REVIEW article
Front. Agron.
Sec. Agroecological Cropping Systems
Volume 7 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fagro.2025.1611739
This article is part of the Research TopicEnhancing Ecosystem Services through Conservation Agriculture, Agroforestry, and Traditional Farming SystemsView all 3 articles
Sustainable intensification strategies: balancing productivity, quality, and profitability in agri-food systems with resource optimization
Provisionally accepted- 1Indian Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR), New Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi, India
- 2Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation (ICAR), Dehradun, India
- 3National Rice Research Institute (ICAR), Cuttack, Odisha, India
- 4Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR), Old Goa, Goa, India
- 5Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute (ICAR), Jhānsi, Uttar Pradesh, India
- 6Directorate of Groundnut Research (ICAR-DGR), Jūnāgadh, India
- 7Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Agricultural University, Parbhani, Maharashtra, India
- 8Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Samastipur, Bihar, India
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Context: Meeting the rising global nutritional demands is a critical challenge due to population growth, increasing incomes, shrinking natural resources, and climate change. Enhancing crop productivity while ensuring sustainability requires innovative and efficient agricultural practices. The System of Crop Intensification (SCI), adapted from the System of Rice Intensification (SRI), offers a promising solution by optimizing agronomic management for various crops such as wheat, millets, maize, sugarcane, rice, and soybean.This review examines the potential of SCI in improving crop yields, profitability, and resource-use efficiency. The primary research question is: How does SCI impact crop productivity, soil health, and farmers' income compared to conventional farming methods?The review synthesizes recent studies and field trials on SCI adoption across multiple crops and regions. Key agronomic modifications considered include wider planting geometry, improved water management, organic manure application, residue retention, and integrated weed management. The effects of SCI on yield, nutrient uptake, soil quality, and economic returns were analyzed.Results: SCI practices have demonstrated a significant yield increase, often more than doubling production compared to conventional methods. The adoption of SCI has resulted in a 15-25% yield improvement in major field crops, along with enhanced oil and protein content, increased nutrient uptake, and improved wateruse efficiency. Although SCI involves higher initial production costs, the increased crop yields compensate for the expenses, leading to higher net returns for farmers.Conclusions: SCI is an effective and sustainable agronomic approach that enhances productivity while improving soil health and resource-use efficiency. The approach contributes to climate resilience and profitability, making it a viable option for small and marginal farmers. The observed improvements in soil-plant interactions indicate the need for further scientific exploration of the mechanisms driving these benefits.Implications: SCI provides an ecologically sustainable solution to global food security challenges. Its adoption at scale can significantly boost increase farmer incomes, enhance soil fertility, and contribute to environmentally friendly farming 53 practices. Encouraging research, demonstration, and policy support for SCI will be 54 crucial in ensuring its widespread implementation and long-term success.
Keywords: Climate resilience, productivity, profitability, Resource-use efficiency, sustainable agriculture
Received: 14 Apr 2025; Accepted: 04 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Dass, San, Jinger, Kumari, Singh, Singh, Poonam, Paramesh, Gupta, GA, Kaur, Shekhawat, Rathore, Meena, KS, Devi, NITHINKUMAR, Gautam, Kushwaha, Mani and Meena. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Dinesh Jinger, Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation (ICAR), Dehradun, India
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