Agricultural Territories Research Articles

Value networks, consolidation, and risks of an agricultural territory

Objective: Producer and marketer value networks in an agricultural land in Veracruz, Mexico were identified and characterized, to determine its consolidation level (primary, emergent, potential, or combined), as well as to detect risks and to establish an improvement proposal. Design/Methodology/Approach: An area of the Altas Montañas Veracruz, Mexico was used for the experiment. Surveys were conducted with producers (n=131) and marketers (n=42) of agricultural produce. Socioeconomic, environmental, technical, commercial, and chain link variables were analyzed to detect risks, opportunities, and revaluations. The study was carried out with the RStudio v. 4.3.3 software. Results: Six producer value networks and three marketer value networks were identified. Socioeconomic, environmental, commercial, and technological risks were detected. However, public health risks were different depending on the application of raw manure. Chayote and avocado have displaced other crops. The revaluation proposals for emergent and potential producer and marketer networks were focused on technical support (i.e., commercialization and generational change).

Hierarchical Analysis of Miombo Woodland Spatial Dynamics in Lualaba Province (Democratic Republic of the Congo), 1990–2024: Integrating Remote Sensing and Landscape Ecology Techniques

Lualaba Province, located in the southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), consists of five territories with varied dominant land uses: agriculture (Dilolo, Kapanga, and Musumba in the west) and mining (Mutshatsha and Lubudi in the east). The province also includes protected areas with significant governance challenges. The tropical dry forests that cover the unique Miombo woodland of Lualaba are threatened by deforestation, which poses risks to biodiversity and local livelihoods that depend on these forests for agriculture and forestry. To quantify the spatio-temporal dynamics of Lualaba’s landscape, we utilized Landsat images from 1990 to 2024, supported by a Random Forest Classifier. Landscape metrics were calculated at multiple hierarchical levels: province, territory, and protected areas. A key contribution of this work is its identification of pronounced deforestation trends in the unique Miombo woodlands, where the overall woodland cover has declined dramatically from 62.9% to less than 25%. This is coupled with a marked increase in landscape fragmentation, isolation of remaining woodland patches, and a shift toward more heterogeneous land use patterns, as evidenced by the Shannon diversity index. Unlike previous research, our study distinguishes between the dynamics in agricultural territories—which are particularly vulnerable to deforestation—and those in mining areas, where Miombo forest cover remains more intact but is still under threat. This nuanced distinction between land use types offers critical insights into the differential impacts of economic activities on the landscape. Our study also uncovers significant deforestation within protected areas, underscoring the failure of current governance structures to safeguard these critical ecosystems. This comprehensive analysis offers a novel contribution to the literature by linking the spatial patterns of deforestation to both agricultural and mining pressures while simultaneously highlighting the governance challenges that exacerbate landscape transformation. Lualaba’s Miombo woodlands are at a critical juncture, and without urgent, coordinated intervention from local and international stakeholders, the ecological and socio-economic foundations of the region will be irreversibly compromised. Urgent action is needed to implement land conservation policies, promote sustainable agricultural practices, strengthen Miombo woodland regulation enforcement, and actively support protected areas.

«МЫ ПОСЕЛЕНЫ МЕЖДУ ГОР…»: К ИСТОРИИ СЕЛА БАЛТА-ЧОКРАК В ЮГО-ЗАПАДНОМ КРЫМУ В КОНЦЕ XVIII – ХХ ВВ.

This article presents the history of the population of the village of Balta-Chokrak with the Southwestern Crimea, a settlement with different ethnic composition. Until the beginning of the XIX century, the village was inhabited by the Crimean Tatars, but subsequently Balta-Chokrak and its agricultural territories (cultural landscape) are bought to the treasury from the noblewoman Kalitsa Ivanovna Mazganina. After the Crimean Tatars leave the village and travel to the Ottoman Empire, a colony from Greek families who came from Anatolia is founded here. Instead of the mosque that existed in Balta-Chokrak Greek colonists build a church, and begin to actively develop agriculture. What is important, the article on the basis of archival documents and field research for the first time gave a reconstruction of the Crimean Tatar stage of the history of the village, presents the peculiarities of the structure of new immigrants, the difficulties that they had to face in a new place. The point of view established in historiography about Balta-Chokrak as a Greek-Bulgarian colony was also questioned and the features of the composition of the cultural landscape of Balta-Chokrak were revealed, the history of the construction in 1818 and subsequent rebuilding of the Panteleimon Church and the spiritual life of the colonists were detailed.

