Search Results (127)

Rice is one of the most important staple foods worldwide. Asia, particularly South and Southeast Asia, is a major rice producer, and rice production is also gradually increasing in Africa. However, rice cultivation poses economic and environmental challenges, which are exacerbated by climate change. Hence, diversification of rice-based production systems is highly imperative to improve soil health and thus sustain productivity while also enhancing income opportunities. Vegetables and pulses are crucial components for diversifying rice-based production systems as they have the potential to increase income and improve soil health. The World Vegetable Center has introduced mungbeans and vegetable soybeans to diversify the cereal-based production systems in Asia. About 27–93% of the mungbean area in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Myanmar is planted with varieties containing improved germplasm developed by WorldVeg in collaboration with national agricultural research systems. Additionally, the introduction of vegetables and legumes is highly remunerative and improves dietary diversity, leading to better nutrition. For instance, the productivity of vegetable crops increased by 200–350% when they were combined with improved production practices. Such diversification also holds great promise for improving income and nutrition in Africa. It also enhances the resilience of farming systems, particularly in a changing climate. Hence, governments should prioritize system diversification to enhance the income and livelihood opportunities for smallholders in Asia and Africa. Full article

Climate change poses a significant threat to Ethiopian agriculture, impacting both cereal and livestock production through rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, prolonged droughts, and increased pest and disease outbreaks. These challenges intensify food insecurity, particularly for smallholder farmers and pastoralists who rely on climate-sensitive agricultural systems. This systematic review aims to synthesize the impacts of climate change on Ethiopian agriculture, with a specific focus on cereal production and livestock feed quality, while exploring effective adaptation strategies that can support resilience in the sector. The review synthesizes 50 peer-reviewed publications (2020–2024) from the Climate Change Effects on Food Security project, which supports young African academics and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in addressing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Using PRISMA guidelines, the review assesses climate change impacts on major cereal crops and livestock feed in Ethiopia and explores adaptation strategies. Over the past 30 years, Ethiopia has experienced rising temperatures (0.3–0.66 °C), with future projections indicating increases of 0.6–0.8 °C per decade resulting in more frequent and severe droughts, floods, and landslides. These shifts have led to declining yields of wheat, maize, and barley, shrinking arable land, and deteriorating feed quality and water availability, severely affecting livestock health and productivity. The study identifies key on-the-ground adaptation strategies, including adjusted planting dates, crop diversification, drought-tolerant varieties, soil and water conservation, agroforestry, supplemental irrigation, and integrated fertilizer use. Livestock adaptations include improved breeding practices, fodder enhancement using legumes and local browse species, and seasonal climate forecasting. These results have significant practical implications: they offer a robust evidence base for policymakers, extension agents, and development practitioners to design and implement targeted, context-specific adaptation strategies. Moreover, the findings support the integration of climate resilience into national agricultural policies and food security planning. The Climate Change Effects on Food Security project’s role in generating scientific knowledge and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration is vital for building institutional and human capacity to confront climate challenges. Ultimately, this review contributes actionable insights for promoting sustainable, climate-resilient agriculture across Ethiopia. Full article

In Tunisia, the agricultural sector faces multiple challenges that affect both productivity and farmers’ livelihoods. Although agroecology is increasingly recognized as a pathway to sustainable agriculture, the extent of its adoption by farmers remains unclear. This study assesses the agroecological performance of 50 farms in the Sbikha delegation of the Kairouan governorate (Central Tunisia), using the Tool for Agroecological Performance Evaluation (TAPE), developed by the FAO. This tool assesses how existing cropping systems align with the 10 principles of agroecology and explores their potential for further transition. The results reveal a modest level of agroecological adoption, averaging only 41%. Several factors influence this outcome, including limited farmer knowledge and technical capacity, a weak institutional and organizational framework, and low diversification of cropping systems. Furthermore, three types of farms were identified based on their production systems: farms specializing in fruit trees, farms specializing in cereal and vegetable crops, and farms specializing in olive and vegetable crops. Among these, fruit tree farms exhibit a higher level of agroecological transition, averaging 51%. This increased diversification enhances resilience to market fluctuations. To accelerate the agroecological transition, several key measures should be implemented. Updating land property titles would improve access to credit by enabling farmers to provide the necessary guarantees. Additionally, targeted training programs and awareness-raising initiatives could strengthen technical capacities, thereby facilitating the adoption of agroecological practices. These interventions would enhance farmers’ economic resilience, support sustainable agricultural production, and promote equitable rural development. Full article

