Agricultural Systems最新文献

{"title":"“The end point is a… more appropriate innovation ecosystem” Mission-oriented and responsible innovation in Australian agricultural systems","authors":"Simon Fielke,&nbsp;Aysha Fleming,&nbsp;Emma Jakku,&nbsp;Cara Stitzlein,&nbsp;Katie Ricketts,&nbsp;Gillian Cornish,&nbsp;Stephen Snow,&nbsp;Graham Bonnett","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104359","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104359","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>CONTEXT</h3><div>Responding to global sustainability challenges requires restructuring of systems of production and consumption. Such processes require careful consideration of the mechanisms which coordinate change at scale. We examine an exemplar Mission program, Drought Resilience Mission, and key enabling technology in Australia.</div></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><div>With an aim to assist collectives of organisations to deploy programs with ambitions toward systemic change, we introduce a framework to operationalise innovation concepts simultaneously. Namely, experimenting with mission-oriented <em>and</em> responsible innovation ecosystem conceptualisation.</div></div><div><h3>METHODS</h3><div>We utilise an organisational case study of innovation discourse in Australia's national science agency. Secondary data and primary perceptions of expert respondents from a Mission Program, Drought Resilience Mission, and involved with co-development of a digital climate service in the agricultural sector were gathered (<em>n</em> = 52).</div></div><div><h3>RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS</h3><div>We propose that considering integration of mission-oriented and responsible innovation could help to unlock transition pathways. We suggest attention to coordination across level components and contexts via capability development, intermediation and integration of these innovation concepts will reduce duplication. Ultimately, increasing the impacts of agricultural research and innovation activities where systemic change is sought.</div></div><div><h3>SIGNIFICANCE</h3><div>The multi-level perspective on socio-technical transitions, mission-oriented innovation and responsible innovation are all frameworks for change, which differ in their backgrounds and agendas, yet all recognise how the spirit of transitions, missions and innovation logics can overlap. We provide an exploratory framework to assist with integration of these overlaps, to suggest integrated investments in agricultural innovation coalition coordination are more likely to result in systemic change ambitions being met.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"227 ","pages":"Article 104359"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143877407","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":"Challenges and strategies of resource poor farmers in adoption of innovative farming technologies: A comprehensive review","authors":"S. Vasavi ,&nbsp;N. Anandaraja ,&nbsp;P.P. Murugan ,&nbsp;M.R. Latha ,&nbsp;R. Pangayar Selvi","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104355","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104355","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><div>India's agricultural sector, with 121 million small and marginal holdings, faces challenges from a growing population, limited land, and restricted resources. Innovative farming technologies like precision agriculture, climate-smart practices, smart irrigation, and digital platforms offer solutions for enhancing productivity, sustainability, and economic viability. However, resource-poor farmers struggle to adopt these technologies due to low awareness, budget limitations, and infrastructure gaps.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This review examines the potential of innovative technologies for resource-poor farmers in India. It aims to identify accessible, effective solutions and explore strategies such as public-private partnerships, cooperative farming, and custom hiring centers to overcome adoption barriers.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A systematic literature review was conducted to gather findings on technologies relevant to smallholders. Studies were selected based on insights into accessibility, barriers, and support systems. The review categorized technologies by suitability for resource-poor settings and analyzed enabling factors like funding, education, and institutional support.</div></div><div><h3>Results and conclusions</h3><div>Technologies that enhance resource efficiency, like precision agriculture, can benefit smallholders. Yet, adoption remains limited due to financial, informational, and infrastructure barriers. Strategies involving partnerships, cooperatives, and custom hiring show promise in reducing these obstacles. A multi-faceted approach with policy, financial, and educational support is essential for adoption.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>This review highlights actionable pathways for technology adoption among India's smallholder farmers, emphasizing the need for supportive frameworks and local research. The findings are relevant to policymakers and development practitioners focused on enhancing food security and resilience in smallholder farming.