Development Of Farming Systems Research Articles

Tillage-residues affect mineral-associated organic matter on Vertisols in northern Mexico

Managing croplands for increased storage of soil organic matter (SOM) contributes to the development of resilient farming systems in a changing climate. We examined SOM dynamics in a wheat (Triticum durum L.) – maize (Zea mays L.) irrigated bed planting system established near Ciudad Obregón, Sonora, Mexico. Soil samples (0–15 cm) were collected from conventionally tilled raised beds (CTB) with all crop residues incorporated (CTB-I) and permanent raised beds (PB) with crop residues burned (PB-B), removed (PB-R), partly retained (PB-P) or fully retained (PB-K) receiving 0, 150 or 300 kg N ha−1, and analyzed for organic C (OC), total N (TN) and δ13C in whole-soil, light fraction (LF) and coarse- (sand) and fine- (silt and clay) mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM). Results indicated that PB-K and PB-B increased soil OC (p <0.05) in whole-soil relative to CTB-I, mainly through increases in sand- and silt-size MAOM, respectively. Similarly, N-fertilization increased soil OC and TN contents in whole-soil, coarse-MAOM and fine-MAOM, but not in the LF pool. Soil δ13C was higher (p <0.05) in PB-K (−20.18‰) relative to PB-B (−20.67‰), possibly due to the stabilization of partly decomposed maize-C in silt- and clay-size MAOM. Composition of SOM surveyed by CPMAS 13C NMR was not affected by tillage-residue management, and roughly consisted of 35% O-alkyl-C, 31% alkyl-C, 24% aromatic-C and 10% carboxyl-C. Our results indicate that long-term PB-K and PB-B adoption increased surface soil OC contents relative to CTB-I, even though pathways of SOM stabilization differed between systems. Under PB-K, accumulation of fine-MAOM was mostly related to straw-C inputs, whereas in PB-B it was closely associated to black-C precursors. Fine-MAOM appeared responsive to crop residue management, and should be therefore considered when analyzing mechanisms of SOM stabilization in irrigated croplands.

Optimization of agricultural land use taking into account behavior of soils with different terms of agricultural use

The influence of time of agricultural development on soil behavior was investigated in Belgorod region by example of two key parcels corresponding to broad-forest and meadowsteppe landscapes of forest steppe. It is important to maintain soil agroecological potential and productivity in agroecosystems, having influence on the development of farming systems. The authors identified the following groups of anthropogenic factors affecting soil fertility after long-term agricultural using: mechanical (pressure on the soil and its processing by agricultural machinery, creation of micro- and nano- reliefs); organizational-territorial (various forest belts); chemical (fertilizers introduced, albeit in small quantities, but affecting the microecosystem of the parcels).

The development of intensive beef cattle farming system in North Sulawesi with strategy management concept approach

Beef cattle production in North Sulawesi needs to be increased because its growth was very slow, unable to keep up with the rate of consumer demand. The intensive system approach to beef cattle development was intended to increase production by increasing the ability or optimizing the productivity of the available production factors, where the current conditions for beef cattle development in North Sulawesi were generally maintained traditionally (extensively). This study aimed to obtain the concept of a long-term planning strategy from an intensive system of beef cattle development in North Sulawesi. A qualitative research method was used to determine farmers’ perceptions and formulate development strategies using a four-stage qualitative analysis approach, a Lingkert scale, and a three-stage strategy formulation for the David Fred model. The results showed that farmers in North Sulawesi were less interested in the application of the intensive farming system in developing beef cattle, because the traditional (extensive) farming system have been considered beneficial for the farmers. Therefore, to achieve the development of intensive farming systems, the strategy had to be built for driving force in the market and consumers.

