Crop Diversification Research Articles

Sustainable soil management practices provide additional benefit for energy use efficiency

In light of recent fluctuations in energy prices, there has been a growing emphasis on energy efficiency within the agricultural sector. At the same time, ongoing soil degradation in intensive agricultural systems reinforced the need for soil health improving agricultural practices. This study combines the two aspects and examines the effects of sustainable soil management practices on total energy consumption, specifically focusing on fertilizer and pesticide energies, as well as economic indicators such as contribution margins. Using Germany as a case study, we assess three general soil improving management practices: diversified crop rotations, organic fertilizers (green or liquid manure) instead of mineral fertilizers, and no-till/reduced till systems instead of ploughing. Drawing on data from the Kuratorium für Technik und Bauwesen in der Landwirtschaft e.V. (KTBL) (Board of Trustees for Technology and Construction in Agriculture) database for German agricultural planning, we consider variations in yield potentials, soil types, and farming systems. Our results reveal that using mineral fertilizers and shifting to more diverse crop rotations can reduce energy consumption by approximately 21,000 MJ/ha on average (7 % of total energy) over a 6-year rotation. Likewise, adopting no-till systems instead of ploughing decreases energy use by 12,000 MJ/ha (5 % of total energy). Economically, organic farming offers a €4000/ha higher contribution margin compared to conventional methods in fertilization and tillage. These sustainable practices improve soil health, conserve energy, and enhance economic viability. With fluctuating energy prices, organic farming could become more economically attractive and accelerate its adoption across agricultural landscapes.

Vermiwash: An effective nutritive blessing to crops

Under alarming situation of poor soil health, reduction in produce, increase in incidences of pest and disease and environmental pollution due to the application of chemical fertilizers over a period, it is necessary to look for alternatives which are effective and eco-friendly for sustainable agriculture. Therefore, it is very important to seek alternative as a supplement for chemical fertilizers. To cope with these problems, vermiwash can play an important role in ensuring a sustainable agricultural system. A review was conducted on vermiwash to assess the characteristics, potentiality to use and ultimately beneficial effects in sustainable agriculture. Vermiwash is coelomic fluid extraction contains significant quantities of nutrients, a large beneficial microbial population, biologically active metabolites particularly gibberellins, cytokinins, auxins and group B vitamins which can be applied alone or in combination with organic or inorganic fertilizers, so as to get better yield and quality of diverse crops. Evidences proved that qualities of vermiwash depend on the used organic bed producing vermicompost. Vermiwash can serve as a valuable foliar spray, because it is a combination of earthworm mucous discharges, nutrients, microorganisms and plant growth promoting materials composed of excretory products and mucus secretions from earthworms and micronutrients from the organic molecules in the soil. These nutrients are absorbed and then transported to the leaves, shoots, and other parts of a plant. Application of vermiwash improves plant health, yield and nutritional quality. Vermiwash proves to be an effective fertilizer which contributes the growth of plants when sprayed directly as well as mixed with a definite ratio of vermicompost. It was also observed that the plants treated with vermiwash were disease resistant and no any worms like leaf eaters were seen on the leaves and other parts of plants. Vermiwash can be used as a substituent of commercial fertilizers available in the market. Vermiwash acts not only as a liquid organic fertilizer but also act as mild biocide. It can be used as an effective input in organic agriculture for both soil health and disease management for sustainable crop production with low cost which could be ensure food security. Bangladesh J. Nuclear Agric, 38(1): 21-40, 2024

FAIRE DES ECONOMIES DE SURFACE AVEC LASSOCIATION MAIS-LEGUMINEUSES TOUT EN MAINTENANT LE RENDEMENT DU MAIS PAR RAPPORT A SA CULTURE PURE DANS LES CONDITIONS DE LOUEST DU BURKINA FASO

