scholarly journals Grafting vegetables for mitigating environmental stresses under climate change: a review

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1784-1797 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hira Singh ◽  
Sorabh Sethi ◽  
Prashant Kaushik ◽  
Anthony Fulford
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Plant Production ◽  
Vegetable Production ◽  
Health And Nutrition ◽  
Abiotic Stressors ◽  
Total Crop ◽  
Propagation Technique

Abstract Vegetables are a cornerstone of the human diet, and the importance of vegetables for human health and nutrition cannot be understated. Vegetables are susceptible to a number of biotic and abiotic stressors along with the cumulative pressure of climate change. Climate change is a major driver of the abiotic stress in modern-day vegetable production. Vegetable cropping systems must be resilient to climate change, so that production practices can achieve economic profitability and environmental sustainability. Environmental stressors, such as flooding, drought, and extreme temperatures, pose a severe threat to vegetable crop production, and total crop failures are common. Vegetable grafting, a plant surgical technique that is eco-friendly, rapid, and efficient, is currently the best alternative approach to climate change-resilient plant production that addresses these abiotic stressors. In this review, we document the success of this plant propagation technique using a review of vegetable grafting research results published in the scientific literature.

scholarly journals Protein crop production at the northern margin of farming: to boost or not to boost

2012 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 370-383 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pirjo Peltonen-Sainio ◽  
Jarkko K. Niemi
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Animal Feed ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Economic Incentives ◽  
Global Changes ◽  
Ecological Services ◽  
Future Production ◽  
Protein Rich

Global changes in food demand resulting from population growth and more meat-intensive diets require an increase in global protein crop production, not least as climate change and increasing scarcity of fresh water could restrict future production. In contrast to many other regions, in Finland climate change could open new opportunities through enabling more diverse cropping systems. It is justified to re-enquire whether the extent and intensity of protein crop production are optimized, resources are used efficiently and sustainably, cropping systems are built to be resilient and whether ecological services that protein crops provide are utilized appropriately. This paper aims to analyze in a descriptive manner the biological grounds for sustainable intensification of protein crop production in Finland. Production security is considered by evaluating the effects of and likelihood for constraints typical for northern conditions, examining historical and recent crop failures and estimating ecosystem services that more extensive introduction of protein crops potentially provide for northern cropping systems now and in a changing climate. There is an evident potential to expand protein crop production sustainably to a couple of times its current area. In general, variability in protein yields tends to be higher for protein crops than spring cereals. Nevertheless, protein yield variability was not necessarily systematically higher for Finland, when compared with other European regions, as it was for cereals. Protein crops provide significant ecological services that further support their expanded production. By this means protein self-sufficiency remains unrealistic, but increased production of protein crops can be achieved. The expansion of rapeseed and legumes areas also seems to be economically feasible. From the economic viewpoint, an increase in domestic protein supply requires that farmers have economic incentives to a) cultivate protein-rich crops instead of cereals, and b) use them as animal feed instead of imported sources of protein. Environmental sustainability is an argument to justify economic support for protein-rich crops and thus increase their cultivation.

scholarly journals Adaptation and mitigation of climate change in vegetable cultivation: a review

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. V. V. Koundinya ◽  
P. Pradeep Kumar ◽  
R. K. Ashadevi ◽  
Vivek Hegde ◽  
P. Arun Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Weather Forecasting ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Simulation Models ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Vegetable Production ◽  
Vegetable Crops ◽  
Adaptation Measures ◽  
Mitigation And Adaptation

