Sustainable Agricultural Management Research Articles

IrriMap_CN: Annual irrigation maps across China in 2000–2019 based on satellite observations, environmental variables, and machine learning

Agricultural irrigation, as an important practice to protect crops from drought and promote grain yield, has a long history in China. A timely and precise dataset about the extent and dynamics of irrigated areas is necessary for water allocation and agricultural management but is scarce in China. Here we developed annual irrigated cropland maps across China (IrriMap_CN) at 500-m resolution from 2000 to 2019, using MODIS data, machine-learning method, and Google Earth Engine platform. First, we generated annual nationwide training samples by strictly screening the existing irrigation maps downscaled from the statistical data. Second, we implemented locally adaptive random forest classifiers in 511 nominal 1° × 1° grid cells across China with MODIS vegetation indices, climatic factors, and topography variables. Third, we conducted nationwide pixel-wise validation of the IrriMap_CN using independent samples. The validation results based on more than 3000 ground truth points revealed that IrriMap_CN had high accuracies ranging from 77.2% to 85.9%. The time series of IrriMap_CN detected substantial expansion of irrigated areas in Xinjiang and Heilongjiang (more than 50% in total) and pronounced decreases in Sichuan, Jiangsu, and Hebei. The analyses of irrigation frequency, start time, and end time implied that North China Plain was the most intensive irrigated area; but the irrigation area showed a decreasing trend since 2000, consistent with the reduced agricultural water consumption. The annual irrigation datasets allow us to understand the spatiotemporal dynamics of irrigated croplands in China and are expected to contribute to the improvement of earth system models and facilitate sustainable agricultural water management.

Comparative Study on Bacterial Population Dynamics of Foregut, Midgut, and Hindgut Content of Perionyx excavatus (Perrier) Isolated from Eco-friendly, Non-hazardous Vermicompost.

The ideal condition of earthworm gut promotes growth and multiplication of beneficial soil microorganisms eliminating pathogens and converts organic wastes into nutrients rich compost. The present study has been carried out to determine the population dynamics of earthworm gut bacteria and to find out relative abundance of different functional bacterial groups in the foregut, midgut, and hindgut of earthworm Perionyx excavatus. To assess bacterial diversity, a viable plate count method was adopted. In the different gut region of earthworm, aerobic heterotrophic, amylolytic, Bacillus, Gram-negative, proteolytic, fat hydrolyzing, nitrate-reducing, nitrifying, asymbiotic nitrogen-fixing, Azotobacter, and phosphate solubilizing bacterial populations ranged from 22.2 to 241.6 × 106, 8.0 to 171.60 × 106, 1.83 to 2.79 × 106, 10.68 to 23.04 × 104, 3.70 to 5.52 × 104, 59.60 to 208.40 × 104, 1.86 to 7.34 × 104, 10.94 to 19.78 × 104, 0.80 to 3.42 × 104, 7.83 to 13.70 × 104, 1.31 to 2.67 × 104cfu/ml gut suspension, respectively. The results of the one-way ANOVA revealed that the bacterial load of most of the bacterial groups was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the hindgut region, followed by midgut and foregut. Only the density of the proteolytic group was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the midgut region followed by foregut and hindgut. Starch hydrolyzing bacteria constitute the largest group of bacteria in the gut content. From principal component analysis, two components were extracted with the eigenvalues of 8.485 and 1.132. Agglomerative hierarchical cluster analysis revealed that the bacterial populations were clustered into four different groups. Quantitative variation among bacterial groups in earthworm's gut seems to determine the soil health and composting efficiency; from this point of view, the present study will provide a better understanding about different functional bacterial groups of earthworm's guts and might be helpful in sustainable agriculture and waste management.

Contribution of a Seeded Cover Crop Mixture on Biomass Production and Nutrition Status Compared to Natural Vegetation in a Mediterranean Olive Grove

