Crop Production Season Research Articles

Impact of drought and development on the effectiveness of beehive fences as elephant deterrents over 9 years in Kenya

AbstractHuman–elephant conflict is growing in Africa as human populations and development increases, creating disturbance to elephant habitats. Beehive fences have been trialed as a coexistence tool with some success but all studies have looked at small sample sizes over a short time period. Our study analyses the behavior of African elephants (Loxodonta africana) that approached a network of beehive fence protected farms in two conflict villages over 9 years next to Tsavo East National Park. We compare differences in elephant raids and beehive occupation rates annually, during a drought, and during peak crop production seasons. Out of 3999 elephants approaching our study farms 1007 elephants broke the beehive fence and entered the protected farm areas (25.18%). This was significantly less than the 2649 encounters where elephants remained either outside the farm boundary or broke into the control farms (66.24%). A further 343 elephants entered the farm by walking through a gap at the end of a fence (8.56%). The annual beehive fence break‐through rates averaged 23.96% (±SE 3.15) resulting in a mean of 76.04% elephants deterred from beehive fences protected farm plots. Over six peak crop growing seasons the beehive fences kept between 78.3% and 86.3% of elephants out of the farms and crops. The beehive fences produced one ton of honey sold for $2250; however, a drought caused a 75% reduction in hive occupation rates and honey production for 3 years after negatively impacting honey profits and the effectiveness of the fences. Beehive fences are very effective at reducing up to 86.3% of elephant crop‐raids during peak crop seasons after good rainfall, but any increase in elephant habitat disturbance or the frequency and duration of droughts could reduce their effectiveness as a successful coexistence tool.

DEVELOPMENT AND FABRICATION OF AGRICULTURAL PEST CONTROL SYSTEM

Research is “creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge”. It involves the collection, organization and analysis of information to increase understanding of a topic or issue. Efficient use of pesticides can helpful to control plant pests and diseases to increasethe crop yields. The use of agrochemicals can effectively enhance the quantity and quality of crop;however, it increases the environmental risks in recent years. Pesticide application utilizes the to a significant percentage of the production cost. During chemical plant protectionpractices, over application of pesticide or inefficient spraying equipment may cause serious issueson human healthand the environment. Effective pesticide application is a critical activity during crop production season that requires efficient spraying machinery with proper calibration as well as relevant regulations to reduce off-target spray deposition. Thus, the significant among all the factors which are influencing the degree of off-target spray deposition is the design and application spraying technology Conventional agricultural pesticide application practices havedeveloped a contradiction among the yield enhancement, cost effectiveness and environmental protection. Therefore, pesticides have to be applied using suitable spraying systems to avoid adverse effects on environment as well as human health. Thus, in recent decades, spraying methods and technologieshave been undergoing continuous evolution. Conventional sprayerswere very laborious and International Journal of Scientific Research in Engineering and Management (IJSREM) Volume: 07 Issue: 01 | January - 2023 Impact Factor: 7.185 ISSN: 2582-3930 © 2023, IJSREM | www.ijsrem.com DOI: 10.55041/IJSREM17568 | Page 2 requirevery heavy machinery to operating them in the field. They increasethe application amount because of no proper application method for spraying nozzles, crop foliage detection, and weather parameters. advancement in spray application technologies increase crop production and increase pesticide efficiency on weed and insects in the field. Spray loss in the form ofspray drift, weather effects, target detection, and control flow nozzles problem solved by advancedpesticide applicationtechnologies. The time-consuming problem for tank refilling is reduced withultra-low volume sprayers and fine droplet spray nozzles. With time the crop maintaining technology-advance fromweeds and pest, detection to spray application nozzles. The objective of this chapter is to highlight the attachments conceived by both electronics and mechanical components which implies for the working of agricultural spraying machine.

