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Towards Sustainable Intensification of Crop Production—Yield Gaps and Water Use...
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Towards Sustainable Intensification of Crop Production—Yield Gaps and Water Use Efficiency in Farming Systems

A topical collection in Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This collection belongs to the section "Water Use and Irrigation".

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Editor

Dr. Anita Ierna

E-Mail Website
Collection Editor
Institute of BioEconomy, National Research Council (CNR-IBE) Via P. Gaifami 18, 95126 Catania, Italy
Interests: irrigation; sustainability; water resources management; agriculture; crop management; sustainable agriculture; crop production; organic farming

Topical Collection Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the last decades, many advances have been made regarding sustainable crop production intensification, mainly with the aim of increasing or maintaining yield. However, the decrease in available water around the world—which will be more evident in the future based on the predictions of climate change—as well as the parallel decrease in irrigated land raises the alarm and necessitates the development of more efficient water use techniques in farming systems. The present Topical Collection will focus on the recent advancements in the wide field of sustainable intensification of crop production and water use efficiency. Research papers, communications, and review articles are all welcome. In particular, we encourage contributions covering agronomic practices and the management of water, without neglecting sustainability principles and toward improved crop water use efficiency. Particular attention will be given also to research involving the selection of species and cultivars compatible with agro-techniques designed to reduce evapotranspiration or have tolerance to water scarcity, as well as the progress of genetics applied to the agronomy of cropping systems. Attention will also be given to studies that allow improvements in water use efficiency of farming systems utilizing information communication technologies (e.g., decision support systems and precision irrigation)

Dr. Anita Ierna
Collection Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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

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

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

Keywords

  • sustainability
  • WUE
  • water saving
  • conservation agriculture
  • irrigation
  • crop breeding
  • decision support systems, precise irrigation

Published Papers (10 papers)

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2023

Jump to: 2022, 2021, 2020

18 pages, 1006 KiB  
Article
Eco-Physiological and Productive Response of Deficit Irrigated Potatoes
by Anita Ierna and Giovanni Mauromicale
Agronomy 2023, 13(2), 591; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13020591 - 18 Feb 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1592
Abstract
A comprehensive study on both the eco-physiological and productive response of potatoes to dynamic deficit irrigation is lacking. Therefore, the aim was to study, over two growing seasons and on two potato cultivars—Arinda and Timate, the effects of five irrigation regimes (I0–dry control, [...] Read more.
A comprehensive study on both the eco-physiological and productive response of potatoes to dynamic deficit irrigation is lacking. Therefore, the aim was to study, over two growing seasons and on two potato cultivars—Arinda and Timate, the effects of five irrigation regimes (I0–dry control, I1—irrigated control, I2—supply 100% of the maximum evapotranspiration—ETm from tuber initiation up to 50% of tuber growth and 0% ETm from 50% to the end of tuber growth, I3—supply 100% of ETm from tuber initiation up to 50% of tuber growth and 50% ETm from 50% to the end of tuber growth, I4—supply 100% of ETm from tuber initiation up to 50% of tuber growth and 75% ETm from 50% to the end of tuber growth) simultaneously on the crop physiology (via chlorophyll fluorescence and leaf gas exchange traits), above-ground biomass yield, tuber yield and its components, irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE), source/sink ratio and tubers’ dry matter content. Regardless of cultivars and seasons, in I3 and I4 for eco-physiological and productive traits, values comparable with I1 were found. Compared to I1, I2 reduced tuber yield by about 18% but increased the IWUE by about 110%, saving a high amount of irrigation water (about 1500 m3 ha−1 per season). Arinda appeared more susceptible than Timate to water deficit in the second part of tuber growth, namely I2, from an eco-physiological point of view, but no differences between cultivars were found from a productive point of view. It was possible to effectively apply dynamic deficit irrigation to save irrigation water without compromising yields strongly. Full article
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2022

