Farm Characteristics Research Articles

Substance Use Among Illinois Farmers

Background: People in agriculture face unique stressors and occupational hazards, and relatively little is known about substance use in this population. The purpose of this study was to describe substance use among farmers in Illinois. Methods: We conducted a mail survey of Illinois farmers that included the Brief ASSIST to assess substance use for lifetime and past three-month use of ten different substances. The survey also included questions about farming characteristics, mental health, stress, coping, social support, and demographic characteristics. We used chi-square and non-parametric tests to assess group differences. Results: Alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, and sedatives were most reported as used for a lifetime and in the past three months. About three-quarters of the sample had recently used alcohol. Recent tobacco use was associated with not being married, less education, and less concern about climate-related farm stress. Recent sedative use was associated with greater concern about isolation-related farm stress. People who reported multiple substance use were at a greater risk for suicide and were more likely to meet the criteria for generalized anxiety disorder. None of the participants reported recent use of cocaine, heroin, inhalants, or hallucinogens. Conclusion: Specific social and cultural aspects of farming and farm communities may contribute to substance use among people working in agriculture. Future research can help to better understand this intersection and make recommendations for programs and resources to promote adaptive coping strategies.

Ecological processes of bacterial microbiome assembly in healthy and dysbiotic strawberry farms

The bacterial microbiome plays crucial role in plants’ resistance to diseases, nutrient uptake and productivity. We examined the microbiome characteristics of healthy and unhealthy strawberry farms, focusing on soil (bulk soil, rhizosphere soil) and plant (roots and shoots). The relative abundance of most abundant taxa were correlated with the chemical soil properties and shoot niche revealed the least amount of significant correlations between the two. While alpha and beta diversities did not show differences between health groups, we identified a number of core taxa (16–59) and marker bacterial taxa for each healthy (Unclassified Tepidisphaerales, Ohtaekwangia, Hydrocarboniphaga) and dysbiotic (Udaeobacter, Solibacter, Unclassified Chitinophagales, Unclassified Nitrosomonadaceae, Nitrospira, Nocardioides, Tardiphaga, Skermanella, Pseudomonas, Allorhizobium-Neorhizobium-Pararhizobium-Rhizobium, Curtobacterium) niche. We also revealed selective pressure of strawberry rhizosphere soil and roots plants in unhealthy plantations increased stochastic ecological processes of bacterial microbiome assembly in shoots. Our findings contribute to understanding sustainable agriculture and plant-microbiome interactions.

Understanding the Dairy Sector in Slovenia: A Modeling Approach for Policy Evaluation and Decision Support

This study investigates the dairy sector in Slovenia, focusing on farm heterogeneity, efficiency in resource utilization, and policy implementations. Through a modeling approach, we explore the differences among dairy farms, considering factors such as herd size, farm management, natural conditions, and production potential. Based on 32 typical dairy farms, representing the entire dairy sector, composed of 6400 dairy farms, the analysis was performed using the farm model (SiTFarm). We emphasize the importance of accurate assessments, given the variability of policy impacts across farm types. While medium-to-large, specialized farms dominate milk production, smaller farms, particularly in less favored areas, hold social and environmental importance despite facing competitive challenges. Addressing environmental sustainability could involve promoting practices that improve milk yield and include grazing, as this tends to lower greenhouse gas emissions per kilogram of milk (−5%). Dairy farms contribute about one-third of the generated revenue in Slovene agriculture, of which a good half goes to farms located in less favored areas. They manage a good quarter of permanent grassland in Slovenia, and it is certainly the sector that can achieve the highest return on these areas. In 75% of the farms, the gross margin is higher than 1756 EUR/ha and using best practices they exceed 3400 EUR/ha. The model results indicate that the average hourly rate on dairy farms during the observed period falls within the range of EUR 7.3 to 17.4 of gross margin for most farms, with the top-performing ones exceeding 24 EUR/h. However, due to the significant reliance on budgetary payments (on average, 58% of the gross margin), the implementation of the common agricultural policy strategic plan generally leads to a deterioration in the economic indicators of dairy farms. This impact is particularly pronounced on medium-sized and larger farms, increasing the effect on income due to the substantial fixed costs involved. Our findings underscore the interplay between policy interventions, farm characteristics, and sectoral outcomes, offering valuable insights for policy-makers and stakeholders.

