scholarly journals Increasing crop richness and reducing field sizes provides higher yields

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ainhoa Magrach ◽  
Angel Gimenez ◽  
Alfonso Allen-Perkins ◽  
Lucas Garibaldi ◽  
Ignasi Bartomeus
Keyword(s):  
Biodiversity Conservation ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Landscape Scale ◽  
Small Field ◽  
Working Landscapes ◽  
Yield Values ◽  
High Yields ◽  
Unique Dataset

Working landscapes represent >60% of terrestrial landscapes and thus represent opportunities for biodiversity conservation outside of traditional protected areas. For long, biodiversity conservation and crop productivity have been seen as mutually exclusive options. Here, we use a unique dataset that includes annual monitoring of 12,300 permanent 25 ha-plots over two decades across Spain to assess how working landscapes are changing over time and how these changes affect their ability to ensure high yields. We find that win-win strategies that are good for biodiversity conservation can also lead to increasing crop yields. Specifically, we find that management practices that favor increasing biodiversity values such as maintaining small field sizes and high crop richness values at the landscape scale actually lead to the greatest yield values across 54 crops considered. Win-win scenarios for biodiversity conservation and crop productivity are thus possible, yet not as widespread as they could be.

Future global crop production increases by adapting crop phenology to local climate change

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Minoli ◽  
Jonas Jägermeyr ◽  
Senthold Asseng ◽  
Christoph Müller
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Adaptation Strategies ◽  
Systematic Evaluation ◽  
Management Scenarios ◽  
Crop Phenology

<p>Broad evidence is pointing at possible adverse impacts of climate change on crop yields. Due to scarce information about farming management practices, most global-scale studies, however, do not consider adaptation strategies.</p><p>Here we integrate models of farmers' decision making with crop biophysical modeling at the global scale to investigate how accounting for adaptation of crop phenology affects projections of future crop productivity under climate change. Farmers in each simulation unit are assumed to adapt crop growing periods by continuously selecting sowing dates and cultivars that match climatic conditions best. We compare counterfactual management scenarios, assuming crop calendars and cultivars to be either the same as in the reference climate – as often assumed in previous climate impact assessments – or adapted to future climate.</p><p>Based on crop model simulations, we find that the implementation of adapted growing periods can substantially increase (+15%) total crop production in 2080-2099 (RCP6.0). In general, summer crops are responsive to both sowing and harvest date adjustments, which result in overall longer growing periods and improved yields, compared to production systems without adaptation of growing periods. Winter wheat presents challenges in adapting to a warming climate and requires region-specific adjustments to pre and post winter conditions. We present a systematic evaluation of how local and climate-scenario specific adaptation strategies can enhance global crop productivity on current cropland. Our findings highlight the importance of further research on the readiness of required crop varieties.</p>

scholarly journals Evaluation of Long-Term SOC and Crop Productivity within Conservation Systems Using GFDL CM2.1 and EPIC

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 2665 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kieu N. Le ◽  
Manoj K. Jha ◽  
Jaehak Jeong ◽  
Philip W. Gassman ◽  
Manuel R. Reyes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Upland Rice ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Global Climate Model ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Climate Projections ◽  
Epic Model

Will soil organic carbon (SOC) and yields increase for conservation management systems in tropical zones in response to the next 100 years? To answer the question, the Environmental Policy Integrated Climate (EPIC) model was used to study the effects of climate change, cropping systems, conservation agriculture (CA) and conservation tillage management practices on SOC and crop productivity in Kampong Cham, Cambodia. The EPIC model was successfully calibrated and validated for crop yields, biomass, SOC and nitrogen based on field data from a five-year field experiment. Historical weather (1994–2013) was used for baseline assessment versus mid-century (2046–2064) and late-century (2081–2100) climate projections generated by the Geophysical Fluids Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) CM2.1 global climate model. The simulated results showed that upland rice yield would increase the most under the B1 scenario in mid-century for all treatments, followed by soybean and maize. Cassava yield only increased under CA treatment when cultivated as a continuous primary crop. Carbon sequestration was more sensitive to cropping systems and crop rotation than climate change. The results indicated that the rotated CA primary crop (maize) systems should be prioritized for SOC sequestration as well as for increasing crop productivity. In addition, rice systems may increase SOC compared to soybean and cassava.

scholarly journals Drought and salinity stresses in barley: Consequences and mitigation strategies

2019 ◽  
pp. 810-820 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayman EL Sabagh ◽  
Akbar Hossain ◽  
Md. Shohidul Islam ◽  
Celaleddin Barutcular ◽  
Saddam Hussain ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adverse Effect ◽  
Abiotic Stresses ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Foliar Application ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Present Review ◽  
Plant Responses ◽  
Barley Plant

