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Il solfato ammonico proveniente da effluenti zootecnici può essere una fonte sostenibile di fertilizzante per le aziende agricole. L’utilizzo sperimentale su mais, barbabietola e basilico unito a tecniche di lavorazioni conservative del terreno ha evidenziato in molti casi un incremento delle rese. Le tecniche di agricoltura conservativa, associate al riciclo di fertilizzanti, si sono dimostrate efficaci nel preservare la qualità delle acque, mantenendo basse le concentrazioni di nitrati nel terreno. La costante copertura del terreno, ottenuta con la ritenzione dei residui colturali e con le colture di copertura, contribuisce a mitigare i fenomeni erosivi e la lisciviazione nelle falde. L’obiettivo del progetto RESURGE è adottare e promuovere nuove agrotecniche sostenibili e clima-intelligenti per ottimizzare l’efficienza dell’uso dei nutrienti già presenti in azienda e ridurre l’impiego di concimi minerali di sintesi (azotati e fosfatici)., Ammonium sulfate from livestock effluents can be a sustainable fertilizer source for farms. Experimental trials on corn, beets, and basil, combined with conservative soil tillage techniques, has often increased yields. Conservation agriculture techniques, coupled with fertilizer recycling, have proven effective in preserving water quality by maintaining low nitrate levels in the soil. Constant soil cover, achieved through crop residue retention and cover crops, helps mitigate erosion and leaching. The goal of the RESURGE project is to adopt and promote new sustainable and climate-smart farming practices to optimize nutrient use efficiency on farms and reduce the use of synthetic mineral fertilizers (nitrogen and phosphate).

La transizione verso una produzione agricola sempre più sostenibile dovrà prevedere l’ottimizzazione dell’uso della risorsa idrica e dei fertilizzanti, per minimizzare l’impatto delle emissioni climalteranti e favorire lo stoccaggio di carbonio nei suoli. Per raggiungere tali obiettivi è essenziale promuovere un approccio multidisciplinare che permetta un processo di calibrazione e successiva applicazione delle innovazioni disponibili per gli agricoltori. Tra i più recenti GO finanziati dal Psr della Regione Emilia-Romagna 2014-2020 all’interno della misura 16.1 Cooperazione, c’è SOS_AQUAE - Agrotecniche SOStenibili e fertilizzanti rinnovabili per coniugare Agricoltura, AcQUA e AmbientE, che vede come principale obiettivo quello di coniugare agrotecniche innovative e sostenibili con l’utilizzo di fertilizzanti rinnovabili (derivati da sottoprodotti), per ottimizzare l’efficienza d’uso dei nutrienti e ridurre l’uso dei concimi di sintesi, contenendo l’inquinamento e migliorando la qualità delle acque. Nel complesso, le prove hanno fornito importanti indicazioni sulle principali decisioni gestionali che definiscono la sostenibilità dei nuovi sistemi di irrigazione delle principali colture previste dal progetto (soia e mais), verificando anche il miglioramento dell’impronta carbonica. La validità dell’approccio di SOS_AQUAE, che ha visto il suo evento conclusivo a gennaio del 2023, è testimoniata dal suo inserimento come “best practice” in un nuovo progetto europeo ‘Nutri-Know’, coordinato dall’ Università di Vic (Spagna).

The rationale of this study originates from the primary sector's multiple roles in the global warming issue. Agriculture is reported among the main causes of anthropogenic global warming. At the same time, it is profoundly impacted by climate change and concurrently holds potential as a solution through the sequestration of soil organic carbon (SOC) facilitated by Conservation Agriculture (CA). However, the findings in the literature are controversial on the SOC sequestration capacity and the profitability of CA implementation. Considering the new and old objectives of the sector, this paper tackles the assessment of the actual capabilities of CA to be a viable strategy to pursue the social good of climate change mitigation and concurrently be profitable for farmers. The economic profitability and environmental performance of CA are assessed analysing data from a field experiment in Northern Italy (European temperate area) and identifying the best management practice by means of a data envelopment analysis.

