Wheat Soil Research Articles

Response of soil characteristics to biochar and Fe-Mn oxide-modified biochar application in phthalate-contaminated fluvo-aquic soils

Biochar (BC) derived from agricultural biomass is effective at immobilizing phthalate in the agricultural soil environment. In this study, we assessed the effects of 0.5%, 1%, and 2% BC and Fe-Mn oxide-modified biochar (FMBC) addition on dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) residues and biochemical characteristics in the rhizosphere soil of mature wheat polluted with DBP and DEHP using a pot experiment. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the surfaces and pores of BC and FMBC adhered soil mineral particles after remediation. Therefore, DBP and DEHP residues were increased in BC- and FMBC-treated soils. Illumina HiSeq sequencing showed that, compared with the control, BC and FMBC addition significantly enhanced the relative abundance of Firmicutes and reduced Proteobacteria. The abundance of Sphenodons and Pseudomonas, which degrade phthalates, tended to be higher in FMBC-amended soils than in BC-amended and control soils. This result may be related to an increase in available nutrients and organic matter following BC and FMBC application. Subsequently, the changes in soil bacterial abundance and community structure induced an increase in polyphenol oxidase, β-glucosidase, neutral phosphatase, and protease activity in BC and FMBC remediation. In comparison with the BC treatment, FMBC addition had a significantly positive effect on enzyme activity, and the microbial structure and was therefore more effective at immobilizing DBP and DEHP in the soil. Thus, our findings strongly suggest that FMBC is a reliable remediation material for phthalate-contaminated soil.

Crop Cycle and Tillage Role in the Outbreak of Late Wilt Disease of Maize Caused by Magnaporthiopsis maydis.

The destructive maize late wilt disease (LWD) has heavy economic implications in highly infected areas such as Israel, Egypt, and Spain. The disease outbreaks occur near the harvest, leading to total yield loss in severe cases. Crop rotation has long been known as an effective means to reduce plant diseases. Indeed, agricultural soil conservation practices that can promote beneficial soil and root fungi have become increasingly important. Such methods may have a bioprotective effect against Magnaporthiopsis maydis, the LWD causal agent. In this two-year study, we tested the role of crop rotation of maize with either wheat or clover and the influence of minimum tillage in restricting LWD. In the first experiment, wheat and clover were grown in pots with LWD infected soil in a greenhouse over a full winter growth period. These cultivations were harvested in the spring, and each pot’s group was split into two subgroups that underwent different land processing practices. The pots were sown with LWD-sensitive maize cultivar and tested over a whole growth period against control soils without crop rotation or soil with commercial mycorrhizal preparation. The maize crop rotation with wheat without tillage achieved prominent higher growth indices than the control and the clover crop cycle. Statistically significant improvement was measured in the non-tillage wheat soil pots in sprout height 22 days after sowing, in the healthy plants at the season’s end (day 77), and in shoot and cob wet weight (compared to the control). This growth promotion was accompanied by a 5.8-fold decrease in pathogen DNA in the plant stems. The tillage in the wheat-maize growth sequence resulted in similar results with improved shoot wet-weight throughout the season. In contrast, when maize was grown after clover, the tillage reduced this parameter. The addition of commercial mycorrhizal preparation to the soil resulted in higher growth measures than the control but was less efficient than the wheat crop cycle. These results were supported by a subsequent similar experiment that relied on soil taken from commercial wheat or clover fields. Here too, the wheat-maize growth cycle (without permanent effect for the tillage) achieved the best results and improved the plants’ growth parameters and immunity against LWD and lowered pathogen levels. In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that wheat and perhaps other crops yet to be inspected, together with the adjusted tillage system, may provide plants with better defense against the LWD pathogen.

