Balanced nutrient management is critical for both long-term sustainability and productivity of farming systems.
Plant analyses such as dry matter (DM) and sap analysis are tools to identify nutrient imbalances at plant level. They can indicate nutritional challenges within the season, while fertilizer application is still effective. DM analysis reflects the total concentration of nutrients...
The changing global climate of more variable rainfall patterns and increasing temperatures is a severe threat to worldwide food security. There is need for adaptive technologies, agronomy, and crop varieties that will be capable of meeting and exceeding the projected demands of an increasing human population in the changing climate. An increase in average temperatures will result in crop...
Introduction
Weeds compete with crops for light, minerals and water, and weed-related yield losses will probably increase with climate change (drought, heat waves), under the influence of competitive weeds, in particular for increasingly scarcer water resources (Storkey et al., 2021). Thus, cropping systems must be redesigned to make weed management low-input and climate-resilient....
Introduction
In viticulture, addressing contemporary challenges such as the reduction of pesticide use, the agroecological transition, or the adaptation and mitigation to climate change effectively involves soil management practices, especially with the use of service crops (Abad et al., 2021a, 2021b). Service crops are grown to provide provisioning, regulation and maintenance, and...
The recognized impacts of phytosanitary products on human and ecosystems health call for a deep modification of cropping systems. In Brittany, cropping systems are mainly aimed at providing animal feed. If the breeding of ruminants allows the valorization of fodder and therefore the presence of perennial crops in rotations, this is not the case with the breeding of monogastric animals. In...
Agrobiodiversity, as both the spontaneous and the deliberately introduced biodiversity found in cultivated fields, fosters a number of ecological services (Rafflegeau et al., 2023). The understanding of the linkages between agrobiodiversity and these services is a driver of agricultural management strategies. The agroecosystems can be designed through biodiversification in space and time, and...
1. Introduction
Climate change and the overloaded nitrogen (N) cycle are among the greatest challenges in agriculture (Rockström et al., 2009). Therefore, crop production must increasingly focus on environmental and climate impacts. Legume-based cropping systems are known to be particularly environmentally friendly and have several benefits for farmers and the environment (Zander et al.,...
Introduction
Spring crops and especially grain legumes are expected to be vulnerable to increasing drought due to climate change in Europe (Nendel et al., 2023). The magnitude of climatic changes on yield variability remain unclear, particularly under different exposure periods during plant growth stages. For this purpose, we carried out an experiment to simulate the effect of drought using...
In Mediterranean areas, irrigated maize systems are based on winter bare soil periods and synthetic N fertilizer is split in a maximum of three applications leading to a low nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). Spain is one of the largest pig producers worldwide, which leads to an important availability of organic sources. Therefore, application of organic fertilizers is usual in cereals. Moreover,...
In conventional cropping systems (CS) of Southwest France based on short-term rotation of durum wheat - sunflower, a long bare soil period occurs (Bonnet et al., 2021). These CS strongly depend on chemical fertilizers and pesticides, leading to environmental contamination. For the transitioning to agroecological CS needs novel agronomic integrative strategies such as crop diversification,...
1 - Introduction
Face with climate change and biodiversity crisis, it is essential to move towards more sustainable agricultural systems that produce while limiting impacts on the environment. Nature based-solutions enhancing the multifunctionality of agricultural systems are promising but challenging. For example, pest control, can be based on prey-predator relationships by promoting crop...
1. Introduction
In the context of a global biodiversity crisis, biodiversity in agroecosystems has been shown to be particularly affected by the intensification of agricultural practices. As agricultural land accounts for 39 % of land use in Europe, farmers are key actors in biodiversity conservation initiatives. Local initiatives have already proven beneficial, showcasing the potential...
Soil compaction is a significant challenge impacting crop production, with 36% of European soil having high or very high susceptibility to compaction (Van Camp et al. 2010). Compaction in the topsoil (c. 0-0.4 m) is often caused by the increasing weight of agricultural machinery and poor tillage practices, including the management of soil in the wrong conditions. Deeper in the soil profile...
