Drought stress affects yield formation of sugar beet. Under climatic changes with longer periods of drought, the development of sugar beet varieties with a higher drought stress tolerance is gaining importance. Objectives of the study were to investigate genotypic differences in the response to different environments, especially drought stress, to define conditions in which sugar beet can best be selected

Developing more sustainable forage systems requires efficient decision support tools for fertilization management. Soil phosphorus (P) tests have long been used as decision support tools for fertilization management but, more recently, plant nutrition indices using the P concentration of shoot biomass were developed to assess the P nutrition status of grasslands. The objectives of this study were to

Phosphorus fertilization and liming are alternatives used to increase forage production in Southern Brazil grasslands (Pampa grasslands) and to avoid its replacement by cultivated exotic crops. However, changes in natural soil fertility can significantly affect the equilibrium of natural vegetation communities. We hypothesized that triple and simple superphosphate and limestone using would lead to

Reports on the effectiveness of Fusarium head blight (FHB) control measures do not follow the same pattern in different regions, and the combined effects of abiotic and biotic factors on FHB are not fully understood. Consequently, the main objective of this study was to examine divergence in susceptibility reactions of winter wheat genotypes to FHB when exposed to the combined effects of cultivation

The yield of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) can be effectively maximized through high planting density. Estimating the yields from single-leaf photosynthesis under various plant densities is difficult as the source-sink relationship of cotton is complicated. By considering the boll-leaf system (BLS: including the main-stem leaf, sympodial leaf and non-leaf organs) as the basic unit of the cotton canopy

Accurate assessments of the yield potential of cassava are needed to analyse yield gaps, define yield targets and set benchmarks for actual yields in Nigeria. This study evaluated the crop model LINTUL-Cassava under assumed potential growth and water-limited conditions in Nigeria. On-farm experiments were conducted at six locations across the three major cassava growing agro-ecologies of Western Africa

Frost during stem elongation is one of the most destructive disasters in China, which has a significant impact on the production of winter wheat. Automatic monitoring of frost injury to canopy is of vital importance to the early prediction of yield loss. This study investigated the potential of hyperspectral techniques in predicting the Percent Yield Difference (PYD) of frost-damaged winter wheat.

Nitrogen (N) is significantly related to crop photosynthetic capacity. Over-and-under-application of N fertilizers not only limits crop productivity but also leads to negative environment impacts. With such a dilemma, a feasible solution is to match N supply with crop needs across time and space. Hyperspectral remote sensing has been gradually regarded as a cost-effective alternative to traditional

Arable land is subjected to the difficulties of increased social development and environmental anomalies. Therefore, these critical problems can impact food security. Future food security would depend on an improved yield per unit area. Thus, breeding varieties that are high-yield, stable-yield, and resilient to climate change are critical to increase or maintain rice yields. The effects of variety

Average grain weight (AGW) is a major component of wheat yield. When attempting to elucidate mechanisms behind treatments effects on AGW, the distribution of the weight of individual grains may be critical. Determining the individual weight of thousands of grains in each sample would be unmanageable. Then, when individual sizes must be considered, researchers either weigh individually a very minor

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of agroforestry systems with narrow rows on microclimate, crop quality, productivity, and revenue when compared with that in sole-cropping in drylands. Therefore, two-year field experiments were conducted to determine the characteristics of two types of agroforestry systems in drylands of Xinjiang including photosynthetically active radiation

Adequate fertilization strategies are paramount to fulfill increasing demands for food, feed and fiber while reducing environmental impacts. However, their optimization under Mediterranean no-till systems has received little attention. The objective of this work was to assess winter cereal yield and water and N use efficiencies in a rainfed semiarid Mediterranean climate under (i) a range of pre-plant

A high recovery of applied fertilizer nitrogen (N) is required to minimize the environmental impact and to achieve high grain protein concentrations (GPC). Based on a long-term field trial (1976–2018) with winter wheat in northern Germany with 64 N fertilizer treatments differing in amount (0–360 kg N ha−1) and distribution, the effects of N fertilizer amount and variety on the apparent fertilizer

