Search Results (254)

Sugarcane is the leading feedstock for bioethanol in Brazil and worldwide, but its continuous cultivation can degrade soil through nutrient depletion and compaction. Integrating green manures such as Crotalaria and pigeon pea into rotations offers a sustainable way to improve soil structure, water infiltration, and nutrient cycling. When combined with sweet sorghum as a complementary crop, these species can mitigate soil physical constraints and strengthen the resilience of sugar–energy systems under rainfed conditions. This three-year field experiment evaluated the effects of green manure and sweet sorghum rotations on sugarcane yield and sandy-soil physical attributes. The treatments were arranged in a 3 × 2 factorial design with randomized blocks, including two green manures (Crotalaria and pigeon pea) and a fallow control, each combined with or without sweet sorghum rotation. Biometric traits and yields were measured for all crops, and soil physical properties were assessed after the sugarcane cycle. Green manure significantly increased the stalk yield and dry matter of both sweet sorghum and sugarcane. In sugarcane, rotations with Crotalaria and pigeon pea enhanced stalk and dry matter yields by up to 18%, while the highest increase (31%) occurred under the sweet sorghum rotation. Furthermore, green manures improved sandy-soil water retention, increased infiltration rates, and reduced penetration resistance. These results demonstrate that legume–sorghum rotations are an effective and low-input strategy to enhance crop yield and sandy-soil physical properties, contributing to more sustainable bioenergy production under tropical rainfed conditions. Full article

Africa’s rainfed agricultural systems are highly exposed to climate change, making shifts in temperature and rainfall a major concern for staple-food crop production. Using a MaxENT ecological niche modelling approach with crop occurrence, elevation, soil and climatic predictors, this study assessed current and future suitability for rainfed maize, millet and sorghum under RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5. The projections show a notable expansion of 11.1–22.0% in areas suitable for maize cultivation, and a decline of 1.6–7.3% in areas suitable for production of millet and sorghum, indicating likelihood for increased food-security risks in regions dependent on drought-tolerant cereals. These differing shifts highlight the need for targeted adaptation measures, including crop diversification and region-specific planning to help sustain crop production under a changing climate. Full article

This article analyzes the scale, fluctuations and geographical distribution of olive (Olea europaea) cultivation in Palestine over 550 years, from the Late Mamluk period (1300–1517), through the Ottoman era (1517–1917), until the end of the British Mandate in 1947. Although olive oil played a dominant role in the diet and the local economy, there is currently no research that measures and quantifies the number of olive trees or the number of villages and towns that cultivated olive trees and produced olive oil. We reconstruct the agricultural landscape with its vast olive groves and examine the cultural history of olive tree farming, the growth of the olive oil industries and their economic role and importance. The earliest figures we have, that are from the year 1596, show that 400 villages cultivated 1,400,794 olive trees. By 1943, there were 6,053,367 olive trees that were cultivated by 644 villages. We found a strong correlation (R² = 0.96, p < 0.01) between the number of olive trees and the number of villages, indicating that olive oil demand and the olive oil industry align with population size. The research data derives from a variety of medieval local chroniclers, as well as diaries by European, North African and Middle Eastern travelers who provide descriptions of olive groves and the olive oil industry. Among the most important sources are the 1596 Ottoman tax registers. The tax registers are the first document that present clear-cut figures on the numbers of olive trees, olive presses and the names of the villages that cultivated olive groves. The main sources for the last period dealt with in this study are the British Mandate maps (1943), which display the acreage of the different crops across Palestine. The data from the maps is supplemented by two modern works on olive cultivation written by agronomists Assaf Goor (b. 1894) and Ali Nasouh (b. 1906) who were born in Palestine and employed by the British department of agriculture. The analysis of data shows that demands of local and oversea markets; the olive oil soap industry, which was based on the local olive oil; as well as competing agricultural crops like sugarcane, cotton and citrus, contributed to a complex economic structure. Olive tree cultivation did not depend on government investment. Olive groves in Palestine were rain fed, and, except for the harvest, they required relatively few working days a year. Hence, moderate policies (low taxation during periods of drought and low yields) adopted by enterprising local rulers and the central British government created a unique and relatively balanced relationship between rulers and farmers, which encouraged olive cultivation and led to a constant increase in the number of olive trees and the development of the olive oil industry. Full article