Recent trends show reductions in crop productivity worldwide due to severe climatic change. Different abiotic stresses significantly affect the growth and development of plants, leading to decreased crop yields. Salinity and drought stresses are the most common abiotic stresses, especially in arid and semi–arid regions, and are major constraints for barley production. The present review attempts to provide comprehensive information related to barley plant responses and adaptations to drought and salinity stresses, including physiological and agronomic, in order to alleviate the adverse effect of stresses in barley. These stresses reduce assimilation rates, as they decrease stomatal conductance, disrupt photosynthetic pigments, reduce gas exchange, enhance production of reactive oxygen species, and lead to decreased plant growth and productivity. This review focuses on the strategies plants use to respond and adapt to drought and salinity stress. Plants utilize a range of physiological and biochemical mechanisms such as adaptation strategies, through which the adverse effects can be mitigated. These include soil management practices, crop establishment, as well as foliar application of anti-oxidants and growth regulators that maintain an appropriate level of water in the leaves to facilitate adjustment of osmotic and stomatal performance. The present review highlighted the adverse effect of drought and salinity stresses barley and their mitigation strategies for sustainable barley production under changing climate. They review also underscored that exogenous application of different antioxidants could play a significant role in the alleviation of salinity and drought stress in plant systems.

scholarly journals Precision Nutrient Rates and Placement in Conservation Maize-Wheat System: Effects on Crop Productivity, Profitability, Nutrient-Use Efficiency, and Environmental Footprints

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 2320
Author(s):  
Raj K. Jat ◽  
Deepak Bijarniya ◽  
Suresh K. Kakraliya ◽  
Tek B. Sapkota ◽  
Manish Kakraliya ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Nutrient Management ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Nutrient Use Efficiency ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
System Productivity ◽  
Nutrient Use ◽  
Use Efficiency

Intensive tillage-based production systems coupled with inefficient fertilizer management practices have led to increased production costs, sub-optimal productivity, and significant environmental externalities. Conservation agriculture (CA) is being increasingly advocated as a management strategy to overcome these issues but precision nutrient management under the CA-based maize-wheat system is rarely studied. Two year’s (2014–2015 and 2015–2016) research was conducted at the research farm of BISA, Pusa, Bihar, India to develop precision nutrient management practices for CA-based management in the maize-wheat system. Seven treatment combinations involving (i) tillage (conventional tillage; CT & permanent beds; PB) and (ii) nutrient management rates, application methods (farmers’ fertilizer practices; FFP, state recommended dose of fertilizer; SR and precision nutrient management using Nutrient Expert tool; NE and GreenSeeker; (GS), applied using two methods; broadcasting (B) and drilling (D)) were investigated for multiple parameters. The results showed that NE, NE+GS, and SR-based nutrient management tactics with drilling improved crop yields, nutrient-use efficiency (NUE), and economic profitability relative to NE-broadcasting, SR broadcasting, and FFP broadcasting methods. Maize-wheat system productivity and net returns under NE+GS-drilling on PB were significantly higher by 31.2%, 49.7% compared to FFP-broadcasting method, respectively. Total global warming potential (GWP) was lower in the PB-based maize-wheat system coupled with precision nutrient management compared to CT-based maize-wheat system with FFP. Higher (15.2%) carbon sustainability index (CSI) was recorded with NE-drilling compared to FFP-broadcasting method. Results suggests that PB-based maize-wheat system together with precision nutrient management approaches (NE+GS+drilling) can significantly increase crop yields, NUE, and profitability while reducing the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) from maize-wheat systems in eastern Indo Gangetic Plains (IGP).

SOIL LIMITATIONS TO CROP PRODUCTIVITY IN CANADA

1983 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. H. MILLER
Keyword(s):  
Water Stress ◽  
Root Growth ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Nutrient Deficiency ◽  
Mechanical Impedance ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Light Interception ◽  
Physiological Factor ◽  
Water Holding

The highest crop yields obtained in a region are usually much lower than the potential yields estimated from light interception. The roles of soil characteristics and soil-root interrelations as causes of the failure to achieve the potential yields are discussed. It is concluded that, on our best soils, it is possible to overcome all limitations with the exception of soil temperature and possibly some mechanical impedance to root growth. It is suggested that some physiological factor other than light interception is responsible for the failure to obtain the potential yields. Many soils possess characteristics which do restrict yields. Occurrences of acidity, poor aeration, nutrient deficiency, and water stress due to poor soil structure in various regions of Canada are discussed. It is concluded that the most difficult limitations to overcome are those associated with fine-textured soils with compact, poorly structured subsoils. These soils are frequently wet in the spring delaying planting operations, and/or causing crop losses due to poor aeration. In the summer, crops on these soils may suffer from water stress because of low available water holding capacity and restricted root growth. Although management practices can overcome many limitations, improper management may also lead to loss in productivity. Increases in salinity and soil erosion are serious problems in Canada.Key words: Root-soil interactions, root growth, nutrient absorption, soil acidity, soil aeration, soil-plant water relations.

