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Agriculture
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Innovative Conservation Cropping Systems and Practices
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Innovative Conservation Cropping Systems and Practices

A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Crop Production".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2022) | Viewed by 41621

Printed Edition Available!
A printed edition of this Special Issue is available here.

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Chengfang Li

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
MOA Key Laboratory of Crop Ecophysiology and Farming System in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River, College of Plant Science & Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
Interests: conservation tillage; plant fertilization; water-saving irrigation; global warming potential; soil nutrient cycles; soil carbon sequestration; crop yield; soil microbial community; greenhouse gas emission
Dr. Lijin Guo

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Genetics and Germplasm Innovation of Tropical Special Forest Trees and Ornamental Plants, Ministry of Education, College of Forestry, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, PR China
Interests: conservation tillage; soil organic carbon; carbon sequestration; soil microbial community; mycorrhizal fungi; abiotic stress; greenhouse gas emission; climate change impact and adaptation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Maintaining economically and environmentally sustainable cropping systems and practices is one of the most imperative challenges in innovative sustainable agriculture. In this view, it is essential to note that the sacrifice of crop yields in the farmland ecosystem may not appeal to farmers heavily focused on increasing economic outcomes. Therefore, a deeper understanding of how to innovate cropping systems and practices with the aim of maintaining sustainability in agriculture is of crucial importance. Innovative conservation cropping systems and practices can improve agroecosystems productivity, reduce energy input, increase synergies between food production and ecosystem conservation, and increase farmers’ profits.

This Special Issue focuses on the development and assessment of innovative conservation cropping systems and practices in determining system productivity and enhancing crop production and soil quality. This issue “Innovative Conservation Cropping Systems and Practices” will cover applied engineering for achieving a sustainable balance among productivity, environmental, and profitability factors. The aim is to present a collection of research articles that cover a broad range of cropping systems and practices from farmland ecosystem. All types of articles, e.g., original research, opinions, and reviews, are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Chengfang Li
Dr. Lijin Guo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • conservation tillage
  • soil aggregate
  • soil organic carbon
  • soil nutrition
  • crop yield
  • soil microbial diversity
  • conservation crop system
  • greenhouse gas emission
  • resource utilization efficiency
  • tillage technology
  • economic benefit

Published Papers (19 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 1970 KiB  
Article
Effects of Lake Sediment on Soil Properties, Crop Growth, and the phoD-Harboring Microbial Community
by Feng Zhong, Naling Bai, Xiangqian Chu, Yu He, Hanlin Zhang and Haibo Li
Agriculture 2022, 12(12), 2065; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12122065 - 01 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1833
Abstract
Removal of lake sediment has been shown to be an effective method for lake restoration. High phosphorus (P) content makes it possible for lake sediment to provide fertility for agricultural production. However, little research has focused on the responses of the soil-phosphorus-related microbial [...] Read more.
Removal of lake sediment has been shown to be an effective method for lake restoration. High phosphorus (P) content makes it possible for lake sediment to provide fertility for agricultural production. However, little research has focused on the responses of the soil-phosphorus-related microbial community to the sediment-derived fertilizer enriched in phosphorus content. The phoD-harboring gene, important to the global phosphorus cycle, encodes alkaline phosphatase hydrolyzing organic P in soil. Accordingly, a plot experiment was performed to compare the effects of four different fertilization treatments—no-fertilizer control (CK), 50% chemical fertilization with compressed sediment (CS), 50% chemical fertilization with original lake sediment (S), and conventional chemical fertilization treatment (CT)—on the phoD gene community using QPCR and high-throughput sequencing analysis. Relationships among soil physicochemical properties, phoD-harboring microbial community abundance and composition were also evaluated. Results showed that compared to CT, CS significantly increased soil organic matter (SOM) content by 20.29%, and S enhanced the humus content by 20.75% (p < 0.05). There was no significant influence on phoD gene microbial community richness (Chao1 and Sobs indexes) and diversity (Shannon index) between all treatments. The CS treatment significantly altered the phoD community structure and enhanced the Chinese cabbage yield by 40.19% (p < 0.05). Pearson analysis showed that phoD gene abundance (copy number) had significant and negative relationships with SOM, total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), available nitrogen (AN), available phosphorus (AP), and the Chao1 index. Redundancy analysis showed that shifts in the phoD community structure were related to soil physicochemical properties (SOM, TN, TP, AN, AP, and humus) rather than soil pH. In conclusion, the compressed sediment can be used in farmland since it optimizes the phoD-harboring microbial community abundance, composition, and structure, and thus significantly increases the Chinese cabbage yield. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Conservation Cropping Systems and Practices)
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14 pages, 3852 KiB  
Article
In Arid Regions, Forage Mulching between Fruit Trees Rows Enhances Fruit Tree Light and Lowers Soil Salinity
by Shuai Zhang, Tingting Liu, Wenwen Wei, Lei Shen, Xiuyuan Wang, Tayir Tuertia, Luhua Li and Wei Zhang
Agriculture 2022, 12(11), 1895; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12111895 - 10 Nov 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1670
Abstract
Agroforestry is considered a means to provide sustainable and productive agriculture. This work aims to study the effect of fruit-grass agroforestry patterns on the soil moisture, salinity, growth, and yield of fruit trees, as well as to provide a reference for the development [...] Read more.
