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The study aimed to evaluate for the first time the degree of contamination of soil and crops with major and trace elements (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, F, Na, Mg, Si, P, Cl, Fe, Al) in agricultural lands situated in the Lower Danube Basin, Galati and Braila counties (SE Romania), impacted by the steel industry. Soil samples, as well as leaves and seeds of wheat, corn, and sunflower, were collected from two depths in 11 different sites. Along with elemental and mineralogical analyses, performed by HR-CS AAS, PIGE, SEM-EDX, and ATR-FTIR, the soil pH, texture, organic matter, electric conductivity, and CaCO3 content were investigated. The results showed that the levels of Cr (83.27–383.10 mg kg−1), Cu (17.11–68.15 mg kg−1), Ni (30.16–55.66 mg kg−1), and F (319–544 mg kg−1) in soil exceeded the Romanian regulations for sensitive use of the land. Igeo, EF, PI, and PERI pollution indices indicate that the soil is moderate to highly contaminated with Cr, Ni, and Cu, while the CSI and mERMQ indices suggested a relatively low risk for metal contamination. The elemental concentrations in plant tissues and bioaccumulation factors (BFs) provide valuable insights into the soil–plant relationship, health risks, and the selectivity of plant compartments for different elements. Thus, the results revealed that the wheat plants tended to exclude the bioaccumulation of particular elements in their tissues, while exhibiting a different bioaccumulation pattern for Zn and Cu. In the case of corn, most BFs were below one, indicating a limited phytoaccumulation capacity. However, exceptions were observed for Cd, Zn, and Cu with the sunflower BFs indicating higher bioconcentration of these elements in leaves and seeds compared to other elements. Chromium (Cr) contributes to non-carcinogenic dermal contact and ingestion hazards, children being more susceptible to the adverse effects of this contaminant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In this study, the effects of different levels of wheat inclusion on growth performance and intestinal homeostasis in broilers were evaluated. We first analyzed the effects of dietary wheat ratio on liver function, serum glycolipid profile, and bone turnover, and showed that the dose of wheat in the diets of broilers had no deleterious effects on animal health. We also found that replacing corn with 55% wheat in the diet of broilers increased body weight and feed consumption, with improved intestinal morphology and cecal microbiota composition. These data indicated that the replacement of corn with 55% wheat in the diet promoted the growth performance of 21-day-old broilers via improving intestinal morphology and cecal microbiota. Replacing corn with different levels of wheat in the iso-energy and -protein diet of broilers and the impacts on growth performance and intestinal homeostasis of broilers under the condition of supplying the multienzyme complex were evaluated in this study. A total of 480 10-day-old male broilers were assigned randomly to the low-level wheat group (15% wheat and 35.18% corn), the medium-level wheat group (30% and 22.27%), and the high-level wheat group (55.77% wheat without corn) until 21 d. The different levels of wheat supplementation did not affect hepatic function, serum glycolipid profile, or bone turnover. The replacement of corn with 55% wheat in the diet of broilers increased the body weight at 21 d and feed intake during 10 to 21 d (both p < 0.05), with a comparable feed conversion ratio. Compared with the low-wheat group, the dietary addition of medium or high wheat levels notably increased the ratio of villus height to crypt depth in the duodenum (p < 0.05) and the ileal villus height (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, the supplementation of medium and high wheat in the diet increased the proportion of Bacteroidetes, and a diet with high wheat proportion elevated the content of Firmicutes when compared to the low-level wheat group (both p < 0.05). In addition, the diet containing 30–55% wheat enhanced the anti-inflammatory capability in both the ileum and the serum. These findings suggest that the replacement of corn with 55% wheat in the diet improved the growth performance of 21-day-old broilers, which might be linked to the alteration in intestinal morphology and cecal microbiota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extrusion processing of food powder relies heavily on its moisture content to aid in flow and proper cooking, shaping, and/or puffing. This study focused on the impact of the moisture content on the dynamic flow and shear properties of coarse food powders (corn meal, wheat farina, and granulated sugar). The dynamic flow properties explored were the specific basic flowability energy (SBFE), specific energy, stability index, and flow rate index. The shear properties were the angle of internal friction, unconfined yield strength, major principal stress, wall friction angle, flow factor (FF), and compressibility. Corn meal exhibited an increase in SBFE as the moisture content increased (6.70 mJ/g at 13.13% to 9.14 mJ/g at 19.61%) but no change in FF (4.94 to 5.11); wheat farina also showed an increase in energy requirement as the moisture increased (5.81 mJ/g at 13.73% to 9.47 mJ/g 19.57%) but a marked decrease in FF ratings (18.47 to 6.1); granulated sugar showed a decrease in energy requirements as the moisture increased (51.73 mJ/g at 0.06% moisture content to 13.58 mJ/g at 0.78% moisture content) and a decrease in FF ratings (8.53 to 3.47). Overall, upon the addition of moisture, corn meal became cohesive yet free-flowing; wheat farina became less compressible and more cohesive; and granulated sugar became more cohesive and compressible and less free-flowing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The assessment of soil health through a robust index system having a sufficient number of indicators is an important step toward sustainable crop production. The present study aimed at establishing a minimum data set (MDS) from soil functional and nutritional attributes using a dual index system to evaluate the soil health of farmlands under wheat (Triticum aestivum)–maize (Zea mays) crop rotation in Yanting County, Sichuan, China. Farms from 10 villages in the study area were selected, out of which three sites were considered healthy/ideal sites and used as a reference for the remaining seven targeted sites, and soil samples were collected at depth of 20 cm from these farms. The MDS indicators were selected by using principal component analysis (PCA) followed by Pearson's correlation on 25 attributes. Based on significant values, eight attributes were retained in the final MDS, including the sucrase level, pH, wilting coefficient, water holding capacity, organic matter, NK ratio, total potassium, and available phosphorus. Based on the results, most of the farmland soils in Yanting County were in a healthy condition, accounting for 61.71% of the surveyed samples, followed by sub-healthy, degraded, and weak soils, accounting for 19.64%, 9.71%, and 8.93%, respectively. The values of most of the indicators at the targeted sites were significantly lower than those at ideal sites. Thus, specific steps should be taken by adding soil organic matter, combined with other fertilizers, to enhance the microbial biomass, enzymatic activities, and other biological activities in the soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, researchers are looking for ways to replace synthetic pesticides with substances of natural origin. Essential oils are produced by plants, among other things, to protect against pathogens, which is why there is interest in their use as fungicides. This experiment assessed the composition of essential oils from a commercial source, their impact on the development of mycelium of pathogens of the Fusarium genus, and the possibility of using them as a pre-sowing treatment. Grains of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and corn (Zea mays L.) were inoculated with a suspension of mycelium and spores of fungi of the Fusarium genus and then soaked in solutions containing oils of sage (Salvia officinalis L.), cypress (Cupressus sempervirens L.), cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.), and thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.). The obtained results indicate that thyme essential oil had the strongest effect on limiting the development of Fusarium pathogens and seedling infection, but at the same time it had an adverse effect on the level of germination and seedling development of the tested plants. The remaining essential oils influenced the mentioned parameters to varying degrees. Selected essential oils can be an alternative to synthetic fungicides, but they must be selected appropriately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Spodoptera exempta is a global agricultural invasive pest which posing a serious threat to the planting area of major crops of maize, wheat and rice. Our study predicted the potential suitable areas for S. exempta globally based on 841 global occurrence records and eight important bioclimatic variables, and analyzed the overlap with maize, wheat and rice planting areas. The results of the study indicate that the high potential suitable areas of S. exempta are mainly distributed in developing countries (Latin America, central South America, Central Africa, and southern Asia), with the greatest impact on global maize planting areas, followed by rice and wheat. Global warming will have a smaller limitation on the distribution of S. exempta. In view of the global potential geographic distribution of S. exempta and its damage to three major crops, the above governments of various countries should pay active attention to the prevention and control of S. exempta to protect global food security. Spodoptera exempta, known as the black armyworm, has been extensively documented as an invasive agricultural pest prevalent across various crop planting regions globally. However, the potential geographical distribution and the threat it poses to host crops of remains unknown at present. Therefore, we used an optimized MaxEnt model based on 841 occurrence records and 19 bioclimatic variables to predict the potential suitable areas of S. exempta under current and future climatic conditions, and the overlap with wheat, rice, and maize planting areas was assessed. The optimized model was highly reliable in predicting potential suitable areas for this pest. The results showed that high-risk distribution areas for S. exempta were mainly in developing countries, including Latin America, central South America, central Africa, and southern Asia. Moreover, for the three major global food crops, S. exempta posed the greatest risk to maize planting areas (510.78 × 104 km2), followed by