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Schaffner U, Heimpel GE, Mills NJ, Muriithi BW, Thomas MB, Gc YD, Wyckhuys KAG. Biological control for One Health. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 951:175800. [PMID: 39197787 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.175800] [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: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 08/23/2024] [Accepted: 08/24/2024] [Indexed: 09/01/2024]
Abstract
Biological control has been effectively exploited by mankind since 300 CE. By promoting the natural regulation of pests, weeds, and diseases, it produces societal benefits at the food-environment-health nexus. Here we scrutinize biological control endeavours and their social-ecological outcomes through a holistic 'One-Health' lens, recognizing that the health of humans, animals, plants, and the wider environment are linked and interdependent. Evidence shows that biological control generates desirable outcomes within all One Health dimensions, mitigating global change issues such as chemical pollution, biocide resistance, biodiversity loss, and habitat destruction. Yet, its cross-disciplinary achievements remain underappreciated. To remedy this, we advocate a systems-level, integrated approach to biological control research, policy, and practice. Framing biological control in a One Health context helps to unite medical and veterinary personnel, ecologists, conservationists and agricultural professionals in a joint quest for solutions to some of the most pressing issues in planetary health.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - George E Heimpel
- Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | - Nicholas J Mills
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy & Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Beatrice W Muriithi
- Social Science and Impact Assessment Unit, International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), Duduville Campus, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Matthew B Thomas
- Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK; Entomology & Nematology Department, and Invasion Science Research Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Yubak D Gc
- United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Kris A G Wyckhuys
- Chrysalis Consulting, Danang, Viet Nam; Institute for Plant Protection, China Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, China; School of the Environment, University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, Australia; United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Rome, Italy
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2
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Shu D, Banerjee S, Mao X, Zhang J, Cui W, Zhang W, Zhang B, Chen S, Jiao S, Wei G. Conversion of monocropping to intercropping promotes rhizosphere microbiome functionality and soil nitrogen cycling. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 949:174953. [PMID: 39069174 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174953] [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: 03/28/2024] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 07/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Intercropping can increase soil nutrient availability and provide greater crop yields for intensive agroecosystems. Despite its multiple benefits, how intercropping influences rhizosphere microbiome assemblages, functionality, and complex soil nitrogen cycling is not fully understood. Here, a three-year field experiment was carried out on different cropping system with five fertilization treatments at the main soybean production regions. We found that soybean yields in intercropped systems were on average 17 % greater than in monocropping system, regardless of fertilization treatments. We also found that intercropping systems significant increased network modularity (by 46 %) and functional diversity (by 11 %) than monocropping systems. Metagenomics analyses further indicated intercropping promotes microbiome functional adaptation, particularly enriching core functions related to nitrogen metabolism. Cropping patterns had a stronger influence on the functional genes associated with soil nitrogen cycling (R2 = 0.499). Monocropping systems increased the abundance of functional genes related to organic nitrogen ammonification, nitrogen fixation, and denitrification, while functional guilds of nitrate assimilation (by 28 %), nitrification (by 31 %), and dissimilatory nitrate reduction (by 10.1 %) genes were enriched in intercropping systems. Furthermore, we found that abiotic factors (i.e. AP, pH, and Moisture) are important drivers in shaping soil microbial community assemblage and nitrogen cycling. The functional genes include hzsB, and nrfA, and nxrA that affected by these biotic and abiotic variables were strongly related to crop yield (R2 = 0.076 ~ R2 = 0.249), suggesting a key role for maintaining crop production. We demonstrated that land use conversion from maize monocropping to maize-soybean intercropping diversify rhizosphere microbiome and functionality signatures, and intercropping increased key gene abundance related to soil nitrogen cycling to maintain the advantage of crop yield. The results of this study significantly facilitate our understanding of the complex soil nitrogen cycling processes and lay the foundation for manipulating desired specific functional taxa for improved crop productivity under sustainable intensification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duntao Shu
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Improvement for Stress Tolerance and Production, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
| | - Samiran Banerjee
- Department of Microbiological Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo 58102, ND, USA
| | - Xinyi Mao
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Improvement for Stress Tolerance and Production, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Jiaqi Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Improvement for Stress Tolerance and Production, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Weili Cui
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Improvement for Stress Tolerance and Production, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Wu Zhang
- Heihe Branch, Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Heihe, Heilongjiang 150086, China
| | - Baogang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou 311300, China
| | - Sanfeng Chen
- College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100091, China
| | - Shuo Jiao
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Improvement for Stress Tolerance and Production, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Gehong Wei
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Improvement for Stress Tolerance and Production, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
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3
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Storkey J, Maclaren C, Bullock JM, Norton LR, Redhead JW, Pywell RF. Quantifying farm sustainability through the lens of ecological theory. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:1700-1716. [PMID: 38695217 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 09/03/2024]
Abstract
The achievements of the Green Revolution in meeting the nutritional needs of a growing global population have been won at the expense of unintended consequences for the environment. Some of these negative impacts are now threatening the sustainability of food production through the loss of pollinators and natural enemies of crop pests, the evolution of pesticide resistance, declining soil health and vulnerability to climate change. In the search for farming systems that are sustainable both agronomically and environmentally, alternative approaches have been proposed variously called 'agroecological', 'conservation agriculture', 'regenerative' and 'sustainable intensification'. While the widespread recognition of the need for more sustainable farming is to be welcomed, this has created etymological confusion that has the potential to become a barrier to transformation. There is a need, therefore, for objective criteria to evaluate alternative farming systems and to quantify farm sustainability against multiple outcomes. To help meet this challenge, we reviewed the ecological theories that explain variance in regulating and supporting ecosystem services delivered by biological communities in farmland to identify guiding principles for management change. For each theory, we identified associated system metrics that could be used as proxies for agroecosystem function. We identified five principles derived from ecological theory: (i) provide key habitats for ecosystem service providers; (ii) increase crop and non-crop habitat diversity; (iii) increase edge density: (iv) increase nutrient-use efficiency; and (v) avoid extremes of disturbance. By making published knowledge the foundation of the choice of associated metrics, our aim was to establish a broad consensus for their use in sustainability assessment frameworks. Further analysis of their association with farm-scale data on biological communities and/or ecosystem service delivery would provide additional validation for their selection and support for the underpinning theories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Storkey
- Protecting Crops and the Environment, Rothamsted Research, West Common, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 2JQ, UK
| | - Chloe Maclaren
- Protecting Crops and the Environment, Rothamsted Research, West Common, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 2JQ, UK
- Department of Crop Production Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Almas Alle 8, Uppsala, 750 07, Sweden
| | - James M Bullock
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH), Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Wallingford, OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Lisa R Norton
- UKCEH, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster, LA1 4AP, UK
| | - John W Redhead
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH), Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Wallingford, OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Richard F Pywell
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH), Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Wallingford, OX10 8BB, UK
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4
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Wang X, Cheng J, Zhang J, Chen F. Influences of crop diversification on yield, resource use efficiency, and environmental footprint in farmland landscapes in intensive farming. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 945:174009. [PMID: 38901579 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174009] [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: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
Enhancing crop diversification in intensive fields has the potential to increase crop yield and reduce environmental footprint. However, these relationships at the landscape scale remained unclear in intensive farming. Addressing this gap, this paper aims to elucidate how crop yield, resources use efficiency (RUE), and environmental footprint (EF) vary with crop diversification levels in the North China Plain. Management practices, including crop pattern, field size, and agronomic inputs, were collected for 421 landscapes of 1 × 1 km subplots using Sentinel-2 and Landsat-8 images and survey. The results showed that, at the landscape scale, energy and fertilizer contributed over 53 %, and 37 % of the carbon footprint, respectively. N fertilizer constituted >98 % of the nitrogen footprint. P fertilizer accounted for over 80 %, while electricity comprised >13 % of the phosphorus footprint. Compared with simplified landscapes, diversified landscapes exhibited several significant features: 1) 56 % reduction of the area ratio of winter wheat-summer maize double crop pattern (WM), 2) a significant decrease in field size, 3) the decreased use of total NPK fertilizers at 32 %, 30 %, and 30 %, respectively, 4) the increased inputs of irrigation water, diesel, electricity, pesticide and labour at 21 %, 19 %, 21 %, 77 %, and 92 %, respectively. Although yield could be reduced at 33 % when transforming simplified landscapes into moderately diversified ones, they increased with the further promotion of crop diversification. Thus, the diversified landscapes could achieve a balance in yield, RUE, and EF to enhance sustainability, whereas simplified landscapes can similarly achieve a balance to benefit productivity. We emphasize the viable potential of diversified landscapes to enhance sustainable agricultural development by optimizing crop composition. This analysis offers pioneering evidence of landscape-scale agronomic and environmental performances of crop diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohui Wang
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; School of Biology and Agriculture, Shaoguan University, Shaoguan, 512005, China; Key Labouratory of Farming System, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
| | - Jiali Cheng
- Key Labouratory of Farming System, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Jiaen Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Labouratory of Eco-circular Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Fu Chen
- Key Labouratory of Farming System, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
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5
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Gao C, Bezemer TM, de Vries FT, van Bodegom PM. Trade-offs in soil microbial functions and soil health in agroecosystems. Trends Ecol Evol 2024; 39:895-903. [PMID: 38910081 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2024.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
Soil microbial communities play pivotal roles in maintaining soil health in agroecosystems. However, how the delivery of multiple microbial functions in agroecosystems is maintained remains poorly understood. This may put us at risk of incurring unexpected trade-offs between soil functions. We elucidate how interactions between soil microbes can lead to trade-offs in the functioning of agricultural soils. Interactions within soil microbial communities can result in not only positive but also neutral and negative relationships among soil functions. Altering soil conditions through soil health-improving agricultural management can alleviate these functional trade-offs by promoting the diversity and interrelationships of soil microbes, which can help to achieve more productive and sustainable agroecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenguang Gao
- Environmental Biology, Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 2, 2333 CC Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Thiemo Martijn Bezemer
- Institute of Biology, Above-Belowground Interactions Group, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Franciska T de Vries
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1090 GE Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Peter M van Bodegom
- Environmental Biology, Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 2, 2333 CC Leiden, The Netherlands
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6
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Sheng D, Jing S, He X, Klein AM, Köhler HR, Wanger TC. Plastic pollution in agricultural landscapes: an overlooked threat to pollination, biocontrol and food security. Nat Commun 2024; 15:8413. [PMID: 39333509 PMCID: PMC11437009 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-52734-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2024] [Accepted: 09/19/2024] [Indexed: 09/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Ecosystem services such as pollination and biocontrol may be severely affected by emerging nano/micro-plastics (NMP) pollution. Here, we synthesize the little-known effects of NMP on pollinators and biocontrol agents on the organismal, farm and landscape scale. Ingested NMP trigger organismal changes from gene expression, organ damage to behavior modifications. At the farm and landscape level, NMP will likely amplify synergistic effects with other threats such as pathogens, and may alter floral resource distributions in high NMP concentration areas. Understanding exposure pathways of NMP on pollinators and biocontrol agents is critical to evaluate future risks for agricultural ecosystems and food security.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Sheng
- Sustainable Agricultural Systems & Engineering Lab, School of Engineering, Westlake University, Hangzhou, 310030, China
- Key Laboratory of Coastal Environment and Resources of Zhejiang Province, School of Engineering, Westlake University, Hangzhou, 310024, China
- College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310030, China
| | - Siyuan Jing
- Sustainable Agricultural Systems & Engineering Lab, School of Engineering, Westlake University, Hangzhou, 310030, China
- Key Laboratory of Coastal Environment and Resources of Zhejiang Province, School of Engineering, Westlake University, Hangzhou, 310024, China
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Xueqing He
- Sustainable Agricultural Systems & Engineering Lab, School of Engineering, Westlake University, Hangzhou, 310030, China
- Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, School of Science, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Alexandra-Maria Klein
- Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, 79106, Germany
| | - Heinz-R Köhler
- Animal Physiological Ecology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, 72076, Germany
| | - Thomas C Wanger
- Sustainable Agricultural Systems & Engineering Lab, School of Engineering, Westlake University, Hangzhou, 310030, China.
- Key Laboratory of Coastal Environment and Resources of Zhejiang Province, School of Engineering, Westlake University, Hangzhou, 310024, China.
- Agroecology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, 37073, Germany.
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7
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Wyckhuys KAG, Gu B, Ben Fekih I, Finger R, Kenis M, Lu Y, Subramanian S, Tang FHM, Weber DC, Zhang W, Hadi BAR. Restoring functional integrity of the global production ecosystem through biological control. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 370:122446. [PMID: 39270336 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.122446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2024] [Revised: 09/04/2024] [Accepted: 09/05/2024] [Indexed: 09/15/2024]
Abstract
Human society is anchored in the global agroecosystem. For millennia, this system has provided humans with copious supplies of nutrient-rich food. Yet, through chemical intensification and simplification, vast shares of present-day farmland derive insufficient benefits from biodiversity and prove highly vulnerable to biotic stressors. Here, we argue that on-farm action centered on biological control can effectively defuse pest risk by bolstering foundational ecosystem services. By harnessing plant, animal and microbial biodiversity, biological control offers safe, efficacious and economically-sound plant health solutions and coevolved options for invasive species mitigation. In recent years, its scientific foundation has been fortified and solutions have been refined for myriad ecologically brittle systems. Yet, for biological control to be mainstreamed, it needs to be rebooted, intertwined with (on- and off-farm) agroecological tactics and refurbished - from research, policy and regulation, public-private partnerships up to modes of implementation. Misaligned incentives (for chemical pesticides) and adoption barriers further need to be removed, while its scientific underpinnings should become more interdisciplinary, policy-relevant, solution-oriented and linked with market demand. Thus, biological control could ensure human wellbeing in a nature-friendly manner and retain farmland ecological functioning under global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kris A G Wyckhuys
- Chrysalis Consulting, Danang, Viet Nam; Institute for Plant Protection, China Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, China; School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, Australia; Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Rome, Italy.
