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Globally, agriculture is facing significant challenges due to climate change, which is seriously affecting grain yields. This research aims to analyze the significant effect of climate change (temperature and rainfall) on cereal production in Benin. The choice of Benin is explained by its strong dependence on agriculture and its vulnerability to climatic variations. This study employed climate and agricultural data from FAO and ASECNA (1990–2020) to evaluate the impacts of climate change on cereal production. SARIMA time-series models were used for forecasting, while the PLS-SEM approach assessed the relationships between climate variables and cereal production. The findings reveal a rise in temperatures and a gradual decline in precipitation. Despite these challenges, the time-series analysis suggests that Beninese farmers are expanding cultivated areas, successfully increasing production levels, and improving yields. Projections to 2050 indicate an increase in areas and production for maize and rice, while sorghum shows a constant trend. However, even with these projections, it is recommended to explore, in more depth, the resilience strategies used by cereal producers to better understand their influence and refine the orientations of future agricultural policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using exogenous variation in trade shocks, this study examines the association between nontariff measures and cereal production allocation decisions among commercial farmers in Ghana. We study nontariff measures from both an extensive (experience of nontariff measures) and an intensive (cost of nontariff measures) perspective using a sample of 455 cereal farmers in Ghana. We employ the seemingly (un)related regression (SURE) and the inverse probability weighting with regression adjustment (IPWRA) to estimate the effect of nontariff measures on production allocation decisions. The result shows that nontariff measures are associated with lower cereal production and intensity of cereal commercialization but positively associated with the consumption of cereals. The results are robust after controlling for potential endogeneity using the Lewbel 2SLS. In addition, we find that our results are not likely to be driven by unobserved heterogeneity. We find evidence of consistent and robust estimates of nontariff measures when the IPWRA model is applied and compared to the SURE estimates. Overall, our study shows that nontariff measures can be a depressive pathway to cereal sustainable production and commercialization with associated policy implications for economic development [EconLit Citations: F1, F13, E23, Q13]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is one of the least carbon emitter regions in the world; nevertheless, this region is not immune to the effects of climate change. While SSA has not yet fully recovered from the socioeconomic effects of the recent coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the crisis in Russia and Ukraine has further affected several SSA nations by driving up already high food prices even higher and limiting people’s access to food. To address these challenges, this study explored the moderating role of financial development (represented by domestic credit) in the climate change (represented by carbon dioxide emissions) and food security (represented by cereal production) nexus using a panel of 27 SSA countries and data ranging from 1990 to 2019. The study applied Lewbel’s two-stage least squares and the outcomes showed that carbon dioxide emissions hamper cereal production in SSA; however, financial development mitigates the negative effects of carbon dioxide emissions on cereal production. The study found that beyond the threshold value of 2.698 financial development will help SSA mitigate the negative impact of carbon dioxide emissions on cereal production. The study proposed the establishment of a proper financial reform to assist the banking industries expand their credit supply to farming communities in a flexible manner to support cereal production in SSA.

This study aims to provide empirical evidence on whether using renewable and non-renewable energy, CO2 emissions, and the resulting changes in temperature and precipitation can alter cereal yields in European Union countries. To this end, a panel data set covering 1992–2021 has been used to analyse the impact of climate change and economic factors on cereal production in European Union countries. The study employed various analytical techniques to better understand the impact of climate change and economic factors on cereal crop yields. These included using annual average temperature and rainfall to measure climate change, energy consumption, and economic growth to analyse the economic aspects. To achieve the objective, feasible generalised least squares (FGLS) models with robust standard errors and bootstrap and a quantile regression (QR) model with marginal analysis were employed. The Westerlund cointegration test confirmed the presence of cointegration between cereal production and climate variables, economic growth, and energy consumption. The results indicate that increases in temperature and precipitation may contribute to increased cereal production in European Union countries. In contrast, energy consumption, including renewable energy and CO2 emissions, may have a nonlinear effect on cereal production. Quantile regression analysis suggests climate change may impact crop yields most in countries with low and moderate cereal production per hectare. Increased CO2 emissions may increase yields in the initial period, but excessive CO2 may negatively impact cereal production in the long term. It would be advisable for countries with low and moderate crop productivity to consider implementing technological advances and combating global warming by modernising cultivation methods and making greater use of renewable energy sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Agriscientia is the property of Revista AgriScientia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Climate change is a confounding factor that affects food security in several ways. Although the analyses of earlier studies in this area were largely non-technical, new analytical techniques have been developed to comprehensively evaluate climate change patterns and their implications for food security. In this study, we use recent developments in panel econometrics, which consider cross-sectional dependence and parameter heterogeneity, to examine the effects of climatic conditions on cereal farming in Africa from 1970Q1 to 2017Q4. The results show that rainfall positively affects cereal crops, although average temperatures are typically unfavourable. In the country-specific scenarios, we observed significant variations