Submission deadlines
Manuscript Submission Deadline 17 January 2025
This Research Topic is still accepting articles.
- Frontiers in Agronomy
- Climate-Smart Agronomy
- Research Topics
- Climate-Smart Agriculture: Enhancing Sustainable Crop Production in Arid and Semi-arid Environments through Conservation of Natural Resources
Climate-Smart Agriculture: Enhancing Sustainable Crop Production in Arid and Semi-arid Environments through Conservation of Natural Resources
1,526
Total Views and Downloads
Submit your idea
Select the journal/section where you want your idea to be submitted:
About this Research Topic
Background
Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) is a comprehensive, cross-disciplinary approach that aims to address the challenges posed by climate change on agricultural systems, with a particular focus on enhancing soil health, resilience to agroecosystems from abiotic and biotic stress, and promoting sustainable crop production. Agriculture faces unique challenges in arid and semi-arid regions, such as the increased frequency of extreme weather events that threaten global food security and the overall well-being of humans and the ecosystem. Therefore, CSA approaches are recognized as the critical and urgent need for commercial agriculture that adapts to changing climatic conditions and contributes to global climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts.
One key aspect of CSA is promoting soil health, which involves adopting practices that improve soil structure, fertility, and water retention. Healthy soils act as a natural buffer against climate extremes, enhancing the resilience of crops to adverse climatic conditions. CSA also promotes the development of crop varieties resilient to abiotic and biotic stress (extreme or harsh weather or other challenging environments) through advanced breeding techniques and biotechnology. Agriculture is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions; however, it also has the potential to sequester carbon through practices like agroforestry and conservation agriculture. Additionally, integrating agroecological principles into CSA that contribute to beneficial ecosystem services such as cover cropping, conservation tillage, livestock integration, crop diversification, and integrated pest and nutrient management are crucial aspects of building resilient agricultural systems.
Recent advances in agricultural science and technology have provided new tools for implementing CSA. Precision farming, data-driven decision-making, agriculture based on data science approaches like machine learning and artificial intelligence, and the use of remote sensing technologies can enable farmers to optimize resource use and respond effectively to changing climate conditions. Despite these advancements, challenges persist in ensuring the widespread adoption of CSA practices. Limited access to technology, financial constraints, and the need for supportive policies are still impeding the adoption of CSA in large commercial farms. Addressing these challenges is essential to realizing the full potential of CSA in enhancing agricultural sustainability.
Food security is a paramount concern, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions where the impacts of climate change are pronounced. CSA not only contributes to increased crop yields and improved resilience but also promotes sustainable farming systems that safeguard food production in the long term. By enhancing the adaptive capacity of agriculture to climate change, CSA plays a crucial role in ensuring food security for growing populations. Implementing CSA practices in these areas not only helps farmers the current challenges but also prepares them for future uncertainties.
Climate-smart agriculture indicates a holistic approach that can strengthen food and agricultural production systems in arid and semi-arid environments. By focusing on ecosystem health, resilience, and sustainability, CSA contributes to climate change mitigation efforts and bolsters future food security. However, overcoming barriers to adoption remains crucial for the widespread success of CSA practices.
Recognizing the significance of agriculture in semi-arid and arid climates underscore the importance of investigating sustainable practices to ensure the resilience of global food systems. Our Research Topic will, therefore, document existing knowledge to help growers in the adaptive decision-making process and pioneer future agricultural research. In the face of escalating climate change and burgeoning global food demands, it is imperative to transform agricultural practices towards climate-smart and sustainable methods. Different biotic and abiotic stressors challenge growers to adopt sustainable agricultural tools and techniques, especially in arid and semi-arid climates.
