• This article compares the performance of three process-based crop models (APSIM–Maize, DSSAT CERES–Maize, and AquaCrop) under Ethiopian tropical conditions. Using field data from three agro-ecological sites and four maize varieties, the study conducts model calibration, validation, and ensemble analysis. The findings demonstrate that ensemble modeling significantly improves simulation accuracy and reduces uncertainty compared to individual models.

It clearly shows that there is a gap between the logic of research and development and the logic of farmers in 3 subsaharan africa public and private extension programmes.

COPRODSCOPE is a tool designed for agricultural advisors that aims to help agropastoralists in the savannah areas of sub-Saharan Africa to enhance the value of their crop (straw, haulm, stalks) and livestock (solid manure) by-products. It is an assessment and advisory tool for the management of by-products in order to optimize resource use and promote agroecological intensification of agropastoral farms.

This protocol is a guide to conceptualize a challenge or an issue into a system with its boundary, components, relations and environment.

Ce memento est destiné aux étudiants en Sciences Agronomiques pour leur permettre d’acquérir et d’utiliser les concepts de base nécessaires à la compréhension des enseignements (cours, TD, rapports) d’Agronomie Systémique (AS).
Comme toute discipline scientifique l’AS peut se définir par ses concepts, ses méthodes et outils et les différentes postures avec lesquelles on les met en œuvre sur des objets et à des échelles spécifiques. Le document est organisé autour de ces différentes facettes de la discipline. La démarche systémique utilisée est basée sur l’analyse des relations structure-fonctions-flux dans les systèmes complexes dynamiques décrite dans un autre document d’enseignement (Wery, 2017 ; Démarche de conceptualisation d’un problème en système en Agriculture).

Les concepts et méthodes présentés peuvent s’appliquer à toutes les formes d’agriculture (intensive en intrants de synthèse, intensive en travail, agroécologique, biologique, de conservation, agroforesterie…), dans tous les secteurs de production (grandes cultures, maraichage, arboriculture, viticulture, fourrages…) et dans toutes les régions (tempérée, méditerranéenne, tropicale…).

Les mots entre guillemets sont la traduction anglaise des termes.

Training duration

The handbook was used as a pre-reading or post-reading documents in various courses ranging from a 3h introductory course to agricultural systems for BSc students to a 6 month course on agricultural science for Masters students specializing in agriculture.

A well-calibrated and evaluated GROPGRO module of the Decision Support System
for Agro-technological Transfer (DSSAT) was used to simulate productivity of soybean
in northern Nigeria under climate change. Both historical (1990–2019) and projected
climate scenarios from 5 general circulation models (GCMs) under two representative
concentration pathways (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5) in the mid-century (2040–2069) and
end of the century (2070–2099) periods were used. Depending on climate scenario, the
minimum temperature is expected to rise by 1.7–4.4oC at Kano in the Sudan savanna
(SS) agroecological zone (AEZ) and 1.4–4.0oC at Zaria in the northern Guinea savanna
(NGS) AEZ, while maximum temperatures are projected to increase by 1.7–4.1oC in the
SS and 1.3–3.6oC in the NGS. Seasonal average rainfall will increase by 4.8–14.5%
in the SS and decrease by 2.6–3.8% in the NGS, relative to the baseline climate. The
model predicted delaying trends for days to flowering and maturity for both varieties
in all climate scenarios in the two AEZs.

Manual to develop farm household typologies using R based on Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Hierarchical Clustering (HC)

This book originates from the observation that codesign processes in Living Labs often favour local knowledge over academic knowledge and are rarely informed by systematically collected data. While local knowledge is invaluable, relying exclusively on it can inadvertently limit the creativity and problem-solving potential of the codesign process. In practice, this can lead to innovations that replicate existing practices rather than exploring novel solutions to key bottlenecks in the systems under study.
The book presents a set of reproducible, data-driven workflows designed to enhance the codesign process within Living Labs. These workflows integrate KoBoToolbox, an open-access digital platform for participatory data collection, with R, a powerful open-source environment for statistical computing and visualization. Using Mbire District, Zimbabwe, as a case study, the book provides clear, step-by-step guidance for researchers and practitioners on how data can be used to enrich codesign processes. It was compiled using the bookdown package, enabling the seamless integration of R code, analytical results, and narrative into a single, fully reproducible document.
The book includes a collection of XLSForms (inputs to KoBoToolbox) and well-documented R scripts developed for the specific context of Mbire District during the implementation of the CGIAR initiative ‘Transformational Agroecology across Food, Land, and Water Systems’. You can download the PDF version of the book, or use the web version.

Training duration

2 days

This work applies system science principles through the use of stakeholder-based Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping (FCM). It allows for a holistic understanding of how social, economic, and environmental variables interact, enabling the exploration of dynamic feedbacks and potential unintended consequences. In this context, FCM served as a valuable tool to simulate alternative policy and behavioural scenarios, identify leverage points, and support more informed decision-making for sustainable water reuse in agriculture.

A system in 10 key words