Search

Techniques for classifying data using data mining are now a day prevalent in agriculture. The method of classifying seeds involves grouping various seed varieties according to their morphological characteristics. To accomplish categorization of the typical Charotar region (generally comprising Anand and Kheda districts of the Gujarat State of India) Gujarat Wheat (GW) varieties (TRITICUM – AESTIVUM) viz. GW 273, GW 496, GW 322, LOK-1, and GDW 1255 (TRITICUM – DURUM), Weka Explorer was used. The features used are area, perimeter, solidity, aspect ratio, major and minor axis of seed kernel, Hue, Saturation, Value, and SF1 (empirical). Features reduction was done using Information Gain (IG) and its modified version Gain Ratio (GR). This paper compares performance of Tree based data mining algorithms in classifying wheat varieties. For classification we used purely tree-based machine learning algorithms viz. J48, Random Forest, Hoeffding Tree, Logistic Model Tree (LMT), and REPTree. LMT- logistics regression method gives higher accuracy 96.4% compared to other classifiers. Hoeffding Tree classifiers stood second with 96% accuracy. For validation 10-fold cross validation was used. By reducing the number of folds in cross validation performance of most algorithms decreased except J48. The percentage of correctly classified instance increased for all algorithms when features were selected by GR except for J48. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accumulation of antimony (Sb) in plants and its potential effects on human health are of increasing concern. Nevertheless, only a few countries or regions have established soil Sb thresholds for agricultural purposes, and soil properties have not been taken into account. This study investigated the accumulation of Sb in the edible parts of pakchoi and wheat grain by adding exogenous Sb to 21 soils with varying properties. The results revealed a positive correlation between bioavailable Sb (Sb ava , extracted by 0.1 M K 2 HPO 4) in soil and Sb in the edible parts of pakchoi (R2 = 0.77, p < 0.05) and wheat grain (R2 = 0.54, p < 0.05). Both machine learning and traditional multiple regression analysis indicated Sb ava was the most critical feature and the main soil properties that contributed to Sb uptake by pakchoi and wheat were CaCO 3 and clay, respectively. The advisory food limits for Sb in pakchoi and wheat were estimated based on health risk assessment, and used to derive soil thresholds for safe pakchoi and wheat production based on Sb tot and Sb ava , respectively. These findings hold potential for predicting Sb uptake by crops with different soil properties and informing safe production management strategies. [Display omitted] • Pakchoi has a higher accumulation potential of Sb than wheat. • Phytoavailability of Sb in soils was predicted by phosphate-extraction. • Machine learning and multiple regression models were used to identify key factors. • CaCO 3 and pH was identified as major factors influencing Sb accumulation in pakchoi. • Clay content was a primary factor in controlling Sb uptake in wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate variability plays a pivotal role in rainfed agriculture, especially within arid regions. Analyzing these fluctuations across diverse climatic conditions establishes a foundation for subsequent investigations. In Iran, the FAO 56 aridity index categorizes the nation into very dry, dry, semidry, and humid climate classifications. This study aimed to explore equations derived from multiple linear regression (MLR) and the disparities between predicted and observed yields of rainfed wheat and barley across Iran's varying climates. Meteorological data, encompassing rainfall (R), mean temperature (T mean), solar radiation (S), and wind speed (U 2), were compiled from 44 synoptic stations spanning 1981–2020. These data constituted inputs for the MLR models employed to simulate rainfed wheat and barley yields. The Global Performance Indicator (GPI), a 5-point statistical criteria index, was utilized to assess MLR model performance. The findings unveiled superior MLR model performance in dry climates (R2=0.84 for wheat and R2=0.9 for barley) compared to humid climates (R2=0.69 for wheat and R2=0.66 for barley), evidenced by lower statistical error criteria values. Moreover, across all climates, the MLR models exhibited more accurate predictions for rainfed wheat yield (GPI=1559.3) in contrast to rainfed barley (GPI=1536). In conclusion, this study sheds light on the notable role of climate in rainfed agriculture, showcasing the efficacy of MLR models in predicting yields across varying climatic contexts. • Strong correlation between rainfall and crop yield underscores water's impact on productivity. • MLR models demonstrate higher accuracy in drier climates compared to humid ones. • Rainfall and wind speed emerge as crucial predictors of crop yields, overestimating across climates. • GPI analysis reveals MLR's excellence in estimating yields in dry climates. • Importance of tailored models for accurate yield predictions, with GPI introduced for comprehensive evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging microbial trait-based approaches for soil organic carbon (SOC) storage advocate enhancing specific soil microbial functional traits, such as increased carbon use efficiency (CUE) and enzymatic efficiency (EE) and decreased metabolic quotient (qCO 2). These traits facilitate the efficient conversion of crop residues into microbial biomass C (MBC), that is subsequently stabilized as SOC in the soil mineral fraction. However, our current understanding of SOC dynamics in croplands is mainly confined to topsoil or tillage zone, and the field-based evidence for subsoil microbial functional trait dynamics is sparse. To address this knowledge gap, we studied the effect of contrasting long-term agricultural management practices on microbial functional traits favoring SOC accumulation in topsoil and subsoil by conducting a laboratory experiment using 13C labeled glucose addition. Our results show a 19 % increase in C growth (C allocated for microbial biomass growth), 11 % increase in CUE and 14 % increase in EE under no-till (NT) compared to conventional till (CT) in topsoil (0–10 cm) and no difference in these microbial parameters in subsoil (30–40 cm) between NT and CT. Growing a deep-rooted winter wheat (WW) cover crop increased CUE by 28 % in the topsoil and 11 % in the subsoil compared to no-cover treatment. We found separate drivers controlling SOC accumulation in topsoil and subsoil. These drivers are increased particulate organic matter C (POM–C) and C growth , under NT in topsoil and increased C growth over respiration and mineral associated organic matter C (MAOM–C), under WW in subsoil. Overall, our results provide experimental evidence that different microbial functional traits, molded by different long-term conservation practices, dictate SOC storage in agricultural topsoil and subsoil. • Long-term no-tillage improved topsoil microbial carbon use and enzymatic efficiencies. • Deep-rooted cover crop improved subsoil microbial carbon use and enzymatic efficiencies. • Higher particulate organic C and microbial growth increased topsoil C under no-tillage. • Higher particulate organic C and microbial growth with reduced respiration increased subsoil C under winter wheat cover crop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mediterranean region is a climate change hotspot due to projected precipitation decreases, soil erosion, and rising temperatures in the coming decades. In such a context, wheat productivity is expected to decrease; thus, all available croplands will need to be farmed to meet food demands. It is therefore crucial to have adequate management to help balance wheat production and environmental protection in specific target environments. With this aim, we present a study in Castile and Leon (Spain) in which we assess conventional and certified organic wheat grain yield and quality. Moreover, we spatially define wheat cultivation suitability categories and monitor crop rotation practices. For wheat suitability mapping, a fuzzy interference system was used to standardize topographic (height and slope), edaphic (pH, soil erosion, organic matter, and texture), and climatic (rainfall and temperature) variables and create marginal, suitable, and very suitable wheat cultivation suitability categories. We calculated the area of wheat suitability categories with confidence intervals and discussed factors affecting productivity. Additionally, we assessed the performance of certified organic and conventionally managed fields with organic and chemical fertilization. We also examined crop rotations using Sentinel-2 data over two seasons (2020−21). Certified organic management yielded 50% less than conventional management in similar environments while maintaining grain quality. Besides management, the main causes of the yield gap are the growing environment and variety. In conventional wheat management, organic fertilization achieves comparable yields to chemical fertilization. Crop rotation practices are uncommon, and over 50% of fields rotate wheat-to-barley or wheat-to-wheat, indicating poor soil management. The region has 25% of cropland classified as marginal wheat croplands (163,503 ± 33,796 ha) producing <2500 kg/ha. Wheat organic agriculture has decreased yield gaps in marginal croplands compared to more productive areas. By farming organic wheat in marginal croplands, the best croplands might be used for more productive farming. • The studied region in Spain has 25% of cropland classified as marginal wheat croplands. • A fuzzy interference system has proven effective to decipher wheat suitability classes. • Sentinel-2 data allowed monitoring the uncommon crop rotation practices in the region. • Certified organic management yielded 50% less than conventional in similar settings. • Wheat organic agriculture has decreased yield gaps in marginal croplands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remote sensing technologies are frequently employed in monitoring and evaluating agricultural meteorological disasters because they can provide high throughput and cost-effective accesses to obtain a variety of real-time spatial data related to crop growth information. Accurately and timely estimating the drought dynamics using remote sensing is valuable for improving crop management level and promoting agricultural sustainable development. In this study, the responses of winter wheat during the critical growth stages to different drought levels from 2010 to 2020 in the Huang-Huai-Hai (HHH) region of China were evaluated based on Google Earth Engine. Four critical developmental stages of winter wheat were highlighted: greening－jointing, jointing－heading, heading－milking maturity, and milking maturity－maturity stages. The temperature vegetation dryness index (TVDI) was constructed for evaluating the drought of winter wheat. Our results indicated that the winter wheat in the HHH region during 2010－2020 was clearly impacted by drought disasters, mainly mild to moderate droughts. In particular, the TVDI index during the critical development stages of winter wheat from 2010 to 2020 wavered in the scope of 0.48 and 0.61, and the soil moisture content at a depth of 10 cm tended to obviously reducing with a rate of − 0.1615/a. For critical growth stages, the winter wheat in the HHH Region was the most prone to threatened by drought during the stage of jointing－heading, following the stage of milking maturity－maturity. The high probability incidence of drought in winter wheat gradually shifted from the nutritional growth to the reproductive growth stages, which increased the risk of drought affecting yield. Furthermore, the notable spatial variations of drought in winter wheat in the HHH region were found. The winter wheat was evidently threatened by moderate and severe droughts in certain areas such