Effects Of Agricultural Production Research Articles

Climate Change and Food Insecurities: The Importance of Food Loss and Waste Reduction in Indonesia

Rapid increasing population of Indonesia poses a future threat to the food supply for the national demand. Furthermore, global climate change is putting a strain on the food supply chain. Droughts, floods, landslides, and pest/disease attacks all have serious consequences for agricultural production, particularly food crops. According to The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) data published in 2017, Indonesia ranks second in the world in terms of food loss and waste contribution, chasing only Saudi Arabia. Moreover, according to the Food Sustainability Index in the Economist Intelligence Unit (2017), Indonesian food loss and waste or uneaten totalled 1.3 million tons in a single year. In Indonesia, the most common method of dealing with food waste is dumping or landfilling, which produces methane and other greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. This research was conducted by employing quick survey for colecting primary data and desk evaluation study for collecting secondary data. Meta analysis was employed in this research. Therefore, to emphasize the importance of reducing food loss and waste in Indonesia to reduce food insecurity caused by climate change, this paper investigates how food loss and waste exacerbates climate change. This paper outlined some scenarios for preventing food loss and waste at all stages of the food chain, including agricultural production, post-harvest handling and storage, distribution and consumption behaviour, and government policy, which can be implemented to begin initiatives to reduce food loss and waste to address the threat of future starvation in Indonesia because of climate change.

Вплив змін клімату на плодові рослини у контексті глобальних досліджень

The purpose of this study was to analyze global achievements in the study of the direct and indirect effects of climate change on fruit plants, their phenology, yield, physiological responses to stress events, changes in pest insect populations, the spread of diseases, economic consequences, consumer habits, and outline directions for further research. The work methodology included searching and summarizing publications in popular scientific databases and journals. The analysis of scientific literature shows that temperature increase, water and temperature stress can cause a disorder in the development of plants and make important changes in the chemical composition of fruits and yield. Preserving the genetic diversity of plant species that have higher resistance to climate change is important for future breeding. Studies have also confirmed the complexity of the interaction of plants with the environment and their adaptation to abiotic stress. Physiological processes, such as photosynthesis and carbon distribution, under the influence of stressors can be manifested at different stages of plant growth, which is important for their reproductive processes. Further research into crop diversification strategies and effective land use practices to adapt to climate change are important aspects to be thoroughly explored. The development and implementation of new horticultural systems based on biotic intensification aims to ensure environmentally safe production and support. Ukraine, taking into account agro-industrial specialization, faces significant climatic risks, which can lead to serious consequences for agricultural production and the country's economy. Research results indicate the need for accelerated adaptation and development of effective measures to preserve natural resources and ensure sustainable development. Attention is drawn to the research of innovative approaches to the consumption of energy and food resources aimed at reducing gas emissions and improving environmental sustainability. Key words: weather factors, fruit crops, pests and diseases, phenology, stressful events, adaptation, genetic diversity, agriculture, economic consequences, consumer habits.

Biochar and Compost-Based Integrated Nutrient Management: Potential for Carbon and Microbial Enrichment in Degraded Acidic and Charland Soils

Soil acidification and charland formation through alluvial sand deposition are emerging threats to food security in Bangladesh in that they endanger crop production in about 35% of its territory. The integrated plant nutrient system (IPNS) is a globally accepted nutrient management approach designed to revive the damaged soils’ fertility level. Total organic carbon (TOC) in soil is a composite index of soil quality that has consequences for agricultural productivity and natural soil ecosystems. This study assesses the impacts of using biochar, compost, poultry litter, and vermicompost-based IPNS approaches on labile and TOC pools, TOC stocks, lability and management indices, and microbial populations under different cropping patterns after 2 years in acidic and charland soils. The application of IPNS treatments increased microbial biomass carbon (MBC) by 9.1–50.0% in acidic soil and 8.8–41.2% in charland soil compared to the untreated soil, with the largest increase in poultry manure biochar (PMB). Microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN) rose from 20 to 180% in charland soil compared to the control, although no effect was observed in acidic soil. Basal respiration (BR) rose by 43–429% in acidic soil and 16–189% in charland soil compared to the control, exhibiting the highest value in PMB. IPNS treatments significantly improved SOC and POC but did not affect POXc and bulk density in both soils. The PMB and organic fertilizer (OF, compost)-based IPNS wielded the greatest influence on the lability index of MBC in acidic soils and the management index of MBC in both soils. This is despite the fact that IPNS did not affect the lability and management indices of active carbon (AC). IPNS treatments increased the stocks of SOC and MBC in both the soils and POC stock in acidic soil. IPNS treatments significantly boosted the bacterial and fungal populations in both soils, despite having no effect on phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria (PSB). Thus, PMB and OF (compost)-based IPNS may be a better nutrient management practice in degraded acidic and charland soils. This is especially the case in terms of soil quality improvement, soil carbon sequestration, and microbial enrichment.

