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Integrating Agroecological Processes into Cropping Systems Research

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Abstract

Agroecology is defined as the application of ecological concepts and principles to the design and management of sustainable agroecosystems. By viewing cropping systems as agroecosystems, an understanding of the value of the emergent qualities of systems can become a guiding element in research design. A framework for applying this approach in cropping systems research in proposed. A protocol for researching the conversion to sustainable agriculture involves three levels of investigation. The first focuses on improving the efficiency of conventional farming inputs and practices in ways that reduce both their amounts and the environmental impacts of their use. The second focuses on substituting conventional inputs and practices with alternatives that meet broader environmental standards, such as certified organic. Since the problems addressed at these two levels continue to present themselves, a third level is proposed whereby the agroecosystem is redesigned so as to operate on the basis of a new set of ecological processes. At this third level, the emergent qualities of the system itself help prevent problems. Such an approach promotes the conversion to sustainability.

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... There any many definitions of sustainable agriculture. These definitions incorporate green, ecological, organic, permaculture, biodynamic, extensive, free-breeding, low-input, prudent agriculture, etc. (Pretty 1995(Pretty , 2005aConway 1997;NRC 2000;McNeely and Scherr 2003;Clements and Shrestha 2004;Cox et al. 2004;Gliessman 2004Gliessman , 2005. There is still an ongoing and strong debate among scholars (Balfour 1943;Lampkin and Padel 1994;Altieri 1995;Trewevas 2002) as to whether these terms can be considered terms for defining sustainable agriculture. ...
... Based on an extensive literature review (Altieri 1995;Pretty 1995Pretty , 1998Pretty , 2005aConway 1997;Hinchcliffe et al. 1999;NRC 2000;Li 2001;Tilman 1999;Tilman et al. 2002;McNeely and Scherr 2003;Gliessman 2004Gliessman , 2005Swift et al. 2004;Tomich et al. 2004;Scherr and McNeely 2008;Kesavan and Swaminathan 2008;Velten et al. 2015;Reganold et al. 1990;Robinson 2009; land resource usage in food supply chains. The water-land-food nexus issues have been addressed in several studies (Babatunde et al. 2019;Karimi et al. 2012;Hardy et al. 2012;Qadir et al. 2007). ...
Chapter
Lithuania is the only one of the Baltic States to run an ecological deficit (Global Footprint Network 2021). According to Lithuanian strategic documents (LAEI 2016), the agriculture sector remains one of the priority sectors and performs an important economic, environmental, and social role. However, the Lithuanian agricultural sector experiences numerous challenges in achieving environmental sustainability. This paper contributes to the practice by providing a tool for agri-environmental performance assessment at farm level using simple, sound, and transparent Agri-environmental Footprint Index (AFI) construction procedures, and the results of its application are presented through a case study in Lithuania for the years 2016 and 2017. The set of 12 indicators customized to Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) system data was devised to quantify the environmental pressures, which can assist in developing similar indicators or can be adopted in other studies. The findings for Lithuanian family farms indicate a good level of agri-environmental performance as over two-thirds of the sample farms were defined by medium AFI levels. Nevertheless, more than one-tenth of farms achieved a low level of AFI, and these farms require more stimulus and policy interventions for better environmental performance.
... There any many definitions of sustainable agriculture. These definitions incorporate green, ecological, organic, permaculture, biodynamic, extensive, free-breeding, low-input, prudent agriculture, etc. (Pretty 1995(Pretty , 2005aConway 1997;NRC 2000;McNeely and Scherr 2003;Clements and Shrestha 2004;Cox et al. 2004;Gliessman 2004Gliessman , 2005. There is still an ongoing and strong debate among scholars (Balfour 1943;Lampkin and Padel 1994;Altieri 1995;Trewevas 2002) as to whether these terms can be considered terms for defining sustainable agriculture. ...
... Based on an extensive literature review (Altieri 1995;Pretty 1995Pretty , 1998Pretty , 2005aConway 1997;Hinchcliffe et al. 1999;NRC 2000;Li 2001;Tilman 1999;Tilman et al. 2002;McNeely and Scherr 2003;Gliessman 2004Gliessman , 2005Swift et al. 2004;Tomich et al. 2004;Scherr and McNeely 2008;Kesavan and Swaminathan 2008;Velten et al. 2015;Reganold et al. 1990;Robinson 2009; land resource usage in food supply chains. The water-land-food nexus issues have been addressed in several studies (Babatunde et al. 2019;Karimi et al. 2012;Hardy et al. 2012;Qadir et al. 2007). ...
Book
This monograph addresses the methodological and empirical issues relevant for the development of sustainable agriculture, with a particular focus on Eastern Europe. It relates economic growth to the other dimensions of sustainability by applying integrated methods. The book comprises five chapters dedicated to the theoretical approaches towards sustainable rural development, productivity analysis, structural change analysis and environmental footprint. The book focuses on the transformations of the agricultural sector while taking into account economic, environmental, and social dynamics. The importance of agricultural transformations to the livelihood of the rural population and food security are highlighted. Further, advanced methodologies and frameworks are presented to fathom the underlying trends in different facets of agricultural production. The authors present statistical methods used for the analysis of agricultural sustainability along with applications for agriculture in the European Union. Additionally, they discuss the measures of efficiency, methodological approaches and empirical models. Finally, the book applies econometric and optimization techniques, which are useful for the estimation of the production functions and other representations of technology in the case of the European Union member states. Therefore, the book is a must-read for researchers and students of agricultural and production economics, as well as policy-makers and academia in general.
... An increase in agricultural yield over the past several decades has not already come without several costs (Gliessman 2004). It caused some environmental, economic, and social problems (e.g., Kimbrell 2002; Gliessman 2004). ...
... An increase in agricultural yield over the past several decades has not already come without several costs (Gliessman 2004). It caused some environmental, economic, and social problems (e.g., Kimbrell 2002; Gliessman 2004). A study of soil degradation and agricultural sustainability needs combined socioeconomic and environmental approaches. ...
Article
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During the past six decades, agriculture as a main sector in Iran’s economy has been affected by economic development, land-use policies, and population growth and its pressures. From the 1940s until 2010, the percentage of the total urban population of Iran increased from about 21 % to around 72 %. Urbanization, industrialization, and intensive cultivation have dramatically affected soil and water resources. The exploitation of groundwater has been increased around fourfold from the 1970s to the mid-2000s. Total water resources per capita reduced around 23 % from 1956 to 2008. The average annual decrease in the groundwater table in Iran during the last two decades is 0.51 m. In 2008, the groundwater table fell around −1.14 m in average in Iran. The average use of chemical fertilizers increased from around 2.1 million tons in 1990s to about 3.7 million tons in 2009. During that period, fertilizer use efficiency decreased from around 28 % to around 21 %. Approximately 77 % of the agricultural land under irrigation suffers from different levels of salinity. According to the quantification of four indices, such as soil erosion, fall in groundwater levels, salinity, and use of chemical fertilizer, that are directly related to agricultural land use, the results show that agricultural management in Iran needs special attention to reach sustainable conditions. The total cost of soil and water degradation and use of fertilizers in agriculture are estimated around than US $12.8 billion (about 157,000 billion IRRials)—approximately 4 % of the total gross domestic product (GDP) and approximately 35 % of the GDP of the agricultural sector in Iran.
... Agroecology has been evolving over many decades (Wezel et al. 2020, Wezel & Soldat 2009). The original research focus was on the ecological study of agricultural systems (Altieri 1995, Dalgaard et al. 2003, Gliessman 2004, mainly related to soil biology and pest management concerns (IDS & IPES-Food 2022) and integrating local knowledge of farmers about ecological processes relevant for managing their agroecosystems (Altieri & Toledo 2011, Gliessman et al. 1981. Stronger consideration of ecological processes implies a paradigm shift away from the focus on productivity-driven conventional farming. ...
Article
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Agroecology is often considered as the ultimate and most comprehensive solution to the many challenges of the agricultural and food system, also referred to as the agri-food system. This review investigates to what extent agroecology can become the mainstream model for transforming agriculture toward more sustainable and resilient agri-food systems within the given economic and political context. We find that enhancing agroecology will require a fully integrated multiscale systems approach from farm to region to globe. The approach must consider relevant processes and relationships, actors and stakeholders as well as drivers, sustainability indicators, and the respective assessment methods across all scales. Giving specific attention to drivers related to economy, technology, and policy we point out that agroecology needs to be economically viable for farmers and other food system actors. In particular, new and emerging technologies related to digitalization and breeding should be given more consideration in agroecological transformation. We stress the need for an analytical and operational framework and adequate multiscale policy design and suggest six areas of needed attention to support the large-scale adoption of agroecology. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Resource Economics, Volume 15 is October 2023. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
... Particularmente, han posicionado a la agroecología como una práctica, ciencia y movimiento social (Wezel et al., 2009, p.505) capaz de transformar los sistemas alimentarios, y como un elemento clave para incrementar el poder de las y los agricultores sobre su propia producción y para expandir el acceso a la comida producida con métodos que respeten el ambiente (Altieri, Nicholls, Henao, & Lana, 2015;Rosset & Martínez-Torres, 2012). La agroecología emerge de y enfatiza el conocimiento campesino tradicional y es conocida, no como un conjunto de recetas, sino, como principios aplicados de acuerdo con el contexto particular de cada productor(a) y/o lugar (Altieri & Rosset, 1996;Altieri, Rosset, & Thrupp, 1998;Gliessman, 2004). La agroecología busca reducir la dependencia de insumos externos, para entre otras cosas, contribuir a la autonomía de comunidades y familias productoras de alimentos (Rosset & Martínez-Torres, 2012). ...
