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Sustainability within food systems (FS) transcends approaches that only consider FS transformation via changing agricultural practices or consumption patterns. The essence lies in addressing the root causes of current unsustainable FS and their associated social and environmental ramifications. This paper aims to outline the solutions needed to revamp these challenges, by paying special attention to the state-capital nexus in the context of the FS'global core-periphery dialectics. Thereby, we embrace radical political agroecology as being essential in promoting sustainability within the FS, especially in the Global South. Agroecology is proposed as the strategy to address the food system's complexity in terms of the social, environmental, and economic embeddedness. We conclude with potential solutions that contribute to the pathway for FS sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The U.K. food system exhibits strong unsustainability indicators across multiple dimensions, both in terms of food and nutritional insecurity and in terms of adverse climate change, biodiversity, and physical resource impacts. These indices of an unsustainable and inequitable social metabolism are the result of capitalist agriculture and society in general and, more specifically, of neoliberal and austerity policies adopted with vigour since the global financial crisis. The causal, capitalistic, and, latterly, more neoliberal bases of the U.K. food system are delineated in the first section of the paper. These bases are then detailed in terms of their impacts in exacerbating climate change, biodiversity (and resource) decline and loss, and food and nutritional insecurity. The political narratives and policy frameworks available to dissemble, mitigate, or, more rarely, to address (resolve) these impacts are then delineated. It is argued that the only policy framework available that strongly integrates food security (social equity) with ecological sustainability is political agroecology and an accompanying degrowth strategy. The final section of the paper details what political agroecology and degrowth might entail for the U.K. food system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food democracy and political agroecology, as closely allied social movements, have become associated in the main with what may be termed 'agrarian populist' and postcolonial problematics. While certainly 'radical' in relation to hegemonic neoliberal, or sub-hegemonic 'national developmentalist', framings of contemporary agricultural and ecological crises and their mitigatory responses to them, populist food democracy and political agroecology, it is argued here, fail convincingly to identify causality underlying the 'political' causes of these capitalogenic contradictions. While more convincing in identifying such causality in the 'ecological' domain in terms of the need to 'localize' and 'reterritorialize' food production and consumption networks, in its 'political' aspect populist food democracy and political agroecology demonstrate a failure to specify key ontological drivers of capitalogenic contradiction in terms of state, capital, class, and, more generally, power relations in their historical particularity. These shortcomings of 'populist' food democracy and agroecology in their 'political' aspect are exemplified by reference to key academic texts arising from the movement. The paper then proceeds to identify how these populist assumptions differ from a Marxian derived understanding of contradiction and the resulting proposal for a 'radical' political agroecology as substantive food democracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the past 30 years, there has been a growing belief in and promotion of agroecosystem diversity for pest management and future food production as an agroecological or nature-based approach. Monoculture agriculture, which produces most of our food, is considered to be highly vulnerable to pests in contrast to plant species-diverse agroecosystems which may possess a greater abundance of natural enemies, keeping pest populations under control. In this paper, we question the role of crop diversity for pest management and explore the relationship between crop and associated diversity and pests through the following processes: environmental stresses that favor monodominance; evolutionary adaptations that resist insect herbivores (genetic resistance response); mechanisms of spatial escape from insect herbivores (escape response); and the role of crop-associated biodiversity. We present strong evidence that not only questions the high vulnerability of monocultures to pest damage but also supports why monocultures continue to produce most of the world's food. Reference is made to the importance of targeted plant breeding and the role of trans-continental crop introduction supported by efficient quarantine for pest management. We conclude that—with the exception of irrigated rice—much more research is needed to better understand the role of crop diversity in agroecosystems for pest management and food production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is an editorial that discusses the importance of water in agriculture, particularly in arid and semiarid regions, and the impact of irrigation on hydrological processes. It covers various research fields within agricultural hydrology, such as water-heat-salt-nutrients transport and evapotranspiration modeling, as well as remote sensing applications. The document provides an overview of published papers on this topic, highlighting research gaps and challenges in integrated agro-hydrological modeling, water resource management, non-point source pollution control, soil salinization, data-driven algorithms, and the use of remote sensing technology. It also lists research topics related to hydrology, including remote sensing, sustainability, ecohydrology, crop water requirement, drought assessment, and groundwater, with studies conducted in different regions such as China, South Africa, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Brazil, and the USA. The document includes a list of research articles covering various subjects, such as the impacts of climate change on streamflow, water footprint of the animal breeding industry, reference evapotranspiration estimation methods, and the effects of controlled tile drainage on crop growth. The articles are authored by researchers from different countries, including China, Spain, the USA, and Sri Lanka. The document also provides information on the authors' contributions, data availability, and conflicts of interest. [Extracted from the article]

Recent crises have highlighted the vulnerabilities of global supply chains and, consequently, a profound need for food system transformation. In this scenario, local food policy and agroecology arise as two different but converging paradigms capable of fostering an inclusive and sustainable transition of the food systems, especially in urban contexts. The purpose of this paper is to strengthen the relationship between these two paradigms by proposing agroecological assessment as a tool for formulating evidence-based local food policies. Considering the city-region food system of Rome (Italy) as a reference context, the paper proposes an adaptation of the Tool for Agroecology Performance Evaluation (TAPE) model on a sample of 20 farms to analyse urban agriculture and understand the extent to which it contributes to the transformation of the food system. Data processing shows that, in the city-region context of Rome, agroecological principles are not fully adopted by the majority of farms considered. In addition, farms with the highest agroecological level are those driven mainly by social factors and have a lower propensity for innovation. This could be read as a constraining aspect because it hinders and slows down the transformation process of food systems. However, these data turn out to be essential to the implementation of local food policy and in identifying pathways toward sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Environmental & Social Management Journal / Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental is the property of Environmental & Social Management Journal 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.)

