Enhance Crop Productivity Research Articles

Impact of silicon fertilization on crop growth, productivity and nutrients enhancement in rice: A review

Silicon (Si), constituting around 27.7 % of the Earth's crust by weight, is the second most abundant element after oxygen (47 %). While not considered essential, silicon is beneficial for crop growth, especially for Poaceae family crops. Intensive cultivation or continuous mono-cropping of cereals like rice depletes soil silicon levels, which may lead to decreased rice yields. Rice can absorb and accumulate silicon metabolically, a trait not common in many upland crops. Beyond boosting rice yields, silicon offers multiple benefits, such as enhancing nutrient availability (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Zn), reducing nutrient toxicity (Fe, Mn, P, Al) and mitigating biotic and abiotic stress in rice. Sufficient silicon also stabilizes rice plant culms, reducing lodging risks. Thus, silicon is crucial for plant growth and improving rice productivity at the agronomic level. This review focuses on the relationship between silicon and rice crops, their interactions with other elements and strategies for managing silicon in soils and plants to sustain rice productivity.

Potential applications of Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner in agriculture, medicine and environment

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is renowned for its insecticidal activity against a wide range of target pests. Bt formulations offer safe alternatives to chemical insecticides, effectively eliminating insects using toxins and enzymes such as chitinases and metalloproteases. This bacterium has transformed pest management through the development of genetically modified insect-resistant crops, providing targeted protection. Beyond pest control, Bt serves as an alternative to antibiotics, fertilizers, bioremediation agents and for nanomaterial synthesis. While its effectiveness in insect control contributes to sustainable farming practices, Bt further promotes plant growth as a biofertilizer and growth enhancer. Additionally, it plays various roles in medicine and environmental applications. Bacteriocins, proteins produced by Bt, exhibit high efficacy against pathogenic bacteria and demonstrate some fungicidal activity, offering potential applications in medicine and food preservation. Bt’s influence extends to environmental bioremediation, where it targets heavy metals and dyes. It is also involved in the synthesis of metal nanoparticles and exhibits anti-cancer activity by targeting various cancerous cells. Overall, Bt showcases a broad spectrum of activity across agriculture, medicine and environmental sectors, highlighting its potential to enhance crop productivity, improve human health and reduce environmental pollution.

A Sustainable Methodological Approach for mitigation of Salt Stress of Rice Seedlings in Coastal Regions: Identification of Halotolerant Rhizobacteria from Noakhali, Bangladesh and their impact

Salinity hinders the growth of many crops common in the diet, such as rice, wheat and maize when cultivated in coastal salinity areas. Given the limited availability of cultivable land and the increasing growth of the population, it is necessary to enhance productivity. In this paper, we present an innovative approach to adopting Halotolerant Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (HPGPR) to enhance salt-tolerant rice varieties to solve salinity stress and enhance crop production. HPGPR has functions to overcome plant growth and development and is the most efficient bioinoculant for rice in saline environments. This approach can be considered a potential method because of the cost-effective and environmentally friendly impacts in agricultural production, which involves salt-affected areas.

Assessing the Effects of Integrated Nutrient Management on Groundnut Root Growth and Post-Harvest Soil Properties in Brown Forest Soil of South Odisha

