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Most of the phosphorus incorporated into agricultural soils through the use of fertilizers precipitates in the form of insoluble salts that are incapable of being used by plants. This insoluble phosphorus present in large quantities in soil forms the well-known "phosphorus legacy". The solubilization of this "phosphorus legacy" has become a goal of great agronomic importance, and the use of phosphate-solubilizing bacteria would be a useful tool for this purpose. In this work, we have isolated and characterized phosphate-solubilizing bacteria from the rhizosphere of hop plants. Two particular strains, Pseudomonas taetrolens ULE-PH5 and Pseudomonas sp. ULE-PH6, were selected as plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria due to their high phosphate solubilization capability in both plate and liquid culture assays and other interesting traits, including auxin and siderophore production, phytate degradation, and acidic and alkaline phosphatase production. These strains were able to significantly increase phosphate uptake and accumulation of phosphorus in the aerial part (stems, petioles, and leaves) of hop plants, as determined by greenhouse trials. These strains are promising candidates to produce biofertilizers specifically to increase phosphate adsorption by hop plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Erosion and pollution in the Citarum River have reached a very worrying stage. To overcome this problem, the government has launched the Citarum Harum program. One of the policies synergistic with the Citarum Harum program is the application of soil and water conservation principles in farming seasonal crops in the upper Citarum watershed (UCW). Historically, policies and programs for developing pro-conservation farming in this area have been carried out for at least three decades but have not been effective. Increasing the effectiveness of policies requires the existence of suitable instruments. Therefore, it is necessary to have a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the attitudes and behavior of farmers in applying soil and water conservation. This study aims to identify the factors influencing farmers' probabilities and participation in applying soil and water conservation techniques. A double-hurdle approach is used to identify determinants of farmers' participation and intensity in applying conservation practices. The data were collected from samples of 244 farm households' growing seasonal crops out of 499 farm households sample in the Bandung and West Bandung Districts. The results show that the determinants of farmer participation and intensity in the application of conservation lie in the ability to finance, land tenure and utilization, and the physical condition of the land. The level of education only affects participation opportunities, even if the increment is significant. In the future, conservation priorities must be more directed at a vegetative approach through developing synergistic perennial crops with particular efforts to convert vegetables on the sloping lands to perennial crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing production of renewable gases has been driving attention to perennial energy crop production, particularly the problem of choosing an attractive and effective way to produce the supply chain from the farmer to the biogas plant. The production of perennial energy crops for renewable gases may provide an excellent chance for a sustained bioeconomy and help to minimize the total environmental effect of the section. This study aims to demonstrate the scenarios associated with the production of five perennial energy crops, namely, Miscanthus, Switchgrass, Perennial Ryegrass, Common Sainfoin, and Lucerne, for renewable gases in the supply chain. The investigation was carried out utilizing cost–benefit methodology, during which a net benefit identification was executed by comparing the internal rate of return (IRR), payback period (PBT), and net present value (NPV), in addition to the benefit-cost ratio (RBC). According to the results, the best and most attractive perennial energy crops for biogas production include Miscanthus and Switchgrass. Perennial Ryegrass, Common Sainfoin, and Lucerne are not attractive crops for the supply chain of renewable gases. The earned revenue is too small to cover the costs of cultivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Africa has been a hotspot for the development of food and bioenergy crop cultivation since the 2000s, leading to systematic challenges towards its ability to become a bioeconomy. To reduce land-use conflicts with food crop cultivation, marginal African drylands (MADs) are proposed for sustainable bioenergy cropping systems (BCSs). This study reviews the foremost socio-economic and environmental challenges for BCSs on MADs, and the development of key principles for minimizing adverse outcomes towards a sustainable bioeconomy. Socio-economic prosperity in Africa depends on several systematic solutions, and BCSs that are based on perennial bioenergy crops are promising strategies as they provide a renewable and sustainable energy source for rural areas. However, critical multidimensional challenges such as poverty, food security, gender equality, access to energy, and environmental impact must also be considered to ensure long-term sustainability. This review argues for more transparent land sales/usage (considering the agricultural work of women) and more perennial bioenergy crops. In this context, key principles were derived for a people-centered bottom-up approach that is considered fundamental to ensure the sustainable development of BCSs on MADs in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orchards may support high spider diversity relative to annual crops due to their structural