Thesis
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A pesar de que la educación agrícola de Kínder a 12mo grado (K-12) existe en Puerto Rico (P.R.) desde el 1932, la cantidad de iniciativas agroecológicas escolares (IAE) en el país ha sido limitada y, las que existen, tienen o han tenido muchos retos para asegurar su continuidad. Este trabajo busca entender los retos que enfrentan las comunidades escolares para garantizar la sostenibilidad o continuidad de las IAE en las escuelas públicas K-12 de P.R., con el fin de recomendar estrategias de planificación y alternativas de intervención que fomenten el largo plazo de estas iniciativas. Although agricultural education from Kindergarten to 12th grade (K-12) has existed in Puerto Rico (P.R.) since 1932, the number of school-based agroecological initiatives (SAIs) in the country has been limited and those that exist have or have had many challenges in ensuring their continuity. This paper seeks to understand the challenges faced by school communities to guarantee the sustainability or continuity of SAIs in public K-12 schools in P.R., in order to recommend planning strategies and intervention alternatives that will encourage the long-term development of these initiatives.
... Ethoscopes are computerized video tracking systems, simply organized with an enclosure that provides lighting and support, a camera, and an arena in which insects are released. Current ethoscopes are increasingly used for larger organisms such as Drosophila and mosquitoes 26 , but their arenas are of a size that do not allow access to dispersal over meaningful distances 27 . On the other hand, systems allowing the tracking of individuals directly on large scales, such as the Vertical Looking Radar, the harmonic radars or gps systems, are becoming more and more powerful 1 . ...
Preprint
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Minute insects such as parasitic micro-wasps have high basic and applied importance, for their widespread use as biocontrol agents. Their dispersal is a phenotype of particular interest. Classically, it is evaluated using field releases, but those are time consuming, costly, and their results highly variable, preventing high-throughput and repeatability. Alternatively, dispersal can be studied using small-scale assays, but those neglect important higher-scale processes. Consequently, proper evaluation of dispersal is often complicated or lacking in academic studies and biocontrol breeding programs. Here we introduce a new method, the double-spiral maze, that allows the study of spatial propagation at relevant scales (several hours and meters), retaining high throughput and experimental power. The method records the location of every individual at every time, enabling accurate precise estimates of diffusion coefficients or other dispersal metrics. We describe this affordable, scalable, and easy-to-implement method, and illustrate its application with a species of agricultural interest.
... This definition leaves open the possibility for intensification based on the increasing use of renewable resources (such as labor, light and knowledge), as well as increasingly efficient resource use (such as water conservation and nutrient cycling). Examples from agroecology show the potential for farm systems to produce a variety of food products with minimal dependence on external inputs, and intensive use of internal and renewable inputs (Gliessman, 2004). One challenge that we set out to respond to, then, is how best to weigh the options for different forms of intensification. ...
... Si bien la agroecología surge en la década de los años treinta a través de la mano de Basil Bensil (Bensil, 1930), en estos primeros pasos se entendía como la aplicación de métodos vinculados a la ecología como procesos que se llevan a cabo en la investigación agrónoma. El concepto es retomado por Gliessman (2004) en su trabajo en México y en la década de los años noventa Altieri (2010) vincula la agricultura con la ecología, como una de las bases de la agroecología. A lo largo de este devenir histórico, aunque empieza a posicionarse la actividad humana con relación a ambos campos (ecología y agroecología), no se contaba todavía con una definición clara. ...
Chapter
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La investigación lleva a cabo un análisis temporal del uso y manejo de suelos desarrollado por los pequeños agricultores de una cuenca circunlacustre localizada en el Altiplano norte de Bolivia. El estudio se divide en tres partes. La primera se enfoca en el conocimiento y nomenclatura local que los agricultores tienen sobre sus suelos. La segunda y tercera parte corresponden al cambio en el uso y manejo de suelo respectivamente. El propósito es indagar en los conocimientos que los agricultores ya tienen sobre suelos y también conocer como a lo largo del período 1980-2019 el uso y manejo han cambiado.
... Si bien la agroecología surge en la década de los años treinta a través de la mano de Basil Bensil (Bensil, 1930), en estos primeros pasos se entendía como la aplicación de métodos vinculados a la ecología como procesos que se llevan a cabo en la investigación agrónoma. El concepto es retomado por Gliessman (2004) en su trabajo en México y en la década de los años noventa Altieri (2010) vincula la agricultura con la ecología, como una de las bases de la agroecología. A lo largo de este devenir histórico, aunque empieza a posicionarse la actividad humana con relación a ambos campos (ecología y agroecología), no se contaba todavía con una definición clara. ...
... Economic determinants of practices with agroecological potentials Schools of thought, if not sharing the same perceptions, agree on the need to involve farmers in the agroecological transition process as they are known to be innovators and experimenters, and are the first to appreciate the virtues of agroecological practices (Francis et al. 2003;Gliessman 2004;Altieri and Nicholls 2014). This opens up renewed scopes of research other than the abundant studies of biotic system interactions (Smith et al. 2008), and invites to upscale from the plot level to include other determinants that explain the complexes interferences between farmers and their environment. ...
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In the irrigated plains of North Africa, the sustainability of productive resources is subject to multiple threats linked to the prevailing productivist model of irrigated agriculture. These threats, such as soil degradation and unequal access to resources, markets, and information, prompt farmers to mobilize depleting natural resources, including soil and water, in an often environmentally unsustainable way. In order to sustain their farming systems and consequent incomes, farmers sometimes update their strategies by setting-up alternative farming practices. This study aims at mapping and analyzing such existing local farming practices with agroecological potentials. Our approach is based on direct observations combined with 150 interviews of farmers in three major irrigated plains in North Africa, namely, the Merguellil, Upper Cheliff, and Saiss plains, respectively, in Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco. This study shows that a wide range of alternative practices with agroecological potential are emerging (or exist) locally, against the flow of the dominant agricultural model which is rather in favor of intensive practices. The most common practices are developed to improve soil fertility management (production of manure tea, integration of legumes in crop successions), increase per surface agricultural production (relay intercropping, intercropping, agroforestry), or provide multiple ecosystem services (diversification, livestock integration). These practices are jointly used, mostly to (i) increase land-use efficiency, and hence face land fragmentation; (ii) diversify their cropping strategy, and spread out market-related risks; and (iii) reduce expensive production costs related to irrigation and chemical fertilization. The gradient of adoption observed according to national contexts suggests a strong influence of contrasting socio-political and historical factors at the regional to national levels. The analysis of logics in implementing such practices by farmers indicates that economic reasons take precedence over environmental concerns. As such, these practices can be seen as (i) an access to low-cost strategies for small farmers or (ii) a pathway to international markets for agribusiness farmers. Taming the extensive local knowledge related to ecological intensification strategies, as identified in this study, can help to pave the way for a more sustainable agriculture, in this intensively cultivated region of the world.
... Based on extensive literature review (Altieri, 1995;Conway, 1997;Dale, Kline, Kaffka, & Langeveld, 2013;Gliessman, 2004;Gliessman, 2005;Hinchcliffe, Thompson, Pretty, Guijt, & Shah, 1999;Kesavan & Swaminathan, 2008;Li, 2001;McNeely & Scherr, 2003;National Research Council, 2000;Pretty, 1995;Pretty, 1997;Pretty, 1998;Pretty, 2005a;Pretty, 2005b;Reganold et al., 1990;Robinson, 2009;Scherr & McNeely, 2008;Swift et al., 2004;Tilman, 1999;Tilman et al., 2002;Tomich et al., 2004;Velten et al., 2015) the following basic principles of sustainable agriculture can be highlighted: ...
