Search Results (3,811)

Maize (Zea mays L.) is a significant staple food crop in the developing world. Despite its significance, diseases and pests are limiting its supply. Farmers have primarily relied on synthetic chemicals as control measures; however, these chemicals are harmful to humans, animals, and the environment and exacerbate pest recurrence. Medicinal plants have shown promising potential as alternative pest- and disease-controlling agents, offering an economical, sustainable, biodegradable, and cost-effective approach. This review article synthesises phytochemical, ethnobotanical, and experimental data from relevant peer-reviewed papers published across various years to identify medicinal plants. Thirty-one unique plant families have been identified and have been used to control pests and diseases of maize. Some families represented both antifungal and insecticidal applications. Medicinal plants such as Senna obtusifolia, Euphorbia balsamifera, Aristolochia ringens, Allium sativum, Azadirachta indica, Carica papaya, Moringa oleifera, and Ficus exasperata have shown antifungal and insecticidal properties, primarily under laboratory conditions. Most of the evidence is derived from laboratory studies, with only limited validation in real field conditions and with limited evaluation of safety for non-target organisms. Furthermore, this review highlighted the extraction methods, solvents used, plant parts, major active ingredients, and mode of action. Future prospects for integrating ethnobotanical knowledge with contemporary scientific methods to optimise biopesticide production are also discussed, along with the challenges of standardisation, formulation, and commercialisation. Full article

The Huang–Huai–Hai Plain supports one of China’s most important grain production systems, but crop production there is persistently constrained by limited water availability and recurrent drought. Common regional drought indicators are useful for monitoring dry conditions, yet they do not explicitly represent crop water demand and irrigation input, which reduces their suitability for agricultural risk assessment. In this study, a crop-oriented framework was developed for winter wheat and summer maize by linking crop water requirement, effective rainfall, irrigation supply, drought-event detection, and productivity-risk estimation. A standardized crop water deficit index (SCWDI) was developed from crop water balance and integrated with run theory, monthly correlation analysis, and a Copula–Bayesian framework to detect drought events, identify crop-sensitive periods, and quantify the probability and triggering threshold of gross primary productivity (GPP) loss. During 2001–2022, the Huang–Huai–Hai Plain experienced an average of 1.15 drought events per year, with pronounced spatial differences. The main sensitive period was June for summer maize and March–April for winter wheat. Summer maize showed a stronger drought response, with a mean triggering threshold of −1.54, whereas winter wheat required more severe stress to trigger concentrated productivity loss (−2.54). Under extreme drought, the probability of summer-maize GPP loss exceeded 80% in both the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region and Henan. These results provide a basis for growth-stage-oriented irrigation prioritization and spatially differentiated drought management under agricultural water scarcity. Full article

Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) is an industrial crop cultivated worldwide with intensive management systems that include continuous cropping, conventional tillage and high use of agrochemicals. The increasing concerns about environmental and economic sustainability call for innovative practices to maintain yield while managing weeds and enhancing soil fertility. Our research investigated the effect of green manure or cover crops coupled with minimum tillage on Kentucky tobacco production and the level of control of weeds. Six integrated management systems were tested in a four-year trial in Tuscany, Italy: (TS1) conventional farming management as defined above; (TS2) reduction in fertilizers and compost application; (TS3) rotation of tobacco–leguminous green manure and reduction in fertilizers; (TS4) rotation of tobacco–leguminous green manure and compost application without fertilizers; (TS5) rotation of tobacco–mixture of cover crops, minimum tillage before tobacco transplant, reduction in fertilizers; (TS6) as in TS5 but with a compost amendment addition. The different farming practices represented an ecological filter for the weed communities. The combination of conventional tillage, compost application and green manure was sufficient to control weed development. On the other hand, cover crop termination via roller crimper and minimum tillage did not reduce weed pressure, thereby negatively affecting tobacco production. Further studies are needed to improve the effectiveness of mulching and minimal tillage on weed levels not detrimental to tobacco development. It would be advisable to alternate different weed management strategies to prevent community specialization, mitigate negative effects on crops and enhance biodiversity at the farm scale. Full article

