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Farm diversification is becoming increasingly important for farmers in developing countries to improve economic resilience, especially with the increasing instability of agricultural markets. Agritourism, as one of the diversification strategies, can provide farmers with an alternative source of income. However, the factors influencing this diversification decision, particularly in rural areas such as North Toraja, Indonesia, still need to be fully understood. This qualitative research aims to understand the factors that influence farmers' livelihood diversification decisions in North Toraja, focusing on the role of agritourism and its implications for economic resilience and sustainable development. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 30 North Toraja farmers who have yet to diversify their businesses. The results showed that farmers' diversification decisions are influenced by several factors, including internal motivation (such as income generation opportunities and lifestyle needs), resource availability (land, capital, skills), market conditions (demand for agricultural products and agritourism services), and accessibility (strategic location and good access). The analysis also revealed that 83% of farmers were motivated by income generation opportunities, while 60% considered capital and location important factors in diversification. Farm diversification through agritourism provides additional income opportunities and contributes to farmers' economic resilience. This research emphasizes that diversification decisions are complex processes influenced by economic, social, and cultural factors. The results of this study provide insights into the dynamics of farmers' diversification decisions and provide policy implications to support sustainable rural development through agritourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bangladesh’s agriculture is highly rice-centric. Although economically rational, this is also risky, and arguably unsustainable. As a result, there is increasing interest in crop diversification (CD). This study examines the policy environment and the implementation of projects promoting CD in Bangladesh from 1971 to the present. An integrated analytical framework, developed by the International Wheat and Maize Improvement Center (CIMMYT) was used. Despite numerous policies and projects aimed at promoting CD, progress remains limited due to historical biases and various challenges. This research identifies a significant gap in existing approaches, which primarily focus on production aspects while neglecting market systems for new crops. Additionally, inadequate coordination among government agencies has impacted the effectiveness of projects implemented by development partners. The study highlights that CD efforts have been largely project-driven and short-lived, emphasizing the need for mainstreaming CD with dedicated annual funding to ensure long-term sustainability. Key challenges in funding, market development, and implementation are identified. The study recommends mainstreaming CD through annual budgets and enhancing market linkages. Furthermore, it provides actionable guidelines for policymakers and practitioners to effectively promote and sustain crop diversification in Bangladesh’s agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assesses the extent to which growers integrate the 13 principles of agroecology within their farm activities. This is a first step that helps to determine the changes required in different farm components to foster the adoption of agroecology. We used the holistic Farm-Level Agroecology Criteria Tool (F-ACT) to assess the alignment with agroecological principles of 31 farms representative of smallholder irrigated family farms in the Merguellil Plain region of central Tunisia. Although various agroecological practices were implemented, the results revealed little integration of agroecological principles at the farm level, estimated at 34% of the full transition. In a difficult production resource access context, recycling and reducing inputs were the principles mostly applied, with the goal of improving resource use efficiency and farm system resilience. More specialized and market-oriented farms tended to rely on conventional practices, while diversified farms, often cultivating their own land, exhibited more sustainable practices. Although producers’ dominant rationale was to improve their market access, thereby often resorting to more conventional practices, we nevertheless noted interesting practices such as mixed crop and livestock production, which could facilitate the transition to more agroecological systems in these lowlands where production factors are scarce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies have explored social capital (SC) in diverse ways. Still, little is known in the literature about how its functional areas, including bonding, bridging and linking relationships, interact to facilitate sustainable development, particularly in agricultural diversification. We address this gap by using the rural web and the social capital frameworks to (1) analyse factors influencing SC and (2) assess the relationship between SC and agricultural diversification. Drawing on a survey of 600 rural households and 60 interviews with key stakeholders from the Upper West and Ashanti regions of Ghana, we found that socioeconomic factors, including farm size, remittance, household size and education, significantly influence bonding, bridging and linking SC. The findings also show that rural farmers depend strongly on bonding, bridging and linking SC to improve their livelihoods through agricultural diversification. These findings have implications for achieving SDG targets, particularly poverty reduction (SDG 1) and food security (SDG 2), regarding accessibility to resources, market participation, social empowerment, and contract farming. Therefore, agricultural policies in sub‐Saharan Africa should incorporate SC as a critical indicator for achieving agricultural diversification initiatives and sustainable development objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is significantly and enduringly impacting global agricultural supply chains (ASCs), underscoring the urgent need to enhance their climate resilience. This study aims to identify key strategies for building agricultural supply chain resilience (ASCRes) in the context of climate change and their interrelationships. Through a comprehensive literature review and expert consultations, a framework of 12 strategies was developed. Using survey data from 312 Chinese ASC companies, BP-DEMATEL-ISM and PLS-SEM methods were employed to conduct causal analysis and factor level evaluation. The results indicate that "diversification of agricultural products and supply chain (SC) networks," "Agriculture 4.0 and digital transformation," and "taking proactive climate action" are critical strategies to enhance ASCRes in the context of climate change. These findings can provide theoretical basis for farmers, ASC companies, and governments to cope with the impact of climate change, so as to buildmore robust ASC systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the nexus between livelihood goals (LGs) and livelihood strategy (LS) selection preferences. We construct a measurement of three livelihood goals (survival, security, and self-respect goals) by combining qualitative and quantitative analysis and classify livelihood strategies into three groups (agricultural, non-agricultural, and diversification) based on household income sources. The multinomial logit model with fixed effects empirically estimates the relationship between livelihood goal indices and livelihood strategy selection with panel data (2010–2018) from the China Family Panel Studies surveys (CFPS). The results show that households with survival goals are more likely to choose the agricultural and diversification strategies and less likely to select the non-agricultural strategy. Households with security and self-respect goals are more likely to choose the non-agricultural strategy and are less likely to select the agricultural strategy. Families with a higher self-respect goal level are more flexible in livelihood strategy selection. The livelihood strategy selection preference is consistent in different regions of rural China when households pursue survival and security maximization. From the low-level survival goal to the high-level self-respect goal, consistent with a gradual transition from a low-income agricultural strategy to the high-income non-agricultural strategy; the diversification strategy is the transformed livelihood strategy in this process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supplemental irrigation based on runoff harvesting is a sustainable solution in the current context of water scarcity that is prevalent in Sahelian countries. Runoff water harvesting ponds (RWHPs) are increasingly being utilized for vegetable cultivation by producers. This study aims to analyze the cropping choices of producers benefiting from RWHPs in the Kadiogo and Bazèga provinces of Burkina Faso in the West African Sahel. A sample of 27 surveyed producers revealed a dominant preference for vegetable crops (93.46% of the total production) over cereals. The cropping choices are influenced by factors such as the crop resistance to dry spells, the water demand, the economic return, and the market demand. For the effective utilization of the basins, crop choices should consider the water retention