Agronomy for Sustainable Development最新文献

Genotype mixtures are multiple crop lines grown together to improve yield, stability, and disease control by utilizing different genetic and morphological traits. Incorporating heritage germplasm may enable exploitation of low input adaptation traits while retaining the high yield of elite modern cultivars. However, the effects of nutrient application, sowing density, and disease management on competition/facilitation dynamics in genotype mixtures with diverse germplasms, such as landraces, remain largely unknown. A set of complimentary plot experiments, undertaken in the arable cropping area of the east of Scotland, assessed genotype mixtures using heritage lines and/or elite cultivars of both spring and winter barley. The experimental systems manipulated the sowing densities, mixture composition, nitrogen application, and fungal disease pressure across three different field seasons. Here we show that the advantages of genotype mixtures were highly dependent on the genotypic makeup of the mixture and the environmental conditions in which they are grown, demonstrating complex genotype mixture × environment interactions. Genotype mixture performance in barley is highly dependent on the interaction of genetic composition and management factors. This paper revealed, for the first time, that small amounts of heritage germplasm enhanced yield stability, though overall yields rarely match those of the elite monocultures and no consistent disease reduction was observed. Although barley gains limited benefits from mixing genotypes, our study is able to highlight complex trends in mixture composition and environment that are relevant for crops with greater genotype mixture yield benefits.

Soil fertility in organic farming systems relies on the use of organic fertilizers and on the introduction of N-fixing crops in rotations. In such systems, the management of phosphorus fertilization can be challenging. Field phosphorus nutrient budgets and soil phosphorus status are useful indicators for assessing the sustainability of fertilization practices. However, the factors driving soil phosphorus budgets of organic fields for different management practices and farm types are still not fully understood. Here we propose to fill this knowledge gap by investigating, through semi-directive interviews, the variability of 5-year soil phosphorus budgets in 177 French organic farms to identify relationships between the P budgets and farm characteristics, covering farm territorial specialization, and soil fertilization practices. Changes in Olsen-P measurements were also computed to test their coherence with the phosphorus budgets. Based on our unprecedented large and diverse dataset, we found contrasting soil P budgets ranging from -32.3 to 50.3 kg·P ha⁻¹ y⁻¹. Our work also revealed that P management was not at the core of farmers’ preoccupations, as 72% of them did not pay any specific attention to P management practices. The two most important factors driving soil phosphorus budgets were the cumulated phosphorus inputs and the frequency of N-fixing crops. We also identified 5 plot types — through a cluster analysis — with contrasting phosphorus management practices and soil phosphorus budgets. Our results highlight the need for a strategic management of phosphorus resources to prevent the occurrence of soil phosphorus imbalances that may be challenging to rectify in the medium to long term. This is particularly important in the case of organic farms that rely on the use of N-fixing crops for their nitrogen fertilization strategy, leading to low or negative soil phosphorus budgets.

Conventional agriculture expansion and intensification are among the main causes of land degradation and soil biodiversity losses worldwide. Developing more sustainable approaches poses major challenges in large-scale agriculture, as it is the case in the Argentine Pampas, one of the largest agricultural regions in the world. Among soil biota, earthworms regulate soil organic matter dynamics, soil structure formation and maintenance, and create a habitat for numerous organisms, making them especially useful for assessing agricultural performance in terms of preserving soil biological processes. However, earthworm communities in ecologically based agricultural systems have been seldom studied in the region, and the role of farm-scale factors in shaping these communities remains even less understood. Thus, our aims were (1) to assess the effect of three different systems: large-scale ecologically based agriculture, large-scale conventional agriculture, and natural grasslands, on earthworm community attributes and composition; and (2) to understand which variables at the farm scale, related to management strategies and to regional and soil conditions, mostly shape earthworm communities in agricultural soils. We sampled earthworms in 54 sites representing the three systems. We characterized farms in terms of management practices and regional and soil conditions. We observed that ecologically based agriculture increased earthworm abundance, biomass and richness compared to conventional agriculture. However, geographic location played a more significant role in determining species identity than the system. Decreasing crop proportion and increasing non-cropped areas at the farm scale were the most important management practices positively affecting earthworms. This is one of the few studies in the Argentine Pampas to show that ecologically based, large-scale agriculture effectively benefits earthworm communities, and the first to identify how farm-scale factors influence them—particularly mixed farming and the maintenance of non-cropped areas within farms. We believe these findings offer strong encouragement for large-scale farmers to adopt more sustainable practices.

