Hectares Of Cultivated Land Research Articles

Occurrence of Abiotic and Biotic Stress Tolerance in Rice: A Multigene Approach

A sustainable food system ensures food security and nourishment for future generations. Rice (Oryza sativa L.) requires emergence stress tolerance for successful cultivation in germination and early establishment stages. According to the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) study, rice is one of the most important worldwide cereal crops and a staple food for more than half of the world’s population. Over the past few years, drastic climatic changes have been subjected to many abiotic and biotic stresses. Global estimates express that a total of 1000 million hectares of cultivated land is affected by abiotic and biotic stress. Besides this around 30% of the irrigated land area is also disturbed. This review discusses the mechanisms of stress-tolerant variants and understanding the recent developments of complex tolerance phenomena. Here, we have compiled the logical pieces as evidence of successful applications of potent molecular tools for boosting stress tolerance in rice, their prospects and limitation. This information would help researchers better understand the genetic enhancement of stress tolerance in rice.

Resource use Efficiency in Carnation Production under Polyhouse Conditions in Himachal Pradesh, India

Floral expressions often capture the depth of emotions and sentiments that surpass the capabilities of verbal communication. The practice of flower farming within polyhouse conditions has emerged as a burgeoning segment within the agricultural domain, offering substantial revenue opportunities. This is particularly relevant in terrains characterized by hilly topographies, such as Himachal Pradesh, where agricultural land is scarce, with an average of 0.12 hectares of cultivable land and 0.02 hectares of irrigated land per capita. Such limitations necessitate an agricultural paradigm focused on maximizing returns per unit of area, labor, and capital investment. The research undertook an analytical journey in the Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh to scrutinize the efficiency of resource utilization in the cultivation of carnations under polyhouse conditions. Engaging a cohort of 60 polyhouse-utilizing farmers, selected through proportional allocation across two blocks of the district, the study unveiled that the utilization efficiencies, as measured by the marginal value product (MVP) to price ratios, were highest for manure (5.78), followed by pesticides (3.55), and labor (2.04), each exceeding the unity threshold. This indicates that augmenting the input of these resources could potentially amplify returns.

Evaluation of the Agricultural Reality of the Industrial Yellow Corn Crop in the Iraqi Province of Kirkuk

The agricultural sector is considered one of the important and vital economic sectors in any country due to its role in providing food, clothing, employment opportunities for the population, and the supply of raw materials needed for industries. In Iraq, this sector is the largest non-oil economic sector and contributes significantly to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Yellow maize (corn) is one of the main economic crops in Iraq. This study evaluates the agricultural situation of yellow maize crop in Kirkuk Governorate. The statistical data pertaining to the crop, including cultivated areas, production, productivity, and crop prices, were assessed descriptively through the calculation of arithmetic averages, percentages, growth rates, and graphical representations. During the study period from 2000 to 2021, approximately 23,000 to 237,000 tons of yellow corn were produced in Kirkuk province, Iraq. This crop was cultivated over an area ranging from 10,000 to 39,000 hectares of cultivated land during various years within the mentioned period. The average contribution of the yellow corn cultivation area in Kirkuk to the total cultivated areas of yellow corn in Iraq was approximately 19%. This study examines the average contribution of yellow corn production in Kirkuk Governorate to the overall yellow corn production in Iraq, which stands at approximately 24%. The contribution of yellow corn production in the region has exhibited considerable fluctuations over the years, with the highest contribution recorded in 2018 at 71.1%, and the lowest in 2006 at 6.3%. These fluctuations can be attributed to insufficient support for yellow corn cultivation, as well as the impact of various factors, including environmental, human, technological, political, and economic elements. The average corn crop yield in Kirkuk Governorate was estimated at around 3904 kg/ha. Notably, the highest yield was achieved in 2013, reaching 7592 kg/ha, while the lowest yield was recorded in 2014 at 1092 kg/ha, primarily due to challenging conditions faced by the region during that year. The annual growth rates for cultivated area, production, productivity, and price demonstrated positive rates, with values of 9.2%, 7.4%, 4.6%, and 6.7%, respectively. This indicates an increase of 9.2%, 7.4%, 4.6%, and 6.7% in the cultivated area, production, productivity, and price of yellow corn in Kirkuk Governorate, respectively. However, these positive rates were insufficient to meet the rising local demand for yellow corn. İn this study, recommendations were made to establish agricultural plans and policies for this crop, as well as to open multiple marketing channels in the Kirkuk province, particularly during the harvesting season. These measures aim to alleviate the burdens on farmers and protect them in order to mitigate the decline in the cultivation of this important crop. Furthermore, additional research is proposed, focusing on aspects related to the crop, such as price and marketing studies, to develop productive and pricing policies that can address the existing deterioration in the production of this crop. Increasing the purchasing price of this crop and providing prior disclosure of the price before the production season for yellow corn is suggested to incentivize farmers to engage in its cultivation. Additionally, granting more agricultural loans is recommended to enhance the production of this strategic crop and activate the role of agricultural guidance in the province. This would facilitate the transfer of modern agricultural techniques and provide clarification to farmers on their implementation.

