Sustainable Agroecosystems

In order to understand sustainable agriculture and implement it, we need to elucidate the feedbacks between ecosystem management options (e.g., tillage, cover cropping, green manuring, sustainable farming, and grazing), global change (e.g., elevated CO₂ and climate change), and biogeochemical cycling.

Hence, we need to unravel the complex interactions between plants (e.g., diversity, nutrient uptake, and root growth), soil (e.g, structure, texture and mineralogy), soil biota (e.g. fungi, bacteria, and earthworms), and the carbon and nitrogen cycles in agroecosystems across spatial and temporal scales. Furthermore, since agriculture is an human enterprise, not only biophysical aspects, but also social and economic dimensions of sustainable agriculture needed to be elucidated. One approach to do so is bio-economic modeling through which the sustainability of agricultural practices are holistically assessed.

• Developing recommendations for increased productivity in cassava-maize intercropping systems in Southern Nigeria
  Nwokoro, Charles Chigemezu; Kreye, Christine; Necpalova, Magdalena; Adeyemi, Olojede; Busari, Mutiu; et al.
  Field Crops Research 10.1016/j.fcr.2021.108283  OCT 1 2021
• Mycorrhizal fungi-mediated uptake of tree-derived nitrogen by maize in smallholder farms
  Dierks, Janina; Blaser-Hart, Wilma J.; Gamper, Hannes A.; Six, Johan
  Nature Sustainability 10.1038/s41893-021-00791-7  NOV 2021
• Estimation of soil properties with mid-infrared soil spectroscopy across yam production landscapes in West Africa
  Baumann, Philipp; Lee, Juhwan; Frossard, Emmanuel; Schoenholzer, Laurie Paule; Diby, Lucien; Hgaza, Valerie Kouame; Kiba, Delwende Innocent; Sila, Andrew); Sheperd, Keith; Six, Johan
  Soil 10.5194/soil-7-717-2021 OCT 27 2021
• The central African soil spectral library: a new soil infrared repository and a geographical prediction analysis
  Summerauer, Laura; Baumann, Philipp; Ramirez-Lopez, Leonardo; Barthel, Matti; Bauters, Marijn; et al.
  Soil 10.5194/soil-7-693-2021  OCT 26 2021
• Assessing between and within Product Group Variance of Environmental Efficiency of Swiss Agriculture Using Life Cycle Assessment and Data Envelopment Analysis
  Pedolin, Dario; Six, Johan; Nemecek, Thomas
  Agronomy-basel 10.3390/agronomy11091862  SEP 2021
• The effectiveness of cocoa agroforests depends on shade-tree canopy height
  Blaser-Hart, W. J.; Hart, S. P.; Oppong, J.; Kyereh, D.; Yeboah, E.; Six, Johan
  Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment  10.1016/j.agee.2021.107676  DEC 1 2021
• Rainfall seasonality and timing: implications for cereal crop production in Ethiopia
  Wakjira, Mosisa Tujuba; Peleg, Nadav; Anghileri, Daniela; Molnar, Darcy; Alamirew, Tena; Six, Johan
  Agricultural And Forest Meteorology 10.1016/j.agrformet.2021.108633  NOV 15 2021
• A food tax only minimally reduces the N surplus of Swiss agriculture
  Schmidt, Alena; Necpalova, Magdalena; Mack, Gabriele; Mohring, Anke; Six, Johan
  Agricultural Systems 10.1016/j.agsy.2021.103271  DEC 2021
• Organic matter cycling along geochemical, geomorphic, and disturbance gradients in forest and cropland of the African Tropics - project TropSOC database version 1.0
  Doetterl, Sebastian; Asifiwe, Rodrigue K.; Baert, Geert; Bamba, Fernando; Bauters, Marijn; et al.
  Earth System Science Data 10.5194/essd-13-4133-2021  AUG 25 2021
• Agricultural intensification can no longer ignore water conservation – A systemic modelling approach to the case of tomato producers in Morocco
  Benabderrazik, K.; Kopainsky, B.; Tazi, L.; Joerin, J.; Six, J.
