Agricultural Systems最新文献

{"title":"Sustainable intensification of dairy farms in temperate Atlantic climate; effects on productive, nutritional and environmental aspects","authors":"Gregorio Salcedo ,&nbsp;Daniel Salcedo-Rodríguez ,&nbsp;Athanasia Varsaki","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104184","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104184","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>CONTEXT</h3><div>Animal diet, farm management, and feed production are factors that need to be considered in order to maximize the efficiency and minimize the environmental impacts of dairy farms. Sustainable forage intensification could be one possible solution in order to maintain food security and profitability and at the same time respect the environment under the threat of climate change.</div></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><div>This work simulates the productive, nutritional, and environmental effects of cattle dairy farms in wet temperate regions of North Spain, under sustainable intensification. This approach was based on forage intensification by converting grassland areas to annual forage crops and replacing the concentrate intake in dairy cows' diet by up to 30 %, with silage from the forages produced on-farm.</div></div><div><h3>METHODS</h3><div>Two intensive dairy systems were used, identified according to the herd's diet composition. A model farm that represents an average farm in each of the two characteristic intensive systems was employed, taking into consideration field area and use, number of animals, diet, milk yield and slurry management. The simulation model DairyCant was used to run simulations of the average farms under present management (baseline) and under scenarios over succession of <em>Zea mays</em> L. to various winter forage crops (7 scenarios), with variation of the number of dairy cows in the herd (7 scenarios) and under partial replacement of concentrate in the herd's diet (14 more scenarios), resulting to 28 simulations for each intensive dairy system.</div></div><div><h3>RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS</h3><div>Using forage intensification, the production of forages was increased and as a consequence, feed imports are reduced, thus feed production is relocated and farmers' profitability could be increased. Besides, the environmental factors, such as the nitrogen (N) surplus and the total N footprint were decreased, indicating that would have the potential to reduce farm GHG emissions and nitrogen losses. The scenarios involving <em>Z. mays</em> L. succession to <em>Trifolium incarnatum</em> were the most interesting, from a productive, nutritional and environmental point of view.</div></div><div><h3>SIGNIFICANCE</h3><div>Replacing grassland with annual forage crops and reducing concentrate intake of dairy cows could result to increase of the nitrogen use efficiency, which means less nitrogen excreted to the environment. At the same time, the reduction of the concentrate provides the potential to improve the economic sustainability of the farms. To establish the realistic implementation of the forage management described here, farmers' abilities and willingness, together with potential supportive policies, must be taken into account.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"222 ","pages":"Article 104184"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2024-11-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142653151","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":"Optimization of nitrogen management and greenhouse gas balance in agroecological cropping systems in a climate change context","authors":"Magali Willaume,&nbsp;Hélène Raynal,&nbsp;Jacques-Eric Bergez,&nbsp;Julie Constantin","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104182","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104182","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>CONTEXT</h3><div>Agroecological practices, including growing cover crops, are promising practices to adapt to climate change and mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, their long-term effects on soil nitrogen (N) dynamics and mineral N fertilization in cropping systems requires further investigation.</div></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><div>Using a simulation approach, we investigated their long-term effects on maize production, N fertilization requirements, N dynamics, GHG emissions and soil carbon storage.</div></div><div><h3>METHODS</h3><div>The integrated modeling framework we developed, <em>STICS-TK-R</em>, which includes decision rule models, the STICS crop model, the MERCI decision tool for cover crop residues and an N-balance model for mineral fertilization, enables comprehensive analysis and comparison of agroecological systems. In the context of projected climate change (2016–2050), we simulated six agroecological scenarios that combined two mineral N fertilization practices (i.e., fixed or balanced) and three fallow-period management practices (i.e., bare soil, legume cover crops or cruciferous cover crops with long growing period duration, from 5 to 7 months) for five diverse soil and climate conditions in southwestern France.