capacity of the basin. Additionally, to enhance the retention capacity, it is advisable to line them using appropriate waterproofing techniques. Similarly, the selection of basin installation sites should consider the soil characteristics and site-specific considerations. The findings of this research highlight the potential of runoff water harvesting basins to significantly improve agricultural productivity and resilience in the West African Sahel, thereby contributing to enhanced food security and improved livelihoods for local farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Site selection analysis is a fundamental methodology for the regeneration of Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca (Xfp) infected areas, with the introduction of Xfp immune/resistant tree crop species. The diffusion of these species could be assessed by combining ecological optima data, climate and soil attributes of the study area, and GIS tools. The study aimed to evaluate the potential suitability of eight Xfp immune tree crops, including Neglected and Underutilized Species (NUS) drought-resistant and new species, as follows: carob, hawthorn, prickly pear, mulberry, loquat, walnut, persimmon, and avocado. The use of GIS tools allowed the integration of different layers, such as climate and soil, to contribute to the identification of suitable areas for the cultivation of these tree crops helping the policy-makers to define plans for land use at a regional scale. Following the ecological optima, which represents the ideal environmental conditions for each species, this analysis provided valuable insights into the compatibility of the selected tree crops with the prevailing environmental factors in the affected area. Carob revealed its remarkable adaptability and drought resistance, presenting the broadest suitability. Hawthorn and Loquat also exhibited high adaptability, indicating their potential contribution to agricultural diversification and ecological balance. Conversely, crops like Avocado, Prickly pear, and Walnut, despite their economic value, demonstrated limited adaptability due to their specific soil and climate requirements. These findings can potentially contribute to the development of strategies for the policymakers, aimed at diversifying and enhancing the resilience of agricultural systems, facing the problem of emerging quarantine pathogens and the incoming climate change, and highlighting the possibility of opening new cultivation scenarios in the zones affected by Xfp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to rising population, the globe confronts serious issues with food security, unemployment, and ecological damage. In comparison to 9.9% in 2020 and 8.4% in 2019, about 10% of the world's population experienced hunger in 2021 (FAO, 2022). Diseases like anemia, thyroid, and night blindness can all be driven forth by malnutrition. Many low-income households find it expensive to eat animal products. A variety of neglected vegetables can serve as a substitute for vitamins, minerals, and secondary plant metabolites that support health. Under-utilized legumes, abundant in plant-based protein, offer an affordable alternative to address protein deficiency. The significant folic acid content of several underutilized green vegetables contributes to minimizing the risk of coronary ailments. Crop diversification is a strategy that considerably increases food security, health and nutrition, climate resilience, and environmental sustainability. In small-scale farming, the integration of a variety of crops not only enables more effective utilization of agro-ecological processes, but also contributes to the diversity of the human diet and raises family income. Vegetable crop diversification has potential to enhance availability and financial affordability of healthy and fresh food. Additionally, by cultivating a diverse range of crops locally, there will be rise in economic opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ensuring food security is not only vital to the adequate supply of food in the world, but also the key to the economic development and social stability of various countries. Based on the panel data of 29 provinces in China from 2016 to 2020, this paper selects the number of foodborne diseases patients and iodine deficiency disease patients as reference objects, uses stunting rate of children under 5 years old, malnutrition rate of children under 5 years old, obesity rate of children under 5 years old, and newborn visit rate to measure improving nutrition, proposes Meta Entropy Two-Stage Dynamic Direction Distance Function (DDF) Under an exogenous Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) model to measure the efficiency of hunger eradication, food security, and improving nutrition under the influence of exogenous variable rainfall. The research results indicate that the sustainability of China's agricultural economy is insufficient, and the focus of attention should be different in different stages. In addition, the average efficiency of the three regions generally shows a decreasing level in the eastern, western, and central regions. In order to improve China's ability to guarantee food security, we must continue to strengthen the construction of agricultural infrastructure, increase policy support for green agricultural production, promote the diversification of agricultural production, and enrich people's agricultural product consumption varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individual variability in mortality is widespread in nature. The general rule is that larger organisms have a greater chance of survival than smaller conspecifics. There is growing evidence that differential mortality between developmental stages has important consequences for the ecology and evolution of populations and communities. However, we know little about how it can influence diversification. Using an eco-evolutionary model of diversification that considers individual variability in mortality, I show that commonly observed differences in mortality between juveniles and adults can facilitate adaptive diversification. In particular, diversification is expected to be less restricted when mortality is more biased toward juveniles. Additionally, I find stage-specific differences in metabolic cost and foraging capacity to further facilitate diversification when adults are slightly superior competitors, due to either a lower metabolic cost or a higher foraging capacity, than juveniles. This is because by altering the population composition, differential stage-specific mortality and competitive ability can modulate the strength of intraspecific competition, which in turn determines the outcome of diversification. These results demonstrate the strong influence that ecological differences between developmental stages have on diversification and highlight the need for integrating developmental processes into diversification theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diversifying high-input, monocropped landscapes like the US Corn Belt would provide both economic and ecosystem service benefits to the agricultural landscape. Decision support systems (DSS) and digital agriculture could help farmers decide if diversification is suitable for their operation. However, adoption of DSS by farmers remains low, likely due to lack of farmer engagement before and during the DSS development process. This study aimed to better understand the tasks, tools, and people involved in implementing farmland diversification with the goal to inform design of agricultural DSS. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 farmers who had diversified their corn/soybean cropland with government-supported conservation programs (e.g., CRP, wetlands) and alternative crops (e.g., small grains, pasture) in the past four years. Interview data was transcribed and then analyzed using affinity diagramming. Results show farmers needed DSS to layer multiple sources of data and observations over several years to identify field productivity trends and drivers; spatial orientation of practices to fit management and field constraints; matching operation goals to alternative practices; financial planning and market exploration; and information on promising emerging practices like subsidized pollinator habitat. However, the interviews also highlighted structural barriers to diversification that DSS cannot or can only partially address. These included social pressures; market access; crop insurance policy; and quality of relationships with governmental agencies. Results indicate better DSS design can empower individual farmers to diversify cropland, but structural interventions will be needed to successfully diversify the agricultural landscape and support economic and ecosystem health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agroecosystem simplification for greater food production has led to the loss of ecosystem services such as pest control by predators. Plant diversification has shown excellent potential to improve the diversity of crop predators such as spiders.However, in agroecosystems with frequent disturbances such as annual crops, it is unknown whether the effect of plant diversification on spiders depends on the surrounding landscape and the stages of the agricultural cycle (i.e., periods with differences in vegetation, weather and agricultural practices).Here, we evaluated the effect and interaction of local management (plant diversification), landscape (forest areas) and agricultural cycle on the richness and abundance from