Intensive agricultural management practices (i.e., the burning of pruning residues, the absence of organic amendments) lead to a reduction in organic matter and nutrients in the soil resulting in agroecosystem vulnerability. Implementing a cover crop would provide soil organic matter while increasing nutrition levels in the soil. A mixture of cover crop trial in sandy loam soils under Mediterranean climatic conditions was conducted in a rainfed olive grove in Western Crete. In this study, the dry biomass, macro- and micronutrition, and carbon status of the seeded cover crops (legume and grass) were compared to natural plants in an olive grove. Seeded cover crops were conducted in two sustainable management systems (cover crops solely, and a combination of compost, pruning residues, and cover crops); natural plants were in a conventional system involving soil tillage. In combination with conservation tillage practices, the addition of carbon inputs may improve soil fertility. Results indicate that the dry biomass production and C content of cover crops under sustainable management systems was significantly higher than that of the control. The higher dry biomass production and C content found in cover crops compared to the natural vegetation indicates not only that this type of management provides enhanced carbon storage, but can also potentially lead to a future increase in soil organic matter through decomposition. Higher dry biomass is important in the context of carbon sequestration, and cover crops facilitated carbon storage in this study. In addition, this study suggests that sustainable agricultural management practices would provide significant benefits in terms of nutrient retention and CO2 fixation, thus improving ecosystems in Mediterranean countries.

Agricultural Reservoir Operation Strategy Considering Climate and Policy Changes

Agricultural water is affected by climate change and water management. Agricultural reservoirs are increasing demand on the environmental water supply because the Korean government has recently implemented an integrated water resource management policy. However, agricultural reservoirs are still in operation solely to supply agricultural water. To examine sustainable agricultural water management under climate change, we analyzed the strategy of operating regulations to efficiently distribute agricultural water as environmental water. We simulated the agricultural reservoir operation, analyzing its water supply capacity by applying operation regulations. The simulation predicted that future water supply capacity would decrease if the existing operation were maintained, and agricultural reservoir operation will be necessary in the future. The proposed reservoir operating strategy decreased the maximum water shortage and number of water shortage days compared with the existing operation with the required water supply. Our results can contribute to agricultural reservoir operation strategies and sustainable water management in response to climate change and provide decision-making guidance on water distribution for environmental use in response to water management policy changes.

Integrated decision support for promoting crop rotation based sustainable agricultural management using geoinformatics and stochastic optimization

Sustainable agricultural management is essential for ensuring food security and economic development. Efficient agricultural land use based on crop rotation practices can deliver greater soil fertility and higher economic potential. We proposed a decision support tool (DST) for preserving land fertility, maximizing agricultural profit, minimizing agricultural pollution, and water usage. The proposed DST links geoinformatics, stochastic pairwise comparison (SPC), and constraint optimization to suggest the suitable crops for growing. To demonstrate the proposed DST, suitability of seven major crops in Muzaffarnagar district in Uttar Pradesh (India), where the footprint of sugarcane cultivable region is nearly 90% is analyzed and the findings are presented. The crops cultivated in the study region and the criteria suitable for their cultivation are identified using the hybrid system approach. The DST primarily encompasses qualitative and quantitative analysis coupled with geospatial analysis. Qualitative analysis guides the decision-maker in finalizing the crucial criteria to be assessed for cultivation, while quantitative analysis uses beta distribution for pairwise comparison to understand the significance of finalized criteria. We collected the data concerning parameters related to the finalized criteria by considering 2700 soil samples. Data required at the ungauged locations are estimated using the kriging interpolation technique. The findings of this study suggest that sugarcane can be allocated up to 20% of the land area. In addition to the principal crops (i.e., sugarcane, wheat, and rice), potato, mustard, maize, and sorghum also have good cultivation potential in Muzaffarnagar and can be grown on up to 20%, 22%, 18%, 21% of the land area respectively while just 1.5%, 1.8%, 0.1%, and 0% of land area, is used for their cultivation. With the prime focus on knowledge transfer from scientific studies to farmers, we used an open-source geospatial repository to develop an interactive dashboard that can fetch farmers' locations and present each crop's suitability based on optimized crop rotation practices.

Policymaker perceptions of COVID-19 impacts, opportunities and challenges for sustainable wildlife farm management in Vietnam

This paper uses Vietnam – where overexploitation of wildlife resources is a major threat to biodiversity conservation – as a case study to examine how government officials perceive the impacts of COVID-19 on wildlife farming, as well as the opportunities and challenges presented for sustainable wildlife management. Findings show Vietnamese government officials perceive COVID-19 to have had mixed impacts on wildlife conservation policies and practice. While the pandemic strengthened the legal framework on wildlife conservation, implementation and outcomes have been poor, as existing policies are unclear, contradictory, and poorly enforced. Our paper also shows policymakers in Vietnam are not in favor of banning wildlife trade. As our paper documents the immediate impacts of the pandemic on wildlife farming, more research is necessary to analyse longer-term impacts.

