Nitrogen Use Efficiency Research Articles

CN metabolism and nitrogen use efficiency of rice with different nitrogen form and rate.

Nitrogen (N) is one of crucial mineral nutrients for rice cultivation, however excessive N application has resulted in lower utilization and thus occasionally attributes to environmental impacts. Simultaneously, rice production requires greater watering, exacerbating water scarcity concerns. This study explores strategies to enhance nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in rice, focusing on the carbon-nitrogen (CN) metabolism under different nitrogen conditions. Two rice cultivars (Oryza sativa L. cv. Samgwang-SG, and NIL Milyang#360-ML) were subjected to different nitrogen forms (ammonium sulfate-AS, ammonium nitrate-AN) and application rates (45 kg ha⁻¹ and 90 kg ha⁻¹). The results demonstrated that SG exhibited increased N assimilation in both leaves and roots under lower N input, while ML primarily superior on grain development. ML showed higher carbohydrate accumulation in leaves, potentially contributing to enhanced grain yield under low N conditions. Moreover, ammonium-sulfate (AS) proved more effective in promoting NUE than ammonium-nitrate (AN), particularly at lower N input (45N). Principal component analysis confirmed that 45N treatments positively correlated with improved nitrogen uptake and utilization efficiency, with no significant yield reduction. These findings highlight the importance of optimizing nitrogen management to improve NUE while reducing environmental impacts in rice production. A further study is required to evaluate and validate the nitrogen use efficiency under different N form and dose with a field scale.

Nitrogen Use Efficiency of Boro Rice Varieties (Oryza sativa L.) Using Different Sources of Nitrogen Fertilizer

Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) integrates nitrogen (N) in different crop parts and depends upon the sources from which it derives. Higher NUE is essential for high yield potential and minimizing N loss after addition in soil. For this, a pot experiment was set up to evaluate the NUE of three boro rice varieties which are BRRI dhan61, BRRI dhan68, and BRRI dhan28 considering two sources of commercial urea fertilizer. These sources were termed as T1 (Urea, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia origin) and T2 (Urea, Qatar origin) while the control treatment was designated as T0. All the pots were arranged in a completely randomized design with four replications. Various NUE parameters such as partial factor productivity (PFP), crop recovery efficiency (CRE), agronomic efficiency (AE) and physiological efficiency (PE), agronomic as well as yield contributing characteristics of rice were studied. Results indicated that T1 showed the highest PFP, CRE, and AE in BRRI dhan68 which were 34.43 kg kg-1, 0.70 kg kg-1, and 26.32 kg kg-1, respectively, whereas the highest PE (81.58 kg kg-1) was observed in BRRI dhan28 with T2. All the rice varieties showed the highest nitrogen uptake by grain when treated with T1. Maximum grain yield (30.99 g pot-1) was found in BRRI dhan68 in T1 treated soil, which increased by 13.65% and 33.11% from BRRI dhan61 and BRRI dhan28, respectively. Agronomic as well as yield contributing characteristics such as height, tiller per plant, panicle per plant, straw yield, etc. were also highest in T1-treated soil irrespective of the rice plant studied. Considering the results of this experiment, it can be concluded that T1 treatment has a relative advantage compared to T2 used as nitrogen fertilizer sources because it enhanced N use efficiencies and may lead to reduced N losses in rice production. South Asian J. Agric., Vol. 10, No.1-2, 2024: 62-71

Agrochemical Nitrogen Cycles, Photosynthesis Performance of Nitrogen Use Efficiency, and Yield of Maize

