Article
Agronomy
Rui Li, Shouxi Chai, Yuwei Chai, Yawei Li, Xuemei Lan, Jiantao Ma, Hongbo Cheng, Lei Chang
Summary: The study showed that both whole plastic-film mulching (PFM) and straw strips mulching (SSM) techniques can increase the contribution rate of precipitation to evapotranspiration, reduce soil water consumption, and ultimately improve water productivity and yield of winter wheat. Despite being slightly less effective than PFM, SSM may have greater potential considering its friendly sustainability.
AGRICULTURAL WATER MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rui Shao, Baoqing Zhang, Xiaogang He, Tongxuan Su, Yao Li, Biao Long, Xuejin Wang, Wenjing Yang, Chansheng He
Summary: This study quantifies the impact of vegetation restoration on water storage change in the Loess Plateau, China, highlighting that an increase in vegetation coverage can lead to a decrease in water storage. The research emphasizes the importance of considering time scales when ignoring water storage change in water balance analysis.
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hafeez Noor, Min Sun, Wen Lin, Zhiqiang Gao
Summary: Research has shown that summer fallow sowing can improve the water use efficiency and grain yield of winter wheat. There are yearly differences in wheat yields based on crop management. A field experiment conducted over 8 years in the Loess Plateau revealed that high water consumption during early growth can increase spike number, grain number, and yield. Wide-space sowing and furrow sowing were beneficial for wheat yield when yields were intermediate or low. Soil water intake during specific growth stages also influenced tiller number, 1000-grain weight, and yield.
Article
Agronomy
Shenqiang Lv, Jia Li, Zeyu Yang, Ting Yang, Huitong Li, Xiaofei Wang, Yi Peng, Chunju Zhou, Linquan Wang, Ahmed I. Abdo
Summary: This study investigated the effects of ridge tillage and plastic film or straw mulching on yield stability, soil water storage, nitrogen budget, and soil nitrogen and organic carbon contents in rain-fed spring maize on the Loess Plateau. The results showed that plastic film mulching increased maize yield and stability, improved water use efficiency, and maintained soil nitrogen and organic carbon contents. However, the potential impact of microplastic contamination should be considered.
AGRICULTURAL WATER MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Junhong Xie, Linlin Wang, Lingling Li, Sumera Anwar, Zhuzhu Luo, Effah Zechariah, Setor Kwami Fudjoe
Summary: The study showed that intercropping maize with potato under plastic film mulched ridge-furrow plot and flat plot can effectively increase energy output, net economic return, and water use efficiency, making it the optimal intercropping system for semiarid farmland.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Wei Xiang, Bingcheng Si, Min Li, Han Li, Yanwei Lu, Minghua Zhao, Hao Feng
Summary: The study on deep soil water stable isotopes in China's Loess Plateau revealed that the lc-excess in deep soils varied among sites, reflecting differences in heavy water isotopes enrichment. The lc-excess in deep soil water was significantly correlated to climate conditions on the land surface and retained long-term evaporation effects. The study introduced a new method to estimate evaporation loss fraction (f) and suggested that deep soil could serve as an archive for long-term soil evaporation loss.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Lei Tian, Baoqing Zhang, Shuoyu Chen, Xuejin Wang, Xiaogang Ma, Baotian Pan
Summary: Afforestation is an effective method to control soil erosion, but it consumes water resources and has feedback effects on local precipitation. The world's largest afforestation program in China has increased precipitation and strengthened the atmospheric water cycle on the Loess Plateau. Afforestation has created a more humid atmosphere, enhanced the soil moisture-vegetation-precipitation feedback, and favored precipitation generation.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-ATMOSPHERES
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Shaofei Wang, Min Yang, Xiaodong Gao, Qi Hu, Juanjuan Song, Nanfang Ma, Xiaolin Song, Kadambot H. M. Siddique, Pute Wu, Xining Zhao
Summary: Dryland revegetation can mitigate land degradation and increase vegetation coverage and carbon sinks, but it may also decrease soil water storage. This study investigated the impact of different vegetation types and precipitation on soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration and soil water storage (SWS) in deep soils. The results showed that woodland had the highest SOC sequestration efficiency but also caused the most severe soil water deficit, while shrubland had lower water deficit and higher SOC sequestration effect than grassland. These findings provide insights into the potential of dryland revegetation and can guide vegetation restoration efforts in different regions.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Yao Li, Baoqing Zhang, Rui Shao, Tongxuan Su, Xuejin Wang, Lei Tian, Chansheng He
Summary: Large-scale anthropogenic revegetation in non-humid regions increases water consumption and may lead to water imbalance. This study evaluates the upper limit of vegetation coverage supported by rainwater resources and compares the carbon sequestration capacity and efficiency under different restoration scenarios. The results show that the maximum vegetation scenario has higher LAI and gross primary productivity than the actual scenario.
