Balancing Yield and Soil Health: A Comparative Study of Agroecological and Conventional Farming Systems
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61978/sativa.v1i2.1420Keywords:
Agroecology, Soil Health Index, Sustainable Agriculture, Trade-Offs, Farming Systems, Productivity, Soil ResilienceAbstract
Conventional agriculture, while maximizing short-term yields, often compromises soil health and long-term sustainability. This study evaluates trade-offs between soil health and agricultural productivity across Conventional Farming Systems (CFS) and Agroecological Farming Systems (AFS). Using composite Soil Health Index (SHI) scores derived from physical, chemical, and biological indicators, alongside productivity metrics including yield, water use efficiency (WUE), and nutrient use efficiency (NUE), we compared system-level outcomes. Data were collected from categorized plots under CFS and AFS. A composite SHI was constructed using normalized indicators such as bulk density, soil organic carbon, microbial biomass carbon, and earthworm count. Statistical analyses included Principal Component Analysis (PCA) for soil quality differentiation and scatterplots for trade-off visualization. Comparative analysis was conducted using t-tests and Mann–Whitney tests. AFS plots demonstrated significantly higher SHI scores, improved WUE, and long-term soil resilience, while CFS plots maintained slightly higher yields with greater synthetic input reliance. Radar charts and PCA biplots revealed clear ecological advantages in AFS. Yield-SHI scatterplots illustrated the trade-off between productivity and sustainability, favoring AFS in long-term viability. Agroecological systems offer a viable pathway to sustainable agriculture, balancing productivity with ecological integrity. Emphasizing soil health metrics enhances our understanding of agroecosystem performance and supports informed transitions towards resilient farming.
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