Agricultural Knowledge Research Articles

Agricultural knowledge and youth participation in agriculture and agribusiness in an African context

ABSTRACT This study examines youths’ decision to participate in agriculture and agribusiness from an agricultural knowledge lens. Data collected from 520 respondents across Ghana were analysed descriptively and inferentially. The results show the influence of different levels of science-based (objective) agricultural knowledge on youths’ participation in agriculture and agribusiness, in addition to subject knowledge. Similarly, the findings reveal that gender, having family and friends engaged in agriculture, and participating in capacity-building training influence youths’ participation in agriculture and agribusiness. Agricultural experience, age, and education significantly shape objective agricultural knowledge. The policy implications of these findings are discussed and strategies for promoting the acquisition of objective knowledge and scaling up youths’ participation in agriculture and agribusiness are provided.

Special research on well-being and earning of rice farmers in Laos: Survey of Official Development Assistant (ODA) projects and economic analysis

Farmers in rural areas can only earn revenue from rice farming which rice farming supports their better lives. Agricultural knowledge is a potential incentive for promoting well-being. This paper was survey research, there were two sections: 1) the author utilized an econometric approach to analyze the earnings of farmers from 10 provinces from 2017–2021; there were 1120 farmers involved in the survey; 2) the author used an economic evaluation approach to analyze effectiveness and efficiency of ODA by using data from 1110 farmers in 2018; 1205 farmers in 2019; and 1330 farmers in 2020. ODA is Instrumental Variables (IV) in the mincer model, ODA promotes agricultural knowledge for farmers, and of course, agricultural knowledge promotes revenue for farmers. The 2SLS and maximum likelihood are essential for the quartic function of mincer. Evaluation approaches from OECD/DAC and PCAP/JICA were utilized to compare the results of well-being indicators called basic human needs (BHN). According to the results of this study, the earnings of farmers who joined ODA projects were higher than the earnings of farmers who did not join ODA projects. The result of the economic evaluation approach found ‘ineffectiveness’; on the other hand, the author could find the efficiency of ODA projects. Finally, the recommendation is that the government policy on BHN should be consistently linked to the ODA program made by both the government and donors. Certainly, BHN policy for farmers who are minorities is necessary such as providing rice fields to be utilized for free, this will lead to chances for farmers to enhance their well-being from rice production.

Community perception of watershed management as a strategy for food security improvement: Case study of Qersa District, Ethiopia

The importance of community-based watershed management for food security and rural development is increasingly recognized. However, the comprehensive nature of the strategy is not well understood. The study examined the perspectives of different stakeholders and their level of coordination in implementing the watershed approach. Data was collected from 63 individuals with diverse professional backgrounds at different organizational hierarchies and 337 farmers from three different micro watersheds. The findings of the study showed that professionals and farmers have different views. About 36.0% of professionals and 12.6% of farmers see it as a holistic strategy for rural development, 7.0% of professionals and 40.0% of farmers see it as a way to conserve soil and water, and the rest see it as natural resource management. The chi-square test analysis revealed significant correlations between organizational affiliation, hierarchies, work experience, and field of study among professionals at significance levels of 0.05 and 0.01, with no significant differences observed among farmers in the three micro watersheds. The diverse viewpoints of professionals and farmers highlight the inadequate understanding and lack of consensus among stakeholders regarding watershed management principles, hindering the transformation of this strategy into a comprehensive food security initiative. The study also revealed limited collaboration among various organizations and departments in supporting the management of local watersheds, which can be attributed to the lack of accountability. This highlighted the need for improved collaboration and communication among different groups involved in implementing watershed management plans. The study also identified the need for capacity-building to enhance the knowledge and skills of professionals and farmers involved in watershed management. To effectively use the watershed approach as a holistic strategy to address food security, fostering greater coordination and communication among stakeholders, robust institutional arrangement, education, and awareness-creation initiatives must be strengthened at all levels.

