Rémi Petrolli, M. Selosse, Céline Bonillo, Chantal Griveau, G. Lalanne-Tisné, Bertrand Comes, H. Kodja, F. Martos
Vanilla is one of the most valuable spices in the world. In Madagascar and La Réunion, the world's leading producers, vanilla is of great economic and cultural importance. Like all orchids, vanilla plants associate with mycorrhizal fungi in their roots forming mutualistic associations that allow them to grow and thrive. Understanding the diversity of mycorrhizal fungi adapted to vanilla cultivation, particularly in the Indian Ocean islands where they have never previously been studied, is becoming a necessity for maintaining vanilla crops in these regions in the face of climate change and the emergence of new pathogens. The vanilla orchid (Vanilla spp.) is one of the most valuable cultivated plants worldwide. As with all orchids, vanillas form mycorrhizal associations with fungi in their roots, but their fungal partners have not been investigated outside their native geographic range in Central America. We investigated the whole fungal and mycorrhizal associations in cultivated vanilla (Vanilla planifolia) by sequencing the fungal ITS‐2 marker in the terrestrial and aerial roots using a metabarcoding approach. We selected plants cultivated in three conditions (i.e., cultivation under shade house, in openfield, or in the understory) in one locality of La Réunion island (Indian Ocean) and tested for a possible effect of cultivation practices on fungal communities. Cultivated vanillas in La Réunion mainly associate with Tulasnellaceae (75 OTUs) and Ceratobasidiaceae (8 OTUs). Among the seven most abundant Tulasnellaceae, six are similar to fungi detected in the roots of cultivated vanillas in Central America or in the roots of native orchids in La Réunion. Cultivation practices impacted both total fungal and mycorrhizal community compositions with no clear effect on fungal richness. Notably, Tulasnellaceae and Ceratobasidiaceae were scarce in aerial roots, except in the traditional cultivation in the forest understory. These results shed light on the geographical origins of mycorrhizal fungi of cultivated vanillas in La Réunion and show that they form a pool of both locally and globally distributed fungal partners. These mycorrhizal communities vary according to cultivation practices, and their potential roles in plant nutrition and resistance against pathogens await further attention.
{"title":"Mycorrhizal communities of Vanilla planifolia in an introduction area (La Réunion) under varying cultivation practices","authors":"Rémi Petrolli, M. Selosse, Céline Bonillo, Chantal Griveau, G. Lalanne-Tisné, Bertrand Comes, H. Kodja, F. Martos","doi":"10.1002/ppp3.10476","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10476","url":null,"abstract":"Vanilla is one of the most valuable spices in the world. In Madagascar and La Réunion, the world's leading producers, vanilla is of great economic and cultural importance. Like all orchids, vanilla plants associate with mycorrhizal fungi in their roots forming mutualistic associations that allow them to grow and thrive. Understanding the diversity of mycorrhizal fungi adapted to vanilla cultivation, particularly in the Indian Ocean islands where they have never previously been studied, is becoming a necessity for maintaining vanilla crops in these regions in the face of climate change and the emergence of new pathogens.\u0000The vanilla orchid (Vanilla spp.) is one of the most valuable cultivated plants worldwide. As with all orchids, vanillas form mycorrhizal associations with fungi in their roots, but their fungal partners have not been investigated outside their native geographic range in Central America.\u0000We investigated the whole fungal and mycorrhizal associations in cultivated vanilla (Vanilla planifolia) by sequencing the fungal ITS‐2 marker in the terrestrial and aerial roots using a metabarcoding approach. We selected plants cultivated in three conditions (i.e., cultivation under shade house, in openfield, or in the understory) in one locality of La Réunion island (Indian Ocean) and tested for a possible effect of cultivation practices on fungal communities.\u0000Cultivated vanillas in La Réunion mainly associate with Tulasnellaceae (75 OTUs) and Ceratobasidiaceae (8 OTUs). Among the seven most abundant Tulasnellaceae, six are similar to fungi detected in the roots of cultivated vanillas in Central America or in the roots of native orchids in La Réunion. Cultivation practices impacted both total fungal and mycorrhizal community compositions with no clear effect on fungal richness. Notably, Tulasnellaceae and Ceratobasidiaceae were scarce in aerial roots, except in the traditional cultivation in the forest understory.\u0000These results shed light on the geographical origins of mycorrhizal fungi of cultivated vanillas in La Réunion and show that they form a pool of both locally and globally distributed fungal partners. These mycorrhizal communities vary according to cultivation practices, and their potential roles in plant nutrition and resistance against pathogens await further attention.\u0000","PeriodicalId":508327,"journal":{"name":"PLANTS, PEOPLE, PLANET","volume":"39 15","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139532128","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A. Time, N. Gomez‐Casanovas, Paul Mwebaze, Wilgince Apollon, Madhu Khanna, Evan H. DeLucia, Carl Bernacchi
Transformative agricultural strategies like agrivoltaics (AV) are essential for addressing the pressing global issues of sustainable energy and food production in a changing climate. Conservation‐agrivoltaics (Conservation‐AV) provides the potential to meet these needs while reinforcing natural resources and protecting the environment. It could enhance the ecological benefits of AV by improving soil health and biodiversity. It could create economic opportunities for farmers and increase the resilience and diversity of food crops under changing climate conditions. Furthermore, it could inform stakeholders about the benefits and challenges of implementing conservation agriculture management practices (CAMP) in AV and encourage further exploration and adoption of this innovative approach.Transformative strategies in agriculture are needed to address urgent global challenges related to energy and food production while reinforcing natural resources and the environment. Agrivoltaics (AV) has emerged in the past decade as one solution to this fundamental challenge of improving energy and food security. AV