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"227 ","pages":"Article 104355"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143852325","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":"Patterns of livelihood diversification in farming systems of the Eastern Gangetic Plains","authors":"Tamara M. Jackson ,&nbsp;Ravi Nandi ,&nbsp;Arifa Jannat ,&nbsp;Arunava Ghosh ,&nbsp;Dilip Kumar Hajra ,&nbsp;Biplab Mitra ,&nbsp;Md Mamunur Rashid ,&nbsp;Sagar Bista ,&nbsp;Anjana Chaudhary ,&nbsp;Pragya Timsina ,&nbsp;Emma Karki ,&nbsp;Kali Rattan Chakma ,&nbsp;Gunjan Rana ,&nbsp;Avinash Kishore","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104346","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104346","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>CONTEXT</h3><div>The Eastern Gangetic Plains (EGP) is a region characterized by smallholder-dominated farming systems, facing rapid socio-economic and environmental changes. Livelihood diversification away from traditional agriculture is increasingly seen as a strategy to enhance resilience, income stability, and food security among these smallholders. However, comprehensive understanding of diversification patterns and their drivers within the EGP remains limited.</div></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><div>This study aims to elucidate the patterns of livelihood diversification in farming systems across the EGP, and identify the key factors driving diversification.</div></div><div><h3>METHODS</h3><div>Utilizing data from the <em>Rupantar</em> project involving a baseline survey of 1400 households across India, Nepal, and Bangladesh, and a subsequent analysis employing the Simpson's Index of Diversity (SID) to quantify diversification levels. Multivariate regression models were used to explore the determinants of diversification, while disaggregating the analysis by country and diversification components (crop plot, crop non-plot, and non-crop non-plot).</div></div><div><h3>RESULTS AND CONCLUSION</h3><div>The study revealed moderate levels of diversification across the EGP, with significant geographical and contextual variability. Key drivers of diversification included access to resources, gender, education, market access, and institutional support, with notable differences across countries and diversification types. Specifically, non-ownership of irrigation pumps, female household headship, and engagement in off-farm and non-farm activities emerged as significant predictors of higher diversification levels.</div></div><div><h3>SIGNIFICANCE</h3><div>This study contributes to a nuanced understanding of livelihood diversification in the EGP, highlighting the complexity of diversification patterns and the multifaceted nature of its determinants and impacts. By identifying specific drivers of diversification, the findings provide valuable insights for policymakers, development practitioners, and researchers aiming to support rural livelihoods in the region. Emphasizing the role of gender, resource access, and institutional support, the study underscores the importance of tailored interventions to enhance the resilience and sustainability of smallholder farming systems in the face of changing environmental and socio-economic conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"227 ","pages":"Article 104346"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143854460","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":"Projecting trends of arabica coffee yield under climate change: A process-based modelling study at continental scale","authors":"Raniero Della Peruta ,&nbsp;Valentina Mereu ,&nbsp;Donatella Spano ,&nbsp;Serena Marras ,&nbsp;Rémi Vezy ,&nbsp;Antonio Trabucco","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104353","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104353","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>CONTEXT</h3><div>Climate change may lead to negative impacts on coffee production, such as reduced yields. Addressing this issue requires identifying climate risks and assessing the adaptation potential of agronomic practices across spatial and environmental gradients.</div></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><div>This study aimed to evaluate climate change impacts on arabica coffee yields at continental scale and evaluate a specific adaptation measure, i.e. increasing shade tree density in agroforestry settings, by simulating the physiological links between coffee growth, climatic factors and agronomic management.</div></div><div><h3>METHODS</h3><div>After evaluating the performance of the process-based model DynACof in simulating arabica yields (using data from previous studies), we developed a new tool called G-DynACof, a modelling framework for spatializing DynACof on a regional scale using extensive climate projections and soil geodata. We used G-DynACof to simulate trends of potential coffee yields in Latin America and Africa using an ensemble of downscaled and bias-corrected climate projections for the period 2036–2065 compared to a historical period 1985–2014.