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Lihong Wu, Hao Quan, Lina Wu, Xi Zhang, Hao Feng, Dianyuan Ding, Kadambot H. M. Siddique
Summary: This study examines the effects of plastic mulching on winter wheat growth under late-sowing conditions on the Loess Plateau. The research finds that plastic mulching can improve crop growth and increase yields by promoting early emergence and increasing tiller numbers. Additionally, it reduces ineffective transpiration and mitigates yield losses caused by late sowing. The findings suggest that combining a 10-day delay in sowing with plastic mulching is the optimal approach for improving yield and water productivity in unfavorable late-sowing conditions.
AGRICULTURAL WATER MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Xueli Zhang, Bin Hu, Shangwen Wang, Wenyi Dong, Subramaniam Gopalakrishnan, Tao Jin, Enke Liu
Summary: Plastic mulching has great significance in improving maize production and nitrogen utilization on the Loess Plateau. It can significantly increase maize yield and nitrogen uptake, providing a scientific basis for nitrogen management in maize croplands.
Article
Agronomy
Xin Fu, Jun Wang, Zhengping Peng, Xiaonan Yang, Shaohong Zhang
Summary: Straw mulching is widely used for soil water conservation and soil fertility enhancement, but it can lead to nutrient immobilization and decrease in crop yield. Late topdressing with urea can alleviate the yield decrease and should be considered for sustainable crop production in the Loess Plateau of China.
Article
Agronomy
Naijiang Wang, Haixin Chen, Dianyuan Ding, Tibin Zhang, Cheng Li, Xiaoqi Luo, Xiaosheng Chu, Hao Feng, Yongsheng Wei, Kadambot H. M. Siddique
Summary: This study examines the effects of plastic film mulching on field water balance and productivity of rainfed maize. The results show that plastic film mulching increases soil water storage and has positive effects on grain yield and water productivity. It also highlights the importance of effective water use in achieving higher yields and productivity.
AGRICULTURAL WATER MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Meixia Liu, Menglu Wang, Congwei Sun, Hui Wu, Xueqing Zhao, Enke Liu, Wenyi Dong, Meiling Yan
Summary: This study aimed to clarify the change law of soil extracellular enzyme activity (EA) and its eco-enzyme stoichiometric ratio (ES) under different nitrogen addition levels and plastic film mulching. The results showed that soil depth had little effect on the EA involved in the cycling of soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). A nitrogen application level of 225 kg center dot hm(-2) was found to be beneficial for soil nutrient balance and improvement of EA at harvest. Plastic film mulching effectively improved soil EA and nutrient balance. Redundancy analysis indicated strong correlations between EA, ES and pH, soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP).