Organic Agriculture and Agroecology are production systems considered relevant for building up sustainable food systems at an environmental, social and economic level. In recent years there has been a growing interest in considering which processes can contribute to upscaling these systems. At a global level Agroecological Local Agri-food Systems and Bio-districts are becoming beacons for that purpose. This paper presents a case study of an organic and agroecological group of producers in the Argentinian Pampa Region where we used the Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach in implementing three interconnected methodologies: (i) Sustainability assessment using the FAO Tool for Agroecology Performance Evaluation (TAPE), (ii) Participatory Value chain Development and (iii) Stakeholder Analysis. This was done to verify if the combination of methodologies can be useful to (i) evaluate the current situation of the group in terms of LAFS development and (ii) identify which possible activities would be required for upscaling organic and agroecological practices at a regional level with a neo-endogenous approach. We conclude that the participative assessment implemented was useful to identify the group stage in terms of LAFS development and also to identify the activation requirements for upscaling the system at the same time that the participatory process addressed and organized a set of procedures in the hands of the group for implementing that process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the cutting-edge realm of Geotechnical Biology, the interplay between soil mechanics and biological systems has unveiled profound insights that align with the rural sustainability, forestry and agroecosystems. This inquiry, encompassing the role of soil characteristics and parameters in shaping plant behavior and root growth, creating a suction effect that draws water towards them and underscores the intricate relationships that govern soil-plant interactions. A numerical simulation was expertly dissected using Plaxis 2D software, particularly focused on understanding the complex behavior of root water uptake over time and the changing level of groundwater and its dynamics rhythm affected by the evolution of plants. The output results in our study have important implications for understanding the soil-plant system and the role of geotechnical processes in biological analyses. Our findings suggest that the stability and behavior of geotechnical systems can have a significant impact on plant growth and distribution, underscoring the importance of considering geotechnical processes in biological analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farmers’ awareness and the incidence of climate change are crucial inputs to effectively scale up interventions to mitigate the effects of climate change. This is because incidence leads to awareness due to observation of occurrences. The purpose of this paper is to examine the determinants of climate change awareness and incidence across farming systems and agroecological zones in Sierra Leone. An ex-post-facto research design was applied, while a multistage sampling procedure was used to select 865 smallholder farmers across agroecological zones and farming systems. Data were collected with a structured questionnaire subjected to face validity and split-half reliability tests. This data analyzed frequency counts, percentages, multiple regression, and principal component analysis. The results show that farmers in the coastal plain, savannah woodland, and transitional rainforest had greater awareness and incidence of climate change across the crop, livestock, and fishery farming systems. The significant determinants of awareness and incidence of climate change among farmers are the adoption of crop smart practices (t = 4.192; p < 0.01); information needs on water smart practices (t = –5.581; p < 0.01); adoption of nutrient smart practices (t = 10.592; p < 0.01); adoption of energy/carbon smart practices (t = 3.206 ; p < 0.01); adoption of livestock smart practices (t = 3.608; p < 0.01); information needs on weather smart practices (t = 3.505; p < 0.01); incidence of climate change (t = 16.282; p < 0.01); and constraints on nutrient smart practices (t = –2.669; p < 0.01). The Principal Component analysis identified four factors, namely Factor 1 (Impact), Factor 2 (Occurrence), Factor 3 (Evidence), and Factor 4 (Threat), and accounted for 14.96%, 8.27%, 6.41%, 3.50% of the variance, respectively, with a cumulative variance of 33.14%. The study concludes that farmers are aware of the incidence of climate change and are adopting different techniques in response to the different climate changes observed. This study also recommends the identification of specific climate change adaptations and the scaling of interventions for adaptation and mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agroecology is identified as an important solution to increase the sustainability of agricultural and food systems. Despite the increasing number of publications assessing the socio-economic outcomes of agroecology, very few studies have consolidated the scattered results obtained on various case studies. This paper provides new insights by consolidating evidence on the varied socio-economic effects of agroecology across a large number of cases at a global level. To this purpose, we used a rapid review methodology, screening more than 13,000 publications to retrieve evidence on the socio-economic outcomes of the implementation of agroecological practices. The results of the review indicate that (1) agroecological practices are associated more often with positive socio-economic outcomes across the broad range of evaluated metrics (51% positive, 30% negative, 10% neutral, and 9% inconclusive outcomes); (2) the socio-economic metrics associated with financial capital represent the vast majority of evaluated metrics (83% of total) and are affected positively in a large share of cases (53%), due to favourable outcomes on income, revenues, productivity and efficiency; (3) human capital metrics (16%) are associated with a larger number of negative outcomes (46% versus 38% positive), due to higher labour requirements and costs that are however partly compensated by an overall greater number of positive outcomes on labour productivity (55%); and (4) the results vary depending on the agroecological practice assessed; e.g. for agroforestry, we identify 53% positive outcomes while for cropping system diversification 35%. These results indicate an overall favourable potential for farms to benefit from a positive socio-economic performance with the use of agroecological practices. Yet, the magnitude, temporal aspects, and success factors related to these outcomes, as well as the trade-offs between them, and the system-level effects of an agroecological transition are to be further assessed, since they can have an important influence on the performance of individual farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indigenous peoples and local communities are key actors in the preservation of important biodiversity resources around the world. However, the ever-encroaching agricultural frontier and expansion of conventional agricultural practices threaten these communities, their autonomy over the land, and the traditional knowledge and practices associated with biodiverse ecosystems. Agroecology emerges as an important solution to support the continuation of agrobiodiversity, food security, and environmental conservation, but top-down solutions often do not resonate with the lived realities of traditional, Indigenous, and small-scale farming communities. This paper examines a collaborative research and narrative network developed over the past several years around traditional erva-mate agroforestry production in Southern Paraná, Brazil. It offers an example of how oral environmental history and public history can support conservation practices through agroecology. The key outcomes of this interdisciplinary, multi-dimensional research and engagement were the development of a candidacy for the system to be recognized as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) from the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the implementation of a Dynamic Conservation Action Plan to address the threats and challenges farmers and communities are facing. The discussion explores two concepts that were integral to these processes, the creation of narrative networks and a focus on