rice and wheat planting areas. Under future climate scenarios, global warming will limit the distribution of S. exempta. Overall, S. exempta had the strongest effect on global maize production areas and the least on global wheat planting areas. Our study offers a scientific basis for global prevention of S. exempta and protection of agricultural crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oriental armyworm, Mythimna separata (Walker), an important migratory pest of maize and wheat, is posing a severe threat to maize production in Asian countries. As source areas of spring–summer emigratory populations, the control of M. separata in southwestern China is of great significance for East Asian maize production. To assess the toxicity of Bt maize against the pest, bioassays of Bt-(Cry1Ab+Vip3Aa) maize (event DBN3601T), Bt-Cry1Ab maize (event DBN9936), and Bt-Vip3Aa maize (event DBN9501) were conducted in Yunnan province of southwest China. There were significant differences in insecticidal activity between the three Bt maize events, and DBN3601T presented the highest insecticidal role. The results also indicated that the insecticidal effect of various Bt maize tissues took an order in leaf > kernel > silk, which is highly consistent with the expression amounts of Bt insecticidal protein in leaf (69.69 ± 1.18 μg/g), kernel (11.69 ± 0.75 μg/g), and silk (7.32 ± 0.31 μg/g). In field trials, all larval population densities, plant damage rates, and leaf damage levels of DBN3601T maize were significantly lower than the conventional maize. This research indicated that the DBN3601T event had a high control efficiency against M. separata and could be deployed in southwest China for the management of M. separata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chromosome elimination resulting in haploids is achieved by rapid loss of chromosomes from one parent during the zygote stage and is an important procedure to produce doubled haploid (DH) lines in plants. During crosses between an emasculated wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and maize (Zea mays L.) as pollen donors, the complete loss of maize chromosomes results in wheat haploid embryos. Through embryo rescue and chromosome doubling processes, pure lines with stable traits can be quickly obtained. The technique is called the "Wheat × Maize System". Although this technology is not new, it remains a practical approach to date. In order to optimize and improve this technology and to achieve its maximum potential in the winter wheat area of China, this paper reviews the previous and ongoing research and technical procedures for the production of wheat DH lines via the maize pollen induction and presents outlooks on DH research and its application in wheat breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unique properties of sorghum are increasingly being studied for potential health benefits, with one area of emphasis being the impact of sorghum consumption on mitigating type 2 diabetes. The glycemic index (GI) of muffins made from whole grain sorghum flour ground to three different particle sizes (fine, intermediate, coarse) was tested on eight healthy volunteers (ages 18–40) and compared to the glycemic index of whole grain corn, wheat, and rice flours produced using a similar product formula. Sorghum flour ground through a 0.5 mm screen ("fine") had an overall similar particle size to that of the brown rice flour ground using a 0.5 mm screen. The range of GI values was 32 to 56, with only the GI of intermediate milled sorghum flour being lower than that of corn, rice, or wheat (p < 0.05). The lowest glycemic index (32 +/− 17) was found when using sorghum flour with an intermediate particle size (167 +/− 4 μm). Muffins made using brown rice had the next lowest glycemic index at 37 +/− 17. All GI values calculated had large standard deviations, which is common for these types of studies. These results can assist in the product development process to advance the quality of healthy, gluten-free sorghum-based foods for consumers. Further research should investigate if these results can be duplicated and the possible reason for the lower GI of intermediate particle size sorghum flour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agronomic practices can have a negative impact on soil health and quality and ecosystem resilience. The objectives of the study were (1) to evaluate the soil chemical properties and microbial abundance under short-term application of organic and mineral fertilizers and different cultivated crops and (2) to observe the antifungal efficacy of microorganisms isolated from the studied soil. A field trial was conducted in the 2021–2022 period on a preluvosoil-type soil in four randomized blocks with eight fertilizer treatments based on manure compost (MC) and MC + mineral fertilizer (V1—control-soil; V2—NPK only; V3—15 t/ha MC; V4—15 t/ha MC + NPK; V5—30 t/ha MC; V6—30 t/ha MC + NPK; V7—60 t/ha MC; and V8—60 t/ha MC +NPK) and four crops (winter wheat—Triticum aestivum L., maize—Zea mays L., soybean—Glycine max L., and a mixture of perennial grasses and legumes). In almost all treatments, the soil pH decreased during the summer–autumn period. The organic carbon (Corg) and humus contents increased compared to the initial state of the soil after the application of different doses of MC and MC + NPK fertilization in almost all treatments. The microbial load of the soil was influenced by the fertilization regime and crop species, but there were no significant differences between the variants. The highest bacterial load was recorded in soil cultivated with a mixture of perennial grasses and grain legumes, i.e., in the variant with 15 t/ha MC, followed by soil cultivated with maize and fertilized with 30 t/ha and 60 t/ha MC. A higher number of fungi was observed in the mixture of perennial grasses and legumes, and Rhizobium population was higher, especially in the winter wheat plots, despite the fertilization regime. The antifungal efficacy of the microorganisms isolated from the samples was medium to low, except in the winter wheat experiment, where the efficacy against Fusarium culmorum was medium to high and against other pathogens was medium. In the other crops within the experiment, the antagonistic activity of the soil microorganisms was medium to low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tracking winter wheat–summer maize distribution is crucial for the management of agricultural water resources in the water-scarce North China Plain (NCP). However, the spatio-temporal change in planting structure that has occurred during the last 20 years remains unclear. Therefore, winter wheat–summer maize distribution between 2001 and 2020 was determined via the maximum likelihood algorithm of supervised classification and a threshold method using the MODIS NDVI product MOD13Q1 and Landsat 5/7 images. The results reveal that dividing distributions into six sample categories—winter wheat–summer maize, winter wheat–rice, spring maize, cotton, other double-cropping systems, and fruit trees—proved to be an efficient way to discriminate winter wheat–summer maize distribution, with R2 and RMSE values ranging from 0.738 to 0.901 and from 179.05 to 215.72 km2, respectively. From 2001 to 2020, the planting area continually expanded, experiencing a significant growth of 3.32 × 104 km2 (23.44%). Specifically, the planting area decreased by 2982.13 km2 (10.06%) in the northern part of the NCP, including the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region, while it increased by 3.62 × 104 km2 (32.30%) in the middle and southern parts, encompassing Shandong, Henan, Anhui, and Jiangsu provinces. The stable growing region was primarily concentrated in the middle of the Hebei Plain, along the Yellow River irrigation areas and humid zones of the southwest, accounting for 75–85% of the total NCP planting area. Our results can provide references for adjusting agricultural planting structures, formulating food security strategies, and optimizing the management of water resources in the NCP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of the supramolecular organization of the mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation system (OXPHOS) in various eukaryotes has led to the accumulation of a considerable amount of data on the composition, stoichiometry, and architecture of its constituent superstructures. However, the link between the features of system arrangement and the biological characteristics of the studied organisms has been poorly explored. Here, we report a comparative investigation into supramolecular and functional OXPHOS organization in the mitochondria of etiolated shoots of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), maize (Zea mays L.), and pea (Pisum sativum L.). Investigations based on BN-PAGE, in-gel activity assays, and densitometric analysis revealed both similarities and specific OXPHOS features apparently related to the life strategies of each species. Frost-resistant winter wheat was distinguished by highly stable basic I1III2IVa/b respirasomes and V2 dimers, highly active complex I, and labile complex IV, which were probably essential for effective OXPHOS adaptation during hypothermia. Maize, a C4 plant, had the highly stable dimers IV2 and V2, less active complex I, and active alternative NAD(P)H dehydrogenases. The latter fact could contribute to successful chloroplast–mitochondrial cooperation, which is essential for highly efficient photosynthesis in this species. The pea OXPHOS contained detergent-resistant high-molecular respirasomes I1–2III2IVn, highly active complexes IV and V, and stable succinate dehydrogenase, suggesting an active energy metabolism in organelles of this plant. The results and conclusions are in good agreement with the literature data on the respiratory activity of mitochondria from these species and are summarized in a proposed scheme of organization of OXPHOS fragments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Field pansy infestation can lead to a decrease in the species diversity of plant communities and to the disappearance of other species. Field pansy infestation is fairly common in many crops, including maize. Understanding the ecology and management strategies for field pansy in maize is essential for effective weed control. This research into sugar maize was conducted from 1992 to 2019 in the Research and Education Center Gorzyń, Złotniki branch, which belongs to the Poznań University of Life Sciences. The assessment of weed infestation was carried out in experiments that focused on chemical weed control in maize. The experiments were established as single-factor randomized block designs with four field replications. The aim of the study was to evaluate dynamic changes in the status and the degree of field pansy infestation in sugar maize that was cultivated after