Evaluation and Design of Cropping Systems: Profitability, Sustainability and Resilience

A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Agricultural Systems and Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 December 2024 | Viewed by 904

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NB, USA
Interests: cropping systems; nutrient management; soil health resilient agriculture; corn; soybean; cover crops

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NB, USA
Interests: soil health; carbon; soil enzymes; nutrient management

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the dynamic landscape of agriculture, this Special Issue, titled "Evaluation and Design of Cropping Systems: Profitability, Sustainability and Resilience", is covering a topic increasingly under the spotlight. Originating from a rich legacy of agricultural research, this Special Issue emerges at the intersection of profitability, sustainability, and resilience within cropping systems. Shaped by decades of evolution in agroecology, environmental stewardship, and socio-economic equity, this Special Issue encapsulates the essence of contemporary agricultural discourse. It builds upon the foundational principles of holistic resource management, ecological resilience, and socio-economic empowerment, paving the way for transformative approaches for enabling agricultural development. This Special Issue will stand as a beacon, illuminating pathways towards a more prosperous, sustainable, and resilient agricultural future.

The evaluation and design of cropping systems are crucial endeavors intertwining profitability, sustainability, and resilience. These systems represent intricate webs of agricultural practices, environmental interactions, and economic viability. Balancing profitability entails optimizing yields and resource utilization, therefore ensuring economic viability. Sustainability mandates stewardship of resources, minimizing environmental impacts while maintaining productivity for future generations. Resilience demands adaptability to changing conditions, such as climate variability or market dynamics, to withstand and recover from disturbances. Thus, the evaluation and design of cropping systems necessitate a holistic approach, harmonizing economic, environmental, and social dimensions to foster sustainable agricultural landscapes.

This Special Issue, titled "Evaluation and Design of Cropping Systems: Profitability, Sustainability and Resilience", will explore innovative methodologies, interdisciplinary studies, and theoretical frameworks advancing our understanding of cropping systems. It seeks contributions elucidating the intricate interplay between profitability, sustainability, and resilience, thus fostering sustainable agricultural practices worldwide.

Dr. Swetabh Patel
Dr. Adewole Adetunji
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • novel agronomic practices
  • resilience
  • economic sustainability
  • regenerative agriculture
  • soil health and nutrient management
  • ecosystem services
  • diversified agriculture

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

14 pages, 1429 KiB  
Article
Agroecological Aptitude of the Northeast of Formosa (Argentinean Subtropical Region) for Banana Production Assessed by Multiple Factor Analysis
by Ana Paula Del Medico, Maria Susana Vitelleschi, Andrea Lina Lavalle, Gerardo Carlos Tenaglia and Guillermo Raúl Pratta
Agriculture 2024, 14(11), 1904; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14111904 - 27 Oct 2024
Viewed by 699
Abstract
Banana (Musa spp.) is an important crop in the economies of many developing countries. In the north of Argentina, a subtropical region, banana plants grow in a suboptimal environment that limits yield because only one harvest per year is achieved. The objective [...] Read more.
Banana (Musa spp.) is an important crop in the economies of many developing countries. In the north of Argentina, a subtropical region, banana plants grow in a suboptimal environment that limits yield because only one harvest per year is achieved. The objective of this work was to characterize the agroecological aptitude of Formosa, Argentina, for banana production through the behavior of three varieties of international use: Williams, Jaffa and Grand Naine, evaluated over five consecutive years. The three-way data analysis technique called Multiple Factor Analysis (MFA) was used for evaluating the varieties’ performances across cycles of production. The results allowed for inferring the existence of a genotype x environment interaction (GEI), corroborated by two-way factorial ANOVA. In order to determine how this suboptimal environment affected the development of each genotype of this perennial crop, Dual Multiple Factor Analysis (DMFA) was applied to jointly analyze the correlation structure between the traits that contributed to the performance of each variety in each year. The correlation structures between variables were different in each population and varied between years. All traits showed great variation between the years and genotypes, with the fruit peel thickness being the most discrepant throughout the years. However, Formosa appeared as a promising subtropical agroecological environment to produce banana because the varieties’ performances were acceptable for large-scale production systems. In addition to evaluating the adequate aptitude for cultivating banana in Formosa considering the significant effect of the GEIs, this research made a methodological contribution by proposing the use of three-way data analysis in Agronomy Science via MFA and DMFA. Full article
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