Agricultural Systems最新文献

{"title":"The challenge of chilling injury amid shifting maize planting boundaries: A case study of Northeast China","authors":"Suri Guga ,&nbsp;Yi Bole ,&nbsp;Dao Riao ,&nbsp;Sudu Bilige ,&nbsp;Sicheng Wei ,&nbsp;Kaiwei Li ,&nbsp;Jiquan Zhang ,&nbsp;Zhijun Tong ,&nbsp;Xingpeng Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104166","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104166","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>CONTEXT</h3><div>With the northward shift of planting belts and increased temperature variability under climate change, chilling injury to crops migrating northward may remain dangerous and worsened by the expansion intensity.</div></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><div>We examined the similarities between adjustments in maize planting and migration systems to identify cold maladaptation using climate and maize planting data from 1981 to 2020.</div></div><div><h3>METHODS</h3><div>First, the boundaries of maize planting areas were identified based on the critical accumulated temperature thresholds for different varieties, and the range of planting changes was quantified. Next, using the Theil-Sen median and Center of gravity migration model, the trend of maize expansion northward and eastward in Northeast China was revealed. Finally, the chilling injury risk of maize migration in sensitive and non-sensitive growing areas was evaluated for different periods and situations based on the natural disaster formation theory.</div></div><div><h3>RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS</h3><div>Maize distribution reacted positively to the Planting system boundary trend with northward movement and eastward expansion. The migration distance and planting rate in sensitive areas were more obvious than in non-sensitive areas, whereas the positive northward adaptation put maize under unfavorable cold conditions, particularly during slowing warming periods. Following the edge of maize migrating to cooler or higher elevation areas, danger of chilling injury has considerably elevated. Overall, compared to non-sensitive areas, newly added maize in sensitive areas exhibited higher vulnerability and hazard levels, alongside lower yields and limited capacity for mitigation. Local farmers have insufficient technical facilities or knowledge of the necessary management after relocation. Using a Multi-Model Ensemble regional climate scenarios, we calculate that High-latitude locations will continue to provide harsh environments for maize, which is susceptible to freezing, even though cropping system boundaries will continue to shift northward, which may present new planting opportunities for maize.</div></div><div><h3>SIGNIFICANCE</h3><div>Cold adaptation remains crucial when crops move northward to mitigate heat and heat damage caused by global warming.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"222 ","pages":"Article 104166"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142539081","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":"Stakeholder mapping of precision weeding commercialization ecosystem in California","authors":"Christiana Wong ,&nbsp;Ali Moghimi","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104152","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104152","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>CONTEXT</h3><div>Precision weeding, a sector of agricultural technology in which drones and/or automated weeders use chemical, mechanical, or thermal means to eradicate weeds, has moved from academic research settings to commercialization. Because of labor shortage pressures, the push to gain competitive advantages, and the environmental impacts of excessive chemical inputs, many California growers have been interested in adopting precision weeding technologies in their operations.</div></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><div>Using semi-structured qualitative interviews, this study investigated the viewpoints of three key stakeholder groups involved in the diffusion and adoption of precision weeding technologies: California growers, precision weeding startups, and agricultural technology venture capital firms. With the supplemental viewpoints of large agricultural firms and their corporate venture capital arms and government agencies, this study seeks to understand the compatible motivations between stakeholders, current collaborative models between stakeholders and their limitations, and the user journey for growers adopting precision weeding technology.</div></div><div><h3>METHODS</h3><div>We conducted 17 semi-structured qualitative interviews with diverse stakeholders in the precision weeding sector to gather textual data and gain high data saturation. Data collection balanced rigorous criteria for participant selection with adaptive interview questions to ensure depth and relevance. The analysis procedure involved coding and thematic framework development, complemented by grounded theory for iterative data examination and stakeholder map creation for distilling cross-organizational insights and stakeholder dynamics.