We steered the soil microbiome via applications of organic residues (mix of cover crop residues, sewage sludge + compost, and digestate + compost) to enhance multiple ecosystem services in line with climate-smart agriculture. Our result highlights the potential to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions from agricultural soils by the application of...
Miscanthus, a C4 perennial rhizomatous grass, is capable of growing in varied climates and soil types in Europe, including on marginal lands. It can produce high yields with low nutrient inputs when harvested after complete senescence. Senescence induction and rate depend on complex genetic, environmental, and management interactions. To explore th...
The assembly of root-associated microbes during the seedling stage has strong impact on subsequent performance of crops. Major factors influencing this assembly are crop species identity and composition of potential root-colonizing microbes in the bulk soil. The latter can be modified by soil management, such as organic amendments. The incorporatio...
1. Apple is one of the most widely cultivated fruit crops worldwide, and apple yield benefits from pollination by insects. The global decline in wild pollinator populations raises concern about the adequacy of pollination services in apple production. 2. Here, we present a global meta-analysis of pollination in apple. We assembled from the literatu...
Organic farming supports higher biodiversity than conventional farming, but at the cost of lower yields. We conducted a meta-analysis quantifying the trade-off between biodiversity and yield, comparing conventional and organic farming. We developed a compatibility index to assess whether biodiversity gains from organic farming exceed yield losses, ...
Estimates of crop nitrogen (N) uptake and offtake are critical in estimating N balances, N use efficiencies and potential losses to the environment. Calculation of crop N uptake and offtake requires estimates of crop product yield (e.g. grain or beans) and crop residue yield (e.g. straw or stover) and the N concentration of both components. Yields ...
Understanding how much inorganic fertilizer (referred to as fertilizer) is applied to different crops at national, regional and global levels is an essential component of fertilizer consumption analysis and demand projection. Good information on fertilizer use by crop (FUBC) is rarely available because it is difficult to collect and time-consuming ...
In this perspective article, I explain why agricultural sciences are facing what I consider to be design issues, and why I strongly believe that agricultural sciences would benefit from more dialogue on these issues with design sciences. Using two examples concerning the design of Decision Support Systems (DSS) and of agricultural systems, I discus...
1. Semi-natural habitats (SNH) are considered essential for pest suppressive landscapes, but their influence on crop pests and natural enemies can be highly variable. Instead of SNH per se, the availability of resources, such as pollen and nectar, may be more relevant for supporting pest control. 2. Here, we assessed the spatio-temporal variation o...
The objective of the research was to design an ergonomic dual-purpose mini rototiller for human muscle rehabilitation and short-cycle post-seeding in the Ecuadorian highlands. It was methodologically developed from a type of technological research, it was generated from the researcher's need to develop short-cycle post-sowing as a strategy to promo...