various other crops in the Wielkopolska region, with a focus on weather conditions. The results indicated that the probability of field pansy individuals occurring among the total number of weeds was highest when maize was cultivated after wheat, but the probability of such infestation did not significantly differ when maize was sown in a crop rotation after winter triticale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waterlogging disasters severely restrict crop production. The middle and lower Yangtze River region (MLYRR) is an important grain-producing region in China but suffers from severe waterlogging disasters. In this study, an agriculture-specific index called the accumulative humidity index was introduced to analyze the spatiotemporal characteristics of waterlogging during different wheat and maize growth stages in the MLYRR from 1960 to 2020. Additionally, the relationships between waterlogging intensities and crop yield fluctuations were revealed. The results showed that over the past 60 years, the intensity of wheat and maize waterlogging in the central and eastern MLYRR have increased; crop waterlogging was more intense in the 1990s–2010s than during the 1960s–1980s, and waterlogging intensity peaked in the 1990s. For both crops, waterlogging was more intense during the early growth stages, but its yield-reducing impacts were more significant during middle and late growth stages. The southern MLYRR (especially southern Anhui) was the region where both crops were most prone to waterlogging, but yields in this region were not severely affected by waterlogging. Compared with wheat, maize was more prone to waterlogging, and its yield was more significantly reduced by waterlogging. In conclusion, this study provides guidance for agricultural waterlogging risk reduction in the MLYRR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, aflatoxins (AFs) and ochratoxin A (OTA) were analyzed in grains, specifically wheat and corn, from Albania. To summarize, 71 wheat and 45 corn samples from different growing areas were collected. The multi-toxin analytical procedure involved sample extraction and liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). The incidence of AF was 18% in the analyzed wheat and 71% in the corn samples. The concentration of AFs was much higher in the corn samples than in the wheat samples. The maximum permitted levels for aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and total AFs were not exceeded in the wheat samples, while they were exceeded in 36% of the corn samples. In the wheat samples, the AFB1 concentration varied between 0.2 and 0.4 µg kg−1. However, the highest concentrations in the corn samples were 2057, 2944, and 3550 µg kg−1. OTA was present in only three corn samples and one wheat sample. However, all contaminated samples exceeded the maximum permitted levels. This report reveals the presence of AFs and OTA in grain commodities, specifically wheat and corn, grown in Albania. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Halosulfuron-methyl (HM) is widely used for the removal of noxious weeds in corn, sugarcane, wheat, rice, and tomato fields. Despite its high efficiency and low toxicity, drift to nontarget crops and leaching of its metabolites to groundwater pose potential risks. Considering the instability of HM, the pyrazole sulfonamide of HM was used to generate a hapten and antigen to raise a high-quality monoclonal antibody (Mab, designated 1A91H11) against HM. A direct competitive immunoassay (dcELISA) using Mab 1A91H11 achieved a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 1.5 × 10−3 mg/kg and a linear range of 0.7 × 10−3 mg/kg–10.7 × 10−3 mg/kg, which was 10 times more sensitive than a comparable indirect competitive ELISA (icELISA) and more simple to operate. A spiking recovery experiment performed in tomato and maize matrices with 0.01, 0.05, and 0.1 mg/kg HM had average recoveries within 78.9–87.9% and 103.0–107.4% and coefficients of variation from 1.1–6.8% and 2.7–6.4% in tomato and maize, respectively. In addition, a magnetic lateral flow immunoassay (MLFIA) was developed for quantitative detection of low concentrations of HM in paddy water. Compared with dcELISA, the MLFIA exhibited 3.3- to 50-fold higher sensitivity (IC50 0.21 × 10−3 mg/kg). The average recovery and RSD of the developed MLFIA ranged from 81.5 to 92.5% and 5.4 to 9.7%. The results of this study demonstrated that the developed dcELISA and MLFIA are suitable for rapid detection of HM residues in tomato and maize matrices and paddy water, respectively, with acceptable accuracy and precision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of global climate change on agricultural productivity is an essential issue of ongoing concern. The growth and development of wheat, maize, and rice are influenced by elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations, increased temperatures, and seasonal rainfall patterns. However, due to differences in research methodologies (e.g., crop models, climate models, and climate scenarios), there is uncertainty in the existing studies regarding the magnitude and direction of future climate change impacts on crop yields. In order to completely assess the possible consequences of climate change and adaptation measures on crop production and to analyze the associated uncertainties, a database of future crop yield changes was developed using 68 published studies (including 1842 samples). A local polynomial approach was used with the full dataset to investigate the response of crop yield changes to variations in maximum and minimum temperatures, mean temperature, precipitation, and CO2 concentrations. Then, a linear mixed-effects regression model was utilized with the limited dataset to explore the quantitative relationships between them. It was found that maximum temperature, precipitation, adaptation measure, study area, and climate model had significant effects on changes in crop yield. Crop yield will decline by 4.21% for each 1 °C rise in maximum temperature and increase by 0.43% for each 1% rise in precipitation. While higher CO2 concentrations and suitable management strategies could mitigate the negative effects of warming temperatures, crop yield with adaptation measures increased by 64.09% compared to crop yield without adaptation measures. Moreover, the uncertainty of simulations can be decreased by using numerous climate models. The results may be utilized to guide policy regarding the influence of climate change and to promote the creation of adaptation plans that will increase crop systems' resilience in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Wheat and corn silages are common feedstuffs used in Israel. For long-term use of the feedstuffs without compromising the nutritional value, there is a need for an effective preservation method. We conducted a study to assess the effect of adding microbial inoculum (MI) and urea on the chemical composition including the amino acids profile, aerobic stability and in vitro digestibility of wheat and corn silages. The silages were subjected to four treatments: control, MI, urea and a combination of MI + urea. Silages were analyzed for quality parameters and in vitro digestibility. The results showed that additives improved the quality parameters of wheat and corn silages. The inclusion of MI produced the most aerobically stable silages, whereas the inclusion of urea compromised its aerobic stability. None of the additives affected the true CP content of silages. Additives improved in vitro cell wall carbohydrates' digestibility in both silages and had the best production when MI was combined with urea. These results imply that additives enhance the nutritional value, aerobic stability and digestibility of silages. Wheat and corn silages are widely used as ruminant feed in Israel due to their availability and cost-effectiveness. To ensure long-term preservation without compromising nutritional quality, effective methods must be employed. The inclusion of additives during harvest and ensiling can enhance efficiency and address preservation challenges. In the current study, the effects of microbial inoculum (MI) and urea on the chemical composition, amino acid profiles, aerobic stability, and in vitro digestibility of wheat and corn silages were investigated. Samples of wheat and corn were subjected to four treatments: control, MI, urea and a combination of MI + urea. The treatments were ensiled in anaerobic conditions and opened after 1, 7, 14 or 28 days. The results showed that additives improved the quality parameters of wheat and corn silages. The inclusion of MI produced the most aerobically stable silages. The inclusion of urea in silages decreased aerobic stability. Additives improved in vitro cell wall carbohydrates' digestibility in both silages and was the best when MI was combined with urea. These results imply that additives could be incorporated in silages to enhance their nutritional value, aerobic stability and digestibility. Nonetheless, increased CP content with additives was not accompanied with a parallel increase in amino acids' content in corn silage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cover crops (CC) have great potential to enhance the sustainability of agroecosystems. However, the wide range of possible rotations of CC and cash crops (CaC) means that important knowledge gaps persist on how CC affects CaC. We investigated the legacy effects of five common CC (three monocultures: vetch, melilotus, and barley, and two mixtures: barley-vetch and barley-melilotus) on two of the most important CaC, maize and wheat. A microcosm, semi-controlled experiment was established simulating warm, low-income Mediterranean conditions. After two cycles, soil physicochemical and microbial properties, as well as plant growth and nutrition variables, were measured at the CC early growth CaC stage. In maize, barley CC had the best soil microbial and nutritional legacy effects, which resulted in the highest biomass and nutrient status. In contrast, barley produced the worst results on wheat, showing the disadvantages of growing two crops from the same tribe consecutively. CC mixtures also did not offer a productive advantage over pure CC. Additionally, our findings suggest that archaea seem to play a role in increasing N and Zn content in maize shoots. Furthermore, shoot B contents showed highly significant regressions with the CaC biomass. These results can help select the appropriate CC in each case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil-borne oomycetes include devastating plant pathogens that cause substantial losses in the agricultural sector. To better manage this important group of pathogens, it is critical to understand how they respond to common agricultural practices, such as tillage and crop rotation. Here, a long-term field experiment was established using