Farm Types Research Articles

FARManalytics – A bio-economic model to optimize the economic value of sustainable soil management on arable farms

Soil quality is an important determinant of agricultural productivity and environmental quality. Despite its importance, few economic models incorporate sustainable soil management. The objective of this study is to develop and illustrate FARManalytics: a bio-economic model to gain quantitative insight in the economic value of sustainable soil management. First, we defined a comprehensive set of chemical, physical and biological soil quality indicators and quantitative rules on how these indicators respond to farmers’ production management over time. Second, we introduce an economic calculation framework that enables accurate calculation of the contribution of different production management decisions towards farm income using Activity-Based-Costing. The set of soil quality indicators and economic calculations serve as the basis for the bio-economic model FARManalytics, which consists of two modules: (1) the PMcalculator, a module that calculates the impact of current production management on soil quality and farm economics and (2) the PMoptimizer, a module that uses Mixed-Integer-Linear-Programming to maximize farm incomewithin predefined soil quality indicator constraints. The decision variables are the crop rotation, cover crops, manure & fertilizer application and crop residue management. We illustrate the added value of the model by applying it to an extensive and intensive farm type, both on clay and sandy soil. These farm types are derived from the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) in the Netherlands. FARManalytics demonstrates that it is possible to increase farm income with up to €940 ha−1 year−1 on clay soil and up to €683 ha−1 year−1 on sandy soil, while meeting all soil quality targets except subsoil compaction vulnerability. The latter was among the most limiting soil quality indicators for the farm types in this study, together with soil organic matter input, wind erosion vulnerability and plant-parasitic nematodes. FARManalytics integrates the impact of production management decisions on soil quality and economics at farm level. Combined with representative farm types, the bio-economic modeling approach of FARManalytics can provide useful information for policy support. FARManalytics can also be tailored to provide decision support for individual farms, based on data that is commonly available on arable farms at low cost.

Nutrition profiles of farm households across different farming systems in Ethiopia: Unpacking the determinants and implications for nutrition-sensitive interventions.

Tackling nutrition insecurity remains a critical challenge in developing countries. In the predominantly rain-fed and smallholder-based farming systems of Ethiopia, production diversity and livelihood strategies of the farm households vary across geographic areas. However, the effects of household socioeconomic characteristics, production diversity, and household incomes on nutrition profiles in distinct settings have been inadequately understood. Therefore, this study was undertaken to examine the association of farming system type, sources of income, and household wealth status with household nutrition profiles in three remote locations such as Mennisa, Welmel Tiqa, and Agam Wuha that represent root crops-based farming, maize-based semi-pastoral farming, and teff-based cereal farming systems, respectively. A combination of qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques was employed. A multistage sampling procedure was used to select a total of 265 smallholder households for the structured survey interviews. Standard statistical tests and Tobit regression analyses were performed after determining the wealth category of each household. Results revealed a diversity of income sources used by each of the farm households with average values of 9 in Mennisa, 10 in Agam Wuha, and 11 in Welmel Tiqa, with the contributions of each income source varying by household wealth category and location. As expected, expenditures on food significantly exceeded those on non-food categories for poor households and vice versa for rich wealth households. The average total food variety score (FVS) for Welmel Tiqa was twice that for Agam Wuha, confirming the need for site-specific nutrition profile assessments. Despite the observed differences in household nutrition profiles among wealth categories and locations, the apparent intakes of vitamin A, vitamin B12, vitamin D, and calcium were consistently below the population-level estimated average requirements across all locations. The number of adequately consumed nutrients by farm households was negatively associated with family size, age of household heads, livestock holdings, wealth categories, and irrigation use, and positively associated with crop production diversity, income diversity, and FVS. The negative association between irrigation use and nutrition security was likely due to the focus on producing crops with a high market value on land under irrigation, coupled with ineffective allocation of generated income for enhancing household nutritional outcomes. Therefore, programs that include irrigated agriculture investments should consider adopting a more integrated nutrition-sensitive interventions, including consideration of locally adapted nutritious crops, such as orange-flesh sweet potato, to address critical deficiency of Vitamin A, nutrition training coupled with development of recipes and cooking demonstrations, and marketing and promotion for nutritious crops.