| | - Baogen Gu
- Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Rome, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Yanhui Lu
- Institute for Plant Protection, China Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, China
| | - Sevgan Subramanian
- International Center for Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), Nairobi, Kenya
| | | | - Donald C Weber
- USDA-ARS Invasive Insect Biocontrol & Behavior Laboratory, Beltsville, MD, USA
| | - Wei Zhang
- International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI-CGIAR), Washington DC, USA
| | - Buyung A R Hadi
- Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Rome, Italy; International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Rome, Italy
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8
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Meng P, Xin K, Lu Z, Chen J, Tang X, Meng G, He F, Liu L, Wang H, Wang C. Intercropping with Robinia pseudoacacia reduces soft rot incidence in konjac by modulating the root bacterial community. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2024. [PMID: 39263914 DOI: 10.1002/ps.8405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2024] [Revised: 07/22/2024] [Accepted: 08/25/2024] [Indexed: 09/13/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Soft rot (Pectobacterium aroidearum and Dickeya) is a devastating soil-borne bacterial disease that threatens konjac production. Intercropping with false acacia has been shown to significantly reduce soft rot incidence in konjac by shifting the microbial community. However, how intercropping shapes the root bacterial community and affects soft rot incidence remains unclear. To address this, we investigated three konjac intercropping systems (false acacia, paulownia, and maize) to explore the relationships among intercropping, soft rot incidence, root bacterial community, soil enzyme activity, and soil properties. RESULTS Konjac intercropped with false acacia exhibited the lowest soft rot incidence and the lowest abundance of pathogenic taxa. Soft rot incidence was negatively correlated with total soil nitrogen and potassium but positively correlated with total and available soil phosphorus. The bacterial community structure and function in konjac roots differed among intercropping types, mainly driven by available soil phosphorus. Beneficial microorganisms such as Bradyrhizobium and Variovorax were enriched under a false acacia intercropping system and were negatively correlated with soil-available phosphorus. Additionally, the stable bacterial community in healthy konjac roots under false acacia may make konjac less susceptible to pathogen invasion. CONCLUSION The study showed that intercropping reduced the soft rot incidence by regulating the structure and stability of the konjac root bacterial community, and soil-available phosphorus was the main factor affecting the difference in the konjac root bacterial community, which provided a basis for the management of soil fertilization in konjac cultivation. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panpan Meng
- College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Kexu Xin
- College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Zhoumin Lu
- College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Juan Chen
- Yachang Forest Farm, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Baise, China
| | - Xiaan Tang
- College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Guihua Meng
- College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Fei He
- College of Modern Agriculture and Biotechnology, Ankang University, Ankang, China
| | | | - Haihua Wang
- North Florida Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Quincy, Florida, USA
| | - Chunyan Wang
- College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
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9
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Schievano A, Pérez-Soba M, Bosco S, Montero-Castaño A, Catarino R, Chen M, Tamburini G, Landoni B, Mantegazza O, Guerrero I, Bielza M, Assouline M, Koeble R, Dentener F, Van der Velde M, Rega C, Furlan A, Paracchini ML, Weiss F, Angileri V, Terres JM, Makowski D. Evidence library of meta-analytical literature assessing the sustainability of agriculture - a dataset. Sci Data 2024; 11:979. [PMID: 39244573 PMCID: PMC11380675 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-024-03682-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 09/09/2024] Open
Abstract
In the last two decades, an exponentially growing number of meta-analyses (MAs) synthesize thousands of peer-reviewed studies on the environmental impacts of farming practices (FPs). This paper describes the iMAP-FP evidence library, a comprehensive dataset on the effects of 34 categories of FPs (such as agronomic practices, cropping and livestock systems, land management options and mitigation techniques) on 34 impacts including climate mitigation, soil health, environmental pollution, water use, nutrients cycling, biodiversity, and agricultural productivity. Through systematic screening, 570 MAs published since 2000 were selected and categorized according to the type of FP. We assessed their impacts, the geographic regions covered, and their quality. We extracted 3,811 effects and their statistical significance associated with sustainable FPs (intervention) compared to a control (typically conventional agriculture) across 223 different intervention-control pairs. Our dataset is accompanied with an online free-access library, which includes a catalogue of synthetic reports summarizing the available evidence on each evaluated FP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Schievano
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Ispra, VA, Italy.
| | - Marta Pérez-Soba
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Ispra, VA, Italy.
| | - Simona Bosco
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Ispra, VA, Italy
| | | | - Rui Catarino
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Ispra, VA, Italy
| | - Mathilde Chen
- University Paris-Saclay, INRAe, AgroParisTech, Palaiseau, France
| | - Giovanni Tamburini
- Department of Soil, Plant and Food Sciences (DiSSPA - Entomology and Zoology), University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | | | - Otho Mantegazza
- Department of Bioscience, University of Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Irene Guerrero
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Ispra, VA, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Frank Dentener
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Ispra, VA, Italy
| | | | - Carlo Rega
- European Commission, Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Development, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Andrea Furlan
- European Commission, Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Development, Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Franz Weiss
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Ispra, VA, Italy
| | | | | | - David Makowski
- University Paris-Saclay, INRAe, AgroParisTech, Palaiseau, France.
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10
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Medellín-Azuara J, Escriva-Bou A, Gaudin ACM, Schwabe KA, Sumner DA. Cultivating climate resilience in California agriculture: Adaptations to an increasingly volatile water future. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2310079121. [PMID: 39074271 PMCID: PMC11317594 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2310079121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/31/2024] Open
Abstract
California agriculture will undergo significant transformations over the next few decades in response to climate extremes, environmental regulation and policy encouraging environmental justice, and economic pressures that have long driven agricultural changes. With several local climates suited to a variety of crops, periodically abundant nearby precipitation, and public investments that facilitated abundant low-priced irrigation water, California hosts one of the most diverse and productive agroecosystems in the world. California farms supply nearly half of the high-nutrient fruit, tree nut, and vegetable production in the United States. Climate change impacts on productivity and profitability of California agriculture are increasing and forebode problems for standard agricultural practices, especially water use norms. We highlight many challenges California agriculture confronts under climate change through the direct and indirect impacts on the biophysical conditions and ecosystem services that drive adaptations in farm practices and water accessibility and availability. In the face of clear conflicts among competing interests, we consider ongoing and potential sustainable and equitable solutions, with particular attention to how technology and policy can facilitate progress.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alvar Escriva-Bou
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
| | | | - Kurt A. Schwabe
- School of Public Policy, University of California, Riverside, CA92501
| | - Daniel A. Sumner
- Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of California, Davis, CA95616
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11
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Serrano-Grijalva L, Ochoa-Hueso R, Veen GFC, Repeto-Deudero I, Van Rijssel SQ, Koorneef GJ, Van der Putten WH. Normalized difference vegetation index analysis reveals increase of biomass production and stability during the conversion from conventional to organic farming. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17461. [PMID: 39199008 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2024] [Revised: 07/24/2024] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 09/01/2024]
Abstract
Monitoring agriculture by remote sensing enables large-scale evaluation of biomass production across space and time. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) is used as a proxy for green biomass. Here, we used satellite-derived NDVI of arable farms in the Netherlands to evaluate changes in biomass following conversion from conventional to organic farming. We compared NDVI and the stability of NDVI across 72 fields on sand and marine clay soils. Thirty-six of these fields had been converted into organic agriculture between 0 and 50 years ago (with 2017 as reference year), while the other 36 were paired control fields where conventional farming continued. We used high-resolution images from the Sentinel-2 satellite to obtain NDVI estimates across 5 years (January 2016-October 2020). Overall, NDVI did not differ between conventional and organic management during the time series, but NDVI stability was significantly higher under organic management. NDVI was lower under organic management in sandy, but not in clay, soils. Organic farms that had been converted less than ~19 years ago had lower NDVI than conventional farms. However, the difference diminished over time and eventually turned positive after ~19 years since the conversion. NDVI, averaged across the 5 years of study, was positively correlated to soil Olsen-P measured from soil samples collected in 2017. We conclude that NDVI in organic fields was more stable than in conventional fields, and that the lower biomass in the early years since the transition to organic agriculture can be overcome with time. Our study also indicates the role of soil P bioavailability for plant biomass production across the examined fields, and the benefit of combining remote sensing with on-site soil measurements to develop a more mechanistic understanding that may help us navigate the transition to a more sustainable type of agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilia Serrano-Grijalva
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Raúl Ochoa-Hueso
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Biology, IVAGRO, University of Cádiz, Campus de Excelencia Internacional Agroalimentario (ceiA3), Campus del Rio San Pedro, Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain
| | - G F Ciska Veen
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Irene Repeto-Deudero
- Department of Biology, IVAGRO, University of Cádiz, Campus de Excelencia Internacional Agroalimentario (ceiA3), Campus del Rio San Pedro, Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Sophie Q Van Rijssel
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Guusje J Koorneef
- Soil Chemistry Group, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Soil Biology Group, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Wim H Van der Putten
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Laboratory of Nematology, Department Plant Sciences, Wageningen University (WUR), Wageningen, The Netherlands
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12
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Tscharntke T, Batáry P, Grass I. Mixing on- and off-field measures for biodiversity conservation. Trends Ecol Evol 2024; 39:726-733. [PMID: 38705769 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2024.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
The continuing biodiversity losses through agricultural expansion and intensification are dramatic. We argue that a mix of on- and off-field measures is needed, overcoming the false dichotomy of the land sharing-sparing debate. Protected land is essential for global biodiversity, while spillover between farmed and natural land is key to reducing species extinctions. This is particularly effective in landscapes with small and diversified fields. Focusing only on protected land fails to conserve a wealth of species, which often provide major ecosystem services such as pest control, pollination, and cultural benefits. On-field measures must minimise yield losses to prevent increased demand for food imports from biodiversity-rich regions, requiring enforcement of high social-ecological land-use standards to ensure a good life for all.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Péter Batáry
- "Lendület" Landscape and Conservation Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Botany, HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research, Vácrátót, Hungary; Faunistics and Wildlife Conservation, Department of Agriculture, Ecotrophology, and Landscape Development, Anhalt University of Applied Sciences, Bernburg, Germany
| | - Ingo Grass
- Ecology of Tropical Agricultural Systems, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany; Center for Biodiversity and Integrative Taxonomy (KomBioTa), University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
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13
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Matías J, Rodríguez MJ, Carrillo-Vico A, Casals J, Fondevilla S, Haros CM, Pedroche J, Aparicio N, Fernández-García N, Aguiló-Aguayo I, Soler-Rivas C, Caballero PA, Morte A, Rico D, Reguera M. From 'Farm to Fork': Exploring the Potential of Nutrient-Rich and Stress-Resilient Emergent Crops for Sustainable and Healthy Food in the Mediterranean Region in the Face of Climate Change Challenges. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:1914. [PMID: 39065441 PMCID: PMC11281201 DOI: 10.3390/plants13141914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2024] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
In the dynamic landscape of agriculture and food science, incorporating emergent crops appears as a pioneering solution for diversifying agriculture, unlocking possibilities for sustainable cultivation and nutritional bolstering food security, and creating economic prospects amid evolving environmental and market conditions with positive impacts on human health. This review explores the potential of utilizing emergent crops in Mediterranean environments under current climate scenarios, emphasizing the manifold benefits of agricultural and food system diversification and assessing the impact of environmental factors on their quality and consumer health. Through a deep exploration of the resilience, nutritional value, and health impacts of neglected and underutilized species (NUS) such as quinoa, amaranth, chia, moringa, buckwheat, millet, teff, hemp, or desert truffles, their capacity to thrive in the changing Mediterranean climate is highlighted, offering novel opportunities for agriculture and functional food development. By analysing how promoting agricultural diversification can enhance food system adaptability to evolving environmental conditions, fostering sustainability and resilience, we discuss recent findings that underscore the main benefits and limitations of these crops from agricultural, food science, and health perspectives, all crucial for responsible and sustainable adoption. Thus, by using a sustainable and holistic approach, this revision analyses how the integration of NUS crops into Mediterranean agrifood systems can enhance agriculture resilience and food quality addressing environmental, nutritional, biomedical, economic, and cultural dimensions, thereby mitigating the risks associated with monoculture practices and bolstering local economies and livelihoods under new climate scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Matías
- Agrarian Research Institute “La Orden-Valdesequera” of Extremadura (CICYTEX), 06187 Guadajira (Badajoz), Spain;
| | - María José Rodríguez
- Technological Institute of Food and Agriculture of Extremadura (INTAEX-CICYTEX), Avda. Adolfo Suárez s/n, 06007 Badajoz, Spain;
| | - Antonio Carrillo-Vico
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, IBiS/Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, 41013 Seville, Spain;
- Departamento de Bioquímica Médica y Biología Molecular e Inmunología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Sevilla, 41009 Seville, Spain
| | - Joan Casals
- Fundació Miquel Agustí/HorPTA, Department of Agri-Food Engineering and Biotechnology, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)-BarcelonaTech, 08860 Castelldefels, Spain;
| | - Sara Fondevilla
- Institute for Sustainable Agriculture, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Avda. Menéndez Pidal s/n, 14004 Córdoba, Spain;
| | - Claudia Mónika Haros
- Cereal Group, Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA-CSIC), Av. Agustín Escardino 7, Parque Científico, 46980 Valencia, Spain;
| | - Justo Pedroche
- Group of Plant Proteins, Instituto de la Grasa, CSIC. Ctra. de Utrera Km. 1, 41013 Seville, Spain;
| | - Nieves Aparicio
- Agro-Technological Institute of Castilla y León (ITACyL), Ctra. Burgos Km. 119, 47071 Valladolid, Spain;
| | - Nieves Fernández-García
- Department of Abiotic Stress and Plant Pathology, Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura (CSIC), Campus Universitario de Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain;
| | - Ingrid Aguiló-Aguayo
- Postharvest Programme, Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA), Parc Agrobiotech Lleida, Parc de Gardeny, Edifici Fruitcentre, 25003 Lleida, Spain;
| | - Cristina Soler-Rivas
- Departamento de Producción y Caracterización de Nuevos Alimentos, Institute of Food Science Research-CIAL (UAM+CSIC), Campus de Cantoblanco, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, C/Nicolas Cabrera 9, 28049 Madrid, Spain;
- Sección Departamental de Ciencias de la Alimentación, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Pedro A. Caballero
- Food Technology, Department of Agriculture and Forestry Engineering, Universidad de Valladolid, 34004 Palencia, Spain;
| | - Asunción Morte
- Departamento Biología Vegetal, Facultad de Biología, Campus Universitario de Espinardo, Universidad de Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain;
| | - Daniel Rico
- Department of Medicine, Dermatology and Toxicology, Universidad de Valladolid, Av. Ramón y Cajal, 7, 47005 Valladolid, Spain;
| | - María Reguera
- Departamento de Biología, Campus de Cantoblanco, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, C/Darwin 2, 28049 Madrid, Spain
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14
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Temple C, Blouin AG, Boezen D, Botermans M, Durant L, De Jonghe K, de Koning P, Goedefroit T, Minet L, Steyer S, Verdin E, Zwart M, Massart S. Biological Characterization of Physostegia Chlorotic Mottle Virus, an Emergent Virus Infecting Vegetables in Diversified Production Systems. PHYTOPATHOLOGY 2024; 114:1680-1688. [PMID: 38648112 DOI: 10.1094/phyto-06-23-0194-r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
