BUSCADOR RECOLECTA

[EN] This paper proposes a rolling horizon (RH) approach to deal with management problems under dynamic demand in planning horizons with variable lead times using system dynamics (SD) simulation. Thus, the nature of dynamic RH solutions entails no inconveniences to contemplate planning horizons with unpredictable demands. This is mainly because information is periodically updated and replanning is done in time. Therefore, inventory and logistic costs may be lower. For the first time, an RH is applied for demand management with variable lead times along with SD simulation models, which allowed the use of lot-sizing techniques to be evaluated (Wagner-Whitin and Silver-Meal). The basic scenario is based on a real-world example from an automotive single-level SC composed of a first-tier supplier and a car assembler that contemplates uncertain demands while planning the RH and 216 subscenarios by modifying constant and variable lead times, holding costs and order costs, combined with lot-sizing techniques. Twenty-eight more replications comprising 504 new subscenarios with variable lead times are generated to represent a relative variation coefficient of the initial demand. We conclude that our RH simulation approach, along with lot-sizing techniques, can generate more sustainable planning results in total costs, fill rates and bullwhip effect terms., This work was supported by the European Commission Horizon 2020 project Diverfarming [grant number 728003].

[EN] The general objective of this paper is to simulate a supply chain to assess the effects that different inventory management policies and transport capacity systems have on costs (transport) and service levels (stockouts). This paper specifically aimed to facilitate the decision-making process about planning distribution capacities, particularly when contracting a transport fleet in a supply chain under uncertainty with a 1-year time horizon by evaluating different types of scenarios, which vary depending on availability of vehicles and obtaining vehicles. The system dynamics simulation model was applied to a real-world food supply chain and can be adopted by chains related to diversified cropping systems. The results provide the best decision alternative in terms of costs and inventory levels by considering the transport capacity life cycle, the time to acquire additional transport capacity, the reorder point in days of stock and the target inventory., This work was supported by the European Commission Horizon 2020 project entitled 'Crop diversification and low-input farming cross Europe: from practitioners' engagement and ecosystems services to increased revenues and value chain organisation' (Diverfarming), grant agreement 728003.

[EN] This article presents a literature review to identify the current knowledge of supply chains 4.0 from the sustainability perspective. Reviewed papers were classified in terms of objectives, results, and sustainability approaches. Additionally, a critical discussion with the main results and recommendations for further research was carried out. Manufacturing supply chains have been contemplated but agri-food supply chains and chains related to diversified cropping systems have been also considered. In this way, 54 articles were identified and revised, and were classified according to the three main aspects of sustainability: economic, social, and environmental. The classification of articles indicated that more attention has been paid to the environmental aspect in the industry 4.0 (I4.0) context in the literature, while the social aspect has been paid less attention. Finally, reference frameworks were identified, along with the I4.0 models, algorithms, heuristics, metaheuristics, and technologies, which have enabled sustainability in supply chains., This research was supported by the European Commission Horizon 2020 project entitled 'Crop diversification and low-input farming cross Europe: From practitioners' engagement and ecosystems services to increased revenues and value chain organisation' (Diverfarming), grant agreement 728003; and the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities project entitled 'Optimisation of zero-defects production technologies enabling supply chains 4.0 (CADS4.0)' (RTI2018-101344-B-I00).

