Agriculture can be pivotal in mitigating climate change through soil carbon sequestration. Land conversion to pasture has been identified as the most effective method to achieve this. Yet, it creates a perceived trade-off between increasing soil carbon and maintaining arable food crop production. In this on-farm study, we assessed the potential of incorporating a 2-year diverse ley (consisting of 23 species of legumes, herbs, and grasses) within a 7-year arable crop rotation for soil organic matter accumulation. We established upper and lower boundaries of soil organic matter accumulation by comparing this approach to positive (permanent ley, akin to conversion to permanent pasture) and negative (bare soil) references. Our findings in the 2-year diverse ley treatment show greater soil organic matter accumulation in plots with lower baseline levels, suggesting a potential plateau of carbon sequestration under this management practice. In contrast, the positive reference consistently showed a steady rate of organic matter accumulation regardless of baseline levels. Moreover, we observed a concurrent increase in labile carbon content in the 2-year ley treatment and positive reference, indicating improved soil nutrient cycling and ecological processes that facilitate soil carbon sequestration. Our results demonstrate that incorporating a 2-year diverse ley within arable rotations surpasses the COP21 global target of a 0.4% annual increase in soil organic carbon. These findings, derived from a working farm's practical and economic constraints, provide compelling evidence that productive arable agriculture can contribute to climate change mitigation efforts.

Emerging farmers, including immigrant farmers, play an increasingly important role in the food system of the Upper Midwestern United States but face significant barriers to success. One important barrier is the lack of culturally relevant and system-specific training and technical assistance, particularly related to soil health and nutrient management. A team of researchers and farm support professionals was convened to conduct a farmer engagement process consisting of a survey and focus groups to better understand the experiences and wisdom that emerging farmers already have, and their educational needs related to soils. The broader goal was to inform the development of culturally relevant tools and training. Here we identify key takeaways related to content needs and learning style preferences. While emerging farmers are already skilled in assessing physical and biological aspects of soil health, they often need support in understanding chemical properties of soil, how to do soil testing, and how to translate soil test results into actionable practices. Additionally, many emerging farmers have experience in other countries and in agricultural systems based on practices such as shifting cultivation. Supporting farmers as they adapt these practices to a Midwest context requires educators to learn about these systems and value the expertise of farmers from diverse farming backgrounds. There is a particular need for more nuanced and farm scale-specific training about inputs in highly diversified, mostly organic systems, especially related to compost and manure management. In terms of learning styles, farmers preferred hands-on training opportunities with as much mentorship and peer learning as possible. Many Midwestern emerging farmers participate in incubator farm programs for beginning growers. While such programs provide valuable access to land and infrastructure, they often lack the capacity to provide tailored participant mentorship. This leaves program graduates unsure about how to utilize soil health and nutrient management practices when they start their own farms. To improve soil health and nutrient management outcomes for emerging farmers, we propose investing in train-the-trainer type programs for farmer leaders and staff with beginning farmer organizations. These programs should include tailored one-to-one mentorship and peer learning with an emphasis on organic inputs, chemical aspects of soil health, and diversified production systems.

Certified organic farming is a suite of regulated practices that can support social, economic, and ecological sustainability in agriculture. Despite the standardization and regulation of certifying bodies, practices adopted by organic farmers vary with potential heterogeneous effects on environmental outcomes. While it is accepted that beliefs can enable or constrain the adoption of farming practices, it remains unclear if variation in organic farmer beliefs mediates observed heterogeneity in practices and the ecology of farms. Communities of soil microorganisms that induce plant resistance and regulate insect herbivores offer a lens to explore the relationship between beliefs and practice adoption. Variation in insect herbivores across organic farms is common but none have studied the role of farmer beliefs in regulating pests through the soil microbiome. Herein, we hypothesized that variation in adoption of microbiome-supportive practices by organic farmers is driven by heterogeneity in their microbiome beliefs. We also investigate the importance of demographic variables and farm characteristics, compared to farmer beliefs, for adoption of practices that support the microbiome. To test our hypothesis, we surveyed the microbiome beliefs, farming practices, and motivations of 85 organic farmers in New York State, USA. We used affinity propagation to cluster farmers by their beliefs, and statistical models to evaluate variation in farming practice adoption and farmer motivations. Our survey received a 30.5% response rate, most organic farmers (≈96%) believed the soil microbiome was important for supporting plant defenses and reducing pests, and <16% believed their farming practices were unimportant for promoting beneficial microbiomes. Seven clusters of farmers were identified that varied in their microbiome beliefs. Among the clusters ≈42% of farmers believed on-farm management and external factors (e.g., climate change) were important for promoting the microbiome. These farmers used fewer pesticides and synthetic mulches, more pre-planting practices (e.g., solarization), and were more motivated to adopt new practices to support the microbiome than their peers. The most important factors motivating adoption were reductions in pests, increased yields, and biodiversity benefits. Beliefs, demographics, and farm characteristics (e.g., time in organic management) were correlated with similar suites of farming practices, but only beliefs predicted farmer motivations. Our study suggests beliefs are key to understanding farmer motivations and promoting organic farming system sustainability via the pest-suppressive microbiome. More broadly, we suggest the need for socio-ecological approaches that account for farmer beliefs when studying the adoption of conservation practices in agroecosystems.

