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A three-year field experiment was carried out to investigate the methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions and calculate the global warming potential (GWP) according to all energy input in response to the nitrogen (N) rate in the typical rice-wheat rotation system in Jiangsu, China. Four N treatments, including R220W180 (local practice), R220W140 (cutting 10% total N in wheat season), R180W180 (cutting 10% total N in rice season) and R180W140 (cutting 20% total N in rice and wheat seasons separately), were designed in the study. Results showed that annual CH₄ emission was decreased by 25.7% in response to cutting 20% N, which was ascribed to the 24.6% reduction of CH₄ emission in rice season (P < 0.05) compared to local practice. The mitigation of N₂O emissions in R220W140 and R180R180 treatments contributed to the 8.5% and 15.7% decrease in annual N₂O emission, which was the 23.5% decrease in cutting 20% N treatment compared to local practice, respectively. Specifically, under the same amount of N rate condition (10% N cutting), the transfer N from rice season (R220W140) to wheat season (R180W180) led to the 8.5% increase in N₂O emission (P < 0.05). In the end, the cutting of 20% N decreased GWP and yield-scale GWP by 19% and 17%, which mainly originated from CH₄ and N₂O emissions. However, cutting N did not significantly decrease grain yield (P > 0.05). These results suggested that the 180 kg N/ha for rice and 140 kg N/ha for wheat in one rotation season were the beneficial N rate to achieve the co-benefit of yield and GWP in the typical rice-wheat rotation system in Jiangsu, China.

When 2-chloro-6-(trichloromethyl) pyridine (nitrapyrin) is applied alone, it typically does not significantly increase crop yield. Therefore, we combined gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) with nitrapyrin to address the limitations of nitrapyrin in enhancing yield. We conducted indoor incubation experiments and pot experiments in Chernozem and Calcic Kastanozem, respectively. The results demonstrated that GABA exerted an influence on the effectiveness of nitrapyrin by altering its degradation rate. In Chernozem, GABA accelerated nitrapyrin degradation, whereas, in Calcic Kastanozem, the results were the opposite. The pot experiment results showed that the combination of nitrapyrin and GABA increased rice total biomass by 5%, grain yield by 18 ± 2%, and plant nitrogen (N) uptake by 9 ± 1% compared to nitrapyrin applied alone. The increase in yield was attributed to the combined effect of nitrapyrin and GABA, which elevated root biomass and leaf area. In contrast, the effect of GABA on yield through altering the degradation rate of nitrapyrin was weaker. Therefore, the combination of nitrapyrin and GABA combined with urea increases rice yields in Chernozem and Calcic Kastanozem. The aim of this endeavour was to foster the development of a novel fertiliser product that offers both favourable agronomic outcomes and environmental benefits.

Grasslands are the predominant land use type in China, which is currently encountering significant desertification issues. Consequently, restoring grassland vegetation has important implications for terrestrial carbon (C) levels and, consequently, the global C balance. This study focused on Salix cupularis, the primary plant used for desert control on the eastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. We analysed the rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soil up to the depth of 60 cm after Salix cupularis growth for 0–24 years, examining soil total organic carbon (TOC) and its labile fractions. Following restoration, there was a gradual increase in TOC and its labile fractions, with the most significant changes observed in the rhizosphere soil at a depth of 0–20 cm. After 24 years of restoration, the TOC content in both rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soil had increased by 141.74% and 39.44%, respectively. Labile organic C in the rhizosphere soil increased more rapidly and pronouncedly compared with the TOC. Specifically, dissolved organic C and easily oxidised organic C in the rhizosphere soil saw substantial increases of 211.03% and 217.65%, respectively. Meanwhile, compared with the 4 years of restoration, soil C pool management index of the 8–24 years soils increased, ranging from 15.70% to 132.21%. Therefore, long-term vegetation restoration on the eastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau can significantly enhance TOC and its labile fractions, as well as improve soil C sink capacity and quality.

