Improve Crop Productivity Research Articles

Combined Application of Leguminous Green Manure and Straw Determined Grain Yield and Nutrient Use Efficiency in Wheat-Maize-Sunflower Rotations System in Northwest China.

Leguminous green manure (LGM) has a reputation for improving crop productivity. However, little is known about the beneficial interactions with straw on crop yield and nutrient (N, P, K) use efficiency. Herein, a 9-year field experiment (from 2015 to 2023) containing three treatments-(1) chemical fertilizer as the control (CK), (2) NPK + straw return (Straw) and (3) NPK + straw return with LGM (Straw + LGM)-was conducted to investigate whether the combined application of LGM and straw can increase productivity and nutrient use efficiency in the wheat-maize-sunflower diversified cropping rotation. The results showed that in the third rotation (2021-2023), Straw + LGM significantly increased wheat yield by 10.2% and maize yield by 19.9% compared to CK. The total equivalent yield under Straw + LGM was the highest (26.09 Mg ha-1), exceeding Straw and CK treatments by 2.7% and 12.3%, respectively. For each 2 Mg ha-1 increase in straw returned to the field, sunflower yield increased by 0.2 Mg ha-1, whereas for each 1 Mg ha-1 increase in LGM yield from the previous crop, sunflower yield increased by 0.45 Mg ha-1. Compared to CK, the co-application of LGM and straw increased the N use efficiency of maize in the first and third rotation cycle by 70.6% and 55.8%, respectively, and the P use efficiency by 147.8% in the third rotation cycle. Moreover, Straw treatment led to an increase of net income from wheat and sunflower by 14.5% and 44.6%, while Straw + LGM increased the net income from maize by 15.8% in the third rotation cycle. Combining leguminous green manure with a diversified cropping rotation has greater potential to improve nutrient use efficiency, crop productivity and net income, which can be recommended as a sustainable agronomic practice in the Hetao District, Northwest China.

Oilseed Radish: Nitrogen and Sulfur Management Strategies for Seed Yield and Quality—A Case Study in Poland

Oilseed Radish: Nitrogen and Sulfur Management Strategies for Seed Yield and Quality—A Case Study in Poland

Moving towards a mechanistic understanding of biostimulant impacts on soil properties and processes: a semi-systematic review

Biostimulants are gaining prominence in scientific research, with the potential to enhance plant productivity through benefits to crop yield/quality and tolerance to environmental stresses. Through possible improvements to nutrient use efficiency, they may also lessen the adverse environmental impacts of conventional inorganic fertilizer use in agriculture. The application of biostimulants is currently uncommon as a farming practice, with uncertain effectiveness in delivering these potential benefits. Current research focuses on biostimulant effects on plant physiological changes. There is little scientific evidence on the impact of biostimulants on soil properties (biological, physical, or chemical) or soil functions. This knowledge gap should be addressed considering the vital role of soil processes in the bioavailability of nutrients, as reflected in crop productivity. This review evaluates laboratory and field experimental work on the effectiveness of common, non-microbial biostimulants, with a focus on their modes of action within the soil matrix. Of 2,097 initial articles returned through the search strings, 10 were within the scope of this review. A common soil biostimulant mechanism emerges from this literature. This relates to the supply of nutrients provided by the biostimulants, which stimulate native soil microbiology in mineralizing organic material in the soil, thus producing more bioavailable nutrients for plant uptake. Additionally, some articles link biostimulant effects to soil physical and chemical changes, which in turn impact soil biology (and vice versa). However, there is inconsistent evidence to provide full support for these explanatory mechanisms. This review highlights the need for further research into the effect of biostimulants on the native soil microbiology and associated soil properties, to provide greater clarity on biostimulants’ modes of action and greater mechanistic insights into how they can be used to improve crop production.

