Article
Plant Sciences
Hasnaa Sammama, Mouaad Amine Mazri, Lahcen Ouahmane, Amal Sammama, Driss Hsissou, Mimoun El Kaoua, Mohamed Najib Alfeddy
Summary: Intercropping and co-inoculation enhanced mycorrhizal colonization, soil fertility, and plant growth, improving nutrient availability and increasing crop yield.
JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE AND PLANT NUTRITION
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Jonathan R. De Long, Floor van Malland, Abco de Buck, Merlijn van den Berg
Summary: Modern agriculture heavily relies on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, but there is increasing pressure to find alternatives that can reduce these inputs. Intercropping, compared to monocultures, has the potential to reduce plant diseases and increase yield, resulting in reduced inputs and improved land use efficiency. However, identifying the crop and cultivar combinations that maximize these benefits is still a knowledge gap.
Article
Agronomy
Madhuri R. Paul, Dereje T. Demie, Sabine J. Seidel, Thomas F. Doering
Summary: The study aims to understand the early dominance and its potential effects on later growth stages in cereal legume mixtures. Field trials were conducted in conventional and organic sites, including monocultures and mixtures of spring wheat and faba bean. The results showed that spring wheat dominated the mixtures and early dominance favored later growth stages, leading to higher biomass.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Ahmed O. Warsame, Nicholas Michael, Donal M. O'Sullivan, Paola Tosi
Summary: This study investigated the proteomic profile of developing faba bean seeds and found that proteins related to cell growth, division, and metabolism were most abundant in early growth stages, while seed storage proteins began to accumulate from 45 days after pollination. The relative abundance of seed proteins showed distinct temporal accumulation trends among protein classes.
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Arafat Abdel Hamed Abdel Latef, Md. Tahjib-Ul-Arif, Mohammad Saidur Rhaman
Summary: Exogenous application of IAA can enhance salt tolerance in faba beans by promoting growth, improving osmotic protection, enhancing mineral balance, reducing Na+ accumulation in roots, increasing nodulation, and improving antioxidant enzyme activity, thereby alleviating the antagonistic effects of salt stress.
Article
Agronomy
W. C. D. Nelson, D. J. Siebrecht-Scholl, M. P. Hoffmann, R. P. Rotter, A. M. Whitbread, W. Link
Summary: This study evaluated the performance of three winter wheat cultivars and eight winter faba bean genotypes as intercrops, finding that intercropping yielded higher than sole crop, especially at the marginal site. High intercrop yields were associated with high wheat component yields. The expression of faba bean genotype traits was heavily influenced by environmental conditions, and further genetic improvement is needed to prevent excessive growth.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF AGRONOMY
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Katharina Schulz-Kesting, Jan Thiele, Georg Everwand, Jens Dauber
Summary: The study investigated the effects of faba bean crops on the ecosystem, revealing that adjacent winter wheat fields planted with faba bean had higher densities of natural predators, but did not impact the predator-prey ratio, as well as aphid and parasitism density. Predator density decreased towards the center of the field, while leaf damage and yield of cereal leaf beetles were not affected.
BIOLOGICAL CONTROL
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Nawel Malek, Meriem Miyassa Aci, Khalil Khamassi, Antonio Lupini, Mustapha Rouissi, Leila Hanifi-Mekliche
Summary: The study evaluated the genetic variability of 14 Algerian faba bean accessions through agro-morphological traits and SSR markers, finding significant phenotypic variation and genetic diversity among accessions. The accessions were not clustered based on geographical pattern, and most of the genetic variation was due to differentiation among accessions. Additionally, there was no substantial correlation between molecular and agro-morphological traits. These findings suggest the potential for establishment of faba bean breeding programs in Algeria with optimal agro- and molecular diversity.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Chaima Chammakhi, Alexandre Boscari, Marie Pacoud, Gregoire Aubert, Haythem Mhadhbi, Renaud Brouquisse
Summary: Drought stress has a profound impact on plants, especially on symbiotic nitrogen fixation. This study discovered that drought-stressed nodules experience severe hypoxia and that phytoglobin-nitric oxide respiration helps maintain their energy state.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Fouad Maalouf, Lynn Abou-Khater, Zayed Babiker, Abdulqader Jighly, Alsamman M. Alsamman, Jinguo Hu, Yu Ma, Nicolas Rispail, Rind Balech, Aladdin Hamweih, Michael Baum, Shiv Kumar
Summary: Heat waves will become more frequent and intense, impacting global faba bean cultivation. The identification of molecular markers associated with heat tolerance can accelerate variety development. Through genome-wide association studies, several significant SNPs associated with heat tolerance were discovered.