Evaluation of the change in crop structure under the impact of flood prevention dikes in the Long Xuyen Quadrangle in the period 2005-2020

The study was conducted to monitor spatial fluctuations of dikes affecting the rice crop structure and evaluate changes in rice crop structure inside and outside the dikes in the Long Xuyen Quadrangle in the period 2005-2020. That serves as a basis for assessing the current status of flood control and the changing trend of rice production in the region in the future. The study uses LANDSAT images and applies the normalized difference water index (NDWI) and shoreline extraction to determine the current condition of dikes in the Long Xuyen Quadrangle region, while combining a series of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) on moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) image data to determine the structure of rice crops in 2005 and 2020. The results show that the embankment length increased by 1,910.15 km compared to 2005 and the natural embankment area increased to 123,020.31 ha (accounting for 24.63% of the area’s natural area) in the period 2005-2020. The farming system in the study area impacted by flood prevention dike changes from other crops to triple-rice crop cultivation. Specifically, the total area of the other cultivation types converted into triple-rice crop cultivation is 90,904.77 ha, accounting for 51.92% of the total area of structural transformation of farming types, concentrated in districts with large dike areas such as Thoai Son, Chau Phu, and Chau Thanh districts (An Giang province). The research results contribute to supporting environmental management and orienting rice production trends in the region in the future.

COST AND RETURN ANALYSIS OF IRRIGATED UPLAND TOMATO (Lycopersicon Esculentum) PRODUCTION IN GOMBE STATE, NIGERIA

The study examined the cost and return analysis of irrigated upland tomato (Lycopersicon Esculentum) production, in Gombe State, Nigeria. Multi-stage random sampling procedure was used to select 459 respondents. Data were collected using structured questionnaire and were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The result revealed that Most of the types of farms implements use for dry season tomato production in the study areas were tractors (32.4%), hand tools (37.6%) and animal traction (30.0%). Capital for dry season tomato production, the respondents in Dukku, Nafada, funakaye and Yamaltu Deba LGA respondents had a mean capital of N212,747.36, N183,662.55, N261,540.30, and N204,785.956 respectively. The findings also revealed the result of maximum likelihood estimate of parameters of the stochastic frontier production function of dry season tomato farming in the study area reveal that farm size (P< 0.001), labour (P< 0.001), farming experience (P< 0.001), and capital (P< 0.001) were the major factors statistically affecting the respondents rice production at 1%. The analysis of dry season maximum likelihood estimate of the parameter of stochastic frontier cost of tomato production showed that ploughing (P< 0.001), transplanting (P< 0.001), harvesting (P< 0.001) and capital (P< 0.001) were the determinant of cost of output of the respondents. The result further reveals the costs and return of dry season tomato farming in the study area depicts that the total variable cost of production was ₦2,384,894 with a total cost of production which is the total variable plus the fixed cost of ₦3,266,031. The revenue realized was ₦4,070,558. The net farm income for the dry season tomato farmers for one hectare in the study area was ₦804,529.23. The profit index of the respondents was ₦1.7. The major constraints to the irrigated upland tomato production were inadequate water for irrigation (23.0%), lack of irrigation facilities (20.7%), heat stress and drought (27.2%) preventing maximum productions in the study area. In addition, constraints to irrigated upland tomato farming in the study area includes high cost of irrigation services (26.0%), high-cost fertilizer (19.3%), high cost of pesticide (20.9%) and high cost of insecticide (18.2%). It was concluded that the respondents are operating at a lost and again the labour cost looking at the high cost incurred from production which clearly shows that there was over utilization of resources especially in the area of labour cost. The study made the following recommendations; efforts should be made to improve access to adequate water for irrigation purposes, there is a need to provide modern irrigation facilities to farmers to improve water management and efficiency, there is a need to promote value addition in tomato farming through processing and packaging to increase the shelf life of tomatoes and reduce post-harvest losses and farmers should be encouraged to formed cooperatives to be united in one voice to have a bargaining power over labour cost and can also make request to government on their needs and access inputs and training from policy support programme to achieve optimal yield.

Trade-offs in the externalities of pig production are not inevitable.