[ES] Los sistemas tradicionales de planificación y control de la producción (PPC) se centran en producir lo que demanda el mercado, con la calidad, el calendario y los volúmenes previstos al mínimo coste, ajustándose al mismo tiempo a las disrupciones de la cadena de suministro. La exploración e implementación de nuevos avances tecnológicos en el marco de la industria 4.0 (I4.0), como sistemas ciberfísicos (CPS), fabricación en la nube (CMfg), fabricación aditiva (AM), big data, inteligencia artificial y la Internet de las cosas (IoT), podrían cambiar aspectos organizativos tales como las responsabilidades de PPC. En este contexto, no se identificaron estudios sobre un sistema para la toma de decisiones, arquitecturas y marcos conceptuales para los nuevos sistemas inteligentes de PPC e I4.0.
En este contexto de nuevos cambios tecnológicos y organizativos a los que tienen que hacer frente las pequeñas y medianas empresas (PYMEs), surge el problema de diseñar herramientas de PPC que permitan la integración y colaboración de las operaciones de producción. Así, basándose en las nuevas tecnologías de producción digital y en las herramientas organizativas que darán soporte a las fábricas inteligentes conectadas del futuro, se identificó la falta de un sistema integrado de PPC e I4.0.
Esta tesis doctoral es un compendio de artículos que abordan una amplia revisión bibliográfica sobre la PPC en un entorno de I4.0. También, se propone un marco conceptual y el diseño de modelos y algoritmos para la toma de decisiones y dar soporte a las funciones de PPC en un contexto digital I4.0 basado en las nuevas tecnologías de producción digital y herramientas organizativas que darán soporte a las fábricas inteligentes colaborativas y conectadas del futuro. Los modelos matemáticos y algoritmos propuestos se centran en resolver el problema del diseño y planificación de una cadena de suministro sostenible y resiliente en la que las decisiones estratégicas y tácticas se toman de forma integrada. Los modelos, algoritmos y método de resolución se han programado en Python. Los modelos han sido validados mediante un software que genera instancias de datos sintéticos y permite evaluar la complejidad computacional de los mismos. El desarrollo de este tipo de modelos y algoritmos supone una contribución al ámbito académico e investigador y, concretamente, en el área de PPC., [CA] En l'actualitat, els sistemes tradicionals de planificació i control de la producció (PPC) se centren en produir el que demanda el mercat, amb la qualitat, el calendari i els volums previstos al mínim cost, ajustant-se al mateix temps a les pertorbacions. L'exploració i implementació de nous avanços tecnològics, com CPS, fabricació en el núvol (CMfg), fabricació additiva (AM), big data, intelligència artificial i el IoT, podrien canviar aspectes organitzatius, com les responsabilitats de PPC. En aquest context, no es van identificar estudis sobre un sistema per a la presa de decisions, arquitectures i marcs conceptuals per als nous sistemes intelligents de PPC i I4.0.
En aquest context de nous canvis tecnològics i organitzatius als quals han de fer front les petites i mitjanes empreses (PIME), sorgeix el problema de dissenyar eines de PPC que permeten la integració i collaboració de les operacions de producció. Així, basant-se en les noves tecnologies de producció digital i en les eines organitzatives que donaran suport a les fàbriques intelligents connectades del futur, es va identificar la falta d'un sistema integrat de la PPC i I4.0.
Aquesta investigació és un compendi d'articles que aborden una àmplia revisió bibliogràfica sobre la PPC en un entorn I4.0. També proposa un marc conceptual i el disseny de models i algorismes per a la presa de decisions i per a donar suport a les funcions de PPC en un context digital I4.0 basat en les noves tecnologies de producció digital i eines organitzatives que donaran suport a les fàbriques intelligents col·laboratives i connectades del futur. Els models matemàtics i algorismes proposats se centren en resoldre el problema del disseny d'una cadena de subministrament sostenible i resistent en la qual les decisions estratègiques i tàctiques es prenen de forma integrada. Els models, algorismes i mètode de resolució s'han programat en Python. Els models han sigut validats mitjançant un programari que genera instàncies de dades sintètiques i permet avaluar la complexitat computacional dels models. El desenvolupament d'aquesta mena de models i algorismes suposa una important contribució a l'àmbit acadèmic., [EN] Currently, traditional production planning and control (PPC) systems focus on producing what the market demands with the expected quality, schedule and volumes at a minimum cost, while adjusting for disruption. The exploration and implementation of new technological advances, such as CPS, cloud manufacturing (CMfg), additive manufacturing (AM), big data, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT), could change organisational aspects like PPC responsibilities. In this context, no studies on a system for decision making, architectures and conceptual frameworks for the new intelligent systems of PPC and industry 4.0 (I4.0) have been identified.
In this context of new technological and organisational changes that small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have to face, the problem of designing PPC tools that enable the integration and collaboration of production operations arises. Thus, based on the new digital production technologies and organisational tools that will support the connected smart factories of the future, lack of an integrated PPC and I4.0 system was identified.
The present doctoral thesis is a compendium of articles addressing a comprehensive literature review on PPC in an I4.0 environment. It also proposes a conceptual framework and the design of models and algorithms for decision making and to support PPC functions in a digital I4.0 context based on the new digital production technologies and organisational tools that will support the collaborative and connected smart factories of the future. The proposed mathematical models and algorithms focus on solving the problem of designing a sustainable and resilient supply chain where strategic and tactical decisions are made in an integrated way. The models, algorithms and resolution method have been programmed in Python. The models have been validated by means of software that generates synthetic data instances and allows the models' computational complexity to be evaluated. The development of this type of models and algorithms is a significant contribution to the academic field., I would like to thank the following projects and universities for having financed
the publications included in this doctoral thesis:
• European Commission Horizon 2020 project entitled "Crop diversification
and low-input farming cross Europe: From practitioners' engagement and
ecosystems services to increased revenues and value chain organisation'
(Diverfarming), grant agreement 728003.
• Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities project entitled
'Optimization of zero-defect production technologies enabling supply
chains 4.0 (CADS4.0)' (RTI2018-101344-B-I00).
• European Union H2020 program with grant agreement no. 958205
"Industrial Data Services for Quality Control in Smart Manufacturing (i4Q)".
• European Union H2020 Program with grant agreement nº 825631 "Zero-
Defect Manufacturing Platform (ZDMP)".

[EN] Aim of study: This study proposes a crop diversification innovative business model based on stakeholder preferences towards different incentive alternatives. Area of study: : South-East Spain. Material and methods: : Citrus intercropping practices in South-East Spain has been used as case study. Stakeholders' preferences for crop diversification incentives were investigated by using a multicriteria approach, and those results were integrated into the development of a business model canvas. Main results: : Including crop diversification practices as environmental practices within the operational programmes of producer organizations is seen the most preferred incentive over which the business model canvas is developed. Research highlights: The establishment of business opportunities for crop diversification practices would facilitate the overcoming of adoption barriers along the agrifood value chain and would promote health and sustainable food systems., MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 AgriCambio project (Grant PID2020-114576RB-I00), European Commission Horizon 2020 Diverfarming Project (Grant 728003)

The short- and medium—long-term effects of management and hillside position on soil organic carbon (SOC) changes were studied in a centenary Mediterranean rainfed olive grove. One way to measure these changes is to analyze the soil quality, as it assesses soil degradation degree and attempts to identify management practices for sustainable soil use. In this context, the SOC stratification index (SR-COS) is one of the best indicators of soil quality to assess the degradation degree from SOC content without analyzing other soil properties. The SR-SOC was calculated in soil profiles (horizon-by-horizon) to identify the best soil management practices for sustainable use. The following time periods and soil management combinations were tested: (i) in the medium‒long-term (17 years) from conventional tillage (CT) to no-tillage (NT), (ii) in the short-term (2 years) from CT to no-tillage with cover crops (NT-CC), and (iii) the effect in the short-term (from CT to NT-CC) of different topographic positions along a hillside. The results indicate that the SR-SOC increased with depth for all management practices. The SR-SOC ranged from 1.21 to 1.73 in CT0, from 1.48 to 3.01 in CT1, from 1.15 to 2.48 in CT2, from 1.22 to 2.39 in NT-CC and from 0.98 to 4.16 in NT; therefore, the soil quality from the SR-SOC index was not directly linked to the increase or loss of SOC along the soil profile. This demonstrates the time-variability of SR-SOC and that NT improves soil quality in the long-term.