complexity and relative stability. Multiple environmental conditions at the landscape, regional, and local scales may influence the assemblage composition of spiders in orchards. We asked which environmental variables best explains spider assemblage composition and the similarity of the assemblages of pomegranate orchards located along a latitudinal gradient in Israel? Spiders were sampled from twelve pomegranate orchards along a climatic gradient from north to south. Orchards located at higher latitudes had richer assemblages than orchards located at lower latitudes. The assemblage composition was influenced at the large scale by latitude and annual crop cover in the surrounding landscape but not by local factors. By contrast, functional groups based on foraging strategies were affected by local scale factors, such as vegetation within the orchards. This study demonstrates the importance of considering environmental variables at different scales to understand the factors affecting the assemblage composition of naturally occurring predators in the orchard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomass is widely used for the production of renewable energy, which calls for an economic evaluation of its generation. The aim of the present work was to review the literature concerning the economic evaluation of the production of perennial crop biomass for energy use. Statistical analysis of the bibliographic data was carried out, as well as an assessment of methods and values of economic indicators of the production of perennial crops for bioenergy. Most of the papers selected for the review were published in the years 2015–2019, which was probably stimulated by the growing interest in sustainable development, particularly after 2015, when the United Nations declared 17 sustainable development goals. The earliest articles concerned the economic analysis of plantations of short rotation coppice; the subsequent ones included the analysis of feedstock production in terms of the net present value and policy. The latest references also investigated transport and sustainability issues. The crops most commonly selected for production cost analysis were willow, poplar, and Miscanthus. The cost of production of willow and poplar were similar, 503 EUR ha−1 year−1 and 557 EUR ha−1 year−1, respectively, while the cost of Miscanthus production was significantly higher, 909 EUR ha−1 year−1 on average. By analogy, the distribution of revenue was similar for willow and poplar, at 236 EUR ha−1 year−1 and 181 EUR ha−1 year−1; Miscanthus production reached the value of 404 EUR ha−1 year−1. The economic conditions of perennial crop production differed in terms of geography; four areas were identified: Canada, the USA, southern Europe, and central and northern Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural land in Europe is affected by low rooting depth (LRD) on 27.9 Mha. This marginal agricultural land can potentially be used to grow industrial crops without directly threatening food security or biodiversity conservation. However, little is known about the yield performance of industrial crops at LRD conditions. This study therefore compiles and discusses the meaningful data available in scientific literature. Twelve relevant industrial crops were identified for Europe. Currently, robust information on good growth suitability for LRD conditions is available for only one industrial crop, namely reed canary grass (RCG). Because this information was taken from field trial results from a single site, it remains unclear what role other growing conditions such as soil quality and climate play on both the yield level and the biomass quality of RCG under LRD conditions. These uncertainties about the quantitative as well as qualitative performance of industrial crop cultivation on marginal agricultural land characterized by LRD represent a major agronomic knowledge gap. Here, more knowledge needs to be compiled through both expanded crop science activities and improved international information exchange to make more optimal use of the large LRD areas available for the transition to a bioeconomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global demand for plant biomass to provide bioenergy and heat is continuously increasing because of a growing interest among many industrialized and developing countries towards climate sound and renewable energy supply. The exacerbation of land-use conflicts proliferates social-ecological demands on future bioenergy cropping systems. Perennial herbaceous wild plant mixtures (WPMs) represent an approach to providing social-ecologically more sustainably produced biogas substrate that has gained increasing public and political interest only in recent years. The focus of this study lies on three perennial wild plant species (WPS) that usually dominate the biomass yield performance of WPM cultivation. These WPS were compared with established biogas crops in terms of their substrate-specific methane yield (SMY) and lignocellulosic composition. The plant samples were investigated in a small-scale mesophilic discontinuous biogas batch test for determining the SMY. All WPS were found to have significantly lower SMY (241.5–248.5 lN kgVS−1) than maize (337.5 lN kgVS−1). This was attributed to higher contents of lignin (9.7–12.8% of dry matter) as well as lower contents of hemicellulose (9.9–11.5% of dry matter) in the WPS. Only minor, non-significant differences to cup plant and Virginia mallow were observed. Thus, when planning WPS as a diversification measure in biogas cropping systems, their lower SMY should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Southwest Germany, the renaturation of quarry areas close to settlements is usually based on the planting of native species of trees and shrubs, which are then neither cultivated nor used. This study