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Land
Special Issues
Sustainable Agriculture and Land Preservation: Tools and Innovation
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Sustainable Agriculture and Land Preservation: Tools and Innovation

A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Land Socio-Economic and Political Issues".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2022) | Viewed by 13901

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Rachid Mrabet

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Guest Editor
National Institute of Agronomic Research (INRA), RP 415, Rabat, Morocco
Interests: climate smart agriculture; conservation agriculture; cropping systems agronomy; soil physics & hydrology; soil quality and carbon sequestration in dry areas; crop and soil erosion process modeling
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Haddioui Abdelmajid

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, University of Sultan Moulay Slimane, 523 Beni-Mellal, Morocco
Interests: agriculture; cropping systems agronomy; genetic; molecular biology
Prof. Dr. Hamdali Hanane

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, University of Sultan Moulay Slimane, 523 Beni-Mellal, Morocco
Interests: agriculture; soil microbiology; mycorrhiza and plant-microorganisms interactions
Prof. Dr. Abbas Younes

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Polydisciplinary Faculty, University of Sultan Moulay Slimane, 592 Beni-Mellal, Morocco
Interests: microbiome; land degradation and rehabilitation; plant diversity; agroecology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce a Special Issue focusing on the sustainability of agriculture that is based on innovative techniques and likely to allow a reasoned development. Currently, the agricultural world is experiencing a remarkable boom and at the same time a pivotal period marked by multifaceted and increasing threats in several sectors. The negative effects on agricultural production and people’s livelihoods are being felt in many parts of the world, and will certainly only worsen over time. Impact on the environment, the soil’s intended use and human health are facing these threats too. Thus, agricultural stakeholders, politicians and citizens are forced to position themselves for a real change in attitudes, practices and consumption patterns. Sustainable agriculture, using the principles and concepts of ecology, enables the design of innovative agricultural models, combining the tripartite principle of economic, social and environmental improvement. Looking at what is being done and succeeding elsewhere has become crucial to provide benchmarks that are original, powerful and inspiring.

As noted by the FAO, in order to cope with the rapid pace of change and increased uncertainty, sustainability must be seen as a process, rather than a singularly defined end point to be achieved. This, in turn, requires the development of technical, policy, governance and financing frameworks that support agricultural producers and resource managers engaged in a dynamic process of innovation. To be sustainable, agriculture must meet the needs of present and future generations for its products and services, while ensuring profitability, environmental health and social and economic equity. The global transition to sustainable agriculture requires major improvements in the efficiency of resource use, in environmental protection and in systems resilience.

With this Special Issue, we would like to achieve two main goals: (1) to establish the state of the art of this multifaceted topic, with contributions from scientists, economists, industrial, academics, landscapers, geographers, etc.; (2) to highlight the main drivers of sustainable agriculture and to produce important evidence and innovative tools for projection into the future with specific case studies and local experiences.

Key topics in this Special Issue include:

  • Biotechnology and plant breeding;
  • The conservation and valorization of local products with a view toward land conservation;
  • Plant–microorganism interactions: biofertilization and biocontrol;
  • Soil: pollution control and rehabilitation systems;
  • Agro-ecology, conservation agriculture and climate change;
  • Precision agriculture: earth science modeling and remote sensing.

Dr. Rachid Mrabet
Prof. Dr. Haddioui Abdelmajid
Prof. Dr. Hamdali Hanane
Prof. Dr. Abbas Younes
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Land is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • sustainable agriculture
  • plant biotechnology
  • plant–microorganism interactions
  • land degradation and rehabilitation
  • agroecology
  • conservation
  • earth science modeling

