Eco-Sustainable Innovative Approaches for Water-Soil-Nutrient-Crop Management

Journal Name	Impact Factor	CiteScore	Launched Year	First Decision (median)	APC
Agronomy agronomy	3.3	6.2	2011	17.6 Days	CHF 2600
Water water	3.0	5.8	2009	17.5 Days	CHF 2600

11 pages, 692 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Eco-Physiological Behavior of Five Tunisian Olive Tree Cultivars under Drought Stress

by Olfa Boussadia, Amal Omri and Nada Mzid

Agronomy 2023, 13(3), 720; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13030720 - 28 Feb 2023

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2459

Tunisia is known to be a country with poor water resources, and water scarcity is evident in certain regions. In the long term, this situation could worsen, given the increased risk of drought. The olive tree (Olea europaea L.) is one of [...] Read more.

Tunisia is known to be a country with poor water resources, and water scarcity is evident in certain regions. In the long term, this situation could worsen, given the increased risk of drought. The olive tree (Olea europaea L.) is one of the plants best adapted to this climate, and numerous studies have been carried out to assess the effects of water stress. The aim of this work was to study and compare the ecophysiological behavior of a main Tunisian olive cultivar (Chetoui) and four rare Tunisian olive cultivars (Chemchali, Besbessi, Sayali and Jarboui) under drought stress and to identify the main parameters while comparing the tolerance of the cultivars studied to this abiotic stress. One-year-old olive trees grown in pots in a greenhouse were subjected to four drought treatments (i.e., 15, 30, 45 and 60 days of drought stress) in comparison with control trees. The evaluation of the response of the olives to this induced stress was based on five parameters: relative water content (RWC), stomatal resistance (SR), photosystem PSII, maximal photochemical efficiency (F_V/F_M), performance index on absorption basis (PI), measured by the handy PEA, and chlorophyll index, measured by SPAD. The relative water content (RWC) of the five cultivars decreased with increasing drought stress. Jarboui showed lower RWC values than Chemchali, especially under severe drought stress. This result was confirmed by changes in fluorescence characteristics. F_V/F_M, PI and SPAD index decreased during the development of drought stress. These observations are discussed in relation to the strategies developed by the cultivars to grow under drought stress. The Principal Component Analysis allowed the parameter with the strongest loading factor, which is F_V/F_M, to be highlighted and the cultivars most tolerant to drought stress to be distinguished. These cultivars, Besbessi and Sayali in the north of Tunisia and Chemchali in the south, can present a possible alternative to replace the local or foreign cultivars most cultivated in the country, which are characterized by high water needs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Eco-Sustainable Innovative Approaches for Water-Soil-Nutrient-Crop Management)

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18 pages, 506 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Salinity Properties Retrieval from Sentinel-2 Satellite Data and Machine Learning Algorithms

by Nada Mzid, Olfa Boussadia, Rossella Albrizio, Anna Maria Stellacci, Mohamed Braham and Mladen Todorovic

Agronomy 2023, 13(3), 716; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13030716 - 27 Feb 2023

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 4076

Abstract

The accurate monitoring of soil salinization plays a key role in the ecological security and sustainable agricultural development of semiarid regions. The objective of this study was to achieve the best estimation of electrical conductivity variables from salt-affected soils in a south Mediterranean [...] Read more.

The accurate monitoring of soil salinization plays a key role in the ecological security and sustainable agricultural development of semiarid regions. The objective of this study was to achieve the best estimation of electrical conductivity variables from salt-affected soils in a south Mediterranean region using Sentinel-2 multispectral imagery. In order to realize this goal, a test was carried out using electrical conductivity (EC) data collected in central Tunisia. Soil electrical conductivity and leaf electrical conductivity were measured in an olive orchard over two growing seasons and under three irrigation treatments. Firstly, selected spectral salinity, chlorophyll, water, and vegetation indices were tested over the experimental area to estimate both soil and leaf EC using Sentinel-2 imagery on the Google Earth Engine platform. Subsequently, estimation models of soil and leaf EC were calibrated by employing machine learning (ML) techniques using 12 spectral bands of Sentinel-2 images. The prediction accuracy of the EC estimation was assessed by using k-fold cross-validation and computing statistical metrics. The results of the study revealed that machine learning algorithms, together with multispectral data, could advance the mapping and monitoring of soil and leaf electrical conductivity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Eco-Sustainable Innovative Approaches for Water-Soil-Nutrient-Crop Management)

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16 pages, 382 KiB

Open AccessReview

Recycling Phosphorus from Agricultural Streams: Grey and Green Solutions

by Nicolò Auteri, Filippo Saiano and Riccardo Scalenghe

Agronomy 2022, 12(12), 2938; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12122938 - 24 Nov 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4377

Abstract

Many intensively farmed soils show high phosphorus (P) contents compared to the thresholds required for agricultural production; 0.084 Mt of P year⁻¹ is leaving the European terrestrial system. This paper focuses mainly on non-point flows of P and provides an overview of [...] Read more.

