Approach to Higher Wheat Yield in the Huang-Huai Plain: Improving Post-anthesis Productivity to Increase Harvest Index

Sustainable Innovation: Turning Waste into Soil Additives

In recent years, a dynamic increase in environmental pollution with textile waste has been observed. Natural textile waste has great potential for environmental applications. This work identifies potential ways of sustainably managing natural textile waste, which is problematic waste from sheep farming or the cultivation of fibrous plants. On the basis of textile waste, an innovative technology was developed to support water saving and plant vegetation- biodegradable water-absorbing geocomposites (BioWAGs). The major objective of this study was to determine BioWAG effectiveness under field conditions. The paper analyses the effect of BioWAGs on the increments in fresh and dry matter, the development of the root system, and the relative water content (RWC) of selected grass species. The conducted research confirmed the high efficiency of the developed technology. The BioWAGs increased the fresh mass of grass shoots by 230-420% and the root system by 130-200% compared with the control group. The study proved that BioWAGs are a highly effective technology that supports plant vegetation and saves water. Thanks to the reuse of waste materials, the developed technology is compatible with the assumptions of the circular economy and the goals of sustainable development.

Optimizing nutrient inputs by balancing spring wheat yield and environmental effects in the Hetao Irrigation District of China

The Hetao Irrigation District is the primary spring wheat production region in China. However, overuse and unscientific use of chemical fertilizer have resulted in low nutrient use efficiency and potential risks to the environment. Balanced fertilization (BF), a 29.9-36.4% N fertilizer and 40% P fertilizer, was reduced, while a 72 kg K₂O ha^-1 K fertilizer was supplied and designed to resolve problems encountered during the field trial from 2019 to 2021. The results showed that the grain yield did not decrease significantly in the BF treatments compared in the local farmer practice (FP) treatment. The nitrogen fertilizer partial productivity (PFP_N) and agronomic nitrogen efficiency (NAE_N) increased 42.95-52.88% and 44.06-49.24% with BF compared to with the FP, respectively. Moreover, the BF treatments reduced nitrate leaching in the 0-100 cm soil layer and reduced the N surplus (N_sur) to approximately 160 kg N per hectare per year, dramatically reducing the environmental risk. The yield maintenance and nitrogen use efficiency increases were attributed to the lower nitrogen concentrations in the seedlings and the higher apparent N translocation efficiency (TR) from the stems and sheaths after anthesis in the BF treatments than in the FP treatments. Considering the yield, nutrient use efficiency, and environmental and economic benefits comprehensively, the BF1 treatment was considered the optimal fertilization scheme for Hetao spring wheat production.

Canopy light distribution effects on light use efficiency in wheat and its mechanism

Optimizing canopy light distribution (CLD) has manifested improved light utility and yield without modifying other inputs. Nonetheless, molecular mechanisms working at cellular and organelle level remain to be elucidated. The current study aimed to assess the effect of CLD on photosynthetic performance and yield of wheat, and to investigate into the molecular mechanism underlying the photosynthetically active radiation (PAR)–use efficiency (PUE) at optimized CLD. Wheat was planted in two rows having different spacing [R1 (15 cm) and R2 (25 cm)] to simulate different CLD. Flag and penultimate leaves were subjected to chloroplast proteomics analysis. An increase in row spacing positively affects CLD. A decrease (16.64%) of PAR interception in the upper layer, an increase (19.76%) in the middle layer, improved PUE (12.08%), and increased yield (9.38%) were recorded. The abundance of proteins associated with photosynthetic electron transport, redox state, and carbon-nitrogen assimilation was differentially altered by CLD optimization. In the penultimate leaves, R2 reduced the abundance of photosystem II (PSII) light-harvesting proteins, PSII-subunits, and increased the photosystem I (PSI) light-harvesting proteins, NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase (NQO) and enzymes involved in carbon assimilation compared to R1. Additionally, leaf stomatal conductance increased. Altogether, these findings demonstrated that the regulation of chloroplast proteome is intimately linked to light utilization, which provide basis for genetic manipulation of crop species for better adaptation and improvement of cultivation strategies.

