Review
Plant Sciences
Christian Schob, Nadine Engbersen, Jesus Lopez-Angulo, Anja Schmutz, Laura Stefan
Summary: Inspired by grassland biodiversity experiments, the Crop Diversity Experiment aimed to test the impact of plant diversity on primary productivity in annual crop systems. The experiment demonstrated that crop mixtures not only increased yield compared to monoculture, but often outperformed the highest yielding monoculture. The underlying mechanisms of the yield benefits included both direct complementarities between crop species and indirect effects via other organisms, such as weed suppression and plant growth-promoting microbes.
JOURNAL OF PLANT ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Umarin Jomnonkhaow, Sureewan Sittijunda, Alissara Reungsang
Summary: The study showed that organosolv pretreatment significantly increased hydrogen yields from Napier grass and silage, leading to higher methane production in a two-stage process.
MATERIALS CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Sonia Condes, Hans Pretzsch, Miren del Rio
Summary: Trees often show better growth in mixed neighborhoods due to competition reduction and facilitation between species. Using tree growth models, we found that admixture can modify the potential growth of trees and provide insights into species interactions and complementarity.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Wei-Ping Zhang, Sai-Nan Gao, Zhao-Xin Li, Hua-Sen Xu, Hao Yang, Xin Yang, Hong-Xia Fan, Ye Su, Dario Fornara, Long Li
Summary: The study found that the yield advantages in maize/soybean and maize/peanut intercropping systems depend on the application of nitrogen fertilization, with nitrogen significantly impacting maize yield. Complementarity effects are more important for net biodiversity effects in the absence of nitrogen fertilization.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Elena A. Pelech, Jochem B. Evers, Taylor L. Pederson, David W. Drag, Peng Fu, Carl J. Bernacchi
Summary: Plants adapt to their neighbours through plastic trait responses. In a maize-soybean intercrop system, maize favored physiological plasticity while soybean invested in both physiological and architectural plasticity. The intercrop decreased land-use efficiency and uncoordinated investment in aboveground plasticity by each crop under high maize plant density does not support complementarity in light-use efficiency.
PLANT CELL AND ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Chloe MacLaren, Wycliffe Waswa, Kamaluddin Tijjani Aliyu, Lieven Claessens, Andrew Mead, Christian Schob, Bernard Vanlauwe, Jonathan Storkey
Summary: This study examines the relationship between two functional traits (plant height and specific leaf area) and intercrop productivity. The results show that these two traits have limited explanatory power, indicating the need to consider other factors to better understand intercrop productivity.
FIELD CROPS RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Samuel Roy Proulx, Alain Leduc, Nelson Thiffault, Aitor Ameztegui
Summary: This study investigated the growth interactions between black spruce and tamarack and found that the size of neighbouring trees was the main parameter influencing competition between these two species.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Susanna Vain, Ilmar Tamm, Ulle Tamm, Mihkel Annusver, Kristjan Zobel
Summary: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between root traits and crop yield in oat and barley under favorable conditions. The results showed significant negative relationships between root length-related traits and both grain and protein yield in both species. This suggests that cereal crops may produce longer roots in the topsoil than necessary for maximum yield.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Chunfeng Gu, Wopke van der Werf, Lammert Bastiaans
Summary: Intercropping systems have been found to provide effective weed suppression. By comparing different models to predict weed biomass in intercrops based on data from pure stands, it was determined that the harmonic mean model accurately predicts weed biomass in intercrops. The study highlights the importance of density and selection effects in weed suppression in intercrops, as well as the influence of component species selection, mixing ratio, and total plant density on weed suppressive ability.
FIELD CROPS RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Margarida Fontes, Nuno Bento, Allan Dahl Andersen
Summary: This study examines the impact of new technologies on industrial structural changes, focusing on how context, complementarities, and competition affect transformative capacity. Using marine renewable energy technologies in Portugal as a case study, it highlights the potential for innovation and diversification in adjacent sectors. Comparing with Norway, the absence of certain sectors in Portugal poses challenges but also creates opportunities for transformative change in other industries.
ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATION AND SOCIETAL TRANSITIONS
(2021)
Review
Plant Sciences
Richard Michalet, Florian Delerue, Pierre Liancourt, Francisco I. Pugnaire
Summary: The relationship between species richness and productivity is affected by environmental gradients, with competition shifting to facilitation being a key factor. According to literature and hypotheses, complementary effects are more likely to occur in moderately stressful environments. Therefore, better understanding the context dependency of complementarity processes and the role of facilitation is crucial for the protection of ecosystem functioning.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Patrick L. Thompson, Sonia Kefi, Yuval R. Zelnik, Laura E. Dee, Shaopeng Wang, Claire de Mazancourt, Michel Loreau, Andrew Gonzalez
Summary: The study used a Lotka-Volterra competition model to simulate the scale dependence of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, finding that more biodiversity is required to maintain functioning at larger spatial and temporal scales, with the autocorrelation of environmental heterogeneity influencing the rate at which the number of species needed increases.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Christoph J. Bondue, Matthias Graf, Akansha Goyal, Marc T. M. Koper
Summary: The study focuses on the electrochemical reduction of CO2 at gold electrodes under mildly acidic conditions. Increasing the CO2 partial pressure enhances the rate of CO2 reduction and suppresses hydrogen evolution, leading to high Faradaic efficiencies close to 100%. By suppressing hydrogen evolution and using protons for water formation, the study derived a general design principle for acid CO2 electrolyzers to match the mass transfer of protons to the electrode surface.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
S. Gisele K. Sinasson, Charlie Shackleton
Summary: This study investigated the effects of drought and leaf harvesting on two wild vegetables. The results showed that drought had a significant impact on both species, but Amaranthus sp. was more resilient to reduced daily water amounts, while B. pilosa was resilient to both reduction in frequency and daily amount. The harvesting level had a significant effect on Amaranthus sp., leading to increased basal diameter, growth, leaf production, and survival after the first harvest. However, there was a decrease in plant height and leaf production after the second harvest. Basal diameter, growth, survival, and leaf production were more resilient in Amaranthus sp. to reduced watering amounts, suggesting that both species could be sustained under medium drought stress.
Article
Forestry
Yangping Qin, Xiao He, Xiangdong Lei, Linyan Feng, Zeyu Zhou, Jun Lu
Summary: This study developed a CW model to quantify the effects of tree size, site quality, and inter-specific competition on crown width in a mixed spruce-fir-broadleaf forest. The results showed that tree size inequality and stand structural diversity were important factors in predicting crown width.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Review
Education & Educational Research
Godwin Liambunde Atser, Alfred Dixon, Friday Ekeleme, Stefan Hauser, Olushola Fadairo, Adegbenga Adekoya, Adeolu Babatunde Ayanwale, Mary Agada, Ibukunoluwa Oladokun, Patrick Akpu, Lateef Sanni, Pieter Pypers, Theresa Ampadu-Boakye, Bernard Van lauwe
Summary: Demonstrations can enhance farmers' adoption of agricultural innovations and improve weed management practices. This study provides important data that emphasize the significance of communication and media choices, and highlights the need for technology to be effectively communicated to farmers for uptake.
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION & EXTENSION
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Gatien N. Falconnier, Louise Leroux, Damien Beillouin, Marc Corbeels, Robert J. Hijmans, Camila Bonilla-Cedrez, Mark van Wijk, Katrien Descheemaeker, Shamie Zingore, Francois Affholder, Santiago Lopez-Ridaura, Eric Malezieux, David Makowski, Jairos Rurinda, Martin K. van Ittersum, Bernard Vanlauwe, Ken E. Giller, Sabine-Karen Lammoglia, Katharina Waha
Summary: This study estimated the impact of increasing maize yields with mineral fertilizer on household food security and regional/national maize supply in Uganda and Tanzania. Results showed that increasing fertilizer input could significantly improve food security in both countries, but the regions with the highest potential for increased maize supply did not align with the regions where household food security was most improved.
AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Gabriel Y. K. Moinet, Renske Hijbeek, Detlef P. van Vuuren, Ken E. Giller
Summary: The role of soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration as a 'win-win' solution to both climate change and food insecurity is critically examined in this article. The inclusion of SOC saturation in estimations significantly reduces the potential contribution of SOC sequestration to climate change mitigation, and the observed yield effects of increasing SOC are inconsistent. The article argues for a shift towards soil-smart agriculture that takes into account specific local conditions and quantifies multiple soil functions for land sustainability and food security.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Ilse de Jager, Gerrie W. J. van de Ven, Ken E. Giller, Inge D. Brouwer
Summary: This study examines the gap between food availability and dietary needs in rural sub-Saharan Africa during the 'hunger season'. Findings highlight the importance of considering seasonality in nutrition-sensitive farming and the necessity of increasing yields of staple crops to free up space for nutritious foods like vegetables. Additionally, small farms rely on income from agriculture and other sources to meet their dietary needs. Overall, the results emphasize the value of modeling dietary effects from agricultural interventions in specific contexts, considering a local feasible nutritious diet and seasonality.
Article
Agronomy
Wytze Marinus, Gerrie W. J. van de Ven, Katrien Descheemaeker, Bernard Vanlauwe, Ken E. Giller
Summary: Sustainable intensification aims to increase production and improve livelihoods of smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. It requires support such as input subsidies and learning about new options, as well as understanding of farmers' responses to incentives.
AGRONOMY FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Dries Roobroeck, Geoffrey Kimutai, Fred Kanampiu, Wilson Ng'etich, Kristina Roing de Nowina, Bernard Vanlauwe
Summary: This study aims to determine the effectiveness of non-herbicide treated maize and herbicide treated maize, with or without nitrogen fertilizer, in controlling Striga infestation and enhancing yields. The results show that herbicide treated maize reduces the emergence of Striga, while nitrogen fertilizer increases grain harvests. The optimal use of these tools depends on field conditions and management goals.