Antagonistic Activity of Indigenous Rhizobacteria through Biosynthesis of Indole-3-Acetic Acid (IAA), Hydrogen Cyanide (HCN), and Siderophores

This study aimed to isolate indigenous Antagonistic Bacteria (AB) against common soil-borne phytopathogens, including Rhizoctonia solani, Phythium sp., Fusarium oxysporum. Biosynthesis of Indole-3-Acetic Acid (IAA), generation of Hydrogen Cyanide (HCN), and siderophores production were assessed for their involvement in the antagonistic activities. Rhizospheric soil of bean roots, sunflowers, wheat, rice, and humic and semi flooded soils were used to isolate twenty-one bacterial strains for phytopathogenic antagonism. It was found that nine isolates have potential antagonistic activity against three common soilborne pathogens. Antifungal productivity for IAA, HCN, and siderophores was screened on the isolates while nine ABs were identified. To choose statistically significant isolate for the formulation, the principal component analysis was performed with five variables (IAA production, siderophores production index, antagonistic activities against three phytopathogens). Among the nine isolates, the isolate Pseudomonas alicaligenes shew a positive correlation with all variables. In particular, the strain demonstrated to be an antagonistic strain against the fungal pathogens and a strong producer of siderophores, HCN and IAA, We prepared the biocontrol agents with rice flour, glutinous rice flour, Monosodium Glutamate and Chitosan that were found to maintain the up to three months for convenience of field applications.

Impacts of lime application on soil bacterial microbiome in dryland wheat soil in the Pacific Northwest

Soil acidification is a global issue that significantly reduces crop productivity. Lime application is a viable agricultural strategy to ameliorate soil acidification. However, the knowledge of the impact of lime application on the soil microbiome is still limited. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the diversity, structure, and compositions of the soil bacterial community after liming on wheat fields. We established winter wheat plots in two precipitation zones, Pendleton and Moro in Oregon, facing soil acidity stress, and conducted bacterial microbiome analysis after lime application using Illumina MiSeq. Soil pH increased with increasing rates of lime amendments in the surface soil (0–7.5 cm) but did not significantly change in deeper soil (7.5–15 and 15–22.5 cm). High-throughput sequencing results revealed that liming had marginally effects on soil bacterial communities. A few bacterial families, including Cytophagaceae, Flavobacteriaceae, Intrasporangiaceae, Phyllobacteriaceae, Propionibacteriaceae, Pseudomonadaceae, and Sphingobacteriaceae, were correlated with lime application. In contrast, location and soil depth had a strong effect on soil bacterial communities. In addition, the impacts of liming on soil bacterial diversity and taxa were inconsistent and location- and soil depth-dependent. Furthermore, four nitrifiers were quantitated from all samples by qPCR assay. Ammonium oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and Nitrobacter were most abundant in the topsoil, while ammonia oxidizing archaea (AOA) and Nitrospira were more abundant in deeper soil. Only Nitrospira was significantly influenced by soil pH. Overall, these results suggest that location, soil depth, lime amendments, and their interactions have significant impacts on the soil bacterial community that may influence plant health and crop yields.

Agronomic biofortification of rice and wheat with zinc: A metanalytical study

A diet based on cereals may lack essential mineral elements, among them zinc. The provision of this element in diets can be via supplements, food fortifiers or agronomic biofortification (AB), a practice adopted on a farmer scale. It was carried out different studies in countries with specific local conditions. The meta-analysis allows combining quantitative results from different studies, providing a synthesis of results with high reliability. The objective of this work was to analyze the response of rice (Oryza spp.) and wheat (Triticum spp.) to fertilization with zinc in terms of grain yield and accumulation of this nutrient in the grain. We carried out a systematic review where 16 scientific articles from the last five years were selected, and 179 studies fitted the established criteria. The effect size for Zn application via leaf or soil in rice and wheat compared to the control was calculated using the natural logarithm (lnR) between the ratio of the treatment group and the control group for both variables. Agronomic biofortification with Zn increases grain yield (7%) and zinc content in grains (53%). These results depend on plant species and the fertilization way (via the soil or foliar spray). Agronomic Biofortification may be a valuable strategy to combat malnutrition and guarantee food sovereignty.

