Farming System最新文献

{"title":"Productivity drivers of winter crop production in Australia: Examining both long-run and short-run impacts","authors":"Jaba Sarker ,&nbsp;John Rolfe ,&nbsp;Monira Parvin Moon ,&nbsp;Farhana Arefeen Mila ,&nbsp;Siddhartha Shankar Roy ,&nbsp;Delwar Akbar","doi":"10.1016/j.farsys.2025.100164","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.farsys.2025.100164","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>With the escalating impacts of climate change and growing climate variability, winter crop productivity in Australia faces substantial challenges, raising important concerns for food security and the sustainability of agricultural systems. This study addresses this challenge by analyzing how climatic and non-climatic factors have influenced winter crop yields in New South Wales from 1989 to 2023 using the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) approach. Employing the Johansen and Juselius Cointegration (JJC) approach, we established the presence of long-run (persistent and structural changes over time) cointegration among the variables under investigation. Our findings reveal that rising levels of seasonal maximum temperature, rainfall, vapor pressure, and CO₂ concentrations bolster long-run crop productivity, while increasing minimum temperatures and solar radiation pose risks. However, non-climatic factors such as farm debt negatively affect crop productivity. Importantly, the varying short-run (immediate responses to changes in variables) effects underline the complexity of interactions between the crop yield and productivity drivers. These findings highlight the importance of implementing targeted agricultural practices that promote resilient and sustainable winter crop production in NSW in light of changing climate realities. Further research is also required to determine the influence of elevated CO₂ in winter crop plants at different growth stages, as CO₂ concentrations increase the winter crop production in this study.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100522,"journal":{"name":"Farming System","volume":"3 4","pages":"Article 100164"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144595479","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Biophysical and farm management drivers of soil fertility under African Leafy Vegetable production small-scale systems in Kenya","authors":"Enos Onyuka ,&nbsp;Godfrey Nambafu ,&nbsp;Darius Andika ,&nbsp;Samwel Mwonga ,&nbsp;Joseph Gweyi -Onyango ,&nbsp;Harun Gitari ,&nbsp;Franklin S. Mairura","doi":"10.1016/j.farsys.2025.100157","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.farsys.2025.100157","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>While several studies have examined soil fertility management systems under key food and cash crops in the Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region, there is a knowledge gap on soil fertility management under African Leafy Vegetables (ALV) small-holder farming practices particularly in Kenya. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of agronomic management and socio-economic factors on soil chemical fertility in the major ALV production zones in Kenya. Farm surveys were used to gather socio-economic data, while soil sampling was undertaken in all fields to collect soil chemical data. The findings indicated that Kisii County was characterized by higher proportions of wealthy and more educated farmers, with higher frequencies of input applications relative to Kakamega County. The soil pH was highest in Kenyenya, followed by Gucha, Butere, Mumias, and Khwisero. Gucha and Kenyenya had significantly the highest record of soil carbon concentrations of 3.2 and 3.1 %, respectively compared to other sites, such as Butere (2.0 %) and Khwisero (1.8 %), which had similar soil carbon concentrations, with Khwisero having the least (1.5 %) soil C. The highest mean Zn concentration was recorded in Gucha (6.5 mg kg⁻¹), followed by Kenyenya (6.4), Mumias (4.3), Butere (3.1) and Khwisero (3.0). The study showed that soil fertility under ALV farms in western Kenya was influenced by socio-economic factors and agronomic management factors. In general, the soil fertility status in Kisii County was better, compared to Kakamega County. Soil carbon was significantly influenced by site, soil texture, plot distance, fertilizer sources, and organic and inorganic fertilizer application frequencies. Gucha and Kenyenya Sub-Counties had higher SOC levels, averaging at 1.2 and 1.1 % higher, vis-a-vis Butere Sub-County, while Mumias and Khwisero Sub-Counties had lower average SOC levels in contrast to Butere Sub-County. Site differences can differentiate soil nutrient distribution due to inherent differences in soil characteristics and indirect effects arising from localized soil management practices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100522,"journal":{"name":"Farming System","volume":"3 4","pages":"Article 100157"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144704280","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"How do farmers value