This study integrates a dynamic plant growth model with a three-dimensional (3D) radiative transfer model (RTM) for maize traits retrieval using high spatial-spectral resolution airborne data. The research combines the Discrete Anisotropic Radiative Transfer (DART) model with the Dynamic L-System-based Architectural maize (DLAmaize) growth model to simulate field reflectance. Comparison with the 1D RTM SAIL revealed limitations in representing row structure effects, field slope, and complex light-canopy interactions. Novel Global Sensitivity Analyses (GSA) were carried out using dependence-based methods to overcome limitations traditional variance-based approaches, enabling better characterization of hyperspectral sensitivity to changes in leaf biochemistry, canopy architecture, and soil moisture. GSA provided complementary results to assess estimation uncertainties of the proposed traits retrieval method across growth stages. A hybrid inversion framework combining DART simulations with an active learning strategy using Kernel Ridge Regression was implemented for traits estimation. The approach was validated using ground data and HyPlant-DUAL airborne hyperspectral images from two field campaigns in 2018 and achieved high retrieval accuracy of key maize traits: leaf area index (LAI, R2=0.91, RMSE=0.42 m2/m2), leaf chlorophyll content (LCC, R2=0.61, RMSE=3.89 mu g/cm2), leaf nitrogen content (LNC, R2=0.86, RMSE=1.13 x 10-2 mg/cm2), leaf dry matter content (LMA, R2=0.84, RMSE=0.15 mg/cm2), and leaf water content (LWC, R2=0.78, RMSE=0.88 mg/cm2). The validated models were used to generate two-date 10 m resolution maps, showing good spatial consistency and traits dynamics. The findings demonstrate that integrating 3D RTMs with dynamic growth models is suited for maize trait mapping from hyperspectral data in varying growing conditions.

The hilly and mountainous regions of China are characterized by unique features such as small plots of land, steep slopes, fragmented fields, and high soil viscosity, which result in a decline in the efficiency of conventional agricultural machinery, or even render its use impractical. To address this issue, this study developed a micro universal chassis adapted to hilly terrains. First, a four-wheel-drive multifunctional electric micro chassis was designed, considering the terrain characteristics of hilly regions and the agronomic requirements of maizesoybean strip intercropping. Second, the kinematics of the chassis were modeled and analyzed to determine optimal posture control strategies, and a fuzzy RBF neural network-based PID control algorithm was designed to enable dynamic adjustment of the chassis. Then, extensive testing was conducted on the prototype chassis, including straight-line driving tests, steering tests, climbing tests, and passability tests, which demonstrated its excellent operational performance. The straight-line driving tests showed an average lateral deviation of 30 mm and a maximum deviation of 60 mm, while the in-situ steering tests recorded a deviation of 20 mm. Finally, the prototype was applied to field weeding operations, where results indicated that its performance, including travel speed, weeding efficiency, and seedling damage rate, significantly outperformed existing traditional models. The findings suggest that the designed multifunctional micro universal chassis is highly effective for use in hilly and mountainous regions, with superior performance particularly under intercropping systems.

Corn is a vital global crop, yet its cultivation demands extensive agrochemical inputs, prompting the need for sustainable alternatives. This study investigates the impact of vermicompost (VC) and vermicompost tea (VCT) applications on corn growth, physiology, and resistance to Fall Armyworm (FAW) infestation using advanced optical plant sensors. Six treatments were employed: V0 (control), VC1, VCT100, VC1 + VCT50, VC3, and VC3 + VCT50. During the growing season, plant growth parameters, such as height, chlorophyll content, and spectral reflectance were measured using a chlorophyll meter, fluorometer, porometer, and spectroradiometer. Results indicated that VC-treated plants exhibited superior growth and higher chlorophyll content than control or untreated plants. The VC1 + VCT50-treated plants showed robust resistance to FAW, with no infestation throughout the season, while VC1-treated plants showed delayed attack by FAW. Soil chemical analysis showed that VC and VCT treatments had similar nutrient concentrations as the control. Plant nutrient content was higher in VCT100 compared to all treatments. These findings suggest that the combined application of VC and VCT, particularly at specific application rates, can enhance corn plant health, mitigate pest damage, and optimize yield potential.