the main spider guilds of a maize polyculture in Mexico.We found that greater crop diversification (i.e., addition of legumes and leafy plants) caused a greater abundance of ground‐hunting spiders. We also show that a larger area of forest around the crop favours a greater richness and abundance of ground‐ and vegetation‐hunting spiders.We found that each stage of the agricultural cycle had a different spider richness and abundance, ground hunters were more common at the beginning of the agricultural cycle, while vegetation hunters and web‐builders were more common during the peak developmental stages of the crops.Our findings support the idea that to foster functionally diverse spider communities that potentially enhance natural pest control, we must jointly manage plant elements within the crop, in the surrounding landscape, considering the high dynamics of spider communities throughout the agricultural cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable development involves multi‐level, multi‐actor and multi‐faceted processes and interrelations for which, ideally, comprehensive theoretical frameworks are required to understand the nature, dynamics and heterogeneity of changes generating greater sustainability in rural areas. Studies have utilised the rural web framework to explain these processes and interactions, but its application is lacking in sub‐Saharan Africa. This study addresses the gap in the literature by using the framework to (1) explore sustainable development indicators and (2) evaluate their socioeconomic determinants based on a questionnaire survey with data collected from 600 rural households in Ghana. Additionally, formal interviews were conducted with 60 participants, comprising village leaders, not‐for‐profit organisations and officers from municipal assemblies. This research shows that endogeneity, novelty production, and sustainability indicators describe rural regions as agriculturally diversified economies. Several factors contribute significantly to agricultural diversification, including social relationships, social groups, market participation, and the presence of migrants. These findings have implications for achieving two of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), SDG 1 (zero poverty) and SDG 2 (zero hunger), as they highlight the benefits of social and economic linkages between rural and urban areas within the context of agricultural production, exchange of resources and the mitigation of accessibility barriers to resources. We suggest that policies seeking to increase agricultural diversification, food security and achieve sustainable rural development should strengthen social relationships and institutional structures, increase market opportunities, assist farmers with organic certifications and bridge the rural–urban development gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the importance of farm entrepreneurship and agribusiness management in the agricultural sector. It highlights the need for farmers and agribusinesses to integrate innovation, sustainability, and effective management into their practices. The article emphasizes the role of entrepreneurial competencies, such as financial management and marketing expertise, in successful farm management. It also explores the impact of human capital innovation, technological advancements, and inclusive and sustainable entrepreneurship on the agricultural industry. The article concludes by emphasizing the importance of equipping farm entrepreneurs with the necessary skills and promoting practices that contribute to resilience, innovation, and community development in agriculture. [Extracted from the article]

Brazilian agriculture is characterized by the prevalence of small farms and regions with a high degree of rurality and dominance of the agricultural sector in the economy. These two characteristics affect the diversity of agricultural production in the country. Specifically, the article aims to analyze the effects of size farm and farmland use on agricultural diversification and the effects of demand and technology adopted by farmers. The database encompasses 4298 Brazilian municipalities from 1996 to 2017 (the last three agricultural censuses). Empirically, we consider spillover effects by estimating spatial models at the municipal level using panel data, highlighting the importance of location and neighborhood. The study's findings indicate a tendency toward local concentration of agricultural production in the country, despite the balance between municipalities with diversified and concentrated production. The results showed a significant effect of small farms and the municipalities' rurality degree on the agricultural output diversification. The study provides insights into the discussion on measures to strengthen support for small properties and regions that diversify crops to ensure economic efficiency and food security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the dynamic landscape of agriculture and food science, incorporating emergent crops appears as a pioneering solution for diversifying agriculture, unlocking possibilities for sustainable cultivation and nutritional bolstering food security, and creating economic prospects amid evolving environmental and market conditions with positive impacts on human health. This review explores the potential of utilizing emergent crops in Mediterranean environments under current climate scenarios, emphasizing the manifold benefits of agricultural and food system diversification and assessing the impact of environmental factors on their quality and consumer health. Through a deep exploration of the resilience, nutritional value, and health impacts of neglected and underutilized species (NUS) such as quinoa, amaranth, chia, moringa, buckwheat, millet, teff, hemp, or desert truffles, their capacity to thrive in the changing Mediterranean climate is highlighted, offering novel opportunities for agriculture and functional food development. By analysing how promoting agricultural diversification can enhance food system adaptability to evolving environmental conditions, fostering sustainability and resilience, we discuss recent findings that underscore the main benefits and limitations of these crops from agricultural, food science, and health perspectives, all crucial for responsible and sustainable adoption. Thus, by using a sustainable and holistic approach, this revision analyses how the integration of NUS crops into Mediterranean agrifood systems can enhance agriculture resilience and food quality addressing environmental, nutritional, biomedical, economic, and cultural dimensions, thereby mitigating the risks associated with monoculture practices and bolstering local economies and livelihoods under new climate scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circular economy (CE) has gained prominence in academic research in recent years. Case studies in circular economy have proven to be a useful way to learn about the main barriers and facilitators to implementing circular economy practices. Nevertheless, most of them are based on the manufacturing and energy sectors and technological solutions that are needed to achieve circularity. However, our paper presents the concept of circular economy applied to a diversified farm model. The aim is to discuss to what extent this model meets the circularity criteria that are promoted by the institutions, as well as the factors that favour and slow down the implementation of circularity in this type of farm. The case study analyzed is a family farm which has been making an innovative proposal for diversification in different links of the agri-food chain to "closing circles." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cereal grains are nutrient-dense food for a large section population in the world in general and developing and underdeveloped countries in Asia and Africa in particular along with their status as a staple food. Cereal crops such as rice and wheat are forerunners in achieving food security in the modern world of population explosion. Other cereals crops such as maize, sorghum, and pearl millets are proposed and promoted for various reasons such as the indirect promoter for agricultural diversification, promoter of diet diversification, capacity to contribute higher minerals (micronutrients) and other nutritional components in diet and their capacity to tolerate environmental odd situations. Besides these major cereal crops, the significance of millet has been highlighted in recent times. The millets are known for their tolerance to adverse environmental situations, nutritional superiority over major staple cereals, and multifarious uses. The availability in large quantities at an affordable price, policy support in production and distribution as well as strong institutional development activities (such as exploring genetic materials for high-yielding varieties development and success in tolerating biotic and abiotic stress) helps the cereal crops to remain a staple food. Besides staple and nutrient-dense food, cereals are also known for their very high crop residue production which is by default in most of the developing and underdeveloped countries used as fodder and feed to cattle, small ruminants, and also for poultry birds. Considering this status of cereals in human and animal nutrition, attempts have been made and still going on to enhance the nutritional status of these cereal crops in most of the developing and underdeveloped countries in Africa and Asia. Development of biofortified varieties, different methods