Agronomy for Sustainable Development最新文献

{"title":"Diversifying wheat-based cropping systems with pulse crops enhances ecosystem services","authors":"Kui Liu,&nbsp;Mohammad Khakbazan,&nbsp;Manjula Bandara,&nbsp;Chang Liang,&nbsp;Pedro Vitor Ferrari Machado","doi":"10.1007/s13593-025-01009-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s13593-025-01009-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Pulse crops are commonly used to improve nitrogen management and diversify cereal-based cropping systems. However, integrated assessments of diversified rotations with pulse crops using plant, soil, and environmental quality indicators remain limited and relatively underexplored. A comprehensive evaluation of such diversified rotations based on agronomic performance, economic returns, and environmental sustainability over time is essential for enhancing cropping system resilience. An eight-year study (two cycles of 4-year rotation) was conducted at two locations to determine the effects of diversification with pulses on ecosystem services indicators including productivity, resource use efficiency, soil carbon, soil nitrogen, carbon footprint, and economic returns. Four cropping systems were evaluated, including a low-diversified rotation of lentil-wheat-lentil-wheat, a moderately diversified rotation of pea-wheat-lentil-wheat, a highly diversified rotation of pea-mustard-lentil-wheat, and a wheat monocrop control. At the 4-year rotation level, diversified rotations increased yield by 22–36%, water use efficiency by 31–42%, energy productivity by 78–86%, and economic returns by 46–65%, compared to the wheat monocrop. Additionally, diversified rotations resulted in net CO₂ withdrawal when accounting for carbon sequestration in the soil. There was no difference between moderately and highly diversified rotations, suggesting that a large portion of diversification benefits can be achieved at the moderately diversified rotation level. Compared with the wheat monocrop, diversified rotations reduced nitrogen fertilizer inputs and resulted in a 10–31% lower partial nitrogen balance at the end of 8-year rotations. Moreover, diversifying cropping systems with pulse crops had no adverse effect on soil organic carbon, despite relatively low straw returns from pulse crops. These results, assessed using multiple system indicators at both the crop phase and rotation levels, reveal that diversifying rotations with pulse crops, even at a moderate level, can effectively improve the ecosystem services, contributing to the sustainability of cropping systems.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7721,"journal":{"name":"Agronomy for Sustainable Development","volume":"45 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s13593-025-01009-2.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143599855","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Methodological challenges in assessing the viability of agroecological practices: lessons from a multi-case study in Africa","authors":"Nadine Andrieu,&nbsp;Benoit Dedieu,&nbsp;Pierre Girard,&nbsp;Eric Scopel,&nbsp;Christine Magaju,&nbsp;Catherine Dembele,&nbsp;Wolde Mekuria,&nbsp;Richard Coe","doi":"10.1007/s13593-025-01010-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s13593-025-01010-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Despite a growing literature highlighting the benefits of agroecology in Africa, policy makers, donors, and scientists are still debating the “viability” of agroecological practices. However, assessing the viability of agroecological practices poses challenges, and so far, no studies have clearly documented them and options for addressing them. The aim of this paper is to describe the main methodological challenges we faced in assessing the viability of agroecology in 11 case studies in Africa so that others planning assessments can benefit from what we learned. Seven methodological challenges discussed are (i) defining an object of study through a list of practices or agroecological principles, (ii) having a practice-based assessment versus a systemic assessment at field or farm scales, (iii) having a subjective assessment of the viability of agroecological practices based on farmers’ perspective or an “objective” assessment, (iv) having a qualitative or quantitative assessment, (v) having a diachronic versus synchronic assessment, (vi) having a multisite approach versus a single-site study, and (vii) having a context-specific assessment method or a unitary assessment method. We conclude that the assessment of the viability of agroecological practices needs to be multicriteria, systemic, and based on farmers’ perspectives and not practice-based using a single simple metric. This is a change from the conventional way such systems are evaluated based on quantitative metrics. We recommend using a mixture of quantitative and qualitative assessments that highlight farmers’ perceptions of practices embedded into their farming systems, using transversal and context-specific data.