investigates whether a species-rich agroforestry system based on Ernst Goetsch's syntropic agriculture approach would be suitable for both renaturation in the form of soil fertility improvement and diverse food crop production under temperate climate. The quarry syntropy project was launched in summer 2019. Two shallow stony sections of a spoil heap of the quarry in Ehningen, Southwest Germany were available for demonstration plots. An interdisciplinary project team was set up both to obtain the official permits from five governmental institutions and to begin the study. The demonstration plots were each divided into three broad strips, which differ in three vegetation types: trees, shrubs, and annual food crops. The tree and shrub areas are mainly used for biomass production for a continuous mulch supply on the entire cultivated area in order to rapidly increase soil fertility. The food crops and also partly the trees and shrubs were intended to provide organically produced food (vegetables, fruit, berries and herbs). Most of the trees (eleven species) were planted in November 2019. In March 2020, soil samples were taken (0–30 cm), and a solar-powered water storage system was installed. Currently, the shrub and annual food crop strips are under preparation (pre-renaturation phase). In this initial phase, the priority is fertility improvement of the topsoil through intensive mulching of the existing grassland stock dominated by top grasses and the legumes hybrid alfalfa (Medicago × varia Martyn) and common bird's-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.). The food crop strip should then start in 2021 after one year of mulching. Depending on the success of growth, the tree strips should then also gain in importance for mulch application in the following years. The strategy is to gradually build up food crop cultivation under organic low-input agricultural practices while simultaneously enhancing the biophysical growth conditions guided by natural succession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Miscanthus × giganteus (hereafter Miscanthus) is a perennial crop characterized by its high biomass production, low nutrient requirements, its ability for soil restoration, and its cultivation potential on marginal land. The development of the bioenergy sector in the state of Brandenburg (Germany), with maize as the dominant crop, has recently drawn attention to its negative environmental impacts, competition with food production, and uncertainties regarding its further development toward the state's bioenergy targets. This study aimed to estimate the potential bioenergy production in Brandenburg by cultivating Miscanthus only on marginal land, thereby avoiding competition with food production in the Berlin-Brandenburg city-region (i.e., foodshed), after using the Metropolitan Foodshed and Self-sufficiency Scenario (MFSS) model. We estimated that by 2030, the Berlin-Brandenburg foodshed would require around 1.13 million hectares to achieve 100% food self-sufficiency under the business as usual (BAU) scenario, and hence there would be around 390,000 ha land left for bioenergy production. Our results suggest that the region would require about 569,000 ha of land of maize to generate 58 PJ—the bioenergy target of the state of Brandenburg for 2030—which is almost 179,000 ha more than the available area for bioenergy production. However, under Miscanthus plantation, the required area would be reduced by 2.5 times to 232,000 ha. Therefore, Miscanthus could enable Brandenburg to meet its bioenergy target by 2030, while at the same time avoiding the trade-offs with food production, and also providing a potential for soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration of around 255,200 t C yr-1, leading to an improvement in the soil fertility and other ecosystem services (e.g., biodiversity), compared with bioenergy generated from maize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Field N2O emissions are a key point in the evaluation of the greenhouse gas benefits of bioenergy crops. The aim of this study was to investigate N2O fluxes from perennial (miscanthus and switchgrass), semi-perennial (fescue and alfalfa) and annual (sorghum and triticale) bioenergy crops and to analyze the effect of the management of perennials (nitrogen fertilization and/or harvest date). Daily N2O emissions were measured quasi-continuously during at least two years in a long-term experiment, using automated chambers, with 2–5 treatments monitored simultaneously. Cumulative N2O emissions from perennials were strongly affected by management practices: fertilized miscanthus harvested early and unfertilized miscanthus harvested late had systematically much lower emissions than fertilized miscanthus harvested late (50, 160 and 1470 g N2O-N ha−1 year−1, respectively). Fertilized perennials often had similar or higher cumulative emissions than semi-perennial or annual crops. Fluxes from perennial and semi-perennial crops were characterized by long periods with low emissions interspersed with short periods with high emissions. Temperature, water-filled pore space and soil nitrates affected daily emissions but their influence varied between crop types. This study shows the complex interaction between crop type, crop management and climate, which results in large variations in N2O fluxes for a given site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Côte d'Ivoire's rural areas adjacent to the state-owned areas of the southern half of the country, such as classified forests, are experiencing significant migratory flows due to their agricultural potential. The population movements in these rural areas have changed the rural landscape. The general objective of this study was to identify the peasant innovations implemented in these rural areas adjacent to the state's forest domains in a context of