Nitrogen and molybdenum fertilization influence on enzymatic activity and productivity enhancement of forage sorghum under water deficit in the Brazilian semi-arid region

Water scarcity, combined with low soil fertility, constitutes one of the main limiting factors in crop productivity in semi-arid regions. However, nutritional supplementation techniques with nitrogen (N) and molybdenum (Mo) can lead to positive enhancements in the production of these crops. The objective was to evaluate the effect of increasing doses of N in the presence and/or absence of Mo on the activity of antioxidant enzymes and the productive increase of forage sorghum subjected to water deficit in the semi-arid region. The experiment was conducted in the field using a randomized block design, with four replications, in a 5 × 2 × 3 factorial scheme, comprising five doses of N (urea): 0, 50, 100, 150, and 300 kg ha−1, two doses of Mo (sodium molybdate): 0 and 160 g ha−1, and three production cycles. The highest yields of green mass (GM) (47.98 Mg ha−1), dry mass (DM) (19.66 Mg ha−1), water use efficiency (WUE) (5.57 kg/m³), and N use efficiency (NUE) (0.26 kg2/g) occurred at the highest N dosage (300 kg ha−1 N). The highest contents and extraction of total N, Mo, chloride (Cl), and potassium (K) were found in regrowth 2 and at the highest N dose (300 kg ha−1). The interaction of N and Mo resulted in higher catalase (CAT) enzyme activity. The meteorological conditions during the cycles strongly influenced the nutrient contents and extraction. The results of the study provide support for producers to use N and Mo fertilization strategies to improve crop productivity, even under water deficit conditions.

PlantMine: A Machine-Learning Framework to Detect Core SNPs in Rice Genomics.

As a fundamental global staple crop, rice plays a pivotal role in human nutrition and agricultural production systems. However, its complex genetic architecture and extensive trait variability pose challenges for breeders and researchers in optimizing yield and quality. Particularly to expedite breeding methods like genomic selection, isolating core SNPs related to target traits from genome-wide data reduces irrelevant mutation noise, enhancing computational precision and efficiency. Thus, exploring efficient computational approaches to mine core SNPs is of great importance. This study introduces PlantMine, an innovative computational framework that integrates feature selection and machine learning techniques to effectively identify core SNPs critical for the improvement of rice traits. Utilizing the dataset from the 3000 Rice Genomes Project, we applied different algorithms for analysis. The findings underscore the effectiveness of combining feature selection with machine learning in accurately identifying core SNPs, offering a promising avenue to expedite rice breeding efforts and improve crop productivity and resilience to stress.

Energy Compensation for Crop Growth under Plastic Mulching: Theories, Models, and Limitations

Plastic film mulching (PM) is a useful agronomic means to adapt to the environmental conditions of dryland agriculture and improve crop production. To improve the theoretical framework of PM technology, this study focuses on the interaction between the soil temperature change caused by PM and crop growth. The definition, action mechanism, and simulation of the compensatory effect of PM on growing degree days are introduced to reveal the effect of soil temperature under PM on crop development and growth. Our summary shows that the strength of the warming effect changes with the growth and development of crops, strengthening during the early stage of crop growth and gradually weakening as a crop canopy develops. Generally, the warming effect has a good promotion effect on crop growth, but the crop growth is hampered even with a yield reduction when the increased soil temperature caused by PM exceeds the tolerant temperature for plant growth. Moreover, the compensatory effect of PM could be used to quantify the growth and development of crops under PM and has been widely applied to cotton, corn, winter wheat, and rice. The compensation coefficient is larger in the early stage of crop growth than in the later stage. The compensation coefficient has certain differences for the same crop because of the influence of climate factors, soil moisture content, and soil microtopography. In future research, the theoretical integration of the safety period of PM and the time threshold of the compensatory effect could be theoretically interpreted, and the construction of the compensatory effect module in the crop models will also be an important issue.