Solar-powered irrigation system as a nature-based solution for sustaining agricultural water management in the Upper Indus Basin

Rapid deglaciation in form of lowering of glacial surface under growing warm temperatures form a major cause of disruption in meltwater flows to cryosphere-fed irrigation network which usually affects the agriculture productivity and livelihoods in the Upper Indus Basin (UIB). In such hotspots of cryosphere change and other vulnerable areas, solar powered irrigation system (SPIS) can be adopted as a nature-based solution to uplift water from the nearby glacio-fluvial streams for irrigation and domestic use. In the present study, solar energy harnessing potential was investigated in the UIB region of Pakistan based on climate and topographic suitability to adopt solar powered irrigation system (SPIS) in the region. Overall mean temperature and elevation were found suitable for harnessing solar energy in major parts of the Hindu Kush-Karakoram-Himalaya (HKH) ranges of the UIB. The slope index indicated high suitability for harnessing solar energy in about 92.5% area, while aspect exhibited high suitability in about 13.3% area and medium in 25.3% area of the HKH region. The slope-aspect (SLA) suitability was found good in about 13.5% area of the Hindu Kush, 12% of the Karakoram and 10.9% area of the Himalaya range, whereas it was observed medium in about 26.7% area of the Hindu Kush, 21.8% of the Karakoram and 22.2% area of the Himalaya range. Overall the SLA suitability was found good in about 12.1% area and medium in about 23.5% area of the three HKH ranges. However, maximum benefits of the SPIS approach can be acquired through linking it with integrated water resource management approach for sustainable agricultural water management in the region.

Environmental and economic assessment of hard apple cider using an integrated LCA-LCC approach

Food systems rely heavily on resources and energy inputs, and while best management practices are meant to ensure land productivity and production efficiency, there are many unknowns when it comes to sustainable farm and processing management. Hard apple cider is a small, but growing industry, and stands to benefit from predictive estimations of environmental emissions and total costs to guide sustainable decision making and supporting policy. This study applies an integrated cradle-to-grave Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC) model to assess the sustainability of organic apple orchards producing hard apple cider in the northeastern US. Further, we apply this model to packaging and distribution scenarios, which were seen as having the largest percentage of emissions across most impact categories. We found that 100% on-site distribution had the lowest carbon footprint at 0.91 kg carbon dioxide equivalent (kg CO2 eq) and 2.31 × 10−3 kg nitrogen oxides (NOx) eq per 12 fluid ounce serving of hard apple cider. Further, this scenario was found to have the lowest cost at just $1.43 per serving, based on capital, fixed, operational, and environmental costs. Comparatively, 100% off-site distribution had an impact of 1.30 kg CO2 eq and 5.09 × 10−3 kg NOx eq at a cost of $1.67 per serving; and 50/50 on-site/off-site distribution had an impact of 1.21 kg CO2 eq and 4 × 10−3 kg NOx eq at a cost of $1.56 per serving. While at a per serving scale these differences may appear marginal, this study provides valuable findings for current and potential hard apple cider producers to help better inform management decisions, supporting the longevity of an environmentally friendly and economically viable business model. These findings also suggest that policy supporting on-site distribution is beneficial not only for the business cost-wise but for the community's environmental quality.

Progression in plant phosphate uptake studies

Phosphate is an important macronutrient essential for various enzymatic reactions, biological processes and biosynthesis of different compounds in plants. There are multiple factors affecting phosphate uptake such as crop physiology, soil structure and texture, plantation management and environmental conditions. There is no specific solution that can be employed for better phosphate uptake by plants but clearly, sustainable agriculture management facilitated by precision crop assessment could be an effective solution. The ability for a better phosphate uptake by plants and that information will ensure the success of small and big scale farmers role in securing the demand for food by the growing population. Therefore, various approach has been taken to identify the phosphate uptake hence with the help of digitalization, we believe there will be innovated phosphate uptake studies compared to how these were previously carried out. In the next decade, more phosphate uptake information data with seamless accessibility will be available to various users. However, data alone will not be able to produce anything, analysis and advisory services are required in helping farmers to use and apply those obtained information for subsequent application in the field. Software applications with advance machine learning will customized the interactions between devices and data for the user. As they interact, they provide an untapped opportunity for better farm decision-making in real time. In this review, we will discuss how digitalization has improved to change the overall plant phosphate uptake studies and by what means the generated information can be efficiently utilized by the farmers and the various stakeholders.

