https://doi.org/10.4081/ija.2023.2207
A three-stage approach for co-designing diversified cropping systems with farmers: the case study of lentil-wheat intercropping
Published: 30 October 2023
Abstract Views: 376
PDF: 198
Supplementary Material: 84
HTML: 43
Supplementary Material: 84
HTML: 43
Publisher's note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
There is an increasing need for more sustainable and diversified cropping systems while guaranteeing adequate crop yields and economic viability for European farms. The intercropping of lentils with wheat can be a valuable agroecological practice for stabilizing crop yields and improving weed control; however, this requires better knowledge about the technical viability, suitable varieties, sowing density, management practices for different conditions, and the feasibility of these solutions for farmers. In this paper, we present a three-stage participatory approach aimed at involving farmers in the evaluation and design of knowledgeintensive agroecological cropping systems and apply it to the case of wheat-lentil intercropping. The proposed approach is articulated into three connected stages involving experiments at different scales (plot, field, and farm) and with different grades of interactions among farmers and researchers regarding the design of experiments and the evaluation of the results. In the first stage, we set up controlled plot experiments at an experimental station allowing all interested farmers to observe and comment on the various treatments that were investigated during dedicated events. This stage tested the potential of intercropping to improve the sustainability of the local farming system and provide a solid scientific background to the ecosystem services provided by wheatlentil intercropping, such as crop production, yield stability, and weed control. While being agronomically beneficial, the technical feasibility and economic benefits of wheat-lentil intercropping have yet to be proven. Therefore, based on the results obtained from the first stage and the feedback of local farmers on the opportunities and weaknesses of the on-station application of wheatlentil intercropping, a second experiment was carried out using commercial agriculture machines to test the technical viability of intercropping at a larger scale. In the final third stage, we set up a co-designed on-farm experiment aimed at supporting a farmer in establishing lentil-wheat intercropping adapted to the farm conditions. This approach demonstrated that gradually involving farmers in the experimental process, starting from evaluating the most promising agroecological solutions on station to implementing them on farms, supports a successful agroecological transition of farms towards more diversified cropping systems.
Akanksha S, Kumari S, Rehman A, Farooq M, Kumar S, Yadav R, Nayyar H, Singh S, Siddique KHM, 2021. Lentil. In: Sadras, V., Calderini, D. (eds.). Crop physiology. Academic Press, Cambridge, MA, USA.
Antichi D, Carlesi S, Mazzoncini M, Bàrberi P, 2022. Targeted timing of hairy vetch cover crop termination with roller crimper can eliminate glyphosate requirements in no-till sunflower. Agron. Sustain. Dev. 42:87.
Bansal RK, Monroe GE, Dahan R, El Gharras O, Bahri A, 1994. Mechanization of lentil harvesting in Morocco. Appl. Eng. Agric. 10:641-6.
Bates D, Machler M, Bolker B, Walker S, 2015. Fitting linear mixed-effects models using {lme4}. J. Stat. Softw. 67:1-48.
Bocci R, Bussi B, Petitti M, Franciolini R, Altavilla V, Galluzzi G, Di Luzio P, Migliorini P, Spagnolo S, Floriddia R, Giuseppe Li Rosi G, Petacciato M, Battezzato V, Albino A, Faggio G, Arcostanzo C, Ceccarelli S, 2020. Yield, yield stability and farmers’ preferences of evolutionary populations of bread wheat: A dynamic solution to climate change. Eur. J. Agron. 121:126156.
Carton N, Swiergiel W, Tidåker P, Röös E, Carlsson G, 2022. On-farm experiments on cultivation of grain legumes for food – outcomes from a farmer-researcher collaboration. Renew. Agric. Food Syst. 37:457-67.
Chowdhury A, Odame HH, Thompson S, Hauser M, 2015. Enhancing farmers’ capacity for botanical pesticide innovation through video-mediated learning in Bangladesh. Int. J. Agric. Sustain. 13:4,326-49.
Debaeke P, Munier-Jolain N, Bertrand M, Guichard L, Nolot JM, Faloya V, Saulas P, 2009. Iterative design and evaluation of rule based cropping systems: methodology and case studies. A review. Agron. Sustain. Dev. 29:73-86.