The globe faces food security difficulties because of population increase and resource degradation, both worsened by climate change. Applying chemical fertilizer along with cereal-based cropping systems degrades soil health with respect to physical, chemical, and biological properties, which also results in low crop land productivity. However, adopting legume-based cropping systems with integrated nutrient management provides an appropriate way to reach Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Hence, a field trial was conducted on groundnut in 2018 and 2019 at the Post Graduate Research Farm, M.S. Swaminathan School of Agriculture, Paralakhemundi, Odisha, India. The experiment was laid out in a Factorial Randomized Block Design (FRBD) with two factors as seed inoculation (solid carrier-based Rhizobium (SR) and liquid carrier-based Rhizobium (LR)) and nutrient management (N1: 100% N (fertilizer), N2: 75%N (fertilizer) + 25% N (FYM), N3: 50%N (fertilizer) + 50% N (FYM), N4: 25% N (fertilizer) + 75% N (FYM) and N5: 100% N (through farmyard manure, FYM) in ten treatment combinations and replicated thrice. The result revealed that seed inoculation with SR and LR showed an almost similar trend in root length, dry weight and nodule, post-harvest soil pH, organic carbon and Rhizobium population in the soil in both years, which remained statistically at par. However, SR showed the highest value for root growth. Among nutrient management, 100% N (through inorganic fertilizer) recorded the highest root length (11.72, 19.75 and 23.9 cm) and dry weight (0.394, 1.075 and 1.141 cm) at 30, 60 and 90 days after sowing (DAS) respectively. Further, in the pooled data, the interaction effect of seed inoculation and nutrient management significantly impacted both root length and root dry weight. The nutrient management treatment and interaction effect of both factors, seed inoculation and nutrient management, significantly influenced soil organic carbon % and Rhizobium population. The highest and equal value of organic carbon in the soil (0.46%) was recorded from NM3, NM4 and NM5 and the highest Rhizobium population (64.5 x 106 CFU g-1 soil) from 100% N (FYM). The results concluded that integrated nutrient management positively impacted groundnut root growth and post-harvest soil properties. The results concluded that integrated nutrient management positively impacted groundnut root growth and post-harvest soil properties. Integration of Rhizobium as seed inoculation, fertilizer, and organic manure (FYM) influenced soil properties and root growth, enhancing crop productivity.

RESULTS REGARDING THE INFLUENCE OF GREEN MANURE USAGE ON MAIZE CROP ON ACIDIC SOILS IN THE NORTHWEST OF THE COUNTRY

This paper presents the efficacy of green manures in raising soil fertility and enhancing crop productivity, on the Albic Luvisols in northwestern Romania.Green manures are cover crops that provide various benefits when added to the soil. Peas are especially effective at increasing organic nitrogen in the soil, leaving behind a significant amount of 471.74 kg N(a.s.) per hectare. Regardless of the pressure from the pathogen Fusarium spp. and the pest Ostrinia n. the maize yield was not affected. The incorporated green manures especially peas, significantly raises maize yield surpassing the control with almost 3000 kg. The quality of the maize crop, specifically starch content and hectoliter weight, was not influenced by either green manure or chemical fertilization.

A Scale to Analyse the Societal Attitude of Farmers towards Adoption of Scientific Water Efficient Practices in Command Areas

Water is an essential yet limited natural resource, vital for sustaining life on Earth. Command areas refer to regions supplied by irrigation systems, such as canal networks or reservoirs, which deliver water to agricultural lands. Effective water management in these regions is crucial for optimizing resources, ensuring fair distribution, and enhancing crop production and productivity. While many scales exist to measure farmers' attitudes, none specifically assess attitudes toward adopting scientific, water-efficient practices in command areas. This study attempts to address this gap by developing and standardizing a scale to evaluate farmers' societal attitudes toward such practices. The resulting scale, which has demonstrated high reliability and validity, consists of 40 statements divided into six categories: (a) maintenance of field channels and distributaries, (b) on-farm water management, (c) water-saving techniques, (d) crop selection and cultivation practices, (e) excess water management techniques, and (f) policy, administration, and extension. An Ex-post facto research design was adopted, and the scale was administered to 40 farmers using a simple random sampling technique in the Tungabhadra command area of Karnataka during the 2023-24 period. Findings reveal that a significant majority of farmers (80%) exhibited attitudes ranging from less favourable to favourable toward scientific water-efficient practices, whereas only one-fourth (20%) displayed a more favourable attitude toward these practices.

Effect of Shading on Leaf Anatomical Structure, Photosynthesis Characteristics and Chlorophyll Fluorescence of Soybean (Glycine max)

ABSTRACTThe present study aimed to investigate the effect of different shade treatments (0%, 35%, 50% and 75%) on physiological traits and yield attributes of two soybean genotypes namely JS 97‐52 and JS 95‐60. The results clearly showed that plants which were grown under control conditions exhibited the highest values for specific leaf weight, chlorophyll content, leaf thickness and stomatal density, whereas the lowest values were observed in plants subjected to 75% shading. Moreover, a significant reduction in photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance and electron transport rate was observed with decreased solar radiation. Performance index, fluorescence area, Fv/Fo, Fo/fm, ABS/CSo, DIo/CSo, TRo/CSo and ETo/CSo were also reduced under heavy shade. Seed yield was reduced by 24%, 47% and 62% in JS 97‐52 and by 51%, 82% and 92% in JS 95‐60 under 35%, 50% and 75% shading, respectively, compared to the control conditions. Therefore, to enhance crop productivity under intercropping, the effects of shade should be taken into consideration.