염분 스트레스에 대한 식물의 반응과 질소의 영향

Around the world, 110 billion hectares of cultivated land in more than 100 countries are affected by soil salinity due to rapid climate change. Salinity and drought stress among various abiotic stresses are the main causes of significant decrease in crop production worldwide. In the 21st century, there are also predictions that 50% of the arable land will be affected by soil salinity. To alleviate the salt stress of crops and further increase production, mechanisms related to various physiological phenomena related to plant salt stress should be identified at the molecular level. In addition, plants can not move, so in order to successfully grow and develop in a given environment, various nutrients including micronutrients such as iron, manganese, and zinc are needed as well as large nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Most of these soil nutrients are absorbed into the plant body through the underground root system of a wide range of plants. In particular, nitrogen is one of the essential macronutrients for plant growth and crop productivity. Plants evolved various mechanisms to adapt to unbalanced nitrogen conditions. However, plants absorb nitrates with the help of nitrogen-fixing-related bacteria around their roots, as they cannot absorb nitrogen directly from the atmosphere. To meet the growing demand for food resources, the large amount of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer supplied to crops increased dramatically as synthetic nitrogen fertilizers began to be developed, resulting in a significant increase in crop yields. However, most of the nitrates deposited in the soil are not absorbed by plants but spread to the surrounding environment, leading to serious environmental and ecological pollution. Thus, identification of regulatory genes associated with in-depth understanding of nitrate absorption, assimilation and their use mechanisms is a key prerequisite for improving nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in crops, and consequently is critical for maintaining agricultural stability.

Profitability of Cocoyam Production and its Determinants in Cross River State, Nigeria

Neglected and underutilized crops can play a vital role in achieving food security as humans concentrate on consuming a few food crops which have increased in price over time. Understanding the profitability of these crops can enhance farmers’ decisions to grow them. Therefore, this study investigated cocoyam production profitability, factors responsible for its profitability, and the constraints faced in cocoyam production in Cross River State, Nigeria. Data collected primarily with the use of questionnaires were analysed with descriptive statistics, cost and return analysis, multiple regression and the Likert rating scale. The results revealed that the majority of cocoyam farmers were male, married, in their economically active age and operated on a small scale. Cocoyam production was a profitable venture as the farmers had a gross margin of N175, 822.45 (USD 428.04) per hectare of cultivated land with an operating ratio of 0.24 and a return on capital invested of 3.17. The factors that influenced the profitability of cocoyam production were education, household size, farm size, farm output, cooperative membership, access to credit and annual income. The major constraints faced in cocoyam production were inadequate access to credit, poor government support, high cost of inputs and poor storage facilities. To enhance cocoyam profitability, the study recommends the provision of farm inputs and financial support to inform of credit or grants to the farmers. This would not only increase their profit but also enhance the decision to increase production which will increase food availability and, in turn, reduce the problem of food insecurity.