Abstract Climate change is an unavoidable phenomenon of natural and anthropogenic origin against which mitigation and adaptation are required to reduce the magnitude of impact and vulnerability, to avoid risk in vegetable farming and to ensure sustainable livelihoods of the agricultural community. Genetic improvement of vegetable crops is an appropriate adaptation strategy to cope with climate change adversities. A combination study of genomics and phenomics provides a clear understanding of the environment's effect on the transformation of a genotype into phenotype. Grafting of a susceptible scion cultivar onto a resistant rootstock is another way of utilising plant biodiversity against climate change. Agronomic practices such as resource conservation technologies, mulching, organic farming, carbon sequestration by cropping systems and agroforestry provide a suite of possible strategies for addressing the impacts of climate change on vegetable production. Protected cultivation and post-harvest technology can be significant practices in facing the challenges of climate change. Weather forecasting models and growth simulation models can be used to predict the possible impact of climate change on vegetable crop production and they also help in framing necessary adaptation measures.

scholarly journals How will future climate depending agronomic management impact the yield risk of wheat cropping systems? A regional case study of Eastern Denmark

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
J. Macholdt ◽  
J. Glerup Gyldengren ◽  
E. Diamantopoulos ◽  
M. E. Styczen
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Future Climate ◽  
Catch Crops ◽  
Agronomic Management ◽  
The Future ◽  
Yield Risk ◽  
Management Factors ◽  
The Impact

Abstract One of the major challenges in agriculture is how climate change influences crop production, for different environmental (soil type, topography, groundwater depth, etc.) and agronomic management conditions. Through systems modelling, this study aims to quantify the impact of future climate on yield risk of winter wheat for two common soil types of Eastern Denmark. The agro-ecosystem model DAISY was used to simulate arable, conventional cropping systems (CSs) and the study focused on the three main management factors: cropping sequence, usage of catch crops and cereal straw management. For the case region of Eastern Denmark, the future yield risk of wheat does not necessarily increase under climate change mainly due to lower water stress in the projections; rather, it depends on appropriate management and each CS design. Major management factors affecting the yield risk of wheat were N supply and the amount of organic material added during rotations. If a CS is characterized by straw removal and no catch crop within the rotation, an increased wheat yield risk must be expected in the future. In contrast, more favourable CSs, including catch crops and straw incorporation, maintain their capacity and result in a decreasing yield risk over time. Higher soil organic matter content, higher net nitrogen mineralization rate and higher soil organic nitrogen content were the main underlying causes for these positive effects. Furthermore, the simulation results showed better N recycling and reduced nitrate leaching for the more favourable CSs, which provide benefits for environment-friendly and sustainable crop production.

scholarly journals Potential for sustainable irrigation expansion in a 3 °C warmer climate

2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (47) ◽  
pp. 29526-29534
Author(s):  
Lorenzo Rosa ◽  
Davide Danilo Chiarelli ◽  
Matteo Sangiorgio ◽  
Areidy Aracely Beltran-Peña ◽  
Maria Cristina Rulli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Irrigation Water ◽  
Water Demand ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Water Storage ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Irrigation Water Demand ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Sustainable Irrigation

Climate change is expected to affect crop production worldwide, particularly in rain-fed agricultural regions. It is still unknown how irrigation water needs will change in a warmer planet and where freshwater will be locally available to expand irrigation without depleting freshwater resources. Here, we identify the rain-fed cropping systems that hold the greatest potential for investment in irrigation expansion because water will likely be available to suffice irrigation water demand. Using projections of renewable water availability and irrigation water demand under warming scenarios, we identify target regions where irrigation expansion may sustain crop production under climate change. Our results also show that global rain-fed croplands hold significant potential for sustainable irrigation expansion and that different irrigation strategies have different irrigation expansion potentials. Under a 3 °C warming, we find that a soft-path irrigation expansion with small monthly water storage and deficit irrigation has the potential to expand irrigated land by 70 million hectares and feed 300 million more people globally. We also find that a hard-path irrigation expansion with large annual water storage can sustainably expand irrigation up to 350 million hectares, while producing food for 1.4 billion more people globally. By identifying where irrigation can be expanded under a warmer climate, this work may serve as a starting point for investigating socioeconomic factors of irrigation expansion and may guide future research and resources toward those agricultural communities and water management institutions that will most need to adapt to climate change.

