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Agronomy
Special Issues
Sustainable Agricultural Systems: Enhancing Efficiency and Reducing Environmental Impact
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Sustainable Agricultural Systems: Enhancing Efficiency and Reducing Environmental Impact

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Farming Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2025 | Viewed by 12578

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Thiago Libório Romanelli

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biosystems Engineering, “Luiz de Queiroz” College of Agriculture, University of Sao Paulo, Piracicaba, SP 13418-900, Brazil
Interests: energy balance; carbon footprint; water footprint; LCA; economic viability of technological adoption; system management.
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The global awareness of environmental issues has increased and become a theme considered by consumers and policy makers, often used as international trade barrier and even to promote new market niches. Agricultural production systems have been targeted as sources of environmental impact, motivating the adoption of rational input use as a goal for decision makers.

This Special Issue aims to collect studies that contribute to environmental awareness through systemic approaches toward achievable production chains or components of them. Tools to improve environmental efficiency, such as (bio)technological adoption, alternative production means, waste utilization, the food–water–energy relationship, etc., that can be quantified to measure environmental footprints are examples of the cutting edge studies being published.

This Special Issue invites manuscripts regarding environmental footprints to highlight the solutions suggested, keeping sustainability at the forefront of investigations, where the paths that are explored should lead to the higher efficiency of biosystems. All types of manuscript submissions are welcome and will undergo a rigorous peer-review process.

Prof. Dr. Thiago Libório Romanelli
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agronomy is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • sustainability
  • systems management
  • smart farming
  • digital agriculture
  • regenerative agriculture
  • cleaner production

