| 1. |
- Andersson, Björn, et al.
(författare)
-
Comparison of models for leaf blotch disease management in wheat based on historical yield and weather data in the Nordic-Baltic region
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Agronomy for Sustainable Development. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1774-0746 .- 1773-0155. ; 42
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Validation of models for plant disease management is a crucial part in the development of decision support systems in plant protection. Bespoke field trials are usually conducted to determine the performance of a model under practical conditions. However, field trials are very resource-demanding, and the use of already existing field trial data could significantly reduce costs for model validation. In this study, we took this novel approach to verify the performance of models for determining the need of fungicide applications against leaf blotch diseases in wheat by utilising historical weather data and yield data available from fungicide efficacy field trials. Two models based on humidity factors were used in the study. To estimate how specific humidity settings in the two models affect the number of recommended fungicide treatments per season, historical weather data from a 5-year period from weather stations in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Lithuania was used. The model output shows major differences between seasons and regions, typically recommending between one and three treatments per season. To determine the prediction potential of the models, data on yield gains from either one or two fungicide applications in fungicide efficacy trials conducted in wheat over a 5-year period in the five countries was utilised. The yield responses from fungicide treatments in the efficacy trials varied considerably between years and countries, as did the proportion of predictions of profitable treatments. In general, there was a tendency for the models to overestimate the need to apply fungicides (low specificity), but they rarely failed to recommend an application that was needed (high sensitivity). Despite the importance of having specific trials across regions in order to adjust models to local cropping and weather conditions, our study shows that historical weather data and existing field trial data have the potential to be used in model validation.
|
|
| 2. |
- Bargaz, Adnane
(författare)
-
Agroforestry promotes soybean yield stability and N-2-fixation under water stress
- 2015
-
Ingår i: Agronomy for Sustainable Development. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1774-0746 .- 1773-0155. ; 35, s. 1541-1549
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Agroforestry systems can buffer crop performance against the impacts of climate change, particularly decreases in the availability of soil water. Nonetheless, farmers are reluctant to adopt agroforestry systems due to concerns of yield losses, predominantly in the tree-crop competitive zone. Yet little is known about crop performance in the tree-crop competitive zone under water limited conditions. We therefore studied the effect of a full season water deficit on soybean N-2-fixation, nodulation, and yield in the tree-crop zone of a mature agroforestry system. We hypothesized higher N-2-fixation yet lower but stable yield in the tree-crop zone. Rainfall reduction shelters were used to reduce available soil moisture throughout the growing season in the tree-crop competitive zone of a 27-year-old tree-based intercropping agroforestry system and a paired monoculture control plot in southern Ontario, Canada. Results show that soybean yields in the tree-crop zone were lower compared to monoculture. However, soybean yields were stable in agroforestry and only in monoculture did the rainfall reduction induce a significant decline in soybean yields. Soybeans in the tree-crop zone relied heavily on N-2-fixation to meet N demand, with a percentage of N derived from atmosphere (%Ndfa) of 91 % versus 63 % in monoculture. However, total fixed N declined significantly under rainfall reduction in both the tree-crop zone and in monoculture. Of note, soybean nodulation patterns adapted to soil moisture availability, allocating a larger proportion of nodules lower on the rooting system under water limitation. Our results demonstrate that important N pathways may be altered under water limitation. We can also expect that in areas where growing conditions are predicted to become drier in the future, yields in the tree-crop competitive zone will not be reduced further, thus increasing the viability of adopting agroforestry systems in areas affected by climatic change.
|
|
| 3. |
- Bernes, Gun
(författare)
-
High work satisfaction despite high workload among European organic mixed livestock farmers: a mixed-method approach
- 2023
-
Ingår i: Agronomy for Sustainable Development. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1774-0746 .- 1773-0155. ; 43
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Organic mixed livestock farming offers a range of potential benefits for the environment. Due to the diversification of enterprises, this farming system can be associated with a high workload, which means that it could be socially unsustainable. The aim of this study was to understand and explain work satisfaction of farmers running an organic mixed livestock farm. Using a mixed-method approach, quantitative and qualitative data were collected from 102 farmers in seven European countries during face-to-face interviews. We showed for the first time that across Europe and different animal species and category combinations, organic mixed livestock farms can provide a high work satisfaction, despite a high workload. By using a mixed-method approach and a clear framework, we aimed at better understanding work satisfaction. Underlying reasons for work satisfaction included the diversity of tasks, opportunities to learn, autonomy in the work schedule, perceived acknowledgement by consumers, and the contribution to sustainable food production. Factors contributing to work satisfaction identified in the analysis of quantitative data included workload, number of livestock units, mental complexity, proportion of work peaks per year, and the match between wanted free time and time taken off work. The combination of qualitative and quantitative data allowed a deeper understanding of farmers’ work satisfaction and revealed consistent findings. Future research should investigate the relationship between farmers’ work satisfaction and capacity for innovation, flexibility, and adaptation potential.
