Improved Farm Management Research Articles

A REVIEW OF REMEDIATION AND CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR THE TREATMENT OF AGRICULTURAL WASTE WATER IN IRELAND TO SATISFY THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE

In Ireland agricultural activities have been identified as major sources of nutrient input to receiving waters, and it has been estimated that these activities contribute 75.3% of the N and 33.4% of the P found in these waters. The strategy at European level focuses on the prevention of nutrient loss by improved farm management. However, it does not focus on nutrient remediation or incidental nutrient loss from farmyard manures to surface water and groundwater. This review describes the impact of agriculture on the environment in Ireland and examines emerging technologies for agricultural waste-water treatment. An integrated approach at pretreatment and field stages for nitrate (NO 3 ) remediation and P control is recommended.

Antimicrobial Resistance in Bacteria from Swiss Veal Calves at Slaughter

Bacteria with antimicrobial resistance can be transferred from animals to humans and may compromise antimicrobial treatment in case of infection. To determine the antimicrobial resistance situation in bacteria from Swiss veal calves, faecal samples from 500 randomly selected calves originating from 129 farms were collected at four big slaughterhouses. Samples were cultured for Escherichia coli, Enterococcus sp. and Campylobacter sp. and isolated strains were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility to selected antimicrobial agents by the minimal inhibitory concentration technique using the broth microdilution method. From 100 farms, data on farm management, animal husbandry and antimicrobial treatments of the calves were collected by questionnaire. Risk factors associated with antimicrobial resistance were identified by logistic regression. In total, 467 E. coli, 413 Enterococcus sp. and 202 Campylobacter sp. were isolated. Of those, 68.7%, 98.7% and 67.8%, respectively, were resistant to at least one of the tested antimicrobial agents. Resistance was mainly observed to antimicrobials frequently used in farm animals. Prevalence of resistance to antimicrobials important for human treatment was generally low. However, a rather high number of quinupristin/dalfopristin-resistant Enterococcus faecium and ciprofloxacin-resistant Campylobacter sp. were detected. External calf purchase, large finishing groups, feeding of milk by-products and administration of antimicrobials through feed upon arrival of the animals on the farm significantly increased the risk of antimicrobial resistance at farm level. Participation in a quality assurance programme and injection of a macrolide upon arrival of the animals on the farm had a protective effect. The present study showed that veal calves may serve as a reservoir for resistant bacteria. To ensure food safety, veal calves should be included in the national monitoring programme for antimicrobial resistance in farm animals. By improving farm management and calf husbandry the prevalence of resistance may be reduced.

Development and testing of a “free-flow” conductimetric milk meter

Accurate milk yield measurement is important to maintain production efficiency and improve farm management: yield data enable to implement and evaluate feed rations for individual cows or groups, calculate actual lactation curves and identify potential health problems proactively. Nowadays, many electronic milk metering devices, based on different methods of measurement, are available on the market. Vacuum drop across the meter, accuracy over a wide range of flow rates and farm conditions (e.g. foaming of milk) are the key problems of currently available electronic milk meters. Aim of this project was the development of a free-flow milk meter, able to work with different flow rates and different combination of air-milk flows, with a measuring chamber essentially made by a portion of linear pipe, horizontally disposed and with no mechanical movement parts, to minimize the interferences with the milk flow and on the electric conductivity (EC), to calculate the milk yield, in order to obtain a low-cost device. A prototype was built up and laboratory and farm tests were carried out during 2004 and 2005, in order to evaluate the accuracy and reproducibility of the new device. Laboratory and farm tests were carried out following the guidelines of the International Committee for Animal Recording (ICAR). Laboratory tests showed a bias of 1.4% and a standard deviation of 5.0%, while farm tests showed a bias of −4.5% and a standard deviation of 12.7%.

