Agricultural Systems最新文献

{"title":"Collective action and seed production in Uttar Pradesh, India: A pathway for women's empowerment and community seed security","authors":"Krista Isaacs ,&nbsp;Arena Shelley (Formerly Lewis) ,&nbsp;Walter Simon de Boef","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104595","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104595","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>CONTEXT</h3><div>Seed production and distribution of quality varieties require innovative approaches in order to reach smallholder farmers that are outside of formal distribution networks. Many development interventions aim to empower women and ensure food security. Interventions to achieve both women's empowerment and seed security through community-based seed production may contribute to both goals. Building on many years working to empower women through self-help groups (SHGs), Rajiv Gandhi Mahila Vikas Pariyojana (RGMVP) sought to increase seed security by incorporating a rice and wheat seed production program, in which 800+ women became seed producers.</div></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><div>This study assessed how a layered self-help group/seed production program contributed to women's empowerment and seed security. Specific objectives were to assess: i) how becoming seed producers changed women's resources, agency, and achievement; and ii) women's perspectives on how seed security changed within the community.</div></div><div><h3>METHODS</h3><div>In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 SHG seed producer members and 18 non-seed producer members from Uttar Pradesh, India. Grounded theory and an extensive literature review of empowerment were used to analyze the data for emergent themes. Descriptive summaries were written for each theme to understand trends and note cross-sectional themes.</div></div><div><h3>RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS</h3><div>The seed production program within the SHGs empowered seed-producing women. Their resources, agency, and achievement were positively impacted through collective action. Meaningful choice was introduced through participatory variety selection of rice and wheat varieties, and the actualization of that choice was demonstrated through increased decision-making and seed production. Women reported being more respected for their provision of quality seed, which became available at the community level and beyond for barter or purchase, providing evidence of increased seed security across SHG networks. The integrated seed sector program implemented by RGMVP - where improved foundation seed was multiplied by women seed producers at the local level – served as a mechanism for strengthening the availability and affordability of improved rice and wheat cultivars.</div></div><div><h3>SIGNIFICANCE</h3><div>RGMVP worked with 2 million women members across 40 districts and the seed production program was piloted in just 2 districts. 47,000 farmers gaining access to rice and wheat seed through the program. There are 9 million SHGs in India. With gender responsive community engagement, there is potential for adapting the program to new contexts and generating positive change in women's lives and their households, while enhancing the capacity of the seed sector to support community seed security.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"233 ","pages":"Article 104595"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145787362","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":"Operationalising agroecological diagnosis of vegetable farms to support co-innovation: The MEDITAE framework","authors":"M. Scarlato ,&nbsp;M. Rieppi ,&nbsp;I. Ferreira ,&nbsp;S. Irurueta ,&nbsp;D. Fernández ,&nbsp;F.J.J.A. Bianchi ,&nbsp;W.A.H. Rossing ,&nbsp;S. Dogliotti","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104617","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104617","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>CONTEXT</h3><div>The transition of farm systems towards agroecology requires an understanding of the ecological processes that support agroecosystem functioning. While co-innovation approaches have successfully supported learning for on-farm sustainability transitions, the diagnostic methods do not capture the ecological processes that underpin the functioning of agroecosystems.</div></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><div>We present the MEDITAE framework, co-developed with practitioners to support the characterisation, diagnosis, and agroecological redesign of farm systems based on systemic learning.</div></div><div><h3>METHODS</h3><div>MEDITAE connects socio-ecological processes (nutrient, carbon and water cycling; plant succession and biotic regulation; energy flows; and socio-economic and cultural processes) with management and farm performance. Performance indicators are used to assess agroecosystem functioning, and practice-based indicators assess management practices that may explain performance. We applied MEDITAE to three organic and two conventional case study vegetable farms involved in a co-innovation project in Uruguay.