Ha Of Farmland Research Articles

Sustainable Irrigation: Karez System in Afghanistan

In Afghanistan, water is mostly used for agricultural purposes. The water supply chain requires updating to ensure its sustainability. Different irrigation methods – such as surface water based irrigation (via canals), groundwater based irrigation, and the Karez irrigation system – are applied across the country. Considering the compatibility of the Karez system with the environment, it can be deemed the most effective irrigation scheme, as it allows collecting a significant amount of groundwater and conveying it to land surface via sub-horizontal tunnels using gravity. This article analyzes Afghanistan’s Karez irrigation systems currently feeding water to over 170,000 ha of farmland with a potential to expand and become a component of sustainable water supply chain.

Relationships between Organic Beef Production and Agro-Ecosystems in Mountain Areas: The Case of Catalan Pyrenees

This study analyzed the link between organic beef production and agroecosystems in mountain areas and the potential effects of land use change in eight farms of Catalan Pyrenees with a three step approach: (i) assessment of structural and management features; (ii) comparison of forage productivity and manure loads of 71 farmland parcels in relation with management intensity (natural meadows, seminatural meadows, temporary crops) and, for meadow parcels, with the farmers’ willingness to convert them to temporary crops; (iii) life cycle assessment of the environmental impacts. Each farm managed around 150 ha of pastures and 23 ha of farmland (of which only 5 as temporary crops), and maintained a herd of around 130 livestock units. Forage productivity and manure loads of farmland were modest and extremely variable, and no productive advantages could be predicted from the conversion of meadows to temporary crops. Environmental impacts were mostly related to the on-farm stages, because of low-input management and very high feed self-sufficiency, and the diets used showed very low feed/food competition. These results indicate a balance between organic beef production and management of mountain agroecosystems, which is a key point for sustainability and should be a priority in European policies and strategies.

Imaging Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for Agriculture Land Use Classification

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was used to capture high-resolution aerial images of crop fields. Software-based image analysis was performed to classify land uses. The purpose was to help relevant agencies use aerial imaging in managing agricultural production. This study involves five townships in the Chianan Plain of Chiayi County, Taiwan. About 100 ha of farmland in each township was selected as a sample area, and a quadcopter and a handheld fixed-wing drone were used to capture visible-light images and multispectral images. The survey was carried out from August to October 2018 and aerial photographs were captured in clear and dry weather. This study used high-resolution images captured from a UAV to classify the uses of agricultural land, and then employed information from multispectral images and elevation data from a digital surface model. The results revealed that visible-light images led to low interpretation accuracy. However, multispectral images and elevation data increased the accuracy rate to nearly 90%. Accordingly, such images and data can effectively enhance the accuracy of land use classification. The technology can reduce costs that are associated with labor and time and can facilitate the establishment of a real-time mapping database.

COMPETITIVENESS OF POLISH ORGANIC FARMS OF DIFFERENT SIZES ACCORDING TO FADN DATA

The article analyses the productivity and competitiveness of Polish organic farms of different sizes, as well as their potential, production intensity and the costs. The analysis covers the period of 2013–2017. Information that was used in this study came from FADN farms and was included in the publications Technical- economic parameters according to agricultural farm groups participating in the Polish FADN from the years 2013–2017. Two methods were applied: a descriptive method with the use of tabulated summaries and a comparative method. In 2013–2017 the production potential, productivity and competitiveness of Polish ecological farms depended on their size. The largest farms with 50 ha of farmland turned out to be the most competitive, whereas those with 30–50 ha of farmland were found to be able to withstand competition. Farms that produce ecological products whose area is up to 30 ha were found uncompetitive despite subsidies.

