Crop Production Sector Research Articles

Decomposition approach of the nitrogen generation process: empirical study on the Shimabara Peninsula in Japan.

Groundwater nitrate pollution is one of the most prevalent water-related environmental problems worldwide. The objective of this study is to identify the determinants of nitrogen pollutant changes with a focus on the nitrogen generation process. The novelty of our research framework is to cost-effectively identify the factors involved in nitrogen pollutant generation using public data. This study focuses on three determinant factors: (1) nitrogen intensity changes, (2) structural changes, and (3) scale changes. This study empirically analyses three sectors, including crop production, farm animals, and the household, on the Shimabara Peninsula in Japan. Our results show that the nitrogen supply from crop production sectors has decreased because the production has been scaled down and shifted towards lower nitrogen intensive crops. In the farm animal sector, the nitrogen supply has also been successfully reduced due to scaling-down efforts. Households have decreased the nitrogen supply by diffusion of integrated septic tank and sewerage systems.

Assessment of an electronic wallet system and determinants of cassava farmers’ participation in off-farm activities in Abuja, Nigeria

This study assessed an electronic wallet (e-wallet) system and determinants of cassava farmers? participation in off-farm activities in Abuja, Nigeria. A sample of 67 cassava farmers was selected through a multi-stage sampling technique from six selected agricultural extension blocks. Primary data were used. Data were collected using a well-structured and well-designed questionnaire. The analytical tools used were descriptive statistics and maximum likelihood estimates using the logistic regression model. The results indicated that an electronic-wallet is an innovative, motivational mobile phone technology, the first in sub-Saharan Africa to distribute mobile phones to farmers which bring fertilizers, improved seeds, financial services, and agricultural information tips to farmers, and this increases yields and output. The electronic wallet system targeted 20 million farmers with an intention to distribute 10 million mobile phones to farmers in 4 years. In 2014, 1,000 agro-dealers and fourteen million five hundred farmers were registered on the electronic wallet system respectively. Also, one million two hundred farmers have also received inputs via the electronic-wallet system. The electronic-wallet system added an estimated 30-40 billion dollars to Nigeria?s Gross Domestic Product in 2014. Furthermore, the result shows that the age of most sampled cassava farmers fell between 36 and 50 years. About 94% of sampled cassava farmers were male. Off-farm income has the potential to improve the income of farmers. These types of activities undertaken by cassava farmers off the farms include: teaching, tailoring, hunting, pottery, blacksmithing, petty trading, etc. Farmers? age, farming experience and number of off-farm activities were significant variables influencing farmers? participation in off-farm activities at P ? 0.01; P ? 0.10; and P ? 0.01 respectively. The coefficient of Nagelkerke (R2) value was 0.751.This shows that the explanatory variables explain the level of participation of cassava farmers in off-farm activities at 75% level of confidence. The coefficient of Cox and Snell determinant (R2) value was 0.547. Off-farm employment is an alternative strategy and has potentials to improve the income and well-being of farmers. The study recommends that government and nongovernment organizations should introduce innovations, motivations, interventions, policies that improve crop production and support the off-farm sector in order to create job opportunities so that poor households can participate and benefit directly.

Процессы инновационно-технологического развития растениеводства

Статья ретрагирована решением редакционной коллегией журнала "Вестник Южно-Российского государственного университета (НПИ). Серия: Социально-экономические науки" от 12.09.2019 года.

Pollinator biodiversity in Uganda and in Sub-Sahara Africa: Landscape and habitat management strategies for its conservation

Previous pollinator faunistic surveys conducted in 26 different sites indicated that farmlands of central Uganda supported more than 650 bee species, 330 butterfly species and 57 fly species. Most crop species grown in Uganda are pollinator-dependents. There is also a high dependency of rural communities on pollination services for their livelihoods and incomes. The annual economic value attributable to pollinating services delivered to crop production sector was estimated to be worth of US$0.49 billion for a total economic value of crop production of US$1.16 billion in Uganda. Despite the great contribution of pollinators to crop yields, there is still lack of knowledge of their conservation strategies in Uganda. Policies, actions, farming practices, critical landscape management techniques and conservation measures for spatio-temporal stability and maintenance of pollinator communities in farmlands of Uganda include (i) the protection and maintenance of high cover (>20%) of natural and semi-natural habitats, (ii) forming mosaic farm-landscapes mimicking natural systems to enhance mediated ecosystem services delivery and agroecosystems resilience to climate change, (iii) field plants and habitat manipulation for spatio-temporal provision of floral resources, (iv) promotingawareness campaigns and sensitization policy makers about the importance of conserving pollinators and (v) encouraging farmers to adopt pollinator-friendly farming practices. Key words: Conservation strategies, policy changes, awareness and sensitization campaigns, pollination services marketing, farmlands, Uganda.

