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Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Resilience

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Agriculture".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (26 March 2023) | Viewed by 30290

Printed Edition Available!
A printed edition of this Special Issue is available here.

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Daniel El Chami

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Sustainability Research and Innovation, S.P. 13, Località Ca' Nova, 26010 Ripalta Arpina (CR), Italy
Interests: sustainability; agrosystems; ecosystem services; natural resources management; tradeoffs; climate change; adaptation; resilience
Dr. Maroun El Moujabber

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari (CIHEAM-IAMB), Via Ceglie 9, 70010 Valenzano, BA, Italy
Interests: joint research; sustainability; agrosystems; food security; renewable energy; climate change; adaptation; resilience

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Agriculture, fundamental for human survival, integrates biological, chemical, and physical processes for food and feed supply. From one side, the high dependence of agriculture on natural processes increases its vulnerability to climate variability and uncertainty. From another side, agriculture also contributes a significant share of the GHG emissions that cause climate change, drastically endangering our existence. The literature suggests sustainable agriculture as a practice to preserve our natural ecosystems and mitigate climate change. However, sustainable agriculture is still intensively debated in the scientific community, and it still has no agreed definition. In many cases, there is a misuse and misinterpretation of the concept.

If sustainability focuses on preserving our ecosystems, adaptation and resilience concentrate on protecting people from the changes brought by a changing climate to the ecosystems and allow them to absorb, withstand, and bounce back after climate adversities. Therefore, this Special Issue will publish all types of articles accepted by the journal (e.g., research, review, opinion). It will explore the interconnections and tradeoffs between different agriculture practices and ecosystems and their adaptation and resilience capability under climate change conditions.

Focus: This issue will focus on agricultural practices (including livestock production and fisheries) in all geographical locations and hydro-climatic conditions.

Scope: The scope of this issue includes investigations of the adaptation and resilience of agro-systems to climate change in terms of the interconnection between social, environmental, and economic outcomes.

Purpose: This issue aims to add to the scientific literature and show to the agro-food sector the sustainable practices that could create a balance between the three pillars of sustainability and improve social well-being, increase economic outcomes, and reduce negative environmental externalities.

Dr. Daniel El Chami
Dr. Maroun EL Moujabber
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. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2400 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

  • Sustainability
  • Agrosystems
  • Ecosystems
  • Tradeoffs
  • Resilience
  • Adaptation
  • Scenarios
  • Climate change

Published Papers (17 papers)

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Editorial

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7 pages, 182 KiB  
Editorial
Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Resilience
by Daniel El Chami and Maroun El Moujabber
Sustainability 2024, 16(1), 113; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su16010113 - 21 Dec 2023
Viewed by 788
Abstract
For decades, human-induced climate change has been scientifically predicted and observed to cause devastating global phenomena globally [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Resilience)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Other

