Perennial Systems Research Articles

Freedom of Religion and Religious Relations (Construction of Sukarno's Thought)

The question of religious connections is constantly linked to the concept of religious freedom, which is a basic human right. This understanding of religion and religiousity must be maintained in order to obtain a tolerance attitude among religious groups. This is essential in development because religion and God are vital to human activity. The principles of the Oneness of God in the Pancasila s state foundation are the result of the Indonesian national figures thought about the problems raised above. The final dialogue of the Indonesian nation's founding fathers is the oneness og God as the foundation of all other of Panscasila principles. This article further elaborates on Sukarno's concept of divinity by combining the concepts of perennial philosophy, systems theory, and paradigm shift, which are related to the context of religious life in Indonesia.

The climate benefit of sequestration in soils for warming mitigation

Soils are an enticing reservoir for nature-based climate solutions, but long timescales are required to store amounts of C of relevance to mitigate warming acknowledging its impermanence. Scientific clarity on the controlling factors in soil C persistence should help to disambiguate debates related to permanence in the climate policy domain. However, another contributing factor that is lacking in this debate is a way to compute the climate benefits of C in terrestrial ecosystems over time in the same units as greenhouse gas emissions. We use a case study approach here to demonstrate the use of the metrics of carbon sequestration (CS) and climate benefit of sequestration (CBS) with the aim of assessing the contribution of simultaneous emissions and uptake on radiative forcing. We show how this new computational framework quantifies the climate benefit achieved in two different agricultural systems, one a managed tropical perennial grass system in Hawaiʻi, USA and the other a boreal (cold-temperate, semi-humid) agricultural soil from long term amendment trials in Sweden. Using a set of computations, we show how C inputs and persistence interact to produce different levels of radiative forcing at relevant time frames, which could greatly help to clarify issues of carbon permanence discussed in climate policy. Temporary soil C storage could help to decrease peak warming provided that ambitious emission reductions are part of the portfolio of solutions; the CS and CBS framework gives us a way to quantify it based on biogeochemical understanding of soil C persistence.

Habitat response of adult fish species under the influence of ecological flow and hydrodynamic regime in perennial river system

AbstractThe escalating anthropogenic activities in recent decades are constantly affecting the aquatic ecology and posing a threat to freshwater species. In this study, a two‐dimensional ecohydraulic model and multiple criteria decision analysis (MCDA) coupled framework is employed in the Dikhow River, India, to investigate the favourable habitat condition for the nearly threatened Notopterus chitala fish locally known as Chital fish. The habitat residence suitability and habitat suitability indices are calculated at the observed and ecological flows. The ecological flow rates are computed from flow duration curve shifting and flow duration curve analysis methods. The hydrodynamic computations are carried out using a 1D‐2D coupled MIKE FLOOD model. The habitat assessment of the targeted species is carried out by constructing the suitability curves from the computed hydraulic parameters at different environmental management conditions. Results from the habitat assessment curves indicate that the maximum habitat suitability index is found for the targeted fish species at average annual flow. Based on the MCDA analysis, the outer banks of the meander zones are identified as not suitable residence regions for the target species. This study revealed that the coupled approach could be useful to regulate the stream restoration strategies and identify potential habitat preference locations in the domain.

150 Effects of Annual and Perennial Forage Systems on Forage Biomass and Quality, Grazing Animal Performance, and Enteric Methane Emissions