Many intensively farmed soils show high phosphorus (P) contents compared to the thresholds required for agricultural production; 0.084 Mt of P year⁻¹ is leaving the European terrestrial system. This paper focuses mainly on non-point flows of P and provides an overview of the most promising and sustainable solutions for P recycling, centred on waste materials from agriculture. Given the global shortage of the primary resource of P, its management is critical for its efficient use. Nowadays, wastage and loss at every stage of the P cycle raise concerns about future supplies and especially about the resulting environmental problems, such as the eutrophication of surface water bodies and the reduction of biodiversity. Recovering P costs more than EUR 640 per tonne depending on the type of technique used. The opportunity for P recovery with green and sustainable technology is, therefore, a great challenge for the next years. Waste materials or by-products of agricultural processing have been considered ecologically safe, low-cost, and highly selective with high pollutant adsorption capacities, which would enable sustainable P recovery, both environmentally and economically. A realistic threshold for considering the reuse of P sustainably at the farm level is EUR 320 per tonne. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Eco-Sustainable Innovative Approaches for Water-Soil-Nutrient-Crop Management)

17 pages, 2363 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Hyperspectral Vegetation Indices to Assess Water and Nitrogen Status of Sweet Maize Crop

by Milica Colovic, Kang Yu, Mladen Todorovic, Vito Cantore, Mohamad Hamze, Rossella Albrizio and Anna Maria Stellacci

Agronomy 2022, 12(9), 2181; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12092181 - 14 Sep 2022

Cited by 26 | Viewed by 4185

Abstract

The deployment of novel technologies in the field of precision farming has risen to the top of global agendas in response to the impact of climate change and the possible shortage of resources such as water and fertilizers. The present research addresses the [...] Read more.

The deployment of novel technologies in the field of precision farming has risen to the top of global agendas in response to the impact of climate change and the possible shortage of resources such as water and fertilizers. The present research addresses the performance of water and nitrogen-sensitive narrow-band vegetation indices to evaluate the response of sweet maize (Zea mays var. saccharata L.) to different irrigation and nitrogen regimes. The experiment was carried out in Valenzano, Bari (Southern Italy), during the 2020 growing season. Three irrigation regimes (full irrigation, deficit irrigation, and rainfed) and two nitrogen levels (300 and 50 kg ha⁻¹) were tested. During the growing season, a Field Spec Handheld 2 spectroradiometer operating in the range of 325–1075 nm was utilized to capture spectral data regularly. In addition, soil water content, biometric parameters, and physiological parameters were measured. The DATT index, based on near-infrared and red-edge wavelengths, performed better than other indices in explaining the variation in chlorophyll content, whereas the double difference index (DD) showed the greatest correlation with the leaf–gas exchange. The modified normalized difference vegetation index (NNDVI) and the ratio of water band index to normalized difference vegetation index (WBI/NDVI) showed the highest capacity to distinguish the interaction of irrigation x nitrogen, while the best discriminating capability of these indices was under a low nitrogen level. Moreover, red-edge-based indices had higher sensitivity to nitrogen levels compared to the structural and water band indices. Our study highlighted that it is critical to choose proper narrow-band vegetation indices to monitor the plant eco-physiological response to water and nitrogen stresses. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Eco-Sustainable Innovative Approaches for Water-Soil-Nutrient-Crop Management)

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13 pages, 1426 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of Mulch Materials on Selected Soil Properties, Yield and Grape Quality in Vineyards under Central European Conditions

by Patrik Burg, Alice Čížková, Vladimír Mašán, Aleksandar Sedlar, Arkadiusz Matwijczuk and Jiří Souček

Agronomy 2022, 12(8), 1862; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12081862 - 7 Aug 2022

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3551

Abstract

The results of this study provide overall information on the verification of the effect of applying two different mulching materials of an organic origin to the soil surface in the area between rows of grape vines in vineyards on selected physical and chemical [...] Read more.

