Shifts in soil bacterial diversity and community composition are suggested to be induced by elevated input of nitrogen (N) fertilization with implications for soil quality, and consequently production. In this study, we evaluated the impacts of recommended fertilization (RF) and conventional fertilization (CF) on soil chemical properties, crop yield, bacterial diversity, and community composition from two long-term experiments conducted in fluvo-aquic soil and black soil of China. Each site comprised of four treatments, i.e., RF N−, RF N+, CF N−, CF N+. No N fertilization was indicated by N− and N fertilization was indicated by N+. Across both sites, N fertilization significantly increased crop yield compared with no N fertilization and RF successfully enhanced crop yield over CF. Interestingly, the RF maintained bacterial diversity, while CF depressed bacterial diversity in the two soils. Microbial taxa performing important ecological roles such as order Rhodospirillales and Bacillales were significantly enhanced in the RF approach, while Rhizobiales declined under CF. Furthermore, the results of partial least square path modeling revealed that soil available phosphorus (AP) negatively affected bacterial diversity while it positively affected bacterial community structure in fluvo-aquic soils. In contrast, soil pH was positively linked with both bacterial diversity and community structure in black soil. Overall, our study demonstrated that RF is an environmentally friendly approach which not only maintained above ground plant productivity, but also preserved belowground microbial populations and important soil variables regulating bacterial communities varied in different soil types.

| Crop establishment is mainly based on techniques used for good seed bed preparation. The objective of this study was to check the influence of various tillage practices on yield of the autumn planted maize crop. The experiment was conducted in summer, 2014 at Agronomic Research Area, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four replications. Net plot size was maintained 7.0 m × 3.6 m. Different tillage practices, i.e., deep tillage, conventional tillage, minimum tillage, simple cultivation flat sowing, simple cultivation ridge sowing, zero tillage dibbling and zero tillage drill were performed as the experimental treatments. Results showed that maize hybrid sown under deep tillage gave the maximum grain yield (7.2 t ha -1 ), number of grains cob -1 (528), 1000-grain weight (265 g), plant height (205 cm), plant population (7.2 plants m -2 ) and stem diameter (1.58 cm), cob length (19.1 cm), biological yield (19.5 t ha -1 ) and harvest index (37.0%), while lowest grain yield (3.08 t ha -1 ), number of grains per cob (319), 1000 grain weight (204 g), plant height (174 cm), plant population (6.2 plants m -2 ), stem diameter (1.28 cm), cob length (14.9 cm), biological yield (12.1 t ha -1 ) and harvest index (30.5%) were obtained from the zero tillage at (p ≤ 0.05). Economically, maize sown in deep tillage gave maximum net income of Rs 99753 ha -1 with VCR (1.75), whereas minimum net income of Rs 13703 ha -1 with VCR (1.12) where zero tillage drilling system was adopted. Our study demonstrated that deep tillage is better option for yield enhancement under Faisalabad conditions.

Weeds cause considerable damage to rice crop. To ascertain the influence of different weed management practices under different tillage systems, a field experiment was conducted during 2014-15. Experimental design was RCB with split-plot arrangement and with a net plot size of 6 x 2 m. Three tillage systems viz; zero tillage with glyphosate application and conventional tillage with and without stale seed bed, and seven weed management treatments viz; weedy check, manual weeding, oxadiargyl as pre-emergence, pyrazosulfuron as pre-emergence, pyrazosulfuron as post-emergence, fenoxaprop-ethyle + sodium fluoride as post-emergence and fenoxaprop-ethyle + sodium fluoride as post-emergence. Results revealed that all treatments including tillage systems and herbicides significantly (p<0.05) affected weed density and weed dry biomass. Minimum weed density (229.22, 159.22 and 127.77 m-2) and weed dry biomass (68.01, 49.29 and 41.08 g m-2) at 30, 45 and 60 DAS (days after sowing) were recorded for pyrazosulfuron (as pre-emergence), respectively, followed by fenoxaprop-ethyle + sodium fluoride (as post-emergence). Maximum 1000-kernel weight and kernel yield (19.15 g and 3.45 ton ha-1) were recorded for weed free treatments and it was 12 and 57% higher than weedy check. Maximum net benefit and benefit to cost ratio (USD$ 817 ha-1 and 1.76, respectively) were recorded for pyrazosulfuron applied at either pre- or post-emergence stage under zero tillage system. Conclusively, pyrazosulfuron (as pre-emergence) and fenoxaprop-ethyle + sodium fluoride (as post-emergence) gave the best weed control under conventional tillage with stale seed bed system, while pyrazosulfuron exhibited maximum benefit-cost ratio under zero tillage system.