</div></div><div><h3>RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS</h3><div>The results indicated that compatible motivations include addressing current labor issues, reducing costs, and the potential of precision weeding to transform agriculture. Less cited but still popular motivations included having more weeding options, meeting specific field needs, and environmental sustainability. The individual and stakeholder group cognitive maps demonstrated that concerns such as startup longevity, the high expenses of precision weeding machinery, and some startups lacking a direct connection to growers commonly limit the growers' adoption of precision weeding technologies.</div></div><div><h3>SIGNIFICANCE</h3><div>The procedure and cognitive mapping presented in this study can be applied to other emerging agtech technologies and ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"222 ","pages":"Article 104152"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142529317","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":"Climate-adaptative management strategies for soybean production under ENSO scenarios in Southern Brazil: An in-silico analysis of crop failure risk","authors":"Gabriel Hintz ,&nbsp;Ana Carcedo ,&nbsp;Luiz Felipe Almeida ,&nbsp;Geomar Corassa ,&nbsp;Tiago Horbe ,&nbsp;Luan Pott ,&nbsp;Raí Schwalbert ,&nbsp;Trevor Hefley ,&nbsp;P.V. Vara Prasad ,&nbsp;Ignacio Ciampitti","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104153","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104153","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>CONTEXT</h3><div>Soybeans (<em>Glycine</em> max L.) are a crucial crop for global food security, and the state of Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil, plays a significant role. However, climate instability, particularly water stress (WS), is a major concern in this region, causing large interannual yield variability.</div></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><div>This study aims to address this issue using an in-silico approach to: i) characterize WS and spatial patterns and their frequency within ENSO events; and ii) explore climate-adaptative management strategies such as planting dates and maturity groups to mitigate the risk of crop failure and maximize seed yield and profits.</div></div><div><h3>METHODS</h3><div>Crop growth simulations were performed testing three soybean maturity groups (MG, 5.0, 5.8, and 6.4) and eight planting dates (from October 5th to January 20th) over 30 years at 187 locations in RS, Brazil, using APSIM Next Generation. Failure risk was calculated as the percentage of simulations that yielded less than the economic break-even soybean yield in a given scenario.</div></div><div><h3>RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS</h3><div>The simulated yields were clustered into four regions: Northeast, North, Central, and Southwest. Four WS seasonal patterns were then defined (no stress, early stress, late stress, and whole season stress). On average, WS reduced yields up to 2 Mg ha-1 (∼50 % relative to the maximum). WS varied among regions, with the SW experiencing more frequent and severe stress (up to 50 % of whole season stress during La Nina). ENSO events influenced WS frequency, with El Niño events associated with reduced stress and La Niña events to increased stress. The MG 5.0 resulted in a higher probability of failure risk in all regions. Early planting dates resulted in the highest yield variability (up to 5 Mg ha-1). Climate-adaptative management strategies, such as optimizing planting dates and maturity groups, resulted in a 15 % reduction in crop failure.</div></div><div><h3>SIGNIFICANCE</h3><div>Our findings provide valuable insights for developing targeted approaches to enhance soybean yield stability, thereby increasing the resilience of agriculture in the face of future climate uncertainties.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"222 ","pages":"Article 104153"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142529316","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":"Climatic hazard resilience assessment on livestock farms: Application to organic ruminant farms in the French Massif Central","authors":"Patrick Veysset ,&nbsp;Célia Boivent","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104150","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104150","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>CONTEXT</h3><div>Climate change and increasing frequency of climatic perturbations could have acute impacts on the management and performances of organic farms in grassland areas. Resilience provides a framework for analyzing livestock systems in this context.</div></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><div>The aim of this work was to propose an indicator and a novel approach to assess the resilience of organic-certified cattle and sheep farms to climatic hazards, objectivize the impacts of observed climatic hazards on agricultural practices, and define the main determinants of this resilience.</div></div><div><h3>METHODS</h3><div>We used technical, and economic data from 36 specialized cattle and sheep organic farms in the Massif Central (a mountain area in the centre of France) monitored between 2014 and 2020 together with meteorological data. Gross value added of the farms was used as a proxy of resilience. We used partial least squares (PLS) path modeling to analyze relationships between agroclimatic indicators, farming practices and gross value added, and then hierarchical clustering to construct a typology of farms with different levels of resilience.