High Fertility Levels Research Articles

Effect of fertility levels and liquid biofertilizers on quality parameters of malt barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is crucial for malt production in the beverage industry, driving the need for sustainable practices to improve grain yield and quality. Fertility management and biofertilizers enhance nutrient availability and soil health, but their combined effects on 1malt barley quality require further study. A field experiment was conducted during rabi season 2020–21 and 2021–22 with the objective to evaluate the response of malt barley to fertility levels and biofertilizers. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design (Factorial) with 15 treatment combinations comprised of three fertility levels, i.e. application of 70 kg N + 40 kg P2 O5 + 25 kg K2 O/ha, 60 kg N + 30 kg P2O5 + 20 kg K2 O/ha and 50 kg N + 25 kg P2O5 + 15 kg K2O/ha with 5 liquid biofertilizers, i.e. control, Azotobacter, PSB, KMB and Azotobacter + PSB + KMB. The result revealed that malt barley crop fertilized with 70 kg N + 40 kg P2 O5 + 25 kg K2O/ha recorded highest protein content (11.6%) and average grain weight (43.8 mg) which was significantly higher over rest of fertility levels. While the highest starch (61.8%) and malt content (82.6%) in grain recorded under application of 50 kg N + 25 kg P2O5 + 15 kg K2 O/ha. The results showed that seed inoculation with liquid biofertilizers Azotobacter + PSB + KMB significantly improved protein content (11.4%) and average grain weight (43.6 mg) of malt barley crop. While the highest starch (62.0%) and malt content (82.7%) in grain recorded under control. The study concludes that higher fertility levels and combined biofertilizer application (Azotobacter + PSB + KMB) enhance protein content and grain weight in malt barley, while lower fertility levels favour higher starch and malt content.

Pseudomonas sp. G31 and Azotobacter sp. PBC2 Changed Structure of Bacterial Community and Modestly Promoted Growth of Oilseed Rape.

Oilseed rape is one of the most important oilseed crops, requiring high levels of nitrogen fertilization. Excessive nitrogen use, however, leads to numerous negative environmental impacts, spurring the search for sustainable, environmentally friendly alternatives to reduce reliance on mineral nitrogen fertilizers. One promising approach involves plant-growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB), which can support oilseed rape growth and lessen the need for traditional nitrogen fertilizers. This study evaluates a selected microbial consortium comprising bacterial isolates obtained from soil: Pseudomonas sp. G31 and Azotobacter sp. PBC2 (P1A). The applied PGPB significantly increased seed yield (a 27.12% increase) and, in the initial phase of the study, reduced the ammonium nitrogen content in the soil (a 20.18% decrease). Metataxonomic analyses were performed using Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology by Illumina. Although P1A did not significantly affect alpha diversity, it altered the relative abundance of some dominant soil microorganisms. In the BBCH 75 phase, the P1A consortium increased the abundance of bacteria of Firmicutes phylum, including the genera Bacillus and Paenibacillus, which was considered a beneficial change. In summary, the Pseudomonas sp. G31 and Azotobacter sp. PBC2 consortium increased seed yield and was found to be part of the native rhizosphere community of oilseed rape, making it a promising candidate for commercialization.

Effects of Fertilization and Drip Irrigation on the Growth of Populus × canadensis ‘Zhongliao 1’ Plantation and on Soil Physicochemical Properties and Enzyme Activities

