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Innovative Technologies & Approaches in Agro-Ecosystems
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Innovative Technologies & Approaches in Agro-Ecosystems

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant–Soil Interactions".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 August 2023) | Viewed by 20028

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Gabrijel Ondrasek

E-Mail Website1 Website2 Website3
Guest Editor
Department of Soil Amelioration, Faculty of Agriculture University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Interests: biopolymers; agroecosystems; sustainable soil and water management; salinization; salt stress; trace elements; Cd soil-plant transfer
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Olga Panfilova

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Russian Research Institute of Fruit Crop Breeding (VNIISPK), Zhilina, Orel District, 302530 Orel Region, Russia
Interests: horticulture, apple, red currant, black currant, strawberry, raspberry, breeding, adaptation, plant physiology, biochemistry, plant anatomy, plant morphology, agricultural technology, plant introduction, drought resistance, heat resistance, winter hardiness
Dr. Sebastián Meier Romero

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
INIA Carillanca, Temuco, Vilcun, Araucania, Chile
Interests: Soil science and plant nutrition, soil management, environmental sciences
Dr. Alex Seguel Fuentealba

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Scientífic and Technological Bioresourse Núcleus - BIOREN / Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile
Interests: Plant-mycorrhizal interactions, Soil Science, Al tolerance, P deficiency and biotechnology applied to agricultural crops

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The transition to the adaptive intensification of crop production focuses the development of agriculture on resource and energy efficiency, environmental safety, and profitability. Competitive technologies are the basis for the innovative development of the domestic market for products and services. They ensure the transition to a highly productive and environmentally friendly agro-economy, the development and implementation of systems for the rational use of chemical and biological protection of crops and animals, storage and efficient processing of products, and the production of safe, high-quality, and functional food. Thanks to the accumulated scientific and practical results, the exploitation of innovative technologies and solutions is rapidly increasing in different spheres of human activities, including agroecosystems (plant and animal food production). Competitive technologies in crop production will ensure the formation of high production potential and the management of its optimal implementation with minimal financial and material costs for specific agroecological aspects. New accelerated breeding technologies are being developed to create stable and highly productive genomes. The use of predictive breeding makes it possible to combine information on natural and climatic conditions with agrotechnology and imposes it on genomic-level research. Adapting specific agro-technical/-technological measures can enable a wide spectrum of land, water, crop, and livestock management solutions (e.g., conservation, organic, integrative, or free-range farming) to control and avoid harmful impacts on (Agri)ecosystems. Targeted applications of agrochemicals in novel forms and some advanced solutions (e.g., nano-fertilizers/minerals, nano-pesticides, nano-filtration of greywater) have emerged as promising strategies and alternatives to alleviate environmental constraints (water stress, nutrient deficiencies) and increase food production under different (a)biotic conditions. The detection and monitoring of key constraints and stressors in (agro)ecosystems have become instant and accurate due to advanced probes integrated with remote-sensing and IoT solutions. This ensures inputs for big data operations, which can output modeled scenarios (supported by artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms) in different climate change conditions. Therefore, multidisciplinary approaches to address challenges in the food sector will most likely provide more sustainable and proactive solutions for agroecosystems in the future.

All types of manuscripts are welcome, with topics covered in this Special Issue including, but not being limited to, the following keywords.

