Search Results (1,048)

This study examines how climate change interacts with social, ecological, and policy factors to shape food security among Indigenous tribal communities in Jharkhand, focusing on Saraikela Kharsawan district. It combines a scoping review, policy analysis, and a climate–agriculture case study of Saraikela Kharsawan to identify vulnerabilities and pathways for more resilient Indigenous food systems. The research is qualitative, using a scoping review of 28 studies on Indigenous food security and climate impacts in Jharkhand, thematic analysis of nine national and state policies, and a district-level case study using land use, climate trends/projections, and crop statistics for Saraikela Kharsawan. Additionally, findings from participant observation were integrated into how tribal communities in Saraikela Kharsawan experience and respond to climate variability and its implications for local food systems and nutrition. The study identifies a nutrition paradox, where Indigenous communities experience micronutrient deficiencies and anaemia despite rich biodiversity and Indigenous knowledge. This is accompanied by a decrease in the consumption of nutrient-dense Indigenous foods and a predominance of rainfed monoculture rice cultivation. Marked by rising temperatures and erratic rainfall, climate variability is destabilising agroforestry systems, narrowing dietary options and reducing adaptive capacity. Additionally, policy and institutional gaps reveal fragmented support—strong rights laws and calorie-focused welfare schemes but weak integration of Indigenous foods, agroforestry, and traditional ecological knowledge into nutrition and climate programmes. The paper argues that climate change acts as a threat multiplier on already fragile Indigenous food systems and calls for nutrition-sensitive safety nets, community-based agroforestry, gender-inclusive Indigenous knowledge governance, and cross-sectoral policy alignment to support resilient, culturally appropriate food systems in Jharkhand. Full article

Food systems are usually discussed in terms of nutrition, food safety, productivity, sustainability or emissions. Less attention is given to the microbial dimension of the farm-to-fork pathway and to the way food systems shape the dietary substrates, food matrices and microbial exposures that reach the gut. Soils, plants, foods, processing environments, animals and the human gut all host microbial communities that influence nutrient cycling, plant performance, food characteristics, metabolism, immune regulation and ecological resilience. This review examines how food systems may modulate gut microbiota and microbiome resilience within a One Health framework. Evidence from soil, crop and food microbiome studies suggests that local conditions and farming practices can leave detectable microbial signatures on plants and edible tissues. However, the soil–food–gut continuum should not be understood as a simple transfer route. Microorganisms and microbial products are repeatedly filtered by plant traits, farming systems, animal-production interfaces, harvesting, processing, storage, preparation and host physiology. The review also considers how this continuity may be weakened or redirected. Agricultural intensification, pollutants, post-harvest processing, antimicrobial use, ultra-processed foods, additive mixtures, low-fibre diets, early-life microbial disruption and reduced contact with environmental biodiversity may alter microbial communities at different points of the food system. Antimicrobial resistance is also discussed as a functional microbial trait that can circulate across human, animal, food and environmental interfaces. One Health approaches to food systems should therefore combine microbial risk control with microbial stewardship: protecting useful microbial diversity and function while preserving food safety. The aim is not to maximise microbial exposure, but to understand which microbial functions matter and how food systems can support gut microbiota resilience across environments, foods and hosts. Full article

Freshwater is essential for sustaining the health of humans, animals, and ecosystems; however, agricultural activities remain a major source of water pollution globally. This review examines how crop production, livestock farming, and aquaculture contribute to water contamination, the effectiveness of current European policies, and the potential of sustainable mitigation strategies. Evidence from the research identified pesticides, herbicides, veterinary antibiotics, nutrient runoff, aquaculture effluents, and microplastics as the primary agricultural pollutants affecting surface and groundwater quality. These contaminants have been linked to ecosystem degradation, biodiversity loss, endocrine disruption, antimicrobial resistance, and adverse human health outcomes. Despite extensive regulatory frameworks, including the Water Framework Directive, Nitrates Directive, Farm to Fork Strategy, and European Green Deal, significant implementation and monitoring challenges remain. Current evidence indicates that only 40% of European surface waters achieve “good” ecological status, highlighting persistent water quality concerns across the region. The review further identified precision irrigation, Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled monitoring, biopesticides, hydroponic systems, and integrated multi-trophic aquaculture as promising solutions for reducing agricultural impacts on water resources. However, barriers, including high implementation costs, technological limitations, and inconsistent policy enforcement, continue to hinder widespread adoption. Overall, the findings demonstrate that while existing policies have improved water governance, stronger regulatory enforcement, greater investment in sustainable technologies, and increased adoption of nature-based solutions are required to reduce agricultural water pollution. An integrated approach combining technological innovation, policy support, and sustainable farming practices is essential to protect freshwater resources and ensure long-term environmental sustainability. Full article