Abstract The effects of perennial and annual forage systems on forage biomass and quality, grazing animal performance, and enteric methane emissions were evaluated over two summer grazing seasons in 2020 and 2021. Forage systems (treatments) included (1) AC Success hybrid bromegrass (Bromus riparius Rehm. × Bromus inermis Leyss.) + PS30006 alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) (HBG-ALF), (2) AC Armada meadow bromegrass (Bromus riparius Rehm.) + AAC Mountainview sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia Scop.) (MBG-SF), (3) AC Hazlet fall rye (Secale cereale L.) + Frosty berseem clover (Trifolium alexandrinum L.) (FR-CLOV) and (4) Winfred forage brassica (Brassica oleracea L.× Brassica rapa L.) + Gorilla forage brassica (Brassica napus L.) + 4010 pea (Pisum sativum L.) + CDC Austenson barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) (BAR-PEA-BRASS). Yearling beef steers (n=156, body weight = 364 ± 14 kg) were randomly allocated to 1 of 4 replicated (n=3) forage systems for an average of 54 d grazing period each year. Dry matter yield (DMY) was greatest (P=0.006) for HBG-ALF (3036 kg/ha) and lowest for FR-CLOV (993 kg/ha) (P=0.005). Dry matter yield of BAR-PEA-BRASS (2123 kg/ha) and MBG-SF (1950 kg/ha) was similar (P=0.57). Total digestible nutrients (TDN) of BAR-PEA-BRASS (63.0%) and FR-CLOV (62.0%) was greater (P=0.001) than HBG-ALF (53.8%) and MBG-SF (54.7%). Crude protein (CP) was greatest (P=0.001) in FR-CLOV (13%). Crude protein of BAR-PEA-BRASS (9.6%) was greater (P=0.003) than HBG-ALF (6.6%) and MBG-SF (5.3%). Steer performance was greatest (P=0.03) on HBG-ALF (124 kg/ha). Steer performance on FR-CLOV (82 kg/ha), MBG-SF (76 kg/ha) and BAR-PEA-BRASS (74 kg/ha) was similar (P=0.92). Enteric methane emissions from beef steers did not differ between forage treatments (P=0.08). In summary, HBG-ALF forage system provided greater DMY, and grazing animal performance compared to the other forage systems, however TDN and CP content was lower than other forage systems and enteric methane emissions did not differ among treatments.

Organic matter pools in a fluvisol after 29 years under different land uses in an irrigation region in northeast Brazil

Soil organic matter (SOM) is a critical component of the soil system and a sensitive indicator of soil quality. We aimed to investigate the response of SOM pools to different land uses and management in irrigated croplands of the semi-arid region of northeast Brazil. Four sites irrigated under long-term (29 years) land uses were selected: banana (B1 and B2); elephant grass (EG) - perennial systems; maize and cowpea succession (MCP) - annual system; B1 was cropped for 17 years +2 years of maize and cowpea +17 years banana, while B2 was continuously cropped. A native forest (NF) site was selected as reference of steady state. Soil samples were collected at four depths in the rows and inter-rows of each management system. The higher decline in SOM fractions was perceived at 0–0.05 m depth and microbial indices (microbial biomass C and N, and basal respiration and metabolic quotient) were very sensitive indicators of soil quality. Perennial systems (B1 and EG) maintained the C and N stocks at higher levels equivalent to NF at the 0–0.40 m layer, while MCP and B2 had lower total organic carbon (TOC) (15 and 17%, respectively) and total nitrogen stocks (4.27 and 8.67%, respectively). Perennial cultivation with B1 and EG showed also the highest soil C and N microbial biomass and stratification ratio and, the lowest respiratory quotients, all indications of elevated soil C sequestration. In general, land use change from native forest to annual crops reduced plant residue input and increased soil disturbance, favoring higher SOM mineralization, while perennial crops and grasses were the most effective in increasing C and N stocks due to the maintenance of crop residues on the soil surface and the absence of soil tillage.

Structural heterogeneity of wildflower strips enhances fructose feeding in parasitoids