a split-plot design with tillage as the main plot factor (conventional tillage (CT) vs. no till (NT), two levels) and rotation as the subplot factor (monocultures of soybean, corn, or wheat, and corn–soybean–wheat rotation, four levels). Post-harvest soil oomycete communities were characterized over three consecutive years (2016–2018) by metabarcoding the Internal Transcribed Spacer 1 (ITS1) region. The community contained 292 amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) and was dominated by Globisporangium spp. (85.1% in abundance, 203 ASV) and Pythium spp. (10.4%, 51 ASV). NT decreased diversity and community compositional structure heterogeneity, while crop rotation only affected the community structure under CT. The interaction effects of tillage and rotation on most oomycetes species accentuated the complexity of managing these pathogens. Soil and crop health represented by soybean seedling vitality was lowest in soils under CT cultivating soybean or corn, while the grain yield of the three crops responded differently to tillage and crop rotation regimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dual-purpose cover crops (DPCCs) are gaining popularity for their potential to provide additional forage, while also providing significant ecosystem services. In the Northeastern United States, DPCCs can be incorporated into corn silage (Zea mays L.) production, increasing the environmental sustainability and economic resiliency of dairy systems. In a three-year field study, rye (Secale cereale L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum), and triticale (xTriticosecale) DPCCs provided an average of 4.1 Mg ha−1 of forage, without impacting subsequent corn silage yield. The relative feed values of triticale and wheat were 120 and 122, respectively, significantly greater than that of rye at 109. DPCCs removed 60 kg ha−1 of nitrogen (N) and 20 kg ha−1 of phosphorus (P) on average at harvest; this removal is important for nutrient management in manured systems with high P levels. The results of this experiment suggested that in addition to capturing nutrients from the fall manure application, DPCCs captured nutrients already present in the soil. The DPCC residue left in the field after harvest represented 46% of the total plant biomass, and returned 1.6 Mg ha−1 of carbon. Decomposition trends of DPCCs demonstrated nitrogen immobilization dynamics. Twenty percent of all the residual nitrogen was released in the first week after termination. The residual biomass continued to decompose, but the nitrogen decomposition was arrested. While, in this study, corn yields were not impeded, our findings demonstrated the potential to affect the fertility needs of corn in a multi-year rotation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper was to study the phyto-inhibitory and antimicrobial activity of brown propolis collected from the counties of four regions in Romania. The main physico-chemical and functional properties of 16 samples of propolis from different landforms of geographical regions were determined. Their antimicrobial activities were established against 5 bacterial strains (Pseudomonas fluorescens, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, and Proteus mirabilis) and 5 fungal strains (Alternaria alternata, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Fusarium oxysporum, Mucor racemosus, and Aspergillus niger). Simultaneously, the phyto-inhibitory effect of propolis samples on different cereals was highlighted: hexaploid bread wheat (Triticum aestivum), maize (Zea mays L.), oats (Avena sativa L.), and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Correlations between the antioxidant activity and total flavonoid and phenol content of the propolis samples were identified, respectively, and the statistical analysis highlighted that the diameter of the inhibition zone was influenced by the strain type (bacterial and fungal) and the geographical regions of propolis. Principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that out of seven principal components, only two exhibited > 0.5. Pearson's correlation coefficient showed a low and moderate positive linear relationship between the diameter of the inhibition zone and the flavonoid and phenol concentration of the propolis samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the known influence of groundwater conditions and nitrogen application on crop growth and the soil microenvironment, less information is available on the influence of groundwater depth and nitrogen application amount on the movement and accumulation of soil water and residual nitrate in deep soil in summer maize–winter wheat rotation systems. Therefore, a large lysimeter experiment was conducted to examine how groundwater depth and nitrogen application amount influence the transport and accumulation of soil water and nitrate in the summer maize (Zea mays L.)–winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) rotation system. The results showed that nitrogen reduction increased soil water storage both in the summer maize and winter wheat fields. The residual soil nitrate accumulation in the entire soil profile of summer maize and winter wheat under deeper groundwater depth treatment was higher than that of shallow groundwater depth treatment. Hence, the deeper the groundwater depth, the longer the nitrate transport path, and the nitrate that would have entered the groundwater accumulates in deep soil. The residual soil nitrate accumulation in the whole soil profile of winter wheat was 76.05–130.11 kg ha−1 higher than that of summer maize. Structural equation models (SEMs) showed that the nitrogen application amount not only exhibited a directly positive effect on the residual soil nitrate accumulation but also indirectly influenced it by regulating total soil nitrogen; groundwater depth only exhibited a directly negative effect on residual soil nitrate accumulation; and soil depth had an indirect positive effect on residual soil nitrate accumulation through the regulation of soil water storage. Together, our findings prove that groundwater depth and nitrogen application amount jointly regulate the residual soil nitrate accumulation in agricultural soil rotated with winter wheat and summer maize. Therefore, in formulating a fertilization strategy for regional agricultural green development, it is necessary to consider the fertilizer application amount rate and the groundwater depth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil degradation and high environmental costs impede agricultural production in North China. A 6-year field experiment was conducted to determine the effects of tillage practice and nitrogen application rate on changes in soil fertility and wheat yield. Four tillage systems (rotary tillage without maize straw return through 6 years, RT; rotary tillage with maize straw return through 6 years, RS; deep tillage with maize straw return through 6 years, DS; and rotary tillage through 2 years followed by deep tillage next year with maize straw applied for two cycles, RS/DS) and three N levels (HN, 300 kg N ha−1, refers to traditional farming practice; MN, 0.75 × HN, 225 kg N ha−1, to recommended N rate; and LN, 0.5 × HN, 150 kg N ha−1, to reduced N rate) were tested. The soil organic carbon, labile organic carbon, inorganic N, available phosphorus, and available potassium under straw return treatments were significantly higher than RT in the 0–30 cm soil layer (p < 0.05). The microbial diversity, invertase, urease, and alkaline phosphatase activities also increased when maize straw was returned. Tillage practices could distribute maize straw in different depths of the soil and then affect soil nutrients, enzyme activity, and microbial diversity. The RS treatment presented the greatest effects in the 0–10 cm layer, while more significant impacts were observed in DS and RS/DS treatments at the 10–30 cm depths. The levels of soil nutrients and enzyme activity increased with an increased N rate. Compared to that under LN, wheat yields increased under HN and MN treatments, whereas there were no significant differences between HN and MN (p > 0.05). An increasing tendency of grain yield was observed in DS and RS/DS, while conversely so in RS. RS/DS had lower farm costs than DS during the study duration. Thus, RS/DS at 225 kg N ha−1 is the best method for improving soil fertility and wheat yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022 accelerated agricultural commodity prices and raised food insecurities worldwide. Ukraine and Russia are the leading global suppliers of wheat, corn, barley and sunflower oil. For this purpose, we investigated the relationship among these four agricultural commodities and, at the same time, predicted their future performance. The series covers the period from 1 January 1990 to 1 August 2022, based on monthly frequencies. The VAR impulse response function, variance decomposition, Granger Causality Test and vector error correction model were used to analyze relationships between variables. The results indicate that corn prices are an integral part of price changes in wheat, barley and sunflower oil. Wheat prices are also essential but with a weaker influence than that of corn. The additional purpose of this study was to forecast their price changes ten months ahead. The Vector Autoregressive (VAR) and Vector Error Correction (VECM) fanchart estimates an average price decline in corn, wheat, barley and sunflower oil in the range of 10%. From a policy perspective, the findings provide reliable signals for countries exposed to food insecurities and inflationary risk. Recognizing the limitations that predictions maintain, the results provide modest signals for relevant agencies, international regulatory authorities, retailers and low-income countries. Moreover, stakeholders can become informed about their price behavior and the causal relationship they hold with each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing urbanization and affluence have led to changes in food consumption patterns. The application of nitrogen (N) fertilizers ensures food security but also leads to environmental pollution due to N losses, through processes such as acidification, eutrophication, and greenhouse gas emissions. To clarify whether changes in food consumption patterns could increase N losses and to explore sustainable food system pathways, this study integrated the Chinese Food System Dashboard and the Nutrient Flows in Food Chains, Environment and Resources Use model to quantify and compare the link between food consumption and N losses in different agricultural regions using a case study of Bayannur City in the Yellow River Basin from 2000 to 2016. During the study period, Bayannur's food consumption pattern changed from a "high carbohydrate and pork pattern" to a "high fiber and herbivore pattern", which represents a shift