as southern Hebei province, northern Jiangsu province, Anhui province, etc. Our results provide new insights into the studies on monitoring and evaluating agricultural meteorological disasters based on remote sensing technology. [Display omitted] • We established temperature vegetation dryness index (TVDI) for winter wheat. • We explored the spatiotemporal dynamics in drought of winter wheat based on TVDI. • We revealed the responses of winter wheat during the critical stages to droughts. • Google Earth Engine technology and long-term field observations were used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main challenge in the durum wheat production chain is to capture as much as possible of the yield potential, whilst supporting long-term sustainability. The present work mainly aims at assessing the environmental performances of organic, biodynamic and conventional farming systems by adopting the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach. Old durum wheat cvs. Senatore Cappelli and Saragolla cultivated in biodynamic and organic farming, respectively, and a commercial durum wheat cv. Antalis cultivated in conventional farming in the same area were evaluated. Midpoints and endpoints impacts of the Recchia et al., 2019 method refer to three different units relating to crop yield (1 Mg yield), cultivated surface (1 ha surface) and farm gross income (1 K € GI). The total impact of biodynamic farming for 1 Mg yield was by 22% and by 19% greater than conventional and organic farming systems, respectively. As to an equal cultivated surface, biodynamic and organic farming systems are high performing, with impacts constantly lower (by −52% and −56%, respectively) than those of conventional farming. In relation to an equal gross income, the organic and biodynamic farming systems showed lower impacts than the conventional one in view of higher prices of organic and old cultivars heritage that increase farm profitability. LCA provides valuable comprehensive information on the environmental performance of durum wheat cultivation in different farming systems. • Impacts of different wheat production systems were assessed using LCA. • For an equal yield, impacts of sustainable systems are higher than conventional ones. • Conventional system show highest impacts per surface and income units. • We argue to exploit different FU in LCA analysis for food sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Droughts and water scarcity represent crucial issues for the agricultural sector, whose water demand is expected to increase in the next years to ensure food production for a growing population without expanding harvested areas. A proper assessment of crop water needs during the various plant growth periods provides useful information to effectively allocate water resources, highlighting the most drought-sensitive phenological stages. Winter wheat is the most widely grown cereal in the world. In Italy, it is mainly cultivated in the Po Plain, where the most severe drought of the last seventy years occurred in the summer of 2022. This work develops winter wheat drought vulnerability curves tailored to the Po Plain. The curves establish a relationship between water deficit and yield losses during various crop growth stages (establishment, vegetative, flowering and yield formation) and combinations of consecutive phases. Prediction bounds have been associated to vulnerability curves to assess the range of variation of the wheat response to water deficit. The effect of soil texture on wheat tolerance to droughts leading to water stress was investigated too. Results show that the flowering phase and the combinations including this growth stage are more sensitive to water stress with respect to the other considered phenological phases. In addition, winter wheat cultivated over clay loam soil is less sensitive to water deficit in comparison to the same crop grown on the other soil types considered in the study. The developed curves could be used in the framework of parametric insurance programs to pay indemnities based on the crop phenological stage and the soil texture. Moreover, the curves might be useful for land reclamation consortia, who could exploit them to schedule water delivery to farmers during drought or could be embedded into a drought early warning system to provide forecasts of crop yield losses in relation to the weather conditions. • Implementation of stage-specific drought vulnerability curves for winter wheat. • Design of wheat drought vulnerability curves for combinations of growth stages. • Derivation of 95% prediction bounds for the developed curves. • Flowering is the most sensitive stage to water stress. • Winter wheat grown on a clay loam soil tolerates better water stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving agricultural sustainability requires a comprehensive assessment of economic, social, and environmental dynamics. This assessment must be supported by scientifically validated indicators that measure all aspects of the system. This study aims to assess and compare the indicator-based farm sustainability of wheat farming in Punjab, India, under two farming systems: conventional farming (CF) and organic farming (OF). This study is based on cross-sectional data collected through a primary survey of 348 wheat growers (143 organics and 205 conventional). A multi-stage random sampling technique was used to collect the data. Based on the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) 2008 index construction methodology, a composite sustainability index (CSI), economic sustainability index (ESI), social sustainability index (SSI), and environmental sustainability index (EnSI) have been constructed. The study is motivated by the significant focus on wheat-rice monoculture in Punjab, which has led to declining agricultural growth, over-exploitation of groundwater, and excessive use of agro-chemicals, among other sustainability issues. The empirical results of CSI show that OF is more sustainable than CF in terms of environmental and social sustainability, whereas CF is economically more viable than OF. The study suggest that the government should adopt a balanced approach that encourages and promotes both farming systems simultaneously. To enhance the sustainability of CF, the focus should be on resource conservation technologies, farm practices and ensuring farmers' well-being, while financial incentives, educational opportunities, and market expansion are crucial for making OF more sustainable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Responses of wheat yield in different regions to separate and joint changes in mean temperature (T mean), precipitation (Prec), and solar radiation (Rad) are the foundation for sustainable development under climate change; however, these remain uncertain. Here, we quantified the response of wheat yield variation to changes in T mean , Prec, and Rad by building multiple regression models, de-trending analysis, and MK trend tests. Multi-site meteorological data was obtained from different wheat growing areas and corresponding wheat yield data from provinces. Our findings showed that the effects of different climatic elements on wheat yield are spatially heterogeneous by region, and the combined effects of climatic elements are higher than those of single elements. Climate change caused an increase of 1% and 4.52% in winter and winter-spring wheat areas, respectively, and a loss of 3.72% in spring wheat areas. In addition, the effect of single meteorological factors on wheat yield varied depending on their rate of change. Rad and Prec are the main drivers of wheat yield variability; in winter, spring and winter-spring wheat areas, Rad significantly impacted wheat yield by 0.89%, −1.18%, and 2.46%, respectively, and Prec caused changes of −0.18%, −1.54%, and 1.33%, respectively. Considering normal and extreme climate fluctuations, we found that the contribution of climate change to wheat yield changes in different wheat-growing regions reached 26.1%, 18.6%, and 16.7%, respectively. Our results indicate that the overall climatic conditions in the spring wheat region are moving in an unfavourable direction, while Prec variability has become the main limiting factor for wheat production in the current winter and winter-spring wheat regions. These comprehensive and detailed findings provide a reference for the development of more accurate adaptation strategies and management measures in different regions. Going forward, the results of this study can be better applied to the development of region-specific climate-smart agricultural practices and extended to other crops and regions to better understand the broader impacts of climate change on global food security. [Display omitted] • Spatial differences in crop yield responses to different climate drivers at large scales. • We quantified the effects of climate variation on wheat yield variability. • Uniquely illustrates spatial patterns in the relationship between climate variability and wheat yield variability. • Uncovering the main drivers of climate change impact on wheat yield in China. • Light-efficient varieties and effective irrigation may improve China's wheat yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precision farming has become a hot research topic in recent years due to the advancement of sensing technologies, increased computer performance, and advanced deep learning algorithms. As a result, several outstanding studies on deep learning applications to high-throughput phenotyping of wheat, one of the most demanding cereal crops on the planet, have been published. This paper aims to conduct a survey of publications that have used deep learning techniques to address various challenges in wheat production. To accomplish this, we propose an ontology-based knowledge management system that is specifically designed to highlight the publications' objectives, preprocessing algorithms, deep learning models, frameworks, datasets, and results. The presented ontology is intended to serve as a robust tool for future research in wheat high-throughput phenotyping. Additionally, we compare the performance of deep learning algorithms to that of long-established methods in this field. Compared to traditional machine learning techniques, this study demonstrates that deep learning algorithms provide a more robust, accurate, and cost-effective way of measuring wheat traits. • In recent years, soft computing has become a trending research field in agriculture. • Many studies have used deep learning in high-throughput wheat phenotyping. • Wheat precision farming can benefit from ontology-based knowledge management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study addresses the eco-efficiency (environmental and economic trade-offs) of durum wheat cultivation practices adopted at field level under typical Mediterranean conditions of Southern Italy. This study is based on three years of experimental data of durum wheat cultivation under three water supply regimes (full irrigation, 50% of full irrigation and rainfed) coupled with two nitrogen (N) fertilizer levels (high N, HN: 120 kg/ha, and low N, LN: not fertilized). The environmental impact assessment was based on a novel life cycle impact assessment method which quantifies seventeen midpoints (problems-oriented) and three endpoints (damage-oriented) indicators using ReCiPe 2016 model. The economic performance was evaluated using the total value added to the system’s final products due to water and N use and applied management practices. Eco-efficiency was assessed as a ratio of the total value added to the environmental impact categories. The water consumption impacts were estimated in addition to the typical environmental impact categories. The high input (irrigation and fertilization) intensity systems resulted in higher agricultural production, however, produced greater impacts on water consumption, global warming, and energy-related indicators. In