Falconnier GN, Descheemaeker K, Van Mourik TA, Adam M, Sogoba B, Giller KE, 2017. Co-learning cycles to support the design of innovative farm systems in southern Mali. Eur. J. Agron. 89: 61-74.
FAO, 1999. Alternative research strategies (chapter 14). Available from: https://www.fao.org/3/x6625e/x6625e.pdf.
Fieldsend AF, Cronin E, Varga E, Biró S, Rogge E, 2021. Sharing the space’ in the agricultural knowledge and innovation system: multi-actor innovation partnerships with farmers and foresters in Europe. J. Agric. Educ. Ext. 27:423-42.
F.R.I.M.A.T., 2019. Tariffario delle lavorazioni meccanico-agricole della Toscana (Italy). [Material in Italian].
Galli M, Bonari E, Marraccini E, Debolini M, 2010. Characterisation of agri-landscape systems at a regional level: a case study in northern Tuscany. Ital. J. Agron. 5:285-94.
Gamache G, Anglade J, Feche R, Barataud F, Mignolet C, Coquil X, 2020. Can living labs offer a pathway to support local agrifood sustainability transitions?. Environ. Innov. Soc. Transit. 37:93-107.
Garforth C, Angell B, Archer J, Green K, 2003. Fragmentation or creative diversity? Options in the provision of land management advisory services. Land Use Policy 20:323-33.
Hammer K, Arrowsmith N, Gladis, T, 2003. Agrobiodiversity with emphasis on plant genetic resources. Naturwissenschaften 90:241-50.
Hartig F, 2020. DHARMa: residual diagnostics for hierarchical (multi-level/mixed) regression models. Available from: https://CRAN.R-project.org/package=DHARMa.
Hauggaard-Nielsen H, Lund S, Aare AK, Watson CA, Bedoussac L, Aubertot, JN, Chongtham IR, Bellostas N, Topp K, Hohmann P, Jensen ES, Stadel M, Pinel B, Justes E, 2021. Translating the multiactor approach to research into practise using a workshop approach focusing on species mixtures. Front. Agricult. Sci. Eng. 8:460-73.
Holland JM, Frampton GK, Cilgi T, Wratten SD, 1994. Arable acronyms analyzed – a review of integrated arable farming systems research in Western Europe. Ann. Appl. Biol. 125:399-438.
Hurlbert SH, 1984. Pseudoreplication and the design of ecological field experiments. Ecol. Monogr. 54:187-211.
Husson O, Quoc HT, Boulakia S, Chabanne A, Tivet F, Bouzinac S, Lienhard P, Michellon R, Chabierski S, Boyer J, Enjalric F, Rakotondramanana, Moussa N, Jullien F, Balarabe O, Rattanatray B, Castella JC, Charpentier H, Séguy L, 2016. Codesigning innovative cropping systems that match biophysical and socio-economic diversity: the DATE approach to conservation agriculture in Madagascar, Lao PDR and Cambodia. Renew. Agric. Food Syst. 31:452-70.
Koskey G, Leoni F, Carlesi S, Avio L, Bàrberi P, 2022. Exploiting plant functional diversity in durum wheat-lentil relay intercropping to stabilize crop yields under contrasting climatic conditions. Agronomy 12:210.
Kudsk P, Streibig JC, 2003. Herbicides – a two-edged sword. Weed Res. 43:90-102.
Lacoste M, Cook S, McNee M, Gale D, Ingram J, Bellon-Maurel V, MacMillan T, Sylvester-Bradley R, Kindred D, Bramley R, Tremblay N, Longchamps L, Thompson L, Ruiz J, García FO, Maxwell B, Griffin T, Oberthür T, Huyghe C, Zhang W, McNamara J, Hall A 2022. On-farm experimentation to transform global agriculture. Nat. Food. 3:11-8.
Lamichhane JR, Alletto L, Cong W-F, Dayoub E, Maury P, Plaza-Bonilla D, Reckling M, Saia S, Soltani E, Tison G, Debaeke P, 2023. Relay cropping for sustainable intensification of agriculture across temperate regions: Crop management challenges and future research priorities. Field Crop. Res. 291:108795.
