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Lignin, a natural pol2ymer with a complex structure that is difficult to separate, is prone to C-C bond condensation during the separation process. To reduce the condensation of lignin, here, a novel method is proposed for separating the components by using a combination of maleic acid (MA)/ozone (O 3 ) to co-treat wheat straw. The removal of lignin, glucan, and xylan was 38.07 ± 0.2%, 31.44 ± 0.1%, and 71.98 ± 0.1%, respectively, under the conditions of ball-milling of wheat straw for 6 h, reaction temperature of 60 °C, and O 3 holding time of 9 min. Lignin-rich solutions were collected to extract the dissolved lignin (DL) after washing the treated samples. The DL obtained under MA/O 3 conditions had a carboxyl group (-COOH) content of 2.96 mmol/g. The carboxyl group of MA underwent esterification with the hydroxyl group (-OH) at the γ position of lignin and O 3 reacted on the positions of the lignin side chain or the phenolic ring, resulting in a break in the side chain and the opening of the phenolic ring to introduce the carboxyl group. The 2D-HSQC-NMR results revealed that the phenolic ring-opening reaction of lignin in the presence of O 3 was essentially free of β-β and β-5 condensation bonds.

The extensive use of mineral fertilizers has a negative impact on the environment, whereas wastewater and microalgal biomass can provide crops with nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, and have the potential to be used as a source of fertilizers in circular agriculture. In this study, a step-by-step resource utilization study of algae-containing wastewater generated from microalgae treatment of swine wastewater was carried out. When wheat seedlings were cultivated in the effluent after microalgae separation, the root fresh weight, seedling fresh weight, and total seedling length were increased by 3.44%, 14.45%, and 13.64%, respectively, compared with that of the algae-containing wastewater, and there was no significant difference in seedling fresh weight, total seedling length, maximum quantum yields of PSII photochemistry (F v /F m ), and performance index (PI ABS ) from that of the Hogland solution group, which has the potential to be an alternative liquid fertilizer. Under salt stress, microalgae extract increased the contents of GA3, IAA, ABA, and SA in wheat seedlings, antioxidant enzymes maintained high activity, and the PI ABS value increased. Low-dose microalgae extract (1 mL/L) increased the root fresh weight, seedling fresh weight, longest seedling length, and total seedling length by 30.73%, 31.28%, 16.43%, and 28.85%, respectively. Algae extract can act as a plant biostimulant to regulate phytohormone levels to attenuate the damage of salt stress and promote growth., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Depolymerization of carbohydrate biomass using a long-chain alcohol (transglycosylation) to produce alkyl glycoside-based bio-surfactants has been gaining industrial interest. This study introduces microwave-assisted transglycosylation in transforming wheat bran, a substantial agricultural side stream, into these valuable compounds. Compared to traditional heating, microwave-assisted processing significantly enhances the product yield by 53 % while reducing the reaction time by 72 %, achieving a yield of 29 % within 5 h. This enhancement results from the microwave's capacity to activate intermolecular hydrogen and glycosidic bonds, thereby facilitating transglycosylation. Life-cycle assessment and techno-economic analysis demonstrate the benefits of microwave heating in reducing energy consumption by 42 %, CO 2 emissions by 56 %, and equipment, operational and production costs by 44 %, 35 % and 30 %, respectively. The study suggests that microwave heating is a promising approach for efficiently producing bio-surfactants from agricultural wastes, with potential cost reductions and environmental benefits that could enhance industrial biomass conversion processes., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

N-methyl-morpholine-N-oxide (NMMO) was initially created as a plasticizer for starch to produce thermoplastic wheat starch. Subsequently, talc powder was used as a reinforcing filler to enhance the mechanical strength of thermoplastic biomass-based composite plastics. The chemical structure, crystal structure, and microscopic morphology were analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy. Additionally, the thermal properties were explored through thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and dynamic mechanical analysis. The hydrated NMMO plasticizer demonstrated an outstanding plasticizing effect on starch, resulting in a composite with remarkable mechanical properties. In fact, the pure thermoplastic wheat starch plasticized with hydrated NMMO exhibited the highest mechanical strength recorded so far, with a tensile strength of up to 9.4 MPa. In addition, talcum powder displayed a noticeable reinforcing effect. When the talcum powder content reached 30 wt%, the targeted composite achieved a tensile strength of 20.5 MPa and a Young's modulus of 177.9 MPa. These values were 118 % and 48 % higher, respectively, than those of the pure thermoplastic starch sample. This innovative plasticizing method opens up a new avenue for the development of high-mechanical-strength thermoplastic biomass-based composite plastics with promising potential applications., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The intercropping system is a promising approach to augmenting the soil nutrient status and promoting sustainable crop production. However, it is not known whether intercropping improves the soil phosphorus (P) status in alluvial soils with low P under subtropical climates. Over two growing seasons--2019-2020 and 2020-2021--two experimental fields were employed to explore the effect of durum wheat (Dw) and chickpea (Cp) cropping systems on the soil available P. A randomized complete block design was used in this experiment, with three blocks each divided into three plots. Each plot was used for one of the following three treatments with three replications: Dw monocrop (Dw-MC), Cp monocrop (Cp-MC), and Dw + Cp intercrop (CpDw-InC), with bulk soil (BS) used as a control. A reduction in the rhizosphere soil pH (-0.44 and -0.11 unit) was observed in the (Cp-MC) and (CpDw-InC) treatments over BS, occurring concomitantly with a significant increase in available P in the rhizosphere soil of around 28.45% for CpDw-InC and 24.9% for Cp-MC over BS. Conversely, the rhizosphere soil pH was significantly higher (+0.12 units) in the Dw-MC treatments. In addition, intercropping enhanced the soil microbial biomass P, with strong positive correlations observed between the biomass P and available P in the Cp-MC treatment, whereas this correlation was negative in the CpDw-InC and Dw-MC treatments. These findings suggested that Cp intercropped with Dw could be a viable approach in enhancing the available P through improved pH variation and biomass P when cultivated on alluvial soil under a subtropical climate., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright: © 2024 Souid et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Background: Selenium (Se) fertilizer and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are known to modulate cadmium (Cd) toxicity in plants. However, the effects of their co-application on wheat growth and soil microbial communities in Cd-contaminated soil are unclear., Results: A pot experiment inoculation with two types of AMF and the application of Se fertilizer under Cd stress in wheat showed that inoculation AMF alone or combined with Se fertilizer significantly increased wheat biomass. Se and AMF alone or in combination significantly reduced available Cd concentration in wheat and soil, especially in the Se combined with Ri treatment. High throughput sequencing of soil samples indicated that Se and AMF application had stronger influence on bacterial community compared to fungal community and the bacterial network seemed to have more complex interconnections than the fungal network, and finally shaped the formation of specific microflora to affect Cd availability., Conclusion: These results indicate that the application of Se and AMF, particularly in combination, could successfully decrease soil Cd availability and relieve the harm of Cd in wheat by modifying rhizosphere soil microbial communities., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

