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Shu D, Banerjee S, Mao X, Zhang J, Cui W, Zhang W, Zhang B, Chen S, Jiao S, Wei G. Conversion of monocropping to intercropping promotes rhizosphere microbiome functionality and soil nitrogen cycling. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 949:174953. [PMID: 39069174 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2024] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 07/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Intercropping can increase soil nutrient availability and provide greater crop yields for intensive agroecosystems. Despite its multiple benefits, how intercropping influences rhizosphere microbiome assemblages, functionality, and complex soil nitrogen cycling is not fully understood. Here, a three-year field experiment was carried out on different cropping system with five fertilization treatments at the main soybean production regions. We found that soybean yields in intercropped systems were on average 17 % greater than in monocropping system, regardless of fertilization treatments. We also found that intercropping systems significant increased network modularity (by 46 %) and functional diversity (by 11 %) than monocropping systems. Metagenomics analyses further indicated intercropping promotes microbiome functional adaptation, particularly enriching core functions related to nitrogen metabolism. Cropping patterns had a stronger influence on the functional genes associated with soil nitrogen cycling (R2 = 0.499). Monocropping systems increased the abundance of functional genes related to organic nitrogen ammonification, nitrogen fixation, and denitrification, while functional guilds of nitrate assimilation (by 28 %), nitrification (by 31 %), and dissimilatory nitrate reduction (by 10.1 %) genes were enriched in intercropping systems. Furthermore, we found that abiotic factors (i.e. AP, pH, and Moisture) are important drivers in shaping soil microbial community assemblage and nitrogen cycling. The functional genes include hzsB, and nrfA, and nxrA that affected by these biotic and abiotic variables were strongly related to crop yield (R2 = 0.076 ~ R2 = 0.249), suggesting a key role for maintaining crop production. We demonstrated that land use conversion from maize monocropping to maize-soybean intercropping diversify rhizosphere microbiome and functionality signatures, and intercropping increased key gene abundance related to soil nitrogen cycling to maintain the advantage of crop yield. The results of this study significantly facilitate our understanding of the complex soil nitrogen cycling processes and lay the foundation for manipulating desired specific functional taxa for improved crop productivity under sustainable intensification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duntao Shu
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Improvement for Stress Tolerance and Production, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
| | - Samiran Banerjee
- Department of Microbiological Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo 58102, ND, USA
| | - Xinyi Mao
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Improvement for Stress Tolerance and Production, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Jiaqi Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Improvement for Stress Tolerance and Production, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Weili Cui
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Improvement for Stress Tolerance and Production, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Wu Zhang
- Heihe Branch, Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Heihe, Heilongjiang 150086, China
| | - Baogang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou 311300, China
| | - Sanfeng Chen
- College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100091, China
| | - Shuo Jiao
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Improvement for Stress Tolerance and Production, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Gehong Wei
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Improvement for Stress Tolerance and Production, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
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2
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Bass E, Mutyambai DM, Midega CAO, Khan ZR, Kessler A. Associational Effects of Desmodium Intercropping on Maize Resistance and Secondary Metabolism. J Chem Ecol 2024; 50:299-318. [PMID: 38305931 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-024-01470-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Intercropping is drawing increasing attention as a strategy to increase crop yields and manage pest pressure, however the mechanisms of associational resistance in diversified cropping systems remain controversial. We conducted a controlled experiment to assess the impact of co-planting with silverleaf Desmodium (Desmodium uncinatum) on maize secondary metabolism and resistance to herbivory by the spotted stemborer (Chilo partellus). Maize plants were grown either in the same pot with a Desmodium plant or adjacent to it in a separate pot. Our findings indicate that co-planting with Desmodium influences maize secondary metabolism and herbivore resistance through both above and below-ground mechanisms. Maize growing in the same pot with a Desmodium neighbor was less attractive for oviposition by spotted stemborer adults. However, maize exposed only to above-ground Desmodium cues generally showed increased susceptibility to spotted stemborer herbivory (through both increased oviposition and larval consumption). VOC emissions and tissue secondary metabolite titers were also altered in maize plants exposed to Desmodium cues, with stronger effects being observed when maize and Desmodium shared the same pot. Specifically, benzoxazinoids were strongly suppressed in maize roots by direct contact with a Desmodium neighbor while headspace emissions of short-chain aldehydes and alkylbenzenes were increased. These results imply that direct root contact or soil-borne cues play an important role in mediating associational effects on plant resistance in this system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan Bass
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Daniel M Mutyambai
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (Icipe), Nairobi, Kenya
- Department of Life Sciences, South Eastern Kenya University, P.O Box 170-90200, Kitui, Kenya
| | - Charles A O Midega
- Poverty and Health Integrated Solutions (PHIS), Kisumu, Kenya
- Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, IPM Program, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | - Zeyaur R Khan
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (Icipe), Nairobi, Kenya
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, Mbita, Kenya
| | - André Kessler
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
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3
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Li C, Lambers H, Jing J, Zhang C, Bezemer TM, Klironomos J, Cong WF, Zhang F. Belowground cascading biotic interactions trigger crop diversity benefits. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024:S1360-1385(24)00115-8. [PMID: 38821841 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2024.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Revised: 04/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024]
Abstract
Crop diversification practices offer numerous synergistic benefits. So far, research has traditionally been confined to exploring isolated, unidirectional single-process interactions among plants, soil, and microorganisms. Here, we present a novel and systematic perspective, unveiling the intricate web of plant-soil-microbiome interactions that trigger cascading effects. Applying the principles of cascading interactions can be an alternative way to overcome soil obstacles such as soil compaction and soil pathogen pressure. Finally, we introduce a research framework comprising the design of diversified cropping systems by including commercial varieties and crops with resource-efficient traits, the exploration of cascading effects, and the innovation of field management. We propose that this provides theoretical and methodological insights that can reveal new mechanisms by which crop diversity increases productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunjie Li
- State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Hans Lambers
- State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; School of Biological Sciences and Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Jingying Jing
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, 100193 Beijing, China
