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Sustainability of the Agricultural System and Agro-Ecological Environment
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Sustainability of the Agricultural System and Agro-Ecological Environment

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Agriculture".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2025 | Viewed by 3629

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Elena Brunori

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-Food and Forest Systems (DIBAF), Tuscia University, S. Camillo de Lellis snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
Interests: agricultural landscape; eco physiological crop response; agro-forestry systems; ecosystems services; urban agriculture; green practices; agro-ecology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With the increasing demand for food production that feeds the growing global population, there is an urgent need to ensure the sustainability of the agricultural system and the agroecological environment in order to guarantee food security and protect the environment. This Special Issue explores the challenges and opportunities associated with achieving long-term sustainability in agriculture. Key issues such as soil degradation, water scarcity, the loss of biodiversity, and climate change pose significant challenges to the long-term viability of agriculture. This Special Issue welcomes the submission of papers that focus on agroecological approaches and aim to enhance biodiversity, improve soil health, and reduce reliance on synthetic inputs, offering promising solutions for building a more sustainable agricultural system. Collaboration between farmers, researchers, policymakers, and consumers is essential in the creation of a more sustainable food system that can meet the needs of both current and future generations.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Sustainable farming system
  • Agricultural ecological environment
  • Food security and rural development
  • Agricultural land use and climate
  • Agricultural soil ecology and biodiversity
  • Agricultural policy
  • Small farmer economic development.

Dr. Elena Brunori
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • agricultural ecosystem services
  • ecological functional areas
  • agroecological indicators
  • natural capital
  • Sustainable farming system
  • Agricultural ecological environment