Article
The agricultural sustainability issues are widely addressed in scientific literature and various reports by international organizations. However, there is lack of harmonized approach in addressing agricultural sustainability issues as different policies are targeting different sustainability issues in agriculture. This article analyses sustainable agriculture development and agriculture sustainability concepts and sustainability assessment approaches and tools developed for agriculture sector. Based on systematic critical literature review, this article develops the new indicators framework for sustainability assessment in agriculture which allows us to achieve harmonization of sustainable development, climate and agricultural policies in European Union (EU). The proposed indicators framework allows us to address the main sustainability issues of agriculture by linking them with sustainable development goals, environmental, climate and rural development policy priorities in EU. The main contribution of this article is linking rural policy goals with sustainable development, climate change mitigation and environmental policy goals by providing agricultural sustainability assessment framework allowing us to track these linkages through indicators system.
... A cropping system is a living ecosystem (Gliessman, 2004), where the biotic and abiotic factors interact and affect the stability of production. Due to the complexity of cropping systems, the production stability of cropping systems integrating fallow and drought-tolerant crops has not been assessed on the semiarid Canadian prairies from a systems perspective. ...
Article
Enhancing the stability of crop production is vital for agriculture under climate uncertainty. Conventional fallow and shallow-rooting pulse crops such as lentil (Lens culinaris Medic.) have been incorporated in oilseed-cereal cropping systems to cope with dry conditions on the semiarid Canadian prairies. However, the static and dynamic stability of these adaptation practices at a cropping system level is unclear due to the complexity of interactions. This study assessed the effects of diversified rotation systems as drought adaptation practices on the productivity and stability of oilseed-cereal cropping systems. Nine 3-year crop rotations were tested for two cycles at three sites from 2013 to 2016. The 3-year crop sequences included fallow, lentil, and spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in rotation phase 1, followed by canola (Brassica napus L.), oriental mustard (Brassica juncea L.), and camelina (Camelina sativa L. Crantz) in phase 2, and the rotation phase 3 was durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. subsp. durum (Desf.) Husn.) in all nine rotation systems. On average, the lentil system increased system productivity, expressed by annualized durum wheat equivalent yield, by 24% and 78% compared with the spring wheat and fallow systems, respectively. Stability analysis revealed that the lentil – B. juncea – durum wheat and lentil – B. napus – durum wheat systems had the least variation across the environments and were well adapted to high-yielding sites. The fully-phased rotations across various environments showed that the drought-induced reductions in system productivity ranged from 3 to 47% compared with yields under normal weather, with the lentil – oilseed – durum systems having least reduction. Quantitative assessments revealed that about 36% of the variation in system productivity was associated with rotation systems and additional 30% was due to weather-related factors. In conclusion, the inclusion of lentil in rotation increases systems productivity and reduces yield variation in oilseed-cereal cropping systems in changing environments.
... In particular, there is a need for understanding how alternative and conventional begin-ning farmers differ in their approaches to water conservation. Given that most of our respondents were practitioners of alternative agriculture, the focus on soil organic matter as a water conservation strategy may reflect the systems philosophy common to alternative agriculture (Altieri 1995;Francis et al. 2003;Gliessman 2004). One respondent even said, "Soil health is the key to reducing water consumption…lack of soil health…[is] the primary cause of…the over consumption of water as an agricultural resource." ...
Article
Beginning farmers are a critical demographic in the context of a dwindling farm population in the United States. Research has shown that beginning farmers differ from established farmers in demographic parameters, farm size, education, and access to land. It is important to understand whether these differences play out in natural resource management. In this paper, we examine how beginning farmers in the western United States defined, prioritized, and practiced water conservation during a period of water scarcity.We used a survey to assess farmer engagement with water conservation practices and binary logistic regression to test the role of various predictor variables for explaining farmer engagement with these conservation practices.The majority of respondents were organic growers with an average of 4.6 years of experience in agriculture. Respondents reported using irrigation improvements, soil health practices, and experimentation with drought-tolerant crops in response to drought conditions. Approaches for improving soil were the most frequently cited means of water conservation. Binary logistic regression revealed that a sense of stewardship and education level played significant and positive roles in predicting respondents’ use of both building soil organic matter and using pressure irrigation as water conservation strategies. Understanding how beginning farmers engage in water conservation is key to supporting increased conservation engagement for this population. © 2019 Soil Conservation Society of America. All rights reserved.
... Strengthening Regional Innovation System as an assertion that RIS must be built based on local potential by organizing the institutional role, optimizing the resources potential, improving business network and management mechanism in a cohesive manner. Therefore, the development of featured products across regions should be based on the elements contained in RIS in order to provide optimal results for enhancing regional competitiveness and community welfare on an ongoing basis [4]. Geographical proximity results in the characteristics of natural resources and socio-cultural differences, including their featured product types, constraints, problems, and development opportunities [5] The purpose of this research is 1) Determining featured products across the region Pacitan; Ponorogo and Magetan districts in support of RIS development; And 2) Designing a leading product development strategy based on supply chain management (SCM) in order to drive the local economy. ...
Article
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Pacitan, Ponorogo, and Magetan had planned the development of featured products as contained in the Medium Term Development Plan (MTDP) until 2020. The focus of development is almost similar to featured products derived from agribusiness, food processing, handycrafts, and tourism. The geographical proximity results characteristics of natural resources and social culture have similarities, including the type of featured products, constraints, problems, and opportunities for development. Given the characteristics and the support system of some featured products contained in these three regions have a lot in common and their functional interactions involving actors from across the region, it is necessary to develop cross-jurisdictional policy. The resulting strategy should be able to support the development of Regional Innovation System (RIS). The purpose of this research is 1) Determining featured product cross-regional between Pacitan regency; Ponorogo and Magetan districts in support of RIS development; and 2) Designing a featured product development strategy using supply chain management in order to drive the local economy. Based on the results of research conducted, featured products across the region that have potentiality to be developed are: processed products of "janggelan"; leather products, and woven bamboo.
... An increase in agricultural performance caused some environmental, economic, and social problems (Gliessman, 2004;Emadodin et al., 2012). Combination of socio-economic and environmental approaches is needed for agricultural sustainability and soil degradation (Emadodin et al., 2012). ...
Article
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Because of urban development and changing land-usage, most lands have been deteriorated by human. In addition, natural disasters have exacerbated this problem. Trees with their strong root system have a key role in maintaining lands against destructive factors such as erosion and human activity. Walnut is one of the trees playing a main role in reclaiming lands. Iran is considered a biodiversity-hotspot for walnut in the world. There is a large natural and cultivated population of walnut in Iran. Native walnut trees are found in deep valleys in the “Kopet Dagh” Mountains, the quite dry region in the northern slopes. Natural walnut trees in the northern and western forests of the country not only protect land, but also have a special role in the economy of local people. Because of wide and deep root system, walnut stabilizes and protects the soil from erosion. Furthermore, walnut is a multi-purpose tree that can be used for wood production in forests and as an ornamental plant in landscape design. Generally, existence of very old walnut trees with a minimum attention and conservation reveals that this tree can be cultivated in deteriorated lands not only to prevent soil erosion but also as a productive and lucrative product. Even if walnut trees yield in deteriorated lands is just 1 t ha-1, its revenues will be five times higher than many annual crops.
... According to the norms proposed by MAFF (2001), USDA (2003), DAKKS (2005), IFOAM (2008), and CERTIMEX (2009), it is necessary to conduct a study of the farm history in order to have a basis for the organic certification process. Looking at the integration of all subsystems into an indicator system, the principles of the agro-ecological transition (Gliessman 2004;Nahed-Toral et al. 2013a) were used to identify indicators that were not included in the certification standards and yet were considered to be important for the methodology and the beginning of a certification process. ...
Article
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This paper integrates a methodology for an assessment previous to organic certification of transition farms. The methodology was designed and applied to a farm in the municipality of Villaflores, Chiapas. Research consisted of grouping certification standards from different certification agencies into an integrated methodology for evaluating the farm prior to it being submitted to the certification process. The norms proposed by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements and the Mexican certifier of ecological products were utilized—both of these accredited by the German certification program—as well as the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture’s principles of organic agriculture. The methodology was based on a systemic approach and applied using agricultural anthropology. Field research was conducted from January-May 2012, through interviews, field observations and triangulation of information. Results indicated that within the agricultural sub-system of the farm, 77% of indicators meet the norms of organic certification and within the animal subsystem only 74%. This study permits the pre-assessment of farms and the progress quantification toward organic certification. Given the cost of taking on the certification process, this pre-assessment represents an important tool to help small farmers develop their capacity to identify farm components and interactions, keep records on all farm activities and plan organic transitions.
... Selon une approche plus agro-économique, Altieri (1995), Pretty (1995Pretty ( et 1998, Thrupp (1996), Tilman et al. (2002), Gliessman (2004Gliessman ( et 2005, Scherr and McNeely (2008), un système agricole durable utilise au maximum les biens et services présents en nature sans détruire ce patrimoine en considérant la technologie disponible. ...
