Article
Ecology
Agnes Salat-Molto, Jose M. Blanco-Moreno, Nicolas Perez Hidalgo, Jose M. Michelena, Mar Ferrer Suay, Emilio Guerrieri, Berta Caballero-Lopez
Summary: Maintaining a balance between semi-natural habitats and arable land is challenging for farmers. The promotion of biological control agents can be achieved through management at farm or field level and through biodiversity-friendly practices. A coordinated implementation of organic farming at the landscape level is suggested as a better strategy for improving aphid control.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Emeric Courson, Sandrine Petit, Sylvain Poggi, Benoit Ricci
Summary: This study used a French dataset to analyze the impact of weather and landscape on the regional occurrence of different agricultural pests. The results showed that weather variables had a greater explanatory power for the occurrence of slugs and oilseed rape pests, while landscape variables had a similar level of explanation for cereal aphids. High winter temperatures, soil wetness, and the presence of hedgerows favored slug occurrence, while high winter rainfall had a negative effect. The proportion of grassland negatively influenced the occurrence of cereal aphids and oilseed rape pests, and winter air humidity and the proportion of perennial crops reduced the occurrence of oilseed pests.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Pawel Radzikowski, Krzysztof Jonczyk, Beata Feledyn-Szewczyk, Tomasz Jozwicki
Summary: A change in EU agricultural policy aims to reduce pesticide use by half and increase the share of organic farming to 25% by 2030. An organic farming trial in Eastern Poland tested the effectiveness of selecting less susceptible crop varieties. The study found that brown rust caused the highest infestation, while yield reductions were mainly related to severe occurrences of leaf Septoria.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Maciej Busko, Anna Gracka, Henryk Jelen, Kinga Stuper Szablewska, Anna Przybylska-Balcerek, Lidia Szwajkowska-Michalek, Tomasz Goral
Summary: The resistance of 30 winter wheat cultivars to Fusarium head blight (FHB) was tested, and their volatile compound profiles in grain samples were analyzed. The organic cultivation variant had the lowest abundance of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Discriminant analysis successfully separated the grain samples from different experimental variants based on the number of VOCs. The grain from organic farming showed a significantly different VOCs profile compared to the other experimental variants.
Article
Agronomy
Aurelio Scavo, Francisco J. R. Mejias, Nuria Chinchilla, Jose M. G. Molinillo, Stefan Schwaiger, Sara Lombardo, Francisco A. Macias, Giovanni Mauromicale
Summary: In wheat crop production, nanoencapsulated DiS-NH2 as a post-emergence bioherbicide exhibits high weed-suppressive ability and good crop response, making it a promising candidate.
Article
Agricultural Economics & Policy
Robert Paarlberg
Summary: The EU plans to expand organic farming with its Farm to Fork strategy, while the United States emphasizes agricultural innovations based on the latest science. Environmentalists in Europe believe their new vision is green, but it actually has negative environmental consequences.
Review
Plant Sciences
Ramanpreet Kaur, Simerjeet Kaur, Jasdev Singh Deol, Rajni Sharma, Tarundeep Kaur, Ajmer Singh Brar, Om Parkash Choudhary
Summary: In the rice-wheat cropping system, retaining rice residue can reduce weed density, improve soil properties, and decrease herbicide usage, but it may also lead to an increase in pest and disease infestations.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Hadi Veisi, Michael S. Carolan, Ali Alipour, Anahita Valiollahi Besheh
Summary: The study compared the knowledge of organic producers and agricultural experts in Iran on concepts related to sustainable agriculture, revealing differences in emphasis but a shared understanding of key concepts. Tensions were found between how farmers and experts perceive and understand organic farming practices. The paper suggests participatory approaches to address knowledge asymmetries and promote more sustainable management practices.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL SUSTAINABILITY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
M. Iftikhar Hussain, Fabrizio Araniti, Margot Schulz, Scott Baerson, Yedra Vieites-Alvarez, Leonidas Rempelos, Paul Bilsborrow, Nuria Chinchilla, Francisco A. Macias, Leslie A. Weston, Manuel J. Reigosa, Adela M. Sanchez-Moreiras
Summary: The allelopathic activity of wheat through the production of BXZ compounds can affect the germination, growth, and physiological traits of surrounding plants and weeds. Wheat allelopathy can be potentially utilized through methods such as intercropping, mulching, incorporating crop residues, and applying wheat extracts. Some agricultural pests, fungal pathogens, and weeds have varying tolerance levels towards BXZ compounds. Selecting and breeding wheat genotypes with enhanced BXZ content can improve their defensive abilities.