Incentives to improve farm management: EMS, supply-chains and civil society

This paper focuses on impediments to environmentally sound management practices and how these might be overcome, with an emphasis on the role of environmental management systems, supply chains and civil society. It argues that: • Farmers are under increased pressure to cut costs and improve production but with little opportunity to increase prices. Commonly short-term economic interest has damaging environmental implications. • Current government policy, in Australia and in many other jurisdictions, relies heavily on voluntary arrangements, education and information, as the main policy instruments through which to persuade farmers to adopt better environmental farm management—e.g. the recent push to encourage the use of voluntary environmental management systems. • However, there is good evidence to suggest that these can only make a valuable contribution when combined with a range of other policy instruments, including positive and negative incentives, intervention by third parties and in some cases, an underpinning of regulation. • Arguably, what is needed is a strategy that builds on the strengths of voluntary environmental management arrangements while compensating for their weaknesses by combining them with other, complementary policy instruments. If so, we must engage with a range of questions that have not so far figured substantially in the policy debate. • Although the principal focus has been on the role of government in bringing about on-farm change in management practices, supply chain pressure (at least in respect of agricultural chemicals and practices which threaten food safety) and civil society action are also potentially powerful mechanisms for bringing about change. Government can and should play a role in harnessing such forces in the interests of improved environmental on-farm practices.

Improving Farm Management by Modeling the Contamination of Farm Tank Milk with Butyric Acid Bacteria

Control of contamination of farm tank milk (FTM) with the spore-forming butyric acid bacteria (BAB) is important to prevent the late-blowing defect in semi-hard cheeses. The risk of late blowing can be decreased via control of the contamination level of FTM with BAB. A modeling approach was applied to identify an effective control strategy at the farm level. The simulation model developed was based on a translation of the contamination pathway into a chain of unit operations. Using various simulations, the effects of factors related to feed quality, feed management, cattlehouse hygiene, and milking practices on the contamination level of FTM were evaluated. Contamination level of silage was found to be the most important factor. When silage contains on average less than 3 log10 BAB/g, a basic pretreatment of udder teats before milking (∼75% removal of attached spores) is sufficient to assure an FTM contamination level below 1 BAB/mL. When silage contains more than 5 log10 BAB/g, it should not be fed, because it then becomes almost impossible to assure an FTM contamination level below 1 BAB/mL. Measures aimed at improving cattlehouse hygiene, the contamination via soil, and the contamination level of other feeds contribute only marginally to the control of the contamination of FTM with BAB. Application of the modeling methodology could be beneficial for the control of the contamination of FTM with other microorganisms such as Bacillus cereus.

Landowners' perception of the benefits and barriers to adopting centre pivot and lateral move irrigators on dairy farms

Maintaining profitability under conditions of limited water availability is a key issue facing dairy farmers in the Shepparton Irrigation Region. These farmers predominantly use border-check irrigation. Pressurised irrigation methods are seen as one option for increasing productivity from the limited water resources. This study reports on landowners’ perceptions towards the adoption of centre pivot and lateral move irrigators, based on survey and factor analysis. The survey was of 20 landowners using face-to-face interviews. Factor analysis was used to identify broad categories of benefits and barriers that best summarised farmers’ responses to survey questions. Improved farm management, productivity benefits, lifestyle benefits and improved marketability of farms were identified as the key benefits of adopting centre pivot and lateral move irrigators perceived by farmers. Capital cost, operation and maintenance costs, layout of the farm and unreliability of systems were seen as the key barriers. An understanding of these perceived benefits and barriers is the first step towards the development of extension information relating to the adoption of centre pivot and lateral move irrigation systems.

