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Integration of Sustainable Agriculture Approaches for Food Security under Climate Change

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2021) | Viewed by 99521

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Prashant Kaushik

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Guest Editor

Department of Vegetable Science, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar 125004, India
Interests: plant biology; climate change; plant stress; crop wild relatives; crop modelling; agronomy; genomics; priming; rationing; salinity; transgenics; stability analysis; growth regulators
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Climate change has a significant effect on food security, and recent studies have established that climate change will adversely affect food security. Moreover, the impact of climate change is becoming prominent in our daily lives. Similarly, crop production and climate change influence each other, as climate change is a significant constraint to a balanced environment and food security, leading virtually all researchers to search for superior adaptation strategies for plant life under this problem. Nevertheless, crop production methods and technologies are available to combat the effects of climate change. Modern techniques and tools, such as the use of wild species, new agronomical practices, genomic tools, genetic engineering, and use of growth regulators are some of the strategies to combat the effects of climate change on crop production. With the advancement of these approaches to combat climate change, it has become easier to sketch a method for a specific crop and a stress which is hampering its production. Moreover, there are several approaches targeted for a region, and sometimes there is a need to incorporate several strategies to achieve targets. In this Special Issue, prominent researchers are invited to communicate their original research and review articles that explore the “Integration of Sustainable Agriculture Approaches for Food Security under Climate Change”. The Special Issue critically follows the policies of Sustainability concerning submission, publication, review process, etc.; kindly review these before attempting a submission.

Dr. Prashant Kaushik
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

agriculture
agronomical amendments
biological control
climate change and agriculture
crop modelling
genomics
mycorrhiza
organic farming
plant growth regulators
plant stresses
seed priming
stability analysis
stress tolerance
wild species

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 11532 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Quantitative Dissection of Salt Tolerance for Sustainable Wheat Production in Sodic Agro-Ecosystems through Farmers’ Participatory Approach: An Indian Experience

by Parvender Sheoran, Arvind Kumar, Raman Sharma, Kailash Prajapat, Ashwani Kumar, Arijit Barman, R. Raju, Satyendra Kumar, Yousuf Jaffer Dar, Ranjay K. Singh, Satish Kumar Sanwal, Rajender Kumar Yadav, Ved Prakash Chahal and Parbodh Chander Sharma

Sustainability 2021, 13(6), 3378; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13063378 - 18 Mar 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2438

Abstract

To explore the comparative effects of field sodicity (soil pH) and irrigation water residual alkalinity (RSC_iw) on physiological and biochemical attributes of salt tolerance, and crop performance of two wheat varieties (KRL 210, HD 2967), a total of 308 on-farm trials were carried out in sodicity affected Ghaghar Basin of Haryana, India. Salt tolerant variety KRL 210 maintained relatively higher leaf relative water content (RWC; 1.9%), photosynthetic rate (Pn; 5.1%), stomatal conductance (gS; 6.6%), and transpiration (E; 4.1%) with lower membrane injury (MII; −8.5%), and better control on accumulation of free proline (P; −18.4%), Na⁺/K⁺ in shoot (NaK_S; −23.1%) and root (NaK_R; −18.7%) portion compared to traditional HD 2967. Altered physiological response suppressed important yield-related traits revealing repressive effects of sodicity stress on wheat yields; albeit to a lesser extent in KRL 210 with each gradual increase in soil pH (0.77–1.10 t ha⁻¹) and RSC_iw (0.29–0.33 t ha⁻¹). HD 2967 significantly outyielded KRL 210 only at soil pH ≤ 8.2 and RSC_iw ≤ 2.5 me L⁻¹. By comparisons, substantial improvements in salt tolerance potential of KRL 210 with increasing sodicity stress compensated in attaining significantly higher yields as and when soil pH becomes >8.7 and RSC_iw > 4 me L⁻¹. Designing such variety-oriented threshold limits of sodicity tolerance in wheat will help address the challenge to enhance crop resilience, closing the yield gaps and improve rural livelihood under the existing or predicted levels of salt stress. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integration of Sustainable Agriculture Approaches for Food Security under Climate Change)

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Review

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15 pages, 2545 KiB

Open AccessReview

Twenty Years of Common Agricultural Policy in Europe: A Bibliometric Analysis

by Giulio Fusco

Sustainability 2021, 13(19), 10650; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su131910650 - 25 Sep 2021

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 2709

Abstract

The last few years have been marked by the increasing attention paid by policymakers to agricultural policies. Within this scenario, the Common Agricultural Policy represents one of the main initiatives developed by the European Commission to enhance the agricultural sector. Academics have actively contributed to the debate through empirical studies in order to evaluate the main strengths and weakness related to the public investments made by the European Commission. However, despite the relevance of the topic, the scientific debate is characterized by a high degree of fragmentation caused by the involvement of academics with different scientific backgrounds. Building on this evidence, this paper aims to contribute to the scientific debate on Common Agricultural Policy through a bibliometric analysis. The findings reveal the existence of three independent and complementary research clusters. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integration of Sustainable Agriculture Approaches for Food Security under Climate Change)