In recent years, the frequency, damage and impact scope of extreme weather events have increased and expanded significantly. Based on the official secondary panel data of 26 provinces in China from 2006 to 2022, this paper explores the impact of extreme weather on the urban–rural income gap. Employing benchmark regression, mediating effect and moderating effect models, this study empirically analyzed the transmission mechanism by which extreme weather affects the urban–rural income gap through crop damage caused by disasters and the mitigating role of agricultural insurance. The key findings reveal that extreme weather significantly widens the urban–rural income gap, with the severity of disaster losses serving as the primary transmission path. Furthermore, agricultural insurance effectively mitigates this shock by hedging against the loss of rural residents’ disposable income. Heterogeneity analysis shows that extreme precipitation and droughts exert the most pronounced effects, and the widening of the income gap is particularly significant in the western region of China. Consequently, it is imperative to promote the integration of meteorological services and agricultural insurance risk reduction services, improve the core infrastructure of rural disaster resistance, and build a differentiated agricultural insurance policy system for risk zones to narrow the income gap between urban and rural areas. Full article

Sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.) is an important multifunctional crop with great value in food supply, industrial processing and bioenergy utilization. Crude protein content (CPC) is a core target trait for sweetpotato quality breeding. To dissect the genetic basis of CPC and identify key candidate genes, we used an F₁ population of 212 individuals. CPC was measured by near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) in 2020 and 2021, and QTL mapping was performed using a high-density SNP genetic linkage map. Candidate genes were explored via a genome-wide association study (GWAS), multiple-database functional annotation, and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) validation. The results showed that: (1) CPC in the population exhibited a continuous normal distribution with high inter-year stability, and phenotypic variation was mainly controlled by genetic factors; (2) one stable minor-effect QTL for CPC, qCPC09-1, was mapped to Chr09: 7906895–8614924 bp, explaining 5.7% of phenotypic variation; (3) GWAS detected no significant SNP loci, suggesting that CPC is regulated by multiple minor-effect genes; (4) genes within the qCPC09-1 interval were significantly enriched in three protein synthesis-related KEGG pathways: ribosome, nitrogen metabolism and ubiquinone and other terpenoid–quinone biosynthesis; (5) qPCR verified that itf09g13420 and itf09g13230 were upregulated in the low-CPC parent Yushu 10 and negatively correlated with CPC, while itf09g13550 was upregulated in the high-CPC parent Xin 24 and positively correlated with CPC. These three genes exhibited expression patterns highly consistent with phenotypic differences. This study provides a theoretical basis and technical support for molecular marker-assisted breeding and elite germplasm innovation in sweetpotato. Full article

Gaseous nitrogen losses and residual soil nitrogen accumulation are primary drivers of low nitrogen use efficiency in alkaline irrigated cropping systems. A two-year field experiment (2019–2020) in the Hetao Irrigation District under alkaline flood-irrigated maize evaluated the effects of nitrogen rate, fertilizer formulation, and enhanced-efficiency fertilizers—urea with urease inhibitor NBPT and ammonium sulfate with nitrification inhibitor DMPP—on NH₃ volatilization, N₂O emissions, post-harvest soil mineral nitrogen, and grain yield. A soil pH manipulation sub-experiment (±0.5 units, ambient pH ~8.8) was conducted to quantify the direct effect of alkalinity on volatilization. NH₃ volatilization was insensitive to fertilizer formulation and inhibitor inclusion but strongly responsive to soil pH; a 0.5-unit increase in soil pH elevated volatilization efficiency by up to 25% relative to ambient conditions. N₂O emissions were around 18% higher under ammonium sulfate than under urea and were reduced by 21–32% with inhibitor treatments, without increasing NH₃ volatilization. Inhibitor-assisted optimized management (urea + NBPT and ammonium sulfate + DMPP) achieved higher yields and lower emission intensity than urea alone. These results confirm that NH₃ and N₂O losses are governed by distinct controls, and that concurrent mitigation of both pathways requires interventions that independently target each loss driver, beyond rate optimization and inhibitor application alone. Full article

