Analysis of the Concept of Feasibility in Sustainable Agricultural Systems

The paper addresses through the new type concept the analysis of the feasibility of agricultural systems adaptable to environmental requirements. The development of a conceptual system for the feasibility of soil techniques through the responsible management of agricultural technological mechanisms can be expected to mitigate the impact of climate change. This paper analyzes the role of agricultural technologies based on the implementation of sustainable agriculture; as well as their interconnectivity in the local environment. In the methodological analysis was performed by compiling statistical data on agricultural production and effects of greenhouse gases (GHG) on agriculture

Theoretical Clues for Agroecological Transitions: The Conuco Legacy and the Monoculture Trap

The multiple ecological crisis that we are facing forces us to ponder the transition toward sustainable agricultural systems. Two key uncertainties need to be unveiled in addressing this problem; first, we need to identify the general features of alternative models that make them sustainable, and second, we need to explore how to build them from the (flawed) existing systems. In this work we explore these two questions using an ethnoecological and theoretical approach. In the exploration of alternative models, we evaluate an ancestral farming system, the conuco, characterized by, (i) the use of the ecological succession to constantly renew its properties, (ii) the increase of its biodiversity over time (in the horizontal and vertical components), and (iii) the self-regulation of the associated populations. Next, we characterize the topology of ecological networks of agroecosystems along the transition from a monoculture to a conuco-like agroecological system. We use topologies obtained from field information of conventional and agroecological systems as starting and arrival points. To model the dynamics of the systems and numerically simulate the transitions, we use a model based on Generalized Lotka-Volterra equations, where all types of population interactions are represented, with outcomes based on a density-dependent conditionality. The results highlight the relevance of increasing the connectance and diminishing the degree centrality of the conventional systems networks to promote their sustainability. Finally, we propose that the transitions between the monoculture and the agroecological systems could be figuratively interpreted as a cusp catastrophe, where the two systems are understood as alternative stable states and the path from one to the other cannot be reverted by just reversing the values of the control parameter. That is, once a system is in either of these states there is a tendency to stay and a resistance to move away from it. This implies that in the process of transition from a monoculture to a multi-diverse system, it is prudent not to despair if there are no immediate improvements in the performance of the system because once a certain point is reached, the system may experience an abrupt improvement.

Political Economy of the Agricultural Sector in a Review of Development Studies in Indonesia

During the New Order period, government policy focused on the politics of development in the agricultural sector. The actual result was that the community could directly fulfill food needs independently (self-sufficiency) in the mid-1980s. However, this conducive condition had to end tragically when in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the agricultural economy suffered due to massive protection in the industrial sector and took place through a conglomerate process that laid the foundations of the economy. The history of the agricultural sector during the New Order period can be a precious lesson in building the Indonesian economy. This agricultural sector has been recognized as having an essential role in the national economy, which can be seen from its ability to contribute to the gross domestic product, employment absorption, job creation opportunities, increasing people’s income, and foreign exchange sources. This research uses a descriptive-qualitative approach with a library review design. In this research, it can be concluded that agricultural development in this era seeks to develop sustainable agricultural systems that must improve farmers’ resources and standard of living to be more prosperous. Therefore, the government must formulate a platform or grand strategy of agricultural development policy so that Indonesian farmers do not get caught up in poverty and unemployment

Entomopathogenic microorganisms: their role in insect pest management

Background Entomopathogens are pathogenic to insect pests. Several types of naturally occurring, viz. fungus, bacteria, viruses, and nematodes, infect a range of insect pests and help manage crop growth. They offer several advantages over chemical pesticides, including being precise, safe, and ecologically sustainable. Agricultural systems are streamlined, and changes to natural ecosystems occur. Viruses, bacteria are host-specific, while fungi have a greater host range, and they may infect both soil-dwelling and aboveground pests. Main body The study highlights the current state of knowledge on entomopathogenic microorganisms (EM) (entomopathogenic fungi, nematodes, viruses, bacteria, etc.) as it relates to their current usage as biological pest management. It is essential to enhance our understanding of the ecology of EM and their role in nature to use a variety of biological control techniques against insect hosts. This article may help to comprehend their accomplishments in the significant field. Some recent researches indicated common patterns in interactions between insect pests and EM. Conclusion More focus has been placed on the use of natural enemies like entomopathogens for pest control in recent years. EM expands possibilities for insect control. Eco-friendly alternatives to existing agricultural pesticides are being developed which are utilized to control insect pests and support agricultural sustainability.

Integration of Remote Sensing Data into a Composite Voxel Model for Environmental Performance Analysis of Terraced Vineyards in Tuscany, Italy

Understanding socio-ecological systems and the discovery, recovery and adaptation of land knowledge are key challenges for sustainable land use. The analysis of sustainable agricultural systems and practices, for instance, requires interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research and coordinated data acquisition, data integration and analysis. However, datasets, which are acquired using remote sensing, geospatial analysis and simulation techniques, are often limited by narrow disciplinary boundaries and therefore fall short in enabling a holistic approach across multiple domains and scales. In this work, we demonstrate a new workflow for interdisciplinary data acquisition and integration, focusing on terraced vineyards in Tuscany, Italy. We used multi-modal data acquisition and performed data integration via a voxelised point cloud that we term a composite voxel model. The latter facilitates a multi-domain and multi-scale data-integrated approach for advancing the discovery and recovery of land knowledge. This approach enables integration, correlation and analysis of data pertaining to different domains and scales in a single data structure.

