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Currently, one of the main challenges is the mitigation of the effects of climate change on the agricultural sector. Conventional agriculture, with the intensive use of herbicides and pesticides to control weeds and pests, and the improper use of mineral fertilizers, contributes to climate change by causing increased greenhouse gases and groundwater pollution. Therefore, more innovative technologies must be used to overcome these problems. One possible solution is nanotechnology, which has the potential to revolutionize the conventional agricultural system. Active nanoparticles can be used both as a direct source of micronutrients and as a delivery platform for bioactive agrochemicals to improve crop growth, yield, and quality. The use of nanoparticle formulations, including nano-pesticides, nano-herbicides, nano-fertilizers, and nano-emulsions, has been extensively studied to improve crop health and shelf-life of agricultural products. Comprehensive knowledge of the interactions between plants and nanoparticles opens up new opportunities to improve cropping practices through the enhancement of properties such as disease resistance, crop yield, and nutrient use. The main objective of this review is to analyze the main effects of climate change on conventional agricultural practices, such as the use of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. It also focuses on how the introduction of nanoparticles into conventional practices can improve the efficiency of chemical pest control and crop nutrition. Finally, this review examines in depth the last 10 years (2014–2024) of scientific literature regarding the use of nanoparticles in agriculture to mitigate the effects of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Microbial biofertilizers and algae‐based biostimulants have been recognized for supporting sustainable agriculture. Field experiments were conducted in 2022 and 2023 growing seasons in an organic farm located in Ferrara (Italy) with the aim of evaluating plant growth‐promoting microorganisms (PGPMs) and algae‐based biostimulants (Biost) in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.). The experimental treatments were: (i) two microbial biofertilizers (PGPM_1, PGPM_2) and no inoculated plants (No_PGPM); and (ii) two algae‐based biostimulant rates (0.5% (Biost_0.5%), 1.0% (Biost_1.0%)) and no application (No_Biost). PGPMs were applied at transplanting, while biostimulants at 15 and 30 days after transplanting. Treatments were replicated three times according to a split‐plot experimental design. Plant characteristics were evaluated at 30 days after transplanting in No_Biost treatments. During tomato cultivation, soil plant analysis development (SPAD), nitrogen difference vegetation index (NDVI), leaf area index (LAI) and photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) were monitored. Tomato yield was determined. RESULTS: PGPM_2 showed the highest shoot biomass (132.9 g plant−1), plant height (44.7 cm), leaf number (34.0 plant−1) and root biomass (9.22 g plant−1). Intermediate values were observed in PGPM_1, while all parameters were lower in No_PGPM. Both PGPMs achieved higher values of SPAD, NDVI, PPFD and LAI than No_PGPM. Biost_1.0% increased all measured growth parameters followed by Biost_0.5% and No_Biost, respectively. Tomato yield was the highest for PGPM_2–Biost_1.0% (67.2 t ha−1). PGPMs affected fruit size and sugar content, while biostimulants were associated with color and lycopene. CONCLUSION: The application of microbial biofertilizers and algae‐based biostimulants could be part of environment‐friendly practice in organic farming. © 2024 The Author(s). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farming practices such as cover cropping, crop rotation systems, and soil tillage practices, along with climate conditions and soil type play important roles in determining final crop production. Numerous empirical studies have documented the heterogeneous effects of cover crops on the yield of successive crops, exhibiting variations across diverse regions, climate regimes, soil characteristics, cover crop types, and agricultural management practices. A meta-analysis was conducted to comprehensively summarize and evaluate the impact of cover crops (CCs) in the agroecosystem. The main goal of the study is to promote a transition towards more sustainable cereal crop production by exploring the potential of currently unexploited CCs in Europe. The study demonstrated that the incorporation of legume CCs resulted in the most pronounced and statistically significant increase in grain yield among cereal crops. CCs from the Brassicaceae family also demonstrated a positive impact on grain yield under southern European climates. Cover cropping had a positive effect on the subsequent cash crop under conventional tillage practice. A positive, but not significant impact, was detected under both conservation tillage practices, which include reduced tillage (RT) and no-till (NT). The result of the study suggests that NT practices are more suitable for Northern Europe, while RT practices are preferable for Southern Europe zones. This study indicates that the adoption of cover cropping represents a viable and effective agronomic strategy for enhancing grain yield in cereal crops cultivated across European agricultural systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia) belongs to the Lamiaceae family and is a shrub cultivated in the Mediterranean region for essential oils used to produce cosmetic, aromatherapy, and pharmaceutical ingredients. Nowadays, interest in plant biostimulants is rising due to their ability to increase biomass production in a sustainable way. The scope of the present study was to assess the effects of two plant biostimulants, one based on hydrolyzed proteins (FITOSIM®) and one based on seaweed extracts (FITOSTIM ALGA®), on the cultivar Grosso for two consecutive years in three different farms, located in the Italian Tuscan-Emilian Apennine Mountains. A difference in the efficiency of treatments among farms was shown, probably due to the plant age. In 2020, FITOSTIM ALGA® increased inflorescence fresh weights (+35%), while FITOSTIM® and FITOSTIM ALGA® enhanced stem and total fresh weights (+23% and +22%, respectively) compared to the untreated control. In 2021, both treatments enhanced the fresh and dry weights of inflorescence (+47% and +38%, respectively), while FITOSTIM ALGA® also improved the total plant dry weights (+34%). The plant biostimulants did not affect the chemical composition of essential oils. Our results indicate plant biostimulants as a supplement for sustainable management practices, enhancing Lavandin's performance in mountainous agricultural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Olive trees are grown under high evaporative demand and less precipitations that are variable in time and space especially in semi-arid conditions. The objective of this work is to determine the most efficient water treatment applied in an olive field ( Olea europaea L. cv Chemlali) from the 98th to the 294th Julian day, in Tunisian semi-arid conditions. The choice of this time frame was done to control the effect of irrigation on the trees behavior in the irrigation period of the year (from April to October) and determine the most sensitive phenological stages to irrigation. For this reasons, two water treatments were applied: T100% (irrigation at 100% of Available Water Content (AWC)) and T50% (irrigation at 50% AWC). The results show that, according to leaf water potential, carbon isotope discrimination, and olive production parameters, the T50% AWC water treatment is the most efficient. The leaf water potential of the two water treatments applied has not exceeded −2.5 MPa during the whole experiment which indicates that the trees of the two water treatments were not stressed. The T50% AWC shows a water use efficiency of 5.18 g/l compared to 2.93 g/l for T100% water treatment. This result demonstrate that Chemlali cultivar valorizes better low quantities of water rather than high quantities, so saving 50% of water resources applied will ensure the sustainability of water resources and stability of olive production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]