Agricultural Systems最新文献

{"title":"Evaluating the sustainability of tillage and cover crop management practices in regenerative organic agriculture using life cycle assessment-based emergy analysis","authors":"Qiliang Huang ,&nbsp;Yingting Gong ,&nbsp;Ratih Kemala Dewi ,&nbsp;Peiran Li ,&nbsp;Xiaolong Wang ,&nbsp;Rahmatullah Hashimi ,&nbsp;Masakazu Komatsuzaki","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104414","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104414","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><div>Organic farming is widely regarded as a key strategy for achieving sustainable development in agriculture, with its sustainability closely linked to the management practices employed. Assessing the sustainability of organic cropping systems under varying management practices is essential to identify and promote the most sustainable options.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study investigated the effects of tillage and cover crop management on the efficiency and sustainability of a regenerative organic cropping system. It aimed to determine the most suitable combination of tillage and cover crop management for achieving high sustainability.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Three tillage methods—moldboard plowing (MP), no-tillage (NT), and rotary tillage (RT)—and two cover crop strategies—fallow (FA) and rye (RY)—were evaluated in an organic soybean system. Sustainability was assessed using emergy evaluation based on life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. Soil organic matter and inorganic nutrients were included in the emergy accounting.</div></div><div><h3>Results and conclusions</h3><div>The NT system significantly reduced nonrenewable inputs by 44.0 % and 8.2 % compared to MP and RT, respectively, though it resulted in a yield reduction of 26.9 % and 26.7 %. However, RY management mitigated this reduction, with NT-RY achieving 38.6 % higher yields compared to NT-FA. NT-RY also increased soil organic matter and potassium by 53.5 %, leading to higher total system output. NT-RY demonstrated the highest production efficiency, with the lowest unit emergy value (UEV = 3.32E + 05 sej J⁻¹). The emergy sustainability index of NT was 4.5 % and 1.3 % higher than MP and RT, respectively, while RY further enhanced ESI across the system.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>LCA-based emergy evaluation is a powerful tool for comparing the sustainability of agricultural management practices. These findings identify NT-RY as a promising approach for advancing sustainable development in organic farming, offering valuable insights for organic growers striving to enhance agricultural sustainability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"229 ","pages":"Article 104414"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144239847","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":"What does the dairy farming bring to the desertified soil? A case study","authors":"Zixi Han ,&nbsp;Jianfei Zeng ,&nbsp;Xu Zhao ,&nbsp;Yanyan Dong ,&nbsp;Yongsong Mu ,&nbsp;Sha Wei ,&nbsp;Yong Hou ,&nbsp;Ziyu Han","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104405","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104405","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>CONTEXT</h3><div>The improvement and utilization of desertified soil are essential for global food security. Advances in modern agricultural technology have made it possible to conduct dairy farming on desertified soils.</div></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><div>To clarify the process of desertified soil improvement through a crop and livestock integration agricultural model, and further elucidate the carbon foot print (CF) during this process by a case study.</div></div><div><h3>METHOD</h3><div>A 15-year study (2008–2023) was conducted on a crop and livestock integration dairy farm to assess soil improvement. Life cycle assessment methodology was employed to analyze the changes in the CF with the increased production capacity of the farm.</div></div><div><h3>RESULT AND CONCLUSIONS</h3><div>The results revealed the following from 2008 to 2023: (1) soil production increased dramatically, (2) soil organic matter, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, and available potassium improved by 174.7 %, 55.8 %, 241.2 %, and 180.1 %, respectively, (3) unaggregated soil decreased from 77.06 % to 32.03 %, while bulk density decreased from 1.73 to 1.36, and (4) the CF of fat- and protein-corrected milk (FPCM) decreased from 39.72 kg CO₂-eq kg⁻¹ in 2012 to 2.59 kg CO₂-eq kg⁻¹ in 2020, followed by 35 % increase from 2020 to 2023.</div></div><div><h3>SIGNIFICANCE</h3><div>This study has significant implications for developing sustainable dairy farming systems in desertified areas, focusing on soil productivity improvement and CF reduction.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"229 ","pages":"Article 104405"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144223368","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":"Pathways towards Net Zero emissions in grain cropping farms","authors":"Zhihao Tan ,&nbsp;Peter de Voil ,&nbsp;Jiongchao Zhao ,&nbsp;Dongxue Zhao ,&nbsp;Hamish McGowan ,&nbsp;Liujun Xiao ,&nbsp;Daniel Rodriguez","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104401","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104401","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;CONTEXT&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Markets and society increasingly demand food production systems that better balance production, profits, and environmental outcomes. Alternative pathways towards achieving NetZero emissions in grain cropping farms can be expected to have benefits and trade-offs across the multiple dimensions of sustainable agriculture, e.g., profits, environment, society and risks.