Toward Environmental Management Systems in Australian Agriculture to Achieve Better Environmental Outcomes at the Catchment Scale

Environmental Management Systems (EMS) are being trialed for Australian agricultural industries as society becomes more concerned about agriculture's environmental performance. EMS is a structured approach used by farm businesses to assess, monitor, and improve environmental performance. Use of EMS in conjunction with other policy tools (such as financial incentives and regulation) in agriculture could enhance management of both on-farm and off-farm environmental issues. Based on the international standard ISO14001, EMS was designed to be applied at the individual business level. However, governments in Australia are exploring its potential to be applied at a catchment scale, among other things, for the purpose of linking farm-level actions to catchment targets. In Australia, governments and catchment management bodies are using Integrated Catchment Management (ICM) as the framework to try to achieve environmental targets set out in catchment plans. In this article, we compare aspects of the EMS and ICM frameworks and comment on the potential of using EMS to achieve catchment-scale environmental outcomes. We conclude that EMS could be a useful policy tool to improve farm management and to contribute, in part, to better off-site outcomes at the catchment/landscape scale. Recommendations on the use of EMS at the catchment scale are discussed. These include using an educational approach for EMS delivery, linking the EMS process to catchment targets, and ensuring catchment targets are realistic and achievable.

Recent progress on the cytokine regulation of intestinal immune responses to Eimeria

A variety of methods are available to combat avian diseases in the commercial setting, including improved farm management practices, use of antibiotic drugs, selection of disease resistant chicken strains, and manipulation of the chicken immune system. In the latter category, development of vaccines against the major avian diseases has become a priority for the poultry industry. With increasing demands for developing alternative control programs for many poultry diseases, it is important to understand the basic immunobiology of host-pathogen interactions in order to develop novel vaccination strategies. From studies carried out in many mammalian species, it is evident that host immune responses to intracellular pathogens are complex and involve many components of the host immune system. For enteric pathogens such as Eimeria and Salmonella, understanding cell-mediated immunity is most important because antibodies, although abundantly produced locally, can not access and act on these intracellular pathogens. In poultry, slow but increasing understanding of various components of host immune system mediating cellular immunity is opening new opportunities for thorough investigation of the role of thymus-derived lymphocyte subpopulations and cytokines in normal and disease states. This paper will review recent progress with chicken cytokines that have been characterized, and discuss various experimental strategies to enhance host immunity to pathogens using chicken cytokines.

The Potential and Sustainability of Aquaculture in India

ABSTRACT India is a very populous country with more than one billion people. In order to provide food for this growing population, serious environmental problems may result. Despite many benefits from the green, blue, and silver revolutions adopted in India, there has been much concern resulting from intensive agricultural practices that led to environmental problems in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Increasing demand for aquatic resources also caused inland fisheries to decrease over the past few decades. The location of aquaculture projects, landscape destruction, soil and water pollution by pond effluents, over-exploitation of important fish stocks, depletion in biodiversity, conflicts over agriculture and aquaculture among various stakeholder groups over resource and space allocation, and international fish trade controversies have threatened the long-term sustainability of fisheries and aquaculture industries. The subject of sustainable aquaculture has not been adequately projected in terms of current aquaculture practices aimed to boost a rural economy. This review briefly describes the key issues of aquaculture unsustainability in terms of intensive aquaculture, nutrient enrichment syndrome, soil and groundwater salinization, destruction of mangroves, loss of biodiversity, marine pollution and loss of fish stock, use of aquachemicals and therapeutics, hormone residues, etc. The strategies for sustainability have been highlighted with respect to rice-cum-fish culture, carp polyculture, integrated farming with livestock, rural aquaculture, intensification of small farms, wastewater-fed aquaculture, crop rotation, probiotics, feed quality, socioeconomic considerations, environmental regulations and fisheries acts, transboundary aquatic ecosystems, impact of alien species, ethical aspects of intensive aquaculture, responsible fisheries, and environmental impact assessment. A suggested model outlines the feedback mechanisms for achieving long-term sustainability through improved farm management practices, integrated farming, use of selective aquachemicals and probiotics, conservation of natural resources, regulatory mechanism, and policy instruments.