The impact of toxic elements (TEs) contaminating the root zone of Lupinus angustifolius L. on enzymatic activities, nitrification rate, and changes in the root system was evaluated. Lupine was cultivated in a pot experiment using two types of soil – control and contamination (with a high degree of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) contamination). After harvesting lupine biomass, enzyme activities (β-glucosidase, acid phosphatase, arylsulphatase, lipase, chitinase, cellobiohydrolase, alanine aminopeptidase, and leucine aminopeptidase) in soils were analysed. Enzyme activities decreased with TE soil contamination. According to our results, arylsulphatase was found to be the most sensitive soil enzyme to TEs. The nitrification rate is closely related to soil contamination and plant activity, as it stimulates microbial growth and multiplication through root exudates. The close correlations confirmed this relationship (r = 0.73−0.99). An increasing trend in TE contents in the roots was observed with soil contamination. Plant hormones are crucial in regulating root growth and development under stress conditions. The levels of determined phytohormones in our experiment (auxins, abscisic acid (ABA), salicylic acid (SA), and bioactive cytokinins (bCKs)) were lower in the contamination compared to the control. Correlations confirmed a significant negative relationship between the TE content in the roots and the contents of phytohormones (auxins: r = –0.96 to –0.97; ABA: r = –0.83 to –0.86; SA: r = –0.95 to –0.99, bCKs: r = –0.87 to –0.93). The ratios of these hormones (not their absolute values) appear to be the determining factor for regulating root development and protecting plants from oxidative stress.

In this study, Illumina MiSeq sequencing of 16S and ITS2 rRNA genes were used to determine the dynamic changes in bacterial and fungal communities and soil properties and enzyme activities in rhizosphere soil of ginseng under forest after 5, 10 and 15 years of cultivation and different growth stages. Results showed that the changes were particularly prominent in 10-year-old ginseng under forest, and the trends of organic carbon, alkaline hydrolysed nitrogen, and available potassium were extremely similar in different duration of the crop, especially in the middle stage of rapid root growth, when soil nutrient consumption was severe, and soil enzyme activities of rhizosphere were significantly reduced. The observed changes in soil properties and enzyme activities caused by the cultivation duration of the crop and growth stage could be explained by the variations in the microbiome. The microbial composition of 10-year-old ginseng under forest has undergone significant changes, at the genus level, both Acinetobacter bacteria and Kazachstania fungi exhibited a higher abundance; the abundance of Bacillota (Firmicutes), and Candidatus udaeobacter with significantly lower abundance. This study initially revealed the changes in nutrient utilisation of ginseng under forest at different cultivation duration of the crop and different growth stages, as well as the regulatory role played by microbes in this process preliminarily. We consider 10 years to be a critical stage for the long-term cultivation of ginseng in the forest, during which it is more sensitive to environmental factors and may exhibit special dynamic changes affecting its growth and quality. This provides a reference for further precision planting and harvesting of ginseng under the forest.

In this study, three insect-resistant transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) oilseed rape events (GT1, GT5 and GT9) under field conditions were utilised to analyse the dynamics of Cry1Ac protein and the changes in soil enzyme activities in the rhizosphere soil of transgenic Bt plants during different growth stages over two successive cultivation years. The results indicated that compared to the non-transgenic control plant cv. Westar, the amount of Cry1Ac protein in the rhizosphere soil of the three transgenic oilseed rape events was significantly higher during the flowering and podding stages in the first cultivation year. Additionally, in the second cultivation year, transgenic GT1 and GT9 had significantly higher amounts of Cry1Ac protein in the rhizosphere soil during the flowering stage, and all three transgenic oilseed rape events had significantly higher amounts of Cry1Ac protein in the rhizosphere soil during the podding stage. Over the two successive cultivation years, the sucrase activity in the rhizosphere soil of transgenic events showed significant changes during bolting, flowering and podding stages, while all three transgenic events exhibited significant changes in phosphatase activity during the four different stages. Furthermore, different transgenic events showed varying significant changes in urease and protease activities during the bolting, flowering and podding stages of the first year, and all three transgenic events had significant changes in dehydrogenase activities during the four different stages of the second cultivation year. PCA and correlation analysis clearly demonstrated a strong correlation between the Cry1Ac protein and five soil enzyme activities, as well as a close interconnectedness among those five soil enzyme activities. These findings suggest that the amount of insecticidal crystal proteins in the rhizosphere soil of transgenic Bt (Cry1Ac) oilseed rape varies with different growth periods, and the enzyme activities in the rhizosphere soil of transgenic Bt oilseed rape plants undergo significant changes over two successive planting years.

In this paper, I elucidated the influence of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) on wheat cadmium (Cd) tolerance. Research results manifested that Cd stress increased superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase, ascorbate peroxidase and glutathione peroxidase activities, and ascorbic acid (AsA) and glutathione (GSH) contents. However, Cd stress decreased AsA/ dehydroascorbic acid (DHA) and GSH/oxidised glutathione (GSSG) ratios, and inhibited photosynthetic performance and plant growth. Compared to Cd alone, GABA plus Cd improved wheat Cd tolerance by increasing the activities of above antioxidant enzymes, AsA and GSH contents, and AsA/DHA and GSH/GSSG ratios. Meanwhile, compared with Cd alone, GABA plus Cd also enhanced the photosynthetic performance by improving chlorophyll (Chl) and carotenoid (Car) contents and Car/Chl ratio, photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, intercellular carbon dioxide concentration, and Chl fluorescence parameters maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII, photochemical quenching, nonphotochemical quenching and quantum efficiency of PSII photochemistry, which further promoted plant height and biomass. Compared to control, GABA alone also improved above indicators. Current results suggested that GABA can be applied as an anti-cadmium agent in wheat production practice.