Agroforestry is considered a means to provide sustainable and productive agriculture. This work aims to study the effect of fruit-grass agroforestry patterns on the soil moisture, salinity, growth, and yield of fruit trees, as well as to provide a reference for the development of agroforestry complex systems in Northwest China. The study has been designed with two cropping patterns: monocropped apple and apple-ryegrass intercropping. The results showed that compared to monocropped apples, intercropped apples have increased soil moisture content by 33.38–39.02%, net photosynthetic rate by 35.33–42.26%, transpiration rate by 29.62–29.76%, and stomatal conductance by 15.65–16.55% in the 0–60 cm soil layer. Intercrop reduced the total soil salt content by 36.41–38.58%, and the intercellular CO2 concentration decreased by 5.96–6.61%. In addition, intercropping improves fruit yield and quality by improving the orchard environment and increasing tree height, breast height, north-south crown spread, and east-west crown spread. Therefore, increased yield and quality can be achieved by changing the fruit tree and ryegrass planting method, which is beneficial to the sustainable development of agriculture in Northwest China. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Conservation Cropping Systems and Practices)
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17 pages, 1225 KiB  
Article
Controlled-Release Fertilizer Improves Rice Matter Accumulation Characteristics and Yield in Rice–Crayfish Coculture
by Qiangsheng Wang, Kunlong Yu and Hui Zhang
Agriculture 2022, 12(10), 1674; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12101674 - 12 Oct 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1445
Abstract
In recent years, rice–fish coculture has gained more popularity at a growing pace in China. Controlled-release fertilizer can provide nutrients in a timely manner and increase nutrient efficiency. A 2-year field experiment, which adopted both conventional japonica and two indica hybrid rice varieties, [...] Read more.
In recent years, rice–fish coculture has gained more popularity at a growing pace in China. Controlled-release fertilizer can provide nutrients in a timely manner and increase nutrient efficiency. A 2-year field experiment, which adopted both conventional japonica and two indica hybrid rice varieties, was performed to evaluate the effects of controlled-release fertilizer and inorganic compound fertilizer on rice matter accumulation and yield in rice–crayfish coculture and conventional rice farming. The results showed that compared to conventional rice farming, rice–crayfish coculture decreased dry matter accumulation at mature stage and yield by 4.02–8.15% and 4.13–9.34%, respectively. This was mainly due to a decrease in the crop growth rate, net assimilation rate, leaf area index, and light accumulation duration before elongation stage. Compared to inorganic compound fertilizer, controlled-release fertilizer increased dry matter accumulation at the mature stage and yield by 5.02–6.95% and 3.29–6.21%, respectively. Compared to conventional rice farming, rice–crayfish coculture decreased N partial factor productivity and N agronomic use efficiency by 4.13–9.34% and 3.96–8.98%, respectively. Compared to inorganic compound fertilizer, controlled-release fertilizer increased those by 3.29–6.15% and 7.36–14.01%. There was a positive linear correlation between the N partial factor productivity, N agronomic use efficiency, and yield. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Conservation Cropping Systems and Practices)
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17 pages, 1899 KiB  
Article
Soil Bacteria Mediate Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration under Different Tillage and Straw Management in Rice-Wheat Cropping Systems
by Lijin Guo, Jie Shi, Wei Lin, Jincheng Liang, Zhenhua Lu, Xuexiao Tang, Yue Liu, Purui Wu and Chengfang Li
Agriculture 2022, 12(10), 1552; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12101552 - 26 Sep 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1757
Abstract
Soil organic carbon (SOC) largely influences soil quality and sustainability. The effects of no-till (NT) and crop straw return practices (SR) on soil organic carbon sequestration have been well documented. However, the mechanism of soil bacterial community in regulating soil organic carbon under [...] Read more.
Soil organic carbon (SOC) largely influences soil quality and sustainability. The effects of no-till (NT) and crop straw return practices (SR) on soil organic carbon sequestration have been well documented. However, the mechanism of soil bacterial community in regulating soil organic carbon under NT and SR remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the impacts of tillage (conventional tillage (CT) and NT) and crop straw return practices (crop straw removal (NS) and SR) on topsoil layer (0–5 cm) bacterial community, CH4 and CO2 emissions and SOC fractions in rice-wheat cropping system. Overall, in the wheat season following the annual rice-wheat rotation in two cycles, NT significantly increased SOC by 4.4% for 1–2 mm aggregates in the 0–5 cm soil layer, but decreased CO2 emissions by 7.4%. Compared with NS, SR notably increased the contents of SOC in the topsoil layer by 6.5% and in macro-aggregate by 17.4% in 0–5 cm soil layer, and promoted CH4 emissions (by 22.3%) and CO2 emissions (by 22.4%). The combination of NT and NS resulted in relatively high SOC and low CH4 emissions along with high bacterial community abundance. The most abundant genus under different treatments was Gp6, which significant impacted SOC and MBC. Bacterial communities like Subdivision3 had the most impact on CH4 emissions. Structural equation modeling further suggested that the soil bacterial community indirectly mediated the SOC through balancing SOC in 1–2 mm aggregates and CH4 emissions. This study provides a new idea to reveal the mechanism of short-term tillage and straw return on SOC. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Conservation Cropping Systems and Practices)
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14 pages, 1615 KiB  
Article
Optimizing Nitrogen Application for Chinese Ratoon Rice Based on Yield and Reactive Nitrogen Loss
by Ren Hu, Zijuan Ding, Tingyu Li, Dingyue Zhang, Yingbing Tian, Yuxian Cao and Jun Hou
Agriculture 2022, 12(7), 1064; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12071064 - 20 Jul 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1745
Abstract
Ratoon rice (RR) has been regarded as a labor-saving and beneficial production system. Nitrogen (N) surplus and reactive N losses (Nr losses) are effective environmental indicators used to evaluate the performance of N management. Few studies have assessed N surplus and Nr losses [...] Read more.
