Addisu Ebbisa

By Addisu Ebbisa

Achieving high nutrient use efficiency (NUE) and high crop productivity has become a challenge with increased global demand for food, depletion of natural resources, and deterioration of environmental conditions. Higher NUE by plants could reduce fertilizer input costs, decrease the rate of nutrient losses, and enhance crop yields. Nitrogen and Phosphorus are the most limiting nutrients for crop production in many of the world’s agricultural areas, and their efficient use is important for the economic sustainability of cropping systems. Furthermore, the dynamic nature of N and P in soil-plant systems creates a unique and challenging environment for its efficient management. Although numerous fertilizer recommendation methods have been proposed to improve NUE, technologies and innovative management practices are still lacking. Therefore, maximizing crop phosphorus (P) use efficiency (PUE) would be helpful in reducing the use of inorganic phosphorus fertilizers and their escape in the environment for sustainable agriculture. Improvement of PUE in cropping systems can be achieved through two main strategies: optimizing agronomic practice and breeding nutrient efficient crop cultivars that improves P-acquisition and -utilization efficiency. These strategies are needed for future food security and sustainable agriculture. The major revised points are the following: concept of NUE, application of nutrient stewardship, cereal-legume intercropping, regulating soil pH, etc., for enhancing phyto-availability of P and breeding P-efficient crop cultivars that can produce more biomass with lesser P costs and that acquire more P in P-stress condition. These approaches consider economic, social, and environmental dimensions essential to sustainable agricultural systems and afford a suitable context for specific NUE indicators.

Part of the book: Sustainable Crop Production

By Addisu Ebbisa

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are one of the essential components of the soil microbiome playing a crucial role in nutrients cycling and mediation of plant responses to different environmental stresses. They also play pivotal role in controlling soil erosion, enhancing phytoremediation, and eliminating other harmful microorganisms and then sustaining agroecosystem. Several studies have investigated the positive effects of mycorrhizal symbiosis as biofertilizers those are capable of reducing use of chemical fertilizer by 25–90% particularly NPK depending on crop species, soil type, and management practices, while increasing productivity in the range of 16–78%. Similarly, AMF can also act as bio-controllers and decrease the application rate and frequency of pesticides. This is directly translated to the primary role of AMF in the sustaining agriculture services. Thus, understanding the interaction between AMF-soil, and plant plays a vital role in benefitting societies and agro-industries. In this regard, this review attempted to explore how can AMF symbiosis reduce agro-chemicals and maintain sustainable human welfare. It also addresses impact of agrochemicals on crop production and the main factor influencing the success of AMF symbioses. Generally, if this is applied wisely it keeps the food safe, the soil healthy, the water clean, the climate stable, and the ecosystem flourishing.

Part of the book: Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi in Agriculture

By Addisu Ebbisa

One of the main challenges in the transition to more sustainable agriculture is designing and selecting agricultural systems that are stable and perturbation resistant. Crop diversification is now recognized as a decisive part of sustainable agroecological development. It is one of the crucial agroecological practices that prove ecosystem services such as nutrient cycling, biological N fixation, pest and disease regulation, erosion control, climate regulation, soil fertility maintenance, biodiversity conservation, and carbon sequestration. To maximize these desired outcomes, understanding, designing, and optimizing, the adoption of crop diversification is crucial for the sustainability of food production under low-input practices. One approach to building sustainable food security and optimal management systems for limited resources is through the application of crop simulation models in multi-cropping systems. Indeed, some models can be used to simulate intercropping systems such as DSSAT, APSIM, ALMANAC, STICS, and FASSET. Thus, the application of such powerful models provides an option to redesign crop mixtures in appropriate sowing proportion and sowing date to tackle the enormous challenges facing agricultural development. In this regard, this review intended to assess existing suitable model to simulate multiple cropping systems and its role in building resilient crop production and ecosystem services without damaging the environment. It also highlights the key role of crop diversity as an ecosystem service provider to guarantee plant productivity in emerging systems of sustainable agriculture.

Part of the book: Resource Management in Agroecosystems