Environment-friendly Agriculture Research Articles

Results of Soil Survey for Environmental-friendly Agricultural Regions in 2018

For the improvement and conservation of sustainable environmental-friendly agriculture, governmental project for base establishment of environmental-friendly agriculture, has been done since 1999 by the ministry of agriculture, food, and rural affairs. In relation with the project, investigation on fundamental soil survey on the 16 regions of environmental-friendly agricultural area selected as project implementation area was carried out in 2018. Some of results are as follow. Distribution of soil series was identified as 96 series among 405 series in nation wide. The highest population of soil series was Jisan series occupying 10.7% of that total investigated area. The number of soil series occupying over 300 field in each soil series were 8 and the related area was 53.5% among total investigated region. Land use recommendation were paddy as 83.7% and upland as 12.9% of total agricultural area, however land use type, investigated in base of application papers were various as paddy, upland, horticulture, and orchard. Distribution of soil family were in the order of fine loamy as 39.6%, coarse loamy as 31.2%. Land slope were mostly plain (slope 0-2%) and slight slope (slope 2-7%), those occupied 82.6% of total investigated area. Distribution of drainage class of very poorly, poorly, somewhat poorly, moderately well, well and somewhat excessively was 95.9% among total investigated area. Soil series occupying over 300 soil field among investigated regions. Soil series Soil phase No. of field†(A) A/Tot. field (%) Jisan JiB, JiC 671 10.2 Hampyoung HI, HIB 544 8.3 Hwadong Hj, HjB 505 7.8 Chilgok CGB, CGC, CGD 397 6.1 Sukcheon SE, SV 377 5.8 Haengkok HM, HMB 353 5.3 Sachon ScB, ScC, SfB, SfC 337 5.2 Pyeongtaek Pt 304 4.7 8 19 3,488 53.4 †Total No. of investigated soil field were 6,516.

NH4+-K+ co-loaded clinoptilolite as a binary fertilizer

ABSTRACTUnderstanding the potential of clinoptilolite (CLI) for adsorption of NH4+ and K+, providing appropriate fertilizer formula, and evaluation of the produced zeolitic nutrient sources (ZNSs) to meet the plant need are the main objectives of this study. Three ZNSs (NH4+-saturated, K+-saturated and dual-purpose NH4+-K+ saturated CLI) were produced, assessed, and compared with commercial N and K fertilizers (CFs) on corn growth in a greenhouse. The results indicated that CLI can potentially adsorb both NH4+ and K+ to the maximum values of 25.00 mg-NH4+ g−1 and 47.61 mg-K g−1, respectively, and chemisorptions mainly followed the process of adsorption. Saturation of zeolite by NH4+ and K+ occurred after 10 and 15 d which lead to ZNSs with 2% and 5% of N and K, respectively. NH4+-K+ saturated CLI contained 1% N and 1% K. The greenhouse experiment showed no significant difference between ZNSs and CFs on plant growth. However, the application of both N and K in the form of zeolitic sources significantly increased the uptake of N by the plant. The highest uptake of K (2.05 g pot−1) occurred in plants supplied with both natural zeolite and CFs. The present results may benefit the future utilization of ZNSs in environmental friendly farming practices.

Consumers’ Recognition of Multifunctionality in Agriculture and Price Premiums for Environmentally Friendly Agricultural Products: Evidence from a Survey Experiment

We conduct an online survey experiment to determine the influence of multifunctionality recognition in agriculture on the price premiums of environmental-friendly agricultural products. We use the case of fish-friendly rice produced in Shiga prefecture, Japan, which contributes to the conservation of the water and ecosystem in rural areas around Lake Biwa by setting up fish ways and reducing the use of herbicides. We assume two conditions for consumers to pay premiums on environmental-friendly agricultural products. The first is that consumers recognize multifunctionality in agriculture. The second condition is that consumers have a correct understanding of environment-friendly agricultural products. We thus examine the effects of respondents’ attributes on their responses to two types of visual stimuli: one associated with the multifunctionality of agriculture and information about environment-friendly agricultural products. In the analysis of the respondents; willingness to pay, the price premium of the group with both the stimulus and information is significantly higher than the price premium of the control group with no interventions. However, the price premium of the group with only the stimulus is not statistically different for the control group. The policy implication of this research is that consumers are more likely to support agri-environmental policies if they recognize both the multifunctionality of agriculture and the properties of environmental-friendly agricultural products. The two types of stimuli have complimentary effects on increasing price premiums. Promoting the recognition of multifunctionality is especially important for those who do not usually access information on agriculture.