Resistance of Fruits From a Mandarin Cultivar to Feeding by Fork-Tailed Bush Katydids.

Plants use a variety of mechanisms to defend against herbivore damage, each with different consequences for agricultural production. Crops relying on tolerance strategies may need different pest management approaches versus those relying on resistance strategies. Previous work suggested that densities of fork-tailed bush katydids (Scudderia furcata Brunner von Wattenwyl [Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae]) that generated substantial scarring on cultivars of sweet oranges (Citrus sinensis, (L.) Osbeck [Sapindales: Rutaceae]) produced only low levels of scarring on cultivars of Citrus reticulata Blanco mandarins. We used field experiments in representative cultivars of these species to test non-mutually exclusive hypotheses regarding the mechanisms underlying this observation: 1) katydids are averse to feeding on mandarin fruits, 2) damaged mandarin fruits preferentially abscise, 3) damaged mandarin fruit tissue recovers during development, and 4) katydid scars on mandarins have a different morphology that may result in misclassification. We found strong support for the first hypothesis, demonstrating that katydids reject opportunities to feed on C. reticulata fruit. Instead of chewing deep holes in the fruit, as was commonly observed for C. sinensis, the katydids only scratched the surface of the C. reticulata fruits. The hypotheses of preferential abscission of damaged fruits and of recovery of damaged tissue were not supported. The low incidence of damage to the mandarins prevented a comprehensive assessment of the scar morphology; however, at harvest, the superficial cuts in C. reticulata were not easily distinguishable from background damage. This indicates that in contrast to C. sinensis, C. reticulata has substantial natural resistance to fork-tailed bush katydids making them a non-pest in this crop.

Agricultural landscape structure and invasive species: the cost-effective level of crop field clustering

Invasive pests in agricultural settings may have severe consequences for agricultural production, reducing yields and the value of crops. Once an invader population has established, controlling it tends to be very expensive. Therefore, when the potential impacts on production may be great, protection against initial establishment is often perceived to be the most cost-effective measure. Increasing attention in the ecological literature is being given to the possibility of curbing invasion processes by manipulating the field and cropping patterns in agricultural landscapes, so that they are less conducive to the spread of pests. However, the economic implications of such interventions have received far less attention. This paper uses a stochastic spatial model to identify the key processes that influence the vulnerability of a fragmented agricultural landscape to pests. We explore the interaction between the divergent forces of ecological invasion pressure and economic returns to scale, in relation to the level of clustering of crop fields. Results show that the most cost-effective distances between crop fields in terms of reducing food production impacts from an invasive pest are determined by a delicate balance of these two forces and depend on the values of the ecological and economic parameters involved. If agricultural productivity declines slowly with increasing distance between fields and the dispersal range of the potential invader is high, manipulation of cropping structure has the potential to protect against invasion outbreaks and the farmer can gain benefit overall from maintaining greater distances between fields of similar crops.

Climate Change, Water and Agriculture: Challenges and Adaptation Strategies

SummaryClimate change is expected to have numerous and complex impacts on water resources, with consequences for agricultural production through changes in crop water requirements; the availability and quality of water; and increases in the frequency and severity of extreme weather events such as droughts and floods. Although there is substantial uncertainty about the magnitude of impacts, especially at the local level, this does not call for inaction. On the basis of the recent work undertaken by OECD in this area, we identify and discuss three main dimensions for a comprehensive adaptation strategy for agricultural water management: i) creating an enabling environment to foster on‐farm adaptive capacities through policies targeted at innovation, education, and advisory and extension services; ii) improving agricultural water management through the development of flexible and robust instruments, such as water pricing and water markets, to deal with both short‐run water shortages and long‐run water stress; iii) developing and improving risk management tools for droughts and floods to ensure that the true cost of risks is signalled to farmers while at the same time improving the efficiency of risk allocation. We highlight the importance of policy coherence in recognising the linkages between climate change adaptation and mitigation.

