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Rainfed agriculture is primarily limited by unstable low precipitation, poor soil fertility and monocropping, which are the main factors leading to decreased crop production. This long-term research was conducted under a rainfed agroecosystem from 2019 to 2023 on the sierozem soil of the Karshi steppe, Uzbekistan. Along with winter wheat (WW) which was the main crop covering 50% of each proposed cropping pattern, chickpea (CH), safflower (SA), flax (FL), barley (BA) and canola (CA) were evaluated to find the most suitable rotation systems under no-till (NT) i.e. NT1: WW-CH-WW-FL, NT2: CH-WW-SA-WW, NT3: WW-SA-WW-BA and NT4: SA-WW-CA-WW compared against continuous WW produced with conventional tillage (CT). Results showed that the integrated effect of NT x crop diversification x residue retention positively affected crop productivity; however, their impact were significantly higher under the NT2 treatment, but not with continuous WW under CT. The highest grain yield of W Win the 2020-2021 growing season was recorded under NT2 and NT4 treatments with values of 1.47 and 1.30 Mg ha-1, while the lowest index (1.02 Mg ha-1) was found at the CT treatment. The grain yield in the NT treatments increased with the improvement of soil chemical and physical parameters, i.e. NPK and humus content. When comparing NT2 to CT treatment at the project end, the total N, P, and K values at the 0-20 cm soil profile were 27.9%, 13.9%, and 33.9% higher, respectively. This study concluded that implementation of NT along with strategic selection of legumes incorporated into the cropping system and residue management can be prioritized as rehabilitation measures in rainfed croplands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since silicon (Si) was found to be effective in crop production recently, more information is needed about its characteristics, including how it functions as a nano fertilizer for crop performance. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the impact of the Si-containing nano fertilizer on cotton growth parameters and productivity in the arid region. The research conducted in open field conditions over the two consecutive growing seasons (2021 and 2022) revealed that the application of the Si-containing product significantly increased the biomass (10.6%), economic (19.4%), seed (14.3%), and lint yields (18.2%) of cotton as compared to the control group values. Likewise, the cotton biomass, economic, seed, and lint yields were increased by 11.8, 9.7, 9.5, and 9.1%, respectively, compared to the control variables after the Uzbiogumin application. Agronomic nitrogen-use efficiency (aNUE), physiological nitrogen-use efficiency (pNUE), internal nitrogen-use efficiency (iNUE), and apparent nitrogen recovery efficiency (aNRE) parameters were increased by 2.4-fold, 2.1-fold, 34.6 and 57.3%, respectively, with the application of Si nanonutrition. Although the cotton treated with nano Si produced a greater yield, while Uzbiogumin application resulted in more cotton biomass. Based on the results it can be concluded that the applied nano Si product can be widely used to increase crop productivity, especially in degraded lands under arid environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.), known for its salt and drought tolerance, presents a potential solution for addressing soil salinity and desertification challenges in arid areas. Since the natural habitat of this plant is dwindling sharply in the Aral Sea regions due to negative human interventions, so it is vital to create production technologies with biological means. This study determined the agronomic characteristics of licorice when bioagents i.e. Geohumate, Aminomax and Caliphos were used as a seed treatment. Results showed that the application of these biostimulators significantly improved seed germination and plant growth compared to the control. Especially the effect was more pronounced with Geohumate as the seed germination increased by 36.4%, whereas the impacts of Aminomax and Caliphos were 17.5% and 12.4% higher, respectively as compared to the control group. Likewise, under the open-field condition, plant growth and development were greater with the bioagent applications. In regards the root biomass, the highest record with a 29.1% increase was achieved after the Geogumat treatment, while Aminomax and Caliphos applications exhibited 24.4 and 23.9% higher values, respectively as compared to the control values. The amounts of ash, glycyrrhizic acid, extractive compounds and flavonoids were increased by 26.5%, 22.0, 9.4% and 10.4%, respectively, compared to the respective control values due to the positive effect of the Geogumat treatment. Furthermore, the improved organic and chemical contents of soil were explained by the bioremediation functions of licorice plus bioagents efficiency. Using bioagents in licorice production could be a valuable approach for maintaining ecosystem function and stability in saline