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;OBJECTIVES&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;To (i) incorporate capabilities in a whole-farm model to simulate cradle-to-farm gate boundary greenhouse gas emissions, (ii) use a whole-farm model to estimate trade-offs between pathways towards NetZero on three case study farms of Queensland Australia under historical and expected future climate scenarios, and (iii) analyse the influence of site conditions across the main grain growing regions of Queensland Australia on GHG emissions, gross margin (GM), risks, and the need for offsets.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;METHODS&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Using expert consultations and literature analysis we parameterised the whole farm modelling framework APSFarm NextGen and quantified NetZero pathways for grain farms. The model was used to simulate six farm management strategies, including (i) opportunistic, (ii) rigid, (iii) conventional high input strategy, (iv) conservation, (v) agroecology, and (vi) a NetZero approach that used afforestation as an offset. Historical climate (1970–2019), and 2021–2070 climate projections were used together with three Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP): SSP126, SSP245, and SSP585. We assessed site conditions i.e., soil and climate, on gross margin, downside risks, and GHG emissions.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;The mitigation strategies tested here reduced GHG emission intensities but wouldn't achieve Net Zero emissions. Across three case study sites, between 4 % and 14 % of the farm area would need to be afforested to achieve NetZero. NetZero strategies showed, on average, 10.5 % lower GM than the baseline strategies (opportunistic and rigid strategy). This economic impact is equivalent to 2.98 Australian Carbon Credit Units, based on Q1 2024 prices. Under future climate scenarios, achieving NetZero farms will require larger afforestation areas. Environmental factors influenced the outputs: GHG emissions were positively correlated with mean air temperatures, annual precipitation, and soil bulk density. As expected, GM was positively correlated with an aridity index i.e., higher GM in wetter environments. Downside risk, i.e., the probability of achieving a negative return, was negatively correlated with aridity index, i.e., lower risks in wetter environments.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;SIGNIFICANCE&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Achieving NetZero in Australia's grain farms is likely to require offsetting emissions and factoring in lower profits. Model outputs could be used to inform expected trade-offs between economic and environmental outcomes in agriculture's pathways towards NetZero. The APSFarm NextGen model can ","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"229 ","pages":"Article 104401"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144203841","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":"Analyzing the factors driving the adaptability and robustness of mixed ruminant herds in grassland systems","authors":"T. Puech ,&nbsp;F. Stark ,&nbsp;R. Sabatier","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104371","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104371","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>CONTEXT</h3><div>Diversified systems that work to agroecology principles are a pathway worth exploring. However, the complexity of these systems and their high dependency on environmental conditions creates issues around the methods needed to assess them and the proxies needed to design them.</div></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><div>The aim of this article is to characterize the robustness and adaptability of mixed herds in the face of environmental hazards. It also aims to identify the structural drivers (herd size and composition) of these two properties.</div></div><div><h3>METHODS</h3><div>Here we used the viability theory modelling approach calibrated on data from a long-term experiment to investigate the adaptability and robustness of mixed ruminant herds to meteorological and economic hazards, and their structural drivers. We applied our model to grass-based dairy-cattle and suckler-sheep herds.</div></div><div><h3>RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS</h3><div>Results show that expected economic constraint is a determinant factor in the shape and composition of viable herds. Herd size and proportion of adult cattle in the herd are drivers of robustness in situations of uncertainty. The results also show that mixed herds are particularly valuable in situations with low economic requirements, especially in terms of herd adaptability to environmental hazards.</div></div><div><h3>SIGNIFICANCE</h3><div>Our results are consistent with existing mixed systems in western Europe but call for a change in the scale of analysis to include farm-level dynamics, associated management practices (land-use trade-offs, forage management, etc.) and uncertainties. This work questions the specialization of livestock farms and public policies to support agroecological transition and emergency aid for farmers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"228 ","pages":"Article 104371"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144154804","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":"Towards an improved representation of the relationship between root traits and nitrogen losses in process-based models","authors":"Huan Liu ,&nbsp;Brian B. Grant ,&nbsp;Ward N. Smith ,&nbsp;Cheryl H. Porter ,&nbsp;Davide Cammarano ,&nbsp;Iris Vogeler ,&nbsp;Gerrit Hoogenboom ,&nbsp;Johannes W.M. Pullens ,&nbsp;Jørgen E. Olesen ,&nbsp;Marco Bindi ,&nbsp;Mikhail A. Semenov ,&nbsp;Per Abrahamsen ,&nbsp;Reimund P. Rötter ,&nbsp;Uttam Kumar ,&nbsp;Diego Abalos","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104400","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104400","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>CONTEXT</h3><div>Nitrogen (N) application to crops is crucial to feed an increasing world population. Yet, much of this N is not taken up by crops, initiating a cascade of N losses with dire environmental and economic consequences. There is, therefore, a need to develop crops with traits that make them use N more efficiently, thereby reducing N losses. Process-based models have been used to design in-silico crops with desirable traits to maximize yield and increase climate resiliency, but few have been used with the perspective of reducing N losses.