</div></div><div><h3>RESULTS AND CONCLUSION</h3><div>The framework predicted significant advancement of sowing, fertilization and harvest dates of the main crop, without decreasing its yields. Nitrogen fertilization requirements varied among scenarios and sites. In particular, a faba bean cover crop decreased N fertilization requirements greatly over time. Analysis of N balance components highlighted the influence of increased soil organic matter and cover crop residues on N mineralization and the importance of adjusting fertilization practices to maintain certain services or offset certain environmental impacts over time (e.g., nitrate leaching, nitrous oxide emissions, GHG emissions). <em>STICS-TK-R</em> was thus able to determine N fertilization rates in different contexts over the long-term.</div></div><div><h3>SIGNIFICANCE</h3><div>We highlight the importance of adapting agricultural strategies and emphasize the need to adjust (dynamically and locally) N fertilization in agroecological systems in the context of climate change to optimize agronomic and environmental performances, especially the GHG balance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"222 ","pages":"Article 104182"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2024-11-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142653111","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":"Drivers for agroecological transition: An analysis of 40 years of experience in Minas Gerais, Brazil","authors":"Fernanda Testa Monteiro ,&nbsp;Alexandria Jeanne Wilson ,&nbsp;Heitor Mancini Teixeira ,&nbsp;Lucas Carvalho Gomes ,&nbsp;Raphael Fernandes Bragança ,&nbsp;Maria Izabel Vieira Botelho ,&nbsp;Ivonete Lopes ,&nbsp;Felipe N.B. Simas ,&nbsp;Thomas W. Kuyper ,&nbsp;Irene Maria Cardoso","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104174","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104174","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><div>Efforts are being made globally to promote transformations from conventional to agroecological agricultural systems. In many places, such efforts have been made in dialogue with peasant communities, involving a range of social actors with converging actions. Understanding the drivers of such transformations can elucidate key elements capable of promoting changes in the agrifood system.</div></div><div><h3>The objective</h3><div>Was to identify and comprehend the drivers of agroecological transition and their capacity to transform the agricultural system, based on the analysis of the experience in the Zona da Mata of Minas Gerais, Brazil, where such a process has been built since the early 1980's, involving different institutions and scales of transformation.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We analyzed and integrated the results of four PhD theses, carried out semi-structured interviews with different social actors regarding the transition in its social, environmental, and institutional aspects, and engaged in participant observation.</div></div><div><h3>Results and conclusions</h3><div>29 drivers were identified that promote agroecology by creating conditions and motivating peasants to switch from conventional to agroecological agriculture. These drivers act synergistically in the ecological, social, cultural, political, and economic dimensions. One crucial synergy is the combination of political support with bottom-up movements. The analysis of the drivers contributes to broadening the agroecological transition process.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>The research is innovative by demonstrating that the analysis of drivers for agroecological transitions must be based on concrete experiences in the territories, the dimensions involved, the classification of the driver, the internal and external conditions of the peasant units that interfere in the transition process, and the impacts of the agroecological transition process for peasant families. Specifically, the articulation among cosmovision and identity, collective knowledge building, organizations at regional and national levels, political engagement, and nature-based technical solutions led countless families to promote and practice agroecology.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"222 ","pages":"Article 104174"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2024-11-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142653219","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":"Silicon Savannah and smallholder farming: How can digitalization contribute to sustainable agricultural transformation in Africa?","authors":"Evelyne Njuguna ,&nbsp;Thomas Daum ,&nbsp;Regina Birner ,&nbsp;John Mburu","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104180","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104180","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>CONTEXT</h3><div>The development of smallholder agriculture in Africa faces numerous challenges. While digitalization is seen as a transformative opportunity for the continent's agricultural sector, there is limited empirical evidence on the effectiveness and impact of digital tools for smallholder farmers. This study examines the landscape of digital agriculture in Kenya, often called Africa's <em>“Silicon Savannah,”</em> to assess the current state and potential of these tools.</div></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><div>The study seeks to answer two key questions:</div><div>1. To what extent can digital solutions for agriculture in Africa leverage the latest technological developments?</div><div>2. To what extent can these digital solutions effectively address the challenges faced by smallholder farmers?