The considerable environmental benefits of seaweed aquaculture in China

Coastal water eutrophication and resource depletion have become serious issues in many coastal regions of the world. Seaweed aquaculture in Chinese coastal waters is a very important industry. This work assessed the major environmental benefits of seaweed cultivation, mapped the spatial distributions of various species and analyzed their environmental impacts during 2015 in China. This study found that seaweed aquaculture had brought in considerable environmental benefits, including the removal of about 75,563 t of nitrogen and 9592 t of phosphate from coastal waters, the sequestration of about 539,555 t of carbon, the absorption of 1,980,167 t of CO2, the release of 1,440,612 t of O2 into coastal waters, and the production of 5809 t of Iodine. In addition, seaweed cultivation saved approximately 29,313 t of chemical fertilizers, 1873 t of pesticide and 62,492 ha of farmland compared with terrestrial vegetable cultivation. These results demonstrate that Chinese seaweed aquaculture has turned the pollutants that cause eutrophication into nutrients, which generates considerable environmental benefits as well as socio-economic values. However, seaweed species, as well as coastal water qualities, vary by regions, spatial management of seaweed farms related to the coastal water quality is necessary. In the eutrophic coastal waters, more seaweed species that are highly capable of removing nitrogen and phosphate should be cultivated. Besides, the potentially negative effects of seaweed farming should also be considered before performing spatial management to ensure the healthy development of seaweed industry. As Chinese seaweed production continues to boom, it is a unique opportunity to strengthen the seaweed industry and to reach a win–win situation that both gains considerable environmental benefits and generates substantial socio-economic returns. This is also a promising way for other coastal developing nations/regions to follow.

Reducing the carbon footprint per unit of economic benefit is a new method to accomplish low-carbon agriculture. A case study: adjustment of the planting structure in Zhangbei County, China.

The development of low-carbon agriculture is promising for mitigating climate change. This study used adjustments to the planting structure in Zhangbei County, China, as an example to evaluate whether the carbon footprint per unit of economic benefit is a suitable indicator of low-carbon agriculture and to determine if low-carbon agriculture is not necessarily low-input non-intensive agriculture. The results showed that total greenhouse gas emissions increased; therefore, the adjustments to the planting structure were ostensibly not a low-carbon process. However, if we obtain the same economic benefit as the actual distribution of the planting industry by adopting the scenario of planting only grain crops, then the annual greenhouse gas emissions would be 1608.00 × 103 t CO2 eq, and 5769.94 × 103 ha of farmland would be required. However, if we adopt the scenario of planting only vegetable crops, then only 82.52 × 103 ha of farmland would be required, and the annual greenhouse gas emissions would be 323.52 × 103 t CO2 eq. These results indicated that the carbon footprint per unit of economic benefit is a suitable indicator to assess agricultural sustainability and that intensive agriculture with high input and high output is a form of low-carbon agriculture if the carbon footprint per unit of economic benefit is low. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Determinants of food insecurity in the rural farm households in South Wollo Zone of Ethiopia: the case of the Teleyayen sub-watershed

This study evaluated determinants of food insecurity in the rural farm households of the Teleyayen sub-watershed in Ethiopia. The study used a multistage sampling procedure to select 215 sample households involving a combination of purposive and random sampling. Data were collected using structured survey questionnaire, focus group discussion (FGD), and key informant interviews. Independent sample t test, chi-square, percentage, mean, and standard deviation were employed to analyze the data. It was found that 20.9 and 79.1% of the sample households are food secure and food insecure, respectively. The majority of the food insecure households were younger household heads, who own less than 1 ha of farmlands. On average, male-headed households were more food secure than female-headed households. The result of the binary logistic regression revealed that shortage of farmland, poverty, recurrent drought and climate change, shortage of rainfall, and land degradation are determining factors for such food insecurity. However, the gender of household head, policy support, land redistribution, farmland topography, soil fertility, and erosion do not show any significant influence.

Agriculture in modern landscapes: A factor hindering or facilitating development?