Host Immunity and Vaccine Development to Coccidia and <I>Salmonella</I> Infections in Chickens

Within the past few decades, intensive rearing practices have been developed to keep pace with the increasing demand for the high quality, low cost protein source that poultry provides. For example, chickens are housed routinely in crowded environments under adverse conditions and chicken strains with rapid growth, high protein-to-fat content and superior egg laying characteristics have been genetically selected. A major negative consequence of these practices has been an increase in the incidence of diseases. Enteric diseases in particular have emerged as a major problem threatening the future viability of the poultry industry. A variety of methods have been used to combat avian diseases in the commercial setting including improved farm management practices, use of antibiotic drugs, selection of disease resistant chicken strains and manipulation of the chicken immune system. In the latter category, development of vaccines against the major avian diseases has become a priority in the poultry industry. For the development of practical vaccines and new control strategies against enteric pathogens, comprehensive understanding of host intestinal immune system and basic immunobiology of host-microbes interactions leading to the protection is necessary. Recent progress in poultry genetics and functional genomics technology would facilitate the development of logical control strategies against enteric diseases of poultry in the coming decade. This paper will highlight recent progress in host immunobiology and vaccine strategies to Eimeria and Salmonella infections.

Dairy advisory teams

Dairy Advisory Teams (DATs) improve farm management success when producers and advisors have the skills and attitude to make them work effectively. Basic team concepts are taught during team training workshops and in follow-up communications. Teams learn to recognize individual farm values, objectives and constraints before identifying areas in which improvements could be made. Teams are selected from people with skills and abilities that complement farm goals. An advisor who is not part of the owner/management group organizes and runs the team meetings in consultation with the owner. Advisors with team facilitation skills and experience make the best coordinators. Teams formulate action plans that are critical to success. Regular team meetings (monthly or bi-monthly with experience) increase the ability of farm advisors to monitor and make midcourse adjustment to farm plans. Farm owners make all decisions while benefiting from timely diverse advice from multiple professionals. Our study confirms that veterinarians are one of three critical team advisors and provide essential advice for teams when health information is integrated into the farm decision-making processes. Further, this study suggests that certain elements are key to success of a dairy advisory team. Teams most likely to continue after the first year tended to advise larger, better-managed herds. They had producers dedicated to the team process, experienced coordinators or new coordinators that adhered to the team process. Successful advisory teams functioned for multiple years, had larger teams and had goals that were more strategic (long term) than tactical (immediate). Smaller herds with DATs made faster progress on several indicators than larger herds, primarily because they were further behind initially Therefore, DATs can target smaller herds and make significant progress. Four to five team members appears to be the practical size for herds up to 150 cows, and six to seven team members for herds milking over 200. Team size is not as critical to success as the dedication of the producer and the leadership ability of the coordinator. Although herds with production challenges made greater progress, producer attitudes and coordinator effectiveness contributed most to sustainability. The financial and professional rewards for consultants may be greater when working with larger farms and dedicated producers.