The results of this study provide overall information on the verification of the effect of applying two different mulching materials of an organic origin to the soil surface in the area between rows of grape vines in vineyards on selected physical and chemical properties of the soil and, at the same time, on the yield and quality parameters of the grape vines (Vitis vinifera L.). During the period under study, 2018–2020, the effect of shredded cereal straw (CS) and compost from garden waste (CO) was investigated. The control variant (CWC) was left without any cover and was regularly cultivated with a coulter cultivator to a depth of 60 mm. During the experiments, meteorological data were monitored and recorded along with soil temperature and soil moisture for each variant. The results show that the lowest temperature was measured for the straw cover variant (11.10–11.87 °C), while the highest soil temperature was measured for compost (11.93–13.16 °C). Under the straw, the moisture level in the soil was higher compared to the other variants, and there was a gradual increase (of 3%) in soil bulk density values compared to the baseline. By contrast, the compost variant showed a decrease (of 1%) in bulk density values. The differences in nutrient content were slight among the variants. The only statistically significant difference was identified for the compost variant with respect to the content of total nitrogen and phosphorus. Further results demonstrated a positive effect of both mulch material variants on grape yield, which was 6–19% higher in the variants with a cover layer. In addition, the use of mulch also had a positive effect on grape quality. For example, the sugar content—one of the main quality parameters—increased by 1–7% due to the mulch layer. Based on these results, the use of mulching materials can be recommended for areas with low total rainfall during the growing season, as well as when growing varieties with irregular yields and uneven grape quality. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Eco-Sustainable Innovative Approaches for Water-Soil-Nutrient-Crop Management)

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14 pages, 1157 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of Single-Cropping under Reduced Water Supply in Strawberry Cultivation

by Micol Marcellini, Luca Mazzoni, Davide Raffaelli, Valeria Pergolotti, Francesca Balducci, Franco Capocasa and Bruno Mezzetti

Agronomy 2022, 12(6), 1396; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12061396 - 10 Jun 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2626

Abstract

Genotype, environment, and cultivation system strongly influence strawberry yield and quality. Specifically, the growth of strawberry plants is dependent on the water supply. Nevertheless, the abuse of water in agriculture is necessitating the choice of the lowest water-consumptive plants. The following study showed [...] Read more.

Genotype, environment, and cultivation system strongly influence strawberry yield and quality. Specifically, the growth of strawberry plants is dependent on the water supply. Nevertheless, the abuse of water in agriculture is necessitating the choice of the lowest water-consumptive plants. The following study showed the performance of ‘Romina’, ‘Sibilla’, and ‘Cristina’ cultivars, grown in open-field conditions, and treated with three doses of water (W): 100% local standard regime, and 20% (W80) and 40% (W60) reductions. The average amount of water administered for W100, W80, and W60 was 1120 m³ ha⁻¹, 891 m³ ha⁻¹, and 666 m³ ha⁻¹, respectively. The water treatment at W60 negatively affected the plant growth and yield, resulting in reduced plant height, leaf number, leaf length and width, and a minor yield. Instead, fruit quality showed higher values of total soluble solids and titratable acidity. Conversely, plants watered with W80 showed results similar to the control (W100) in terms of development and yield. In conclusion, it is possible to assume that a reduction of water is desirable, guaranteeing economic and environmental gains for farmers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Eco-Sustainable Innovative Approaches for Water-Soil-Nutrient-Crop Management)

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16 pages, 4251 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Different Irrigation Modes on the Growth, Physiology, Farmland Microclimate Characteristics, and Yield of Cotton in an Oasis

by Kai Sun, Jingran Niu, Chunxia Wang, Qiuping Fu, Guang Yang, Fei Liang and Yaqin Wang

Water 2022, 14(10), 1579; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14101579 - 15 May 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3625

Abstract

In order to determine the effects of different water-saving irrigation techniques on physiological growth, farmland microclimate, and yield of cotton (Gossypium Spp.), a two-year field experiment was carried out in an oasis area of Northwest China, and three irrigation methods were [...] Read more.