Changes in N2-fixation activity, abundance and composition of diazotrophic communities in a wheat field under elevated CO2 and canopy warming

Global climate change with elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations and warming may potentially influence microbial function and nitrogen (N) cycling in various ecosystems. Despite the significance of diazotrophic mediation in soil N cycling within agricultural ecosystems, little is known about the impacts of climate change on diazotrophic abundance and community composition. An open-air field experiment growing wheat was conducted under four treatments: ambient condition (CK), CO2 enrichment up to 500 ppm (CE), warming of canopy air by 2 °C over ambient (WA), and the combined CO2 enrichment and canopy warming (CW). Quantitative real-time PCR and high-throughput pyrosequencing were used to analyze diazotrophic abundance and community composition in the bulk and rhizosphere soils. Results showed that both N2-fixation activity and nifH gene abundance were higher in the rhizosphere than those in bulk soil. N2-fixation activity and nifH gene abundance were significantly increased under elevated CO2 treatments, while no significant change was observed under warming treatment. Elevated CO2 levels altered the diazotrophic community composition and increased the alpha diversity. A redundancy analysis indicated that soil organic carbon, total nitrogen and available potassium were the most important factors in shaping diazotrophic communities in the wheat rhizosphere and bulk soil. These findings suggest that N2-fixation and diazotrophic community in wheat soil are more impacted by elevated CO2 compared with warming. Therefore, understanding how simultaneous elevated CO2 and temperature levels influences the microbial ecology of soil diazotrophs, can provide novel insights into the sustainability of agricultural production under future climate scenarios.

Effects of S,S-ethylenediamine disuccinic acid on the phytoextraction efficiency of Solanum nigrum L. and soil quality in Cd-contaminated alkaline wheat soil.

Degradable chelating agent-assisted phytoextraction is a promising method for the remediation of Cd-contaminated agricultural soil. However, there are limited studies that have examined the effect of chelating agents on soil solutions and soil quality in alkaline soil. In this study, the effects of S,S-ethylenediamine disuccinic acid (EDDS) on the growth and phytoextraction of Solanum nigrum L. (S. nigrum) were studied using pot experiments. The influence of EDDS on the soil solutions, heavy metal contents, and soil enzyme activities was evaluated. EDDS application increased the height of S. nigrum by 7.25-29.25 cm and increased the biomass of stem and leaf by 4.26-14.95 and 1.14-10.78 g/pot, respectively. The Cd concentrations in the leaves and berries of S. nigrum were 1.21-2.17 and 1.7-9.47 times higher than that of the control, respectively, and the Cd extraction amount in the shoots of S. nigrum increased by 22.78-256.16 μg/pot after EDDS application. The chelation of EDDS on heavy metals reached a peak after 7 days of application, decreased gradually with the degradation of EDDS, and disappeared after 30 days of application. Soil pH, available metals, metal speciation, and soil urease were significantly related to the application time of EDDS. Importantly, EDDS application 45 days before S. nigrum harvest treatments decreased the available metal concentrations and improved soil pH and urease activity. However, when EDDS was applied 15 days before S. nigrum harvest, the available Cd and Pb concentrations significantly increased and caused additional Pb pollution. Considering the chelation and degradation effects, the environmental implication, and the cost of EDDS, the results of this study showed that one application of EDDS was better than two applications, a 45-day application before harvest was preferred to a 15-day application, and application of 1-3 mM EDDS 30-45 days before S. nigrum harvest was the most promising application method for the remediation of Cd-contaminated alkaline soil.

Effects of Combined Application of Biogas Slurry and Straw on the Migration and Fractions of Soil Heavy Metals in Rice-wheat Rotation System in Coastal Reclamation Areas

In order to reveal the impact of the application of biogas slurry instead of chemical nitrogen fertilizer on the environmental risk of heavy metals in the soil by returning straw to the field, four treatments, without biogas slurry and without straw applications (CK), biogas slurry application without straw (B), straw application without biogas slurry (S), and biogas slurry combined with straw applications (BS), were applied in a typical coastal reclaimed farmland (rice-wheat rotation) in Jiangsu province. The migration and morphological characteristics of Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb in different soil layers were observed, and the potential environmental risks were estimated. The results showed that:① The total amounts of Zn and Pb in the surface soils (0-20 cm) in the rice and wheat fields under the BS treatment decreased significantly (P<0.05). The four heavy metals in the paddy soils migrated 6%-11% from the surface to the middle and lower layers (20-60 cm), and Cu, Cd, and Pb in the wheat soils migrate down from the surface by 25% to 33%. This indicated that the combined use of biogas slurry and straw accelerates the vertical downward movement of heavy metals in the surface soil. ② Under the BS treatment, the contents of the weak acid extraction of Cu in the surface soil of the paddy field decreased by 8.8%, and the residual state of Zn, Cd, and Pb decreased by 7.0% to 14.2%. This revealed that Cu was passivated, but Zn, Cd, and Pb tended to be activated. In comparison, the reduction in Cu residues in wheat field surface soil was 2.8 times that of the weak acid extraction, indicating that Cu was activated. Furthermore, the residue state of Cd increased, the weak acid extraction state of Pb decreased, and Cd and Pb were passivated. ③ The ecological risk assessment of heavy metals showed that there is no ecological risk in the soils under the BS treatment, and the risk indices were significantly lower than those of the B and S treatments (P<0.05). Therefore, the combined use of biogas slurry and straw helps to significantly reduce the risk of heavy metal pollution in the soils in the coastal reclamation areas.