THE BIOGRAPHY OF JÁNOS NAGYVÁTHY - THE FIRST HUNGARIAN AGRICULTURAL WRITER

210 years ago Nagyvathy Janos published the first systematic, agricultural trade book, called ’Diligent Farmers’ in Hungarian in Pest. This outstanding person of our agricultural history was born on 19th January 1755, in Miskolc. After leaving the Protestant secondary grammar school in Miskolc, he studied law and theology in Sarospatak. At the Protestant secondary grammar school in Losonc he became a ’Subrector’, that is, the the teacher of poetry. Due to a serious illness affecting his eyes he left this job and went to Pest for medical treatment. During the long therapy he visited the lectures of Mitterpacher Lajos, who was the most excellent theoratical agricultural specialist in the country. In 1782 he took military service for four years, in the Duka cavalry regiment, where he reached the rank of a captain and he was garrisoned in Belgium, Italy and Austria. As a commisariat officer he got to know the more developed agriculture of Europe, and it was at that time that he studied agricultural technical literature. In 1786 he had a relapse of his eye disease therefore he left the army and tried to find a cure in Vienna. Here he got acquainted with Jordan Peter, director of the domains of the court, who employed him as an assistant. During the time he spent in the domain of Voslau, he could completed his academic knowledge with practical experience. In 1788 he moved to Pest where he made friends with Kazinczy, Batsanyi, Verseghy and Szechenyi Ferenc, who were the representatives of the most progressive group of nobility. He became the member of the ’Magnanamitas’ Masonic Lodge. In 179o he published four pamphlets anonymously called ’ The change of religion’, ’Civil prediction from the stars’, ’The red friend’, ’Hours of joy in the life of a true Hungarian patriot’. In 1791 he published ’The diligent farmer’ in two volumes on 1213 pages recommending it to the ’sweaty Hungarian farmer’. In this book he wrote about all his experience and the regularities regarding animals and plants discovered by the developing sciences. His main source is ’Elementa rei rusticae’ by Mitterpacher but he also mentioned 51 different books as sources, (34 of them in the section about plant cultivation). Plant cultivation had the same importance and number of pages as in the work of Mitterpacher but animal husbandry had twice as many pages. He wrote about the breeding of all farm animals but it was not the chapters on animal husbandry that pointed ahead but his remarks to help the rationalization of farming and the fact that he wrote about plant cultivation and animal husbandry as a whole. The book made him well-known in the country. He was offered the post of a land steward by Szechenyi Ferenc and Festetics Gyorgy. Accepting the latter he moved to Keszthely and he took over the management of the domain of 162ooo acres. The earl left the army at that time and started to restore his neglected domain. Nagyvathy’s main task was to improve farm management. He introduced strict accountancy and applied double-entry book-keeping for the first time and Hungary and his main principle was to put down all farming activities in writing. The farm managers were not suitable for this task so he convinced Festetics to found a school for them and an other secondary grammar school in the other centre of the domain in Csurgo. By 1797 the condition of the domain improved significantly and the Earl founded ’Georgikon’ the first agricultural college in Europe though without the land steward who favoured the idea of enlightment (the court in Vienna would not approve it). After the expiration of his contract he retired and moved to Csurgo, where he inspected the secondary grammar school as a secular inspector. He spent the last 22 years of his life here ’hard working in respectable poverty’. He died on 13th February 1819 (according to other sources on 24th). His posthumous books are as follows: ’Hungarian housewife on the farm’ (182o), ’Hungarian Practicus Cultivator’ (1821), ’Hungarian Practicus Breeder’ (1822), ’Hungarian Land Steward’ (1822). In Keszthely and in Csurgo secondary technical scools are called after him, his memory is kept by statues and marble tablets. My aim was to commemorate a scientist, who disappeared into the mists of two centuries, by presenting his life and his main work.

Nitrogen fluxes in the plant component of the ‘De Marke’ farming system, related to groundwater nitrate content

Sandy areas in the Netherlands are mainly used for intensive dairy farming. In conventional farming systems, losses of nitrate to the groundwater are high, threatening other valuable functions of the rural area, like conservation of nature and ‘production’ of drinking water. Possibilities were examined to improve farm management in such a way that the desired upper groundwater quality could be realized without reducing milk production intensity (11,900 kg milk ha −1) and without exporting manure. A prototype system was established on an experimental farm. Nitrogen fluxes, including mineralization, were studied in detail. Actual nitrogen surplus of the plant component of that system decreased from 337 kg ha −1 (conventional system) to 128 kg ha −1, which still is 49 kg ha −1 higher than estimated in the design phase. Of this 128-kg surplus probably about 40 kg accumulated as organic N in the root zone, 29 kg denitrified and 59 kg was leached as nitrate. Nitrate content of the upper groundwater decreased from 220 to 55 mg l −1, which is close to the target value of 50 mg l −1. Because accumulation is a finite process and groundwater nitrate content is still too high, the N surplus has to be further reduced by at least 40 kg ha −1. Calculations suggest scope for such a reduction.

Vaccines against the avian enteropathogens Eimeria, Cryptosporidium and Salmonella.