Challenges and opportunities in the adoption of entomological pollination of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) by bumblebees in vertical farms: a comprehensive review

The present study aims to analyze, based on bibliographic sources, the possibility of using bumblebees (genus Bombus) in the pollination of tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum L.) in vertical farms, as well as their advantages and costs. The work includes the definition of vertical farms and their structures, the description of tomato pollination methods in nature, comparisons between different pollination methods in the vertical farming system, cost analyses, and characteristics of these bees that allow their adaptation in enclosed environments with the use of artificial lighting. Considering the high costs in these systems, the hypothesis of using entomological pollination as an alternative to reduce costs is justified. The review was conducted systematically, searching academic databases for relevant articles, theses, and reports on entomological pollination in vertical farms. In conclusion, it can be observed that these bees, besides being excellent pollinators, can possibly adapt to the characteristic conditions of a vertical farm. However, the behavior of these insects within this system has been poorly studied, with many opportunities and topics in this area that can serve as a starting point for future experiments.

Archetypes of climate change adaptation among large-scale arable farmers in southern Romania

Effects of climate change and especially the associated climate variability require farmers to adjust to increasing frequencies of extreme events. In the agriculturally highly productive Romanian Plain, the frequency, intensity, and duration of heatwaves and drought have increased over the past 20 years. Although recent surveys revealed farmers’ awareness of climate change and enumerated a number of farm adaptation measures in the Romanian context, a systems approach to adaptation that allows conclusions on farm vulnerability and adaptive capacity is missing. Here, we use archetypal analysis to elucidate and characterize for the first time the types of adaptation responses of arable farmers in southern Romania. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 30 farmers managing 51,500 ha located across the southern lowlands of Romania, selected for their diversity of management approaches. Farmers were asked about experienced climatic disturbances, crop production losses during the most extreme events over the past 5–10 years, and the adaptation measures they implemented over that period of time. In addition, structural characteristics of the farm were recorded. The adaptation measures were classified and mapped on the efficiency, substitution, and redesign gradient used to classify sustainability stages. Results revealed three archetypes of adaptation, consisting of measures at field and farm level ranging from predominantly efficiency-enhancing ones (e.g., crop choice and management and risk insurance) to complete farm redesign involving agrotechnical and financial management changes. Structural farm characteristics did not explain differences between farms in their association with one of the archetypes. Our approach and results show for the first time both the need for strengthening farmer-level support in one of Europe’s key food production areas and the lessons that can be drawn from the outlier adaptation examples. Current European and national policies offer opportunities for farmer organizations in Romania to make these conclusions actionable.

Economic, Social, and Environmental Factors Impacting Resilience and Disturbances of Lithuanian Family Farms