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the interaction between crop residue management practices, cropping systems, and fertilization on the yield of associated crops in western Burkina Faso. To this end, an experimental design comprising three factors (crop residue management methods, cropping systems, and fertilization types) and four replications was established and monitored over three farming seasons (2018, 2019, and 2020). The grain and straw yields were determined, and the landequivalentratio (LER) was calculated. The results demonstrate that the management of crop residue through mulching or burial maintains crop yields at a level comparable to that achieved through ploughing with residue removal. In general, organo-mineral fertilization stands out as the fertilization practice that improves the production of maize (43.58% and 46.09% in 2018 and 2020, respectively) and legumes (58.42% and 66.11% in 2018 and 2020, respectively) compared to standardized mineral fertilization. Legume yields are significantly higher in monoculture (from 60% to 89% for amber and from 40% to 50% for cowpea) than in association. Additionally, the interaction between soil tillage and fertilization does not appear to be a significant factor in intercropping. However, the maize-legume association emerged as the cropping system with the greatest potential for area savings (LER>1) and crop diversification on the same plot when compared to monocropping. The study suggests that a combination of maize-legume associations, mulching or burying crop residues, and organo-mineral fertilization represents a successful strategy for the sustainable management of cropping systems in western Burkina Faso.

Farm size and the quality and quantity of jobs—Insights from Nigeria

Debates on the role of farm size for farm productivity and economic development are longstanding in agricultural and development economics. However, the link between farm size and achieving decent work and full employment—Sustainable Development Goal 8—remains unexplored, despite many African countries facing huge unemployment challenges alongside important changes in farm sizes. This paper addresses this gap by focusing on Nigeria’s labor-intensive tomato sector and using unique primary data from a matched farm-to-worker survey. We analyze the relationship between farm size and both the quantity and quality of jobs, which has never been studied before, employing multivariate regression analysis. Additionally, we account for factors that commonly differentiate larger and smaller farms, including technology use, market arrangement, crop diversification, and the reliance on seasonal versus casual labor. Our findings reveal a trade-off: smaller farms offer more jobs per hectare, while larger farms offer better jobs (i.e., higher wages and some non-monetary benefits). We conclude that neither larger nor smaller farms fully align with all dimensions of decent work and full employment, highlighting the need for greater policy and research focus on the employment quality versus quantity dilemma.

Contribution of Climate-Smart Agricultural Practices on Food Availability among Smallholder Farmers in Laikipia County, Kenya

Climate change has negatively impacted on bio-diversity, rural livelihoods, national and global economies. Several smallholder farmers in Laikipia County have adopted a number of Climate Smart Agricultural Practices (CSAPs) as mitigation measures and coping strategies, including water harvesting and use, conservation agriculture, agroforestry, pest and disease control, and crop diversification. This study sought to assess the contribution of climate smart agricultural practices on food availability among smallholder farmers in Laikipia County, Kenya. It was guided by the action theory of adaptation and the correlation research design was used. The accessible population were 74,282 households who were practicing small scale farming in Laikipia County during the 2021/2022 cropping season. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to obtain a representative sample of 384. Questionnaire and Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) were used to collect primary data. Descriptive and inferential statistics (ordered logistic regression) using Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS) program version 28 were used to analyze data. Results showed that food availability significantly improved as a result of climate-smart agriculture [the coefficient for Climate-Smart Agriculture (0.400) was positive and statistically significant at 5% (p-value = 0.000)]. Smallholder farmers who have not implemented CSAPs recommendations should be encouraged to start practicing due to its positive contribution to food availability.

Evaluating Effect of Climate Smart Agricultural Practices Adoption on Productivity of Drought-Tolerant Pulses: Insights from Dryland Areas of Makueni County, Kenya

Increased productivity of drought-tolerant pulses could potentially reduce household food insecurity, particularly in developing countries. This paper examines the effect of socioeconomic and institutional factors and the adoption of climate smart agriculture (CSA) practices on productivity of green gram, pigeon pea and cowpea in Makueni County, Kenya. We consider six common CSA practices namely: benches, soil conservation practices, minimum tillage, agroforestry, irrigation practices, and crop diversification. Using data from 384 randomly selected farmers, we use Sseemingly Unrelated Regression (SUREG) model to estimate factors influencing productivity of drought-tolerant pulses. The results showed that soil conservation practices were the most adopted (72%), while irrigation practices were the least adopted (9.6%). Among the CSA practices, crop diversification and benches were key to significantly affect the productivity of the three pulses, while agroforestry did not affect productivity of any of the selected pulses. Farming experience, number of extension contacts, and years of schooling were key socioeconomic and institutional factors that significantly affected the productivity of drought-tolerant pulses considered. Results showed that the impact of CSA practices on productivity differed among the pulses, since the soil conservation practices affected the productivity of both green gram and pigeon pea, while other practices including minimum tillage soil and irrigation practices affected the productivity of cowpea and green gram, respectively. Consequently, policies should consider promoting the adoption CSA practices among smallholder famers in Sub-Saharan Africa to improve farm level crop productivity and ensure household food security. Furthermore, Sub-Saharan Africa governments and agricultural sector policy makers should promote sustainable financial incentives such as establishment of farmer-friendly credit financing schemes to enhance CSA adoption and in-turn boost smallholder farmers farm net returns.