|
|
| 4. |
- Bernes, Gun, et al.
(författare)
-
Interactions between animal enterprises and marketing strategies shape organic multispecies farming systems
- 2023
-
Ingår i: Agronomy for Sustainable Development. - 1774-0746 .- 1773-0155. ; 43
-
Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- One of the key ways to improve the sustainability of agricultural systems is through diversification, taking advantage of synergies between farm enterprises. Among diversified systems, multispecies livestock farms with at least two animal enterprises have rarely been studied. We explored 95 organic farms from six countries, accounting for the proportion of animal enterprises, sales management, workforce size, and work organization. The study reveals various types of interactions between animal enterprises. Complementarities were observed between ruminant and monogastric enterprises, particularly fertilizer transfer from monogastric manure to grasslands. Milk production was often associated with on-farm processing and short distribution channels, which enhanced farm viability and reduced its dependency on herd productivity. Eleven out of the 95 farms combined above-average production efficiency, on-farm processing, and the majority of sales in short distribution channels. Their labor productivity converged toward 22 livestock units per annual work unit, regardless of the number of workers. Combining farm structure; livestock production efficiency; social elements, such as the workforce; and sales management led us to distinguish four types of farms: (i) small and very autonomous grassland farms with on-farm processing and short distribution channels; (ii) dairy farms associated with a high-density pig or poultry enterprise, whose feed purchase contributes to high rates of cattle feeding self-sufficiency and stocking rate; (iii) large farms with an extensive, grassland beef enterprise associated with either sheep or monogastrics; and (iv) dairy sheep associated with goat or beef cattle on rangelands, with high added-value products enhancing salaries. This study highlights for the first time the diversity of organic multispecies livestock farms and how consistent patterns of interactions among farm structure, livestock management, sales management, and workforce management shape them. The results are a preliminary basis for designing policy interventions aiming to scale up organic farming and value social assets of diversified and small farms.
|
|
| 5. |
- Caron, Patrick, et al.
(författare)
-
Food systems for sustainable development : proposals for a profound four-part transformation
- 2018
-
Ingår i: Agronomy for Sustainable Development. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1774-0746 .- 1773-0155. ; 38:4
-
Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Evidence shows the importance of food systems for sustainable development: they are at the nexus that links food security, nutrition, and human health, the viability of ecosystems, climate change, and social justice. However, agricultural policies tend to focus on food supply, and sometimes, on mechanisms to address negative externalities. We propose an alternative. Our starting point is that agriculture and food systems' policies should be aligned to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This calls for deep changes in comparison with the paradigms that prevailed when steering the agricultural change in the XXth century. We identify the comprehensive food systems transformation that is needed. It has four parts: first, food systems should enable all people to benefit from nutritious and healthy food. Second, they should reflect sustainable agricultural production and food value chains. Third, they should mitigate climate change and build resilience. Fourth, they should encourage a renaissance of rural territories. The implementation of the transformation relies on (i) suitable metrics to aid decision-making, (ii) synergy of policies through convergence of local and global priorities, and (iii) enhancement of development approaches that focus on territories. We build on the work of the Milano Group, an informal group of experts convened by the UN Secretary General in Milan in 2015. Backed by a literature review, what emerges is a strategic narrative linking climate, agriculture and food, and calling for a deep transformation of food systems at scale. This is critical for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement. The narrative highlights the needed consistency between global actions for sustainable development and numerous local-level innovations. It emphasizes the challenge of designing differentiated paths for food systems transformation responding to local and national expectations. Scientific and operational challenges are associated with the alignment and arbitration of local action within the context of global priorities.