Sustainable Organic Farming, Food Safety and Pest Management: An Evolutionary Game Analysis

There is an increasing realization that industrial, large-scale agriculture can negatively impact both food quality and the environment, and that alternatives should be thoroughly considered. Consisting of various participants with distinct and often competing interests, organic food chains have a dynamic structure. We consider an evolutionary game theory model for the dynamics of an organic supply chain with farmers, their customers and the government as the main stakeholders. After describing stakeholder strategies and constructing appropriate payoff matrices for the interactions between farmers and customers and between farmers and the government, respectively, sufficient conditions for the stability of the equilibria for the associated replicator equations were found. Those conditions were then interpreted in practical terms, the corresponding possible outcomes being determined and numerically illustrated. It was seen that a sustainable shift from a conventional strategy to an organic one requires the efforts of all involved stakeholders. As far as the evolutionary interaction between farmers and customers is concerned, it was seen that the purchasing power and the organic awareness of customers are of the utmost importance for the establishment and diffusion of organic strategies in the supply chain. Furthermore, a situation in which the preferences of farmers and consumers for an organic (or conventional) strategy change periodically may occur. Regarding the evolutionary interaction between farmers and the government, strong support for organic farmers is needed at first, and then the consumption habits and environmental awareness of the consumers can be cultivated. This promotes the establishment, development and enrichment of an organic supply chain which, at a certain point, can persist even without governmental subsidies.

Changes in Soil Microbial Community along a Chronosequence of Perennial Mugwort Cropping in Northern China Plain

Perennial cropping plays a vital role in regulating soil carbon sequestration and thus mitigating climate change. However, how perennial cropping affects the soil microbial community remains elusive. Using a field investigation, this study was conducted to examine the effects of mugwort cropping along a chronosequence (that is, wheat–maize rotation, 3-year, 6-year, and 20-year mugwort cropping) on a soil microbial community in temperate regions of Northern China. The results showed that the highest total, actinomycete, and fungi phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) were found in the 3-year mugwort cropping soils. By contrast, all PLFAs of microbial groups were lowest in the 20-year mugwort cropping soils. Network complexity of the soil microbial community under each of the three durations of mugwort cropping was greater than that under the wheat–maize rotation. Changes in total nitrogen and phosphorus content as well as the ratio of ammonium nitrogen to nitrate nitrogen primarily explained the variations in soil microbial community along the mugwort cropping chronosequence. Our observations highlight the contrasting responses of soil microbial community to short-term and long-term mugwort cropping compared with conventional rotations and would have critical implications for sustainable agricultural management under perennial cropping in temperate regions.

Advances and Perspectives in the Use of Biocontrol Agents against Fungal Plant Diseases

The use of synthetic fungicides to control fungal diseases has growing limitations due to eco-toxicological risks. Therefore, it is necessary to replace or integrate high risk chemicals with safer tools for human health and environment. Consequently, research on the selection, evaluation, characterization, and use of biocontrol agents (BCAs) has consistently increased in the last decades. BCA formulates, particularly in some countries, are still scarce in coping with the growing demand for their use in sustainable agricultural management. To foster development and utilization of new effective bioformulates, there is a need to optimize BCA activity, to share knowledge on their formulation processes and to simplify the registration procedures. Studies based on new molecular tools can significantly contribute to achieve such objectives. The present review provides the state of the art on biocontrol of fungal plant diseases with special emphasis on (i) features of the most studied BCAs; (ii) key strategies to optimize selection and use of BCAs (iii); mechanisms of action of the main BCAs; (iv) molecular tools and metagenomic studies in the selection and use of BCAs; (v) main issues and constraints in the registration and commercialization of BCAs, and (vi) perspectives in the biocontrol of fungal plant diseases.