Dissemination of Agricultural Culture in the Chinese TikTok Environment: A Case Study of Let’s Farm

In the digital era, platforms like China's TikTok (Douyin) have become essential in disseminating agricultural culture. This study explores how the Chinese agricultural-themed variety show Let's Farm effectively promotes agricultural dissemination on TikTok. Grounded in participatory cultural theory and uses & gratifications theory, this research employs a mixed-method approach to analyze content and audience interactions. The study involves a content analysis of Let's Farm's videos and live streams on Douyin, focusing on publication frequency, audience engagement (likes, comments, shares), and the types of content posted by the production team and cast members. Additionally, the study examines user-generated content to evaluate its contribution to the show's dissemination and conducts an analysis of audience comments to understand their motivations and reactions to the content. The findings indicate that Let's Farm effectively promotes Chinese agricultural culture through strategic content marketing and interactive activities on TikTok.Additionally, audience-driven secondary creation boosts content dissemination, leading to substantial diffusion. The educational value of the program is evident in its ability to make agricultural knowledge accessible and engaging, particularly to younger audiences. These insights offer practical recommendations for leveraging new media platforms to enhance cultural diffusion and educational impact.

A Framework for Agricultural Intelligent Analysis Based on a Visual Language Large Model

Smart agriculture has become an inevitable trend in the development of modern agriculture, especially promoted by the continuous progress of large language models like chat generative pre-trained transformer (ChatGPT) and general language model (ChatGLM). Although these large models perform well in general knowledge learning, they still have certain limitations and errors when facing agricultural professional knowledge about crop disease identification, growth stage judgment, and so on. Agricultural data involves images and texts and other modalities, which play an important role in agricultural production and management. In order to better learn the characteristics of different modal data in agriculture, realize cross-modal data fusion, and thus understand complex application scenarios, we propose a framework AgriVLM that uses a large amount of agricultural data to fine-tune the visual language model to analyze agricultural data. It can fuse multimodal data and provide more comprehensive agricultural decision support. Specifically, it utilizes Q-former as a bridge between an image encoder and a language model to achieve a cross-modal fusion of agricultural images and text data. Then, we apply a Low-Rank adaptive to fine-tune the language model to achieve an alignment between agricultural image features and a pre-trained language model. The experimental results prove that AgriVLM demonstrates great performance in crop disease recognition and growth stage recognition, with recognition accuracy exceeding 90%, demonstrating its capability to analyze different modalities of agricultural data.

PSXII-15 Theory of planned behavior-based evaluation of technology adoption in dairy farms

Abstract Studies on the adoption of farm innovations should include underlying psychological constructs that affect decisions and behavior of farmers such as intention, perceptions, and beliefs. Dairy farming technologies are continually evolving, making it necessary to review current farm practices frequently. Dairy farmers are actively exploring various alternative investment options to optimize production processes, minimize costs, and increase overall efficiency. However, careful evaluation is crucial to understanding the knowledge and attitude of farmers to these tools. We utilize psychological constructs from the theory of planned behavior approach to understand the technology adoption behavior of dairy farmers. The theory of planned behavior is a psychological model that explains how human behavior is influenced by attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. We add product marketing as another essential component based on the industry relevance. The objective was to understand the adoption decisions and the perceived usefulness of precision technologies by dairy farmers in Texas. Dairy farmers were delivered printed copies of a pretested survey instrument to assess technology use, on-farm decisions, and producers’ planned behavior related to technology adoption on farms. Thirty-two completed surveys were returned and analyzed for descriptive and Structural Equation Modeling using Microsoft Excel and SAS (ver. 9.4). When choosing a technology, respondents ranked (on a scale of 1 to 5; unimportant to very important) the availability of local tech support as the most important factor (score 4.16; range 3 to 5), followed by proven performance through research (4.0; 3 to 5), simplicity of use (3.82; 3 to 5), benefit to cost ratio (3.66; 2 to 5), and total cost of investment (3.5; 1 to 5). Regarding barriers to investment decisions, 26% ranked lack of access to capital as a primary issue, followed by environmental regulations (12.5%), political environment (12.5%), and sitting regulations (12.5%). The intention of farmers to utilize the technology was influenced by farmers’ evaluation of the use of technology (attitude), their perceptions about the social pressure and marketing (subjective norm), and their perceptions about their utility on farmers (perceived behavioral control). The three most influential behavioral beliefs as the drivers of attitude were an increase in farm production and performance, monitoring cows, and labor savings. The three most influential normative beliefs were drivers of the subjective norm: family and friends, neighbors, and marketing. The three most influential control beliefs were drivers of perceived behavioral control: availability of local tech support, benefit-to-cost ratio, and simplicity and ease of use. Respondents indicate that having a standard price, reduced cost, and providing a detailed cost analysis when marketing the technology increases confidence in purchasing and integration. The findings suggest developing better products, ensuring reasonable pricing, and performing proper validations to enhance the farmer’s trust helps to increase technology adoption in dairy farms.

