Search Results (396)

Cereal production is increasingly constrained by soil degradation, water scarcity, climate variability, and rising disease and weed pressure. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the role of regenerative agronomic practices in cereal production, with particular emphasis on soil health, plant disease management, water-use efficiency, and yield stability. Available evidence consistently indicates that the greatest benefits arise not from individual practices but from integrated systems combining reduced tillage, crop residue retention, diversified crop rotations including legumes, cover crops, organic fertilization, and biologically based pest management. Such practices can increase soil biological activity and its ability to limit disease by enriching functionally beneficial microbial communities and limiting pathogens through competition for resources and niches, antibiosis, hyperparasitism, and the induction of plant resistance. They can also improve soil structure, water infiltration, water retention, and crop resilience to drought stress and, under certain conditions, reduce erosion, nutrient losses, and yield variability. However, the effects of regenerative practices are strongly dependent on soil type, climate, nitrogen balance, pest pressure, and the extent of adoption of regenerative practices. Risks may arise during the transition period, including yield declines, nitrogen immobilization, weed infestation, and increased disease pressure. Evaluation of these systems should encompass not only yield but also the grain quality and phytosanitary status, soil organic carbon stocks throughout the soil profile, N₂O emissions, and production profitability. The review covers cereal systems from temperate, humid, arid and semi-arid zones, and the results were interpreted considering climate, soil quality, water availability, and agronomic practices, as the same practice can produce different effects in different agroecological zones. Further research should prioritize long-term, multifactorial experiments conducted across diverse agroecological environments that integrate agronomic performance, environmental sustainability, and crop quality. Full article

Reliable determination of macro- and micronutrients in cereal plant tissues is essential for agronomic management, environmental monitoring, and interlaboratory data comparability. However, most existing plant certified reference materials (CRMs) are derived from temperate-region matrices and do not adequately represent cereals cultivated under semi-arid conditions, where differences in mineral composition may lead to matrix-related analytical bias. In this study, a new multi-element plant reference material, Cereal Plant Powder 2023 (CPP-23), was developed from composite wheat (Triticum aestivum and T. durum) samples collected across major Moroccan agro-ecological zones. The material was processed, homogenized, and evaluated for homogeneity and stability in accordance with ISO 33405:2024, with no significant short- or long-term variability observed. Elemental characterization was performed using microwave-assisted acid digestion followed by ICP-OES for major and trace elements, while total nitrogen was determined using the Kjeldahl method. Method validation demonstrated satisfactory linearity (R² > 0.995), precision, and trueness against established reference materials. Certified values were assigned through an interlaboratory comparison involving eight ISO/IEC 17025-accredited laboratories using robust statistical estimators (ISO 13528:2022). Expanded uncertainties (k = 2) were below 15% for all analytes. While these results indicate acceptable internal consistency, the relatively limited number of participating laboratories and the absence of independent analytical validation techniques represent important constraints. CPP-23 provides a matrix-representative material suitable for quality control and method validation in semi-arid agricultural systems. Nevertheless, its ability to reduce analytical bias relative to existing CRMs and its applicability to specific use cases require further experimental validation. Full article

The objective of this study was to determine the energy balance and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with the production of industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) under semi-arid Central Anatolian conditions. A field experiment was conducted using the registered industrial hemp cultivar ‘Vezir’ under semi-arid conditions, and energy use indicators and greenhouse gas emissions were quantified through an input–output analysis based on field-level agricultural inputs and biomass yield. The total energy input was calculated as 13,688.50 MJ ha^–1, of which chemical fertilizers (54.339%) and diesel fuel (32.09%) jointly accounted for more than 90%, followed by irrigation water (4.66%), machinery 2.87%), and human labor (0.21%). The corresponding energy output reached 388,073.80 MJ ha^–1, yielding an energy use efficiency of 28.35, a specific energy of 0.62 MJ kg^–1, an energy productivity of 1.61 kg MJ^–1 and a net energy of 374,385.28 MJ ha^–1. Of the total energy input, 36.95% was direct and 63.05% indirect, while 89.35% originated from non-renewable sources and only 10.65% originated from renewable sources. Total GHG emissions amounted to 590.14 kg CO₂ eq ha^–1, with diesel fuel and nitrogen fertilizer identified as the dominant emission sources. These findings indicate that industrial hemp combines high productivity with low environmental burdens under semi-arid conditions. Beyond its favorable energy balance, hemp offers potential contributions to climate-smart agriculture through efficient resource use, reduced greenhouse gas emissions per unit of output, and diversification of cropping systems in water-limited environments. Therefore, industrial hemp can support the transition toward more sustainable and resilient agricultural systems in semi-arid regions of Türkiye and similar agroecological zones. Full article