in the influence of climatic conditions on cereal production. The causality test results show a two-way causal relationship between climatic conditions—rainfall and temperature—and cereal production. It is suggested that African governments and non-governmental organisations support farmers' adaptation to climate change by implementing policies that prioritise farmers' capacity building and ensure that extension service officers engage with farmers intensively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Introduction Increasing soil organic carbon (SOC) in croplands is a natural climate mitigation effort that can also enhance crop yields. However, there is a lack of comprehensive field studies examining the impact of SOC on crop yields across wide climatic, soil, and farming gradients. Furthermore, it is largely unknown how water retention, soil microbial diversity, and nutrient availability modulate the SOC‐crop yield relationship. Materials and Methods We conducted an observational study across 127 cereal fields along a 3000 km north‐south gradient in Europe, measured topsoil (0–20 cm) organic C content, and collected data on climate, soil properties, crop yield and farming practices. Additionally, we explored the relationship between crop yield, particulate organic carbon (POC) and mineral‐associated organic carbon (MAOC) contents at three soil depths (0–20, 20–40 and 40–60 cm) in a subset of sites. Results Relative yield increases levelled off at 1.4% SOC, indicating an optimal SOC content for cereals along a European gradient. The quadratic relationship between SOC and cereal yield was conspicuous even after controlling for large differences in climate, soil and farming practices across countries. The relationship varied significantly across soil depths and C fractions. MAOC dominated the SOC pool, and was significantly related to relative yield up to an optimal level that varied with soil depth. Soil microbial diversity and nutrient availability emerged as main drivers of the SOC‐yield relationship, while water retention did not exhibit a notable influence. Conclusions Our study demonstrates that SOC is as a key determinant of cereal yield along a European gradient, and identifying this threshold can inform soil management strategies for improved carbon capture based on initial SOC levels. Nevertheless, the complex SOC‐yield relationship highlights the necessity for tailored soil management strategies that consider specific site conditions to optimize C storage and crop yield.

This study explores the total production water use and efficiency of three major cereal crops, namely rice, wheat, and corn, in the Huai River region and provides a reference for ensuring food security and promoting the sustainable development of food production. The study took 35 prefecture-level cities in the Huai River and Yishusi water systems as the study objects, and based on data on cereal production, water resources, and climate in sub-cities from 2000 to 2019, the Penman–Monteith model, Exploratory Spacial Data Analysis (ESDA) model and spatial Durbin model were used to measure the water footprint intensity of cereal production in the basin to reflect its water use efficiency and analyze its spatial and temporal evolution characteristics and influencing factors. The water footprint of cereal production in the Huai River basin tended to stabilize, and the overall water footprint intensity of cereal production decreased by 82.86%. The spatial clustering of the water footprint intensity was significant, and the clustering state gradually stabilized. Socio-economic conditions, agricultural production inputs, agricultural production conditions, natural conditions, and resource endowments had a significant impact on the water footprint intensity of cereal production. The study concludes that the total amount of water used for cereal production in the Huai River basin has increased as a whole, and water use efficiency has generally improved. There are significant spatial differences in the water use efficiency of cereal production in the Huai River basin, with the higher areas being the lower reaches of the main stream of the Huai River and the Yishusi system, and the lower areas being the Anhui section of the main stream of the Huai River. The improvement in the rural economic development level, technological development level, and effective irrigation area can promote an improvement in the water use efficiency of cereal production, while the improvement in the urbanization level, fertilizer application, annual sunshine hours, and average annual temperature will have a suppressive effect on it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the technical efficiency of cereal production in European Union (EU) countries from 2008 to 2018. The primary purpose is to estimate technical efficiency scores by country and crop and explain their variation using macroeconomic and agricultural policy variables using the stochastic frontier production function. The results indicate that the United Kingdom has the highest efficiency in barley production, while Finland has the lowest. France exhibits the highest efficiency in common wheat, and Romania has the lowest efficiency in grain maize production. This study also explores the impact of various factors on technical efficiency, finding, for example, the positive effects of female wages and foreign direct investment on barley production efficiency and the negative effects of forest area and subsidies. Similar analyses were conducted for wheat and maize production. The results indicate a variation in technical efficiency scores across crops and countries. This diversity in performance not only reflects the inherent complexities within each crop but also emphasizes the crucial role played by macroeconomic variables and agricultural policies in shaping efficiency outcomes on a country-wide scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Upper Cheliff plain (North of Algeria) experienced substantial impacts from climate variability, particularly notable as the majority of cereal cultivation areas rely on rainfed practices, devoid of irrigation. Certainly, the insufficient rainfall during the critical phases of the crop's life cycle in 2020-2021 resulted in cereal production in this region dropping to 51500 kg, which is less than half of the yield from the 2019-2020 agricultural season (124300 kg). The study aimed to assess the influence of climate change on cereal crop yields in the Upper Cheliff Plain by analyzing trends in rainfall, temperature, and humidity time series over 30 years, from 1981 to 2020. This was established with mathematical formulas and statistical assessments of cereal production. The study revealed three distinct periods: 1981-1987, 1988-2004, and 2005-2020. Annual rainfall decreased by 11% between 