Social-ecological resilience: Knowledge of agrobiodiversity by campesinos and migrants in the face of global changes

There is concern that agrobiodiversity is being irreversibly eroded in the face of agricultural industrialization. While academic and policy debates stress loss of landraces, little attention has been paid to evaluating how agricultural knowledge systems endure in response to broader social-ecological changes (i.e., “system's resilience”). For being resilient, agricultural knowledge systems should incorporate new information (modern seed varieties) whilst maintaining its traditional components (landraces) and functions. However, the loss or continuing utilization of landraces may be influenced by several social-ecological filters, which are processes that selectively remove varieties according to their phenotype, local uses, or value. We examined the resilience of agricultural knowledge systems in the southern Andes. These systems include the knowledge of landraces and modern varieties by campesinos and lifestyle migrants. We further assessed the association of social-ecological filters with the knowledge of agrobiodiversity. Over four years (2018–2022), we used mixed-methods including semi-structured interviews with gardener experts and conducted knowledge exercises of seed varieties and surveys of gardeners (n = 132). We assessed the association of ‘knowledge score on varieties’ (general, landraces, and modern) with a priori-defined social-ecological filters. Gardeners with more proficient knowledge of landraces were more knowledgeable of modern varieties too. The general knowledge of agrobiodiversity and the knowledge of landraces, but not of modern varieties, was higher for campesinos than migrants. The main seed source of gardeners, the participation in seed exchanges, gardeners' origin, and gardeners' age were the social-ecological filters that influenced gardeners′ knowledge of agrobiodiversity. We highlight that social-ecological, small-scale farming systems, are being resilient when they have the capacity of incorporating new information (knowledge of modern varieties) whilst maintaining their identity (knowledge of landraces) without undergoing a major shift in their basic structures and functions in this Important Agricultural Heritage Site and Global Biodiversity Hotspot, and beyond.

Antimicrobial resistance related knowledge, attitude and practice of general practitioners, patients and farmers: A cross-sectional study in Uzbekistan

ObjectivesThe objective was to identify antimicrobial resistance related knowledge, attitudes and practice gaps of general practitioners, patients and farmers. MethodsCross-sectional, mixed-mode (in-person and distance) survey conducted out among the key antimicrobial prescribers and consumers in Uzbekistan, from March to October 2020. We calculated knowledge and attitude scores and applied multivariable adaptive linear regression. ResultsData were collected from 718 adults (236 - GPs, 251 - patients and 231 - farmers) aged 18 years and older. 66.5 % (n = 157) of general practitioners didn't base their antimicrobials prescription on guidelines. A third were not familiar with the delayed antibiotic prescriptions strategy. Most general practitioners prescribe antibiotics on patients' request; one third if patients have fever, almost 60 % (n = 142) if patients have cough with sputum.Majority of patients believed that antibiotics can cure influenza and cold. Every third farmer thought that antibiotics is an antiviral and every fifth a tool to increase productivity. Almost two third of them used antibiotics to protect livestock/poultry/fish from disease.For all three groups, the strongest predictor for the right attitude was the knowledge level. ConclusionsAll three groups had knowledge gaps in the form of misconception and problem underestimation which manifests itself as a wrong practice. Interventions are needed at the national, institutional and individual levels, in particular in the trainings of general practitioners and farmers.

Sosialisasi Dan Pelatihan Cara Beternak Kelinci Bagi Peternak Kelinci Di Kabupaten Soppeng

Rabbits are livestock that are easy to breed in Indonesia. Rabbits are one of the sources of livelihood for the "Mandiri" rabbit farming group under the guidance of TP PKK, Salokaraja Village, Lalabata District, Soppeng Regency. The rabbit farming business is used as income for business sustainability and development, as well as to meet daily needs. However, this potential is hampered by the large number of deaths and the decline in the quality of adult rabbit production. The cause of this problem is the farmer's low knowledge of rabbit diseases and the success of pregnancy after mating. The methods used in this activity are counseling, pre-test, and post-test, mentoring and training for group members and final evaluation. The results of the activity are that the rabbit farming group is still developing a business based on raising rabbits as pets or ornamental rabbits for sale and has not yet made meat rabbits for sale for consumption and there is no meat processing for processed products. The main problem that is also the topic of counseling and training is health problems such as skin disease (scabies) and sometimes mothers who have been mated also do not give birth, after checking it turns out that the mating was not successful or failed to get pregnant. There is still a lack of education about the health benefits of consuming rabbit meat compared to other livestock, so interest in raising meat rabbits for consumption and as processed products is still low. So, through this outreach it can be a forum for education for breeders who do not yet know the advantages and benefits of rabbit farming. So that this rabbit farm can become a business unit that is able to expand employment opportunities for the community, especially breeders, towards potential new entrepreneurs.

ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING IN THE MAKING OF BIOFERTILIZER “UNAIR” WITH LECTURE AND PRACTICE METHODS FOR FARMERS IN KEDUNGPRING VILLAGE, LAMONGAN, TO SUPPORT SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE

Many farmers use chemical fertilizers to increase their agricultural productivity, including farmers in Kedungpring Village, Kedungpring Subdistrict, Lamongan Regency. However, it is currently difficult for farmers to meet their fertilizer needs due to the policy of limiting fertilizer subsidies, therefore farmers must have the independence to meet their fertilizer needs. Biofertilizers can be an alternative because they are easy to make by themselves, and are more environmentally friendly than chemical fertilizers. Assistance and training on biofertilizer production for farmers in Kedungpring Village, Lamongan is needed. The purpose of this community service activity is to increase the knowledge of farmers in Kedungpring Village, Lamongan about biological fertilizers, and have the ability to make biological fertilizers, so that they can meet their fertilizer needs. This activity begins with the coordination and planning stages of the activity, providing material on biofertilizers to increase farmers' knowledge of biofertilizers using the lecture method, assistance and training in making biofertilizers using the lecture and practice methods so that farmers have the ability to make biofertilizers, and monitoring and evaluation carried out by the follow-up method. Based on the community service activities carried out, farmers' knowledge about biofertilizers has increased, which is indicated by most farmers having a higher post-test score than the pre-test score, also farmers are able to make their own biofertilizers which are indicated by the color of cloudy brown fertilizer and the distinctive sour smell of fermentation. Through this Community Service activity, farmers in Kedungpring Village also received six bioreactors for making biological fertilizers. Through this whole series of activities, it is an effort to realize sustainable agriculture, and it is hoped that farmers in Kedungpring Village, Lamongan can meet their fertilizer needs independently.

Assessment of Urban Farming Production, and Contribution to the Households’ Livelihood: A Case of Kigali City and Musanze District

Agriculture plays an important role in the economic growth and food security control in developing countries including Rwanda. This research study was carried out in Kigali and Musanze. Urban farming is one way to best use useless places closed inside household fences, resulting in high yields. Due to their short production cycle, Horticultural crops provide a quick response to emergency food needs, particularly in cities. These species have considerable yields that generate more income for farmers when used appropriately. The main objective of this study was to analyze the factors influencing urban farming production, profitability, and contribution to the households’ livelihoods in Rwanda. The population of interest for this research study constituted smallholder farmers of vegetables and fruits in Kigali and Musanze cities. The sampling unit was the garden household. A multistage sampling technique was employed involving purposive sampling of four districts Gasabo, Kicukiro, Nyarugenge, and Musanze. The study used a sample frame of 1085 population and a sample size of 112 respondents. The results from the study indicated that ten factors over fourteen have a positive influence on urban farming production while four have a negative influence in the study area. The results also showed that the productive fruits grown are classified into five classes indicated in Figure 1. The results of the study revealed different places/methods used to grow vegetables/species and fruits such as bags, baskets and basins, hanging baskets, old wheels, pallet gardens, open ground, trellises, arches, shelves, fences window box walls. The results displayed that the crops do well in small areas/places closed inside the household’s fences. The results proved that urban farming contributed to the social economy through different parts example malnutrition control, money saving, and food security. The results pointed out that urban farming production is constrained by some challenges such as small owned parcels, lack of urban farming knowledge, lack of technologies, period of crop maturity, lack of capital, lack of awareness, habitation system, and infrastructures. However, urban farming development should be enhanced to maintain national food security and improve income for farmers.