Adjusting and Integrating Agricultural Policy for Promoting Environment-Friendly Agriculture by Prefectural Government

Adjusting and Integrating Agricultural Policy for Promoting Environment-Friendly Agriculture by Prefectural Government

Ecological-social-economic assessment of zebra-mussel cultivation scenarios for the Oder (Szczecin) Lagoon

The Systems Approach Framework with an integrated Ecological-Social-Economic assessment was applied to address the issue of zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) farming in the large Oder (Szczecin) Lagoon, southern Baltic Sea. Heavy eutrophication hampers the use of the lagoon and zebra mussel farming is considered as new use and potential measure to improve water quality. Three alternative scenarios were developed in interaction with local stakeholders: 1) the production of mussels as fresh feed and meal on a commercial basis seemed not profitable, because of a limited market for fresh mussels (zoos, aquaculture) and low prices for organic feed. 2) Mussel cultivation to improve transparency and attractiveness of bathing waters near beaches had only a limited potential (0.2 m improvement of Secchi depth). A higher mussel biomass would increase the risk of temporary hypoxia. 3) Mussels farms for improving the environmental status (according to EU Water Framework Directive) by supporting macrophyte restoration were considered as the most promising scenario. Our model simulations suggested that as soon as a compensation for nutrient removal is considered, all mussel farm scenarios could cover the costs. Experiments and literature confirm that the conditions for an environmental friendly farming approach in the lagoon are suitable. Steps towards and problems associated with an implementation, e.g. invasion of Dreissena bugensis (quagga mussel), are discussed. Each step of the Ecological-Social-Economic assessment and major lessons learnt are documented in detail. Altogether, the approach turned out to be very suitable for this issue.

A Study on the Legal System for Organic Seed

1998년 친환경농업육성법이 제정된 이후 20년이 지났다. 지난 20년간 친환경 내지는 유기농에 관한 법제도는 그 범위 및 기준에서 강화하는 방향으로 개정되어 왔다. 유기농산물 중심에서 유기농자재, 유기식품까지 확대되었다. 지난 10여 년 동안은 유기종자에 대한 기준마련에 대한 논의가 계속되고 있다. 유기종자란 유기적으로 재배된 농작물에서 채종된 종자로 농약, 화학비료 등 인위적으로 합성된 제품이 아닌 유기자재만을 사용하여 생산하고 채종된 종자를 말한다. 그러나 이런 정의에도 불구하고 구체적인 기준을 마련하고 있는 입법례는 없다. 또한 식량농업기구를 비롯한 국제기구 또는 민간기관에서도 그 법적 기준을 마련하지 못하고 있다. 그러나 1992년의 리우선언과 의제21의 채택, 1995년의 무역관련지식재산권협정에 따른 생물체에 대한 지식재산권의 허용 등으로 인하여 종자에 대한 관심이 높아졌다. 그 결과 종자시장은 나날이 그 규모가 커지고 있고 각국은 종자생산의 요소인 유전자원에 대한 보호 등의 정책이 강화되기 시작했다. 이런 추세는 유기종자에까지 영향을 미쳐 유기종자의 기준에 대한 관심도 높아졌다. 최근 우리나라도 유기농업에서 유기종자의 사용을 의무화하기 위한 정책을 마련하고 있다. 그러나 20년 동안 규제하지 않았던 종자에 대한 규제가 갑자기 이루어지는 것은 전체 유기농업 생산에까지 영향을 미칠 수 있다. 현재 우리나라의 유기인증기준에서의 한계, 종자관련 법제도의 복잡성 등으로 인해 문제가 발생할 수 있기 때문이다. 종자는 갑자기 만들어지는 것이 아니라 세대를 거치면서 고정되는 것이다. 따라서 유기종자의 기준을 마련하더라도 이 기준이 정착하기까지는 상당한 시간이 걸릴 것으로 예상된다. 유기농업을 위한 유기종자의 사용은 중요한 일이기는 하나 현재의 상황에서는 농업 전체의 현황을 고려하여 농민들과의 충분한 소통을 통한 준비기간을 가지는 것이 바람직 할 것이다.Twenty years have passed since the enactment of the Environmentally Friendly Farming Act in 1998. Over the past two decades, the legislation on environmentally friendly or organic farming has been revised to strengthen its scope and standards. It expanded from organic farm products to organic materials and organic foods. Over the past decades, there has been an ongoing debate about setting standards for organic seeds. Organic seeds are seeds grown in organically cultivated crops. They are seeds produced and harvested using only organic materials, not artificially synthesized products such as pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Despite these definitions, however, there is no legislation that sets specific standards. In addition, the legal standards have failed to establish in the international organizations including the Food and Agriculture Organization or in the private institutions. However, the interest in seeds has increased due to the adoption of the Rio Declaration and Agenda 21 in 1992 and the licensing of intellectual property rights to organisms under the trade-related intellectual property agreement of 1995. As a result, the seed market has grown in size everyday, and each country has begun to strengthen policies such as protection of genetic resources, which are elements of seed production. This trend has also affected organic seeds and raised the interest of the criteria of organic seeds. Recently, Korea has also set up a policy to mandate the use of organic seeds in organic agriculture. But sudden regulation of seeds that have not been regulated for 20 years can have an impact on entire organic farming production. Problems may arise due to the current limitations in Korea’s organic certification standards and complexity of the seed related legislation. Seeds are not made suddenly, but are fixed through the generations. Therefore, it is expected that it will take considerable time for the standard to be settled even if the standard of organic seed is established. Although the use of organic seeds for organic farming is an important task, it is desirable to have a preparation period through sufficient communication with farmers considering the current status of agriculture in the current situation.