... There is continuing and intense debate about whether agricultural systems using some of these terms can qualify as sustainable (Balfour 1943;Lampkin & Padel 1994;Altieri 1995;Trewevas 2002). Systems high in sustainability can be taken as those that aim to make the best use of environmental goods and services while not damaging these assets (Altieri 1995;Pretty 1995Pretty , 1998Pretty , 2005aConway 1997;Hinchcliffe et al. 1999;NRC 2000;Li Wenhua 2001;Jackson & Jackson 2002;Tilman et al. 2002;Uphoff 2002;McNeely & Scherr 2003;Gliessman 2004Gliessman , 2005Swift et al. 2004;Tomich et al. 2004;MEA 2005;Scherr & McNeely 2007;Kesevan & Swaminathan in press). The key principles for sustainability are to: ...
... Challenging a productivist agricultural model raises many thoughts and initiatives concerning different ways to design and implement sustainable agriculture capable of preserving natural resources while minimizing the use of external inputs to the ecosystem. In this perspective, Pretty [1], Balmford et al. [2], and Gliessman [3] stress the importance of integrating natural resources and ecological services in the production process. This integration, however, raises a number of limitations including economic assessment [2,4]. ...
Article
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Integrating natural resources and ecological services in the production process is crucial to implement sustainable agriculture. However, the measurement of natural resource efficiency remains difficult. This paper aims at contributing to this issue, by investigating French farms’ use and excess (slack) of energy resources through Data Envelopment Analyses (DEA). Results show that disentangling energy resources from the rest of intermediate consumption highlights energy use excess which is masked when considering intermediate consumption as a whole. The analysis of the determinants of energy use excess and of intermediate consumption shows a discrepancy in results, which policy-makers should take into account when designing energy policies. In addition, results show that large and highly capital intensive farms perform better in terms of energy use excess, while the dependence on public subsidies is a constraint.
... Challenging a productivist agricultural model raises many thoughts and initiatives concerning different ways to design and implement sustainable agriculture capable of preserving natural resources while minimizing the use of external inputs to the ecosystem. In this perspective, Pretty [1], Balmford et al. [2], and Gliessman [3] stress the importance of integrating natural resources and ecological services in the production process. This integration, however, raises a number of limitations including economic assessment [2,4]. ...
Conference Paper
L’objectif de cet article est d’étudier l’efficacité technique des exploitations agricoles françaises et d’identifier leurs marges de manœuvre pour améliorer l’utilisation des ressources énergétiques. Le papier applique la méthode d’analyse des données (Data Envelopement Analysis, DEA) avec les données du Réseau d’Information Comptable Agricole (RICA). Il se propose de traiter les données relatives aux ressources énergétiques indépendamment du reste des consommations intermédiaires et de détecter les déterminants de l’efficacité relavant des pratiques agricoles. Les résultats montrent qu’il existe des marges de manœuvre pour améliorer l’efficacité d’utilisation des ressources énergétiques. De plus, l’excès d’utilisation de ce facteur augmente avec le niveau d’efficacité des exploitations et varie en fonction de leur orientation technico-économique. De plus, la nature des cultures et les rotations longues semblent avoir des effets positifs sur la réduction des ressources énergétiques mais pourraient être une contrainte pour l’efficacité globale de l’exploitation.
... Dans cette étude, l'agriculture durable sera définie comme une agriculture qui utilise les ressources naturelles et agricoles de façon optimale et sans nuire aux sphères sociale, environnementale et économique (Hine et Pretty, 2006;Earles, 2005). En dépouillant la littérature sur l'agriculture durable, il a été possible d'identifier sept critères principaux inspirés des définitions les plus courantes (Hishimunda et al., 2009;Hine et Pretty, 2006;Gliessman, 2005Gliessman, , 2004Swift et al., 2004;McNeely et Scherr, 2003;Jackson et Jackson, 2002;Lopez-Ridaura et al., 2002;Tilman et al., 2002;Li Wenhua, 2001;Hinchliffe et al.1999;Conway, 1997;Altieri, 1995;Pretty, 1995). Ainsi, une agriculture durable doit : 1) utiliser les ressources naturelles et agricoles efficacement afin d'atteindre une productivité élevée; 2) entretenir la viabilité économique des activités agricoles; 3) minimiser le recours aux énergies polluantes; 4) encourager le développement d'un agroécosystème complexe; 5) préserver la qualité de l'environnement et des ressources naturelles dont dépend l'économie agricole; 6) améliorer le bien-être des agriculteurs; et 7) encourager la participation des producteurs locaux. ...
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Beginning in the mid-1980s, in the context of a genuine green revolution, Vietnamese agriculture underwent major transformations. In several regions, traditional crops gave way to intensive rice monoculture, a trend favoured by reforms associated with Doi Moi. This generated a number of problems, in the face of which new government policies were adopted favouring in turn more sustainable agricultural systems. Through case studies carried out in two Mekong delta communes, we examine two integrated agriculture-aquaculture systems promoted by the government’s support programme for sustainable agriculture and conclude that these systems can to some degree reach both the government’s goals and adhere to the principles of sustainable agriculture.
... Transitions are usually considered to be multi-factorial, multi-stakeholder and multi-level. With this development perspective, three levels can be distinguished in terms of individual actions and structuring paradigms (Table 1): Efficiency, Substitution and Redesign (ESR) (Hill, 1985;Hill & MacRae, 1995;Gliessman, 2004). Hill (1985) and Gliessman (2007). ...
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A wider range of stakeholders is expected to be involved in organic research. A decision‐support tool is needed to define priorities and to allocate tasks among institutions. Based on research and management experience in organic research, the authors have developed a framework for experimental and research projects. The framework is based on a multi‐level approach. Each level is defined according to the directness of the innovation impact on the organic systems. The projects carried out for each level were assessed over a ten‐ year period. Two applications are presented: analysis of crop protection strategies in horticulture and plant breeding programmes. When combined with four development models of organic farming, this multi‐level analysis appears to be promising for defining research agendas.
... Concerns about soil loss, water quality and availability, environmental contamination, hunger and nutrition, food safety and security, labor conditions, Sustainable Food Systems Curriculum Development 723 animal welfare, and the causes of climate change have put agriculture and food systems in the spotlight (Matson et al. 1997;Francis et al. 2003;Gliessman 2004;DeLind and Howard 2008). These areas of concern have driven efforts to understand and improve food systems' social and environmental outcomes (Lotter 2003;Selfa et al. 2008;Follett 2009;Gwin 2009). ...
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The study of food systems is a quickly growing field. In high demand by postsecondary students, new food systems studies programs are emerging from a range of disciplines. Food systems are inherently complex and are best understood from a range of academic perspectives and practical contexts. We review current scholarship on food systems pedagogy and present approaches for developing and implementing food systems curricula. A literature review and our experience indicate that effective food systems program approaches include emphasizing interdisciplinarity and a systems approach and balancing experience, theory, and practical skills acquisition. We discuss strategies, challenges and opportunities for building food systems curricula.
... To sustain yields -and the resources they depend on -we need to shift to a "net gain" approach. A fundamentally new model for agricultural research, education, and extension is needed to meet growing demand for food, fiber, and fuel in a manner that is ecologically sustainable, socially equitable, and economically viable over the long term (Gliessman, 2004 ...
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Modern agriculture has proven highly productive, yet has simultaneously generated environmental and social impacts of global concern. Pressing environmental issues call into question the ability of the current model of industrial agriculture to sustain adequate yields without undermining the natural resource base upon which it depends. Meanwhile, global food needs are projected to double by 2050, raising questions over the need to further intensify agricultural production. Current research demonstrates that biologically diversified farming systems can meet global food needs sustainably and efficiently, as they outperform chemically managed monocultures across a wide range of globally important ecosystem services while producing sufficient yields and reducing resource waste throughout the food system. Research and development related to diversified systems, however, commands less than two percent of public agricultural research funding. We argue that this “knowledge gap” is at the crux of the “yield gap” that is often raised as the impediment to transitioning a greater share of global agriculture to diversified, agroecological production. If United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) research, education, and extension were to shift significantly toward agroecology and biologically diversified farming systems, the potential to address global resource challenges would be enormous. Here we present a broad framework for how the USDA could use existing infrastructure to address the challenges of food and farming in the twenty-first century and beyond.
... Diagnosis often starts with, and sometimes relies solely on interviews and surveys (Crozat and Chitapong, 1988;Singh et al., 2005;Yadav et al., 2006;Kataki et al., 2000) but quantitative analyses of the historical, experimental and simulation data definitely adds confidence to the process (Diouf, 1990; Thomas et al., 1995;Oosterom et al., 1996;Dore et al., 1997;Staggenborg et al., 2005). Further, in contrast to issue focussed traditional experiments, the CS research approach is essentially about integrating a range of relevant disciplines (Francis et al., 1995;Shreshta and Clement, 2003;Gliessman, 2004) and has an additional advantage when commercial farms are used as study sites (Drinkwater, 2002). Grower involvement is another factor known to substantially improve the outcome of the intended research (Forte-Gardner et al., 2004). ...