</p>","PeriodicalId":7721,"journal":{"name":"Agronomy for Sustainable Development","volume":"45 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s13593-025-01010-9.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143599838","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Balancing cover crop benefits and economic realities in Mediterranean rice farming","authors":"Gonçalo Nascimento,&nbsp;Mar Catala-Forner,&nbsp;Carlos Cantero-Martínez,&nbsp;Oriol Ferre,&nbsp;Núria Tomàs,&nbsp;Dolors Villegas","doi":"10.1007/s13593-025-01007-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s13593-025-01007-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Cover crops (CC) have the potential to reduce the dependency of rice (<i>Oryza sativa</i> L.) production on chemical N fertilizers and the associated environmental and economic risks. While extensively studied in tropical and subtropical systems, their potential in Mediterranean lowlands remains underexplored. This study evaluated whether CC could reduce chemical N fertilization in a Mediterranean rice system (Ebro Delta, Spain). Rice was grown during three seasons (2020–2023) preceded by a bare fallow, hairy vetch (<i>Vicia villosa</i> Roth), or ryegrass (<i>Lolium multiflorum</i> Lam.) during the winter period, and with 4 different fertilizer N rates (0, 120, 180, and 240 kg N ha⁻¹) under a split-plot design. Besides testing rice productivity, we developed a simple but effective indicator to assess the economic impact of cover crops by adapting the marginal net return of grain production to include cover cropping costs. Differences in biomass accumulation between the CC species were variable across years, with ryegrass being more dependent on precipitation, but also negatively affected by the N fertilization for the rice from the previous season. Due to its sole reliance on soil N uptake, ryegrass never produced more biomass N than hairy vetch. Rice yields were 13% lower and N use efficiency 16% lower after ryegrass than after bare fallow across fertilization levels. Hairy vetch tended to improve rice development (i.e., NDVI and panicle density) but did not translate into higher yields or N use efficiency compared to bare fallowing, potentially due to inhibited N mineralization under anaerobic conditions in flooded environments. Consequently, CC implementation significantly reduced profitability, showing how economic incentives are needed to encourage adoption. Implementing hairy vetch as CC increased the soil total N by 10%, potentially benefiting long-term rice production. These findings offer practical insights for agronomists and policymakers focused on enhancing the sustainability of Mediterranean rice systems.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7721,"journal":{"name":"Agronomy for Sustainable Development","volume":"45 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s13593-025-01007-4.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143599834","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Vineyard design and plant material choices effect on grapevine yield: analysis of a big dataset in the south of France","authors":"Hugo Fernandez-Mena,&nbsp;Marine Gautier,&nbsp;Hervé Hannin,&nbsp;Christian Gary","doi":"10.1007/s13593-025-01012-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s13593-025-01012-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Strategic design decisions regarding wine label, plant material, vine age renewal, and planting choices are crucial for winegrowers when planning their future vineyards that will influence grapevine yield in the long term. However, the repercussions of these choices have mostly been studied in experimental vineyards and small datasets. Therefore, we are missing a comprehensive analysis of a large diversity of vineyard situations that can robustly provide avenues for improving vineyard design and ensure sustainable wine production. To fill this research gap, we analyzed a big sample of vineyards using random plot data (<i>n</i> = 3507) from surveys conducted among winegrowers of the Languedoc-Roussillon viticultural region. We carried out a data analysis that focused on examining the relationship between grapevine yield and (i) diverse vineyard management frameworks (wine label, organic management, irrigation), (ii) plant material (varieties, rootstocks), and (iii) planting choices (planting density, vine age as a proxy for vine lifespan and renewal). Our findings indicate that wine label greatly affected yield; in conjunction with vine age, they explained up to 40% of the total yield variance. Most cultivated varieties exhibited similar yield levels for the same type of wine label. Notably, SO4 rootstock displayed the best yield performance across multiple cultivated varieties. We observed an adverse effect of vine aging on grapevine yield, particularly in highly productive vineyards. In contrast, the impact of vine age on the yield of low-yield plots was almost negligible. Plots under organic farming presented lower yields, although they were scarce in the sample. Unexpectedly, planting density did not significantly affect yield. Overall, these results underscore the significance of conducting big data analysis from winegrowers at a regional level, when it comes to assessing the influence of vineyard design and plant material on yield.