</div></div><div><h3>RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS</h3><div>All farms had a weak performance on nutrient cycling and energy flow processes, providing entry points for farm redesign. Carbon and water cycling achieved good overall performance on two organic farms. The three organic farms demonstrated good overall performance in terms of plant succession and biotic regulation, as well as in socio-economic processes, whereas the conventional farms showed weaker performances. MEDITAE contributed to collective reflections on how socio-ecological processes influenced system performance and how farmers' practices shaped these processes, thereby supporting an agroecological perspective, promoting learning, and empowering farmers to change practices.</div></div><div><h3>SIGNIFICANCE</h3><div>MEDITAE provides a generic framework for the diagnosis phase that connects a systemic farm characterisation to agroecological redesign. Its mechanistic approach facilitates the assessment of policy support for agroecology, strengthens agronomist training, and provides a foundation for inter- and transdisciplinary research.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"233 ","pages":"Article 104617"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145732424","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":"Long-term balanced organic and synthetic nitrogen fertilization can realize sustainable crop production","authors":"Chong Zhang ,&nbsp;Xin Zhang ,&nbsp;Robert M. Rees ,&nbsp;Wim de Vries ,&nbsp;Luis Lassaletta ,&nbsp;Jagdish K. Ladha ,&nbsp;Xiaotang Ju","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2026.104653","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2026.104653","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>CONTEXT</h3><div>Manure recycling to cropland reduces synthetic fertilizer use and nitrogen (N) waste while increasing soil carbon (C) sequestration, which is important for sustainable crop production. However, few studies have systematically integrated long-term N budgets with changes of soil C and N stocks and the greenhouse gas (GHG) balance.</div></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><div>We aim to quantify the long-term responses of crop productivity, changes of soil C and N stock, reactive N losses and the GHG balance to various C and N management practices, thus providing evidence for sustainable crop production.</div></div><div><h3>METHODS</h3><div>We used a 15-year wheat-maize double cropping system in the North China Plain. The experiment included eight fertilization treatments with contrasting C and N management practices. Crop productivity, N losses, changes of soil C and N stock; and the GHG balance were evaluated.</div></div><div><h3>RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS</h3><div>Compared with conventional fertilization with excess synthetic N, long-term balanced organic and synthetic N fertilization (in which N rates were determined using an N balance approach and target N yield, and the rates of synthetic N equal to the difference between above N rate and mineralized N from manure) increases crop yield and N harvest by 8–11%, and soil C and N sequestration by 191–230%, while reducing N inputs by 23%, thus also reducing reactive N losses by 40% and the GHG balance from 59 to −2143 kg CO₂-eq ha⁻¹. Although the N surplus was relatively high in the balanced organic and synthetic N fertilization, it did not cause high N losses but achieved high soil C and N sequestration and crop yield, which were not achieved under the optimum synthetic N fertilization.</div></div><div><h3>SIGNIFICANCE</h3><div>This study emphasizes the benefits of combining organic and synthetic N within an appropriate N management framework, offering a global model for sustainable crop production in croplands. Site-specific adjustments could be necessary when applying these findings to other regions with distinctly different soil or climatic conditions. We should interpret N surplus cautiously because a high N surplus does not necessarily lead to high N losses with manure recycling to croplands.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"233 ","pages":"Article 104653"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146073646","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":"Time is money: Spatially explicit system analysis for rice-wheat cropping systems of Eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains, India","authors":"Maxwell Mkondiwa ,&nbsp;Avinash Kishore ,&nbsp;Sonam Sherpa ,&nbsp;Anton Urfels ,&nbsp;Bhavani Pinjarla ,&nbsp;Virender Kumar ,&nbsp;Panneerselvam Peramaiyan ,&nbsp;Andrew McDonald","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2026.104648","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2026.104648","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>CONTEXT</h3><div>Late sowing of wheat is a major reason for poor yields in eastern India (Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh) due to a shorter growing period, and risk of terminal heat stress. Despite big losses and widespread awareness, late sowing of wheat is widely prevalent in the region. Why? Most wheat is sown after harvesting monsoon rice from the same plot. Later rice harvests interfere with timely wheat sowing.</div></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><div>The aim of the study is to analyse the interdependence between the rice and wheat to optimize crop establishment dates at the cropping systems level for increasing yields, revenues and mitigating risks.