Search Results (23)

Water deficiency and low water use efficiency severely constrain wheat yield in dryland regions. This study aimed to identify suitable tillage methods and straw management to improve dry matter production, grain yield, and water use efficiency of wheat in the dryland winter wheat–summer bean (hereafter referred to as wheat-soybean) double-cropping system. A long-term located field experiment (onset in October 2009) with two tillage methods—plowing (PT) and rotary tillage (RT)—and two straw management—no straw mulching (NS) and straw mulching (SM)—was conducted at a typical dryland in China. The wheat yield and yield component, dry matter accumulation and translocation characteristics, and water use efficiency were investigated from 2014 to 2018. Straw management significantly affected wheat yield and yield components, while tillage methods had no significant effect. Furthermore, the interaction of tillage methods and straw management significantly affected yield and yield components except for the spike number. RTSM significantly increased the spike number, grains per spike, 1000-grain weight, harvest index, and grain yield by 12.5%, 8.4%, 6.0%, 3.4%, and 13.4%, respectively, compared to PTNS. Likewise, RTSM significantly increased the aforementioned indicators by 14.8%, 10.1%, 7.5%, 3.6%, and 20.5%, compared to RTNS. Mechanistic analysis revealed that, compared to NS, SM not only significantly enhanced pre-anthesis and post-anthesis dry matter accumulation, and pre-anthesis dry matter tanslocation to grain, but also significantly improved pre-sowing water storage, water consumption during wheat growth, water use efficiency, and water-saving for produced per kg grain yield, with the greatest improvements obtained under RT than PT. Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) analysis confirmed RTSM’s yield superiority was mainly ascribed to straw-induced improvements in dry matter and water productivity. In a word, rotary tillage with straw mulching could be recommended as a suitable practice for high-yield wheat production in a dryland wheat-soybean double-cropping system. Full article

Efficient water management is critical for sustainable dryland agriculture, especially under increasing water scarcity and climate variability. Shanxi Province, a typical dryland region in northern China characterized by pronounced climatic variability and limited soil water availability, faces severe challenges due to uneven precipitation and restricted water resources. This study aimed to evaluate the spatiotemporal dynamics of soil water resources and their coupling with crop water demand under different hydrological year types. Using daily meteorological data from 27 stations (1963–2023), we identified dry, normal, and wet years through frequency analysis. Soil water resources were assessed under rainfed conditions, and water deficits of major crops—including millet, soybean, sorghum, winter wheat, maize, and potato—were quantified during key reproductive stages. Results showed a statistically significant declining trend in seasonal precipitation during both summer and winter cropping periods (p < 0.05), which corresponds with the observed intensification of crop water stress over recent decades. Notably, more than 86% of daily rainfall events were less than 5 mm, indicating low effective rainfall. Soil water availability closely followed precipitation distribution, with higher values in the south and west. Crop-specific analysis revealed that winter wheat and sorghum had the largest water deficits in dry years, necessitating timely supplemental irrigation. Even in wet years, water regulation strategies were required to improve water use efficiency and mitigate future drought risks. This study provides a practical framework for soil water–crop demand assessment and supports precision irrigation planning in dryland farming. The findings contribute to improving agricultural water use efficiency in semi-arid regions and offer valuable insights for adapting to climate-induced water challenges. Full article

Soil moisture content is a key factor influencing plant growth and agricultural productivity, directly impacting water uptake, nutrient absorption, and stress resistance. This study proposes a rapid, low-cost, non-destructive method for dynamically monitoring soil moisture at depths of 0–200 cm throughout the crop growth period under dryland conditions, with validation in soybean cultivation. During critical soybean growth stages, UAV multispectral data of the canopy were collected, and ground measurements were conducted for three GPS-referenced 50 cm × 50 cm plots to obtain canopy leaf water content, coverage, and soil volumetric moisture at 20 cm intervals. Ten vegetation indices were constructed from multispectral data to explore statistical relationships between vegetation indices, surface soil moisture, canopy leaf water content, and deeper soil moisture. Predictive models were developed and evaluated. Results showed that the NDVI-based nonlinear regression model achieved the best performance for leaf water content (R² = 0.725), and a significant correlation was found between canopy leaf water content and 0–20 cm soil moisture (R² = 0.705), enabling predictions of deeper soil moisture. Surface soil models accurately estimated 0–200 cm soil moisture distribution (R² = 0.9995). Daily water dynamics simulations provided robust support for precision irrigation management. This study demonstrates that UAV multispectral remote sensing combined with ground sampling is a valuable tool for soybean water management, supporting precision agriculture and sustainable water resource utilization. Full article

