DOCSLIB.ORG

Intercropping Wheat and Barley with Nitrogen Fixing Legume Species in Low Input Organic Systems

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Intercropping Wheat and Barley with Nitrogen Fixing Legume Species in Low Input Organic Systems INTERCROPPING WHEAT AND BARLEY WITH NITROGEN FIXING LEGUME SPECIES IN LOW INPUT ORGANIC SYSTEMS by TEJENDRA CHAPAGAIN MSc Agriculture, Tribhuvan University, 2005 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE AND POSTDOCTORAL STUDIES (Plant Science) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Vancouver) September 2014 © Tejendra Chapagain, 2014 Abstract Declining land productivity associated with decreasing soil organic carbon (SOC) and nitrogen (N) is an issue for conventional production of small grains. Intercropping grains with legumes may provide a sustainable solution. I grew wheat (Triticum aestivum cv. ‘Scarlet’) as a monoculture and intercropped with either common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris cv. ‘Red Kidney’, or cv. ‘Black Turtle’), or fava bean (Vicia faba cv. ‘Bell’) in rows of wheat:bean 1:1 and 2:1 as well as broadcast arrangements to assess the effects of genotype and spatial arrangements on crop agronomy, land productivity, biological nitrogen fixation and transfer, N and carbon (C) accumulation in aboveground biomass, soil N balance, gross ecosystem photosynthesis (GEP), net ecosystem productivity (NEP), and water use efficiency (WUE). Barley (Hordeum vulgare cv. ‘Oxbridge’) and pea (Pisum sativum cv. ‘Reward’) were also included based on synchronized maturity, yield potential, protein content, and root architecture. Stable isotope methods (13C and 15N) coupled with field CO2 exchange measurements were used to determine C and N transformations. Intercrop plots had higher land productivity, improved grain and biomass quality, increased legume nodulation and percent N derived from symbiotic N2 fixation. Wheat-fava bean in the 1:1 arrangement displayed a 50% increase in land productivity. Barley-pea in the 2:1 arrangement also had the highest total land outputs (5.9 t ha-1) and land equivalent ratio (1.32). Wheat-fava bean in the 1:1 arrangement fixed the highest amount of N (74 kg N ha-1), transferred the most N (13% of N in wheat), and accumulated more C (26% higher than wheat monoculture) in shoot biomass. WUE of wheat was improved when grown with fava bean. Pea in intercrop plots also displayed increased nodulation (27-45%) and ii symbiotic N2 fixation (9-17%) leading to the addition of 60-78 kg N ha-1. The GEP and NEP were highest in the 2:1 arrangement and led to the highest daytime C sequestration (229 mg C m-2 hr-1). I demonstrated that intercropping small grains with legumes, in specific spatial arrangements and under low input organic conditions, can counter conventional monoculture-associated SOC and N losses through higher land and ecosystem productivity, and greater organic N-fixation and transfer. iii Preface This thesis entitled ‘Intercropping Wheat and Barley with Nitrogen Fixing Legume Species in Low Input Organic Systems’ is a product of field and lab research carried out at the University of British Columbia - Vancouver. The author is responsible for designing and implementing research activities, data collection, analysis and interpretation of the results, and writing manuscripts presented in this thesis. The findings presented in Chapters 2-5 have been published or accepted as the following publications. Chapagain, T. and A. Riseman (2012). Evaluation of Heirloom and Commercial Cultivars of Small Grains under Low Input Organic Systems. American Journal of Plant Sciences 3 (5): 655-669. Chapagain, T., L. Super and A. Riseman (2014). Root Architecture Variation in Wheat and Barley Cultivars. American Journal of Experimental Agriculture 4 (7): 849-856. Chapagain, T. and A. Riseman (2014). Intercropping Wheat and Beans: Effects on Agronomic Performance and Land Productivity. Crop Science 54 (5): 2285-2293. Chapagain, T. and A. Riseman (2014). Barley-Pea Intercropping: Effects on Land Productivity, Carbon and Nitrogen Transformations. Field Crops Research 166: 18-25. Chapagain, T. and A. Riseman, Nitrogen Transformation, Water Use Efficiency and Ecosystem Productivity in Monoculture and Wheat-Bean Intercropping Systems (Manuscript accepted for publication in Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems). iv Table of Contents Abstract....... .............................................................................................................................................................. ii Preface…….. ............................................................................................................................................................. iv Table of Contents .................................................................................................................................................. v List of Tables ........................................................................................................................................................... x List of Figures ...................................................................................................................................................... xiv List of Acronyms and Abbreviations ........................................................................................................... xv Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................................................... xvii Dedication………… ................................................................................................................................................ xx CHAPTER 1: BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND OBJECTIVES ......................................................... 