This study assesses local stakeholders’ perceptions regarding how a Mediterranean cereal-based cropping system could transition to a more sustainable production, focusing on the identification of the most suitable alternatives for their diversification. Fifty-four stakeholders from the Aragon region in Spain, including farmers, technical advisors, public agricultural officers, local researchers, and experts from environmental NGOs, were consulted. Their responses were analysed using multi-criteria decision-making techniques to order their preferences for different farming practices and diversification strategies. Stakeholders’ responses suggest a priority for balancing soil conservation with the economic viability and continuity of farms. This is evident not only in its consideration as a priority objective but also in their preferences for farming practices, where their implications for farm profitability, especially through the choice of less costly alternatives, are a main concern. This economic rationale also influences their choice of crop diversification alternatives, with a preference for short (two-year) rotations in rainfed cereals and double cropping in irrigated cereals, showing a consideration of the balance between environmental and economic sustainability, and for diversification crops that farmers are already familiar with, aiming both to reduce the uncertainties linked to new crops and to minimise the need for technical support. Full article

Italian pigs for slaughter weigh between 150 and 170 kg, and their breeding is strictly regulated by the Protected Designation of Origin. Intensive production raises environmental concerns, in particular, nitrogen (N) emissions. To address these issues, low-crude-protein diet strategies have been proposed. However, few experiments have tested the effects of very low crude protein levels on performance and nitrogen efficiency, above all, in heavy pigs. The aim of our study was to explore new feeding solutions, compared to traditional ones, in accordance with PDO regulations, from 50 kg live weight to slaughtering: (1) traditional diet based on soy and maize; (2) iso-protein diet protein that is pea-based; and (3) low-crude-protein (−24.5% vs. C and T1 diets) diet that is cereal-based. Our results show that the use of different protein sources and the very low crude protein levels did not influence the technical efficiency and quality parameters; instead, a highly significant difference (p < 0.01) was recorded in the nitrogen efficiency of the cereal-based diet both in terms of nitrogen excretion and efficiency, achieving −28% and +21%, respectively. These results open up very interesting scenarios regarding the future feeding of heavy pigs and the cropping systems on which this is based. Full article

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a staple crop for nearly half of the global population and one of China’s most extensively cultivated cereals. Heading date, a critical agronomic trait, determines the regional and seasonal adaptability of rice varieties. In this study, a series of mutants (elh5 to elh12) exhibiting extremely late heading under both long-day (LD) and short-day (SD) conditions were identified from an ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) mutant library. Using MutMap and map-based cloning, the causative gene was identified as a novel allele of Ehd2/OsID1/RID1/Ghd10. Functional validation through CRISPR/Cas9 knockout and complementation assays confirmed its role in regulating heading. The elh6 mutation was found to cause intron retention due to alternative splicing. Ehd2 encodes a Cys-2/His-2-type zinc finger transcription factor with an IDD domain and transcriptional activity in yeast. Its expression peaks in developing leaves before heading and spikes during reproductive conversion. In elh6 mutants, delayed heading resulted from downregulating the Ehd1-Hd3a pathway genes. Salinity stress significantly hampers rice growth and productivity. Transcriptomic analysis of elh10 and ZH8015 seedlings exposed to salt stress for 24 h identified 5150 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) at the seedling stage, predominantly linked to stress response pathways. Ehd2 was revealed as a modulator of salt tolerance, likely through the regulation of ion transport, enzyme activity, and antioxidant systems. This study establishes Ehd2 as a pivotal factor in promoting heading while negatively regulating salt tolerance in rice. Full article

The sulphur content of the atmosphere has fallen sharply in recent decades. Due to a reduction in plant nutrition with sulphur, this has also led to a drop in the S concentrations in certain plant species over time. As a result, a lot of experimental work was carried out to remedy the emerging yield and quality deficiencies on the farms. In this summarised study, data from 98 sites in Germany and other European countries were recorded from 1998 to 2023, received from sulphur fertiliser trials carried out on farms and experimental stations under organic farming conditions. This second part of meta-analysis focuses on establishing relationships between the status of plant nutrient supply with sulphur and biomass yield responses, the nitrogen uptake of crop species and the extent of N₂ fixation in legumes. The results of regression analyses based on the effect of the S concentrations and the N:S ratios of the crop species on the relative yield differences between 851 standard variants (=100%) and 1177 sulphur treatment variants. In principle, declining yield increases were determined as a result of increasing S concentrations and decreasing N:S ratios. Except in the case of grain legume young plants, both characteristics were suitable for determining corresponding limit values for yield formation. Different values were determined depending on the plant species and harvest material. In extensive comparative analyses and discussion with literature data, minimum sulphur concentrations and maximum values for N:S ratios for young plants, vegetative harvest material (straw) and grain materials are proposed to ensure optimum biomass yields of permanent grassland, lucerne–clover–grass, grain legumes and cereals for use in practice of agricultural systems of different intensities. Full article

