Search Results (301)

Global warming and associated environmental changes are reducing arable land and intensifying salinization risks, posing growing threats to food security. Soil salinity is an increasing threat to agricultural productivity worldwide, particularly in arid and semi-arid areas. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the most important and widely cultivated cereal crops for human consumption and livestock feed. However, with increasing water scarcity and the incidence of salt-affected lands, wheat productivity is increasingly affected by salinity. Previous studies have investigated salinity tolerance mechanisms mainly at the seedling and reproductive stages of wheat; however, comparatively fewer studies integrate rapid biochemical and physiological responses during the first hours of germination stress exposure together with transcriptional analyses during early seedling establishment, even though this stage is critical for stand establishment. Here, we evaluated early physiological and transcriptional responses of salt-tolerant, moderate, and sensitive wheat cultivars exposed to 0 or 150 mM NaCl during germination and the early seedling stage. Tolerant and sensitive cultivars showed contrasting germination performance under salinity. Physiological analysis showed that salt-tolerant cultivars exhibited higher proline accumulation and higher antioxidant enzyme activities (CAT, SOD, and GR), while maintaining lower MDA levels under salinity compared with sensitive cultivars. Notably, tolerant cultivars showed marked upregulation of TaHKT1;4, TaP5CS, TaMYB, and TaDHN genes associated with ion homeostasis, osmoprotectant metabolism, and stress-responsive regulation. These responses represent integrated early-stage biochemical, physiological, and transcriptional indicators of salinity responsiveness rather than direct predictors of final yield performance. Full article

Agriculture, as a production sector, is exposed to external shocks. The instability of agricultural markets, changes in prices of inputs, dropping crop prices, or changes in climate patterns put their economic resilience to the test. Agroecological diversification of production is widely cited as a key adaptive strategy to increase farms’ resilience to these shocks. At the same time, empirical evidence linking crop diversity to economic stability across different production systems remains limited. The aim of the study was to assess whether the integration of more complex crop rotations and livestock production increases the economic resilience of organic farms compared to stockless organic farms and conventional farms. The analysis utilized data from the Polish FADN covering the multi-crisis period of 2020–2022, which included the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia’s war against Ukraine, and the sharp rise in fertilizer and energy prices. Farms were grouped by production type. Crop diversity was assessed using the Shannon–Wiener index (H′) and the Pielou evenness index (J′). The economic resilience of tested farms was determined based on their income, income variability during the study period, and the ability to maintain income above the parity threshold. The results indicated the existence of different pathways for building resilience. Organic farms with permanent crops and field crops were characterized by the highest crop diversity on arable land, while organic farms with dairy cows had the highest overall economic resilience, despite relatively low crop diversity on arable land. This phenomenon can be explained by the high proportion of permanent grasslands, which promoted feed self-sufficiency and the internal circulation of nutrients. The results indicate that in organic systems, the integration of crop and livestock production, based on permanent grassland, may be a more effective way to strengthen economic resilience than crop diversification on arable land alone. Full article

The espinal agroforestry system is a valuable grazing resource for sheep and cattle in the Mediterranean region of central Chile. It is characterized by a woody stratum dominated by Vachellia caven and an herbaceous grassland stratum that together provide important ecological services. Despite its relevance for extensive livestock production, ongoing land-use change threatens the integrity of the espinal agroforestry system, underscoring the need for sustainable management strategies to enhance productivity. This study assessed the long-term impacts of improved management practices in a representative espinal agroforestry system, including annual fertilization, supplementary cereal crop integration, and progressive increases in stocking rate, on plant diversity and soil carbon storage in Cauquenes, Maule Region, Chile (35°58′ S, 72°17′ W), during 2014–2019. A production system was established on 10 ha of espinal grassland, complemented by 1 ha of supplementary crop rotation (oat–purple vetch intercropping and triticale). Due to the scale of the system, a single experimental unit was used; however, multiple sampling areas were evaluated over time to assess the botanical composition, forage yield, and soil carbon. Grasslands were annually fertilized with phosphorus, potassium, and boron. The forage yield in spring ranged from 2 to 4 t dry matter ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ over six years, with strong interannual variability driven by rainfall. The stocking rate increased progressively from 2 to 8 sheep ha⁻¹ and lamb live weight from 80 to 370 kg ha⁻¹ over six-years. The grassland botanical composition shifted markedly, with increased abundance of annual legumes (Trifolium subterraneum, Medicago polymorpha) and Leontodon leysseri. Supplementary crops yielded between 6.0 and 10.5 t DM ha⁻¹, while soil organic carbon increased from 1.6% to 2.2%. These results demonstrate that sustainable intensification of the espinal system can enhance productivity while maintaining environmental sustainability. Full article