... Agricultural productivity in world has increased 150-200% between 1960 and 2010 by only 12% expansion in the cultivated land area (FAO, 2011). However, industrialization, population growth and intensification of land use causing this increased agricultural yield over the past several decades has not already come without several costs (Gliessman, 2004). ...
Conference Paper
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To direct sustainability in agricultural sector via Life Cycle Management (LCM), an easy access to high quality environmental, social and economical data is important. In this study, we explored the possibility of performing environmental life cycle assessment in Iranian dairy sector. Main life cycle stages were examined for availability and quality of needed data. At each stage, applicable databases are introduced. To spur life cycle studies, we need legislation to encourage all parties by incentives for more sustainable products. Next step may be to review & restructure already existed databases, articles and grey publications to extract suitable data for LCI stage. However, it is now possible to assess some impact categories in dairy industry.
... The critical question centres on the `type of intensification'. Intensification using natural, social and human capital assets, combined with the use of best available technologies and 15 Pretty, 1995;Conway, 1997;NRC, 2000;McNeely and Scherr, 2003;Clements and Shrestha, 2004;Cox et al., 2004;Gliessman, 2005, 200816 Balfour, 1943Lampkin and Padel, 1994;Altieri, 1995;Trewevas, 200117 Altieri, 1995Pretty, 1995Pretty, , 1998Conway, 1997;Hinchliffe et al., 1999;NRC, 2000;Li Wenhua, 2001;Jackson and Jackson, 2002;Tilman et al., 2002;Uphoff, 2002;McNeely and Scherr, 2003;Swift et al., 2004;Tomich et al., 2004;Gliessman, 2004Gliessman, , 2005MA, 200518 Chambers et al., 1989Uphoff, 1998;Bunch and Lopez, 1999;Olsson and Folke, 2001;Ward, 2001 19 Conway andPretty, 1991;Pretty et al., 2000;Buttel, 2003;Tegtmeier and Duffy, 2004 inputs (best genotypes and best ecological management) that minimise or eliminate harm to the environment, can be termed `sustainable intensification'. ...
... There is continuing and intense debate about whether agricultural systems using some of these terms can qualify as sustainable (Balfour, 1943;Lampkin and Padel, 1994;Altieri, 1995;Trewevas, 2001). Systems high in sustainability can be taken to be those that aim to make the best use of environmental goods and services whilst not damaging these assets (Altieri, 1995;Pretty, 1995Pretty, , 1998Conway, 1997;Hinchliffe et al, 1999;NRC, 2000;Li Wenhua, 2001;Jackson and Jackson, 2002;Tilman et al, 2002;Uphoff, 2002;McNeely and Scherr, 2003;Swift et al, 2004;Tomich et al, 2004;Gliessman, 2004Gliessman, , 2005MEA, 2005). The key principles for sustainability are to: ...
... There is continuing and intense debate about whether agricultural systems using some of these terms can qualify as sustainable (Altieri, 1995;Balfour, 1943;Lampkin & Padel, 1994;Trewevas, 2002). Sustainable systems can be taken as those that aim to make the best use of environmental goods and services whilst not damaging these assets (ACRE, 2007;Altieri, 1995;Conway, 1997;Gliessman, 2004Gliessman, , 2005Hinchliffe et al., 1999;Jackson & Jackson, 2002;Li Wenhua, 2001;McNeely & Scherr, 2003;MEA, 2005, NRC, 2000Pretty, 1995Pretty, , 2005Pretty, , 2007Swift et al., 2004;Tilman et al., 2002;Tomich et al., 2004;Uphoff, 2002). The key principles of agricultural sustainability are to: ...
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This review describes the establishment in 1997 of an agricultural sustainability initiative by the foods, home and personal care company, Unilever. It analyses the development and testing of a system of indicators used over several years on the company's model research farm at Colworth in the UK. The approach taken was first to develop a sustainability audit, based around a common set of indicators, and then to support pilot projects for a select number of crops, with the aim of adapting parameters for each crop, establishing baselines, developing recommendations to increase agricultural sustainability, and holding field trials to test these new practices and technologies.The purpose of the initiative was the development of a system of agricultural assessment that would be practical and effective over short time scales so that changes in company policies and practice could be made. The indicator structure developed uses 10 clusters of indicators (later revised to 11). These had to be easily measurable, and so not costly; relatively non-contestable, and so convincing to internal and external stakeholders; responsive to management action; and lead to value creation for farmers, rural communities and businesses. It was found by Unilever that the main advantage of the audit was not in the emergence of a sustainability index (which was rejected), but in the development of increased knowledge and understanding of agricultural and environmental interactions that emerged during the discussion and assessment of the indicators. The process of its use was more important than any scores that emerged.This paper summarizes the changes in selected indicators for each of five novel management practices tested on the pilot farm (spring versus winter cropping; reduced nitrogen fertilizers; reduced pesticide applications; mixed rotation and cover crops; and field margin management). A brief analysis of the agronomic conclusions is given for each. The overall conclusion for farm practices from this research is that an optimal rotation has both spring and winter crops, as this spreads labour costs on farm and environmental costs. The results of the Colworth project suggest that key components of successful sustainable farming projects include management to create a more diverse landscape, and close attention to the timing and frequency of agrochemical applications.
... Cox, Picone, and Jackson (2004), however, draw our attention to the "problem of agriculture." Many agroecologists view the problem of agriculture as a whole (i.e., the overall approach taken to address issues in agriculture and its consequences) as one that requires a different framework from improving conventional agriculture, both scientifically and philosophically (Altieri, 1995;Gliessman, 1998;Gliessman, 2004). This need for a paradigm shift obviously presents many methodological difficulties, especially for a scientific establishment where small-plot research methods and Baconian science are firmly entrenched. ...
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Agroecology is emerging from the conceptual realm to become a significant discipline in North America and many parts of the world. We explore 10 dimensions of agroecology that are important in developing a more biologically-based science of agriculture: (1) a new philosophy of agriculture, (2) systems thinking, (3) local adaptation, (4) the non-crop biota, (5) crop autecology, (6) encompassing the agricultural landscape, (7) closing the materials cycle: crops, livestock and local or global cycling, (8) technology and ecology, (9) human ecology, and (10) the natural dimension. Agroecology deals with the applications of ecological principles in agroecosystems and it represents a logical response to shortcomings of conventional agriculture. Current crop production approaches fail to account for biological complexities of agro-ecosytems and the need to feed the world without jeopardizing the sustainability of its life support systems. A key strategy employed by agroecologists is to compare agroecosystems and natural ecosystems systematically, and attempt to integrate knowledge of natural ecosystems into agricultural practice. Through this process, traditional agronomy is elevated to agroecology.
... This definition leaves open the possibility for intensification based on the increasing use of renewable resources (such as labor, light and knowledge), as well as increasingly efficient resource use (such as water conservation and nutrient cycling). Examples from agroecology show the potential for farm systems to produce a variety of food products with minimal dependence on external inputs, and intensive use of internal and renewable inputs (Gliessman, 2004). One challenge that we set out to respond to, then, is how best to weigh the options for different forms of intensification. ...
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In the complex context of global food and agricultural systems, research in agriculture must respond to multidisciplinary questions of economic development, ecological sustainability and food justice. With the objective of responding to several of the most important questions facing agriculture today, this article describes recent research in three Cuban cropping systems: state farms, cooperatives, and small family farmers. Soil management is considered here as a crux of human intervention in agroecosystems, capable of determining the impacts of productive activities upon agricultural and ecosystem functions. Management practices commonly used in each farm system are evaluated using two systems of indicators, one for technological quality and one for agricultural intensification. Soil physical quality is characterized through laboratory analysis of samples taken in the same type of soil under long-term production in state, cooperative, and family farmer cropping systems. Soil structure management in the small farmer system is especially worthy of study, because this agricultural system has developed an intensive agroecological productive model on the basis of low external input use, polycultures and internal nutrient cycling. Favorable policies and farmer organizations are discussed as indispensible elements of sustainable agricultural development. The relationships between soil management, local knowledge, and food access are explored in the Cuban context and as directions for food system studies.