Poplars are crucial for timber supply and ecological protection in China. Enhancing the growth of poplar plantations and improving soil fertility in arid, and semi-arid poor soil regions are key aspects of sustainable forest management. Fertilization (FTL) and drip irrigation (DI) are among the most widely used methods globally for increasing yield and soil productivity. This study conducted field experiments on FTL and DI in a 10-year-old Populus × canadensis ‘Zhongliao 1’ (cultivation varieties of P. canadensis in northern China) plantation. DI limits were set according to soil moisture at 60% (S1), 70% (S2), and 80% (S3) of field capacity; nitrogen FTL rates were set at 100% of the baseline fertilization amount (100% BFA, N 643.20 g·year−1, P 473.37 g·year−1, and K 492.29 g·year−1) (F1), 70% BFA (F2), 130% BFA (F3), and 160% BFA (F4). The treatments of drip irrigation and fertigation (DIF) were H1 (100% BFA, 60% FC), H2 (100% BFA, 80% FC), H3 (160% BFA, 60% FC), and H4 (160% BFA, 80% FC), along with a control group (CK) without any management, totaling 12 experimental combinations. The results showed that the H4 had the most significant promoting effect on the height, DBH, and volume increments. All treatments had little effect on the soil bulk density of the plantation but significantly impacted soil capillary porosity and pH. Compared to DI, soil nutrient and organic matter content were more sensitive to FTL. Appropriate FTL and DI can increase soil sucrase activity. Soil urease activity tended to increase with higher FTL rates, and higher DI levels also positively influenced urease activity. Excessive or insufficient soil moisture and nutrients negatively impacted soil cellulase and catalase activities. Correlation analysis revealed no significant correlation between the growth of P. × canadensis ‘Zhongliao 1’ and soil nutrient content, but significant or highly significant correlations existed between growth and soil porosity and related enzyme activities. Comprehensive evaluation using a membership function indicated that high FTL levels (F4) were more conducive to the simultaneous improvement of the growth and soil fertility of the plantation, followed by H4 and F1, suggesting that high FTL is the key factor affecting the growth of 10-year-old P. × canadensis ‘Zhongliao 1’ plantations and the restoration of stand productivity, with moisture being secondary.

Nitrogen fixation and fertilization have similar effects on biomass allocation in nitrogen-fixing plants.

Plants adjust their allocation to different organs based on nutrient supply. In some plant species, symbioses with nitrogen-fixing bacteria that live in root nodules provide an alternate pathway for nitrogen acquisition. Does access to nitrogen-fixing bacteria modify plants' biomass allocation? We hypothesized that access to nitrogen-fixing bacteria would have the same effect on allocation to aboveground versus belowground tissues as access to plentiful soil nitrogen. To test this hypothesis and related hypotheses about allocation to stems versus leaves and roots versus nodules, we conducted experiments with 15 species of nitrogen-fixing plants in two separate greenhouses. In each, we grew seedlings with and without access to symbiotic bacteria across a wide gradient of soil nitrogen supply. As is common, uninoculated plants allocated relatively less biomass belowground when they had more soil nitrogen. As we hypothesized, nitrogen fixation had a similar effect as the highest level of fertilization on allocation aboveground versus belowground. Both nitrogen fixation and high fertilization led to ~10% less biomass allocated belowground (~10% more aboveground) than the uninoculated, lowest fertilization treatment. Fertilization reduced allocation to nodules relative to roots. The responses for allocation of aboveground tissues to leaves versus stems were not as consistent across greenhouses or species as the other allocation trends, though more nitrogen fixation consistently led to relatively more allocation to leaves when soil nitrogen supply was low. Synthesis: Our results suggest that symbiotic nitrogen fixation causes seedlings to allocate relatively less biomass belowground, with potential implications for competition and carbon storage in early forest development.

Do rotation and fertilization practices shape weed communities and affect rice yield in low input rainfed agroecosystems in the Malagasy highlands?

