To assess the competitive ability of plant species, ecologists describe many species from contrasting habitats with traits that are proxies of ecophysiological functions whereas agronomists describe few species from similar habitats with process-based parameters. Here, we combined both approaches and compared many contrasting crop and weed species of temperate European arable crops in terms of competition

Agriculture in rural Bihar needs to maintain its productivity while enhancing its biophysical sustainability. To sustainably intensify the predominant rice-wheat systems, alternative cropping patterns with short duration legumes, planted in the usually fallow summer season, were developed. The addition of the legume ensures near-permanent soil cover, breaks the cereal-cereal cycle, and aims to improve

Crop yield estimation plays a significant role in agricultural development and management decision making. Simulation of crop growth at field scales requires high-resolution remote sensing (RS) data and an applicable model. However, RS data based on satellite sensors are affected by atmospheric interference, limiting its use in precision agriculture. The objective of this study is to assimilate plant

Water deficit is the major constraint to crop production in dry temperate climates and no-till (NT) has been widely recommended to increase water conservation, crop yields, and soil organic carbon (SOC) content. In this study, tillage practice [conventional tillage (CT), minimum tillage (MT), NT and annually alternating tillage with NT (NT/MT)]] and crop rotation [fallow-wheat (Triticum aestivum L

The positive effect of grain legume pre-crops on the yield of the subsequent crop has been studied widely, whereas less information is available on the nitrogen (N) processes related to this positive effect, especially for a wide range of grain legume species. The objective was to quantify and understand the effect of grain legume compared to cereal pre-crops (sown in 2014 and 2016) on grain and shoot

Forecasting crop yields, or providing an expectation of ex-ante harvest amounts, is highly relevant to the whole agricultural production chain. Farmers can adapt their management, traders or insurers their pricing schemes, suppliers their stocks, logistic companies their routes, national authorities their food balance sheets to guide import or export and, finally, international aid organizations can

Agro-ecological service crops (ASCs), also known as cover crops, green manures or catch crops, can improve organic vegetable production in terms of weed suppression, nitrogen (N) recycling, or addition of N through symbiotic N2 fixation by legumes. Traditionally, ASCs are terminated through full incorporation into the soil (FI), but alternative termination without tillage is available by roller-crimping

Worldwide supply of water and nitrogen (N) are critical to crop yield with multiple interactions that need to be untangled. We used an allometric framework to quantify the dynamic relationships between crop growth, transpiration and N uptake in maize (Zea mays L.) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) using published data from experiments in France, New Zealand and United States. Our analysis highlighted

Keeping global temperatures below 2.0 °C above pre-industrial condition and pursuing efforts toward the more ambitious 1.5 °C goal in the late 21st century was the main target from the Paris Agreement in 2015. Here we assessed the likely challenges for the China’s winter wheat production under 1.5 °C and 2.0 °C increase of global temperature, with four wheat crop models (CERES-Wheat, Nwheat, WheatGrow

The present study developed a method to use RapidEye satellite information for N management in durum wheat cultivation. The estimation of the N status was based on the development of Nitrogen Nutrition Index (NNI), referred to as the ratio between actual N concentration (Nac) and the minimum N content required to obtain maximum biomass (critical N concentration (Nc)). Nc was then calculated by means

Reducing the use of synthetic inputs by shifting to alternative practices is becoming a growing priority in the agricultural sector. This study aims to understand how farmers manage this shift on diversified horticultural farms. The implementation of alternative practices at the crop level was analyzed on 28 farms on La Réunion Island (France). The surveys conducted combined interviews with farmers

Plant-based indicators may have the potential to improve fertilizer phosphorus (P) recommendations for maize (Zea mays L.). Our objectives were (i) to validate existing models of critical P concentration (Pc) in maize shoot biomass during vegetative growth and (ii) to evaluate on farm the ability of the P nutrition index (PNI), a plant-based indicator derived from Pc, to predict a positive response

Surface ozone (O3) is an important air pollutant globally and enhanced concentrations lead to crop yield penalties in many parts of the world. Crop models simulate production and yield and they are often used for various applications. However, most of the existing models neglect the effect of O3 and only limited parameterization schemes exist. In addition, the existing O3 modelling approaches do not

Root traits are important to crop functioning, yet there is little information about how root traits vary with shoot traits. Using a standardized protocol, we collected 160 soil cores (0−210 cm) across 10 locations, three years and multiple cropping systems (crops x management practices) in Iowa, USA. Maximum root biomass ranged from 1.2 to 2.8 Mg ha−1 in maize and 0.86 to 1.93 Mg ha−1 in soybean.