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) with antagonistic activity toward plant pathogenic fungi are valuable candidates for the development of novel plant protection products based on biocontrol activity. The very first step in the formulation of such products is to screen the potential effectiveness of the selected microorganism(s). In this study, non-pathogenic rhizobacteria were isolated from the rhizosphere of tomato plants and evaluated for their biocontrol activity against three species of mycotoxin-producing Alternaria. The assessment of their biocontrol potential involved investigating both fungal biomass and Alternaria toxin reduction. A ranking system developed allowed for the identification of the 12 best-performing strains among the initial 85 isolates. Several rhizobacteria showed a significant reduction in fungal biomass (up to 76%) and/or mycotoxin production (up to 99.7%). Moreover, the same isolates also demonstrated plant growth-promoting (PGP) traits such as siderophore or IAA production, inorganic phosphate solubilization, and nitrogen fixation, confirming the multifaceted properties of PGPRs. Bacillus species, particularly B. amyloliquefaciens and two strains of B. subtilis, showed the highest efficacy in reducing fungal biomass and were also effective in lowering mycotoxin production. Isolates such as Enterobacter ludwigii, Enterobacter asburiae, Serratia nematodiphila, Pantoea agglomerans, and Kosakonia cowanii showed moderate efficacy. Results suggest that by leveraging the diverse capabilities of different microbial strains, a consortium-based approach would provide a broader spectrum of effectiveness, thereby signaling a more encouraging resolution for sustainable agriculture and addressing the multifaceted nature of crop-related biotic challenges.

L’obiettivo della sicurezza alimentare, necessaria per la salute dell’uomo grazie a diete corrette per quantità e qualità, implica la presenza di alimenti di origine animale (AOA), ma non può prescindere dall’impatto ambientale di questi ultimi; di qui l’approccio One Health che integra le esigenze di salute del pianeta, con quella degli animali (e piante), entrambe importanti per garantire la salute degli uomini. Per evitare false interpretazioni, è anzitutto necessario correggere talune informazioni assai diffuse: - Se gli eccessi di AOA accrescono i rischi di malattie degenerative, l’insufficienza è causa certa di minore sviluppo fisico-cognitivo; - Gli animali non forniscono solo cibo, ma anche lavoro, concime organico, fibre tessili e pellami, servizi vari di tipo economico-sociale, ma spesso producono sfruttando vegetali e acqua non altrimenti utilizzabili dall’uomo; - Le emissioni di CO2 eq del sistema zootecnico, pur non trascurabili, possono essere contenute migliorandone l’efficienza e – se ben gestito – tale sistema accresce il Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) con riduzione delle emissioni. Esso è pure causa di alcune forme di inquinamento (PM10, nitrati ecc.) che è necessario contenere, ma senza dimenticare che l’aumento degli animali selvatici creerebbe problemi ambientali analoghi; - Le giuste preoccupazioni di tipo etico (sofferenza e morte) degli animali allevati, sono ormai fatte proprie da chi pratica un allevamento razionale, anche perché utili agli stessi allevatori. Sin dall’antichità e a partire dalla “scoperta” dell’agricoltura, l’uomo ha fatto ricorso agli animali – e alle piante - per finalità e con modalità diverse e, sulla spinta della crescita demografica, ha occupato aree sempre maggiori, in precedenza destinate a foreste e altri ecosistemi naturali. Solo in tempi relativamente recenti, le dimensioni di questa operazione sono diventate preoccupanti, ma – non trattandosi di interventi futili – il necessario rallentamento o inversione