The widespread reliance on herbicides as the primary weed control strategy is increasingly being questioned. Agroecological management offers a promising alternative, yet comparisons with conventional approaches often fail to consider the theoretical agroeconomic models and its experimental validation. Evaluating agroecological weed management across a wide range of cropping systems allows for robust comparisons with herbicide-based strategies and facilitates the analysis of the potential interactions with different cropping systems and crop structures. The objectives of our study were (i) to assess grain yield between weed management treatments in different maize cropping systems (CSYS), (ii) to explore interactions between weed management and practices number and crop structure (CSTR) and investigate how these interactions affect the evolution of weed and maize covers, and (iii) to assess weed control treatments and CSTR effects on final grain yield. Our results show that weed management treatments did not differ in grain yield in a wide range of CSYS. Agroecological management required a greater number of practices. The timing of weed control practices (from emergence to 6–9 expanded leaves) was an important factor for both agroecological and herbicides treatments and for different genotypes. Weed management treatments did not interact with CSTR to define grain yield. However, CSTR explained between 28 and 60% of grain yield variability. We highlight the importance of genotype and plant density elections for grain yield determination. We also highlight that the apparent response of genotypes and density on weeds in experimental conditions is not evident in field conditions. It is still necessary to develop more complex models that can include factors such as the decision-making of farmers and technicians.

The Indigenous companion planting technique known as the Three Sisters system improves soil health, weed control, and crop yields by combining mutually beneficial crops. However, existing research focuses on small-scale gardening, while modern agriculture’s reliance on large land and machinery makes the traditional garden-based approach impractical. This study is the first to explore the adaptation of the Three Sisters system to modern row-cropping practices. Two-year field experiments were conducted in Manitoba, Canada. The Three Sisters crops, sweet corn (Zea mays L.), pole bean, and summer squash, were grown under four planting modes: corn monoculture, corn with bean companion, corn with bean and squash companion, and squash monoculture. Key measurements included soil moisture content, leaf area index, crop yield components, and soil nitrogen levels. Results showed that companion plots with two or three crops generally had lower soil moisture compared to monocultures, with squash monoculture plots retaining the most soil moisture. Among the companion plots, similar soil moisture levels indicated corn as the dominant water consumer. The leaf area index of squash monoculture plots increased rapidly in mid-season, with plots containing squash achieving the highest indices later in the season. Bean contributions to leaf area index were minimal due to corn canopy dominance during early growth stages and squash canopy dominance later. Monoculture plots produced higher individual crop yields, whereas companion planting offered greater produce diversity and a higher total yield of combined crops. The timing of bean planting had inconclusive effects on corn yields but consistently improved bean yields when delayed. Companion plots with three crops exhibited lower residual soil nitrogen, suggesting potential water quality benefits. This study offers guidance on adapting the traditional Three Sisters system to modern row-cropping practices, presenting a sustainable approach that balances agricultural productivity with ecological and human health benefits.

In agriculture, species mixtures can provide ecosystem services and make agroecosystems more resilient. In particular, weed control and improved nitrogen cycling are much sought-after services provided by species mixtures. However, there is a lack of knowledge about the choice of species to mix to provide these services. Using different sources of knowledge, we therefore investigated the utilization of the Trait-Function-Service (TFS) approach of functional ecology as a way of representing the functioning of species mixtures in order to help in the choice of species. The novelty here is the use of a generalizable framework integrating empirical knowledge and scientific knowledge to establish the link between species traits and the ecosystem services they provide. Consequently, our objective is to (i) create functional trees that reflect how mixtures of species work to control weeds and improve nitrogen cycling; and (ii) identify the rules for assembling the traits that enable these two ecosystem services to be provided, which can be used to design mixtures. To do this, we organized four knowledge exchange workshops, two on weed control and two on improving nitrogen cycling. These workshops involved scientists, advisors, and farmers to mobilize their expertise. Our results show that the improvement of nitrogen cycling depends on the achievement of the meta-functions “favour and diversify the sources of nitrogen”, “reduce nitrogen losses” and “improve nitrogen use efficiency”. The weed control service is composed of the meta-functions “increase the competition towards the weeds” and “avoid weed germination/emergence”. We show that providing an ecosystem service depends on multiple traits and that the same trait can be important for providing different ecosystem services. The empirical knowledge of farmers can differ significantly from that of scientists. Integrating the knowledge of farmers into functional trees highlights that expert knowledge, derived from experience gained in specific contexts, can be decontextualized to produce generic knowledge.

Weed control in vineyards often relies on intensive tillage, which can negatively affect soil health. While cover crops offer potential benefits (such as weed suppression and soil improvement), they may also compete with grapevines. Few studies have examined inter-row management from a functional perspective. Understanding how soil management shapes inter-row plant communities is essential to support beneficial groundcover–vine interactions and foster plant assemblages that deliver multiple ecosystem services. To fill this gap, we assessed how different inter-row soil management strategies influence plant biomass, diversity, and functional traits (specific leaf area, height, and Grime strategies) in two farms in Chianti Classico (Italy). Treatments included tillage, mulched spontaneous vegetation, green-manured pigeon bean (Vicia faba var. minor), and a barley–clover (Hordeum vulgare–Trifolium squarrosum) mixture, either mulched or green-manured. This is the first research on the topic based on data of biomass by species. Soil management significantly influenced inter-row biomass, species diversity, and plant traits. Tillage reduced biomass and selected homogenous, high-specific leaf area communities. In spring, cover crops yielded more biomass than tillage; pigeon bean was most productive and led to less diverse plant communities. Mulched cover crops supported less competitive assemblages in autumn, though autumn sowing may increase erosion risks. Mulched spontaneous vegetation maintained permanent soil cover but selected stable, competitive plant assemblages. Overall, mulched groundcovers can enhance biodiversity without compromising grapevine yield. Alternating sown and spontaneous mulched vegetation presents a promising, sustainable alternative to tillage, promoting soil conservation and supporting functionally diverse plant communities in vineyard inter-rows.

