Crop Choice Research Articles

Crop diversification, impulsivity, and resilience in Ethiopia

A person's characteristics, self-perception, and subjective assessment of their environment affect economic decisions and outcomes. This paper explores how crop diversification and crop choice among subsistence farmers in Ethiopia are related to self-perceptions of impulsivity and resilience to crisis. Our examination is based on statistical regression methods applied to a sample of 315 households in the Sidama Region who rely on crops and livestock for a substantial proportion of their real income, and many of whom reported significant crises in the form of crop or livestock loss and health problems or death in the family. Despite widespread recognition of the benefits of crop diversification as a risk management strategy, our results suggest that monoculture tends to be more strongly associated with self-reported resilience. Moreover, our findings suggest that the interaction of household head's impulsivity and monoculture cropping positively affects self-perceived resilience when they cultivate high-risk, high-return crops.

Application of real time S2S forecasts over Eastern Africa in the co-production of climate services

Application of real time S2S forecasts over Eastern Africa in the co-production of climate services

Effect of Climate Variability on Water Footprint of Some Grain Crops under Different Agro-Climatic Regions of Egypt

The water footprint (WF), based on irrigation water quality, is important as a decision-making tool for crop selection based on the comparative advantage of water consumption and yield to maximize agricultural water productivity and sustainably improve water use efficiency. This paper presents a generic link between climate variability and water footprint. To support this link, a case study is presented for wheat and maize in different agro-climate zones in Egypt. In this study, the three agro-ecological zones, Nile Delta, Middle Egypt, and Upper Egypt, were selected to represent three different microclimates. The climate data were analyzed to estimate reference evapotranspiration (ETo) and calculate crop water use (CWU) for wheat and maize from 2015 through 2019. Cultivated area and yield data were analyzed during the study period. Water footprint (WF) was calculated for old land (clay soils) and new lands (sandy soils) in three climate regions based on blue and grey water. Green water was excluded due to negligible rainfall depths in Egypt. The results showed that the mean values of WF for maize were 1067, 1395, 1655 m3/ton in old land and 1395, 1634, 2232 m3/ton in new land under the three climate regions, respectively, while it was 923, 982, 1117 m3/ton in old land and 1180, 1258, 1452 m3/ton for wheat in new land for the three regions, respectively. The results show that the crop water use fluctuated over regions due to climate variability where the CWU values were 6211, 7335, 8007 m3/ha for maize and 4348, 4825, 5774 m3/ha for wheat in the three regions, respectively. The results show an 11% and 33% increase in maize and an 18% and 29% increase in wheat CWU in Middle and Upper Egypt regions comparing to what was observed in Nile Delta due to an increase in solar radiation, temperature, and wind speed. The Egypt mean value of wheat water footprint was 1152 m3/ton and mean value of maize water footprint was 1563 m3/ton. The data clearly show the effect of microclimate variability on WF and irrigation requirements between regions. The methodology and results from this study provide a pathway to help the policy makers to mitigate climate change impacts on crop yield and to enhance water resources management in major crop production regions by redistribution of the cropping patterns based on the comparative advantages of each crop within each region. The crop choices relative to the soil water retention characteristics could also contribute to the moderation of microclimate, which affects ETo and ETc and the water footprint.

Not all crops are equal: the impacts of agricultural investment on job creation by crop type and investor type

Significant agricultural investment has taken place across Africa over the most recent two decades. An expanding set of literature analyzes these investments, often using case study and comparative approaches. While this is important, not all agricultural investments are equal, yet they are often described as being such. Few studies utilize large data sets to conduct quantitative, comparative research. This paper examines investments in Ethiopia, using quantitative data of 102 investments that took place in one region between 1998 and 2018. Using this unique dataset, we conduct a comparative assessment of investments, analyzing traits such as crop choice, job creation, job type, implementation status, and investor type (Ethiopian, foreign, diaspora). We find that Ethiopian investors are granted larger average leases of land, though are fewer in number in comparison to foreign and diaspora investors. The same category of investors (Ethiopians) have higher implementation status but have created the least per hectare permanent and seasonal jobs. The regression analysis, however, shows that there is no statistically significant difference among the three types of investors in terms of per hectare job creation. From the investment types, horticulture/flowers created the most employment per hectare, followed by vegetables and fruits production. This evidence contests common narratives about agricultural investment and provides a basis for decision makers to better enable positive outcomes, such as greater job creation.