Farming externalities are believed to co-vary negatively, yet trade-offs have rarely been quantified systematically. Here we present data from UK and Brazilian pig production systems representative of most commercial systems across the world ranging from 'intensive' indoor systems through to extensive free range, Organic and woodland systems to explore co-variation among four major externality costs. We found that no specific farming type was consistently associated with good performance across all domains. Generally, systems with low land use have low greenhouse gas emissions but high antimicrobial use and poor animal welfare, and vice versa. Some individual systems performed well in all domains but were not exclusive to any particular type of farming system. Our findings suggest that trade-offs may be avoidable if mitigation focuses on lowering impacts within system types rather than simply changing types of farming.

Digital Farmer’s Profiling System for Decision Support Towards E-Governance

The "Digital Farmer's Profiling System for Decision Support in E-Governance Research" is an innovative approach harnessing digital technologies to elevate the realms of agriculture and governance. Its primary objective was to create an integrated digital profiling system for farmers, enabling the collection and analysis of essential farmer data, thereby facilitating informed decision-making for both farmers and departmental agriculture offices. Specifically, the project aimed to develop a profiling system with distinct components, including farmer profiles, land profiles, livestock and poultry information, aquaculture farmer data, service provider details, livelihood insights, and cost and return analysis information. Additionally, the system features an efficient reporting mechanism capable of generating critical information, such as lists of farmers and land forecasting data. The research employed a qualitative methodology, gathering data from sample documents and interviews involving registered farmers and agricultural stakeholders, selected through a stratified sampling approach to ensure diversity in geographical locations and farm types. Ethical considerations, including a rigorous commitment to data privacy and obtaining informed consent, were meticulously observed throughout the research process. The Agile software development model was employed for designing and developing the system. This study has not only successfully met all the requirements of a farmer's profiling system with an exceptional capability by encompassing key components. Furthermore, it features a robust reporting mechanism for generating crucial data, including lists of farmers and land forecasting information

Financial Resilience of Young and Beginning Farmers under Recession: A Transition Probability Approach

Abstract This paper examines the relative financial strength and endurance of several paired classes of farmers according to business maturity (beginning versus mature farm businesses) and farm operators’ age and experience (young versus older, more experienced farm operators) by utilizing transition probability approach. Results show that the financial stress resulting from the late 2000s recession did not significantly influence the financial vitality of farms in general, regardless of the farm type. The financial strength of farms operated by young farm operators and beginning farms during the recessionary period remained at favorable levels, although their performances were lower than their counterparts. JEL classification numbers: Q10, Q12, Q14. Keywords: Transition probability, Recession, Agriculture, Credit migration, Agricultural finance.

Presence of Mycoplasma bovis in Bulk Tank Milk and Associated Risk Factor Analysis in Serbian Dairy Farms.

Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis) is a significant pathogen responsible for highly transmissible mastitis in cattle globally. It primarily spreads through colostrum, milk, and semen. Cows with persistent infections act as carriers, intermittently releasing the pathogen, making their milk a pivotal factor in infection transmission. Given the limited seroprevalence surveys in Serbia, this study aimed to detect M. bovis presence in bulk tank milk (BTM), determine route shedding, and evaluate infection risks. BTM samples were collected from 115 dairy farms across Serbia, with M. bovis DNA detected in 11 out of the 115 samples by real-time PCR. Additionally, M. bovis was detected in 1.30% of nasal swabs sampled from apparently healthy animals. A univariate analysis of the risk factors associated with M. bovis presence in the BTM samples revealed correlations with factors such as the breed, farm seropositivity, pre-milking and post-milking disinfection practices, farm type, cow population, milk yield, number of cows in the BTM samples, and parity. Seropositive farms exhibited the highest likelihood of M. bovis presence in milk. Moreover, pre- and post-milking disinfection practices and highly productive cows yielding over 8000 L of milk were identified as risk factors for PCR-positive BTM. In a multivariable mixed regression analysis, a risk factor for the presence of M. bovis infection in the BTM sample was the Holstein breed. These findings underscore a relatively high prevalence of M. bovis in BTM within Serbian dairy farms, suggesting a potential risk for M. bovis spreading through milk and oral route of calves' infection.