organic fertilisers? An exploratory study on conventional and innovative products","authors":"Marco Medici ,&nbsp;Massimiliano Calvia ,&nbsp;Nicolas Greggio ,&nbsp;Alessandro Buscaroli ,&nbsp;Diego Marazza ,&nbsp;Maurizio Canavari","doi":"10.1016/j.farsys.2025.100156","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.farsys.2025.100156","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Current trends in the adoption of agricultural innovations aimed at replacing mineral fertilisers with organic fertilisers such as biochar and biochar-compost blends made from various organic wastes have recently been recognised as an important innovation to restore and improve soil fertility and mitigate environmental impacts while implementing the circular economy. A survey was designed to capture socio-economic characteristics and attitudes of farmers towards the use of organic fertilisers. Attitudinal data from 176 farmers were analysed using exploratory principal component analysis (PCA) to identify the components associated with their acceptance. Subsequently, the components and socio-economic data were used to delineate clusters of farmers that were matched with the willingness-to-pay (WTP) for a novel organic fertiliser, a biochar-compost blend. WTP was tasted using a dichotomous choice contingent valuation within the range of €1–300 per tonne. A positive WTP for BCmix was expressed by 63.1 % of farmers, with average preferred application rates exceeding 11 t/ha. Five main farmer clusters with different attitudes and appreciation levels for organic fertilisers were identified -<em>The Neutral, The Unready, The Opposed, The Sceptic,</em> and <em>The Engaged</em>-highlighting a range of attitudes and appreciation levels towards organic fertilisers. Interestingly, clusters with a neutral stance towards organic fertilisers showed significantly higher WTP than clusters more actively committed to sustainability, such as <em>The Engaged</em>, a finding that contrasts with prior studies where environmentally committed farmers typically show greater adoption willingness. The study's insights support targeted market segmentation and inform policy and communication strategies to promote the early adoption of organic fertilisers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100522,"journal":{"name":"Farming System","volume":"3 3","pages":"Article 100156"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144296787","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Management strategies to optimize peanut yields in Argentina under restrictive environmental conditions","authors":"Ricardo Javier Haro ,&nbsp;Gustavo Ovando","doi":"10.1016/j.farsys.2025.100155","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.farsys.2025.100155","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Peanut production in Argentina is predominantly rainfed, with considerable variability in rainfall patterns within and between seasons. This variability results in droughts of varying duration and severity, which can significantly reduce yields. Water availability is, therefore, a critical factor in determining the optimal sowing date. The objectives of this study were to <em>(i)</em> assess the effects of sowing dates and water gradients on peanut yield and crop traits at two representative sites in the central peanut-producing region, and <em>(ii)</em> identify management strategies that optimize yield under water-limited conditions. Seasonal and annual analyses were conducted, incorporating water availability at sowing, environmental conditions, site characteristics, management practices, and cultivars. The Cropping System Model CROPGRO-Peanut was employed to simulate the impacts of those factors. Seasonal analysis revealed that delayed sowing dates consistently led to yield reductions, irrespective of water availability, with decreases in seed number, maximum leaf area index, total biomass, and water use efficiency. These yield reductions were more pronounced under lower water availability at sowing. When sown late, annual analysis indicated that combining an early cultivar and progressively narrowing row spacing resulted in increased yields. In contrast, intermediate-cycle and late cultivars experienced yield declines due to lower radiation and temperature levels. Differences in yield were also explained by the varying contributions of transpiration and evaporation to total water use. Our findings underscore the importance of management decisions in influencing water use components, with soil water-holding capacity playing a key role in crop performance. This study provides valuable insights for developing adapted management practices to improve productivity in temperate regions under water-limited conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100522,"journal":{"name":"Farming System","volume":"3 3","pages":"Article 100155"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144196160","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhancing agroecological transitions: From locally-adapted protocols to a global transdisciplinary applied