Trophic modulation of endophytes by rhizosphere protists.

The plant-microbe interactions, which is crucial for plant health and productivity, mainly occur in rhizosphere: a narrow zone of soil surrounding roots of living plants. The rhizosphere hosts one of the most intense habitats for microbial prey-predator interactions, especially between predatory protists and bacteria. Here, based on two key facts, microbial predators modulate rhizobacterial community composition, and the rhizobacterial community is the primary source of root microbiome, endophytes; we hypothesized that predation upon rhizobacteria would modulate the community composition of endophytic bacteria. The effects of three taxonomically distinct axenic protist species (Acanthamoeba castellanii, Vermamoeba vermiformis, and Heteromita globosa) were tested in this study. To examine the robustness of the hypotheses, the experiments were conducted in three soil types characterized by distinct bacterial communities and physicochemical properties. The bacterial community compositions were analyzed with high throughput sequencing. Bacterial gene abundances were estimated with a real-time-PCR method. The results showed that protists modulated endophytic communities, which originated in the rhizosphere soil. The modulation of endophytic communities by protists showed chaotic patterns rather than a deterministic effect under different soil types. The observed chaotic dynamics were further confirmed with an additional experiment, in which chaos was triggered by changes in the dilution rates of soil nutrients. Furthermore, the presence of predators enhanced the root colonization of endophytes. Our findings identify a key mechanism for the modulation of root endophytes and enhance understanding of underground plant-microbe interactions, which can lead to open new avenues for modulating the root microbiome to enhance crop production.

Management of yield losses in Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek crop caused by charcoal-rot disease through synergistic application of biochar and zinc oxide nanoparticles as boosting fertilizers and nanofungicides

The mung bean crop (Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek) is widely recognized as a key source of pulse food worldwide. However, this crop suffers substantial yield losses due to humid environments, particularly from infestations by the fungal pathogen Macrophomina phaseolina, which causes charcoal rot disease. This infestation results in significant agronomic losses, affecting both the crop’s growth characteristics and overall yield. Previous research suggests that these losses can be mitigated through environmentally friendly soil amendments, such as biochar, as well as by applying various nanofungicides. This study aims to explore the potential of biochar and zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) to reduce the severity of charcoal rot disease and enhance the agronomic traits and yield of mung bean plants affected by this disease. The experiment was conducted in triplicate, applying ZnONPs at three concentrations (5, 10, and 20 mg. L− 1) via foliar spraying, combined with two levels of biochar (20 g and 40 g per pot). Positive and negative control treatments were also included for comparison. The results demonstrated that applying 40 g of biochar per pot and 20 mg. L− 1 of foliar-applied ZnONPs increased the activities of the anti-oxidative defence enzymes. Additionally, this treatment strategy boosted the plants’ disease resistance mechanisms, leading to lower mortality rates and reduced levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) by 61.7% and 49.23%. Moreover, the treatment positively impacted key growth parameters, increasing total chlorophyll content by 43%, plant height by 47%, and legume count per plant by 80.4%. The application of biochar and ZnONPs also improved seed protein content, reflecting an enhancement in nutritional quality. This study supports the use of biochar and ZnONPs as biostimulants to manage yield losses in mung bean crops affected by charcoal rot disease. The future prospects of using ZnONPs and biochar as treatments in agriculture are promising, as they offer innovative, eco-friendly solutions to enhance crop productivity, improve soil health, and reduce reliance on synthetic chemicals, paving the way for more sustainable and resilient agricultural systems.