The State and its Failure to Transform African Crop Production in Botswana, 1930–1939

This paper discusses attempts by the colonial officials to transform African crop production in Botswana in the 1930s. From the early 1930s, the British colonial officials made some modest and largely insignificant attempts to improve crop production in Botswana. The key issues addressed here are the nature and extent of the initiatives undertaken, such as agricultural shows, co-operator farmer experimental plots and the diffusion of technology. The successes and failures of the programmes and whether these initiatives constituted a departure from earlier policy which many scholars and researchers have dubbed the ‘general neglect’ of the territory are examined. The paper also argues that the major shortcomings were insufficient funding, lack of concerted efforts, the selective nature of the programmes and incomprehensive and unsustainable crop production schemes that would have made a major impact. The article also makes an overview of the role of the chiefs in agricultural programmes and argues that it was the pastoral sector (cattle) rather than crop production which largely accounted for social differentiation in Botswana. The article also reveals the regional imbalances that characterised colonial interventions in the crop production sector.

Networks in Argentine agriculture: a multiple-case study approach

Argentina is among the four largest producers of soybeans, sunflower, corn, and wheat, among other products. Institutional and policy changes during the 1990s fostered the development of Argentine agriculture and the introduction of innovative process and product technologies (no-till, agrochemicals, GMO, GPS) and new investments in modern, large-scale sunflower and soybean processing plants. In addition to technological changes, a quiet revolution occurred in the way production was carried out and organized: from self-production or ownership agriculture to a contract-based agriculture. The objective of this paper is to explore and describe the emergence of networks in the Argentine crop production sector. The paper presents and describes four cases that currently represent about 50% of total grain and oilseed production in Argentina: informal hybrid form, agricultural trust fund, corporate structure, and network of networks. In all cases, hybrid forms involve a group of actors linked by common objectives, mainly to gain scale, share resources, and improve the profitability of the business. Informal contracts seem to be the most common way of organizing the agriculture process, but using short-term contracts and sequential interfirm collaboration. Networks of networks involve long-term relationships and social development, and reciprocal interfirm collaboration. Agricultural trust fund and investor-oriented corporate structures have combined interfirm collaboration and medium-term relationships. These organizational forms are highly flexible and show a great capacity to adapt to challenges; they are competitive because they enjoy aligned incentives, flexibility, and adaptability.

EFFECT OF POTENTIAL ALLELOPATHIC EGYPTIAN RICE CULTIVARS AGAINST Echinochloa crus-galli AND Echinochloa colonum

With the burgeoning population of the world, achieving the food security has become a challenge to mankind; as a result only yield maximization is becoming the last word of modern agriculture. Although this approach is satisfying the food demand to almost a desirable extent, but is directly and indirectly causing negative impact on quality of the product, environment and overall human health. This system is mostly based on the use of heavy doses of herbicides to control weeds. Therefore, these experiments were conducted in order to investigatea quick seedling test for allelopathic potential of rice cultivars [Egyptian Jasmine (E. Jasmine) and sakha 104] and allelopathic potential of methanol extract of rice cultivars seedlings and as sown rice cultivars on seed germination %, growth and anatomical parameters of the two tested rice weeds (Echinochloa crus-galli and Echinochloacolonum). The obtained results indicated that, reduction in seed germination %, growth parameters of the two tested rice weeds were recorded by methanol extract of allelopathic rice cultivar (E. Jasmine) and as sown with rice cultivars application. Anatomical changes were obtained in the both rice weeds treated with methanol extract of rice cultivar(E. Jasmine). This may led to avoid or at least reduce the frequent use of herbicides in rice crop production sector. These results suggest that rice plant methanol extract may be a source of natural herbicide (bioherbicide).