Food security is increasingly threatened by climate change and population growth. Sweet potato has become a crucial crop for ensuring food security due to its adaptability to marginal lands and high yield potential. However, its sustainable production is severely limited by diverse biotic stresses (including fungi, viruses, nematodes, insect pests and bacteria), which cause substantial yield losses. Despite its considerable importance, the key bottlenecks in this field remain unresolved, including the incomplete elucidation of core resistance mechanisms, unclear molecular regulatory networks underlying defense responses, insufficient understanding of crosstalk among multiple stresses, and limited integration of emerging technologies into practical resistance breeding. This review synthesizes the latest advances over the past two years. We dissect sweet potato’s defense mechanisms from multiple dimensions and provide novel insights into biotic stress resistance gene regulatory networks. Given that sweet potato production faces the combined effects of multiple pests and biotic-abiotic stresses, we elaborate on the complex stress interactions in sweet potato. In addition, we propose biotic stress management strategies and a ten-year cultivar improvement roadmap that leverages the potential of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), gene editing, novel omics approaches and synthetic biology. Taken together, with continuous intensification of global biotic stress challenges, systematic multi-dimensional strategies are imperative to alleviate biotic stress-associated yield and quality impairment in sweet potato. On this basis, this review provides a valuable theoretical and practical reference for resistance breeding and the sustainable production of sweet potato. Full article

Long-term balanced mineral fertilization is essential for sustainable sweet cherry production under variable climatic conditions. This seven-year field study (2016–2022) evaluated the effects of NP, NPK, and NPKMg fertilization including the control on six parameters: trunk cross-sectional area (TCSA), fruit yield (FY), crop load (CL), fruit diameter (FD), water-soluble dry matter content (BRIX), and cherry leaf spot incidence (CLS) in two sweet cherry cultivars (‘Vera’ and ‘Carmen’). TCSA increased continuously in both cultivars, while fertilization effects on growth, FY, CL, and FD varied among years and were significantly higher under NPK and NPKMg treatments compared with the control, particularly in specific years. Leaf spot incidence was reduced in the NPKMg treatment in epidemic years, although strong interannual and cultivar-dependent variability was observed, with ‘Carmen’ being more susceptible than ‘Vera’. Correlation and regression analyses revealed significant relationships among key traits, particularly for CL vs. FY, FD vs. CLS, TCSA vs. CLS, and BRIX vs. CL, indicating strong vegetative–generative interactions. Principal component analyses further showed that tree and fruit traits as well as disease incidence were structured along a limited number of integrated multivariate components explaining most of the variance. In conclusion, balanced fertilization improved productivity and partly reduced disease incidence, but treatment effects were strongly influenced by complex multivariate interactions and interannual climatic variability. These findings highlight the importance of integrative analytical approaches to optimize nutrient management under Central European conditions. Full article