Effectiveness of Soil-amended Biochar in Improving Crop Production, Soil Health and Environmental Aspects

Effectiveness of Soil-amended Biochar in Improving Crop Production, Soil Health and Environmental Aspects

Halophilic microbial formulations for improving crop productivity and soil health under saline Vertisols of Gujarat

A study was carried out during winter (rabi) seasons of 2018 and 2019 at research farm of ICAR-Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Regional Research Station, Bharuch, Gujarat to find out the effect of various halophilic microbial formulations in combination of organic manure and chemical fertilizers on winter (rabi) wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) productivity under saline Vertisols. Experiment was conducted in a randomized block design (RBD) comprised of 5 treatments, viz. T1 , Un-inoculated + Vermicompost @2.5 t/ha + 100% RDF (recommended dose of fertilizers); T2 , Un-inoculated + Vermicompost @2.5 t/ha + 75% RDF; T3 , Vermicompost @2.5 t/ha + 75% RDF + Halo-Azo inoculation; T4 , Vermicompost @2.5 t/ha + 75% RDF + Halo-PSB inoculation; and T5 , Vermicompost @2.5 t/ha + 75% RDF + Mix of Halo-Azo and Halo-PSB inoculation, replicated thrice. Results showed that application of different halophilic microbial formulations like Halo-Azo (Azotobacter sp. and Bacillus sp.) and Halo-PSB (consortia of Eneterobacter and Brevibacterium sp.) with vermicompost @2.5 t/ha + 75% RDF (recommended dose of fertilizers), provided at par yield with full dose (120 : 60 : 00; N : P : K kg/ha) of fertilizers, thus able to reduce 25% chemical fertilizer dose. Halo-Azo formulation performed better for improving crop yield as compared to Halo-PSB formulation. Combined application of Halo-Azo and Halo-PSB with vermicompost @2.5 t/ha and 75% RDF performed the best and provided significantly higher grain yield (2.75 t/ha) as compared to other treatments. Single and combined application of Halo-Azo and Halo-PSB with vermicompost @2.5 t/ha and 75% RDF also improved soil health parameters and significant results, i.e. declined EC (2.46 dS/m) and pH (7.33), improved organic carbon (0.69%) and nutrient availability (available N: 299.8 kg/ha and P: 28.7 kg/ha) were obtained. Results showed that integration of halophilic microbial formulations with organics and chemical fertilizers was able to improve wheat yield up to 15% than conventional farming under saline Vertisols of Gujarat.

Conservation agriculture and weed management effects on weed community and crop productivity of a rice-maize rotation

In recent years, an increase in weed infestation, which is adversely affecting crop growth and productivity has been a major challenge facing the farmers of South Asia. The adoption of a permanent bed in combination with residue retention-based crop management practices may reduce weed abundance and increase crop productivity. In a two-year field study, we evaluated the responses of different organic weed management practices with contrasting tillage and residue (R) management strategies to weed dynamics and crop productivity under rice-maize rotation. The main plot treatments consisted of zero-tillage direct seeded rice and zero-tillage maize (ZTR fb ZTM); ZTDSR and maize both on permanent raised beds with residue (PBDSR + R fb PBDSM + R); PBDSR and PBM without residue (PBDSR-R fb PBDSM-R) and conventional tillage puddled transplanted rice and conventional tillage maize (CTR fb CTM). The subplots comprised unweeded control; vermicompost mulch; P- enriched vermicompost mulch; live mulch with Sesbania spp. in rice and Pisum sativum in maize and weed-free. Total weed density and biomass in rice and maize at 30 days after sowing (DAS) were minimum for PBDSR + R fb PBDSM + R compared to remaining tillage and residue management practices in both years. Apart from weed-free treatment, the highest weed control index was found with live mulch. Yield of rice and maize were found higher in permanent beds along with residue retention-based practices. In rice, the weed-free treatment showed the highest grain yield and live mulch reported 9.8 and 6.8 % higher grain yield than vermicompost mulch and P-enriched vermicompost mulch respectively. Our study shows that conservation agriculture practices under rice-maize rotation is one of the ways to reduce weed density and improve crop productivity in South Asia and other similar agro-ecologies.