Understanding Attendees’ Feedback and Outcomes from the Diploma in Agricultural Extension Services for Input Dealers (DAESI) Training Programme

Input dealers serve as a key source of agricultural information for farmers at the village level, functioning as a one-stop shop. Therefore, they need to be well-versed in location-specific crop production technologies related to broad-based agriculture and proficient in managing agricultural inputs. This expertise ensures they can offer accurate advice to farmers dealing with field issues. In this context, MANAGE introduced the Diploma in Agricultural Extension Services for Input Dealers (DAESI), a significant national program by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare. This program aims to train agri-input dealers across the country, equipping them to serve as para extension workers and provide farmers with reliable technical knowledge. Ex-post facto cause to effect research design has been followed for the present study. This empirical study on the attendees’ perception and experiences of DAESI programme showcases not only their socio-economic profile of the input dealers undergoing training but also their insights on training programme package (satisfactorily good as a whole); their feedback on resource material and mode of delivery (suitable); their outlook of the facilitator of the programme (cooperative and favourable) as well as their experience regarding the activities performed during the training (satisfactory); and lastly the attendees’ perception regarding the objective to attend the DAESI Training Programme (amongst which majority of them attended the programme to either obtain certificate or to become a para-extension worker).The DAESI program is a trailblazing way that offers participants, who lack formal agricultural qualifications, a chance to acquire agricultural knowledge. Obtaining the diploma is a compulsory step for renewing their licenses, which drives many, particularly those with business interests, to enroll in the DAESI program. To enhance the DAESI training program, updating cost norms, incorporating digital learning, introducing refresher courses, tailoring the curriculum to local needs, strengthening public-private partnerships, increasing practical exposure, and promoting gender inclusivity could be followed.

Influential Factors Shaping Farmers Knowledge Levels Regarding Critical Interventions in Dryland Farming in Drought Prone Region of Andhra Pradesh

This study was conducted to investigate the profile, knowledge, and adoption of critical interventions among dryland farmers in the Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh. Ex post facto research design was followed for the study and a sample of 120 dryland farmers were drawn. The research focused on the association between 16 independent variables and dryland farmers' knowledge and adoption of critical interventions in redgram and cotton. The findings revealed that variables such as education, land holding, yield, annual income, extension contact, mass media exposure, information seeking behavior, social participation, credit orientation, risk preference, irrigation status, economic orientation, decision making ability, and cropping pattern were positively and significantly related to knowledge and adoption of critical interventions in both crops. Conversely, age and experience in dryland farming were negatively and significantly related to knowledge and adoption. The independent variables explained 85.20% of the variation in knowledge on critical interventions in redgram, 76.80% in cotton, and 74.70% and 72.80% in the extent of adoption of critical interventions in redgram and cotton, respectively. These findings suggest that addressing these factors can enhance dryland farmers' knowledge and adoption of critical interventions, ultimately improving productivity and sustainability. Specifically, increasing education, land holding, yield, and annual income, and promoting extension contact, mass media exposure, and social participation can positively impact knowledge and adoption. Additionally, improving credit orientation, risk preference, irrigation status, economic orientation, and decision-making ability can also enhance adoption. Conversely, addressing the negative impact of age and experience is crucial. Overall, this study highlights the importance of a comprehensive approach to enhancing dryland farmers' knowledge and adoption of critical interventions.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of dairy farmers on antibiotic use and their effects to health in Gweru district, Zimbabwe

Antibiotic resistance is a significant threat to food security, global health, and economic development. The study sought to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) on antibiotic use and their effects to health among dairy farmers in Gweru District, Zimbabwe. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 100 registered dairy farmers who supplied milk to Dairy Service Unit (DSU) from January 2023 to July 2023. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data on participants’ demographic profiles and to estimate KAP scores on antibiotic use among farmers. Data was analyzed descriptively and inferentially with Chi-square test for hypothesized associations with detection of antimicrobial residues. The rate of antibiotic use was high among participants (89 %). Nineteen percent of the participants had antibiotic residues detected qualitatively in milk using the milk test kits. Beta-lactams, tetracyclines and sulphonamides were qualitatively detected in the raw milk samples using test kits. Responses demonstrated good knowledge (83 %), positive attitudes (81 %), and good practice (81 %) on antibiotic use. However, those who had antibiotic residues detected in their raw milk samples scored low on knowledge, attitudes and practice and were more likely to be small-scale farmers who did not have prior exposure to specialized training on dairy farming. Knowledge of antibiotic use was associated with a higher level of formal education (p < 0.05). There was no significant association (p > 0.05) between the level of formal education and participants’ attitudes and practices on antibiotic use. There was a strong relationship between the presence of antibiotic residues in milk and low KAP scores among farmers on antibiotic use (p < 0.05). There is need to increase trainings of dairy farmers who had low knowledge levels on antibiotic use to avoid the presence of antibiotic residues in milk which could lead to antibiotic resistance in the general population.

