Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
A. Ripoche, P. Autfray, B. Rabary, R. Randriamanantsoa, E. Blanchart, J. Trap, M. Sauvadet, T. Becquer, P. Letourmy
Summary: Plant diversification is essential for ecologically intensifying agroecosystems to enhance sustainability and resilience. Legume mixtures showed significant positive effects on rice growth, soil fertility, weed and nematode control. The choice of plant species is crucial for optimizing ecosystem functions and profitability in rainfed rice cultivation.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
M. Scarlato, S. Dogliotti, F. J. J. A. Bianchi, W. A. H. Rossing
Summary: The study revealed specific patterns of pesticide and nutrient inputs for five vegetable crops in southern Uruguay, with weak or non-significant relationships between inputs and yields, suggesting inefficiencies in current high levels of inputs. Farm resource endowment was not related to yield and input levels, and some fields and farms achieved high yields with limited input levels.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Samuel J. Mayne, David I. King, Jeremy C. Andersen, Joseph S. Elkinton
Summary: Ecosystem services provided by natural enemies of pests can increase crop yield in low intensity agricultural systems. However, the effectiveness of these services varies, and trade-offs may exist between harmful and beneficial species. This study found that the presence of birds reduced pest numbers on brassica and cucurbit crops but may consume other natural enemies on solanaceous crops, highlighting the potential for enhancing biological control by enhancing bird communities near certain crops.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Maria Semmartin, Diego Cosentino, Santiago L. Poggio, Beltran Benedit, Fernando Biganzoli, Alberto Peper
Summary: The design of sustainable, high-yielding continuous cropping systems requires maintaining or restoring critical ecosystem properties such as soil functioning. This study evaluated the effects of different cropping systems on soil organic carbon stocks and found that increasing carbon inputs through crop rotation, cover cropping, and better agronomic technology is an opportunity to reverse the long-term trend of soil carbon deficit in agricultural lands.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Review
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Anjaharinony A. N. A. Rakotomalala, Anoush M. Ficiciyan, Teja Tscharntke
Summary: Agricultural land use has a significant impact on biodiversity decline globally, but adopting sustainable farming practices like intercropping can help restore or maintain biodiversity and associated ecosystem services. A systematic review and meta-analysis of data from 18 countries and 63 articles found that intercropping significantly increased the overall abundance, density, and species richness of beneficial arthropods compared to monoculture. Intercropping also reduced the abundance and density of arthropod pests, while their species richness remained unaffected. Different crop combinations and spatial arrangements of intercropping had varying effects on beneficial arthropods and pest control.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Junzhen Zhang, Xinhe Yu, Yaobing Qu, Xinjian Shi, Luoyang He, Xianqin Wei, Lei Chen, Nianxi Zhao, Anzhi Ren
Summary: This study investigates the effects of nitrogen deposition and pathogen infection on the competitive ability of endophyte-infected (EI) and endophyte-free (EF) plants. The results show that EI plants have a stronger competitive advantage than EF plants under low nitrogen conditions, but this advantage decreases with increasing nitrogen supply. However, when high nitrogen and pathogens are present, pathogen inoculation can reverse the adverse effects of high nitrogen on the competitive advantage of EI plants. Additionally, endophytic fungi not only reduce disease in EI plants but also in neighboring EF plants. The presence of endophytic fungi also alters the host plant's response to nitrogen, with EF plants showing increased disease with increasing leaf nitrogen content while EI plants do not change.