</div></div><div><h3>RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS</h3><div>Despite considerable uncertainties due to the scarcity of information on agronomic management at the regional scale, our results indicate that potential yields could decrease between 23 % and 35 % in Latin America and between 16 % and 21 % in Africa, depending on the Shared Socioeconomic Pathway (SSP) considered (SSP1–2.6 and SSP5–8.5, respectively). Yield variations were very heterogeneous in space, with yields increasing at high altitudes and low latitudes, indicating a possible future shift of production areas. In our simulations, the effect of increased shade tree density on productivity was also spatially variable, and its potential for adaptation to climate change remains uncertain, requiring further investigation.</div></div><div><h3>SIGNIFICANCE</h3><div>Impact analyses and adaptation modelling of coffee agrosystems, together with socio-economic indicators, can delineate realistic, comprehensive, integrated risk assessments and support effective adaptation recommendations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"227 ","pages":"Article 104353"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143848024","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":"Reintegrating livestock onto crop farms: A step towards agroenvironmental sustainability?","authors":"Clémentine Meunier,&nbsp;Julie Ryschawy,&nbsp;Guillaume Martin","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104356","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104356","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;CONTEXT&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;In Europe, the ever-increasing disconnection between crop and livestock production generates major environmental externalities. Opposing this trend, a few pioneering farmers have reintegrated (i.e. intentionally organized the return of) livestock onto crop farms. While often depicted as sustainable, these systems have rarely been researched.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;OBJECTIVE&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;We aimed at assessing the agroenvironmental impacts of reintegrating livestock on crop farms and related farming-practice changes.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;METHODS&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Using an exploratory approach and innovation-tracking principles, we identified 15 crop farmers who had reintegrated livestock in farming systems that differed in production mode, farm size, crop and livestock species, and the type and duration of reintegration. We interviewed these farmers to characterize how their farming practices changed after reintegrating livestock. We then estimated impacts of their farming-practice changes after reintegrating livestock on nitrogen surplus, direct and indirect energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions (including compensation through carbon storage) at the farm level on a yearly basis.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Reintegrating livestock increased mean (± 1 standard deviation) farm-level nitrogen surplus (+25 ± 38 kg N/ha/year), energy consumption (+4913 ± 10,592 MJ/ha/year) and greenhouse gas emissions (+940 ± 1856 kg CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; eq/ha/year), especially when reintegrating poultry (+58 ± 45 kg N/ha/year, +15,186 ± 13,954 MJ/ha/year and + 2707 ± 2474 kg CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; eq/ha/year, respectively), as the overall aim was to increase farm economic performance. Interactions between crop and livestock production remained limited. The systems that reintegrated poultry relied on large amounts of feed input and did not decrease the amount of fertilizers purchased once poultry manure became available. Reintegrating sheep was associated with lower environmental impacts, with nearly no change in farm nitrogen surplus (+9 ± 28 kg N/ha/year), decreased energy consumption (−224 ± 203 MJ/ha/year) due to grazing cover crops or between orchard/vineyard rows and nearly no impact on greenhouse gas emissions (+56 ± 198 kg CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; eq/ha/year) due to decreased mechanized operations and conversion of cropland into pasture, which mitigated livestock-related emissions.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;SIGNIFICANCE&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;This original preliminary provides insights on the potential of reintegrating livestock to promote farm agroenvironmental sustainability when farmers subsequently change practices to increase interactions between crops and livestock (e.g. adjusting fertilization strategies, introducing legume-dense pastures into crop rotations to feed livestock). By providing a range of agroenvironmental impacts reachable through reintegrating livestock and documenting examples of farms having sustainably reintegrated livestock, it supports","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"227 ","pages":"Article 104356"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143850522","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":"Farmers' pest management strategies in oil palm production in Lake Victoria Islands, Uganda","authors":"Esther Lugwana Nampeera ,&nbsp;Hassan Wasswa Kayondo ,&nbsp;Twaha Musoke Sebikeje ,&nbsp;Gerald Ddumba ,&nbsp;Sarah Mubiru ,&nbsp;Ddamulira Gabriel","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104354","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104354","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>CONTEXT</h3><div>Oil palm is grown widely in Lake Victoria islands of Uganda and contributes to farmers livelihoods. Nevertheless, African oil palm weevil APW,<em>Rhynchophorus phoenicis</em> (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is a key insect pest of oil palm in tropical Africa, causing serious damage to oil palm plantations. Overdependence on synthetic insecticides to control APW is not effective and unsustainable. A better understanding of effective integrated pest management (IPM) strategies for APW in Uganda is required to reduce use of synthetic insecticides and enhance sustainable production of oil palm. Current farmer APW management practices might be affected by farm characteristics and production practices. This can result in ineffective control options of APW.