Olive groves are one of the most important agro-systems in the Mediterranean basin, and the Andalusia region produces the highest quantity of olive oil in Europe. The aim of this work was to evaluate the long-term (15 years) influence of two management practices in olive orchards—conventional tillage (CT) and no tillage with bare soil and herbicide application (NT + H)—on soil physical properties, infiltration capacity, erosion rates, and soil productivity. In addition, the short-term (2 years) influence of no tillage with cover crop management (NT-CC) on these parameters was also assessed. In the study area, CT and NT + H management practices showed unsustainable erosion values, 9.82 and 13.88 Mg ha−1 year−1, respectively, while NT-CC inclusion decreased the erosion rates (2.06 Mg ha−1 year−1). The implementation of NT-CC not only reduced erosion rates but also caused a change in the trend of soil productivity loss observed under CT and NT + H. In this sense, NT-CC showed a positive influence on soil quality. However, tillage removal led to a significant reduction in the infiltration capacity of soils under NT + H and NT-CC, which will be a serious handicap for water storage in an environment with continuous processes of water deficit.

Soil particle aggregation and their associated carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) content can provide valuable diagnostic indicators of changes in soil properties in response to the implementation of different agricultural management practices. In this sense, there is limited knowledge regarding the impact of intercropping on soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) pools in aggregates. This study aimed to evaluate the short-term effect (4 years) of three crop diversifications in rainfed olive orchards on soil aggregation, SOC and TN concentration and SOC stocks (SOC-S) under semi-arid Mediterranean conditions. Olive orchards were diversified with Crocus sativus (D-S), Vicia sativa and Avena sativa in rotation (D-O) and Lavandula x intermedia (D-L) and compared with monocropping system (CT). Soil samples were collected at two depths (0–10 and 10–30 cm) and analysed for soil aggregate mass, SOC and TN content in aggregate-size fractions obtained by the wet-sieving method. Changes caused by crop diversifications on SOC-S were also determined. Overall, after 4 years, a reduction in aggregation values was observed. However, D-S increased the macroaggregates (>250 μm) percentage, Mean Weigh Diameter values, and Geometric Mean Value in the 0–10 cm. Across treatments, aggregate-associated C in 0–10 cm was higher in the D-S treatment, while in the 10–30 cm soil layer, the greatest values were found in CT. Regarding the SOC-S, after 4 years, significant losses were recorded under CT management in 0–10 cm (−1.21 Mg ha−1) and 10–30 cm (−0.84 Mg ha−1), while D-O and D-L showed similar values to those obtained at the beginning of the study. The highest increases in SOC-S were found in D-S, with an increase of 5.88% in the 0–10 cm and 14.47% in the 10–30 cm. Our results showed the high potential of the diversified cropping system to increase soil stability and SOC sequestration.

© The Author(s)., In the last few decades, various crop diversification strategies and management practices have been promoted to improve or at least maintain environmental quality and agroecosystem services. We conducted a data-analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of alternatives for crop diversification and environmentally friendly farming management for arable crops in four selected European pedoclimatic regions and typical cropping systems in the Atlantic, Boreal, Mediterranean North, and Mediterranean South regions. The dataset was retrieved from 38 references and included data on site-specific environmental conditions, soil tillage, crop rotation, fertilization, and final soil organic carbon content (SOC). No tillage (NT) was more effective (7%) in increasing SOC content than minimum tillage (MT) across the studied depths (from 5 to 40 cm). Conservation tillage as whole, including NT, MT, and rotational tillage (RT) positively affected SOC content in the top 10 cm (28%) in comparison with conventional tillage (CT). Compared to monoculture, longer crop rotations (3–5 years) and the introduction of legumes resulted in higher increases in SOC contents (18%), that were higher in semiarid conditions (11%) than under humid and sub-humid climates (3.2%). The effect of fertilization on SOC contents was higher in the Mediterranean North region (28%), and organic fertilization showed the highest increases (25%) compared to the control with mineral fertilization. Higher increases in SOC contents with tillage and fertilization management were found in sites with lower SOC contents in the control treatment (conventional tillage and mineral fertilization respectively). The data analysis indicated that various European arable agroecosystems benefit both from diversified cropping systems and the adoption of environmentally friendly farming management and are thereby capable to increase SOC contents., The work was funded within the Diverfarming project “Crop diversification and low-input farming across Europe: from practitioners’ engagement and ecosystems services to increased revenues and value chain organisation”, a European Union’s Horizon 2020 Programme for Research & Innovation, under grant agreement no. 728003., Peer reviewed

