Crop Production Systems Research Articles

Factors Influencing the Adoption of Agroecological Vegetable Cropping Systems by Smallholder Farmers in Tanzania

Vegetable production is vital to smallholder farmers, who often struggle to overcome pests, diseases, and extreme weather. Agroecological cropping systems offer sustainable solutions to these issues but their adoption rates in Tanzania remain low. This study examines the factors influencing smallholder farmers’ adoption of selected agroecological cropping systems for vegetable production in Tanzania, which remains underexplored. Using a multistage sampling technique, cross-sectional data were gathered from 525 crucifer and traditional African vegetable farming households within the Arusha and Kilimanjaro regions. Multivariate probit regression analysis, which accounts for the simultaneous adoption of multiple systems, revealed several significant variables influencing adoption. The number of training sessions attended and access to market information positively influenced adoption (p < 0.01), while gross income from vegetable production also had a positive influence (p < 0.05). Conversely, the age of the household head and the region where the farm was located showed negative effects on adoption (p < 0.05). These findings highlight the need for targeted extension services and training sessions focusing on the benefits, methods, and management techniques of agroecological cropping systems. Gender-sensitive policies and interventions should also be developed to address the factors influencing the adoption of agroecological cropping systems.

Cereal-legume intercropping enhances the quality of feedstock for lignocellulosic bioethanol production by reducing the carbon: nitrogen ratio

Bioethanol production from cereal straw is a sustainable alternative to meet the current energy demand, but its low nitrogen (N) content and high carbon to nitrogen (C/N) ratio are problematic during bioethanol processing. Intercropping cereals with legumes may increase the N content and reduce the C/N ratio in the harvested straw biomass. In order to investigate the combined production of food, feed, and suitable feedstock (low C/N ratio) for lignocellulosic bioethanol production, a field experiment on cereal-legume intercropping was carried out in southern Sweden. In the experiment, autumn-sown cereals (wheat, triticale, and rye) were grown as monocrops with two different N fertilization levels (60 and 120 kg N ha−1) or intercropped with autumn-sown or spring-sown (undersown) clover-grass, autumn-sown or spring-sown (undersown) alfalfa, or autumn-sown faba bean. Total grain dry matter yield, cereal grain protein content, straw dry matter yield, and straw biomass C/N ratio were estimated. The results showed that the intercrops produced more straw biomass and had a lower C/N ratio, but produced less grain, than cereal monocrops. Among the cereals, rye showed significantly higher grain and straw yields, but lower grain protein content, in all treatments. Among the intercrop treatments, cereal with spring-sown clover-grass produced higher grain and straw yields and had a significantly lower C/N ratio (38:1) than the other treatments. Thus, cereal with spring-sown (undersown) clover-grass is a promising cropping system for lignocellulosic bioethanol production.

Tillage type and sentinel insect species affect the relative prevalence of the entomopathogenic fungus, Metarhizium robertsii, in soil.

Because the use of synthetic agrochemicals is generally not allowed in organic crop production systems, growers rely on natural substances and processes, such as microbial control, to suppress insect pests. Reduced tillage practices are associated with beneficial soil organisms, such as entomopathogenic fungi, that can contribute to the natural control of insect pests. The impacts of management, such as tillage, in a cropping system can affect soil biota in the current season and can also persist over time as legacy effects. We investigated the in-season and legacy effects of soil management in four, three-year organic feed grain and forage production systems that varied in number and intensity of soil disturbances on the relative prevalence of the entomopathogenic fungus, Metarhizium robertsii. Employing sentinel bait assays with Tenebrio molitor and Galleria mellonella, we found that relative prevalence, measured as infection rate of sentinel insects, was lowest in systems utilizing a shallow high-speed disk (G. mellonella: 14%; T. molitor: 23%) in the current and previous seasons compared to systems that included inversion and non-inversion tillage (G. mellonella: 22%; T. molitor: 34%) or no-till planting (G. mellonella: 21%; T. molitor: 30%,). There was no difference in prevalence in systems that included the use of a high-speed disk compared to a perennial hay crop (G. mellonella: 16%; T. molitor: 28%). There were no negative legacy effects of inversion tillage on the prevalence of M. robertsii in subsequent crops. Sentinel assays with G. mellonella (19%) produced overall lower estimates of relative prevalence of M. robertsii than T. molitor (29%) but the association of relative prevalence with environmental variables was greater in assays with G. mellonella. We suggest that the use of occasional inversion tillage is not damaging to populations of M. robertsii in soil and that surveys using assays with multiple sentinel insect species will improve our ability to understand the effects of agricultural practices on entomopathogenic fungi.