  Agricultural Water Management 10.1016/j.agwat.2021.107082  OCT 1 2021
• Developing the Swiss mid-infrared soil spectral library for local estimation and monitoring
  Baumann, Philipp; Helfenstein, Anatol; Gubler, Andreas; Keller, Armin; Meuli, Reto Giulio; Wachter, Daniel; Lee, Juhwan; Rossel, Raphael Viscarra; Six, Johan)
  Soil 10.5194/soil-7-525-2021 AUG 18 2021
• The agronomic and economic viability of innovative cropping systems to reduce Fusarium head blight and related mycotoxins in wheat
  Drakopoulos, Dimitrios; Kaegi, Andreas; Six, Johan; Zorn, Alexander; Wettstein, Felix E.; et al.
  Agricultural Systems 10.1016/j.agsy.2021.103198  AUG 2021
• Organic and conservation agriculture promote ecosystem multifunctionality
  Wittwer, RA; Bender, SF; Hartman, K; Hydbom, S; Lima, RAA; Loaiza, V; Nemecek, T; Oehl, F; Olsson, PA; Petchey, O; Prechsl, UE; Schlaeppi, K; Scholten, T; Seitz, S; Six, J; van der Heijden, MGA
  Science Advances 10.1126/sciadv.abg6995  AUG 2021
• The role of geochemistry in organic carbon stabilization against microbial decomposition in tropical rainforest soils
  Reichenbach, Mario; Fiener, Peter; Garland, Gina; Griepentrog, Marco; Six, Johan; Doetterl, Sebastian
  Soil 10.5194/soil-7-453-2021 AUG 2 2021
• Agronomic gain: Definition, approach, and application
  Saito, Kazuki; Six, Johan; Komatsu, Shota; Snapp, Sieglinde; Rosenstock, Todd; et al.
  Field Crops Research 10.1016/j.fcr.2021.108193 AUG 1 2021
• Quantifying soil carbon in temperate peatlands using a mid-IR soil spectral library
  Helfenstein, Anatol; Baumann, Philipp; Rossel, Raphael Viscarra; Gubler, Andreas; Oechslin, Stefan; Six Johan
  Soil 10.5194/soil-7-193-2021 JUN 14 2021
• Beyond feasibility – the role of motivation to implement measures to enhance resilience Evidence from drought-affected smallholder farmers in Ghana and Ethiopia
  Messmer, Luzian; Thom, Braida; Kruetli, Pius; Dawoe, Evans; Assefa, Kebebew; et al.
  Mitigation And Adaptation Strategies For Global Change 10.1007/s11027-021-09952-7  JUN 2021
• Impacts of residue quality and soil texture on soil aggregation pathways by using rare earth oxides as tracers
  Liu, S.; Guo, Z. C.; Halder, M.; Zhang, H. X.; Six, J.; et al.
  Geoderma 10.1016/j.geoderma.2021.115114  OCT 1 2021
• Continental-scale controls on soil organic carbon across sub-Saharan Africa
  von Fromm, Sophie F.; Hoyt, Alison M.; Lange, Markus; Acquah, Gifty E.; Aynekulu, Ermias; et al.
  Soil 10.5194/soil-7-305-2021  JUN 29 2021
• Trees enhance abundance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, soil structure, and nutrient retention in low-input maize cropping systems
  Dierks, Janina; Blaser-Hart, Wilma J.; Gamper, Hannes A.; Nyoka, Isaac Betserai; Barrios, Edmundo; Six Johan
  Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment 10.1016/j.agee.2021.107487  SEP 15 2021
• Global patterns of geo-ecological controls on the response of soil respiration to warming
  Haaf, David; Six, Johan; Doetterl, Sebastian
  Nature Climate Change 10.1038/s41558-021-01068-9 JUL 2021
• Positive Effects of Crop Diversity on Productivity Driven by Changes in Soil Microbial Composition
  Stefan, Laura; Hartmann, Martin; Engbersen, Nadine; Six, Johan; Schoeb, Christian
  Frontiers In Microbiology 10.3389/fmicb.2021.660749  APR 15 2021
• The Pulse of the Amazon: Fluxes of Dissolved Organic Carbon, Nutrients, and Ions From the World's Largest River
  Drake, Travis W.; Hemingway, Jordon D.; Kurek, Martin R.; Peucker-Ehrenbrink, Bernhard; Brown, Kristina A.; et al.