Ratoon rice (RR) has been regarded as a labor-saving and beneficial production system. Nitrogen (N) surplus and reactive N losses (Nr losses) are effective environmental indicators used to evaluate the performance of N management. Few studies have assessed N surplus and Nr losses for Chinese RR. In this study, Chinese RR planting areas were divided into South China (SC), the southern part of East China (SEC), Central China (CC), the northern part of East China (NEC), and Southwest China (SW). N surplus and Nr losses were also calculated based on 782 studies using a quadratic model under optimized N management for the highest yield (OPT-yield), the highest N-use efficiency (NUE) (OPT-NUE), and the highest grain N uptake (OPT-N uptake). The RR yields in the five regions ranged from 9.98 to 13.59 t ha−1. The high-yield record was observed in SEC, while the low-yield record was observed in NEC. The highest and the lowest Nr losses were found in NEC and SC, respectively. N surplus was reduced, while the yield was maintained in SEC, CC, NEC, and SW under OPT-yield and OPT-N uptake, and N surplus and Nr losses were reduced in the five regions when targeting the highest NUE. Farmers should be encouraged to plant RR in SEC and CC. RR was also a good choice when N management measures were conducted in three other regions. To achieve a win–win situation for both yield and the environment, OPT-yield could serve to improve the N management of current conventional practices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Conservation Cropping Systems and Practices)
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16 pages, 1696 KiB  
Article
Studying the Effect of Straw Returning on the Interspecific Symbiosis of Soil Microbes Based on Carbon Source Utilization
by Yucui Ning, Xu Wang, Yanna Yang, Xu Cao, Yulong Wu, Detang Zou and Dongxing Zhou
Agriculture 2022, 12(7), 1053; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12071053 - 19 Jul 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1628
Abstract
Heilongjiang province has made great contributions to ensuring the food security of China. Grain production has increased year by year, followed by a large amount of straw—especially the production of corn straw. Straw returning is the best treatment method from the perspective of [...] Read more.
Heilongjiang province has made great contributions to ensuring the food security of China. Grain production has increased year by year, followed by a large amount of straw—especially the production of corn straw. Straw returning is the best treatment method from the perspective of ecology. This study simulated modern mechanized operation conditions from the field of soil biological characteristics to explore the impact of straw decomposition on the changes in the soil microbial community. In this study, in the black soil region of Northeast China (45°45′27″~45°46′33″ N, 126°35′44″~126°55′54″ E), the orthogonal experimental design was used to experiment for two years (2019–2020), using straw length, amount, and buried depth as returning factors. The carbon source utilization intensity algorithm that was developed by our team was used to extract a single carbon source. A compound mathematical model was constructed based on path analysis and grey relation analysis. This study analyzed the interspecific symbiotic relationship of soil microbes in the process of straw returning and explored the regulatory methods and schemes with which to promote straw decomposition. The results showed that in the first year after straw returning, the cumulative decomposition rate of straw could reach 55.000%; the supplement of the carbon source was glycyl-l-glutamic acid, which was helpful for the decomposition of straw. It was found that cyclodextrin should be added within 90–120 days after straw returning to promote decomposition. In the second year of straw returning, the cumulative decomposition rate of straw can reach 73.523% and the carbon sources α-d-lactose and d-galactonic acid γ-lactone should be supplemented appropriately to promote straw decomposition. This study provides an experimental basis for corn straw returning to the black soil of the cold regions, along with the scientific and technological support for the sustainable development of agriculture and a guarantee of national food security. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Conservation Cropping Systems and Practices)
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16 pages, 2323 KiB  
Article
Biochar-Based Fertilizer Improved Crop Yields and N Utilization Efficiency in a Maize–Chinese Cabbage Rotation System
by Huan Zhao, Tingting Xie, Houjun Xiao and Ming Gao
Agriculture 2022, 12(7), 1030; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12071030 - 14 Jul 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2110
Abstract
Optimizing fertilization strategies is crucial for obtaining high crop yields and efficient N utilization. This study aimed to understand the potential increase in crop yield and the N utilization efficiency under biochar-based fertilizer (BF) in a maize–Chinese cabbage rotation system. Biochar-based slow-release fertilizer [...] Read more.