A study on knowledge and attitude of farmer towards agriculture technology management agency in Prayagraj district

A study on knowledge and attitude of farmer towards agriculture technology management agency in Prayagraj district

Interventions promoting resilience through climate smart agricultural practices for women farmers: A systematic review.

Climate change poses a significant threat to agricultural production worldwide, with developing countries being particularly vulnerable to its negative impacts. Agriculture, which is a crucial factor in ensuring food security and livelihoods, is particularly vulnerable to changes in climate patterns, such as increased temperatures, drought, and extreme weather events. One approach to addressing these challenges is by promoting the adoption of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices among farmers. CSA combines traditional agricultural practices with innovative techniques and technologies to adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change. infrastructure. By adopting CSA practices, farmers can enhance their resilience to climate variability and improve their productivity. This review examines the effectiveness of interventions promoting CSA to enhance farmers' knowledge of the benefits of CSA approaches, subsequent adoption of CSA, and disadoption of harmful agricultural practices in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We searched 39 academic and online databases, websites, and repositories and screened over 19,000 experimental and quasi-experimental publications to identify studies promoting CSA practices to women farmers. We conducted a citation tracking process on included studies and contacted experts to ensure a thorough search. The review focused on studies that included interventions promoting climate-smart agricultural approaches. Using EPPI Reviewer 4, two review authors independently screened the impact evaluation using a standardized screening tool. Information about participant characteristics, intervention characteristics, control conditions, research design, sample size, bias risk, outcomes, and results were gathered. Data collection and quantitative analysis were conducted using standard Campbell Collaboration methods. Eight impact evaluations were found (two randomized controlled trials) evaluating the effects of CSA practices on farmer's knowledge gains of the benefits of CSA practices and subsequent adoption. Knowledge dissemination approaches such as Farmer Field Schools and weather and climate information services were found to positively impact farmers' knowledge and adoption of specific CSA practices. However, the evidence supporting this claim is uncertain as a high risk of bias was assessed for five of the eight included studies. However, we found no effects on the disadoption of harmful practices such as pesticide overuse. The evidence base for studies promoting climate-smart agricultural approaches (CSA) to farmers in LMICs is small, and there is a lack of studies reporting sex-disaggregated data and studies explicitly targeting women farmers. The review suggests that knowledge dissemination techniques are significantly effective in improving CSA knowledge and adoption, including integrated pest management techniques and their benefits, adoption of climate-resilient rice seed varieties (STRVs), and use of botanical pesticides by farmers. More and better confidence studies are needed to inform policy and programming, including those that look at a wider range of interventions, including changing norms, values, and institutional arrangements.

The Role of Islam in Affecting the Transformation of Traditional Agriculture Knowledge: A Systematic Review of Dewi Sri Literature

This research aims to comprehensively understand how Islam has influenced the fundamental discussions within the Islamic Environmentalism movement, explicitly concerning agriculture and traditional knowledge systems. The study analyzed 103 scholarly articles and publications from Google Scholar, covering the period from 2011 to 2023. The search was conducted on December 14, 2023, using the keyword 'Dewi Sri.' The results show that cultural and agricultural factors specific to the region influence the Javanese agroecological perspective. In contrast, Islamic agroecological methods are shaped by the integration of Islamic teachings, particularly the concept of Green Islam, to create food systems that are both sustainable and self-regulating. However, the specific mechanism by which Islam affected alterations in traditional agricultural knowledge systems cannot be well elucidated using broad terms. It is essential to acknowledge that understanding the role of Islam in influencing the transformation of traditional agriculture knowledge in the Islamic environmentalism movement can facilitate collaboration within the Muslim community. This fact can serve as a valuable resource for integrating Javanese values without posing a threat to the integrity of Islam but instead as an opportunity to demonstrate that Islam also shares the same commitment to environmental preservation.