  Global Biogeochemical Cycles 10.1029/2020GB006895  APR 2021
• In-depth analysis of N2O fluxes in tropical forest soils of the Congo Basin combining isotope and functional gene analysis
  Gallarotti, Nora; Barthel, Matti; Verhoeven, Elizabeth; Pereira, Engil Isadora Pujol; Bauters, Marijn; Baumgartner, S; Drake, TW; Boeckx, P; Mohn, J; Longepierre, M; Mugula, JK; Makelele, IA; Ntaboba, LC; Six, J
  Isme Journal 10.1038/s41396-021-01004-x  NOV 2021
• Assessment of sustainable land use: linking land management practices to sustainable land use indicators
  Nziguheba, Generose; Adewopo, Julius; Masso, Cargele; Nabahungu, Nsharwasi Leon; Six, Johan; et al.
  International Journal Of Agricultural Sustainability 10.1080/14735903.2021.1926150 MAY 2021
• Stable isotope signatures of soil nitrogen on an environmental-geomorphic gradient within the Congo Basin
  Baumgartner, Simon; Bauters, Marijn; Barthel, Matti; Drake, Travis W.; Ntaboba, Landry C.; et al.
  Soil  10.5194/soil-7-83-2021 Published: MAR 30 2021
• Global carbon dioxide efflux from rivers enhanced by high nocturnal emissions
  Gomez-Gener, Lluis; Rocher-Ros, Gerard; Battin, Tom; Cohen, Matthew J.; Dalmagro, Higo J.; et al.
  Nature Geoscience 10.1038/s41561-021-00722-3  Early Access: APR 2021
• Immobilization and stabilization of volcanic ash in soil aggregates in semiarid meadows of Northern Patagonia
  Soledad Enriquez, Andrea; Necpalova, Magdalena; Victoria Cremona, Maria; Luis Peri, Pablo; Six, Johan
  Geoderma, 10.1016/j.geoderma.2021.114987 JUN 15 2021
• Spatial and temporal variations of greenhouse gas emissions from a waste stabilization pond: Effects of sludge distribution and accumulation
  Ho, Long; Jerves-Cobo, Ruben; Morales, Oscar; Larriva, Josue; Arevalo-Durazno, Maria; et al.
  Water Research, 10.1016/j.watres.2021.116858  APR 1 2021
• Spatial and seasonal patterns of rainfall erosivity in the Lake Kivu region: Insights from a meteorological observatory network
  Bagalwa, R. M.; Chartin, C.; Baumgartner, S.; Mercier, S.; Syauswa, M.; et al.
  Progress In Physical Geography-earth And Environment, 10.1177/03091333211001793   MAR 2021
• Mechanisms influencing physically sequestered soil carbon in temperate restored grasslands in South Africa and North America
  Scott, Drew A.; Bach, Elizabeth M.; Du Preez, Chris C.; Six, Johan; Baer, Sara G.
  Biogeochemistry, 10.1007/s10533-021-00774-y  MAR 2021
• On-farm assessment of cassava root yield response to tillage, plant density, weed control and fertilizer application in southwestern Nigeria
  Onasanya, Olabisi Omolara; Hauser, Stefan; Necpalova, Magdalena; Salako, Felix Kolawole; Kreye, Christine; et al.