of agronomic biofortification, success in developing genetically engineered nutrient-dense crops, different new and modified processing, and values addition in cereal grain-based nutrient-rich products and policies at the global and national level for the development of nutrient-dense food explain these attempts. On the other hand, lack of availability of seeds and low seed replacement ratio with nutrient-dense crops/varieties, socioeconomic constraints in the adoption of genetically engineered crops, lack of market incentives for biofortified cereals crops/varieties, lack of awareness and low adoption rate, constraints of bioavailability of nutrients in cereal grains and availability of a competitive source of nutrition other than cereals are other constraints in development and adoption of nutrient-dense cereal crops. Considering the significant contribution of cereal grains to the energy and protein supply to the majority of the population in developing and underdeveloped countries, all attempts to increase the nutritional status of cereal crops play a major role in supporting the attempts to achieve food and nutritional security in most of the Asian and African countries. The main objective of this chapter is to overview the status of cereal crops in Africa and Asia and the need for the development of nutrient-dense cereal crops. The chapter discussed the major nutrients designated for enriching the cereal grains and valid options for these enrichment. The development of nutrient-dense cereal grain varieties by exploring landraces and improved breeding techniques is the most important and largely explored option. This option will remain its highest significance in developing nutrient-dense cereal crops due to well-established institutional support and policy orientation and being a self-sustained avenue. The soil and plant-based approaches including bio-fortification, ferti-fortification, and diversification of cereal crops with millets stand second. This approach is gaining and will again intensify its impact on developing nutrient-dense crops. The harvesting complimentary and supplementary interactions of soil and plant-based approaches with newly developed nutrient-dense crop varieties will be forerunners in achieving the reach for the nutrient-dense crop to designated end beneficiaries. The legislation (mandatory or voluntary) for fortification of food products, supplementation of micronutrients through medication, the establishment of standards for food fortification, awareness creation in the market chain about nutrient-dense crops and their significance, and increasing attempts for incorporation of genetically modified crops in the food chain are the other avenues of significant role at present and future too. Considering the single major source of nutrition, the cereal grain will remain an affordable nutrient-dense grain for a large section of people from Africa and Asia. Therefore, the wider implications of the above-mentioned avenues are going on at present and will acquire more attention in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2014, Physostegia chlorotic moitié virus (PhCMoV) was discovered in Austria in Physostegia virginiana. Subsequent collaborative efforts established a link between the virus and severe fruit symptoms on important crops such as tomato, eggplant, and cucumber across nine European countries. Thereafter, specific knowledge gaps, which are crucial to assess lhe risks PhCMoV can pose for production and how to manage it, needed to be addressed. In this study, the transmission, prevalence, and disease severity of PhCMoV were examined. This investigation led to lhe identification of PhCMoV presence in a new country, Switzerland. Furthermore, our research indicates that the virus was already present in Europe 30 years ago. Bioassays demonstrated PhCMoV can result in up to 100% tomato yield losses depending on the phenological stage of the plant at the lime of infection. PhCMoV was found to naturally infect 12 new host plant species across eight families, extending its host range to 21 plant species across 15 plant families. The study also identified a polyphagous leafhopper (genus Anaceratagallia) as a natural vector of PhCMoV. Overall, PhCMoV was widespread in small-scale diversified vegetable farms in Belgium where tomato is grown in soil under tunnels, occurring in approximately one-ihird of such farms. However, outbreaks were sporadic and were associated al least once with the cultivation in tomato tunnels of perennial plants that can serve as a reservoir host for the virus and its vector. To further explore this phenomenon and manage the virus, studying the ecology of the vector would be beneficial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to determine the food security movement using a qualitative descriptive research method assisted by NVivo 12 Plus software from the Twitter account data source of the Ministry of Agriculture Republic of Indonesia, supported by previous research. Data coding was obtained from Twitter, social media, and news data, which supported the findings using a crosstab query feature. The analysis found that the government's strategy for maintaining food security was to increase production capacity, diversify local food, strengthen food reserves and logistics systems, and develop modern agriculture. They increased food production by intensifying 85,456 hectares of swamp land and maximizing 85,456 hectares of land. Diversifying local food by massively utilizing local food as an alternative food supply and strengthening food reserves and logistics systems by supporting food reserves that can be used to help other areas affected by disasters as a form of social care, and developing modern agriculture with Smart Farming Developing technology-based clever farming methods, including Agri Drone Sprayer liquid, Surveillance Drones (drones for land mapping), Soil and Weather Sensors, as well as the development of food safety applied to households. Scale with vertical hydroponic growing system training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The agricultural sector of Ukraine, playing a significant role in the formation of the main macroeconomic indicators, is under the constant influence of various factors, which makes it dynamic and unpredictable. These challenges present the agrarian sector with the task of flexible adaptation in the conditions of martial law and the post-war period to the need for reconstruction to ensure sustainable functioning and positioning it for the future. The purpose of the article is to determine the directions of funding needs for the restoration and reconstruction of the agro-industrial complex of Ukraine in accordance with the strategic and tactical contours of solving the tasks of its long-term development, the implementation of which will contribute to the economic growth of this industry, the further transformation of the agrarian policy of Ukraine regarding state support for enterprises of the agro-industrial complex, internationalization and strengthening of the international partnerships. The article proposes an original scientific-methodical approach to determining the directions of financing the needs of the reconstruction of the agricultural industry of Ukraine, which involves determining the ratio of the directions of financing the needs of restoration and reconstruction of the agro-industrial complex of Ukraine in accordance with the strategic and tactical contours of solving the tasks of its strategic development, which form its current and prospective state and the fulfillment of the set of socioeconomic conditions for their implementation in the conditions of transformational changes Among the socio-economic conditions for the implementation of the proposed directions, the article defines: ensuring the diversification of the structure of agriculture; conducting constant monitoring of competition and access to markets, regional differentiation, conducting administrative expertise on the management of recovery funds and constant assessment of the effectiveness of agrarian policy instruments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phylogenetic analyses of planthoppers were conducted using a mitogenome dataset to examine the evolutionary relationships of current families based on both maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference methods. Delphacoidea, including Cixiidae and Delphacidae, and Fulgoroidea, including all other families, were consistently identified as monophyletic groups. However, Nogodinidae displayed a polyphyletic pattern, with various lineages emerging sister to several issidoid families. Variations were observed across different analyses in the positioning of (Dictyopharidae + Fulgoridae) and the relationships of Ricaniidae sister either to Issidae or to (Flatidae + Acanaloniidae). Several statistical tests indicate that the ML topology has the highest level of statistical confidence. The (Dictyopharidae + Fulgoridae) clade is best positioned as sister to (Derbidae + (Achilidae + (Tropiduchidae + other "higher" planthoppers families))) and the Ricaniidae as sister to (Flatidae + Acanaloniidae). With 13 fossil calibration points, origin times for Delphacoidea and Fulgoroidea were dated back to the Late Permian, approximately 257.46 million years ago. Delphacidae and Cixiidae split during the Late Triassic, while Fulgoroidea diversified earlier during the Middle Triassic. Divergence and diversification times are also provided for all other extant planthopper families. These results suggest that