turn, these impact categories generated the damages to human health, ecosystem quality, and resource scarcity. The analysis demonstrated that eco-efficiency cannot be always compensated by higher yield and corresponding economic total value added. The eco-efficiency assessment indicated that agronomic practices with the low use of resources (e.g., deficit irrigation with low N) tend to have higher eco-efficiency than more intensive cultivation strategies. Hence, the sustainable crop production strategies should evolve towards the adoption of precision agriculture and optimization of water and fertilization inputs (in space, timing, and quantities) that can improve yield response to resources, environmental and economic performance. In this sense, life cycle thinking and assessment considering multiple impact categories are essential to support decision-making processes towards sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat is a strategic crop for Iran with respect to food security and environmental impact. In the northeastern Golestan Province irrigated and rainfed wheat production systems co-exist. In the light of climate change the comparative assessment of the two systems regarding productivity and sustainability is of urgent importance. This paper aims to contribute to a more informed debate on the viability of irrigation in marginal crop production regions. For this purpose, the present study investigates productivity and environmental impact of 540 wheat producing farm households (259 irrigated; 281 rainfed) in Golestan by partial life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology using greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and product carbon footprint (PCF) as environmental sustainability indicators. The study finds huge heterogeneity among wheat producers with regard to yield, GHG emissions and PCF. Comparing irrigated and rainfed production showed that irrigation in average leads to 22% higher yields. However, the environmental impact of irrigated production is disproportionally high leading to 110% higher GHG emissions and 62% higher PCF, which highlights the trade-off between productivity and environmental sustainability. The major contributors to total GHG emissions of wheat production are energy for irrigation (only in irrigated production), N 2 O emissions related to fertilization and residue handling, diesel for machinery, and emissions related to fertilizer production and transport. Increased GHG emissions and PCF in irrigated compared to rainfed production are not only attributed to the energy required for irrigation, but also to increased fertilizer and other production inputs. Splitting the farmers into high, medium and low yield groups indicates the potential for increasing yields through increased input intensity without negative effects on PCF. The study's results demonstrate the potential of better balancing the trade-offs between productivity and sustainability of wheat production in marginal wheat production regions of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biosolids can be effectively recycled and applied as soil amendments for agricultural crops because they contain several important micro and macronutrients including nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, manganese. In the current study, we evaluated the effectiveness of seven biosoilds on different growth parameters of wheat crop. The biosolids used were lime stabilized, composted, liquid mesophilic anaerobically digested (liquid MAD), thermally dried mesophilic anaerobically digested (thermally dried MAD), thermally hydrolyzed mesophilic anaerobically digested (thermally hydrolysed MAD), dewatered mesophilic anaerobically digested (dewatered MAD) and thermally dried raw biosolids. We also analysed biosolids for their nutrient contents before application. The results revealed that different types of biosolids differed in nitrogen and phosphorous contents with highest contents observed in dewatered (5.70% nitrogen, 2.32% phosphorous) and liquid biosolids (2.35% phosphorous). The plant height, plant diameter and dry weight yield of wheat was increased with the increase in concentrations of biosolids. Liquid MAD resulted in maximum plant height of 120.35 ± 3.23, 133.2 ± 3.67 and 147.25 ± 3.11 at 3.33, 6.66 and 9.99 tons/ha concentration. The highest plant diameter was recorded (1.05–1.45 cm) where mineral nitrogen was applied. The study will be helpful in replacing the synthetic fertilizer with biosolids to fulfil the nutritional requirements of agricultural crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precise estimation of carotenoid (Car) content in crops, using remote sensing data, could be helpful for agricultural resources management. Conventional methods for Car content estimation were mostly based on reflectance data acquired from nadir direction. However, reflectance acquired at this direction is highly influenced by canopy structure and soil background reflectance. Off-nadir observation is less impacted, and multi-angle viewing data are proven to contain additional information rarely exploited for crop Car content estimation. The objective of this study was to explore the potential of multi-angle observation data for winter wheat canopy Car content estimation. Canopy spectral reflectance was measured from nadir as well as from a series of off-nadir directions during different growing stages of winter wheat, with concurrent canopy Car content measurements. Correlation analyses were performed between Car content and the original and continuum removed spectral reflectance. Spectral features and previously published indices were derived from data obtained at different viewing angles and were tested for Car content estimation. Results showed that spectral features and indices obtained from backscattering directions between 20° and 40° view zenith angle had a stronger correlation with Car content than that from the nadir direction, and the strongest correlation was observed from about 30° backscattering direction. Spectral absorption depth at 500 nm derived from spectral data obtained from 30° backscattering direction was found to reduce the difference induced by plant cultivars greatly. It was the most suitable for winter wheat canopy Car estimation, with a coefficient of determination 0.79 and a root mean square error of 19.03 mg/m 2 . This work indicates the importance of taking viewing geometry effect into account when using spectral features/indices and provides new insight in the application of multi-angle remote sensing for the estimation of crop physiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meeting the growing food demand with minimum impact on the environment is a major challenge to face for ensuring a more sustainable food production. To tackle this problem, in this article we present a novel systematic method for agriculture planning that optimally allocates rainfed and irrigated cropping areas, thereby enhancing food availability and reducing the environmental impact of agriculture. The allocation problem is mathematically formulated as a multi-objective linear programming problem that simultaneously accounts for the maximisation of the crop production and the minimisation of the environmental impact caused by water consumption. To quantify the environmental damage, life cycle assessment principles and water footprint concepts are integrated into the model. The capabilities of our tool are illustrated through its application to a real case study that considers wheat production in Spain. The results show that the current allocation of rainfed and irrigated wheat areas in Spain is sub-optimal. Our tool provides a set of alternatives for optimally reallocating these wheat areas that ultimately achieve significant reductions in environmental impact while maintaining or even increasing the production level. The analysis clearly demonstrates that the optimal allocation of rainfed and irrigated cropping areas is a potential pathway to minimise the environmental impact of water consumption in food production. Our systematic decision-support tool aims to assist famers and policy-makers in the transition towards a more sustainable agricultural sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are widely considered as ecosystem engineers to positively affect the adaptation of plants to adverse environments, but whether AMF can commonly promote root-soil relationships and reproductive allocation is unclear in dryland crops. It is crucial to reveal if AMF can promote grain filling via mediating rhizosphere interactions regardless of soil water regimes and planting densities in dryland crops for the application of AMF regarding more precise management. To address this issue, Funneliformis mosseae was inoculated in pot-cultured wheat to examine the inoculation effects on wheat growth, yield formation, rhizospheric moisture and nutrient status across four planting densities under the drought and well-watered conditions. As expected, under drought stress, wheat grain filling, shoot biomass, rhizospheric soil water content (SWC), water use efficiency (WUE), soil organic carbon (SOC) content and the ratio of SOC to soil total nitrogen (TN) contents were significantly lowered in the soils without AMF inoculation across four planting densities. Under well-watered conditions, the SWC ranged from 10.30 % to 16.64 %, while under water stress conditions, the values ranged from 5.77 % to 9.61 %. Soil mineralized nitrogen (NO 3 −-N and NH 4 +-N) contents were decreased with AMF regardless of soil water status and planting densities. Under drought stress, AMF inoculation increased wheat productivity, WUE, SWC, SOC content, the ratio of SOC to TN, and promoted the absorption of mineralized nitrogen. Particularly, AMF inoculation substantially promoted the soil easily oxidizable organic carbon (EOC) content by 58.5 % and 55.6 % in the two highest densities, respectively. The soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC) content was totally >50 mg kg−1, whereas that of the non-AMF group was <40 mg kg−1. AMF inoculation significantly promoted grain yield up to 28.5 % under drought stress. Such a trend was tightly associated with higher WUE, rhizosphere C/N ratio and labile SOC (EOC and MBC) content owing to the enhanced absorption of soil mineralized nitrogen under drought stress with AMF. The above trend tended to become weaker with increasing densities. However, under a sufficient water supply, AMF inoculation had no such significant effect on the above parameters in low densities, and turned to generate negative effects under high densities (P < 0.05). For example, compared with well-watered, AMF inoculation reduced wheat grain yield and shoot weight by 9.78 % and 4.83 % in high planting density treatment (HC), respectively. Therefore, the inoculation effects of AMF were highly dependent on planting density and soil moisture, and the mechanism was that AMF optimized the rhizospheric interactions for better water and nutrient status under drought and low density. Our findings may provide novel insights into the application of AMF regarding agricultural sustainability under climate change. Conceptual framework depicting the responses of soil nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) cycling processes to different AMF and plant density treatments. The soil N and C cycling processes a) without and with b) AMF inoculation are shown on the left and right, respectively. Solid arrows, C and N fluxes from one pool to another, microbial biomass and activities that mediate the mineralization of soil organic matter (SOM) and soil organic carbon (SOC). The thickness of the arrows indicates the magnitude of the flux or activity. Rectangles, the pool sizes of microbial biomass and mineral N (ammonium and nitrate). Red line, AMF hyphae. Green arrows, root exudation; blue arrows, mineral N flow; orange arrows, microbial respiration; black arrows, the