</div></div><div><h3>METHODS</h3><div>We developed a novel classification framework to categorize digital agricultural tools based on their physical attributes and analytical capabilities. A comprehensive stocktaking approach mapped digital tools across Kenya's agricultural value chains. Additionally, a literature review explored potential impact pathways through which digital tools can transform African agriculture, drawing on existing studies related to Kenya.</div></div><div><h3>RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS</h3><div>The findings reveal that the number of digital tools available to smallholder farmers has tripled over the past decade, with a peak in new digital start-ups in 2016, followed by a slowdown. There is a shift from <em>“generic”</em> tools—focused on low-cost information exchange—toward <em>“farm-specific”</em> tools, offering tailored advisory services based on manual data input or sensor-generated data. Generic tools remain limited to information sharing, while farm-specific tools are increasingly using diagnostic, predictive, and prescriptive capabilities, supported by satellite imagery and sensors.</div><div>The analysis indicates digital tools can enhance farmers' knowledge and access to inputs, services, and markets, boosting productivity and income. However, there is limited evidence on their effects on food security, environmental sustainability, and climate resilience. Due to the heterogeneity of tools and evaluation methods, there is a lack of quantifiable, attributable evidence on their full impact.</div></div><div><h3>SIGNIFICANCE</h3><div>This review highlights the crucial role of digital tools in overcoming agricultural challenges in Africa. By assessing these tools' capabilities, the study identifies significant advancements in sensor technologies and data analytics for smallholder farming. The findings underscore areas of high impact and untapped potential, calling for further research on their long-term effects on agricultural outcomes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"222 ","pages":"Article 104180"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2024-11-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142653369","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":"Capturing the effects of flower strips on natural pest control in agronomic land use models","authors":"Christian Sponagel ,&nbsp;Ana Klinnert ,&nbsp;Rui Catarino ,&nbsp;Caetano Luiz Beber ,&nbsp;Edoardo Baldoni ,&nbsp;Ana-Luisa Barbosa ,&nbsp;Felix Witte ,&nbsp;Enno Bahrs ,&nbsp;Thomas Fellmann","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104176","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104176","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><div>Given policy objectives for pesticide reduction, functional biodiversity is increasingly important for agricultural production. However, economic land use optimisation models rarely account for the interplay between agricultural production and functional biodiversity, like natural pest control (NPC).</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>We present and discuss an approach to consider feedback effects between NPC and agricultural production in a geodata-based farm economic land use model.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The geodata-based land use model PALUD was extended to incorporate interactions between NPC and crop yields. This included linking a generic NPC model, based on semi-natural habitats, with an econometric approach to estimate yield gaps as a function of NPC potential. As a case study, the model was then applied to the German state Brandenburg, using permanent flower strips as example to promote NPC. Here, we analysed the impacts of enhancing NPC potential on food production and gross margins from arable land use.</div></div><div><h3>Results and conclusions</h3><div>Our analysis revealed that a higher level of NPC through flower strips improved gross margins. by up to 6.4 % and crop production by up to 1.2 % within a pesticide-free environment in Brandenburg. Despite inherent limitations and uncertainties of the approach, our study provides a pivotal advancement in integrating NPC into economic land use models. Future refinements incorporating more detailed knowledge on context-specific interactions between crops, pests and predators will improve model robustness. Our approach and case study results provide valuable insights for policy-making on tailored sustainable landscape development and serve as a foundation for future modelling efforts.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>To our knowledge the interaction between NPC and crop yields has not yet been integrated into any geospatially based economic land use model before. Incorparating these interactions is vital for guiding policies towards sustainable agricultural systems. In this respect it is important to develop and discuss further methodological approaches.