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Agronomy for Sustainable Development
Effect of climate change adaptation options on maize yield across different agro-climatic zones in South Asia. A meta-analysis
Maize (Zea mays L.), despite being an important cereal crop, faces up to 30% yield loss due to climate-induced hazards such as heat and drought. Various adaptation options have been suggested to mitigate climate risks, however their effectiveness often varies across agroclimatic zones due to diverse climates and soils, a largely understudied aspect, making adoption decisions challenging. This is the first study to analyze the linkage between regional climatic hazards and potential adaptation strategies, evaluating their suitability across diverse agroecological zones, soils and seasons in South Asia. Additionally, we strengthen our work by using local literature from South Asia to introduce granularity and enhance the contextual relevance of our findings. A meta-analysis involving subgroup analysis and meta-regression was conducted to capture the influence of agroclimatic zones, soil textures, and seasonal weather on yield benefits. Among 1114 observations reviewed for meta-analysis, 62% reported a positive yield response. Among several options analyzed, in-situ moisture conservation, nutrient management and zero tillage showed mean yield benefits of 6.8%, 6.2% and 4.3%, respectively, over conventional practices across South Asia. Nutrient management and zero tillage resulted in yield benefits of 8.44% and 9.75% in the central-western zone, respectively and 7.73% yield benefit with nutrient management in the north-eastern plan zone. The seasonal analysis revealed a significant mean effect size of in-situ moisture conservation (45.6%) and nutrient management (10.92%) in the dry season. Fine-textured soils had a significant positive impact of adaptation options in both wet and dry seasons, while coarse-textured soils had a notable positive effect only in dry season. Performance of adaptation options was strongly influenced by rainfall and temperature, underscoring the need for region-specific technologies. Our findings improve the understanding of the suitability and effectiveness of adaptation options across different regions, thereby enabling policymakers and practitioners to select appropriate adaptation options for greater benefits.
Jain, N., Verma, H., Deo, A. et al. Effect of climate change adaptation options on maize yield across different agro-climatic zones in South Asia. A meta-analysis. Agron. Sustain. Dev. 45, 78 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-025-01075-6
Co-designing an eco-citizen dairy cattle farming system experiment: insights from practice
The livestock farming sector is under pressure to transition towards sustainable systems that meet the expectations of both farmers and society. Such transitions require design approaches that combine inputs from science and stakeholders. Step-by-step design approaches to conceive and pilot farming system experiments are considered promising to produce knowledge that is useful for the transition to new systems. However, involving stakeholders in the design process of experiments raises a number of questions about the conditions required for fruitful collaboration. Collaborative processes and the contributions of participants to them often remain vague. Therefore, the objective of this study was to analyze a co-design process of a dairy cattle farming system experiment conducted on a research station in France. Its novelty lies in its focus on participants’ activities and contributions throughout this process rather than on the outcome of the experiment. Seventeen interactions between dairy cattle farmers, local actors in the dairy sector, and scientists of the public sector contributing to the design process were analyzed. The results showed that interaction formats strongly affected participation rates, but also the frequency of co-design activities. Moreover, the participants contributed through collaborative design activities which touched not only the farming system, but also the experimental methods used and the way of collectively working together. In addition, they often carried out more collaborative design activities than were asked of them and redirected conception levels as targeted by the farm experiment leaders on different occasions. Lastly, weak explicit connections between co-design interactions and practices implemented in the experiment were observed. These results allow us to question how to steer collective design processes, identify challenges, and share lessons learnt for future co-design initiatives.
Taverne, M., Bouchon, M., Pomiès, D. et al. Co-designing an eco-citizen dairy cattle farming system experiment: insights from practice. Agron. Sustain. Dev. 45, 75 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-025-01077-4
Tackling the question of work in systemic agronomy. A review
Changes in farming systems worldwide, such as automation, mechanization, and agroecological transitions, raise issues related to work in agriculture. Several scientific communities have explored dimensions of work in agriculture, including labor productivity, employment, occupational health, and skills. However, this topic has been little explored in systemic agronomy, where work is understood as the interaction between workers and activities within cropping or farming systems. Work is commonly measured with economic indicators (time, cost, and productivity) that do not provide sufficient information for agronomists aiming to support farmers through the production of actionable knowledge. A better understanding of the different dimensions of work (such as organization, duration, and working conditions) and their repercussions on the management of technical systems (cropping system, farming system) is needed to support farmers’ decision making. With the aim to propose a framework that agronomists can apply to analyze work in agriculture, this article reviews existing approaches from agronomy, livestock farming system research, and economic and social sciences. The proposed framework connects technical systems (cropping and farming systems) with the humans doing the work (farm managers, farm workers). It emphasizes the link between workers and the tasks they perform, which in turn shape a larger technical system and its features, on which agronomists aim at acting. It seeks to integrate multiple dimensions and scales, and to broaden the focus away from farm managers to include all types of farm workers. This framework can be used to identify further research areas on the topic of work in agriculture, with the examples of automation and motorization, as well as agroecological transitions. It can also provide guidance for agronomic diagnoses, design processes, or evaluations. A clear positioning on the topic of work in systemic agronomy is crucial to support farmers as they navigate through major system transitions.
