Farmers In Order Research Articles

Factors Affecting Small-Scale Livestock Farming in Kenya

Purpose: This study aims at examining the factors influencing small-scale livestock farming in Kenya.
 Findings: A majority of the small-scale livestock farmers in many counties were past their youthful years, with most respondents cited at above fifty years. The study found out that 56% of the farmers in some counties showed the most aggression in seeking out livestock farming related information from many other sources other than from their counterpart farmers. These farmers quest for extensive information on dairy farming was also highlighted by their expansive peer to peer networks.
 Unique Contribution to Theory and Practices: Counties should make more commonage land available to the small-scale livestock farmers in order to cope with the increasing population of emerging farmers. Commonage land management should be strengthened. Small-scale livestock farmers should be trained to make reserves such as hay and silage so they can conserve surplus forage in rainy seasons. Government should provide subsidies for purchase of breeding stock and dosing products. Distribution policies that will ensure that all smallholder cattle and sheep farmers at grassroots level benefit should also be put in place.

Selected parameters of soil health in Cumilla district at the Golden Jubilee of Bangladesh and strategies for their sustainable improvement towards rice production

Soil fertility and rice production were the most frequently mentioned issues identified not only in all the countries of Asia but also in the rest of the world. Hence, it is essential to pay attention for sustainable rice production, climate-smart agriculture and soil health. Accordingly, assessments of selected soil health indicators, such as, pH, organic matter and cation exchange capacity (CEC) in all 17 Upazilas of Cumilla district of Bangladesh were completed under the financial support of the Climate Change Trust Fund (CCTF). A few strategies were used for the improvement of soil health in response to smart rice production at the field site using locally available organic-fertilizers, viz. Vermicompost (V), Rice husk ash (RHA) and Burned poultry litters (BPL) at the rates of 0, 4 and 8 t ha-1 under the soil temperature elevation of 2 to 3°C (i.e. 25 to 28°C) and moisture levels of 60 and 90%. The above mentioned parameters of soil health at the Golden Jubilee of Bangladesh were found to be improved slightly compared to those of the 1970s and 2000s. These trends of improvement were found to be enhanced by the stated treatments. The yields of different rice varieties were increased from 4.4 - 5.5 to 8.4 – 9.1 t ha-1 by the treatments and the order of their effectiveness for grain yields and protein contents were V > BPL > RHA. Organic matter contents, pH and CEC of the studied soils were increased by these treatments and decreased CH4 emissions from the studied rice field. However, these approaches of sustainability cannot be provided by the poor farmers and therefore, the government should come forward to help these farmers in order to build a ‘Developed Bangladesh’ – the dream of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the Father of the Nation and the Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the Mother of Humanity and the Champion of the Earth. Dhaka Univ. J. Biol. Sci. 30(3 CSI): 511-531, 2022 (June)

The Antibiotic Resistance Genes Contamination of Strawberries With the Long-Term Use of Raw, Aerobic Composting, and Anaerobic Composting Livestock Manure: A Comparative Study

Strawberry fruits are easily contaminated with antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the soil fertilized with livestock manure, which is widely used by farmers in order to increased yield and fruit quality. Composting can reduce the ARGs contamination in livestock manure. However, there is a knowledge gap in understanding and comparing the ARGs contamination of strawberries with the long-term use of raw, aerobic composting, and anaerobic composting livestock manure. In this study, our results suggested that compared with the long-term use of raw livestock manure, both aerobic and anaerobic composting livestock manure reduced the ARGs diversity and abundance of strawberries. Mobile genetic elements (MGEs) closely determined the ARGs dissemination. The correlation analysis between ARGs and MGEs revealed the ARGs dissemination from fruits to human was attenuated when strawberries were fertilized with long-term use of composting livestock manure. In addition, this study illustrated the correlations between the antibiotic resistome and microbiome via network co-occurrence analysis, finding that the phylum Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Myxococcota were identified as the potential ARGs hosts which exerted the vital role in the environmental behavior of ARGs. The most important highlight was that the contamination of ARGs of strawberries was alleviated by the long-term use of composting livestock manure, especially the anaerobiotic composting manure.