Potential organic amendments for improving productivity and associated biological properties of low carbon soil

ABSTRACT Applying organic amendments with high carbon (C) content can indeed improve soil quality and increase crop yields. The objective of this 4-year field study was to evaluate the effects of three fertilizer-N application (N0, N75, and N100) levels in main plots and five levels of organic amendments incorporation (farmyard manure, poultry manure, press mud, rice straw compost and no manure) in wheat in sub-plots on soil biological properties, and crop yields in a low C sandy loam (Typic Ustochrept) soil. The application of fertilizer-N and organic amendments significantly increased all the soil enzyme activities as compared to the control. In contrast, the results of microbial biomass carbon, phenoloxidase, and peroxidase activity were significantly higher in farmyard manure treated plots by 64.6, 46.2 and 17.7%, respectively than control. Principal component analysis (PCA) suggests that dehydrogenase, xylanase, phenol oxidase, peroxidase and alkaline phosphatase can serve as sensitive indicators and were contribution to soil quality index by 42.5%, 11.3%, 46.8%, 22.6%, and 3.7%, respectively. Results suggest that locally available organic manures can be potential soil amendments to improve biological properties and enhance crop productivity under integrated nutrients management practices in rice-wheat cropping systems.

Sustainable Practices for Arid Climates: Evaluating Combined Mulches with Biostimulant in Combating Soil Salinity and Cowpea Cultivation

Salinity and water security are significant challenges in arid climates, necessitating effective practices to enhance crop productivity in these stressful environments. To address this, a study was conducted during the summer seasons of 2022 and 2023 using a randomized, completely block setup with three replications. The research assessed the effects of different mulch materials, unmulched (bare soil), white plastic, rice straw, and sawdust, combined with biostimulant foliar applications (control, bulk chitosan at 250 mg/L, and two concentrations of chitosan nanoparticles at 125 mg/L and 62.5 mg/L) on physiochemical and biological properties of salt-affected soil, as well as on the growth and yield of cowpeas. The findings of this study indicate that different mulch materials exert distinct effects based on their type. For instance, white plastic mulch with chitosan nanoparticles at a concentration of 62.5 mg/L markedly decreased soil salinity (by 10.80% and 14.64%) and ESP (by 6.93% and 6.80%). In contrast, white plastic mulch paired with a control foliar application significantly increased the soil moisture content (by 23.93% and 27.63%) compared to un-mulched soil. The combination of organic mulches and biostimulant foliar treatments significantly enhanced soil health by increasing the pH, organic carbon, nutrient content, and beneficial bacteria while reducing the bulk density and suppressing harmful fungi. Biostimulant foliar treatments have a modest affected soil property. Additionally, this study highlights that integrating specific mulching materials with biostimulant foliar treatments can significantly improve cowpea’s vegetative growth, yield, and nutrient content. This suggests that combining mulches and biostimulants may provide a sustainable solution for enhancing cowpea production in saline environments.

Can nanotechnology and genomics innovations trigger agricultural revolution and sustainable development?

At the dawn of new millennium, policy makers and researchers focused on sustainable agricultural growth, aiming for food security and enhanced food quality. Several emerging scientific innovations hold the promise to meet the future challenges. Nanotechnology presents a promising avenue to tackle the diverse challenges in agriculture. By leveraging nanomaterials, including nano fertilizers, pesticides, and sensors, it provides targeted delivery methods, enhancing efficacy in both crop production and protection. This integration of nanotechnology with agriculture introduces innovations like disease diagnostics, improved nutrient uptake in plants, and advanced delivery systems for agrochemicals. These precision-based approaches not only optimize resource utilization but also reduce environmental impact, aligning well with sustainability objectives. Concurrently, genetic innovations, including genome editing and advanced breeding techniques, enable the development of crops with improved yield, resilience, and nutritional content. The emergence of precision gene-editing technologies, exemplified by CRISPR/Cas9, can transform the realm of genetic modification and enabled precise manipulation of plant genomes while avoiding the incorporation of external DNAs. Integration of nanotechnology and genetic innovations in agriculture presents a transformative approach. Leveraging nanoparticles for targeted genetic modifications, nanosensors for early plant health monitoring, and precision nanomaterials for controlled delivery of inputs offers a sustainable pathway towards enhanced crop productivity, resource efficiency, and food safety throughout the agricultural lifecycle. This comprehensive review outlines the pivotal role of nanotechnology in precision agriculture, emphasizing soil health improvement, stress resilience against biotic and abiotic factors, environmental sustainability, and genetic engineering.