Complete mitochondrial genomes of edible mushrooms: features, evolution, and phylogeny.

Edible mushrooms are an important food source with high nutritional and medicinal value. They are a useful source for studying phylogenetic evolution and species divergence. The exploration of the evolutionary relationships among these species conventionally involves analyzing sequence variations within their complete mitochondrial genomes, which range from 31,854 bp (Cordyceps militaris) to 197,486 bp (Grifolia frondosa). The study of the complete mitochondrial genomes of edible mushrooms has emerged as a critical field of research, providing important insights into fungal genetic makeup, evolution, and phylogenetic relationships. This review explores the mitochondrial genome structures of various edible mushroom species, highlighting their unique features and evolutionary adaptations. By analyzing these genomes, robust phylogenetic frameworks are constructed to elucidate mushrooms lineage relationships. Furthermore, the exploration of different variations of mitochondrial DNA presents novel opportunities for enhancing mushroom cultivation biotechnology and medicinal applications. The mitochondrial genomic features are essential for improving agricultural practices and ensuring food security through improved crop productivity, disease resistance, and nutritional qualities. The current knowledge about the mitochondrial genomes of edible mushrooms is summarized in this review, emphasising their significance in both scientific research and practical applications in bioinformatics and medicine.

Joint Action of Trichoderma atroviride and a Vegetal Derived-Protein Hydrolysate Improves Performances of Woodland Strawberry in Italy

Woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca L.) is an underutilized plant species that could benefit from the use of biostimulants to improve crop productivity and fruit quality. The scope of the present study was to appraise the influence of two biostimulants (Trichoderma atroviride and plant protein hydrolysate)—used either alone or combined—on the plant performance and economic profitability of two woodland strawberry genotypes (‘Alpine’ and ‘Regina delle Valli’). Overall, data showed that ‘Alpine’ had the highest productive performances, whereas ‘Regina delle Valli’ revealed the highest fruit qualitative traits. T. atroviride inoculation and V-PH application significantly boosted plant marketable yield (+20.5% for T. atroviride and +12.9% for V-PH), total sugars (+1.9% for Trichoderma and +1.4% for V-PH) and anthocyanins (+14.1% for T. atroviride and +9.8% for V-PH) compared to non-treated plants. Plants supplied with both biostimulants had a higher marketable yield (+34.8%), mean fruit weight (+6.0%), fruit dry matter (+13.8%), total sugars (+3.5%), ascorbic acid (+12.7%), flavonoid (+26.3%) and anthocyanins (+29.9%) compared to non-treated plants. Furthermore, our study revealed that the highest fruit polyphenol concentration was recorded in both genotypes treated with the combination of biostimulants and in ‘Regina delle Valli’ sprayed with V-PH, whereas the highest antioxidant activity was found in ‘Regina delle Valli’ fruit when plants were supplied with both biostimulants. Our study pointed out that the application of microbial and non-microbial biostimulants, especially in combination, might be a useful strategy for improving the performances of underutilized species and, therefore, encouraging their cultivation, valorization and economic profitability (+6208.3 EUR /ha when plants were exposed to both biostimulants).

The impacts of technological change policies on water uses and virtual water trade in water-constrained settings

Virtual water trade, which underlines the importance of inter-regional commodity transactions for enhancing water management, has often been recommended as an alternative to technological advancements in addressing water scarcity and increasing water savings in dry regions. Sectoral adjustment policies that focus on enhancing the productivity of specific sectors therefore should prioritize sectors with high growth impact potential but low virtual water demand. However, the diverse understanding of the concept and differing assessment techniques employed by various research communities complicate the debates surrounding the policy relevance of the virtual water trade. This study proposes a novel and integrated approach to evaluating virtual water content and flows endogenously, leveraging the advantages of Input-Output and Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) modeling methods. The quantification of the method is exemplified in the case of Uzbekistan (Central Asia), where water is a limited yet essential resource for sustainable economy and environmental systems. Specifically, this study examines the impacts of changes in economy-wide and sector-specific Total Factor Productivity (TFP) and water productivity on water uses, virtual water flows, and economic outcomes. The findings reveal that TFP improvements in livestock and fodder crop production and water productivity enhancements in gardening are recommendable options to constrain the net virtual water trade and enhance economic growth in Uzbekistan. The study also shows a high sensitivity of virtual water flows to technological changes, highlighting the importance of considering options for improving productivity when analyzing the potential of virtual water trade.