ROLE OF VARIOUS SEGMENTATION AND CLASSIFICATION ALGORITHMS IN PLANT DISEASE DETECTION

Using deep learning approaches, convolution neural network models proven best and well constructed to detect and diagnose the soya bean plant disease by using the foliar images of healthy and diseased soya bean plants. The models were trained using our own collection of almost 848 pictures exhibiting various soya bean plants foliar diseases in combinations by covering wide range of commonly found diseases .in this paper Several model and their designs were tested and studied, But out of all our proposed system perform well the accuracy of almost 95.73 percent. The proposed model's high success rate makes it an excellent advising or early warning tool for the farmers in order to avoiding the unnecessary use of pesticide on plants that are very harmful for human body and also this system helpful in enhancing the production rates of good quality soya bean crop

Typology of Smallholder and Commercial Shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) Farms, including Threats and Challenges in Davao Region, Philippines

The shrimp industry in the Philippines plays a vital role in the local and national economy through exports to markets abroad such as South Korea, Japan, the USA, and others. In this study, we aimed to describe the various cultural and operational characteristics of smallholder and commercial shrimp (P. vannamei) farms in the Davao region. We also evaluated the current risks and challenges faced by the shrimp farmers. A semi-structured questionnaire that focused on shrimp farmers and operators in the region was used to collect data from N = 41 farmers and operators. The results showed that respondents who were engaged in smallholder farming activities had an average yield of 10 tons/ha. The commercial farms that operate intensively had an average yield of 24 tons/ha. Most smallholder operators used electric generator machines to conduct aeration in their farms using paddlewheels and blowers. More paddlewheels and blowers were employed per pond in the commercial farms compared to smallholder farms. Generally, the income of a farm was related to their yield or the number of fries rather than social factors or their size. In terms of input costs, feeds were found to have the highest cost, followed by the fry, fuel, labor, and others (fertilizers and water treatment chemicals). Most of the farmers mentioned that their shrimp are affected by diseases such as white spot syndrome (60%), black gills (35%), and red tail (5%). They perceived that the main contamination comes from the water source (31%). The main threats mentioned were declining shrimp prices in the market, source of fry, water disposal, overstocking, and water quality. This study shows that small-holding fish farmers should be supported by the government so that they can make use of the more advanced technology employed by commercial shrimp farmers in order to increase their economic productivity and lower their environmental footprint.

Declining land for subsistence and small-scale farming in South Africa: A case study of Thulamela local municipality

In Thulamela Local Municipality, South Africa, competing land use activities such as urbanisation and subsistence farming have accelerated rapid, widespread changes in land use and land cover (LULC) with potential negative impacts on subsistence and small-scale farming, food security, and sustainable rural livelihoods. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to investigate the decline in land available for subsistence and small-scale farming in the Thulamela Local Municipality. A post-classification comparison approach was performed using three Landsat images from 2005, 2013 and 2020 in order to quantify the spatio-temporal dynamics of LULC in the study area. The land use management system and applicable land use policies were examined to gain an understanding of the factors driving LULC. The results showed a general decline in agricultural land with a general increase in built-up areas. Land under Agricultural Fallow shrank from 26% to 8% with a 69% decline in extent while the extent of Grass reduced from 22% to 16%. The study has shown that the decline in agricultural land and its conversion to built-up areas can be attributed to ineffective land use management system, which is less protective of land for subsistence and small-scale farming in rural areas characterised customary land tenure rights. The land use scheme’s generalisation of vacant and unsurveyed land as agricultural use zone makes it difficult to oppose development on productive agricultural land currently used for subsistence and small-scale farming in rural areas. Therefore, the study recommends that suitable agricultural land or land currently used for subsistence and small-scale farming should be clearly categorised as arable use zone from municipal land use schemes in order to ensure sustainable utilisation and protection of arable land for agricultural purposes. Measures should also be taken to secure tenure rights for subsistence farmers in order to curb the widespread conversion of agricultural land into built-up areas.