Investigation of coupling DSSAT with SCOPE-RTMo via sensitivity analysis and use of this coupled crop-radiative transfer model for sensitivity-based data assimilation

The increasing availability of remote sensing (RS) data and the advancement of computation abilities, combined with the demands for enhancing crop production, encourages the creation of a framework in which crop growth simulation can be updated sequentially to serve as a yield predictor and be part of a decision support system. However, crop model outputs and RS data must be linked via a radiative transfer model (RTM), which simulates the interaction between the crop and the intercepted radiation. In this study, a comprehensive coupling scheme between a crop model (DSSAT-CROPGRO-tomato) and an RTM (SCOPE-RTMo) was formulated and investigated through global sensitivity analysis (SA) and by testing the coupled model in a synthetic data assimilation (DA) experiment. The DA experiment utilized a sensitivity-based particle filter (PF) in which the SA results were used to enhance the PF convergence rate and accuracy. The SA results provide the sensitivity of simulated reflectance at different wavelengths to DSSAT-CROPGRO parameters throughout the season. This information can help guide future data assimilation experiments by choosing imaging instruments with appropriate spectral bands and timing the measurements to enhance model calibration. The results of the synthetic DA experiment showed a good convergence of the particle filter towards the ground truth. The results also demonstrated the strong relation between LAI and reflectance, as several model runs with different initial values of DSSAT-CROPGRO parameters all converged and predicted the synthetic LAI observations very well. The convergence of DSSAT-CROPGRO parameters to their ground truth values was only partial, and phenology-related parameters tended to converge better than growth-related parameters.

Enhancing crop and water productivity of Bt cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) through drip irrigation and fertigation in semi-arid environments of south-western Punjab

The experiment was conducted during 2019 and 2020 at Regional Research Station (Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab), Faridkot, Punjab to evaluate the impact of different drip irrigation and fertigation regimes on Bt cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) (cv. RCH 773 BGII). The experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) comprised of 3 drip irrigation levels (60%, 80%, and 100% of ETc); 2 fertigation doses (75% and 100% of recommended nitrogen dose), along with two extra control treatments (surface flood irrigation with 105 kg N/ha and subsurface flood irrigation with 112.5 kg N/ha). Results revealed that surface drip irrigation significantly reduced water usage by 13.9–32.3% as compared to conventional surface flood irrigation, while seed cotton yield increased by 18.2–25.2%. Notably, subsurface drip fertigation (SSDF) (100% recommended level of nitrogen applied at 80% ETc) exhibited the potential to conserve about 8.9–25.7% of total water applied, besides boosting crop yield by 37.2%. In conclusion, this study elucidated better crop and water productivity with subsurface drip followed by surface drip irrigation as compared to traditional surface flood irrigation and manual fertilizer application. Therefore, adoption of drip irrigation systems for water and nitrogen application needs to be advocated for sustainable cotton cultivation.

Efficacy of Pyroxasulfone against Weeds and their Impact on Yield and Economic Analysis of Wheat

A field experiment was conducted during the rabi season (November, 2021–April, 2022) at AICRP on Wheat, College of Agriculture, Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India to evaluate the efficacy of Pyroxasulfone in wheat cultivation to enhance crop productivity and profitability. The study assessed eight weed management treatments, including herbicide applications (pendimethalin at 1000 g ha-1; pyroxasulfone at 127.5 g ha-1; pendimethalin+pyroxasulfone at 1250+127.5 g ha-1; metribuzin at 300 g ha-1; pendimethalin+metribuzin at 1250+280 g ha-1; pyroxasulfone+metribuzin at 127.5+280 g ha-1 as pre-emergence), hand weeding once at 25 DAS and weedy check, in a randomized block design with three replications. The experimental field was dominated by Phalaris minor (17.82%) among monocot weeds, while Medicago denticulata (28.97%), Cichorium intybus (26.19%), Chenopodium album (16.10%), and Anagallis arvensis (10.92%) among the dicot weeds throughout the crop growing period. Results revealed a substantial decrease in weed density and dry weight across all treatments, with the combination of pyroxasulfone+metribuzin at 127.5+280 g ha-1 showing superior efficacy. Weed control efficiency was highest with hand weeding, followed by herbicide treatments. Additionally, treatments significantly influenced wheat growth parameters and yield attributes, with the application of pyroxasulfone+metribuzin at 127.5+280 g ha-1 resulting in the tallest plants and highest number of tillers square-1 meter. Grain yield was also found significantly higher in plots treated with pyroxasulfone+metribuzin at 127.5+280 g ha-1. The economic analysis demonstrated that pyroxasulfone+metribuzin at 127.5+280 g ha-1 yielded the highest net monetary returns, indicating its economic viability.