The urgency for sustainable propagation methods is increasing as anthropogenic disturbances threaten global biodiversity and plant productivity. This study focused on the cutting propagation of Campanula pelviformis and Petromarula pinnata, two local endemic species of Crete (Greece) with known multipurpose crop potential. For C. pelviformis, the effects of cutting type and indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) treatments applied with or without the commercially available and environmentally friendly fertilizer Theocopper and population were investigated. For P. pinnata, the effects of cutting type and IBA treatments were examined. Root dry mass was assessed four weeks after propagation onset, while rooting success, root number and length were measured in the third week to evaluate overall rooting performance. Vegetative propagation of P. pinnata was straightforwardly achieved across cutting types (>90% rooting success), and superior root traits were observed in young shoot cuttings. In C. pelviformis, high rooting success (90%) was recorded in four of the six treatments using adventitious shoot cuttings, while the combined application of 1% Theocopper and IBA efficiently enhanced both rooting percentages and root traits in young shoot cuttings and sub-apical stem sections. The results further indicated a population effect on rooting success and traits among cutting types. The data produced may guide conservation purposes and/or sustainable utilization of these neglected species as novel multipurpose crops, especially in landscaping design with native plants. Full article

Biodiversity and landscape heterogeneity are key components of agroecosystem functioning because they support ecosystem services and strengthen the capacity of agricultural systems to undertake sustainable agroecological transitions. This study assesses the landscape structure of the municipality of Ruvo di Puglia, within the Bio-Distretto delle Lame, to evaluate its potential to support such a transition. Bio-districts are territories in which farmers, local authorities, citizens, and other stakeholders collaborate to manage natural and agricultural resources sustainably, often with a strong connection to organic farming. The research combines freely available Sentinel-2 imagery with UAV-based ground truthing to update land-use/land-cover information and to derive landscape indicators. A systematic sampling scheme was designed in QGIS, and UAV flights over 14 areas were used to generate training and validation vectors. Two classification strategies were tested on 2024 Sentinel-2 data: a supervised pixel-based approach and an unsupervised multi-temporal object-based approach (GEOBIA). The best-performing map was obtained from the supervised classification of July NDVI data, with an overall accuracy of 91.76%. In respect to the 2018 official land-cover dataset indicates a decrease in agricultural land (−490.91 ha), a reduction in arable crops (−1216.43 ha), and an increase in permanent crops (+725.52 ha), suggesting a shift toward specialization. At the same time, natural and semi-natural areas increased, improving the landscape potential for ecological functions. However, the high fragmentation detected by the landscape metrics (average patch size approximately 0.25 ha) may limit habitat continuity and species stability. The results should therefore be interpreted as an assessment of landscape structure and potential biodiversity support, rather than as a direct measurement of biological diversity. Strengthening ecotones, hedgerows and semi-natural linear elements with native species would further improve landscape resilience and support agroecological planning. Full article