Optimum Combination of Food Crops and Livestock Farms as a Strategy to Maximize Farmers' Income in Kupang Regency– Indonesia

Dry land farming in Kupang Regency consists of a combination of food crops farming and horticulture like corn, rice, beans and tubers with livestock such as cattle, pigs, goats and local chickens. Those farms were carried out in a traditional combination heritantly using simple technology and subsistence. The research purpose were to analyze the combination of various types of crops cultivated and types of livestock raised by the farmers in order to achieve maximum income and to analyze the contribution of various types of food crops and horticulture and types of livestock to increase the farmers’ income. The data were analyzed by applying a simplex algorithm approach. The results showed that the optimum combination of resources that generate maximum income was IDR 47,646,888.86. Contributions of various farms were as follow: food crops and horticulture including rice (X1) of IDR 2,115,984.17; corn (X2) of IDR. 754.840.28; peanuts (X3) of IDR 184,970.33; and sweet potatoes (X4) of IDR 1,432,994.17. Then, the contribution of livestock likes : cattle (X5) reached at IDR 2,689,130.43; goats (X6) at IDR 1,098,571.43; pigs (X7) IDR 58,851.35 and chickens (X8) IDR 293.310.81; and off-farm activities (X9) at IDR 262,458.3

Design and Development of Feeding Automation System and Water Quality Monitoring on Freshwater Fish Cultivation

Feeding is one of the most critical aspects of freshwater fish farming in order to get optimal aquaculture outcomes. It has been widely acknowledged that feeding is often done directly by cultivators, who distribute the feed by employing hand. This common strategy can result in two outcomes. The first outcome is an increase in feed costs owing to excessive feeding, while the second outcome is an increase in feed costs due to excessive feeding. Overfeeding, as a matter of a fact, may lead to the result in leftover feed that is not devoured by the fish, contaminating the pond water and disrupting the pH stability of the pond water. In addition, the second effect that may occur is a shortage of nutrition and nutrients in fish, which can lead to poor fish development. Another issue in aquaculture is the high mortality rate of fish, which actually contain several reasons, one of which is poor water quality, which is not conducive to maximal fish growth and development. Cultivators must thus regularly examine the quality of pond water, specifically the pH of pond water. In light of these concerns, we require a system that can assist farmers in controlling feed scheduling, determining the amount of feed required based on the age of the fish, and monitoring water quality. The device in question is an automated fish feeding and water quality monitoring system. This automated solution has shown to provide a number of benefits. The benefit is that feeding can be scheduled, the amount of feed can be changed according to the age and demands of the fish, and the pond water quality, in this case the pH of the water, can be automatically monitored. Further, the research was carried out at different stages. Planning and data gathering, needs analysis, implementation, and system testing were all aspects of the research. The RTC sensor, pH sensor, and temperature sensor were all employed in the automation system. The RTC sensor was utilized to time the feeding schedule for the fish. The pH sensor detected the pH value of the pool water, while the temperature sensor detected the temperature of pool water. The data collected from the three sensors was then processed by the NodeMCU ESP8266 microcontroller. The NodeMCU ESP8266 microcontroller chip houses the system’s logic and software instructions. The data of the sensor was transferred and recorded to a Google spreadsheet, where it was utilized as an indication to control actuators such as servo motors and relays. Further more, the fish feed was opened and closed by utilizing a servo motor. The pH pump was turned on and off using the relay as a switch. This pH pump contained fluids to keep the pH levels in the water stable. Through employing NodeMCU ESP8266 microcontroller, this study has revealed to be able to create an automated system for feeding and monitoring water quality. The automation system then was able to perform the feeding activity in accordance to schedule set, and also was able to perform it according to the specified amount of feed. In addition, the quality of the pond water was also able to be monitored.

