Search Results (420)

Straw returning is an effective means of improving soil structure and increasing soil organic matter content. However, few studies have been conducted on the effects of corn straw returning on the soil microorganism community in soybean crops. In this paper, taking conventional combined tillage (CT) as a control, the effects of no-tillage with straw mulching (NTS), no-tillage with stubble retention (NT), and deep plowing with straw incorporation (DT) on soil bacterial community under a corn–soybean rotation system were studied. The results showed that the contents of soil total nitrogen, total phosphorus, available phosphorus, the activities of soil urease and acid phosphatase, and soil bacterial richness and diversity in the NTS treatment were significantly higher than those in other treatments. Moreover, the NTS treatment increased the abundance of Acidobacteriota and MND1 (unclassified bacterial genus) in the soil. The number of unique OTUs in the NTS treatment was the greatest (26.67%), with that of the CT treatment being the smallest (7.22%). Redundancy analysis (RDA) revealed that soil total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and available phosphorus are the key driving changes in bacterial community. Consequently, NTS treatment was the optimal approach for both soil fertility improvement and bacterial community optimization. This approach combines straw mulching and no-tillage, which not only exerts the nutrient supply effect of straw but also reduces the impact of soil disturbance on microbial habitats. Full article

Plastic film mulching (PFM) is widely used in arid, semiarid, and seasonally arid regions, where it plays a key role in regulating agricultural productivity and CO₂ emissions. Our study aims to clarify the effects of PFM on crop yield, CO₂ emissions, and the associated tradeoffs, providing a theoretical basis for the sustainable use of PFM in agriculture. We conducted a meta-analysis to compare differences in crop yield, CO₂ emissions, and yield-scaled CO₂ emissions (YSC) between mulching and no mulching treatments while identifying factors influencing these outcomes. Our findings demonstrated that PFM enhanced crop yields of maize, wheat, and cotton by 33.2% (p < 0.001), 21.8% (p < 0.05), and 26.3% (p < 0.05), respectively. PFM stimulated CO₂ emissions in maize fields by 36.8% (p < 0.001), while decreasing them in wheat and cotton fields by 11.8% (p < 0.05) and 8.1% (p > 0.05), respectively. Consequently, PFM significantly lowered YSC for maize by 39.3% (p < 0.05) and reduced it for cotton by 27.4% (p > 0.05), but led to a 38.3% increase in YSC for wheat (p > 0.05). For maize and cotton, when crop yields exceeded 6 t/ha, the YSC under plastic film mulching was higher than that under non-mulching. In contrast, for wheat, within the conventional yield range (below 10 t/ha), the YSC under plastic film mulching was lower than that under non-mulching. For cotton, the lowest YSC under PFM was achieved under the combined conditions of water inputs > 500 mm, air temperature > 8 °C, soil pH > 8, and N inputs < 200 kg N ha⁻¹. For wheat, the lowest YSC under PFM was obtained under water inputs < 350 mm, air temperature < 8 °C, light-texture soils, and N inputs < 200 kg N ha⁻¹. For maize, the lowest YSC under PFM was achieved under water inputs < 350 mm, air temperature < 8 °C, heavy-texture soils, soil pH < 8, and N inputs < 200 kg N ha⁻¹. These insights offer guidance for the optimal use of PFM to enhance carbon efficiency and crop yield in agricultural systems. Full article

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) imagery has become an important tool for erosion monitoring, but little is known about its application in Mediterranean agricultural systems such as vineyards and olive groves. In this study, drone flights were conducted in vineyards and olive groves where mulch and biochar treatments had been applied. Digital terrain models (DTMs) and orthomosaics were constructed using a photogrammetry workflow, and model error was determined via global positioning system (GPS) transects. Erosion was assessed using Digital elevation models of Difference (DoD) and compared with field-based erosion plot measurements. Explanatory variables for erosion (soil roughness, slope length, steepness, vegetation cover) were derived from DTMs and orthomosaics and were evaluated in a multiple linear regression model. Although direct measurement of erosion from the DoDs was difficult, this was primarily influenced by the unexpectedly low erosion rates during the study period, and the high root mean square error (RMSE) of the DTMs. Significant differences in DTM-derived variables were found between study areas, and especially between areas with organic and integrated management, even though treatments showed similar patterns. The multiple linear regression model demonstrated strong explanatory power, accounting for a large part of the variation in measured erosion using the UAV-derived variables (R² = 0.81). Slope and slope length were the most important predictors of erosion together with the interaction between these two variables. The results suggest that soil erosion in the study areas was mostly determined by topographic and management factors, rather than the applied treatments. This study highlights the value of UAV imagery in advancing the understanding of erosion processes in Mediterranean agricultural systems, while also identifying the challenge of accurately measuring erosion from DoDs under conditions of low erosion rates. Full article

