Maize Production Research Articles

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.

Synergistic Effects of Chemical Fungicides with Crude Extracts from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens to Control Northern Corn Leaf Blight

In this research, our objective was to investigate the combined impact of microbial extracts and chemical fungicides on Northern corn leaf blight (NCLB), which is induced by Exserohilum turcicum, and the growth-promoting effect of the crude extracts was also determined. NCLB poses a serious threat to global maize production, necessitating sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions. Mycelial growth rate assays were used to assess the single or synergistic effects of microbial crude extracts and chemical fungicides, and the seed-soaking and root irrigation method was used to detect the growth-promoting effect of the crude extracts on maize seedlings. The results revealed an 84.60% inhibition rate of B. amyloliquefaciens gfj-4 against E. turcicum, and with an EC50 of 49.01 mg·L−1 for the crude extracts. Chemical fungicides demonstrated varying toxicity levels, with fludioxonil exhibiting the highest potency. The mixture of the crude extracts and pyraclostrobin at an 8:2 volume ratio displayed the highest toxicity ratio of 1.24, indicating a synergistic effect. The selected combinations exhibited strong synergistic effects. Soaking maize seeds with 80 mg·L−1 of the crude extracts followed by root irrigation with 40 mg·L−1 produced the most significant growth-promoting effect on maize seedlings. This study highlights the potential of microbial crude extracts to enhance the control of NCLB when combined with pyraclostrobin, along with its growth-promoting effects on maize seedlings.

Fresh or dry maize or both: Which is most economical and preferred by farmers?

As a staple crop of great importance in sub-Saharan Africa, maize is essential for the production of food for humans and animals, particularly in the raising of poultry and livestock. Smallholder farmers in Ghana are the main producers of maize, and they frequently have difficulties in turning their crop into a sustainable source of income. As a result, there is an increasing need for these farmers to look into other options such as switching from traditional dry maize production to growing fresh maize. This circumstance calls for a critical analysis to ascertain whether producing for fresh or dry maize markets yields higher profitability. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to estimate the profitability of Ghana's fresh and dry maize markets, examine the factors influencing farmers' market choices as well as rank the production constraints. Data was collected from 390 maize farmers using questionnaires. Gross margin analysis, multinomial logit regression and Kendall's Coefficient of Concordance, were the methods of analysis. According to the study, fresh maize yields a profit of 78.00 pesewas for every GH¢ 1.00 invested, both alternatives generate 71.00 pesewas, and dry maize yields 67.00 pesewas. This implies that even though all three businesses are profitable, fresh maize cultivation stands out as the most lucrative. The results of the multinomial logit regression analysis showed that the choice of maize production systems is influenced by socioeconomic characteristics, farming experience, and loan availability. The Kendall's Coefficient of Concordance analysis confirms consensus on constraints, with lack of finance, pest issues, poor roads, and low maize prices as key challenges. According to the report, farmers may increase their profits by diversifying their crops to include the fresh maize market. Additionally, the government could assist these farmers by making financing more accessible to them through collaborations with financial institutions and specially designed agricultural loan programs.

Functional transgenes in Mexican maize: benefits and risks for insect pest management in Mexico and the United States

Abstract Corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea) and fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) are major migratory pests of maize (Zea mays) in the United States and Mexico. They are primarily controlled in the United States with genetically engineered (GE) maize, while the 25-yr moratorium on cultivating GE maize in Mexico has forced growers to control these pests with insecticides, where maize productivity remains 35% below the world’s average. The United States annually exports 5% of its maize grain to Mexico, where it provides human food and animal feed. This seed is often sown by smallholder growers, leading to plantings of GE transgene-expressing maize and potential hybridization with local landraces. As a result, transgenes are now present in Mexican maize products and landraces. In this study, we examined the F1 offspring of GE maize to better understand the frequency of different transgenes expressed in maize seeds exported to Mexico. We show that exported seed contains numerous transgenes, including an estimated ~68% epsps expressing resistance to the herbicide glyphosate; ~80% pat and bar expressing resistance to the herbicide glufosinate; and ~82% Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) genes that effectively protect maize plants from several insect pests. We tested 134 samples, including landraces from 10 Mexican states, and found that 35% expressed resistance to glyphosate and 33% to glufosinate. Many samples containing herbicide resistance also expressed 11%–100% functional Bt transgenes, which can effectively reduce the refuge area provided by Mexican maize and increase the Bt-resistant allele frequency. We discuss ways that the introgression of transgenes could provide pest management benefits to Mexican growers but, at the same time, accelerate the development of Bt-resistance in corn earworm and fall armyworm. Our cost-effective screening methods can be used to determine the introgression of functional herbicide resistance and Bt transgenes in maize.

