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Bai H, Xiao D, Liu DL, Tao F, Liu F, Tang J. Impacts of future climate change and management practices to yield, eco-efficiency and global warming potential for rice-wheat rotation system. JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE 2025. [PMID: 40302213 DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.14322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2024] [Revised: 04/08/2025] [Accepted: 04/15/2025] [Indexed: 05/02/2025]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The rice-wheat rotation system (RWRS) is a predominant cropping pattern in mid-eastern China, playing a crucial role in ensuring food security. However, its intensive water and fertilizer inputs contribute significantly to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. With global climate warming, RWRS confronts the dual imperative of simultaneously enhancing productivity and eco-efficiency while significantly curtailing GHG emissions. RESULTS Future warming climate under most global climate models (GCMs) had adverse impacts on yield, water-use efficiency (WUE), nitrogen-use efficiency (NUE) and GHG intensity (GHGI) of RWRS in the central and southern regions of mid-eastern China. Compared to traditional management (TM) with high water and nitrogen inputs, optimized water and nitrogen management (OM) - utilizing intermittent irrigation and a nitrogen application rate of 390 kg ha-1 - can significantly enhance WUE and NUE while reducing GHGI, without compromising yield. Moreover, no tillage, as a conservation tillage (CT) practice could effectively mitigate the negative impacts of future climate change. The combination of OM and CT (OM + CT) can improve yield and eco-efficiency while reducing global warming potential. For RWRS with OM + CT, GHGI decreased by 45.6-60.9% under future climate scenarios compared to TM. CONCLUSIONS By using knowledge-based optimum management strategies, environmental risks can be reduced without sacrificing the yield of RWRS yield. This study demonstrates a useful approach with crop modelling to ensure yield for agriculture system at a lower environment cost, which can be adjusted and applied in other farming systems and regions. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huizi Bai
- Hebei Technology Innovation Center for Geographic Information Application, Institute of Geographical Sciences, Hebei Academy of Sciences, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Dengpan Xiao
- College of Geography Science, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, China
- Hebei Laboratory of Environmental Evolution and Ecological Construction, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - De Li Liu
- NSW Department of Primary Industries, Wagga Wagga Agricultural Institute, Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Fulu Tao
- Key Laboratory of Land Surface Pattern and Simulation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS, Beijing, China
| | - Fengshan Liu
- China National Engineering Research Center of JUNCAO Technology, Forestry College, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Jianzhao Tang
- Hebei Technology Innovation Center for Geographic Information Application, Institute of Geographical Sciences, Hebei Academy of Sciences, Shijiazhuang, China
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Kanatas P, Gazoulis I, Petraki D, Kokkini M, Antonopoulos N, Travlos I. False Seedbed and Stale Seedbed Against Important Broadleaf Weeds: A Case Study and a Step Closer to Agroecology. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2025; 14:564. [PMID: 40006823 PMCID: PMC11859391 DOI: 10.3390/plants14040564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2024] [Revised: 02/01/2025] [Accepted: 02/11/2025] [Indexed: 02/27/2025]
Abstract
Wheat production can be reduced due to competition from weeds, with farmers relying almost exclusively on chemical solutions. However, there are alternative farming practices available. Therefore, in a field trial in Greece, we assessed the efficacy of false and stale seedbed against important broadleaf weed species and their impact on grain yield parameters. Our study determined that false seedbed resulted in a decrease in the density and biomass of broadleaf weed species like catchweed bedstraw (Galium aparine L.) up to 75% and 69% compared with the untreated control (normal seedbed preparation), respectively. The efficacy of false seedbed was higher when combined with post-emergence chemical control. Stale seedbed also resulted in adequate weed control, with a biomass reduction of up to 81%, and grain yield increased by 30% compared with the normal seedbed preparation without any herbicide use. Our results highlight the differences in the response between the weed species and also emphasize the potential of adding an alternative farming practice (like false and stale seedbed) as part of an integrated farming strategy for a sustainable and agroecological crop and weed management. In order to validate the trends observed in this case study, further field-to-field or year-to-year replication is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panagiotis Kanatas
- Department of Crop Science, University of Patras, 30200 Mesolonghi, Greece; (P.K.); (I.G.)
| | - Ioannis Gazoulis
- Department of Crop Science, University of Patras, 30200 Mesolonghi, Greece; (P.K.); (I.G.)
- Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, 75, Iera Odos Str., 11855 Athens, Greece; (D.P.); (M.K.); (N.A.)
| | - Dimitra Petraki
- Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, 75, Iera Odos Str., 11855 Athens, Greece; (D.P.); (M.K.); (N.A.)
| | - Metaxia Kokkini
- Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, 75, Iera Odos Str., 11855 Athens, Greece; (D.P.); (M.K.); (N.A.)
| | - Nikolaos Antonopoulos
- Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, 75, Iera Odos Str., 11855 Athens, Greece; (D.P.); (M.K.); (N.A.)
| | - Ilias Travlos
- Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, 75, Iera Odos Str., 11855 Athens, Greece; (D.P.); (M.K.); (N.A.)
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Farooq M, Nawaz A, Rehman A, Ullah A, Wakeel A, Ur Rehman H, Nawaz A, Siddique KHM, Frei M. Conservation agriculture effects on ecosystem health and sustainability - A review of rice-wheat cropping system. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 957:177535. [PMID: 39551217 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.177535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2024] [Revised: 11/01/2024] [Accepted: 11/11/2024] [Indexed: 11/19/2024]
Abstract
Conventional tillage, extreme climate events, increasing weed incidence, pest and disease pressures, and diminished farm input availability negatively impact crop yield, stability, profitability, and water productivity in South Asia's rice-wheat (R-W) systems. This article reviews and evaluates the effectiveness and benefits of conservation agriculture (CA) practices in improving soil health, water productivity, and sustainability in R-W systems. CA practices focus on minimum soil disturbance, permanent soil cover, and crop rotations. Techniques such as direct seeding in rice and zero tillage in wheat are employed, supported by advancements in zero tillage sowing machinery like super-seeders. CA practices contribute significantly to ecosystem health by conserving soil and water, enhancing soil quality, reducing erosion, and improving nutrient use efficiency. They also lower production costs, increase water use efficiency, stabilize yields, promote crop diversification, and mitigate climate change effects through carbon sequestration and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. However, initial challenges include increased weed pressure and the need for suitable rice varieties for direct seeding. In conclusion, CA practices support sustainable and climate-resilient farming, improving land and water productivity, food security, and on-farm profits. Despite the benefits and growing government support, widespread adoption in South Asia remains limited. Effective support systems, including incentives, technical knowledge dissemination, and integrated weed management, are crucial for overcoming barriers and enhancing CA adoption in R-W systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Farooq
- Department of Plant Sciences, College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Al-Khoud 123, Oman; The UWA Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6001, Australia; Department of Agronomy and Crop Physiology, Institute of Agronomy and Plant Breeding I, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany.
| | - Ahmad Nawaz
- Center for Agriculture and Biosciences International (CABI), Central and West Asia (CWA), Satellite Town, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
| | - Abdul Rehman
- Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, 63100 Bahawalpur, Pakistan
| | | | - Abdul Wakeel
- Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38040, Pakistan
| | - Hafeez Ur Rehman
- Department of Agronomy, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38040, Pakistan
| | - Ahmad Nawaz
- Department of Plant Sciences, College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Al-Khoud 123, Oman
| | - Kadambot H M Siddique
- The UWA Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6001, Australia
| | - Michael Frei
- Department of Agronomy and Crop Physiology, Institute of Agronomy and Plant Breeding I, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany
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Sánchez-Sabando CF, Sánchez-Urdaneta AB, Sánchez-Mora FD, Loor-Escobar GE, Olivares BO. Fertilization for Growth or Feeding the Weeds? A Deep Dive into Nitrogen's Role in Rice Dynamics in Ecuador. Life (Basel) 2024; 14:1601. [PMID: 39768309 PMCID: PMC11676183 DOI: 10.3390/life14121601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2024] [Revised: 12/01/2024] [Accepted: 12/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/11/2025] Open
Abstract
Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a crucial crop for employment and agricultural output and heavily reliant on family labor. This study evaluated the effects of nitrogen levels (80, 120, and 160 kg·ha-1) on weed incidence and key agronomic variables, including vegetative growth, yield, and related traits, in Ecuador's primary rice-growing regions, Guayas and Los Ríos. A split-plot randomized complete block design was implemented using two rice varieties (INIAP-FL-Elite and SFL-11) and three planting densities (20 × 30, 25 × 30, and 30 × 30 cm). Weed incidence was higher in Los Ríos, dominated by grasses (55.28%), while Cyperaceae (46.27%) prevailed in Guayas. The data analysis included non-parametric tests to identify significant treatment effects, debiased sparse partial correlations (DSPCs) to reveal key agronomic interactions, and principal component analysis (PCA) to identify influential traits, ensuring robust and normalized interpretations. Analysis of variance indicated significant effects for all variables, with vegetative growth (VG) most affected (p < 0.001). The number of panicles (NP) and days to flowering (DF) showed significant though less pronounced effects, while the panicle length (LP) and 1000-seed weight (TSB) exhibited moderate responses. The DSPCs highlighted the grains per panicle (GP) and total biomass (SB) as critical variables, with significant correlations between the days to flowering and the tiller count at 55 days (r = 0.750, p < 0.001) and between the vegetative growth and the total biomass (r = 0.678, p < 0.001). PCA explained 58.8% of the total variance, emphasizing the days to flowering, plant height, total biomass, and yield as the most influential traits. These findings underline the importance of integrated nutrient and weed management strategies tailored to Ecuador's agroecological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Adriana Beatriz Sánchez-Urdaneta
- Sustainable Agriculture and Bioenergy Group, Research Division, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and Health Sciences, Technical University of Manabí, Portoviejo 130105, Ecuador;
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Agronomy, University of Zulia, Maracaibo 4005, Venezuela
| | - Fernando David Sánchez-Mora
- Sustainable Agriculture and Bioenergy Group, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering, Technical University of Manabí, Portoviejo 130105, Ecuador;
| | | | - Barlin O. Olivares
- Biodiversity Management Research Group (GESBIO-UCO), Rabanales Campus, University of Córdoba, National Highway IV km 396, 14014 Córdoba, Spain
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Kumar R, Choudhary JS, Naik SK, Mishra JS, Banra S, Poonia SP, Mondal S, Das A, Rao KK, Kumar V, Bhatt BP, Chaudhari SK, Malik RK, McDonald A. Effect of conservation agriculture on soil fungal diversity in rice-wheat-greengram cropping system in eastern Indo-Gangetic plains of South Asia. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1441837. [PMID: 39479212 PMCID: PMC11523130 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1441837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 09/23/2024] [Indexed: 11/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Conservation agriculture (CA) is emerging as an eco-friendly and sustainable approach to food production in South Asia. CA, characterized by reduced tillage, soil surface cover through retaining crop residue or raising cover crops, and crop diversification, enhances crop production and soil fertility. Fungal communities in the soil play a crucial role in nutrient recycling, crop growth, and agro-ecosystem stability, particularly in agricultural crop fields. Methods This study investigates the impact of seven combinations of tillage and crop residue management practices of agricultural production systems, including various tillage and crop residue management practices, on soil fungal diversity. Using the Illumina MiSeq platform, fungal diversity associated with soil was analysed. Results and discussion The results show that the partial CA-based (pCA) production systems had the highest number of unique operational taxonomic units (OTUs) (948 OTUs) while the conventional production system had the lowest number (665 OTUs). The major fungal phyla identified in the topsoil (0-15 cm) were Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, and Mortierellomycota, with their abundance varying across different tillage-cum-crop establishment (TCE) methods. Phylum Ascomycota was dominant in CA-based management treatments (94.9±0.62), followed by the partial CA (pCA)-based treatments (91.0 ± 0.37). Therefore, CA-based production systems play a crucial role in shaping soil fungal diversity, highlighting their significance for sustainable agricultural production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rakesh Kumar
- ICAR Research Complex for Eastern Region, Patana, India
| | - Jaipal Singh Choudhary
- ICAR Research Complex for Eastern Region, Farming System Research Centre for Hill and Plateau Region, Ranchi, India
| | - Sushanta Kumar Naik
- ICAR Research Complex for Eastern Region, Farming System Research Centre for Hill and Plateau Region, Ranchi, India
| | | | - Sushmita Banra
- University Department of Zoology, Ranchi University, Morabadi, Ranchi, India
| | - Shish Pal Poonia
- Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA)-CIMMYT, Patna, India