lands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil productivity and crop yield were examined in response to legume-based short crop rotation under conventional (CT) and no-till (NT) tillage practices in saline meadow-alluvial soils of the arid region in Bukhara, Uzbekistan. Compared with the CT treatment, crop yield was consistently higher under NT, i.e., winter wheat 9.63%, millet 9.9%, chickpea 3.8%, and maize 10.7% at the first experiment cycle during 2019–2021. A further crop productivity increase was observed at the second experiment cycle during 2021–2023 under NT when compared to CT, i.e., winter wheat 17.7%, millet 31.2%, chickpea 19.6%, and maize 19.1%. An increase in total phyto residue by 20.9% and root residue by 25% under NT compared to CT contributed to the improvement in soil structure and played a vital role in the sustained improvement of crop yields. In turn, the increased residue retention under NT facilitated soil porosity, structural stability, and water retention, thereby improving soil quality and organic matter content. Soil salinity more significantly decreased under NT than in CT, reducing salinity buildup by 18.9% at the 0–25 cm and 32.9% at the 75–100 cm soil profiles compared to CT. The total forms N and P were significantly increased under NT when compared to CT, while the efficiency of the applied crop rotation was essential. This study showed the essential role of the NT method with legume-based intensive cropping in the maintenance of soil health and crop yield, thereby touching on recent advances in agro-biotechnology and the sustainable land management of drylands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overexploitation of chemical fertilizers is a main threat to the environment, seriously polluting soil and water resources. In this regard, an optimization of N (nitrogen) fertilization in rice in association with biofertilizers is a potential solution. An open-field experiment was conducted during the two consecutive seasons (2019–2020) at the Rice research institute's experimental station in Tashkent, Uzbekistan to reveal the optimized N fertilization of rice in combination with the biotreatments. Rice growth, i.e. plant length, shoot fresh dry weight consistently increased with increasing N fertilization, especially in combination with the biotreatments. However, the most effective dose of N fertilization on yield parameters was observed at 100 kg/ha, when Zamin biofertilizer was used as a seed treatment. The oversupply of N fertilization (150 kg N ha−1) remarkably inhibited rice yield and grain quality, resulting in decreased 1000-grain weight, seed output, amylase and protein contents, despite the biotreatments. In conclusion, the optimal N fertilization is more effective in improving growth and yield parameters of rice, while Zamin biotreatment plays an essential role in enhancing plant nutrition balance, N-use efficiency, and yield potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we review the occurrence and frequency of pollen-mediated interspecific gene flow from genetically improved crops to weedy, wild, or conventional relatives, and summarize the strategies used to control or minimize possible ecological risks associated with the release of transgenic crops. Compatibility is the primary issue, followed by spatio-temporal synchrony of flowering. Scattering distance, life span of pollen (in the case of anemophilous crops), and the amount of pollinators (in the case of entomophilous crops) represent other issues. At the landscape and regional scale, additional factors influence gene flow, including the ratio of donor and recipient fields, the shape and topography of fields, and environmental factors. The rate of cross-fertilization decreases with increasing distance from the pollen source. The greatest hybridization frequency occurs within the first 10 m of the recipient field. Thus, potential environmental problems, including herbicide resistance, could be mitigated by establishing buffer zones, buffer crops, or cleistogamy, or by selecting suitable cultivars or herbicides and implementing appropriate crop rotation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emerging incidence of herbicide resistance in weeds is a serious problem for rice production in Korea. Echinochloa oryzicola has been reported as multiple resistant to acetolactate synthase (ALS) and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase) inhibitors. The objectives of this study were to monitor distribution and genetic diversity of E. oryzicola suspected to have herbicide resistance to ALS and ACCase inhibitors in Korean paddy fields by using simple sequence repeat (SSR) marker. The occurrence and propagation of herbicide-resistant E. oryzicola were found at serious levels in Jeonbuk and Chungnam provinces. The worst affected regions were Gimje, Gunsan, and Iksan of Jeonbuk province. Herbicide resistance levels of E. oryzicola populations to ALS inhibitors were much greater than those to ACCase inhibitors. SSR analysis showed very low genetic