Weeds are a major threat in tropical regions where climate conditions favor their growth and development. This is particularly true in low-input rice-based cropping systems in the Malagasy highlands, where weed management is mainly done by manual removal. Crop rotation is often promoted as an efficient way to control weed infestations, while the role of fertilization is more controversial. In this study, we compared rice monoculture to three rainfed rice-based two-year rotations: rice followed by groundnut, rice followed by sorghum-cowpea mixture, and rice followed by a velvet-bean crotalaria mixture. Each rotation was tested with two levels of fertilization (5 t DM ha−1 organic manure, sole or in combination with mineral fertilizer - 400 kg ha−1 NPK + 200 kg ha−1 urea). We assessed the effect of rotation and fertilization on weed composition, diversity, biomass and rice yield. Additionally, the farmers’ perception of weed harmfulness and the relation between their assessment of weed harmfulness and rice production was tested. Our results showed that weed biomass significantly decreased rice yield but only under the low fertilization level. The rotation of rice with the velvet bean-crotalaria mixture was efficient in reducing weed biomass, modified weed community composition and allowed to achieve the highest rice yield. A significant negative relationship was found between weed community harmfulness index and weed species richness. Yet, the lowest rice yield was observed under rice monoculture despite a higher species richness over years and under high fertilization level. The lack of significant correlation between the harmfulness index and the actual rice yield is probably because our index is partly based on farmer’s perception, and only on major weeds. More studies on tropical weed harmfulness are needed to support the design of ecologically intensified cropping systems.

Contraceptive use and method mix dynamics in Sub-saharan Africa: time trends and the influence of the HIV pandemic

BackgroundContraceptive use dynamics continue to be of priority in sub-Saharan Africa because of persistently high levels of fertility. This paper focuses on the use of barrier versus non-barrier contraceptive use in sub-Saharan Africa hypothesizing that the HIV pandemic in the region would be responsible for increases in the use of barrier methods over time.MethodsThis paper uses Demographic and Heath Survey (DHS) data from 32 countries to conduct extensive analysis of trends in contraceptive use and method mix that refers to the distribution of contraceptive methods use among the sexually active population. The paper examines how contraceptive method mix dynamics have changed over time and whether the trends differ by marital status and gender using cross-tabulations. It furthers examines the determinants of method choice using logistic regressions.ResultsThe findings indicate that the use of barrier methods, most markedly for unmarried women and men, rose substantially between the late 1980s and late 2000s in the region in tandem with trends in HIV prevalence. The results further show marked differences in method mix by gender with men being more likely to report barrier method use than women.ConclusionsThe findings indicate shifting preferences in contraceptive choice. The time trend analyses highlight the importance of expanding the focus of contraceptive use studies beyond women in this context as the study finds differing trends for men.Graphical

Bioactive compounds and apoptotic effects of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) in different fertilizer conditions

In this study, the qualitative traits of stigma (crocin, picrocrocin and safranal content) and the apoptotic effects of stamen and petal extracts (real-time PCR analysis for evaluating the expression of Bax, Bcl2, CAS3 and CAS6 genes) of saffron were investigated under organic and conventional conditions at the Agricultural Research Field of the University of Birjand, Iran over three years. The treatments included field age (one, two, and three-year-old farm) and also organic and conventional cultivations with different levels (low, moderate, and high levels) of cow manure and chemical fertilizers, respectively. The results indicated that the crocin, picrocrocin and safranal contents were considerably increased using organic and chemical fertilizers compared to the control. The highest crocin, picrocrocin and safranal contents were obtained under applying a high level of manure in organic farming system (OFS-H), that safranal content in this level have no significant difference with applying a moderate level of manure in organic farming system (OFS-M), and applying a high level of chemical fertilizers in conventional farming system (CFS-H). Among the field ages, the three-year-old farm resulted in the highest qualitative yield of saffron compared to the one-year-old farm and the two-year-old farm. The real-time PCR analysis also showed that petal and stamen extracts led to up-regulation of Bax, CAS3 and CAS6 (Pro-apoptotic genes) and down-regulation of Bcl2 (Anti-apoptotic gene) in both cultivation ways. The highest and the lowest bioactive compounds and the expression of Pro-apoptotic genes belonged to stamen extract at organic farming system and petal extract at conventional farming system, respectively. The findings of this study could significantly contribute to identification of the best crop management strategy for increasing the qualitative and medicinal properties of Saffron.

