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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 March 2022) | Viewed by 20399

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Thierry Becquer

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Guest Editor

Univ Montpellier, Eco & Sols, IRD, INRA,CIRAD,Montpellier SupAgro, F-34000 Montpellier, France
Interests: soil science; biogeochemistry; tropical soils; ferralsols/oxisols; soil fertility; nutrient availability; nutrient cycling; soil acidity

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Agriculture faces to a huge challenge. Food production must be increased substantially in the next decades whereas adverse environmental impacts associated with agriculture need to be mitigated in order to develop more sustainable production systems. This goal is particularly difficult to achieve in (tropical) developing countries, and especially in sub-Saharan Africa, where food production capacity is severely limited due to soil fertility depletion related to multiple nutrient deficiencies.

The intensification of food production requires soil and land to be managed sustainably, including avoidance of negative nutrient balances and soil erosion, the build-up of soil carbon, and the retention of soil biological diversity thresholds to maintain essential functions managed by soil biota.

Thus, this Special Issue welcomes papers covering the many diverse areas implicated in improving soil fertility for a sustainably intensified agriculture. Papers focusing on management drivers allowing to more sustainable agriculture production systems are expected. Papers should explicitly cover farm- or field-level productivity and could have a specific focus on the following areas (themes not exhaustive):

the integrated management of soil fertility based on enhancing productivity through an appropriate management of inputs (fertilizers, mineral and organic soil amendments) aiming at maximizing nutrient use efficiency;
the production and management of biomass (including crop and woody residues, farmyard manure and compost, fertilizing organic matter of residual origin, biochars, etc.) to improve crop productivity and ensure the durability of different ecosystem services (soil carbon sequestration, functions managed by soil biota, erosion, etc.);
the role of below-ground functional biodiversity of soil macro- and microorganisms to provide multiple functions and services to agrosystem;
the role of above-ground biodiversity, through the use of different strategies of crop diversification, such as, agroforestry, intercropping of different crops, associated plant species (cover crops, companion crops, etc.) used for their agronomic or environmental purposes;
the effects of integrated livestock-agriculture production systems on nutrient cycling are also welcomed.

Dr. Thierry Becquer
Guest Editor

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Keywords

integrated soil fertility management
nutrient balance
nutrient availability
fertilizers
mineral and organic soil amendments
biomass management
manure
compost
fertilizing organic matter of residual origin
biochar
functional biodiversity
below-ground biodiversity
soil macroorganisms
soil microorganisms
above-ground biodiversity
crop diversification
agroforestry
intercropping, cover crops
companion crops
integrated livestock-agriculture

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Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 1619 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Soil Management in Indigenous Agroforestry Systems of Guarana (Paullinia cupana Kunth) of the Sateré-Mawé Ethnic Group, in the Lower Amazon River Region

by Clara Peres Vignoli, Johannes Leeuwen, Robert Pritchard Miller, César Augusto Ticona-Benavente, Bárbara Vieira da Silva, Bruno Striffler, José Guedes Fernandes Neto and Sonia Sena Alfaia

Sustainability 2022, 14(22), 15464; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142215464 - 21 Nov 2022

Viewed by 2166

Abstract

The Sateré-Mawé Brazilian indigenous people cultivate the guarana liana in biodiverse agroforests that incorporate many species, mainly trees, and produce food, medicines, fuel and income. The objective of this study was to evaluate the soil fertility in nineteen indigenous guarana agroforestry systems (AFSs) compared with areas of adjacent forests in the Andirá–Marau Indigenous Land—an ancestral territory of the Sateré-Mawé people. Soils in both locations showed low natural fertility, with levels of most macronutrients below the minimum agronomic reference levels. Higher C and soil organic matter (SOM) content was observed in the forest soils and may be related to greater vegetation cover and higher litter production. However, the maintenance of the average levels of most nutrients in the soil of the AFSs, at the same level as under the forests, suggests that efficient nutrient cycling is taking place. In these conditions, the management of organic matter seems to be essential to maintain the productivity of guarana AFSs since levels of C, SOM and organic N were not considered as low as those of most of the other soil attributes that were evaluated. The high tree diversity in the guarana agroforests, including N-fixing species, may also contribute to efficient nutrient cycling and maintenance of the soil food web. The results suggest that the addition of limestone, green manure practices and the reincorporation of organic residues from guarana processing, among other sources, can be a low-cost alternative to improve soil fertility and increase guarana production in the AFS under study. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agricultural Intensification and Soil Fertility)