plurivocity. Both approaches ensured that the actions, knowledge, and narratives developed through the GIAHS candidacy were not imposed but agreed upon and generative through narrative and dialogue, remaining true to the realities and lived experiences of community members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bio-districts are a specific form of aggregation which are particularly effective in implementing a multi-stakeholder, environmentally conscious, and place-based approach to food system sustainability. Bio-districts may facilitate the agroecological transition of the local food systems. The aim of this paper is to provide recommendations on how to promote the adoption of the agroecological approach through biodistricts, by analysing farmers’ propensity towards agroecology, framing the level of attainement in the transition pathway, and shedding light on the barriers to the broader diffusion of agroecology. A qualitative comparative case study approach has been developed in two bio-districts in Italy. Based on the findings, farmers show a propensity to adopt the agroecological approach, However, a series of barriers have prevented reaching the top level of agroecological transition, especially the need for the adaptation of machinery, a shortage of skilled advisors for knowledge transfer, and poor community awareness. The findings suggest that there is urgent need to face policy, governance-related, and market-related challenges. This study lays the groundwork for the integration of the agroecological approach in the implementation of key policy instruments such as the Italian Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plan and the European Union Action Plan for the Development of Organic Production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sweet corn producers and industries require more reliable cultivars which could be accomplished by hybrid breeding. However, progressive phenological growth may be affected by different factors. In this paper, we analyze the key factors that determine the growth and yield of sweet corn. Environmental factors such as temperature and photoperiod were strong determinants of dates of flowering and harvest which are often crucial to yield in diverse climates and agricultural systems, besides the country's pedological conditions, especially soil fertility, affected phenological development. The effectiveness of fertilization in improving sweet corn growth performance was significantly influenced by the soil characteristics, the water supply, the genotype, and the agrotechnological factors. Therefore, genetic improvement of hybrids should be incorporated into the climate and soil elements to stabilize sweet corn yields in various agroecosystems. Decisions made in the sowing period are very significant, as up to 30% of the obtained yield may depend on making the proper choice. Deviation from the optimum date (either early or late sowing) may decrease yield. When deciding about the sowing date of maize, one needs to consider climate, soil quality, geographical location, temperature, weed infestation, sowing seed quality, and the ripening time of the hybrid to be produced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to mainstream gender in agroecology, using VIDA's coffee systems as a case study. Data were collected through a mixed, participatory approach, combining qualitative (participant observation, interviews, workshops) and quantitative methods (a census of 24 men and 26 women). Results reveal gender differences across environmental, economic, social, and political dimensions. Women prioritize plant diversity, while men focus on coffee varieties and farm conditions. Both sexes emphasize economic and social sustainability, with women advocating for greater access to resources and benefits. VIDA has a gender-parity leadership promoting territorial defense and youth visibility to mitigate outmigration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper assesses the value of agroecological farm schools by analyzing 4 Senegalese cases. Pedagogical quality is measured by: (1) feedback from former learners, (2) acquisition of fundamental knowledge, and (3) professionalization. Beyond globally positive opinions about training, our results show that farm schools display distinct performances. Developing a systemic perspective is not an easy task, but having trainers with more advanced agroecological expertise is an asset. Effective training builds on active pedagogy. Post-training business establishment is facilitated when farm schools create networks in agroecology and/or offer a consequent starter kit. Farm schools could thus contribute to agroecological transitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a systematic literature review to explore the connections between agroecology and environmental education. Its objective is to address the query: How can agroecology contribute to environmental education? It categorizes research into three areas: non-formal environmental education, environmental education at school, and environmental education within undergraduate studies. Drawing on the results, this paper explores the potential for dialogue between these domains and delineates the contributions agroecology can provide to the field of environmental education. This approach broadens the epistemic and methodological frameworks of educational education, enhancing their capability to understand and address global injustices and oppressions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Honeydew, a sugary excretion produced by sap‐feeding insects, plays a pivotal role in shaping intricate interactions between insects and plants. This review explains the multifaceted aspects of honeydew, beginning with an overview of its production mechanisms and factors influencing its variability across insect species and plant hosts. Exploring its composition, we examine the chemical components and nutritional aspects, highlighting variations based on insect species and plant sources. The impact of honeydew on microbial communities is explored, shedding light on its role in influencing the diversity and abundance of microorganisms. Furthermore, the review investigates how honeydew affects pest behaviour and population dynamics, elucidating plant responses to honeydew deposition. In the realm of biocontrol, we examine the intricate relationships between honeydew and natural enemies, considering potential implications for integrated pest management. Beyond these individual components, the paper discusses the broader ecological consequences of honeydew in ecosystems, emphasizing the interconnected relationships between insects, plants and microorganisms. The review concludes by identifying research gaps and suggesting future directions, recognizing the need for further investigation into areas with potential applications for agriculture and ecology. This review provides a comprehensive synthesis of the current understanding of honeydew's significance in insect–plant interactions, offering insights for both researchers and practitioners in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As part of sustainable agricultural innovations and the alternative food movement, agroecology provides important tools to achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Yet very few existing studies have explicitly addressed their linkages. Synergies among the SDGs are often examined at the national level, overlooking nuanced opportunities revealed by small agroecology initiatives at the local scale. Based on literature review, field visits and semi-structured interviews with farms and relevant organizations in China, this research investigates how locally embedded agroecology practices lead to advancement of multiple SDG targets and facilitate the synergies among the SDGs. It also highlights their motivations, achievements, and challenges. We argue that the technocentric metrics of SDGs underappreciate the application of traditional knowledge and small-scale low-tech innovations. By bringing visibility to low-tech and small agroecology initiatives, this paper advocates for stronger inclusion of grassroots agroecology initiatives in SDG discussions among researchers and policy makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite a plethora of emerging alternatives under the broad rubric of agroecology, sustainable transitions in Indian agriculture are caught between institutional inertia and lock-ins of its vast agricultural establishment on