13 pages, 3154 KiB  
Article
Effect of Drying Methods on Chemical Profile of Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) Flowers
by Teuta Benković-Lačić, Iva Orehovec, Krunoslav Mirosavljević, Robert Benković, Sanja Ćavar Zeljković, Nikola Štefelová, Petr Tarkowski and Branka Salopek-Sondi
Sustainability 2023, 15(21), 15373; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su152115373 - 27 Oct 2023
Viewed by 957
Abstract
Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) is used in the food industry, stomatology, pharmacy, and medicine due to the beneficial properties of chamomile flowers, which are due to the content of terpenoids, but also flavonoids and phenolic acids. This study aims to determine and [...] Read more.
Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) is used in the food industry, stomatology, pharmacy, and medicine due to the beneficial properties of chamomile flowers, which are due to the content of terpenoids, but also flavonoids and phenolic acids. This study aims to determine and compare the effects of the drying method on the metabolic profile of chamomile flowers from sustainable, organic practice. The flowers were dried using four different methods: in the sun at a temperature of around 30 °C for 4 days, in the shade at an average temperature of 20–25 °C for 7 days, in a dryer at a temperature of 105 °C for 24 h, and in a climate chamber at a temperature of 60 °C for 48 h. The drying method affects the color, aroma, dry biomass, and chemical profile of chamomile flowers. The biggest color change was between fresh chamomile flowers and chamomile flowers dried in a climate chamber at 105 °C for 24 h, and the smallest change was observed in flowers dried in the sun. The highest contents of polyphenolic compounds and antioxidant activity were measured in flower samples dried in the sun. Drying the flowers at 105 °C caused a significant decrease in total phenols and total flavonoids compared to the drying methods in the sun and shade. Drying at 60 °C for two days had the most significant negative effect on polyphenolic compounds. GC-MS analysis of chamomile essential oil revealed a total of 49 compounds. The most abundant compounds in all samples were α-bisabolol oxide A (19.6 to 24.3%), bisabolol oxide B (19.3 to 23.2%), and β-farnesene E (15.9 to 25.5%). β-Farnesene was identified in significantly lower amounts in sun-dried flowers compared to others, indicating its sensitivity to high light intensity. Volatile compounds spiroether Z, spiroether E, and matricarin were significantly reduced in samples dried at a temperature of 105 °C compared to others, which agrees with the aroma of dried flowers. Discrimination between samples based on chemical profiles showed similarity between samples dried in the sun and in the shade compared to samples dried at higher temperatures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Resilience)
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23 pages, 5518 KiB  
Article
Assessing Soil Dynamics and Improving Long-Standing Irrigation Management with Treated Wastewater: A Case Study on Citrus Trees in Palestine
by Giovanna Dragonetti and Roula Khadra
Sustainability 2023, 15(18), 13518; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su151813518 - 09 Sep 2023
Viewed by 768
Abstract
Irrigation with Treated Wastewater (TWW) is a well-known agricultural practice in Palestine. The long-term use of irrigation with TWW, a source of water and nutrients, can affect plant development, soil, and groundwater quality. Consequently, the frequency and the intervals of irrigation events should [...] Read more.
Irrigation with Treated Wastewater (TWW) is a well-known agricultural practice in Palestine. The long-term use of irrigation with TWW, a source of water and nutrients, can affect plant development, soil, and groundwater quality. Consequently, the frequency and the intervals of irrigation events should be adequately scheduled, especially when nutrients (TWW-N) cannot be separated from the water. Achieving good water quality implies its immediate reuse in irrigated agriculture. In contrast, long-term soil and groundwater quality conservation is marked by the complex mechanisms that correlate the soil, water, plant, and atmosphere. Therefore, monitoring and modeling (MMA) are combined to retrieve the soil water and nitrate fluxes and identify a proper irrigation management plan in a case study in Beit Dajan-Palestine, where a schedule adapted to conventional water was applied to a 6-year-old citrus orchard continuously irrigated with TWW. Soil nitrogen concentration and water content data were collected from March to August 2021 to calibrate the Hydrus-1D model under the (1) farmer demand (F) scenario, where irrigation volumes are delivered according to the farmer experience, and to define an optimal irrigation management strategy with TWW according to the (2) model demand (M) scenario, based on the irrigation frequency. The latter respects the allowable thresholds of soil solution electrical conductivity, σe, assuming an average soil salinity profile and estimated leaf nitrogen concentrations tolerance as reference; 2021 was taken as a calibration year to retrieve water and nitrate fluxes for 2019 and 2020. In 2021, the measured soil electrical conductivity, σe, showed no salinity risk with an average value of 1.07 dS m−1 (low salinity < 2 dS m−1) but with a leaf nitrogen deficit. Although an acceptable level of available soil nitrogen was observed (ranging between 10 and 35 mg kg−1, whereas the standard value is 10–40 mg kg−1), critical concentrations were observed in the leaves (below 1%) in scenario (F) compared to scenario (M) (ranging between 1.7 and 1.9%). The latter also showed a decrease in nitrate leaching by 33% compared to the former. Overall, the comparison between the simulated and measured soil variables shows that the 1D-Hydrus model could follow the temporal variation in the monitored data, with some overestimation of the measured data during the simulation period. The simulations demonstrate that by modulating the salt tolerance threshold, the M scenario achieved better results in terms of root water and N uptake despite the stress inevitably experienced by citrus with long-term TWW irrigation. Moreover, the optimum threshold values used to assess the soil quality and citrus response under conventional water irrigation were inadequate for TWW practices. Therefore, MMA could be an alternative strategy to schedule proper TWW irrigation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Resilience)