Continuous potato cropping is usually associated with a reduction in tuber yield and deterioration in crop structure, resulting in a decrease in the proportion of marketable produce. The effect of crop rotation, cultivar selection, the range of chemical plant protection, and the periodic introduction of an intercrop on potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) yield was studied in a field experiment at the Production–Experimental Station in Bałcyny near Ostróda, belonging to the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, where potatoes have been continuously cultivated since 1973. Results from 2015 to 2023, corresponding to the 43rd–51st year of continuous potato cropping, were compared to a six-course crop rotation (potato—oat—flax—winter rye—faba bean—winter triticale). The study discusses the yield of two potato cultivars (Catania and Red Sonia) across two periods: 2015–2018 and 2019–2023. In the first period, potatoes were grown according to the general experimental design, whereas in 2019–2023, the cultivation included an additional intercrop of oil radish (Raphanus sativus L.) cv. Rolterra In both series of studies, the experimental factors included potato cultivation without the use of plant protection products (object O) and objects with the application of herbicides (H) and herbicides and fungicides (H + F). The introduction of intercropping into continuous potato cropping was more effective than the application of pesticides and limited the scale of yield decline in relation to crop rotation. In the case of the Catania cultivar, the mean difference in yield between crop rotation and continuous cropping in the first series of tests (without intercropping) was 50.4%, and in the second series (after introducing intercropping), it decreased to 22.3%. The corresponding mean differences for the Red Sonia cultivar were 45.5% in the first series and 12.9% in the second series. Furthermore, in the second series of studies (thanks to the introduction of intercropping), the mean share of marketable yield in continuous cropping increased from 35.1% to 51.9% (for the Catania cultivar) and from 23.6% to 35.8% (for the Red Sonia cultivar). In summary, the introduction of oil radish as an intercrop was the most effective factor (more effective than the choice of potato cultivar and use of chemical crop protection products) to limit the negative aspects of long-term continuous potato cropping, improving yield, yield stability, and the share of marketable tubers. Full article

Nitrogen is a key determinant of both yield and quality in cereal crops; however, its efficiency is strongly influenced by environmental conditions and genotype. This study evaluated the impact of different sowing densities and nitrogen fertilization regimes on grain quality indices in four triticale (×Triticosecale Wittmack) varieties—Negoiu, Utrifun, Zvelt, and Tulnic—using a split-plot arrangement of the 4 × 3 × 3 type, under the climatic conditions of northwestern Romania. The experiment, conducted over two contrasting growing seasons (2021–2023), employed a split-plot design testing three sowing densities (450, 550, and 650 seeds/m²) and three fertilization levels: basic soil nitrogen fertilization, soil + foliar N-P-K application, and soil + foliar + biostimulant. The results indicated that climatic variability had a predominant effect on grain quality, followed by the genetic characteristics of the varieties and their response to water stress. In the drought-affected 2021–2022 season, the Zvelt variety recorded the highest protein content (14.2%), significantly outperforming the control (13.3%). Supplementary foliar fertilization and the use of biostimulants under drought conditions did not improve quality; in some cases, they led to significant decreases in protein content (from 14.36% to 13.69%) and thousand-kernel weight (TKW). Under optimal precipitation conditions in the 2022–2023 season, supplementary fertilization significantly improved hectoliter weight and TKW (reaching 46.7 g compared to 44.2 g in the soil-only treatments). Higher sowing densities (650 seeds/m²) generally led to decreases in hectoliter weight and TKW in favorable years. These results suggest that nitrogen fertilization can improve triticale quality. In this study, high yields, both quantitatively and qualitatively, appear to be mainly influenced by varieties and climatic conditions, especially water availability during critical growth stages. Full article

Surface and subsurface acidity (pH < 4.4) limit nutrient availability, restrict root exploration, and impair crop yields in agricultural and agropastoral systems. Subsurface acidity (0.4–0.8 m layer) is a critical limiting factor for mature tropical soils. Methodologies that provide amelioration of surface and subsurface acidity and improvements in soil chemical fertility are necessary to decrease production costs and increase crop yields. This study evaluated the long-term ability of different methodologies for applying calcium (Ca) compounds (limestone (LS), phosphogypsum (PG), and hydrated lime (HL)) to ameliorate surface and subsurface acidity and improve soil chemical fertility. The results showed that the correction of surface acidity by treatments T2 (no-till/LS + PG), T3 (conventional tillage/LS + PG), T5 (no-till/HL + PG) and T6 (minimum tillage/HL + PG) persisted two years after application, as evidenced by higher pH and base saturation (BS) and lower total acidity in the 0.0–0.2 m layer compared with the control. By contrast, the improvement in acidity in the 0.4–0.8 m layer that was previously observed after subsurface application of HL in the 2017–2018 season (T6 and T7, minimum tillage/HL + PG) was lost. Moreover, the improvements in Ca²⁺ content and Ca²⁺/cation exchange capacity (CEC) observed after applying LS plus PG persisted in the 0.0–0.1 m layer only. However, the improvements in Mg²⁺ content and Mg²⁺/CEC after applying HL plus PG were not maintained. In addition, the positive effects of Ca compounds on sulfate-S (S-SO₄²⁻) content throughout the soil profile (0.0–0.8 m) did not persist. By contrast, after two seasons, Ca compound application had residual positive effects on P content in the 0.1–0.8 m layer and organic matter (OM) content in the 0.2–0.8 m layer, which were previously not observed. Full article