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7721,"journal":{"name":"Agronomy for Sustainable Development","volume":"45 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143599839","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":"Mid-season variable-rate algorithm for organic and mineral rice fertilization","authors":"Karen Marti-Jerez,&nbsp;Mar Català-Forner,&nbsp;Núria Tomàs,&nbsp;Gemma Murillo,&nbsp;Carlos Ortiz,&nbsp;Marta S. Lopes","doi":"10.1007/s13593-024-01003-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s13593-024-01003-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Accurate calculation of nitrogen requirements is essential in rice fields utilizing both local manure and mineral fertilizers to mitigate nitrogen deficiencies and yield losses associated with reducing chemical fertilizer use. Traditional approaches often fail to effectively integrate organic and mineral fertilizers or adapt to the complexities of real-farm conditions. To tackle these challenges, this study introduced a novel application of the Nitrogen Fertilizer Optimization Algorithm (NFOA), leveraging remote optical sensors and Sentinel-2 satellite imagery to deliver precise, data-driven nitrogen recommendations for the effective integration of organic fertilization in rice cultivation. Fertilizer prescription maps generated by the NFOA delivered precise nitrogen recommendations tailored for diverse real-farm fields. The algorithm demonstrated strong predictive performance for yield responses to nitrogen application at critical phenological stages, such as panicle initiation and maximum tillering (R²= 0.71, <i>p </i>&lt; 0.0001; R²= 0.73, <i>p </i>&lt; 0.0001). Key findings demonstrate the model’s ability to optimize nitrogen inputs, achieving up to a 40% reduction in surplus nitrogen while maximizing yields. By promoting a balanced nitrogen input-output equilibrium, the NFOA offers significant environmental and economic benefits, even in the context of the complexities associated with organic fertilization. In conclusion, these findings suggest that the NFOA approach is suitable for calculating nitrogen fertilizer requirements in rice fields using organic fertilization strategies, effectively accommodating the high variability in nutrient content and availability of organic nitrogen to rice crops. However, further refinement is necessary to enhance its predictive accuracy by incorporating advanced spectral indices and accounting for detailed environmental and management factors.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7721,"journal":{"name":"Agronomy for Sustainable Development","volume":"45 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s13593-024-01003-0.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143532571","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reviewer acknowledgments—ASD 2024","authors":"","doi":"10.1007/s13593-025-01008-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s13593-025-01008-3","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":7721,"journal":{"name":"Agronomy for Sustainable Development","volume":"45 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143496751","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":"Optimizing sustainability in rice-based cropping systems: a holistic approach for integrating soil carbon farming, energy efficiency, and greenhouse gas reduction strategies via resource conservation practices","authors":"P. K. Dash,&nbsp;P. Bhattacharyya,&nbsp;S. R. Padhy,&nbsp;Md. Shahid,&nbsp;A. K. Nayak","doi":"10.1007/s13593-025-01005-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s13593-025-01005-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In lowland rice agroecosystems, inefficient resource utilization has led to reduced agricultural productivity and increased greenhouse gas emissions, particularly methane from flooded paddy fields. Alternative systems, such as rice-green gram under resource conservation practices, are underexplored in eastern India, where energy-intensive, high-emission, low-productivity rice-rice and rice monocropping systems prevail. This study is the first to demonstrate that a rice-green gram system with resource conservation technologies can improve soil health, reduce emissions, and increase productivity. A field study conducted during the 2014–2015 and 2015–2016 cropping seasons, part of a long-term experiment beginning in 2011-2012, compared six resource conservation technologies, including brown manure, green manure, wet drum seeding, zero