Integrating grassland leys in crop rotations for sustainable and resilient agricultural systems

Globally, climate change and population growth have mobilized the governments and academia, and in particular, the agriculture and livestock sectors in search of agricultural production systems that are not only sustainable and resilient but also can limit the negative environmental effects of production, while ensuring food security. Research has shown that cropping system simplification usually facilitates reduction in labour use and optimization in factor inputs on the one hand, but on the other hand, it leads to significant environmental and agronomic problems. These include biodiversity loss, soil carbon reduction, crop yields decrease, and the emergence of weeds, pests, and diseases that are more resistant to existing control measures. Therefore, new cropping system management paradigms are needed to maximize production while minimizing environmental damage. In this context, the old concept of grassland leys has regained momentum as an innovative conservation and management measure.This research topic concentrates on investigating solutions that enable the development of more resilient and sustainable agricultural production systems, based on the hypothesis that grassland leys promote system diversification. The objectives include understanding how grassland leys conserve soil organic carbon, enhance soil nutrient cycling, nutrient use efficiency, water availability, and reduce the dependence on external inputs. The objectives also include investigating how grassland leys impact the sustainability and resilience at the systems level.To gather further insights into the role of grassland leys in crop rotation, the following themes are welcome:- Establishment and management of grassland leys;- Integration of grassland leys into agricultural systems;- Ecosystem services and sustainability in cropping systems with grassland leys;- Effects of the inclusion of different species in grain-based cropping systems to improve soil quality;- Grain-forage plant intercropping systems;- How integrated production systems incorporating pastures modulate grain productivity and quality, contributing to food security;- Impacts of grassland leys on soil and nutrient dynamics;- Impacts of introducing forage plants in agricultural production systems;- Importance of minor or underutilized species in maintaining grassland leys functioning in agricultural production systems;- Interaction between grassland leys and crop nutrition; - Models of cropping systems with grassland leys;- Optimization of the community composition of grassland leys;- Potential benefits of grassland leys for crops in succession;- Soil-plant-atmosphere interactions in grassland lay-incorporated cropping systems. Topic editors: Karina Batista, Laíze A. F. Vilela, Gustavo Ferreira da Silva Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/76833/integrating-grassland-leys-in-crop-rotations-for-sustainable-and-resilient-agricultural-systems