Are farmers ‘efficient but poor’? The impact of crop choices on technical efficiency and poverty in Nigeria

AbstractWe test the ‘efficient‐but‐poor’ hypothesis by estimating the determinants of smallholders' choice over cash or food crops and whether their crop choice affects technical efficiency and poverty using the national household panel data in Nigeria. We employ the stochastic frontier analyses correcting for sample selection about farmers' crop choice. Our results indicate that smallholders are generally efficient in their resource allocations. A treatment effects model is employed to estimate farmers' crop choice in the first stage and the impact of their choices on technical efficiency and poverty outcomes in the second stage. The results show that farmers' access to free inputs, non‐farm income and the use of seeds from the previous growing season are important determinants of crop choice. The adoption of cash crops by food‐crop producing households will not generally reduce poverty, although it will improve technical efficiency marginally. However, if cash crops are commercialised, poverty tends to decline.

Plants physiology in response to the saline stress interconnected effects

Global climatic changes pose pressure both upon plant growth and also on crop distribution. Romania is threatened by the increase of salinity areas, reason of which, this topic becomes a relevant need to deepen and adapt the strategies of crop choice on a regional scale for sustainable cropping systems. Plants provide a series of physiological responses. Therefore, this study aim is to project and analyze the main interest of interconnected effects studies about salinity and crops physiological responses to this abiotic stress. A synthesis of 99 articles based on Web of Science Core Collection from the last five years was selected. The topics assessed were “climat change” combined with “soil salinity” also “plant physiological response” combined with “salt soil”. The most intensive connected topics studied in the analyzed period were about abiotic stresses as restrictors of crop yield. Among stresses, drought was highlight and most researches promote various techniques regarding plant growth enhancement with obtaining salt tolerant plants. Future research trend should be placed around different principal valuable crops. Starting with plant metabolism and responses to saline stress, continuing with soil, water, gas emissions, microbiological applications, all impacted by high salt content represent an important area on future development of research.

Managing Sands of the Lower Mekong Basin to Limit Land Degradation: A Review of Properties and Limitations for Crop and Forage Production

Land development is rapidly occurring on sand-dominant soils that cover substantial areas of the Lower Mekong Basin (LMB). Sands are at risk of degradation on sloping uplands where agriculture is expanding and on lowland landscapes where intensification of cropping is occurring. Sandstone and granitic geology explain the prevalence of sand-dominant textures of profiles in the LMB. However, the sand terrains in uplands of Cambodia and Southern Laos mostly have not been mapped in detail and the diversity of their edaphic properties is poorly understood. On high-permeability sands, lowland rainfed rice crops are drought-prone, while nutrient losses from leaching are also a risk. Furthermore, waterlogging, inundation and subsoil hardpans are significant hazards that influence the choice of crops and forages for lowland soils. Soil acidity, low nutrient status, hard-setting and shallow rooting depth are significant constraints for crops and forages on sands in the lowlands. Land use change in the lowlands to alternative field crops and forages on sands is contingent on their profitability relative to rice, the amounts and reliability of early wet season rainfall, and the amounts of stored water available after harvesting rice. Low soil fertility and soil acidity are limitations to the productivity of farming systems on the sand profiles in uplands, while erosion, low soil organic matter levels and water balance are concerns for their sustainable use. Site-/soil-specific fertilizer and lime management, land suitability assessment and the use of conservation agriculture principles (minimum tillage and crop residue retention) can overcome some of these constraints.