Effectiveness of the use of WhatsApp for Dissemination of Ideas of Improved Crop Production Techniques

Across India, WhatsApp groups are not only connecting farmers to their customers in the virtual market, but they’re also creating a network of resources and support for the country’s farmers who need it most. It is one of the world’s most popular communication applications in the 21st century. Therefore, a study on the effectiveness of WhatsApp for the dissemination of agricultural technologies in Paddy Crop was conducted at Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Jabalpur (M.P.), in 2022. An exhaustive WhatsApp user list was prepared from 06 villages: Khiriya Kalan and Kathoda from Panagar block, Badkhera and Dunda from Kundam Block, and Agasi and Ahrora from Sahpura block were selected randomly. Thus, 50 farmers from the three blocks of the district using WhatsApp were selected randomly and grouped to send messages about agricultural aspects. The present study highlights and examines the usefulness of WhatsApp among farmers. The social media–enabled WhatsApp is helping farmers solve farming-related problems more efficiently by making them digitally literate. It can be concluded that by using WhatsApp, farmers can seek information on farm operations and clarify their doubts about agriculture and paddy crop production technology, disease & insect pests, etc. It also saved time and money needed to solve the problems. They perceived in the study that the WhatsApp messages used were clear and satisfactory for them. KVK could have achieved immediate solutions to the farmers on a mass level through this App, and need & time-based services to the farming communities were served. On the level of daily interaction, the WhatsApp groups are successful in providing complete assistance and motivating farmers.

Effect of Tillage and Mulching on Growth and Yield Performance of Barley under Different Nitrogen and Irrigation Application Rates

Background: Integrated management of soil, water and nutrient resources is critical in improving animal feed production sustainably as it is highly resource demanding. Barley is considered as an excellent choice for animal feed owing to its rich nutritional composition, energy content, palatability, versatility and economic feasibility. Implementing sustainable crop management practices that improve soil health as well as enhance water and nitrogen availability is critical for improving crop productivity and ensuring improved animal feed production in these challenging environments. In arid regions with scarce water resources and less fertile soil, an interplay between water availability and nitrogen fertilization plays a significant role in enhancing barley production. Thus adoption of conservation agricultural practices coupled with optimized irrigation and fertilization regime is crucial in establishing sustainable animal feed production in the region. However, much insight is not delivered in the area of interactive effects of irrigation and fertilization with conservational agricultural practices on sustainable intensification of animal feed production in arid and semi-arid lands. The study investigated the interactive effect of tillage, mulching, irrigation and nitrogen application rates on growth and yield performance of barley under Kuwait’s environmental conditions. Methods: The study was conducted at KISR Station for Research and Innovation-KSRI (29.3156°N, 47.8403°E), Kuwait. The effect of tillage and mulching on the growth and yield performance of barley was evaluated under combinations of three different irrigation (100% ETc, 75% ETc and 50% ETc) and fertilization application rates (0 kg/ha, 50 kg/ha and 100 kg/ha). Split-split plot experimental design was employed with three replications to study the effect of different treatments on plant height, number of plants per square meter, spike length, number of spikes per square meter, biomass yield, grain weight, harvest index and residue yield. Result: Tillage, mulching, irrigation and fertilization application rates imposed a significant interaction effect on barley biomass and grain yield. Minimum tilled plots with mulching under 100% ETc irrigation and 100 kgN/ha recorded the highest biomass and residue yield. For grain yield, minimum as well as conventional tillage with mulching produced the highest value under 100% ETc irrigation and 50 kgN/ha. Highest plant height and number of spikes per square meter was noted in plots with minimum tillage and mulching under 100% ETc irrigation.