Although climate-smart agricultural practices are increasingly promoted, comparative environmental and economic assessments across multiple practices and crops remain limited. This study evaluates five climate-smart agricultural practices in Dutch potato and onion production, including soil management, biodiversity enhancement, sustainable irrigation systems, crop protection, and green energy use. It compares them with conventional production systems using integrated Life Cycle Assessment and Life Cycle Costing. Specifically, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC) methodologies were applied to assess the environmental and economic sustainability of the studied systems, respectively. Among the evaluated practices, soil management exhibited the best overall environmental performance for both crops, achieving reductions of up to 42% and 66% in greenhouse gas emissions for potatoes and onions, respectively, compared with the baseline under the modelled conditions. Biodiversity measures significantly reduced freshwater eutrophication and ecotoxicity-related impacts, particularly in potato cultivation, while crop protection practices mainly improved pesticide-related toxicity categories. Similarly, soil management and biodiversity demonstrated the best economic performance, with profits increasing to approximately €3318/ha and €3121/ha for potatoes and €3898/ha and €3694/ha for onions, respectively, compared with baseline profits of €2879/ha and €3526/ha. The results suggest that the implementation of CSA practices can improve both the environmental and economic sustainability of intensive vegetable production systems under the modelled Dutch conditions, although the effectiveness of each practice depends strongly on crop-specific environmental hotspots and management assumptions. The findings provide evidence to support farmers and policymakers in selecting cost-effective climate-smart practices while identifying priorities for future field validation and uncertainty assessment. Full article

The existing trade-off between agricultural production and ecosystem services is widening with the intensification of agricultural systems. In this context, diversification can play a crucial role in enhancing agroecosystem multifunctionality, and in orchard systems it can also be achieved through the management of inter-row spaces via the ecological functions provided by sown and resident vegetation. Nowadays its contribution is not recognised. The study aims to compare the temporal dynamics of four cover crop mixes present in the inter-row spaces and assess their ecological functions using the Vegetation-based Ecological Functions Sustainability Index, and evaluate the relative influence of management, season, and year on cover crop performance. Total and relative coverage and species number were collected from 2022 to 2024. Non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis showed that vegetation composition varied across treatments, and cover crop management shaped plant community structure. It highlighted that the strongest difference was the contrast between grass cover (r = −0.95) and bare soil (r = 0.91). Permutational Multivariate Analysis of Variance on ecological functions indicated that sampling year (R² = 0.1822, F = 8.4874, p < 0.001). and season (R² = 0.1280, F = 5.9659, p < 0.001) had a significant impact on vegetation cover. Moreover, biodiversity effects hinge primarily on the ecological functions performed by species, rather than on their number. Overall, these findings highlight that the ecological contribution of inter-row vegetation depends more on the functional traits expressed by plant communities than on species richness alone. Furthermore, year and season strongly influence the dynamics of cover crops and resident vegetation, making multi-year monitoring essential to determine their persistence and the ecological functions they perform. Full article

Agroecosystems must maintain high productivity over time and contribute to restoring the biodiversity and functionality of soils while agroecosystems yield the food we eat; however, the diversity related to food and agriculture has been shrinking. With this systematic review, the narrative and evidence map synthesized existing evidence about how cereal-legume rotations (as a form of diversifying crop diversity) could improve the diversity and function of the plant and functional aspects of biodiversity while restoring the soil health and agroecosystem resilience. A PRISMA 2020 report has been created alongside this work. This evidence will be used to understand improvements in soil physical and biological traits, nutrient cycles, and biologically fixed N, regulated pests/diseases/weeds, productivity and yield stability, environmental efficiency, and outcomes. In addition, several pieces of evidence were included and explained concerning the N cycle in cereal-legume rotations. When used compared to monoculture cereal systems, cereal-legume rotations lead to improved soil structure, activity, and nutritional status (N fixing) and may decrease pests and disease; these conditions often promote a better harvest or lead to higher and/or more stable productivity. Crop residue-based SOC increases are generally moderate in duration and degree. The increase in microbial biomass occurred more quickly over the years. For the environment, cereal-legume rotations generally achieve a lower total environmental efficiency due to lower N fertilizer inputs (N fixing), which means a lower C footprint per ton of production of crops, yet this strategy can also cause some environmental consequences, such as increasing N₂O emissions (due to over N fixing), which cause global warming and nitrate leaching when N is fixed in excess, not coupled with crop requirements, creating pollution. The rotation is context-dependent, so each site-specific system needs to be analyzed to improve trade-offs to yield, productivity, and environmental conservation. Full article