Nitrogen (N), as a macro-element, plays a vital role in plant growth and development. N deficiency affects plant productivity by decreasing the photosynthesis, leaf area, and longevity of green leaf. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design with four replicates: N0 (0 kg N ha−1), N90 (90 kg N ha−1), N180 (180 kg N ha−1), and N210 (210 kg N ha−1), respectively, i.e., the effects of different N application levels on photosynthetic physiology, leaf characteristics, yield, and production. The findings of the present study underscore the importance of optimizing nitrogen application to maximize light capture, photosynthetic efficiency, and crop productivity. Under N-treated groups (N90, N180, and N210), the average photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) of panicle leaves at all levels, N210, was determined to be higher than that of other treated groups, as well as the N0 level and the upper, middle, and lower regions of N0, N90, and N180 plants under the same leaf area index (LAI), and it was noted to be higher under N210, respectively. Dry matter accumulation under N180, and N210 increased, respectively, and under N210, the dry matter accumulation of the population was significantly higher than that under N180, respectively. The nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), nitrogen recovery efficiency (NRE), nitrogen internal efficiency (NIE), and partial factor productivity of nitrogen (PFPN) under different nitrogen (N) application rates were significantly higher than N0, where the NIE of N180 was significantly higher than that of N210, the NUE and NRE of N180 and N210 were higher than those of N0, and the difference from PFPN was not significant, respectively.

Optimization of Nitrogen Fertilization Strategies for Drip Irrigation of Cotton in Large Fields by DSSAT Combined with a Genetic Algorithm

This study presents a hybrid modeling framework synergizing process-based crop modeling with evolutionary optimization to reconcile yield sustainability with nitrogen management in arid cotton systems. Building upon the DSSAT-CROPGRO model’s demonstrated superiority over pure machine learning approaches in simulating nitrogen–crop interactions (calibrated with multi-year phenological datasets), we develop a genetic algorithm-embedded decision system that simultaneously optimizes nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and economic returns. Field validations across contrasting growing seasons demonstrate the framework’s capacity to reduce nitrogen inputs by 15–20% while increasing profitability by 8–12% compared to conventional practices, without compromising yield stability. The tight coupling of mechanistic understanding with multi-objective optimization advances precision agriculture through two key innovations: (1) dynamic adaptation of fertilization strategies to both biophysical processes and economic constraints and (2) closed-loop integration of crop physiology simulations with evolutionary computation. This paradigm-shifting methodology establishes a new template for developing environmentally intelligent decision-support systems in water-limited agroecosystems.

Enhancing seed yield and nitrogen use efficiency of Brassica napus L. under low nitrogen by overexpression of G-proteins from Arabidopsis thaliana.

Heterotrimeric G-proteins, composed of Gα, Gβ, and Gγ subunits, are involved in the regulation of multiple signaling pathways in plants. OsDEP1 (Gγ subunit-encoded protein) of rice and TaNBP1 (Gβ subunit-encoded protein) of wheat are homologs of Arabidopsis AGG3 and AGB1, respectively, which are regulators of grain size and also involved in nitrogen responses. However, the function of Arabidopsis G-proteins in nitrogen utilization under different nitrogen conditions has not been fully investigated. In this study, to evaluate the role of Arabidopsis G-proteins towards yield and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), overexpressing transgenic lines AtGPA1, AtAGB1 together with AtAGG1 (AGB1-AGG1), with AtAGG2 (AGB1-AGG2), and with AtAGG3 (AGB1-AGG3) were created in the "K407" Brassica napus (B. napus). Analysis of multiple transgenic B. napus lines showed that overexpression of GPA1, AGB1-AGG1, AGB1-AGG2, or AGB1-AGG3 increased the biomass of seedling plants including a well-developed root system and increased nitrogen uptake under low and high nitrogen conditions. The activity of glutamine synthetase (GS), a key nitrogen assimilating enzyme, as well as the expression levels of genes that are involved in nitrogen uptake and assimilation were significantly increased in overexpressing plants under low nitrogen conditions. These properties enabled overexpressing plants to increase the number of seeds per silique by 12%-27% only under low nitrogen condition, effectively improving yield per plant by 9%-69% and NUE by 7%-49%. These results reveal roles of G-proteins in regulating seed traits and NUE, and provide a strategy that can substantially improve crop yield and NUE.