</div></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><div>To examine the way process-based models capture interactions between root traits and N losses, and propose opportunities to improve model representation of observed relationships.</div></div><div><h3>METHODS</h3><div>We synthesize the current knowledge on the relationships between plant traits and N losses based on experiments reported in the literature, conduct a survey of process-based models simulating crop growth and N losses, and run a sensitivity analysis with selected models (DSSAT, APSIM, DNDCvCAN, Daisy).</div></div><div><h3>RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS</h3><div>The results show that the relationships between root traits and N losses can be very strong in experiments, but model simulations do not capture the magnitude of these associations well. This is mainly due to the lack of a robust representation of the plant root mechanisms influencing N losses. Suggested model improvements include designing new functions to link root traits with key N-cycling processes supported by experimental evidence – such as root exudation of various compounds including biological nitrification inhibitors – and using easily observable morphological traits in process-based models as proxies to predict changes induced by plants on N-cycling by soil microbial communities.</div></div><div><h3>SIGNIFICANCE</h3><div>This work represents a key step towards designing novel root function-based ideotypes adapted to reduced fertilizer inputs while maintaining the same level of yield, and that is, therefore, potentially less harmful to the environment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"228 ","pages":"Article 104400"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144154805","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":"Agency and behavior change in agricultural research for development: New directions for guiding agri-food system transformations","authors":"Sarah Freed ,&nbsp;Rachel C. Voss ,&nbsp;Thomas Falk ,&nbsp;Anne M. Rietveld ,&nbsp;Véronique Alary ,&nbsp;Vimbayi G.P. Chimonyo ,&nbsp;Aymen Frija ,&nbsp;Nadia Guettou-Djurfeldt ,&nbsp;Guillaume Lestrelin ,&nbsp;Sonali Singh ,&nbsp;Aurillia Manjella Ndiwa ,&nbsp;Taurai Zingwena","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104399","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104399","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>CONTEXT</h3><div>Agri-food system transformations require change across sectors and actors within the system. Initiatives contributing to these changes need to connect system change processes to individual and collective agency and behaviors.</div></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><div>We propose a conceptual framework on agency and behavior change for transforming agri-food systems (ACT framework). ACT emphasizes agri-food system actors' behaviors with attention to their power, agency, and the influence of structural agri-food system elements. Researchers can apply ACT to assess an initiative's contributions to changes in system elements through individual and collective behaviors.</div></div><div><h3>METHODS</h3><div>We conducted literature reviews and key informant interviews for 29 initiative case studies. Using ACT, we identified patterns in terms of initiatives' targeted actors, behaviors, and the factors shaping actors' agency and behavior. We then applied ACT in an initiative in Zimbabwe to develop a theory of change that links behavior change pathways with broader systems transformation.</div></div><div><h3>RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS</h3><div>The reviewed initiatives focused heavily on shaping producers' behavior through knowledge transfer, less often considering other actors and structural challenges and opportunities. Key informants frequently reported enablers and impediments to achieve initiative outcomes that were associated with structural system elements. Few were able to articulate their initiative's theory of change and underlying assumptions.</div></div><div><h3>SIGNIFICANCE</h3><div>ACT can support a more diverse and theory-based exploration of agri-food system initiatives' target actors, behaviors, and factors shaping behaviors. Development professionals can apply the ACT framework to design more effective TOCs that attend to diverse actor groups and leverage the factors influencing these actors' agency and behaviors.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"228 ","pages":"Article 104399"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144131347","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":"Peri-urban ammonia emissions in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei decrease with restructuring of China's livestock industry","authors":"Xiangwen Fan ,&nbsp;Haodan Wang ,&nbsp;Wilfried Winiwarter ,&nbsp;Zhanqing Zhao ,&nbsp;Zhaohai Bai ,&nbsp;Lin Ma","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104396","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104396","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;CONTEXT&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Ammonia (NH&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt;) emissions from livestock production significantly contribute to formation of PM&lt;sub&gt;2.5,&lt;/sub&gt; posing a major environmental concern. Over the past two decades, compared to other regions in China, Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei (BTH) region, has been suffering from high NH&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; emissions due to increased urbanization and resulting intensified agricultural production. Uneven distribution of livestock leads to separation of crop and livestock, resulting in the waste of manure resources and environmental pollution.