Economic and Environmental Assessment of Conventional versus Organic Durum Wheat Production in Southern Italy

Conventional and intensive agriculture systems represent an environmental challenge. This research aims at evaluating the economic and environmental implications of conventional and organic durum wheat production in Southern Italy by applying material flow analysis and the crop accounting method. The purpose is to evaluate and compare the natural resource consumption, waste generation and economic profitability of conventional and organic durum wheat farming, respectively. The functional unit is one hectare of cultivated land. System boundaries encompass all agronomic operations, from cradle to gate. The research applies a bottom-up approach and relies on either primary or secondary data. It emerges that organic durum wheat production reduces the use of synthetic chemical and phytosanitary products, as well as plastic waste, by up to 100%. Moreover, it decreases diesel use by 15%, with a consequent reduction in CO2 emissions, and also avoids soil and groundwater pollution. From an economic perspective, gross income for conventionally farmed durum wheat is still 55% higher compared to organic production. Public authorities should boost environmental sustainability by supporting organic production from either an economic or a social perspective, by enhancing the sharing of best practices, by certification for farmers’ groups, by research and innovation, and by incentives in taxation. Overall, this research represents a further step towards the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices.

FMC to acquire BioPhero

The crop science company FMC is acquiring the pheromone producer BioPhero for $200 million. BioPhero is a Danish start-up that spun out of Irina Borodina’s lab at the Technical University of Denmark. It produces insect pheromones by fermenting biologically engineered yeast. Instead of killing pests, pheromones control them by making it harder for them to find a mate and reproduce. BioPhero says its fermentation process significantly reduces the cost of production compared with catalytic chemistry approaches. Pheromone products are currently used only in high-value crops. BioPhero and FMC hope that lower production costs will allow them to sell pheromones to the row-crop market. FMC estimates that pheromones are currently used on 2 million–3 million hectares of cultivated land; expanding to row crops could increase that to over 100 million ha. Mark Trimmer, who leads the biological research firm Dunham Trimmer, says fermentation is likely to cut the cost of input

Increasing Food Production Through Fertilizer Voucher Programme (FVP) By Farmers In Taraba State, Nigeria

The study examines increasing food production through fertilizer voucher programme (FVP) by farmers in Taraba State, Nigeria. Specifically, the objectives include: ascertain the farming characteristics of the farmers involved in the Fertilizer Voucher Programme; ascertain farmers’ level of productivity as a result of Fertilizer Voucher Programme and assess the satisfaction of farmers participating in the Fertilizer Voucher Programme. The population for the study comprised all farmers that participated/benefited in FVP in the Taraba State, numbering 51,098 smallholder farmers. Multistage sampling technique was used to draw the sample size. In stage one (1), two senatorial zones (Central & Northern) was purposively selected for their relative peace and security. In stage two, 6 LGAs (Bali, Gashaka, Gassol and Ardo- kola, Jalingo, Zing,) respectively were randomly selected, 3 LGAs in each of the senatorial zones of the selected zones. From each of the selected LGA, 2 percent of the beneficiaries were proportionally selected and used to collect the primary data for the study. The 2 percentage were selected from each participating LGA to get a sample size of 335 respondents for the analysis of data. Majority (62.8%) of the respondents were full-time farmers while 37.2% were part- time farmers. Majority (81.8%) of the respondents were practicing their agricultural activities as a business with some quantities of outputs sold for other livelihood needs. Majority (99.7%) of respondents cultivate crops such as maize, rice, cassava and guinea-corn which are major crops in the FVP. The years of farming experience among the respondents indicate majority (51.2%) of the respondents had between 11-20 years, 23.8% spent a range of 21-30 years and 21.7% engaged in farming for between 1-10 years. The participants in the livestock industry in the FVP constituted 38.7%, while 37.59% were into mixed farming. However, 36% of them were involved in post-harvest handling/agro processing activities. Majority (56.8%) of the respondents had farm sizes of between 1-2 hectares, followed by 39.9% of the respondents of the FVP beneficiaries having a size of between 3-4 hectares of cultivable land. The results show that the respondents were satisfied with the followings: prices of fertilizer (M=3.81, SD=0.43), time of arrival of fertilizer (M=3.29, SD=0.69),quality of fertilizers by the suppliers in FVP (M=3.76,SD=0.48), pattern in fertilizer purchase in FVP (M=3.70,SD=0.47), involvement of private supplier (M=3.59, SD=0.55),access to information in the FVP (M=3.69, SD=0.49), transportation of the fertilizer (M=3.49, SD=0.52), role of cooperative associations (M=3.74, SD=0.48) and leadership development among participants (M=3.68,SD=0.49). The study suggested that the number of bags of fertilizer per participating farmer should be increased to between 5 - 8 bags per season as against the 2-4 bags in the FVP. This would make farmers to increase output and income, by implication improve food security of the Nation. The large scale farmers could be offered between 50 – 100 bags based on categories to meet up their fertilizer needs

