Agriculture intensification as a critical step to enhance sustainable productive systems

Abstract

Soil health refers to the soil’s ability to function as a living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans, with optimal biological, chemical, and physical characteristics that allow high crop yields and other essential ecosystem functions (Magdoff and Van Es 2021; USDA NRCS 2020). Soil plays a crucial role in providing several ecosystem services, including food and energy production, primarily through agriculture, water quality regulation, and nutrient cycling (Costanza et al. 1997). To increase ecosystem services while maintaining soil health, agricultural conservation practices can help reduce the negative impacts of modern agriculture practices. Conservation agriculture is based on four principles: (1) no-till to minimize mechanical soil disturbance, (2) crop rotation or diversification, (3) keeping the soil covered more than 30% annually, and (4) optimal nutrient management. Implementing all four principles together is crucial for maintaining soil health, as implementing only one or two principles may not positively impact soil health (Augarten et al. 2023; Pittelkow et al. 2015). In recent years, agriculture sustainable intensification (SI) has gained popularity as an agricultural practice that involves growing more crops per unit of time to make more efficient and intensive use of environmental resources. SI offers several benefits for soil health, including improved water usage efficiency, reduced hydric erosion and percolation, and increased soil organic matter (SOM) and …