Carbohydrate digestive enzymes like α-amylase and α-glucosidase can be used to treat and manage diabetes. By inhibiting these enzymes, carbohydrate digestion slowed down, lowering the level of glucose entry into the bloodstream and preventing postprandial hyperglycemia. However, the effectiveness of current antidiabetic agents is limited due to their adverse effects. Therefore, the current study explored natural inhibitors from the methanol extract of rice to combat this issue. Through an integrated approach, four different rice cultivars were analysed and found that red rice methanol extract compounds stigmasterol and 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid interacted with α-amylase and α-glucosidase. Additionally, further research on stigmasterol directs the structure-activity relationship studies that aid in managing diabetic conditions.

Magnetic fields, as a form of physical energy, exert an influence on biological activities. However, our current understanding of the impact of magnetic fields on wheat yield remains limited. In this study, our objective was to investigate the effects of magnetic field treatment of wheat plants on their yield, root growth, absorption of nitrogen and phosphorus and soil bacterial diversity. The experiments were conducted at two agricultural research stations in China, Zhengzhou and Xuchang. Plants were treated with magnetic fields of 20, 40, 60, and 80 mT induced by permanent magnets for chronic exposure. Untreated plants were considered as controls. Our result showed that soil nutrients were found to have a substantial impact on wheat nitrogen and phosphorus absorption, and wheat nitrogen and phosphorus absorption significantly affected wheat yield. The change in soil nutrient content was caused by the change in soil bacterial community diversity and abundance, and increased soil nutrients increased wheat yield. The results suggest that magnetic field treatment stimulated wheat plant growth and yield, and changed soil nutrient content through improved soil bacterial community diversity and increased soil nitrogen and phosphorous absorption.

This study explored whether and how prohexadione calcium (Pro-Ca) regulated wheat tolerance to drought stress (DS). Findings displayed that DS had significant influence on antioxidant metabolism, water balance and the photosynthesis. DS significantly improved the activity level of enzymatic antioxidants superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX), the contents of non-enzymatic antioxidants ascorbic acid (AsA) and glutathione (GSH), electrolyte leakage (EL), malondialdehyde (MDA), and the contents of osmotic regulatory substances soluble protein (SP), soluble sugars (SS) and proline (Pro), compared with control. Whereas DS significantly reduced transpiration rate (T_r), stomatal conductance (g_s) and relative water content (RWC), photosynthetic pigments chlorophyll and carotenoid contents, net photosynthetic rate (P_n), maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII (F_v/F_m), plant height and biomass. Compared to DS, Pro-Ca plus DS significantly promoted the antioxidant metabolism by improving the activity level of SOD, CAT, POD and APX and increasing AsA and GSH contents, which in turn reduced MDA content and EL. In addition, Pro-Ca plus DS significantly maintained water balance by promoting the accumulation of osmolytes SP, SS and Pro, which in turn increased RWC, T_r and g_s. Pro-Ca plus DS also significantly promoted photosynthesis by increasing the contents of the above photosynthetic pigments, P_n and F_v/F_m, thereby promoting plant growth. These findings indicated that Pro-Ca was a potential agent to improve wheat tolerance under water deficit.

Lactic acid has gained considerable attention globally due to its multi-purpose application. Commercial lactic acid production uses the fungal species Rhizopus oryzae, which produces other organic acids. A crucial point of effective fungal organic acid production is matching the fungal strains’ requirements, where the carbon source plays a major role. The highest production rate is achieved when glucose is used as a carbon source. Alternatively, we can apply carbon-rich agricultural residues as carbon sources. Using agricultural waste for lactic acid production provides a sustainable and cost-effective feedstock but also helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by diverting waste from landfills and decreasing reliance on fossil fuels. Moreover, polylactic acid (PLA) produced from lactic acid monomers can occur in numerous agricultural applications. We should delve deeper into sustainable methods of using carbon residues to recycle waste, foster the circular economy, and advance sustainable agriculture. Therefore, there is a need for further research on the commercial use of agricultural and food industry wastes for lactic acid production.