1988-2004, while temperatures increased by 0.1°C in recent decades, leading in lower humidity. In 2017/2018, with a rainfall of 634 mm, the average yields of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L), durum wheat (Triticum durum L) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L) were respectively 2800, 3100 and 2100 kg ha-1. In 1996/1997, when rainfall was less than 246 mm, yields of the same species did not exceed 600, 700, and 700 kg ha-1. It can be explained by the vulnerability of cereals to water stress. The results illustrate the strong link between selected climatic parameters and agricultural production in the semi-arid climate such as the Upper Cheliff Plain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Increasing nitrogen (N) use efficiency (NUE) can enhance cereal yields, improve grain quality and reduce agrochemical inputs. However, several challenges are associated with achieving enhanced NUE, e.g., a frequently poor synchronization between N supply and demand; low grain yields per unit of N input; and inherent trade-offs between grain yield and quality. Scope: To address these challenges, we focus on the temporal perspective of NUE related processes at different growth stages, and propose the utilization of beneficial microbes, e.g. arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) for their roles in affecting aspects of NUE particularly at the later development stages. Conclusion: Some evidence suggests that AMF can directly promote N uptake and use in cereals, by regulating N transporters, but the indirect effects of AMF on NUE related processes at different growth stages are poorly known. Here we explore AMF and their potential roles in promoting NUE related processes that enhance crop P and N uptake post-anthesis, when nutrient supply often is low. In order to fully exploit the opportunities for beneficial root-fungal symbiosis, we propose approaches for plant breeding and crop management, and consider the potential of plant-microbe interactions post-anthesis to promote NUE and the sustainable production of especially cereals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Research Papers of the Wroclaw University of Economics / Prace Naukowe Uniwersytetu Ekonomicznego we Wroclawiu is the property of Uniwersytet Ekonomiczny we Wroclawiu and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries like Ghana, where a significant portion of the population relies on agriculture for their livelihoods and sustenance, climate variability poses a substantial threat to crop productivity and food security. Therefore, it is crucial to employ advanced methodologies to study the intricate relationship between climate change and crop yield. This study therefore aims to assess the impact of different climatic variables on the variation of maize yield in Ghana from 1992 to 2018 and the pivotal role of machine learning techniques in predicting the variations in maize yield, considering the complex climate-crop yield interactions. The machine learning techniques utilized include the Random Forest (RF) Model, the Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) model, and the Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model for prediction. The results demonstrate that rising temperatures and precipitation have a positive impact on Ghana's maize yield. Additionally, the study identified a critical range of climatic conditions that maximized maize production during the study period. Specifically, an average temperature between 27.9∘C and 28.1∘C, coupled with a precipitation range of 1290 mm to 1390 mm, corresponds to the optimal conditions for achieving maize yields exceeding 2.0 MT/ha. Among the machine learning models utilized for the prediction, the ANN emerged as the optimal model with an approximate mean squared error of 1%. Ultimately, our results provide a comprehensive and actionable framework for stakeholders in the agricultural sector, equipping them with the knowledge and tools needed to adapt to climate change and optimize maize production in Ghana.

This study explored the impact of agricultural extension services on cereal production. Data were collected through a semi-structured questionnaire from a random sample of 262 farmers from four regions (east, west, north, and south) in Bhutan. Farmers assessed the impact of extension services on five aspects of cereal production (cereal seed, social, environmental, production, and marketing aspects). Percentages and an ordered logistic model were used to analyse the data. The study found a low level of farmers’ participation in extension services. The social aspect of cereal production was the most impacted by the extension programmes, while the marketing aspect was the least impacted. The farmers’ cultivated dry land (Coeff. = 0.21) and wetland (Coeff. = 0.72), their participation in extension services (Coeff. = 0.61), and 14 the extra labour (Coeff. = 0.24) significantly contributed to cereal production. The provision of effective and high-quality extension programs by extension agents is critical for smallholder farmers to enhance their agricultural production.

Through this article, we have studied the current agricultural reforms and their impact on agricultural production in Algeria. We supported our study with an econometric part through which we studied the effect of the two policies on cereal production because it is the most demanded on the Algerian market as an agricultural product, using the model of distributed time gaps autoregressives of the ARDL. The study concluded that there is an insignificant long-term effect between policies and production volume, which necessitates the need to change policies from time to time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the prospects for the rational use of secondary raw materials for processing grain crops. Scientifically based solutions have been developed for the implementation of resource-saving technologies for the rational use of secondary raw materials for processing grain crops. Rice flour produced at one of the dynamically developing companies in the agricultural sector, in the PT "Abzal and Company" (Kyzylorda region), buckwheat flour selected in the LLP "Jaeger" (Pavlodar region) were used as the object of the study. The chemical composition of by-products of grain processing - rice and buckwheat flour - was investigated. During the study, it was noted that the chemical composition of these raw materials has significant advantages. The amino acid and fatty acid composition of rice and buckwheat flour were determined. In connection with the prospect of using rice and buckwheat flour in the production of bread, an assessment of their sanitary and hygienic condition was studied. Based on the conducted research, the prospects of using rice and buckwheat flour for use in baking were established.

