Agricultural Systems最新文献

{"title":"Eco-efficiency in the agricultural landscape of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany","authors":"Stefan Seifert ,&nbsp;Saskia Wolff ,&nbsp;Silke Hüttel","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104062","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104062","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>CONTEXT</h3><p>Intensified agricultural production systems relying on larger field sizes and homogeneous landscapes result in land degradation, biodiversity losses, and impaired ecosystem services, particularly regulating services such as water and climate regulation. A multifunctional landscape composition and configuration promises higher ecosystem functionality by balancing ecological and economic provisioning functionality for food, fuel, and fiber. However, to the best of our knowledge, not much is known about the synergies and trade-offs of different landscape compositions and configurations and landscape designs providing ecosystem functionality in economic and ecological dimensions.</p></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><p>We addressed the question whether the ecosystem functionality of agricultural landscapes can be improved at given levels of economic valuation. We quantified potential improvements of ecosystem functionality through multifunctional landscape composition and configuration. We identified agricultural landscapes that provide high ecosystem functionality at their level of economic valuation, given that such regions may serve as role models for a target landscape composition.</p></div><div><h3>METHODS</h3><p>Using an eco-efficiency approach based on the non-parametric order<em>-m</em> estimator, we quantified potential improvements of ecosystem functionality at the agricultural landscapes scale. We used the 20 km² hexagonal grid level in the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. We described landscape composition and configuration using spatially explicit land cover data from the Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS); land value data indicated the economic output of the landscape. We investigated robustness of our results under different grid specifications (10–50 km²) and using subsamples of regions with similar environmental conditions.</p></div><div><h3>RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS</h3><p>We found on average high eco-efficiency of agricultural landscapes in the study region. We also found notable improvement potentials in at least one ecological indicator that were spatially clustered. The results suggest the potential for Pareto improvements, i.e., increasing landscape eco-efficiency without sacrificing economic outputs.</p></div><div><h3>SIGNIFICANCE</h3><p>We present a novel empirical approach to evaluate the eco-efficiency of agricultural landscapes and investigate spatial patterns of eco-efficiency at the landscape scale. We modeled landscapes' potential multifunctionality at a fine regional scale using indicators for landscape composition and configuration based on spatially explicit and highly granular land use and land management data. We relied on publicly available data, and our approach can serve to develop monitoring or policy evaluation at the landscape scale.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"220 ","pages":"Article 104062"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2024-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308521X24002129/pdfft?md5=c2c4557572656a5ff7599d68ca62cbe9&pid=1-s2.0-S0308521X24002129-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141728892","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrating production, ecology and livelihood confers an efficiency-driven farming system based on the sustainable farmland framework","authors":"Yanshu Yin ,&nbsp;Yingnan Zhang ,&nbsp;Shu Wang ,&nbsp;Ke Xu ,&nbsp;Yang Zhang ,&nbsp;Thomas Dogot ,&nbsp;Changbin Yin","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104049","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104049","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>CONTEXT</h3><p>Ensuring reduced carbon emissions and sustainable development in agricultural production are pivotal in addressing the multifaceted demands within farming systems, including safeguarding food security, advancing eco-friendly agricultural practices, and enhancing farmers' livelihoods. While an efficiency-driven farming system under the sustainable farmland has been recently introduced in China, integrating production, ecology, and livelihood aspects, its effectiveness remains unexplored in comparison to alternative farming systems. Moreover, the interplay among different elements within farming systems lacks comprehensive characterization.</p></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><p>Typically, the three predominant farming systems comprise conventional farmland—smallholder farming mode, high-standard farmland—intensive farming mode, and sustainable farmland—efficiency-driven farming mode. In this study, the system boundary of farmland construction is identified, elucidating how various interrelated forms of farmland infrastructure development and cropping management practices affect the environmental and economic efficiency.