Climate change, changes in the natural environment, changing markets, price volatility, etc. pose tension and threats to the future of European Union farms. The uncertain future of family farms requires farm resilience—the ability to survive, adapt, and grow in the face of turbulent change. The limited resilience of family farms has become an important concern for rural and agricultural policy. The main goal of this work is to identify disturbances affecting Lithuanian family farms, assess their influence, investigate the general resilience of Lithuanian family farms, propose measures to reduce the vulnerability of farms, and increase the general resilience and sustainability. We used a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods to conduct the research. Survey research was conducted using a semi-structured expert interview in which various types of variables were collected. The survey questionnaire, consisting of 38 groups of questions, was sent by email to 500 randomly selected family farmers in January 2024 and collected in the same month. The statistical analysis of the data from the 205 duly filled-out questionnaires was carried out using correlation analysis. In this article, we apply the concept of general resilience of the family farm in the direction of robustness, adaptability, and transformability. We identify the main factors influencing the general resilience of the family farm and study the main attributes of the resilience of family farms. We find some links between family farm characteristics, vulnerability factors, and general resilience capabilities, and we make several proposals to increase family farms’ resilience. The obtained results prove that higher education, larger farm sizes, higher agricultural sales, and employment of permanent workers are associated with better resilience. Furthermore, increasing environmentally friendly practices positively impacts resilience. Older farms and farmers, longer durations of farming activity, and risk-averse behaviors tend to decrease resilience. Due to local and global circumstances, economic and social changes have occurred very quickly in recent years, so the results obtained in the study may not be valid in the long term. Similar surveys after several years will be necessary to study the resilience of Lithuanian farms, including deeper economic analyses that evaluate factors such as price sensitivity, the level of farm debt, and market access.

Calf mortality in Turkish dairy farms: Economic impact, regional disparities, and farm-level drivers

This study investigates the economic burden of calf mortality in Turkish dairy farms and its impact on the national economy. We gathered research data by directly surveying dairy farms in seven provinces, each representing a distinct region of Turkiye. By conducting these surveys, we captured data on various aspects of calf mortality, including losses among non-pregnant cows aged two and older, pregnant cows, and those experiencing complications during birth, as well as losses within the 0–6 month age bracket. These figures were then amalgamated to establish the overall calf loss rate. Using a fractional probit model, we examined the empirical relationship between total calf loss rates and the socio-demographic characteristics of farm operators and their establishments. Our findings revealed that approximately 82 % of farms experienced some degree of calf loss, with the calf loss rate among dairy cattle farming accounting for nearly 20 %. Notably, regional disparities emerged as a key observation, alongside the identification of certain socio-demographic farm characteristics that proved statistically significant. Specifically, factors such as the prevalence of local cattle breeds, the proportion of crossbred bulls, as well as the numbers of heifers and calves, stood out as influential. Further scrutiny, fortified by ANOVA tests and relationships between the number of cows and total calf loss rate, underscored pronounced geographical disparities in post-estimation calf loss rates. Meanwhile, correlation heatmaps illuminated noteworthy relationships between specific cattle traits and the extent of calf losses. These findings not only underscore the severity of the issue but also highlight the urgency of preventive measures. In light of these insights, we offer pertinent policy recommendations to stakeholders and policymakers aimed at mitigating this considerable economic burden effectively.

Cultivating sustainability: Adoption and intensity of soil fertility management technologies among rural farms in Zambia

Despite the numerous advantages of soil fertility management (SFM) practices and substantial investments to promote adoption, uptake of these technologies remains low across sub-Saharan Africa. We study the adoption and intensity of key SFM practices - improved fallow, animal manure, compost, crop residue retention, minimum tillage, inorganic fertilizer, and intercropping among rural farmers in Zambia. Data from 1234 rural farms and the multivariate probit (MVP) and generalized Poisson regression models are used. The MVP model highlights interconnections among practices, emphasizing the need for integrated interventions. Socio-demographics like gender, age, education, and household labor availability significantly influence adoption of SFM practices. Farm characteristics including experience, land ownership, livestock, and off-farm income also play pivotal roles. Accessibility of information via phones, radio, and farmer groups emerged as a crucial enabler, while extension services, credit, and proximity to markets and roads shape adoption decisions. Results indicate education, household labor, off-farm income, and group membership drive intensity of adoption. Extension contacts, training, and agro-ecological region location also affect intensity with regional variations. Key policy implications emerge. First, the complementarities among practices underscore the need for holistic strategies recognizing these synergies. Second, enhancing education specifically for younger farmers can promote adoption of SFM technologies by increasing knowledge. Third, spurring farmer groups facilitates knowledge exchange, input access, and collaborative adoption. Fourth, strategic extension services and training programs are vital to address knowledge gaps for sustained adoption. Overall, this study provides insights to guide policies for promoting SFM practices among rural farms.