In order to determine the effects of different water-saving irrigation techniques on physiological growth, farmland microclimate, and yield of cotton (Gossypium Spp.), a two-year field experiment was carried out in an oasis area of Northwest China, and three irrigation methods were tested, including on-film irrigation (T1), under-film drip irrigation (T2), and automatic irrigation (T3). The results showed that the relative humidity, plant height, leaf area, stem thick, and photosynthetic index with the T3 treatment were significantly higher than those with T2 and T1. The air and soil temperature with T3 (except seedling stage) were considerably lower than those with T2 and T1. According to the fitting and statistical analysis of each index and yield, except for air and soil temperature, the other indices were positively correlated with yield. Based on the analysis of each index, the T3 treatment had the most significant regulatory effect on cotton’s physiological growth and farmland microclimate. Compared with T1, the irrigation amounts of T2 and T3 decreased by 16.43% and 25.90%, but the yield increased by 38.96% and 46.28%, respectively. The automatic irrigation strategy showed significant advantages in water saving and yield increase, which could provide some reference for cotton drip irrigation in similarly arid areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Eco-Sustainable Innovative Approaches for Water-Soil-Nutrient-Crop Management)

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16 pages, 778 KiB

Open AccessReview

Research Progress on Water–Fertilizer Coupling and Crop Quality Improvement and Its Implication for the Karst Rock Desertification Control

by Tinghui Hu, Kaiping Li, Kangning Xiong, Jun Wang, Shan Yang, Zhifu Wang, Ajuan Gao and Xiao Yu

Agronomy 2022, 12(4), 903; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12040903 - 9 Apr 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3532

Abstract

An important problem currently faced by karst rocky desertification management is the degradation of vegetation fruits, which encourages the search for a solution for the sustainable growth of vegetation. Water and fertilizer are key factors affecting crop quality (the formation of soluble solids, [...] Read more.

An important problem currently faced by karst rocky desertification management is the degradation of vegetation fruits, which encourages the search for a solution for the sustainable growth of vegetation. Water and fertilizer are key factors affecting crop quality (the formation of soluble solids, protein, amino acids, soluble sugar content, etc.). A comprehensive review of research related to water–fertilizer coupling and crop quality improvement may be beneficial for rocky desertification control. This study analyzed 427 related papers, and the results showed that: (1) the number of published papers showed an “S” curve growth trend over time, indicating that research in the field of water–fertilizer coupling has entered a mature stage after rapid growth, yet it is still in the initial stage in karst areas; (2) the research was mainly theoretical, but also included technology research and development, model construction, demonstration and extension, and monitoring and evaluation; (3) except for research related to greenhouse facilities, the research areas are mainly located in arid and semi-arid regions. The study further revealed (4) the frontier theory of water–fertilizer coupling and crop quality research. Finally, it was found that the theoretical and technical studies related to water–fertilizer coupling and crop quality improvement in karst areas are insufficient. Whether the existing theories and techniques are applicable to karst areas needs further verification. In addition to the areas of selecting germplasm with high water/fertilizer utilization efficiency and tolerance to rocky desertification, further improvement in the dynamic model of water–fertilizer coupling and the construction of a more applicable water–fertilizer coupling model could also be future research hotspots. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Eco-Sustainable Innovative Approaches for Water-Soil-Nutrient-Crop Management)

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12 pages, 273 KiB

Open AccessReview

Agri-Environmental Indicators: A Selected Review to Support Impact Assessment of New EU Green Deal Policies

by Michele Giuseppe Salvan, Danilo Bertoni, Daniele Cavicchioli and Stefano Bocchi

Agronomy 2022, 12(4), 798; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12040798 - 26 Mar 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3919

Abstract

Every intervention of planning, implementation, and monitoring of agricultural and agri-environmental policies requires assessment tools that should have the characteristics of relevance, completeness, interpretability, data quality, efficiency, and overlapping. Despite the extensive selection of bibliographies and numerous projects designed to develop agri-environmental indicators [...] Read more.

Every intervention of planning, implementation, and monitoring of agricultural and agri-environmental policies requires assessment tools that should have the characteristics of relevance, completeness, interpretability, data quality, efficiency, and overlapping. Despite the extensive selection of bibliographies and numerous projects designed to develop agri-environmental indicators necessary for assessing the sustainability of new policies, it is difficult to have an integrated and updated set of indicators available, which can be an effective and practical application tool to assists policymakers, researchers, and actors in policy design, monitoring and impact assessment. Particularly, such a need is pressing to face the new environmental challenges imposed by the upcoming European Union Green Deal on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) post 2023. This study, therefore, aims to fill this gap by proposing a selection methodology and different pools of agri-environmental indicators differentiated based on a scale approach (crop-farm-district-region). Furthermore, we have attempted to apply our approach by quantifying selected indicators for a specific evaluation necessity, represented in this case by an assessment of the environmental impact of land use change induced by CAP greening requirements in the Northern Italy context. Results of this validation show original crops’ impacts comparison, but also highlight great knowledge gaps in the available literature. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Eco-Sustainable Innovative Approaches for Water-Soil-Nutrient-Crop Management)

