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Agriculture
Special Issues
Sustainable and Ecological Agriculture in Crop Production
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Sustainable and Ecological Agriculture in Crop Production

A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Crop Production".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 December 2023) | Viewed by 5709

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jan Moudrý

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Guest Editor
Department of Agroecosystems, Faculty of Agriculture and Technology, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
Interests: agroecology; organic farming; environmental impacts; LCA; social farming
Prof. Dr. Magdalena Lacko Bartosova

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Guest Editor
Faculty of Agrobiology nad Food Resources, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, 94976 Nitra, Slovakia
Interests: crop production; plant nutrition; cereals; organic agriculture; sustainability
Dr. Elnaz Amirahmadi

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Guest Editor
Department of Agroecosystems, Faculty of Agriculture and Technology, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Branišovská 1645/31A, 370 05 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
Interests: biochar; organic fertilizers; organic amendment; life cycle assessment (LCA); soil nutrient cycles; soil management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With the growing world population, climate change and other influencing factors, the pressure to increase the scale and intensity of agricultural production is also rising. At the same time, there is a growing awareness of the importance of agricultural sustainability, both from an environmental and a socioeconomic point of view. Sustainable forms of farming in plant production are key to ensuring long-term food self-sufficiency. In addition to ecological agriculture and other forms of agriculture based on environmental values, ​​such as agro-forestry, regenerative agriculture, social agriculture, etc., agricultural management in accordance with agroecological principles and practices is of the utmost importance.

This Special Issue focuses on the development of sustainability within crop production in different forms. This issue will include articles dealing with aspects of sustainable plant production both from the point of view of agricultural technologies and procedures and plant breeding and cultivation, as well as related activities. In a broader context, we will cover the systemic levels of sustainable management, including the social and economic levels, and the direct agricultural and environmental impacts of agriculture.  Original research, opinions, and reviews are all welcome.

Dr. Jan Moudrý
Prof. Dr. Magdalena Lacko Bartosova
Dr. Elnaz Amirahmadi
Guest Editors

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. Agriculture is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2600 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

  • crop production
  • organic farming
  • sustainability
  • environmental impacts
  • agroecology