Article
Agronomy
Olivia Pointurier, Stephanie Gibot-Leclerc, Delphine Moreau, Carole Reibel, Eric Vieren, Nathalie Colbach
Summary: The study developed a broomrape-dynamics model, predicting the dynamics of broomrape seed bank, the impact of parasitism on crops and weeds, and the dynamics of crops and weeds in agroecosystems, to design management strategies aiming at long-term control of broomrape with multiple techniques. This model, PHERASYS, can simulate complex heterogeneous canopies and test management strategies, including crop mixtures and biological regulations by weeds.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF AGRONOMY
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Jose F. Andrade, Matias Ermacora, Emilio H. Satorre
Summary: A holistic approach in the design of cropping systems is crucial for boosting productivity. Comparisons between soybean monoculture and more diverse and intensified crop rotations showed that the latter yielded 41-51% more, on average, and had a 10-13% higher annual gross margin.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF AGRONOMY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Samuel J. Mayne, David I. King, Jeremy C. Andersen, Joseph S. Elkinton
Summary: Avian species help control pests in agricultural systems, motivating farmers to protect natural habitats for native biodiversity. A DNA metabarcoding approach revealed that 12 species of insect pests were present in songbird fecal samples from diversified farms in New England. The frequency of pest presence varied among songbird species, with Common Yellowthroats and Gray Catbirds consuming pests more frequently than Song Sparrows. Pest consumption was also higher in samples from hatch-year birds and birds caught later in the year. By promoting habitat types preferred by insectivorous species, such as Gray Catbirds and Common Yellowthroats, growers can enhance pest control by songbirds.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lin Li, Xue-Ming Zhu, Yun-Ran Zhang, Ying-Ying Cai, Jing-Yi Wang, Meng-Yu Liu, Jiao-Yu Wang, Jian-Dong Bao, Fu-Cheng Lin
Summary: Plant diseases caused by fungi are a major threat to global food security. Understanding the interactions between fungi and plants is crucial for controlling these diseases. This review summarizes the current research progress on fungi-plant interactions and discusses the prospects and challenges in studying phytopathogenic fungi and their host interactions.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Ke Chen, David Kleijn, Jeroen Scheper, Thijs P. M. Fijen
Summary: The management of ecosystem services can reduce the dependence of modern agriculture on external inputs and increase the sustainability of agricultural production. In this study, it was found that AMF inoculation significantly increased raspberry yield by enhancing flower and fruit number per plant, as well as single berry weight. Additionally, the combined benefits of insect pollination and AMF inoculation resulted in a 135% higher yield than that of fertilizer-only treatments, indicating a potential additive or synergistic effect of ecosystem services on crop yield.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Soil Science
Ihsan Muhammad, Jun Wang, Upendra M. Sainju, Shaohong Zhang, Fazhu Zhao, Ahmad Khan
Summary: Cover crops enhance soil microbial community biomass and affect community structure compared to no cover crops, with responses varying depending on soil type, climatic conditions, and cover crop types. Incorporating cover crop residue into the soil can increase certain microbial parameters but decrease others.
Article
Environmental Studies
Hanna R. Schuler, Gisele G. Alarcon, Fernando Joner, Karine Louise dos Santos, Alexandre Siminski, Ilyas Siddique
Summary: This study presents a systematic map of the scientific evidence related to the effects of agroforestry on ecosystem services in Brazil. The analysis reveals a significant imbalance in the scale of research, with a greater focus on the Atlantic Forest and limited studies on the Cerrado savanna, Pampa grasslands, and Pantanal wetlands. Regulating services received more attention compared to provisioning services, while cultural services were largely overlooked. Agroforestry was found to have consistent positive effects on soil quality, habitat, and food provision, but trade-offs were identified for soils and habitats.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hanlu Zhang, Afshin Ghahramani, Aram Ali, Andrew Erbacher
Summary: Summer cover cropping with timely termination can improve soil water, increase yield, enhance soil health, and promote microbial activities in dryland cropping systems.