from low to high N consumption. The per-capita food consumption decreased by 11.55% from 425.41 kg cap−1, whereas the per-capita N losses increased by 12.42% from 35.60 kg N cap−1. The average share of the plant-oriented and animal-oriented food supply in these losses was 53.39% and 46.61%, respectively. There were differences in the food consumption patterns and N losses in Bayannur's farming, farming–pastoral, and pastoral regions. The changes in N losses were most significant in the pastoral region. The N losses to the environment increased sharply by 112.33% from 22.75 g N cap−1 over the past 16 years. The low level of economic development in Bayannur resulted in a shift in the food consumption pattern to a high N consumption. Four measures to protect food security and reduce the food N cost were proposed: (1) increasing the wheat planting area and maintaining the existing corn one; (2) expanding the scale of high-quality alfalfa planting; (3) enhancing the area of oat grass and wheat replanting; and (4) using modern planting technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen metabolism (NM) plays an essential role in response to abiotic stresses for plants. Enzyme activities have been extensively studied for nitrogen metabolism-associated pathways, but the knowledge of nitrogen metabolism-associated genes involved in stress response is still limited, especially for rice. In this study, we performed the genome-wide characterization of the genes putatively involved in nitrogen metabolism. A total of 1110 potential genes were obtained to be involved in nitrogen metabolism from eight species (Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh., Glycine max (L.) Merr., Brassica napus L., Triticum aestivum L., Sorghum bicolor L., Zea mays L., Oryza sativa L. and Amborella trichopoda Baill.), especially 104 genes in rice. The comparative phylogenetic analysis of the superfamily revealed the complicated divergence of different NM genes. The expression analysis among different tissues in rice indicates the NM genes showed diverse functions in the pathway of nitrogen absorption and assimilation. Distinct expression patterns of NM genes were observed in rice under drought stress, heat stress, and salt stress, indicating that the NM genes play a curial role in response to abiotic stress. Most NM genes showed a down-regulated pattern under heat stress, while complicated expression patterns were observed for different genes under salt stress and drought stress. The function of four representative NM genes (OsGS2, OsGLU, OsGDH2, and OsAMT1;1) was further validated by using qRT-PCR analysis to confirm their responses to these abiotic stresses. Based on the predicted transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs), we built a co-expression regulatory network containing transcription factors (TFs) and NM genes, of which the constructed ERF and Dof genes may act as the core genes to respond to abiotic stresses. This study provides novel sights to the interaction between nitrogen metabolism and the response to abiotic stresses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spring wheat–summer maize (SWSM) annual crop systems were formed to satisfy the maize grain mechanized harvest thermal requirement in the thermal–resource–limited region of the North China Plain. However, the nitrogen (N) application rate effect on SWSM annual yield formation, N accumulation and utilization were barely evaluated. Two–year field experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of the N application rate on the annual yield of SWSM, observe N accumulation and utilization, and identify the optimized N application. The experiments were conducted under 5 N levels of 0 (N0), 180 (N180), 240 (N240), 300 (N300), and 360 (N360) kg ha−1. The results showed that spring wheat, summer maize and annual cereal yield under the N240 and N480 treatments obtained the highest grain yield (GY) of 5038, 1282 and 16,320 kg ha−1, respectively, and the optimal N application rate was estimated using a linear–plateau model to be 231–307, 222–337 and 463–571 kg ha−1 with maximum GY of 4654–5317, 11,727–12,003 and 16,349–16,658 kg ha−1, respectively. With the increase in the N application rate, the dry matter accumulation (DM) were significantly increased by 16.9–173.5% for spring wheat and 11.1≈–76.8% for summer maize, respectively; and the annual cereal DM was 15.1–179.7% greater than that with N0 treatment, respectively. Spring wheat, summer maize and the annual cereal total N accumulation (TN) under N360 and N720 treatments were significantly increased by 5.4–19.1%, 16.6–32.3% and 11.5–26.2%, respectively, compared to the other treatments; however, N use efficiency for biomass and grain production (NUEbms and NUEg) were decreased significantly by 10.9–13.6% and 8.9–20.7%, 6.8–13.8% and 12.2–15.6%, and 5.5–11.7% and 10.0–16.0%, respectively. Meanwhile, the N partial factor productivity (PFPN), N agronomy use efficiency (ANUE), N recovery efficiency (NRE) and N uptake efficiency (NEupk) under the N240 treatment for spring wheat and summer maize obtained high levels of 20.99 and 47.01 kg−1, 9.27 and 16.35 kg−1, 32.53% and 32.44%, and 0.85 and 0.72 kg−1, respectively. Correlation analysis showed that the N application rate, TN and NEupk played significantly positive roles on GY, spring wheat spilke grain number, summer maize ear grain number and 1000–grain weight, DM LAImax and SPADmax, while NUEbms, NUEg, PFPN and ANUE always played negative effects. These results demonstrate that spring wheat, summer maize and annual cereal obtained the highest GY being 4654–5317, 11,727–12,003 and 16,349–16,658 kg ha−1 with the optimal N application rate 231–307, 222–337 and 463–571 kg ha−1, respectively, which provide N application guidance to farmer for spring wheat–summer maize crop systems to achieve annual mechanical harvesting in the thermal–resource–limited region of the North China Plain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The physiological responses of wheat and maize seedlings to exogenous auxin-type compounds 1-[2-chloroethoxycarbonyl-methyl]-4-naphthalenesulfonic acid calcium salt (TA-12) and 1-[2-dimethylaminoethoxicarbonylmethyl]naphthalene chlormethylate (TA-14) application prior to polyethyleneglycol-6000 (PEG) treatment were studied. PEG treatment inhibited seedlings growth and caused alterations in their antioxidant defence which was crop-specific. PEG increased the non-enzymatic antioxidants along with inhibition of enzymatic antioxidant activity in wheat, while in maize the opposite effects were found. The TA-12 and TA-14 applied alone increased most of the growth parameters measured in both crops, as well as the catalase activity and protein content of wheat. The growth of PEG-treated wheat and maize plants was improved by foliar spray with TA-compounds (TAs). Application of TAs before PEG treatment maintained low-molecular weight thiol-containing compounds and protein contents, and catalase and peroxidase activities close to the control levels. This was better expressed in maize than in wheat seedlings. The results showed that the preliminary application of TA-12 and TA-14 can reduce the adverse effects of moderate water deficit by crop-specific adjustment of the antioxidant defence to counteract stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potassium (K) is the second most important plant nutritional element and is used for numerous physiological processes. We established an eight-year experiment comparing the effects of five K fertilization treatments (0, 48, 84, 120 and 156 kg K ha−1) on crop yield, K use efficiency and soil apparent K balance under the maize–wheat rotation system in the North China Plain. The highest maize and wheat yields were achieved in the K120 treatment, increasing by up to 16.7% and 25.1%, respectively. The increase in grain yield and K agronomic efficiency (AEK) with K application was greater in wheat than in maize. The K recovery efficiency (REK) and K accumulative recovery efficiency (ARE) significantly decreased with the increase in K fertilization in the maize and wheat seasons. However, the soil apparent K balance and soil available K content increased; the former was deficiency (−24.3 kg ha−1 yr−1) in the K0 treatment, but the latter did not decrease significantly compared with that in the initial year of the experiment. The soil available K content increased by 10.9 mg kg−1 per 100 kg ha−1. In conclusion, the yield response to K fertilization was greater in wheat than in maize and alleviated soil K depletion, but the K fertilizer efficiency was lower. We believed that K fertilizer can be increased moderately in the wheat season and decreased in the maize season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim was to improve the fertilizer utilization efficiency and alleviate environmental pollution risk under a wheat-maize rotation system. Here, the combinations of different nitrogen stabilizers and phosphorus activators were used to reduce nitrogen loss and phosphorus fixation in the field experiment. Compared to the control, the combination of 1.5%HQ + 0.5%DMPP + biochar showed the most significant effect on the retention of alkali-hydrolysable nitrogen (Nah), the highest with an increase of 22.6% at the 0~20 cm layer soil; and the combination of 1.5%HQ + 3.5%DCD + CMFs (compound microbial fertilizers) showed the most significant effect on the maintenance of available phosphorus (Pa), with the highest increase of 41.3%. N, P synergists combined with a basal fertilizer could effectively slow down the transformation from N H 4 + to N O 3 − , and keep N H 4 + at an increase of 7.38%~19.6%. Moreover, the N, P synergists could efficiently lock the available nutrients around the roots, preventing the migration of N O 3 − , N H 4 + , Nah, and Pa to the deeper layers. Especially for N O 3 − , the total accumulation at 0~60 cm decreased by 32.1%, and the activation of Pa was mainly concentrated at 0~40 cm. Under the same nutrient inputs, the combination of 0.3%NBPT + 0.5%DMPP + CMFs obtained the highest wheat yield. The combination of 1.5%HQ + 0.5%DMPP+ biochar gained the highest maize yield. Overall, the application of N, P synergists could increase the effective duration of Nah, Pa, and N H 4 + in the surface soil, and reduce the accumulation of N O 3 − in the 0~60 cm soil layer. The capacity of holding and keeping nutrients from leaching rose obviously; simultaneously, the assimilative capacity of crops for nitrogen and phosphorus increased distinctly, which could lower the eutrophia risks from nitrogen and phosphorus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Commodity crops, such as wheat and maize, are extremely dependent on chemical fertilizers, a practice contributing greatly to the increase in the contaminants in soil and water. Promising solutions are biofertilizers, i.e., microbial