Drought persistence in the Sudan–Sahel transition zone of Northern Nigeria poses a substantial risk to agricultural productivity. This study develops a Hybrid Prophet–Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) architecture to address the existing research gap in near-term predictive capacity for non-stationary hydroclimatic time series. Utilizing Kano State as a case study, the Prophet algorithm was employed to extract deterministic trends from the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI-12) derived from CRU TS v4.09 data (1980–2024), while an integrated LSTM network modeled the stochastic residuals. Diagnostic results indicate a statistically significant trend toward moisture recovery (p < 0.0001). Comparative analysis demonstrated that the hybrid model significantly outperformed standalone baselines, achieving a Nash–Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) exceeding 0.87 and a 67.2% reduction in Root Mean Square Error (RMSE). Furthermore, the framework accurately simulated hydroclimatic transitions with a directional accuracy exceeding 87%, confirming high predictive reliability. Projections for the 2025–2030 period indicate a continued positive moisture shift of approximately 0.9 SPEI units. These findings underscore the technical necessity of decoupling non-linear noise from deterministic signals to resolve complex drought dynamics. Consequently, the proposed framework serves as a robust tool for near-term climate prediction. Scaling this methodology across diverse agroecological zones is recommended to enhance national drought early warning systems and regional climate resilience strategies. Full article

Olive orchards constitute important reservoirs of floristic diversity, including species that are strongly dependent on agroecosystems for their persistence. The conservation of floristic diversity enhances the provision of essential agroecosystem services, contributing to the sustainability of olive orchard agroecosystems. The main aim of this study was to provide a descriptive analysis of the floristic diversity of olive orchards, a topic that has not been investigated extensively in Crete. The study was designed to capture variation associated with management system (MS) and agroecological zone (AZ), providing a comprehensive assessment of floristic diversity. A seven-and-a-half-year floristic survey was conducted in the Messara Valley, Crete, Greece, across nine organic olive orchards implementing Green Infrastructure (GI), eight conventionally managed orchards, and two abandoned orchards. The orchards were located in both plain and hilly agroecological zones. Within each orchard, monthly surveys were conducted in three randomly assigned square sampling stations per hectare, which remained constant throughout the study period. A descriptive analysis and univariate comparisons between the MS and AZ were conducted using six pairs of organic and conventional orchards, with three pairs located in the hilly AZ and three in the plain AZ. In total, 331 species, belonging to 60 families and 28 taxonomic orders, were identified. Most recorded species were characterised as therophytes (55%) and hemicryptophytes (31%), mainly belonging to the families Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Poaceae, and Lamiaceae. Total species richness was higher in organic (257 species, 56 families) than in abandoned (195 species, 45 families) and conventional orchards (192 species, 50 families), however, the mean species richness did not differ statistically significantly among management systems. Mean species and family richness were significantly higher in the hilly AZ than in the plain AZ, and total species richness was also higher in the hilly AZ (316 species, 59 families) than in the plain AZ (128 species, 43 families). This study highlghts the role of olive orchards as reservoirs of floristic diversity in Crete and demonstrates the influence of MS, Green Infrastructure and AZ in shaping the floristic diversity of these agroecosystems. Full article

Agricultural expansion is usually viewed as ecological pressure in dryland agro-pastoral ecotones, yet regional greening can also emerge alongside agricultural restructuring. This paradox is particularly important where cropland expansion, ecological restoration, and water-limited landscapes overlap. Using the Mu Us Sandy Land of northern China, we examined whether greening from 2000 to 2020 represented genuine non-cropland recovery and whether its spatial organization was associated with agricultural restructuring. Annual fractional vegetation cover (FVC), land use/cover, and environmental data were used to decompose regional greening and construct an Agricultural Opportunity Space Index (AOSI) based on cropland boundary proximity, local cropland density, interface intensity, and agricultural core-area influence. Ecological non-cropland improvement accounted for 84.30% of the total FVC increase, whereas the change in cropland share contributed only 2.30%. Recovery was broad-based, with FVC rising across low, median, and high quantiles and 68.97% of valid ecological non-cropland pixels showing significant greening. Restoration occurrence and mean FVC change (ΔFVC) generally increased along the AOSI gradient, while high-opportunity zones hosted stronger, more recurrent, and more stable restoration hotspots. These findings suggest that agricultural restructuring shaped non-cropland recovery not primarily through land occupation, but through the spatial redistribution of land-use pressure and resource management conditions beyond cropland boundaries. Full article