Role of Social Learning in the Diffusion of Environmentally-Friendly Agricultural Technology in China

Reducing the use of chemical inputs is an urgent and challenging task in the transformation toward environmentally-friendly agriculture in China, especially when the efficacy of alternative control measures is not yet fully understood. Based on the data from 601 rice farmer households regarding their adoption of fertilizer- and pesticide-reducing technologies in Zhejiang and Jiangsu Provinces, this study investigated whether social learning can promote the diffusion of fertilizer- and pesticide-reducing technologies, and whether the role of social learning varies when the technologies differ. Empirical analysis using the spatial error model (SEM) showed that social learning positively affects the diffusion of ecological technologies, but the role of social learning varies when the technology characteristics differ. Learning from neighbors promotes the adoption of labor-intensive and high-skilled technologies, but this strategy does not work well in capital-intensive technologies. However, learning from demonstration significantly affected the diffusion of capital-intensive and high-skilled technologies, but did not work well for labor-intensive technologies.

PEMANFAATAN LIMBAH PETERNAKAN DALAM MENDUKUNG USAHA TANI HORTIKULTURA DI KEBAWETAN KEPAHIANG

Kabawetan sub-district is one of the central areas of plantation, agriculture and animal husbandry in the province of Bengkulu. In running their farm, farmers still use conventional system, especially the use of anorganic fertilizer (chemical factory) and overused pesticide. Besides as a farmer, almost in every village people also seek beef cattle and dairy cattle. Farm waste already started causing environmental problems for society, while on the other hand they have difficulty in getting the fertilizer for business continuity (horticultural crops). With input from the farmers, we agreed to offer a solution using animal waste into organic fertilizer. The form of such activities carry out: education and counseling about environmental friendly agriculture; as well as training in the making Bokashi and biourine. Later stage is making plots experiment to apply organic fertilizer produced vegetable plants. This community service activity has been done and able to reduce farmers' dependence on chemical fertilizers and chemical pesticides, and also revive local knowledge in farming. From the aspect of production, horticultural products (vegetables) produced by farmers are more environmental friendly. Keywords : Horticulture, Bokashi, Biourine, Organic Farming

Effects of agricultural practices and fine-scale landscape factors on spiders and a pest insect in Japanese rice paddy ecosystems

We examined the effects of environmentally friendly (EF) farming and landscape factors on the abundances of major spider guilds and a rice pest, the small brown planthopper (SBPH), Laodelphax striatellus (Fallen), in a Japanese rice paddy ecosystem. The abundances of all spider guilds increased by EF farming, whereas different spider guilds showed contrasting responses to the size of the forest within 200 m of the fields. The abundances of ground spiders and horizontal web weavers increased with increasing forest area, unlike small ground spiders, whose abundance decreased. The abundances of SBPH nymphs and adults decreased by EF farming but responded differently to landscape: nymphs decreased with increasing forest area, but adults did not. Further analysis indicated a potential negative relationship between web-weaving spiders and SBPH nymphs. Our findings suggest that the size of the forest adjacent to fields is an important determinant of spider guild composition and pest abundance.

