We analysed the impact of different nitrogen (N) fertilization regimes over two subsequent growing seasons on the seed microbiome of winter oilseed rape and observed a significant shift in seed microbiota composition and abundance. Potentially N-fixing bacteria from the order Rhizobiales and features assigned to Rhizobium were identified as biomarkers for low N fertilization and quantitative measurements revealed 16S ribosomal RNA and bacterial nifH gene counts to be significantly enriched under lower mineral N availability. The alternation of N levels between the first and the second growing ..read more

Abstract Introduction Farmlands are key sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which are susceptible to changes in precipitation regimes. The soils of seasonal fallow contribute approximately half of annual GHG emissions from farmlands, but the effect of precipitation frequency on soil GHG emissions from seasonal fallow croplands remains virtually unknown. Materials and Methods We conducted a microcosm study to evaluate the response of nitrous oxide (N2O), methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes from typical paddy and upland soils to the changes in watering frequency simulating preci ..read more

Leaf microbiome is resilient to land management practices. Abstract Introduction Plant microbiomes contribute directly to plant health and productivity, but mechanisms that underpin plant microbiome assembly in different compartments (e.g., root, leaf) are not fully understood. Identifying environmental and management factors that affect plant microbiome assembly is important to advance understanding of fundamental ecological processes, and to harness microbiome for improved primary productivity and environmental sustainability. Irrigation and fertilization are two common management practice ..read more

Abstract Introduction Sweetpotato is a vegetatively propagated, highly heterozygous and outcrossing crop. Genetic improvement of sweetpotato is complicated because of the hexaploid nature of the crop. The objective of this study was to assess genetic compatibility between sweetpotato accessions collected from Niger and Nigeria to select the best parents for the next hybridisation block to develop new farmer varieties. Materials and Methods The experiment was conducted at field experiment of department of crop production and landscape management, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Nigeria. The ..read more

Soil microbiome predators are key players in nutrient cycling and in shaping the microbiome. Their potential use as biocontrol agents remains mainly unexplored. Using clubroot disease of Brassica crops as an example, we review the potential direct and indirect impacts microbiome predators can have on soil-borne plant diseases. Abstract The clubroot pathogen Plasmodiophora brassicae is a major and growing problem for the cultivation of Brassica crops. As conventional control disease management methods are ineffective or prohibited due to their ecological impact, and crop resistance is frequen ..read more

Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment, Volume 2, Issue 1, Page 1-3, March 2023 ..read more

Abstract Introduction Soil degradation coupled with poor access to organic nutrient resources remains a major constraint in increased crop productivity in sub-Saharan Africa, thus hindering the continent's efforts in achieving the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, particularly goals 1 (end poverty), 2 (zero hunger) and 3 (improve human health). Water treatment residual (WTR), a by-product of clean water treatment, has been identified as an alternative organic nutrient resource for crop production. However, there are some inconsistences in soil phosphorus (P) dynamics following alu ..read more

Abstract Agriculture needs to develop novel strategies and practices to meet the increasing global food demand, in an ecological and economical sustainable framework. The plant-associated microbiota is gaining increasing attention as part of these strategies since it strongly contributes to plant health, nutrition, and resilience to environmental perturbations. However, plant domestication has brought to the reduction of the plant abilities to recruit a beneficial microbiota. It is becoming clear that successful use of the plant microbiota requires a multifaceted approach where microbiologist ..read more

Despite the concern that dredged sediments will contain harmful microorganisms when used as a soil amendment, we demonstrate that these sediments contain organisms associated with nutrient cycling. We further demonstrate that these sediments contain relatively low levels of pathogens and other harmful microorganisms. Finally, we show that the use of a cover crop does not impact the microorganism community in dredged sediments used to grow corn. Abstract Introduction Soils worldwide are degrading, raising concerns about our ability to feed the growing global population. Soil amendments t ..read more

Abstract Deep learning is an emerging data analytic tool that can improve predictability, efficiency and sustainability in agriculture. With a bibliometric analysis of 156 articles, we show how deep learning methods have been applied in the context of sustainable agriculture. As a general publication trend, China and India are leading countries for publication, international collaboration is still minor. Deep learning has been popularly applied in the context of smart agriculture across scales for individual plant monitoring, field monitoring, field operation and robotics, predicting soi ..read more