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Sustainable Crop Production and Agricultural Practices

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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: 31 May 2024 | Viewed by 3499

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jorge Omar Pierini

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

INQUISUR (CONICET), National University of South, Bahia Blanca 8000, Argentina
Interests: numerical modelling; water quality process; heavy metals and organic matter analysis; biogeochemical processes in inland and oceanic waters; dynamic process analysis

Dr. Luciano Telesca

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Institute of Methodologies for Environmental Analysis, National Research Council, 85050 Tito, PZ, Italy
Interests: geophysical time series analysis; statistical methods for the investigation of geophysical processes; point processes; fractals and multifractals; graphs and networks; complexity; information theory
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Special Issue on "Sustainable Crop Production and Agricultural Practices" explores the importance of sustainable agricultural practices in ensuring long-term food security and environmental well-being. It highlights innovative approaches, technologies, and strategies aimed at improving crop production while minimizing negative impacts on natural resources and ecosystems. The issue addresses key challenges faced by the agriculture sector, such as climate change, soil degradation, water scarcity, and biodiversity loss. The articles in this special issue provide insights into various aspects of sustainable crop production, including precision agriculture, organic farming, agroecology, integrated pest management, crop diversification, numerical modelling, water quality, irrigation water chemistry and resource-efficient practices. They delve into the application of advanced technologies like remote sensing, artificial intelligence, and data analytics to optimize resource allocation and enhance crop productivity. The special issue also emphasizes the importance of socio-economic considerations, farmer empowerment, and policy interventions for promoting sustainable agriculture. By bringing together cutting-edge research and practical experiences, this special issue contributes to the development of strategies and policies that support sustainable crop production and foster resilient agricultural systems.

Dr. Jorge Omar Pierini
Dr. Luciano Telesca
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

sustainable agriculture
crop production
agricultural practices
precision agriculture
organic farming
agroecology
integrated pest management
crop diversification
resource-efficient practices
remote sensing
artificial intelligence
data analytics
farmer empowerment
policy interventions
resilient agricultural systems
numerical modelling
irrigation water chemistry
water quality

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 3114 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of Organic and Synthetic Herbicide Applications on Weed Suppression in a Conventional Cropping System in Louisiana

by Caitlin deNux, Aixin Hou and Lisa Fultz

Sustainability 2024, 16(7), 3019; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16073019 - 04 Apr 2024

Viewed by 459

Abstract

Synthetic herbicides, with their varying modes of action, are well known for their efficiency in the suppression and control of weed species in U.S. agriculture. However, the consequences of using synthetic herbicides without attention to the surrounding environment produce chemical run-off, changes in soil health and soil health conditions, and create herbicide-resistant weeds. These outcomes have encouraged growers to seek alternative methods for their weed management programs or farming operations. Organic production systems and organic pesticides have helped address these challenges related to sustainability and environmental health. However, the use of organic herbicides in a conventional cropping system is not usually evaluated, as the effectiveness of these organic herbicides on weed populations in such a setting is thought to be inferior when compared to their synthetic counterparts. In this study, organic and synthetic herbicides were assessed on their performance in weed suppression surveys. The experimental design included nine treatments with four replications on two different soil types. The results showed organic herbicides were not comparable to synthetic herbicides in weed suppression. In weed management programs, using recommended herbicide application rates outlined on the herbicide label and conducting applications with environmental stewardship in mind could decrease possible herbicide effects within the environment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Crop Production and Agricultural Practices)

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14 pages, 1931 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Initiatives and Prospects for Sustainable Agricultural Production in Karangasem Regency, Bali, Indonesia

by Shoi Hirakawa, Honoka Masuyama, I Putu Sudiarta, Dewa Ngurah Suprapta and Fumitaka Shiotsu

Sustainability 2024, 16(2), 517; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16020517 - 07 Jan 2024

Viewed by 1332

Abstract

Improving agricultural productivity to ensure food security while maintaining sustainability is a challenge that needs to be overcome in Bali, Indonesia. Ten farmers in Karangasem Regency, which is among the areas in Bali with a low food security index, were interviewed regarding their agricultural practices and government support for increasing the production of rice and chili—the main crops in the regency—while maintaining sustainability. The interview results revealed that the farmers recognized a lack of sunlight and disease as constraints to cultivation and attempted to improve productivity and control the disease by selecting varieties, cropping systems, and synthetic insecticides based on their previous experiences and the recommendations of agricultural extension workers. The Karangasem Regency Government actively encourages farmers to use biofertilizers and biological control agents to promote sustainable agriculture. Their use to improve rice and chili productivity is important to sustainably increase food security not only in Karangasem Regency but also in Bali Province. Furthermore, since agricultural extension workers are a source of information on agricultural production for farmers, it is important to train them for further extension activities in the future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Crop Production and Agricultural Practices)

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Review

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35 pages, 1492 KiB

Open AccessReview

Toward Food Security in 2050: Gene Pyramiding for Climate-Smart Rice

by Isnaini Isnaini, Yudhistira Nugraha, Niranjan Baisakh and Nono Carsono

Sustainability 2023, 15(19), 14253; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151914253 - 27 Sep 2023

Viewed by 1297

Abstract

The decline in crop productivity due to climate change is a major issue that threatens global food security and is the main challenge for breeders today in developing sustainable varieties with a wider tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses. Breeding climate-smart rice (CSR) cultivars may be the best adaptation to climate change, with the potential to improve future food security and profitability for farmers in many nations. The main objective of this review is to highlight the direction of development of superior rice breeding from time to time, and various studies of new techniques of breeding methods for pyramiding various superior rice characteristics, especially characteristics related to abiotic stress, and to make a climate-suitable genotype that is resilient to climate change. For the design and strategy of the information search, a methodology was followed to compile and summarize the latest existing studies on rice breeding for abiotic stresses. The findings revealed that there is still an empty research gap in the context of supplying CSR products, which should be a priority for rice researchers in order to increase dissemination and ensure food security for future generations, particularly in climatically vulnerable agro-ecologies. And we conclude that, while technological innovation, specifically the integration of DNA markers and the genomic approach into conventional breeding programs, has made major contributions to the development of CSR, there is an urgent need to build strategic plans for the development of varieties with various stress tolerances. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Crop Production and Agricultural Practices)

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