Root proliferation adaptation strategy improved maize productivity in the US Great Plains: Insights from crop simulation model under future climate change

Adaptation measures are essential for reducing the impact of future climate risks on agricultural production systems. The present study focuses on implementing an adaptation strategy to mitigate the impact of future climate change on rainfed maize production in the Eastern Kansas River Basin (EKSRB), an important rainfed maize-producing region in the US Great Plains, which faces potential challenges of future climate risks due to a significant east-to-west aridity gradient. We used a calibrated CERES-Maize crop model to evaluate the impacts of baseline climate conditions (1985–2014), late-term future climate scenarios (under the SSP245 emission pathway and CMIP6 models), and a novel root proliferation adaptation strategy on regional maize yield and rainfall productivity. Changes in the plant root system by increasing the root density could lead to yield benefits, especially under drought conditions. Therefore, we modified the governing equation of soil root growth in the CERES-Maize model to reflect the genetic influence of a maize cultivar to improve root density by proliferation. Under baseline conditions, maize yield values ranged from 6522 to 12,849 kgha−1, with a regional average value of 9270 kgha−1. Projections for the late-term scenario indicate a substantial decline in maize yield (36 % to 50 %) and rainfall productivity (25 % to 42 %). Introducing a hypothetical maize cultivar by employing root proliferation as an adaptation strategy resulted in a 27 % increase in regional maize yield, and a 28 % increase in rainfall productivity compared to the reference cultivar without adaptation. We observed an indication of spatial dependency of maize yield and rainfall productivity on the regional precipitation gradient, with counties towards the east having an implicit advantage over those in the west. These findings offer valuable insights for the US Great Plains maize growers and breeders, guiding strategic decisions to adapt rainfed maize production to the region's impending challenges posed by climate change.

Toward a critical theory of social-ecological resilience: Maize and cattle in Southern Province, Zambia.

Climate change threatens the lives and livelihoods of smallholder farmers throughout the global South. In order to address the challenges these farmers face, researchers and practitioners need reasonable theoretical models of how humans and the environment interact within social-ecological systems (SES). Social-ecological resilience theory has proved to be a popular model for understanding human environment relationships within SES; however, the theory lacks a sophisticated understanding of power, relying instead on outdated functionalist sociological approaches. We reconstruct social-ecological resilience theory through a case study of smallholder climate change adaptation in Southern Province, Zambia. Farmers in the region focus on cattle and maize production. Though the changing environment would seem to favor different crops and livestock, institutional (power) dynamics determine whether or not individuals have the capacity (or desire) to adapt. Our critical reconstruction provides researchers and practitioners with an improved social-ecological lens for understanding the causes and consequences of vulnerability and adaptation.

Projecting the Contribution of Provitamin A Maize Biofortification and Other Nutrition Interventions to the Nutritional Adequacy and Cost of Diets in Rural Zimbabwe

