Planting Cover Crops Research Articles

Cover crop management strategies affect weeds and profitability of organic no-till soybean

Abstract Cover crop residue retention on the soil surface can suppress weeds and improve organic no-till soybean (Glycine max) yield and profitability compared to a tilled system. Appropriate cereal rye (Secale cereale) fall planting date and termination methods in the spring are critical to achieve these benefits. A plot-scale agronomic experiment was carried out from September 2018 to October 2021 in Kutztown, PA, USA to demonstrate the influence of cereal rye planting date (September or October) and mechanical termination method [no-till (I & J roller-crimper, Dawn ZRX roller, and mow-ted) and tilled (plow-cultivate)] on cover crop regrowth density, weed biomass, soybean yield, and economic returns. In one out of three years, the September rye planting accumulated more cover crop biomass than the October planting, but the regrowth of the rye after roller-crimping was greater with this planting date. Cover crop planting date had no effect on total weed biomass and demonstrated varying effects on soybean grain yield and economic returns. The Dawn ZRX roller outperformed the I & J roller-crimper in effectively terminating cover crops, while the I & J roller-crimper demonstrated more uniform weed suppression and led to greater soybean yields over a span of three years. Organic no-till strategies eliminated the need for tillage and reduced variable costs by 14% over plow-cultivated plots, and generated ~19% greater net revenue across the study period (no-till vs tillage = US $845 vs US $711 ha−1). Terminating cereal rye with roller-crimping technology can be a positive investment in an organic soybean production system.

Analysis of The Level of Erosion Hazard in The Walanae Watershed and Land Conservation Directions to Reduce The Erosion Rate in The Walanae Watershed

The Walanae Watershed (DAS) is one of the Walanae – Cenranae Sub Watersheds in several districts, including Wajo, Soppeng, Bone, and Maros regencies. The river flow in the Walanae watershed flows from south to north and empties into Lake Tempe, Wajo Regency. The condition of Lake Tempe, which continues to experience silting due to erosion and sedimentation, is still happening. This siltation resulted in sediment discharges reaching 519,000 m3/year. This siltation can cause a narrowing of the lake area and flooding around Lake Tempe. The purpose of this study is to model erosion control in the Walanae watershed to reduce the level of siltation that occurs in Lake Tempe. Analysis of the erosion rate of the Walanae watershed using the USLE method. The analysis results show that the erosion rate that occurred in 2000 was 187.52 Tons / Ha / Yr, while in 2022, it was 253.336 Tons / Ha / Yr. Scenarios based on land conservation actions can reduce the erosion rate by 149,034 tons/ha / Year. The scenario was carried out by considering slope classes and land cover in the Walanae watershed. In flat to gentle slope conditions, ground cover crops and livestock grazing are needed; in rice fields and dryland agriculture, rural and annuals and mulch reinforcement are needed. Conservation measures are needed in steep to very steep slope classes, such as bench terraces and plant cover crops for agricultural land cover. As for forest areas, permanent vegetation or agroforestry is needed.

Investigating the impacts of agricultural land use on soil earthworm communities: A case study of northern Zagros Mountains of Iran

Earthworms play a crucial role in the invertebrate community of soil by contributing to the belowground biomass and biogeochemical cycle. Environmental stresses, such as human activities and land use changes, have been found to negatively affect their abundance and diversity. To investigate the impact of agricultural land use and pastures on earthworms' genetic diversity in the Northern Zagros Mountains, we used COI molecular marker and DNA barcoding approaches. We collected earthworm specimens from four farmland sites and six pastures and assessed the abundance and species composition of earthworm communities across the two land uses using quadrat sampling. Using the barcoding method, we identified 13 molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs) among the captured earthworms. Our results showed that the number of total MOTUs, density, and earthworm communities differed significantly between the two land uses. We also found that pastures had more abundant earthworms, while farmlands had greater diversity. The diversity of OTUs in the Lumbricidae family was dominant in the agricultural system. Overall, the population of invasive earthworm species in cultivation systems is influenced by chemical inputs and organic materials from plant residues, cover crops, manure, or organic fertilizers. Given the rapid rate of land use change worldwide, especially in Iran, it is crucial to understand the impact of disturbances on earthworms.

