Agroecological Efficiency Research Articles

An Exploration of the Relationship Between Digital Village Construction and Agroecological Efficiency in China

Whether digital village construction can effectively promote agriculture’s green development is essential for modernizing agriculture and rural areas. Using panel data from 30 provinces in China between 2011 and 2022, this study empirically examines the relationship between digital village construction and agroecological efficiency and explores its mechanism of action and threshold effect, contributing to the exploration of agricultural digitization and sustainable development. This study shows that (1) AEE is positively associated with digital village construction; (2) the positive association size varies in regions and construction levels; (3) agricultural land transfer and technological innovation play a mediating role in the positive effect; and (4) there is a single threshold value for the positive effect of digital village construction, and after crossing the threshold value, its marginal effect shows a positive and increasing nonlinear characteristic. This study enhances our comprehension of digital village development to advance agroecological efficiency and offers theoretical insights and policy recommendations for optimizing the rural digital infrastructure and fostering sustainable agricultural growth.

How Does High-Standard Farmland Construction Affect Agroecological Efficiency—From the Perspective of Factor Endowment

Based on the factor endowment theory and the agriculture-induced technological innovation theory, this study examines the impact of high-standard farmland construction (HFC) on agricultural ecological efficiency (AEE) and sustainable agricultural development. Using empirical data from 30 provinces in China between 2005 and 2022, it explores how high-standard farmland construction techniques can enhance AEE, considering factor endowment preferences and geographical characteristics. Empirical research indicates that high-standard farmland significantly enhances AEE, particularly in the eastern region, the main grain-producing areas, and the regions with less geographical fluctuation. Additionally, agricultural innovations, capital accumulation, and land circulation reinforce the benefits of such construction, whereas labor mobility has a moderating effect. Quantile regression analyses show that the impact of HFC on AEE initially increases and then diminishes, potentially due to inadequate post-management and maintenance. Consequently, the study recommends that the government enhance policy support and supervision for high-standard farmland projects, integrate agricultural technology with capital accumulation, optimize human resource allocation, guide labor mobility, and reform land transfer systems to boost AEE and sustainability.

Exploring the Impact of Agro-Ecological Efficiency on Poverty Reduction: A Case Study from China

Exploring the Impact of Agro-Ecological Efficiency on Poverty Reduction: A Case Study from China

Digitalization of Agriculture, Rural Industrial Integration and Agroecological Efficiency: Evidence from China

Digitalization of Agriculture, Rural Industrial Integration and Agroecological Efficiency: Evidence from China

Применение биоугля на основе отработанных грибных блоков в условиях агротемно-серых почв

Recycling of organic waste from mushroom production will improve their environmental safety and optimize the applied agricultural technologies. The aim of the work was to assess the environmental performance of the agricultural technology of using a soil fertilizing material – biochar obtained from spent lignin-cellulose mushroom blocks. It was found that the introduction of biochar from mushroom production waste materials into Gray-Luvic Phaeozems Hortic helps stabilize soil organic matter and increase the productivity of lawn grasses. It was noted that the quality and agroecological efficiency of biochar obtained from spent mushroom blocks based on cereal straw are significantly higher than biochar from spent mushroom blocks based on sunflower husk. Keywords: SOIL ORGANIC MATTER, CO2 EMISSION, SUNFLOWER HUSK, LAWN GRASSES, OYSTER MUSHROOM

Лесохозяйственные мероприятия в полезащитных лесных полосах Краснодарского края

In the process of growth and development of forest belts, some of their taxation characteristics and design change. Forest reclamation complexes are subject to homeostasis. Changing the design of shelterbelts leads to crop shortages, loss of profits for agricultural organizations, as well as to the deterioration of the ecology of field soils. A way out of this situation can be found in the application of a system of measures, an important part of which is forestry measures. The aim of the research has been to determine the timing and types of forestry measures aimed at improving the agro-ecological efficiency of protective forest reclamation complexes on agricultural lands of the Krasnodar Territory. Data from the 2019 inventory of protective forest plantations and data obtained by the authors in 2015–2021 in the Kushchevskij and Leningradskij Districts of the Krasnodar Territory have been used. According to the data obtained, graphs of the dependence of stock on the age and height have been constructed for some tree species of field protection forest reclamation complexes. It has been established that in the study area the largest number of areas of shelterbelts have a dense structure – 538.5 ha, and 501.7 ha of them are trees of the III age class. A significant increase in the stock of plantations has been noted at the age of: Robinia pseudoacacia L. – 15 years, Fraxinus excelsior L. – 25 years, Gleditsia triacanthos L. – 10 years, Ulmus pumila L. – 35 years. The equations of the regressional dependence of stock on the age and height for the main tree species have been obtained. These equations can be used to predict the timing of forestry measures in order to maintain the openwork design of forest belts recommended for the region under study.