The state policy on the protection of soil resources in Bulgarian agriculture and agricultural territories - theoretical-practical aspects and problems

The state policy on the protection of soil resources in Bulgarian agriculture and agricultural territories - theoretical-practical aspects and problems

Soil contamination of agricultural territories of Ukraine with benz(a)pyrene in the pre-war period as a criteria of background pollution in the post-war period when determining the dangerous consequences of military actions

Soil contamination of agricultural territories of Ukraine with benz(a)pyrene in the pre-war period as a criteria of background pollution in the post-war period when determining the dangerous consequences of military actions

INFORMATION MATERIALS FOR ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE FACTORS ON FORMING SOIL WATER REGIME ON DRAINED LANDS

The research results on creating information materials for assessing the impact of modern climatic factors on the formation of soil water regimes on drained lands are presented. By the results of the research, carried out at the "Romen" drainage and irrigation system (Sumy region), it was established that over the past 34 years, the average air temperature during the growing season has varied from 14,2 to 19,4 oC. In general, there is a trend for its slight decrease (almost by 0,2 oC). The highest average monthly air temperatures are recorded in July and August, and the lowest ones - in April. It was specified that the water regime of the active soil layer during the growing season is formed mainly due to moderate (4–14 mm – 44%) and significant (15–49 mm – 40%) precipitation, the total share of which in water reserves is 84%. There is a trend towards an increase in the share of significant precipitation (on average, up to 46–60 % of the total amount during the growing season) in years with high-water growing seasons, and its predominant amount falls in the range of 15–29 mm. There is also an increase in the share of moderate precipitation (up to 49% of the total amount during the growing season) in years with low-water growing seasons. Information materials on the distribution of atmospheric precipitation by year in quantitative and percentage indicators, their recurrence in the growing seasons of 1990–2022 ("Romen" DIS, Sumy region), presented as an interactive visual report with graphic materials (dashboard) have been created. Informational materials in the form of dashboards enable us to monitor changes in climatic conditions, promptly providing up-to-date data when forecasting future trends in changes in the water supply of agricultural territories, in particular, the formation of the soil water regime on drained lands and addressing the challenges related to climate change.

SOCIAL INEQUALITY AND DEAGRARIANIZATION IN RURAL CHANGE

Deagrarianization describes the variety of alterations and modifications that rural people and communities went through as the global economies developed. Deagrarianization, when viewed as social change, is also a process of social inequality development and transmission. This essay examines how the spatial separation of agrarian operations contributes to the perpetuation of socioeconomic injustices. First, socioeconomic and cultural changes in the countryside establish agricultural territories in accordance with flexible productive specialization, which is one aspect of the socio-territorial differentiation process explored in this study. The ways in which both rural and urban population live are likewise redefined by these developments. Second, shifts in the rural-urban divide result in new socio-territorial links, which entail spatial reconfigurations. The ethno-territorial fragmentation of communities is also linked to rising mobility (migrations and displacements). This paper`s conclusion identifies many deagrarianization-related origins of inequality.

Planowanie terenów rolniczych w Bułgarii - obecna funkcjonalność prawodawstwa i perspektywy