The Agro-Pastoral Transitional Zone in northern China is a typical ecologically fragile area highly sensitive to climate change. Understanding how future climate change will affect the suitability of agricultural and pastoral land use in this region is a critical scientific issue for both climate change research and regional sustainable development. This study integrates multi-scenario climate projections from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) with a land use suitability evaluation framework. Three Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) are employed, driven by three Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs): IMAGE (SSP1-2.6, low emission), MESSAGE (SSP2-4.5, moderate emission), and REMIND-MAGPIE (SSP5-8.5, high emission). Future climate variables (annual precipitation and accumulated temperature ≥ 10 °C) are statistically downscaled to 1 km resolution for the years 2030, 2050, and 2100. Using a restrictive factor evaluation method that incorporates climatic, topographic, and edaphic indicators, we assess the evolution of land use suitability for both agriculture and livestock farming under each scenario. The results reveal that under moderate- and high-emission scenarios, thermal conditions gradually improve across the study area, particularly in the central and eastern parts, leading to enhanced natural suitability for agricultural and pastoral production. However, precipitation shows no consistent trend of increase or decrease. The moderate emission scenario (SSP2-4.5) yields the most balanced improvement in suitability, with the proportion of unsuitable agricultural land decreasing from 84.5% in 2030 to 37.4% in 2100, and unsuitable pastoral land decreasing from 53.1% to 13.6%. In contrast, the low-emission scenario (SSP1-2.6) results in a sharp contraction of suitable areas by 2100 due to concurrent warming and drying. These findings suggest that climate warming may benefit mid-to-high-latitude agro-pastoral transition zones under moderate emission pathways, but the benefits are spatially heterogeneous and contingent on precipitation stability. This study provides a scientific basis for regional land use planning and climate adaptation strategies. Full article

Geographical Indications (GIs) are increasingly promoted as instruments for rural upgrading and value capture in commodity-dependent economies. Yet empirical assessments of GI feasibility in smallholder export systems remain limited. This study evaluates whether Cameroon’s red cocoa satisfies the scientific and institutional conditions required to support a credible GI strategy. We develop an integrated qualification framework encompassing four necessary conditions: agroecological distinctiveness, physicochemical differentiation, sensory differentiation, and governance feasibility. Spatial analysis, laboratory characterization, structured sensory evaluation, and institutional diagnostics are combined to assess whether these conditions jointly sustain origin-based differentiation. Results indicate that red cocoa exhibits territorially coherent agroecological features and statistically meaningful biochemical differentiation, including elevated polyphenol and anthocyanin profiles in core production zones. Sensory evaluation confirms identifiable flavor attributes consistent with fine-flavor positioning, though variability linked to post-harvest management affects reproducibility. Institutional analysis reveals partial readiness, with emerging production specifications under the OAPI framework but limited enforcement capacity and traceability infrastructure. The findings suggest that red cocoa meets several scientific preconditions for GI consideration, but governance consolidation and post-harvest standardization remain critical constraints. GI feasibility should therefore be interpreted as conditional rather than automatic. More broadly, the study contributes an integrated analytical approach for assessing origin-based upgrading strategies in Global South commodity systems under increasing sustainability regulation. Full article

Black mashua (Tropaeolum tuberosum), also known as purple mashua, is an Andean plant with high nutritional and medicinal value. It has traditionally been used to treat prostate conditions. This study examined how the agroecological origin (Puno and Junín) and processing methods (extrusion and drum drying) affected the physicochemical, bioactive, and technofunctional properties of instant black mashua flour. Both factors were found to significantly influence the content of bioactive compounds and technofunctional behaviour of the flour. Although extrusion increased the content of total phenols, flavonoids, carotenoids, and total glucosinolates, it decreased the levels of vitamin C and anthocyanins, likely due to their thermal sensitivity. From a technological perspective, extrusion also resulted in higher bulk density, water absorption capacity, and swelling power. In contrast, drum drying produced higher water solubility and gelatinisation index values. Samples from Puno generally exhibited higher glucosinolate contents than those from Junín, while extrusion proved more effective in enhancing glucosinolate retention and improving functional properties. These findings suggest that the processing method should be chosen based on the specific bioactive compounds and technological functionalities that are prioritised in each agroecological zone. Full article