15 Pags.- 6 Figs. © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access
article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution
(CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)., In the European Union, various crop diversification systems such as crop rotation, intercropping and multiple cropping, as well as low-input management practices, have been promoted to sustain crop productivity while maintaining environmental quality and ecosystem services. We conducted a data analysis to identify the benefits of crop associations, alternative agricultural practices and strategies in four selected regions of Europe (Atlantic, Boreal, Mediterranean North and Mediterranean South) in terms of crop production (CP). The dataset was derived from 54 references with a total of 750 comparisons and included site characteristics, crop information (diversification system, crop production, tillage and fertilization management) and soil parameters. We analyzed each effect separately, comparing CP under tillage management (e.g., conventional tillage vs. no tillage), crop diversification (e.g., monoculture vs. rotation), and fertilization management (e.g., mineral fertilization vs. organic fertilization). Compared with conventional tillage (CT), CP was higher by 12% in no tillage (NT), in fine- and medium-textured soils (8–9%) and in arid and semiarid sites located in the Mediterranean Region (24%). Compared to monoculture, diversified cropping systems with longer crop rotations increased CP by 12%, and by 12% in soils with coarse and medium textures. In relation to fertilization, CP was increased with the use of slurry (40%), and when crop residues were incorporated (39%) or mulched (74%). Results showed that conversion to alternative diversified systems through the use of crop rotations, with NT and organic fertilization, results in a better crop performance. However, regional differences related to climate and soil-texture-specific responses should be considered to target local measures to improve soil management., The work was funded within the Diverfarming project “Crop diversification and low-input farming across Europe: from practitioners’ engagement and ecosystems services to increased revenues and value chain organisation”, a European Union’s Horizon 2020 Programme for Research & Innovation, under grant agreement no 728003., Peer reviewed

Sustainable land management practices, such as reduced tillage or crop diversification, are potentially efficient measures to fight against soil degradation and desertification. The decision to approve these practices must be justified by both integrated environmental and economic assessment studies. In this work, we analysed the carbon emissions associated to farm operations and economic profitability for two organic rainfed almond (Prunus dulcis Mill.) farms under semiarid conditions. In the analysis, we considered the following soil management strategies: conventional tillage (CT); reduced tillage (RT); reduced tillage plus green manure (RTG); and no tillage (NT). A cradle-to-farm gate life cycle assessment (LCA) was applied based on long-term data from two farms. The results obtained showed that the NT strategy provided, as expected, the lowest greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions but that its yield was also the lowest, which negatively affects its economic viability even with the consideration of subsidies. The RT strategy reduced GHG emissions and improved the ratio of profit/GHG emissions, whilst the RTG strategy increased GHG emissions and reduced the ratio of profit/GHG emissions as a consequence of using seeds. In conclusion, it has been demonstrated that some level of reduced tillage leads to environmental and economic benefits with respect to conventional tillage in organic rainfed almond orchards under semiarid conditions., This study was supported by the European Commission H2020 (Grant 728003, DIVERFARMING Project), Fundación Séneca-Agencia de Ciencia y Tecnología de la Región de Murcia (Grant 08757/PI/08/19350/PI/14; DECADE Project Grant 20917/PI/18) and by the Agencia Estatal de Investigación (Grant CGL2014-55-405-R)

Purpose: Diversification practices such as intercropping in woody cropping systems have recently been proposed as a promising management strategy for addressing problems related to soil degradation, climate change mitigation and food security. In this study, we assess the impact of several diversification practices in different management regimes on the main carbon fluxes regulating the soil carbon balance under semiarid Mediterranean conditions. Methods: The study was conducted in two nearby cropping systems: (i) a low input rainfed almond (Prunus dulcis Mill.) orchard cultivated on terraces and (ii) a levelled intensively irrigated mandarin (Citrus reticulata Blanco) orchard with a street-ridge morphology. The almond trees were intercropped with Capparis spinosa or with Thymus hyemalis While the mandarin trees were intercropped with a mixture of barley and vetch followed by fava bean. Changes caused by crop diversifications on C inputs into the soil and C outputs from the soil were estimated. Results: Crop diversification did not affect soil organic carbon stocks but did affect the carbon inputs and outputs regulating the soil carbon balance of above Mediterranean agroecosystems. Crop diversification with perennials in the low-input rainfed woody crop system significantly improved the annual soil C balance in the short-term. However, crop diversification with annual species in the intensively managed woody crop system had not effect on the annual soil C balance. Conclusions: Our results highlight the potential of intercropping with perennials in rainfed woody crop systems for climate change mitigation through soil carbon sequestration., This work was supported by the European Commission Horizon 2020 project Diverfarming [grant agreement 728003]. Raúl Zornoza acknowledges the financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities through the “Ramón y Cajal” Program [RYC-2015-18758]