The present study investigated genotypic differences in canopy temperature of 218 testcross progenies of a recombinant inbred lines mapping population of winter rye. For this purpose, we repeatedly measured canopy temperature (Tc) and air temperature (Ta) differences (Tc − Ta) in field trials on two locations with sandy soils in northern Germany, two water treatments (rainfed and irrigated) in two

Plant breeding is one of the key strategies for further enhancement of crop yields; however, effective breeding strategies require phenotypic characterisation of the available germplasm. This study sought to characterise the phenotypic expression of fourteen crop traits related to phenology, plant architecture, and yield in a panel of 40 cultivars selected to represent the phenotypic variability present

This study analyzed the relationship between important agronomic traits and major genes regulating flowering time in a panel of 151 Mediterranean durum wheat landraces and 20 modern cultivars. Field experiments were conducted under rainfed conditions during six crop seasons in northeastern Spain. Multivariate analysis of agronomic traits and genotypic data allowed the modern cultivars to be differentiated

• This study evaluated yield statistics and data from a comprehensive national soil inventory representing 90 yield survey districts and from the Swedish long-term soil fertility experiments. The aim was to identify the most yield-limiting soil properties and best agronomic practices in order to further improve yield. Principal Component Analysis, multi-variate analysis, step-wise regression, and tree

Northern China is the major grain-production region in the country. To adapt to climate change and ensure food security with a fixed area of arable land, utilizing a multiple cropping frequency each year is regarded as an efficient method of offsetting the projected negative yield impacts on staple crops. Given that climate warming prolongs the potential growing season and benefits the expansion of

Changes in agricultural land use over recent decades have exacerbated the pressures and impacts of agriculture on the environment. Researchers model these pressures and impacts using data on soils, climate and agricultural land use characteristics, which have to be represented at the spatial and temporal scales appropriate to the ecological or biophysical processes being studied. Representation of

The aim of on-farm research is to identify and test a new technology, product or management practice (e.g. more efficient seeding rate, enhanced row spacing, better disease management treatment, etc.) suited to local conditions by comparing it to a standard farmer practice across several farmers’ fields. Typically, each trial includes two treatments (new practice vs. standard control practice) replicated

Water is the main factor determining yield performance under drought conditions. Traditional soybean breeding has significantly increased grain yield under drought, but its effect on water use strategies and associated traits are not well understood. Field and pot experiments with new cultivars and landrace soybean genotypes were undertaken to identify the effect of soybean breeding on water use strategies

Sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) is an energy crop with low soil requirements (high tolerance to low-quality soils) that can potentially compete with the maize (Zea mays L.) monocultures. This paper presents the results of a 6-year field experiment investigating the biomass yield and energy efficiency of sweet sorghum grown under high-input and low-input production technologies. The experiment

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) is traditionally known for its better adaptation to drought when compared to other cereals like maize (Zea mays L.). However, genetic gains are significantly higher for maize than for sorghum, and are known to include drought tolerance. We analyzed maize and sorghum harvested area, yield, and yield stability using publically available farm data from 1970 to 2016

Conventional polyethylene plastic film mulching has been widely used, but its subsequent plastic residue pollution received widespread concern. Fully biodegradable film mulching is viewed as a potential substitution solution, however, it is generally thought not to be efficient as conventional plastic film mulching in field productivity and economic harvest. A two-year field experiment using a newly

Knowledge about the response of root biomass and root system architecture (RSA) to soil conditions would increase efficiency in selecting high performance crop varieties and predicting the impact of rotations on long-term soil organic matter (SOM) stock. We evaluated the effect of variety and site on maize (Zea mays L.) root growth. Two-dimensional (2D) and 3D techniques were used to quantify changes

