More nutrient cycling may be achieved by using less external inputs (feed, fertilisers) and reduce losses to the environment, especially in intensive farming systems. Yet, changes in on-farm management may have unintended consequences at higher aggregation scales due to potential trade-offs.

Over the last 26 years, researchers globally have successfully applied the soil nitrogen (N) model in the Agricultural Production Systems sIMulator (APSIM) to simulate N cycling and its effects on crop production across a range of agricultural systems and environments. As the modelling community further expands its focus to include environmental impacts of farming, it needs the model to be fit for

Climate change can trigger excessive rainfall, making mechanized soybean harvesting unfeasible. The off-season maize cultivation can benefit from soybean-maize rotation system, inoculated with Bradyrhizobium spp. strains, as a potential biological source of nitrogen (N). To meet the nutritional demand of maize crops, N fertilization management is essential. Recent research has sought to understand

The transition to digital agriculture is likely to lead to systemic changes that will affect production, consumption, governance, and the wider environment of agricultural systems. Nevertheless, the absence of sufficient evidence and ambiguities in perspectives create an ongoing lack of clarity regarding the potential impacts of digital agriculture. Therefore, to discern potential impacts while addressing

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a potent greenhouse gas with a high global warming potential. Specialty crop (SC) systems, including vineyards, orchards, and vegetable farms, are among the highest value crops grown and emit N2O. Knowledge regarding N2O emissions from SCs remains limited, necessitating simulations using process-based models. However, model calibration and validation for SC biomass dynamics and

Agroforestry provides numerous benefits to agricultural landscapes, including timber production, carbon sequestration and enhanced biodiversity. Critically, agroforestry also influences the productivity of pasture, crops, and livestock. The magnitude and direction of the effect, however, is highly variable due to factors including the type of agroforestry (e.g., windbreak, alley, silvopasture), the

Understanding the interactions between genotype, environment, and management is crucial for guiding the development of new cultivars and defining strategies to maximize yield under specific environmental conditions.

In the Sahel region, agroforestry, if upscaled, is a promising land restoration measure to combat the effects of climate change. Beyond its environmental benefits, agroforestry potentially increases crop yields or provides tree products. While the presence and quantity of trees ensures environmental outcomes to a certain degree, the potential economic benefits can only be realized from more sophisticated

Redesign of farm systems could enable smallholder farms to move towards sustainability. In farm redesign, the joint participation of researchers and farmers is fundamental, together with new techniques and tools for evaluation.

Climate change will significantly impact grain production in the Guanzhong Plain. Maize-soybean intercropping is a stable and efficient cropping system, and optimizing water and nitrogen (N) management strategies for this system under future climate is crucial for sustainable agriculture.

Cacao production takes place in diverse environments and agricultural systems, with its performance and income generation potential depending on multiple contextual factors. The crop has been promoted among smallholders in South America as a driver for sustainable rural development, but a systematic comparison of the economic performance of diverse cacao production systems in this region was missing

The productivity of grazing-based dairy systems is driven in large part by availability of nitrogen (N) as it cycles though the soil, plant and animal. However, N use efficiency (NUE) is generally less than 40 % with significant N losses attributed to animal excreted N, especially urinary N, due to high N concentrations deposited.

European farming systems depend on synthetic fertilisers and feed imports. In a context of global peak oil and geopolitical crises, it is important to seek increasing independence from input imports and to reduce their environmental impact. This requires better crop-livestock integration, notably at the territorial level. However, this implies contending with the trade-offs related to agricultural

Crop rotation is seen as a ‘Climate-Smart Agriculture’ practice, but there are knowledge gaps around their climate impacts. This is the first direct measurement of nitrous oxide emissions (N2O) from cropland soils in South Africa.