</div></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><div>Evaluated farm characteristics and production practices as well as APW infestation, assessed pest management methods for APW control and examined effectiveness of chemical and non-chemical control practices on APW infestation across four oil palm production blocks.</div></div><div><h3>METHODS</h3><div>We used semi-structured guides with eight focus farmer group discussions, fourteen qualitative in–depth interviews with oil palm experts and interviewed 200 oil palm smallholder farmers across four oil palm production blocks.</div></div><div><h3>RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS</h3><div>Certain farm characteristics and production practices had higher APW infestation compared to others. Chemical and non – chemical practices were used by oil palm smallholder farmers to manage APW, though farmers didn't know period of infestation, active ingredients and some couldn't tell pesticides used. There was significant difference in effectiveness when using non- chemical practices to manage APW. There is need to train farmers on IPM practices in oil palm. Further research should establish successful IPM approaches for APW to reduce pesticide use and enhance oil palm production.</div></div><div><h3>SIGNIFICANCE</h3><div>This study provides crucial insights into sustainable pest management practices, offering a framework for IPM implementation in smallholder oil palm farming systems in tropical Africa.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"227 ","pages":"Article 104354"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143848025","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":"Reducing national water degradation: Development and application of a manureshed-identification framework","authors":"Md Hamidul Haque ,&nbsp;Abolfazl Hojjat Ansari ,&nbsp;Tamie L. Veith ,&nbsp;Michael J. White ,&nbsp;Christine Costello ,&nbsp;Sheri Spiegal ,&nbsp;Peter J.A. Kleinman ,&nbsp;Jeffrey G. Arnold ,&nbsp;Raj Cibin","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104349","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104349","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><div>The manureshed concept minimizes nutrient imbalance in livestock-intensive agricultural systems by transporting surplus manure to agricultural fields with nutrient demands. The impacts of manureshed-based manure management across the contiguous United States (CONUS) and its potential to improve soil nutrient dynamics and water quality are not well known.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study developed a framework to evaluate the impacts of manureshed-based manure nutrient management at the CONUS scale.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Across CONUS, county-scale manure imports and exports were balanced by delineating manuresheds according to historic agronomic nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) demands and the transportation potentials of the nearest manure types (wet vs. dry). The water quality impacts of manureshed-based nutrient management were assessed for the Oconee River Watershed, in the southeastern United States using the National Agroecosystems Model (NAM) developed from the Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT+).</div></div><div><h3>Results and conclusions</h3><div>The analysis identified that nearly 78 % of the wet manure surplus counties (152 counties) required only two neighboring counties to balance excess wet manure P, and about 77 % of dry manure surplus counties (428 counties) required only three neighboring counties to balance excess dry manure P. The P-balanced manureshed-based manure management reduced organic phosphorus (P) by 29 % and organic nitrogen (N) by 5 % in the manure surplus case study watershed (Upper Oconee). When the excess manure was redistributed based on crop P demand, the total nutrient load at the watershed outlet decreased, with a 0.44 % reduction in total nitrogen (TN) and a 3.41 % reduction in total phosphorus (TP). However, the redistribution of excess manure led to a slight increase in nutrient loads in the Lower Oconee, the manure sink watershed.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>The study demonstrates the potential of manureshed-based manure management to reduce nutrient loads. The findings emphasize that with spatially explicit and adaptive management strategies, manureshed-based approaches can successfully balance nutrient flows across regions, leading to better manure nutrient use efficiencies and water quality improvement.