Chronic Toxicity of Primary Metabolites of Chloroacetamide and Glyphosate to Early Life Stages of Marbled Crayfish Procambarus virginalis

Simple SummaryDue to the rising population, it is necessary to ensure sustainable agricultural management, especially in agricultural production. Therefore, using pesticides is the only way to reach a sufficient number of crops for the human population. However, using these agrochemicals has one big disadvantage—harmful effects on non-target species. Since aquatic ecosystems are essential for biota, fauna, flora, and humans, this study provides information about the toxicity of primary metabolites of commonly used glyphosate and acetochlor herbicides. Generally, it is known that pesticide degradation products may have lower, the same, or even higher toxicity than their parental compounds. Moreover, the developmental stages are more predisposed to be affected by pollution than adults, and consequently, in the worst case, it may affect the whole species population. Due to this reason, we studied the toxicity of these metabolites on embryolarval marbled crayfish—how they can affect their growth, ontogenetic development, behaviour, and gill morphology. Our study revealed that these two metabolites alone induce changes in behaviour, antioxidant enzymes, and gill morphology, even in combination. Nevertheless, there is a gap in the knowledge about pesticides’ metabolite toxicities, a small fraction of the hundreds with potential for entering the aquatic ecosystem. Therefore, chronic toxicity tests are suitable for evaluating the toxicity of aquatic pollution.Degradation products of herbicides, alone and in combination, may affect non-target aquatic organisms via leaching or runoff from the soil. The effects of 50-day exposure of primary metabolites of chloroacetamide herbicide, acetochlor ESA (AE; 4 µg/L), and glyphosate, aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA; 4 µg/L), and their combination (AMPA + AE; 4 + 4 µg/L) on mortality, growth, oxidative stress, antioxidant response, behaviour, and gill histology of early life stages of marbled crayfish (Procambarus virginalis) were investigated. While no treatment effects were observed on cumulative mortality or early ontogeny, growth was significantly lower in all exposed groups compared with the control group. Significant superoxide dismutase activity was observed in exposure groups, and significantly higher glutathione S-transferase activity only in the AMPA + AE group. The gill epithelium in AMPA + AE-exposed crayfish showed swelling as well as numerous unidentified fragments in interlamellar space. Velocity and distance moved in crayfish exposed to metabolites did not differ from controls, but increased activity was observed in the AMPA and AE groups. The study reveals the potential risks of glyphosate and acetochlor herbicide usage through their primary metabolites in the early life stages of marbled crayfish.

Sustainability Analysis on Economic and Ecological Aspects of Dry Land Management in Jerowaru District Using Multi Dimensional Scaling (MDS)

This study aims to determine the factors from the ecological and economic aspects that have the most sensitive attributes in influencing the sustainability of dry land management in Jerowaru District. This study uses the Multi Dimensional Scaling (MDS) analysis of Rapfish. The population in this study were all dry land farmers in Jerowaru District, East Lombok. The number of farmer respondents surveyed was 90 farmers spread over three villages with varied agricultural cropping patterns and topography. The sample unit in this study were individuals, namely dry land farmers. The sample in this research is some farmers who do dry land management. The analysis used is descriptive and MDS Rapfish is supported by qualitative analysis from field observations and in-depth interviews as outlined in a descriptive analysis to determine the characteristics of each respondent while MDS Rapfish is used to determine the most sensitive factors on ecological and economic aspects. The results of the feasibility study were tested with the r2 value which is close to one and the stress value &lt;20% and the results of the Monte Carlo analysis which have a difference of &lt;5% with the MDS results. The results of the MDS analysis show that the sustainability status on the economic aspect is 46.3 and on the ecological aspect it is 39.08. On the economic and ecological aspects in the less sustainable category. Leveraging factors from leveraging analysis to improve the status of sustainability in the economic aspect are the availability of inputs, especially fertilizers, access to marketing and availability of water for farming. While the lever factors in the ecological aspect are the use of biochar, the occurrence of floods / landslides, and vegetation cover. These levers must be a priority for sustainable dryland agricultural management in Jerowaru District, East Lombok.

On the Potential of Biochar Soil Amendments as a Sustainable Water Management Strategy

