Current Production Systems Research Articles

Measuring the level of technology at small-scale citronella oil agroindustry in Aceh

The development of the citronella oil agroindustry is facing challenges in terms of quality and limited production capacity, especially in the innovation and value-added sectors. This article aims to measure the level of application of innovation in the citronella oil agroindustry chain, starting from the aspects of cultivation, product handling, refining processes, and marketing institutions, including their effect on production value. This study takes location settings in five sub-districts of citronella oil production centers in Kabupaten Gayo Lues. A survey has been conducted on 40 respondents who were chosen deliberately to understand the general picture of the current production system of the community. To deepen the information, FGD was also conducted with 30 key informants. The results show that the application of innovations and good practices on all production lines from cultivation, post-harvest handling, refining, and marketing is low. So this has direct implications for the low productivity and value of citronella oil products produced. Four main components have the most influence, namely the handling of citronella leaves/leaves as raw materials, the refining process, the sale of citronella oil, and stock handling and marketing partnerships.

Evolution of Herbicide Resistant Weeds in Agro-ecological Systems

Weed management through herbicides continues to be the most efficient and cost-effective component of integrated weed management (IWM) in crop production systems. However, the current production systems are characterised by intensive, inappropriate use of herbicides along with misapplication which creates selection pressure and leads to the rapid evolution of herbicide resistance in weeds. Currently, there are 511 unique cases of herbicide-resistant weed species globally, involving 266 species and these comprise 153 and 113 dicots and monocots respectively. To date, herbicide resistance has been reported from 96 crops in more than 71 countries. Furthermore, weeds have evolved resistance to 21 of the 31 known sites of herbicide action in different crops. Understanding the mechanisms of herbicide resistance is therefore essential which when coupled with the ecological and management factors that affect herbicide resistance would lead to the development of appropriate, profitable, and sustainable weed management strategies. The review is aimed at the development of herbicide resistance, mechanisms of herbicide resistance, factors that influence the rate of resistance development and management of herbicide resistance by growers.

Urban agriculture and farmers’ willingness to pay for treated wastewater: Insights from vegetable producers in the greater Accra metropolis of Ghana

Urbanisation and water scarcity pose a challenge to urban vegetable production and livelihoods in major cities across the world. At the same time, increasing demand for fresh vegetables coupled with the high profitability of vegetable production enterprises has made it attractive and indispensable as it creates jobs along the entire crop value chain. This study analysed the efficiency performance of urban vegetable producers and their willingness to pay (WTP) for treated wastewater using data collected from 214 farmers. By applying the data envelopment analysis (DEA) and logistic regression models, the results show that the current production system is technically inefficient as 33% more output could have been produced using the existing resources. The mean amount that farmers are willing to pay for treated wastewater to be delivered to their farms is GH¢66.7 per month. Technical efficiency influences farmers’ WTP for treated waste water. Other drivers of WTP for treated wastewater include experience in vegetable production, type of irrigation practised, source of water used for irrigation, the volume of water applied per day, extension access, association membership, market demand for products, and access to market information. Strengthening public–private partnerships in the treatment and utilization of water resources and providing technical training to urban producers could enhance the efficient use of treated wastewater in agriculture.

Dancing to a different tune, can we switch from chemical to biological nitrogen fixation for sustainable food security?

Our current food production systems are unsustainable, driven in part through the application of chemically fixed nitrogen. We need alternatives to empower farmers to maximise their productivity sustainably. Therefore, we explore the potential for transferring the root nodule symbiosis from legumes to other crops. Studies over the last decades have shown that preexisting developmental and signal transduction processes were recruited during the evolution of legume nodulation. This allows us to utilise these preexisting processes to engineer nitrogen fixation in target crops. Here, we highlight our understanding of legume nodulation and future research directions that might help to overcome the barrier of achieving self-fertilising crops.