Nutrient availability and plant phenological stage influence the substrate microbiome in container-grown Impatiens walleriana ‘Xtreme Red’

BackgroundThe microbiome plays a fundamental role in plant health and performance. Soil serves as a reservoir of microbial diversity where plants attract microorganisms via root exudates. The soil has an important impact on the composition of the rhizosphere microbiome, but greenhouse ornamental plants are commonly grown in soilless substrates. While soil microbiomes have been extensively studied in traditional agriculture to improve plant performance, health, and sustainability, information about the microbiomes of soilless substrates is still limited. Thus, we conducted an experiment to explore the microbiome of a peat-based substrate used in container production of Impatiens walleriana, a popular greenhouse ornamental plant. We investigated the effects of plant phenological stage and fertilization level on the substrate microbiome.ResultsImpatiens plants grown under low fertilization rates were smaller and produced more flowers than plants grown under optimum and high fertilization. The top five bacterial phyla present in the substrate were Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteriodota, Verrucomicrobiota, and Planctomycetota. We found a total of 2,535 amplicon sequence variants (ASV) grouped into 299 genera. The substrate core microbiome was represented by only 1.8% (48) of the identified ASV. The microbiome community composition was influenced by plant phenological stage and fertilizer levels. Phenological stage exhibited a stronger influence on microbiome composition than fertilizer levels. Differential abundance analysis using DESeq2 identified more ASVs significantly affected (enriched or depleted) in the high fertilizer levels at flowering. As observed for community composition, the effect of plant phenological stage on microbial community function was stronger than fertilizer level. Phenological stage and fertilizer treatments did not affect alpha-diversity in the substrate.ConclusionsIn container-grown ornamental plants, the substrate serves as the main microbial reservoir for the plant, and the plant and agricultural inputs (fertilization) modulate the microbial community structure and function of the substrate. The differences observed in substrate microbiome composition across plant phenological stage were explained by pH, total organic carbon (TOC) and fluoride, and across fertilizer levels by pH and phosphate (PO4). Our project provides an initial diversity profile of the bacteria occurring in soilless substrates, an underexplored source of microbial diversity.

Improving growth and productivity of chickpea (Cicer arietinum) of south eastern Punjab with optimal plant population and fertility level

The study aimed to investigate the impact of plant populations and fertility levels on growth and yield attributes of chickpea cultivars. For this, a field experiment was conducted with two cultivars (PBG 7 and GPF 2), two levels of plant populations (3.33 and 2.22 lakh plants/ha) and two fertility levels (20:40:20 and 30:60:30 kg NPK/ha) at south-eastern Punjab (Patiala) during the winter season of 2018-2019 following factorial randomized block design. Chickpea cultivar PBG 7 recorded significantly highest growth parameters (plant height, dry weight, branches/plant) and yield attributes (pods/plant, grains/pod, 1000-seed weight and grain yield/plant) and yield as compared to the cultivar GPF 2. The lower plant population (2.22 lakh plants/ha) resulted significant increase in plant height (3.13%), dry weight (22.56%), branches/ plant (25.44%), pods/plant (7.60%), grains/pod (15.62%) over the plant population of 3.33 lakh plants/ha, but considerably higher grain yield (1471 kg/ha) was recorded with 3.33 lakh plants/ha. Higher fertility level (30:60:30 kg NPK/ha) significantly increased growth, yield attributing parameters, grain yield (1476 kg/ha) and net return (INR. 45,036/ha) as compared to low fertility level (20:40:20 kg NPK/ha). Therefore, for obtaining higher yield of chickpea, PBG 7 can be sown at 3.33 lakh plants/ha with 30:60:30 kg NPK/ha under south-eastern Punjab.

Using Total Cohort Fertility in Adolescence (TCFA) to analyse adolescent fertility trends and factors in Niger: Evidence from 1992 to 2012 demographic and health surveys.