SELECTION OF CADMIUM NON-ACCUMULATING RICE GENOTYPES TO REDUCE HEALTH RISK

Cadmium (Cd) is regarded as one the most toxic heavy metals. Long term exposure to Cd via air, water, soil or food can be carcinogenic and can also lead to other bone, urinary, reproductive, cardiovascular and nervous disorders. Farmers in order to achieve high quality crops often use excess phosphorus fertilizers and in addition to this leakage of sewage sludge in the agricultural farmlands often leads to Cd contamination in agricultural fields. This holds a long term consequence because the Cd can be easily absorbed by the plants and thus Cd enters the food chain and can get accumulated in human organs. Rice is a major staple crop across the world which holds a vast genotypic variation. Different rice cultivars tends to accumulate different levels of Cd in the rice grains and hence detailed study is required to identify the rice genotypes which do not accumulate Cd in the grains so that they can be regarded as “Cdsafe” cultivars. In the present study, 58 different indica rice cultivars which are popularly grown all over India, have been grown in moderately Cd contaminated soil and results showed differential levels of Cd in the rice grains. Among 58 rice cultivars, 32 cultivars accumulated Cd in the rice grains and rest did not. The rice cultivars namely, Suma, Ranjit, Pratiksha, Kausallya, Ratna, Khitish, Mali-4, Barsha and Annada can be considered to be Cd hyperaccumulators based on the level of Cd accumulation in the rice grains.

Multisensor Data and Cross-Validation Technique for Merging Temporal Images for the Agricultural Performance Monitoring System

Many approaches for crop yield prediction were analyzed by countries using remote sensing data, but the information obtained was less successful due to insufficient data gathered due to climatic variables and poor image resolution. As a result, current crop yield estimation methods are obsolete and no longer useful. Several attempts have been made to overcome these difficulties by combining high precision remote sensing images. Furthermore, such remote sensing-based working models are better suited to extraterrestrial farmers and homogeneous agricultural areas. The development of this innovative framework was prompted by a scarcity of high-quality satellite imagery. This intelligent strategy is based on a new theoretical framework that employs the energy equation to improve crop yield predictions. This method was used to collect input from multiple farmers in order to validate the observation. The proposed technique’s excellent reliability on crop yield prediction is compared and contrasted between crop yield prediction and actual production in different areas, and meaningful observations are provided.

European Green Deal: Indication of directions for the transformation of agricultural land use in Poland into organic farming

Organic agricultural land use in the European Union is one of the assumptions and challenges of the European Green Deal, also for Poland, where the share of organic agricultural land is among the lowest in Europe. With a share of 3.5% (2019) of organically farmed area, against an EU average of 8.1%, Poland ranks 23rd in the EU in this respect, out of 27 EU countries (Eurostat). The purpose of this study is to indicate the directions of transformation of agricultural land use in Poland to organic farming in order to achieve 25% of organic agricultural land by 2030, according to the assumptions of the European Green Deal. The study uses literature analysis, reports of the Agricultural and Food Quality Inspection (2004-2020), EUROSTAT data and the method of data aggregation from the level of communes to the level of entire Poland. Due to the fact that the level of development of organic farming in Poland depends on many conditions, including natural ones, the article identifies the agricultural production space valuation ratio developed by the Institute of Plant Cultivation, Fertilisation and Soil Science in Puławy as the basis for calculating the preferred area of organic farmland. On its basis the areas of agricultural land fulfilling the condition of occurrence of adequate natural factors, called "location rent", were calculated for particular Polish voivodships. The model for calculating the size of organic farmland can be used as an auxiliary research tool in work on drawing up strategic plans for the development of organic farming and rural areas in Poland and in other countries in order to maintain the principle of sustainable development, which is the overarching goal of the European Green Deal strategy.

Danish Cattle Farmers' Experience With Fitness for Transport - A Questionnaire Survey.