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14 pages, 2935 KiB  
Article
Mechanical Soil Resistance Influenced by Different Tillage Systems and Tractor Tire Pressures
by Robert Benković, Danijel Jug, Luka Šumanovac, Irena Jug, Krunoslav Mirosavljević, Domagoj Zimmer and Teuta Benković-Lačić
Sustainability 2023, 15(13), 10236; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su151310236 - 28 Jun 2023
Viewed by 797
Abstract
Intensive agricultural practices affect soil compaction, and their indirect and direct effects on crop growth and development are an increasingly important focus of scientific research. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of different tillage systems on soil compaction and [...] Read more.
Intensive agricultural practices affect soil compaction, and their indirect and direct effects on crop growth and development are an increasingly important focus of scientific research. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of different tillage systems on soil compaction and to observe the influence of tractor tire pressure on penetrometer resistance during sowing. The three-year study was conducted on the heavy pseudogley soil of Brod-Posavina County in the Republic of Croatia. During the research, crops were observed in the following cropping sequence: soybean (Glycine max L.) in the first year, maize (Zea mays L.) in the second year and winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in the third year. The tillage systems as the main study factor were conventional tillage (CT) plowing to a depth of 35 cm, disc tillage (DH) to a depth of 15 cm, loosening (CH) to a depth of 30 cm, and undermining (SS) to a depth of 50 cm. The following pressures were used as a subfactor of this study, namely the pressure of the front and rear tires of the tractor during sowing: p1 (front 1.0 bar/rear 0.8 bar), p2 (front 2.0 bar/rear 1.6 bar), and p3 (front 3.0 bar/rear 2.4 bar). The tillage systems applied resulted in different soil compaction, thus the deepest tillage SS had the lowest resistance and the DH tillage had the highest resistance in all three experimental years. Penetrometer measurements showed the influence of tire pressure p1 on reducing compaction as early as the first year in 2017, while in the last year of research in 2019, tractor tire pressure p3 during sowing contributed to a significant increase in soil compaction. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Resilience)
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15 pages, 1705 KiB  
Article
Melatonin as a Foliar Application and Adaptation in Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) Crops under Drought Stress
by Sidra Yasmeen, Abdul Wahab, Muhammad Hamzah Saleem, Baber Ali, Kamal Ahmad Qureshi and Mariusz Jaremko
Sustainability 2022, 14(24), 16345; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su142416345 - 07 Dec 2022
Cited by 32 | Viewed by 1993
Abstract
Here, we grow two different varieties of lentil (lentil-2009 and lentil-93) under different drought levels and with different applications of melatonin. Increasing the levels of soil water deficit significantly decreased numerous morphological and biochemical characteristics, including shoot length, total chlorophyll content, and transpiration [...] Read more.
Here, we grow two different varieties of lentil (lentil-2009 and lentil-93) under different drought levels and with different applications of melatonin. Increasing the levels of soil water deficit significantly decreased numerous morphological and biochemical characteristics, including shoot length, total chlorophyll content, and transpiration rate, in both varieties of lentil. Contrastingly, drought stress increased the concentrations of malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and electrolyte leakage, an indicator of oxidative damage to membrane-bound organelles. The activities of enzymatic antioxidants and osmolytes were initially increased up to a drought level of 80% water field capacity (WFC) but gradually decreased with higher levels of drought stress (60% WFC) in the soil. At the same time, the results also showed that the lentil-2009 is more tolerant to drought stress than lentil-93. The negative impact of drought stress can be overcome by the application of melatonin. Melatonin increased plant growth and biomass, photosynthetic pigments, gas exchange characteristics, and enhanced the activities of various enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants and proline content by decreasing oxidative stress. We conclude that foliar application of melatonin offers new possibilities for promoting lentil drought tolerance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Resilience)
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13 pages, 786 KiB  
Article
Influence of Seed Treated by Plasma Activated Water on the Growth of Lactuca sativa L.
by Nataša Romanjek Fajdetić, Teuta Benković-Lačić, Krunoslav Mirosavljević, Slavica Antunović, Robert Benković, Mario Rakić, Slobodan Milošević and Božica Japundžić-Palenkić