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 11693 KiB  
Article
Long-Term Annual Changes in Agricultural Carbon Footprints and Associated Driving Factors in China from 2000 to 2020
by Xingyuan Xiao, Xuanming Hu, Yaqun Liu and Changhe Lu
Agronomy 2025, 15(2), 453; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15020453 - 13 Feb 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 521
Abstract
China is one of the world’s largest agricultural producers, and its agricultural carbon footprint (CF) is a major contributor to global warming. However, the long-term annual changes in its agricultural CF and the underlying driving factors remain largely unknown, compromising the scientific basis [...] Read more.
China is one of the world’s largest agricultural producers, and its agricultural carbon footprint (CF) is a major contributor to global warming. However, the long-term annual changes in its agricultural CF and the underlying driving factors remain largely unknown, compromising the scientific basis for effective carbon reduction and sustainable agriculture management. To this end, we used the life cycle assessment (LCA) method and statistical data to calculate long-term annual agricultural CFs in China. We then adopted the linear regression slope and the Moran’s I method to analyze the temporal trends and spatial clustering characteristics and revealed the correlations between the main drivers and agricultural CFs. The results showed that the total (TCF) and farmland-averaged carbon footprint (FCF) of crop production both increased first and then decreased in China from 2000 to 2020, with a turning point in 2015. Overall, the TCF increased by 6.82% (3022.16 × 104 t CO2 eq), while the FCF slightly decreased by 0.004% (0.01 t CO2 eq/ha). Both the TCF and the FCF showed spatial heterogeneity, with high values in the east and low values in the west, and the spatial clustering of the TCF and its components has weakened over time. Fertilizer (39.26%) and paddy (27.38%) were the main contributors to TCF. Driver analysis found that grain yield was positively correlated with TCF in most provinces, indicating that the continuous yield increase has brought greater pressure on agricultural carbon emission reduction in China. Agricultural stakeholders should optimize crop planting structures and patterns and improve resource-use efficiencies through technological and management innovation to adapt to these threats and achieve low-carbon agriculture. The findings of our research can aid the scientific research on spatiotemporal estimation and driver analysis of agricultural CFs and provide decision-making support for sustainable agricultural practices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agricultural Systems: Enhancing Efficiency and Reducing Environmental Impact)
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14 pages, 889 KiB  
Article
Cover Crops Can Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions from No-Till Maize in Southern Brazil: Insights from a Long-Term Field Experiment
by Guilherme Rosa da Silva, Adam J. Liska and Cimélio Bayer
Agronomy 2025, 15(2), 267; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15020267 - 22 Jan 2025
Viewed by 859
Abstract
Brazil is one of the countries that has the most agricultural area under no-till (NT) management. This research study aims to evaluate life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from maize (M) grain production in agroecosystems that used different cover crops under NT management in [...] Read more.
Brazil is one of the countries that has the most agricultural area under no-till (NT) management. This research study aims to evaluate life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from maize (M) grain production in agroecosystems that used different cover crops under NT management in southern Brazil. The data for this study were from a long-term 41-year field experiment in southern Brazil. The long-term experiment evaluated the effects of fallow (F) and cover crops (oat (O), vetch (V), cowpea (B), pigeon pea (P), and lablab (L)) on nitrous oxide and methane emissions and soil carbon (C) sequestration in maize agroecosystems. Five cropping systems, FM, OV/M, OV/MB, PM, and LM, were evaluated. Our results show that cover crops can reduce life-cycle GHG emissions by ~40 to >100% through increased soil C sequestration. The agroecosystems with winter cover crops (OV/M and OV/MB) had higher life-cycle GHG emissions (0.5 kg CO2e kg−1 of M or 2.6 Mg CO2e ha−1) than the agroecosystem with winter F (0.06 kg CO2e kg−1 of M or 0.2 Mg CO2e ha−1). Summer cover crops (P and L) resulted in negative life-cycle GHG emissions (an average of −0.2 kg CO2e kg M−1 or −1.2 Mg CO2e ha−1) and increased the M grain yield. This study shows that cover crops can reduce greenhouse gas emissions from NT M in southern Brazil. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agricultural Systems: Enhancing Efficiency and Reducing Environmental Impact)
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21 pages, 3184 KiB  
Article
Effects of Irrigation with Treated Slaughterhouse Effluent and Bradyrhizobium spp. Inoculation on Soybean Development and Productivity: Strategies for Sustainable Management
by Ana Carolina Murad Lima, Lisiane Brichi, Lucas Renato Trevisan, André Leão de Souza Dominguez, Gustavo Nocera Santiago, Tamara Maria Gomes and Fabrício Rossi
Agronomy 2025, 15(1), 167; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15010167 - 11 Jan 2025
Viewed by 1035
Abstract
Water scarcity challenges in agriculture are prompting the exploration of alternative irrigation sources, including treated effluents. This study investigates the effects of irrigation with treated slaughterhouse effluent on soybean productivity and development, with and without inoculation, over two cropping cycles. Plant performance was [...] Read more.
Water scarcity challenges in agriculture are prompting the exploration of alternative irrigation sources, including treated effluents. This study investigates the effects of irrigation with treated slaughterhouse effluent on soybean productivity and development, with and without inoculation, over two cropping cycles. Plant performance was significantly influenced by environmental factors and the interaction between effluent and inoculation. Plant height and leaf area were greater in the second cycle, with effluent enhancing growth and foliar development. Fresh and dry shoot biomass showed significant interactions among cycle, inoculation, and effluent, with higher effluent concentrations combined with inoculation being most effective in the first cycle. Foliar nitrogen concentrations were higher in the first cycle, particularly at elevated effluent doses, while foliar sodium showed a positive correlation with nitrogen and a negative correlation with magnesium. Chlorophyll indices varied across developmental stages, with maximum chlorophyll b estimated at 85.35% effluent irrigation. Soybean yield did not vary significantly with effluent dilutions, suggesting environmental factors had a greater influence. In conclusion, treated effluent irrigation represents a sustainable strategy for soybean production, optimizing water and nutrient use while reducing reliance on chemical fertilizers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agricultural Systems: Enhancing Efficiency and Reducing Environmental Impact)
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30 pages, 9808 KiB  
Article
Multi-Criteria Analysis for Geospatialization of Potential Areas for Water Reuse in Irrigated Agriculture in Hydrographic Regions
by Ana Paula Pereira Carvalho, Ana Claudia Pereira Carvalho, Mirian Yasmine Krauspenhar Niz, Fabrício Rossi, Giovana Tommaso and Tamara Maria Gomes
Agronomy 2024, 14(11), 2689; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14112689 - 15 Nov 2024
Viewed by 968
Abstract
As the climate crisis progresses, droughts and the seasonal availability of fresh water are becoming increasingly common in different regions of the world. One solution to tackle this problem is the reuse of treated wastewater in agriculture. This study was carried out in [...] Read more.
As the climate crisis progresses, droughts and the seasonal availability of fresh water are becoming increasingly common in different regions of the world. One solution to tackle this problem is the reuse of treated wastewater in agriculture. This study was carried out in two significant hydrographic regions located in the southeast of Brazil (Mogi Guaçu River Water Management Unit—UGRHI-09 and Piracicaba River Basin—PRB) that have notable differences in terms of land use and land cover. The aim of this study was to carry out a multi-criteria analysis of a set of environmental attributes in order to classify the areas under study according to their levels of soil suitability and runoff potential. The integrated analysis made it possible to geospatialize prospective regions for reuse, under two specified conditions. In the UGRHI-09, condition 1 corresponds to 3373.24 km2, while condition 2 comprises 286.07 km2, located mainly in the north-western and central-eastern portions of the unit. In the PRB, condition 1 was also more expressive in occupational terms, corresponding to 1447.83 km2; and condition 2 was perceptible in 53.11 km2, predominantly in the central region of the basin. The physical characteristics of the areas studied were decisive in delimiting the areas suitable for the reuse of treated wastewater. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agricultural Systems: Enhancing Efficiency and Reducing Environmental Impact)
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14 pages, 2036 KiB  
Article
Effects of GroMore® Program on Rice Yield and GHG Emissions in a Korean Paddy Rice
by Sung Yung Yoo, Jun-Ki Son, Kyoung-Sik Jun and Hyun-Hwoi Ku
Agronomy 2024, 14(10), 2448; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14102448 - 21 Oct 2024
Viewed by 1175
Abstract
The agronomic benefits of pesticides combined with amino acid application to increase rice production have been recognized, but they are still not well-known for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and mitigation in irrigated paddy fields. Thus, this study was conducted to investigate the combined [...] Read more.
The agronomic benefits of pesticides combined with amino acid application to increase rice production have been recognized, but they are still not well-known for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and mitigation in irrigated paddy fields. Thus, this study was conducted to investigate the combined effects of pesticide and amino acid application on rice yield and methane (CH4) emissions in a Korean rice paddy. A field experiment was conducted with five levels: none (no pesticide application, T1), different conventional practices (combined application of insecticides and fungicide, T2 and T3), and GroMore® programs (combined application of insecticides, fungicides, and amino acids, T4 and T5). Rice grain yield and yield components were obtained using agronomic measurements. To determine the greenhouse gas intensity (GHGI) of each treatment, CH4 emissions were measured throughout the rice growing period. Results showed that the chemical applications in combination with amino acids in T4 obtained a higher grain yield and number of panicles per plant compared to T1, T2, and T3, while T4 and T5 showed no difference on filled spikelets except for T2. T3 and T5 showed lower respective cumulative CH4 emissions by 30% and 32% during the entire rice growing season, compared to no chemical application (T1). Meanwhile, N2O emissions were negligible in all treatments because the paddy field was flooded most of the growing season. The results of the impact of GroMore® programs on relatively higher grain yield and lower GHG emissions are presented. In conclusion, the application of pesticides combined with amino acids obtained lower GHGI values. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agricultural Systems: Enhancing Efficiency and Reducing Environmental Impact)
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Review

