Salinity is amongst the most significant environmental factors responsible for substantial losses in agricultural production worldwide, and it is one of the serious problems confronting sustainable agriculture in irrigated production systems in arid and semiarid regions. Productivity of wheat in salt-affected regions due to saline ground water and soil can be improved by use of supplemental nutrition such as silicon. The improved silicon-derived benefits in wheat will be helpful to develop a more sustainable cropping system in the future.

To determine the temporal and spatial variation of maize leaf morpho-physiological characteristics, field experiments were conducted that included mulched drip irrigation (MD), non-mulched drip irrigation (ND), and traditional non-mulched rain-fed (CK) treatments in northeastern China. Results showed that MD treatment increased the photosynthetic area of lower leaves and the photosynthetic capacity of upper and middle leaves, which was beneficial to yield accumulation. This study can also provide a reference for the simulation of water carbon flux under mulched drip irrigation.

Host plant resistance is the most economical and environmentally friendly method of protection against plant disease. This study examined Co genes in Turkish common bean genotypes linked to resistance to bean anthracnose. The study provides an important gene pool for breeding studies and identifies genotypes resistant to the pathogen.

Sugarcane smut incidence and severity can reach up to 100% in highly susceptible varieties. Cane yield loss can vary from ≤ 1% in highly resistant varieties up to > 40% in highly susceptible varieties. Every 1% increase in smut incidence and severity can cause 574 kg and 756 kg of cane yield per hectare, respectively. Production loss due to sugarcane smut can be reduced from > 40% for susceptible varieties to < 6% for resistant varieties.

Megathyrsus maximus (Gatton panic) is a highly valued forage tropical grass; it has poor seedling establishment due to low seed quality. We used non-thermal plasma to treat the seeds of this grass and found that the treatment improved seed viability and germination and enhanced seedling establishment and biomass production without compromising forage quality. Non-thermal plasma appears as a promising technology for grass seeds, with no negative impacts on the environment.

The frequency and magnitude of floods are increasing in many pasture lands. In this context, this review aimed to quantitatively summarise all available information in the international literature related to waterlogging tolerance of perennial C₄ and C₃ forage grasses in worldwide use. This review reveals gaps in knowledge to guide future research aimed at improving forage production in areas prone to flooding.