Sustainable management of intensively managed agricultural land requires high productivity with low environmental impacts. There is a lack of understanding concerning the effectiveness of early sowing of winter cereals compared with catch crops for reducing nitrogen (N) leaching losses. To test this, an experiment was conducted over three years (2016–2019) with different crop rotations and increasing

Managing the nitrogen (N) supply in agroecosystems is a critical issue to ensure sufficient food production while preserving the environment. Intercropping is known to be a sustainable means of reducing the use of N-fertilizers. However, managing the N supplied to a crop while optimising the use of N by different species in a mixture remains a challenge. This is partly due to the difficulty of assessing

Perennial ryegrass varieties are evaluated in monoculture plots, but in practice are typically sown as combinations of three or more varieties. Monoculture performance is used a predictor of mixture performance, but is questionable, particularly for grazing efficiency traits that interact with the grazing animal. Two field experiments were carried out to examine the production, grazing efficiency and

Physiological use efficiency (PUE), recovery fraction of applied nutrients and indigenous soil nutrient supply form the basis of site-specific fertilizer recommendations. To derive these parameters, and understand their variability, as well as yield responses and fertilizer use profitability, nutrient omission trials (NOTs) were conducted in farmers’ fields across different agro-ecologies in Bako (n

Elevated temperature, water deficit, low nitrogen availability and their interactions, constrain wheat yield in Mediterranean-type environments. Our working hypothesis is that, owing to the non-linearity of yield response to water and nitrogen and the non-linearity of biological processes in response to temperature, the outcome of the interactions between temperature, nitrogen and water is range-dependent

Predicting phenology is essential for adapting varieties to different environmental conditions and for crop management. Therefore, it is important to evaluate how well different crop modeling groups can predict phenology. Multiple evaluation studies have been previously published, but it is still difficult to generalize the findings from such studies since they often test some specific aspect of extrapolation

At harvest sunflower seeds (Helianthus annuus L.) are dormant and poorly germinate at 10 and 25 °C. Seed sensitivity to low temperatures (10 °C) results from an embryo dormancy whereas the envelopes (pericarp and seed coats) inhibit the germination at 25 °C. Removal of pericarp greatly improved seed germination when the germination of whole achenes was higher than the critical value of 20 %. Using

Field studies evaluating the efficiency of anaerobic digestates (AD) as fertilizers often present variable results, mainly due to the effects of weather, site, soil conditions, and differences in the application technique. To better understand the soil influence on the effects of AD application on crop growth, we excluded site-specific effects of weather conditions and application technique and their

Harvest timing in olive orchards has a strong effect on the quality and quantity of oil yield, but many farmers still lack simple and affordable quantitative tools for rationally deciding appropriate harvest dates. This study presents and tests a conceptual model for predicting fruit oil content (Of, g oil fruit−1) from inexpensive measurements of fruit dry weight (wf). The model presents two physiologically

Future grain yield (GY) improvements require the identification of beneficial traits within the context of high yield potential and not just based on the pleiotropic effect of traits such as crop height and heading date. We evaluated 1937 lines from Nested Association Mapping (NAM) population derived from 13 bi-parental varietal crosses under field conditions. We selected 493 lines with similar time

Subsoil compaction in arable farming caused by increasingly heavy machinery results in increased subsoil strength and reduced aeration and water flow. This can restrict root growth and reduce crop yield. To mitigate these effects of subsoil compaction, we included a deep-rooted catch crop of fodder radish (Raphanus sativus var. oleifera) in a rotation of spring barley (Hordeum vulgare). The objective

The growth and yield of crops within a farm largely vary among fields. Farms are increasing in size by acquiring smaller land parcels from different farmers who have different management strategies. As a result, between-field variability increases and understanding such variability is a necessity for precision farming. New data analysis techniques are needed in this context, especially given the trend

The Argentinean Gran Chaco is one of the global regions with the highest recent rates of agricultural expansion due to soybean production. The area has been heavily deforested during the last 30 years. Despite the economic relevance of soybean for this region, studies that provide options for sustainable management of these production systems are scarce. The objectives of this study were (i) to identify

