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Agronomy
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Effects of Cover Crops, Crop Rotation, and Intercropping on Natural...
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Effects of Cover Crops, Crop Rotation, and Intercropping on Natural Soil Fertility

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Soil and Plant Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (29 February 2024) | Viewed by 8275

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Masoud Hashemi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Stockbridge School of Agriculture, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
Interests: soil health; cover cropping; sustainable cropping systems; soil–microbe relationship; biomass conversion
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Amir Sadeghpour

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Agricultural Sciences, College of Agricultural, Life and Physical Sciences, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL 62901, USA
Interests: soil fertility; cover cropping; intercropping; crop rotations
Prof. Dr. Xiaobing Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Black Soils Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Harbin 150081, China
Interests: soil fertility; crop physiology; agroecology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, there has been a dramatic shift toward soil health with the aim of minimizing the use of synthetic fertilizers. Additionally, considerable changes in climate conditions have intensified the risk of farming success. Strategies that counteract the adverse impacts of climate change are crucial to the sustainability and resiliency of farming.

Due to the availability of inexpensive and easy-to-use chemicals, many historical sustainable farming practices such as cover cropping, intercropping, and meaningful crop rotations have seen little use in recent decades. Cover crops are the backbone of the sustainability and resiliency of farming. The agroecological benefits of cover crops are numerous and include biodiversity enhancement, soil protection, better soil structure, biologically fixing nitrogen, and nutrient cycling, thus improving crop productivity. Proper management, including species selection, termination timing, and seeding rates, is needed to maximize the benefits and profitability of cover crops. The intercropping of two or more crops with different canopy architectures and root systems may provide greater efficiency in the use of limited available irrigation water and nutrients, reducing the risk of crop failure.

For this Special Issue, we are seeking manuscripts that explore the influence of cover crops, crop rotation, and intercropping on natural soil fertility and off-farm nutrient consumption. All types of contributions (reviews, original research, and meta-analyses) that offer new insights into sustainable crop production systems are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Masoud Hashemi
Dr. Amir Sadeghpour
Prof. Dr. Xiaobing Liu
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. Agronomy is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • cover crops
  • crop rotation
  • intercropping
  • soil health
  • decomposition of crop residues
  • natural soil fertility
  • reduced tillage systems