Responses of cereals to nitrogen deficiency: Adaptations on morphological, physiological, biochemical, hormonal and genetic basis

Nitrogen (N) is a primary macronutrient essential for plant growth and development. Global nitrogen fertilizer consumption is approximately 120 million tons, with nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) ranging between 25 % and 50 %. Excessive use of nitrogen fertilizer poses significant risks to the envi ronment and living organisms, highlighting the need to reduce fertilizer ap plication, improve NUE, and sustain crop productivity. Sustainable agricul tural practices emphasize minimizing fertilizer usage. Therefore, developing high-NUE crop varieties capable of maintaining yields under reduced nitro gen input is critical for ensuring food security and protecting ecosystem. A promising strategy involves investigating plant responses to varying nitro gen levels, particularly under low-nitrogen conditions. This review explores the morphological, physiological, biochemical, hormonal, and genetic changes in cereals subjected to low-nitrogen conditions. Morphological adaptations include alterations in root and shoot architecture, while physi ological responses involve enhanced chlorophyll content, leaf nitrogen lev els, and photosynthetic efficiency. Biochemical changes are characterized by increased activity of nitrogen uptake and assimilation enzymes, accom panied by hormonal shifts such as elevated auxin levels in roots. These traits provide a foundation for developing nitrogen-efficient crop varieties. Future research should prioritize breeding crops with enhanced tolerance to low-nitrogen conditions to improve NUE, grain quality, and yield potential.

Effects of Long-Term Input of Controlled-Release Urea on Maize Growth Monitored by UAV-RGB Imaging

Maize is a critical crop for global food security, yet excessive nitrogen (N) application, while sustaining yields, leads to reduced nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), and the application of controlled-release fertilizer (CRF) is one of the effective options to achieve sustainable maize production while improving NUE. This study evaluated the long-term effects of CRF with varying N input rates on maize growth using low-cost UAV-RGB imaging. UAV-RGB images were captured in different growth stages, and the non-canopy background was removed using the maximum between-class algorithm (OTSU). Eleven vegetation indices were constructed from the images to analyze maize growth under different N treatments. The results indicated that a single application of CRF with an equivalent N input rate to conventional treatment yielded significantly better outcomes. The optimal controlled-release N ratio was 40% of the total N input, increasing maize yield by 6.73% and NUE by 15%. Indices such as NRI, NBI, ARVI, RGBVI, ExR, ExG, and ExGR effectively reflected plant N status, with R2 values exceeding 0.856 for yield estimation across growth stages. UAV-RGB imaging proved to be a viable method for rapid N status monitoring, aiding in the optimization of N management in maize production.

Characterization of N variations in different organs of winter wheat and mapping NUE using low altitude UAV-based remote sensing

Although unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) remote sensing is widely used for high-throughput crop monitoring, few attempts have been made to assess nitrogen content (NC) at the organ level and its association with nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). Also, little is known about the performance of UAV-based image texture features of different spectral bands in monitoring crop nitrogen and NUE. In this study, multi-spectral images were collected throughout different stages of winter wheat in two independent field trials - a single-variety field trial and a multi-variety trial in 2021 and 2022, respectively in China and Germany. Forty-three multispectral vegetation indices (VIs) and forty texture features (TFs) were calculated from images and fed into the partial least squares regression (PLSR) and random forest (RF) regression models for predicting nitrogen-related indicators. Our main objectives were to (1) assess the potential of UAV-based multispectral imagery for predicting NC in different organs of winter wheat, (2) explore the transferability of different image features (VI and TF) and trained machine learning models in predicting NC, and (3) propose a technical workflow for mapping NUE using UAV imagery. The results showed that the correlation between different features (VIs and TFs) and NC in different organs varied between the pre-anthesis and post-anthesis stages. PLSR latent variables extracted from those VIs and TFs could be a great predictor for nitrogen agronomic efficiency (NAE). While adding TFs to VI-based models enhanced the model performance in predicting NC, inconsistency arose when applying the TF-based models trained based on one dataset to the other independent dataset that involved different varieties, UAVs, and cameras. Unsurprisingly, models trained with the multi-variety dataset show better transferability than the models trained with the single-variety dataset. This study not only demonstrates the promise of applying UAV-based imaging to estimate NC in different organs and map NUE in winter wheat but also highlights the importance of conducting model evaluations based on independent datasets.

Sphingobium yanoikuyae 41R9 Enhances Nitrogen Uptake by Modulating Transporter Genes and Root Development in Rapeseed.