The use of wildflower strips to provide carbohydrate resource for parasitoids and enhance pest regulation is widely recommended in agriculture. However, how the management of wildflower strips affects resource availability and utilisation by parasitoids has never been studied. Using orange orchards as a model system, three experimental alleyway management treatments were investigated: a control treatment where naturally occurring vegetation in the alleyways between rows of trees was managed under standard farm practice; a standard management wildflower treatment in which sown wildflower strips in alleyways were managed by cutting once a year; and an active management wildflower treatment, in which the wildflower strips in alleyways was managed by cutting three times a year. Wildflower strips under standard management prevented the seasonal decline of nectar, supporting fructose feeding in parasitoids across all three seasons. The abundance of floral and hemipteran honeydew carbohydrate resources in the orchard alleyways and citrus canopy was consistently greater with the standard management treatment than the control or the active management treatments. In turn, this treatment was associated with twice the abundance of primary parasitoids than with the control and active management treatments in both summer and autumn. In addition, in autumn, parasitoids were more likely to have recently fed on carbohydrate in the standard management treatment than in the other two alleyway treatments. Finally, greater carbohydrate feeding in parasitoids was associated with increased structural heterogeneity of vegetation within the orchard alleyways. This study demonstrates that the nutritional status of parasitoids in a perennial cropping system can be improved using wildflower strips, which could enhance pest regulation, and emphasises the importance of studying the management of wildflower strips when targeting specific resource requirements.

Carbon Footprint Assessment and Energy Budgeting of Different Annual and Perennial Forage Cropping Systems: A Study from the Semi-Arid Region of Karnataka, India

Efficient use of available resources in agricultural production is important to minimize carbon footprint considering the state of climate change. In this context, the current research was conducted to identify carbon and energy-efficient fodder cropping systems for sustainable livestock production. Annual monocropping, perennial monocropping, annual cereal + legume intercropping and perennial cereal + legume intercropping systems were evaluated by employing a randomized complete block design with three replications under field conditions. The lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) monocropping system recorded significantly lower carbon input (274 kg-CE ha−1 year−1) and showed higher carbon indices viz., carbon sustainability index (165.8), the carbon efficiency ratio (166.8) and carbon efficiency (347.5 kg kg-CE−1) over other systems. However, higher green fodder biomass led to statistically higher carbon output (78,542 kg-CE ha−1 year−1) in the Bajra–Napier hybrid (Pennisetum glaucum × Pennisetum purpureum) + lucerne perennial system. Similar to carbon input, lower input energy requirement (16,106 MJ ha−1 year−1) and nutrient energy ratio (25.7) were estimated with the lucerne perennial system. However, significantly higher energy output (376,345 and 357,011 MJ ha−1 year−1) and energy indices viz., energy use efficiency (13.3 and 12.2), energy productivity (5.8 and 5.3 kg MJ−1), net energy (327,811 and 347,961 MJ ha−1 year−1) and energy use efficiency (12.3 and 11.2) were recorded with Bajra–Napier hybrid + legume [lucerne and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.)] cropping systems, respectively. However, these systems were on par with the lucerne monocropping system. Additionally, Bajra–Napier hybrid + legume [cowpea, sesbania (Sesbania grandiflora (L.) Pers.) and lucerne] cropping systems also showed higher human energy profitability. Concerning various inputs’ contribution to total carbon and energy input, chemical fertilizers were identified as the major contributors (73 and 47%), followed by farmyard manure (20 and 22%) used to cultivate crops, respectively, across the cropping systems. Extensive use of indirect (82%) and non-renewable energy sources (69%) was noticed compared to direct (18%) and renewable energy sources (31%). Overall, perennial monocropping and cereal + legume cropping systems performed well in terms of carbon and energy efficiency. However, in green biomass production and carbon and energy efficiency, Bajra–Napier hybrid + legume (lucerne and cowpea) cropping systems were identified as the best systems for climate-smart livestock feed production.