The global population is projected to be enormous by the mid-21st century, whereas, most essential crops being sustained by the rain-fed agriculture are threatened by climate change. Therefore, the study investigated the projected near-future effect of rainfall variability on rot incidence and yam production in humid tropical Nigeria. Production data from the Food and Agriculture Organization and the Nigeria National Bureau of Statistics showed the significant increasing trend in the annual yam output. The field survey conducted in 2018 showed that the maximum percentage of rot incidence occurred in July. Climate Research Unit observational rainfall data from 1979 to 2018 showed the nonsignificant trend in the interannual rainfall variability; however, it showed low variability and a significant decreasing trend in the July rainfall. A pathogenicity test on yam samples confirmed rot by fungi, bacteria and nematodes as virulent pathogens, whereas, the nutritional qualities of the rotted yams were indicated. Monthly rainfall and rot incidence showed positive correlation (r = 0.84, significant at 99% from t-test). The positive characteristic impact values indicated that increase (decrease) in the monthly rainfall corresponds to increase (decrease) in the magnitude of monthly percentage rot incidence. Thus, the significantly decreasing rainfall reduced the quantity of rot incidence and consequently increased the annual yam production for the period. Selected CoOrdinated Regional Downscaling EXperiment-Africa models and the ensemble mean showed a good measure of agreement with observational rainfall in the historical experiments. The efficiencies of the bias-corrected outputs in the representative concentration pathway (RCP) 4.5 and 8.5 indicated improved ‘reasonable’ performances. Bias-corrected projections of the July rainfall showed an increasing trend in both the RCPs, which indicate a potential increase in rot incidence and the consequent decline in annual yam production. The findings are imperative in sustaining the global food supply.

Agroforestry plantings offer a promising ecologically based solution to address agricultural resource concerns while simultaneously achieving conservation goals, because they provide multiple benefits including reduced soil erosion, decreased nutrient runoff, increased biodiversity and greater farm income stability. Despite these benefits, the adoption of agroforestry practices remains low throughout the United States. One approach intended to increase the implementation of these ecologically beneficial practices is to offer financial incentives for landowners. Several USDA conservation programs provide applicant landowners with financial and technical resources to implement approved conservation practices, including tree planting. Missouri offers a unique socio-political context for the application of agroforestry tree plantings in established conservation programs as it is currently the only state with an Environmental Quality Incentives Program fund pool dedicated to agroforestry and woody crop establishment. To gather initial information on the potential for agroforestry in Missouri, seven conservation professionals from prominent agencies, including Natural Resource Conservation Service and University of Missouri Extension, were interviewed. The purpose of these interviews was to gather in-depth knowledge on (1) the current dialogue around trees in conservation programs between natural resource professionals and landowners (2) the relationships between landowners and conservation agencies and (3) the professionals' knowledge of and familiarity with agroforestry practices. Preliminary findings suggest there are misconceptions about the requirements and regulations for conservation programs among landowners and conservation professionals. Another common theme was that conservation agencies face challenges in forming long-term connections with landowners, and they rely primarily on landowners to reach out for assistance. Lastly, conservation professionals are supportive of agroforestry but wish for greater knowledge of the practices before promoting them to landowners. Due to the small sample size of interview participants, these insights provide one perspective into the agroforestry knowledge of natural resource professionals. These initial findings will help direct future research on how well natural resource professionals understand agroforestry concepts and how they are engaging with Missouri farmers to support them in planting trees on their land.