Climate change badly effect the farming community which will lead to breakdown of the backbone of sustainable agriculture. Furthermore, the risk will play a major role when it comes to agricultural production in most countries and leads to lack specific strategies to overcome such situation. Furthermore, in most regions of the world there is a lack of research to understand the factors shaping farmer adaptation to climate change and the institutional links between farmer resilience. This study looked at climate change and its impact on global grain production. The results show that most farmers implementing climate change adaptation strategies are strongly linked with their inherited knowledge. Mostly it was affected to peasant farmers with low income. How will climate change impact the world's food supply and how will its impacts be distributed? Increased or decreased food security risks? Findings suggest that agricultural advisor services are keeping them in the industry, introducing new forestry programs to capture carbon and ultimately reducing urbanization processes suggest that it is necessary to increase grain production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Agronomy Science is the property of University of Life Sciences in Lublin and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose – This study aims to examine the impacts of climate change (CC), measured average annual rainfall, average annual temperature and carbon dioxide (CO2e) on cereal production (CPD) in Bangladesh by using the annual dataset from 1988–2014, with the incorporation of cereal cropped area (CCA), financial development (FD), energy consumption (EC) and rural labor force as important determinants of CPD. Design/methodology/approach – This study used an auto-regressive distributive lag (ARDL) model and several econometric approaches to validate the long- and short-term cointegration and the causality directions, respectively, of the scrutinized variables. Findings – Results of the bounds testing approach confirmed the stable long-term connections among the underlying variables. The estimates of the ARDL model indicated that rainfall improves CPD in the short-and long-term. However, CO2e has a significantly negative impact on CPD both in the short-and long-term. Results further showed that temperature has an adverse effect on CPD in the short-term. Among other determinants, CCA, FD and EC have significantly positive impacts on CPD in both cases. The outcomes of Granger causality indicated that a significant two-way causal association is running from all variables to CPD except temperature and rainfall. The connection between CPD and temperature is unidirectional, showing that CPD is influenced by temperature. All other variables also have a valid and significant causal link among each other. Additionally, the findings of variance decomposition suggest that results are robust, and all these factors have a significant influence on CPD in Bangladesh. Research limitations/implications – These findings have important policy implications for Bangladesh and other developing countries. For instance, introduce improved cereal crop varieties, increase CCA and familiarizes agricultural credits through formal institutions on relaxed conditions and on low-interest rates could reduce the CPD’s vulnerability to climate shocks. Originality/value – To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first attempt to examine the short- and long-term impacts of CC on CPD in Bangladesh over 1988–2014. The authors used various econometrics techniques, including the ARDL approach, the Granger causality test based on the vector error correction model framework and the variance decomposition method.

This study explored impact of agricultural extension services on cereal production. Data were collected through a semi-structured questionnaire from a random sample of 262 farmers from four regions (east, west, north, and south) in Bhutan. Farmers assessed the impact of extension services on five aspects of cereal production (cereal seed, social, environmental, production, and marketing aspects). Percentages and an ordered logistic model were used to analyze the data. The study found a low level of farmers’ participation in extension services. The social aspect of cereal production was the most impacted by the extension programmes, while the marketing aspect was the least impacted. The farmers’ cultivated dry land (Coeff. = 0.21) and wetland (Coeff. = 0.72), their participation in extension services (Coeff. = 0.61), and the extra labour (Coeff. = 0.24) significantly contributed to cereal production. The provision of effective and high-quality extension programs by extension agents is critical for smallholder farmers to enhance their agricultural production.

This study examined the effects of research-based recommended cereal production practices on the technical efficiency of farm households based on household-level data generated from questionnaire surveys, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews. The technical efficiency scores were estimated using the stochastic meta-frontier approach because it allows addressing the expected differences in production technologies. Tobit regression framework was applied to identify factors related to farm inefficiency. Results showed mean technical efficiency of 58%, implying that the farm households can improve cereal output by about 36% with the current level of input mix and technologies. The t-test results revealed farm households who adopted high-yielding varieties with research-based recommended production practices were technically more efficient than their counterparts. Our econometric model results also indicated that the use of high-yielding varieties and research-based recommended seed rate affects the technical efficiency of farm households positively and significantly. In addition, we find gender, age, mobile telephone ownership, cooperative membership, access to input market, and crop damage as significant factors affecting the efficiency of farm households. Our findings highlight the importance of addressing technology adoption gaps and gender-based disparities, expanding access to information and modern inputs, strengthening social capital, and adopting climate change adaptation practices to improve the efficiency of farm households.