Introduction
The development of anaerobic digestion plants associated to agricultural farming systems allow biogas production that benefits farmers and society but raises questions on impacts and ecosystem services provision generated by this development. In literature, many studies have focused on digestate application and fertilising value, in experimental trials; most of them are...
Agro-ecosystem models can be useful to assess a wide range of spatial and temporal diversification strategies, as they are able to capture the crops interactions with heterogeneous soil and environment. The models can support the design of diversified field arrangements with limited experimental efforts. However, a prerequisite for their ability to capture these heterogeneities is the adequate...
Understanding agricultural processes and their interaction with the environment is essential to improve agricultural practices in regards to climatic changes. In particular the management of soil water needs to be optimized to improve the crop resilience against extreme weather events and to obtain stable yield levels (Gaona et al., 2022). The most fertile soils in Germany occur in areas with...
Introduction
Recent data indicates a significant increase of mean air temperature and a higher heat waves’
frequency (IPCC, 2021), which lead to detrimental effects on crop yield and products quality.
Consequently, it becomes a necessity to produce thermotolerant cultivars which implies to decipher
the mechanisms underlying heat stress tolerance. Moreover, it is proved that a first...
Agriculture accounts for around 14% of global greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions. Field crops, mainly cereals, cover around 520,000 ha, out of a total of 828,000 agricultural ha in Catalonia, NE Spain. Their productivity is based on management practices that involve low crop diversity, long periods of bare soil exposed to degradation, and the use of large amounts of nitrogen fertilizers, leading...
Germany aims to become climate-neutral by 2045. The German government set this target in the amended Federal Climate Change Act of 2021. On this path, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions must be reduced by 65% by 2030 compared to 1990. This requires special efforts in the agricultural sector, which is currently responsible for around 8% of total GHG emissions in Germany.
The agricultural sector...
Farming systems are both impacted and responsible of climate change, due to a major cause of greenhouse gas emission and consequences on farmers’ productions. In response to these challenges, innovative farming systems based on agroecological principles emerged. Their development transform specialised and input dependent farming systems. Agroecological transformations have not been documented...
1. Introduction
Understanding the pesticide uses across a region is crucial for evaluating environmental policy effectiveness, guiding environmental monitoring, and implementing targeted actions (Martin et al., 2023). However, when detailed on-the-ground data on phytosanitary practices and pollutant measurements are scarce or unavailable, the use of appropriate indicators with suitable...
Introduction: Thinopyrum intermedium (Th. int.) accessions are currently under breeding for better grain productivity (Bajgain et al., 2022). Their introduction into the fields aims at diversifying cropping systems by proposing a crop enabling grain production while ensuring a range of services typically offered by perennial forages, namely fodder production and soil and nutrient...
Many nutrient management policy combinations have been implemented to reduce the influx of agricultural nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) into watersheds in China and elsewhere. These policy combinations not only consist of measures that directly control nutrient input but also comprise other conservation measures, such as crop selection regulations. However, the combined and separate impacts of...
Introduction: Diversified and legume based crop rotations, particularly when including catch and cover crops, can increment soil organic matter (SOM) and nitrogen (SON) stocks, capture excess nitrogen after harvest of main crops, and biologically fix N2 from the atmosphere. Thus, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions can potentially be minimised by capturing additional CO2 and by reducing the demand...
- Introduction
Future crop production depends on plant plasticity to the increase in atmospheric CO2 concomitant to an increase in mean temperatures as well as more frequent and intense events of heat waves and droughts (Zscheischler et al., 2018; Wang et al., 2023). Thus, it is necessary to better understand the effects of these different climatic variables and their interactions on...
Crop yields are determined by the selected genotypes (G), the applied crop management (M) and the environmental conditions (E) the crop is exposed to, i.e., especially the local soil and seasonal weather conditions. After decades of continuous yield increases in European and German crop production systems, a plateauing of on-farm crop yields is reported in several studies for different regions...
Introduction. At the landscape scale, agricultural intensification resulting from the loss of semi-natural habitats, reduction in land-cover diversity and increase in field size is a major threat to biodiversity and the delivery of ecosystem services (1, 2). In addition, climate change has an increasing role in the decline of biodiversity (3–5) and is posing a growing threat to agriculture and...