Improving nitrogen (N) use efficiency in olive cultivation is essential to address the environmental burden of N fertilizers, whose recovery efficiency rarely exceeds 55%. This study evaluates the agronomic and environmental performance of chabazite-rich zeolite as a soil amendment to enable 50% N-fertilizer reduction in olive growing. A seven-year field experiment (2017–2023) was conducted at two sites in Emilia-Romagna (Italy)—one irrigated (Brisighella) and one rainfed (Bertinoro)—comparing four autochthonous varieties under zeolite amendment (ZEO, 50% N) versus conventional fertilization (CNT, 100% N). Vegetative growth, productive parameters, oil quality and environmental impacts (Life Cycle Assessment, ISO 14040/44) were monitored. Under irrigation, ZEO maintained vegetative and productive equivalence with CNT, sustaining commercially viable yields (0.5–2.3 t ha⁻¹). Under rainfed conditions, variety-specific responses emerged: Colombina exhibited 126.2% greater trunk diameter and near-universal fruiting competence (88.9% vs. 29–35% productive plants) under ZEO, while Capolga showed treatment convergence. LCA revealed higher per-unit environmental impacts for ZEO during early orchard phases due to front-loaded extraction burdens, progressively offset by annual N-input reductions. These findings demonstrate that zeolite amendment enables agronomically viable 50% N-fertilizer reduction, with efficacy modulated by water regime and genotype. Full article

Ranked 30th globally in dryness, South Africa faces severe challenges in ensuring fodder security, which is worsened by climate change impacts on agriculture. However, there is still limited knowledge about optimising fodder radish cultivation under shifting climatic conditions. This study investigated the effects of planting dates (December to March), cultivars (Nooitgedacht, Line 2 and Endurance) and seasons (2020/21 and 2021/22) on growth, yield, and crude protein (CP) and mineral concentrations under rainfed conditions. Seasonal variation significantly (p < 0.05) influenced emergence, relative growth, and flowering across planting dates. Fresh tuber yield was highest when Nooitgedacht was planted in December (2052 and 2102 kg ha⁻¹). In contrast, January planting enhanced aboveground biomass and crude protein (CP) yield, with Endurance recording the highest biomass (1260 and 1157.95 kg ha⁻¹ DM) and tuber CP yield (19.2 and 18 kg ha⁻¹). December planting favoured tuber production, whereas January planting optimised biomass, CP yield, and persistence. Planting date and cultivar significantly affected leaf and tuber mineral concentrations. December–January plantings generally enhanced leaf P, K, and Zn concentrations. Endurance and Nooitgedacht accumulated higher micronutrients than Line 2, particularly under early planting. The late flowering of Endurance extended the grazing period, aligning with late-winter forage demand under rainfed conditions. Overall, this study offers practical guidance for improving the quantity and quality of fodder radish in diverse agricultural settings. Future work should evaluate these cultivars across more sites to confirm performance stability under variable rainfall patterns. Full article

Northeast China has undergone large-scale cultivation of agricultural land, accompanied by internal restructuring of paddy fields and rain-fed farmland. Such a land change process has an obvious impact on the ecosystem. However, the quantitative effects of long-term cultivation of land/internal structure on the eco-environment are still lacking in the Heilongjiang region, China’s ecological barrier and grain base. To address this academic issue, the integrated method of land update technology, dynamic tracking, remote sensing classification, and improved ecosystem services were applied using satellite imagery and land products. Through satellite monitoring, the area of cultivated land changed from 127,221.71 to 173,665.12 km², with an increment of 46,443.41 km², expanding the central–northern parts and the eastern part over the past half-century. In different regions, all cities have undergone varying degrees of reclamation rate expansion ranging 0.71–29.62%. Regarding the structure, a quarter of the study area was covered by rain-fed farmland (25.29%), but the cultivation level of paddy fields (2.83%) was very low in 1970; after that, only a 13.08% increment in rain-fed farmland but a high increase of 246.14% in paddy fields was monitored from 1970 to 2020. Meanwhile, the source area of cultivated land was 59,271.48 km², with 60.41% from forest and grassland of the agricultural-forestry ecotone. Its destination area was 12,827.11 km², and 78.49% of the total was converted to construction land, forest, and grassland. From 1970 to 2020, the evaluated ecosystem service changed from 15,575.87 to 12,495.72 × 10⁸ yuan, showing a total loss of 3080.15 × 10⁸ yuan and an annual turnover rate of 0.40%. An important calculation indicated that the expansion and shrinkage of cultivated land led to a 2303.46 × 10⁸ yuan loss, which means that three-quarters (i.e., 74.78%) of ecosystem service loss was caused by cultivated land changes. Another key finding was that a large transformation of wetland into paddy fields brought about the huge loss of 847.85 × 10⁸ yuan; by contrast, the process of extensive rain-fed farmland turning into paddy fields was only a small change of 3.38 × 10⁸ yuan. Considering the ecological loss caused by cultivated land, the projects of returning farmland to forests and wetland protection should be implemented. This study provided important references for land system monitoring and environmental impact assessment in high-latitude regions around the world. Full article