In 2014, Physostegia chlorotic mottle virus (PhCMoV) was discovered in Austria in Physostegia virginiana. Subsequent collaborative efforts established a link between the virus and severe fruit symptoms on important crops such as tomato, eggplant, and cucumber across nine European countries. Thereafter, specific knowledge gaps, which are crucial to assess the risks PhCMoV can pose for production and how to manage it, needed to be addressed. In this study, the transmission, prevalence, and disease severity of PhCMoV were examined. This investigation led to the identification of PhCMoV presence in a new country, Switzerland. Furthermore, our research indicates that the virus was already present in Europe 30 years ago. Bioassays demonstrated PhCMoV can result in up to 100% tomato yield losses depending on the phenological stage of the plant at the time of infection. PhCMoV was found to naturally infect 12 new host plant species across eight families, extending its host range to 21 plant species across 15 plant families. The study also identified a polyphagous leafhopper (genus Anaceratagallia) as a natural vector of PhCMoV. Overall, PhCMoV was widespread in small-scale diversified vegetable farms in Belgium where tomato is grown in soil under tunnels, occurring in approximately one-third of such farms. However, outbreaks were sporadic and were associated at least once with the cultivation in tomato tunnels of perennial plants that can serve as a reservoir host for the virus and its vector. To further explore this phenomenon and manage the virus, studying the ecology of the vector would be beneficial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Coline Temple
- Plant Pathology Laboratory, TERRA Teaching and Research Center, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Arnaud G Blouin
- Plant Protection Department, Agroscope, 1260, Nyon, Switzerland
| | - Dieke Boezen
- Department of Microbial Ecology, Netherlands Institute for Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), P.O. Box 50, Wageningen, 6700 AB, The Netherlands
| | - Marleen Botermans
- Netherlands Institute for Vectors, Invasive plants and Plant health, Netherlands Food and Product Safety Authority, Wageningen, P.O. Box 9102, 6700 HC Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Laurena Durant
- Plant Pathology Laboratory, TERRA Teaching and Research Center, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Kris De Jonghe
- Plant Sciences Unit, Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO), Merelbeke, 9820, Belgium
| | - Pier de Koning
- Netherlands Institute for Vectors, Invasive plants and Plant health, Netherlands Food and Product Safety Authority, Wageningen, P.O. Box 9102, 6700 HC Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Thomas Goedefroit
- Plant Sciences Unit, Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO), Merelbeke, 9820, Belgium
| | - Laurent Minet
- Hortiforum asbl/Centre Technique Horticole de Gembloux, Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Stephan Steyer
- Crops and Forest Health Unit, Walloon Agricultural Research Centre (CRA-W), Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Eric Verdin
- Unité de Pathologie Végétale, Institut National de Recherche pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (INRAE), Avignon, 84000, France
| | - Mark Zwart
- Department of Microbial Ecology, Netherlands Institute for Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), P.O. Box 50, Wageningen, 6700 AB, The Netherlands
| | - Sebastien Massart
- Plant Pathology Laboratory, TERRA Teaching and Research Center, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Gembloux, Belgium
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15
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Hylander K, Nemomissa S, Fischer J, Zewdie B, Ayalew B, Tack AJM. Lessons from Ethiopian coffee landscapes for global conservation in a post-wild world. Commun Biol 2024; 7:714. [PMID: 38858451 PMCID: PMC11164958 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06381-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The reality for conservation of biodiversity across our planet is that all ecosystems are modified by humans in some way or another. Thus, biodiversity conservation needs to be implemented in multifunctional landscapes. In this paper we use a fascinating coffee-dominated landscape in southwest Ethiopia as our lens to derive general lessons for biodiversity conservation in a post-wild world. Considering a hierarchy of scales from genes to multi-species interactions and social-ecological system contexts, we focus on (i) threats to the genetic diversity of crop wild relatives, (ii) the mechanisms behind trade-offs between biodiversity and agricultural yields, (iii) underexplored species interactions suppressing pest and disease levels, (iv) how the interactions of climate change and land-use change sometimes provide opportunities for restoration, and finally, (v) how to work closely with stakeholders to identify scenarios for sustainable development. The story on how the ecology and evolution of coffee within its indigenous distribution shape biodiversity conservation from genes to social-ecological systems can inspire us to view other landscapes with fresh eyes. The ubiquitous presence of human-nature interactions demands proactive, creative solutions to foster biodiversity conservation not only in remote protected areas but across entire landscapes inhabited by people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristoffer Hylander
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Sileshi Nemomissa
- Department of Plant Biology and Biodiversity Management, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Joern Fischer
- Leuphana University, Faculty of Sustainability, Scharnhorststrasse 1, 21335, Lueneburg, Germany
| | - Beyene Zewdie
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Biruk Ayalew
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ayco J M Tack
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
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16
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Wang Y, Jing S, Hou P, Ni R, Niu L, Wanger TC, Liu W, Liu K. Soil erosion is a major drive for nano & micro-plastics to enter riverine systems from cultivated land. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 256:121597. [PMID: 38614030 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121597] [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: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024]
Abstract
Nano and micro-plastics (NMPs, particles diameter <5 mm), as emerging contaminants, have become a major concern in the aquatic environment because of their adverse consequences to aquatic life and potentially human health. Implementing mitigation strategies requires quantifying NMPs mass emissions and understanding their sources and transport pathways from land to riverine systems. Herein, to access NMPs mass input from agricultural soil to riverine system via water-driven soil erosion, we have collected soil samples from 120 cultivated land in nine drainage basins across China in 2021 and quantified the residues of six common types of plastic, including polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polycarbonate (PC), and polystyrene (PS). NMPs (Σ6plastics) were detected in all samples at concentrations between 3.6 and 816.6 μg/g dry weight (median, 63.3 μg/g) by thermal desorption/pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Then, based on the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation model, we estimated that about 22,700 tonnes of NMPs may enter the Chinese riverine system in 2020 due to agricultural water-driven soil erosion, which occurs primarily from May to September. Our result suggested that over 90% of the riverine NMPs related to agricultural soil erosion in China are attributed to 36.5% of the country's total cultivated land, mainly distributed in the Yangtze River Basin, Southwest Basin, and Pearl River Basin. The migration of NMPs due to water-driven soil erosion cannot be ignored, and erosion management strategies may contribute to alleviating plastic pollution issues in aquatic systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanting Wang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Ecosystem Health, Institute of Environmental Health, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Siyuan Jing
- Sustainable Agricultural Systems & Engineering Laboratory, School of Engineering, Westlake University, 18 Shilongshan Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
| | - Peiyu Hou
- Division of Environment and Resources, College of Engineering, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
| | - Rui Ni
- MOE Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Ecosystem Health, Institute of Environmental Health, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Lili Niu
- Key Laboratory of Pollution Exposure and Health Intervention of Zhejiang Province, Interdisciplinary Research Academy, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 312028, China
| | - Thomas Cherico Wanger
- Sustainable Agricultural Systems & Engineering Laboratory, School of Engineering, Westlake University, 18 Shilongshan Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; ChinaRiceNetwork.org, Hangzhou 310024, China
| | - Weiping Liu
- Key Laboratory of Pollution Exposure and Health Intervention of Zhejiang Province, Interdisciplinary Research Academy, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 312028, China
| | - Kai Liu
- Division of Environment and Resources, College of Engineering, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China.
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Jia X, Shang H, Chen Y, Lin M, Wei Y, Li Y, Li R, Dong P, Chen Y, Zhang Y, Wang Q. Improved bacterial composition and co-occurrence patterns of rhizosphere increased nutrient uptake and grain yield through cultivars mixtures in maize. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 926:172102. [PMID: 38556018 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172102] [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: 01/02/2024] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
Crop diversification contributes to agricultural productivity and resources efficient utilization. However, whether cultivar mixtures in maize affects soil bacterial community, nutrient uptake, plant growth and yield remains unknown. A two-year lysimetric experiment was conducted using two maize cultivars (LY16 and JS501) with different root system architectures planted in monoculture or in mixture under normal fertilization (NF), reduced fertilization (RF) or no addition of fertilizer (CK) and was assessed at the silking stages. Cultivar mixtures and monoculture of LY16 had higher shoot biomass, nutrient uptake and total root length at silking stage, and grain yield than monoculture of JS501 under NF and RF conditions. Under NF and RF conditions, cultivar mixtures and monoculture of LY16 led to an increase in bacterial diversity, significant changes in community structure, and a high abundance of Bacteroidia and biomarkers of Chitinophagaceae and Saprospiraceae (Bacteroidia). Cultivar mixtures showed specific responses from modules of the rhizosphere bacterial community co-occurrence network, and the relative abundance of keystone taxa of cultivar mixtures was higher than that of monoculture of JS501. The keystone taxa had a broad and significant positive correlation with plant nutrient accumulation and grain yield. Cultivar mixtures showed similar assembly processes of Bacteroidia with monoculture of LY16, and the increased abundance of Chitinophagaceae may lead to a healthy rhizosphere bacterial community. Overall, our findings indicate that cultivar mixtures significantly affects the assembly and composition of the rhizosphere bacterial community, and thus benefits plant nutrient acquisition and plant growth. These findings could deepen our understanding of the facilitating effect of rhizosphere functional microbial community (e.g. plant nutrition uptake or immunity)of cultivar mixtures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xucun Jia
- College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China; The State Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science and Center for Crop Genome Engineering, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China; Henan Province Agro-ecosystem Field Observation and Research Station, Xiping 463900, China
| | - Haipeng Shang
- College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Yibo Chen
- College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Mengjie Lin
- College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Yuepeng Wei
- College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Yuxia Li
- College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China; The State Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science and Center for Crop Genome Engineering, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China; Henan Province Agro-ecosystem Field Observation and Research Station, Xiping 463900, China
| | - Rongfa Li
- College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China; The State Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science and Center for Crop Genome Engineering, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China; Henan Province Agro-ecosystem Field Observation and Research Station, Xiping 463900, China
| | - Pengfei Dong
- College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China; The State Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science and Center for Crop Genome Engineering, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China; Henan Province Agro-ecosystem Field Observation and Research Station, Xiping 463900, China
| | - Yinglong Chen
- UWA Institute of Agriculture, School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6155, Australia
| | - Yongen Zhang
- Agricultural Information Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing 100000, China.
| | - Qun Wang
- College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China; The State Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science and Center for Crop Genome Engineering, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China; Henan Province Agro-ecosystem Field Observation and Research Station, Xiping 463900, China.
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18
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Rameh LE, York JD, Blind RD. Multiple inositol phosphate species enhance stability of active mTOR. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.01.592113. [PMID: 38746235 PMCID: PMC11092565 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.01.592113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin (mTOR) binds the small metabolite inositol hexakisphosphate (IP6) as shown in structures of mTOR, however it remains unclear if IP6, or any other inositol phosphate species, can activate mTOR kinase activity. Here, we show that multiple, exogenously added inositol phosphate species (IP6, IP5, IP4 and IP3) can all enhance the ability of mTOR and mTORC1 to auto-phosphorylate and incorporate radiolabeled phosphate into peptide substrates in in vitro kinase reactions. Although IP6 did not affect the apparent KM of mTORC1 for ATP, monitoring kinase activity over longer reaction times showed increased product formation, suggesting inositol phosphates stabilize an active form of mTORC1 in vitro. The effects of IP6 on mTOR were reversible, suggesting IP6 bound to mTOR can be exchanged dynamically with the free solvent. Interestingly, we also observed that IP6 could alter mTOR solubility and electrophoretic mobility in SDS-PAGE in the presence of manganese, suggesting divalent cations may play a role in inositol phosphate regulation of mTOR. Together, these data suggest for the first time that multiple inositol phosphate species (IP4, IP5 and IP6) can dynamically regulate mTOR and mTORC1 by promoting a stable, active state of the kinase. Our data suggest that studies of the dynamics of inositol phosphate regulation of mTOR are well justified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia E. Rameh
- University of South Alabama, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mobile, AL 36688
- Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry, Nashville, TN 37232
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Department of Medicine, Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Nashville, TN 37232
| | - John D. York
- Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry, Nashville, TN 37232
| | - Raymond D. Blind
- Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry, Nashville, TN 37232
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Department of Medicine, Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Nashville, TN 37232
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19
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Li Y, Wang S, Yang Y, Ren L, Wang Z, Liao Y, Yong T. Global synthesis on the response of soil microbial necromass carbon to climate-smart agriculture. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17302. [PMID: 38699927 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) supports the sustainability of crop production and food security, and benefiting soil carbon storage. Despite the critical importance of microorganisms in the carbon cycle, systematic investigations on the influence of CSA on soil microbial necromass carbon and its driving factors are still limited. We evaluated 472 observations from 73 peer-reviewed articles to show that, compared to conventional practice, CSA generally increased soil microbial necromass carbon concentrations by 18.24%. These benefits to soil microbial necromass carbon, as assessed by amino sugar biomarkers, are complex and influenced by a variety of soil, climatic, spatial, and biological factors. Changes in living microbial biomass are the most significant predictor of total, fungal, and bacterial necromass carbon affected by CSA; in 61.9%-67.3% of paired observations, the CSA measures simultaneously increased living microbial biomass and microbial necromass carbon. Land restoration and nutrient management therein largely promoted microbial necromass carbon storage, while cover crop has a minor effect. Additionally, the effects were directly influenced by elevation and mean annual temperature, and indirectly by soil texture and initial organic carbon content. In the optimal scenario, the potential global carbon accrual rate of CSA through microbial necromass is approximately 980 Mt C year-1, assuming organic amendment is included following conservation tillage and appropriate land restoration. In conclusion, our study suggests that increasing soil microbial necromass carbon through CSA provides a vital way of mitigating carbon loss. This emphasizes the invisible yet significant influence of soil microbial anabolic activity on global carbon dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yüze Li
- College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Sichuan Engineering Research Center for Crop Strip Intercropping System/Key Laboratory of Crop Ecophysiology and Farming System in Southwest, Ministry of Agriculture, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Shengnan Wang
- School of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Panzhihua University, Panzhihua, Sichuan, China
| | - Yali Yang
- Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Liang Ren
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Ziting Wang
- College of Agronomy, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Yuncheng Liao
- College of Agronomy, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, Jinzhong, China
| | - Taiwen Yong
- College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Sichuan Engineering Research Center for Crop Strip Intercropping System/Key Laboratory of Crop Ecophysiology and Farming System in Southwest, Ministry of Agriculture, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
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20
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Millet CP, Allinne C, Vi T, Marraccini P, Verleysen L, Couderc M, Ruttink T, Zhang D, Sanchéz WS, Tranchant-Dubreuil C, Jeune W, Poncet V. Haitian coffee agroforestry systems harbor complex arabica variety mixtures and under-recognized genetic diversity. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0299493. [PMID: 38625928 PMCID: PMC11020479 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Though facing significant challenges, coffee (Coffea arabica) grown in Haitian agroforestry systems are important contributors to rural livelihoods and provide several ecosystem services. However, little is known about their genetic diversity and the variety mixtures used. In light of this, there is a need to characterize Haitian coffee diversity to help inform revitalization of this sector. We sampled 28 diverse farms in historically important coffee growing regions of northern and southern Haiti. We performed KASP-genotyping of SNP markers and HiPlex multiplex amplicon sequencing for haplotype calling on our samples, as well as several Ethiopian and commercial accessions from international collections. This allowed us to assign Haitian samples to varietal groups. Our analyses revealed considerable genetic diversity in Haitian farms, higher in fact than many farmers realized. Notably, genetic structure analyses revealed the presence of clusters related to Typica, Bourbon, and Catimor groups, another group that was not represented in our reference accession panel, and several admixed individuals. Across the study areas, we found both mixed-variety farms and monovarietal farms with the historical and traditional Typica variety. This study is, to our knowledge, the first to genetically characterize Haitian C. arabica variety mixtures, and report the limited cultivation of C. canephora (Robusta coffee) in the study area. Our results show that some coffee farms are repositories of historical, widely-abandoned varieties while others are generators of new diversity through genetic mixing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claude Patrick Millet