Farmers' transition from using chemical nitrogen (N) fertilizer to adopting sustainable alternatives like clover and multi-species swards can mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, increase carbon sequestration, improve water quality, reduce dependence on volatile fertilizer prices and imports, and offer numerous other benefits. However, despite efforts to promote the uptake of clover

Agricultural sustainability in rural India is vital for ensuring food security and livelihoods, particularly for small-scale farmers. Many rural communities exhibit a blend of sustainable and unsustainable farming practices, affecting both their agricultural productivity and resilience in the face of environmental and socio-economic challenges.

A region's agricultural practices, particularly farmers' choices regarding plowing and planting, influence the adaptability of croplands to climate change. However, the role of these agronomic landscapes in mediating cropland responses to diverse climate conditions remains unclear.

The Argentine wheat belt region is centered on the humid pampas, i.e. the main wheat producing area of Argentina and is considered at global scale one of the most important in the world for its production of cereals and oilseeds crops. In this whole area wheat is exposed to contrasting climatic conditions.

Implementing alternative practices to the use of pesticides involves work issues that can limit adoption of these practices, particularly on dairy farms. Depending on how practices change, work organization may completely change, additional skills and knowledge may be required, and system complexity may increase, inducing a higher mental workload. This can result in an excessive total workload for

Sustainability transitions in agri-food systems are expected to reduce their negative environmental and social impacts. On the other hand, Europe demands an increase in the agricultural land under organic farming by 2030. Innovations in agri-food systems, especially in the organic sector, could close the gap in sustainability transitions and the foreseen conversion to organic farming.

The comparison of agricultural models and the conduct of crop improvement research have garnered significant attention in recent times. One of the primary objectives in this field is to pinpoint and mitigate the uncertainties inherent in modeling the effects of climate on crop growth and productivity. Enhancing the precision and reliability of crop models has emerged as a critical concern.

In modern intensive dairy farming, cows are increasingly held indoors and fed arable crops instead of grass to maximize individual animal performance. This leads to environmental issues such as high farm-level nutrient surpluses and loss of grassland plant species diversity as well as a growing competition between food and feed.

Predicting crop yields with high precision and timeliness is essential for crop breeding, enabling the optimization of planting strategies and efficients resource allocation while ensuring food security. Current research in this field typically does not address the problem of yield prediction in the diverse context of breeding experiments involving numerous varieties. However, evaluating the performance

Influenced by natural conditions, geographic location and socioeconomics, Qinghai Province is a typical alpine agro-pastoral ecotone; additionally, its food production system cannot cope with many risks, and exploring the suitability of resilient cropland spaces and rational utilization paths is of practical significance.

Milk production in developing countries is characterized by low per animal yield and disproportionately high GHG emissions. Specific policy recommendations are necessary to improve the technical as well as environmental efficiency of dairy production, especially for small farms. However, limited financial resources owned by producers lead to high transaction costs of introducing change. Both, concentrate

Intensive agriculture is under pressure from changing demands from society, prompting the need to redesign agricultural landscapes to provide multiple ecosystem services (ESs). However, implementation of changed practices requires positive engagement from stakeholders. Therefore, their perspective on ecosystem services needs to be known.

Sustainable agricultural practices are critical in a world grappling with climate change and pressure on natural resources. Unplanned agricultural expansion often harms ecosystems and the services they provide. Balancing food production with environmental protection demands sophisticated tools like spatial analysis and artificial intelligence to inform land-use decisions.

Coffee cultivation is important to Brazil's economy, positioning the country as a global leader in production and export. Given the complex environmental and management factors affecting yields, particularly due to climate change, there is a pressing need from farmers and dealers for more precise crop estimation models.

In Peru, silvopastoral systems have been included as a national measure to address deforestation and mitigate carbon emissions. Limited studies have assessed the sustainability of mixed livestock-crop systems using tools that address multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

Research and policy continue to highlight the potential importance of transformative adaptations (involving wholly new systems, processes, or locations for activities) for climate and other future changes, including in agriculture. Despite this, there are few examples of transformative changes in action and insufficient understanding about the drivers that enable or facilitate transformative change

Some gaseous emissions continue to pose a serious threat to human health and the environment locally, regionally and globally. This has resulted in several studies advocating for the implementation of mitigation measures to reduce the emissions of harmful gases.