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are widely recognized for enhancing the absorption of mineral nutrients by crops. While Sphingobium species have been reported as PGPRs, their capacity to improve nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and the underlying regulatory mechanisms are not yet fully understood. Here, a strain 41R9, isolated from the rhizosphere of N-deficient rapeseed, was found to significantly enhance the growth performance of rapeseed under both low and normal N conditions. Genomic analysis revealed that strain 41R9 was closely related to Sphingobium yanoikuyae. 15N isotope tracer experiments confirmed that inoculation with strain 41R9 significantly boosted N uptake and translocation in rapeseed roots. Transcriptome profiling demonstrated that strain 41R9 directly upregulated N transporter genes (NRT2.5and SLAH1/3), facilitating efficient N acquisition. Furthermore, strain 41R9 maintained jasmonic acid (JA) homoeostasis via JAZ-mediated negative feedback, balancing defense responses and root development, thereby improving the plant's N acquisition capacity in the roots. Metabolomic and in vitro assays further demonstrated that strain 41R9 displayed strong chemotaxis towards kaempferol, a N-deficiency-induced root exudate, suggesting kaempferol might as a chemical effector for S. yanoikuyae recruitment. These findings advance our understanding of PGPR-driven mechanisms in enhancing crop NUE and highlight the potential of harnessing PGPRs for sustainable agriculture.

Rice Yield and Nitrogen Use Efficiency Under Climate Change: Unraveling Key Drivers with Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator Regression

Rice (Oryza sativa L.), a staple crop vital to global food security, faces escalating threats from climate change and inefficient nitrogen management. This study employed least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression to analyze the stage-specific impacts of nitrogen application, temperature, and rainfall on rice yield and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) across three growing seasons (2020–2022) in Jiangsu Province, China. The key findings revealed the following: (1) the reproductive stages (flowering and filling stages) exhibited extreme thermal sensitivity, with high temperatures (>35 °C) causing substantial yield losses (33.1% average) and reducing nitrogen recovery efficiency (NRE: 22.4–60.5% loss) and the nitrogen translocation ratio (NTR: 26.3–61.6% loss); (2) the vegetative stages (tillering and jointing and booting stages) were highly rainfall-sensitive, with rainfall during tillering (2.1–9.7 mm/day) influencing 50% of the traits, including four NUE types; (3) appropriate nitrogen management (250–350 kgN·ha−1) mitigated the heat-induced losses, increasing physiological nitrogen use efficiency (PNUE) by 30.0–41.8% under extreme heat and alleviating the losses of yield. This study further verified the generalizability of LASSO. Compared with the traditional models, LASSO overcomes the issue of multicollinearity and can more effectively identify the key factors driving climate change across different spatial gradients. These findings provide actionable insights for optimizing nitrogen application timing, improving climate-resilient breeding, and developing stage-specific adaptation strategies to safeguard rice productivity under global warming.

Enhancing nitrogen use efficiency in agriculture by integrating agronomic practices and genetic advances

Nitrogen is a critical nutrient for plant growth and productivity, but inefficiencies in its use in agriculture present both economic and environmental challenges. Enhancing nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) is essential for promoting sustainable crop production and mitigating the negative impacts of nitrogen loss, such as water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. This review discusses various strategies aimed at improving NUE, with a focus on agronomic practices, genetic advancements, and integrated management approaches. Traditional agronomic methods, including split nitrogen application and the use of controlled-release fertilizers, are explored alongside precision agriculture techniques, which enable real-time adjustments to nitrogen application based on crop and soil conditions. Advances in genetics and biotechnology, such as conventional breeding, genetic modification, and genome editing, have contributed to the development of crop varieties with improved nitrogen uptake and assimilation. Additionally, the role of beneficial microbes, including nitrogen-fixing bacteria and mycorrhizal fungi, is highlighted as a natural means of enhancing nitrogen availability and reducing reliance on synthetic fertilizers. The review further emphasizes sustainable practices such as legume-based crop rotations, continuous cover cropping, and organic fertilization, which contribute to soil nitrogen enrichment and overall soil health. By combining these agronomic, genetic, and microbial strategies, a holistic nitrogen management approach can be achieved, maximizing crop yields while minimizing environmental impacts. This integrated strategy supports the development of resilient and sustainable agricultural systems, promoting long-term soil fertility and productivity.