Soil biological health assessment based on nematode communities under maize and peanut intercropping

BackgroundCereal/legume intercropping can enhance crop productivity and improve soil health in dryland farming. However, little is known about soil biological health under maize/peanut intercropping. The aim of this study was to assess soil biological health based on nematode communities in a maize/peanut intercropping system.MethodsWe conducted a field experiment with different planting patterns, including monoculture maize (M), monoculture peanut (P), and maize intercropped with peanut (IM, intercropped maize; IP, intercropped peanut) to determine the influence on soil biological health. We measured soil physicochemical properties and nematode communities, and employed exploratory factor analysis combined with cumulative normal distribution curve scoring to identify potential soil biological health traits.ResultsThe intercropped maize gave the highest plant parasitic nematode abundance, trophic diversity index, evenness index, and structure index. The monoculture peanut gave the highest enrichment index and least plant parasitic nematode abundance, trophic diversity index, Shannon diversity index, evenness index, structure index, and channel index. We identified four soil biological health traits, including basic nutrients and biodiversity, food web complexity, slow energy channel, and fast energy channel, mainly represented by soil ammonium nitrogen and Shannon diversity index, structural index and omnivore-predator nematode abundance, fungivorous nematode abundance and plant parasitic nematode abundance, microbial biomass carbon and bacterivorous nematode abundance, respectively. The intercropping systems improved the comprehensive score of soil biological health, especially maize intercropping soil. Intercropping maize and intercropping peanut significantly improved oil biological health traits representing the food web complexity compared with the corresponding monoculture soils.ConclusionsOur results indicate that soil nematode and physicochemical indicators reflect different soil biological health traits. Among those traits, the improvement of basic nutrients and biodiversity and the complexity of the food web were the main reasons for improving soil biological health through the intercropping system.

Soil dielectric response to chemical fertilizers in Northern India's key agricultural areas

This study investigates the impact of various artificial nutrient components, specifically Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K), and their combination (NPK), on the dielectric properties of soil (ε′ and ε''). The research focuses on examining the physical, chemical, and dielectric properties of soil influenced by different concentrations of these fertilizers, both individually and in combination. Dielectric analysis was performed within the radio and microwave spectrum (200 MHz-14 GHz) using a modified probe arrangement with an Agilent 85070E open-ended coaxial probe and a vector network analyzer.The results revealed a complex interplay between N, P, K, and NPK concentrations and soil characteristics. The varying chemical compositions significantly altered the soil's physical and chemical properties, as detailed in the tabulated results. Soils treated with K exhibited the highest dielectric parameter (ε′ and ε'') values, followed by P and N and NPK combined. Advanced modeling techniques, including Response Surface Methodology (RSM) and Machine Learning (ML), were employed to predict soil dielectric properties (ε′ and ε'') as functions of nutrient concentrations, temperature, and frequency. The RSM models demonstrated high precision, with R2 values of 0.9982, 0.9958, 0.9913, and 0.9962 for ε′ of N, P, K, and NPK, respectively. However, the accuracy of these models decreased for ε''. To address this limitation, various ML regression models were analyzed for ε′ and ε'', yielding high accuracy and enhanced prediction values, with MAE, MSE, RMSE, and R2 scores of 0.378, 0.196, 0.615, and 0.9945 for ε′ and 0.045, 0.0034, 0.212, and 0.95 for ε'', respectively. This research highlights the significant effects of N, P, K, and NPK on soil dielectric behavior, providing valuable insights into nutrient-soil interactions. The findings have practical implications for agricultural practices, offering a non-destructive method to assess soil nutrient levels and optimize fertilization strategies for enhanced crop productivity.

