Agricultural Diversification

• Other Authors: Di Bene, Claudia (Editor), Francaviglia, Rosa (Editor), Farina, Roberta (Editor), Álvaro-Fuentes, Jorge (Editor), Zornoza, Raúl (Editor)
• Format: Electronic Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI - Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute 2022
• Subjects: Research & information: general; Environmental economics; blue prawn; black tiger shrimp; economic efficiency; farming systems; salinity intrusion; soil salinity; white-legged shrimp; big blue stem; Cave in rock; claypan; forbs; legumes; intercropping; cropping systems; Sub-Saharan Africa; millet and sorghum; diversification; monocultivar; mixed-species plantation; biodiversity; arthropod; soil; on-farm biodiversity indicators; lupin; triticale; weeds; nitrogen; convolutional neural network; light competition; transfer learning; growth stages; mixed cropping; accumulate growing degree days; phyllochron; grass regrowth; leaf sheaths; blades; agricultural sustainability; crop rotation; rice; eco-economic benefit; externality; perennial cropping systems; grape production; medicinal and aromatic plants; grapevine yield; must quality; experimental design; aboveground mass; black medick; Egyptian clover; grain yield; nutrients; white clover; foodshed; archipelago; city region; food modelling; food self-sufficiency; self-reliance; food security; agricultural diversification; food planning; regional food system; crop diversification; small farms; HHI-Index; Poland; biochar; sunflower husk; soil respiration; soybean; n/a
• Online Access: DOAB: download the publication; DOAB: description of the publication

Agricultural diversification can occur in many forms (e.g., genetic variety, species, structural) and can be created temporally and over different spatially scales (e.g., within crop, within field, and landscape level). Crop diversification is the practice of growing more than one crop species within a farming area in the form of rotations (two or more crops on the same field in different years), multiple crops (more than one crop in the same season on the same field) or intercropping (at least two crops simultaneously on the same field).Various cropping strategies and management practices, such as diversification of cropping systems by crop rotation, conservation tillage, and the use of cover crops, have been promoted to enhance crop productivity and ecosystem services. However, the opportunities and means differ among regions and the actual effects of diversification on cropping system sustainability still need more investigation.This Special Issue covers the state-of-the-art and recent progress in different aspects related to agricultural diversification to increase the sustainability and resilience of a wide range of cropping systems (grassland, horticultural crops, fruit trees) and in a scenario of environmental challenges due to climate change: Crop production and quality; Impact of crop diversification on soil quality and biodiversity; Environmental impact and delivery of ecosystem services by crop diversification.