FIELD CROPS RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Chloe MacLaren, Wycliffe Waswa, Kamaluddin Tijjani Aliyu, Lieven Claessens, Andrew Mead, Christian Schob, Bernard Vanlauwe, Jonathan Storkey
Summary: This study examines the relationship between two functional traits (plant height and specific leaf area) and intercrop productivity. The results show that these two traits have limited explanatory power, indicating the need to consider other factors to better understand intercrop productivity.
FIELD CROPS RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hannington Bukomeko, Godfrey Taulya, Antonius G. T. Schut, Gerrie W. J. van de Ven, Jerome Kubiriba, Ken Giller
Summary: Banana weevil is a major pest in East African Highland Banana, but the relationship between crop nutritional status and weevil damage is not well understood. In this study, the effect of insecticides alone and in combination with fertilisers on weevil damage was evaluated using data from two experiments in Uganda. The results showed that chlorpyrifos reduced weevil damage, while N increased damage. Also, application of K and Si reduced weevil damage compared to the control. These findings suggest that combining chlorpyrifos with K and Si fertilisers can help control weevil damage in bananas with low nutrient availability.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Wilson C. Wilson, Maja Slingerland, Frederick P. Baijukya, Ken E. Giller, Simon Oosting
Summary: The demand for chicken meat and eggs in Tanzania exceeds production capacity due to low productivity of the sector. This study examines the yield gap in chicken production in Tanzania and explores the potential for increased production by addressing feed deficiencies. The findings highlight inadequate feed quantity and quality, lack of awareness about aflatoxin contamination, and the need for improved feeding strategies to ensure suitable and safe feed formulations.
Article
Agronomy
Joost van Heerwaarden, Esther Ronner, Frederick Baijukya, Samuel Adjei-Nsiah, Peter Ebanyat, Nkeki Kamai, Endalkachew Wolde-meskel, Bernard Vanlauwe, Ken E. Giller
Summary: Grain legumes are crucial for sustainable production systems in sub-Saharan Africa, but nutrient deficiencies limit their yields. While nitrogen requirements can be met through symbiosis with N2-fixing bacteria, other nutrients like phosphorus, potassium, and micronutrients may still be lacking and need supplementation. Response to phosphorus is generally positive but variable, while other nutrients show weak or localized effects.
FIELD CROPS RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Wivine Munyahali, Damas Birindwa, Pieter Pypers, Rony Swennen, Bernard Vanlauwe, Roel Merckx
Summary: This study investigates the effects of improved variety and fertilizer use on cassava growth and yields. The results show that the use of an improved variety and fertilizer significantly increase the height, stem diameter, and biomass yield of cassava. The economic benefits of these practices are also demonstrated.
FIELD CROPS RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Education & Educational Research
Urcil Papito Kenfack Essougong, Maja Slingerland, Syndhia Mathe, Ken E. Giller, Cees Leeuwis
Summary: This study assessed cocoa farmers' access to, demand for, and satisfaction with five innovation support services in Central Cameroon. The results showed that farmers mostly received training and advice, while inputs, credit, and equipment were the most demanded services. Farmers' satisfaction with service outcomes increased with the number of services received, and location, certification involvement, seniority, and leadership position in farmers' organizations significantly influenced access and demand for services.
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION & EXTENSION
(2023)
Article
Soil Science
Moritz Laub, Marc Corbeels, Antoine Couedel, Samuel Mathu Ndungu, Monicah Wanjiku Mucheru-Muna, Daniel Mugendi, Magdalena Necpalova, Wycliffe Waswa, Marijn Van de Broek, Bernard Vanlauwe, Johan Six
Summary: Maize cropping with low external inputs leads to loss of soil fertility in sub-Saharan Africa. Adding high-quality organic resources combined with mineral fertilizer can alleviate this issue, but the long-term effectiveness and interactions with site properties require further study. This research examined the impact of different quantities and qualities of organic resource addition with mineral nitrogen on soil organic carbon (SOC) contents over time in four long-term experiments in Kenya. The results showed that adding Calliandra or Tithonia limited the loss of SOC, while adding sawdust, maize stover, and sole mineral N did not significantly reduce SOC loss. The study suggests the need for better understanding of site-specific factors and additional agronomic interventions to maintain or increase SOC.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
James Sumberg, Ken E. Giller, Dominic Glover
Summary: This paper explores the different definitions and meanings of principles and practices in agronomy literature. Understanding the use of these terms provides valuable insights into ongoing debates and politics about the future of agriculture and food. Furthermore, proclaiming and defining principles is a way to exercise discursive power and establish authority in a crowded marketplace.
OUTLOOK ON AGRICULTURE
(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)