1 1.1 Small Grain Production: Opportunities and Challenges ............................................................. 1 1.1.1 Soil degradation: An emerging issue in small grain production ................................. 3 1.2 Intercropping: An Alternative to Conventional Small Grain Production ............................. 4 1.3 Nitrogen Transfer between Legumes and Associated Non-legume Plants ......................... 6 1.4 Estimating Nitrogen Fixation and Transfer using 15N Isotope Methods.............................. 8 1.4.1 15N natural abundance method ............................................................................................. 10 1.5 Understanding Wheat and Barley Root Architecture .............................................................. 13 1.6 CO2 Uptake, Respiration and Carbon Sequestration ................................................................. 15 1.7 Water Use Efficiency ............................................................................................................................. 17 v 1.8 Research Goal and Specific Objectives ........................................................................................... 18 CHAPTER 2: CULTIVAR EVALUATION TRIAL ........................................................................................ 20 2.1 Materials and Methods ......................................................................................................................... 20 2.1.1 Climate description of the study area ................................................................................. 20 2.1.2 Soil and site description ........................................................................................................... 21 2.1.3 Experimental details .................................................................................................................. 21 2.1.4 Data collection and analysis .................................................................................................... 22 2.2 Results and Discussion ......................................................................................................................... 24 2.2.1 Plant-based parameters ........................................................................................................... 24 2.2.2 Management-based parameters ............................................................................................ 30 2.2.3 Protein content ............................................................................................................................ 33 2.3 Conclusions ............................................................................................................................................... 34 CHAPTER 3: WHEAT AND BARLEY ROOT ARCHITECTURE ............................................................. 57 3.1 Materials and Methods ......................................................................................................................... 57 3.1.1 Cultivar selection ......................................................................................................................... 57 3.1.2 Seed treatment ............................................................................................................................. 57 3.1.3 Study design and set-up ........................................................................................................... 58 3.1.4 Root architecture data analysis ............................................................................................. 58 3.2 Results and Discussion ......................................................................................................................... 59 3.2.1 Wheat root architecture ........................................................................................................... 59 vi 3.2.2 Barley root architecture ..........................................................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Efficacy of Intercropping Pattern in Reducing Weeds Infestation in Okra, Maize and Pepper Intercrop
    International Journal of Weed Science and Technology ISSN 4825-3499 Vol. 2 (1), pp. 063-069, January, 2018. Available online at www.advancedscholarsjournals.org © Advanced Scholars Journals Full Length Research Paper Efficacy of intercropping pattern in reducing weeds infestation in okra, maize and pepper intercrop *Ubini C. Thomas, Jaymiwhie Obanna and Ikogho B. Patrick Department of Crop and Soil Science, University of Port Harcourt, P. M. B 5323 Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Accepted 15 January, 2018 Field study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of intercropping pattern in reducing weed infestation in okra, maize and pepper intercrop; at the teaching and research farm of Rivers State University of Science and Technology Port Harcourt, Nigeria during 2009 and 2010 cropping season. Three intercropping pattern namely; alternate row intercropping, strip row intercropping and mixed intercropping were compared to sole cropping in a randomized complete block design replicated three times. The result reveal that weed biomass were significantly lower in both years in all forms of intercropping pattern compared to sole cropping or mono-cropping. Weed smothering efficiency in both years showed that mixed pattern (45.7%) >alternate row pattern (33.4%) > strip row pattern (11.5%). Crop yield were better in an intercrop system for maize and pepper in both years compared to -1 sole crop. However, mean okra fruit yield was highest in sole cropping (3253 kg ha ) when compared -1 to intercropping pattern. Maize yield was highest in mixed pattern (8,987 kg ha ) and lowest in sole -1 -1 cropping (6,955 kg ha ) while pepper fruit yield was highest in strip row pattern (5,435 kg ha ) and -1 lowest in mixed pattern (1,562 kg ha ).