Cover crop in orchards is recognized as a sustainable practice that enhances multiple ecosystem services, yet systematic evaluations of different cover crop management models in citrus orchards remain limited. This study investigated the effects of cover crop management models (natural cover crop: T1, Lolium perenne L.: T2, Trifolium repens L.: T3, Vicia villosa Roth: T4, and mixed cover crops: T5) on soil properties, soil CO₂ flux, leaf physiological traits, fruit quality, and yield in a citrus orchard, using clean tillage as a control. Results showed that cover crop management models significantly influenced soil water content, available nitrogen (AN), available phosphorus (AP), and available potassium (AK). The V. villosa model (T4) reduced AN and AP but enhanced leaf chlorophyll (Cl) and nitrogen (N) content. Soil CO₂ flux was significantly higher under T4, and it showed the lowest soil moisture. The results of mantel tests revealed that AP and soil moisture were key drivers of leaf traits, though no significant treatment effects on fruit quality or yield were detected within the two-year experimental period. These findings indicate that cover crop management models rapidly alter soil properties and CO₂ emissions, but longer-term observations are needed to evaluate cascading effects on fruit. This study offers evidence-based soil management solutions and a framework for enhancing multiple ecosystem services in orchards worldwide. Full article

To elucidate the mechanisms of nutrient cycling in rhizosphere soil and microbial metabolism during the prolonged continuous cropping of lavender, this study examined the rhizosphere soil of lavender with different continuous cropping years (1, 4, 7, 10, 15, and 20 years) in the Ili River Valley of Xinjiang, China, measuring physicochemical properties, microbial biomass C/N/P, and eight extracellular enzyme activities. Microbial carbon use efficiency (CUE) and nutrient limitation were quantified using vector analysis, threshold elemental ratios (TERs), and two derived indices (TER_EEA and TER_L). Soil properties exhibited distinct nonlinear patterns: SOC peaked at 4 years (p < 0.05), TN was highest at 20 years, and TP was lowest at 4–7 years. MBC and MBN peaked at 20 years, whereas MBP was significantly lower than in 1-, 4-, and 10-year fields (p < 0.05). EEC and EEN were highest at 20 years, while EEP was lowest at 4 years (p < 0.05). The activity of carbon-related acquisition enzymes increases from 134.81 μmol/g·h in the first year to 393.86 μmol/g·h in the 20th year, an increase of 192%; the activity of nitrogen acquisition enzymes increases from 686.11 μmol/g·h in the first year to 1430.58 μmol/g·h in the 20th year, an increase of 108%. This indicates that the decomposition of organic matter and the nutrient cycling capacity continue to enhance. Vector analysis showed a mean VA of 46° and VL of 0.25, with VA > 45° (P limitation) at 1–4 years shifting to VA < 45° (N limitation) at 20 years. Critically, TEREEA and TERL produced opposite dominant limitations due to differing normalization frameworks—TEREEA scales by microbial biomass stoichiometry—while TERL normalizes against enzyme-derived thresholds. CUET and CUEE ranged from 0.42 to 0.56, with the minimum at 10 years and relatively high values at 15–20 years (p < 0.05). RDA identified CBH (26.2%) and NO₃⁻–N (19.8%) as primary drivers, with extractable phosphorus exhibiting the strongest regulatory effect (pseudo-F = 26.0). These results demonstrate that multi-model stoichiometric assessment is essential, as single indices may yield contradictory diagnoses. These results demonstrate that multi-model stoichiometric assessment is essential, as single indices may yield contradictory diagnoses, and the observed nonlinear shifts in dominant limitation type provide a mechanistic basis for targeted nutrient management in sustainable lavender cultivation. Full article

