Adaptations and Responses of Cropping Systems to Climate Change

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Innovative Cropping Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 1660

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
Interests: climate change; cropping system; adaptation; land use and land cover changes

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Guest Editor
Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
Interests: meta-coupling and telecoupling; land use and land cover changes; sustainability

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Guest Editor
1. State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang 455000, China
2. Western Agricultural Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changji 831100, China
Interests: climate change; sustainability; carbon neutrality

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Global climate change is causing increasing challenges in cropping systems and, therefore, poses significant threats to global food security. A comprehensive understanding of how to enhance the resilience of cropping systems in the face of the anticipated climate change is crucial but remains elusive. Leveraging insights from various research fields—such as climate-smart agriculture, climate change impacts, adaptive strategies, and management practices—is essential in strengthening cropping systems and safeguarding food security. For this Special Issue, we invite cutting-edge research that addresses the complexities of climate adaptation, including sustainable resource management, agronomic innovations, and the integration of technology into farming systems. We welcome both original research and review papers on these topics and related areas. Through this Special Issue, we aim to explore effective solutions for cropping systems that will respond to climate change and guide future efforts toward more sustainable agricultural practices.

Dr. Shengli Liu
Prof. Dr. Jing Sun
Dr. Zhanbiao Wang
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • cropping system
  • climate change
  • adaptation
  • food security
  • crop yield
  • management practice
  • soil quality
  • irrigation

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 8593 KiB  
Article
Maize Yield Suitability Mapping in Two Major Asian Mega-Deltas Using AgERA and CMIP6 Climate Projections in Crop Modeling
by Deepak C. Upreti, Lorena Villano, Jeny Raviz, Alice Laborte, Ando M. Radanielson and Katherine M. Nelson
Agronomy 2025, 15(4), 878; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15040878 - 31 Mar 2025
Viewed by 343
Abstract
Asian Mega-Deltas (AMDs) are important food baskets and contribute significantly to global food security. However, these areas are extremely susceptible to the consequences of climate change, such as rising temperatures, sea-level rise, water deficits/surpluses and saltwater intrusion. This study focused on maize crop [...] Read more.
Asian Mega-Deltas (AMDs) are important food baskets and contribute significantly to global food security. However, these areas are extremely susceptible to the consequences of climate change, such as rising temperatures, sea-level rise, water deficits/surpluses and saltwater intrusion. This study focused on maize crop suitability mapping and yield assessment in two major AMDs: the Ganges Delta, spanning parts of northeast India and Bangladesh, and the Mekong Delta across Vietnam and Cambodia. We investigated the historical climate reanalysis AgERA datasets and climate projections from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Phase 6 (CMIP6) for the periods 2040–2070 and 2070–2100 using PyAEZ-based modeling to estimate maize yields for periods in the near (2050s) and far future (2100s). Province-level yield estimates were validated against statistics reported by the governments of the respective countries. Model performance varied across regions, with R2 values ranging from 0.07 to 0.94, MAE from 0.67 t·ha−1 (14.2%) to 1.56 t·ha−1 (20.7%) and RMSE from 0.62 t·ha−1 (14.6%) to 1.74 t·ha−1 (23.1%) in the Ganges Delta, and R2 values from 0.23 to 0.85, MAE from 0.37 t·ha−1 (12.8%) to 2.7 t·ha−1 (27.2%) and RMSE from 0.45 t·ha−1 (15.9%) to 1.76 t·ha−1 (30.9%) in the Mekong Delta. The model performed comparatively better in the Indian region of the Ganges Delta than in the Bangladeshi region, where some yield underestimation was observed not accurately capturing the increasing upward trend in reported yields over time. Similarly, yields were underestimated in some provinces of the Mekong Delta since 2008. This may be attributed to improved management practices and the model’s inability to fully capture high-input management systems. There are also limitations related to the downscaling of CMIP6 data; the yield estimated using the downscaled CMIP6 data has small variability under rainfed and irrigated conditions. Despite these limitations, the modeling approach effectively identified vulnerable regions for maize production under future climate scenarios. Additionally, maize crop suitability zones were delineated, providing critical insights for planning and policy design to support climate adaptation in these vulnerable regions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adaptations and Responses of Cropping Systems to Climate Change)
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17 pages, 1456 KiB  
Article
Grass Cover in Vineyards as a Multifunctional Solution for Sustainable Grape Growing: A Case Study of Cabernet Sauvignon Cultivation in Serbia
by Zoran Pržić, Aleksandar Simić, Snežana Brajević, Nebojša Marković, Ana Vuković Vimić, Mirjam Vujadinović Mandić and Mariana Niculescu
Agronomy 2025, 15(2), 253; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15020253 - 21 Jan 2025
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Abstract
Faced with the challenges posed by climate change, Serbian viticulture is looking for sustainable solutions for adaptable production. This study shows that grass is a multifunctional tool for overcoming the challenges of intensive viticulture while maintaining the quality of the grapes. In a [...] Read more.
Faced with the challenges posed by climate change, Serbian viticulture is looking for sustainable solutions for adaptable production. This study shows that grass is a multifunctional tool for overcoming the challenges of intensive viticulture while maintaining the quality of the grapes. In a three-year research experiment (2020–2022), the maintenance of an inter-row sward in a vineyard with four certified high-quality French Cabernet Sauvignon clones was investigated, and its effects on the ampelographic composition of the grapes and the quality of the grape juice (must) were studied as a function of wine quality. A grass sward was established between the rows as a biological soil management system and as a climate change adaptation measure in a high-intensity viticultural system. A grass–legume mixture was used as an inter-row cover crop, with nitrogen applied in two doses (50 and 100 kg ha−1) in spring. The growth of the grasses responded to the nitrogen fertilisation, which was reflected in the biomass production, surface cover and nitrogen content in the biomass. At the end of the study, the biomass of the grass increased threefold when a high dose of nitrogen was applied compared to the non-fertilised grass. In contrast to the effects of nitrogen on the sward, N has no effect on the quantitative or qualitative parameters of the grapes. Clone 169 was separated for most grape mechanical parameters such as the bunch mass, all berries and the bunch stem; clone 15 showed the best grape juice quality parameters such as the sugar content and glycoacidometric index. The results show an option for climate change adaptation in viticulture that can mitigate the effects of rising temperatures, contribute to soil conservation and carbon storage in biomass and enable timely interventions in vineyards after heavy rainfall by creating accessible paths within the vineyards. The three-year effect of the different nutrient management of the sward in the inter-rows of Cabernet Sauvignon showed that the interaction between the two systems, sward and vine, is low and has no negative impact on the ampelographic and qualitative grape parameters. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adaptations and Responses of Cropping Systems to Climate Change)
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