| | - Chaochun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - T Martijn Bezemer
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, 2333, BE, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - John Klironomos
- Department of Biology, Chemistry and Environmental Sciences, American University of Sharjah, PO Box 26666, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Wen-Feng Cong
- State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
| | - Fusuo Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
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Sultan MTH, Shahar FS, Zain MIM, Komoo I. A systematic review of the role of integrated farming and the participation of universities in ensuring food security: Malaysia's effort. Ital J Food Saf 2024; 13:11854. [PMID: 38846045 PMCID: PMC11154168 DOI: 10.4081/ijfs.2024.11854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Food security is critical for promoting health and well-being and achieving sustainable development, especially in developing countries. Despite the recent efforts to improve it, food security is still a concern due to the rapid increase in populations, conflicts, and natural disasters worldwide. Universities, particularly agricultural universities, play an essential role in addressing food security issues by researching, developing new technologies, and providing education and training to farmers and other stakeholders. The main objective of this review is to discuss the role of universities and integrated farming in ensuring food security, specifically in Malaysia. It includes a brief overview of the different types of integrated farming methods that can be used to improve food security and finally discusses the Student Farmer Entrepreneur program, which can be crucial for promoting food security by increasing agricultural productivity, promoting local food production, encouraging sustainable agriculture practices, and supporting rural development. This review also considers the significant impact of the Malaysian government and universities on food security. With integrated farming and the Student Farmer Entrepreneur program, food security can be further improved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Thariq Hameed Sultan
- Laboratory of Biocomposite Technology, Institute of Tropical Forestry and Forest Products, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor
- Aerospace Malaysia Innovation Center, Prime Minister’s Department, MIGHT Partnership Hub, Cyberjaya, Selangor
| | - Farah Syazwani Shahar
- Laboratory of Biocomposite Technology, Institute of Tropical Forestry and Forest Products, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor
| | - Mohd Izani Mohd Zain
- Department of Government and Civilization Studies, Faculty of Human Ecology, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang
- Deputy Vice Chancellor (Student and Alumni Affairs), Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Nerus, Terengganu
| | - Ibrahim Komoo
- Chancellery Putra Building, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
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Duan J, Liu H, Zhang X, Ren C, Wang C, Cheng L, Xu J, Gu B. Agricultural management practices in China enhance nitrogen sustainability and benefit human health. NATURE FOOD 2024; 5:378-389. [PMID: 38565650 DOI: 10.1038/s43016-024-00953-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
The potential of enhanced agricultural management practices to drive sustainability is rarely quantified at grassroots level. Here we analyse nitrogen use and loss in Chinese cropland, drawing from data collected in 2,238,550 sites in two national agricultural pollution source censuses from 2007 to 2017. We find an upswing of 10% in crop yields and an 8% reduction in nitrogen pollution during this period, owing to the promotion and adoption of various management practices (including the combination of organic and chemical fertilizers, straw recycling and deep placement of fertilizer). These practices have collectively contributed to an 18% increase in nitrogen use efficiency in the country. By fully embracing them, we project that annual cropland pollution could be further reduced by up to 1.4 Mt of nitrogen without compromising crop yields. Environmental and human health benefits are projected to consistently outweigh implementation costs in the future, with total benefits reaching US$15 billion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiakun Duan
- College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Policy Simulation Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongbin Liu
- Key Laboratory of Nonpoint Source Pollution Control, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiuming Zhang
- College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Policy Simulation Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Chenchen Ren
- College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Policy Simulation Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
- Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Chen Wang
- College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Policy Simulation Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Luxi Cheng
- College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Policy Simulation Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianming Xu
- College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Baojing Gu
- College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
- Policy Simulation Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China.
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
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Zhang L, Yang Y, Li Z, Li FM, Huang J, Zhang F. Identifying synergistic solutions for the food-energy-water nexus via plastic film mulching cultivation. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 920:171046. [PMID: 38369151 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Food security, water scarcity, and excessive fossil energy use pose considerable challenges to sustainable agriculture. To understand how rain-fed farming systems on the Loess Plateau, China, reconcile yield increases with ecological conservation, we conducted an integrated evaluation based on the denitrification-decomposition (DNDC) model, agricultural statistics data using the Food-Energy-Water (FEW) nexus indicator. The results showed that maize yields with ridge-furrow plastic film mulching (PFM) were 3479, 8942, and 11,124 kg ha-1 under low (50 kg N ha-1), medium (200 kg N ha-1), and high (350 kg N ha-1) nitrogen (N) fertilizer rates, respectively, and that PFM increased yield and water use efficiency (WUE) by 110-253 % and 166-205 % compared to using no mulching (control, CK), respectively. Plastic film mulching also increased net energy (126-436 %), energy use efficiency (81-578 %), energy productivity (100-670 %), and energy profitability (126-994 %), and nitrogen fertilizer, compound fertilizer, and diesel fuel consumption by agricultural machinery were the main energy inputs. The PFM system reduced water consumption during the maize growing season and the green water footprint and gray water footprint decreased by 66-74 % and 44-68 %, respectively. The FEW nexus indicator, based on a high production at low environmental cost scenario, was greater under the PFM system and had the widest spatial distribution area at the medium-N application rate. Among the environmental factors, the nexus indicator was negatively correlated with precipitation (-0.37), air temperature (-0.36), and the aridity index (-0.36), but positively correlated with elevation (0.17). Our results suggest that the PFM system promotes resource-saving while increasing yields and moves dryland agriculture in an environmentally friendly direction, thus promoting the sustainable development of agroecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology/Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Physiology, Agricultural College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; Research Institute of Rice Industrial Engineering Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agroecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Yifan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agroecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Zhansheng Li
- Asia Hub, Sanya Institute of Nanjing Agricultural University, Sanya, Hainan 572000, China
| | - Feng-Min Li
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agroecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Jie Huang
- Animal Husbandry, Pasture and Green Agriculture Institute, Gansu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730070, China.
| | - Feng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agroecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China.
