In November 2017 the Association of Applied Biologists and the Sustainable Intensification Research Platform (SIP) held a conference on Sustainable Intensification (SI) at Rothamsted Research. The SI conference reported findings of a four‐year multidisciplinary research programme funded by UK Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs. Articles exploring a number of key themes from that conference

Creating a soil habitat is the first step to manage soil health for long‐term soil quality and output. This means using soil management methods that lessen the soil uproar. An experiment was established in 2016 and 2017 on a middle term (7 years) consistent tillage method in typical Latosolic red soil of Southern China to access the effects of four treatments: subsoiling (SS), two passes of rotary

Grain legumes have declined to a low base in many regions of intensified agriculture yet have the potential both to safeguard food security and satisfy rising ethical demands from food consumers. Here, the scope for legume expansion is examined in a long‐established agricultural region in eastern Scotland where grain legumes declined to <0.3% of cropped area in the 1930s and now vary around 1%. Data

Runner bean (Phaseolus coccineus L.), also known as butter bean in Kenya, is a high value vegetable and grain crop traditionally grown in high altitudes (>1,800 m) of eastern Africa for domestic consumption and processing. However, it has not received attention from breeders. Consequently, farmers rely on low‐yielding landraces which are susceptible to diseases. Available long‐day vegetable type varieties