... There is continuing and intense debate about whether agricultural systems using some of these terms can qualify as sustainable (Balfour 1943; Lampkin & Padel 1994; Altieri 1995; Trewevas 2002). Systems high in sustainability can be taken as those that aim to make the best use of environmental goods and services while not damaging these assets (Altieri 1995; Pretty 1995, 1998, 2005a,b; Conway 1997; Hinchcliffe et al. 1999; NRC 2000; Li Wenhua 2001; Jackson & Jackson 2002; Tilman et al. 2002; Uphoff 2002; McNeely & Scherr 2003; Gliessman 2004, 2005; Swift et al. 2004; Tomich et al. 2004; MEA 2005; Scherr & McNeely 2008; Kesavan & Swaminathan 2008). The key principles for sustainability are to: (i) integrate biological and ecological processes such as nutrient cycling, nitrogen fixation, soil regeneration , allelopathy, competition, predation and parasitism into food production processes, (ii) minimize the use of those non-renewable inputs that cause harm to the environment or to the health of farmers and consumers, (iii) make productive use of the knowledge and skills of farmers, thus improving their self-reliance and substituting human capital for costly external inputs, and (iv) make productive use of people's collective capacities to work together to solve common agricultural and natural resource problems, such as for pest, watershed, irrigation, forest and credit management. ...
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Concerns about sustainability in agricultural systems centre on the need to develop technologies and practices that do not have adverse effects on environmental goods and services, are accessible to and effective for farmers, and lead to improvements in food productivity. Despite great progress in agricultural productivity in the past half-century, with crop and livestock productivity strongly driven by increased use of fertilizers, irrigation water, agricultural machinery, pesticides and land, it would be over-optimistic to assume that these relationships will remain linear in the future. New approaches are needed that will integrate biological and ecological processes into food production, minimize the use of those non-renewable inputs that cause harm to the environment or to the health of farmers and consumers, make productive use of the knowledge and skills of farmers, so substituting human capital for costly external inputs, and make productive use of people's collective capacities to work together to solve common agricultural and natural resource problems, such as for pest, watershed, irrigation, forest and credit management. These principles help to build important capital assets for agricultural systems: natural; social; human; physical; and financial capital. Improving natural capital is a central aim, and dividends can come from making the best use of the genotypes of crops and animals and the ecological conditions under which they are grown or raised. Agricultural sustainability suggests a focus on both genotype improvements through the full range of modern biological approaches and improved understanding of the benefits of ecological and agronomic management, manipulation and redesign. The ecological management of agroecosystems that addresses energy flows, nutrient cycling, population-regulating mechanisms and system resilience can lead to the redesign of agriculture at a landscape scale. Sustainable agriculture outcomes can be positive for food productivity, reduced pesticide use and carbon balances. Significant challenges, however, remain to develop national and international policies to support the wider emergence of more sustainable forms of agricultural production across both industrialized and developing countries.
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Minute insects such as parasitic micro-wasps have high basic and applied importance for their widespread use as biocontrol agents. Their dispersal is a phenotype of particular interest. Classically, it is evaluated using field releases, but those are time consuming, costly, and their results highly variable, preventing high-throughput and repeatability. Alternatively, dispersal can be studied using small-scale assays, but those neglect important higher-scale processes. Consequently, proper evaluation of dispersal is often complicated or lacking in academic studies and biocontrol breeding programs. Here we introduce a new method, the double-spiral maze, that allows the study of spatial propagation of groups of micro-wasps at relevant scales (several hours and meters), retaining high throughput and experimental power. The method records the location of every individual at every time, enabling accurate estimates of diffusion coefficients or other dispersal metrics. We describe this affordable, scalable, and easy-to-implement method, and illustrate its application with a species of agricultural interest.
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Accurate assessment of soil water erosion (SWE) susceptibility is critical for reducing land degradation and soil loss, and for mitigating the negative impacts of erosion on ecosystem services, water quality, flooding and infrastructure. Deep learning algorithms have been gaining attention in geoscience due to their high performance and flexibility. However, an understanding of the potential for these algorithms to provide fast, cheap, and accurate predictions of soil erosion susceptibility is lacking. This study provides the first quantification of this potential. Spatial predictions of susceptibility are made using three deep learning algorithms - Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) and Long-Short Term Memory (LSTM) - for an Iranian catchment that has historically experienced severe water erosion. Through a comparison of their predictive performance and an analysis of the driving geo-environmental factors, the results reveal: (1) elevation was the most effective variable on SWE susceptibility; (2) all three developed models had good prediction performance, with RNN being marginally the most superior; (3) maps of SWE susceptibility revealed that almost 40 % of the catchment was highly or very highly susceptible to SWE and 20 % moderately susceptible, indicating the critical need for soil erosion control in this catchment. Through these algorithms, the soil erosion susceptibility of catchments can potentially be predicted accurately and with ease using readily available data. Thus, the results reveal that these models have great potential for use in data poor catchments, such as the one studied here, especially in developing nations where technical modeling skills and understanding of the erosion processes occurring in the catchment may be lacking.
Chapter
Nowadays, a very small concern on the system leads to the richness of species and an increase in the complexity in the trophic levels. In this the researchers mainly focus on investigating the bioenergic mechanism and the multitrophic system along with the relationship between the ecosystem and the biodiversity that is very complex. The biodiversity–ecosystem function is tested mainly by comparing energy flux with the species in the monoculture species with some other species. This system helps in the identification of many effects related to the diversity and changing of that diversity from one tropic level to the other by generating some network, and it makes a network in between the food chain and the food web.
Chapter
The agricultural sector is the central point of the climate–water–land–energy–food nexus debate, and the main task in the development of a sustainable agriculture sector is to provide food for the rising world population while reducing the environmental impact and preserving the most important natural resources for future generations. Policies to promote sustainable agriculture development or agricultural sustainability need to address interlinked climate–water–land–energy–food nexus issues. As the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) plays a major role in the agricultural sector development of European Union (EU) member states (MS), sustainable agriculture development goals supported by the CAP should also address the climate–water–land–energy–food nexus. This chapter presents a discussion on sustainable, climate-smart agriculture concepts and analyses their links with sustainable energy. Climate change mitigation and adaptation issues in agriculture are highlighted in the debate on agriculture sustainability. The implications of climate–water–land–energy–food nexus policies for the future development of the CAP are presented.
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En caractérisant les difficultés d’utilisation des éco-savoirs sur un terrain particulier, ce travail souhaite pointer du doigt toutes les perspectives d’avenir qu’ils offrent pour favoriser la transition agroécologique, et participer à la construction des nouveaux critères du « good farmer » (Green & al., 2020) mais, en même temps, les difficultés à favoriser les écosavoirs dans un système académique et professionnel peu adapté à leurs spécificités. Cette étude s’appuie sur un nombre réduit de maraîchers dont les caractéristiques amènent à qualifier l’agriculture qu’ils pratiquent de « marginale » (Javelle & Talon, 2017). Ce travail mériterait d’être poursuivi à plus grandes échelles de façon à étudier la traduction des écosavoirs dans toute la diversité d’agricultures.
Chapter
Food availability is set to be the biggest problem facing humanity over the next 50 years and beyond as the global population is estimated to increase steadily along with escalation in degradation rate of crop lands. Alkalization and salinization of soils have become widespread global issues and have been identified as crucial factors for limiting agricultural crop productivity. Various parameters have been described to characterize salinity and alkalinity of the soils and elucidate its effect on plant growth. This chapter further overviews how conventional physicochemical technologies are ineffective to repair SAS. Hence, a sustainable alternative is to utilize bespoke microbial species with desirable attributes so that salt-affected problem soils could be made suitable for cultivation of agricultural crops. It highlights biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) as well as other desirable plant growth-promoting (PGP) traits such as phytohormone secretion, ACC deaminase activity, solubilization of minerals, and exopolysaccharide production by free-living diazotrophic microbes from alkaline and saline soils and further describes the role of haloalkalitolerant plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) to recoup alkaline saline soils for sustainable mode of agriculture and conservation of environmental quality.
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India is an agricultural country, 70% people depend on agriculture, because the only major means of farmer’s income is agriculture. Intensive agriculture practiced without observance to the scientific principles and ecological aspects has led to loss of soil health, and reduction of freshwater resources and agrobiodiversity. With progressive diversion of arable land for non-agricultural purposes, the challenge of feeding the growing population without, at the same time, annexing more forestland and depleting the rest of life is indeed daunting. Additional, even with food availability through production, millions of marginal farming and landless rural families have very low or no access to food due to lack of income-generating livelihoods. Approximately 200 million rural women, children and men in India fall in this category. Under these circumstances, the evergreen revolution such as pro-nature, pro-poor, pro-women and pro-employment/livelihood oriented ecoagriculture under varied terms are proposed for achieving productivity in perpetuity. Indian farmers are becoming poor due to the daily deterioration in agriculture, the main reasons for this, not receiving quality based seeds, delay water irrigation, reduced soil fertility and excessive use of chemical fertilizers. In order to remove these problems, we have been to develop a new strategy which will double the income of the farmers and make the soil fertile without the use of chemical fertilizers. Our government is constantly trying for it, which help farmers to get maximum benefit and improve our agriculture from launch new schemes for water, seed, nutrients and insurance the crops are started and organizing time to time a mega fair for providing basic knowledge for the farmers. So that more and more farmers are aware of it and use good machinery, seeds, and biofertilizers in their agriculture, so that their income accompanied, soil fertility can also be increased. Agricultural research are constantly probing fertile seeds, improve nutrition and organic fertilizers which will help us to grow agriculture. Fifty decades before came green revolution, which improved crops yield and productivity, while today need to be evergreen revolution for agricultural improvement, for doubling farmers income, enhance crop productivity and also improve soil fertility. The principles, strategies, models for sustainable agriculture and pathways for doubling farmers income are described in this book chapter.