is defined as the co‐location of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels and crops on the same land to optimize food and energy production simultaneously and sustainably. Here, we propose that AV, together with conservation agriculture management practices (CAMP) strategies can help to intensify food security and energy production while reinforcing natural resources and the environment. Our main assertions in this opinion article are that: (1) AV systems need to overcome several agronomical, environmental, and ecological challenges to intensify food and energy production sustainably; (2) CAMP applied to AV systems can preserve the environment and ensure climate‐resilient food production; (3) implementation of CAMP in AV can lead to long‐term carbon sequestration, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and maintain or increase crop yields while preserving soil health and biodiversity; and (4) adoption of CAMP in AV can bring economic benefits, although challenges need to be overcome. This opinion article proposes a new ecosystem approach to integrate renewable energy and sustainable food production and encourages research on the effects of CAMP on AV systems.
{"title":"Conservation agrivoltaics for sustainable food‐energy production","authors":"A. Time, N. Gomez‐Casanovas, Paul Mwebaze, Wilgince Apollon, Madhu Khanna, Evan H. DeLucia, Carl Bernacchi","doi":"10.1002/ppp3.10481","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10481","url":null,"abstract":"Transformative agricultural strategies like agrivoltaics (AV) are essential for addressing the pressing global issues of sustainable energy and food production in a changing climate. Conservation‐agrivoltaics (Conservation‐AV) provides the potential to meet these needs while reinforcing natural resources and protecting the environment. It could enhance the ecological benefits of AV by improving soil health and biodiversity. It could create economic opportunities for farmers and increase the resilience and diversity of food crops under changing climate conditions. Furthermore, it could inform stakeholders about the benefits and challenges of implementing conservation agriculture management practices (CAMP) in AV and encourage further exploration and adoption of this innovative approach.Transformative strategies in agriculture are needed to address urgent global challenges related to energy and food production while reinforcing natural resources and the environment. Agrivoltaics (AV) has emerged in the past decade as one solution to this fundamental challenge of improving energy and food security. AV is defined as the co‐location of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels and crops on the same land to optimize food and energy production simultaneously and sustainably. Here, we propose that AV, together with conservation agriculture management practices (CAMP) strategies can help to intensify food security and energy production while reinforcing natural resources and the environment. Our main assertions in this opinion article are that: (1) AV systems need to overcome several agronomical, environmental, and ecological challenges to intensify food and energy production sustainably; (2) CAMP applied to AV systems can preserve the environment and ensure climate‐resilient food production; (3) implementation of CAMP in AV can lead to long‐term carbon sequestration, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and maintain or increase crop yields while preserving soil health and biodiversity; and (4) adoption of CAMP in AV can bring economic benefits, although challenges need to be overcome. This opinion article proposes a new ecosystem approach to integrate renewable energy and sustainable food production and encourages research on the effects of CAMP on AV systems.","PeriodicalId":508327,"journal":{"name":"PLANTS, PEOPLE, PLANET","volume":"32 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139534494","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Central America is renowned for producing some of the world's finest coffee, prized for its quality and flavor. With coffee being a major export crop for many countries, the region's economic, social, and cultural well‐being is closely linked to the success of its coffee industry. Coffee breeding supports the industry's long‐term sustainability and competitiveness by developing new varieties that are more productive, disease‐resistant, climate resilient, and adapted to the coffee producer's realities. Ongoing efforts in coffee breeding have significant implications for the livelihoods of thousands of coffee farmers and their families, the economies of Central American countries, and the preservation of the region's rich coffee tradition and culture. The central objective is to understand how coffee breeding programs have evolved to help coffee farmers adapt to the rapidly changing economic, political, institutional, and environmental conditions since 1990. Before then, coffee breeders focused primarily on productivity, developing dwarf varieties bred for intensive monoculture production. Since 1990, breeders have shifted their work to address climate change, new diseases and pests, a growing industry interest in cup quality, and unprecedented price volatility. Much of the breeding work has shifted from public institutions to international technical assistance agencies, international non‐governmental organizations (NGOs), and private companies. Their new programs focus on developing F1 coffees designed for agroforestry production and, which, can be developed quickly in response to changing conditions. This case study also complicates narratives about the place of hybrid coffees in agricultural modernization during the 20th and 21st centuries. Analyze documents produced over the past 30 years by key breeding organizations, governments, trade organizations, to assess the evolution of breeding programs in historical context, and the progress of the new coffees in the field. Some F1 hybrids have shown considerable promise, but challenges surrounding their propagation, distribution, and cost—as well as their suitability for the specialty coffee market—have so far prevented farmers from adopting them on a large scale. The switch to F1 coffee breeding represents a deep strategic shift in coffee breeding in Central America, more attuned to the needs of coffee farmers. While the F1 coffees can help farmers address many of the farmers' technical challenges, cost and logistical issues remain a challenge.