Introduction
Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) is a summer crop rainfed in Mediterranean areas for its rusticity and drought tolerance. Hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth) is often used as a winter cover crop before cereal cultivation to control weeds, increase soil nitrogen availability, and protect soil and water. Sorghum can also be cultivated with poplar in narrow alleys in...
Abstract
Agriculture faces significant challenges as there is the need to produce more products reducing costs and maintaining sustainability. One of the approaches that can be followed is the inclusion of intercropping systems which can maximize yields by making more efficient use the environmental resources, increasing agricultural income and enhancing agroecosystem biodiversity. The aim of...
Introduction
Growing different crops in a repeating sequence on the same field - frequently referred to as crop rotation - has various benefits over monoculture. These include improved control of weeds and soil-borne pests and diseases, enhanced resource use efficiency, and an increase in crop yield overall. Agronomic theory behind crop rotational planning is well-established, and...
Food security has become a focal point for global efforts in the era of climate change. As crop’s droughts exposure intensifies through climate change, scientists have focused on developing both predictive models and plant genetic solutions to address this threat on food security.
Our investigation, based on over 130,000 scientific abstracts from Elsevier's Scopus database, highlights the...
Introduction
A good management of nutrients in agriculture is crucial for adequate plant growth and development, but a major problem is low nutritional efficiency. A large amount of the nutrients, especially nitrogen, is lost into the atmosphere or enters ground- and surface waters unused causing major harm to ecosystems. Many farms in Germany and generally in Europe raise live-stock or...
- Introduction
To halt the loss of biodiversity in agricultural landscapes, the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy promotes the implementation of practices that benefit the climate and the environment - various non-productive activities. One of them is the flowering plant margins on field edges. Multifunctionality of flower margins is very different depending on landscape...
- Introduction
Iron is an essential micronutrient for plants with a very important role in their metabolism. 80-90% of Fe is located in chloroplasts. Therefore, any imbalance in foliar Fe homeostasis will affect chlorophyll synthesis and the photosynthetic apparatus [1]. However, excess Fe can cause phytotoxicity, especially in waterlogged soils, through the generation of reactive oxygen...
Introduction:
Success of agricultural operations largely depends on field conditions. A day is considered available if conditions are favourable for both soil preservation and operation success, i.e. if the soil is workable and trafficable and weather conditions appropriated. Predicting available days is thus of prime interest to ensure both soil structure preservation and...
Agricultural soils are a primary source of anthropogenic $\text{N}_{2}\text{O}$, a potent greenhouse gas (GHG). It is emitted from the cultivation of crops, especially those with low nitrogen (N) use efficiency such as winter oilseed rape (WOSR) wherein high amounts of N fertilizer are added to soils to ensure high crop productivity. WOSR is an important crop cultivated for fuel, food and...
Sugarcane cultivation is vital to Réunion Island's agricultural economy, but growers face challenges like labor scarcity and rising costs. Utilizing sugarcane straw for weed control and soil fertilization offers a potential solution. This study examines grower practices in response to agronomic, environmental, and socio-economic dynamics. Through interviews with 128 growers, factors...
Grain legume production in Europe remains low, despite their numerous benefits. On average, they occupy less than 2% of European acreage. For instance, soybean, a highly valued grain legume, accounts for a small proportion of total arable land in Central Europe, despite its potential. Commercial inoculants are commonly used to inoculate field-grown soybeans in Europe. However, nodulation...
Introduction
The contribution of healthy soils to One Health has been a widely researched topic lately and is theoretically already demonstrated (Banerjee and van der Heijden, 2023; van Bruggen et al., 2019). Acknowledging the extent of agricultural soil degradation, a radical shift to sustainable soil management (SSM) is needed to regenerate soils and move toward healthier soils at...
1. Introduction
Frost and heat events affect plant development, growth, and yield, adding pressure to global food security and leading to economic loss depending on their timing, severity, and duration. Climate change projections and optimal pairing of variety and sowing dates to minimise the combined risk of drought, heat and frost stress are prime examples of applications that need models...