root water uptake; purple arrows, N competition between root and microorganism; yellow arrows, microbial activities that mediate the mineralization of SOM; brown arrows, the interactions. Further explanations are shown in the main text. [Display omitted] • AMF helped the wheat adapt to an arid environment and enhance reproduction. • AMF fostered wheat reproductive derived from optimized WUE and nutrient provision. • The effects of AMF were dependent on water level and plant density. • Our study provides novel insights into the agro-ecosystem sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat is one of the most important cereal crops for human consumption. Understanding the eco-efficiency of wheat production is helpful in achieving sustainable agriculture. In this study, the eco-efficiency of wheat production in Japan at a regional scale was measured using a combined methodology of life cycle assessment and data envelopment analysis. Wheat production in paddy fields with inferior drainage performance was compared with production in upland fields with good growing conditions. The eco-efficiency indicator was defined as wheat yield per single environmental impact index, including global warming as a global environmental category and aquatic eutrophication as a regional one. The results indicate that eco-efficient wheat production can occur in both good and poor growing conditions, with a wheat yield obtained by an adequate application of nitrogen fertilizer. The mitigation of aquatic eutrophication caused by the excessive use of nitrogen fertilizer is an important factor in improving the eco-efficiency of wheat production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive biodegradation reaction network of atrazine (ATZ) and its 18 byproducts was coupled to the nitrogen cycle and integrated in a computational solver to assess the in-situ biodegradation effectiveness and leaching along a 5 m deep soil cultivated with wheat in West Wyalong, New South Wales, Australia. Biodegradation removed 97.7% of 2 kg/ha ATZ yearly applications in the root zone, but removal substantially decreased at increasing depths; dechlorination removed 79% of ATZ in aerobic conditions and 18% in anaerobic conditions, whereas deethylation and oxidation removed only 0.11% and 0.15% of ATZ, respectively. The residual Cl mass fraction in ATZ and 4 byproducts was 2.4% of the applied mass. ATZ half-life ranged from 150 to 247 days in the soil surface. ATZ reached 5 m soil depth within 200 years and its concentration increased from 1 ×10 −6 to 4 ×10 −6 mg/kg dry-soil over time. The correlation between ATZ specific biomass degradation affinity Φ 0 and half-life t 1/2 , although relatively uncertain for both hydrolyzing and oxidizing bacteria, suggested that microorganisms with high Φ 0 led to low ATZ t 1/2 . Greater ATZ applications were balanced by small nonlinear increments of ATZ biodegraded fraction within the root zone and therefore less ATZ leached into the shallow aquifer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture, a historical pillar of civilizations, faces challenges due to population growth and climate change. Beneficial microorganisms can enhance agricultural resilience in these challenging scenarios. In particular, certain bacteria have the ability to solubilize phosphate and produce indole acetic acid (IAA), essential for plant growth. In this investigation, 215 strains of endophytic bacteria derived from active nodules of A. mearnsii were evaluated. The isolates were cultivated and assessed for their ability to solubilize phosphate and produce IAA. The analysis revealed that 120 of these strains (56 %) demonstrated phosphate solubilization potential under at least one of the tested temperature conditions, with 22 showing at least average solubilization according to pre-established parameters. The strains were also evaluated for IAA production, with strain A58 showing the highest production at a concentration of 89.2 μg mL−1. Of the 22 selected phosphate-solubilizing isolates, 7 had the 16S region sequenced, and it was possible to identify that these microorganisms belonged to the genera Serratia , Pseudomonas , and Stenotrophomonas. In greenhouse tests with wheat, it was observed that inoculation with certain isolated strains or in co-culture improved various plant growth parameters, indicating the practical implication of these findings for sustainable agriculture. In conclusion, the endophytes of Acacia mearnsii showed promising potential for agronomic applications, aiding in phosphate solubilization and IAA production, contributing to a more sustainable and productive agriculture. Further studies are needed to fully explore the potential of these microorganisms in real agricultural settings. • 215 strains from A. mearnsii nodules were studied for plant growth factors. • 120 strains could solubilize phosphate under varying temperatures. • Endophytes aid in phosphate solubilization and IAA, enhancing agriculture. • Selected isolates belonged to Serratia, Pseudomonas, and Stenotrophomonas genera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study was carried out in Gezira scheme (season 2007/08) to measure the farmer’s technical efficiency of producing wheat and to determine the main socio-economic factors affecting farmer’s technical efficiency of wheat production. The stochastic production frontier model was employed to achieve the study objectives. Primary data was collected from a random sample of 60 farmers in the Gezira scheme by mean of a structured questionnaire. The primary data was supplemented by secondary data collected from different relevant sources. The study results showed that the mean technical efficiency of wheat production is 63% which means that wheat production could have been increased by 37% at the same level of inputs, had resources efficiently utilized. The main socio-economic factors determining the farmer’s technical efficiency appeared to be: the timing of the different agricultural operations, irrigation and land ownership. To improve wheat production technical efficiency, the study recommended usage of wheat improved varieties and application of the different agricultural operations, particularly land preparation and irrigation, at the optimum timing. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper based on the measured of light intensity and wheat production within the shelterbelt, with surfer graphics software, correlation analysis and regression analysis of classical statistical methods to analyze relation between wheat yield and light intensity within agro-forestry system. The results showed that the order of average light intensity was: south>west>east>north of the shelterbelt. Wheat yields can be divided into four regions: greater than 810g/m2 for the high yield areas; between 740.51 and 809.35g/m2 for the level-producing areas; 600-740.51g/m2 were cut areas; less than 600g/m2 were serious cut areas. Judged by wheat yield divided regions above, wheat yield reduction was not serious, but relatively large distributed of area on the east side of shelterbelt; seriously cut areas mainly distribute in the north of shelterbelt; east and south of shelterbelt almost did not have serious cut areas; The size of correlation between light intensity and yield per unit area was north of shelterbelt (0.850)>south of shelterbelt (0.564)>west of shelterbelt (0.554)>east of shelterbelt (0.474). The relationship between light and yield in north of shelterbelt was consistent with Compound model, the south of shelterbelt is consistent with Exponential model; the scale of shading was: north of shelterbelt was about 0-0.7H, south of shelterbelt was about 0-0.3H, east of shelterbelt was about 0-0.3H, west of shelterbelt was about 0-0.5H. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Soil moisture (SM) is a key variable in agriculture and its monitoring is essential. SM determines the amount of water available to plants, having a direct impact on the development of crops, on the forecasting of crop yields and on the surveillance of food security. Microwave remote sensing offers a great potential for estimating SM because it is sensitive to the dielectric characteristics of observed surface that depend on surface soil moisture. The objective of this study is the evaluation of three change detection methodologies for SM estimation over wheat at the agricultural field scale based on Sentinel-1 time series: Short Term Change Detection (STCD), TU Wien Change Detection (TUWCD) and Multitemporal Bayesian Change Detection (MTBCD). Different methodological alternatives were proposed for the implementation of these techniques at the agricultural field scale. Soil moisture measurements from eight experimental wheat fields were used for validating the methodologies. All available Sentinel-1 acquisitions were processed and the eventual benefit of correcting for vegetation effects in backscatter time series was evaluated. The results were rather variable, with some experimental fields achieving successful performance metrics (ubRMSE ∼ 0.05 m3/m3) and some others rather poor ones (ubRMSE > 0.12 m3/m3). Evaluating median performance metrics, it was observed that both TUWCD and MTBCD methods obtained better results when run with vegetation corrected backscatter time series (ubRMSE ∼0.07 m3/m3) whereas STCD produced similar results with and without vegetation correction (ubRMSE ∼0.08 m3/m3). The soil moisture content had an influence on the accuracy of the different methodologies, with higher errors observed for drier conditions and rain-fed fields, in comparison to wetter conditions and irrigated fields. Taking into account the spatial scale of this case study, results were considered promising for the future application of these techniques in irrigation management. [Display omitted] • Soil moisture was estimated in rain-fed and irrigated wheat fields using Sentinel-1 data. • Three change detection methods were evaluated. • Different methodological alternatives were proposed for applying change detection methods at the field scale. • The results of two methods improved when correcting for the vegetation influence on backscatter. • Soil moisture was generally overestimated for dry conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper investigates a real-world case of a logistical management problem. We determine the optimal amounts of wheat to be transported from each producing province to each consuming province per month across the year. The problem was formulated as a linear integer programming (LIP) model, which could then be solved using LINGO optimisation software. As the LIP model needs to be run each month, a genetic algorithm (GA) was developed to solve the real-size problems in a reasonable time period. The solutions obtained by LINGO are compared with those obtained from the GA and the results show that the developed GA is efficient in terms of computational time and the quality of the solutions obtained. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Soil arthropods can affect plant growth and aboveground interactions directly via root herbivory and indirectly through nutrient cycling and interactions with soil microorganisms. Research on these effects of soil arthropods has focused on a few taxa within natural systems, largely neglecting agroecosystems and arthropod community-level effects. This study investigated the effects of soil arthropod communities from cereal-based agroecosystems on wheat plant growth and above-belowground interactions. Nutrient cycling and wheat growth were measured in a greenhouse microcosm experiment using field-collected agricultural soils from two rotational schemes with and without their soil arthropod communities. The effects of soil arthropods on aboveground phytohormones and colony growth of an aphid [ Metopolophium festucae cerealium (Stroyan)] infesting the plants were measured. Wheat grown in soils with arthropod communities had significantly greater root (+ Arth mean: 0.15 ± 0.01 g; − Arth mean: 0.06 ± 0.01 g; F 1,54 = 72.34, p < 0.001) and shoot biomass (+ Arth mean: 0.39 ± 0.03 g; − Arth mean: 0.24 ± 0.03 g; F 1,54 = 17.61, p < 0.001), greater soil nitrate concentrations (+ Arth mean: 62.18 ± 4.76 mg NO 3 − - N kg−1 soil; − Arth mean: 13.06 ± 0.61 mg NO 3 − - N kg−1 soil; F 1,54 = 99.89, p < 0.001), and altered root architecture compared to controls. Soil arthropod communities collected from the two rotational schemes differed significantly in abundance and diversity, but affected wheat growth similarly. Aphid colony growth (+ Arth mean: 30.50 ± 4.06; − Arth mean: 22.13 ± 3.36; χ2 1,27 = 21.19, p < 0.001), but not plant damage by aphids (+ Arth mean: 2.72 ± 0.17, − Arth mean: 2.69 ± 0.16; F 1,27 = 0.02, p > 0.05), was significantly greater on wheat grown in soils with arthropods. Aphids, in turn, modified the effects of soil arthropods on root architecture and increased the abundance of soil arthropods. Wheat grown in soils with arthropods had increased levels of stress- and defense-related phytohormones in response to aphid herbivory, while phytohormones of wheat plants grown in soils without arthropods did not differ with aphid presence. Soil arthropod communities may help plants defend against herbivores aboveground by facilitating phytohormone induction while offsetting costs by increasing soil nutrients and modifying plant growth. By using taxonomically diverse field-collected soil arthropod communities from agroecosystems, this study showed that community-level effects on plant growth are more complex and dynamic than the effects of any single taxon, such as Collembola, illustrating that interactions within communities can produce emergent properties that alter the net effect of soil arthropods on plant growth. The results indicate that community-level effects of soil organisms should be considered as part of sustainable plant production and protection strategies. • Soil arthropod communities collected from agricultural soils improved wheat growth. • Community-level effects differed from studies that only used Collembola. • Bidirectional aphid and soil arthropod interactions affected wheat growth. • Soil arthropod communities influenced phytohormone production. • Future above-belowground research should consider community-level effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conservation agriculture (CA) entails resource sustainability, crop productivity and climate benefits. We assessed biological soil health index (BSHI) using both conventional and state-of-the-art indicators for a long-term rice-wheat system under a regime of CA-practices in Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP). The practices include zero till direct seeded rice (ZTDSR)–zero till wheat (ZTW), ZTDSR + wheat residue (WR)-ZTW + rice residue (RR), ZTDSR + WR + sesbania brown manuring (SBM)–ZTW + RR, ZTDSR–ZTW–zero till mungbean (ZTMB), ZTDSR + mungbean residue (MR)–ZTW + RR-ZTMB + WR, transplanted rice (TPR)-conventional till wheat (CTW)–conventional till mungbean (CTMB). Collected soil samples (0–5 cm depth) were analysed for 8 labile organic carbon pools, 8 soil enzyme activities, population of 7 microbes viz., bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes, and two microbial functions. Further, abundance of different phylogenetic groups and nutrient cycling genes was quantified by molecular based qPCR technique. In general, triple/double ZT + crop residues caused an increase in most of the pools of carbon, enzymes, and microbial population including qPCR-led genes in soils. Specifically, inclusion of mungbean residues in triple ZT and sesbania brown manuring in double ZT improved nifH gene abundance over other double and triple ZT treatments. Of the analysed parameters, β-glucosidase, Bacterial amoA , Archaeal 16S rRNA, Bacteroidetes 16S rRNA, Bacterial 16S rRNA, and mineralizable C were screened out as the key indicators of BSHI; its value was maximised under triple ZT with residues (ZTDSR + MR–ZTW + RR–ZTMB + WR) treatment. Attempt may be made to use the screened indicators for assessment of BSHI and upscale the identified practice for rice-wheat system in IGP. [Display omitted] • Biological soil health under long-term CA based rice-wheat system was assessed. • Community structure and function of soil microbes analysed through qPCR • A new set of biological soil health indicators was identified through PCA. • A triple zero tillage with residues maintained better biological soil health. • The Biological soil health index showed good agreement with yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methane (CH 4) emissions from rice paddies constitute a significant source of greenhouse gases in the agricultural sector. However, the impact and mechanisms of changing traditional paddy-upland systems to rice-crayfish symbiotic systems on CH 4 sources are not well understood. This study involved a two-year field experiment to investigate the sources and determinants of CH 4 emissions in rice‒wheat rotation (RW) and rice-crayfish rotation (RC) by collecting CH 4 emission fluxes from paddy fields, non-rhizosphere soil, and rice plants in conjunction with environmental and soil indicators. Our study shows that due to the increase in the amount and activity of carbon sources brought by crayfish farming, the activity of mcrA in RC increased by 156.17% before rice planting. The peak CH 4 emissions from RC paddy fields occurred earlier and were higher, and the total emissions were 19.51%–37.17% higher than RW in the rice growing season. Moreover, the regreening and tillering stages were the peak periods of CH 4 emissions, during which the CH 4 emissions from non-rhizosphere soil in RW accounted for 44.86%–60.28%, and after conversion to RC, the contribution rate increased from 45.15% to 83.28%. However, the total CH 4 emissions from rice plants were consistent in both RW and RC, with contributions between 46.09% and 64.06%. Rice roots were more conducive to CH 4 production in the early stage and more conducive to CH 4 oxidation in the late stage. Environmental indicators at a depth of 10–20 cm were more reflective of CH 4 emission flux in RW, with moisture being the most important factor. After conversion to RC, the depth increased to 20–30 cm, and the most important environmental indicator became dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in surface water. These findings help to clarify the role of human activity management, including field water and carbon sources, on CH 4 production under two rotation systems and provide a basis for mitigating the greenhouse effect. • Rice-crayfish rotation (RC) increased the soil depth that reflected CH 4 emissions. • The change of RW to RC mainly changed the CH 4 emission of non-rhizosphere soil. • RC non-rhizosphere soils and rice plants are equally important for CH 4 emissions. • Rice roots produced more CH 4 in early stage and more CH 4 oxide in late stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This experiment aimed to understand the recycled industrial biocompost interaction with fertilizers doses on soil nutrient dynamics, soil organic carbon (SOC) fraction indexes, microbial population, positive ecosystem services, carbon dioxide (CO 2) societal values and economy in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)–rice (Oryza sativa L.) production. Based on the field and lab data, a significant interaction was observed between the biocompost and fertilizer levels; the fertilizer doses (FD)3 × biocompost (BC)1 were observed 80.6 grain and 56.0% higher straw yield in the wheat-rice crops than FD0 × BC9. Based on the results of soil organic carbon (SOC), the treatment FD3 × BC1 was observed more very labile (5.06 g kg−1) and moderately labile (4.26 g kg−1) carbon (C) fractions. However, C liability and recalcitrant indexes were recorded as non-significant. Further, the interaction effects of FD3 × BC1 found 65.7% more CO 2 sequestration over FD0 × BC9. In terms of microbial dynamics, at 45 days after sowing (DAS), the treatment FD3 × BC4 was found to be the highest soil bacteria (56.6 × 107), fungi (32.3 × 105), and actinomycetes (49.1 × 106 cfu g−1) population. Further, regarding ecosystem services, the FD3 × BC1 found a maximum of US$ 1236 and 322 ha−1 year−1 grain and straw-based ecosystem services, respectively. However, the treatment FD3 × BC1 observed the maximum societal value (US$ 2041 ha−1). In contrast, higher economic values of 77.9 and 138.8% gross and net returns were recorded in the FD3 × BC1 compared to FD0 × BC9 in the wheat-rice cropping sequence (WRCS), respectively. Therefore, the study's hypothesis was to know the impact of the biocompost with fertilizers doses to enhance the nutrient and microbial dynamics, increasing SOC fractions (active and passive) and pools, CO 2 sequestration, and restoring the soil health in the WRCS. [Display omitted] • Enhanced by 65.7% more carbon dioxide (CO 2) sequestration. • Enhanced 13.5 and 22.1% higher very labile and moderately labile carbon fractions. • Grain and straw-based ecosystem services value increased by US$ 1236.05 and 321.93 ha−1 year1. • Gross and net returns increased by 77.9 and 138.8%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Limited data exist on human zinc absorption from wheat biofortified via foliar (FBW) or root (hydroponically fortified wheat, HBW) zinc application. Stable isotope labels added at point of consumption (extrinsic labeling) might not reflect absorption from native zinc obtained by intrinsic labeling.Objectives: We measured fractional and total zinc absorption (FAZ, TAZ) in FBW and HBW wheat, compared with control wheat (CW) and fortified wheat (FW). The effect of labeling method was assessed in HBW (study 1), and the effect of milling extraction rate (EXR, 80% and 100%) in FBW (studies 2 and 3).Methods: Generally healthy adults (n = 71, age: 18-45 y, body mass index: 18.5-25 kg/m2) were allocated to 1 of the studies, in which they served as their own controls. In study 1, men and women consumed wheat porridges colabeled intrinsically and extrinsically with 67Zn and 70Zn. In studies 2 and 3, women consumed wheat flatbreads (chapatis) labeled extrinsically. Zinc absorption was measured with the oral to intravenous tracer ratio method with a 4-wk wash-out period between meals. Data were analyzed with linear mixed models.Results: In study 1 there were no differences in zinc absorption from extrinsic versus intrinsic labels in either FW or HBW. Similarly, FAZ and TAZ from FW and HBW did not differ. TAZ was 70-76% higher in FW and HBW compared with CW (P < 0.01). In studies 2 and 3, TAZ from FW and FBW did not differ but was 20-48% higher compared with CW (P < 0.001). Extraction rate had no effect on TAZ.Conclusions: Colabeling demonstrates that extrinsic zinc isotopic labels can be used to accurately quantify zinc absorption from wheat in humans. Biofortification through foliar zinc application, root zinc application, or fortification provides higher TAZ compared with unfortified wheat. In biofortified wheat, extraction rate (100-80%) has a limited impact on total zinc absorption. These studies were registered on clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01775319). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The distribution of natural radionuclides was studied in winter wheat plants collected from three sites in Belgium during 2004–2007. Activity concentrations of 40K, 226Ra, 228Ra and 228Th in organically and conventionally grown wheat, and in the corresponding soil samples, were determined using ultra low-level gamma-ray spectrometry. The observed soil-to-wheat concentration ratios were calculated for the different parts of the wheat plant (root, stem and grain) in the two agricultural systems (organic and conventional). There were large variations in radionuclide activity concentrations between the sites and fields, but no significant difference between conventionally and organically grown wheat plants was observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Understanding water and nutrient utilization in agricultural layered soil is very important for the improvement of agricultural management and protection of the environment. The objective of this paper is to determine the effect of layered soil profiles on crop yield and water and fertilizer nitrogen (N) utilization. Firstly a water and nitrogen management model (WNMM) was calibrated and validated under a wheat–maize cropping system in an alluvial plain using published data of two soil profiles (named A and B). The results showed that the model can be used to simulate the water movement and N transport, as well as crop growth in the study area. Then, another three very different soil profiles (named C, D and E) near to profiles A and B were studied. The profile C had a silt loam–clay profile; the profile D had a silty loam–clay–silt profile and the profile E had a clay–silty loam–silt profile. The soil hydraulic parameters of these profiles were obtained by pedo-transfer functions using measured soil properties. Given the same initial conditions and field management practices, the WNMM was then used to simulate water and Nitrogen balance and crop yield for the three profiles. Simulated results showed that the profiles (C, D and E) have similar water and fertilizer N use efficiencies (WUE, FNUE), while the crop yields of profiles C and D were higher than that of the profile E. Compared with profiles D and E, the profile C has least water drainage (127 mm) and total N loss (117 kg N ha−1). We concluded that layering of soil profiles has a strong effect on water and fertilizer N utilization and crop yield. Such an effect of layered property of soil profiles, therefore, needs to be taken into account in precision agriculture related research. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Drought often causes tremendous agricultural impacts and economic losses, but drought impacts are difficult to assess and quantify. Improving drought monitoring and early warning systems by linking indicators to impacts can reduce social vulnerability. However, it is still challenging to establish quantitative links between drought indicators and impacts during drought stress. In this study, using experimental observation records during drought in different climatic zones in China, we established the quantitative links between the drought indicator based on soil moisture and the affected biological parameters of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), determined the thresholds of the onset and severity of the impact of drought on wheat, and found that the onset thresholds had a convergence across climate zones and the severity thresholds were different in different climate zones. This study may provide a new understanding for evaluating drought stress or severity and provide an important reference to better understand the hazard itself and carry out impact-based drought monitoring and early warning. • The onset and severity thresholds of drought impacts on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) were determined. • The onset threshold of drought impact on wheat converges to 50% in different climatic zones. • The severity thresholds of drought were different in different climate zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to present the evolution of climate changes during the period 2001- 2014 in the Oltenia Region of Romania, including Dolj, Olt and Valcea counties. It is based on the statistical data provided by National Meteorologica Administration of Bucharest, Agrometeorological Laboratory. In this paper we want to show the impact of climate changes, because they exist and can be felt on a daily basis. We chose the region of Oltenia as our study zone, because the climate changes from here can be felt both in the atmospheric and in the soil characteristics, especially in its texture. Because of the changes in climatic conditions, the soil is also constantly changing compared to the climatic conditions to which it was initially adapted to. We take into consideration the following agrometeorological parameters: rainfall, average temperature, moisture reserve, “heat” intensity, factors that lead to the degradation of the soil, respectively to the downfall in crop production of the winter wheat and corn crops. In conclusion we will see the differences between the 4 parameters in the 2001-2014 period, in comparison with the reference period of 1981-2010. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Life cycle assessment methodology was used to compare conventional wheat production with a scenario where source-separated human urine replaced mineral fertilisers. A change-orientated perspective was used, including differences in capital goods between the scenarios. An optimal fertilising strategy regarding application time, technique and substitution of mineral fertiliser was demonstrated to be important for energy use, global warming and acidification. For reducing the energy use, a well designed collection system for urine also proved important, while recovery of the urine was essential for reducing eutrophication. Applying an agricultural perspective when evaluating the system highlighted potential conflicts regarding nutrient utilisation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Biochar may have beneficial effects on soil depending on its properties and pedoclimatic conditions. Highly sloping soils are prone to erosion and organic matter depletion, and biochar can be useful to restore soil fertility and quality, and crop yields. To test the effect of wood gasification biochar (WGB), we conducted a field experiment applying 0 and 60 Mg ha−1 of WGB only (no fertilizer) to a sub-alkaline and fine-textured soil under Mediterranean climate conditions. The effect of WGB on the soil physicochemical properties and on 12 enzyme activities involved in the C, N, P, and S cycles was monitored during a wheat-growing season along with its effect on grain yield. The results show that WGB was rather recalcitrant, and the application of a high dose of it had no effect on most of the soil physicochemical properties, enzyme activities and wheat grain yield. Since enzyme activities involved in the C cycle were similar in WGB-treated and not-treated soils, WGB failed to stimulate organic matter mineralization during the monitored period, with no contribution to N and P supply. Since WGB can contribute to soil C stock with no detrimental effects on wheat yield, wood gasification can allow recycling waste woody materials of urban origin to produce energy and return biochar back to agricultural soils. We suggest that future studies on WGB focus on the effect of its aging in soil on soil physicochemical and biochemical properties, and on crop performances. [Display omitted] • Biochar obtained by gasification of wood is recalcitrant. • Recalcitrant biochar negligibly affected physicochemical properties. • Recalcitrant biochar had no effect on 12 soil enzyme activities. • Recalcitrant biochar has no detrimental effects on wheat production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We assessed the climate change impact on wheat production in China. • We employed the FGLS, DOLS, and D–K estimation techniques. • Temperature negatively affected wheat production in the long–run. • Precipitation contributed positively to wheat production in the long-run. • Agro–chemical input (fertilizer use) enhanced wheat production in the long–run. Northern and Southern regions are the two major wheat production belts of China. Agro–climatic resources have changed significantly in recent years, threatening staple food production in these regions. As a result, it is critical to investigate the long–term effect of climate change and agri–inputs on wheat production in China's top six wheat producing provinces (Hebei, Shandong, Henan, Jiangsu, Anhui, and Hubei) from 1995 to 2020. The estimated long-run results from the FGLS, DOLS, and D–K estimators revealed that climatic factors, specifically temperature, had a negative impact on wheat production, while precipitation had a positive impact. The findings also revealed that agrochemical inputs, such as fertilizer, increases wheat production, whereas pesticide use decreases wheat production significantly. The results from the Dumitrescu–Hurlin panel causality test showed a bidirectional causality between rainfall, fertilizer use, and cultivated area with wheat production, while a unidirectional causality association is running from labor force to wheat production. The current study provides several critical policy recommendations for China's sustainable food production through green agricultural practices and robust climate mitigation strategies. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ammonia is a vital component of the nitrogen (N) cycle of terrestrial ecosystems in terms of volatilization and deposition. Here, a field experiment was undertaken to simultaneously investigate the effects of rice straw and urea incorporation on ammonia volatilization, atmospheric N deposition, yields and agronomic nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) under a rice-wheat system in China. The experiment involved four treatments: control (0 N, 0 straw), NS0 (250 kg N ha −1 season −1 , 0 straw), NS1 (250 kg N ha −1 season −1 , 3 t ha −1 yr −1 straw), and NS2 (250 kg N ha −1 season −1 , 6 t ha −1 yr −1 straw) in the rice-wheat annual rotation system. The results indicated that the NS0, NS1 and NS2 treatments emitted cumulative ammonia of 14.0%, 16.4%, and 19.2%, respectively in the rice season and 7.6%, 11.1%, and 12.3%, respectively in the wheat season among the total urea-N application. Compared to the NS0 treatment, the NS1 and NS2 treatments significantly increased the cumulative ammonia emissions by 15.5% (p < 0.05) and 33.5% (p < 0.05), respectively in the rice season and 39.9% (p < 0.05) and 53.1% (p < 0.05), respectively in the wheat season. There was no significant difference between the NS2 and NS1 treatments during the wheat season. The amount of NH 4 + -N deposition accounted for 56.1% of the total inorganic N deposition during the whole rice-wheat system. The bulk NH 4 + -N deposition during the period of fertilization contributed 73.9% and 5.7% to the total NH 4 + -N deposition in the rice and wheat season, respectively. Overall, straw incorporation increased ammonia volatilization, not affecting the crop grain yield or NUE. The seasonal variation in NH 4 + -N bulk deposition was closely related to N fertilizer application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jahrom is one of the warm grain production areas in southwestern Iran, and the winter wheat-summer maize double-cropping system dominates the region. The ecological sustainability and environmental behavior of these two annual farming systems in the region need critical attention. In the present paper, emergy evaluation was introduced to explore the impacts of the wheat and maize cropping systems on the environment. In the emergy analysis, renewable and non-renewable inputs besides purchased fuel, goods, labor and services were considered. 