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Agronomic and Physiological Performance of Plants under Crop Management Practices

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A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Crop Breeding and Genetics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2023) | Viewed by 14019

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Dr. Junfei Gu

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Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology, Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
Interests: crop physiology; grain yield; nitrogen use efficiency; photosynthesis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Guanfu Fu

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Research and Development Center of Rice Cropping Technology, China National Rice Research Institute (CNRRI), Hangzhou 310006, China
Interests: rice-abiotic interaction; abiotic stress; plant hormone; sugar metabolism; photosynthesis; respiration; energy metabolism
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Dear Colleagues,

Modern agriculture faces the dual challenges of increasing food supply and protecting the environment for sustainable agriculture. Agronomists developed many crop management techniques to improve fertilizer use efficiency, water use efficiency, and etc. The implement of crop management practices to maintain and even increase plant productivity is a pervasive and notable feature of modern agriculture, and substantially more food can be grown on limited space of crop field to sustain the expanding populations. Research on all topics related to crop management practices, from understanding the mechanism of agronomic and physiological responses of plants to crop management practices, is a priority.

This Special Issue will focus on “Agronomic and Physiological Performance of Plants under Crop Management Practices”. We are open to novel research, reviews and opinion articles covering all aspects of the responses and mechanisms of plant responses to series crop management techniques including managements of water, fertilizer, plant growth regulator, soil amendment, etc. Contributions on physiological, biochemical, and molecular studies of plants responses to crop management practices will be welcomed. The study object covers but not limited to grain crops, vegetables, and fruit trees.

Dr. Junfei Gu
Dr. Guanfu Fu
Guest Editors

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Keywords

yield
water and nitrogen use efficiency
fertilizer
soil
biomass
roots

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 2968 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessment of Photoperiod Sensitivity and the Effect of Sowing Date on Dry-Season Sorghum Cultivars in Southern Chad

by Gapili Naoura, Yves Emendack, Nerbéwendé Sawadogo, Nadjiam Djirabaye, Ramadjita Tabo, Haydee Laza and Eyanawa A. Atchozou

Agronomy 2023, 13(3), 932; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13030932 - 21 Mar 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1216

Abstract

The cultivation of dry-season sorghum on residual moisture in West and Central Africa is highly affected by sowing dates and ecotypes used. Fifty-five dry-season sorghum ecotypes collected from three zones in southern Chadian were sown on two dates, early and late, in 2013 and 2014, in an α-Lattice, and replicated five times to evaluate the effect of sowing date on potential yield, flowering time, and other agro-morphological traits and to determine their photoperiod sensitivity. Trials were conducted in the research fields at the Agricultural Research Extension Farm in Youé, Chad. Year, sowing date, and their interaction significantly affected most of the assessed traits. Delaying sowing significantly decreased potential yield, duration of vegetative phase, and other agro-morphological traits, except staygreen. All cultivars were photoperiodic with late sowing requiring a lower cumulative growing degree unit to flower. The flowering window was not affected by sowing dates across cultivars; however, the flowering time was affected by a decrease in daylength, but not low night temperatures. Generally, late sowing decreased potential yield across cultivars. However, this decrease varied with the region of origin, with seven cultivars having average potential yields at or above the regional potential yield of 1 t/ha, irrespective of year or sowing dates. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agronomic and Physiological Performance of Plants under Crop Management Practices)

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12 pages, 3141 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Genotypic Variation in Thai Fragrant Rice in Response to Manganese Application and Its Effects on 2-Acetyl-1-Pyrroline Content, Productivity and Gene Expression

by Worawat Inpradit, Sansanee Jamjod, Chanakan Prom-u-thai and Tonapha Pusadee

Agronomy 2023, 13(3), 788; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13030788 - 09 Mar 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1722