Long-term ditch-buried straw return increases functionality of soil microbial communities

Ditch-buried straw return (DB-SR) is a novel soil fertility building method by combing straw incorporation and tillage rotation in rice–wheat annual double cropping system. Several benefits of DB-SR have been shown, e.g. improving carbon sequestration, nitrogen retention and soil aggregation. However, how long-term DB-SR affecting the metabolic activity and diversity of soil microbial communities is still unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of DB-SR application after 5 years (rice season) and 5.5 years (wheat season) on functional patterns, including the overall functional activity, reflected by fluorescein diacetate hydrolase (FDA) activity, the overall growth activity, reflected by soil respiration rate, extracellular element-cycling enzyme activity, glomalin content and metabolic diversity in different soil layers. Our results first showed that DB-SR significantly increased the overall functional activity (FDA hydrolase) and growth activity (respiration rate) in 10–20 cm and 20–30 cm soils. Second, β-glucosidase, lipase, acid phosphatase and arylsulphatase activities were significantly increased by DB-SR in different soil layers. However, urease activity was only increased by DB-SR in wheat soils, but reduced in the 0–10 cm and 20–30 cm soils after growing rice. In addition, DB-SR significantly increased the content of total glomalin and easily extracted glomalin. Finally, DB-SR significantly increased microbial metabolic diversity of carbon substrates in different soil layers. Overall, the metabolic activity and diversity of microbial communities were shown with a larger increase in 10–20 cm (above the straw layer) than 0–10 cm and 20–30 cm soil layers; and tended to increase with straw burial duration. These findings suggest that the long-term application of DB-SR is helpful to drive material transformation and nutrient supply, which can further benefit crop production in rice–wheat rotation systems.

Comprehensive assessment of heavy metal risk in soil-crop systems along the Yangtze River in Nanjing, Southeast China.

Conventional assessment of soil environmental quality commonly focuses on soil heavy metals (HMs), neglecting the HMs in agricultural products. To response this shortcoming, a comprehensive assessment combining both soil environmental quality and agricultural product security for evaluating soil HM impact is urgently required. This comprehensive assessment incorporates not only the HM contents in soil and agricultural product but also soil environmental quality standards, soil elemental background values, and safety standards for HMs in agricultural products. In this study, it was applied to evaluate the potential risk of HMs in soil-crop systems (i.e., soil-vegetable, soil-maize, soil-rice, and soil-wheat systems) along the Yangtze River in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, Southeast China. Furthermore, 114Cd/110Cd isotope ratio analysis was used to identify the specific contamination sources. The mean concentrations of Cd, As, Hg, Pb, Cu, Zn, and Cr in the surface soils (0-20cm) were 0.26, 11.07, 0.09, 32.63, 38.57, and 107.92mgkg-1, respectively, exceeding the corresponding soil background values. Fertilizer and atmospheric deposition were the major anthropogenic sources of HM contamination in crop-growing soils. In addition to the crop type, soil pH and organic matter also influenced the transfer of HMs from soils to the edible parts of crops. Results of comprehensive assessment revealed that approximately 11.1% of paired soil-crop sites were multi-contaminated by HMs, among which paddy soils had the highest potential risk of HMs followed by maize soils, vegetable soils, and wheat soils. To evaluate the potential risk of HMs in arable land, this study provides a novel, scientific and reliable approach via integrating soil environmental quality and agricultural product security.