Jump to: 2023, 2021, 2020

16 pages, 2523 KiB  
Article
Leaf Gas Exchange and Growth Responses of Tomato Plants to External Flavonoids Application as Biostimulators under Normal and Salt-Stressed Conditions
by Alberto Martinez-Alonso, Paula Garcia-Ibañez, Gloria Bárzana and Micaela Carvajal
Agronomy 2022, 12(12), 3230; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12123230 - 19 Dec 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2817
Abstract
The exogenous application of natural metabolites, such as phenolic compounds, is a useful strategy to stimulate growth and reduce the adverse effects of abiotic stress on crops, such as salinity. Salinity stress is one of the most damaging abiotic stresses to plants, causing [...] Read more.
The exogenous application of natural metabolites, such as phenolic compounds, is a useful strategy to stimulate growth and reduce the adverse effects of abiotic stress on crops, such as salinity. Salinity stress is one of the most damaging abiotic stresses to plants, causing reductions in growth by changes in the physiology, biochemistry, and gene expression. In this work, we investigated the effect of the foliar application of flavonoids (CropBioLife, CBL) on control and salt-stressed (NaCl 60 mM) tomato plants grown in controlled conditions. The results showed that CBL mainly influenced the stimulation of photosynthesis, increasing CO2 fixation and promoting growth. Furthermore, a higher stomata number in an open state was found in CBL-treated plants in relation to the higher CO2 fixation, which also resulted in a higher H2O uptake due to increasing stomatal conductance and nutrient uptake that plants need for growth. The results were due to the increase of phenolic metabolism and the expression of most of the aquaporins, which could be the triggering signal for the rest to the changes observed. The effect of the biostimulation of CBL under salinity was related to higher levels of photosynthesis, the increase of some mineral nutrients, and the increase of some PIP aquaporins expression, although no effect on growth was observed. The results of this work showing the mechanism of action of flavonoids in tomato plants open a new line of investigation with great importance for the future of agronomy. Full article
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2021

Jump to: 2023, 2022, 2020

4 pages, 189 KiB  
Editorial
Towards Sustainable Intensification of Crop Production—Yield Gaps and Water Use Efficiency in Farming Systems
by Anita Ierna
Agronomy 2021, 11(4), 710; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11040710 - 8 Apr 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1736
Abstract
The primary objective of any cropping system continues to be increasing the productivity and profitability of crops [...] Full article