Global climate change accelerates the challenges of agricultural drought spells, which are alarming for food security and can trigger food scarcity. Therefore, improving soil-water retention capability and crop drought resilience is becoming more important for sustainable agriculture. This study investigates the individual and combined effects of biochar and potassium on soil water retention, crop drought resilience, and related physio-biochemical mechanisms over a 50-day growth period in potted plants. Pine needle biochar (350 g/10 Kg of soil) was used during the soil preparation stage while potassium sulfate (100 mg/L) was applied as a foliar spray at the development (10 days) and vegetative stages (45 days) under three drought stress conditions: control (100% FC), mild (75% FC) and severe (40% FC). The results revealed that the combined application of biochar and potassium significantly increased morphological, physiological, and biochemical attributes of maize plants under drought stress, improving shoot fresh weight by 11%, 6%, and 5%, root fresh weight by 19%, 19%, and 23%, shoot length by 17%, 16%, and 19%, and root length by 21%, 30%, and 29% under control, mild, and severe drought stress conditions, respectively. Similarly, relative water contents (RWC) increased by 12%, 16%, and 20%, water potential (Psi) increased by 26%, 22%, and 24%, osmotic potential (Psi s) increased by 100%, 59%, and 30%, and turgor potential (Psi p) increased by 28%, 35%, and 51% under combined treatment compared to control, mild, and severe drought stress. Additionally, biochar application with potassium foliar spray also improved membrane stability and integrity, cell wall loosening, membrane lipid peroxidation, and protein denaturing by decreasing electrolytic leakage by 35%, 28%, and 43%, proline by 30%, 27%, and 22%, hydrogen peroxidase by 47%, 45%, and 41%, and malondialdehyde contents by 24%, 20%, and 28% through activation of enzymatic (CAT, POD, SOD) and non-enzymatic (TSS, AsA, GSH) antioxidants. Furthermore, nutrient uptake was enhanced, with N increasing by 47%, 19%, and 45%, P by 64%, 82%, and 52%, and K by 24%, 42%, and 35% in shoots compared to normal, mild, and severe drought stress. These improvements mitigated cell dehydration, reduced transpiration inefficiency and delayed senescence, and ultimately supporting plant growth under drought stress. In conclusion, integrating biochar with potassium application effectively improves soil-water retention, alleviates oxidative stress and enhances drought tolerance in maize plants. This strategy can play a crucial role in sustainable agriculture by mitigating the adverse effects of drought stress and improving food security in drought-prone regions.

Northeastern China (NEC) is the largest grain base in China. Improving understanding of the effect of climate change on grain production over NEC is conducive to providing immediate response strategies for grain production. In this study, the relationships of the maize production with the dry state during the different maize growth stage have been investigated using the year-to-year increment method. Results showed that the severe drought that occurred from the jointing to maturity period have exerted severe effects on the maize growth. Further analysis indicated that the sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies over North Atlantic and Maritime Continent in later spring are the important factors affecting the summer droughts over NEC. The late spring SST anomaly over North Atlantic can excite the Rossby waves from the western North Atlantic and propagate eastward to NEC. The snow anomaly over western Siberia in late spring and the soil moisture anomaly over NEC in summer are key factors linking the SST anomaly to drought over the NEC. On the other hand, the Maritime Continent SST anomaly in late spring can modulate the activity of the East Asian jet stream via the East AsiaPacific (EAP) teleconnection, which can provide the favorable conditions for the soil moisture reduction over NEC. Eventually, a predictive model for maize yield over NEC is successfully developed by using the predictive indices of the North Atlantic and the Maritime Continental SST during late spring. Both the cross-validation and independent sample tests show that the calibrated prediction model is robust and exhibits high skill in predicting maize yield over NEC.

Cadmium (Cd) is a hazardous trace contaminant that naturally occurs in soil and poses a global concern due to its severe impacts on human health and ecological security. In plants, tremendous efforts have been made to use some cost-effective, non-toxic, and organically made key growth regulators that partake in coping plants against adverse environmental conditions. However, the role of sorghum water extract (SWE) in attenuating the noxious effect of Cd stress is still limited in various crops including maize. In this study, different growth attributes, and physiological and biochemical indices of Cd-exposed (0, and 500 mu M) maize plants were analyzed to confirm the protective role of SWE at different concentrations (0%, 2.5%, 5%, 7.5%, and 10%). However, Cd application decreased maize growth such as plant length, number of leaves, number of roots, leaf area and biomass, and deteriorated the photosynthetic pigments such as carotenoids, chlorophyll a and b contents, decreased nutrient uptake, especially calcium and potassium ions and increased reactive oxygen species such as hydrogen peroxide. Though, medium supplementation of SWE at 10% level followed by 7.5% improved plant growth indices (plant length, number of leaves, number of roots, leaf area and biomass), nutrient uptake (calcium, potassium, nitrate, phosphate, and sulfate) and defense responses (ascorbic acid, phenolics, flavonoids) that can be attributed to enhanced physiological functioning and hermetic responses of maize plants to potential allelochemicals present in SWE. The present research highlights that the integration of these allelochemicals can be a promising approach in the future for sustainable agriculture and for keeping the environment safe at low costs.

