Field measurements and open-top chamber experiments using nine current European winter wheat cultivars provided a data set that was used to revise and improve the parameterisation of a stomatal conductance model for wheat, including a revised value for maximum stomatal conductance and new functions for phenology and soil moisture. For the calculation of stomatal conductance for ozone a diffusivity ratio between O(3) and H(2)O in air of 0.663 was applied, based on a critical review of the literature. By applying the improved parameterisation for stomatal conductance, new flux-effect relationships for grain yield, grain mass and protein yield were developed for use in ozone risk assessments including effects on food security. An example of application of the flux model at the local scale in Germany shows that negative effects of ozone on wheat grain yield were likely each year and on protein yield in most years since the mid 1980s.

Field measurements and open-top chamber experiments using nine current European winter wheat cultivars provided a data set that was used to revise and improve the parameterisation of a stomatal conductance model for wheat, including a revised value for maximum stomatal conductance and new functions for phenology and soil moisture. For the calculation of stomatal conductance for ozone a diffusivity ratio between O(3) and H(2)O in air of 0.663 was applied, based on a critical review of the literature. By applying the improved parameterisation for stomatal conductance, new flux-effect relationships for grain yield, grain mass and protein yield were developed for use in ozone risk assessments including effects on food security. An example of application of the flux model at the local scale in Germany shows that negative effects of ozone on wheat grain yield were likely each year and on protein yield in most years since the mid 1980s.

Fluoride (F) is an emerging pollutant that originates from multiple sources and adversely affects plant growth and nutrient bioavailability in soil. This greenhouse study investigated the effects of soil F (0, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 mg kg⁻¹) on morpho-physiological growth characteristics of wheat, soil F contents, and bioavailability and uptake of F, phosphorus (P), sulphur (S), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), aluminium (Al), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), silicon (Si) and zinc (Zn) by wheat. Higher F significantly reduced plant height and number of leaves particularly at early growth stages and increased visible leaf injury index. Powdery mildew infestation coincided with leafy injury and was higher in elevated soil F treatments. Fluoride treatments (>50 mg kg⁻¹) significantly increased water (H₂O)- and calcium chloride (CaCl₂)-extractable F contents in soil. Water-extractable soil F contents from soil in all concentration were higher than CaCl₂-extractable F. This increased F bioavailability resulted in significantly higher F uptake and accumulation in live leaves, dead leaves and grains of wheat which followed order: live leaves > dead leaves > grains. Leaf injury index and number of dead leaves correlated significantly positively with soil H₂O- and CaCl₂-extractable F contents. Patterns of nutrient (P, K, S) and trace metals (Al, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Si, Zn) varied significantly with F concentrations and between live and dead leaves, and grains except for Zn. Dead leaves generally had higher nutrients and trace metals than live leaves and grains. Fluoride contents in live leaves, dead leaves and grains showed positive correlations with nutrient elements but negative with trace metals. Number of dead leaves correlated negatively with Al, Ca, Fe, Mg, S and Si but positively with P and Zn contents in dead leaves whereas leaf injury index showed positive correlation with Fe, K, P, Si, Zn, S but negative with Al, Ca and Mg contents. These observations provided evidence of higher F uptake and associated impairment in nutrient and trace metal accumulation which caused leaf injury accompanied by powdery mildew infestation in wheat. However, further research in the region is required to confirm the relationship between F pollution, leaf injury and trace metal accumulation in crops under field conditions.

Land-use types may affect soil aggregates' stability and organic carbon (OC) distribution characteristics, but little is known about the effects on the distribution characteristics of microplastics (MPs) in the aggregates. Hence, the MPs abundance of soil aggregates and analyzed aggregates’ stability, composition, and OC content from two soil layers of four land-use types in Gansu Province were investigated in this study. The total MPs abundances in woodland, farmland (wheat, maize, and potato), orchard, and intercropping (potato + apple orchard) of top and deep soils were 1383.3 and 1477.9, 1324.6 and 931.1, 1757.1 and 1930.9, 2127.2 and 1998.0, 1335.9 and 886.7, and 1777.5 and 1683.3 items kg⁻¹, respectively. The largest MPs abundance was detected in the >5 mm fractions of topsoil in potato (3077.3 items kg⁻¹), followed by maize (3044.7 items kg⁻¹) and intercropping (2718.4 items kg⁻¹). In the topsoil, the total MPs abundance increased significantly with decreasing aggregate stability, and also was positively correlated with bulk density, microbial biomass, and total nitrogen contents of bulk soil. Summarizing, the abundance distribution of MPs correlates with the soil aggregate characteristics of the different land-use types.