Density-Dependent Fertilization of Nitrogen for Optimal Yield of Perennial Rice

In the absence of tillage, perennial rice is an innovation and supplement to rice production. Proper N fertilizer application connected to planting density has been proposed as an effective way to improve rice yields. The tradeoff between crop N uptake and N supply is essential for optimal N management and soil environment benefit in the perennial rice cropping system. To assess the response of perennial rice to N fertilizer and planting density, field experiments with four consecutive growing seasons within two years, from 2016 to 2017, were conducted in southern China. Four nitrogen rates (N0, N1, N2, and N3 refer to 0, 120, 180, and 240 kg N ha−1, respectively) combined with three planting densities (D1, D2, and D3 refer to 100 × 103, 167 × 103 and 226 × 103 plants ha−1, respectively) were designed. The results showed that both N rate and planting density significantly affected crop production (p < 0.05), N uptake and soil N balance. Specifically, the N2D3 mode could achieve sustainable and higher dry matter accumulation (15.15 t ha−1) and grain yield (7.67 t ha−1) among all the treatments over the four seasons. A positive relationship between N uptake and dry matter/grain yield was observed. The N2D3 mode showed significantly higher N uptake (201 kg ha−1 each season) and less soil N loss (27.1%), relative to C.K. Additionally, the N2D3 mode could reach the optimal N balance (−0.2 kg ha−1) with a low N requirement (23.9 kg N Mg−1 grain), resulting in higher N use efficiency (NAE: 26.5 kg N kg−1, NRE: 64.9%). In the perennial rice cropping system, therefore, 180 kg N ha−1 integrated with 226 × 103 plants ha−1 could deliver higher grain yields with less N requirement, higher N use efficiency and less soil N loss. This optimal combination between planting density and nitrogen rate can result in soil N balance for sustainable perennial rice production.

Winter Cover Crops Reduce Spring Emergence and Egg Deposition of Overwintering Navel Orangeworm (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in Almonds.

Habitat diversification has been shown to positively influence a variety of ecosystem services to agriculture, including biological control of arthropod pests. The impact of increased biodiversity tends to be species specific though, and practices therefore need to be developed on a case-by-case basis for each cropping system. In perennial systems, numerous studies have demonstrated that cover crops can have positive impacts on soil quality and other ecosystem services, such as pollination and pest management. However, few studies have focused on the use of cover crops to enhance pest control in almond orchards, especially winter cover crops. The primary pest of almonds in North America is navel orangeworm, Amyelois transitella Walker, which overwinter as larva or pupa on remnant nuts, many of which remain on the orchard soil surface. In the spring, first flight adults subsequently use these remnant nuts as reproductive substrate. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the influence of two distinct winter cover crop mixtures on overwintering mortality and spring egg deposition of A. transitella. Remnant nuts placed into cover crop plots produced fewer adult A. transitella in the spring, suggesting increased overwintering mortality. Additionally, spring egg deposition was reduced on remnant nuts in the cover crops, possibly due to the ground covers interfering with host location and access. In this way, winter cover crops appear to contribute to the reduction of A. transitella populations in the orchard by altering abiotic and physical conditions, although studies to document specific mechanisms are still needed.

Sensitive Measures of Soil Health Reveal Carbon Stability Across a Management Intensity and Plant Biodiversity Gradient

Soil carbon (C) is a major driver of soil health, yet little is known regarding how sensitive measures of soil C shift temporally within a single growing season in response to short-term weather perturbations. Our study aimed to i) Examine how long-term management impacts soil C cycling and stability across a management intensity and plant biodiversity gradient and ii) Assess how sensitive soil health indicators change temporally over the course of a single growing season in response to recent weather patterns. Here we quantify a variety of sensitive soil C measures at four time points across the 2021 growing season at the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station’s Long Term Ecological Research Trial (LTER) located in southwest Michigan, USA. The eight systems sampled included four annual soybean (Glycine max) systems that ranged in management intensity (conventional, no-till, reduced input, and biologically-based), two perennial biofuel cropping systems (switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) and hybrid poplars (Populus nigra x P.maximowiczii)), and two unmanaged systems (early successional system and a mown but never tilled grassland). We found that unmanaged systems with increased perenniality enhanced mineralizable C (Min C) and permanganate oxidizable C (POXC) values. Additionally, all soil health indicators were found to be sensitive to changes in short-term weather perturbations over the course of the growing season. The implications of this study are threefold. First, this study assess indicators of labile and stable C pools over the course of the growing season and reflects the stability of soil C in different systems. Second, POXC, Min C, and ß-glucosidase (GLU) activity are sensitive soil health indicators that fluctuate temporally, which means that these soil health indicators could help elucidate the impact that weather patterns have on soil C dynamics. Lastly, for effective monitoring of soil C, sampling time and frequency should be considered for a comprehensive understanding of soil C cycling within a system.

