Exogenous plant growth retardants (PGRs) increase yield by reducing lodging occurrence but lower yield if lodging is absent in maize (Zea mays L.). It is hypothesized that PGRs can increase maize yield as well as improve lodging resistance by optimizing application timing. A two-year field experiment was conducted in 2018–2019 using plant growth regulator “Jindele” with active ingredients of ethephon

Increasing energy output and improving energy production efficiency is essential to ensure the long-term sustainability of rice production systems in China. Present study assessed the energy input/output and its production efficiency for manual transplanted rice with manual broadcasting fertilizer (TR-MBF), mechanical pot-seedling transplanted rice synchronized with deep fertilization (MPST-DF), and

Bridging yield gaps in staple crops is widely reported as a highly efficient means for improving grain production. However, changes in production efficiency and the environmental footprint remain less investigated when narrowing these gaps. In this study, we collected data from 299 wheat plots on the Loess Plateau of China to identify changes in nitrogen efficiency, nutrient balance, and environmental

Weather and topography are two important drivers of spatial variability in crop yield, but interactions between these two factors remain poorly understood. To elucidate how spatial yield variability shifts in response to precipitation, we collected data from published literature that examined the yield response of maize (Zea mays L.) or soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr) to elevation, slope, planar curvature

The challenges of securing future food security will require deployment of innovative technologies to accelerate crop production. Plant phenotyping methods have advanced significantly, spanning low-cost hand-held devices to large-scale satellite imaging. Field-based phenotyping aims to capture plant response to the environment, generating data that can be used to inform breeding and selection requirements

Derived from an agricultural system model, a new cost-effective and water-saving decision support system for irrigation scheduling (DSSIS) was developed to control field irrigation of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) at the Qira oasis, Xinjiang, China. DSSIS used the water stress factor and soil water content simulated by the Root Zone Water Quality Model (RZWQM2) to trigger irrigation and to calculate

Annual legumes can adapt to reduced light, a condition common in intercropping, by increasing the efficiency with which they convert energy into dry matter (DM). The performance of five forage legumes under reduced light–simulated by growing them under a shade net was evaluated in terms of agronomic adaptation, light interception, and the quality of forage. A third of the plot length was covered with

A new method of sugarcane establishment using pre-sprouted seedlings (PSS) is under development in Brazil, requiring lower amounts of vegetative material as compared to the conventional method using billets (1–2 versus 12–20 Mg ha−1). The hypotheses set up herein were: i) the sugarcane fields established with PSS achieve similar yields as compared to fields established conventionally and ii) since

Phosphorus (P) deficiency is one of the major yield-limiting factors for lowland rice production in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Therefore, improved P management could be an effective strategy to increase lowland rice yields in SSA. The study reviews on historical and recent efforts for improving P management for lowland rice production in SSA together with their limitations and prospects for future research

Ratoon rice (RR), the practice of obtaining a second crop from the stubble of harvested crop, is more resource efficient, economic-sound, and environmentally-sustainable than single-season rice (SR) and double-season rice (DR). Furthermore, RR can increase rice production where thermal energy is more than that required for SR but not enough for DR. However, the potential cultivation region and paddy

Narrowing row spacing was expected to improve peanut crop performance, but the responses varied depending upon the evaluated environment and the growth habit of the plant. To clarify apparent inconsistencies, two cultivars with contrasting growth habits were sown at 52 cm and 70 cm row spacings in field experiments carried out in four environments. Vegetative and reproductive traits were evaluated

Crop floret number per unit area and, to a lesser extent grain set, are the determinants of yield that are associated with the increase in sunflower oil yield at crop densities greater than the most frequently used in Argentina of 3–5.1 pl.m−2. A better understanding of the responses of these two yield determinants to crop density and their intra-specific variability could contribute to the development

The clumping index reflects the state of leaf aggregation, which is an essential structural parameter for calculating the leaf area index (LAI). Most of the previous clumping index models are one-dimensional (1D) models, in which the input parameters are measured in a long truncated manner (i.e., one-dimensional measurement path, line data), so that is not practical in the measurement of a dense crop

Optimizing irrigation strategies to increase water utilization efficiency and achieve higher yield is vital for balancing groundwater use and improving food security during water shortage in the North China Plain (NCP). Based on a 16-year field experiment (2003–2018) using seven irrigation schedules from W0M0 to W4M3 (numbers are irrigation times in wheat (W) and maize (M) season, 75 mm each) in the