Thermodynamic design and analysis of a multigeneration system to support sustainable dairy farming

Continued growth in the global human population and the high per capita food consumption renders it necessary to provide secure and sustainable food production systems. As current food production systems are vast users of energy and water resources, one of the most important goals achieved in this study is to contribute towards the development of sustainable and resilient energy systems for dairy farming. In this context, a novel multigeneration system is proposed in this study utilising renewable energy (solar and waste biomass) within the dairy farm. Accordingly, a comprehensive thermodynamic analysis of energy and exergy is conducted to assess the cycle's and component’s performances. The subsystems used in the system are; biomass gasifier, parabolic trough collectors, reheat organic Rankine cycle, Brayton cycle, water treatment unit and LiBr-Water absorption cooling system. Gasifier and solar parabolic trough collectors are integrated into a multigeneration system, which generates several outputs (electricity, hot water, hot air, milk evaporation, and a water filtering). The system's net power production and desalinated water can satisfy the farm's necessary energy and water requirements and provide for at least nine-hundred neighbouring houses. The system's overall energy and exergy efficiencies are calculated to be 81.6% and 42.75%, respectively.

Farmers' perceptions on tomato early blight, fungicide use factors and awareness of fungicide resistance: Insights from a field survey in Kenya.

Early blight (EB) caused by Alternaria solani is one of the most devastating tomato diseases in Kenya and is most often managed by application of synthetic fungicides. However, there have been reports from farmers about the declining efficacy of some fungicides. These reports suggest that A. solani populations in Kenya could be developing resistance to some of the commonly used fungicides. In this study, we surveyed 175 tomato fields, sampled in 3 major tomato producing counties in Kenya, to determine the status of EB, management practices, and fungicide use factors that could contribute to development of resistance to fungicides among A. solani populations in Kenya. Data was recorded on farm characteristics, EB prevalence, fungicide usage, and farmers' perceptions on fungicide efficacy. EB was prevalent in 85% of the fields and 90% of the farmers identified it as a major cause of yield loss. Tomato was grown all year round on 60% of the fields with only short fallow periods. All farmers reported that they were relying on fungicides for EB control and none among the cultivars grown was resistant to the disease. A total of 40 fungicide products, representing 20 active compounds with varying FRAC resistance risk levels were in use against EB. Majority (83%) of the farmers were applying fungicides at dosages and frequencies higher than those indicated on labels. Most farmers (81%) indicated that they had observed declines in effectiveness of at least one fungicide, used at EB control. This observation was more with fungicides in the strobilurin and triazole groups. These findings demonstrate that the current tomato production systems in Kenya do not take into account the risk of A. solani developing resistance to fungicides. Enhancing farmers' knowledge of the disease and their ability to properly select and apply fungicides is therefore crucial for effective control of EB and mitigating the high risk of fungicide resistance build up.

Perspectives on agroecological transition: the case of Guachetá municipality, Colombia

ABSTRACT Specialization of agriculture in the Colombian Andes has increased smallholder vulnerability to climate change and global price fluctuations and has also affected the socio-economic and environmental conditions. Promoting sustainable agriculture in the region requires a holistic understanding of complex agroecosystems. This study identifies and analyzes the main challenges for agriculture and possibilities for agroecological transition of small-scale farms in Guachetá, Colombia. Using the Tool for Agroecology Performance Evaluation (TAPE), 10 elements of agroecology and core performance criteria were evaluated on seven farms. Several key actors were then interviewed, to triangulate data and understand current challenges and possible future pathways. It was found that drier climate and variations in rainfall patterns pose major challenges to current production systems. Limited possibilities for participation in land governance, lack of interest in agriculture among young people, and lack of access to markets hinder the development of sustainable agriculture. Current specialized practices in dairy and potato production are associated with reduced agricultural biodiversity and dependency on agrochemicals, leading to weak synergies and low profitability within agroecosystems. Implementation of agroecological principles and practices such as crop and income diversification and promoting joint action in agricultural development could help overcome sustainability issues in Guachetá.