Assessment of Soil Organic Carbon Storage in Vegetable Farms Using Different Farming Practices in the Kanto Region of Japan

Agricultural fields can store substantial amounts of atmospheric carbon in the soil. In 2011, the Environmentally Friendly Farming Direct Payment Program (EFFDPP) began as a way to promote sustainable agriculture, but the approved methods for receiving the subsidy are limited to the use of manure and cover crops. For evaluating other options for the EFFDPP, we calculated soil carbon inputs and CO2 emissions in four nature farming (NF) systems for comparisons with conventional farming (CF) and environmentally friendly farming (EF) systems. In 2015, we collected data on farm management from interviews and conducted a field experiment for NF. According to the calculations using a modified Roth C model, the ability for soil carbon sequestration predicted over the next 20 years is the highest in a no-till NF system with grass mulching. CO2 emission per ha for CF was 4.8 tCO2/ha, which was eight times higher than that for NF. However, the highest CO2 emission per kg of crop was noted in NF with no grass mulching due to very low yield. The total CO2 emission for CF was similar to that for EF. The NF systems were beneficial in reducing CO2 emission, but a combination of other approaches is required for satisfying EFFDPP criteria.

The Conditions for Dissemination of Environment-friendly Farming with Agri-environmental Payment

The Conditions for Dissemination of Environment-friendly Farming with Agri-environmental Payment

Significant Contribution of Farmer First in Farmer-Trainer for Environmentally-Friendly Agriculture and Rural Development

Significant Contribution of Farmer First in Farmer-Trainer for Environmentally-Friendly Agriculture and Rural Development

The Effect of Biofertilizer on The Diversity of N2O Reducing Bacteria in Paddy Fields of Sukabumi, Indonesia

<p class="IsiAbstrakInggris"><span lang="EN-GB">Some of the methanotrophic bacteria and N<sub>2</sub>O reducing bacteria have been proven to be able to support the plant growth and increase the productivity of paddy. However effect of the methanotrophic and N<sub>2</sub>O reducing bacteria application as a biofertilizer to indigenous N<sub>2</sub>O reducing bacteria is still not well known yet. The aim of this study was to analyze the diversity of N<sub>2</sub>O reducing bacteria in lowland paddy soil based on a </span><em><span lang="EN-GB">nosZ</span></em><span lang="EN-GB"> gene. Soil samples were taken from lowland paddy soils in Pelabuhan Ratu Sukabumi, West Java, Indonesia. There were two treatments for the paddy field soil, ie. biofertilizer-treated field 20% fertilizer (50 kg/ha) with the addition of biofertilizer and 100% fertilizer. PCR amplification of </span><em><span lang="EN-GB">nosZ </span></em><span lang="EN-GB">gene was successfully conducted using </span><em><span lang="EN-GB">nosZF</span></em><span lang="EN-GB"> and </span><em><span lang="EN-GB">nosZR</span></em><span lang="EN-GB"> primer pair. Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) process was conducted at 150 V for 5.5h. There were three differences </span><em><span lang="EN-GB">nosZ</span></em><span lang="EN-GB"> bands were sequenced. The phylogenetic analysis showed that they were close to uncultured bacteria. Microbial diversity in the biofertilizer-treated field was higher than that of in the 100% fertilizer-treated field. The biofertilizer treatment has higher in microbial diversity than that of applied non-biofertilizer paddy fields. This research might have impact in the application of biofertilizers due to the emission of N<sub>2</sub>O as a green house gas from paddy fields farming activity. The biofertilizer has great potential application in sustainable environmental friendly agriculture systems.</span></p>

Social and Economic Effects of Environment-friendly School Food Service Center on Environment-friendly Agricultural Producers - Focused on Three Cases in Chungcheongnam-Do -

Social and Economic Effects of Environment-friendly School Food Service Center on Environment-friendly Agricultural Producers - Focused on Three Cases in Chungcheongnam-Do -

Do Consumers of Environmentally Friendly Farming Products in Downstream Areas Have a WTP for Water Quality Protection in Upstream Areas?