Background: Agroecology is increasingly discussed as a strategic response to the combined challenges of drought, ecological degradation, and rural vulnerability. In Morocco, this debate has become particularly urgent because agriculture now operates under persistent hydro-climatic stress, declining water availability, and strong territorial disparities between rainfed, irrigated, mountain, and oasis systems. Methods: This article is based on a structured critical review combined with an interpretive bibliometric synthesis of Moroccan and North African literature on agroecology, water stress, agricultural transition, and food-system resilience. The review was organized through conceptual framing, targeted source selection, thematic screening, and integrative synthesis. Results: Morocco is not an agroecological blank slate. Practices compatible with agroecological transition already exist across the country, including crop diversification, legume rotations, crop–livestock integration, biological regulation, organic amendments, and multifunctional production systems. However, previous reviews have mainly documented practices, projects, or sustainability initiatives without fully explaining why these remain weakly connected, poorly scaled, and insufficiently institutionalized under Moroccan conditions. This review shows that the principal barrier is not the absence of relevant practices but the absence of a coherent transition architecture capable of aligning water governance, farm economics, advisory systems, public incentives, territorial differentiation, and market valorization. The Moroccan case reveals a central paradox: agroecology is most necessary precisely where the structural conditions for its adoption are most fragile. To capture this contradiction, the paper proposes the concept of a Hydro-Agroecological Transition Trap, defined as a condition in which worsening water stress simultaneously intensifies the need for agroecological redesign and reduces the ability of farms and institutions to implement it. Conclusions: The manuscript concludes by proposing a six-pillar transition framework for Morocco based on water-smart agroecology, territorially differentiated pathways, participatory innovation, transition finance and risk-sharing, market construction, and multidimensional assessment. The originality of the study lies in shifting the analysis from a shortage of practices to a shortage of transition architecture, thereby contributing to international debates on agroecological scaling under chronic hydro-climatic stress. Full article

Soil–Forage–Livestock systems (SFL-systems) integration is fundamental for sustainable land management in arid lands, where conventional crop production is often unfeasible. Aridisols dominate dryland agroecosystems and their edaphic constraints, together with climatic limitations, constitute a major bottleneck for fertility and productivity in key arid regions worldwide. This narrative review provides a taxonomic and edaphic framework to guide sustainable SFL-systems and integrates current approaches and technological applications for forage production in arid environments, focusing on an edaphic-digital scheme that combines organic and inorganic soil amendments with AI-based decision support to improve Aridisols productivity and resilience. Searches of the literature (ScienceDirect, EBSCOhost, Clarivate Web of Science; English, 2021–2025) screened 309 records and selected 169 references; seminal older works were consulted for context. Representative quantitative outcomes from the reviewed literature include SOC increases of ~15–30% after multi-year organic inputs; forage biomass gains of ~10–25% following amendments that correct sodicity; and water-productivity improvements up to ~30% with hydrogels or biochar. AI tools can improve soil diagnostics and amendment selection (diagnostic accuracy improvements of ~15–30% in recent studies) and generate predictive models of amendment–response that facilitate optimization of application rates and water use. The novel contribution of this review is the explicit linkage of SFL-systems and amendment-based soil restoration with AI-driven diagnostics and decision support, providing actionable metrics and research priorities to translate digital diagnostics into measurable forage gains in arid and semi-arid regions. Overall, the evidence suggests that targeted soil restoration, reinforced by AI-based support systems, is a feasible strategy to increase forage availability and ecosystem service provision in drylands. Full article

This study was designed to evaluate and explore the ecosystem-based adaptation practices for climate resilience with evidence from smallholder farmers’ perceptions of co-benefits and adoption decisions in Mabalane district, Mozambique. Ecosystem-based adaptation practice emerged as a sustainable approach to enhance rainfed smallholder farmers’ climate resilience while delivering multiple social, economic and environmental co-benefits. This study evaluated and explored the perceived co-benefits from adopting ecosystem-based adaptation practices and examined how they shape adoption decisions among the rainfed smallholder farmers. A mixed-method approach was employed, combining a household survey of 360 farm household heads, key informant interviews and focus group discussions. The main findings of the study revealed mixed cropping (83.9%), integrated crop-livestock (57.2%), and mulch tillage (51.1%) as the most adopted practices, as well as smallholder farmers perceiving multiple ecological and socio-economical co-benefits from adopting ecosystem-based adaptation practices. Although the study confirmed statistically significant relationships between ecosystem-based adaptation practices and the perceived co-benefits, none of the perceived co-benefits were significantly associated with an increase in the number of the adopted practices. Therefore, it is concluded that adoption decisions among smallholder farmers are not shaped by perceived ancillary benefits from ecosystem-based adaptation practices alone, but a combination of enabling conditions and resources endowments. Full article