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Hao Wang, Qing-wei Zhang, Jian Wang
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the spatial variation in soil water with different restoration modes in an ephemeral gully on the Loess Plateau of China. The results revealed that soil water increased significantly with depth and distance from the gully head. In the vertical direction, soil water content on the ephemeral gully floor was 1.1 to 1.2 times higher than the control, while on the restored banks, it decreased by 12.3% to 15.6% and 29.2% to 29.9% compared to the control. Along the longitudinal direction, soil water followed the pattern of floor > natural restoration > artificial planting. These findings are important for understanding spatial variation in soil water and selecting suitable vegetation restoration modes in semi-arid regions.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jiakai Liu, Guoxin Yan, Yueyan Pan, Zhenming Zhang, Yinglong Chen, Mingxiang Zhang
Summary: Smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) introduced to China in 1970s for coastline stabilization threatens the habitat range of native Phragmites australis and has become more adaptive than P. australis. A study comparing their morphological and biomechanical responses to wave interference in the Yellow River Delta showed that P. australis was more sensitive to waves, exhibiting shorter individuals in wave zones but larger stem diameter and higher biomass. On the other hand, S. alterniflora did not show such variations. In wave zones, S. alterniflora invaded P. australis' habitat despite P. australis' higher stem-bending resistance, allocating excessive energy in stem growth while decreasing reproduction and fitness. Compared to none-wave zones, S. alterniflora allocated excessive energy in the stem to resist wind interference, making them less fitted than P. australis. Economic energy allocation to wave mechanical interference contributed to the successful invasion of S. alterniflora to landward in estuaries. S. alterniflora continued to expand landward in a semi-saline area, but community patterns may remain unchanged in areas with low salinity and high wave interference.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2023)
Article
Soil Science
Tong Li, Huanxin Xie, Zhangheng Ren, Yuting Hou, Deqiang Zhao, Weiyan Wang, Ziting Wang, Yang Liu, Xiaoxia Wen, Juan Han, Fei Mo, Yuncheng Liao
Summary: Crop rotation and soil tillage significantly influence the diversity, co-occurrence network and assembly processes of rhizobacterial communities. The interaction between crop rotation and tillage has a stronger effect on community composition than their individual contributions. The rhizobacterial network is more connected under crop rotation and the connectivity decreases with decreasing tillage intensity. Soil tillage determines the dominant assembly process in rhizobacterial communities.
SOIL & TILLAGE RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Minfei Yan, Huida Lian, Cong Zhang, Yinglong Chen, Huanjie Cai, Suiqi Zhang
Summary: In this experiment, the water and nitrogen uptake of two wheat varieties with different root sizes were studied, as well as their effects on grain production, water-use efficiency and nitrogen-use efficiency. The results showed that the small root variety could transport enough water to the aboveground part, and nitrogen fertilization significantly improved plant growth and water-use efficiency. Under water deficit stress, the small root variety exhibited higher water-use efficiency and grain production. Nitrogen uptake, glutaminase, and nitrate reductase activities were higher in the small root variety.
JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Weiyan Wang, Houping Zhang, Nangia Vinay, Dong Wang, Fei Mo, Yuncheng Liao, Xiaoxia Wen
Summary: Conservation tillage optimizes soil structure, enhances microbial diversity, and increases soil organic carbon storage. However, the effects of soil aggregate distribution and microbial community structure and function on soil organic carbon transformation under long-term conservation tillage are still unclear.
LAND DEGRADATION & DEVELOPMENT
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Tiantian Sun, Ruohan Ren, Mingming Xing, Qiuxiao Duan, Lang Zhao, Wenwen Yan, Yang Fang, Senyan Zhang, Hao Dong, Mengran Wang, Qimeng Heng, Wenyi Chen, Ting Xu, Lili Kou, Kunpeng Li, Junhui Wang, Wenjun Ma, Wangxiang Zhang, Yinglong Chen, Yizeng Lu, Yi Zhang
Summary: A greenhouse experiment was conducted to evaluate the plasticity and drought responses of Catalpa bungei roots under different nitrogen forms. The results showed that root development was inhibited by drought, and nitrate nitrogen had a stronger effect on lateral root elongation compared to ammonium nitrogen. The roots of Catalpa bungei exhibited different strategies for water foraging under vertical and horizontal partial root-zone drought, with vertical hydrotropism observed in the former and horizontal hydrotropism in the latter.