The COVID-19 outbreak has seriously affected the global food security at a time when it was significantly compromised by the effects of climate change and armed conflicts. The impact of the pandemic and quarantine restrictions imposed in response to the deadly virus brought humanity face-to-face with a new threat - that of food insecurity - which contributed to a high social demand for state-of-the-art methods of improving the cereal production efficiency. The aim of the study is to develop and implement a methodological approach to enhancing the cereal production efficiency. The methodology of the study relies on time series that made it possible to determine the main trends in regional cereal production and make projections. Application of the suggested approach in the Kostanay region revealed that this region was among the key cereal producers in the country. In 2019, the region was affected by extreme weather, which caused a sharp decline in cereal production. The present study, however, projects large opportunities for cereal production growth in the region and a significant increase in cereal production in the future. In addition, the paper suggests the following action plan to improve efficiency of the cereal production sector in the Kostanay region: streamlining of state support arrangements for cereal producers; development of affordable crop insurance products; systemic steps to increase cereal yields; development of logistic infrastructure; comprehensive monitoring of cereal production to develop a system of rapid response to changes in the external environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessment of the nitrogen (N) inputs and outputs in croplands would help effectively manage the distribution of N to improve crop growth and environmental sustainability. To better understand the N flow of the main cereal systems in China, soil N balance, N use efficiency (NUE), N losses and the potential environmental impacts of maize, wheat and rice cropping systems were estimated at the regional and national scales from 2004 to 2018. Nationally, the soil N balance (N inputs—N outputs) of maize, wheat, single rice and double rice decreased by 28.8%,13.3%, 30.8% and 34.1% from 2004–2008 to 2014–2018, equivalent to an average of 33.3 to 23.7 kg N ha−1, 82.4 to 71.4 kg N ha−1, 93.6 to 64.8 kg N ha−1 and 51.8 to 34.1 kg N ha−1, respectively. The highest soil N balance were observed in Southeast (SE) region for maize and double rice, North central (NC) region for wheat single rice and Northwest region for wheat, whereas Northeast (NE) region had the lowest N balance for all crops. The NUE increased from 49.8%, 41.2%, 49.7% and 53.7% in 2004–2008 to 54.8%, 45.9%, 55.5% and 56.5% in 2014–2018 for maize, wheat, single rice and double rice, respectively. The fertilizer N losses (i.e., N2O emission, NO emission, N2 emission, NH3 volatilization, N leaching and N runoff) were estimated as 43.7%, 38.3%, 40.2% and 36.6% of the total N inputs for maize, wheat, single rice and double rice, respectively in 2014–2018. Additionally, the highest global warming potential and acidification effects were found in NE and NC regions for maize, NC region for wheat, the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River for single rice and SE region for double rice, respectively. The highest risk of water contamination by N leaching and surface runoff was observed in NC region for all crops mainly due to high N fertilizer input. Furthermore, the dynamics of N balance for all crops were closely tied with grain yields, except for single rice, the N balance of which was mainly correlated with N fertilizer input. Our results could help researchers and policy makers effectively establish optimized fertilization strategies and adjust the regional allocation of grain cropping areas in response to environmental risks and climate change caused by food crop cultivation in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cumulative crop recovery of synthetic fertiliser nitrogen (N) over several cropping seasons (legacy effect) generally receives limited attention. The increment in crop N uptake after the first‐season uptake from fertiliser can be expressed as a fraction (∆RE) of the annual N application rate. This study aims to quantify ∆RE using data from nine long‐term experiments (LTEs). As such, ∆RE is the difference between first season (RE1st) and long‐term (RELT) recovery of synthetic fertiliser N. In this study, RE1st was assessed either by the 15N isotope method or by a zero‐N subplot freshly superimposed on a long‐term fertilised LTE treatment plot. RELT was calculated by comparing N uptake in the total aboveground crop biomass between a long‐term fertilised and long‐term control (zero‐N) treatment. Using a mixed linear effect model, the effects of climate, crop type, experiment duration, average N rate, and soil clay content on ∆RE were evaluated. Because the experimental setup required for the calculation of ∆RE is relatively rare, only nine suitable LTEs were found. Across these nine LTEs in Europe and North America, the mean ∆RE was 24.4% (±12.0%, 95% CI) of annual N application, with higher values for winter wheat than for maize. This result shows that fertiliser‐N retained in the soil and stubble may contribute substantially to crop N uptake in subsequent years. Our results suggest that an initial recovery of 43.8% (±11%, 95% CI) of N application may increase to around 66.0% (±15%, 95% CI) on average over time. Furthermore, we found that ∆RE was not clearly related to long‐term changes in topsoil total N stock. Our findings show that the—often used—first‐year recovery of synthetic fertiliser N application does not express the full effect of fertiliser application on crop nutrition. The fertiliser contribution to soil N supply should be accounted for when exploring future scenarios on N cycling, including crop N requirements and N balance schemes. Highlights: Nine long‐term cereal experiments in Europe and USA were analysed for long‐term crop N recovery of synthetic N fertiliser.On average, and with application rates between 34 and 269 kg N/ha, crop N recovery increased from 43.8% in the first season to 66.0% in the long term.Delta recovery was larger for winter wheat than maize.Observed increases in crop N uptake were not explained by proportionate increases in topsoil total N stock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The archaeological evidence of grain stores and warehouses in North Africa is limited; knowledge is mainly based on epigraphic and literary sources. The recent research conducted by INSAP of Rabat and Siena University in the city of Thamusida (Morocco) shed new light on the study of large and small warehouses. This article identifies a quadrangular building with buttresses in the city of Banasa as another example of a warehouse built to satisfy the need of an urban micro-economy. The study includes a modelling of the territorial context in the period between the end of the 1st century A.D. and the second half of the 2nd century A.D., when with the construction of the great horreum of Thamusida, it is argued the Banasitan grain was included in the cereal production context on an extra-territorial scale.