tillage, green manure with real-time nitrogen, and biochar, to conventional practices. Key metrics assessed included system yield, greenhouse gas emissions, soil organic carbon stocks, and energy savings across different seasons. Zero tillage showed the highest carbon sequestration rate (0.97 Mg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹), significantly increased soil organic carbon levels, and provided substantial energy savings (52.0 to 67.8%) while exhibiting the lowest global warming potential. Green manure also increased soil organic carbon and crop yields but was associated with higher greenhouse gas emissions compared to other practices. Overall, all resource conservation technologies improved system productivity and soil organic carbon stocks compared to conventional practices. The findings suggest that zero tillage and green manure are particularly effective in enhancing soil organic carbon levels and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in lowland rice-based cropping systems. Zero tillage, especially, stands out as a sustainable agricultural practice, offering a promising approach to mitigating methane emissions and achieving long-term soil carbon storage. The adoption of these practices can therefore contribute significantly to the sustainability and resilience of agricultural systems, paving the way for climate-smart agriculture that balances productivity with environmental sustainability.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7721,"journal":{"name":"Agronomy for Sustainable Development","volume":"45 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143258428","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":"Minimizing the potential risk of soil nitrogen loss through optimal fertilization practices in intensive agroecosystems","authors":"Jun Wang,&nbsp;Lu Zhang,&nbsp;Kailou Liu,&nbsp;Boku Zhou,&nbsp;Hongjun Gao,&nbsp;Xiaori Han,&nbsp;Shutang Liu,&nbsp;Shaomin Huang,&nbsp;Aijun Zhang,&nbsp;Keke Hua,&nbsp;Jidong Wang,&nbsp;Hangwei Hu,&nbsp;Minggang Xu,&nbsp;Wenju Zhang","doi":"10.1007/s13593-025-01006-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s13593-025-01006-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Nitrification and nitrogen (N) immobilization are important pathways in soil N transformations, involving soil N loss and retention, respectively. The ratio of nitrification to N immobilization generally reflects the potential risk of soil N loss. However, little is known about the response of this ratio to anthropogenic carbon (C) and N inputs, but also climate and soil conditions. Here, we aimed to elucidate, for the first time, the impacts of chemical fertilizer and manure application on the ratio of gross nitrification to N immobilization by using ¹⁵N dilution technology, based on ten long-term fertilization trials spanning multiple climatic zones in eastern China. Results showed that manure application differentially increased gross N immobilization rather than nitrification compared to the chemical fertilizer treatment, leading to manure-induced decreases in gross nitrification to N immobilization ratio ranging from 1.2 to 93% across the sites. The decreased gross nitrification to N immobilization ratio in the manure treatment was mainly due to the increased ratio of bacteria to nitrifiers abundance. Manuring was more effective for a decrease in the gross nitrification to N immobilization ratio at sites characterized by high rainfall and low soil pH, as it prevented soil pH decline thereby favoring bacterial abundance and N immobilization. Consequently, manure application resulted in a substantial increase in soil total N accumulation, facilitated by increased microbial N immobilization that promoted microbial biomass. These findings suggest that substituting manure for chemical fertilizer in the areas with high rainfall and acidic soils promisingly reduces soil N loss risk, with positive consequences for soil N retention. This knowledge highlights the potential to reconcile soil N loss and fertility improvement through optimizing regional manure management, which offers valuable insights for the development of a tailored regional fertilization management strategy.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7721,"journal":{"name":"Agronomy for Sustainable Development","volume":"45 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143192689","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":"Farm resilience to climatic risk. A review","authors":"Valentin Pret,&nbsp;Gatien N. Falconnier,&nbsp;François Affholder,&nbsp;Marc Corbeels,&nbsp;Regis Chikowo,&nbsp;Katrien Descheemaeker","doi":"10.1007/s13593-024-00998-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s13593-024-00998-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Increasing our understanding of farm resilience drivers to climate-related risks is critical for designing innovative farm systems, especially for smallholders that are highly