    [Show full text]
  • Land Tenure Insecurity Constrains Cropping System Investment in the Jordan Valley of the West Bank
    sustainability Article Land Tenure Insecurity Constrains Cropping System Investment in the Jordan Valley of the West Bank Mark E. Caulfield 1,2,* , James Hammond 2 , Steven J. Fonte 1 and Mark van Wijk 2 1 Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1170, USA; [email protected] 2 International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Livestock Systems and the Environment, Nairobi 00100, Kenya; [email protected] (J.H.); [email protected] (M.v.W.) * Correspondence: markcaulfi[email protected]; Tel.: +212-(0)-6-39-59-89-18 Received: 17 July 2020; Accepted: 8 August 2020; Published: 13 August 2020 Abstract: The annual income of small-scale farmers in the Jordan Valley, West Bank, Palestine remains persistently low compared to other sectors. The objective of this study was therefore to explore some of the main barriers to reducing poverty and increasing farm income in the region. A “Rural Household Multi-Indicator Survey” (RHoMIS) was conducted with 248 farmers in the three governorates of the Jordan Valley. The results of the survey were verified in a series of stakeholder interviews and participatory workshops where farmers and stakeholders provided detailed insight with regard to the relationships between land tenure status, farm management, and poverty. The analyses of the data revealed that differences in cropping system were significantly associated with land tenure status, such that rented land displayed a greater proportion of open field cropping, while owned land and sharecropping tenure status displayed greater proportions of production systems that require greater initial investment (i.e., perennial and greenhouse).
    [Show full text]
  • Sustainable Development: Intercropping for Agricultural Production
    Session 3551 Sustainable Development: Intercropping for Agricultural Production Saeed D. Foroudastan, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Olivia Dees, Research Assistant Engineering Technology and Industrial Studies Department Middle Tennessee State University Abstract The damaging effects of monoculture threaten the sustainability of our world. Genetic engineering, or biotechnology, gravely endangers the future integrity of genes with possible unforeseen mutations. For example, Monsanto has created a terminator technology that will not allow farmers to reproduce their own plants from secondary seeds. This minimizes the diversity of plant crop varieties by which farmers have relied upon for centuries. Biotechnology may thereby cause irreparable damage to the sustainability of the world’s food supply. Although all biotechnology is not wrongful, most genetically engineered crops are potentially so dangerous that even insurance companies will not cover farmers that use them. Furthermore, the introduction of patent clone seeds will undermine the ability of rural farmers to compete for survival by raising prices on conventional seeds. This corners decision making into acceptance of the same crop cultivation. Environmental effects are devastating as more pesticides and herbicides are used for these plants, and resistant pests may abound. In addition, exponential population growth in cities presents the problem of land availability. The trick is to make the maximum use of space while balancing the environment. The beauty of intercropping is that many types exist so that specialization for different climates and terrain may be applied to a particular region. Research shows successful results with intercropping. Organic farmers often have superior net cash returns, making it a feasible option for mass production.
