Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Khuram Mubeen, Allah Wasaya, Haseeb ur Rehman, Tauqeer Ahmad Yasir, Omer Farooq, Muhammad Imran, Rao Muhammad Ikram, Rabiah Nazeer, Faisal Zahoor, Muhammad Waqas Yonas, Mudassir Aziz, Muhammad Habib-ur-Rahman, Matlob Ahmad, Mahmood Alam, Muqarrab Ali, Mazhar Ali, Abdul Khaliq, Muhammad Ishtiaq, Muhammad Mohsin Waqas
Summary: The integrated use of phosphorus from synthetic and organic sources can significantly increase wheat yield and phosphorus use efficiency, reducing the reliance on costly synthetic mineral fertilizers.
Article
Agronomy
Sajjad Rahimi-Moghaddam, Seyedreza Amiri, Hamed Eyni-Nargeseh
Summary: Agricultural production has increased to meet future food demand, and assessing the yield gap provides important information on increasing production on existing cropland. This study evaluated the SSM-Legume model and simulated the potential production and yield gaps of chickpea in Iran. The results showed that the average yield gap was 67% at the national scale.
FIELD CROPS RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ahlam Khalofah, Muhammad Ifnan Khan, Muhammad Arif, Ansar Hussain, Rehmat Ullah, Muhammad Irfan, Shahzadi Mahpara, Rahmat Ullah Shah, Mohammad Javed Ansari, Antonin Kintl, Martin Brtnicky, Subhan Danish, Rahul Datta
Summary: The study evaluated the impact of nitrogen fertilizer application methods on two different transplanted rice varieties and found that deep placement of N-fertilizer (DPNF) significantly improved growth, yield-related traits, chlorophyll contents, photosynthesis rate, agronomic N-use efficiency (ANUE), partial factors productivity of applied N (PFP) and economic returns compared to conventional application of N-fertilizer (CANF). Basmati-515 exhibited better traits than Super-Basmati. Interactions between N-fertilizer application methods and rice varieties showed that Basmati-515 with DPNF resulted in higher chlorophyll contents, photosynthesis rate, ANUE, PFP, allometric and yield-related traits and economic returns than CANF. Both varieties had better yield and economic returns with DPNF compared to CANF.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Xinyi Wang, Yong Ren, Umair Ashraf, Runfei Gui, Huizi Deng, Lan Dai, Xiangru Tang, Zaiman Wang, Zhaowen Mo
Summary: Optimized liquid fertilizer management plays a positive role in increasing biomass accumulation, nitrogen utilization efficiency, and nitrogen metabolism, stabilizing yields, and increasing the economic benefits of late-season indica fragrant rice.
JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Titir Guha, Geetha Gopal, Amitava Mukherjee, Rita Kundu
Summary: The research demonstrates that Fe3O4-urea nanocomposites have the potential to enhance the growth and yield of rice by increasing the supply of nitrogen and iron, and may reduce the use of bulk N fertilizers.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Yucheng Wang, Shaobing Peng, Jianliang Huang, Yali Zhang, Lu Feng, Wenqing Zhao, Haikun Qi, Guangsheng Zhou, Nanyan Deng
Summary: China is the world's second largest producer of cotton but the largest consumer, heavily reliant on imports. Recent changes have seen the production center shift to Xinjiang, with a potential for significant production increase and selfsufficiency ratio reaching over 90%. Further opportunities for production increase exist in other major cotton-growing provinces such as Hebei and Hubei.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF AGRONOMY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jose F. Andrade, Kenneth G. Cassman, Juan I. Rattalino Edreira, Fahmuddin Agus, Abdullahi Bala, Nanyan Deng, Patricio Grassini
Summary: Urbanization has led to the loss of millions of hectares of cropland, affecting food production potential. Converted cropland is found to be 30-40% more productive than new cropland, suggesting that projections of food production potential should consider expected cropland loss to urbanization. Policies protecting existing farmland from urbanization could help reduce pressure on agricultural expansion into natural ecosystems.
Article
Agronomy
Joao Vasco Silva, Frederic Baudron, Hambulo Ngoma, Isaiah Nyagumbo, Esau Simutowe, Kelvin Kalala, Mukwemba Habeenzu, Mtendere Mphatso, Christian Thierfelder
Summary: To increase maize production in Zambia and improve food security while avoiding cropland expansion, it is important to understand the causes behind the large maize yield gaps in smallholder farming systems. This study provides a yield gap decomposition for maize in Zambia, along with farm typology delineation, to identify the key limiting factors to maize yield gaps across different types of farms in the country. The analysis reveals that technological factors are the main cause of the large yield gaps, suggesting the need for more efficient production methods, while improving crop management practices can significantly increase current yields.