differentiation between ALS and ACCase on resistance and susceptibility. While genetic diversity has been confirmed by province scale, herbicide-resistant E. oryzicola was found to be spreading severely throughout Korea. Thus, it is necessary to monitor herbicide resistance regularly and develop a long-term strategy of integrated pest management for infested paddy fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate resilience of the C3 halophyte Chenopodium quinoa Willd potentiates its production in drought and salt-prone areas. A two-year field experiment was laid out in completely randomized block designs with three replications to test the adaptability of this crop to abiotic stresses, grain yield and nutritional quality in marginal areas of the Aral Sea basin. The vegetation cycle of the investigated five quinoa lines ranged between 107–133 days based on genotype characteristics. Q5 and Q3 lines had early ripening ability of (107 and 113 days), higher seed weight (2.7 and 2.35 g/1000 seeds), better seed germination (68.3 and 56.7%) associated with stress tolerance. All these features reflected in high yield potential of Q5 and Q3 genotypes, exhibiting average grain yields of 2537.8 and 2361.7 kg ha−1, respectively. The lowest yield was recorded in Q1 with an average yield of 1551.3 kg ha−1. Nutrition features were similar in the tested quinoa genotypes; however, the highest protein, lignin and lipid contents were recorded in Q5 genotype. Q3 and Q5 genotypes showed higher salinity tolerance than other genotypes when different concentrations (0–500mM) of NaCl and MgSO4 exposed under laboratory conditions. Implementation of innovative technology in cultivation, harvesting, storage and processing will help incorporate quinoa into the Aral Sea Basin's agricultural development and scale up as an alternate crop for food and feed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The beneficial combinations between chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) genotypes (Flip 03-74, Xisor, Halima (Flip 1-23), Flip 06-66, Flip 06-102, CIEN-45, Flip 06-155, Flip 03-102) with different symbiotic Rhizobium strains (viz. R4, R6, R9, and IC53) were studied in saline soil. The field experiment was set in moderately saline soil with an electrical conductivity (EC) of 6.3 dS/m in the north-east area of Uzbekistan. Results indicated that the inoculation with the adequate strains of rhizobia increased the chickpea growth and yield, accompanied by improving the seed weight, and seed protein contents. It was observed that Flip 06-66 and Flip 06-155 genotypes surpassed local Uzbekistan-32 cultivars with and without Rhizobium inoculation in grain yield, a weight of 1000 seeds, seed protein, and oil contents. Among the Rhizobium strains, R9 and R6 strains produced the best results, particularly grain yield, seed protein, and oil content in Halima and Flip 06-66 genotypes were increased by 27.8% and 36.5%, 5.8% and 5.9%, 2.4% and 4.6% over the control, respectively. It was concluded that indigenous rhizobial strains have the characteristics of broad host range, effective stimulation, higher nodulation efficiency, greater salt tolerance, and can be considered as a bio-fertilizer for enhancing chickpea productivity in saline soils of Uzbekistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A field experiment was conducted during two consecutive growing seasons (2013 and 2014) to evaluate the effects of inoculations with Rhizobium and Azotobacter on the growth and yield of two chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) varieties under saline (5.8 dS m−1) arid condition. The single treatment of either Rhizobium or Azotobacter exhibited to promote the growth of chickpea to some level, however, co-inoculation produced more effects and increased the shoot dry weight (30.3 and 26.4%), root dry weight (17.5 and 26.3%), nodule number (79.1 and 43.8 piece per plant), nitrogen content in roots (9.62 and 10.9%), in shoots (12.6 and 8.3%) and seed protein (7.1 and 4.3%) in both Flip06-102 and Uzbekistan-32 chickpea varieties compared to the control. Our studies showed that the highest yield response of 429 (27.9%) and 538 (23.9%) kg ha−1 over the control was revealed by the co-inoculation with Rhizobium and Azotobacter inoculants in Flip 06-102 and Uzbekistan-32, respectively. A new introduced Flip 06-102 chickpea variety was more salt tolerant and had higher root nodulation than the local Uzbekistan-32 chickpea variety. Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) contents in the shoots and roots were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in the co-inoculated treatment, while plant sodium (Na+) concentration was the lowest for both chickpea varieties exhibiting co-inoculation alleviated the detrimental effects of salinity. Therefore, the co-inoculation of Rhizobium plus Azotobacter could be applied to improve the vegetative growth and yield of chickpea and to alleviate the effects of salt stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]