Characteristics of Farming of the Kirdi Goat (Capra hircus) in the Far North Region, Cameroon

Characteristics of Farming of the Kirdi Goat (Capra hircus) in the Far North Region, Cameroon

“Mapping Out” Sustainable Social Farming Paths in Italian Municipalities

Social farming in Italy has not developed homogeneously. In view of this, this article adopts a multivariate analysis approach to analyse the heterogeneity and the similarities in the development paths of social farming in Italian municipalities. The article takes into account the information from a representative sample of 410 interviews. The results suggest that the offer of social farming activities is highly correlated with the distinct nature of the enterprises and with the interest of local actors, who in many cases finance these activities. Regarding the characteristics of social farms, the results of principal component analysis show that the consolidated experience of offering social services and the continuation of activities are the most important organisational elements. Concerning the territorial distribution, the findings of a hierarchical cluster analysis show that Italian municipalities have distinct experiences according to the level of maturity of the social farms in each cluster, with differences in location, the agricultural system, the organisational culture and the social services provided. Assessing enterprise characteristics and recent development paths for social services in Italy can have far-reaching implications for policy. The latter should provide information and training to farmers and users to increase understanding of the social value of social farming and foster a collaborative and sustainable approach to social farming practice.

Survey on colostrum management by German dairy farmers focusing on frozen colostrum storage

Because calves are born with low levels of antibodies, effective colostrum management is one of the most critical factors for successful calf rearing. A timely and adequate supply of sufficiently high-quality colostrum immediately after birth is essential to ensure the passive immunization of calves. Frozen colostrum reserves are recommended to fulfill the immunological and nutrient requirements of newborn calves, even in exceptional situations; however, the implementation rates on German dairy farms and challenges of realization remain unclear. A 33-question online survey, focused on frozen colostrum reserves, was developed to obtain an overview of colostrum management practices on German dairy farms. The questionnaire was divided into 3 sections: (1) personal data; (2) farm characteristics; (3) colostrum management. Of the 155 responses we received, 63.9% were from female farmers, and 35.5% were from male farmers. Conventional farming was practiced on 89.0% of farms, and organic farming was practiced on 7.1% of farms. Of the respondents, 89.0% froze colostrum. The main reasons for freezing colostrum were (1) the dam does not produce enough colostrum; (2) the dam cannot be milked; or (3) the dam died during birth. Farmers primarily froze colostrum from cows during their third to fifth lactation. Before freezing, 33.1% of the respondents measured indicators in the colostrum to estimate Ig concentrations, whereas 2.3% determined the colostrum quality after freezing. Reusable and disposable polyethylene terephthalate deposits (23.1%, 22.3%) and colostrum bags (20.0%) were the primary containers used to freeze colostrum. The main reasons for not freezing colostrum were the high labor intensity and the availability of fresh colostrum from other cows. Thawing methods included buckets (47.7%) and professional water baths (13.8%). The survey identified areas in which improved knowledge transfer could enhance colostrum management. Furthermore, there appeared to be a lack of specific, feasible instructions for employees concerning the practical implementation of colostrum management. Most importantly, the regular determination and documentation of immunoglobulin concentrations should be emphasized. The added value of stored colostrum, relative to a greater workload, should also be promoted, particularly on smaller farms.