|
|
| 6. |
- Chongtham Iman, Raj
(författare)
-
Identification and description of relationships between actors involved in crop diversification experiences across Europe
- 2023
-
Ingår i: Agronomy for Sustainable Development. - 1774-0746 .- 1773-0155. ; 43
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Agriculture can benefit from crop diversification to facilitate its transition to more sustainable agrifood systems. However, these practices remain rare in Europe. One major barrier is the existence of sociotechnical lock-ins. To clarify the dynamics at work, we analyzed the relationships between actors involved in 23 crop diversification experiences across 11 European countries. The novelty of this paper lies in the systemic analysis of the network of actors involved in crop diversification experiences. Using data from qualitative interviews and cognitive mapping approaches, we identify and describe the role of actors and the key relationships in crop diversification and detect relationships that are currently missing. Our study shows that in the different European countries, similar relationships act as levers or barriers to crop diversification, with farmers and researchers playing a crucial role. The most important cognitive factors that influence the choice of farmers to diversify are environmental and health concerns and the desire to make profit and innovate. We relate the cognitive factors to organizational, technical, economic, and political factors and suggest levers for crop diversification based on successful crop diversification experiences.
|
|
| 7. |
- Chopin, Pierre, et al.
(författare)
-
Avenues for improving farming sustainability assessment with upgraded tools, sustainability framing and indicators. A review
- 2021
-
Ingår i: Agronomy for Sustainable Development. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1774-0746 .- 1773-0155. ; 41
-
Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- The sustainability of agriculture is questioned due to major negative environmental and socioeconomic impacts. To improve the state of agriculture, various management changes have been proposed. Different tools, with varying characteristics, sustainability framing and indicators, have been used to evaluate the impact of these changes on sustainability. Here, we review 119 tools for farm sustainability assessment and compare their use, sustainability dimensions, themes and types of indicators used for biodiversity conservation, farm viability and gender equity. Our main findings are that (1) tools could be classified into five groups that differ in stakeholder participation and model used for calculating sustainability, (2) seven different sustainability framings are used and (3) only two out of 29 indicators screened address impacts of farming system while the others address drivers, pressures or states of the system. The tools were grouped in "Long-term monitoring of farm activities" (11%), "Ex-ante assessment of sustainability with bioeconomic models" (9%), "Survey- and indicator-based assessment of tools" (41%), "Consultation-based assessment" (25%) and "Active engagement of stakeholder-based assessment" (14%). The "classical view of sustainability", with the economic, social and environmental pillars, was used in 61% of the papers. Based on these findings, we suggest (1) development of temporal dynamic assessment of farm sustainability with active involvement of stakeholders in the framing of sustainability and design of indicators to achieve reliable and relevant assessment outcomes. We recommend (2) adoption of more complex sustainability framings dealing with emerging system properties, namely resilience, viability and stability. In these, (3) governance/institutional dimensions should be emphasised, and social themes targeting farmers' characteristics should be included. Finally, (4) use of impact indicators in farm sustainability assessments is critical, and they should be designed to contribute to scientifically rigorous and relevant assessments of farming system sustainability.
|
|
| 8. |
- Chopin, Pierre, et al.
(författare)
-
The reflection of principles and values in worldwide organic agricultural research viewed through a crop diversification lens. A bibliometric review
- 2023
-
Ingår i: Agronomy for Sustainable Development. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1774-0746 .- 1773-0155. ; 43
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Organic agriculture and organic food have expanded in recent decades but have undergone conventionalisation. Some claim that this contradicts some or all of the principles of ‘health’, ‘ecology’, ‘fairness’ and ‘care’ established by the International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movement (IFOAM). It is currently unclear how research on organic food/agriculture is structured, whether it embraces these principles, or how key crop diversification, driving sustainability, are addressed. To fill these knowledge gaps, we conducted a bibliometric analysis of 10,030 peer-reviewed articles published from 1945 to 2021 with topic and textual analysis. Our main findings were the following: (1) research is compartmentalised into scales and disciplines, with at field-scale ‘weed’, ‘soil’, ‘pest and disease’ management and ‘livestock farming’ seldom addressed together, or with environmental assessment separated from socioeconomic studies at farm scale. (2) The proportion of publications on ‘consumers’ preferences’ and ‘product quality’ research almost tripled in 20 years, from 10 to 27%, emphasizing the consumer orientation of research on organic agriculture and organic food. (3) Only 4% of articles covered all four IFOAM principles, while associated values such as ‘resilience’, ‘integrity’, ‘equity’, ‘transparency’ and ‘justice’ were even less frequently addressed. (4) Fewer diversification practices have been tested in organic than in conventional agriculture research, with fewer articles on ‘crop mixtures’ or ‘bee-friendly crops’ and a smaller range of legumes considered. (5) Research on genetic improvement and processing of organic legumes is lacking, which could constrain adoption of legumes in organic farming even more than in conventional agriculture. These results indicate a need for increasing interdisciplinary efforts at field level, with systematic measurement of multiple processes (weed-nutrient-pest dynamics). Future studies on organic agriculture should combine several diversification practices and legumes, with relevant indicators addressing the IFOAM values explicitly, and consider the whole value chain by linking producers with consumers.
