Crop Productivity and Energy Balance in Large-Scale Fields II
A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Farming Sustainability".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2023) | Viewed by 4479
Special Issue Editor
Interests: weed management; sustainable crop production; field crop production; management practices
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
As the extent and output of agriculture continues to reach new global records, so does the awareness of societies concerning the multiple contributions that land ecosystems make to human wellbeing. Modern theories of economic growth rely on the assumption that natural resources have to be used effectively and with a higher proportion of renewable resources in the process of satisfying consumer demand. In this regard, the maximization of crop productivity in large-scale fields represents the main strategy in global farming systems. To date, the spread of large-scale farming systems has led to the enhancement of production but has also caused substantial environmental degradation; indeed, this enhanced production has mostly been based on expansion into natural areas, greater use of external inputs, and other forms of intensified use. In this regard, agroecology has developed and become highly successful in small-scale family farming, which contributes roughly more than half of the food consumed by humans by one estimate, covering farming on <30% of the agricultural land. Large-scale farming, which occupies the majority of the global agricultural area, is defined here as the highly mechanized, commercial cropping and livestock-keeping activities that take place in privately owned or rented land by an individual farmer, company, or family enterprise. This sector is responsible for 70% of current deforestation, the largest share of agriculture and agricultural water use, and widespread habitat disruption, each of which have resulted in biodiversity loss.
In this Special Issue, we aim to exchange knowledge on any aspect related to crop productivity and energy balance in large-scale fields, taking stock of the knowledge available and identifying key open research questions critical for the transition of large-scale farming systems to agroecology. Contributions should draw from and engage with the realms of agronomy, ecology, and social sciences.
Dr. Meisam Zargar
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- crop productivity
- energy balance
- farming system