Impact of climate change on agriculture in Bangladesh: A study on Tangail district

Climate change and its impact on agriculture are global concern but it’s becoming a major threat for Bangladesh because where lives and livelihood depends on agriculture. In Bangladesh 164 million people depend on rice but due to climate change vulnerabilities the yield of rice has been reducing. This paper studies the impact of climate change on agriculture and adaptation of new strategies to fight against the different causes of climate changes of Tangail district. Tangail district is highly sensitive to climate events such as, flood, soil erosion, heavy rainfall, drought, storm surge etc. These natural disasters have increased due to climate change that threat on farmer’s livelihood by destructing crops, houses and infrastructure. To support the analysis a questionnaire survey was conducted to gather farmer’s perceptions of present situation and what different strategies should take to fight against climate change. The paper presented that the education level of the present generation of farmers is gradually increasing and they have perceptions that the temperature is rising, timely rainfall is not available and crop production seasons are shifting. The adaptations measures followed by the local people will increase their capacity to fight against climate change problems. A very few empirical research on the impacts of climate change in Tangail has been conducted, so researcher and policy makers get information about the concern topic by this study and implement policy for the climate change affected people of study area.

Crop yield estimation using different remote sensing data: literature review

The climatic conditions and many other environmental factors have an impact on the crop growth stage and then on crop yield. The evaluation of seasonal crop production requires simultaneously monitoring crop yield conditions and early evaluation of significantly reduced production caused by unexpected disasters. Early detection of stunted crop growth can help prevent a disaster or help plan to prevent its occurrence or spread. On the other side, Farmlands cover a wide area of the planet’s surface, so the use of advanced technologies (for example, remote sensing) is very important to minimize the cost of monitoring, and eliminate the wasting of natural resources. Nowadays, the different satellite types such as Landsat, Sentinel, MODIS, and, Spot lead to variations in remote sensing data in spatial, temporal, radiometric, and spectral resolution. This is done to obtain many indices to utilize in crop management and the environmental effect. This review paper presents many studies to clarify three main tasks. Firstly, present the importance of using different types of remote sensing data depending on the reason for use. Secondly, the most famous indices have been used in many studies for different purposes to obtain accurate crop management, such as Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and Land Surface Temperature (LST). Lastly, conclude the review by presenting the potential of the various remote sensing data and the importance of many indices that are helpful for crop and environmental factors monitoring.

Agricultural Machinery Virtual Assembly System Using Dynamic Gesture Recognitive Interaction Based on a CNN and LSTM Network

The agricultural machinery experiment is restricted by the crop production season. Missing the crop growth cycle will extend the machine development period. The use of virtual reality technology to complete preassembly and preliminary experiments can reduce the loss caused by this problem. To improve the intelligence and stability of virtual assembly, this paper proposed a more stable dynamic gesture cognition framework: the TCP/IP protocol constituted the network communication terminal, the leap motion-based vision system constituted the gesture data collection terminal, and the CNN-LSTM network constituted the dynamic gesture recognition classification terminal. The dynamic gesture recognition framework and the harvester virtual assembly platform formed a virtual assembly system to achieve gesture interaction. Through experimental analysis, the improved CNN-LSTM network had a small volume and could quickly establish a stable and accurate gesture recognition model with an average accuracy of 98.0% (±0.894). The assembly efficiency of the virtual assembly system with the framework was improved by approximately 15%. The results showed that the accuracy and stability of this model met the requirements, the corresponding assembly parts were robust in the virtual simulation environment of the whole machine, and the harvesting behaviour in the virtual reality scene was close to the real scene. The virtual assembly system under this framework provided technical support for unmanned farms and virtual experiments on agricultural machinery.

Exploring the Major Climate-smart Agricultural Practices for Dry Season Crop Production in Salinity Affected Fallow Land in the Coastal Areas of Bangladesh