Characterization of urban agriculture and farmers’ climate change adaptation: the case of Urban Wa, Ghana

Urban agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa has the potential to significantly improve urban food security and feed the underprivileged when promoted. In Ghana, urban agriculture has several characteristics that distinguish it from traditional farming practices. However, climate change poses a significant threat to urban agriculture, as changing weather patterns can lead to droughts, floods, and extreme weather events that damage crops and animals. This study explored the characteristics of urban food crops and livestock production in the Wa township, Ghana. Mixed methods of data collection and analysis were employed. A sample of 362 urban households was administered survey questionnaires supplemented with 12 key informant interviews. Descriptive and content analysis were carried out, with the results presented in tables, graphs, and narratives. The study found that amidst climatic stressors, urban agriculture is characterized by the production of animals such as chickens, sheep, and goats and crops like maize, yam, beans, cabbage, and pumpkin. Land is acquired through purchasing, though other farmers obtain land from relatives and friends. There is a very strong relationship between residential class and the type of urban farming (Cramer’s V = 0.291 > 0.25) and a moderate relationship between residential class and land acquisition type (Cramer’s V = 0.108 > 0.10). The study concludes that urban farming is characterized by mixed farming coupled with crop diversification, which has implications for climate change adaptation measures. To adapt urban agriculture to climatic stressors, the study recommends that the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) should streamline agricultural policy interventions in urban agriculture to promote agriculture intensification.

Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Molecular Epidemiology of Anaplasma phagocytophilum in Sheep Raising in Khuzestan Province, Iran

Background: Anaplasma sp. is a blood protozoon that causes economic damage to the livestock industry. Therefore, studying this disease’s epidemiology and distribution pattern in different regions is essential. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the variety of infections of the Anaplasma sp. in the sheep population of Khuzestan Province in Iran. Methods: A total of 200 sheep blood samples were randomly collected and examined using specific nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) based on the 16S rRNA gene. Results: The prevalence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum was 17%, and infected sheep had no clinical signs. The effective risk factors in the spread of infection in Khuzestan Province include sheep aged 3-5 years, low sanitation, high-density farms, use of acaricides in the field, and hot season (P≤0.05). There was no significant association between the occurrence of A. phagocytophilum infection and variables of altitude, farm type, vectors, distance from other farms, and sex. Conclusion: Since the infection often has no clinical symptoms, identifying the risk factors and epidemiology is essential to develop control and prevention planning.

Estimation of the nutrient variation in feed delivery and impacts on lactating dairy cattle

Diets formulated for dairy cattle are designed to supply nutrients, but rations delivered to the animal may deviate from original formulations resulting in implications on milk production, composition, and even pregnancy rate. The objective of this study is to evaluate retrospective feed mixing records collected from 8 commercial dairy farms over 52 weeks. Farms ranged from 2,982 – 29,783 animals, producing 31.8 ± 5.93 kg milk with 4.14 ± 0.461% fat and 3.26 ± 0.218% protein. Data collected included daily TMR nutrient deviation; calculated as diet nutrient content minus the observed divided by the formulated diet concentrations of CP, fat, NDF, and starch. Data were analyzed with fixed effects of time (modeled as 28-d periods) and days of positive nutrient deviation in fat, CP, NDF and starch with each nutrient alone and in combination with the other nutrients, random effects of herd, and repeated measure of time within herd. The nutrient deviation by farm averaged (±SD) 1.68 ± 2.655, 2.28 ± 4.473, 1.75 ± 2.621, and 1.47 ± 2.147% for CP, fat, NDF, and starch. Days of positive nutrient deviation per period averaged (±SD) 25.5 ± 3.47, 25.5 ± 3.72, 25.6 ± 3.49, and 25.9 ± 2.61. Dry matter intake (DMI; 17.2 ± 1.78 kg/d) decreased with increasing positive deviation days in starch (−0.0483 ± 0.01265; P < 0.01) and increased with increasing positive deviation days in CP (0.0211 ± 0.00942; P = 0.03). Milk yield (31.4 ± 2.50 kg/d) increased with positive deviation days in starch (0.0486 ± 0.02110; P = 0.02) and decreased with increased positive deviation days in NDF (−0.0298 ± 0.02202; P = 0.18). Finally, pregnancy rate (21.7 ± 4.34) increased with increasing positive deviation days in fat (0.385 ± 0.1635; P = 0.02) and decreased with increasing positive deviation days in CP (−0.420 ± 0.1879; P = 0.03). For these models, period significantly affected milk yield (P < 0.01) and but was not observed to affect pregnancy rate and DMI (P ≥ 0.12). Results suggest farm and nutrient type were significant sources of variation and overall, farms overfeed nutrients CP, fat, NDF, and starch 92% of the days of a 28-d period.