Article
Plant Sciences
Lin Tao, Hu Zhu, Qiuyu Huang, Xiaoyi Xiao, Ying Luo, Hui Wang, Yalin Li, Xuewen Li, Jiayou Liu, Jan Jasik, Yinglong Chen, Sergey Shabala, Frantisek Baluska, Weiming Shi, Lei Shi, Min Yu
Summary: This study revealed the mechanistic basis of how boron deprivation inhibits root growth in Arabidopsis. Boron deprivation resulted in increased auxin accumulation in roots, which was associated with upregulation of auxin biosynthesis-related genes in shoots. The PIN2/3/4 carriers were found to be involved in root growth inhibition caused by boron deprivation.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Ai-Tian Ren, Ji-Yuan Li, Ling Zhao, Rui Zhou, Jian-Sheng Ye, Yi-Bo Wang, Xu-Cheng Zhang, Kiprotich Wesly, Ming-Sheng Ma, You-Cai Xiong
Summary: Reducing the use of plastic film while maintaining high water use efficiency and soil health is a significant global challenge. A two-year field investigation showed that under no-tillage conditions, both full and half plastic film mulching improved rainfall infiltration, grain yield, and water use efficiency compared to tillage conditions. Among the no-tillage treatments, half plastic film mulching resulted in significantly higher soil organic carbon and enhanced nutrient uptake due to increased root biomass and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Therefore, it is feasible and efficient to reduce plastic mulching but improve water use efficiency and soil health in semi-arid environments.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Gege Li, Kexin Wang, Qun Qin, Qi Li, Fei Mo, Vinay Nangia, Yang Liu
Summary: As climate change events become more frequent, drought is an increasing threat to agricultural production and food security. This study reveals that drought and genotype drive changes in the compositions of rice rhizosphere bacterial communities and root exudates. Organic acid exudation and suppression of amino acid exudation play important roles in selecting specific rhizosphere bacterial communities to cope with drought. The findings have important implications for improving rice adaptability to drought.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ning Huang, Haiyan Dang, Wenyan Mu, Jianxiong Ma, Yue Ma, Li Wang, Mei Shi, Hui Tian, Jinshan Liu, Yinglong Chen, Zhaohui Wang
Summary: Understanding yield formation and nutrient use are crucial for wheat breeding and management. This study utilized scenario analysis based on 76 field trials and literature data to explore the potential of achieving high yield, nutritional quality, and nutrient efficiency in wheat production in China. The findings indicate that although high grain yield is currently achieved by increasing grain nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) concentration, there is a deficit in zinc (Zn) concentration and nitrogen (N) efficiency. The study suggests that increasing grain number and harvest index, while reducing spike number, along with improved nutrient removal efficiency and fertilizer efficiency, can result in a 10% increase in grain yield by 2035. The strategies proposed in this study provide valuable insights for enhancing wheat production with high nutritional quality and nutrient efficiency in China and other countries.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Tanushree Halder, Elke Stroeher, Hui Liu, Yinglong Chen, Guijun Yan, Kadambot H. M. Siddique
Summary: Improving the root system of wheat is crucial for enhancing grain yield and climate resilience. This study identified proteins associated with root length and root mass in wheat using label-free quantitative proteomics. The findings revealed potential biomarkers that could be used for improving the root system of wheat.
