Acres Of Land Research Articles

Uncovering Ancient Mysteries: The Megalithic Cist-Burials of Enadimangalam

Megalithism is the practice of huge stones associated with burial practices. An interdisciplinary approach is needed in collaboration with History and Archaeology to study Megaliths. This article is a brief report of the exploration conducted at Enadimangalam Grama Panchayath in Adoor Taluk, Pathanamthitta District, Kerala, during the field season 2018. The research's primary objective was to systematically explore the unreported megalithic sites in Enadimangalam and report them. The researcher discovered nine sites in the systematic ward-to-ward survey, and explorations carried out at Enadimangalam Grama Panchayath in 2018. These sites were reported to the authorities. This article elaborates on a detailed description of the reported sites. This study shows that the Enadimangalam area has a predominant Megalithic background and is assumed to be one of the largest sites so far discovered. It is observed that the area is very vast and bounded by hills and valleys that comprise more than a thousand acres of land. This indicates that the Megalithic monuments are widely distributed in this area and shows the enormity of the settlement.

Assessing the Impact of Land Fragmentation on Agricultural Productivity and Rural Development in Vihiga County, Kenya

Increased population pressures affect land as it is divided again and again resulting in poor yields in agriculture. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to establish the Legislative changes and population growth as factors leading to land fragmentation in Vihiga County, Kenya. Following the Agricultural Production Function Model, the study was descriptively cross-sectional. The study was undertaken in Vihiga County. Purposive sampling together with the stratified random sampling technique was adopted to recruit participants to the study. The population was over 10,000 therefore sample determination was done using Fisher’s formula which gave 384 peasant farmers with subdivided farms. Quantitative data were gathered using, Likert-scale questionnaires that were semi-structured, while qualitative data were gathered using interview guides. Quasi-experimental research design incorporated both quantitative and qualitative data that used both descriptive and inferential analysis. The study showed that 58percent of the households had land of half-quarter to half acre, 71 percent. 3 percent of farmers are owning the land for farming. On the issue of land fragmentation 94 % of the respondents agreed that this was prevalent mainly as a result of inheritance. Also, 48% of subdivisions produced subdivided plots that were less than a quarter acre, therefore reducing the productivity of farm land and posing difficultly in managing it. While 84% of responded farmers had less than one acre of land, only 16% had more than one acre of land which was strongly indicating the level of land fragmentation. Additionally, on 66 percent of the agricultural: land size farmed was between a quarter and half an acre. It revealed that farm productivity had positive relation with larger land size (r = 0. 888). Descriptive statistics and inferential tests showed a strong positive relationship between land size, land ownership and productivity found out that large block of size is productive. This also affected the investment in modern and mechanized farming practices with a correlation of -0. 598 as the fragmentation was associated with low yields and low profitability or economic return with r = - 0. 443. Based on the findings of the study, the researcher concludes that land consolidation is crucial in increasing agriculture productivity and supports the policies dealing with efficient use of the limited land resources. This study recommended that in the event of addressing the issue of fragmentation prioritization of land consolidation and the encouragement of land ownership reforms to accommodate investments in different techniques in support of superior usage of land, thereby increasing agricultural, production and sustainability levels.

Social and Economic Consequences of Farmer Suicides in Karnataka: Impacts on Rural Communities and Beyond

In this research paper, an attempt has been made to overview the present scenario of farmer suicides in Karnataka, India, is given in the abstract, along with a focus on the disastrous social and economic effects of this phenomenon. In fact, there were 3,515 farmers committed suicide between 2013 and 2018, with small and marginal farmers who owned less than 5 acres of land being the bulk of these deaths. The main causes of these suicides were debt, crop failure, and limited access to institutional funding. Farmers who commit suicide have far-reaching effects on society in addition to the agricultural community. Declining agricultural output, rural-to-urban population mobility, and the breakdown of social structures are all problems facing rural communities. Reduced agricultural output, a loss of revenue for farming households, and an increase in the demand on government resources for relief operations are of the economic effects. The social consequences include a rise in domestic violence, mental health issues, and alcoholism in rural areas. The summary highlights how farmer suicides have an impact on metropolitan people who rely on agricultural goods for their sustenance, in addition to remote rural communities. The Karnataka government has launched programs including loan waivers, crop insurance policies, and irrigation projects to prevent farmer suicides. To address the root reasons of farmer suicides, further work must be done. This work should focus on supporting sustainable farming practices, increasing institutional funding availability, and offering mental health services to farming communities.