Wheat is the main food crop in the world. The planting of winter wheat in alpine regions can not only improve the land use efficiency, but also increase the income of farmers. The planting of winter wheat in alpine regions depends on whether it can survive the winter smoothly. Therefore, the study on the physiological process of winter wheat has application value.Over a three-year field experiment

Little is known about the impact of long-term intensive irrigated rice cropping on secondary macro and micronutrients in soils and crops. Therefore, the present study analysed the effect of intensive irrigated rice cropping on nutrient concentrations in soils and rice (grain and straw at harvest) in two long-term experiments that were established in 1991 for intensive rice-based irrigated systems in

Yield genetic gains have been significantly higher for maize (Zea mays L.) than for sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench). Today there is questioning under which environments sorghum is a better option than maize, since maize has increased its tolerance to water and N limitations. For this we conducted eleven rainfed experiments at different sites around the central region of Argentina, using representative

Co-expression of diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase (DGAT1) and a lipid droplet-stabilizing protein called Cys-oleosin (collectively ‘HME’ technology) increases foliar lipid concentrations and plant biomass, which could elevate energy yields from perennial ryegrass (PR, Lolium perenne L.)-based pastures. Quantifying the feasible benefits of HME PR necessitates that herbage growth and energy density are

This in-depth analysis of the rise in farm yield (FY) of irrigated wheat in the Yaqui Valley of north-west Mexico, from around 2 to 7 t/ha between 1960 and 2019, begins by highlighting a weather component overlooked in modelling and other thinking about wheat and climate change, namely the dominant role of natural annual variation in minimum temperature (Tmin). Year to year fluctuations around the

Manual removal of the main-stem growth tip is traditionally used to break the apical dominance of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). Chemical topping with plant growth regulators also effectively inhibits apical dominance. However, the effect of chemical topping on yield increases and whether plant density or ecological conditions affect its efficacy are unclear. Therefore, a three-year field experiment

Examples of how to simulate performance of conservation agriculture (CA) and conventional tillage (CT) practices using cropping systems models are rare in the literature, and from the Eastern Gangetic Plains (EGP). Here we report a comprehensive evaluation of the capacity of APSIM for simulating the performance of CA and CT cropping practices under a diverse range of tillage (CT vs zero tillage (ZT))

The Argentinian cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) breeding program was established in 1923 and since then it has released more than 40 commercial cultivars of cotton and numerous germplasm lines. Genetic progress studies have been used to evaluate the historical enhancement of different traits and to provide insights into possible improvements in future cultivars. In this context, the present study aims

A large database of individual farmer field data (n = 4,107) for rice production in the Northwestern Indo-Gangetic Plains of India was used to decompose rice yield gaps and to investigate the scope to reduce nitrogen (N) inputs without compromising yields. Stochastic frontier analysis was used to disentangle efficiency and resource yield gaps, whereas data on rice yield potential in the region were

Rice in eastern India is widely cultivated using conventional management practices, including puddled transplanting (PTR) for crop establishment, which are water and energy intensive. To conserve water and maximise its efficient use, improved crop management practices must be identified which are feasible and attractive to farmers. These improved practices include dry direct seeding of rice (dDSR)

Normal urea (NU) often requires multiple applications to increase crop yield and nitrogen (N) fertilizer utilization efficiency by improving the synchronization of crop N demand, which increases the labor input. Controlled-release urea (CRU) has excellent N release performance, and it can significantly increase crop productivity with only one application as a base fertilizer. However, there is still

Sustainable alternatives to slash-and-burn shifting cultivation in the (sub)humid tropics rely on the use of external nutrient inputs to address soil fertility decline. The use of organic inputs is widely accepted as a practice to improve soil fertility, in particular soil organic carbon (SOC). On the other hand, its combined use with mineral fertilizer has the potential to maintain or increase crop

Diversified cropping systems can benefit plant growth and yield, but their impacts on K budget and legacy in no-till Oxisols are still poorly understood. This study, based on a long-term (19-years) field experiment, aimed to evaluate the effect of cropping system diversification as well as the proportion of maize in summer season on crop yields, and on soil K forms, use efficiency, budget, and legacy

It is of practical significance to control the excessive vegetative growth of soybean during the rainy season, which causes a reduction in yield. In this study, we adopted soybean flax ridge-furrow intercropping system in order to constrain soybean’s excessive vegetative growth by interspecific competition between intercrops and estimated the growth, photosynthesis and yield of soybean. Two-year-experiment

Novel intra-boll yield component traits and fiber quality indices have been used by breeders to select suitable Gossypium hirsutum L. lines, but there is little research on how these traits change during cultivation practices, especially fertilizer application. We hypothesized that these novel traits have obvious responses to phosphorus (P) fertilizer, which would explain the variation in yield and