- IRD, UMR DIADE, CIRAD, Université Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- Faculté des Sciences de l’Agriculture et de l’Environnement, Université de Quisqueya, Port-au-Prince, Haiti
- Institut Agro, ABSys, Université Montpellier, CIHEAM-IAMM, CIRAD, INRAE, Montpellier, France
- CIRAD, UMR ABSys, F-34398, Montpellier, France
| | - Clémentine Allinne
- Institut Agro, ABSys, Université Montpellier, CIHEAM-IAMM, CIRAD, INRAE, Montpellier, France
- CIRAD, UMR ABSys, F-34398, Montpellier, France
- GECO, Université Montpellier, CIRAD, Montpellier, France
- CIRAD, UPR GECO, F-34398, Montpellier, France
| | - Tram Vi
- IRD, UMR DIADE, CIRAD, Université Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- Agricultural Genetics Institute (AGI), Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Pierre Marraccini
- IRD, UMR DIADE, CIRAD, Université Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- CIRAD, UMR DIADE, Montpellier, France
| | - Lauren Verleysen
- Faculty of Sciences, Division of Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity Conservation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- ILVO, Melle, Belgium
| | - Marie Couderc
- IRD, UMR DIADE, CIRAD, Université Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Tom Ruttink
- ILVO, Melle, Belgium
- Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Dapeng Zhang
- USDA-ARS, SPCL, Beltsville, Maryland, United States of America
| | | | | | - Wesly Jeune
- Faculté des Sciences de l’Agriculture et de l’Environnement, Université de Quisqueya, Port-au-Prince, Haiti
- AVSF, Pétion-Ville, Haïti
| | - Valérie Poncet
- IRD, UMR DIADE, CIRAD, Université Montpellier, Montpellier, France
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21
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Rasmussen LV, Grass I, Mehrabi Z, Smith OM, Bezner-Kerr R, Blesh J, Garibaldi LA, Isaac ME, Kennedy CM, Wittman H, Batáry P, Buchori D, Cerda R, Chará J, Crowder DW, Darras K, DeMaster K, Garcia K, Gómez M, Gonthier D, Guzman A, Hidayat P, Hipólito J, Hirons M, Hoey L, James D, John I, Jones AD, Karp DS, Kebede Y, Kerr CB, Klassen S, Kotowska M, Kreft H, Llanque R, Levers C, Lizcano DJ, Lu A, Madsen S, Marques RN, Martins PB, Melo A, Nyantakyi-Frimpong H, Olimpi EM, Owen JP, Pantevez H, Qaim M, Redlich S, Scherber C, Sciligo AR, Snapp S, Snyder WE, Steffan-Dewenter I, Stratton AE, Taylor JM, Tscharntke T, Valencia V, Vogel C, Kremen C. Joint environmental and social benefits from diversified agriculture. Science 2024; 384:87-93. [PMID: 38574149 DOI: 10.1126/science.adj1914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
Agricultural simplification continues to expand at the expense of more diverse forms of agriculture. This simplification, for example, in the form of intensively managed monocultures, poses a risk to keeping the world within safe and just Earth system boundaries. Here, we estimated how agricultural diversification simultaneously affects social and environmental outcomes. Drawing from 24 studies in 11 countries across 2655 farms, we show how five diversification strategies focusing on livestock, crops, soils, noncrop plantings, and water conservation benefit social (e.g., human well-being, yields, and food security) and environmental (e.g., biodiversity, ecosystem services, and reduced environmental externalities) outcomes. We found that applying multiple diversification strategies creates more positive outcomes than individual management strategies alone. To realize these benefits, well-designed policies are needed to incentivize the adoption of multiple diversification strategies in unison.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Vang Rasmussen
- Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ingo Grass
- Department of Ecology of Tropical Agricultural Systems, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
- Center for Biodiversity and Integrative Taxonomy (KomBioTa), University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Zia Mehrabi
- Department of Environmental Studies, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- Better Planet Laboratory, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- Mortenson Center for Global Engineering and Resilience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Olivia M Smith
- Center for Global Change and Earth Observations, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | | | - Jennifer Blesh
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Lucas Alejandro Garibaldi
- Universidad Nacional de Río Negro, Instituto de Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural, Río Negro, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto de Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Marney E Isaac
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences and Department of Global Development Studies, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Hannah Wittman
- Centre for Sustainable Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Péter Batáry
- Lendület Landscape and Conservation Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Botany, HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research, Vácrátót, Hungary
| | - Damayanti Buchori
- Department of Plant Protection, Bogor Agricultural University, Jalan Kamper, Kampus Darmaga, Bogor, Indonesia
| | - Rolando Cerda
- Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza (CATIE), Turri Alba, Costa Rica
| | - Julián Chará
- Center for Research on Sustainable Agricultural Systems (CIPAV), Cali, Colombia
| | - David W Crowder
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | | | - Kathryn DeMaster
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Karina Garcia
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Manuel Gómez
- Federación Colombiana de Ganaderos (FEDEGAN), Bogotá, Columbia
| | - David Gonthier
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Aidee Guzman
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Purnama Hidayat
- Department of Plant Protection, IPB University, Bogor, Indonesia
| | - Juliana Hipólito
- Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), Biology Institute, Salvador, Brazil
- Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Conselho de Ensino, Pesquisa e Extensão, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Campus Universitário, Viçosa, MG, Brazil
- Brazil Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, INPA, Manaus, AM, Brazil
| | - Mark Hirons
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Lesli Hoey
- Urban and Regional Planning Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Dana James
- Centre for Sustainable Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Innocensia John
- Department of Agricultural Economics and Business, University of Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Andrew D Jones
- School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Daniel S Karp
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Yodit Kebede
- Eco&Sols, Université de Montpellier, IRD, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Susanna Klassen
- Centre for Sustainable Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Sociology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Martyna Kotowska
- Department of Plant Ecology and Ecosystems Research, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Holger Kreft
- Biodiversity, Macroecology & Biogeography, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Christian Levers
- Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Environmental Geography, Institute for Environmental Studies, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Thünen Institute of Biodiversity, Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute - Federal Research Institute for Rural Areas, Forestry, and Fisheries, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Diego J Lizcano
- The Nature Conservancy, Latin America North Andes and Central America Region, Bogota, Columbia
| | - Adrian Lu
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Sidney Madsen
- Department of Global Development, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Rosebelly Nunes Marques
- Applied Ecology Graduate Program, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Pedro Buss Martins
- Applied Ecology Graduate Program, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - America Melo
- The Nature Conservancy, Latin America North Andes and Central America Region, Bogota, Columbia
| | | | | | - Jeb P Owen
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Heiber Pantevez
- Federación Colombiana de Ganaderos (FEDEGAN), Bogotá, Columbia
| | - Matin Qaim
- Center for Development Research (ZEF), University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Sarah Redlich
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Christoph Scherber
- Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB), Museum Koenig, Centre for Biodiversity Monitoring and Conservation Science, Bonn, Germany
- Bonn Institute for Organismic Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | | | - Sieglinde Snapp
- Sustainable Agrifood Systems, International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), El Batan, Mexico
| | - William E Snyder
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Anne Elise Stratton
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Sustainable Use of Natural Resources Department, Institute of Social Sciences in Agriculture, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Joseph M Taylor
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Teja Tscharntke
- Department of Agroecology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Vivian Valencia
- Farming Systems Ecology Group, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
- Department of Environment, Agriculture and Geography at Bishop's University, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Cassandra Vogel
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Claire Kremen
- Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, Biodiversity Research Centre and Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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22
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Sapbamrer R, Sittitoon N, Thongtip S, Chaipin E, Sutalangka C, La-up A, Thirarattanasunthon P, Thammachai A, Suwannakul B, Sangkarit N, Kitro A, Panumasvivat J, Srisookkum T. Socio-demographic, agricultural, and personal protective factors in relation to health literacy among farmers from all regions of Thailand. Front Public Health 2024; 12:1364296. [PMID: 38590809 PMCID: PMC10999635 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1364296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Farmers are vulnerable to adverse health effects from pesticide exposure due to their health literacy (HL). Therefore, this study aims to investigate HL among farmers in four main regions of Thailand, investigating socio-demographics, agricultural, and personal protective factors to their HL. Methods This cross-sectional design study was conducted on 4,035 farmers from January to July 2023. The European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire-47 items were used to measure HL. Results Thai farmers had a mean HL score of 34.7 ± 8.7, and the farmers in the North region of Thailand had the highest frequency of limited HL (75.8%). Socio-demographic factors that were associated with HL included gender, region of living, marital status, education level, co-morbidity, and number of family members. Agricultural factors associated with HL included planting status, working hours on farm, spraying pesticides, harvesting crops, pesticide use of >1 type, access information from government officers, access information from posters/brochures, information from online multimedia, and access information from neighbors. Personal protective factors that were associated with HL included wearing a hat, goggles, a rubber apron, and a long-sleeved shirt. Discussion Our study recommends that strategies and interventions to enhance the HL of farmers should be focused on the target populations, which include men, widows, or divorced, those with low levels of education, those who have co-morbidities, and those who applied pesticides of more than 1 type and improper personal protective equipment (PPE) use. The primary emphasis needs to be on the North region of Thailand, making that the target area to improve health equity in Thailand. These efforts would enhance the HL of farmers and sustainably improve pesticide safety behavior. Additionally, there is an urgent need for supportive measures aimed at altering on-farm practices and promoting education on alternative pest management strategies, particularly non-chemical crop protection, to ensure sustainable agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ratana Sapbamrer
- Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine Excellence Center (EnOMEC), Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Nalin Sittitoon
- School of Environmental Health, Institute of Public Health, Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand
| | - Sakesun Thongtip
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Phayao, Phayao, Thailand
| | - Eakasit Chaipin
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Science, Rajabhat Lampang University, Lampang, Thailand
| | - Chatchada Sutalangka
- Department of Physical Therapy, School of Integrative Medicine, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, Thailand
| | - Aroon La-up
- Nakhonsawan Campus, Mahidol University, Nakhonsawan, Thailand
| | | | - Ajchamon Thammachai
- Department of Physical Therapy, School of Allied Health Sciences, University of Phayao, Phayao, Thailand
| | - Boonsita Suwannakul
- Department of Physical Therapy, School of Allied Health Sciences, University of Phayao, Phayao, Thailand
| | - Noppharath Sangkarit
- Department of Physical Therapy, School of Allied Health Sciences, University of Phayao, Phayao, Thailand
| | - Amornphat Kitro
- Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine Excellence Center (EnOMEC), Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Jinjuta Panumasvivat
- Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine Excellence Center (EnOMEC), Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Taweewun Srisookkum
- Department of Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Phayao, Phayao, Thailand
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23
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Priyadarshana TS, Martin EA, Sirami C, Woodcock BA, Goodale E, Martínez-Núñez C, Lee MB, Pagani-Núñez E, Raderschall CA, Brotons L, Rege A, Ouin A, Tscharntke T, Slade EM. Crop and landscape heterogeneity increase biodiversity in agricultural landscapes: A global review and meta-analysis. Ecol Lett 2024; 27:e14412. [PMID: 38549269 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 03/03/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
Agricultural intensification not only increases food production but also drives widespread biodiversity decline. Increasing landscape heterogeneity has been suggested to increase biodiversity across habitats, while increasing crop heterogeneity may support biodiversity within agroecosystems. These spatial heterogeneity effects can be partitioned into compositional (land-cover type diversity) and configurational heterogeneity (land-cover type arrangement), measured either for the crop mosaic or across the landscape for both crops and semi-natural habitats. However, studies have reported mixed responses of biodiversity to increases in these heterogeneity components across taxa and contexts. Our meta-analysis covering 6397 fields across 122 studies conducted in Asia, Europe, North and South America reveals consistently positive effects of crop and landscape heterogeneity, as well as compositional and configurational heterogeneity for plant, invertebrate, vertebrate, pollinator and predator biodiversity. Vertebrates and plants benefit more from landscape heterogeneity, while invertebrates derive similar benefits from both crop and landscape heterogeneity. Pollinators benefit more from configurational heterogeneity, but predators favour compositional heterogeneity. These positive effects are consistent for invertebrates and vertebrates in both tropical/subtropical and temperate agroecosystems, and in annual and perennial cropping systems, and at small to large spatial scales. Our results suggest that promoting increased landscape heterogeneity by diversifying crops and semi-natural habitats, as suggested in the current UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, is key for restoring biodiversity in agricultural landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tharaka S Priyadarshana
- Asian School of the Environment, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore City, Singapore
| | - Emily A Martin
- Animal Ecology, Institute of Animal Ecology and Systematics, Justus Liebig University of Gießen, Gießen, Germany
| | - Clélia Sirami
- Université de Toulouse, INRAE, UMR Dynafor, Castanet-Tolosan, France
| | - Ben A Woodcock
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Eben Goodale
- Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Carlos Martínez-Núñez
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Estación Biológica de Doñana EBD (CSIC), Seville, Spain
| | - Myung-Bok Lee
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Emilio Pagani-Núñez
- Centre for Conservation and Restoration Science, School of Applied Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Chloé A Raderschall
- Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden
| | | | - Anushka Rege
- Centre for Nature-Based Climate Solutions, National University of Singapore, Singapore City, Singapore
| | - Annie Ouin
- Université de Toulouse, INRAE, UMR Dynafor, Castanet-Tolosan, France
| | - Teja Tscharntke
- Department of Agroecology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Eleanor M Slade
- Asian School of the Environment, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore City, Singapore
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24
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Marja R, Albrecht M, Herzog F, Öckinger E, Segre H, Kleijn D, Batáry P. Quantifying potential trade-offs and win-wins between arthropod diversity and yield on cropland under agri-environment schemes-A meta-analysis. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 353:120277. [PMID: 38325288 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.120277] [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: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
In Europe, agri-environment schemes (AES) are a key instrument to combat the ongoing decline of farmland biodiversity. AES aim is to support biodiversity and maintain ecosystem services, such as pollination or pest control. To what extent AES affect crop yield is still poorly understood. We performed a systematic review, including hierarchical meta-analyses, to investigate potential trade-offs and win-wins between the effectiveness of AES for arthropod diversity and agricultural yield on European croplands. Altogether, we found 26 studies with a total of 125 data points that fulfilled our study inclusion criteria. From each study, we extracted data on biodiversity (arthropod species richness and abundance) and yield for fields with AES management and control fields without AES. The majority of the studies reported significantly higher species richness and abundance of arthropods (especially wild pollinators) in fields with AES (31 % increase), but yields were at the same time significantly lower on fields with AES compared to control fields (21 % decrease). Aside from the opportunity costs, AES that promote out-of-production elements (e.g. wildflower strips), supported biodiversity (29-32 % increase) without significantly compromising yield (2-5 % increase). Farmers can get an even higher yield in these situations than in current conventional agricultural production systems without AES. Thus, our study is useful to identify AES demonstrating benefits for arthropod biodiversity with negligible or relatively low costs regarding yield losses. Further optimization of the design and management of AES is needed to improve their effectiveness in promoting both biodiversity and minimizing crop yield losses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riho Marja
- "Lendület" Landscape and Conservation Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Botany, HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research, Alkotmány u. 2-4, 2163 Vácrátót, Hungary.