2020

Jump to: 2023, 2022, 2021

17 pages, 2368 KiB  
Article
Morphological and Physiological Traits that Explain Yield Response to Drought Stress in Miscanthus
by Marta Malinowska, Iain Donnison and Paul Robson
Agronomy 2020, 10(8), 1194; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10081194 - 14 Aug 2020
Cited by 29 | Viewed by 4115
Abstract
Miscanthus is a high yielding perennial grass capable of high biomass yields with low inputs. Traits associated with yield have been identified in miscanthus, but less is known about the traits associated with sustaining biomass production under drought stress. The commercial hybrid M. [...] Read more.
Miscanthus is a high yielding perennial grass capable of high biomass yields with low inputs. Traits associated with yield have been identified in miscanthus, but less is known about the traits associated with sustaining biomass production under drought stress. The commercial hybrid M. × giganteus and high yielding examples from the parental species M. sinensis and M. sacchariflorus were grown under well-watered and moderate drought conditions. Growth, morphology, physiology and phenotypic plasticity were analyzed. Functional data were parameterized and a matrix of traits examined for associations with yield, genotype and drought treatment. Phenotypic plasticity was determined, indexes were then calculated to determine the plasticity of trait responses. All genotypes assessed responded to moderate drought stress, and genotypic differences in yield decreased under drought. Genotypes with low tolerance exhibited greater plasticity than highly drought tolerant M. sinensis. In well-watered plants variance in yield was explained by a relatively simple empirical model including stem length and stem number, whereas under drought a more complex model was needed including the addition of leaf area and stomatal conductance data. This knowledge can help us to define ideotypes for drought tolerance and develop miscanthus varieties that sustain high yields across a range of environmental conditions. Full article
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12 pages, 463 KiB  
Article
How Moderate Water Stress Can Affect Water Use Efficiency Indices in Potato
by Anita Ierna and Giovanni Mauromicale
Agronomy 2020, 10(7), 1034; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10071034 - 17 Jul 2020
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 3019
Abstract
Since water is increasingly becoming an expensive and limited resource, it is necessary to improve crop water use efficiency (WUE) to save water while maintaining high yields. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effects of moderate water stress compared to [...] Read more.
Since water is increasingly becoming an expensive and limited resource, it is necessary to improve crop water use efficiency (WUE) to save water while maintaining high yields. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effects of moderate water stress compared to well-watered conditions (supplying 50 or 100% of the maximum evapotranspiration (ETm)) on dry aboveground biomass yield (AB-Y), dry whole biomass yield (WB), tuber yield, irrigation WUE, and WUE at early harvest (E-TY, E-IWUE, E-YWUE), and at final harvest (F-TY, F-IWUE, F-YWUE), on WUE for dry aboveground biomass (AB-WUE) and for dry whole biomass (WB-WUE), on sink/source ratio and dry matter content of tubers in two potato cultivars—Sieglinde and Spunta, in two planting dates (early and late). Moderate water stress, compared to well-watered conditions, resulted in a small decrease in E-TY (−14%) and F-TY (−11%), but a high increase in E-IWUE (+69%) and F-IWUE (+78%), making savings in irrigation water of roughly 380 or 600 m3 per crop cycle in relation to early or final harvest. Moderate water stress improved in Sieglinde IWUE, YWUE, and WB-WUE at final harvest, whereas Spunta appeared more appropriate for early harvest. In the late planting date, the crop used water better compared to the early planting, resulting in a greater increase in IWUE (+77 vs. +66%) and an, albeit, slight increase in the WUE. It would, therefore, be convenient to apply the moderate water stress in the late planting, saving a further 100 m3 of irrigation water. The highest yield, IWUE, and YWUE were reached when moderate water stress was applied in both planting dates on cv. Spunta for early harvest and on cv. Sieglinde for final harvest. It was possible to increase WUE indices and save water, not only by water management, but also by choosing opportune planting dates and cultivars. Full article
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14 pages, 618 KiB  
Article
Productivity of Selected African Leafy Vegetables under Varying Water Regimes
by Innocent Maseko, Bhekumthetho Ncube, Samson Tesfay, Melake Fessehazion, Albert Thembinkosi Modi and Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi
Agronomy 2020, 10(6), 916; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10060916 - 26 Jun 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2980
Abstract
African leafy vegetables (ALVs) are nutrient dense and can contribute to crop and dietary diversity, especially in water-stressed environments. However, research on their productivity under limited water availability remains scant. The objective of the study was to evaluate growth, physiology and yield responses [...] Read more.
African leafy vegetables (ALVs) are nutrient dense and can contribute to crop and dietary diversity, especially in water-stressed environments. However, research on their productivity under limited water availability remains scant. The objective of the study was to evaluate growth, physiology and yield responses of three ALVs (Vigna unguiculata, Corchorus. Olitorius and Amaranthus cruentus) and a reference vegetable (Beta vulgaris var. cicla) to varying water regimes [30%, 60% and 100% of crop water requirement (ETc)]. Field trials using a randomised complete block design, replicated three times, were conducted over two summer seasons, 2015/16 and 2016/17. Leaf number, plant height, chlorophyll content index (CCI), chlorophyll fluorescence (CF), and yield were measured in situ. For A. cruentus and C. olitorius, water stress (30% ETc) was shown to produce a lower yield, although leaf number, plant height and chlorophyll content index were unaffected, while for B. vulgaris, leaf number and yield were reduced by water stress. For V. unguiculata, CF, CCI, plant height, leaf number, and yield were not affected by water stress, indicating its suitability for production in water scarce environments. Using 60% ETc was suitable for the production of A. cruentus, C. olitorius and B. vulgaris var. cicla, whereas 30% ETc is recommended for V. unguiculata. The yield results of V. unguiculata indicate that it performs better, while the yield of A. cruentus and C. olitorius is comparable to that of B. vulgaris under similar conditions, indicating potential for marginal production. Full article
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19 pages, 3312 KiB  
Article
Physiological and Agronomic Responses of Processing Tomatoes to Deficit Irrigation at Critical Stages in a Semi-Arid Environment
by Cristina Patanè, Sebastiano Andrea Corinzia, Giorgio Testa, Danilo Scordia and Salvatore Luciano Cosentino
Agronomy 2020, 10(6), 800; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10060800 - 4 Jun 2020
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2648
Abstract
Deficit irrigation is a valid alternative to conventional irrigation to save water while maintaining high productivity in tomatoes. However, crop sensitivity to water stress due to deficit irrigation may change with the growth stage. To assess the physiological and agronomic responses of processing [...] Read more.