Hairy fleabane germination in response to temperature, osmotic potential, pH, salinity levels, and seed dormancy periods

AbstractHairy fleabane (Erigeron bonariensis L. Cronq.) is an invasive weed in low‐disturbance annual, perennial, and noncrop systems in the San Joaquin Valley (SJV), California. It is often observed emerging year‐round in diverse environmental conditions in the SJV. However, very little information is available on the reasons for this. The study aimed to assess the effect of temperature, water potential, salinity, pH level, and dormancy periods on hairy fleabane's germination. Tests were conducted at different day/night temperatures (5:0, 10:5, 15:10, 20:15, 25:20, and 30:25 °C), water potential (0 to –5.56 MPa), salinity (0–25 dS m–1), and pH (5–9). Germination tests were also performed on seeds the day they were collected from mature plants, and 7, 14, and 21 d later. Tests were conducted in growth chambers set to 20 °C or under ambient laboratory conditions at 22 °C. About 1% of the seeds germinated at 5 °C but maximum germination occurred at 25:20 °C. About 9% of the seeds germinated at –0.51 MPa and the estimated value for 50% germination reduction was –0.2 MPa. Seed germination had high tolerance to salinity, as 42% of the seeds germinated at 15 dS m–1. Germination did not differ across pH levels. About 50% of the seeds germinated the day they were collected, indicating that this species had a very short seed dormancy requirement. These findings could explain why hairy fleabane is observed emerging year‐round in the SJV, particularly in irrigated cropping systems.

How to Reintroduce Arable Crops after Growing Perennial Wild Plant Species Such as Common Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare L.) for Biogas Production

The cultivation of perennial wild plant mixtures (WPMs) is becoming increasingly important in Germany for providing sustainably produced bioenergy. However, perennial energy cropping systems always raise the question of how to reclaim the land for arable crops. This study examined this issue by looking at how a former WPM area was returned to arable cropping for an organic farm. From 2013 to 2018, the WPM area was harvested annually in the autumn. From 2019 to 2020, it was co-managed with the surrounding land as a semi-intensive grassland under a three-cut regime. The area was then ploughed in the spring of 2021 to grow silage maize. Weeds were controlled mechanically once. Nevertheless, the perennial wild plant species grew vigorously, with common tansy (Tanacetum vulgare L.) standing out with a total fresh matter share of 29.0%. This maize–WPM mixture achieved a dry matter yield of 15.5 ± 5.5 Mg ha−1, which was notably but not significantly (p < 0.05) lower than that of silage maize growing next to the former WPM area (23.4 ± 5.5 Mg ha−1). After silage maize, winter wheat was sown in the autumn of 2021 and further regrowth of common tansy was observed in the spring of 2022. Yield and quality effects must therefore be given special consideration in the first arable crop following WPM cultivation.

Diverse perennial circular forage systems are needed to foster resilience, ecosystem services, and socioeconomic benefits in agricultural landscapes

AbstractPrevailing agricultural systems dominated by annual crop monocultures, and the landscapes that contain them, lack resilience and multifunctionality. They are vulnerable to extreme weather events, contribute to degradation of soil, water, and air quality, reduce biodiversity, and negatively impact human health, social engagement, and equity. To achieve greater resilience, stability, and multiple ecosystem services therein, and to improve socioeconomic outcomes, we propose a practical framework to gain multifunctionality at multiple scales. This framework includes forages within agroecosystems that have the essential structural features of diversity, perenniality, and circularity. These three structural features are associated with increased resilience, stability, and provision of several ecosystem services, which in turn improve human health and socioeconomic outcomes. This framework improves understanding of, and access to, tools and materials for promoting the adoption of diverse circular agroecosystems with perennial forages. Application of this framework can result in land transformations that solve sustainability challenges in agriculture if policy, economic, and social barriers can be overcome by a transdisciplinary process of equitable knowledge production.