Clove production in the eastern coastal region of Madagascar is typical of an export crop grown by particularly vulnerable smallholders. Products from clove trees, along with vanilla, account for the largest proportion of Madagascar’s agricultural exports. There is a marked contrast between the national economic stakes and the situation of smallholders hampered by fluctuating world market prices, a

Cover crops (CC) have been proposed as a promising ecological tool to manage weeds and increase crop productivity. We hypothesized that the repeated use of CC could increase crop yield directly through nitrogen release and/or indirectly through a modification of weed communities. Data were collected on CC biomass, weed biomass, weed community composition, and crop yield during one complete rotation

Fertilization management influences not only productivity but also the nutritive value of forage legumes. However, there have been few studies about these effects in long-term fertilization experiments. Our objectives were: (i) to compare the effects of mineral fertilization and organic manure on lucerne forage yield and leaf and stem nutritive value over a 2-year period following 60 years of different

Improving the prediction of plant N status for field crops require robust estimation of their critical N dilution curves and their parameters. For maize (Zea mays L.), several studies have contributed to develop separate critical N curves for different genotype, environment, and management (GxExM) combinations, but so far no rigorous analysis has been formally conducted to assess if the use of different

To meet the challenges of climate change, increasing population and food demand, a timely, accurate and reliable estimation of crop yield at a large scale is more imperative than ever for crop management, food security evaluation, food trade and policy-making. In this study, taking the major winter wheat production regions of China as an example, we compared a traditional machine learning method (random

Global food security is one of the most pressing issues of the current century, particularly for developing nations. Agricultural simulation models can be a key component in testing new technologies, seeds and cultivars etc., however, inaccurate input information in addition to model related errors adds to model uncertainties. Satellite observations of soil moisture (SM), vegetation index etc. can

Besides nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) is the most limiting nutrient for potato growth and P acquisition and utilization is affected by the N supply. Estimating accurately the P nutrition status is critical from economic and environmental standpoints. Our objectives were to (i) compare a critical P (Pc) curve based on the biomass (DM) of the whole plant (vines + tubers) with those recently developed

The long-term effects of conservation agriculture on soil physical and chemical properties and their relationship with crop yields are still relatively poorly understood. In addition, the effects of those practices ranged widely depending on climatic and edaphic conditions and so they cannot be generalized for all agro-ecological regions and crop types. This study evaluates the effects of three conservation

In arable land management, different crop rotation patterns and sequences, such as changing agricultural land use to erosion prone crops, or crops providing less ground cover, can greatly influence soil loss rate through their impact on soil cover status (C factor value). The influence of crop rotation on C value and on erosion rate is often determined on an experimental plot scale, so the results

Optimizing water use in vineyards is crucial for ensuring the sustainability of viticulture in semi-arid regions, and this may be achieved by minimizing direct water evaporation from the soil through the use of mulching. In this context, the current study aimed at assessing the combined effects of the vine-row application of an organic mulch (vine prunings) and no-tillage under two water regimes on

The low N use efficiency of vines calls for more efficient fertilization processes, which must mitigate losses caused by volatilization. Thus, N dose applications through different methods, such as fertigation, can potentiate N harnessing by vines. The study aimed to determine ideal N concentration in leaves for the production of high-quality grapes cv ‘Alicante Bouschet’ (Vitis vinifera L.) subjected

The concept of plant critical dilution curve (PCDC) has been studied on several crop species for about four decades, which has been widely applied in studies of crop nutrition evaluation, growth predictions, and fertilization management. This bibliometric analysis comprehensively explores the evolution trends in PCDC research based on literature data retrieved from the Web of Science from 1985 to 2019

Crop lodging assessment needs to be carried out timely and accurately to ensure valuable information about the location and area where lodging occurs. Many applications have been explored and tested for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) visible imagery in agricultural management due to the ability of providing high-space-resolution information. However, there still face many challenges in extracting lodging

In this article we explore the concept and implications of three-dimensional (spatial, temporal, and genetic) in-field crop diversification to inform systems redesign towards ecological intensification. We first present a conceptual framework for classifying diversity in arable contexts. We then apply the framework to analyse two long-term systems experiments in The Netherlands where spatial and genetic

Understanding the agroecological mechanisms that determine forage yield and quality in intensively managed permanent grasslands is crucial to optimize management and provide environmental and economic benefits to society. In this study, we assessed the relative contribution of climatic, soil and vegetation drivers on forage yield and quality in nine different frequently defoliated and fertilized permanent

Crop tolerance and avoidance are critical adaptation mechanisms to cope with drought stress but they contribute differently to grain yield formation. Little is known about the different roles of these two mechanisms in long-term crop breeding. A meta-analysis was conducted to determine the different effects of drought tolerance and avoidance mechanisms on the drought adaptation of wheat crops. The

The thickness of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) glumes and lemmas (TGL) influences their thermal insulation properties, which in turn, may influence reproductive frost susceptibility. The objectives of this study were to (i) determine the variability in TGL in bread wheat cultivars, (ii) quantify the frost susceptibility of cultivars with different TGL under field conditions and natural frosts, and (iii)

Microbial inoculants are gaining prominence in technologically advanced agri-systems due to the need for alternatives to the most pollutant agricultural inputs. The objective of this work was to improve the agronomic performance of the rhizobial inoculants for common bean, based on the superior native strain Rlp-LCS0306 of Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. phaseoli (R), through co-inoculation with non-rhizobial

Wheat cultivar mixtures have a well-explored potential for improving crop diversity, yield stability, and agronomic features. However, it is unclear whether heterogeneity of phenological traits in such mixtures may help to cope with increasing environmental stresses and uncertainties. To investigate the option of using wheat cultivar mixtures with different ripening patterns for mitigating the adverse

Integrated weed control methods are increasingly demanded to maintain high yield while alleviating negative environmental side effects of control measures. Five field experiments were conducted during 2015–2017 at three locations in Iran to determine the advantage of exploiting enhanced competitive ability of bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) via cultivar mixture to reduce herbicide dose. For all experiments

Despite their low concentrations, secondary metabolites are essential to the organoleptic quality of grapevine fruit. Anthocyanins of the fruit skin cells are the principal components of the pigmentation of the red grape. Glycosylated aroma precursors (GAPs), i.e. alcohols, C13-norisoprenoids, phenols and terpenes determine the aroma potential of the juice and the resulting wine. The regulation of

Agriculture represents about 10 % of total greenhouse gases (GHG) emission in the US, in which carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O) can greatly contribute to global warming and climate change. Organic farming has been increasingly popular as it provides long-term environmental benefits including GHG mitigation. Judicious use of cover crops in crop rotation systems has been considered an effective

Camelina [Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz] is an emerging oilseed crop combining both industrial and agronomic advantages. Camelina seed yield, oil and protein contents, and fatty-acid composition, vary across genotypes, environments, and agricultural practices. However, no studies have been conducted to identify and rank major limiting factors explaining yield and quality variations under on-farm conditions

The benefits of drainage with respect to improving yield level and stability was recognized millennia ago, hence drainage is an old agronomical practice. However, agriculture is under constant change, and few long-term field studies exploring the need for drainage have been conducted in modern north European agricultural systems. The objective of this study is to describe yield variations in modern

Perennial grain has been proposed to provide an effective means of ensuring both food and ecological security. The newly released cultivar of perennial rice 23 (PR23) represents a new rice production system that is based on no-tillage. Nevertheless, how perennial rice responds to this new system remains unclear. Two field experiments were conducted over four successive seasons from 2016 to 2017 in

The yields of crops in organic farming are typically lower than in conventional farming, although this depend greatly on local climatic conditions and on crop and soil management. A long-term study over three consecutive 4-year cropping cycles at three locations in Denmark compared organic arable cropping systems varying in fertilization management (green manure crops, cover crops, livestock manure)

The present study aims to compare the relative abundance of ureides (RAU) among soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] plant fractions in contrasting trial settings and under three nitrogen (N) rates, designed to create variability on symbiotic N fixation. A greenhouse and a field experiment evaluated the RAU in plant fractions (base of the main stem, petiole and leaflets of the uppermost fully developed