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Rehman A, Farooq M, Lee DJ, Siddique KHM. Sustainable agricultural practices for food security and ecosystem services. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:84076-84095. [PMID: 36258111 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-23635-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The notion of food security is a global phenomenon that impinges on every human. Efforts to increase productivity and yields have historically degraded the environment and reduced biodiversity and ecosystem services, with the significant impact on the poor. Sustainable agriculture-farming in sustainable ways based on an understanding of ecosystem services-is a practical option for achieving global food security while minimizing further environmental degradation. Sustainable agricultural systems offer ecosystem services, such as pollination, biological pest control, regulation of soil and water quality, maintenance of soil structure and fertility, carbon sequestration and mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, nutrient cycling, hydrological services, and biodiversity conservation. In this review, we discuss the potential of sustainable agriculture for achieving global food security alongside healthy ecosystems that provide other valuable services to humankind. Too often, agricultural production systems are considered separate from other natural ecosystems, and insufficient attention has been paid to how services can flow to and from agricultural production systems to surrounding ecosystems. This review also details the trade-offs and synergies between ecosystem services, highlights current knowledge gaps, and proposes areas for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdul Rehman
- Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, 63100, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Farooq
- Department of Plant Sciences, College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Al-Khoud 123, Muscat, Oman.
- The UWA Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, 6001, Australia.
| | - Dong-Jin Lee
- Department of Crop Sciences and Biotechnology, Dankook University, Cheonan-si, 31116, South Korea
| | - Kadambot H M Siddique
- The UWA Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, 6001, Australia
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Eze S, Dougill AJ, Banwart SA, Sallu SM, Mgohele RN, Senkoro CJ. Assessing soil system changes under climate-smart agriculture via farmers' observations and conventional soil testing. LAND DEGRADATION & DEVELOPMENT 2022; 33:2635-2646. [PMID: 36249122 PMCID: PMC9545738 DOI: 10.1002/ldr.4339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Soil degradation remains a challenge in African highlands, where land management lacks a strong context-specific evidence base. We investigated the impacts of recently implemented soil and water conservation (SWC) practices-farmyard manure addition, incorporation of crop residues in soil and fanya juu terracing under an agroforestry system on soil health indicators in the East Usambara Mountains of Tanzania. Farmers' observations of soil changes were combined with conventional soil testing to assess the initial impacts of SWC practices relative to conventional non-SWC practice. Majority of farmers (66%-83%) reported that combining fanya juu terracing with organic amendments led to soil colour change from red to black and an increase in crop yield. Despite the observed darkening of the soil, there was no significant increase in soil organic carbon stock and the contents of N, P, K. There were important changes in soil physical properties, including greater aggregate stability (mean weight diameter of 1.51-1.71 mm) in the SWC plots, a greater volume of transmission pores (>60 μm) and coarse storage pores (10-60 μm) in the surface soil layer (0-15 cm), and greater volume of fine storage pores (0.2-10 μm) and residual pores (0.2 μm) in the sub-surface layer (15-30 cm) of the SWC plots compared with the conventional plots. These changes indicate that SWC rapidly enhances infiltration and retention of water within the root zone, which are important for increasing crop yields and improving the resilience of the agro-ecosystem to environmental stress. Combining SWC with effective soil fertility management is needed for sustainable highland agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Eze
- School of Earth and Environment, Faculty of EnvironmentUniversity of LeedsLeedsUK
| | - Andrew J. Dougill
- School of Earth and Environment, Faculty of EnvironmentUniversity of LeedsLeedsUK
| | - Steven A. Banwart
- School of Earth and Environment, Faculty of EnvironmentUniversity of LeedsLeedsUK
| | - Susannah M. Sallu
- School of Earth and Environment, Faculty of EnvironmentUniversity of LeedsLeedsUK
| | - Rashid N. Mgohele
- Tanzanian Agricultural Research Institute (TARI), Mlingano CentreTangaTanzania
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Galani YJH, Ligowe IS, Kieffer M, Kamalongo D, Kambwiri AM, Kuwali P, Thierfelder C, Dougill AJ, Gong YY, Orfila C. Conservation Agriculture Affects Grain and Nutrient Yields of Maize (Zea Mays L.) and Can Impact Food and Nutrition Security in Sub-Saharan Africa. Front Nutr 2022; 8:804663. [PMID: 35155522 PMCID: PMC8826957 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2021.804663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Maize is a major staple and plays an essential role in food and nutrition security in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Conservation agriculture (CA), a climate-smart agriculture practise based on minimum soil disturbance, crop residue retention, and crop diversification, has been widely advocated but without extensive research on the impact it may have on maize nutrient composition, and food and nutrition security. This study assessed the grain yield, macro- and micronutrient mineral content, and nutrient yield of eight