This study targets key challenges in ameliorating the plow-layer soil of coastal saline soils. A field experiment under a wheat–maize rotation was established with six treatments: CK, control with no organic inputs; A1, 45 t ha⁻¹ organic manure; A2, 45 t ha⁻¹ organic manure + microbial inoculant; A3, 45 t ha⁻¹ organic manure + microbial inoculant + plastic-film mulching; A4, 90 t ha⁻¹ organic manure; and A5, 135 t ha⁻¹ organic manure. By applying high rates of organic manure alone or in combination with microbial inoculation and mulching, we aimed to strengthen soil water–salt regulation, improve plow-layer soil quality, and ultimately promote crop growth and yield formation. We further quantified treatment-induced shifts in soil physicochemical properties and linked them to crop growth and yield responses. The results indicated that, compared with CK, plow-layer soil organic carbon increased by 45.56% and 107.91% under A3 and A4, respectively, while soil salinity decreased by 70.57% and 67.42%. All manure-based treatments increased yield relative to CK, with the highest yields achieved under A3 and A4: wheat yield reached 7628.16 and 7888.01 kg ha⁻¹, and maize yield reached 8828.29 and 8716.01 kg ha⁻¹, respectively. Overall, high-rate organic manure—especially when integrated with microbial inoculation and plastic mulching—substantially enhanced soil fertility while alleviating salinity stress, resulting in an integrated “fertility build-up–salinity reduction–yield enhancement” amelioration effect. This technology package offers a feasible pathway for improving coastal saline farmland and stabilizing productivity under rotation systems, with strong potential for further on-farm demonstration and wider adoption. Full article

Polyethylene (PE) microplastics (MPs) from residual mulch films are prevalent in peanut-cultivated soils, yet their specific effects on peanut nodulation remain unclear. This study investigated the impacts of PE-MPs at concentrations of 0.2%, 0.6%, and 1.0% on peanut nodulation. Results indicated that PE-MPs significantly reduced peanut nodule number. Transcriptome analysis revealed that all three concentrations of PE-MPs down-regulated nodulation-related flavonoids, promoted lignin deposition in cell walls, disrupted antioxidant system, and enhanced the accumulation of antimicrobial substances, collectively impairing peanut nodulation efficiency. These findings indicate that PE-MPs substantially compromise the symbiosis between peanut and rhizobia, and provide insights into their interference with plant–beneficial microbe interactions in contaminated soils. Full article

Driven by agricultural labor shortages and rising quality requirements, ginger harvesting increasingly demands high-throughput, low-damage operations and a reliable supply chain. This review summarizes harvesting modes and harvester types used in ginger production, with emphasis on critical process modules: digging and lifting, soil disintegration and cleaning, vine cutting and anti-tangling, gentle conveying, and collection. We compare major technical routes in terms of field capacity, control of soil and foreign materials, damage mitigation, and reliability under continuous operation, and identify the conditions under which each route performs best. Drawing on advances in harvesting systems for other root and bulb crops, we outline transferable approaches for intelligent sensing, precision control, and system-level integration. We then propose an online monitoring and closed-loop regulation framework for strongly coupled conditions, such as heavy clay soils, plastic-mulch residues, and vine interference. Key bottlenecks include limited cross-regional adaptability, persistent trade-offs between low damage and high throughput, cost constraints on intelligent functions, and the lack of shared datasets and standardized evaluation protocols. Future progress should be anchored in integrated equipment sets and supporting operating specifications, guided by multi-source sensing-based quality indicators and interpretable control strategy libraries, to reduce harvest losses, stabilize marketable quality, improve operational efficiency, and enable scalable adoption. Full article