Girls aged 10-19 currently represent 12% of Niger's population (2020). And this number continues to grow as the fertility rate is higher while mortality is declining faster. Using Niger's demographic and health surveys carried out between 1992 and 2012, the study investigated adolescent fertility, its trends and associated factors. It mobilised descriptive methods (Total cohort fertility in adolescence (TCFA) computation, distribution of the number of adolescent births, and computation of adolescent cohort childbearing mean age) and multivariate Logistic and Poisson models. The result shows the TCFA went from 1.29 in 1992 to 1.17 in 2012. Early sexual intercourse and marriage, infant mortality, the desire for a large family, and urbanisation are among the factors significantly associated with adolescent fertility in Niger. The study concludes that the high level of adolescent fertility in Niger does not seem to be changing.

Combined Application of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Promotes the Growth and Nutrient Accumulations of Cinnamomum camphora Container Seedlings

Combining the application of nitrogen and phosphorus is widely recognized as an effective measure to promote seedling growth. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the combined application of nitrogen and phosphorus on the growth and nutrient status of C. camphora container seedlings. Exponential fertilization was applied to a range of fertilizers, including single nitrogen fertilizer, single phosphorus fertilizer, and combinations of nitrogen and phosphorus to C. camphora. Eight distinct fertilization levels of treatment (CK, N1, N2, N3, P, N1P, N2P, and N3P) were established. The height and ground diameter of the seedlings were determined periodically in each treatment group. Biomass, root system (including root length, root surface area, and root volume), and nutrient accumulation (content of soluble sugars, soluble proteins, and starch in the root system, stems, and leaves) were determined for each treatment group of seedlings. The N3P treatment (N: 9000 mg∙plant−1 + P: 6000 mg∙plant−1) had the most significant effect on the height and ground diameter of C. camphora container seedlings, while the N3 treatment (N: 9000 mg∙plant−1) proved to be the most beneficial for biomass accumulation among the eight different fertilizer levels. In addition, a single P fertilizer (P: 6000 mg∙plant−1) emerged as the most effective fertilizer for enhancing root morphology (root length, root surface area, root volume, and root average diameter) and accumulating nutrient composition (soluble sugar, soluble protein, and starch). Furthermore, it was discovered that a high level of nitrogen fertilization hindered the accumulation of nutrient composition in C. camphora container seedlings. Our comprehensive analysis revealed that nitrogen fertilizer promoted the morphological growth of C. camphora container seedlings, while phosphorus fertilizer proved to be the most beneficial for root growth and nutrient composition accumulation. Additionally, it was emphasized that controlling the quantity of nitrogen fertilizer is also a crucial measure.

Soil CO2 and CH4 Dynamics and Their Relationships with Soil Nutrients, Enzyme Activity, and Root Biomass during Winter Wheat Growth under Shallow Groundwater

Soil CO2 and CH4 concentrations are crucial determinants of crop physiology and the soil environment. However, the intricate relationships among soil respiration, soil nutrients, enzyme activities, and winter wheat growth in the presence of shallow groundwater remain enigmatic. This study aimed to investigate the dynamics of soil CO2 and CH4 concentrations and their correlations with soil nutrient content, enzymatic activities, and wheat root biomass to better understand the influence of shallow groundwater on soil environmental conditions. Lysimeter experiments were conducted at five groundwater depths (20, 40, 50, 60, and 80 cm) and three fertilizer application rates (low, 75%; normal, 100%; high, 125%). Soil CO2 (soil layer > 10 cm) and CH4 concentrations significantly decreased with increasing groundwater depth. The maximum values of root parameters and shoot biomass were mainly concentrated at 50–60 cm at the high fertilization level (except root length density, which was higher at the normal fertilization level), and were 0.36–77.4% higher than other treatments. Soil CO2 concentration showed positive correlations with organic matter and total N content, enzyme activities, and root biomass. Soil CH4 concentration had significant correlations with soil organic matter, total N, and available K. Compared to the fertilization level, groundwater depth emerged as a crucial factor as it affected soil physicochemical properties, soil enzymatic activities, root respiration, and winter wheat growth in shallow groundwater.