To provide a theoretical basis and technical support for the high-yield and high-efficiency production of wheat, we examined the effects of different tillage patterns on wheat grain yield of Jimai 22 and the physiological mechanisms in an experiment with three treatments: 14 years in rotary tillage (R), minimal and no tillage (S), and minimal and no tillage with a 2-year subsoiling interval (SS). We assessed the light interception by wheat plant canopy, the distribution of photosynthate transport, and grain yield for the three cultivation modes. The results showed that leaf area index was significantly higher for SS treatment than the other treatments at 14-28 days after anthesis. The interception rate and amount of photosynthetically active radiation in the upper and middle layers of wheat canopy were significantly higher for SS treatment than R and S treatments at 21 days after anthesis. The contribution rate of grain assimilation and the distribution proportion of 13 C assimilated in grain, and the maximum and average filling rates, were the highest under SS treatment. The 1000-kernel weight for SS treatment increased by 8.7% and 9.6%, and the grain yield increased by 14.2% and 19.4% compared with R and S treatments, respectively. SS treatment significantly improved light energy utilization by wheat canopy, promoted the accumulation and transport of dry matter, increased the grain-filling rate, increased grain weight, which together contributed to the highest grain yield. Therefore, SS was the optimal tillage pattern under the conditions of this experiment.