The soybean–maize strip intercropping system enhances soybean yield while maintaining maize production, improving nitrogen use efficiency, and fostering intercropping mutualism. However, vigorous weed growth in warm and humid regions competes for nitrogen, while elevated soil temperatures accelerate nitrification, promoting nitrogen loss, especially during the peak nitrogen demand period of maize. Plastic film mulching, which conserves moisture, regulates temperature, and suppresses weeds, can improve the soil environment. A two-year field experiment was conducted with polyethylene (PE) films of various thicknesses (0.01, 0.014, 0.02 millimeters) and colors (black, white, silver-black) with an un-mulched control plot. Soil nitrogen content, microbial diversity, soil properties, and crop productivity were analyzed. The results indicated that plastic film mulching significantly altered soil nutrient availability and rhizosphere microbial community structures, while simultaneously enhancing crop productivity. The 0.014 mm black and white films performed best, showing a positive association with enhanced nitrogen transformation indices, which coincided with increased available nitrogen, biomass, and crop yield. However, long-term soil nutrient depletion remains a risk, suggesting the need for strategies like organic fertilizers or crop rotation to maintain soil fertility and ecological sustainability. Full article

In the cold and cool region of northeastern China, low temperature and limited soil moisture retention constrain maize yield, and mulching is widely used to alleviate these limitations. To reduce the environmental risks associated with polyethylene (PE) film, a two-year field experiment (2024–2025) was conducted to evaluate biodegradable films suitable for maize production in this region. Five mulching treatments were tested, including PE film (T1) and four biodegradable options—polypropylene carbonate (PPC, T2), polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT, T3), polylactic acid (PLA, T4), and a PBAT + PPC composite film (T5)—with no mulching as the control (CK). Across two growing seasons, T1–T5 increased the effective grain filling duration by 4.74–13.58%, raised grain auxin content during grain filling by 1.54–29.33%, and increased the two-year mean yield by 13.95–24.73% compared with CK. Notably, the PBAT + PPC composite film (T5) did not differ significantly from PE film (T1) in grain filling traits, hormone regulation, or yield improvement (p > 0.05), indicating that T5 is a promising and sustainable alternative to PE film for maize production in cold regions. These findings provide technical support for selecting and applying biodegradable mulch films in cold-region maize systems and contribute to environmentally sustainable high-yield cultivation. Full article

Soil erosion is a critical issue on the Loess Plateau due to weak soil and intense summer rainfall. Plant roots provide essential soil stabilization. A split-plot field experiment was conducted in Liulin County, Shanxi Province, to evaluate the effects of biodegradable mulch and organic amendments on maize root development and soil stabilization. The main plots included no mulch (N) and biodegradable mulch (M). The subplots comprised five treatments: control (CK, no amendment), peat (PT), biochar (BC), fermented pig manure (PM), and corn stover (CS). Correlation and principal component analyses were used to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. The results showed that organic amendments were the primary factor influencing the root and soil properties. Peat and biochar significantly raised the root surface area density (RSAD, p < 0.05) and root–soil composite cohesion (with increases of 122.56% and 109.06% for NPT and NBC compared to NCK, respectively). Biodegradable mulch, and its interaction with the organic amendments, had no statistically significant effect on either the root–soil composite cohesion or root system parameters. The strong positive correlations of cohesion with the root length density (RLD, r = 0.80) and root volume density (RVD, r = 0.81) highlight that root occupancy is the key mechanism for enhanced shear resistance. Therefore, biochar is recommended for its effectiveness in enhancing soil retention and its potential co-benefits for carbon sequestration. This study provides a technical reference for sustainable agriculture on the Loess Plateau, while also acknowledging the need for further research on long-term carbon dynamics. Full article

Efficient and clean separation of residual plastic mulch film is the primary bottleneck hindering its resource-oriented reutilization. Currently, the field faces critical technical challenges, most notably the elusive motion mechanisms of flexible materials and the inherent difficulty of film–impurity separation. To address these issues, this study investigates a drum-type mulch-film impurity-removal unit by modeling the throw-off motion mechanism of the material stream, followed by comprehensive multiphysics simulation and optimization. First, to overcome the simulation hurdles typical of flexible materials, “Meta-particles” and the “Bonding V2” contact model were implemented on the EDEM platform to establish a discrete element method (DEM) framework. The resulting analysis revealed a non-linear transport trajectory and morphological evolution within the drum flow field, characterized by a “wall-adhering–slipping–throwing” sequence. These findings were further quantified through MATLAB-based numerical calculations to determine collision frequency and axial residence behavior. Second, ANSYS modal analysis verified the dynamic stability of the frame structure, confirming that the operating frequency (2.37 Hz) remains well below the first natural frequency (6.77 Hz). Furthermore, Box–Behnken response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to elucidate the coupled effects of key process parameters. The results demonstrated that separation efficiency and impurity-removal mass are predominantly governed by the quadratic terms of the inclination angle and rotational speed, respectively. After multi-objective optimization and engineering refinement, the optimal operating parameters were established: a film length of 220 mm, an inclination angle of 3°, and a drum rotational speed of 25 r/min. Bench tests indicated that, under these optimal conditions, the impurity-removal rate stabilized between 71.5% and 72.4%, satisfying the design requirement (≥70%). By elucidating the drum’s throw-off screening mechanism, this study achieves a coordinated improvement in both impurity-removal mass and separation efficiency, resolving long-standing engineering uncertainties regarding film–impurity trajectories and providing a theoretical foundation for the clean treatment of waste mulch film. Full article