biostimulants that when supplemented with soil stimulate plant growth and production. Moreover, the biofertilizers can be fortified when (i) provided as multifunctional consortia and (ii) combined with biochar with a high cargo capacity. The aim of this work was to determine the molecular effects on the soil microbiome of different biofertilizers and delivery systems, highlight their physiological effects and merge the data with statistical analyses. The measurements of the physiological parameters (i.e., shoot and root biomass), transcriptomic response of genes involved in essential pathways, and characterization of the rhizosphere population were analyzed. The results demonstrated that wheat and maize supplemented with different combinations of selected microbial consortia and biochar have a positive effect on plant growth in terms of shoot and root biomass; the treatments also had a beneficial influence on the biodiversity of the indigenous rhizo-microbial community, reinforcing the connection between microbes and plants without further spreading contaminants. There was also evidence at the transcriptional level of crosstalk between microbiota and plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice seedling blight is a globally occurring seedling disease caused by multiple pathogens. It is currently the most common disease affecting rice production in northeast China; hence, determining the causal agents, including its biological characteristics, host range, and fungicide efficacy is vital for its effective management. The present study obtained 45 pathogenic isolates from diseased rice seedlings in Suihua, Heilongjiang Province, China. Of these, five pathogens were identified based on their morphology and molecular identification, while 10 oomycete isolates were identified as Pythium aristosporum—the first to be reported in rice seedling blight. Its optimum growth conditions include a temperature of 25 °C, pH 6, and photoperiod of 24 h. Except for soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.), black soybean (Glycine max var.), and cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.), P. aristosporum can potentially infect and cause seedling blight on other hosts, such as wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), maize (Zea mays L.), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench), alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), oats (Avena sativa L.), and white clover (Trifolium repens L.). Its isolates were found to be highly sensitive to metalaxyl + propamocarb (EC50 = 0.0138 μg/mL) with 84.1% efficacy at 313 μg/mL. These results can serve as the basis for controlling P. aristosporum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The serious shortage of feedstuff resources is a prominent problem in the world today, and under the influence of the global food crisis, the price of ingredients has also increased. Due to the usable nutritional value and reasonable price of non-conventional ingredients, making full use of non-conventional ingredients is an important way to alleviate the shortage of feed resources, reduce the cost of livestock and poultry feeding, and improve economic efficiency. However, due to the presence of anti-nutritional factors in unconventional feed ingredients, existing studies suggest that supplementation with feed enzymes, including phytase and xylanase, can enhance feed utilization by eliminating anti-nutritional factors. By evaluating the nutritional composition and use-value of certain non-conventional feed ingredients, an application database can be established that can provide a reference for the extensive use of these resources. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of unconventional feedstuff such as wheat, broken rice, distillers dried grains with soluble (DDGS), and wheat bran, replacing 15% of the corn in the basal diet and the supplementation of bacterial phytase on nutrition digestibility. A total of 500 yellow-feathered broilers with similar body weights of 1.65 ± 0.15 kg were divided into 10 dietary treatments with 5 replicates per treatment (5 male and 5 females per cage). The AME and AIDE were significantly higher when supplied with phytase (p < 0.01) in the DDGS group. The ileal and total tract digestibility of calcium and phosphorus were significantly increased in the phytase-supplied group (p < 0.001). Additionally, the ileal digestibility of CP was increased when phytase was supplemented (p < 0.001). The results infer that the wheat, broken rice, DDGS, and wheat bran had no negative effect when replacing 15% corn. Supplementing 0.02% phytase in their diets can effectively optimize nutrient digestibility in yellow broilers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: A common nutritional strategy to reduce heat stress on dairy cows is to provide a more slowly degradable starch source that reduces the amount of heat generated during digestion. The aim of this experiment was to investigate the responses of late lactation dairy cows to cereal grain-based diets in a short-term heat challenge. Cows were offered a diet of alfalfa hay supplemented with either wheat grain (fast rumen degradable) or corn grain (slow rumen degradable). Individual cow measurements of feed intake, milk yield and composition, respiration rate, and body temperature were taken daily before, during and after a 4-day heat challenge, during which the cows were in individual controlled-climate chambers and exposed to air temperature up to 33 °C with 50% relative humidity. While exposed to the heat challenge during late lactation, cows that were offered corn grain had greater feed intake and tended to produce more energy-corrected milk but had lower respiration rates and similar body temperature to the cows offered wheat grain. The economic impact of feeding corn in place of wheat grain needs to be assessed before any comparative value of feeding corn grain or wheat grain can be determined. Cereal grains that differ in the rate and extent of ruminal fermentation differ in heat increment and may be used to improve thermoregulation during heat stress. This experiment investigated the responses of dairy cows in late lactation to a heat challenge when offered wheat-grain or corn-grain. Eighteen lactating cows, 220 ± 94 (mean ± standard deviation) days in milk, 3.7 ± 0.17 years of age and 558 ± 37 kg bodyweight, were allocated treatments containing 6 kg dry matter (DM)/day of wheat grain or 6 kg DM/day corn grain (9 per treatment) plus 14 kg DM/day of alfalfa hay. Measurements were made during a 7-day pre-challenge period at ambient conditions in individual stalls, during a 4-day heat challenge (temperature humidity index of 74 to 84) in individual controlled-climate chambers, then during a 7-day recovery period at ambient conditions in individual stalls. During the heat challenge, cows offered corn had lower respiration rates (p = 0.017) and greater feed intake (p = 0.021) but energy-corrected milk (p = 0.097) was not different to that of cows offered wheat. Feeding corn grain to dairy cows during a heat challenge reduced some of the negative impacts of heat stress, enabling the cows to consume more forage compared with supplementing with wheat grain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The water footprint (WF), based on irrigation water quality, is important as a decision-making tool for crop selection based on the comparative advantage of water consumption and yield to maximize agricultural water productivity and sustainably improve water use efficiency. This paper presents a generic link between climate variability and water footprint. To support this link, a case study is presented for wheat and maize in different agro-climate zones in Egypt. In this study, the three agro-ecological zones, Nile Delta, Middle Egypt, and Upper Egypt, were selected to represent three different microclimates. The climate data were analyzed to estimate reference evapotranspiration (ETo) and calculate crop water use (CWU) for wheat and maize from 2015 through 2019. Cultivated area and yield data were analyzed during the study period. Water footprint (WF) was calculated for old land (clay soils) and new lands (sandy soils) in three climate regions based on blue and grey water. Green water was excluded due to negligible rainfall depths in Egypt. The results showed that the mean values of WF for maize were 1067, 1395, 1655 m3/ton in old land and 1395, 1634, 2232 m3/ton in new land under the three climate regions, respectively, while it was 923, 982, 1117 m3/ton in old land and 1180, 1258, 1452 m3/ton for wheat in new land for the three regions, respectively. The results show that the crop water use fluctuated over regions due to climate variability where the CWU values were 6211, 7335, 8007 m3/ha for maize and 4348, 4825, 5774 m3/ha for wheat in the three regions, respectively. The results show an 11% and 33% increase in maize and an 18% and 29% increase in wheat CWU in Middle and Upper Egypt regions comparing to what was observed in Nile Delta due to an increase in solar radiation, temperature, and wind speed. The Egypt mean value of wheat water footprint was 1152 m3/ton and mean value of maize water footprint was 1563 m3/ton. The data clearly show the effect of microclimate variability on WF and irrigation requirements between regions. The methodology and results from this study provide a pathway to help the policy makers to mitigate climate change impacts on crop yield and to enhance water resources management in major crop production regions by redistribution of the cropping patterns based on the comparative advantages of each crop within each region. The crop choices relative to the soil water retention characteristics could also contribute to the moderation of microclimate, which affects ETo and ETc and the water footprint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a wheat/maize rotation system, nitrogen (N) accounts for a large proportion of basal fertilizer, but soil N loss and the resulting environmental risk simultaneously exist worldwide. This study applied different urease/nitrification inhibitors together with basal fertilizers and investigated their effects on soil N level and grain yield. Six N stabilizing combinations consisted of two urease inhibitors (HQ and NBPT) and three nitrification inhibitors (DCD, DMPP, and Nitrapyrin). The treatments supplied with urease/nitrification inhibitors reduced, to some degree, the conversion rate of N H 4 + into N O 3 − , and kept N H 4 + content higher in surface soils for a longer time. Compared to CK, A1 treatment supplied with 1.5% HQ + 4% DCD well-maintained the levels of soil alkali-hydrolyzable N and N H 4 + . For example, alkali-hydrolyzable N and N H 4 + contents at 0–20 cm soil layer under A1 were increased by 8.59–41.6% and 8.15–14.5% more than CK, respectively. Based on the entire growth period of wheat