BackgroundEvidence of the effectiveness of biofortified maize with higher provitamin A (PVA) to address vitamin A deficiency in rural Africa remains scant. ObjectivesThis study projects the impact of adopting PVA maize for a diversity of households in an area typical of rural Zimbabwe and models the cost and composition of diets adequate in vitamin A. MethodsHousehold-level weighed food records were generated from 30 rural households during a week in April and November 2021. Weekly household intakes were calculated, as well as indicative costs of diets using data from market surveys. The impact of PVA maize adoption was modeled assuming all maize products contained observed vitamin A concentrations. The composition and cost of the least expensive indicative diets adequate in vitamin A were calculated using linear programming. ResultsVery few households would reach adequate intake of vitamin A with the consumption of PVA maize. However, from a current situation of 33%, 50%–70% of households were projected to reach ≥50% of their requirements (the target of PVA), even with the modest vitamin A concentrations achieved on-farm (mean of 28.3 μg RAE per 100 g). This proportion would increase if higher concentrations recorded on-station were achieved. The estimated daily costs of current diets (mean ± standard deviation) were USD 1.43 ± 0.59 in the wet season and USD 0.96 ± 0.40 in the dry season. By comparison, optimization models suggest that diets adequate in vitamin A could be achieved at daily costs of USD 0.97 and USD 0.79 in the wet and dry seasons, respectively. ConclusionsThe adoption of PVA maize would bring a substantial improvement in vitamin A intake in rural Zimbabwe but should be combined with other interventions (e.g., diet diversification) to fully address vitamin A deficiency.

Do We Listen or Ignore Indigenous Practices? The Machobane Farming System - An Indigenous Farming Practice of Lesotho

Aim: To evaluate the adaptive capacity of the Machobane Farming System, an indigenous practice to improve soil fertility and maize productivity compared to other non-Machobane farming practices. Study design: The study was conducted in four agroecological zones of Lesotho: Mountain, Foothills, low lands and Senqu river valley. Soil samples were collected at random from the non-Machobane farming practicing fields and Machobane farming practicing fields and the soil physicochemical and microbiological analyses were conducted to evaluate the soil quality. Structured and non-structured questionnaires were used to gather information from Focus Group Discussion (FGD) on the type of farming practices used and other demographic data. Results and Discussion: The MfS were found to be less affected and resilient to climate change with multiple benefits such as moisture conservation, slow release of nutrients and cross migration of microorganisms to the intercropping plants in the field unlike other farming practicing fields. An increased number of soil fertility indicator microorganisms such as Bacillus spp and Nitrogen fixing bacteria were seen to have increased the production of food crops (P>0.05) almost all the year round. An intensive relay cropping of one acre would be sufficient to ensure food security for an average family of 5 members. Conclusion: Currently, the Machobane Farming System (MfS) is adopted by many households in Lesotho using biochar and compost.

A cross-sectional study on level of participation of women in farm decision making processes: household approach in Mzimba north, Malawi.

Against the background of low women’s participation in farm decision making processes, Malawi’s agriculture sector adapted and up- scaled Household Approach, a gender transformative tool known for its impact in enhancing participation of women in farm decision making processes. In this study, participation in farm decision making is defined as the involvement of women, men and youth in decision making process in relation to visioning, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. The objective of this study was to determine level of participation of women under Household Approach in farm decision making processes. This was a cross- sectional study. Using a semi-structured interview, a quantification of the extent of participation of various gender categories in decision making in various areas was determined. Thirty- three households were purposively selected due to their participation in Household Approach. Analysis of women participation in decision making, was done by computing women’s decision score. Decision score for men and youth was also computed so that a comparison is made to women’s level of participation. Women took joint decisions in all farm decision making processes with a higher participation score in household visioning (0.91) compared to men (0.83) and youth (0.44). When it came to implementing production activities of an enterprise (maize) which is a major source of their livelihood determining fulfilment of their visions, there were significant variations among their participation score in decision making in relation to maize enterprise production (χ2 (2) = 40.282, p = 0.000) with a mean rank participation score of 25.00, 39.94 and 8.56 in men, women and youth, respectively. This implies that much as implementation of maize production activities are jointly done with men, women still do a greater part of maize production work. When it came to monitoring, women had a lower participation score (0.68) compared to men (0.81), but higher than the youth (0.33). The lower participation score in monitoring among women was due to multiple roles the women have. This study recommends that sharing of roles be encouraged among peer households. Key words: Level, Women, participation, Household Approach, Farm, Decision making, Pragmatic, Cross- sectional

The influence of farm resources and management decisions on the severity of Striga infestation and maize productivity in western Kenya

