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Agronomy
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Maximizing Crop Yield and Resource Use Efficiency: Innovative Agronomic Practices
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Maximizing Crop Yield and Resource Use Efficiency: Innovative Agronomic Practices

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Agricultural Biosystem and Biological Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 January 2023) | Viewed by 12174

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Shulan Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Interests: water and nutrient management on dryland cereals (wheat, maize); response of soil fertility to nutrient management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The global population is continuously increasing, but the Earth’s natural resources are either fixed or dwindling, such as fresh water, arable land, and limited, non-renewable phosphate rock. On the other hand, improper agricultural performances in the production process are still resulting in soil degradation and environmental pollution (air, water). Hence, producing enough food in an environmentally friendly manner is facing its ever-greatest challenge. Coping with this challenge requires agricultural green production, i.e., maximizing crop yield and resource use efficiency, alongside minimizing environmental footprint. Innovative agronomic practices could help to achieve these goals, including improvement of soil fertility, rational design of cropping systems, introduction of new varieties, water-saving technology, development of efficient fertilizers, precision nutrient management, precision agriculture, etc.

In this Special Issue, we aim to exchange knowledge on any aspect related to innovative agronomic practices in diverse environments that help to maximize crop productivity and resource (radiation, water, nutrient, etc.) use efficiency.

Prof. Dr. Shulan Zhang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agronomy is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • soil fertility
  • cropping system
  • water-saving technology
  • efficient fertilizer
  • nutrient management
  • precision agriculture