Optimizing fertilization strategies is crucial for obtaining high crop yields and efficient N utilization. This study aimed to understand the potential increase in crop yield and the N utilization efficiency under biochar-based fertilizer (BF) in a maize–Chinese cabbage rotation system. Biochar-based slow-release fertilizer (BF) is an important nutrient-efficient management strategy. The yields and growth-related traits of the crops, N utilization efficiency, quality, and dynamic changes in soil inorganic N in a maize-cabbage rotation system were investigated in a pot experiment under three N fertilizer application strategies in 2019–2020; the maize stage included (1) zero-N fertilizer, i.e., control (N 0 g pot−1); (2) NPK (N 5.25 g pot−1); and (3) BF (N 5.25 g pot−1). The Chinese cabbage stage included (1) zero-N fertilizer, i.e., control (N 0 g pot−1); (2) NPK (N 6.25 g pot−1); and (3) BF (N 6.25 g pot−1). Compared with the CK and NPK treatments, the BF treatment had the highest average maize and Chinese cabbage yields at 86.99 g plant−1 and 498.88 g plant−1, respectively. BF improved the plant height, stem diameter, and ear height of maize and the leaf length, leaf width, and leaf number of Chinese cabbage, as well as increased the N utilization efficiency of maize and cabbage. BF increased the starch content of maize grain and the amino acid, sugar, and vitamin C contents of cabbage. In the critical growth stages of maize and Chinese cabbage, BF application increased the content of soil inorganic N, which coincided with the nutrient requirements in the critical growth stages of the crops. Overall, BF is an effective method to improve crop yield and N utilization in the maize–Chinese cabbage rotation systems and is a fertilization strategy with broad applicability prospects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Conservation Cropping Systems and Practices)
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16 pages, 2628 KiB  
Article
Effect of Maize (Zeal mays) and Soybean (Glycine max) Intercropping on Yield and Root Development in Xinjiang, China
by Wenwen Wei, Tingting Liu, Lei Shen, Xiuyuan Wang, Shuai Zhang and Wei Zhang
Agriculture 2022, 12(7), 996; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12070996 - 10 Jul 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 4005
Abstract
Intercropping is a breakthrough in land-use optimization. This work aimed to study the effects of intercropping patterns on the growth, yield, root morphological characteristics, and interspecific competition of maize and soybean, as well as provide a reference for the development of intercropping patterns [...] Read more.
Intercropping is a breakthrough in land-use optimization. This work aimed to study the effects of intercropping patterns on the growth, yield, root morphological characteristics, and interspecific competition of maize and soybean, as well as provide a reference for the development of intercropping patterns of maize and soybean in Northwest China. Three different cropping patterns were designed: monocropping maize, monocropping soybean, and maize-soybean intercropping. Agronomic traits, intercropping indicators such as land equivalent ratio (LER), aggressivity (A), competition ratio (CR), and actual yield loss (AYL), as well as root morphological characteristics were assessed. The results showed that, compared with monocropping, the intercropping maize plant height increased by 6.07–8.40%, and the intercropping soybean plant height increased by 35.27–38.94%; the root length density (RLD) of intercropping maize was higher than that of monocropping maize, the RLD of intercropping soybean was lower than that of monocropping soybean, in the 0–40 cm soil layer the intercropping increased maize RLD by 1.79–7.44% while the soybean RLD was reduced by 3.06–9.46%; the aggressivity of maize was greater than 0 and the competition ratio was greater than 1, which was the dominant species; the maize/soybean land equivalent ratio was 1.18–1.26, which improved the land utilization rate. Therefore, the effect of increasing yield can be achieved by changing the maize and soybean planting method, which is beneficial to the ecological strategy of sustainable development in the northwest region. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Conservation Cropping Systems and Practices)
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11 pages, 824 KiB  
Article
Effects of Water-Saving Irrigation on Direct-Seeding Rice Yield and Greenhouse Gas Emissions in North China
by Xiaoning Hang, Frederick Danso, Jia Luo, Dunxiu Liao, Jian Zhang and Jun Zhang
Agriculture 2022, 12(7), 937; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12070937 - 28 Jun 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2174
Abstract
Rice cultivation consumes more than half of the planet’s 70% freshwater supply used in agricultural production. Competing water uses and climate change globally are putting more pressure on the limited water resources. Therefore, water-saving irrigation (WSI) is recommended for rice production in water [...] Read more.
Rice cultivation consumes more than half of the planet’s 70% freshwater supply used in agricultural production. Competing water uses and climate change globally are putting more pressure on the limited water resources. Therefore, water-saving irrigation (WSI) is recommended for rice production in water scares areas. The impact of WSI techniques on direct-seeding rice production and greenhouse gas emissions in North China is becoming increasingly important in the era of climate change. Therefore, we conducted a two-year field experiment on directly seeded rice to assess the impact of traditional flooding irrigation (CK) and three water saving irrigation (WSI) methods, including drip irrigation with an irrigation amount of 50 mm (DI1) and 35 mm (DI2) at each watering time and furrow wetting irrigation (FWI), on rice yield and greenhouse emissions. Generally, the WSI techniques decreased the number of rice panicles per m−2, spikelet per panicle, 1000-grain weight and rice yield compared to CK. Rice yield and yield components of (DI1) were significantly higher than (DI2). The adoption of either (DI1) or (FWI) showed insignificant variation in terms of rice yield and its yield components measured except for 1000-grain weight. The water productivity was 88.9, 16.4 and 11.4% higher in the FWI plot than the CK, DI1 and DI2 plots, respectively. The WSI decreased cumulative CH4 emission significantly by 73.0, 84.7 and 64.4% in DI1, DI2 and FWI, respectively, in comparison with CK. The usage of DI2 triggered 1.4 and 2.0-fold more cumulative N2O emission compared to DI1 and FWI, respectively. Area-scaled emission among the water-saving irrigation methods showed no significance. The yield-scaled emission in DI1 and DI2 and FWI were 101, 67.5 and 102%, respectively, significantly lower than CK. The adoption of FWI produced an acceptable rice yield with the lowest yield-scaled emission and highest water productivity among the irrigation practices. Our experiment demonstrates that dry direct-seeding with furrow irrigation can impact triple-wins of sustainable rice yield, high water-use efficiency and low GHG emissions in North China. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Conservation Cropping Systems and Practices)
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9 pages, 1011 KiB  
Article
Effect of No-Tillage Management on Soil Organic Matter and Net Greenhouse Gas Fluxes in a Rice-Oilseed Rape Cropping System
by Huabin Zheng, Xianliang Tang, Jiabin Wei, Huaqin Xu, Yingbin Zou and Qiyuan Tang
Agriculture 2022, 12(7), 918; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12070918 - 24 Jun 2022
Viewed by 1506
Abstract
No-tillage (NT) management is considered a leading approach for sustaining crop production and improving soil and environmental quality. Based on a long-term no-tillage experiment in a rice–oilseed rape cropping system, we examined differences in soil organic matter (SOM), soil microbial carbon (C) and [...] Read more.
