Long-term evolution of crop sequences and their agronomic performance in Wallonia

Desmarez, Tom; Peters, Julien; Boeraeve, Fanny; Bindelle, Jérôme; Dumont, Benjamin

doi:10.1016/j.eja.2026.128133

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Long-term evolution of crop sequences and their agronomic performance in Wallonia

Desmarez, Tom; Peters, Julien; Boeraeve, Fanny et al.

2026 • In European Journal of Agronomy, 178, p. 128133

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https://hdl.handle.net/2268/346034

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10.1016/j.eja.2026.128133

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Keywords :

Crop rotation; Crop sequence indicator; IACS; Wallonia; Agronomy and Crop Science; Soil Science; Plant Science

Abstract :

[en] Sustaining agricultural productivity while improving agronomic sustainability and resilience of farming systems requires understanding how cropping practices evolve at the landscape scale. Crop rotation is central to this challenge, yet long-term, region-wide evidence on its structure and agronomic quality remains scarce. Here, we reconstructed 26 years (1998–2023) of crop sequences across Wallonia (Belgium) using harmonized Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS) data, and evaluated temporal and spatial trends with the Crop Sequence Indicator (CSI), an integrative metric combining succession compatibility, crop return times, and crop diversity. We found a slight but consistent increase in CSI across Wallonia (5.41 to 5.69), indicating modest improvements in the agronomic quality of crop sequences, although values remained within the moderate quality range. Improvements were primarily driven by better crop succession compatibility, while crop diversity and return time components changed only marginally. Regional trajectories diverged: productive loamy lowlands showed clearer improvements in the structuring of crop sequences, whereas upland regions remained dominated by forage-based systems with agronomic and ecological legitimacy. At the same time, the expansion of high-input crops such as potatoes (+64 %), combined with a decline in grasslands, suggests that agronomic improvements in crop sequence design might not translate into ecological gains. However, several diversification crops also expanded, including oilseeds (+29 %) and legumes (+63 %), indicating a gradual, though still limited, diversification of cropping systems.By providing the first long-term, fine-grained depiction of crop sequence dynamics in Wallonia, this study offers a comprehensive regional assessment of their evolution. Our findings highlight the need for regionally tailored incentives and complementary indicators to better capture the environmental implications of crop sequence dynamics and to support the design of cropping systems combining agronomic performance with ecological sustainability.

Disciplines :

Agriculture & agronomy

Author, co-author :

Desmarez, Tom ^✱; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département GxABT > Animal Sciences (AS)

Peters, Julien ^✱; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département GxABT > Biodiversité, Ecosystème et Paysage (BEP)

Boeraeve, Fanny ; Université de Liège - ULiège > TERRA Research Centre > Plant Sciences

Bindelle, Jérôme ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département GxABT > Animal Sciences (AS)

Dumont, Benjamin ; Université de Liège - ULiège > TERRA Research Centre > Plant Sciences

^✱ These authors have contributed equally to this work.

Language :

English

Title :

Long-term evolution of crop sequences and their agronomic performance in Wallonia

Publication date :

July 2026

Journal title :

European Journal of Agronomy

ISSN :

1161-0301

Publisher :

Elsevier B.V.

Volume :

178

Pages :

128133

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Additional URL :

https://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:S1161030126001528?httpAccept=text/xml

Funders :

F.R.S.-FNRS - Belgian National Fund for Scientific Research
ULiège - University of Liège

Funding text :

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the University of Liège through the Action de recherche concerte for the EXPLORE project (EXPLoring innovative crOpping management for sustainable futuRE-proof food systems) and of the Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique FNRS.

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