Farmers’ evolving attitudes on environmental conditionality in the CAP: a farm level examination of temporal shifts

AbstractGiven the anticipated shift in the allocation of resources under the common agricultural policy (CAP) toward increasing positive environmental outcomes, this study explores farmer attitudes toward the current principle of connecting direct payments to environmental conditionality, known as cross compliance. Furthermore, we explore whether there have been changes in farmer attitudes toward cross compliance over time by posing identical questions to farmers in both 2010 and 2018. A supplementary survey was designed and administered in conjunction with the core EU Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) to assess farmers’ attitudes to linking CAP payments to environmental conditionality. The findings of a generalized ordered logit model indicate a high level of support among farmers for linking direct payments to good agricultural practices and cross compliance standards. Factors influencing farmers’ acceptance of cross compliance can be categorized into several domains, including farm and farmer characteristics, social and institutional attributes, and economic factors. Notably, the level of subsidy dependency emerges as a highly significant factor, with farmers who rely more heavily on direct payments being more inclined to disagree with cross compliance requirements.

Farmers' preferences for the design of a slurry hosing support scheme to combat soil compaction: Insights from a discrete choice experiment in Germany

CONTEXTFollowing that 60% of the EU's soils are in unhealthy condition, the German government has identified soil protection as a key area of action within the framework of the Agricultural Strategy 2035 as a part of the development of a sustainable agricultural and food system. In particular, harmful compaction of topsoil and subsoil has a negative impact on yield, nitrogen efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions. Slurry hosing is an effective technique to reduce the risk of soil compaction by simultaneously minimising both the number of field passes and the weight of the machinery during slurry spreading. OBJECTIVEThis article assesses farmers' preferences for a stylised slurry hosing support scheme and ascertains the personal and farm characteristics that are likely to affect scheme uptake. METHODSIn a discrete choice survey of 100 German farmers, the respondents were asked to choose among different support schemes and the status quo. The support schemes on offer varied the subsidy rate, the spatial coverage of the scheme, the minimum proportion of a farm's manure to be applied via slurry hosing, the time window for slurry spreading, the commitment period, and the type of compliance monitoring. Since the participants' decision for or against participation in the support programme is binomial, the survey data was analysed by logistic regression in the form of a mixed logit model and a latent-class model. CONCLUSIONA mixed logit results suggest that the majority of respondents valued an extension of the time window for slurry spreading, whereas tighter programme requirements were mostly rejected. The latent-class model revealed three preference classes with different perceptions of the scheme's attributes. Younger farmers with larger farms and suitable site conditions for the hosing technique were identified as a potential target group for the scheme. SIGNIFICANCEOverall uptake rates are likely to remain low should such a scheme be launched. Furthermore, the recommendations for scheme design are not universal. They rather apply only to the group of farmers surveyed, i.e. larger farms with largely favourable site conditions. Since smaller farms may have self-selected themselves out of the survey, it is not permissible to tailor the programme to these very farms on the basis of the results.

Cocoa Farming Commercialization Level and Influencing Factors

Abstract Cocoa in Indonesia is an important agricultural commodity that plays a significant role in the national economy. As the main raw material for the industry, cocoa is recognized as a commercial commodity. However, at the farm level, the issue of subsistence in cocoa farming is believed to still be a current issue. This study aims to measure the level of cocoa farming commercialization and determine the factors influencing it. The research utilizes secondary data from a survey conducted in collaboration between the Department of Agribusiness, Faculty of Economics and Management, IPB University, and Maastricht School of Management (MSM) in the Netherlands, under the Project NICHE (The Netherlands Initiative for Capacity Development in Higher Education) in 2016. A total of 270 cocoa farming units were selected from three provinces, namely West Sulawesi, Bali, and West Sumatra. The Structural Equation Modeling-Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) method was used in this study. The results of the analysis indicate that the characteristics of subsistence cocoa farming are more dominant (54.45 percent) compared to the characteristics of commercial cocoa farming (45.55 percent). The factors influencing the level of cocoa farming commercialization are the characteristics of the farming system and the role of economic institutions related to cocoa farming. Personal characteristics of farmers were not confirmed as determinants of commercialization. The implication of these findings is that the level of commercialization is an outcome of the socio-economic environment in which cocoa farming operates.