Article
Agronomy
Olivia Pointurier, Stephanie Gibot-Leclerc, Delphine Moreau, Nathalie Colbach
Summary: The study utilized the dynamic model PHERASYS to evaluate management strategies for long-term control of branched broomrape, showing that delayed sowing combined with trap and catch crops is effective in reducing infestation and yield losses. Tolerating temporary and/or low-density weeds in cropping systems may improve broomrape management.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF AGRONOMY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Benjamin Carbonne, David A. Bohan, Hana Foffova, Eirini Daouti, Britta Frei, Veronika Neidel, Pavel Saska, Sandrine Petit
Summary: The study found that both the direct and indirect effects of field management intensity and surrounding landscape have impacts on Carabid diversity. Increasing landscape complexity has mainly positive effects on Carabids through the mediation of trophic resources, while field management intensity primarily has negative effects on Carabids by suppressing standing weeds and weed seeds.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Sandrine Petit, Audrey Alignier, Roland Allart, Stephanie Aviron, Hugues Boussard, Pierre Franck, Caroline Gibert, Sylvie Ladet, Claire Lavigne, Lou Lecuyer, Maxime Moncamp, Lucile Muneret, Sylvain Poggi, Benoit Ricci, Adrien Rusch, Aude Vialatte, Juliette Young
Summary: The failure of most agricultural landscapes in delivering biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services suggests the need for more explicit design in future landscapes. However, designing such landscapes is challenging due to context-dependent ecological responses and limited understanding of collective management obstacles. Landscape Monitoring Networks (LMN) can help address these challenges and provide relevant knowledge for landscape design.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Guillaume Adeux, Alain Rodriguez, Clemence Penato, Daniele Antichi, Stefano Carlesi, Massimo Sbrana, Paolo Barberi, Stephane Cordeau
Summary: This study found that cover crops contribute little to weed management in tillage-and herbicide-based cropping systems. Hairy vetch showed a significant suppressive effect on weed seedling density, while brown mustard had little effect. The suppressive effect of hairy vetch was observed on specific weed species, but differences in biomass productivity could not fully explain the variations in weed suppression between cover crop species.
FIELD CROPS RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Lucile Muneret, Benoit Ricci, Aude Vialatte, Stephanie Aviron, Chantal Ducourtieux, Luc Biju-Duval, Sandrine Petit
Summary: Understanding the effects of cropping systems on biodiversity is challenging. This study found that environmental context contributed more to carabid variations than resource and disturbance gradients. Avoiding bare soils, reducing pesticide use, and adopting a wide diversity of tillage strategies can enhance in-field carabid occurrences and richness.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Helen Metcalfe, Jana Buerger, Christoph von Redwitz, Alicia Cirujeda, Silvia Fogliatto, Denise F. Dostatny, Barbel Gerowitt, Michael Glemnitz, Jose L. Gonzalez-Andujar, Eva Hernandez Plaza, Jordi Izquierdo, Michaela Kolarova, Jevgenija Necajeva, Sandrine Petit, Gyula Pinke, Matthias Schumacher, Lena Ulber, Francesco Vidotto, Guillaume Fried
Summary: The 'Arable Weeds and Management in Europe' (AWME) database is a collection of 36 surveys on weed vegetation and management data. This database provides opportunities for future research by addressing challenges in combining disparate datasets. Three case studies conducted in France, Germany, and the UK demonstrate the utility and versatility of the AWME database, showing consistent results across different spatial scales. The Europe-wide data collection offers numerous opportunities for analysis on climate change, weed diversity, and specific weed characteristics in Europe.
Article
Ecology
Audrey Labonte, Lucie S. Monticelli, Melinda Turpin, Emeline Felten, Emilien Laurent, Annick Matejicek, Chantal Ducourtieux, Eric Vieren, Violaine Deytieux, Stephane Cordeau, David Bohan, Adam J. Vanbergen
Summary: The competition and facilitation of pollination among plants and the availability of abiotic resources have an impact on plant reproduction. Floral resource succession and spatial heterogeneity affect plant-pollinator interactions at different ecological scales. Variations in flowering phenology influence the level of spatio-temporal heterogeneity in floral resources and pollinator interactions, thereby affecting reproduction. This study examined the effects of abiotic resources and multi-scale plant-pollinator interactions on individual plant seed set. The results demonstrated the importance of plant attractiveness, assemblage floral density, and conspecific pollen donor density in seed set, while the impact of abiotic conditions on seed set was minimal.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Editorial Material
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Sandrine Petit, Douglas A. Landis
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Alicia Rouge, Guillaume Adeux, Hugues Busset, Rodolphe Hugard, Juliette Martin, Annick Matejicek, Delphine Moreau, Jean-Philippe Guillemin, Stephane Cordeau
Summary: This study explored the impact of cover crop management on weed biomass and crop productivity in subsequent crops, finding that the composition of cover crops, termination methods, and soil resource availability all played a role.