AbstractThe control of Striga is of critical importance for smallholder farmers cultivating maize and other cereals in the western region of Kenya. Therefore, advanced knowledge and analysis is needed to understand farmers' resource endowment and decision making with regards to crop management, and the possible effect on Striga infestation and crop productivity. The overall objective of the study was to understand the role of resource endowment and allocation decisions on Striga infestation and maize productivity and offer effective and locally adapted options in western Kenya. The study used semi‐structured questionnaires, focus group discussions and resource flow mapping to identify farm resources and key management decisions that are critical in management of Striga on smallholder farms. Soil was sampled from fields of selected farms and taken to the laboratory for analysis including Striga seed counts. In the fields, Striga shoots counts, and maize yield were recorded. Socio‐economic variables such as land size, household income, labour availability, were used to construct a farm typology and assign farmers to different resource groups (RGs). Our results showed that household diversity leads to different land‐use patterns, resource‐use intensity and agricultural management practices which affect soil fertility and Striga infestation. Poor‐resourced farmers tend to be associated with poor crop and soil management which results in maize fields with low soil fertility and high level of Striga infestation. Soil organic carbon showed a strong negative association with Striga infestation. Improving soil fertility is, therefore, the central component of any integrated and sustainable Striga management approaches, and technological solutions to address Striga and soil fertility issues, and they must be tailored to the farm and field diversity. The inclusion of legumes is highly recommended either as rotation or intercropping depending on land availability. Where possible, farmers may use mulch from previous crop residues to suppress weed emergence and prevent flowering and seed setting. Hand weeding though tiresome, remains a low‐cost effective method to control Striga especially in areas where fields are small as in western Kenya.

Susceptibility of immature Telenomus remus, an egg parasitoid of Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith), to entomopathogenic fungi from South Sumatra, Indonesia

BackgroundThe fall armyworm (FAW) Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a newly introduced pest that damages maize production in Indonesia. To control this pest in maize fields, better solution is to use the egg parasitoid, such as Telenomus remus Nixon (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae), as another better option to apply topically entomopathogenic fungi (EPF). Therefore, it is necessary to study the effect of the EPF on the egg parasitoid of T. remus. The objective of this research was to evaluate susceptibility of immature T. remus to the EPFs, Beauveria bassiana, Chaetomium sp., Curvularia lunata, Penicillium citrinum, and Metarhizium anisopliae. The EPFs (1 × 106 conidia mL−1) were sprayed topically on one-day-old mummies (immature T. remus) in post-parasitism periods.ResultsThe results showed that the cumulative percentage of T. remus adult emergence from the mummies treated with EPF on 11 days after treatment ranged 54–100% and was non-significantly different than those of control (untreated with EPF) (90.48%). Therefore, the immature stage of T. remus was not susceptible to the EPF topical application. The EPFs were harmless to the immature stage of T. remus. Percentage of aborted mummies (embryonic death) of T. remus after treated with the EPF was also non-significantly different than those of control. However, the EPFs could significantly affect developmental times of immatures stages of T. remus. The EPF also could shorten the adult longevity of the egg parasitoid.ConclusionsThe immature T. remus is less sensitive to the EPFs; B. bassiana, Chaetomium sp., C. lunata, P. citrinum, and M. anisopliae. It can be considered integrating the EPF with T. remus inundation in maize field. However, it is necessary to limit the topical application of the EPF to avoid negative effects on the adult longevity of the egg parasitoid. Thus, it needed to be further investigated that the application of the endophytic EPFs by inoculating the fungi within the plant tissue could be harmless to the egg parasitoids.

Swiss Cooperation Funding for Local Government Management in Benin: Impacts on Family Farming from Maize Production Yield Perspective?

The aim of this research was to contribute to the literature on the impact of funding (subsidies) on farmers' productivity and hence on local development. To achieve this objective, the data collected concerned sample of 521 maize producers accessing from PASDeR spread over the intervention zone (Borgou, Alibori, Atacora and Donga). Heckman's two-stage estimation method was used to make the estimates. Based on the results obtained, we found that the selection process for financial subsidy beneficiaries is optimal. It was demonstrated that the financial subsidy is significant in justifying maize yield. However, the correlation between the financial subsidy and maize yield is negative, confirming the assertion of Blair, 1984 and Sonne 2010. This is because PASDeR's target group is mainly poor and does not have easy access to conventional financial services to bridge funding gap. Finally, policy recommendations aiming to strong involvement of elected representatives, an in-depth diagnosis of the real and complete needs of farming and the rigorous monitoring of beneficiaries must be addressed.