Effective water and nitrogen management plays a pivotal role in enhancing crop yields while simultaneously reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This study differs from previous research by investigating the effects of water–nitrogen co-regulation involving organic carbon on the yield increase and emission mitigation in a soybean–maize system. A dryland experiment was conducted, employing 20 distinct combinations of water and nitrogen treatments that were meticulously designed for the maize–soybean system. The DSSAT crop model was employed to quantitatively elucidate the intricate interactions between water and nitrogen. A multi-objective optimization model, integrating experimental data and mechanistic insights, was constructed and refined using the NSGA-III genetic algorithm to identify the optimal water and nitrogen application ratios. An analysis of maize and soybean data from Acheng in Heilongjiang, China, indicates that optimized irrigation and nitrogen application regimes—152.2 mm and 247.1 kg·ha⁻¹ for maize and 91.7 mm and 106.2 kg·ha⁻¹ for soybean—substantially enhanced the net economic returns within the dryland ecosystem. There is a significant positive correlation between the yield (Y), soil nitrogen content, and soil organic carbon (SOC). Nitrate nitrogen has a significant positive correlation with CO₂ gas emissions. Organic carbon changes the soil’s carbon to nitrogen ratio by participating in the water and nitrogen cycles, thereby affecting nitrogen and phosphorus loss and carbon emissions. This study presents a sustainable method for regulating water and nitrogen in the maize–soybean system. Full article

Cover crops protecting soil erosion during the summer fallow in the monsoon weather may enhance dryland winter wheat yield and N relations. We examined the effects of four summer cover crops (soybean (Glycine max L., SB), sudangrass (Sorghum sudanense {Piper} Stapf, SG), soybean and sudangrass mixture (SS), and no cover crop (CK)) and three N fertilization rates (0, 60, and 120 kg N ha⁻¹) on winter wheat yield, quality, and N relations from 2017–2018 to 2020–2021 in the Loess Plateau of China. Cover crop biomass and N accumulation, soil mineral N, and winter wheat yield, protein concentration, and N uptake were greater for SB and SS than other cover crops at most N fertilization rates and years. The N fertilization rate had variable effects on these parameters. Winter wheat aboveground biomass and grain N productivities were greater for CK than other cover crops at all N fertilization rates and years. Nitrogen balance was greater for SS than other cover crops at 60 and 120 kg N ha⁻¹ in all years. The SS with 120 kg N ha⁻¹ can enhance soil mineral N, winter wheat yield and quality, and N balance compared to CK and SG with or without N fertilization rates. Full article

Conservation alternatives that include no-tillage (NT) and cover crops (CCs) reduce soil erosion in row-crop agroecosystems. However, little information is available about how these alternatives affect soil textural properties responsible for soil fertility. This study evaluated the soil particle size distribution and volumetric water content after three years of consistent management in a raised bed system. There were four treatment systems in a dryland maize/soybean rotation on a silt loam soil (Oxyaquic Fraglossudalfs) that included: NT + CCs, conventional tillage (CT) + CCs, CT + winter weeds, and CT + bare soil in winter in northwest Mississippi. The NT + CC system retained 62% more coarse sand in the furrow than the other systems (2.1% compared to 1.3%; p = 0.02). Regardless of the location, the NT + CC system (2.5%) retained 39% more fine sand than the CT + CC system (1.8%; p = 0.01), suggesting that coarse and fine sands were being trapped in furrows combining NT + CC systems, minimizing their off-site transport. In furrows, CCs increased soil volumetric water content by 47% compared to other winter covers. In beds, NT + CCs increased bed water contents by 20% compared to CT + CCs (17.1 to 14.3%; p < 0.01). Implementing conservation alternatives may promote the retention of sand fractions in silty loam soils that are important in supporting soil fertility and crop sustainability. Full article