approach","authors":"Blas Lavandero ,&nbsp;Mauricio González-Chang ,&nbsp;Roberto Jara-Rojas ,&nbsp;Ismael Gallardo ,&nbsp;Kris Wyckhuys","doi":"10.1016/j.farsys.2025.100154","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.farsys.2025.100154","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The adoption of biodiversity-based approaches to farming that promotes ecosystem services may fail when knowledge is not locally developed or adapted. Economic, social, logistical, or human-related constrains may arise as well at any stage, influencing different groups of adopters. On the other hand, adoption success is traditionally analyzed as a binary dependent variable. Success should be defined by incorporating insights from adoption of technology knowledge (i.e., “adoption pathways”). Indeed, there will be more than one way to reduce the adoption gap of certain technologies, as farmers are culturally different and therefore, differential and tailored strategies will be necessary to increase overall adoption. We here propose that a more tailored approach that considers the spatial and temporal variability in farmers’ intentions and perceptions to generate, adapt and adopt new technologies is needed. To make this happen we are proposing four necessary steps: 1) Evidence-Based and Experience-Based Knowledge; 2) Standardization of Decision-Relevant Metrics; 3) Communicating Knowledge to Bold Farmers (Early Adopters) and 4) Encourage Horizontal Participatory Knowledge Exchange and Co-Creation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100522,"journal":{"name":"Farming System","volume":"3 3","pages":"Article 100154"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144099350","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Climate variability and future responses of agricultural systems in Mediterranean region","authors":"Thi Phuoc Lai Nguyen ,&nbsp;Salvatore Gonario Pasquale Virdis","doi":"10.1016/j.farsys.2025.100153","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.farsys.2025.100153","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Challenges in developing climate adaptation strategies arise from the uncertainty and fragmentation of climate change knowledge, as well as the involvement of many actors with varying values and interests. This study, using a system perspective approach, conducted through a case study in Sardinia, Italy—a prominent Mediterranean region—focused on four agricultural systems: (1) intensive dairy cattle, (2) extensive dairy sheep, (3) horticulture, and (4) rice. The aim was to examine past, present, and future climate changes, the evolution of these agricultural systems, climate impacts, and response behaviors. The findings reveal the annual mean daily maximum (TXm_CF ​= ​+0.13 ​°C/decade and TXm_SL ​= ​+0.27 ​°C/decade) and are expected to continue rising both intermediate <span><math><mrow><mo>(</mo><mrow><msub><mrow><mi>T</mi><mi>N</mi><mi>m</mi></mrow><mn>45</mn></msub><mo>=</mo><mo>+</mo><mn>1.60</mn><mo>°</mo><mi>C</mi></mrow><mo>)</mo></mrow></math></span> and business-as-usual scenarios <span><math><mrow><mo>(</mo><mrow><msub><mrow><mi>T</mi><mi>N</mi><mi>m</mi></mrow><mn>85</mn></msub><mo>=</mo><mo>+</mo><mn>2.43</mn><mo>°</mo><mi>C</mi></mrow><mo>)</mo></mrow></math></span> with a rate of <span><math><mrow><mo>+</mo><mn>0.17</mn><mo>°</mo><mi>C</mi><mo>/</mo><mi>d</mi><mi>e</mi><mi>c</mi><mi>a</mi><mi>d</mi><mi>e</mi></mrow></math></span> and <span><math><mrow><mo>+</mo><mn>0.26</mn><mo>°</mo><mi>C</mi><mo>/</mo><mi>d</mi><mi>e</mi><mi>c</mi><mi>a</mi><mi>d</mi><mi>e</mi></mrow></math></span> respectively, along with the frequency of hot days and heatwaves. The four agricultural systems have evolved differently in response to socio-environmental changes. Farmers perceived climate variability and its impacts on their systems in varied ways, leading to different responses to future climate. Intensive farming systems were found to have more future adaptation perspectives to climate variability than traditional extensive systems, due to differences in socio-cultural and technological contexts. This highlights the need to strengthen farmers' adaptive capacities in managing traditional systems, along with their biodiversity and cultural knowledge, to help preserve globally significant agricultural heritage. The research also revealed the importance of collective adaptation responses at multiple levels that could be translated into policies and practices to enhance adaptive capacities of agricultural systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100522,"journal":{"name":"Farming System","volume":"3 3","pages":"Article 100153"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143887184","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of planting dates and seeding densities on soil water depletion pattern, root distribution, and water productivity of industrial hemp","authors":"Preetaman Bajwa ,&nbsp;Sukhbir Singh ,&nbsp;Arjun Kafle ,&nbsp;Manpreet Singh ,&nbsp;Rupinder Saini ,&nbsp;Calvin