The cultivation of perennial biomass crops (PBCs) on marginal lands is necessary to provide feedstock for the bio-based EU economy and accrue environmental benefits through carbon (C) sequestration in soil. Short rotation coppice (SRC) species, e.g., willow, black locust, and poplar, and perennial rhizomatous grasses, e.g., miscanthus, switchgrass, and giant reed, have been tested in many EU projects in the last 10 years to investigate their productive potential and contribution to the mitigation of climate change. A major knowledge gap regarding PBCs is the fate of accumulated soil organic carbon (SOC), once PBC plantations are reverted to arable crops. In this study, the effects of PBCs reversion on SOC and carbon-dioxide emission (CO2) were monitored over a 2-year period in a long-term (11-year) multispecies trial of six PBCs: Three SRC species including poplar (Populus spp.), willow (Salix spp.), and black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), and three herbaceous rhizomatous grasses including miscanthus (Miscanthus x giganteus), switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), and giant reed (Arundo donax). The SOC change and GHG emissions were then modeled with the ECOSSE model. Two years after the reversion, SOC increased significantly for all PBCs with no significant difference between them. During the PBC cultivation phase, 5.35 Mg SOC ha−1 was sequestered while 10.95 Mg SOC ha−1 was added by reversion, which indicated that 67% of SOC sequestration occurred after the reversion. The ECOSSE model was successfully used to simulate SOC sequestration trajectories (R2 = 0.77) and CO2 emission from soil (R2 = 0.82) after the reversion of the six PBCs. This indicated that the high SOC sequestration rate after the reversion was due to humification of belowground biomass (roots + rhizomes/stumps), which had been mulched and incorporated into the reversion layer (0–30 cm). This occurred in the first 2 months (on average 5.47 Mg SOC ha−1 y−1) and in the first year after the reversion (1.3–1.8

Drought management largely depends on the availability of timely, accurate and integrated information about its characteristics. Concurrently, biostimulants could represent a sustainable measure to foster the resilience of cropping systems under water-limited conditions. Nevertheless, scientific recognition of the potential of biostimulants has not grown as fast as the interest from industry: therefore, there is an urgent need to investigate biostimulant action. In recent decades, remote sensing has been successfully applied to crop growth and stress monitoring. The use of radiative transfer models, often rooted in artificial intelligence, to estimate plant traits from remotely sensed data can be considered the link between the generalisation and the spatialisation of data, bringing field phenotyping and remote sensing closer together. In this framework, the present study was designed as a factorial combination of irrigation treatment (3 levels) and biostimulant treatment (3 levels) and conducted on processing tomato in open field during the summer of 2020. PROSAIL inversion was carried out to retrieve three major biophysical traits (LAI, LCC, CCC). The parameters dynamics during the season were investigated through GAM modelling. The validation of the model was carried out with a positive outcome in terms of accuracy. The PROSAIL inversion enabled the efficient retrieval of LAI and LCC at rates comparable to those in literature, while performing worse than literature findings only for CCC, probably due to the characteristics of tomato canopy. At the same time, the effect of irrigation was detected both for yield and quality data and detected through the GAM modelisation of the parameters. However, no biostimulant effect could be detected. The internal variability per plot of the retrieved biophysical traits was high. This, jointly with the uncertainty surrounding biostimulant testing and the magnitude of biostimulant effects, corroborated by the absence of results

The application of microbial biostimulants to plants has revealed positive effects related to nutrients uptake, stress tolerance, root development and phenological growth. However, little information is available exploiting the potential synergistic biostimulant action of microbes on the functional quality of the yields. The current research elucidated the effect of single or coupled action of biostimulants, associated with either optimal or reduced nitrogen application, on the functional quality of tomato fruits. Chemical assays and untargeted metabolomics were applied to investigate Rhizoglomus irregulare and Funneliformis mosseae administration (both being arbuscular mycorrhiza, AMF), under optimal or low N input conditions, alone or coupled to Trichoderma atroviride application. The coupling of AMF and Trichoderma fungal inoculations resulted in a synergistic biostimulant effect on tomato fruits under sub-optimal fertility, revealing improved concentrations of carotenoid compounds-B-carotene (0.647 +/- 0.243 mg/100 g), Z-carotene (0.021 +/- 0.021 mg/100 g), 13-z-lycopene (0.145 +/- 0.052 mg/100 g) and all-trans-lycopene (12.586 +/- 1.511 mg/100 g), and increased values for total phenolic content (12.9 +/- 2.9 mgGAE/g), total antioxidant activity (phosphomolybdenum, 0.9 +/- 0.2 mmolTE/g), radical scavenging activity (DPPH, 3.4 +/- 3.7 mgTE/g), reducing power (FRAP, 23.6 +/- 6.3 mgTE/g and CUPRAC, 37.4 +/- 7.6 mg TE/g), and enzyme inhibitory activity (AChE, 2.4 +/- 0.1 mg GALAE/g), when compared to control. However, evidence of carotenoid and bioactive compounds were exclusively observed under the sub-optimal fertility and no significant differences could be observed between the biostimulant treatment and control under optimal fertility.

La Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) è una pianta annuale della famiglia delle Amaranthaceae, originaria delle Ande. Il suo approdo negli ordinamenti colturali italiani non è solo ricerca di novità, ma vera e propria innovazione agro-alimentare, anche se di limitata dimensione. A partire dall’Anno della Quinoa (2013) non è stato difficile trovare motivi agronomici, ecologici, alimentari e nutrizionali per cercare di inserire questo pseudocereale negli ordinamenti colturali italiani e mediterranei. Oltre all’approccio partecipativo che spesso accompagna questo tipo di innovazioni, soprattutto nella loro versione “biologica”, la sua introduzione in coltivazione ha bisogno di ricerca e di sperimentazione sui vari aspetti di tecnica agronomica: dalla scelta varietale, agli adattamenti pedo-climatici, alle operazioni di coltivazione e di post-raccolta. Infine, a dare concreta sostenibilità alla coltivazione della quinoa, verrà illustrata la necessità di organizzare una vera filiera, capace di orientare i produttori agricoli, di raccogliere e trasformare la produzione, per provvedere ad un’efficace commercializzazione.

Demand for sustainably produced biomass is expected to increase with the need to provide renewable commodities, improve resource security and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with COP26 commitments. Studies have demonstrated additional environmental benefits of using perennial biomass crops (PBCs), when produced appropriately, as a feedstock for the growing bioeconomy, including utilisation for bioenergy (with or without carbon capture and storage). PBCs can potentially contribute to Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) (2023-27) objectives provided they are carefully integrated into farming systems and landscapes. Despite significant research and development (R&D) investment over decades in herbaceous and coppiced woody PBCs, deployment has largely stagnated due to social, economic and policy uncertainties. This paper identifies the challenges in creating policies that are acceptable to all actors. Development will need to be informed by measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) of greenhouse gas emissions reductions and other environmental, economic and social metrics. It discusses interlinked issues that must be considered in the expansion of PBC production: (i) available land; (ii) yield potential; (iii) integration into farming systems; (iv) R&D requirements; (v) utilisation options; and (vi) market systems and the socio-economic environment. It makes policy recommendations that would enable greater PBC deployment: (1) incentivise farmers and land managers through specific policy measures, including carbon pricing, to allocate their less productive and less profitable land for uses which deliver demonstrable greenhouse gas reductions; (2) enable greenhouse gas mitigation markets to develop and offer secure contracts for commercial developers of verifiable low-carbon bioenergy and bioproducts; (3) support innovation in biomass utilisation value chains; and (4) continue long-term, strategic R&D and education for positive environmental, economic