A critical challenge for modern agriculture is the adoption of sustainable and effective strategies, also in the medicinal and aromatic plant (MAP) sector. In many areas, MAP cultivation remains dependent on traditional farming systems, with a lack of innovative techniques. This study investigates the effect of the foliar application of two protein hydrolysates, one animal-derived (PH 1) and one plant-derived (PH 2), on oregano (Origanum vulgare L.) cultivated under rainfed conditions in a representative area of Sicily (Italy). The aim was to evaluate whether these types of biostimulants could enhance production yield compared to untreated plants. Results showed that both protein hydrolysates induced significant improvement of the agronomic responses compared to the control. Specifically, treatments stimulated a substantial enhancement in fresh biomass (increases from 1.9 to 6.5 t ha⁻¹) and dry biomass (increases from 0.9 to 2.4 t ha⁻¹). Total phenolics and antioxidant activity decreased by 15–24% and 7–15%, respectively, compared to control plants during the two years. However, the aromatic profile of the essential oils was not significantly affected by foliar application of the two protein hydrolysates. The use of these foliar biostimulants represents a sustainable and highly effective strategy to maximize productive parameters while maintaining the chemical stability required by the market, offering a significant contribution to the optimization of oregano cultivation. Full article

Soil nitrogen availability is a major constraint to crop productivity in rainfed arid and semi-arid regions. The influence of straw strip mulching on nitrogen availability and transformation across soil layers remains unclear. This study investigates the effect of straw strip mulching on soil nitrogen dynamics and crop-specific variation in wheat- and potato-cultivated soils under rainfed semi-arid conditions. This study consisted of five mulching treatments, including without mulching (Tck), black plastic film mulching (Tp), straw strip mulching (Tss), plant strip without mulch (Tps), and composite strip of straw strip mulching and plant strip without mulch (Tcs) applied in wheat and potato cultivation during 2019 and 2020, and soil nitrogen fractions were determined across different soil depths. Tss mulching showed the highest increase in urease activity (48%), nitrite reductase activity (48%), microbial biomass nitrogen (52%), NH₄ (11%), acid-hydrolyzed total nitrogen (10%), acid-soluble NH₄ (6%), acid-hydrolyzed amino sugar (16%) and acid-hydrolyzable unknown nitrogen (59%) relative to Tck without mulching. While total nitrogen (11%) and acid-hydrolyzed amino acid (9%) were highest in the Tps treatment compared to Tck treatment, the mulching treatment had no significant effect on soil organic nitrogen-derived functional traits. Across all treatments, the 0–20 cm soil layer consistently showed the highest concentrations of observed soil traits, which declined with increasing soil depth. Furthermore, potato-cultivated soils showed consistently higher concentrations of these traits than wheat-cultivated soils, and the concentrations of these traits in 2020 exceeded those observed in 2019. This study highlights that maize straw mulching in strips significantly promotes soil organic nitrogen fractions, particularly in the upper soil layers, and promotes higher nitrogen availability in potato than in wheat-cultivated soils, and is recommended as an effective soil management practice to improve soil nitrogen availability in rainfed semi-arid Loess Plateau conditions. Full article

Optimizing the coupling effect between irrigation and N fertilizer to balance mung bean (Vigna radiata L.) production and the effective utilization of water and fertilizer resources is an important challenge for sustainable agricultural production. In this study, a field drip irrigation experiment was conducted on Mollisols in Northeast China, and twelve treatments were performed: four levels of soil water content (W1, 80~100% of field capacity; W2, 70~90% of field capacity; W3, 60~80% of field capacity; W4, rainfed condition) and three N application treatments (40 (N1), 80 (N2), and 120 (N3) kg/ha). We analyzed the coupling effects of water and N levels on mung bean growth, yield and yield components, water consumption, water use efficiency (WUE) and N partial factor productivity (PFP) in 2021 and 2022 and screened the optimal water and N regulation by the TOPSIS method. The results showed that the amount of N application dominated the regulation of water and N. In the first year, plant height, stem diameter, number of seeds per pod, 100-seeds weight, yield, aboveground dry matter accumulation, WUE, and PFP in mung bean decreased with increasing N applications at the same irrigation treatment. Furthermore, except for WUE, all results of the W3N1 treatment reached the highest levels, at 79.14 cm, 13 mm, 12.4, 6.2 g, 1430.45 kg/ha, 79.27 g (the drumming stage), and 35.76 kg/kg, respectively. The second year, plant height, stem diameter, yield and WUE had an increasing trend with increasing N applications at the W1. Based on the TOPSIS method, the W3N1 treatment could obtain the optimal comprehensive benefits of yield, WUE and PFP. This study can provide a most suitable water and N regulation model for guiding mung bean cultivation in the Mollisols region of Northeast China. Full article