INTRODUCTION: Agricultural diversification was highlighted as one of the most promising strategies to achieve sustainable transformation. Diversification of crops in space and time is claimed to enhance ecosystem services and to maintain biodiversity, but also increases labor and time to manage those cropping systems. Therefore, autonomous agricultural robots could play a major role to...
- Introduction
Pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) is the untimely germination of the seed while intact to the plant at or before harvesting occurring in a multitude of crops including wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The incidence of PHS is influenced by the conditions of rainfall, temperature, and humidity as well as a lack of genetic dormancy, a quantitative genetic trait, during these conditions....
In 2021, the agricultural sector accounted for 18.4 % of French GHG emissions in which 29 % was associated with crop fertilization (Citepa, 2023). Consequently, the reduction of synthetic fertilizers is a key element to lower agricultural emissions.
In south-western France, durum wheat (Triticum durum) is an important crop both in terms of area and contribution to the economic performance of...
Research on forage production to secure livestock feed is essential to face the challenges posed by global change. An overlooked aspect of climate change is how repeated heatwaves impact forage production (Breshears et al., 2021). Likewise, the role of species diversity and Sulphur (S) availability in mitigating their effects is poorly understood. Soil S availability has significantly...
1. Introduction
The olive is the main tree crop in regions with Mediterranean climate, being cultivated on extensive areas in most countries of Southern Europe. Olive leaf spot, caused by the fungus Venturia oleaginea, represents one of the most important foliar diseases for the olive tree crop worldwide. Dispersal of the fungus occurs mainly through spores of the pathogen that are...
- Introduction
PRESENCE project (imPRovE SErvices of boviNe livestoCk in tErritories) is based on the observation that cattle farming (milk and meat), a key sector for Pays-de-la-Loire region’s economy (western France), is currently experiencing a decline, particularly in areas where the density of farms is lower (Ben Arfa et al. 2009). In addition, in the wake of milk quota suppression and...
Abstract: The green manure provides environmental benefits, mainly related to improved soil properties and increased flora and fauna diversity. Incorporated plant biomass with green manure crops aims to replace the insufficient application of livestock manure, increase soil organic matter content, and provide mineral nitrogen (N) for main cash crops in the crop rotation. This study aims to...
Exotic weeds have invaded into agroecosystem including crop fields and field margin area, causing various damages including losses in crop yield and vegetation diversity. We conducted a three-years field study to evaluate the impacts of exotic weeds on vegetation in field margin area and soybean yield. Exotic weed species invaded into soybean field such as velvetleaf, speen amarath, and common...
While agronomists traditionally consider the level of organization of the plot or the farm in their approaches, the consideration of a higher level of organization such as the territory has been continually advocated for 20 years (Boiffin 2004). Indeed, agriculture is facing challenges such as environmental issues (climate change, natural resource management, biodiversity preservation) or...
Introduction
Irrigation is a practice facing increasingly strong constraints, whether due to climatic reasons (extreme climatic demand, rainfall deficit...) or technical reasons (equipment park, instantaneous flow rates).
The operational management of irrigation is carried out by the agricultural world through modeling tools (water balances) or soil water monitoring probes. It is mainly done...
Grasslands are an important component of land use in Europe, and the differ considerably in species composition, yield potential and management. Typical use cases include grazing with animals and mowing for haymaking, but mixed use and other forms of use also exist. Wet grasslands have recently come into focus, as many of them have been drained in the past to prolong the production season and...
Introduction
Sustainable cropping systems are deemed multifunctional, i.e., supplying sufficient agricultural products while maximizing eco-environmental and socio-economic benefits. Researchers have made considerable efforts to develop cropping systems towards multi-attribute sustainability either by diversifying crop rotations (Liang et al., 2023) or ameliorating management practices...
Introduction
Since the 2000’s, innovative cropping systems have been designed and tested at INRAE in "system experiments", with the constraint of drastically limiting or even eliminating the use of pesticides. To this end, these systems are based on the principles of agroecology, mobilizing - in conjunction with a variety of cropping techniques - the services provided by increased biological...