17 Pags.- 7 Figs.- 3 Tabls. © 2022 Begum, Zornoza, Farina, Lemola, Álvaro-Fuentes and Cerasuolo.
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons
Attribution License (CC BY)., Sustainable agriculture has been identified as key to achieving the 2030 Agenda for the Sustainable Development Goals, which aims to end poverty and hunger and address climate change while maintaining natural resources. Soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration is a key soil function for ecosystem services, and storing carbon (C) in soil by changing traditional management practices can represent an important step toward the development of more sustainable agricultural systems in Europe. Within the European project Diverfarming, the process-based ecosystem model ECOSSE was modified and evaluated in four long-term experiments (>8 years) to assess the impact of crop diversification and agricultural management in SOC dynamics. ECOSSE was able to simulate SOC under dry conditions in Mediterranean regions in Spain and Italy. In the site of Murcia, Spain, the addition of manure and cover crop in the diversified systems produced an increase of SOC in 9 years, when compared with the conventional management (16% measured increase, 32% simulated increase). The effect of tillage management on SOC stock in dry soil, in Foggia, Italy and Huesca, Spain, was also modeled, and a positive impact on SOC was predicted when no tillage was practiced. Finally, ECOSSE was used to understand the impact of diversifications in Boreal regions, Finland, where different proportions of legumes and grass were considered in a 4-year crop rotation compared with conventional cereal rotations. Experiments and modeling showed that the loss of SOC in conventional cereal was compensated when grass was introduced in the rotations. A good agreement (NRMSE <10%) and a nonsignificant bias were observed between model and experimental data for all sites. Mitigation scenarios considered in the modeling analysis for the test site Huesca showed that an integrated management of no tillage and manure is the best strategy to increase SOC, ∼51% over 20 years, compared with the baseline scenario (current farmers practice). This study demonstrated the ability of the modified version of ECOSSE to simulate SOC dynamics in diversified cropping systems, with various soil management practices and different climatic conditions., The work was funded by the Diverfarming project “Crop diversification and low-input farming across Europe: from practitioners’ engagement and ecosystems services to increased revenues and value chain organisation,” a European Union’s Horizon 2020 Programme for Research and Innovation, under grant agreement no. 728003., Peer reviewed

The melon/cowpea intercropping system can be a specific and efficient cropping pattern in a horticultural field. Intercropping systems contribute to the optimization of land use, fostering sustainable and efficient agriculture. This study entails a first-year comparative intercropping assay using cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) and melon (Cucumis melo) under organic management with different patterns and 30% less organic fertilization than usual in monocrops. We determined the soil nutrients, physicochemical properties, enzyme activities and microbes by high-throughput sequencing. We found that the intercropping system changed the bacterial community structure independently of the intercropping pattern. The bacterial community was characterized by a higher abundance of the phyla Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes phyla and of the genus Pseudomonas, which are related to nutrient cycling, and by greater amounts of other beneficial microorganisms like Bacillus, Streptomyces and Sphingomonas. The intercropped systems significantly boosted the total nitrogen, available phosphorus and total organic carbon levels in addition to the melon yield. They also enhanced the acid phosphatase and β-glucosidase activity compared to the melon monocrop. Results from this study suggest that melon/cowpea intercropping, starting from the first year, not only provides a stable supply of food and income due to the diversified cropping systems, but is also beneficial for the soil microbial community and environment., This work was supported by the AsociaHortus project [AGL2017–83975-R] funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, and the European Commission Horizon 2020 project Diverfarming [grant agreement 728003]. Raúl Zornoza acknowledges the financial support he has received from the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities through the “Ramón y Cajal” Program [RYC-2015–18758].

The implementation of alley cropping in orchards can be a sustainable strategy to increase farm productivity by crop diversification and contribute to climate change mitigation. In this research, we evaluated the short-term effect of alley cropping with reduced tillage on soil CO and NO emissions and soil total organic carbon (TOC) in an almond orchard under Mediterranean rainfed conditions. We compared an almond monoculture with tillage in all plot surface (MC) with almond crop with reduced tillage and growth of Capparis spinosa (D1) and almond crop with reduced tillage and growth of Thymus hyemalis (D2). For two years, soil CO and NO were measured, with soil sampling at the start and end of the experimental period. Results showed that CO emission rates followed the soil temperature pattern, while NO emissions were not correlated with temperature nor moisture. Soil CO emissions were significantly higher in MC (87 mg m h), with no significant differences between D1 and D2 (69 mg m h). Some peaks in CO effluxes were observed after tillage operations during warm days. Soil NO emission rates were not significantly different among treatments. Cumulative CO and CO equivalent (COe) emissions were significantly highest in MC. When COe emissions were expressed on a crop production basis, D2 showed the significantly lowest values (5080 g kg) compared to D1 (50,419 g kg) and MC (87,836 g kg), owing to the high thyme yield, additional to the almond yield. No production was obtained for C. spinosa, since at least two more years are required. TOC did not change with time in MC neither D1, but it significantly increased in D2 from 3.85 g kg in 2019 to 4.62 g kg in 2021. Thus, alley cropping can contribute to increase the agroecosystem productivity and reduce CO emissions. However, it is necessary to grow evergreen alley crops such as thyme to obtain short-term increases in soil organic matter. Thus, to estimate increases in TOC with alley cropping, the plantation density and the period required by the crop to cover most of the surface are essential factors at planning the cropping strategy., This work was supported by the European Commission Horizon 2020 project Diverfarming [grant agreement 728003]

Database on main crop and secondary crop yields of the CS1 Study case for the period 2019-2021, European Commission:
Diverfarming - Crop diversification and low-input farming across Europe: from practitioners engagement and ecosystems services to increased revenues and chain organisation (728003), Peer reviewed

Soil data of the CS1 Study Case, European Commission:
Diverfarming - Crop diversification and low-input farming across Europe: from practitioners engagement and ecosystems services to increased revenues and chain organisation (728003), Peer reviewed

