Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment最新文献

{"title":"Precipitation variability modulates grazing effects on seedling bank and its similarity to aboveground vegetation in semi-arid grassland","authors":"Yuhui He ,&nbsp;Xinping Liu ,&nbsp;Hongjiao Hu ,&nbsp;Yuanzhi Xu ,&nbsp;Jiaqi Jing ,&nbsp;Yao Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.110007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.110007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The seedling bank plays a critical role in vegetation succession, regeneration, and restoration, particularly in disturbed environments under climate change. However, knowledge regarding how seedling banks respond to grazing disturbance under varying precipitation regimes remains limited. In this study, we conducted a three-year experiment in a semi-arid sandy grassland to examine the effects of grazing intensity (light, moderate, and heavy) and interannual precipitation variation on the seedling bank, aboveground vegetation, and their similarity. Our results demonstrated that grazing significantly influenced the density, species richness, and diversity of both the seedling bank and aboveground vegetation, with these effects being mediated by precipitation. Grazing effects on seedling density varied with precipitation and differed among functional groups: grass density exhibited a unimodal response, peaking under moderate grazing before declining, whereas forb density increased monotonically with grazing intensity. The significance of grazing effects on seedling density within different functional groups determines the overall density variations of annual communities, with seedling/plant density positively correlated with grazing intensity. Aboveground vegetation density for both grasses and forbs mirrored the trends observed in the seedling bank. Light grazing enhanced seedling diversity and evenness, particularly in exceptionally wet years, while moderate grazing promoted species richness and diversity in aboveground vegetation. Compositional similarity between the seedling bank and aboveground vegetation decreased with grazing in wet years but reached its lowest level under moderate grazing in dry year. Additionally, precipitation variability had a relatively minor impact on seedling bank and vegetation characteristics under light grazing. These findings highlight the necessity of functional group-specific grazing management strategies tailored to different precipitation regimes, which will be essential for precision grazing and effective vegetation restoration under future climate scenarios.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"396 ","pages":"Article 110007"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145155963","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Spatiotemporal variations of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities and their infective potential with rice in kapok-rice agroforestry systems","authors":"Yiming Ding ,&nbsp;Xiaojie Dong ,&nbsp;Yiwen Wang,&nbsp;Wenqian Xiang,&nbsp;Jiewei Hao,&nbsp;Mingxun Ren,&nbsp;Wenjuan Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.110001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.110001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Agroforestry is increasingly recognized as a vital sustainable land-use strategy. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) trees within these systems modify soil properties and serve as a source of AM fungal inoculum. Kapok (<em>Bombax ceiba</em> L.), a typical AM tree species, is traditionally maintained in tropical rice fields. However, kapok’s influence on AM fungal communities in rice fields, and whether these changes subsequently affect AM colonization of rice roots in kapok-rice agroforestry systems, remain unclear. We collected 96 soil and 64 rice root samples along distance gradients from kapok trees (DK: 1, 3, 6 and 12 m from tree bases) across three stages of rice field (SR: tillering, maturity and fallow) in a representative kapok-rice system on Hainan Island, China. Soil properties, AM fungal spore density, hyphal density, community composition and rice root colonization rates were measured. Results demonstrated that both AM fungal spore density and hyphal density varied significantly with DK and SR, exhibiting higher values proximal to kapok trees and during tillering than maturity. AM fungal community structure was primarily driven by SR rather than DK, with variations explained by associated changes in soil properties (pH, nitrogen, soil organic matter, potassium). SR indirectly affected rice root colonization through mediation of soil properties and AM fungal communities, whereas DK exerted direct effects. Available potassium significantly reduced rice root colonization and inhibited AM fungal activity. In conclusion, kapok trees have potential as AM fungal inoculum sources for rice, though the underlying mechanisms require further investigation in kapok-rice agroforestry systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"396 ","pages":"Article 110001"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145155967","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Lantana