The future of agricultural production involves sustainable production systems with a balance between nutrients in soil–plant systems. These production systems are based on limiting the use of mineral fertilizers while introducing natural sources that increase soil fertility. The best example of such a system is plant rotation, including legumes as a forecrop for cereal plants. For this reason, the goal of the present study was to determine the possibility of obtaining nitrogen from the air using ¹⁵N isotopes and to determine the quantity of nitrogen biologically fixed and taken up by winter wheat cultivated as a succeeding plant. In field experiments, we investigated the cycle of nitrogen fixed by legume plants in rotation under sustainable conditions, as follows: soybean–winter wheat–winter wheat. After soybean seedling emergence, a mineral fertilizer (¹⁵NH₄)₂SO₄ containing 20.1 at% ¹⁵N (a dose of 30 kg∙ha⁻¹) was applied, with summer wheat as a reference plant. The yield of soybean reached 2.48 t∙ha⁻¹ for seeds and 8.73 t∙ha⁻¹ for crop residue (CR), providing a total yield of 11.21 t∙ha⁻¹. The total biomass of soybean contained 149.1 kg∙ha⁻¹ of total nitrogen, with 108.1 kg∙ha⁻¹ in the seeds and 41.0 kg∙ha⁻¹ in the residue, of which 34.0 kg∙ha⁻¹ in the seeds and 11.4 kg∙ha⁻¹ in the residue was biologically fixed. CR was ploughed into the soil. Plots with winter wheat cultivated after soybean (2017) were divided into two sub-plots for the application of 0 and 100 kg∙ha⁻¹ of mineral N. The scheme was repeated in 2018. Overall, winter wheat cultivated for two subsequent years took up 8.12 kg∙ha⁻¹ of the total nitrogen from the CR from the control sub-plot and 15.51 kg∙ha⁻¹ from the fertilized sub-plot, of which 2.61 and 2.98 kg∙ha⁻¹ was biologically fixed by soybean plants, respectively. The dose of fertilizer contained 5.920 kg∙ha⁻¹ of ¹⁵N, of which 3.024 kg∙ha⁻¹ was accumulated in soybean. In wheat cultivated as the first subsequent crop, the accumulation of ¹⁵N was as follows: 0 kg N (control)—0.088 kg∙ha⁻¹; 100 kg N—0.158 kg∙ha⁻¹. Meanwhile, in winter wheat cultivated as the second aftercrop, 0.052 and 0.163 kg∙ha⁻¹ of ¹⁵N was accumulated, respectively. This study demonstrates that biological nitrogen fixation in soybeans is an underappreciated solution for enhancing crop productivity within sustainable agricultural systems. It holds significant implications for planning rational fertilizer management, reducing the application of chemical fertilizers, and improving nitrogen use efficiency within crop rotation systems. Full article

In the face of growing challenges in modern agriculture, such as climate change, sustainable resource management, and food security, drones are emerging as essential tools for transforming precision agriculture. This systematic review, based on an in-depth analysis of recent scientific literature (2020–2024), provides a comprehensive synthesis of current drone applications in the agricultural sector, primarily focusing on studies from this period while including a few notable exceptions of particular interest. Our study examines in detail the technological advancements in drone systems, including innovative aerial platforms, cutting-edge multispectral and hyperspectral sensors, and advanced navigation and communication systems. We analyze diagnostic applications, such as crop monitoring and multispectral mapping, as well as interventional applications like precision spraying and drone-assisted seeding. The integration of artificial intelligence and IoTs in analyzing drone-collected data is highlighted, demonstrating significant improvements in early disease detection, yield estimation, and irrigation management. Specific case studies illustrate the effectiveness of drones in various crops, from viticulture to cereal cultivation. Despite these advancements, we identify several obstacles to widespread drone adoption, including regulatory, technological, and socio-economic challenges. This study particularly emphasizes the need to harmonize regulations on beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flights and improve economic accessibility for small-scale farmers. This review also identifies key opportunities for future research, including the use of drone swarms, improved energy autonomy, and the development of more sophisticated decision-support systems integrating drone data. In conclusion, we underscore the transformative potential of drones as a key technology for more sustainable, productive, and resilient agriculture in the face of global challenges in the 21st century, while highlighting the need for an integrated approach combining technological innovation, adapted policies, and farmer training. Full article