13 Pags.- 5 Figs.- 4 Tabls. © 2022 Franco-Luesma, Lafuente,
Alonso-Ayuso, Bielsa, Kouchami-
Sardoo, Arrúe and Álvaro-Fuentes. This
is an open-access article distributed
under the terms of the Creative
Commons Attribution License (CC BY)., Maize is a major irrigated crop in Mediterranean areas and its typical intensive management may impact soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. In these irrigated continuous maize systems, the legumes incorporation as well as adjusted nitrogen (N) fertilization might be interesting strategies to reduce soil N2O emissions. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of cropping diversification and different N rates on soil N2O emissions in flooded irrigated maize under Mediterranean conditions. To achieve this, two cropping systems (maize monoculture system, MC; and pea -maize rotation, MP) and 3N rates (unfertilized, 0N; medium rate, MN; and high rate, HN) were evaluated in a field experiment established in NE Spain during 2 years (2019; 2020). During the studied period, the N rate had a significant effect on soil N2O emissions, with a non-linear positive response of cumulative soil N2O emissions to N rates. In both systems, quick and high increases of soil N2O fluxes were observed immediately after the N application reaching 55 and 100 mg N2O-N m−2 day−1 in MC and MP, respectively. Both years, the pea phase of the MP rotation showed greater cumulative N2O emissions than the fallow of MC. However, N2O losses in the maize phase were similar (2019) or even higher (2020) in MC than in MP. Moreover, in both seasons, the MN treatments showed lower yield-scaled N2O emissions and N emission factor than the HN treatments, being this last lower than 1% in all cases. The results obtained showed that in irrigated Mediterranean conditions the replacement of a fallow by a legume, together with an adjusted N fertilization are favourable strategies to mitigate soil N2O emissions in high-yielding maize systems., This research was funded by EU Horizon 2020 Programme for Research and Innovation project “Crop diversification and low-input farming across Europe: from practitioners’ engagement and ecosystems services to increased revenues and value chain organisation (DIVERFARMING)” (grant agreement no. 728003)., Peer reviewed

CONTEXT
Agriculture plays a central role in the European Green Deal with various policies and strategies converging to promote sustainable agriculture and food systems. The Farm to Fork strategy approaches agriculture from a sustainable food systems perspective. Sustainable agriculture is also central in the European Biodiversity strategy, in the Long-term vision for EU Rural areas and in the Soil strategy. Despite clear policy objectives, there is still a long way towards an effective transition towards sustainable agriculture based on integrated, science based, solutions., OBJECTIVE
This paper aims to contribute to the debate on the challenges and opportunities for the transition towards a sustainable agriculture in Europe, the role of European policies and practical approaches., METHODS
We reviewed policy documents, scientific literature and global data to reflect on the vision of the Farm to Fork and other European strategies affecting sustainable agriculture, focussing on which policy instruments are foreseen to reach their objectives, which are the key-challenges related to achieve more sustainable farming, and on possible approaches to attain sustainable agriculture., RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS
We provide an overview of synergies and shared objectives between different European policies and strategies aiming to support the transition to sustainable agriculture from environmental, social and economic perspectives. We identified several often reported challenges to attain sustainable food systems: reduced yields, increased land demand, nitrogen needs, changes in diet, food waste, distribution and access to food, and externalities to third countries. Finally, we discuss two main approaches to sustainable agriculture with potential complementarity to fulfil the objectives of sustainable agriculture as reflected in the different European policies and strategies. Sustainable intensification with focus on environmental- friendly production, and agroecology with focus on ecology, social justice and food sovereignty. We reflect on how both approaches can be integrated to create synergies and optimize delivery of multiple ecosystem services. The transformation to sustainable agriculture, as expected from the several revised strategies, is not just a technical question of farming practices, but requires a holistic approach considering social, economic, cultural, technical and environmental aspects. Local adaptations, stakeholder participation, and recognition that agriculture produces more than crops, are key to support this transition of agriculture and food systems., SIGNIFICANCE
The transition towards more sustainable agriculture requires alignment of policies related to social, economic and environmental aspects, including social and economic acknowledgment to farmers, as managers of agroecosystems and cultural landscapes delivering a range of ecosystem services., We acknowledge the projects DIVERFARMING (H2020 European Commission Grant Agreement 728003); COASTAL (H2020 European Commission grant agreement 773782), AGRI_SER PID2020-119825RB-I00 (Ministry of Science and Innovation, Spain) and XTREME PID2019-109381 RB-I00/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 (Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities), DECADE 20917/PI/18 (Seneca Foundation, Region of Murcia, Spain) for financial support., Peer reviewed

The implementation of alley cropping in orchards has been suggested as a sustainable strategy to increase farmer revenues by crop diversification, enhance soil organic matter (SOM) and fertility, water retention, overall biodiversity, and contribute to climate change mitigation. Thus, the objective of this study was to assess if alley cropping with annual crops can contribute to i) mitigate soil greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, ii) enhance C sequestration in a semiarid Mediterranean irrigated citrus orchard, and iii) increase land productivity. For this, two different treatments were established: i) conventional mandarin monoculture (MC) with no alley cropping; and ii) mandarin diversified with alley cropping of barley/vetch and fava bean (DIV). Measurements of soil CO2 and N2O emissions were periodically performed (every 7–20 days) during two years. Soil CO2 emission rates followed the soil moisture trend, and showed no significant differences between treatments. As an average, soil CO2 emission rates were 147 mg m-2 h-1 in MC and 196 mg m-2 h-1 in DIV. Soil N2O emission rates were not correlated to soil moisture nor temperature, and showed average values of 0.026 mg m-2 h-1 in MC and − 0.002 mg m-2 h-1 in DIV. Alley cropping did not contribute to significantly increase soil organic C and total nitrogen in two years’ time. With regard to production, mandarin yield showed no significant differences between treatments, but alley crops contributed to complementary commodities to the main cash crop, increasing overall land productivity. Thus, alley cropping in irrigated Mediterranean orchards has no significant effect on soil C sequestration and GHG emissions at short-term, with increased land productivity owing to new commodities grown in the alleys. These results confirm that under semiarid Mediterranean climate, long periods are needed to efficiently assess soil C sequestration potential of sustainable practices in orchards., This work was supported by the European Commission Horizon 2020 Project Diverfarming [Grant agreement 728003]. Raúl Zornoza acknowledges the financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities through the “Ramón y Cajal” Program [RYC-2015-18758]., Peer reviewed