The complex distribution characteristics of root-soil composites pose challenges in understanding their mechanical behaviour during conservation tillage. This study aims to analyse mechanical parameters of root-soil composites at different soil depths, considering root distribution, and establish an empirical critical state model. Three layers were defined based on root density distribution: Shallow Aggregated Root Zone (SARZ: 0-60 mm), Middle Enriched Root Zone (MERZ: 60-150 mm), and Deep Extended Root Zone (DERZ: 150-210 mm). Triaxial tests revealed varying shear strengths, with MERZ exhibiting the highest and SARZ the lowest. The Duncan-Chang model parameters, initial modulus of deformation, and initial Poisson's ratio were significantly influenced by soil depth, mirroring shear strength trends. An empirical formula incorporating soil layer depth into the Duncan-Chang model was proposed. Critical state stress ratios for SARZ and MERZ were determined as 0.93 and 1.11, respectively, quantifying their relationship with soil depth and root distribution. This study provides theoretical and parameter support for understanding the failure mechanism of root-soil composites.

Phytoremediation stands at the forefront of modern environmental science, offering an innovative and cost-effective solution for the remediation of heavy-metal-contaminated soils through the natural capabilities of plants. This study aims to investigate the effects of lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) metals on plant growth (e.g., seedling height, stem diameter, fresh and dry weight), physiological properties (e.g., tissue relative water content, tissue electrical conductivity), and biochemical parameters (e.g., chlorophyll content, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD) enzyme activities) of maize compared to the control group under greenhouse conditions at the Atat & uuml;rk University Plant Production Application and Research Center. The results show that plant height decreased by 20% in the lead (Pb3000) application and by 42% in the cadmium (Cd300) application compared to the control group. The highest Pb dose (Pb3000) caused a 15% weight loss compared to the control, while the highest Cd dose (Cd300) caused a weight loss of 63%. The accumulation rates of heavy metals in soil, roots, and aboveground parts of plants indicated that maize absorbed and accumulated more Cd compared to Pb.

Background and aims Locally produced bio-inoculant consortium and plant bioactive extract were studied as sustainable management options to boost maize production. Methods The field study was conducted from 13th April to 15th July 2021 and repeated on another field site from 5th May to 4th August 2023 to avoid residual effects while validating reliability of the treatments. Experiments were set up as randomized complete block design with 5 treatments including a Control (No input), Chemical (NPK fertilizer + synthetic insecticide), Organic (Poultry manure + Piper guineense), and locally produced or commercial bio-inoculant of plant growth-promoting bacteria, with 4 replicates. Results Local inoculum significantly (P < 0.05) increased maize grain yield than untreated control. Microbial and organic amendments produced comparable maize grain yield to chemical input, which were significantly higher than the untreated control (P < 0.05). The local inoculum reduced fall armyworm (FAW) infestation of maize cobs by 18% and 31% in 2021 and 2023, respectively, compared to untreated control (P < 0.05). Stem borer infestation also reduced significantly (P < 0.05) across treatments for both years, with the lowest in local inoculum (6%), followed by commercial inoculum (31%), organic (52%), chemical (42%), and control (100%) in 2021, with a similar trend observed in 2023. In 2021, amounts of plant available phosphorus and exchangeable potassium were 71 mg kg(-1) and 1010 mg kg(-1) soil, respectively, in the locally produced bio-inoculant consortium, which were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than 30 mg kg(-1) and 374 mg kg(-1) in the control, respectively, and a similar trend was observed in 2023.

Root-lesion nematodes (Pratylenchus spp.) are significant plant parasites, causing substantial crop damage worldwide. This study aimed to characterize Pratylenchus spp. in New Zealand maize fields using molecular techniques and map their prevalence. Soil sampling from 24 maize fields across the North and South Islands provided 381 composite samples. Root-lesion nematodes were extracted using the sieving-centrifugal-sugar flotation method and differentiated into five morphospecies. Molecular characterization involved direct partial sequencing of the D2/D3 28S rDNA, ITS rDNA, and COX1 mtDNA regions using Sanger technology from a single nematode. Five Pratylenchus species were identified: P. neglectus, P. crenatus, P. thornei, P. penetrans, and P. pratensis, confirmed by phylogenetic analysis. Prevalence mapping showed P. neglectus and P. crenatus in all sampled fields, while P. thornei, P. penetrans, and P. pratensis were more localized. This study is the first to report these Pratylenchus species on maize in New Zealand and provides the first partial sequences of the D2/D3, COX1, and ITS regions for these species on maize in New Zealand. The findings highlight the diversity of Pratylenchus populations in New Zealand maize fields and emphasize the need for region-specific management strategies to mitigate crop damage.