</div></div><div><h3>METHODS</h3><div>We collected production practices data from 5021 plots sequentially cultivated with rice and wheat in the State of Bihar and the eastern districts of Uttar Pradesh. We use this unique data to implement a multivariate Bayesian geo-additive model and risk-return optimization framework to determine rice and wheat sowing dates that give the highest risk-adjusted economic gains to farmers.</div></div><div><h3>RESULTS AND CONCLUSION</h3><div>Early transplanting of rice and early sowing of wheat have spatially differentiated yield, revenue, and risk (minimal variance) benefits. We find that early transplanting of rice (between June 20 and July 20) and wheat (between November 1 and November 15) leads to a revenue gain of 5000–10,000 Rs ha⁻¹ (∼62.5–125 US$ ha⁻¹) at minimal risk and no revenue trade-offs (non-negative correlation). Conversely, late transplanting of rice has negative effects on correlation of rice and wheat yields therefore leading to a yield and revenue tradeoff. Evidence of spatially differentiated dependence between rice and wheat yield systems implies that analysing these crops separately may be suboptimal.</div></div><div><h3>SIGNIFICANCE</h3><div>Spatial intelligence on cropping system inter-dependence can help farmers select the appropriate crop management practices (e.g., variety duration, irrigation, fertilizer application) and adjust their sowing dates based on local conditions and constraints, thereby optimizing yields and incomes in the rice-wheat system. It can also help policy makers in implementing spatially differentiated entry points for increasing yields and farm incomes at minimum risks.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"233 ","pages":"Article 104648"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146073731","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":"Regenerative practices reduce global warming impact and intensity of maize systems in north-central Italy","authors":"Tommaso Tadiello ,&nbsp;Diego Armando Arellano Vazquez ,&nbsp;Neville Millar ,&nbsp;Mariarita Cammarata ,&nbsp;Giampaolo Oliviero ,&nbsp;Prateek Sharma ,&nbsp;Michela Gallo ,&nbsp;Adriana Del Borghi ,&nbsp;Bruno Basso","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104587","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104587","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Agriculture significantly contributes to global climate warming, accounting for up to one-third of anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. One of the key strategies to mitigate these emissions is through adopting regenerative agricultural practices. This study quantified the global warming impact (GWI) and its intensity (GWI-I) associated with conventional and regenerative maize production systems in Emilia Romagna in the center of the Po Valley region, Italy. Using detailed field-level producer data and a hybrid quantification framework that combines process-based crop modeling with carbon footprint analysis, we compared a business-as-usual (BAU) management scenario—characterized by intensive tillage, frequent irrigation, and high agrochemical inputs—with six regenerative strategies. Results from the 16 measured sites over four years (2019–2022) showed an average GWI of 5594 kg CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;-eq ha&lt;sup&gt;−1&lt;/sup&gt; yr&lt;sup&gt;−1&lt;/sup&gt; under BAU, primarily driven by GHG emissions from soil organic carbon (SOC) loss and synthetic nitrogen (N) fertilizer inputs. When scaled regionally, regenerative practices substantially reduced GWI and GWI-I, with reductions ranging from 35 % to 87 % compared to BAU. The most climate mitigating management scenario involved a combination of no-tillage, diversified crop rotation, and N rate reduction. These practices enhanced SOC gain by 0.38 Mg C ha&lt;sup&gt;−1&lt;/sup&gt; yr&lt;sup&gt;−1&lt;/sup&gt;, reduced nitrous oxide (N&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;O) emissions by 35 %, while maintaining crop yields. Our findings highlight that adopting regenerative agricultural practices offers climate mitigation potential without sacrificing productivity.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;CONTEXT&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Agriculture is a major contributor to climate change, responsible for up to one-third of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. There is an urgent need to identify scalable strategies that mitigate these emissions without compromising productivity. Regenerative agriculture has emerged as a promising solution, but field-scale data combined with robust modeling approaches are needed to assess its effectiveness.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;OBJECTIVE&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;To quantify the global warming impact (GWI) and its intensity (GWI-I) of conventional (business-as-usual, BAU) versus regenerative maize management practices in the Emilia Romagna region of northern Italy, while identifying the best scenarios that offer the greatest climate mitigation potential without reducing crop yield.