Agriculture plays an important role in both protecting and developing farmland. In Slovenia, the main reasons for this loss are urbanization and the implementation of large development projects that require the destruction of fertile farmland. About 3000 ha of farmland has been lost each year since Slovenia’s independence. The importance of agriculture and farmland is touched upon in this special issue of Acta geographica Slovenica. The authors focus on management of farmland, analyse the development potential for agriculture, observe the changes in the landscape by remote sensing, soil quality and its pollution, and land cover as an element of biodiversity. They draw attention to the lack of participation in spatial planning procedures and the question of the importance of agriculture and jobs in this sector in national economy. This introductory paper brings a short analysis of how the issue of farms’ spatial constraints and moving farm structures to new locations is perceived by municipal offices, nature parks, and the Slovenian Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry and its regional offices.

How Legal-Oriented Restoration Programs Enhance Landscape Connectivity? Insights From the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Environmental legislation has fostered ecological restoration programs worldwide, but few studies have reported the outcomes for landscape connectivity. Here, we investigated the contribution of forest restoration programs planned to comply with the Brazilian Forest Code for increasing forest cover and landscape connectivity in agricultural landscapes of southeastern Brazil. We gathered data for 85 landscapes and 2,408 rural properties, totalizing 748,601 ha of farmlands within the Atlantic Forest biome and its ecotone with Cerrado, two global hotspots for biodiversity conservation. Together, rural properties account for 50,783 ha of native vegetation deficit found on Areas of Permanent Protection (APPs). On the basis of this, we performed a landscape connectivity analysis by simulating scenarios in accordance with the requirements of the legislation for two sugarcane mills that are already under ongoing restoration efforts. We evaluated the relative changes promoted by restoring all deforested riparian buffers within APPs, as determined by the Forest Code. The simulation of restoration at the property-level resulted in the reconnection of isolated forest patches, reducing their number in the landscape and increasing their overall and core size. At the sugarcane mill level, the restoration of riparian forests increased the index of connectivity. Despite these benefits, final forest cover (remnant plus restored forests) would still be reduced (<20%—the minimum forest cover on the private land to comply with the environmental law) in most landscapes and insufficient to conserve species sensitive to forest fragmentation. The mandatory restoration of riparian buffers plays a relevant role for improving landscape connectivity in human-modified tropical landscapes, but this strategy shall be complemented by other approaches to increase forest cover and landscape connectivity to mitigate the enormous species extinction debt accumulated for tropical forests.

Landslide Susceptibility Mapping and Risk Assessment on the Bamenda Mountain (Cameroon Volcanic Line)

The Bamenda Mountain (with over 250,000 inhabitants) is one of the strato-volcanoes along the Cameroon Volcanic Line (CVL) with an accidental landscape. This area is frequently affected by landslides, which most at times result in destruction of property and loss of lives. An informative value statistical method using GIS is use to prepared a landslide susceptibility map for the Bamenda Mountain area as well as a quantitative and qualitative risk assessment. This is aimed at revealing areas where future landslide would occur and potential loss. Nine landslide controlling factors including; slope, slope orientation (aspect), curvature, stream density, proximity to roads, geomorphology, proximity to streams, geology and land use were use in the model. A total of 64 slides were inventoried in the area and use to prepare the landslide density map. The weighted informative values for the combined factor and landslide density were used to prepare the landslide susceptibility map for the area. The most significant landslide causing factors in this area are; slope, stream density and slope aspect. The susceptibility map was classified into very high (17.8%), high (25.9%), moderate (33.6%) and low (22.7%). The validated model using the success rate curve indicates that the area under curve is 0.823 and predicts landslides at 82.3% in relatively high classes. Landslide risk assessment in the area indicates 406 buildings, 2,436 people, 1,291.1km of roads, 2152 ha of farmland and an approximate USD83,540,000 worth in assets are expose to high and very high risk. This approach can be implemented in other areas along the CVL to map and assess landslide risk.