Modern green revolution varieties of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) confer semi-dwarf and lodging-resistant plant architecture owing to the Reduced height-B1b (Rht-B1b) and Rht-D1b alleles 1 . However, both Rht-B1b and Rht-D1b are gain-of-function mutant alleles encoding gibberellin signalling repressors that stably repress plant growth and negatively affect nitrogen-use efficiency and grain filling 2-5 . Therefore, the green revolution varieties of wheat harbouring Rht-B1b or Rht-D1b usually produce smaller grain and require higher nitrogen fertilizer inputs to maintain their grain yields. Here we describe a strategy to design semi-dwarf wheat varieties without the need for Rht-B1b or Rht-D1b alleles. We discovered that absence of Rht-B1 and ZnF-B (encoding a RING-type E3 ligase) through a natural deletion of a haploblock of about 500 kilobases shaped semi-dwarf plants with more compact plant architecture and substantially improved grain yield (up to 15.2%) in field trials. Further genetic analysis confirmed that the deletion of ZnF-B induced the semi-dwarf trait in the absence of the Rht-B1b and Rht-D1b alleles through attenuating brassinosteroid (BR) perception. ZnF acts as a BR signalling activator to facilitate proteasomal destruction of the BR signalling repressor BRI1 kinase inhibitor 1 (TaBKI1), and loss of ZnF stabilizes TaBKI1 to block BR signalling transduction. Our findings not only identified a pivotal BR signalling modulator but also provided a creative strategy to design high-yield semi-dwarf wheat varieties by manipulating the BR signal pathway to sustain wheat production., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Climate change has limited crop productivity worldwide. Understanding crop response to global climate changes is vital to maintaining agricultural sustainable development. A two-year experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of warming and drought on crop growth and winter wheat yield production. The results showed that both warming and drought shortened the crop growth period, reduced the leaf area index, and increased winter wheat biomass accumulation. Under sufficient water supply conditions, warming would increase photosynthetic and transpiration rates and water use efficiency, while under water deficit conditions, the opposite was observed. Under warming conditions, the grain yield of the water deficit treatment was 8.9% lower than that of the sufficient water supply treatment. Under non-warming conditions, the grain yield of water deficit treatment was 12.4% lower than that of the sufficient water supply. Under the conditions of water-sufficient supply, the grain yield of the warming treatment was 4.4% lower than that of the non-warming treatment, and under the conditions of water deficit, the grain yield of the warming treatment was 1.3% lower than that of the non-warming treatment. Warming tends to decrease wheat growth and grain yield, but sufficient water supply could improve winter wheat's water use efficiency and reduce the warming limitation on wheat production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farm leftovers, particularly crop residues, are a key source of renewable energy in Canada. The nation's robust agricultural industry provides ample biomass, derived from forestry and agriculture resources, for energy generation. Crop residues, such as straws and husks, play a crucial role in this biomass reservoir, contributing to biofuel production and greenhouse gas mitigation efforts. Focusing on supply chains, waste management, and emission reduction, this study evaluates the sustainability of wheat straw, an agricultural biomass by-product. The environmental issues of various approaches to managing agricultural biomass were explored. Following an evaluation of biomass features, conversion methods, and economic and environmental advantages, the results show anaerobic digestion to be the most sustainable approach. Four metrics were examined in relation to social elements, and numerous aspects were considered as inputs in the evaluation of transportation costs. The use of electric trucks versus fuel-based trucks resulted in an 18% reduction in total operating costs and a 58% reduction in consumption costs. This study examined CO2 emissions over four different transportation distances. The data indicate that a significant reduction of 36% in kg CO2 equivalent emissions occurred when the distance was lowered from 100 km to 25 km. These findings offer insights for creating practical plans that should increase the sustainability of agricultural biomass leftovers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trichothecenes are sesquiterpenoid toxins produced by diverse ascomycetes, including Fusarium. The trichothecene analog deoxynivalenol (DON) produced by the Fusarium head blight (FHB) pathogen Fusarium graminearum is a virulence factor on wheat and a major food and feed safety concern. In Fusarium, the trichothecene biosynthetic gene (TRI) cluster consists of 7–14 genes. Most TRI cluster genes are conserved and their specific roles in trichothecene biosynthesis have been determined. An exception is TRI14, which is not required for DON synthesis in vitro but is required for spread of F. graminearum in wheat heads. In the current study, gene expression analyses revealed that TRI14 was highly induced in infected wheat heads. We demonstrated that TRI14 was not only required for F. graminearum spread but also important for initial infection in wheat. Although a prior study did not detect DON in infected seeds, our analyses showed significantly less DON and fungal biomass in TRI14-mutant (designated ∆tri14)-inoculated heads than wild-type-inoculated heads. Gene expression comparison showed that the level of expression of TRI genes was similar in the wheat tissues infected with ∆tri14 or the wild type, indicating the reduced toxin levels caused by ∆tri14 may be due to less fungal growth. ∆tri14 also caused less lesion and grew less in wheat coleoptiles than the wild type. The growth of ∆tri14 in carboxymethylcellulose medium was more sensitive to hydrogen peroxide than the wild type. The data suggest that TRI14 plays a critical role in F. graminearum growth, and potentially protects the fungus from plant defense compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The direct-sown cotton after wheat harvest (DSCWH) cropping system has attracted wide attention due to reduced labor inputs compared to transplanting. However, the management strategy of slow-release nitrogen is unclear in such a system. This study aims to investigate the impact of different timings and dosages of slow-release nitrogen fertilizer on the yield, biomass accumulation and distribution, and nitrogen absorption and nitrogen utilization in the DSCWH cropping system. This study was investigated at the experimental farm of Yangzhou University, China in 2020 and 2021, with the short-season cotton variety "Zhongmian 50" used as experimental material. Three dosages of the slow-release nitrogen fertilizer (45 kg·ha−1, 90 kg·ha−1, and 135 kg·ha−1) were applied at two stages of growth (two-leaf and four-leaf). The results showed that applying a 90 kg·ha−1 dosage at the two-leaf stage achieved the highest yield, which was increased by 12.6% compared to the no-fertilization control. Applying 90 kg·ha−1 of the slow-release nitrogen at the two-leaf stage promoted biomass accumulation, especially in reproductive organs, and this increase in biomass of reproductive organs was attributed to optimum nitrogen accumulation in reproductive organs (80~140 kg·ha−1). In addition, when 90 kg·ha−1 was applied at the two-leaf stage, there was a significant enhancement in nitrogen recovery efficiency (NRE), nitrogen agronomic use efficiency (NAE), and nitrogen physiological efficiency (NPE), with increases of 7.2% to 13.0%, 5.7% to 5.8%, and 5.6% to 6.5%, respectively. These results revealed that applying slow-release nitrogen fertilizer with the optimal dosage at the seedling stage could significantly enhance nitrogen use efficiency, nitrogen accumulation and partitioning, and biomass accumulation and distribution, which ultimately resulted in a higher lint yield in DSCWH. Therefore, to optimize yield and NUE, 90 kg·ha−1 slow-release nitrogen applied at the two-leaf stage would be recommended in the direct-sown cotton after wheat harvest cropping system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomass based energy is looked upon as a major component of the global renewable energy sector. Biomass not only act as a source of energy but also as a source of chemical products. Pyrolysis is considered as the most effective conversion process because of its wide array of products: biochar, pyrolytic oil and syngas. Thus, when considering biochar as the main product slow pyrolysis is the preferred option. But presence of lignin in the biomass and the working temperature effects the biochar production. Therefore, an experimental study was carried out to optimize char production from rice husk and wheat husk. Different lignin removal methods and temperature variations were studied. Slow pyrolysis was performed at temperatures of 300°C, 350°C, 400°C, 450°C, 500°C and 550°C at a constant heating rate of 4°C/min and retention time of 30 minutes. Lignin was removed from biomass using three methods: composting, acid hydrolysis and alkaline hydrolysis. It was found that at 300°C, the maximum char yield was achieved across all treatments, although the heating value of the char was lower. As temperature increased, char yield decreased while the heating value increased. Rice husk exhibited a 12.36% higher char yield than wheat husk at 300°C. Composted biomass produced more char than untreated biomass; with composted rice husk yielding 3.56% more and wheat husk showing 9.4% increase. Whereas, acid hydrolysis resulted in slight reductions in char yield, while alkaline hydrolysis caused more significant decreases. The study thus providing valuable insight in the production of biochar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the field of crop research, the study of roots involves many challenges, particularly the lack of effective methods for identifying crop roots. To deal with this problem, this study proposes a solution strategy: in applying strontium to crop leaves, the roots of different crops are distinguished. In this study, we applied strontium ions to the leaves of hydroponically grown wheat, and these strontium ions were partially absorbed by the leaves and transported to the roots. Therefore, the strontium concentration of roots was significantly increased through the foliar application of strontium. After mixing the treated wheat with the untreated wheat root, the greater the biomass of the wheat root applied with strontium ions, the higher the strontium concentration in the mixed root. Based on this phenomenon, we can establish the relationship between wheat root biomass and strontium concentration in mixed roots through linear fitting. Furthermore, we can also use the relationship between root biomass and root length to establish the correlation between strontium concentration in mixed roots and the root length of wheat with strontium ions. After measuring the strontium concentration of the mixed roots to be distinguished, the root biomass and root length of wheat applied with strontium ions can be calculated according to the equation obtained through linear fitting. The accuracy of this method was verified through a comparison with the actual value and the existing root staining method. The results show that the coefficient of determination (R2) of the root biomass estimation equation obtained through linear fitting reached 0.83, which is statistically significant (p < 0.01). The Pearson correlation coefficient with the measured value was more than 0.9, showing a very high correlation and significance. The root length estimation equation derived from the relationship between the root biomass, strontium concentration and root length was compared with the real root length value and the root length value obtained using the staining method. The Pearson correlation coefficient also exceeded 0.8 and reached a statistically significant level (p < 0.01). This study confirms that strontium ions can be absorbed and transported to roots through wheat leaves and successfully developed a new method for predicting the length of wheat roots, providing an effective new tool for wheat root research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat yield and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) have improved simultaneously with the genetic development of wheat varieties. However, wheat selection is carried out routinely in N‐rich field conditions, with breeding progress limited under low soil available nitrogen. Thus, we performed a 2‐year field investigation using eight milestone winter wheat varieties released between 1947 and 2017 in the Huang‐Huai‐Hai region of China with two N applications—normal (CK; 220 kg N ha−1) and reduced (RN; 110 kg N ha−1)—in Shaanxi, China, to examine changes in wheat yield, NUE, water use efficiency (WUE) and root biomass. Our findings revealed average annual yield increases of 49.615 kg ha−1 and 36.905 kg ha−1 under CK and RN, respectively. Notably, the NUE trend mirrored yield, increasing with the release year of wheat varieties, with average annual increases in NUE of 0.192 and 0.336 kg kg−1 under CK and RN, respectively. In the RN treatment, N uptake efficiency (UPE) increased with year of release, while N utilization efficiency (UTE) had no significant relationship. In the CK treatment, UTE increased with year of release, while UPE had no significant relationship. Across the 2‐year experiment, surface root biomass (0–20 cm layer) increased with year of release under CK but had no relationship under RN, while deep root biomass (20–200 cm layer) decreased with year of release under CK and increased under RN. The roots of modern wheat varieties responded better to soil nitrogen levels and produced higher yields, NUE and WUE than earlier varieties by adjusting root biomass distribution in soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present work was to investigate ash formation and associated interactions during the pulverized fuel co-combustion of biomass fuels. Combustion experiments were carried out with narrowly sized wheat straw (WS), sewage sludge (SS), and their blends in a drop tube furnace at 1100 °C and 1300 °C. The resulting residual ash and fine particulate matter (PM10) were characterized with various analyses. It was observed that co-combustion influences size distributions of the residual ash particles and generally generates larger residual ash particles close to those of SS combustion. The interaction of K capture by minerals enhances the melting and consequently increases the production of large and melting ash particles during co-combustion. It was found that blending SS with WS has not only the positive interaction of K capture by minerals from SS ash to significantly reduce submicron ash formation, but also the positive interaction of transforming alkali chlorides into alkali sulfates to reduce the corrosiveness of submicron ash particles. Co-combustion of SS with WS can also reduce the presence of alkali chloride at PM1–10, lowering the propensities of deposition and corrosion of the fine residual ash particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomass pre-treatment is a key step in achieving the economic competitiveness of biomass conversion. In the present work, an imidazole pre-treatment process was performed and evaluated using wheat straw and eucalyptus residues as model feedstocks for agriculture and forest-origin biomasses, respectively. Results showed that imidazole is an efficient pre-treatment agent; however, better results were obtained for wheat straw due to the recalcitrant behavior of eucalyptus residues. The temperature had a stronger effect than time on wheat straw pre-treatment but at 160 °C and 4 h, similar results were obtained for cellulose and hemicellulose content from both biomasses (ca. 54% and 24%, respectively). Lignin content in the pre-treated solid was higher for eucalyptus residues (16% vs. 4%), as expected. Enzymatic hydrolysis, applied to both biomasses after different pre-treatments, revealed that results improved with increasing temperature/time for wheat straw. However, these conditions had no influence on the results for eucalyptus residues, with very low glucan to glucose enzymatic hydrolysis yield (93% for wheat straw vs. 40% for eucalyptus residues). Imidazole can therefore be considered as a suitable solvent for herbaceous biomass pre-treatment.