The role of hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) is well known in the regulation of abiotic stress such as toxic heavy metal. However, mechanism(s) lying behind this amelioration are still poorly known. Consequently, the present study was focused on the regulation/mitigation of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI) toxicity by the application of H₂S in wheat and rice seedlings. Cr(VI) induced accumulation of reactive oxygen species and caused protein oxidation which negatively affect the plant growth in both the cereal crops. We noticed that Cr(VI) toxicity reduced length of wheat and rice seedlings by 21% and 19%, respectively. These reductions in length of both the cereal crops were positively related with the down-regulation in the ascorbate-glutathione cycle, and were recovered by the application NaHS (a donor of H₂S). Though exposure of Cr(VI) slightly stimulated sulfur assimilation but addition of H₂S further caused enhancement in sulfur assimilation, suggesting its role in the H₂S-mediated Cr(VI) stress tolerance in studied cereal crops. Overall, the results revealed that H₂S renders Cr(VI) stress tolerance in wheat and rice seedlings by stimulating sulfur assimilation and ascorbate-glutathione which collectively reduce protein oxidation and thus, improved growth was observed.

Multiple sources of microplastics (MPs) in farmland could result in the changing of microbial community and the plant growth. Most studies of MPs in agricultural system have focused on the effects of single types of MPs on growth of plants, while neglect interactions between multiple types of MPs. In this study a pot-experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of multiple types of MPs, including polystyrene beads: M1, 5 μm, M2, 70 nm and degradable mulching film (DMF) fragments on growth of wheat seedlings and associated rhizosphere microbial community. CKD (adding DMF) significantly reduced plant height and base diameter of wheat seedlings. DMF in combination with M2, significantly increased plant height and aboveground biomass, but decreased the base diameter. Actinobacteria was the dominant taxa in the rhizosphere bacterial community in various treatments. PCoA analysis showed that the bacterial composition in M2HD (100 mg kg⁻¹ M² with DMF) was significantly different from that of CKD and M2LD (10 mg kg⁻¹ M² with DMF). At the level of genera, the dominant fungi in CKD and M2LD were in the genus Fusarium, which is the cause of wheat fusarium blight and Alternaria, which results in decreased base diameter. In CK (control group) and M2HD, Blastobotrys exhibited the greatest abundance, which assisted wheat seedlings in resisting Verticillium disease. Cluster and PCoA analysis showed the fungal composition in CKD was significantly different from CK, M2LD and M2HD. These findings suggest MPs potentially have selective effects on pathogens that affect growth of plants and potentially safety of the food.

Black carbon (BC), as one of the short-lived climate pollutants, is becoming more prominent contribution from non-road mobile source, especially for agricultural machinery (AM) in China. However, the understanding of BC emissions from AM is still not clear, and the BC emission factors (EFs) are also limited. In this study, we conducted real-world measurements on twenty AM to investigate the instantaneous BC emission characteristics and quantify BC EFs under the whole tillage processes. We find the instantaneous BC emissions and fuel consumptions are obvious differences and present good synchronization under different tillage processes. Multi-type (CO₂-, fuel-, distance-, time-, and area-based) EFs of BC are developed, which are significantly affected by different tillage processes and emission standards of the used AM. While AM conducting rotary tillage, ploughing, harvest corn and harvest wheat on the same area of land, total BC emissions by using the China III emission standard AM will be reduced by 56%, 36%, 88%, and 87% than those by using China II emission standard AM, respectively. Furthermore, for corn and wheat production under the whole tillage processes, BC EFs are 16.90 (6.03–39.12) g/hm² and 18.18 (5.91–38.69) g/hm², CO₂ EFs are 112.64 (72.07–195.98) g/hm² and 103.72 (71.47–167.02) g/hm², respectively. We estimate the BC and CO₂ emissions from wheat and corn productions based on the average area-based EFs. The large fluctuation ranges of BC and CO₂ emissions in different tillage processes and the whole processes can reflect that the use of AM in China is uneven. It also indicates that there is a large space for BC and CO₂ emission reduction and optimization. Therefore, more attention should be paid to the control of BC and CO₂ emissions from AM. We believe that the recommended multi-type EFs are applicable for the quantification of BC emissions from AM in China and other countries.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi display desired potential to boost crop productivity and drought acclimation. Yet, whether nanoparticles can be incorporated into arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi for better improvement and its relevant morphologic and anatomical evidences are little documented. Pot culture experiment on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was conducted under drought stress (30% FWC) as well as well watered conditions (80% FWC) that involved priming of wheat seeds with iron nanoparticles at different concentrations (5mg L⁻¹, 10 mg L⁻¹ and 15 mg L⁻¹) with and without the inoculation of Glomus intraradices. The effects of treatments were observed on morphological and physiological parameters across jointing, anthesis and maturity stage. Root colonization and nanoparticle uptake trend by seeds and roots was also recorded. We observed strikingly high enhancement in biomass up to 109% under drought and 71% under well-watered conditions, and grain yield increased to 163% under drought and 60% under well-watered conditions. Iron nanoparticles at 10 mg L⁻¹ when combined with Glomus intraradices resulted in maximum wheat growth and yield, which mechanically resulted from higher rhizosphere colonization level, water use efficiency and photosynthetic rate under drought stress (P < 0.01). Across growth stages, optical micrograph observations affirmed higher root infection rate when combined with nanoparticles. Transmission electron microscopy indicated the penetration of nanoparticles into the seeds and translocation across roots whereas energy dispersive X-ray analyses further confirmed the presence of Fe in these organs. Iron nanoparticles significantly enhanced the growth-promoting and drought-tolerant effects of Glomus intraradices on wheat.