Integrating crop and dairy production systems: Exploring different strategies to achieve environmental targets.

The integration between crop and livestock production systems (ICLS) at regional level is seen as a pathway for more sustainable food production. The objective was to assess the effects on farm structure, economic performance and environmental impact of an ICLS with varying constraints on agricultural emissions, changes in land use and a lower external input use as means to achieve environmental targets. A linear optimization model was used for economic optimization of ICLS under different scenarios for the case of crop and dairy production systems on sandy soils in the Netherlands. The model was combined with a farm nutrient balance and life-cycle assessment to determine the impact on nutrient surpluses and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Environmental costs for society were calculated based on available prices for GHG emissions and nutrient surpluses. As a reference, specialized crop and livestock systems without integration were optimized. An economically driven ICLS under current Dutch policy without additional constraints was modelled. This strategy was economically interesting and increased gross margins, but the environmental costs for society were higher when compared to the reference systems without integration. Thereafter, four scenarios were modelled representing varying constraints as a means to achieve environmental targets. These scenarios were hypothesized to lower the environmental costs for society by targeting a reduction in agricultural emissions, lower external input use or changes in land use. Stricter constraints on greenhouse gas (i.e., a reduction of at least 30%) and ammonia (i.e., a reduction of at least 37%) emissions and de-intensification strategies (e.g., lower milk production per cow, reduced concentrate intake per cow and lower mineral N fertilizer use in the dairy sub-system) reduced gross margins of the ICLS up to €34,395yr-1. Furthermore, it resulted in a substantial reduction in the gross margin for the dairy sub-system, while gross margins for the crop sub-system substantially increased. However, these scenarios reduced environmental impacts and associated costs for society substantially up to €60,045yr-1. For a scenario with land use constraints (i.e., stricter constraints on area proportions for potatoes and sugar beets and an increase in the area used for permanent grassland) there were still economic benefits while there was also reduction in the environmental costs of production. The results help to further design and assess the potential contribution of ICLS to improve the sustainability of the current farming system.

Quantifying the environmental fate and source of nitrate contamination using dual-isotope tracing coupled with nitrogen cascade model on the basin scale.

Nitrate (NO3-) contamination in riverine networks has threatened the environment and human health. Clarifying the NO3- source and environmental fate within the basin under different underlying surfaces is essential for water body protection, especially China's two mother rivers. A series of combination methods were established i.e., field survey, index measurements, isotope-tracing techniques, and material flow analysis in four typical basins to investigate the spatiotemporal variation and source of NO3- pollution and nitrogen cascade characteristics. The dual-isotope coupled with MixSIAR model revealed that manure and sewage were the major NO3- source in the irrigation basin (WY, 76.7%), hilly mountainous basin (YC, 52.3%), and plateau lake basin (DC, 48.7%). However, for the plain-river network basin (CZ), soil leachate was the main source (55.5%). In terms of the N losses to water within agri-environment system, livestock-breeding system in three basins made the biggest contribution among the systems, WY (77.3%), YC (47.3%), and DC (41.8%). While in CZ, about 34.4% of N was delivered from the crop-production system. The N cascade model verified the results of isotope-tracing techniques for each basin. The study provides new insight into NO3--tracing combining hydrogeochemical indicators, isotopic-tracing techniques, and material flow analysis and guides strategies for mitigating the negative impacts of NO3- pollution on aquatic environments on basin scale.