Effects of different fertilization patterns on soil improvement and vegetation restoration of desertified grassland in northwest Liaoning Province, China

Improving soil fertility is one of the key approaches for ecological restoration of the wind-sand area in northwest Liaoning Province. Taking wind-sand area in northwest Liaoning Province as test object, we conducted a fertilization experiment with treatments of inorganic fertilizer (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers), organic fertilizer, combined application of organic and inorganic fertilizers, and organic fertilizer combined with a biologically organic matrix (γ-polyglutamic acid), and no fertilizer as control. We measured soil organic matter content and extractable cations concentrations, vegetation coverage, and biomass under different fertilization treatments and determine the suitable fertilization mode. The results showed that compared to the control, inorganic fertilizer rapidly increased vegetation coverage and biomass, but high levels of inorganic fertilizer (150 kg N·hm-2) led to soil acidification and Ca2+ leaching. Organic fertilizer increased soil organic matter content, exchangeable K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+ contents, as well as coverage and biomass vegetation, especially combined with γ-polyglutamic acid. Overall, the combination of low levels of inorganic fertilizer (50 kg N·hm-2) and moderate levels of organic fertilizer (30000 kg·hm-2) was the best fertilization practice for the rapid and stable restoration of grassland in wind-sand area. Moreover, the extra addition of γ-polyglutamic acid (60 kg·hm-2)could effectively improve soil fertility.

Fertility among Northern Nigeria women and associated factors: Negative binomial regression model approach

Objective: The 2020 sustainable development progress report shows that human population growth is a critical barrier to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). There are very few studies on determinants of fertility particularly looking at the northern part of Nigeria that has a relatively high fertility level compared with the southern part of the country. This study therefore is aimed at identifying the factors associated with fertility among women in northern Nigeria. Methods: The data for this study was from the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) 2018. The number of children ever born by women aged 15 – 49 years and other variables who lived in Northern Nigeria were extracted and analyzed using Negative Binomial Regression, where the level of significance was 0.05. Results: There were variations in factors associated with fertility among the geopolitical zones in Nigeria. Age of the respondents, sex of household head, wealth index, religion, ethnicity, use of family planning (FP) method, and child death experience were among the factors associated with fertility. Women with no/lower education, early marriage, being Muslim and Hausa/Fulani ethnic background experienced high fertility (p<0.05). Conclusion: Attention to the factors mentioned above and intervention programmes designed to reduce fertility are indispensable. Education of female children should be given extra attention as this will empower them to be more informed. Hence, achieving SDGs will become a reality.

Socio-Economic Status and Fertility Behavior among Tamang Women in Bhaktapur

This study "Socio-Economic Status and Fertility Behavior among Tamang Women in Bhaktapur District" was carried out with the main objective of to identify the socio-economic status and fertility behavior among the Tamang women in the study area. The study included 169 married Tamang women of reproductive age group selected from census method. By conducting this research it is concluded that most of the women get married at the age of 15-20 years. Which was 48.5 percent of the total in the same way education, economic status, religion, occupation and family income were the dominant socio-economic factors of affecting the fertility behavior. Out of 169 respondents in the study area, 69.82 percent respondents were literate and 30.17 percent population was illiterate. Out of 169 respondents 60 percent were engaged in the agriculture sector, followed by 25 percent of hose hold workers. Most of the respondents were using family planning method for limiting birth. From the viewpoint of effects of socio-economic variables on fertility behavior, medium income group was 66.27 percent, low income 19.52 percent and high income was 14.20 percent. In education field, illiterate 30.17 percent, secondary level 79.66 percent and higher level 20.33 percent. In occupation involved in agriculture was 60.35 percent, household chose 24.85 percent, business 16.05 percent and other 4.73 percent. Similarly this study had found that the total number of respondents with their average CEB was 2.52 per family. High fertility culture was shown by these people. Lower fertility, behavior was associated with literacy and having higher age at marriage. It is argued that fertility remains high due to high child mortality. High fertility has ensured high dependency and family burden. Similarly current skewed distribution of population towards the younger ages would result high fertility level in the years to come.