Delphacoidea and Fulgoroidea likely diverged from the older planthopper fossil families prior to the emergence of angiosperms and may have initially fed on gymnosperms and ancient ferns. The diversification of extant planthopper families occurred during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, influenced by evolving climatic conditions, the decline in gymnosperms, and the increasing diversity of angiosperm plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The state of Florida ranks third in the United States in beer production by volume, yet does not boast a commercially viable barley crop. This presents a potential market for Florida-grown barley. Despite similarities between the USDA Plant Hardiness Zones of Florida and traditional barley-growing regions, there persists a lack of best management practices for the successful cultivation and establishment of a barley crop in Florida. The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential viability of eight spring-type barley varieties grown in Florida by comparing crop yields, extract, fermentability, and volatile compounds. Barley is not a typical crop grown in Florida, however, the inclusion would provide welcome diversification options for Florida farmers to grow over winter. This study is an initial investigation into the use of Florida barley as an ingredient in beer production. The average yields of the eight varieties ranged from 31.5 ± 6.8 to 42.9 ± 11.8 bushels per acre (1,695–2,308 kg/ha) for the optimal planting dates, which are comparable to similar growing regions. Fine Grind (f.g.) extract concentrations were highest in Copeland, Esma, Pinnacle, and Opera barley varieties, ranging from 68.4 to 73.6% dry basis (d.b.). Concerning fermentability, Copeland and Esma had the lowest final attenuation among the Florida-grown barleys (1.51 and 1.92°P, respectively). There were minor differences in volatile compounds between the control and experimental barleys. The results of this study support the possible viability of Florida-grown barley for brewing applications that prioritize using local ingredients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines how rising temperatures impact the agricultural production value of Thai farmers, compares potential adaptation strategies like agricultural diversification, and analyzes future projections based on IPCC AR6 scenarios. We analyze nationally representative socioeconomic survey data from farm households alongside ERA5 weather data, utilizing econometric regression analysis. Our analysis reveals that higher temperatures lead to a reduction in agricultural output value, with the situation expected to worsen as global warming progresses. Furthermore, we find that households with diversified production practices, such as a variety of agricultural activities or multicropping, exhibit a greater capacity to adapt to rising temperatures. These findings substantiate the importance of the country’s policies promoting integrated farming and diversified crop-mix strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying landscapes that are suitable for both biodiversity conservation and agricultural production is a major challenge. Traditionally, much research has focused on biodiversity conservation outside of agricultural production areas, e.g., in semi-natural habitats. In contrast, recent research has mainly focused on the potential of crop heterogeneity. This includes both compositional (crop diversity) and configurational heterogeneity (field border density). However, if and how crop heterogeneity, and semi-natural habitats interact to shape insect diversity in agricultural landscapes remains poorly understood. Here we investigated the combined effects of crop diversity, field border density, and semi-natural habitats (i.e., grassland proportion, hedge density) on insect diversity. We sampled insect communities from 14 – 17 June 2021 with pan traps in 27 study landscapes (500 m x 500 m) covering independent gradients of these landscape variables and identified a total of 587 insect species with DNA metabarcoding. We found that field border density mediated the effects of crop diversity, grassland proportion, and hedge density on insect richness. At low levels of field border density (i.e., landscapes with mostly large fields), effects were either neutral (crop diversity), negative (grassland proportion) or weakly positive (hedge density). By contrast, at high levels of field border density, crop diversity, grassland proportion, and hedge density all exerted positive effects on insect richness. Responses to crop heterogeneity and semi-natural habitat differed among trophic groups of insects (decomposers, herbivores, parasitoids, predators). While variation in richness of herbivorous insects followed the patterns of the overall richness, decomposer richness was not related to any of the investigated variables. Predator richness increased with hedge density in landscapes, whereas parasitoid richness increased when high levels of field border density and grassland proportion coincided. Our study shows that increasing crop heterogeneity is a viable strategy for promoting insect diversity in agricultural landscapes. However, the effects of the amount of remaining semi-natural habitats, such as grassland or hedges, are mediated by configurational heterogeneity, and vary between trophic groups. Efforts to conserve insects in agricultural landscapes must therefore focus on both increasing the heterogeneity of the crop matrix by promoting crop diversity and increasing the density of field borders, while also maintaining or restoring semi-natural habitats as important source habitats for insect species.

Agricultural expansion and intensification pose significant threats to global biodiversity. However, the conservation of agricultural biodiversity is essential for harmonizing agricultural production with ecological sustainability. Agricultural diversification can mitigate the negative impacts of agriculture on ecosystem functioning and biodiversity. Characteristics of the broader landscape may also play an important moderating role in diversified agricultural landscapes, but are not fully solved. To bridge this gap, we conducted a meta-analysis of peer-reviewed studies to compare bird abundance and species richness in diversified agricultural landscapes compared to those in simplified farmlands and natural landscapes. We also explored the moderating role of species functional groups and 11 metrics of landscape composition, configuration and heterogeneity. We found a generally positive effect of perimeter-to-area ratio of farmland patches, connectivity within farmland patches, and connectivity within patches of natural and semi-natural habitats on bird abundance and species richness. Responses to other landscape metrics were less consistent. For pollinators, the abundance was higher in diversified agricultural landscapes compared to control groups, and particularly when compared to natural landscapes. For natural enemies, the species richness was significantly lower in diversified agricultural landscapes than in natural landscapes, while their abundance was not. The overall abundance and species richness of granivores and frugivores in diversified agricultural landscapes were comparable to those in control landscapes. These results indicated landscape type of control groups, species functional groups, and their interactions had consistent impacts on the responses of bird diversity. We found a vital role of farmland patch shape and connectivity within farmland and habitat patches for bird conservation in diversified agricultural landscapes, which has been rarely reported in previous studies. These insights underscore the need for policymakers and managers to develop farmland management and planning strategies at multiple scales to fulfill growing human demands while achieving biodiversity conservation objectives.

Background: Ancient northern East Asians (ANEA) from the Yellow River region, who pioneered millet cultivation, play a crucial role in understanding the origins of ethnolinguistically diverse populations in modern China and the entire landscape of deep genetic structure and variation discovery in modern East Asians. However, the direct links between ANEA and geographically proximate modern populations, as well as the biological adaptive processes involved, remain poorly understood. Results: Here, we generated genome-wide SNP data for 264 individuals from geographically different Han populations in Shandong. An integrated genomic resource encompassing both modern and ancient East Asians was compiled to examine fine-scale population admixture scenarios and adaptive traits. The reconstruction of demographic history and hierarchical clustering patterns revealed that individuals from the Shandong Peninsula share a close genetic affinity with ANEA, indicating long-term genetic continuity and mobility in the lower Yellow River basin since the early Neolithic period. Biological adaptive signatures, including those related to immune and metabolic pathways, were identified through analyses of haplotype homozygosity and allele frequency spectra. These signatures are linked to complex traits such as height and body mass index, which may be associated with adaptations to cold environments, dietary practices, and pathogen exposure. Additionally, allele frequency trajectories over time and a haplotype network of two highly differentiated genes, ABCC11 and SLC10A1, were delineated. These genes, which are associated with axillary odor and bilirubin