Low-input grasslands depend on the presence of grasses and legumes for the provision of nitrogen and a sufficient amount and quality of herbage for livestock. Increasing variability in the amount and distribution of rainfall, associated with climate change, is a major factor affecting production from permanent grassland and particularly grass-clover swards. Previous work has shown that introduction

Timely sowing is an important agronomic practice that ensures normal seed germination, stable seedling establishment and final yield formation for winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). However, delays in sowing frequently occur due to uncontrollable limitations, especially under multi–cropping. Increased seeding rate is recommended to minimize the negative impacts associated with delayed sowing, but

Productive cropping systems like cereal-legume intercropping might contribute to feeding the ever-growing population. However, intercropping systems require adapted nitrogen (N) fertilizer management that better match temporal and spatial N supply with crop demand. On the basis of field experiment conducted in northwestern China from 2012 to 2014, the study evaluated three N management practices in

In tropical agriculture, maize (Zea mays L.) intercropped with palisadegrass (Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu) is considered a highly relevant cropping system to deliver both residue and forage. However, the benefits of inclusion of palisadegrass in maize systems and its influence on fertilizer dynamics and nitrogen (N) budget as well as the period after maize harvest for which palisadegrass continues

Weeds are often solely considered with a negative viewpoint, but they may also provide services for agroecosystems. Especially, the residual weed flora that is tolerated by integrated crop protection may contribute to a reduction of nitrate leaching and soil erosion during the summer and autumn fallow. To date, the determinants underlying these environmental weed benefits are largely unknown. The present

Olive oil is highly valued by its nutritious and healthy function mainly due to its chemical composition. Oil chemical components are highly influenced by the cultivar and the environment, resulting in some cases in levels out of the limits set by the International Olive Council. In the present research, we used a multi-environment trial with five different agro-climatic conditions of Andalusia to

Critical nitrogen (N) dilution curves describe the critical N concentration in plant tissues during crop growth and they are used to estimate the N nutriton status of whole plants in potato. Little is known, however, about the critical N dilution curves in specific plant parts such as shoots and tubers. Our objectives were (i) to determine critical shoot and tuber N dilution curves; (ii) to compare

Planting date and cultivar selection are major factors in determining the yield potential of any crop and in any region. However, there is a knowledge gap in how climate scenarios affect these choices. To explore this gap, we performed a regional scale analysis (11 planting dates × 8 cultivars × 281 fields × 36 weather years × 6 climate scenarios) using the APSIM model and pSIMS software for Iowa,

Crop mixtures may decrease reliance on pesticides but reducing herbicide use might increase weeds. Individual-based crop models can provide management guidelines. In heterogeneous canopies, light availability of individual plants depends on their dominant or dominated position. Estimating nitrogen demand at the plant scale, independently of light environment, is a challenge for modelling. A relationship

Climate change in China would cause change into precipitation patterns and rise in temperature. The assessment of climate change impact on Chinese wheat production is needed for both rainfed and irrigated farming in order to maintain wheat self-sufficiency and to assure future food demand. The current study assesses the future trends of wheat yield in Guanzhong Plain, China by employing the calibrated

Winter chill, which temperate trees require in order to overcome dormancy, is expected to decrease substantially in the future in most deciduous fruit tree growing areas. Several mathematical models have been developed in different regions to quantify chill requirements of tree species and cultivars. The Dynamic model has emerged as the most plausible and reliable model, yet all chill models have been

Diversification of cropping is perceived as a strategy to simultaneously achieve high productivity and maintain environmental sustainability. In southern Africa, however, due to a lack of medium to long-term field trials, there is missing quantitative information. Utilising the capability of agro-ecosystem models to quantify the interactions of crop productivity with management and environmental variables

The integration of the photovoltaic (PV) energy in the greenhouse farm has raised concerns on the agricultural sustainability of this specific agrosystem in terms of crop planning and management, due to the shading cast by the PV panels on the canopy. The PV greenhouse (PVG) can be classified on the basis of the PV cover ratio (PVR), that is the ratio of the projected area of PV panels to the ground

Our goal was to identify soil, plant and climate attributes that are most closely related to soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] yield variation in Pennsylvania. We studied 22 site-years over the 2016 and 2017 growing seasons in two regions. The average yields were 3.4 Mg ha-1 in 2016 (range 1.4 to 5 Mg ha-1) and 5.5 Mg ha-1 in 2017 (range 3.5 to 7.4 Mg ha-1). Solar radiation capture and water availability