Metabiotics - development of probiotic concept

The urgency of development of technology of synbiotic dairy products with metabolites on the basis of microbial consortia of probiotic bacteria is substantiated in the article. The choice of fermentation crops with high biotechnological potential, manufactured by «BIOPROX», is substantiated. Prebiotic components of plant origin with vitamin-mineral complexes – «Flaxseed oil», «Blue iodine» and «Selenium» are involved as energy-biotics. The optimal ratio of fermentation cultures and exopolysaccharides was studied; dynamics of accumulation of bacteria at regulated temperatures; duration of fermentation; physico-chemical parameters of the obtained products. The ratio of fermentation compositions containing microbial consortia for the production of fermented milk products is substantiated: - «Biolon»: Lactococcus lactis subsp lactis, Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris, Lactococcus lactis ssp lactis biovar diacetylactis, Streptococcus thermophiles, Lactobacillus bulgaricus in the ratio 0.8: 1: 1.2 (dietary supplement «Flax») at the initial concentration of all cultures in milk formulas 1 · 108 CFU / cm3; - «Bioiod» : Streptococcus thermophiles, Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei, Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis, Lactococcus lactis ssp lactis biovar diacetylactis in the ratio 1: 2.5: 2 (BAA "Iodine") at the initial concentration of all cultures in milk formulas 1 · 108 CFU / cm3; - «Bioselen»: Lactococcus lactis subsp lactis, Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris, Streptococcus thermophiles, Lactobacillus helveticus in the ratio 2: 1: 1 (BAA «Selenium») at the initial concentration of all cultures in milk formulas 1 · 108 CFU / cm3 are substantiated. The expediency of enriching milk formulas with biologically active additives has been established:flaxseed oil - 1.2%; blue iodine - 2.0% and selenium - 1.0%; for obtaining the highest concentrations of probiotic cells in the created new synbiotic dairy products. Key words: probiotics, prebiotics, metabolites, microbial consortia, exopolysaccharide potentials, biologically active additive, fermented milk product.

Effects of crop type and production method on arable biodiversity in boreal farmland

Crop choice affects biodiversity within fields due to crop-specific characteristics and management practices. However, there is a lack of studies systematically comparing the biodiversity value of different crops across multiple taxa. This study empirically compared the diversity of plants, pollinators, predatory arthropods, and multi-taxa diversity between seven crop types and long-term environmental fallows in boreal farmland. The effects of crop production method (organic vs. conventional) on biodiversity were also examined. Biodiversity data were collected in 78 fields in Southern Finland. The studied species groups differed in their preferences for crop types and fallows, but none of them was particularly associated to spring cereal (oat), the dominant arable crop in the boreal farmland. Environmental fallows had the highest plant species richness and butterfly abundance, whereas faba bean and oilseed crop fields attracted high numbers of bumblebees. Carabid beetles were most abundant in winter cereal (rye) fields, and spiders in perennial crop types. Multi-taxa diversity was highest in fallows and lowest in spring cereal (oat), ley and cabbage fields. Organic production increased plant species richness across crop types. Hoverflies responded to the interaction of production method and crop type, being most abundant in organically managed faba bean fields. The other species groups and multi-taxa diversity were not affected by the production method. High arable land cover in the surrounding landscape had negative effect on butterflies, solitary bees and carabid beetles within fields. Our results suggest that diversifying cropping systems to include more insect-pollinated crops, winter cereals and pastures, and increasing the area of environmental fallows while maintaining landscape heterogeneity would enhance resource provision for a variety of organism groups in boreal agricultural landscapes.