The theme of this Research Topic will revolve around multi-and cross-disciplinary science, including climate-smart agricultural technologies, improved understanding of soil and plant interactions, and adoption of modern technologies for natural resource conservation aiming at sustainable development goals. Our collection seeks articles to foster interdisciplinary collaboration, uniting research from climate-smart agronomy, plant-soil-microbe interactions, irrigation technologies, and precision nutrient management. It will explore innovative techniques and strategies aligned with precision agriculture, regenerative farming, and sustainable agriculture to optimize agricultural production in arid and semi-arid environments. In addition, it will address challenges faced by farmers, resource constraints, policy implications, and socioeconomic factors that influence the adoption of climate-smart practices.
This Research Topic will serve as a platform for exchanging knowledge, practical solutions, and transformative ideas to safeguard sustainable agriculture's future in a changing climate. Despite recent advances in agricultural science and technologies, challenges from unpredictable weather patterns, water scarcity, and soil health degradation remain consistent threats to sustainable farming. Commercial crop production is further impeded by resource inefficiency, overreliance on chemical inputs, and inadequate resource management. To overcome these challenges, stakeholders can rely on precision agriculture technologies that can optimize resource use, while agroecological approaches can enhance climate resilience. Cover cropping and organic amendments may contribute to soil health while switching to regenerative farming can promote sustainable crop production. Recent breakthroughs, including using artificial intelligence for precision farming, soil health conservation, and irrigation technologies that improve water-use-efficiencies, are promising and showing significant outcomes. Currently, most national administrations have championed the climate-smart agriculture movement, prioritizing sustainable practices to mitigate the impacts of climate change. Focused on innovation, conservation, and equitable rural development, their approach emphasizes carbon sequestration, precision farming, and support for resilient agroecosystems.
To address current research needs and recent scientific advances in the arena of climate-smart agriculture and foster sustainable crop production for the benefit of commercial agriculture and global food security, we are requesting scientific manuscripts on the following topics:
1. Climate-smart Agriculture: Climate-resilient crop production, low greenhouse gas emission agronomic strategies, implementation and impact of innovative natural and agricultural ecosystems, modelling climate impacts on crop growth and development, and advanced cropping systems for ecological benefits such as improved biodiversity, soil conservation, and reduced environmental impact. Any relevant research that contributes to beneficial ecosystem services and promotes a climate-smart, sustainable, and resilient farming system.
2. Plant-Soil Interactions: Role of soil microbiota in promoting plant health and resilience against environmental stresses, strategies to enhance beneficial microbial communities through the use of cover crops, organic amendments, and biofertilizers, aiming to improve soil structure, nutrient cycling, and overall soil health; approached enhancing carbon sequestration and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
3. Precision Nutrient and Irrigation Management: Precision nutrient and irrigation systems, sensor technologies, remote sensing-based irrigation scheduling, deficit irrigation, and data analytics to enhance nutrient and water-use efficiency; smart irrigation techniques to boost the adoption of drip and sprinkler systems to maximize water savings.
Article types and fees
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
- Brief Research Report
- Data Report
- Editorial
- General Commentary
- Hypothesis and Theory
- Methods
- Mini Review
- Opinion
- Original Research
Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.
Keywords: Climate-smart Agriculture, Plant-Soil Interactions, Natural Resource Conservation, Sustainable Agriculture, Precision Agriculture
Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
Topic editors
Topic coordinators
Frequently asked questions
Frontiers' Research Topics are collaborative hubs built around an emerging theme.Defined, managed, and led by renowned researchers, they bring communities together around a shared area of interest to stimulate collaboration and innovation.
Unlike section journals, which serve established specialty communities, Research Topics are pioneer hubs, responding to the evolving scientific landscape and catering to new communities.
The goal of Frontiers' publishing program is to empower research communities to actively steer the course of scientific publishing. Our program was implemented as a three-part unit with fixed field journals, flexible specialty sections, and dynamically emerging Research Topics, connecting communities of different sizes and maturity.
Research Topics originate from the scientific community. Many of our Research Topics are suggested by existing editorial board members who have identified critical challenges or areas of interest in their field.
As an editor, Research Topics will help you build your journal, as well as your community, around emerging, cutting-edge research. As research trailblazers, Research Topics attract high-quality submissions from leading experts all over the world.