A HYBRID PUSH/PULL SYSTEM IN AN SME BAKERY IN JOHANNESBURG

Bakery X is a small business in Johannesburg, South Africa that produces baked goods and sells these directly to the end customer. Bakery X has difficulties meeting customer demand for fat cakes during the peak hours of 06:00 to 10:00 and 12:00 to 14:00. Interviews were conducted with employees to identify the production and demand management practices at Bakery X in order to evaluate improvement opportunities. The two main bottlenecks that were identified were a policy bottleneck (dough rising process) and a communication bottleneck. In the current production system, work is released on the basis of perceived demand and not real demand, which has resulted in shortages and the formation of long queues. A hybrid push/pull production system is proposed for implementation to help to eliminate the bottlenecks in the production process, using a Kanban to smooth out the flow and so deliver value to the customer and to Bakery X.

The effect of technology development on components machined in the current production system used by the OEMs in the truck industry

The transport sector is growing and so is the awareness of the environmental impact from fossil fuels. This calls for changes in how road transport is powered, driven by both rules and regulations and from customer and societal expectations. There are several technical solutions to reduce and finally replace the use of fossil fuels currently discussed both in academia and industry and those solutions are at different maturity levels. The aim of this research is to investigate how the introduction of new technologies effects the evolvement of the components in the powertrain. This knowledge will be valuable for the truck industry OEMs to support the transition of the production system to match future needs. This is done in two parts. First, a semi-structured interview with experts from the automotive industry was conducted, then a literature study. The research shows that several powertrain technologies will exist, optimized for different markets and applications. On a component level, effort will be made to reduce the losses in the powertrain and the strive for efficiency will lead to higher requirements on geometrical quality, tighter tolerances, and surface requirements.

“Novel chitosan/alginate hydrogels as carriers of phenolic-enriched extracts from saffron floral by-products using natural deep eutectic solvents as green extraction media”

The current saffron production system is generating several hundreds of tons of tepal waste, because only stigmas are used for food. Consequently, the valorization of saffron floral by-products by developing stable functional ingredients could lead to the environmental impact minimization. Thus, the main aim of this study was to develop innovative green extraction processes from saffron floral by-products by using Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents (NaDES) and ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) as ecological extraction method. Response surface methodology was used to optimize process parameters. To improve the stability of the optimal extracts, they were incorporated into chitosan/alginate hydrogels, studying their water-uptake and water retention capacity and the total phenolic content (TPC) during the in vitro digestion. The results indicated that the optimal extraction, regarding total phenolic and flavonoid content, was achieved in 20 min, using 180 W ultrasound power and 90% of NaDES. The results of the DPPH assay revealed the potent antioxidant activity of saffron floral by-products. The chitosan/alginate hydrogels incorporating the as-obtained NaDES extracts showed favorable properties whereas the TPC remained stable under intestinal conditions. Therefore, NaDES combined with UAE was an efficient technique to isolate high added-value compounds from saffron flowers, succeeding also the valorization of discarded waste by using green and low-cost strategies. Furthermore, these novel hydrogels could be used as promising candidates for food or cosmetic applications.

Виды, формы и культурные смыслы современных антиконсюмеристских потребительских практик

The article is devoted to the analysis of cultural meanings and symbolic meanings of various forms of consumer actions of an anti-consumerist orientation in accordance with the specific historical conditions in which consumption is carried out. It is emphasized that the objects of consumption themselves and the practice of their use are always inscribed in a certain ideological system, interfacing with the norms of the latter. Adhering to the established foreign research tradition, the authors distinguish two trends among anti-consumerist practices: anti-consumption and consumer resistance. The signs of anti-consumption are mainly an individual character, a focus on the subject’s construction of his cultural identity, implementation within the framework of the capitalist order of production and consumption. Consumer resistance is characterized by the pronounced activity of specially organized collectives, the focus on combating the current production and consumer system, socio-political and economic injustice.