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 2284 KiB  
Article
Organic Hydromulches in Young Olive Trees in Pots: Effects on Soil and Plant Parameters
by Marta M. Moreno, Sara González-Mora, Jaime Villena and Carmen Moreno
Agriculture 2023, 13(12), 2211; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13122211 - 28 Nov 2023
Viewed by 817
Abstract
Organic hydromulches (liquid spray-on mulches) have been used traditionally in land rehabilitation, mainly to mitigate post-fire runoff and erosion. However, in recent years, a new application of these materials as an eco-friendly alternative to the widely used polyethylene mulch, both in vegetable and [...] Read more.
Organic hydromulches (liquid spray-on mulches) have been used traditionally in land rehabilitation, mainly to mitigate post-fire runoff and erosion. However, in recent years, a new application of these materials as an eco-friendly alternative to the widely used polyethylene mulch, both in vegetable and woody crops, has been studyied. This work analyzes the effects of six hydromulches, based on organic by-products, on different soil parameters (water content, temperature, and CO2 flux), plant–water relations (stem water potential, leaf gas exchange, and leaf temperature), and the growth (trunk diameter) of young olive trees planted in large pots in the open field over a 2-year trial. The hydromulches tested were: rice husk (RH), rice husk with linen oil (RHL), mushroom substrate (MS), wheat straw (WS), pistachio (PW), and vineyard (VW) pruning wood chips, mixed with different additives (gypsum, recycled paper paste, and Kraft fiber). A non-mulched manual weeding control (NM) was included. The results indicated that hydromulches, in comparison with NM, resulted in increased volumetric soil water content (on average, 22.9% in hydromulches and 19.5% in NM), reduced soil temperature fluctuations (4.97 °C in hydromulches and 6.13 °C in NM), and increased soil CO2 fluxes (0.80 and 0.49 g CO2 m−2 h−1, respectively). Although the differences in the soil water content did not have an obvious effect on the plant–water status, crop growth was reduced in NM (≈23% lower than PW, MS, RHL, and WS), suggesting that vegetative growth, especially in young olive trees, is extremely sensitive to water deficit. The overall study leads to considering hydromulches as a good alternative to mulching in large pots, especially PW, which would be useful for nursery crops before their final establishment in the field. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable and Ecological Agriculture in Crop Production)
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14 pages, 1581 KiB  
Article
Concentration of Phenolic Compounds and Phenolic Acids of Various Spelt Cultivars in Response to Growing Years
by Magdaléna Lacko-Bartošová, Amandeep Kaur, Lucia Lacko-Bartošová, Ľubomír Kobida, Matej Hudec and Jan Moudrý
Agriculture 2023, 13(10), 2024; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13102024 - 18 Oct 2023
Viewed by 1020
Abstract
The aims of this study were to evaluate and compare the radical scavenging activities (DPPH), phenolic concentrations and concentrations of selected phenolic acids (PAs) of spelt cultivars and breeding lines with common wheat in a three-year controlled field experiment under conditions of organic [...] Read more.
The aims of this study were to evaluate and compare the radical scavenging activities (DPPH), phenolic concentrations and concentrations of selected phenolic acids (PAs) of spelt cultivars and breeding lines with common wheat in a three-year controlled field experiment under conditions of organic farming. No significant variations were observed in the total and free DPPH of Altgold, Ebners Rotkorn, Ostro and PN-1-36 with common wheat. The total DPPH ranged from 52.13% to the lowest value of 44.01% in Franckenkorn. Total, free and bound phenolic concentrations were the highest for common wheat (1902.55 µg FAE g−1 DM of total), while all spelt cultivars achieved significantly lower values (from 1434.94 µg FAE g−1 DM in Franckenkorn to 1650.22 µg FAE g−1 DM in Ebners Rotkorn). Bound phenolic compounds represented 86.3% of the total ones. An extremely dry and warm ripening period had a negative impact on the synthesis of phenolic compounds. The highest concentration of total PAs was observed in spelt Ebners Rotkorn (681.75 µg g−1 DM) and the lowest in common wheat (396.05 µg g−1 DM). The total share of free and bound PAs was 5.7% and 74.8%, respectively. The extremely dry and very warm grain filling period had a more evident negative impact on the concentration of free PAs compared to bound forms. The dominant free PA was ferulic (70.48%), followed by syringic (9.30%), p-HBA (5.59%), sinapic acid (5.40%), salicylic (4.18%), p-coumaric acid (3.22%) and caffeic acid (1.93%). Spelt cultivar Ebners Rotkorn was distinguished by the highest concentration of free and bound forms of PAs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable and Ecological Agriculture in Crop Production)
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18 pages, 1743 KiB  
Article
Analysis of Measurement, Regional Differences, Convergence and Dynamic Evolutionary Trends of the Green Production Level in Chinese Agriculture
by Jiale Yan, Zhengyuan Tang, Yinuo Guan, Mingjian Xie and Yongjian Huang
Agriculture 2023, 13(10), 2016; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13102016 - 18 Oct 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 865
Abstract
The development of green agriculture is conducive to accelerating the agricultural modernization process, making a significance for the sustainable development of agriculture and the environment in China. This paper constructs a comprehensive evaluation model by selecting 17 representative indicators from the perspective of [...] Read more.