15 pages, 3608 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Optimized Border Irrigation Improved Nitrogen Accumulation, Translocation of Winter Wheat and Reduce Soil Nitrate Nitrogen Residue

by Feilong Yan, Yu Shi and Zhenwen Yu

Agronomy 2022, 12(2), 433; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12020433 - 9 Feb 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2297

Abstract

We aimed to optimize field border length in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain of China (HPC) to reduce soil inorganic nitrogen residues and increase nitrogen absorption and utilization by wheat plants using a traditional border irrigation system. In a two-year experiment (2017–2019) conducted in the [...] Read more.

We aimed to optimize field border length in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain of China (HPC) to reduce soil inorganic nitrogen residues and increase nitrogen absorption and utilization by wheat plants using a traditional border irrigation system. In a two-year experiment (2017–2019) conducted in the HPC, four border lengths were tested: 20 m (L20), 30 m (L30), 40 m (L40), and 50 m (L50). Supplementary irrigation was implemented during jointing and anthesis stages, and control fields received treatment without irrigation. The results showed that, compared with irrigation of other border lengths, L40 irrigation significantly increased nitrogen transport in stems and leaves. In addition, L40 irrigation had the highest rate of grain nitrogen accumulation after anthesis. The risk of nitrate leaching to deep layers increased with increasing border length; however, L40 irrigation improved the plants’ capacity to absorb soil nitrogen, and the soil inorganic nitrogen residue was significantly lower than that with irrigation of other border lengths. Therefore, the grain yield and nitrogen fertilizer utilization under L40 irrigation were significantly higher than those under irrigation of other border lengths, and L40 was considered as the best border irrigation length. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Eco-Sustainable Innovative Approaches for Water-Soil-Nutrient-Crop Management)

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18 pages, 7966 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Water Quality Characteristics and Source Analysis of Pollutants in the Maotiao River Basin (SW China)

by Yinjiu Li, Qiuhua Li, Shulin Jiao, Chen Liu, Liuying Yang, Guojia Huang, Si Zhou, Mengshu Han and Anton Brancelj

Water 2022, 14(3), 301; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14030301 - 20 Jan 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3256

Abstract

Rivers are an important mediator between human activities and the natural environment. They provide multiple functions, including irrigation, transportation, food supply, recreation, and water supply. Therefore, evaluations of water quality and pollution sources are of great significance for ecological restoration and management of [...] Read more.

Rivers are an important mediator between human activities and the natural environment. They provide multiple functions, including irrigation, transportation, food supply, recreation, and water supply. Therefore, evaluations of water quality and pollution sources are of great significance for ecological restoration and management of rivers. In this study, the improved “vušekriterijumska optimizacija i kompromisno rješenje” (VIKOR in Serbian; in English: Multicriteria Optimization and Compromise Solution), and a geodetector were used to analyze the water quality characteristics and pollution sources of the Maotiao River Basin (Gizhou province, SW China). The results showed that the water quality of the Maotiao River Basin deteriorated significantly during the summer drought period, as was evident in the reservoirs and lakes. It improved in the wet season (i.e., during the summer period) due to runoff dilution. Water quality decreased along the river’s course, from upstream to downstream sections. The results of the geographic detector analysis showed that agricultural areas were the primary factor affecting the spatial distribution of water quality in the river basin. In July, August, and November 2020, the influence of agricultural land was 0.72, 0.60, or 0.80, respectively, and the interactions among urban, industrial, agricultural, and forested areas explained 99.2%, 83.2%, or 99.9% of the spatial differentiation of water quality, respectively. Due to the influence of spatial scale, settlements have a small influence on the spatial distribution of water quality. Their impact factors were 0.38, −0.24, and −0.05, respectively. Notably, the negative relationship of water quality and forested areas reflects that topography, types of landscapes, and soil thickness have considerable influences on the Maotiao River Basin’s water quality. Based on the findings, we infer that good farmland water conservancy projects and comprehensive management of different types of landscapes, such as forests, agriculture, and urban area and water bodies, are of great significance for improving water quality. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Eco-Sustainable Innovative Approaches for Water-Soil-Nutrient-Crop Management)

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15 pages, 3124 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Planting Period Effects on Wheat Productivity and Water Footprints: Insights through Adaptive Trials and APSIM Simulations

by Ram Swaroop Bana, Shanti Devi Bamboriya, Rabindra Nath Padaria, Raj Kumar Dhakar, Shanker Lal Khaswan, Ram Lal Choudhary and Jitendra Singh Bamboriya

Agronomy 2022, 12(1), 226; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12010226 - 17 Jan 2022

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3481

Abstract

Scarcity of fresh water and climate change are the two main threats for wheat production in South Asia. Tweaking wheat planting period could be an effective cost-smart strategy to mitigate these stresses. To evaluate the performance of three leading wheat varieties under different [...] Read more.