Abstract

The fragrance in rice plays a significant role in consumer decisions and is influenced by many environmental factors, e.g., water and fertilizer application during cultivation and post-harvest management. Manganese (Mn) is an essential micronutrient for plant growth and development, and its effects on the fragrance and yield of fragrant rice varieties have not been well-studied. The aim of this research was to determine the effects of Mn application rates on the 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (2AP) content, yield and gene expression of Thai fragrant varieties. Three rice varieties, i.e., BNM4, KDML105 and KH-CMU, were grown in pots with varying concentrations of MnSO₄—150, 200 and 250 mg kg⁻¹ soil—and compared with a control with no Mn application (Mn0). At maturity, the grain yield was evaluated, and the 2AP was analyzed with GC-MS as the grain aroma content. Taken together, the results suggest that Mn application during cultivation tends to increase the 2AP content of fragrant rice and its productivity and tends to affect gene expression. However, it is important to conduct further studies to evaluate the responses for more fragrant rice varieties and additional gene expression, including the determination of key intermediate compounds along the 2AP biosynthesis pathway to confirm the effect of Mn application on fragrant rice. This information could be useful in assisting plant breeders and physiologists in their efforts to improve the crop productivity and grain quality of fragrant rice varieties. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agronomic and Physiological Performance of Plants under Crop Management Practices)

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16 pages, 1846 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Nitrogen Application Rate on Stem Lodging Resistance Rice under Dry Cultivation

by Meikang Wu, Hao Jiang, Zhiheng Wei, Wanchun Li, Kaiyu Gao, Dongchao Wang, Xiaoshuang Wei, Ping Tian, Jingjing Cui, Yuting Di, Zhihai Wu and Meiying Yang

Agronomy 2023, 13(2), 426; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13020426 - 31 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1433

Abstract

High grain yields of rice (Oryza sativa) under dry cultivation are primarily obtained through high levels of nitrogen (N) input. However, excessive inputs of N increase the risk of lodging. This study aimed to clarify the effect of N application rates on crop morphology, mechanical mechanisms of the stem, and chemical components in the basal stems of rice and their underlying mechanism in association with lodging resistance under dry cultivation. In this study, field experiments on rice were conducted under dry cultivation in early May to early October 2019 and 2020. Six rates of N applied at 0, 70, 140, 210, 280 and 350 kg ha⁻¹ were set at a sowing rate of 150 kg ha⁻¹ with Suijing 18 as the test material. The increased risk of lodging represented by lodging index (LI) and lodging rate with increasing N application was observed under both growing seasons. The plant height, basal internode length, particularly the second internode, and center of gravity height, which positively correlated with the LI, increased significantly with the increase in N application rates. In contrast, internode fullness and carbohydrate content of the basal second (S2) internode, which negatively correlated with LI, decreased significantly with increasing N application rates. A quadratic regression model between N application rates and grain yield showed that better grain yield could be achieved under an N application rate ranging from 210 to 228 kg ha⁻¹. Therefore, the N application rate of (i.e., 210–228 kg N ha⁻¹) could be recommended for the Suijing18 variety under dry cultivation in central Jilin Province for achieving high grain yield and great lodging resistance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agronomic and Physiological Performance of Plants under Crop Management Practices)

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13 pages, 2161 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Variations of Rice Yield and Quality in Response to Different Establishment Methods at Farmers’ Field

by Wenge Wu, Debao Tu, Min Xi, Youzun Xu, Yongjin Zhou, Zhong Li, Yalan Ji, Xueyuan Sun, Yachun Yang and Feiyue Li

Agronomy 2022, 12(12), 3174; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12123174 - 15 Dec 2022