Joint field experiments were established in Southwestern Germany to investigate the potential of herbicide savings on-farm sites with high densities of problematic weed species. From 2020 until 2024, 21 field studies were conducted in maize, soybean and winter wheat, all realised as randomised complete block designs with four replications. Mechanical weeding and two combined chemical with mechanical weeding methods were compared to conventional broadcast pre- and post-emergence herbicide spraying and an untreated control. Weed density, herbicide savings, greenhouse gas emissions and crop yield were determined for all treatments. On average, 142 weeds/m² were counted in the untreated plots. The most frequent weed species were Chenopodium album, Echinochloa crus-galli, Solanum nigrum, Stellaria media, and Veronica persica. Combined chemical with mechanical weed control in soybean and winter wheat was more effective than chemical and mechanical weed control alone. In maize, the combination of hoeing and herbicide application achieved equal weed control efficacy (WCE) as chemical weeding alone. Hoeing removed less intra-row weeds than inter-row weeds. Hoeing and harrowing had low WCE against Chenopodium album and perennial weed species. Combined treatments reduced herbicide use by 24–60% in relation to conventional herbicide treatments. Mechanical and combined weed control achieved equal yield as the conventional herbicide treatment. This study underlines the potential for herbicide savings by integrating mechanical weed control methods.

Chemical additives can reduce ammonia emissions from ammonium-containing fertilisers. We aimed to investigate the effect of an additive based on carboxylic acid derivatives on ammonia emissions from slurry. In a randomised multi-plot field trial, three slurry treatments with increasing amounts of the additive based on carboxylic acid derivates were tested in comparison to untreated slurry and mineral fertiliser. Ammonia emissions were measured with so-called passive samplers, a method already used in numerous studies. However, problems arose during the evaluation of the collected data, so we examined the methodology used in more detail. The results of the measurements were analysed with regard to their spatial distribution and temporal variation. The results show that the more additives were used, the less ammonia was emitted, up to an emission reduction of 48% at the highest additive application rate. However, the spatial distribution of ammonia emissions reveals a drift of ammonia and, thus, an interaction between the plots. Thus, even in unfertilised plots, ammonia emissions of up to 50% of the treatment with the highest emissions were determined. Furthermore, it was also proven that the different times at which the slurry was applied influenced the level of ammonia emissions. Due to the interaction between the plots and the temporal differences in the application of the slurry, measuring ammonia emissions with passive samplers in multi-plot field trials, as presented in this study, is not suitable to quantify differences between the ammonia emissions from different treatments. Based on these results, recommendations for the use of passive samplers to measure ammonia emissions in field trials are proposed.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of continuous application of rice straw and biochar for 10 years on soil humus composition and structure in paddy soil. A 10-year field experiment was conducted in a paddy field and included three treatments: rice straw biochar (SC); rice straw (RS), no biochar or rice straw. The elemental analyser, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrum, and three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix (3D EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy with fluorescence regional integration (FRI) analysis were used to study the soil humus composition and structure under different treatments. The results verified that the incorporation of rice straw and biochar significantly improved soil pH values and the soil organic carbon contents compared with the control. Rice straw significantly increased the contents of extractable humus, humic acid (HA) and fulvic acid in soil, while biochar only significantly affected HA and humic degree values. The molecular structure of HA affected by biochar is characterised by high humification and aromaticity, but rice straw increased the aliphaticity of the HA structure, as presented by elemental composition. Moreover, 3D EEM spectroscopy combined with FRI analysis showed that RS treatment formed soil humus had more aliphatic compounds, while SC treatment increased the aromatic components of humus. These results suggest that rice straw promotes the renewal of humus, and biochar enhances the humification degree of humus and the aromaticity of HA.

Standard roses are a widely used ornamental plant in urban landscapes, valued for their attractive flowers and adaptability to various environmental conditions. This study investigated how different substrate types affect the growth and development of standard roses and their potential to improve the ecology of urban landscapes. Nine substrate conditions (rotted corn stover, decomposed shiitake mushroom residue, perlite, and combinations) were compared with field soil as a control treatment. The physical and chemical characteristics of each substrate were analysed, and the growth and development of standard rose plants were observed over six months. The results indicated that the substrate T4 (70% rotted corn stover, 15% decomposed shiitake mushroom residue, 15% perlite) achieved the highest evaluation index, leading to superior plant growth compared to other substrates. This combination provided optimal water retention, aeration, and nutrient supply, making it the most effective substrate for cultivating standard roses. Additionally, the use of these substrates can improve soil quality and reduce environmental pollution, offering a sustainable option for urban landscape management.