Estimation of SPAD value in waterlogged winter wheat based on characteristic indices of hyperspectral and digital image.

To explore the optimal monitoring method for soil and plant analyzer development (SPAD) of winter wheat under waterlogging stress based on hyperspectral and digital image techno-logy, the correlations between SPAD of the waterlogged winter wheat and fifteen indices of hyperspectral characteristic and fourteen indices of digital image feature were analyzed under a micro-plot which could be irrigated and drainage separately. Then, the BP neural network models for SPAD estimation were constructed based on the optimal monitoring feature indices. Compared with the normal winter wheat, SPAD and the value of hyperspectral reflectance did not change under short-term waterlogging (less than 7 d), whereas the SPAD was significantly decreased after more than 12 d waterlogging treatment with the value being close to zero at the late stage of growth. The estimation accuracy based on the digital image characteristics of green minus red, excess red index, norma-lized redness index and excess green index showed similar results compared to that using the BP network model based on the characteristics of the corresponding hyperspectral band. The highest R2 between the measured value and the predicted value was 0.86, while the root mean square error (RMSE) was 3.98. Compared with the BP network models built with the digital image feathers, the accuracy of the models based on the four hyperspectral characteristic indices (carotenoid reflex index, yellow edge amplitude, normalized difference vegetation index and structure insensitive pigment index) for SPAD was significantly improved, with the highest R2 of 0.97 and the lowest RMSE of 1.95. Our results suggest that both hyperspectral and digital image technology could be used to estimate SPAD value of waterlogged winter wheat and that the BP network model based on hyperspectral characteristic indices performed better in the estimation accuracy.

Effect of different nitrogen management and Tillage options on soil, nutrient content, uptake and yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) using under active crop canopy sensor

A field experiment was conducted during Rabi at BAC, Research Farm Sabour to access the effect of precession nitrogen management and tillage practices on growth parameter of wheat. The experiment was carried two tillage practices (conventional tillage, CT and Zero tillage, ZT) in main-plots and six different nutrient management practices [viz.N1-Recommended dose of nutrients (150:60:40 kg NPK/ha, full P & K and ½ N at basal +1/2N in two splitting at 1st & 2nd irrigation- Top dressing after irrigation, N2-Recommended dose of nutrients (150:60:40kg NPK/ ha, full P & K and ½ N at basal +½ N in two splitting at 1st & 2nd irrigation-Top dressing before irrigation, N3-SSNM Based on Nutrient Expert (NE), N4-70% N of SSNM based on NE+ remaining N as guided by Green Seeker, N5 Nitrogen enriched plots (225:60:40Kg. NPK/ha.) and N6-SPAD based nutrient management, (75Kg. N as basal +25Kg. N as 1st top dress +25Kg. N at 42 SPAD reading) in sub plots with 3 replications. the conventional tillage recorded slightly higher grain yield than that of the zero tillage during both years of experimentation The maximum grain yield (45.5 and 49.4 q ha-1 in 1st year and 2nd year, respectively) was recorded from the plots received 70% N of SSNM based on nutrient expert system +remaining N guided by Green Seeker treatment and was significantly superior to the rest of the nutrient management practices.

Response of Different Crop Cultivars to Micronutrient Fertilization and Relationship to Rhizosphere Soil Properties

ABSTRACT Five different cultivars each of wheat, pea, and canola were grown with and without copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and boron (B) fertilization, respectively, in a greenhouse study to identify any crop cultivar and rhizosphere soil responses to micronutrient fertilization. The prairie agricultural surface soils (0–10 cm) used in the study were suspected to be micronutrient deficient according to soil extractable levels. Only durum wheat (CDC Fortitude) produced greater biomass from Cu fertilization compared to the other wheat cultivars. Cultivar dependent responses of pea and canola biomass yield to Zn and B fertilization were not significantly (P > .05) different. Boron concentration in whole plant canola tissue increased following fertilizer addition. Micronutrient fertilization increased concentrations and supply rates of available Cu, Zn, and B in post-harvest rhizosphere soil. Fertilizer Cu and Zn were distributed in labile soil solution-carbonate-exchangeable and oxyhydroxide fraction, whereas B was primarily found in the hot water-soluble fraction, specifically adsorbed and oxyhydroxide fractions. The composition of low molecular weight organic acids (formic, propionic, malic, and fumaric acid) in the rhizosphere soil varied among crops. Additionally, citric and tartaric acid were present in the pea and canola rhizosphere soils, respectively. The rhizosphere soil of durum wheat not fertilized with Cu contain higher levels of succinic acid compared to the other wheat cultivars. For pea and canola, there was no significant (P > .05) effect of cultivar on the amounts or forms of organic acids in the rhizosphere soils.