Deficit irrigation is a valid alternative to conventional irrigation to save water while maintaining high productivity in tomatoes. However, crop sensitivity to water stress due to deficit irrigation may change with the growth stage. To assess the physiological and agronomic responses of processing tomatoes to deficit irrigation applied at critical stages, a field experiment was conducted in a coastal site of Southern Italy, where seven irrigation treatments differing for daily evapotranspiration (ETc) restored (100%—full or 50%—deficit) and the time of watering (long-season or limited to the vegetative period or to flowering) were applied to processing tomatoes cv. Hypeel F1. Plants continuously irrigated and those irrigated only at flowering maintained higher rates of leaf transpiration (E) and stomatal conductance (gs) over those irrigated only during the vegetative period. Fruit yield was the greatest under long-season full irrigation (51 t ha−1). Severe soil water deficit during flowering, more than during the vegetative period, adversely affected crop productivity. Irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) was maximized under long-season deficit irrigation (>19 kg m−3) or deficit irrigation during flowering (>16 kg m−3). E and gs measured at early or mid-flowering may be adopted as valuable indicators to predict crop productivity; however, they may be altered under high vapor pressure deficit (VPD). Predawn water potential, being little affected by VPD, is a more reliable parameter than leaf transpiration and stomatal conductance under these climatic conditions. Full article
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11 pages, 2754 KiB  
Article
Deficit Irrigation on Guar Genotypes (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L.) Taub.): Effects on Seed Yield and Water Use Efficiency
by Giovanni Avola, Ezio Riggi, Calvin Trostle, Orazio Sortino and Fabio Gresta
Agronomy 2020, 10(6), 789; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10060789 - 2 Jun 2020
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3806
Abstract
For guar, a well-known drought and heat-tolerant industrial legume with a spring–summer cycle, limited research has been conducted into measuring the effects of drought on yield potential. A two-year field experiment was conducted to explore the effects of different irrigation regimes on yield, [...] Read more.
For guar, a well-known drought and heat-tolerant industrial legume with a spring–summer cycle, limited research has been conducted into measuring the effects of drought on yield potential. A two-year field experiment was conducted to explore the effects of different irrigation regimes on yield, yield components and water use efficiency (WUE) on five cultivars of guar (Kinman, Lewis, Matador, Monument, and Santa Cruz) in a semi-arid Mediterranean environment. Three different water replenishment levels were used: fully irrigated (IH, 100% of the ET), and 50% (IM) and 25% (IL) irrigated. Seed yields ranged from 1.24 (IL) to 3.28 t ha−1 (IH) in 2011, and from 0.98 (IL) to 2.88 t ha−1 (IH) in 2012. Compared to IH, the two-year average seed yield reductions for IL and IM were 49% and 26%, respectively. Lewis and Santa Cruz showed significantly greater grain yields under fully-watered and water-limited conditions. The number of pods per plant achieved the highest positive direct effects on seed yield (r = 0.924***). The highest values of water use efficiency were observed in the IL water regime (1.44 kg m−3 with increments in improved water use efficiency of +34 and +95% when compared with IM and IH, respectively). Full article
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18 pages, 1905 KiB  
Article
Wild Miscanthus Germplasm in a Drought-Affected Area: Physiology and Agronomy Appraisals
by Danilo Scordia, Giovanni Scalici, John Clifton-Brown, Paul Robson, Cristina Patanè and Salvatore Luciano Cosentino
Agronomy 2020, 10(5), 679; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10050679 - 12 May 2020
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 2545
Abstract
Predictions of future climate scenarios indicate that yields from perennial biomass crops (PBCs) growing in the Mediterranean region are likely to decline due to prolonged drought. Among PBCs, Miscanthus grasses with C4 photosynthesis combine high yield potentials and water use efficiencies. However, [...] Read more.
Predictions of future climate scenarios indicate that yields from perennial biomass crops (PBCs) growing in the Mediterranean region are likely to decline due to prolonged drought. Among PBCs, Miscanthus grasses with C4 photosynthesis combine high yield potentials and water use efficiencies. However, the standard commercial clone M. x giganteus (Mxg), with minimal stomatal regulation, is too sensitive to drought for reliable yields in the Mediterranean regions. This paper screened a diverse panel of thirteen Miscanthus genotypes (M. sinensis, M. floridulus, M. sacchariflorus and Mxg) to identify which types could maximize yield under summer drought conditions typical in the South Mediterranean climate. In the second growing season, significant differences were observed for plant height (from 63 to 185 cm), stem number (from 12 to 208 stems plant−1), biomass yield (from 0.17 to 6.4 kg DM plant−1) and whole crop water use efficiency (from 0.11 to 7.0 g L−1). Temporal variation in net photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate and instantaneous water use efficiency identified different strategies adopted by genotypes, and that genotypes selected from M. floridulus and M. sinensis were better adapted to rainfed conditions and could produce six times more biomass than the Mxg. These accessions are being used as parents in experimental breeding aimed at producing future seed-based drought resilient hybrids. Full article
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15 pages, 916 KiB  
Article
Effects of Management Practices on Quinoa Growth, Seed Yield, and Quality
by Ning Wang, Fengxin Wang, Clinton C. Shock, Chaobiao Meng and Lifang Qiao
Agronomy 2020, 10(3), 445; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10030445 - 24 Mar 2020
Cited by 33 | Viewed by 5191
Abstract
Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) yield potential needs to be further achieved by good management practices to meet the increasing global demand. Two years of orthogonal field experiments were undertaken to investigate the effects of irrigation onset criteria using soil matric potential (SMP) [...] Read more.
Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) yield potential needs to be further achieved by good management practices to meet the increasing global demand. Two years of orthogonal field experiments were undertaken to investigate the effects of irrigation onset criteria using soil matric potential (SMP) (−15, −25, and −55 kPa), nitrogen fertilizer rate (80, 160, and 240 kg ha−1), and plant density (20, 30, and 40 plants m−2) on quinoa growth, seed yield, weight, and protein content. Initiating irrigations at an SMP of −15 to −25 kPa achieved significantly (p < 0.05) greater seed yield (37.2 g plant−1), thousand kernel weight (2.25 g), and protein content (21.2%) than −55 kPa (25.2 g plant−1, 2.08 g, and 19.8%, respectively). The 240 kg ha−1 nitrogen rate had significantly (p < 0.05) greater thousand kernel weight (2.26 g) and protein content (21.3%) than 80 (2.07 g and 19.5%, respectively) and 160 kg ha−1 (2.14 g and 20.7%, respectively). The yield under 20 plants m−2 reached 39.5 g plant−1, which was 13.5 g plant−1 higher than 40 plants m−2 (p < 0.05). The quinoa consumed most of the available nitrogen in the soil (410–860 kg ha−1), indicating that quinoa should be part of a sound crop rotation program. Full article
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Planned Papers