The landmasses of the coastal areas of Bangladesh still remains under-utilized, thus cropping intensity is much less than the national average. Most areas remain fallow during dry (rabi) season from December to May due to presence of higher concentration of salts in soil and water, and scarcity of suitable irrigation water. Available adaptation options or technologies are not capable to solve these problems at all. Nevertheless, the areas receive a lot of water from monsoon rain, most of that rainwater is drain-out as surface runoff. The present study results suggest that the use of harvested rainwater and conservation agriculture either in combination or alone could mitigate the problem for bringing huge areas under crop cultivation. The public social safety net programmes such as cash-for-work, food-for-work etc. can be deployed for excavating or re-excavating the abandoned coastal ponds, ditches or canals for storing rainwater. Salt-, drought- and/or heat-tolerant crop varieties with short life span can also be cultivated to get the better results. Early plantation or growing crops with early-maturing varieties can ensure safer harvest in ahead of stress arrives. The avenues have immense potential as climate-smart practices for growing crops preferably non-rice crops during dry season in vast fallow land that will not only ensure food security for coastal people but could turn the entire southern Bangladesh as a food surplus zone. The findings refer the broad recommendation, therefore, specific research works based on the locations and resources available are necessary.

Risk factors for the rice crop farming community in China: a documentary analysis of the challenges during post COVID-19

PurposePandemics always have an impact on everything; for wildlife it is somehow positive and for human health and safety it is negative. But yet there is not any critique on its impact on the agriculture sector and farmer community. The world is not aware of the hazards which will be caused by crop loss. On the globe the largest country by population is China, where natives in China consume rice as staple food. In past few years, it was among the highest rice producing and consuming countries. Rice is planted in February to May mostly in China, and rice crop production is strongly dependent on preplanting activates which farmers are unable to perform because of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) spread and the need to follow safety measures. So, the purpose of this documentary analysis is to indicate the impact of coronavirus disease on the agricultural sector in China specifically for rice production.Design/methodology/approachIn this article, a documentary analysis approach has been utilized. Moreover, due to the new and latest issue, not much research has been published in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic impact on the agriculture industry in China. Whereas, several online reports and expert reviews have been reviewed which have been published in online platforms and blogs websites. A total of 45 resources (journal articles, expert reviews) have been downloaded from reputed databases such as Scopus and Web of Science, out of which 31 of them were more relevant and related to the context of study.FindingsThe outcome based on this study has indicated that the rice cultivators and farmers are in uncertainty and not comfortable to work in their fields without proper safety measures due to the pandemic situation which will badly affect their lives and the economy of the country. Therefore, this study suggests that to overcome this issue, a proper safety framework is needed to be developed which can be implemented and which can facilitate the rice farming community.Practical implicationsAgriculture is important in so many ways including providing employment to the bulk of the population and providing the basic necessity of life and also contributing to the national economy. The outcome of this study will facilitate the agricultural scientist, economist and seasonal crop production stakeholders to indicate the most problematic domain and upcoming challenges faced by the rice farming community in China due to the COVID-19 pandemic.Originality/valueThis is the first documentary analysis which is addressing the current issues due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the agriculture industry and specifically in the rice cultivation and producing community safety concerns and issues in China which is the first and most affected nation due to the coronavirus.

Management and Utilization Strategy of Water Resources for Rice Production

Declination of available water resources is threatening the dry season crop production in Bangladesh. Sustainable water management is crucial need to meet future food production. This study was aimed to determine futuristic water management strategy for rice cultivation. Both surface and groundwater is getting scarce in north-west region, whereas abundant of fresh surface water creating opportunities to irrigate dry season crops in south-central region. This study has outlined irrigation management for rice cultivation and groundwater utilization in water scarce area of north-west region. More than 75% of annual rainfall occurred during monsoon and crops other than monsoon often faced water shortage. Timely establishment of T. Aus rice on 01 May accounted average 183 mm supplemental irrigation for north-west and south-west region. Transplanting of T. Aman rice before 24 July found the low risk period of drought and gave about 1 t ha-1 yield advantage than late transplanting after 15 October. Supplemental irrigation in drought year gave up to 26% yield advantage than the rain-fed condition of T. Aman rice in experimental plot. Over exploitation of groundwater by famers for crop cultivation makes the groundwater status worsen. Farmers used 38% excess water than the actual requirement for Boro rice cultivation. For that annual groundwater withdrawal was higher than annual recharge causing groundwater level depletion in most of the districts. Groundwater table went below suction limit of shallow tubewell (STW) during dry season and thus it become unable to operate. Improved distribution system with plastic pipe, buried pipe could save about 25% of irrigation water. Alternate wetting and drying (AWD) irrigation method saved 20-25% water than farmer’s practice. Application of these on-farm water management technologies in Boro rice reduced water demand and made the groundwater balance positive as well as reduced the groundwater withdrawal pressure. On the contrary, irrigation with less saline surface water resources in river and canals of south central regions could expand Boro production and increased land productivity. Intervention of low lift pump with plastic pipe distribution in non-saline tidal areas could increase land productivity. Besides, trapped freshwater in to the canals inside the polders and re-excavation of these canals would make crop intensification. Thus, additional food production could help to achieve sustainable development goal and sustained food security. Bangladesh Rice J. 25 (1) : 37-50, 2021