This study examines the determinants and impacts of household biogas adoption among dairy-based mixed crop–livestock systems in West Java, Indonesia. Using primary survey data from 201 households, we estimate adoption drivers through logistic regression and assess post-adoption outcomes using propensity score matching combined with doubly robust estimation. The results show that adoption is primarily driven by structural feasibility and institutional exposure, particularly livestock ownership, participation in technical training, perceived time-saving benefits, and fuel-cost pressure, while general socioeconomic variables such as income and education are not statistically significant. Treatment-effect estimates indicate that adoption leads to significant reductions in LPG and firewood consumption, as well as decreased use of chemical fertilizers, reflecting partial substitution of external inputs with locally available resources. However, these benefits are unevenly distributed, with stronger effects observed among households with larger livestock holdings, while training plays a more critical role for smaller-scale farmers. The findings are interpreted through a sustainability–resilience framework, which is used as an analytical lens rather than a causal measurement model. The results highlight the importance of institutional support, service provision, and policy alignment in determining the durability and scalability of biogas adoption. The study contributes to the literature by integrating determinants of adoption with causal impact estimation and situating household-level outcomes within broader socio-technical systems. Full article

Livestock manure management contributes substantially to agricultural greenhouse gas emissions, making the adoption of low-carbon approaches urgent in ecologically sensitive regions. This study focuses on the County-wide Livestock Manure Resource Utilization Project in Danjiangkou City, the core water source area of China’s South-to-North Water Diversion Project. Based on field survey data, IPCC Guidelines, and a life cycle assessment framework, this study established a carbon accounting boundary covering excretion, collection, storage, treatment, and utilization stages. A scenario analysis was conducted to compare 2023 baseline emissions with 2026 project emissions and to quantify the carbon reduction potential. The research findings indicate that the overall carbon reduction rate following the project’s implementation reached 40.8%. However, the effectiveness varied considerably across the four management models. The Sedimentation–Crop Model and the Housing–Bedding Integrated Model, which employed integrated systemic interventions, achieved reductions of 61.50% and 60.09%, respectively. In contrast, the “124” Healthy Breeding Model and the Raised-Bedding Composting System, which relied primarily on single-stage upgrades, achieved reductions of only 32.04% and 27.70%. This disparity suggests that in decentralized livestock operations, isolated technological improvements fall short; meaningful decarbonization requires systemic interventions across the entire manure management chain. The findings provide a reference for low-carbon livestock manure management and regional development in ecologically sensitive areas. Full article

Artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted drone technology in agriculture has transformed productivity and pest control techniques, resulting in novel solutions to modern farming challenges. Drones utilizing sensors, cameras, and AI algorithms can precisely monitor crop health, soil conditions, and insect infestations. Using AI-assisted drones for precision irrigation and yield predictions further improves resource allocation, promotes sustainability, and reduces operating costs. This review examines recent advancements in AI and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in precision agriculture. Key trends include AI-driven crop disease detection, UAV-enabled multispectral imaging, precision pest management, smart tractors, variable-rate fertilization, and integration with IoT-based decision support systems. This study synthesizes current research to identify technological progress, implementation challenges, scalability barriers, and opportunities for sustainable agricultural transformation. This review of peer-reviewed studies published between 2013 and 2025 uses major scientific databases and predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria covering crop monitoring, precision input application, integrated pest management (IPM), and livestock (especially cattle) monitoring. We describe the platform and payload trade-offs that govern coverage, endurance, and spray quality; the dominant analytics trends, from classical machine learning to deep learning and embedded/edge inference; and the emerging shift from monitoring-only UAV use toward closed-loop decision-making (detection–prediction–intervention). Across the literature, the strongest opportunities lie in robust field validation, multi-modal data fusion (UAV + ground sensors + farm records), and interoperable standards that enable actionable IPM decisions. Key gaps include limited cross-site generalization, scarce reporting of economic indicators (ROI, payback period, and adoption rate), and regulatory and safety barriers for routine autonomous operations. Finally, we present some case studies to emphasize the feasibility and highlight future research directions of AI-assisted drone technology. Through this review, we aim to demonstrate technological advancements, challenges, and future opportunities in AI-assisted drone applications, ultimately advocating for more sustainable and cost-effective farming practices. Full article