中美洲以生产世界上最优质的咖啡而闻名于世,其咖啡的品质和风味备受赞誉。咖啡是许多国家的主要出口作物,该地区的经济、社会和文化福祉与咖啡业的成功密切相关。咖啡育种工作通过开发产量更高、抗病性更强、气候适应性更强、更适合咖啡生产者实际情况的新品种,为咖啡产业的长期可持续性和竞争力提供支持。咖啡育种方面的持续努力对成千上万咖啡种植者及其家庭的生计、中美洲国家的经济以及该地区丰富的咖啡传统和文化的保护具有重要影响。在此之前,咖啡育种人员主要关注生产率,开发为集约化单一种植生产而培育的矮化品种。自 1990 年以来,育种人员已将工作重心转移到应对气候变化、新病虫害、业界对咖啡杯质量日益增长的兴趣以及前所未有的价格波动上。大部分育种工作已从公共机构转向国际技术援助机构、国际非政府组织和私营公司。他们的新计划侧重于开发专为农林业生产设计的 F1 咖啡,并能根据不断变化的条件快速开发。分析过去 30 年间由主要育种组织、政府、贸易组织编写的文件,以评估育种计划在历史背景下的演变,以及新咖啡在田间的进展。一些 F1 代杂交种已显示出相当大的前景,但围绕其繁殖、销售、成本以及是否适合特种咖啡市场等方面的挑战,至今仍阻碍着农民大规模采用这些杂交种。虽然 F1 咖啡可以帮助农民解决许多技术难题,但成本和物流问题仍然是一个挑战。
{"title":"Coffee breeding in a time of crisis: F1 hybrids in Central America since 1990","authors":"Stuart McCook, Andrea Montero-Mora","doi":"10.1002/ppp3.10480","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10480","url":null,"abstract":"Central America is renowned for producing some of the world's finest coffee, prized for its quality and flavor. With coffee being a major export crop for many countries, the region's economic, social, and cultural well‐being is closely linked to the success of its coffee industry. Coffee breeding supports the industry's long‐term sustainability and competitiveness by developing new varieties that are more productive, disease‐resistant, climate resilient, and adapted to the coffee producer's realities. Ongoing efforts in coffee breeding have significant implications for the livelihoods of thousands of coffee farmers and their families, the economies of Central American countries, and the preservation of the region's rich coffee tradition and culture.\u0000\u0000The central objective is to understand how coffee breeding programs have evolved to help coffee farmers adapt to the rapidly changing economic, political, institutional, and environmental conditions since 1990. Before then, coffee breeders focused primarily on productivity, developing dwarf varieties bred for intensive monoculture production. Since 1990, breeders have shifted their work to address climate change, new diseases and pests, a growing industry interest in cup quality, and unprecedented price volatility. Much of the breeding work has shifted from public institutions to international technical assistance agencies, international non‐governmental organizations (NGOs), and private companies. Their new programs focus on developing F1 coffees designed for agroforestry production and, which, can be developed quickly in response to changing conditions. This case study also complicates narratives about the place of hybrid coffees in agricultural modernization during the 20th and 21st centuries.\u0000Analyze documents produced over the past 30 years by key breeding organizations, governments, trade organizations, to assess the evolution of breeding programs in historical context, and the progress of the new coffees in the field.\u0000Some F1 hybrids have shown considerable promise, but challenges surrounding their propagation, distribution, and cost—as well as their suitability for the specialty coffee market—have so far prevented farmers from adopting them on a large scale.\u0000The switch to F1 coffee breeding represents a deep strategic shift in coffee breeding in Central America, more attuned to the needs of coffee farmers. While the F1 coffees can help farmers address many of the farmers' technical challenges, cost and logistical issues remain a challenge.\u0000","PeriodicalId":508327,"journal":{"name":"PLANTS, PEOPLE, PLANET","volume":"19 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139534521","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
G. Joseph, Andrinajoro R. Rakotoarivelo, Miguel Pedrono, Coleen L Seymour
To better understand the impact of human settlement on vegetation distribution and disturbance regimes in Madagascar, the 2021 Malagasy Grassy Biomes Workshop called for an examination of the role of extinct megafauna in determining the historic distribution of habitat mosaics across regions that are today dominated by vast treeless grasslands. A systematic literature review facilitated the reconstruction and evaluation of giant tortoise habitat, feeding habitats, diets and Aldabrachelys tortoise impacts on disturbance regimes. In conclusion, reintroduction of mixed‐feeding Aldabrachelys (the diets of which were often dominated by C3 woody material, but never by C4 grasses, across its range), will likely impact plant species composition, select a tree‐rich habitat mosaic, reduce fire frequency, re‐establish lost ecological functions and improve landscape productivity at a range of scales, including rangeland palatability, benefitting both biodiversity and human wellbeing.Grasslands with little tree cover today comprise 80% of Madagascar's habitat. Determining their extent at human settlement can guide ecological restoration and enhance human well‐being, so the 2021 Malagasy Grassy Biomes Workshop identified the role of extinct megafauna in determining habitat as a critical knowledge gap. Using a systematic literature review, combined with extracted datasets, we address this, examining anticipated habitat selection by giant tortoises following reintroduction to Madagascar (where the Aldabran giant tortoise, Aldabrachelys gigantea, provides ecological functions lost when A. abrupta and A. grandidieri went extinct). When comparing current and historical tortoise selection of habitat across the Mascarenes and Aldabra with contemporary Malagasy habitat, areas in Madagascar where giant tortoises historically ranged, today have a significantly different habitat composition to the forested habitat that supported giant tortoises on other islands. Dietary 13C isotope ratios show that Malagasy Aldabrachelys and Mascarene tortoises were mixed feeders, with diets often dominated