| | | | - Anup Das
- ICAR Research Complex for Eastern Region, Patana, India
| | | | - Virender Kumar
- International Rice Research Institute, Los Banos, Philippines
| | - Bhagwati Prasad Bhatt
- Natural Resource Management Division, ICAR Krishi Anusandhan Bhawan-II, New Delhi, India
| | - Suresh Kumar Chaudhari
- Natural Resource Management Division, ICAR Krishi Anusandhan Bhawan-II, New Delhi, India
| | - Ram Kanwar Malik
- Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA)-CIMMYT, Patna, India
| | - Andrew McDonald
- Soil and Crop Sciences Section, School of Integrative Plant Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
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Kumar R, Choudhary JS, Naik SK, Mondal S, Mishra JS, Poonia SP, Kumar S, Hans H, Kumar S, Das A, Kumar V, Bhatt BP, Chaudhari SK, Malik RK, Craufurd P, McDonald A, Sherpa SR. Influence of conservation agriculture-based production systems on bacterial diversity and soil quality in rice-wheat-greengram cropping system in eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains of India. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1181317. [PMID: 37485518 PMCID: PMC10356824 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1181317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Conservation agriculture (CA) is gaining attention in the South Asia as an environmentally benign and sustainable food production system. The knowledge of the soil bacterial community composition along with other soil properties is essential for evaluating the CA-based management practices for achieving the soil environment sustainability and climate resilience in the rice-wheat-greengram system. The long-term effects of CA-based tillage-cum-crop establishment (TCE) methods on earthworm population, soil parameters as well as microbial diversity have not been well studied. Methods Seven treatments (or scenarios) were laid down with the various tillage (wet, dry, or zero-tillage), establishment method (direct-or drill-seeding or transplantation) and residue management practices (mixed with the soil or kept on the soil surface). The soil samples were collected after 7 years of experimentation and analyzed for the soil quality and bacterial diversity to examine the effect of tillage-cum-crop establishment methods. Results and Discussion Earthworm population (3.6 times), soil organic carbon (11.94%), macro (NPK) (14.50-23.57%) and micronutrients (Mn, and Cu) (13.25 and 29.57%) contents were appreciably higher under CA-based TCE methods than tillage-intensive farming practices. Significantly higher number of OTUs (1,192 ± 50) and Chao1 (1415.65 ± 14.34) values were observed in partial CA-based production system (p ≤ 0.05). Forty-two (42) bacterial phyla were identified across the scenarios, and Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Firmicutes were the most dominant in all the scenarios. The CA-based scenarios harbor a high abundance of Proteobacteria (2-13%), whereas the conventional tillage-based scenarios were dominated by the bacterial phyla Acidobacteria and Chloroflexi and found statistically differed among the scenarios (p ≤ 0.05). Composition of the major phyla, i.e., Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Firmicutes were associated differently with either CA or farmers-based tillage management practices. Overall, the present study indicates the importance of CA-based tillage-cum-crop establishment methods in shaping the bacterial diversity, earthworms population, soil organic carbon, and plant nutrient availability, which are crucial for sustainable agricultural production and resilience in agro-ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rakesh Kumar
- ICAR Research Complex for Eastern Region, Patna, Bihar, India
| | - Jaipal Singh Choudhary
- ICAR Research Complex for Eastern Region, Farming System Research Centre for Hill and Plateau Region, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India
| | - Sushanta Kumar Naik
- ICAR Research Complex for Eastern Region, Farming System Research Centre for Hill and Plateau Region, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India
| | - Surajit Mondal
- ICAR Research Complex for Eastern Region, Patna, Bihar, India
| | | | - Shish Pal Poonia
- Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA)-CIMMYT, Patna, India
| | - Saurabh Kumar
- ICAR Research Complex for Eastern Region, Patna, Bihar, India
| | - Hansraj Hans
- ICAR Research Complex for Eastern Region, Patna, Bihar, India
| | - Sanjeev Kumar
- ICAR Research Complex for Eastern Region, Patna, Bihar, India
| | - Anup Das
- ICAR Research Complex for Eastern Region, Patna, Bihar, India
| | - Virender Kumar
- International Rice Research Institute, Los Banos, Philippines
| | | | | | - Ram Kanwar Malik
- Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA)-CIMMYT, Patna, India
| | | | - Andrew McDonald
- Soil and Crop Sciences Section, School of Integrative Plant Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
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