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Buckwheat starch has attracted worldwide attention in the food industry as a valuable raw material or food additive. Nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) are two nutrients essential to ensure grain quality. This study investigated the combined application of N fertilizer (0, 45 and 90 kg N ha -1 ) and S fertilizer (0 and 45 kg SO 3 ha -1 ) on the chemical composition, structure and physicochemical properties of buckwheat starch. The results showed that increasing the fertilizer application decreased amylose content and starch granule size but increased light transmittance, water solubility and swelling power. The stability of the absorption peak positions and the decrease in short-range order degree suggested that fertilization influenced the molecular structure of buckwheat starch. In addition, increases in viscosity and gelatinization enthalpy as well as decreases in gelatinization temperatures and dynamic rheological properties indicated changes in the processing characteristics and product quality of buckwheat-based foods., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The present study investigated the effect of nitrogen fertilization (NF) at the levels of 0, 45, and 90 kg·ha -1 combined with selected sulfur complex fertilization (SCF) levels of 0 and 45 kg·ha -1 on the nutritional and technological characteristics of buckwheat flour from five varieties. The results showed that the genotype was a critical factor affecting the chemical composition and physicochemical properties of buckwheat flour. NF significantly increased protein, total starch, and amylose content as well as mineral composition but decreased particle size, color value, and water hydration properties. However, SCF enhanced the ash content and decreased the protein content but had no significant effect on the pasting temperature. In addition, the combination of NF and SCF significantly reduced granule size, water solubility, viscosity, and rheological properties with increasing fertilization levels. This study can guide the cultivation of buckwheat with the desired physicochemical properties and provide information for buckwheat-based products in the food industry.

Organic fertilizers and especially microbial biomass, also known as microbial fertilizer, can enable a paradigm shift to the conventional fertilizer-to-food chain, particularly when produced on secondary resources. Microbial fertilizers are already common practice (e.g. Bloom® and Synagro); yet microbial fertilizer blends to align the nutrient release profile to the plant's needs are, thus far, unexplored. Moreover, most research only focuses on direct fertilization effects without considering added value properties, such as disease prevention. This study has explored three promising types of microbial fertilizers, namely dried biomass from a consortium of aerobic heterotrophic bacteria, a microalga (Arthrospira platensis) and a purple non-sulfur bacterium (Rhodobacter sphaeroides). Mineralization and nitrification experiments showed that the nitrogen mineralization profile can be tuned to the plant's needs by blending microbial fertilizers, without having toxic ammonium peaks. In a pot trial with perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), the performance of microbial fertilizers was similar to the reference organic fertilizer, with cumulative dry matter yields of 5.6-6.7 g per pot. This was confirmed in a pot trial with tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), showing an average total plant length of 90-99 cm after a growing period of 62 days for the reference organic fertilizer and the microbial fertilizers. Moreover, tomato plants artificially infected with powdery mildew (Oidium neolycopersici), a devastating disease for the horticultural industry, showed reduced disease symptoms when A. platensis was present in the growing medium. These findings strengthen the application potential of this novel class of organic fertilizers in the bioeconomy, with a promising match between nutrient mineralization and plant requirements as well as added value in crop protection., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