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;OBJECTIVE&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;This study systematically investigates the 2000–2019 temporal-spatial pattern of NH&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; emissions in the BTH region, with three focuses on: (1) analyzing the spatial distribution of livestock, the efficiency of livestock manure utilization, and the characteristics of NH&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; emissions; (2) elucidating impact of restructuring livestock industry on NH&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; emissions; (3) developing scenarios analysis to propose potential optimization pathways for reducing livestock NH&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; emissions.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;METHODS&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;We utilized the NUFER model to analyze livestock NH&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; emissions in the BTH region. The distribution of livestock was further elucidated through a panel analysis, which identified key factors shaping their spatial arrangement. Scenarios analysis (S1: coupling crop and livestock, S2: spatial planning) was applied to explore optimization pathways of reducing NH&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; emission.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;The study reveals an initial increasing trend in livestock NH&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; emissions, peaking in 2015 at 511 kt NH&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt;, followed by a sharp decline to 401 kt NH&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; in 2019. Spatially, emission hotspots concentrated in the northeastern BTH region. Based on restructuring of China's livestock industry, the number of livestock started to decrease in areas designated as “urban sprawl” or for “ecological protection”, while the number of livestock in other land (land except those for urban sprawl and ecological protection) increased. The livestock moving outside of functional areas (urban sprawl areas and ecological protection area) has triggered a corresponding displacement of NH&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; emission to non-functional areas (the other land) where population density was low. Scenario simulations demonstrate that optimized scenarios S1 and S2 achieved an increase in the recycling rate of manure nitrogen to 51 % and 52 %, reducing NH&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; emissions by 200,000 and 240,000 tons. Optimizing the livestock distribution can increase the rate of manure returning to the field by enhanced coupling of crop and livestock.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;SIGNIFICANCE&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;This study significantly advances our understanding of NH&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; emissions dynamics, providing critical insights into the spatial-temporal patterns and key drivers of NH&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; emission. By propos","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"228 ","pages":"Article 104396"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144106745","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":"Learning from positive deviants' practices to improve the performance of mixed crop-livestock systems in Zimbabwe","authors":"Eleanor Florence Mutsamba-Magwaza ,&nbsp;Frédéric Baudron ,&nbsp;Angelinus C. Franke ,&nbsp;Elmarie Van Der Watt ,&nbsp;Isaiah Nyagumbo","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104397","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104397","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>CONTEXT</h3><div>In Zimbabwe, farm productivity of smallholder farmers practising mixed crop-livestock farming is hindered by climate variability, inadequate nutritious feeds, poor soil fertility, and resource trade-offs. Despite these challenges, positive deviants (PDs) within these communities achieve better outcomes using resources similar to those of other farmers.</div></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><div>This study sought to identify crop-livestock practices that enable PDs to outperform low-efficiency farms (LEFs) and to compare their farm productivity (energy output), nutrient quantities added to croplands, gross margins and return on investment (ROI) from crop production.</div></div><div><h3>METHODS</h3><div>Data from a survey conducted in Mutoko and Buhera districts of Zimbabwe in 2021 were used to derive a farm typology per district and identify PDs and LEFs within farm types. Selected farms were subjected to detailed surveys to identify their specific practices.</div></div><div><h3>RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS</h3><div>Compared to LEFs, PD farmers achieved significantly greater crop productivity — by 86 %, 89 % and 28 % — and livestock productivity — by 156 %, 101 % and 136 % on better-off, average and poorly-resourced farms, respectively. PDs had larger cropping areas (on average 42 % more) and owned more livestock (39 % more TLUs) than LEFs, but this does not fully explain differences in productivity.</div><div>PDs used more inputs (fertilizer, labour and others) for crop production than LEFs and added more carbon and nitrogen to their soils. In both districts, PDs consistently outperformed LEFs in gross margins and ROI. The differences in economic performance between PDs and LEFs were more pronounced among the better-off farmers.</div><div>Key practices contributing to PDs' success included recommended fertilizer use, timely operations, livestock supplementary feeding, fodder production, and adherence to extension advice. Financial shortages for the purchase of seeds, fertilizers, and veterinary drugs and poor access to information are potential hindrances to the adoption of PD practices by LEF farmers.</div></div><div><h3>SIGNIFICANCE</h3><div>The combination of a farm typology and the PD approach helped to tailor recommendations to farms differing in resource-endowment, based on successful practices implemented in the region.