Affected, Dispersal, Impacts and Evaluation of Resistance Reaction of maize streak virus. A Mini Review

Maize streak virus (MSV) has deleterious effects on maize production in tropical and sub-tropical Africa. The disease is transmitted persistently by several species of leafhoppers, Cicadulin spp. (Homoptera: Cicadellidae). Therefore, it is prudent to mitigate the control of MSV is most effective when cultural and chemical methods are integrated with plant breeding for resistance. While host plant resistance is the best method of MSV management, it is not usually easy to conventionally produce resistant cultivars. This paper reviews the distribution, host/species affected, dispersal, impact and information evaluation of improved maize varieties. This review aims to address successful breeding strategies regarding maize streak virus resistance. Resistant cultivars are important to control maize streak virus since they do not present additional costs for the farmer, do not harm the environment and reduce costs of seed production.

Correlation of Soil Chemical, Biological, and Physical Characteristics on Productivity of Maize in Cibugel District, Sumedang Regency

Maize as one of the national food commodities, experiences an increase in demand every year. Both internal and external factors influenced the growth of corn plants. Internal factors originated from the plant, such as inherited genetic traits, while external factors came from the environment, including soil properties and climate. External factors that affected plant growth included biological, physical, and chemical soil characteristics. This research aimed to understand the interrelation between soil acidity (pH), phosphorus availability (P), cation exchange capacity (CEC), nitrogen-fixing bacteria, earthworm population, carbon-nitrogen ratio (C/N), and soil texture on the productivity of maize in Cibugel District and how these factors were interconnected to support plant growth. The research employed a descriptive survey and comparative method, with soil samples taken from 18 soil samples from six villages in the Cibugel Subdistrict, Sumedang Regency. The correlation analysis results showed a significant positive relationship between cation exchange capacity and corn productivity and a significant negative relationship between available phosphorus and corn productivity. This implied that increasing cation exchange capacity could enhance productivity while increasing available phosphorus could decrease productivity. The research aided in identifying soil characteristics influencing high land productivity in the area.

Improved Maize Varieties: Enhancing Food Security in Rural Communities of Central River Region North

Maize production is widely grown by smallholder farmers in rural communities of the Gambia. Maize is an important component of food systems as it provides nutritional security, and income and reduces poverty at the household level. Primary and secondary data were collected to have a broader knowledge of maize varieties. The sample and sampling method was non-probability using the random sampling method. A sample size of twenty (20) farmers was randomly selected from a population of 117 from 5 agricultural districts of the Central River Region/ North. The objective of the study is to bridge the yield gap of 1.0 to 1.3 tons/ ha to > 5 tons/ ha of maize. The result in Table 1 shows that, out of the 4 varieties Kabamano obtained the highest yield data of 6,560 kg/ha followed by Obatamba at 5,440kg/ha while the lowest yield was obtained by early Thai at 3,200kg/ha. The production area was 113 ha with a total production of 340,800kg with an average yield of 3 tons/ha. The implication of the study is to ensure a comprehensive agricultural policy and strategies for better production and marketing of maize. The study recommends that the government, agricultural projects, the private sector, and CSOs create incentives, innovations, and agricultural financing for the coherent sustainability of maize production and marketing.

