Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
6.8
3.3
Journals
Sustainability
Special Issues
Sustainable Cropping Systems for a Changing Climate
sustainability-logo
Submit to Sustainability Review for Sustainability Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Sustainable Cropping Systems for a Changing Climate

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Soil Conservation and Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2021) | Viewed by 5565

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Reza Keshavarz-Afshar

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Agricultural Sciences, Colorado State University, Colorado, USA
Interests: agronomy; cropping systems; conservation agriculture; intensified and diversified cropping systems; agricultural sustainability and viability

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Agricultural systems around the world are facing numerous challenges due to biotic and abiotic factors. Water scarcity, climate change, land degradation (salinization, desertification, soil erosion, and loss of fertile soil), and emerging pests are among the factors that are impacting and threatening agricultural systems and global food security. Concerns about the sustainability of the current cropping systems are increasing, and there is a great need for alternative cropping systems to address these concerns. This Special Issue invites original and review articles (systematic or meta-analysis) concerning:

  • Sustainable cropping systems for efficient water use;
  • Sustainable cropping systems to protect and enhance soil quality;
  • Agrobiodiversity in cropping systems: productivity and sustainability of simplified agroecosystems vs. diversified agroecosystems;
  • Agro-ecologically diversified and intensified cropping systems;
  • Intercropping, agroforestry, polyculture, crop–animal integration for food, feed, fiber, and fuel production;
  • Traditional agricultural knowledge for today’s farming;
  • Designing alternative cropping systems to mimic nature;
  • Incorporating ecological principles into cropping systems;
  • Environmental impact and life cycle assessment analysis of cropping systems;
  • Sustainability of organic systems.

Dr. Reza Keshavarz-Afshar
Guest Editor

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 cropping systems
  • agrobiodiversity
  • intensified and diversified cropping system
  • polyculture
  • agroecology

Published Papers (2 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

13 pages, 514 KiB  
Article
Effect of Zero and Minimum Tillage on Cotton Productivity and Soil Characteristics under Different Nitrogen Application Rates
by Niamat Ullah Khan, Aftab Ahmad Khan, Muhammad Arif Goheer, Izwa Shafique, Sadam Hussain, Saddam Hussain, Talha Javed, Maliha Naz, Rubab Shabbir, Ali Raza, Faisal Zulfiqar, Freddy Mora-Poblete, Sunny Ahmar, Qasim Ali, Hayssam M. Ali and Manzer H. Siddiqui
Sustainability 2021, 13(24), 13753; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132413753 - 13 Dec 2021
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2624
Abstract
Long-term conservation tillage and straw incorporation are reported to improve the soil health, growth, and yield traits of crops; however, little is known regarding the optimal nitrogen (N) supply under conservation tillage with straw incorporation. The present study evaluated the effects of conservation [...] Read more.
Long-term conservation tillage and straw incorporation are reported to improve the soil health, growth, and yield traits of crops; however, little is known regarding the optimal nitrogen (N) supply under conservation tillage with straw incorporation. The present study evaluated the effects of conservation tillage practices (ZTsas: zero tillage plus wheat straw on the soil surface as such, and MTsi: minimum tillage plus wheat straw incorporated) and different N application rates (50, 100, 150, and 200 kg ha−1) on the yield and quality traits of cotton and soil characteristics in a five-year field experiment. The results showed that ZTsas produced a higher number of bolls per plant, boll weight, seed cotton yield, 100-seed weight, ginning out-turn (GOT), fiber length, and strength than MTsi. Among different N application rates, the maximum number of bolls per plant, boll weight, seed cotton yield, GOT, 100-seed weight, fiber length, strength, and micronaire were recorded at 150 kg N ha−1. Averaged over the years, tillage × N revealed that ZTsas had a higher boll number plant−1, boll weight, 100-seed weight, GOT, fiber length, and strength with N application at 150 kg ha−1, as compared to other tillage systems. Based on the statistical results, there is no significant difference in total soil N and soil organic matter among different N rates. Further, compared to MTsi, ZTsas recorded higher soil organic matter (SOM, 8%), total soil N (TSN, 29%), water-stable aggregates (WSA, 8%), and mean weight diameter (MWD, 28.5%), particularly when the N application of 150 kg ha−1. The fiber fineness showed that ZTsas had no adverse impact on fiber fineness compared with MTsi. These results indicate that ZTsas with 150 kg N ha−1 may be the optimum and most sustainable approach to improve cotton yield and soil quality in the wheat–cotton system. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Cropping Systems for a Changing Climate)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

23 pages, 4441 KiB  
Article
Closing the Gap: Sustainable Intensification Implications of Increased Corn Yields and Quality for Second-Crop (safrinha) in Mato Grosso, Brazil
by Daniel T. Pinheiro, Diego M. S. Santos, Alan R. R. Martins, Wininton M. da Silva, Cláudio V. de Araújo, Daniel C. de Abreu, Aaron Kinyu Hoshide, Luana Molossi and Ronaldo A. de Oliveira
Sustainability 2021, 13(23), 13325; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132313325 - 1 Dec 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2470
Abstract
Corn grown as second-crop (safrinha) immediately after soybeans contributes to Brazil’s recent sustainable intensification of efforts to land spare and reduce deforestation. Brazil’s Mato Grosso state is very important for corn production with a large number of available hybrids for producers [...] Read more.
Corn grown as second-crop (safrinha) immediately after soybeans contributes to Brazil’s recent sustainable intensification of efforts to land spare and reduce deforestation. Brazil’s Mato Grosso state is very important for corn production with a large number of available hybrids for producers with different characteristics. Evaluating as many hybrids as possible increases the likelihood of identifying those that are more productive. Our experiment used a randomized block design to evaluate 20 corn hybrids for yield and quality in the western Cerrado savannah region of Mato Grosso state. There were significant differences in silage quality and grain yield between hybrids. Silage quality was correlated with higher grain yield. Corn grain yields for 10 higher-yielding hybrids (average = 11,425 kg/hectare) were significantly greater than the two lowest yielding hybrids (6974 and 8207 kg/hectare) and 64% more than the 2020 average in Mato Grosso. Precipitation was not limiting during our experiment but may be in the drier Cerrado area and during other years. Higher silage quality with lower lignin content and higher in vitro digestibility can improve beef productivity as Brazil transitions from extensive grazing to more intensified systems such as pasture supplementation. Increasing corn grain yields in Mato Grosso can hedge against lower crop yields elsewhere. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Cropping Systems for a Changing Climate)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-2
Back to TopTop