ENVIRONMENTAL AND EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Gokhan Uzel, Serkan Gurluk, Esma Aslak, Feza Karaer
Summary: The organic agricultural production system is considered the best solution to agricultural externality problems, providing economic, environmental, and social benefits to communities. This study examines the positive impacts of organic wheat production on the Turkish economy and finds that organic production is more efficient on a macroeconomic level compared to conventional systems.
ENVIRONMENT DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Verica Takac, Viola Toth, Marianna Rakszegi, Peter Miko, Sanja Mikic, Milan Mirosavljevic
Summary: An increase in the production and consumption of spelt products can have positive effects on human health due to the presence of bioactive compounds in the grain. The success of spelt wheat in organic farming may be attributed to its hulled nature, which provides protection against environmental stress factors and reduces the need for chemical protection. This study investigated the variations in bioactive compounds, protein, starch, and fructan content in bread and spelt wheat under different farming systems. Results showed that spelt wheat had higher protein and alkylresorcinol content but lower fructan content compared to conventional wheat. Organic spelt had higher starch, fiber, and alkylresorcinol content but lower beta-glucan and protein content than conventionally grown spelt. The environmental conditions, farming systems, and wheat species contributed to the variations in compositional traits.
Review
Agronomy
Jolanta Kowalska, Malgorzata Antkowiak, Pawel Sienkiewicz
Summary: Flower strips are increasingly used as part of agri-environmental programs to reduce pressure on agroecosystems and prevent the decline of species diversity. They have the potential to increase functional biodiversity and provide ecosystem services.
Article
Agronomy
Grayson L. Cave, Andre J. West, Marian G. McCord, Bryan Koene, J. Benjamin Beck, Jean M. Deguenon, Kun Luan, R. Michael Roe
Summary: Pesticide-free, 3-D, spacer fabrics were investigated as a potential insect barrier for organic farming. The fabrics showed excellent resistance to penetration by thrips and caterpillars, and covered cabbage plants exhibited significantly faster growth.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jianxiu Shen, Fiona H. Evans
Summary: This study investigated the use of Landsat NDVI sequences for estimating wheat yields in Western Australia fields. The results showed that integrated NDVI metrics could estimate yield more accurately, with the incorporation of sowing date information slightly improving accuracy while the inclusion of rainfall-based break of season information did not show significant improvement.