The transition to sustainable agriculture and horticulture is a societal challenge of global importance. Fertilization with a minimum impact on the environment can facilitate this. Organic fertilizers can play an important role, given their typical release pattern and production through resource recovery. Microbial fertilizers (MFs) constitute an emerging class of organic fertilizers and consist of dried microbial biomass, for instance produced on effluents from the food and beverage industry. In this study, three groups of organisms were tested as MFs: a high-rate consortium aerobic bacteria (CAB), the microalga Arthrospira platensis ('Spirulina') and a purple non-sulfur bacterium (PNSB) Rhodobacter sp. During storage as dry products, the MFs showed light hygroscopic activity, but the mineral and organic fractions remained stable over a storage period of 91 days. For biological tests, a reference organic fertilizer (ROF) was used as positive control, and a commercial organic growing medium (GM) as substrate. The mineralization patterns without and with plants were similar for all MFs and ROF, with more than 70% of the organic nitrogen mineralized in 77 days. In a first fertilization trial with parsley, all MFs showed equal performance compared to ROF, and the plant fresh weight was even higher with CAB fertilization. CAB was subsequently used in a follow-up trial with petunia and resulted in elevated plant height, comparable chlorophyll content and a higher amount of flowers compared to ROF. Finally, a cost estimation for packed GM with supplemented fertilizer indicated that CAB and a blend of CAB/PNSB (85%/15%) were most cost competitive, with an increase of 6% and 7% in cost compared to ROF. In conclusion, as bio-based fertilizers, MFs have the potential to contribute to sustainable plant nutrition, performing as good as a commercially available organic fertilizer, and to a circular economy., (© 2020 The Authors. Microbial Biotechnology published by Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Fusarium verticillioides is the most common fungal pathogen associated with maize ear rot in Tanzania. In a two-year trial, we investigated the efficacy of crop protection (insecticide and/or fungicide) and fertilizer (nitrogen and/or phosphorus) treatments in reducing the occurrence of F. verticillioides and its mycotoxins in maize grown in Tanzania. Seasonal differences were seen to have a substantial influence on the incidence and severity of insect infestation, Fusarium ear and kernel rot, biomass of F. verticillioides and contamination with fumonisins. With regard to the application of fertilizers, it was concluded that the impact on maize stalk borer injury, Fusarium symptoms and fumonisin levels was not significant, whereas crop protection significantly reduced maize damage. The application of an insecticide was most effective in reducing insect injury and as a result of the reduced insect injury the insecticide treatment also resulted in a significant decrease in Fusarium symptoms. In 2014, fumonisin levels were also significantly lower in maize treated with an insecticide. Additionally, significant positive correlations between insect damage and Fusarium symptoms were observed. In conclusion, this study clearly shows that application of an insecticide alone or in combination with a fungicide at anthesis significantly reduces insect damage and consequently reduces F. verticillioides infection and associated fumonisin contamination., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

In order to assess the impact of crop rotation and nitrogen fertilisation in an agro system, a long-term field experiment has been established in 2006 at the experimental farm of Ghent University and University College Ghent (Bottelare-Belgium). The trial comprises 11 different crop rotations in combination with four nitrogen fertilizer regimes. The different crop rotations are monoculture of grain- and silage maize, whether or not followed by Italian ryegrass, permanent and temporary grass-clover and six other rotations of maize in combination with potatoes, wheat, fodder beet and peas. Normal crop husbandry measures were taken for each crop. The experiment was set up on a sandy loam soil, according to a strip plot design with 3 replicates. In the course of the experiment, crop rotation was the horizontal factor and fertilizer nitrogen (N) the vertical factor. The effect of crop rotation on yield, disease pressure, soil structure and earthworm abundance were evaluated yearly. In autumn 2013 the weed seed bank was analysed for each plot using the seedling emergence method. The obtained results indicated differences between the different crop rotations.

The effect of humic substances on the nutrient uptake, herbage production and nutritive value of herbage from sown grass pastures was studied in six field experiments. Commercial humic substances were applied in combination with mineral fertilizer or slurry, either as a solution (HF liquid; 8·3 kg humic substances ha−1) or incorporated into the mineral fertilizer (HF incorporated; 3·6 to 6·4 kg humic substances ha−1). A series of cuts, ranging from two to five cuts, was taken during the growing season. The general response in herbage production to application of humic substances was an increase in herbage mass of dry matter (DM) at the first cut although this was only significant in two experiments for the HF incorporated treatment. Total herbage production of DM over the growing season, however, was similar for treatments with or without application of humic substances. The overall effect of HF incorporated and HF liquid on the herbage mass of DM at the first cut across the experiments was calculated using a meta-analysis technique and it was shown that there was a significant proportional increase of 0·14 ( P < 0·05) with the HF incorporated treatment and a non-significant increase of 0·08 with the HF liquid treatment compared to the control treatment. The nutritive value of the herbage at the first cut was similar across all treatments. In general nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium uptake at the first grass cut was higher after application of humic substances but only in one experiment was this increase statistically significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]