Amish Land Ownership within Wisconsin

ABSTRACT Rapid growth of Amish settlement within Wisconsin over the past 60 years has brought 200,000 acres of land under Amish ownership. This paper studies patterns of Amish landownership within 27 settlements, representing 71 percent of Wisconsin’s Amish church districts, and illustrates differing average land ownership per household and degrees of land dispersal and concentration among the settlements. Average household land ownership ranged from 27.7 to 86.6 acres among the studied Old Order Amish settlements. Most Amish owned lands are dispersed among lands that remain under “English” ownership. Older and larger settlements display greater concentrations of Amish owned lands, whether measured by maximum acreage per survey section within the settlement, average owned acreage per section, and presence or absence of non-contiguous sections of Amish owned lands. Amish church affiliation, origins of Amish within the settlements, and types of occupational engagement also appear related to these differences. Keywords: agriculture, Amish, landownership, Old Orders, Wisconsin

Techno-Economic Assessment of Liquefied Petroleum Gas-Powered Alternative Electricity Critical Infrastructure Development in Nigeria’s South-West Geopolitical Zone

The decentralization of electricity authority in Nigeria has made it expedient for the South-West Geopolitcal Zone to develop strategic power generation infrastructure. This study assessed the techno-economic viability of the liquefied petroleum gas-powered alternative electricity infrastructure option in Southwestern Nigeria as a mitigation strategy to endemic inadequate grid power supply under the region's integrated electric power programmes. An energy project planning and foresight analysis methodology was used. The study showed that a 25 MW stand-alone LPG-based CHP power plant would require 8.567 acres of land, consume approximately 15.459 million kg of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) annually, while generating 210,240 MWh of electricity annually. This power plant initiative was considered to have acceptable risk (Payback Period = 9 years 3 months; Return on Investment = 10.73%) and viability at the minimum tariff of $0.11/kWh. It also had considerable annual CO2 emissions and fuel cost savings (255.75 metric kilotonnes and $137.58 million respectively) relative to diesel-based alternative power generation. The study recommended that the viability of the power plant be improved by reductions in operations costs. The study concluded that the LPG plant initiative was technically feasible, economically viable and environmentally friendly, and suitable for deployment in the study area.

Solar energy modelling and proposed crops for different types of agrivoltaics systems

Canada can radically reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by aggressively deploying agrivoltaics and reach its goal of cutting emissions by increasing the non-emitting share of electricity generation to 90 % by 2030. To help reach this goal, this study evaluated the potential energy production for vertical bi-facial solar photovoltaic arrays as well as the solar irradiation reaching the ground with three different spacings (5 m, 15 m and 45 m) and three different Canadian farming locations (London, Calgary and Winnipeg) using irradiance modeling with Ladybug tools plug-ins for Grasshopper and Honeybee. The crops currently grown in each region were identified and their sunlight requirements were analyzed. Based on the amount of solar radiation reaching the ground surface and the solar requirements of the crops, inter-row spacings that were suitable for agrivoltaic applications for the three locations were identified. Next the land acreage of a select few crops, which were proven to be satisfactory for agrivoltaic systems, were identified for each province and their electrical energy potential was ascertained using the open-source System Advisor Model. The results indicate that more than 84 % of the total national electricity requirements can be met by employing agrivoltaics on agricultural land where these crops are cultivated in the three provinces.

Commercial Vegetable Growers’ Socio-economic Status on Usage of Social Media in Odisha, India

Social media can be a fantastic agricultural intervention tool, providing dependable information and knowledge to farmers who are not yet addressed at the appropriate time. Extension must be implemented using the newest technology in a world where knowledge drives change in order to persuade and assist farmers. Social media is like a revolution in todays’ time in every aspect and sector resulting in why the study was made. The socioeconomic characteristics of the commercial vegetable growers of Khordha and Puri districts of Odisha was scheduled in order to determine the level of access, information towards their utility of social media for agricultural purpose. For this survey, 90 respondents in total were chosen at random. Pre-structured interview schedules were used to gather the data, and relevant statistical analysis was carried out to determine the respondents' socio-economic profile. The majority of vegetable growers, or 56.67% of the population, were found to be middle-aged; 60% of farmers had families of fewer than five people; 51.11 percent of farmers belonged to the general caste; and 36.67% had completed middle school. It was also discovered that majority (55.56%) of the respondents were marginal farmers with less than 2.5 acres of land, the majority (40.00%) had yearly incomes ranging from (50,000 to 100,000) thousand and 32.22 percent were members of only two organisations. In terms of extension contacts, the data revealed that agricultural input merchants were the most prevalent among vegetable growers, with majority of them (63.33%) having a medium level of extension contacts. 90% of farmers were classified as having a medium level of social media access.