| | | | - Felix Herzog
- Agroscope, Agricultural Landscapes and Biodiversity, Switzerland
| | - Erik Öckinger
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7044, SE-75007 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Hila Segre
- Department of Natural Resources, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Volcani Center, Rishon Le'Zion, Israel; Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, 6708 PB, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - David Kleijn
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, 6708 PB, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Péter Batáry
- "Lendület" Landscape and Conservation Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Botany, HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research, Alkotmány u. 2-4, 2163 Vácrátót, Hungary
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25
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Wang Y, Hou P, Liu K, Hayat K, Liu W. Depth distribution of nano- and microplastics and their contribution to carbon storage in Chinese agricultural soils. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 913:169709. [PMID: 38159746 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
The extensive and prolonged utilization of plastic materials in agriculture has primarily led to the accumulation of nano- and microplastics (NMPs, ≤5 mm) in farmland soils. The spatial-vertical distribution of NMPs mass concentrations and their impact on the national agricultural soil carbon reservoir remain unexamined. In this study, we quantified the residual mass concentrations of six prevalent plastic types in farmland soils around China using the double-shot model of thermal desorption/pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TD/Py-GC-MS). The results showed that median NMPs concentrations were 79.81 μg/g in the topsoil layer (0-15 cm), 57.17 μg/g in the middle soil layer (15-30 cm), and 32.90 μg/g in the bottom soil layer (30-45 cm). Overall, agricultural soil NMPs levels declined from the surface to deeper soil layers; however, some regions exhibit an opposite trend. Furthermore, our estimations indicate that carbon sourced from NMPs contributes to the agricultural soil carbon pool within a range from 0.004 % to 5.606 %, depending on the soil depth. As a hallmark of sustainable agricultural soil management, it is noteworthy that the concealed and continuously expanding carbon contribution of NMPs has an impact on soil carbon storage, albeit at a relatively low level. Our data serves as a foundational reference point and enables a precise evaluation of future contributions of NMPs to the storage of carbon in agricultural soils within China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanting Wang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Ecosystem Health, Institute of Environmental Health, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Peiyu Hou
- Key Laboratory of Coastal Environment and Resources of Zhejiang Province, School of Engineering, Westlake University, 18 Shilongshan Road, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Kai Liu
- Key Laboratory of Coastal Environment and Resources of Zhejiang Province, School of Engineering, Westlake University, 18 Shilongshan Road, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Kashif Hayat
- Key Laboratory of Pollution Exposure and Health Intervention of Zhejiang Province, Interdisciplinary Research Academy, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 312028, China
| | - Weiping Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Ecosystem Health, Institute of Environmental Health, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Key Laboratory of Pollution Exposure and Health Intervention of Zhejiang Province, Interdisciplinary Research Academy, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 312028, China.
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Alcon F, Albaladejo-García JA, Martínez-García V, Rossi ES, Blasi E, Lehtonen H, Martínez-Paz JM, Zabala JA. Cost benefit analysis of diversified farming systems across Europe: Incorporating non-market benefits of ecosystem services. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:169272. [PMID: 38141994 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169272] [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: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/25/2023]
Abstract
Crop diversification can enhance farm economic sustainability while reducing the negative impact on the environment and ecosystem services related. Despite the market and non-market benefits of crop diversification, monocropping is a widely used dominant practice in Europe. In this context, this works aims to assess the overall economic impact of several crop diversification systems across Europe and compared it to the monocropping system. For this purpose, an economic valuation by integrating market and non-market values for eight case studies distributed across three different European pedoclimatic regions (Southern Mediterranean, Northern Mediterranean and Boreal) is proposed. The economic valuation was conducted both in the short and medium-long term. For the short-term we conducted a social gross margin analysis, while for the medium-long term a cost-benefit analysis is developed. The results show an improvement in social gross margins for most of the diversification scenarios assessed when environmental and socio-cultural benefits are considered in the short-term. In the medium and long-term the transformation of cropping towards a more diversified agriculture is encouraged by greater economic benefits. These results provide a first insight in global economic performance of diversified cropping systems, whose main contribution relies on the integration of market and non-market values of ecosystem services from crop diversification. They are expected to be useful for guiding policy makers to promote crop diversification practices as a key instrument for building resilience in farming systems for an adaptive management to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Alcon
- Departamento de Economía de la Empresa, Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, Paseo Alfonso XIII 48, 30203 Cartagena, Spain
| | - Jose A Albaladejo-García
- Departamento de Economía de la Empresa, Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, Paseo Alfonso XIII 48, 30203 Cartagena, Spain; Departamento de Economía Aplicada, Universidad de Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain
| | - Victor Martínez-García
- Departamento de Economía de la Empresa, Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, Paseo Alfonso XIII 48, 30203 Cartagena, Spain
| | - Eleonora S Rossi
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-food and Forest systems (DIBAF), University of Tuscia, Via San Camillo del Lellis snc, Viterbo 01100, Italy
| | - Emanuele Blasi
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-food and Forest systems (DIBAF), University of Tuscia, Via San Camillo del Lellis snc, Viterbo 01100, Italy
| | - Heikki Lehtonen
- Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Latokartanonkaari 9, PL 2, 00791 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jose M Martínez-Paz
- Departamento de Economía Aplicada, Universidad de Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain
| | - Jose A Zabala
- Departamento de Economía Aplicada, Universidad de Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain.
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Lóczy D, Dezső J, Weidinger T, Horváth L, Pirkhoffer E, Czigány S. Soil Moisture Conservation through Crop Diversification and Related Ecosystem Services in a Blown-Sand Area with High Drought Hazard. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:494. [PMID: 38498443 PMCID: PMC10893021 DOI: 10.3390/plants13040494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Soil moisture reserves are a key factor in maintaining soil fertility and all other related ecosystem services (including carbon sequestration, soil biodiversity, and soil erosion control). In semiarid blown-sand areas under aridification, water preservation is a particularly crucial task for agriculture. The international Diverfarming project (2017-2022), within the EU Horizon 2020 Program, focused on the impacts of crop diversification and low-input practices in all pedoclimatic regions of Europe. In this three-year experiment conducted in the Pannonian region, the impact of intercropping asparagus with different herbs on some provisioning and regulating ecosystem services was evaluated in the Kiskunság sand regions. Relying on findings based on a range of measured physical and chemical soil parameters and on crop yields and qualitative properties, advice was formulated for farmers. The message drawn from the experiment is somewhat ambiguous. The local farmers agree that crop diversification improves soil quality, but deny that it would directly influence farm competitiveness, which primarily depends on cultivation costs (such as fertilization, plant protection, and labour). Further analyses are needed to prove the long-term benefits of diversification through enriching soil microbial life and through the possible reduction of fertilizer use, while water demand is kept at a low level and the same crop-quality is ensured.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dénes Lóczy
- Department of Physical and Environmental Geography, Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences, University of Pécs, Ifjúság Útja 6, 7624 Pécs, Hungary; (J.D.); (E.P.); (S.C.)
| | - József Dezső
- Department of Physical and Environmental Geography, Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences, University of Pécs, Ifjúság Útja 6, 7624 Pécs, Hungary; (J.D.); (E.P.); (S.C.)
| | - Tamás Weidinger
- Department of Meteorology, Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter Sétány 1/a, 1117 Budapest, Hungary;
| | - László Horváth
- HUN-REN-SZTE Photoacoustic Research Group, Department of Optics and Quantum Electronics, University of Szeged, Dóm Tér 9, 6720 Szeged, Hungary;
| | - Ervin Pirkhoffer
- Department of Physical and Environmental Geography, Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences, University of Pécs, Ifjúság Útja 6, 7624 Pécs, Hungary; (J.D.); (E.P.); (S.C.)
| | - Szabolcs Czigány
- Department of Physical and Environmental Geography, Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences, University of Pécs, Ifjúság Útja 6, 7624 Pécs, Hungary; (J.D.); (E.P.); (S.C.)
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Cozim-Melges F, Ripoll-Bosch R, Veen GFC, Oggiano P, Bianchi FJJA, van der Putten WH, van Zanten HHE. Farming practices to enhance biodiversity across biomes: a systematic review. NPJ BIODIVERSITY 2024; 3:1. [PMID: 39242701 PMCID: PMC11332212 DOI: 10.1038/s44185-023-00034-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2024]
Abstract
Intensive agriculture for food and feed production is a key driver of global biodiversity loss. It is generally assumed that more extensive practices are needed to reconcile food production with biodiversity conservation. In a literature review across biomes and for seven taxa, we retrieved 35 alternative practices (e.g. no-tillage, cover crops, organic fertilizer) from 331 studies. We found that no single practice enhanced all taxonomic groups, but that overall less intensive agricultural practices are beneficial to biodiversity. Nevertheless, often practices had no effects observed and very rarely contrasting impacts on aboveground versus belowground taxa. Species responses to practices were mostly consistent across biomes, except for fertilization. We conclude that alternative practices generally enhance biodiversity, but there is also variation in impacts depending on taxonomic group or type of practice. This suggests that a careful selection of practices is needed to secure biodiversity across taxa in future food systems worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe Cozim-Melges
- Farming Systems Ecology Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands.
- Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen Gelderland, Wageningen, Netherlands.
- Animal Production Systems Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands.
| | - Raimon Ripoll-Bosch
- Animal Production Systems Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - G F Ciska Veen
- Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen Gelderland, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Philipp Oggiano
- Department of Food System Sciences, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL, Frick, Switzerland
| | - Felix J J A Bianchi
- Farming Systems Ecology Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Wim H van der Putten
- Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen Gelderland, Wageningen, Netherlands
- Laboratory of Nematology, Wageningen University and Research Centre, PO Box 8123, 6700 ES, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Hannah H E van Zanten
- Farming Systems Ecology Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
- Department of Global Development, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
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29
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Paut R, Garreau L, Ollivier G, Sabatier R, Tchamitchian M. A global dataset of experimental intercropping and agroforestry studies in horticulture. Sci Data 2024; 11:5. [PMID: 38167852 PMCID: PMC10761691 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-023-02831-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Intercropping and agroforestry systems have been increasingly well studied and documented. Yet, so far, no dataset has provided a systematic synthesis of existing data on intercropping experiments in the specific field of horticulture. A systematic literature search was carried using search terms and applied to Web of Science. The resulting dataset includes data from field experiments published in 191 articles covering experiments worldwide, between 1982 and 2022. The selected experiments cover five continents and involved 118 different crop species. Through manual extraction of information from publications, the dataset includes (i) general information on the articles; (ii) experimental site soil and climate conditions; (iii) descriptions of intercropping designs; (iv) crop management practices; (v) measurements of sole crop and intercrop yields and (v) Land Equivalent Ratios. The dataset is arranged in an easily reusable spreadsheet with columns as variables (n = 45) and rows as treatment (n = 1544). The dataset is freely reusable and updateable. We expect that it will provide valuable information for statistical analysis, modeling and innovative farming system design based on intercropping.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphaël Paut
- Université Paris-Saclay, UMR Agronomie, INRAE, AgroParisTech, 91123, Palaiseau, France.