    [Show full text]
  • INTERCROPPING Proceedings of the Second Symposium on Intercropping in Semi-Arid Areas, Held at Morogoro, Tanzania, 4-7 August 1980 INTERCROPPING
    IDRC-186e INTERCROPPING Proceedings of the Second Symposium on Intercropping in Semi-Arid Areas, held at Morogoro, Tanzania, 4-7 August 1980 INTERCROPPING Proceedings of the Second Symposium on Intercropping in Semi-Arid Areas, held at Morogoro, Tanzania, 4-7 August 1980 Editors: C.L. Keswani and B.J. Ndunguru University of Dar es Salaam Tanzania National Scientific Research Council International Development Research Centre The International Development Research Centre is a public corporation created by the Parliament of Canada in 1970 to support research designed to adapt science and technology to the needs of developing countries. The Centre's activity is concentrated in five sectors: agriculture, food and nutrition sciences; health sciences; information sciences; social sciences; and com- munications. IDRC is financed solely by the Parliament of Canada; its policies, however, are set by an international Board of Governors. The Centre's headquarters are in Ottawa, Canada. Regional offices are located in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. ©1982 International Development Research Centre Postal Address: Box 8500, Ottawa, Canada K1G 3H9 Head Office: 60 Queen Street, Ottawa Keswani, C.L. Ndunguru, B.J. University of Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salaam TZ Tanzania National Scientific Research Council, Dar es Salaam TZ International Development Research Centre, Ottawa CA IDRC-186e Intercropping : proceedings of the Second Symposium on Intercropping in Semi-Arid Areas, held at Morogoro, Tanzania, 4-7 August, 1980. Ottawa, Ont., IDRC, 1982. 168 p. : ill. /Intercropping/, /semi-arid zone/-/agricultural research/, /Africa/, /culti- vation practices/, /plant breeding/, /plant protection/, /crop yield/, /research results/, /research methods/. UDC: 631.584(213) ISBN: 0-88936-318-8 Microfiche edition available Contents Foreword R.
    [Show full text]
  • A Substantial Component in Sustainable Organic Agriculture
    Udhaya Nandhini and SomasundaramAvailable Ind. online J. Pure at App.www.ijpab.com Biosci. (2020 ) 8(2), 133-143 ISSN: 2582 – 2845 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18782/2582-2845.8007 ISSN: 2582 – 2845 Ind. J. Pure App. Biosci. (2020) 8(2), 133-143 Review Article Intercropping – A Substantial Component in Sustainable Organic Agriculture D. Udhaya Nandhini1* and E. Somasundaram2 1Post Doctoral Fellow, Centre of Excellence in sustaining Soil Health, Anbil Dharmalingam Agricultural College & Research Institute, Trichy-620 027 Tamil Nadu 2Professor and Head, Department of Sustainable Organic Agriculture, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore-641 003, Tamil Nadu, India *Corresponding Author E-mail: [email protected] Received: 3.03.2020 | Revised: 7.04.2020 | Accepted: 11.04.2020 ABSTRACT st The greatest challenge of the 21 century in many developing countries are to produce more and more basic necessities namely food, fodder, fuel and fibre for ever increasing human and animal population from the limited available land. The availability of land for agriculture is shrinking every day as it is increasingly utilized for non-agricultural purposes. Under this situation, one of the important strategies to increase agricultural output is development of high intensity cropping systems including intercropping system which involves biotic and abiotic stress resistant, soil building, protein rich and oil producing crops. Intercropping is a ways to increase diversity in an agricultural ecosystem. This review summarizes the most important aspects of intercropping system in organic agriculture. Keywords: Intercropping, Stress resistant, Agricultural ecosystem, Diversity INTRODUCTION agricultural systems following objectives such Sustainable agriculture is a type of agriculture as: ecological balance, more utilization of that is more efficient in use of resources, for resources, increasing the quantity and quality the benefit of human, and is in balance with and reduce yield damage to pests, diseases and the environment.
