Cropping Systems In Regions Research Articles

Effects of Mineral and Organic Fertilization on Forage Maize Yield, Soil Carbon Balance, and NPK Budgets, Under Rainfed Conditions in the Azores Islands (Portugal)

Green organic fertilizers can be a valuable option to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers, improve the physical and chemical properties of soil, and promote circular agriculture. The effects of two fertilization schemes, (i) a combination of mineral fertilizers with dairy farm slurry (TA) and (ii) an organic substrate (SO) from green waste (TB), on soil fertility and forage maize (Zea mays L.) yield were studied in an on-farm trial in the Azores Island of S. Miguel (Portugal). For this purpose, soil chemical parameters were evaluated on three sampling dates, forage maize yield and yield components were compared, and the balances of soil carbon (SC), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) were evaluated. The results showed that the maize yield obtained in TB was significantly higher than in TA. The differences in precipitation that occurred over the two years influenced the yield in both treatments. The SC, available P, and pH were significantly higher in TB at every sampling date, mainly in the subsurface layer, and overall enrichment in nitrogen was observed. Despite the need to extend this evaluation over a longer period, the results indicate that the application of SO could be an alternative to conventional mineral fertilization in forage maize in the Azores and in similar cropping systems in regions of temperate insular nature.

Can Agricultural Production Services Influence Smallholders’ Willingness to Adjust Their Agriculture Production Modes? Evidence from Rural China

The transformation of agricultural production modes is an inevitable trend in China’s agricultural development. It is important to study the willingness of smallholder farmers to adjust their agricultural production modes to promote the transformation of China’s agricultural production modes. Agricultural production services are an effective way to realize the organic linkage between smallholder farmers and modern agriculture. To analyze the impact of agricultural production services on smallholder farmers’ willingness to adjust their agricultural production modes, this study uses data from a thematic study of 590 smallholder farmers in the Huang–Huai–Hai regions in 2022 to measure the extent of smallholder farmers’ full-cycle adoption of agricultural production services from the perspective of regional cropping systems for the first time and analyzes the impact of agricultural production services on farmers’ willingness to adjust their agricultural production modes. The study results show that the extent of full-cycle adoption of agricultural production services significantly affects farmers’ willingness to adjust their agricultural production modes. For each unit increase in the extent of full-cycle adoption of agricultural production services in line with the regional cropping system, the probability of farmers choosing “farmland transfer” and “agricultural production trusteeship” becomes 11.31 and 7.24 times higher than that of choosing “self-growing”, respectively. Based on the research results, this paper proposes the following countermeasures: first, we should pay more attention to the supply and demand of agricultural production services, especially to support the key weak links in developing agricultural production services for the process of grain production. Second, we should undertake more active and effective publicity measures to make full use of expressions that are acceptable to farmers to improve their understanding of productive agricultural services further and enhance their willingness to adopt productive agricultural services.

A Multi-Site Evaluation of Winter Hardiness in Indigenous Alfalfa Cultivars in Northern China

Integration of perennial grass species into the current food production systems, especially in the agropastoral regions worldwide, may produce multiple benefits including, among others, a more stable productivity and a smaller eco-environmental footprint. However, one of the fundamental challenges facing the large-scale adoption of such grass species is their ability to withstand the vagaries of winter in these regions. Here, we present a comprehensive evaluation of the winter hardiness of 50 indigenous Chinese cultivars of alfalfa, a high-quality leguminous perennial grass, in comparison with six introduced U.S. cultivars in a multi-site field experiment in northern China. Our results reveal that indigenous cultivars have stronger winter hardiness than introduced cultivars. Cultivars native in the north performed better than southern cultivars, suggesting that suitability evaluation is an unavoidable step proceeding any regional implementations. Our results also show that the metric we used to assess alfalfa’s winter hardiness, the average score index (ASI), produced more consistent results than another more-widely used metric of winter survival rate (WSR). These findings offer a systematic field evidence that supports regional cropping system adjustment and production system betterment to ensure food security under climate change in the region and beyond.