The Effect of K-Fertilization and Irrigation on the Composition of Cultivated Soils: Examples from Israel

Evaluation of soil sustainability should take into account chemical and mineralogical changes due to cultivation. Potassium (K) application is a key farming practice that may potentially affect phyllosilicate composition and soil properties. Irrigation is another agent that affects soil composition. This study aims to evaluate the imprints of cultivation on the chemical and mineralogical compositions of lowland soils under semi-arid and Mediterranean climate regimes and to assess them with the natural pedogenesis. The sites examined include two permanent plot experiments with crop rotation, and three single-plant plots. Cultivated, control, and fallow soils were analyzed for their chemical and mineralogical composition. The X-ray diffraction patterns of the clay fraction were decomposed to achieve quantitative detection of changes among the illite–smectite (IS) phases and in kaolinite amounts. In loamy and clayey soils dominated by IS phases, cultivation caused minor changes and diverse behavior of the IS phases. Yet, the K balance was negative under high fertilization levels and higher plant mass production. Fertilization enhanced the natural process of transforming IS into kaolinite and illite in the sandy soil, leading to a positive K balance. This study emphasizes the importance of IS minerals as a dynamic K pool that responds to plant needs.

Intermediate irrigation with low fertilization promotes soil nutrient cycling and reduces CO2 and CH4 emissions via regulating fungal communities in arid agroecosystems

The field practices, including irrigation and fertilization, strongly affect greenhouse gas emissions and soil nutrient cycling from agriculture. Understanding the underlying mechanism of greenhouse gas emissions, soil nutrient cycling, and their impact factors (fungal diversity, network characteristics, soil pH, salt, and moisture) is essential for efficiently managing global greenhouse gas mitigation and agricultural production. By considering abundant and rare taxa, we determine the identities and relative importance of ecological processes that modulate the fungal communities and identify whether they are crucial contributors to soil nutrient cycling and greenhouse gas emissions. The research is based on a 4-year field fertigation experiment with low (300 kg/ha P2O5 with 150 kg/ha urea) and high (600 kg/ha P2O5 with 300 kg/ha urea) fertilization level and three irrigation levels, that is, low (200 mm), medium (300 mm), and high (400 mm). The α-diversity (richness and Shannon index) of fungal subcommunities was significantly higher under medium irrigation (300 mm) and low fertilization (300 kg/ha P2O5 with 150 kg/ha urea) than under other treatments. Intermediate irrigation with low fertilization treatment yielded the most significant higher multinutrient cycling index and the lowest CO2 and CH4 emissions. The null model indicated that abundant taxa are mainly regulated by stochastic processes (dispersal limitation), and rare taxa are mainly regulated by environmental selection, especially by soil salinity. The co-occurrence network of rare taxa explained the changes in the entire fungal network stability. The abundant taxa played vital roles in regulating soil nutrient status, owing to the stronger association between their network and multinutrient cycling index. Furthermore, we have confirmed that soil moisture and fungal network stability are crucial factors affecting greenhouse gas emissions. Together, these results provide a deep understanding of the mechanisms that reveal fungal community assembly and soil fungal-driven variations in nutrient status and network stability, link fungal network characteristics to ecosystem functions, and reveal the factors that influence greenhouse gas emissions.