Article
Soil Science
Lucie Buchi, Florian Walder, Samiran Banerjee, Tino Colombi, Marcel G. A. van der Heijden, Thomas Keller, Raphael Charles, Johan Six
Summary: This study conducted in Switzerland compared the effect of three cropping systems on soil quality. The results showed that no-till and organic farming systems had improved soil properties compared to conventionally tilled fields, particularly in the surface layer. Clay content, microbial carbon, and mycorrhizal PFLA biomarkers were identified as the major drivers of soil organic carbon concentration and carbon accumulation in the large macroaggregate fraction. The study highlights the potential of organic agriculture and no-till practices in improving soil carbon and aggregation properties.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Attila Torma, Kitti Revesz, Nikolett Galle-Szpisjak, Jelena Seat, Gyozo Szel, Csaba Kutasi, Igor Malenovsky, Peter Batary, Robert Galle
Summary: Livestock grazing has significant effects on arthropod communities in alkali grasslands. Our study found that wet meadow vegetation had higher species richness and activity density of spiders and ground beetles compared to dry steppe vegetation. Grazing also influenced the community structure of arthropods, with the presence of hygrophilous species in ungrazed meadows. Additionally, the abundance and community structure of true hoppers varied depending on both vegetation type and management.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Borbala Szabo, David Koranyi, Robert Galle, Gabor L. Lovei, Gabor Bakonyi, Peter Batary
Summary: Urbanization has inconsistent effects on soil invertebrates, with an increase in abundance but a decrease in species richness. This is because a few generalist species can adapt well to the urban environment and achieve higher densities. Annulids, springtails, and snails are particularly sensitive to soil compaction and pollution, causing their species richness to decrease with advancing urbanization.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Review
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Enrique G. de la Riva, Werner Ulrich, Peter Batary, Julia Baudry, Lea Beaumelle, Roman Bucher, Andrea Cerevkova, Maria R. Felipe-Lucia, Robert Galle, Emmanuelle Kesse-Guyot, Ewa Rembialkowska, Adrien Rusch, Verena Seufert, Dara Stanley, Klaus Birkhofer
Summary: Agricultural intensification has contributed to global food security and well-being, but it has also led to negative impacts on species diversity and ecosystem functioning. This review proposes a conceptual framework to understand the relationship between functional diversity and human well-being, highlighting the need for further research on this topic.
AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Sylvie Berthelot, Juergen Bauhus, Carsten F. Dormann, Dominique Gravel, Christian Messier, Charles A. Nock, Alain Paquette, Peter B. Reich, Jochen Fruend
Summary: This study aims to investigate the effect of plant diversity on the enemy release phenomenon in exotic plants. Through a cross-Atlantic tree-diversity experiment in Canada and Germany, researchers found that exotic tree species generally experience lower herbivory, possibly due to their escape from enemies brought by other plants. Overall, the study gives a rating of 9 out of 10 for its importance.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ruth Stephan, Kerstin Stahl, Carsten F. Dormann
Summary: Drought impact prediction can enhance early warning and preparedness for droughts. This study develops drought impact models based on the Alpine Drought Impact report Inventory (EDIIALPS) to evaluate their potential for predicting impact occurrences.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Tomas Hamrik, Nikolett Galle-Szpisjak, Peter Batary, Robert Galle
Summary: Despite the importance of forest-steppes in nature conservation, there is limited information on the contribution of different habitats to arthropod conservation. We investigated the effects of habitat type and landscape heterogeneity on spider diversity in the forest-steppes, and found that grasslands, forest edges, and forest interiors each had distinct community compositions and species traits. The increasing amount of forests positively affected species richness in grasslands but negatively in forest edges and interiors.
INSECT CONSERVATION AND DIVERSITY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Georgia M. Daykin, Marcelo A. Aizen, Luke G. Barrett, Lewis J. Bartlett, Peter Batary, Lucas A. Garibaldi, Ali Guncan, Sridhar Gutam, Bea Maas, Jayalakshmi Mitnala, Flavia Montano-Centellas, Tarirai Muoni, Erik Ockinger, Ode Okechalu, Richard Ostler, Simon G. Potts, David C. Rose, Cairistiona F. E. Topp, Hope O. Usieta, Obaiya G. Utoblo, Christine Watson, Yi Zou, William J. Sutherland, Amelia S. C. Hood
Summary: Many publications lack sufficient background information, hindering scientific progress and the application of science to practice. Reporting guidelines, such as checklists, can improve reporting standards. This study develops a reporting checklist (AgroEcoList 1.0) for ecological and agricultural research through a community-centred approach. The checklist is well-received by the agroecological community, indicating the need for improved reporting standards in these fields. AgroEcoList 1.0 consists of 42 variables and can serve as a guide to enhance reporting standards.