Article
This work provides a knowledge contribution in order to understand agroecology as evolution of both a scientific discipline and a philosophical paradigm for promoting sustainability in agriculture. The peculiar character of agroecology as an applied, transdisciplinary science based on the systems paradigm is explored in its theoretical and practical foundations. The agroecosystem concept is regarded as an epistemological tool for creating an ontology or representation of agriculture based on a systems view. Hierarchy, emergence, communication and control are shown as agroecosystem properties. Integration is viewed as an ontological link operating in the construction of agriculture as a human activity system. Integration is regarded as an organisational capability for connecting different hierarchical levels, which is critical for achieving the goal of agriculture sustainability. Development of sustainability indicators is considered a crucial step of enquiry for providing elements of assessment, evaluation and anticipation of solutions for both farm design and management, and land use policy. Sustainability in agriculture will depend on the capacity of harmonic integration between contrasting trade-offs in the search of a balance among human nutrition, ecological integrity and economic development. Convergence of agroecological principles between global and local levels of planning will be a crucial component for success towards sustainable agriculture.
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French agriculture is now facing a dual challenge of environmental sustainability and productivity. Further to the Grenelle Environment Conference (Environment roundtables organized in 2007 by the French government), Ecologically Intensive Agriculture (EIA) has emerged as a new concept to reach this dual challenge. This paper uses an economic approach to analyse the emerging concept of EIA and its specificities. It discusses the relevance of ecological intensification and natural resources productivity concepts at the farm level. It shows the measurement of productive efficiency of farms as a methodological framework for assessing the EIA approach.
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Spring barley (SB) (Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivar ‘Ūla’ is the most widely grown cereal in Lithuania (hereinafter LIT). Most of the SB varieties bred in LIT (‘Aidas,’ ‘Alsa,’ ‘Aura,’ and ‘Baronesse’) are suitable for growing organically. However, in contrast to conventional farming practices, they are considerably more sensitive to the organic farming conditions and lack of nitrogen required for weed suppression. One of the several organic solutions to the problem of spreading weeds lies in growing false flax (FF; Camelina sativa) as cover crop between the SB plantings. This paper aims to address two questions: 1) development of recommendations to achieve the best performance from a mixed seed drilling and 2) quantitative appraisal of the weed suppression level in mixed crop (FF+SB) against weed incidence in sole crop of SB. For this study, an experimental coulter with adjustable geometries based on a theoretical approach to characterize FF seed movement has been developed. According to laboratory test findings, three-year in-field research trials were conducted to combine both theoretical and practical aspects of integrated weed management. A series of experiments confirmed that FF could effectively limit the prevalence of weeds under certain soil properties and weather conditions typical to LIT. The main conclusion was that drilling FF in strips between SB rows reduced the amount of weeds by 1.79 times in relation to “no-FF” practices without a significant decrease in SB yield. The proposed weed management strategy is effective, reliable, practical, and economical.
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For three years (1993 to 1995), we monitored organically and conventionally managed cotton fields in Madera County, and measured pest and beneficial arthropod populations, plant growth and development parameters, nutrient status, plant density, yields and lint quality. Square (flower bud) retention was similar in the two systems, although western tarnished plant bugs (Lygus hesperus or lygus bugs) were significantly more abundant on several dates in the organic fields. On most dates, populations of the predatory insects Geocoris spp. were significantly higher in the organic than in the conventional fields. Lint yields were not significantly different for the two production systems in any of the three years, but were lower than county averages in all years. In 1994, lint quality in the two treatments differed in that color grades were more variable in the organic cotton bales. Late spring rains also affected planting success in each year and the shortened seasons in 1994 and 1995 generally kept yields in both treatments at or below two bales per acre.
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A 3-year study on the Central Coast compared conventional and organic Chandler strawberry production systems on former Brussels sprouts land. Soil conditions, arthropod dynamics, soil microorganism populations and plant response factors were monitored and compared in both systems. Yields were significantly lower in the organic production system all 3 years, but the margin progressively narrowed. Price premiums for organic fruit permitted favorable per-acre returns for this system. Further research on ecological processes, improved practices and farm trials is needed to make organic systems more successful.
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Contrasts mixed species plantings (polycultures) with bare-ground sole-crop fields (monocultures), the former being characterised by the simultaneous occurrence of herbivory with both inter- and intraspecific plant competition, and where plants are interspersed at spatial scales similar to the shorter movement scales of the arthropod herbivores and their natural enemies. The review examines whether generalities can be drawn from the arthropod response to polyculture, or whether these responses are idiosyncratic, depending on the particular combination of plants and arthropods. The diversity-stability hypothesis (the greater the biological diversity of a community the greater its stability) is evaluated. Herbivore response to polycultures might be expected to be determined by natural enemies: generalist and specialist natural enemies are more abundant in polycultures and therefore suppress herbivore populations to a greater extent. The resource concentration hypothesis argues that many herbivores, especially those with a narrow host range, are more likely to find and remain on host plants that are concentrated. Plants experience associational resistance, and arthropods can respond to plant-stand characteristics (resource concentration) or plant life history characteristics (plant apparency). Mechanisms underlying resource concentration are discussed. -P.J.Jarvis
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We present a compelling rationale for defining agroecology as the ecology of food systems. Our purpose is to provide a framework that will guide research, education, and action in the multiple and interacting facets of an increasingly complex global agriculture and food system. To accomplish such goals, it is essential to build bridges and connections among and beyond our disciplines in production agriculture, as well as beyond the farm gate into the rural landscape and community. Fields of sociology, anthropology, environmental sciences, ethics, and economics are crucial to the mix. They provide additional vantage points from which we can view the food system anew, as well as insights on how to establish valuation criteria beyond neoclassical economics. Examples from Mexico, California, and the Nordic Region are used to illustrate the successful implementation of this educational strategy in universities. Design of individual farms using principles of ecology is expanded to the levels of landscape, community, and bioregion, with emphasis on uniqueness of place and the people and other species that inhabit that place. We conclude that defining agroecology as the ecology of food systems will foster the development of broader interdisciplinary research teams and attractive systems-based courses for tomorrow's best students. In contrast to the narrow focus on crop-soil interactions, this definition will help us raise higher-level research questions whose solutions will advance the development of a sustainable agriculture and food system.
Book
The practice of growing two or more crops together is widespread throughout the tropics and is becoming increasingly practised in temperate agriculture. The benefits of nutrient exchange, reduced weed competition and pathogen control can generate substantial improvements in growth and yield. In this book John Vandermeer, a leading worker on the subject, shows how classical ecological principles, especially those relating to competition and population ecology, can be applied to intercropping. Despite the large amount of research activity directed towards the subject over the last 20 years, the practice of intercropping has, until now, received very little serious academic attention. The Ecology of Intercropping is unique in approaching the question of intercropping from a theoretical point of view. In addition the details of the approach will take as their starting point well-accepted ecological theory. Using this basis the author shows how the approach can be used to design and evaluate intercropping systems to improve agricultural yields.