and maize rotation, urease/nitrification inhibitors improved soil available N in surface soils but did not prevent N H 4 + and N O 3 − leaching, especially in the intensive rainfall season. The combinations of HQ and DCD or Nitrapyrin significantly enhanced crop yield. Specifically, crop yields under A1 and A3 (1.5% HQ + 0.25% Nitrapyrin) were 16.3% and 14.3% higher than CK, respectively. The N stabilizing combinations also promoted N intake and transport at every growth stage. The maximum N accumulation was increased by 27% under A1, when compared to CK. The treatments supplied with urease/nitrification inhibitors also achieved higher apparent N recovery efficiency, N agronomic efficiency, and N partial factor productivity. Consequently, the combinations of urease/nitrification inhibitors could improve N availability at 0–40 cm soil layer, which in turn improved N use efficiency of wheat and maize. The results suggested that the two urease/nitrification inhibitor combinations, 1.5% HQ + 4% DCD (A1) and 1.5% HQ + 0.25% Nitrapyrin (A3), were optimal N stabilizing agents and worthy of further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice, wheat, maize, millet, and barley are the five major staple cereal crops in Nepal. However, their yields are low, and imports are needed to meet domestic demand. In this study, we quantify the gap between current and potentially attainable yields in Nepal, estimate how much additional fertilizer and irrigation are required to close the gap, and assess if self-sufficiency can thus be achieved. For this, we first test the ability of the crop model EPIC to reproduce reported yields in 1999–2014 accurately. On average, simulated and reported yields at the national level were in the same range, but at the district level, the error was large, as the resolutions of the available climate and soil input data were not high enough to depict the heterogenic conditions in Nepal adequately. In the main study, we show that average yield gaps in Nepal amount to 3.0 t/ha (wheat), 2.7 t/ha (rice), 2.9 t/ha (maize), 0.4 t/ha (barley), and 0.5 t/ha (millet). With additional irrigation and fertilization, yields can be increased by 0.1/2.3 t/ha (wheat), 0.4/1.3 t/ha (rice), 1.6/1.9 t/ha (maize), 0.1/0.3 t/ha (barley), and 0.1/0.4 t/ha (millet), respectively. The results show that providing reliable and affordable access to fertilizer should be a priority for closing yield gaps in Nepal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change has posed serious challenges to food production and sustainable development. We evaluated crop yields, N2O emissions, and soil organic carbon (SOC) in a typical wheat–corn rotation system field on the North China Plain on a 50-year scale using the Denitrification–Decomposition (DNDC) model and proposed adaptive strategies for each climate scenarios. The study showed a good consistency between observations and simulations (R2 > 0.95 and nRMSE < 30%). Among the twelve climate scenarios, we explored ten management practices under four climate scenarios (3 °C temperature change: P/T−3 and P/T+3; 30% precipitation change: 0.7P/T and 1.3P/T), which have a significant impact on crop yields and the net greenhouse effect. The results revealed that changing the crop planting time (CP) and using cold-resistant (CR) varieties could reduce the net greenhouse effect by more than 1/4 without sacrificing crop yields under P/T−3. Straw return (SR) minimized the negative impact on yields and the environment under P/T+3. Fertigation (FG) and Drought-Resistant (DR) varieties reduced the net greenhouse effect by more than 8.34% and maintained yields under 0.7P/T. SR was most beneficial to carbon sequestration, and yields were increased by 3.87% under 1.3P/T. Multiple adaptive strategies should be implemented to balance yields and reduce the environmental burden under future climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soluble bio-based substances (SBS) may be isolated from the anaerobic digestate of the organic humid fraction of urban waste; from the whole vegetable compost made from gardening residues and from the compost obtained after aerobic digestion of a mixture of urban waste digestate, gardening residues and sewage sludge. These SBS can be used as sustainable and efficient plant biostimulants in alternatives to the commercial products based on fossil sources such as the Leonardite. The present review summarizes the main findings obtained from recent studies accomplished with the SBS applied on several ornamental (Euphorbia; Lantana; Murraya; Hibiscus) and vegetable species (tomato; red pepper; spinach; maize; bean; wheat; tobacco; oilseed rape) with the aim to evaluate their effect on plant growth; fruit and ornamental quality. The main results from these studies show that the non-commercial SBS are more efficient than commercial fossil-based products; at equal applied doses; in enhancing plant growth; leaf chlorophylls; photosynthetic activity; fruit ripening and yield and aesthetic effect; improving flower and fruit quality and optimizing water use efficiency. Depending upon the plant species, increases of the plant performance indicators ranging from zero to 1750% are reported for the plants cultivated in the presence of SBS, relatively to the control plants cultivated in absence of SBS added to the cultivation substrate. The review suggests that biowaste recycling is a sustainable and environmentally friendly source of plant biostimulants, as an alternative to existing fossil sourced agrochemicals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, worldwide scientific efforts towards controlling maize late wilt disease (LWD) have focused on eco-friendly approaches that minimize the environmental impact and health risks. This disease is considered to be the most severe threat to maize fields in Israel and Egypt, and a major growth restraint in India, Spain, and Portugal. Today's most commonly used method for LWD control involving resistant maize genotypes is under constant risk from aggressive pathogen lines. Thus, this study's objectives were to evaluate the effect of crop rotation and avoiding tillage on restraining the disease. Such an agrotechnical approach will support the continuity of soil mycorrhiza networks, which antagonize the disease's causal agent, Magnaporthiopsis maydis. The method gained positive results in previous studies, but many knowledge gaps still need to be addressed. To this end, a dual-season study was conducted using the LWD hyper-susceptible maize hybrid, Megaton cv. The trials were performed in a greenhouse and in the field over full dual-growth seasons (wheat or clover as the winter crop followed by maize as the summer crop). In the greenhouse under LWD stress, the results clearly demonstrate the beneficial effect of maize crop rotation with clover and wheat on plant weight (1.4-fold), height (1.1–1.2-fold) and cob yield (1.8–2.4-fold), especially in the no-till soil. The clover-maize growth sequence excels in reducing disease impact (1.7-fold) and pathogen spread in the host tissues (3-fold). Even though the wheat-maize crop cycle was less effective, it still had better results than the commercial mycorrhizal preparation treatment and the uncultivated non-infected soil. The results were slightly different in the field. The clover-maize rotation also achieved the best growth promotion and disease restraint results (2.6-fold increase in healthy plants), but the maize rotation with wheat showed only minor efficiency. Interestingly, pre-cultivating the soil with clover had better results in no-till soil in both experiments. In contrast, the same procedure with wheat had a better impact when tillage was applied. It may be concluded that crop rotation and soil cultivation can be essential in reducing LWD, but other factors may affect this approach's benefits in commercial field growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanical properties of the materials stored in agricultural silos determine the loads they generate under static and dynamic conditions. The present work describes the mechanical properties of wheat, maize and wood pellets. Direct shear and triaxial assay devices, and oedometers (all commonly used in geotechnical assays), were used to determine these materials' internal angle of friction, Poisson's ratio, Young's modulus, apparent specific weight, etc. The results for wheat and maize were similar to those previously reported by other authors. For the wood pellets, the results for the internal angle of friction and apparent specific weight were also similar to those found in the literature. However, this is a relatively new type of material, and few results of this type have been reported, certainly not enough for reference values to be available. This work is the first to report this material's dilatancy angle and Poisson's ratio. A table is provided with suggested reference values for the studied mechanical properties of each of the test materials; these can be used in silo load calculations involving numerical methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phenolic acids are the major polyphenols in cereal grains and they undergo changes in their composition and structure during processing. This study investigated changes in phenolic acids and antioxidant properties during baking of bread and muffin made from hairless canary seed (HCS), Phalaris canariensis L., alone or in blends with corn and wheat. The changes were monitored after dry mixing, dough/batter formation, and oven baking. Phenolic acids were quantified in products using HPLC and antioxidant activity was based on DPPH, ABTS, and ORAC assays. Eight phenolic acids were primarily present in the bound fraction extracts, while only a few phenolic acids were detected in the free or unbound fraction extracts. Ferulic was the dominant phenolic acid in wheat, corn, and HCS followed by p-coumaric acid but the latter was extremely high in HCS compared to wheat and corn. After baking, bound phenolic acids decreased in breads and muffins, while the unbound phenolic acids increased. Dough preparation resulted in about 5–13% reductions in bound ferulic acid in addition to 2–9% after oven baking with a total reduction of about 10–20% subject to bread formulation. On the contrary unbound ferulic acid increased by 48–307% after dough preparation and 138–225% after oven baking with a total increase 273–495%. Similarly, muffin-making process resulted in 26–30% reductions in bound ferulic acid after batter preparation and 4–7% after oven baking with reductions of 34–37% in muffins, while the unbound ferulic acid increased by about 35–105% and 9–29%, respectively, with a total increase 47–116%. The baking process resulted in improved DPPH, ABTS, and ORAC antioxidant activities in breads and muffins despite the initial reductions after dough preparation. In general, baking process resulted