No-tillage (NT) management is considered a leading approach for sustaining crop production and improving soil and environmental quality. Based on a long-term no-tillage experiment in a rice–oilseed rape cropping system, we examined differences in soil organic matter (SOM), soil microbial carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) content, and methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes between NT and conventional tillage (CT) management. SOM under NT was 21.0 g kg–1, and a significant difference was detected between 2004 and 2016. SOM increased under NT and CT by averages of 0.60 and 0.32 g kg–1 year–1, respectively. Soil microbial C and N content were higher under CT than under NT. However, soil C:N ratios under NT were 17.4 and 9.7% higher than the CT, respectively, whereas soil microbial C:N ratios under NT were on average 9.47 and 9.70% higher. In addition, about 70% of CO2 net uptake and over 99% of net CH4 emissions occurred during the rice season in May–September in the rice–oilseed rape cropping system. Annual cumulative CH4 and daytime net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) under NT was 1813.9 g CO2 equiv. m–2, 10.8% higher than that under CT. Our results suggest that a higher soil microbial C:N ratio and NEE (CH4 and daytime CO2) could contribute to increasing SOM/C in the surface soil under NT management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Conservation Cropping Systems and Practices)
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15 pages, 1150 KiB  
Article
Integrated Organic-Inorganic Nitrogen Fertilization Mitigates Nitrous Oxide Emissions by Regulating Ammonia-Oxidizing Bacteria in Purple Caitai Fields
by Daijia Fan, Cougui Cao and Chengfang Li
Agriculture 2022, 12(5), 723; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12050723 - 20 May 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1729
Abstract
Purpose Nitrogen (N) fertilizer application in agricultural soil is a primary anthropogenic nitrous oxide (N2O) source. Currently, the effect of the N fertilizer type on N2O emissions from upland soil has been rarely reported. To this end, impacts of [...] Read more.
Purpose Nitrogen (N) fertilizer application in agricultural soil is a primary anthropogenic nitrous oxide (N2O) source. Currently, the effect of the N fertilizer type on N2O emissions from upland soil has been rarely reported. To this end, impacts of various types of N fertilizer on N2O emissions in purple caitai (Brassica campestris L. ssp. chinensis var. purpurea) fields are investigated in this work. The field experiment was carried out with four treatments, including inorganic N fertilization (I), organic N fertilization (O), integrated organic-inorganic N fertilization (I+O) and no fertilization (CK). The nitrifier/denitrifier abundance was determined using absolute real-time quantitative PCR. Compared with I and O, I+O significantly increased dissolved organic C content, microbial biomass C and microbial biomass N by 24–63%, 12–38% and 13–36% on average, respectively. Moreover, the seasonal cumulative N2O-N emissions and fertilizer-induced N2O emission factor under I+O were significantly lower than those under I and O by 17–29% and 23–39%, respectively. The results indicate that N fertilizer type significantly affects the N2O emissions, and the integrated organic-inorganic N fertilization can mitigate the N2O emissions primarily by inhibiting the nitrification mediated by ammonia-oxidizing bacteria in purple caitai fields. Integrated organic-inorganic N fertilization is an ideal N fertilization regime to enhance soil fertility and yield and reduce N2O emissions in the upland fields. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Conservation Cropping Systems and Practices)
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12 pages, 2028 KiB  
Article
Side Deep Fertilizing of Machine-Transplanted Rice to Guarantee Rice Yield in Conservation Tillage
by Qi-Xia Wu, Bin Du, Shuo-Chen Jiang, Hai-Wei Zhang and Jian-Qiang Zhu
Agriculture 2022, 12(4), 528; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12040528 - 08 Apr 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2001
Abstract
Conservation tillage is an environmentally friendly and economical farming method, but its impact on rice yield is controversial. Artificially applied side deep fertilizing of machine-transplanted rice is when fertilizer is applied to the deep soil along with the machine transplantation of rice; this [...] Read more.