Sustainability 2022, 14(23), 16237; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su142316237 - 05 Dec 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1173
Abstract
The aim of this work was to determine if PAW (Plasma Activated Water) seed treatment and growing conditions could have positive effects on lettuce seedlings and growth. The paper presents the results of a pot experiment on lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) cultivation [...] Read more.
The aim of this work was to determine if PAW (Plasma Activated Water) seed treatment and growing conditions could have positive effects on lettuce seedlings and growth. The paper presents the results of a pot experiment on lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) cultivation in greenhouse and field conditions after seed treatment with PAW. The experiment was conducted in two consecutive seasons in 2021 and 2022 and the following growth parameters were measured: head mass, rosette height, rosette width, number of leaves, root mass and root length. As a result of the study, it was found that lettuces grown in the greenhouse from PAW treated seeds had higher results in the first measurement for both cultivars (mass 32.26%, diameter 19.01%, number of leaves 13.49% and height 24.01%), while there were no statistically significant effects on the root system. The lowest results were obtained in untreated and field-grown plants. In addition, plant dry matter was measured and it was found that plants grown from PAW treated seeds had a higher percentage of dry matter (11.51% in 2021, and 11.58% in 2022). It was also found that cultivation in greenhouse resulted in a better quality of plants than the cultivation in the open field. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Resilience)
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13 pages, 2627 KiB  
Article
A Circular Economy Model to Improve Phosphate Rock Fertiliser Using Agro-Food By-Products
by Lea Piscitelli, Zineb Bennani, Daniel El Chami and Donato Mondelli
Sustainability 2022, 14(23), 16228; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su142316228 - 05 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1605
Abstract
Phosphorus (P) is an essential nutrient for the plant life cycle. The agricultural management of phosphorus is complicated by the inefficient use of phosphorus by plants, consequent environmental losses, and the rapid consumption of slowly renewed phosphate rock (PR). These issues represent a [...] Read more.
Phosphorus (P) is an essential nutrient for the plant life cycle. The agricultural management of phosphorus is complicated by the inefficient use of phosphorus by plants, consequent environmental losses, and the rapid consumption of slowly renewed phosphate rock (PR). These issues represent a huge environmental burden and jeopardise food production. In this study, we proposed the combination of this fertiliser with food-processing by-products such as olive pomace, barley spent grain, and citrus pomace to increase phosphate rock solubility and the efficient use of P. Phosphate rock, by-products, and mixtures of phosphate rock and by-products were placed into litterbags and buried in sand. Periodically, one replicate per treatment was collected for the destructive measurement of total and water-soluble phosphorus. In parallel, pH, organic matter, and ash content were measured to investigate the mechanisms behind changes in P content. The mixtures’ P-release values ranged between 80% and 88%, whereas phosphate rock lost 23% of its P over 30 days. Phosphate rock showed a constant water-soluble P fraction at the four sampling times, whereas the mixtures exhibited a highly water-soluble P fraction that tended to decrease over time. Specifically, citrus pomace led to the significant and rapid release of phosphorus, barley spent grain maintained the highest water-soluble fraction over 30 days, and olive pomace was not the best-performing product but still performed better than pure phosphate rock. Moreover, the increased solubility of phosphate rock in mixtures was significantly (p < 0.001) ascribed to the reduction in pH. The results of this experiment are promising for in vivo trials and suggest the possibility of simple and easily achievable solutions for more sustainable production systems and effective P-fertilisation strategies. Proposing such easily applicable and inexpensive solutions can reduce the distance between research achievements and field applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Resilience)
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16 pages, 958 KiB  
Article
Pepper Growing Modified by Plasma Activated Water and Growth Conditions
by Božica Japundžić-Palenkić, Robert Benković, Teuta Benković-Lačić, Slavica Antunović, Matija Japundžić, Nataša Romanjek Fajdetić and Krunoslav Mirosavljević
Sustainability 2022, 14(23), 15967; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su142315967 - 30 Nov 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1267
Abstract
Plasma-activated water (PAW) is a novel and promising technique in the agricultural field that has the potential to improve vegetable growth and yield. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of plasma-activated water seeds treatment and growth conditions on pepper [...] Read more.