Cultivation of Organics in Controlled Environment Greenhouse

A greenhouse is essentially an enclosed structure, which traps the short wavelength solar radiation and stores the long wavelength thermal radiation to create a favourable microclimate for higher productivity. The sun’s radiation incident on the greenhouse has two parts: direct radiation and an associated diffuse sky radiation. The diffuse part is not focused by the lenses and goes right through Frensel lenses onto the surface of the absorbers. This energy is absorbed and transformed into heat, which is then transported via the liquid medium in copper pipes to the water (heat) storage tanks or, if used, open fish tanks. In this way, an optimal temperature for both plant cultivation and fish production can be maintained. Stable plant growth conditions are light, temperature and air humidity. Light for the photosynthesis of plants comes from the diffuse radiation, which is without substantial fluctuations and variation throughout most of the day. The air temperature inside the greenhouse is one of the factors that have an influence on the precocity of production. The selective collector acts in a more perceptible way on extreme air temperatures inside the greenhouse. Hence, the system makes it possible to avoid the excessive deviation of the temperature inside the greenhouse and provides a favourable microclimate for the precocity of the culture. Sediment and some associated water from the sediment traps are used as organic fertiliser for the plant cultivation. The present trend in greenhouse cultivation is to extend the crop production season in order to maximise use of the equipment and increase annual productivity and profitability. However, in many Mediterranean greenhouses, such practices are limited because the improper cooling methods (mainly natural or forced ventilation) used do not provide the desired micro-climatic condition during the summer of a composite climate. Also, some of these greenhouses have been built where the meteorological conditions require some heating during the winter, particularly at night. The worst scenario is during the winter months when relatively large difference in temperature between day and night occurs. However, overheating of the greenhouse during the day is common, even in winter, requiring ventilation of the structure. Hence, several techniques have been proposed for the storage of the solar energy received by the greenhouse during the day and its use to heat the structure at night. Reviews of such techniques are presented in this article. Air or water can be used for heat transport. The circulating water is heated during the day via two processes. The water absorbs part of the infrared radiation of the solar spectrum. Since the water is transparent in the visible region, they do not compete with the plants that need it. Alternatively, the water exchanges heat with the greenhouse air through the walls. At night, if the greenhouse temperature goes down below a specified value, the water begins to circulate acting as heat transfer surfaces heating the air in the greenhouse.

Impacts of COVID-19 on agricultural production and food systems in late transforming Southeast Asia: The case of Myanmar

The objective of this contribution is to report the initial impacts of measures taken to contain the COVID-19 pandemic on Myanmar's agri-food system. Myanmar is one of several late-transforming low-income countries in Southeast Asia where agriculture still plays a large role in rural livelihoods, and where food prices are a key factor affecting nutrition security for poor urban and rural households. Whereas the economic impacts of COVID-19 disruptions on tourism and manufacturing were obvious to policymakers, the impacts on the agri-food system were less evident and often more indirect. This resulted in the rural sector being allocated only a very small share of the government's initial fiscal response to mitigate the economic impacts of COVID-19.To correct this information gap, a suite of phone surveys covering a wide spectrum of actors in the agri-food system were deployed, including farm input suppliers, mechanization service providers, farmers, commodity traders, millers, food retailers and consumers. The surveys were repeated at regular intervals prior to and during the main crop production season which began shortly after nationwide COVID-19 prevention measures were implemented in April. While the results indicate considerable resilience in the agri-food system in response to the initial disruptions, persistent financial stress for a high proportion of households and agri-food system businesses indicate that the road to a full recovery will take time. The experience provides important lessons for strengthening the resilience of the agri-food system, and the livelihoods of households that depend on it.