Assessment of photosynthetic productivity of new perennial forage crops in forest-steppe conditions of Western Siberia

The article presents the results of six years of experience in comparative evaluation of perennial forage crops (Sida hermaphrodita Rusby., Silphium perfoliatum L., Polygonum divaricatun L., Polygonum weyrichii Fr. Schmidt, Helianthus tuberosus L., Rhaponticum carthamoides (Willd.), Symphytum asperum Lep., Urtica dioica L., Isatis tinctoria L., Rumex tianschanicus L. × Rumex patientia L.) on parameters of photosynthetic activity and dry matter yield in the forest-steppe conditions of Western Siberia. These crops are characterized by environmental plasticity, longevity (up to 25 years), high productivity (30-100 t/ha of green mass). And they have a versatile economic use. The experiment’s purpose is to assess the potential of crop cultivation and recommend species for inclusion in the regional cropping system. It was found that the largest area indicators of the assimilable apparatus (131.4-149.3 thousand m2 / ha) and photosynthetic potential (4.5–4.6 million m2 day/ha) were in S. hermaphrodita and S. perfoliatum crops, which exceeded the maize values by 1.2–2.4 times. A significant increase in leaf area in these crops contributed to a 23% decrease in net photosynthesis productivity compared to maize. By collecting dry matter for two mowings, these crops surpassed maize by 65-85% with a relatively high indicator of EER PAR (1.2 - 1.4%).

Meta-modelling of the impacts of regional cropping system scenarios for phoma stem canker control

In agricultural landscapes, pest and disease control mainly rely on cropping system characteristics and location. We have combined a participatory approach and a spatially-explicit model, to design and assess cropping system scenarios for future contextual changes in the small region of Picardie, France. Phoma stem canker of winter oilseed rape (WOSR), a widespread disease responsible for major economic losses, was used as a case study to investigate the effects of modifying cropping systems, at a regional scale, on disease controlling and on the sustainability of a newly introduced specific resistance gene (RlmX). Meta-models were fitted to assess the effects of cropping practices and weather conditions included in scenarios on three complementary model outputs: size of the pathogen population, yield loss, and fraction of the virulent population on RlmX-cultivars. We ran three replicates of each cropping practice scenario, varying the location of WOSR and associated cropping characteristics within the region. Outputs differed slightly between replicates, but there were no significant differences between replicates (alpha=0.001) for each output. The size of the pathogen population was well explained by winter oilseed rape acreages, cultivar landscape composition and tillage, and the yield loss was explained by weather conditions and cultivars. The fraction of the virulent population on RlmX-cultivars was explained primarily by cultivar landscape composition. These differences in explanatory variables for the different outputs highlighted their complementarity. Cropping practices and weather impacts on the three variables remained consistent among the explored possible future contexts. Highlighting the most efficient cropping practices to be applied in the event of different future changes could help local decision-makers to design cropping practices in the face of contextual change.

Spatial dynamics of Helicoverpa populations in Australia: simulation modelling and empirical studies of adult movement

Two species of Helicoverpa (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) are major pests of agricultural crops in Australia. The population ecology of these insects is dominated by their wide host range and the mobility of adults. In an effort to improve Helicoverpa management in high value crops such as cotton, a comprehensive population dynamics model (HEAPS — HElicoverpa Armigera and Punctigera Simulation) has been developed which incorporates the spatial structure of the habitat and pest population and explicity simulates adult movement within a regional cropping system. HEAPS includes modules for the spatial representation of the region, moth movement, oviposition, pest and crop development and pest mortality. The structure and current state of development of the model is described. A key aspect of the model is moth movement. Empirical studies to quantify aspects of adult behaviour and to provide parameters for HEAPS have included mark-recapture experiments in which natural, high density populations have been artificially labelled with strontium as larvae and then recaptured as adults in a widespread network of pheromone traps. The results of one such experiment are presented to highlight differences in the mobility of the two species of Helicoverpa and indicate the difficulties inherent in validation of the movement routines of the model.