Book
***e FACHGEBIET*** Agriculture, Agronomy, Forestry, Horticulture, Soil Science, Environmental Science (esp. Plant Ecology), Agricultural Chemistry, Agricultural Economics, Natural Resource Economics, Sociology, and Anthropology ***INTERESSENTENGRUPPE*** Of interest to researchers, students, and professionals in the above fields.- Level: Technical Book, Monograph ***URHEBER*** S.R. Gliessman, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA (Ed.) ***TITEL*** Agroecology ***UNTERTITEL*** Researching the Ecological Basis for Sustainable Agriculture ***BIBLIOGRAPHISCHE-ANGABEN*** 1990. XIV, 380 pp. 87 figs. (Ecological Studies. Eds.: W.D. Billings, F. Golley, O.L. Lange, J.S. Olson, H. Remmert. Vol. 78) Hardcover DM 198,- ISBN 3-540-97028-2 ***CONTENTS*** Contents: Part I: Basic Ecological Concepts in Agroecosystems.- Part II: Agroecosystem Design and Management.- Index. ***LANGTEXT*** This book provides an introduction to research approaches in the emerging interdisciplinary field of agroecology. It demonstrates in a series of international case studies how to combine the more production-oriented focus of the agronomist with the more systems-oriented viewpoint of the ecologist. Different methodologies for quantifying and evaluating agroecosystem sustainability are presented and analyzed. Leading researchers in the field provide examples of the diversity and complexity of agroecological research, ranging from archeology to insect ecology, and examine design and management of agroecosystems that span from the humid tropics to temperate regions. This timely overview will be of great value to ecologists, agronomists, geographers, foresters, anthropologists, and others involved in developing a sustainable basis for land use, management, and conservation worldwide. ***RS-ENDE*** RS 11/89 PREX ***RS-NOTIZEN*** NY/Dr. Czeschlik
Article
The objective of the study was to determine whether nutrient fluxes mediated by hyphae of vesicular‐arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungi between the root zones of grass and legume plants differ with the legume's mode of N nutrition. The plants, nodulating or nonnodulating isolines of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.], were grown in association with a dwarf maize (Zea mays L.) cultivar in containers which interposed a 6‐cm‐wide root‐free soil bridge between legume and grass container compartments. The bridge was delimited by screens (44 μm) which permitted the passage of hyphae, but not of roots and minimized non VAM interactions between the plants. All plants were colonized by the VAM fungus Glomus mosseae (Nicol. & Gerd.) Gerd. and Trappe. The effects of N input to N‐sufficient soybean plants through N2‐fixation or N‐fertilization on associated maize‐plant growth and nutrition were compared to those of an N‐deficient (nonnodulating, unfertilized) soybean control. Maize, when associated with the N‐fertilized soybean, increased 19% in biomass, 67% in N content and 77% in leaf N concentration relative to the maize plants of the N‐deficient association. When maize was grown with nodulated soybean, maize N content increased by 22%, biomass did not change, but P content declined by 16%. Spore production by the VAM fungus was greatest in the soils of both plants of the N‐fertilized treatment. The patterns of N and P distribution, as well as those of the other essential elements, indicated that association with the N‐fertilized soybean plants was more advantageous to maize than was association with the N2‐fixing ones.
Chapter
Resources that promote plant growth in agroecosystems, such as light, water, and nutrients, contribute to the formation of biomass, a part of which eventually leaves the system in the form of harvest yields. A major concern of agriculture has been how to maximize this output of biomass, with much research focusing on the development of optimal crop densities, which promote the most efficient uptake and conversion of these resources into profit-producing yields. In conventional agriculture, though, this focus has used primarily single-crop plantings, where it is possible to maintain optimum fertilizer levels, water availability, and light capture, as well as keep other factors at levels that are of benefit to the crop output. With additional inputs for weed, disease, and insect control, sole-crop planting systems can achieve substantial yields and profit. But as awareness of the combined ecological and economic costs of maintaining yields in these monoculture systems has grown, the search for alternatives that rely less on fossil-fuel based energy and material inputs has begun to intensify (Altieri, 1987; Stinner and House, 1988). One of these alternatives is intercropping (Francis, 1986).
Article
California almond growers commonly use organophosphate pesticides, which can be disruptive to biological control. Sprays during the spring and summer kill beneficial arthropods, including parasitic and predatory insects and spiders. In addition, pesticides have been detected by Cal EPA in winter fog and in runoff water flowing into the rivers of the San Joaquin Valley, which may lead to further restrictions in pesticide use. However, some almond growers are able to grow nuts with low insect damage without using toxic insecticide sprays. This article reports the results of a 6-year study, begun in 1988, of three almond orchards in Merced County to identify grower practices that permit reduced pesticide use.
Article
The population dynamics of six species of chrysomelid beetle pests (Diabrotica, Acalymma and Cerotoma) were studied in monocrops, dicrops and tricrops of maize, beans and squash for three seasons in Costa Rica. The beetles include both generalist and specialist species and they damage the plants by consuming the flowers and leaves, by transmitting viral and fungal diseases, and by eating the roots of the plants. The numbers of beetles per unit plant biomass were determined at approximately six sampling times each season (for each crop type in each treatment). Whenever an intercrop contained at least one non-host plant for a given beetle species, the numbers of that beetle species per host plant in the intercrop were significantly reduced relative to the numbers in the monocrop. This pattern was generally observed for each of the species 40 and 60 days after planting and continued until the end of the season when the differences in the numbers of beetles per host plant between monocrops and intercrops were sometimes tenfold. In the cases when a given beetle species fed on both crop types in a dicrop and when there was no non-host plant present, the general intercrop effect was usually reversed: the numbers of beetles were significantly greater on one or both of the host plants in the dicrop relative to the numbers on the respective monocrops. The differences in beetle abundance appear to have been caused by differences in plant species richness of the plots per se rather than by differences in host plant or total plant density between the different treatments. Laboratory studies showed that beetles preferred to eat the more diseased squash leaves growing in the intercrops than the healthier leaves in the monocrops, so the decreased beetle abundance in intercrops does not conform with apparent differences in leaf palatability. Within squash monocrops the number of adult beetles was only weakly correlated with the size of individual plants. There were significantly more of several beetle species per unit squash biomass on smaller than larger plants so factors besides size of plant are important in determining beetle abundance within one cropping system. The effect of beetle damage could not be separated from the effects of root and shoot interactions of the crops. Yet considering the mechanisms and time at which the beetles typically cause economic damage to the crops, it is possible that decreased beetle abundance contributed to greater yields of the intercrops. The traditional practice of intercropping may therefore be a cultural method of pest control.
Article
A very important component of the aggressive nature of weeds is allelopathic interference, the full potential of which is just being realized in the management of agroecosystems. Research results are presented which demonstrate the allelopathic interactions involved in a wide range of cropweed combinations occurring in a great variety of habitats. This includes crops planted in weed control, crops with allelopathic potential, and noncrop plants of beneficial use for weed control as a result of allelopathic interference. Allelopathy can play a beneficial role in multiple cropping systems, crop rotations, and cover cropping. The potential role for allelopathic interactions in the design of biological weed control is proposed.
Article
The critique of modern agriculture has spawned a host of alternatives, collectively known as the alternative agriculture movement. Its critics have been fierce, its proponents zealous. Making sense of the movement is similar to making sense of the original critique-always eclectic, sometimes contradictory, too often romantic, now and then nonsensical, and occasionally brilliant. This review discusses definitions of the alternative agriculture movement, substitutes for pest control, soil management, integration of all aspects of the farming operation, and the problem of conversion of one form to another.
Article
Herbivore densities, weed composition and abundance, and crop yields per land unit were compared between squash monocultures and traditional maize/legume/ squash polycultures in tropical Mexico. The most abundant insect pest in the system, Diaphania hyalinata (L.) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), generally had lower population densities in polycultures than in monocultures. The squash bug, Anasa tristis (De Geer) (Heteroptera: Coreidae), tended to be more common in polycultures. Reasons for the observed patterns of squash herbivore densities are discussed in terms of the “resource concentration” hypothesis. Weed height and biomass were significantly greater in monoculture and, although yields of each component crop were decreased, total crop yields were higher in polycultures when estimated as a land equivalent ratio.
Article
Nitrogen distribution was examined in five local agro-ecosystems typical of the lowlands of tropical south-eastern Mexico: monoculture corn, corn/bean polyculture, manioc (yuca, cassava), taro (malanga), and upland rice. Total biomass and nitrogen content were determined monthly for standing live, standing dead, and litter biomass of both crop and non-crop components of each system. The crop component was further divided into roots, crown, stem, leaves, fruits, and flowers. Soil nitrogen determinations were also made monthly. Results demonstrated that nitrogen maintenance in the system is highly dependent on the proportion of the net biomass produced which is returned to the system. Leguminous and weed components may reduce net nitrogen losses from these systems.Se examin la distribucin de nitrgeno en cinco agroecosistemas locales tpicos de la tierra baja del sureste tropical de Mxico: monocultivo de maiz, policultivo maiz/frijol, yuca, malanga y arroz de temporal.Se determin mensualmente la biomasa y el contenido de nitrgeno para la biomasa viva, muerta, y hojarasca de los componentes cultivo y no-cultivo en cada sistema. Se dividi el componente cultivo entre races, corona, tallo, hojas, frutos y flores para anlisis de nitrgeno.Mensualmente se determin el nivel de nitrgeno en el suelo tambin. Los resultados demostraron que el mantenimiento de nitrgeno en cada sistema es altamente dependiente de la proporcin de la biomasa neta producida que se regresa al sistema. Componentes leguminosa y maleza podran reducir prdidas netas de nitrgeno en estos agroecosistemas.
Article
The commonly observed high diversity of trees in tropical rain forests and corals on tropical reefs is a nonequilibrium state which, if not disturbed further, will progress toward a low-diversity equilibrium community. This may not happen if gradual changes in climate favor different species. If equilibrium is reached, a lesser degree of diversity may be sustained by niche diversification or by a compensatory mortality that favors inferior competitors. However, tropical forests and reefs are subject to severe disturbances often enough that equilibrium may never be attained.