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7
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Gui D, Zhang Y, Lv J, Guo J, Sha Z. Effects of intercropping on soil greenhouse gas emissions - A global meta-analysis. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 918:170632. [PMID: 38309333 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
Diversified cropping systems, such as intercropping, have shown multifunctionality in agronomic productivity promotion, pest control, and soil health improvement. However, the intense interaction between crop species stimulates soil carbon and nitrogen turnover, and intercropping systems cause inexplicit effects on soil greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). Therefore, a comprehensive meta-analysis using 52 published articles (531 paired observations) was conducted to elucidate the effects of intercropping on soil N2O, CO2, and CH4 emissions under different environmental conditions and field practices to identify the primary driving factors, such as climate, soil and field practices. The results showed that intercropping treatment had a non-significant impact on the three GHG emissions on average. However, using a cereal-legume intercropping regime, adopting moderate N application rate or intercropping in alkaline soils could significantly mitigate soil N2O emission. Additionally, intercropping in soils with high soil organic carbon reduce soil CH4 emission. On the contrary, increasing intercropping duration, or adopted in soils with moderate soil total N tended to stimulate CO2 emission. The mixed-effect model selection indicated that initial soil pH, MAP, MAT, tillage regime, and intercropping duration and type were significant moderators in regulating soil GHG emissions. Our findings explicitly elucidated soil GHG responses to intercropping practice. Further studies are warranted on the evaluation of long-term intercropping effects to improve the comprehensive understanding of C and N balance and global warming potential under intercropping.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongyang Gui
- Yunnan Provincial Field Scientific Observation and Research Station on Water-Soil-Crop System in Seasonal Arid Region, Faculty of Modern Agricultural Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Yuyang Zhang
- The National-Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of High Efficiency and Superior-Quality Cultivation and Fruit Deep Processing Technology on Characteristic Fruit Trees, College of Horticulture and Forestry Sciences, Tarim University, Alar 843300, China.
| | - Jiyang Lv
- Yunnan Provincial Field Scientific Observation and Research Station on Water-Soil-Crop System in Seasonal Arid Region, Faculty of Modern Agricultural Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Jiayi Guo
- Yunnan Provincial Field Scientific Observation and Research Station on Water-Soil-Crop System in Seasonal Arid Region, Faculty of Modern Agricultural Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Zhipeng Sha
- Yunnan Provincial Field Scientific Observation and Research Station on Water-Soil-Crop System in Seasonal Arid Region, Faculty of Modern Agricultural Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China.
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8
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Yang X, Xiong J, Du T, Ju X, Gan Y, Li S, Xia L, Shen Y, Pacenka S, Steenhuis TS, Siddique KHM, Kang S, Butterbach-Bahl K. Diversifying crop rotation increases food production, reduces net greenhouse gas emissions and improves soil health. Nat Commun 2024; 15:198. [PMID: 38172570 PMCID: PMC10764956 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44464-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Global food production faces challenges in balancing the need for increased yields with environmental sustainability. This study presents a six-year field experiment in the North China Plain, demonstrating the benefits of diversifying traditional cereal monoculture (wheat-maize) with cash crops (sweet potato) and legumes (peanut and soybean). The diversified rotations increase equivalent yield by up to 38%, reduce N2O emissions by 39%, and improve the system's greenhouse gas balance by 88%. Furthermore, including legumes in crop rotations stimulates soil microbial activities, increases soil organic carbon stocks by 8%, and enhances soil health (indexed with the selected soil physiochemical and biological properties) by 45%. The large-scale adoption of diversified cropping systems in the North China Plain could increase cereal production by 32% when wheat-maize follows alternative crops in rotation and farmer income by 20% while benefiting the environment. This study provides an example of sustainable food production practices, emphasizing the significance of crop diversification for long-term agricultural resilience and soil health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolin Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Agricultural Water Resources, Beijing, 100083, China.
- College of Water Resources & Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100083, China.
| | - Jinran Xiong
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Agricultural Water Resources, Beijing, 100083, China
- College of Water Resources & Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Taisheng Du
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Agricultural Water Resources, Beijing, 100083, China.
- College of Water Resources & Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100083, China.
| | - Xiaotang Ju
- School of Tropical Agriculture and Forestry, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China.
| | - Yantai Gan
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325035, China.