vulnerable to climatic hazards and expected to follow a pathway toward sustainable development. However, the literature is fragmented on the concepts and methods to measure farm resilience. Moreover, quantitative assessments of options to enhance farm resilience to climate risks are scarce. Resilience can be defined as the ability of a system to recover, reorganize and evolve following external stresses and disturbances. Such definition can be applied to farm systems. In this study, we systematically reviewed how changes in resilience-enhancing attributes (reserves, openness, modularity, tightness of feedbacks and diversity) impacted farm performance and resilience to climate-related risks, with a specific attention to smallholder farms. Our analysis showed that reviewed studies assessed farm resilience using the agricultural and economic dimensions of performance, often excluding the socio-environmental dimensions. To assess performance, the average value of indicators was most commonly employed, sometimes combined with variability metrics or the probability of exceeding a critical threshold. Improving one resilience attribute increased one dimension of farm performance for a given metric in most of the studies, but some studies showed the opposite effect. The lack of comprehensive assessments exploring different attributes and their impact on several dimensions of performance using diverse metrics prevents a robust conclusion on how to improve farm resilience to climate-related risks. Therefore, we recommend to pay more attention to quantitative assessments of farm resilience, including a systematic investigation of the temporal variability of performance and the socio-environmental dimensions of performance. Finally, we emphasize the need to focus on the recovery of smallholder farms after a disturbance, with the goal of achieving growth in farm performance rather than simply reverting to their current state of food insecurity and poverty.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7721,"journal":{"name":"Agronomy for Sustainable Development","volume":"45 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s13593-024-00998-w.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143192357","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A conceptual framework for the contextualization of crop model applications and outputs in participatory research","authors":"Timothée Cheriere,&nbsp;Katrien Descheemaeker,&nbsp;Gatien N. Falconnier,&nbsp;Aminata Ganeme,&nbsp;Juliette Lairez,&nbsp;Hamado Sawadogo,&nbsp;Myriam Adam","doi":"10.1007/s13593-024-01001-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s13593-024-01001-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Contextualization of generic scientific knowledge to context-specific farmer knowledge is a necessary step in farmers’ innovation process, and it can be achieved using crop and farm models. This work explores the possibility to simulate a large number of scenarios based on farmers’ descriptions of their environment and practices in order to contextualize the discussion for each participating farmer. It presents a novel framework consisting of six actions divided in three phases, namely, phase I—reaching out to the farmers’ world: (i) project initialization; (ii) determination of the agronomical question anchored in farmers’ context; (iii) characterization of the environment, the management options, and the indicators to describe the system under consideration; phase II—within researchers’ world: (iv) crop model parametrization; (v) translation of model outputs into farmer-proposed indicators; and phase III—back to farmers’ world: (vi) exploration of contextualized management options with farmers. Two communication tools are created during the process, one containing the results of simulations to feed the discussions and a second one to create a record of it. The usefulness of the framework is exemplified with the exploration of soil fertility management with manure and compost applications for sorghum production in the smallholder context of Sudano-Sahelian Burkina Faso. The application of the framework with 15 farmers provided evidence of farmers’ and agronomists’ understanding of options to improve cropping system performance with better organic amendment management. This approach allowed farmers to identify and relate to the scenarios simulated, but highlighted interrogations on how to adapt the crop model outputs to particular situations. Though applied on issues related to tactical change at field level, the framework offers the opportunity to explore broader issues with farmers, such as farm reconfiguration.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7721,"journal":{"name":"Agronomy for Sustainable Development","volume":"45 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s13593-024-01001-2.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143084174","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}