Biochar has been put forward as a potential technology that could help achieve sustainable water management in agriculture through its ability to increase water holding capacity in soils. Despite this opportunity, there are still a limited number of studies, especially in vulnerable regions like the tropics, quantifying the impacts of biochar on soil water storage and characterizing the impacts of biochar additions on plant water composition. To address this critical gap, we present a case study using stable water isotopes and hydrometric data from melon production in tropical agriculture to explore the hydrological impacts of biochar as a soil amendment. Results from our 10-week growing season experiment in Costa Rica under drip irrigation demonstrated an average increase in volumetric soil moisture content of about 10% with an average moisture content of 25.4 cm3 cm−3 versus 23.1 cm3 cm−3, respectively, for biochar amended plots compared with control plots. Further, there was a reduction in the variability of soil matric potential for biochar amended plots compared with control plots. Our isotopic investigation demonstrated that for both biochar and control plots, there was a consistent increase (or enrichment) in isotopic composition for plant materials moving from the roots, where the average δ18O was −8.1‰ and the average δ2H was −58.5‰ across all plots and samples, up through the leaves, where the average δ18O was 4.3‰ and the average δ2H was 0.1‰ across all plots and samples. However, as there was no discernible difference in isotopic composition for plant water samples when comparing across biochar and control plots, we find that biochar did not alter the composition of water found in the melon plant material, indicating that biochar and plants are not competing for the same water sources. In addition, and through the holistic lens of sustainability, biochar additions allowed locally sourced feedstock carbon to be directly sequestered into the soil while improving soil water availability without jeopardizing production for the melon crop. Given that most of the expansion and intensification of global agricultural production over the next several decades will take place in the tropics and that the variability of tropical water cycling is expected to increase due to climate change, biochar amendments could offer a pathway forward towards sustainable tropical agricultural water management.

Effects of Different Cropping and Land Management Practices on the Quality of Irrigated Soils of the Upper Awash Basin, Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia

Abstract Irrigation is one way of utilizing the land resources to enhance agricultural production. Irrigation crop production is crucial in the present study area due to its arid and semi-arid climatic characteristics. However, little is known about the influence of different cropping and land management practices on soil quality (SQ). This study aimed to determine the effects of different cropping systems and land management practices on variability of SQ indicators in the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia (CRVE). To this end, 45 disturbed surface (0‒20 cm) and 24 undisturbed (upper 7 cm) soil samples were collected from four adjacent farms: large-scale perennial farms (LSPF), large-scale annual farms (LSAF), smallholder subsistence annual farms (SHAF), and non-cultivated lands (NCL). Soil analyses were made for selected SQ indicators – particle size analysis, bulk density, soil water content, organic matter, pH, total nitrogen, available potassium and phosphorus, exchangeable bases, and cation exchange capacity. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Pearson correlation coefficient (r) were computed. Key informants’ interview was conducted to substantiate the data obtained from soil laboratory analyses. As the results confirmed, different cropping and land management practices had significant effects on some SQ indicators. Soil organic matter, total nitrogen, available P, and available K declined significantly (P &lt; 0.05) in the soils of LSAF and SHAF. This is attributed to land management-induced problems such as frequent tillage practice of mono-cropping, high level of mechanization, removal of crop residues/above-ground biomass in LSAF, and use of low external inputs and overcultivation without appropriate land management practices in SHAF. However, LSPF practice resulted in the improvement of key SQ indicators, next to NCL. Therefore, LSPF can be an alternative cropping and land management practice to achieve sustainable agricultural production and land management in semi-arid irrigated lands of CRVE and in places with similar environments.

Cocoa production under climate variability and farm management challenges: Some farmers' perspective

In the last decade, the global demand for cocoa beans and its bi-products has risen three times faster than population growth, and a 20% growth prediction by industry forecasts over the next decade. This increase in global demand shows that the cocoa production sector remains pivotal in the policy and research agenda of major cocoa-producing countries in West Africa. In this study, we assessed the causes of low cocoa production in the South West Region of Cameroon. A multi-stage random sampling procedure was used to interview 201 cocoa farmers. The ordinary least square results revealed that farm size, labour, capital, and education as well as modern practices such as farmer spraying pests and diseases, and harvesting of infested pods, mistletoe, and water shoot significantly affected output. The chi-square test statistics indicated that gender, education, farming experience, capital, farmer spraying pests and diseases, harvesting of infested pods, mistletoe, and water shoots, the number of times they prune cocoa tree branches, and frequent harvesting of ripe cocoa pods significantly affected cocoa production under climate variability. The results further revealed that the cocoa yield levels are significantly below the maximum attainable yields, with yield increase primarily attributed to an increase in area harvested. Hence, with increasing vulnerability in the cocoa sector, it is necessary to formulate climate-smart cocoa production policies that consider sustainable farm management practices, institutional factors, as well as socio-economic factors to boost cocoa production.