Development Planning for the Agricultural Territory is a problematic activity in Bulgaria in terms of the existing legal requirements. Bulgarian legislation contains certain gaps in regulating and technically ensuring the agricultural land planning. This is well settled in relation to the other types of territories like the Urban, Forest, and Protected ones, which planning rules and activities are regulated in details. The purpose of the paper is firstly to justify the necessity of improving and detailing the legal regulations for the agricultural land development planning, and secondly to suggest some expert approaches for improving and harmonization of legislation in connection with registration of the agricultural property by Agricultural Territory Development Plan (ATDP), Restored Property Map (RPM) and Cadastral Map (CM). The current legal grounds for planning development of the agricultural land in Bulgaria are presented and analysed. Lack of detailed regulations on their scope, content and operation have been found. It is also a matter of applicability of the newly created municipal CMs in settling land relations such as purchases and sales of land, inheritances, divisions, and changing the primary purpose of use of Agricultural Territory for construction. The completeness of CM with information about the quality of agricultural lands is still not regulated by Cadaster and Property Register Act. The paper contains specific proposals for amendments in Spatial Planning Act, Cadastral and Property Registry Act and Agricultural Land Ownership and Use Act.

Трансформация систем использования земель в регионах России

The article is devoted to the study of changes in land use systems in various regions and natural zones of Russia for the period from 2000 to 2022. Spatial and temporal patterns of transformation of land use systems within the main agricultural territory of Russia were identified and analyzed. Main directions and tendencies of changes in the areas of the main land and proportions of sown areas of main agricultural crops areconsidered. The dependence ofthetransformation of land usesystems onthe agrarianreforms ofthe 1990s has beenrevealed. Positivetrends were noted in increasing the territorial concentration of the main crops in areas with the most favorable natural conditions for their placement. In general, the changes in land use systems that occurred during the period under review contributed to the achievement of food security in Russia. The generalization of the identified spatial and temporal patterns made it possible to assess the effectiveness of the ongoing changes in land use systems and drawconclusions about ways to improve them in different types of the natural environment. The results of the studycan be used to substantiate management decisions in determining ways to improve the territorial organization of agriculture and the implementation of appropriate agricultural policies at both the federal and regional levels.

Assessment of the natural resource potential of the agricultural territory of the Omsk region

Assessment of the natural resource potential of the agricultural territory of the Omsk region

Investigation of the food safety of lamb meat obtained in ecologically unfavorable territories

IntroductionThis article presents data on the ecological situation of agricultural territories where small cattle are raised, focusing on the exposure dose rate, radon concentration in residential and social buildings, and the density of alpha and beta particle flux. The study also examines the levels of heavy metals (Pb, Cd, As, Hg) and radionuclides Cs-137 and Sr-90 in raw meat from ecologically unfavorable areas, as well as the effects of heat treatment on reducing the content of these harmful substances.MethodsThe research involved analyzing raw meat samples from the Abai district near the former Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site in Semey, Kazakhstan. The levels of heavy metals and radionuclides were measured before and after heat treatment to assess the effectiveness of cooking in reducing these contaminants. Radioecological measurements were also conducted in residential and social buildings to evaluate radon concentration and alpha and beta particle flux.Results and DiscussionThe results of the study showed a significant decrease in the levels of lead, cadmium, arsenic, Cs-137, and Sr-90 in meat after heat treatment. Prolonged cooking or quenching led to the most significant reductions in toxicity and radionuclides. These findings suggest that heat treatment can be an effective method for reducing the levels of harmful substances in meat from ecologically compromised areas. Further research is needed to explore other potential strategies for mitigating the impact of environmental contamination on food safety in agricultural regions.

Assessing the level of organic farming development in the European countries

Organic farming is an essential approach to agriculture that seeks to reduce the negative impact of human activities on the environment and ensure the sustainability of food production. The study aims to determine the integral index of the development of organic farming and to create a clustering model of organic farming in European countries. As a research methodology, additive-multiplicative convolution was used to determine the integral index of organic farming development. Cluster analysis (the Ward method and the k-means clustering method) identified respective clusters. The integrated index is based on eight indicators of organic farming from the Eurostat database, 2012–2020, and ranges from zero to one. The following countries have the highest value of the integral index: Italy (0.57), France (0.54), Spain (0.54), Germany (0.45), and Turkey (0.47). Three clusters were identified according to eight indicators of organic agriculture. The first cluster includes countries-leaders in agricultural territories (about 2.1 million hectare) with the highest state financial support for agricultural research and development (1.1 billion euros). The second cluster includes countries with the most minor organic farming operators (50-100 operators). The third cluster includes countries with the highest index of annual income from the sale of farm products (200-220 points) but with the highest level of usage of dangerous pesticides (250 points). The heterogeneity of clusters allows one to determine the strengths and weaknesses of organic farming in European countries.