Understanding energy and groundwater irrigation nexus for sustainability over a highly irrigated ecosystem of north western India

This paper examines various features of energy and groundwater irrigation nexus in a highly irrigated ecosystem of north western India. The study is based both on primary and secondary sources of data. Electric tube-wells account for about 72 percent of the total tube-wells population and consume about 40 percent of the total electricity consumption. Power subsidies account approximately 46 percent of the total subsidies disbursed which stimulate the groundwater development. The area irrigated by means of tube-wells has enlarged from 22 to 58 percent. Rice and sugarcane crops are the key consumers of energy both in terms of average energy consumption as well as per hectare of cultivated land. The average use factor of tube-wells is about 7.5 times high during kharif than in rabi season. Farmers have yielded high economic productivity under all crops with the exception of rice than other states such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Gujarat.

Evaluation & Development of Cultivation Techniques of Rainfed Maize + Sweet Potato Inter-Cropping under Indian North-Western Himalaya

Maize (Zea maize L.) is grown for human food, animal fodder, and chicken feed in India's Northwestern Himalayan Region (NWHR), which covers over 0.33 million hectares of cultivated land. In the NWHR of India, substantial soil erosion is a major challenge in maize production, resulting in low rainfed maize productivity. During the peak rainy season in NWHR, a single maize crop can only cover up to 30% of the land, leaving more bare soil vulnerable to soil erosion. Furthermore, sole maize growing only generates roughly Rs. 30,000-40,000 in net income per hectare field, making maize farming less profitable for farmers. Using a randomized block design with four replications, a field experiment was conducted with five treatments: maize-wheat (control), maize + sweet potato-wheat, maize + colocasia-wheat, maize + ginger, and maize + turmeric to conserve soil and water, increase crop productivity, and farmers profit by introducing soil conserving and high-value crops with rainfed maize cultivation. The authors discussed the developed scientific rainfed maize + sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas [L.] Lam) intercropping technique in NWHR, which had not before been devised for this region. From 8.7 t ha-1 soil loss of sole maize, maize + sweet potato intercropping can minimize it to 1.5 t ha-1 and increase maize grain yield to 3.5 t ha-1 from 3.1 t ha-1. In addition to higher maize production, the system also produced 5.0-7.0 t ha-1 of fresh sweet potato tubers. Thus, intercropping of maize + sweet potato under NWHR can reduce soil erosion while also enhance maize yield and farmers' profit in rainfed conditions.

Analysis of Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) Seed Properties for Engineering Applications

Cotton is cultivated worldwide covering 32.5 million hectares of cultivable land. Cotton seed are valuable raw input to seed and oil industry. Seed properties are essential requirement for design of equipment used in farm, post-harvest processing, storage, cotton ginning as well as seed industries. Computer simulation study needs basic properties as input. The engineering properties were evaluated for five majorly cultivated cotton cultivars of India. Significant difference in properties was observed between varieties. The results defined cotton seed as a non-spherical particle with length, width and thickness varying between 6.05 to 10.99 mm, 3.73 to 6.91 mm and 2.94 to 5.73 mm respectively. Higher frictional force is generated when it interacts with painted mild steel, wood and rubber than PVC, stainless steel and aluminum. Reynolds number indicates transitional flow of cotton seed and coefficient of restitution identifies it between elastic and plastic body.