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;METHODS&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;We applied a hybrid quantification framework that integrated field-level measurements, carbon footprint (CF) life cycle assessment (LCA) based, and process-based crop modeling (CSM) to evaluate GWI and GWI-I under BAU and six regenerative management scenarios. Data from 16 maize fields over four years (2019–2022) were collected and regionally upscaled to 3509 maize fields using soil datasets. Scenarios included variations in tillage, crop rotation, cover c","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"233 ","pages":"Article 104587"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145645545","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":"Soil health investment and financial performance of crop farms","authors":"Delide Joseph ,&nbsp;Cesar Guareschi ,&nbsp;Jennifer Ifft ,&nbsp;Mathew Sanderson ,&nbsp;Megan Hughes ,&nbsp;Charles Rice","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104601","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104601","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil health investments are promoted for their environmental benefits, but evidence on their financial returns for producers remains limited and mixed. This study examines the relationship between soil health practice adoption and farm profitability, while comparing three classification methods used to measure soil health investment intensity. We combine survey-reported soil health practice data with detailed financial records from 438 Kansas commercial crop farms. Three classification strategies are evaluated: (1) an expert-informed agronomic score grounded in regenerative principles, (2) a rule-based threshold system, and (3) a data-driven k-means clustering approach. We estimate ordinary least squares regressions linking these classifications to the net farm income ratio, controlling for farm and weather variables. Additional analyses explore yield and cost mechanisms, and robustness checks include ordered logit models and continuous treatment of adoption intensity. Only the agronomic score classification shows a statistically significant and positive association with profitability (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05): farms in the high-adoption group earned a 5.6 percentage point higher net farm income ratio than those in the low-adoption group. Other methods showed no significant relationship. The classification method influenced which farms were labeled high adopters, with only 10% consistent across all methods. Soil health practice adoption is modestly associated with improved financial outcomes, but results depend heavily on how adoption is measured. Expert-informed, context-sensitive classification approaches appear more predictive of profitability than rule-based or data-driven alternatives. Directly comparing classification methods to measure soil health investment intensity demonstrates how methodological choices can influence research findings on economic and policy relevance. The study provides actionable insights for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers designing sustainability incentives or certification programs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"233 ","pages":"Article 104601"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145683397","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 climate risk and adaptive strategies for forage production in Brazilian pasture-based livestock under future climate scenarios","authors":"H.B. Brunetti ,&nbsp;I.M. Fattori Junior ,&nbsp;T.S.S. Dias ,&nbsp;M.L.A. de Melo ,&nbsp;P.M. Santos ,&nbsp;J.R.M. Pezzopane ,&nbsp;K.J. Boote ,&nbsp;F.R. Marin","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104615","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104615","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>CONTEXT</h3><div>Brazil hosts the world's largest commercial cattle herd, primarily raised in pasture-based systems that occupy around 164 million ha. Increasing beef production while minimizing environmental impacts is essential. Although climate change is expected to significantly affect global crop yields, comprehensive assessments of its impacts on forage production in Brazil remain scarce.</div></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><div>Evaluate (i) the effects of climate change on forage yield, seasonality, and climate risk for Marandu palisadegrass (<em>Urochloa brizantha</em> cv. BRS Marandu) and Mombaça guineagrass (<em>Megathyrsus maximus</em> cv. BRS Mombaça) by 2050, and (ii) the effectiveness of pasture deferment and forage ensiling as mitigation strategies.</div></div><div><h3>METHODS</h3><div>We used the process-based CROPGRO-Perennial Forage Model (CROPGRO-PFM) driven by 10 Global Circulation Models under SSP2–4.5 and SSP5–8.5 scenarios for the 2035–2065 period, compared to a baseline (1989–2019). For the deferment simulation, pastures were left ungrazed for 75 days preceding the three consecutive months with the lowest herbage accumulation rates (HAR), assuming that 50 % of the accumulated dead material remained available for intake. Ensiling was simulated for 90 days during the three months with the highest HARs, assuming 75 % dry matter recovery, which was subsequently allocated to the three months with the lowest HAR. Both management practices were applied to 30 % of the pasture area.