ANALYSIS OF THE USE OF GEODESIC DATA IN THE PLANNING AND MONITORING OF AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPES: OPTIMIZATION OF LAND USE AND NATURE PROTECTION

The purpose of the article is to assess the effectiveness of using geodetic data in the processes of planning and monitoring agrolandscapes. The research is focused on determining the role of these data in improving land use systems and developing natural resource conservation strategies. The main tasks of the research include the analysis of the current state of use of geodetic data in the field of agrolandscapes, determination of advantages and limitations of their use, development of recommendations for their optimization, and assessment of the impact on nature protection and sustainable development of agriculture. The research methodology is based on the use of detailed space maps created from high-resolution satellite images from the WorldView-4 satellite. The technical characteristics of the satellite and its shooting capabilities, including optical data, the width of the shooting band and the frequency of shooting, are presented in detail in the article. These data make it possible to reveal the macrostructure and geometry of agrolandscapes, including their spatial arrangement and internal structure, as well as to evaluate various characteristics such as area, size, and geostatistical characteristics of the terrain. Data analysis provides important information on various aspects of agro-landscapes, including their forest cover, size and area, and degradation levels of the test fields. The study showed that most of the studied territory is occupied by complex dark-chestnut soils, and the degradation of arable land is mainly related to the washing away of the fertile layer. The test area is dominated by fields with a "risk" level of degradation. The use of geodetic data in modern geoinformation systems makes it possible to implement agrotechnical anti-erosion measures in a timely manner, which prevent the loss of agricultural land. Adaptive landscape land management, based on GIS, contributes to the preservation of the ecological skeleton of natural complexes and controls the anthropogenic impact on the environment. The results of the study demonstrate the importance of integrating geodetic data into the monitoring, planning and management of agrolandscapes, emphasizing their importance for the sustainable development of agricultural territories.

Remote sensing in the analysis between forest cover and COVID-19 cases in Colombia

This article explores the relationship between forest cover and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in Colombia using remote sensing techniques and data analysis. The study focuses on the CORINE land cover methodology's five main land cover categories: artificial territory, agricultural territories, forests and semi-natural areas, humid areas, and water surfaces. The research methodology involves several phases of the unified method of analytical solutions for data mining (ASUM-DM). Data on COVID-19 cases and forest cover are collected from the Colombian National Institute of Health and Advanced Land Observation Satellite (ALOS PALSAR), respectively. Land cover data is processed using QGIS software. The results indicate an inverse relationship between forest cover and COVID-19 cases, as evidenced by Pearson's index ρ of -0.439 (p-value <0.012). In addition, a negative correlation is observed between case density and forests and semi-natural areas, one of the land cover categories. The findings of this study suggest that higher forest cover is associated with lower numbers of COVID-19 cases in Colombia. The results could potentially inform government organizations and policymakers in implementing strategies and policies for forest conservation and the inclusion of green areas in densely populated urban areas.

Factors of sustainable economic growth in the context of risks and priorities of business development in the conditions of war.