Threats and Challenges for Sustainable Cotton Production in Sindh, Pakistan: Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation to Combat Climate Change

Current cotton production systems are most vulnerable to climate extremes in the world but particularly in Sindh, Pakistan. There is a drier need to assess the climate vulnerability and develop climate-resilient production technologies and adaptation plan to combat the climate extremes. A study was conducted in three districts of Sindh province (Ghotki, Sukkur, and Khairpur). Both primary and secondary data of cotton growers (small, medium and large land holding) and different relevant departments of cotton was collected. Three data collection tools were used in this study. Primary data was collected directly from farmers by conducting Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) by engaging local cotton growers. Key informant interviews (KIIs) guide was used for the consultation with officials in government and other cotton related departments. Survey of cotton growers/farmers were conducted in these three districts by selecting farmers randomly. HCPL has conducted 13 FGDs with the beneficiary’s farmers (men and women). Out of the total, seven FGDs were conducted with male farmers and six FGDs were held with female farmers in three studied districts. In each FGDs 10 to 12 farmers participated actively in the discussion and data collection. In total 130 farmers consulted through FGDs in the studied region. Results showed that, the current cotton production system is vulnerable to climate change and climate resilient site-specific production technologies are required by adopting good management practices. Due to competing crops and unavailability of resources, cotton crop area has been shifted to other crops like sugarcane, so climate adaptation plan is required to reduce the cost of production. Increasing area under sugarcane crop also has negative effect on cotton crop due to high humid climatic conditions and leads to more insect pest infestation. Currently, cotton is being sown after wheat during the month of May, while sub optimum and substandard input like seed, fertilizer, and management practices being used. Farmers are also lacking in climate knowledge, and while there is no weather agro-advisory system available for farmers related to climate extremes conditions (drought, heat, and floods). Financial incentive system is also required for cotton crop just like other crops in the region. Good quality seed and input at lower rates are unavailable in this region. There is knowledge gap existed and farmer’s field school are required to develop the capacity building of the farmers to adopt climate resilient production technology. Cotton crop is sensitive to weather while climate forecast is also missing at gross root level, there is need to strength the system to deliver the information to the cotton growers to manage the cotton accordingly. There also need to strength the coordination and productive linkages with research institutes and academia that are working for the production enhancement of cotton crop. Climate resilient production technology transfer is also required to mitigate the negative effects of climate change. There is need to strengthen the marketing system of cotton for effective functioning of the key cotton value chain actors.

Lettera Aperta Alla Nuova Presidente Del Consiglio Italiano Giorgia Meloni In Materia Di Ambiente Ed Energia

I publish a generic response letter to those who write to me to receive articles to publish, conferences to participate in, as I cannot satisfy their requests without being inconsistent with myself. As a man free from partisan interests, a designer and inventor, I have always tried to understand and propose the best industrial and environmental solutions, trying to overcome the current scientific and technological state of the art. Unfortunately, the current world production and energy system has not only produced global warming and an unequal distribution of world wealth, it has reached a dead end, as it is much simpler and cheaper to extract clean energy directly from the environment than try to clean up fossil energy which still accounts for 80% of the world's energy.

AFRICAN SWINE FEVER: A BIOSECURITY CHALLENGE FOR DOMESTIC PIG PRODUCTION IN SERBIA

African swine fever (ASF) is currently the most important challenge for domestic pig production worldwide. The virus reached Eurasia in 2007, and is today affecting more than half of European Union member countries. Among Western Balkan countries, Serbia suffered the first case of ASF in a backyard holding in 2019. Since then, numerous outbreaks in domestic pigs and wild boar have been reported throughout the country despite the efforts of the veterinary authorities to control the disease. The lack of an effective vaccine is one of the main constraints, and the only currently available option to prevent further ASF infections is the application of strict biosecurity measures. Regarding biosecurity, backyard pig producers and smallholding farmers in Serbia have substantial gaps in the knowledge and fail to comply with safe production behaviour that favours the spread of ASF virus. In the currently prevailing smallholder and backyards farming systems, farm biosecurity is largely non-existent. The aim of this review was to identify specific ASF-risks factors in the current pig production system and gaps in biosecurity measures related to the human activities recognised as social and cultural identity in Serbia. Moreover, the main risk factors for ASF spreading and transmission at the domestic/wild boar interface, biosecurity practices in different production systems, and possible future control measures and awareness campaigns are discussed.