A social network analysis regarding conservation agro-ecological efficiency in China

A social network analysis regarding conservation agro-ecological efficiency in China

Digital Village Construction: A Multi-Level Governance Approach to Enhance Agroecological Efficiency

This study conducts a comprehensive analysis of China’s digital village construction, emphasizing its role in rural organizational governance, from bureaucracies to self-governance bodies to market forces and social organizations. Utilizing sample data from 30 provinces from 2014 to 2020, the study dissects the dynamics and diversity of multi-level governance in bolstering agroecological efficiency (AEE). Notable insights include a significant positive correlation between digital villages and AEE. However, it wanes in an “inverted U” pattern beyond a digital development index of 0.8. Furthermore, rural bureaucrats and self-governing entities independently advance AEE, while market forces and social organizations require enhancement. These findings contribute to the field of digital village construction and inform sustainable agricultural strategies in developing nations.

Can the digitalization level of agriculture improve its ecological efficiency under carbon constraints: Evidence from China

The interplay between digitalization and economic development constitutes a pivotal global issue, yet empirical research on agricultural ecological efficiency in developing countries remains limited. This study initially establishes a measurement system and a comprehensive index for the level of agricultural digitalization. Subsequently, it delineates the relationship between agricultural digitalization level and agroecological efficiency using the spatial Durbin model, and ultimately explores the enhancing effect of agricultural digitalization level on agroecological efficiency using China as a case study. Research reveals that the agricultural ecological efficiency across the 31 mainland Chinese provinces demonstrates a generally linear upward trajectory, embodying both agglomeration and heterogeneity. The level of agricultural digitization exerts a significant, positive direct impact and facilitates a spatial spillover effect on agricultural ecological efficiency. Other control variables, such as financial support for agriculture and local economic development, impart a positive direct impact on regional agricultural ecological efficiency, while rural household operating income propels a positive spatial spillover effect on adjacent areas. The findings furnish guidance for developing countries to adeptly execute digital rural construction, aiming to enhance agricultural ecological efficiency amidst carbon constraints.

A study of the impact of agricultural credit on agro-ecological efficiency in China

A study of the impact of agricultural credit on agro-ecological efficiency in China

Agroecological efficiency of various doses and combinations of organic and mineral fertilizers in the cultivation of spring wheat in Karakalpakstan

The soils of the Republic of Karakalpakstan differ from the soils of other regions of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the insufficient amount of nutrients available to the plant. In this regard, in the Republic, in the production of crop production, it becomes necessary to compensate for the lack of nutrition of the plant by introducing huge doses of expensive mineral fertilizers, and this, in turn, additional labor and a significant financial investment. As a result, this leads not only to an increase in the cost of production and a decrease in the profitability of production, but also negatively affects the ecological state of the soil and the environment. In recent years, grain yields in the Republic have been ensured only by applying large doses of mineral fertilizer, but despite this, grain yields are lower than average than in the Republic of Uzbekistan, and soil fertility leaves much to be desired. Experts attribute this to the insufficient level of attention of producers to the physical, chemical and biological condition of soils, that is, it is not compensated by natural organic components but is subjected to heavy loads. Based on these facts, the conclusion is obvious that in this region, mineral fertilizers, although they are one of the main factors that increase the productivity of crop production, nevertheless they are not able to affect the fertility, resistance and environmental sustainability of the soil. Based on this, it is necessary to develop a local technology involving traditional and alternative types of organic fertilizers capable of compensating for nutrients during the growing season of the plant with maximum optimization of mineral fertilizers without compromising yield.

Competitiveness of Milk Production. New Perspectives for Developing a New Direction in Tourism: Dairy Tourism

The presence of natural and economic risks in agriculture is inherent in many countries, including the Republic of Kazakhstan, which makes the development of the agricultural sector an urgent issue for agricultural producers, especially now when the integration of agro-tourism, which is a kind of breakthrough for the development of rural industry and the revitalization of rural areas, takes place. Integration of agro-ecological efficiency and agrotourism is also closely connected with the competitiveness of milk production by farms and the development of a new direction "dairy tourism", so the study of the relationship between them is of great importance for the implementation of agro-ecological quality development. Kazakhstan has favorable conditions for the development of dairy tourism sector due to the area of cultivated agricultural land, favorable natural and climatic conditions, large volume of dairy products market, positive trends in economic development of the country and, as a consequence, growth of solvent demand, which makes the dairy sector attractive. The aim of the research is to substantiate theoretical provisions and analyze the impact of agrotourism on the efficiency of dairy production competitiveness management in farms (on the example of the northern region of Kazakhstan).