Investigation of consciousness levels of Çanakkale farmers on environmental and toxicological risks of pesticides

Pesticides are increasingly being used against pests in agricultural fields. However, unconscious use of pesticides results in health risks for humans and the environment. Efforts should therefore be spent to reduce the negative impacts of pesticides. The objective of this study was to measure farmers’ awareness of pesticide use in the agricultural fields of Çanakkale. The sample size was calculated using the “Simple Random Sampling Based on Means” method. The present survey was conducted with 270 farmers. Of the farmers who participated, 25.55% had 31-40 years of farming experience, 47.78% were primary school graduates, and 35.56% were 55-65 years old. Farmers’ knowledge of pesticide use was assessed through Likert scale. Chi-Square test was used to investigate the relationship of farmers’ knowledge level with education, age, farming experience, land size and farming type. Only education was significant. As the education level increased, the knowledge level increased. In terms of farmers’ attitudes, 78.89% of the farmers indicated that they changed their clothes after spraying, 46.67% cared about the information on pesticide labels, 45.18% used protective equipment during spraying, 69.63% cared about PHI (pre-harvest intervals), and 15.92% had knowledge about MRL (Maximum Residue Limit). 41.85% disposed of remaining pesticide solutions to the edge of agricultural fields, 40.74% to garbage and 6.3% to environment. It was concluded based on the present findings that farmers need serious training on pesticide use and the potential effects of pesticides on human health and the environment.

Factors affecting iodine content of cow milk-A review

This review discusses the importance of iodine as an essential nutrient for human health and the factors that can influence the concentration of iodine in cow milk. For an adult, the daily recommended requirement of iodine is 150 µg/day and the maximum tolerable limit ranges from 600 to 1100 µg/day. Cow milk is a significant source of iodine in many countries, particularly in areas where iodine-rich foods are not readily available. Therefore, evaluating the variables that affect the iodine content of cow milk is important. The iodine concentration of cow milk can vary depending on several factors such as genetics, diet, environment, management practices, season, and processing. Particularly, dietary supplementation and feed composition have been identified as the most impactful on milk's iodine levels, offering a practical approach to mitigating iodine deficiency. Furthermore, environmental factors like soil and water iodine content and management practices, including the type of farming, play substantial roles. Seasonal changes also significantly affect iodine levels, with higher concentrations typically observed in winter due to different feeding practices. The iodine content of cow milk falls between 147 to 605 µg/kg and the highest value of 11100 µg/L was recorded in camel milk. Milk could supply up to 60% of the daily dietary requirement of iodine for an adult person. To fight iodine deficiency through the appropriate approach to such concerns, one must have an in-depth understanding of these issues. This review paper aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of these factors and their implications for human and public health strategies. Bangladesh Journal of Animal Science 53 (1): 1-12, 2024

Decoding the Arsenal: Protist Effectors and Their Impact on Photosynthetic Hosts.

Interactions between various microbial pathogens including viruses, bacteria, fungi, oomycetes, and their plant hosts have traditionally been the focus of phytopathology. In recent years, a significant and growing interest in the study of eukaryotic microorganisms not classified among fungi or oomycetes has emerged. Many of these protists establish complex interactions with photosynthetic hosts, and understanding these interactions is crucial in understanding the dynamics of these parasites within traditional and emerging types of farming, including marine aquaculture. Many phytopathogenic protists are biotrophs with complex polyphasic life cycles, which makes them difficult or impossible to culture, a fact reflected in a wide gap in the availability of comprehensive genomic data when compared to fungal and oomycete plant pathogens. Furthermore, our ability to use available genomic resources for these protists is limited by the broad taxonomic distance that these organisms span, which makes comparisons with other genomic datasets difficult. The current rapid progress in genomics and computational tools for the prediction of protein functions and interactions is revolutionizing the landscape in plant pathology. This is also opening novel possibilities, specifically for a deeper understanding of protist effectors. Tools like AlphaFold2 enable structure-based function prediction of effector candidates with divergent protein sequences. In turn, this allows us to ask better biological questions and, coupled with innovative experimental strategies, will lead into a new era of effector research, especially for protists, to expand our knowledge on these elusive pathogens and their interactions with photosynthetic hosts. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.