Growth, Yield and Photosynthetic Performance of Winter Wheat as Affected by Co-Application of Nitrogen Fertilizer and Organic Manures

The application of organic manures was found to be beneficial, however, the integrated use of organic manures with chemical nitrogen fertilizers has proven more sustainable in increasing the photosynthetic attributes and grain yield of the winter-wheat crop. A multi-factor split-plot design was adopted, nitrogen and manure fertilizer treatments were set in the sub-plots, including nitrogen-gradient treatment of T1:0 kg N ha⁻¹, T2:100 kg N ha⁻¹, T3:200 kg N ha⁻¹, and T4:300 kg N ha⁻¹ (pure nitrogen -fertilizer application) The 25% reduction in nitrogen combined with the manure-fertilizer application includes T5:75 kg N ha⁻¹ nitrogen and 25 kg N ha⁻¹ manure, T6:150 kg N ha⁻¹ nitrogen and 50 kg N ha⁻¹ manure, and T7:225 kg N ha⁻¹ nitrogen and 75 kg N ha⁻¹ manure. The maximum results of the total chlorophyll content and photosynthetic rate were 5.73 mg/g FW and 68.13 m mol m⁻² s⁻¹, observed under T4 in Zhongmai 175, as compared to Jindong 22 at the heading stage. However, the maximum results of intercellular CO₂ concentration were 1998.47 μmol mol⁻¹, observed under T3 in Jindong 22, as compared to Zhongmai 175 at the tillering stage. The maximum results of LAI were 5.35 (cm²), observed under T7 in Jindong 22, as compared to Zhongmai 175 at the booting stage. However, the maximum results of Tr and Gs were 6.31 mmol H₂O m⁻² s⁻¹ and 0.90 H₂O mol m⁻² s⁻¹, respectively, observed under T7 in Zhongmai 175 as compared to Jindong 22 at the flowering stage. The results revealed that grain yield 8696.93 kg ha⁻¹, grains spike⁻¹ 51.33 (g), and 1000-grain weight 39.27 (g) were significantly higher, under T3 in Zhongmai 175, as compared to Jindong 22. Moreover, the spike number plot⁻¹ of 656.67 m² was significantly higher in Jindong 22, as compared to Zhongmai 175. It was concluded from the study that the combined application of nitrogen and manure fertilizers in winter wheat is significant for enhancing seed at the jointing and flowering stages. For increased grain yield and higher economic return, Zhongmai 175 outperformed the other cultivars examined. This research brings awareness toward the nitrogen-fertilizer-management approach established for farmers’ practice, which might be observed as an instruction to increase agricultural management for the winter-wheat-growth season.

High Potassium Application Rate Increased Grain Yield of Shading-Stressed Winter Wheat by Improving Photosynthesis and Photosynthate Translocation

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L) production on the Huang-Huai Plain of China has substantially affected in the past 50 years as a result of the decreasing total solar radiation and sunshine hours. Potassium has a significant effect on improving leaf photosynthesis ability under stress conditions. Five potassium application rates (K), 0 (K0), 50 (K50), 100 (K100), 150 (K150), and 250 (K250) mg K₂O kg^-1 soil, combined with two shading levels, no shading (NS) and shading at early filling stage for 10 days (SE), were used to investigate the effects of K application on winter wheat growth under SE condition. Under NS condition, the parameters related to chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics, dry matter productivity and grain yields reached the maximum values at a middle K application rate (100 mg K₂O kg^-1 soil). Shading stress significantly reduced leaf SPAD value, showed negative effects on chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics and reduced grain yield of winter wheat. However, as the result of the interaction of K×S, compared to NS condition, higher K application rate (150 mg and 250 K₂O kg^-1 soil) was beneficial in terms of achieving a higher grain yield of winter wheat under SE by improving leaf SPAD value, alleviating the damage of SE on the winter wheat photosynthetic system, and increasing fructan content and dry matter translocation percentage.

Potential for Beneficial Reuse of Oil and Gas-Derived Produced Water in Agriculture: Physiological and Morphological Responses in Spring Wheat (Triticum aestivum)

Produced water (PW) from oil and gas operations is considered a potential resource for food crop irrigation because of increasing water scarcity in dryland agriculture. However, efforts to employ PW for agriculture have been met with limited success. A greenhouse study was performed to evaluate the effects of PW on physiological and morphological traits of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum). Plants were irrigated with water treatments containing 10 and 50% PW (PW10 and PW50, respectively) and compared to a matching 50% salinity (NaCl50) and 100% tap water controls. Compared to controls, plants watered with PW10 and PW50 exhibited developmental arrest and reductions in aboveground and belowground biomass, photosynthetic efficiency, and reproductive growth. Decreases in grain yield ranged from 70 to 100% in plants irrigated with PW compared to the tap water control. Importantly, the PW10 and NaCl50 treatments were comparable for morphophysiological effects, even though NaCl50 contained 5 times the total dissolved solids, suggesting that constituents other than NaCl in PW contributed to plant stress. These findings indicate that despite discharge and reuse requirements focused on total dissolved solids, salinity stress may not be the primary factor affecting crop health. The results of the present study are informative for developing guidelines for the use of PW in agriculture to ensure minimal effects on crop morphology and physiology. Environ Toxicol Chem 2019;38:1756-1769. © 2019 SETAC.