Moving warm‐season forage bermudagrass (Cynodon spp.) into temperate regions of North America

AbstractGeorgia, located in the Southeastern USA, has been historically dominated by two perennial forage grass production systems. Tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum [Schreb.] S.J. Darbyshire) is more prevalent in the northern parts of the state, while bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] is ubiquitous to the southern portion. Climatologists have documented notable changes in temperature and precipitation patterns in the state that have contributed to an invasion of warm‐season species in the northern portion of the state. In the transition zones between warm‐season and‐cool‐season perennial grass‐dominated regions of North America, C4 grasses can maintain productivity at high temperatures while C3 grasses are transitioning to a reproductive stage with minimal vegetative growth during summer. For this reason, warm‐season grasses could replace a portion of the grasslands at latitudes greater than 35°. This manuscript documents the expansion of warm‐season bermudagrass into northern Georgia, explores the climatic factors driving this transition, and highlights previous and on‐going research. We specifically focus on evaluating freeze or cold tolerance of bermudagrass germplasm. The C. dactylon cultivars exhibit more cold tolerance than C. nlemfuënsis (stargrass) since they are more rhizomatous and rely less on above‐ground stolons for regrowth and winter survival. Conversely, these cultivars tend to have poor nutritive value and are highly susceptible to insect damage. On‐going research is identifying germplasm that provides adequate cold tolerance to meet the needs of farmers transitioning to warm‐season production systems in the lower transition zone.

Impact of Different Methods of Root-Zone Application of Biochar-Based Fertilizers on Young Cocoa Plants: Insights from a Pot-Trial

Effective and efficient nutrient management is central to best-practice agriculture, facilitating sustainable intensification while reducing negative externalities. The application of biochar-based fertilizers (BBF) in tropical agronomy has the potential to improve nutrient management by enhancing nutrient availability and uptake. Here, we performed pot-trials with Theobroma cacao L. seedlings planted in an Oxisol with critically low phosphorus levels. Four fertilizer levels were deployed, including BBFs using micro-dosed biochar (16 g plant−1 i.e., 0.3% soil amendment w/w) charged with mineral fertilizer. Three different fertilizer-placement levels (topsoil, root-zone hotspot and root-zone layer) were evaluated. The results from the topsoil application of mineral fertilizer (farmer practice) served as the reference data. The root-zone layer application of BBF increased the aboveground biomass, total leaf area and chlorophyll content index by 56%, 222%, and 140% respectively. Foliar phosphorus levels were also significantly elevated by 53%. The N:P ratio of the foliar tissue was improved, indicating the potential of BBF to ameliorate P limitations. Thus, low dosages of biochar, which is upgraded to BBF, can considerably improve plant nutrition. Small scale technology to produce biochar can be easily adopted and integrated in T. cacao systems. We suggest that BBF production and application within tropical, perennial systems can contribute to achieving a range of sustainable development goals (SDGs), including climate action.

Plant Breeding for Intercropping in Temperate Field Crop Systems: A Review.

Monoculture cropping systems currently dominate temperate agroecosystems. However, intercropping can provide valuable benefits, including greater yield stability, increased total productivity, and resilience in the face of pest and disease outbreaks. Plant breeding efforts in temperate field crops are largely focused on monoculture production, but as intercropping becomes more widespread, there is a need for cultivars adapted to these cropping systems. Cultivar development for intercropping systems requires a systems approach, from the decision to breed for intercropping systems through the final stages of variety testing and release. Design of a breeding scheme should include information about species variation for performance in intercropping, presence of genotype × management interaction, observation of key traits conferring success in intercropping systems, and the specificity of intercropping performance. Together this information can help to identify an optimal selection scheme. Agronomic and ecological knowledge are critical in the design of selection schemes in cropping systems with greater complexity, and interaction with other researchers and key stakeholders inform breeding decisions throughout the process. This review explores the above considerations through three case studies: (1) forage mixtures, (2) perennial groundcover systems (PGC), and (3) soybean-pennycress intercropping. We provide an overview of each cropping system, identify relevant considerations for plant breeding efforts, describe previous breeding focused on the cropping system, examine the extent to which proposed theoretical approaches have been implemented in breeding programs, and identify areas for future development.