Faba bean rust is a serious fungal disease of faba bean caused by Uromyces viciae-fabae (Pers.) J. Schröt in southwest China. The application of nitrogen fertilizer can possibly affect intercropped faba bean and wheat to control faba bean rust disease and increase the productivity of crops. To evaluate the effects of nitrogen levels and intercropping on the occurrence of faba bean rust disease and

One of the major challenges facing rice breeding is to produce ideotype or ideal plant architecture (IPA) to improve canopy radiation use efficiency and hence grain yield. The hybrid japonica rice Jiayou Zhongke 6 (JYZK-6) is one of the benchmark cultivars with IPA characteristics, but the physio-ecological foundation of its high yield potential is still imperfectly understood. In this study, two-year

The knowledge of leaf biochemical traits is significant to understand the plant growth and physiological status. Spectral indices have been widely used to assess leaf biochemical traits, while the estimation accuracies at canopy level are frequently lower compared to those at leaf level in part due to the complexity of canopy structures and the variations in optical properties between leaf adaxial

The nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) is composed of the nitrogen uptake (NUpE) and nitrogen utilization efficiency (NUtE). The contribution of these components to overall NUE of sugar beet genotypes is unknown, as well as the reasons for genotypic variation. In 2018 and 2019, 6 genotypes were studied in field trials at three N levels (65, 120, 240 kg N ha−1). The trials revealed only minor genotypic differences

Ear nitrogen (N) accumulation plays an imperative role in ear photosynthesis and the formation of grain yield and quality of maize and wheat. However, the mechanism governing ear N accumulation (NAe) especially under different N levels is not yet clear. For this purpose, this study endeavored to describe the N source-sink ratio of NAe by developing a model using ear critical N concentration (%Nc) dilution

An accurate estimation of crop evapotranspiration and soil water balance under potato-legume intercropping is important for improving the crop water productivity of rainfed potato. This study quantified the evapotranspiration, yield, and soil water balance of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) intercropped with lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus L.) or dolichos (Lablab purpureus L.) in comparison to the same

Aiming to gain an understanding of how the genotype × environment × management (G×E×M) interaction influences the yield accumulation by elite sugarcane varieties in Brazil, a large dataset from field plot experiments carried out in two tropical sites (Guadalupe, 6.8 °S; São Romão, 16.4 °S) involving distinct planting dates, varieties and harvest ages, was analysed with statistical techniques and with

The low Potassium (K) content in flue-cured tobacco leaves severely restricts the development of China's high-quality cigarette industry. To determine whether the quality of flue-cured tobacco leaves can be improved by grafting, a cross-grafting experiment of two different K-efficiency tobacco strain (Yunyan 87, main cultivar. WuFeng No.2, K-efficient genotype) was carried out. Measurement data from

The ability to avoid dehydration is a drought resistance mechanism becoming increasingly more important even in temperate regions. In wheat, dehydration avoidance can be associated with a maintained canopy cooling during dry periods. However, in an average year under temperate conditions, drought periods are rather short which makes it difficult to routinely screen for drought avoidance using canopy

Straw return can improve soil nutrient availability, but its interaction with phosphorus (P) fertilizer on cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) production and soil P availability has rarely been studied. Therefore, we carried out a four-year field trial to evaluate the effects of straw management (retention or removal) with P fertilizer (0, 22, 44, 66, 88 kg P ha–1) additions on seed cotton yield, cotton

Climate variability is a challenge to the reliable production of high yielding cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L. in the subtropics. Shifting the growing season earlier by sowing during late winter (August) to reduce the risk of exposure to unfavourable radiation, temperature and rainfall during mid-summer offered the potential to improve stagnating and variable yields. This study aimed to determine the

Glutamine synthetase (GS) and the glutamate synthase (GOGAT) cycle are closely related to plant nitrogen (N) uptake, translocation, and remobilization, but little attention has been paid to their role in intercropping systems. A two-factor field trial involving two planting patterns (mono-cropped wheat [MW] and wheat intercropped with faba bean) and four N levels (N0, N1, N2, and N3 with respective

To explore the effects of irrigation and nitrogen on dry matter accumulation (DMA) and yield of summer maize in arid regions, field experiments were conducted in experimental plot in 2017 and 2018. There were three drip irrigation quotas (3000 m3/hm2, 3750 m3/hm2, and 4500 m3/hm2) and four nitrogen levels (no nitrogen applied, 168 kg/hm2, 306.5 kg/hm2, and 444.5 kg/hm2) set in the experiment. The Richards