</div></div><div><h3>RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS</h3><div>Results indicate a slight decline in annual forage yield, increased drought stress during winter and spring, and intensified seasonality. Climate risk, however, is projected to decrease as the magnitude and period of drought stress and forage deficits and supply will be more predictable, facilitating feed planning. Deferment (Marandu) and ensiling (Mombaça) were effective in reducing seasonality. Ensiling also reversed projected yield declines, whereas deferment improved yield, though not enough to reverse declines. Projected drought stress may require renewed focus on drought-tolerant cultivars and strategic use of rainy-season surpluses to buffer dry-season deficits.</div></div><div><h3>SIGNIFICANCE</h3><div>This study provides the first robust, multi-model, process-based evaluation of climate change impacts on Brazilian forage systems, offering valuable guidance for breeders, policymakers, and producers aiming to enhance the resilience and sustainability of pasture-based livestock systems under future climate conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"233 ","pages":"Article 104615"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145836967","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":"Modelling the production impacts of scaling up agroforestry systems in England and Wales","authors":"Tom Staton ,&nbsp;Paul J. Burgess ,&nbsp;Anil R. Graves ,&nbsp;Laurence G. Smith","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2026.104651","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2026.104651","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>CONTEXT</h3><div>Land managers and governments face the challenge of using finite land, labour, and financial resources to achieve multiple objectives. Agroforestry, the integration of trees with farming, is promoted as a strategy for achieving multiple policy objectives relating to productivity, climate change and biodiversity. However, regional and national-scale studies validating its effectiveness remain limited.</div></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><div>Our study aimed to model the impacts of scaling up agroforestry on food and fibre production in England and Wales. We developed nine agroforestry scenarios combining three tree types (apple, poplar, and short rotation coppice (SRC) willow) at three planting densities. Each scenario scaled agroforestry to all suitable agricultural land (representing 79% of total agricultural land) as a simple modelling objective, rather than a realistic target.</div></div><div><h3>METHODS</h3><div>We used the well-established Yield-SAFE model to simulate tree-crop/grass interactions at low, medium, and high tree densities, and inputted the resulting yields into the Optimal Land Use Model (OLUM), a linear programming model with the objective of maximising food energy production under defined constraints. The OLUM was validated using baseline data.</div></div><div><h3>RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS</h3><div>Scaling up agroforestry increased domestic supply of tree products, for which the UK is heavily import-dependent. However, this came at the expense of the calorific value of food production, which decreased by 3% to 45%, depending on tree type and density. The largest reductions were observed in arable and vegetable crops, due to reduced area and yields. Ruminant livestock outputs were least affected, supported by increases in grassland area. Timber and apple agroforestry systems were predicted to be more land-efficient than equivalent monocultures (for apples, traditional orchards), based on land equivalent ratios.</div></div><div><h3>SIGNIFICANCE</h3><div>Upscaling agroforestry could reduce import reliance on tree products while contributing to environmental objectives. To minimise reductions in domestic food supply, policymakers should prioritise agroforestry in pasture-based systems and support wider food system changes. Design improvements could lessen trade-offs associated with tree planting in arable systems. Future research should investigate how scaling up agroforestry systems affects greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity, soil, water, and the general resilience of the farmed landscape.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"233 ","pages":"Article 104651"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146110781","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":"The relationship between herbicide resistance and the use of integrated weed management: Is it simply reactive?","authors":"Md. Monirul Islam ,&nbsp;Rick Llewellyn ,&nbsp;Marta Monjardino","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104602","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104602","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>CONTEXT</h3><div>Herbicide resistance (HR) has been a major management challenge and ongoing threat in cropping regions over several decades, particularly in the time since the widespread adoption of no-tillage cropping systems. Despite extensive and severe development of resistance in Australian cropping regions, growers have been able to maintain control of new weed populations by introducing new herbicides and non-herbicide practices. These integrated weed management (IWM) practices have helped farming systems maintain productivity and adapt to changing environmental and agronomic conditions. Earlier studies found that the adoption of these alternative practices was associated with a reaction to the initial development of forms of HR on a farm. Practices include those classified as harvest weed seed control (HWSC) that kill potentially herbicide resistant weed seeds and reduce overall weed seedbank populations without increasing HR selection pressure. A largely unexplored aspect of the socioeconomics of HR management is whether the initial ‘reactive’ adoption of IWM has a ‘preventative’ effect on the further spread or proliferation of resistance development to other herbicides and in other weed species.