Bakker, T. Tackling the question of work in systemic agronomy. A review. Agron. Sustain. Dev. 45, 72 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-025-01063-w
Assessing management factors limiting rice production in Venezuela
Rice once played a strategic role for food security in Venezuela, but economic stagnation and the onset of hyperinflation in 2016 led to a sharp decline in production. Today, the country imports about 45% of its rice needs. Despite this critical situation, no previous studies have quantified rice yield potential or yield gap analyses in Venezuela, leaving an important research gap regarding the country’s capacity to achieve self-sufficiency. The objectives of this study were threefold: (i) to determine the rice yield potential and yield gap for the wet and dry seasons, (ii) to identify the biophysical and management factors causing the yield gap, and (iii) to estimate whether it is possible to achieve rice self-sufficiency by closing the yield gap in Venezuela. Yield potential was estimated using the Oryza v3 simulation model, and yield gaps were analyzed based on 401 farmer field surveys conducted over seven agricultural years (2018–2024). Additional production potential was assessed under scenarios of agricultural intensification and cropland expansion and compared with projections of rice demand until 2040. Results showed that the yield potential of irrigated rice ranged between 8.1 and 9.8 Mg ha−1 in the wet season and between 10.4 and 10.9 Mg ha−1 in the dry season. Yield gaps averaged 53% in the wet season and 59% in the dry season, with main constraints related to crop establishment methods and preceding summer crops. These findings highlight substantial opportunities to increase national production through improved agronomic practices. The novelty of this study lies in providing the first comprehensive and data-based assessment of rice yield gaps in Venezuela, combining crop modeling, farm surveys, and future demand scenarios. The results demonstrate that by intensifying rice-based systems and investing in research, rural credit, and infrastructure, Venezuela could achieve self-sufficiency and double domestic rice production by 2040.
de Souza, J.V.S., Pegoraro, C.P., Soares, C.F. et al. Assessing management factors limiting rice production in Venezuela. Agron. Sustain. Dev. 45, 68 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-025-01068-5
When tourism meets pastoralism: smallholder livelihood dilemmas and overgrazing in the fragile Tien-Shan montane grasslands
Rapid shifts in land-use policies and environmental conditions have made overgrazing a significant challenge to the sustainability of China’s fragile drylands, particularly the Tien-Shan montane grasslands. However, our understanding of the extent to which rangeland degradation is linked to the livelihoods of individual pastoralists adapting to these changes remains limited, especially in the context of the increasing intersection between subsistence pastoralism and tourism development. To evaluate the proposition that “smaller pastures lead to better tourism and less overgrazing”, we conducted a survey of 30 pastoral households managing small (<33 ha), medium, and large (>53 ha) pastures across two villages in the western Tien-Shan mountains, where tourism is on the rise and grassland degradation is evident. Our findings indicate that over the past two decades, the grassland vegetation in the studied area has undergone homogenization, degradation, and fragmentation. Households with small pastures tended to maintain higher livestock densities to support tourism infrastructure, which in turn intensified overgrazing. In contrast, large-pasture households relied on traditional grazing regimes, which resulted in lower levels of overgrazing but generated less income from tourism. Medium-pasture households attempted to cultivate forage grasses to balance both livelihoods, albeit with limited success. Despite these differing strategies, all groups achieved comparable annual incomes. This creates a paradox where increased tourism revenue in small pastures correlates with intensified overgrazing. Our study is the first to highlight that the coexistence of tourism and pastoralism poses critical challenges for grassland sustainability, particularly when smallholders are compelled to fragment pastures for tourism purposes. We argue that achieving a balance between these livelihoods in fragile ecosystems necessitates collaborative management approaches that integrate traditional pastoral practices with equitable tourism planning.
Zhao, D., Bayaerta, Liu, Z. et al. When tourism meets pastoralism: smallholder livelihood dilemmas and overgrazing in the fragile Tien-Shan montane grasslands. Agron. Sustain. Dev. 45, 62 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-025-01064-9
Reintegrating livestock in a specialized vineyard region: unravelling actor perceptions in southern France
Reconnecting neighboring specialized crop farms and livestock farms through exchanges of grain, fodder, crop by-products, and manure or grazing animals could be a solution to address limiting factors such as labor organization at the farm level. Despite such potential interests, this kind of collective organization rarely occurs and few initiatives are documented. We here documented existing crop-livestock collaborations and examined perceptions of local actors (including farmers) on their advantages and disadvantages, and potential for mainstreaming. To this end, we focused on a case study in southern France in which livestock were reintegrated in a specialized vineyard region and that involved multiple actors beyond farmers (e.g., farm advisers, municipal and cooperative representatives) and types of land use, such as arable land, vineyards, and scrubland. We conducted and analyzed 27 semi-directed interviews to understand the perceptions of the multiple actors involved. We highlighted the diversity of local partnerships between crop farmers, vine growers, and livestock farmers, including shepherds. Our research documents for the first time the complexity of these organizational systems for reintegrating livestock in a vineyard region, beyond only farmers. Existing coordination systems between crop farmers, vine growers, and shepherds or other livestock farmers provide several advantages for soil quality and management of weeds, interrows, or cover crops. Farmers, advisers, and regional agency representatives have a relatively positive perception of such collaborations and the role of livestock; however, most local cooperative representatives do not consider them relevant and do not encourage them. We highlighted a lack of coordination between farmers and of financial support for shepherds. Strengthening ties with policymakers and researchers could support these agroecological initiatives. Training and funding landscape facilitators and creating targeted policies would allow cross-sectorial options, enhancing rural development while managing the risk of wildfires.
