Browsing by Author "Ren, Wei"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
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    Conservation tillage increases corn and soybean water productivity across the Ohio River Basin
    (Elsevier, 2021-08) Huang, Yawen; Tao, Bo; Xiaochen, Zhu; Yang, Yanjun; Liang, Liang; Wang, Lixin; Jacinthe, Pierre-Andre; Tian, Hanqin; Ren, Wei; Earth Sciences, School of Science
    Optimizing agricultural management practices is imperative for ensuring food security and building climate-resilient agriculture. The past several decades have witnessed the emergence of conservation tillage practices to combat soil erosion and degradation. However, the effects of conservation tillage on crop water productivity (CWP) remain uncertain, especially from a regional-scale perspective. Here, we used an improved process-based agroecosystem model (DLEM-Ag) to quantify the long-term effects of conservation tillage (e.g., no-tillage, NT; reduced tillage, RT) on CWP (defined as the ratio of crop productivity to evapotranspiration) of corn and soybean across the Ohio River Basin during 1979–2018. Our results revealed an average increase of 2.8% and 8.4% in CWP for corn and soybean, respectively, under the NT adoption scenario. Compared to the conventional tillage scenario, NT and RT would enhance CWP, primarily due to reductions in evapotranspiration, particularly evaporation. Further analysis suggested that, although NT and RT may decrease surface runoff, these practices could also increase subsurface drainage and nutrient loss from corn and soybean farmland via leaching. These results indicate that conservation tillage should be complemented with additional water and nutrient management practices to enhance soil water retention and optimize nutrient use in the region's cropland. Our findings also provide unique insights into optimizing management practices for other areas where conservation tillage is widely applied.
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    Global synthesis of cover crop impacts on main crop yield
    (Elsevier, 2024-04-15) Peng, Yu; Wang, Lixin; Jacinthe, Pierre-André; Ren, Wei; Earth and Environmental Sciences, School of Science
    Incorporating cover crops into farming systems represents a potential pathway to maintaining crop productivity and achieving multiple environmental benefits. However, how cover crops impact the succeeding crop yield remained a matter of debate. Therefore, this study aims to provide a comprehensive and global scale assessment of cover crop impacts on yield. We conducted a literature synthesis of cover crop studies (104 articles) to collect field-based yield data (1027 records) and used meta-analysis to quantify the impact of cover crops on subsequent main crop yields. Our results showed that cover cropping led to an overall moderate increase in main crop yield, amounting to 2.6%. Specifically, the utilization of leguminous cover crops, cultivation in coarse soil texture and dryland areas, and the implementation of longer cover cropping durations were found to be conducive scenarios to enhance crop yields. Conversely, the use of non-legume cover crops, introducing them to fields under a short-term no-till, especially in fine-textured soils, were impaired to yields. Leguminous cover crops showed the greatest potential for increasing yield (9.8%) particularly when paired with corn. Adopting leguminous cover crops without fertilizing main crops resulted in a 21.8% yield increase. Utilizing cover crops did not affect yield if the field had already under no-till practice. Introducing cover crops on coarser soils and in rainfed drylands can increase yield by 14.1% and 11.4%, respectively. In fine-textured soils, cover crop plus conventional tillage achieved 4.8% yield increase while cover crops plus no-tillage led to a 9.5% yield decrease instead. Consequently, our findings suggested the general yield profitability of cover crops, but substantial variations remain, which was primarily affected by availability of nitrogen and soil moisture. It is advisable to maximize the nitrogen-fixing capability of leguminous cover crops as a nitrogen source for main crops, replacing fertilizer. Particular attention should be paid, and additional management practices should be adopted when using cover crops plus no-tillage in fine-textured soils to avoid yield penalties. These specific supportive measures are suggested to shorten the lag period of yield increase within the initial 1–3 years of cover cropping implementation. Our synthesis quantified the overall cover crop impacts on yield, showcasing variable yield returns across different scenarios. This holistic understanding and comprehensive information can serve to advance the appropriate and targeted adoption of cover crops by policymakers, extension services, and farmers.
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    Loss of FKBP5 Affects Neuron Synaptic Plasticity: An Electrophysiology Insight
    (Elsevier, 2019-03) Qiu, Bin; Xu, Yuxue; Wang, Jun; Liu, Ming; Dou, Longyu; Deng, Ran; Wang, Chao; Williams, Kent E.; Stewart, Robert B.; Xie, Zhongwen; Ren, Wei; Zhao, Zhenwen; Shou, Weinian; Liang, Tiebing; Yong, Weidong; Medicine, School of Medicine
    FKBP5 (FKBP51) is a glucocorticoid receptor (GR) binding protein, which acts as a co-chaperone of heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) and negatively regulates GR. Its association with mental disorders has been identified, but its function in disease development is largely unknown. Long-term potentiation (LTP) is a functional measurement of neuronal connection and communication, and is considered one of the major cellular mechanisms that underlies learning and memory, and is disrupted in many mental diseases. In this study, a reduction in LTP in Fkbp5 knockout (KO) mice was observed when compared to WT mice, which correlated with changes to the glutamatergic and GABAergic signaling pathways. The frequency of mEPSCs was decreased in KO hippocampus, indicating a decrease in excitatory synaptic activity. While no differences were found in levels of glutamate between KO and WT, a reduction was observed in the expression of excitatory glutamate receptors (NMDAR1, NMDAR2B and AMPAR), which initiate and maintain LTP. The expression of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA was found to be enhanced in Fkbp5 KO hippocampus. Further investigation suggested that increased expression of GAD65, but not GAD67, accounted for this increase. Additionally, a functional GABAergic alteration was observed in the form of increased mIPSC frequency in the KO hippocampus, indicating an increase in presynaptic GABA release. Our findings uncover a novel role for Fkbp5 in neuronal synaptic plasticity and highlight the value of Fkbp5 KO as a model for studying its role in neurological function and disease development.
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    Responses of soil carbon sequestration to climate smart agriculture practices: A meta‐analysis
    (Wiley, 2019) Bai, Xiongxiong; Huang, Yawen; Ren, Wei; Coyne, Mark; Jacinthe, Pierre-André; Tao, Bo; Hui, Dafeng; Yang, Jian; Matocha, Chris; Earth Sciences, School of Science
    Climate‐smart agriculture (CSA) management practices (e.g., conservation tillage, cover crops, and biochar applications) have been widely adopted to enhance soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while ensuring crop productivity. However, current measurements regarding the influences of CSA management practices on SOC sequestration diverge widely, making it difficult to derive conclusions about individual and combined CSA management effects and bringing large uncertainties in quantifying the potential of the agricultural sector to mitigate climate change. We conducted a meta‐analysis of 3,049 paired measurements from 417 peer‐reviewed articles to examine the effects of three common CSA management practices on SOC sequestration as well as the environmental controlling factors. We found that, on average, biochar applications represented the most effective approach for increasing SOC content (39%), followed by cover crops (6%) and conservation tillage (5%). Further analysis suggested that the effects of CSA management practices were more pronounced in areas with relatively warmer climates or lower nitrogen fertilizer inputs. Our meta‐analysis demonstrated that, through adopting CSA practices, cropland could be an improved carbon sink. We also highlight the importance of considering local environmental factors (e.g., climate and soil conditions and their combination with other management practices) in identifying appropriate CSA practices for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions while ensuring crop productivity.