Factors Influencing Farmers’ Adoption of Climate Smart Agriculture Practices in the Case of Ilu Aba Bora Zone, South West Ethiopia

To overcome the challenges of climate change, this study was intended to identify factors that affect the farmers’ adoption of CSA in the Ilu Aba Bora Zone of Southwest Ethiopia across varying agro-ecological zones. A mixed research design was used for this study. During this study, representative districts (Bure, Hurumu, and Nono Sale) were selected purposely based on their differences in agro-ecology, while rural kebeles and respondents were selected randomly from the districts to minimize the biases of the data. Data collection tools employed were a questionnaire, KKI, FGD, and field observations. A binomial logistic regression model was used to identify the interaction of response and explanatory variables and to draw a conclusion. The findings of this study revealed the majority (63.1%) of farmers did not have an understanding of the meaning, function, and goals of CSA practices. Existing CSA options in the study area were conservation agriculture, crop diversification, agro-forestry, early warning system, livelihood diversification, and improved livestock feed, which were practiced at different levels and by a few households. In particular, the early warning system and improved livestock feed were the least implemented CSA options, whereas livelihood diversification, conservation agriculture, and agro-forestry were the highly adopted practices in the area. Independent variables including on-farm income, farming experience, weather information, agro-ecology, farm land size, age, extension service, marital status, and off-farm income were the factors significantly affecting the adoption of CSA practices in the study area. Experts, governments, and nongovernmental organizations should improve farmers’ awareness of the benefits of CSA practices in ensuring food security, climate mitigation and adaptation through training and capacity building. The result of this study will show the direction for farmers, policy makers, planners, and other stakeholders to set up a solution in order to promote CSA practices and technologies based on agro-ecology.

Landscape metrics as predictors of water-related ecosystem services: Insights from hydrological modeling and data-based approaches applied on the Arno River Basin, Italy

The study addresses the challenge of integrating complex landscape-hydrological interactions into predictive models for improved water resource management. The aim is to investigate the effectiveness of landscape metrics—quantitative indices measuring landscape composition and configuration—as predictors of WES in the Arno River Basin, Italy. Utilizing two hydrological models alongside a random forest algorithm, we assessed spatial and temporal variations in water yield, runoff, and groundwater recharge. The findings indicate that landscape metrics derived from high-resolution land use data significantly impact WES outcomes. Specifically, the models demonstrated average landscape metric importances of 16.8 % for spatial and 17.8 % for temporal predictions concerning runoff. For water yield, these averages were 32.9 % spatially and 43.5 % temporally, while groundwater modeling showed importances of 14.09 % spatially and 33.8 % temporally. Key landscape metrics identified include the core area index for broad-leaved forests and the perimeter-to-area ratio for non-irrigated agricultural areas as critical spatial and temporal predictors of water yield and groundwater recharge. Thresholds were observed, indicating landscape configurations that minimize hydrological variability. For instance, runoff variation is minimal when the landscape exhibits high forest fragmentation (over 1000 coniferous patches), low aggregation (aggregation index <75), and reduced connectivity (cohesion index under 80). Similarly, groundwater variation is minimized with decreased boundary length of vegetation patches (perimeter-to-area ratio <0.8), agricultural lands (perimeter-to-area ratio under 1), and the presence of low core agricultural areas (core area index above 8). The identified thresholds could inform land-use policies, such as targeted afforestation or crop diversification strategies, to optimize WES provision.

