Agronomy, Volume 10, Issue 9

White yam (Dioscorearotundata Poir.) is one of the most important tuber crops in West Africa, where it is indigenous and represents the largest repository of biodiversity through several years of domestication, production, consumption, and trade. In...

Availability of nitrogen (N) limits pasture production. Inclusion of legumes into grass pastures can provide an alternative N source through biological N₂ fixation (BNF), and enhance retention and cycling of soil C and N. Despite the use of alfalfa (...

Improved agronomic management strategies are needed to minimize the impact that current maize (Zea mays L.) and soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) production practices have on soil erosion and nutrient losses, especially nitrogen (N). Interseeded cover...

For the assessment of the environmental and sanitary risks deriving from contamination of agricultural soils, it is crucial to identify and characterize the contaminants and study the soil chemical properties influencing their mobility and bioavailab...

Doubled haploids have played a major role in cucurbit breeding for the past four decades. In situ parthenogenesis via irradiated pollen is the preferred technique to obtain haploid plantlets whose chromosomes are then doubled in Cucurbitaceae, such a...

This study aimed to investigate the effect of different rootstocks on the yield and quality of eggplant cv. ‘Madonna’ in soilless pot culture in an unheated polyethylene greenhouse. The eggplant was grafted onto several rootstocks, includ...

Acorn squash (Cucurbita pepo) is a familiar fruit vegetable in North America, appreciated for its attractive appearance, good flavor, nutritional content and long storage life. A breeding program in Israel has produced three new acorn squash hybrids...

Camelina sativa is an important renewable oilseed crop for biofuel and feedstock that can relieve the reliance on petroleum-derived oils and reduce greenhouse gases and waste solids resulting from petroleum-derived oils consumption. C. sativa has rec...

Recently, a new severe disease has been reported in the Salento area (Apulia region, southern Italy) in the multimillennial olive agro-ecosystem, given the common name “olive quick decline syndrome” (OQDS). Together with Xylella fastidios...

Nowadays, biochar is increasingly used widely as an important soil amendment to enhance soil nutrients availability. Therefore, we investigated the effect of C.oleifera shell biochar (CSB) on C.oleifera plantation soils to provide evidence that C. ol...

West Africa is facing the challenge of its population’s food insecurity in a context of accelerated degradation of natural resources. In order to efficiently face this double bottleneck, agroecological interventions were implemented as a way to...

The prediction of nitrogen (N) mineralization or immobilization in organic fertilizers is an important tool to optimize fertilizer use, especially in intensive agricultural systems. Our aim was to derive a model to predict the N mineralization/immobi...

Canola (Brassica napus L.) is the third largest crop produced in Australia after wheat and barley. For such crops, the variability of water access, reduced long-term annual rainfall and increasing water prices, higher overall production costs, and va...

Whole-crop rye harvested before maturity represents a valuable forage for silage production. Due to the scarcity of data on fermentation characteristics and aerobic stability (ASTA) and the lack of information on mycotoxin formation during aeration o...

Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are described in the literature as having a significant role in securing crop management of modern agriculture in conditions of abiotic and biotic stressors. A joint field experiment was carried out to assess the role o...

Crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.) is the most common legume cover crop in the United States. Previous research found limited genetic variation for crimson clover within the National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS) collection. The aim of this stu...

The largest abiotic constraint threatening banana (Musa spp.) production is water stress, impacting biomass buildup and yields; however, so far no studies have investigated the effects of water stress on allometric equations in banana. Weighted least...

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of nitrogen (0, 30, 60, 90, 120 kg ha⁻¹) and sulfur (0, 15, and 30 kg ha⁻¹) fertilization on the morphometric parameters of plants, seed yield components, seed and straw yield, N fertilize...

The study evaluated the feasibility of simplified hydroponics for the growth of rooted cuttings of geranium (Pelargonium zonale) for commercial purposes in local farms in Northern Italy. Tested systems included a control where soilless system on subs...

Terpenes contribute to the desirable flavour and aroma of grapes and wine. The biosynthesis of these plant secondary metabolites is influenced by both physiological and environmental factors, such as grapevine phenological stage and sunlight exposure...

Cattle dung distribution in pastoral ecosystems is uneven and affects nutrient availability to plants. Thus, identifying its spatiotemporal patterns is crucial to understanding the mechanisms underlying the system functioning. We aimed to characteriz...

The interaction between salinity and nitrogen metabolism has been investigated in two barley landraces, one tolerant (“100/1B”) and one susceptible to salinity (“Barley medenine”) from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) r...

Field and greenhouse studies were conducted to investigate the influence of sequence and timing of synthetic auxins and glufosinate on large Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) control. Field studies were performed in Henry County, AL where treatmen...

Sprouts and microgreens have attracted tremendous interest across multiple disciplines in recent years. Here, we critically review the most recent advances to underscore research prospects and niches, and related challenges, not yet addressed or full...

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a complex disease of cereals caused by Fusarium species, which causes severe damages in terms of yield quality and quantity worldwide, and which produces mycotoxin contamination, posing a serious threat to public health....