Dryland fallow vs flex-cropping decisions in inland Pacific Northwest of USA

CONTEXTDryland cropping systems in the inland Pacific Northwest (iPNW) of USA are predicted to be more dynamic with greater use of annual fallow under projected climate change. Increased use of fallow can result in soil degradation and greater cropping system uncertainty. In view of that, a regional simulation study was planned to explore for different spring crop options that can fit in place of fallow in rotation with winter wheat. OBJECTIVEThe main goal of the study was to provide spring crop pre-plant yields and available soil water left after harvest of spring crop as forecasts at regional scales to compare fallow versus spring crop choices known here as flex-cropping. METHODSModel simulations were conducted using CropSyst (Cropping System Simulation model) and were based on historic (1981–2010) and historic combined with recent year's weather identified as Dry/Average/Wet. Historic weather was joined with recent weather at different forecast dates (Dec. 1st, Jan. 1st, Feb. 1st, March 1st, and April 1st). Hence, weather until forecast dates consisted of recent and historic later on. To identify a suitable forecast date, regression analysis was conducted to compare yields of spring crops on different forecast dates with corresponding yields obtained on recent weather years. Regional simulations were run on identified forecasting date to forecast yields and available water left in the profile after harvest. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSRegression analysis showed high correlation (R2) between yields obtained on forecast dates of Feb/March/April 1st with yields on recent years. Coefficient of variation (CV) was also lower for spring crops yields simulated on forecast dates of Feb/March/April 1st compared to Dec. 1st and Jan. 1st. Feb 1st was considered important to select as forecast date due to much variability in the spring crop planting across the region. Regional forecast maps of spring crop yields, their CV and available water are presented in the study. Spring pea was identified as flex-crop to intensify cropping systems in grain fallow. Spring canola and spring wheat were expected to have negative rotational impact, therefore were better options to diversify the systems in annual crop and annual crop transition areas. Keeping in mind the limitations of simulation models, this study highly recommends for validation field trials at different locations across iPNW. SIGNIFICANCEMaps of predicted spring crop yields, their CVs and predicted available water after fallow will aid in decision making related to intensification and diversification of iPNW.

Digital Agriculture System for Crop Prediction Based on Machine Learning

Agriculture is the number one source of livelihood for approximately 58 percent of India’s population and is the most crucial part of GDP. Indian farming is based totally on economic advantages from crop yields, but now day’s agricultural generation has failed to verified satisfactory crop choice techniques and to boom crop yield in all over India. So, lower in crop yield will increase the trouble in farmer’s monetary health situations. So, it will become the maximum trending hassle for our agricultural region to invent such noble technique to advocate super appropriate crop for a particular region. To reap high-quality appropriate crop desire for areas primarily based on parameters like soil conditions, rainfall and weather we have got applied gadget studying method. Secondary hassle is lack of understanding or absence of steering even as farming. Lack of guidance in Indian farmers may follow incorrect farming strategies or inefficient traditional strategies. Most of farmers are uneducated and non-technical backgrounds so they'll be relying on conventional crop choice and farming techniques which falls them into reasonable loss. With the assist of disorder assessment tool, we predict the crop disease prediction and propose the precaution from the ones illnesses. Last and most essential hassle isn't any right marketplace assessment at the equal time as cultivation of any unique crop, which can also reason a cheap lack of farmers.

Assessment and Mapping of Groundwater Quality for Irrigation in and Around Areas of Paper Board Industry