</p></div><div><h3>METHODS</h3><p>The integrated benefits of the farming systems were evaluated by investigating life cycle characteristics, life cycle cost, cost-benefit analysis and Net Ecosystem Economic Benefit (NEEB) under wheat—maize cropping. Furthermore, simulation was conducted to explore the development potential of the farming system with the greatest integration benefits and regional contribution magnitude.</p></div><div><h3>RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS</h3><p>The results demonstrate that sustainable farmland—intelligent farming mode not only reduces resource inputs but also enhances productivity. Moreover, it positively contributes to regulating nitrogen losses, nitrogen and carbon footprint and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission. Furthermore, this mode represents an optimal economic approach, leading to a total decrease in CO₂ emissions of 9.01E+07 t, an increase in net ecosystem economic benefits of 101 billion Chinese Yuan, and a rise in grain yields of 1278 t in the North Plain of China.</p></div><div><h3>SIGNIFICANCE</h3><p>This study emphasizes the significance of enhancing precise cropping management practices and advanced farmland infrastructure to promote development of efficiency-driven farming systems. Furthermore, strategies for improving various farming system should be tailored to their unique characteristics and adaptability.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"220 ","pages":"Article 104049"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2024-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141638870","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":"Developing a sustainable assessment framework for identifying industrial water suitability: Perspective on the water-energy-food nexus","authors":"En Hua ,&nbsp;Xinxueqi Han ,&nbsp;Bernard A. Engel ,&nbsp;Jiajie Guan ,&nbsp;Shikun Sun ,&nbsp;Pute Wu ,&nbsp;Bing Wang ,&nbsp;Yubao Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104065","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104065","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>CONTEXT</h3><p>Water, energy, and food systems have been deteriorating in security, stability, and sustainability throughout their extraction, production, and utilization, forcing the water-energy-food nexus to face security issues such as competition and mismatch between the systems' resources and environmental pollution. Consequently, a holistic evaluation of sustainable development among these systems is necessary, employing a suitability-focused perspective.</p></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><p>This study defined suitability connotation in terms of the internal and external environments of the water-energy-food nexus. Based on the resource supply, resource conversion, and environmental impact of the suitability connotation, plus the fact that water is a strategic resource for energy and food industries, water suitability is essential for the sustainable development of the system's resources. Hence, the primary goal is to illustrate the suitability and suitability effects of water use in energy and food industries, to guarantee the sustainable development of industrial water use.</p></div><div><h3>METHODS</h3><p>A sustainable assessment framework for suitability with the water system as the core was constructed based on the Haken model, and China was selected for a case study. On this basis, using the water footprint theory and index system method, the suitability effects of industrial water use were evaluated by adding the perspectives of security, stability, and sustainability of the water-energy-food nexus.</p></div><div><h3>RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS</h3><p>The results showed that Hebei, Shandong, Ningxia, and Xinjiang had better suitability in 2019, and the provinces with poor suitability were Shaanxi, Jilin, and Heilongjiang, reaching 1.00, 0.29, and 0.27, respectively. Hence, the Haken model identified the order parameter of water use in energy and food production. The model was used to construct multiple scenarios, and multidimensional adjustment measures were proposed to improve resource suitability among industries. From 1997 to 2019, all provinces demonstrated a consistent improvement in suitability effects.</p></div><div><h3>SIGNIFICANCE</h3><p>The suitability assessment can differentiate the degree of competition and resource matching between water-energy-food systems and serve the sustainable management of industrial production. By analyzing the water suitability in energy and food industries, the adjustment measures can optimize the water allocation for agriculture and industry, guarantee the security of resources, and maintain the system's sustainable development.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"220 ","pages":"Article 104065"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2024-07-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141637241","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":"Characterization of crop sequences in Argentina. Spatial distribution and determinants","authors":"Diego de Abelleyra ,&nbsp;Santiago Banchero ,&nbsp;Santiago Verón","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104069","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104069","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>CONTEXT</h3><p>New availability of annual crop type maps in Argentina allows the characterization of crop sequences at field level and the quantification of the occurrence of processes like crop monoculture and rotation.