Enhancing cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) productivity and quality with magnetized ionized water and Bacillus subtilis intervention under film-mulched drip irrigation in saline soil in Xinjiang

ContextSoil salinity stress and limited nutrient availability significantly impede crop production. Addressing these challenges, the activation of irrigation water and soil enhancement strategies have proven increasingly effective in improving crop production in saline soils. In particular, magnetized ionized water technology has been shown to augment the leaching of soil salinity, while Bacillus subtilis has been applied to increase nutrient availability. However, information on the synergistic effects of magnetized ionized water and B. subtilis are presently limited. ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the potential of utilizing B. subtilis in combination with magnetized ionized water to enhance cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) production and understand its underlying driving mechanism. MethodsA two-year field experiment explored the impact of varying amounts of B. subtilis, with two types of irrigation water [non-magnetized-ionized water (NMIW) and magnetized ionized water (MIW)] on soil conditions (pH, salt accumulation, and nutrient content), and cotton growth (dry matter, nutrient accumulation, seed cotton yield, and quality) in southern Xinjiang's saline soil. The experiment included five B. subtilis levels (0, 15, 30, 45, and 60 kg ha−1) with NMIW (designated as B0, B1, B2, B3, and B4) and MIW (designated as MB0, MB1, MB2, MB3, and MB4). ResultsMIW and B. subtilis significantly (p < 0.05) reduced soil pH and salt accumulation, while B. subtilis significantly (p < 0.01) increased soil residual nitrate nitrogen and residual available phosphorus content in the 0–40 cm soil layers compared to B0. Furthermore, a significant increase (p < 0.05) in cotton dry matter, nitrogen, and phosphorus accumulation was observed with both measures compared to B0. Seed cotton yield (Y), water productivity (WP), and fiber quality index (FQI) also showed significant improvements (p < 0.05). Compared with the NMIW treatments, the MIW treatments resulted in an average increase in Y of 5.7%, WP of 3.7%, and FQI of 20.2%. Similarly, B. subtilis treatments, compared to no B. subtilis treatments, led to an average increase in Y by 10.6%, WP by 6.9%, and FQI by 29.1%. Quadratic function relationships with Y, WP, and FQI were established using B. subtilis amount as an independent variable. The appropriate range of B. subtilis amount under MIW treatment, corresponding to 99.5% of the maximum values of Y, WP, and FQI, was determined to be 51.1–56.4 kg ha−1. ConclusionMIW and B. subtilis have been found to increase nutrient accumulation in cotton by reducing 0–40 cm soil salinity and alkalinity and increasing 0–40 cm soil nutrient content, thereby enhancing cotton production. To optimize the cotton cultivation under film-mulched drip irrigation in saline soil of southern Xinjiang, China, it is recommended to apply 51.1–56.4 kg ha−1B. subtilis under MIW.

Peroxidase gene TaPrx109-B1 enhances wheat tolerance to water deficit via modulating stomatal density.

Increasing the tolerance of crops to water deficit is crucial for the improvement of crop production in water-restricted regions. Here, a wheat peroxidase gene (TaPrx109-B1) belonging to the class III peroxidase gene family was identified and its function in water deficit tolerance was revealed. We demonstrated that overexpression of TaPrx109-B1 reduced leaf H2O2 level and stomatal density, increased leaf relative water content, water use efficiency, and tolerance to water deficit. The expression of TaEPF1 and TaEPF2, two key negative regulators of stomatal development, were significantly upregulated in TaPrx109-B1 overexpression lines. Furthermore, exogenous H2O2 downregulated the expression of TaEPF1 and TaEPF2 and increased stomatal density, while exogenous application of diphenyleneiodonium chloride, a potent NADPH oxidase inhibitor that repressed the synthesis of H2O2, upregulated the expression of TaEPF1 and TaEPF2, decreased stomatal density, and enhanced wheat tolerance to water deficit. These findings suggest that TaPrx109-B1 influences leaf stomatal density by modulation of H2O2 level and the expression of TaEPF1 and TaEPF2. The results of the field trial showed that overexpressing TaPrx109-B1 increased grain number per spike, which reduced the yield loss caused by water deficiency. Therefore, TaPrx109-B1 has great potential in breeding wheat varieties with improved water deficit tolerance.