Soil ecosystem multifunctionality is strongly linked with crop yield after four decades chemical fertilization in black soil

Soil ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF), the ability of an ecosystem to perform multiple functions, remains uncertain in its contribution to crop production, especially in the context of long-term fertilization ecosystems. This study was carried out on a 40-year-old long-term fertilization experiment in black soil in China. Soil samples were collected from four treatments: control (CK); nitrogen (N) fertilizer; phosphorus (P) fertilizer; and a combination of nitrogen and phosphorus (NP) in both maize and wheat planting seasons. The results showed significant effects of N, P fertilizers and crop season on soil biotic and abiotic properties, especially on soil enzyme activities. Crop productivity and soil EMF showed a similar pattern across different treatments and both crop seasons, with significant higher values recorded in treatments with N addition (i.e. N and NP). Soil EMF was strongly associated with crop productivity in both maize and wheat seasons, while soil pH had a negative impact on crop yield. Random forest analysis revealed that microbial functional gene structure was significantly correlated with both soil ecosystem multifunctionality and crop yield. This suggested that fertilization leads to alterations in soil nutrients and the composition of functional microbial communities, subsequently impacting ecological functions and crop growth. These findings indicated that mineral fertilizers can enhance crop yield through soil EMF in the black soils, while exerted substantial impact on soil properties, raising concerns about the sustainability of soils under continuous chemical fertilization.

Predictive Potential of Maize Yield in the Mesoregions of Northeast Brazil

Most of the northeastern region of Brazil (NEB) has a maize production system based on family farming, with no technological advances and totally dependent on the natural rainfall regime, which is concentrated in 4 to 5 months in most parts of the region. This means that the productivity of this crop is low in the NEB. In the northern mesoregions of the NEB, rainfall is concentrated between January and June, in the east of the NEB from April to September, and in the west of the NEB from October to March. The growing season takes place during these semesters. With this in mind, our objective was to develop a model based on canonical correlation analysis (CCA) to predict corn production in the mesoregions of the NEB between 1981 and 2010, using accumulated precipitation per semester as the predictor variable and predicting the observed production in kg/ha. Our results showed that the CCA model presented higher correlations between observed and simulated production than that obtained simply from the direct relationship between accumulated rainfall and production. The other two metrics used, RMSE and NRMSE, showed that, on average, in most mesoregions, the simulation error was around 200 kg/ha, but the accuracy was predominantly moderate, around 29% in most mesoregions, with values below 20% in six mesoregions, indicative of better model accuracy, and above 50% in two mesoregions, indicative of low accuracy. In addition, we investigated how the different combinations between two modes of climate variability with a direct influence on precipitation in the NEB impacted production in these 30 years, with the combination of El Niño and a positive Atlantic dipole being the most damaging to harvests, while years when La Niña and a negative Atlantic dipole acted together were the most favorable. Despite the satisfactory results and the practical applicability of the model developed, it should be noted that the use of only one predictor, rainfall, is a limiting factor for better model simulations since other meteorological variables and non-climatic factors have a significant impact on crops. However, the simplicity of the model and the promising results could help agricultural managers make decisions in all the states that make up the NEB.

Biochar application reduced carbon footprint of maize production in the saline−alkali soils

The amendment of biochar to cropland has been recommended as a potential strategy to mitigate climate change and increase soil fertility by enhancing carbon (C) storage. Quantifying the environmental benefits and resulting carbon footprint (CF) of integrating biochar and fertilizer treatments is paramount in facing intensified human activities of agricultural land expanding under climate change, especially in fragile inland catchments for saline-alkalis soils. A three−year field experiment was conducted with maize in the Tarim River Basin to monitor greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, maize yield, soil organic carbon (SOC), and CF from 2020 to 2022. This study involved seven treatments that varied in nitrogen (N) fertilizer, irrigation, and biochar applications: (i) 0N0W (0 kg N ha−1, 0 mm, 0 t ha−1 biochar), (ii) LNLW (100 kg N ha−1, 140 mm, 0 t ha−1 biochar), (iii) LNLWB (100 kg N ha−1, 140 mm,10 t ha−1 biochar), (iv) MNMW (200 kg N ha−1, 220 mm, 0 t ha−1 biochar), (v) MNMWB (200 kg N ha−1, 220 mm, 10 t ha−1 biochar), (vi) HNHW (300 kg N ha−1, 320 mm, 0 t ha−1 biochar) (conventional treatment), and (vii) HNHWB (300 kg N ha−1, 320 mm, 10 t ha−1 biochar). The results showed that biochar amendment (LNLWB, MNMWB, HNHWB) reduced CO2 emissions by (7%, 8%, 7%), accumulative emission of CH4 and N2O (AE) (19%, 15%, 15%), greenhouse gas intensity (GHGI) (32%, 24%, 22%) and CF (77%, 61%, 56%), and increased SOC sequestration (47%, 46%, 46%), maize yield (19%, 12%, 12%) compared to no biochar (LNLW, MNMW, HNHW) CO2 emission (3355, 4141, 4619 kg CO2−C ha−1), AE (148, 221, 469 kg CO2−eq ha−1), GHGI (16.3, 21.2, 40.6 kg CO2−eq t−1 yield), CF (1373, 1990, 2784 kg CO2−C ha−1), SOC (14.2, 15.1, 15.6 Mg C ha−1), maize yield (9.1, 10.6, 11.5 t ha−1). Furthermore, compared to HNHW, LNLWB reduced 32% CO2, 74% N2O, 89% CF, and increased 39% SOC. Overall, the biochar application (10 t ha−1) with reduced N (100 kg N ha−1) input in the Tarim River Basin, is a win−win strategy for reducing CF, enhancing C sequestration, and supporting stable food production, and it is a low–carbon agricultural strategy for farmland in saline−alkali soils.