Tropical grasses are increasingly present in farming systems in Brazil. However, a national-scale assessment of this practice’s impact on soil health (SH) and soybean yield has been lacking. In this study, we conducted a meta-analysis of 55 studies published until February 2026, comprising field trials run in 33 locations in Brazil, aiming to assess the effects of deep-rooted tropical grasses as preceding crops on biological indicators of SH and soybean yield. Results showed that grasses (Urochloa spp. and Megathyrsus maximus) promote soybean yield by 15%, representing an average increase of 515 kg ha⁻¹ and an additional revenue of US$198 ha⁻¹. The analysis of forage grass species used, management system (single or intercropped), soybean cultivar (growth habit, life cycle, genetic modification), and edaphoclimatic controlling factors revealed positive effects of tropical grasses on soybean yield under all the study conditions and yield ranges. SH indicators also showed sizeable increment, notably the activity of arylsulfatase (+35%) and β-glucosidase (+31%), followed by acid phosphatase activity (+20%), microbial biomass carbon (+24%), and organic carbon (+11%). The results confirmed the beneficial effects of deep-rooted tropical grasses, highlighting their contribution to sustainable intensification in tropical farming systems due to their ability to enhance SH. This, in turn, leads to increased soybean yield under most agronomic and environmental conditions. Full article

Medicago ruthenica L., a superior forage crop within the genus Medicago (Fabaceae), is endowed with remarkable stress tolerance and an abundance of bioactive compounds, conferring significant ecological and forage value. Existing reviews primarily focus on a single research direction, and the most recent findings are dated, failing to cover breakthroughs at the molecular level. This paper systematically synthesizes the latest research progress in five key areas: genetic diversity and genomic studies, biotic stress responses, abiotic stress tolerance mechanisms (drought, salinity, and low temperature, etc.), utilization (including genetic breeding, ecological restoration, and forage development), and future research prospects. This review addresses critical gaps in existing literature, particularly regarding advances in genomic sequencing, biotic stresses, and research on stress-associated microorganisms. Research indicates that M. ruthenica exhibits extensive genetic diversity, and its genome contains numerous positive selection signals associated with stress resistance. It can tolerate multiple abiotic and biotic stresses through morphoplasticity, physiological metabolic regulation, and transcriptional regulation. Furthermore, its symbiosis with microorganisms such as rhizobia significantly enhances its stress tolerance. M. ruthenica demonstrates outstanding application potential in degraded grassland restoration and high-quality forage production. Future research should focus on mining stress-resistant genes, optimizing molecular breeding techniques, and integrating artificial intelligence into breeding practices. That will facilitate its transformation from a regional endemic resource to a commercially viable functional species, thereby providing robust support for ecological security and the sustainable development of grassland-based livestock husbandry in cold and arid regions. Full article

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) is one of the most important cereal crops in Mexico due to its extensive cultivation and use in human nutrition, livestock production, and the biofuel industry. However, its productivity is severely affected by the sorghum aphid, Melanaphis sorghi Theobald, 1904 (Hemiptera: Aphididae), a major pest of this crop. Its control relies primarily on synthetic chemical insecticides, whose intensive use has led to environmental impacts and health risks, prompting the search for more sustainable alternatives. In this study, the insecticidal activity of root extracts from Bessera elegans was evaluated against apterous adults of M. sorghi using artificial diet bioassays at different concentrations and exposure times. Chemical characterization of the extracts and the active fraction was carried out using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The methanolic extract exhibited the lowest LC₅₀ value (2562 ppm), indicating the highest insecticidal potency, while the acetone extract achieved the highest maximum mortality (98%) at the highest tested concentration. Fractionation of the methanolic extract allowed the identification of fraction BeF1 as the most active, with 94% mortality at 1000 ppm. Chemical characterization indicated a predominance of polyphenolic secondary metabolites, mainly flavonoids and lignans. These results highlight the potential of B. elegans as a natural alternative for the integrated management of the sorghum aphid. Full article