Understanding Livelihood Vulnerability to Climate Change: Evidence from Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam

Vietnam is one of the countries most heavily affected by climate change. The effects of climate change decrease the country's target of poverty alleviation and sustainable growth. Quang Ninh is a coastal province with vigorous development in industry and tourism and is the province with the leading Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) in Vietnam in recent years. However, for many years, Quang Ninh province has suffered negative impacts of climate change. The annual average temperature has been higher than usual, from 22.9 Celcius in 1980 up to 24.9 Celcius in 2019. The number of storms, floods, and tornadoes in the past ten years is more than 93 times, killing more than 87 people, housing damage is 21,231 houses, nearly 16,000 hectares of cultivated land have been affected. Quang Ninh's monetary loss in monetary terms over the past ten years is more than $261 billion US dollar. The article airms to understand livelihood vulnerability to climate change: evidence from Quang Ninh province, Vietnam in the past 10 years (2010-2019). The article based on the Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI) developed by Hahn et al. (2009) includes seven main components: household characteristics, livelihood strategy, social network, health, food and financial capital, water resources, natural disasters, and climate change. The research results show that the components of responding well to climate change are not acceptable. The study also shows that there should be different policies, strategists, and reduction components to improve capacity to respond to climate change to ensure sustainable development goals. Keywords: Climate Change, Livelihood Vulnerability, Capital Resources, Sustainable Development, Quang Ninh

Determinants of Decision to Use Herbicides by Smallholder Farmers: The Case of Dale Sadi District Kelem Wolega Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia

The study was conducted in Dale Sadi district Kelem Wolega Zoneof Oromia Regional State. Even if progresses have been seen through time, decision to use improved agricultural technology was found at its low level. Therefore, the study was initiated to identify factors affecting herbicides use decision by smallholder farmers. The typical data used was cross sectional data that were collected from 140 respondents. Primary data was collected by using semi-structured questionnaire and secondary data were collected from articles, journals and others. For analysis of data descriptive statistics such as mean, maximum, minimum and percentage were used and for econometric analysis double hurdle model was employed for analyzing primary data collected by survey questionnaire. The descriptive analysis revealed that 70.71% of farm households were user of herbicides while the remaining 29.29% were non user. The result from Econometric analysis revealed that, Sex of household head, education status, total livestock owned and access to credit service has influencing positively and significantly to decision to use and volume of herbicide applied to an hectare of farm land. Whereas, distance of farmers’ home from the nearest market influence volume of herbicides applied to hectare of cultivated land negatively and significantly. Therefore, concerning body should focus on promoting training, increasing existing access to credit service and improve market infrastructure that would enhances agricultural technology use to transform agricultural economy and enhance role of improved agricultural technology in economic development. Keywords: Decision to Use, Double Hurdle Model, Smallholder, Technology DOI: 10.7176/JESD/12-13-02 Publication date: July 31 st 2021

Water Footprint, Blue Water Scarcity, and Economic Water Productivity of Irrigated Crops in Peshawar Basin, Pakistan