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40 pages, 1879 KiB  
Review
A Systematic Review of Opportunities and Limitations of Innovative Practices in Sustainable Agriculture
by Anita Boros, Eszter Szólik, Goshu Desalegn and Dávid Tőzsér
Agronomy 2025, 15(1), 76; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15010076 - 30 Dec 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 7239
Abstract
A transformation is needed in agricultural production to satisfy the growing population-based increased food demands and overcome food safety challenges while supporting human health and the preservation of natural resources. Improving sustainable agricultural practices is essential for developing a long-term and resilient economy. [...] Read more.
A transformation is needed in agricultural production to satisfy the growing population-based increased food demands and overcome food safety challenges while supporting human health and the preservation of natural resources. Improving sustainable agricultural practices is essential for developing a long-term and resilient economy. This systematic review with meta-analyses aims to overview sustainable agriculture’s progress, trends, and future opportunities, focusing primarily on integrating novel technologies into recently prevailing agricultural operations. As a basis, an extensive literature search was conducted, identifying nearly 45,000 records related closely to various dimensions of sustainable agriculture. Out of these, based on a thorough selection process, 291 were included in further evaluations. The temporal distribution and content analyses indicated an improvement in the number of papers and the spectrum of addressed agricultural aspects. The analysis of the publications revealed that most traditional farming practices focus on mass food production and cannot deal with further interrelated sustainability challenges. On the other hand, sustainable agricultural practices consider sustainability’s environmental, economic, and social aspects, thereby preserving environmental health and supporting economic viability and social well-being. The integrative assessment in this study suggests that adopting novel, innovative practices can achieve the most significant progress toward agricultural sustainability. At the same time, a broad range of limitations and challenges are listed, which widely hinder the penetration of sustainability initiatives. To eliminate these barriers, consistent policy regulations are required, targeting specific agricultural problems, alongside a complex, education-based support system, further boosting initiatives related to the green transition in agriculture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agricultural Systems: Enhancing Efficiency and Reducing Environmental Impact)
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