Diverse tillage practices with straw mulched management strategies to improve water use efficiency and maize productivity under a dryland farming system

Straw mulching incorporation has a wide range of environmental benefits that make it an effective practice for sustainable agro-ecosystem in the semi-arid regions. There is an urgent need to improve the 13C-photosynthates distribution, water use efficiency (WUE) and maize canopy characteristics under the diverse tillage practices with straw mulched management strategies for sustainable intensification of maize production. The field study consists of three diverse tillage systems (RT: rotary tillage; CT, conventional tillage; MT, minimum tillage) with three straws mulching (NS: no straw mulch; SS: straw mulch on the soil surface; SI: straw incorporated into the soil) were assessed under the ridge-furrow rainfall harvesting system. Our results showed that the rotary tillage with straw incorporated into the soil significantly reduces the ET rate (11 %), and leaf rolling index; as a result considerably improves LAI, LEI, 13C-photosynthates distribution, N accumulation, and above ground biomass under various growth stages. The RTSI treatment significantly improved soil water storage, soil organic carbon (52 %, SOC), soil C storage (39 %, SCS), and NPK nutrients uptake (70 %, 62 %, and 69 %) of maize than observed for the rest of all other treatments, respectively. The RTSI treatment improves soil water balance, grain yield (53 %), biomass yield (37 %), WUEg (51 %), WUEb (35 %), nutrients uptake, and mitigating soil water depletion than the MTNS treatment. Although RTSS can achieve optimal soil water storage in the short term, RTSI has a great potential in improving soil carbon stability, canopy characteristics, soil water storage, and WUE, contributing to sustainable and intensive corn production in agricultural ecosystems in semi-arid regions.

Application of the JULES-crop model and agrometeorological indicators for forecasting off-season maize yield in Brazil

Zea mays L is a crucial crop for Brazil, ranking second in terms of production and sixth in terms of exports. In Brazil, the second season, or off-season, accounts for 80 % of the overall maize output, which primarily occurs after the soybean main season. A maize yield forecast model for the off-season was developed and implemented throughout Brazilian territory due to its importance to the country's economy and food security. The model was built using multiple linear regressions that connected outputs simulated from a land surface model used in large-scale analysis for agriculture (JULES-crop), to agrometeorological indicators. The application of the developed model occurred every 10 days from the sowing until the maturation. A comparison of the forecasting model was verified with the official off-season maize yields for the years 2003–2016. Agrometeorological indicators during the reproductive phase accounted for 60 % of the interannual variability in maize production. When outputs simulated by JULES-crop were included, the forecasting model achieved Nash-Sutcliffe modeling efficiency (EF) of 0.77 in the maturation and EF = 0.72 in the filling-grain stage, suggesting that this approach can generate useful predictions for final maize yield beginning on the 80th day of the cycle. Outputs of JULES crop enhanced modeling performance during the vegetative stage, reducing the standard deviation error in prediction from 0.59 to 0.49 Mg ha−1.