This study explores the interplay between nitrogen doses and seeding rates on wheat yield, biomass, and protein content. Utilizing tools such as the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Soil Plant Analysis Development (SPAD) measurements, and canopy temperature (CT), we conducted experiments over five growing seasons. The treatments included three nitrogen levels (0, 60, 120 kg/ha) and three seeding rates (300, 400, 500 seeds/m2) in a split-plot design with 90 plots and two replications. Our results show that an intermediate nitrogen dose (60 kg/ha) combined with a moderate seed rate (400 seeds/m2) enhances wheat yield by 22.95%. Reduced nitrogen levels increased protein content, demonstrating wheat's adaptive mechanisms under nitrogen constraints. NDVI analysis highlighted significant growth during the tillering phase with high nitrogen, emphasizing early-stage nutrient management. SPAD measurements showed that early nitrogen applications boost chlorophyll content, essential for vigorous early growth, while CT data indicate that optimal nitrogen and seed rates can effectively modulate plant stress responses. As crops mature, the predictive capacity of NDVI declines, indicating the need for adjusted nitrogen strategies. Collectively, these findings advocate for refined management of nitrogen and seeding rates, integrating NDVI, SPAD, and CT assessments to enhance yields and promote sustainable agricultural practices while minimizing environmental impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lower yield of wheat grown after wheat (second wheat) compared with the first wheat after a break crop is frequently attributed to fungal disease occurrence, but has also been found without visible disease infection; thus, other factors might be responsible for the lower yield of the second wheat. The aims of this study were to analyze the effects of growing wheat as first and second wheat after oilseed rape, as well as monoculture in a long-term field experiment over three years on (i) aboveground biomass formation, root development and nutrient acquisition during the growing season, (ii) take-all occurrence, and (iii) grain yield and yield components. Subsoil root length density of winter wheat was significantly higher after oilseed rape as pre-crop than after wheat, which was independent of take-all occurrence. Differences in wheat aboveground biomass occurred at early growth stages and were persistent until harvest. Grain yield loss correlated well with take-all disease severity in a wet year but yield differences among crop rotational positions occurred also in a dry year without visible fungal infection. Thus, an effect of the crop rotational position of wheat beyond take-all disease pressure can be assumed. Overall, wheat root length density might be the key to understand wheat biomass formation and grain yield in different crop rotational positions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The introduction of dwarfing genes triggered a wave of "green revolution". A number of wheats dwarfing genes have been reported in previous studies, and only a small fraction of these have been applied to production practices. Therefore, the development of novel dwarfing genes for wheat is of great value. In this study, a novel dwarfing site, Rht-yz, identified in the Yanzhan mutation, is located on chromosome 4B (30-33MB) and its mechanism of action is different from that of Rht-B1b (C-T mutation), but whether it affects the Rht-B1a (TraesCS4B02G043100) or other genes is unclear. Exogenously applied GA3 experiments showed that Rht-yz is one of the gibberellin-insensitive dwarf genes. The effects of the dwarf gene Rht-yz on agronomic traits in wheat were evaluated in the field using Yanzhan, Yanzhan mutations, F2:3 and F3:4 lines. The results showed that Rht-yz improved lodging resistance by reducing plant height, increasing diameter, wall thickness and mechanical strength of the basal stem. In terms of yield traits, Rht-yz had negative effects on tiller number plant-1, biomass plant-1 and yield plant-1, but had no significant effect on harvest index, 1000-kernel weight and spike traits. In addition, Rht-yz significantly increased crude protein, wet gluten and starch content. Therefore, the rational use of the new dwarfing site Rht-yz has potential and value in dwarf wheat breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Climate change‐induced drought stress (DS) poses a significant threat to crop production, emphasizing the need for innovative strategies to mitigate its adverse effects. Prior studies have demonstrated the distinct capacities of salicylic acid (SA) and sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS) to augment plant resilience against drought‐related stressors. However, little is known about how they work together or the specific processes by which they increase DS tolerance. The purpose of this research was to determine how SA and NaHS affected the performance of wheat plants during the growing seasons of 2021–2022 and 2022–2023, when there was a drought. The research employed a block‐randomized experimental layout with split plots, where the primary factors included two irrigation levels: full irrigation (IW1, 100% of water requirement) and deficit irrigation (IW2, 50% of water requirement). Secondary factors included the application of mock control, 0.5 mM SA, and 0.3 mM NaHS, an H2S donor, either individually or in combination, administered before the onset of DS. The application of SA, NaHS, or their combination significantly enhanced wheat plant resistance to DS. Significant increases in a number of physiological markers, including proline content, relative water content (RWC), Fv/Fm, chlorophyll content, and antioxidant enzyme activity, demonstrated this improvement. Furthermore, in drought‐stressed wheat plants, SA and NaHS treatments decreased the amounts of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and electrolyte leakage (EL). In conclusion, our study highlights the possibility of SA and NaHS, whether applied individually or in combination, to improve drought resistance in wheat plants, presenting a viable approach to lessen the effects of climate change on agricultural yield.