Scarcity of fresh water and climate change are the two main threats for wheat production in South Asia. Tweaking wheat planting period could be an effective cost-smart strategy to mitigate these stresses. To evaluate the performance of three leading wheat varieties under different planting periods in pragmatic on-farm environments, trials were carried out during 2019–2020 and 2020–2021. Further, to have greater insights on long-term temporal scale, 22 years (2000 to 2021) of crop simulation data were analyzed to identify the optimum planting period of wheat for higher yield and water productivity using the APSIM cropping systems simulation model. The result showed that first fortnight of November (PD1)-sown crop resulted in higher grain yield and more irrigation water use efficiency. Wheat sown during PD1 and in the second fortnight of November (PD2) had 20–25% lower blue water requirement than the second fortnight of December (PD4) crop in the long run. To produce one tonne of wheat grain required an additional 20, 60 and 83 m³ irrigation water when the crop was sown at PD1, PD2, PD3 (first fortnight of December) and PD4, respectively. It was observed that PD4 reduced wheat yields by 20–22% compared to sowing on PD1 and PD2 and every 15 days’ delay in wheat planting after 15 November reduced the length of the crop growing season by 4–5 days. Hence, the early wheat planting is proven superior in harnessing maximum yield with minimum burden on blue water resources. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Eco-Sustainable Innovative Approaches for Water-Soil-Nutrient-Crop Management)

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13 pages, 1845 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Nitrogen Rates on the Productivity and Nutritive Value of Forage Grass Grown under Extreme Climatic Conditions

by Aušra Marcinkevičienė, Rimantas Velička, Robertas Kosteckas, Aušra Rudinskienė, Inga Adamonytė and Zita Kriaučiūnienė

Agronomy 2021, 11(12), 2572; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11122572 - 17 Dec 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2735

Abstract

This vegetative experiment was carried out at the greenhouse of Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy Open Access Joint Research Centre of Agriculture and Forestry (Lithuania) in 2020–2021. The aim of these studies was to determine the effect of different nitrogen rates on the [...] Read more.

This vegetative experiment was carried out at the greenhouse of Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy Open Access Joint Research Centre of Agriculture and Forestry (Lithuania) in 2020–2021. The aim of these studies was to determine the effect of different nitrogen rates on the productivity and nutritional quality of forage grasses (a mixture of red clover and timothy) under the most common extremes of climate change, i.e., soil moisture deficiency and surplus. Under drought and waterlogging stresses, fertilization of the red clover and timothy mixture with high N rates was ineffective. The clover and timothy mixture recovery after drought took 21 days. The aboveground dry biomass of the clover and timothy mixture grown under drought conditions was significantly lower by 36.3 to 47.2% compared to that formed under optimum soil moisture and waterlogging conditions. The root biomass of forage grass mixtures was lowest under drought conditions when fertilized at the highest N rate (N25+120). The aboveground biomass of clover grown under different soil moisture conditions depended on the number of plants (r² = 0.78, p < 0.01) and assimilating leaf area (r² = 0.83, p < 0.01), and that of timothy on the number of vegetative tillers (r² = 0.46, p < 0.05). Under drought simulation conditions, increasing the N rate increased the crude protein and crude fibre contents in the aboveground biomass of the clover and timothy mixture, while the crude ash content decreased. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Eco-Sustainable Innovative Approaches for Water-Soil-Nutrient-Crop Management)

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15 pages, 612 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Moringa oleifera Leaf Extract Enhanced Growth, Yield, and Silybin Content While Mitigating Salt-Induced Adverse Effects on the Growth of Silybum marianum

by Yun-Kiam Yap, Fadia El-Sherif, Eman S. Habib and Salah Khattab

Agronomy 2021, 11(12), 2500; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11122500 - 9 Dec 2021

Cited by 26 | Viewed by 4925

Abstract

Silybin A and B are two major hepatoprotective flavonolignans produced predominantly in Silybum marianum fruits. Similar to other plant secondary metabolites, silybin production is enhanced by biotic or abiotic stresses under the expanse of plant growth and yield. In this study, a novel [...] Read more.