Review: Redesigning Canadian prairie cropping systems for profitability, sustainability, and resilience

2015 ◽  
Vol 95 (6) ◽  
pp. 1049-1072 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanne R. Thiessen Martens ◽  
Martin H. Entz ◽  
Mark D. Wonneck
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Agroforestry Systems ◽  
Organic Production ◽  
Agricultural Systems ◽  
Canadian Prairie ◽  
Research Education

Thiessen Martens, J. R., Entz, M. H. and Wonneck, M. D. 2015. Review: Redesigning Canadian prairie cropping systems for profitability, sustainability, and resilience. Can. J. Plant Sci. 95: 1049–1072. Redesign of agricultural systems according to ecological principles has been proposed for the development of sustainable systems. We review a wide variety of ecologically based crop production practices, including crop varieties and genetic diversity, crop selection and rotation, cover crops, annual polyculture, perennial forages, perennial grains, agroforestry systems, reducing tillage, use of animal manures and green manures, soil biological fertility, organic production systems, integrated crop–livestock systems, and purposeful design of farm landscapes (farmscaping), and discuss their potential role in enhancing the profitability, environmental sustainability, and resilience of Canadian prairie cropping systems. Farming systems that most closely mimic natural systems through appropriate integration of diverse components, within a context of supportive social and economic structures, appear to offer the greatest potential benefits, while creating a framework in which to place all other farming practices. Our understanding of ecological relationships within agricultural systems is currently lacking, and a major shift in research, education, and policy will be required to purposefully and proactively redesign Canadian prairie agricultural systems for long-term sustainability.

The hidden signature of temperature-moisture couplings in the heat sensitivity of global crops

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Corey Lesk ◽  
Ethan Coffel ◽  
Jonathan Winter ◽  
Deepak Ray ◽  
Jakob Zscheischler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Heat Sensitivity ◽  
Local Strength ◽  
Dry Conditions ◽  
The Impact

<p><strong>Rising air temperatures are a leading risk to global crop production and food security under climate change</strong><strong>. Recent research has emphasized the critical role of moisture availability in regulating crop responses to heat</strong><strong> and the importance of temperature-moisture couplings in the genesis of concurrent hot and dry conditions</strong><strong>. Here, we demonstrate that the heat sensitivity of key global crops is dependent on the local strength of couplings between temperature and moisture in the climate system (namely, the interannual correlations of growing season temperature with evapotransipration and precipitation). Over 1970-2013, maize and soy yields declined more during hotter growing seasons where decreased precipitation and evapotranspiration more strongly accompanied higher temperatures. Based on this historical pattern and a suite of CMIP6 climate model projections, we show that changes in temperature-moisture couplings in response to warming could enhance the heat sensitivity of these crops as temperatures rise, worsening the impact of warming by ~5% on global average. However, these changes will benefit crops in some areas where couplings weaken, and are highly uncertain in others. Our results demonstrate that climate change will impact crops not only through warming, but also through changes in temperature-moisture couplings, which may alter the sensitivity of crop yields to heat as warming proceeds. Robust adaptation of cropping systems will need to consider this underappreciated risk to food production from climate change.</strong></p>

Grain legume production and their potential for sustainable agriculture in Botswana between 2008 and 2015: a review

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 80-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. N. Mashungwa
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Sustainable Agriculture ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Production Management ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Grain Legume ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Pulse Crops

