Availability Of Land For Cultivation Research Articles

Rainfall Variability and Agricultural Potential of the Baiboho in the Urban Commune of Miandrivazo, Menabe Region, Central-West Madagascar

Global food supply is currently a major concern of the FAO due to the increasing demand from the world population. It has been observed that the crop system is affected by climate change, and this is also the case for the Mahajilo alluvial plain in Miandrivazo. The area is subjected annually to unpredictable situations because the rainfall during the rainy season determines the availability of land for cultivation and water resources. This study is based on field observations and relates the collected information to the annual rainfall pattern. The limitations of this study are the lack of hydrological data and knowledge of the erosion phenomenon in the Mahajilo basin.

ПЕРСПЕКТИВИ ВИРОЩУВАННЯ І ВИКОРИСТАННЯ ЕНЕРГЕТИЧНИХ КУЛЬТУР В УКРАЇНІ

The purpose of the study is to analyze the current state, existing obstacles and prospects for growing and using energy crops in Ukraine. Different aspects such as the availability of unused land for cultivation, technical and economic indicators of relevant projects, as well as the results of life cycle assessment of heat production from energy crops are taken into account. Research methods include analysis and processing of official statistics on the area of land of different categories in Ukraine; performance of life cycle assessment for growing energy crops for heat production in terms of energy efficiency and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions; carrying out of feasibility study of respective projects. Results of the study show that there are up to 4 million hectares of unused agricultural land in Ukraine annually, which can be used for growing energy crops without creating competition for food production and without violating the criteria of sustainable development. The life cycle of projects for growing perennial energy crops for heat production has high energy efficiency, and the value of greenhouse gas emissions reduction depends significantly on the distance of transportation of biofuels. However, projects for the cultivation of such energy crops as willow, poplar, and miscanthus have economic indicators on the verge of profitability, and therefore may not be attractive enough for investors. Conclusions. Growing and using energy crops is one of the most promising sectors of bioenergy in Ukraine. The advantages of this area are the ability to obtain all types of biofuels (solid, gaseous, liquid biofuels) to replace traditional energy sources, a positive impact on soil (increase in organic matter, phytoremediation of contaminated lands) as well as local economic development and job creation in the regions. To improve the economic performance of the relevant projects, it is necessary to introduce a state subsidy for the cultivation of energy crops at the level of 20-24 thousand UAH per ha, depending on the type of crop.

Extent of Participation of Farm Youth in Chrysanthemum Cultivation

Youthification of the farming population has the potential to revive, reform, and revolutionize the agriculture and allied sectors by concentrating the youth’s efforts towards it. Chrysanthemum is a traditional flower crop with many economic importance and numerous avenues for value addition and export. The study was conducted among 120 farm youths in Omalur, Kadayampatti, and Mecheri blocks of Salem district, Tamil Nadu.An ex post facto research design was used to study the extent of participation and factors that contribute to the participation of farm youth in chrysanthemum cultivation. Analysis of the responses indicated that a majority of farm youth had a medium (71.66 per cent) level of participation and 19.16 per cent had a high level of participation. Statements with a higher mean score, such as availability of cultivable land (4.16), attractive remuneration (4.09), agricultural knowledge (3.90), and interest in agriculture and allied activities (3.89), were the key contributing factors that led to the increased participation of farm youth in chrysanthemum cultivation.

Hydroponics as an alternative fodder for sustainable livestock production

Now a days there is rapid decrease in per capita availability of land for cultivation of fodder due to rapid industrialization and urbanization. Which in turn effects the productivity of livestock due unavailability of green fodder which plays major role in production. So there is a need for an alternative for this green fodder is hydroponics. Hydroponics is a method of growing plants without soil by instead using mineral nutrient solutions in a water solvent. Improved space and soil less water conserving methods of fodder production have shown promising results to the farmers especially in the drought prone areas in India.