On the impact of aerosols on soil erosion

[1] Soil erosion is a serious threat to agricultural productivity and the sustainable provision of food to a growing world population. No connection has hitherto been established between aerosols and rainfall-induced soil erosion on the ground. Here we use a cloud resolving model to simulate the effect of aerosols on rainfall erosivity (an indicator of the erosive potential of rain). Increased atmospheric aerosol concentrations tend to suppress precipitation in warm rain clouds, while in cold or mixed-phase systems, invigoration of surface rainfall can occur. We show that in both these cases, the response of erosivity to an increase in aerosol is in the same direction as, but amplified beyond the change in total rainfall. We also show that aerosols can impact erosivity through changes in raindrop size. Our results suggest that anthropogenic aerosol emissions affect erosivity and thus may have important consequences for agricultural productivity.

High-priority Research Approaches for Transforming U.S. Food Systems

The number of agriculture and food research agendas published over the last 25 years would fill multiple shelves — and that's not counting the long lists within each of those agendas. There are so many research needs in every possible area of the food system that the catalog of topics begins to look random. A long-term overall decline in funding, coupled with funders' often narrow preferences and with the academic culture of freedom to choose one's own research interests, have made food and agricultural research feel chaotic. Priorities and strategies may guide research project choices within some categories, but don't seem to in most. In this context I want to highlight four different approaches and several projects that I believe are very high priority and are necessary to pursue if there is to be a chance of building a sustainable and resilient agrifood system for the future.

Promoting China‐U.S. Collaboration on Soil and Water Resources: China‐U.S. Workshop on Sustainable Management of Soil and Water Resources; Shenyang, China, 5–8 January 2010

Population growth and rapid urbanization in China have intensified competition for land use, with consequences for agricultural productivity, water use allocation, and soil and water quality. Sustainable management and effective remediation technologies are needed in all regions of China. Similar problems exist in the United States, due, for example, to urban sprawl and pressures to increase biofuel production driven by government subsidy programs. As globally dominant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, China and the United States also have a mutual interest in understanding their consequences.To discuss current research on soil and water resource sustainability issues and to promote bilateral collaboration in research and graduate education between U.S. and Chinese institutions, a workshop was hosted by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Institute of Applied Ecology.

WTO agreement on agriculture: Potential consequences for agricultural production and land- use patterns in the Swiss lowlands

Geografisk Tidsskrift—Danish Journal of Geography 109(2):131–145, 2009 A strong link exists between agricultural production and landscape. Globalisation (more open agricultural markets) will change agricultural production and thus landscape will change as well. In this paper, we address the following questions: (a) what economic effects can be expected with respect to agricultural production structures in a high cost production region such as the Swiss lowlands given a substantial development in the WTO; and (b) how does this structural change influence land-use patterns? We discuss the expected economic effects from a theoretical point of view and implement these findings in a spatially explicit normative programming model for a case study region in the Swiss lowlands. The results show a wide range of possible economically efficient outcomes depending on production costs and farmers ' preferences. Our results imply that, if production costs were to sink sufficiently, income maximizing farmers would focus on grassland based milk production. This would only lead to a modest change in the existing land-use patterns since our case study region is currently dominated by dairy farms. If production costs remain high, agricultural production would shift to more extensive production activities in order to maximize the sectoral income. In this case, the local landscape would change noticeably.

The Prehistoric Local Environment of Grasshopper Pueblo, Arizona

AbstractThe prehistoric local environment near Grasshopper Pueblo, east-central Arizona, is reconstructed by analysis of mammalian microfauna recovered at the site. Changes in the vegetation surrounding the pueblo during the span of occupation (ca. 1300–1400 A.C.) are described and the present and past environments at the site are contrasted. Paleoenvironmental analyses to date have failed to produce evidence for a rapid prehistoric climatic shift with negative consequences for agricultural productivity.