  Field Crops Research, 10.1016/j.fcr.2020.108038  MAR 1 2021
• Soil fertility maintenance with organic amendments to orange fleshed sweetpotato
  Conz, Rafaela Feola; Six, Johan; Andrade, Maria Isabel; Pereira, Engil Isadora Pujol
  Nutrient Cycling In Agroecosystems, 10.1007/s10705-020-10111-8  MAR 2021
• Soil Nutrient Depletion and Tree Functional Composition Shift Following Repeated Clearing in Secondary Forests of the Congo Basin
  Bauters, Marijn; Moonen, Pieter; Summerauer, Laura; Doetterl, Sebastian; Wasner, Daniel; et al.
  Ecosystems,  10.1007/s10021-020-00593-6  JAN 2021
• Seasonality, drivers, and isotopic composition of soil CO2 fluxes from tropical forests of the Congo Basin
  Baumgartner, Simon; Barthel, Matti; Drake, Travis William; Bauters, Marijn; Makelele, Isaac Ahanamungu; et al.
  Biogeosciences, 10.5194/bg-17-6207-2020  DEC 9 2020
• Combining organic and mineral fertilizers as a climate-smart integrated soil fertility management practice in sub-Saharan Africa: A meta-analysis
  Gram, Gil; Roobroeck, Dries; Pypers, Pieter; Six, Johan; Merckx, Roel; et al.
  Plos One   DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0239552  SEP 24 2020
• Reduction of nitrogen pollution in agriculture through nitrogen surplus quotas: an analysis of individual marginal abatement cost and different quota allocation schemes using an agent-based model
  Schmidt, Alena; Mack, Gabriele; Mann, Stefan; Six, Johan
  Journal Of Environmental Planning And Management  DOI: 10.1080/09640568.2020.1823344  NOV 2020
• Linking soil engineers, structural stability, and organic matter allocation to unravel soil carbon responses to land-use change
  Franco, Andre L. C.; Cherubin, Mauricio R.; Cerri, Carlos E. P.; Six, Johan; Wall, Diana H.; et al.
  Soil Biology & Biochemistry  DOI: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2020.107998 Published: NOV 2020
• Du Feu a l'Eau: Source and Flux of Dissolved Black Carbon From the Congo River
  Drake, Travis W.; Wagner, Sasha; Stubbins, Aron; Wabakanghanzi, Jose N.; Dinga, Jean Bienvenu; et al.
  Global Biogeochemical Cycles   DOI: 10.1029/2020GB006560  Published: AUG 2020
• Soil fertility and Theobroma cacao growth and productivity under commonly intercropped shade-tree species in Sulawesi, Indonesia
  Wartenberg, Ariani C.; Blaser, Wilma J.; Roshetko, James M.; Van Noordwijk, Meine; Six, Johan
  Plant And Soil  DOI: 10.1007/s11104-018-03921-x  Published: AUG 2020
• What can we learn from N2O isotope data? - Analytics, processes and modelling
  Yu, Longfei; Harris, Eliza; Lewicka-Szczebak, Dominika; Barthel, Matti; Blomberg, Margareta R. A.; et al.
  Rapid Communications In Mass Spectrometry  DOI: 10.1002/rcm.8858  Published: OCT 30 2020
• Control of Fusarium graminearum in Wheat With Mustard-Based Botanicals: From in vitro to in planta
  Drakopoulos, Dimitrios; Meca, Giuseppe; Torrijos, Raquel; Marty, Anja; Kaegi, Andreas; et al.
  Frontiers In Microbiology  DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01595  Published: JUL 21 2020
• Denitrification Is the Main Nitrous Oxide Source Process in Grassland Soils According to Quasi-Continuous Isotopocule Analysis and Biogeochemical Modeling
  Ibraim, Erkan; Denk, Tobias; Wolf, Benjamin; Barthel, Matti; Gasche, Rainer; et al.
  Global Biogeochemical Cycles  DOI: 10.1029/2019GB006505 Published: JUN 2020
• The soil organic carbon stabilization potential of old and new wheat cultivars: a (CO2)-C-13-labeling study
  Van de Broek, Marijn; Ghiasi, Shiva; Decock, Charlotte; Hund, Andreas; Abiven, Samuel; et al.