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14 pages, 2935 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Rhizobium Inoculation on Growth of Common Bean in Low-Fertility Tropical Soil Amended with Phosphorus and Lime

by Harimenja Razafintsalama, Jean Trap, Bodovololona Rabary, Adamson Tsoushima Ernest Razakatiana, Heriniaina Ramanankierana, Lilia Rabeharisoa and Thierry Becquer

Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 4907; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14094907 - 19 Apr 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3424

Abstract

The cultivation of grain legumes (e.g., common bean) in sub-Saharan Africa contributes to the provision of food for a growing population and delivers environmental benefits such as inputs of nitrogen (N) to crops and soil via symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF). However, the success of SNF is constrained by several factors such as the poor efficiency of native rhizobial strains to fix N, the low availability of phosphorus (P) and the acidity of soils. Two trials have been conducted in low-fertility tropical soils at the smallholder farm scale in Madagascar to assess the effects of Rhizobium inoculation together with inputs of P and lime on the growth of the common bean. We showed that inoculation with native strains of Rhizobium had significant effects on bean root nodulation, which was increased by up to 15-fold on plant growth, which increased by 78% and on bean yield, which increased by 126%. Moreover, we observed positive and significant relationships between inoculation with Rhizobium and P fertilization on nodulation, plant growth and yield. However, the addition of dolomite lime did not show any effect in our study. The addition of P decreased the mycorrhization rate of roots. Additional research is still needed to improve our understanding of soil fertility conditions (mainly on nutrient availability, including micronutrients) allowing better efficiency of legume symbionts (rhizobium and mycorrhiza) in such low-fertility soils. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agricultural Intensification and Soil Fertility)

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19 pages, 1959 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Nutrient Flows and Balances in Mixed Farming Systems in Madagascar

by Marie Lucia Fanjaniaina, Fabien Stark, Noelly Phostin Ramarovahoaka, Jeanny Fiononana Rakotoharinaivo, Tovonarivo Rafolisy, Paulo Salgado and Thierry Becquer

Sustainability 2022, 14(2), 984; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14020984 - 16 Jan 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2481

Abstract

Mixed farming systems are still prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa. In these systems, the recycling of nutrients through crop-livestock integration (CLI) practices is crucial for the sustainability of soil fertility and crop production. The objective of this study was to analyze nutrient (N, P, K) flows and balances of mixed farming systems to assess CLI contribution to the performance of those systems. We hypothesized that more intensive farms had a better nutrient balance at the farm level, and that improved biomass management methods improved their nutrient balance. Nine farms in the Madagascar highlands were selected, some corresponding to poor traditional farms with only draft cattle; some small or medium-sized, more intensive farms with a dairy herd; and some of the latter with some improvement to management methods of livestock effluents (manure composting, liquid manure collection). The nutrient balance of the farming systems was determined, and performance indicators were calculated at both farming, livestock, and CLI levels. Results showed that nutrient recycling through CLI is significant in the functioning of the systems studied, contributing primarily to circulating nutrient flows (up to 76%) and leading to greater efficiency and productivity. Nutrient flows resulting from these practices mainly concerned animal feeding (higher than 60% of nutrient flows), even if manure management was central for crop fertilization and that manure remained a desired animal product of these types of farms (up to 100% of animal products). Large negative balances of N and K (up to 80% of inputs) were observed in traditional livestock systems with draft cattle. They were smaller (39–68%) in more intensive dairy farms. Composting of manure did not decrease negative balances, whereas their magnitude was significantly reduced by the collection of liquid manure (19% for N; 42% for K). Better management of biomass at the farm level, in particular the collection of liquid manure, seemed to substantially reduce nutrient losses in MFS. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agricultural Intensification and Soil Fertility)

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14 pages, 1450 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Legume Nitrogen Fixation and Symbioses in Low-Inputs Rainfed Rice Rotations

by Harimenja Razafintsalama, Marie Sauvadet, Jean Trap, Patrice Autfray, Aude Ripoche and Thierry Becquer