Laurent A, Heaton E, Kyveryga P, Makowski D, Puntel LA, Robertson AE, Thompson L, Miguez F, 2022. A yield comparison between small-plot and on-farm foliar fungicide trials in soybean and maize. Agron. Sustain. Dev. 42:86.
Lawes RA, Bramley RGV, 2012. A simple method for the analysis of on-farm strip trials. Agron. J. 104:371-7.
Lechenet M, Deytieux V, Antichi D, Aubertot JN, Bàrberi P, Bertrand M, Cellier V, Charles R, Colnenne-David C, Dachbrodt-Saaydeh S, Debaeke P, Doré T, Farcy P, Fernandez-Quintanilla C, Grandeau G, Hawes C, Jouy L, Justes E, Kierzek R, Kudsk P, Lamichhane JR, Lescourret F, Mazzoncini M, Melander B, Messéan A, Moonen AC, Newton AC, Nolot JM, Panozzo S, Retaureau P, Sattin M, Schwarz J, Toqué C, Vasileiadis VP, Munier-Jolain N, 2017. Diversity of methodologies to experiment integrated pest management in arable cropping systems: analysis and reflections based on a European network. Eur. J. Agron. 83:86-99.
Leclère M, Loyce C, Jeuffroy MH, 2018. Growing camelina as a second crop in France: a participatory design approach to produce actionable knowledge. Eur. J. Agron. 101:78-89.
Lenth RV, 2023. emmeans: estimated marginal means, aka leastsquares means. Available from: https://CRAN.R-project.org/package=emmeans.
Leoni F, Lazzaro M, Ruggeri M, Carlesi S, Meriggi P, Moonen AC, 2022. Relay intercropping can efficiently support weed management in cereal-based cropping systems when appropriate legume species are chosen. Agron. Sustain. Dev. 42:75.
Liebman M, Dyck E, 1993. Crop rotation and intercropping strategies for weed management. Ecol. Appl. 3:92-122.
Loïc V, Bedoussac L, Journet EP, Justes E, 2018. Yield gap analysis extended to marketable grain reveals the profitability of organic lentil-spring wheat intercrops. Agron. Sustain. Dev. 38:39.
Maat H, 2011. The history and future of agricultural experiments. NJAS Wagen. J. Life Sci. 57:187-95.
MacLaren C, Storkey J, Menegat A, Metcalfe H, Dehnen-Schmutz K, 2020. An ecological future for weed science to sustain crop production and the environment. A review. Agron. Sustain. Dev. 40:24.
Mamine F, Farès M, 2020. Barriers and levers to developing wheat–pea intercropping in Europe: a review. Sustainability 12:6962.
Marraccini E, Gotor AA, Scheurer O, Leclercq C, 2020. An innovative land suitability method to assess the potential for the introduction of a new crop at a regional level. Agronomy 10:330.
Mead R, Willey RW, 1980. The concept of a “land equivalent ratio” and advantages in yields from intercropping. Exp. Agr. 16:217-28.
Mortensen DA, Smith RG, 2020. Confronting barriers to cropping system diversification. Front. Sustain. Food Syst. 4:564197.
Moss S, 2019. Integrated weed management (IWM): why are farmers reluctant to adopt non-chemical alternatives to herbicides?. Pest. Manag. Sci. 75:1205-11.
Notz I, Topp CFE, Schuler J, Alves S, Gallardo L, Dauber J, Haase T, Hargreaves PR, Hennessy M, Iantcheva A, Jeanneret P, Kay S, Recknagel J, Rittler L, Vasiljević M, Watson CA, Reckling M, 2023. Transition to legume-supported farming in Europe through redesigning cropping systems. Agron. Sustain. Dev. 43:1-12.
Pagliarino E, Orlando F, Vaglia V, Rolfo S, Bocchi S, 2020. Participatory research for sustainable agriculture: the case of the Italian agroecological rice network. Eur. J. Futures Res. 8:7.
Pan D, He M, Kong F, 2020. Risk attitude, risk perception, and farmers’ pesticide application behavior in China: a moderation and mediation model. J. Clean. Prod. 276:124241.