Ryschawy, J., Grillot, M., Moraine, M. et al. Reintegrating livestock in a specialized vineyard region: unravelling actor perceptions in southern France. Agron. Sustain. Dev. 45, 61 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-025-01045-y
Assessing water and nitrogen footprints of alternative cropping systems across the precipitation gradient of the North China Plain
Alternative cropping systems can sustain productivity and reduce impacts (e.g., excessive groundwater exploitation, nitrogen losses), but microclimate impacts in diversified systems are mostly unexplored. The aim of this study was to explore innovative cropping systems to reduce water use and nitrogen losses across different precipitation gradients. The well–calibrated Agricultural Production Systems sIMulator (APSIM) model and life cycle assessment were combined to analyze the water and nitrogen footprints of five alternative cropping systems, namely, spring maize–winter fallow (sM–F), winter wheat–summer fallow (WW–F), winter wheat–summer maize–winter fallow–spring maize (WW–M–sM), ryegrass–spring maize (R–sM) and winter wheat–summer maize (WW–M) in the North China Plain from 1980 to 2020. Our findings indicate the total water footprint (m3/103 MJ) followed the order: WW–F (70) > WW–M (43) = sM–F (43) > R–sM (42) > WW–M–sM (41), while the total nitrogen footprint (g N–eq/103 MJ) followed a different order: WW–F (423) > WW–M (335) > R–sM (246) > WW–M–sM (212) > sM–F (96). Green and blue water footprints were the primary contributors to the total water footprint for all cropping systems, but the proportion of grey water footprint increased across the precipitation gradient due to higher nitrate leaching. Ammonia volatilization and nitrate leaching were the primary factors contributing to nitrogen losses for all cropping systems, depending on drainage and N application. The most promising alternative cropping systems for sustaining groundwater use and mitigating nitrogen losses shift from sM–F and WW–M–F at dry sites to R–sM at wet sites. These findings highlight the importance of diversifying cropping system to the local climate, offering a scientific basis for green agriculture development across diverse regions in China.
Lu, Y., Xiao, D., Qi, Y. et al. Assessing water and nitrogen footprints of alternative cropping systems across the precipitation gradient of the North China Plain. Agron. Sustain. Dev. 45, 60 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-025-01061-y
ASD Impact factor report 2024
Clarivate’s Journal Citation Reports has published the 2024 impact factor for ASD.
In the category AGRONOMY, the 2-year JIF = 6.7 and ASD is ranked 2/129, while the 5-year JIF = 8.5.
The ASD board will continue to do its best to promote the journal for the benefit of its authors and readers.
Increasing crop diversity reduces pesticides across diverse production situations
Pesticides have caused significant losses of biodiversity and pose a threat to human health. Crop diversification is proposed as a major solution to achieve the needed pesticide reduction in agriculture, by moderating the pressure of weeds, insect pests, and fungal diseases. According to the pest triangle framework, the impact of a pest outbreak depends on the interactions between crop, pest, and the environment. Diversifying crop sequences in a cropping system could impact the interactions between the three factors and recalibrate the need for pesticides to control pests and avoid yield losses. A previous study found that pesticide use, measured by the Treatment Frequency Index at the cropping system level, is affected both by crop species and crop diversity (assessed in this study through the number of crops), with crop species having a greater impact. However, to our knowledge, no study has quantified the role of the farming environment in the effect of crop diversity on regulating pest pressure, and limiting the need for pesticides. In this study, we used the classification and regression trees method to identify six clusters of production situations with contrasting levels of pesticide use, taking into account the nature of crop species grown. Our results show that production situations, the crop species, and crop diversity, jointly shaped pesticide reliance at the cropping system level. Specifically, production situations explained 5.6% of the variance in total pesticide use. Crop diversification by adding one extra crop reduced total Treatment Frequency Index by 0.10, after filtering out the influences of production situation, and this effect was significant across all pesticide groups, namely herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides. Our findings provide evidence that increasing crop diversity consistently reduces pesticide reliance across diverse production conditions. These insights highlight the potential of crop diversification as an effective and scalable strategy for sustainable pest management.
Zhang, Y., Zhang, C., Cong, WF. et al. Increasing crop diversity reduces pesticides across diverse production situations. Agron. Sustain. Dev. 45, 53 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-025-01037-y