The metabolic diversity of soil microbiota embodies diverse functional capabilities that support ecosystem resilience, driving essential biogeochemical processes and facilitating the optimization of sustainable agricultural systems. Integrating cover crops into agricultural systems cultivates a diverse array of metabolic activities among soil microbes, synergistically enhancing ecosystem services and bolstering soil health for sustainable and productive farming practices. In an effort to gain deeper insights and expand our knowledge, we conducted a study examining the effects of cover crops and fertilizer sources, thereby shedding light on their combined impacts on the metabolic activity dynamics of soil microbial communities. In this investigation, we employed a split-plot design with two factors: (a) cover crop with three solo cover crop species—Cereal rye (Secale cereale), wheat (Triticum aestivum), hairy vetch (Vicia villosa), and one mixture of mustard (Brassica rapa) and cereal rye (Secale cereale) (CC-mix), (b) Fertilizer source includes poultry litter, chemical fertilizer, and no-fertilizer treatments. We assessed the metabolic potential of soil microbiota by using carbon substrates utilizing Biolog EcoPlates. The findings revealed that the plots with CC-mix treatment exhibited greater metabolic diversity compared to the other treatments, while among the fertilizer sources, poultry litter demonstrated higher metabolic activity. Furthermore, both treatment factors predominantly metabolized carbohydrates and polymers compared to other carbon substrate categories. The principal component analysis accounted for 46.4% of the variance, collectively represented by PC1 and PC2, emphasizing the substantial contributions of carbohydrates, amino acids, and carboxylic acids to the observed metabolic diversity. Canonical correspondence analysis revealed that pH had positively correlated with microbial functional diversity, whereas total carbon (TC), total nitrogen (TN), and water-stable aggregates (WSA) showed a negative correlation. In conclusion, cover cropping and type of fertilizer source had a notable impact on soil microbial functional diversity, with the cover crop mixture exhibiting a more pronounced influence than the individual cover crop treatments. Full article

In dryland agriculture, mulching methods and nitrogen application have been extensively adopted to improve water and nitrogen use efficiency and increase crop yield. However, there has been a scarcity of research on the combined effects of mulching types and nitrogen application on the growth and yield of soybean (Glycine max L.). In the present study, four nitrogen levels (N0: 0 kg N ha⁻¹, N1: 60 kg N ha⁻¹, N2: 120 kg N ha⁻¹, N3: 180 kg N ha⁻¹) and four mulching methods (NM: no mulching, SM: straw mulching, FM: film mulching, SFM: straw and film mulching) were set so as to evaluate the effects of mulching methods and nitrogen application on dry matter accumulation, grain yield, water-nitrogen use efficiency, and economic benefits of soybean in Northwest China from 2021 to 2022. The results show that the dry matter accumulation, yield formation, water and nitrogen use efficiency, and economic benefits of soybean were improved under different mulching methods (SM, FM, and SFM) and nitrogen applications (N1-N3), and that the effect is the best when the nitrogen application rate is N2 and the mulching method is FM. As such, a conclusion could be drawn that suitable nitrogen application (120 kg ha⁻¹) combined with film mulching was beneficial for the utilization of rainwater resources and soybean production in the dryland of Northwest China. Full article