Effects of Copper Pollution on Microbial Communities in Wheat Root Systems

Wheat is the main food crop in China while at the same time, heavy metals pose a significant threat to crop growth and food security. Many studies indicate that rhizospheric microorganism play an important role in regulating crop development and stress resistance. In this study, the variation in wheat root-associated microbial communities under copper pollution was studied using high-throughput sequencing. The microbial community structure and diversity among different wheat rhizocompartments were compared after sequencing of microbial communities in the bulk soil, rhizosphere, and endosphere of wheat under copper pollution in combination with pot-based experiments. The results showed that the microbial diversity of the endosphere was significantly lower than in the rhizosphere and bulk soil(P<0.001), indicating that root surfaces serve as a gateway for microorganisms to enter into the interior root environment, and play a role in filtering root colonization. Copper pollution significantly reduced the microbial diversity of the rhizosphere (P<0.05). In the bulk soil and endosphere environments, although copper pollution reduced microbial diversity in the corresponding rhizocompartment, the difference was not significant (P>0.05). Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria were the dominant bacteria groups in the rhizosphere and the bulk soil under copper pollution. In addition, microbes such as Bacillus, Pseudoxanthomonas, and Sphingomonas show strong stress resistance and can provide nutrients for plants.

Risk assessment and ecotoxicological diagnosis of soil from a chemical industry park in Nanjing, China.

Soil pollution due to the activities of industrial parks, is becoming an increasingly serious issue, particularly throughout China. Therefore, it is essential to explore the soil pollution characteristics and its ecotoxicological effects on model species, such as higher plant species, in typical industrial areas. In this study, concentrations of heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were examined in the soil collected from 10 sampling sites at a chemical industry park in Nanjing, China. The pollution index was used to assess the heavy metal pollution level of soils, while the hazard index (HI) and carcinogenic risk index (RI) were calculated to assess the human health risk of soil PAHs. In addition, wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was used as the model species to evaluate the ecotoxicological effects of polluted soil in pot experiments. Results showed that the content of heavy metals and PAHs varied greatly in soil samples, among which the heavy metal pollution at S1, S2 and S3 was the most serious. The health risk assessment of PAHs indicated that non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic values for all soil samples were below the threshold levels. Statistical analysis of the correlation between contaminated soil and toxic effects in wheat found that the significance values of regression equations were all less than 0.05 for chlorophyll content, peroxidase (POD) and amylase (AMS) activity. This indicates that the chlorophyll content, POD and AMS activity in wheat leaves could be suitable biomarkers for evaluation of the combined toxicity of multiple pollutants. This study provides a reference for future research on the risk assessment of soil containing multiple pollutants from industrial chemical parks.

Long-term ditch-buried straw return alters soil carbon sequestration, nitrogen availability and grain production in a rice–wheat rotation system

Our previous studies indicated that ditch-buried straw return (DB-SR) can improve soil processes in the short term, i.e. increasing microbial metabolic capability, reducing nitrogen leaching loss and promoting soil aggregation. However, it remains unclear how long-term implementation of DB-SR affects soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) processes and crop yields. Here, the effects of DB-SR on soil C pool and N availability as well as grain yields were investigated after consecutive application of 6 (rice season) and 6.5 years (wheat season). We found that long-term DB-SR significantly increased rice yields, total organic C, NH4+ and NO3– in the rice soils, as well as enhanced wheat yields, microbial biomass C, microbial biomass N, microbial biomass C/total organic C ratio and microbial biomass C/N ratio, but reduced NH4+ and NO3– in the wheat soils when compared with rotary tillage straw return (RT-SR) and no tillage with straw removal (NT-NS). These findings suggest that long-term DB-SR application has positive effects on grain production, but possibly through different mechanisms in improving soil processes. The yield-increasing effects on rice might result from improvements in soil fertility, whereas increased wheat yields can be ascribed to stimulated soil microbial activity.