Effect of Aluminum Sulfate and Cover Crops on Some Chemical and Physical Properties of Degraded Soil

Prevalence of saline and sodic soils has been increased in arid and semi-arid regions which are often depend on irrigated agriculture, and this has led to a major threat to the agricultural sustainable production and environment. An alum has been used as chemical amendments in reclamation of degraded and dispersive soils which are affected by higher sodium concentration. A field experiment was carried out during the fall season in July, 2022 at Karma District - Anbar Governorate to study the effects of aluminum sulfate (alum) and cover crops on some soil physical and chemical properties and crop indicators in silty clay degraded soil due to salinization and high sodicity. The experimental design for the study site was a split-plot design arrangement with a randomized completely plot design (RCBD. The whole plot factor included cover crops which included no cover crops (NCC), sesbania (CC1) and millet crop (Panicum miliceum L.) (CC2), and alum levels were a split-plot factor which included A0 (0 mg ha-1), A1 (1.8 mg ha-1), A2 (3.6 mg ha-1) and A3 (7.2 mg ha-1). Three replications within each treatment were used in this study design, and the total experimental treatments were 36 treatments. Sorghum was planted as main crop in this study. The results showed that the concentration of A3 has decreased adsorption sodium percentage (ESP), pH, soil bulk density and carbonate minerals by 64, 20, 21 and 35%, respectively as compared with A0. Also, the alum level of A3 had greater aggregate stability, total porosity and saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat) by 100, 29 and 145%, respectively. Cover crops were roughly decreased by 10, 3 and 8% for ESP, soil bulk density and carbonate minerals, respectively. The water-stable aggregates and Kat were increased by averaging 8-12% and averaging 8-29 mm hr-1, respectively for cover crop systems as compared to NCC management. The treatment of CC2A3 had the highest values for all measured soil properties as compared with the control treatment of NCCA0. In conclusion, adding alum and planting cover crops have been contributed to improved overall soil chemical and physical properties in degraded soil.

Optimizing the planting time and stand density of sunn hemp intercropping for biomass productivity and competitiveness in a maize-based system

ContextOptimizing cover crop intercropping should aim to be sustainable, economically feasible and environmentally benign. Significant consideration must be given to cover crop plant timing and stand density adjustments to complement the resource demands of the dominant crop, while ensuring optimal biomass yields. ObjectiveThe study assessed a range of intercropping indices to evaluate the influence of different planting times and stand densities of sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea L.) when intercropped with maize (Zea mays L.). The evaluation focused on interspecies interactions in relation to aboveground biomass production. MethodsA split-plot experiment was conducted using the in-field rainwater harvesting (IRWH) technique. The main plot factors included three intercropping times: simultaneous with maize planting, at the V15 and the R1 maize growth stages. The subplot factors consisted of three stand densities (16, 32 and 48 plants m−2), with three replicates for both the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons. Intercropping indices, including land equivalent ratio and coefficient, area time equivalent ratio, land use efficiency, system productivity index, percentage yield difference, relative crowding coefficient, aggressivity, competitive ratio and actual yield loss were employed to assess interspecific interactions and their impact on biomass productivity. ResultsResults show that intercropping sunn hemp at maize planting or the V15 maize growth stage can reduce stand density to 32 plants m−2 without reducing sunn hemp biomass yield. The land equivalent ratio was highest (2.20), with intercropping at the V15 maize growth stage and lowest (2.09) with simultaneous intercropping at maize planting. The relative crowding coefficient was highest (34.4) at the V15 maize growth stage at 32 plants m−2 stand density and lowest (−45.9) with simultaneous intercropping at planting at the same stand density. Intercropping during the R1 maize growth stage influenced competition on sunn hemp with the highest actual yield loss of − 0.07. Competitive ratios were significantly higher for maize (26.19) and sunn hemp (0.16) with R1 and V15 maize growth stage intercropping, respectively. However, sunn hemp's actual yield loss was higher (0.25) with intercropping during the V15 maize growth stage than in sole cropping. ConclusionsIntercropping sunn hemp both simultaneously with maize planting and during the V15 maize growth stage with a stand density of 32 plants m−2 demonstrated enhanced biomass productivity, thereby offering viable intensification choices. The utilization of multiple intercropping indices can contribute to a more comprehensive and precise evaluation of interspecies interactions, consequently leading to improved decision-making.