</p></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><p>characterization of crop sequences in Argentina and analysis of their spatial distribution patterns in relation to socioeconomic and environmental variables.</p></div><div><h3>METHODS</h3><p>Several crop sequence indices were derived from consecutive crop type maps generated over four growing seasons. Occurrence of different crop sequences was evaluated in relation to spatially explicit information of distance to ports, cadastral unit size (as a measure of farmer's capitalization), mean annual precipitation, mean annual temperature and soil organic carbon.</p></div><div><h3>RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS</h3><p>Contrasting to previous reports performed with coarse resolution or point data, most frequent sequences included rotation of soybean, maize and winter cereal crops. Lower cropping intensities were observed both in places with low precipitation and clustered in the agricultural belt in Center Argentina with few environmental limitations. Cases with high frequency of early soybean in the sequence, including cases of four years of monoculture, were also clustered also around the agricultural belt. They were more frequent near to ports and over small cadastral unit size farms. Higher number of cereals in the sequence was observed near ports but preferably over larger cadastral units. Small cadastral units, related to low capitalized farmers, are more averse to tenancy. Shorter distances to ports reduce the fleet cost incrementing the gross margin, being particularly relevant when the additional cost of tenancy is considered.</p></div><div><h3>SIGNIFICANCE</h3><p>This works characterized processes like rotation and monoculture in Argentina at the level where they really occur that is field level, improving the quantification of these processes in relation to previous reports. Results showed limitations to crop intensification related to precipitation availability, and a notable influence of social aspects in the decision of planting and the definition of the crop sequences in areas with no environmental limitations. This information can contribute to the development of public policies in relation to equilibrate the costs for farmers distributed along the county, promoting local agro-industries and developing alternative transportation options to road transport. Incentives to discourage renting the land, especially for small farmers, can promote long term planning with increased crop rotation.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"220 ","pages":"Article 104069"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2024-07-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141638869","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":"Optimizing water and nitrogen inputs for sustainable wheat yields and minimal environmental impacts","authors":"Xiaomeng Huang ,&nbsp;Xinpeng Xu ,&nbsp;Qichao Zhu ,&nbsp;Yitao Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104061","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104061","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><p>Northern China still has great potential to increase wheat productivity. Studies have shown that the improper wheat management of water and fertilizer aggravates the risk of yield instability and environmental pollution in this region. Optimizing water and N management can increase wheat yield, improve nitrogen (N) use efficiency (NUE) and water-use-efficiency (WUE), and reduce nutrient loss and environmental pollution. Therefore, the potential benefits of water and N management measures for wheat productivity in Northern China require further quantification.</p></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><p>We quantified the effects of different N fertilizers, water, and integrated water and N management strategies on wheat yield, NUE, WUE, and greenhouse gas emissions and comprehensively evaluated the potential benefits of integrated water and N management in wheat-producing areas in Northern China.</p></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><p>Using a meta-analysis approach, we quantified and compared the effects of four water and N management strategies (optimal N management [ONM], optimal water management [OWM], integrated water and N management [IWNM], and traditional farmers' practices [FP]) on winter wheat yield, NUE and WUE, and related environmental effects in Northern China.</p></div><div><h3>Results and conclusions</h3><p>The results showed that, compared to those in FP, the N fertilizer application rate was 35% lower in ONM, irrigation water was 39% lower in OWM, and the N fertilizer application rate and irrigation water rate decreased by 45% and 42% in IWNM, respectively. Water and N management strategies had positive effects on yield and partial factor productivity of applied N (PFP-N), with ONM, OWM, and IWNM with 7%, 10%, and 11% higher yields and 64%, 10%, and 103% higher PFP-N than those in FP, respectively. The management practices had a positive impact on gas emission reduction, i.e., NH₃ volatilization decreased by 48%, 58%, and 72%, and N₂O emissions were reduced by 29%, 32%, and 57% for ONM, OWM, and IWNM, respectively, compared to those in FP. In addition, the WUEs of OWM and IWNM were 16% and 31% higher than those of FP, respectively. The results of the meta-analysis showed that, compared with ONM and OWM, IWNM could achieve higher wheat yields and lower greenhouse gas emissions based on less fertilizer and water consumption.