Discovery of SOD5 as a novel regulator of nitrogen-use efficiency and grain yield via altering auxin level.

Auxin has emerged as a crucial regulator of plant nitrogen (N)-use efficiency (NUE) through indirect effects on plant growth and development and direct regulation of N metabolism-related genes. We previously reported DULL NITROGEN RESPONSE1 (DNR1) as an amino transferase that inhibits auxin accumulation and negatively regulates rice (Oryza sativa) NUE and grain yield. However, the identities of molecular regulators acting upstream of DNR1 await exploration. Our current work identifies SUPPRESSOR OF DNR1 ON CHROMOSOME 5 (SOD5) from a DNR1 suppressor mutant. SOD5 encodes a v-myb avian myeloblastosis viral oncogene homolog (MYB) transcription factor that directly binds to the DNR1 promoter, activating its expression and further repressing auxin accumulation. Knocking out SOD5 significantly increases NUE and grain yield, especially under low N conditions. Therefore, targeting SOD5 offers a promising strategy for enhancing crop performance, supporting the development of crops better suited for sustainable agriculture.

Genome-wide identification of invertase genes in sweetpotato and its response to nitrogen and planting densities

BackgroundInvertases (INVs) included CWIN, CIN and VIN, are key enzymes in sucrose hydrolysis into glucose and fructose and essential for plant root development. Yet the effects of nitrogen and planting density on IbINVs expression remains unexplored in sweetpotato.ResultsThis study identified 22 invertase (IbINV) genes in the sweetpotato genome and conducted comprehensive analyses of their subcellular localization, gene structure, and conserved motifs and domains. Gene Ontology functional and protein interaction network analysis suggested that IbCWIN1/2/5/6 potentially interact with HKL1/3, HXK2/3/4, and other proteins, significantly influencing carbohydrate metabolic functions and biological processes in sweetpotato. Transcriptome data revealed that IbCIN2 and IbVIN3 were highly expressed in fibrous root (FR) and potential storage root (PSR), while IbVIN4 exhibited high expression levels in storage roots (SR), and IbCWIN2 was highly expressed in both FR and SR. Moreover, the field experiments demonstrated that, compared with EN (180 kg N ha-1) combined with LD (50,000 plant ha− 1), MN (120 kg N ha− 1) combined with MD (62,500 plant ha− 1) enhanced storage roots number and weight. Notably, compared with LDEN treatment, IbCIN2, IbCWIN2, IbVIN3 and IbVIN4 under MDMN treatment were significantly upregulated, extremely significant differences at 15DAP, of which IbCIN2 showed a maximum of 23.24-fold change, showing a positive correlation with increased INV enzyme activity, glucose (GLc), and fructose (FRc) content. Additionally, screening of homologous genes showed that IbCIN2 is homologous to AtA/N-INVI and AtA/N-INVG, IbCWIN2, IbVIN3 and IbVIN4 are homologous to VACUOLAR, INVERTASE1 and BFRUCT4, with similar functions, further supporting their involvement in storage root formation and development.ConclusionThese observations underscore the expansion of IbINVs in sweetpotato and provide a theoretical basis for optimizing the interaction between nitrogen application and planting density in sweetpotato, allowing for more efficient nitrogen use and improved growth.

Harnessing plant growth-promoting bacteria (Herbaspirillum seropedicae) from an optimal mineral nitrogen supply: A study on improving nitrogen use efficiency in marandu palisadegrass.

Harnessing plant growth-promoting bacteria (Herbaspirillum seropedicae) from an optimal mineral nitrogen supply: A study on improving nitrogen use efficiency in marandu palisadegrass.

Grafting improves nitrogen efficiency and stabilizes yield and quality of cucumber by enhancing the NO3 - uptake.