Polyphenols and carotenoids are important bioactive compounds in potato tuber. Knowledge of these features makes it possible to select cultivars for cultivation, consumption, and processing with desirable properties. For this purpose, the content of polyphenols and carotenoids in edible potato tubers from different countries was analysed. The research material consisted of eight cultivars, including one light yellow – Eurostar, two with red flesh – Rote Emmalie and Herbie 26 and five cultivars with purple flesh – Provita, Salad Blue, Blue Annelise, Vitelotte Noire and Bora Valley. They were cultivated in a three-year, single-factor field experiment. The content of polyphenols in the analysed cultivars ranged from 165.0 to 283.8 mg/kg of fresh weight and depended on the cultivar, year of research and cultivar-year interactions. The highest average amounts of these compounds were noted in the Herbie 26, Rote Emmalie and Vitelotte Noire cultivars. The content of carotenoids ranged from 1.122 to 3.173 mg/kg of fresh weight and depended significantly on the cultivar, weather conditions in the years of the study and the interaction of cultivars with years. The highest amounts of carotenoids were determined in the purple-fleshed cultivars Blaue Annelise and Vitelotte Noire and the red-fleshed cultivar Rote Emmalie.

Corn poppy (Papaver rhoeas L.) is one of the most problematic weed species, mainly in rainfed Moroccan and Tunisian cereal crops. The overuse of acetolactate synthase (ALS) inhibiting and/or auxinic herbicides led to the spread of corn poppies resistant to both chemical families in this region. In order to identify and understand the selection drivers of resistance, appropriate characterisation of the resistance profile is necessary. Two experiments were carried out: biological sensitivity tests with ALS inhibiting herbicides (tribenuron-methyl and florasulam) and auxinic herbicides (2,4-d) were carried out with populations sampled in the field where the herbicide failure was observed. Bioassay tests confirmed resistance in all studied populations with an average frequency of 75.13, 30.81, 33.17 and 11.52% with tribenuron, florasulam, 2,4-d and florasulam + 2,4-d, respectively. Corn poppy sampled from both countries exhibited similar frequencies within populations for each tested herbicide. The molecular analysis was conducted with next-generation sequencing (Illumina), allowing massive, precise and rapid sequencing regions of the ALS gene carrying resistance codons. Using this technology, ALS mutant alleles were found in all populations at frequencies ranging from 1.4% to 63.3%, with an average of 16.7%. This study highlights the need to elucidate resistance mechanisms to understand herbicide responses and develop effective strategies for managing resistant corn poppy in rainfed cereals as an essential step to maintain the effectiveness of these molecules as long as possible.

Drought stress severely impairs seed germination and early seedling establishment, and disrupts the uptake and distribution of essential mineral nutrients in plants. This study investigated the effects of polyethylene glycol (PEG)-simulated drought and Na2SeO3 application on the accumulation and redistribution of phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), sulphur (S), magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and manganese (Mn) in wheat roots and shoots. Under PEG-simulated drought, increasing PEG concentrations resulted in a progressive decline in nutrient concentrations in both roots and shoots, with significant reductions in K, Ca, S, Zn, and Mn in roots, and K, Ca, Mg, and Mn in shoots. However, Na₂SeO₃ application mitigated these adverse effects by enhancing nutrient redistribution during early seedling growth. Specifically, under 15% PEG-simulated drought stress, Na₂SeO₃ treatments significantly increased shoot K, Mg, Fe, and Cu concentrations, highlighting selenium’s role in facilitating the translocation of these key elements. These results demonstrate that Na₂SeO₃ effectively mitigates drought-related nutrient imbalances and promotes ion remobilisation from germinating seeds to developing roots and shoots under water-deficient conditions.

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is an economically significant food crop in China, and increasing tuber yield is a national priority. We conducted a meta-analysis utilising 180 studies and 1 583 pairs of observations to quantify the effects of fertilisation on potato tuber yield using data on climate, soil nutrients, and planting strategies. Compared with no fertilisation, fertilisation increased tuber yield by 33.64% overall. Applying single N, P, or K fertilisers increased yield by 33.64, 23.37, and 16.18%, respectively; combined NP, NK, and PK applications increased yield by 33.64, 36.34, and 19.12%, respectively. The greatest yield increase (49.18%) was achieved when NPK fertilisers were applied together. Average annual precipitation had the strongest effect on tuber yield, followed by cultivar identity and the availability of soil potassium. Under appropriate fertilisation regimes, tailoring planting strategies to local climate and soil nutrient status can maximise potato yield and improve economic returns. These findings have implications for future potato cultivation in China.