the one hand and a pro-active state promoting a natural farming. This push for Zero-Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF), while welcome as an alternative, also raises several questions on the nature of knowledge production and dissemination. This paper explores the knowledge politics around top-down "skilling regimes" and the principles and paradigms that emphasize social learning. We explore the multiple practices, meanings of agroecology among farmers, government agencies, and civil society organizations in the state of Gujarat. The action research included a survey of practices of 250 farmers in 12 districts, interviews, and stakeholder workshops. Insufficient investments in community-based extension mechanisms and lack of collaboration between state and civil society were features of the policy implementation. The absence of innovative platforms to facilitate knowledge dialogs and learning among actors to advance agroecology increases the gap between policy goals and its actual realization in practice. Programs for upscaling agroecology, we suggest, need to embed the diversity of technical and institutional processes through creating learning alliances to facilitate knowledge dialogs across dissimilar actors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes the agricultural contract through the eyes of the NIE. The article has built its analytical framework on contracts in agriculture. This choice was dictated by the presence of more than 40 enumerated forms of the types of contracts, and the research realizes that such an enumeration is conditional and not exhaustive. The need to find specific forms of management of common resources - water, land; of general products - for example the "quality schemes" known by the CAP; the need for rapid deployment of specific technologies that are needed to derive synergistic benefits from ecology and agriculture; solving the food and farming problem. The agricultural contract is defined as a social category combining: (1) a system of interconnected institutions, uniting common rules and contractual clauses; (2) market and non-market, contractual and non-contractual processes; (3) a hierarchical structure combining heterogeneous, hybrid economic mechanisms of exchange. Relying on the theory of Governance structure (GS) and the theory of the hybrid contract, the study matches the classical understanding of contract law and the procedural nature of the neoclassical organization, with the modern understanding of the economy as a system of contractual and non-market relations. A unified analytical toolkit is proposed for the subordination of relationships between companies, administrative hierarchies, hierarchies including arbitrators, in property rights disputes; market and non-market contracts, the hybridity of the technological process and the essence of the organization as a type of procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollinators are critical for agricultural production and food security, leading to many ongoing surveys of pollinators (especially bees) in crop and adjacent landscapes. These surveys have become increasingly important to better understand the community of potential pollinators, quantify relative insect abundance, and secure crop ecosystem services. However, as some bee populations are declining, there is a need to align and improve bee survey efforts, so that they can best meet research and conservation goals, particularly in light of the logistical and financial constraints of conducting such studies. Here, we mined the existing literature on bee surveys in or around agricultural lands to better understand how sampling methods can be optimized to maximize estimates of 2 key measures of bee communities (abundance and richness). After reviewing 72 papers spanning 20 yr of publication, we found that study duration, number of sites, sampling time, and sampling method most significantly influenced abundance, while the number of trips per year and collection method significantly influenced richness. Our analysis helps to derive thresholds, priorities, and recommendations that can be applied to future studies describing bee communities in agroecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper reports on an evaluative study of an agroecology movement that has been running in South Africa for over 20 years. The study applied a Value Creation Framework to gather value creation stories from key movement members, farmers, trainers, and the involved organizations. Data was generated through storytelling interviews, document analysis and participant observations. The findings show that the functions of the movement are enabled by support from tertiary institutions, government departments, NGOs, international networks and the private sector. In the initial stages, the movement's growth as measured by the uptake of agroecology faced resistance because the associated labor intensity, especially in the early stages and farmers considered it to be very slow compared to conventional methods. However, the movement's mobilization through open dialogs, co-creation and farmer-centered learning approaches has seen a gradual and wide adoption of agroecology practices by over 2700 new and existing farmers in the Eastern Cape alone, thereby widening the learning and seed-sharing network. In the communities it has reached, the movement has registered transformational gains in biodiversity preservation, social cohesion, market power, gender equality and food security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the 20th century, there has been an ongoing agricultural expansion and global warming, two of the main determinants influencing biodiversity changes in Argentina. The red hocicudo mouse (Oxymycterus rufus) inhabits subtropical grasslands and riparian habitats and has increased its abundance in recent years in central Argentina agroecosystems. This paper describes the long‐term temporal changes in O. rufus abundance in Exaltación de la Cruz department, Buenos Aires province, Argentina, in relation to weather fluctuations and landscape features, as well as analyzes the spatio‐temporal structure of captures of animals. We used generalized liner models, semivariograms, the Mantel test, and autocorrelation functions for the analysis of rodent data obtained from trappings conducted between 1984 and 2014. O. rufus showed an increase in abundance across the years of study, with its distribution depending on landscape features, such as habitat types and the distance to floodplains. Capture rates showed a spatio‐temporal aggregation, suggesting expansion from previously occupied sites. O. rufus was more abundant at lower minimum temperatures in summer, higher precipitation in spring and summer, and lower precipitations in winter. Weather conditions affected O. rufus abundance, but there was local variation that differed from global patterns of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper shares the first reflections of an agroecology experience carried out by women - rural and urban-from the department of Valle Viejo, Catamarca, who became food producers in the context of the pandemic. The turning point was the arrival of the Rural Women Program in 2020, through which many women joined it, learning how to work the land and new paradigms linked to agroecology; firstly, out of necessity, then as a possible option. As social researchers, we are interested in analyzing that particular spatial and historical experience that does not admit copying from another. In this case, women force us to enrich existing theoretical corpus on agroecology from a situated experience that has little to do with what has already been written. Finally, the contribution that we will share comes from an ongoing research, and it is intended to show the multifactoriality of the space that occupies us, the dialogues emerged and the possibilities of carrying out a collaborative work in the production of new knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper discusses the increasing use of the term agroecology in scientific literature and how its meanings vary in different contexts. However, the key issue is not the different understandings of agroecology per se, but whether various interpretations align with its intrinsic systemic and transformative meaning. To address this, the paper presents an integrative framework to assess approaches that use the term agroecology, and distinguish between its enabling and disabling interpretations. The