Plasma-activated water (PAW) is a novel and promising technique in the agricultural field that has the potential to improve vegetable growth and yield. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of plasma-activated water seeds treatment and growth conditions on pepper plant growth parameters and fruit quality. A factorial design of three factors (C = cultivar, GC = growth condition, and PAW = plasma activated water treatment seeds) was established, with two variants for each one: Cultivar 1 (C1) and Cultivar 2 (C2); greenhouse (G) and open field (F); PAW seeds treatment (PAW) and seeds without treatment with PAW (C). Four replicates with fifty seeds were taken for each variety. Growth and fruit quality parameters were measured in the three month period during 2021 and 2022, respectively. The significant influence of cultivar, growing condition, and PAW on fruit quality and pepper plant growth parameters were determined. The lowest values of measured parameters were obtained in the open field without PAW treatment. Pepper growth in a greenhouse from PAW-treated seeds had a higher canopy height (17.85%), weight (10.57%), number of leaves (10.5%), nodes (18.94%), and buds (37.83%). Moreover, dry matter content was higher (33.73%) as well as fruit quality: fruit weight (50.19%), diameter (24.3%), length (20.88%), and pericarp weight (49.49%). Results indicate that PAW treatment of peppers seeds can lead to production and yield improvement under different climates and growing conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Resilience)
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19 pages, 1994 KiB  
Article
Proximities and Logics of Sustainable Development of the Territorial Resource: The Case of the Localised Agro-Food System of Kalâat M’gouna in Morocco
by Mohamed Zahidi, Jamila Ayegou and Mohamed Ait Hou
Sustainability 2022, 14(23), 15842; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su142315842 - 28 Nov 2022
Viewed by 1216
Abstract
Sustainable agriculture is fundamental to strengthening the resilience of rural communities to climate risks. This article aims to integrate traditional and scientific knowledge by identifying the types of proximity and the modes of valorisation of the territorial resource “rose” activated by the territorial [...] Read more.
Sustainable agriculture is fundamental to strengthening the resilience of rural communities to climate risks. This article aims to integrate traditional and scientific knowledge by identifying the types of proximity and the modes of valorisation of the territorial resource “rose” activated by the territorial actors of a localised agri-food system (LAFS), specialised in the production and processing of fresh rose in Kalâat M’gouna (K-M), Province of Tinghir in Morocco. The objective is to show to what extent the logics of proximity activated allow for the inclusion/understanding of the mechanisms of resource valorisation implemented by the actors. In other words, we seek to see whether the activation of several types of interaction between actors can promote the emergence of new modes of valuing the rose resource. This will be done by analysing the level of valorisation of the “rose” resource by the actors of this system while proposing tracks of improvement to take part in the sustainable development of this traditional system through its orientation towards the cognitive and innovative aspects. Our methodology is based mainly on a case study of a localised agri-food system (LAFS) using a set of semi-directive interviews conducted with 47 different actors of the system. Thus, we relied on SPSS software to study the possible correlations between the types of proximities existing and the modes of resource valuation activated. In terms of results, we were able to verify the domination of traditional proximities (geographical, organisational, relational, etc.) at the level of interactions between actors. On the other hand, there is a kind of insufficiency of the relations which are based on the knowledge and the (cognitive) knowledge. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Resilience)
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12 pages, 950 KiB  
Article
Physiological Comparison of Wheat and Maize Seedlings Responses to Water Stresses
by Agnieszka Ostrowska and Tomasz Hura
Sustainability 2022, 14(13), 7932; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14137932 - 29 Jun 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1380
Abstract
The aim of the study was to investigate specific responses of spring wheat (C3 photosynthesis) and maize (C4 photosynthesis) to drought and flooding stress. Analyses of water content, gas exchange intensity, photosynthetic apparatus activity, chlorophyll content, plant height and biological membrane [...] Read more.
The aim of the study was to investigate specific responses of spring wheat (C3 photosynthesis) and maize (C4 photosynthesis) to drought and flooding stress. Analyses of water content, gas exchange intensity, photosynthetic apparatus activity, chlorophyll content, plant height and biological membrane integrity were performed on the 10th day of drought and flooding in both species at the third leaf stage. A specific response of wheat under both drought and flooding conditions involved an increase in ETo/RC ratio, describing electron transport flux converted into a single reaction center in PSII. Correlations between electrolyte leakage and the probability of electron transport beyond the plastoquinone QA, and the amount of energy used for the electron transport were also found. A specific response of maize during flooding was the increase of stomatal conductance. Additionally, a significant correlation between PN/Ci and relative water content was exhibited. Furthermore, the parameters differentiating the studied species only under stressful conditions were rendered. The application of such parameters can be widely used, e.g., for studying the reaction of a potential cultivars to drought and flooding. Providing such information to potential farmers can help better select cultivars for their environmental conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Resilience)
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16 pages, 5285 KiB  
Article
Biostimulants for Resilient Agriculture: A Preliminary Assessment in Italy
by Rita Leogrande, Daniel El Chami, Giulio Fumarola, Michele Di Carolo, Giuseppe Piegari, Mario Elefante, Donato Perrelli and Crescenza Dongiovanni