Human resource management practices on Irish dairy farms: an exploratory study

Context Managing people outside the farm family unit is a new issue for many Irish dairy farmers. In the context of rapid growth, the demand for employees has increased, creating the need for Irish dairy farmers to have human resource management (HRM) skills. Aims This paper explores the extent and type of HRM practices adopted by Irish dairy farmers and the factors that influence their adoption. Methods A questionnaire was developed, piloted, and issued to farmers on the basis of herd size and location. Data from 203 dairy farmers who employ people were analysed to examine the adoption of different HRM practices and the influence of farm characteristics, farmer demographics and farmer attitudes on their adoption. HRM practices included compliance with employment legislation, health and safety, different approaches to recruitment, workforce management and retention. The questionnaire included one or more variables for each of these HRM practices. Where more than one variable was included, an aggregate variable was developed for that practice. Key results Whereas, overall, there was a low level of adoption of best HRM practices, farm characteristics such as herd size and number of employees had a significant influence on farmers’ adoption of compliance with employment legislation, health and safety, recruitment, workforce management and retention practices. Demographic factors such as age, level of education, and average hours worked influenced farmers compliance with employment law legislation, workforce management practices and retention practices. Conclusions The study highlighted an overall low compliance with employment legislation and low adoption of best practices in managing staff among dairy farmers in Ireland. Implications This study highlighted that improvement is needed in all areas of HRM on Irish dairy farms. The findings of this study would be useful to farm advisors who support dairy farmers in improving their management of their businesses. Overall, this study has contributed to a greater understanding of the challenges in managing people in agriculture and how certain factors influences the adoption of HRM practices on dairy farms.

Heterogeneity of European farmers’ risk preferences: an individual participant data meta-analysis

Abstract We present a new approach to establish an empirical overview of farmers’ risk preferences and the characteristics associated with these preferences. We rely on an Individual Participant Data Meta-analysis whereby we identify studies eliciting risk preferences through self-assessments and Holt and Laury lotteries, and construct and analyse a unique dataset of 5,157 farmers from 19 studies in 13 European countries. Our results reveal significant heterogeneity in risk preferences across elicitation methods, within and across studies, risk domains and farm and farmer characteristics. European farmers are on average risk-averse when risk preferences are elicited by lotteries, and on average risk-neutral when elicited by self-assessments. Beyond differences in the average risk aversion, there are distributional differences pointing to a limited convergence between elicitation methods and a larger explanatory power of farm and farmer characteristics to determine risk preferences elicited with self-assessments compared to lotteries.

The factors contributing to better workplaces for farmers on pasture-based dairy farms

Herd size expansion, combined with the reduced availability of people to work on farms, has led to an increased focus on techniques that can improve dairy farm social sustainability. Effective work organization is one such entity, which could influence farm social sustainability; focusing on having a productive, flexible and standardized farm workload. The objective of this study was to examine the factors that contribute to better workplaces for the farmer using a survey of representative pasture-based dairy farms in Ireland. Potential contributing factors to better workplaces for farmers were identified, namely; farm and farmer characteristics, working day structure, farmer attitudes, farm facilities, labor efficient practices and human resource management practices. A survey was completed by 313 Irish dairy farmers between 20 November and 3 January 2019 to capture relevant information. One proxy indicator was selected to represent each of productivity, flexibility and standardization within the workplace, and each of the 313 farms were categorized into quartiles based on their ranking for these 3 indicators (1 = most effective quartile to 4 = least effective quartile). The average farmer that completed the survey was 51 years old, milked 125 cows, reported to work 69.6 h/ week, take 10.3 d of holidays/ year and had a finish time of 19:52 in spring. The quartile of farms with the most effective farmer workplace reported reduced hours worked per week (58.6 v 82.6 h per week), more holiday days (16.6 v 5.1 d) and weekends off (8.3 v 2.4) per year, and earlier finish times (18:41 v 21:14 in spring) compared with the least effective quartile. Similarly, the most effective farms reported better facilities, and greater implementation of labor efficient and human resource management practices compared with the least effective farms. The most effective quartile for farmer workplace effectiveness were more positive about the industry's potential to offer an effective work-life balance, would be more likely to encourage young people to pursue careers in dairy, and had more positive attitudes toward attracting and retaining workers compared with the least effective quartile. The study highlighted the range of factors contributing to more effective workplaces for farmers, indicating scope for improvement on many farms, and challenges across all farms when compared with other industries in the case of some indicators (e.g., time-off). The results can support the continued extension of concepts regarding work organization to assist farms in alleviating social sustainability challenges; highlighting the differentiating factors between the most and least effective farmer workplaces.