Conservation tillage is an environmentally friendly and economical farming method, but its impact on rice yield is controversial. Artificially applied side deep fertilizing of machine-transplanted rice is when fertilizer is applied to the deep soil along with the machine transplantation of rice; this may improve the fertilizer utilization rate and rice yield and eliminate the possible negative effects of conservation tillage on rice yield. Using on machine-transplanted rice, this study aims to compare the effects of side deep fertilizing (SDF). We investigated the effects of artificially applying fertilizer (AAF) on rice growth and yield under conventional tillage (CT), reduced tillage (RT), and no tillage (NT). The rice root activity, root dry weight, leaf area index (LAI), net photosynthetic rate (Pn), chlorophyll content, panicle density, spikelets per panicle, and yield were all ranked as NT > RT > CT and SDF > AAF. The 1000-grain weight was also ranked as SDF > AAF. In addition, under NT conditions, the positive effect of SDF on rice growth and yield was higher than under RT and CT conditions. In general, conservation tillage combined with SDF saved costs and increased rice yield. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Conservation Cropping Systems and Practices)
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20 pages, 3625 KiB  
Article
Reasonable Nitrogen Regime in the Main Crop Increased Grain Yields in Both Main and Ratoon Rice
by Qiang Zhang, Xiangchen Liu, Guilong Yu, Bin Duan, Hao Wang, Haiying Zhao, Daqing Feng, Mengxuan Gu and Lijun Liu
Agriculture 2022, 12(4), 527; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12040527 - 08 Apr 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1743
Abstract
Planting ratoon rice can realize one sowing and two harvests, which is of great significance for improving grain yield. However, the effects of nitrogen (N) regime in the main crop on the grain yield of ratoon rice and the associated physiological mechanisms are [...] Read more.
Planting ratoon rice can realize one sowing and two harvests, which is of great significance for improving grain yield. However, the effects of nitrogen (N) regime in the main crop on the grain yield of ratoon rice and the associated physiological mechanisms are not clearly understood. The indica hybrid rice Liangyou 6326 was used, and three N fertilizer levels (100 kg ha−1 (low N, LN), 250 kg ha−1 (medium N, MN), and 400 kg ha−1 (high N, HN)) and four different ratios of basal tillering fertilizer to panicle fertilizer (7:3, 6:4, 5:5, and 4:6) applied to the main crop were designed to investigate their effects on the grain yields of the main and ratoon crops. The results showed that excessive N application rate and panicle N application rate in the main crop was not conducive to the improvement of yield and agronomic nitrogen use efficiency (ANUE) in both seasons. The increased yield in the ratoon crop was attributed to the increase in the regeneration rate. Appropriate increasing of the panicle N application rate was beneficial for increasing the ROA and NSC concentration in the main crop, resulting in an increase in the number, length, and fresh weight of regenerated buds, which caused an improvement in the regeneration rate. However, when excessive panicle N was applied in the main crop, the excessive germination of regenerated buds decreased the length and fresh weight of the regenerated bud and resulted in a decrease in the regeneration rate. These results suggest that in the production of ratoon rice, reasonable N regime in the main crop could increase the yield and ANUE in both seasons. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Conservation Cropping Systems and Practices)
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12 pages, 1691 KiB  
Article
Residue Mulching Alleviates Coastal Salt Accumulation and Stimulates Post-Fallow Crop Biomass under a Fallow–Maize (Zea mays L.) Rotation System
by Yifu Zhang, Wei Yuan and Lianjie Han
Agriculture 2022, 12(4), 509; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12040509 - 03 Apr 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1674
Abstract
Fallow, a field where living plants are unplanted for a period, is continually implemented to accumulate moisture for the upcoming cultivation. However, there are less studies on the fallow strategies in one-crop-per-annum cropping system for coastal saline soils. In this study, 2-year “fallow [...] Read more.
Fallow, a field where living plants are unplanted for a period, is continually implemented to accumulate moisture for the upcoming cultivation. However, there are less studies on the fallow strategies in one-crop-per-annum cropping system for coastal saline soils. In this study, 2-year “fallow + maize (Zea mays L.)” rotation experiments were carried out from 2016 to 2018 to assess how the mulching determine post-fallow soil moisture, salt distribution, and crop performance. Three treatments were designed, i.e., traditional cultivation without residue retention (TT), traditional tillage with total straw mulching during fallow (TT + SM), and no-till cultivation combined fallow mulching (NT + SM). After 2 years of fallow mulching with maize rotation, TT + SM reduced soil electrical conductivity (EC) and total salt of the upper 30 cm soil profile by 22.9% and 25.4% (p = 0.05), respectively, compared with the TT treatment. The results also indicate an improvement in volumetric soil water content (SWC) by 10.3%, soil organic matter (SOM) by 17.8%, and ultimately grain yield by 11.3% (p = 0.05) under the TT + SM treatment. Fallow mulching is recommended as an acceptable way to protect soil health in coastal fresh-starved or rain-fed farming practice. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Conservation Cropping Systems and Practices)
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14 pages, 2683 KiB  
Article
Fenlong-Ridging Promotes Microbial Activity in Sugarcane: A Soil and Root Metabarcoding Survey
by Mingzheng Duan, Yanyan Long, Hongzeng Fan, Li Ma, Shijian Han, Suli Li, Benhui Wei and Lingqiang Wang
Agriculture 2022, 12(2), 244; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12020244 - 08 Feb 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1730
Abstract
Fenlong-ridging (FL) is a recently proposed conservation tillage technology which has dramatic differences to traditional ones. Previous studies have demonstrated in many crops that FL has yield-increasing effects without additional inputs. However, little is known about the role that microbes play in mediating [...] Read more.