Mediterranean organic viticulture requires sustainable pest management strategies that leverage local soil biodiversity. This study isolated endemic entomopathogenic fungi from vineyard soils in Nemea, Greece, using a dual-insect baiting system with Tribolium confusum and Sitophilus spp. The recovered isolates caused complete mortality in bait insects, with mycelial emergence from 93.75% of cadavers. DNA sequencing of the ITS1 region identified the recovered isolates as Purpureocillium lilacinum. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that Nemea isolates (TD and TM series) form a monophyletic clade with 100% bootstrap support, showing distinct genetic divergence from the reference strain P. lilacinum NRRL 895—evidence of a unique “microbial terroir.” Virulence assays demonstrated species-dependent mortality against stored-product pests: Sitophilus granarius was the most susceptible (76.7% mortality; LT₅₀ = 1.9 days), followed by Sitophilus zeamais (61.1%; LT₅₀ = 2.7 days), Tribolium confusum (56.7%; LT₅₀ = 2.8 days), and Sitophilus oryzae (50.0%; LT₅₀ = 3.3 days). Mycosis confirmation (65–83%) and 0% control mortality confirmed pathogenicity. As locally adapted biological control agents, these endemic P. lilacinum strains are highly suitable for protecting crops from major insect pests. Full article

Reliable, high-quality rainfall data are vital for soil and water management, crop forecasting, and risk assessment. These applications are essential for food security, climate resilience, biodiversity monitoring, and rural livelihoods. Rainfall monitoring in Thailand is challenging due to the limited density of official stations and the inconsistent quality of data from multiple sources, compounded by calibration issues. This study introduces a comprehensive quality control (QC) approach tailored for the Thai context, presenting a systematic pipeline that clarifies the hierarchy and sequence of operations. The method uses rainfall data from 3075 stations of the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) and the Thaiwater network. It includes basic QC for data completeness and advanced QC using a quality (Q) index to assess station reliability, diving the stations into five groups: poor (<50), moderate (50–80), acceptable (80–85), good (85–90), and excellent (>90). The results indicate that Thaiwater consistently achieved moderate to excellent Q index values, exceeding 70% annually, with values surpassing 90% in 2023. In contrast, the TMD maintained excellent quality, with values above 90% for all years. Out of over one million daily entries, 87% were verified as correct, though the Thaiwater data for 2024 showed only 70% accuracy. The QC procedures significantly improved data reliability, reducing the root mean square error for GSMaP and IMERG by 1.7% and 1.5%, respectively, and lowering the false alarm rate by approximately 0.001–0.002 without compromising heavy rainfall detection. A systematic QC framework is essential for ensuring high-quality datasets in rainfall applications. Full article

In the context of global population growth and intensifying climate change, ensuring food security remains a critical challenge. Orchards are more productive than arable crops, contributing significantly to the nutrition of a growing population. Ecologically, due to the absence of frequent soil tillage, orchards resemble natural forest ecosystems more closely than other agricultural systems. Irrigated orchards are particularly productive and enhance biodiversity in territories where water scarcity is the limiting factor for ecosystems. This review, the result of extensive reflection and a comprehensive analysis of the literature on orchard sustainability, synthesizes evidence on the diverse ecosystem services provided by these perennial systems. Due to their structural complexity, well-managed orchards contribute significantly to climate regulation through carbon sequestration, microclimate cooling, and soil erosion prevention. Furthermore, they support nutrient cycling and provide cultural value. This paper establishes an integrated scientific framework to inform evidence-based policies and reshape societal perceptions. It argues that recognizing orchards as multifunctional landscapes, rather than mere resource consumers, is critical for environmental resilience, supporting their fair valuation as essential components of a sustainable bioeconomy. Full article

The study aimed to analyze how peasant economies in the municipality of Caicedonia recognize, classify, and manage functional biodiversity associated with coffee, plantain, and orange production systems to propose a contextualized framework for species accounting and ecological cost assessment within the coffee ecosystem. A qualitative interpretive approach with exploratory quantitative support was adopted through an exploratory descriptive design and participatory action research methodology. The study integrated 21 semi structured interviews conducted with producers managing approximately 61 associated crop units distributed across diversified farming systems. Data collection included field visits, direct observation, participatory species identification exercises, and thematic interviews focused on ecological functions, agricultural practices, biodiversity management, and perceived environmental impacts. The methodological framework additionally incorporated thematic coding, functional species classification, ecological cost identification, process and strategy mapping, descriptive frequency analysis, and multiple correspondence analysis to explore relationships among crop systems, species, ecological functions, management practices, and environmental pressures. The findings indicate that producers develop consistent empirical classifications regarding pests, pollinators, biological control organisms, and ecological indicators while recognizing cumulative ecological impacts associated with intensive agricultural practices. Quantitative exploration analysis revealed differentiated ecological configurations according to crop system and biodiversity management dynamics, supporting contextualized biodiversity accounting for sustainable agronomic decision making. Full article