Analysis in Terms of Environmental Awareness of Farmers’ Decisions and Attitudes: Reducing Pesticide Use and Risks

Pesticide residues are a significant problem affecting the quality and safety of agricultural products in Turkey. This study aims to investigate farmers’ risk perception regarding pesticide residues, including the primary factors that influence their behavior from the farmers’ perspective. In addition, the main characteristics of pesticide residues encountered in the production of agricultural products against the current policy background is investigated to provide decision support to the Turkish government for improving the safe production of agricultural products. This paper uses a binary logistic model to analyze farmers’ perceptions of pesticide residues using a cross-sectional dataset of 323 vegetable growers in Bursa, Turkey. Farmer characteristics and pesticide application behavior were more effective in reducing residual risk perceptions than farm characteristics. The effects of membership in a cooperative, average amount of pesticide used, location where the pesticide was purchased, application timing, and adherence to last spraying and harvest timing on the perception of residues were the largest. Farmers receive helpful but limited information from pesticide distributors. However, the primary source of information is not the advisors, which is why these grievances exist. The study results show that policymakers should support cooperatives, expand pesticide training, and make public extension services more effective and that pesticide dealers should conduct more frequent inspections.

The effects of hoof health and hoof trimming on farm profitability

Animal diseases pose a significant threat to the global livestock industry, with severe economic consequences. To minimize this impact, farmers employ various preventative measures, with hoof trimming being the most common method for addressing hoof disorders. This study analysed the economic effects of hoof trimming on dairy farms, using a panel dataset containing three years of hoof health data across Finland. This was an observational study that also addressed the issue with unavoidable confounders. To reduce bias, inverse propensity score weighting (IPW) was used, which assigned weights based on the probability density function of treatment frequency. By reweighting the data, this study improved the validity of the causal inference in the presence of confounding unobserved variables. The results of the study indicated that both infectious and non-infectious hoof disorders were notable on dairy farms in Finland. Furthermore, frequency of hoof trimming was influenced by several factors, including hoof health, farm characteristics, and management decisions. The analysis suggested a U-shaped relationship between hoof trimming and farms' profitability. Although the profitability ratio initially decreased, it increased after reaching a hoof trimming level of 97 %. The study highlighted how important systematic and regular hoof trimming is to maintain profitability.

Integrated Nutrient Management in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.): An Overview

Wheat is one of the major staple crops in the country in terms of both production and consumption. It is the nation's second-most significant food, after maize, in terms of calories consumed. Nutritious characteristics of wheat farming have been extensively researched and extensively recorded. Research being conducted in several parts of Ethiopia has shown that applying chemical fertilisers to achieve all the necessary nutrients has a detrimental effect on soil health, resulting in yields that are not sustainable. Therefore; there is a need to improve nutrient supply system in terms of integrated nutrient management involving the use of chemical fertilizers in conjunction with organic manures coupled with input through biological processes. However, the impact of important nutrients on crop physiology and their function on growth, quality, yield, and yield components of cereal crops—particularly wheat—are hardly in this level. Above all, the administration of essential nutrients to plants in the right amount and light ratio for a particular soil crop condition plays a crucial role in balanced fertilizer's ability to improve wheat production's yield, quality, and other characteristics. In association with this, research on integrated nutrient management in wheat and its effect on growth, yield, yield components and quality parameters are significance.