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Sustainability and Production of Cropping Systems
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Sustainability and Production of Cropping Systems

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2021) | Viewed by 7155

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Luca Doro

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Blackland Research and Extension Center, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Temple, 76502, USA
Interests: Cropping System Modeling; Natural Resources Conservation; Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture
Dr. Abeyou W. Worqlul

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Blackland Research and Extension Center, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Temple, 76502, USA
Interests: Watershed Hydrology; Remote Sensing; Data-scarce Region; Agriculture System Design; APEX Model; Sustainability; Crop Growth Modeling
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Javier M. Osorio

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Blackland Research and Extension Center, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Temple, 76502, USA
Interests: Agricultural Systems; Watershed Hydrology; Simulation Models; Geospatial Analysis; Machine Learning
Dr. Manyowa Norman Meki

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Blackland Research and Extension Center, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Temple, 76502, USA
Interests: Agroecological Modeling; Agricultural Intensification; Sustainable Cropping Practices; Environmental and Climate Change Impacts

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues:

Worldwide, the increase in population coupled with climate change is forcing agriculture towards increased degradation of the natural resources that threaten sustainable food security. The challenge of producing more food is highly connected with the availability of natural resources. At the same time, farmers around the world must deal with a changing environment where extreme weather events and climate change require effective adaptation strategies. Enhancing the productivity of the cropping system while maintaining its sustainability has become extremely important.

"A sustainable agriculture must be economically viable, socially responsible and ecologically sound." However, due to the complexity of the system, it is often difficult to find an equilibrium among these factors. Analysis of complex agricultural systems requires an integrated approach that can be achieved through the application of modeling systems. Use of simulation models facilitates the decision-making process and the development of strategies for continuous improvement and sustainability without sacrificing productivity or profitability.

This special issue aims to publish articles based on field/greenhouse studies and/or model-based research findings focused on the assessment of productivity and/or sustainability of established or innovative cropping systems with current and/or future climate change scenarios, productivity on marginal lands, and with limited resources. Specific topics include:

  • Increasing of crop/food production with the least environmental trade-off.
  • Sustainability of high-intensity cropping systems and evaluation of sustainability indicators.
  • Increasing crop/food production while adopting climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies.
  • Application of agro-ecosystem models to assess future agriculture production challenges.
  • Simulation of cropping systems to design management alternatives that enhance the resilience of ecosystems.
  • Assessment of the impact of increased agricultural pressure on natural resources (in developing and developed countries).

Research articles on this topic will be considered for publication in the Sustainability (I.F. 2.592) Special Issue “Sustainability and production of cropping systems” which will outline and highlight state-of-the-art innovative cropping systems, their impact on natural resources, and interaction with climate and environment.

Dr. Luca Doro
Dr. Abeyou W. Worqlul
Dr. Javier M. Osorio
Dr. Manyowa Norman Meki
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

  • Cropping systems
  • Modeling
  • Climate change
  • Natural resources
  • Intensification
  • Sustainability
  • Water Use Efficiency
  • Nutrient Use Efficiency
  • Conservation agriculture

