About this Research Topic

Background

Agricultural diversification can improve crop productivity and deliver multiple ecosystem services by adopting more diversified cropping systems through crop rotation, multiple cropping or intercropping in arable crops, intercropping in orchards, and agroforestry. Diversification also aims to reduce inputs of energy and agrochemicals, and decrease the negative effects of intensive agriculture on soil quality, water pollution and eutrophication, emissions of greenhouse gases, soil erosion, and loss of biodiversity. If coupled with sustainable soil management strategies, adopting cover crops for green manure or fodder, conservation agriculture (reduced tillage, crop diversification, and residue management), organic farming and fertilization management, also contribute to increased yields, profitability, and resilience to climate change, environmental risk, and socio-economic shocks in the long-term.

The goal is to understand the benefits and environmental and socio-economic barriers of crop diversification. A consolidation of the research in this field will show the value of these new developments and indicate directions for further research. With a better understanding of the different ecosystem services that a diversified agricultural system can provide, practical implementation can be fostered. If economic barriers are primarily standing in the way of a more sustainable agroecosystem, economic analysis is needed to evaluate how the situation could be changed and which policy measures would be needed and appropriate. Ultimately, the goal is to achieve a sustainable ecosystem in terms of soil quality, fertility and pollutants, soil structure, water availability, soil carbon sequestration, reduction of erosion rates, mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, and economic profitability.

Original research articles from experimental, modeling, and integrated assessment (i.e., life cycle assessment, multi-criteria analyses) approaches, as well as review papers, including systematic reviews, are welcome.

The main focus is on the themes below. Suggested Topic Editors are in parentheses.

1. Soil nutrients, pollutants, and chemical characteristics (Rosa Francaviglia, María Almagro Bonmatí)
2. Biogeochemical cycles, carbon sequestration, ecosystem carbon stock (María Almagro Bonmatí, Rosa Francaviglia)
3. Greenhouse gases emissions (Roman Hüppi)
4. Soil structure and other soil physical properties, water availability, soil erosion (Jesús Rodrigo-Comino)
5. Studies on agricultural diversification and economic profitability (Heikki Lehtonen)

Keywords: sustainable soil management, soil, nutrients, pollutants, biogeochemical cycling, soil structure, soil erosion, carbon sequestration, agricultural diversification, ecosystem services, intercropping, crop rotations, multiple cropping, agroforestry, low input farming, economic profitability

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