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 1763 KiB  
Article
Rhizobium Inoculation Improved the Rhizosphere P Dynamics and P Uptake Capacity of Pigeon Pea Plants Grown in Strongly Weathered Soil Only under P Fertilized Conditions
by Saki Yamamoto, Shin Okazaki, Nakei D. Monica, Naoko Ohkama-Ohtsu, Haruo Tanaka and Soh Sugihara
Agronomy 2022, 12(12), 3149; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12123149 - 12 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1473
Abstract
The improvement of phosphorus (P) use efficiency (PUE) is a critical problem in crop production because of phosphorus’ scarcity. Especially in strongly weathered soil with a high P fixation capacity, a low PUE generally limits plant growth. Here, in a 70-day pigeon pea [...] Read more.
The improvement of phosphorus (P) use efficiency (PUE) is a critical problem in crop production because of phosphorus’ scarcity. Especially in strongly weathered soil with a high P fixation capacity, a low PUE generally limits plant growth. Here, in a 70-day pigeon pea cultivation pot experiment using Ultisols, we evaluated the effects of Rhizobium inoculation (−I/+I) on the plant growth, rhizosphere, bulk soil P dynamics, and plant root P acquisition characteristics, with or without P fertilization (0P: no P application; 50SSP:50 kg P ha−1 with single superphosphate). The combination of Rhizobium inoculation with P fertilization (50SSP + I) increased the plant growth, P uptake, and organic acid content per pot by 63%, 41%, and 130%, respectively, but not without P fertilization (0P + I). The labile and moderately labile inorganic P (NaHCO3-Pi and NaOH-Pi) contents were higher (55% and 44%, respectively) in the rhizosphere soil than those in the bulk soil in the 50SSP + I treatment, indicating the efficient solubilization of the applied P under the 50SSP + I treatment. The fertilized PUE was higher in the 50SSP + I treatment (26%) than that in the 50SSP−I treatment (15%). Thus, these results suggest that Rhizobium inoculation with 50SSP should stimulate plant root P acquisition characteristics, leading to the solubilization of applied P in the rhizosphere and efficient plant P uptake. In conclusion, the 50SSP + I treatment effectively improved the PUE of pigeon peas in strongly weathered soil. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Maximizing Crop Yield and Resource Use Efficiency: Innovative Agronomic Practices)
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16 pages, 1967 KiB  
Article
Crop Yield and Nutrient Efficiency under Organic Manure Substitution Fertilizer in a Double Cropping System: A 6-Year Field Experiment on an Anthrosol
by Yan Han, Fenglian Lv, Xiaoding Lin, Caiyun Zhang, Benhua Sun, Xueyun Yang and Shulan Zhang
Agronomy 2022, 12(9), 2047; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12092047 - 27 Aug 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1896
Abstract
The combination of organic manure and inorganic fertilizer plays a role in increasing crop yield and nutrient efficiency, but such effectiveness varies with crop, soil, management, and climate. Here, a 6-year field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of substituting organic manure [...] Read more.
The combination of organic manure and inorganic fertilizer plays a role in increasing crop yield and nutrient efficiency, but such effectiveness varies with crop, soil, management, and climate. Here, a 6-year field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of substituting organic manure with inorganic fertilizer on crop yield, grain protein content, and nitrogen and phosphorus efficiency under a winter wheat-summer maize cropping system on Anthrosol. Five treatments were included: recommended nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) fertilizers (NPK), 75% NPK + 25% organic manure (M), 50% NPK + 50% M, 25% NPK + 75% M, and 100% M, respectively. Wheat, maize, and annual yield were 1643–8438 kg ha−1, 4847–11,104 kg ha−1, and 10,007–17,496 kg ha−1. Organic manure treatments produced the same crop yield as NPK treatment except for 100% M. Grain protein content of wheat and maize was 7.9–15.1% and 5.6–12.6%. Organic manure treatments yielded significantly lower wheat grain protein content but had no significant effect on maize grain protein content relative to NPK treatment. Nitrogen uptake efficiency and nitrogen use efficiency at the cropping system level were 0.67–1.16 and 35.7–60.5 kg kg−1. Phosphorus uptake efficiency and phosphorus use efficiency were 0.28–0.75 and 167–531 kg kg−1. Compared with NPK treatment, 50% M, 75% M, and 100% M improved nitrogen use efficiency but decreased nitrogen uptake efficiency and phosphorus efficiencies. Annual N and P budgets were −1.3–79.1 kg ha−1 a−1 and 25.6–100.1 kg ha−1a−1, and both increased with the increase in organic manure input. Based on crop yield, grain protein content, nitrogen, and phosphorus efficiency and their budget, substitution of 25% inorganic fertilizer with organic manure is the rational combination under the winter wheat–summer maize system on an Anthrosol. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Maximizing Crop Yield and Resource Use Efficiency: Innovative Agronomic Practices)
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12 pages, 1512 KiB  
Article
Planting Date and Hybrid Affect Sugarcane Aphid Infestation, Yield, and Water Use Efficiency in Dryland Grain Sorghum
by Zane Jenkins, Sushil Thapa, Jourdan M. Bell, Kirk E. Jessup, Brock C. Blaser, Bob A. Stewart and Qingwu Xue
Agronomy 2022, 12(9), 2033; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12092033 - 26 Aug 2022
Viewed by 1356
Abstract
Grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) is a major dryland crop in the Texas High Plains. Currently, drought and infestation by the sugarcane aphid (SCA, Melanaphis sacchari) are the two major challenges to grain sorghum production in the area. A 2-year field [...] Read more.
Grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) is a major dryland crop in the Texas High Plains. Currently, drought and infestation by the sugarcane aphid (SCA, Melanaphis sacchari) are the two major challenges to grain sorghum production in the area. A 2-year field study was conducted to investigate the effect of planting date (PD) and hybrid selection on yield, evapotranspiration (ET), water use efficiency (WUE), and SCA infestation. Five sorghum hybrids (86P20, SP-31A15, AG1201, AG1203, and DKS37-07) were grown on two planting dates (PD1—early May; PD2—late June) under dryland conditions. Insecticides were not used. There were significant differences in grain yield, WUE, evapotranspiration (ET), and SCA population between two PDs and among hybrids. For PD1, SCA infestation occurred after sorghum reached physiological maturity in 2017. Although SCA infestation was observed during late grain filling in 2018, SCA populations were low and did not affect yield. For PD2, SCA was present before anthesis in both years and significantly affected grain yield. Even with heavy SCA infestation in PD2, the grain yield was higher in PD2 than in PD1 due to timely precipitation. Among hybrids, AG1203, 86P20 and DK37-07 performed better with higher yield and less SCA infestation in PD2. Grain yield was more related to seeds per plant than to kernel weight and harvest index. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Maximizing Crop Yield and Resource Use Efficiency: Innovative Agronomic Practices)