Pulse crops are an integral component of arable agriculture in Botswana, particularly in subsistence farming. The benefits of these crops include provision of nutrition for both human beings and livestock, as well as environmental sustainability needs. Although they have a far reaching socio-economic impact, these benefits have not been adequately characterized for inclusion in endeavors of conservation agriculture in the country. Furthermore, data on pulses are often lumped together without identifying important pulse crops grown in Botswana. The objective of this paper was to review production of pulses and their potential as components in cropping systems and conservation agriculture in Botswana. The data used in this study were obtained from reports of Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MOA), Statistics Botswana, FAOSTAT and other literature sources. With the ongoing changes in climate and predicted increase in incidences of drought, pulses are among crops most relevant to sustainable agriculture. They are among the most versatile because of their variability in cropping duration from early to late maturity. Their consumption ranges from fresh forms to physiologically mature grain.  Pulses play an important role in climate change mitigation through their ability to fix nitrogen, thus reducing dependency on organic and synthetic fertilizers. They use less water from relatively shallow soil and allow for stratified soil water use for companion crops in intercropping or conserve soil water for subsequent crops in rotations. Thus pulses improve both water and nutrient use efficiencies when included in cropping systems. Their production also has a low footprint in both carbon and water. Currently, pulses are among the few highly priced crops in Botswana markets and together with the possibility of replacement of imported grain, investments in their production can generate income and improve livelihood of both farmers and consumers in Botswana. Crop production management technology involves judicious use of integrated nutrient, pest and disease management; appropriate integrated management packages that include pulses can be promoted to ensure sustainable crop production under the adverse impacts of climate change.

scholarly journals Applications of Nanotechnology in Plant Growth and Crop Protection: A Review

Molecules ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (14) ◽  
pp. 2558 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yifen Shang ◽  
Md. Kamrul Hasan ◽  
Golam Jalal Ahammed ◽  
Mengqi Li ◽  
Hanqin Yin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Agricultural Production ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Crop Protection ◽  
Controlled Delivery ◽  
High Tech ◽  
Agricultural Systems ◽  
And Control

In the era of climate change, global agricultural systems are facing numerous, unprecedented challenges. In order to achieve food security, advanced nano-engineering is a handy tool for boosting crop production and assuring sustainability. Nanotechnology helps to improve agricultural production by increasing the efficiency of inputs and minimizing relevant losses. Nanomaterials offer a wider specific surface area to fertilizers and pesticides. In addition, nanomaterials as unique carriers of agrochemicals facilitate the site-targeted controlled delivery of nutrients with increased crop protection. Due to their direct and intended applications in the precise management and control of inputs (fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides), nanotools, such as nanobiosensors, support the development of high-tech agricultural farms. The integration of biology and nanotechnology into nonosensors has greatly increased their potential to sense and identify the environmental conditions or impairments. In this review, we summarize recent attempts at innovative uses of nanotechnologies in agriculture that may help to meet the rising demand for food and environmental sustainability.

scholarly journals Whole-Systems Analysis of Environmental and Economic Sustainability in Arable Cropping Systems: A Case Study

Agronomy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 438 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hawes ◽  
Young ◽  
Banks ◽  
Begg ◽  
Christie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Crop Protection ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Economic Sustainability ◽  
Commercial Practice ◽  
Management Interventions ◽  
Trade Offs

The long-term sustainability of crop production depends on the complex network of interactions and trade-offs between biotic, abiotic and economic components of agroecosystems. An integrated arable management system was designed to maintain yields, whilst enhancing biodiversity and minimising environmental impact. Management interventions included conservation tillage and organic matter incorporation for soil biophysical health, reduced crop protection inputs and integrated pest management strategies for enhanced biodiversity and ecosystem functions, and intercropping, cover cropping and under-sowing to achieve more sustainable nutrient management. This system was compared directly with standard commercial practice in a split-field experimental design over a six-year crop rotation. The effect of the cropping treatment was assessed according to the responses of a suite of indicators, which were used to parameterise a qualitative multi-attribute model. Scenarios were run to test whether the integrated cropping system achieved greater levels of overall sustainability relative to standard commercial practice. Overall sustainability was rated high for both integrated and conventional management of bean, barley and wheat crops. Winter oilseed crops scored medium for both cropping systems and potatoes scored very low under standard management but achieved a medium level of sustainability with integrated management. In general, high scores for environmental sustainability in integrated cropping systems were offset by low scores for economic sustainability relative to standard commercial practice. This case study demonstrates the value of a ‘whole cropping systems’ approach using qualitative multi-attribute modelling for the assessment of existing cropping systems and for predicting the likely impact of new management interventions on arable sustainability.

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