The development of green agriculture is conducive to accelerating the agricultural modernization process, making a significance for the sustainable development of agriculture and the environment in China. This paper constructs a comprehensive evaluation model by selecting 17 representative indicators from the perspective of sustainability. Then, this paper uses the entropy value method to measure the level of green agricultural production in 31 provinces from 2011 to 2021. We use Dagum’s Gini coefficient and decomposition method, the kernel density estimation method and spatial Markov chain analysis method to explore the main sources of spatial differences and dynamic evolution trends. The results show that: (1) The overall level of green production in Chinese agriculture is low, and the level in the central region is higher than that in eastern and western regions; (2) There are significant regional differences in the level of green production in China’s agriculture, and this is likely to widen. The interaction of inter- and intra-regional differences is the main reason for overall differences; (3) The trend of polarization in the level of green agricultural production is more obvious in the eastern part of China, while it is weaker in central and western regions; (4) There is a spatial spillover effect in the dynamic evolution of China’s agricultural green production level. And the longer the overall time, the more obvious the spillover effect is. This paper analyzes the past development of green agriculture in China, makes predictions and provides constructive suggestions for the improvement and development of green agricultural production in China in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable and Ecological Agriculture in Crop Production)
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10 pages, 923 KiB  
Article
Fungicidal Protection as Part of the Integrated Cultivation of Sugar Beet: An Assessment of the Influence on Root Yield in a Long-Term Study
by Iwona Jaskulska, Jarosław Kamieniarz, Dariusz Jaskulski, Maja Radziemska and Martin Brtnický
Agriculture 2023, 13(7), 1449; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13071449 - 22 Jul 2023
Viewed by 694
Abstract
Despite the major role of non-chemical treatments in integrated plant protection, fungicides often need to be applied as a crop protection treatment in sugar beet farming. They should be used based on a good understanding of the requirements and effectiveness of the active [...] Read more.
Despite the major role of non-chemical treatments in integrated plant protection, fungicides often need to be applied as a crop protection treatment in sugar beet farming. They should be used based on a good understanding of the requirements and effectiveness of the active ingredients. In 11-year field experiments, the effect that one and three foliar applications of fungicides containing various active ingredients (triazoles, benzimidazoles, strobilurines) had on sugar beet root yields was assessed, depending on various thermal and rainfall conditions. It was found that in eight of the 11 years, foliar application of fungicides increased yields compared to unprotected plants, and three foliar treatments during the growing season were more effective than a single application. The negative correlation of the root yield of fungicidally protected plants with total June rainfall was weaker than the same relationship for unprotected plants. At the same time, the positive correlation between the yield of fungicidally protected sugar beets and average June air temperature was stronger than the same relationship for unprotected plants. The research results indicate the need to conduct long-term field experiments and to continuously improve integrated production principles for sugar beet, especially regarding the rational use of pesticides. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable and Ecological Agriculture in Crop Production)
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12 pages, 1124 KiB  
Article
Boron Fertilization Alleviates the Adverse Effects of Late Sowing in Wheat under Different Tillage Systems
by Muhammad Ijaz, Sami Ul-Allah, Ahmad Sher, Abdul Sattar, Khalid Mahmood, Saud Alamri, Yasir Ali, Farhan Rafiq, Syed Muhammad Shaharyar, Bader Ijaz and Ijaz Hussain
Agriculture 2023, 13(6), 1229; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13061229 - 11 Jun 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1647
Abstract
Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a staple and the most important food crop around the world. The growth and productivity of wheat are influenced by different factors, viz., sowing time, tillage system and nutrient application. The current field experiment consists of different [...] Read more.
Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a staple and the most important food crop around the world. The growth and productivity of wheat are influenced by different factors, viz., sowing time, tillage system and nutrient application. The current field experiment consists of different boron (B) application rates, viz., B0 = No application (Control), B1 = soil applied (2 kg ha−1), B2 = foliar applied (2 kg ha−1), B3 = water spray; two tillage systems, viz., zero tillage (ZT) and conventional tillage (CT); and three sowing dates (S1 = 15 November; S2 = 5 December and S3 = 25 December). It was conducted during the years 2019–2020 and 2020–2021 under a split-split plot arrangement. The results showed that sowing dates and boron had beneficial impacts on the growth and productivity of wheat. The wheat crop sown on 15 November showed the highest plant height, chlorophyll contents, grains per spike, and grains’ boron content. Similarly, the application of boron under late sown conditions also improved the plant height (83.8 cm), chlorophyll contents (45.6), biological (5418 kg ha−1) and grain (4018 kg ha−1) yield as compared to control during both years. Furthermore, the higher crop growth and yield parameters were noted with the foliar application of boron at 2 kg ha−1. However, wheat crop growth and yield characteristics were not significantly affected by tillage techniques, h. In conclusion, the application of boron @ 2 kg ha−1 could be a suitable option for achieving higher wheat grain yield and productivity under late-sown conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable and Ecological Agriculture in Crop Production)
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