Cropping Systems Adaptation in the Context of Global Change: Current Trends and Future Directions

Global warming is widely recognized as one of the foremost challenges in maintaining global food security, primarily due to the sensitivity of crops to climate variations. Crop production is likely to be affected by climate change on global, regional, and local levels, impacting the availability, accessibility, and quality of food. For instance, rising temperatures, altered precipitation patterns, increased frequency of extreme weather events, and depletion of water supplies may significantly affect agricultural productivity. Recent studies have highlighted the increasing urgency for a stronger focus on adapting cropping systems to future climate change. While some research has been conducted on developing climate-resilient cultivars and improving water use efficiency, there remains a significant gap in understanding how these strategies can be implemented in a sustainable, environmentally friendly, and economically viable manner. Addressing these gaps is crucial for developing effective adaptation strategies that can help producers mitigate the adverse effects of climate change.

This research topic aims to identify and collect information about practical methods that can be implemented in crop production to guide agricultural evolution toward better productivity, efficiency, and sustainability under climate change. The main objectives include exploring innovative adaptation strategies, testing hypotheses related to climate resilience, and answering critical questions about the economic viability and environmental impact of these methods. By focusing on these goals, the research seeks to provide actionable insights that can be adopted by producers to enhance their cropping systems in the face of global change.

To gather further insights in the adaptation of cropping systems to climate change, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
- Water use and water productivity in cropping systems under climate change
- Development of climate resilience cultivars
- Use of technologies to “harvest” water and conserve soil moisture (e.g., crop residue retention)
- Tillage practices that improve soil sustainability and soil health (carbon, plant nutrients, physical and biological properties)
- Altering the timing or location of cropping activities under climate change scenarios
- Adaptation of cropping sequences to climate change
- Land and policy changes

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Review
• Systematic Review

Keywords: cropping systems, climate change, tillage practices, water use efficiency, water productivity, climate resilience, crop yields, cropping patterns, technology, planting dates, land changes, policy changes, artificial intelligence, machine learning

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.