Selected Effects of Financing Agriculture from a Regional Perspective

AbstractThis paper contains an assessment of changes in the financial and property situation of agricultural holdings in different regions of Poland. In the years 2006-2013, growth of the level of income from a family-owned farm was registered in all regions, but capabilities of reproducing fixed assets and development capabilities varied. Favourable changes in the availability of fixed assets in farms were observed. Regional differences became apparent in the efficiency with which these assets were used. The greatest growth of the value of fixed assets per 1 ha of farmland was registered in the Pomorze and Mazury region. Farms in the Małopolska and Pogórze region were in the most difficult situation, characterized by a permanent inability to reproduce fixed assets and develop.

Use of GIS to Delineate Site-Specific Management Zone for Precision Agriculture

ABSTRACTSoil heterogeneity is one of the several factors that explain within-field variations in crop yielding. To overcome this problem, an experiment was conducted within the University of Ibadan to identify the zones with similar soil properties that can be managed uniformly to optimize crop yield. A total of 62 soil samples were collected from 6.5 ha of farmland based on the differences in slope, soil moisture regime, land management and cropping pattern. The spatial distributions of soil properties were mapped out using the Inverse Distance Weighing (IDW) interpolation technique and the results were subsequently reclassified into different soil management categories. The results showed that the farmland consists of four classes of total nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and soil bulk density (SBD); three classes of carbon (C) and volumetric moisture content (Ө); two classes of soil pH; and one class of soil texture. Each of the soil management maps was subsequently overlaid on each other to produce four specific site management units (SSMUs) for vegetable cultivation. The four SSMUs consisted of highly suitable units occupying 0.143 ha, marginally suitable unit occupying 0.971 ha, moderately suitable unit occupying 0.517 ha and unsuitable unit occupying 4.9 ha of land. The SSMUs will alleviate problems of reduced yield due to over- or under-applications of agrochemicals.

Wallasea Island Wild Coast Project, UK: circular economy in the built environment

The Wallasea Island Wild Coast Project in Essex, UK, is transforming 670 ha of farmland back to coastal marshland. A total of 98% of excavated material from the Crossrail project in London has been recycled and reused, with almost half being shipped to Wallasea Island – more than 3 Mt. Up to six ships arrived daily at Wallasea, unloading 8000 t of excavated material. A total of 2400 shiploads of material were delivered, removing the requirement for 150 000 haulage lorry movements from London's roads. The recycled excavation material has been used to raise land levels at Wallasea by ∼1·5 m to create Europe's largest wetland nature reserve. The project includes an innovative flood defence system incorporating new seawalls to protect vulnerable coastal areas from flooding. Partnering with nature conservation charity RSPB was a key part of Crossrail's sustainability policy. The project provides an excellent example of the circular economy in the built environment, where construction materials have been reused in a high-value conservation project providing benefits for both people and wildlife.

Fen meadows on the move for the conservation of Maculinea (Phengaris) teleius butterflies

In the Netherlands, a single population of the obligate myrmecophilic butterfly Maculinea (Phengaris) teleius has survived on only 3 ha of habitat for more than 25 years, whereas at least 40 ha of habitat are thought to be required for a sustainable metapopulation. Therefore, 170 ha of farmland is being restored to wet meadows within a LIFE + project by large-scale soil excavation and hay inoculation. For successful restoration, the habitat requirements of the butterfly, with Sanguisorba officinalis as host plant and its particular life cycle as parasite of the ant species Myrmica scabrinodis, have to be taken into account. We tested whether colonization of nests of this ant species in the restoration areas is facilitated by translocation of sods collected from fen meadows. We divided 54 sods, each sized 1 m2, randomly over six patches and measured vegetation development and ant presence in the sods and surrounding control plots for 2 years. In the first summer, significantly more Myrmica ants were found in the transplanted sods in comparison to the surrounding area. Herb cover had a significant positive effect on Myrmica ant presence while it did not affect the presence of the pioneer ant species Lasius niger. In the second year, Myrmica ants were found in the surrounding control plots as well. This study contributes to the knowledge-base required for the design of restoration projects aimed at expanding the habitat of the critically endangered butterfly Maculinea (Phengaris) teleius.