    [Show full text]
  • Women's Agricultural Knowledge and Its Effects on Soil Nutrient Content In
    Women’s agricultural knowledge and its effects on soil nutrient content in the Nyalenda urban gardens of Kisumu, Kenya Nicolette Tamara R.J.M. Jonkman1, Esmee D. Kooijman1, Boris Jansen1, Nicky R.M. Pouw2, Karsten Kalbitz3 5 1 Ecosystem and Landscape Dynamics group, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1090 GE, the Netherlands 2 Governance and Inclusive Development Programme Group, Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1018 WS, The Netherlands 10 3 Soil Resources and Land Use group, Institute of Soil Science and Site Ecology, Technical University of Dresden, Dresden, 01062, Germany Correspondence to: Nicolette Tamara Jonkman ([email protected]) Acknowledgements We would like to sincerely thank all those who aided us in the preparation and execution of this research project. Amoung 15 which: the Kisumu VIRED team, including professor JB Okeyo-Owour and Dan Abuto, and the CABE team in Nairobi, including Dr. Hannington Odame. Abstract. In Kisumu up to 60% of the inhabitants practice some form of urban agriculture, with just under 50% of the workers being female. On average, women spend more hours a day in the gardens than men. To increase yields, women’s 20 knowledge has to be considered in agricultural management. However, women face greater obstacles in land ownership, investment, and farm inputs due to social and cultural constraints as consequence of their gender. This case study aimed to determine what agricultural knowledge the women farmers there hold, where they get their knowledge, what motivates them in their choice of agricultural management and finally how their choices influence the soils nutrient content.
    [Show full text]
  • Performance of Legumes on Weed Suppression with Hybrid Maize Intercropping
    Bangladesh Agron. J. 2018, 21(2): 33-44 PERFORMANCE OF LEGUMES ON WEED SUPPRESSION WITH HYBRID MAIZE INTERCROPPING Q. Naher, S. M. R. Karim1 and M.Begum1 On- Farm Research Division, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Gazipur 1Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh Corresponding Author, E-mail: [email protected] (Received: 22 November 2018, Accepted: 9 April 2019) Key words: Maize, legume crop, intercropping, weed suppression, yield Abstract Field experiment was carried out at the Bangladesh Agricultural Research institute, Joydebpur, Gazipur during 2010 to 2011 to identify suitable legume crops with maize in maize + legume intercropping systems for better weed suppression, productivity and economic benefits in Rabi season. There were 17 treatments of which two sole crop of hybrid maize (Zea mays BARI Hybrid bhutta -9) (weed free and no weeding), three weed free sole crops of pea (SN), bushbean (SN) and cowpea (SN) in Rabi season, and their intercropping. Twelve intercropping with different weeding regimes (no weeding, one hand weeding at 20 days after emergence (DAE), one hand weeding at 40 DAE, and two hand weeding at 20 and 40 DAE of maize-legume intercropping under normal row (75 cm 25 cm), and two rows of legumes in between two rows of maize were used . Among all intercropping, maize-pea with two hand weeding at 20 and 40 DAE gave the lowest (6.57 g m-2 at harvest) weed dry weight and the highest weed control efficiency (86% at harvest). Maize-pea with two hand weeding at 20 and 40 DAE gave the highest yield (maize: 7.58 t ha-1; 6.27 t ha-1 pea), resource complementarily and profitability (LER = 1.89, BCR = 4.19).