193 farmers were chosen for the study using simple random sampling without replacement. The results revealed that the unit emergy value of wheat and maize were 4.05E+05 sej/J and 4.23E+08sej/J, respectively. The environmental loading ratio of maize was much higher than that of wheat cropping, i.e. 570 vs. 115. The investment ratio of wheat was higher than that of maize, indicating that wheat is more dependent on the purchased materials than "free indigenous" emergy inputs. Nevertheless, the analyses of different scenarios indicated that unit emergy value and all the sustainability ratios of the systems can be enhanced by around 20–55% via using appropriate water, nutrient, and agronomic management measures. It is recommended that the maize production should be continued with much more care, especially on the nitrogen utilization and water consumption, compared to the wheat production in this warm area of the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture production contributes to global warming directly via the release of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), methane and nitrous oxide emissions, and indirectly through the consumption of inputs such as fertilizer, fuel and herbicides. We investigated if including a grain legume ( Lupinus angustifolius ) in a cropping rotation, and/or applying agricultural lime to increase the pH of an acidic soil, decreased greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from wheat production in a semi-arid environment by conducting a streamlined life cycle assessment analysis that utilized in situ GHG emission measurements, rather than international default values. We also assessed the economic viability of each GHG mitigation strategy. Incorporating a grain legume in a two year cropping rotation decreased GHG emissions from wheat production by 56% on a per hectare basis, and 35% on a per tonne of wheat basis, primarily by lowering nitrogen fertilizer inputs. However, a large incentive ($93 per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalents reduced) was required for the inclusion of grain legumes to be financially attractive. Applying lime was profitable but increased GHG emissions by varying amounts depending upon whether the lime was assumed to dissolve over one, five or 10 years. We recommend further investigating the impact of liming on both CO 2 and non-CO 2 emissions to accurately account for its effect on GHG emissions from agricultural production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variations of climate are a major cause of uncertainty in crop yields. This paper analyses the impacts of extreme weather events on wheat yields reported in the German Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN). The FADN-sample has continuously encompassed about 11,500 farms each year since 1995/96. While the average of farm yields within a county correspond to the official average county yield, farm yields show higher annual fluctuations over time. In order to assess the impacts of extreme weather events on wheat yields, the farm data is spatially joined with data on local natural site conditions on the municipality level. Soil data such as the field capacity is taken from soil maps and altitude above sea level from digital terrain maps. The variables are averaged over the arable land in the municipalities using GIS. Meteorological data observed at weather observation stations of the German Weather Service such as temperature (minimum, average, maximum), precipitation, and potential evaporation are interpolated on a 1x1 km grid and aggregated to municipalities. Various indicators reflecting extreme weather events such as the number of days with extreme frost, freeze-thaw cycles, drought and heat during the vegetation period and enduring rain and wet soil at harvest are derived on the basis of the soil and daily weather data. Multivariate regression analyses are applied for clustered homogenous soil-climate-regions to elicit the impacts of defined extreme climate events on wheat yields. First results reflect the regionally different exposure to extreme weather events in Germany. While farmers in the northern regions suffered rather from enduring rain and soil moisture at harvest, drought caused major problems on sandy soils in the eastern regions. Of course, due to the focus on weather extremes, a substantial part of weather-induced yield fluctuation remains unexplained. Nevertheless, the results provide valuable information regarding risk management for farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A streamlined hybrid life cycle assessment is conducted to compare the global warming potential (GWP) and primary energy use of conventional and organic wheat production and delivery in the US. Impact differences from agricultural inputs, grain farming, and transport processes are estimated. The GWP of a 1kg loaf of organic wheat bread is about 30g CO2-eq less than the conventional loaf. When organic wheat is shipped 420km farther to market, organic and conventional wheat systems have similar impacts. These results can change dramatically depending on soil carbon accumulation and nitrous oxide emissions from the two systems. Key parameters and their variability are discussed to provide producers, wholesale and retail consumers, and policymakers metrics to align their decisions with low-carbon objectives. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Environmental externalities generated by agriculture are attracting considerable attention. However, most research has focused either on environmental services that agriculture provides as a distinct ecosystem or the negative environmental impacts that agriculture imposes. Therefore, there is a great need to re-evaluate the all-round environmental roles of agriculture, to optimize environmental performance of agriculture and non-trade concerns in World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations. By valuing the environmental externalities of agriculture, this article aims to heighten awareness of the environmental roles of agriculture to stimulate its implication in agricultural policy-making. The study presents estimates of economic values of environmental externalities from rice–wheat farming system in Zhenjiang, in aspects of greenhouse gas emissions, non-point source pollution, carbon sequestration and water containing capacity. We provide a step-by-step analytic procedure, with each step including measurement of physical dimensions and monetary evaluation. The former is based on a large-scale literature review, which provided a vital foundation for the monetary valuation. The results reveal that the values of greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural land, agricultural non-point source pollution, carbon sequestration by crop and soil, and the flood control function provided by agricultural land are estimated as: −US$3.61×107 a−1, −US$4.59×106 a−1, +US$2.30×109 a−1 and +US$2.21×107 a−1, respectively. The net value of environmental externalities is as high as +US$2.28×109 a−1, representing 17.87% of local GDP and 4.12 times the total agricultural output value in 2006. The results suggest that crops and soil in Zhenjiang are the most important carbon sinks, and that agriculture in Zhenjiang has huge positive environmental externalities, although both greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural land and agricultural non-point sources pollution have negative environmental impacts. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Drought is a world-spread problem seriously influencing crop production and quality, the loss of which is the total for other natural disasters, with increasing global climate change making the situation more serious. Wheat is the staple food for more than 35% of world population, so wheat anti-drought physiology study is of importance to wheat production and biological breeding for the sake of coping with abiotic and biotic conditions. Much research is involved in this hot topic, but the pace of progress is not so large because of drought resistance being a multiple-gene-control quantitative character and wheat genome being larger (16,000Mb). On the other hand, stress adaptive mechanisms are quite different, with stress degree, different growth and developmental stages, time course, materials and experimental plots, thus increasing the complexity of the issue in question. Additionally, a little study is related to the whole life circle of wheat, which cannot provide a comprehensive understanding of its anti-drought machinery. We selected 10 kinds of wheat genotypes as materials, which have potential to be applied in practice, and measured change of relative physiological indices through wheat whole growing developmental circle (i.e. seedling, tillage and maturing). Here, we reported the dynamic anti-oxidative results of whole stage (i.e. seedling, tillage and maturing) in terms of activities of POD, SOD, CAT of 10 wheat genotypes as follows: (1) 10 wheat genotypes can be grouped into three kinds (A, B and C, respectively) according to their changing trend of the measured indices; (2) A group performed better resistance drought under the condition of treatment level 1, whose activities of anti-oxidative enzymes (POD, SOD, CAT) were higher; (3) B group exhibited stronger anti-drought under treatment level 2, whose activities of anti-oxidative enzymes were higher; (4) C group expressed anti-drought to some extent under treatment level 3, whose activities of anti-oxidative enzymes were stronger, MDA lower; (5) these results demonstrated that different wheat genotypes have different physiological mechanisms to adapt themselves to changing drought stress, whose molecular basis is discrete gene expression profiling (transcriptom); (6) our results also showed that the concept and method accepted and adopted by most researchers – that 75% FC is a proper supply for higher plants – was doubted because this level could not reflect the true suitable level of different wheat genotypes; (7) our research can provide insights into physiological mechanisms of crop anti-drought and direct practical materials for wheat anti-drought breeding; (8) POD, SOD and CAT activities of different wheat genotypes had quite different changing trend at different stages and under different soil water stress conditions, which was linked with their origin of cultivation and individual soil water stress threshold; (9) our primary results also firstly displayed that the changing trend for wheat adapting to environmental stress during life circle was an S-shaped curve, which is, by chance, consistent with Plant Growth Grand Periodicity Curve. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The conservation agriculture (CA) based rice-wheat cropping systems in South Asia can help in enhancing nutrient cycling, soil health and protecting the environment to enhance agricultural ecosystems' sustainability. This study was conducted with four rice establishment methods in main plots comprising (1) zero till dry seeded rice (ZTDSR), (2) conventional till dry seeded rice (CTDSR), (3) Zero till machine transplanted rice (ZTMTR) and (4) conventional puddled manual transplanted rice (PTR). The wheat establishment methods in sub plots comprised (1) conventional tillage with rice straw removed (CTW-R), (2) zero tillage with rice straw removed (ZTW-R) and (3) zero tillage with rice straw retained as surface mulch (ZTW + R). Data showed a significant increase in micro-nutrients fractions and crop yield due to the ZTDSR in rice and ZTW + R in wheat as compared to the conventional tillage practices. Among different fractions, crystalline Fe bound followed by organically bound and amorphous Fe were the dominant fractions in earthworm cast soil under ZTW + R compared with CTW-R. Among different Zn, Fe and Mn fraction, crystalline Fe bound fraction was 18.2 and 2.21% higher in ZTDSR than PTR respectively, where as 56.3% higher under PTR than ZT-DSR for Fe fraction. Under wheat establishment methods, crystalline Fe bound fraction of Zn, Fe and Mn were 19.9, 18.2 and 6.6% higher in ZT + R compared with CT-R in earthworm cast soil. These results highlighted the significance of earthworm activity in earthworm cast soils on micro-nutrients' management through robust interventions for long-term sustainability of CA- based cropping systems. • Crystalline Fe bound followed by organically bound and amorphous Fe fractions were the dominant fraction in earthworm cast soil under conservation – based agriculture practices. • The crystalline Fe bound fraction of Zn, Fe and Mn were 19.9, 18.2 and 6.6% higher in ZT + R compared with CT-R • Rice yield increased significantly in zero till in direct seeded rice and zero