Automated hydroponic nutrient control system for smart agriculture

<p><span>Hydroponics is a type of soil-free farming that uses less water and other resources than conventional soil-based farming methods. Hydroponic cultivation system has high yield per acre of land with minimal consumption of water and can be a possible to meet the growing food demand of the world. The hydroponic plants fertility must be preserved, proper nutrition, a environmental temperature, and nutrient stability are crucial. It will be simpler for a farmer to keep track of all hydroponic plants by automatically monitoring nutrient flow and ambient temperature stability. By implementing artificial intelligence-based regulating algorithms in the agriculture industry, recent technology advancements are highly helpful in resolving these issues. This paper presents, automated hydroponic nutrient control system (AHNCS) for smart agriculture. System architecture is consisting of sensors network, Raspberry pi 4 microcontroller and actuators. Raspberry pi 4 microcomputer read sensor values from sensors process and activates particular actuator. The automation of the hydroponic system helps to avoid human intervention. The utilization of sensors and actuators, promptly act for the needs of the plant without any delay. The AHNCS having high accuracy, high efficiency and less delay. Hence, automation of the existing hydroponic system can reduce human dependency, provide accurate results, constant monitoring of plant health.</span></p>

Wealth of Vascular Plants of Avani Seeds Vidhya Sankul, Mehsana, Dist. Mehsana, North Gujarat, India

The present study was aimed at determining the vascular plant species richness of the Avani seeds vidhya-sankul, Mehsana campus. For this, the species richness data was obtained by both secondary sources and intensive surveys from 2020-2022. Campus is extended over 8 acres of land. The campus area are the representative of climax vegetation and exhibit the diversity of species such as trees, shrubs, herbs, climbers and other shade loving herbs. Botanical gardens have valuable medicinal and other plants having high economic value. The data from the primary and secondary sources resulted in the documentation of 284 species belonging to 239 genera under 86 families. Leguminosae and Poaceae were the dominant dicotyledonous and monocotyledonous families respectively. 96% species are belonging angiosperms plants and Zemia pygmea Sims is a rare plants belonging gymnosperms in campus.

Assessing the benefits of agroforestry beyond food security among households in Isingiro district, South-western Uganda

Globally, agroforestry and its capacity to offer a high yielding system are well known as a pathway for providing multiple benefits of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to the households. In Uganda, household farmers adopt on-farm trees for various benefits such as soil erosion prevention, maintaining soil fertility, provision of shade, windbreaks, and climate regulation among others beyond food security. The study aimed at assessing the benefits of agroforestry beyond food security in Isingiro District. The study used a cross-sectional survey design to obtain qualitative and quantitative data. The number of household participants was 284. Multiple Linear Regression to analyse the association between dependent variable and numerous independent variables were employed. The study used Chi-Square tests to find out the statistical value of variables and their effect on agroforestry adoption. The study also used Multiple Regression Model to determine the degree to which selected variables were accountable for influencing agroforestry benefits beyond food security. The results indicated that 41% households in Kabaare, 37.0% in Kikokwa, and 22.0% in Kigyendwa practiced agroforestry. These percentages mean that agroforestry adoption is below the average (50%). The low adoption is attributed to factors such as land shortage, limited financial capacity, poor attitudes and perceptions. Of all the agroforestry adopters, only 21% of the households indicated that they had benefited from on-farm trees. This implies that majority 79% of those who did not practice agroforestry realized no benefits. The socio-economic factors that were positive and insignificant with a positive influence on household agroforestry benefits were the main occupation and income (0.001) while the family size and land size (0.288), land acreage used for food production and household size (0.553), land acreage and marital status (0.182) were insignificant. The study recommends intensive studies on household attitude, and perceptions about agroforestry practice in relation to other factors. The local government needs to review land policy, and strengthen its support to households in utilising their resources productively through on-farm tree adoption to attain diversified benefits. Key words: Agroforestry, Benefits, Food security, Governance, Livelihood, Policy review, Household

University Land Grabs: Indigenous Dispossession and the Universities of Toronto and Manitoba