Introduction The agriculture sector, as the biggest consumer of water to produce more food, has faced the challenge of water shortage. One of the problems ahead in the agricultural industry is the sustainable use of available resources such as land, water, and labor to increase agricultural production and development, which requires proper planning and management policies. Plant models can be used to investigate the long-term effects of quantitative and qualitative changes in irrigation water on crops, soil salinity, evaporation and transpiration, deep infiltration, and surface runoff. One of the widely used plant models is the AquaCrop model, which was presented and developed by the World Food and Agriculture Organization. The Aquacrop model is one of the crop yield estimation models that can be used for a wide range of crops including fodder crops, vegetables, grains, fruits, oil crops, and tubers. In this model, the state of various stresses including water and soil salinity, simulation of lack of irrigation, and crop yield are considered. Various studies have been conducted regarding the calibration and validation of crop forecasting models in our country, and much research has been conducted on wheat at the global level. In this research, the AquaCrop model was used to predict the biomass and grain yield of wheat in Qazvin. This model can be a good substitute for field measurements and can be used in areas where there is a lack of ground information. Materials and Methods In the present research, the data of water wheat cultivation in a lysimeter in Ismailabad, Qazvin were used. The input information of the AquaCrop model includes information on climate, soil, management, and plant characteristics. To calibrate and verify the model, some farm information was needed to be compared with the output of the AquaCrop model. The biomass of the wheat plant was determined by taking random samples of the 0.5×0.5 m2 with two replications per sampling hectare. To measure grain yield in the fields, four samples were taken at the end of the growing season at the end stage. The validated AquaCrop model was used to estimate the effect of three planting dates and three low irrigation conditions on wheat grain yield. In this step, the average regional information around the farms was used so that the implementation of the model is not unique to the conditions of a particular farm. Results and Discussion In terms of the investigated meteorological factors, the model has moderate sensitivity to maximum and minimum temperature and low sensitivity to rainfall. The change in the maximum temperature in this region increases the error of the simulation on average. Regarding the soil parameters, the sensitivity of the model to the crop capacity moisture, wilting point, saturated moisture, and saturated hydraulic conductivity, especially in saturated conditions, is low to medium. The most sensitive of the AquaCrop model was the change in the reference harvest index. The model simulated biomass values with higher accuracy than yield. In the calibration stage, the values CRM, NRMSE, and d for biomass were -0.15, 0.17, and 92% respectively. These values were obtained in the validation stage for biomass -0.1, 0.24, and 92 % respectively, and for yield -0.03, 0.06, and 80 % respectively. By running the model in different climatic scenarios, it was determined that the maximum delay in the planting date is on November 15. A 25% reduction in irrigation water reduced grain yield in wet, normal, and dry years by 15%, 20%, and 28 %, respectively, and a 50 % reduction in irrigation water reduced its amount by 20, 25, and 45 %, respectively. Conclusion Evaluation of the AquaCrop model for common plants in a region plays an important role in comparing crop performance in different conditions. In this research, the ability of AquaCrop 6 model to estimate the yield and biomass of wheat in Ismailabad Qazvin was investigated. The results showed that the model is capable of simulating these factors with high accuracy. The accuracy of the model in biomass simulation was higher than the grain yield. By implementing the calibrated model in different climatic scenarios, planting dates, and irrigation deficits in two regions, it was determined that to achieve optimal performance, the wheat planting date should not exceed 15 November. It was the use of calibration coefficients by spending a long time in the AquaCrop model so that a calibrated model can be used in many areas with proper accuracy. More accuracy in the simulated results can be achieved by using more calibration factors, but it is clear that the use of more calibration factors requires spending more time and money. Finding a general recalibrated model that can be used in large areas is a good solution in crop management at the farm-to-regional scale. Comparing the statistical parameters obtained in this study with previous studies on wheat yield modeling by the AquaCrop model shows that the results of this study are within an acceptable range.

Depleting soil nutrients is among the significant factors affecting production and productivity in Ethiopia. From the nutrients, nitrogen is the most yield-limiting, which governs wheat production. Therefore, the study was conducted to examine the effect of nitrogen on the yield and yield components of bread wheat varieties. The experiment was implemented in the 2019 and 2020 cropping seasons at Sekota and Lasta districts on the farmers’ field. The treatments consisted of a factorial combination of four levels of nitrogen (0, 46, 69, and 92 kg ha-1) and two varieties of wheat (Sekota-1 and Hibst), which were replicated three times in a randomized complete block design. Each treatment was provided with 23 kg ha-1 triple supper phosphate (P2O5). The study’s results indicated that grain and yield-related traits were significantly affected by nitrogen application. The increasing rate of nitrogen up to 92 and 69 kg ha-1 increases wheat grain and biomass yield by (150.3% and 54.1%) and (95.9 and 60%) in Sekota and Lasta districts, respectively. The highest grain yield (2562 and 2980 kg ha-1) was obtained from applying 92 and 69 kg ha-1 N at Sekota and Lasta, respectively. Therefore, applying 92 and 69 kg ha-1 N is the appropriate rate and recommended for the Sekota and Lasta districts, respectively.

Perennial wheat yields for several years after sowing, and develops a deep and dense root system, thereby improving soil structure and preserving soil fertility. It is also drought resistant, which increases its future potential under the ongoing climate change. Moreover, perennial wheat offers and effective strategy for carbon sequestration through increasing soil carbon stocks. However, the effect of perennial wheat on soil properties remains uncertain in the conditions of south-eastern Kazakhstan due to the lack of data. To fill this gap, we conducted a study in which five varieties of perennial wheat were grown in the Almaty region in soils of different fertility for two years. As a result, in the plot where topsoil was removed to a depth of 25 cm, total carbon increased by nearly three times, from 0.54% to 1.42%, and the number of microorganisms increased from 715.1x103±0.2x103 to 48.0x103±0.6x103 colony forming units per ml of soil. The photosynthetic performance of perennial wheat varieties in the experimental plot was not negatively affected by the removal of top soil suggesting that perennial wheat can successfully restore soil fertility and replenish soil with chemical elements involved in photosynthesis. Our results confirm that in the conditions of the south-eastern Kazakhstan perennial wheat makes a significant contribution to the soil carbon stock accumulation and development of soil biota; in our study, these effects were particularly strong in the case of degraded soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the field of crop research, the study of roots involves many challenges, particularly the lack of effective methods for identifying crop roots. To deal with this problem, this study proposes a solution strategy: in applying strontium to crop leaves, the roots of different crops are distinguished. In this study, we applied strontium ions to the leaves of hydroponically grown wheat, and these strontium ions were partially absorbed by the leaves and transported to the roots. Therefore, the strontium concentration of roots was significantly increased through the foliar application of strontium. After mixing the treated wheat with the untreated wheat root, the greater the biomass of the wheat root applied with strontium ions, the higher the strontium concentration in the mixed root. Based on this phenomenon, we can establish the relationship between wheat root biomass and strontium concentration in mixed roots through linear fitting. Furthermore, we can also use the relationship between root biomass and root length to establish the correlation between strontium concentration in mixed roots and the root length of wheat with strontium ions. After measuring the strontium concentration of the mixed roots to be distinguished, the root biomass and root length of wheat applied with strontium ions can be calculated according to the equation obtained through linear fitting. The accuracy of this method was verified through a comparison with the actual value and the existing root staining method. The results show that the coefficient of determination (R2) of the root biomass estimation equation obtained through linear fitting reached 0.83, which is statistically significant (p < 0.01). The Pearson correlation coefficient with the measured value was more than 0.9, showing a very high correlation and significance. The root length estimation equation derived from the relationship between the root biomass, strontium concentration and root length was compared with the real root length value and the root length value obtained using the staining method. The Pearson correlation coefficient also exceeded 0.8 and reached a statistically significant level (p < 0.01). This study confirms that strontium ions can be absorbed and transported to roots through wheat leaves and successfully developed a new method for predicting the length of wheat roots, providing an effective new tool for wheat root research.