The development of agricultural products processing, in particular cereals, and improving their quality characteristics will contribute to the growth of employment in rural areas, satisfaction of internal and external demand, growth of foreign exchange earnings to the state and incomes of commodity producers. The purpose of the paper is to assess the prospects for the development of the cereal products market in Ukraine, considering trends in supply and demand. The methodological basis of the research was system and dialectical approaches and the application of synthesis and analysis methods in determining the regularities and features of the cereal products market in Ukraine. The paper analyses the dynamics and structure of cereals production, identifies the problems of increasing the supply of their main types. Factors of internal and external demand for Ukrainian cereals and future trends in the development of the cereal market are considered. As a result, it is proved that the volume of production of basic cereals directly depends on the availability of raw material supply and its quality, demand for finished products both on the internal market and from importing countries of Ukrainian products, as well as the retrospective profitability of sales of alternative crops. The expansion of sales of Ukrainian cereal products on the internal market can be achieved through the integrated use of non-tariff restrictions that do not contradict agreements within the WTO. The originality of the study consists in systematising the factors of cereal products supply and demand development and analysing their impact on market conditions. The practical significance of the study is to identify the main areas in which problems of further development of the cereal industry are generated, which creates the basis for developing measures to minimise their negative impact

The underpinned study examines the effects of climatic and non-climatic factors on Indian agriculture, cereal production, and yield using the country-level time series data of 1965–2015. With the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bounds testing approach, the long-term equilibrium association among the variables has been explored. The results reveal that climatic factors like CO2 emissions and temperature adversely affect agricultural output, while rainfall positively affects it. Likewise, non-climatic factors, including energy used, financial development, and labor force, affect agricultural production positively in the long run. The estimated long-run results further demonstrate that CO2 emissions and rainfall positively affect both cereal production and yield, while temperature adversely affects them. The results exhibit that the cereal cropped area, energy used, financial development, and labor force significantly and positively impact the long-run cereal production and yield. Finally, pairwise Granger causality test confirmed that both climatic and non-climatic factors are significantly influencing agriculture and cereal production in India. Based on these results, policymakers and governmental institutions should formulate coherent adaptation measures and mitigation policies to tackle the adverse climate change effects on agriculture and its production of cereals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the effects of research-based recommended cereal production practices on the technical efficiency of farm households based on household-level data generated from questionnaire surveys, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews. The technical efficiency scores were estimated using the stochastic meta-frontier approach because it allows addressing the expected differences in production technologies. Tobit regression framework was applied to identify factors related to farm inefficiency. Results showed mean technical efficiency of 58%, implying that the farm households can improve cereal output by about 36% with the current level of input mix and technologies. The t-test results revealed farm households who adopted high-yielding varieties with research-based recommended production practices were technically more efficient than their counterparts. Our econometric model results also indicated that the use of high-yielding varieties and research-based recommended seed rate affects the technical efficiency of farm households positively and significantly. In addition, we find gender, age, mobile telephone ownership, cooperative membership, access to input market, and crop damage as significant factors affecting the efficiency of farm households. Our findings highlight the importance of addressing technology adoption gaps and gender-based disparities, expanding access to information and modern inputs, strengthening social capital, and adopting climate change adaptation practices to improve the efficiency of farm households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This study empirically examines the impact of climate change on cereal production in selected lower-middle-income countries with a balanced panel dataset spanning 1971–2016. The study uses average annual temperature and rainfall to measure climate change. Besides this, CO2 emissions, cultivated land under cereal production, and rural population are used as the control variables. Second-generation unit root tests, i.e., CIPS and CADF, are used to test the stationarity of the variables. Feasible generalized least square (FGLS) and fully modified ordinary least square (FMOLS) models are used to achieve the objective. Pedroni cointegration test confirms the presence of cointegration between cereal production and climate change variables. The findings show that a rise in the temperature reduces cereal production in lower-middle-income countries. In contrast, rainfall and CO2 emissions have a positive effect on cereal production. For robustness purpose, the Driscoll-Kraay standard regression and dynamic ordinary least square (DOLS) models have also found similar results. Dumitrescu-Hurlin test has found the bidirectional causality of cereal production with temperature and CO2 emissions. Also, unidirectional causality is running from rainfall and rural population to cereal production. The adverse effects of temperature on cereal production are likely to pose severe implications for food security. The paper recommends that governments of the sample countries should research and develop heat-resistant varieties of cereal crops to cope with the adverse effects of temperature on cereal production and ensure food security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with the sources of competitiveness of Czech cereal production by considering precision farming technology and employing