Grafting can promote the growth and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of cucumber seedlings under reduced nitrogen (N) application, however, its underlying mechanisms and effects on mature plants remain unknown. For this purpose, self-grafted and rootstock-grafted cucumber plants were treated with two N levels (7 and 4 mM) throughout the entire growth period. The long-term reduced-N treatment significantly limited the growth, root morphology, nitrate (NO3 -) uptake, NUE traits, photosynthesis, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) activity, yield, and fruit quality of self-grafted plants but had no influence on rootstock-grafted plants, it even improved their NUE traits, total phenolic and flavonoid contents, and PAL activity. Furthermore, the expression of the NRT1.2, NRT1.5, NRT2.2, and NRT2.5 genes were significantly down-regulated in self-grafted plant roots, while they and the transcription factors NLP6 and LBD38 were up-regulated in rootstock-grafted plant roots under reduced-N environments. Correlation analysis showed that plant growth, root surface area, N-accumulation, N-uptake efficiency (NUpE), NUE, photosynthesis, PAL activity, yield, and fruit quality were all positively correlated with each other; meanwhile, the root morphology, NRT1.2 and NRT2.1 gene expression were all positively correlated with NUpE and NUE. The results demonstrate that under reduced-N application, rootstock grafting can enhance NO3 - uptake and N accumulation to improve the NUE of cucumber plants and resist reduced-N environment through secondary metabolism, maintaining growth, photosynthesis, yield, and fruit quality without adverse effects. The up-regulation of NRT genes and related transcription factors regulates the NO3 - uptake in rootstock-grafted plants. Rootstock grafting will be beneficial for fertilizer conservation and efficient cucumber production. yield and fruit quality.

A Gln alteration influences leaf morphogenesis by mediating gibberellin levels in tobacco.

A Gln alteration influences leaf morphogenesis by mediating gibberellin levels in tobacco.

Nitrogen Acquisition by Invasive Plants: Species Preferential N Uptake Matching with Soil N Dynamics Contribute to Its Fitness and Domination.

Plant invasions play a significant role in global environmental change. Traditionally, it was believed that invasive plants absorb and utilize nitrogen (N) more efficiently than native plants by adjusting their preferred N forms in accordance with the dominant N forms present in the soil. More recently, invasive plants are now understood to optimize their N acquisition by directly mediating soil N transformations. This review highlights how exotic species optimize their nitrogen acquisition by influencing soil nitrogen dynamics based on their preferred nitrogen forms, and the various mechanisms, including biological nitrification inhibitor (BNI) release, pH alterations, and changes in nutrient stoichiometry (carbon to nitrogen ratio), that regulate the soil nitrogen dynamics of exotic plants. Generally, invasive plants accelerate soil gross nitrogen transformations to maintain a high supply of NH4+ and NO3- in nitrogen-rich ecosystems irrespective of their preference. However, they tend to minimize nitrogen losses to enhance nitrogen availability in nitrogen-poor ecosystems, where, in such situations, plants with different nitrogen preferences usually affect different nitrogen transformation processes. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding requires more situ data on the interactions between invasive plant species' preferential N form uptake and the characteristics of soil N transformations. Understanding the combination of these processes is essential to elucidate how exotic plants optimize nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and minimize nitrogen losses through denitrification, leaching, or runoff, which are considered critical for the success of invasive plant species. This review also highlights some of the most recent discoveries in the responses of invasive plants to the different forms and amounts of N and how plants affect soil N transformations to optimize their N acquisition, emphasizing the significance of how plant-soil interactions potentially influence soil N dynamics.

Interacting MeZFP29 and MebZIPW regulates MeNRT2.2 from cassava responding to nitrate signaling.

