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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 October 2024) | Viewed by 17447

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Prof. Dr. Anna Kocira

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Guest Editor

The University College of Applied Sciences in Chełm, Pocztowa 54, 22-100 Chełm, Poland
Interests: abiotic stress; biostimulants; crop production; plant physiology; nutritional and nutraceutical quality; weed control; legumes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Mariola Staniak

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Guest Editor

Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation, State Research Institute in Puławy, Puławy, Poland
Interests: abiotic stress; plant physiology; weed control; biodiversity; organic farming; legumes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sustainable and more environmentally friendly approaches to agricultural production are the current trend in the food economy. This is due to the increase in ecological awareness of society in relation to the necessity of protecting environmental components through the implementation of innovative techniques and technologies while implementing the concept of the sustainable food system "from field to table". The implementation of innovative solutions in agricultural practice and in agri-food processing, as a result, will contribute to the sustainable development of the food system while maintaining effective management of natural resources and rational utilization of by-products generated in the processing of agricultural products.

The aim of this Special Issue of Agriculture is to collect original articles and reviews in the field of healthy and environmentally friendly food systems "from field to table".

Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

The role of sustainable agriculture in shaping the quantity and quality of crop yields and supporting biodiversity;
Sustainable food production and consumption as a pillar of a healthy society;
Sustainable practices in food processing and distribution;
Food security.

Dr. Anna Kocira
Prof. Dr. Mariola Staniak
Guest Editors

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agriculture is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

sustainable agriculture
organic farming
yield quality
conserving biodiversity
sustainable food production
sustainable food consumption
sustainable processing practices
rational utilization of by-products
sustainable practices in food distribution
food security

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Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 3259 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Role of Red Clover and Manure Fertilization in the Formation of Crop Yield of Selected Cereals

by Irena Suwara, Katarzyna Pawlak-Zaręba, Dariusz Gozdowski and Renata Leszczyńska

Agriculture 2024, 14(11), 2064; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14112064 - 16 Nov 2024

Viewed by 404

Abstract

The use of legumes in rotation is beneficial and is of great importance in sustainable agricultural production in line with the assumptions of the European Green Deal. The aim of the presented research was to evaluate the cultivation of red clover as an undersown crop for spring barley and as a forecrop for winter wheat on the yield and quality of spring barley and winter wheat. To achieve this goal, two long-term static experiments set up in 1955 were used, in which diversified mineral and organic fertilization were used in two rotations: rotation without red clover (sugar beet–spring barley–winter rapeseed–winter wheat) and rotation with red clover (sugar beet–spring barley with undersown red clover–red clover–winter wheat). The obtained results indicate that the Norfolk rotation with red clover, as well as varied fertilization and years of research, influence the yield of plants. The highest grain yields of spring barley (5.7 t ha⁻¹) were ensured by mineral fertilization (NPK) and mineral fertilization in combination with manure (½NPK + ½FM). However, the highest yields of winter wheat grain (6.4 t ha⁻¹) were recorded in the treatments with exclusive mineral fertilization (NPK), significantly lower yields in the treatments where mineral fertilizers were used in combination with manure (5.7 t ha⁻¹) (½NPK + ½FM) and only manure (5.1 t ha⁻¹) (FM). The lowest yields of both cereals were found on soil that had not been fertilized since 1955 (0). The grain yield of spring barley was not significantly differentiated by the sowing method and was similar for spring barley grown with and without undersown red clover. Including legumes in the rotation had a positive effect on the yield of winter wheat. Fertilization had the greatest impact on the protein content in cereal grains. The use of mineral fertilization (NPK) and mineral fertilization in combination with manure (½NPK + ½FM) ensured the highest protein content in the grain of spring barley and winter wheat. Mineral fertilization (NPK) increased the protein content in spring barley grain by 2.9 percentage points compared to the unfertilized treatment (0) and by 2.1 percentage points compared to exclusive manure fertilization (FM), and in winter wheat grain by 2.3 and 1.4 percentage points, respectively. The cultivation of red clover in the rotation also had a positive effect on the protein content in spring barley and winter wheat grains. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Agriculture in Implementing Concept of Sustainable Food System)