Clearfield® wheat (Triticum aestivum) have helped eliminate the toughest grasses and broadleaf weeds in Spain since 2005. This crop production system includes other tolerant cultivars to the application of imidazolinone (IMI) herbicides. However, the continuous use and off-label rates of IMI herbicides can contribute to the development of resistance in Lolium rigidum and other weed species. In this research, the main objectives were to study the resistance mechanisms to acetolactate synthase (ALS) and acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase (ACCase) inhibitors in a L. rigidum accession (LrR) from a Clearfield® wheat field, with a long history rotating these IMI-tolerant crops and compare them with those present in the IMI-tolerant wheat. The resistance to ACCase inhibitors in LrR was due to point mutations (Ile1781Leu plus Asp2078Gly) of the target site gene plus an enhanced herbicide metabolism (EHM), on the other hand, in wheat accessions was due only by EHM. Mechanisms involved in the resistance to ALS inhibitors were both point mutations of the target gene and EHM in the IMI-tolerant wheat, while only evidence of mutation (Trp574Leu) was found in the multiple herbicide resistant L. rigidum accession. This research demonstrates that if crop rotation is not accompanied by the use of alternative sites of action in herbicide-tolerant crops, resistant weeds to herbicide to which crops are tolerant, can easily be selected. Moreover, repeated and inappropriate use of Clearfield® crops and herbicide rotations can lead to the evolution of multiple resistant weeds, as shown in this study, and have also inestimable environmental impacts.

Cropland contamination by toxic trace metal (loid)s (TTMs) has attracted increasing attention due to the serious consequential threat to crop quality and human health. Mitigation of plant TTM stress by silica amendment has been proposed recently. However, the relationship between the siliceous structure of phytoliths and TTMs in plants, and the environmental implications of phytolith-occluded trace metal (loid)s (PhytTMs) remain unclear. This study assessed the accumulation of five metal (loid)s, including lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu) and arsenic (As), in the organic tissues and phytoliths of wheat grown in a mixed-TTM contaminated soil under both lightly and heavily contaminated conditions. The results show that the concentrations of plant TTMs and PhytTMs were significantly (p < 0.05) positively correlated, and higher in heavily contaminated wheats than those in lightly contaminated ones. The bio-enrichment factors between phytoliths and organic tissues were higher for As (1.83), Pb (0.27) and Zn (0.30) than for Cd (0.03) and Cu (0.14), implying that As, Pb and Zn were more readily co-precipitated with silicon (Si) in phytolith structures than Cd and Cu. Network analysis of the relationship between soil and plant elements with PhytTMs showed that severe contamination could impact the homeostasis of elements in plants by altering the translocation of TTMs between soils, plants, and phytoliths. The accumulation of TTMs in phytoliths was affected by the capacity of Si deposition in tissues and chelation of TTMs with silica, which could impact the role of PhytTMs in global biogeochemical TTM cycles.