Improvements in soil health and soil carbon sequestration by an agroforestry for food production system

Woody perennial cropping systems have the potential to produce food while maintaining or improving soil health relative to annual cropping systems. We used space-for-time substitution to assess soil health improvements by a Chinese chestnut – pawpaw agroforestry (AF) system in Iowa, USA relative to corn – soybean rotation (CSR), representing conventional annual crop management, and secondary forest (SF), which served as a natural woody perennial ecosystem reference point for improved soil health. We also compared several Chinese chestnut (Castanea mollisima Blume) and pawpaw (Asima trilobal (L.) Dunal) AF guilds, including single and double density chestnut monoculture, pawpaw monoculture, and chestnut and pawpaw polyculture, to evaluate the effects of tree density versus diversity on soil health. We found significant improvements in biogeochemical metrics of soil health for a mature (24 years old) AF system established on fields previously in annual crop production, relative to an adjacent no-till CSR system. Surface soil (0–30 cm depth) total and microbial stocks of carbon and nitrogen in the agroforestry system were greater in AF than in CSR, but less than in the SF. Soil carbon stocks down to one meter increased from CSR (62.7 Mg C ha-1 ± 3.22 SE) to AF (72.1 Mg C ha-1 ± 2.23 SE) and SF systems (80.8 Mg C ha-1 ± 4.46 SE), but did not differ between the two perennial systems. Acid - base chemistry in surface soils was similar between AF and CSR, but SF ecosystems had significantly higher pH, CECe, and percent base saturation than both cropping systems. We found few effects of AF guild (i.e. groupings of woody crop species) on the biogeochemical metrics of soil health, suggesting that modest increases in woody perennial crop density and diversity did not lead to further improvements to soil health. Overall, land conversion to agroforestry from annual crop production improved soil health and increased soil carbon sequestration.

Barriers to the provision of non-communicable disease care in Zimbabwe: a qualitative study of primary health care nurses

BackgroundNon-communicable diseases (NCDs) contribute significantly to the global disease burden, with low-and middle-income (LMICs) countries disproportionately affected. A significant knowledge gap in NCDs exacerbates the high burden, worsened by perennial health system challenges, including human and financial resources constraints. Primary health care workers play a crucial role in offering health care to most people in LMICs, and their views on the barriers to the provision of quality care for NCDs are critical. This study explored perceived barriers to providing NCDs care in primary health care facilities in Zimbabwe.MethodsIn-depth, individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with general nurses in primary care facilities until data saturation was reached. We focused on diabetes, hypertension, and depression, the three most common conditions in primary care in Zimbabwe. We used thematic content analysis based on an interview guide developed following a situational analysis of NCDs care in Zimbabwe and views from patients with lived experiences.ResultsSaturation was reached after interviewing 10 participants from five busy urban clinics. For all three NCDs, we identified four cross-cutting barriers, a) poor access to medication and functional equipment such as blood pressure machines, urinalysis strips; b) high cost of private care; c)poor working conditions; and d) poor awareness from both patients and the community which often resulted in the use of alternative potentially harmful remedies. Participants indicated that empowering communities could be an effective and low-cost approach to positive lifestyle changes and health-seeking behaviours. Participants indicated that the Friendship bench, a task-shifting programme working with trained community grandmothers, could provide a platform to introduce NCDs care at the community level. Also, creating community awareness and initiating screening at a community level through community health workers (CHWs) could reduce the workload on the clinic nursing staff.ConclusionOur findings reflect those from other LMICs, with poor work conditions and resources shortages being salient barriers to optimal NCDs care at the facility level. Zimbabwe's primary health care system faces several challenges that call for exploring ways to alleviate worker fatigue through strengthened community-led care for NCDs. Empowering communities could improve awareness and positive lifestyle changes, thus optimising NCD care. Further, there is a need to optimise NCD care in urban Zimbabwe through a holistic and multisectoral approach to improve working conditions, basic clinical supplies and essential drugs, which are the significant challenges facing the country's health care sector. The Friendship Bench could be an ideal entry point for providing an integrated NCD care package for diabetes, hypertension and depression.