Integrated crop-livestock effects on soil carbon sequestration in Benin, West Africa

In Benin, adaptation to climate change in the livestock sector has led cattle farmers to develop different livestock practices. Most research has focused on evaluating the effects of these practices on livestock productivity. However, information on the effect of these practices on carbon (C) sequestration in farmland soils is lacking. Soil C sequestration has been identified as a potential strategy to offset greenhouse gas emissions. Thus, the present study aimed at filling this gap. The calculation was one hand based on inventory data obtained from literature sources (excrement production of each cattle category, moisture content of each crop, ratio of crop residue to main product, and C content of the main product and excrement) and on the other hand on activity data (cattle herd size, manure applied, land use area, crop yield, and crop residues management) obtained from surveys carried out among 360 cattle farmers belonging to 3 cattle farming types. The results revealed that whatever the cattle farming type, annual C input from manure was higher (p˂0.05) than C input from crop residues. Annual C sequestration in farmland soil of farms integrating livestock with cereal-legume and forage crops was significantly higher (Type 2: 158.07 ± 1.79 kg C ha−1 year−1) followed by farms integrating livestock with cereal-legume crops (Type 1: 99.51 ± 0.95 kg C ha−1 year−1), which in turn had a higher value than farms practicing pastoral mobility (Type 3: 78.46 ± 0.70 kg C ha−1 year−1). These results highlight the potential for climate change mitigation through these farming practices. This is justified because the quantity of C sequestered in farmland soil of all cattle farming types was significant. Thus, for future research, it is necessary to include soil C sequestration in the calculations of farms' carbon footprint.

Current and potential use of animal disease data by stakeholders in the global south and north

What cannot be measured will not be managed. The Global Burden of Animal Diseases (GBADs) will generate information on animal disease burdens by species, production system, type and gender of farmer and consumer, geographical region, and time period. To understand the demand for burden of animal disease (BAD) data and how end-users might benefit from this, we reviewed the literature on animal diseases prioritisation processes (ADPP) and conducted a survey of BAD information users. The survey covered their current use of data and prioritizations as well as their needs for different, more, and better information. We identified representative (geography, sector, species) BAD experts from the authors’ networks and publicly available documents and e-mailed 1485 experts. Of 791 experts successfully contacted, 271 responded (34% response rate), and 185 complete and valid responses were obtained. Most respondents came from the public sector followed by academia/research, and most were affiliated to institutions in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Of the six ADPPs commonly featured in literature, only three were recognised by more than 40% of experts. An additional 23 ADPPs were used. Awareness of ADDPs varied significantly by respondents. Respondents ranked animal disease priorities. We used exploded logit to combine first, second and third disease priorities to better understand prioritzation and their determinants. Expert priorities differed significantly from priorities identified by the ADDPs, and also from the priorities stated veterinary services as reported in a survey for a World Organisation of Animal Health (WOAH) technical item. Respondents identified 15 different uses of BAD data. The most common use was presenting evidence (publications, official reports, followed by disease management, policy development and proposal writing). Few used disease data for prioritzation or resource allocation, fewer routinely used economic data for decision making, and less than half were aware of the use of decision support tools (DSTs). Nearly all respondents considered current BAD metrics inadequate, most considered animal health information insufficiently available and not evidence-based, and most expressed concerns that decision-making processes related to animal health lacked transparency and fairness. Cluster analysis suggested three clusters of BAD users and will inform DSTs to help them better meet their specific objectives. We conclude that there is a lack of satisfaction with current BAD information, and with existing ADDPs, contributing to sub-optimal decision making. Improved BAD data would have multiple uses by different stakeholders leading to better evidenced decisions and policies; moreover, clients will need support (including DSTs) to optimally use BAD information.