camara mulch as a highly effective weed control treatment and motivation for vegetation management","authors":"Asad Shabbir ,&nbsp;Disha Dhanda ,&nbsp;Michael Walsh","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109991","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109991","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Plant material-based mulches are an environmentally friendly and valuable tool for weed management that also enhance the soil moisture and nutrient status in agricultural and urban landscapes. Towards identifying a beneficial use for the highly invasive lantana (<em>Lantana camara</em> L.) the present study compared the weed suppression of mulches made from lantana and <em>Eucalyptus</em> spp. (eucy hereafter) plant material. Lantana stem + leaves mulch (lantana mulch hereafter) was more suppressive of annual ryegrass emergence and growth than eucy mulch. In trial-I, lantana mulch at the highest application rate of 100 t ha⁻¹, reduced annual ryegrass emergence and biomass by 94 and 99 % compared to 46 and 75 % by eucy mulch, respectively. Lantana mulch was also more suppressive of tillage radish, reducing its biomass by 58 % at the highest application rate of 100 t ha⁻¹. The ED₅₀ value for annual ryegrass biomass was 24 t ha⁻¹ for lantana, whereas eucy required more than twice the amount of mulch to achieve similar reductions. The ED₅₀ values for tillage radish biomass by lantana mulch was 26 t ha⁻¹ while the eucy mulch rates used failed to achieve a 50 % reduction in biomass. In trial-II, lantana leaf mulch inhibited the emergence and biomass of annual ryegrass by 100 % at the application rate of 40 t ha⁻¹. The ED₅₀ values of leaf mulch for emergence and biomass were 13 and 9 t ha⁻¹ for annual ryegrass and 24 and 12 t ha⁻¹ for tillage radish, respectively. This study has established the superior efficacy of lantana-based mulches in suppressing grass and broadleaf weeds compared to conventionally used eucy mulch. The value of lantana mulch as a highly effective weed management tool will potentially contribute towards the management of this invasive weed by creating an incentive for the utilisation of lantana biomass.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"396 ","pages":"Article 109991"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145155965","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Crop sequence complexity of the major land resource areas (MLRA) in the contiguous United States (CONUS)","authors":"Craig W. Whippo ,&nbsp;Ellen Coale ,&nbsp;C. Igathinathane ,&nbsp;Lucas Heintzman ,&nbsp;Claire Friedrichsen ,&nbsp;David W. Archer","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.110003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.110003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Quantifying spatial and temporal dynamics of crop sequences is often accomplished through crop biodiversity metrics. Existing metrics are confounded by crop sequence length, subsequence repetition, and perennialization. Our objective was to formulate a Crop Sequence Complexity Index (CSCI) that accounts for differences in crop sequence lengths, crop sequence compressibility, functional type transitions, and back-to-back perennials. Additionally, we mapped the distribution of crop sequence metrics across the Contiguous United States (CONUS). We joined Crop Sequence Boundary data from the USDA-NASS for two periods: (2008–2015) and (2016–2023) to assemble the 16-year crop sequence of 13.5 million field centroids between 2008 and 2023 and calculated crop sequence metrics aggregated by Major Land Resource Areas (MLRA). We also examined the correlations among crop sequence complexity metrics. We found CSCI was less correlated with both crop sequence length and the number of back-to-back perennials in a crop sequence compared to the Rotational Complexity Index (RCI). Consequently, RCI tended to be lower in MLRA where annual cropping systems dominated, such as the Corn Belt, Mississippi River Basin, and southern Great Plains, and RCI was highest in the irrigated southwestern US. In contrast, CSCI was highest in the northern Great Plains and lowest in the southern Great Plains, with intermediate values throughout most of CONUS. Crop sequences in CONUS usually consist of a very limited number of species. However, crop sequence complexity varies widely because of how sequences ordered functional type transitions, and perennialization. While biophysical constraints are important, socioeconomic factors drive crop sequence complexity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"396 ","pages":"Article 110003"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145155966","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of vegetation loss and soil erosion intensity on soil carbon dynamics across landscape position: Evidence from China’s Loess Plateau","authors":"Yu Song ,&nbsp;Yufei Yao ,&nbsp;Weibo Kong ,&nbsp;Liangchen Guo ,&nbsp;Kaiqiang Bao ,&nbsp;Liping Qiu ,&nbsp;Mingan Shao ,&nbsp;Xiaorong Wei","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109992","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109992","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The