</div></div><div><h3>RESULTS AND CONCLUSION</h3><div>The gross value added of the studied farms was strongly positively linked to herd output and negatively linked to feed purchased. Good weather conditions for autumn grazing and grass harvesting had a negative impact on variation in forage production, feed purchases and consumption of preserved forage. Bad weather conditions for crop yields had a positive impact on consumption of preserved forage and/or grazed grass. The feeding strategies were influenced by the on-farm production of preserved forage and by off-farm feed purchases. Farmers who took advantage of good weather conditions for grass by maximizing grazing without increasing production were able to maintain the gross value added of their farm. A strategy to increase the gross value added in years where weather conditions are unfavourable to grass production was to maximize herd output even if it meant increasing forage stocks and feed purchases.</div></div><div><h3>SIGNIFICANCE</h3><div>Adapting livestock production systems to climate change is a major ongoing challenge for livestock sustainability. There is a dearth of observational studies and a lack of methods and indicators for investigating and assessing the climate resilience of livestock systems. This study adopted a novel original approach to address this gap by pairing technical-economic data from livestock farms with meteorological data from weather stations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"222 ","pages":"Article 104150"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142529315","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":"Nitrate leaching and nitrogen balances for integrated willow-poultry organic systems in Denmark","authors":"Kiril Manevski ,&nbsp;Sanna Steenfeldt ,&nbsp;Anne Louise Frydendahl Hellwing ,&nbsp;Heidi Mai-Lis Andersen ,&nbsp;Uffe Jørgensen","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104149","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104149","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>CONTEXT</h3><div>Integrating outdoor poultry production with agroforestry promotes both production and animal welfare, but very little data exist on field nitrate leaching and soil nitrogen (N) balances.</div></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><div>The objective of the study was to quantify the effect of feed (soybean portion was partly replaced with ‘green’ protein from refined local biomass) and stocking density (low, 6 m² hen⁻¹, high, 4 m² hen⁻¹) on nitrate leaching and soil N mass balance (inputs minus outputs) in outdoor poultry systems combined with willow and grass agroforestry on sandy soils.</div></div><div><h3>METHODS</h3><div>The experiment was conducted in “organic” settings in Denmark on coarse sand soil cultivated with perennial grass-clover ley and short-rotation coppice with willow trees. Nitrate leaching was determined from soil nitrate concentrations measured at 1 m depth and water fluxes simulated by the process-based model <em>Daisy</em> for one full hydrological year involving the grazing period of spring-summer-autumn, and the winter and following spring.</div></div><div><h3>RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS</h3><div>Observed soil nitrate concentrations were considerably lower and less variable in the willow zone compared to the grass zone. Nitrate leaching was significantly lower in the willow (26 ± 14 kg N ha⁻¹) compared to the grass zone (154 ± 28 kg N ha⁻¹). At factor level, nitrate leaching was comparable and marginally lower at low- compared to high stocking density. Feed input and manure output were major N flows in the paddocks, resulting in large surface N balance of 1198–1241 kg N ha⁻¹ at high- and 843–875 kg N ha⁻¹ at low stocking density, the lower end in each range being for the green-protein feed. The soil N balances were 26 % lower than the surface balances and similar between feed factors, yielding 614–634 and 899–906 kg N ha⁻¹ for low and high stocking density, respectively.</div></div><div><h3>SIGNIFICANCE</h3><div>High spatial and temporal variability in nitrate destined for leaching from sandy soils remains challenging to control with short rotation coppiced willow in outdoor poultry paddocks on grass-clover ley. Reducing the stocking density of the hens by 33 % tightens the soil N balance for about 36 % (33–38 %), although further measures are necessary to reduce the N balance to levels environmentally suitable for agricultural soils.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"221 ","pages":"Article 104149"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142442240","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":"Contribution of cluster farming to household economy in Ethiopia: A systematic review","authors":"Asfaw Z. Zeleke ,&nbsp;Muluken G. Wordofa","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104146","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104146","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><div>Cluster farming is a new approach that began in Ethiopia in 2015 to shift smallholder farmers' production from subsistence to a commercial system. Improving income, increasing exports, ensuring food quality and affordability, reducing reliance on imports and developing the domestic market; expanding industries, and creating off-farm employment opportunities are the primary objectives of cluster commercial farms.