Effects of spatial and temporal crop changes on bird diversity in peri‑urban agricultural lands

Numerous studies have investigated bird diversity-environment relationships in agricultural landscapes. While many studies have emphasized the importance of natural/semi-natural elements and their diversity within or surrounding farmlands, it remains unclear how crop diversity impacts birds. There is also a significant gap in our knowledge regarding the effects of temporal changes in crop composition on bird diversity. Using small farmlands in a sub-tropical city of China, we examined how spatial and temporal variation of crops and other local farmland features was linked to species diversity of birds and their traits. In small peri‑urban agricultural areas of Guangzhou, we collected bird and crop/non-crop data approximately bimonthly from December 2021 to October 2022. Overall crop diversity and seasonal crop changes were indexed by alpha diversity (Shannon-Wiener index) and beta diversity, respectively. Both alpha and beta crop diversities were positively associated with Shannon-Wiener diversity of birds. Alpha crop diversity also tended to have a positive impact on species richness. Percent cover of woody vegetation showed a positive effect on all three bird diversity indices, i.e., species richness, Shannon-Wiener diversity, and evenness. Percent cover of rice affected species richness positively and evenness negatively, whereas the effects of percent cover of corn were the opposite. In a fourth-corner analysis, the abundance of plant/seed-eating birds was negatively associated with alpha crop diversity, whereas the abundance of ground-foraging birds was positively associated with beta crop diversity. These patterns indicate that seasonally dynamic crop changes as well as local crop diversity can influence bird diversity and traits in small farmlands. They also suggest that natural/semi-natural woody vegetation, such as trees and shrubs, play a critical role in enhancing species diversity of birds in farmlands dominated by herbaceous edible crops.

Crop diversity used in branded products with focus on legume species worldwide

Food diversity is a challenging issue for sustainable agrifood systems. Diets are increasingly dependent on branded packaged foods. Therefore, the crop diversity offered in the food market through these products is of particular importance. We scrutinize this diversity for some crops under great societal challenge: pulses. Based on the product launches referenced in the Mintel database over the last decade, we compare the food products containing pulse crops with those containing another legume—soy. From the 350,000 products analyzed, our results show that soy is mainly used but reveal some progress in the use of pulse species, particularly in Europe. The position of the examined species in the list of ingredients and in the product description allows us to assess its importance. The text-mining methods used usefully enable the monitoring of crop usage in the food market. We discuss several perspectives, notably how to deepen these results regarding consumer choices.

Ervas medicinais: Promovendo sustentabilidade e renda na agricultura familiar

The research aimed to analyze the costs and feasibility of the cultivation of medicinal herbs Melissa (Melissa officinalis) from Passion Fruit (Passiflora edulis) in a rural property in the municipality of Prudentópolis, Paraná. It is based on the premise that crop diversification is essential for the economic self-sufficiency of small properties characterized as family farming. In addition to the economic aspects, the choice of plants for analysis is intrinsically linked to the symbolic and cultural value that medicinal herbs carry, being widely recognized for their therapeutic and healing properties. The cultivation of medicinal plants, therefore, not only contributes to physical health, but also acts as a practice that values the connection with nature and ancestral knowledge, promoting a balance between the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of farmers and the local community. Methodologically, the research is applied, descriptive, documentary, bibliographic and based on case studies. The locus of the research was defined by convenience and accessibility. After data collection and analysis, it was found that both crops are profitable, with a financial return of approximately 30.5% per year. In addition to their economic viability, these plants offer a holistic approach to well-being, contributing to the mental and emotional balance of farmers, who, through cultivation, also rescue traditional practices and strengthen the bond with the land and local culture. The cultivation of medicinal herbs, such as Melissa and Passion Fruit, thus stands out not only as an excellent option for generating income and work, but also as a path to sustainability and the rescue of harmony between human beings and nature, presenting plant alternatives with simple management, good acceptance in the market, ease of sale and attractive prices

Soil chemical and physical attributes in an area with single maize and intercropped with Panicum maximum