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20 pages, 2550 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Organic Farming as a Driver of Environmental Benefits or the Other Way Around? Environmental Conditions vs. Organic Farming Development in the EU with Particular Focus on Poland

by Mariusz Malinowski, Luboš Smutka and Arkadiusz Sadowski

Agriculture 2024, 14(11), 1950; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14111950 - 31 Oct 2024

Viewed by 691

Abstract

Organic farming takes on particular importance in the context of implementing the sustainable development concept as it combines environmentally safe farming methods with (as a general assumption) producing pollution-free food. Hence, environmental conditions might play a role in determining the development pace of that type of farming. The key objective of this paper is therefore to identify the scope and direction of multidimensional relationships between the development level of organic farming and environmental conditions. This was performed with the canonical analysis. The research process included the structuring of the authors’ own synthetic metrics used in assessing the condition of the environment and the development level of organic farming. The study covered European Union countries and all 380 Polish districts (Poland is one of the very few Union members where organic farming development is currently inconsistent with the expected trends adopted under the Common Agricultural Policy). It follows from the analyses that when the variables relating to environmental conditions are known, they can explain only less than 10% of variance in the set of variables used in describing the development level of Polish organic farming. In turn, the analysis at Union level suggests that a positive—but not stronger than moderate—correlation exists between the two phenomena. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Agriculture in Implementing Concept of Sustainable Food System)

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8 pages, 417 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Selecting the ‘Sustainable’ Cow Using a Customized Breeding Index: Case Study on a Commercial UK Dairy Herd

by Matt J. Bell and Greta-Marie Jauernik

Agriculture 2023, 13(2), 423; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13020423 - 10 Feb 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2608

Abstract

The aim of the current study was to investigate using a customized profit and carbon total merit index to identify sustainable milking cows and herd replacements within a commercial dairy herd. Balancing the economic, social and environmental aspects of milk production has gained interest given the increasing global demand for milk products. Furthermore, a farm-level customized breeding index with farm-derived weightings for biological traits would incorporate the effect of the farm environment. This study used a Markov chain approach to model a commercial dairy herd in the UK between the years 2017 and 2022. Production, financial, genetic and nutritional data for the herd were used as input data. The model derived the economic (GBP per unit) and carbon values (kilograms CO₂-eq. emissions per unit) for a single phenotypic increase in milk volume, milk fat yield, milk protein yield, somatic cell count, calving interval and lifespan, which were used in a profit and carbon index. The study proposed a methodology for selecting individual milking cows and herd replacements based on their potential to increase herd profitability and reduce carbon emissions as a means to identify more sustainable animals for a given farm environment. Of the 370 cows and herd replacements studied, 76% were classified as sustainable with a desirable increase in profit and reduction in carbon emissions. Customized breeding indices with trait weightings derived from the farm environment and selecting individual animals on economic and carbon metrics will bring permanent and cumulative improvements to the sustainability of milk production with appropriate nutrition and management. The approach used can be applied to any commercial farm to select animals that are more sustainable. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Agriculture in Implementing Concept of Sustainable Food System)

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11 pages, 627 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of the Quality and Possible Use of a New Generation of Agricultural Nets for Packing Bulk Materials in Terms of the Aspect of Reducing the Environmental Burden

by Ireneusz Kowalik, Bogna Zawieja, Piotr Rybacki and Krzysztof Krzyżaniak

Agriculture 2023, 13(2), 367; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13020367 - 2 Feb 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1517

Abstract

In modern agriculture, packaging materials are becoming an important means of production in the technologies for harvesting bulk materials. The agricultural net currently used for this purpose is usually made of HDPE—high-density polyethylene. The aim of the study was to evaluate the agricultural net produced in light technology under the commercial name of Covernet. Based on the tests conducted for nine variants of different models of round balers and different bulk materials collected by them, it can be concluded that, in each case, the net (Tama LT) wrapped the cylindrical bales well or very well. The mean elongation of COVERNET during bale wrapping was over 8% for the tested machines and harvested materials. The tests confirmed the usefulness of the new generation of agricultural nets (Tama LT) for wrapping various agricultural bulk materials of various humidities. There is an urgent need to develop and implement in practice a technology for recovering used agricultural nets and converting them into granules that can be used again in their production. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Agriculture in Implementing Concept of Sustainable Food System)

