Characterization of crop sequences in Argentina spatial distribution and determinants

CONTEXT: New availability of annual crop type maps in Argentina allows the characterization of crop sequences at field level and the quantification of the occurrence of processes like crop monoculture and rotation. OBJECTIVE: characterization of crop sequences in Argentina and analysis of their spa...

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Main Authors: De Abelleyra, Diego, Banchero, Santiago, Veron, Santiago Ramón
Format: info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo
Language:Inglés
Published: Elsevier 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/23645
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0308521X24002191
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104069
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author De Abelleyra, Diego
Banchero, Santiago
Veron, Santiago Ramón
author_browse Banchero, Santiago
De Abelleyra, Diego
Veron, Santiago Ramón
author_facet De Abelleyra, Diego
Banchero, Santiago
Veron, Santiago Ramón
author_sort De Abelleyra, Diego
collection INTA Digital
description CONTEXT: New availability of annual crop type maps in Argentina allows the characterization of crop sequences at field level and the quantification of the occurrence of processes like crop monoculture and rotation. OBJECTIVE: characterization of crop sequences in Argentina and analysis of their spatial distribution patterns in relation to socioeconomic and environmental variables. METHODS: Several crop sequence indices were derived from consecutive crop type maps generated over four growing seasons. Occurrence of different crop sequences was evaluated in relation to spatially explicit information of distance to ports, cadastral unit size (as a measure of farmer’s capitalization), mean annual precipitation, mean annual temperature and soil organic carbon. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Contrasting to previous reports performed with coarse resolution or point data, most frequent sequences included rotation of soybean, maize and winter cereal crops. Lower cropping intensities were observed both in places with low precipitation and clustered in the agricultural belt in Center Argentina with few environmental limitations. Cases with high frequency of early soybean in the sequence, including cases of four years of monoculture, were also clustered also around the agricultural belt. They were more frequent near to ports and over small cadastral unit size farms. Higher number of cereals in the sequence was observed near ports but preferably over larger cadastral units. Small cadastral units, related to low capitalized farmers, are more averse to tenancy. Shorter distances to ports reduce the fleet cost incrementing the gross margin, being particularly relevant when the additional cost of tenancy is considered. SIGNIFICANCE: This works characterized processes like rotation and monoculture in Argentina at the level where they really occur that is field level, improving the quantification of these processes in relation to previous reports. Results showed limitations to crop intensification related to precipitation availability, and a notable influence of social aspects in the decision of planting and the definition of the crop sequences in areas with no environmental limitations. This information can contribute to the development of public policies in relation to equilibrate the costs for farmers distributed along the county, promoting local agro-industries and developing alternative transportation options to road transport. Incentives to discourage renting the land, especially for small farmers, can promote long term planning with increased crop rotation.
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institution Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA -Argentina)
language Inglés
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publishDateRange 2025
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spelling INTA236452025-09-02T10:26:30Z Characterization of crop sequences in Argentina spatial distribution and determinants De Abelleyra, Diego Banchero, Santiago Veron, Santiago Ramón Monoculture Crop Rotation Soybeans Maize Sustainability Monocultivo Rotación de Cultivos Soja Maíz Sostenibilidad Argentina CONTEXT: New availability of annual crop type maps in Argentina allows the characterization of crop sequences at field level and the quantification of the occurrence of processes like crop monoculture and rotation. OBJECTIVE: characterization of crop sequences in Argentina and analysis of their spatial distribution patterns in relation to socioeconomic and environmental variables. METHODS: Several crop sequence indices were derived from consecutive crop type maps generated over four growing seasons. Occurrence of different crop sequences was evaluated in relation to spatially explicit information of distance to ports, cadastral unit size (as a measure of farmer’s capitalization), mean annual precipitation, mean annual temperature and soil organic carbon. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Contrasting to previous reports performed with coarse resolution or point data, most frequent sequences included rotation of soybean, maize and winter cereal crops. Lower cropping intensities were observed both in places with low precipitation and clustered in the agricultural belt in Center Argentina with few environmental limitations. Cases with high frequency of early soybean in the sequence, including cases of four years of monoculture, were also clustered also around the agricultural belt. They were more frequent near to ports and over small cadastral unit size farms. Higher number of cereals in the sequence was observed near ports but preferably over larger cadastral units. Small cadastral units, related to low capitalized farmers, are more averse to tenancy. Shorter distances to ports reduce the fleet cost incrementing the gross margin, being particularly relevant when the additional cost of tenancy is considered. SIGNIFICANCE: This works characterized processes like rotation and monoculture in Argentina at the level where they really occur that is field level, improving the quantification of these processes in relation to previous reports. Results showed limitations to crop intensification related to precipitation availability, and a notable influence of social aspects in the decision of planting and the definition of the crop sequences in areas with no environmental limitations. This information can contribute to the development of public policies in relation to equilibrate the costs for farmers distributed along the county, promoting local agro-industries and developing alternative transportation options to road transport. Incentives to discourage renting the land, especially for small farmers, can promote long term planning with increased crop rotation. Instituto de Clima y Agua Fil: de Abelleyra, Diego. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Clima y Agua; Argentina. Fil: Banchero, Santiago. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Clima y Agua; Argentina. Fil: Verón, Santiago Ramón. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Clima y Agua; Argentina. Fil: Verón, Santiago Ramón. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía; Argentina Fil: Verón, Santiago Ramón. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina 2025-09-02T10:17:49Z 2025-09-02T10:17:49Z 2024-07-17 info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/23645 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0308521X24002191 0308-521X https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104069 eng info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) application/pdf Elsevier Agricultural Systems 220 : 104069. (October 2024)
spellingShingle Monoculture
Crop Rotation
Soybeans
Maize
Sustainability
Monocultivo
Rotación de Cultivos
Soja
Maíz
Sostenibilidad
Argentina
De Abelleyra, Diego
Banchero, Santiago
Veron, Santiago Ramón
Characterization of crop sequences in Argentina spatial distribution and determinants
title Characterization of crop sequences in Argentina spatial distribution and determinants
title_full Characterization of crop sequences in Argentina spatial distribution and determinants
title_fullStr Characterization of crop sequences in Argentina spatial distribution and determinants
title_full_unstemmed Characterization of crop sequences in Argentina spatial distribution and determinants
title_short Characterization of crop sequences in Argentina spatial distribution and determinants
title_sort characterization of crop sequences in argentina spatial distribution and determinants
topic Monoculture
Crop Rotation
Soybeans
Maize
Sustainability
Monocultivo
Rotación de Cultivos
Soja
Maíz
Sostenibilidad
Argentina
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/23645
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0308521X24002191
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104069
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