Prof. Dr. Gabrijel Ondrasek
Dr. Olga Panfilova
Dr. Sebastián Meier Romero
Dr. Alex Seguel Fuentealba
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 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

  • Land and water management
  • Crop and livestock production
  • Plant protection
  • Pest management
  • Bioengineering
  • Biotechnology
  • Breeding and genetics
  • Remote sensing
  • Applied statistics
  • Modeling approaches
  • Artificial intelligence
  • Machine learning
  • Experimental & applied plant science
  • Plant biogeography
  • Plant taxonomy
  • Ecology
  • Phytocenology
  • Agroecosystem
  • Bioengineering
  • Agrotechnology
  • Genetics
  • Physiology
  • Ecophysiology
  • Biochemistry
  • Storage biochemistry
  • Big-data mining
  • Modeling
  • Machine learning

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 598 KiB  
Article
The Features of Potassium Dynamics in ‘Soil–Plant’ System of Sour Cherry Orchard
by Tatyana Roeva, Elena Leonicheva, Larisa Leonteva, Oksana Vetrova and Margarita Makarkina
Plants 2023, 12(17), 3131; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/plants12173131 - 31 Aug 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1299
Abstract
This research aimed to study interannual and seasonal dynamics of different potassium compounds in orchard soil and the potassium status of sour cherry trees affected by the application of nitrogen and potash fertilizers. Afield experiment was started in 2017 at an orchard located [...] Read more.
This research aimed to study interannual and seasonal dynamics of different potassium compounds in orchard soil and the potassium status of sour cherry trees affected by the application of nitrogen and potash fertilizers. Afield experiment was started in 2017 at an orchard located in the forest-steppe zone of the Central Russian upland. Urea and potassium sulfate were applied to the soil once a year in early spring with rates from N30K40 to N120K160 kg/ha. The content of exchangeable and water-soluble potassium compounds was determined in soil samples five times throughout the growing season from May to September 2018–2020. The content of non-exchangeable potassium was determined twice, in 2017 and 2020. The interannual and seasonal dynamics of plant-available potash in unfertilized soil depended on the weather patterns and the uptake of potassium by trees. In the unfertilized plots, the first signs of potassium nutrition insufficiency appeared, such as low leaf and fruit potassium status and a decrease in the non-exchangeable potassium reserves in the20–40 cm soil layer. The annual fertilization led to the gradual accumulation of exchangeable potassium in the root zone. The accumulation was accelerated with increasing rates. When the exchangeable potassium level in the topsoil reached 200 mg/kg, the intensification of both the seasonal fluctuations in potash content and the potash leaching into the depths of the soil occurred in all treatments. In the conditions of our experiment, one-time treatments with superfluous potassium rates (over 80 kg/ha) did not provide an enlarged stock of plant-available potash in the soil but caused unreasonable losses of it due to leaching. An increase in fertilizer rates was not essential for normal metabolic processes and did not manifest itself as an increase in potassium content in leaves and fruits or as an increase in yield. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Technologies & Approaches in Agro-Ecosystems)
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17 pages, 4638 KiB  
Article
Role of Agricultural Management in the Provision of Ecosystem Services in Warm Climate Vineyards: Functional Prediction of Genes Involved in Nutrient Cycling and Carbon Sequestration
by Rafael Alcalá-Herrera, Beatriz Moreno, Martin Aguirrebengoa, Silvia Winter, Ana Belén Robles-Cruz, María Eugenia Ramos-Font and Emilio Benítez
Plants 2023, 12(3), 527; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/plants12030527 - 23 Jan 2023
Viewed by 1917
Abstract
(1) Background: Maintaining soil fertility and crop productivity using natural microbial diversity could be a feasible approach for achieving sustainable development in agriculture. In this study, we compared soils from vineyards under organic and conventional management by predicting functional profiles through metagenomic analysis [...] Read more.