Linking Energy- and Land-Use Systems: Energy Potentials and Environmental Risks of Using Agricultural Residues in Tanzania

This paper attempts to assess whether renewable energy self-sufficiency can be achieved in the crop production and processing sector in Tanzania and if this could be accomplished in an environmentally sustainable manner. In order to answer these questions the theoretical energy potential of process residues from commercially produced agricultural crops in Tanzania is evaluated. Furthermore, a set of sustainability indicators with focus on environmental criteria is applied to identify risks and opportunities of using these residues for energy generation. In particular, the positive and negative effects on the land-use-system (soil fertility, water use and quality, biodiversity, etc.) are evaluated. The results show that energy generation with certain agricultural process residues could not only improve and secure the energy supply but could also improve the sustainability of current land-use practices.

Constructing regional scenarios for sustainable agriculture in European Russia and Ukraine for 2000 to 2070

This study estimates the consequences of climate change on cropland with and without implementation of adaptation measures, paying special attention to the maintenance of soil organic carbon (C) stocks. We examine the possibility for regional sustainable agricultural management practice that combines both maintenance and gain in soil carbon level with profit maximization. Future scenarios of Regional Agricultural Production Systems (RAPS) were constructed for 2000–2070 based on linking the effects of global climate change, predicted change in productivity parameters for the main agricultural crops, land-use and soil database parameters. The RAPS were used to examine profitability and feasibility of alternative agricultural scenarios, based on an economic model. A number of recommendations for decision making were proposed based on an assessment of the efficiency of adaptation in animal husbandry and in the crop production sector, after analysis of current percentage of perennial grass in rotation in comparison with future economic scenarios.

Fatal Work-Related Injuries in the Agriculture Production Sector Among Youth in the United States, 1992–2002

Youth working on farms face unique risks that are not present for many other young workers, including machinery, large animals, electrical hazards, chemical hazards and excessive noise. This research identified the number and rate of occupational fatalities for youth working in the agriculture production industry, which is most closely affiliated with farming, for the years 1992–2002. The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI), developed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), was the database used for the analysis. There were 310 work-related deaths to youth less than 20 years of age from 1992 through 2002 in the agriculture production sector. This compares to 1,958 total fatalities for all workers less than 20 years of age for the same time period. The number of agricultural production fatalities to youth has shown a general downward trend over this time period. The rates were higher for young workers in agriculture production than for young workers in all industries by a factor of 3.6. Fifteen year olds had the highest fatality rates with the crop production sector having a rate six times that of all 15 year old workers. The objective of this descriptive research was to identify, prioritize and publicize the risks to children and youth who work on farms in order to provide public health and safety professionals relevant information upon which to base decisions for interventions or other prevention activities for this priority population. This research also has direct applications for farm parents and safety and health professionals who work with the priority population of young agricultural workers.

The REDTI and MSI: Two New National Climate Impact Indices

Abstract Two climate indices that are useful for monitoring the impact of weather and climate on energy usage and crop yields in the United States have been developed at the National Climatic Data Center. The residential energy-demand temperature index (REDTI), which is based on total population-weighted heating and cooling degree days in the contiguous United States, provides quantitative information on the impact of seasonal temperatures on residential energy demand. The moisture stress index (MSI) is based on the effect of severe to catastrophic drought (Palmer Z index values ≤−2) or catastrophic wetness (Z ≥ +5) on crop productivity within two crop-growing regions (corn and soybeans). Using climate data that extends into the late nineteenth century and operational updates of near-real-time data, the indices provide information that places the impact of weather and climate on energy-supply and crop-production sectors of the economy during the most recent season into historical perspective.

Policy structures and crop productivity in third world countries

Deciding what should be done in the crop-production sector is a policy issue and a public and management responsibility. Entrusted with that responsibility, governments formulate policies which should ensure maximum crop productivity. The impact of policies and policy structures on crop productivity, and the role of policy makers, administrators and scientists in research and development systems are the subjects of this paper. Observations are made on the role played by government policies in the generation, diffusion and application of crop-production technology and a brief discussion is presented of issues of public and international policies and crop productivity.