Abstract: Intercropping is a cropping system that enables maximizing the utilization of limited agricultural land by effectively using resources, soil, water, and solar energy. Growing two or more crops in the same field through intercropping was efficiently used for forage production in Serbia for decades (Mikić et al, 2015). Legume-cereal mixtures are efficient in terms of inputs, especially...
Introduction
Weeds represent a major global constraint to crop production, leading to ~10% yield losses annually, across crops and regions (Oerke, 2006). Vulpia myuros (rattail fescue) is an annual grass species with an almost worldwide presence. In recent years, V. myuros has been increasingly observed as a weed in arable crops in Europe and northern America, in particular in crops under...
Agriculture stands as a fundamental pillar of human sustenance, meeting the growing global demand for food, feed and fiber. Within this context, the use of fertilizers, especially nitrogen (N) based, has been pivotal in enhancing crop productivity. However, excess usage of nitrogen not only leads to economic losses but also has negative environmental consequences, such as the emission of...
Drought is one of the major abiotic stresses affecting crops. Traditional breeding and genetic approach are applied to mitigate the effects of the drought. However, crop tolerance to abiotic stresses involves quantitative traits and many genes, therefore the plant adaptation to stresses should be improved by various sustainable strategies (Ali et al., 2022). Sustainability in agriculture...
Legumes have the capacity to produce protein-rich seeds for food and feed, and thus play an important role in promoting resource-efficient agriculture, and sustainable and healthy diets. However, protein-rich grain legumes, such as pea, faba bean and lupin, which can fix the nitrogen from atmosphere, account for only 2 to 3% of cultivated land in Europe. In France in particular, investments in...
1.Introduction
Agriculture in France is subject to numerous constraints, notably increasing meteorological risks in recent years due to climate change. Faced with natural disasters and pressure from bio-aggressors, farmers in both conventional and organic production are confronted with a multitude of risk factors leading to variability in their agricultural yields (Arora 2019; Malhi et al.,...
Introduction
To achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, development of a bioeconomy, in which the production and processing of foods and non-food products is balanced with the conservation of natural resources, is a key target of public policies (Wohlfahrt et al., 2019). Regional approaches that combine diverse strategies, including agroecological systems, optimised resource use, collective...
Soil structural stability is a key indicator of soil health, particularly its resistance to erosion caused by wind and rain. It is assessed by studying aggregate stability, which depends on various physical, chemical, and biological factors, whether internal (specific to the soil) or external (dependent on climate and land use). Among these factors, it is widely recognized that soil organisms,...
- Introduction
Global warming is a pressing issue for all countries and especially their primary producers. The carbon (C) farming industry is an integral part of Europe’s and Australia’s transition to address the threat of global warming.
Prior to designing C farming projects, proponents, policy makers and government agencies need to identify where it is most effective to invest to...
Introduction
In the near future, we will (hopefully) live in a de-carbonised economy and CO2-neutral produced nitrogen (N) fertiliser from green ammonia will likely be standard in conventional agriculture. The use of such sustainable produced mineral N fertiliser products could become an option in organic farming within strictly limited and regulated rates for applications only in early...
Vegetation management in railway networks is a multifaceted challenge, dealing with numerous risks and considerations. The unchecked vegetation growth along railway tracks poses various hazards, from obstructing access paths and hindering visibility to creating operational hazards such as fire risks and track destabilization (Pietras-Couffignal 2021; Braschi 2016; UIC 2003). Historically, the...
1. Introduction
Among climate change’s features, the recurrence of spring heat waves has become a growing threat to winter crops that complete their reproductive phase over the spring and early summer period (IPCC, 2021) such as winter oilseed rape (WOSR). Modelling approaches to predict and to help anticipating risks of heat stress over crop sensitive stages (e.g. using early or late...
Introduction
Subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.) is a valuable component of regenerative agricultural systems. This legume naturally regenerates from seeds set in previous seasons, which eliminates the need for re-sowing because it maintains a seed bank of ‘hard’ seeds. Some of these remain dormant for germination in later years. The ability to avoid drought by producing...