Soil erosion threatens mixed farms in marginal areas, endangering their cultural and economic role in territories where pastoralist systems are already under pressure for climatic, socioeconomic, and generational factors. The rise in extreme rainfall events worsens soil loss on farmland, underscoring the need to co-develop practices that boost climate resilience in agriculture. This study helps fill the gap in understanding how the integration of farmers’ perceptions with spatial modeling can inform land management strategies. We combined farmers’ perceptions, model predictions, and farm management to provide an integrated assessment of the soil erosion. We represented the geographical distribution of soil erosion risk through geographical information systems-based RUSLE modeling. Farmers’ perceptions on soil erosion were assessed through surveys and fuzzy cognitive mapping conducted across 25 sheep farms. Our model shows that 37% of cropland is at risk, mainly due to land topography and soil cover. Fuzzy cognitive maps reveal that farmers are aware of the main environmental and human-linked soil erosion drivers. Farmers recognize cropping system design, especially using perennial forage instead of annual crops, as key to reducing soil erosion, and also see temporary ditches, reduced tillage, and agroforestry as effective measures. Utilizing a multivariate ordinal logistic regression, we showed that sheep farmers with a higher education level tend to perceive higher soil erosion risk. The number of conservation measures adopted increases when farmers are more aware of soil erosion issues, when they identify a higher number of fuzzy cognitive map connections, and when the predicted soil erosion risk is higher. Farmers’ perceptions of erosion risks and soil conservation measures aligned with model predictions on soil erosion, highlighting the importance of systematically involving farmers in research and policy design. Their detailed mental models enhance environmental models and should be considered in the European Common Agricultural Policy for sustainable rural development.

Vine is one of the most treated crops. In the Mediterranean area, vineyards are vulnerable to runoff and erosion, both vectors of pesticide dispersion. The substantial pesticide use along with acute dispersal risk threatens the surrounding water bodies. Pesticide sorption contributes to regulate their dispersal. Identifying sustainable management practices enhancing sorption is key to improve water quality. Vineyard cover cropping regulates runoff and erosion. Yet its influence on the sorption of contrasted pesticides and its variability remains to be characterized. Accordingly, this study evaluated the effects of grass cover management on the sorption of widely used pesticides. The study site was a catchment in Southern France, part of a long-term observatory, where grass cover has been monitored for the past 20 years. Topsoil was sampled from the vine rows and inter-rows of 23 vineyards. These vineyards had diverse soils, slopes, and grass cover rates. The adsorption coefficient of the soils was measured for two herbicides, glyphosate and napropamide, and a fungicide, difenoconazole. This study highlights the heterogeneity in cover cropping strategies. Spontaneous cover cropping dominated, and the most popular pattern was to alternate frequently tilled inter-rows and grassed inter-rows. For most of the vineyards, the rows and the tilled inter-rows had low-medium grass cover rate (0–50%). The majority of the grassed inter-rows had high grass cover rate (50–75%). The sorption coefficients of napropamide, difenoconazole, and glyphosate were similar for the vine rows and tilled inter-rows and significantly greater in grassed inter-rows. This was related to an increase of soil organic carbon from the low to high grass cover class. Other catchment characteristics did not affect pesticide sorption. This is the first study evaluating the influence of vineyard cover cropping on the sorption of pesticides at the catchment scale, and it shows that it is an efficient lever to enhance it.

Agriculture faces multiple challenges, including reducing negative environmental impacts and producing quality food for a growing world population. One of the significant issues is the need for an increased proportion of plant-based foods in diets in the developed world and its combination with the ecosystemic services provided, such as those provided by legumes, allowing a reduction in the use of nitrogen fertilizers. This requires systemic innovation in order to increase the sustainable production and consumption of diverse plant protein sources in an interaction between knowledge, tools, regulation, and acceptability. The case of France is chosen to reflect on these innovation issues. There have been a number of recent reviews either on production or on food processing, but none has addressed their systemic interrelations, critical to select the levers such as genetics, agronomy, and processing to improve protein quality and use while maintaining crop performance in an environmentally friendly manner. Here, we review the issues of proteins for healthy and sustainable diets in synergy with agronomical benefits and recommend research priorities to address this topic from farm to fork. This review includes (1) analysis of the economic context for plant-based protein production for food in the context of the agroecological transition towards sustainability and on the consequences in plant breeding schemes; (2) assessment of overall protein production from a diversity perspective, including genetics and diversity of the production systems and territories; and (3) plant proteins in healthy and attractive foods: protein content and quality, typology of processing options for the production of protein-rich food products in relation to consumer needs and demands. Next, we identify major knowledge gaps and emphasize the need for transdisciplinary research from plant breeding to the food market, involving the various stakeholders in the food value chain, to address such complex issues for more sustainable agri-food systems.