In the Cerrado Biom, a commonly used intercropping is between corn species and Urochloa, however, there are alternative grasses able to improve the corn intercropping, such as those of genus Panicum. Studies show that diversified crop rotation improves the efficiency of the agricultural system. Thus, it was aimed to evaluate the effect of the corn (Zea mays) and Zuri grass (Panicum maximum BRS Zuri) grown in the monoculture or intercropped under conditions with and without soil scarification in chemical and physical soil attributes. For this, an area under Red Oxisoil was used, in which part was scarified up to 30 cm deep and the other was not. In February 2020, corn and Zuri grass were planted in cultivar sole system or intercropped between the two species in compacted and scarified area, creating six evaluation areas. After the crop cycle, with corn harvest and Zuri grass crushing, soil sampling was carried out for evaluations at five points in each area. Corn in monoculture had lower soil moisture and greater resistance to penetration. And the soil without scarification had a higher C stock. The results showed that the Zuri grass using after soil revolving can be applied as a management strategy, looking to dry mass accumulation, bigger carbon stock and soil porosity, improving soil conditions for the summer crop. Besides that, the intercropped used improves the chemical soil conditions.

40-year history: The development of agricultural research in China-a case study from one long-term experimental station

&lt;p&gt;Over the past few decades, advancements in agricultural science and technology have driven significant changes in China’s agriculture. This study uses the Wuqiao Experimental Station, established in 1983 in the North China Plain, as a case study to explore the trajectory of regional agricultural research in China over the past 40 years. By analyzing the keywords of all articles produced at this station, the study reveals shifts in research focus, methods, and agricultural practices over time. The analysis shows that the focus of agricultural research has shifted from yield-centered agricultural production and management (APM) to sustainability-oriented agroecology and environment (AE). Additionally, crop research has deepened, evolving from basic crop management to more detailed studies of plant anatomy, physiology, and advanced methods, including high-throughput sequencing and big data analysis. Despite these advances, concerns have emerged regarding the narrowing of research scope to a limited number of crops, primarily wheat and maize, which may reduce agricultural resilience. Furthermore, while research output has increased, a disconnect persists between scientific research and real-world agricultural challenges, such as heat stress and crop quality. This gap underscores the importance of ensuring that agricultural research remains relevant and addresses pressing issues related to food security and environmental sustainability. This study highlights the need to expand crop diversity, integrate sustainable practices, and adopt cutting-edge research methods to ensure the future resilience of China’s agricultural systems. The findings provide valuable insights into trends and future directions in agricultural research in China, emphasizing the importance of a balanced approach to addressing current and future challenges.&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Insect conservation in agricultural landscapes needs both high crop heterogeneity and semi-natural habitats

Identifying landscapes that are suitable for both biodiversity conservation and agricultural production is a major challenge. Traditionally, much research has focused on biodiversity conservation outside of agricultural production areas, e.g., in semi-natural habitats. In contrast, recent research has mainly focused on the potential of crop heterogeneity. This includes both compositional (crop diversity) and configurational heterogeneity (field border density). However, if and how crop heterogeneity, and semi-natural habitats interact to shape insect diversity in agricultural landscapes remains poorly understood. Here we investigated the combined effects of crop diversity, field border density, and semi-natural habitats (i.e., grassland proportion, hedge density) on insect diversity. We sampled insect communities from 14 – 17 June 2021 with pan traps in 27 study landscapes (500 m x 500 m) covering independent gradients of these landscape variables and identified a total of 587 insect species with DNA metabarcoding. We found that field border density mediated the effects of crop diversity, grassland proportion, and hedge density on insect richness. At low levels of field border density (i.e., landscapes with mostly large fields), effects were either neutral (crop diversity), negative (grassland proportion) or weakly positive (hedge density). By contrast, at high levels of field border density, crop diversity, grassland proportion, and hedge density all exerted positive effects on insect richness. Responses to crop heterogeneity and semi-natural habitat differed among trophic groups of insects (decomposers, herbivores, parasitoids, predators). While variation in richness of herbivorous insects followed the patterns of the overall richness, decomposer richness was not related to any of the investigated variables. Predator richness increased with hedge density in landscapes, whereas parasitoid richness increased when high levels of field border density and grassland proportion coincided. Our study shows that increasing crop heterogeneity is a viable strategy for promoting insect diversity in agricultural landscapes. However, the effects of the amount of remaining semi-natural habitats, such as grassland or hedges, are mediated by configurational heterogeneity, and vary between trophic groups. Efforts to conserve insects in agricultural landscapes must therefore focus on both increasing the heterogeneity of the crop matrix by promoting crop diversity and increasing the density of field borders, while also maintaining or restoring semi-natural habitats as important source habitats for insect species.