Viewed by 1303

Abstract

Mechanized production plays an important role in fulfilling food security demands during the period of labor shortage. Despite its benefits, the mechanical transplanted method (MET) has not been widely adopted due to a lack of awareness. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of the MET, the manual transplanted method (MAT), and the directed seeded method (DS) on rice yield and quality in farmers’ fields. A two-years field experiment (2016 and 2017) and a one-year survey (2020) were conducted to compare rice yield and quality among the MAT, MET, and DS methods. MET exhibited a higher-yielding population, increased biomass production, enhanced yield, and improved grain quality, compared with MAT. Moreover, japonica rice in MET (MET-JR) produced the maximum yield, 0.6 t hm⁻² to 3.1 t hm⁻² higher than in other treatments. However, japonica rice showed a poorer appearance quality than indica rice, as well as large panicle size (grains number per panicle ≥ 190); hybrid indica rice (HIR) also presented a high yield with poor appearance quality. These results confirmed that the application of MET could be useful in attaining high panicles per m², high biomass production, high rice yield, and considerably improved rice quality in farmers’ fields under labor shortage circumstances. Furthermore, it is also imperative to consider balancing the yield and quality of japonica rice and large panicle HIR and employing MET at a broader scale in China, as well as other developing countries having rice–based cropping systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agronomic and Physiological Performance of Plants under Crop Management Practices)

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15 pages, 2596 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Exogenous Diethylaminoethyl Hexanoate Highly Improved the Cold Tolerance of Early japonica Rice at Booting

by Shiqiang Wang, Dengmei He, Shanwei Yang, Dawei Yin, Haihong Zhao and Changliang Xiao

Agronomy 2022, 12(12), 3045; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12123045 - 01 Dec 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 990

Abstract

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is highly sensitive to cold stress, which leads to large reductions in rice yield at the booting stage. In this study, Kongyu131 and Kenjiandao6 rice cultivars with different levels of cold stress sensitivity were sprayed with diethylaminoethyl hexanoate (DA-6) concentrations of 500, 200, 20, 2, 0.2, and 0 mg/L one day before undergoing cold water stress (CWS). We analyzed changes in yield and its factors, dry matter production, stem characteristics, and physiological and biochemical characteristics of the rice plants. The results showed that DA-6 increased peroxidase activity, delayed nitrogen and chlorophyll degradation, maintained soluble protein and potassium contents, and suppressed the accumulation of malondialdehyde in the leaves of both cultivars under CWS. DA-6 also increased the phosphorous content and superoxide dismutase activity in Kenjiandao6 under CWS; however, in Kongyu131, DA-6 increased the soluble sugar content. In addition, DA-6 treatment increased the weight of the panicle at maturity, and of the leaf, panicle, and stem-sheath at heading in both cultivars. The lengths of the panicle, the top first internode, the export rate of stem-sheath, translocation rate of stem-sheath, and export of stem-sheath from heading to maturity were increased in Kenjiandao6; however, in Kongyu131, DA-6 increased the dry weight ratio of panicle to total plant and reduced the dry weight ratio of stem-sheath to total plant at maturity. Furthermore, DA-6 improved yield in both cultivars, mainly by increasing the grain weight in the inferior grains (IG) and middle grains (MG) under CWS. DA-6 increased the grain weight in the IG and MG in Kenjiandao6 mainly by enhancing the seed setting rate and number of filled grains (NFG) in the IG and MG, and in Kongyu131 by improving the NFG in MG and IG. The optimal concentration of DA-6 to alleviate CWS was 2 mg/L. In conclusion, exogenous DA-6 was effective for maintaining dry matter production and physiology in two early japonica rice cultivars under CWS at booting, thereby improving cold tolerance and enhancing yield. The less cold-tolerant cultivar Kenjiandao6 was more sensitive to the effects of DA-6 and displayed better results than the more cold-tolerant cultivar Kongyu131. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agronomic and Physiological Performance of Plants under Crop Management Practices)

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16 pages, 2369 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Physiological Characterization of Drought Responses and Screening of Rice Varieties under Dry Cultivation

by Xiaoshuang Wei, Baifeng Cang, Kuo Yu, Wanchun Li, Ping Tian, Xiao Han, Guan Wang, Yuting Di, Zhihai Wu and Meiying Yang

Agronomy 2022, 12(11), 2849; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12112849 - 15 Nov 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1729

