Soil management

Nitrification and nitrogen (N) immobilization are important pathways in soil N transformations, involving soil N loss and retention, respectively. The ratio of nitrification to N immobilization generally reflects the potential risk of soil N loss. However, little is known about the response of this ratio to anthropogenic carbon (C) and N inputs, but also climate and soil conditions. Here, we aimed to elucidate, for the first time, the impacts of chemical fertilizer and manure application on the ratio of gross nitrification to N immobilization by using ¹⁵N dilution technology, based on ten long-term fertilization trials spanning multiple climatic zones in eastern China. Results showed that manure application differentially increased gross N immobilization rather than nitrification compared to the chemical fertilizer treatment, leading to manure-induced decreases in gross nitrification to N immobilization ratio ranging from 1.2 to 93% across the sites. The decreased gross nitrification to N immobilization ratio in the manure treatment was mainly due to the increased ratio of bacteria to nitrifiers abundance. Manuring was more effective for a decrease in the gross nitrification to N immobilization ratio at sites characterized by high rainfall and low soil pH, as it prevented soil pH decline thereby favoring bacterial abundance and N immobilization. Consequently, manure application resulted in a substantial increase in soil total N accumulation, facilitated by increased microbial N immobilization that promoted microbial biomass. These findings suggest that substituting manure for chemical fertilizer in the areas with high rainfall and acidic soils promisingly reduces soil N loss risk, with positive consequences for soil N retention. This knowledge highlights the potential to reconcile soil N loss and fertility improvement through optimizing regional manure management, which offers valuable insights for the development of a tailored regional fertilization management strategy.

Wang, J., Zhang, L., Liu, K. et al. Minimizing the potential risk of soil nitrogen loss through optimal fertilization practices in intensive agroecosystems. Agron. Sustain. Dev. 45, 9 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-025-01006-5

On-farm research with farmer participation is promoted as a transformative approach that increases inclusivity and innovation within agricultural research, ultimately improving research quality and outcomes. However, little is known about the farmers who participate in on-farm research (i.e., research farmers) or how well these farmers represent the broader agricultural community, including farmers not involved in research (i.e., non-research farmers). This gap in knowledge raises questions about both the application and generalizability of on-farm research findings as well as the equitable distribution of on-farm research benefits among farmers. In this study, we examine how research farmers’ behavior and perceptions differ from non-research farmers using two online surveys among US row crop farmers, focused on cover crops (N = 211). We find that among farmers that have engaged in cover cropping, research and non-research farmers are demographically nearly identical; however, there are several significant differences between the two farmer groups’ perceptions, social networks, and on-farm management. Here, we show for the first time that research farmers perceive cover cropping practices as less challenging and are more willing to engage in innovative cover crop practices compared to non-research farmers. Research farmers also exchange farming information with more people and are more willing to share their farm data, compared to non-research farmers. Given these findings, we consider the practical and epistemological consequences of extending insights gained from working with research farmers to the broader agricultural population. Our results highlight potential implications for farmer communication and engagement strategies, especially among those farmers who are not typically involved with on-farm research activities.

Our study aims to determine the yield potential and yield gap and to identify key factors associated with yield losses in irrigated rice fields in Argentina. Our findings indicated that 22% of the current yield gap is due to the sowing date, 9% is associated with the adoption of rotation/succession, and 5% is associated with the early onset of irrigation up to the V3 stage. The implementation of these practices has demonstrated the potential to reduce the current yield gap from 48% to 33%.

Meus, L.D., Quintero, C.E., da Silva, M.R. et al. Irrigated rice yield plateaus are caused by management factors in Argentina. Agron. Sustain. Dev. 44, 56 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-024-00989-x