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This review attempts to summarize how Ethiopian households benefit from cluster farming.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The review used a systematic review approach to analyze evidence gathered from various scholars. Keywords, review topics, and research questions are utilized to search electronic databases. We made sure to save 118 documents for sampling by using an electronic database search engine. A PRISMA diagram is used to select a document using specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. Non-English documents, unrelated topics, and documents published before 2015 are not considered for the review. Finally, 32 documents were used for document review and synthesis.</div></div><div><h3>Results and conclusions</h3><div>Participation in cluster farming for the household economy is influenced by age, gender, education, family size, farm size, experience, and access to credit services. Different studies have found that cluster farming is associated with increased production, income, food security, consumption, poverty reduction, and improved livelihoods. Cluster farming operations' success depends on the quality of their leadership, management, and costs, as well as their high-quality products, favorable environmental conditions, and market access. Climate change, a lack of diversification, and limited inclusion of local farming practices, such as intercropping and relay cropping systems, all pose challenges to its success. In light of these findings, it was recommended that cluster farming should be designed to suit local agricultural and cultural contexts for a sustainable cluster-based production system.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>As shown in this study, cluster farming in Ethiopia can be a pathway out of food insecurity and poverty towards sustainable livelihoods and improved quality of life. A cluster farming system facilitates agricultural commercialization to boost the productivity of smallholder farmers in an organized and cooperative manner. Farmers can access extension services, agricultural mechanizations, markets, training, experiences, and links with agricultural supporting institutions through cluster farming. Cluster farming has lately been expanded and implemented in several parts of the country.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"221 ","pages":"Article 104146"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142424177","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":"Designing policies to promote the adoption of digital phytosanitation towards sustainability: The case of the olive sector in Andalusia","authors":"Carlos Parra-López ,&nbsp;Liliana Reina-Usuga ,&nbsp;Guillermo Garcia-Garcia ,&nbsp;Carmen Carmona-Torres","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104147","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104147","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;CONTEXT&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Digital phytosanitation is at the forefront of the Agriculture 4.0 revolution, using digital technologies and data-driven approaches for effective pest and disease management. However, these advances face technical, economic and implementation challenges such as cost, infrastructure requirements and lack of immediate economic returns. In the olive sector, digital technologies are essential for threat monitoring and pest management, contributing to quality and sustainability, but their adoption is slow, especially in traditional agricultural regions such as the Mediterranean.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;OBJECTIVE&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;This article examines the adoption of digital phytosanitary systems (DPS) in the Andalusian olive sector, the world's leading olive producing region, focusing on the use of the Adoption and Diffusion Outcome Prediction Tool (ADOPT) to predict adoption rates and identify sensitive factors affecting the diffusion process. The manuscript adapts the ADOPT model to predict DPS adoption in the Andalusian olive sector and proposes policy recommendations to facilitate the digital transformation towards sustainable agriculture.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;METHODS&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;The ADOPT model is tailored to predict the adoption and diffusion of DPS in the Andalusian olive sector. It assesses the peak level of adoption and the time to peak based on factors such as the relative advantage and learnability of DPS, as well as the learning capacity of the population. The assessment of the model was based on the knowledge of experts/stakeholders from different sectors, including R&amp;D&amp;I organisations, public administration and olive farms/cooperatives.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;The results predict a slow and moderate diffusion of DPS, with ‘technology promoters’ such as R&amp;D&amp;I organisations and public administration being more optimistic than ‘technology implementers’ such as olive farms/cooperatives. The study proposes targeted policies to promote DPS adoption, addressing environmental benefits, scalability, profitability, ease of integration, risk mitigation, skills improvement, pilot projects, technology simplification, professional advice and financing options. These strategies aim to accelerate the adoption of DPS, thereby promoting higher productivity, competitiveness and environmental sustainability in the olive sector.