by C3 woody intake, but never by C4 grasses. Across systems, giant tortoises required and selected, tree‐rich habitat mosaics, different to current pastoralist fire‐selected Malagasy grasslands characterized by sparse tree cover. Furthermore, Aldabran Aldabrachelys tortoise turf, restricted to small areas (large tracts of unshaded vegetation present physiological challenges to Aldabrachelys' survival), is compositionally different to Malagasy and African obligate C4 grazing lawns. Ecological, palaeoecological, geomorphological and molecular evidence support a lost Malagasy habitat mosaic where hippo and tortoise diets were C3‐dominated, because they inhabited closed‐canopy systems, with abutting open‐canopy areas harbouring endemic‐rich, C4 grassy understories and limited grasslands. The review suggests that rewilding with A. gigantea will help restore ecological functions, productivi
{"title":"Can rewilding with giant tortoises increase woody habitat and limit fire across Madagascar's grasslands?","authors":"G. Joseph, Andrinajoro R. Rakotoarivelo, Miguel Pedrono, Coleen L Seymour","doi":"10.1002/ppp3.10474","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10474","url":null,"abstract":"To better understand the impact of human settlement on vegetation distribution and disturbance regimes in Madagascar, the 2021 Malagasy Grassy Biomes Workshop called for an examination of the role of extinct megafauna in determining the historic distribution of habitat mosaics across regions that are today dominated by vast treeless grasslands. A systematic literature review facilitated the reconstruction and evaluation of giant tortoise habitat, feeding habitats, diets and Aldabrachelys tortoise impacts on disturbance regimes. In conclusion, reintroduction of mixed‐feeding Aldabrachelys (the diets of which were often dominated by C3 woody material, but never by C4 grasses, across its range), will likely impact plant species composition, select a tree‐rich habitat mosaic, reduce fire frequency, re‐establish lost ecological functions and improve landscape productivity at a range of scales, including rangeland palatability, benefitting both biodiversity and human wellbeing.Grasslands with little tree cover today comprise 80% of Madagascar's habitat. Determining their extent at human settlement can guide ecological restoration and enhance human well‐being, so the 2021 Malagasy Grassy Biomes Workshop identified the role of extinct megafauna in determining habitat as a critical knowledge gap. Using a systematic literature review, combined with extracted datasets, we address this, examining anticipated habitat selection by giant tortoises following reintroduction to Madagascar (where the Aldabran giant tortoise, Aldabrachelys gigantea, provides ecological functions lost when A. abrupta and A. grandidieri went extinct). When comparing current and historical tortoise selection of habitat across the Mascarenes and Aldabra with contemporary Malagasy habitat, areas in Madagascar where giant tortoises historically ranged, today have a significantly different habitat composition to the forested habitat that supported giant tortoises on other islands. Dietary 13C isotope ratios show that Malagasy Aldabrachelys and Mascarene tortoises were mixed feeders, with diets often dominated by C3 woody intake, but never by C4 grasses. Across systems, giant tortoises required and selected, tree‐rich habitat mosaics, different to current pastoralist fire‐selected Malagasy grasslands characterized by sparse tree cover. Furthermore, Aldabran Aldabrachelys tortoise turf, restricted to small areas (large tracts of unshaded vegetation present physiological challenges to Aldabrachelys' survival), is compositionally different to Malagasy and African obligate C4 grazing lawns. Ecological, palaeoecological, geomorphological and molecular evidence support a lost Malagasy habitat mosaic where hippo and tortoise diets were C3‐dominated, because they inhabited closed‐canopy systems, with abutting open‐canopy areas harbouring endemic‐rich, C4 grassy understories and limited grasslands. The review suggests that rewilding with A. gigantea will help restore ecological functions, productivi","PeriodicalId":508327,"journal":{"name":"PLANTS, PEOPLE, PLANET","volume":"16 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139443846","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
With the rapid development of modern agriculture and its reliance on high‐yielding and genetically uniform varieties, many traditional agricultural systems are gradually being abandoned. The genetic diversity contained in landraces is crucial for modern eco‐agriculture. An indicator evaluation model combined with machine learning could help to locate and conserve these existing traditional agricultural systems, called agricultural heritage systems (AHS). Here, this method provided the first map of potential areas of Tea‐AHS in China. These results could help policymakers to confirm priorities and rationally allocate conservation resources based on the distribution status and endangerment of AHS. This could also help local people to receive additional support for the transfer of germplasm resources and indigenous knowledge. Modern agriculture is overly dependent on high‐yielding and genetically uniform varieties, whereas traditional agricultural systems contain a large number of genetically diverse landraces and the indigenous knowledge associated with them. We call traditional agricultural systems that survive to the present‐day agricultural heritage systems (AHS). Under the impact of modernization, AHS are gradually disappearing. Identifying these systems is the first step towards conserving them, but the potential