Crop failures are common in rain-fed farming in sub-Saharan Africa, especially in water-scarce South Africa. Inadequate rainfall necessitates innovative solutions to enhance food production. Water-saving irrigation technologies can significantly reduce crop failures, particularly for smallholder farms with limited access to irrigation water. This study evaluated the effects of Self-Regulating, Low-Energy, Clay-Based Irrigation System (SLECI), subsurface (SDI) and surface drip (DI) on the performance of moringa (Moringa oleifera) and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), cultivated either as mono (sole) crops or in intercropping systems, in an open experimental field in South Africa. The experimental design was a factorial Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) replicated three times. The main aim was to assess water productivity and yield performance in different irrigation systems over two growing seasons. The results showed that the SLECI irrigation system was more suitable for M. oleifera, while V. unguiculata performed best with standard drip irrigation. Moringa oleifera fresh leaf biomass was higher under SLECI with sand around the clay element and surface drip irrigation with 1.42 t/ha, followed by the SLECI treatment without sand with 1.25 t/ha, while the least yield was noted in subsurface drip irrigation treatment with 1.18 t/ha. Vigna unguiculata (a dual-purpose crop for grain and leaves) produced higher total fresh biomass yield under subsurface drip irrigation treatment with 66.26 t/ha, followed by the SLECI treatment without sand (61.51 t/ha), while drip and SLECI with sand showed similar yield with 52.34 and 52.31 t/ha, respectively. In M. oleifera, the irrigation water productivity (IWP) varied from 0.26 kg/m³ below the surface to 0.65 kg/m³ after the SLECI treatment with sand. IWP in V. unguiculata treatments ranged from 27.52 kg/m³ in SLECI without sand to 9.52 kg/m³ under surface drip irrigation. In addition, chlorophyll content and stem diameter were elevated under SLECI, reflecting enhanced nutrient and water availability. The findings have important implications for sustainable agriculture under water-limited conditions. Full article

Rice is a vital staple food crop worldwide and also one of the major sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, generating substantial methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O). As one of the key management practices for rice production, the GHG mitigation potential of water management has attracted extensive attention, whereas its global scalability remains to be further investigated. Based on 15,458 global observations of field experimental data, we employed advanced machine learning methods to quantify the GHGs and soil carbon sequestration of global rice systems around 2020. Furthermore, we identified the optimal spatial distribution of GHG mitigation for five rice water management practices (continuous flooding (CF), flooding–midseason drainage–reflooding (FDF), alternate wetting and drying irrigation (AWD), flooding–midseason drainage–intermittent irrigation (FDI), and rainfed cultivation (RF)) through scenario simulation, under the premise of no yield reduction. The results of machine learning simulation showed that optimizing water management could reduce global rice greenhouse gas emissions by 39.17%, equivalent to 340.46 Mt CO₂ eq, while increasing rice yields by 3.55%. This study provides valuable insights for the optimization of agricultural infrastructure and the realization of agricultural sustainable development. Full article

Popcorn (Zea mays everta) is a special type of flint maize that boasts several unique popping characteristics highly valued worldwide. Water-limiting conditions strongly influence the major popcorn quality attributes: expansion volume, popability, and nutritional composition. The objectives of this study were to identify rainfed popcorn genotypes with superior popping quality, nutritional quality, and agronomic performance. Seven diverse popcorn genotypes, including a check cultivar, were evaluated for two consecutive years (2023–2024) using a randomized complete block design with three replications at the university research farm, PMAS-AAUR. Significant genetic variations were observed across all morphological, physiological, and quality-related traits. Among the evaluated materials, Pop-2 consistently exhibited outstanding performance in key agronomic and physiological attributes as well as in popping quality, while Pop-5 and Pop-3 also showed promising potential. Overall, Pop-2, Pop-5, and Pop-3 were identified as the most suitable genotypes for cultivation and are recommended as candidates for future breeding programs targeting improved popcorn performance under rainfed conditions. Full article