Globally, honey bees are the most utilized animal pollinator in agriculture. However, fluctuations in honey bee colony availability have led to a demand for diversification among crop pollinators. Managed bumble bees are commercially available and highly efficient at pollinating many crops, including cranberries, yet utilization of these managed bees has remained relatively low in North America, with the cranberry industry remaining heavily reliant on honey bees. Here, we surveyed growers from Wisconsin (WI) and Quebec (QC), two of the world's largest cranberry producers, to assess their current crop pollination practices and attitudes regarding managed bumble bees as crop pollinators. To this end, we inquired about their farm demographics, usage of pollination practices, factors influencing those pollination practices, sources of information on crop pollination, and perceptions of managed bumble bees. QC respondents placed a greater importance on their relationships with beekeepers than WI respondents, while WI respondents were more concerned about fruit quality than QC respondents. QC respondents also stocked bumble bees and planted pollinator gardens at a higher percentage than WI respondents, believed that honey bees are more efficient pollinators of cranberry than bumble bees, and a greater proportion of QC respondents reported feeling well informed about bumble bees compared to WI respondents. Importantly, respondents in both regions rank bumble bees' ability to pollinate in inclement weather as their greatest benefit, and the costs of bumble bees as the greatest barrier to their use. We propose that trusted sources of pollination information in both regions, including university specialists, crop consultants, and beekeepers, are well suited to clarify misconceptions regarding bumble bee pollination.

This study evaluated the agro-environmental and economic effectiveness of strips introduced in a diversified organic vegetable system. Two experiments of three experimental years (2018, 2019, 2020) were carried out within the 4-year rotation of MOnsampolo VEgetable organic Long-Term Experiment (MOVE LTE) in Central Italy to test strip cropping vs pure stand. The crop combinations in the two experiments were faba bean (Vicia faba L.)–tomato (Solanum Lycopersicum L.) and common wheat (Triticum aestivum)–zucchini (Cucurbita pepo L.). We determined the productive and economic performances, disease and weed control, nutritional differences and effectiveness in returning carbon to the soil. The two strip cropping systems allowed a better use of resources, enhancing plant biomass and crop residues, particularly for tomato (+24%) and zucchini (+63%). However, the greater plant biomass did not always result in an increase in crop yields. For example, while the wheat–zucchini strip system showed a land equivalent ratio >1 in all three experimental years with a high yield performance in zucchini (+54% of yield), the faba bean–tomato system was more productive in strips only in 2018. On the contrary, this latter system contributed a carbon return >1 in all three experimental years. No significant differences between strip and pure stand systems were observed for fusarium (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici) and oidium (Oidium spp.) diseases on tomato and zucchini crops, respectively, and for weed control. Lastly, greater labor costs associated in both experiments did not affect their profitability (+21% and +319% in faba bean–tomato and wheat–zucchini experiments, respectively). Overall, our findings pointed out that farmers could increase sustainability of their cropping systems with the introduction of a well-designed strip cropping system, which can lead to the reduction of economic risks, greater potential soil carbon and more efficient use of resources on the same land.

Urban community gardens promote human health, offer recreational space and support urban biodiversity. Urban gardens are situated in diverse landscape contexts and have diverse social contexts with gardeners of various horticultural experiences and backgrounds, both of which results in the wide plant species variety of urban garden habitats. These plants represent a range of traits, one of which may be the production of substances that are poisonous to humans. These plants may also be of ecosystem functioning and biodiversity conservation value, creating an ecosystem service trade-off of human health promotion. In this paper, we report on the occurrence of poisonous plant species in 30 urban community gardens in two German cities (Berlin, Munich) and discuss potential concerns around poisonous and highly poisonous plants in urban gardens. We conclude that, depending on the garden participants as well as the goals of the garden organization, poisonous plants should be carefully monitored and managed to dually mitigate health risks while supporting biodiversity conservation. We propose possible strategies to manage potential threats posed by these plants while simultaneously allowing them to reside alongside people in urban gardens.

While grain farming has seen a major shift toward organic production in recent years, the USA continues to lag behind with domestic demand continuing to outpace domestic supply, making the USA an all-around net importer. The Midwestern USA is poised to help remedy this imbalance; however, farmers continue to slowly transition to organic production systems. Existing literature has identified three prevalent narratives that farmers use to frame their organic transition: environmentalism, farm-family legacy and economic factors, in addition to a four and untested religiosity narrative. This study sought to better understand how these different narratives frame grain farmers’ thought processes for transitioning from conventional production systems to certified organic production systems. We co-created narratives around organic production with farmers, which resulted in four passages aligned with the literature: farm-family legacy, economic values, environmental values and Christianity and stewarding Eden. Then, we mailed a paper survey to conventional, in transition and certified organic Indiana grain farmers in order to test how these different narratives motivated organic production. We found that the most prevalent narrative around organic production is the farm-family legacy, which specifically resonated with midsize farmers. We also found that the religious stewardship narrative resonated with a substantial number of organic and mixed practice farmers, which is likely due to Amish farmers within the sample. These results shed light on the role that narratives and associated values play in organic practice use and can inform the organic efforts of agricultural professionals.