Evaluating Irrigation and Farming Systems with Solar MajiPump in Ethiopia

Small-scale irrigation in Ethiopia is a key strategy to improve and sustain the food production system. Besides the use of surface water for irrigation, it is essential to unlock the groundwater potential. It is equally important to use soil management and water-saving systems to overcome the declining soil fertility and the temporal water scarcity in the region. In this study, the solar MajiPump was introduced to enable dry season crop production in Ethiopia using shallow groundwater sources. The capacity of the MajiPumps (MP400 and MP200) was tested for the discharge head and discharge using three types of solar panels (150 W and 200 W rigid, and 200 W flexible). Besides, drip irrigation and conservation agriculture (CA) farming systems were evaluated in terms of water productivity and crop yield in comparison to the farmers’ practice (overhead irrigation and tilled farming system). Results indicated that the maximum discharge head capacity of the MajiPumps was 18 m, 14 m, 10 m when using MP400 with 200 W rigid, MP400 with 200 W flexible, and MP200 with 150 W rigid solar panels, respectively. The corresponding MajiPump flow rates ranged from 7.8 L/min to 24.6 L/min, 3 L/min to 25 L/min, and 3.6 L/min to 22.2 L/min, respectively. Compared to farmer’s practice, water productivity was significantly improved under the CA farming and the drip irrigation systems for both irrigated vegetables (garlic, onion, cabbage, potato) and rainfed maize production. The water productivity of garlic, cabbage, potato, and maize was increased by 256%, 43%, 53%, and 9%, respectively, under CA as compared to conventional tillage (CT) even under overhead irrigation. Thus, farmers can obtain a significant water-saving benefit from CA regardless of water application systems. However, water and crop productivity could be further improved in the combined use of MajiPump with CA and drip irrigation (i.e., 38% and 33% water productivity and 43% and 36% crop productivity improvements were observed for potato and onion, respectively). Similarly, compared to CT, the use of CA significantly increased garlic, cabbage, potato, and maize yield by 170%, 42%, 43%, and 15%, respectively under the MajiPump water-lifting system. Overall, the solar-powered drip irrigation and CA farming system were found to be efficient to expand small-scale irrigation and improve productivity and livelihoods of smallholder farmers in Ethiopia.

Impact of farmers practices on crop regulation in sweet orange cv. sathgudi for off season crop production in Telangana

Impact of farmers practices on crop regulation in sweet orange cv. sathgudi for off season crop production in Telangana

Women Involvement in Rural Community Development in Enugu North Senatorial Zone of Enugu State, Nigeria

The study ascertained the involvement of women in rural community development (RCD). The study was carried out in Enugu north senatorial zone, Enugu State, Nigeria, with a total of 4 communities randomly selected from 2 randomly selected LGAs. The total sample size of 60 women was used. Data were collected using an interview schedule and analysed using percentages and mean scores. The findings reveal that agricultural related projects (96.7 %), social projects (91.7 %), educational projects (81.7 %) and health projects (81.7%) were areas of RCD women were involved in. The agricultural related projects of interest included: animal rearing and sales (96.7 %), corn processing outfits (91.7%), seasonal crop processing and production (90%) among others. Traders association (x=2.45) and market women association (x=2.45) were RCD groups women were mostly part of, while women empowerment programs (M=2.45), education (M=2.42), urbanization (M=2.42) among others were the factors that enabled women involvement in RCD. Women were involved and played a crucial role in RCD. A more conducive environment such as the provision of soft loans and jobs should be created by government authorities to sustain women’s motivation and encourage them to delve into other areas of RCD like Information and Communication Technologies that their presence is not so pronounced.