Worldwide, cattle are transported in great numbers for breeding, fattening and slaughter. Within the European Union, the Council Regulation 1/2005 states that all animals must be fit for transport. Yet, the line between fit and unfit is blurred as the regulation allows for animals that are slightly ill or injured to be transported. However, “slightly ill or injured” lack a clear definition leaving room for individual interpretation of fitness for transport with potential negative implications in terms of both animal welfare and legal certainty. The aim of the present study was to gain an understanding of cattle farmers' experience with and doubt about assessment of fitness for transport-a topic that has received limited scientific attention, despite the important role of farmers in maintaining acceptable animal welfare during transport. The results of the study are based on 119 Danish cattle farmers' answers to a questionnaire survey. The majority of respondents felt they possessed the knowledge and skills required for assessment of fitness for transport. However, a considerable large part of the respondents, one third approximately, reported to be in doubt at least sometimes and likewise one third felt a lack of knowledge at least sometimes. In addition, more than half of the respondents reported that they at least sometimes found it difficult to understand the rules to address the disconnect between on-farm and slaughterhouse decisions and fitness for on-farm slaughter. These results indicate that learning materials, assessment tools and training programs could be helpful for a large group of cattle farmers in order to secure animal welfare during transport. The results also underline the need for further research to clarify what constitutes a “fit” vs. “unfit” animal.

Training Needs Assessment: The Case of Female Rice Farmers in Northern Iran

An appraisal of training requirements responds to the issue of why training is needed and gives some assurance that the services needed to establish and conduct training can achieve the required outcomes based on performance. Therefore, the goal of this study was to examine the educational needs of female rice farmers in Sari (the capital of Mazandaran province located in Northern Iran). This study adopted a descriptive-correlational approach consisting of 1677 female rice farmers in Sari in 2013–2015. Finally, 240 respondents were selected and examined using Cochran’s formula and through stratified sampling with proportional assignment. The results of multivariate stepwise regression indicated that the level of participation (−0.488), the importance of economic factors (0.369), the number of training courses (−0.284), and marital status (−0.179) of female rice farmers were effective on the training needs level. According to the findings, training programs should take into account the educational needs of female rice farmers in order to gain the necessary expertise and skills in new methods and transfer them to other farmers.

Farmers’ Attitudes and Perceptions and the Effects of the Grain for Green Project in China: A Case Study in the Loess Plateau

The Grain for Green Project (GGP) aims to protect and improve the ecological environment, end farming on sloping farmland, and plant trees and restore forest vegetation. China’s GGP has been widely implemented, but its impact on the environment is rarely evaluated from farmers’ perspectives. This study took place in Zhidan and Yanchang Counties, Shaanxi Province. Farmers’ attitudes towards the GGP were investigated through semi-structured interviews to understand their perceptions of changes in ecosystem services and their level of ecological awareness, as well as analyzing which factors had the greatest impact on them. Our results indicate that some farmers are not satisfied with the GGP and are unwilling to participate in future GGPs, which is not only due to the dissatisfaction with subsidies offered but also because the needs of the farmers have been ignored. From the perspective of farmers, the GGP has greatly reduced soil erosion and air pollution but has had no effect on improving water quality and protecting biodiversity. More male farmers are willing to participate, and farmers with higher levels of education are more satisfied with the GGP. We also found that the level of understanding of ecological cognition affected farmers’ attitudes, and farmers with different levels of knowledge differ in their willingness to participate. Our research found that many farmers were dissatisfied with the GGP. To improve this situation, it is necessary to improve the ecological awareness of farmers. At the same time, policy makers should also further understand the needs of farmers in order to make reasonable management strategies.