</p></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><p>Water and N are important for sustaining crop productivity in China. Focusing on exploring and optimizing the relationship and interaction between fertilization and water management can increase wheat yield, reduce environmental impacts, ensure NUE and WUE, and provide a theoretical basis for ensuring food security.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"220 ","pages":"Article 104061"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2024-07-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141637242","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":"Economic outcomes from adopting cereal-legume intercropping practices in Sweden","authors":"Gordana Manevska-Tasevska ,&nbsp;Vivian Wei Huang ,&nbsp;Zhen Chen ,&nbsp;Ortrud Jäck ,&nbsp;Nasir Adam ,&nbsp;Thanh Mai Ha ,&nbsp;Martin Weih ,&nbsp;Helena Hansson","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104064","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104064","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>CONTEXT</h3><p>The need for sustainable and resilient farming practices is clearly communicated by the scholars and the European Union policy strategies. The low interest in adopting the practice due to the uncertainties and the variability in the economic outcomes across various intercropping types calls for research attention. In this respect, research is needed to identifying specific intercropping practices that lead to improved farm-level economic outcomes and resilience.</p></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVES</h3><p>This study investigates consequences of intercropping adoption on the farm economic outcomes, in the context of achieving economic resilience. Specific objectives are to assess the effect of i) adopting intercropping on the economic outcomes; ii) production adjustments on the economic resilience of the intercropping practices, both in comparison to conventional mono-cropped agriculture.</p></div><div><h3>METHODS</h3><p>The analysis is conducted by using a stochastic partial budgeting model. We use Swedish agriculture as an empirical basis for our study and model two baseline cereal monocropping scenarios and two corresponding alternative (strip and mixed) cereal-legume intercropping scenarios. This is to examine net changes and risk characteristics resulting from the adaptation from monocropping to intercropping production practices. Estimates of net changes and the respective risk characteristics are integrated in an economic resilience assessment for the intercropping practices.</p></div><div><h3>RESULTS</h3><p>Results reveal that the net economic benefit change from adopting differs across the intercropping alternatives. Prices of the monocropped and the intercropped products of both intercropping alternatives and the use of N fertilizer for the strip intercropping alternative are the most influential factors in determining the adaptability capacity.</p></div><div><h3>CONTRIBUTION</h3><p>This study provides a novel approach that contributes to the literature via quantifying economic resilience capacities of hypothetical technology adoption. The paper presents unique results on the economic resilience of adopting cereal-legume intercropping practices in a Nordic context, giving agriculture in Nordic regions shares common challenges such as short growing season and cold temperature. The results offer valuable insights for extension services in guiding farmers to choose appropriate intercropping practices based on the production possibilities and market needs. Policy implications targeting the adoption of cereal-legume intercropping adoption are discussed.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"220 ","pages":"Article 104064"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2024-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308521X24002142/pdfft?md5=00516e678c49e6b61fdecf122b354d36&pid=1-s2.0-S0308521X24002142-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141622464","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Concurrent drought threaten wheat and maize production and widen crop yield gaps in the future","authors":"Miaolei Hou ,&nbsp;Yi Li ,&nbsp;Asim Biswas ,&nbsp;Xinguo Chen ,&nbsp;Lulu Xie ,&nbsp;Deli Liu ,&nbsp;Linchao Li ,&nbsp;Hao Feng ,&nbsp;Shufang Wu ,&nbsp;Yusuke Satoh ,&nbsp;Alim Pulatov ,&nbsp;Kadambot H.M. Siddique","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104056","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104056","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>CONTEXT</h3><p>Drought poses a significant threat to global crop production. As the global community grapples with the escalating challenges of climate change, understanding the multifaceted impacts of concurrent drought on food security becomes imperative.</p></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><p>This study delved into the response of wheat and maize, key staples in the global food system, to different types of drought, with a particular focus on the yield gaps resulting from concurrent meteorological and agricultural drought.