The worldwide poultry industry provides a substantial proportion of the nutritional requirement of the human population. To keep pace with the increasing demand for the high-quality, low-cost protein source that poultry provides, intensive rearing practices have been developed within the past few decades. For example, chickens are housed routinely in crowded environments under adverse conditions, and genetic strains have been selected for rapid growth, high protein-to-fat content and superior egg-laying characteristics. A major negative consequence of these practices has been an increase in the incidence of diseases. Enteric diseases in particular have emerged as a major problem threatening the future viability of the poultry industry. A variety of methods have been used to combat avian diseases in the commercial setting, including improved farm management practices, the use of antibiotic drugs, the selection of disease-resistant strains of chickens, and the manipulation of the chicken's immune system. In the latter category, the development of vaccines against the major avian diseases has become a priority in the poultry industry. This review will highlight recent progress in vaccine development against three major avian enteric pathogens: Eimeria, Cryptosporidium and Salmonella.

Review on Vaccine Development Against Enteric Parasites Eimeria and Cryptosporidium.

Intensive rearing practices have been developed within the past few decades to keep pace with the increasing demand for the high quality, low cost protein source that poultry provides. A major negative consequence of these practices has been an increase in the incidence of diseases. Enteric diseases, in particular, have emerged as a major problem threatening the future viability of the poultry industry. A variety of methods have been used to combat avian diseases in the commercial setting including improved farm management practices, use of antibiotic drugs, selection of disease resistant chicken strains and manipulation of the chicken immune system. In the latter category, development of vaccines against the major avian diseases has become a priority in the poultry industry. Protozoan parasites of the genus Eimeria and Cryptosporidium represent two major parasitic diseases which multiply in the gut of wide range of hosts, including poultry and livestock. Currently, there is no treatment for cryptosporidiosis although chemotherapy is extensively used to control coccidiosis in chickens. However, development of drug resistance by coccidia parasites, the increasing cost of identifying new antibiotic compounds and public awareness of drug residues in foods warrant alternative methods to prevent parasitic diseases. To this end, enhanced understanding of basic immunobiology of gut-associated lymphoid tissues (GALT) will facilitate the development of alternate control strategy against these parasites. In chickens as in the mammalian system, the GALT contain both B and T lymphocytes which interact closely to protect the host against intestinal pathogens including parasites. For avian coccidiosis, local intraepithelial and lamina propria lymphocytes represent the main component of protective immunity to Eimeria. Because of the importance of cell-mediated immunity, coccidiosis vaccines must be capable of stimulating intestinal T cells. Although live and attenuated coccidia parasites have been applied to control coccidiosis, this disease continues to contribute to substantial morbidity and mortality in the poultry industry. Future successful development of an effective vaccine against coccidiosis will depend on further investigation of protective immunity to Eimeria infection and identification of important immunogenic parasite molecules. This review will highlight recent progress in avian intestinal immune system and vaccine development against major avian enteric parasites, Eimeria and Cryptosporidium.

Yield Map Interpretation

Yield monitoring and mapping are becoming commonplace with many crops throughout North America. Some fields now have a 3- to 5-yr yield map history. A yield map, however, only documents the spatial distribution of crop yield and does not explain what factor(s) caused the variation. The goal of yield map interpretation is enhanced profitability through better understanding and control of natural and management-induced sources of yield variation. Numerous causes of crop yield variation have been documented, including climate, soil-water relationships, soil physical and chemical properties, site attributes, crop pest infestations, crop inputs and condition, field history, and cultural practices. Proper visual presentation of yield monitor data in yield map form and the accurate identification of characteristic patterns of yield variation are essential for meaningful interpretation of the yield map. Unfortunately, all yield monitor data sets and maps contain inherent error, some of which cannot be easily corrected. Error-induced patterns must be separated from real yield variation in order to make correct interpretations. In general, irregular areas, blotches or, speckles, and elliptical patterns are the result of naturally occuring yield-limiting factors. Conversely, rectangles, abrupt boundaries, circles, arcs, and streaks or lines reflect management-induced patterns of yield variation. In addition, divergence of parallel swaths, missing data points, and a repeating sawtooth pattern along field margins usually result from errors associated with Global Positioning System (GPS) signal reception and yield monitor data collection. Yield map interpretation is greatly enhanced by ongoing grower involvement and the insightful use of auxiliary agronomic, spatial, and historical site information. Geographic Information System (GIS) tools are virtually essential to evaluate multiple layers of spatial data. GIS software can be used to systematically and quantitatively evaluate the relationships between yield data and other spatial features. In the future, tools such as data-mining software, and other sophisticated mathematical and spatial models may provide additional power to interpret single-year as well as multi-year yield map information.