Prolonged drought and extreme precipitation can have a significant impact on the activity and structure of soil microbial communities. The aim of the study was to assess the impact of drought length on the dynamics of mineral nitrogen, enzyme activit...

Inoculation with beneficial microbes has been proposed as an effective practice for the improvement of plant growth and soil health. Since soil acts as a physicochemical background for soil microbial communities, we hypothesized that its management w...

For some years now, part of society has been demanding the implementation of circular economy models and so the use of organic matter as a source of nutrients is once again taking center stage. In this scenario, the aim of this work was to implement...

The effects of silicon (Si) on temperature stresses were investigated in poinsettia. Well-rooted cuttings supplemented with and without Si were exposed to 40 °C, and plants treated with or without Si during cutting propagation and cultivation wer...

Organic production is one of the fastest growing food sectors globally. However, average yield in organic vegetable production is up to 33% lower than in conventional production. This difference could be due to higher fertilization rates in conventio...

Biochar can be used as an alternative component in growing media, positively affecting plant growth/yield, but also media properties. In the present study, two commercial grade biochars (BFW-forest wood; and BTS-fresh wood screening), mainly wood-bas...

Kaolin protective effect was assessed in a white grapevine cultivar ‘Cerceal’ in ‘Alentejo’ Region (southeast Portugal) where plants face extreme conditions during the summer season. We addressed the hypothesis that kaolin eff...

The field experiment was carried out in 2015–2017 on a family farm in Toczyski Czortki, in the Mazovia voivodeship in Poland. The experiment was set up in a split–split–plot system in three replications. The area of one plot was 30...

Glyphosate is one of the most widely used non-selective systemic herbicides, but nowadays its application is controversially discussed. Optical remote sensing techniques might provide a sufficient tool for monitoring glyphosate use. In order to inves...

Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), an important forage grass species in temperate regions, is genetically improved by population breeding. Although valued for their broad genetic base, the resulting synthetic varieties only partially exploit het...

Cover crops can be an effective means to protect soil and reduce risks of erosion in olive groves. However, for this protection to be significant, the vegetation must attain a significant amount of ground cover, which is estimated to be at least 30%...

Selenium (Se) deficiency in humans could be improved by biofortification of food with selenium, 1-Methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) treatment is beneficial for the non-sulfur storage of fresh fruit. This study investigated fruit quality of table grape (Huta...

Maine is the largest producer of wild blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Aiton) in the United States. Pollination comes from combinations of honey bees (Apis mellifera (L.)), commercial bumble bees (Bombus impatiens Cresson), and wild bees. This stud...

Aquaponic facilities allow the joint production of fish and plants in a reduced space. This hydroponic technique, combined with vertical farming, is not well studied. The main objective of this work was to compare basil production between horizontal...

Cultivation of the peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) on the same land contributes to the accumulation of root exudates, leading to increased soil pathogens and decreased yield. Trichoderma harzianum is a naturally occurring endophytic biocontrol fungus th...

In the present study plant growth, nutritional value and chemical composition of leaves from twenty-five plain-leafed, curly-leafed and turnip-rooted parsley cultivars were evaluated. Total fresh yield was higher for the plain-leafed cv. Rialto Bejo:...

Association panels represent a useful tool for quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping and pre-breeding. In this study, we report on the development of a European and Mediterranean chickpea association panel as a useful tool for gene discovery and bree...

Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) is considered as one of the most expensive spices. Fusarium corm rot of saffron, caused by Fusarium oxysporum, is known to cause severe yield losses worldwide. In the present study, efficacy of biocontrol agents (Trichoder...

Selenium (Se) is an essential element in mammals; however, there is frequently an insufficient intake due to several factors. Different techniques have been used to deal with this problem, such as plant biofortification with Se in its ionic forms and...

Black rot is a destructive disease that affects B. oleracea crops, causing significant losses to growers throughout the world. The purpose of this study was to screen out new sources resistant to Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris race 4 (Xcc4) in...

The commercial Nigerian peanut cultivars Ex-Dakar, Samnut-22 and Samnut-26, the Egyptian cultivar Ismailia-1 and the American cultivar NC-7 were genetically differentiated and the cultivars’ effects on growth and yield components, total lipid content...

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is among the most important vegetable crops worldwide. Early blight disease, caused by Alternaria solani, is a destructive foliar disease of tomato and other Solanaceae species. Herein, we investigated the in vitro an...

Many arid and semiarid regions of the world face serious water shortages that are projected to have significant adverse impacts on irrigated agriculture and create unprecedented challenges for providing food and water security for the rapidly growing...

The giant willow aphid (Tuberolachnus salignus) is a large stem-feeding insect which forms dense colonies on infested plants. Since T. salignus is a new invasive species in New Zealand, we have a poor understanding of the plant chemical responses to...

There is a lack of research on the practice of intercropping sugar beet and the impact of such agrocenoses on soil and crop fertility, especially under organic farming conditions. For this reason, a three-year stationary field experiment was performe...