Warming reduces mid-summer flowering plant reproductive success through advancing fruiting phenology in an alpine meadow.

Changes in reproductive phenology induced by warming are happening across the globe, with significant implications for plant sexual reproduction. However, the changes in plant reproductive output (number of flowers and fruits) and success (successful fruits/total flowers) in response to climate change have not been well characterized. Here, we conducted a warming and altered precipitation experiment in an alpine meadow on the eastern Tibetan Plateau to investigate the effects of climate change on the reproductive phenology and success of six common species belonging to two flowering functional groups.

Rodents mediate the relationship between seed rain, seed bank, and plant community with increased grazing disturbance.

Seed rain and the soil seed bank represent the dispersal of seeds in space and time, respectively, and can be important sources of recruitment of new individuals during plant community regeneration. However, the temporal dynamics of seed rain and the mechanisms by which the seed rain and soil seed bank may play a role in plant community regeneration with increased grazing disturbance remain unclear. Seed rain, soil seed bank, aboveground vegetation, and rodent density were sampled along a grazing gradient in an alpine marsh on the eastern Tibetan Plateau.

Optimization of N Fertilizer and Synergistic Intercropping to Enhance the Productivity Advantage of Faba Bean and Effective Control of Chocolate Spot Epidemics.

Intercropping of wheat/faba bean is a common practice within the legume-cereal family. However, the benefits of nitrogen (N) fertilizer-optimized synergistic intercropping in improving faba bean productivity while controlling the prevalence of chocolate spot disease have not been established. This study conducted continuous field experiments spanning two planting seasons to investigate two key findings: (i) Optimizing N fertilizer application can enhance the productivity of intercropped faba bean.

The severity and yield effects of the chocolate spot disease in faba bean affected by intercropping and nitrogen input.

Background: The aim is to study the disease suppression efficiency, yield loss rate, and yield benefits of intercropped faba bean against chocolate spot under nitrogen (N) input, to clarify the effectiveness of intercropping faba beans in controlling chocolate spot and its contribution to yield increase.

Results: Four N input levels and disease suppression treatments were discovered when faba bean-wheat intercropped was used. Adding N enhanced the chocolate spot's area under disease progression curve (AUDPC) by 27.

Changes in canopy microclimate of faba bean under intercropping at controlled nitrogen levels and their correlation with crop yield.

Background: The relationship between the microclimate of the intercropping faba bean canopy and yield, and its response to nitrogen application, was studied in the crop canopy to clarify that intercropping and nitrogen application changed the microclimate of the faba bean canopy and affected the yield.

Results: In field experiments in Eshan and Xundian, the growth index, light transmittance, interception rate of photosynthetic effective radiation, temperature, relative humidity, and yield of the faba bean were determined using three planting methods (wheat monoculture, faba bean monoculture, and wheat-faba bean intercropping) and four nitrogen application levels, N0 (0 kg/hm ), N1 (45 kg/hm ), N2 (90 kg/hm ), and N3 (180 kg/hm ). The results showed that the application of nitrogen improved the growth index of monoculture and intercropping broad beans significantly, reduced the canopy light transmittance and temperature significantly, and increased the interception rate and relative humidity of photosynthetic effective radiation significantly.

Intercropping of Faba Bean with Wheat Under Different Nitrogen Levels Reduces Faba Bean Rust and Consequent Yield Loss.

While intercropping can help control faba bean rust, the ability of intercropping to reduce this disease under different levels of nitrogen fertilization and its contribution to increasing yield is not clear. In this study, two planting patterns of faba bean monocropping and wheat/faba bean intercropping, together with two treatments for disease control and noncontrol, and four nitrogen application levels (N [0 kg/ha], N [45 kg/ha], N [90 kg/ha], and N [135 kg/ha]) were tested for 2 years in a continuous field experiment. The results revealed that nitrogen application increased the area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC) of faba bean rust from 41.

Effects of Applied Ratio of Nitrogen on the Light Environment in the Canopy and Growth, Development and Yield of Wheat When Intercropped.

Changes in the light environment have an important effect on crop growth and yield. To clarify the effects of intercropping and the application of nitrogen on the yield of wheat and light within the crop canopy, the relationship between light and yield and their response to nitrogen fertilizer were studied. In a 2-year field experiment, the characteristics of growth, light, biomass, and yield of wheat were measured using three cropping arrangements (monocropped wheat, monocropped faba beans, and intercropped wheat/faba beans) and four levels of applied nitrogen, in groups termed N (0 kg/ha), N (90 kg/ha), N (180 kg/ha), and N (270 kg/ha).

Nitrogen supply and intercropping control of Fusarium wilt in faba bean depend on organic acids exuded from the roots.

Fusarium wilt in faba bean (Vicia faba L.) is caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp.

Effects of Nitrogen and Intercropping on the Occurrence of Wheat Powdery Mildew and Stripe Rust and the Relationship With Crop Yield.

Wheat powdery mildew ( f. sp. ) and stripe rust ( Westend f.