The management of threats and risks of food security does not meet the needs of the sustainability of the development of the food system in the conditions of modern upheavals and stresses. The new geopolitical and economic conditions of the functioning of the sphere of food production and consumption require the formation of a new concept of economic security. Based on the assessment of modern threats and risks to the sustainable development of the food system, the authors developed a categorical apparatus and formed their own system of methodological principles for the study of the economic growth of the food system. The sustainable development of the agro-industrial complex is of particular importance for increasing competitiveness and ensuring the country's food security. In general, the sustainable development of the agro-industrial complex allows to create conditions for the transformation of companies' strategies in the field of ESG, to form stable supply chains, to create favorable conditions for the development of the connection between the city and agricultural territories, to satisfy the needs of the population and to improve the quality of life of the population. The research methodology, based on a systemic, complex, institutional approach, made it possible to determine the content of economic security as its ability to ensure the stability and competitiveness of all elements and the ability to resist external and internal threats, guaranteeing food security at the level determined by strategic national priorities. The purpose of the article is to define and substantiate the directions and priorities of sustainable growth and post-war development of the economy of Ukraine. Factors of sustainable development are proposed, taking into account external and internal risks and competitiveness priorities. The importance of finding innovative approaches to the management of subjects of economic relations in post-war conditions is proven. The problems and priorities of achieving sustainable functioning of the economy based on a closed cycle of production and achieving the goals of sustainable development are defined. Global political and economic changes lead to the fact that a company successful in the past pre-war conditions can become both an outsider and a leader of a new paradigm of sustainable economic systems. It is substantiated that the proposed methodological approach should be used as a basis for monitoring the economic security of the food system at the macro- and meso-level, as well as in the development of directions for improving the agro-food policy in new geopolitical and economic conditions. Keywords: economic security, growth, risks, food system, sustainable development, national interests, threats, ESG factors, innovation and investment activities

Molecular and genetic basis for improving the quality of soft wheat grain

The increase in agricultural territories in Azerbaijan can no longer cover the problem of shortage of high-quality baking flour in the domestic market. Thus, there is a need to improve the quality of grain harvested from existing areas to obtain more grain products. The purpose of this study is to review and investigate the physico-chemical and genetic parameters of local and introduced soft wheat varieties to further identify promising areas of breeding. For this purpose, a PCR study of individual loci of the Wx genes responsible for amylose synthesis and electrophoresis of Glu genes encoding gluten quantity and quality were performed. In addition, for the varieties Shafaq 2 and Gonen, which were selected during the research for the test baking of bread, a PCR analysis was performed to compile the gliadin formula of the varieties using a sample of the Bezostaya 1 variety as a marker. The physico-chemical characteristics were determined according to quality standards, as well as baking bread sample. During the pilot sowing, one of the varieties – Girmizi Gul1, was sown on plots with various tillage methods – traditional, minimal, and zero. Thus, it was determined that the varieties Gonen and Ekinci 84 contain a zero allele of the Wx-B1 – Wx-B1b gene, which means that their endosperm contains higher-quality starch, and the varieties Askeran, Azemetli 95, Gonen, Kirmizigul, Nurlu 99, Tale 38, and Ugur, in turn, contain a zero allele of the gene GluA1 – GluA1d, which on the contrary worsens the gluten quality of these varieties. As for tillage, the traditional system showed itself to be the best, the minimal tillage was slightly worse, and the zero tillage system turned out to be the least suitable in these conditions. Thus, the obtained data outline further areas for conducting research and open up prospects for targeted selection for alleles of the considered genes

Guatemala soil organic carbon database (GTMSOC)

AbstractStudies on soil organic carbon stocks (SOCS) are increasingly relevant to developing efficient mitigation and adaptation strategies for climate change. Reliable information on soil organic carbon (SOC) content, bulk density (BD), and coarse fragments (CF) are required for precise SOCS calculation. The data quality of SOCS‐related variables is important to represent SOCS realistically across different levels of disturbance in the terrestrial ecosystems of Guatemala. The main objective is to develop Guatemala's first national SOC database to support studies of SOCS magnitudes and spatial trends. We identified and collected national sources of variables related to SOCS (SOC, BD, CF) across the country, mainly distributed in the central zone dominated by disturbed ecosystems and agricultural territories. We integrated 910 observations (soil samples and soil profiles) of SOC content (range 1.45–162 g·kg−1), 704 of BD (range 0.42–1.69 g·cm−3), and 8 of CFs (0%–21% weight). This new database represents the edaphic, climatic, and land use variability of Guatemalan territory. The database contains soil observations collected from 1965 to 2010. The year 2010 has the majority of soil observations (41%). SOCS‐related variables are standardized at 0–30 centimetres of depth using mass conservative splines, which are used to represent SOCS and soil depth relationships. We provide new information on SOCS across various ecological and environmental conditions to enable SOC monitoring systems to report reliable and accurate estimates. The new database is appealing for scientific and commercial purposes, such as representing Guatemalan soils in Earth system models or using soil information in the ecosystem services market (e.g., carbon markets). The new database is accessible to all users through the platform of the Environmental Data Initiative https://doi.org/10.6073/pasta/8dd15238c604c3ac75daf985548bd05c.