- The μBC-Soil Group, Tallus Heights, Kelowna, BC, Canada.
| | - Sien Li
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Agricultural Water Resources, Beijing, 100083, China
- College of Water Resources & Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Longlong Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Yanjun Shen
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Water Resources, Centre for Agricultural Resources Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shijiazhuang, 050022, China
| | - Steven Pacenka
- Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Riley-Robb Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Tammo S Steenhuis
- Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Riley-Robb Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Kadambot H M Siddique
- The UWA Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, 6001, Australia
| | - Shaozhong Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Agricultural Water Resources, Beijing, 100083, China
- College of Water Resources & Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Klaus Butterbach-Bahl
- Land-CRAFT, Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research, Atmospheric Environmental Research (IMK-IFU), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Garmisch Partenkirchen, Germany
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9
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Wang L, Geilfus CM, Sun T, Zhao Z, Li W, Zhang X, Wu X, Tan D, Liu Z. Double gains: Boosting crop productivity and reducing carbon footprints through maize-legume intercropping in the Yellow River Delta, China. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 344:140328. [PMID: 37783359 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
The increasing demand for environmentally friendly agricultural practices has driven the need for diversified crop cultivation to optimize crop productivity while minimizing carbon footprints (CFs). However, the impacts of crop diversification on crop production and environmental benefits are still poorly understood. In this study, conducted at two sites in the Yellow River Delta, China, we investigated the effects of legume intercropping, specifically maize/soybean (M/S) and maize/peanut (M/P) systems, on crop productivity, economic return, ecosystem economic budget (NEEB), CF, and carbon sustainability index (CSI) in comparison to conventional monocrops. Crops were grown in replicated field plots and fertilized in their strips according to common practice for monocrops. Compared to the expected averages of monocrops, maize/legume intercropping demonstrated higher crop yields, with M/S achieving a 37% and 43% increase at the two sites, respectively, and M/P achieving an 11% and 20% increase. The higher overyielding in M/S was attributed to stronger selection effects, i.e., interspecific facilitation. However, the complementarity effects induced by the competitive dominance of maize were similar in both intercropping systems. Additionally, M/S exhibited greater potential for improving net revenues compared to M/P. Life cycle assessments revealed lower CFs in the intercropping systems compared to monocultures. M/S reduced CFs per unit of area by 26.8% at both sites, CFs per unit of maize equivalent energy yield by 25% and 33%, and CFs per unit of revenue by 20% and 25% at the two sites, respectively. M/P also resulted in reduced CFs, albeit to a lesser extent. Intercropping enhanced the CSI, with the highest values observed in the M/S system. However, both intercropping systems showed limited effects on soil C sequestration. Overall, our results highlight that maize/legume intercropping is a feasible approach to enhance crop productivity while reducing CFs. The M/S system outperformed the M/P system in terms of crop yields, economic benefits, and CF reduction. However, the intercropping systems showed limited effects on SOC storage. This study provides important implications for sustainable agriculture by appropriate crop diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, 250100, China; National Center of Technology Innovation for Comprehensive Utilization of Saline-Alkali Land, Dongying, 257345, China; Institute of Modern Agriculture on Yellow River Delta, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, 250100, China
| | - Christoph-Martin Geilfus
- Department of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, Hochschule Geisenheim University, Geisenheim, 65366, Germany
| | - Tao Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, 250100, China
| | - Zichao Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, 250100, China
| | - Wei Li
- Shandong Academy of Agricultural Machinery Sciences, Jinan, 250100, China
| | - Xiaodong Zhang
- National Center of Technology Innovation for Comprehensive Utilization of Saline-Alkali Land, Dongying, 257345, China; Institute of Crop Germplasm Resources, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, 250100, China
| | - Xiaobin Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, 250100, China
| | - Deshui Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, 250100, China.
| | - Zhaohui Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, 250100, China; National Center of Technology Innovation for Comprehensive Utilization of Saline-Alkali Land, Dongying, 257345, China.
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10
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Liu M, Zhao H. Maize-soybean intercropping improved maize growth traits by increasing soil nutrients and reducing plant pathogen abundance. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1290825. [PMID: 38098655 PMCID: PMC10720616 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1290825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Maize (Zea mays L.)-soybean (Glycine max L.) intercropping has been widely utilized in agricultural production due to its effectiveness in improving crop yield and nutrient use efficiency. However, the responses of maize rhizosphere microbial communities and the plant pathogen relative abundance to maize growth traits in maize-soybean intercropping systems with different chemical nitrogen fertilizer application rates remain unclear. Methods In this study, a field experiment was conducted, and the bacterial and fungal communities of maize rhizosphere soils in maize-soybean intercropping systems treated with different N fertilization rates were investigated using Illumina NovaSeq sequencing. Maize growth traits, soil physicochemical properties and soil enzyme activities were also examined. Results and discussion We found that intercropping and N fertilizer treatments strongly influenced soil microbial diversity, structure and function. The PLSPM (partial least squares path modeling) confirmed that soil nutrients directly positively affected maize biomass and that intercropping practices indirectly positively affected maize biomass via soil nutrients, especially NH4+-N. Intercropping agronomic approaches also improved maize growth traits by reducing the plant pathogen abundance, and the relative abundance of the plant pathogen Trichothecium roseum significantly decreased with intercropping treatments compared to monocropping treatments. These results confirmed the benefits of maize-soybean intercropping treatments for agricultural production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meiyu Liu