Coordinated Rice Improvement Project in India: Its Significant Achievements and Future prospects

2019 ◽  
Vol 56 (Special) ◽  
pp. 82-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
LV Subba Rao ◽  
RA Fiyaz ◽  
AK Jukanti ◽  
G Padmavathi ◽  
J Badri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Yield Potential ◽  
High Yield ◽  
Improvement Project ◽  
Nutritional Security ◽  
Food Grain ◽  
Rice Improvement ◽  
Food And Nutritional Security ◽  
Sincere Effort

India is the second largest producer of rice in the world and it is the most important staple food grain. All India Coordinated Rice Improvement Project (AICRIP) was initiated with objective of conducting multi-location trials to identify suitable genotypes of high yield potential along with appropriate crop management practices. Since its inception AICRIP contributed significantly in meeting the growing demand both within and outside India. Significant progress has been achieved through AICRIP in terms of varietal release thereby increasing the crop productivity and also meeting the food and nutritional security. This paper makes a sincere effort in bringing out the significant achievements/milestones achieved under the AICRIP program and also gives a few directions for widening the areas under AICRIP.

Dynamics of Farm Power Sources and their Availability in Bihar

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (03) ◽  
Author(s):  
PREM K. SUNDARAM ◽  
BIKAS SARKAR ◽  
PAWAN JEET ◽  
SANJAY KUMAR PATEL ◽  
ANUKUL P ANURAG ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crop Yields ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
National Average ◽  
Social Constraints ◽  
Eastern Region ◽  
Power Sources ◽  
The North ◽  
Farm Mechanization ◽  
Production Technologies ◽  
North Western

The production levels of agriculture have remained low in eastern region of India mainly due to lack of location-specific production technologies, natural calamities like floods, water logging, drought, inadequate timely supply of critical inputs and social constraints. Bihar is one of the important agrarian states of Eastern India. The crop yields are low and almost stagnating in Bihar compared to the north-western and other parts of the country. To improve the productivity in this region mechanization of farms is of critical importance. The farm power availability in Bihar in 2017 is 2.80 kW/ha and is more than the national average of 2.03 kW/ha. Still there are 14 districts in Bihar which is below national average. The number of marginal farmers has increased from 84.18 to 91.21 during 2014-17, an increase of 7.03 percent. Increase in Small and fragmented land will further hindrance the farm mechanization process. The present study was conducted to understand dynamics of farm power availability in Bihar, so as to take substantial measures for improved mechanization and in turn crop productivity in the region.

Corrigendum to: Conservation agriculture effects on soil properties and crop productivity in a semiarid region of India

Soil Research ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (2) ◽  
pp. 200 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Somasundaram ◽  
M. Salikram ◽  
N. K. Sinha ◽  
M. Mohanty ◽  
R. S. Chaudhary ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Properties ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Soil Layer ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Semiarid Region ◽  
Reduced Tillage ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Residue Retention

Conservation agriculture (CA) including reduced or no-tillage and crop residue retention, is known to be a self–sustainable system as well as an alternative to residue burning. The present study evaluated the effect of reduced tillage coupled with residue retention under different cropping systems on soil properties and crop yields in a Vertisol of a semiarid region of central India. Two tillage systems – conventional tillage (CT) with residue removed, and reduced tillage (RT) with residue retained – and six major cropping systems of this region were examined after 3 years of experimentation. Results demonstrated that soil moisture content, mean weight diameter, percent water stable aggregates (>0.25mm) for the 0–15cm soil layer were significantly (Pmoderately labile>less labile. At the 0–15cm depth, the contributions of moderately labile, less labile and non-labile C fractions to total organic C were 39.3%, 10.3% and 50.4% respectively in RT and corresponding values for CT were 38.9%, 11.7% and 49.4%. Significant differences in different C fractions were observed between RT and CT. Soil microbial biomass C concentration was significantly higher in RT than CT at 0–15cm depth. The maize–chickpea cropping system had significantly (P–1 followed by soybean+pigeon pea (2:1) intercropping (3.50 t ha–1) and soybean–wheat cropping systems (2.97 t ha–1). Thus, CA practices could be sustainable management practices for improving soil health and crop yields of rainfed Vertisols in these semiarid regions.

scholarly journals High probability of yield gain through conservation agriculture in dry regions for major staple crops

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang Su ◽  
Benoit Gabrielle ◽  
Damien Beillouin ◽  
David Makowski
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Relative Yield ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Conventional Tillage ◽  
Machine Learning Algorithms ◽  
Agricultural Practice ◽  
Crop Species ◽  
Yield Gain

AbstractConservation agriculture (CA) has been promoted to mitigate climate change, reduce soil erosion, and provide a variety of ecosystem services. Yet, its impacts on crop yields remains controversial. To gain further insight, we mapped the probability of yield gain when switching from conventional tillage systems (CT) to CA worldwide. Relative yield changes were estimated with machine learning algorithms trained by 4403 paired yield observations on 8 crop species extracted from 413 publications. CA has better productive performance than no-till system (NT), and it stands a more than 50% chance to outperform CT in dryer regions of the world, especially with proper agricultural management practices. Residue retention has the largest positive impact on CA productivity comparing to other management practices. The variations in the productivity of CA and NT across geographical and climatical regions were illustrated on global maps. CA appears as a sustainable agricultural practice if targeted at specific climatic regions and crop species.

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