(1) Background: Maintaining soil fertility and crop productivity using natural microbial diversity could be a feasible approach for achieving sustainable development in agriculture. In this study, we compared soils from vineyards under organic and conventional management by predicting functional profiles through metagenomic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene. (2) Methods: The structure, diversity and predictive functions of soil bacteria related to the biogeochemical cycle of the soil were analyzed, including oxidative and hydrolytic C-cycling enzymes, N-cycling enzymes and P-cycling enzymes. The inter-row spontaneous vegetation in the organic vineyards was also characterized. (3) Results: A clear effect of the farming system (organic vs. conventional) and cover management (herbicides plus tillage, mowing only and mowing plus tillage) on bacterial beta diversity and predicted functions was evidenced. While conventional viticulture increased the potential capacity of the soil to regulate the cycling of inorganic forms of N, organic viticulture in general enhanced those functions involving organic N, P and C substrates. Although the soil bacterial community responded differently to contrasting soil management strategies, nutrient cycling and carbon sequestration functions remained preserved, suggesting a high bacterial functional redundancy in the soil in any case. However, most of the predicted bacterial functions related to soil organic matter turnover were enhanced by organic management. (4) Conclusions: We posit the potential for organic viticulture to adequately address climate change adaptation in the context of sustainable agriculture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Technologies & Approaches in Agro-Ecosystems)
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14 pages, 1379 KiB  
Article
Spore-Trapping Device: An Efficient Tool to Manage Fungal Diseases in Winter Wheat Crops
by Oksana Kremneva, Roman Danilov, Ksenia Gasiyan and Artem Ponomarev
Plants 2023, 12(2), 391; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/plants12020391 - 14 Jan 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1582
Abstract
Leaf airborne diseases cause major shortfalls in agricultural crops. The introduction of technical means can significantly improve early-warning systems for plant diseases as well as provide timely and accurate forecasts. In this paper, we aim to evaluate the possibilities of detecting a phytopathogenic [...] Read more.
Leaf airborne diseases cause major shortfalls in agricultural crops. The introduction of technical means can significantly improve early-warning systems for plant diseases as well as provide timely and accurate forecasts. In this paper, we aim to evaluate the possibilities of detecting a phytopathogenic infection using a spore-catching device developed at the Federal Research Center of Biological Plant Protection (FRCBPP) on winter wheat varieties of different levels of susceptibility to major economically important leaf diseases, taking into account climatic conditions. The device captures spores in the surface layer of air among crop plants. We conducted research in the experimental fields of FRCBPP in 2019–2021. The objects of the study were four cultivars of winter wheat. They were selected according to the degree of resistance to various leaf diseases. We studied the progress of wheat diseases according to generally accepted international scales the onset of the first manifestations to their maximum development. We studied the aerogenic infection in wheat crops using the FRCBPP developed portable device for determining the infestation of plants. Sampling was carried out in the same period as the visual assessment. The samples were taken in the crops of each variety at five points. The sampling time was one minute. As a result of research on experimental crops of four varieties of winter wheat, we observed the development of such diseases as powdery mildew (Erysiphe graminis), yellow spot (Pyrenophora tritici-repentis), septoria leaf spot (Septoria tritici), yellow (Puccinia striiformis) and brown rust (Puccinia triticina). In a laboratory study of samples under a light microscope, all of the listed pathogens were found except for septoria leaf spot. Two-way analysis of variance confirmed the statistically significant separate and cumulative influence of the cultivar and year factor on winter wheat diseases. A generalized correlation analysis for three growing seasons (2019–2021) showed that an average statistically significant correlation coefficient (0.5–0.6) remains for the total groups for powdery mildew, yellow and brown rust. This indicator for the causative agent of yellow spot was equal to 0.4 with a high level of statistical significance. Thus, we conclude that by using a spore-catching device, it is possible to identify spores of economically significant pathogens in winter wheat crops and predict the further development of pathogens, taking into account the cultivar and annual climate factors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Technologies & Approaches in Agro-Ecosystems)
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14 pages, 1097 KiB  
Article
Production and Biological Assessment of VNIISPK Cultivars of Various Ploidy for the Zone of Temperate Continental Climate
by Nina Krasova, Zoya Ozherelieva, Anna Galasheva and Maksim Lupin
Plants 2022, 11(20), 2770; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/plants11202770 - 19 Oct 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1053
Abstract
Increasing the reliability of fruit crops in unstable weather conditions of a temperate continental climate has become particularly relevant. This research was carried out based on a bioresource collection from the Russian Research Institute of Fruit Crop Breeding (VNIISPK BRC). Apple cultivars (diploids [...] Read more.