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"227 ","pages":"Article 104349"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143838359","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":"Dire need for quantification of environmental impacts associated with breeding climate-resilient crops","authors":"Chunhu Wang ,&nbsp;Matthew Tom Harrison ,&nbsp;De Li Liu ,&nbsp;Rui Yang ,&nbsp;Meixue Zhou ,&nbsp;Yunbo Zhang ,&nbsp;Ke Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104352","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104352","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><div>As China's breadbasket, the Yangtze River Basin plays a critical role in global food security, yet its agricultural stability is increasingly threatened by the climate emergency.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study aimed to (1) identify the critical climatic variables that drive wheat yield variability across Yangtze River Basin; (2) reveal the key climatic variables that contribute to regional yield gaps, and (3) quantify yield increase and associated environmental costs under current nitrogen application rates and estimate the nitrogen fertiliser required to achieve full yield potential with improved genetic traits.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We combined process-based crop model knowledge, fine-scale municipal wheat yield data (1980–2020) and statistical analytics to benchmark regional yield gaps under historical and future climates and we then analysed 8192 hypothetical genotypes with diverse yet realistic ranges of phenology, growth, radiation use efficiency and yield components to assess their impact on reducing yield gaps and associated environmental costs.</div></div><div><h3>Results and conclusion</h3><div>We found that many arable areas exhibited statistically significant correlations (R² = 0.94) between climate and wheat yield variability. Changes in precipitation explained the largest proportion of yield variance (R² = 0.38), while temperature (R² = 0.31) and solar radiation (R² = 0.29) exerted nearly identical influences on wheat yield fluctuations. Yield gaps were well explained by photothermal quotients, which ranged from 0.55 to 1.14 across the Yangtze River Basin. Due to increased extreme climatic events, simulated rainfed wheat yields decreased by 12 % and 24 % in 2050s under emissions scenarios SSP245 and SSP585, respectively. Adoption of cultivars with optimised traits (higher RUE and larger grain size) could increase grain yield by 61–80 % under current and future climate. However, trait-optimisation for yield revealed clear trade-offs for nitrogen demand (16–36 % increase), N₂O emissions (30–50 % increase), greenhouse gas emission intensity (24–35 % increase) and nitrogen-use efficiency (13–21 % decrease), heralding dire ramifications for breeding programs that optimize traits for productivity benefits alone.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>We advocate that crop breeding programs include sustainability indicators encompassing nitrogen demand, use, and use-efficiency to avoid environmental impacts associated with increasing yields to feed a burgeoning global population.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"227 ","pages":"Article 104352"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143834894","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":"Abatement costs of climate-friendly peatland management – Case study results for two German peatland regions under agricultural use","authors":"Christoph Buschmann ,&nbsp;Bernhard Osterburg ,&nbsp;Tjark Martens ,&nbsp;Joachim Schrautzer","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104348","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104348","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>CONTEXT</h3><div>In Germany, peatlands drained for agriculture cause more than 40 Mio. t CO₂ equiv. per year, which accounts for 44 % of all agricultural emissions. Because of their high mitigation potential, they are becoming increasingly important for EU agricultural policy and Germany's national mitigation efforts.</div></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><div>Our work investigates how farms can adapt when they either extensify their drained grasslands with raised water levels (wet use) or abandon conventional land use under full rewetting. We also calculate income changes and abatement costs of adaptation strategies.</div></div><div><h3>METHODS</h3><div>To simulate successive land use conversions, we applied a linear programming farm-level model. The data are based on interviews with managers of typical farms in two German peatland regions with very different agricultural structures: the first, the Eider-Treene-Sorge lowlands in Schleswig-Holstein, with farms (Ø 150 ha) that are predominantly grassland based, and the second, the Rhin-Havelluch in Brandenburg, with mainly large (Ø 2000 ha) mixed farms. The farms represent a gradient of intensively, moderately and extensively used grassland. In addition, we carried out grassland monitoring to estimate forage quality at different water levels and intensities of grassland use.