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 1583 KiB  
Article
Does Digital Transformation Promote Agricultural Carbon Productivity in China?
by Ning Xu, Desen Zhao, Wenjie Zhang, Ming Liu and He Zhang
Land 2022, 11(11), 1966; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/land11111966 - 03 Nov 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1906
Abstract
Against the background of global climate change and the rapid rise of the digital economy, the digital transformation of agriculture is profoundly changing the agricultural production and operation mode with the help of digital technology, becoming a new driving force for low-carbon and [...] Read more.
Against the background of global climate change and the rapid rise of the digital economy, the digital transformation of agriculture is profoundly changing the agricultural production and operation mode with the help of digital technology, becoming a new driving force for low-carbon and sustainable development of agriculture. However, previous studies rarely examined the impact of agricultural digital transformation on agricultural low-carbon transformation from the perspective of carbon productivity. To fill this gap, this study attempts to build a theoretical analysis framework for the impact of agricultural digital transformation on agricultural carbon productivity (ACP). By using a set of panel data from 30 provinces (cities) in China from 2011 to 2019, this study explores the impact of agricultural digital transformation on ACP, as well as its conduction mechanism and the non-linear mechanism. Empirical results show that the transformation of agricultural digitalization is conducive to the promotion of ACP. A series of robustness analyses support this conclusion. The main transmission mechanisms for digital transformation to affect ACP include agricultural industrial structure upgrading, and the agricultural scale operation. In addition, with the improvement of urbanization level and rural human capital, the impact of agricultural digital transformation on ACP presents a “U” type non-linear feature of inhibition first and promotion later. Furtherly, heterogeneity analysis shows that the impact of digital transformation on ACP will vary greatly depending on the levels of ACP, the geographical location of the studied area and whether it is a main grain-producing area. This study provides a theoretical and empirical basis for the improvement of China’s agricultural carbon productivity from the perspective of the digital economy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agriculture and Land Preservation: Tools and Innovation)
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16 pages, 1912 KiB  
Article
Effect of Intercropping and Bio-Fertilizer Application on the Nutrient Uptake and Productivity of Mung Bean and Marjoram
by Vahid Mohammadzadeh, Esmaeil Rezaei-Chiyaneh, Hassan Mahdavikia, Amir Rahimi, Mohammad Gheshlaghi, Martin Leonardo Battaglia and Matthew Tom Harrison
Land 2022, 11(10), 1825; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/land11101825 - 18 Oct 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1685
Abstract
The adoption of eco-friendly fertilizers is increasingly perceived as a sustainable avenue for improving the quantity and quality of medicinal and aromatic plants. Here, we investigated how intercropping and bio-fertilizer application impacted the productivity and essential oil quality of mung bean and marjoram. [...] Read more.
The adoption of eco-friendly fertilizers is increasingly perceived as a sustainable avenue for improving the quantity and quality of medicinal and aromatic plants. Here, we investigated how intercropping and bio-fertilizer application impacted the productivity and essential oil quality of mung bean and marjoram. Treatments were conducted using mung bean monocropping (MBm) and marjoram monocropping (Om), as well as additive intercropping ratios (100% marjoram + 15% mung bean (O/15MB), 100% marjoram + 30% mung bean (O/30MB), 100% marjoram + 45% mung bean (O/45MB), 100% marjoram + 60% mung bean (O/60MB)), each with/without application of biofertilizers (mycorrhiza fungi and bacteria fertilizer). We found that N, P and K content in marjoram and mung bean was highest in the intercropped O/30MB and O/45MB. The maximum land equivalent ratio (LER) index (1.6) was recorded for the O/15MB treatment following biofertilizer application, indicating that 59% more area in the monocropping treatment would be required to achieve the same yield as for the intercropping treatments. The maximum content of carvacrol, p-cymene and carvacrol methyl ether was obtained for the O/45MB treatment under biofertilizer. These results indicate that intercropping of marjoram/mung bean (especially O/45MB) along with biofertilizer application may pave the way towards more sustainable agronomy for improving essential oil quantity and quality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agriculture and Land Preservation: Tools and Innovation)
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12 pages, 1680 KiB  
Article
Tempo-Spatial Variations in Soil Hydraulic Properties under Long-Term Organic Farming