Analysis of the Emerging Market for Poultry By-Products in Ghana

&lt;p&gt;The paper examined the emerging poultry by-products market, delving into the nature, revenue generation, influencing factors, and constraints of the market, using data from poultry farmers, aggregators, and cattle farmers. The paper described the nature of the market using descriptive statistics and a flow chart, estimated its contribution to poultry revenue, and examined the factors influencing the proportion of revenue contributed using a Tobit model. Kendall’s coefficient of concordance was used to measure the level of agreement among the poultry farmers in ranking identified constraints. The poultry by-product market is currently characterized by only poultry droppings trading, with Côte d’Ivoire as the largest user (76% of the consumption) in cross-border informal trade and an average selling price of 8.39 USD per metric ton. The emerging market for the by-products can be described as seasonal. Annual revenue per poultry farmer for poultry droppings is 1,072.26 USD. Management type, production scale, and membership of poultry farmers’ association influenced the proportion of revenue contributed from poultry droppings. The emerging poultry droppings market provided an opportunity for small-scale farms to earn additional income and organic manure to support sustainable farming. The key constraints among the poultry farmers participating in the by-products market were low prices and a lack of processing and storage facilities. The study recommended that agriculture sector development agencies should support the development of value chains for poultry droppings and other poultry by-products to help expand the market for sustainable agriculture production under the circular economy framework.&lt;/p&gt;

The emission intensity of the freshwater aquaculture production value chain in Georgia

This contribution assesses the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission intensity among two freshwater aquaculture sub-chains: both the carp and catfish and the trout and sturgeon sub-chains in Georgia. The data were derived from 155 semi-structured interviews conducted in Georgia in 2021. The GHG per kilogram of production and per Georgian Lari (GEL) of value added of specific farm types were calculated. Emission intensity per kg of production is similar for both sub-chains, while value-added differs more significantly. Our results show the existence of economies of scale in trout production due to the ability of larger farms to use less feed per kilogram of fish. From this perspective, increasing the production scale can lead to lower emission intensity and improved economic performance. In the case of the carp sub-chain, economies of scale are not present. Therefore, we recommend conducting research on increasing the scale of production through the use of larger ponds. This solution brings obvious economic benefits, but from an environmental point of view, it may pose certain threats. Moreover, the countereffects of scaling production, such as wild fish depletion, water pollution, and the spreading of fish diseases and the farmed fish escaping, must also be adequately addressed.

Effect of Radiation Position of Photon Beam at Axis Point and Field Edge on Absorbed Dose on Linear Accelerator (Linac)

&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; Radiotherapy is a medical treatment that uses ionizing radiation to kill cancer cells using a Linear Accelerator (Linac). One of the errors in radiotherapy irradiation can occur because the radiation beam that comes out is not in accordance with the planning. Therefore, radiation absorbed dose measurement is needed to carry out as a quality assurance to control the accuracy and suitability of the dose to be received by the patient by following the standards of the Technical Report Series (TRS) 398. This study was conducted at Radiotherapy Installation of RSUD A.W. Sjahranie Samarinda. In the measurement of radiation absorbed dose, the detector was placed in the center of the water phantom with a certain depth and placed in an axis position perpendicular to the radiation source. The detector is not only placed in the axis position, but also placed on the 4 edges of the field with the aim of knowing the effect of the location of the detector on the absorbed dose on the Linac plane. Medium water phantom, Farmer type ionization detector with a depth of 10 cm, and radiation source distance to the phantom surface of 100 cm were applied in this study. The measurement deviation results at the axis position and 4 field edges are 0.01%, 0.06%, 0.03%, 0.05%, and 0.05%. These values are within the tolerance limits written in the IAEA TRS 398 protocol, which is ± 2%. This states that the radiation absorbed dose by the water phantom is homogeneous in all directions.&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D;

Exploring the viability of Organic Farming for Sustainable Agriculture in India

Organic farming commonly known as ecological or biological farming is a type of farming that emphasises methods like crop rotation and companion planting and employs organic fertilisers including compost manure, crop residues, mineral grade rock additives, green manure, and bone meal. Organic farming is an agricultural system that creates safe, healthy or environmentally friendly products and works in the protection of nature. It excludes the use of synthetic inputs such as fertilizers; hormones feed additives, herbicides, pesticides. In order to preserve ecological balance and safeguard the environment, organic farming was adopted. It supports and improves the health of the agro-ecosystem, including the biodiversity, biological cycles, and soil biological activity. This paper aims to delve into the principles of organic farming and the concept of organic products. It also undertakes an analysis of the opportunities within the domain of organic farming and evaluates potential markets for organic products. Furthermore, the paper scrutinizes the challenges associated with marketing organic products. Organic farming provides nutrients to the plants and improves the physical and biological quality and characteristic of soil.