maize varieties grown in Malawi, and how these are affected by CA practises over two seasons. The minerals were analysed by inductively coupled plasma (ICP) coupled to optical emission spectroscopy (OES) and to mass spectroscopy (MS). Grain yield and Se content differed among the varieties, while C, N, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, P, and Zn were similar. The local variety Kanjerenjere showed lowest grain and nutrient yields. The open-pollinated varieties (OPVs) concentrated more minerals than the F1 hybrids, but the latter showed higher yields for both grain and nutrients. Typical consumption of the eight maize varieties could fully meet the protein and Mg dietary reference intake (DRIs) of Malawian children (1–3 years), as well as Mg and Mn needs of adult women (19–50 years), but their contribution to dietary requirements was low for Fe (39–41%) and K (13–21%). The trials showed that CA increased grain yield (1.2- to 1.8-fold) and Se content (1.1- to 1.7-fold), but that it had no effect on C, K, Mg, P, and Zn, and that N (1.1- to 1.2-fold), Mn (1.1- to 1.8-fold), and Fe (1.3- to 3.4-fold) were reduced. The high increase in grain yield under CA treatments resulted in increased yields of protein and Se, no effect on the yields of K, Mg, Mn, P, Zn, and reduced Fe yield. Conservation agriculture could contribute in reducing the risk of Se deficiency in Malawian women and children but exacerbates the risk of Fe deficiency. A combination of strategies will be needed to mitigate some of the foreseen effects of climate change on agriculture, and food and nutrition security, and improve nutrient intake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yamdeu Joseph Hubert Galani
- School of Food Science and Nutrition, Faculty of Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Yamdeu Joseph Hubert Galani
| | - Ivy S. Ligowe
- Chitedze Agricultural Research Station, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - Martin Kieffer
- Centre for Plant Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | | | - Alfred Mexon Kambwiri
- Centre for Environmental Policy and Advocacy, Blantyre, Malawi
- Civil Society Agriculture Network, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | | | | | - Andrew J. Dougill
- School of Earth and Environment, Faculty of Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Yun Yun Gong
- School of Food Science and Nutrition, Faculty of Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Caroline Orfila
- School of Food Science and Nutrition, Faculty of Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
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Shakoor A, Dar AA, Arif MS, Farooq TH, Yasmeen T, Shahzad SM, Tufail MA, Ahmed W, Albasher G, Ashraf M. Do soil conservation practices exceed their relevance as a countermeasure to greenhouse gases emissions and increase crop productivity in agriculture? THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 805:150337. [PMID: 34543788 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Globally, agriculture sector is the significant source of greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions into the atmosphere. To achieve the goal of limiting or mitigating these emissions, a rigorous abatement strategy with an additional focus on improving crop productivity is now imperative. Replacing traditional agriculture with soil conservation-based farming can have numerous ecological benefits. However, most assessments only consider improvements in soil properties and crop productivity, and often preclude the quantitative impact analysis on GHGs emissions. Here, we conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate crop productivity (i.e., biomass, grain, total yield) and GHGs emissions (i.e., CO2, N2O, CH4) for three major soil conservation practices i.e., no-tillage, manures, and biochar. We also examined the yield potential of three major cereal crops (i.e., wheat, rice, maize) and their significance in mitigating GHGs emissions. None of the manures were able to reduce GHGs emissions, with poultry manure being the largest contributor to all GHGs emissions. However, pig-manure had the greatest impact on crop yield while emitting the least CO2 emissions. Use of biochar showed a strong coupling effect between reduction of GHGs (i.e., CH4 by -37%; N2O by -25%; CO2 by -5%) and the increase in crop productivity. In contrast, no-tillage resulted in higher GHGs emissions with only a marginal increase in grain yield. Depending on crop type, all cereal crops showed varied degrees of GHGs mitigation under biochar application, with wheat responding most strongly due to the additional yield increment. The addition of biochar significantly reduced CO2 and N2O emissions under both rainfed and irrigated conditions, although CH4 reductions were identical in both agroecosystems. Interestingly, the use of biochar resulted in a greater yield benefit in rainfed than in irrigated agriculture. Despite significant GHGs emissions, manure application contributed to higher crop yields, regardless of soil type or agroecosystem. Moreover, no-tillage showed a significant reduction in CH4 and N2O emissions under rainfed and irrigated conditions. Notably , biochar application in coarse while no-till in fine textured soils contributed to N2O mitigation. Most importantly, effectiveness of no-tillage as a countermeasure to GHGs emissions while providing yield benefits is inconsistent. Overall, the decision to use farm manures should be reconsidered due to higher GHGs emissions. We conclude that the use of biochar could be an ideal way to reduce GHGs emissions. However, further understanding of the underlying mechanisms and processes affecting GHGs emissions is needed to better understand the feedback effects in conservation agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Awais Shakoor
- Department of Environment and Soil Sciences, University of Lleida, Avinguda Alcalde Rovira Roure 191, 25198 Lleida, Spain.