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Water Resources, Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shijiazhuang, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Huicheng Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Water Resources, Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shijiazhuang, China
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11
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Tan F, Hou Y, Huang X, Jia J, Yang H, Luo P. Temporal and spatial arrangement of wheat sowing date: a revolutionary strategy to accomplish Tianfu Granary. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1240417. [PMID: 38053769 PMCID: PMC10694224 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1240417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
Rapidly global urbanization and economic growth in the past several decades have resulted in a sharp contraction of arable areas worldwide. However, food supply requirements are quickly increasing due to higher living standards and larger populations. Therefore, food crises are still a major threat to human society. The conflict between farmland areas and the increasing need for essential supplies is becoming acuter in China. Therefore, we suggest that a novel strategy would address the issue, in which temporal and spatial arrangement of wheat sowing dates would be highly focused.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feiquan Tan
- Key Laboratory of Plant Genetics and Breeding at Sichuan Agricultural University of Sichuan Province, Agricultural College, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yulian Hou
- Key Laboratory of Plant Genetics and Breeding at Sichuan Agricultural University of Sichuan Province, Agricultural College, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xinyu Huang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Genetics and Breeding at Sichuan Agricultural University of Sichuan Province, Agricultural College, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jia Jia
- Key Laboratory of Plant Genetics and Breeding at Sichuan Agricultural University of Sichuan Province, Agricultural College, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Huai Yang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Genetics and Breeding at Sichuan Agricultural University of Sichuan Province, Agricultural College, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
- Sichuan Long-Gao-Fei Agricultural Science and Technology Co., Ltd, Chengdu, China
| | - Peigao Luo
- Key Laboratory of Plant Genetics and Breeding at Sichuan Agricultural University of Sichuan Province, Agricultural College, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
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12
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Du X, Xi M, Kong L, Chen X, Zhang L, Zhang H, Dai Q, Wu W. Energy budgeting and carbon footprint of different wheat-rice cropping systems in China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 879:163102. [PMID: 36966835 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Wheat-rice cropping system in China, characterized by smallholder with conventional practice, is energy- and carbon-intensive. Cooperative with scientific practice is a promising practice to increase resource use while reducing environmental impact. However, comprehensive studies of the energy and carbon (C) budgeting of management practices on the actual field-scale production under different production types are lacking. The present research examined the energy and C budgeting of smallholder and cooperative using conventional practice (CP) or scientific practice (SP) at the field scale level in the Yangtze River Plain, China. The SPs and cooperatives exhibited 9.14 % and 6.85 % and 4.68 % and 2.49 % higher grain yields over the corresponding CPs and smallholders, respectively, while maintaining 48.44 % and 28.50 % and 38.81 % and 20.16 % higher net income. Compared to the CPs, the corresponding SPs reduced the total energy input by 10.35 % and 7.88 %, and the energy savings were primarily attributable to reductions in fertilizer, water, and seeds through the use of improved techniques. The total energy input in the cooperatives was 11.53 % and 9.09 % lower than that for the corresponding smallholders due to the mechanistic enhancements and improved operational efficiency. As a result of the increased yields and reduced energy inputs, the SPs and cooperatives ultimately increased energy use efficiency. The high productivity attributed to increased C output in the SPs, which increased C use efficiency and the C sustainability index (CSI) but decreased the C footprint (CF) over the corresponding CPs. The higher productivity and more efficient machinery of cooperatives increased the CSI and reduced the CF compared to the corresponding smallholders. Overall, the SPs coupled with cooperatives were the most energy efficient, C efficient, profitable and productive for wheat-rice cropping systems. In the future, improved fertilization management practices and integration of smallholder farms were effective means for developing sustainable agriculture and promoting environmental safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangbei Du
- Crop Research Institute, Anhui Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hefei 230031, Anhui Province, PR China
| | - Min Xi
- Rice Research Institute, Anhui Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hefei 230031, Anhui Province, PR China
| | - Lingcong Kong
- Crop Research Institute, Anhui Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hefei 230031, Anhui Province, PR China
| | - Xiaofei Chen
- Crop Research Institute, Anhui Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hefei 230031, Anhui Province, PR China
| | - Ligan Zhang
- College of Resources and Environment, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230031, Anhui Province, PR China.
| | - Hongcheng Zhang
- College of Agronomy, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu Province, PR China
| | - Qigen Dai
- College of Agronomy, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu Province, PR China
| | - Wenge Wu
- Rice Research Institute, Anhui Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hefei 230031, Anhui Province, PR China.
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13
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Neik TX, Siddique KHM, Mayes S, Edwards D, Batley J, Mabhaudhi T, Song BK, Massawe F. Diversifying agrifood systems to ensure global food security following the Russia–Ukraine crisis. FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2023.1124640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The recent Russia–Ukraine conflict has raised significant concerns about global food security, leaving many countries with restricted access to imported staple food crops, particularly wheat and sunflower oil, sending food prices soaring with other adverse consequences in the food supply chain. This detrimental effect is particularly prominent for low-income countries relying on grain imports, with record-high food prices and inflation affecting their livelihoods. This review discusses the role of Russia and Ukraine in the global food system and the impact of the Russia–Ukraine conflict on food security. It also highlights how diversifying four areas of agrifood systems—markets, production, crops, and technology can contribute to achieving food supply chain resilience for future food security and sustainability.