In South Korea, the Soyang Lake is an important source of drinking water to the metropolitan areas including Seoul. However, water quality problems in the Soyang Lake have still remained due to chemical contaminations attributed to conventional farming practices in the upstream areas. Based on a downstream consumer survey using a contingent valuation method, this study estimated the expected willingness to pays (WTPs) for water quality improvement through the conversion to environmentally friendly farming (EFF). The results showed that the estimated annual mean WTP is KRW 36,115 per household. The aggregated WTPs of downstream respondents in the Soyang Lake are sufficient to compensate for the income losses of upstream EFF farmers in highland farming areas. In addition, we found that the downstream citizens who recognize the label for EFF products and who intend to purchase EFF products in the future have a significant impact on WTPs for water quality improvement.

Agriculturally important microbial biofilms: Present status and future prospects.

Microbial biofilms are a fascinating subject, due to their significant roles in the environment, industry, and health. Advances in biochemical and molecular techniques have helped in enhancing our understanding of biofilm structure and development. In the past, research on biofilms primarily focussed on health and industrial sectors; however, lately, biofilms in agriculture are gaining attention due to their immense potential in crop production, protection, and improvement. Biofilms play an important role in colonization of surfaces - soil, roots, or shoots of plants and enable proliferation in the desired niche, besides enhancing soil fertility. Although reports are available on microbial biofilms in general; scanty information is published on biofilm formation by agriculturally important microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, bacterial-fungal) and their interactions in the ecosystem. Better understanding of agriculturally important bacterial-fungal communities and their interactions can have several implications on climate change, soil quality, plant nutrition, plant protection, bioremediation, etc. Understanding the factors and genes involved in biofilm formation will help to develop more effective strategies for sustainable and environment-friendly agriculture. The present review brings together fundamental aspects of biofilms, in relation to their formation, regulatory mechanisms, genes involved, and their application in different fields, with special emphasis on agriculturally important microbial biofilms.

A Review and Recommendations for Promoting Environmentally-Friendly Agriculture in Korea

A Review and Recommendations for Promoting Environmentally-Friendly Agriculture in Korea

Effects of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Soil Conditions on Crop Plant Growth

We investigated the effects on various crops of inoculation with species of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in soils from different sources and selected AMF species suitable for domestic environment-friendly farming. Effects on plants varied with the AMF species used. In carrot, Scutellospora heterogama, Acaulospora longula, and Funneliformis mosseae had a positive effect on growth of the host, whereas AMF had only weak effects on the growth of red pepper and leek. AMF inoculation had positive effects on the growth of carrot and sorghum. The results of this study indicate the nature of the relationship between soil, plants, and AMF; this study therefore has important implications for the future use of AMF in environment-friendly agriculture.

AGE모형을 이용한 친환경농업직불제의 경제적 성과계측

AGE모형을 이용한 친환경농업직불제의 경제적 성과계측

Spatio-temporal dynamics of generalist predators (Tetragnatha spider) in environmentally friendly paddy fields

Earlier studies showed environmentally friendly farming (EFF) increased the populations of various organisms in agricultural landscapes, but the mechanisms of these increases were not well studied, due to a lack of knowledge on their temporal dynamics. Here, we examined spatio-temporal dynamics of Tetragnatha spiders, natural enemies of rice pests, in EFF and conventional farming (CF). Field surveys were conducted in 15 paddy fields under CF and 18 under EFF during three seasons in Tochigi Prefecture, central Japan. The results showed that Tetragnatha spiders were more abundant in paddy fields than in ditches during the growing season, but this tendency was reversed during the non-crop season. Thus, complementary utilization of ditches and paddy fields during different seasons appeared to maintain Tetragnatha populations. Both Tetragnatha spider and flying insect abundance increased in paddy fields under only EFF when the surrounding forest cover was high. There was a significant positive correlation between the density of flying insects and the population growth rate of Tetragnatha spiders, suggesting a bottom-up effect of flying insects emerging from paddy fields. We concluded that the high potential productivity in paddy fields, coupled with the presence of ditches as important habitats, maintained the high abundance of Tetragnatha spiders in paddy-dominated landscapes.