| | - Afzal Ahmed Dar
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an, China
| | - Muhammad Saleem Arif
- Department of Environmental Sciences & Engineering, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan.
| | - Taimoor Hassan Farooq
- Bangor College China, a joint unit of Bangor University, Wales, UK and Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, China
| | - Tahira Yasmeen
- Department of Environmental Sciences & Engineering, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
| | - Sher Muhammad Shahzad
- Department of Soil and Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture, University of Sargodha, Sargodha 40100, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Aammar Tufail
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Waqas Ahmed
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Radionuclides Pollution Control and Resources, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China; School of Civil Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, PR China
| | - Gadah Albasher
- Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Muhammad Ashraf
- Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Punjab, Pakistan
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Hermans TDG, Dougill AJ, Whitfield S, Peacock CL, Eze S, Thierfelder C. Combining local knowledge and soil science for integrated soil health assessments in conservation agriculture systems. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2021; 286:112192. [PMID: 33636630 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The challenges of soil degradation and climate change have led to the emergence of Conservation Agriculture (CA) as a sustainable alternative to tillage-based agriculture systems. Despite the recognition of positive impacts on soil health, CA adoption in Africa has remained low. Previous soil health studies have mainly focused on 'scientific' measurements, without consideration of local knowledge, which influences how farmers interpret CA impacts and future land management decisions. This study, based in Malawi, aims to 1) combine local knowledge and conventional soil science approaches to develop a contextualised understanding of the impact of CA on soil health; and 2) understand how an integrated approach can contribute to explaining farmer decision-making on land management. Key farmers' indicators of soil health were crop performance, soil consistence, moisture content, erosion, colour, and structure. These local indicators were consistent with conventional soil health indicators. By combining farmers' observations with soil measurements, we observed that CA improved soil structure, moisture (Mwansambo 7.54%-38.15% lower for CP; Lemu 1.57%-47.39% lower for CP) and infiltration (Lemu CAM/CAML 0.15 cms-1, CP 0.09 cms-1; Mwansambo CP/CAM 0.14 cms-1, CAML 0.18 cms-1). In the conventional practice, farmers perceived ridges to redistribute nutrients, which corresponded with recorded higher exchangeable ammonium (Lemu CP 76.0 mgkg -1, CAM 49.4 mgkg -1, CAML 51.7 mgkg -1), nitrate/nitrite values (Mwansambo CP 200.7 mgkg -1, CAM 171.9 mgkg -1, CAML 103.3 mgkg -1). This perception contributes to the popularity of ridges, despite the higher yield measurements under CA (Mwansambo CP 3225 kgha-1, CAML 5067 kgha-1, CAM 5160 kgha-1; Lemu CP 2886 kgha-1, CAM 2872 kgha-1, CAML 3454 kgha-1 ). The perceived carbon benefits of residues and ridge preference has promoted burying residues in ridges. Integrated approaches contribute to more nuanced and localized perceptions about land management. We propose that the stepwise integrated soil assessment framework developed in this study can be applied more widely in understanding the role of soil health in farmer-decision making, providing a learning process for downscaling technologies and widening the evidence base on sustainable land management practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thirze D G Hermans
- School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom.
| | - Andrew J Dougill
- School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen Whitfield
- School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Caroline L Peacock
- School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Samuel Eze
- School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
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Water-Saving Agricultural Technologies: Regional Hydrology Outcomes and Knowledge Gaps in the Eastern Gangetic Plains—A Review. WATER 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/w13050636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Increasing food demand has exerted tremendous stress on agricultural water usages worldwide, often with a threat to sustainability in agricultural production and, hence, food security. Various resource-conservation technologies like conservation agriculture (CA) and water-saving measures are being increasingly adopted to overcome these problems. While these technologies provide some short- and long-term benefits of reduced labor costs, stabilized or increased crop yield, increased water productivity, and improved soil health at farm scale, their overall impacts on hydrology outcomes remain unclear at larger temporal and spatial scales. Although directly linked to the regional hydrological cycle, irrigation remains a less understood component. The ecological conditions arising from the hydrology outcomes of resource-conservation technologies are associated with sustainability in agricultural production. In this paper, the philosophies and benefits of resource-conservation technologies and expert perceptions on their impacts on temporal and spatial scales have been reviewed comprehensively focusing on regional hydrology outcomes in the Eastern Gangetic Plain (EGP). Due to data inadequacy and lack of knowledge-sharing among disciplines, little is yet known about actual water saving by these resource-conservation technologies and the level of their contribution in groundwater and surface water storage over large temporal and spatial scales. Inadequate knowledge of the hydrological effects of water applied in the agricultural field leads to the implementation of water management policy based on local perspectives only, often with the possibility of deteriorating the water-scarcity situation. Therefore, multidisciplinary future research should quantify regional hydrology outcomes by measuring the components of regional water balance in order to develop a proper water management policy for sustainable agricultural production.
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