FIELD CROPS RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Yasemin Guenay-Greunke, Harald Trager, David A. A. Bohan, Michael Traugott, Corinna Wallinger
Summary: Understanding trophic interactions in agroecosystems is crucial for reducing pesticide use. Carabid beetles have the potential to regulate insect pests, weed seeds, and slugs. This study investigated the food choices of different carabid species in a cereal field and found that plant DNA was more common in their gut contents than animal prey. Seasonality and species identity influenced carabid food choice, while increased availability of seeds and slugs did not. The study highlights the importance of a diverse carabid community for resilient pest control services.
JOURNAL OF PEST SCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Agronomy
Iraj Nosratti, Nicholas E. Korres, Stephane Cordeau
Summary: Cover crops can suppress weeds through direct competition, allelopathy, or physical barriers. Farmers adopting sustainable farming practices are using cover crops to achieve weed control. Poor and unstable establishment, volunteer cover crops as subsequent cash crops, and seed costs limit cover crop adoption. This study reviews the scientific literature on seed traits to choose suitable cover crops and improve establishment and growth. Seed priming and coating, as well as proper sowing patterns and depth, can enhance cover crop establishment. Different cover crop families exhibit varying germination percentages under water-deficit conditions. Seed dormancy in some Fabaceae species limits their use. The selection of suitable cover crop cultivars is crucial for weed suppression and multiple ecosystem services in the context of climate change.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Alice Charalabidis, Stephane A. P. Derocles, Diana M. Mosquera-Munoz, Sandrine Petit, Francois-Xavier Dechaume-Moncharmont, David A. Bohan
Summary: Carabids beetles are important biocontrol agents of weeds, but it is difficult to predict their consumption levels and regulation of weed seeds. Olfactory cues from predators or potential competitors can influence the selection and consumption of food resources by foraging individuals. Identifying and understanding the factors that drive the seed foraging behavior of carabid beetles is essential for predicting consumption levels in different carabid communities and improving weed regulation.
BIOLOGICAL CONTROL
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Laurene Perthame, Sandrine Petit, Nathalie Colbach
Summary: This study investigates the impact of different factors on weed seed predation by carabid beetles and evaluates the importance of including seed predation in predicting weed dynamics in different cropping systems. The simulations show that factors such as daily incident radiation, light interception, harvest, carabid reproduction, and temperature have the most influence on seed predation rates. Including seed predation in the simulations improves the prediction quality of the model, reducing overestimation in weed variable predictions. Weed seed predation by carabids can contribute to managing weeds and improving crop yields, but the effectiveness varies among different crops.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF AGRONOMY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
B. Carbonne, L. Muneret, E. Laurent, E. Felten, C. Ducourtieux, N. Henon, A. Matejicek, B. Chauvel, S. Petit
Summary: This study analyzed how multitrophic interactions drive weed seed control under different farming systems. The findings showed that conservation agriculture can promote weed seed predation by increasing the number of seed predators. However, the presence of alternative prey and higher-order predators can negatively affect the efficacy of seed predators and indirectly reduce seed predation.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Agronomy
Ana Bendejacq-Seychelles, Stephanie Gibot-Leclerc, Jean-Philippe Guillemin, Gregory Mouille, Christian Steinberg
Summary: This study discusses the diversity of fungal secondary metabolites that are phytotoxic to weeds and the methods commonly used to extract, characterize, identify and exploit them for weed management. The 183 phytotoxic fungal secondary metabolites identified in this review have different toxic effects on plants, including inhibition of germination, root and vegetative growth, and tissue and organ alterations. The biochemical characterization of these metabolites requires specialized knowledge and tools, as well as toxicity tests and effectiveness evaluations in laboratory and field conditions.
PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
(2023)
Letter
Plant Sciences
Nathalie Colbach, Guillaume Adeux, Stephane Cordeau, Delphine Moreau
TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)