| | - Léa Garreau
- ECODEVELOPPEMENT, INRAE, 84000, Avignon, France
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30
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Gepts P. Biocultural diversity and crop improvement. Emerg Top Life Sci 2023; 7:151-196. [PMID: 38084755 PMCID: PMC10754339 DOI: 10.1042/etls20230067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
Biocultural diversity is the ever-evolving and irreplaceable sum total of all living organisms inhabiting the Earth. It plays a significant role in sustainable productivity and ecosystem services that benefit humanity and is closely allied with human cultural diversity. Despite its essentiality, biodiversity is seriously threatened by the insatiable and inequitable human exploitation of the Earth's resources. One of the benefits of biodiversity is its utilization in crop improvement, including cropping improvement (agronomic cultivation practices) and genetic improvement (plant breeding). Crop improvement has tended to decrease agricultural biodiversity since the origins of agriculture, but awareness of this situation can reverse this negative trend. Cropping improvement can strive to use more diverse cultivars and a broader complement of crops on farms and in landscapes. It can also focus on underutilized crops, including legumes. Genetic improvement can access a broader range of biodiversity sources and, with the assistance of modern breeding tools like genomics, can facilitate the introduction of additional characteristics that improve yield, mitigate environmental stresses, and restore, at least partially, lost crop biodiversity. The current legal framework covering biodiversity includes national intellectual property and international treaty instruments, which have tended to limit access and innovation to biodiversity. A global system of access and benefit sharing, encompassing digital sequence information, would benefit humanity but remains an elusive goal. The Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework sets forth an ambitious set of targets and goals to be accomplished by 2030 and 2050, respectively, to protect and restore biocultural diversity, including agrobiodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Gepts
- Department of Plant Sciences, Section of Crop and Ecosystem Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA 95616-8780, U.S.A
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31
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Wyckhuys KAG, Hadi BAR. Institutional Context of Pest Management Science in the Global South. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:4143. [PMID: 38140470 PMCID: PMC10747170 DOI: 10.3390/plants12244143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
The natural sciences are receiving increasing attention in the Global South. This timely development may help mitigate global change and quicken an envisioned food system transformation. Yet in order to resolve complex issues such as agrochemical pollution, science ideally proceeds along suitable trajectories within appropriate institutional contexts. Here, we employ a systematic literature review to map the nature of inquiry and institutional context of pest management science in 65 low- and middle-income countries published from 2010 to 2020. Despite large inter-country variability, any given country generates an average of 5.9 publications per annum (range 0-45.9) and individual nations such as Brazil, Kenya, Benin, Vietnam, and Turkey engage extensively in regional cooperation. International development partners are prominent scientific actors in West Africa but are commonly outpaced by national institutions and foreign academia in other regions. Transnational institutions such as the CGIAR represent a 1.4-fold higher share of studies on host plant resistance but lag in public interest science disciplines such as biological control. Despite high levels of scientific abstraction, research conducted jointly with development partners shows real yet marginal improvements in incorporating the multiple (social-ecological) layers of the farming system. Added emphasis on integrative system-level approaches and agroecological or biodiversity-driven measures can extend the reach of science to unlock transformative change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kris A. G. Wyckhuys
- Chrysalis Consulting, Danang 50000, Vietnam
- Institute for Plant Protection, China Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100193, China
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Saint Lucia 4072, Australia
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Blanc-Betes E, Gomez-Casanovas N, Hartman MD, Hudiburg TW, Khanna M, Parton WJ, DeLucia EH. Climate vs Energy Security: Quantifying the Trade-offs of BECCS Deployment and Overcoming Opportunity Costs on Set-Aside Land. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:19732-19748. [PMID: 37934080 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c05240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) sits at the nexus of the climate and energy security. We evaluated trade-offs between scenarios that support climate stabilization (negative emissions and net climate benefit) or energy security (ethanol production). Our spatially explicit model indicates that the foregone climate benefit from abandoned cropland (opportunity cost) increased carbon emissions per unit of energy produced by 14-36%, making geologic carbon capture and storage necessary to achieve negative emissions from any given energy crop. The toll of opportunity costs on the climate benefit of BECCS from set-aside land was offset through the spatial allocation of crops based on their individual biophysical constraints. Dedicated energy crops consistently outperformed mixed grasslands. We estimate that BECCS allocation to land enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) could capture up to 9 Tg C year-1 from the atmosphere, deliver up to 16 Tg CE year-1 in emissions savings, and meet up to 10% of the US energy statutory targets, but contributions varied substantially as the priority shifted from climate stabilization to energy provision. Our results indicate a significant potential to integrate energy security targets into sustainable pathways to climate stabilization but underpin the trade-offs of divergent policy-driven agendas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Blanc-Betes
- Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Nuria Gomez-Casanovas
- Texas A&M AgriLife Research Center, Texas A&M University, Vernon, Texas 76384, United States
- Rangeland, Wildlife & Fisheries Management Department, Texas A&M University, Vernon, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Melannie D Hartman
- Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Institute for Advancing Health Through Agriculture, Texas A&M University, Vernon, Texas 77845, United States
| | - Tara W Hudiburg
- Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, United States
| | - Madhu Khanna
- Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Department of Forest, Rangeland and Fire Science, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho 83844, United States
| | - William J Parton
- Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Institute for Advancing Health Through Agriculture, Texas A&M University, Vernon, Texas 77845, United States
| | - Evan H DeLucia
- Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Leverhulme Centre for Climate Change Mitigation, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, U.K
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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Perrot T, Rusch A, Gaba S, Bretagnolle V. Both long-term grasslands and crop diversity are needed to limit pest and weed infestations in agricultural landscapes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2300861120. [PMID: 38011572 PMCID: PMC10710047 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2300861120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Increasing landscape heterogeneity has been suggested to be an important strategy to strengthen natural pest control in crops, especially through enhancing the amount of seminatural habitats. Increasing crop diversity is also a promising strategy to complement or replace seminatural habitat when seminatural habitat is scarce. However, their relative or possibly interactive effects on pest and weed infestation remain poorly investigated, and the role of different types of seminatural habitats has been understudied. Using an extensive sampling effort in 974 arable fields across 7 y, we evaluated the separate and interactive effects of crop diversity (seven arable crop types) and the amount of four types of seminatural habitats (meadows, hay, forests, and hedgerows) in the landscape on pest and weed control. Meadows and crop diversity, respectively, supported insect pest and weed control services in agricultural landscapes through a complementarity effect. Crop diversity increased weed seed predation rate (by 16%) and reduced weed infestation (by 6%), whereas long-term grasslands (to a much higher degree than hay or woody habitats) increased insect pest predation rates (by 23%) and reduced pest infestation (by 19%) in most arable crops. Our results demonstrate that diversification of the agricultural landscape requires long-term grasslands as well as improved crop diversity to ensure the delivery of efficient pest and weed control services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Perrot
- Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR7372, CNRS and La Rochelle Université, Villiers-en-Bois79360, France
- Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement, UMR 1065 Santé et Agroécologie du Vignoble, Institut des Sciences de la Vigne et du Vin, Bordeaux Sciences Agro, Villenave d’Ornon33140, France
| | - Adrien Rusch
- Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement, UMR 1065 Santé et Agroécologie du Vignoble, Institut des Sciences de la Vigne et du Vin, Bordeaux Sciences Agro, Villenave d’Ornon33140, France
| | - Sabrina Gaba
- Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR7372, CNRS and La Rochelle Université, Villiers-en-Bois79360, France
- Long-Term Socio-Ecological Research site «Zone Atelier Plaine and Val de Sèvre», Villiers-en-Bois79360, France
- Unité sous contrat 1339, Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, Institut national de recherche pour l’agriculture, l’alimentation et l’environnement-CNRS-La Rochelle Université, Villiers-en-Bois79360, France
| | - Vincent Bretagnolle
- Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR7372, CNRS and La Rochelle Université, Villiers-en-Bois79360, France
- Long-Term Socio-Ecological Research site «Zone Atelier Plaine and Val de Sèvre», Villiers-en-Bois79360, France
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Yang X, Delgado-Baquerizo M, Niu Y, Christie P, Chen J, Hu H, Chen Y. Optimizing cropping systems to close the gap between economic profitability and environmental health. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 240:2498-2512. [PMID: 37846026 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Abstract
Supporting food security while maintaining ecosystem sustainability is one of the most important global challenges for humanity. Optimization of cropping systems is expected to promote the ecosystem services of agroecosystems. Yet, how and why cropping system influences the trade-offs between economic profitability and multiple ecosystem services remain poorly understood. We investigate the influence of six cropping systems on trade-offs between economic profitability and multiple ecosystem services after considering 36 agricultural ecosystem properties using field experiment data from 2020 to 2022. We show that designing cropping system is a critical tool to closing the gap between ecosystem sustainability and commercial profitability. Cropping system with three harvests within 2 yr had higher performance in overall ecosystem multiple services through enhancement of supporting, regulating, and economic performance without compromising provisioning compared with four other systems. These systems diminished the trade-off among multiple services, resulting in a 'win-win' situation for economics and multiple services. By contrast, the monoculture and double cropping systems lead to a strong trade-off between pairwise services including ecosystem health and profitability. Our work illustrates the substantial potential of rotation systems with three harvests within 2 yr in enforcing ecosystem services and closing the trade-offs among multiple agricultural ecosystem services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Yang
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, China Agricultural University, 100193, Beijing, China
| | - Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo
- Laboratorio de Biodiversidad y Funcionamiento Ecosistémico, Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla (IRNAS), CSIC, Ave Reina Mercedes 10, E-41012, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Yuxuan Niu
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, China Agricultural University, 100193, Beijing, China
| | - Peter Christie
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, China Agricultural University, 100193, Beijing, China
| | - Ji Chen
- Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, 8830, Tjele, Denmark
| | - Hangwei Hu
- School of Agriculture and Food, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic., 3010, Australia
| | - Yongliang Chen
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, China Agricultural University, 100193, Beijing, China
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Takola E, Bonfanti J, Seppelt R, Beckmann M. An open-access global database of meta-analyses investigating yield and biodiversity responses to different management practices. Data Brief 2023; 51:109696. [PMID: 37965610 PMCID: PMC10641118 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2023.109696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
We here present a database of evidence on the impact of agricultural management practices on biodiversity and yield. This database is the result of a systematic literature review, that aimed to identify meta-analyses that use as their response variables any measure of biodiversity and yield. After screening more than 1,086 titles and abstracts, we identified 33 relevant meta-analyses, from which we extracted the overall estimates, the subgroup estimates as well as all information related to them (effect size metric, taxonomic group, crop type etc.). We also extracted information relative to the empirical studies used for each meta-analysis and recorded the countries in which they took place and assessed the quality of each meta-analysis. Our dataset is publicly accessible and can be used for conducting second-order meta-analyses on the effect of management measures on species richness, taxon abundance, biomass and yields. It can also be used to create evidence maps on agriculture-related questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elina Takola
- Department of Computational Landscape Ecology, UFZ—Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Permoserstrasse 15, Leipzig, 04318, Germany
| | - Jonathan Bonfanti
- Eco&Sols, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Ralf Seppelt
- Department of Computational Landscape Ecology, UFZ—Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Permoserstrasse 15, Leipzig, 04318, Germany
- Institute of Geoscience & Geography, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstrasse 4, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Michael Beckmann
- Department of Computational Landscape Ecology, UFZ—Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Permoserstrasse 15, Leipzig, 04318, Germany
- Department of Agriculture, Ecotrophology and Landscape Development, Anhalt University of Applied Sciences, 06406 Bernburg, Germany
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Leclercq N, Marshall L, Weekers T, Basu P, Benda D, Bevk D, Bhattacharya R, Bogusch P, Bontšutšnaja A, Bortolotti L, Cabirol N, Calderón-Uraga E, Carvalho R, Castro S, Chatterjee S, De La Cruz Alquicira M, de Miranda JR, Dirilgen T, Dorchin A, Dorji K, Drepper B, Flaminio S, Gailis J, Galloni M, Gaspar H, Gikungu MW, Hatteland BA, Hinojosa-Diaz I, Hostinská L, Howlett BG, Hung KLJ, Hutchinson L, Jesus RO, Karklina N, Khan MS, Loureiro J, Men X, Molenberg JM, Mudri-Stojnić S, Nikolic P, Normandin E, Osterman J, Ouyang F, Oygarden AS, Ozolina-Pole L, Ozols N, Parra Saldivar A, Paxton RJ, Pitts-Singer T, Poveda K, Prendergast K, Quaranta M, Read SFJ, Reinhardt S, Rojas-Oropeza M, Ruiz C, Rundlöf M, Sade A, Sandberg C, Sgolastra F, Shah SF, Shebl MA, Soon V, Stanley DA, Straka J, Theodorou P, Tobajas E, Vaca-Uribe JL, Vera A, Villagra CA, Williams MK, Wolowski M, Wood TJ, Yan Z, Zhang Q, Vereecken NJ. Global taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity of bees in apple orchards. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 901:165933. [PMID: 37536603 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
An essential prerequisite to safeguard pollinator species is characterisation of the multifaceted diversity of crop pollinators and identification of the drivers of pollinator community changes across biogeographical gradients. The extent to which intensive agriculture is associated with the homogenisation of biological communities at large spatial scales remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated diversity drivers for 644 bee species/morphospecies in 177 commercial apple orchards across 33 countries and four global biogeographical biomes. Our findings reveal significant taxonomic dissimilarity among biogeographical zones. Interestingly, despite this dissimilarity, species from different zones share similar higher-level phylogenetic groups and similar ecological and behavioural traits (i.e. functional traits), likely due to habitat filtering caused by perennial monoculture systems managed intensively for crop production. Honey bee species dominated orchard communities, while other managed/manageable and wild species were collected in lower numbers. Moreover, the presence of herbaceous, uncultivated open areas and organic management practices were associated with increased wild bee diversity. Overall, our study sheds light on the importance of large-scale analyses contributing to the emerging fields of functional and phylogenetic diversity, which can be related to ecosystem function to promote biodiversity as a key asset in agroecosystems in the face of global change pressures.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Leclercq
- Agroecology Lab, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Boulevard du Triomphe CP 264/02, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium.
| | - L Marshall
- Agroecology Lab, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Boulevard du Triomphe CP 264/02, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium; Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Darwinweg 2, 2333 CR, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - T Weekers
- Agroecology Lab, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Boulevard du Triomphe CP 264/02, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - P Basu
- Centre for Pollination Studies, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India
| | - D Benda
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic; Department of Entomology, National Museum, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - D Bevk
- Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - R Bhattacharya
- Centre for Pollination Studies, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India
| | - P Bogusch
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Hradec Králové, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
| | - A Bontšutšnaja
- Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia
| | - L Bortolotti
- CREA Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment, Bologna, Italy
| | - N Cabirol
- Department of Ecology and Natural Resources, Faculty of Science, UNAM, México City, Mexico
| | - E Calderón-Uraga
- Department of Ecology and Natural Resources, Faculty of Science, UNAM, México City, Mexico
| | - R Carvalho
- Centre for Functional Ecology, Associate Laboratory TERRA, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - S Castro
- Centre for Functional Ecology, Associate Laboratory TERRA, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - S Chatterjee
- Centre for Pollination Studies, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India
| | - M De La Cruz Alquicira
- Department of Ecology and Natural Resources, Faculty of Science, UNAM, México City, Mexico
| | - J R de Miranda
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, 750 05, Sweden
| | - T Dirilgen
- School of Agriculture and Food Science and Earth Institute, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - A Dorchin
- Laboratory of Zoology, Université de Mons, Mons, Belgium; The Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Tel Aviv University, 69978 Tel Aviv, Israel; Department of Entomology, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium
| | - K Dorji
- College of Natural Resources, Royal University of Bhutan, Punakha, Bhutan
| | - B Drepper
- Division of Forest, Nature and Landscape, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - S Flaminio
- CREA Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment, Bologna, Italy; Laboratory of Zoology, Université de Mons, Mons, Belgium
| | - J Gailis
- Institute for Plant Protection Research Agrihorts, Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, Jelgava, Latvia
| | - M Galloni
- Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - H Gaspar
- Centre for Functional Ecology, Associate Laboratory TERRA, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - M W Gikungu
- Department of Zoology, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - B A Hatteland
- Division for Biotechnology and Plant Health, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, Aas, Norway; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - I Hinojosa-Diaz
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Biology, UNAM, México City, Mexico
| | - L Hostinská
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Hradec Králové, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
| | - B G Howlett
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited, Lincoln, Canterbury, New Zealand
| | - K-L J Hung
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3B2, Canada; Oklahoma Biological Survey, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA
| | - L Hutchinson
- School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom
| | - R O Jesus
- Graduate Program in Ecology, State University of Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - N Karklina
- Institute for Plant Protection Research Agrihorts, Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, Jelgava, Latvia
| | - M S Khan
- Department of Entomology, University of Agriculture, Peshawar, Pakistan
| | - J Loureiro
- Centre for Functional Ecology, Associate Laboratory TERRA, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - X Men
- Institute of Plant Protection, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences/Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Virology,Jinan 250100, China
| | - J-M Molenberg
- Agroecology Lab, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Boulevard du Triomphe CP 264/02, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - S Mudri-Stojnić
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 2, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - P Nikolic
- Faculty of Agriculture, University of Banja Luka, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - E Normandin
- Centre sur la biodiversité, Département des sciences biologiques, Université de Montréal, QC, Québec H1X 2B2, Canada
| | - J Osterman
- General Zoology, Institute for Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 8, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany; Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology, University of Freiburg, Tennenbacherstrasse 4, 79106, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - F Ouyang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - A S Oygarden
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health, University of South-Eastern Norway, Bø, Norway
| | - L Ozolina-Pole
- Institute for Plant Protection Research Agrihorts, Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, Jelgava, Latvia
| | - N Ozols
- Institute for Plant Protection Research Agrihorts, Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, Jelgava, Latvia
| | - A Parra Saldivar
- Instituto de Entomología, Universidad Metropolitana de Ciencias de la Educación (UMCE), Santiago, Chile
| | - R J Paxton
- General Zoology, Institute for Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 8, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - T Pitts-Singer
- USDA Agricultural Research Service, Pollinating Insects Research Unit, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - K Poveda
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, 4126 Comstock Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - K Prendergast
- Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
| | - M Quaranta
- CREA Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment, Bologna, Italy
| | - S F J Read
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited, Lincoln, Canterbury, New Zealand
| | - S Reinhardt
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health, University of South-Eastern Norway, Bø, Norway
| | - M Rojas-Oropeza
- Department of Ecology and Natural Resources, Faculty of Science, UNAM, México City, Mexico
| | - C Ruiz
- Departamento Biología Animal, Edafología y Geología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Laguna, La Laguna, 38206, Tenerife, Spain
| | - M Rundlöf
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - A Sade
- Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, University of Haifa, Mt. Carmel, 31905 Haifa, Israel
| | - C Sandberg
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden; Calluna AB, Husargatan 3, Malmö, 211 28, Sweden
| | - F Sgolastra
- Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - S F Shah
- Department of Entomology, University of Agriculture, Peshawar, Pakistan
| | - M A Shebl
- Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Suez Canal University, Ismailia 41522, Egypt
| | - V Soon
- Natural History Museum and Botanical Garden, University of Tartu, Vanemuise 46, 51003 Tartu, Estonia
| | - D A Stanley
- School of Agriculture and Food Science and Earth Institute, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - J Straka
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - P Theodorou
- General Zoology, Institute for Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 8, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - E Tobajas
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden; Department of Animal Biology, University of Salamanca, Campus Miguel de Unamuno, Salamanca, 37007, Spain
| | - J L Vaca-Uribe
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones en Abejas LABUN, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá,111321, Colombia
| | - A Vera
- Departamento de Biología, Universidad Metropolitana de Ciencias de la Educación (UMCE), Santiago, Chile
| | - C A Villagra
- Instituto de Entomología, Universidad Metropolitana de Ciencias de la Educación (UMCE), Santiago, Chile
| | - M-K Williams
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - M Wolowski
- Institute of Natural Sciences, Federal University of Alfenas, Alfenas, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - T J Wood
- Laboratory of Zoology, Université de Mons, Mons, Belgium
| | - Z Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Q Zhang
- Beijing Biodiversity Conservation Research Center/Beijing Milu Ecological Research Center, Beijing 100076, China
| | - N J Vereecken
- Agroecology Lab, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Boulevard du Triomphe CP 264/02, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
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Guinet M, Adeux G, Cordeau S, Courson E, Nandillon R, Zhang Y, Munier-Jolain N. Fostering temporal crop diversification to reduce pesticide use. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7416. [PMID: 37973850 PMCID: PMC10654721 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43234-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Temporal crop diversification could reduce pesticide use by increasing the proportion of crops with low pesticide use (dilution effects) or enhancing the regulation of pests, weeds and diseases (regulation effects). Here, we use the French National DEPHY Network to compare pesticide use between 16 main crops (dilution effect) and to assess whether temporal crop taxonomic and functional diversification, as implemented in commercial farms specialized in arable field crops, could explain variability in total pesticide use within 16 main crops (regulation effect). The analyses are based on 14,556 crop observations belonging to 1334 contrasted cropping systems spanning the diversity of French climatic regions. We find that cropping systems with high temporal crop diversity generally include crops with low pesticide use. For several crops, total pesticide use is reduced under higher temporal crop functional diversity, temporal crop taxonomic diversity, or both. Higher cover crop frequency increases total pesticide use through an increase in herbicide use. Further studies are required to identify crop sequences that maximize regulation and dilution effects while achieving other facets of cropping system multiperformance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maé Guinet
- Agroécologie, INRAE, Institut Agro, Univ. Bourgogne, Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, F-21000, Dijon, France.