</p></div><div><h3>METHODS</h3><p>The DSSAT-CERES model was adopted to simulate phenophase, rain-fed, and potential yields of maize and wheat in China from 1962 to 2100. Meteorological (Non-stationary Standard Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index, NSPEI) and agricultural (Standard Soil Moisture Index, SSMI) drought indices were calculated from crop seeding to maturity stages. We employed bivariate and multiple cross-wavelet as well as vine Copula to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze the response of yield gaps to different drought types. Finally, we determined the relative dependence weights of maize and wheat on NSPEI and SSMI by least squares regression.</p></div><div><h3>RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS</h3><p>Spanning from 2022 to 2100, a trend of shortened growth periods for these crops were detected, accompanied by increasingly drier conditions. These situations exacerbated the crops' vulnerability to concurrent drought, leading to considerable yield reductions. Our projections indicated that future yield gaps due to concurrent drought could be, on average, 2–30% higher than those caused by single-type drought. Concurrent drought affected wheat (5–50%) more severely than maize (0–35%). Western regions would be more affected than the Eastern regions. Under the SSP (Shared socioeconomic pathway) 5-8.5 scenario in 2022–2100, all four crops would have higher dependence weights on SSMI (51–99%) than NSPEI (26–59%), emphasizing the critical role of soil moisture in agricultural drought monitoring and yield loss alleviation.</p></div><div><h3>SIGNIFICANCE</h3><p>Our findings highlight the urgent need for integrated drought management strategies that address the compounded risks of concurrent drought, thereby contributing to the resilience of agricultural systems and global food security in a changing climate. Our research proposes to consider the relative weights of meteorological and agricultural drought in the future development of composite drought monitoring indicators for addressing food drought risk under climate change.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"220 ","pages":"Article 104056"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2024-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141605759","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":"Translating theory into practice: A flexible decision-making tool to support the design and implementation of climate-smart agriculture projects","authors":"Conor Walsh ,&nbsp;Mara Renn ,&nbsp;Dominik Klauser ,&nbsp;Alessandro de Pinto ,&nbsp;Jeremy Haggar ,&nbsp;Rouf Abdur ,&nbsp;Richard J. Hopkins ,&nbsp;Farhad Zamil","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104060","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104060","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>CONTEXT</h3><p>Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is a conceptual framework for responding climate-related risk in agriculture across the three pillars of Mitigation, Resilience, and Production. Existing tools have been developed which seek to operationalise the CSA concept to evaluate and benchmark progress; each of which have their own relative strengths and weaknesses.</p></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><p>The translation of this concept into actionable projects/portfolios hence requires the careful evaluation of potential trade-offs and synergies between these three pillars. The hereby presented decision-making tool aims to offer a basis for a structured evaluation of such trade-offs and synergies.</p></div><div><h3>METHODS</h3><p>It does so by assessing five different outcome pathways on how they contribute to a project's performance across the three pillars of CSA. We aspire that the use of this tool will allow for more deliberate design and implementation of projects in agricultural development, increasing the resilience and productivity of farming systems whilst ensuring the sustainable use of the environmental resource-based agriculture depends on.</p></div><div><h3>RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS</h3><p>This tool was applied in a workshop setting to evaluate the relative strengths and weaknesses of two distinct projects; demonstrating the utility in visualising the same performance in different ways. Of particular importance was ability to demonstrate how focusing on productivity and adaptation may trade-off mitigation activities.</p></div><div><h3>SIGNIFICANCE</h3><p>The results of the case study application demonstrated the challenge in meeting all the CSA requirements; particularly where the main objective of a project is to enhance and increase productivity. This reinforces how supporting all three pillars is challenging for a single project and therefore CSA is arguably more achievable when viewed in terms of a portfolio of activities which can collectively compensate for the limitations of a single project.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"219 ","pages":"Article 104060"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2024-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308521X24002105/pdfft?md5=25ac0c41acc5d734367fbe7feb30a2fb&pid=1-s2.0-S0308521X24002105-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141596665","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multi-objective models for crop rotation planning problems","authors":"Roberto Da Silva Gervasio Pontes ,&nbsp;Diego Nunes Brandão ,&nbsp;Fábio Luiz Usberti ,&nbsp;Laura Silva De Assis","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104050","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104050","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>CONTEXT</h3><p>Agriculture is a vital component of the global economy and modern societies. It has undergone significant consolidation and transformation in response to the food supply crisis, highlighting the important relationship between humans and the environment. However, concerns remain about food security, particularly with the projected population growth of over 9.5 billion by 2050. The computerization of agri-food supply chains has emerged as a significant response to these challenges.