Improved soil properties are commonly reported benefits of adding biochar to agriculture soils. To investigate the range of biochar's effects on soil chemical properties (e.g., soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC), cation exchange capacity (CEC), soil organic carbon (SOC), soil total carbon (TC), and soil carbon-nitrogen ratio (C:N ratio)) in response to varied experimental conditions, a meta-analysis was conducted on previously published results. The results showed that the effect of biochar on soil chemical properties varied depending on management conditions, soil properties, biochar pyrolysis conditions, and biochar properties. The effect size (Hedges'd) of the biochar was greatest for SOC (0.50), the C:N ratio of soil (0.44), soil pH (0.39), TC (0.35), EC (0.21), and CEC (0.20). Among the various factors examined by aggregated boosted tree analysis, the effects of biochar on soil chemical properties were largely explained by the biochar application rate, initial soil pH, and soil sand content. In conclusion, our study suggests that improving soil chemical properties by adding biochar not only requires consideration of biochar application rates and chemical properties but also the local soil environmental factors, especially soil initial pH and sand content of the soil, should be considered.

A ¹⁵N-labelling technique was carried out to investigate the effect of wheat straw co-application with Bacillus nealsonii, Cohnella, and Paenibacillus lautus on N uptake and assimilation in Diospyros lotus. Wheat straw combined with Bacillus increased the plant height, biomass accumulation, photosynthetic capacity, and uptake of ¹⁵N by roots, with ¹⁵N accumulating mainly in leaves of D. lotus. The NO₃^–-N content in roots and leaves were decreased by wheat straw co-application with Bacillus, whereas NH₄⁺-N, soluble protein, and total N contents were increased. Wheat straw addition promoted the activities of nitrate reductase, glutamine synthase and glutamate synthase in roots rather than in leaves. These N assimilation enzymatic activities, and glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase and glutamic pyruvic transaminase activities were markedly increased by wheat straw combined with Bacillus. Moreover, the combined application of wheat straw and Bacillus, particularly B. nealsonii, improved the N use efficiency. These findings suggest that the combined application of wheat straw and Bacillus improved D. lotus growth by increasing N uptake, metabolism, and utilisation efficiency.

Our objectives were to characterise arable weeds of the Czech and Slovak Republic in cereals, especially considering important groups of species: thermophilic, weedy grasses, and rare and endangered species. The three-year phytocoenological survey was conducted from 2006 to 2008 in five climatic regions and eight different soil types. 379 relevés were recorded, and 281 weed species were found. The effects of both the climatic region and soil type were found to be statistically significant. Species richness increased with altitude. Several species were distinctly associated with soil type, from fertile chernozems to less fertile cambisols, while fluvisols were strongly associated with e.g. Calystegia sepium (L.) R. Br. The incidence of species outside their expected regions generally fit two categories: the most pervasive weeds found almost in all climate regions, such as Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) P. Beauv., or rare weeds in higher altitudes than expected, such as Lolium temulentum L. Rare and endangered species were more likely to be found in a colder climate and poorer soils, and this is linked to less intensive management; however, not all endangered arable species can tolerate such conditions. Even though this data is not recently collected, this is still valuable information on the distribution of weedy species, especially concerning the current interest in maintaining biodiversity.

Today, there is widespread concern about the potential health effects on populations from consuming contaminated leafy plants and vegetables. In this study, heavy metal content is present in commonly consumed leafy plants (Atriplex hortensis, Spinacia oleracea, Urtica dioica, Beta vulgaris, and Brassica oleracea) from the mining area near Tuzla in Bosnia and Herzegovina was determined. After the preparation of the samples by wet digestion with HNO3, the flame and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry was used. According to the results, the lowest concentration in leafy plants was obtained for Cr 0.08 mg/kg (Brassica oleracea) and the highest for Fe 539.15 mg/kg (Spinacia oleracea). The novelty of this study was to estimate health risk assessment for selected leafy plants. The estimated daily intake (EDI) of Pb, Mn, Zn, and Cd from consuming leafy plants was higher than the maximum tolerated daily intake. For adults, the total target hazard quotient (THQ) calculated based on EDI of the heavy metals was found to be > 1 for Pb and Cd due to all leafy plant consumption and for the children risk level of THQ was observed for most heavy metals. The hazard index due to the intake of toxic metals from ingesting leafy plants was much > 1. According to the total carcinogenic risk index for adults and children, the carcinogenic risks for all samples were higher than the tolerable range. Based on the results of this study, there is a significant non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risk to the population associated with the consumption of leafy plants cultivated in the mining area.