Sustainable Agricultural Practices in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Review of Adoption Trends, Impacts, and Challenges Among Smallholder Farmers

Sustainable agricultural practices (SAPs) remain the panacea to addressing challenges relating to climate change, low rainfall, and low agricultural productivity in many rural parts of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). These practices include but are not limited to crop rotation, intercropping, cover cropping, and conservation tillage. The aforementioned practices have been scientifically proven to enhance crop productivity while safeguarding environmental resources. This review assesses the trends, effectiveness, and challenges associated with the adoption and utilization of SAPs among smallholder farmers in the SSA region, analyzing the literature and reports from 2000 to 2024 sourced from databases such as Google Scholar and Scopus. The inclusion criteria focused on key concepts such as SAPs, adoption, and challenges. Findings indicate that crop rotation, intercropping, improved seed varieties, manure, and mulching are among the most adopted practices. In reality, practices such as conservation tillage, agroforestry, and water harvesting systems remain the least adopted practices in many rural parts of SSA. The review further reveals that challenges relating to land tenure insecurity, lack of knowledge, training, and limited access to financial institutions all have a direct or indirect influence on farmers’ choice of adoption. Overcoming the aforementioned challenges through policy interventions and capacity building is vital for improved crop productivity and rural livelihoods.

Impact of Subsurface Drainage System Design on Nitrate Loss and Crop Production

Subsurface (or tile) drainage offers a valuable solution for enhancing crop productivity in poorly drained soils. However, this practice is also associated with significant nutrient leaching, which can contribute to water quality problems at the regional scale. This research presents the findings from a 4-year tile depth and spacing study in central Illinois that included three drain spacings (12.2, 18.3, and 24.4 m) and two drain depths (0.8 and 1.1 m) implemented in six plots under the corn and soybean rotation system (plots CS-1 and CS-3: 12.2 m spacing and 1.1 m depth, plots CS-2 and CS-4: 24.4 m spacing and 1.1 m depth, and plots CS-5 and CS-6 18.3 m spacing and 0.8 m depth). Our observations indicate that drain flow and NO3-N losses were higher in plots with narrower drain spacings, while plots with wider drain spacing showed reduced drain flow and NO3-N losses. Specifically, plots set up with drain spacings of 18.3 m and 24.4 m showed significant reductions in drain flow compared to plots featuring a 12.2 m drain spacing. Likewise, plots characterized by 18.3 m and 24.4 m drain spacings (except CS-4) showed better NO3-N retention and lower leaching losses than those with 12.2 m spacing (CS-1 and CS-3). Crop yield results over a 3-year period indicated that CS-2 (wider spacing plot) showed the highest productivity, with up to 13.6% higher yield compared to other plots. Furthermore, when comparing plots with the same drainage designs, CS-2 and CS-4 showed 5.1% to 2.6% higher corn yield (3-year average) compared to CS-1 and CS-3, and CS-5 and CS-6, respectively. Overall, a wider drainage system showed the capacity to export lower nutrient levels while concurrently enhancing productivity. These findings represent that optimizing tile drainage systems can effectively reduce nitrate losses while increasing crop productivity.

Responses of Legumes to Rhizobia and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Under Abiotic Stresses: A Global Meta-Analysis

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and rhizobia play a pivotal role in enhancing crop productivity, shaping microbial community structure, and improving soil quality, making them key components for sustainable ecosystem development. The symbiotic relationship between AMF and rhizobia is crucial for facilitating efficient biological nitrogen fixation and nutrient absorption, thereby reducing the dependence on chemical fertilizers and promoting sustainable agricultural practices. The findings of various studies, however, indicate that soil environment can impede the symbiotic relationship between AMF and rhizobia. We conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis of 158 articles from 1980 to 2022 to explore the synergistic interactions in legume–AMF–rhizobium systems and the potential mechanisms underlying this synergism. Our findings revealed that the inoculation with AMF and/or rhizobia significantly (p < 0.001) increased legume plant nitrogen content, phosphorus content, shoot biomass, yield, AMF colonization rate, and the number and weight of nodules compared to uninoculated controls (effect size d > 0). Moreover, there was a substantial synergistic effect between AMF and rhizobia (p < 0.001). Nevertheless, soil salinity stress, drought stress, and pH stress could hinder the positive effects of inoculation treatments, possibly due to the plant trade-off strategies under abiotic stress conditions. This research may potentially lead to new solutions for sustainable agricultural systems amidst the challenges posed by global climate change.