This review article seeks to evaluate existing research in hydroponic systems which utilise a fertiliser solution derived from food-waste, also known as “Food-waste based hydroponic fertilisers” (FWBHF). FWBHF research is rooted in addressing increasing concerns surrounding food security, addressing both non-productive waste streams and sustainable production of hydroponic fertilisers. In 2018, the

Efficient irrigation management must consider multiple aspects of cropping systems, such as productivity, water use efficiency, and economic viability. Crop simulation models like AquaCrop are essential tools for analyzing crop responses under different irrigation scenarios. Organizing the model's outputs into standardized parameters allows for a multi-objective evaluation, which can be consolidated

Global warming has created tipping points across various ecosystems, but few studies have focused on the livestock systems. The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) has been warming at a rate two to three times greater than the global average, potentially leading to a transition from historically prevalent livestock cold stress to heat stress.

Cereal–legume intercropping is a diversification practice that offers many advantages, especially in low-input systems. However, its adoption remains low on European farms, as technical and economic barriers hinder its development. In recent years, an increase in the proportion of arable land cultivated with cereal–legume intercrops has been observed in France. Three areas in particular – in Western

Access to sufficient amount of irrigation water enables farmers to intensify cultivation, leading to increased productivity. The type, application level of irrigation infrastructure, and water use management conditions affect the extent of water supply and farm-level productivity. Despite this, much of the literature on the impact of irrigation water on farm-level productivity considers the dichotomous

Reducing pesticide use has become an important policy objective in several countries, yet many have failed to reach their goals. Policies need to be more systemic to address lock-ins hindering pesticide reduction. To do so, policymakers must improve policymaking processes, while ensuring active stakeholder participation. This requires specific policy capacities, which have not yet been characterized

Zero tillage and straw retention have been presented large scale to curb the menace of straw burning and sustaining soil health in rice production systems. At the same time, we know rice cultivation particularly double rice cropping system is an anthropogenic source of atmospheric greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions, mainly, Methane (CH4), Nitrous oxide (N2O), and Carbon dioxide (CO2). Thus, it is important

Nitrogen availability is the primary limitation for the growth of tall fescue, Argentina's most widely cultivated cool-season pasture. Significant yield gaps exist in fescue pastures on commercial farms, where average annual yields are around 5 t/ha, compared to a potential yield of 10 to 15 t/ha. Nitrogen fertilization remains uncommon among cow-calf producers, highlighting the need for a deeper understanding

The need to quantify sustainability in agriculture and the ecosystem services it provides is increasingly felt by the sector. Indicators and indices are useful tools for this purpose, but are currently scarce in the specialized fruit-growing sector. In addition, there is a need for a more holistic view of the orchard system, which also considers unproductive spaces, such as the inter-row, where techniques

Lowering greenhouse gas (GHG) and ammonia emissions from ruminant production systems is critical to mitigating climate change and enrichment and acidification of vulnerable habitats. Quantifying emission reductions from the implementation of best practices (BP) on grassland-based dairy systems is essential to guide farmers and policy towards wider adoption of best practices.

Water availability shapes agricultural land use patterns, which in turn impacts water supplies. Beef cattle production is one of the most water-intensive food production activities. Therefore, it is fundamental to identify pathways to reduce water consumption and to determine suitable producing-regions to mitigate the current pressures on water resources.

Researchers have identified numerous strategies to improve economic performance and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emission intensity in combined milk and beef production on dairy farms. However, there remains a need to better understand how the effectiveness of these strategies varies under different operational conditions.