Learning from Agricultural Heritage? Lessons of Sustainability from Italian “Coltura Promiscua”

Agricultural heritage is gaining increasing importance as a repository of lessons to be learned for more sustainable agriculture in the future. Among the forgotten European agricultural heritage, the Italian grapevine “coltura promiscua,” which integrates agroforestry and intercropping, survives only in a few regions in the form of relics. Based on geographic, historic, agricultural literature published on the subject between 16th and 20th century with a focus on North eastern Italy, on previous fieldwork research, and on the analysis of recent candidacies to the Italian National register, this contribution identifies five principles that can be considered today as lessons of sustainability in agriculture: vertical intensification, spatial multifunctionality, resilience through crop diversity, labour-intensive production, personal/familiar/community attachment. Taken together, these principles describe a new rationality that seems to adapt to changed global and local conditions and can suggest new strategies to design new sustainable agricultural systems. The research suggests that sustainability principles can be found both by studying relics of agriculture heritage, and by carefully reading the literature that described them in the past, well before the concept of sustainability itself appeared in the scientific debate. Finally, this paper highlights some difficulties in practicing these lessons in modern agroforestry systems and suggests directions for future research.

Modelling soil carbon under diverse cropping systems and farming management in contrasting climatic regions in Europe

<p>Sustainable agriculture has been identified as key to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goal aiming at ending poverty and hunger, and addressing climate change, while maintaining natural resources. Soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration is an important soil functions for the ecosystems service, and storing carbon (C) in soil by changing traditional management practices can represent an important step towards the development of more sustainable agricultural systems in Europe. Within the European project <em>Diverfarming,</em> the process-based ecosystem model ECOSSE was modified and evaluated in three long term experiments to assess the impact of crop diversification and agricultural management in SOC dynamics. ECOSSE was able to simulate SOC under Mediterranean regions in Spain and Italy after changing the minimum value of the decomposition rate modifying factor for soil moisture and allowing a higher soil moisture deficit. In Spain the addition of manure and cover crop in the diversified systems produced an increase in SOC compared to the conventional management (6% in simulations, 2% in measurement) in eight years. The effect of tillage on SOC stock in the Italian dry soil was also modelled, and a positive impact on SOC was predicted when no tillage is practised. Finally, ECOSSE was used to understand the impact of diversifications in Finland where different proportions of legumes and grass were considered in four-year crop rotations compared to conventional cereal rotations. Experiments and modelling showed that the loss of SOC in conventional cereal was compensated when grass was introduced in the rotations. A good agreement (RMSE <10%) and a non-significant bias were observed between model and data for all sites. The modified ECOSSE was able to predict SOC under diverse cropping systems and farming management in contrasting climatic regions. Further studies linking SOC simulations to indicator of sustainability across various European pedoclimatic regions is ongoing.</p>

Analyzing the Effect of Intensive and Low-Input Agrotechnical Support for the Physiological, Phenometric, and Yield Parameters of Different Maize Hybrids Using Multivariate Statistical Methods

Improving nitrogen efficiency is a crucial strategy for developing sustainable agricultural systems that leads to maximum yield in exchange for minimum inputs and nitrogen loss. Three maize hybrids (Zea mays L.) of different maturity classes and length of vegetation period (FAO 400, FAO 490, and FAO 380) were selected and for trials during the 2019 growing season. Three different nitrogen (N) fertilization treatments (0, 120, and 305 kg·N·ha−1) were applied in order to assess variability in yield-related components. The effect of hybrids, fertilizer, and the interaction of the examined hybrids in relation to fertilizer was significant on yield and oil and protein content. Correlation and biplot analysis show that increases in the lipid peroxidation (LP) amount in the plant leaf stages cause a decrease in the oil content of the harvested yield. The activity of ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and LP at the six-leaf stage directly affects the protein content. The amount of APX at the silking stage has a direct and significant effect on starch content. This study showed that the activity of APX at the silking stage has the highest value in all examined hybrids. APX and LP can be controlled with nitrogen fertilization under various environmental circumstances.

Influence of native and exotic tree plantations on biophysical indicators in the Brazilian Savanna

ABSTRACT The monitoring of biophysical indicators can show the conservation or recovery status of a landscape. This study aimed to analyze the influence of tree plantations on the dynamics of biophysical indicators (albedo, NDVI, surface temperature and evapotranspiration), in an experimental area of the Cerrado biome (Brazilian Savanna), by applying remote sensing techniques and the SEBAL algorithm. The indicators dynamics were given as a function of changes in the land use, while assessing the response of the environment to the planting of tree species. SEBAL data on areas that underwent changes in land use and cover during this period were analyzed. In the surroundings of the experimental area, albedo and surface temperature decreased in agricultural and exposed soil areas converted to tree plantations, while the NDVI and evapotranspiration increased. The opposite happened in the conversion of native areas destined to agriculture and livestock. In the experimental area, it was confirmed that the plantations contributed not only to the decrease in the surface and albedo temperature, but also to the increase in the NDVI and evapotranspiration. This confirms the positive influence of tree planting in rural properties of the Cerrado as a support to environmental regularization and more sustainable agricultural systems. Moreover, it highlights the potential of the technique applied to assist in monitoring Cerrado ecosystems in areas larger than those commonly monitored in the field.