Sustainability 2021, 13(22), 12349; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132212349 - 9 Nov 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2367

Abstract

Cropping systems with legumes play key roles in farming systems in sub-Saharan Africa. However, how commonly legume associations perform in low input-systems is not well-known. Here, we studied four legume species used in three systems in rotation with upland rice, i.e., groundnut monocropping, sorghum–cowpea intercropping, and velvet bean–crotalaria intercropping, in two fertilization managements on the previous rice, i.e., manure alone or complemented with mineral fertilization. Legume suitability was assessed using rhizobial and mycorrhizal colonization rates, plant biomass production, shoot N and P content, and biological N₂ fixation based on their δ¹⁵N natural abundance. Shoot and root biomasses varied significantly between legume species and were positively correlated with nodule number (r = 0.49 and 0.74, p-value < 0.05 and <0.001, respectively) and the amount of fixed N (r = 0.73 and 0.50, p-value < 0.001 and <0.05, respectively). The proportion of plant N derived from N₂ fixation also varied significantly between species, with a higher percentage for velvet bean (66%), compared to the other three species (50 to 60%). Legume roots were weakly colonized by AM fungi, with similar levels between species. Overall, fertilization management did not significantly impact legume biomass, symbioses, or N₂ fixation, yet the organo-mineral fertilization significantly increased legume shoot P content. The lack of effect of mineral fertilization on N₂ fixation and biomass could be due to other nutrient deficiencies (Ca, Mg, micronutrients), which can hamper symbioses with rhizobia and mycorrhizae. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agricultural Intensification and Soil Fertility)

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18 pages, 863 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Precipitation Controls on Soil Biogeochemical and Microbial Community Composition in Rainfed Agricultural Systems in Tropical Drylands

by Thalita F. Abbruzzini, Morena Avitia, Karen Carrasco-Espinosa, Víctor Peña, Alberto Barrón-Sandoval, Ulises Isaac Salazar Cabrera, Rocío Cruz-Ortega, Mariana Benítez, Ana E. Escalante, Julieta A. Rosell, Ana Wegier and Julio Campo

Sustainability 2021, 13(21), 11848; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132111848 - 27 Oct 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2052

Abstract

The current and expected expansion of agriculture in the drylands of Mexico, together with the decrease in precipitation occurring in the country, likely affect ecosystem processes and will bring great challenges for the suitability of rainfed agriculture for smallholder farmers. Here, we assessed metrics of the soil C, N, and P cycles, as well as soil microbial diversity, under rainfed maize and common bean cropping in arid and semiarid regions of central Mexico. The soil enzymatic vector angles of cultivated plots in both regions were above 45°, suggesting P limitation for microbial growth and crop productivity. Although changes were not observed in the intensity of this P-limitation with aridity, we found a negative effect of drought increase on the concentration of soil organic C and total N, with consequences for the C, N, and P balance in soils. Increasing aridity leads to the homogenization of microbial diversity. Considering a scenario in which decreases in mean annual precipitation would uncouple the biogeochemical cycles and homogenize soil biodiversity, the ecological implications could be an increase in the vulnerability of agricultural ecosystems to drought, with negative consequences for the suitability of rainfed agriculture in the drylands of central Mexico. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agricultural Intensification and Soil Fertility)

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12 pages, 1849 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of the Caiçaras on Soil Properties in the Savanna Region of Roraima, Northern Amazon

by Ludmilla Verona C. Gonçalves, Rachel C. Pinho, Marta Iria C. Ayres, Cesar A. Ticona-Benavente, Henrique dos Santos Pereira, Afrânio F. Neves Junior and Sonia S. Alfaia

Sustainability 2021, 13(20), 11354; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132011354 - 14 Oct 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1784

Abstract

The management of caiçaras by indigenous peoples in the “Lavrado” (savannas) region of Roraima is a practice that increases soil fertility. Caiçaras are temporary corrals where farmers keep the cattle at night for a certain period, when the soil is enriched by manure addition. In periods when these areas are not used as corrals, they may be planted with different plants species. In addition, areas adjacent to caiçaras may receive manure runoff and also be used for crop production. The study evaluated the changes in soil physical and chemical characteristics resulting from manure supply and runoff in caiçara and adjacent areas and compared these to soil characteristics of nearby unmanaged areas. Soil samples from the three system components were analyzed. The nutrient content added by manure runoff in the plantation adjacent to the caiçara resulted in significant accumulations of organic Ca, Mg, K, P, C, and micronutrients in the soil, without, however, changing pH. Only the soil surface (0–5 cm) showed improvements in soil bulk density and total porosity. This soil management system proves how efficient indigenous farmers can be in integrating their livestock component with the exploitation of available resources to improve soil fertility in areas of low natural fertility, enhancing agricultural production. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agricultural Intensification and Soil Fertility)

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15 pages, 1232 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Agricultural Practices Modulate the Beneficial Activity of Bacterial-Feeding Nematodes for Plant Growth and Nutrition: Evidence from an Original Intact Soil Core Technique

by Jean Trap, Mahafaka Patricia Ranoarisoa, Sariaka Raharijaona, Lilia Rabeharisoa, Claude Plassard, El Hassan Mayad, Laetitia Bernard, Thierry Becquer and Eric Blanchart

Sustainability 2021, 13(13), 7181; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13137181 - 26 Jun 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2723

Abstract

Free-living nematodes have beneficial effects on plant growth and nutrition. Exploring how agricultural practices modulate these beneficial effects is still challenging. A study was conducted in Ferralsols from Madagascar from one unmanaged grassland and 16 upland rainfed rice fields, representative of different agricultural practices: rotation, agroforestry and monoculture. Intact soil cores in plastic cylinders were sampled in the field to assess the effects of agricultural practices on changes in plant growth and nutrition induced by the presence of bacterial-feeding nematodes. The soil cores were fumigated to kill the nematodes and moistened with a filtered fresh soil suspension containing only microbial cells. A rice seed was introduced in the core, which was then incubated under natural climatic conditions for 40 days with or without inoculation of the bacterial-feeding nematode Acrobeloides sp. The inoculation of the nematodes induced lower, similar or higher plant biomass and nutrient content in comparison to the control according to the agricultural practices. Positive effects of Acrobeloides sp. on plant functions were frequent in soil cores sampled from fields with high plant diversity, especially from agroforestry systems. The intact soil core technique appears to be a robust means of mimicking field conditions and constitutes a promising tool to assess effects on soil processes of the ecological intensification of agricultural practices. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agricultural Intensification and Soil Fertility)

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12 pages, 2124 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Improved Method of Boron Fertilization in Rice (Oryza sativa L.)–Mustard (Brassica juncea L.) Cropping System in Upland Calcareous Soils

by Ranjan Laik, Santosh Kumar Singh, Biswajit Pramanick, Vandana Kumari, Debabrata Nath, Eldessoky S. Dessoky, Attia O. Attia, Mohamed M. Hassan and Akbar Hossain

Sustainability 2021, 13(9), 5037; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13095037 - 30 Apr 2021

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 2130

Abstract

Calcareous soils are highly deficient in boron (B) due to having high levels of free CaCO₃ and low organic matter. This has become one of the most important deficient micronutrients in Indian soil after zinc (Zn). For various rice (Oryza sativa L.)-based cropping systems, B fertilization is essential for increasing crop productivity and the biofortification of the crop, thus a suitable soil application protocol for B fertilization is required for B-deficient soils. In a six-year experiment, different rates of B application, namely, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 kg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹, were evaluated to determine the effects of three different modes of B fertilization, i.e., applied only in the first year, applied in alternating years, and applied every year, in a rice (Oryza sativa L.)–Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L.) cropping system. It was observed that the application of B at 1.5 kg ha⁻¹ every year or 2 kg ha⁻¹ in alternate years resulted in the highest yield of rice and mustard, as well as the maximum system productivity of the rice–mustard cropping system. Application of 2 kg ha⁻¹ of B in the initial year showed the maximum B uptake by rice, while application of 1.5–2.0 kg ha⁻¹ of B every year resulted in the maximum B uptake by the mustard crop. Application of B at 2 kg ha⁻¹ in alternate years or 1.5 kg ha⁻¹ every year was the best B-application protocol in B-deficient calcareous soils for ensuring the highest productivity of the rice–mustard cropping system and B availability in the soil. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agricultural Intensification and Soil Fertility)

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