Smartphone Application-Enabled Apple Fruit Surface Temperature Monitoring Tool for In-Field and Real-Time Sunburn Susceptibility Prediction.

Heat stress and resulting sunburn is a major abiotic stress in perineal specialty crops. For example, such stress to the maturing fruits on apple tree canopies can cause several physiological disorders that result in considerable crop losses and reduced marketability of the produce. Thus, there is a critical technological need to effectively monitor the abiotic stress under field conditions for timely actuation of remedial measures. Fruit surface temperature (FST) is one of the stress indicators that can reliably be used to predict apple fruit sunburn susceptibility. This study was therefore focused on development and in-field testing of a mobile FST monitoring tool that can be used for real-time crop stress monitoring. The tool integrates a smartphone connected thermal-Red-Green-Blue (RGB) imaging sensor and a custom developed application (‘AppSense 1.0’) for apple fruit sunburn prediction. This tool is configured to acquire and analyze imagery data onboard the smartphone to estimate FST. The tool also utilizes geolocation-specific weather data to estimate weather-based FST using an energy balance modeling approach. The ‘AppSense 1.0’ application, developed to work in the Android operating system, allows visual display, annotation and real-time sharing of the imagery, weather data and pertinent FST estimates. The developed tool was evaluated in orchard conditions during the 2019 crop production season on the Gala, Fuji, Red delicious and Honeycrisp apple cultivars. Overall, results showed no significant difference (t110 = 0.51, p = 0.6) between the mobile FST monitoring tool outputs, and ground truth FST data collected using a thermal probe which had accuracy of ±0.4 °C. Upon further refinements, such tool could aid growers in real-time apple fruit sunburn susceptibility prediction and assist in more effective actuation of apple fruit sunburn preventative measures. This tool also has the potential to be customized for in-field monitoring of the heat stressors in some of the sun-exposed perennial and annual specialty crops at produce maturation.

COPULA-BASED STATISTICAL MODELLING OF SYNOPTIC-SCALE CLIMATE INDICES FOR QUANTIFYING AND MANAGING AGRICULTURAL RISKS IN AUSTRALIA

COPULA-BASED STATISTICAL MODELLING OF SYNOPTIC-SCALE CLIMATE INDICES FOR QUANTIFYING AND MANAGING AGRICULTURAL RISKS IN AUSTRALIA

Genotype-by-environment interaction and selection of elite wheat genotypes under variable rainfall conditions in northern Ethiopia

ABSTRACTProductivity of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in Ethiopia can be improved by the identification of adaptable, high-yielding and rust-resistant genotypes through the evaluation of elite wheat genotypes for yield in multi-environment trials. Thus, our objective was to evaluate 16 bread wheat genotypes across four locations in 3 years (2015, 2016, and 2017) during the main crop production seasons in Ethiopia. Grain yield data were subjected to the additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI), genotype plus genotype by environment interaction (GGE) biplot and AMMI stability value (ASV) analyses to exploit genotype-by-environment interaction (GEI). Further, the correlation between total rainfall received during the growing seasons and grain yield performance was computed. Variation attributable to genotypes, environments, and GEI was highly significant (P < 0.01). Genotypes ETBW 8160 and ETBW 8180, with grain yield of 2529 and 2512 kg ha−1, respectively, were identified by AMMI, GGE, and ASV analyses as high-yielding with stable performance. These genotypes are recommended for further breeding or production in the region. GGE biplot analysis showed that years within locations were grouped into different clusters without forming mega-environments. Mean grain yield of test genotypes was significantly correlated (r = 0.64; p ≤ 0.01) with rainfall received during September, indicating that the increase in rainfall in this month would have a positive effect on grain yield. However, the rainfall amount during September has decreased and is erratic. This indicates the need for supplemental irrigation for the wheat farms.