This study was conducted in an orange orchard (Navelina ISA 315 cv) located in southern Italy. Leaf temperatures, Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density (PPFD), and UV-B reached high values during many days in summer, causing photosynthesis (An) in the outer layers of the canopy to decrease. This reduction was caused due to depression of stomatal conductance (gs), photoinhibition, and damage to the photosynthetic

Grain legumes are known for their benefits to deliver ecosystem services on provisioning of protein-rich food and feed, reducing greenhouse gas emissions through the symbiotic nitrogen fixation function and diversification of cropping systems. Intercropping is an agroecological practice in which two or more crop species are grown simultaneously in the same field, thereby maximizing the use of resources

Nitrogen critical curves are frequently used to diagnose the N status of crops and grasslands. They play an important role in plant modelling and are frequently used in fertilizer management tools. During the last 20 years, a number of studies have been conducted for comparing critical curves obtained in various conditions (e.g., different cultivars) and understanding the origin of their differences

Different planting pattern affects the leaf senescence of maize under intercropping systems, which regulate the grain yield of maize plants. In this study, we observed that a narrow-wide-row planting pattern in maize soybean relay intercropping system (MS) improved the leaf greenness and green leaf area, delayed the leaf senescence process in maize and increased the photosynthetic rate of maize leaves

The objective of this study was to assess the impact of different cotton (Gossipium hirsutum)-based management systems in the Brazilian Cerrado on soil’s physical and chemical quality, using multivariate analysis techniques. The experiment was conducted in areas of cotton production in the state of Mato Grosso, located in the Cerrado biome and Cerrado/Amazon ecotone. Soil samples were obtained from

Intensive vegetable production in soil is often associated with large N losses to the environment. To contribute to improved N management of sweet pepper, this work developed a critical nitrogen curve (CNC). It also developed N recommendations and examined N use efficiency (NUE) and potential NO3− leaching loss in relation to increasing total available nitrogen (TAN). TAN is the sum of the soil mineral

Adaptation measures are required to enhance climate change resilience of agricultural systems and reduce risks associated with climate change at both regional and global scales. The Texas High Plains is a semi-arid region that faces major challenges from climate change risks and dwindling groundwater supply from the exhaustible Ogallala Aquifer for sustaining irrigated agriculture. The overall goal

In the face of climate change, the potential impacts of adverse weather conditions on the productivity and vulnerability of cropping systems (CS) worldwide constitute a key agronomic issue upon which global food security depends. To date, little information regarding how the diversity of CS or agricultural practices affect the long-term yield responses of winter barley is available. The aim of this

Sustainable development of livestock production is challenged by the shortage of forage resources on the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau (QTP). Common vetch-oat intercropping is used on the QTP and in other alpine regions to obtain substantial forage yield, but few common vetch cultivars have been evaluated in intercropping systems. A three-year field experiment in the eastern QTP was carried out to compare

Water stress in different maize growth stages has different effects on maize growth and development. Accurately simulating these effects with a maize model are important to agriculture water management and savings. The objective of this study was to improve the performance of the Crop-Environment Resource Synthesis Maize (CERES-Maize) model for simulating maize (Zea mays L.) growth and yield under

Managing the transition from conventional agriculture to agroecology needs to account for the diversity of farming systems. Here we evaluate whether indicators based on agrodiversity and implementation of agroecological practices can discriminate types of farms with different trajectories in the context of the agroecological transition. The indicators tested were coupled with production factor, performance

Lodging resistance is a major desired trait in modern maize breeding. Identifying parameters to evaluate lodging resistance could help crop breeders develop maize cultivars with improved lodging resistance. Thirty-four summer maize cultivars currently planted in China were grown in 2017 and 2018 in order to identify relationships between stalk and root lodging resistance and to analyze the main reasons

Agroecological food web modelling, which models trophic relationships between the species present in agricultural fields, has significant potential uses in the fields of theoretical and practical agroecology, specifically regarding the planning and evaluation of integrated pest management and biocontrol strategies. However, the practical use of such models with field data has been hindered by their