micro-level data collected in the FADN database for the period 2005-2018. The analysis is based on the stochastic frontier modelling of an input distance function in the specification of the four-component model, which currently represents the most advanced approach to technical efficiency analysis. To provide a robust estimate of the model, the paper employs methods which control for the potential endogeneity of netputs in the four-step estimation procedure. Furthermore, the total factor productivity change is calculated using the Törnqvist-Theil index. The results reveal that Czech cereal producers took great advantage of their production possibilities and experienced technological progress, which contributed considerably to productivity dynamics and consequently to an increase in their competitiveness. Precision farming, which is associated with a large number of innovations reflected in technological change and optimal resource use, contributed to higher technical efficiency connected with cost savings in Czech cereal production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Brazil, agriculture has fulfilled its basic functions, being strongly linked to economic dynamics and food security. It has thus contributed to economic growth. In the European Union (EU) agriculture has played a prominent role which, after The Second World War, has unfolded in the formulation of a Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) which has been mainly based on providing food security. The study is included in this context. It aims to measure the incentives of agricultural policy for cereal production in the Western Mesoregion of Paraná and the State of Nordrhein-Westfalen from 2005 to 2017. This was accomplished through an index, which measured the proportional participation of subsidies in the Gross Value Added (GVA) of agriculture in each region. The results showed that agricultural subsidies for Germany and Nordrhein-Westfalen were on average 29% of GVA. While for Paraná and West Mesoregion the value was around 8%. The result allows us to conclude that agricultural subsidies for the German regions were about three times higher than those of the Brazilian regions, demonstrating high participation of subsidies in the producer's income. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is strongly affecting Mediterranean agriculture, prompting urgent adaptation actions to cope with its negative impacts and to enhance the resilience of agricultural systems. Detailed climate risk analyses are essential to inform and guide decision-making on priority actions to be implemented in each territory, tailored on specific local needs. This work applied the impact chain approach to assess the climate-related risks for cereals and livestock sectors in Sardinia, Italy. Impact chains allow analysing and understanding the interrelationships between climate drivers and the related risks, supporting the development of adaptation strategies and plans. In this study, statistical socio-economic indicators were integrated with results from dynamic crop simulation models and climate change scenarios to investigate the risk components, following the IPCC framework, for the agricultural sector by 2050. The results show higher negative impacts for cereals than for livestock, with durum wheat being less climate sentitive than common wheat and maize. Overall, Sardinia has low exposure for both cereals and livestock, while adaptive capacity is criticality low, highlighting the need for urgent action. The outcomes of the analysis were elaborated at both the regional and municipal level, to provide user-friendly information for policy-makers at different administrative levels. The assessed level of risks, in terms of hazard, exposure, and vulnerability, has been used to develop the Regional Adaptation Strategy to Climate Change (SRACC) for the Sardinia region. These results may leed decision making and help planning and programming interventions also at municipal level. [Display omitted] • Higher climate risk for cereals than livestock in Sardinia, especially under RCP 4.5. • Sardinia's exposure index is low, but adaptive capacity is highly critical, needing urgent action. • Impact Chain is a flexible tool for rapid assessment of climate risk, supporting adaptation actions. • Availability of high-resolution, up-to-date, and open-acess dataset would improve climate-risk assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessment of the nitrogen (N) inputs and outputs in croplands would help effectively manage the distribution of N to improve crop growth and environmental sustainability. To better understand the N flow of the main cereal systems in China, soil N balance, N use efficiency (NUE), N losses and the potential environmental impacts of maize, wheat and rice cropping systems were estimated at the regional and national scales from 2004 to 2018. Nationally, the soil N balance (N inputs—N outputs) of maize, wheat, single rice and double rice decreased by 28.8%,13.3%, 30.8% and 34.1% from 2004–2008 to 2014–2018, equivalent to an average of 33.3 to 23.7 kg N ha−1, 82.4 to 71.4 kg N ha−1, 93.6 to 64.8 kg N ha−1 and 51.8 to 34.1 kg N ha−1, respectively. The highest soil N balance were observed in Southeast (SE) region for maize and double rice, North central (NC) region for wheat single rice and Northwest region for wheat, whereas Northeast (NE) region had the lowest N balance for all crops. The NUE increased from 49.8%, 41.2%, 49.7% and 53.7% in 2004–2008 to 54.8%, 45.9%, 55.5% and 56.5% in 2014–2018 for maize, wheat, single rice and double rice, respectively. The fertilizer N losses (i.e., N2O emission, NO emission, N2 emission, NH3 volatilization, N leaching and N runoff) were estimated as 43.7%, 38.3%, 40.2% and 36.6% of the total N inputs for maize, wheat, single rice and double rice, respectively in 2014–2018. Additionally, the highest global warming potential and acidification effects were found in NE and NC regions for maize, NC region for wheat, the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River for single rice and SE region for double rice, respectively. The highest risk of water contamination by N leaching and surface runoff was observed in NC region for all crops mainly due to high N fertilizer input. Furthermore, the dynamics of N balance for all crops were closely tied with grain yields, except for single rice, the N balance of which was mainly correlated with N fertilizer input. Our results could help researchers and policy makers effectively establish optimized fertilization strategies and adjust the regional allocation of grain cropping areas in response to environmental risks and climate change caused by food crop cultivation in China.