land saturation caused by migratory flows. This objective was elucidated from the case of the classified forest of Haut-Sassandra (CFHS). To achieve this, surveys were conducted in 11 villages on the periphery of the FCHS to determine the profile of planters and the main crops grown. Subsequently, floristic inventories were carried out on farms to analyse the diversity of associated species. Analyses showed that the rural populations of the CFHS are mainly composed of Allochthones (64%). Four innovative production systems were identified: a cashew-based production system, a cocoa-based production system, a coffee-based production system and a coffee- and cocoa-based production system. These farmer innovations based on agroforestry practices make it possible to restore impoverished lands and fight against climatic hazards. Consequently, these local practices deserve to be popularised in areas of strong land pressure as strategies to overcome the shortage of arable land and fluctuating prices of agricultural production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insufficient winter chill accumulation can detrimentally impact agriculture. Understanding the changing risk of insufficient chill accumulation can guide orchard management and cultivar selection for long-lived perennial crops including peaches. This study quantifies the influence of modeled anthropogenic climate change on observed chill accumulation since 1981 and projected chill accumulation through the mid-21st century, with a focus on principal peach-growing regions in the southeastern United States, and commonly grown peach cultivars with low, moderate, and high chill accumulation requirements. Anthropogenic climate change has reduced winter chill accumulation, increased the probability of winters with low chill accumulation, and increased the likelihood of winters with insufficient chill for commonly grown peach cultivars in the southeastern United States. Climate projections show a continuation of reduced chill accumulation and increased probability of winters with insufficient chill accumulation for cultivars with high chill requirements, with approximately 40% of years by mid-century having insufficient chill in Georgia. The results highlight the importance of inter-annual variability in agro-climate risk assessments and suggest that adaptive measures may be necessary in order to maintain current peach production practices in the region in the coming decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term agricultural sustainability is dependent in part on our capacity to provide productive, nutritious crops that minimize the negative impacts of agriculture on the landscape. Perennial grains within an agroforestry context offers one solution: These plants produce large root systems that reduce soil erosion and simultaneously have the potential to produce nutrients to combat malnutrition. However, nutrient compositions of wild, perennial, herbaceous species, such as those related to the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) are not well known. In this study, seed ion and amino acid concentrations of perennial and annual Phaseolus species were quantified using ionomics and mass spectrometry. No statistical difference was observed for Zn, toxic ions (e.g., As) or essential amino acid concentrations (except threonine) between perennial and annual Phaseolus species. However, differences were observed for some nutritionally important ions. For example, Ca, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, and P concentrations were higher in annual species; further, ion and amino acid concentrations appear to be largely independent of each other. These results suggest variability in ion and amino acid concentrations exist in Phaseolus. As new crop candidates are considered for ecological services, nutritional quality should be optimized to maximize nutrient output of sustainable food crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dak Lak province, Central Highlands, Vietnam presents an interesting case in perennial crop systems, of which coffee and black pepper are the two premier commodities and contribute a large part to economic growth provincially and at the national level. In recent years, in addition to mono-cropping systems, intercropping systems for diversification have developed quickly. This paper focuses on (1) comparing the economic efficiency of mono-coffee systems (MCSes), mono-pepper systems (MPSes), and coffee and pepper intercropping (CPI) by analyzing startup cost, annual cost, and profits; and (2) identifying the main factors affecting farmers' decisions to convert their crop systems. The study was carried out by investigating 90 perennial crop samples using the three perennial crop systems (MCSes, MPSes, and CPI) in 2017–2018. Additionally, in-depth interviews and focus group discussion (FGD) methods were applied to collect more information about the operations of each system. Another survey with 37 samples (new plantations) was carried out to compute the startup cost. The findings showed evidence that MCSes had the lowest startup and annual costs, whereas MPSes had the highest costs of the three perennial crop systems. MCSes used less manure or compost in the initial setup and overused chemical fertilizer in annual production. Similarly, MPSes had high pesticide-stimulant costs in the production process to sustain crop development. The study indicated that CPI not only had the highest economic efficiency, but also created the best family employment opportunities of the three systems. Additionally, the study found some social factors that strongly influenced farmers' decisions to shift their cropping system: These included ethnicity, education, training, and crop failure, in addition to economic factors (profits). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]