Abstract

Drought is a serious factor limiting rice production, and it leads to huge economic losses. Considering the current and projected global food demand, increasing productivity of drought-prone crops has become critical. In order to achieve the production target, rice drought-tolerant germplasm resources are an important prerequisite for the development of water-saving cultivation. Through multi-indicator measurement, the stress effect of drought on rice was clarified and a preliminary drought resistance identification index system was established based on the response of plant the germination, seedling and adult stages of rice and materials suitable for dry cultivation were screened. The results showed that relative root length, relative root weight and relative shoot weight were most affected by drought stress at the germination stage, while root length and root dry weight were positively correlated with the drought survival proportion at the seedling stage; high net photosynthetic rates and antioxidant enzyme activities are maintained in the late period in strongly drought-tolerant varieties. In this experiment, two drought-resistant varieties were screened, there was a high consistency in the screening of drought-tolerant varieties at the germination and seedling stages, with their joint screening showing the same performance as at the adult stage. The drought-resistant varieties at the adult stage can promote seed filling and ensure group yield by prolonging photosynthesis time and enhancing antioxidant enzyme activity, which can provide theoretical support and material basis for future variety screening and evaluation, as well as rice dry-crop cultivation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agronomic and Physiological Performance of Plants under Crop Management Practices)

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12 pages, 1136 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Yield and Grain Quality of Divergent Maize Cultivars under Inorganic N Fertilizer Regimes and Zn Application Depend on Climatic Conditions in Calcareous Soil

by Ivica Djalovic, Muhammad Riaz, Kashif Akhtar, Goran Bekavac, Aleksandar Paunovic, Vladimir Pejanovic, Sajjad Zaheer and P. V. Vara Prasad

Agronomy 2022, 12(11), 2705; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12112705 - 31 Oct 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1498

Abstract

The variations in temperature and rainfall patterns under climate change are threatening crop production systems, and optimizing fertilization practices is a prerequisite for sustainable cereal production. This two-year field study investigated the effects of eight treatments (T1: P₆₀K₆₀; T2: P₆₀K₆₀ + N_{min spring}; T3: P₆₀K₆₀ + N_40autumn + N_{min spring}; T4: P₆₀K₆₀ + N_60spring; T5: P₆₀K₆₀ + N_100spring; T6: P₆₀K₆₀ + N_40autumn + N_60spring + Zn; T7: P₆₀K₆₀ + _N60autumn + N_80spring + Zn; and T8: P₆₀K₆₀ + N_160spring + Zn) on the grain yield and quality of four divergent maize cultivars (NS-4023, NS-640, NS-6010 and NS-6030). The observations on climatic data showed substantial variations in monthly and cumulative rainfall only, which was 174 and 226 mm for 2011 and 2012, respectively, and much less than the historical cumulative rainfall of 339 mm. However, temperature during growth years showed little deviation from the historical data. The data showed that treatment and maize cultivar significantly influenced grain yield; however, grain yield remained lower in 2012 than in 2011 for each treatment and cultivar. Applying N as split doses in combination with Zn, resulted in higher grain yields than adding at once. However, the treatments and cultivars affected grain quality variables differently, including oil, thiol SH, phytate, inorganic P, soluble protein, starch, total phenol, protein, total sugars and tryptophan contents. Despite the pronounced difference in grain yields between 2011 and 2012 for each treatment and cultivar, grain quality did not always vary significantly between cultivars. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the relationships between grain yield and grain quality varied significantly during 2011 and 2012. The changes in rainfall patterns at critical growth maize stages seemed to be a more important factor than temperature in regulating the response of maize cultivars in terms of grain yield and quality to various fertilization regimes in this study. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agronomic and Physiological Performance of Plants under Crop Management Practices)

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14 pages, 592 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

24-Epibrassnolide Alleviates the Adverse Effect of Salinity on Rice Grain Yield through Enhanced Antioxidant Enzyme and Improved K⁺/Na⁺ Homeostasis

by Yinglong Chen, Jianfei Ge, Yang Liu, Rongkai Li, Rui Zhang, Kangrui Li, Zhongyang Huo, Ke Xu, Huanhe Wei and Qigen Dai