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12 pages, 1675 KiB  
Article
Effect of Legume Green Manure on Yield Increases of Three Major Crops in China: A Meta-Analysis
by Kailin Liang, Xueqi Wang, Yuntian Du, Guomin Li, Yiqian Wei, Yizhuo Liu, Ziyan Li and Xiaomin Wei
Agronomy 2022, 12(8), 1753; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12081753 - 26 Jul 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1698
Abstract
The application of legume green manure (LGM) is a traditional and valuable practice for agroecosystem management. In the present study, we conducted a meta-analysis to explore the effect of LGM on the yields of three major grain crops in China under different cropping [...] Read more.
The application of legume green manure (LGM) is a traditional and valuable practice for agroecosystem management. In the present study, we conducted a meta-analysis to explore the effect of LGM on the yields of three major grain crops in China under different cropping systems and environmental conditions based on 315 field trial datasets. LGM application increased the yield of the three major grain crops significantly by 12.60% compared to those under no LGM application, with wheat, maize, and rice yields increasing significantly by 9.49%, 16.70%, and 19.22%, respectively. In addition, yield increases were significant under crop rotation with grain crops but not under intercropping. The amount of LGM returned to the field (dry weight) at only 2000–3000 kg/ha and 3000–4000 kg/ha increased yield significantly by 12.32% and 11.94%, respectively. The greatest yield increases were observed when annual precipitation was higher than 600 mm, while annual average temperature was higher than 10 °C, and when soil organic matter content was 0–10 g/kg, with 19.64%, 14.11%, and 32.63% increases, respectively. All regions in China, excluding North China, had significant yield increases, with the largest yield increase, 27.12%, observed in Northeast China. The results of the meta-analysis demonstrated that LGM increases yield of all the three major grain crops in China. Additionally, the benefits were also observed under appropriate planting system, green manure biomass, and environmental factors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Maximizing Crop Yield and Resource Use Efficiency: Innovative Agronomic Practices)
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13 pages, 1342 KiB  
Article
Humate Combined with Film-Mulched Ridge-Furrow Tillage Improved Carbon Sequestration in Arid Fluvo-Aquic Soil
by Fengke Yang, Baolin He and Guoping Zhang
Agronomy 2022, 12(6), 1398; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12061398 - 10 Jun 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1834
Abstract
Commercial humic fertilizers (humates) can be used to improve carbon sequestration. In this study, a 3-year field trial (2016–2018) employed four treatments to investigate the mechanism by which humate increases carbon sequestration in fluvo-aquic soils: (1) blank: bare soil with no agricultural treatment; [...] Read more.
Commercial humic fertilizers (humates) can be used to improve carbon sequestration. In this study, a 3-year field trial (2016–2018) employed four treatments to investigate the mechanism by which humate increases carbon sequestration in fluvo-aquic soils: (1) blank: bare soil with no agricultural treatment; (2) control: standard film mulch (FM) ridge-furrow tillage (which acts as CK); (3) humate: FM tillage plus humate; and (4) straw: FM tillage plus straw. The three treatments strongly affected the soil carbon sequestration, with the humate and straw treatments more significant than the blank treatment. Moreover, the ≥2.0-mm macroaggregate fraction, >1-mm soil aggregate-associated carbon, weight mean diameter (MWD) and geometric mean diameter (GMD), and microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN) values for the straw and humate treatments were all significantly increased (p < 0.05), increasing the carbon sequestration by 1.9 and 0.9 Mg C ha−1y−1 compared to the control, respectively. Carbon sequestration was significantly associated with >1.0-mm aggregate-associated C, MWD, GMD, MBN, and organic C input. Humate and straw synergistically regulate the soil and microbial processes and greatly increase the straw C return to soil while efficiently increasing the macroaggregate fraction and stability, macroaggregate-associated carbon, and physical protection of aggregates, thereby increasing the carbon sequestration. Therefore, humate may be a novel economical alternative to straw to efficiently increase the carbon sequestration in dry fluvo-aquic soils. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Maximizing Crop Yield and Resource Use Efficiency: Innovative Agronomic Practices)
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12 pages, 684 KiB  
Article
Effect of Mepiquat Chloride on Phenology, Yield and Quality of Cotton as a Function of Application Time Using Different Sowing Techniques
by Khadija Murtza, Muhammad Ishfaq, Nadeem Akbar, Saddam Hussain, Shakeel Ahmad Anjum, Najat A. Bukhari, Amal Mohamed AlGarawi and Ashraf Atef Hatamleh
Agronomy 2022, 12(5), 1200; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12051200 - 17 May 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2736
Abstract
Mepiquat chloride (MC) is a plant growth regulator used to manage the rampant vegetative growth of cotton. A two-year field experiment was conducted at the Postgraduate Agricultural Research Station, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan, during 2017 and 2018 to investigate the influence of [...] Read more.
Mepiquat chloride (MC) is a plant growth regulator used to manage the rampant vegetative growth of cotton. A two-year field experiment was conducted at the Postgraduate Agricultural Research Station, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan, during 2017 and 2018 to investigate the influence of MC applied at different times on phenology, morphology, lint yield and quality of cotton cultivated using different sowing techniques. MC was applied 50 days after sowing (DAS), 60 DAS and 70 DAS to cotton planted in flat fields (flat sowing), ridges (ridge sowing) and beds (bed sowing). The interactive effect of MC application time and sowing technique did not influence crop phenology, morphology, and lint yield and quality. It was revealed that the crop planted on beds took fewer days to flower (10%) as compared to that on the flat field, and the bed-sown crop produced a higher number of opened bolls (60%) and was characterized by a higher boll weight (32%) and seed cotton yield (50%) in comparison to the flat-sown crop. A late application of MC (at 70 DAS) caused a significant reduction in the time to flowering (8%), with a simultaneous increase in the number of opened bolls (60%), boll weight (32%), ginning out turn (8%) and lint yield (27%) as compared to MC application at 50 DAS. In terms of lint quality, cotton planted on beds had better fiber uniformity (8%) compared to that on the flat field, while MC applied at 70 DAS produced better fiber fineness by 27% in comparison to MC applied earlier. Overall, cotton planting on beds and MC application at 70 DAS may help improve cotton yield and fiber quality and may help in the mechanical picking of cotton. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Maximizing Crop Yield and Resource Use Efficiency: Innovative Agronomic Practices)
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