Sustainability 2022, 14(11), 6816; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14116816 - 02 Jun 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2076
Abstract
In agriculture, plant biostimulants have become necessary to meet the United Nations sustainable development goals (UN-SDGs) and advance the European Green Deal. In particular, seaweed-based biostimulants have received a greater acceptance for their several benefits in crop growth and yield. In this study, [...] Read more.
In agriculture, plant biostimulants have become necessary to meet the United Nations sustainable development goals (UN-SDGs) and advance the European Green Deal. In particular, seaweed-based biostimulants have received a greater acceptance for their several benefits in crop growth and yield. In this study, we evaluated the effects of foliar applications of a vegetable- and brown-algae-based extract (Ascophyllum nodosum (L.) Le Jol. on grapes (Vitis vinifera L. cv. Montepulciano) and olives (Olea europaea L. cv. Coratina) and its agronomic performance in two field experiments in the Apulia region, which is known for its modern agricultural sector. The results highlight that the crop responses differ in grape and olive orchards. The biostimulant application determined significant increases in bunch development (+9.5%) and bunch weight (+10%) compared to the untreated control. In the olive orchard, the yield was not significantly influenced by biostimulant application, whereas we observed quality improvement in the olive oil of the treated plants compared to the control. To better understand the mechanisms behind this difference, the research concludes by suggesting that further research pursues in-depth studies and high scientific and technical proficiency to determine and optimise the rates and timing of applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Resilience)
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11 pages, 2370 KiB  
Article
Biological Approaches Promise Innovative and Sustainable Management of Powdery Mildew in Lebanese Squash
by Michel Frem, Franco Nigro, Serge Medawar and Maroun El Moujabber
Sustainability 2022, 14(5), 2811; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14052811 - 28 Feb 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1892
Abstract
Biological management techniques act as a promising and sustainable alternative to alleviate pathogen-induced losses, improve ecosystem functions, and reinforce the resilience of agricultural systems. Lebanese squash production has been threatened by powdery mildew disease caused by the fungus Podosphaera xanthii. Very few [...] Read more.
Biological management techniques act as a promising and sustainable alternative to alleviate pathogen-induced losses, improve ecosystem functions, and reinforce the resilience of agricultural systems. Lebanese squash production has been threatened by powdery mildew disease caused by the fungus Podosphaera xanthii. Very few studies, even unpublished ones, stress the evaluation of biological control approaches in the Lebanese agriculture sector. Here, we have aimed to evaluate the effect of five safe biological treatments (olive soap, sodium bicarbonate, garlic extract, horsetail, and compost tea) in the management of powdery mildew on Lebanese squash in organic open field conditions. Plants were treated after the first spots of powdery mildew appeared on leaves. We then examined the leaves to evaluate disease incidence and severity, and to compare the ability of the five treatments to reduce powdery mildew disease and incidence, in comparison with the untreated control. Plants treated with sodium bicarbonate and garlic extract were the least affected by powdery mildew regarding disease incidence and severity, while tea compost proved to be the least effective product. Organic management of vegetable crops is extremely important in order to ensure global food security and reduce pesticide applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Resilience)
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7 pages, 568 KiB  
Article
Continuous Pest Surveillance and Monitoring Constitute a Tool for Sustainable Agriculture: Case of Xylella fastidiosa in Morocco
by Kaoutar El Handi, Majida Hafidi, Miloud Sabri, Michel Frem, Maroun El Moujabber, Khaoula Habbadi, Najat Haddad, Abdellatif Benbouazza, Raied Abou Kubaa and El Hassan Achbani
Sustainability 2022, 14(3), 1485; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14031485 - 27 Jan 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2243
Abstract
Climate and trade changes are reshaping the cartographic distribution of lethal pervasive pathogens. Among serious emerging challenges is Xylella fastidiosa (Xf), a xylem-limited phytopathogenic bacterium that produces losses and damages to numerous crops of high economic and agronomic importance. Lately, this [...] Read more.
Climate and trade changes are reshaping the cartographic distribution of lethal pervasive pathogens. Among serious emerging challenges is Xylella fastidiosa (Xf), a xylem-limited phytopathogenic bacterium that produces losses and damages to numerous crops of high economic and agronomic importance. Lately, this grave quarantine pathogen has expended its distribution by arriving to several European countries and infecting both wild and cultivated plants, and no cure has been identified so far. Countries without current outbreaks like Morocco, need to monitor theirs crops frequently because detecting diseases in the early stages may reduce the huge losses caused by Xf. For that purpose, inspections were managed in different regions in Morocco from March 2020 to July 2021 to assess the presence of Xf in several growing areas of vulnerable economic crops (i.e., almond, citrus and olive). To extend the likelihood of detection, hosts have been inspected and sampled randomly over different environments including symptomatic and asymptomatic plants. Each sample was screened for the existence of Xf by using the DAS-ELISA commercial kit, while, further analyses were carried out for doubtful samples, by PCR. Results of both tests did not show any positive sample in the investigated areas. This finding is an update on the Xf situation in Morocco and confirms that this country is still a free territory from this bacterium, at least in the monitored regions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Resilience)