Introducing sheep for agroecological weed management on banana plantations in Guadeloupe: A co-design process with farmers

CONTEXTIn Guadeloupe, the use of a persistent pesticide (chlordecone) contaminated one third of the island's agricultural soils, causing a major environmental crisis. In the aftermath, banana farmers significantly changed their management practices to decrease their pesticide use. With the support of research, farmers have tested and adopted various agroecological practices, such as planting cover crops and using vitroplants and fallow. However, the use of animals to decrease pesticide use on banana plantations has not yet been explored. OBJECTIVEThis study aimed to co-design agroecological cropping systems that integrate animals as an alternative means to manage weeds. METHODSThe study was based on co-design workshops involving farmers, advisors and scientists, a survey of local practices of integrating animals within cropping systems, on-farm experiments with four farmers during which a total of 20 four-month-old male lambs were introduced within their cropping systems, and reflexive monitoring two and six months after the end of the experiments. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSThe introduction of sheep into cropping systems was the option deemed the most promising after three co-design workshops. Animals already were integrated into some banana-based farming systems in the study area, but this integration mainly consisted of cattle grazing on fallow land. The on-farm experiments highlighted that sheep made it possible to reduce the herbaceous cover on banana plantations by almost 60%. The growth performance of the lambs allowed by the herbaceous cover was within the range observed for this breed when reared on pastures (50–139 g/day). In this experiment, the lambs were not reared for meat, since the animals were, unsurprisingly, contaminated by chlordecone. The farmers appreciated that the practice enabled them to eliminate a labor-intensive activity (removing by hand the vines around the banana pseudo-stem) and radically reduce brush cutting. Piloted by a technical institution providing farmers technical support, initial changes in the broader socio-technical regime were observed. SIGNIFICANCEThis study highlights a co-design process of agroecological cropping systems involving agronomists, animal scientists, and farmers that led to an innovative, animal-based method of managing weeds within banana cropping systems with positive preliminary adoption outcomes as new farmers start using the practice. Inspired by similar efforts in vineyards, cereal and oil palm plantations, it is one of the first attempts to introduce sheep into banana cropping systems. The challenge is now to support this adoption at the territorial scale through possible cooperation between breeders and farmers, the training of farmers, and finding a means to ensure the safety of sheep.

A Review on Potential Biofuel Yields from Cover Crops

Millions of hectares of cover crops are planted in the U.S. and European Union to manage soil erosion, soil fertility, water quality, weeds, and climate change. Although only a small percentage of cover crops are harvested, the growing cover crop planting area provides a new biomass source to the biofuel industry to produce bioenergy. Oilseed crops such as rapeseed, sunflower, and soybean are commodities and have been used to produce biodiesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Other cover crops such as cereal rye, clover, and alfalfa, have been tested on small or pilot scales to produce cellulosic ethanol, biogas, syngas, bio-oil, and SAF. Given the various biofuel products and pathways, this review aimed to provide a comprehensive comparison of biofuel yield from different cover crops and an overview of the technologies that have been employed to improve biofuel yield. It was envisioned that gene-editing tools might be revolutionary to the biofuel industry, the work on cover crop supply chain will be critical for system scaleup, and high-tolerant technologies likely will be needed to handle the high compositional heterogeneity and variability of cover crop biomass for biofuel.

