Whole-Systems Analysis of Environmental and Economic Sustainability in Arable Cropping Systems: A Case Study

Abstract

The long-term sustainability of crop production depends on the complex network of interactions and trade-offs between biotic, abiotic and economic components of agroecosystems. An integrated arable management system was designed to maintain yields, whilst enhancing biodiversity and minimising environmental impact. Management interventions included conservation tillage and organic matter incorporation for soil biophysical health, reduced crop protection inputs and integrated pest management strategies for enhanced biodiversity and ecosystem functions, and intercropping, cover cropping and under-sowing to achieve more sustainable nutrient management. This system was compared directly with standard commercial practice in a split-field experimental design over a six-year crop rotation. The effect of the cropping treatment was assessed according to the responses of a suite of indicators, which were used to parameterise a qualitative multi-attribute model. Scenarios were run to test whether the integrated cropping system achieved greater levels of overall sustainability relative to standard commercial practice. Overall sustainability was rated high for both integrated and conventional management of bean, barley and wheat crops. Winter oilseed crops scored medium for both cropping systems and potatoes scored very low under standard management but achieved a medium level of sustainability with integrated management. In general, high scores for environmental sustainability in integrated cropping systems were offset by low scores for economic sustainability relative to standard commercial practice. This case study demonstrates the value of a 'whole cropping systems' approach using qualitative multi-attribute modelling for the assessment of existing cropping systems and for predicting the likely impact of new management interventions on arable sustainability.

Adaptation of Winter Barley Cultivars to Inversion and Non-Inversion Tillage for Yield and Rhynchosporium Symptoms

“…In this platform and others, soil carbon did not increase in the non-inversion tillage, although its distribution changed [20,21]. Where non-inversion tillage is a part of a systems-based approach, such as conservation agriculture or biodiversitybased cropping [22,23] in place at the CSC platform [16], the contribution of cover crops and other management interventions should lead to enhanced soil quality including carbon content, biophysical structure, microbial activity and related system processes such as litter decomposition and nutrient cycling [24].…”

“…3 hectares for each of the 12 treatment/crop combinations) in a rotation where all crops are grown in all years. The management treatments were a "conventional" plough-based high-input system in one field half compared to a minimumtillage system combining a number of other best-practice agronomic options as part of an integrated management treatment in the other half [15,16]. Data from a larger scale inversion and non-inversion-based system for the winter barley crops could, therefore, be compared with the Mid Pilmore plot-scale data.…”

“…Data from a larger scale inversion and non-inversion-based system for the winter barley crops could, therefore, be compared with the Mid Pilmore plot-scale data. Full system details and summaries of the outcomes from the first full rotation at the CSC can be found at http://cscplatform.hutton.ac.uk and Hawes et al [15,16]. In most years, the winter barley crop comprised four different cultivars-Saffron, Sequel, Cassata and Retriever-together with their equal proportion mixture.…”

Sustainability of Diversified Organic Cropping Systems—Challenges Identified by Farmer Interviews and Multi-Criteria Assessments

“…One individual interview was performed with each farmer, both to collect specific data for the MCDA and SAF assessments and to gather qualitative data about farmers' opinions and perceptions of crop diversification (see below). The stepwise integration of indicators into higher hierarchical levels of the MCDA tool is based on "if-then" decision rules and weighting, which will define the value of the aggregated indicator at the next level up in the hierarchy (Pelzer et al, 2012;Hawes et al, 2019). The first step in the sustainability assessment process was to evaluate the reference system, followed by the assessments of the diversified field experiment treatments and cropping systems on the commercial farms.…”

A Multifunctional Solution for Wicked Problems: Value-Chain Wide Facilitation of Legumes Cultivated at Bioregional Scales Is Necessary to Address the Climate-Biodiversity-Nutrition Nexus

“…The potential of whole (cropped) system-interventions andfunction indicators for cropped systems at more practical field-, farm-, and regional-scales has been demonstrated (Hawes et al, 2019(Hawes et al, , 2021. Field-and farm-scale system function indicators have been allied to the evolution of approaches for whole system accounting, from farm-to-fork.…”