Productivity of Soybean-based cropping system as influenced by diverse nitrogen management

Productivity of Soybean-based cropping system as influenced by diverse nitrogen management

Assessment of long-term Site-Specific Nutrient Management (SSNM) on soil organic carbon dynamics and sequestration in a rice-rice cropping system

This study examined the long-term effects of the Site-Specific Nutrient Management Integrated Plant Nutrient System (SSNM-IPNS) on carbon sequestration, stock, loss and mineralization in soil within a 26-year-old ricerice cropping system at wetland of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore. The research focused on the impact of integrated organic and inorganic nutrient application on carbon fractions compared to conventional fertilization methods under wetland ecosystems. Results indicated that the SSNM-IPNS approach significantly enhances soil total organic carbon (TOC), with levels reaching 1.56% compared to just 0.78% in control treatments. Furthermore, labile carbon fractions such as permanganate-oxidizable carbon (POx-C), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), water-soluble carbon (WSC), and particulate organic carbon (POC) were found to be greater in the SSNM-IPNS management. Increased rates of carbon mineralization and basal respiration also reflected a more active and efficient microbial community in these soils. Soil microbial indices, including the microbial quotient (qMic) and the metabolic quotient (qCO2), further emphasized the benefits of the SSNM-IPNS approach in enhancing soil health. Overall, the findings demonstrate that SSNM -IPNS significantly improves carbon sequestration, nutrient cycling, and soil fertility, promoting sustainable agricultural practices vital for long-term productivity in intensive cropping systems. This research underscores the importance of adopting innovative nutrient management practices for sustainable agriculture.

Productivity and Economics of Ber Based Agri-Horticultural Systems under Semi-Arid Condition of Akola in Vidarbha, Maharashtra, India

Alternate land use system is applicable in areas where subsistence farming is practiced in unstable ecosystems, and it poses more potentiality and flexibility in land use than the traditional crop production systems. Alternate land use systems are effective means of stabilizing both productivity of dryland crops and incomes of dryland farmers, besides generating more counter potential. Ber is highly resistant to drought conditions due to well-developed long tap root system than other crops. There is area to grow field crops in between the interspaces during the early growth stages of Ber in order to increase the land use efficiency. The experiment with objectives for studying the productivity and the economics of Ber based Agro-Horticulture system under dryland condition was conducted at the research farm of the AICRP for Dryland Agriculture, Dr. PDKV, Akola. The experiment was conducted in Randomized Block Design with four treatments and five replications. The six years pooled data resulted that the treatment cotton + soybean (1:1) recorded significantly highest Ber equivalent yield (970 kg ha-1), gross monetary returns (Rs. 69643), net monetary returns (Rs.22106) and rainwater use efficiency (1.17 kg ha-1 mm-1) as compare to rest of the treatments.

Non-flow-through static (closed chamber) method for sampling of greenhouse gases in crop production systems

Methods and procedures for measuring greenhouse gases vary in different aspects, which could dictate most of the decisions. Even within the same context of measurements, there are different techniques and procedures. This study presents a harmonized approach so that results from different studies are easily compared, and methods can be reproduced. The relevant literature on sampling has been discussed and used to establish consistency. The applied knowledge acquired during the two related field experiments, 2017-2018 and 2018-2019, has also been used to leverage the procedures. It was observed that the non-flow-through steady-state (closed or static chamber) method is the widely used method in the field for greenhouse gas measurements. Its chronological sampling’s main steps are anchor installation, upper part chamber placement, temperature recording, gas sample withdrawal, injecting the sample into the vial, flushing the syringe with air twice, upper chamber part removal from the anchor, and placement on the plot border beside the respective anchors. These leveraged procedures can ensure consistency in acquiring data for reliable results to help make informed decisions about greenhouse gas reductions.

Nitrogen flow in food production and consumption system of Inner Mongolia from 2000 to 2020

Decoupled crop and livestock production caused serious disconnection of nitrogen utilization in agro-pastoral ecotone of northern China. In this study, we employed a material flow analysis approach to investigate reactive nitrogen (Nr) flow in the food production and consumption system in Inner Mongolia from 2000 to 2020. Results indicated that agricultural production system is the primary source of Nr input for the food consumption system. The environmental nitrogen load in Inner Mongolia has been increasing progressively, from 266 Gg in 2000 to 882 Gg in 2020, primarily due to the rapid increase in livestock farming and significant losses of nitrogen in feces and urine. Our results raise the attention to promote the close integration of farmland production and livestock system in the decoupled crop and livestock production system.