Appraisal of Soil Conservation Practices Utilized by Crop Farmers in Orashi Region of Rivers State, Nigeria

This study investigated soil conservation practices utilized by crop farmers in Orashi Region of Rivers State consisting of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, Ahoada East and Ahoada West Local Government Areas. Data were collected using structured questionnaire based on 4-point Likert rating scale and interview schedule. A population sample of one hundred and twenty (120) respondents was selected to elicit information using the stratified sampling technique. Forty (40) crop farmers from each Local Government Area were selected for the study. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics such as the arithmetic mean. Findings show that more than half (76.7%) were married and 45.8% had formal education. Majority of the respondents were within the ages of 40-49 years. The type of soil conservation practices adopted were application of manure ( =3.37), planting of cover crops ( =3.73), use of multiple cropping system ( =3.93), use of reduced tillage methods/direct seeding ( =3.83), bush fallowing ( =3.86), incorporation of crop residue ( =3.74), mulching ( =3.85), construction of bonds/other structures ( =3.93), shifting cultivation ( =3.54), and crop rotation ( =3.53). The level of adoption and utilization of the identified measures tends to agree with the farmer’s year of experience, level of awareness of soil conservation measures, age-long cultural practices or cultural barrier and technical knowhow. The study concluded that government should enact favourable agricultural policies that will enlighten farmers on soil conservation practices in their cultivation exercise. The services of extension workers will be helpful in this direction.

Phylogenetic relatedness can influence cover crop-based weed suppression

Cover crops are plants grown to provide regulating, supporting, and cultural ecosystem services in managed environments. In agricultural systems, weed suppression services from cover crops can be an important tool to promote sustainability as reliance on herbicides and tillage for weed management has caused pollution, biodiversity loss, and human health issues. However, to effectively use weed suppression services from cover crops, farmers must carefully select species that fit within their rotations and suppress their problematic weeds. Understanding how the relatedness between cover crops and weeds affects their interactions will help farmers select cover crops for targeted weed management. The phylogenetic distance between species reflects their relatedness and was studied through a series of field experiments that compared weed suppression in winter and summer cover crops with tilled controls. This study demonstrates that cover crops can reduce up to 99% of weed biomass and alter weed community structure by suppressing phylogenetically related weed species. Results also suggest that cover crop planting season can influence weed community structure since only overwintering treatments affected the phylogenetic distance of weed communities. In an applied context, these results help develop cover crop-based weed management systems, demonstrating that problematic weeds can be managed by selecting phylogenetically related cover crop species. More broadly, this study provides a framework for evaluating weed communities through a phylogenetic perspective, which provides new insight into plant interactions in agriculture.

Influence of cover cropping and conservation tillage on weeds during the critical period for weed control in soybean

AbstractLimited research has been directed at evaluating the ability of single cover crop plantings to suppress weeds in crops beyond the initial field season. Thus, this experiment was conducted to investigate the ability of a second-year self-regenerated annual and second-year perennial cover crop planting to suppress weeds during the critical period for weed control (CPWC) in soybean crops. Whole-plot treatments included 1) conventional till, 2) no-till with cover crop residue, 3) living mulch + cover crop residue, and 4) living mulch + winter-killed residue. Subplot treatments involved weed management intensity: a) no weed management (weedy), b) weeds manually removed through the CPWC (third node soybean stage; V3), and c) weeds manually removed until soybean canopy closure (weed-free). Overall, total annual cover crop biomass during the second field season was comparable to biomass obtained from direct seeded stands during the initial field season. All cover crop treatments reduced total weed biomass through the CPWC compared to conventional till. Soybean yield was low across all treatments in this experiment. Still, yield was similar between cover crop and conventional till treatments at one site-year, however, yields were lower in all cover crop treatments at the other site-year.

Contributive Effect of Land Management Indicators to Farmers Farmland Conservation in Oyo State, Nigeria