Regionally, compound agroecological stress arising from both natural and anthropogenic emergy inputs may influence maize transcriptomic responses; however, evidence across multiple scales remains limited. We developed a reproducible five-step framework integrating a macro-level compound stress index, molecular response modules, cross-scale coupling, spatial continuity, and independent field validation. Nine variables (emergy indicators ELR, Fn, and NEYR; climate; soil; and terrain) were PCA-weighted into a Composite Abiotic Stress Intensity Index (CASI; first three PCs = 83.7%; and prefecture-level Moran’s I = 0.463). Across 15 public RNA-seq datasets (286 samples), WGCNA identified five separable modules (drought–heat, reproductive stage heat, low nitrogen/phosphorus, osmotic salt, and chronic compound), 270 core genes, and four cross-module hubs (ZmDREB2A, ZmHSFA2, ZmWRKY33, and ZmNRT2.1). With n = 21, the sCCA (r₁ = 0.81, permutation p = 0.003; LOO-CV r = 0.71), random forest, and spatial error model all confirmed coupling between ELR and the drought–heat module (β = 0.51, p = 0.008). PLS-DA four-zone partitioning (Q² = 0.548) and a county-level second-order trend surface (R² = 0.67) verified spatial continuity. GSVA on five independent field RNA-seq datasets yielded 74.4 to 82.8% core gene directional consistency and Cliff’s δ of 0.59 to 0.68 (large effect), avoiding circular reasoning. The framework enables molecular analysis for precision agriculture and climate-resilient breeding. Full article

Soybean root rot, a destructive soilborne disease complex caused by a consortium of pathogenic fungi, poses a persistent threat to global soybean productivity. During 2022–2023, a total of 990 fungal isolates were recovered from symptomatic soybean roots across Heilongjiang Province, Northeast China. Of these, 279 isolates were identified as Fusarium equiseti through integrated morphological characterization and multilocus phylogenetic analysis. Notably, F. equiseti exhibited markedly elevated isolation frequencies (5.6–58.9%) across surveyed regions, confirming its status as the emerging dominant causal agent of root rot in this agroecological zone. Pathogenicity evaluations revealed that 76.67% of isolates displayed moderate virulence, with one strain classified as highly virulent (3.33%). In vitro fungicide sensitivity assays indicated that F. equiseti was most susceptible to prochloraz (mean EC₅₀ = 0.0010 µg·mL⁻¹) and fludioxonil (mean EC₅₀ = 0.0042 µg·mL⁻¹). When deployed as seed treatments, these two fungicides achieved 53.61% and 47.32% control efficacy against root rot, respectively, while significantly enhancing soybean seedling emergence, root length, and fresh weight. Collectively, these findings provide a scientific foundation for the precise, sustainable management of F. equiseti-mediated root rot in cold-region soybean production systems. Full article

Aligning plant breeders’ objectives with farmers’ preferences is essential for improving the adoption of new crop varieties. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a Participatory Weighted Selection (PWS) index, previously developed from a survey of 869 Moroccan farmers, by comparing it with biophysical Participatory Variety Selection (PVS) trials conducted on 19 farms across four agroecological zones in Morocco. Novel CWR-derived lines of durum wheat, barley, and lentil were assessed alongside commercial checks, and both male and female farmers were interviewed to gather PVS preferences. The results showed no significant gender differences for the top-ranked varieties across crops, with minor variations in some zones. Jabal emerged as the preferred durum wheat variety overall, while Zagharin2 was favored in favorable zones. Furat-3 was generally preferred for barley, except in certain mountain and favorable zones, and Bakria was the top lentil variety across most sites. Farmers’ PWS responses clustered into three groups, emphasizing consistent prioritization of high yield potential, abiotic stress tolerance, and good nutritional quality. Comparison of biophysical performance with PVS and PWS revealed strong alignment for durum wheat; however, the highest yielding genotypes for barley and lentil were not always the most preferred. Overall, these results demonstrate that the PWS approach effectively captures farmers’ preferences and provides a reliable tool for guiding breeding decisions. These findings reveal that integrating PWS with on-farm biophysical and PVS evaluations provides a robust, farmer-informed framework for prioritizing genotypes and improving the relevance of breeding decisions across diverse agroecological contexts. Full article