Characterization of the natural resource potential of the agricultural zone of the Krasnoyarsk territory

The aim of the study was to determine the natural resource potential of the agricultural territories in the agricultural regions of the Krasnoyarsk Territory and to investigate the fundamental characteristics of climatic conditions. Location and time of the study. The study utilized multi-year data (from 1978 to 2020) from 22 meteorological stations located in the natural districts of the Krasnoyarsk Territory to analyze climatic conditions. Methods. A georesource database was used to assess the natural resource potential (NRP), including information about soils, agroclimatic parameters, and their impact on agricultural crops. Soils and climatic parameters were ranked on a scale of 5 to 100. The NRP assessment was categorized as follows (points): 1–20 – low; 21–40 – below average; 41–60 – average; 61–80 – above average; 81–100 – high. Climatic conditions were analyzed based on multi-year data from meteorological stations in different natural regions of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, using trend analysis and data smoothing methods to identify dynamics. Results. The natural resource potential values vary from 32.5 points for the northern forest-steppe podzolic soils in the Kansk Natural District to 62.5 points for chernozems (black soils) in the northern forest-steppe of the South Minusinsk Natural District. Weighted average NRP values for the agricultural territories of the Krasnoyarsk Krai increase in the following sequence (points): subtaiga (38.0) – Kansk Natural District (45.4) –Krasnoyarsk Natural District (46.3) – Achinsk-Bogotol Natural District (47.4) – Chulymo-Yenisei Natural District (47.8) – Nazarovo Natural District (49.4) – South Minusinsk Natural District (54.3). Conclusions. Climate warming, accompanied by significant increases in summer and winter precipitation, milder winters, and prolonged growing seasons favorable for agricultural crops and varieties, will have a positive impact on the NRP of the region's agrolandscapes, promoting the development of commercial agriculture, especially in the forest-steppe zone. The range of agricultural crops and varieties may expand. Cultivating winter and hard wheat varieties is expected to become more effective. Improved natural conditions will contribute to bringing long abandoned lands into agricultural production. Changes in soil regimes and properties will lead to the transformation of agricultural crop cultivation technologies.

Urban Agricultural Territories as Components of the Architectural Landscape of Ho Chi Minh City

Currently, urban agriculture (UA) is considered as one of the strategic factors of the integrated sustainable development of Ho Chi Minh City, but the urban land fund for agricultural purposes in this city is insignificant. Since 2005, the concept of a continuous Productive urban landscape (CPL- Continuous Productive Urban Landscape) has been proposed, which can be used for the development of urban agriculture. The article mentions the possibility of applying CPUL as an important direction for territorial development in Ho Chi Minh City, in which the sizes of urban green landscapes used for urban agriculture can be increased. The article presents the main components of these landscapes in Ho Chi Minh City.

Assessment of the biodiversity of agricultural arthropods of the nord-est Souk Ahras (Algeria)

Agricultural territories represent the main habitats of ordinary biological diversity in the municipality of Tiffech and Oum Ladayem metropolitan. Several actions, to increase the biological diversity, are lead on these territories at different scales (Tiffech and Oum Ladayem, National, land scale or farm scale). The aim of these actions is to stop the loss of biodiversity. But scientific methods are necessary to evaluate the results of these actions. The method used for 3 years, in the study of the arthropoda biodiversity at the “Tiffech and Oum Ladayem” is one of these methods. In fact, the Rapid Biodiversity Assessment (RBA) is a simple method which permits an evaluation of the arthropods’ biodiversity, with a morphologic determination method, parataxonomy. The results obtained show the importance of the presence of Ecological Reservoir Zones or semi-natural habitats within monoculture territories (here leguminous peas), in order to preserve biodiversity in arthropods.