Major problem facing tropical agriculture is the inherent low fertility status of most of the soils because of the predominant low-activity. The study explained the contributive effect of sustainable land management indicators to land use on farmers’ productivity in Oyo State Nigeria. A two-stage sampling technique was employed in selecting 330 farmers from the four agricultural zones in Oyo State. Structured questionnaire was used to obtain primary data. The data collected were analysed using descriptive and Fuzzy logic analysis (Fuzzy set theory). The result revealed that the result of Fuzzy Logic which was used to compute the composite indicators of unsustainable land use (IULU) showed that the total IULU of 0.26 obtained indicated that farmers’ land management practices in the study area are generally sustainable. Residue cover, land fallowing, compaction and rooting, salinity and crop rotations among others have the highest relative contributions of 3.2%, 3.2%, 3.2%, 3.2% and 3.2% respectively to land farmers land conservation, while other indicators contribute lower percentage to land conservation been unsustainable in the study with relative contributions of 2.1%, 2.3%, 2.3%, 2.0, 2.5% and 2.4% respectively also majority of the farmer (60%) are sustainable and contributed larger percentage (96.4%) to sustainability and had between 0.1-0.2 with minimum of 0.00004 and maximum of 0.95650 sustainable land index in the study. The study recommended among others that cultural practices for erosion prevention should be encouraged by planting of cover crops and planting of trees and other agronomic best practices which enhance soil conservation and improve more on their level of sustainable land use indicators. Keywords: Sustainable, Land, Conservation, Indicators, Aggregation, Fuzzy, Nigeria

The role of Leguminosae plants for soil fertility in oil palm plantations

The greatest and most lucrative plantation product in Indonesia is palm oil. The availability of nutrients in the soil affects how oil palm plants grow and develop. To overcome the low availability of nutrients in the soil to meet the needs of plants, fertilization operations are required. The concept of a green economy necessitates that the palm oil industry limits its usage of chemical fertilizers as well as chemical pest and disease management. Oil palm plants require a variety of fertilizers that are rich in macronutrients (N, P, and K), secondary nutrients (Ca and Mg), and micronutrients (B, Zn, and Cu). The potential use of biodiversity as a soil fertility agent, such as Leguminosae plants, must be researched. The purpose of this study is to define the function of Leguminosae plants in oil palm farms’ soil fertility. Several scientific papers that were pertinent to the research issue were studied for literature as part of the data collection process. Oil palm plantations in Indonesia have implemented the planting of legume cover crops (LCC). Planting LCC suppresses weed growth, protects the soil from direct sunlight and raindrops, reduces surface runoff, maintains soil moisture, and increases soil fertility. Neustanthus phaseoloides var. javanicus, Calopogonium caeruleum, C. mucunoides, Mucuna bracteata, M. pruriens var. utilis, and Centrosema pubescens are a few Leguminosae plants that can be used as cover crops. In addition to these species, planting Parkia timoriana, P. speciosa, and Archidendron pauciflorum trees can help improve soil fertility. Oil palm plantations with legumes have a higher clay texture, an average pH of 6.0, and high levels of N-total, P, K, and C-organic, whereas non-legume oil palm plantations have a sandy texture and high dust, an average pH of 5.3, and very low levels of N-total, P, K, and C-organic. Legumes, in addition to being a cover crop, can also be used as animal feed and to increase nutrient levels in plants. Planting LCC in oil palm plantations can affect the nutrient content of forages that grow under oil palm trees because the root nodules of LCC contain rhizobium bacteria that function to fix nitrogen from the air and are converted by the nitrogenase enzyme into ammonium and nitrate as a source of N for the LCC. The concept of integrated plantations can be applied to oil palm plantations by using LCC, which has hampered the growth of oil palm plants as animal feed, and P. timoriana, P. speciosa, and A. pauciflorum trees as economically valuable food plants.

Effects of paraquat application at cover crop planting on cover crop biomass and weed suppression

AbstractSuccessful cover crop (CC) establishment in the fall is important to maximize CC production, which is critical for achieving many objectives of CCs. Competition from winter weeds may reduce CC establishment and biomass production. A preplant herbicide, such as paraquat, at the time of CC planting in the fall will reduce winter weed pressure resulting in better establishment and growth. An experiment was conducted between 2019 and 2021 to test this hypothesis by evaluating a no-CC check, cereal rye, hairy vetch, crimson clover, and cereal rye + hairy vetch drilled with and without paraquat applied at planting (mid-October to mid-November) following either a corn or soybean crop. Visible weed suppression ratings were collected in mid-April, and total CC and weed biomass was collected in late April. More CC biomass was accumulated following corn than soybean, regardless of preplant herbicide application, because corn is typically harvested before soybeans. Therefore, CCs should be planted early to accumulate more biomass. Weed suppression varied by weed species from all factors, but in general weed suppression was best from a CC mixture containing cereal rye and paraquat applied at planting. If weed suppression is the main goal of the CC, then a preplant herbicide at CC planting is recommended. However, if CC weed suppression goals can be achieved through biomass accumulation, no preplant herbicide is needed. This information is useful for producers to achieve various CC objectives while managing costs.