Agronomy 2022, 12(10), 2499; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12102499 - 13 Oct 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1154

Abstract

Previous researchers have focused on the role of 24-epibrassnolide (EBR) in alleviating stresses in plants, whereas the effect of EBR on rice grain yield formation from the perspective of the whole growth stage remains less concerned. To further confirm the optimal application concentration and application periods of EBR in rice (Oryza sativa L.) under salt stress, a seed germination experiment, a seedling experiment, and a pot experiment were designed and conducted. Results showed that EBR treatment significantly enhanced germination indicators and seedling morphological traits, and the effects varied among different EBR concentrations, which were 0.5 > 1.0 > 0.1 > 0.05 mg L⁻¹. Under 0.5% salt treatments, 0.5 mg L⁻¹ EBR spraying significantly enhanced the seedling height, root length, above-/under-ground fresh weight, and above-/under-ground dry weight by 9.2%, 15.9%, 48.0%, 19.5%, 29.3%, and 12.5%, respectively. The spraying of EBR at different periods enhanced rice yield by 6.7% to 94.4% under salt stress. The relatively higher panicle number (increased by 42.9%) and spikelet number per panicle (increased by 96.1%) were the main reason resulting in higher grain yield under the S+T5 (EBR sprayed at both transplanting and heading stage) treatment. Compared to those under S treatment, catalase (CAT) activity was significantly enhanced by 25.0%, while malondialdehyde (MDA) content was dramatically decreased by 37.3% under the S+T5 treatment. The S+T5 treatment significantly enhanced the K⁺ content in rice root and leaf and decreased the Na⁺ content in rice root (by 30.4%), thereby leading to higher K⁺/Na⁺ under salt stress. The current study concluded that 0.5 mg L⁻¹ was the optimal concentration of EBR in alleviating the adverse effect of salinity. Spraying (transplanting + heading) of EBR twice displayed the best alleviating effect under salt stress, which was realized through enhanced antioxidant enzyme, higher K⁺ maintenance in leaves, and lowered absorption of Na⁺ in rice root. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agronomic and Physiological Performance of Plants under Crop Management Practices)

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11 pages, 1272 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Combined Application of Slow-Release and Conventional Urea on Yield and Nitrogen Use Efficiency of Rice and Wheat under Full Straw Return

by Zhixuan Yu, Ziyi Shen, Lu Xu, Jie Yu, Li Zhang, Xukui Wang, Guangde Yin, Wenjie Zhang, Yunlong Li, Wengang Zuo, Yuhua Shan, Zhongyang Huo and Yanchao Bai

Agronomy 2022, 12(5), 998; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12050998 - 21 Apr 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1762

Abstract

The effects of one-time basal application of different mixtures of slow-release urea (SRU) and conventional urea (CU) on yield and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of rice and wheat were investigated to determine the appropriate ratios of SRU to CU for one-time basal fertilization in a rice–wheat rotation farmland under full residue incorporation. A field plot experiment was used in this study. Six treatments were established as follows: CK (no nitrogen fertilizer applied), T0 (100% CU, 50% applied as basal fertilizer and 50% applied as jointing fertilizer), T3 (one-time basal application of SRU and CU mixture with 30% SRU), T5 (one-time basal application of SRU and CU mixture with 50% SRU), T7 (one-time basal application of SRU and CU mixture with 70% SRU), and T10 (one-time basal application of 100% SRU). The results showed that the combined application of SRU and CU increased the yields of rice and wheat. Treatment T7 resulted in the highest rice yield, and T3 resulted in the highest wheat yield, which were 25.6% and 29.4% higher, than those of treatment T0, respectively. Compared with treatment T0 (application of CU alone), the combined application of SRU and CU resulted in 27.4–96.5% and 22.8–57.1% higher NUE in rice and wheat, respectively. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agronomic and Physiological Performance of Plants under Crop Management Practices)

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