In dryland agroecosystems, intercropping fruit trees with legumes is often an important option for maintaining and improving soil N quality and fertility. The relationships of fine root length density (FRLD), soil water content (SWC), and soil NO₃⁻-N content (SNC) in agroforestry systems is essential for optimal orchard management. Our objective was to understand the temporal and spatial dynamics of FRLD, SWC, and SNC in an apple–soybean intercropping system and competition between species for ecological niches. We established an orchard with soybean and apple, including monoculture apple (MA), monoculture soybean (MS), and apple–soybean intercrop (AS) treatments. We collected data on the distribution of FRLD, SWC, SNC, and productivity under the MA, AS, and MS from 2020 to 2021. This study showed that AS had more FRLD compared to MA, and intercropping apple (IA) FRLD increased at 20–60 cm soil depth at 50 and 100 cm from the tree and decreased at 0–40 cm soil depth at 150 and 200 cm from the tree. Intercropping increased the SWC of the system and decreased the SNC, and the effect of intercropping was concentrated in the soybean cover area. The competition between apple and soybean reached its maximum at soybean seed filling stage, with competition occurring mainly at 100 cm from the tree and at 0–20 cm soil depth. Intercropping affected soybean growth and also reduced soybean yield with a land equivalent ratio = 1.45. By understanding the dynamics of subsoil resources in the apple–soybean intercropping system and interspecific competition, we can provide a theoretical basis for exploring the potential of sustainable intensification of agroforestry systems. Full article

In the future, Indonesia will become increasingly dependent on dryland agriculture. New adaptive technology innovations able to transform drylands into arable land throughout almost the entire year have been developed to anticipate global climate change in tropical areas. This article reviews the results of research on the importance of climate and water management technology to increase the crop index and productivity in Indonesia. We found that irrigation treatment at 80% of the FAO-recommended rate resulted in the highest maize stover yield (around 13.65–14.10 t h⁻¹). Irrigation treatment at 60% of the FAO-recommended rate for soybeans (at 0.24 L s⁻¹ h⁻¹) produced good-quality soybean seeds. The use of existing water resources can increase the planted area from 1.25 to 1.67 and increase the cropping index during the second planting season in the same area. Agricultural systems based on water management can improve their crop index and productivity, and anticipate climate change to increase farmers’ incomes and wellbeing. Support measures in the form of regulations, legislation, acts, programmes, and policies from central and local governments for land use and management are crucial. The development of infrastructure by establishing water management institutions at the village/farmers’ group levels to allocate irrigation water is a leverage point to develop dryland agricultural systems appropriately and judiciously to assist in sustainable development. Full article

Straw retention and wheat-soybean rotation play critical role in maintaining soil quality. However, the correlation between bacterial diversity and community structure, and soil nutrients is unknown, and a systematic understanding of their responses to straw retention is lacking. In the field experiment, the straw retention treatments included no straw (NS), half straw (HS), and total straw (TS) retention during long-term wheat-soybean rotation. The mean contents of soil total nitrogen (TN), nitrate-N (NO₃⁻-N), and microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN) increased by 15.06%, 21.10%, and 38.23%, respectively, with straw retention relative to NS, while that of ammonium-N (NH₄⁺-N) reduced by 3.68%. The concentration of carbon components increased as straw retention increased. The levels of soil dissolved organic carbon (DOC), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), and soil organic carbon (SOC) increased by 4.34%, 7.63%, and 9.34%, respectively, with straw retention relative to NS. Soil bacterial alpha diversity was reduced with straw retention. Soil pH and nutrient content were identified as the main factors affecting the soil microbial diversity and structure at the phylum level. Accordingly, straw retention and soybean-wheat rotation enable sustainable agriculture in the dryland of northern China. Full article

The response of soil microbial communities to management practices is composite, as it depends on the various environmental factors which contribute to a shift in the microbial communities. In this study we explored the impact of combinations of soil management practices on microbial diversity and community composition in a dryland soybean production system. Soil samples were collected from the experimental field maintained under no till, cover crops, and fertility treatments, at Pontotoc Ridge-Flatwoods Branch Experiment Station, MS, USA. Targeted amplicon sequencing of 16S rRNA and ITS2 genes was used to study the bacterial and fungal community composition. Poultry litter amendment and cover crops significantly influenced soil bacterial diversity. Fertilizer sources had significantly different bacterial communities, as specific microbial taxa were strongly influenced by the changes in the nutrient availability, while cover crops influenced the soil fungal community differences. Differential enrichment of advantageous bacterial (Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Acidobacteria) and fungal (Mortierellomycota) phyla was observed across the treatments. Soil pH and easily extractable glomalin-related soil proteins (EE-GRSP) were correlated with bacterial communities and aggregate stability (WSA) was influenced by the poultry litter amendment, thus driving the differences in bacterial and fungal communities. These findings suggest that a long-term study would provide more inferences on soil microbial community response to management changes in these dryland soybean production systems. Full article