The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.

Title: Tuber yield and water use efficiency in potato as affected by water deficit and planting date in a Mediterranean environment
Authors: Anita Ierna1,*, Giovanni Mauromicale
Affiliation: 1 Institute of BioEconomy – National Research Council, via Paolo Gaifami 18, 95126, Catania, Italy, 2 Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Catania, Via Valdisavoia, 5 95123, Catania, Italy

Title: Deficit irrigation on different guar genotypes (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L.) Taub.): effects on seed yield and water use efficiency
Authors: Giovanni Avola1, Calvin Trostle2, Orazio Sortino3, Ezio Riggi1*, Fabio Gresta4
Affiliation: Institute of BioEconomy – National Research Council, via Paolo Gaifami 18, 95126, Catania, Italy, 2 Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Lubbock, TX, USA, 3 Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Catania, Via Valdisavoia, 5 95123, Catania, Italy, 4 Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, Polo Universitario Annunziata, 98168, Messina, Italy

Title: Biomass, water relations and gas exchange of Miscanthus x giganteus in Mediterranean environment
Authors: Corinzia Sebastiano Andrea1, Testa Giorgio1, Patanè Cristina2, Cosentino Salvatore Luciano1,2, Scordia Danilo1
Affiliation: 1 Dipartimento di Agricoltura, Alimentazione e Ambiente, Università degli Studi di Catania, 2 CNR-Istituto per la BioEconomia (IBE)

Title: Physiological and agronomic response of processing tomato as affected by deficit irrigation at critical stages in a semi-arid environment
Authors: Cristina Patanè1,*, 2, Giorgio Testa2, Danilo Scordia2, Salvatore Luciano Cosentino1,2. Corinzia Sebastiano Andrea
Affiliation: 1 CNR-Istituto per la BioEconomia (IBE), via Paolo Gaifami 18, 95126, Catania, Italia 2 Dipartimento di Agricoltura, Alimentazione e Ambiente, Università degli Studi di Catania, Via Valdisavoia, 5 95123, Catania, Italia
Abstract: Cristina Patanè1,*, 2, Giorgio Testa2, Danilo Scordia2, Salvatore Luciano Cosentino1,2. Corinzia Sebastiano Andrea

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