Health burden associated with tillage-related PM2.5 pollution in the United States, and mitigation strategies

Exposure to airborne particulate matter of diameter less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5) is associated with cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In agriculture, the practice of tilling generates PM2.5 emissions that can jeopardize human health. This paper estimates the annual deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) from CVD and COPD attributable to PM2.5 emissions from corn, soybean, cotton, and wheat tillage in the contiguous United States. Primary PM2.5 from crop-tillage combination was calculated using values obtained from the Environmental Protection Agency's National Emissions Inventory, 2017, while deaths and DALYs estimates were calculated using data from the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation's global burden of risk factors study, the US decennial census, and the US Centers for Disease Control. We also propose and implement a conceptual framework for identifying the optimal subsidy upon accounting for health benefits arising from reducing conventional tillage, and we discuss strategies to achieve conservation tillage. Annual PM2.5 emissions from crop tillage is about 0.25 million tons. We estimate that approximately 1000 annual deaths and 22,000 DALYs from CVD, as well as 300 annual deaths and 7400 DALYs from COPD, were attributable to tillage-related PM2.5 emissions. Tillage related primary PM2.5 emissions contribute about 0.002 % of total CVD and COPD deaths in the United States, and its related health economic value loss is about 12.9 billion USD annually. About 350 annual deaths may be averted upon a shift from conventional to conservation tillage. Conservation tillage is generally adopted when the pecuniary and soil health benefits exceed those from adopting intensive tillage. Agricultural policies and on-farm measures that may help reduce intensive tillage, and the related PM2.5 emissions, include subsidies for adopting conservation tillage and carbon capture credits, use of herbicides and herbicide-tolerant crops, protecting herbicide-tolerance traits, planting cover crops, and use of windbreaks.

Incentive programs promote cover crop adoption in the northeastern United States

AbstractFarmers are increasingly planting cover crops to improve soil health and provide other ecosystem services. Cover crop incentive programs in Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, and Vermont were compared and farmers using cover crops were surveyed (n = 328) to characterize program participants and assess the effects of programs on cover crop adoption. Farmers who participated in incentive programs differed from nonparticipants in their perspectives about incentive programs, challenges they faced using cover crops, and reasons for cover crop use. When averaged across farmers, results show that incentive programs doubled average farmer cropland with cover crops from 50.7 ha prior to participation to 101.0 ha during participation. Among participants who no longer were enrolled in a program, cover crop use remained on average 37.2% greater than before enrollment. Results highlight the role of incentive programs in facilitating adoption and provide insights for expanding participation to different farmers and increasing program impact.

Depth-dependent effects of cover crops in citrus orchards on soil carbon and nitrogen cycling, greenhouse gas emissions, and soil microbial communities

Fruit orchards are a major part of agricultural production, and planting cover crops (CCs) in the row middles of these agroecosystems can increase soil nutrient availability. However, it is largely unknown how different mixtures of CCs may impact soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) concentrations, greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), and the soil microbiome at different soil depths, which is important for understanding the contribution of CCs to these agroecosystems. We examined how CC composition (legumes and non-legumes vs. non-legumes only compared to a grower-standard treatment) affects soil properties, nitrification rates and gene abundances, N and C mineralization rates, denitrification gene abundances, and emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O) and dinitrogen (N2) at different soil depths (0- to 10-cm, 10- to 20-cm, and 20- to 30-cm soil layers) in the row middles of a Florida (USA) commercial citrus orchard after 30 months of CC treatment. We found that CC impacts on soil N and C concentrations and mineralization rates, emissions of N2O and N2, and the abundance of N-cycling genes mainly occurred in the top 0- to 10-cm soil layer whereas differences in these variables in deeper layers were not statistically significant. The combined use of legumes and non-legumes led to significantly greater soil NH4+ concentrations, net nitrification and N mineralization rates, and lower N2O emissions. Lower N2O emissions with legumes were linked to a greater abundance of N2O reducers vs. N2O producers compared to non-legumes alone and the grower-standard treatment in the topsoil layer. This study shows that CC impacts on soil nutrient cycling and microbial communities occur primarily in the topsoil of citrus orchards and that planting diverse CC mixtures is important to enhance soil-microbe interactions to diminish GHGs.