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

9 pages, 1528 KiB  
Article
No Tradeoff in Fiber Quality with Increased Cotton Yield Due to Outcross Pollination
by Sarah Cusser and Shalene Jha
Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6079; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13116079 - 28 May 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1578
Abstract
The societal and economic benefits of ecosystem services are both immense and multi-faceted. To holistically quantify the contribution of pollinators to agriculture requires measuring multiple indices of crop production beyond crop yield. Here, we conduct a field-based hand pollination experiment to measure the [...] Read more.
The societal and economic benefits of ecosystem services are both immense and multi-faceted. To holistically quantify the contribution of pollinators to agriculture requires measuring multiple indices of crop production beyond crop yield. Here, we conduct a field-based hand pollination experiment to measure the effects of self and outcross pollen on fiber yield and quality in conventionally managed cotton crops. First, we determine how different pollination treatments affect specific indices of fiber yield and fiber quality, including fiber length and fineness. Second, we investigate the suggested tradeoff between fiber yield and quality. We find that flowers receiving outcross pollen produce larger, heavier bolls than either self-crossed or non-crossed flowers. However, contrary to expectation, flowers of different treatments are indistinguishable in terms of fiber quality. Overall, we find that pollination treatment has no discernable effect on either fiber length or fiber fineness. Understanding the contribution of ecosystem services across multiple axes provides growers with information concerning potential tradeoffs or synergies, and offers insight into management decisions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability and Production of Cropping Systems)
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22 pages, 2702 KiB  
Article
Climate Change Impact and Variability on Cereal Productivity among Smallholder Farmers under Future Production Systems in West Africa
by Dilys S. MacCarthy, Myriam Adam, Bright S. Freduah, Benedicta Yayra Fosu-Mensah, Peter A. Y. Ampim, Mouhamed Ly, Pierre S. Traore and Samuel G. K. Adiku
Sustainability 2021, 13(9), 5191; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13095191 - 06 May 2021
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 2650
Abstract
Agriculture in West Africa is constrained by several yield-limiting factors, such as poor soil fertility, erratic rainfall distributions and low input systems. Projected changes in climate, thus, pose a threat since crop production is mainly rain-fed. The impact of climate change and its [...] Read more.
Agriculture in West Africa is constrained by several yield-limiting factors, such as poor soil fertility, erratic rainfall distributions and low input systems. Projected changes in climate, thus, pose a threat since crop production is mainly rain-fed. The impact of climate change and its variation on the productivity of cereals in smallholder settings under future production systems in Navrongo, Ghana and Nioro du Rip, Senegal was assessed in this study. Data on management practices obtained from household surveys and projected agricultural development pathways (through stakeholder engagements), soil data, weather data (historical: 1980–2009 and five General Circulation Models; mid-century time slice 2040–2069 for two Representative Concentration Pathways; 4.5 and 8.5) were used for the impact assessment, employing a crop simulation model. Ensemble maize yield changes under the sustainable agricultural development pathway (SDP) were −13 and −16%, while under the unsustainable development pathway (USDP), yield changes were −19 and −20% in Navrongo and Nioro du Rip, respectively. The impact on sorghum and millet were lower than that on maize. Variations in climate change impact among smallholders were high with relative standard deviations (RSD) of between 14% and 60% across the cereals with variability being higher under the USDP, except for millet. Agricultural production systems with higher intensification but with less emphasis on soil conservation (USDP) will be more negatively impacted by climate change compared to relatively sustainable ones (SDP). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability and Production of Cropping Systems)
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16 pages, 2900 KiB  
Article
Exploring a Sustainable Cropping System in the North China Plain Using a Modelling Approach
by Huanyuan Wang, Baoguo Li, Liang Jin and Kelin Hu
Sustainability 2020, 12(11), 4588; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su12114588 - 04 Jun 2020
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1974
Abstract
The North China Plain (NCP) is one of the most important grain production regions in China. However, it currently experiences water shortage, severe nonpoint source pollution, and low water and N use efficiencies (WUE and NUE). To explore sustainable agricultural development in this [...] Read more.
The North China Plain (NCP) is one of the most important grain production regions in China. However, it currently experiences water shortage, severe nonpoint source pollution, and low water and N use efficiencies (WUE and NUE). To explore sustainable agricultural development in this region, a field experiment with different cropping systems was conducted in suburban Beijing. These cropping systems included a winter wheat and summer maize rotation system for one year (WM), three harvests (winter wheat-summer maize-spring maize) in two years (HT), and continuous spring maize monoculture (CS). Novel ways were explored to improve WUE and NUE and to reduce N loss via the alternative cropping system based on the simulation results of a soil-crop system model. Results showed that the annual average yields were ranked as follows: WM > HT > CS. The N leaching of WM was much larger than that of HT and CS. WUE and NUE were ranked as follows: WM < HT < CS. Comprehensive evaluation indices based on agronomic and environmental effects indicated that CS or HT have significant potential for approaches characterized by water-saving, fertilizer-saving, high-WUE, and high-NUE properties. Once spring maize yield reached an ideal level HT and CS became a high-yield, water-saving, and fertilizer-saving cropping systems. Therefore, this method would be beneficial to sustainable agricultural development in the NCP. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability and Production of Cropping Systems)
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