Silybin A and B are two major hepatoprotective flavonolignans produced predominantly in Silybum marianum fruits. Similar to other plant secondary metabolites, silybin production is enhanced by biotic or abiotic stresses under the expanse of plant growth and yield. In this study, a novel strategy for enhancing silybin production was investigated by applying a natural plant growth enhancer, moringa leaf extract (MLE), to the S. marianum plants cultivated under salinity abiotic stress. The experiment was conducted using a split-plot design with salinity as the main factor and MLE concentrations as the sub-factor. The individual and combined effects of salinity and MLE on the growth, yield, and silybin content of S. marianum were recorded. The MLE at concentrations of 5 g/L or 10 g/L was applied as foliar spray to S. marianum plants, which were irrigated with either tap water or saline (2000 ppm or 4000 ppm). Our results revealed that 10 g/L MLE effectively enhances the growth, yield, and silybin (A + B) content in S. marianum plants not exposed to salinity stress. On the other hand, for plants that were exposed to 4000 ppm salinity, the application of MLE was able to alleviate the salinity-induced adverse effects on some of the plant growth parameters but did not significantly increase their silybin (A + B) compositions. The current study also indicated that the increase in silybin contents was accompanied by the upregulation of the chalcone synthase 1 and 3 genes, which have been implicated in the synthesis of silybin. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Eco-Sustainable Innovative Approaches for Water-Soil-Nutrient-Crop Management)

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18 pages, 9031 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Temporal and Spatial Distribution and Fluorescence Spectra of Dissolved Organic Matter in Plateau Lakes: A Case Study of Qinghai Lake

by Zheng Li, Zhenghui Fu, Yang Zhang, Yunyan Guo, Feifei Che, Huaicheng Guo and Shuhang Wang

Water 2021, 13(24), 3481; https://doi.org/10.3390/w13243481 - 7 Dec 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3625

Abstract

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) has a great impact on the main pollution indicators of lakes (such as chemical oxygen demand, COD). Therefore, DOM is the research basis for understanding the meaning of the water environment and the laws of the migration and transformation [...] Read more.

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) has a great impact on the main pollution indicators of lakes (such as chemical oxygen demand, COD). Therefore, DOM is the research basis for understanding the meaning of the water environment and the laws of the migration and transformation of pollutants. Qinghai Lake is one of the world’s typical inland plateau lake wetlands. It plays important roles in improving and regulating the climate and in promoting a virtuous regional ecological cycle. In recent years, with the acceleration of urbanization and the rapid development of tourism, under the background of climate change, and with grassland degradation and precipitation change, the whole basin of Qinghai Lake has been facing great ecological pressure. In order to comprehensively explore the water environment of Qinghai Lake and to protect the sustainable development of the basin, a systematic study was carried out on the whole basin of Qinghai Lake. The results show the following: (1) from 2010 to 2020, the annual average value of COD_Cr in Qinghai Lake fluctuated in the range from class III to class V according to the surface water environmental quality standard, showing first a downward trend and then an upward trend. (2) The concentration of CDOM in Qinghai Lake had obvious temporal and spatial changes. (3) The spatial distribution of the total fluorescence intensity of FDOM in water was also different in different seasons. However, in the three surveys, the area with the highest total fluorescence intensity of FDOM in the water body appeared near Erlangjian in the south of Qinghai Province, indicating that anthropogenic sources are the main controlling factors of dissolved organic matter in the lake. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Eco-Sustainable Innovative Approaches for Water-Soil-Nutrient-Crop Management)

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18 pages, 3217 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainability Estimation of Oat:Pea Intercrops from the Agricultural Life Cycle Assessment Perspective

by Jaroslav Bernas, Tereza Bernasová, Hans-Peter Kaul, Helmut Wagentristl, Gerhard Moitzi and Reinhard W. Neugschwandtner

Agronomy 2021, 11(12), 2433; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11122433 - 29 Nov 2021

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3423

Abstract

Winter cereal:legume intercropping is considered a sustainable arable farming system not only in temperate regions but also in Mediterranean environments. Previous studies have shown that with suitable crop stand composition, high grain yield can be achieved. In this study, a life cycle assessment [...] Read more.