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14
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Raza A, Mubarik MS, Sharif R, Habib M, Jabeen W, Zhang C, Chen H, Chen ZH, Siddique KHM, Zhuang W, Varshney RK. Developing drought-smart, ready-to-grow future crops. THE PLANT GENOME 2023; 16:e20279. [PMID: 36366733 DOI: 10.1002/tpg2.20279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Breeding crop plants with increased yield potential and improved tolerance to stressful environments is critical for global food security. Drought stress (DS) adversely affects agricultural productivity worldwide and is expected to rise in the coming years. Therefore, it is vital to understand the physiological, biochemical, molecular, and ecological mechanisms associated with DS. This review examines recent advances in plant responses to DS to expand our understanding of DS-associated mechanisms. Suboptimal water sources adversely affect crop growth and yields through physical impairments, physiological disturbances, biochemical modifications, and molecular adjustments. To control the devastating effect of DS in crop plants, it is important to understand its consequences, mechanisms, and the agronomic and genetic basis of DS for sustainable production. In addition to plant responses, we highlight several mitigation options such as omics approaches, transgenics breeding, genome editing, and biochemical to mechanical methods (foliar treatments, seed priming, and conventional agronomic practices). Further, we have also presented the scope of conventional and speed breeding platforms in helping to develop the drought-smart future crops. In short, we recommend incorporating several approaches, such as multi-omics, genome editing, speed breeding, and traditional mechanical strategies, to develop drought-smart cultivars to achieve the 'zero hunger' goal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Raza
- Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Genetics, Breeding and Multiple Utilization of Crops, Oil Crops Research Institute, Center of Legume Crop Genetics and Systems Biology/College of Agriculture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry Univ., Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | | | - Rahat Sharif
- Dep. of Horticulture, College of Horticulture and Plant Protection, Yangzhou Univ., Yangzhou, Jiangsu, 225009, China
| | - Madiha Habib
- National Institute for Genomics and Advanced Biotechnology, National Agricultural Research Centre, Park Rd., Islamabad, 45500, Pakistan
| | - Warda Jabeen
- Institute of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National Univ. of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, 44000, Pakistan
| | - Chong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Genetics, Breeding and Multiple Utilization of Crops, Oil Crops Research Institute, Center of Legume Crop Genetics and Systems Biology/College of Agriculture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry Univ., Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Hua Chen
- Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Genetics, Breeding and Multiple Utilization of Crops, Oil Crops Research Institute, Center of Legume Crop Genetics and Systems Biology/College of Agriculture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry Univ., Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Zhong-Hua Chen
- School of Science, Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney Univ., Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Kadambot H M Siddique
- The UWA Institute of Agriculture, The Univ. of Western Australia, Crawley, Perth, 6009, Australia
| | - Weijian Zhuang
- Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Genetics, Breeding and Multiple Utilization of Crops, Oil Crops Research Institute, Center of Legume Crop Genetics and Systems Biology/College of Agriculture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry Univ., Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Rajeev K Varshney
- Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Genetics, Breeding and Multiple Utilization of Crops, Oil Crops Research Institute, Center of Legume Crop Genetics and Systems Biology/College of Agriculture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry Univ., Fuzhou, 350002, China
- State Agricultural Biotechnology Centre, Centre for Crop and Food Innovation, Murdoch Univ., Murdoch, WA, 6150, Australia
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15
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Law JJ, Gallagher RS, Leslie TW, Weber JB. Enhanced invertebrate activity-densities and weed seed predation in an integrated cropping system. Basic Appl Ecol 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2023.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
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16
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Fu H, Zhou T, Zhang S, Wang Q. The impact of government subsidy and weather on environmentally sustainable investment decision for agricultural supply chain. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0285891. [PMID: 37200283 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0285891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023] Open
Abstract
This paper studies the environmentally sustainable investment of an agricultural supply chain composed of a farmer and a company, under three subsidy policies which are the non-subsidy policy, the fixed subsidy policy, and the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) subsidy policy. Then, we analyse the impact of different subsidy policy and adverse weather on the costs of the government and profits of the farmer and the company. By comparing with the non-subsidy policy, we find that both the fixed subsidy policy and the ARC policy encourage the farmer to improve the environmentally sustainable investment level and increase the profit of the farmer and the company. We also find that both the fixed subsidy policy and the ARC subsidy policy lead to an increase in government spending. Our results show that the ARC subsidy policy has a significate advantage in encouraging the farmer's environmentally sustainable investment if the adverse weather is relatively serious, comparing with the fixed subsidy policy. In turn, our results also show that the ARC subsidy policy is more beneficial for both the farmer and the company than the fixed subsidy policy if the adverse weather is relatively serious, which then leads to a higher expenditure of the government. Therefore, our conclusion serves as a theoretical basis for governments to formulate agricultural subsidy policies and promote sustainable development of the agricultural environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongyong Fu
- Research Center of Supply Chain Compliance Management, Southwest University of Political Science and Law, Chongqing, China
| | - Ting Zhou
- Research Center of Supply Chain Compliance Management, Southwest University of Political Science and Law, Chongqing, China
| | - Shuguang Zhang
- Department of Modern Logistics, National University of Singapore (Chongqing) Research Institute, Chongqing, China
| | - Qi Wang
- Research Center of Supply Chain Compliance Management, Southwest University of Political Science and Law, Chongqing, China
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17