AGRONOMY FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
(2023)
Article
Agricultural Economics & Policy
Kibrom A. Abay, Lina Abdelfattah, Hoda El-Enbaby, Mai Mahmoud, Clemens Breisinger
Summary: Increasing population pressure and density in Africa are leading to land scarcity and constraints. This article explores the impact of land size on agricultural intensification in Egypt, where irrigation dominates and input application rates are high. The study finds that smaller plot and farm sizes are associated with higher application of agricultural inputs, particularly nitrogen fertilizer, but also highlights the potential unsustainable practices and overuse of inputs in smaller plots.
AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ning Huang, Haiyan Dang, Wenyan Mu, Jianxiong Ma, Yue Ma, Li Wang, Mei Shi, Hui Tian, Jinshan Liu, Yinglong Chen, Zhaohui Wang
Summary: Understanding yield formation and nutrient use are crucial for wheat breeding and management. This study utilized scenario analysis based on 76 field trials and literature data to explore the potential of achieving high yield, nutritional quality, and nutrient efficiency in wheat production in China. The findings indicate that although high grain yield is currently achieved by increasing grain nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) concentration, there is a deficit in zinc (Zn) concentration and nitrogen (N) efficiency. The study suggests that increasing grain number and harvest index, while reducing spike number, along with improved nutrient removal efficiency and fertilizer efficiency, can result in a 10% increase in grain yield by 2035. The strategies proposed in this study provide valuable insights for enhancing wheat production with high nutritional quality and nutrient efficiency in China and other countries.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Zhang Jia-jia, Ding Wen-cheng, Cui Rong-zong, Li Ming-yue, Sami Ullah, He Ping
Summary: Excessive fertilization has led to negative impacts on nutrient use efficiency and the environment in radish cultivation in North China. This study evaluated the feasibility of the Nutrient Expert (NE) system for radish fertilization management. The results showed that NE significantly reduced fertilizer application rates while maintaining yield, increased profit, and improved nutrient use efficiency and environmental sustainability in radish production.
JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE AGRICULTURE
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Keyu Ren, Yue Sun, Hongqin Zou, Dejin Li, Changai Lu, Yinghua Duan, Wenju Zhang
Summary: Replacing synthetic nitrogen fertilizer with animal manure is an effective method to reduce reliance on synthetic nitrogen fertilizer and sustain food production. However, the effects of this substitution on crop yield and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) are uncertain. Based on a meta-analysis of 118 studies conducted in China, we found that substituting synthetic N fertilizer with manure increased yield by 3.3%-3.9% and NUE by 6.3%-10.0% for wheat, maize, and rice. The effects varied depending on fertilization management practices, climate conditions, and soil properties.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Shingirai Mudare, Jasper Kanomanyanga, Xiaoqiang Jiao, Stanford Mabasa, Jay Ram Lamichhane, Jingying Jing, Wen-Feng Cong
Summary: Maize/annual grain legume intercropping is important for sustainable intensification in China and Africa. The effects of intercropping vary between the two regions, with higher yield gains in China and less impact on yield gains in Africa. Relay-strip intercropping is the most effective in China, while maize/legume intercropping achieves high yield gains in Africa.
AGRONOMY FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Jun Hou, David Styles, Weifeng Zhang
Summary: Dairy farms located in villages in China are an important sector in milk production. The development of village-based mixed livestock-crop systems can improve feed self-sufficiency, nutrient recycling, and reduce chemical fertilizer requirements, leading to increased crop productivity and benefit-cost ratio.
SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yue Luo, Hengbin Xiao, Xiao Wu, Xian Wu, Yupeng Wu, Yanbin Jiang, Ronggui Hu
Summary: In citrus orchards in central China, reducing N fertilizer input and planting green manure are dominant measures for improving N use efficiency. This study found that reducing N fertilizer input can decrease total N losses but increase total P losses. Planting green manure can reduce total N losses but increase both total N and P losses during the ground mulching stage.