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Teja Tscharntke, Peter Batary
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Katalin Szitar, Csaba Tolgyesi, Balazs Deak, Robert Galle, David Koranyi, Peter Batary
Summary: Land use changes have fragmented grasslands and caused extensive biodiversity loss. Habitat fragmentation affects species colonization and extinction probability. Fragment size and landscape-scale connectivity are important factors shaping vegetation composition.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Nathalie Rodenwald, Laura M. E. Sutcliffe, Christoph Leuschner, Peter Batary
Summary: Agri-environment measures like flower strips are considered fundamental tools to reduce the loss of farmland biodiversity. However, compared to conventional field margins, flower strips have a smaller impact on biocontrol. Therefore, we recommend protecting existing permanent field margins through the EU Common Agricultural Policy as a cost-effective alternative to flower strips for promoting biocontrol services.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Balazs Deak, Adam Bede, Zoltan Radai, Iwona Dembicz, Iva Apostolova, Peter Batary, Robert Galle, Csaba Albert Toth, Jozsef Dozsai, Ivan I. Moysiyenko, Barbara Sudnik-Wojcikowska, Maria Zachwatowicz, Georgi Nekhrizov, Fedor N. Lisetskii, Zhanna A. Buryak, Szabolcs Kis, Sandor Borza, Laura Godo, Tatyana M. Bragina, Ilya Smelansky, Abel Molnar, Miklos Ban, Ferenc Bathori, Zoltan Argay, Janos Dani, Reka Kiss, Orsolya Valko
Summary: Ancient civilizations have shaped global ecosystems through the coevolution of landscapes and humans. However, the cultural legacies of these civilizations are often overlooked in the conservation of the Eurasian steppe biome. This study investigated how ancient burial mounds can contribute to grassland conservation in the Eurasian steppes. The results showed that these burial mounds played a significant role in preserving grasslands, particularly in transformed landscapes outside protected areas. The study suggests that considering cultural values in conservation efforts can lead to positive synergistic effects. Rating: 8/10.
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
David Koranyi, Robert Galle, Attila Torma, Nikolett Galle-Szpisjak, Peter Batary
Summary: Grassland ecosystems are facing significant habitat loss and fragmentation due to agricultural expansion. Grassland arthropods, particularly spiders and true bugs, are sensitive to these changes. This study investigated the impact of fragment size and connectivity on the functional composition and diversity of arthropod communities. The findings demonstrate the importance of small grassland fragments in maintaining high arthropod functional diversity and highlight the potential role of well-connected fragments in promoting ecosystem functioning in human-dominated landscapes.
INSECT CONSERVATION AND DIVERSITY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Penelope C. Fialas, Jeremy S. P. Froidevaux, Gareth Jones, Peter Batary
Summary: The effectiveness of organic farming on biodiversity has been widely documented, but the effects of the transition period on wildlife remain poorly understood. This study found that the transition period to organic farming had detrimental effects on bat activity, and landscape complexity did not moderate these effects. Agricultural policies should consider the transition period and implement measures to mitigate negative impacts on biodiversity.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Maxime Eeraerts, Lisa W. DeVetter, Peter Batary, John J. Ternest, Rachel Mallinger, Matthew Arrington, Faye E. Benjamin, Brett R. Blaauw, Joshua W. Campbell, Pablo Cavigliasso, Jaret C. Daniels, G. Arjen de Groot, James D. Ellis, Jason Gibbs, Lauren Goldstein, George D. Hoffman, David Kleijn, Andony Melathopoulos, Sharron Z. Miller, Ana Montero-Castano, Shiala M. Naranjo, Charlie C. Nicholson, Jacquelyn A. Perkins, Sujaya Rao, Nigel E. Raine, James R. Reilly, Taylor H. Ricketts, Emma Rogers, Rufus Isaacs
Summary: Highbush blueberry production depends on insect pollination, primarily by honeybees and wild bees. Wild bees are more efficient in pollination on a single-visit basis, resulting in a higher relative contribution to pollination. Different management strategies can be adopted based on specific contexts and regions to improve blueberry pollination and yield by utilizing honeybees and wild bees.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Elena Gazzea, Peter Batary, Lorenzo Marini
Summary: Animal pollination is crucial for diverse and balanced diets, improving the commercial attributes and shelf life of fruits and vegetables. However, its impact on nutritional value is limited. The meta-analysis shows that pollination plays a significant role in maintaining food quality.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)