Increasing the reliability of fruit crops in unstable weather conditions of a temperate continental climate has become particularly relevant. This research was carried out based on a bioresource collection from the Russian Research Institute of Fruit Crop Breeding (VNIISPK BRC). Apple cultivars (diploids and triploids) of different maturation periods were studied. Triploid cultivars (3×) of summer maturation were developed using diploid gametes of the ‘Papirovka tetraploid’ cultivar as a donor (2-4-4-4×), triploids of winter maturation were developed using 13-6-106 (Suvorovetz: open pollination), and ‘Wealthy tetraploid’ (2-4-4-4×) or ‘Giant Spy’ (2-4-4-4×) were used as donors of diploid gametes. ‘Antonovka’ and ‘Melba’ were taken as control cultivars. The aim of this work was to evaluate the apple breeding cultivars according to the main economic and biological indicators and to determine the threshold of resistance to unfavorable conditions of the winter period for possible cultivation in specific conditions of a temperate continental climate. As a result of using the method of modeling damaging factors, apple cultivars that withstood not only the critical temperatures of January, but also especially dangerous frosts after thaws at the end of winter were identified, with the stability of vital tissues at the level of ‘Antonovka’ (a control cultivar), scab immune cultivars (RVi6) ‘Ivanovskoye’, ‘Zdorovie’ and ‘Pamyati Hitrovo’, and immune triploids (3×) ‘Vavilovskoye’, ‘Aleksandr Boyko’, Rozhdestvenskoye’ and ‘Academic Saveliev’. During the whole winter, the winter resistance of summer scab immune triploids, ‘Zhilinskoye’, ‘Maslovskoye’, ‘Yablochny Spas’ and ‘Spasskoye’, was at the level of ‘Antonovka’, but was higher than ‘Melba’. The high precocity of scab-immune cultivars, ’Afrodita’, ‘Ivanovskoye’, ‘Veniaminovskoye’, and ‘Yubiley Moskvy’, and triploids ‘Patriot’ and ‘Rozhdestvenskoye’, have been identified. Triploid cultivars are superior to diploid cultivars and control ‘Antonovka’ in fruit size. According to the complex of characteristics, promising apple cultivars were identified for planting in intensive orchards of the temperate continental climate zones, namely ‘Avgusta’ and ‘Solnyshko’ (summer cultivars), and ‘Aleksandr Boyko’, ‘Vavilovskoye’, ‘Venyaminovskoye’, ‘Ivanovskoye’ and ‘Rozhdestvenskoye’ (winter cultivars). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Technologies & Approaches in Agro-Ecosystems)
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18 pages, 4828 KiB  
Article
Preliminary Study on Growth and Yield Potential of Ten Elite Lines of Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) Cultivated under Varying Sowing Dates
by Ariba Asif, Shahbaz Khan, Bareera Asif, Danish Ibrar, Zuhair Hasnain, Muhammad Shoaib Ismail, Muhammad Rizwan, Sami Ullah, Saqib Bashir, Afroz Rais, Sohail Irshad, Tasawer Abbas, Naila Farooq, Jawaher Alkahtani and Mohamed S. Elshikh
Plants 2022, 11(16), 2116; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/plants11162116 - 15 Aug 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1667
Abstract
Optimization of agronomic practices for cultivation of quinoa, a super food and climate resilient crop, is critical to obtain its maximum grain yield under the current scenario of climate change. In the present experimentation, we evaluated the appropriate sowing time of ten elite [...] Read more.