framework is applied to yield- and non-yield-oriented approaches (sustainable intensification, conservation agriculture, organic farming and regenerative farming), revealing concerns of hijacking or co-opting through (1) simplification, (2) false equivalence and (3) confusion. To prevent and/or respond to the – not necessarily intentional - process of neutralization of the transformative potential of agroecology, we propose a combination of accountability and regulatory efforts, education and collaboration to protect the integrity of the term and the principles it represents as well as to ensure its just and transformative contribution for (re-)shaping agri-food systems. [Display omitted] • We present a framework to assess approaches that use the term agroecology. • We have applied it to four farming approaches: SI, CA, OF and RF. • Simplification , false equivalence and confusing are the hijacking strategies found. • We discuss the implications for science and policy of our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Andhra Pradesh Zero Budget Natural Farming project was implemented by India's State of Andhra Pradesh in 2016 and renamed AP Community Managed Natural Farming (APCNF) in 2020. APCNF is recognised as a sucessful example of peasant-led agroecology by social movements, multilateral UN bodies, governments, and researchers. We offer more critical perspectives here, and argue that this agroecology model deepens inequality and dispossession. Despite claims to the contrary, APCNF is locked in an unchanged productivist paradigm controlled by capital in collaboration with the state. By co-opting agroecology, APCNF closes down options for a just transformation of the dominant agri-food regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After the fall of the USSR, Cuba was plunged into an economic crisis with devastating effects on the agricultural system. With few options, the government restructured its agricultural system from an industrial model to a model based on smallholders and agroecology. After several decades, the results of this transition have been far reaching for both landscapes and livelihoods. This research uses mixed-methods, including remote sensing, interviews, and economic and agricultural statistics to present the case study of a smallholder community that has undergone a shift from industrial sugarcane to small-scale agroecology. This work reveals that while agricultural extent has plummeted, production of staple crops has increased dramatically. At the same time, on-farm incomes and food market availability have risen steadily. In the context of strong social, economic, and environmental protections, this represents a process of a sustainable rural transition with several concurrent benefits to people and the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SOIL is a vital component in the agroecosystem that can control the forming and decomposition of carbohydrates through soil microbial activity. Carbohydrates are an essential part of our diet that can supply our bodies with more than half of human needs from energy. Carbohydrates also contribute to solving the global food crisis by supplying humans and animals with carbohydrate-based foods under different agroecosystems. This review focuses on the fantastic journey of carbohydrates in the agroecosystem, which starts from the soil as a leadingcentral pool for carbon sequestration and carbohydrates forming by plants, the practical microbial activities on carbohydrates, and the role of carbohydrates against climate change. This journey continues after forming carbohydrates by cultivated plants or their microbial decomposition till their consumption by humans/animals using the in vitro engineered digestion models. This journey can also show some applications of carbohydrates in different sectors such as food, ecology, pharma, therapeutics, and agriculture. Due to the importance of carbohydrate-based foods for human health, it is a crucial issue to present in vitro digestion models of such macro-molecules. Further studies on carbohydrates are needed on many global issues, including climate change, such as loss of soil fertility, soil erosion, and carbohydrate-based agro-biotechnology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Epichloë genus represents a significant group of above-ground endophytes extensively researched for their potential applications in agriculture and ecology. Additionally, Epichloë species synthesize bioactive alkaloids, which generally cause health problems in livestock and have detrimental effects on the performance of insect herbivores. Psathyrostachys lanuginosa serves as a valuable forage grass for livestock owing to its high nutritional value and resilience in adverse environmental conditions. Nevertheless, to date, no reports have documented Epichloë as endophytes of P. lanuginosa. In this study, four strains (PF5, PF9, QG2, and QG4) were isolated and identified through morphological, molecular, and phylogenetic analyses as endophytes of P. lanuginosa. Morphological analysis indicated colony characteristics and conidia features consistent with symbiotic Epichloë, with no significant differences observed in growth rates or conidia dimensions among the four strains. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed all strains as E. bromicola. Additionally, alkaloid biosynthetic genes were detected, revealing differences in the potential synthesis of peramine and indole diterpenoid alkaloids among strains from different geographic origins. However, all four E. bromicola strains exhibited similar potential for synthesizing ergot alkaloids, but not loline alkaloids. Overall, this study identified P. lanuginosa as a novel host for E. bromicola and provided insights into the alkaloid profiles of these strains, laying a solid foundation for the scientific and rational utilization of Epichloë resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Anbar Journal of Agricultural Sciences is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) 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.)

To improve cover crops such as peas (Pisum sativum), as rotational partners, intraspecific variation for cover cropping traits such as nutrient mobilization, carbon deposition, and beneficial microbial recruitment must be identified. The majority of research on cover crops has focused on interspecies comparisons for cover cropping variation with minimal research investigating intraspecies variation. To address if variation of cover cropping traits is present within a cover cropping species, we grew 15 diverse accessions (four modern cultivars, three landraces, and eight wild accessions) of pea in a certified organic setting. We measured various cover cropping traits, such as nutrient mobilization, soil organic matter deposition, and microbial recruitment, and quantified the effect of pea accession on the growth and yield of a subsequently planted crop of corn (Zea mays). We discovered that the domestication history of pea has a significant impact on soil properties. Specifically, domesticated peas (modern cultivars and landraces) had higher average plant–soil feedback values for amounts of nitrogen, carbon, and manganese compared to wild peas. Additionally, no variation for prokaryotic recruitment (α‐ and β‐diversity) was observed within pea; however, we did observe significant variation for fungal recruitment (α‐ and β‐diversity) due to domestication and accession. Our results demonstrate that there is variation present in peas, and likely all crops, that can be selected to improve them as rotational partners to ultimately boost crop yields in sustainable agroecosystems. Core Ideas: Crop rotation value is the impact one crop has on the subsequent crop mediated by plant‐soil feedback.Intraspecific variation in rotational value traits likely exists in many crops.Cover crops are selected to improve the yield of subsequent crops, yet very few studies on cover crops have examined the intra‐specific variation in traits that confer rotational value that breeders could select to make cover crops better at being cover crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly diverse agroecosystems are increasingly of interest as the realization of farms' invaluable ecosystem services grows. Simultaneously, there has been an increased use of uncrewed aerial systems (UASs) in remote sensing, as drones offer a finer spatial resolution and faster revisit rate than traditional satellites. With the combined