    [Show full text]
  • Intercropping, Urban Agriculture and Circular Economy Intercropping
    2017SGR 1683 www.fertilecity.com CTM2016-75772-C3-1-R, AI/UE-Feder Intercropping, urban agriculture and circular economy A first approach using LCA to determine best-annual crop combination July 15 th - 19 th 2019 – CILCA MSc Martí Rufí-Salís, PhD Mireia Ercilla-Montserrat, PhD David Sanjuan-Delmás, PhD Anna Petit-Boix, MSc Verónica Arcas, MSc Felipe Parada, MSc Susana Toboso-Chavero, MSc Joan Muñoz-Liesa, PhD Maria Rosa Rovira, PhD Joan Rieradevall, PhD Laura Talens Peiró, PhD Gara Villalba, Prof. Xavier Gabarrell Content 1. Introduction 1.1. Food supply to cities 1.2. Optimizing UA 2. Research question 3. Materials & Methods 3.1. Pilot Plant 3.2. Crop Calendar 3.3. Goal & Scope 4. Results & Discussion 4.1. Yield 4.2. LCIA 4.3. Scenarios 4.4. What about…? 5. Conclusions 2 Introduction: optimizing UA How can we optimize urban agriculture systems? Kg CO2! LIMITED Urban Agriculture as a partial solution? SPACE! 3 Introduction: optimizing UA How can we optimize urban agriculture systems? 4 Research question Which is the most efficient year-round combination of crops that have less environmental impact in a Rooftop Greenhouse? 5 Materials & Methods: pilot plant Our case study The Rooftop Greenhouse Lab (i-RTG-Lab) New building ICTA-ICP (UAB) May 2014 - Bellaterra, Barcelona 1st integrated RTG in Spain 6 Materials & Methods: pilot plant 7 Materials & Methods: Crop Calendar Figure 1. Crop calendar: T – Tomato; L – Lettuce; .G – Green oak lettuce; .R – Red oak lettuce; .M – Maravilla lettuce; B – Green bean; S – Spinach; C – Chard; R – Arugula; P - green pepper. 8 Materials & Methods: Goal & Scope Unidades funcionales y límites del sistema FU1: 1 kg de producto fresco FU2: 1 € de valor al mercado al por mayor Rainwater Harvesting Greenhouse structure ¹ System (RWHS) 2 Auxiliary Equipment** Or tap water Infraestructura Fertilizers (+ emissions to water) Substrate Operación Figure 2.
    [Show full text]
  • Soil Nutrient Management in Haiti, Pre-Columbus to the Present Day: Lessons for Future Agricultural Interventions Remy N Bargout and Manish N Raizada*
    Bargout and Raizada Agriculture & Food Security 2013, 2:11 http://www.agricultureandfoodsecurity.com/content/2/1/11 REVIEW Open Access Soil nutrient management in Haiti, pre-Columbus to the present day: lessons for future agricultural interventions Remy N Bargout and Manish N Raizada* Abstract One major factor that has been reported to contribute to chronic poverty and malnutrition in rural Haiti is soil infertility. There has been no systematic review of past and present soil interventions in Haiti that could provide lessons for future aid efforts. We review the intrinsic factors that contribute to soil infertility in modern Haiti, along with indigenous pre-Columbian soil interventions and modern soil interventions, including farmer-derived interventions and interventions by the Haitian government and Haitian non-governmental organizations (NGOs), bilateral and multilateral agencies, foreign NGOs, and the foreign private sector. We review how agricultural soil degradation in modern Haiti is exacerbated by topology, soil type, and rainfall distribution, along with non- sustainable farming practices and poverty. Unfortunately, an ancient strategy used by the indigenous Taino people to prevent soil erosion on hillsides, namely, the practice of building conuco mounds, appears to have been forgotten. Nevertheless, modern Haitian farmers and grassroots NGOs have developed methods to reduce soil degradation. However, it appears that most foreign NGOs are not focused on agriculture, let alone soil fertility issues, despite agriculture being the major source of livelihood in rural Haiti. In terms of the types of soil interventions, major emphasis has been placed on reforestation (including fruit trees for export markets), livestock improvement, and hillside erosion control.
    [Show full text]
  • Organic Farming. Basic Principles and Good Practices
    Dossier 2021 | N o . 1141 Organic farming Basic principles and good practices Content Why organic farming? Page 3 Balanced nutrient supply from organic Development of organic agriculture sources Page 19 worldwide and in Europe Page 4 Weed control: prevent and regulate Organic farming in Europe: mechanically Page 26 opportunity and challenge Page 6 Organic plant protection: prevention Principles of organic farming Page 8 and protection Page 33 Legal requirements for organic production Page 9 Animal husbandry: adapted to species Soil fertility as the basis of organic and location Page 37 production Page 11 Conversion to organic production Page 40 Crop rotations: optimising short- and Control and certification: part of the long-term goals Page 14 business model Page 44 Organic agriculture has grown intensely world- wide in recent years. The demand for naturally produced food is continuously increasing. Like- wise, the interest of governments in environmen- tally friendly agriculture and healthy food is also increasing. Therefore, it is expected that the area under organic production will continue to grow. This dossier explains the basics of organic agriculture and shows how these are applied in practice. It serves as a valuable source of in- formation for farmers considering conversion to organic farming. The dossier is also a guide for the private sector, government representatives, NGOs and other interested parties in their efforts to make food production in Europe (and else- where) more sustainable. 2 Organic farming. Basic principles and good practice | 2021 | FiBL Why organic farming? Organic farming offers many advantages, both for Reduced external dependence producers and consumers, as well as for nature and the climate.
