Sustainability assessment

Optimizing sustainability in rice-based cropping systems: a holistic approach for integrating soil carbon farming, energy efficiency, and greenhouse gas reduction strategies via resource conservation practices

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Standing crops of the experimental plots
Standing crops of the experimental plots (photo credit: Pradeep Kumar Dash).

The study underscores the potential of rice-green gram systems under resource conservation technologies in enhancing sustainability and resilience in lowland rice agroecosystems, particularly in Eastern India. Conducted over multiple cropping seasons as part of a long-term experiment, the research evaluated six conservation practices, including zero tillage, green manure, and biochar, in comparison to conventional methods. Among these, zero tillage emerged as the most effective climate-smart practice, achieving the highest carbon sequestration rate (0.97 Mg ha-1 yr-1), substantial energy savings (52.0%–67.8%), and the lowest global warming potential. These findings demonstrate the capacity of resource conservation technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, enhance soil organic carbon stocks, and improve productivity, thereby offering a sustainable pathway to mitigate methane emissions and balance agricultural productivity with environmental stewardship. This research highlights the vital role of innovative practices like zero tillage with residue management treatments in advancing climate-smart agriculture and achieving long-term ecological and agricultural resilience.

Dash, P.K., Bhattacharyya, P., Padhy, S.R. et al. Optimizing sustainability in rice-based cropping systems: a holistic approach for integrating soil carbon farming, energy efficiency, and greenhouse gas reduction strategies via resource conservation practices. Agron. Sustain. Dev. 45, 11 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-025-01005-6

Tools to improve farm sustainability assessments

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Farm landscape
Copyright INRAE and Springer-Verlag

Assessing farm sustainability provides an overview of the various impacts that agriculture has on society. Scientists Chopin et al. recently reviewed 119 tools published to assess farm sustainability. They described 5 groups from stakeholder participation and models used, identified 7 sustainability frameworks utilizing 27 indicators about drivers, pressures or states of the system, but found a lack of impact indicators. They call on developing a novel sustainability framework taking account of agronomic productivity, governance and resilience of farming systems.

Considering crop rotations and residues in agricultural carbon footprint assessments

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Picture copyright Brankatschk et al.

Crop rotations and residues fulfill important agronomic functions but they are inadequately considered in product carbon footprint calculations. Scientists Brankatschk and Finkbeiner recalculated carbon footprints for bread, milk, first-generation biodiesel and second-generation bioethanol and showed that crop rotations and residues influence the results and should be considered in the process. Without inclusion of crop rotation effects, environmental advantages of improvements in agricultural practices enabled by crop rotations will remain undetected.