Miscanthus, a C4 perennial rhizomatous grass from Asia is a leading candidate for the supply of sustainable biomass needed to grow the bioeconomy. European Miscanthus breeding programmes have recently produced a new range of seeded hybrids with the objective of increasing scalability to large acreages limited by current clonal propagation. For the EU-GRACE project, new replicated field trials were established in seven locations across Europe in 2018 with eight intraspecific M. sinensis hybrids (sin × sin) and six M. sacchariflorus × M. sinensis (sac × sin) from Dutch and UK breeding programmes, respectively, with clonal Miscanthus × giganteus. The planting density of the sin × sin was double that of sac × sin (30,000 & 15,000 plants ha−1), creating commercially relevant upscaling comparisons between systems. Over the first 3 years, the establishment depended on location and hybrid. The mature sin × sin hybrids formed tight tufts of shoots up to 2.5 m tall which flower and senesce earlier than the taller sac × sin hybrids. Following the third growing season, the highest yields were recorded in Northern Italy at a low altitude (average 13.7 (max 21) Mg DM ha−1) and the lowest yielding was on the industrially damaged marginal land site in Northern France (average 7.0 (max 10) Mg DM ha−1). Moisture contents at spring harvest were lowest in Croatia (21.7%) and highest in Wales, UK (41.6%). Overall, lower moisture contents at harvest, which are highly desirable for transport, storage and for most end-use applications, were found in sin × sin hybrids than sac × sin (30% and 40%, respectively). Yield depended on climate interactions with the hybrid and their associated planting systems. The sin × sin hybrids appeared better adapted to northern Europe and sac × sin hybrids to southern Europe. Longer-term yield observations over crop lifespans will be needed to explore the biological (yield persistence) and economic costs and benefits of the different hybrid systems.

In the agroecosystem, surface crop residues are widely recognized as affecting many processes such as soil water dynamics, crop growth, nitrogen and carbon cycling. For this reason, developing models that simulate the effect of surface residues and their decomposition is crucial, especially while modeling conservation agriculture. To date, even though many cropping systems and C-oriented models differently simulate the evolution of surface residue biomass, a comprehensive approach is still missing. In this study, we developed a new simulation module that explicitly simulates the decomposition of surface residues, by including all the variables and processes that are relevant for agroecosystem's simulation. This module has been later integrated into the ARMOSA cropping system model. To quantify the contribution of each parameter to the simulated outputs (i.e., decomposed biomass), a sensitivity analysis (SA) was conducted, comparing the result with the APSIM model used as a benchmark. The SA was conducted on four different crop residues (maize, rye, soybean and wheat) over three different years. In addition, for each crop residue, we verified whether parameters changed their relevance depending on the considered time period. The most critical parameters of the new module reflected the importance of air temperature, soil water content and residue biomass in the decomposition process. The po-tential decomposition rate had minor importance, highlighting that, when setting crop-specific values, other environment-related parameters are more relevant for the actual decomposition rate. In the case of APSIM model, the potential decomposition rate and the optimum temperature for this process resulted in the first two ranks. Finally, concordance coefficients were used to compare SA outputs: compared to APSIM, the new model showed higher concordance passing from one crop residue to another, even when comparing the different simulation periods within the same crop. In summary, t

Redesigning organic vegetable systems through the introduction of agroecological service crops (ASCs) terminated by the in-line roller crimper (RC) has attracted great interest, although the effects on soil quality are poorly known. In a two-year field experiment in Southern Italy, two ASCs winter cereal/legume-based mixtures were terminated by RC (ASC–RC treatment) and as green manure before organic tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) and compared with two tilled controls without ASCs, one of which with Mater-Bi mulch (six treatments: two ASCs, two terminations, two controls). Soil chemical and biological attributes and yields were compared to assess whether ASCs and ASC–RC can enhance the soil functioning in semi-arid environment. Tomato yield showed no differences in 2017, while in 2016 it decreased by 67% in ASC treatments compared to the controls. The ASCs didn’t significantly increase soil P and N availability until midpoint of the tomato cycle. Soil mineral N increased by 200% in the ASC with higher legume presence at harvest in 2017. In the distance-based redundancy analysis, total soil organic carbon significantly predicted distribution pattern between ASCs and controls of enzyme activities, fostered by the ASCs (+ 159% for nonanoate-esterase in ASC–RC, compared to controls), although microbial biomass didn’t show differences. The ASC–RC effect in improving soil biological attributes was enzyme- and ASC species-specific. Despite the results on tomato yield, agroecological management seems a promising strategy to improve soil quality in a long-term perspective, supporting soil metabolic activity and improving its self-regulating capacity.