Trostle","doi":"10.1016/j.farsys.2025.100152","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.farsys.2025.100152","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Industrial hemp (<em>Cannabis sativa</em> L.) has the potential to thrive in water-limited regions due to its deep roots and drought tolerance. However, little is known about hemp root dynamics and water productivity in the semi-arid West Texas. Therefore, this study investigates the impact of planting dates (P1- April 19th, P2- May 10th, and P3- June 6th) and seeding densities (SD1- 85, SD2- 1408, and SD3- 1972 thousand seeds ha⁻¹) on root growth, soil water depletion and water productivity of industrial hemp. The experiment was randomized in a blocked split-plot design. In 2023, P2 exhibited higher root length density, particularly fine roots compared to other planting dates. P2 also recorded the greatest soil water depletion during both years. Seeding densities showed comparable soil water depletion in 2022, but in 2023, SD2 depleted more water than SD1, while SD3 exhibited no significant differences in water depletion. P3 produced the lowest plant biomass, bast, and hurd fiber yields and their water productivity in both years. However, P3 demonstrated higher grain yield and grain water productivity in 2022, while P2 showed greater grain production in 2023, showing no significant difference in grain water productivity across plantings. Over both years, SD1 had the lowest production and water productivity for most of the yield parameters. In conclusion, May planting at higher seeding densities can enhance water productivity in West Texas conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100522,"journal":{"name":"Farming System","volume":"3 3","pages":"Article 100152"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143821453","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Conservation agriculture for closing maize yield gap and enhancing climate resilience in semi-arid Eastern Rwanda","authors":"Petronille Dusingizimana ,&nbsp;Krishna Prasad Devkota ,&nbsp;Mamadou Cherif ,&nbsp;Athanase Nduwumuremyi","doi":"10.1016/j.farsys.2025.100151","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.farsys.2025.100151","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In Rwanda, maize is a crucial staple crop, serving as a primary food source for both smallholder and commercial farmers. However, national maize yields (1.52 ​t ​ha⁻¹) remain significantly lower than the global (5.88 ​t ​ha⁻¹) and African (2.27 ​t ​ha⁻¹) averages, posing a challenge to food security and economic growth. Key constraints include limited input use, suboptimal agronomic practices, and climate change. Conservation Agriculture (CA) has been promoted as a climate-smart approach to enhance productivity and sustainability in Rwanda. This study evaluates the agronomic and economic performance of CA compared to conventional tillage (CT) using survey data from 222 farms in the Kirehe district. Results show that CA farmers incurred higher total production costs (p ​&lt; ​0.001), particularly for fertilizers, seeds, weeding, and irrigation, while CT farmers had significantly higher land preparation costs (p ​&lt; ​0.001). Despite these cost differences, CA farmers achieved 40 ​% higher net profitability, 20 ​% higher maize yields, and 10 ​% greater phosphorus use efficiency than CT farmers. A Random Forest model identified experience in CA, irrigation frequency, seed rate, and nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer application as key determinants of maize yield, with variations between CA and CT systems. Overall, CA significantly improved maize productivity and profitability despite higher initial costs, highlighting its potential as a sustainable intensification strategy for maize production in Rwanda and similar agro-climatic regions in East Africa.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100522,"journal":{"name":"Farming System","volume":"3 3","pages":"Article 100151"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143816001","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Urban agriculture: A strategic pathway to building resilience and ensuring sustainable food security in cities","authors":"Ruwanthika Gunapala ,&nbsp;Ruchira Gangahagedara ,&nbsp;W.C.S. Wanasinghe ,&nbsp;Anjalika U. Samaraweera ,&nbsp;Ashoka Gamage ,&nbsp;Chamila Rathnayaka ,&nbsp;Zammil Hameed ,&nbsp;Zaher Abdel Baki ,&nbsp;Terrence Madhujith ,&nbsp;Othmane Merah","doi":"10.1016/j.farsys.2025.100150","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.farsys.2025.100150","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Urban agriculture is gaining global recognition as a strategic approach to promising creating sustainable and reliable food sources, enhancing food security and resilience in cities. By shortening the food supply chain, urban agriculture reduces the reliance on pesticides and fertilizers, while also conserving water and mitigating land degradation. Despite these benefits, further research and collaborative efforts are needed to integrate the advanced technological practices and improve overall sustainability. Urban agriculture offers exciting