by M. Abu-hashim, H. Lilienthal, E. Schnug, Dmitry E. Kucher and Elsayed Said Mohamed
Land 2022, 11(10), 1655; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/land11101655 - 25 Sep 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1362
Abstract
Adequate knowledge of tempo-spatial variability on soil hydraulic properties plays an important role in irrigation scheduling and precision farming. This study was conducted to compare the impact of tempo-spatial variations in long-term conservation tillage applications in organic farming (superficial tillage using a chisel [...] Read more.
Adequate knowledge of tempo-spatial variability on soil hydraulic properties plays an important role in irrigation scheduling and precision farming. This study was conducted to compare the impact of tempo-spatial variations in long-term conservation tillage applications in organic farming (superficial tillage using a chisel at 10 cm depth) on soil properties. Soil measurements, including infiltration capacity, saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks), effective bulk density, and penetration resistance, were investigated in 2012 and compared to data from 2008 at the same fields in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Long-term organic farming reflected a relative increase in Ks values with temporal variability 33% more in 2012 than in 2008, while soil texture was virtually time-invariant. The Ks increased from 27.06, 24.42, 40.46, 17.49, and 22.59 cm d−1 in 2008 to 33.17, 28.79, 47.75, 38.99, and 40.82 cm d−1 in 2012 for sample locations I, II, III, IV, and V, respectively. The effective bulk density values decreased from 1.72, 1.72, 1.68, 1.64, and 1.81 Mg m−3 in 2008 to 1.63, 1.56, 1.67, 1.32, and 1.48 Mg m−3 in 2012 for sample locations I, II, III, IV, and V, respectively. For spatial variations within the same season, variances in computed Ks values were attributed to differences in the soil textures and effective bulk density between different parcels. As the soil was managed by organic farming for a long time, the soil depth compactness was more pronounced in 2012 than in 2008. Nevertheless, the Ks values showed a temporal increase from 2008 to 2012 due to the preferential water flow pathways approach used in organic farming. Estimated Ks values by the Hydrus-1D model in 2012 were five times higher than in 2008. With soil depth, Ks values revealed a decreasing trend over time. Using the numerical model, Hydrus-1D was representative for comparing hydraulic parameters and simulating water transfer in the soil matrix. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agriculture and Land Preservation: Tools and Innovation)
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27 pages, 5900 KiB  
Article
Land Preservation Uptakes in the Escarpments of North-Eastern Ethiopia: Drivers, Sustainability, and Constraints
by Bichaye Tesfaye, Monica Lengoiboni, Jaap Zevenbergen and Belay Simane
Land 2022, 11(5), 676; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/land11050676 - 02 May 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2260
Abstract
Agricultural land is an indispensable resource for agrarian communities worldwide. There is a growing awareness that the world’s arable land supplies are limited and finite. For the last five decades, the Government of Ethiopia (GoE) and other development organisations have carried out land [...] Read more.
Agricultural land is an indispensable resource for agrarian communities worldwide. There is a growing awareness that the world’s arable land supplies are limited and finite. For the last five decades, the Government of Ethiopia (GoE) and other development organisations have carried out land preservation uptakes intended to curb the effects of land degradation and improve agricultural productivity through various soil and water conservation practices (SWCPs). The study assessed the sustainability, drivers, and constraints of SWCPs in Dessie Zuria and Kutaber Woredas of South Wollo. We used the exploratory case study approach, involving qualitative and quantitative methods. Catastrophic weather conditions, the presence of the soil and water conservation program, and declining soil fertility were the top drivers influencing the program’s implementation. Based on the identified farm-level indicators and views of the respondents, physical measures were more sustainable than biological and mixed methods. The prominent factors hurdling the intervention were lack of tenure security, risk of rodent infestation, and losing a sense of ownership. Training community members on the importance of land preservation, amending the existing rigid land tenure policy, incorporating indigenous SWCPs, broadening the scale and extent of community participation, and enforcing laws and bylaws are recommended for the upcoming interventions. The finding has implications for land preservation and food security actors working to scale up evidence-based sustainable land management practices to the broader area. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agriculture and Land Preservation: Tools and Innovation)