  Biogeosciences  DOI: 10.5194/bg-17-2971-2020 Published: JUN 11 2020
• Simulation of a regional soil nitrogen balance in Swiss croplands
  Lee, Juhwan; Necpalova, Magdalena; Calitri, Francesca; Six, Johan
  Nutrient Cycling In Agroecosystems  DOI: 10.1007/s10705-020-10078-6 Published: SEP 2020
• A Transdisciplinary Approach for the Development of Sustainable Yam (Dioscorea sp.) Production in West Africa
  Kiba, Delwende Innocent; Hgaza, Valerie Kouame; Aighewi, Beatrice; Ake, Severin; Barjolle, Dominique; et al.
  Sustainability  DOI: 10.3390/su12104016 Published: MAY 2020
• N2O isotopocule measurements using laser spectroscopy: analyzer characterization and intercomparison
  Harris, Stephen J.; Liisberg, Jesper; Xia, Longlong; Wei, Jing; Zeyer, Kerstin; et al.
  Atmospheric Measurement Techniques   DOI: 10.5194/amt-13-2797-2020  Published: MAY 28 2020
• Biophysical potential of organic cropping practices as a sustainable alternative in Switzerland
  Lee, Juhwan; Necpalova, Magdalena; Six, Johan
  Agricultural Systems 181  DOI: 10.1016/j.agsy.2020.102822  MAY 2020
• Soil greenhouse gas budget of two intensively managed grazing systems
  Voglmeier, Karl; Six, Johan; Jocher, Markus; Ammann, Christof
  Agricultural and Forest Metereology 287DOI: 10.1016/j.agrformet.2020.107960 JUN 15 2020
• Nutrient flows and intensification options for smallholder farmers of the Lao uplands
  Epper, CA; Paul, B; Burra, D; Phengsavanh P; Ritzema R; Syfongxay C; Groot JCJ; Six J; Frossard E; Oberson A; Douxchamps S
  Agricultural Systems 177  DOI: 10.1016/j.agsy.2019.102694   JAN 2020
• Differential effects of wetting and drying on soil CO2 concentration and flux in near-surface vs. deep soil layers
  Min, Kyungjin; Berhe, Asmeret Asefaw; Khoi, Chau Minh; van Asperen, Hella; Gillabel, Jeroen; et al.
  Biogeochemistry  DOI: 10.1007/s10533-020-00658-7, APR 2020
• Whole-profile soil organic matter content, composition, and stability under cropping systems that differ in belowground inputs
  Poffenbarger, Hanna J.; Olk, Daniel C.; Cambardella, Cynthia; Kersey, Jordan; Liebman, Matt; et al.
  Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment 291 Article Number: UNSP 106810 DOI: 10.1016/j.agee.2019.106810 APR 1 2020
• Land-use controls on carbon biogeochemistry in lowland streams of the Congo Basin
  Drake, Travis W.; Podgorski, David C.; Dinga, Bienvenu; Chanton, Jeffrey P.; Six, Johan; et al.
  Global Change Biology 26(3): 1374-1389 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14889 MAR 2020
• Prevention of Fusarium head blight infection and mycotoxins in wheat with cut-and-carry biofumigation and botanicals
  Drakopoulos, Dimitrios; Kagi, Andreas; Gimeno, Alejandro; Six, Johan; Jenny, Eveline; et al.
  Field Crops Research,  DOI: 10.1016/j.fcr.2019.107681, Published: FEB 1 2020
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• Sustainable agriculture across the world
• Carbon cycling in terrestrial and aquatic systems
• Soil fertility management
• Greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture
• Global change effects terrestrial ecosystem functioning
• Bioeconomic modeling

• Soil microbiology
• Economic and social aspects of sustainable agriculture
• Plant-soil interactions
• Nutrient use efficiency