Soil water repellency and micro-aggregate fractions in response to crop growth periods in a sloping cropland subjecting to long-term fertilization management

Fertilization management and crop growth can affect soil water repellency (SWR) through altering other soil properties such as micro-aggregate, soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN). However, the extents and magnitudes of these effects remain unclear. This study aimed to determine the effects of different crop growth periods and long-term fertilization managements on SWR and selected soil physicochemical properties and their linkages. Soil samples were collected from agricultural plots experiencing different maize growth periods (ES, elongation stage; TS, tasseling stages; FS, filling stage; and MS, maturity stage) and fertilization managements (CK, no fertilizer with downslope cultivation; T1, combined manure and chemical fertilizers with downslope cultivation; T2, chemical fertilizer with downslope cultivation; T3, 1.5-fold chemical fertilizer with downslope cultivation; T4, chemical fertilizer with contour cultivation) in a representative sloping cropland with Entisols, southwest China. SWR, micro-aggregate fractions, and other physiochemical properties like soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) were determined. Results showed that SWR increased by 64.93% in T1 than in CK, and fertilization managements (i.e., T1, T2, T3, and T4) markedly increased soil 1000–250 μm fraction by 34.50–50.74% and reduced 250–50 μm fraction by 22.95–48.87% than CK did. SWR was 27.35%–78.74% higher in ES than that in other growth periods. The highest soil 250–50 fractions (30.80%) and the lowest <50 μm fractions (43.95%) both appeared in TS. SOC was both differed by fertilization management and growth period, while TN was only affected by the former. SWR was predicted well by TN alone. Our results indicate that long-term fertilizer application enhances SWR and have great significance for optimizing sustainable agricultural management in the similar sloping croplands.

Bio-Herbicidal Potential of Nanoemulsions with Peppermint Oil on Barnyard Grass and Maize

Bio-based nanoemulsions are part of green pest management for sustainable agriculture. This study assessed the physicochemical properties and the herbicidal activities of the peppermint essential oil nanoemulsions (PNs) in concentrations 1.0–10% stabilized by Eco-Polysorbate 80 on germinating seeds and young plants of maize and barnyard grass. Based on the design of experiment (DOE) results, the final nanoemulsion formulations were obtained with 1, 1.5, 2, and 5% of essential oil concentration. Biological analyses were conducted to select the most promising sample for selective control of barnyard grass in maize. Seedlings growing in the presence of PNs displayed an overall inhibition of metabolism, as expressed by the calorimetric analyses, which could result from significant differences in both content and composition of carbohydrates. Concentration–response sub estimation showed that leaf-sprayed concentration of PN causing 10% of maize damage is equal to 2.2%, whereas doses causing 50% and 90% of barnyard grass damage are 1.1% and 1.7%, respectively. Plants sprayed with PN at 5% or 10% concentration caused significant drops in relative water content in leaves and Chlorophyll a fluorescence 72 h after spraying. In summary, peppermint nanoemulsion with Eco-Polysorbate 80 at 2% concentration is a perspective preparation for selective control of barnyard grass in maize. It should be analyzed further in controlled and field conditions.

Recovery of Soil Structure and Fine Root Distribution in Compacted Forest Soils

Soil compaction is a major concern in the context of ensuring sustainable forest and agricultural management practices. Productivity gains during the last decades were also achieved by increasing mechanization. This change was associated with growing machine weights and impacts on trafficked soils. Up to now, knowledge about the resilience of compaction phenomena is still poor. At 11 forest sites on compaction-sensitive silt and loam substrates in the federal state of Baden-Wuerttemberg (Germany), fine root distribution, macroporosity, and apparent gas diffusion coefficients were used to characterize the status of recovery from former soil compaction by machine impact. The time span of recovery at the investigated sites ranged from 6 to 37 years. The investigated soil physical parameters indicate the beginning of soil structure recovery in the wheel tracks, comprising the first 10 cm of soil depth at most sites that were trafficked 10 years or more before the investigation. Synchronously with this restructuring, fine root propagation has started to recover in the topsoils. However, a high persistence of damage was observed below that depth. A synoptic interpretation of the data led to the conclusion that time spans up to almost four decades are not sufficient for the restoration of soil functionality in formerly compacted soils characterized by silt loam texture and low activity of soil biota. In view of the long-lasting persistence of the negative compaction effects, soil protection strategies combined with monitoring of their strict compliance must be implemented into forest practice. In case of an insufficient natural recovery potential, active measures to accelerate the regaining of soil functionality in compacted soils at irregular wheel tracks should be considered in order to shorten the time spans of disturbed soil conditions.