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14 pages, 973 KiB

Open AccessReview

Frontiers in the Solicitation of Machine Learning Approaches in Vegetable Science Research

by Meenakshi Sharma, Prashant Kaushik and Aakash Chawade

Sustainability 2021, 13(15), 8600; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13158600 - 02 Aug 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3300

Abstract

Along with essential nutrients and trace elements, vegetables provide raw materials for the food processing industry. Despite this, plant diseases and unfavorable weather patterns continue to threaten the delicate balance between vegetable production and consumption. It is critical to utilize machine learning (ML) in this setting because it provides context for decision-making related to breeding goals. Cutting-edge technologies for crop genome sequencing and phenotyping, combined with advances in computer science, are currently fueling a revolution in vegetable science and technology. Additionally, various ML techniques such as prediction, classification, and clustering are frequently used to forecast vegetable crop production in the field. In the vegetable seed industry, machine learning algorithms are used to assess seed quality before germination and have the potential to improve vegetable production with desired features significantly; whereas, in plant disease detection and management, the ML approaches can improve decision-support systems that assist in converting massive amounts of data into valuable recommendations. On similar lines, in vegetable breeding, ML approaches are helpful in predicting treatment results, such as what will happen if a gene is silenced. Furthermore, ML approaches can be a saviour to insufficient coverage and noisy data generated using various omics platforms. This article examines ML models in the field of vegetable sciences, which encompasses breeding, biotechnology, and genome sequencing. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integration of Sustainable Agriculture Approaches for Food Security under Climate Change)

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17 pages, 2429 KiB

Open AccessReview

Herbicide Resistance to Metsulfuron-Methyl in Rumex dentatus L. in North-West India and Its Management Perspectives for Sustainable Wheat Production

by Ankur Chaudhary, Rajender Singh Chhokar, Sachin Dhanda, Prashant Kaushik, Simerjeet Kaur, Todar Mal Poonia, Rajbir Singh Khedwal, Surender Kumar and Satbir Singh Punia

Sustainability 2021, 13(12), 6947; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13126947 - 21 Jun 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3665

Abstract

Herbicide resistance in weeds is a global threat to sustaining food security. In India, herbicide-resistant Phalaris minor was the major problem in wheat for more than two decades, but the continuous use of metsulfuron-methyl (an ALS inhibitor) to control broadleaf weeds has resulted in the evolution of ALS inhibitor-resistant Rumex dentatus L. This review summarizes the current scenario of herbicide resistance in R. dentatus, along with its ecology and management perspectives. Studies have provided valuable insights on the emergence pattern of R. dentatus under different environments in relation to tillage, cropping systems, nutrients, and irrigation. Moreover, R. dentatus has exhibited higher emergence under zero tillage, with high infestation levels in rice-wheat compared to other wheat-based cropping systems (sorghum-wheat). Alternative herbicides for the management of resistant R. dentatus include pendimethalin, 2,4-D, carfentrazone, isoproturon, and metribuzin. Although the pre-emergence application of pendimethalin is highly successful in suppressing R. dentatus, but its efficiency is questionable under lower field soil moisture and heavy residue load conditions. Nevertheless, the biological data may be utilized to control R. dentatus. Therefore, herbicide rotation with suitable spray techniques, collecting weed seeds at differential heights from wheat, crop rotation, alternate tillage practices, and straw retention are recommended for addressing the resistance issue in R. dentatus in North India conditions. Overall, we discuss the current state of herbicide resistance in R. dentatus, the agronomic factors affecting its population, its proliferation in specific cropping systems (rice-wheat), and management strategies for containing an infestation of a resistant population. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integration of Sustainable Agriculture Approaches for Food Security under Climate Change)

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21 pages, 2381 KiB

Open AccessReview

Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture and Its Mitigation Strategies: A Review

by Gurdeep Singh Malhi, Manpreet Kaur and Prashant Kaushik

Sustainability 2021, 13(3), 1318; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13031318 - 27 Jan 2021

Cited by 397 | Viewed by 85492

Abstract

Climate change is a global threat to the food and nutritional security of the world. As greenhouse-gas emissions in the atmosphere are increasing, the temperature is also rising due to the greenhouse effect. The average global temperature is increasing continuously and is predicted to rise by 2 °C until 2100, which would cause substantial economic losses at the global level. The concentration of CO₂, which accounts for a major proportion of greenhouse gases, is increasing at an alarming rate, and has led to higher growth and plant productivity due to increased photosynthesis, but increased temperature offsets this effect as it leads to increased crop respiration rate and evapotranspiration, higher pest infestation, a shift in weed flora, and reduced crop duration. Climate change also affects the microbial population and their enzymatic activities in soil. This paper reviews the information collected through the literature regarding the issue of climate change, its possible causes, its projection in the near future, its impact on the agriculture sector as an influence on physiological and metabolic activities of plants, and its potential and reported implications for growth and plant productivity, pest infestation, and mitigation strategies and their economic impact. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integration of Sustainable Agriculture Approaches for Food Security under Climate Change)

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