Evaluating the agronomic efficiency of alternative phosphorus sources applied in Brazilian tropical soils

Understanding the efficacy of alternative phosphorus (P) sources in tropical soils is crucial for sustainable farming, addressing resource constraints, mitigating environmental impact, improving crop productivity, and optimizing soil-specific solutions. While the topic holds great importance, current literature falls short in providing thorough, region-specific studies on the effectiveness of alternative P sources in Brazilian tropical soils for maize cultivation. Our aim was to assess the agronomic efficiency of alternative P sources concerning maize crop (Zea mays L.) attributes, including height, shoot dry weight, stem diameter, and nutrient accumulation, across five Brazilian tropical soils. In greenhouse conditions, we carried out a randomized complete block design, investigating two factors (soil type and P sources), evaluating five tropical soils with varying clay contents and three alternative sources of P, as well as a commercial source and a control group. We evaluated maize crop attributes such as height, dry weight biomass, and nutrient accumulation, P availability and agronomic efficiency. Our results showed that, although triple superphosphate (TSP) exhibited greater values than alternative P sources (precipitated phosphorus 1, precipitated phosphorus 2 and reactive phosphate) for maize crop attributes (e.g., height, stem diameter, shoot dry weight and phosphorus, nitrogen, sulfur, calcium and magnesium accumulation). For instance, PP1 source increased nutrient accumulation for phosphorus (P), nitrogen (N), and sulfur (S) by 37.05% and 75.98% (P), 34.39% and 72.07% (N), and 41.94% and 72.69% (S) in comparison to PP2 and RP, respectively. Additionally, PP1 substantially increased P availability in soils with high clay contents 15 days after planting (DAP), showing increases of 61.90%, 99.04%, and 38.09% greater than PP2, RP, and TSP. For Ca and Mg accumulation, the highest values were found in the COxisol2 soil when PP2 was applied, Ca = 44.31% and 69.48%; and Mg = 46.23 and 75.79%, greater than PP1 and RP, respectively. Finally, the highest values for relative agronomic efficiency were observed in COxisol2 when PP1 was applied. The precipitated phosphate sources (PP1 and PP2) exhibited a similar behavior to that of the commercial source (TSP), suggesting their potential use to reduce reliance on TSP fertilization, especially in soils with low clay contents. This study emphasized strategies for soil P management, aimed at assisting farmers in enhancing maize crop productivity while simultaneously addressing the effectiveness of alternative P sources of reduced costs.

Sandy soil reclamation technologies to improve crop productivity and soil health: a review

Sandy soils are characterized by low soil moisture content and nutrient retention due to high permeability, limiting crop productivity and threatening food security in arid and semi-arid regions worldwide. Various reclamation technologies have been developed to address these challenges, but their effectiveness has not been comprehensively evaluated. This systematic review evaluated the performance of 42 sandy soil reclamation technologies reported in 144 studies from 27 countries that met specified selection criteria. Performance was evaluated based on response ratio (RR) of aboveground biomass and grain yield, as indicators of productivity, and soil moisture content and soil organic carbon (SOC), as indicators of soil health. The 42 technologies employed four main soil amendments: biochar, organic amendments, organic amendments combined with biochar, and soft rock. Overall, all technologies increased productivity and improved soil health. Biochar application was found to be the most effective technology, increasing grain yield by 51.6%, aboveground biomass by 67.4%, soil moisture content by 17.3%, and SOC by 74.2%. Soft rock application increased grain yield by 20.3%, aboveground biomass by 27.6%, soil moisture content by 54.5%, and SOC by 12.8%. Organic amendments increased grain yield by 48.7%, aboveground biomass by 45.6%, soil moisture content by 20.8%, and SOC by 36.7%. However, the combination of biochar and organic amendments showed lower improvements, with increases of 25.4%, 15.6%, 1.3%, and 25.4% for grain yield, aboveground biomass, soil moisture content, and SOC, respectively. Our conclusion is that the findings provide strong evidence that sandy soil reclamation technologies can significantly improve crop productivity and food security. Considering the variability in technologies responses across continents, there is need for further research to determine the optimal technology for specific locations, crops, and management practices.

