This review discusses the role of zinc (Zn) in chickpea biology and examines Zn dynamics in soil and in chickpea-based cropping systems. It considers breeding strategies to develop Zn-efficient varieties, biofortification, and agronomic approaches for managing Zn deficiency in chickpea. Simple, efficient and cost-effective strategies involving different application methods (soil, foliar and seed Zn treatments) for improving grain yield and grain Zn concentration in chickpea are also covered.

Water-soluble protein concentration (WSPC) of soybean affects the quality of soybean-derived food and the appearance of soybean products. In the present study, a representative soybean population of 178 elite accessions was selected and used to determine quantitative trait nucleotides of WSPC via a genome-wide association study. Identified loci along with eight candidate genes will be of great value for further functional analysis and marker-assisted selection of WSPC in soybean.

There are few studies on soybean lodging at present. We examined the mechanical properties associated with soybean lodging through plant force analysis, and we propose using the lodging-resistance coefficient to evaluate resistance of soybean to lodging. This study provides a new method for predicting lodging resistance in soybean, and it could be used as a selective breeding tool.

Citrus fruits are important horticultural products globally, and citrus canker (caused by Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri, Xcc) is a dangerous disease worldwide owing to a wide host range, susceptibility of all citrus cultivars, and high prevalence in citrus-growing regions. We tested strains of two pathotypes of Xcc for virulence on leaves of three Citrus species, and for growth on eight species of citrus weeds. Xcc can survive on most of the weeds used in this study; therefore, disease-management programs should be directed to control and eradicate these weeds.

In this study of Brassica tournefortii, a problematic weed in no-till production systems of northern Australia, seeds were shown to persist for a short period on the soil surface and emergence was high from the soil surface. Brassica tournefortii could compete with chickpea and has a tendency to produce sufficient seeds under water-stress condition for reinfestation. A strategy of diligent control of seedlings during a 6–12-month fallow could exhaust the seedbank, resulting in a minimal weed problem in the following crop.

We evaluated the quality of five Urochloa cultivars during the four seasons of the year. These grasses contain an anti-nutritional compound called protodioscin, which can reduce feed quality to ruminant animals when consumed, causing metabolic disturbances and resulting in intoxication. The results showed that all cultivars had higher protodioscin contents in autumn and reduced nutritional quality.

Changes in sward height of pastures according to climatic seasonality alter forage production. Reducing the sward height of Marandu palisade grass pastures continuously stocked in June (when light, temperature and water are limited) contributes to renewal of the tiller population during the subsequent growing period (November–December) when availability of resources and conditions determined by climatic factors are favourable, thus improving forage production. This strategy can also be applied to supply additional forage during the period of natural shortage.