Abstract Cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.)–cumin ( Cuminum cyminum L.) intercropping relieves cotton yield decline and boosts land use efficiency, while the regulation mechanism of cumin density on cotton root growth and yield is still unclear. The objective is to evaluate cotton yield and root growth and biochemical responses among cotton‐only and cotton:cumin intercropping systems in Xingjiang, China, without using groundcover plastic mulch. A 2‐year field experiment was conducted with monocropped cotton (control) and three cumin seeding densities: 2.5, 3.9, and 5.2 kg·ha −1 . Compared with the control, the 2.5 kg·ha −1 cumin intercropping system (CIS) provided 1.8%–5.4% significantly higher cotton yields and root length density (184–207 cm cm −3 ), and the root activity (TTC–r: quantitative measure of root cell activity and metabolism) at 2.5 kg·ha −1 CIS was 117% greater than control. Among physiological indicators, soluble protein, catalase activity, and peroxidase (POD) activities were highest at 3.9 kg·ha −1 CIS. Malondialdehyde and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were highest at 2.5 kg·ha −1 CIS. Principal component analysis and gray relational analysis further revealed the core yield‐improving mechanism for cotton: the synergistic increase in SOD, TTC–r, and POD in the 0–30 cm soil layer was key to increasing cotton reproductive organ biomass and thus yield. Overall, 2.5 kg ha −1 CIS mitigated film‐free cultivation‐induced yield loss and improved cotton productivity by promoting root growth, increasing root activity, and increasing key root antioxidant enzyme activities. This cotton:cumin intercropping strategy is effective for achieving high cotton yields under film‐free conditions.
Abstract Climate change poses significant challenges to horticultural production in Ethiopia through increasing temperatures, erratic rainfall, drought, pest outbreaks, and soil degradation. This systematic review synthesizes evidence on the roles of genetic improvement, precision agriculture, and sustainable intensification in enhancing climate‐resilient horticulture in Ethiopia. A total of 46 studies published between 2012 and 2026 were reviewed from major scientific databases and institutional reports. The findings indicate that most studies have focused on genetic diversity assessment, germplasm characterization, and quantitative genetic analyses, which provide a strong foundation for breeding climate‐resilient horticultural crops. In contrast, evidence on advanced genomic technologies, such as genome‐wide association studies, genomic selection, gene editing, and multi‐omics, remains limited within Ethiopian horticultural research. Precision agriculture technologies improve resource‐use efficiency through data‐driven irrigation, nutrient, and pest management. Sustainable intensification practices enhance productivity, soil health, and adaptive capacity. Integrating these three approaches provides a promising framework for developing climate resilient horticultural systems in Ethiopia, although greater investment in modern breeding technologies, digital infrastructure, and interdisciplinary research is required to realize this potential. However, infrastructure limitations, financial constraints, weak extension services, and limited interdisciplinary research remain major barriers requiring strategic policy and investment interventions.
Abstract This study investigates the impact of nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) fertilization strategies in an integrated crop–livestock system (ICLS) involving common bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.) followed by winter pasture, focusing on nutrient cycling and forage production. Although legumes are commonly assumed to supply nitrogen to subsequent crops, this capacity is highly variable in common bean, for which biological nitrogen fixation may be limited and substantial nitrogen can be exported through harvested grain. The experiment, conducted on a 20‐ha no‐till field with IPR Tuiuiú beans followed by black oat ( Avena strigosa Schreb.) pasture, compared the effects of Bean N fertilization and Pasture N–K fertilization treatments. Direct N–K fertilization increased shoot dry matter (DM) accumulation and improved forage N nutritional status. The fitted N dilution curve under direct pasture N–K fertilization (N = 60(DM) −0.42 ) was positioned above the critical N dilution reference (Nc = 48(DM) −0.32 ) during most of the growth period, whereas the curve under N fertilization of the preceding bean crop (N = 35(DM) −0.26 ) remained below the reference. The P–N and K–N relationships indicated that P and K were not the principal nutritional constraints under either strategy, showing that the contrasting biomass responses were primarily associated with N supply. These findings highlight the necessity for tailored fertilization strategies in ICLS, emphasizing the importance of synchronizing nutrient supply with pasture demand to optimize nutrient use efficiency and sustain forage productivity.
Abstract Meta‐analysis has been increasingly applied to synthesize existing evidence in agricultural research; however, its application is often challenged by agroecological heterogeneity, diverse management practices, and inconsistent reporting standards. Although previous studies have examined aspects of meta‐analysis development in agriculture, there is a lack of a comprehensive global‐scale assessment of its application patterns, methodological characteristics, and research evolution. Using a global dataset of 2224 published agricultural meta‐analysis studies, this study provides a bibliometric and methodological review of agricultural meta‐analysis research. Publication output and citations increased rapidly after 2015, with Asia contributing the largest share of publications (61.0%). Keyword analyses identified crop yield, soil organic carbon, nitrogen, and fertilizer management, greenhouse gas emissions, and climate change as core research themes, while more recent studies increasingly emphasized water productivity, resource‐use efficiency, soil health, and sustainable agricultural management. Among Web of Science “Highly Cited Papers” in agricultural meta‐analysis ( n = 125), agricultural management practices, soil carbon and soil quality, crop production and food security, and nutrient management were the most represented themes, and log response ratio was the dominant effect‐size metric (80.8%). Overall, these findings provide descriptive evidence of the rapid expansion, thematic concentration, and methodological diversification of agricultural meta‐analysis research. By synthesizing publication trends, thematic evolution, and methodological characteristics, this study provides a comprehensive overview of the current state and future priorities of agricultural meta‐analysis research.
Abstract Maximizing vegetative growth and biomass accumulation may not optimize source–sink resource allocation for reproductive processes in peanut ( Arachis hypogea L.), resulting in low yield, nutrient inefficiencies, and reduced kernel quality. The objective was to investigate the effects of mechanical pruning and herbicidal application on Runner peanut pod yield and kernel quality at three water levels. Treatments of pruning (topping) versus herbicidal treatment at 17 g ai/ha (either diflufenzopyr, an auxin inhibitor, or acifluorfen, an auxin transport inhibitor) were applied ∼90 days after planting near Dawson, GA, from 2021 to 2023. Primary treatment effects were measured for pod yield and kernel quality (total sound mature kernels [TSMK]; other kernels [OK]) at harvest under fully irrigated, partially irrigated (ceased after 90 days), and non‐irrigated conditions. Mechanical pruning significantly reduced yield across all irrigation treatments and years. In contrast, diflufenzopyr and acifluorfen had no effect on yield relative to an untreated control at any irrigation level. Only in 2023 non‐irrigated conditions did pruning reduce TSMK and increase OK. Otherwise, these effects were inconsistent across years or irrigation levels. Chemical treatments had no effect on TSMK and only a minimal increase in OK under one irrigation regime in 2022. The consistent yield decline in pruned plots across all years and irrigation regimes strongly suggests pruning interfered with both source capacity (loss of photosynthetically active tissue) and sink development (loss of pegging branches). Overall, these growth regulation strategies did not improve peanut yield or kernel quality.