Economic assessment of maize (Zea mays L.) – Spinach (Basella alba L.) intercropping system for improving the livelihood of smallholders’ in South-Asia

Economic assessment of maize (Zea mays L.) – Spinach (Basella alba L.) intercropping system for improving the livelihood of smallholders’ in South-Asia

The performance of ecological cage aquaculture of pejerrey Odontesthes bonariensis in Pampean lakes under two different hydrological scenarios

Ecological aquaculture promotes the development of sustainable farming systems, focusing on a wide range of ecosystem elements. The ecological aquaculture of the zooplanktivorous pejerrey (Odontesthes bonariensis) in floating cages in Pampean shallow lakes (Argentina) needs to be carried out considering the hydrological and chemical variations as modulators of plankton community and consequently of the pejerrey yield. To assess its performance in lakes with contrasting hydrological regimes, an experiment was carried out in two water bodies: La Salada de Monasterio Lake (Mon), an endorheic environment, and San Lorenzo Lake (Lor), connected to several lakes and the Salado River. During the experiment, regional rainfall generated high hydrological variability in Lor Lake changing its status of unconnected lake to a run-of-the-river lake. High standard deviation in Chlorophyll-a values in Lor indicated the significant effects of hydrological instability on the plankton community. Microcrustaceans abundance and biomass were higher in Mon, and almost disappeared in Lor when it turns into run-of-the-river. The final fish growth and survival were significantly higher in Mon, endorsing the importance of zooplankton of high nutritional quality and hydrological, physical–chemical and biological stability. The results indicate that productive and stable environments with a sustained offer of natural food are better for the zooplanktivorous fish production. Connectivity with other water bodies and hydrological dependence on rainfall regimes have defining effects on phytoplankton, zooplankton and fish production, thus emerging as key factors to be considered for achieving better results in the ecological aquaculture implementation.

Agricultural subsidies and global greenhouse gas emissions

Agricultural production is strongly affected by and a major contributor to climate change. Agriculture and land-use change account for a quarter of total global emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG). Agriculture receives around US$600 billion per year worldwide in government support. No rigorous quantification of the impact of this support on GHG emissions has been available. This article helps fill the void. Here, we find that, while over the years the government support has incentivized the development of high-emission farming systems, at present, the support only has a small impact in terms of inducing additional global GHG emissions from agricultural production; partly because support is not systematically biased towards high-emission products, and partly because support generated by trade protection reduces demand for some high-emission products by raising their consumer prices. Substantially reducing GHG emissions from agriculture while safeguarding food security requires a more comprehensive revamping of existing support to agriculture and food consumption.

Cacao, copoazu and macambo: Exploring Theobroma diversity in smallholder agroforestry systems of the Peruvian Amazon

Over the past decades, the general trend towards shade reduction and intensification of cacao management has led to biodiversity losses. In the Peruvian Amazon, the regional government is heavily promoting crop conversion to shift from regionally marketed foods towards cacao (Theobroma cacao) and copoazu (Theobroma grandiflorum). While this shift is already visibly impacting the farming landscape and the lives of many smallholder farmers, little is known about the reasons that drive farmers to choose certain types of Theobroma species or cacao varieties over others. In this paper, we addressed how cacao farmers perceive and manage specific and varietal Theobroma diversity. We interviewed cacao farmers (n = 20) during a seed-exchange fair and adapted a version of the four-square analysis to explore which Theobromas are currently adopted by farmers and why. The native cacao variety (cacao chuncho) was the one cultivated by most farmers, followed by the more industrial clonal varieties. The source of seeds and seedlings for the most cultivated varieties was a mix of donations by public institutions (for clonal varieties) and informal exchange among farmers (mainly for native and criollo varieties, and species i.e. macambo (Theobroma bicolor) and cacauillo (Theobroma speciosum)). The cacao varieties incentivized by public institutions were the least desired for future investment. The motivations for farmers to plant Theobromas was mainly based on the perceived current and potential market, but their desire to invest in a given species or variety was also based on pest resistance, traditional use, farm diversification and taste. Copoazu and CCN cacao varieties are produced by many households in large areas, while macambo, cacauillo and the cacao varieties TSH and porcelana are produced by few households in small areas. Our study suggests that agroforestry systems that include alternative Theobroma species are multi-strata and more diverse than cacao-based systems. It highlights the risks of agrobiodiversity loss associated with the promotion of industrial cacao varieties, and the importance of seed and seedling access for the development of diverse farming systems. We recommend the expansion of local seed-sharing networks and the extension of public cacao-donation campaigns to neglected and underutilized Theobromas with socio-economic and environmental benefits, in order to make the local farming systems more diverse and resilient.