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21 pages, 3776 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Forecasting of Hypoallergenic Wheat Productivity Based on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Remote Sensing Approach—Case Study

by Bogdan Kulig, Jacek Waga, Andrzej Oleksy, Marcin Rapacz, Marek Kołodziejczyk, Piotr Wężyk, Agnieszka Klimek-Kopyra, Robert Witkowicz, Andrzej Skoczowski, Grażyna Podolska and Wiesław Grygierzec

Agriculture 2023, 13(2), 282; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13020282 - 24 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2023

Abstract

Remote sensing methods based on UAV and hand-held devices as well have been used to assess the response to nitrogen and sulfur fertilization of hypoallergenic genotypes of winter wheat. The field experiment was conducted using the split-split-plot design with three repetitions. The first factor was the two genotypes of winter wheat specified as V1 (without allergic protein) and V2 (with allergic protein), and the second factor was three doses of sulfur fertilization: 0, 20 and 40 kg S per ha. The third factor consisted of six doses of nitrogen fertilization: 0, 40, 60, 80, 100 and 120 kg N·ha⁻¹. Monitoring the values of the indicators depending on the level of nitrogen and sulfur fertilization allowed the results to be used in yield forecasting, assessment of plant condition, LAI value, nutritional status in the cultivation of wheat. The maximum yield should be expected at doses of 94 and 101 kg N ha⁻¹ for genotypes V1 and V2, respectively, giving yields of 5.39 and 4.71 Mg ha⁻¹. On the basis of the tested vegetation indices, the highest doses of N should be applied using the normalized difference RedEdge (NDRE), and the lowest ones based on the enhanced vegetation index (EVI), and, in the latter case, a reduction in yield of more than 200 kg ha⁻¹ in the V2 genotype should be taken into account. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Agriculture in Implementing Concept of Sustainable Food System)

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16 pages, 3240 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessment of Biometric Parameters and Health of Canna’s Cultivars as Plant Useful in Phytoremediation of Degraded Agrocenoses

by Mariusz Szmagara, Marek Kopacki, Barbara Skwaryło-Bednarz, Agnieszka Jamiołkowska, Barbara Marcinek, Krystyna Rysiak and Agnieszka Szmagara

Agriculture 2023, 13(1), 157; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13010157 - 8 Jan 2023

Viewed by 1773

Abstract

Recently, the ecological awareness of society and the need to take care of our surroundings and the natural environment has significantly increased. There is also an urgent problem of searching for new, environmentally friendly techniques for its purification (soil, ground and surface waters, sewage sludge and air) with the use of living organisms, especially higher plants. One plant species investigated for phytoremediation is canna. Ten varieties of canna, grown on degraded and garden soil, were tested in this respect. The disease index and species composition of fungi inhabiting its organs, growth dynamics, parameters of photosynthesis and gas exchange were determined. The conducted research showed that cannas are able to satisfactorily grow even in seemingly unfavorable soil conditions with its strong degradation. Among a total of 24 species of fungi obtained from its organs, genus Fusarium, considered as pathogenic for canna, Alternaria alternata, and, less frequently, Thanatephorus cucumeris and Botrytis cinerea, dominated. The cultivars ‘Picasso’, ‘Cherry Red’, ‘President’ and ‘La Boheme’ had lower rates of photosynthesis and gas exchange than the least affected ‘Botanica’, ‘Wyoming’, ‘Robert Kemp’ and ‘Lucifer’ cultivars. Those turned out to be the most beneficial and they can be recommended for cultivation on strongly degenerated soils. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Agriculture in Implementing Concept of Sustainable Food System)