</div></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><div>To gain a deeper understanding of the farm-scale factors determining the presence of HR, the adoption of IWM practices, and the relationship between IWM use and HR status, we focus on whether initial reactive adoption of IWM has a preventative effect on further resistance development.</div></div><div><h3>METHODS</h3><div>Data from 602 broadacre grain growers across 13 agroecological zones of Australia were analyzed using Ordinary Least Squares and Logistic regressions to assess the extent of IWM practice adoption, while Ordered Logit models were used to capture the diversity of IWM practice use, including HWSC strategies.</div></div><div><h3>RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS</h3><div>Notably, we found that adoption of IWM (including HWSC) was higher in the Western and Southern regions, most likely where HWSC practices can offer greater control on the most common resistant weed types, such as annual ryegrass. There was no evidence to support the argument that IWM use on farms is associated with reduced herbicide use, but there was considerable evidence to show that early forms of HR development on farms have led to the use of IWM practices, such as HWSC, that have the potential to reduce the seed set of weeds with potential new forms of resistance. The extent of HR was the only consistently highly significant variable to explain IWM use.</div></div><div><h3>SIGNIFICANCE</h3><div>These results have the capacity to pre-emptively identify sustainable weed management scenarios in various regional farming systems and future contexts, including where earlier ‘reactive’ adoption of resistance management practices may now be offering ‘proactive’ benefits.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"233 ","pages":"Article 104602"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145683341","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":"Dynamic trajectories and maturity of farmer collaboration for biodiversity sensitive farming – Insights from the FRAMEwork Farmer Clusters","authors":"Iris C. Bohnet ,&nbsp;Gerid Hager ,&nbsp;Thomas Rellensmann ,&nbsp;Claire Hardy ,&nbsp;Niamh M. McHugh ,&nbsp;Daniela Ablinger ,&nbsp;Virginia Bagnoni ,&nbsp;Gillian Banks ,&nbsp;Marco Beyer ,&nbsp;Lennard Duijvestijn ,&nbsp;Pierre Franck ,&nbsp;Kristina Janeckova ,&nbsp;Riina Kaasik ,&nbsp;Youri Martin ,&nbsp;Anna-Camilla Moonen ,&nbsp;Aliyeh Salehi ,&nbsp;Carlos Sánchez-García ,&nbsp;Martine Schoone ,&nbsp;Clare Scott ,&nbsp;Jan Travnicek ,&nbsp;Graham S. Begg","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2026.104644","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2026.104644","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>CONTEXT</h3><div>Building on the Farmer Cluster approach, which has evolved over the past decade in England to address ecosystem degradation and biodiversity loss at the landscape scale, FRAMEwork (Farmer clusters for Realising Agrobiodiversity Management across Ecosystems), a Horizon 2020 project, established a network of eleven Farmer Clusters across Europe.</div></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><div>To test the effectiveness of the FRAMEwork Farmer Clusters, a new level of technological and scientific support was offered to the clusters providing opportunities for collaboration, co-production of knowledge, co-innovation, peer-to-peer learning, and monitoring.</div></div><div><h3>METHODS</h3><div>We provide an overview of the eleven clusters and an in-depth comparative multiple case study analysis to understand the dynamic trajectories and levels of maturity shaping the development and outcomes of each of the Farmer Clusters.</div></div><div><h3>RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS</h3><div>We identified five formative dimensions – governance, leadership, facilitation, group characteristics and context – all of which are interdependent and dynamic, affecting the functioning of the Farmer Clusters, and leading to different levels of maturity. Comparing the situation of each cluster regarding the five dimensions and the level of maturity, we found that the clusters started in distinct contexts with diverse initial conditions across Europe – from favourable to unfavourable. This led to different dynamic trajectories on a pathway to biodiversity sensitive farming.</div></div><div><h3>SIGNIFICANCE</h3><div>The maturity assessment matrix offers a valuable tool for Farmer Clusters to reflect on their progress and capacity in achieving their goals, guiding future efforts for effective cluster management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"233 ","pages":"Article 104644"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146014539","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}