Digestate, a by-product of biogas production, is widely recognized as a promising renewable nitrogen (N) source with high potential to replace synthetic fertilizers. Yet, inefficient digestate use can lead to pollutant N losses as ammonia (NH3) volatilization, nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions and nitrate (NO - 3) leaching. Cover crops (CCs) may reduce some of these losses and recycle the N back into the soil after incorporation, but the effect on the N balance depends on the CC species. In a one--year field study, we tested two application methods (i.e., surface broadcasting, BDC; and shallow injection, INJ) of the liquid fraction of separated co-digested cattle slurry (digestate liquid fraction [DLF]), combined with different winter cover crop (CC) options (i.e., rye, white mustard or bare fallow), as starter fertilizer for maize. Later, side--dressing with urea was required to fulfil maize N--requirements. We tested treatment effects on yield, N--uptake, N--use efficiency parameters, and N--losses in the form of N2O emissions and NO - 3 leaching. CC development and biomass production were strongly affected by their contrasting frost tolerance, with spring--regrowth for rye, while mustard was winter killed. After the CCs, injection of DLF increased N2O emissions significantly compared with BDC (emission factor of 2.69% vs. 1.66%). Nitrous oxide emissions accounted for a small part (11%-13%) of the overall yield-scaled N losses (0.46-0.97 kg N Mg grain-1). The adoption of CCs reduced fall NO - 3 leaching, being 51% and 64% lower for mustard and rye than under bare soil. In addition, rye reduced NO - 3 leaching during spring and summer after termination by promoting N immobilization, thus leading to -57% lower annual leaching losses compared with mustard. DLF application method modified N-loss pathways, but not the cumulative yield-scaled N losses. Overall, these insights contribute to inform an evidence-based design of cropping systems in which nutrients are recycled m

Residue incorporation and organic fertilisation are recommended to increase soil organic matter (SOM) content, thus promoting the provision of multiple ecosystem services. However, the positive effect of crop residue on SOM is often considered rather low, thus requiring a deeper knowledge of their management. In addition, organic fertilisation is thought to be less efficient than mineral. In this context, it is important to understand the response of SOM pools to long-term crop residue incorporation and organic fertilisation and their effect on nutrient cycling and on feed production, in order to judge the sustainability of these practices. We carried out an in-depth multidisciplinary survey to investigate the effect of 28 years of residue incorporation combined with three different nitrogen (N) fertilisation strategies (manure, slurry and mineral) on density fractionated SOM pools differing for their turnover time, and on soil enzymatic activity in a monocropping maize system in NW Italy. Results showed that in the long-term crop production was not altered by organic fertilisation. Organic fertilisation in combination with residue incorporation led to the highest total organic C and total N content down to 90 cm, which was reflected in each SOM pool. In addition, regular applications of crop residue and manures markedly increased C- and N-degrading enzymes, thus enhancing the turnover rates of C and N. We conclude that combining crop residue with organic fertilisation enhanced the provision of regulating services and soil activity, and is a valid approach for maintaining sustainable production in agroecosystems.

Perennial grains provide various ecosystem services compared to the annual counterparts thanks to their extensive root system and permanent soil cover. However, little is known about the evolution and diversification of perennial grains rhizosphere and its ecological functions over time. In this study, a suite of -OMICSs - metagenomics, enzymomics, metabolomics and lipidomics - was used to compare the rhizosphere environment of four perennial wheat lines at the first and fourth year of growth in comparison with an annual durum wheat cultivar and the parental species Thinopyrum intermedium. We hypothesized that wheat perenniality has a greater role in shaping the rhizobiome composition, biomass, diversity, and activity than plant genotypes because perenniality affects the quality and quantity of C input – mainly root exudates – hence modulating the plant-microbes crosstalk. In support of this hypothesis, the continuous supply of sugars in the rhizosphere along the years created a favorable environment for microbial growth which is reflected in a higher microbial biomass and enzymatic activity. Moreover, modification in the rhizosphere metabolome and lipidome over the years led to changes in the microbial community composition favoring the coexistence of more diverse microbial taxa, increasing plant tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Despite the dominance of the perenniality effect, our data underlined that the OK72 line rhizobiome distinguished from the others by the increase in abundance of Pseudomonas spp., most of which are known as potential beneficial microorganisms, identifying this line as a suitable candidate for the study and selection of new perennial wheat lines.