Environmental impacts of crop production systems in subtropical plateau regions: case study of Yunnan, China

Excessive fertilisation, improper nutrient management, and specific climatic factors are the main reasons for the high environmental risks associated with agricultural production in subtropical plateau regions. However, quantitative data of environmental impacts and emission reduction potential remain unclear. The development potential of such systems is likely to be significant. In that context, we conducted a case study in Yunnan Province, China, to quantify the environmental impact of crop production from 2002 to 2021. A life cycle assessment method was employed to identify the factors driving environmental impacts, and potential mitigation strategies were proposed. The yield and total nutrient input of grain crops in Yunnan Province increased over the 20-year period, and the environmental footprint of crop production in Yunnan Province was higher than that in other regions. The average annual mean greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, soil acidification potential (AP), and water eutrophication potential (EP) of crop production from 2002 to 2021 were 837 kg CO2-eq·Mg−1, 15.7 kg SO2-eq·Mg−1, and 2.71 kg PO4-eq Mg−1, respectively. Environmental emissions from crops mainly originate from the application of agricultural inputs (including fertilisers (N, P, and K), pesticides, seed, diesel fuels, and plastic film) during the crop life cycle. There was a significant correlation between surplus nitrogen and environmental impacts. Scenario testing showed that optimised nutrient management practices could increase crop yield and reduce environmental costs. GHG emissions, AP, and EP from the production of rice, wheat, and maize are expected to decrease by 43.0–59.5%, 51.5–64.5%, and 57.4–71.5%, respectively (scenario 4, S4). Based on these findings, we propose that com-prehensive agricultural management measures can reduce the negative impacts of crop production on the environment in subtropical plateau areas and help achieve sustainable agricultural development.

Economic potential of industrial hemp in Oregon: An ex ante minimum‐data assessment

AbstractThis paper provides an ex ante evaluation of the economic potential of the emergent industrial hemp industry in Oregon, a state with conditions favorable to hemp cultivation. The analysis exploits available data to simulate the performance of hemp for fiber and oil in existing cropping systems. The study finds that profitability and adoption of hemp into existing crop production systems in Oregon could range widely, depending on key factors including hemp prices, costs of production, investments in production technology and supply chains, and policies affecting hemp production and utilization.

Unlocking horizontal and vertical cropping intensification potentials to address landlessness and food security challenges of rainfed crop production systems in Ethiopia: potential, performance, and gap assessment

Knowledge-based evidence about potential and existing rainfed cropping is crucial for decision-making for sustainable land use and food security. Using multi-criteria spatial analysis techniques, this study assessed the current status of cropland availability and projected impacts on future crop production in Ethiopia. The study primarily defined the extent of the Rainfed Cropping Area (RCA) and assessed the performances of different cropping practices. After precisely mapping cultivated area, cropping intensification potentials were estimated. Subsequently, disregarding the existing cultivated area, completely unsuitable areas, and protected and intact forest areas, the potentially available arable land using suitability analysis techniques was determined. In addition, the performance of existing crop production systems was evaluated against the natural potential. The findings reveal that RCA covers ~60% of the country’s landmass, of which cropping is practiced in only 33%. The coverage of Potentially Available Cropland (yet uncultivated) accounts for 16% of the country’s RCA. This is dominantly located in sparsely populated western and southwestern parts of the country. This study confirms that Horizontal Cropping Intensification (HCI) in the RCA of Ethiopia reaches only 33%. On the other hand, Vertical Cropping Intensification (VCI) practices cover only 10%, while about 1/3 of the RCA is suitable for VCI strategies at various levels of suitability. The performance of existing VCI-oriented cropping (which covers only 10% of the RCA) is very poor. Challenges to the use of the available cropland and ways of addressing land shortage for needy farmers are highlighted to inform efforts to readdress landlessness and food insecurity in Ethiopia.

Sustainable Land Use Formation Features on Agricultural Land in Kazakhstan

The research aims to analyse the state of agricultural land in the Republic of Kazakhstan with the classification of scientifically based factors affecting the sustainability of land use. This study considers the systems of agricultural land management, noted the pace of development, and forms relationships on land redistribution to increase sustainable land use. It has been established that 80% of the country’s territory consists of agricultural land, of which only 43% is used for its main purpose. The development of livestock and crop production system in conditions of severe drought in 2022 is assessed on the example of climatic conditions of Balkhash district of Almaty region. The practical significance of the work lies in the efficiency of agricultural production, considering all modern technological requirements and finding a dynamic balance between inputs and the corresponding increase in output.

