Abstract
Crop production must increase substantially to meet the needs of a rapidly growing human population, but this is constrained by the availability of resources such as nutrients, water, and land. There is also an urgent need to reduce negative environmental impacts from crop production. Collectively, these issues represent one of the greatest challenges of the twenty-first century. Sustainable cropping systems based on ecological principles, appropriate use of inputs, and soil improvement are the core for integrated approaches to solve this grand challenge. This special issue includes several review and original research articles on these topics for an array of cropping systems, which can advise implementation of best management practices and lead to advances in agronomics for sustainable intensification of crop production.
Highlights
The global human population reached 7.7 billion in 2019 and is predicted to be 8.5 billion in 2030 and 9.7 billion in 2050 [1]
Grain yields of wheat and sunflower were not significantly different among treatments, but total aboveground biomass of all crops in the three-year study was greatest with 100% mineral fertilizer or 50% compost plus 50% mineral fertilizer. These findings indicate that compost can be used to offset synthetic N fertilizer application in crop production, and that it can be a key component of sustainable cropping systems
These findings reveal that kura clover living mulch can reduce N fertilizer requirements for maize while enhancing profitability for farmers, and contribute to a growing body of literature indicating that use of kura clover living mulch is a viable tactic for sustainable maize-based cropping systems [47,48,49,50,51]
Summary
The global human population reached 7.7 billion in 2019 and is predicted to be 8.5 billion in 2030 and 9.7 billion in 2050 [1]. Increases in crop production will be needed to meet the requirements of the growing human population. Many of the resources needed for crop production are limited, including land, water, and nutrients, making it essential that they be used responsibly. Since the 1960s, increases in global crop production have been associated with expansion of land in crop production, increased cropland under irrigation, and greater use of chemical fertilizers [2], along with reliance on chemical pesticides [3]. These factors have been linked to negative impacts on the environment.
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