Optimization of agronomic practices for cultivation of quinoa, a super food and climate resilient crop, is critical to obtain its maximum grain yield under the current scenario of climate change. In the present experimentation, we evaluated the appropriate sowing time of ten elite lines of quinoa, already screened from USDA germplasm. Seeds of each line were sown in the experimental area at Square No. 22, Block No. 5, Directorate of Farm, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan on 15 November, 30 November and 15 December during quinoa cultivation season of 2019–2020. Sowing time significantly affected the emergence percentage, days taken to anthesis, chlorophyll contents, sodium and potassium concentrations in leaf, plant height, stem diameter, number of leaves and leaf area, panicle length, grain yield and 1000-grain weight. Lines; PIA-922, PIA-924, PIA-928 and PIA-929 performed better under first sowing and produced higher grain yield as compared to other lines. Similarly, PIA-921, PIA-922, PIA-925 and PIA-932 produced maximum biomass and grain yield under second sowing date while in case of third sowing date, PIA-926, PIA-928, PIA-930 and PIA-931 were observed more responsive regarding growth and yield attributes. A diversified pattern of agronomic, growth and yield contributing attributes of quinoa lines was observed when cultivated under varying sowing dates. The collected data will be very informative for the breeders and agronomists during selection and variety development process in future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Technologies & Approaches in Agro-Ecosystems)
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15 pages, 1598 KiB  
Article
Genetic Diversity and Pedigree Analysis of Red Currant Germplasm
by Anna Pikunova, Svetlana Goryunova, Denis Goryunov, Olga Golyaeva, Maria Dolzhikova and Anna Pavlenko
Plants 2022, 11(13), 1623; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/plants11131623 - 21 Jun 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1809
Abstract
This represents the first report on the genetic diversity of red currant germplasm collections based on genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) data. Genotypes of 75 individuals of different origin were assessed in more than 7.5K genome positions. Multidimensional scaling (MDS) analysis has been performed. There are [...] Read more.
This represents the first report on the genetic diversity of red currant germplasm collections based on genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) data. Genotypes of 75 individuals of different origin were assessed in more than 7.5K genome positions. Multidimensional scaling (MDS) analysis has been performed. There are five accessions that are significantly isolated from each other and from the rest of the analyzed cultivars. F1 offspring of R. petraeum Wulf (Rote Hollandische) and Gondouin, as well as Rote Spatlese (F2 of R. petraeum and F2 of R. multiflorum Kit.), are the most genetically isolated on the MDS plot. Ribes multiflorum is closer to the rest of cultivars than the three abovementioned accessions. Purpurnaya cultivar (F1 of Rote Spatlese) is located between Rote Hollandische and R. multiflorum. Other genotypes, mostly represented by varieties having several species in a pedigree, occupied the rest of MDS plot relatively evenly. Descendants of R. multiflorum have been placed in the left part of MDS plot, which underlines their genetic diversity from other accessions. White- and pink-fruited cultivars were clustered together, underlining genetic relatedness. Admixture analysis of GBS data reveals six clusters (K = 6). Presumably, clustering reflects relatedness to R. petraeum, R. rubrum, R. vulgare var macrocarpum, R. multiflorum, R. vulgare, and Jonker van Tets. Based on genotyping data, F1 offspring of R. warscewiczs Jancz (cultivar Viksne), R. altissimum Turcz (Cirald), and R. palczewskii (Jancz.) Pojark (Skorospelaya) have not exhibited strict separation and were placed in a pool with other varieties. This supports modern taxonomic classifications that do not consider R. altissimum and R. palczewskii as independent species. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Technologies & Approaches in Agro-Ecosystems)
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18 pages, 1585 KiB  
Article
Environmentally Friendly Wheat Farming: Biological and Economic Efficiency of Three Treatments to Control Fungal Diseases in Winter Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under Field Conditions
by Nazih Y. Rebouh, Toufik Aliat, Petr M. Polityko, Dalila Kherchouche, Nadia Boulelouah, Sulukhan K. Temirbekova, Yuliya V. Afanasyeva, Dmitry E. Kucher, Vadim G. Plushikov, Elena A. Parakhina, Mourad Latati and Anvar S. Gadzhikurbanov
Plants 2022, 11(12), 1566; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/plants11121566 - 14 Jun 2022
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2075
Abstract
The control of wheat diseases using bioagents is not well studied under field conditions. The present study was aimed at investigating, during four consecutive growing seasons (2017–2020), the efficacy of two integrated crop protection (ICP) systems to control the common wheat diseases for [...] Read more.