JOURNAL OF PROTEOMICS
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Ze-Ying Zhao, Wen-Bo Li, Peng-Yang Wang, Hong-Yan Tao, Rui Zhou, Jin-Ying Cui, Jian Zhang, Tao Tian, Xu-Zhe Zhao, Yi-Bo Wang, You-Cai Xiong
Summary: This study addresses the lack of research on waste recycling using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). A social survey was conducted to investigate farmers' participation in a waste plastic film recycling program in northwest China. The survey results showed that although 67.5% of farmers accepted the program, only 14.5% actually participated. Attitudes significantly influenced farmers' participation, while subjective norms and perceived behavior control had less effect. The study highlights the potential of TPB for waste plastic film recycling and environmental management practices.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Hong Xie, Yinping Li, Jiaxing Li, Yinglong Chen, Jing Li, Lixue Kuang, Syed Asim Shah Bacha, Tiejun Zhang, Yuehui Chao, Amin Mousavi Khaneghah
Summary: A novel method based on QuEChERS extraction and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) detection was developed for analyzing 14 mycotoxins in peaches and peach products from China. The method accurately quantified mycotoxins with recoveries ranging from 84.6% to 117.6% and precision below 20%. Six mycotoxins were identified in diseased peaches, while fresh peaches showed no mycotoxin contamination. Peach products had contamination levels below quantitative limits and legal limits.
Article
Plant Sciences
Ruiqing Wang, Zhenming Zhang, Haoyue Wang, Yinglong Chen, Mingxiang Zhang
Summary: The study examines the alterations in root hydraulics of Phragmites australis under varying soil moisture conditions. The findings show that drought stress leads to a reduction in root diameter, cortex thickness, vessel diameter, and root cross-sectional area. Decreased soil moisture content significantly affects root morphological and anatomical characteristics, thereby altering root hydraulic conductivity. Transcriptome analysis suggests that the expression of abscisic acid and aquaporins genes may be associated with these changes.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Yamin Gao, Tingting An, Qiqiang Kuang, Yujie Wu, Shuo Liu, Liyan Liang, Min Yu, Andrew Macrae, Yinglong Chen
Summary: The symbiotic relationships between crop species and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play a crucial role in plant health and environmental sustainability. This meta-analysis reveals that AMF can significantly reduce the negative effects of cadmium (Cd) stress on cereals by improving crop biomass, photosynthetic pigments, nitrogen and phosphorus uptake, and osmotic regulation. Furthermore, AMF inoculation appears to be a promising strategy for mitigating Cd stress in cereals.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Asima Rasheed, Sabir Hussain, Waseem Mushtaq, Muhammad Zubair, Khadija Siddique, Kotb Attia, Naeem Khan, Sajid Fiaz, Farrukh Azeem, Yinglong Chen
Summary: Nanotechnolgy uses biological and non-biological materials to create new systems at the nanoscale level. This study investigated the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using different methods and compared their potential to degrade dyes. The biologically synthesized AgNPs showed higher degradation of dyes and also demonstrated anticancer and antidiabetic activities. The results suggest that AgNPs synthesized from natural leaf extract and bacterial strain can be used as eco-friendly and cost-efficient materials for wastewater treatment and in the medicinal field.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Jiarui Zhao, Xiaohu Yuan, Zhanjun Liu, Haotian Shi, Bingnian Zhai, Yuanjun Zhu
Summary: Overfertilization is common in rainfed apple orchards on China's Loess Plateau, but its impacts on soil physicochemical properties in deep soil profiles are poorly understood. This study found that different land-use types showed divergent distribution patterns in soil properties, with low variability for SWC and pH, moderate variability for NH4+-N, AP, and AK, and high variability for SOC, NO3--N, and EC. The results also showed that fertilization influenced soil water content, NO3--N, AP, and AK, and NO3--N played a crucial role in regulating pH and EC. Soil profiles were useful for studying the evolution of soil quality.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Daniel Nyfeler, Olivier Huguenin-Elie, Emmanuel Frossard, Andreas Luscher