utility of UASs and the attention on agroecosystems, there is an opportunity to assess UAS practicality in highly biodiverse settings. In this study, we utilized UASs to collect fine-resolution 10-band multispectral imagery of coffee agroecosystems in Puerto Rico. We created land cover maps through a pixel-based supervised classification of each farm and assembled accuracy assessments for each classification. The average overall accuracy (53.9%), though relatively low, was expected for such a diverse landscape with fine-resolution data. To bolster our understanding of the classifications, we interviewed farmers to understand their thoughts on how these maps may be best used to support their land management. After sharing imagery and land cover classifications with farmers, we found that while the prints were often a point of pride or curiosity for farmers, integrating the maps into farm management was perceived as impractical. These findings highlight that while researchers and government agencies can increasingly apply remote sensing to estimate land cover classes and ecosystem services in diverse agroecosystems, further work is needed to make these products relevant to diversified smallholder farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The anti-fungal properties of the probiotic bacterium Bacillus subtilis have been studied extensively in agriculture and ecology, but their applications in the built environment remain to be determined. Our work aims to utilize this biological component to introduce new diverse anti-mold properties into paint. "Mold" refers to the ubiquitous fungal species that generate visible multicellular filaments commonly found in household dust. The development of mold leads to severe health problems for occupants, including allergic response, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, and asthma, which have significant economic and clinical outcomes. We here demonstrate the robust effect of a commercial paint enhanced with Bacillus subtilis cells against the common mold agent, Aspergillus niger, and identify three biosynthetic clusters essential for this effect. Our results lay the foundation for bio-convergence and synthetic biology approaches to introduce renewable and environmentally friendly bio-anti-fungal agents into the built environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The amount of anthropogenic activity in the environment has significantly increased due to urbanization and industrialization. Toxic metals and other contaminants have become more concentrated as a result, appearing in wastewater released by many sectors. Aquatic animals suffer as a result of tainted wastewater entering water bodies. As a result, damage also occurs in the crops contaminating the agricultural ecology. Although several techniques have been used to detoxify contaminants in wastewater, the current situation necessitates environmentally acceptable and economically viable techniques for wastewater treatment. To fulfill this objective, this review is aimed at exploring the major sources of metals in wastewater. The traditional techniques for treating wastewater take a lot of time and are not environmentally or financially sustainable. Utilizing microorganisms, plants, and biomass leftovers to break down metal poisons is a proven biotechnology strategy that is environmentally friendly. Hence, the review highlights the drawbacks of conventional techniques with importance of bioremediation for sustainable ecosystem. Also, phytoremediation—the process of removing metals from the environment using plants is discussed as a successful strategy. Plants are thought to be the most effective option for wastewater remediation because they contain a variety of microorganisms and enzymes that aid in the detoxification of metals from wastewater. Overall, to gain a better understanding of environmentally friendly and sustainable ways, the buildup and detoxification of metals through the use of plants, microorganisms, and biomass residues in environmental remediation is highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, agroecology has gained prominence as one of the innovative approaches to agriculture that could positively contribute to achieving sustainable food systems. As a transdisciplinary science, agroecology could benefit from the contribution of socio-economic sciences. This study aims to give an overview of how scholars have approached socio-economic issues in the field of agroecology. A scoping review was conducted by using the PRISMA-ScR method, searching both Scopus and Web of Sciences databases. The selected body of literature (183 articles) provides an overview of the key socio-economic dimensions analysed in the literature on agroecology and the results achieved by scholars. The findings allowed drawing the research gaps and the future research directions in this domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cover crops have the potential to mitigate climate change by reducing negative impacts of agriculture on ecosystems. This study is first to quantify the net climate change mitigation impact of cover crops including land-use effects. A systematic literature and data review was conducted to identify major drivers for climate benefits and costs of cover crops in maize (Zea maize L.) production systems. The results indicate that cover crops lead to a net climate change mitigation impact (NCCMI) of 3.30 Mg CO2e ha-1 a-1. We created four scenarios with different impact weights of the drivers and all of them showing a positive NCCMI. Carbon land benefit, the carbon opportunity costs based on maize yield gains following cover crops, is the major contributor to the NCCMI (34.5% of all benefits). Carbon sequestration is the second largest contributor (33.8%). The climate costs of cover crops are mainly dominated by emissions from their seed production and foregone benefits due to land use for cover crops seeds. However, these two costs account for only 15.8% of the benefits. Extrapolating these results, planting cover crops before all maize acreage in the EU results in a climate change mitigation of 49.80 million Mg CO2e a-1, which is equivalent to 13.0% of the EU's agricultural emissions. This study highlights the importance of incorporating cover crops into sustainable cropping systems to minimize the agricultural impact to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Coleomegilla maculata lengi is an important insect predator in North American agroecosystems. Collection records reveal that the reputed range for C. maculata lengi has been substantially underestimated. New records indicate an expanded geographic range, including the recent expansion of C. maculata lengi in central North America and a new state record for Wyoming, USA. The expanding geographic range of C. maculata lengi contrasts with that of several species of lady beetles native to North America. Several species of lady beetle native to North America have declined in abundance in the last few decades, often accompanied by contractions in their geographic ranges. Coleomegilla maculata lengi is a lady beetle native to North America that is an important predator of pests in various agroecosystems. Its reported range spans the eastern half of the USA, with no sustained decline in abundance or contraction of its range reported. Indeed, we recently collected several individuals of this lady beetle in central USA roughly 500 km beyond the western edge of its reputed range. We hypothesized that new records could indicate either that previous range characterization failed to include pre-existing collection records further west or that C. maculata lengi has recently expanded its geographic range. To test these hypotheses, we searched several institutional insect collections and digital databases for records and found many earlier records of C. maculata lengi beyond its reputed geographic range, clearly showing that the previous characterization of its geographic distribution in North America was substantially underestimated. In addition, we report a new state record of C. maculata lengi from Wyoming, USA, that further indicates its geographic range expansion in North America. We discuss new records of C. maculata lengi in light of declines in native coccinelline lady beetle species in North America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Cameroon Academy of Sciences Journal is the property of Cameroon Academy of Sciences 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.)