O impacto do desenvolvimento agrícola na eficiência agro-ecológica da China: evidência sob a perspectiva de escala e estrutura

ABSTRACT: Promoting the agricultural sustainable development is one of the core objectives of agricultural comprehensive development (ACD), and the core of agricultural sustainable development lies in enhancing agro-ecological efficiency (AEE). Based on inter-provincial panel data from 2003-2017, the AEE was measured by a unexpected super-efficient SBM model. From the perspective of investment scale and investment structure, the impact of investment scale in ACD on AEE was examined using a panel econometric model, then characterizing the investment structure by the proportion of government funds in the investment of ACD, examining the non-linear relationship between investment structure of ACD and AEE seeking a reasonable proportion of government expenditure. Finally, a spatial econometric model was constructed to test the spatial spillover effect of the scale and structure of investment in ACD on AEE. Results showed that: (i) AEE of China is on the rise overall, but the efficiency level is still low and there is large scope for improvement. (ii) Due to the inefficient use of funds and the lag in the transformation of agricultural benefits, the scale of investment in ACD has a significant negative impact on AEE in the current period. (iii) The impact of investment structure of ACD on AEE presents a significant “inverted N” relationship, and the optimal proportion of government fund investment structure is 76.71%. The reasonable structure of investment in ACD at different food functional areas shows differences. (iv) After considering the spatial effect, the impact of ACD remains robust, but the spatial spillover effect prolongs the time lag of this impact of investment scale and starts to have a positive impact in the 2nd year after the investment. Guarantee the investment scale in ACD, reduce financial redundancy, establish a cooperation mechanism between ACD and agricultural ecological protection in neighboring areas, and increase the introduction of private capital can achieve sustainable development of agricultural economy.

Does agricultural productive service promote agro-ecological efficiency? Evidence from China

Given the background of the rural population ageing, the reduced agricultural non-point source pollution and the decreased agricultural carbon emission, agricultural producer services, as an important bridge between small farmers and modern agriculture, are an important path to ensure food security and the green development of agriculture. Based on panel data of 31 provinces in China from 2003 to 2020, this paper uses Slack-based measure model with undesirable outputs (SBM-undesirable model)to calculate the agricultural ecological efficiency of 31 provinces. Furthermore, the two-stage least squares, the panel threshold model and the spatial Durbin model are used to empirically analyze the influence mechanism and the spatial spillover effect of agricultural productive services on agricultural ecological efficiency. The results show that agricultural producer services have a significant non-linear impact on agricultural ecological efficiency. Rural residents' income and per capita cultivated land area can adjust the relationship between them. The two main ways for agricultural productive services to improve agricultural ecological efficiency are as follows: reducing undesirable outputs such as pesticides, chemical fertilizers and plastic sheeting for agricultural use and improving agricultural production efficiency. In addition, agricultural producer services have a significant positive spatial spillover effect on agricultural ecological efficiency, and the indirect impact elasticity of spatial spillover is higher than the direct impact elasticity. Therefore, to achieve food security and promote the sustainable development of agriculture, it is necessary to vigorously develop agricultural productive ser-vices through multiparty cooperation.

Agroecological Efficiency of Traditional and New Organic Fertilizers

Agroecological Efficiency of Traditional and New Organic Fertilizers

Study on the Influence of Population Urbanization on Agricultural Eco-Efficiency and on Agricultural Eco-Efficiency Remeasuring in China

China is still in the growth period of population urbanization; meanwhile, it is a large agricultural country where high-quality agricultural development requires a high agro-ecological efficiency level. Based on panel data from 31 provinces and cities in China from 2001 to 2020, the paper constructs an agricultural eco-efficiency evaluation index system that is more in line with China’s current agricultural production situation. Meanwhile, the undesired output super-efficiency SBM model is used to measure it. Combining the PVAR and panel Tobit models, the paper explores the effect of population urbanization on agro-ecological efficiency and the interaction mechanism in China. The results show that: (1) In the whole of China, and the western region of China in particular, agro-ecological efficiency tended to decrease during the research time, and ended up at an inefficient level. In the eastern and northeastern regions, agro-ecological efficiency has been at a moderate level for a long time, while in the central region it has fluctuated more and is now at a low level of efficiency. (2) Increases and decreases in population urbanization have both had a significant negative impact on agro-ecological efficiency, but the economic development and improved transportation infrastructure brought by population urbanization have had a positive impact on agro-ecological efficiency. (3) The paper’s results provide the current agro-ecological efficiency situation in each province of China, and clarify the causal effect of population urbanization on agro-ecological efficiency, which can provide a reference basis for subsequent policy formulation and for further research to be carried out.