opportunities for the horticultural and agricultural sectors, especially when it focuses on maximizing product quality. This approach merges technology, architecture, and farming within vertical structures, highlighting the synergy between urban living and the natural environment. Urban Agriculture is versatile, serving both productive and aesthetic purposes in various forms. To achieve sustainability in urban settings, urban agriculture offers a proactive alternative to traditional agriculture. Its success varies depending on the extent of its implementation at either the building or city level. Urban agriculture can play a critical role in addressing food deserts by increasing access to fresh produce, empowering communities, and reducing transportation costs. <span>Urban</span> agriculture positively impacts the urban landscape by enhancing aesthetics, promoting well-being, and fostering a sense of community engagement, supporting biodiversity, minimizing heat buildup in urban areas and contributing to climate resilience. Overall, urban agriculture represents a promising alternative to conventional agriculture and has the potential to make cities more livable and resilient. Regulatory challenges, social acceptance of waste, high investment costs, and limited recognition of indirect impacts are some of the challenges that come with implementing urban agriculture. The recommendations highlighted the importance of local governance and public policies in promoting circular urban agriculture. Promoting collaboration, fostering innovation, developing regulatory frameworks, and displaying successful urban agriculture practices are all possibilities. This review aims to present an overview of urban agriculture as a strategic pathway to building resilience and ensuring sustainable food security in cities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100522,"journal":{"name":"Farming System","volume":"3 3","pages":"Article 100150"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143792820","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A new fibre microfluidic soil pore water sampling device for NH4+-N sensing using ion-selective electrode sensors (ISEs)","authors":"Yafei Guo ,&nbsp;Ernesto Saiz ,&nbsp;Aleksandar Radu ,&nbsp;Sameer Sonkusale ,&nbsp;Sami Ullah","doi":"10.1016/j.farsys.2025.100142","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.farsys.2025.100142","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Several climate change scenarios predict extreme precipitation and irrigation, leading to saturated soil conditions. In this paper, we present a new fibre microfluidic device coupled to ion-selective electrode sensors (ISEs) to sense soil ammonium-nitrogen (NH₄⁺-N) under these saturated soil conditions. The strength of fibre microfluidics in ISE sensors lies in its ability to integrate electrochemical sensing with microfluidic fluid control in a flexible, miniaturized format. This technology enables miniaturization, flexibility, integrated microfluidic control for enhanced ionic selectivity, improved stability and longevity, as well as scalable and cost-effective manufacturing. The ISEs were applied to monitor NH₄⁺-N concentrations in soil pore water, which were drawn by the deployed fibre. The water wicked by the microfluidic fibre passed through an array of NH₄⁺-N ISE ionophores for real-time sensing over six days. The water was also collected for laboratory analysis of NH₄⁺-N through colourimetry to assess the ISE sensing performance. Our results indicate that the calibration slopes of the fibre microfluidic ISEs, ranging from 45.80 to 60.40 ​mV per decade, are generally acceptable, as the theoretical slope ideally stands at 59 ​mV per order of magnitude. Our sensor can be used to for real-time monitoring of soil NH₄⁺-N levels in fertilized grassland and arable soils over four to six days after installation. The fibre microfluidic ISE overestimated soil NH₄⁺-N concentrations, with deviations ranging from −61% to 248% in grassland soil and −80%–370% in arable soil. This significant range of deviation may be attributed to soil particles wicked by the microfluidic fibre, which subsequently adhered to the sensor membrane. The ISE readings were compared with the soil pore water NH₄⁺-N concentrations determined by colourimetry and the measured values were found to be within similar concentration ranges; however, there was high variability between ISE results and the directly measured soil pore water. Whilst real time responses are more variable, it nevertheless points to the highly dynamic nature of soil nitrogen cycling. Therefore, the technology has the potential for further miniaturization and fine tuning to assist optimizing soil fertilizer use for crop production while preventing environmental pollution through the avoidance of excessive fertilizer application.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100522,"journal":{"name":"Farming System","volume":"3 2","pages":"Article 100142"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143529205","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}