| | - Guillaume Adeux
- Agroécologie, INRAE, Institut Agro, Univ. Bourgogne, Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, F-21000, Dijon, France
| | - Stéphane Cordeau
- Agroécologie, INRAE, Institut Agro, Univ. Bourgogne, Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, F-21000, Dijon, France
| | - Emeric Courson
- Agroécologie, INRAE, Institut Agro, Univ. Bourgogne, Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, F-21000, Dijon, France
| | - Romain Nandillon
- Agroécologie, INRAE, Institut Agro, Univ. Bourgogne, Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, F-21000, Dijon, France
| | - Yaoyun Zhang
- Agroécologie, INRAE, Institut Agro, Univ. Bourgogne, Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, F-21000, Dijon, France
| | - Nicolas Munier-Jolain
- Agroécologie, INRAE, Institut Agro, Univ. Bourgogne, Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, F-21000, Dijon, France
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38
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Kuipers KJJ, Sim S, Hilbers JP, van den Berg SK, de Jonge MMJ, Trendafilova K, Huijbregts MAJ, Schipper AM. Land use diversification may mitigate on-site land use impacts on mammal populations and assemblages. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:6234-6247. [PMID: 37665234 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
Land use is a major cause of biodiversity decline worldwide. Agricultural and forestry diversification measures, such as the inclusion of natural elements or diversified crop types, may reduce impacts on biodiversity. However, the extent to which such measures may compensate for the negative impacts of land use remains unknown. To fill that gap, we synthesised data from 99 studies that recorded mammal populations or assemblages in natural reference sites and in cropland and forest plantations, with or without diversification measures. We quantified the responses to diversification measures based on individual species abundance, species richness and assemblage intactness as quantified by the mean species abundance indicator. In cropland with natural elements, mammal species abundance and richness were, on average, similar to natural conditions, while in cropland without natural elements they were reduced by 28% and 34%, respectively. We found that mammal species richness was comparable between diversified forest plantations and natural reference sites, and 32% lower in plantations without natural elements. In both cropland and plantations, assemblage intactness was reduced compared with natural reference conditions, but the reduction was smaller if diversification measures were in place. In addition, we found that responses to land use were modified by species traits and environmental context. While habitat specialist populations were reduced in cropland without diversification and in forest plantations, habitat generalists benefited. Furthermore, assemblages were impacted more by land use in tropical regions and landscapes containing a larger share of (semi)natural habitat compared with temperate regions and more converted landscapes. Given that mammal assemblage intactness is reduced also when diversification measures are in place, special attention should be directed to species that suffer from land use impacts. That said, our results suggest potential for reconciling land use and mammal conservation, provided that the diversification measures do not compromise yield.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koen J J Kuipers
- Department of Environmental Science, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences (RIBES), Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Sarah Sim
- Department of Environmental Science, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences (RIBES), Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Safety and Environmental Assurance Centre (SEAC), Unilever R&D, Colworth Science Park, Sharnbrook, UK
| | - Jelle P Hilbers
- Department of Environmental Science, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences (RIBES), Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Stefanie K van den Berg
- Department of Environmental Science, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences (RIBES), Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Melinda M J de Jonge
- Department of Environmental Science, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences (RIBES), Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Krista Trendafilova
- Department of Environmental Science, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences (RIBES), Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Mark A J Huijbregts
- Department of Environmental Science, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences (RIBES), Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Aafke M Schipper
- Department of Environmental Science, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences (RIBES), Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, The Hague, The Netherlands
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Willcox BK, Potts SG, Brown MJF, Alix A, Al Naggar Y, Chauzat MP, Costa C, Gekière A, Hartfield C, Hatjina F, Knapp JL, Martínez-López V, Maus C, Metodiev T, Nazzi F, Osterman J, Raimets R, Strobl V, Van Oystaeyen A, Wintermantel D, Yovcheva N, Senapathi D. Emerging threats and opportunities to managed bee species in European agricultural systems: a horizon scan. Sci Rep 2023; 13:18099. [PMID: 37872212 PMCID: PMC10593766 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-45279-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Managed bee species provide essential pollination services that contribute to food security worldwide. However, managed bees face a diverse array of threats and anticipating these, and potential opportunities to reduce risks, is essential for the sustainable management of pollination services. We conducted a horizon scanning exercise with 20 experts from across Europe to identify emerging threats and opportunities for managed bees in European agricultural systems. An initial 63 issues were identified, and this was shortlisted to 21 issues through the horizon scanning process. These ranged from local landscape-level management to geopolitical issues on a continental and global scale across seven broad themes-Pesticides & pollutants, Technology, Management practices, Predators & parasites, Environmental stressors, Crop modification, and Political & trade influences. While we conducted this horizon scan within a European context, the opportunities and threats identified will likely be relevant to other regions. A renewed research and policy focus, especially on the highest-ranking issues, is required to maximise the value of these opportunities and mitigate threats to maintain sustainable and healthy managed bee pollinators within agricultural systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryony K Willcox
- Centre for Agri-Environmental Research, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6AR, UK.
| | - Simon G Potts
- Centre for Agri-Environmental Research, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6AR, UK
| | - Mark J F Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, UK
| | - Anne Alix
- Corteva Agriscience, Regulatory and Stewardship Europe, Middle East and Africa, Abingdon, UK
| | - Yahya Al Naggar
- General Zoology, Institute for Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 8, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
- Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Tanta, 31527, Egypt
- Unit of Bee Research and Honey Production, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, P.O. Box 9004, 61413, Abha, Saudi Arabia
| | - Marie-Pierre Chauzat
- ANSES, Sophia Antipolis Laboratory, Unit of Honey Bee Pathology, 06902, Sophia Antipolis, France
| | - Cecilia Costa
- CREA Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment, 40128, Bologna, Italy
| | - Antoine Gekière
- Laboratory of Zoology, Research Institute for Biosciences, University of Mons, Mons, Belgium
| | - Chris Hartfield
- National Farmers' Union, Agriculture House, Stoneleigh Park, Stoneleigh, Warwickshire, CV8 2TZ, UK
| | - Fani Hatjina
- Department of Apiculture, Institute of Animal Science, ELGO 'DIMITRA', 63200, Nea Moudania, Greece
| | - Jessica L Knapp
- Department of Botany, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Vicente Martínez-López
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
- Department of Zoology and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Murcia, 30100, Murcia, Spain
| | | | | | - Francesco Nazzi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agroalimentari, Ambientali e Animali, Università degli Studi di Udine, Udine, Italy
- National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
| | - Julia Osterman
- Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology, University of Freiburg, Tennenbacher Str. 4, 79106, Freiburg, Germany
- Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Risto Raimets
- Department of Plant Protection, Estonian University of Life Sciences, 51014, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Verena Strobl
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | | | - Dimitry Wintermantel
- Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology, University of Freiburg, Tennenbacher Str. 4, 79106, Freiburg, Germany
| | | | - Deepa Senapathi
- Centre for Agri-Environmental Research, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6AR, UK
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40
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Antichi D, Pampana S, Tramacere LG, Biarnes V, Stute I, Kadžiulienė Ž, Howard B, Duarte I, Balodis O, Bertin I, Makowski D, Guilpart N. An experimental dataset on yields of pulses across Europe. Sci Data 2023; 10:708. [PMID: 37848459 PMCID: PMC10582191 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-023-02606-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Future European agriculture should achieve high productivity while limiting its impact on the environment. Legume-supported crop rotations could contribute to these goals, as they request less nitrogen (N) fertilizer inputs, show high resource use efficiency and support biodiversity. However, legumes grown for their grain (pulses) are not widely cultivated in Europe. To further expand their cultivation, it remains crucial to better understand how different cropping and environmental features affect pulses production in Europe. To address this gap, we collected the grain yields of the most cultivated legumes across European countries, from both published scientific papers and unpublished experiments of the European projects LegValue and Legato. Data were integrated into an open-source, easily updatable dataset, including 5229 yield observations for five major pulses: chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), faba bean (Vicia faba L.), field pea (Pisum sativum L.), lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.), and soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.). These data were collected in 177 field experiments across 21 countries, from 37° N (southern Italy) to 63° N (Finland) of latitude, and from ca. 8° W (western Spain) to 47° E (Turkey), between 1980 and 2020. Our dataset can be used to quantify the effects of the soil, climate, and agronomic factors affecting pulses yields in Europe and could contribute to identifying the most suitable cropping areas in Europe to grow pulses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Antichi
- Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, Pisa, 56124, Italy.
- Centre for Agri-environmental Research "Enrico Avanzi", University of Pisa, Via Vecchia di Marina 2, San Piero a Grado, 56122, Italy.
| | - Silvia Pampana
- Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, Pisa, 56124, Italy
- Centre for Agri-environmental Research "Enrico Avanzi", University of Pisa, Via Vecchia di Marina 2, San Piero a Grado, 56122, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Gabriele Tramacere
- Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, Pisa, 56124, Italy
- Centre for Agri-environmental Research "Enrico Avanzi", University of Pisa, Via Vecchia di Marina 2, San Piero a Grado, 56122, Italy
| | - Véronique Biarnes
- Terres Inovia, Avenue Lucien Bretignières, Campus de Grignon, Thiverval-Grignon, 78850, France
| | - Ina Stute
- Fachhochschule Südwestfalen, Lübecker Ring 2, Soest, 59494, Germany
| | - Žydrė Kadžiulienė
- Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Instituto al. 1, Akademija, Kėdainiai, LT-58344, Lithuania
| | - Becky Howard
- PGRO Research Limited, The Research Station, Great North Road, Thornhaugh, Peterborough, PE8 6HJ, UK
| | - Isabel Duarte
- Instituto Nacional de Investigaçao Agraria e Veterinaria, Estrada de Gil Vaz, Apartado 6, 7351-901, Elvas, Portugal
| | - Oskars Balodis
- Faculty of Agriculture, Latvia University of Agriculture, Lielâ iela 2, Jelgava, LV-3001, Latvia
| | - Iris Bertin
- Université Paris-Saclay, AgroParisTech, INRAE, UMR Agronomie, 91120, Palaiseau, France
| | - David Makowski
- University Paris-Saclay, AgroParisTech, INRAE, UMR MIA Paris-Saclay, 91120, Palaiseau, France
| | - Nicolas Guilpart
- Université Paris-Saclay, AgroParisTech, INRAE, UMR Agronomie, 91120, Palaiseau, France
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Raveloaritiana E, Wurz A, Osen K, Soazafy MR, Grass I, Martin DA, Bemamy C, Ranarijaona HLT, Borgerson C, Kreft H, Hölscher D, Rakouth B, Tscharntke T. Complementary ecosystem services from multiple land uses highlight the importance of tropical mosaic landscapes. AMBIO 2023; 52:1558-1574. [PMID: 37286920 PMCID: PMC10460756 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-023-01888-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2022] [Revised: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Tropical agricultural landscapes often consist of a mosaic of different land uses, yet little is known about the spectrum of ecosystem service bundles and materials they provide to rural households. We interviewed 320 households on the different benefits received from prevalent land-use types in north-eastern Madagascar (old-growth forests, forest fragments, vanilla agroforests, woody fallows, herbaceous fallows, and rice paddies) in terms of ecosystem services and plant uses. Old-growth forests and forest fragments were reported as important for regulating services (e.g. water regulation), whilst fallow lands and vanilla agroforests as important for provisioning services (food, medicine, fodder). Households reported the usage of 285 plant species (56% non-endemics) and collected plants from woody fallows for varying purposes, whilst plants from forest fragments, predominantly endemics, were used for construction and weaving. Multiple land-use types are thus complementary for providing ecosystem services, with fallow lands being particularly important. Hence, balancing societal needs and conservation goals should be based on diversified and comprehensive land management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Estelle Raveloaritiana
- Plant Biology and Ecology Department, University of Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar.
- Agroecology, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany.