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;SIGNIFICANCE&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Recent events in EU pesticide regulation highlight the critical importance of stakeholder engagement and the need to balance technological progress with regulatory frameworks, emphasising that the success of DPS adoption is not only a matter of technological capability, but also of alignment with regulatory decisions and the broader goal of sustainable agriculture. In this context, this research contributes to understanding the dynamics of digital transformation in agriculture and informs policy-making for sustainable agricultural practi","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"221 ","pages":"Article 104147"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142424176","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":"A system readiness approach to support the packaging and scaling of innovation bundles for farming systems transformation","authors":"Aymen Frija","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104148","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104148","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;CONTEXT&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;A newly established ‘systemic approach to technology packaging’ for improved scaling has emerged in the literature. This approach suggests that core transformative innovations can be scaled more effectively through scaling readiness, which helps identify complementary innovations that support and facilitate the scalability of the core innovation. Since these packaging approaches start with single core innovations, we propose that they can benefit from the broader literature on sustainable agricultural systems transformation and readiness.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;OBJECTIVE&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;The objective of this paper is to advocate for a more comprehensive packaging of innovations for sustainable agricultural system transformations by better understanding gaps in the agricultural system – and its capacity for change. This approach provides a stronger rationale for the selection of relevant innovations to be packaged together. We introduce the concept of agricultural ‘system readiness’ as a possible framework for guiding such bundles.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;METHODS&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;The paper begins with a comprehensive literature review that identifies the current gaps in tools and methods to guide system transformation. It also focuses on the specific literature on innovation packaging for scaling, and builds on the gaps of existing approaches as a rationale for introducing the concept of system readiness (mostly used in infrastructure engineering), and adapting it to agricultural science. We also use illustrative hypothetical examples from mixed crop-livestock systems in the drylands to show how two approaches – ‘packaging for scaling’ and ‘packaging for transformation’ – can lead to different innovation packages.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;The concept of system readiness is introduced, defined and advocated. We show that it can help identify performance gaps in agricultural systems and guide better planning for system strengthening and integration. We conclude with possible complementarities between the two approaches of scaling and system readiness.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;SIGNIFICANCE&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;The agricultural system readiness approach, as outlined in this paper, would be particularly beneficial for agricultural research-for-development, as well as other agricultural investment programs that seek to identify strategies for fostering sustainable transition in farming systems. Such programs would typically entail complexity-aware theories of change that focus on stimulating sustainable transformation pathways related to key target areas, such as agroecology, sustainable intensification, and system integration (e.g., crop-livestock integration and integrated pest management). The system readiness approach can support such programs through the identification, prioritization, targeting, and empowerment of the most significant (and transformative) system components by identifying respective innovations to be packaged.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"221 ","pages":"Article 104148"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142424175","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":"Drought risk assessment for maize/peanut intercropping based on crop model and SPEI","authors":"Yajiaoxue Guo ,&nbsp;Zhanxiang Sun ,&nbsp;Wei Bai ,&nbsp;Zhe Zhang ,&nbsp;Yue Zhang ,&nbsp;Hongjun Du ,&nbsp;Tianran Sun ,&nbsp;Jinyu Zhang ,&nbsp;Pu Peng ,&nbsp;Yafei Ji ,&nbsp;Qian Cai ,&nbsp;Zhi Dong ,&nbsp;Xu Zhang ,&nbsp;Liangshan Feng ,&nbsp;Chen Feng ,&nbsp;Lizhen Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104144","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104144","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><div>Drought occurs frequently under climate change and is considered a huge threat especially for the rain-fed agricultural region. Intercropping systems are promoted as an adaptation to mitigate drought stress due to the interspecific complementarity of intercropped species and improved water use efficiency.