A review on seed priming to combat climate variability in agriculture

Global agriculture faces immense challenges due to climate change, which causes unpredictable weather patterns, decreased agricultural productivity, and decreased food security. Seed priming is critical in combating climate variability because it has emerged as a promising method for improving seed germination and agricultural resilience. This review evaluates the efficiency of several seed priming techniques, including hydro-priming, halo-priming, osmo-priming, bio-priming, chemical priming, and hormone priming. These techniques improve seedling vigor, stress tolerance, and overall crop yield. Seed priming increases germination rates and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses, such as salinity and drought, while improving agricultural output and disease resistance. Seed priming reduces the demand for chemical pesticides and fertilizers by increasing soil quality and nutrient absorption, which supports sustainable agriculture. This review highlights the potential benefits of seed priming as a practical, affordable, and practical strategy to reduce the negative effects of climatic variability on agriculture. Future studies should focus on developing the best priming techniques for diverse crop varieties and conditions, as well as examining the combined impacts of various priming strategies. Seed priming will be crucial to preserving food security and agricultural sustainability in the face of ongoing climate change.

Crop Diversification, Household Welfare and Conflict: Afghanistan 2011–2017

We use three waves (2011–2012 to 2016–2017) of nationally representative repeated cross section surveys to study the impact of crop diversification (number of crops grown) on household welfare, measured by real adult equivalent consumption and food expenditure and dietary diversity, in Afghanistan. Diversification is very low (almost half grow only one crop and fewer than a fifth grow three or more crops) but increased during the period. A multinomial endogenous switching regression (MESR) addressing selection bias and endogeneity is used to estimate average treatment effects of moving from one crop to two crops and then to three or more crops. The analysis shows that crop diversification increases household consumption and food spending, and, to a modest extent, dietary diversity compared to undiversified households. This holds irrespective of conflict although the effect varies; households experiencing violence tend to divert spending to food from other consumption spending and only the most diversified are able to increase spending compared to undiversified households. The evidence implies that supporting crop diversification can improve food security (through combined effects on spending and food diversity) and mitigate the negative impacts of conflict.

Modern Plant Breeding Techniques in Crop Improvement and Genetic Diversity: From Molecular Markers and Gene Editing to Artificial Intelligence—A Critical Review

With the development of new technologies in recent years, researchers have made significant progress in crop breeding. Modern breeding differs from traditional breeding because of great changes in technical means and breeding concepts. Whereas traditional breeding initially focused on high yields, modern breeding focuses on breeding orientations based on different crops’ audiences or by-products. The process of modern breeding starts from the creation of material populations, which can be constructed by natural mutagenesis, chemical mutagenesis, physical mutagenesis transfer DNA (T-DNA), Tos17 (endogenous retrotransposon), etc. Then, gene function can be mined through QTL mapping, Bulked-segregant analysis (BSA), Genome-wide association studies (GWASs), RNA interference (RNAi), and gene editing. Then, at the transcriptional, post-transcriptional, and translational levels, the functions of genes are described in terms of post-translational aspects. This article mainly discusses the application of the above modern scientific and technological methods of breeding and the advantages and limitations of crop breeding and diversity. In particular, the development of gene editing technology has contributed to modern breeding research.

Sustainable land management and implications on incomes, food self-sufficiency and women