Water has become a scarce commodity due to its over exploitation as well as its pollution due to different reasons. For many important agricultural areas groundwater is the ultimate source of fresh water as surface water sources have been depleted. The quality of groundwater is important because it determines the suitability of water for drinking, and domestic and irrigation purposes. A survey was undertaken during the year 2020 to assess the quality of groundwater for irrigation in Mondipatti region of Tiruchirapalli district of Tamil Nadu. A totally 18 samples were collected from bench mark wells of (W1-W18) in and around the paper board industry and GPS locations of sampling points were recorded. The water samples were analyzed for various chemical properties viz., pH, EC, Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+ and K+; CO32-, HCO3-, Cl- and SO42-. The pH, EC, SAR and RSC in groundwater ranged from 7.6-8.4, 0.68-5.12 (dS m-1), 0.69-12.9 and -8.1 to 5.3 (meq L-1), respectively. The concentration of cations viz., Ca2+, Mg2+, K+ and Na+ varied from 1.7 to 10.8, 0.7 to 14.3, 0.009 to 0.931 and 2.8 to 39.2 meq L-1 with average of 5.4, 4.51, 0.190 and 9.24 meq L-1, respectively. The concentration of anions viz., carbonate, bicarbonates, chloride and sulphate varied from nil to 3.2, 3.2 to 9.6, 2.8 to 39.2 and 0.25 to 4.52 meq L-1 with average values of 0.64, 6.72, 11.88 and 1.31 meq L-1, respectively. The relative abundance of ions for most of the water samples were Na+ > Ca2+ > Mg2+ > K+ for cations and Cl- > HCO3-> SO42- > CO3- for anions. According to CSSRI water quality classification, 44.5, 44.5, 5.5 and 5.5 per cent of good, marginally saline, High SAR saline and Alkaline, respectively. Spatial variability maps of pH, EC, SAR and RSC of groundwater used for irrigation in and surrounding areas of paper board industry were also generated. As a result, it's critical to analyse groundwater quality not only for current use, but also as a future water source. Assessment and mapping of quality of groundwater may help the farmers in choice of crops and other agronomic management practices for getting profitable yields without affecting the soil health.

HOW DO WESTERN EUROPEAN FARMS BEHAVE AND RESPOND TO CLIMATE CHANGE? A SIMULTANEOUS IRRIGATION-CROP DECISION MODEL

Most farm adaptations are reactive actions that run the risk of locking farm systems into suboptimal long-term trajectories. This is especially the case with regard to water management as water scarcity will be aggravated by climate change. This paper looks into farm irrigation choices in combination with crop choices because a proper crop choice has the potential to reduce water requirements. It proposes an extended Ricardian model to capture multiple adaptation decisions explicitly. The new simultaneous irrigation-crop farm decision model uses spatially detailed farm-level data of over 18,000 European farms on irrigation and seven different crop choices. The analysis shows that larger farmers and farmers in less water-scarce regions that use irrigation are more sensitive to temperature increases than rain-fed agriculture. This might be explained by the fact that these farmers do not experience the real cost of water scarcity because of which they take less efficient decisions.

Vegetation‐related influences on carbon and water dynamics of two temperate forage crops

AbstractImproving understanding of how water use efficiency (WUE), evapotranspiration (ET), and gross primary productivity (GPP) (CO2 exchange) vary across agricultural systems can help farmers better prepare for an uncertain future due to climate change by assessing water requirements for a crop as a function of current environmental conditions. This study: (a) quantified field‐scale plant–water–carbon dynamics for silage maize (Zea mays L.) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) crops – two dominant forage crops in southern Ontario, Canada; and (b) identified differences in plant carbon–water dynamics between these two crops, relating these differences to vegetation‐driven ecosystem controls. Climate and soil properties were similar between the two study sites, and water availability was not limiting, suggesting that the overall temporal differences in carbon–water relations were driven by vegetation differences, mainly crop choice and management practices. Alfalfa had greater seasonal GPP, ET, and WUE than maize, due to a longer growing season. Differences in daily WUE between maize and alfalfa were driven by differences in GPP rather than ET. Multiple harvests reduced leaf‐aging effects and promoted periods of rapid growth in alfalfa. In contrast, late seedling emergence and self‐shading reduced GPP in maize. Under a warmer future climate, crop selection (i.e., perennial vs. annual), harvest regimes, and changes in growing season length should be considered when trying to manage for increased WUE. However, longer duration studies to validate these results are required to better address the impacts of climatic variability—especially antecedent conditions—to better inform future crop choices within a climate change context.