The Role of Diffusion of Innovation in Agricultural to Compete in Asean Community

Diffusion of innovation is one of the most needed in agribusiness farming. Many farmers failed to increase their income. Besides, they lost their income and even their land because they couldn’t be able to solve their problems which the national development of agriculture business seemed impossible to overcome the problems and the obstacles to resolving thoroughly as the requirement needed more serious attention. The innovation was a key factor for agribusiness growth, development and the welfare of chili pepper farmer. Diffusion of chili pepper farming had given differences in innovativeness to determine the characteristic of the adopter categories. But the communication and adoption process could explain the need of diffusion of innovation. The important in diffusion was the time dimension in chronology and not as history. Innovation was treated as both products of contradiction and caused of new contradiction and the process of adoption as both being structured was changed after all. When a new idea adopted, the innovations required in the period of time to become available. A new technology as a smart technology adopted and transformed in a learning process. By having to identify and examining the WHY and HOWs of the interface the farmer and innovation systems would, therefore, create a very good intervention ground to make a rational use of resources and knowledge for the development of agribusiness farming systems.

The problem of rural geoculture based on the modern development of agriculture

During the period of intensification of agriculture and a change in the complex of conditions affecting the level of production, an acute issue is the attitude to land as the main means of production. Considering the natural characteristics of this means, a dilemma is arising in defining it as an object or subject of activity. The presented article provides an analytical overview of the problem of modern agrarian relations associated with the imperfection of farming systems and the organization of agricultural production. In the context of geocultural understanding, the status of the land is determined, which goes beyond the exclusively economic problem of the village, acquires a deep ideological, anthropological nature. Taking into account the conflicting opinions of famous thinkers and naturalists, it has been established that the geocultural paradigm of rural development should become an alternative to the village as a subject of the goal of activity. At the same time, the land is not an object and means of production, but a subjectively reliable way of managing, respectively, the spiritual foundations of the culture of the Ukrainian people. Land as a geocultural subject cannot be a commodity and an object of sale and purchase, in contrast to land plots, which can become land due to the geocultural mode of management. For the effective use of land plots and an increase in the level of production while saving the environment, it is necessary to implement the principles of the development and implementation of adaptive farming systems. Key words: land, agriculture, geoculture, rural population, farming.

Farming and multi-resource subsistence in the third and second millennium BC: archaeobotanical evidence from Karuo

Over the past years, archaeobotanical studies have clarified much of the process of dispersal and adaptation of crops across Asia. However, the development of farming systems that could function in the high-altitude environments of Tibet requires more in-depth consideration. In this article, we present the results of the systematic archaeobotanical investigation at Karuo, a third millennium BC site in eastern Tibet. We argue that millet cultivation was possibly practiced at the site and that it was likely an important aspect of the economy from 2700 to 2100 cal. BC. The role of millet in the cultivation system might have declined after the mid-second millennium BC, during which time wheat—a grain originating in southwest Asia—appeared at the site. In addition to farming, evidence of foraging, hunting, and fishing are present suggesting a diverse subsistence strategy. The diversification of human diets may have contributed to the long-term occupation of the site. Taking a broad regional perspective into account, the diverse spectrum of subsistence strategy engaged by Karuo people provides new insights into the understanding of early lifeways on the Tibetan Plateau.

Information Technologies for Welfare Monitoring in Pigs and Their Relation to Welfare Quality®

The assessment of animal welfare on-farm is important to ensure that current welfare standards are followed. The current manual assessment proposed by Welfare Quality® (WQ), although being an essential tool, is only a point-estimate in time, is very time consuming to perform, only evaluates a subset of the animals, and is performed by the subjective human. Automation of the assessment through information technologies (ITs) could provide a continuous objective assessment in real-time on all animals. The aim of the current systematic review was to identify ITs developed for welfare monitoring within the pig production chain, evaluate the ITs developmental stage and evaluate how these ITs can be related to the WQ assessment protocol. The systematic literature search identified 101 publications investigating the development of ITs for welfare monitoring within the pig production chain. The systematic literature analysis revealed that the research field is still young with 97% being published within the last 20 years, and still growing with 63% being published between 2016 and mid-2020. In addition, most focus is still on the development of ITs (sensors) for the extraction and analysis of variables related to pig welfare; this being the first step in the development of a precision livestock farming system for welfare monitoring. The majority of the studies have used sensor technologies detached from the animals such as cameras and microphones, and most investigated animal biomarkers over environmental biomarkers with a clear focus on behavioural biomarkers over physiological biomarkers. ITs intended for many different welfare issues have been studied, although a high number of publications did not specify a welfare issue and instead studied a general biomarker such as activity, feeding behaviour and drinking behaviour. The ‘good feeding’ principle of the WQ assessment protocol was the best represented with ITs for real-time on-farm welfare assessment, while for the other principles only few of the included WQ measures are so far covered. No ITs have yet been developed for the ‘Comfort around resting’ and the ‘Good human-animal relationship’ criteria. Thus, the potential to develop ITs for welfare assessment within the pig production is high and much work is still needed to end up with a remote solution for welfare assessment on-farm and in real-time.