areas of AHS related to agro‐biodiversity are not yet clear. Using Chinese tea as an example, this paper provides the first universal method for identifying potential areas of AHS based on agro‐biodiversity and the first map of potential areas of Tea‐AHS in China. The map is constructed based on the maximum entropy model (Maxent) of tea germplasm resources and related indicator functions and has been validated by existing Tea‐AHS in China. The study identified 54 potential areas of Tea‐AHS. These potential areas are mainly concentrated in the southern region, in 15 provinces, including Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi, Hubei, and Hunan. Mangshi, Qimen County, and Chaisang District are among the high potential areas for Tea‐AHS and are the next priority for exploration and conservation work. We have verified the validity of the proposed method, which can help conserve the germplasm resources and traditional wisdom in the global AHS in a timely manner, and contribute to the development of modern and eco‐agriculture.
{"title":"Preserving traditional systems: Identification of agricultural heritage areas based on agro‐biodiversity","authors":"Yunxiao Bai, Xiaoshuang Li, Yuqing Feng, Moucheng Liu, Cheng Chen","doi":"10.1002/ppp3.10479","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10479","url":null,"abstract":"With the rapid development of modern agriculture and its reliance on high‐yielding and genetically uniform varieties, many traditional agricultural systems are gradually being abandoned. The genetic diversity contained in landraces is crucial for modern eco‐agriculture. An indicator evaluation model combined with machine learning could help to locate and conserve these existing traditional agricultural systems, called agricultural heritage systems (AHS). Here, this method provided the first map of potential areas of Tea‐AHS in China. These results could help policymakers to confirm priorities and rationally allocate conservation resources based on the distribution status and endangerment of AHS. This could also help local people to receive additional support for the transfer of germplasm resources and indigenous knowledge.\u0000Modern agriculture is overly dependent on high‐yielding and genetically uniform varieties, whereas traditional agricultural systems contain a large number of genetically diverse landraces and the indigenous knowledge associated with them. We call traditional agricultural systems that survive to the present‐day agricultural heritage systems (AHS). Under the impact of modernization, AHS are gradually disappearing. Identifying these systems is the first step towards conserving them, but the potential areas of AHS related to agro‐biodiversity are not yet clear.\u0000Using Chinese tea as an example, this paper provides the first universal method for identifying potential areas of AHS based on agro‐biodiversity and the first map of potential areas of Tea‐AHS in China. The map is constructed based on the maximum entropy model (Maxent) of tea germplasm resources and related indicator functions and has been validated by existing Tea‐AHS in China.\u0000The study identified 54 potential areas of Tea‐AHS. These potential areas are mainly concentrated in the southern region, in 15 provinces, including Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi, Hubei, and Hunan. Mangshi, Qimen County, and Chaisang District are among the high potential areas for Tea‐AHS and are the next priority for exploration and conservation work.\u0000We have verified the validity of the proposed method, which can help conserve the germplasm resources and traditional wisdom in the global AHS in a timely manner, and contribute to the development of modern and eco‐agriculture.\u0000","PeriodicalId":508327,"journal":{"name":"PLANTS, PEOPLE, PLANET","volume":"38 25","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139389047","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Aikaterini Kouloumprouka Zacharaki, James M Monaghan, Jennifer R. Bromley, Laura H Vickers
Cultivation of strawberry plants in urban production systems, whether in green open‐air spaces or under some form of protected horticulture such as vertical farming, has demonstrated to be challenging to new farmers and businesses. Commercial strawberry producers have an advanced understanding of strawberry plant physiology, enabling them to grow the crop successfully and profitably. Lack of knowledge exchange between commercial growers and new urban farmers seems to result in the abandonment of strawberries as crop of choice in urban systems. This review will confront the specific plant science challenges urban growers need to address to incorporate this nutritional crop into their revolutionary urban growing systems, whilst achieving good quality produce with high yields.To ensure a sustainable future of farming, urban horticulture (UH) will need to be a key part of our everyday life. There are increasing demands for higher productivity and more locally produced food, even close to densely populated urban areas, to address environmental pressures and accelerate the resilience of modern food systems. UH is a broad term and can include numerous cultivation methods; rooftop gardens, public spaces, vertical walls, indoor vertical farms, as well as an array of crops including, salads, soft fruits and trees. Crops such as strawberries are expected to soon make a significant contribution to UH. Urban strawberry production promises all‐year round fruit availability, reduced reliance on imports, increased self‐sufficiency, lower food miles, a supply of high‐quality fresh fruits from hyper‐local spaces, increased employment opportunities, welfare benefits and an opportunity to promote a sense of community. Strawberry is a complex perennial crop with agronomical challenges, which requires specialist knowledge that is not always available to new urban farmers. Achieving an urban version of a strawberry field will require knowledge exchange between the commercial rural strawberry producers and the newly entered urban growers. Plant physiology, management of plant pathogens, choice of propagation material, fertigation, pollination and environmental requirements are the most common challenges for urban strawberry production. This review aims to consolidate the common bottleneck challenges of UH for new urban strawberry facilities.