</p></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><p><em>(1)</em> Develop a multi-objective model that explores both net return and crop diversity. <em>(2)</em> Solve the problem using techniques that guarantee optimality. <em>(3)</em> Evaluate the gain in crop diversity versus the net return of the optimized configuration.</p></div><div><h3>METHODS</h3><p>The study presents four Multi-objective Mixed-Integer Linear Programming models with integer and binary decision variables for Crop Rotation Planning Problems. The objectives are to maximize net income and increase crop diversity and land utilization.</p></div><div><h3>RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS</h3><p>The study exclusively employs linear programming techniques to solve the models resulting in an optimal solution. A comparative analysis with existing models in the literature, which primarily focused on maximizing net income, yielded a noteworthy result. The proposed models demonstrate an average increase of 60% in crop diversity, with net return losses of less than 5%.</p></div><div><h3>SIGNIFICANCE</h3><p>In conclusion, this research provides valuable information for crop rotation planning and highlights the importance of agricultural farm management and precision agriculture in addressing current challenges. The innovative nature of this research is exemplified by the use of mixed-integer linear programming techniques to solve a multi-objective problem with integer and binary variables. The obtained results demonstrate increased crop diversity and minimal economic losses, which have significant implications for several areas of agricultural science, policy, and practice.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"219 ","pages":"Article 104050"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2024-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141596678","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":"Refining a middle-range theory of inclusive innovation processes in agrifood systems in the Global South","authors":"Elizabeth Hoffecker ,&nbsp;Eunhae Lee","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104053","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104053","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>CONTEXT</h3><p>As interest grows in facilitating, funding, and investigating inclusive innovation processes in agrifood systems in the Global South, a need has emerged for middle-range theory that can describe the key features and causal dynamics of these processes across diverse contexts.</p></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><p>This paper advances theory-building by testing and refining an existing middle-range theory of inclusive innovation processes in agrifood systems in the Global South through a case study of an inclusive innovation process involving smallholder farming communities in the Ecuadorian Andes.</p></div><div><h3>METHODS</h3><p>We used a case study replication design to test the initial theory. To develop the case study, we conducted primary qualitative research, including interviews, informal personal communications, and document reviews. Data analysis was conducted in two phases: in the first phase, we developed a timeline and causal narrative of the case and in the second phase, we conducted inductive and deductive thematic analysis.</p></div><div><h3>RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS</h3><p>We find that each component of the existing middle-range model played an important role, as predicted, in the inclusive innovation process described in the case study. Our analysis also reveals additional component categories, including process inputs, initial contextual conditions, and actor-level mechanisms, that featured prominently in the case but were omitted from the existing theory. The case also revealed a more nuanced, phased causal dynamic than that described in the existing middle-range model and identified intermediate pilot results as boundary objects that expanded the inclusivity of the innovation process and triggered the causal dynamics predicted by the existing theory.</p></div><div><h3>SIGNIFICANCE</h3><p>Our findings inform a revision to the existing mid-level model, contributing to building an empirically validated theory of how inclusive innovation processes unfold in agrifood systems that sheds light on specific features of these processes that are important for promoting inclusivity.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"219 ","pages":"Article 104053"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2024-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308521X24002038/pdfft?md5=8a7832b97acb26dce1437b20d5fdbd88&pid=1-s2.0-S0308521X24002038-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141582779","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}