Global salinization affects approximately one billion hectares of land in more than 100 countries, posing a severe threat to food security and ecosystem sustainability. Microbial remediation using plant growth-promoting microorganisms offers an eco-friendly alternative to physicochemical methods. However, bridging the gap between laboratory cultivation of single strains and field-scale application of synthetic microbial communities (SynComs) remains difficult, owing to inconsistent efficacy and a lack of unified design frameworks. This review examines the evolution from single strains to rationally designed SynComs for saline soil remediation. A ‘structure–function–mechanism’ framework is proposed, integrating five core microbial modules, namely ion regulation and osmotic stabilization, ethylene and phytohormone modulation, antioxidant activation, nutrient cycle activation, and systemic resistance induction. The review elucidates key determinants of synthetic community success, including functional complementarity, strain compatibility, and host–environment matching, while revealing a marked quantitative gap between controlled experiments and field performance. Key bottlenecks are identified, including the lack of high-throughput compatibility screening, poorly quantified long-term ecological risks, and the absence of standardized application guidelines across agro-ecological zones. Finally, emerging avenues are discussed, such as microbial–microalgal symbiosis and AI-assisted design, outlining a roadmap for next-generation smart microbial products integrated into climate-resilient farming systems. Full article

Croatia’s diverse agroecological zones, from Mediterranean coastal areas to continental lowlands, enable the cultivation of a broad portfolio of traditional fruit species that contribute simultaneously to biodiversity conservation, rural livelihoods, and the development of value-added food and beverage products. This review compiles and harmonizes evidence on six economically and culturally relevant crops and product chains—grapevine and wine, apple, pear, quince, sour cherry, mulberry, and plum with the traditional spirit šljivovica—focusing on genetic resources and cultivar diversity, agronomic and environmental performance, bioactive composition and potential health relevance, processing routes and by-product valorization, and the socio-economic roles of geographical indications, gastronomy, and tourism. Across species, the literature highlights recurring sustainability levers: safeguarding indigenous and old cultivars as reservoirs of adaptive traits under climate change; reducing chemical inputs through cultivar choice, organic and low-input systems, cover crops, and resistant genotypes; strengthening circularity by converting pomace and other residues into spirits, vinegars, functional ingredients, feed, compost, or energy carriers; and increasing rural value capture through branding, protected origin schemes, and experiential tourism. At the same time, production systems face shared constraints, including fragmentation of holdings, labour shortages, phytosanitary pressures, and the need to optimize processing technologies to preserve sensory and bioactive quality while meeting safety and regulatory requirements. By integrating crop-specific evidence with cross-cutting sustainability themes, this review outlines a coherent framework for positioning traditional Croatian fruit resources and their derived products within contemporary sustainable food system transitions. Full article

Guaje (Leucaena leucocephala), mezquite (Prosopis laevigata), and guamuchil (Pithecellobium dulce) are leguminous trees distributed throughout southeastern Mexico. Their pods and seeds constitute the main agroecological residues and represent a natural source of secondary metabolites with high biotechnological potential. The aim of this study was to determine the chemical composition, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities, and toxicity of the pods and seeds of L. leucocephala, P. laevigata, and P. dulce. It was found that pod extracts contained higher concentrations of phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and terpenes than seed extracts. Antimicrobial assays showed inhibition zones ranging from 8.1–14.7 mm (E. coli), 8.8–15.1 mm (S. aureus), 11.3–15.4 mm (E. faecalis), 8.9–24.1 mm (C. albicans), and 8.5–22.6 mm (C. krusei). The ethyl acetate (AVPD) and ethanolic (EVPD) extracts from P. dulce pods showed the highest antimicrobial activity, with MIC values ranging from 0.03 to 0.15 mg/mL, MBC values of 0.07 mg/mL (S. aureus and E. faecalis), and MFC values of 1.25 mg/mL (C. albicans) and 0.62 mg/mL (C. krusei). Antioxidant activity was higher in pod extracts, with AVPD and EVPD showing IC₅₀ values of 0.257 and 0.320 mg/mL, respectively. Consistently, EVPD exhibited the highest phenolic content (133.24 mg GAE/g) and flavonoid content (50.90 mg QE/g), followed by AVPD (87.29 mg GAE/g and 42.40 mg QE/g, respectively). The results indicate that pod extracts of L. leucocephala and P. dulce contain secondary metabolites with broad antimicrobial and antioxidant potential and low toxicity. Full article