Soils provide key ecosystem services and are crucial to combat climate change. Agriculture provides important ecosystem services but also causes negative environmental effects depending on agricultural management. In this regard, crop diversification is a promising sustainable land management strategy to combat soil erosion and degradation, mitigate climate change and ensure food security. Here, we assess the combined short-term effects of crop diversification and no tillage on several key soil physico-chemical parameters related to soil functioning as well as on crop yields in a rainfed almond (Prunus dulcis Mill.) orchard under semiarid Mediterranean conditions. Almond trees were inter-cropped with Capparis spinosa L. (caper) or Thymus hyemalis Lange (winter thyme) and compared with the almond monocrop system. The experimental design consisted of three plots in a randomized-block design, with three replicates for each crop management treatment (almond monocrop, almond inter-cropped with caper, and almond inter-cropped with winter thyme). Along with crop yields, the combined effects of crop diversification and no tillage on a range of soil quality and health indicators including soil physical (bulk density, aggregate stability, water retention and availability) and chemical (total and particulate organic carbon and nitrogen, ammonium and nitrate content, available macro- and micro-nutrients) properties were monitored in the topsoil and subsoil (at 0–10 and 10–30 cm depth, respectively) one and three years from establishment, This work was supported by the European Commission Horizon 2020 project Diverfarming [grant agreement 728003]. María Almagro acknowledges the financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities through the “Ramón y Cajal” Program [RYC2020–029181-I]. Paula Re acknowledges the financial support from the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) and the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (GRA) through their CLIFF-GRADS programme, as well as to the Government of New Zealand for providing financial support, Peer reviewed

Soil health and function is one of the most important components for sustainable management of woody orchards. Intensive use of machinery and tillage creates heavy pressure on agroecosystems by altering the soil physicochemical and biological characteristics. In this study we aimed to assess the changes in soil physicochemical properties and the soil bacterial community structure, as well as the main drivers involved in shifts in the microbial community following 10 years implementing reduced tillage and reduced tillage plus green manure in a rainfed Mediterranean almond orchard. The treatments were: i) conventional tillage (CT); ii) reduced tillage (RT); and iii) reduced tillage and diversification with Avena sativa and Vicia sativa (RTD). After ten years, the results showed that the different managements had no significant effect on almond yields. RTD significantly increased total organic carbon (TOC), with an average content of 19.5 g kg−1 compared to 17.1 g kg−1 in CT. RTD also contributed to an increase in the fraction of soil macro-aggregates. Both RT and RTD significantly increased soil total nitrogen (NT) and particulate organic carbon (POC). However, other physical and chemical variables such as exchangeable Ca, Mg and K, bioavailable Fe, Cu, Zn and Mn, cation exchange capacity, bulk density, wilting point and field capacity were not significantly affected by the management. The bacterial community significantly changed with management: RTD showed a higher relative abundance of the family Solirubrobacteraceae and the genera Streptomyces and Solirubrobacter. The bacterial community structure was explained by changes in TOC, POC, pH, and NT values. Thus, a combination of reduced tillage and green manure could represent an appropriate sustainable management for rainfed almond orchards in very fragile environmental conditions, due to an increase in soil organic matter, total nitrogen, and the higher presence of beneficial bacteria related to soil productivity, This work was supported by the European Commission Horizon 2020 project Diverfarming [grant agreement 728003]., Peer reviewed

Crop diversification practices (CDPs) are alternative strategies aimed to achieve sustainable cropping systems and food production overcoming the agro-environmental impacts of conventional cropping systems such as monoculture. Thus, this paper aims to improve the knowledge of implementing CDPs in different European pedoclimatic regions by assessing the economic performance at the farm level. CDPs are compared with conventional cropping systems and clustered in terms of their gross margin (GM) results and variations. Farm-level assessment shows that CDPs provide positive economic results, representing an adaptive management strategy for ecological transition, without compromising economic sustainability. Particularly, the main findings show that (1) the impact of diversification depends more on crop type than on the selected CDPs, (2) most farms exhibited a low GM with low economic impact, and (3) there is a great likelihood that the CDPs facilitate the buildup of more resilient farming systems, This work was supported by the AgriCambio project (Grant PID2020-114576RB-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033) and the European Commission Horizon 2020 project Diverfarming [Grant agreement], Peer reviewed

Intercropping can favour the yield of the main crop. However, because of the potential competition among woody crops, this system is rarely used by farmers. To increase knowledge about the intercropping system, we have explored three different combinations of alley cropping in rainfed olive groves compared to conventional management (CP): (i) Crocus sativus (D-S); (ii) Vicia sativa/Avena sativa in annual rotation (D-O); and (iii) Lavandula x intermedia (D-L). Different soil chemical properties were analyzed to evaluate the effects of alley cropping, while 16S rRNA amplification and enzymatic activities were determined to study the changes that occurred in soil microbial communities and activity. In addition, the influence of intercropping on the potential functionality of the soil microbial community was measured, This research was funded by the European Commission Horizon 2020 project Diverfarming (Crop diversification and low-input farming across Europe: From practitioners' engagement and ecosystems services to increased revenues and value chain organisation), grant agreement 728003, Peer reviewed