In the Mediterranean Basin, sheep meat production systems are based on grazing, and help to conserve biodiversity, mitigate the greenhouse gases emissions and maintain the population in rural areas. However, the lack of differentiation of pastoral systems, as opposed to the intensive model, puts its continuity at risk. In this sense, organic farming can be an alternative to sustain extensive sheep-cereal production systems in marginal Mediterranean drylands. The aim of this research was to evaluate the conversion possibilities of pastoral meat sheep production systems to the organic production model in the Mediterranean Basin, working with the autochthonous Segureña breed sheep. 46 farms were studied, classified into four clusters by mean of multivariate analysis. In order to determine the degree to which farms approached the organic model, 60 variables, grouped into nine indicators were analyzed to obtain an Organic Conversion Index (OCI). The Nutritional management indicator has a high value of approaching the organic model, as well as Animal welfare and Food safety. Marketing and business management, Breeds and reproduction, Weed and pest control and Sustainable pasture management indicators also reach a good approximation level. Only the Breeds and reproduction indicator presented values with significant differences between clusters. The average value of the OCI for the 46 farms ranges from 63 to 70%, and therefore it can be concluded that extensive meat sheep herds in the region are close to this production model. Among the recommendations that can be made to improve the conversion possibilities to the organic model are: (i) to increase own fodder production or find a way to obtain it easily and economically; (ii) to complete the plant−soil−animal cycle, (iii) to seek greater marketing autonomy and (iv) to achieve closer contact with the final consumer. At the same time, government policy both in Spain and other parts of Europe should persevere to find more ways to support the progress of this type of production, in an effort to address limitations and overcome the lack of alternative markets.

The diversity and distribution of wild bees are dramatically changing due to habitat fragmentation, agricultural intensification and climate change. In cities, urban gardens are proposed ‘island’ habitats for bees offering floral and nesting resources. Yet, it is largely unclear how gardens play a role in changes in species diversity and distribution. This paper reports on the discovery of a bee species to our knowledge previously undocumented in the region of Berlin, Germany. We discovered Lasioglossum limbellum in a community garden created on concrete slabs of annual and perennial vegetation. As a cavity nester in soft rock cliffs—a natural habitat functionally not existent in urban areas—the life history of this species makes this discovery particularly interesting, and an opportunity to explore the role of urban gardens in biodiversity change. This report aims to spur future research, reporting and discussion on the changes in diversity and distribution of wild bees specifically in urban areas.

This study assessed the extant literature related to the use of high tunnels (HTs) in agricultural systems in the United States since the 2009 launch of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) High Tunnel Initiative. This NRCS program led to an increase in HT adoption nationwide. The literature searches were conducted using the Web of Science (WoS) database. The final sample was 133 peer-reviewed articles published between 2009 and February 2023. We used CiteSpace 6.2.R1 and Gephi 0.9.2 to conduct co-citation, co-author, co-institution, and clustering techniques. The findings showed that the peer-reviewed literature about HT use has increased since 2009, substantially rising between 2017 and 2021. Horticulture was the top subject category in the literature, and most articles were published in peer-reviewed journals of the American Society for Horticultural Science (i.e., HortTechnology and HortScience). The research field evolved from general HT practices, nutrient management, and plant pathology to focus on trials of specific crops and integrated pest management. The institutions with the most contributions to the HT literature were Kansas State University, the University of Florida, Michigan State University, Purdue University, and the University of Minnesota. The patterns of HT research revealed in this study offer a greater understanding of the current state of knowledge to inform the focus of future research.

We assess emerging relationships between production decisions and market channel selection among a small sample of hemp growers (22) in Colorado and Kentucky using qualitative interviews. We found producers differences by market channel, product and state. For instance, producers who relied on intermediated marketing strategies cultivated more acres on average and used fewer distinct market channels and strategies than those relying on direct markets. Product differences were found regarding processing, storage and perishability. Respondents identified four factors critical to their choice of market channels for their hemp products: research, profitability, trust and knowledge. The findings can help inform public and private decision-making regarding best hemp marketing practices and future needs of the hemp industry.