Farm leftovers, particularly crop residues, are a key source of renewable energy in Canada. The nation’s robust agricultural industry provides ample biomass, derived from forestry and agriculture resources, for energy generation. Crop residues, such as straws and husks, play a crucial role in this biomass reservoir, contributing to biofuel production and greenhouse gas mitigation efforts. Focusing on supply chains, waste management, and emission reduction, this study evaluates the sustainability of wheat straw, an agricultural biomass by-product. The environmental issues of various approaches to managing agricultural biomass were explored. Following an evaluation of biomass features, conversion methods, and economic and environmental advantages, the results show anaerobic digestion to be the most sustainable approach. Four metrics were examined in relation to social elements, and numerous aspects were considered as inputs in the evaluation of transportation costs. The use of electric trucks versus fuel-based trucks resulted in an 18% reduction in total operating costs and a 58% reduction in consumption costs. This study examined CO2 emissions over four different transportation distances. The data indicate that a significant reduction of 36% in kg CO2 equivalent emissions occurred when the distance was lowered from 100 km to 25 km. These findings offer insights for creating practical plans that should increase the sustainability of agricultural biomass leftovers.

Phosphoric acid-hydrogen peroxide (PHP) pretreatment is an effective method to obtain a cellulose-enriched fraction from biomass. In this study, artificial neural network (ANN) was used to predict PHP pretreatment efficiency of cellulose content (C-C), cellulose recovery (C-Ry), hemicellulose removal (H-Rl), and lignin removal (L-Rl) under various conditions of pretreatment time (t), temperature (T), H3PO4 concentration (Cp), and H2O2 concentration (Ch). The final optimized topology structure of the ANN models had 1 hidden layers with 9 neurons for C-C and 10 neurons for C-Ry, 10 neurons for H-Rl, and 12 neurons for L-Rl. The actual testing data fit the predicted data with R2 values ranging from 0.8070 to 0.9989. The relative importance (RI) revealed that Cp and Ch were significant factors influencing the efficiency of PHP pretreatment with total RI values ranging from 12% to 62.6%. However, their weights for the three components of biomass were different. The value of T dominated hemicellulose removal effectiveness with an RI value of 78.6%, while t did not seem to be a main factor dominating PHP pretreatment efficiency. The results of this study provide insights into the convenient development and optimization of biomass pretreatment from ANN modeling perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat and rice produce nutritious grains that provide 32% of the protein in the human diet globally. Here, we examine how genetic modifications to improve assimilation of the inorganic nitrogen forms ammonium and nitrate into protein influence grain yield of these crops. Successful breeding for modified nitrogen metabolism has focused on genes that coordinate nitrogen and carbon metabolism, including those that regulate tillering, heading date, and ammonium assimilation. Gaps in our current understanding include (1) species differences among candidate genes in nitrogen metabolism pathways, (2) the extent to which relative abundance of these nitrogen forms across natural soil environments shape crop responses, and (3) natural variation and genetic architecture of nitrogen-mediated yield improvement. Despite extensive research on the genetics of nitrogen metabolism since the rise of synthetic fertilizers, only a few projects targeting nitrogen pathways have resulted in development of cultivars with higher yields. To continue improving grain yield and quality, breeding strategies need to focus concurrently on both carbon and nitrogen assimilation and consider manipulating genes with smaller effects or that underlie regulatory networks as well as genes directly associated with nitrogen metabolism.

An investigation was conducted to examine the impact of additive mixing with wheat straw (WS) for pellet making. This study manufactured seven types of pellets with different additive combinations to evaluate pellet quality characteristics and their relationships. A laboratory-type hammer mill and a pellet mill were used for feedstock preparation and pellet production. Experimental investigations showed that the lignin content increased from 7.0% to 13.1%, which was a primary need for pelletization. Also, the heating value rose from 17.02 to 20.36 MJ/kg. However, the ash content also increased from 7.09% to 16.2%. Results showed that dimension (length and diameter), durability, and tensile strength increased significantly with additives while the fines content decreased. The fines content had an inverse relationship with durability and strength. Wheat straw (60%), together with 10% sawdust (SD), 10% corn starch (CS), 10% bentonite clay (BC), and 10% biochar (BiC), was optimal with good pellet performance (T7). In addition, both the T5 pellets (70% WS, 10% SD, 10% BiC, and 10% BC) and the T6 pellets (70% WS, 10% SD, 10% BiC, and 10% CS) provide suitable quality according to EN plus 2015 standard requirements. The ash content of produced pellet was higher than the recommended value, which suggests that further research onto the alternative additive use for ash reduction is needed.

Dry direct-seeded rice (DDR) sown using a multifunctional seeder that performs synchronous rotary tillage and sowing has received increased attention because it is highly efficient, relatively cheap, and environmentally friendly. However, this method of rice production may produce lower yields in a rice–wheat rotation system because of its poor seedling establishment. To address this problem, we performed field experiments to determine the rice yield at five seedling density levels (B1, B2, B3, B4, and B5=100, 190, 280, 370, and 460 seedlings m−2, respectively) and clarify the physiological basis of yield formation. We selected a representative high-quality rice variety and a multifunctional seeder that used in a typical rice–wheat rotation area in 2016 and 2018. The proportion of main stem panicle increased with increasing seedling density. There was a parabolic relationship between yield and seedling density, and the maximum yield (9.34−9.47 t ha−1) was obtained under B3. The maximum yield was associated with a higher total spikelet number m−2 and greater biomass accumulation from heading to maturity. The higher total spikelet number m−2 under B3 was attributed to an increase in panicle number m−2 compared with B1 and B2. Although the panicle numbers also increased under B4 and B5, these increases were insufficient to compensate for the reduced spikelet numbers per panicle. Lower biomass, smaller leaf area, and lower N uptake per plant from the stem elongation stage to the heading stage were partially responsible for the smaller panicle size at higher seedling density levels such as B5. The higher biomass accumulation under B3 was ascribed to the increases in the photosynthetic rate of the top three leaves m−2 of land, crop growth rate, net assimilation rate, and leaf area index. Furthermore, the B3 rice population was marked by a higher grain–leaf ratio, as well as a lower export ratio and transport ratio of biomass per stem-sheath. A quadratic function predicted that 260−290 seedlings m−2 is the optimum seedling density for achieving maximum yield. Together, these results suggested that appropriately increasing the seedling density, and thereby increasing the proportion of panicles formed by the main stem, is an effective approach for obtaining a higher yield in DDR sown using a multifunctional seeder in a rice–wheat rotation system.