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Chen S, Xiang X, Ma H, Penttinen P, Zheng T, Huang X, Fan G. Response of soil bacterial communities in wheat rhizosphere to straw mulching and N fertilization. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:982109. [PMID: 36569087 PMCID: PMC9780536 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.982109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Straw mulching and N fertilization are effective in augmenting crop yields. Since their combined effects on wheat rhizosphere bacterial communities remain largely unknown, our aim was to assess how the bacterial communities respond to these agricultural measures. We studied wheat rhizosphere microbiomes in a split-plot design experiment with maize straw mulching (0 and 8,000 kg straw ha-1) as the main-plot treatment and N fertilization (0, 120 and 180 kg N ha-1) as the sub-plot treatment. Bacterial communities in the rhizosphere were analyzed using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and quantitative PCR. Most of the differences in soil physicochemical properties and rhizosphere bacterial communities were detected between the straw mulching (SM) and no straw mulching (NSM) treatments. The contents of soil organic C (SOC), total N (TN), NH4 +-N, available N (AN), available P (AP) and available K (AK) were higher with than without mulching. Straw mulching led to greater abundance, diversity and richness of the rhizosphere bacterial communities. The differences in bacterial community composition were related to differences in soil temperature and SOC, AP and AK contents. Straw mulching altered the soil physiochemical properties, leading to greater bacterial diversity and richness of the rhizosphere bacterial communities, likely mostly due to the increase in SOC content that provided an effective C source for the bacteria. The relative abundance of Proteobacteria was high in all treatments and most of the differentially abundant OTUs were proteobacterial. Multiple OTUs assigned to Acidobacteria, Chloroflexi and Actinobacteria were enriched in the SM treatment. Putative plant growth promoters were enriched both in the SM and NSM treatments. These findings indicate potential strategies for the agricultural management of soil microbiomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Songhe Chen
- Key Laboratory of Crop Eco-physiology and Farming System in Southwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Root Biology Center, College of Resources and Environment, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Xiaoling Xiang
- Key Laboratory of Crop Eco-physiology and Farming System in Southwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Hongliang Ma
- Key Laboratory of Crop Eco-physiology and Farming System in Southwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Petri Penttinen
- Department of Microbiology College of Resources, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Ting Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Crop Eco-physiology and Farming System in Southwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xiulan Huang
- Key Laboratory of Crop Eco-physiology and Farming System in Southwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Gaoqiong Fan
- Key Laboratory of Crop Eco-physiology and Farming System in Southwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
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18
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Xiong L, Shah F, Wu W. Environmental and socio-economic performance of intensive farming systems with varying agricultural resource for maize production. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 850:158030. [PMID: 35973532 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The challenge of meeting the rising food demand and the need for achieving this through environment friendly and socio-economically acceptable strategies has posed an unprecedented pressure on the current intensive farming systems. Evidence for integrating the environmental burden and socio-economic profit is lacking. This study quantifies the yield performance, environmental burden (in terms of seven mid-point environmental impact categories, especially for the global warming potential (GWP) in terms of greenhouse gas emissions), and economic benefits among different intensive farming systems with varying agricultural resource input in maize (Zea mays) production. The results showed that seed yields increased with increasing resource inputs under intensive farming systems. Meanwhile, environmental burden in terms of GWP and integrated environmental impacts (IEI) based on per unit grain yield produced increased substantially with increasing resource inputs. The conventional planting accomplished the worst environmental performance (represented by the highest IEI), which was mainly attributed to higher agricultural resource input (such as fertilizer and diesel fuel consumption) per unit of grain yield produced, and thereby increased GWP, abiotic depletion-elements (Ade), ozone layer depletion (ODP), photochemical oxidation (PO), acidification potential (AP), and eutrophication potential (EP) by 22 %, 30 %, 36 %, 25 %, 32 % and 35 %, respectively. The relatively lower resource input under intensive farming coupled with water-saving technology could be highly recommended to local farmers; while extreme resource input planting patterns were not endorsed because of the yield penalty, low net revenue and high environmental burden. This study highlights the importance of an appropriate use of agricultural resources and innovative water-saving technology for mitigating environmental perils and ensuring global food supplies under intensive farming systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Xiong
- College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, Hainan, China
| | - Farooq Shah
- Department of Agronomy, Garden Campus, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Wei Wu
- College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, Hainan, China.
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19
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Lv D, Liu Y, Wang X, Wang X, Feng H, Guo X, Li C. Characteristics of soil CO 2 emission and ecosystem carbon balance in wheat-maize rotation field with 4-year consecutive application of two lignite-derived humic acids. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 309:136654. [PMID: 36183885 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.136654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2022] [Revised: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Humic acid originating from lignite is a popular resource of organic fertilizer. The effects of humic acid application on crop biomass and soil CO2 emission charged the regional agro-ecosystem carbon balance. Two kinds of humic acid, obtained from lignite via H2O2-oxidation (OHA) and KOH-activation (AHA), were applied in a wheat-maize rotation located field at three levels of 500 (OHA1; AHA1), 1000 (OHA2; AHA2), and 1500 kg hm-2 (OHA3; AHA3), only chemical fertilizer treatment (CF) as control to investigate the change of soil CO2 emission, crop yield and ecosystem carbon balance in 2016-2019. During the four experimental years, the trend of cumulative efflux of soil CO2 was increasing in medium and high dosage humic acid treatments. The grain yield of wheat and maize had the same trend as the cumulative efflux of soil CO2 due to the increase of soil NO3--N and soil available P directly affected by humic acid application. The main factor of cumulative soil CO2 efflux improvement was soil NO3--N and soil available P in 2016, while soil available potassium became key factor in 2019 with the step regression. Net ecosystem productivity (NEP) was used to assess ecosystem carbon balance, which was positive values showed atmospheric CO2 sink under all the fertilization treatments and increased with the increase of humic acid use level. AHA2 and AHA3 treatments charged the higher NEP in 2019 than 2016. Meanwhile, AHA treatment presented a higher NEP average than OHA treatment with the same applied level. Crop yield and soil available P was the directly positive factor to NEP over four years under the fertilization by SEM analysis. It is recommended that AHA be applied at 1000 kg hm-2 together with chemical fertilizers to achieve the higher crop yield and a sink of the atmospheric CO2 in agricultural fields in North China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongqing Lv
- National Engineering Research Center for Efficient Utilization of Soil and Fertilizer, Resources College of Resources and Environment, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong, 271018, China
| | - Yanli Liu
- National Engineering Research Center for Efficient Utilization of Soil and Fertilizer, Resources College of Resources and Environment, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong, 271018, China.