Leaf photosynthesis plays an important role in maize growth and yield components due to its involvement in dry matter partitioning and organ formation. Nevertheless, how varying planting patterns affect maize leaf photosynthesis, chlorophyll fluorescence and subsequently maize yield remains poorly understood, particularly at various nitrogen rates. A two-season field experiment was performed on rainfed maize in 2021 and 2022 to explore the responses of photosynthetic physiological characteristics, leaf N and chlorophyll contents, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, grain yield and water productivity to various planting patterns and N rates. The experiment included six planting patterns, i.e., flat planting without mulching (CK), flat planting with straw mulching (SM), ridge mulched with transparent film and furrow without mulching (RP1), flat planting with full transparent film mulching (FM1), ridge mulched with black film and furrow without mulching (RP2), and flat planting with full black film mulching (FM2). Additionally, there were two nitrogen rates, i.e., 0 kg N ha⁻¹ (N0) and 180 kg N ha⁻¹. The results showed that nitrogen application significantly improved leaf physiological characteristics. Under various planting patterns, leaf photosynthetic pigments, leaf area duration, leaf nitrogen content, QYmax and ΦPSII ranked as RP2 > RP1(FM2) > FM1 > SM(CK) in 2021, and RP2(RP1) > FM1(FM2) > SM(CK) in 2022. No significant variations were observed in water productivity (WP) among different film colors, with overall performance of RP2(FM2) > RP1(FM1) > SM > CK. WP significantly improved by 36.14% and 25.15% under N1 compared to N0 in 2021 and 2022, respectively. This pattern paralleled the fluctuation in water consumption intensity. Compared to CK, RP significantly increased leaf nitrogen content (29.3%), total Chl content (16.0%), QYmax (6.39%), ΦPSII (32.01%), and net photosynthesis rate (14.2%), thereby significantly improving grain yield (46.35%) and WP (27.69%), while reducing evapotranspiration (6.84%). Yield performance ranked as RP2 > (RP1 and FM2) > FM1 > SM > CK in 2021 and RP2 > RP1 > (FM1 and FM2) > SM > CK in 2022. Overall, RP2N1 obtained the highest principal component scores in both years, suggesting great potential to improve leaf photosynthetic physiological characteristics, thereby increasing grain production and ensuring food security in rainfed maize cultivation areas. Full article

Climate change significantly impacts crop yields, necessitating an evaluation of its effects and the development of adaptation strategies for future potato production. This study utilized the SUBSTOR-Potato model from the DSSAT software version 4.8 and daily weather data from LARS.WG to simulate potato production under three climate change scenarios (ssps 126, 245, and 585) from 2025 to 2087 in Southern Shan State, Myanmar. High-emission scenarios are associated with extreme weather, characterized by higher temperatures and variable precipitation. The results indicated that yields would be lowest under the ssp585 scenario, with around a 25% difference between ssp126 and ssp585. Adaptation strategies, such as delaying planting dates, positively impacted yields, while early planting resulted in lower outcomes. Extending the crop cycle by adjusting harvest times helped early-planted potatoes achieve yields similar to optimally timed ones. However, increasing fertilizer use did not significantly enhance yields under climate change conditions. The study emphasizes the importance of selecting cultivars, as heat-resistant varieties struggled in lower emission scenarios. This study provides comprehensive insights into climate change impacts on potato cultivation in Southern Shan State and offers practical, cost-effective adaptation strategies applicable to similar rainfed potato systems across Southeast Asia. Full article

This study aimed to develop a nutraceutical gummy candy enriched with hydrolysed hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) as a natural antioxidant and antihypertensive ingredient. Three European cultivars—Futura 75, Henola, and KC Zuzana—were cultivated under rainfed (RF) and irrigated (RFCI) conditions and assessed for nutritional composition and bioactivity. Henola variety showed the most favourable profile, showing the highest protein content under RFCI (29.4 g 100 g⁻¹ d.m.) and the greatest phenolic concentration under RF (15.8 µmol GAE g⁻¹ d.m.), with 35–40% higher antioxidant capacity than the other cultivars. Henola (RF) was selected for enzymatic hydrolysis with Ultraflo^® XL, which enhanced total phenolics and antioxidant capacity by 65% and 58%, respectively, stabilizing after 18 h. Incorporation of the hydrolysate (0.66%) into a pectin-based gummy significantly (p < 0.05) increased total phenolic content by 52% and antioxidant capacity by up to 60% compared with controls. After simulated digestion, bioactivity decreased by 30–45% but remained higher than controls. The incorporation of 0. 66 g of hydrolysed ingredient in 100 g of gummy increased ACE inhibition by 10% after digestion, probably associated with the peptides released during the digestion, confirming hydrolysed hemp as a stable multifunctional ingredient for plant-based nutraceutical formulations targeting oxidative stress and hypertension. Full article