Coal mining reclamation as an environmental recovery effort: a review

<p>The exploitation of natural resources remains a common practice in many countries to stimulate economic growth, and coal is the most commonly exploited resource. However, the mining process often causes environmental disturbance. Therefore, this research was conducted to analyze the ideal implementation of coal mine reclamation in Indonesia. In the post-mining area, the land is often arid, with voids that are prone to flood and erosion. The reclamation of this area is carried out by returning topsoil, adding organic material, and planting cover crops and fast-growing species. When the topographical conditions have steep slopes, scrap engineering is often added to hills up to a maximum height of 8 meters, trimming the slope with a maximum remaining slope of 35 degrees and making drainage channels with a width of more than 3 meters, a depth of more than 2 meters, and an edge slope of 2-5 percent. Approximately 70.59% of reclamation programs in Indonesia are aimed at reforesting mining areas into secondary forests because they were previously a forest ecosystem. The types of reclamation that had been carried out but were still uncommon included aquaculture, urban forests, parks playground, sports park, cattle farms, and fauna conservation ecotourism. A new approach to reclamation, such as eco-habitat, is important to obtain optimal social, economic, and ecological benefits. This approach involves optimizing sources of livelihood based on area rezoning according to the level of interference, revegetation of plants involving the community, and revitalization of sources of community livelihood, specifically environmental restoration with plant species as sources of food, nutrition, minerals, income, and non-timber forest products. Therefore, the reclamation program should be carried out through a collaborative partnership between companies, local communities, academics, technical ministries, and the media.</p>

The Global Dilemma of Soil Legacy Phosphorus and Its Improvement Strategies under Recent Changes in Agro-Ecosystem Sustainability.

Phosphorus (P) is one of the six key elements in plant nutrition and effectively plays a vital role in all major metabolic activities. It is an essential nutrient for plants linked to human food production. Although abundantly present in both organic and inorganic forms in soil, more than 40% of cultivated soils are commonly deficient in P concentration. Then, the P inadequacy is a challenge to a sustainable farming system to improve the food production for an increasing population. It is expected that the whole world population will rise to 9 billion by 2050 and, therefore, it is necessary at the same time for agricultural strategies broadly to expand food production up to 80% to 90% by handling the global dilemma which has affected the environment by climatic changes. Furthermore, the phosphate rock annually produced about 5 million metric tons of phosphate fertilizers per year. About 9.5 Mt of phosphorus enters human food through crops and animals such as milk, egg, meat, and fish and is then utilized, and 3.5 Mt P is physically consumed by the human population. Various new techniques and current agricultural practices are said to be improving P-deficient environments, which might help meet the food requirements of an increasing population. However, 4.4% and 3.4% of the dry biomass of wheat and chickpea, respectively, were increased under intercropping practices, which was higher than that in the monocropping system. A wide range of studies showed that green manure crops, especially legumes, improve the soil-available P content of the soil. It is noted that inoculation of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi could decrease the recommended phosphate fertilizer rate nearly 80%. Agricultural management techniques to improve soil legacy P use by crops include maintaining soil pH by liming, crop rotation, intercropping, planting cover crops, and the consumption of modern fertilizers, in addition to the use of more efficient crop varieties and inoculation with P-solubilizing microorganisms. Therefore, exploring the residual phosphorus in the soil is imperative to reduce the demand for industrial fertilizers while promoting long-term sustainability on a global scale.