Summary: Grass-legume mixtures combine high yields, low fertiliser requirements, and low nitrate leaching better than either pure grass or pure legume swards, both during the intact plant cover and after tilling for the subsequent crop.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Martin Faucher, Seraphine Grellier, Clemence Chaudron, Jean-Louis Janeau, Gabrielle Rudi, Fabrice Vinatier
Summary: The Mediterranean region is expected to experience more intense rainfall events and severe droughts due to climate change, leading to an increase in runoff and erosion rates in agrosystems. Vegetation cover can help reduce erosion and the soil seed bank can provide cost-effective vegetation. This study assessed the effect of vegetation cover on seed loss in vineyards and evaluated the differences in the soil seed bank along a transect. The results suggest that vegetation may not protect interrows from runoff-induced seed loss.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Christian Thierfelder, Blessing Mhlanga, Isaiah Nyagumbo, Kelvin Kalala, Esau Simutowe, Mazvita Chiduwa, Chloe Maclaren, Joao Vasco Silva, Hambulo Ngoma
Summary: The performance of different maize-legume diversification strategies was compared in southern Africa. Intercropping systems showed significant nutritional and economic benefits, but had higher labor requirements compared to other cropping systems. Soil organic carbon content and pH were not affected by the tested cropping systems.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Han Chen, Han Li, Yizhao Wei, Edward Mcbean, Hong Liang, Weimin Wang, Jinhui Jeanne Huang
Summary: This research introduces a hybrid four-sub-deep neural network (HFSD) model for partitioning NEE into GPP and ER. The HFSD employs dual sub-deep neural networks to estimate ERa and ERb and incorporates GPP and environmental variables to predict vegetation transpiration. The results of the model show that the dual sub-DNNs architecture enhances the accuracy of ER simulations, while using EC-derived T as a constraint improves the accuracy of GPP simulations. Correlation analyses suggest that solar radiation and air temperature primarily influence the seasonal variations in GPP and ER, while soil moisture has a strong impact during dry seasons. This study advances the biophysical description of data-driven models for NEE partitioning and enhances the accuracy of GPP and ER estimates.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Michael Glaser, Stefan Dullinger, Dietmar Moser, Johannes Wessely, Milan Chytry, Zdenka Lososova, Irena Axmanova, Christian Berg, Jana Buerger, Serge Buholzer, Fabrizio Buldrini, Alessandro Chiarucci, Swen Follak, Filip Kuezmic, Stefan Meyer, Petr Pysek, Nina Richner, Urban Silc, Siegrid Steinkellner, Alexander Wietzke, Franz Essl
Summary: This study investigated changes in vascular plant species in Central European arable fields and their edges from 1930 to 2019. The results showed a small decline in overall species occupancy, but a more pronounced species turnover. Species with environmental preferences for nutrient-rich sites with neutral pH increased in occupancy, while species typical for arable fields decreased. No response to climate change was observed, and there was a decrease in archaeophytes and native species and an increase in neophytes.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Thomas Abrell, Krishna Naudin, Felix J. J. A. Bianchi, Debora Veiga Aragao, Pablo Tittonell, Marc Corbeels
Summary: This study demonstrates that reducing fallow periods in shifting cultivation systems in the Eastern Amazon region has negative effects on soil fertility and weed pressure, posing a threat to the sustainability and productivity of local farming systems.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Jun Wang, Lu Lv, Ronggui Hu, Haiyang Ma, Bo Liu, Wenju Zhang, Lei Wu
Summary: Nitrification and denitrification are crucial for nitrogen losses in agricultural soils and are affected by soil properties. This study investigated the patterns and controlling factors of nitrification and denitrification potentials in paddy soils in major rice-producing areas of Hubei Province, China. The results showed that soil pH and SOC were the primary factors regulating nitrification and denitrification potentials, respectively.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Olga Fishkis, Jessica Weller, Jorn Lehmhus, Franz Pollinger, Jorn Strassemeyer, Heinz -Josef Koch
Summary: The Farm to Fork strategy of the European Union aims to reduce pesticide use and replace chemical measures with mechanical methods in weed control. However, there is currently no comprehensive evaluation of the ecological and economic parameters of mechanical methods. This study quantified these parameters for different weed control methods in sugar beet and found that no method can be considered fully environmentally friendly.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Mercedes Guerrero-Brotons, Nuria Perujo, Anna M. Romani, Rosa Gomez