Design and Manufacture of a Dryer for Corn Grains, Ears and Cobs

A corn dryer prototype was manufactured for Mexican small-scale farmers in order to avoid them paying fines for corn with a high-moisture content when selling their corn on to stores. The dryer comprised two large boxes perforated by round holes and containing stainless steel trays subjected to a hot air temperature of 45°C within the batch. The accumulated grain in both boxes was 200 mm and the airflow rate were 0.56 m3 s-1. The corn ears layer was of 80 mm of depth in each of the boxes. The airflow rate was 0.34 m3 s-1. Within eight hours, we sampled corn grain in nine points of each box and found that the mean corn grain moisture content was reduced from 30.36% to 10.47% for box 1 whereas for box 2 it was reduced until 14.72%. The fuel consumption for drying was 0.55 kg h-1 of kerosene. In Box1, the exponential regression model for corn grain moisture content had an R² of 0.9143 whereas Box 2 exponential regression model had an R² was of 0.6642. In Box 1, the exponential regression model for corn ear moisture content had an R² of 0.9616 whereas Box 2 had an R² was of 0.9400. Both models for corn cob moisture content had an R² of 0.9639. Two-layer corn dryers can be used to harness gas or fuel energy to speed up drying for storage.

Urban Farming Models, Ecosystems and Climate Change Adaptation in Urban Environments: The Case of SATURN Pan European Programme

The “System and sustainable Approach to virTuous interaction of Urban and Rural LaNdscapes” (SATURN) project is exploring how resilience at a city scale might be achieved and how the issues of landscape fragmentation, governance and land management can be addressed resulting in a sustainable future. The EIT Climate-KIC SATURN project is based on a collaboration between three cities of very different scales and contexts, those of Gothenburg in western Sweden, Trento in northern Italy, and Birmingham in the United Kingdom. This paper focuses on the ways in which urban farming can become an important tool to mitigate or adapt to climate change in urban environments by exploring how the three major cities of SATURN deal with these concepts. Using the experience gained throughout the SATURN project as well as the strong communication developed within the consortium, the paper introduces the reasons why urban farming is not just an agricultural activity, but it relates to climate awareness, health and an element of community. With the examples of different urban farming models, this research presents the fully entrepreneurial model of Gothenburg, where a business model fosters sustainable and successful small-scale farming through municipal management of small allotments with associated basic infrastructure leased out to entrepreneurs. Public underutilized land is matched with farmers in order for them to scale up their businesses and provide sustainable food, by limiting the shipping distance of the produce. In the Trento case, bottom-up and more institutional processes have been combined to foster short local supply chains through the Nutrire Trento networking process which could benefit from the introduction of a land lease scheme named “banca della terra” (to support agricultural land recovery). The case of Birmingham presents a different model where farming in an urban environment is mostly seen as a support to communities, mental health and awareness, rather than an entrepreneurial activity. The innovation in this paper comes in the form of different European models related to urban agriculture and best practices, demonstrating how abandoned and underutilised public and private land can be regenerated and become an active part of the urban realm. Insights on the ways in which the three different models operate, as well as results on how farming in an urban environment can enhance resilient cities are discussed in this paper. Keywords: urban farming, climate change, landscape ecosystems, entrepreneurial agriculture, community farming

Irrigation practices, prevalence of leishmaniasis and sustainable development: Evidence from the Sidi Bouzid region in central Tunisia

Several studies have pointed out the link between irrigation and the risk of exposure to zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL). The Elhechria community from the Sidi Bouzid region is particularly concerned with ZCL prevalence. Moreover, the zone experienced anarchic extension of the irrigable areas outside the public irrigated perimeter (PIP), which has worsened the situation. Through adopting an ecosystem health approach, this research aims to identify alternatives to improve the economic and social well-being of farmers in order to decrease exposure risk. To address this issue, a field survey was carried out with 130 farmers. Descriptive analysis allowed the identification of representative farming systems inside and outside the PIP. Through linear programming, we have developed a regional model to determine optimal activities that maximize farmers’ revenue. The results showed that farmers’ livelihoods depend on irrigated activities and that all farmers are reluctant to limit them. In terms of the economic environment, farmers claimed that having access to more facilities at which to buy inputs and sell their products would benefit them. Through reconfiguring the cropping pattern, the model showed optimal uses of water resources. Substantial improvement of the farmers’ revenue might be achieved through enhancing the role of local institutions to build the needed facilities. Hence, one expects an eventual improvement of farmers’ well-being toward fighting the disease.