Crop rotation and fungicides impact microbial biomass, diversity and enzyme activities in the wheat rhizosphere

Sustainable crop production systems should promote large and diverse soil microbial communities to enhance biological soil processes rather than depend solely on chemical interventions that include pesticide applications. Crop rotation increases above-ground temporal diversity which, relative to monoculture, usually increases soil microbial diversity. But comparisons between short and long crop rotations that also include pesticide effects are rare. A 5-yr (2013-2017) field study was conducted to investigate crop rotation and fungicide effects on the soil microbiome and activity. There were nine rotations, with or without fungicide applications, that included four 2-yr rotations (wheat preceded by canola, barley, pea, or flax), four 3-yr rotations where barley or canola were added to the 2-yr rotations, and one rotation where canola and wheat were stacked (canola-canola-wheat-wheat). In 2017, soil microbial biomass, composition, diversity and enzyme activities were measured in the rhizosphere of the final wheat crop in each rotation. Fungicides reduced fungal richness (the number of different fungal taxa) in the wheat rhizosphere (e.g., Chao1 indices of 64.0 vs. 79.9) especially in 2-yr rotations, but rotation length/type and the crops that preceded wheat had different effects on different taxa. Two of the three most predominant prokaryotic phyla, Proteobacteriota and Actinobacteriota, responded differently to rotation length: 3-yr rotations enriched the former (27.4% vs. 20.1% relative abundances), but 2-yr rotations enriched the latter (19.9% vs. 28.3% relative abundances). Relative to oilseed crops preceding the sampled wheat, a field pea preceding crop enriched Actinobacteriota (31.7% vs. 24.8% relative abundances) and the most abundant fungal class, Sordariomycetes (39.1% vs. 22.1% relative abundances), in addition to increasing microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and arylsulphatase activity by 33% and 57%, respectively. Correlations of the relative abundances of fungal or prokaryotic genera with β-glucosidase and arylsulphatase activities were similar (both positive or negative), but they were the opposite of correlations with acid phosphomonoesterase, suggesting a close link between C and S cycling. Besides the nutrient cycling implications of these soil microbial characteristics, there is need to study their biological disease control significance.

Assessing the impact of tillage practices and nutrient levels on the growth and productivity of Ethopian mustard (Brassica carinata L.) - soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) cropping system

BackgroundAn importance of tillage, inorganic and organic nutrient sources in the mustard - soybean cropping system lies in their ability to enhance soil fertility, improve nutrient availability, optimize crop growth and yield, and promote sustainable agricultural practices. Any cropping system’s sustainability could be increased by implementing better management techniques like zero and reduced tillage with residue retention and better nutrient sources.ResultsA field experiment was conducted for four consecutive seasons (Winter 2019 to Rainy 2021) to compare the two enhanced management practices, zero and reduced tillage to conventional tillage across four levels of nutrient sources: 75 and 100% recommended dose of nitrogen through FYM and 75 and 100% recommended dose of fertilizers through urea, single super phosphate and muriate of potash in a two years experiment. Experiment results were evaluated in terms of nutrient status, profitability and productivity of Mustard-Soybean cropping system. The results show a substantial improvement in yield, nutrient status, and overall yield performance of mustard and soybean when using the full recommended dose of fertilizers combined with reduced tillage and mulching, compared to other treatment methods. The implementation of reduced tillage practices recorded significantly higher yield of mustard and soybean over conventional and zero tillage.ConclusionSystem productivity and profitability i.e. mustard equivalent yield, productivity, gross returns, net returns, profitability and B: C (benefit: cost) was found to be improved with reduced tillage and 100% recommended dose of fertilizer under reduced tillage practices. To enhance cropping system productivity in various sub-humid regions worldwide, farmers can adopt reduced tillage techniques combined with the full recommended dose of fertilizers (100% RDF).

Deletion of ACC Deaminase in Symbionts Converts the Host Plant From Water Waster to Water Saver.