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11 pages, 1017 KiB  
Article
Assessment of Ionomic, Phenolic and Flavonoid Compounds for a Sustainable Management of Xylella fastidiosa in Morocco
by Kaoutar El Handi, Majida Hafidi, Khaoula Habbadi, Maroun El Moujabber, Mohamed Ouzine, Abdellatif Benbouazza, Miloud Sabri and El Hassan Achbani
Sustainability 2021, 13(14), 7818; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13147818 - 13 Jul 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2607
Abstract
Morocco belongs to the countries ranked at a high-risk level for entry, establishment, and spread of Xylella fastidiosa, which has recently re-emerged as a plant pathogen of global importance causing olive quick decline syndrome (OQDS). Symptomatic infection by X. fastidiosa leads to [...] Read more.
Morocco belongs to the countries ranked at a high-risk level for entry, establishment, and spread of Xylella fastidiosa, which has recently re-emerged as a plant pathogen of global importance causing olive quick decline syndrome (OQDS). Symptomatic infection by X. fastidiosa leads to devastating diseases and important economic losses. To prevent such losses and damages, countries without current outbreaks like Morocco need to first understand their host plant responses to X. fastidiosa. The assessment of the macro and micro-elements content (ionome) in leaves can give basic and useful information along with being a powerful tool for the sustainable management of diseases caused by this devastating pathogen. Herein, we compare the leaf ionome of four important autochthonous Moroccan olive cultivars (‘Picholine Marocaine’, ‘Haouzia’, ‘Menara’, and ‘Meslalla’), and eight Mediterranean varieties introduced in Morocco (‘Arbequina’, ‘Arbosana’, ‘Leccino’, ‘Ogliarola salentina’, ‘Cellina di Nardo’, ‘Frantoio’, ‘Leucocarpa’, and ‘Picholine de Languedoc’), to develop hypotheses related to the resistance or susceptibility of the Moroccan olive trees to X. fastidiosa infection. Leaf ionomes, mainly Ca, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Na, Zn, and P, were determined using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). These varieties were also screened for their total phenolics and flavonoids content. Data were then involved in a comparative scheme to determine the plasticity of the pathogen. Our results showed that the varieties ‘Leccino’, ’Arbosana’, ‘Arbequina’ consistently contained higher Mn, Cu, and Zn and lower Ca and Na levels compared with the higher pathogen-sensitive ‘Ogliarola salentina’ and ‘Cellina di Nardò’. Our findings suggest that ‘Arbozana’, ‘Arbiquina’, ‘Menara’, and ‘Haouzia’ may tolerate the infection by X. fastidiosa to varying degrees, provides additional support for ‘Leccino’ having resistance to X. fastidiosa, and suggests that both ‘Ogliarola salentina’ and ‘Cellina di Nardö’ are likely sensitive to X. fastidiosa infection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Resilience)
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14 pages, 2955 KiB  
Article
Bibliometric Network Analysis of “Water Systems’ Adaptation to Climate Change Uncertainties”: Concepts, Approaches, Gaps, and Opportunities
by Aymen Sawassi and Roula Khadra
Sustainability 2021, 13(12), 6738; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13126738 - 14 Jun 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2505
Abstract
In response to the impact of climate change and to the uncertainties associated with the various dimensions of hydrologic variability, water systems’ adaptation has risen to the top of global agendas. In accordance, identifying the additional science needed to improve our understanding of [...] Read more.
In response to the impact of climate change and to the uncertainties associated with the various dimensions of hydrologic variability, water systems’ adaptation has risen to the top of global agendas. In accordance, identifying the additional science needed to improve our understanding of climate change and its impacts, including the scientific advances needed to improve the effectiveness of actions taken to adapt water systems, is of the utmost importance. To this aim, this research draws on a systematic bibliometric study of data, generated from the Web of Science research engine between 1990 and 2019, combined with a statistical analysis, to explore academic publication trends, and identify the strategic gaps and opportunities in global scientific research. The analysis shows the consistent level of national and international collaboration among authors, institutions, and countries, and highlights the substantial contribution of the USA and the UK to this research field. The statistical examination shows that the adaptation-informed literature on water systems remains fragmented, and predominantly centred on the framing of water resource planning and management, in addition to water engineering and infrastructure. The analysis also revealed a relatively skewed understanding of various important dimensions, such as governance, integrated water resources management, and stakeholder engagement, which are crucial for planning and implementing an efficient adaptation process. Observations reflect on the need to build water-related adaptive approaches based on a thorough understanding of potential climate uncertainties, rather than to generically address all the uncertainties in one scenario analysis. These approaches are required to combine short and longterm actions rather than considering only current and short-term measures, and to similarly associate policy and engineering, and equally consider the robustness, flexibility, reliability, and vulnerability during the planning phase. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Resilience)