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>The aim of this study was to select a drought risk assessment model for maize/peanut strip intercropping to quantitatively evaluate whether intercropping can mitigate drought risk compared to sole stands, using the daily Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) for analysis.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM) is widely used to assess the potential impacts of climate change on crop yield. In this study, we employed the APSIM model, integrated with a light interception model for strip intercrops, to quantify yield losses caused by crop droughts in four maize/peanut strip intercropping treatments from 1951 to 2020. Additionally, we developed physical vulnerability curves and the corresponding drought hazard indices.</div></div><div><h3>Results and conclusions</h3><div>Based on the drought risk assessment index, intercropping decreased drought risk by 2.16 % compared with sole stands across all testing row configurations. In this study, we found that maize/peanut strip intercropping reduced drought risk by 5.7 % over the past 35 years, outperforming the previous 35 years. We concluded that the intercropping could be a risk management strategy in rain-fed agriculture, and among the four tested intercropping systems, including 2 rows of maize and 2 rows of peanut, 4 rows of maize and 4 rows of peanut, 6 rows of maize and 6 rows of peanut, and 8 rows of maize and 8 rows of peanut, strip intercropping with 2 rows of maize and 2 rows of peanut was the best.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>Our long-term simulations confirmed that intercropping could reduce drought risk in rain-fed agriculture under global climate change. Overall, this study introduces drought risk quantification methods in ecosystem biodiversity. However, further field experiments are still needed to explore the impact of resource competition on intercropping system performance. Additional data from other locations will enhance the spatial representation in future research. Future research should also combine crop physiology and ecological theories to study intercropping drought resistance from a crop mechanism perspective.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"221 ","pages":"Article 104144"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142424070","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":"Factors influencing the progressive adoption of integrated rice-fish systems by farmers and its relapse","authors":"Yunxiao Bai ,&nbsp;Cheng Chen ,&nbsp;Xiaoshuang Li ,&nbsp;Moucheng Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104142","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104142","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>CONTEXT</h3><div>Integrated farming systems provide high protein and energy yields per unit of land and increase farm income, particularly for smallholder farmers in land-scarce areas. However, the adoption rate by farmers is low, and some farmers discontinue after adoption (relapse).</div></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><div>We have three objectives, first, to subdivide the adoption stages of farmers and explore the influencing factors that affect each stage. Second to examine the factors that lead farmers to relapse. Third to test the similarity between these factors.</div></div><div><h3>METHODS</h3><div>In this study, we applied a modified transtheoretical model of behavioral change combined with key concepts from the theory of planned behavior to data collected from farmers adopting an integrated rice–fish system in Sanjiang County, China.</div></div><div><h3>RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS</h3><div>We refined the adoption process into four progressive behavioral stages (pre-contemplation, contemplation, pre-maintenance, and maintenance) and an additional unexpected stage (relapse). As the stages progressed, the effect of family farm income transitioned from negative to positive. In all stages, farmers with stronger perceived behavioral control over finance and technology were more likely to change to more advanced stages. Factors such as attitude toward economic benefits, subjective norms, government and policy evaluations, and family laborers is related to farmers' relapse. We also demonstrated that the factors incentivizing farmers to progress to more advanced behavioral stages were not the same as those leading to relapse. Thus, policymakers must consider and address these inconsistencies.</div></div><div><h3>SIGNIFICANCE</h3><div>This study provides new insights into integrated farming adoption and relapse and has implications for designing intervention policies for farmers at different behavioral stages.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7730,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Systems","volume":"221 ","pages":"Article 104142"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142424069","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}