БАЛАНС ЭЛЕМЕНТОВ ПИТАНИЯ В СЕВООБОРОТАХ В УСЛОВИЯХ БИОЛОГИЗИРОВАННОГО АДАПТИВНО-ЛАНДШАФТНОГО ЗЕМЛЕДЕЛИЯ

In the light of recent developments, the use of biological techniques in crop cultivation technologies needs to be expanded. The role of crop rotations with a high proportion of legume grasses, green manure crops and intermediate crops is increasing. The purpose of the research is to study soil fertility dynamics in terms of the main nutritional elements and determine their balance for the development of the adaptive landscape farming system in the North-Eastern region of the European part of Russia. Experiments were carried out on the experimental plots of the FARC of the North-East in 2002–2009. Soil – sod-podzolic middle loamy. We analyzed data of a long-term stationary experiment in four grain-fallow-grass field crop rotations. Meteorological conditions during the years of research were close to the average long-term values and favorable for crop cultivation. The introduction of low doses of fertilizers (N45P45K45 as mineral, 11.5–22.5 t/ha as green manure) increased the content of mobile phosphorus in the soil by 11–14 mg/kg (LSD05 = 9.5) in crop rotations with occupied and green manure fallows. An increase in exchangeable potassium by 15 mg/kg (LSD05 = 14.1) was noted in crop rotation with two clover fields for green manure. A positive balance of nitrogen and phosphorus was obtained in crop rotation with occupied and green manure fallows. The nitrogen balance was with a higher intake of +157.8 – +483.5 kg/ha and balance intensity – 115–140 %. The balance of phosphorus has developed at +6.0…+49.6 kg/ha. The positive balance of potassium was only in crop rotations with the introduction of green manure fertilizers and intermediate crop (+69.9…+175.8 kg/ha). The intensity of the balance of these elements was 101–118 %. In the control crop rotation with bare fallow at a minimum intake of nutrients, the negative balance of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium was obtained; the intensity was below 100 %. Productivity of crop rotation was at the level of 4.90–5.41 thousand fodder units. According to the optimal combination of productivity and the balance of nutritional elements, crop rotation with two clover fields for green manure and an intermediate crop stood out.

The challenges of integrated farming system development towards sustainable agriculture in Indonesia

This study was aimed to determine the challenges of developing an Integrated Farming System (IFS). IFS is one of the solutions for agricultural development in Indonesia by integrating agriculture, livestock, fisheries, forestry and other sciences related to agriculture. It is expected to be able to increased land productivity. This research was conducted with a comparative study from various countries such as Brazil, India, US, sub-Saharan Africa countries regarding development issues, implementation, and constraints that occur in an IFS. The method of study is literature study. The results of the study show that the implementation of the IFS system poses various challenges, including: a) lack of understanding of farmers towards IFS, b) limited ability of farmers to utilize agricultural technology and c) financial support. However, IFS can increase agricultural food security and increased farmer welfare and expand employment. The implementation of IFS requires government support to create opportunities to increase farm scale in line with farmers’ income.