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15 pages, 1797 KiB  
Article
Study on the Agricultural Land Transfer Embodied in Inter-Provincial Trade in China
by Xiaomei Fan, Hongguang Liu and Mengmeng Wang
Land 2022, 11(5), 656; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/land11050656 - 29 Apr 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1591
Abstract
The research on the land resources embodied in the inter-regional economic linkages is of great significance for the ecological compensation and sustainable use of the cultivated land. We constructed a model to estimate the agricultural land transfer embodied in inter-regional trade by using [...] Read more.
The research on the land resources embodied in the inter-regional economic linkages is of great significance for the ecological compensation and sustainable use of the cultivated land. We constructed a model to estimate the agricultural land transfer embodied in inter-regional trade by using the agricultural land footprint model and the multi-regional input–output model. Taking China as an example, using a 2017 multi-regional input–output table and agricultural land and production data, we evaluated the agricultural land footprints embodied in the inter-provincial demand–supply chain in China and explored their characteristics, revealing the balance of income and expenditure that makes up the agricultural land footprint in each region. The results show that: (1) In 2017, China’s total agricultural land footprint was 557.63 million ha2. Developed areas such as Shandong, Guangdong, and Jiangsu in the East generally had a greater footprint than the underdeveloped areas in the west. Provinces with more agricultural land do not necessarily have larger agricultural footprints. (2) The Agriculture, Hunting, Forestry, and Fishing industry and the Food, Beverages, and Tobacco industry were the main two sectors that contributed to the agricultural land footprint for each province, accounting for more than 60% of the total agricultural land footprint in China. (3) The embodied agricultural land transfer between regions showed two main directions on the whole: one was from north to south and the other from west to east, reflecting the transfer law of movement from the less developed regions to those that were more developed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agriculture and Land Preservation: Tools and Innovation)
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18 pages, 1055 KiB  
Article
Exploring the Influence Mechanism of Farmers’ Organic Fertilizer Application Behaviors Based on the Normative Activation Theory
by Jinhua Xie, Gangqiao Yang, Zhaoxia Guo and Ge Wang
Land 2021, 10(11), 1111; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/land10111111 - 20 Oct 2021
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3180
Abstract
This paper establishes an analysis framework to investigate the effect of the awareness of consequences and the ascription of responsibility on farmers’ organic fertilizer application behaviors (OFABs). Using questionnaire survey data from Hubei Province, one of the main grain-producing areas in China, this [...] Read more.
This paper establishes an analysis framework to investigate the effect of the awareness of consequences and the ascription of responsibility on farmers’ organic fertilizer application behaviors (OFABs). Using questionnaire survey data from Hubei Province, one of the main grain-producing areas in China, this study employed both mediating effects and moderating effect analytical methods to analyze the influencing mechanism of the awareness of consequences and ascription of responsibility on farmers’ OFABs. The results show that, firstly, the awareness of consequences and ascription of responsibility have a significant positive impact on farmers’ OFABs. The improvement in farmers’ awareness of consequences and ascription of responsibility can effectively promote the utilization of organic fertilizers for enhanced ecological production. Secondly, the awareness of consequences and ascription of responsibility have a significant positive impact on farmers’ OFABs through individual farmers’ personal norms. Increasing farmers’ awareness of consequences and ascription of responsibility firstly stimulates their personal norms; then, personal norms have a positive impact on farmers’ OFABs. Thirdly, farmers’ social norms can positively regulate the relationship between personal norms and their OFABs. The higher the social norms of farmers, the more their social norms can have a positive regulating effect on their OFABs. Therefore, in the future, it will be necessary to vigorously promote farmers’ awareness of consequences and ascription of responsibility, in order to enhance farmers’ social norms, and to improve the level of farmers’ social norms, in order to greatly promote farmers’ engagement in OFABs. This will ultimately better promote rural ecological environmental protection and ecological civilization construction. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agriculture and Land Preservation: Tools and Innovation)
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