The control of wheat diseases using bioagents is not well studied under field conditions. The present study was aimed at investigating, during four consecutive growing seasons (2017–2020), the efficacy of two integrated crop protection (ICP) systems to control the common wheat diseases for enhancing the productivity and profitability of winter wheat crops and ensuring nutritional and food security. Two environmental-friendly treatments were tested, biological (T1), which contained bioagents and fertilizers, and combined (T2), which included fertilizers and bioagents coupled with lower doses of fungicides. The chemical treatment (T3) was used for comparison with (T1) and (T2). Furthermore, two Russian winter wheat varieties (Nemchinovskaya 17 (V1) and Moscovskaya 40 (V2)) were studied. A randomized complete block design was used with four replicates. Diseases infestation rates for snow mold (SM), root rot (RR), powdery mildew (PM), and Fusarium (Fus), yield performances, and grain quality (measured through protein content) were determined according to the tested treatments, and the economic efficiency was calculated for each treatment. The combined treatment (T2) was the most effective against fungal diseases with 1.8% (SM), 1.2% (RR), 0.9% (PM), and 0.9% (Fus). The highest grain yield (6.8 t·ha−1), protein content (15.2%), and 1000-grain weight (43.7%) were observed for winter wheat variety Moscovskaya 40 with the combined treatment (T2). The highest number of productive stems (N.P.S) (556 stems/m2) was attained for combined treatment (T2), followed by biological treatment (T1) (552 stems/m2) with the variety Nemchinovskaya 17. The profitability (cost–benefit ratio) of the combined treatment (T2) was 2.38 with the Moscovskaya 40 variety (V2), while 2.03 was recorded for the biological treatment. Applying environmentally friendly combined and biological treatments resulted in high wheat yield and net income, as well as healthy products. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Technologies & Approaches in Agro-Ecosystems)
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15 pages, 292 KiB  
Article
Sustainable Intensification of a Rice–Maize System through Conservation Agriculture to Enhance System Productivity in Southern India
by Mangal Deep Tuti, Mahender Kumar Rapolu, Banugu Sreedevi, Nirmala Bandumula, Surekha Kuchi, Sonth Bandeppa, Soumya Saha, Brajendra Parmar, Santosha Rathod, Gabrijel Ondrasek and Raman Meenakshi Sundaram
Plants 2022, 11(9), 1229; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/plants11091229 - 01 May 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1978
Abstract
Integrated management of rice–maize systems is an emerging challenge in southern India due to improper rice residues and tillage management in maize crops. Conservation agriculture (CA) practices such as a reduced tillage and maintaining stubble mulch may hold the potential to increase yields, [...] Read more.