Transitioning to future circular economies and food systems will increase demand for biomass in society. Residual streams, which include food loss, food waste and by-products (e.g., rapeseed meal) from agriculture and food production are a valuable source of biomass in more circular food systems. It is currently unclear if and whether these residual streams should be utilised optimally: as animal feed

Many countries only allow seed of registered varieties to be legally produced and sold in the market. Due to strict requirements regarding the characteristics (e.g., distinctness, uniformity, and stability) and performance (e.g., outperforming high-yielding varieties under standardized growing conditions) for varieties to be released, this implies that many farmers' varieties are confined to the spheres

The dairy production system fills an important role by providing nutrient-dense foods in Swedish diets, however, future efforts to improve its sustainability necessitate structural changes.

Animal diet, farm management, and feed production are factors that need to be considered in order to maximize the efficiency and minimize the environmental impacts of dairy farms. Sustainable forage intensification could be one possible solution in order to maintain food security and profitability and at the same time respect the environment under the threat of climate change.

Agroecological practices, including growing cover crops, are promising practices to adapt to climate change and mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, their long-term effects on soil nitrogen (N) dynamics and mineral N fertilization in cropping systems requires further investigation.

Serious games can be used as a tool for learning, increasing coordination, supporting decision-making processes, and other purposes that can strengthen sustainability transitions. While agriculture is an important corner stone for these transitions, little research has been done on serious games on agricultural and none on the potential link with sustainability issues.

Efforts are being made globally to promote transformations from conventional to agroecological agricultural systems. In many places, such efforts have been made in dialogue with peasant communities, involving a range of social actors with converging actions. Understanding the drivers of such transformations can elucidate key elements capable of promoting changes in the agrifood system.

The development of smallholder agriculture in Africa faces numerous challenges. While digitalization is seen as a transformative opportunity for the continent's agricultural sector, there is limited empirical evidence on the effectiveness and impact of digital tools for smallholder farmers. This study examines the landscape of digital agriculture in Kenya, often called Africa's “Silicon Savannah,”

Given policy objectives for pesticide reduction, functional biodiversity is increasingly important for agricultural production. However, economic land use optimisation models rarely account for the interplay between agricultural production and functional biodiversity, like natural pest control (NPC).

In the face of intensifying challenges for sustainable food production, well-planned agricultural development is crucial to mitigate climate impacts and manage blue water demands. Tools and methodologies that support public policy for sustainable regional growth are essential, especially in regions lacking hydroclimatic data, which complicates the use of simulation models for efficient water management

Crop-livestock reintegration could reduce the environmental footprint of decoupled crop and livestock production related to biogeochemical cycles. Previous experiments showed that replacing fallow periods in annual crop rotations with grazed cover crops increases total nitrogen (N) and organic carbon (SOC), based on topsoil sampling and stocks compared by equivalent soil depth. Stock comparisons based

Dairy production systems with a high stocking density are strongly dependent on external feed resources and concentrate nutrients in manure on a small surface area, thus causing environmental challenges. Both improved manure management and integration of crop-dairy production have been proposed as ways to reduce nutrient losses and improve sustainability of intensive dairy production. However, the

Wetland drainage has become an increasingly important conservation issue in the Prairie Pothole region of North America. Financial incentives for annual crop production have driven wetland drainage for decades, and the removal of wetlands has detrimentally impacted key wetland ecosystem services such as wildlife habitat and carbon sequestration. Past studies which model the farmer's decision to drain

The choice of crops for cultivation should be ideally based on the appropriateness of a specific parcel of land for a particular crop. This is a multi-criteria problem associated with a host of natural conditioning variables including topography, climate and pedology. However, in a country like India, where agriculture is often traditional and subsistence-based, the farmers' choice of crop selection

Informal seed trade can exacerbate crop disease epidemics. Potato production across Ethiopia is threatened by the spread of seedborne pests and pathogens, particularly by bacterial wilt, caused by the Ralstonia solanacearum species complex (RSSC). The RSSC is commonly dispersed through informal trade of seed potato, with the potential to move long distances across Ethiopia and among trading countries