</div></div><div><h3>RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS</h3><div>The results show the farm-level effects of increasing land use conversion on the grasslands of the six model farms. This includes the loss of fodder quantity and quality and its consequences, such as a reduction in cattle stock. The main adaptation strategies are intensification of the remaining grassland and increased feeding of arable forage. The associated marginal farm income losses are expressed in shadow price curves that vary greatly. They depend on farm structural variables (farm type, adaptation potential) and are sometimes very steep, especially in semi-intensive farms, i. e. for a large proportion of the grassland, income losses are low (up to 500 €/ha) while the last hectares incur exceptionally high losses (several thousand euros). The corresponding marginal greenhouse gas abatement costs also exhibit a wide range but are mainly below 55 €/t CO₂ equiv. The findings further show that extensive wet use causes higher abatement costs than full rewetting.</div></div><div><h3>SIGNIFICANCE</h3><div>Patterns of the shadow price and abatement cost curves are transferable to comparable farms. Findings indicate adequate compensation rates for different farm types and can be used to limit the impact on the affected farms, e. g. avoidance of high income losses by land consolidation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"227 ","pages":"Article 104348"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143823358","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":"Development of ReturN, a manure redistribution optimisation tool: Description and application context","authors":"Mara Gabbrielli ,&nbsp;Johannes Wilhelmus Maria Pullens ,&nbsp;Marco Botta ,&nbsp;Nicholas John Hutchings ,&nbsp;Jordi Doltra ,&nbsp;Francesc Domingo-Olivé ,&nbsp;Marco Acutis ,&nbsp;Andrea Fiorini ,&nbsp;Paola Pasta ,&nbsp;Giorgio Ragaglini ,&nbsp;Alessia Perego","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104350","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104350","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;CONTEXT&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Collaborative agreements for manure management would enable intensive and specialized livestock farms to expand the agricultural area available for manure distribution by transporting manure to arable farms, thus increasing nitrogen and carbon recycling, reducing environmental pollution and decreasing farms' dependence on external inputs. The economic and environmental viability of such collaborative arrangements depends on the balance between the manure transport costs and emissions (and thus the distances between farms) and the saving in mineral fertiliser purchase costs and production emissions.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;OBJECTIVE&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;The objective of this study is to present a software tool (ReturN) designed to assess the opportunities for moving he nitrogen (N) in manure from locations where the amount exceeds the utilization capacity of the crops to locations with spare utilization capacity. ReturN allows the optimisation of manure fluxes at a local or regional scale, on the basis of a multi-criteria balance that considers both economic and environmental criteria. The tool is applied in three European case studies thus showcasing the tool applicability options.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;METHODS&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;The ReturN multi-criteria balance considers manure transport costs and emissions (and thus the distances between source and recipient locations) and the saving in mineral N fertiliser purchase costs and production emissions. The locations among which manure-N fluxes are optimised can be farms or municipalities, based on the aggregation level of the manure data. The tool outputs, linked to each flux of manure from a source to a recipient location, are the amount of transported N, the monetary costs, and the associated fossil carbon dioxide (CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;) emissions. The ReturN tool was applied to the optimisation of manure fluxes in 3 real European case studies, and the sensitivity of its outputs to parameters was assessed using the modified Morris sensitivity analysis method.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;The application of the ReturN tool successfully optimised manure-N redistribution under varying conditions of deficits and surpluses and for different geographical areas shapes. The reduction in costs associated with the purchase of mineral N fertilisers and the decrease in fossil CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; emissions (due to the transportation of manure and the production of mineral N fertilisers) achieved through the optimisation of manure-N fluxes were found to be primarily dependent on the initial manure surplus condition and secondly on mineral N fertiliser price and manure characteristics (density and N concentration).&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;SIGNIFICANCE&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;The flexibility of the ReturN tool's settings, along with its limited input requirements, ensures its suitability for direct application by end users in practical contexts thus enabling both the economic and environmental assessment of the cost-effe","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"227 ","pages":"Article 104350"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143820415","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}