Agroecological Efficiency Evaluation Based on Multi-Source Remote Sensing Data in a Typical County of the Tibetan Plateau

Evaluating agricultural ecology can help us to understand regional environmental status and contribute to the sustainable development of agricultural ecosystems. Furthermore, the results of eco-environmental assessment can provide data support for policy-making and agricultural production. The application of multi-source remote-sensing technology has the advantages of being fast, accurate and wide ranging. It can reveal the status of regional ecological environments, and is of great significance to monitoring their quality. In this paper, an agroecological efficiency evaluation model was constructed by combining remote sensing data and ecological index (EI). Multi-source remote-sensing data were used to obtain the evaluation index. Indicators collected from satellites, such as biological richness, vegetation cover, water network density, land stress, and pollution load, were used to quantitatively evaluate the agroecological efficiency of Rangtang County in the Tibetan Plateau. The results showed that the EI of Rangtang County increased from 61.77 to 65.10 during 2000–2020, which means that the eco-environmental quality of this area was good, and it has shown an obviously improving trend over the past 20 years. Rangtang County has converted more than 30 km²of grassland into woodland over the past 20 years. Climate change and human activities have had combined effects on the ecological environment of this area. The change in ecological environment quality is greatly affected by human disturbance. Policymakers should continue setting up nature reserves and should implement the policy of returning farmland to forests. Unreasonable grazing and rational allocation of land resources are still critical points of concern for future ecological environment construction. EI, combined with remote sensing and statistical data, is proven to be able to reasonably represent changes in ecological environment in Rangtang County, thus providing more possibilities for ecological evaluation on the Tibetan Plateau, and even the whole world.

Does agro-ecological efficiency contribute to poverty alleviation? An empirical study based on panel data regression.

Worldwide degradation of the ecological environment could be the cause of poverty. The poverty-stricken areas may face the dilemma of a "vicious circle of poverty." The complex ecological conditions have intertwined with poverty alleviation, which makes the demand for ecological poverty alleviation particularly prominent in these areas. However, the research on the relationship between agro-ecological efficiency and poverty are limited. It is far from clear what is the impact of the agro-ecological efficiency on poverty. To explore the impact of agro-ecological efficiency on poverty reduction, we adopt the panel data model based on cross-correlation and regression coefficient, using the data from 25 counties/districts in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region (TGRR) from 2006 to 2017. The results show that (1) there is significant heterogeneity in agro-ecological efficiency in the TGRR, and the agro-ecological efficiency in the middle area is significantly lower than that of the head and tail areas of the TGRR; (2) the improvement of regional agro-ecological efficiency could accelerate the alleviation of poverty; and (3) the widening of urban-rural income disparity is not conducive to poverty alleviation and eradication. This study would provide basis for further policy recommendations aimed at improving agro-ecological efficiency and alleviating poverty.

Agroecological efficiency of the use of secondary resources of potash fertilizer production in agriculture

Agroecological efficiency of the use of secondary resources of potash fertilizer production in agriculture

Comparative efficiency of organic, mineral and organomineral fertilizer on soil properties and crops

Efficacy of organic, mineral and organo-mineral fertilizers are essential in farming system all over the world. Therefore, the discourse of this research is premised on a long-term field experiment to assess the agro-ecological efficiency of fertilizer systems of different intensity used in crop rotations composed of grain crops (more than 50%) and perennial grasses (20%). For organic farming, the results obtained in variants constituting an organic fertilizer system in the field trials are of great importance. It was found that the highest productivity of crop rotation on average for 30 years of fertilizer action (1984-2013) was obtained in organo-mineral (N60P60K60 on the backdrop of 6 t/ha of manure) an mineral (N90P90K90) variants, amounting to 3.4 t/ha o grain units, which is 43% higher than the control. On average, over the seven-year after-effect period (2014-2020), the organo-mineral fertilizer system in maximum doses-N150P150K150supplemented with 15 t/haof manure-gave a higher effect with a yield of grain units of 2.96 t/ha, or 70% higher than the control. The organo-mineral system in action had an advantage over the organic system in terms of crop rotation productivity (9 t/ha of manure) at the level of 15%. Depending on the fertilizer systems, the quality of plant products changed. In the variants of the mineral and organo-mineral fertilizer systems, the content of raw protein in the grain of winter and spring wheat, winter rye and oats increased, in the variant of the organic system, the starch content increased and the amounts of nitratesin potato tubers decreased. Organo-mineral systems compared with the control and other fertilizer systems optimized the humus state of the soil, reduced the rate of dehumification of organic matter and increased the biological activity of the soil. According to the data for 2019-2020, the cellulose-decomposing capacity of the soil in the aftereffect of the organo-mineral system (N90P90K90+ 9 t/ha of manure) increased to 79.5% whilst 76% was recordedfor the control.