The increasing incidence and intensity of extreme climate events are a major threat to global crop production. Sugarcane represents the main source of sugar and ethanol in tropical and sub-tropical regions. Here, we assessed the impacts of climatic variability and extreme events on sugarcane yield gaps in Reunion Island which is characterised by extreme spatial contrasts in climate, and is regularly

Decision-making in breeding increasingly depends on the ability to capture and predict crop responses to changing environmental factors. Advances in crop modeling as well as high-throughput field phenotyping (HTFP) hold promise to provide such insights. Processing HTFP data is an interdisciplinary task that requires broad knowledge on experimental design, measurement techniques, feature extraction

In rainfed cropping systems, crops are typically subjected to terminal stresses, which diminish the assimilation process. Information regarding safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) dry matter dynamics during the seed-filling period and its association with yield-forming components is lacking. Field experiments over two years were conducted to assess the influence of nitrogen (N) fertilization levels

Permanent raised beds (PB) are a conservation agriculture option for irrigated conditions that can improve soil quality, increase soil moisture conservation and stabilize yields compared to conventional furrow irrigation. In irrigated wheat (Triticum sp.) production, wet sowing (i.e. applying irrigation before sowing) is most widely used. It allows pre-sowing weed control but reduces sowing time flexibility

Although kernel weight (KW) has proven to be an increasingly important driver behind grain yield (GY) variability in modern maize hybrids, nitrogen’s (N) role in the determination of individual sink capacity (i.e., potential KW) during the lag phase of reproductive development remains unclear. The research objective was to study the relationships between endosperm cell number (ECN) during the lag phase

Biochar (BC) production from agroforestry wastes and mycorrhizal fungi are potentially important agricultural practices for improving crops yields and increasing phosphorus (P) in volcanic soils. This study aimed to test the effect of BC application on wheat biomass and grain yield production, indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi propagules and soil microbial community and related to soil quality

Yield gap (Yg) analysis is useful to map the scope for sustainable intensification of agriculture, but explaining and quantifying the underlying causes of yield gaps remains a considerable challenge. The objective of this study was to decompose maize yield gaps under different nitrogen (N) application rates and soil quality conditions across irrigated and rainfed cropping systems in China. A comprehensive

Crop production in the tropics and sub-tropics increasingly relies on phosphorus (P) fertilisers to maintain crop yields. As a result, there is a need to better understand the effectiveness of P management strategies, especially in Vertisols that represent a large proportion of the cropped area. The complexity of soil P dynamics and the interaction with environmental factors and farming practices make

Mulch planting techniques are used widely to increase the crop yield in the Loess Plateau region of China. However, the impacts of long-term mulching measures on crop productivity and soil organic carbon (SOC) storage under climate change are still unclear. In this study, the denitrification-decomposition (DNDC) biogeochemistry model was calibrated based on field test data from 2013 to 2018, and the

The most widely used approach for prescribing fertilizer nitrogen (N) recommendations in maize (Zea Mays L.) in Argentina is based on the relationship between grain yield and the available N (kg N ha−1), calculated as the sum of pre-plant soil NO3--N at 0−60 cm depth (PPNT) plus fertilizer N (Nf). However, combining covariates related to crop N demand and soil N supply at a large national scale remains

Foliar fungicides can account for a large portion of the yield gap in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.); however, their impacts on yield have been inconsistent in rainfed environments. We compiled a database of replicated field experiments and producer-reported fungicide and yield data from commercial fields to quantify the effects of fungicide application on winter wheat yield and yield stability

Previous studies reported an effect of water deficit on crop nitrogen (N) demand but the statistical significance of this effect is unclear and the physiological mechanism explaining this effect remains poorly understood. The specific aims of this review are (i) assess whether the parameters of the N dilution curve are significantly influenced by the level of water availability and (ii) provide a synthesis

Shading stress has become a worldwide phenomenon and can lead to rice (Oryza sativa L.) yield loss by decreasing the seed setting percentage (the percentage of filled spikelets to total spikelets per panicle), which depends primarily on spikelet fertility. However, the effect of shading stress on rice spikelet pollination and fertilization processes is not fully understood. Here, a field experiment

Growing cover crops is one of the most promising conservation practices with multiple benefits. However, the impacts of cover crops on the productivity of the maize-soybean [Zea mays L. - Glycine max (L.) Merr.] rotation system in the U.S. Midwest still have large uncertainties based on results obtained from field experiments, specifically across different soil properties, climate conditions, and land