Pelzer E, Bonifazi M, Soulié M, Guichard L, Quinio M, Ballot R, Jeuffroy MH, 2020. Participatory design of agronomic scenarios for the reintroduction of legumes into a French territory. Agric. Syst. 184:102893.
Perinelle A, Meynard JM, Scopel E, 2021. Combining on-farm innovation tracking and participatory prototyping trials to develop legume-based cropping systems in West Africa. Agric. Syst. 187:102978.
Piepho HP, Richter C, Spilke J, Hartung K, Kunick A, Thöle H, 2011. Statistical aspects of on-farm experimentation. Crop Pasture Sci. 62:721-35.
Pretty JN, 1994. Alternative systems of inquiry for a sustainable agriculture. IDS Bulletin 25:37-49.
Raffaelli M, Martelloni L, Frasconi C, Fontanelli M, Peruzzi A, 2013. Development of machines for flaming weed control on hard surfaces. Appl. Eng. Agric. 29:663-73.
Reidsma P, Ewert F, Lansink AO, Leemans R, 2010. Adaptation to climate change and climate variability in European agriculture: the importance of farm level responses. Eur. J. Agron. 32:91-102.
Riar AR, Mandloi LS, Poswal RS, Messmer MM, Bhullar GSA, 2017. Diagnosis of biophysical and socio-economic factors influencing farmers’ choice to adopt organic or conventional farming systems for cotton production. Front. Plant Sci. 8:1289.
Riemens M, Elings M. 2022. On-farm implementation of integrated weed management. Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing, Sawston, UK.
Riemens M, Sønderskov M, Moonen AC, Storkey J, Kudsk P, 2020. An integrated weed management framework: a pan-European perspective. Eur. J. Agron. 133:126443.
Rodriguez JM, Molnar JJ, Fazio RA, Sydnor E, Lowe MJ, 2009. Barriers to adoption of sustainable agriculture practices: change agent perspectives. Renew. Agric. Food Syst. 24:60-71.
Salembier C, Aare AK, Bedoussac L, Chongtham IR, de Buck A, Dhamala NR, Dordas C, Finckh MR, Hauggaard-Nielsen H, Krysztoforski M, Lund S, Luske B, Pinel B, Timaeus J, Virto
C, Walker R, Wendling M, Jeuffroy MH, 2023. Exploring the inner workings of design-support experiments: Lessons from 11 multi-actor experimental networks for intercrop design. Eur. J. Agron. 144:126729.
Silberg TR, Chimonyo VGP, Richardson RB, Snapp SS, Renner K, 2019. Legume diversification and weed management in African cereal-based systems. Agric. Syst. 174:83-94.
Simon S, Lesueur-Jannoyer M, Plénet D, Lauri PE, Le Bellec F, 2017. Methodology to design agroecological orchards: learnings from on-station and on-farm experiences. Eur. J. Agron. 82:320-30.
Sutherland LA, Marchand F, 2021. On-farm demonstration: enabling peer-to-peer learning. J. Agric. Educ. Extension 27:573-90.
Tanveer M, Anjum SA, Hussain S, Cerdà A, Ashraf U, 2017. Relay cropping as a sustainable approach: problems and opportunities for sustainable crop production. Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res. 24:6973-88.
Tscharntke T, Grass I, Wanger TC, Westpha C, Batáry P, 2021. Beyond organic farming – harnessing biodiversity-friendly landscapes. Trends Ecol. Evol. 36:919-30.
Vasileiadis VP, Otto S, van Dijk W, Urek G, Leskovšek R, Verschwele A, Furlan L, Sattin M, 2015. On-farm evaluation of integrated weed management tools for maize production in three different agro environments in Europe: agronomic efficacy, herbicide use reduction, and economic sustainability. Eur. J. Agron. 63:71-8.
How to Cite
Leoni, F., Carlesi, S., Triacca, A., Koskey, G., Croceri, G., Antichi, D., & Moonen, A.-C. (2023). A three-stage approach for co-designing diversified cropping systems with farmers: the case study of lentil-wheat intercropping. Italian Journal of Agronomy, 18(4). https://doi.org/10.4081/ija.2023.2207
Copyright (c) 2023 The Author(s)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
PAGEPress has chosen to apply the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0) to all manuscripts to be published.