Drought is an important agricultural problem worldwide, which seriously affects the growth and yield of crops. To explore the effects of different degrees of drought on the soluble sugar content of soybeans, this study measured the soluble sugar content of two soybean cultivars at three growth stages under four levels of drought stress. The results showed that drought stress significantly affected the soluble sugar content, and there were differences among different growth stages and cultivars. At the seedling and flowering stages, the sucrose content of both Heinong44 and Heinong65 showed an unimodal trend and reached the maximum value at moderate drought. The increase rate was the highest in the leaves at the flowering stage, which increased by 36.18% and 25.79% compared with CK, respectively. The fructose and glucose contents were the highest during severe drought, and the fructose content increased the most in the leaves at the seedling stage, which increased by 18.05% and 17.67% compared with CK, respectively. The glucose content increased the most in the petioles at the flowering stage, reaching 40.66% and 35.24%. At the pod-filling stage, the three sugar contents of both Heinong44 and Heinong65 were the lowest at severe drought, and the sucrose and fructose contents decreased the most in the petioles, which decreased by 21.66% and 23.94%, 12.58% and 13.49% compared with CK, respectively. The glucose content decreased the most in the stems, which decreased by 11.72% and 9.66%. In addition, at each growth stage and drought treatment, the ratio of the soluble sugar content of Heinong44 was higher than that of Heinong65.

Alfalfa is an important leguminous plant, yield and quality depend on the growing environment, while effects of drought and heat stress on alfalfa leaves are unknown. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of exogenous ascorbic acid (AsA) on photosynthesis, chlorophyll fluorescence, and xanthophyll cycle in alfalfa leaves subject to under drought and heat stress. The results suggest that drought and heat stress caused decreases in the net photosynthetic rate (P_n) in alfalfa leaves, but stomatal conductance (g_s), transpiration rate (T_r), and intercellular CO₂ concentration (c_i) were increased. The application of AsA could alleviate these changes to some extent. Besides, the decreased photosystem II (PSII) maximum photochemical efficiency (F_v/F_m) and violaxanthin (V) contents and significantly increased non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) levels. The increased NPQ corresponds to the de-epoxidation state (DPS) of xanthophyll pigments. In the AsA-pretreated alfalfa plants, the F_v/F_m and the NPQ were elevated, indicating that AsA could alleviate the adverse effects on photosynthesis induced by this stress. The violaxanthin de-epoxidase (VDE) enzyme activity was inhibited by drought and heat stress, and AsA significantly increased VDE enzymatic activity on the 2^nd and 8^th days. In summary, photoinhibition of PSII occurred in alfalfa leaves under drought and heat stress, resulting in decreased photosynthetic activity. Exogenous AsA can enhance the photosynthetic capacity of the plant, and enhance the drought and heat resistance of alfalfa.

To supply more insights into the roles of putrescine (Put) in alleviating salt stress in wheat crops, we explored the effects of Put on ascorbate (ASC) and glutathione metabolism, photosynthetic performance, and ion homeostasis in leaves of salt-stressed wheat seedlings. Our results displayed that salt stress increased the activities of enzymes in ASC and glutathione metabolism, including ascorbate peroxidase, dehydroascorbate reductase, monodehydroascorbate reductase, glutathione reductase, gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase, and l-galactono-1,4-lactone dehydrogenase, which increased reduced ascorbate (AsA), dehydroascorbate (DHA), reduced glutathione (GSH), oxidised glutathione (GSSG), total ASC and total glutathione contents. Whereas, salt stress induced higher increases in the contents of DHA and GSSG than those of AsA and GSH, which led to reduced AsA/DHA and GSH/GSSG. Meanwhile, salt stress reduced photosynthetic rate (P_n), maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII (F_v/F_m), and the contents of chlorophyll and carotenoids, and destroyed Na⁺/K⁺ homeostasis, which further inhibited plant growth. In comparison with salt stress alone, Put strengthened the activities of the above enzymes, which further increased the above metabolites contents, as well as AsA/DHA and GSH/GSSG in leaves of salt-treated seedlings. In this way, Put reduced malondialdehyde content and electrolyte leakage. Besides, Put also increased P_n, F_v/F_m, and above pigments contents, and maintained Na⁺/K⁺ homeostasis. Meanwhile, Put increased plant height and biomass of salt-treated seedlings. The present findings clearly implied that Put enhanced salt tolerance of wheat crops by strengthening ASC and glutathione metabolism, photosynthetic performance, and maintaining ion homeostasis in leaves. Therefore, Put can be applied to strengthen the salt tolerance of wheat crops in production and cultivation.