    [Show full text]
  • Urban Agroecology: Designing Biodiverse, Productive and Resilient City Farms
    Altieri & Nicholls / Agro Sur 46(2): 49-60, 2018 DOI:10.4206/agrosur.2018.v46n2-07 Urban Agroecology: designing biodiverse, productive and resilient city farms Agroecología urbana: diseño de granjas urbanas ricas en biodiversidad, productivas y resilientes Altieri, M. A.a*, Nicholls, C. I.b a Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley. b Global Studies, University of California, Berkeley. A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T Keywords: Urban agriculture (UA) has been bolstered as a major sustainable alternative to enhance food Agroecology security on an urbanized planet. Although it has been estimated that UA can provide 15–20% Urban agriculture Soil quality Biological control of global food, it is questionable weather UA can significantly contribute the level of food self- productive,sufficiency ofand cities, resilient due tourban low yieldsfarms. reachedHerein we in mostdescribe existing the principles urban farms. and Agroecology practices used can in help the Original Research Article, redesignenhance theof urban productive agriculture potential featuring: of UA (a)by increasingproviding keysoil principlesquality via forenhancement the design ofof soildiversified, organic Special Issue: Agroecology and Sustainable Agricultural Systems soil nutrients and water and (b) enhancement of plant health through biological control and plant *Corresponding author: productivitymatter content via and optimal biological planning activity of crop that sequences lead to protection and combinations against pathogens. and efficient use of Miguel A. Altieri E-mail address: [email protected] RESUMEN La agricultura urbana (AU) ha surgido como una importante alternativa sostenible para mejorar la seguridad alimentaria en un planeta urbanizado.
    [Show full text]
  • Intercropping—Evaluating the Advantages to Broadacre Systems
    agriculture Review Intercropping—Evaluating the Advantages to Broadacre Systems Uttam Khanal 1,* , Kerry J. Stott 2 , Roger Armstrong 1,3, James G. Nuttall 1,3, Frank Henry 4, Brendan P. Christy 5 , Meredith Mitchell 5 , Penny A. Riffkin 4, Ashley J. Wallace 1, Malcolm McCaskill 4, Thabo Thayalakumaran 2 and Garry J. O’Leary 1,3 1 Agriculture Victoria, 110 Natimuk Road, Horsham, VIC 3400, Australia; [email protected] (R.A.); [email protected] (J.G.N.); [email protected] (A.J.W.); [email protected] (G.J.O.) 2 Agriculture Victoria, Centre for AgriBioscience, Bundoora, VIC 3083, Australia; [email protected] (K.J.S.); [email protected] (T.T.) 3 Centre for Agricultural Innovation, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia 4 Agriculture Victoria, 915 Mt Napier Road, Hamilton, VIC 3300, Australia; [email protected] (F.H.); [email protected] (P.A.R.); [email protected] (M.M.) 5 Agriculture Victoria, 124 Chiltern Valley Road, Rutherglen, VIC 3685, Australia; [email protected] (B.P.C.); [email protected] (M.M.) * Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract: Intercropping is considered by its advocates to be a sustainable, environmentally sound, and economically advantageous cropping system. Intercropping systems are complex, with non- uniform competition between the component species within the cropping cycle, typically leading to Citation: Khanal, U.; Stott, K.J.; unequal relative yields making evaluation difficult.
    [Show full text]