A climatology of airborne dust for the Red River Valley of North Dakota

The Red River Valley of North Dakota has been identified as one of the highest potential dust production regions in the United States. This paper provides a climatological summary of the airborne dust environment in the region using historical meteorological data for Fargo, North Dakota. Data for the period 1948–1994 were extracted for all 3-hourly weather observations which recorded an obstruction to vision due to dust, blowing dust or dust storms. Data were compiled on the year, month, day and hour of each observation, as well as the horizontal visibility, wind speed, wind direction, and other present weather occurring at the time of each event. Airborne dust events in the Red River Valley of the North normally involve local entrainment of dust, and show a strong peak in the frequency of occurrence during the afternoon and spring seasons, although a secondary winter peak is also present. Dust events have decreased in frequency over the study period, apparently in response to improved farm management practices. Most events fall into two basic categories: winter events generated by passing cold fronts or strong regional pressure gradients, and often accompanied by blowing snow and light snow showers, and spring events triggered by the passage of cyclones and fronts, and normally not accompanied by other prevailing weather at the time of the observation. Results are discussed in relation to the unique soil, meteorological and surface cover conditions of the Red River Valley of North Dakota.

Sustainable Agricultural Development in Less Developed Countries

Agriculture is the basic economic activity of the world's poorest countries, and the sustainability of this sector is vital for their overall development. Appropriate agricultural policies in conjunction with research and technology could play an important role in protecting and promoting sustainable agricultural development. In this paper, it is argued that agriculture-related policies should be geared towards providing economic incentives to resource-poor farmers, enabling them to improve their agricultural productivity, income and livelihood without causing environmental degradation. In this regard, research and technology development should be farmer-centred, practical and economical. Emphasis must be placed on raising yields, conserving soils, and lowering costs through improved farm management.

Role of information in the adoption of best management practices for water quality improvement

AbstractThis study investigates the role of information in influencing the adoption of improved farm management practices. A lack of producer information regarding both the profitability and the environmental benefits of adopting improved practices may be a reason why widespread adoption of these practices has not occurred. Compared to direct regulation or financial incentives, raising producer information levels may be a more cost‐effective method of increasing adoption. The United States Department of Agriculture has recently established and begun implementing a program based on this idea. To test the validity of the program, a two‐stage adoption model is specified and estimated using data from a survey of producers in the program area. The results indicate that producer perceptions Play an important role in the decision to adopt. Changing these perceptions by means of an educational program may be a reasonable alternative to financial incentives in encouraging BMP adoption.

Role of information in the adoption of best management practices for water quality improvement

Abstract This study investigates the role of information in influencing the adoption of improved farm management practices. A lack of producer information regarding both the profitability and the environmental benefits of adopting improved practices may be a reason why widespread adoption of these practices has not occurred. Compared to direct regulation or financial incentives, raising producer information levels may be a more cost-effective method of increasing adoption. The United States Department of Agriculture has recently established and begun implementing a program based on this idea. To test the validity of the program, a two-stage adoption model is specified and estimated using data from a survey of producers in the program area. The results indicate that producer perceptions play an important role in the decision to adopt. Changing these perceptions by means of an educational program may be a reasonable alternative to financial incentives in encouraging BMP adoption.