Phosphorus (P) management in wheat grown under saline soil conditions requires a better understanding of how P placement and salt stress affect spatial root distribution, plant agronomic performance, and nutrient utilization. A column culture experiment was conducted with two wheat genotypes, Alice and LX99, five P placements ('Top Dressed High P', TopHP; 'Top Dressed Reduced P', TopRP; 'Deep Banded High P', DeepHP; 'Deep Banded Reduced P', DeepRP; and 'No P added', −P), and two salt stress levels ('salt stress', +S; 'non-salt stress', −S) to investigate differences in biomass accumulation, nutrient utilization, and root distribution (0–20 cm, 20–40 cm, and 40–100 cm) among treatments. Deep P placement under non-salt stress increased root distribution at 20–40 cm soil depth for both genotypes compared to top P placement. P application under salt stress increased root weight at all three soil depths in both genotypes and P accumulation in aboveground plant parts (except for LX99 under TopRP). The highest P utilization efficiency occurred in Alice with TopRP and in LX99 with DeepRP under non-salt and salt stresses. Overall, a coordinated adaptation in allocating biomass between belowground and aboveground plant parts, along with altered nutrient utilization, was necessary to reach a growth compromise in response to P supply changes and salinity. Therefore, genotype, P placement depth, and soil salinity should be considered to improve wheat P utilization efficiency under saline conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Irrigation is a common practice in agriculture to increase crop yield. However, the impacts of irrigation on microbial-mediated processes that influence soil carbon (C) pools and crop yield remains largely unknown. Therefore, we conducted a 2-year field experiment to investigate the effects of low (I1, 80% field capacity, 80%FC), medium (I2, 90%FC), and high (I3, 100%FC) irrigation upper limits on rhizosphere soil bacterial community, soil organic carbon (SOC) content, and wheat yield. The results showed that as the irrigation upper limit increased, the α-diversity of the bacterial community decreased. The bacterial community structure significantly differed across various irrigation upper limits. As the irrigation upper limit increased from low (80%FC) to medium (90%FC) or high (100%FC), the abundance of copiotrophic taxa (Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes) decreased, and oligotrophic taxa (Acidobacteria) increased, enhancing the decomposition of persistent C pools. In the second year of the irrigation experiment, the I2 and I3 treatments significantly decreased microbial biomass carbon (MBC), SOC content (by 4.62–7.30%), and the microbial quotient (MQ) compared to I1. Wheat straw biomass and grain yield also decreased as the irrigation upper limit increased from 80%FC to 100%FC, with key bacterial taxa (Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Chloroflexi) and functional processes (glycan biosynthesis and metabolism; folding, sorting, and degradation; translation; transport, and catabolism) playing key roles in wheat grain formation. Our findings indicate that adjusting irrigation levels affects the rhizosphere soil bacterial communities, and that the lowest upper limit of irrigation application (80%FC) is associated with maximum crop yield and microbial diversity.

Radiation interception, radiation use efficiency (RUE) and harvest index (HI) are the key determinants of grain yield in cereal species. However, little is known about how these traits affect grain yield among spring wheat genotypes grown under low and optimum nitrogen (N) fertiliser supply. We used two experiments, in a field (Experiment 1; 2017–2018) and glasshouse (Experiment 2; 2018–2019) to investigate the effects of these traits on grain yield. Grain yield increased by 35% with increasing N fertiliser supply to 8.80 t/ha in Experiment 1 and 151% to 8.33 t/ha in Experiment 2. Grain yield was lowest for 'Reliance' and highest for 'Discovery' in both experiments. Differences in grain yield were not associated with HI. As the RUE did not differ among genotypes, the yield differences were attributed to the different amounts of radiation intercepted; a result of the faster leaf area expansion rate (LAER) and subsequent higher maximum green leaf area index (GLAI), and a longer leaf area duration (LAD). The differences in LAER and maximum GLAI among the genotypes were associated with a differences in specific leaf area (cm2/g). Our results suggest that improved grain yields in spring wheat can be achieved by focusing breeding efforts on canopy characteristics to increase radiation interception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In the face of climate changes and limited water availability for irrigated crop production, enhanced drought tolerance and adaptation is vital to improve wheat productivity. The objective of this study was to determine the responses of newly bred and advanced mutant lines of wheat based on agronomic traits and biomass allocation under drought-stressed and nonstressed environments for production and breeding. Methods: Fifty-three mutant lines, including the parental check and six check varieties, were evaluated under non-stressed (NS) and drought stressed (DS) conditions in the field and controlled environments using a 20 x 3 alpha lattice design with two replicates. The following agronomic data were collected: days to 50% heading (DTH), days to maturity (DTM), plant height (PH), number of productive tillers (PTN), shoot biomass (SB), root biomass (RB), total biomass (TB), root: shoot ratio (RSR), spike length (SL), thousand seeds weight (TSW) and grain yield (GY). Data were analyzed and summarized using various statistical procedures and drought tolerance indices were computed based on grain yield under NS and DS conditions. Results: Significant (P < 0.05) differences were recorded among the mutant lines for most assessed traits under NS and DS conditions. Grain yield positively and significantly (p < 0.001) correlated with PTN (r = 0.85), RB (r = 0.75), SB (r = 0.80), SL (r =0.73), TB (r = 0.65), and TSW (r = 0.67) under DS condition. Principal component analysis revealed three components contributing to 78.55% and 77.21% of the total variability for the assessed agronomic traits under DS and NS conditions, respectively. The following traits: GY, RB, SB, and PTN explained most of the variation with high loading scores under DS condition. Geometric mean productivity (GMP), mean productivity (MP), harmonic mean (HM), and stress tolerance index (STI) were identified as the best drought tolerance indices for the identification of tolerant lines with positive correlations with GY under NS and DS conditions. Discussion: Among the advanced lines tested, LMA16, LMA37, LMA47, LMA2, and LMA42 were selected as the superior lines with high performance and drought tolerance. The selected lines are recommended for multi-environment trails and release for production in water-limited environments in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selecting cultivars with greater biomass results in higher yields and greater carbon sequestration. Storage of atmospheric carbon in the plant/soil pool contributes not only to food security but also to mitigating climate change and other agroecological benefits. The objective of this study was to determine: (1) grain, residue, and root biomass yields; (2) harvest indexes; (3) residue-to-product ratio; (4) root-to-shoot ratio; (5) biomass carbon and nitrogen contents; and (6) C:N ratios for two new and two old winter wheat cultivars. The greatest yield difference was found between old Srpanjka (the lowest) and new Kraljica (the highest) cultivar where grain, residue, root, and total biomass yield was higher by 38%, 91%, 71%, and 64%, respectively. Total biomass was composed of 40–47% grain, 10–11% roots, 32–36% stems + leaves, 9–11% chaff, and 1–2% spindle. The range of HI was 0.45–0.53, RPR 0.91–1.25, and R:S ratio 0.12–0.13. For all cultivars, positive carbon and negative nitrogen balance within the plant pool was determined. Still, root biomass and rhizodeposition carbon remain open questions for a better understanding of agroecosystems' C dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The timely and accurate estimation of above-ground biomass (AGB) is crucial for indicating crop growth status, assisting management decisions, and predicting grain yield. Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) remote sensing technology is a promising approach for monitoring crop biomass. However, the determination of winter wheat AGB based on canopy reflectance is affected by spectral saturation effects. Thus, constructing a generic model for accurately estimating winter wheat AGB using UAV data is significant. In this study, a three-dimensional conceptual model (3DCM) for estimating winter wheat AGB was constructed using plant height (PH) and fractional vegetation cover (FVC). Compared with both the traditional vegetation index model and the traditional multi-feature combination model, the 3DCM yielded the best accuracy for the jointing stage (based on RGB data: coefficient of determination (R2) = 0.82, normalized root mean square error (nRMSE) = 0.2; based on multispectral (MS) data: R2 = 0.84, nRMSE = 0.16), but the accuracy decreased significantly when the spike organ appeared. Therefore, the spike number (SN) was added to create a new three-dimensional conceptual model (n3DCM). Under different growth stages and UAV platforms, the n3DCM (RGB: R2 = 0.73–0.85, nRMSE = 0.17–0.23; MS: R2 = 0.77–0.84, nRMSE = 0.17–0.23) remarkably outperformed the traditional multi-feature combination model (RGB: R2 = 0.67–0.88, nRMSE = 0.15–0.25; MS: R2 = 0.60–0.77, nRMSE = 0.19–0.26) for the estimation accuracy of the AGB. This study suggests that the n3DCM has great potential in resolving spectral errors and monitoring growth parameters, which could be extended to other crops and regions for AGB estimation and field-based high-throughput phenotyping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditionally, biosorbents have been used to remove contaminants from polluted water, such as wastewater, landfill leachate, rainwater or drinking water. However, two alternative uses of biosorbents have been proposed relatively recently: the removal of heavy metals from fruit juices by biosorption and the use of saturated biosorbents as animal feed. Because these biosorbents are in contact with food or are used as animal feed, the concentration of contaminants in biosorbents must be known. In addition, the characterization of biosorbents is crucial because biosorbent properties affect both adsorption efficiency and the performance of full-scale biosorbent systems. This article presents data from Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis, and the concentration of toxic metals (determined by ICP-MS) as well as pesticide residues was determined in ten biomass samples, namely, pea skins, straw, seaweed Fucus vesiculosus, wheat bran, rye bran, raspberry seeds, peat, buckwheat husks, highbush blueberry pulp, and blackcurrant pulp. Selected biomass samples were also characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), nitrogen physisorption analysis, and pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC/ MS/FID) analysis.