|
|
| 9. |
- Dahlin, Sigrun
(författare)
-
Yield and labor relations of sustainable intensification options for smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. A meta-analysis
- 2019
-
Ingår i: Agronomy for Sustainable Development. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1774-0746 .- 1773-0155. ; 39
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Sustainable intensification of agricultural production is needed to ensure increased productivity relative to inputs. Short-term yield returns and labor input are major determinants of the fate of sustainable intensification options on smallholder farms in sub-Saharan Africa because labor shortage is often acute, and most farmers lack access to labor-saving technologies. We assessed the relationship between maize grain yield change and labor input from a total of 28 published papers (631 data pairs) including subsets of data pairs within specific sustainable intensification practices. Among the reviewed technologies, manually dug planting basins showed ratios between the change in yield and change in labor inputs (Y/L) below 1, suggesting that labor demand increased more than yield. In contrast, ridging showed average Y/L values 2. No-till showed high Y/L (average1.7) when combined with herbicides but average Y/L 1 (total labor) when manually weeded. Manually weeded rotations showed average Y/L 1 and manually weeded intercropping systems average Y/L around 1. The relations revealed four scenarios: high yield returns but low labor demand, high yield returns and labor demand, low yield returns and labor demand, and low yield returns but high labor demand. High yield with high labor demand requires mostly investments in machinery and/or herbicides to reduce labor input. Low yield with low labor demand requires improved crop management, whereas low yield with high labor demand requires a combination of improved crop management and investments to reduce labor. This is the first comprehensive assessment showing that the sustainable intensification options being considered for smallholder farmers may increase crop yield but also labor demand. Options that include mechanization and herbicides at low cost are likely to be adopted due to their reduction effect on drudgery and total labor input.
|
|
| 10. |
- Darnhofer, Ika, et al.
(författare)
-
Adaptiveness to enhance the sustainability of farming systems : A review
- 2010
-
Ingår i: Agronomy for Sustainable Development. - : Springer. - 1774-0746 .- 1773-0155. ; 30, s. 545-555
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- During the last decade the context in which farmers must manage their farm has changed rapidly, and often with little warning. Dramatic price swings for agricultural commodities, more stringent quality requirements, new environmental regulations, the debates surrounding genetically modified crops, extreme climatic events, the demand for energy crops, the revision of the Common Agricultural Policy and the consequences of the financial crisis all create uncertainty regarding future threats and potentials. During such turbulent times, a one-sided focus on efficient production is no longer enough. Farmers also need to be able to cope with unexpected events and to adapt to new developments. Based on a literature review, we identify three strategies that strengthen the adaptive capacity of a farm: learning through experimenting and monitoring its outcomes, ensuring a flexible farm organisation to increase the options for new activities by the farm family, and diversifying to spread risks and create buffers. Implementing these strategies enlarges the farmer's room to manoeuvre and allows identifying transition options. These options do not depend only on the farm itself, but also on the farmer's ability to mobilise external resources and to engage in collective action. Change is then no longer seen as a disturbance, but as a trigger for the reorganisation of resources, and for the renewal of the farm organisation and activities. Implementing these strategies comes at a cost, so that farmers need to tackle the inevitable trade-offs between efficiency and adaptability. However, unless farmers master this challenge they cannot ensure the sustainability of their farms.
|
|