Due to its versatility and storability, biomass is an important resource for renewable materials and energy. Miscanthus hybrids combine high yield potential, low input demand, tolerance of certain marginal land types and several ecosystem benefits. To date, miscanthus breeding has focussed on increasing yield potential by maximising radiation interception through: (1) selection for early emergence, (2) increasing the growth rate to reach canopy closure as fast as possible, and (3) delayed flowering and senescence. The objective of this study is to compare early season re-growth in miscanthus hybrids cultivated across Europe. Determination of differences in early canopy development on end-of-year yield traits is required to provide information for breeding decisions to improve future crop performance. For this purpose, a trial was planted with four miscanthus hybrids (two novel seed-based hybrids M. sinensis × sinensis [M sin × sin] and M. sacchariflorus × sinensis [M sac × sin], a novel rhizome-based M sac × sin and a standard Miscanthus × giganteus [M × g] clone) in the UK, Germany, Croatia and Italy, and was monitored in the third and fourth growing season. We determined differences between the hybrids in base temperature, frost sensitivity and emergence strategy. M × g and M sac × sin mainly emerged from belowground plant organs, producing fewer but thicker shoots at the beginning of the growing season but these shoots were susceptible to air frosts (determined by recording 0°C 2 m above ground surface). By contrast, M sin × sin emerged 10 days earlier, avoiding damage by late spring frosts and producing a high number of thinner shoots from aboveground shoots. Therefore, we recommend cultivating M sac × sin at locations with low risk and M sin × sin at locations with higher risk of late spring frosts. Selecting miscanthus hybrids that produce shoots throughout the vegetation period is an effective strategy to limit the risk of l

Yellow stalked cultivars of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) were reported to have a superior fibre processability than green cultivars, but the effects of the yellow trait on productivity and ecophysiology of hemp remain unexplored. It is hypothesised that yellow stalked cultivars are characterised by a low Nitrogen Uptake Efficiency. Three field scale experiments involving a yellow cultivar ('Fibror 79') and a green one ('Futura 75') grown under varying levels of nitrogen fertilisation were conducted in Northern Italy and in Wales, to investigate the effects of the yellow trait on hemp productivity and eco-physiology. The results showed that 'Fibror 79' displays a slightly lower biomass productivity than 'Futura 75' under nitrogen-limiting conditions, owing to lower Leaf Area Index and light interception capacity during the early growth phase, and potentially due to a lower radiation use efficiency. However, the productivity was not significantly different between cultivars under non-limiting nitrogen conditions. The Nitrogen Uptake Efficiency did not differ between the two cultivars, which failed to support the hypothesis of this work. Instead, Nitrogen Use Efficiency and Nitrogen Utilisation Efficiency were significantly higher for 'Futura 75' than for 'Fibror 79' under nitrogen-limiting conditions. 'Futura 75' appeared better suited than 'Fibror 79' for dual- and multi-purpose production in Italy, while the reverse was true in Wales. 'Fibror 79' better suits a strategy of single-use fibre production owing to its higher bast fibre content and fibre yield.