role of plant in regulating soil carbon cycling is well recognized. However, this regulatory function is increasingly threatened by human-driven vegetation loss and intensified erosion, especially in ecologically fragile ecosystems. Despite their frequent co-occurrence, the interactive effects of these stressors on soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics remain poorly understood. In this study, we conducted a field experiment on China’s Loess Plateau to investigate the impacts of vegetation loss and soil erosion intensity on soil carbon processes, focusing on enzyme activities and SOC dynamics across landscape position. Our results showed that vegetation removal significantly reduced SOC by 0.63 %, along with declines in enzyme activities. These effects were more pronounced in surface soils (0–10 cm), under moderate erosion intensity (SOC: 1.19 % reduction), and in northern erosion-prone sites such as Suide (SD) in erosion areas. In contrast, deposition zones exhibited comparatively weaker responses in both SOC and enzyme activities following vegetation removal. Vegetation loss altered SOC regulation across geomorphic zones. In erosion areas, the controlling factor shifted from erosion intensity to climate, whereas in depositional zones, the contribution of nutrient stoichiometry became more pronounced . Structural equation modeling revealed contrasting pathways: enzyme suppression drove SOC loss in erosion zones, while nutrient stoichiometry shifts governed SOC in depositional zones. Our findings demonstrated that anthropogenic vegetation loss intensifies erosion-induced SOC loss by shifting its biogeochemical regulation, highlighting the critical need for integrated vegetation restoration and erosion control to stabilize soil carbon in vulnerable landscapes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"396 ","pages":"Article 109992"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145155964","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of annual cropland and season on pollen diversity and pesticide exposure in honey bee colonies","authors":"Sarah Manzer ,&nbsp;Douglas Sponsler ,&nbsp;Alexander Keller ,&nbsp;Carolina Honert ,&nbsp;Carsten A. Brühl ,&nbsp;Giulia Mainardi ,&nbsp;Ricarda Scheiner ,&nbsp;Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109987","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109987","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Honey bees face multiple stressors, with cropland expansion, pesticide use, and lack of floral resources being major contributors. However, few studies have jointly investigated altered floral resources and pesticide contaminations in landscapes with increasing dominance of annual crops. Therefore, we studied pollen diversity and current-use pesticide (CUP) residues in pollen samples from 36 honey bee colonies in Lower Franconia, Southern Germany. The nine study sites covered a gradient of annual cropland ranging from 43 % to 97 % within a two-kilometre radius. Pollen was sampled from July to mid-August 2021. Using DNA metabarcoding, a total of 140 different pollen species were identified in 540 pollen samples. Contrary to expectations, pollen richness and Shannon diversity did not decrease with increasing annual cropland area. Instead, richness and diversity showed high temporal turnover and site-specific variation, likely influenced by crop diversity, agro-environmental schemes, and the heterogeneity of surrounding habitats. We conclude that site-specific factors drive the richness and diversity of pollen foraged by honey bees. Among the 16 CUPs detected, fungicides were the most prominent, with notably high concentrations in pollen (3300.5 µg/kg fludioxonil and 971.6 µg/kg azoxystrobin). The probability of detecting fungicides was positively associated with the relative abundance of sunflower pollen, although the detected CUPs were not authorized during flowering. Overall, we observed low pesticide contaminations (39 % of samples), which could be attributed to reduced pesticide applications to the end of the cropping season. Our data indicates that brood in late summer, when long-living winter bees are developing, is less exposed to pesticide residues in pollen compared to earlier phases in the cropping season.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"396 ","pages":"Article 109987"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145119876","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Direct and indirect pathways mediating the impacts of non-native rats on cocoa yield in an African island","authors":"María José Naranjo-Pérez ,&nbsp;Patrícia Guedes ,&nbsp;António Dias ,&nbsp;Antónia dos Santos Neto ,&nbsp;Aureliano Pires ,&nbsp;Francesco Mai ,&nbsp;Julien Paillé ,&nbsp;Gaspar Afonso da Graça ,&nbsp;Fegegta Yidnekatchew ,&nbsp;Ricardo Faustino de Lima ,&nbsp;Maíra Benchimol ,&nbsp;José Carlos Morante-Filho ,&nbsp;Ana Filipa Palmeirim","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109997","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109997","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Islands