tillage with residue retention in wheat as compared to residue removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Six open-top chamber experiments with field-grown wheat Triticum aestivum L. (five with spring wheat and one with winter wheat) were combined to test which of the two ozone exposure indices, AOT40 and CFO3, that provided the most consistent relationship between relative yield loss and ozone exposure. AOT40 is the accumulated exposure over a threshold ozone concentration of 40 nl l-1, while CFO3 is the cumulative flux of ozone (uptake) to the flag leaves. The ozone uptake of the flag leaves was estimated using a stomatal conductance model, sensitive to phenology, light, vapour pressure deficit (VPD) and temperature in combination with measurements of the boundary layer conductance in the open-top chambers. Both indices were calculated for the grain-filling period, defined as the time from anthesis until 2 weeks before harvest. The duration of the grain-filling period was shown to be closely related to the rate of accumulation of thermal time above a base temperature of 0 deg. C. The CFO3 index provided a much more consistent pattern in terms ofozone effects compared to the AOT40 index. This was especially the case for spring wheat, for which a linear regression between relative yield and CFO3 using all five data sets is presented. According to the stomatal conductance model, VPD limited daytime stomatalconductance in warm and dry years, while temperature was the most important limiting factor during daytime in cool and humid years. The effect of light was mainly to delimit the time period of the day during which substantial uptake of ozone took place. It is concluded that,compared to the AOT40 index, the more mechanistically relevant flux-based index CFO3 will estimate larger yield loss in the relatively humid parts of western and northern Europe, while smaller yield loss will be estimated for the dry summer climates in south and central Europe. The use of an ozone flux threshold, similar to the cut-of [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the complexity of temporal and spatial dynamics of an agricultural landscape under various external and internal driven scenarios, SimKat, an agent-based model, has been developed with the simulation computer program CORMAS. This model combines simplified bio-physical processes of land cover, regional dry-land salinity changes, rainfall impact on productivity, farm profitability and the complexity of land-use decisions of individual farmers in a dry-land agricultural catchment (no irrigation). In this model, simulated farmers formulate individual decisions dealing with land-use changes based on the combined performance of their past land cover productivity and market returns. The willingness to adapt to market drivers and the ability to maximize returns vary between farmers. In addition, farmers in the model can demonstrate various attitudes towards dry-land salinity mitigation as a consequence of experiencing and perceiving salinity on their farm, in the neighborhood or across the entire region. Consequently, farmers can adopt land cover strategies aimed at reducing dry-land salinity. Aggregating the simulated individual behavior of farmers combined with historical rainfall and market price records, reproduced similar aggregated trends of land-cover changes, regional salinity change and farm number decline as observed in the last 20 years in the subject region (Katanning, Western Australia). Using the model in an initial exploratory study on the impact of rainfall variability and change highlighted the importance of average rainfall decline and the widespread willingness of farmers to adapt perennial vegetation in their farming systems to combat regional dry-land salinity. Rainfall decline, as one of the observed consequences of climate change in this region, can also lead to prolonged sequences of dry seasons in the future. Adaptation by farmers to sequences of dry and wet seasons, rather than an average trend in rainfall, seems to be critical for farm survival in this region. Intensifying cropping during wet seasons to maximize farm returns can increase vulnerability in subsequent periods of dry seasons, in particular where alternative income from pasture and sheep production has been lost in the adaptation process. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Soil emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O) were measured usingstatic field chambers, which were installed in a wheat field. The treatments were: open-top chambers with ambient CO2 concentrations (OTC350), open-top chambers with 700 ppm CO2 (OTC700) and ambient air plots without open-top chambers (AA). Measurementsof N2O emissions were made weekly starting at anthesis. The measurements continued for ten weeks, until two weeks after the harvest of the mature crop. During the first eight weeks the N2O emissions were higher in the OTC350 treatment compared to OTC700. At the last two measurements, after the plants were harvested, the N2O emissions of the chamber treatments were similar to each other and higher than during the preceding period. The accumulation of grain protein per unit area was higher in OTC700 compared with OTC350. These results suggest that a competition for soil nitrogen exists between plants and the microbial community. The AA plots emitted less N2O during the green canopy period compared with the chamber treatments. After harvest, the emissions from AA increased upto the same magnitude as the chamber treatments. The lower emissionsof the ambient air plots during the pre-harvest period can be explained partly by lower ambient temperatures and drier soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A winter wheat field plot experiment was conducted on two types of paddy soils, from November, 2000 to June, 2001 to assess P losses to its surrounding watercourses by runoff in the Taihu Lake Region. Commercial NPK compound fertilizer and single superphosphate fertilizer were applied to furnish 0, 20, 80, and 160 kg P ha−1. The experiments consisted of six replicates of each treatment in Changshu site and four replicates in Anzhen site, with a plot size of 5 × 6 m2 in a randomized block design. Results revealed that the average concentration of dissolved P (DP), particulate P (PP), and total P (TP) in runoff water during the winter season was 0.13, 0.90 and 1.04 mg P l−1 respectively, from P20 plots in Anzhen site. While it was 0.67, 1.08 and 1.75 mg P l−1 respectively, from P20 plots in Changshu site. The seasonal TP load (mass loss) from P20 plot ranged from a low of 290.88 g P ha−1 season−1 to a high of 483.54 g P ha−1 season−1, with a mean of 382.29 g P ha−1 season−1 in Anzhen, but from 444.92 to 752.21 g P ha−1 season−1, with a mean of 539.13 g P ha−1 season−1 in Changshu. Both in Anzhen and Changshu PP represented a major portion of the TP lost in runoff, the average PP/TP was about more than 80% in P0 and P20 plot, but it was decreased with the increase of P rate. The average seasonal P loads (DP, PP, and TP) in Changshu were greater than in Anzhen although runoff volume in Anzhen (45 mm season−1) was more than in Changshu (36 mm season−1). This was probably associated with the differences of soil physical and chemical properties between the two sites. Phosphate fertilizer rate significantly affected P concentrations and P loads by runoff. Both the mean concentrations and the average seasonal P loads from the P80 plots were lower than from the P160 plots, but obviously higher than from the P20 and P0 plots. There was no significant difference found between the P20 plots and the P0 plots both in Anzhen and Changshu sites. It indicated that P loads by runoff would be greatly increased in 5–10 years due to the accumulation of soil P if 20 kg P ha−1 applied each wheat season in this area. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Soil microbes are the main drivers of nutrient turnover in agro-ecosystems. The series of biochemical processes involved by these microorganisms are inseparable from the regulation of metabolites in the root-zone soils. Therefore, understanding the evolution of microbial communities driven by root-zone soil metabolites will help optimize agricultural management practices. Based on a field experiment, we explore the changes in soil properties, microbes, and metabolites under three tillage practices such as no-tillage with straw mulching (NTS), rotary tillage, and plough tillage with straw returning (RTS and PTS) based on untargeted metabolomics. We found that NTS helped to enhance nutrient contents and enzyme activities in the 0–20 cm soil layer. Specifically, compared with RTS and PTS, NTS increased grain yield by 6.4 % and 8.5 %, and SOC by 13.3 % and 5.7 %, respectively, but decreased pH by 2.8 % and 1.1 %. In addition, compared with NTS, RTS and PTS decreased the fungal richness by 16.5 % and 8.1 %, and decreased the fungal shannon index by 16.4 % and 9.2 %. However, tillage practices did not result in substantial differences in the alpha diversity of bacterial community. Both bacterial and fungal community composition were substantially affected by tillage practices and they were both significantly correlated with soil metabolites. In the symbiotic networks, NTS significantly increased the abundance of microorganisms with high connectivity, while RTS significantly increased the concentration of metabolites with high connectivity. Amino acids, as the main drivers, were significantly and positively associated with bacterial and fungal community composition, mainly enriched in the metabolic pathways of D − glutamine and D − glutamate metabolism and arginine and proline metabolism, and correlated with soil properties negatively and carbohydrates positively, directly or indirectly affecting soil microbial community composition. Our findings would provide new insight into metabolomics for the in-depth understanding of the metabolic mechanism for soil microbial community changes in dryland wheat fields under different tillage practices. [Display omitted] • Tillage practices changed the compositions of microbial communities and metabolites. • Soil metabolites are significantly correlated with microbial community composition. • Amino acids are the main drivers of microbial community composition. • Untargeted metabolomics can serve as a reference tool to evaluate tillage practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) technology is inhibited by the complicated feedstock properties, low biocrude yield, and poor biocrude quality. Herein, this work aimed to propose a novel catalytic hydrothermal co-liquefaction (catalytic co-HTL) route for enhancing high-quality biocrude production. Four representative biowastes were applied to determine the synergistic effects in co-HTL treatment. Binary sewage sludge (SS)/wheat straw (WS) presented the highest synergistic effect (14.05%) on biocrude production. Furthermore, homogenous and heterogeneous catalysts (i.e., Na 2 CO 3 , HY, SSB, CSB, and Ni@CSB) were comprehensively tested during catalytic co-HTL of binary SS/WS. Biocrude produced over Ni@CSB revealed the highest carbon content at 75.5% and HHV at 36.96 MJ/kg, due to the deoxygenation and desulfurization reactions enhanced by Ni@CSB. Thermalgravimetric behaviors and kinetic studies of biocrude degradation were further analyzed. Moreover, the byproducts (hydrochar and gaseous phase) were characterized. Overall, this study provides an effective and promising route to valorize biowastes into green high-quality biocrude. [Display omitted] • Sewage sludge/wheat straw showed the best synergistic effect (14.05%) in the process. • Hydrothermal co-liquefaction at 300 °C with 60 min was optimized for biocrude production. • Ni@CSB showed the high carbon yield (75.5%) and HHV (36.96 MJ/kg) of biocrude. • TGA evaluated the simulated distillation and kinetic study of biocrude degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]