Changing political demands requires the search for alternatives to glyphosate, which has often been used in the stale seedbed method. In three field trials between 2020 and 2023, three electrophysical treatments (XPower System, Zasso®) differing in speed, three mechanical treatments (disc harrow, rotary harrow, cultivator) and three chemical treatments (glyphosate, maleic hydrazide, pelargonic acid + maleic hydrazide) were evaluated concerning the efficacy and economic performance in stale seedbed method in Alopecurus myosuroides control. Process costs for each treatment were calculated. Furthermore, the maximum investment costs for the XPower system were calculated to be on the same level as the other treatments. In all treatments, the density of A. myosuroides in autumn was significantly lower than in the control. In general, the fewest plants and heads were found in the chemical treatments. Despite the lower plant density, the electrophysical method did not show a significant difference in the number of heads compared to the untreated control, especially at higher speeds. Calculated process costs ranged between
40 €/ha (glyphosate) and 430 €/ha (pelargonic acid + maleic hydrazide). To be economically comparable with the other treatments, the investment of the XPower should be at maximum between – 219 000 € (glyphosate) and 300 000 € (pelargonic acid + maleic acid), depending on the driving speed. In a holistic view, electrophysical control, as well as pelargonic acid and maleic hydrazide as glyphosate alternatives in the stale seedbed method, are not suitable. A stale seedbed with mechanical control of A. myosuroides is recommended.

Long-term field experiments provide a valuable dataset for predicting changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks in different agricultural systems. The RothC-26.3 model was used to simulate changes in SOC in the monoculture of spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and the Norfolk crop rotation during 1972–2100. The potential of the Gleyic Fluvisol Clayic to sequester organic carbon was investigated. The studied soil was heavily textured, with medium organic carbon content. Four management scenarios in the monoculture and six management scenarios in the Norfolk crop rotation were evaluated. Three different global climate models (MPI, MRI, CMSS) representing the uncertainty of future climate conditions were used. Results showed that carbon stocks were mainly influenced by plant residue inputs and exogenous organic materials application. The projection showed trends of carbon stocks decreasing in the case of monoculture management. Results also documented that management scenario D with straw incorporation and intercrops represented sustainability and carbon stock increase during all modelled climate scenarios. The SOC stock at the end of the century was approximately 66 t/ha. This represents a moderate sequestration of SOC of approximately 0.09 t/ha/year.

This work aims to differentiate the rural land of Slovakia in view of the possibility of effective sunflower growing. The differentiation is based on pedo-climatic and production-economic parameters. Soil categorisation took into account the correlation between the site properties (soil and climatic conditions) and the biological and agrotechnical requirements of the crops. Sunflower requirements were included in yield databases using software filters such that a given site property excluded or limited sunflower growing, which was reflected in predicted production. The prediction was subsequently interpolated into four suitability categories: soils unsuitable for sunflower growing, less suitable soils, suitable soils and very suitable soils. A map of categories of soil suitability for sunflower growing was created using a Geographic Information System on the distribution of soil parameters in Slovakia. According to our calculation in Slovakia, 18.8% of farmland is very suitable for sunflower growing, 24.9% is suitable, 16.6% is less suitable, and 39.7% is unsuitable for sunflower growing. These categories are characterised and specified in detail in the paper in terms of geographical, soil, climatic, production and economic parameters. The analysis of the actual sowing of sunflowers between 2018 and 2021 showed that 51% of the areas were located in very suitable soils, 32% in suitable, 10% in less suitable soils and 7% in unsuitable soils for cultivation.

Crop residue management and water saving are the two major issues for the sustainability of the rice-wheat cropping system. Therefore, a two-year field experiment was conducted in a split-plot design to study the combined effect of three rice residues (residue incorporation (RI), residue standing (RS) and residue removal (RR) and two wheat residue incorporation (WI) and residue removal (WR) management in main plots and two irrigation regimes, i.e., flood (F) and surface drip (SD) in subplots on the growth and water productivity of direct seeded rice (DSR). During both years, RI-WI resulted in significantly higher plant height (PH), leaf area index (LAI) and dry matter accumulation (DMA) than in other residue management treatments. Drip irrigation significantly increased PH, LAI, DMA grain yield, straw, and biological yield, along with a 9.6% irrigation water savings over flood irrigation. During both years, grain yield, straw and biological yield of DSR were significantly higher in RI-WI than in RR-WR and RR-WI. RI-WI had significantly greater apparent water productivity (AWP) and actual water productivity (RWP) of DSR. Drip irrigation had significantly higher AWP and RWP during both years than flood irrigation except RWP during 2017. Transpiration efficiency (TE) in rice residue incorporation was significantly higher than in rice residue standing and removal. During both years, the TE of drip irrigation was also significantly higher than flood irrigation. So, incorporating rice and wheat residues along with drip irrigation improves crop growth and water productivity.