Copper Oxide Nanoparticles Induced Growth and Physio-Biochemical Changes in Maize (Zea mays L.) in Saline Soil.

Research on nanoparticles (NPs) is gaining great attention in modulating abiotic stress tolerance and improving crop productivity. Therefore, this investigation was carried out to evaluate the effects of copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO-NPs) on growth and biochemical characteristics in two maize hybrids (YH-5427 and FH-1046) grown under normal conditions or subjected to saline stress. A pot-culture experiment was carried out in the Botanical Research Area of "the University of Lahore", Lahore, Pakistan, in a completely randomized design. At two phenological stages, both maize hybrids were irrigated with the same amount of distilled water or NaCl solution (EC = 5 dS m-1) and subjected or not to foliar treatment with a suspension of CuO-NPs. The salt stress significantly reduced the photosynthetic parameters (photosynthetic rate, transpiration, stomatal conductance), while the sodium content in the shoot and root increased. The foliar spray with CuO-NPs improved the growth and photosynthetic attributes, along with the N, P, K, Ca, and Mg content in the roots and shoots. However, the maize hybrid YH-5427 responded better than the other hybrid to the saline stress when sprayed with CuO-NPs. Overall, the findings of the current investigation demonstrated that CuO-NPs can help to reduce the adverse effects of salinity stress on maize plants by improving growth and physio-biochemical attributes.

Impact of nitrogen fertilizer application on soil fungal diversity and maize yield variation in Shandong Province, China

Maize is one of the major crops cultivated in northern Shandong Province and contributes significantly to China's maize production, and nitrogen (N) application to the soil can have a marked impact on maize yield and soil microbial productivity. The current environmental challenge, which needs urgently to be addressed, is to effectively utilize fertilizer nitrogen to improve crop production without causing environmental stress in sustainable agroecosystems. Soil fungi can improve plant health and crop performance through improved nutrient uptake and reducing plant stress levels. How soil N influences fungal diversity and maize yield at spatial patterns remains unclear. In this study, the influences of different soil N treatments on maize yields and fungal diversity were investigated in maize fields at five N rates (from 0 to 120 kg ha−1). High-throughput sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region revealed that α- and β-diversities of fungi significantly increased at 80 kg N ha−1 (N80) but decreased significantly in the control (N0) and other N treatments. Variations in the NC model predicted strong fungal distribution patterns (R2 = 0.60) among all the treatments. The highest proportion of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) (68.99 %) was observed at N80. The study also found that the complexity of the co-occurrence network significantly stabilized at N80, but a decrease in network complexity was observed at N120. The study showed that, relative to the control, the addition of N to the soil significantly increased the abundance of Ascomycota at the phylum level and Chaetomium, Fusarium, and Mortierella at the genus levels, with average abundances of 5.82 %, 1.67 %, and 19.58 %, respectively. Functional ecology analysis indicated that soil N upregulated the composition of ecological fungal communities by stochastic processes. The composition of major fungal sub-communities was positively correlated with nitrogen/carbon cycling at N80. Moreover, results also indicated that the yields (3.14 t ha−1) and other agronomic effects at N80 were significantly higher than those in the other treatments. This study demonstrates that optimal nitrogen application achieves increases in both fungal diversity and yield, contributing to improved crop production and sustainability at spatial scales.