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"222 ","pages":"Article 104176"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2024-11-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142653218","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":"Integrated crop-livestock farms have higher topsoil nitrogen and carbon than crop-only farms in Chilean Mediterranean climate volcanic soils","authors":"Leah L.R. Renwick ,&nbsp;Ayleen Celedón ,&nbsp;Francisco Nájera ,&nbsp;Juan-Pablo Fuentes Espoz ,&nbsp;Daniela Celedón ,&nbsp;Claudia Arellano ,&nbsp;Osvaldo Salazar","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104172","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104172","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><div>Crop-livestock reintegration could reduce the environmental footprint of decoupled crop and livestock production related to biogeochemical cycles. Previous experiments showed that replacing fallow periods in annual crop rotations with grazed cover crops increases total nitrogen (N) and organic carbon (SOC), based on topsoil sampling and stocks compared by equivalent soil depth. Stock comparisons based on topsoil sampling or equivalent soil depth, rather than whole-profile sampling or equivalent soil mass, can erroneously report stock gains that have not occurred. Evidence of crop-livestock integration effects on commercial farms is needed.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study assessed on-farm if winter grass forages and beef cattle grazing in annual crop rotations lead to greater soil total N and SOC to a soil depth of 1 m.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We sampled soil at eight paired commercial fields, four integrated crop-livestock (ICL) fields with grazed or ungrazed winter forage (annual ryegrass, oat) in the crop rotation (cereals, grain legumes, industrial crops), and four neighboring fields with winter fallow in the rotation, in volcanic soils in Ñuble Region, central-southern Chile, in fall 2022 and 2023. In each field, 10 soil cores were sampled from a 1 ha plot and separated into four depth layers (0–15 cm, 15–30 cm, 30–60 cm, and 60–100 cm). We quantified soil total N and SOC concentrations and stocks, on an equivalent soil mass basis, and soil texture throughout the soil profile.</div></div><div><h3>Results and conclusions</h3><div>ICL sites had 10 % higher total N (+0.05 % N) and 8 % higher SOC concentrations (+0.5 % SOC) compared to paired non-ICL sites in the top 15 cm soil layer. The topsoil layer at ICL sites had 11 % higher N (+0.37 Mg N ha⁻¹) and 9 % higher SOC (+3.9 Mg SOC ha⁻¹) stocks, based on an equivalent soil mass. Cumulative stocks below 15 cm to a depth of 1 m were similar between ICL and non-ICL sites. Across the 1 m soil profile, 52 % and 53 % of N and SOC stocks were below 30 cm depth.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>We provided on-farm evidence suggesting that integrating non-leguminous winter forages and grazing into annual crop rotations can retain N and store SOC in topsoil, with relevance to land managers and decision-makers who seek to build soil fertility and health through biodiversity and reduce N fertilizer use, though further research is recommended. Sampling soil to at least 60 cm depth can help capture management effects on N and SOC and quantify deeper N retention and SOC storage.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"222 ","pages":"Article 104172"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2024-11-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142653150","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":"Production viability index for annual agricultural crops","authors":"Fernanda Laurinda Valadares Ferreira ,&nbsp;Lineu Neiva Rodrigues","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104173","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104173","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>CONTEXT</h3><div>In the face of intensifying challenges for sustainable food production, well-planned agricultural development is crucial to mitigate climate impacts and manage blue water demands. Tools and methodologies that support public policy for sustainable regional growth are essential, especially in regions lacking hydroclimatic data, which complicates the use of simulation models for efficient water management. An effective tool should identify areas most suitable for rainfed and irrigated agriculture, optimizing planting dates, crop types, and rotations.</div></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><div>To develop an index to assess the most suitable areas, inside regions, for developing rainfed and irrigated annual crops.</div></div><div><h3>METHODS</h3><div>The proposed Production Viability Index (PVI) combines ISDIA (Irrigated Agriculture Suitability Indicator) and ISDRA (Rainfed Agriculture Suitability Indicator) to represent suitability for irrigated and rainfed agriculture. Each indicator comprises five sub-indicators reflecting plant characteristics, soil, climate, and water availability in crop production. A Python routine was developed to calculate the PVI, which was then used to assess soybean production suitability across 204 million hectares in Brazil's Cerrado (Brazilian savannah), the country's second-largest biome. Three planting dates (September 15, October 15, and November 15) were simulated, evaluating the Cerrado's suitability and identifying the best planting date per area.