{"title":"Opportunities and challenges for strawberry cultivation in urban food production systems","authors":"Aikaterini Kouloumprouka Zacharaki, James M Monaghan, Jennifer R. Bromley, Laura H Vickers","doi":"10.1002/ppp3.10475","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10475","url":null,"abstract":"Cultivation of strawberry plants in urban production systems, whether in green open‐air spaces or under some form of protected horticulture such as vertical farming, has demonstrated to be challenging to new farmers and businesses. Commercial strawberry producers have an advanced understanding of strawberry plant physiology, enabling them to grow the crop successfully and profitably. Lack of knowledge exchange between commercial growers and new urban farmers seems to result in the abandonment of strawberries as crop of choice in urban systems. This review will confront the specific plant science challenges urban growers need to address to incorporate this nutritional crop into their revolutionary urban growing systems, whilst achieving good quality produce with high yields.To ensure a sustainable future of farming, urban horticulture (UH) will need to be a key part of our everyday life. There are increasing demands for higher productivity and more locally produced food, even close to densely populated urban areas, to address environmental pressures and accelerate the resilience of modern food systems. UH is a broad term and can include numerous cultivation methods; rooftop gardens, public spaces, vertical walls, indoor vertical farms, as well as an array of crops including, salads, soft fruits and trees. Crops such as strawberries are expected to soon make a significant contribution to UH. Urban strawberry production promises all‐year round fruit availability, reduced reliance on imports, increased self‐sufficiency, lower food miles, a supply of high‐quality fresh fruits from hyper‐local spaces, increased employment opportunities, welfare benefits and an opportunity to promote a sense of community. Strawberry is a complex perennial crop with agronomical challenges, which requires specialist knowledge that is not always available to new urban farmers. Achieving an urban version of a strawberry field will require knowledge exchange between the commercial rural strawberry producers and the newly entered urban growers. Plant physiology, management of plant pathogens, choice of propagation material, fertigation, pollination and environmental requirements are the most common challenges for urban strawberry production. This review aims to consolidate the common bottleneck challenges of UH for new urban strawberry facilities.","PeriodicalId":508327,"journal":{"name":"PLANTS, PEOPLE, PLANET","volume":"108 14","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139391017","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lena Vlaminck, Birgit Vanden Berghen, Stien Mertens, Jurgen Wuyts, Liesbeth Aerts, J. Van Dingenen, Sofie Bekaert, Steven Maere, L. Vranken, S. Goormachtig
To help save our planet, we need to shift to plant‐based protein food and enhance sustainable agricultural practices. Cultivation of legumes, including soybean, will be key because they produce protein‐rich beans without high applied fertilizer input. This complex challenge involves many stakeholders beyond the agricultural sector. In the ‘Soy in 1000 Gardens’ project, we engaged more than thousand citizens in a 6‐month gardening project aiming at facilitating sustainable soybean cultivation in Belgium. Our work shows that with the right approach, citizen science can provide insights to develop more sustainable agri‐food systems when integrated with fundamental and applied science. The global food system faces numerous challenges in its pursuit of sustainability. Shifting to more plant‐based protein sources as well as transitioning to self‐reliant agri‐food systems is one way to meet these challenges. This transition requires the involvement of multiple stakeholders beyond the agricultural sector such as the citizens themselves. In this study, we employed a citizen science approach through the ‘Soy in 1000 Gardens’ project, which engaged more than 1000 citizen scientists in a 6‐month gardening project during which citizens not only observed plant growth but also executed plant growth measurements that meet scientific standards. We aimed at increasing the awareness about the power of soybean and its symbionts for sustainable plant protein production and at isolating efficient nitrogen‐fixing rhizobia to be used by local farmers to produce protein‐rich soybeans. The results suggest that the success of citizen science projects depends on the level of engagement and the provision of adequate support, among other factors. This study thus highlights the potential of citizen science to address complex challenges and contribute to more sustainable agri‐food systems when properly integrated. Unique in its scope, the project provided important insights into the drivers of participation, attrition and data quality.