Cassava is a mainstay crop for food security in Africa, its tubers being a large source of carbohydrates for the human diet. In some regions (e.g., the Democratic Republic of the Congo; DRC), leaves are also consumed as a source of proteins, vitamins, and minerals. Cassava adapts well to a range of soil-climate conditions and requires low inputs, yet yields are often unsatisfactory because of failures in disseminating improved genotypes and agricultural practices. The aim of this study was to test the effect of (i) seedbed preparation for planting cassava (i.e., flat, mounds, and ridges) and (ii) local landraces (i.e., Kakuanga, Kasongoy, Kasonie, Ndunda, and Ngoymuamba) on yield components and their nutritional quality in the Lomami province (DRC). In-depth measurements of yield components were performed, including the number of tubers and stems per plant, leaf biomass, stem biomass, root yield, and peeling yield. Tubers and leaves were also analyzed for chemical composition. Our results demonstrated that mound and ridge seedbed preparations may highly increase tuber yield (+32–68%) compared with flat. This is not the case for leaves and stems, which were not affected. The Ngoymuamba landrace showed a tuber yield about three times larger than Ndunda, which represented the common productivity values (5–8 Mg ha-1). No effect of seedbed preparation was observed and only minor differences between landraces were observed for the chemical composition of roots and leaves. We concluded that selecting the best-performing seedbed preparations landraces could have a significant potential for achieving in a relatively short time the goal of “Zero Hunger” and improving the diet in the DRC.

Agricultural activities through conventional and intensive practices contribute to climate change by increasing emission of reactive carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) from soils to the atmosphere. Minimum soil disturbance, appropriate residue management and cover cropping as conservation practices are perceived as key strategies to limit GHGs emissions by increasing soil C and N sequestration as soil organic matter (SOM), thus promoting soil aggregation and enhancing soil fertility. Yet, the actual contribution of conservation practices to C and N sequestration, as well as mechanisms behind chemical and biochemical stabilization of SOM in the long-term are still controversial. In the present 9-year field study on a wheat-maize-soybean rotation we investigated the effect of no-till (NT) coupled with grass vs. legume cover crop (i.e., rye [Secale cereale L., NT-R] or hairy vetch [Vicia villosa Roth, NT-V]) on main crop yields, C and N input by cover and main crops, soil aggregation and C and N sequestration rates, in comparison with conventional tillage (CT). We hypothesized that NT-R may lead to higher biomass input, C sequestration and comparable yield to CT, while NT-V may increase N input, N sequestration and lead to comparable yield to CT. We found that yield of winter wheat, maize, and soybean were never reduced under both NT treatments, neither during the transition phase, nor afterwards. Rye and hairy vetch provided the same amount of biomass and C input, although vetch doubled N input compared with rye. Moreover NT-V increased cumulative biomass and C input from main crop residues compared with NT-R. Both NT-R and NT-V promoted C (+0.4 Mg ha−1 y−1 and +0.6 Mg ha−1 y−1, respectively) and N (+88 kg ha−1 y−1 and +145 kg ha−1 y−1, respectively) soil sequestration, mainly due to the increase of macroaggregate-associated C and N, thus corroborating a major role of NT for macroaggregates formation and SOM stabilization within macroaggregates. Since no difference was found

Abutilon theophrasti Medik. (velvetleaf) is a problematic annual weed in field crops which has invaded many temperate parts of the world. Since the loss of crop yields can be extensive, approaches to manage the weed include not only conventional methods, but also biological methods, for instance by microorganisms releasing phytotoxins and plant-derived allelochemicals. Additionally, benzoxazinoid-rich rye mulches effective in managing common weeds like Amaranthus retroflexus L. have been tested for this purpose. However, recent methods for biological control are still unreliable in terms of intensity and duration. Rye mulches were also ineffective in managing velvetleaf. In this review, we present the attempts to reduce velvetleaf infestation by biological methods and discuss possible reasons for the failure. The resilience of velvetleaf may be due to the extraordinary capacity of the plant to collect, for its own survival, the most suitable microorganisms from a given farming site, genetic and epigenetic adaptations, and a high stress memory. Such properties may have developed together with other advantageous abilities during selection by humans when the plant was used as a crop. Rewilding could be responsible for improving the microbiomes of A. theophrasti.