Soil heavy metal pollution poses a threat to agricultural sustainability, food safety, and human health. The ecologically fragile Yellow River Basin is a critical hub for agriculture, energy, and mining; however, soil heavy metal studies remain fragmented, and basin-wide syntheses are limited almost entirely to agricultural soils. This study presents a basin-wide analysis of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn in topsoil, based on 2498 sampling locations compiled from 347 publications, using an integrated framework of receptor modeling, multivariate spatial statistics, self-organizing maps, and probabilistic human health and ecological risk assessment. Four pollution sources, namely agricultural–industrial, emissions, mining–smelting, and geogenic/lithogenic, were resolved. Agriculture–industry and emissions posed considerable ecological risks (mean PER = 367.9 and 353.4), with Cd and Pb accounting for 95.7% of the risk. The non-carcinogenic hazard was negligible for adults, but 8.6% of sites exceeded the safe threshold for children, and the carcinogenic risk surpassed 10⁻⁶ for all groups, with 2.6–9.6% of sites exceeding 10⁻⁴. Spatially, the strongest multimetal contamination corridors are the Baiyin–Lanzhou corridor (upper–middle reaches) for Cu-Pb-Zn (mining–smelting) and the Xi’an–Weinan belt (middle reaches) for Cd-Pb (agricultural–industrial and emissions). Multivariate clustering was more extensive (56.1% of sites) than single-metal clustering (13.1–26.2%), confirming coherent source-linked zones. Ecological risks were driven by Cd and Pb, whereas human health risks were driven by As, Cr, and Ni. This divergence and the strong spatial organization of the risk clusters highlight the need for source-specific, spatially targeted mitigation, which requires monitoring across all land use types. The compiled dataset, although extensive, is constrained by heterogeneity in sampling periods and analytical methods and by sparse coverage in some grassland, desert, and plateau regions.

Wheat–cotton system is a major production system in Pakistan, however, cotton yield is declining in the system most likely due to weeds infestation and intensive tillage practices. Conservation tillage such as reduced and zero tillage in combination with appropriate herbicide may have the potential to enhance cotton yield on sustainable basis. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of herbicides under different tillage systems on weed control and cotton yield in wheat-cotton system. A field experiment was conducted at Cotton Research Station, Ratta Kulachi, Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan, during 2017 and 2018. In the experiment, post-emergence herbicides, i.e. floxyfop-R-methyl 10.8 EC (108 g a.i. ha^-1), lactofen 24 EC (168 g a.i. ha^-1), floxyfop 10.8 EC + lactofen 24 EC, hand weeding, weedy check and three tillage systems (zero tillage, reduced tillage and conventional tillage) were evaluated in randomized compete block design (RCBD), with split plot arrangements, replicated 4 times. Tillage was allotted to main plots while herbicides were applied to subplots. The results revealed that hand weeding and floxyfop as post emergence alone or in combination with lactofen reduced weed density to the minimum irrespective of the tillage systems. Maximum dry weed biomass was recorded in control. Interaction effects revealed that reduced tillage in combination with broad spectrum herbicides had maximum weed population reduction percentage. Reduced tillage with broad spectrum herbicides had seed cotton yield compared to zero and conventional tillage. In conclusion, broad-spectrum herbicides under reduced tillage were more productive in wheat based cropping system on silty clay soil of D.I.Khan.