Agricultural green development (AGD) is usually evaluated by its average productivity and environmental effects, but its value may be more visible when crop production is exposed to severe growing-season climate stress. This study examines whether AGD acts as a state-dependent buffer against climate-related output losses. Using a balanced panel of 56 prefecture-level cities in China’s Yellow River Basin from 2011 to 2024, we construct a Crop Extreme Stress Index (CESI) from daily meteorological records and estimate a two-stage least squares model with a crop-group shift-share instrument and crop-group price controls. The results show that AGD has a positive average association with crop output, but its marginal payoff is substantially larger in high-exposure years. In the preferred interaction specification, a one-standard-deviation increase in AGD is associated with approximately 2.8% higher crop output under high exposure. Quantile regressions further suggest that this protective effect is more visible in weaker output states. Channel consistency tests indicate that resilience capacity and crop diversification are more relevant under high exposure, although these results should not be interpreted as causal mediation. The findings suggest that AGD should be assessed not only by average productivity gains, but also by its capacity to reduce losses and stabilize output under growing-season climate extremes. Full article

Post-monsoon open-field stubble burning in northwestern (NW) India—a key agricultural region known as the “breadbasket”—is a longstanding practice used to clear fields. Satellite observations spanning over two decades have revealed significant upward trends in crop production, vegetative greenness, and the frequency of post-harvest fires, with this last contributing to hazardous air quality during the peak burning season (mid-October to mid-November). Since 2022, thermal anomaly data from Aqua-MODIS and SNPP-VIIRS sensors have shown a sharp decline in reported fire events—an observation that contrasts starkly with the concurrent rise in regional aerosol loading detected from space. This apparent discrepancy became particularly pronounced in 2024–2025, prompting a closer examination using high-temporal-resolution imagery from the Advanced Meteorological Imager (AMI) on the geostationary satellite GEO-KOMPSAT-2A. These observations revealed a clear spike in fire-related signals occurring around and after 4:00 p.m. local time, i.e., outside the typical noon to 2:00 p.m. detection window of the MODIS and VIIRS. A fire detection algorithm exploiting the fire-sensitive shortwave-infrared 3.8 μm signal and its contrast to 11.2 μm infrared observations is designed to adopt AMI observations and applied to its multi-year observations (2019–2025). The resulting fire dataset unambiguously shows a gradual shift in stubble burning activity toward the late afternoon hours beginning in 2022 which is underreported by polar-orbiting satellites. The orbital drift of NASA’s MODIS sensor on the Aqua platform allows detection of some of the gradually shifting fires during afternoon hours, but the MODIS still misses a large number of fires occurring around and after 4 p.m. The AMI’s relatively coarse spatial resolution (~4 km), a consequence of its slant viewing geometry over NW India, imposes inherent limitations on quantifying the full extent of fire occurrences. The operational air quality forecasting models currently assimilate satellite fire detections predominantly captured during early afternoon overpasses of the MODIS and VIIRS. The temporal shift in fire activity complicates such forecast, leading to a substantial underestimation of emissions. Intense stubble burning and the resulting air pollution highlight the need for effective crop residue management practices for mitigating the frequency of open biomass burning and thereby reducing episodic degradation of air quality and its associated public health and economic impacts. Full article