect on the occurrence of rare and endangered weed species was observed for altitude. Almost half of the recorded endangered and rare species belonged to the thermophilous weed vegetation typical for cereals on basic soils. A higher occurrence of endangered species has been confirmed for organic farming, where the sum of frequencies was 4.5 times higher than in conventional farming. Field size was not included in our analyses, but could be a factor affecting weed assemblages. The highest frequency of rare species was recorded in spring cereals, followed by winter cereals and wide‐row crops. Higher numbers were identified within fields with higher weed coverage. Lower farming intensity and diversified farming systems at higher altitudes provided better conditions for the occurrence of rare species than intensively farmed lowlands.

A framework coupling farm typology and biophysical modelling to assess the impact of vegetable crop-based systems on soil carbon stocks. Application in the Caribbean

Requirements for mitigation of the continued increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are much needed for the North China Plain (NCP). We conducted a meta‐analysis of 76 published studies of 24 sites in the NCP to examine the effects of natural conditions and farming practices on GHG emissions in that region. We found that N2O was the main component of the area‐scaled total GHG balance, and the CH4 contribution was <5%. Precipitation, temperature, soil pH, and texture had no significant impacts on annual GHG emissions, because of limited variation of these factors in the NCP. The N2O emissions increased exponentially with mineral fertilizer N application rate, with y = 0.2389e0.0058x for wheat season and y = 0.365e0.0071x for maize season. Emission factors were estimated at 0.37% for wheat and 0.90% for maize at conventional fertilizer N application rates. The agronomic optimal N rates (241 and 185 kg N ha−1 for wheat and maize, respectively) exhibited great potential for reducing N2O emissions, by 0.39 (29%) and 1.71 (56%) kg N2O‐N ha−1 season−1 for the wheat and maize seasons, respectively. Mixed application of organic manure with reduced mineral fertilizer N could reduce annual N2O emissions by 16% relative to mineral N application alone while maintaining a high crop yield. Compared with conventional tillage, no‐tillage significantly reduced N2O emissions by ~30% in the wheat season, whereas it increased those emissions by ~10% in the maize season. This may have resulted from the lower soil temperature in winter and increased soil moisture in summer under no‐tillage practice. Straw incorporation significantly increased annual N2O emissions, by 26% relative to straw removal. Our analysis indicates that these farming practices could be further tested to mitigate GHG emission and maintain high crop yields in the NCP.

During the last decades, agriculture has transformed into highly effective and economically optimized production systems with extended cultivation areas and increased usage of fertilizers and pesticides. This development is accompanied by the loss and fragmentation of remaining semi-natural habitats, thereby negatively affecting farmland biodiversity, resulting in species loss and declining ecosystem services such as biological pest control, and pollination. Agri-environmental schemes such as organic farming practices and habitat management can help to mitigate these negative effects, while it is increasingly recognised that attention should be paid to both local and landscape scales. Improving habitat diversity on the landscape scale can enhance biodiversity at the local scale, compensating for intensified local land use. In this thesis, we analysed the effects of local habitat management (sown flower strips, forest edges and hedges) and farming practices (extensive vs. intensive management) on syrphid fly guilds. In addition, we focused on the influence of landscape scale parameters such as the proportion of arable land as well as the proportion of mass-flowering oilseed rape in the surrounding of study sites. Syrphid flies represent one of the biggest groups of the order Diptera and occur in a wide range of habitats in agricultural landscapes. While adult syrphids flies are pollen and nectar feeders, their larvae show different feeding strategies ranging from predators of aphids, bacteria feeders and phytophagous to fungivorous species. Aphidophagous species such as Episyrphus balteatus or Sphaerophoria scripta represent the most frequently occurring syrphid fly species in agricultural landscapes, preying on a wide range of aphids species (e.g. Sitobion avenae, Rhopalosiphum padi, Metopolophium dirhodum), and can play an important role in the suppression of cereal aphid outbreaks. Here, we studied the effect of naturally occurring grassy strips and sown flower strips on syrphid flies in winter wheat fields, which were located along a gradient of landscape complexity (ranging from 30 to 100 % arable land and at multiple spatial scales ranging from 0.5 to 4 km radii). Analyses on the impact of extensive vs. intensive farming practices on syrphid flies were carried out in two European countries (South-Sweden and North-Germany), in each region by comparing four fields at low and four fields at high levels of agricultural intensification. In addition, syrphid flies were analysed by comparing forest edges, forest-connected hedges and isolated hedges adjacent to crop fields (winter wheat and oilseed rape) with respect to the influence of varying proportions of oilseed rape at the landscape scale. The results showed that sown flower strips increased syrphid fly abundance. Syrphid species richness was increased in wheat fields adjacent to sown flower strips. Furthermore, species richness and abundance of syrphid flies in sown flower strips increased as the proportion of arable land in the surrounding landscape increased, indicating a local concentration effect to highly rewarding pollen and nectar resources. Total and aphidophagous syrphid abundances were generally higher in the German than the Swedish study region. Aphidophagous syrphid abundance was higher in high intensity managed fields being located in landscapes with high proportions of arable land, while non-aphidophagous syrphid flies showed higher abundances in low intensity managed fields being located in landscapes with low proportions of arable land. Furthermore, syrphids in the German region appeared earlier in the season, therewith possibly allowing for a better predator-prey synchronization. Syrphid flies appeared to profit from high amounts of pollen and nectar resources in oilseed rape fields. Aphidophagous syrphid abundance in hedges and forest edges showed contrasting responses to the neighbouring crop, with low abundance when neighboured by oilseed rape fields (dilution) and higher abundance when neighboured by winter wheat fields (concentration) at high proportions of oilseed rape fields at the landscape scale. Aphidophagous syrphid fly abundance was increased in forest-connected hedges as well as in crop fields which lay adjacent to forest-connected hedges, indicating noncrop-crop spillover with potentially positive effects on local bicontrol potential. In conclusion, results showed that local habitat management can enhance diversity and abundance of syrphid flies, thereby potentially improving local biological control of cereal aphids. On the landscape scale, results support the idea that environmental schemes are more effective in structurally simple compared to complex landscapes owing to the concentration of highly dispersive organisms such as syrphid flies in resource-rich habitats. The relative abundance of aphidophagous syrphids varied largely between German and Swedish study regions indicating a changing role of species identity along latitudes. Syrphid fly guilds (aphidophagous vs. non-aphidophagous) were contrastingly affected by management type (extensive vs. intensive farming). Aphidophagous syrphid fly abundance in semi-natural habitats is mediated by the percentage of oilseed rape at the landscape scale, depending on local crop identity. The positive influence of forest-connected hedges on syrphids calls for group-specific habitat management practices in order to enhance biodiversity and related important ecosystem services such as biological pest control and pollination in the agricultural landscape.