Agricultural statistical data enable the detection and interpretation of the development of agriculture and the food supply situation over time, which is essential for food security evaluation in any country. Based on the historical agricultural statistics, this study produces a long spatial timeseries with annual production values of three cereals relevant to global food security--wheat, maize, and rice, aiming to provide geographical and historical perspectives. Therefore, we reconstructed past and current production patterns and trends at the district level over 169 years, which supported a space--time cross-reading of the general characteristics of the regional agricultural production value distributions and relative densities in Portugal. Particularly, the production trends of wheat, maize, and rice showed three different situations: growth (maize), stability (rice), and decline (wheat). For decades, maize and wheat production alternated, depending on agricultural years and political aspects, such as the Wheat Campaign (1929--1938). The changes over time presented a pattern that, in the case of these three cereals, enabled a clear division of the country into major regions according to cereal production. Overall, maize and rice, both grown on irrigated croplands, presented a similar pattern in some regions of Portugal, mainly the central region. In this study, a preliminary analysis was presented and related to successive public policies; however, notably, there are more lessons to be learned from this long spatial time-series. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Northern China, particularly the Yellow River Basin, which is the birth place of Chinese civilization and has been the political center throughout most of China’s history, is an ideal region for studying the response of human activities to climate change. However, studies on links between climate change and variations in earlier civilization are limited due to the scarcity of macroscale monsoon precipitation records. In the present study, a ∼4,000-year record of monsoon precipitation, which represents average rainfall in large areas in northern China, was reconstructed from sediments in Northern Yellow Sea Mud (NYSM). The record shows high monsoon precipitation during ∼4,000–2,500 BP, ∼1,350–750 BP and the past ∼250 years. In general, our record of monsoon precipitation exhibits trends similar to the percentages of planted Poaceae pollen in lake sediments and the Chinese economic index, contrasting with the frequency of wars over the past 2,000 years. We postulated that, in the agricultural society of ancient China, low monsoon precipitation in northern China may be an important factor that cause reduced agricultural production, declined economy and even the occurrence of wars.

The rapidly growing population will soon require a near doubling of food production. This increase must be achieved in a manner that maintains environmental integrity, preserves public health and resolves food access and distribution equalities. The use of forage legumes in arable rotations can make significant and multidimensional contributions to this sustainable intensification and this paper reviews the potential contribution of red clover (Trifolium pratense L.), with particular reference to sustainable cereal production in conservation agriculture systems. The use of red clover as a tool in soil fertility-building and the multiple benefits to the cropping system in which it is used is described. The benefits discussed include atmospheric nitrogen fixation, soil conservation, structural soil improvements and a suite of agroecosystem services including increased soil microbial activity, the phytoremediation of polluted soils and the provision of food for pollinators. Reported allelopathic weed suppression by red clover cover crops and the role of modern plant breeding in creating new varieties that further enhance system sustainability is also discussed. Finally, as economic considerations will always impact on adoption rates, the profitability of red clover rotations in terms of silage value and yield benefits is taken into account.

This study sought to investigate the impacts of climate change on cereal production in China over the period 1990Q1–2013Q4. Using the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) approach, the results showed that CO2 emissions, average temperature, and temperature variability have a significant negative impact on cereal production in the long run. However, energy consumption, average rainfall, labor force, and cultivated area significantly and positively influenced the production of cereal crops in the long run. Meanwhile, the study observed that rainfall variability has no significant effect on cereal production in the long run. The study again found that in the short run, CO2 emissions, average temperature, and temperature variability have a significant negative relationship with cereal production. Besides, energy consumption, average rainfall, rainfall variability, labor force, and the cultivated area had a significant positive association with cereal production in the short run. The results of the Granger causality test showed that there exists a unidirectional causality running from CO2 emissions, energy consumption, and labor force to the production of cereal crops in China. On the contrary, the study found no causality between cultivated area and cereal production. The study suggests that improved cereal crop varieties ought to be developed and introduced to cope with the adverse impacts of climate change in China. This will help to circumvent Huang et al.'s (2017) prediction of a decline in the total food self-sufficiency of China from 94.5% in 2015 to about 91% by 2025. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzed the evolution of the cereal sector in the North-East Region of Romania, in the period 2015- 2019. In order to carry out a more realistic study, a series of quantitative indicators specific to the cereal sector were analyzed. Also, the factors that directly influenced the results obtained in this sector were highlighted. In the North-East Region, the corn crop is on the first place in the ranking of cereal crops. This culture also holds a significant place at the macro-regional level. In 2019, in the North-East Region, 464,008 ha were cultivated with corn out of a total of 966,729 ha, cultivated in Macroregion Two, which represents 48%. A significant role in the economy of the cereal sector in the North-East region is played by the wheat culture. In this region, in 2019, 25.78% of the areas related to this cereal crop registered at the level of the Macroregion Two were cultivated. The largest productions were made at the corn crop. The productions made for this crop in 2019 were differentiated at the level of the counties in this region. The increase of the productivity of all medium and long-term cereal crops will be possible if farmers adopt an agriculture, in which new technologies will occupy a central place. The data used in the paper were collected from the National Institute of Statistics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]