This study aims to determine the awareness levels of our students residing in urban and rural areas regarding their perceptions of selected current fundamental concepts which are related to interdisciplinary learning-based agriculture. The data are collected with a questionnaire containing 16 current agricultural concepts developed by the researcher. Survey research, which is one of the quantitative research methods, is used as the research method. The study is conducted with 1209 secondary school students (5-8th grades) using a layered purposive sampling method. The results show that the awareness levels of the students participating in this study regarding current concepts in agriculture differ in gender, class level, father's profession, and the characteristics of the place of residence. Despite variations in some concepts, in general, it is observed that male students in 7th and 8th grades, the students whose fathers are farmers, and those residing in villages and county towns have an advantage in terms of the gender variable. It is observed that our students have lower knowledge levels in terms of heirloom, genetically modified seeds, medicinal and aromatic plants, and agricultural ecology among the 16 current concepts and they seem to be more knowledgeable about concepts such as good farming practices, desertification, water management, drought, human-induced soil degradation, food safety, and conservation of plant. Especially our students, who are the future of our society, need to have basic knowledge about agriculture in order to make decisions about agriculture. In the light of the results obtained from our study, it can be said that teaching agriculture as a course in secondary schools or including these subjects in the content of science courses will contribute to our country and our world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of pesticides often leads to environmental contamination above acceptable levels. The level of contamination is related to poor pesticide application practices, in addition to the properties of pesticides and soil characteristics. The primary objective of this study was to characterize herbicides and their application practices in cereal crops in the regions of Hauts-Bassins, Sud-Ouest, Cascades, and Boucle du Mouhoun in Burkina Faso. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect and extract data from 617 cereal farmers in the four regions. During the survey, the identified herbicides were characterized using pesticide property databases. The survey shows that most cereal farmers in the regions are illiterate (58.18%) and have not received any training in pesticide use (84.28%). Only a small percentage of farmers (1.3%) consult technical services for the selection of herbicides to be used. The survey also revealed that 60% of farmers leave empty herbicide containers in the wild, 39.93% use water sources to clean sprayers, and 17.83% use them to prepare the spray mixture. A total of 25 active ingredients were identified in 117 commercial herbicide products with a total use of 8100 litres and 280 kg. Of the listed herbicides, 45.37% were not approved by the Sahel Pesticide Committee (CSP). Among the non-approved herbicides, 27.78% contained paraquat, atrazine, and acetochlor, which the CSP bans. The study shows that farmers do not follow good practices when using herbicides, which can contaminate different environmental compartments and cause harmful effects to non-target organisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insect recognition, crucial for agriculture and ecology studies, benefits from advancements in RGB image-based deep learning, yet still confronts accuracy challenges. To address this gap, the HI30 dataset is introduced, comprising 2115 hyperspectral images across 30 insect categories, which offers richer information than RGB data for enhancing classification accuracy. To effectively harness this dataset, this study presents the Two-Branch Self-Correlation Network (TBSCN), a novel approach that combines spectrum correlation and random patch correlation branches to exploit both spectral and spatial information. The effectiveness of the HI30 and TBSCN is demonstrated through comprehensive testing. Notably, while ImageNet-pre-trained networks adapted to hyperspectral data achieved an 81.32% accuracy, models developed from scratch with the HI30 dataset saw a substantial 9% increase in performance. Furthermore, applying TBSCN to hyperspectral data raised the accuracy to 93.96%. Extensive testing confirms the superiority of hyperspectral data and validates TBSCN's efficacy and robustness, significantly advancing insect classification and demonstrating these tools' potential to enhance precision and reliability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Himalayan composting toilets (CTs) offer a sustainable solution for converting human faeces (HF) into compost, supplementing the low-fertile land of the region. However, CTs face challenges such as delayed composting processes (6–8 months), increased heavy metal content, and foul odour. Therefore, the current study evaluated biochar-amended psychrotrophic bacteria for HF degradation under low-temperature conditions (10 ± 2 °C). Out of 153 psychrotrophic bacteria isolated from HF compost, 17 bacterial strains were selected based on highest and two or more hydrolytic activities. Furthermore, considering the isolation source, bacterial strains were examined for haemolytic activity, biofilm formation, cytotoxicity and seed germination assay. In total, 14 potential strains belonging to Pseudomonas, Microbacterium, Arthrobacter, Streptomyces, Glutamicibacter, Rhodococcus, Serratia, Exiguobacterium, and Jeotgalicoccus genera were considered safe for both human handling and plants. The composting process was conducted in modified plastic drums at 10 ± 2 °C for 90 days through two treatments: Treatment 1 (T1) involving HF, non-immobilized biochar and cocopeat, and Treatment 2 (T2) involving HF, consortium-immobilized biochar and cocopeat. The consortium-immobilized biochar (T2) degraded HF within 90 days with hemicellulose and cellulose degradation ratios of 73.9% and 62.4%, respectively (p ≤ 0.05). The compost maturation indices like C/N ratio (16.5 ± 1.85), total nitrogen (2.66 ± 0.07), total phosphate (0.4 ± 0.005), total potassium (1.8 ± 0.05) also improved in T2 treatment (p ≤ 0.05). Additionally, T2 was more effective in achieving safe levels of faecal coliforms (< 1000 MPN g−1) and reducing heavy metal content compared to T1. 16S rRNA amplicon-based analysis demonstrated an enhancement of bacterial community diversity in T2, with the presence of Rhodococcus, Pseudomonas, Arthrobacter, and Streptomyces at the end of the composting period promoting HF degradation. Furthermore, T2-fertilized soil showed a germination index (121 ± 0.4, p ≤ 0.05) and stimulated root, shoot and yield by 110%, 45.2%, and 288%, respectively, in pea (Pisum sativum var. AS-10) compared to T1 (49.6%, 19%, and 5.8%, respectively) (p ≤ 0.05). In conclusion, the developed biochar-based formulation proved effective in degrading HF at low temperatures, mitigating foul odours, reducing heavy metals, and enhancing the agronomic value of the final compost. This study presents a promising approach for the sustainable management of HF that can supplement the non-nutritive soil of high-altitude regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is expected to have differential impacts on different zones. In this study, we employed the Ricardian technique, estimated through ordinary least squares (OLS) to assess the impact of climate change on farmers' revenue. We use survey data from two distinct agroecological zones in Cameroon. Our results show that rainfall is the main climatic variable affecting farmers' revenue. The results are statistically different for the two agroecological zones. While rainfall in the dry season affects revenue in the western highland zone. No climatic variable seems to affect farm revenue in the bimodal forest zone. These results suggest that the abundance of forest in the bimodal zone maybe be shielding the zone from the effects of climate change. We therefore recommend that farmers employ water harvesting and low-cost irrigation methods to cope with changes in rainfall pattern especially in extended dry seasons. Facilitating farmers' access to climate information particularly with respect to the onset and cessation of rains will improve the planning of farm operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of globalization, two major human challenges are