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Highlights • Ecological intensification management (EI) was compared with average farmer practice (FP). • We evaluated resource productivity and its components at the crop sequence level. • Water and radiation productivities were higher in EI than in FP. • Resource use efficiencies increased more than resource capture in EI as compared with FP. • The EI management reduced partial factor productivity of applied N but improved the partial N balance. Abstract The challenge to increase agricultural production with a minimum environmental impact requires to reach the maximum efficiency in the capture and use of resources such as photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), water, and nitrogen (N). Such requisites are encompassed in the ecological intensification (EI) concept. The aims of this work were to evaluate at a crop sequence level: i) crops yields, ii) water and radiation productivity and its components, i.e. resource capture and resource use efficiency, and iii) partial factor productivity of applied N (PFPN), partial nutrient balance for N (PNB), N uptake and N utilization efficiency of a two-year, three-crop sequence (wheat [ Triticum aestivum L.]/soybean [ Glycine max (L.) Merr.] double crop – maize [ Zea mays L.]) carried-out under EI principles in comparison with the same crop sequence under current farmer practices (FP) in two contrasting locations of the Argentinean Pampas, i.e. Paraná (-31°50′; -60°31′) at the northern Pampas and Balcarce (-37°45′, -58°18′) at the southern Pampas. Experiments were carried-out during four consecutive years, covering two complete cycles of the crop sequence. For the accumulated grain production of the crop sequence, EI management outyielded FP from 13 to 42%, depending on environmental conditions. Maize yield accounted for most of the variation (41–64%) of the accumulated grain yield of crop sequence, whether in EI as in FP. Average grain yield differences between EI and FP treatments were 274 g m−2 for maize, 69 g m−2 for wheat and -2 g m−2 for soybean. Water and radiation productivities of the sequence were higher in EI than in FP (26% for water and 17% for radiation; P < 0.0001), mainly because of increases in resource use efficiencies. EI reduced partial factor productivity of applied N, but improved partial nutrient balance for N as compared with FP. These reductions in partial factor productivity of applied N were less than proportional than the increases in N rate. Moreover, in spite of the higher N rate in EI respect to FP, N utilization efficiency (N ut E), i.e. grain per unit N uptake, was higher across all situations in EI. Our results showed that the challenge to obtain high grain yields by increasing N rate in a medium-input system could be achieved even with an increase in N ut E. Grain yields improvements, and increases in radiation and water productivity were reached by applying a set of agronomic practices that included improved genetics, crop and fertilizer N management englobed under EI concept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yield-scaled nitrous oxide (N 2 O) emission (YSNE) has been recognized as a means for developing appropriate nitrogen (N) management strategies to balance food security and mitigating N 2 O emissions. To better understand and use the concept of YSNE, it is essential to be assessed under various field conditions. The main objectives of this study were to assess the relationship between N inputs and YSNE with published results and identify response patterns of YSNE to N inputs. We assessed the relationship between N inputs and YSNE using published results encompassing 1800 observations (published from 1980 to 2020) from maize, rice, and wheat crops worldwide. Background yield-scaled N 2 O emission (BYSNE; a YSNE in the condition of zero N input) was significantly different by crop type. Rice (90.8 ± 12.9 g N 2 O−N Mg−1) had lower BYSNE compared to maize (174.2 ± 30.1 g N 2 O−N Mg−1) and wheat (325.4 ± 41.8 g N 2 O−N Mg−1). BYSNE was positively correlated with annual mean temperature in maize, rice, and wheat fields. BYSNE was negatively correlated with soil total nitrogen contents in rice fields. Over 60% data set showed a positive relationship between N inputs and YSNE in all three crops studied. A small proportion of the dataset had an optimum N rate that minimized YSNE. The results suggest that in general, lower N input rates result in lower YSNE in crop production. YSNE can be reduced in three ways: increasing yields (Type 1), reducing N 2 O emissions (Type 2), and both increasing yields and reducing N 2 O emissions (Type 3). To identify appropriate measures, we suggest a N 2 O emission-yield curve combining responses of yields and N 2 O emissions to N inputs. In type 1, 2, and 3 measures, an N 2 O emission-yield curve is shifted to the right, down, and both right and down, respectively. Through identifying direction and magnitude of the shifting, the effects of applied measures on yields and N 2 O emission in N input levels can be easily compared and recognized. This study provided insights into the nature of YSNE and how YSNE responds to N inputs. It also suggested an N 2 O emission-yield curve, which can be useful to identify how certain measures affect both N 2 O emissions and crop yields. The information can be useful for scientific community and policymakers developing appropriate N management strategies to balance food security and the mitigation of N 2 O emissions. [Display omitted] • Background yield-scaled N 2 O emission (BYSNE) varied by crop type. • BYSNE was positively correlated with annual mean temperature. • Over 60% data sets showed consistently lower yield-scaled N 2 O emission as N input decreased. • N 2 O emission yield curve showed the effects of mitigation measures on both yields and N 2 O emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSBs) Pantoea cypripedii (PSB-3) and Pseudomonas plecoglossicida (PSB-5) isolated from organic field were studied for improvement of maize and wheat crop at multilocational sites with and without rock phosphate (RP) fertilization during two year of field study under different agroclimatic regions. Application of both the bacterial strains as bio-inoculants showed significant effect on maize and wheat grain yield and on soil fertility at all different agroclimatic regions. Grain yield, phosphorous (P) uptake, soil organic carbon, available P, enzyme activities and P-solubilizing bacterial population in all the experimental crop fields at different sites significantly increased due to inoculation. Improvement in crop yield and soil fertility at three different sites was more pronounced and significant when RP was supplemented along with seed inoculation compared to uninoculated control treatment. Present study results suggest that P. cypripedii (PSB-3) and P. plecoglossicida (PSB-5) along with RP fertilization play an important role in plant growth promotion and improvement of soil fertility in different agroclimatic regions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Efficiency of fertilizer N is becoming increasingly important in modern agricultural production owing to increasing food requirement and growing concern about environments. However, there is almost no study regarding its long-term efficiency in wheat and maize cropping systems. Long-term (15 years) experiments involving wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and maize (Zea mays L.) rotations at five field sites with various soil and climate characteristics in China were used to determine the nitrogen (N) efficiency, including the physiological efficiency, recovery efficiency and N mass balance of soil–plant systems in response to different fertilization treatments. The present study consisted of nine treatments: unfertilized, N, phosphorus, potassium, straw and manure or their combinations. The contribution of N fertilizers to wheat yield was higher than to maize and suggested that wheat could be given priority over maize when determining N application rates. Uptake of 1kg N produced 35.6kg of wheat grain and 39.5kg of maize grain. The deficit of N in soils without applied N ranged from 40 to 103kgNha−1 year−1, while N surpluses in soils with applied N fertilizers ranged from 35 to 350kgNha−1 year−1. The apparent accumulated N recovery efficiency (NREac) varied widely from 4% to 90%: unbalanced fertilization and other soil limiting factors (such as aluminium toxicity) were associated with low NREac. In the treatments of combination of N, phosphorus and potassium with normal application rates, the average of NREac in four out of five sites reached 80%, which suggested that best management of N fertilizers could recover most of N fertilizers applied to soils. The results will be helpful to understand the long-term fate of N fertilizers and to optimize the N fertilization for agricultural practices and environment protection. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]