Pakistan possesses the fourth largest irrigation network in the world, serving 20.2 million hectares of cultivated land. With an increasing irrigated area, Pakistan is short of freshwater resources and faces severe water scarcity and food security challenges. This is the first comprehensive study on the water footprint (WF) of crop production in Peshawar Basin. WF is defined as the volume of freshwater required to produce goods and services. In this study, we assessed the blue and green water footprints (WFs) and annual blue and green water consumption of major crops (maize, rice, tobacco, wheat, barley, sugarcane, and sugar beet) in Peshawar Basin, Pakistan. The Global Water Footprint Assessment Standard (GWFAS) and AquaCrop model were used to model the daily WF of each crop from 1986 to 2015. In addition, the blue water scarcity, in the context of available surface water, and economic water productivity (EWP) of these crops were assessed. The 30 year average blue and green WFs of major crops revealed that maize had the highest blue and green WFs (7077 and 2744 m3/ton, respectively) and sugarcane had the lowest blue and green WFs (174 and 45 m3/ton, respectively). The average annual consumption of blue water by major crops in the basin was 1.9 billion m3, where 67% was used for sugarcane and maize, covering 48% of the cropland. The average annual consumption of green water was 1.0 billion m3, where 68% was used for wheat and sugarcane, covering 67% of the cropland. The WFs of all crops exceeded the global average. The results showed that annually the basin is supplied with 30 billion m3 of freshwater. Annually, 3 billion m3 of freshwater leaves the basin unutilized. The average annual blue water consumption by major crops is 31% of the total available surface water (6 billion m3) in the basin. Tobacco and sugar beet had the highest blue and green EWP while wheat and maize had the lowest. The findings of this study can help the water management authorities in formulating a comprehensive policy for efficient utilization of available water resources in Peshawar Basin.

Assessment of trace metals and its pollution load indicators in water and sediments between Upper and Grand Anicuts in the Cauvery

This study focuses on the contamination level of trace metals in river water, its sediments, the surrounding groundwater and its soil sediments. The region stretching between Upper Anicut and Grand Anicut in the Cauvery delta in Trichy District, Tamil Nadu, India, was chosen for study. This stretch of the river Cauvery experiences maximum quantum of water flow during the monsoon season. Once a perennial river, in recent decades, it experiences only seasonal flow. The Cauvery is the lifeline of millions of people and various flora and fauna. The Cauvery irrigates thousands of hectares of cultivable land, and its delta has sustained the enviable name—the ‘Granary of the South.’ However, the contamination of water and sediments poses grave threat to all life forms. In this study, by using atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS) the presence of seven trace metals Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Fe, Pb and Zn in water and sediments was ascertained. The trace metal contamination level in sediments was predicted by pollution load indicators such as pollution load index (PLI), geo-accumulation index (Igeo), enrichment factor (EF) and contamination factor (CF).The concentration level of trace metals in water and sediments was determined for four different seasons of a year, at 11 locations (five from river sites and six from land sites) along the Cauvery. A higher-level concentration of Fe 2.18 mg/l and 2.95 mg/kg was found in water and sediments, respectively, during the four different seasons. It was also found to have a low-level concentration of Ni with a range of 0.09 mg/l and 0.24 mg/kg in water and sediments, respectively, for four different seasons. Based on pollution load indicators, the PLI values of trace metals in sediment samples in all four seasons were less than zero; the Igeo values of trace metals in sediment in all four seasons were less than zero; the contamination factor (CF) values of all heavy metals except cadmium in sediments samples in all seasons were less than zero; the enrichment factor (EF) value of trace metals in all sediment in all four seasons was higher than 40. Eventually, it was disclosed that the study area was lightly contaminated by the presence of the trace metals Fe and Cd than other trace metals. It is a known fact that all living organisms need some trace metals including cobalt, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, vanadium, strontium and zinc. When the levels of essential metals exceed the desirable limit, they prove to be detrimental to the organisms. Similarly, the presence of nonessential metals like cadmium, chromium, mercury, lead, arsenic and antimony in water bodies causes undesirable effects on human and aquatic life. Once these metals enter into the system, they are capable of reacting with a variety of binding sites in the human body. Thus, this study assumes significance.

Incorporating water loss from water storage and conveyance into blue water footprint of irrigated sugarcane: A case study of Savannah Sugar Irrigation District, Nigeria.