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 2128 KiB  
Article
Combination Effects of Sulfur Fertilizer and Rhizobium Inoculant on Photosynthesis Dynamics and Yield Components of Soybean
by Yingdong Bi, Chao Fan, Wenwei Liang, Yi Liao, Dezhi Han, Wei Li, Xiangjin Chen, Miao Liu, Jianxin Liu, Shufeng Di, Guang Yang, Yufeng Wang, Yuehui Liu, Yongcai Lai, Wencheng Lu and Guotai Li
Agronomy 2024, 14(4), 794; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14040794 - 11 Apr 2024
Viewed by 1306
Abstract
Sulfur (S) fertilization and rhizobium inoculation are important agronomic practices for improving soybean growth and yield. However, their combined effects on yield components and the resultant impacts on yield need further investigation. Our study aimed to verify the combined effects of S fertilizer [...] Read more.
Sulfur (S) fertilization and rhizobium inoculation are important agronomic practices for improving soybean growth and yield. However, their combined effects on yield components and the resultant impacts on yield need further investigation. Our study aimed to verify the combined effects of S fertilizer and rhizobium inoculant on the yield components and seed yield of soybeans, as well as photosynthesis dynamics during the V5–R6 growth stages. A randomized block design incorporating two factors was employed for field experiments on soybean, involving the application of five rates of sulfur (0, 5.0, 9.8, 14.8, and 19.6 kg S ha−1) with rhizobium inoculation or without. A reduction of 50% in mineral fertilizer according to farmer practice (FP) was applied alongside different rates of sulfur for field experiments on soybeans. The findings indicated that the application of sulfur fertilization significantly enhanced soybean yield by increasing the number of grains per plant (NG) and the number of pods per plant (NP). Maximum grain yield was reached under treatment with an S rate of 19.6 kg S ha−1, which increased NG by 39% more than an S rate of 0 kg S ha−1. Correlation analysis indicated that higher photosynthesis was closely associated with increased yield components. This study demonstrated that applying S fertilizers could improve soybean production by combining the appropriate sulfur concentration and rhizobia inoculation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Cover Crops, Crop Rotation, and Intercropping on Natural Soil Fertility)
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17 pages, 4277 KiB  
Article
Impact of Winter Cover Crops on Total and Microbial Carbon and Nitrogen in Black Soil
by Yubo Li, Qin Zhu, Yang Zhang, Shuang Liu, Xiaoting Wang and Enheng Wang
Agronomy 2024, 14(3), 603; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14030603 - 17 Mar 2024
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1450
Abstract
Winter cover crops have been shown to promote the accumulation of microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen, enhance nutrient cycling, reduce erosion, improve ecosystem stability, etc. In the black soil area of Northeast China, Triticum aestivum L., Medicago sativa L., Vicia villosa Roth., Triticum [...] Read more.
Winter cover crops have been shown to promote the accumulation of microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen, enhance nutrient cycling, reduce erosion, improve ecosystem stability, etc. In the black soil area of Northeast China, Triticum aestivum L., Medicago sativa L., Vicia villosa Roth., Triticum aestivum L. and Medicago sativa L. mixed planting, Triticum aestivum L. and Vicia villosa Roth. mixed planting, and winter fallow fields (CK) were selected to investigate the effects of winter cover crops on soil total carbon and nitrogen and microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen. The results showed that (1) after seasonal freeze-thaw, the rate of change in SOC (−2.49~6.50%), TN (−1.54~5.44%), and C/N (−1.18~1.16%) was less than that in SMBC (−80.91~−58.33%), SMBN (−65.03~332.22%), and SMBC/SMBN (−45.52~−90.03%); (2) winter cover crops not only alleviated the negative effects of seasonal freeze-thaw, which reduces SMBC and qMBC, but also increased SMBN and qMBN; (3) there was an extremely significant (p < 0.01) positive correlation between SOC and TN, a significant (p < 0.05) negative correlation between SMBC and SMBN, and there was no significant correlation between SOC and SMBC or between TN and SMBN; (4) alkali-hydrolysable nitrogen had the greatest impact on SOC and TN, while the soil’s saturation degree had the greatest impact on SMBC and SMBN; and (5) the Triticum aestivum L. monoculture was the most effective in conserving soil microbial carbon and nitrogen. In conclusion, winter cover crops can mitigate the reduction in soil microbial biomass carbon caused by seasonal freeze-thaw and also increase the soil microbial nitrogen content in the black soil region of Northeast China, of which Triticum aestivum L. monoculture showed the best performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Cover Crops, Crop Rotation, and Intercropping on Natural Soil Fertility)
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17 pages, 2435 KiB  
Article
Removal of Crop Ion Components in Relation to Mollisol Acidification under Long-Term Management
by Ying Xu, Zhenhua Yu, Yansheng Li, Jian Jin, Xingyi Zhang, Guanghua Wang and Xiaobing Liu
Agronomy 2024, 14(1), 191; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14010191 - 15 Jan 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1137
Abstract
Crop removal of cations and anions is one of the main factors causing soil acidification. Mollisols, also known as black soils, which are inherently neutral soils, have been acidified due to irrational land use. However, the magnitude of acidification of black soils in [...] Read more.