</div></div><div><h3>RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS</h3><div>The PVI for Annual Crops proves to be a valuable tool for agricultural planning, enabling the identification of areas with varying suitability for sustainable agricultural development. Based on factors such as climate, soil, plant characteristics, and water availability, the PVI is not intended to determine if a crop can be produced in a specific area but rather to identify locations with greater cultivation potential across different periods and crop types. Results highlight suitability variations throughout the months, underscoring the need for dynamic planning that accounts for seasonality and regional characteristics. Consequently, the PVI significantly supports managers and agricultural planners in developing adaptive strategies, maximizing agricultural productivity and resilience across diverse agro-ecological contexts.</div></div><div><h3>SIGNIFICANCE</h3><div>This work's primary contribution is the development of an index to classify areas within regions based on rainfed and irrigated agriculture potential, relying on basic, accessible data sets for soil, climate, water, and plant information. These findings aid planners in identifying the most suitable areas for sustainable agricultural expansion, enhancing annual crop production while mitigating water use conflicts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"222 ","pages":"Article 104173"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2024-11-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142653217","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":"Agronomic and economic effects of wetlands on crop yields using precision agriculture data","authors":"Liam Boldt ,&nbsp;Patrick Lloyd-Smith ,&nbsp;Ken Belcher ,&nbsp;John Pattison-Williams ,&nbsp;Gary Bergen ,&nbsp;Katelyn Blechinger ,&nbsp;Ian Paulson","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104169","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104169","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>CONTEXT</h3><div>Wetland drainage has become an increasingly important conservation issue in the Prairie Pothole region of North America. Financial incentives for annual crop production have driven wetland drainage for decades, and the removal of wetlands has detrimentally impacted key wetland ecosystem services such as wildlife habitat and carbon sequestration. Past studies which model the farmer's decision to drain wetlands often operate on the assumption that drained wetlands will produce similar yields to upland regions of the field.</div></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><div>Our objective is to estimate the effects of wetlands and their buffer zones on crop yields, farm financial performance, and incentives for wetland drainage in the Prairie Pothole Region.</div></div><div><h3>METHODS</h3><div>We combine precision yield data and detailed wetland mapping data from 36 fields in the Black and Dark Brown soil zones of Saskatchewan, Canada to estimate the agronomic impacts of wetlands and their buffer areas on crop yields. Then, we incorporate these yield effects into a farm accounting model with three wetland drainage scenarios to estimate the annual per cultivated acre net benefits of wetland drainage in the study area, and compare these results to those estimated without wetland yield effects.</div></div><div><h3>RESULTS</h3><div>We find that yields in wetland basins are relatively lower than the field's average yield, with substantial variability with respect to crop type, soil zone, and annual precipitation. Wetland drainage can mitigate these yield effects, but yields in drained wetland basins still fail to meet the field average yield. These yield effects can extend more than 50 m beyond the wetland boundary. We find that these effects substantially impact the net benefits of wetland drainage. The returns from wetland drainage increase when yield effects are considered. On average, full wetland drainage within the study area increases net benefits by $17 to $33 per cultivated acre relative to full wetland restoration.</div></div><div><h3>SIGNIFICANCE</h3><div>The results demonstrate the importance of considering wetland and buffer zone yield effects in wetland drainage decisions, improve our understanding of wetland costs, and potentially inform policy development and the design of incentives for wetland conservation in agricultural landscapes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"222 ","pages":"Article 104169"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2024-11-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142593538","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":"Improved manure management moves trade-off and synergy relationships among environmental indicators in desirable directions","authors":"Qingbo Qu ,&nbsp;Jeroen C.J. Groot ,&nbsp;Keqiang Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104170","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104170","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>CONTEXT</h3><div>Dairy production systems with a high stocking density are strongly dependent on external feed resources and concentrate nutrients in manure on a small surface area, thus causing environmental challenges. Both improved manure management and integration of crop-dairy production have been proposed as ways to reduce nutrient losses and improve sustainability of intensive dairy production. However, the potential interactive relationships between these two options are rarely investigated.</div></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><div>This study aimed to investigate how different manure management technologies influence nutrient losses at manure management and farm levels and how manure management impacts farm multi-objective optimization results for more integrated crop-dairy production.