The effects of integrated nutrient-management (INM) practices on soil quality are essential for sustaining agro-ecosystem productivity. The soil quality index (SQI) serves as a tool to assess the physical, chemical, and biological potential of soils as influenced by various edaphic and agronomic practices. A multiyear (2018–2021) field experiment was performed at the University Organic Research Farm, Narendrapur, West Bengal, India, to investigate the influence of integrated and sole applications of different conventional fertilizers, organic (e.g., vermicompost), and natural farming inputs (e.g., Dhrava Jeevamrit and Ghana Jeevamrit) on SQIs and crop productivity of rice–mustard–green gram-based cropping systems. A total of 12 parameters were selected for the assessment of SQI, amongst which only four, namely pH, organic carbon %, total actinomycetes, and bulk density, were retained for the minimum data set based on principal component analysis (PCA). In this study, the maximum SQI value (0.901) of the experimental soil was recorded in the INM practice of 25% organic and 25% inorganic nutrient inputs, and the rest with natural farming inputs, which augments the SQI by 24% compared to the 100% inorganic nutrient treatment. Amongst the different soil parameters, the highest contribution was from the pH (35.18%), followed by organic carbon % (26.77%), total actinomycetes (10.95%), and bulk density (6.98%). The yields in different cropping systems varied year-wise across treatments. Notably, the highest yield in rainy rice was estimated in the 100% organic treatment, followed by INM practices in the subsequent years, and finally, the combination of organic and natural inputs in the final year. In the case of mustard, the combination of organic and natural inputs resulted in the highest productivity in the initial and last years of study, while the 100% organic treatment resulted in higher productivity in subsequent years. Green gram showed a dynamic shift in yield between the 100% organic and integrated treatments over the years. Further, a strong correlation was also established between the soil physico-chemical parameters and the SQI. Overall, this study concludes that the natural and organic input-based INM practice enhances the soil quality and crop productivity of the rice–mustard–green gram cropping system under the coastal saline zone. Full article

Catch crops are intermediate crops sown between two main crop cycles. Their adoption into the cropping system has increased considerably in the last years due to its numerous benefits, in particular its potential in carbon fixation and preventing nitrogen leaching during winter. The growth period of catch crops in Germany is often marked by dense cloud cover, which limits land surface monitoring through optical remote sensing. In such conditions, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) emerges as a viable option. Despite the known advantages of SAR, the understanding of temporal behavior of radar parameters in relation to catch crops remains largely unexplored. Hence, in this study, we exploited the dense time series of Sentinel-1 data within the Copernicus Space Component to study the temporal characteristics of catch crops over a test site in the center of Germany. Radar parameters such as VV, VH, VH/VV backscatter, dpRVI (dual-pol Radar Vegetation Index) and VV coherence were extracted, and temporal profiles were interpreted for catch crops and preceding main crops along with in situ, temperature, and precipitation data. Additionally, we examined the temporal profiles of winter main crops (winter oilseed rape and winter cereals), that are grown parallel to the catch crop growing cycle. Based on the analyzed temporal patterns, we defined 22 descriptive features from VV, VH, VH/VV and dpRVI, which are specific to catch crop identification. Then, we conducted a Kruskal–Wallis test on the extracted parameters, both crop-wise and group-wise, to assess the significance of statistical differences among different catch crop groups. Our results reveal that there exists a unique temporal pattern for catch crops compared to main crops, and each of these extracted parameters possess a different sensitivity to catch crops. Parameters VV and VH are sensitive to phenological stages and crop structure. On the other hand, VH/VV and dpRVI were found to be highly sensitive to crop biomass. Coherence can be used to detect the sowing and harvest events. The preceding main crop analysis reveals that winter wheat and winter barley are the two dominant main crops grown before catch crops. Moreover, winter main crops (winter oilseed rape, winter cereals) cultivated during the catch crop cycle can be distinguished by exploiting the observed sowing window differences. The extracted descriptive features provide information about sowing, harvest, vigor, biomass, and early/late die-off nature specific to catch crop types. In the Kruskal–Wallis test, the observed high H-statistic and low p-value in several predictors indicates significant variability at 0.001 level. Furthermore, Dunn’s post hoc test among catch crop group pairs highlights the substantial differences between cold-sensitive and legume groups (p < 0.001). Full article