A method for calibrating models of agricultural production and resource use for policy analysis is proposed to leverage multidisciplinary agricultural research at the National Center for Alluvial Aquifer Research (NCAAR). An illustrative example for Sunflower County, MS, is presented to show how plot-level research can be extended to draw systemic region or basin wide implications. A hypothetical improvement in yields for dryland soybean varieties is incorporated into the model and shown to have a positive impact on aquifer outcomes and producer profits. The example illustrates that a change in one practice-crop combination can have system-wide impacts, as evidenced by the change in acreages for all crops and practices. Full article

Salinity episodes that are common in arid regions, characterized by dryland, are adversely affecting crop production worldwide. This study evaluated the effectiveness of brassinolide (BL) in ameliorating salinity stress imposed on soybean at four levels (control (1.10), 32.40, 60.60 and 86.30 mM/L NaCl) in factorial combination with six BL application frequency (control (BL₀), application at seedling (BL₁), flowering (BL₂), podding (BL₃), seedling + flowering (BL₄) and seedling + flowering + podding (BL₅)) stages. Plant growth attributes, seed yield, and N, P, K, Ca and Mg partitioning to leaves, stems and roots, as well as protein and seed-N concentrations, were significantly (p ≤ 0.05) reduced by salinity stress. These trends were ascribed to considerable impairments in the photosynthetic pigments, photosynthetically active radiation, leaf stomatal conductance and relative water content in the leaves of seedlings under stress. The activity of peroxidase and superoxidase significantly (p ≤ 0.05) increased with salinity. Foliar spray with BL significantly (p ≤ 0.05) improved the photosynthetic attributes, as well as nutrient partitioning, under stress, and alleviated ion toxicity by maintaining a favourable K⁺/Na⁺ ratio and decreasing oxidative damage. Foliar spray with brassinolide could sustain soybean growth and seed yield at salt concentrations up to 60.60 mM/L NaCl. Full article

Soil biological properties are important for the stabilization and preservation of a good soil structure. Management practices can affect the diversity and population of microorganisms, which could beneficially change soil properties and promote a more sustainable dryland crop production. This study was established near Pontotoc, MS, USA (34°07′ N, 88°59′ W) on an Atwood silt loam (fine-silty, mixed, semiactive, thermic Typic Paleudalf) to evaluate the impacts of cover crops, planting dates and fertilizer sources (poultry litter, inorganic fertilizer and no fertilizer) on selected biologically related soil properties in a no-tillage, dryland soybean production. Soil analyses included total carbon and nitrogen, permanganate oxidizable carbon (POXC), easily extractable glomalin-related soil protein (EE-GRSP), water stable aggregate (WSA) and soil pH. Cover crop production and soybean yield were also determined. The results indicated that the fertilizer source had an impact on total nitrogen, EE-GRSP and soybean yield. Total N was 6% higher with poultry litter at the early planting date compared to no fertilizer (control) (p < 0.0018) and at the late planting date, when total N and EE-GRSP were increased by 11% and 13%, respectively, with poultry litter compared to no fertilizer. Additionally, soil pH was reduced by 0.25 units in the poultry litter-amended treatment. Soybean yield was increased by 68% and 51% in early-planted soybean and 42% and 40% in late-planted soybean with poultry litter and inorganic fertilizer, respectively, compared to no fertilizer. This study revealed that biological soil properties and soybean yield were influenced by poultry litter application. The results showed no significant effects of cover crops over the short time period of the study. Full article