Smallholder farmers’ knowledge and perceptions towards elephants and the restraining poliwire fences in Mambova wildlife corridor, southern Zambia

Human-elephant conflict (HEC) poses a major challenge for communities living within large transboundary corridors, affecting livelihoods and personal safety. Elephant-restraining solar-electric poliwire fences were implemented as HEC mitigation from 2017 to 2022 for 17 mixed-produce multi-farmer gardens in Mambova farming community in southern Zambia. To assess the knowledge and perceptions of farmers towards elephants and the newly established solar-electric poliwire fences, we conducted 60 semi-structured interviews (22 females, 38 males) with farmers from both fenced and unfenced gardens. The study found that community perceptions varied, and elephants and hippos caused significant crop damage to unfenced vegetable gardens, particularly during the dry season (95–96.3% of incidents occurring between July and November). Farmers reported elephants mainly damaged their gardens at night (21:00–03:00 h.), affecting crops like maize (Zea mays) and rape plants (Brassica napus). Most respondents (96.7%) found the solar-electric poliwire fence more effective in preventing crop damage than traditional mitigation measures, such as drumming and guarding. While some farmers were uncomfortable with elephants in their area (50%), others valued their presence for tourism and education (47%). A holistic approach, combining education, awareness campaigns, and conservation initiatives, is needed to manage HEC effectively. Understanding farmer perspectives and local knowledge about elephant behaviour and migration is vital for sustainable coexistence of humans with elephants.

Impact of Pesticide Training on Safety Climate Perception Among French Cereal Farmers.

Background: The training of farmers in pesticide safety is of prime importance for reducing pesticide use and exposure through the implementation of sustainable management practices. This study aimed to assess the impact of compulsory training on the knowledge and perceptions of cereal farmers, with the help of a safety climate scale. Method: We approached cereal farmers throughout France during compulsory training and certification procedures for pesticide-related activities. Trainees were asked to complete a safety climate questionnaire at the start and end of the course. In total, 733 cereal farm managers or workers completed the questionnaire at the start of the study, 131 of whom declined to complete the questionnaire at the end of the training session, leaving 602 subjects available for pre-training/post-training comparisons. Statistical analyses were based on paired t-tests and mixed models for repeated measures. Findings: The mean safety climate score increased from 82.37 to 88.22 after the training course (7.1 %, p < .001) in both univariate and multivariate analyses. Mean increases were also found for each of its seven dimensions (p < .001), ranging from 2.8% for "rules and best practices" to 12.4% for "communication and feedback." Few covariate-by-time interactions were found to be significant. Conclusion/Application to Practice: This study demonstrates that pesticide training is highly effective in increasing safety climate perception among cereal farmers and provides hints for improving the design of educational programs. Promoting the development and facilitation of lifelong learning with continuously updated training programs should be a top priority for minimizing pesticide exposure.

Rooting for Change: Unveiling Farmers' Bio-input Awareness and Knowledge Across Tamil Nadu's Agro-climatic Zones

Aim: The purpose of this research is to analyse farmers' awareness and knowledge towards bio-inputs across six agro-climatic zones in Tamil Nadu, India. Study Design: The study used an ex post facto research strategy with multistage random sampling. Place and Duration of Study: The research was conducted in eight districts spanning six agro-climatic zones of Tamil Nadu. Data was collected between December 2023 to April 2024 using a well-structured interview schedule. Methodology: A total of 240 farmers were surveyed, with 30 drawn from each of the eight districts. Participants were selected via snowball sampling. Data was gathered through structured interviews and evaluated using percentage analysis. Results: The survey found that 55.56% of farmers across all districts were highly aware of bio-inputs, 26.64% were somewhat knowledgeable, and 17.79% were unaware. Thoothukudi district had the highest awareness rate (68%), followed by Thanjavur (66.66%) and Villupuram (64%). Kodaikanal was the outlier, with the lowest high awareness (24.50%) and the greatest low awareness (39.50%). The research identified various factors influencing these variances, including the efficacy of extension services, access to knowledge and resources, demonstration programs, peer influence, and socio-economic status. Conclusion: The data show a significant gap between farmers' awareness and in-depth understanding of bio-inputs such as Rhizobium, Azotobacter, and Phosphate Solubilizing Bacteria (PSB), with noticeable regional differences. While overall awareness is good, the prevalence of medium knowledge levels suggests the need for additional practical, hands-on training and continuing education programs. This can be achieved through region-specific initiatives, including on-farm demonstrations, farmer-to-farmer knowledge sharing, and collaboration with local agricultural universities. Addressing these challenges has the potential to promote sustainable farming methods, ensuring food security and environmental health across Tamil Nadu's diverse agro-climatic zones.