Article
Plant Sciences
Mahmoud M. Y. Madnay, Wael A. Obaid, Samy Selim, Ahmed Mohamed Reyad, Emad A. Alsherif, Shereen Magdy Korany, Mohamed Abdel-Mawgoud, Hamada AbdElgawad
Summary: The study reveals the harmful effects of HHCB on the growth and photosynthetic efficiency of wheat and faba beans, but the use of Rhodospirillum sp. JY3 can mitigate its impact and enhance the tolerance of crops to HHCB contamination.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Plant Sciences
Kedar N. Adhikari, Hamid Khazaei, Lamiae Ghaouti, Fouad Maalouf, Albert Vandenberg, Wolfgang Link, Donal M. O'Sullivan
Summary: Faba bean is a cool-season grain legume crop grown worldwide for food and feed, with increasing interest due to its high seed protein content and ecological benefits. However, the crop faces various biotic and abiotic stresses, leading to unstable yields. Understanding resistance sources for diseases is crucial, but progress in abiotic stress tolerance is limited. Breeding efforts, though hindered by challenges, have shown promise with the use of DNA markers and marker-assisted selection to improve genetic gain and accelerate breeding progress.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Kestutis Romaneckas, Rasa Kimbirauskiene, Ausra Sinkeviciene, Iwona Jaskulska, Sidona Buragiene, Aida Adamaviciene, Egidijus Sarauskis
Summary: The study focused on different tillage methods for faba bean cultivations, finding that air temperature and precipitation during the vegetative season had a greater impact on weed numbers than the types of tillage systems. Reduced tillage intensity did not lead to changes in weed numbers, which were mainly influenced by the volume of forecrop residues.
Article
Plant Sciences
Natalia Gutierrez, Marie Pegard, Christiane Balko, Ana M. Torres
Summary: There is limited research on drought tolerance in faba bean, a globally important legume crop. In this study, a genome-wide association study was conducted using genetic polymorphisms throughout the faba bean genome, and 29 SNP markers associated with drought tolerance were identified. Three of these markers corresponded to uncharacterized proteins, indicating the presence of novel genes associated with drought tolerance in faba bean. These findings provide a foundation for future marker-assisted breeding in the crop.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Shucheng Duan, Soon Jae Kwon, You Jin Lim, Chan Saem Gil, Chengwu Jin, Seok Hyun Eom
Summary: L-dopa-rich faba tissues are a potential source for pharmaceutical purposes, mainly accumulating in germinating sprouts and flowers, while having lower contents in leaves and pods.
Article
Ecology
Xiangyu Luan, Riccardo Bommarco, Giulia Vico
Summary: In order to understand the impact of climate change on crop yields, it is important to identify the most effective climatic indices for predicting yields. This study examines the relationship between precipitation, temperature, soil water availability, and crop yields for rainfed maize and soybeans in the USA from 1970 to 2010. The results show that soil water availability, as measured by the aridity index, is a better predictor of yields than precipitation and temperature. The study also found that there are non-monotonic responses, with yields maximized at intermediate levels of precipitation and temperature. These findings have important implications for future agricultural planning and suggest that climate change may reduce yields.
Article
Entomology
Qian Li, Mengxiao Sun, Yangtian Liu, Bing Liu, Wopke van Der Werf, Felix J. J. A. Bianchi, Yanhui Lu
Summary: Korla fragrant pear depends on cross-pollination by honeybees, and the use of synthetic NGP can attract more honeybees to the pear trees, especially in orchards with beehives.
AGRICULTURAL AND FOREST ENTOMOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Sebastian Koethe, Florian D. Schneider, Nikita Bakanov, Carsten A. Bruehl, Lisa Eichler, Thomas Fickel, Birgit Gemeinholzer, Thomas Hoerren, Alexandra Lux, Gotthard Meinel, Livia Schaeffler, Christoph Scherber, Martin Sorg, Stephanie J. Swenson, Wiltrud Terlau, Angela Turck, Vera M. A. Zizka, Gerlind U. C. Lehmann, Roland Muehlethaler
Summary: In recent years, there has been increasing public attention and demand for political action regarding the decline of insect biodiversity and its consequences on ecosystem functions and services. To address the complex causes of insect decline, the DINA project in Germany assesses insect communities in nature reserves and investigates their interactions with various factors such as plant diversity, pesticide exposure, and climate. The project involves obtaining scientific data and engaging stakeholders to identify opportunities and challenges in insect conservation. Results show a positive association between insect richness and biomass, while also highlighting the negative impacts of pesticides and agricultural production on insect diversity. Stakeholders expressed support for insect conservation but emphasized the need for more information, data, and flexible policy options.
BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ellen Duerrbaum, Felix Fornoff, Christoph Scherber, Eero J. Vesterinen, Bernhard Eitzinger
Summary: Urbanization is impacting arthropod communities globally, with changes in food availability being one of the main factors. However, the response of these communities varies depending on species and trophic level. In this study, the diversity and trophic interactions of cavity-nesting bees and wasps were investigated in four German cities along urbanization gradients. It was found that pollen richness increased with distance from city centers and in areas with high urban development, while pollinator richness was unaffected. Wasp species richness was highest in locations with low urbanization levels, but the community structure of wasp prey changed with urbanization.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Joerdis F. Terlau, Ulrich Brose, Nico Eisenhauer, Angelos Amyntas, Thomas Boy, Alexander Dyer, Alban Gebler, Christian Hof, Tao Liu, Christoph Scherber, Ulrike E. Schlaegel, Anja Schmidt, Myriam R. Hirt
Summary: Anthropogenic global warming affects mobile terrestrial insects by changing their activity levels and distribution patterns. Heat extremes induce physiological responses in insects, causing them to either decrease activity or seek out favorable microhabitats. The availability of these microhabitats is affected by anthropogenic land transformation, which reduces habitat heterogeneity. It is important to understand the combined effects of these global change drivers on insect activity.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Moges A. Retta, Xinyou Yin, Quang Tri Ho, Rodrigo Watte, Herman N. C. Berghuijs, Pieter Verboven, Wouter Saeys, Francisco Javier Cano, Oula Ghannoum, Paul C. Struik, Bart M. Nicolai
Summary: A novel 3D reaction-diffusion model revealed that movement of mesophyll chloroplasts in C-4 plants increased photosynthesis rate but also increased leakiness. A 3D leaf model was developed to investigate how chloroplast movement affects the CO2 concentrating mechanism. Results showed that movement of chloroplasts towards bundle sheath cells increased light absorption, while avoidance movement decreased it. ATP, NADPH production, and net photosynthetic rate increased for aggregative movement and decreased for avoidance movement. Leakiness increased in both scenarios due to energy imbalance.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
M. C. Affholder, A. A. Moazzami, M. Weih, H. Kirchmann, A. M. Herrmann
Summary: Cadmium (Cd) in cereals is a major source of Cd intake in human diets, and it is necessary to develop solutions to reduce Cd concentrations in wheat. Plant breeding and understanding the impact of root exudates composition on Cd accumulation in crops can help in reducing Cd in crops. The study found that the Cd concentration in shoots at an early stage could predict Cd concentration in kernels. The composition of root exudates, such as organic acids and nucleosides, played a role in Cd accumulation and adsorption at the root surface. Taking into account root exudates composition is important when selecting for low-Cd wheat traits.
JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE AND PLANT NUTRITION
(2023)
Editorial Material
Plant Sciences
Diego Rubiales, Jerome Enjalbert, Pierre Hohmann, Niels P. R. Anten, Martin Weih
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Angel M. Villegas-Fernandez, Ahmed A. Amarna, Juan Moral, Diego Rubiales
Summary: This study assessed the feasibility of using intercropping or mixtures of susceptible and resistant cultivars to control faba bean rust. Results showed that intercropping with barley significantly reduced rust severity on faba bean, while other combinations had no effect. The barrier effect of barley was identified as the main mechanism explaining rust suppression. Cultivar mixture experiments also showed that rust severity decreased as the proportion of the resistant cultivar increased.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Monique E. Smith, Giulia Vico, Alessio Costa, Timothy Bowles, Amelie C. M. Gaudin, Sara Hallin, Christine A. Watson, Remedios Alarcon, Antonio Berti, Andrzej Blecharczyk, Francisco J. Calderon, Steve Culman, William Deen, Craig F. Drury, Axel Garcia Y. Garcia, Andres Garcia-Diaz, Eva Hernandez Plaza, Krzysztof Jonczyk, Ortrud Jack, R. Michael Lehman, Francesco Montemurro, Francesco Morari, Andrea Onofri, Shannon L. Osborne, Jose Luis Tenorio Pasamon, Boel Sandstrom, Ines Santin-Montanya, Zuzanna Sawinska, Marty R. Schmer, Jaroslaw Stalenga, Jeffrey Strock, Francesco Tei, Cairistiona F. E. Topp, Domenico Ventrella, Robin L. Walker, Riccardo Bommarco
Summary: Grain yield data from 32 long-term experiments across Europe and North America suggest that increasing crop functional richness in rotations can support grain yields more than species diversity. Diversifying agriculture through crop rotation and increasing crop species diversity can reduce negative impacts on the environment and maintain yields. However, it is unclear how cereal yields change with crop rotation diversity and external nitrogen fertilization level over time, and which functional groups of crops provide the most yield benefit.