Integrated management of rice–maize systems is an emerging challenge in southern India due to improper rice residues and tillage management in maize crops. Conservation agriculture (CA) practices such as a reduced tillage and maintaining stubble mulch may hold the potential to increase yields, reduce crop establishment costs and increase farm incomes. A five-year trial was performed to study the effect of different CA and establishment methods in rice on system productivity, profitability, and soil carbon status in a rice–maize system. In the rainy season, the trial consisted of two main treatments: (i) normal manual transplanting and (ii) direct-wet seeding, and three sub-main treatments at different sowing dates with fifteen day intervals. In addition, in the winter season, two tillage treatments (conventional and minimum tillage) were imposed over the rainy season treatments. Both rice and maize were grown under irrigated conditions. The results showed that sowing times at 15 day intervals did not impact the yield significantly. Transplanted rice obtained a significantly higher grain yield during the first four years, but in the last year, the yield was similar in both of the establishment methods. In the winter season, conventional tilled maize recorded a higher cob yield than under the minimum tilled treatment, except for the last year, where both the tillage treatment effects were the same. System productivity of CA-based minimum tilled rice–maize was inferior during the first three years but was superior to the conventionally tilled method in the fourth and fifth year. Pooled analysis revealed that the conventionally tilled rice–maize system resulted in a similar system productivity as that of the CA during the study period. The cost–benefit analysis revealed that transplanted rice and conventionally tilled maize fetched higher net returns of INR 111,074 and INR 101,658/ha, respectively, over the direct-wet seeded rice and CA. In addition, the 15 July rice sown followed by the maize system led to an increase in irrigation water productivity by 15.7%, and the total water (irrigation + rainfall) productivity by 27.1% in the maize crop compared with the 30 July sown system. The CA-based rice–maize system resulted in a significantly higher very labile (0.194%) and labile (0.196%) carbon concentration at a 0–5 cm depth of soil compared to those under the conventional system. Thus, CA can be recommended for southern India and similar agro-ecological tropic and sub-tropic conditions. This system can be followed with appropriate location-specific modification in South-Asian countries, where crop yields and soil health are declining as a result of continuous cereal–cereal crop rotation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Technologies & Approaches in Agro-Ecosystems)
21 pages, 5873 KiB  
Article
Creation and Use of Highly Adaptive Productive and Technological Red Currant Genotypes to Improve the Assortment and Introduction into Different Ecological and Geographical Zones
by Olga Panfilova, Ibrahim Kahramanoğlu, Gabrijel Ondrasek, Volkan Okatan, Nelly Ryago, Mikhail Tsoy, Olga Golyaeva and Sergey Knyazev
Plants 2022, 11(6), 802; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/plants11060802 - 17 Mar 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2385
Abstract
Global climate change with the cyclicity of natural and climatic processes in the growing season of berry plants, causes weakening at the defense system to (a)biotic stressors, which actualize the need for accelerated cultivar-improving breeding. A new hybrid red currant material was obtained [...] Read more.
Global climate change with the cyclicity of natural and climatic processes in the growing season of berry plants, causes weakening at the defense system to (a)biotic stressors, which actualize the need for accelerated cultivar-improving breeding. A new hybrid red currant material was obtained and studied by the method of interspecific hybridization. Correlation analysis was used to assess the relationship between adaptively significant and economical and biological traits. To assess intergenotypic variability, hierarchical clustering was used according to the studied features, which allowed combining three standard methods of multidimensional data analysis. Genotypes adapted to different stressors were identified. The genotypes 271-58-24, 44-5-2, 261-65-19, and ‘Jonkheer van Tets’ were found to have a higher ratio of bound water to free water as compared with the others. Moreover, the genotypes of 271-58-24, 261-65-19, 77-1-47, and ‘Jonkheer van Tets’ were found to have less cold damage during the cold periods. The two most productive genotypes were found to be the genotypes 44-5-2, 143-23-35, and 1426-21-80. A dependence of yield on the beginning of differentiation of flower buds, which led to the abundance of flower inflorescences, was revealed. Rapid restoration of leaf hydration ensured successful adaptation of genotypes to the “temperature shock” of the growing season. The genotypes 271-58-24 and ‘Jonkheer van Tets’ were then observed to be far from the test traits and none of these traits were observed to characterize these two genotypes. The genotypes of 261-65-19 and 77-1-47 were then observed to be characterized by their high stability to Cecidophyopsis ribis scores. Genotypes 261-65-19 and 271-58-24, obtained with the participation of ‘Jonkheer van Tets’ as the maternal form, showed sufficient resistance to Pseudopeziza ribis and Cecidophyopsis ribis. Overall results suggested that the hydration recovery of red currant plants is significantly important for a yield improvement. A new cultivar ’Podarok Pobediteliam (genotype 44-5-2) was obtained that meets the requirements of intensive gardening and is characterized by high adaptability, productivity, and technological effectiveness. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Technologies & Approaches in Agro-Ecosystems)
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