{"title":"Citizen science boosts fundamental and applied research for sustainable soybean cultivation in North‐Western Europe","authors":"Lena Vlaminck, Birgit Vanden Berghen, Stien Mertens, Jurgen Wuyts, Liesbeth Aerts, J. Van Dingenen, Sofie Bekaert, Steven Maere, L. Vranken, S. Goormachtig","doi":"10.1002/ppp3.10463","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10463","url":null,"abstract":"To help save our planet, we need to shift to plant‐based protein food and enhance sustainable agricultural practices. Cultivation of legumes, including soybean, will be key because they produce protein‐rich beans without high applied fertilizer input. This complex challenge involves many stakeholders beyond the agricultural sector. In the ‘Soy in 1000 Gardens’ project, we engaged more than thousand citizens in a 6‐month gardening project aiming at facilitating sustainable soybean cultivation in Belgium. Our work shows that with the right approach, citizen science can provide insights to develop more sustainable agri‐food systems when integrated with fundamental and applied science. The global food system faces numerous challenges in its pursuit of sustainability. Shifting to more plant‐based protein sources as well as transitioning to self‐reliant agri‐food systems is one way to meet these challenges. This transition requires the involvement of multiple stakeholders beyond the agricultural sector such as the citizens themselves. In this study, we employed a citizen science approach through the ‘Soy in 1000 Gardens’ project, which engaged more than 1000 citizen scientists in a 6‐month gardening project during which citizens not only observed plant growth but also executed plant growth measurements that meet scientific standards. We aimed at increasing the awareness about the power of soybean and its symbionts for sustainable plant protein production and at isolating efficient nitrogen‐fixing rhizobia to be used by local farmers to produce protein‐rich soybeans. The results suggest that the success of citizen science projects depends on the level of engagement and the provision of adequate support, among other factors. This study thus highlights the potential of citizen science to address complex challenges and contribute to more sustainable agri‐food systems when properly integrated. Unique in its scope, the project provided important insights into the drivers of participation, attrition and data quality.","PeriodicalId":508327,"journal":{"name":"PLANTS, PEOPLE, PLANET","volume":"10 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139157704","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
G. Joseph, Coleen L Seymour, Andrinajoro R. Rakotoarivelo
The relationship between rainfall, fire and habitat can display incongruencies. The 2021 Malagasy Grassy Biomes Workshop identified understanding fire regimes as a knowledge gap. This study pinpoints regions where anthropogenic fire has the potential to transform or has transformed habitat to treeless‐grassland, by identifying landscape‐scale, island‐wide fire anomalies across half of Madagascar. Its eastern forests burn like savannas, and central‐western grasslands burn frequently and intensely despite receiving rainfall usually associated with forest and fire‐absence. Recognising the incongruity and better understanding its drivers can mitigate against landscape‐scale degradation, improving ecological function, and human well‐being. Data show that since 1953, human‐lit fires on Madagascar have transformed clear‐cut forest to treeless‐grasslands. To address the extent of Malagasy treeless‐grasslands at human settlement, the 2021 Malagasy Grassy Biomes Workshop identified the role of fire as a critical knowledge‐gap for understanding ecological function. The relationship between mean annual precipitation (MAP), fire and habitat is well established across mesic systems. Anthropogenically transformed habitats often deviate from expected ecological patterns, so we tested for landscape‐scale, island‐wide MAP‐related fire and habitat anomalies. We collated Malagasy fire, habitat and MAP datasets, identifying location and scale of incongruities relative to global fire‐habitat‐MAP expectations. Next, we tested for mismatches in fire regimes (frequency, timing, extent and intensity of fires) between Malagasy and equivalent global biomes, using global, comprehensive landscape‐scale fire regime data. Across half of Madagascar, fire frequency and habitat are decoupled from MAP, and fire regimes across Malagasy ecoregions differ significantly from those in shared biomes elsewhere in the world. Landscape‐scale incongruities span Malagasy eastern forests (which burn like savanna systems) and central‐western treeless‐grasslands, which burn frequently and intensely despite receiving MAP typical of forest presence and fire‐absence, globally. Fire‐MAP incongruities identify potentially transformed areas, or those undergoing transformation by fire, and establish a platform for investigating the nuanced social, political and ecological dynamics that may contribute to and perpetuate these anomalies. Incongruities also highlight the anthropogenic landscape degradation associated with fire anomalies. Addressing these impacts can facilitate restoration of ecological function, productivity and food security, benefiting biodiversity and humans at multiple scales.