Cassava is a significant tropical cash crop. MeZFP29 interacting with MebZIPW improves MeNRT2.2, encoding a high-affinity nitrate transporter, through binding to NREs under low nitrate and shows a nitrate-signaling-triggered regulation. Cassava (Manihot esculenta) is a globally significant tropical root crop and exhibits exceptional adaptability tonative soil fertility. MeNRT2.2 encodes a high-affinity nitrate transporter in cassava and heterologous overexpression ofMeNRT2.2 in Arabidopsis increases nitrate transportation and utilization under nitrogenscarcity. However, the responsive mechanism of MeNRT2.2 to nitrate remains unclear. In this study, we identified a nitrate-responsive fragment of 450bp located upstream of the start codon of MeNRT2.2, and two potential regulators, MeZFP29 and MebZIPW, of MeNRT2.2. Two regulators specifically bound to nitrate-responsive cis-element (NRE), i.e., TGCATT and CAGATG, in the 450bp fragment and together significantly stimulated promoter activity. Furthermore, we confirmed the interaction between two regulators in vivo and in vitro via Y2H, BiFC, Co-IP, and GST-pull-down assays. In addition, the distribution of MeZFP29 and its heterodimers (MeZFP&MebZIPW) are determined by nitrate signaling, i.e., in thecytoplasm and nucleus under nitrogen limitation, and predominantly in nucleus under sufficient nitrate. In contrast, MebZIPW consistently localizes to the cytoplasm and nucleus regardless of nitrate conditions. Moreover, overexpression of MeZFP29 in Arabidopsis enhanced growth and chlorophyll content, particularly, under low nitrate conditions, while MebZIPW did not. These findings not only confirm the regulation of MeZFP29 and MebZIPW on MeNRT2.2, but also illustrate the nitrate signaling-triggered promotion and feedback on MeNRT2.2. Our study provides a novel approach to enhancing nitrogen-use efficiency in cassava by modulating the regulators under moderate nitrogen levels as low as possible.

Towards Climate-Smart Agriculture: Strategies for Sustainable Agricultural Production, Food Security, and Greenhouse Gas Reduction

Without transformative adaptation strategies, the impact of climate change is projected to reduce global crop yields and increase food insecurity, while rising greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions further exacerbate the crisis. While agriculture is a major contributor to climate change through unsustainable practices, it also offers significant opportunities to mitigate these emissions through the adoption of sustainable practices. This review examines climate-smart agriculture (CSA) as a key strategy for enhancing crop productivity, building climate resilience, and reducing GHG emissions, while emphasizing the need for strategic interventions to accelerate its large-scale implementation for improved food security. The analysis revealed that while nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) has improved in developed countries, the global NUE remains at 55.47%, emphasizing the need for precision nutrient management and integrated soil fertility strategies to enhance productivity and minimize environmental impacts. With 40% of the world’s agricultural land already degraded, sustainability alone is insufficient, necessitating a shift toward regenerative agricultural practices to restore degraded soil and water by improving soil health, enhancing biodiversity, and increasing carbon sequestration, thus ensuring long-term agricultural resilience. CSA practices, including precision agriculture, regenerative agriculture, biochar application, and agroforestry, improve soil health, enhance food security, and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. However, result variability highlights the need for site-specific strategies to optimize benefits. Integrating multiple CSA practices enhances soil health and productivity more effectively than implementing a single practice alone. Widespread adoption faces socio-economic and technological barriers, requiring supportive policies, financial incentives, and capacity-building initiatives. By adopting climate-smart technologies, agriculture can transition toward sustainability, securing global food systems while addressing climate challenges.

Efficiency of mono-silicic coated urea with various fertilizing techniques on maize (Zea mays L.) performance and nitrogen content

Environmental deterioration and nitrogen (N) losses are closely interrelated. In the realm of nitrogenous fertilizers, urea holds a prominent position due to its unique characteristics and high N content. While urea is valued for its ease of application, excessive use often leads to significant losses through leaching and volatilization. Coating urea with biodegradable materials offers a potential solution by enabling the steady release of N. In recent years, nanotechnology has been employed in various ways to coat urea, improving its efficiency. With the dimensions of nano-fertilizers and N losses in mind, a field experiment was conducted at the Soil Fertility Research Institute (SFRI) in Tandojam, Pakistan. The study investigated the effects of nano-silicon (nSi)-coated urea on the growth, N uptake, and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of maize plants. Nano-Si was used as a urease inhibitor with urea (160 kg N ha⁻¹) and combined with different coating materials, namely vegetable oil and palm stearin, to assess binding reliability. Two fertilization application techniques broadcasting and placement were also evaluated. The highest agronomic performance was observed when nSi-coated urea with palm stearin was applied, while coating with vegetable oil was less effective but still outperformed broadcast urea. NUE and N uptake were significantly improved when nSi and urea were combined, compared to other treatments. Additionally, plants demonstrated the ability to utilize nano-Si, a sustainable byproduct derived from rice husks. The overall findings of this study are promising and provide valuable insights for future strategies to enhance nitrogen use efficiency while mitigating environmental degradation.