Farmers’ Knowledge and Perception on Beans Postharvest Constraints and Their Mitigation Methods in the Humid Rainforest and Highland Ecozones of Cameroon

Aims: This study sought to assess farmers’ awareness and knowledge about bean postharvest constraints and their indigenous methods to mitigate them. Cameroon.
 Study Design: Random interviewing of bean farmers.
 Place and Duration of study: Interviewed farmers of the highland savanna and humid rainforest ecological zones which are two agro-ecological zones of Cameroon respectively from January 2017 to October 2018.
 Methodology: A structured questionnaire was randomly distributed to 519 bean farmers in order to document their perceptions on various constraints hampering beans postharvest handling/storage and their indigenous methods of mitigating these constraints. Of these, 356 were from the highland savanna and 163 from the humid rainforest ecozones
 Results: Most postharvest losses in beans are caused by insects and mold/rot. Insect pests were reported by 251 (69.5%) of farmers in the highland savanna and 134 (84.8%) in the humid rain forest, while mold/rot was reported by 108 (29.9%) of the farmers in the highland savanna and 11 (6.9%) in the humid rainforest. Farmers in both agro-ecological zones lacked adequate storage facilities, as reported by 147 (40.7%) in the highland savanna and 43% (275) in the humid rainforest. Most farmers in the highland savanna 118 (39.20%) and humid rainforest 67 (43.22%) stored bean grains for 1-3 months, though farmers in the highland savanna generally stored beans longer than those in the humid rainforest. The insect infestations were controlled mainly by using conventional pesticides and local plant materials while mold was mainly managed by proper drying of the produce.
 Conclusions: To mitigate these constraints, an integrated approach of storing appropriately dried insect-free grains in moisture proof storage containers/facilities and judicious use of synthetic pesticides and/or proven effective botanicals should be adopted. Thus, farmers should be trained on good bean preservation methods and effective plant-based products.

A study on the knowledge level and extent of adoption of dry converted wet rice in Khammam district of Telangana

The present study was undertaken in Khammam District of Telangana having large area under rice cultivation. In Khammam district almost 7000 acres of area is under dry converted wet rice. Krishi Vigyan Kendra , Wyra has put tremendous efforts to disseminate the dry converted Wet technology to farmers. Thus the sequel is evident that in Khammam district that approximately 5000 farmers are following Dry Converted Wet Cultivation in rice. It was felt important to assess the knowledge level of practicing farmers in order to identify the gaps in adoption .From Six villages 20 farmers were selected for the study . The data was collected by random sampling technique. Total of 120 respondents were selected for the study. The data was collected by personal interview. Based on the finding of the study majority of the respondents were having medium level of knowledge, followed by high level and low level of knowledge. While in case of adoption, that majority of the respondents had medium adoption, followed by high and low of adoption.

Analysis on Resource Use Efficiency of Smallholder's Rice Production Farmers in Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria: Probit Model Approach

This study examined the resource-use efficiency of smallholder rice production farmers in Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria. The problem of resource use among small-scale rice production farmers is preponderance in the country. Hence, the study investigated the drivers of the problem in the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria. Specifically, the study was designed to determine the factors influencing the resource-use efficiency of the respondents. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select a total sample size of one hundred and seventy-five (175) rice farmers in Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria. Seven estimators such as age, household size, farming experience, educational level, extension services, access to credit, and off-farm income in the Probit model were found statistically significant. Results show that the probability of resource use efficiency of inputs used by the farmers increases with age, farm size, household size, educational level, extension services, experiences in farming, access to credits, but decreases where they have off-farm income. Mc Fadden Pseudo-R2 gives 0.6772, and the Probit model explains a significant proportion of the variations in smallholder farmers' resource use. The study concluded that the socio-economic variables in the model play an important role in influencing resource use efficiency. The study recommends that government agencies and donors should provide simplified, accessible and obtainable credits and grants to existing and prospective rice farmers in order to sustain the current giant stride in rice production in the country.