The study evaluated the effect of intercropping Paulownia (Paulownia spp.) with spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L., cv. KWS Thalis) on selected components of agroecosystem biodiversity under Polish conditions. A field experiment established in 2019 compared an alley cropping system with barley monoculture during the 2025 growing season. Weed infestation, soil microbial communities, mesofauna abundance, and crop yield were assessed. Weed abundance was lower in the intercropping system than in monoculture, reaching 5.6 vs. 15.6 plants m⁻² at BBCH 21 and 21 and 22.8 vs. 35.6 plants m⁻² at BBCH 75. Bacterial alpha diversity was significantly higher under intercropping conditions, with Shannon index values ranging from 5.12 to 5.25, compared with 4.98–5.09 in monoculture. Fungal diversity showed moderate differences between systems, whereas the abundance of Collembola and Acari was influenced mainly by seasonal variation rather than by cultivation system. No significant reduction in barley yield was observed under intercropping conditions. The results suggest that Paulownia-based alley cropping may reduce weed pressure and support selected soil biological properties without negatively affecting crop productivity. However, the observed responses varied depending on the analyzed parameter and sampling period, indicating the preliminary and context-dependent character of the results. Further long-term studies are required to better understand the ecological mechanisms operating in such agroforestry systems. Full article

Global agricultural production faces unprecedented challenges due to climate crisis, biodiversity loss, and increasing population pressure, while there is a growing demand for sustainable and eco-conscious food production systems. Traditional methods of crop protection like the use of synthetic chemical pesticides are becoming less effective due to the high resistance development in major insect pests. Moreover, their overuse has raised numerous environmental concerns. In this context, RNA interference (RNAi) has emerged as a promising and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional pesticides, with a more sustainable way of managing pests. This review systematically identifies promising RNAi target gene families for insect pest control, particularly key developmental genes. The selected genes were chosen based on demonstrated RNAi efficacy in at least three different insect species, emphasizing their broad applicability and potential impact. It also discusses the translation of RNAi technologies from laboratory research to field applications. It underscores the importance of moving beyond functional gene characterization to improving the efficiency and scalability of RNAi in real-world agricultural systems. This review systematically lists RNAi target genes and delivery methods in insect pests, identifies research gaps, and supports the development of RNAi-based biopesticides. Full article

Global warming and changes in grass biodiversity increase the vulnerability of agricultural crops to the harmful bird cherry-oat aphid, Rhopalosiphum padi. This study examined 23 wild grass species, wheat, and maize as hosts for R. padi. We studied aphid development on different hosts to estimate reproduction of apterous females and their progeny winging using clones of R. padi originated from the Krasnodar Region (Southern Russia) and two districts of the Leningrad Region (Northwestern Russia). Within the framework of “outdoor microcosm” experiments, a highly significant influence of the host, the regional origin of the clone, and the interaction of these factors was detected. The most favorable for R. padi development species (along with wheat and maize) were Poa trivialis, Lolium multiflorum, and Hordeum jubatum. The least suitable were Panicum miliaceum, Agrostis capillaris, Leymus arenarius, Setaria viridis, Elymus repens, and Bromus erectus. There was a tendency to decrease aphid reproduction on wild plants with the C₄ type of photosynthesis. When feeding on less suitable host plants, R. padi offspring tend to develop wings quickly, even at low colony density, thereby triggering dispersal. Aphids showed some local trophic specialization: a negative correlation was observed between the offspring of one female during the first 14 days of breeding (P14) and its winging in clones collected from the Leningrad Region, but not from the Krasnodar Region, indicating some spatial heterogeneity in the ecological strategies of aphids. The results obtained may be useful for improving R. padi control systems. Full article