global warming and the loss of biological and cultural diversity. Solving the latter problem can help reduce greenhouse gases, diversify production, and maintain agrobiodiversity. The objective was to propose a design of complex agroecosystems based on indigenous and scientific knowledge. In 66 agroecosystems from seven ejidos (communal lands used for agriculture), the tree species were determined in 400 square meter plots, considering three layers: high (up to 35 m), middle (up to 25 m), and low (< 17.5 m), estimating carbon sequestration using allometric equations. Three participatory workshops were carried out with 36 peasants to corroborate the species observed in the field and create lists of attributes (foliage production, cover, growth speed, and flowering and fruiting periods). With these attributes, as well as carbon sequestration capacity, melliferous and nectar potential, a proposal for an agroecosystem design was developed. The species that sequestered the largest amount of carbon was: Pouteria sapota, Manilkara sapota, Brosimum alicastrum, and Calophyllum brasiliense. The highest valued species were: Spondias mombin, Citrus limon, and Psidium guajava, Guazuma ulmifolia, Trema micrantha, Inga spp., Bursera simaruba, Mangifera indica, Pouteria sapota, and Tabebuia rosea; in the shrub and understory layer Musa paradisiaca, Coffea arabica, Chamaedorea tepejilote, and Chamaedorea spp. The combination of indigenous and western scientific knowledge allows the structuring of complex agroecological matrices to diversify coffee agroecosystems. This can be the basis for reducing poverty, conserving, or restoring different trophic relationships, and reducing global warming. Section 1 presents the literature reviewed. Section 2 presents a description of the study area with the main biological and social characteristics, also, the main methods used to characterize coffee agroecosystems, the estimation of carbon sequestration and valuation of tree species by peasants and the attributes used for the proposal of design of agroecosystems. Sections 3 and 4 present the discussion of results and finally in Sect. 5, the conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bakanae is one of the important diseases of rice in Bangladesh that causes substantial yield loss every year. We collected thirty isolates of Fusarium spp. from bakanae-infected rice plants from different agroecological zones of Bangladesh and investigated the variations in cultural and morphological characteristics and pathogenicity. Diversity was found in cultural characteristics, viz., colony features, phialide, chlamydospore formation, shape, and size of macro- and microconidia. Three variants of Fusarium species such as F. moniliforme, F. fujikuroi, and F. proliferatum were identified on PDA media based on their cultural and morphological characteristics. Isolate FM10 (F. moniliforme) exhibited the highest disease aggressiveness in developing elongated plants (26.50 cm), the highest number of chlorotic leaves (5.75), and a lower germination percentage. We evaluated different bioagents against the virulent isolate of F. moniliforme to develop a rice bakanae disease management approach. Four bioagents, viz., Trichoderma spp., Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and Achromobacter spp., were evaluated for growth suppression of F. moniliforme. Among the bioagents, Achromobacter spp. and B. subtilis (BS21) showed 73.54% and 71.61% growth suppression, respectively. The investigation revealed that the application of Achromobacter spp. and B. subtilis (BS21) would be a potential candidate for effective and eco-friendly management of the bakanae disease of rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This systematic review identified the prevalence, effectiveness, and potential benefits of agroecology strategies in promoting sustainable agriculture practices implemented by smallholder crop farmers in South Africa. The review carried out a comprehensive literature search across various academic databases, including PubMed, Scopus, and Web of science. The relevant studies were screened and selected based on predetermined inclusion criteria where a total of 262 articles were extracted and reduced to 30 articles for this systematic review. Data were extracted and synthesised to classify patterns and trends in the adoption of agroecology elements. The results obtained from the review of this study highlights the identification of specific strategies such as indigenous crop varieties, conservation agriculture, intercropping, agroforestry, drought-tolerant crop varieties, and water management strategies. These outcomes demonstrated insights into the prevalence of different strategies applied by smallholder crop farmers in South Africa. Furthermore, the review determined the reported benefits, such as increased crop resilience, improved soil fertility, and enhanced water use efficiency. These benefits were assessed on the available evidence from the selected studies. This review contributes to a better understanding of agroecology practices in South African. The results can inform policymakers, researchers, and farmers in developing appropriate strategies to enhance sustainable agricultural practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a crucial need for tools to help researchers, technicians and farmers designing sustainable agroecosystems based on agroecology Indeed, such agroecosystems are inherently complex and their design requires to integrate various data and unstabilised scientific knowledge. In this paper, we consider the issue of selecting service plant species according to their potential to provide ecosystem services. To tackle that issue, we adopt an approach based both on a formalized representation of domain knowledge, which enables reasoning, and on the exploitation of available data, collected independently of the targeted application. More specifically, we rely on the one hand on recent scientific results in agronomy linking functional traits (i.e., measurable characteristics of plant species) to ecosystem services, and on the other hand on data about functional traits collected by the research community in ecology. The architecture of our system is inspired by the ontology-based data access paradigm, which allows to combine data and knowledge in a principled way. We provide a methodology to acquire scientific knowledge in the form of diagrams linked to data sources, as well as a formalization in a logical rule-based language. Importantly, our rules are independent from specific diagrams and data, to ensure genericity and facilitate the evolution of the system. We detail the construction of a knowledge base devoted to vine grassing, i.e., installing herbaceous service plants in vineyards, and present an evaluation of the system's results on this use case. We finally discuss the lessons learned and further challenges to be met. • Plant functional traits can be linked to ecosystem services (ES) using a logical rule-based language. • An ontology-based data access approach enables to identify the most relevant species for a desired ES. • The management of missing and redundant trait values in databases is key to the reliability of species selection. • The proposed tool ranks service plant species similarly to published and expert knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sun-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) provides an opportunity to study terrestrial ecosystem photosynthesis dynamics. However, the current coarse spatiotemporal satellite SIF products are challenging for mechanistic interpretations of SIF signals. Long-term ground SIF and vegetation indices (VIs) are important for satellite SIF validation and mechanistic understanding of the relationship between SIF and photosynthesis when combined with leaf- and canopy-level auxiliary measurements. In this study, we present and analyze a total of 15 site-years of ground far-red SIF (SIF at 760 nm, SIF760) and VIs datasets from soybean, corn, and miscanthus grown in the U.S. Corn Belt from 2016 to 2021. We introduce a comprehensive data processing protocol, including different retrieval methods, calibration coefficient adjustment, and nadir SIF footprint upscaling to match the eddy covariance footprint. This long-term ground far-red SIF and VIs dataset provides important and first-hand data for far-red SIF interpretation and understanding the mechanistic relationship between far-red SIF and canopy photosynthesis across various crop species and environmental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]