A decision support system based on Bayesian modelling for pest management: Application to wireworm risk assessment in maize fields

Protecting crops against pests is a major issue in the current agricultural production system. In particular, assessing the risk to crops can promote integrated pest management (IPM) strategies that encourage natural control mechanisms and advocate the use of pesticides as a last resort. In this study, we focused on wireworms, major soil-dwelling insect pests inflicting severe economic damage on various crops (including maize, potatoes and cereals) across Europe and North America. We have developed an original hierarchical Bayesian model that explicitly accounts for biological knowledge and uncertainty in field observations, rather than relying solely on statistical correlations, to predict the level of wireworm infestation. The model was calibrated and validated using a substantial dataset originating from an agro-environmental survey carried out over three consecutive years (2012–2014) in France, which provides the wireworm abundance in 419 maize fields, together with information on the landscape context, field history, weather conditions, soil characteristics and farming practices associated to each field. Model outcomes show good agreement with current knowledge from literature and field expertise in terms of the effects of variables on wireworm abundance, and provide fairly good predictive capacity. Subsequently, the model was encapsulated as a software (R shiny application) to predict the risk of wireworm infestation in any field of interest, and can be used by farmers or agricultural advisors as a decision support system for the implementation of IPM strategies. The conceptual framework that we implemented can be adapted to a wide range of similar situations involving other crops and pests.

TÜRKİYE'DE YEREL YÖNETİMLERDE SÜRDÜRÜLEBİLİRLİK RAPORLAMASI: DEĞERLENDİRMELER VE ÖNERİLER

The environmental conditions that provide suitable conditions for the existence of living things are changing. Our world is the result of our current production and transportation systems and consumption-oriented life practices. It is now warmer than the period before the Industrial Revolution. This situation, which we call climate change, has ceased to be a phenomenon that we only read about in reports and that is likely to affect us at some point in time. If we cannot stop this trend, the tragic environmental impact that threatens the existence of all living species on Earth. In addition to the difficult conditions seen in natural life, our world is now trying to exist under more difficult economic development and social injustice problems than before. We are at the beginning of perhaps the most difficult times that humankind has ever experienced. Organizations must be aware that they will only continue if human exists. The existence of human is not only a biological phenomenon. Existence includes economy, social rights, and equality, environmental assets. Therefore today it is more important to protect these three factors. In this study, a conceptual contribution to the field of sustainability reporting in local governments is targeted. As a result of the study, it is suggested that collaboration between different parties is needed to develop sustainable reporting initiatives in Turkey.

Carbon Capture Performance Assessment Applied to Combined Cycle Gas Turbine Under Part-Load Operation

Abstract The growing share of renewable energies in our electricity production, together with the still lacking storage capacity, strongly reinforces the need for more flexible electricity production units. In this context, combined cycle gas turbines (CCGTs) have a role to play, both in the current and future electricity production system due to their high efficiency, high load flexibility, and low CO2 emissions compared to other conventional thermal power plants. Nevertheless, bearing in mind our current challenges concerning climate change, the CO2 emissions of these CCGTs need to be reduced drastically. The amine-based absorption carbon capture (CC) process is currently the most mature and applicable CC technology. This process is known to require a considerable amount of thermal energy, degrading plant performance. However, to back-up renewable production, CCGTs will operate most of the time under part-load conditions. The impact of these part-load operations on the CC is still relatively unknown. Within this framework, this study aims to assess the performance of the CC process applied to a typical CCGT under part-load operation using specific simulation models. The CC plant model has been successfully validated against experimental data from a pilot-scale capture facility. Then, the CC plant has been scaled-up to the CCGT scale and the process has been optimized for each operating condition. The simulation results show that the specific reboiler duty increases for part-load operation, while the specific cooling requirements decrease. Moreover, the analysis of the yearly CCGT operation highlights a relative increase in CC energy penalty of 21% for an annual CCGT load factor of 0.5, impacting significantly plant performance. The next step will involve reducing this energy penalty.