metabolism, respectively, illustrate how local adaptations can influence the diversification of traits in East Asians. Conclusions: Our findings provide a comprehensive genomic dataset that elucidates the fine-scale genetic history and evolutionary trajectory of natural selection signals and disease susceptibility in Han Chinese populations. This study serves as a paradigm for integrating spatiotemporally diverse ancient genomes in the era of population genomic medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria (Mol.) Strandl.) is an economically important vegetable crop and one of the earliest domesticated crops. However, the population history and genomic diversification of bottle gourd have not been extensively studied.We generated a comprehensive bottle gourd genome variation map from genome sequences of 197 world‐wide representative accessions, which enables a genome‐wide association study for identifying genomic loci associated with resistance to zucchini yellow mosaic virus, and constructed a bottle gourd pangenome that harbors 1534 protein‐coding genes absent in the reference genome.Demographic analyses uncover that domesticated bottle gourd originated in Southern Africa c. 12 000 yr ago, and subsequently radiated to the New World via the Atlantic drift and to Eurasia through the efforts of early farmers in the initial Holocene. The identified highly differentiated genomic regions among different bottle gourd populations harbor many genes contributing to their local adaptations such as those related to disease resistance and stress tolerance. Presence/absence variation analysis of genes in the pangenome reveals numerous genes including those involved in abiotic/biotic stress responses that have been under selection during the world‐wide expansion of bottle gourds.The bottle gourd variation map and pangenome provide valuable resources for future functional studies and genomics‐assisted breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contributing to the growing interest in understanding the impact of farmer cooperatives on rural household welfare, we add new empirical evidence to the current literature and debate. In particular, this study investigates the impact of farmer cooperatives on sales per hectare of land and crop diversification, which have been largely overlooked. We apply the Propensity Score Matching method to the Cambodia Inter-Censal Agricultural Survey 2019, with its large sample size of 16,000 small-scale producers. Additionally, we perform a robustness check to ensure our findings are unbiased. Results indicate that Cambodian farmers perceive the cooperatives as a risk-sharing mechanism or knowledge-sharing platform that provides technical know-how to cope with natural calamities. Propensity Score Matching (PSM) outputs show a significantly positive impact of participating in the cooperatives on sales and the crop diversification index. This study thus advocates increasing technical support and implementing policies by the government to help cooperatives thrive and expand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture and tourism are two critical sectors with a considerable influence on the socio-cultural, economic, and environmental aspects of Tanzanian society. These two sectors not only offer substantial employment opportunities but also contribute significantly to income generation and foreign exchange earnings. Nevertheless, the success of these sectors depends upon the participation and support of local communities, whose engagement is closely linked to their perceptions. In recent years, agritourism has emerged as a unique form of diversification in the agricultural sector, offering Tanzanian farmers a potential avenue to introduce a blend of agriculture and tourism-related activities and open a new income stream. Furthermore, since the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on conventional farming and agritourism was different, post-pandemic opinions in the local community are likely to differ. Therefore, this study aimed to provide insights into the locals' perceptions and the factors that influence their perceptions to support a sustainable post-pandemic recovery. The study was conducted in the Arusha and Mwanza regions of Tanzania, and a total sample of 191 respondents was selected randomly for interviewing and filling out the questionnaires. To analyze the data, descriptive analysis, and principal component analysis were used. The findings indicate that locals' perceptions of conventional and agritourism farming are, on average, positive. Despite both sectors being perceived positively, the underlying reasons for the perception and support were different. For agritourism, the positive perception was primarily associated with the economic benefits, including income generation and the creation of employment opportunities. Whereas, for conventional farming, positive perception was associated with environmental conservation, economic benefits, food security, and community cohesion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Crop diversification is a promising practice to improve the sustainability of agricultural production systems, contributing to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem functions, and food security without compromising productivity. Although diverse cropping systems may be more labour-intensive and require good knowledge of the specific cropping system in the local context, they have high potential in managing many of the problems faced in current cotton production in India. However, the adoption of crop diversification is still moderate, with an overall crop diversification index (CDI) of 0.65 for all of India and state-wise CDI between 0.43 and 0.83. Methods: Therefore, a four-phased study was conducted to identify the main barriers to crop diversification in cotton-based farming systems in India and highlight levers that can foster their wide adoption to improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. The study was carried out between January to October 2020 and consisted of i) a literature review of regional and national policy and planning, ii) situational analysis with a problem tree approach, iii) individual stakeholder interviews with stakeholders from the broader Indian cotton sector, and iv) a participatory feedback workshop with said stakeholders. A total of 51 stakeholders from 24 different organizations were interviewed, 37 of them on technical aspects of crop diversification and 21 stakeholders on market and policy aspects. The same stakeholders were invited to the participatory feedback workshop, where 26 participated in the session on different benefits of crop diversification practices, and the session on market and policy challenges counted 24 participants. The study focused on the main organic cotton producing states in India: Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Haryana, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh. Results and discussion: In our study, it became evident that many policies and governmental schemes exist to promote national food security, sustainable agriculture, and agricultural marketing infrastructure, but crop diversification is still not gaining momentum on the ground. Various levers were identified in the areas of market and procurement, capacity building and knowledge transfer, supply industry and infrastructure, and farmers and women empowerment, where the current policy landscape is failing to foster crop diversification effectively on the farm level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In foreign countries, rural tourism is developing with a high rhythm. Kazakhstan also has excellent opportunities for the development of this type of tourism. Currently, rural tourism in Kazakhstan is not fully developed. The article deals with the issues of organising rural tourism based on agriculture in the Aktobe Region. The study aims to improve methodological approaches to rural tourism development as an innovative activity type in the context of agricultural diversification. Three methodological stages have been identified: assessing the potential for rural tourism development, identifying priority types and subtypes of rural tourism, and identifying priority and promising areas for rural tourism development. The work assessed the possibilities of rural tourism development in the districts of the Aktobe Region using the ranking method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing crops in more diverse crop systems (i.e., intercropping) is one way to produce food more sustainably. Even though intercropping, compared to average monocultures, is generally more productive, the full yield potential of intercropping might not yet have been achieved as modern crop cultivars are bred to be grown in monoculture. Breeding plants for more familiarity in mixtures, i.e., plants that are adapted to more diverse communities (i.e., adaptation) or even to coexist with each other (i.e., coadaptation) might have the potential to sustainably enhance productivity. In this study, the productivity benefits of familiarity through evolutionary adaptation and coevolutionary coadaptation were disentangled in a crop system through an extensive common garden experiment. Furthermore, evolutionary and coevolutionary effects on species-level and community-level productivity were linked to corresponding changes in functional traits. We found evidence for higher productivity and trait convergence with increasing familiarity with the plant communities. Furthermore, our results provide evidence for the coevolution of plants in mixtures leading to higher productivity of coadapted species. However, with the functional traits measured in our study, we could not fully explain the productivity benefits found upon coevolution. Our study investigated coevolution among randomly interacting plants and was able to demonstrate that coadaptation through coevolution of coexisting species in mixtures occurs and promotes ecosystem functioning (i.e., higher productivity). This result is particularly relevant for the diversification of agricultural and forest ecosystems, demonstrating the added value of artificially selecting plants for the communities they are familiar with. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural simplification continues to expand at the expense of more diverse forms of agriculture. This simplification, for example, in the form of intensively managed monocultures, poses a risk to keeping the world within safe and just Earth system boundaries. Here, we estimated how agricultural diversification simultaneously affects social and environmental outcomes. Drawing from 24 studies in 11 countries across 2655 farms, we show how five diversification strategies focusing on livestock, crops, soils, noncrop plantings, and water conservation benefit social (e.g., human well-being, yields, and food security) and environmental (e.g., biodiversity, ecosystem services, and reduced environmental externalities) outcomes. We found that applying multiple diversification strategies creates more positive outcomes than individual management strategies alone. To realize these benefits, well-designed policies are needed to incentivize the adoption of multiple diversification strategies in unison. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: This research aimed to identify the agroclimatic zones in Brazil, excluding Rio Grande do Sul, that are suitable for olive (Olea europaea L.) cultivation, considering both climatic and topographical factors. Olives require specific conditions: moderate winter temperatures (7–15 °C), warmer summers (25–35 °C) and sufficient water during growth and fruit maturation. They can endure some drought, making them a viable option for agricultural diversification. Using daily meteorological data from 1989 to 2023 from NASA‐POWER, this study analyzed variables like air temperature (minimum and maximum) and rainfall. Key climate variables were the mean air temperature in winter (T_w), spring (T_s), summer (T_su) and autumn (T_a) and total annual precipitation (Prec). Criteria for suitability included: T_w between 5 and 20 °C, T_s between 15 and 23 °C, T_su between 15 and 30 °C, T_a between 15 and 22 °C, annual precipitation over 900 mm and altitude below 900 m. Geographic information system software and Python 3.8 were employed for data analysis and zoning. RESULTS: Results indicated that only 1.92% of the analyzed area, mainly in Minas Gerais, was suitable for olive cultivation. High temperatures and low rainfall in Brazil, particularly in the North and Midwest, make 59.56% of the country unsuitable for olive farming. Additionally, 18.58% of the land, mainly in the Northeast, faces challenges due to extreme heat (T_w) and insufficient water supply. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farming in the Central Dry Zone (CDZ) of Karnataka is predominantly rainfed and majority of farmers are small and marginal, facing numerous challenges. At present situation, diversification becomes imperative to address economic hardships of farmers. The present study was conducted to analyze profitability of major farming systems and socio-economic factors determining their adoption in CDZ. Four major farming systems viz., Crop + Sheep, Crop + Dairy, Crop + Horticulture + Dairy and Crop + Horticulture were considered for in depth analysis using the data collected using pre tested schedules through personal interview from 180 respondents, 45 each practicing these farming systems. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and suitable functional analysis. The results reveals that, among the four farming systems, Crop + Horticulture + Dairy system was found to be the most profitable with higher per acre net returns (Rs.4,04,757) followed by Crop + Sheep, Crop + Dairy and Crop + Horticulture. Among the different enterprises considered for the study, coconut found to be the most profitable followed by arecanut, while in seasonal agricultural crops, ragi accounted for the highest returns per rupee of expenditure across the farming systems. With respect to employment generation, among crop and livestock enterprises, farmers derived more employment from livestock enterprise (54-84%) followed by horticulture crops (25-58%). The inclusion of livestock and horticultural crops in the farming systems not only provided higher income but also year round employment. Further, in the study the Herfindahl index used to know the diversification in sources of income revealed that the farming systems comprised of diary component were emerged as the most diversified farming systems. The results on multiple linear regression to delineate factors determining farm net income under different farming systems showed that area under annual crops, number of livestock and area under horticulture crops were found to be significant factors in all the farming systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the complex dynamics of Fiji's sugarcane industry, shedding light on the challenges it faces and the implications for agricultural system resilience and sustainability. The primary aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between climatic and non-climatic stressors and farmers' decisions to abandon sugarcane farming. A total of 900 farmers were surveyed, which corresponds to approximately 7.5% of the sugarcane farming population in the country. Farmers were sampled using a stratified disproportional random sampling technique, by surveying 300 farmers from each of the three primary sugarcane mill regions in Fiji (Labasa, Lautoka, and Rarawai). Results depict an aging farming population with small land holdings, and limited income and agricultural diversification. While only 4% of farmers are currently considering abandoning sugarcane farming, a further 17.9% are uncertain about their future in the industry. The majority of farmers have been impacted by climate hazards, primarily tropical cyclones and floods, but the degree to which these hazards have affected livelihoods has had an effect on farmers' willingness to remain in the industry and on the extent to which they implement reactive or anticipatory responses to hazards. The study highlights the need for coordinated efforts to support sustainable intensification and planned adaptation, especially in the face of climate-induced vulnerabilities, this should be a priority as the sector continues to navigate sustainability issues. Additionally, it underscores the importance of transforming the industry to address both climatic and non-climatic stressors. Ultimately, this research offers valuable insights into the multifaceted issues confronting Fiji's sugarcane sector, and the broader agricultural systems it represents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The compounding and cascading effects of climate change induced by anthropogenic activities threaten the livelihoods of indigenous communities living in fragile ecosystems and practicing shifting agriculture in mountainous regions. This study assessed differences in household-level climate change vulnerability and socioeconomic profiles of indigenous communities practicing shifting agriculture in the Indian Himalayas using the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) framework. A total of 120 randomly selected households spread across 12 randomly chosen villages were surveyed, making sure that at least 10 households per village in Dima Hasao, Karbi Anglong, and Cachar districts of the state of Assam using the indicator-based household-level questionnaire to examine the cause and characteristics of vulnerability in the study region. Furthermore, focus group discussions were held in each village to delve into the community-based adaptive strategies employed by hill farmers, aiming to acquire an in-depth understanding of their approaches. The results revealed that villages with higher susceptibility to climate change are characterized by lower literacy levels, smaller land holdings with poor soil fertility, greater losses of crops due to extreme events, greater dependency on natural capital, and lower livelihood diversification. Villages with better land management techniques, higher decision-making abilities, agricultural diversification, and good market access had better adaptability to climate change. Agricultural diversification, transitioning from shifting agriculture to high-value cropping such as agroforestry, coupled with indigenous knowledge of the communities, provided tangible and intangible benefits and ecosystem services. Integrating high-value crops in shifting agriculture contributed to greater economic returns. In conclusion, shifting agriculture plays a vital role in the survival of ethnic culture, heritage, religious beliefs, and the livelihoods of nature-oriented hill farmers. Furthermore, improving fallow land management is crucial for maintaining ecological equilibrium and ensuring the sustainability of hill farmers’ lifestyles by fostering a community-environment-development nexus. Finally, we discuss the methodological implications of vulnerability assessment in the context of this study.