Establishment of a rapid detection method for wheat crown rot

We have established a real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR system that can detect wheat crown rot rapidly and accurately quantify fungi, Fusarium species and Fusarium pseudograminearum in the rhizosphere soil of infected wheat through the standard curve produced, with a view to the early stage of wheat Provide help in predicting the occurrence of wheat crown rot.

Ecologized technology of spring wheat cultivation with application of granular organic fertilizers

The paper is devoted to studying the impact of granular organic fertilizers based on poultry manure on improving the environmental situation, which in some farms has deteriorated in the process of poultry farms. The production and application of granular organic fertilizers in spring wheat cultivation promotes the optimization of phytosanitary condition of agrocenosis. They activate soil microflora. In the soil and rhizosphere of spring wheat, it decreases the amount of pathogenic fungi, increases the number of antagonist fungi. The total number of soil fungi increases by 1.8 times compared to the unfertilized area. Affection of spring wheat plants by root rot is reduced by 1.5 times compared to control. Granular organic fertilizers had a significant impact on spring wheat productivity. Plants in this variant grew larger as opposed to control and variant with mineral fertilizer. Spring wheat yields increased by 63 % compared to the controls.

Study on technological properties of winter wheat soils

The aim of the study is to study and analyze the physical, mechanical and technological properties of soils from under winter grain crops in the hot climate of Uzbekistan. The results of determining the moisture content, density, hardness and resistance to various deformations of soils after harvesting winter wheat are presented. The basic principles and methods of classical mechanics, mathematical analysis and statistics were used in this study. Studies have found that, in the layer 0-30, the soil moisture for ten days after harvesting winter cereals decreases by 12.1-16.3%, and the soil hardness increases by 10.7-16.4% and are 3.22-5.14 MPa. At the same time, at an average humidity of 12-14%, the resistance of the soil to breakage and torsion, respectively, is 1.3-1.8 and 1.0-1.1 times higher than the resistance of the soil to shear. The resistance of the soil to shear is 87.9 kPa, and to breakage and torsion-69.7 and 78.6 kPa, respectively.

Forecrop Effects on Abundance and Diversity of Soil Microorganisms during the Growth of the Subsequent Crop

Plant residues introduced into the soil influence the soil’s physical, chemical, and consequently, biological parameters, which have an influence on plant health and yields. This study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of the cultivation of widespread plant species, faba bean (Vicia faba L., F) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L., W) (as forecrops) grown under conventionally tilled fields, on the diversity of microorganisms and the enzymatic activities of soil during the growth of the subsequent wheat. Bulk soil samples (0–20 cm) were taken three times from two months after residue incorporation into the soil to the maturity of the subsequent wheat crop in order to assess the fungal and bacterial communities (Next Generation Sequencing (NGS), terminal restriction fragments lengths polymorphism (t-RFLP)), ammonia oxidizing archaea (t-RFLP, denaturing gradient gel glectrophoresis (DGGE)), and the enzymatic activity of soil. Differences in the genetic structure of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) were observed for each treatment and sampling term, indicating that plant and weather conditions are the driving force for microorganism selection and adaptation. We observed that the fungal community was more influenced by the forecrop type used than the bacterial community. The activities of the enzymes changed in response to the forecrop and sampling period. A higher number of microorganisms that are associated with plant benefits with respect to nutrients and growth, as well as higher amounts of N in the residues, was noted in faba bean than in wheat soil. This could indicate better growth conditions after faba bean and, consequently, better yield quality and quantity. This may also indicate some protective role of the soil after faba bean against pathogens, which may be connected with lower fungicide requirements. The obtained results lead to a deeper understanding of the microorganism reactions to faba bean and wheat residues during wheat cultivation. In addition, they may be helpful in improving our understanding of subsequent crop yield responses to forecrops.