- Sustainable Agricultural Systems and Engineering Laboratory, School of Engineering, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Annemarie Wurz
- Agroecology, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Conservation Ecology, Department of Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Kristina Osen
- Tropical Silviculture and Forest Ecology, University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Marie Rolande Soazafy
- Tropical Silviculture and Forest Ecology, University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Natural and Environmental Sciences, Regional University Centre of the SAVA Region (CURSA), Antalaha, Madagascar
- Natural Ecosystems (EDEN), University of Mahajanga, Mahajanga, Madagascar
| | - Ingo Grass
- Ecology of Tropical Agricultural Systems, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Dominic Andreas Martin
- Biodiversity, Macroecology and Biogeography, University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Geography, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Claudine Bemamy
- Diversity Turn in Land Use Sciences Research Project, Sambava, Madagascar
| | | | - Cortni Borgerson
- Department of Anthropology, Montclair State University, Montclair, USA
| | - Holger Kreft
- Biodiversity, Macroecology and Biogeography, University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Centre for Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use (CBL), University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Dirk Hölscher
- Tropical Silviculture and Forest Ecology, University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Centre for Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use (CBL), University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Bakolimalala Rakouth
- Plant Biology and Ecology Department, University of Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Teja Tscharntke
- Agroecology, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Centre for Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use (CBL), University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
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Zeng S, Li J, Wanger TC. Agroecology, technology, and stakeholder awareness: Implementing the UN Food Systems Summit call for action. iScience 2023; 26:107510. [PMID: 37636044 PMCID: PMC10450411 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The global food system must meet the increasing demand for food, fiber, and energy while reducing environmental impacts. The UN Food System Summit (UNFSS) has made a clear call to action for a global food systems transformation. We argue that three major discrepancies remain, potentially delaying the urgent implementation of the call to action. First, Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are not sufficiently focused on agriculture, leading to funding allocation issues. Second, a mismatch of agroecology with technology innovations may slow scaling agroecological farming. Lastly, agricultural diversification must move beyond organic landscapes and into conventional agriculture. As a solution, principles of NbS should be clear on agricultural integration. Moreover, stakeholder awareness must increase that agroecology does not necessarily conflict with agricultural technologies. Future agricultural models must apply measures such as agricultural diversification in conjunction with technology innovations to then ascertain an overall timely and successful implementation of the UNFSS call to action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyan Zeng
- College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Sustainable Agricultural Systems & Engineering Lab, School of Engineering, Westlake University, 18 Shilongshan Road, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Coastal Environment and Resources of Zhejiang Province, School of Engineering, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Juan Li
- Sustainable Agricultural Systems & Engineering Lab, School of Engineering, Westlake University, 18 Shilongshan Road, Hangzhou, China
- Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
| | - Thomas Cherico Wanger
- Sustainable Agricultural Systems & Engineering Lab, School of Engineering, Westlake University, 18 Shilongshan Road, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Coastal Environment and Resources of Zhejiang Province, School of Engineering, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China
- GlobalAgroforestryNetwork.org, Hangzhou, China
- ChinaRiceNetwork.org, Hangzhou, China
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44
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He X, Batáry P, Zou Y, Zhou W, Wang G, Liu Z, Bai Y, Gong S, Zhu Z, Settele J, Zhang Z, Qi Z, Peng Z, Ma M, Lv J, Cen H, Wanger TC. Agricultural diversification promotes sustainable and resilient global rice production. NATURE FOOD 2023; 4:788-796. [PMID: 37696964 DOI: 10.1038/s43016-023-00836-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023]
Abstract
Rice is a staple food for half of the human population, but the effects of diversification on yields, economy, biodiversity and ecosystem services have not been synthesized. Here we quantify diversification effects on environmental and socio-economic aspects of global rice production. We performed a second-order meta-analysis based on 25 first-order meta-analyses covering four decades of research, showing that diversification can maintain soil fertility, nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration and yield. We used three individual first-order meta-analyses based on 39 articles to close major research gaps on the effects of diversification on economy, biodiversity and pest control, showing that agricultural diversification can increase biodiversity by 40%, improve economy by 26% and reduce crop damage by 31%. Trade-off analysis showed that agricultural diversification in rice production promotes win-win scenarios between yield and other ecosystem services in 81% of all cases. Knowledge gaps remain in understanding the spatial and temporal effects of specific diversification practices and trade-offs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueqing He
- Sustainable Agricultural Systems & Engineering Laboratory, School of Engineering, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China.
- ChinaRiceNetwork.org, Hangzhou, China.
- Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, China.
| | - Péter Batáry
- 'Lendület' Landscape and Conservation Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Botany, Centre for Ecological Research, Vácrátót, Hungary
| | - Yi Zou
- ChinaRiceNetwork.org, Hangzhou, China
- Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
| | - Wenwu Zhou
- ChinaRiceNetwork.org, Hangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology & Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogen and Insect Pests, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Guanghua Wang
- ChinaRiceNetwork.org, Hangzhou, China
- Institute of Plant Protection, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Zhanyu Liu
- ChinaRiceNetwork.org, Hangzhou, China
- Asia Hub, Sanya Institute of Nanjing Agricultural University, Sanya, China
| | - Yaoyu Bai
- ChinaRiceNetwork.org, Hangzhou, China
- College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Shanxing Gong
- Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
| | - Zengrong Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology & Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogen and Insect Pests, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Josef Settele
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Halle, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biological Sciences, University of the Philippines Los Banos, College, Laguna, Philippines
| | - Zhongxue Zhang
- ChinaRiceNetwork.org, Hangzhou, China
- School of Water and Civil Engineering, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
- Key Laboratory of Effective Utilization of Agricultural Water Resources, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Zhijuan Qi
- ChinaRiceNetwork.org, Hangzhou, China
- School of Water and Civil Engineering, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
- Key Laboratory of Effective Utilization of Agricultural Water Resources, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Zhaopu Peng
- ChinaRiceNetwork.org, Hangzhou, China
- Plant Protection Institute, Hunan Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Changsha, China
| | - Mingyong Ma
- ChinaRiceNetwork.org, Hangzhou, China
- Plant Protection Institute, Hunan Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Changsha, China
| | - Jin Lv
- ChinaRiceNetwork.org, Hangzhou, China
- Huzhou Plant Protection Quarantine Soil and Fertilizer Management Station, Huzhou, China
| | - Haiyan Cen
- ChinaRiceNetwork.org, Hangzhou, China
- College of Biosystems Engineering and Food Science, and State Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instrumentation, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Spectroscopy Sensing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Hangzhou, China
| | - Thomas Cherico Wanger
- Sustainable Agricultural Systems & Engineering Laboratory, School of Engineering, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China.
- ChinaRiceNetwork.org, Hangzhou, China.
- Key Laboratory of Coastal Environment and Resources of Zhejiang Province, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China.
- Agroecology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
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Kedward K, Zu Ermgassen S, Ryan-Collins J, Wunder S. Heavy reliance on private finance alone will not deliver conservation goals. Nat Ecol Evol 2023; 7:1339-1342. [PMID: 37308705 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02098-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Katie Kedward
- Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose, University College London, London, UK.
| | | | - Josh Ryan-Collins
- Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose, University College London, London, UK
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46
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Makowski D, Catarino R, Chen M, Bosco S, Montero-Castaño A, Pérez-Soba M, Schievano A, Tamburini G. Synthesising results of meta-analyses to inform policy: a comparison of fast-track methods. ENVIRONMENTAL EVIDENCE 2023; 12:16. [PMID: 39294676 PMCID: PMC11378786 DOI: 10.1186/s13750-023-00309-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2024]
Abstract
Statistical synthesis of data sets (meta-analysis, MA) has become a popular approach for providing scientific evidence to inform environmental and agricultural policy. As the number of published MAs is increasing exponentially, multiple MAs are now often available on a specific topic, delivering sometimes conflicting conclusions. To synthesise several MAs, a first approach is to extract the primary data of all the MAs and make a new MA of all data. However, this approach is not always compatible with the short period of time available to respond to a specific policy request. An alternative, and faster, approach is to synthesise the results of the MAs directly, without going back to the primary data. However, the reliability of this approach is not well known. In this paper, we evaluate three fast-track methods for synthesising the results of MAs without using the primary data. The performances of these methods are then compared to a global MA of primary data. Results show that two of the methods tested can yield similar conclusions when compared to global MA of primary data, especially when the level of redundancy between MAs is low. We show that the use of biased MAs can reduce the reliability of the conclusions derived from these methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Makowski
- Unit Applied Mathematics and Computer Science (MIA Paris-Saclay), INRAE AgroParisTech Université Paris-Saclay, 91120, Palaiseau, France.
| | - Rui Catarino
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Ispra, Italy
| | - Mathilde Chen
- Unit Applied Mathematics and Computer Science (MIA Paris-Saclay), INRAE AgroParisTech Université Paris-Saclay, 91120, Palaiseau, France
| | - Simona Bosco
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Ispra, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Giovanni Tamburini
- Department of Soil, Plant and Food Sciences (DiSSPA - Entomology and Zoology), University of Bari, 70126, Bari, Italy
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Gfeller V, Waelchli J, Pfister S, Deslandes-Hérold G, Mascher F, Glauser G, Aeby Y, Mestrot A, Robert CAM, Schlaeppi K, Erb M. Plant secondary metabolite-dependent plant-soil feedbacks can improve crop yield in the field. eLife 2023; 12:e84988. [PMID: 37526647 PMCID: PMC10393292 DOI: 10.7554/elife.84988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Plant secondary metabolites that are released into the rhizosphere alter biotic and abiotic soil properties, which in turn affect the performance of other plants. How this type of plant-soil feedback affects agricultural productivity and food quality in the field in the context of crop rotations is unknown. Here, we assessed the performance, yield and food quality of three winter wheat varieties growing in field plots whose soils had been conditioned by either wild type or benzoxazinoid-deficient bx1 maize mutant plants. Following maize cultivation, we detected benzoxazinoid-dependent chemical and microbial fingerprints in the soil. The benzoxazinoid fingerprint was still visible during wheat growth, but the microbial fingerprint was no longer detected. Wheat emergence, tillering, growth, and biomass increased in wild type conditioned soils compared to bx1 mutant conditioned soils. Weed cover was similar between soil conditioning treatments, but insect herbivore abundance decreased in benzoxazinoid-conditioned soils. Wheat yield was increased by over 4% without a reduction in grain quality in benzoxazinoid-conditioned soils. This improvement was directly associated with increased germination and tillering. Taken together, our experiments provide evidence that soil conditioning by plant secondary metabolite producing plants can increase yield via plant-soil feedbacks under agronomically realistic conditions. If this phenomenon holds true across different soils and environments, optimizing root exudation chemistry could be a powerful, genetically tractable strategy to enhance crop yields without additional inputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentin Gfeller
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Jan Waelchli
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Fabio Mascher
- Department of Plant Breeding, Agroscope, Nyon, Switzerland
| | - Gaetan Glauser
- Platform of Analytical Chemistry, Université de Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Yvo Aeby
- Research contracts animals group, Agroscope, Posieux, Switzerland
| | - Adrien Mestrot
- Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | | | - Klaus Schlaeppi
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Matthias Erb
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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Dittmer KM, Rose S, Snapp SS, Kebede Y, Brickman S, Shelton S, Egler C, Stier M, Wollenberg E. Agroecology Can Promote Climate Change Adaptation Outcomes Without Compromising Yield In Smallholder Systems. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 72:333-342. [PMID: 37004534 PMCID: PMC10287806 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-023-01816-x] [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: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
A critical question is whether agroecology can promote climate change mitigation and adaptation outcomes without compromising food security. We assessed the outcomes of smallholder agricultural systems and practices in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) against 35 mitigation, adaptation, and yield indicators by reviewing 50 articles with 77 cases of agroecological treatments relative to a baseline of conventional practices. Crop yields were higher for 63% of cases reporting yields. Crop diversity, income diversity, net income, reduced income variability, nutrient regulation, and reduced pest infestation, indicators of adaptative capacity, were associated with 70% or more of cases. Limited information on climate change mitigation, such as greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sequestration impacts, was available. Overall, the evidence indicates that use of organic nutrient sources, diversifying systems with legumes and integrated pest management lead to climate change adaptation in multiple contexts. Landscape mosaics, biological control (e.g., enhancement of beneficial organisms) and field sanitation measures do not yet have sufficient evidence based on this review. Widespread adoption of agroecological practices and system transformations shows promise to contribute to climate change services and food security in LMICs. Gaps in adaptation and mitigation strategies and areas for policy and research interventions are finally discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle M Dittmer
- Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Calí, Colombia.
| | - Sabrina Rose
- Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Calí, Colombia
| | - Sieglinde S Snapp
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Texcoco, Mexico
- Michigan State University (MSU), East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Yodit Kebede
- Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Calí, Colombia
- French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD), Marseille, France
| | | | - Sadie Shelton
- Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Calí, Colombia
- University of Vermont (UVM), Burlington, VT, USA
- The Gund Institute for Environment, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
| | | | - Milena Stier
- University of Vermont (UVM), Burlington, VT, USA
| | - Eva Wollenberg
- Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Calí, Colombia
- University of Vermont (UVM), Burlington, VT, USA
- The Gund Institute for Environment, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
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49
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Knapp J, Sciarretta A. Agroecology: protecting, restoring, and promoting biodiversity. BMC Ecol Evol 2023; 23:29. [PMID: 37403030 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-023-02140-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The global food system is the predominant driver of biodiversity loss. Consequently, there is an increasing need to transition towards more sustainable and resilient agri-food systems to protect, restore and promote biodiversity. To help address this issue, BMC Ecology and Evolution has launched a new article Collection on agroecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Knapp
- Department of Botany, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Andrea Sciarretta
- Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy
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50
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Connors K, Jaacks LM, Awasthi A, Becker K, Bezner Kerr R, Fivian E, Gelli A, Harris-Fry H, Heckert J, Kadiyala S, Martinez E, Santoso MV, Young SL, Bliznashka L. Women's empowerment, production choices, and crop diversity in Burkina Faso, India, Malawi, and Tanzania: a secondary analysis of cross-sectional data. Lancet Planet Health 2023; 7:e558-e569. [PMID: 37437997 DOI: 10.1016/s2542-5196(23)00125-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bolstering farm-level crop diversity is one strategy to strengthen food system resilience and achieve global food security. Women who live in rural areas play an essential role in food production; therefore, we aimed to assess the associations between women's empowerment and crop diversity. METHODS In this secondary analysis of cross-sectional data, we used data from four cluster-randomised controlled trials done in Burkina Faso, India, Malawi, and Tanzania. We assessed women's empowerment using indicators from the Women's Empowerment in Agriculture Index. Farm-level crop diversity measures were the number of food crops grown, number of food groups grown, and if nutrient-dense crops were grown. We used a two-stage modelling approach. First, we analysed covariate-adjusted country-specific associations between women's empowerment and crop diversity indicators using multivariable generalised linear models. Second, we pooled country-specific associations using random-effects models. FINDINGS The final analytic sample included 1735 women from Burkina Faso, 4450 women from India, 547 women from Malawi, and 574 women from Tanzania. Across all countries, compared with households in which women provided input into fewer productive decisions, households of women with greater input into productive decisions produced more food crops (mean difference 0·36 [95% CI 0·16-0·55]), a higher number of food groups (mean difference 0·16 [0·06-0·25]), and more nutrient-dense crops (percentage point difference 3 [95% CI 3-4]). Across all countries, each additional community group a woman actively participated in was associated with cultivating a higher number of food crops (mean difference 0·20 [0·04-0·35]) and a higher number of food groups (mean difference 0·11 [0·03-0·18]), but not more nutrient-dense crops. In pooled associations from Burkina Faso and India, asset ownership was associated with cultivating a higher number of food crops (mean difference 0·08 [0·04-0·12]) and a higher number of food groups (mean difference 0·05 [0·04-0·07]), but not more nutrient-dense crops. INTERPRETATION Greater women's empowerment was associated with higher farm-level crop diversity among low-income agricultural households, suggesting that it could help enhance efforts to strengthen food system resilience. FUNDING Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaela Connors
- Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Systems, University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, UK
| | - Lindsay M Jaacks
- Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Systems, University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, UK
| | | | - Karoline Becker
- Department of International Development, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Emily Fivian
- Department of Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Aulo Gelli
- International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Helen Harris-Fry
- Department of Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Jessica Heckert
- International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Suneetha Kadiyala
- Department of Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Elena Martinez
- Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Sera L Young
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Lilia Bliznashka
- Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Systems, University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, UK; International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, USA.
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