Research Highlight discussing: Heinen, J.; Dominguez, V.; Aguilera, G.; Malsher, G.; Vesterinen, E.; Roslin, T.; Bommarco, R.; Bartomeus, I. (2024). Diversified cropping strengthens herbivore regulation by providing seasonal resource continuity to predators. Journal of Applied Ecology, https://doi.org/10.1111/1365‐2664.14674. Crop monocultures consist of homogenous agroecosystems highly dependent on pesticides for pest regulation and mineral fertilisation for maintaining plant nutrition, representing the least resilient system. Agricultural diversification practices can increase heterogeneity in agroecosystems, resulting in greater richness of arthropod predators and enhanced ecological services. Among natural enemies of pests, generalist predators are important for pest regulation as they prey on diverse arthropod pests and be present throughout the season. However, since they consume other predators (intraguild predation) and soil fauna, it is uncertain whether enhanced richness of generalist predators translates into improved pest regulation. The study by Heinen et al. examined how diversified crop rotation and organic fertilisation influenced predator–prey interactions throughout the cropping cycle in cereal fields. The predators' diet preference shifted over the growing season, indicating that soil fauna is an important resource for recruitment and maintenance of predators early in the season. Although intraguild predation was considerably high, it decreased across the season in fields with the greatest level of diversification, where predation of pests remained stable. This study demonstrated how diversified cropping is important for providing resource continuity with alternative prey (soil fauna and predators) over crop‐growing season, enhancing predator richness and herbivore regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Zarafshan River runs from the mountains of Tajikistan and terminates in the sands of the Kyzyl-Kum Desert in Uzbekistan; it served as a communication route and homeland for the Sogdians. The Sogdians are historically depicted as merchants existing from the end of the first millennium BC through the first millennium AD. While recent research has provided the first glimpse into cultivation, commerce, communication, and consumption in the Lower Zarafshan, the agricultural heartland of the Middle Zarafshan Basin has remained unstudied. This paper presents the results of archaeobotanical investigations conducted at five ancient urban sites/areas spanning the fifth to the twelfth centuries AD: Kainar (Penjikent citadel), Penjikent (shahristan), Sanjar-Shah, Kuk-Tosh (pre-Mongol Penjikent), and Afrasiab. Collectively, these data show that cereals, legumes, oil/fiber crops, fruits, and nuts were cultivated on the fertile Zarafshan floodplains. In this paper, we discuss evidence for the diversification of the agricultural assemblage over time, including the introduction of new staple crops and fruits into an already complex cultivation system. In addition, we contrast our data with previously published results from sites along the course of the Zarafshan to determine whether there is a dietary difference between pre-and post-Islamic conquest periods at settlements located along the river. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The island ecosystem is influenced by the maritime climate and endemic flora and fauna that predominate the food production system. The observed variations and projected changes in rainfall and temperature severely affect the small islands and island states (SIS) more than large countries. In this study, we analyse the long-term changes in total rainfall, its seasonal variations, the number of rainy days and extreme events based on standardized global datasets and ground observations for SIS, including island regions of India, to identify suitable adaptation options in order to ensure sustainable food production. We link these climatic parameters with the observed waterlogging, moisture stress and salinity, compounded by the sea-water intrusion, which severely affects agricultural diversification and food production. In these areas, climate-smart alternative land management (ALM) methods, viz. raised beds, paddy–fish, farm ponds with broader dykes, etc. have been demonstrated and evaluated against these climate change-linked challenges at smallholder farms in the Andaman Islands and Sundarbans region of India. The results showed that the ALM methods created favourable conditions for crop growth and agricultural diversification by excluding sea-water intrusion, harvesting rainwater, reducing salinity and facilitating drainage amidst extreme events experienced during the observation period (2010–2020). ALM enhanced on-farm food production (2.7–34.6 tonne ha–1 rice equivalent yield), sustainability (0.23–0.79, measured as sustainable yield index) and net mitigation benefit (2.2–5.7 Mg CO2 eq. year–1), providing greater scope for its upscaling in the island and coastal regions as adaptation measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural diversification and high-quality products deriving from sustainable crops such as hemp can represent a solution to revitalize marginal areas and reverse land abandonment. This study aimed at comparing four different hemp cultivars (Carmagnola Selezionata, "CS"; Futura 75, "FUT"; Felina 32, "FEL"; Secuieni Jubileu, "JUB") to provide information to select the best suited cultivar for cultivation in mountain marginal areas and for specific end-use applications. Hemp cultivars were cultivated in a single experimental field to compare their ecological and agronomic behavior (duration of life cycle phases, plant size and biomass allocation, and plant resource-use strategies). Through metabolomic analysis of both vegetative and reproductive parts of the plants we tested the presence of substances of nutraceutical interest and traced seed nutritional profile. The four cultivars had different ecological and agronomic behavior, and nutritional profile. We found several compounds with potential pharmaceutical and nutraceutical values in all parts of the plant (leaves, inflorescences, and stems). JUB resulted the most suitable for seed production while CS showed the highest content of bioactive compounds in flowers and leaves. FUT, showed the best suitability for multi-purpose cultivation, while FEL seemed to be not appropriate for the cultivation in mountain area. The multi-disciplinary approach we adopted was effective in distinguish across hemp cultivars and provided information to farmers for the selection of the best hemp cultivar to select. Hemp had a high potential for cultivation in marginal lands, demonstrating to be an economic resource due to its multi-purpose use and to the possibility to generate high-added values products. Our results could serve as a stimulus for the reintroduction of this culture in the study area and in other similar environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beekeeping on rangelands is considered as a key approach for sustaining pastoral livelihood and reducing pressure on grazing lands. Previous studies are mostly focused on the ecological contributors of apiculture and the social criteria are not treated in much detail. The current research, therefore, uses the case of Sarayan Arid Rangelands in northeast Iran to examine the importance of social capital in adaptation of beekeeping as a pastoral livelihood diversification strategy. Through a random sampling procedure, 180 herders were selected in the study area. Questionnaires were used to collect data on trusts, collaboration, and solidarity as the main determinants of social capital and also herders' interests in beekeeping. Stepwise linear regression method was employed to estimate the relation between herders' interest in beekeeping and their social capital. The results show that about 33% in variance of motivation on beekeeping as a livelihood diversification strategy could be explained by the cooperation, trust, and solidarity among the rangeland users. Therefore, it is vital to introduce policies and measures to support collaboration and social networks among the rangeland users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the 'subsistence' character of smallholder production, agricultural production diversification is often seen as an effective strategy for smallholders to improve their diets' diversity and nutritional status, yet the existing evidence remains inadequate. The study applies bibliometric data from the "Web of Science" database to synthesize 46 papers from developing countries to explore the relationship between production diversity, dietary diversity, and nutrition in smallholder households. The study identifies the most influential journals, authors, organizations, and countries and reveals research themes related to agricultural production and food security. This data analysis can help researchers target potential collaborators and access influential literature in agricultural production diversity and dietary diversity research. In addition, the results showed that agricultural production diversity potentially influences households' dietary diversity, with mixed results: Agricultural production diversification is the primary way to improve food and nutritional security among smallholder families with low socio-economic status, inaccessible transportation, and poverty; market access and trade have more potential to improve dietary diversity among smallholder households with well-developed markets and higher income levels; the significant measures of agricultural production diversity include Crop Counts, FGPD, SI, and SWDI; the significant measures of dietary diversity include HDDS and IDDS. This paper provides a roadmap for agricultural production and food security researchers by conducting a systematic review of the literature, summarizing some research methods and perspectives applicable to local socio-economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The assessment of shift in cropping pattern is crucial for a good insight into the agricultural development of a region. The present study focused on the changes in the cropping pattern and the extent of crop diversification in Kerala, India. The results of the study revealed that the share of food crops to the gross cropped area substantially declined from 56.85% in TE 1987-88 to 40.73% in TE 2019-20, whereas the share of non-food crops increased remarkably from 43.14% in TE 1987-88 to 59.29% in TE 2019-20. The extent of crop diversification was higher in Idukki district, while crop specialization was prominent in Kozhikode district. Labour unavailability, high labour wage rates and climate variability were identified as the major constraints faced by the respondents in the study areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]