</div></div><div><h3>METHODS</h3><div>A whole farm model (FarmDESIGN) extended with a manure management module (FarmM3) was used to simulate an intensive mixed crop-dairy farm with a herd of 66 cows and 9.6 ha of crop area. The optimization aimed to improve farm environmental performance, increase feed self-sufficiency and food production.</div></div><div><h3>RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS</h3><div>The results showed that individual manure management technologies were insufficient to reduce nitrogen (N) losses from manure management chains due to compensatory losses, whereas combinations of slurry solid-liquid separation, covered storage of solid and liquid fractions, and improved manure application could remarkably reduce N losses by 46 to 58 % and increase manure N use efficiencies by more than 30 %. Improved manure management did not influence total N losses at farm level without decreasing livestock density. Multi-objective optimization showed that improved manure management did not eliminate trade-offs or synergies among objectives but did affect the positions and the slopes of the solution frontiers between objectives. Differences between solution frontiers of alternative farm configurations in terms of N volatilization, soil N losses and soil organic matter (OM) balance indicated that manure management chains (MMCs) could be designed effectively to optimize these objectives.</div></div><div><h3>SIGNIFICANCE</h3><div>This study confirmed the value of improved manure management and integrated crop-dairy production in reducing N losses and improving farm nutrient use efficiency. For intensive dairy farms with limited land availability, future studies should focus on recoupling crop and dairy production at regional scales to create more sustainable and resilient food production systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"222 ","pages":"Article 104170"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2024-11-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142593537","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":"Integrating agricultural land suitability and farmers' perception on crop selection in a water-stressed region of eastern India","authors":"Md Hasanur Jaman ,&nbsp;Subha Roy ,&nbsp;Jaya Chatterjee ,&nbsp;Souvik Das ,&nbsp;Prakash Mistri ,&nbsp;Somasis Sengupta","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104171","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104171","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>CONTEXT</h3><div>The choice of crops for cultivation should be ideally based on the appropriateness of a specific parcel of land for a particular crop. This is a multi-criteria problem associated with a host of natural conditioning variables including topography, climate and pedology. However, in a country like India, where agriculture is often traditional and subsistence-based, the farmers' choice of crop selection is usually influenced by numerous factors and therefore, may not be explained solely by the spatial variation in the agricultural land suitability.</div></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><div>This study is an attempt to understand the intricacies involved in the farmers' selection of crops by integrating the dual aspects of agricultural land suitability and the farmers' understanding of the land. The Kumari River Basin in eastern India has been selected for this study. This area is characterized by acute scarcity of water.</div></div><div><h3>METHODS</h3><div>The basic methodology involved extracting systematic information on conditional factors such as topography, climate and soil. After normalizing different parameters by the Fuzzy Membership Function, a reiterative Principal Component Analysis modified Analytical Hierarchy Process was applied to these conditional rasters to derive an index of agricultural land suitability of the studied basin. Furthermore, the crop-specific suitability of paddy and maize was also considered by employing the Boolean Logic.</div></div><div><h3>RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS</h3><div>It is observed that the lower domain of the Kumari Basin is characterized by greater land suitability as compared to the upper and middle domains and the most important factors behind this distribution include slope, potential evapotranspiration and soil fertility. Crop-specific land suitability suggests that, by and large, the suitability of maize is greater than that of paddy in the basin, except for the lower domain where paddy is more suitable to cultivate. However, a study of the perception of the local farmers reveals that although they are aware of this fact, they prefer paddy over maize and are more inclined towards cultivating paddy. The chief reasons cited by them include the high demand for paddy in the area and the absence of a Minimum Support Price for maize.</div></div><div><h3>SIGNIFICANCE</h3><div>This study is possibly an instance where the agricultural land suitability analysis has been substantiated by a field-based perception survey of the farmers which is expected to help in understanding the complexities of crop selection in this part of India.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"222 ","pages":"Article 104171"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2024-11-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142573264","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}