{"title":"Fire incongruities can explain widespread landscape degradation in Madagascar's forests and grasslands","authors":"G. Joseph, Coleen L Seymour, Andrinajoro R. Rakotoarivelo","doi":"10.1002/ppp3.10471","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10471","url":null,"abstract":"The relationship between rainfall, fire and habitat can display incongruencies. The 2021 Malagasy Grassy Biomes Workshop identified understanding fire regimes as a knowledge gap. This study pinpoints regions where anthropogenic fire has the potential to transform or has transformed habitat to treeless‐grassland, by identifying landscape‐scale, island‐wide fire anomalies across half of Madagascar. Its eastern forests burn like savannas, and central‐western grasslands burn frequently and intensely despite receiving rainfall usually associated with forest and fire‐absence. Recognising the incongruity and better understanding its drivers can mitigate against landscape‐scale degradation, improving ecological function, and human well‐being. Data show that since 1953, human‐lit fires on Madagascar have transformed clear‐cut forest to treeless‐grasslands. To address the extent of Malagasy treeless‐grasslands at human settlement, the 2021 Malagasy Grassy Biomes Workshop identified the role of fire as a critical knowledge‐gap for understanding ecological function. The relationship between mean annual precipitation (MAP), fire and habitat is well established across mesic systems. Anthropogenically transformed habitats often deviate from expected ecological patterns, so we tested for landscape‐scale, island‐wide MAP‐related fire and habitat anomalies. We collated Malagasy fire, habitat and MAP datasets, identifying location and scale of incongruities relative to global fire‐habitat‐MAP expectations. Next, we tested for mismatches in fire regimes (frequency, timing, extent and intensity of fires) between Malagasy and equivalent global biomes, using global, comprehensive landscape‐scale fire regime data. Across half of Madagascar, fire frequency and habitat are decoupled from MAP, and fire regimes across Malagasy ecoregions differ significantly from those in shared biomes elsewhere in the world. Landscape‐scale incongruities span Malagasy eastern forests (which burn like savanna systems) and central‐western treeless‐grasslands, which burn frequently and intensely despite receiving MAP typical of forest presence and fire‐absence, globally. Fire‐MAP incongruities identify potentially transformed areas, or those undergoing transformation by fire, and establish a platform for investigating the nuanced social, political and ecological dynamics that may contribute to and perpetuate these anomalies. Incongruities also highlight the anthropogenic landscape degradation associated with fire anomalies. Addressing these impacts can facilitate restoration of ecological function, productivity and food security, benefiting biodiversity and humans at multiple scales.","PeriodicalId":508327,"journal":{"name":"PLANTS, PEOPLE, PLANET","volume":"69 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139172009","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Botanic gardens and arboreta are amongst our most loved public spaces. There are over 2500 botanic gardens and arboreta across the world visited by an estimated half a billion people each year. In addition to their cultural value, botanic gardens and arboreta undertake world‐leading scientific research to address global challenges. This virtual issue highlights key articles that feature research linked to the work of botanic gardens, arboreta and herbaria. The papers give a sense of the diverse research endeavours of these institutions, from evaluating biodiversity loss, and conservation of critically endangered species through understanding the importance of ecosystem services that plants provide to people and addressing societal and global challenges.
{"title":"Celebrating botanic gardens","authors":"Simon Hiscock, Sarah Lennon, Bennett Young","doi":"10.1002/ppp3.10472","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10472","url":null,"abstract":"Botanic gardens and arboreta are amongst our most loved public spaces. There are over 2500 botanic gardens and arboreta across the world visited by an estimated half a billion people each year. In addition to their cultural value, botanic gardens and arboreta undertake world‐leading scientific research to address global challenges. This virtual issue highlights key articles that feature research linked to the work of botanic gardens, arboreta and herbaria. The papers give a sense of the diverse research endeavours of these institutions, from evaluating biodiversity loss, and conservation of critically endangered species through understanding the importance of ecosystem services that plants provide to people and addressing societal and global challenges.","PeriodicalId":508327,"journal":{"name":"PLANTS, PEOPLE, PLANET","volume":"41 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139174641","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}