Land degradation (LD) is an emerging threat of the decade that is not only deteriorating arable lands globally but also threatening global ecosystem sustainability. Therefore, the intensification of LD has stimulated global governing bodies and researchers to undertake initiatives against this dilemma through sustainable and eco-friendly approaches. Geographical mapping is critical in analysing land formation, soil composition and land use patterns, subsequently facilitating data-driven planning for soil conservation. In this review, Geographic Information System (GIS) technology, combined with Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) data, is used to explore soil properties and land use patterns across Saudi Arabia, with a focus on soil types, soil thickness, and soil uses. Spatial analyses indicate that the most predominant soil type in the country is sandy, followed by loam and sandy loam. The soil depth distribution exhibits a notably bimodal pattern, with large areas characterized by shallow soils (0–4 m) and deep soils (43–50 m). These spatial visualizations provide valuable insights into soil heterogeneity, supporting evidence-based, site-specific strategies for sustainable land management. This study also outlines the major land degradation pathways affecting arable lands in Saudi Arabia and describes how these pathways can be used to assess the extent of land loss. Besides land loss pathways, the current study also explains the most suitable mitigation strategies, including mulching, cover cropping, and agroforestry, as well as how international governing bodies like the UNDP, UNEP, FAO, and World Bank can contribute to the mitigation of LD in Saudi Arabia. However, further studies are required to assess the intensity of these solutions for each soil type and thickness under different climatic conditions. Full article

Mulching practices are key technologies for addressing soil degradation and increasing crop yields in the dryland farming regions of the Loess Plateau. However, it remains unclear how they synergistically influence soil health and sustainability by regulating soil physical, moisture, and nutrient processes while ensuring yield improvement. In particular, the ecological trade-off effects between crop yield enhancement and soil fertility improvement under different mulching measures still require further research. This study was conducted in 2022 at the Dryland Agriculture Experimental Station of Gansu Academy of Agricultural Sciences to evaluate the effect of straw strip mulching (T_SM), straw crushed mulching (T_SR), and plastic film mulching (T_PM), with flat planting without mulching (T_CK) as the control. The investigation focuses on soil moisture distribution, aggregate composition, soil carbon and nitrogen contents, and yield components in maize fields. The sStudy results showed that all mulching treatments reduced soil bulk density, increased soil porosity, and enhanced soil water content and water storage while reducing evapotranspiration. T_SM most effectively increased soil organic carbon and total nitrogen contents. All mulching treatments improved soil aggregate stability, with T_SM achieving the most significant reduction in soil erodibility by 40%. Compared with T_CK, T_PM, T_SR, and T_SM increased maize grain yield by 71.26%, 44.67%, and 38.04%, respectively. The most influential factors contributing to maize yield are soil water content, soil erodibility, mechanically stable micro-aggregates, and water-stable macro-aggregates. Analysis of the fitting relationship between key influencing factors and yield indicates that soil erodibility demonstrates the optimal fit with yield (R² = 0.73), followed by the fit between soil water content and yield (R² = 0.69). Overall, plastic film mulching primarily enhances short-term yield, while straw strip mulching ensures stable maize production and promotes soil health and sustainable development in dryland farming systems of the Loess Plateau, thus providing a clear theoretical basis for selecting mulching practices based on ecological trade-offs in the Loess Plateau region. Full article