Summary: Proper bed substrate selection is crucial for the performance of constructed wetlands, especially when treating drainage water with high nitrogen and low carbon and phosphorus concentrations. In a field-scale pilot plant, adding a carbon-rich substrate such as soil or biochar increased phosphorus availability in beds. Beds with soil displayed higher microbial density and activity, as well as better plant growth compared to gravel. These findings highlight the importance of selecting suitable substrates for treating irrigated agricultural water.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Beatrice Giannetta, Cesar Plaza, Giorgio Galluzzi, Iria Benavente-Ferraces, Juan Carlos Garcia-Gil, Marco Panettieri, Gabriel Gasco, Claudio Zaccone
Summary: This study examines the long-term effects of biochar application on soil organic C protection and finds that biochar, especially when combined with other amendments, has the potential to increase the content of particulate organic C and mineral-associated organic C in soils. The presence of ferrihydrite may mediate the positive effects on mineral-associated organic matter.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Emily Rose Waring, Carl Pederson, Ainis Lagzdins, Chelsea Clifford, Matthew J. Helmers
Summary: Addressing the global problem of eutrophication requires better management of inorganic nitrogen in the agricultural landscape. This study compares the effects of different tillage practices and cover crops on soil and water quality. The results show that the conventional tillage system is more effective in improving water quality and maintaining crop yields compared to other tillage practices. Additionally, the study reveals that the impact of tillage practices and cover crop growth methods on water and soil quality changes over time.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Annalisa Stevenson, Yakun Zhang, Jingyi Huang, Jie Hu, Keith Paustian, Alfred E. Hartemink
Summary: Considerable advances have been made in the assessment and mapping of soil organic carbon stocks. However, the rates of change in carbon stocks are influenced by various factors and need to be quantified. This study found that sandy soils under cultivation and forests have different organic carbon stocks. Factors such as tillage, irrigation, and nitrogen applications contribute to the decline in soil organic carbon stocks. Afforestation of abandoned cultivated fields can increase soil organic carbon, but it is still lower than soils under forest that have never been cultivated.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Zhiyuan Yao, Chuanxiong Huang, Huiling Hu, Tao Wang, Yulong Li, Xiaoming Sune, Sina Adl, Bo Zhu
Summary: Enhancing soil organic carbon levels through improved fertilization strategies is important for soil health and sustainable crop production. This study found that the relative abundance of organisms from higher trophic levels and increased network complexity in the soil micro-food webs are vital contributors to effective SOC accumulation.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Qing Qu, Lei Deng, Zhouping Shangguan, Jian Sun, Jinsheng He, Kaibo Wang, Zhengchao Zhou, Jiwei Li, Josep Penuelas
Summary: Grazing exclusion is a widely implemented strategy for restoring degraded grassland ecosystems and increasing carbon stocks. This study analyzed data from 199 experiments to understand the temporal responses and factors influencing plant and soil carbon stocks following grazing exclusion in different grassland ecosystems. The results showed that plant biomass carbon stocks and soil organic carbon stocks decreased exponentially or rationally with years since enclosure. Grazing exclusion had positive effects on aboveground biomass carbon, but the effects on belowground biomass and soil carbon were influenced by climate, initial carbon levels, and grazing exclusion duration. The response of carbon stocks to grazing exclusion stabilized after approximately 40 years, with soil carbon sequestration showing a lagged pattern compared to plant biomass carbon. The study highlighted the effectiveness of grazing exclusion in regions with low carbon content and non-water limited conditions. However, it might not be an effective measure to increase soil organic carbon stocks in water-limited areas like desert grasslands.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2024)