The adoption of Sustainable Land Management (SLM) practices among smallholder farmers remains low, particularly among women farmers. Understanding the relationship between assets, gender, and SLM adoption and how their interaction impinges on household food self-sufficiency and livelihoods is essential for developing gender-responsive SLM programmes that effectively promote sustainable livelihoods and address household food insecurity. This study examines the effects of asset type on SLM practices adoption, women farmers, and their implications on household incomes and food self-sufficiency. Data was collected through a cross-sectional survey of 761 households selected from 11 chiefdoms across six districts in Eastern Zambia. Analysis involved Structural Equation System framework and Propensity Score Matching techniques to examine relationships between SLM adoption, food self-sufficiency, and household incomes, considering various socio-economic factors. Results showed marital status and household size as significant demographics, with education positively correlating with household income and SLM participation (p &amp;lt; 0.05). Gender disparities persisted, with male-headed households having higher incomes. Labour allocation analysis revealed women’s involvement in labour-intensive tasks, while smaller farms showed higher income probabilities, supporting sustainable agricultural intensification. Social capital significantly influenced SLM participation, and access to financial capital. Livestock assets, land size, and crop diversity predicted food security, while male decision-making influenced food security and income. Incomes were higher for women participating in SLM projects. This study underscores the importance of SLM practices in influencing household incomes and food security, especially for women. Addressing gender disparities and promoting women’s empowerment in agriculture are crucial for achieving equitable and sustainable rural development. Policymakers can foster sustainable livelihoods in rural communities by prioritizing SLM and empowering women.

Is the volatility of yields for major crops grown in Germany related to spatial diversification at county level?

Abstract Recent evidence suggests a stabilizing effect of crop diversity on agricultural production. However, different methods are used for assessing these effects and there is little systematic quantitative evidence on diversification benefits. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between volatility of combined crop yields (denoted as standard deviation) and diversity (denoted as Shannon’s Evenness Index SEI) for standardized yield data of major crop species grown in Germany between 1977 and 2018 (winter wheat, winter barley, silage maize and winter rapeseed) at the county level. Portfolio theory was used to estimate the optimal crop area share for minimizing yield volatility. On average, results indicated a weak negative relationship between volatility and the SEI during the past decades for the case of Germany. Optimizing crop area shares for minimizing volatility reduced yield variance on average by 24 % but was associated with a decrease in SEI for most counties. This was related to the finding that the stability of individual species, i.e., barley and wheat, was more effective in reducing the volatility of combined yields than the asynchronous variation in annual yields among crops. Future studies might include an increased number of crop species and consider temporal diversification effects for a more realistic assessment of the relation between yield volatility and crop diversity and test the relationship in other regions and production conditions.

Early-stage soil organic carbon stabilization in conservation agriculture-based cereal systems

In South Asia, the sustainability of conventional tillage and input-intensive cereal-based cropping systems (such as rice-rice and rice-wheat) is under scrutiny due to soil organic carbon depletion, stagnant productivity, and adverse environmental impacts stemming from greenhouse gas emissions (N2O, CH4, and CO2). Against this backdrop, a long-term field experiment was initiated in 2009 at three sites in India (Karnal, Patna, and Aduthurai) and one site in Bangladesh (Gazipur) to assess four scenarios (S) reflecting current and future diversified crop rotations and conservation agriculture (CA) practices: S1 - double cereal rotation with conventional practices; S2 - double cereal plus legume rotation with partial CA; S3 - double cereal plus legume rotation with full CA; and S4 - futuristic diversified cereal-legume rotations with full CA. This study delved into the dynamics and stabilization of soil organic carbon across all scenarios and sites. Replicated soil samples were collected from depths of 0–15 cm and 15–30 cm after two crop cycles. We analyzed Walkley-Black carbon (WBC), total organic carbon (TOC), and various carbon pools with different oxidizability, determining the amount of carbon stabilized under CA-based scenarios and identifying optimal systems for carbon economy in South Asia. On average, active and passive carbon pools, TOC, and WBC stocks followed the order: S4 > S3 > S2 > S1 at all sites, except Gazipur, where the order was S3 > S4 > S2 > S1. CA practices stabilized applied carbon inputs to soil organic carbon at an annual rate of 1.7 %, with greater stabilization observed under S4 (11.7 %) > S3 (10.6 %) > S2 (7.8 %), regardless of location. Rice-rice sites exhibited a higher carbon stabilization rate (13.4 %) compared to rice-wheat sites (6.7 %). A significant proportion of stabilized carbon (63 %) was allocated to passive pools in soils under S2, S3, and S4, highlighting CA's potential to enhance carbon stability. Using a linear indexing technique, we identified that both S3 and S4 are conducive to better carbon stabilization, yield sustainability, and environmental co-benefits. Consequently, full CA systems with best management practices (S3) and best management practices with crop diversification (S4) are recommended for sustainable crop production in the major double cereal growing regions of South Asia, including India and Bangladesh.