Regenerative agricultural practices, i.e. organic and natural farming, are rooted in India since ancient times. However, the high cost of production, lack of organic pest control measures and premium price of organic produces in chemical agriculture encourage natural farming. In the present study, the quality improvement of calcareous soils under organic (OGF) and natural (NTF) management was compared with integrated conventional (ICF) and non-invasive (NIF) farming practices with cotton-sorghum crops over three consecutive years. A total of 23 soil attributes were analyzed at the end of the third cropping cycle and subjected to principal component analysis (PCA) to select a minimum data set (MDS) and obtain a soil quality index (SQI). The attributes soil organic carbon (SOC), available Fe, pH, bulk density (BD) and alkaline phosphatase (APA) were selected as indicators based on correlations and expert opinions on the lime content of the experimental soil. The SQI was improved in the order of OGF (0.89) > NTF(0.69) > ICF(0.48) > NIF(0.05). The contribution of the indicators to SQI was in the order of available Fe (17-44%) > SOC (21-28%), APA (11-36%) > pH (0-22%), and BD (0-20%) regardless of the farming practices. These indicators contribute equally to soil quality under natural (17-22%) and organic (18-22%) farming. The benefit:cost ratio was calculated to show the advantage of natural farming and was in the order of NTF(1.95-2.29), ICF (1.34-1.47), OGF (1.13-1.20) and NIF (0.84-1.47). In overall, the natural farming significantly sustained the soil quality and cost benefit compared to integrated conventional farming practices.

Institutional impacts on the resilience of mountain grasslands: an analysis based on three European case studies

There are still uncertainties regarding the long-term impact of no-tillage farming practices on separate soil functions in the United Kingdom. This paper aimed to evaluate the chemical and physical processes in two different agricultural soils under no-tillage and conventional management practices to determine their impact on water related soil functions at field scale in the United Kingdom. The field-scale monitoring compares two neighboring farms with similar soil and topographic characteristics—one of the farms implemented no-tillage practices in 2013, while the second farm is under conventional soil management with moldboard plowing. Two soil types were evaluated under each farming practice: (1) a free-draining porous limestone, and (2) a lime-rich loamy soil with high silt and clay content. Field monitoring was undertaken over a two-year period and included nutrient analysis of surface and subsurface soil samples, bulk density, soil moisture, infiltration capacity, surface runoff, and analysis of phosphorus (P) and suspended solids in watercourses in close proximity to the test fields. The conversion to no-tillage changed the soil structure, leading to a higher bulk density and soil organic matter content and thereby increasing the soil moisture levels. These changes impacted the denitrification rates, reducing the soil nitrate (NO₃) levels. The increased plant material cover under no-tillage increased the levels of soil phosphate (PO₄^3–) and PO₄^3– leaching. The extent to which soil functions were altered by farming practice was influenced by the soil type, with the free-draining porous limestone providing greater benefits under no-tillage in this study. The importance of including soils of different characteristics, texture, and mineralogy in the assessment and monitoring of farming practice is emphasized, and additionally the between field and in-field spatial variability (both across the field and with depth) highlighted the importance of a robust sampling strategy that encompasses a large enough sample to effectively reveal the impact of the farming practice.

This research investigated the influence of diverse farming practices on populations of general and beneficial soil micro-organisms in summer and rainy season groundnut cultivation. Over 4 years (2019–2022), four distinct farming practices; natural farming, organic farming, recommended package of practice, and conventional farming practice were assessed. The study revealed a significant impact of the application of organic inputs on microbial populations, with increased abundance of the general microbial populations (bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes) from 2019 to 2022. The natural farming treatment demonstrated the highest microbial counts, reaching peak levels at the flowering stage in 2022 (186 × 105 cfu g−1 soil for bacteria, 49 × 104 cfu g−1 soil for fungi, and 38 × 103 cfu g−1 soil for actinomycetes) in the summer groundnut crop. The organic farming treatment also recorded a high abundance of the general microbial populations, with statistically similar numbers to that in natural farming. Beneficial microbial populations, including phosphate solubilising bacteria, Pseudomonas, Trichoderma, and Rhizobium, exhibited similar patterns, with natural and organic farming treatments consistently recording the highest counts across the 4 years. Conversely, the conventional farming practices resulted in lower numbers for beneficial microorganisms. Soil enzymatic activity, assessed through dehydrogenase, phosphatase, and urease assays, showed variations over time. Natural and organic farming displayed the highest enzymatic activity, indicating improved soil health. These findings underscored the positive impact of natural and organic farming practices on microbial populations and enzymatic activity, contributing to enhanced soil health and sustainable agriculture, in summer and rainy season groundnut cultivation.