| | - Xiaowen Wang
- National Engineering Research Center for Efficient Utilization of Soil and Fertilizer, Resources College of Resources and Environment, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong, 271018, China
| | - Xiukang Wang
- National Engineering Research Center for Efficient Utilization of Soil and Fertilizer, Resources College of Resources and Environment, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong, 271018, China
| | - Haojie Feng
- National Engineering Research Center for Efficient Utilization of Soil and Fertilizer, Resources College of Resources and Environment, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong, 271018, China
| | - Xinsong Guo
- Key Laboratory of Humic Acid Fertilizer, Ministry of Agriculture, Shandong Agricultural University Fertilizer Science Tech. Co. Ltd., Tai'an, Shandong, 271000, China
| | - Chengliang Li
- National Engineering Research Center for Efficient Utilization of Soil and Fertilizer, Resources College of Resources and Environment, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong, 271018, China
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20
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Xu K, Hu F, Fan Z, Yin W, Niu Y, Wang Q, Chai Q. Delayed application of N fertilizer mitigates the carbon emissions of pea/maize intercropping via altering soil microbial diversity. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1002009. [PMID: 36212819 PMCID: PMC9539669 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1002009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Strategies to reduce carbon emissions have been a hotspot in sustainable agriculture production. The delayed N fertilizer application had the potential to reduce carbon emissions in pea (Pisum sativum L.)/maize (Zea mays L.) intercropping, but its microbial mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of delayed N fertilizer application on CO2 emissions and soil microbial diversity in pea/maize intercropping. The soil respiration (Rs) rates of intercropped pea and intercropped maize were decreased by 24.7% and 25.0% with delayed application of N fertilizer, respectively. The total carbon emissions (TCE) of the pea/maize intercropping system were also decreased by 21.1% compared with that of the traditional N fertilizer. Proteobacteria, Bacteroidota, and Chloroflexi were dominant bacteria in pea and maize strips. Heatmap analysis showed that the soil catalase activity at the pea flowering stage and the soil ΝΗ4+-Ν at the maize silking stage contributed more to the variations of bacterial relative abundances than other soil properties. Network analysis demonstrated that Rs was positively related to the relative abundance of Proteobacteria and Bacteroidota, while negatively related to the relative abundance of Chloroflexi in the pea/maize intercropping system. Overall, our results suggested that the delayed application of N fertilizer combined with the pea/maize intercropping system altered soil bacterial community diversity, thereby providing novel insights into connections between soil microorganisms and agricultural carbon emissions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Xu
- College of Agronomy, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Aridland Crop Science, Lanzhou, China
| | - Falong Hu
- College of Agronomy, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Aridland Crop Science, Lanzhou, China
| | - Zhilong Fan
- College of Agronomy, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Aridland Crop Science, Lanzhou, China
| | - Wen Yin
- College of Agronomy, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Aridland Crop Science, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yining Niu
- State Key Laboratory of Aridland Crop Science, Lanzhou, China
| | - Qiming Wang
- College of Agronomy, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Aridland Crop Science, Lanzhou, China
| | - Qiang Chai
- College of Agronomy, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Aridland Crop Science, Lanzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Qiang Chai,
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Bozsik N, Cubillos T. JP, Stalbek B, Vasa L, Magda R. Food security management in developing countries: Influence of economic factors on their food availability and access. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0271696. [PMID: 35877648 PMCID: PMC9312371 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0271696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The research presents an analysis of the food security policy effectiveness on the component of food availability and access in two developing countries, Colombia and Kyrgyzstan, during the period from 2000 to 2018. Determining the state of their food balance trade and the regression analysis for the Food Production Index of the countries, considering four economic indicators. Thus the study attempts to show that policies and strategies have not reached the expected results in terms of reduction of food imports dependency and strengthening of national production and export industry. Furthermore was found that among the economic indicators considered, food inflation, food imports, food exports, and extreme monetary poverty; the last one was the indicator that presented influence on the Food Production Index of both countries, during the period analyzed, showing that access was the main component that defines the food production. The results highlighted the need of integrating food security with the monetary and trade policies of these countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norbert Bozsik
- Institute of Agricultural and Food Economics, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Gödöllő, Hungary
| | - Julieth P. Cubillos T.
- Doctoral School of Economic and Regional Sciences, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Gödöllő, Hungary
- * E-mail: (JPCT); (LV)
| | - Bopushev Stalbek
- Doctoral School of Economic and Regional Sciences, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Gödöllő, Hungary
| | - László Vasa
- Faculty of Economics, Hungary and Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Széchenyi István University, Győr, Hungary
- * E-mail: (JPCT); (LV)
| | - Róbert Magda
- Institute of Economics, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Gödöllő, Hungary
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22
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Willow J, Veromann E. Integrating RNAi Technology in Smallholder Farming: Accelerating Sustainable Development Goals. FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2022.868922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Approximately 84% of farms globally are <2 hectares; these and other smallholder farms collectively produce over one third of humanity's food. However, smallholder farms, particularly in developing countries, encounter difficulties in both production and profits due to their vulnerabilities. Sustainable intensification—increasing crop yield without significantly greater resource use—must be globally adopted in smallholder farming to achieve various Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) endorsed by the United Nations (UN). While traditional techniques for conservation agriculture must be maintained and further promoted, new technologies will undoubtedly play a major role in achieving high yields in a sustainable and environmentally safe manner. RNA interference (RNAi) technology, particularly the use of transgenic RNAi cultivars and/or sprayable double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) pesticides, could accelerate progress in reaching these goals due to dsRNA's nucleotide sequence-specific mode of action against eukaryotic and viral pests. This sequence-specificity allows silencing of specific genetic targets in focal pest species of interest, potentially resulting in negligible effects on non-target organisms inhabiting the agroecosystem. It is our perspective that recent progress in RNAi technology, together with the UN's endorsement of SDGs that promote support in- and for developing countries, should facilitate an integrated approach to sustainable intensification of smallholder farms, whereby RNAi technology is used in combination with traditional techniques for sustainable intensification. However, the development of such approaches in developing countries will require developed countries to adhere to currently-defined socioeconomic SDGs.
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