Crop rotation and diversification (CRD) are crucial strategies in sustainable agriculture, offering multiple benefits to both farmers and the environment. By alternating crops or introducing diverse plant species, CRD practices improve soil fertility, reduce pest populations, and enhance nutrient availability. For example, legume-based rotations increase soil nitrogen levels through biological nitrogen fixation, reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers. Moreover, these practices promote more efficient water and nutrient use, reducing the reliance on synthetic fertilizers and minimizing the risk of pests and diseases. This review synthesizes findings from recent research on the role of CRD in enhancing sustainable agriculture and resilience, highlighting the potential contributions of these practices towards climate change mitigation and adaptation. Specific crop rotation systems, such as the cereal–legume rotation in temperate regions and the intercropping of maize with beans in tropical environments, are reviewed to provide a comprehensive understanding of their applicability in different agroecological contexts. The review also addresses the challenges related to implementing CRD practices, such as market demand and knowledge transfer, and suggests potential solutions to encourage broader adoption. Lastly, the potential environmental benefits, including carbon sequestration and reduced greenhouse gas emissions, are discussed, highlighting the role of CRD in building resilient agricultural systems. Collectively, this review paper emphasizes the importance of CRD methods as sustainable agricultural practices and provides key insights for researchers and farmers to effectively integrate these practices into farming systems. Full article

In cereal-based farming, there is significant influence of tillage and residue incorporation as sustainable practices, although their role in crop production is still unclear. Two field trials were executed during winter seasons to evaluate the best-performing crop residue and tillage system for the nutrition and yield of rice at the Soil Science Field Laboratory of Bangladesh Agricultural University. In the first trial, residues from soybean, black gram, and rice were incorporated into the soil with 75% recommended fertilizer doses (RFD). The grain yields were 5.97, 6.21, and 6.10 t ha⁻¹, respectively in rice, soybean, and black gram residue-treated plots, which were increased by 77.15, 84.27, and 81.01%, respectively, over the control. In the second trial, the residues from black gram and rice were incorporated with 100% RFD under conventional tillage (CT) and minimum tillage (MT) for two years, where CT with black gram residue plus 100% fertilizer (CT-I₂) exhibited the highest grain yield of 6.69 and 6.88 t ha⁻¹, increasing by 7.61% and 8% over 100% RFD. Both CT and MT performed similarly, and their combination with legume residue strongly influenced crop performance and nutrient uptake. Therefore, incorporating legume residue under minimum tillage can be a sustainable approach for better rice yield and nutritional uptake. Full article

The coordinated development of water and soil resource matching and grain production is essential to enhance integrated grain production capacity and promote sustainable development in agriculture. Based on the perspective of a water footprint, this article empirically evaluates the coupling coordination relationship between water and soil resource matching and grain production in typical black soil areas in Northeast China using the coupled coordination degree and the obstacle model and further analyzes the obstacle factors that affect the coordination between the two systems. The results indicate that the blue water footprint, green water footprint, and total water footprint of five grain crops are increasing year by year. Soybean has the largest water footprint per unit mass, tubers have the smallest, and rice has the largest water footprint among cereals. The overall matching degree of water and soil resources in the study area is steadily increasing. However, there are significant differences in the water and soil resource matching coefficients between regions, with the highest being observed in Hegang City and the lowest being observed in Jiamusi City. Coupling remains at a high level and coupling coordination shifts from a low–middle–high to a middle–high stage. The correlation between soil and water resource matching and grain production systems is of significant importance. The degree of matching between water and soil resources serves as the primary obstacle affecting the coupling and coordinated development of integrated systems, which fundamentally restricts the sustainable development of regional agriculture. Full article

Plant-derived polyphenols are bioactive compounds with potential health-promoting properties including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activity. However, their beneficial effects and biomedical applications may be limited due to their low bioavailability. In the present study, we have considered a microencapsulation-based drug delivery system to investigate the anticancer effects of polyphenol-rich (apigenin, caffeic acid, and luteolin) fractions, extracted from a cereal crop pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum), using three phenotypically different cellular models of breast cancer in vitro, namely triple negative HCC1806, ER-positive HCC1428, and HER2-positive AU565 cells. Encapsulated polyphenolic extract induced apoptotic cell death in breast cancer cells with different receptor status, whereas it was ineffective against non-tumorigenic MCF10F cells. Encapsulated polyphenolic extract was also found to be cytotoxic against drug-resistant doxorubicin-induced senescent breast cancer cells that were accompanied by increased levels of apoptotic and necrotic markers, cell cycle inhibitor p21 and proinflammatory cytokine IL8. Furthermore, diverse responses to the stimulation with encapsulated polyphenolic extract in senescent breast cancer cells were observed, as in the encapsulated polyphenolic extract-treated non-proliferating AU565 cells, the autophagic pathway, here cytotoxic autophagy, was also induced, as judged by elevated levels of beclin-1 and LC3b. We show for the first time the anti-breast cancer activity of encapsulated polyphenolic extract of pearl millet and postulate that microencapsulation may be a useful approach for potentiating the anticancer effects of phytochemicals with limited bioavailability. Full article