Fenlong-ridging (FL) is a recently proposed conservation tillage technology which has dramatic differences to traditional ones. Previous studies have demonstrated in many crops that FL has yield-increasing effects without additional inputs. However, little is known about the role that microbes play in mediating the growth-promoting effects of FL, which restricts its further application and improvement. Here, we characterized variation in the soil and root microbial diversity of sugarcane (GT44) under FL and traditional turn-over plough tillage (CK) by conducting 16S rRNA and ITS metabarcoding surveys. We also measured several phenotypic traits to determine sugarcane yields and analyzed the chemical properties of soil. We found that: (i) plant height (PH) and total biomass weight (TW) of sugarcane plants were 9.1% and 21.7% greater under FL than those under CK, indicating\increased biomass yield of the sugarcane in FL operation; (ii) contents of organic matter, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, and available potassium were lower in soil under FL than those under CK, which indicates the utilization of soil nutrients was greater in FL soil; (iii) FL promoted the activity of endophytic microbes in the roots, and these diverse microbial taxa might have an effect on sugarcane yield and soil chemical properties; and (iv) Sphingomonas, Rhizobium, and Paraburkholderia and Talaromyces, Didymella, and Fusarium were the top three most abundant genera of bacteria and fungi, respectively, in soil and root samples. In addition, strains from Rhizobium and Talaromyces were isolated to verify the results of the metabarcoding survey. Overall, our study provides new insights into the role of microbes in mediating the growth-promoting effects of FL. These findings could be used to further improve applications of this novel conservation tillage technology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Conservation Cropping Systems and Practices)
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9 pages, 2403 KiB  
Article
Phytoremediation of Secondary Salinity in Greenhouse Soil with Astragalus sinicus, Spinacea oleracea and Lolium perenne
by Shumei Cai, Sixin Xu, Deshan Zhang, Zishi Fu, Hanlin Zhang and Haitao Zhu
Agriculture 2022, 12(2), 212; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12020212 - 01 Feb 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1777
Abstract
Phytoremediation is an effective and ecological method used to control soil secondary salinization in greenhouses. However, the plant–soil interactions for phytoremediation have not been studied sufficiently. In this study, three crop species (Astragalus sinicus (CM), Spinacea oleracea (SP) and Lolium perenne (RY)) [...] Read more.
Phytoremediation is an effective and ecological method used to control soil secondary salinization in greenhouses. However, the plant–soil interactions for phytoremediation have not been studied sufficiently. In this study, three crop species (Astragalus sinicus (CM), Spinacea oleracea (SP) and Lolium perenne (RY)) were compared in a greenhouse experiment. The results showed that all three crops increased the soil microbial biomass, the abundance of beneficial microorganisms, available phosphorus and soil pH, and reduced the soil salt content. The crop nutrient accumulation was positively correlated with the relative abundance of bacterial 16S rRNA sequences in the soil. CM and RY respectively increased the relative abundances of norank_f_Gemmatimonadaceae and norank_f_Anaerolineaceae within the soil bacterial community, while SP increased the relative abundances of Gibellulopsis within the fungal community. Correlation analysis revealed that pH and total dissolved salts were the vital factors affecting soil microbial communities in the secondary salinized soil. Our results suggest that phytoremediation could effectively alleviate secondary salinization by regulating the balance of soil microbial community composition and promoting crop nutrient accumulation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Conservation Cropping Systems and Practices)
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14 pages, 3752 KiB  
Article
Root System Architecture Differences of Maize Cultivars Affect Yield and Nitrogen Accumulation in Southwest China
by Song Guo, Zhigang Liu, Zijun Zhou, Tingqi Lu, Shanghong Chen, Mingjiang He, Xiangzhong Zeng, Kun Chen, Hua Yu, Yuxian Shangguan, Yujiao Dong, Fanjun Chen, Yonghong Liu and Yusheng Qin
Agriculture 2022, 12(2), 209; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12020209 - 01 Feb 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2417
Abstract
Root system architecture (RSA) plays a critical role in the acquisition of water and mineral nutrients. In order to understand the root characteristics that contribute to enhanced crop yield and N accumulation high-yielding and N efficient cultivars under N-stressed conditions. Here, grain yield, [...] Read more.
Root system architecture (RSA) plays a critical role in the acquisition of water and mineral nutrients. In order to understand the root characteristics that contribute to enhanced crop yield and N accumulation high-yielding and N efficient cultivars under N-stressed conditions. Here, grain yield, N accumulation and RSA traits of six dominant maize cultivars (CD30, ZH311, ZHg505, CD189, QY9 and RY1210) grown in the Southwestern part of China were investigated in field experiment under three different N regimes in 2019–2020; N300 (300 kg N ha−1), N150 (150 kg N ha−1) and N0 (no N supplied). Using Root Estimator for Shovelomics Traits (REST) for the quantitative analysis of maize root image obtained in the field, RSA traits including total root length (RL), root surface area (RA), root angle opening (RO), and root maximal width (RMW) were quantified in this study. The results showed that Yield, N accumulation and RSA were significantly affected by N rates, cultivars and their interactions. Grain yield, N accumulation and root weight showed a similar trend under N300 and N150 conditions compared to N0 conditions. With the input of N fertilizer, the root length, surface area, and angle increase, but root width does not increase. Under the N300 and N150 condition, RL, RA, RO and RMW increased by 17.96%, 17.74%, 18.27%, 9.22%, and 20.39%, 18.58%, 19.92%, 16.79%, respectively, compared to N0 condition. CD30, ZH505 and RY1210 have similar RO and RMW, larger than other cultivars. However, ZH505 and RY1210 have 13.22% and 19.99% longer RL, and 11.41% and 5.17% larger RA than CD30. Additionally, the grain yield of ZH505 and RY1210 is 17.57% and 13.97% higher compared with CD30. The N accumulation of ZH505 and RY1210 also shows 4.55% and 9.60% higher than CD30. Correlation analysis shows that RL, RA, RO and RMW have a significant positive correlation with grain yield while RO and RMW have a significant positive correlation with N accumulation. Linear plus plateau model analysis revealed that when the RO reaches 99.53°, and the RMW reaches 15.18 cm, the N accumulation reaches its maximum value under 0–300 kg N ha−1 conditions. Therefore, selecting maize cultivars with efficient RSA suitable for different soil N inputs can achieve higher grain yield and N use efficiency. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Conservation Cropping Systems and Practices)
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17 pages, 2548 KiB  
Article
Intercropping of Rice and Water Mimosa (Neptunia oleracea Lour.): A Novel Model to Control Pests and Diseases and Improve Yield and Grain Quality while Reducing N Fertilizer Application
by Zewen Hei, Huimin Xiang, Jiaen Zhang, Kaiming Liang, Jiawen Zhong, Meijuan Li and Xiaoqiao Ren
Agriculture 2022, 12(1), 13; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12010013 - 23 Dec 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3253
Abstract
Cereal/legume intercropping is an effective agricultural practice for pest and disease control and crop production. However, global research on rice and aquatic legume intercropping is relatively rare. A field experiment during two seasons (2018 late season and 2019 early season) was conducted to [...] Read more.