Winter cereal:legume intercropping is considered a sustainable arable farming system not only in temperate regions but also in Mediterranean environments. Previous studies have shown that with suitable crop stand composition, high grain yield can be achieved. In this study, a life cycle assessment (LCA) of the influence of sowing ratio and nitrogen (N) fertilization on grain nitrogen yield of oat (Avena sativa L.) and pea (Pisum sativum L.) in intercrops was performed to find the optimal design to achieve low environmental impact. This study compared the environmental impact of oat:pea intercrops using agricultural LCA. Monocrops of oat and pea and substitutive intercrops, which were fertilized with different levels of N, were compared. The system boundaries included all the processes from cradle to farm gate. Mass-based (grain N yield) and area-based (land demand for generating the same grain N yield) functional units were used. The results covered the impact categories related to the agricultural LCAs. The ReCiPe 2016 Midpoint and Endpoint characterization model was used for the data expression. According to the results, an unfertilized combination of oat and pea (50%:50%) had the lowest environmental impact in comparison with the other 14 assessed variants and selected impact categories. In the assessed framework, pea monocrops or intensively fertilized oat monocrops can also be considered as alternatives with relatively low impact on the environment. However, an appropriate grain N yield must be reached to balance the environmental impact resulting from the fertilizer inputs. The production and use of fertilizers had the greatest impact on the environment within the impact categories climate change, eutrophication, and ecotoxicity. The results indicated that high fertilizer inputs did not necessarily cause the highest environmental impact. In this respect, the achieved grain N yield level, the choice of allocation approach, the functional unit, and the data expression approach played dominant roles. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Eco-Sustainable Innovative Approaches for Water-Soil-Nutrient-Crop Management)

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17 pages, 1409 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Coupling Remote Sensing Data and AquaCrop Model for Simulation of Winter Wheat Growth under Rainfed and Irrigated Conditions in a Mediterranean Environment

by Marie Therese Abi Saab, Razane El Alam, Ihab Jomaa, Sleiman Skaf, Salim Fahed, Rossella Albrizio and Mladen Todorovic

Agronomy 2021, 11(11), 2265; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11112265 - 9 Nov 2021

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 4030

Abstract

The coupling of remote sensing technology and crop growth models represents a promising approach to support crop yield prediction and irrigation management. In this study, five vegetation indices were derived from the Copernicus-Sentinel 2 satellite to investigate their performance monitoring winter wheat growth [...] Read more.

The coupling of remote sensing technology and crop growth models represents a promising approach to support crop yield prediction and irrigation management. In this study, five vegetation indices were derived from the Copernicus-Sentinel 2 satellite to investigate their performance monitoring winter wheat growth in a Mediterranean environment in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley. Among those indices, the fraction of canopy cover was integrated into the AquaCrop model to simulate biomass and yield of wheat grown under rainfed conditions and fully irrigated regimes. The experiment was conducted during three consecutive growing seasons (from 2017 to 2019), characterized by different precipitation patterns. The AquaCrop model was calibrated and validated for different water regimes, and its performance was tested when coupled with remote sensing canopy cover. The results showed a good fit between measured canopy cover and Leaf Area Index (LAI) data and those derived from Sentinel 2 images. The R² coefficient was 0.79 for canopy cover and 0.77 for LAI. Moreover, the regressions were fitted to relate biomass with Sentinel 2 vegetation indices. In descending order of R², the indices were ranked: Fractional Vegetation Cover (FVC), LAI, the fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (fAPAR), the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI). Notably, FVC and LAI were highly correlated with biomass. The results of the AquaCrop calibration showed that the modeling efficiency values, NSE, were 0.99 for well-watered treatments and 0.95 for rainfed conditions, confirming the goodness of fit between measured and simulated values. The validation results confirmed that the simulated yield varied from 2.59 to 5.36 t ha⁻¹, while the measured yield varied from 3.08 to 5.63 t ha⁻¹ for full irrigation and rainfed treatments. After integrating the canopy cover into AquaCrop, the % of deviation of simulated and measured variables was reduced. The Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) for yield ranged between 0.08 and 0.69 t ha⁻¹ before coupling and between 0.04 and 0.42 t ha⁻¹ after integration. This result confirmed that the presented integration framework represents a promising method to improve the prediction of wheat crop growth in Mediterranean areas. Further studies are needed before being applied on a larger scale. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Eco-Sustainable Innovative Approaches for Water-Soil-Nutrient-Crop Management)

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