Determinants of the utilization of desho grass (Pennisetum pedicellatum) by farmers in Ethiopia

A study was conducted to document how smallholder farmers in Ethiopia utilize desho grass ( Pennisetum pedicellatum ) and explain the determinants of alternative and competing uses of the grass. The study was conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire for 240 farmers in the districts of Burie Zuria and Doyogena, complemented with input from key informants and secondary data. The dependent variables tested were the use of desho grass as a feed, multipurpose uses of the grass and types of livestock fed. To test the effect of the explanatory variables on the dependent variables, separate univariate Probit models were used. Although the majority of respondents can read and write, about 23% of respondents were illiterate. The average desho grass-producing farmer in the sample owned 0.95 ha of farmland and 3.56 tropical livestock units; average household size was 6.5 people with a household head who was typically male (91% of households). Eighty percent of respondents in Burie Zuria and all respondents in Doyogena district depended solely on rain for desho grass production. Fifty-eight percent in Burie Zuria and 65% in Doyogena district applied either manure or artificial fertilizer to the grass. Weeding of desho grass was not practiced by any respondents in either district. Sixty percent of farmers used desho grass as a feed and 35% used it for more than a single purpose. Forty-two percent of farmers who fed desho grass did so to only lactating cattle, 3% fed it to small ruminants and 53% fed it to all livestock species. There were significant negative correlations (P<0.01) between both experience in production of desho grass and access to training in its production and utilization, and its utilization as a feed. Seventy percent of farmers in Burie Zuria and 13% in Doyogena have received training in desho grass production. To expand the utilization of the grass to as many farmers as possible, further training should be provided. A multi-faceted approach would be needed for the 23% of illiterate farmers over the 2 districts. Keywords : Cut-and-carry, lactating animals, multipurpose, Probit models. DOI: 10.17138/TGFT(4)112-121

Farm-level adaptation measures to climate change and constraints among arable crop farmers in Ebonyi state of Nigeria

The study assessed farm-level adaptation measure to climate change and constraints among arable crop farmers in Ebonyi State. Primary data collected from 480 farmers were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The result of the socioeconomic characteristics established that majority (72.83%) of the respondents were aged 30 years and above. Also, majority (63%) were males who are married (61.09%), with an average household size of 10 persons per farmer. Greatest number (84%) of the farmers had acquired various form of formal education, while 56.09% of them farmed on sloppy, rocky/eroded, swampy or hilly farmland. Also, most (50%) of the respondents cultivate above 2.5 ha of farmland per cropping season with a monthly income of between 1,000 - N20,000. The study further showed that majority (79.13%) of the farmers have taken some measures to cope with the adverse impact of climate change. These include: the practice of mixed cropping and farming, cover cropping, organic manuring, use of fresh broad leaves (banana, plantain) for mulching, liming with wood-ash, invoking of rains during delay on its onset through sacrifices to gods, and adjusting planting time. The result of factor analysis using varimax rotated component matrix indicated that the most critical barriers to climate change adaptation in the area were captured under three factors viz: environmental, social/institutional, and economic constraints. The study recommends intensive sensitization programmes on climate change be extended to the rural farmers by government and relevant agencies concerned with climate change issues to ensure effective response to the climate change, for sustainable agricultural activities.

Relating costs to the user value of farmland biodiversity measurements

The impact of agricultural management on global biodiversity highlights the need for farm-scale monitoring programmes capable of determining the performance of agriculture practices. Yet the identification of appropriate indicators is a challenging process and one that involves considering a number of different aspects and requirements. Besides the attention given to scientific effectiveness, relevant but less studied issues related to biodiversity measurements include the economic feasibility of monitoring programmes and the relevance of indicators for different end-users. In this paper, we combine an analytic assessment of costs and a stakeholder-based evaluation of the usefulness of a set of biodiversity-related parameters (habitat mapping, vegetation, bees, earthworms, spiders, and a farmer questionnaire) tested for scientific consistency in 12 European case studies and on more than 14,000 ha of farmland. The results point to the possibility of meeting the expectations of different end-users (administrators, farmers and consumers) with a common indicator set. Combining costs and usefulness also suggests the possibility of designing more efficient monitoring approaches involving private agencies and networks of volunteers and farmers for the field data collection at different stages of a monitoring programme. Although complex, such an approach would make it possible to enhance the effectiveness of available funds for farmland biodiversity monitoring.