A thriving Research Topic can potentially evolve into a new specialty section if there is sustained interest and a growing community around it.
Each Research Topic must be approved by the specialty chief editor, and it falls under the editorial oversight of our editorial boards, supported by our in-house research integrity team. The same standards and rigorous peer review processes apply to articles published as part of a Research Topic as for any other article we publish.
In 2023, 80% of the Research Topics we published were edited or co-edited by our editorial board members, who are already familiar with their journal's scope, ethos, and publishing model. All other topics are guest edited by leaders in their field, each vetted and formally approved by the specialty chief editor.
Publishing your article within a Research Topic with other related articles increases its discoverability and visibility, which can lead to more views, downloads, and citations. Research Topics grow dynamically as more published articles are added, causing frequent revisiting, and further visibility.
As Research Topics are multidisciplinary, they are cross-listed in several fields and section journals – increasing your reach even more and giving you the chance to expand your network and collaborate with researchers in different fields, all focusing on expanding knowledge around the same important topic.
Our larger Research Topics are also converted into ebooks and receive social media promotion from our digital marketing team.
Frontiers offers multiple article types, but it will depend on the field and section journals in which the Research Topic will be featured. The available article types for a Research Topic will appear in the drop-down menu during the submission process.
Yes, we would love to hear your ideas for a topic. Most of our Research Topics are community-led and suggested by researchers in the field. Our in-house editorial team will contact you to talk about your idea and whether you’d like to edit the topic. If you’re an early-stage researcher, we will offer you the opportunity to coordinate your topic, with the support of a senior researcher as the topic editor.
A team of guest editors (called topic editors) lead their Research Topic. This editorial team oversees the entire process, from the initial topic proposal to calls for participation, the peer review, and final publications.
The team may also include topic coordinators, who help the topic editors send calls for participation, liaise with topic editors on abstracts, and support contributing authors. In some cases, they can also be assigned as reviewers.
As a topic editor (TE), you will take the lead on all editorial decisions for the Research Topic, starting with defining its scope. This allows you to curate research around a topic that interests you, bring together different perspectives from leading researchers across different fields and shape the future of your field.
You will choose your team of co-editors, curate a list of potential authors, send calls for participation and oversee the peer review process, accepting or recommending rejection for each manuscript submitted.
As a topic editor, you're supported at every stage by our in-house team. You will be assigned a single point of contact to help you on both editorial and technical matters. Your topic is managed through our user-friendly online platform, and the peer review process is supported by our industry-first AI review assistant (AIRA).
If you’re an early-stage researcher, we will offer you the opportunity to coordinate your topic, with the support of a senior researcher as the topic editor. This provides you with valuable editorial experience, improving your ability to critically evaluate research articles and enhancing your understanding of the quality standards and requirements for scientific publishing, as well as the opportunity to discover new research in your field, and expand your professional network.
Yes, certificates can be issued on request. We are happy to provide a certificate for your contribution to editing a successful Research Topic.
Research Topics thrive on collaboration and their multi-disciplinary approach around emerging, cutting-edge themes, attract leading researchers from all over the world.
As a topic editor, you can set the timeline for your Research Topic, and we will work with you at your pace. Typically, Research Topics are online and open for submissions within a few weeks and remain open for participation for 6 – 12 months. Individual articles within a Research Topic are published as soon as they are ready.
Find out more about our Research Topics
Our fee support program ensures that all articles that pass peer review, including those published in Research Topics, can benefit from open access – regardless of the author's field or funding situation.
Authors and institutions with insufficient funding can apply for a discount on their publishing fees. A fee support application form is available on our website.
In line with our mission to promote healthy lives on a healthy planet, we do not provide printed materials. All our articles and ebooks are available under a CC-BY license, so you can share and print copies.
Published in
Frontiers in Agronomy
- Climate-Smart Agronomy
- Field Water Management
Manuscripts can be submitted to this Research Topic via the main journal or any other participating journal.
Submit your idea
Select the journal/section where you want your idea to be submitted:
Impact
- 1,526Topic views