are typically much more sensitive to the impact of invasive non-native species than continental areas, exacerbating conservation and socio-economic challenges. In São Tomé Island, Central-West Africa, non-native rats (<em>Rattus rattus</em> and <em>R. norvegicus</em>) have been blamed losses of up to 40 % of the cocoa yield. To understand the impact of non-native rats on cocoa yield on the island, we examine its drivers using both direct and indirect pathways. We sampled 30 cocoa farm sites, assessing rat abundance using camera-trapping, and estimating both cocoa yield and the percentage of rat-damaged cocoa by counting the number of intact and damaged pods in 25 × 25 m-plots. We also estimated the abundance of potential rat predators and characterized local habitat structure, landscape, and cocoa management. We obtained 466 records of non-native rats (15.5 ± 17.1 records per site), which damaged 18.81 % ± 21.02 % of the cocoa pods, reducing the yield to 430.4 ± 253.4 pods per site. Using path analysis, we detected that cocoa yield is directly boosted by mean cocoa trees diameter but diminished by rat damage. Such damage was positively associated with rat abundance, which in turn was negatively affected by the frequency of weeding. By demonstrating that cocoa yield can be enhanced indirectly by increasing the frequency of weeding, and thus suppressing rat abundance, our results indicate that socio-economic challenges caused by invasive species can be reduced by adjusting farm management practices. Identifying such practices has the potential to benefit both biodiversity and livelihoods on tropical agrosystems, and especially on islands.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"396 ","pages":"Article 109997"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145119877","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Does mixed farming benefit moths? Exploring how different farming systems shape both local features and the wider landscape","authors":"Rochelle Kennedy ,&nbsp;Elisa Fuentes-Montemayor ,&nbsp;Kirsty J. Park ,&nbsp;Nick Littlewood","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109996","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109996","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Moths are important pollinators and provide an essential food source for higher taxa, yet many species that were once widespread are in decline across Europe. This is largely due to practices associated with intensive farming, such as pesticide and fertiliser applications and habitat loss. There is increasing interest in finding ways of farming that are beneficial to both humans and biodiversity. ‘Mixed’ farming, where livestock are integrated into the crop rotation, is thought to provide benefits to biodiversity by reducing synthetic inputs and by increasing habitat and crop diversity. However, at commercial stocking levels, livestock can have detrimental impacts on grassland Lepidoptera. We investigate the different pathways through which mixed farming could benefit moths in comparison to arable farming (where livestock are absent). Between June and August 2022, twenty-six farms in Scotland were surveyed for moths using light-trapping. Woodland edge density, which was higher on mixed farms, increased micro moth abundance and species richness. Positive effects of woodland were also observed for ‘farmland’ micro moths that do not feed on woody plants. However, for micro moth species richness this positive effect of woodland edge was outweighed by a direct negative effect of mixed farming, highlighting the need for more research to find livestock management practices that are beneficial for moths.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"396 ","pages":"Article 109996"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145119970","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of pusa decomposer-mediated rice residue management on phosphorus fractionation in aggregate size classes under a rice–wheat system","authors":"Chinthala Mounika ,&nbsp;Ranjan Bhattacharyya ,&nbsp;T.K. Das ,&nbsp;Livleen Shukla ,&nbsp;Shrila Das ,&nbsp;D.R. Biswas ,&nbsp;B.B. Basak ,&nbsp;Peram Nagaseshi Reddy ,&nbsp;Sumitra Kumawat ,&nbsp;Avijit Ghosh ,&nbsp;Soora Naresh Kumar","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109994","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109994","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Several alternatives to rice residue management have been proposed, there remains a notable gap in understanding how these practices, particularly the use of microbial decomposers and residue management affect soil phosphorus fractions and related biological properties in a rice-wheat cropping system. To address this gap, a three-year field experiment was conducted to evaluate the impacts of different rice residue management strategies with and without the application of the Pusa Decomposer on soil phosphorus fractions and biological indicators in bulk soils and soil aggregates. The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design comprising five treatments: full residue burning, full residue