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17 pages, 9023 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Diversification of Agricultural Output Intensity across the European Union in Light of the Assumptions of Sustainable Development

by Aneta Zakrzewska and Anna Nowak

Agriculture 2022, 12(9), 1370; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12091370 - 2 Sep 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2199

Abstract

The strength of the bond between agriculture and the natural environment is measured by output intensity. This work aimed to evaluate the diversity of agriculture across the European Union in terms of agricultural output intensity from the perspective of the assumptions of the concept of sustainable development. Surveys were conducted using selected indicators based on data derived from EUROSTAT, FAOSTAT, and FADN from 2010–2019. The adopted indicators were used for developing a ranking of member states according to output intensity, which, in confrontation with the level of agricultural efficiency, can form a basis for an individual approach to the development strategies of respective member states. Their findings imply that, in the analyzed period, differences in output intensity among member states declined insignificantly. From 2010 to 2019, most countries forming the so-called ‘old 15′ featured higher output intensity than new member states. The Netherlands and Malta recorded the highest cost of intermediate consumption per 1 ha of utilized agricultural area. By contrast, agricultural production was the least intensive in Bulgaria. Land productivity was also very strongly variable. The difference between the old and new member states was clearly marked. Dutch agriculture reached the highest land productivity from 2010 to 2019, where agricultural production levels per 1 ha were five times higher than on average in the European Union. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Agriculture in Implementing Concept of Sustainable Food System)

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10 pages, 669 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Effect of Humus, Compost, and Vermicompost Extracts on the Net Energy Concentration, Net Energy of Lactation, and Energy Yield of Dactylis glomerata and Lolium perenne

by Jacek Sosnowski, Milena Truba and Katarzyna Jarecka

Agriculture 2022, 12(8), 1092; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12081092 - 26 Jul 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1688

Abstract

The purpose of the research was to examine whether selected organic materials could increase the net energy concentration, net energy of lactation, and energy yield of two grass species. The main factors in the experiment were soil conditioners with the content based on compost, vermicompost and humus extract, applied separately and supplemented with NPK fertilizers. The second factor is grass species, Dactylis glomerata and Lolium perenne. Mineral fertilizer and compost extract resulted in a reduction in net energy concentration by about 5%. The largest value of net energy of lactation (NEL) was obtained after the application of humus extract with NPK. The average value of the energy yield was the biggest on units where biological extracts were applied together with NPK. That increase was from 63% for NPK applied together with humus extract to 76.5% for the NPK applied with compost extract. Of the applied humic substances, those applied together with mineral fertilizer had the greatest impact on net energy value and NEL. The use of compost extract contributed to a substantial increase in the yield of feed energy. Other biological substances applied together with mineral fertilizer also had a positive impact. Weather conditions in various years of the research differentiated feed energy values. Due to the complexity of the environment (soil, climate, plant), it is impossible to provide a universal combination of fertilizers that increases the energy value of forage. Therefore, it is important to carry out practical field experiments that will indicate the optimal fertilizer combinations suitable for the selected region. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Agriculture in Implementing Concept of Sustainable Food System)

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Review

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15 pages, 370 KiB

Open AccessReview

Approaches to Integrated Pest Management in Orchards: Comstockaspis perniciosa (Comstock) Case Study

by Katarzyna Golan, Izabela Kot, Katarzyna Kmieć and Edyta Górska-Drabik

Agriculture 2023, 13(1), 131; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13010131 - 4 Jan 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3195

Abstract

Insect pests have major effects on agricultural production and food supply. Pest control in conventional crop management in orchards is mainly based on agrochemicals, which entails economic, health and environmental costs. Other approaches, such as biological methods or products based on biologically active substances and sex pheromones used for mating disruption, have faced some implementation challenges, particularly in relation to invasive insect species. The key for appropriate insect pest management is to identify the species and understand its biology and behaviour. Pest management systems should monitor, detect and inform fruit growers about changes in insect distribution, population ecology, possible damage level and economic loses. Comstockaspis perniciosa (San José scale—SJS) is a model example of a pest against which the method of integrated pest management should be adopted. This review presents a case study to support this statement. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Agriculture in Implementing Concept of Sustainable Food System)

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