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17 pages, 2104 KiB  
Article
Food Gap Optimization for Sustainability Concerns, the Case of Egypt
by Mohannad Alobid, Bilal Derardja and István Szűcs
Sustainability 2021, 13(5), 2999; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13052999 - 09 Mar 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2735
Abstract
Nowadays, even with the growth and progress of the agricultural sector, the food gap (FG) is still wide, particularly for strategic crops, affecting the national economy and compromising the food security. The realization of self-sufficiency can be fulfilled only by achieving the highest [...] Read more.
Nowadays, even with the growth and progress of the agricultural sector, the food gap (FG) is still wide, particularly for strategic crops, affecting the national economy and compromising the food security. The realization of self-sufficiency can be fulfilled only by achieving the highest production efficiency along with preserving the natural resources currently available, especially arable land and irrigation water. In this analysis, the FG in Egypt was modeled for 13 crops between the years 2000 and 2018. The linear model applied suggested a redistribution of crops in terms of production, food demand and land reallocation, in order to find the best solution to minimize the FG on the basis of crop value and under a set of constraints. It was found that the value of the modelled FG increased steadily from 2005 to 2017, then it started to decline slightly, probably due to the steady increase in the population growth rate which is a crucial factor in enlarging the FG. Furthermore, important water loss was noticed through the analysis period. In fact, there was a huge difference, reaching around 25 billion m3 between the water consumed for the studied crops and the total amount of renewable water. The main reason for this loss can be linked to the traditional irrigation methods used, such as surface irrigation. Moreover, the calculation of food demand with the estimated production and the redistribution of crop land reallocations were performed to achieve the best model fit between the crops in terms of minimizing the FG in Egypt. So far, the current agricultural policy has reaped limited gains and a steep decline of food economic balance. Hence, significant interest on rising productivity should be given by the government to achieve the food self-sufficiency in Egypt. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Resilience)
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19 pages, 1615 KiB  
Systematic Review
A Systematic Review of Analytical and Modelling Tools to Assess Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation on Coffee Agrosystems
by Muhammad Faraz, Valentina Mereu, Donatella Spano, Antonio Trabucco, Serena Marras and Daniel El Chami
Sustainability 2023, 15(19), 14582; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su151914582 - 08 Oct 2023
Viewed by 1327
Abstract
Several modelling tools reported the climate change impact on the coffee agrosystems. This article has adopted a systematic approach to searching out information from the literature about different modelling approaches to assess climate change impacts or/and adaptation on coffee crops worldwide. The review [...] Read more.
Several modelling tools reported the climate change impact on the coffee agrosystems. This article has adopted a systematic approach to searching out information from the literature about different modelling approaches to assess climate change impacts or/and adaptation on coffee crops worldwide. The review included all scientific publications from the date of the first relevant article until the end of 2022 and screened 60 relevant articles. Most results report research conducted in America, followed by Africa. The models assessed in the literature generally incorporate Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) emission scenarios (80% of manuscripts), particularly Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) and Special Report on Emission Scenarios (SRES), with the most common projection periods until 2050 (50% of documents). The selected manuscripts contain qualitative and quantitative modelling tools to simulate climate impact on crop suitability (55% of results), crop productivity (25% of studies), and pests and diseases (20% of the results). According to the analysed literature, MaxEnt is the leading machine learning model to assess the climate suitability of coffee agrosystems. The most authentic and reliable model in pest distribution is the Insect Life Cycle Modelling Software (ILCYM) (version 4.0). Scientific evidence shows a lack of adaptation modelling, especially in shading and irrigation practices, which crop models can assess. Therefore, it is recommended to fill this scientific gap by generating modelling tools to understand better coffee crop phenology and its adaptation under different climate scenarios to support adaptation strategies in coffee-producing countries, especially for the Robusta coffee species, where a lack of studies is reported (6% of the results), even though this species represents 40% of the total coffee production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Resilience)
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