retention, full residue incorporation, full residue retention with Pusa Decomposer, and full residue incorporation with Pusa Decomposer, each replicated four times. After the wheat harvest in the third year, soil samples were collected from two depths and analysed for various phosphorus pools and biological indicators. The results showed that the full residue incorporation with Pusa Decomposer treatment significantly increased labile water soluble phosphorus, sorbed phosphorus, easily mineralizable organic phosphorus) moderately labile phosphorus fractions (sodium hydroxide extractable inorganic phosphorus, sodium hydroxide extractable organic phosphorus), as well as total phosphorus, total inorganic phosphorus and enzymatic activities compared to the residue burning treatment, with consistently higher values observed in bulk soils than soil aggregates. Full residue incorporation treatment exhibited the highest levels of hydrochloric acid extractable phosphorus and residual phosphorus which were notably more concentrated in aggregates than in bulk soils. Across all treatments, the topsoil (0–5 cm) consistently contained greater concentrations of phosphorus fractions and biological indicators compared with the 5–15 cm soil layer. Principal Component Analysis revealed that decomposer-amended treatments full residue incorporation with Pusa Decomposer and full residue retention with Pusa Decomposer enhanced labile phosphorus fractions and microbial activity, while conventional practices like residue burning was associated with reduced biological phosphorus cycling and dominance of stable phosphorus pools. Overall, this study highlights that integrating residue incorporation practices with microbial consortia such as Pusa Decomposer is an effective strategy to enhance soil phosphorus availability and stimulate soil biological activity in an intensive rice–wheat system, offering a pathway towards more sustainable nutrient management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"396 ","pages":"Article 109994"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145093995","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cover crops and integrated management reduce pesticide residues in soils and water: Pathways towards cleaner production in Argentine agriculture","authors":"Virginia C Aparicio ,&nbsp;Roberto Rizzalli ,&nbsp;Hernán Panaggio ,&nbsp;Fernando Andrade ,&nbsp;José Luis Costa","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109998","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109998","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The potential of cover crops and integrated management as a cleaner production strategy for grain systems in the Argentinian Pampas <strong>was assessed</strong> in this study. A four-year field comparison of conventional farmer practices with cover crops and integrated management, through practices aimed at reducing pesticide use <strong>was conducted</strong>. Glyphosate, (2,4-dichlorophenoxy) acetic acid and atrazine <strong>were the pesticides most frequently applied</strong> under both systems. A 14.9 % lower number of pesticide applications <strong>was recorded</strong> under cover crops and integrated management, with glyphosate + (2,4-dichlorophenoxy) acetic acid + atrazine <strong>being represented</strong> as the most common mixture. Clear contamination patterns <strong>were observed</strong>: (i) in soils, 33 % higher glyphosate concentrations at 0–2 cm depth <strong>were detected</strong> under conventional farmer practices, while accumulation of transformation products (aminomethylphosphonic acid, hydroxy-atrazine), consistent with enhanced biological degradation, <strong>was favoured</strong> by cover crops and integrated management; (ii) in leachate water, consistently higher atrazine and (2,4-dichlorophenoxy) acetic acid concentrations <strong>were found</strong> under conventional farmer practices, whereas no significant differences between systems <strong>were detected</strong> for glyphosate and aminomethylphosphonic acid; (iii) in groundwater, mixtures of glyphosate, aminomethylphosphonic acid and atrazine <strong>were identified</strong>, indicating diffuse regional contamination not constrained by management. Through these findings, cover crops and integrated management <strong>are positioned</strong> as a transitional pathway by which pesticide residues <strong>can be reduced</strong> without fully removing chemical dependence. However, the persistence of aminomethylphosphonic acid in soils and the presence of pesticide cocktails in groundwater <strong>are highlighted</strong> as issues requiring complementary monitoring to ensure long-term sustainability. Policy promotion of cleaner agricultural transitions aligned with Sustainable Development Goals 6 (Clean water) and 15 (Life on land) <strong>is supported</strong>, while critical gaps in the understanding of metabolite dynamics <strong>are identified</strong>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"396 ","pages":"Article 109998"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145094174","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}