Whether leased or sold, Indigenous land provided the endowment capital for new universities in the nineteenth century. Many institutions of higher learning – including the universities of Toronto and Manitoba – began as large-scale landowners. By 1828, Toronto’s university still held more than two hundred thousand acres of land, an area larger than the present-day city of Toronto. The extent of university landholding in settler societies, however, has often been missed because the land parcels assigned to universities were both larger than, and distinct from, their campuses. This article accordingly examines how landholding undergirded Canadian universities’ development in the nineteenth century, taking the University of Toronto and the University of Manitoba as its focus. It argues that land was the essential ingredient in university building in both Ontario and Manitoba, linking these new universities’ establishment and subsequent wealth to Indigenous dispossession. Using Indigenous land to finance higher education was not unique to these universities nor to Canada. Yet, across settler societies, university landholding made institutions of higher education the beneficiaries of Indigenous removal and agents of colonization. In addition, once in operation, these new universities would also produce knowledge about land and its cultivation. Inspired by the growing field of European agricultural science, Canadian universities with land endowments professionalized the study of branches of knowledge like agriculture and engineering, displacing Indigenous ways of being and thinking about land. The effect of this knowledge valuation is still felt today. The products of university agricultural research – from nitrogen fertilizers to hybridized corn – profoundly transformed landscapes and altered local ecologies in line with settler knowledge systems and desires.

Does participation in livelihood education programs impact household food security? A comparative study in rural Uganda

Food and nutrition security projections from global to household levels show that the future requires multifaceted approaches to achieve desired goals. In Uganda, the government has tried several strate­gies to promote food production, including a public-private partnership with Iowa State Univer­sity through its Center for Sustainable Rural Liveli­hoods. In this comparative study, we surveyed 454 households to explore whether participation in livelihood education programs (LEPs) impact household food security. We also determine which LEPs and household characteristics influence food security. Overall, 46.3% of the surveyed house­holds were food secure, while the remaining were insecure or extremely insecure. Significantly, 51.0% of LEP participants were more food secure, com­pared to 35.5% of nonparticipants. Specific LEPs including agronomy and postharvest technologies, and livestock integration significantly influence food security, but less so for programs on nutrition and infant feeding, water supply and public health, complementary services like therapeutic porridge and assistance with immunization, and income innovations. Multinomial logistic regression analy­sis revealed that the household characteristics of keeping livestock and the number of meals eaten during periods of scarcity, influenced households having more food security than insecurity or extreme insecurity. Households participating in LEPs, having larger acreage of land, and having clean water and sanitation facilities were more food secure. The time taken to fetch water, days of ill­ness of male adults, and belonging to community social groups, also influence the level of household food security. Based on these findings, we recom­mend that households should participate in LEPs to build their capacity to manage crop and live­stock production, and also to acquire knowledge of nutrition and feeding, public health, and income innovations.

The main processes responsible for landscape transformation in post-industrial urban areas in Central Europe

In recent years, the dynamic of spatial change has been increasing, influenced by processes linked to the transformation of traditional industrial regions into metropolitan areas. This is related to changes in function and administrative status, but above all to spatial changes. Examples of cities experiencing dynamic landscape changes from coal mining cities to modern metropolises can be found in the former coal basins of Central Europe – the Upper Silesian Metropolis in Poland and the Ostrava-Karviná Region in the Czechia. This study analysed the transformation of the landscape on the basis of land cover data from the years 2000, 2006, 2012 and 2018. The index of landscape change and the index of change of individual cover types were calculated, and on the basis of these indices the main processes responsible for the transformation of the landscape were determined. In the two study areas, similar changes in the landscape are taking place but at different rates. The main processes changing the landscape are suburbanization, reindustrialization and agricultural land abandonment. In space, they are manifested in an increase in the areas of residential, commercial and service development, the densification of the road network, and an increase in land allocated for new industrial plants. At the same time, the acreage of agricultural land (mainly arable fields, orchards and plantations but also open landscapes) is decreasing.

Farmers Perception of Practices in Crop Production in Relation to Soil Health in Sapele Delta State

This study investigated farmers’ perceptions of practices in crop production in relation to soil health in Sapele, Delta State. The results obtained from demographics show that most of the farmers were experienced men and women. In terms of farming experience, they were highly exposed. However, only a few of them had attained tertiary education, which explains their limited exposure to soil management practices and their effects. The study revealed that most crops, such as maize, had a growing cycle of 0-6 months. Cassava, on the other hand, took 12 months to reach full maturity and was predominantly cultivated on 2.5-5 acres of land owned by individual farmers. Mixed cropping was practiced because it allowed farmers to cultivate a variety of plants and crops. The climate, temperature, and vegetation of the Songhai community were conducive to planting. Regarding farming and soil fertility, many farmers relied on bush fallowing as their primary source of income. Weeds and other agents that reduce productivity and profitability were mainly controlled through mechanical methods, traps, and introducing biological pest enemies. To improve crop yield and soil health, organic manure, especially from poultry droppings, was the most used due to its availability and low cost. Farmers understood the importance of good soil health management practices and were open to adopting new methods, such as microbial inputs, to enhance soil health and crop yield. The study suggests that additional research is needed to identify measures farmers are likely to adopt to protect publicly owned natural resources. Furthermore, the government should encourage the development of general guidelines for obtaining indicators and their use to monitor improvements in soil health.