COMMUNICATIONS EARTH & ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Lorena Guardia-Velarde, Hui Liu, Jonathan E. Cope, Anna Westerbergh, Martin Weih
Summary: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationships between breeding target traits such as grain yield and grain quality, and non-target traits for three groups of spring wheat varieties. The results showed that different breeding targets strongly influenced the traits, but not nitrogen uptake efficiency. Wheat type and environment had similarly sized effects on grain yield and quality traits. The study results have implications for wheat breeding programs.
FRONTIERS IN AGRONOMY
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Kaisa A. Torppa, Johannes Forkman, Nadia I. Maaroufi, Astrid R. Taylor, Tanel Vahter, Martti Vasar, Martin Weih, Maarja Oepik, Maria Viketoft
Summary: This study explores the effects of soil compaction on AM fungal colonization and AM-mediated phosphorus uptake in wheat. The results suggest that soil compaction can increase AM fungal colonization in certain wheat varieties, particularly those with inefficient phosphorus uptake traits. Additionally, increased AM fungal colonization and biomass can improve phosphorus uptake in wheat. The study also recommends breeding varieties that utilize both roots and AM symbiosis as strategies for nutrient uptake to improve nutrient uptake efficiency.
Editorial Material
Biology
Christoph Scherber
SCIENCE CHINA-LIFE SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Piotr Koczorski, Bliss Ursula Furtado, Christel Baum, Martin Weih, Paer Ingvarsson, Piotr Hulisz, Katarzyna Hrynkiewicz
Summary: Phosphorus is an essential nutrient for plant growth, but its availability in the soil is limited. Phosphate-solubilizing bacteria can solubilize phosphorus compounds, making them more accessible to plants. In this study, two willow species were inoculated with selected bacterial strains to evaluate their growth and gene expression. The results showed that inoculation increased biomass and had significant effects on growth patterns, but the responses varied between the two species. Transcriptome analysis revealed differential gene expression in pathways related to photosynthesis and ion transport. This study contributes to understanding the dynamics of Salix growth and gene expression under the influence of phosphate-solubilizing bacteria, improving yield and phosphorus-use efficiency.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Thanh Mai Ha, Gordana Manevska-Tasevska, Ortrud Jack, Martin Weih, Helena Hansson
Summary: This study investigates the factors driving the intention to intercrop in Sweden, including participation in private certification schemes, interactions with peers and agricultural advisors, attitude, knowledge, innovativeness, perceived intercropping attributes, and perceived behavioral control. The findings highlight the important role of knowledge in fostering intercropping adoption, and also suggest that participation in private certification schemes and interactions with peers stimulate adoption intention.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL SUSTAINABILITY
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Cevat Eser, Suleyman Soylu, Hakan Ozkan
Summary: Drought is a pressing issue worldwide, and selecting wheat genotypes adapted to changing climatic conditions is crucial. This study evaluated 156 bread wheat genotypes, including landraces and modern varieties, under different drought treatments. The results showed that landraces had higher yield stability and protein content under drought stress, suggesting their potential for developing drought-tolerant modern wheat varieties. Effective utilization of landraces in breeding programs is important for developing climate-resilient wheat varieties.
FIELD CROPS RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Agronomy
Jagdeep Singh, Audrey Gamble, Steve Brown, Todd B. Campbell, Johnie Jenkins, Jenny Koebernick, Paul C. Bartley III, Alvaro Sanz-Saez
Summary: This study evaluated the changes in nutrient uptake, nutrient use efficiency, and yield of 20 cotton cultivars released in the USA between 1953 and 2018. The results showed that modern cotton cultivars have increased total nutrient uptake but slower improvement in nutrient use efficiency. The findings highlight the potential for enhanced nutrient uptake traits in cotton.
FIELD CROPS RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Agronomy
Elisa Erbetta, Laura Echarte, Maria Eugenia Sanz Smachetti, Nadia Gabbanelli, Maria Mercedes Echarte
Summary: This study investigated the effects of different combinations of photoperiod sensitivity, sweet-stalk, and bmr traits on sorghum biomass yield and allocation, and discussed the implications for bioenergy production.
FIELD CROPS RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Agronomy
Wenqing Zuo, Baojian Wu, Yuxuan Wang, Shouzhen Xu, Minzhi Chen, Fubin Liang, Jingshan Tian, Wangfeng Zhang
Summary: This study assessed the impact of different row spacing configurations and irrigation amounts on cotton photosynthesis and fiber quality. The results showed that under adequate irrigation, RS76L could be a suitable replacement for RS66+10H to improve fiber quality.
FIELD CROPS RESEARCH
(2024)