Silicon (Si) supplementation is currently gaining popularity in the field of salt tolerance in a variety of crop plants. Si in plants substantially diminishes the negative effects of salinity and can boost wheat's ability to withstand stress. However, the effect of Si on different wheat varieties and how they respond to Si under severe stress conditions are still unknown. In this investigation, we demonstrated the effect of Si on the growth attributes like germination percent, radicle length, seed vigor index, shoot–root length, plant biomass, biochemical parameters like sodium and potassium ions, and K+/Na+ ratio of two wheat varieties, i.e., KRL-210 (salt-tolerant) and WH-1105 (salt-sensitive) under different saline conditions (40, 80, and 120 mM), both with and without Si treatments. Higher levels of salinity reduced the growth performance of both wheat varieties. It was observed that the increase in sodium ion content during salinity decreased the overall growth of the plants. Potassium content was also found to decrease under increased concentrations of salt. Consequently, the K+/Na+ ratio of roots, shoots, and leaves was also dramatically decreased under salt stress. The WH-1105 variety was found to be badly affected during high salt stress, as KRL-210 is more salt-tolerant than WH-1105, while Si supplementation amended the growth attributes of both varieties under severe salt stress. Moreover, Si supplementation enhanced the potassium content and reduced the sodium uptake in plants under stress situations. The positive effect of Si was found more remarkable in the WH-1105 variety than in KRL-210, showing Si's species-dependent nature. The outcome of this research may aid in the development of alternative approaches for defending wheat plants from severe salinity, as well as providing a scientific base for the assessment of salt tolerance and the systematic agriculture of wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change‐induced drought stress (DS) poses a significant threat to crop production, emphasizing the need for innovative strategies to mitigate its adverse effects. Prior studies have demonstrated the distinct capacities of salicylic acid (SA) and sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS) to augment plant resilience against drought‐related stressors. However, little is known about how they work together or the specific processes by which they increase DS tolerance. The purpose of this research was to determine how SA and NaHS affected the performance of wheat plants during the growing seasons of 2021–2022 and 2022–2023, when there was a drought. The research employed a block‐randomized experimental layout with split plots, where the primary factors included two irrigation levels: full irrigation (IW1, 100% of water requirement) and deficit irrigation (IW2, 50% of water requirement). Secondary factors included the application of mock control, 0.5 mM SA, and 0.3 mM NaHS, an H2S donor, either individually or in combination, administered before the onset of DS. The application of SA, NaHS, or their combination significantly enhanced wheat plant resistance to DS. Significant increases in a number of physiological markers, including proline content, relative water content (RWC), Fv/Fm, chlorophyll content, and antioxidant enzyme activity, demonstrated this improvement. Furthermore, in drought‐stressed wheat plants, SA and NaHS treatments decreased the amounts of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and electrolyte leakage (EL). In conclusion, our study highlights the possibility of SA and NaHS, whether applied individually or in combination, to improve drought resistance in wheat plants, presenting a viable approach to lessen the effects of climate change on agricultural yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the interplay between nitrogen doses and seeding rates on wheat yield, biomass, and protein content. Utilizing tools such as the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Soil Plant Analysis Development (SPAD) measurements, and canopy temperature (CT), we conducted experiments over five growing seasons. The treatments included three nitrogen levels (0, 60, 120 kg/ha) and three seeding rates (300, 400, 500 seeds/m2) in a split-plot design with 90 plots and two replications. Our results show that an intermediate nitrogen dose (60 kg/ha) combined with a moderate seed rate (400 seeds/m2) enhances wheat yield by 22.95%. Reduced nitrogen levels increased protein content, demonstrating wheat’s adaptive mechanisms under nitrogen constraints. NDVI analysis highlighted significant growth during the tillering phase with high nitrogen, emphasizing early-stage nutrient management. SPAD measurements showed that early nitrogen applications boost chlorophyll content, essential for vigorous early growth, while CT data indicate that optimal nitrogen and seed rates can effectively modulate plant stress responses. As crops mature, the predictive capacity of NDVI declines, indicating the need for adjusted nitrogen strategies. Collectively, these findings advocate for refined management of nitrogen and seeding rates, integrating NDVI, SPAD, and CT assessments to enhance yields and promote sustainable agricultural practices while minimizing environmental impacts.