Agro-ecosystem approaches are increasingly promoted as integrated solutions for sustainable land use, climate mitigation, and food security, yet concerns remain that market-based instruments may systematically exclude resource-poor smallholder farmers. Using microdata from 8894 households participating in Kenya’s long-running International Small Group and Tree Planting Program, this study examines how institutional and organizational arrangements shape access to agricultural carbon markets and associated sustainable land management practices. We document a participation paradox: farmers in the lowest income quartile exhibit significantly higher adoption than the wealthiest quartile (92.4% vs. 86.3%), challenging conventional resource-based targeting assumptions. Three distinct agro-ecosystem participation pathways are inferred using a Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) estimated over a feature set of organizational, financial-access, and farm/household characteristics (income, farm size, financial access, crop diversity, livestock holdings, education, organizational membership, and leadership position). A Mainstream pathway (60.2%) reflects resource-driven adoption; an Innovative pathway (32.4%) is associated with high participation among low-income farmers through organizational membership, leadership, and collective action; and a Constrained pathway (7.5%) captures persistent exclusion. Organizational membership is strongly associated with high-adoption pathways, universally present among Mainstream and Innovative farmers and absent among Constrained farmers; readers should note that membership is partly definitional in the clustering procedure, so this association reflects the pathway construction as well as empirical patterns. Leadership roles are associated with substantially increased access to non-monetary benefit streams (OR = 2.13), including training, seedlings, and community infrastructure. These alternative compensation mechanisms are spatially clustered and strongly associated with enrollment, suggesting localized institutional capacity effects. Importantly, the Innovative pathway is associated with superior agro-ecosystem outcomes, including higher tree densities and a greater uptake of conservation farming practices, suggesting possible complementarities between inclusion and ecological performance. Women are overrepresented within this pathway, highlighting the equity potential of organizational channels. Overall, the findings suggest that strengthening local organizational infrastructure can simultaneously enhance land-use sustainability, climate mitigation, and livelihood inclusion. Given the cross-sectional observational design, all findings should be interpreted as associations rather than causal effects; the results offer actionable insights for designing agro-ecosystem programs that integrate governance, social equity, and ecological resilience in support of long-term food security. Full article

The current research undertook a comprehensive examination of global research related to the use of measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) techniques for quantifying and tracking greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agriculture and livestock farming. Data were collected using a bibliometric analysis of 5340 studies published in the period (1990–2025) and a systematic literature review of 100 studies published in the period (2020–2025). The insights from the findings showed that four MRV techniques were broadly adopted across different regions: (1) inventory techniques (IPCC Tiers, national systems), (2) accounting at the project/product level (LCA, carbon footprint protocols), (3) MRV based on measurement and models (chambers, remote sensing, farm models, AI/ML), and (4) frameworks for governance and standardization (UNFCCC, Paris ETF, PAS 2050, etc.). The findings further revealed the impact of the MRV techniques on agriculture and livestock farming, showing that they facilitated the uptake of low-carbon practices. In agriculture, the MRV techniques showed that lower emissions emerged from mixed cropping, while in livestock farming, the emissions varied based on the feeding stage and type of diet used. However, various challenges arose in the adoption of MRV techniques where there was limited data related to GHG emissions, thereby reducing generalizability. In future work, there is a need for scholars to consider integrating the different MRV techniques to develop an understanding of the problem area. Full article

The Montado, a traditional Mediterranean agro-silvopastoral system, has historically sustained ecological and economic functions through the integration of trees, livestock, and crops. Today, its multifunctionality is increasingly threatened by climate variability, market volatility, and evolving policy frameworks. While previous research has examined Montado dynamics at landscape or plot scales, less attention has been paid to sustainability trajectories at the farm level, where management decisions are made. This study bridges that gap by assessing the sustainability dynamics of farms through a participatory, typology based, scenario approach grounded in a regional typology. We characterized three representative farm archetypes (forestry-focused, mixed agro-silvopastoral, and livestock-focused) and evaluated their trajectories under plausible future scenarios driven by climate, market, and policy pressures. Scenario outcomes were assessed using expert-based scoring (five-point scale), revealing score differences of up to two points across sustainability dimensions between farm archetypes and scenarios. Findings reveal marked trade-offs: Tree-focused farms maintain high environmental value but remain vulnerable to market and labor constraints, while livestock-specialized farms achieve higher economic output at the expense of ecological integrity. Mixed systems demonstrate greater resilience through diversification but face significant labor intensity challenges. We conclude that current “one-size-fits-all” policies generate contradictory incentives. Therefore, adaptive governance frameworks (e.g., results-based payment schemes) are essential to realign farm economics with ecological stewardship. Beyond the Montado, the approach provides insights relevant to other Mediterranean agroforestry systems facing similar sustainability challenges. Full article