Industrial Symbiosis: A Mechanism to Guarantee the Implementation of Circular Economy Practices

There is a growing concern regarding the scarcity of natural resources. The levels of resource exploitation generated by the current system of production and consumption has led the European Commission to develop a set of guidelines that aim to reduce the pressure on natural resources. The set of guidelines proposed by the European Union is based on the transformation of the current linear economic system into a circular system in which resources and materials remain in the production system for longer. However, for this change to take effect, practical measures are required. This paper presents an industrial symbiosis approach as a practical application of a circular economy model. The aim of this paper is to develop a guide to successfully implement an industrial symbiosis network, demonstrating that industrial symbiosis can achieve the goals of a circular economy. To demonstrate this, an example of its implementation is provided in a region of Spain, which is responsible for producing approximately 95% of the total ceramics products in the nation. This study emphasises the set of barriers that need to be addressed in order to make new models a reality for business and consumers, society, and the environment.

Assessment of Agricultural Land Suitability for Surface Irrigation Using Geospatial Techniques in the Lower Omo Gibe Basin, Ethiopia

Land suitability assessment for irrigation is critical to inform as well as manage current and future irrigated agriculture production systems. Land suitability analysis determines whether a given land area could potentially be used for specific crop production. The objective of this study was to identify the availability of suitable land for surface irrigation systems for the production of millet, sorghum, sugarcane, and wheat production in the Lower Omo Gibe plain, Southern Ethiopia. Land suitability analysis was performed by a parametric method using factors such as soil texture, effective soil depth, Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3), soil electrical conductivity (ECe), drainage class, and slope. Five land suitability classes were identified that include highly suitable (S1), moderately suitable (S2), marginally suitable (S3), currently not suitable (N1), and permanently not suitable (N2). Results showed that 6.6, 7.5, 6.6, and 6.6% of the study area mostly located in the western part of the basin, were highly suitable (S1) for irrigated millets, sorghum, sugarcane, and wheat crops production, respectively. However, the mountainous areas in the central part of the basin were classified as N2 due to the steep slope and shallow soil depth. Overall, the results of the study revealed that the use of various suitability analysis techniques could assist in identifying suitable land for irrigated agriculture.

Effect of Two Different Irrigation Strategies on the Yield Components of Five Rice Varieties in a Cold Mediterranean climate in the South-Central Zone of Chile

Rice is one of the agricultural species that consumes a lot of water. In countries with cold climates such as Chile, a 200 mm high sheet of water is used to cope with night temperatures below 10 °C. This practice consumes 18,000 m3 ha-1 of water per season. Climate change is currently a major problem, where the reduction in precipitation can exceed 40%. Under this context, the current rice production system is unsustainable. The objective of the research seeks to evaluate five rice varieties with different lengths of the productive cycle, under two water management strategies (intermittent vs. traditional irrigation), evaluating the yield components of rice varieties. The trial was conducted in the Mediterranean climate of South-Central Chile, zone is characterized by low temperatures. The traditional commercial variety used was Zafiro (Oryza sativa sp. japonica), which showed good yields under flood irrigation conditions with 8,100 and 7,300 kg/ha for both seasons, respectively. However, under intermittent irrigation conditions, it showed a drastic yield reduction of 94 and 42% for both seasons, respectively. While the short-cycle variety MA042, showed yields of 12,663 and 11,063 kg/ha under flood irrigation strategy for both seasons, while under AWD system it showed only 34 and 4% reduction, respectively. The use of short cycle varieties, which require less water and are more tolerant to low temperatures, represent a productive option for rice farmers in cold climates, where water resources are an increasingly scarce commodity.