Aquaponics: A Potential Option for Urban Food Supplement in Kathmandu Valley

Growing urbanization in Kathmandu Valley has reduced the agriculture land and is anticipated further reduction coming days leading to agricultural vulnerability. The increasing built-up areas, however, might be opportunity for alternative methods of agriculture production like aquaponics which incorporates both aquaculture and hydroponics in a single unit. This system helps to produce food (fish and vegetables), especially in the areas where the availability of cultivable land and water is scarce. This study was carried out to demonstrate the feasibility of aquaponics in Kathmandu Valley. For the experiment, two media filled aquaponic systems (MFS) covering one square meter area were set-up using hog-plum (Choerospondias axillaries) seeds (Bh) and gravels (Bg) as growing media in hydroponic and systems were named as AS-1 and AS-2, respectively. In both Bh and Bg, 11 seedlings of Indian spinach having 5 g total weight were transplanted in grow bed containing hog-plum, and 15 catfish (Clariasbatrachus) having 45 g weight were stocked in Tank-1 (T-1) of AS-1. Likewise, in AS-2 system, 5 g spinach were transplanted in grow-bed containing gravel, and 34 carp (Cyprinus sp.) fish having 34 g weight were stocked in Tank-2 (T-2) of AS-2. After 40 days, 550 g spinach was produced from the system containing hog-plum seeds as grow-bed and 1060 g spinach from the system containing gravel as grow-bed. Likewise, 45 g catfish reached 550 g in 90 days in Tank-1 (T-1) and 34 g carp reached 109 g in Tank-2 (T2). All the growth performances like specific growth rate (SGR), average daily growth (ADG), daily growth index (DGI), percent weight gain (%WG) of Indian spinach in grow-bed containing gravel (Bg) were found higher in comparison to the grow-bed containing hog-plum seed (Bh). The survival rate of catfish and carp was found to be 86.7% and 90.6%, respectively. The growth performance of Indian spinach was significantly different (p<0.05) in the two growing media.
 This result shows that aquaponics has potential to produce both fish and spinach simultaneously at the same unit using small space in city like Kathmandu Valley. Further detailed study is required for comparative study of fish and evaluating cost and benefit, and commercial potentiality.

Hydroponics: Innovative Option for Growing Crops in Extreme Environments-The Case of the Arabian Peninsula (A Review)

The inexorable movements of growing population, increasing water stress, urbanization, and persistent global warming are greatly responsible for the reduction in the availability of cultivable land in the Arabian Peninsula countries where successful soil crop cultivation practically depends on scarce resources - water for irrigation. Consequently, the stakeholders are battling global food security and how to conveniently feed the persistent growing global population expected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050. Overcoming this predicament to have a bountiful harvest, improved technology as hydroponic systems is needed. The hydroponic systems result in higher yield and mitigate environmental issues associated with productions. The system’s advantages include cleanliness, pests and drought control, and year round production. The concerned issues alongside benefits and limitations are evaluated in this review.

Factors Affecting The Adoption Decision Of High Doses Of Chemical Fertilizer And Pesticide In Agriculture In Rangpur District Of Bangladesh

Abstract: Like other developing countries, Bangladesh is struggling to meet the food needs for its population. There are two possible solutions to this problemimport of food products and increasing national food production. In Bangladesh, increase in agricultural production is hindered by various constraints inherent in the sector such as low availability of cultivable land, declining fertility of soil, pest and virus attack problems etc. Chemical fertilizer and pesticide are vital inputs for agricultural production. With the growing popularity of modern agriculture, fertilizer and pesticide consumption in Bangladesh has been increasing over the years. The main objective of this study was to estimate the determinants of adoption decision of high doses of chemical inputs in agriculture. Using the Bivariate probit model, this study has made it possible to identify the key determinants affecting the adoption decision of chemical inputs use. The results indicate that age, education, farming experience, total family income, training, and extension service are the main determinants for the adoption decision of high doses of chemical inputs in agriculture. Farmers' education and total family income are positively related to the adoption of chemical inputs whereas age, farming experience and training are negatively related.

Rationalizing the Choice of Housing on Cultivable Land: Is Cash-Return the Only Determinant?

Society faces numerous problems due to high population growth where housing along with other settlements is a notable concern. Horizontal expansion of housing on cultivable land in rural area reduces the availability of land for cultivation. The study is a combination of both quantitative and qualitative in nature based on primary data, carried out in a village in Comilla, an eastern district of Bangladesh during April 2012. The study finds that the households receive returns both in cash as well as in kind from new homesteads made on cultivable land. The cash benefit received by households at new place is Tk. 156238.14 on an average per year in 2011 price and on an average the cash investment per year in 2011 price (inflation adjusted) for housing is Tk. 213108.1818 (weighted average). This clearly indicates a cash loss from housing on cultivable land from household’s perspective. However, statistically the cash investment for housing in rural area is not significantly different from the cash return received by the households at 5% level of significance. Thus it becomes an important question whether the household’s choice of making new home on cultivable land is a rational choice or not. Further, the amount of money each household spent for housing could have been used for a higher cash return through some alternative investments. The study reveals, households derive positive utility (non cash returns) from new homes notwithstanding cash loss and other investment options forgone. The study further argues that if the government or any authority is to take some steps regarding the declining trend of cultivable land in rural areas, the perspectives of the households must be considered with great attention.

Genetic Algorithm Approach to a Multiobjective Land Allocation Model

Optimal land allocation plays a vital role for the development of agriculture sector. Development toward optimal utilization of land under cultivation and increasing the production of crops and profit with less fertilizer consumption must be taken into consideration in agriculture planning. In this paper, a weighted additive model is formulated with net profit, production of crops, and fertilizer consumption as objectives and availability of cultivable land, agriculture labour, agriculture machinery, and water as constraints for optimal land allocation. Weighted additive model takes care of relative priority of objectives laid by the agriculture planners. To illustrate the model, a case study of Visakhapatnam district, Andhra Pradesh, India is presented. The results of GA approach are compared with LINGO solver and observed that there is an improvement in the utilization of land.

