Annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) is a high-value forage crop whose yield and nutritive performance are strongly influenced by environment, cultivar response, and genotype × environment interaction. This study evaluated 28 cultivars across nine contrasting environments in Türkiye to quantify variation in forage biomass, nutritive quality, fiber composition, and feed value and to develop an integrated framework for assessing cultivar performance within the tested environments. Plant height, green and dry herbage yield, crude protein, crude ash, crude oil, acid detergent fiber, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent lignin, dry matter digestibility, dry matter intake, and relative feed value were analyzed using analysis of variance, Taguchi signal-to-noise (S/N) analysis, machine-learning models, and multivariate clustering. Trait means varied among environments and cultivars, with environmental effects generally exceeding over cultivars. Green herbage yield ranged from 19,200 to 74,290 kg ha⁻¹, whereas crude protein ranged from 13.6 to 16.5
Although plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) like Azospirillum brasilense enhance maize production, traditional seed or furrow inoculations face operational constraints, and the agronomic field efficiency of foliar alternatives remains inconsistent. This study aimed to evaluate the agronomic efficiency and practicality of foliar application of the commercial inoculant Biomax (R) Azum (Azospirillum brasilense - 3 & times; 10(8) CFU mL-1) as a plant growth promoter in maize (Zea mays). Field experiments were conducted during two cropping seasons in three different Brazilian regions (Santa Maria-RS, Quer & ecirc;ncia-MT, and Uberl & acirc;ndia-MG). Treatments included seed, in-furrow, and foliar inoculations (200 and 300 mL ha(-)& sup1;), as well as a non-inoculated control. Variables evaluated included shoot dry matter, nitrogen content in shoots and grains, yield components, and final grain yield. Results showed that foliar inoculation, particularly at 200 mL ha(-)& sup1;, significantly increased biomass and grain yield under specific conditions, being comparable or superior to other application methods. It was concluded that foliar inoculation with Biomax (R) Azum is an agronomically effective and feasible strategy for maize cultivation, especially under favorable edaphoclimatic conditions.
Climate change and reductions in arable land is a challenge for global food security. Efforts in optimizing cropping systems to improve crop and land productivity while curtailing greenhouse gas emissions have emerged as a focus in modern climate smart agriculture. Under this scenario, a two years field experiment was conducted to develop a more productive, low carbon and energy efficient sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum (L) production system. This experiment comprised four intercropping systems viz. S1: sugarcane-soybean (Glycine max (L.), S2: sugarcane-mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.), S3: sugarcane-mashbean (Vigna mungo (L.), S4: sugarcane sole) and two nitrogen levels viz. N1: recommended dose at 168 kg N ha-1, N2: 75
Adverse meteorological conditions often force farmers to plant maize (Zea mays L.) outside its optimal planting window. Early or delayed planting can significantly influence crop phenology, yield, and disease severity. This study evaluated two contrasting cultivars, PAN4R-872BR (early-maturing and NLB-susceptible) and DKC75-65BR (medium-maturing and NLB-resistant), across multiple planting dates and assessed the effect of planting date on Northern Leaf Blight (NLB) severity. Delayed planting increased days to flowering and the anthesis–silking interval (ASI), while reducing dry matter production, grain yield, and yield components. The area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC) showed that NLB severity increased with later planting under both irrigated (110
Water scarcity and soil salinization increasingly constrain irrigated crop production in arid and semi-arid regions, creating a practical need to identify irrigation strategies that maintain yield while improving water productivity under saline conditions. We present a management-oriented, scenario-based framework that uses established seasonal response relationships-Doorenbos-Kassam for water deficit and Maas-Hoffman (FAO-type threshold–slope) for salinity-combined through a multiplicative interaction to map yield, water use efficiency (WUE), and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) across an irrigation–salinity decision space. Crop-specific parameter ranges were compiled from published experimental evidence and applied to four crops spanning contrasting tolerance (barley, quinoa, sunflower, and potato) over irrigation supply levels of 30–120