Assessing Vulnerability of Agriculture to Drought in East Java, Indonesia: Application of GIS and AHP

Drought known as ‘silent killer’—unpredictable slow-moving hazard which cause severe damage to people and environment. Since agriculture is the first and foremost sector affected by drought, the risk of crop failure can be minimized by reducing vulnerability. Climate patterns can be considered as systematic conditions which are capable of assigning sensitivity regions to drought. Here, the study employs Oldeman’s Agro Climatic data as physical vulnerability indicator to assess and monitor the vulnerability of agriculture system to drought in East Java. The study used long-term monthly rainfall observation data to generate climatic map accompanied with socio-economic indicators to assess vulnerability of region to drought. Spatial distribution of vulnerability was mapped using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) combined with Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The results show there are five categories of vulnerability to drought: very high, high, moderate, low, and very low based on standardized index. Madura Island, particularly Bangkalan, Sampang, and Sumenep considered as most vulnerable region to drought. In addition, most regions in the north plain of East Java, including Tuban, Lamongan, and Gresik categorized as highly vulnerable to drought. Factors affecting vulnerability are mostly related to drier climate which affect acreage and availability of irrigation. The socio-economic factors likewise smallholder farmers and poverty contribute to rising vulnerability level. South part of East Java, particularly Tulungagung and Blitar Regency was least vulnerable because of appropriate climate which induced to acreage of irrigated land. The study emphasizes the utilizing of Oldeman climate pattern as primary indicator in determining vulnerable regions. Smallholder farmers and poverty causing vulnerability in agriculture emerged as priority for further study. The results can provide new insights into drought management for most vulnerable regions by considering local climatic characteristics.

Modification and characterization of Mordenite zeolite derived from waste coal fly ash and its application as a heterogeneous catalyst for the n-butyl levulinate synthesis

The thermal power plants produce huge quantity of fly ash as waste materials, and dumped in to the ash dykes, which occupies several acres of land and ultimately, spoil it. Researchers are looking for the reasonable treatment process to convert the fly ash into useful materials like zeolites. In this work, fly ash derived Mordenite zeolite has been synthesized with improved catalytic activity. The utility of this material is demonstrated as a solid acid catalyst for the synthesis of n-butyl levulinate from biomass derived levulinic acid. This study demonstrates successful cost effective transformation of fly ash into environmentally benign catalyst.

Food security's broken link: The misalignment of stakeholder priorities in agriculture and nutrition in Vihiga County, Kenya

Global food security will exist when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. Today, about 2 billion of the 7.96 billion people on Earth are food insecure. Food insecurity is still a challenge in Kenya despite different sectors' interventions in nutrition and agriculture. This study sought to identify programs and stakeholders who are influential on food security by analyzing farmers' participation in programs, the link between agriculture and nutrition goals, factors that influence the success of programs, and the impact of policy on food security. The study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional design using mixed methods of data collection. Qualitative data were obtained from thirty purposively selected stakeholders through focus group discussions and key informant interviews. The themes formed from the qualitative data were analyzed manually, and verbatim quotes were used to explain the findings. Additionally, two hundred and seventy-three structured questionnaires were administered to farmers to collect quantitative data. The data revealed that (75%) of farmers were beneficiaries of key programs. Pearson's chi-square test gave x^2(4, n=273)>=91.045, with a p-value of 0.000 which is less than 0.05, indicates a strong relationship between education level and farmers' awareness of key agricultural programs. The primary motivation in agriculture production was income generation, but the nutritional value of the food was overlooked. Poor collaboration among stakeholders was shown to not only result in unequal program coverage but also pose an obstacle in aligning agricultural programs with local nutrition demands. Moreover, although food and agriculture policies are in place, gaps exist in implementing and adhering to these policies. It was revealed that budget allocation to the agriculture sector is at (2.4 %) which is still a quarter way to the international commitment of (10%). Lastly, land ownership limitations hinder smallholder farmers' ability to meet income and nutrition needs, as approximately a third of those surveyed (n=136, 35.5%) reported owning less than 0.5 acres of land. It is, therefore, necessary to build the capacity to support smart agriculture, using technological methods to increase productivity on small land. Additionally, stakeholders must create policy strategies, collaboration and program distribution mechanisms to promote nutrition and agriculture to improve food security. Key words: Agriculture, Food Security, Influence, Linkage, Nutrition, Program, Policy, Stakeholders