Increasing drought events coupled with dwindling water reserves threaten global food production and security. This issue is exacerbated by the use of crops that overconsume water, undermining yield. We show here that microorganisms naturally associated with plant roots can undermine efficient water use, whereas modified bacteria can enhance it. We demonstrate that microbe-encoded genes shape drought tolerance, likely by modulating plant hormonal balance. Specifically, we built a minimal holobiont out of Arabidopsis thaliana and either the bacterium Pseudomonas putida UW4 or its isogenic AcdS- mutant, lacking the enzyme ACC deaminase. This enzyme breaks down the precursor of ethylene, a key regulator in plant response to drought. This single mutation profoundly affected plant physiology and shifted the plant from a 'water-spender' (with more growth under well-watered conditions) to a 'water-spender' phenotype. Under drought, plants associated with wild-type bacteria consumed soil water faster, leading to a shorter period of growth followed by death. In contrast, plants associated with the AcdS- mutant managed to maintain growth by reducing water consumption via stomatal closure, thus conserving soil water. This allowed plants to survive severe water deficiency. We conclude that plant-associated bacteria can modulate plant water use strategies, opening possibilities to engineer water-savvy crop-production systems.

Spatiotemporal variation in grain production performance and efficiency of the cultivated landscapes in Upper Blue Nile Basin of Ethiopia: the impact of residual moisture-based farming on water and food security

Analysis of grain production performance can provide reference information to explore multiple cropping options and further improve the resource use efficiency of farming methods. This study investigated the spatiotemporal dynamics of grain production performance and efficiency of major crop production systems (CPS) in the Ethiopia’s Blue Nile Basin. The results show that only 39% of the basin is currently cultivated, although a significant cropland expansion (10%) was recorded between 1985 and 2020. The study identified 11 major CPS, mostly practiced in the basin. Of these, single cropping based on the main rainy season (Meher-Only) covers the largest area (26%), followed by Meher-Residual-Intermittent (12%) and Meher-Belg-Dependable (11%). Extended-Meher, Meher-Residual-Dependable, Meher-Residual-Intermittent, and Meher-Belg-Dependable are the four more powerful CPS with higher efficiency. Comparatively, CPS practiced in Wet-Woyna-Dega and Wet-Dega have better overall performance. Findings confirm that agricultural space management (land) and green-water (rainfall) utilization are the most influential factors, followed by land use planning and land use systems (CPS) invention. As landscape suitability for grain production governs future performance, in the low elevation and flood plains parts of the basin, the possibility of creating additional space into the food system is very high. In mountainous and high-altitude regions, the efficiency of grain production will decrease because incorporating additional arable land into the food system is trivial. In the last three decades, in BNB, only 10% of arable land (equivalent to 30 million quintals of food) has been added to the good system, which can support approximately 6 million people. Compared to the population growth of the basin (12 million 1985–2020), its contribution to the food system was less than 50%. This confirms that multiple cropping systems, such as Residual moisture-based CPS, have played a significant role in boosting the food system in the basin. Therefore, improving grain production performance/efficiency requires targeted investments, including the invention of more adaptable crop varieties, efficient cropping practices, and the introduction of advanced agricultural space and water management technologies. The results of the study will help identify important policy gaps and suggest possible options to enhance residual farming and other multiple cropping systems.

A Review of Tropical Root and Tuber Crops for Livelihood Security and Nutrition

Root and tuber crops (RTCs) are an essential source of food for many developing and underdeveloped countries, providing a substantial part of the world’s food supply. With the global population projected to reach 9.8 billion by 2050, the importance of RTCs is likely to increase. These crops are not only a cheap source of food and energy but also exhibit high biological efficiency and can withstand biotic and abiotic challenges. RTCs namely sweet potato, cassava, yams, and taro are rich in nutrients. The bioactive compounds present in these crops have been shown to have medicinal properties. The glutin free, and low glycemic indices of RTCs make them suitable foods for celiac and diabetic patients. These crops are able to grow under different climatic conditions and fit well with different cropping systems for year-round production and employment generation in lower economic populace. This review highlights the importance of RTCs as a sustainable food and industrial corps and their potential to alleviate malnutrition and improve public health.

Optimizing anaerobic soil disinfestation for high tunnel specialty crop production systems in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic region

Optimizing anaerobic soil disinfestation for high tunnel specialty crop production systems in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic region