Agronomy

Intercropping systems involving sorghum, grasses, and legumes can enhance forage production and improve sustainability under no-tillage systems. In the context of agricultural systems, the effective selection of rotational species is essential, as they contribute to soil system dynamics and provide feed for livestock. In this study, the dry matter production of grain sorghum (GS: cultivar A 9902)…

To address water-heat constraints and environmental risks associated with plastic film mulching in winter wheat production in the semi-arid region of Northwest China, a two-year field experiment (2021–2023) was conducted in Tongwei County, Gansu Province. A single-factor randomized block design was applied, with full plastic film mulching (PM) and bare land (CK) as controls, to evaluate the effec…

Peanut leaf disease detection in complex field environments faces two major challenges: distinguishing visually similar symptoms and identifying severely occluded lesions. This study presents YOLOv8-MSDH, a lightweight detection model built upon an improved YOLOv8 framework to address these issues. Four architectural enhancements are introduced. First, the MHSA attention mechanism is integrated t…

Spectral remote sensing enables efficient acquisition of large-scale land surface information and is a key approach for monitoring soil salinity content (SSC). However, surface mulching significantly alters the spectral reflectance responses of croplands, increasing the uncertainty of SSC retrieval using remote sensing. This study aimed to systematically identify SSC-sensitive spectral features u…

Urban agriculture plays a critical yet increasingly complex role in sustainable urban development, especially in high-density regions undergoing rapid transformation. Accurate mapping of its spatial distribution and functional composition remains a methodological challenge due to its fragmented landscape, small plot sizes, and multifunctional nature. This study addresses this gap by developing an…

The Soybean aphid (Aphis glycines) is a destructive pest that threatens soybeans. In order to develop green and effective control strategies, we propose an EQPAL epidemic model that integrates four developmental stages (1st–2nd stage nymphs, 3rd stage nymphs, 4th stage nymphs, and adults) and a ladybug (Harmonia axyridis) compartment. This model achieves green pest control by artificially releasi…

The demand for sustainable weed management and the limited discovery of new herbicide molecules have led to high interest in plant-derived bioherbicides, such as the water residues (WRs) from the hydrodistillation of aromatic plants, which contain biologically active secondary metabolites. Here, the bioherbicidal activity of WRs of four aromatic plant species was investigated. Chemical compositio…

To solve the problems of low seeding precision and the poor operational adaptability of traditional no-till seeders under dense planting mode, and meet the agronomic requirements for high maize yield, this study carried out optimization and experimental research on the no-till precision fertilizer-seed co-sowing system for maize with wide-narrow row dense planting, relying on the experimental bas…

Water scarcity is the primary constraint on the development of the potato industry in Northwest China. Improving water use efficiency (WUE) under limited water supply is, therefore, an urgent priority to promote the green and sustainable development of potato production in this region. This research was conducted from 2023 to 2024 in the rain shelter of the Agricultural Science Research Institute…

Common bean grain yield is strongly influenced by nitrogen availability and can be improved through biological nitrogen fixation (BNF), which among cultivars and Rhizobium strains. This study evaluated the BNF ability of 15 common bean cultivars and their symbiotic performance with three Rhizobium strains, including a strain authorized by the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, to identify variabi…

Miscanthus lutarioriparius exhibits strong potential for cadmium (Cd) accumulation, making it a promising candidate for the phytoremediation of Cd-contaminated soils. However, its full remediation potential remains underexploited, highlighting the need for targeted genetic improvement This study presents a comprehensive genome-wide identification and systematic characterization of 20 Ml4CL (4-cou…

Grain number and size are important agronomic traits determining grain yield, and yield improvement depends on exploring functional variations of key regulatory genes. Mitogen-activated protein kinase 6 (MAPK6) plays a key role in crop development; however, its function and variation in wheat remain largely unclear. In this study, we aimed to characterize the function and haplotype variations of …

Increasing freshwater scarcity alongside growing irrigation demand poses a major challenge for agricultural production. One potential response is the use of drought adaptation amendments: materials of natural or synthetic origin that, when applied to soil or crops, either increase water availability or improve plant performance under water stress. Because these amendments range from minerals and …

Copper (Cu) is an essential micronutrient, but poorly controlled inputs may increase phytotoxicity risks and alter soil–plant nutrient dynamics. Therefore, Cu formulations that regulate rhizosphere Cu availability are of agronomic interest. This study compared non-encapsulated Cu nanoparticles (CuNPs) and alginate-encapsulated Cu nanoparticles (eCuNPs) in a 42-day pot experiment with Lactuca sati…

The development of new methods enhancing the growth and yield of cereals is still needed in crop production due to their great importance in human diet and as livestock fodder. In our study, new fertilizer-biostimulators with micro- and macroelements and extract containing lipochitooligosaccharides (LCOs) produced by Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. trifolii were used for stimulation of growth of barl…

Pistachio acreage is increasing noticeably in Spain. However, water management in these plantations still remains a challenge due to the fact that irrigation in new production regions is still not well defined. In this context, the current study aimed to assess the impact of two contrasting irrigation doses on the water relations, yield, and nut quality of pistachio trees (cv. Kerman) in La Seca …

Fusarium ear rot (FER) caused by Fusarium verticillioides is a major constraint on global maize production. The genetic basis of FER resistance is not yet fully understood, and the development of effective breeding strategies for improving FER resistance is still a critical priority. In the present study, a collection of 254 CIMMYT tropical maize lines genotyped with 955,690 high-quality SNPs was…

Yam is a tuberous crop with great potential for enhancing food security and rural development thus contributing significantly to the lives of people in production areas. Despite its importance, productivity is low, with poor adoption rates of released commercial varieties. Yam exhibits complex growth patterns, including tuberization and dormancy. The yield, food quality and consumer preferences d…

Biochar mineral complex (BMC) can improve nutrient use efficiency (NUE) and reduce nutrient leaching, but the optimal application form and rate of application in soilless cropping systems remain unclear. This study evaluated co-applying BMC, either in solid form and placed to form a horizontal laminar layer approximately halfway up the potting media column, or as a liquid BMC suspension combined …

Biofuels can help reduce dependence on petroleum-based fuels, and peanut oil is a potentially valuable biofuel source. This study estimates the carbon intensity (CI) of peanut oil production in Texas using the Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation (GREET) model. Both the Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) and California (CA) versions of GREET were employed to calc…