JOURNAL OF SOILS AND SEDIMENTS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Danae M. A. Rozendaal, Daniela Requena Suarez, Veronique De Sy, Valerio Avitabile, Sarah Carter, C. Y. Adou Yao, Esteban Alvarez-Davila, Kristina Anderson-Teixeira, Alejandro Araujo-Murakami, Luzmila Arroyo, Benjamin Barca, Timothy R. Baker, Luca Birigazzi, Frans Bongers, Anne Branthomme, Roel J. W. Brienen, Joao M. B. Carreiras, Roberto Cazzolla Gatti, Susan C. Cook-Patton, Mathieu Decuyper, Ben DeVries, Andres B. Espejo, Ted R. Feldpausch, Julian Fox, Javier Gamarra, Bronson W. Griscom, Nancy Harris, Bruno Herault, Euridice N. Honorio Coronado, Inge Jonckheere, Eric Konan, Sara M. Leavitt, Simon L. Lewis, Jeremy A. Lindsell, Justin Kassi N'Dja, Anny Estelle N'Guessan, Beatriz Marimon, Edward T. A. Mitchard, Abel Monteagudo, Alexandra Morel, Anssi Pekkarinen, Oliver L. Phillips, Lourens Poorter, Lan Qie, Ervan Rutishauser, Casey M. Ryan, Maurizio Santoro, Dos Santos Silayo, Plinio Sist, J. W. Ferry Slik, Bonaventure Sonke, Martin J. P. Sullivan, Gaia Vaglio Laurin, Emilio Vilanova, Maria M. H. Wang, Eliakimu Zahabu, Martin Herold
Summary: Many countries in the tropics and subtropics rely on default values from IPCC guidelines to monitor and report forest carbon stocks. However, these default values are not accurate and may not reflect the characteristics of different regions and stages of forests. We have revised and provided more refined default values, which have significant implications for estimating carbon stocks and fluxes, and highlight the importance of preserving old-growth forests.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Stibniati S. Atmadja, Amy E. Duchelle, Veronique De Sy, Vivi Selviana, Mella Komalasari, Erin O. Sills, Arild Angelsen
Summary: Although there are many REDD+ projects implemented globally by NGOs and for-profit companies, the Paris Agreement focuses on jurisdictional REDD+ at the national and subnational level. This study examines 377 REDD+ projects and finds a decline in the number of new projects. Out of 161 certified projects, most use different carbon accounting parameters than national methods. The assessment suggests that REDD+ projects need to be scaled up more than 40 times to fulfill their potential contribution in limiting global warming. While REDD+ projects can achieve emissions reductions and provide non-carbon benefits to local communities, the inconsistency in carbon accounting methods needs to be addressed.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yaqing Gou, Johannes Balling, Veronique De Sy, Martin Herold, Wanda De Keersmaecker, Bart Slagter, Adugna Mullissa, Xiaocheng Shang, Johannes Reiche
Summary: The analysis of forest disturbance patterns in relation to precipitation seasonality is crucial for understanding the dynamics of African tropical forests under changing climate conditions and human activities. This study utilizes radar-based forest disturbance information to investigate the intra-annual relationship between precipitation and forest disturbance in a spatially and temporally explicit manner, especially in cloud-covered tropical regions. The results reveal a significant negative correlation between forest disturbance and precipitation, with areas closer to settlements showing a stronger correlation. These findings provide insights into the complex interactions underlying forest loss patterns and can support forest conservation and management in African rainforest countries in the face of climate change-induced precipitation pattern changes.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
Robert N. Masolele, Veronique De Sy, Diego Marcos, Jan Verbesselt, Fabian Gieseke, Kalkidan Ayele Mulatu, Yitebitu Moges, Heiru Sebrala, Christopher Martius, Martin Herold
Summary: This research assesses the potential of different satellite data modalities for classifying post-deforestation land-use in Ethiopia. The study finds that choosing the right satellite imagery type is crucial and that detailed spatial or temporal patterns are necessary for achieving high classification accuracy.
GISCIENCE & REMOTE SENSING
(2022)
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Florence Pendrill, Toby A. Gardner, Patrick Meyfroidt, U. Martin Persson, Justin Adams, Tasso Azevedo, Mairon G. Bastos Lima, Matthias Baumann, Philip G. Curtis, Veronique De Sy, Rachael Garrett, Javier Godar, Elizabeth Dow Goldman, Matthew C. Hansen, Robert Heilmayr, Martin Herold, Tobias Kuemmerle, Michael J. Lathuilliere, Vivian Ribeiro, Alexandra Tyukavina, Mikaela J. Weisse, Chris West
Summary: Tropical deforestation continues due to agriculture, but only a fraction of the cleared land becomes productive agriculture. Ending deforestation requires measures to create deforestation-free supply chains and landscape governance interventions.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Gatien N. Falconnier, Louise Leroux, Damien Beillouin, Marc Corbeels, Robert J. Hijmans, Camila Bonilla-Cedrez, Mark van Wijk, Katrien Descheemaeker, Shamie Zingore, Francois Affholder, Santiago Lopez-Ridaura, Eric Malezieux, David Makowski, Jairos Rurinda, Martin K. van Ittersum, Bernard Vanlauwe, Ken E. Giller, Sabine-Karen Lammoglia, Katharina Waha
Summary: This study estimated the impact of increasing maize yields with mineral fertilizer on household food security and regional/national maize supply in Uganda and Tanzania. Results showed that increasing fertilizer input could significantly improve food security in both countries, but the regions with the highest potential for increased maize supply did not align with the regions where household food security was most improved.
AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Arie Pieter Paulus Ravensbergen, Martin K. van Ittersum, Corne Kempenaar, Pytrik Reidsma
Summary: Currently, potato yields in the Netherlands are around 70% of their potential. This study found that increasing phosphorus and potassium fertilizer application rates did not significantly increase potato yields for two potato cultivars on different soil types over two years. Increasing phosphorus and potassium application rates is not recommended due to decreased efficiency and environmental concerns.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Marloes P. van Loon, Wytse J. Vonk, Renske Hijbeek, Martin K. van Ittersum, Hein F. M. ten Berge
Summary: This study aims to assess the relationship between sustainability indicators and nutrient cycling in agricultural systems. A set of equations is presented to relate nutrient cycling to food production or consumption. The results show that nutrient flows in UK arable fields and Flanders are almost linear, while the dairy farm in the Netherlands shows the largest contributions of cycled flow. This research is significant for evaluating the impacts of system changes on productivity, nutrient cycling, resource use, and nutrient emissions.
AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Anne-Juul Welsink, Johannes Reiche, Veronique de Sy, Sarah Carter, Bart Slagter, Daniela Requena Suarez, Ben Batros, Marielos Pena-Claros, Martin Herold
Summary: Illegal logging is a major cause of tropical forest loss. Satellite-based alert systems can accurately estimate tree cover loss in logging concessions using 10 m scale satellite data, but reliability is lower in areas with few disturbances. There is a trade-off between aggregation level and accuracy in estimating logging volumes, which presents a challenge for remote verification of logging activities.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
H. N. C. Berghuijs, J. V. Silva, H. C. A. Rijk, M. K. van Ittersum, F. K. van Evert, P. Reidsma
Summary: This study examines the increase in winter wheat yield in the Netherlands from 1984 to 2015 and identifies the factors that contribute to this increase. The research finds that approximately half of the yield increase can be attributed to climate change and elevated CO2 levels, while the remaining portion is explained by changes in temperature and light use efficiency.
FIELD CROPS RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Daniela Requena Suarez, Danae M. A. Rozendaal, Veronique De Sy, Mathieu Decuyper, Natalia Malaga, Patricia Duran Montesinos, Alexs Arana Olivos, Ricardo De la Cruz Paiva, Christopher Martius, Martin Herold
Summary: Amazonian forests play a vital role as reservoirs of biomass and biodiversity, contributing to climate change mitigation. This study examines the impact of disturbances on forest biomass and biodiversity in the Peruvian Amazon, using tree-level data and remotely sensed monitoring. The results show that disturbance intensity negatively affects tree species richness and biomass recovery. Surprisingly, time since disturbance has a small negative effect on species richness. Approximately 15% of Peruvian Amazonian forests have experienced disturbance since 1984, with an increase in biomass of 4.7 Mg ha(-1) year(-1) during the first 20 years.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
H. H. E. van Zanten, W. Simon, B. van Selm, J. Wacker, T. I. Maindl, A. Frehner, R. Hijbeek, M. K. van Ittersum, M. Herrero
Summary: Redesigning the European food system based on circularity principles can have significant environmental benefits for both Europe and the world. Through a biophysical optimization model, this study explores the effects of implementing circularity scenarios in the European Union (EU)27 + UK. The results show potential reductions in agricultural land use and per capita greenhouse gas emissions, while still ensuring sufficient food production. Transitioning towards circularity in the EU's food system has the potential to address global food shortages and improve both human and planetary health.
Article
Agronomy
Joao Vasco Silva, Joost van Heerwaarden, Pytrik Reidsma, Alice G. Laborte, Kindie Tesfaye, Martin K. van Ittersum
Summary: The performance of statistical and machine learning methods in explaining and predicting crop yield variability was assessed in this study. The results showed that big data from farmers' fields can to some extent explain on-farm yield variability, but not predict it across time and space.
FIELD CROPS RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Benjamin van Selm, Renske Hijbeek, Martin K. van Ittersum, Ollie van Hal, Corina E. van Middelaar, Imke J. M. de Boer
Summary: Livestock and feed production are often separated and this disrupts nutrient cycles and leads to environmental degradation. Reconnecting livestock and feed production at a local level can enhance circularity and decrease emissions. This study shows that recoupling livestock and feed production has the potential to improve sustainability and reduce environmental impact.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Benjamin van Selm, Hannah H. E. van Zanten, Renske Hijbeek, Corina E. van Middelaar, Marijke Schop, Martin K. van Ittersum, Imke J. M. de Boer
Summary: Applying circularity interventions to the food system can reduce land use and greenhouse gas emissions. Changes in human diets, imports, exports, and waste utilisation can have significant environmental benefits.