Editorial: Comparing conventional and low-input agricultural practices: multicriteria assessment of productivity, environmental and plant protection aspects

Editorial on the Research Topic
Comparing conventional and low-input agricultural practices: multicriteria assessment of productivity, environmental and plant protection aspects

Background

Agricultural systems worldwide continue to face the dual challenge of sustaining high productivity while minimizing environmental degradation. Conventional high-input farming has undeniably contributed to major gains in yield over the last century, yet its ecological costs—including soil degradation, water contamination, greenhouse gas emissions, and biodiversity loss—have become increasingly evident. In response, researchers, policymakers, and producers have turned their attention toward climate-smart, nature-based, and ecologically grounded agricultural strategies. This Research Topic brings together studies that compare conventional and sustainable farming practices across different agroecosystems, analyze their environmental outcomes, and evaluate their potential to meet growing global food and resource demands with a specific focus on reduced dependence on synthetic inputs.

The articles included in this Research Topic highlight complementary dimensions of the shift toward low-input, climate-resilient and environmentally sound production systems. Spanning five main strategies (coconut-based agroforestry design, integrated crop–livestock systems, landscape-scale agricultural ecological efficiency, soil-enhancing regenerative practices, and optimized intercropping for arid regions) these contributions collectively underscore the diversity of pathways through which sustainability can be integrated into agricultural production.

Agroforestry as a climate-smart strategy in coconut production

Dissanayaka et al. examine how integrating agroforestry into coconut-based agricultural systems in Sri Lanka can address long-term sustainability challenges inherent in monoculture production. Coconut plantations, historically managed as continuous monocultures, have suffered from declining soil fertility, inefficient resource use, and reduced ecosystem resilience. The authors synthesize two decades of research and demonstrate how diversified agroforestry systems—incorporating perennial trees, annual crops, and livestock—can restore ecological functions and reduce climate risks. These systems improve farmers’ wellbeing by broadening and stabilizing household income sources. The review emphasizes that successful adoption requires deliberate long-term planning and context-specific design.

Agricultural ecological efficiency improvement for achieving carbon neutrality commitments

A key question is how to evaluate farms’ ability to maximize food and economic output while minimizing environmental impacts—essentially achieving “more from less” by balancing yields and profits with ecological costs such as pollution, resource depletion, and biodiversity loss. Liu et al. addressed this challenge using the Yangtze River Economic Belt as a case study, proposing a framework to quantify Agricultural Ecological Efficiency by integrating carbon sources and sinks into an extended super-efficiency Slacks-Based Measure model. Their analysis reveals that net agricultural carbon sinks have steadily increased in the region and many provinces have transitioned from low-efficiency to high-efficiency categories between 2008 and 2023. The study identifies key drivers of ecological efficiency, including farmers’ living standards, public financial support, and the extent of agricultural marketization—highlighting how socioeconomic development and policy choices shape environmental outcomes. Conversely, inadequate irrigation infrastructure, frequent natural disasters, and rapid urbanization hinder improvements in Agricultural Ecological Efficiency. By proposing differentiated low-carbon development strategies and stronger intergovernmental coordination, this work contributes a valuable framework for aligning agricultural development with China’s carbon neutrality commitments.

Regenerative agriculture enhances soil microbial diversity and promotes soil health

While the previous two papers focus on system design and regional policy, Singh et al. evaluate the biological underpinnings of sustainable agriculture by examining how regenerative farming practices influence soil microbial communities. Through comparisons between regenerative and conventional plots for finger millet, and tomato/beans production in India, the authors show that regenerative practices—such as mulching, minimal tillage, crop rotation, intercropping, and the use of farm-derived organic amendments—result in more diverse and functionally enriched bacterial communities. Notably, increases in beneficial taxa such as Actinobacteriota, Firmicutes, and plant growth–promoting rhizobacteria were observed, alongside improved soil organic carbon and nutrient profiles under long-term regenerative management. These results provide empirical microbial and nutrient evidence supporting the soil health benefits often attributed to regenerative agriculture. In doing so, it reinforces the notion that low-input systems, when properly designed, can achieve significant yield improvements.

Intercropping productivity optimized through spatial and density management in arid regions

Finally, Liang et al. demonstrate how strategic design of planting configurations can significantly enhance productivity and economic stability in agroforestry systems of arid regions. Working in walnut–silage maize intercropping systems of southern Xinjiang of China, the authors show that wide-narrow row spacing combined with high planting density maximizes early-season growth, improves nutrient acquisition, increases silage yield, and boosts economic returns. The study reveals how thoughtful spatial arrangement can mitigate competition between trees and crops, optimize resource use efficiency, and provide resilience against market price fluctuations. The integration of agronomic and economic metrics strengthened the case for wide-narrow row systems as a viable, scalable strategy in water-limited regions.

Cross-cutting insights and research needs

Despite their diversity, the papers in this Research Topic converge on several key themes. First, sustainable agricultural practices—whether agroforestry, integrated crop–livestock systems, regenerative systems, or intercropping—enhance ecosystem services while maintaining or increasing productivity. Improvements in soil health, biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and efficient resource use emerge consistently across studies. Second, transitions toward sustainable systems require both scientific and institutional support, as well as regionally informed interventions. Long-term adoption of sustainable practices is often contingent on policy frameworks, extension services, and farmer training. Third, methodological innovations are essential; the integration of carbon accounting models, microbial profiling, and ecosystem service assessments reflects a growing interdisciplinary approach to evaluating agricultural sustainability.

Collectively, the contributions advance our understanding of how diverse sustainable agricultural practices perform across ecological, economic, and social dimensions. They offer valuable evidence and practical strategies demonstrating that meaningful reductions in synthetic inputs and environmental impacts are possible through well-designed systems. However, important research gaps remain. Comparisons between conventional and low-input systems often require long-term datasets to fully capture ecological transitions. More studies are needed on the trade-offs between productivity, labor demands, and economic returns. Additionally, the scalability of many sustainable practices—especially in smallholder or resource-limited contexts—requires further investigation.

Author contributions

PG: Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. FR: Writing – review & editing. CC: Writing – review & editing.

Conflict of interest

The authors declared that this work was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

The author PG declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision.

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