Agronomic performance, nitrogen acquisition and water-use efficiency of the perennial grain crop Thinopyrum intermedium in a monoculture and intercropped with alfalfa in Scandinavia

The perennial forage grass Thinopyrum intermedium (Host) Barkworth & Dewey, commonly known as intermediate wheatgrass (IWG) or by the commercial name Kernza™, is being developed as a perennial grain crop, i.e. being bred for its improved agronomic performance and food qualities. Intercropping legumes and grasses is a strategy for improving resource use and sustainability in cropping systems. Here, we show for the first time the agronomic performance of IWG as a perennial cereal grown as a monocrop and as an intercrop (alternate row, 0.5:0.5) with Medicago sativa L. (alfalfa/lucerne) in southern Sweden. The seeds of cycle 3 IWG were accessed from The Land Institute (TLI) of Salinas, Kansas, USA, and used to establish a local seed production plot (in 2014) for the establishment of the perennial systems (in 2016) utilised in this study. Both the monocrop and intercrop were sown with 25 cm row spacing with alternate rows of IWG and alfalfa in the intercrop (i.e. replacement design) with unknown sowing density. Intercropping provided sustained IWG grain production under the dry conditions of 2018, but also in the following year. This was evidently associated with a higher nitrogen accumulation in intercropped practice. Thus, intercropping seems to have stabilised the IWG grain production in the dry conditions of 2018, when the grain production in the intercrop was similar to that of the monocrop in the same year. This result was further supported by the lower discrimination against 13C (as an indicator of water use efficiency) in the intercrop components compared to the sole crop in 2018. The lower discrimination indicates high water use efficiency in the intercropped IWG in comparison to the IWG in monoculture, and we conclude that intercropping perennial cereal grain crops with legumes provides better growing conditions in terms of nitrogen acquisition, and water status, to cope with more extreme drought spells expected from climate change.

Fungal plant pathogens observed on perennial cereal crops in New York during 2017–2018

AbstractPerennial grain crops are emerging as a promising addition to sustainable agricultural systems because of their low-input requirements and delivery of ecosystem services. However, adoption of these crops is expected to bring novel management challenges, including those related to plant diseases. In New York, fungal pathogens of annual grains have a significant impact on crop yield and value and are generally controlled through a combination of host resistances, cultural practices and chemical fungicides. Without the availability of crop rotation and soil tillage practices, disease control in perennial grain systems may be problematic, and little is known about perennial grain crop susceptibility to local plant pathogen populations. During 2017 and 2018, ongoing field trials of two perennial grain crops recently introduced in New York, intermediate wheatgrass (IWG; Thinopyrum intermedium) and perennial cereal rye (PCR; Secale cereale), were assessed for the presence of putative fungal pathogens on actively growing plants, overwintered crop residue and harvested grain. A total of nine potential host–pathogen combinations were recorded based on symptomology, pathogen morphology and DNA sequences. Common annual crop pathogens were recovered most frequently, but, at one site, Phyllachora graminis, causal fungus of tar spot and a pathogen not previously reported on crops in New York, was found on IWG. Residue colonization by an important toxigenic pathogen (Fusarium graminearum) was high in both crops, though mycotoxin levels in associated grain were low, indicating either the hosts or environment were unsuitable for disease development. Seed-borne fungal communities differed across crops and locations, and black point, a condition caused by Alternaria and Bipolaris fungi and indicative of compromised grain quality, was prevalent in PCR under some conditions. Growing PCR with intercropped red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) resulted in less Stagonospora colonization of stem residue, and PCR grown with an oat (Avena sativa L.) nurse crop had a reduced incidence of black point. These alternative cultural practices may prove useful for managing disease in perennial grains. Our results suggest that the incorporation of perennial crops into the agricultural landscape will lead to familiar plant disease problems requiring new solutions as well as new problems that may require significant research investments.