in tangible increases in unbound phenolic acids which eventually could improve their bioavailability and bioactivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brassinosteroid-related genes are involved in regulating plant growth and stress responses. However, systematic analysis is limited to Gramineae species, and their roles in plant architecture and salt stress remain unclear. In this study, we identified brassinosteroid-related genes in wheat, barley, maize, and sorghum and investigated their evolutionary relationships, conserved domains, transmembrane topologies, promoter sequences, syntenic relationships, and gene/protein structures. Gene and genome duplications led to considerable differences in gene numbers. Specific domains were revealed in several genes (i.e., HvSPY, HvSMOS1, and ZmLIC), indicating diverse functions. Protein-protein interactions suggested their synergistic functions. Their expression profiles were investigated in wheat and maize, which indicated involvement in adaptation to stress and regulation of plant architecture. Several candidate genes for plant architecture (ZmBZR1 and TaGSK1/2/3/4-3D) and salinity resistance (TaMADS22/47/55-4B, TaGRAS19-4B, and TaBRD1-2A.1) were identified. This study is the first to comprehensively investigate brassinosteroid-related plant architecture genes in four Gramineae species and should help elucidate the biological roles of brassinosteroid-related genes in crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural system models provide an effective tool for forecasting crop productivity and nutrient budgets under future climate change. This study investigates the potential impacts of climate change on crop failure, grain yield and soil organic carbon (SOC) for both winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and maize (Zea mays L.) in northern China, using the SPACSYS model. The model was calibrated and validated with datasets from 20-year long-term experiments (1985–2004) for the Loess plateau, and then used to forecast production (2020–2049) under six sharing social-economic pathway climate scenarios for both wheat and maize crops with irrigation. Results suggested that warmer climatic scenarios might be favourable for reducing the crop failure rate and increasing the grain yield for winter wheat, while the same climatic scenarios were unfavourable for maize production in the region. Furthermore, future SOC stocks in the topsoil layer (0–30 cm) could increase but in the subsoil layer (30–100 cm) could decrease, regardless of the chosen crop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interspecific interactions and recovery growth play an important role in crop growth, development and ultimately yield in intercropping systems. However, the impact of different water and nitrogen levels on intercropping production, interspecific interactions between intercrops, and the recovery growth of late-maturing crops is still unclear. A two-year field experiment was conducted in Yangling, Shaanxi province, to investigate the dynamics of interspecific interactions, and the effects of interspecific interactions on crop growth and yield. The experiment consisted of three factors, including three cropping systems (wheat/maize intercropping, sole wheat, sole maize), three nitrogen (N) levels and two water applications (supplementary irrigation and rainfed). The results demonstrated that, during the co-growth period, intercropped wheat was more competitive than intercropped maize; so, intercropped wheat showed a yield advantage. Intercropping increased maize yield under irrigated conditions, and this was attributed to the full recovery growth of intercropped maize after wheat harvest. However, rainfed and nil nitrogen aggravated the interspecific competition, and water deficit under maize rows, in turn, limited the recovery growth of intercropped maize, leading to yield reduction. However, compared with sole maize, the yield of intercropped maize decreased, indicating nitrogen deficiency limited the recovery growth of intercropped maize. Among all treatments, the intercropping of medium nitrogen fertilizer with irrigation had the best yield improvement and land use advantages, the total yield of intercropping was 14.8% higher than that of sole cropping, and the land use efficiency increased 16%. These results confirmed that supplementary irrigation and optimal nitrogen application alleviated the interspecific competition, promoted the recovery growth of intercropped maize and improved the yield of wheat/maize intercropping system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti Medik.) is a strong and competitive weed in fields that inhibits the growth of crops. Reports have suggested that allelopathy is one of the reasons for this inhibition; however, the mechanism of this allelopathy remains unclear. In this study, velvetleaf powder/extracts were shown to inhibit seed germination, growth and yield in maize, wheat and soybean through petri dish, pot and field control experiments. We observed a concentration-dependent inhibition of the seed germination rate for all three crops. The root tip structure changed significantly and the embryo even died when irrigated with a high concentration of the extract (10 mg·mL−1). After adding velvetleaf powder, the malondialdehyde (MDA) content in crop seedlings was dose-dependent, and the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity of maize, wheat and soybean showed the maximum values under treatment with 1.25, 5 and 5 mg·cm−3, respectively. The activity of peroxidase (POD) showed the highest value under the 5 mg·cm−3 treatment in maize and wheat seedlings and under 10 mg·cm−3 treatment in soybean seedlings. However, sugar, protein content and root activity in all three crops was the lowest under the 10 mg·cm−3 treatment. Therefore, velvetleaf may decrease the productivity of three crops by changing the antioxidant enzyme activities, root system activities and root tip structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The large-scale industrial use of polysaccharides to obtain energy is one of the most discussed subjects in science. However, modern concepts of biorefinery have promoted the diversification of the use of these polymers in several bioproducts incorporating concepts of sustainability and the circular economy. This work summarizes the major sources of agro-industrial residues, physico-chemical properties, and recent application trends of cellulose, chitin, hyaluronic acid, inulin, and pectin. These macromolecules were selected due to their industrial importance and valuable functional and biological applications that have aroused market interests, such as for the production of medicines, cosmetics, and sustainable packaging. Estimations of global industrial residue production based on major crop data from the United States Department of Agriculture were performed for cellulose content from maize, rice, and wheat, showing that these residues may contain up to 18%, 44%, and 35% of cellulose and 45%, 22%, and 22% of hemicellulose, respectively. The United States (~32%), China (~20%), and the European Union (~18%) are the main countries producing cellulose and hemicellulose-rich residues from maize, rice, and wheat crops, respectively. Pectin and inulin are commonly obtained from fruit (~30%) and vegetable (~28%) residues, while chitin and hyaluronic acid are primarily found in animal waste, e.g., seafood (~3%) and poultry (~4%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resources are limited, thus improving resource use efficiency is a key objective for cereal-based cropping systems. This field study was carried out to quantify resource use efficiencies in selected C3 and C4 cereals under split nitrogen (N) application regimes. The study included the following treatments: six cereals (three C3: wheat, oat, and barley; and three C4: maize, millet, and sorghum) and four split N application regimes (NS1 = full amount of N at sowing; NS2 = half N at sowing + half N at first irrigation; NS3 = 1/3 N at sowing + 1/3 N at first irrigation +1/3 N at second irrigation; NS4 = 1/4 N at sowing + 1/4 N at first irrigation + 1/4 N at second irrigation + 1/4 N at third irrigation). Results revealed that C4 cereals out-yielded C3 cereals in terms of biomass production, grain yield, and resource use efficiencies (i.e., radiation use efficiency (RUE) and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE)), while splitting N into three applications proved to be a better strategy for all of the selected winter and summer cereals. The results suggest that C4 cereals should be added into existing cereal-based cropping systems and N application done in three installments to boost productivity and higher resource use efficiency to ensure food security for the burgeoning population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relationships between greenhouse gas emissions, yields, and soil properties are not well known. Utilizing two datasets from long-term cropping systems in Illinois, USA, our we aim to address these knowledge gaps. The objective of this study was to explore the relationships between the physical and chemical properties and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of soil, and cash crop yields over a four-year time-period and following 15 years of treatment implementation in Illinois, USA. The experimental layout was a split-plot arrangement involving rotation and tillage treatments in a randomized complete block design with four replications. The studied crop rotations were continuous corn [Zea mays L.] (CCC), corn-soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] (CS), continuous soybean (SSS), and corn-soybean-wheat [Triticum aestivum L.] (CSW), with each phase being present for every year. The tillage options were chisel tillage (T) and no-tillage (NT). We used an array of multivariate approaches to analyze both of our datasets that included 31 soil properties, GHG emissions (N2O, CO2, and CH4) and cash crop yields. The results from our analyses indicate that N2O emissions are associated with a low soil pH, an increased Al concentration, the presence of soil nitrate throughout the growing season, an increase in plant available water (PAW) and an increased soil C concentration. Likewise, soil CO2 respiration was correlated with low pH, elevated Al concentrations, low Ca, increased PAW, higher levels of microbial biomass carbon (MBC), and lower water aggregate stability (WAS). Emissions of CH4 were associated with increased levels of MBC. Lastly, the yield index (YdI) was correlated with lower levels of soil Ca and available P and lower values of WAS. The association between high YdI and lower WAS can be attributed to tillage, as tillage lowers WAS, but increases yields in highly productive cropping systems in the Midwest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]