Assessing the impacts of irrigation on water resources is crucial to effectively understanding how water is withdrawn for irrigation purposes. Consequently, the extraction of water from rivers, reservoirs and aquifers for irrigation purposes usually exceeds the net requirement for irrigation due to water lost in its delivery from source to the crop fields. In this this study, we have proposed a model for incorporating seasonal water loss from storage reservoir and conveyance canal into the crop water footprint of irrigated sugarcane. By taking into consideration the duration of seasonal irrigation water release for sugarcane production, we present a method for allocation of blue water footprint using savannah sugar irrigation district as case study. Results have shown that significant volume of water is evaporated seasonally due to irrigation of sugarcane, despite the introduction of an allocation factor to account of evaporation loss to irrigation. For the study period of 2007-2017, the reservoir is the main contributor to water loss by evaporation, it accounts for an average seasonal water loss of 1.1×108m3, followed by evapotranspiration from the crop field 0.26×108m3 and then seepage and evaporation losses from the canal 7.9×104m3. The average seasonal blue water footprint of sugarcane for the period considered is 877m3/ton which exceeds the global average 209m3/ton. Plans to expand hectares of cultivated land by the company to boost sugarcane productivity, coupled with the ongoing effort to incorporate hydroelectric power plant to the existing dam to augment electric power supply in the district, will greatly influence the availability water resources in the region. This study highlighted the need for a comprehensive evaluation of water use in irrigated agriculture and may serve as an indicator for optimizing future objectives and strategies associated with water resource planning globally.

Pierre Richet (1904-1983), fighting onchocerciasis and totalitarism.

While Eugène Jamot's name is associated with the combat against sleeping sickness, Pierre Richet is permanently linked to the battle against river blindness, which he first reported in 1936 in two neighboring households in Garango (Burkina Faso). Onchocerciasis remained a continuous interest, through his last article "The OCCGE and Onchocerciasis", written in 1983. Nonetheless over the course of these five decades, Richet's trajectory was far from that of a specialist dedicating his life to a single disease. After a decade essentially spent fighting trypanosomiasis, came a decade of war in which the specialist in endemism joined the Free French Army and put his organizational know-how at General Lerclerc's disposal, from Morocco to Indochina, via Germany. On his return to Africa in 1953, he extended the principle of mobile teams to the other major endemic diseases accessible to treatment and to vaccines. Richet organized first the combat against leprosy and launched vaccination programs. In 1955, he returned to the battle against onchocerciasis and deployed the first large-scale insecticide program in Chad. The intermediate term failure of this prototype fermented his scientific, interdisciplinary, and organizational thought, which flourished at Bobo-Dioulasso. At the dawn of the independence of French-speaking African countries, and against the political tides of the time, he obtained in 1960 the creation of a supranational organization, the OCCGE, common to 8 countries of West Africa, and he headed it for a decade. Drawing lessons from the past and in the absence of effective pharmaceutical treatment, Richet the physician played the entomological card with one hand, with technical support from Orstom (IRD); this detailed work enabled the development of a strategy. With the other hand, he played the multilateral card, which led in 1974 to the launching of the extraordinary Onchocerciasis Control Program (OCP). If it is Jamot who awakened Africa, Richet is the person who restored its view but also millions of hectares of cultivable land.

Diagnóstico de tractores e implementos agrícolas en el municipio de Atlacomulco, Estado de México


 La presente investigación tiene como objetivo, la realización de un diagnóstico de la utilización del parque de máquinas y tractores, así como los índices de mecanización agrícola de 24 comunidades del municipio de Atlacomulco, dar a conocer el estado de estos medios mecanizados, con la finalidad de que a nivel del Estado de México se tomen las medidas necesarias para mejorar el parque de máquinas y tractores en este municipio. La información de 2014 y 2015 se soportó en una encuesta; y el tamaño de muestra tuvo un nivel de confianza de 95% y un límite de error de 9%. Se entrevistaron 140 agricultores, propietarios de tractores y se registraron 163 tractores en una superficie de 8 074 ha (49.53 ha tractor-1). La FAO recomienda 50 ha tractor-1 de superficie con potencial mecanizable. Se destaca que la relación tractor implemento es bastante bajo (1:3.4), lo que indica la no existencia de una plena utilización del tractor y de sus implementos durante el ciclo agrícola, ya que la relación hectáreas tractor es de 12.4 ha tractor-1 de suelo cultivado, cifra bastante baja, teniendo en cuenta la potencia promedio por tractor agrícola. El índice de equipamiento energético por hectárea de suelo cultivado, fue de 0.89 kW ha-1, valor superior al recomendado por otros estudios. La correlación entre el índice energético de una hectárea (ξha) y la cantidad de tractores por 100 ha (ЭN), fue de r= 0.81**; también ЭN y hectáreas cultivadas por tractor (ϕt), tuvieron un valor de r= -0.63**.