Economic aspects of community‐based forest management program as a strategy for forest landscape restoration in the Philippines

The study looked into the economic aspects, particularly costs and benefits, of the strategies used in the restoration of degraded uplands in Quirino Province, Philippines under the Community‐Based Forest Management Program. Their strategies are agroforestry and reforestation. Data from five sites in the Quirino province was derived through surveys and interviews with CBFM respondents supported by secondary data. Three techniques, namely financial analysis, opportunity cost analysis and contingent valuation method were used to estimate the costs and benefits of the restoration strategies to the CBFM participants. Results of the analyses indicated that aside from contributing to the vegetative improvement of the forest landscape in the area, the program has also provided economic benefits to the local people in the form of increased employment, additional income, financial support, provision of production inputs, availability of land for cultivation and funds for the people's organization.

Paddy and Water Environment : Facilitation information exchange and identifying future R & D needs

Agriculture will have to meet the future challenges posed by food security by increasing production while conserving natural resources. The conservation of natural resources is important because of the dependence of agriculture on these resources. This means that the natural environment should be managed in such a way as to assure food security for the present and future generations. So, food security is a matter not only of quantity but also of continuity. In this context, the responsible use of natural resources plays a role of paramount importance. Among the basic natural resources upon which life depends are soil and water. The responsible use of soil and water can be described in terms of sustainability or sustainable development. Sustainable development can be viewed as a transformation process in which the exploitation of resources, the direction of investments, the direction of technological innovation and adaptation, along with institutional changes, are all in harmony and enhance both the current and future potential, to satisfy the needs and aspirations of a growing world population. This process implies long-term perspective for planning and integrated policies for implementation. Increasing agricultural productivity in an environmentally sustainable manner will be crucial in responding to these challenges. In the past, the increased demand for food has been satisfied by the expansion of agricultural land. Today, the availability of new land for cultivation and additional water resources are limited. Moreover, the more or less uncontrolled increase of agricultural production over the last few decades, in both industrialized and developing countries, has pushed agricultural production to, and in many cases over, the edge of sustainability. This means that the traditional methods for increasing production are facing a new challenge; reconciling agricultural development and the conservation of natural resources. Agricultural engineering has been applying scientific principles for optimizing the use and management of natural resources for centuries, and with the new millennium it is playing an increasingly important role. There are at least two reasons for this. First, the wise use of land and water resources will play a role of paramount importance in the provision of food for future generations. Second, the demand for different land and water uses is increasing tremendously, especially in the developed world. Rational water management and land-use planning will help to reconcile these different demands and assure food security, while conserving the environment. In this context, the prospects of increasing the gross cultivated area, in both developed and developing countries, are limited by the dwindling number of economically attracDaniele De Wrachien

Role of Transgenic Plants in Abiotic Stress Management

ABSTRACT Soil salinity is a constant problem that hinders crop productivity worldwide. The problem is fast taking gargantuan proportions with constant population pressures on land, especially in developing countries. Availability of cultivable land is soon going to be a major problem in these countries. One of the most appropriate courses of action to combat this problem is to engineer crops that are salt tolerant. Genetic engineering should be preferred over breeding as the latter method is time consuming. The techniques to engineer crops are fast becoming relatively easy and routine. The genes for this purpose are also being identified rapidly. Clearly the most suitable genes for engineering salinity stress tolerance will be the ones that lead to production of molecules that are effective in minimal concentrations and that do not exert undue pressures on the plant metabolic pathways so as not to adversely affect their yield. Such molecules are now being identified. Various transcription factors that sho...

Future Perspectives on Food Supply in Developing Countries

Dramatic increases during the 1980s in agricultural production, particularly in the developing world, are due to both the increased area under cultivation and growth in yields per unit area. However, growth in food production has failed to keep pace with population growth in the majority of countries surveyed, and especially in Africa. Changes in rural infrastructure, agricultural technology, environmental management and government policy will influence food production in the future, while food consumption patterns in developing countries will change as a result of population growth, urbanization and changing lifestyles. Shortfalls are likely to occur, especially in Africa, where the availability of new land for cultivation is declining. The pressures on food production will rise, unless efforts are increased to reduce population growth.

Modern pollen deposition and its use in interpreting the occupation history of the island Hailuoto, Finland

The early vegetation history of the island Hailuoto, Finland, was investigated by means of pollen analysis. Pollen diagrams from three shallow peat profiles close to the postulated A.D. 1150 shoreline are interpreted with reference to modern pollen rain values, features indicative of occupation, routeways and cultivation being delimited. The differing settlement histories of the western and eastern parts of the present farmed area are distinguished and explained in terms of the changing coastline and availability of cultivable land. The historical evidence for changes in forest and farming conditions since the 16th century is also compared with the pollen evidence for the same period. Emphasis is placed on methodology and the development of investigation techniques applicable in sparsely settled boreal forest situations.