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The EU imports large quantities of soybeans, mainly for livestock feed. However, there is a trend to increase domestic soybean production and reduce imports. In this study, we investigate the potential impact of an increased EU soybean cultivation on evapotranspiration (ET), water deficit, and irrigation needs.

In Europe, increasing the area of legume crops has been identified as a key measure to achieve the objectives set by the European Green Deal and transition toward more sustainable food systems. Although the role of grain legumes in climate change mitigation has been closely examined, little research has focused on how climate change will challenge the development of these crops. This article systematically reviews recent simulation studies to assess the impact of climate change on grain legume performances in Europe and the effect of adaptation strategies.

The aim of this study was to assess the medium-term performances of a pesticide-free (but allowing the use of synthetic fertilizers) cropping system, designed to achieve high yields while meeting a multiplicity of environmental objectives. This system was compared with a low-input cropping system designed to meet the same environmental objectives (PHEP: Productive with High Environmental Performances). This assessment carried out over eleven years, took place in a field trial in the Paris Basin (France). The ban of pesticides did not result in any significant difference in average yield between systems across the crop sequence. However, the yields of some crops were significantly reduced. In the pesticide-free system, the technological quality of cereal grains was not penalized. Most agri-environmental indicators showed better performance in the pesticide-free system. However, fuel consumption and labor time per hectare for weed control were significantly higher. The study identified highly effective farming strategies for avoiding pesticide use, as well as several technical bottlenecks limiting regular production in pesticide-free systems.

In a decree issued in 2019, the French government defined mandatory pesticide-free buffer zones near residential buildings in order to limit the exposure of residents to pesticides. However, the amount of agricultural area and the crop species grown close to residential buildings had never been studied before in France. This knowledge gap has recently been filled by a team of researchers and teacher-researchers from our lab (UMR Agronomie). They show the amount of agricultural area and crop types within pesticide-free buffer zones around residential buildings vary greatly depending on agricultural regions and the size of buffer zones.

Chen M, Brun F, Raynal M, Makowski D, 2020, PLoS ONE 15(3): e0230254

Diversification of cropping systems encompasses different strategies that can contribute to maintaining or enhancing the sustainability of agriculture. Thousands of experiments have been conducted around the world for nearly five decades to assess and compare the performance of various diversifications in a wide range of agro-ecosystems and climates. A systematic multi-criteria synthesis of global agricultural diversification was still lacking.