Assessment of ecological and economic efficiency of agricultural lands preservation

The article substantiates the necessity to define and generalize the criteria for assessing the ecological and economic efficiency of using agricultural lands. Due to the transition of the agro-industrial complex to private forms of management, the problems of forming a strategy of rational, ecologically safe and sustainable development of land use in Ukrainian agriculture became of paramount importance. Therefore, systematic studies on the assessment of the ecological and economic efficiency of the agricultural land use need to be conducted. Harmonization of ecological and economic interests is of particular importance in the context of ensuring the conservation, resource-saving and reproductive nature of the agricultural land exploitation.A scientific study found that in Ukraine, the agrarian sector of the economy provides about 47% of GDP, but the question arises: At what price are these achievements given to us? Agricultural land development exceeds environmentally sound standards. Excessive cultivation of the territory leads to an annual increase of eroded lands by 80-90 thousand hectares. Land use is recognized as environmentally unstable, and there is a steady tendency to deteriorate the quality of soil. Each second hectare of cultivated land is erosion-hazardous, that is, these soils are subject to water and wind erosion. In this regard, it is recommended to introduce the world-wide experience of Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA), which provides an opportunity to provide food security to the country and to limit the negative impact of the environment, based on the introduction of organic production.It is proved that regardless of the size of farms and forms of management using resource-saving no-till technologies, enterprises received low cost of grown products, providing profitable activities. Ecological compatibility of the technology provides energy savings of at least 30% in comparison with traditional farming systems, the accumulation of not less than 30-40% of plant residues on the soil surface after harvesting of the predecessor, provides protection of the soil from wind and water erosion by minimizing the amount and depth of technological operations.It is confirmed that the most widespread evaluation of the agricultural lands use is the evaluation of the results of their use through volumes of gross and commodity products, income, and production profitability. The criteria for the environmental effectiveness of agricultural land use should be: the degree of functional use of land resources, ecological stability, the level of anthropogenic loading, the degree of erosional feature of land, etc.According to the study results, it was established that one of the main areas of agriculture is the application of minimal tillage in crop rotation, i.e. resource-saving no-till technology.The economic feasibility of technologies based on the use of different soil tillage systems has been confirmed.

Comparative evaluation of happy seeder technology versus normal sowing in wheat ( Triticum aestivum) in adopted village Killi Nihal Singh of Bathinda district of Punjab

Paddy- wheat crop rotation is dominant in the Punjab state covering about 28.40 lakh hectares of cultivable land. This paddy–wheat rotation also assesses the potential of new technology i.e. happy seeder technology to address the problem. The straw management system should be necessary for all the combine harvesters. The total 28 field demonstrations on happy seeder technology were conducted in village Killi Nihal Singh of district Bathinda of Punjab state during the years 2013-14 & 2014-15.The results showed that by using this technology, the nutrients i.e Urea, DAP and Potash fertilizer were saved worth Rs. 424.15, Rs.366.25 and Rs.1989 respectively totaling the amount to Rs.2779.40 per hectare besides improving the physical properties over longer period of time. The highest incremental B: C ratio of happy seeder plots were 4.36 during the year 2013-14. Apart from saving the burning of the paddy straw, the happy seeder technology was able to save Rs.2311.25 per hectare over the normal sown wheat during the field preparation, sowing and management operations of the crop. In the context of burning of paddy straw, this happy seeder technology is a new initiative under taken by Krishi Vigyan Kendra Bathinda for checking of environmental pollution which will be beneficial for the society as a whole because. Bathinda district lies in the south-western region of Punjab which is not much mechanized in agriculture as compared to other districts of the state.