Enhancing nitrogen use efficiency and plant productivity in long-term precrop/crop rotation and fertilization management

ContextLong-term experiments are an important tool to investigate the effects of crop rotation and fertilization measures under climate change conditions. However, there are few studies on nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of crops in long-term cropping systems in Europe, but no consolidate studies in Germany. ObjectiveWe analyzed a long-term experiment established in 1982 to observe the role of legumes on total nitrogen uptake, NUE, agronomic efficiency, nitrogen response index and N recovery efficiency compared to fallow land and cereals in a crop rotation over the long-term. MethodsThe experiment included five different precrops (fallow land, maize, oat, field bean and clover mulch) in combination with four levels of fertilization (control, PK, PK+N with reduced dosage, and PK+N with full dosage followed by three years of cereal cultivation (winter wheat, winter rye, summer barley) in all treatments. The field trial was conducted as a fully factorial split plot design, with spatially randomized field repetitions in four blocks. ResultsLong-term mineral NPK fertilization improved the N uptake of winter wheat (185.7 kg N ha−1), winter rye (152.2 kg N ha−1) and summer barley (92.2 kg N ha−1) when the higher level of fertilization (NPK 100%) was implemented. A year-round application of clover mulch as green manure in the rotational system resulted in higher NUE (up to 37%) compared to fallow land after 40 years. Crop rotation with oat and maize (100% cereals) led to lower NUE (up to 30%) compared to fallow land. Clover mulch (198%), field bean (155%), fallow land (148%) and maize (119%) significantly increased the N uptake of wheat compared to oat in 2015. Over time, the agronomic efficiency was increased. This increase was 4 or 5 times higher in the 9th and 10th crop rotation compared to the beginning of the experiment (in 1983). Nitrogen response index of clover mulch was approximately 33–37% lower than fallow land at the beginning of the experiment in 1983 and 45–50% lower over the 40 years. N recovery efficiency values of winter wheat (94%), winter rye (66%) and summer barley (46%) increased within the 10th crop rotation compared to the beginning of the long-term experiment. ConclusionsCombining clover mulch as a green manure with mineral fertilizer has greater potential to improve NUE and crop productivity by increasing soil N availability. ImplicationsOur study highlights the importance of evaluating agronomic management practices in long-term field experiments to understand their sustainable effects.

Family planning uptake and its associated factors among women of reproductive age in Uganda: An insight from the Uganda Demographic and Health Survey 2016.

Despite the government efforts to reduce the high fertility levels and increase the uptake of family planning services in Uganda, family planning use was still low at 30% in 2020 which was the lowest in the East African region. This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence and factors associated with the uptake of family planning methods among women of reproductive age in Uganda. This community-based cross-sectional study utilized secondary data from the Uganda Demographic and Health Survey (UDHS) of 2016. The survey data was downloaded from the Measure Demographic Health Survey website after data use permission was granted. Data was collected from a representative sample of women of the reproductive age group (15-49 years) from all 15 regions in Uganda. A total of 19,088 eligible women were interviewed but interviews were completed with 18,506 women. Data analysis was performed using SPSS statistical software version 32.0 where univariable, bivariable, and multivariable analyses were conducted. The prevalence of family planning use was found to be 29.3% and that of modern contraceptive use was found to be 26.6%. Multivariable analysis showed higher odds of current family planning use among older women (40-44 years) (aOR = 2.09, 95% CI: 1.40-3.12); women who had attained the secondary level of education (aOR = 1.91, 95% CI: 1.32-2.76); those living in households with the highest wealth index (aOR = 1.87, 95% CI: 1.29-2.72); and awareness of the availability of family planning methods (aOR = 1.41, 95% CI: 1.17-1.72). In conclusion, the study suggests improving women's education attainment, socio-economic position, and awareness may help increase use in the population.

Bayesian spatial analysis of fertility and multidimensional poverty in municipalities of Mexico 2020

AbstractThe low fertility levels observed in Mexico in recent years have been accompanied by high levels of poverty. The paper analyzes the effect of multidimensional poverty on the observed levels of fertility at the municipal level, that is, the relationship between the spatial dispersion of fertility and the observed levels of poverty. The analysis is based on the application of two hierarchical Bayesian models, the first one representing a spatial field that adjusts the behaviour of the total fertility rate and a second one that adds the effect of the poverty covariate to the spatial field. The results show that an increase in municipal poverty levels would cause a significant increase in fertility rates, which is evidenced by the formation of spatial clusters where high levels of fertility and poverty are observed.