Economic Value of Pollination Service of Agricultural Crops in Ethiopia: Biological Pollinators

Abstract The most important ecosystem service for sustainable crop production is pollination, the mutualistic interaction between plants and animals. Honeybees are being indispensable role in this process. The total economic value of crop pollination worldwide has been estimated at €153 billion annually. Animal pollination of agricultural crops is provided by both managed and wild pollinators. The aim of this study was to determine the economic value of pollination services and vulnerability of Ethiopian agriculture in the face of pollinator decline. An improved approach to determine the economic value of pollination (EVP) services is applied to multiply a crop’s total value by a coefficient between zero and one representing the crop’s dependency on pollination services for production. The potential production value loss due to lack of pollinators is also computed as the ratio of EVP to economic production value. Then EVP was $ 815.2 million dollars and vulnerability of Ethiopian agriculture due to lack of pollinators 16% in the 2015/16 crop production season. The regional state of Oromia benefited the most followed by the regional states of Amhara and South Nation Nationality People (SNPP). Coffee, the leading crop, has the highest EVP in the country followed by Faba beans and Nug (Guizotia abyssinica). Ethiopia has highly benefited from biological pollinators, so protecting them has significant role in the country’s economy. Most crops in Ethiopia have no pollination dependency ratio and some minor crop has no production data, incorporating them possible to better estimation of EVP service for the future.

Quantification of an overlooked water resource in the tropical rainfed lowlands using RapidEye satellite data: A case of farm ponds and the potential gross value for smallholder production in southern Laos

In southern Laos, water stored in farm ponds is largely underutilised as it is perceived to be unfit for human consumption; subsequently, groundwater is the preferred source for domestic and agricultural consumption. For the first time, this paper presents the results of a study designed to quantify the total pond water volume within the landscape via remote-sensing methods in two districts in Champasak province that could be used to improve rural household cash income through the expansion of market-oriented dry season crop production. Water bodies were delineated via simple classification of RapidEye data using the Normalised Difference Water Index and a sub-classification was performed to distinguish between ponds and the streamflow network. Final estimates of total pond volume in Sukhuma and Phonthong districts were ∼2.30 × 106 m3 and 3.55 × 106 m3, respectively; and the average pond volume across both districts was ∼1987 m3. Sensitivity analysis of the potential gross value of farm ponds for irrigation of dry season, vegetable production typical of market-oriented smallholder activities in the area indicated that substantial gross economic gains could be made from better use and management of these resources.

An Evaluation of Climate Mitigation Adoption Technologies in Improving Rural Households‘ Livelihood Outcomes: The Case of Eastern Oromia, Ethiopia

Agricultural technologies are seen as an important route out of poverty in most of the developing countries. However, the rates of adoption of these technologies have remained low in most of these countries. This study aim at shedding some light on an evaluation of climate mitigation agricultural adoption technologies, and its contribution to rural livelihood outcomes in Gurawa district using cross sectional data collected from randomly selected 180 sample households during the 2016 crop production season. Multivariate probit and Propensity score matching was used to identify impacts of adoption technologies, and to identify factors affecting smallholder farmers‘ multiple technology adoption decisions. The results showed that the probability of adoption of agricultural technologies are influenced by several factors: family size, economical active members, education level, age of the household head, social status, soil fertility status, distance from extension office, land holding, distance to markets and distance to weather road. The impact evaluation results indicated that on average, the participation household in soil conservation has increased food security status and asset accumulation nearly by 38% and 15%, respectively, however it decreases the rate of poverty nearly by 51 percent. Use of improved seeds increased food security status and decreased poverty rate nearly by 38% and 44%, respectively. On the other hand, use of irrigation technology increased food security status and asset accumulation nearly by 23% and 31.8%, respectively, whereas it decreases the rate of poverty nearly by 29 percent. Similarly, adoption of row planting methods increased food security status and asset accumulation nearly by 28.7% and 15.5%, respectively, whereas it decreases the rate of poverty nearly by 51.5 percent. Therefore, policy makers should give due emphasis to the aforementioned variables to increase adoption technologies and improve the livelihood of the rural households.

Spatial patterns of seasonal crop production suggest coordination within and across dryland agricultural systems of Hawai&amp;#699;i Island

Spatial patterns of seasonal crop production suggest coordination within and across dryland agricultural systems of Hawai&amp;#699;i Island