Cryptosporidium’s burden of disease attributable to consumption of wastewater-irrigated raw vegetables

Conventional wastewater treatment plants do not effectively remove parasitic protozoa resulting in their presence in wastewater effluent. Therefore, agricultural reuse of wastewater effluent could be a route of Cryptosporidium transmission into the food chain. Samples of secondary wastewater, wastewater-irrigated soil and vegetable samples were collected from an experimental field and analyzed using real-time PCR for quantification of Cryptosporidium oocysts. Quantitative microbial risk analysis (QMRA) was performed to determine the annual disease burden from Cryptosporidium associated with consumption of wastewater-irrigated vegetables. Detection of Clostridium perfringens spores as a potential indicator for the presence of Cryptosporidium was also performed. Cryptosporidium was observed in 64% of the effluent samples ranging from 16 to 162 oocysts L−1, whereas no oocysts were detected in wastewater-irrigated soil and the vegetable samples. The mean annual disease burden for consumption of lettuce (6.6 × 10−5 DALY per person per year (pppy)) was higher than spring onion (3.4 × 10−6 DALY pppy) which both exceeding the WHO guideline of 10−6 DALYs pppy. However, the disease burden was within the acceptable range considering the less stringent level of 10−4 DALY pppy. Clostridium spores were detected in 92% of the effluent samples with no relationship with the presence of Cryptosporidium. The results of this study suggest that agricultural reuse of treated wastewater may not be a major health concern of cryptosporidiosis in a semi-arid region. However, because of the higher risk from lettuce, the choice of an appropriate crop would be needed to completely meet the WHO recommendations for safe reuse of wastewater. The accuracy of the QMRA model could be improved by further investigating the decay rate of oocysts in the same region.

Soil loss due to harvesting of peanut and cassava under traditional farming systems: Cost implications of soil nutrient loss

Soil loss due to crop harvest contributes to land degradation, and knowledge of this challenge can guide the choice of crops for sustainable agriculture. Nigeria is the largest producer of cassava (<i>Manihot esculenta Crantz</i>) and the third largest producer of peanut (<i>Arachis hypogaea</i> Linn) in the world. Due to limited information on soil loss during peanut and cassava harvests worldwide, and cost of nutrient loss, a two-year field experiment was conducted to compare soil loss due to harvesting of peanut and cassava and to estimate cost of nutrient loss due to crop harvest under traditional agriculture. Peanut pod yields of 2.39 and 2.08 t ha^–1harvest^–1 removed 0.62 and 0.58 t ha^–1 harvest^–1 during peanut harvest, respectively, for years 1 and 2. Similarly, cassava yields of 22.71 and 21.40 t ha^–1 harvest^–1 removed 1.11 and 0.91 t ha^–1harvest^–1 during cassava harvest, respectively, for years 1 and 2. Crop yields strongly correlated with soil loss due to peanut harvest (<i>R</i>²= 0.36; <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001) and soil loss due to cassava harvest (<i>R</i>² = 0.23; <i>p</i> &lt; 0.01). Significantly higher soil loss due to cassava harvest compared to peanut harvest can be ascribed to higher cassava yield. Also, soil nutrient loss due to crop harvest was significantly (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.001) higher for cassava compared with peanut by 27.6% phosphorus (P) and 73.7% potassium (K) for the first year and 39.2% P and 79.1% K for the second year. Fertilizer equivalent cost of P and K losses due to cassava harvest for the two years was higher than that of peanut by US$29 ha^–1. The study indicated that the intensity of nutrient loss by harvesting is largely dependent on the crop type, and harvesting of cassava can deplete soil nutrients faster than that of peanut under traditional agriculture. Sequential planting of cassava (deep rooted crop) followed by peanut (shallow rooted crop) as a crop rotation management practice is recommended to mitigate soil loss due to continuous harvesting of cassava, and harvesting with thorough shaking technique is also suggested to reduce nutrient loss potential of crop harvesting.