A Review on Assessing and Mapping Soil Erosion Hazard Using Geo-Informatics Technology for Farming System Management

Soil erosion is a severe threat to food production systems globally. Food production in farming systems decreases with increasing soil erosion hazards. This review article focuses on geo-informatics applications for identifying, assessing and predicting erosion hazards for sustainable farming system development. Several researchers have used a variety of quantitative and qualitative methods with erosion models, integrating geo-informatics techniques for spatial interpretations to address soil erosion and land degradation issues. The review identified different geo-informatics methods of erosion hazard assessment and highlighted some research gaps that can provide a basis to develop appropriate novel methodologies for future studies. It was found that rainfall variation and land-use changes significantly contribute to soil erosion hazards. There is a need for more research on the spatial and temporal pattern of water erosion with rainfall variation, innovative techniques and strategies for landscape evaluation to improve the environmental conditions in a sustainable manner. Examining water erosion and predicting erosion hazards for future climate scenarios could also be approached with emerging algorithms in geo-informatics and spatiotemporal analysis at higher spatial resolutions. Further, geo-informatics can be applied with real-time data for continuous monitoring and evaluation of erosion hazards to risk reduction and prevent the damages in farming systems.

Identifikasi Potensi dan Pengembangan Sistem Pertanian Organik menuju Bali Pulau Organik

Tujuan: Dengan mengadopsi sistem pertanian yang selaras alam melalui pendekatan sistem pertanian organik diharapkan menghasilkan komoditas yang sehat dan aman untuk dikonsumsi dan memiliki nilai jual yang lebih tinggi sehingga ke dua misi tersebut dalam jangka panjang dapat dicapai.&#x0D; Metode Penelitian: Penelitian mengenai identifikasi potensi dan pengembangan sistem pertanian organik menuju Bali pulau organik telah dilakukan diseluruh wilayah kabupaten dan Kota di Provinsi Bali sejak bulan Mei – Desember 2019. Penelitian dilakukan melalui survei lapang dan hasilnya disepakati melalui FGD bersama para stakeholder.&#x0D; Temuan: Pengembangan sistem pertanian organik potensial dilakukan hampir seluruh kabupaten di Bali kecuali di Kabupaten Klungkung dan Kota Denpasar.&#x0D; Implikasi: Inovasi yang dihasilkan dari penelitian ini adalah sistem database pertanian organik Provinsi Bali yang online, terintegrasi, kompak, ringan, dan mudah dioperasikan.

Social Networks as Drivers for Technology Adoption: A Study from a Rural Mountain Area in Italy

Innovation processes includes social and communicative elements. The role of innovative technology for the development of farming systems is investigated in literature, but only a few studies deal with the influence of networks on the adoption of technologies by farmers. The aim of this paper is to verify if the adoption of smartphones for professional reasons by farmers is influenced by the networks to which farmers belong, the socio-demographic characteristics of the farmers, and their farm’s size. The case study is in the Valtellina valley, a rural mountain area in the north of Italy, where 53 livestock farmers were interviewed. The methodology is based on two steps. First, social network analysis is applied to diagnose the relationships of farmers in terms of connectivity and closeness and to detect the centrality measures of farmers in three different social relationships: production networks, market networks, and information exchange networks. A multiple linear regression model is then applied to test whether centrality measures of the three networks, the farmers’ socio-demographic characters, and the farm’s features drive the adoption of smartphones for professional reasons. Results suggest that the centrality measures in production networks positively drive the adoption of smartphones, while the centrality measures of market and information exchange networks do not have the same effect. At the same time, the farmers’ age negatively affects the use of smartphones for professional reasons, while the size of the herd, and the education and gender of farmers have no significant influence. The study contributes to the debate around the Agricultural Knowledge Innovation System and supports local policies based on the inclusion of farmers in the technological development in rural areas.

Effect of organic rice (Oryza sativa) cultivation on greenhouse gas emission

Organic cultivation of crops is important for improving and maintaining soil health and reducing environmental pollution. The organic sources of fertilizer also have impact on emission of greenhouse gases. A field experiment was conducted during 2015-16 and 2016-17 in organic rice (Oryza sativa L.) field to study the impact of organic farming on Global Warming Potential (GWP).Treatments consisted of eight combinations namely: (T1) non-amended control; (T2) Recommended dose of fertilizers; (T3) FYM; (T4) VC; (T5) FYM + CR; (T6) VC+CR; (T7) FYM + CR + B; and (T8) VC+CR+B. Experimental results revealed that Global Warming Potential (GWP) of various treatments varied from 569.95 kg to 1840.55 kg CO2 eq. ha-1 and 634.66 kg to 1899.20 kg CO2 eq. ha-1 during both years, respectively. Different organic treatment combinations led to about 3.0 to 29.4%reduction in GWP over the conventional system, while 67.78%reduction was observed in control.The order of GWP among different combination of treatments was as follows: Control &lt; VC &lt; FYM &lt; FYM+CR &lt; VC+CR &lt; VC+CR+B &lt; FYM+CR+B &lt; Conventional. This study indicated that replacement of existing conventional systems with various organic practices could reduce GWP of the system and thus needs to be considered for development of sustainable farming systems.