Crop removal of cations and anions is one of the main factors causing soil acidification. Mollisols, also known as black soils, which are inherently neutral soils, have been acidified due to irrational land use. However, the magnitude of acidification of black soils in relation to crop removal under crop rotation and field management remains unclear. In this study, we collect soil samples from 9- and 10-year long-term trials with seven treatments of soybean and corn monoculture, and corn–soybean rotation under different fertilization or straw return in the Mollisol region of Northeast China. Total removal of cations and anions is 371–508 and 92–125 kg ha−1 in corn but 166–250 and 56–82 kg ha−1 in soybean, which leads to the production of 7.06–10.2 kmol ha−1 H+ for corn and 4.43–5.77 kmol ha−1 H+ for soybean. Among the four cations (K+, Ca2+, Na+, and Mg2+) analyzed in different tissues of crops, K+ contributes more to the total H+ production, where K+ in corn stem contributes more than 55% H+, while K+ in soybean seed contributes more than 64% H+. The sum of Ca2+ and Mg2+ removal for soybean is 37.6–66.9 kg ha−1, 1.26–2.07 times (p < 0.05) greater than for corn. Net H+ produced by corn and soybean removal may potentially lead to a soil acidification of 0.053–0.074 and 0.032–0.045 year−1 units pH, respectively. The greater the corn or soybean biomass, the higher the net H+ production. Continuous soybean and combination of chemical fertilizer for corn but no chemical fertilizer for soybean reduce the soil pH buffering capacity (pHBC), while other treatments increase the soil pHBC, but there is no effect for continuous corn. Compared to normal corn–soybean rotation, soil pH in 9-year continuous corn declines from 5.76 to 5.63, while 10-year continuous soybean declines from 5.68 to 5.43 (p < 0.05). However, soil pH with chemical fertilizer for corn and dairy manure for soybean increases by 0.60 and 0.89 units (p < 0.05). Changes in pH might not be fully related to crop ion removal. Manure application with crop rotation is an effective approach to alleviate soil acidification. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Cover Crops, Crop Rotation, and Intercropping on Natural Soil Fertility)
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17 pages, 18709 KiB  
Article
Winter Cover Crops Affect Aggregate-Associated Carbon, Nitrogen and Enzyme Activities from Black Soil Cropland
by Qin Zhu, Xiaoting Wang, Shuang Liu, Yang Zhang, Zhonglin Pang and Enheng Wang
Agronomy 2024, 14(1), 177; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14010177 - 14 Jan 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1329
Abstract
The thinning, leaning, and hardening of arable land in the black soil region of Northeast China has brought serious challenges to the sustainable development of agriculture. It is of great significance to explore suitable conservation tillage for the conservation and sustainable utilization of [...] Read more.
The thinning, leaning, and hardening of arable land in the black soil region of Northeast China has brought serious challenges to the sustainable development of agriculture. It is of great significance to explore suitable conservation tillage for the conservation and sustainable utilization of black soil resources actively. The topsoil of the cropland in the northeastern part of the Songnen Plain with winter fallow (CK), planted alfalfa, and planted winter wheat was used as the research object to analyze the changes in the soil aggregate composition, nutrients, and enzyme activities before and after freeze–thaw, respectively, and to investigate the effect of winter cover crops on the improvement of the quality of the black soil cropland. Compared with the winter fallow field, (1) planting alfalfa significantly increased the mechanical stability of 1–2 mm and 0.25–1 mm particle size aggregates (about 3 times and 25 times over), and planting winter wheat increased the water stability of 0.25–1 mm particle size aggregates significantly (2.7 times over); (2) planting alfalfa and winter wheat increased the soil C/N ratio of >2 mm and 1–2 mm particle size aggregates, and the increment in the C/N ratio in >2 mm particle size aggregates remarkably increased, by 203.6% and 362.7%, respectively; (3) planting alfalfa significantly enhanced the soil invertase activity and urease activity in >2 mm and 0.25–1 mm particle size aggregates, and planting winter wheat significantly enhanced the catalase activity in 0.25–1 mm particle size aggregates. In conclusion, planting winter cover crops during the winter fallow period can maintain and promote the mechanical and water stability of medium and large (0.25–1 mm,1–2 mm) soil aggregates, increase the carbon content and C/N ratio of larger (1–2 mm, >2 mm) aggregates, and enhance the enzyme activity of small and medium (0.25–1 mm, <0.25 mm) aggregates to varying degrees. The results of the study can provide a reference for the promotion of basic research on and technology for winter cover crops in the black soil region. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Cover Crops, Crop Rotation, and Intercropping on Natural Soil Fertility)
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15 pages, 5428 KiB  
Article
Phenology, Nitrogen Status, and Yield of Red Clover (Trifolium pretense L.) Affected by Application of Vitamin B12, Humic Acid, and Enriched Biochar
by Dorna Saadat, Arthur Siller and Masoud Hashemi
Agronomy 2023, 13(12), 2885; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13122885 - 24 Nov 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1429
Abstract
Studies on vitamin B12’s influence on the flowering and yield parameters of red clover (Trifolium pretense L.) are not well documented. A greenhouse experiment investigated the effect of the solo and combined application of vitamin B12 with humic acid and enriched biochar [...] Read more.
Studies on vitamin B12’s influence on the flowering and yield parameters of red clover (Trifolium pretense L.) are not well documented. A greenhouse experiment investigated the effect of the solo and combined application of vitamin B12 with humic acid and enriched biochar on the morphology, nitrogen status, and biomass yield of the shoots and roots of red clovers. Two levels of vitamin B12 (0, 20 mg pot−1) mixed with four growing media were laid out as a randomized complete block design. The results indicated that vitamin B12 markedly led to (A) a decrease in the flowering time by 5 days (100.2 to 95.9 days), while the co-application of B12 and humic acid resulted in further reduction (84.5 days); (B) an increased total number of stems (73.0 to 78.6 plant−1); (C) a boost in the root dry weight by 60% (3.8 to 6.4 g) while having no significant influence on the shoot dry weight; (D) a decrease in the leaf trichome density by 30% (49.0 to 35.0 plant−1); (E) a rise in the N content of the roots (107.8 to 173.3 mg plant−1), while having no influence on shoot N content. biochar’s influence on the phenology and productivity of red clovers was minimal. The results highlighted the importance of the application of manure, which is naturally rich in vitamin B12 and humic acid, to forage crops, including red clover. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Cover Crops, Crop Rotation, and Intercropping on Natural Soil Fertility)
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