RANC-CROP Recommendation Attributed to Soil Nutrients and Stock Analysis Using Machine Learning

Agriculture is India's greatest wealth, which also contributes to the country's economic development and defines the standard of living for more than 50 percent of the Indian population. In addition to this conventional crop, more are grown and have high dependency, such as wheat and rice. Farmers face many problems where sustainability is of primary importance in agriculture. To solve the issue, we propose to develop a “RANC (Recommendation Analysis by Soil Nutrients of Crops) Crop Recommendation Tool” web application that will help farmers generate their high income with effective crop cultivation along with the suggestion of organic fertilizer by providing up-to - date stock information, Soil Test Report, crop yield time and nutritional value of each crop. The RANC algorithm is used to pick crops and the Deep Neural Network is used for price prediction to improve the farmer’s choice of crops for cultivation with a high benefit. In the case of crop selection, an existing model uses the Soil Test Report to generate the quantity of fertilizers needed to expand. We use SVM for linear data regressions and ANN, RNN, RBM for non-linear data in the case of price estimation in stock analysis. From the experimental results, the prediction accuracy over 90% has been achieved for the proposed approach.

Empirical analysis of crop diversification and energy poverty in Ghana

Despite the importance of energy in countries' economies, the vast majority of people, especially in developing countries, live under the energy poverty line. To mitigate this trend, several policy options have been enacted to promote the use of clean and modern fuels given the targets set out in the Sustainable Development Goal Two (SDG2). However, there is a lack of systematic empirical evidence on how crop diversification can alleviate energy poverty in developing countries. This study used the seventh round of the Ghana Living Standard Survey (GLSS 7) to test the effect of crop diversification on the multidimensional energy poverty index (MEPI). I employ the instrumental variable (IV) and the Lewbel two stage least squares (2SLS) techniques and perform several robustness checks to address the potential endogeneity in crop choices. The estimates show that crop diversification is associated with a 0.829 standard deviation decreases in household energy poverty. The effect is prominent for urban and high-income earning households. Household income is identified as the main potential channel through which crop diversification influences energy poverty.

Agricultural Advice and Decision-Making in the Management of Farms in the Main Dairy Basins of Algeria

The study focuses on the involvement of extension services and agricultural advice in decision support for breeders, the Setif and Souk-Ahras dairy basins recognized by cereals, dairy cattle breeding and irrigated crops. A sample of 140 family farms was selected and surveyed between 2017 and 2018. The χ2 test assessed the supply of advice and sources of information useful in the management farm. The use of the Kruskal-Wallis test demonstrated the level of infl uence of the agricultural council on the decision-making of breeders by sector of activity in relation to the choice of fodder crops, fertilization and treatment of fodder crops, increase in milk production, hygiene and disease control, sale of products and seeds, improvement of farm profi tability, bookkeeping, information on subsidy programs and irrigation. Analysis of the Post Hoc ranking of our sample reveals 6 groups of breeders in terms of decision support.

Carbon saving agricultural technologies and mitigation of the greenhouse

The paper generalizes and analysis the data of soil organic carbon (SOC) amount in agricultural land on the example of the field studies carried out in 2013–2016 on the area of the Upper Volga Federal Agrarian Research Centre on the gray forest soils. The purpose of the study was to determine the stocks and the losses SOC in the agricultural land; to evaluate the factors reducing SOC in the arable soils and to show the ways to maintain and to increase the soil organic carbon; to study the influence of the technological factors on the balance of organic carbon in gray forest soils. Authors consider the transition to carbon-saving technologies of arable soils in Russia can restore almost 2.2 Gt C of the SOC and can play a significant role in the reducing of the CO2 concentration in the atmosphere. This SOC value can be a significant additional reserve for achieving Russia’s commitments on mitigating climate change. The result of the field experiment showed the most effective approach is the choice of agricultural crops, as the perennial grasses using the manure as an organic fertilizer and the use of resource-saving non-moldboard tillage methods.