Soils account for the largest reservoir of terrestrial organic carbon1. However, soil organic carbon (SOC) losses associated with cropland cultivation are substantial2,3 and expected to increase with global warming4,5. Major implications of SOC losses include the exacerbation of climate change (as CO2 is released to the atmosphere) and the decline of soil health6. To circumvent these losses,...
1.Introduction
A 39-year field experiment has been conducted continuously since 1984 in Germany, to evaluate the effects of a combined supply of organic and mineral nitrogen on the biomass of two different selected cover crops.
2.Materials, Methods
The field experiment is located at the experimental Station Berlin-Dahlem (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany). The site has the...
Effective foliar disease management in barley (Hordeum vulgare) is crucial for ensuring high crop yields and meeting quality standards demanded by maltsters. However, the extensive use of fungicides in cereal crop production, particularly in the Western Cape Province of South Africa, raises concerns regarding its impact on yield, quality, and potential development of resistance. This study...
- Faced with the looming threat of climate change and the spread of the Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus, the sustainability of cocoa cultivation in Côte d’Ivoire is at stake. In this context, agroforestry emerges as a beacon of hope for sustainable cocoa production. However, the quest for optimal shading in these agroforestry systems remains a major challenge. This study aims to unveil the secrets...
Abstract
Introduction:
This study evaluates the variability in the carbon footprint of winter wheat production in Germany, with a focus on nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. It aims to identify significant contributors to emissions variability and suggest improvements in estimation methods.
Materials and Methods:
Employing "Value for Cultivation and Use" trials, we analyzed the impacts of...
INTRODUCTION
Process-based crop models are excellent tools for quantifying the effects of management, genetics, soil and weather on growth, development, and yields (Addiscott and Wagenet, 1985). Oliveira et al. (2023) initiated the adaptation of the CSM-CERES-Maize model of software platform Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) (Hoogenboom et al., 2019) for forage maize...
1. Introduction
The increase in both the frequency and severity of drought occurrences poses a significant threat to the stability of crop yields and the quality of grains. Accurate yield prediction is crucial to mitigate the impact of climate change and optimize yield production. Early yield prediction during the growing season is critical for accurately informed decision-making...
Food production globally relies on monocultures of annual crop species, which require replanting every year and external inputs, causing soil erosion, climate change, water pollution, and biodiversity loss, and are vulnerable to climate extremes like drought. Perennials provide continuous soil cover and roots, which fix carbon, protect soil health, retain nutrients, reduce inputs, and are more...
Introduction. To reduce herbicide use, different avenues of biological weed regulation are currently investigated. Among these, weed seed predation by carabid beetles appears promising. Though observed in different cropping systems and conditions in fields, there has been to date no demonstration that this process actually influences weed dynamics over time and reduces weed harmfulness for...
As the first fruit produced on the island, the 'Queen Victoria' pineapple (Ananas comosus [L.] Merr.) holds an important role in the economy of Réunion Island. However, to reduce pest damage and ensure profitable production, pineapple crop remains largely intensive, relying heavily on synthetic inputs. Weeds are one of the most significant biotic constraints for pineapple producers, which...
Introduction.
In France, numerous public policies and private schemes have been implemented to support the development of agricultural systems that are less dependent on chemical inputs, and rely on landscape restructuring to preserve the environment and biodiversity. These policies have led to changes in cropping and livestock systems that can be assessed at territorial level.
Previous...
Introduction
Heat waves (characterized by consecutive days of exceptionally high maximum temperatures) will be more frequent and may adversely impact on both grain number per m2 (GN) and average grain weight (AGW). Wheat genotypes may vary in their response to heat waves, exhibiting differences in the significance of each component in determining yield and in their tolerance to heat...
Introduction
Barley (Hordeum vulgare L) is one of the world's primary cereal crops, and it ranks second in Europe after bread wheat (Triticum aestivum). In Germany, spring and winter barley account for 1.9 million hectares, whereas winter wheat covers 3 million hectares. Assessing yield gaps in agricultural crops is crucial for optimizing production and ensuring food security (Guilpart et...