Organic producers would like to include no-till practices in their farming systems, but they are concerned about managing weeds without tillage. We are seeking to develop a continuous no-till system for organic farming, based on a complex rotation that includes a 3-yr sequence of alfalfa. In this study, we evaluated impact of preceding crop on weed infestation in alfalfa. Alfalfa was established with no-till following spring wheat, corn or soybean. The study involved a 4-yr interval, with weed dynamics measured in the fourth year. Alfalfa established after soybean suppressed weeds more than alfalfa established after spring wheat or corn. Weed biomass in alfalfa following spring wheat was 18% of the plant community, but only 1% when alfalfa followed soybean and 6% when alfalfa followed corn. Weed biomass increased because alfalfa density following spring wheat was only 71% of alfalfa following soybean. Weeds such as downy brome (Bromus tectorum L.) and dandelion (Taraxacum officinale Weber) were able to establish and produce biomass where alfalfa stand was sparse. Alfalfa forage yield across 3 yr was also higher following soybean than either spring wheat or corn. Alfalfa competitiveness with weeds can be improved by choice of preceding crop.

The objective of this research is to develop an economic analysis of different crop mix biofuels programs for meeting ethanol and sustainability demands. Primary data are from South Dakota State University field experiments on farms located in east-central South Dakota. The data include 4 years of field data, three crop systems (mixed grass, switchgrass and corn), two residue treatments (no removal, removal of biomass), and three landscape positions (back slope, crest and foot slope). A representative farm model and five scenarios are developed to conduct a full budget analysis over a 12-year period. Public benefits are evaluated, using the benefit transfer method to value ecosystem services, by allocating a dollar value to three environmental variables; carbon sequestration, reduction of sedimentation and pheasant production. Stochastic simulation results are compared for each of the five scenarios, one with only annualized net private returns, and one including the value of environmental benefits. Results indicate that: (1) the conventional continuous corn scenario has the highest net returns over the 12-year budget, (2) carbon sequestration represents 80% of the environmental benefits, and (3) the added economic value of ecosystem services does not provide enough incentives for farmers to convert from corn production to grass production.

Fruit and vegetable growers in the US face tradeoffs and synergies between on-farm conservation and pre-harvest food safety as a result of economic considerations, regulatory concerns, and external pressure from other stakeholders. However, detailed data on the frequency and extent of these tradeoffs across US regions remain sparse. We designed and implemented a national grower survey for the 2018 crop year to address this gap. Based on 209 responses, we examined usage of pre-harvest food safety and conservation practices with a particular emphasis on managing animal intrusion into growing areas and maintaining wildlife habitat. We also analyzed associations between farm characteristics and the probability that growers used different on-farm food safety and conservation practices. We did not find a simple biophysical or socio-economic explanation for why some farms adopted specific practices over others. Instead, our findings suggest that the adoption of particular food safety practices is influenced by a complex assemblage of factors that include environmental context, supply chain pressures, cost considerations, and growers' perceptions of risk. A better understanding of the diverse tradeoffs and synergies that US produce growers face between on-farm conservation and pre-harvest food safety is critical for effective policy design.

Sorghum plays a crucial role in the rural economy and nutrition of rural households in Mali. Yet the productivity of this crop is constrained by limited adoption of agricultural intensification technologies, which could be partly because technology development does not properly consider farmers' preferences. This study with smallholder farmers in southern Mali aimed to assess farmers' preferences for different attributes of sorghum technologies through the lens of sustainable intensification. The study used a discrete choice experiment, a method which involves asking individuals to state their preference over hypothetical alternative scenarios, goods or services. We considered six attributes corresponding to different domains of sustainable intensification: grain yield, risk of yield loss, soil fertility, nutrition, labor requirement and fodder yield. We analyzed the data using the mixed logit model, while considering the multinomial logit model as a robustness check. The findings revealed that smallholder farmers are strongly interested in transitioning from their existing sorghum-based cropping systems to those that closely align with these domains of sustainable intensification. However, there were diverse preferences among all the smallholder farmers studied, and between distinct sub-groups of smallholder farmers characterized by their social networks and agroecological zones, which yield relevant policy implications. Overall, these results support the growing research and development prioritization and policy interests toward scaling sustainable intensification among farmers, with a particular focus on human nutrition.