Inter-linkages among various components of dairy based farming systems in Mizoram State

Farming system approach has been widely recognized and advocated as one of the tools for harmonious use of inputs and their compounded response to make the production system sustainable. The present study was conducted to examine linkages among various components of farming systems in Mizoram state by using Leontief input-output model. The study identified 10 dairy based farming systems based on the major contribution to income of farm enterprise. The inter-component linkages from livestock to crop were stronger as compared to crop to livestock for all the farming systems. The degree of integration of different components of the various farming systems in terms of linkages is found to be strongest under D + C + P + Po farming systems. The interdependence observed among various components of farming system suggests the need to adopt total systems approach for development of sustainable farming systems.

Programmable Chess Sowing

One of the options for solving the problem of placing plants with the shape of the feeding area close to the circular one is to use a chess method of seeding. The development of precision farming and automation systems creates prerequisites for programmable chess seeding based on local coordination of the seeding unit. (Research purpose) The research purpose is in building and analyzing models of programmable chess seeding using an algorithm for separate control of even and odd seeding sections with local coordination of the seeder and precision farming elements. (Materials and methods) For the analysis of the algorithm separate control of odd and even partitions of seeders in the software package Matlab Simulink a simulation model of staggered planting was built based on the following assumptions: reference line distances on opposite edges of the field parallel to the surface field of the flat, air resistance is ignored, sliding or slipping distance measuring wheel is not presented, the seeds are sown in the furrow with the free fall acceleration and fixed in the tangent point with the ground, the speed of a drill is variable. (Results and discussion) To visualize the operation of the algorithm for controlling the flaps of even and odd sections of the drill, the article presents a graph of the placement of seeds relative to the specified position of opening the flaps in several rows of seeding. Authors have described analytical dependencies for calculating the offset of opening the shutters of seed sections, which are used in a special program for selecting the optimal number of encoder pulses. It was found that this minimizes the values of the offset ΔL per 1000 meters of passage (ΔL = 8.48 × 10-5 - 8.50 × 10-5 meters) and ensures precise coordination of the seeder's actuators in the field. (Conclusions) It was found that an increase in the speed of the seeder leads to a violation of the chess scheme of placing seeds on the field due to their spread in the furrow. It was found that to reduce the spread of seeds in the furrow and comply with the staggered distribution scheme, it is necessary to upgrade the coulter system of the rowed seeder or to carry out sowing at a speed below 2.5 meters per second, which will negatively affect the productivity of the sowing unit.

Multi-criteria assessment of the sustainability of farming systems in the reclaimed desert lands of Egypt

On newly cultivated lands in deserts as in the majority of dryland areas, the sustainability of agricultural systems is often debated in terms of socioeconomic viability and agro-ecological longevity. In these contexts, livestock production systems have raised controversial debates regarding their roles and effects in terms of sustainable development. The objective of this paper is to assess the level (and types) of crop-livestock integration in the dryland systems and whether they result in different well-being and improved efficiency of these agroecosystems. Using an empirical study in the newly reclaimed desert lands of the west part of the Nile Delta (Egypt), we proposed an assessment of the sustainability of the family farming systems using two approaches: a) multiple factor analysis and b) multi-criteria assessment. The multi-criteria assessment highlighted how family farm sustainability depends highly on the integration of livestock into the system, with technical or economic efficiency effects. The multiple factor analysis allowed the distinction of two types of farm systems in which livestock activity could be a source in increasing labour productivity or ensuring the viability of the farm in both short and long terms. So, the two approaches brought out the critical role of livestock in the overall efficiency of the system. However, factor analysis highlighted different profiles of integration and diversification based on-farm assets, and the multi-criteria assessment provided a comprehensive framework for conceptualizing aggregated indicators for the development of sustainable farming systems for the end-users. So these two methods may be complementarity to develop and assess the causal processes of a sustainability assessment.