Cereal/legume intercropping is an effective agricultural practice for pest and disease control and crop production. However, global research on rice and aquatic legume intercropping is relatively rare. A field experiment during two seasons (2018 late season and 2019 early season) was conducted to explore the effects of rice and water mimosa intercropping on rice canopy microclimate, pest and disease, yield, grain quality, and economic income. Two cultivation patterns including rice/water mimosa intercropping and rice monocropping were employed, and three nitrogen (N) fertilizer application levels, including zero N (ZN, 0 kg ha−1 N), reduced N (RN, 140 kg ha−1 N), and conventional N (CN, 180 kg ha−1 N) levels, were applied for the above two cultivation patterns. The results showed that rice/water mimosa intercropping formed a canopy microclimate of rice with higher temperature and lower relative humidity and dew point temperature. In addition, there was a significant reduction in the occurrences of rice leaf blast by 15.05%~35.49%, leaf folders by 25.32%~43.40%, and sheath blight by 16.35%~41.91% in the intercropping treatments. Moreover, rice/water mimosa intercropping increased rice per unit yield by 43.00%~53.10% in the late season of 2018 and 21.40%~26.18% in the early season of 2019. Furthermore, rice grain quality was totally improved, among which brown and head rice rates increased but rice chalky rate and chalkiness degree decreased in the intercropping system. We suggest that combining rice/water mimosa intercropping and N fertilizer reduction can be used as an environmentally friendly eco-farming technique because it can decrease N fertilizer application by approximately 40 kg·ha−1. This combination would not only mitigate nonpoint source pollution but also obtain advantages for controlling rice pests and diseases that would alleviate pesticide usage and improve rice yield and grain quality, which can be extended for green rice production to increase income for producers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Conservation Cropping Systems and Practices)
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18 pages, 2468 KiB  
Article
Effects of Long-Term Straw Management and Potassium Fertilization on Crop Yield, Soil Properties, and Microbial Community in a Rice–Oilseed Rape Rotation
by Jifu Li, Guoyu Gan, Xi Chen and Jialong Zou
Agriculture 2021, 11(12), 1233; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11121233 - 07 Dec 2021
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 3364
Abstract
The present study aims to assess the influences of long-term crop straw returning and recommended potassium fertilization on the dynamic change in rice and oilseed rape yield, soil properties, bacterial and fungal alpha diversity, and community composition in a rice–oilseed rape system. A [...] Read more.
The present study aims to assess the influences of long-term crop straw returning and recommended potassium fertilization on the dynamic change in rice and oilseed rape yield, soil properties, bacterial and fungal alpha diversity, and community composition in a rice–oilseed rape system. A long-term (2011–2020) field experiment was carried out in a selected paddy soil farmland in Jianghan Plain, central China. There were four treatments with three replications: NP, NPK, NPS, and NPKS, where nitrogen (N), phosphate (P), potassium (K), and (S) denote N fertilizer, P fertilizer, K fertilizer, and crop straw, respectively. Results showed that long-term K fertilization and crop straw returning could increase the crop yield at varying degrees for ten years. Compared with the NP treatment, the long-term crop straw incorporation with K fertilizer (NPKS treatment) was found to have the best effect, and the yield rates increased by 23.0% and 20.5% for rice and oilseed rape, respectively. The application of NPK fertilizer for ten years decreased the bacterial and fungal alpha diversity and the relative abundance of dominant bacterial and fungal taxa, whereas continuous straw incorporation had a contradictory effect. NPKS treatment significantly increased the relative abundance of some copiotrophic bacteria (Firmicutes, Gemmatimonadetes, and Proteobacteria) and fungi (Ascomycota). Available K, soil organic matter, dissolved organic carbon, and easily oxidized organic carbon were closely related to alterations in the composition of the dominant bacterial community; easily oxidized organic carbon, dissolved organic carbon, and slowly available K were significantly correlated with the fungal community. We conclude that long-term crop straw returning to the field accompanied with K fertilizer should be employed in rice-growing regions to achieve not only higher crop yield but also the increase in soil active organic carbon and available K content and the improvement of the biological quality of farmland. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Conservation Cropping Systems and Practices)
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