Crop diversification is a promising strategy to mitigate climate change through soil carbon sequestration while ensuring soil fertility maintenance and food security. Here, we assess the impact of different inter-cropping practices on soil organic carbon (SOC) and nitrogen (N) storage and stabilization under rainfed and irrigated semiarid conditions. Under rainfed conditions, an almond (Prunus dulcis Mill.) monocrop was compared with an almond inter-cropped with caper (Capparis spinosa) or with winter thyme (Thymus hyemalis). Under irrigated conditions, a mandarin (Citrus reticulata Blanco) monocrop was compared with a mandarin inter-cropped with an annual crop rotation (including Hordeum vulgare, Vicia sativa and Vicia faba) or with a triennial crop rotation (including Vicia faba, Portulaca oleracea and Vigna unguiculata L.). The SOC and N stocks, SOC mineralization rates, water-stable aggregates and associated OC and N contents were estimated at 0–10 and 10–30 cm depth in each monocrop and inter-cropping system after three years. Contrasting effects of inter-cropping on SOC and N stabilization were found in the rainfed and irrigated systems. The combination of inter-cropping and no tillage did not affect the SOC stocks or mineralization rates at any soil depth in the rainfed system, while it significantly increased the OC and N contents within the large macro-aggregates in the subsoil. Compared to the irrigated mandarin monocrop, the mandarins inter-cropped with the annual crop rotation showed a significant increase of 10% and 18% in the topsoil and subsoil N stocks, respectively, while the SOC mineralization rates were reduced by 30% at both soil depths. On the contrary, the topsoil SOC stock in the mandarins inter-cropped with the triennial crop rotation were reduced by 38% compared to the monocrop. Significant reductions ranging between 24% and 66% were also observed in the OC and N contents associated to the macro- and micro-aggregates in the topsoil and subsoil of both crop diversifications compared to the monocrop system. Our results highlight the potential of inter-cropping rainfed woody crops with perennials for boosting SOC and N storage and stabilization. In irrigated woody monocrops, inter-cropping with annual crop rotation schemes that include two or more leguminous and reducing tillage frequency operations seems to be more appropriate in terms of SOC and N stabilization, This research was supported by the European Commission Horizon 2020 project Diverfarming [grant agreement 728003], by funds from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (project PID2020–119825RB-I00/AGRISER) and from the Fundación Séneca of the Murcia Region (ALGROALNEXT programme), and by MCIN with funding from European Union NextGenerationEU (PRTR-C17. I1). María Almagro acknowledges the financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities through the “Ramón y Cajal” Program [RYC2020–029181-I]. Paula Re acknowledges the financial support from the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) and the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (GRA) through their CLIFF-GRADS programme, as well as to the Government of New Zealand for providing financial support, Peer reviewed

Diversification of agricultural practices, including changes in crop rotation, intercropping or cover cropping, influence the soil microbiome. Here the impact of tillage and crop diversification on the soil microbiome is reported, being one of the few boreal studies. The field experiment consisted of four treatments with four replications all having a short cereal rotation practice namely an oat (Avena sativa) – spring barley (Hordeum vulgare) – wheat (Triticum aestivum) rotation for the past 10 years until spring 2018. During that period two of the treatments were conventionally tilled with moldboard ploughing whereas the other two were no-tillage treatments. From the growing season 2018 until fall 2020 the main crop in all treatments was spring barley. The first conventional tillage treatment was diversified with English ryegrass (Lolium perenne) as an undersown cover crop for the next three growing seasons. The first no-tillage treatment continued with spring barley only. The second conventional tillage and no-tillage treatment had winter rapeseed in rotation in 2019. Bulk soils were sampled in May 2018 before diversification and then in October 2018, 2019, and 2020. The results showed a clear effect of tillage on the beta-diversity of the soil microbiome and an increase in fungal richness. Barley monoculture interrupted with winter rapeseed resulted in a minor change of the fungal and bacterial community composition. Other fungal and bacterial alpha diversity measures did not react to tillage or diversification nor did the gene copy abundances involved in the N cycle. In conclusion tillage had a profound effect on the soil microbiome hindering impact of the diversification, The work was funded within the project “Crop diversification and low-input farming across Europe: from practitioners’ engagement and ecosystems services to increased revenues and value chain organization” (Diverfarming) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Programme for Research & Innovation, grant agreement no. 728003, Peer reviewed

This study identifies, through consultation with relevant stakeholders, low-input farming practices that can help to minimize the most pressing agronomic and environmental problems in some of the most relevant Mediterranean woody crops in Spain (almond, citrus, and olive) and enhance their sustainability. The results illustrate stakeholders’ perception regarding how each cropping system could be oriented towards a more sustainable production. Despite each case study’s particularities, there is consensus in the need for a shift towards the use of organic fertilizers, the maintenance of vegetation in the edges of plots and the use of integrated pest control strategies. On the contrary, stakeholders have selected different tillage and soil cover practices that are consistent with the characteristics and problems of each cropping system. This study also identifies relevant strengths and drawbacks for the implementation of low-input agricultural practices in each crop and study area. While stakeholders find the identified low-impact farming practices as easy and not costly, suggesting a significant potential for their successful implementation, the results also point out at the reduced knowledge of the practical benefits of some farming practices and the need for improved technical advice to foster the adoption of others., : This research was funded by the European Commission through the DIVERFARMING H2020 project (grant agreement 728003).