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"228 ","pages":"Article 104397"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144099415","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":"Changes in cropping systems associated with biogas plants in French cereal-growing areas","authors":"Léa Boros ,&nbsp;Marco Carozzi ,&nbsp;Sophie Carton ,&nbsp;Sabine Houot ,&nbsp;Philippe Martin ,&nbsp;Florent Levavasseur","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104387","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104387","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>CONTEXT</h3><div>Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a process that produces a renewable gas (biogas) and an organic fertilizer (digestate). Energy cover crops, grown between two main crops, are expected to become the predominant AD feedstock in France and other European countries, potentially reshaping cropping systems and agricultural practices. However, farming systems linked to AD remain understudied, potentially leading to AD assessments disconnected from actual farming practices.</div></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><div>Our aim was to address this gap by characterizing the cropping system changes in French farms associated with biogas plants mainly relying on energy cover crops in cereal-growing regions and to discuss the differences with agricultural practices usually considered in AD assessments.</div></div><div><h3>METHODS</h3><div>We conducted interviews on 33 farms in French cereal-growing regions between late 2020 and 2023 to characterize changes in cropping systems of non-livestock farms associated with AD. The interview guide covered general farm and biogas plant information, main crop and energy cover crop management, farm-scale fertilization and digestate management. Land cover changes before and after AD were considered, as well as the calculation of a simplified farm-scale nutrient (N, P and K) balance.</div></div><div><h3>RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS</h3><div>Key findings revealed that energy cover crops were grown on an average of 30 % of farm surfaces each year. They were generally treated with pesticides, and irrigated on half of the surveyed farms when cultivated in summer. Their introduction implied significant reductions in surfaces of crops with longer growing periods, such as wheat and rapeseed, while the surface of barley, maize and other cereal crops increased. Yield losses of −10 % to −40 % in main crops following winter energy cover crops were reported by 39 % of respondents, who mainly attributed them to delayed sowing dates of summer crops, resulting in a shorter growth period. Potential fertilizer savings achievable through digestate application varied across farms and were positively correlated with the proportion of agro-industrial byproducts in the digester.</div></div><div><h3>SIGNIFICANCE</h3><div>This study provides the first description of agricultural practices of non-livestock farms with AD based mainly on energy cover crops in cereal-growing regions. It highlights discrepancies between observed practices and those considered in AD assessments. Future local or national assessments of AD should account for actual on-farm practices, evaluating the impacts of climate change and the potential water scarcity on cropping systems with AD. This is necessary to mitigate any adverse effects resulting from the energy transition.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"228 ","pages":"Article 104387"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144090286","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":"Assessing Saskatchewan forage production with regard to carbon and nitrogen emissions","authors":"Judson Christopherson,&nbsp;Stuart J. Smyth","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104391","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104391","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>CONTEXT</h3><div>Policy issues in most nations include adapting primary agricultural production to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Commitments have been established through multi-lateral agreements targeting GHG emission reductions to abate climate change impacts. In response to policy initiatives targeted at industries such as agriculture, producers are adopting innovative production methods and technologies to provide environmental services and mitigate emissions. GHG emissions arising from livestock production contribute to a damaging narrative surrounding agriculture, particularly beef production.</div></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><div>The purpose of this study is three-fold, quantifying (a) net emissions,<span><span>²</span></span> (b) changes in practice, and (c) economic outcomes attributed to the forage production facet of cow-calf production.</div></div><div><h3>METHODS</h3><div>The Saskatchewan Forage Production Survey was developed to gather forage management practices data, placing emphasis on land use and land management changes. Canada's whole-farm assessment model, Holos, was applied as a carbon accounting framework to derive the net emissions of the forage production cycle.</div></div><div><h3>RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS</h3><div>Results indicate carbon sequestration increased between the periods of 1991–94 and 2016–19. Gross emissions decreased to a larger degree and net emission results for the forage production facet of the Saskatchewan cow calf sector are −0.123 Mg CO2e/ha/yr in 2016–19.</div></div><div><h3>SIGNIFICANCE</h3><div>Recommendations include the renewal of forage rejuvenation funding programs that may improve forage yields and carbon sequestration potential. Further, the expansion of term conservation easement programs to include non-native forage lands is recommended to incentivize the retention of forage land.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"228 ","pages":"Article 104391"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144099414","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}