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 11356 KiB  
Article
Problems of Sustainable Agriculture with Regard to the Destruction of the European Corn Borer in Maize Plantations
by Marcin Zastempowski, Robert Lamparski, Andrzej Bochat, Jerzy Kaszkowiak, Sebastian Sendel and Łukasz Gierz
Sustainability 2024, 16(22), 9685; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16229685 - 7 Nov 2024
Viewed by 420
Abstract
This article describes the results of the studies related to the occurrence of the European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis Hbn) pest carried out at the Technical University of Bydgoszcz. The studies concerned the real occurrence of the pest in corn stubble [...] Read more.
This article describes the results of the studies related to the occurrence of the European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis Hbn) pest carried out at the Technical University of Bydgoszcz. The studies concerned the real occurrence of the pest in corn stubble (cultivated variety SY Collosseum). The research issue undertaken is in line with an IPM (integrated pest management) system and is important since the feeding of the European corn borer can lead to large, direct yield losses estimated nationally at an average of up to about 20%, which does not differ significantly from that of world crops. Corn, for the purposes of this study, was harvested for green fodder in September, and for grain in November 2022, using a John Deere X9 1110 harvester. The average stubble height when cut for green fodder was 280 mm, while for grain it was 265 mm. The experimental studies conducted clearly showed that European corn borer larvae colonized as much as 12% of corn samples harvested for grain at an average stubble height of 155 mm, and 19% of corn samples harvested for grain at an average height of 75 mm. The conducted studies also showed that the average diameter of the stems at the height of the residence of the corn borer larvae when harvested for green fodder is 19.80 mm, and 21.80 mm for grain. The studies conducted by the authors showed the randomness of the locations of the pest larvae, which clearly indicates that the generally known and used mechanical methods of its control are not fully effective. Therefore, the authors presented their own design of a machine construction (filed with the patent office of the Republic of Poland) for destroying the European corn borer in a mechanical way without the use of crop protection chemicals. The presented research problem in this paper is of national and global importance considering the fact that corn is grown on an area of nearly 162 million hectares, where we have to deal with the European corn borer pest. In the case of implementing the design of the construction of a machine for destroying the pest, there will be no need to use chemical pesticides, which will significantly contribute to environmental protection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability of the Agricultural System and Agro-Ecological Environment)
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18 pages, 2459 KiB  
Article
Economic Dynamics as the Main Limitation for Agricultural Sustainability in a Colombian Indigenous Community
by Cintya Ojeda, Jhoana P. Romero-Leiton, Mónica Jhoana Mesa, Juan Zapata, Alvaro Ceballos, Solanyi Ordoñez and Ivan Felipe Benavides
Sustainability 2024, 16(19), 8611; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16198611 - 4 Oct 2024
Viewed by 968
Abstract
Ancient agroecological farms, or chagras, of the Kamëntšá Biyá and Kamëntšá Inga indigenous communities in the Sibundoy Valley of Colombia offer valuable insights into the environmental challenges of intensive agriculture and promote sustainable food production. Sustainability indices have been developed to assess farm-level [...] Read more.
Ancient agroecological farms, or chagras, of the Kamëntšá Biyá and Kamëntšá Inga indigenous communities in the Sibundoy Valley of Colombia offer valuable insights into the environmental challenges of intensive agriculture and promote sustainable food production. Sustainability indices have been developed to assess farm-level sustainability and enhance agroecological practices; however, data limitations hinder monitoring and correlation with external factors. This study evaluated sustainability indices in Sibundoy Valley chagras using the holistic evaluation system for farming intensification (HESOFI) interview system with 800 randomly selected chagras, assessing economic, agro-environmental, and sociopolitical–cultural dimensions. The endogenous factors considered included areas managed with diversified agricultural systems, the percentage of transformed products, inputs generated by the chagra, and products intended for sale. Exogenous factors included distance to rivers, roads, cities, and vegetation index ratio. The results showed that all chagras fell below the minimum sustainability threshold (80%), with the economic dimension scoring the lowest. Based on these findings, three strategies were proposed to improve the economic scores and overall sustainability indices of these chagras. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability of the Agricultural System and Agro-Ecological Environment)
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19 pages, 8890 KiB  
Article
Exploring a Self-Sufficiency Approach within a Sustainable Integrated Pisciculture Farming System
by Iulian Voicea, Florin Nenciu, Nicolae-Valentin Vlăduț, Mihai-Gabriel Matache, Catalin Persu and Dan Cujbescu
Sustainability 2024, 16(18), 8055; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16188055 - 14 Sep 2024
Viewed by 991
Abstract
The pandemic crisis has created significant challenges for small farms, leading to increased energy costs, higher prices for feed and nutrients, unreliable supplies of chemical fertilizers, and disruptions in product sales markets. These factors have collectively compromised the operational viability and economic sustainability [...] Read more.
The pandemic crisis has created significant challenges for small farms, leading to increased energy costs, higher prices for feed and nutrients, unreliable supplies of chemical fertilizers, and disruptions in product sales markets. These factors have collectively compromised the operational viability and economic sustainability of small-scale agricultural enterprises. To address these challenges, this paper explores the concept of a self-sufficient farming system, focusing on locally producing most of the resources needed to sustain operations and reduce dependence on external sources. A self-sufficient integrated pisciculture farming system is proposed and evaluated, promoting an autonomous circular model that prioritizes environmental sustainability. This system incorporates the integration of local livestock into fish diets, production of renewable energy sources, and efficient water and sludge management to reduce reliance on external resources. The detailed methodology used to evaluate sustainability indicators objectively demonstrates that the proposed system can be self-sustainable and autonomous; however, it requires considerable initial investments that can be recovered within at least six years. Optimizing the energy management plan can reduce daily power consumption by up to 25%. However, local conditions may challenge the efficiency of photovoltaic–hybrid energy production, requiring slight oversizing of the system. The research indicated that rearing carp with cereal-based feed mixtures produces growth results comparable to those achieved with commercially purchased feed. The indicators of resource efficiency, reliability, flexibility, productivity, environmental impact, and social impact were met as expected. The weakest indicator was the technology’s potential for scalability, due to its strong dependence on various regional factors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability of the Agricultural System and Agro-Ecological Environment)
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18 pages, 456 KiB  
Article
The Biostimulation Activity of Two Novel Benzothiadiazole Derivatives in the Tomato Cultivation
by Rafal Kukawka, Maciej Spychalski, Marcin Smiglak and Renata Gaj
Sustainability 2024, 16(12), 5191; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16125191 - 18 Jun 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 911
Abstract
Biostimulants are gaining more and more attention in modern agriculture. As follows from the definition, their role is aimed at influencing the plant’s metabolism, which results in increasing the quantitative and qualitative parameters describing the yield. Significant attention should be paid to biostimulants [...] Read more.
Biostimulants are gaining more and more attention in modern agriculture. As follows from the definition, their role is aimed at influencing the plant’s metabolism, which results in increasing the quantitative and qualitative parameters describing the yield. Significant attention should be paid to biostimulants increasing the content of health-promoting substances contained in plants. Treatments with biostimulants should be properly incorporated into existing plant protection schemes, which, of course, requires detailed research in this area. However, reliable research on active substances contained in biostimulants should be made first, and the activity of a given biostimulant must be proven. This work presents the results of a field experiment in tomato cultivation for two new active substances belonging to the group of benzothiadiazoles. The results indicate a positive effect on plant yield and, above all, on the lycopene content in tomato fruits. Increasing the lycopene content in fruit is of key significance, as it opens up opportunities for these active substances to be incorporated into new plant protection programs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability of the Agricultural System and Agro-Ecological Environment)
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