Allelopathic effect of apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) root on some crops and weeds was investigated in two independent experiments. First, the effect of concentrations aqueous extract of apricot root (AAR) was assayed on the seed germination of Cicer arietinum L., Phaseolus vulgaris L., Triticum aestivum L., Zea mays L., Amaranthus retroflexus L., Secale cereal L., and Avena ludoviciana Durieu. ...

Cropping system models are widely used tools for simulating the growth and development of crops at field scale. However, it is often difficult to satisfy their detailed input and output data requirements for a proper evaluation of model. In this study, expert knowledge data were used as alternative source to fulfill these data requirements. The model was first calibrated for major crops of the ...

Secreted parasitism proteins encoded by parasitism genes expressed in esophageal gland cells mediate infection and parasitism of plants by root-knot nematodes (RKN). Parasitism gene 16D10 encodes a conserved RKN secretory peptide that stimulates root growth and functions as a ligand for a putative plant transcription factor. We used in vitro and in vivo RNA interference approaches to silence th...

The capture of subsoil water by wheat roots can make a valuable contribution to grain yield on deep soils. More extensive root systems can capture more water, but leave the soil in a drier state, potentially limiting water availability to subsequent crops. To evaluate the importance of these legacy effects, a long-term simulation analysis at eight sites in the semi-arid environment of Australia...

Climatic variability, typified by erratic heavy-rainfall events, causes waterlogging in intensively irrigated crops and is exacerbated under warm temperature regimes on soils with poor internal drainage. Irrigated cotton is often grown in precisely these conditions, exposing it to waterlogging-induced yield losses after substantial summer rainfall. This calls for a deeper understanding of mecha...

Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration has increased from 280 ppm (parts per million, mole fraction basis) in preindustrial times to 370 ppm today. As concentrations of CO2 and other greenhouse gases rise, global temperature is anticipated to increase. Elevated CO2 will improve crop yields due to increased photosynthesis. However, at above-optimum temperatures for reproductive growth pr...

Orphanor understudied-crops are mostly staple food crops in developing world. They are broadly classified under cereals, legumes, root crops, fruits and vegetables. These under-researched crops contribute to the diet of a large portion of resource-poor consumers and at the same time generate income for small-holder farmers in developing countries, particularly in Africa. In addition, they perfo...

Legume crops are known to have low soil N uptake early in their life cycle, which can weaken their ability to compete with other species, such as weeds or other crops in intercropping systems. However, there is limited knowledge on the main traits involved in soil N uptake during early growth and for a range of species. The objective of this research was to identify the main traits explaining t...