Design and Development of Grid-Connected Solar PV Power Plant Using PVsyst

As we know, the biggest problem that threatens today's world is climate change and global warming. Alongside that, Afghanistan does not have a reliable source of power, and people who live in cities do not have full access to electricity. So, we need immediate access to electricity. Therefore, among all other renewable sources, the only one that is feasible in the target area and could solve this problem soon is investing in a solar PV power plant. This study aims to develop a standard procedure for the design of grid-connected solar PV systems using PVsyst software. The project began with a broad database of meteorological data, including global daily horizontal solar irradiance, and also a database of various renewable energy system components from different manufacturers. This paper will explain the grid solar power limited in the year 2023. The photovoltaic power plant has a solar radiation of 6.22 KWh/Sq./day, covering 162.66 acres of land. The operating module temperature varies from -40°C to 85°C, with a tilt angle of 32 degrees. The various power losses (PV losses due to irradiation level, temperature, soiling, inverter, wiring, power electronics, grid availability, and interconnection) amount to 2006 KWh/m2, with a total production of 60513314 KVAh/year, and the performance ratio is calculated from simulation, giving an annual PR of 75.16%.

Benefits and Challenges of Indian Organic Farming: A Comprehensive Review

The organic movement may suddenly be in the mainstream's spotlight, but that hasn't always been the case. Local organic farmers have developed, experimented with, and exchanged production techniques since the 1950s. Globally, the production of organic crops in the organic farming system is increasing momentum. It is necessary to develop a variety of alternatives to chemical-intensive agriculture in order to achieve sustainable food, livelihood, and environmental security. With 72.3 million acres of land, organic farming is practiced in 187 countries worldwide. From 0.58 thousand ha in 2003–2004 to 26.6 thousand ha in 2020–21, the area used for organic farming rose quickly, and numerous government programs are being launched. The importance of health advantages is growing as more individuals become aware of the food they and their family members eat. As a result, products created by organic farming exist to some extent. In the past, individuals spent money on premium local produce, meat, and organic goods. This resulted in a long life and a stable way of life. Therefore, organic farming supports the one health approach to ensure the health of the environment, plants, animals, people, and soil. Organic farming uses a regenerative method to rebuild food and agricultural systems, which enhances ecosystem benefits. As a result, it offers a realistic alternative for producing clean, sustainable food with little harm to the environment. Small and marginal farmers should use organic agricultural methods, particularly for their long-term food security and to reduce risk. Long-term organic farming adoption in horticulture crops will benefit from sustained efforts from research institutions, developmental organizations, progressive farmers, input dealers, processors, and other stakeholders. This article focuses on appropriate organic farming techniques for horticultural and agricultural crops that are location-specific. This paper gives a general summary of organic farming's advantages, difficulties, and current situation in India.

Valuing Pollination as an Ecosystem Services: The Case of Hand Pollination for Cocoa Production in Ghana

The promotion of cocoa farm productivity has necessitated the intensification of input use with ensuing loss of natural pollinators. Ghana Cocoa Board’s (COCOBOD) remedy to declining pollinator population is addressed in the rolling out of hand pollination in the 2016/17 crop year. Applying contingent valuation on field data covering 608 farmers in five cocoa growing regions, we estimate the value of pollinator services to the cocoa industry in Ghana and farmers willingness to pay for the service. We find that cocoa farmers in Ghana are willing to pay for hand pollination to improve on their farm yields. Farmers averagely value pollinator services at $1.3 per acre of land. Extrapolated to cover all cultivated cocoa lands for 2017/18 crop year, the value of pollinator services to Ghana’s cocoa industry is averagely $6.1 million per annum. Hand pollination can improve cocoa farms yields given the statistically significant mean difference in yields between hand-pollinated and non-hand-pollinated farms. Having established the loss to the cocoa industry from pollinator decline and the need for effective pollination to support crop productivity, it is imperative for COCOBOD to ramp up strategies at preserving cocoa farm ecology to safe guard the industry.