Investments and basic fixed assets in agriculture

In Poland, investment activity in agriculture is visible especially after 2004, i.e. after accession to the European Union (EU). The incentive for farmers were invest funds directed to the common agricultural policy of the EU and an increase in demand for Polish agricultural products in the single European market. In the years 2000–2012 expenditures for all groups of investment in agriculture tend to rise. The largest increase was recorded in capital expenditures per 1 ha of farmland. This was due to financial support from the EU. Analysis showed a high diversity of farms in terms of equipment on tractors. Large farms had most tractors and they were best equipped in the high-power tractors. However, the biggest increase in tractors of 15 kW in the period from 2002 to 2012 was observed in farms with an area of 2–3 hectares (double) and 1–2 hectares (three times).

Geochemical assessment of mine waste cover performance post reclamation at Parc mine, North Wales

Parc mine in north Wales was abandoned after closure in 1963 and spoil heaps were left to erode into the Nant Gwydyr and Conwy River. A storm event in 1964 caused the west slope of the tailings dam to collapse into the river, polluting 11 ha of farmland with lead and zinc. Reclamation work commenced in 1978 and involved reshaping the tailings pile and capping the north and central sections of the site with limestone quarry waste. The north section was also sown with metal-tolerant vegetation ( Festuca rubra, Argostis tenuis and Trifolium repens ). The aim of the study was to understand how different reclamation surfaces affected soil chemistry using GIS. The uncapped south section, whilst having the most heavily polluted soil (74 mg/kg As, 24,000 mg/kg Pb, and 19,000 mg/kg Zn), supported the establishment of patchy but diverse metal-tolerant vegetation ( Alnus incana, Fagus sylvatica, Ulex, Sorbus aucuparia) . The capped north section had the least polluted soil (19 mg/kg As, 478 mg/kg Pb, and 1400 mg/kg Zn), densely vegetated with a nitrogen-fixing legume ( Trifolium repens ), and was able to support grazing animals, but remained visually incongruous and failed to support the re-establishment of native vegetation. The central section, which combined capping with native vegetation ( Betula pubescens and Quercus petraea ), was considered moderately polluted (26 mg/kg As, 3908 mg/kg Pb, and 9000 mg/kg Zn). Zinc was found to be the limiting contaminant for vegetation growth with soil concentrations exceeding 12 000 mg/kg corresponding to areas of bare ground in the south and central sections. Barium was the only element to increase in the capped sections, indicating the limestone quarry waste used to cap the tailings was most likely barium-rich.

A REGIONAL ANALYSIS OF THE USE OF TRACTORS ON MODEL FARMS PRODUCING ENERGY CROPS

The potential area of energy crops in Poland is estimated at 1.0–4.5 million ha. The decrease in the prices of energy reduces the high pressure to cut the costs of biomass production. The aim of this study is an analysis of the use of tractors on model farms producing energy crops, which have different areas, intensity of production and quality of soils from different regions of Poland. The use of tractors increased along with the farm area, the soil quality and production intensity. The use of tractors on the smallest farms is low, so they should buy old tractors. A large share of crops for biogas leads to the situation where it takes 20–30 years of work for tractors to achieve full wear of 12,000 hours on farms with 130 ha of farmland, whereas it takes only 8–14 years on farms with 600 and 1500 ha of farmland. Regional differences in the use of tractors increased along with the farm area from 4.7–5.7% on the smallest farms to 10.1–14.8% on the largest farms