Agricultural practices (APs) comprehensively regulate crop growth; however, comprehensive studies evaluating the effects of APs on crop yield, water use efficiency (WUE), and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) remain scarce, particularly regarding determining optimal APs for winter wheat in wheat–maize rotation systems. Here, this study conducted a meta-analysis based on 305 studies globally (4009 pairs of observations), focusing on five APs: irrigation, fertilization, tillage, residue utilization, and mulching. And the results indicated that APs significantly increased winter wheat yield (31.1%), NUE (14.7%), and WUE (27.6%), with fertilization showing the most pronounced effects at 43.7%, 16.9%, and 44.7%, respectively. Specifically, compared to no fertilization, combined organic and mineral fertilizer produced the highest yield increase (141.5%); among conventional fertilization, biochar addition showed the best yield increase (19.1%). Slow-controlled/-release fertilizer and inhibitor addition increased NUE by 17.7% and 26.6%, respectively, and residue utilization and mulching improved WUE (by 17.3% and 33.2%). Moreover, in cold and arid regions (mean annual temperature [MAT] < 13 °C and total annual precipitation [TAP] < 550 mm), APs showed stronger promotion of wheat yield and WUE, while in warm and humid regions, the increase in NUE was more significant (15.3–16.1%). When experiment duration was ≥5 years, APs resulted in the highest yield increase (47.9%), while NUE and WUE increased in short-term experiments. Although APs with high nitrogen application rates resulted in a greater yield increase (51.5%), fertilization significantly reduced NUE above 198 kg N ha⁻¹. Structural equation modeling revealed that, among APs, climatic conditions, soil properties, and management factors, APs were the primary driver of changes in yield and WUE, while NUE was mainly regulated by management factors. Overall, these findings provided an empirical basis for optimizing agricultural practices in wheat–maize systems and offer guidance for developing site-specific policy design. Full article

Plastic mulching is widely used in arid and semi-arid cotton systems to improve soil hydrothermal conditions and water–nutrient use efficiency. However, residual mulch and its potential contribution to microplastic inputs pose growing environmental and soil-quality risks, highlighting the need for high-resolution and automated approaches to support plastic waste management, targeted retrieval, and precision field operations. Taking a mulched cotton field in Alar, Xinjiang, as the study area, this study proposes a novel plastic mulch extraction method that integrates Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)-based hyperspectral imagery with deep learning semantic segmentation. The Jeffries–Matusita (JM) distance was employed to select highly separable optimal bands and their combinations for discriminating plastic mulch, bare soil, and cotton canopy, which were then used to drive UNet, DeepLabV3+, and PSPNet models for plastic mulch mapping. The results indicate that the PSPNet model driven by the 402 nm single-band reflectance, Normalized Difference Index (NDI) (861 nm, 410 nm), and NDI (757 nm, 676 nm) achieved the best performance for plastic mulch identification (Intersection over Union (IoU) = 80.28%), significantly outperforming the RGB-based model (IoU = 76.51%). This study enables accurate, spatially explicit assessments of residual mulch, providing actionable evidence for plastic waste monitoring and management, while supporting sustainable agriculture and precision farmland management. Full article

Soil degradation driven by intensive management practices has become of increasing concern for olive cultivation, as trends for desertification and loss of arable land have emerged across the Mediterranean basin. Agroecological management practices, such as mulching made from olive tree pruning remains, have shown potential for improving soil structure, nutrient retention and biodiversity. This study aimed to enhance the understanding of how soil management influences soil properties and arthropod diversity in small-scale olive orchards in a heterogeneous landscape in south-west Greece. Soil was sampled from 11 orchards managed under one of two systems: conventional (herbicide use, tillage, mowing) and agroecological (cover cropping, mulching), encompassing a diversity of management practices. Physicochemical properties were measured alongside soil arthropod abundance and diversity, allowing for comparisons at two levels: between management systems and among practices nested within each system. When compared across broader systems, the agroecological orchards, compared to conventional orchards, had greater porosity (56.38% and 48.75%), and soil organic matter (8.99% and 6.87%), though differences in soil composition likely accounted for some of the variation. Additionally, metrics for arthropod diversity were improved under agroecological management, with 21% higher Shannon diversity and 16.8% greater evenness compared to conventional management. Ordination analysis and generalized linear models further supported these findings illustrating the relationship between agroecological management, soil health and arthropod diversity. These results support a growing body of research which illustrate the potential of agroecological management in enhancing soil health and biodiversity in olive orchards and contributing to the development of more resilient agroecosystems within the Mediterranean basin. Full article