Conservation agriculture reduces climate change impact of a popcorn and wheat crop rotation.

Urgent action is needed to ensure humanity's future under climate change. Agriculture faces major challenges as it is both influenced by and contributes to climate change. Conservation agriculture sequesters carbon (C) in the soil due to practices such as reduced tillage and planting of cover crops. This study assessed effects of an innovative conservation agriculture popcorn (Zea mays) and wheat (Triticum aestivum) crop rotation in south-western France on soil C sequestration, GHG emissions and several environmental impacts. Two complementary approaches were used: i) a comparison based on field data and expert judgement to assess short-term effects and ii) modelling of three scenarios to quantify long-term outcomes. In both approaches Life cycle assessment (LCA) was used to compare popcorn and wheat rotations. The conventional rotation used ploughing, and its soil was bare between wheat harvest and popcorn sowing. Conservation agriculture used reduced tillage, cover crops, and compost of green waste. Impacts of compost production were allocated mainly to its waste treatment function, based on waste treatment cost and compost price. Simulation modelling of soil C was used to estimate the amount of C sequestered by the conservation and conventional crop rotations. LCA was combined with soil C modelling over 100 years to assess the long-term climate change impact of three scenarios for the popcorn and wheat rotation. These scenarios were 1) Conventional agriculture, 2) Conservation agriculture with cover crops only, 3) Conservation agriculture with cover crops + compost. Mean annual C sequestration and net climate change impact were -0.24 t/ha and 3867 kg CO2-eq./ha, respectively, for the conventional rotation and 0.91 t/ha and 434 kg CO2-eq./ha, respectively, for the conservation rotation. The climate change impact of the conservation rotation depended strongly on the allocation of composting impacts between the waste treatment and compost production functions. Compared to the conventional rotation, the conservation rotation had a lower marine eutrophication impact (-7%) but higher impacts for terrestrial acidification (+9%), land competition (+3%), and cumulative energy demand (+2%). Modelling over 100 years revealed that, at near soil C equilibrium, a conventional scenario lost 9% of soil C, whereas conservation agriculture scenarios gained 14% (only cover crop) and 26% of soil C (cover crop + compost). Conservation agriculture resulted in soil C sequestration over several decades, until a new soil C equilibrium was reached.

Farmers’ Perception of Climate Variability Effects on Arable Crop Productivity in Ondo State, Nigeria

This study investigated the perceptions of arable farmers in Ondo State, Nigeria, about the effects of climate variability on the production of their crops, as well as the coping methods employed to reduce the perceived consequences. Using a multistage random sample approach, 120 participants were selected for the study. The gathered information was analyzed using descriptive statistics and correlation. The average age of the farmers was found to be 48.44 years, and the majority of them hold a postsecondary degree (45%). Findings indicated that a rise in temperature, an increase in precipitation, a longer rainy season, and a shorter dry season were the most noticeable indicators of climate variability. In addition, the majority of farmers reported that a shorter dry season (71.7%), a longer rainy season (65%), a rise in rainfall (55.8%),and an increase in temperature (50.8%) enhanced agricultural output. Crop rotation (83.3%), planting of different crops (82.5%), adoption of mixed cropping (78.3%), moving to a different area (66.7%), use of chemicals, fertilizer, and pesticides (65.8%), different planting dates, increasing farm size, and planting of cover crops (65%), and planting of different varieties (64.2%) are the major coping strategies adopted by the majority of farmers. Additionally, planting different crops varieties at different time, shifting cultivation, expansion in farm size, adoption of routine practices such as irrigation, application of agro-chemicals, fertilizers and pesticides had significant impact on farming experience. This study reveals that farmers are well-informed about climate variability, its dangers and challenges it poses on production, hence, there is need for necessary precautions to manage the risks. It also advises and provides farmers with needed climatic information in form of forecast in order for them to be well informed, prepared, and engage in proactive measures for future planting seasons, as opposed to being only reactive. Therefore, agencies such meterological and association of commercial extension professionals should continue in providing up to date report on climate change and its subsequent effect on crop production.